“Bill needs to see this.”
“What?” Though I protested, I let him lead me back inside. “It’s barely a scratch. I just want to go home.”
“It’s not just a ‘scratch.’ It’s a warning.”
Bill was furious. I swear I could see steam coming out of his ears. "Who the fuck does this guy think he is?" He only barely examined my face and didn't ask how I was - his main concern was the insult to his club. Still, it felt good to see him get so angry, good to know they would go after this guy so it wouldn't happen again. He wasn't concerned about me personally, but I was part of the club circle, and an injury to me would not go unanswered.
"Go on home," he said as he disappeared into the back room. Probably to call the cavalry. Theo followed, but not before cursing out Irish.
"You let these girls walk out of here alone at night again and I'll rip your fucking jaw off, got it?"
Turning a little pale, Irish nodded.
"That was graphic," I said after Theo made his exit.
Irish mumbled, "Let's go," and walked us out to my truck. "Why don't you park out front?" he asked, "At least until they deal with that guy."
I assured him I would think about it.
I took the next night off. Nella was back on duty, so she gave Dawn a lift in my place. Part of me wanted to go - Dawn having the bar to herself for a night would go straight to her head. She'd be insufferable. I've got to stop. I'm just being territorial. So I stayed home with a tub of ice cream and watched tv and checked myself out in the mirror repeatedly, stressed out over the thought that I might have a scar. It didn't need stitches, but would probably leave a mark anyway. The bastard. My arm was covered in bruises where he'd grabbed me, too.
So when Bill surprised me by knocking on my door the next morning, the first thing I blurted was, "You found the guy?"
"Not yet." He squinted at my face. "Doesn't look too bad."
"No." I touched the shallow cut - now nothing more than a thin red scab that would be gone in no time. "It was just scary. I thought he was gonna put me in a car and take off. Why'd he do this?"
"A warning to the club," Bill said. "And a damn insult, pulling that shit right in our parking lot. Don't you worry about it, though. You just concern yourself with thanking Theo."
Oh, so that's what he's here about. "Do you want to come in?" I asked. I didn't especially want him in my home, messy as it was, but it felt rude to keep him in the doorway.
"No. This will be quick. I want you back at the bar this afternoon. You owe him a thanks for saving your hide. And try to cheer up the sour bastard while you're at it. We want to keep good relations with the PA chapter and I'll be damned if he goes back home and says we didn't show him a good time. Understand?"
"Yeah. I got it."
"Make sure the new girl pays him a visit, too." That made me grin. The club president had come to me with official club business, not her. She was still secondary; I was still on top.
"I'll be picking her up myself."
"Good girl." His face softened for just a moment and he touched my face, just below the cut, giving it another glance. "Glad you're okay, Ivy."
"Thanks," I mumbled as he walked away. I guess lazy time is over.
I texted Dawn that I would be picking her up that afternoon, then showered and prepared to face the world again. Once I covered the mark with a little concealer, it was barely visible.
When Dawn bounced into the passenger seat of my truck just a few short hours later, she seemed unaffected by the events. "How's your face?" she asked as she buckled in.
"It's fine. How was last night?"
She shrugged. "It was okay. Nella wouldn't let me hang out alone with Gunner, the cow. And Theo brushed me off, again. I did get to spend some alone time with old Mort. He fell asleep pretty fast, though."
Good, let her have Mort. "Sounds like a quiet night."
I explained Bill's visit as I drove. She whined a little about our assignment - maybe that meant she was giving up on Theo, at least. I hadn't forgotten about our brief almost-moment at the jukebox, though. Like a silly schoolgirl. Get yourself together.
I was inexplicably nervous, though. An almost-moment could mean nothing. Maybe he'd just had a drink too many or something. Maybe he was going to just slam the door in my face.
Nella was manning the bar when we arrived. "Is Theo in?" I asked.
"Yeah, he's here. Just got back from a run. How are you, are you okay?" Her motherly tone made me smile and calmed at least a few of the butterflies in my stomach.
"I'm fine," I smiled, "Thanks."
