by M J Marino
I gasp, but he keeps going. “The stories of my MC members are similar. We all wanted to keep serving but with actual results. There are too many politics when it comes to war to do the morally right thing. I left. Gauge, my vice president, followed me, along with Chase and Punk.
“Mercy Ravens MC is a club I formed by chance. It started with me and my three brothers buying a couple hogs and cruising all over the states, taking the occasional security job. I was named president since the club was my idea, and I led our team when we were SEALs. For the past two years, we’ve been recruiting former military who want to continue to serve and say fuck you to the politics.”
He pauses to throw back the rest of the whiskey while I wait.
“Once I noticed how lucrative some of the jobs were, I started my own company. It’s probably more accurate to say we’re a security company whose employees like to ride hogs, than a motorcycle club who enjoys vigilante work. The military pensions we earned were never enough to keep us afloat, but the gun-for-hire jobs more than cushion our pockets. It let us expand the club and help more individuals in need.
“My crew and I make our money by taking on recon, security, and mercenary work. It’s a legit business. We’re hired by families, companies, investors, as well as the government to retrieve intel and people.
“With sex trafficking on the rise, we spend a lot of time bringing home abducted people, including children. Drug busts are another huge job we’re hired for. Sometimes other governments hire us to help with illegal activity going on in their country.
“Some gigs are small, others are huge. The longest mission I’ve been on lasted over three months and pulled in over three million a head for our crew. Sometimes the missions are local and sometimes we’re overseas. I can’t talk about the details of specific cases since its contract work, and legally we can’t disclose private information, but you get the drift.”
Holy shit! His life is like an action movie. His already high hotness factor just blew off the charts.
“Our jobs are completely legal and come with a hefty paycheck. The shit we do is dangerous, but no more dangerous than when we were on active duty. The big difference is that we’re able to cut through the red tape and complete the fucking missions. Whatever sketchy shit you thought my brothers and I were involved in, you can rest assured we aren’t.”
Jesus. I sit back in my seat and stare, awestruck. I didn’t expect this response when I asked him to explain. And thank God he’s not involved with the wild shit I had assumed.
My heart swells when it sinks in how good of a man Maceo is. He doesn’t deserve to be judged by the crew he belongs to. He deserves to be judged by the moral of his character.
“Maceo, I’m humble enough to admit when I’m wrong. I owe you an apology. I stereotyped you right off the bat and I regret it. Thank you for pointing it out,” I confess before leaning in, all starry-eyed. “You’re like a modern day superhero.”
Maceo smiles and lowers his face to hide the blush glowing under his tanned skin. “Thanks, Pixie.”
“You’re a good man, Maceo,” I add.
Maceo’s eyes narrow. “I may do good deeds, but I’m far from good. I’ve done things in my life that are worthy of jail time.”
I don’t know if he’s trying to scare me, warn me, or whatever, but I’m not afraid of him or what’s he’s done in his past anymore. “I’m sure you only did those things because you felt it was justified. I don’t get a sadistic vibe from you.”
His deep brown eyes soften as he holds my gaze. “I like the way you see me.”
My heart thumps a little harder. Since he’s answering questions, I ask another. “Why is your street name Atlas?”
“Gauge gave it to me after our first active-duty mission. Atlas is the titan who carries the weight of the world. I carry the weight of the teams I lead. It’s my load to bear.”
“I like it,” I admit with a smile.
Maceo gulps before looking me square in the face. “You want honesty?”
“Well, it is the best policy, right?”
Maceo sits back and looks down at his hands folded in front of him. “I don’t date. What we’re doing right now is completely foreign to me. I’ve never sat down across from a girl and wanted to get to know her.”
“How are you picking up women if you aren’t getting to know them? What? Do you just nod and smile at them, and they flock to you?”
Maceo glances at me, giving me an odd look. Immediately, I’m reminded there was little dialogue between the two of us before we were pawing at each other. “Never mind.”
