Release

by Jade Chandler

  “Fuck me. God, Avery,” I yelled, coming hard. My body shook. I pushed into her mouth, lost in sensual feeling of her caresses. Once I settled from her sneak attack, I tugged her up my body. “You surprise me.” I kissed her. “Where did you...” A smacking kiss. “Get the idea to play with my ass?”

  I stared at her needing to know how she’d learned that.

  She shrugged. “The sex fairy.”

  I snorted. “I hope she visits often. It was great.” I swept her long bangs to the side, not that they would stay.

  “Yeah? That was okay?” Pink tinged her cheeks.

  “Thursdays are okay. Fucking me with your mouth.” I traced her lips. “And then pushing that button, that’s so far beyond okay—whatever word describes the best feeling ever.”

  She laughed. “Mount Hard Body erupted.”

  “Mount Hard Body?” I chuckled.

  “Um, that’s what I thought while I was making my way up to your lips.”

  “I like it. Feel free to refer to me as God or Mount Hard Body.”

  She smacked my chest. “You’re getting a big head.”

  I glanced down. “It is growing.” I sat up with her on my lap. “And I’m going to spend the night tunneling into Mount Sassy Girl.”

  She fought not to laugh, but she lost, hooting with laughter as I carried her to her room. I made good on my promise and we spent lots of time climbing to the top and falling over.

  * * *

  Nerves raw and stomach doing somersaults, I pulled into the club parking lot.

  I stared at the cement block building and wanted to get back on my bike.

  Stop being a fuckin’ pussy.

  I squared my shoulders and strode inside. The scent of sausage greeted me along with Mama’s big smile.

  She winked. “Fill that plate and head back to the small room, you know?”

  I heaped biscuits and gravy on my plate.

  “You’re part of the Jackasses now.”

  I stared up at her.

  She laughed her deep throaty laugh. “My name for the top-secret Council—Jackass Central.”

  And that easy, my apprehension evaporated. Mama had that skill. “Well, in that case I fit right in.”

  “Totally.” She smacked me with the towel draped over her shoulder.

  My brothers nodded and gave me a thumbs up as I crossed the club room headed for the meeting. I opened the door amidst laughter. It was rare to see Dare and Jericho laughing, let alone Bear. Thorn’s face was twisted up in an imitation of a smile.

  Dare slid out a chair with his boot and I sat down. Bear gave me the nod, and Jericho reached out his hand. “Good to have you here. Now Dare can’t give me excuses to fuck off.”

  “Fuck you, J.” Dare flipped him the bird.

  I stuffed food in my mouth, not sure how shit went down or who, if anyone, we still waited for.

  “You feelin’ all important yet?” Bear’s sarcasm was heavy.

  “I was until Mama told me it was the Jackass Crew.” I shrugged, playing it straight. “That put me in my place.”

  Bear sneered. “If I swung that way, I’d have taken that girl from you.”

  Bear was one of a kind, it still amazed me the club let him join. Of course that was years before I was even a lowly prospect. Dark skin and liking to fuck men were usually two taboos for any club. The Old Man overlooked it all because Bear and his lover were rock stars in porn. They’d taken our business from struggling to one of the best in the industry. Still, Bear got off on rubbing everyone’s noses in the differences a lesser man might be ashamed of.

  “Nah.” Dare grinned. “She’s picky, only the best will do. In case you’re dense, that’d be me.”

  And the razzing continued until the door opened and Viper slid in. We’d been prospects together, but he’d worked with Bear and at Bound while I’d stayed at Marked Man, so we’d not had as much time to go out or even catch up.

  “You finally get your ugly ass outta bed?” Jericho eyed the clock on the wall. It said 10:30.

  Viper swiped his long blond locks from his face. “You try running a club all night and waking up early. This shit sucks.”

  “You aren’t whining?” Bear narrowed his gaze at Viper ready to pounce.

  “Nah, just saying we could move this shit back a couple hours is all,” he grumbled.

  “I got movies to make and Rock’s got ink to sling. Suck it up, pretty boy,” Bear taunted Viper.

