by Lilly Atlas
“With who?”
“You, Acer.”
“That’s right, baby. Keep looking at me.”
Fia braced her hands against Acer’s stomach and moved with purpose now. A familiar pressure coiled low in her belly, but the prize stayed just out of reach. It was okay, she hadn’t expected to come. She couldn’t completely turn off her brain and give into the moment.
“Touch yourself, Fia.”
“What?”
“Touch yourself. Make yourself come.”
“It’s okay, Acer, I didn’t expect to.”
He shook his head, his breath coming in ragged spurts. “I promised you I wouldn’t touch you, and I promised myself I wouldn’t come without you, so, for God’s sake, unless you want me to die from a severe case of blue balls, please get yourself off.”
Despite the tenseness of the moment, Fia laughed, the action causing her to squeeze tight around him.
“Fuck.” He groaned, a tortured sound.
She removed one hand from his chest, brought it to her clit, and rubbed in tight circles, before stroking directly over it. Pleasure shot through her limbs and she rode Acer with abandon. After just a minute or two, the pleasure crested in a wave and she cried out as her pussy clamped around him.
It wasn’t an earth-shattering orgasm, not the biggest or best she’d ever had, but it was far more than she’d anticipated.
A mere second later, as if he’d been holding out just for her, Acer groaned and he shook below her with his own climax. He finally let go of the pillow and his arms flopped to his sides.
He’d waited for her. And he’d enjoyed himself, if the satisfied smile playing across his lips was any indication. A small thrill of feminine power washed over her.
Now that it was over, she was unsure of herself. She pushed off him, smiling when he flinched, and sat on the bed next to him. “I guess I’ll head back to my room.”
His gaze stayed on her for a time. He was observant, too observant, saw far too much. “You’re more than welcome to sleep the rest of the night here,” he said as he stood and strolled into the bathroom. After he’d taken care of the condom, he returned to the bed and lay on his side, facing away from her. “You’re safe here, Fia. I won’t invade your space.”
To anyone else, him turning his back to her might look like he gave her the brush off, but she knew better. He offered her space, options, making her feel safe. She could sleep next to him and he wouldn’t touch her, wouldn’t crowd her.
Fia shifted on the bed until she was on her side as well, facing opposite Acer. In LA, she’d slept wrapped in his arms all night. Well, during the few hours they weren’t going at it, anyway. She’d love nothing more than to be there again but didn’t quite have the courage. The idea of being held down, surrounded and under a man’s weight still terrified her.
She stared into the dark of the room for a moment before she rolled onto her back and slid her arm across the bed until her fingertips just grazed Acer’s arm. He’d probably never know she touched him as he slept, but she still enjoyed the connection. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the sounds of Acer’s even breathing.
A moment later, her eyes flew open. Acer shifted so he was on his back as well, the hand closest to her linking with her fingers on the mattress between their bodies. He didn’t say a word, just gripped her hand.
Fia closed her eyes again, and for the first time in weeks, fell asleep without fear.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Fia stood in the entryway to Acer’s kitchen and smiled at the picture he presented. A frown marred his handsome face as he stood at the counter glaring at his laptop. That computer was never more than a stone’s throw away. Something club related had been on his mind the past few days, and while she itched to know what was happening, she kept her questions to herself.
Now that she’d slept with him again, she was a little more confident and just might ask him about it.
He raised his arms over his head, and stretched to the right with a groan. His back had to be sore from hunching over the computer all day. She hadn’t seen much of him today. He’d worked on the computer from sun up to sun down and she’d spent the majority of the day adhering Swarovski crystals to the cups of a custom bra for a very ritzy client. The finished product was going to be a showstopper, well worth an aching back and stiff fingers.
Acer lowered his arms and returned his fingers to the keyboard. They flew over the keys with an impressive speed. Fia chuckled under her breath. This man was such a mess of contradictions, and for some reason she found that appealing. He was barefoot and shirtless, two things that always made a man sexy. The yards of ink over taut muscles gave him a bad-ass appeal, but the Calvin Klein sweatpants and perfectly styled hair was high class all the way.