He nods. “Exactly. But if it makes you feel better, I had to put more effort into winning you over. You’re not the typical woman I pick up. The women I’ve been involved with are in the same boat as me. They want to fuck and move on. You’re all about commitment.”
“Yes, but I’m not interested in getting into another relationship and getting my heart ripped to shreds. I want to be certain the relationship in going to last. Nor am I looking for a sex buddy. I know myself enough to know I could never have a ‘no strings attached’ hook up.”
Maceo looks down at his lap. He’s uncomfortable with the direction this conversation is heading. “I’m not looking for a commitment either, or at least I wasn’t.”
He runs his hands over his face. “Look, my life is dangerous, not as a biker, but as a mercenary. I work long hours, constantly traveling, and I have a target on my back. I’m not safe, and anyone personally involved with me wouldn’t be safe either.”
Hmm. Interesting. “So, your reasoning for not having a romantic relationship is the same as mine.”
He frowns. “I don’t follow.”
“You’re afraid of getting your heart broken, whether it’s by your job getting in the way, hurt feelings—yours or hers—or by putting her in danger. Commitment is not your issue, but risking your heart is.” I shrug. “I get it. Heartbreak sucks.”
Maceo glares at me. “I’m not afraid of anything.”
I fold my arms and lean forward. “Bullshit. Everyone is afraid of something. We just happen to be afraid of the same damn thing. Neither of us wants to give away our heart and risk losing the other person.”
Maceo softens. “You really give it to someone straight, don’t ya?”
“If you wanted candy-coating, you came to the wrong girl.”
“I like that about you,” he says, biting his lower lip. A big gust of air escapes him, and he looks into my eyes. “And I like how you use my real name. I like how you don’t take my shit and how you give it right back. I like how you swear like a sailor and drink like one, too. I like how you take care of yourself both physically and emotionally. I like how you’re not afraid to stand up for yourself. And more than everything else, I like the way I feel when I’m with you. How’s that for honesty?”
“Whoa,” I whisper. Did my panties just melt off? “Pretty awesome, actually.”
Maceo pulls his wallet out and throws a wad of cash on the table. “How about we get out of here?” he says with a wink, rising out of his seat and offering me his hand. I take it without hesitation.
We get back on his bike, cruising along at a more leisurely pace than when we left my condo, like he’s prolonging whatever time we have together. I rest my cheek against his back and snuggle closer.
At a red light, a car pulls alongside us with the windows down. Loud music and laughter filter out into the open air.
“Damn, Liam, check out the hot piece of ass sitting right next to us,” a male voice yells over the music.
Maceo’s head snaps to the car, and I’m suddenly fearful for the young men in the vehicle. I need to diffuse the situation quickly.
“Sorry, boys,” I say loud enough for them to hear me. I slap my hand down on Maceo’s shoulder and give him a big squeeze. “But this hot piece of ass is mine. You’ll have to find another man.”
Maceo breaks out into hysterics. The guys next to us stare, dumbstruck. Before they can commen
t, Maceo’s gunning his bike down the road.
We drive on ‘till he’s pulling us over to a cliff edge overlooking the city. He gets off his bike and practically lifts me from it, setting me gently on my feet. Hand in hand, we walk to the edge to take in the view. I look out over the vastness in front of me and sigh.
“Beautiful,” I mumble.
“I couldn’t agree more,” Maceo says.
I turn my head to look at him, but he’s already staring at me, his free hand covering his chest where his heart is. He’s too damn handsome for words.
Maceo leans down to kiss me and I meet him a little less than half-way, on my tippy toes. Our height difference would be an issue, but he snakes his muscled arms around me to lift me up to him, and I wrap my arms around his neck. I want to go all in, but I pull away.
“Why are you holding back, Josephine? What is it?” he asks, rubbing his nose and forehead against mine.
“A lot,” I confess.
Maceo sets me back down. “Talk to me.”
I shake my head. “I don’t know if I can explain it in a way that makes any sense.”