  He flipped Bear the bird.

  “Let me get Romeo on the line then we need to get shit straightened out. I want no more women hurt.” Jericho said. “Fuckin’ hurting women is going to stop. At least women who work for us. I can’t do shit about the old ladies.” He glared at each of us. “Need a vote. Member hurts, serious shit, one of our girls, in my protection or in the Brotherhood’s employ, they’re kicked out of that place and Thorn beats them.”

  Thorn grinned at this idea.

  “Some of our girls like being hurt.” Viper shrugged. “What’s the line? We can’t leave it up to them.”

  “No fucking way we laying out how much is too much, that’s the wrong message.” Dare grunted. “Fuck, this shit should be easy.”

  “Make it up to the brother in charge of the area to make sure the girl consents and her limits aren’t crossed.” It seemed simple to me. I understood better than most about liking to be hurt, but that was different than breaking Misty’s ankle. Limits were there for a reason.

  “That’s a great idea.” Bear nodded. “I sure as shit will tolerate less since we make money off those faces, but Viper, yeah, he’s got girls who would bitch at my limits.”

  The others nodded and Dare clapped my back. “And the Marked Man tolerates zero.”

  He was thinking of Mama and Angel, but we might have a third. I had another artist in mind for the shop if I could get her to agree.

  “Everyone needs to watch the women. It’s Renegade’s go-to move. Seduce them. Beat them. Hell, maybe kill them. He’s a mean, crazy fuck. Worse than the fuckin’ old man.” Jericho paused meeting each person’s eye and stopped at mine. “He won’t stop with the women who work for us. You know what he really wants—”

  “My fucking studio,” Bear grumbled.

  Viper frowned. “Or the club.”

  Renegade worried me. I hadn’t understood how serious he was about fucking with the club leadership. Maybe I shouldn’t get serious about Avery with all this shit going down. Too late now. I needed her by my side, in my bed. I’d just have to be sure I kept her safe, far away from Renegade and his boys.

  “So we agree, all in favor say aye, to limits set by girl and enforced by the brother in charge.” He eyed Viper as he spoke.

  The vote was unanimous, but it went one at a time, which freaked me out because that meant voting singled you out, something I hoped to avoid.

  “Next, Rebel asked to start a bail bonds business, really more a skip-trace, but he says the best ones do both, steadier income stream.” Jericho leaned back.

  “We need more headaches?” Viper said.

  “Need more revenue streams?” Bear asked.

  Then there was silence. I was in favor of the business, we needed more income streams, and I’d always hated losing the military brothers when they burned out under Romeo.

  “What’s Romeo say?” Thorn’s deep voice startled me.

  “I say if it keeps our brothers in the club then we go for it.” Romeo’s voice crackled from the bad connection. “Recruiting more brothers all the time gets old just to see them go in another five years.”

  Thorn nodded. “I like the idea.”

  “We could hedge it, give us a few months to settle Renegade then start up Rebel’s thing.” Viper cracked his neck.

  “Not a fucking chan
ce. That’s weakness. We do it or walk away.” Dare’s harsh tone ended that idea.

  “Rock, you got something to say.” Jericho startled me from my thoughts.

  “I’d do it. Gives us more revenue in case Renegade manages to fuck with either Bear or Viper’s stream and gives those brothers who want to stay a job they want. I mean, I’d hate to have to decide to go do porn or travel with Romeo if I couldn’t draw anymore.”

  “You’d be hot on screen.” Bear grinned wide.

  “Yeah, but how could you stand the way Ollie’d crush on me.” I grinned at Bear.

  “Oh no, you’re more my type than my lover’s.” Bear leered.

  “See, no porn for me.” I laughed.

  Chuckles met my words and the tension lifted. That was good, no one made good decisions under stress.

  “Vote it. Give Rebel the cash to set up his business, but I’m not giving him any members, we’re running too short, he’ll need to recruit his own office staff. Once it’s running, and he has too many skips to do, he can work with Romeo to transfer some guys. That’s the deal, what do we say?”

