by Harley Wylde
“You’re not giving her another pet. The dog is enough.”
I shrugged. I wasn’t about to make any promises I couldn’t keep, and if little Coral begged for another pet, she’d get one. Might not be the best way to start out my role as her daddy, but I’d make it clear after today she’d only get things in moderation unless it was a special day like her birthday or Christmas.
“I’m allowed to spoil the two of you today.” I kissed her cheek, then helped them both into the truck.
Had I realized the moment Coral entered the pet store she’d take off like a squirrel on crack, I may have rethought the extra trip. She flitted from one animal to another, even cooed at the cats in cages along one wall. I didn’t think Victoria would take too kindly to a cat and steered Coral in another direction. She tapped on the fish tanks, no matter how many times I pointed out the signs that said not to touch, and pressed her face to the hamster habitats. The only thing she didn’t want to see were the snakes and lizards.
“Victoria needs lots of toys,” Coral said.
“She already has toys. You can pick out one new one, something that’s just from you to her,” I said. “And maybe a bag of treats that can be special between the two of you.”
Coral ran off to the dog aisles and came back a moment later with a stuffed purple giraffe and a bag of pug-sized treats. Before she could beg or plead for anything else, Rachel guided her to the checkout line. It didn’t escape my notice Coral kept looking longingly at the fish, and I had no doubt I’d find myself back here soon specifically for a fish tank. She needed a dresser first, and more clothes. But fish were definitely in her future.
“Time for a nap,” Rachel said.
Coral whined but her mom gave her that look only mothers seem to manage, and Coral quieted down. When we reached the house, Rachel took our daughter straight to her bedroom and tucked her in. I cleaned up the mess Victoria had made while we were gone, let her out, then placed her on the bed with Coral. The two snuggled together and I knew they’d both be sleeping soon enough.
I leaned against the wall in the hallway wondering where someone so tiny got so much energy. I’d been around kids before, but not for as long a time as Coral had been here. Still, I wouldn’t have traded a second of today for anything in the world.
“You’re good with her,” Rachel said as she pulled the bedroom door mostly shut.
“Kids are easy. It’s adults that tend to be a problem.”
Rachel pressed herself against me, wrapping her arms around my waist. “I don’t know. I think you’re pretty good with adults too.”
“Does Mommy need a nap too?” I asked.
“No, but what I need is generally easier if done on a bed.” She smiled at me, then stepped back, taking my hand and leading me to the bedroom. I was assuming it was now our room. It seemed whatever time she’d thought she needed was now a thing of the past.
I shut the bedroom door and turned the lock. Folding my arms over my chest, I leaned back and watched as Rachel stripped off her clothes. The little tease was removing each item as slowly as humanly possible, but I liked seeing this side of her. She’d gone from overly tired and scared to more confident.
“What’s that smile for?” she asked as the last article of clothing hit the floor.
“Just admiring my sexy wife.”
I pushed away from the door and shrugged out of my cut, setting it down on the dresser, then started to remove the rest of my clothes. She licked her lips and I watched as her eyes darkened. Her nipples hardened to little points, and from the way she squeezed her thighs together I had no doubt she was already wet and ready. I wasn’t about to rush this, though. No, this time I wanted to make it last a bit longer.
“Coral should be asleep any minute. She’ll nap for at least an hour,” Rachel said.
“I only get an hour? Then I better make it count.”
I placed my hands on her hips and pulled her closer, then claimed her mouth. She tasted sweet, and I knew I’d never get enough of her. I loved the feel of her soft skin under my callused fingertips as I caressed her hips. Walking her backward, my lips still stroking hers, I toppled her to the bed. Her eyes were wide as she stared up at me, but she’d made it clear earlier she had little experience when it came to sex. I planned to remedy that.
