In Search of Solace (Rebel Wayfarers MC)

by MariaLisa deMora

  Shifting to the side, he kicked the towel across the floor and opened the door, staying out of sight in case she only wanted to tell him something.

  Myrt rounded the door and closed it, keeping her hands on the knob and frame before whirling around. Her gasp and wide eyes kept him still; then she reached out to grip his bicep and pull him towards her. Bane hovered over her against the door, caging her in with his arms as he kept his lower body angled away. She made a tiny frustrated noise and gripped his hips, pulling him in tight against her.

  Face buried against his chest, Myrt cleared her throat softly. “I know you think I’m this damaged woman. I know a lot of what you think. But I’m not delicate. You won’t hurt me. I know that down to my bones, Bane. You would never hurt me. But you are hurting me, and you don’t even know it.”

  “How am I hurting you, baby?”

  “By treating me like I can’t want you.” One of her hands slowly descended his body, fingertips finding and exploring his nipple, then his abs, moving to his hip, and finally arriving at the base of his cock. After several soft, grazing touches, those fingers wrapped around his girth with a firm grip. It felt so good he gritted his teeth but couldn’t stay still, flexing his hips to rock into her touch. She gained confidence and glided her fingers and palm up his shaft, stroking to the tip, where she made a little noise of pleasure when she found him leaking precum. She took her time, gathering up the silky fluid and spreading it around the sensitive head, toying with the bundle of nerves underneath the rim. “This doesn’t hurt me, Bane.” A long stroke, tip to root, then back again slowly, teasing fingertips playing with his slit. “This is something I want.”

  “You want this, baby?” Her head rocked against him in a nod. “You can have me anytime you want me.”

  She pressed a kiss against his chest, and he cradled the back of her head, guiding her lips to where she could play with one of his nipples. He hissed when she wrapped her lips around and sucked lightly, the scrape of her teeth exactly what he liked most.

  Stepping closer, Myrt pressed against him, both hands folding around and stroking his length, exploring farther, fingertips grazing his sack. He widened his stance, and she looked up at him as she moved to his other nipple. Pupils fully blown, she showed only the tiniest ring of color around the dark centers. Her lips were ruby red and shiny, pursing slightly as she latched on and sucked harder than she had before. Her lids dipped closed as she appeared to give herself over to experiencing him in this way. Myrt’s hot palm cradled his balls, gently rolling and tugging as her other hand increased speed, pulling and stroking faster.

  Bane kept his eyes on what he could see of her face, focused on the smoothness of her brow, the lift of her cheeks, everything that told him she was doing exactly what she wanted right now. “Damn, baby. Got all kinds of surprises for me, seems like. Lovin’ this, watching you take what you want. I want your mouth, Myrt.” She disengaged and sagged, and he realized she’d misunderstood him. “Not on my dick, darlin’. Although in the future, not too far from now, I’ll take you up on that.” He guided her back to standing and leaned down, fingers thrust into the hair at the back of her head as he tilted her neck. “Wanna kiss you, baby.” The last word was whispered against her lips, and then his mouth covered hers.

  Fucking into her hand, he took possession of her mouth as he started chasing his orgasm in earnest. She moaned and he ate it down, sharing breaths with her, tongues dueling in a sweet joust as hers retreated and he chased into her mouth, teeth on her bottom lip in a tender bite.

  “Baby.” Her use of the sweet word wasn’t tentative, as confident as her hands on his body, and he reveled in her courage within this encounter.

  The pleasure sat in the middle of his belly, growing with every glide of her skin against his, and he wanted to have her in bed, be over her, driving into her. That vision mixed with the reality of the kiss and her touch, and he grunted as he came over her hands in long spurts of creamy heat. She didn’t stop, the fluid providing more lube until her fingers glided over the too sensitive head in a slippery grip.

  Bane broke the kiss with a gasp, shoving her head into the crook of his neck as he panted and tried to slow his pounding heart. “Jesus God, woman. That was phenomenal, baby. Fucktastic all around. Nearly killed me, but I’d have died a happy man.”

