Original Cin: A Raptors MC Novel

by Elle Rease

  “I love you,” he moaned, kissing her abused shoulder. He let go of the death grip he’d had on her breast. “Shit, Cin. I always hoped it would be like this with you.”

  “Me too,” she mumbled sleepily.

  He chuckled. “You need breakfast. You must be feeling quite faint.”

  “I thought I just had breakfast.”

  “I meant the edible kind,” he laughed.

  “I could eat you.”

  He fell silent for a while, probably contemplating that. “I don’t have time today,” he said regretfully. “I think I’m already running late.”

  “Damn.” She peeked at him over her shoulder. “Can I turn around now?”

  “That means I have to get out of you.” He closed his eyes and let out a sigh. “Just give me a second.”

  “Have you…” She trailed off once he made eye-contact and swallowed nervously. “Do you always stay inside like this?”

  The ice of his eyes melted. He withdrew his subdued member, shifted back and turned her around on her back. He got on top of her, framing her face with his hands and dropping a gentle kiss on her lips.

  “Cinnia, you’re the first,” he replied. “I want to be in you. Heck, if I could live there, I wouldn’t complain.”

  “That’s good to know,” she admitted, smiling slightly. “I don’t like the thought of you sharing this with other women.”

  “Only you,” he insisted. “I fucked them. I make love to you.”

  She giggled, kissing him again. “Softie.”

  Brennan rolled his eyes. “Fine, I guess I’m a softie.”

  “My softie.” She stared at him, tucking his hair behind his ears. “I love you.”

  He rested his forehead on hers. “It’s good to have you here, Cin.”

  “Come on, I’ll make you breakfast. You know, now that I’m your old lady and all.”

  “Okay,” he said reluctantly, getting off the bed and helping her to her feet. “I’ll get your patch stitched today.”

  “I could do it.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Do you remember how?”

  “No,” she answered. “I’ll take it in.”

  Quietly, he went to the walk-in closet and came back with a few pieces of clothing. He handed her one of his shirts and dressed in his usual leathers. “You know that you’ll see my mother if you do that, right?”

  “Yes,” she said, pulling the shirt over her head. She loved how his scent clung to the material. “I thought I should go say hi.”

  “Cin, she’s… not one of your fans.”

  “I figured.” She stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “You can’t always be around to protect me from everyone who hates my guts, you know. I doubt I’ll regain her respect if I’m hiding behind you.”

  He sighed and kissed her forehead. “I guess you’re right.”

  “Does she know you came to get me?”

  “Yeah, she phoned the second she found out about Jim’s heart attack, knowing that I’d go to you.” He let her go, sitting on the bed so he could get his boots on. “We argued and I hung up on her.”

  Cinnia briefly shut her eyes, taking deep breaths. “Great. She’s going to murder me.”

  “You don’t have to go there. I can—”

  “No,” she interjected firmly. “I’m a big girl. I survived your wrath. I’ll make do with hers.”

  He smiled. “So brave.”

  “Being your old lady, I have to be,” she muttered. She went to the bathroom to clean up the moisture between her thighs and came back to pull her pants on. “Bring my stuff down?” she asked politely. “I’m gonna get started on breakfast.”

  “I’m spoiled,” he said, grabbing her hand before she could walk out of the bedroom. “Not only do you give me the best view of my life,” he murmured, stroking over her ass, “but also the best sex, and now you’re going to feed me? Heaven.”

  She shivered. “Unless you want to be even later for church, let me get to the rest of my old lady duties,” she teased.

  He spanked her on the way out and she grinned all the way down to the kitchen. She quickly familiarized herself with the layout, finding two pans: one for bacon and pork sausages, and the other for eggs. She popped a few slices of bread into the toaster and rummaged in the cupboards for plates and glasses. She poured him a glass of milk and orange juice for her.

  “Hmm, that smells divine,” he murmured appreciatively as he entered the kitchen. He plopped down on a chair at the breakfast nook and smiled at his drink. “You remembered.”

  “You’re hard to forget, babe.” She winked at him. “Breakfast’s almost ready.”