  Again we voted one at a time, but it bothered me less this time.

  Then Jericho asked each of us to report on the business. I told them about Mark’s progress and how we stood financially, better than ever. Jericho and Dare nodded before Jericho looked to Bear. In minutes the meeting was over.

  I’d survived my first meeting.

  Chapter Seven

  Avery

  Rain had poured down all day, making business slow and ruining our plans for the night, but it left plenty of time for me to think about our relationship. I quit pretending Rock was a fling before our first date had ended. I’d known I really cared for him when I ended it the first time. It’s what made his betrayal hurt so much. He’d used my information to hurt my best friend—for the club. But we’d started to put that behind us when we’d gone to Ardmore for Mexican. He was such a good man, giving and loyal. I didn’t have a lot of experience with either.

  We’d managed three weeks together and every day I fell a little deeper, became a little more involved. He absolutely understood me, even my goofy sense of humor. I’d never laughed so much as when we were together. He made me feel one-of-a-kind special, something I’d never been before. That was so addicting, I was afraid of how much it’d hurt if I had to let him go, which brought me back to his club and my distrust of it. So far I’d kept one resolution—I’d stayed away from the club. It wasn’t a lasting strategy, but one that worked for now.

  About five I noticed someone leave Marked Man—Rock. He ran across the street getting drenched. My location had a definite advantage, I’d spied on my hottie the entire time we’d been apart. Glimpses of his wide shoulders and tight ass had kept me sane during out separation.

  My bell rang as he entered. He was soaked and his plain black tee was stuck to his skin, outlining every cut of his chest muscles. I leaned up, kissing him where he stood dripping on my welcome mat, soaking the front of my Panic! at the Disco tee.

  “No paintball in the rain.” He gave me another quick kiss. “No motorcycle rides.” He stuck out his bottom lip. “Tell me we don’t have to do normal stuff like dinner and a movie.”

  “We could go straight to the sex.” I waggled my brows.

  He used his two index fingers to make the shame on you sign. “I’m not easy. Date and then sex.”

  He cracked me up all the time. I laugh like a loon anyway, but when we’re together, I laughed constantly. I’d even laughed in the middle of an orgasm last night, that was fun, who knew laughing intensified it so much? Well, now I did.

  “Hmm, then we’ll have to be creative.” I stared out my front window at the puddles in the street. “We could go muddin’ in my truck. Get it stinkin’ filthy.”

  “You like muddin’?” He gave me a cautious once over.

  “Duh, it’s why I have a truck.” I flipped the closed sign and locked the door before I headed to the counter to grab the register till. “Give me five minutes.” I locked the safe and grabbed my keys from my desk.

  “I’m driving.” He stood right behind me and tried to snatch my keys.

  “No way.” I clasped my keys tight to me.

  He leaned in and tasted me with the most sensual kiss I melted into his arms and he grabbed the keys from my limp fingers.

  “Give me,” I demanded in my serious voice.

  He shook his head laughing as he held them above my head.

  I jumped for my keys but he was too tall.

  Grouching all the way, I slid into the passenger side of my truck, out foxed by my guy. And he didn’t even look remorseful. In fact he might’ve been gloating. I shot him my death stare, but he ignored me. We drove out of town toward the reservoir. It’s like he read my mind, there was a great big empty field there I loved to do doughnuts in.

  He plowed down the middle and mud flew around us, splattering the windows. I forgot to be mad and clapped my hands. He turned a series of circles and the giddy bubbles inside me increased. Since I could remember I loved playing in the mud. Now I could use big girl toys to do it.

  “My turn.” I stomped my foot. “I want to get it all dirty too.”

  “You can get dirty with me.” He winked.

  I brightened. “Then pull over, so I can drive.”

  “It’s a field.” He put my truck in park and I got out in the rain. I turned my face up into the steady rain, loving the way the cool drops hit my skin, caressing me when they ran down my cheeks and chin. I threw my arms out and circled in the rain laughing. A perfect night. I shook the rain from my face and found Rock staring at me from behind the wheel. It’s how he looked at me when he was deep inside me.