I trailed my lips along her neck, pausing a moment to tease the tender skin with my beard. She sighed and gripped my arms tightly, almost as if she were afraid I’d walk away. Not fucking likely. Only an idiot would leave when there was a sexy woman lying in his bed, and while I’d been known to do stupid shit from time to time, there wasn’t a chance in hell I was leaving Rachel. I lavished attention on her breasts and nipples, smiling to myself when I saw the beard burn on her skin. Even if she wasn’t inked and didn’t have a cut just yet, I’d still marked her as mine.
I sank to my knees next to the bed and spread her thighs wider. Parting the lips of her pussy, I held her open as I leaned closer and flicked her clit with my tongue. Rachel cried out and her body went tight before she relaxed again.
“Isaac, what are you… I…”
Good. She’d been rendered speechless, or near enough. Meant I was doing something right. I thrust my tongue into her tight channel, then went back to teasing the hard little bud. I circled, flicked, and sucked until she was crying out my name and thrashing on the bed. She was so damn wet, and it was making me hard as a damn rock. Within moments, she was coming. As she lay trembling, I stood and wiped her release off my beard before gripping her hips.
One hard thrust and I was buried inside her. She reached for me, her hands gripping my wrists, as I drove into her again and again. I’d meant to draw this out more, make her come multiple times, but no one had ever gotten me this hot this fast. Her gaze fastened on mine. I hoped everything I felt in that moment was reflected on my face for her to see. Even though we’d only known one another a short time, she’d already turned my life upside down and burrowed her way under my skin.
“Need you to come for me again,” I said, reaching for her clit once more. It only took two strokes before her pussy clenched down on my cock and she screamed out my name. I felt the gush of her release and fought not to follow her over the edge.
She panted for breath, a light sheen of sweat coating her skin. I withdrew from her body only long enough to flip her over. Rachel fisted the covers and held on as I thrust hard and deep. Each drive of my hips pushed her up on her toes, but she didn’t utter a word of complaint. The opposite.
“Please, Isaac. I need more.”
I pounded her pussy like a man possessed, barely holding on. When she came again, I let go, filling her with my cum. My heart hammered against my chest and I struggled to draw a breath. Hell, I’d run ten miles and not felt this level of exertion. My cock twitched inside her, and I was loath to pull out, but I knew she couldn’t be comfortable. Slowly, I withdrew from her body and Rachel rolled to her side. I lifted her into my arms, settling her onto the pillows, then stretched out beside her.
“Is it always like that?” she asked.
I didn’t pretend to not know what she meant. I curled a tendril of her hair around my finger. “No. Only with you.”
It wasn’t a line I was feeding her. The pint-sized woman with curves for days packed a serious punch. I’d been with my fair share of women over the years, and not a damn one came anywhere close to what I experienced with Rachel. The moment I’d seen her at the diner I’d known she was special. The fact the sex between us was phenomenal only proved my point. If ever there was a woman meant for me, it was this one.
I kissed her brow, the tip of her nose, then her lips. “Rest a moment, then we’ll get cleaned up.”
She cuddled closer and sighed, her eyes sliding shut. I knew exactly how she felt. Content. Utterly and completely content. There wasn’t much that could make my life more perfect right then. Except the Mulligans falling off the face of the earth. I’d have to handle that situation soon enough, but for now, I’d enjoy the sw
eet woman in my arms and try to come up with a plan. Because there was no fucking way I’d ever let anyone get their hands on my wife or daughter. If they even tried, I’d bury them in a shallow grave. Several, in fact, because I’d cut them into pieces first.
Chapter Seven
Rachel
Steel wasn’t anything like I’d expected. When I’d first met him, I couldn’t deny I’d found him attractive, but I hadn’t trusted him. Not because he was a stranger, but more because he was a man. Every man in my life had let me down, including my father. Didn’t help the last guy I’d trusted had given me an amazing daughter and a ton of trouble. The last few days had proven Steel was different.
Maybe he’d scrambled my brains with his kisses and everything that happened after. Regardless, we’d been at his house for over a week now and I couldn’t remember ever being happier than I was right now. It was possible Steel could be acting, but I didn’t think so. I’d woken this morning to a small jewelry box on the bed next to me. The most beautiful wedding set had been nestled inside. I didn’t think the man would do something so wonderful only to become a monster the next day. Then there was Coral. She worshipped the ground he walked on.