  The belling of Myrt’s laughter made him smile. Still resting against him, seemingly uncaring her hands were covered in his spunk, she kissed along his collarbone. “That’s not a word.”

  “Should be. I’m gonna get a shirt that says ‘I’m with her and she’s fucktastic.’ It should be a word.”

  “It’s a good word.” She laughed again, that sound tripping pleasure inside him, his gut tightening in reaction. “I wouldn’t say that about me, though.”

  “Did you just have your hand on my dick?” Bane pulled her head back so he could see her face. While he was sweaty and exhausted, she looked only a little flushed but entirely pleased with herself. “And jerk me until I came?” Myrt’s lips spread into a wide smile, teeth holding the tip of her tongue as she nodded. “Then let me be the judge of fucktasticability. Which you have in spades, darlin’.”

  “Another non-word.” She dipped her head and pressed a gentle kiss in the center of his sternum. “But another good one.” Myrt stepped backwards and he let her go with reluctance, showing it in how he kept his fingers on her, curled around her arms. Bane found himself wishing they had more time so he could explore her newfound confidence. “I need to clean up, and you were going to shower.”

  “I wasn’t.” He looked down at the smears of white on his belly and thighs, slathered over his dick. “I am now, though.” Glancing up at her in the mirror over the sink, he winked and then grinned. “Wanna join me?”

  “I shouldn’t.” She turned, towel in hand as she looked him up and down, that flush growing to a blush as he made no move to cover himself. “You were such a tease. I couldn’t resist.”

  “I can tease more.” He stepped closer, dropping his mouth to hover above hers. “Happy to do all the teasin’ you want, baby.”

  Myrt closed the distance, and he let her lead them down a path of sweet and slow, caresses more than kisses. She ended with her forehead pressed against his, a position he’d initiated many times, and one she seemed to have grown fond of. Gazes locked, they stayed like that for a dozen breaths; then she lowered off her toes and broke the connection with a sigh.

  “I’m going to see what they’ve left for breakfast.” She stepped to the door and opened it slightly, hand on the knob keeping it from swinging wide. Looking back over her shoulder, she smirked. “If you’re quick, I’ll save you a plate.”

  “You want quick, you get quick.” He reached into the shower and turned on the water, the sound of the pulsating flow filling the small room. “Later, baby, you’ll get slow.”

  Cheeks pink, she fled the bathroom, door closing with a firm snick behind her.

  Holy shit. Did that really just happen?

  Bane glanced down, his dick already twitching and trying to get back into the game at the idea of a later with Myrt.

  Oh yeah, that just happened.

  Now he had to figure out a way to have it be an everyday occurrence with Myrt. Needed to find a way to fold her into his life, even as they’d barely taken on the responsibility for her brothers and her older sister.

  “Don’t matter the challenges.”

  Bane stepped into the shower.

  “She’s worth it all.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Myrtle

  Seated on the edge of the bed farthest from the connecting door, Myrt was giggling with Luke over a tale he was spinning, which included a knight in shining white cotton on a ten-speed bike, when movement caught her attention. She looked up to see Bane standing in the doorway, shoulder pressed to one side of the frame. One thumb tucked into the edge of his back pocket, he stared at her with a look she could only have described as hungry.

  Myrt covered he
r cheeks with her palms, not surprised to find them hot. She expected embarrassment to be the overriding reaction to seeing him again after what she’d done in the bathroom, but what she was feeling was as far from that as possible. Heat coiled through her, rising past her chest and into her throat.

  He winked and smirked, one corner of his mouth lifting before he turned to face Gunny.

  “Save me some coffee at least, brother?”

  Gunny had apparently been watching the exchange, because he stared at Bane, then Myrt, then snorted and pointed to the table in the room. “Myrt insisted on a plate, so you got cold eggs, cold sausage, and cold toast. The only thing warm is the fruit.” He tugged an empty Styrofoam cup off a stack next to the coffee pot. “Coffee’s hot. I took Luke with me and we sweet-talked the gal behind the counter downstairs for some real, at least.” He angled his head and grinned at Luke and Myrt. “Boy’s a natural.”

  “Like brother like sister,” Bane quipped, throwing Myrt another wink. “Traits that definitely come in handy at times.”