  With light steps, I hurried toward him, needing to taste him, touch him. Two steps away, my foot slipped, and I was airborne for a spit second before I landed on my back with a splat in the thick mud. My breath swooshed out on impact and it took seconds to for me to move as I struggled to refill my lungs with air. A huge rain drop splatted on my nose.

  “You okay?” I heard the pickup door close. He frowned at me. “Avery?”

  I lifted my hands totally coated with cold, slimy mud. A laugh burst out of me. Only I would end up flat on my back in the damn mud on my date.

  “You knock your brain out? Why you giggling?” The frown hadn’t gone away. He held out a hand to me.

  I stared at it. “I don’t think this is what you meant about getting dirty.”

  “Are you okay?” Urgency rode his words.

  I titled my head not understanding his concern. “I’m fine, just a very dirty girl.”

  He gave me that sexy half smile of his. “I’ll have fun hosing you down.”

  The arrogant ass. I clasped his hand and tried to get some traction, but my shoes were too slick. I was about halfway up when my feet slid out from under me. Mud sprayed up and splattered Rock’s T-shirt. I gasped for breath as I made my way up on my knees. Eye level with his groin. I couldn’t help but notice how hard he was. He liked me covered in mud. My eyes traveled up to his happy eyes and twitching lips.

  “You look good on your knees, almita.” He grasped both my wrists.

  I flew up as he tugged, ramming right into his chest. I grabbed his chest in hopes of steadying myself. Breathless, I came to rest on my feet. He bent and kissed me, with eyes that challenged. I nipped his lip, darted my tongue through to claim his mouth. His big hand held the back of my head in place while he fought me for control, but I didn’t want to give over. We fought for the upper hand with tongue and lips.

  His hand slid down my back and squeezed my ass pressing me into his erection. I rocked into him, wanting him as much as he did me. He deepened our kiss, while his other hand caressed my breast. My body sang in response to his touch. I ran one hand down his wet c
hest and cupped his cock, wanting him right now.

  Cold rain ran in tiny streams down my back and I shivered.

  He stepped away, breathing heavy. “Fuck, almita, you’re freezing. Let’s get you warm.”

  I didn’t want to stop but shivers now ran through me nonstop, so maybe a rainy field wasn’t the best place to finish what we’d started.

  “I’m still driving.”

  “You’ll make a mess.” He gazed from me to him and snorted. He hadn’t even realized he’d slimed himself when he’d devoured me.

  “You been mud wrestlin’?” I grinned wide. He was sexy covered in mud.

  He had mud smeared into his T-shirt, over his hands, coated on his work boots, and in clumps on his jeans. I stepped around him and grabbed a towel from behind my black leather seat and wiped the chunks of mud off my hands and arms. I threw the towel behind me and heard it land in his hands.

  I climbed in. “When you go muddin’ the mess is a given. Now, you ridin’? Better saddle up, cowboy.”

  With a shake of his head he moved across the front of the truck and climbed in without dancing in the rain or falling flat on his ass.

  I spun out and drove through the field, driving in circles, whooping with each 360. He chuckled beside me, I think I fell more in love with him. He got me and never once told me to grow up. I liked that, a lot. This was exactly what I needed.

  Every one of my four boyfriends had been downers—always wanting me to grow up and be mature. Jason, my last boyfriend during my senior year of college, had told me I’d never be an adult and he was tired of babysitting—that had stung. I was great at adulting, but I also loved to play. Rock let me do both without a single judgment, always a smile on his handsome face. That meant more to me than any sweet words, not that he was a slouch in that department either. All my life people had been waiting for me to change, to grow up, but Rock accepted me and liked me, really liked me. No one else had ever done that for me.

  I was cold. Mud and rain clung to me, I shivered despite the blasting heater. With a bit of regret, I drove off the field and back toward town. Glory was going to have a fit when she saw me. She never understood dirt, or worse, mud. It sucked to be a roomie sometimes.