by T. O. Smith
I walked over to River, swallowing nervously as I did so. He only watched me, and his blue eyes didn’t give anything away. “Want to do me a favor?” I asked him, stopping when I was a couple of feet in front of him.
He tilted his head to the side the tiniest bit as he studied me with an unreadable expression on his face. “Depends on the favor, Darlin’.”
“Make me forget?” I quietly asked him.
His eyes softened all while they blazed with a lustful heat that made my nerve endings curl. Understanding passed over his features, and I knew right then that he wouldn’t turn me away.
He wanted this, too.
“You trying to get me in trouble, girly?” He huskily asked me, as he set his beer on the toolbox next to him.
“No one has to know,” I told him. “It can be a secret.”
His eyes darkened at my words. “We’ll keep it a secret if that’s what you want, Darlin’, but I fucking want you, and I frankly don’t give a fuck who knows about us.”
With that, he gripped the back of my neck and crashed his lips to mine before I could respond. His other hand gripped my hip tightly, yanking me against him. I gasped as I felt his hard, powerful frame press against me, a soft moan falling from my lips as I completely lost myself in him and the sensations already running through me.
Gripping my hair in his fist, he tilted my head to the side, pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses to my jaw and neck, nipping lightly at my soft spot.
“River.” I gasped out, my hands gripping his cut in my fists.
“You sure you want this, Darlin’? I’m not going to be gentle.” He warned me, his voice husky. He drew back some to look down at my face, those gorgeous, mesmerizing, blue eyes locking on my own.
“Yes.” I breathed, feeling like I may lose my fucking mind if he didn’t finish what he had started.
“Fuck.” He cursed, his lips molding with my own again as he knocked everything off of the work bench behind me.
Tools clattered loudly to the floor, but he gave no fucks as he lifted me and set me on the cold metal, his lips moving back down my neck. His hands gripped the bottom of my shirt, and I lifted my arms, allowing him to pull it over my head. With quick, sure fingers, he unsnapped my bra, tossing it down on the concrete floor with my shirt.
I moaned his name as his rough, calloused hands slid over my body. I curved into him, a whimper escaping my lips as he trailed his rough fingertips around the swell of my breast. “River, please – oh, fuck!” I gasped out as his lips closed over one of my nipples, his hand molding my other breast.
“You’re fucking perfect.” He muttered huskily as his lips met mine again. My heart swelled in my chest at his words.
He quickly unsnapped my jeans and tugged them and my panties down my legs. I quickly pushed his cut off his shoulders, and I began fumbling with the buttons on his flannel as he peppered hot kisses all over my skin. I gasped. I needed to feel his skin on mine.
“Oh, fuck it,” I grumbled right before I ripped it open, the buttons popping everywhere, scattering across the floor.
River released a husky laugh before he gripped my chin, bringing his lips to mine as I ran my hands over his hard chest and his rippling abs.
Fuck, he was carved beautifully.
He let me push his flannel shirt off of his shoulders, and I pushed his jeans down his legs a moment later, licking my lips in anticipation as his cock sprung free.
Oh, God made him absolutely perfect when he created him.
“Last chance to back out.” River warned me.
I shook my head at him, letting my eyes meet his. There was no fucking way that I could walk away now.
He pushed me back on the worktable so that I was on my back. He spread my legs, and in one swift thrust, he was buried deep inside of me. My back arched off of the table, his name falling from my lips as I clutched at his forearms. He felt like Heaven inside of me.
“Fuck, Darlin’.” He choked out. “You feel a fuck ton better than I thought you would.” He growled.
He set my feet on the table so my legs were bent and spread wide, and then, he gripped my shoulder, proceeding to ruin me for every other man.
And I fell hard for him because even though he was fucking me hard, he was still treasuring every bit of my body and this moment between us.
I was ninety-nine percent sure that River was the one Joey had told me about.
THIRTEEN
My eyes were instantly drawn to River as he stepped into the bar room, freshly showered and ready to start another day. He was dressed in a red and black checkered flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his tattooed arms. He adjusted his cut as he fully exited the hallway.
God, why was he so damn perfect?
His eyes met mine from across the room, and a slow, sexy smile tilted his lips the slightest bit, making my cheeks flush and a throbbing start in my core.
He had taken me over and over yesterday in the garage, and I had enjoyed every single moment of it. And then, he’d sat on the floor of the garage after tugging our clothes back on, and he’d held me in the dark silence. Not a word was spoken between us, and yet, he comforted me more than any other person in my life ever had.
“Adelaide, Tristan is trying to get in touch with you,” Zyla stated as she came out of the kitchen, her phone held in her hand, Tristan’s name on the screen.
“Tell him I said to go fuck himself.” I snapped, knowing very well he would hear me himself.
“Watch yourself, Addy, or I swear when I get back—" Tristan snarled, Zyla obviously having him on speaker.