"You go talk to him first," Dawn said, nudging me forward. "I'm probably gonna be a while when it's my turn."
You wish. "You don't call the shots, Dawn," I said, my lip curling in a sneer. "If I wanted you to go back there first, you'd go." Nella shot the girl a glare, backing me up.
Dawn only smirked. "Okay. Want me to go see him now? You'll be waiting a while."
"I'm going. Bill gave this assignment to me, remember?" I turned with a glare and left her for the back rooms. Dummy. Why can't I keep my mouth shut? I hated losing my cool. Was I actually concerned that Theo would want to fuck her? He was welcome to, of course. I had no hold on him. I didn't think he even liked me very much. Well, I don't have to be thrilled about it.
Fueled by my anger at Dawn and at myself, I stepped up to his door and knocked.
He opened it wearing jeans and nothing else. His hair was wet and curled around his neck - he must have just gotten out of the shower.
God help me. I felt my cheeks turn red. Again!
He grunted wordlessly and opened the door wider so that I could pass through. The room was no different than the one Gunner liked to use - maybe it was just a touch smaller, and dark with the curtains almost closed. I waited for him to shut the door before speaking.
"I just wanted to say, you know, thanks. For running out there so quick the other night. Before something worse could happen." His expression was stony, but his eyes flickered with conflict. Is he angry? "I was really scared, I thought he was going to pack me into one of those cars and take me who-knows-where. Or murder me. And who'd ever find out?" The more still he stood, the faster I talked. "I guess if it was just some message that all that wasn't part of his plan, but how was I supposed to know that? Bill says you guys don't know who he was yet or what he wanted? I'd sure like to know when you find out. I want to kick the guy in the nuts for this. So. Yeah." I bit my lip against the seemingly ceaseless tide of words. "Well. That's all I wanted to say. Thanks. I guess I'll go."
I mentally cursed at myself. Real smooth. Way to flirt. Bill will be thrilled to hear about this performance. I really showed this guy a good time. I blew out a breath. "Please say something."
He closed his eyes tight for just a moment, as if deep in thought and coming to an unhappy conclusion. "Get on the bed."
My heart rate spiked. "What?"
"On the bed. On your hands and knees.” His deep, commanding tone left no room for argument. And the bulge in his pants certainly had me intrigued. So I did as he said, facing the headboard on my hands and knees. What the hell? Was he going to fuck me? This was an odd way to go about it, but heat pooled at my core anyway.
I took a deep, shaky breath. "Now what?"
He knelt next to me on the mattress. I breathed him in - the smell of his soap, of his skin - and longed to touch the rock hard abs, right there within my reach. I could feel the heat emanating off his body. I stayed as motionless as I could, though, sensing that was what he wanted.
He tangled his fingers in my hair and made a fist, not yanking or pulling, but holding it in a tight grip, holding me in place. A thrill ran through me, settling between my legs. "Can you tell me what you did wrong?" he asked, voice low, breath hot against my neck.
I didn't recognize this game, but I was into it. I was very into it. "I went out with no protection."
"And?" I wished that I could see his face, but he was kneeling too high over m
y back.
"I led the new girl into danger."
His grip twisted my hair. I winced. "Do you have any idea what could have happened to you?"
My voice cracked when I answered, "I do." But I pushed that wave of emotion away, and all the old memories with it.
It seemed to soften him. His hand relaxed for just a moment before twisting again. "So. What's the lesson here?"
I suddenly had a suspicion where this was going, and I tingled all over. "Not to go out unescorted so late at night." I kept my eyes downcast, playing the part I knew he wanted me to play. But am I just playing along? I longed for... something. His cock, of course, but that was a familiar sort of longing. There was something else.
"How do I know you've learned it?"
"I... I don't know. Trust me?"
"No." My heart sank. "You're not a nice girl, are you." It wasn't a question.
"I'm not."
He rested his free hand on the small of my back. "You're a little bad, aren't you." He brushed lower and caressed my ass through my tiny shorts, gently squeezing one cheek, and then the other. I exhaled slowly before answering.