  “Dad phoned. They’re waiting for me at the club.”

  She bit her bottom lip, not wanting him to leave. “Are you skipping breakfast?”

  “I told him I’ll be another half an hour. He understood when I explained my reasons.” He gazed at her. “Dad’s missed you, so he’s letting it go, just this once.”

  “No wonder your mom’s so pissed at me,” she laughed. “Both of her men love me.”

  “Yeah, it’s caused ructions here and there.”

  She grabbed toast and loaded it on his plate, handing him the butter. “Do mine, too?”

  “Sure.”

  Turning the stove off, she brought the meat over first, giving him the more generous portion. The eggs followed, and then she took her seat next to him, sipping on her juice.

  “You’re going to make me fat,” he complained, though he wolfed his food down, nonetheless.

  “I guess you’ll just have to gym harder,” she said dryly. “I don’t date fat men.”

  He glanced at her. “I’m curious about Harold.”

  She shrugged. “There’s not much to tell.”

  “Then why’d you go for him?”

  “He was safe, compared to you. Didn’t make me feel crazy.”

  “And I do?” When she nodded, he frowned. “Crazy, in what way?”

  She sighed, toying with the last bit of her breakfast. “I’m very possessive. Just seeing you laugh with another woman is enough to make me jealous. And every little thing you do turns me on, so I’m always on this horny high around you. I mean, just the sound of your boots…” She trailed off, embarrassed. “I want to spend most of my time with you. Harold didn’t make me feel any of those things. In a way, I’m glad: it gave me a chance to know what it’s like to be independent of someone.”

  Brennan gave a nod as he finished his breakfast, sitting back so he could look at her while he drained his glass of milk. “Do you want to be independent? Do you need space after yesterday and this morning?”

  She winced at the thought. “Would it be bad if I said no?”

  “No,” he responded, smiling. “I’ve learned a lot during the last few years without you, so I get what you mean by independence. But having you back… It’s home.”

  “To me, too.” She took a deep breath. “Why’d you stop coming around?”

  “Well, you did have that terrible habit of constantly rejecting me,” he reminded her. “I began hating you, so I kept my distance, thinking that it’s what’s best for both of us. I had a few of your friends keep me up to date about your living situation, though. I couldn’t cut you off completely, no matter how I tried.”

  “My friends, huh? Traitors.”

  “I can be very persuasive,” he chuckled. “You shouldn’t blame them.”

  “As long as you didn’t sleep with any of them, we’re good.”

  He burst out laughing. “I’m not interested in your friends, Cin. Not anymore.”

  “I know you’ve told me before, but I need to hear it again.” She braced herself. “You never loved Dawn, right?”

  “No.” He took her face in his hands and kissed her. “I love her as a friend, as a member of the Raptors. I love her because she’s a good wife to Haye. I don’t love her the way I love you. It’s not in the same category.”

  Cinnia was stunned. “Haye and Dawn are married?
” When he nodded, she felt faint. “So, your best friend and my ex-best friend… Does he know about you two?”

  “Yeah, he knows. He doesn’t care. She makes him happy.”

  Her breakfast was threatening to upend itself. “So, there’s really no avoiding her?”

  “Cin, I know the situation with her stung your pride, but please try to work past it. It’s not worth keeping grudges.”

  “I’ll get over it eventually,” she assured him. She got up to take their plates to the dishwasher. “We should probably go.”

  “We’re okay?”

  She glanced at him, her heart constricting at the hopeful expression on his face. She inclined her head with a smile. “Always, Brennan.”

  He was visibly relieved. “Okay, then. Get your shoes on so we can go. I’m just going to brush my teeth.”

  Cinnia put her boots on and braided her hair. She went upstairs to clean her own mouth, following him back down and outside. They were in a comfortable silence as they got on the bike. She only realized she’s forgotten something once he started the engine.

  A bra.

  She giggled as he pulled out of the driveway, feeling her breasts jiggling against his back. She wondered what it would be like to have a nipple piercing, like he’d recommended the night before. Would she ever be brave enough to get one?