“You’ll what?” I demanded angrily, snatching a bottle of Vodka from under the counter. River’s eyes darkened momentarily at the unfinished threat, but he held himself in check. “Fuck me into submission?” I demanded heatedly. “Handcuff me to your fucking bed again?”
“This will hold until I get back.” Tristan sneered.
I twisted the top off the Vodka bottle, glaring at the phone in Zyla’s hand, wishing he were in front of me so that I could slap him. “Touch me when you get back,” I dared him, “and I will personally chop off every single one of your fingers,” I promised before I moved away from the bar, storming to the clubhouse doors, the bottle of Vodka still in my hand.
But I didn’t miss the proud smile on River’s face as I walked out, and it made my chest swell with pride.
“Morning, Adelaide.” Jacob greeted from under the hood of one of the cars in the garage.
“Not now.” I snarled, storming into the office.
“Little early to be drinking, Darlin’.” River drawled as he stepped into the office with me, shutting the door behind him.
I snorted before I took a long drink from the bottle. “This is the longest I’ve been fucking sober in a year, River,” I informed him. River stayed silent, that unnerving, blue gaze locked on my face. I frowned down at the bottle in my hand. “He pissed me the fuck off.” I quietly admitted.
“He used to be your entire world, Darlin’ – him and Joey, that is.” River reminded me. I swallowed thickly, my heart throbbing as I thought of Joey, and a distant ache starting in my chest at the thought of everything that used to be between me and Tristan. “You used to never even look in another man’s direction with them around. What changed?”
“I changed, River,” I told him as I turned to look at him. There was no judgement in his eyes, just a tenderness that I was clinging to. I never wanted to lose that tenderness. “I’m not the same young girl that he was in love with four years ago, and I’m certainly not the same woman he loved a year ago. I changed. It was the only way to survive.”
River quietly locked the office door, striding over to me after checking to make sure the blinds were closed. I watched with nervous, uncertain eyes. Anyone could see us, and I didn’t want him to face the end of Tristan’s gun if word got back to Tristan about us.
River gently took the bottle of Vodka from my hand, setting it on the desk behind me while I stared at
him, my breathing picking up pace slightly.
“What . . .” I swallowed hard as he cupped the side of my neck and wrapped an arm around my waist, drawing me against him, “what are you doing?” I breathlessly asked him, my heart pounding hard in my chest all while anticipation curled in my belly.
“One night with you wasn’t enough – it’ll never be enough.” He huskily admitted right before his lips molded against mine.
My mind shut down as I wrapped my arms around his neck, my fingers plunging into his soft, damp hair, tugging gently on the dark strands. I pressed my body closer to his, needing to feel him against me.
He groaned softly, his arms flexing around me. A knock sounded on the door, bursting our little bubble. I sucked in a sharp breath, abruptly yanking myself from River’s arms as he cursed softly, clenching his jaw, anger flaring up in the beautiful, blue depths of his eyes. He drew in a deep breath before he cupped my face in his hands, soothing his lips over mine. My body instantly relaxed, my anxiety calming.
Oh, God, he was so fucking perfect.
He released my face and walked over to the door, quickly unlocking it and swinging it open as I grabbed the bottle of Vodka from the table and tipped it back.
We had almost gotten caught, and I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if River got a bullet between his eyes because of me.
“River, we’ve got a problem,” Dirk said. “We’re a bar of coke short for the shipment tomorrow.”
“Fucking hell.” River grumbled, running a hand down his face. “I’ll ride out there. I need you to tail me.”
Dirk nodded, walking away. River pointed at me. “You – with me.”
I rolled my eyes at him. He didn’t have to drag me with him on this ride just because of Tristan’s orders. Someone else could easily keep an eye on me. “I’m not going to run the fuck away, River.”
He smirked at me, and every nerve ending in my body curled, making me want him just as badly as I had last night. “Oh, I know, Darlin’. I just want you on the back of my bike.” He told me. “Now, bring your cute ass on so we can hit the road.”
■ ■ ■
I was shocked to see Tristan, Joey, Jesup, and Tank at the warehouse when we got there, but I was excited to see Joey. He moved away from the desk as River parked his bike. River gave my hand a subtle squeeze as he looked at me over his shoulder, understanding in the depths of his mesmerizing eyes.
I slid off the back, taking my helmet off and handing it to River. Then, I dashed forward, jumping on Joey. He caught me easily, his arms wrapping around me as I locked my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. “Hey, pretty girl.” He whispered as he pressed a tender kiss to my temple.
My bottom lip trembled, and I sniffled as tears burned in my eyes. “Easy.” Joey soothed as he ran his hand over my hair, his other arm holding me just a little bit tighter.
“I’ll close the doors – give you guys some privacy. Tristan will understand.” River quietly spoke as he passed us.
I looked at him over Joey’s shoulder. His lips tilted up the slightest bit, and I gave him a watery one in return. He nodded once at me, and somehow, I knew he understood.
My heart squeezed in my chest.
“Fuck, pretty girl, I’ve had people searching for you everywhere,” Joey whispered. I closed my eyes and buried my face in the crook of his neck. “I was so fucking terrified that you were dead somewhere.”