He was a locked vault with regard to his past. Would he open up to her if she asked some of the many questions living with him had made her eager to ask?
Only one way to find out.
She pushed off the wall and cleared her throat as she entered the room. He looked over his shoulder, and his sexy mouth turned up in a genuine smile. “Hey, beautiful.”
The compliment warmed her face and her heart.
Acer closed the laptop and met her in the middle of the kitchen. He lifted her hand and pressed his lips to her palm. Tingles originated under his lips and shot straight to her core.
She tilted her head and looked at him. “Any word on Mike?”
A scowl formed on his sexy mouth. “Nothing, not so much as a blip on the radar. I’m sorry, babe. I know you want this over.” He squeezed her hand. “Hell, I want it over.”
She hoped he didn’t mean because he was ready for her to go. “Can I ask you something I’ve been dying to know the answer to for almost seven months?”
He laughed and rolled his eyes, but she didn’t miss the thinning of his lips or the tension in his stance. Answering personal questions wasn’t easy for him.
“Okay, shoot. But I reserve the right to plead the fifth.”
She smiled. Small victory. “Why do you go to the same one charity event each year?”
His eyes clouded and for a long moment she worried he wasn’t going to answer. Then, he pulled her with him to the table, sat in a chair and drew her down to his lap. The second his arm landed across her thighs, the room flip-flopped and she tensed, the sensation of being trapped stealing her breath. Acer either didn’t notice, or ignored her brief panic. He rubbed a hand up and down her spine in a hypnotic caress. The very near freak out receded as she realized she wasn’t trapped at all. Sure, his hands were on her, but she wasn’t restrained, wasn’t held down in any way. She wanted out, all she had to do was hop off his lap.
With a deep breath, the tension receded and she relaxed into his warm, comforting touch. Once she settled against him, he began to speak.
“When I was a teenager, I had a friend, Derek. He was from the shit part of town. His family was dirt poor, but despite the difference in our family’s finances, we had a lot in common. Both did well in school, both girl crazy.” He brushed her hair off her neck and rubbed his thumb across the sensitive skin at the nape. Goosebumps followed his finger like a row of ducklings trailing their mama.
“You were close?” Part of her didn’t want to hear the story. She sensed it would end in tragedy and hearing about Acer’s suffering would be difficult to endure. But this was the first time he’d opened up to her and she wouldn’t stop him for anything.
“Like brothers.” He shook his head. “Derek had a sister, Penny, who was just a couple years behind us. She worshiped us, our constant shadow. Neither of us minded. She was such a sweet kid.” He sifted his fingers through her hair. “Anyway, Penny was invited to my fancy high school’s senior prom by a guy on the football team.” He gave her hair a gentle tug.
She shifted in his lap, wanting to see his face as he finished the story.
“Derek flipped his shit, but Penny had him, and me, wrapped around her little pinkie. He event
ually caved and let her go.”
Pain filled Acer’s expressive eyes. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and tell him to forget it, to keep whatever caused that pain buried deep, but he just might need to get it out.
He sighed. “I’ll spare you all the details, but he attacked her at an after party. I walked in on him just seconds away from raping her.”
Fia swallowed, empathy flowing through her blood. Geez, to go through something like that at such a young age. Devastating. “What did you do?”
“Derek and I beat the shit out of him. Bad. Almost killed him if you want the truth.”
Old Fia might have been concerned by his admission of violence, but New Fia understood the horror and almost wished Penny’s attacker had ended up dead. Or maybe that was her wishes for Mike bleeding through. What would Acer have done if Mike had been there when he and his brother’s busted in. Though he deserved whatever he got, the thought made her shiver, because the murderous expression on Acer’s face was telling. “Did you get in trouble?”