"More than a little."
His voice was huskier. "How do you teach a bad girl a lesson?" Punishment. Discipline. I tensed.
The strike was still a shock. His open palm struck my ass with a loud crack. I yelped and lurched forward, but his grip on my hair kept me upright.
“Count,” he growled, and brought his hand down again.
I yelped. “Two!” He smacked one cheek and then the other while I barked out, “Three! Four!” God, can they hear me back the bar? I didn’t think so. These rooms had seen plenty of crazy activity and no one ever heard a thing. Almost as if they were designed for any and all sexual encounters.
I groaned through clenched teeth as his palm made contact again. “Five!” The pain was getting intense as he rained down a flurry of blows. “Six, seven, ah… eight!” My fists squeezed the fabric of the blankets. I kept on counting, though how I managed to keep forming words, I don’t know. Somewhere around a dozen I dropped to my elbows. He followed with his fistful of my hair, allowing me the adjustment.
I was gearing up to count number twenty-one - a long word when you’re writhing and panting - but the blows stopped. He grazed my sore ass with a gentle touch, gently massaging away some of the pain. My skin was raw and the fabric of my pants abrasive, but his touch was warm, soothing, and I leaned into it with a sigh. My whole body was shaking.
“Shh,” he said, releasing my hair and smoothing it instead. I was on sensory overload and couldn’t seem to catch my breath.A shudder ran through me. He cursed softly under his breath, “Fuck. I’m sorry.”
No, no, don’t break the spell. Don’t stop now. “Was I good for you, Theo? Was I a good girl?”
He tensed. “You were.”
I twisted around to look up at him. His eyes were glazed with lust but his features twisted. “Don’t good girls get rewarded?” I asked. He nodded slowly. I reached out with a trembling hand and touched the waist of his pants and gave it a little tug. “I want this.” I licked my lips suggestively and looked back up at him.
“No.”He pushed my hand away. My heart dropped. Now he’s gonna kick me out. He asked, “Are you wet?”
I dropped my voice to a whisper. “I’m so wet for you, Theo.” He cursed again. “Let me show you.” I started to get up, but he guided me back down with a heavy hand on the back of my neck.
“Show me from right there.” I reached between my legs and undid my shorts’ zipper. With a little wiggling, I was able to push them and my panties down to my knees. The fabric was rough against my freshly spanked ass, but I simply clenched my teeth against the pain.
“Can you see?” I asked. I was used to being looked at, but when Theo leaned over to catch a glimpse of my exposed pussy, I felt a sheepishness. Am I being too forward? I actually cared what he thought - a rarity, recently. My attitude was normally “take it or leave it,” but for Theo… I wanted him to like what he saw. I wanted him to want me right back.
He said nothing. I dropped my head back to the mattress, afraid that I’d made a mistake. Once again, I should have kept my mouth shut. But then his finger grazed my nether lips, just touching the wetness. He paused as if in disbelief.
He cleared his throat. “You’re right. Good girls get rewarded.” He rubbed against the slickness of my pussy. I moaned and lifted my hips to give him better access and to get closer to his fingers. When one slid inside me, I thought I would come right then. I tensed around the intruding digit. “Close?” he asked in a deep rumble.
“Yes,” I hissed. He seemed surprised, but I wasn’t. Rough treatment turned me on, and when I genuinely liked the guy administering it - well, that didn’t happen very often. He added a second finger and thrust deeper, grinding his palm against my clit. I pushed back against him, writhing against his hand and breathing his name. The heat inside me grew, pulsed; pressure built; I teetered right on the edge of something frightening, something explosive.
He tilted my head back by my chin and his mouth descended onto mine. Our lips crashed together in a passionate joining; I felt like I’d been lit on fire; I felt like I’d been waiting for his kiss forever. My pussy clenched as I came, hard. Ecstatic spasms roiled through my entire body. I cried out against his mouth as I rocked against his hand, his thrusting fingers drawing out every ounce of pleasure. He finally withdrew as I dropped bonelessly to the mattress and fought to catch my breath.