  “So Marian and I were talking,” Gunny started, and Myrt shot a glance at Marian, seeing her already nodding. Whatever Gunny was about to say, Myrt’s sister was entirely on board with it. “We’re going to take the van and head out. I’m pretty well rested, and it’ll be better if we get on the road sooner than later. Wanna get back to my old lady and kids, too.” He pointed at Bane. “You two—” Gesturing towards Myrt, he turned fully and faced her. “—need to take care of the local business so we don’t have anyone”—he glanced at Luke, who was now engrossed in telling Thad a story—“ookinglay for the oysbay.”

  “How am I supposed to do that, brother?” Bane stood in front of the tiny microwave, watching his plate go round and round, not bothering to turn around for this discussion. Myrt was lost, the conversation between the two men making no sense. “Here, where I got no pull or sway?” He shrugged and took the plate out of the microwave when it beeped, turning with fork in hand, already hovering over the food. “You forget, my patch ain’t your patch.”

  Gunny started laughing, the raucous sound rolling through the room.

  “You first used his name and then bothered to gain permission. The fuck you think he’d do, play at taker-backers? Mason’s word is good, and unless you hear differently from the big man himself, you’ve got one clear path ahead of you.” He lifted his mug as Myrt’s stomach flipped over. “Patch or no patch. You’re no fraudy fraudy froggy frog, waitin’ on the princess’ kiss to start things movin’. Do your thang, brother. It’s all good.”

  Marian blurted, “Do you mean Davis Mason? You know him?”

  The boys had gone still at the name, and Myrt wondered if they felt the same paralyzing fear she did. Davis Mason’s shadow fell across more mountains than just theirs. He was the powerful son of a local man. His father, Irving Mason, was remembered in cautionary tales about how not to live and what not to do. That man starred in many people’s nightmares, still.

  His son was known as a much better man than the father had ever hoped to be but held enormous amounts of power locally. He owned a number of businesses and was known to offer interest-free loans to help younger couples stay in the area, buying houses he sold back to them as lease-ownership deals, and brokering benefits for businesses to keep jobs from moving out of the county.

  “Yeah, you know him?” Gunny tipped his head to the side and stared at Marian, then swept his gaze to Myrt and the boys. “He’s a good man. Good to his core. I’d do anything for him.” He shrugged. “Hell, me being here right now is because he asked. I’d planned on stayin’ back with my family and letting a local crew help Bane here.” Gunny’s hand swept wide to indicate the man still eating, albeit more slowly. “But Mason picked up the phone and asked, and I answered.”

  “We—” Marian looked at Myrt, who nodded her approval, not knowing what her sister was going to say but understanding it needed to be a joint effort. “—know of him. Good things. Real good things. He’s like the local guardian angel.”

  “His daddy was a bastid.” Luke’s blurted words were loud in the still room, and every eye turned towards the boy. He flushed red as a beet, hiding his face against Myrt’s shoulder. “Sorry.” His mumbled apology was muffled and quiet.

  “His daddy was indeed a bastard and a half,” Gunny agreed readily. His expression had changed, darkening as if with something remembered. “Glad as hell the old man’s no longer around to dirty the same air you and I are breathin’.”

  “Okay.” Bane set his plate down and lifted his mug, taking a long drink. “Got it. Name’s got significant collateral around here and should be able to pull things into line with what we want. So if you’re headed to Florida in the van, what are Myrt and I gonna ride around in?”

  “On, not in.” Gunny gestured towards the window. “Pulled a favor outta my ass and got a bike dropped off last night that one of the Florida boys is interested in. You’ll save him the delivery fee if you ride it down. It’ll be like we owe you. Kinda hilarious, if you look at it that way.”

  Myrt looked at Marian, who shrugged and nodded, then swung her gaze to Bane, who was studying Gunny intently. It took several beats, but he relaxed eventually, giving Gunny a sharp lift of his chin. Slowly, the movement fraught with a meaning she couldn’t understand, he advanced towards Gunny with his hand extended. They collided with force, fists clasped between their chests, other arm pounding each other’s backs firmly.

