Heat. Hot and tight, even after being fingered for more than half an hour, she held him snuggly. The walls of her pussy contracted around him in time with a repeat of her surprised oh. Bane paused and withdrew a couple of inches, until she gave him a distressed sound.
He grinned and reversed course, gliding deeper before holding still again. Instead of pulling back, he gave her time to get used to the girth of his dick, then pushed forward, making his way inside her in inch increments. It seemed to take a lifetime before he’d bottomed out, balls snugged up against her ass. “Fuckin’ hell, baby.” Every muscle in his body was held in mid-spasm, not wanting to move too much too fast, afraid he was going to blow his load with the first full stroke. “Heaven, right here.” Her legs lifted and he settled deeper, groaning softly as he buried his face against the side of her head. “Easy, sweetie. Easy.”
It was Myrtle who demanded he carry things forwards. Bane might have been content to set up camp where he was, staying right there for the rest of his life. She rocked her hips up and down; then her fingers glided across his shoulder and down, clutching at his hip as she pulled. “Please. It’s never been like this. I want, Bane.”
“Whatever my baby wants.” Needing to see her face and watch her body move, he propped himself up with straight arms. Wedging his knees wider, he pulled back and thudded home. Her mouth made a perfect O of pleasure, so he did it again. Her fingers dug into his ass, the other hand tangled in his hair, holding tightly. And again. Then he was moving fluidly, finding a rhythm to carry her along with him, testing angles until he found one that quickly had a constant stream of sweet words flowing from her mouth.
He pushed harder, flexing and angling and twisting, fucking her hard but keeping it sweet, wanting her to find that prize again, something he needed to see happen. Hearing her had been hot as fuck, but watching her fall apart would be better. Her hips were rolling up to meet every thrust, seeking her own pleasure in a way that was beautiful to witness. Bane fell to an elbow, lowering himself so he had a close-up view of her face and eyes, could reach her mouth and swallow down her long moans.
Shoving a hand underneath her, he cupped her ass in his palm and squeezed, lifting to guide her to a faster pace. He rocked the bed against the wall in a hard primal beat, his pleasure spiraling out of control, zaps of electricity racing through him. Fingers tingling, he curled his toes and thrust deep and held, jerking as it swept him along. He tried to get deeper, and deeper yet, and had his eyes on her face when it happened for her again. Her neck arched, chin lifting as she groaned out his name.
“Bane. Oh, God. Bane.”
And then he got to watch her come, fall apart, soar high on the wings of desire. When she came down, he was the one she clung to. His the name she called. His chest became her pillow as he rolled them, losing the heat of her in the process. Condom removed and tied off, he dropped it to the floor, then wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as he listened to her breathe.
It struck him then. With her, he’d found something he’d never had before.
Happiness.
Chapter Twelve
Myrtle
Standing in the shower, Myrt let her fingers drift down between her legs, pressing against the tenderness she found there.
This had been different. Each encounter with Bane had changed the way her body worked and her brain thought when it came to them finally coming together. Desire bloomed instead of dread. An excited thrill with each kiss, instead of working fingers to the bone to keep attention away. She’d known it wouldn’t be anything like what Sallabrook had done to her over and over, the degrading talk and forced acts.
She pressed again, fingers slipping in the slick liquid accumulating in her folds from the gentle touches she’d never attempted before.
This had been a lightbulb going on. As if she’d been walking around in the dark, thinking dim starshine was the only illumination, and suddenly the sun had risen. Bane would laugh at that, the idea the sun rose or set at his command of her body.
“It’s true, though.” She trapped her clit between thumb and finger and pressed, whimpering at the jolt of pleasure she’d always denied.
A rapping knuckle against the door preceded Bane’s entrance by only a breath, and he swept the curtain back with one arm, gaze pinning her against the wall. She shook, unsure if it was fear—that can’t be right, because I have nothing to fear from Bane—desire, or some wild combination of both. His gaze dropped to where her fingers lingered, and when he raised his eyes again, they were dark, pupils wide as he licked his lips.