He was already stepping back. It was an intense orgasm but it wasn’t enough - I wanted his cock inside me. More than that, I wanted to wrap my arms around him; I wanted to kiss him again. But he was backing away. Embarrassed, I pulled my pants back up and rolled into a sitting position. He stood against the wall, observing me.
“You don’t want to fuck me?” I asked.
“I do.”
“What’s wrong?”
He shook his head and looked away. “I didn’t want to wake this up,” he said as if talking to himself.
“Wake what up? Theo-”
“Go on. Get out of here.”
“I thought-”
He growled. “Don’t think. Just go. Nothing else can happen. There’s nothing else here. Go!”
I scrambled out the door. He’d sounded so torn up, I was afraid to provoke him any further. Pausing in the hallway, I wiped my eyes and ran a hand through my hair. Please don’t look too messy. Any desire I’d had to gloat was long gone. I just wanted to get the hell out of the building.
I sent Dawn back to see him in a daze. She gave me a weird look but didn’t ask any questions. She had her own goals to attend to.
I was nothing if not practical. That was an unambiguous rejection back there. It didn’t matter that he’d made me come harder than I thought possible, or that I could still feel his scorching kiss, or that his game just felt right in a way that that nothing else had. When a man kicked me out of his room so abruptly, I didn’t go with my tail between my legs. I didn’t knock on the door again later, or cry or beg. I knew when to retire.
So when Gunner showed up later that night, I forced on my brightest smile and slid onto his lap at the bar. Dawn shot me a glare from the opposite end of the room, still trapped in a conversation with Mort. The girl had reappeared from the back room in mere moments with a big scowl on her face. Didn’t quite go as planned, did it, I thought, but I bit my tongue. So though my ass stung something fierce, I perched on Gunner’s lap and flirted with every biker who passed us or stopped to say hello.
Despite my promises to myself to stay away from Theo from then on, I kept an eye on the back room door, waiting for him to emerge. He never did.
“Want to hang out somewhere more quiet?” Gunner breathed into my ear as he toyed with my hair. His hand ran up and down my thigh, traveling just a littler higher than it ought to in public.
I shrugged with a coy grin. “Maybe.” Then we heard the familiar giggle. Dawn appeared at his side. Dammit,
Mort. I glanced around and found the older man staring down his reddening nose and into a big mug of beer.
“Gunner was gonna teach me a thing or two, weren’t you Gunner?” she purred, stroking his arm. She thrust her tits out and pouted; his lips parted. Great.
“Gunner’s too busy to play teacher,” I said, wiggling in his lap. Sure enough, I felt him stir inside his pants.
“Or maybe he’s ready for something new,” she said. “Maybe he’s tired of the same old thing.”
Gunner’s eyes darted between the two of us with obvious amusement. “Or maybe the something new will break too easy. Maybe it needs a little more real-world experience.”
“Maybe you’re just washed up and jealous,” she smirked.
I slid from Gunner’s lap and got up in her face. “I’ll get a fork right now and pop those fake-ass boobs of your if you think you can talk to me like that.” God, I hated losing my temper, but after my frustration with Theo, this was the last thing I needed.
Gunner laid a hand on my shoulder. “Whoa now, ladies, no need to get violent. As much as I’d like to see it, I don’t need Nella blaming me and kicking you girls out. Why don’t we all go in the back and settle your differences?”
“No!” we both shrieked. That finally got Nella’s attention.
“Gunner, if you’re harassing my girls…” she called from up the bar.
“They’re harassing me!” He grabbed Dawn by the arm. “Something new, eh? Sorry, Ivy.” He shrugged at me. “I wanna play with those titties again before you go popping them.”
Fuckers! He led her away, leaving me alone with the empty stool and the remainder of his drink. I threw it back - bourbon, of course - and climbed onto the seat. My sensible self fizzled away beneath the burning shame and anger. Revenge. Revenge. I’ll kill the bitch. This is my club. I’ll kill her!
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Devil's Girl: Dust Bowl Devils MC Page 4