  The drive to her parents’ house wasn’t eventful, since most people were still getting ready for the day. The air was chilly, but she was warm behind Brennan’s back. She couldn’t wait to see if her Harley was still in the garage. Hopefully, her parents hadn’t dumped it.

  Brennan stopped in front of her childhood home and cut the engine. “I’m just going to do a quick sweep inside, make sure you’re safe,” he said as he got off with her.

  She gave him a look as she got her wallet and phone from the side pannier. “Am I in danger?”

  “No, the club’s fine,” he answered, correctly interpreting her question. “I was raised to check on my old lady. There are a lot of psychos out there.”

  She let it go, heading to the front door and getting the spare key from one of the mounted pot plants. “They should really find a new hiding place for that,” she muttered, unlocking the door and stepping inside.

  Nothing’s changed.

  “I’ll be right back,” Brennan announced, moving past her and marching further into the house.

  Cinnia stood in the entryway, smiling at the photographs on the walls. There were so many Raptors-related snapshots that reminded her how much the club had been a part of her life. Harley Davidsons had been injected into her veins as a child. She wouldn’t be surprised if those had been her first words.

  Brennan came back with a smile. “All clear.”

  “Figures,” she teased. “Thanks for checking, though.”

  “Anytime, lass,” he murmured, his hands sliding under the shirt to cup her breasts. “Don’t know what I like more: you wearing those lacy bras, or none at all.”

  “I know what I prefer.” She stood on tiptoes to kiss him. When he pressed her against the wall, she began laughing. “I thought you said you’re in a hurry.”

  He sighed. “I want to take you right here, make a few memories in this house.”

  “Caveman.”

  “Just for you.” He kissed her cheek and stepped back. “Okay, I’ll see you later. Keep your phone on.”

  She nodded, dazed. “Have fun.”

  With a cheeky grin and a wink, Brennan walked out of the house and shut the door. Cinnia let out the breath she’d been holding and rubbed her temples. She was turning into a sex-crazed slut for that man. Heck, the spot between her legs was so well-used, it was still tingling.

  She unlocked her phone as she headed for her bedroom, dialing Harold’s number. Time to finish with her old life, the way Brennan wanted her to. She couldn’t fully commit to him if she still had loose ends back in the city.

  “Cinnia!” Harold answered, worry in his tone. “I tried to get a hold of you the entire night!”

  She flinched. “Sorry, I didn’t hear it ring.”

  “Is everything okay? How’s your dad?”

  “He’s fine, just under observation for a few days,” she replied.

  “Okay good. So, you’ll be heading back soon?”

  “Harold, about that.” She hated this part. He’s been good to her, for as long as she had believed that he was the best she could do. Things were different today, but that didn’t mean that she wanted to hurt him. “I’m not coming back.”

  “I’m confused. You said—”

  “I know what I said,” she interrupted. “But things… I’ve been offered a job here and, after this scare with my dad, I’d like to spend more time with my family.”

  “Okay.” He was quiet for a while. “I guess I can live in a small town.”

  Her eyes widened. “Harold, no, I’m not going to accept that. We had a good run, but you weren’t really happy, were you?”

  “Cinnia—”

  “You deserve someone better, Harold. I’m… I can’t give myself to you.”

  “Is there someone else?”

  She closed her eyes. “Yeah, there is.”

  “I never expected this of you.”

  “I know. I’m really sorry.”

  “I mean, using your father as an excuse,” Harold said angrily. “That’s just low.”

  “Harold, I’m not making excuses. I’m telling the truth.”

  “Sure.” He snorted. “You must take me for some kind of fool. Just text me your new address and I’ll courier your shit over.”

  Her jaw dropped in surprise. “Just chuck it,” she grumbled, “there’s nothing I want or even like at yours. Goodbye, Harold.” She hung up and laughed without any humor. That hadn’t gone the way she’d planned but, then again, did it ever?

  She slowly became aware of her surroundings, memories flooding her mind as she stared at her room.