“You’re too sore to go again, baby.” He reminded her of something they’d both learned this morning. “I don’t want it to hurt to ride the bike.”
She let her head thump against the shower, the weight of her wet hair trailing down her back. “I don’t want it to hurt, either.”
“Imma gonna kiss it, make it better.” The husk in his voice was addictive, a tone he got when he couldn’t get enough of her body. When he wanted more.
When she opened her eyes, it was to see him sliding his vest from his shoulders. After tossing it in a heap on the counter behind him, he dropped to his knees next to the edge of the tub and reached out. A hand on either hip yanked her forwards, the narrow strip of fiberglass the only reason she didn’t fall. With her shoulders wedged against the wall and feet braced along the inside of the tub, her body made an arched bridge, pelvis thrust lewdly towards him.
“Bane.” She tried to reach out, but removing her palm from the wall threatened to have her sliding, so she slapped her hand back into place. Myrt could do nothing in reciprocation, no touch, nothing to urge him on, couldn’t find the cock she knew had to be hard and help stroke him to completion.
He used his teeth against the curve of one hip, then centered his mouth over her core and lapped at her, back to front, again and again. He held her steady with his strength and went deeper, driving his tongue into her, offering a tantalizing promise of fullness. Then Bane focused his attention on her clit and proceeded to drive her wild until all she could do was call out to him in pleasure.
When she came, it was as if a volcano had erupted inside her, muscles tensing as the erotic thrill swept up her torso until it heated her cheeks. Her legs shook and trembled and she nearly lost the strength to keep herself in the bridge position, only the grip of his hands saving her again.
He urged her upright as the water cut off; then a towel wrapped around her right before she floated into the air, drifting back through the room to the bed. He lay down beside her and Myrt snuggled close, pressing her face into the crook of his neck, where she’d get the most direct hit of his scent.
She didn’t know how long she lay there, pillows soaking up the wetness from her hair, but his stomach eventually made itself known, a long rumble emitting from his middle. He chuckled and she laughed, then rolled her neck to look at him as he propped himself up on one arm.
“Hi.” She didn’t care if her greeting sounded as shy as she felt in this moment, unconcerned about hiding anything from him. He’d already proven he’d take her as she was, flaws and all, and being shy while covered in a towel while he was still fully clothed was simply part of her.
“Hey, baby.” Bane bent and brushed his lips across hers in a gentle kiss. “Why don’t you go finish getting ready. I can get us checked out of the room, and by the time you’re done, we’ll be ready to roll.”
“Can we still go to the diner for breakfast?” She let her gaze roam his face, still shocked that this man—this gorgeous and kind, dangerous man—was hers.
“My baby wants cake, we’ll get some cake.” He ran a finger down her forehead and along the bridge of her nose, bumping across her lips. “How’s the tummy today?”
She shrugged. The morning sickness had been hit or miss over the past week, where before it had been consistently troubling for a while. “Maybe I’m past the worst of it.” She took in a breath, noting how his gaze immediately fell to where her breasts were
hidden behind the terrycloth. “I’m definitely hungry this morning.”
“We’ll take it as it comes.” He booped her nose and rolled to the edge of the bed, standing with a hand out. Helping her to her feet, he reached to loosen the knot holding her towel in place. “Ooops.” He tugged the fabric free of her grip, dangling it in the air behind him. “Sorry about that.”
Instead of the light shyness of only a few moments ago, she found there was a power in knowing she was in the presence of someone who loved her and liked the way she looked. Myrt sauntered towards the bathroom, putting a little extra sway in her hips as she disappeared inside, closing the door behind her. She managed to hold in her laughter until he exited the hotel room, cursing all the way.
At the diner, Deloris was their waitress again, seemingly the only one the diner employed. Myrt smiled at her and the woman gave her one right back. Once their orders were placed, Deloris leaned a hand on the table. “I know your sister, Marian.” She paused and Myrt stared up at her, unsure what to say. “Tell her I said, ‘Good for you,’ for her getting out of this town. She’ll be better off anywhere but here.” Rapping her knuckles against the table, Deloris pushed upright and walked away. “Cake and coffee, with a side of cheesy scrambled eggs, coming up.”