He’d been gone all day so I’d made breakfast and watched TV with Coral for a little while. She’d asked to go outside with Victoria and I hadn’t seen the harm in it. Steel had a fence out back so the dog didn’t wander far so I felt secure letting Coral out there on her own. At six, she was attempting to be more independent. Part of me wanted to keep her little forever, but the other half of me was proud that she was growing up into a sweet, responsible little girl.
I peeked out back a few times. Victoria chased after the ball Coral would throw, then ran circles around my little girl before collapsing at her feet. After a great amount of petting, they’d do it all over again. I didn’t think it would be long before both of them were ready for a nap. Steel’s house was immaculate, or had been before a six-year-old moved in. I spent a good bit of time putting Coral’s toys back into her room, then wiped down the kitchen and swept the floors.
When I’d put my new things away, I’d noticed Steel seemed a little OCD, or maybe it was his military background. His shirts were not only folded with a precision I found a bit intimidating, but they were in the drawers by color, what few colors he owned. It was mostly a sea of black, gray, and navy. His jeans hung in the closet, perfectly positioned on the hangers and lined up from lightest to darkest. Then his camo pants, of which there were more than a few. Even his underwear was organized by color. His socks most likely would have been too, if they hadn’t all been exactly the same.
It worried me a little. Coral wasn’t the messiest of children, but she wasn’t overly neat either. What if she left her things out and he got mad? Would he yell at her, or worse, if he tripped over her toys? He hadn’t seemed like the type so far, but could I really know a man after so little time? I’d known Patrick for a year before I’d slept with him, even if we hadn’t been dating that entire time, and it hadn’t turned out as planned.
“You’re thinking awfully hard,” said a deep voice from behind me.
I yelled out and spun to face the intruder. He wore the same leather thing Steel did. He’d told me it was a cut, and this one said the guy’s name was Guardian. I hadn’t met anyone other than Matt and Grizzly. I backed against the kitchen counter, my hands trembling as I glanced around for a weapon. The fact this guy was part of Steel’s club should mean I was safe, but what if I wasn’t?
“Relax,” the guy said. “Just came to see if you were up for some company.”
“Company?” What the hell did that mean? Company like friends coming over, or company like… Oh God. He didn’t want me to sleep with him, did he?
“My wife and son wanted to meet you and your daughter. Steel has kept the two of you to himself, but I thought you might like to meet another woman at the compound.”
Wife? The tension drained from my body. So he wasn’t here for nefarious purposes. He only wanted his family to meet us. I didn’t see the harm in it, although, I did have to wonder why Steel hadn’t invited them over already. Was there a reason he didn’t want me to meet the other members of his club or their families? He’d said our marriage, no matter how strange, was a forever kind of thing. Had it been a lie? If we were a permanent part of his life, he’d want us to know the other people who were important to him, right?
“Would they like to join us for lunch? I usually put Coral down for a nap just after, but I can have her rest before then.”
He nodded. “Lunch would be good. Um, there’s something you should know beforehand.”
“Something bad or good?” I asked.
“I guess it depends on how open-minded you are. My family consists of more than just my wife and son. I also have a husband.”
A husband. I let that sink in a moment, then the lightbulb went off in my head. “Oh, you mean she’s not just your wife but someone else’s too?”
He shrugged. I had a feeling it was more complicated than that, but I couldn’t quite wrap my mind around how something like that would work. Didn’t matter to me how many men she had in her marriage. As long as Steel didn’t plan for us to do that too, then I was fine with it.
“You’re all welcome,” I said. “But thank you for telling me ahead of time so I didn’t say something stupid in front of your wife.”
He grinned. “I’ll bring Zoe and Luis by in a little bit. Dagger and I have a job to tackle this afternoon but our home isn’t far from here. They can walk back or bring the car over here.”