  “Means a lot, brother.” Bane pulled away as he spoke, turning to look at Myrt. “We’ll visit a bike shop here in town today, get you a tie for your hair. Keep it from being a snarled mess.” Lines appeared between his brows, and he shook his head. “Leathers and helmet, too. Need to keep my baby safe.”

  Those words landed on her like the soft drape of a protective blanket. Then her stomach gave an ill-timed lurch and she bolted for the bathroom. Closing the door was impossible, as it met something solid behind her, but she ignored that as she fell to her knees in the small room, already retching. A familiar hand, large and rough with calluses, landed on the back of her neck as water turned on in the nearby sink.

  “She’s okay.” Bane’s voice came from above her, and Myrt spared a glance for the door. Marian stood there, fingers twisting into knots in front of her belly. “Promise, little sister. She’s okay. Close the door and give her some privacy, yeah?”

  Myrt retched again, then spat, the soft snick of the latch telling her Marian had consented to Bane’s request.

  “I told her last night.” She sat up and swayed sideways until her shoulder hit the wall. Scrubbing the back of her hand across her mouth, Myrt was surprised at the touch of a cool cloth on her cheek. Bane’s fingers curled around her chin, and he tilted her face up, gently cleaning away the sweat brought on by her body’s efforts. “The boys don’t know.”

  “They were asleep while you and your sister had a little girl time.” Understanding deepened the gentle smile he wore. “Looked like you had a lot of catching up to do.”

  “Her life, Bane. It’s been so much worse than I knew.” She pushed to her knees and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Thank you. For everything. All of it. I know you took some blackness on your soul yesterday. For me.” The marvel flooded through her again, as it had every time she considered what lengths he and Gunny had gone to for her and her family. “I won’t ever be able to pay back the things you’ve done for us.”

  “No need to pay back a damn thing, baby.” His arms curled around her and he stood, lifting, and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist. “Do it again in a heartbeat. And not just for you.” One of his hands slid up her back, coming to rest cradling her skull. “Do it for anyone caught in a web not of their making, where their life is miserable and hard. Where I can make a difference, I will.” He laughed and leaned back, staring into her face. “Not to paint myself as a Robin Hood, because I most definitely am not one of those. I’m more of a pain-in-the-ass kind of character.” He dipped closer and brushed
his lips across her cheek. “Puttin’ myself out there with this, hopin’ you won’t shoot me down.” The hand on her ass squeezed, pulling her closer, and Myrt melted against him, elbows on his shoulders. “I’m countin’ on the fact that I’m your kind of pain in the ass, baby. Think you’d wanna keep an old reprobate like me?”

  The expression on his face was so vulnerable, filled with so much hope, that Myrt held back her smile, not wanting him to think she found his plea amusing. Instead, she rested her head against his shoulder, lips to his throat as she gave him a promise she’d never expected to say to anyone.

  “I really like you, Bane. If you want to be my pain in the butt, then that makes me your pain in the butt in return. If you want to take that on, knowing everything you know about me and my—” She broke off, not sure how to frame the pregnancy.

  “Your baby.” Bane didn’t seem to have the same problem, and she nodded at his words. “If we do this, Myrtle, then that stops being your baby.” He jostled her and she sat up, staring into his face. “It’s our baby. You and me, do or die. We get this right and we can deal with everything else as it comes. But puttin’ it out there that I don’t think I like you, baby. I know it.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “I love you.”

  “I need to brush my teeth.” Myrt clamped her lips closed and shut her eyes, willing the sudden tears away. His declaration had taken her by surprise. Even though he’d been the one starting this conversation, she hadn’t known he was in as deep as she already was.

  “You want a kiss, baby?” She nodded and he chuckled, bending her sideways towards the sink. “Give it a good rinse if that bothers you, and then get back up here and get your kiss on, darlin’.”

  Trusting he’d hold her steady, she turned on the faucet and scooped up water with both hands, filling her mouth multiple times as she swished the taste of her morning sickness away. When she straightened in his arms, Bane didn’t give her a moment to think, crashing his mouth onto hers and demanding entrance with persistent swipes of his tongue.