Bane showed her a little more of his playful side during the meal, teasing her with a forkful of cake, offering it, then swooping it away to place between his lips instead. Myrt found there was a different power in her expressions, as a playful pout from her turned into him dishing up another bite immediately, following through with delivering it to her tongue. He let her eat it, watched avidly as she swallowed, then closed in for a kiss, his tongue delving into her mouth in ways that had her core tingling and her breaths coming heavy.
“Mmmm. Always knew you were sweet.” He rubbed his thumb across her lips. “Never knew just how sweet you could be.”
Meal complete, he left money on the table for Deloris, who waved them out the door. Myrt stood on the steps near the curb and looked around at the little town square. When she’d left the first time, she’d been ducking down inside a stranger’s car, hoping no one would see or recognize her. This time—she let her gaze travel over Bane, marking the broad shoulders and wide chest, faint cleft in his chin, and a sweet smile he reserved for her alone—she was leaving because the man she was with mattered more to her than anything. This time she wasn’t running from anything. She was headed straight towards the future and whatever it held for her.
When he lifted a hand to her from where he sat on the bike, she didn’t hesitate to lay her palm on his, balancing on the seat behind him as she adjusted her helmet. He leaned back, his weight solid against her, and turned his head for a kiss she gladly gave him. “Ready,” she said without prompting.
“And away we go.”
Her arms tight around his waist held her in place as he pulled away from the curb. Two turns later, they were on the highway headed out of town, and Myrt stretched to put her chin on his shoulder. She could see the courthouse roof in the mirrors, growing smaller with every moment. Myrt turned her eyes away from what was behind them and looked ahead at the road, stretching into the distance, and settled in for the ride.
***
Bane
He stifled his grin as he helped Myrt settle into a hot bath. She groaned as her ass hit the water, then groaned again when she leaned back against the tub. She’d found out today that four hundred miles on a bike was vastly different from making a trip twice the distance in a car or truck—even with stopping every hundred miles for a breather and bathroom break. When they’d ended their day at a hotel, she’d been so stiff he’d carried her to their room. Ground floor this time, thankfully.
“You good, baby?” She nodded and rolled her head to look at the back wall of the shower enclosure. Well, that won’t do at all. “Myrt, honey, look at me.” She didn’t, instead arching her neck farther to keep turned away. “Baby, what’s wrong?”
He crouched down next to the tub and cradled her cheek in his palm, pulling her face around so he could see her. Tears streamed from her eyes, a steady rivulet of wet rolling down to drip off her jaw.
“Oh, honey, is the water too hot?” He shuffled down to the faucets and moved her legs out of the way, preparing to temper the heat with cold.
“No, that’s not it.” Hiccupping between every word, Myrt kicked at him with little grace, her soreness making it hard for her to aim or connect.
“Then what is it, baby?” He knelt next to the tub, gathering her into his arms without caring about a little water. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m sore.” She rested her cheek against his chest, face hidden between the front panels of his vest.
“Yeah, I know you are. That’s why we’re doing the bath. And it’s the reason I’m going to see if the gas station across the street has some over-the-counter stuff for pain. Do you know what’s safe for you to take?” Myrt stared at him, not understanding. “No worries. I’ll ask whoever’s working what works best in the first trimester.” Bane stroked her skin as he shook his head. “I didn’t know it hurt that much, honey. I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have covered so much ground today.”
“That’s not it.” She was hiccupping again, tiny bursts of air between each word signaling a nearly silent sob.
“Then what is it, baby?” He let her lay back against the tub, trailing a finger across her cheek, wiping the tears away with the pad of his thumb.
“I’m too sore to…you know.”
Understanding hit him in an instant, and he again had to fight a smile.
“Yeah, I know. It’s okay. We’ve got all the time in the world.”
“No, it’s not okay. I wanted to…you know.”