He pulls me against his chest and kisses the top of my head. “Try me.”
I take a deep lungful of air. “This morning, what we did, I’ve never—I don’t have sex with strangers. I have no idea what you’re thinking of me because of it.”
“I would never fucking judge you, Josephine. I’m the last person to judge anyone. Don’t forget I was as involved as you were,” he mumbles against my hair.
I sigh. “But everyone else would judge what we did. I can’t help but feel ashamed.”
“No. Stop right there. No one needs to know what happened between us because it’s ours and no one else’s. And who gives a fuck what other people think? That’s society putting ideas in your head about what they want normal to be. You need to get over this hang-up, baby. People are going to be judging you the rest of your life. Are you going to let this shit hold you back from what you want in life? Let me ask you something. Did you want me this morning?”
“Yes.”
“Did you enjoy it?”
“Yes.”
“Looking back on it, would you change anything that happened between us?”
“No.”
He gives me a gentle squeeze. “Own that shit, Pixie. You saw what you wanted, and you fucking took it like a boss. You enjoyed it and wouldn’t change a thing about it. You took a chance and that’s more than what the majority of this fucked up world can admit to. There’s no shame in taking what you desire as long as you didn’t hurt anyone in the process. I’m fucking thankful you took a chance on me.”
Tears stream down my face as I absorb his words and the freedom they offer. But there’s more where those doubts hide.
“Pixie, why’re you tensing up?” He pulls me away from his chest to look into my eyes, wiping away the moisture on my face with his big thumbs. “Is it the ex? Is he harassing you? Fuck, do you still have feelings for him?” he asks, panic laced in his voice.
“No,” I shake my head roughly. “Whatever feelings I had for him died the day he decided a promotion was more important than me. And no, he’s not harassing me. Well, he has, but it’s been a week or two. It’s not him, but me and my hang-ups on getting hurt again.”
Maceo cups my face in his rough palms and raises ‘till I’m looking into his dark eyes. “Pixie, I don’t want to hurt you. Can we just see where this leads?”
Fire blazes through his dark features as he holds my gaze. I don’t recall a man regarding me with such carnal need before. He makes me feel like the most beautiful woman ever.
I whimper. “I don’t know how to be half-invested.”
“Baby, I don’t know how to be fully invested or even partially invested.” He kisses my forehead. “You have to meet me halfway on this.”
I sniffle and he looks in my eyes, analyzing me. “Do you like me?”
Yes. A lot more than I should. I bite my lip and nod.
“This is difficult for you, taking a chance on us,” he states.
I bob my head again. “I know this isn’t easy for you, either. I can’t expect you to all of a sudden want to be in a committed relationship. I’m willing to meet you halfway and give this relationship a chance, but I can’t promise I won’t invest my heart.”
Maceo looks up to the dark sky and swallows before looking back down at me, determination set in his face. “If you give me your heart, Josephine, you will never have to worry about me breaking it, at least not intentionally. I can guarantee I will fuck up at some point, but please remember I’m new to this before you decide to throw in the towel.”
“You can’t make that promise,” I say through a weak cry.
Maceo gives me a devastating smile. “I already did, baby. And I keep my promises. I don’t make them unless I’m certain I can hold them. With you, I know this promise is iron-clad.”
Overwhelmed by all the right words, I launch myself at him. He catches me in his arms, helping me crawl up his body ‘till I’m kissing him all over his face and down his neck.
God, he smells like newly fallen snow in a pine forest. I want to bury my nose in his neck, and breathe him in until my head is dizzy and I can’t remember my name.
“As much as I loved taking you outside this morning, I really want to get you into a bed,” he says. “If you don’t stop what you’re doing, I’ll have no choice but to bend you over my bike and take you here.”
I slide down his body. “Well, you better get me back to my condo and into my bed,” I say in a sultry voice.
Maceo puts his hand on my lower back and hustles us back onto his bike, rocketing off through the night.