Acer nodded. “His family pressed charges against both Derek and me. My old man was buddies with the judge. Conflict of interest, sure, but you’re from that world, you know how things work.”
She nodded. Money and connections greased the wheels for the wealthy. Rules and laws were ignored, and people were more than willing to look the other way as long as the right amount of green changed hands. It disgusted her, and she’d never used her family’s money to her advantage in that manner.
“My dad always detested Derek, said he was just white trash. He screwed Derek over. I got off scot-free, not even a slap on the wrist, not so much as a lecture from the judge. Derek? He got five years. Five fucking years for defending his sister from a fucking rapist piece of shit. He was supposed to join the Marines.” He dropped his forehead to hers. “Such a fucking waste.”
“What happened to him?” she whispered, dreading the answer.
“After they locked him up, he spiraled downward so fast. I visited him every week, and I watched the depression consume him. They had counseling services at the prison, but so many needed it, he couldn’t get an appointment for months. About six months into his sentence, he hung himself from the bars on his cell.”
His voice was thick with emotion. She should say something, anything to quell his sadness, but the words died in her throat, inadequate. This explained so much. The animosity with his father, his lack of trust in anyone, his need to have control over every situation. This one betrayal shaped Acer’s entire adult life.
“After it became apparent what my father did, I left his house, never went back, and never took another dime from him. My grandmother helped me through college and gave me a place to live on breaks, bought me my first bike.” He smiled. “She was quite the rebel when she was young, or so I was told. Anyway, she left everything she had to me, except for her shares in my father’s company. I wanted nothing to do with them, so she left them to my father. But a stipulation of the will was that he had to organize one fundraising event each year to benefit state penitentiaries. She set up the prison charity in Derek’s honor and I promised her I’d attend the gala each year.” He shrugged like it was no big deal when in fact she knew it was the basis for every decision he’d made in his life since then.
“After she died, I met Striker and Jester at a bike rally in Sturgis, South Dakota. They were both prospects at the time. I was on my own, looking for a connection, but I didn’t trust for shit. Still don’t. The club makes it simple. You’re not trust worthy you’re out on your ass, at the very least, usually with an array of broken bones, sometimes worse depending on the offense. I never looked back.”
“What happened to Penny?”
His face grew even darker. “For a long time, she blamed me for her brother’s death. For years, she cut off all contact. Now I get a birthday card from her, but that’s about it. She’s doing well though. Married, couple of kids. She never knew it, but—” He shrugged and shook his head.
“What?”
“I…uh…I paid for her to go to college. She thinks she won a generic scholarship, but I sponsored it. I had to do something to atone for what happened to Derek, and while that will never touch it, it was something I could do for her.”
He had so many layers to him, and the more she uncovered, the more she liked him, even the darker parts. “Was that the anniversary you wanted to forget?”
A look of confusion crossed his face. “What do you mean?”
“The girls. The ones that came to the bar.”
“Ahh, yeah. I tend to have a rough time each year on the anniversary of Derek’s death.” He dropped a kiss to her bare shoulder.
Well, maybe this year she could help him through—oh no, she could not think along those lines. This was temporary. Who knew if she would be anywhere near Arizona on that day. The thought of him turning to another woman incited some violent feelings of her own.
She sensed there was a lot more to the story, a lot more pain and family upheaval, but she didn’t press. He’d opened up to her more than she ever expected. It was a victory she’d revel in. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”
He let out a long sigh. “I’ve never told anyone that entire story.”
“Really? Not even anyone in the club?”
He shook his head, his eyes dropping to her mouth. “Not a soul.”
“Why did you tell me?”
A quick look of surprise crossed his face, then his eyes shuttered. It was almost as if he just realized he’d poured his heart out to her. “I—well I’m not really sure. We’ve been through a lot together. It just felt right, like I knew you’d understand.”
Acer cupped her face in his hand, stroking a thumb over her cheek. She leaned into his touch, enjoying a light caress from a man without fear. His story had provided enough of a distraction from her own mess of a life that she hadn’t even thought to fear his increasing hold on her.