This time, he gave up fighting, grinning at her in pleasure at what she’d just given him. “My baby wanted to make love to her ole man. I get it, darlin’. Oh, I surely get it. I want that, too. But tonight, it’s about making you comfortable, because tomorrow—” He winced, knowing how she’d feel in the morning. “—we’re back on the bike for nearly as long before we make it home to Truck and Vanna’s place.” He rocked back on his heels, her hand in his, playing with her graceful fingers, trailing a touch up and down the length of each one. “You soak some of the sore out, keep the water from getting too cool, and I’ll be back. I gotta run those couple of errands we talked about and grab us some grub.”
“You’re too good to me.”
“Naw, baby. You and me, we treat each other just right. Ain’t no competition here, nothin’ but us doin’ what feels important for us.” Pushing to his feet, he stared down at her naked form lying in the water, lines of her hips and breasts obscured by the wavering ripples from her movement. Plenty enough clarity for him to like what he saw, though. “Soak. Ease that ache. I’ll see if I can think of other ways to relax you when I get back.”
He turned and walked out, closing the bathroom behind him to her shout of his name. “Bane!”
Laughing, he grabbed his helmet and let himself out of the room. Outside, he straddled the bike and rested the helmet on one of the rearview mirrors, kicking back with his feet up on the highway bars as he dialed Gunny’s phone. They’d talked once yesterday to confirm the van had made the trip to Florida, and things had gone as expected locally with the sheriff. He’d made that call with a sleeping Myrt next to him, the conversation cut short when she’d roused, murmuring his name in the sexy, sleepy voice that got him hard instantly.
“Brother,” he heard, and smiled, liking how the respect felt coming from a man he admired as much as he did Gunny. “Things’re good here, man. How’re you holdin’ up?”
“I’m good. Real good. Few things better than a no-deadlines road trip with my woman ridin’ behind me.” He chuckled. “She’s less good. Road ass already caught up to her.”
“Sure it’s the road makin’ her sore?” The deep vein of humor in Gunny’s voice made him smile. “Could be bein’ rode makin’ that happen, doncha think?”
&nb
sp; “Maybe a touch of both,” he admitted. “I’m in awe of her, man. She’s taken everything life’s thrown at her and then figures out how to keep goin’.”
“Woman like her deserves some sweet.” Laughter in the background underscored Gunny’s words, and Bane wished they were there watching whatever had Gunny’s girls and his boys being raucous and loud. “You the man gonna give it to her?”
“Yeah. You know it, man. She’s never gotta earn anything from me. She gets everything, simply by bein’ who she is.” He cleared his throat. “You tell Vanna me and Myrt gonna need just the one room when we get there?”
“Nope. Peepers’ll need to hear such a proclamation from you. Remember, she’s gone all Vanna Mom with Myrt, so you’ll have to battle that.” Gunny’s tone was easy and teasing, making Bane hope it wouldn’t be a fight. “Let’s go ahead and get said convo out of the way now.” Before Bane could argue, Gunny had pulled the phone away from his face, shouting for Vanna. “Here she is now.”
“Bane.” That was all Vanna said, only a single word, but sweat prickled across the back of his neck at the coolness in her voice.
“Hey, Vanna, how’s it goin’? Boys settling in okay? Marian?” Perhaps he could distract with a little bit of inquiry.
“They’re good. Now, how’s Myrt holding up with everything?” Nope, no distracting the woman when she had her sights set on something.
“She’s good. She did great at the sheriff’s office yesterday, asking all the right questions about her daddy’s estate and shit. I think it’s sinking in that the two men who caused her so much torment are never gonna be able to do that again. Yesterday evening she called her other sister, the one who scooped up the younger kids, made sure she’d heard the news. They talked for half an hour, and when she got off the phone, she was smiling through the tears.” Bane clamped his lips shut, the realization he’d dumped a bunch of info on Vanna making the tips of his ears heat. “So yeah, she’s good.”
In Search of Solace (Rebel Wayfarers MC) Page 20