  She remembered sneaking Brennan through the window at age fourteen so they could make out for hours. He’d never made her feel pressured to do anything more, but she had been a teenager with the associated hormones and, in retrospect, she’d most likely driven him into Dawn’s arms, the way she’d carried on. She hadn’t understood why he’d always left so abruptly.

  The poor guy had suffered from blue balls.

  Smiling, she made her way over to the bookshelf to get a few photo albums. Everything was exactly how she’d left it, making it easier for her to find certain items. She sat down on one of the puffy bean bags decorating the space at the foot of her bed.

  As luck would have it, the first album she opened started with a photo of her and Dawn.

  She inhaled deeply, pushing aside her petulance and focusing on the memories of her best friend. They’d been as close as sisters: born two days apart, with Dawn being the eldest. Cinnia had always looked up to Dawn, seeing in her everything she wasn’t.

  Dawn was blonde, voluptuous and beautiful, while Cinnia had raven-colored hair, was skinny and awkward. Dawn had excelled in drama and modelling, and Cinnia had tried to be proud of her affinity to numbers. Dawn had driven boys crazy from a young age; Cinnia had had the misfortune of falling in love with a guy six years her senior, someone she’d been unable to forget about. Everyone else had been lame in comparison.

  “Okay, so I see why he said she’s easy,” Cinnia muttered, turning the page.

  There were photographs of them in school and at slumber parties. Their group of friends had been huge growing up, but Dawn and Cinnia had been inseparable. For years, they were at each other’s houses so many times they might as well have taken up permanent residence.

  Cinnia had always half-expected Teagan to fall for Dawn, like an old cliché, but it seemed as if Dawn had gone for the other cliché. Cinnia was never going to escape her now, so she might as well get used to seeing Dawn’s face.

  She was so captivated by her trip down Memory Lane, she forgot about everything else. When Brennan phoned her around lunch ti
me, she jumped in surprise. She had pins and needles in her feet. “Great,” she muttered, swiping her screen and pressing her mobile to her ear. “Hey.”

  “Hey,” he greeted. He sounded even sexier over the phone. How was that possible? “What’re you up to?”

  “Going through old photo albums. How did church go?”

  He hesitated. “Okay, given the circumstances. Did you go to my mom’s?”

  “Shit, I completely forgot.” She slapped her forehead. “Do you want to talk about what’s happening with the club?”

  “You’ll find out tonight.”

  “Tonight?”

  He took a while to answer, making her nervous. “They’re hosting a big barbecue to welcome you back.”

  “Sure, that’s the reason,” she sighed. “What do you need me to do?”

  “It’s simple, actually: get that damn patch on your cut. It’ll be a good start.”

  She gulped at his frustrated tone. “I’m on it.”

  “Good. I’ll see you there at six.”

  He cut the call and she ended up staring at her phone. She really had to stop dicking around and start taking her role seriously, or they were going to spend more time fighting than getting reacquainted.

  Then again, she grinned, making up would be so worth it.

  Chapter Six

  That looks nasty.

  Cinnia sighed at her reflection. She’d decided to take a quick shower before heading to the tailors—not wanting Mysie Drummond to somehow smell the sex she’d had with her only child—and, on the way out, spotted a strange shadow on her right shoulder. On closer inspection, it turned out to be a large hickey spreading from below her ear to the tip of her shoulder.

  She vaguely recalled Brennan going to town on her skin, but she’d been so distracted at the time that she hadn’t realized the full ramifications of the bruise.

  “Great,” she muttered, going to her bedroom to get dressed. She took care with her underwear, bearing Brennan’s request in mind, though her options were limited. All of her clothes were fitted to pre-weight-gain-Cinnia’s body. Maybe she should’ve taken Harold up on his offer to courier her things to her, after all…

  She chose a leather skirt, happy that it went halfway down to her knees. At least she wouldn’t appear to be a slut when she showed up at Mysie’s shop. She added a loose-fitting AC/DC T-shirt and her favorite dark grey, velvet thigh-high boots. Her cut finished off her outfit.