Now he stared at her mouth as though he wanted to devour her. He lowered his head until she could feel his warm breath tickling her lips. “Stop me,” he ordered.
Fia shook her head. Never.
He claimed her mouth in a kiss that made the room spin and her heart stutter in her chest. Her first kiss in far too many months. He tasted of coffee and, if she wasn’t mistaken, cigars. He liked to sneak them when he knew she wasn’t looking, like they were some old married couple.
She slid her tongue into his open mouth, tangling it with his, unable to keep from smiling when she felt him harden against her hip. Breathing heavy, he broke away and rubbed his lips back and forth over hers. “Feeling smug?”
She chuckled. “Just a little.” She cocked her head to the side. “Do you hear that?”
Acer kissed her forehead then leaned against the back of the chair. “Bikes. The guys are swinging by; we’re heading out for a while.”
“Now? It’s almost midnight.”
He nodded and patted her hip. She scooted off his lap and he stood, grabbing the computer off the counter. “Yeah, I’ll be out for a good few hours, so don’t wait up.”
Fia frowned. Where was he going? A party? A bar? Ugly jealously twisted her insides. Not a pleasant feeling.
“Hey, what’s wrong? You were like warm putty in my arms a few minutes ago and now you’re tense again.”
She gave him what she hoped was a convincing smile. “Nothing. Have fun tonight.”
Acer snorted. “No fun will be had, trust me. Just business.”
Oh well. She perked right up. This wasn’t good. The more time she spent with Acer, the more she wanted him in her life for the long-term. He’d made her no promises beyond eliminating the threat from Mike.
“Was that—” He crossed his arms over his chest and speared her with an intense stare. “Serafina Caldwell, did you think I was gonna go party and leave you here alone?”
“Oh…uh…” She stared at the floor. Maybe it would just open up and swallow her whole. Anything would be preferable to adm
itting envy. “Well…no, not really.”
His mouth rose into a smug smirk.
She jammed her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes. “Okay fine, yes that’s what I thought.”
Acer gripped her chin. “I think I like you jealous, babe.” He gave her a quick, hard kiss.
“I didn’t say I was jealous. I was not jealous.” She spoke around his lips.
He winked. “You didn’t have to say it.” He gave her a playful swat on the ass as he walked past her and down the hallway to his room. Less than a minute later, he emerged wearing black jeans and a plain black hoodie.
“Um, all you’re missing is the ski mask and you could rob a bank. Wait, you’re not going to rob a bank, are you?” Hands on her hips, she blocked his way in the hall.
Acer threw back his head and laughed. “No, babe, I’m not going to rob a bank. Give me a little credit, please.”
“Right, sorry.” Embarrassment heated her skin.
“No worries. Set the alarm behind me. Shit.” He rubbed a hand through his hair, mussing the strands for the first time. “I didn’t even think to ask if you’ll be okay here by yourself.”
She waved him away. “Yes, of course. I’ve been here alone before, and with your elaborate security system, I pretty much know if someone is coming here before they know. You be careful with whatever it is you’re doing.”
“Always.” He pressed his lips to hers again. “Be in my bed when I get back. I want to sleep next to you for a few hours.”
There was that warm, squishy feeling again. “Okay,” she whispered.
He left and she coded the alarm.
This was all so oddly domestic. Sitting on his lap in the kitchen while they chatted, talking about napping together, sending him off with a kiss.
Fia rolled her eyes. “Don’t get used to it, sister. He’s not yours to keep.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
His buddies’ ol’ ladies frequently complained about the eerie feeling the quiet, ink-black desert nights evoked, but it was a draw for Acer. The vast night sky and peaceful silence was one of the few benefits to living in a small desert community. If he rode his bike just a few minutes out of town, he could turn three hundred and sixty degrees and see nothing but blackness and the twinkle of stars for endless miles.