“River took me to the hospital that night,” I told him quietly as Joey took a seat on his bike, keeping me wrapped around him.
He gently pulled my head off of his shoulder so he could properly look at me. His eyebrows pulled together in confusion as he brushed a tear off of my cheek that I hadn’t realized had fallen. “What do you mean?”
“I called him,” I told him quietly. Pain flashed in Joey’s eyes for a moment before he smothered it. I swallowed thickly. “He asked me to live for him.” Joey’s eyes widened in shock. “So, I did. Vin found me pretty quickly, and he threatened to hurt all of you if I didn’t find a way out of that hospital.” I sniffled. “I wanted to die, Joey, but I lived because River asked me to.”
Joey smiled at me. “Remember that one I told you about?” He softly asked me. I frowned, my heart squeezing painfully in my chest. He reached up and cupped my cheek in his hand, his smile now sad. “It’s time to let me go, pretty girl.”
I shook my head at him. “I’m not ready.” I choked out.
He brushed the pad of his thumb over my bottom lip. “You can still hold me with you.” He promised. A tear slipped down my cheek. “But this between us? You need to let it go, pretty girl. You’ve got a good man in there. I saw the way he looked at you – the way he’s looked at you since Tristan took you back to his clubhouse a year ago. He’s the one for you, Adelaide.”
“I can’t lose you,” I whispered, my voice breaking.
He shook his head at me. “I’m forever with you as long as you’ll keep me.” He promised. “But you need to move forward with him.”
“Promise?” I asked him quietly.
He nodded. Then, he cupped my face in his hands and took my lips in a savage kiss. I burst into tears as I kissed him back, my tears tasting salty on my lips. I sobbed as I gripped his cut in my fists, so much pain spearing through my chest.
“Keep me with you.” He whispered. “But be with him, pretty girl.”
■ ■ ■
“The fuck is she doing here, River?” Tristan angrily demanded as I strode into the clubhouse with Joey.
“Couldn’t leave her at the clubhouse when I’m instructed to be by her side every damn second.” River retorted. “You want me here? She comes, too.”
Joey snorted. “So much for telling Tristan that she was outside with me.” Joey retorted.
River only smirked at him. Joey rolled his eyes, but River’s carefree attitude brought a small smile to my face. River’s eyes caught mine, and his smile widened the slightest bit.
Tristan strode over to me, and I glared up at him, my hand tightening in Joey’s. Joey drew me a bit closer to him. “Drop the fucking attitude, Addy.” Tristan snapped.
“Go fuck yourself.” I snarled up at him.
His eyes flashed with anger. My heart knocked hard in my chest, fear pulsing through my body for a moment. I instinctively stepped closer to Joey. “You’re pushing your fucking luck, Addy baby.” He swore quietly.
He reached out to grab me, but I flinched back, fear spiking in my blood. Joey stepped in front of me at the same time River stepped forward, Jesup grabbing River’s shoulder to keep him in place. I stepped back a pace, swallowing hard. “Don’t fucking touch me.” I snarled at Tristan as I fought down the flashback that threatened to bring me to my knees.
“Fuck off, Joey. This is between me and Adelaide.” Tristan warned him.
“Back the fuck up, Tristan,” Joey growled, his voice cold and threatening. “Pretty girl, go on outside,” Joey said, his voice more soothing, but he didn’t turn to face me, instead keeping his eyes on Tristan as the two men stared each other down.
My eyes caught River’s where he was standing beside the table that the bars of coke were sitting on, rage flashing in his eyes on my behalf. “Leave her be, Grim.” River spoke up.
My eyes snapped back to Tristan’s as he stared at me with hurt eyes before he quickly smothered it and shook his head, turning away from me and striding towards the table.
Did he know?
Joey turned to me and met my eyes. A sad smile flickered on his lips. He knew I’d been ruined – destroyed. “You alright, pretty girl?” He asked softly.
“I’m just going to get some air,” I muttered, turning on my heel to stride out of the warehouse. I could feel someone’s gaze on my back, and when I looked over my shoulder, River’s comforting eyes met mine. Those blue eyes warmed me, giving me strength. I tilted my chin up slightly, and a small smile played on his lips before he turned his eyes away from me.
■ ■ ■
RIVER
I kept my eyes on Adelaide until she strode out of the warehouse and out of my sight. “Someone fucked her up – bad,” Joey stated, shaking his head as he ripped his eyes from her as well.
I didn’t know what had happened between them outside, but her eyes had been red and puffy when she’d come in with him, but judging by the way they’d been holding hands, it wasn’t horrible – but it was probably heartbreaking.
“She won’t fucking talk to me,” Tristan grumbled. “I can’t do anything if I don’t know what happened.”
I arched an eyebrow at my president. “Have you tried being nice to her instead of threatening her all of the time?” I asked him, most definitely overstepping my boundaries, but not really giving much of a fuck.