By the time we reach my condo, I’m panting, and my heart is pounding against my ribs, not from the speed with which he rode his bike, but with desire for Maceo and what tonight will bring.
We’re a mess of tangled arms and tongues and fumbling legs as we attack each other all the way to my front door. My hands shake as I try to get my key in the lock, distracted by his wandering hands and mouth all over my body.
We stumble through the door and Hades woofs at our arrival. Shit. He needs to go out. I run to the back door and wave Hades outside, and he tears off in the backyard. Maceo continues to pay attention to my body with his velvet lips, until Hades comes back inside. He growls at Maceo.
“Hades, it’s okay. Maceo’s welcome here. Go lay down,” I reassure him. He grumbles and clomps back to his bed.
Maceo hauls me by my ass and I wrap my legs around him, and he carries me to the bedroom. He lays me on the bed and makes quick work of removing his clothes, ‘till he’s standing in nothing but his boxer briefs, his erection straining against the material.
I can’t stop myself from drinking him in, and I push up to my elbows to get a better look. He’s both bulk and cut muscle, and the V in his hips etches deep into his skin. His chest is completely hairless, allowing his tattoos to dominate the view.
With hunger in his dark eyes, he steps forward, takes my dress in his hands, and gently pulls it over my head. It falls to the floor at his feet.
Suddenly everything slows down. The rush we started off with has disappeared, and all that’s left is the two of us.
Maceo reaches behind me with one hand and unclasps my bra, freeing my breasts. He groans as his eyes float over me, making my body hum like a tuning fork. He crouches and slides my panties down my legs before standing back up. The way he fixates on me makes me shiver with expectation.
“God, you’re gorgeous,” he says, pulling down his underwear. He grasps his stiff length in one hand, his frenum piercing shining under the head of his cock. I knew he was huge when I felt him this morning, but I had no real visual until now. I’m panting and he’s not even inside me yet.
“Josephine, I promise to worship your body the way you deserve, but right now I need to be inside you. I’ve been thinking about you since we were together this morning, and I can’t wait any longer.”
“I’m not stopping you,” I say, breathless.
Wanting to entice him, I let my legs fall apart, giving him a full view of my most secret parts, dripping with my arousal. His nostrils flare and his eyes grow darker. Like a leopard, he crawls on top of me, hovering above me, as his fiery eyes burn into mine.
Wanting to touch him, I run my hands slowly up his heaving chest, memorizing every hard panel, ‘till I clasp them behind his neck. “Please kiss me.”
Maceo leans forward to claim my lips with the softest touch. The kiss is slow and steady at first, but it builds ‘till our tongues clash together, the barbell on his tongue flicking the inside of my mouth.
I whimper when he pulls away, until I see he has grabbed his iron shaft, running it between my dampening folds to cover himself. His frenum barbell rubs over my clit, sending acute waves of pleasure deep inside of me. He lines his long erection up to my hot, damp entrance, lifting his eyes to mine before sliding little by little inside.
My mouth parts in a silent moan as he sinks himself deep enough for our pelvises brush, and I feel ever single inch of him inside of me.
“Fuck, you feel perfect around me,” he whispers breathlessly.
His mouth connects with mine again and he gently sucks on my lower lip. He pulls his hips back, only to sink deeper, dragging his piercing along my sensitive walls. My legs wrap around him and I grasp his arms for support. Maceo takes his sweet time, pumping in and out. His hands caress me everywhere, on my face, my neck, my arms, and breasts. His touch ignites desire and passion so deep it bruises my heart.
“Right there,” I moan. He thrusts harder, hitting the spot, and watches me fall apart under his touch.
I feel his lips curl into a smile against my throat. “If you like how this feels…” he trails and tilts his pelvis up, rotating his hips.
My body arcs off the bed, my toes curl, and my pussy squeezes tight around Maceo’s iron cock. I claw at his slick shoulders as I orgasm.
He sucks in a ragged gasp. “My God, you come beautifully.” His silky lips press hard against mine, until I open up for his tongue to explore.