“Are there others? Other women and children?” I asked.
Guardian hesitated a moment. “Steel hasn’t told you much about this place?”
“He’s mentioned his brothers and families, but I haven’t met anyone other than a Prospect and Grizzly.”
“Can’t really blame Steel. He’s been alone a long time. Even though there are women up at the clubhouse most nights who are more than willing to give a guy some relief, I haven’t seen him with any in a while.”
I wasn’t sure what to say to that. He’d just told me there were women who would gladly sleep with my husband. Was Steel at this clubhouse place now? He hadn’t left a note as to where he was going or how long he’d be gone. I didn’t have a cell phone and I hadn’t found a landline in the house, which meant even if I did have his number, which I didn’t, I still wouldn’t have been able to call.
“There are five other ladies here who are paired with patched members of this club, even though Blades hasn’t technically claimed China, but it’s a long story and it’s theirs to tell. You’ll also see a few Mexican ladies who are trying to find their footing. Grizzly is just helping them out a bit. And he has two teens at his house.”
It was a lot to take in, and I had so many questions. I simply nodded and hoped I’d remember all that when I met his wife later, or anyone else around here for that matter.
“You’ll meet Adalia and Lilian at some point too. They’re both Grizzly’s daughters and paired off with club members. Adalia is with Badger and Lilian is with Dragon.”
I bit my lip, but couldn’t contain my question. Steel had told me his real name and explained he went by a road name around here. I just didn’t quite understand what a road name was or why they had them. Nor did I understand how they’d gotten their names.
“Steel told me about road names, but I don’t understand them,” I said.
“My name is Guardian because I protect those weaker than me. My husband, Dagger, got his name because of his preferred way of dealing with our enemies. Same with Dragon. Badger’s name suits his personality.”
“And Steel?”
“That’s for your husband to explain. Now, I’m going to head out and let Zoe know it’s okay for her to stop by with Luis at lunchtime. If you need anything and can’t reach Steel, your neighbor to the left is Colorado.”
“Thank you, Guardian. I look forward to meeting your family.”
He ga
ve me a nod, then let himself out. I checked on Coral again before I looked in the refrigerator to decide on lunch. I didn’t know what Zoe and her son liked to eat, but most kids seemed to enjoy pasta. I’d put cheese and spinach tortellini on my grocery list the other day and knew I had enough to feed four or more people. Since I wasn’t sure when Steel would return, I wanted to make sure I had enough for him too just in case.
I hated sauce that came from a jar. There was at least two hours until lunch, which gave me plenty of time to put Coral down for a nap and make some sauce. Alfredo would have tasted better with it, but my little angel always turned up her nose if I put white sauce of any sort on pasta. I had cans of crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and paste. I set them all out on the counter, then called Coral into the house.
“I’m still playing,” she said, giving me the most indignant look a six-year-old could manage.
“We’re going to have company soon. You need to lie down and rest so you’ll be able to play when Zoe and Luis come over. I don’t know how old Luis is, but I bet he’d like to go out and play with you and Victoria.”
She nodded eagerly, opened the door for Victoria to come inside, then raced down the hall to her bedroom. The little pug stopped long enough for some water, then trotted after Coral. Not only had Steel given Coral a daddy, but he’d given her a pet as well. I wondered how Steel felt about his little dog preferring Coral over him. He hadn’t seemed to mind so far.
While Coral and Victoria took a nap, I started the sauce. If I’d been making spaghetti, I’d have added some ground chicken or turkey to the sauce, or maybe meatballs. Since we were having tortellini, I just made a basic red sauce. As much as I preferred using fresh garlic, the jar of minced garlic Steel had picked up would be sufficient, as were the little jars of spices and seasonings he’d gotten for me. When I’d been employed before, I hadn’t had a lot of extra money, but I’d made sure to feed Coral decent meals. It had meant learning to cook, and I’d found that I sometimes enjoyed the experience. Maybe not on days I’d been on my feet working for eight or more hours, but the rest of the time it was almost fun.
