His lips graze against my neck. “I like the way you think, girlie.”
I’m about to protest again, but before I can his hand comes to my breast, his thumb sliding against the hardening nub of my nipple. “Oh!” I gasp, my hips bucking forward on their own power.
My heartbeat races beneath his lips, and before I know it I’m trembling with desire. My head falls back as he pulls open my shirt, then tugs down on the bra cups. A low moan comes from deep in his throat as his lips close over one taut bud. The vibrations from his voice tease me even before his tongue begins to flick and caress my desperate flesh.
Straining and mewling with pleasure, my fingers thread through his hair as he laps and suckles me. Between my legs, a low, almost painful ache has already started. I could never have believed it, but every time with Cas just gets better. The more our bodies know each other, the more I need what I know only he can give me. It feels almost like we were meant to be together. I’ve never believed in anything so cheesy, but the way our bodies respond to each other — the way he seems to know exactly what to do to make me scream in pleasure — it feels almost like this is what the two of us were made for. Each other.
As Cas flicks his tongue against my nipple, one hand slides down my skin, painfully slowly. Eventually, his fingers dip down inside my shorts. At first, they drift over my panties, just the lightest touch, and I strain toward him, desperate for more. Finally, he moves the thin fabric aside to find my wet, throbbing center. I gasp as his fingers find my slickness. Shivering, I wait in anticipation as he groans and reaches to unbutton my shorts and push them down.
Cas’s head comes up to kiss me again, drawing my bottom lip between his teeth to tug at it just a little. It makes me wild with need.
“Do you want this?” he whispers.
“Oh, God, yes…” I breathe. I open my eyes, lids heavy, to stare at him. His expression is hungry.
His fingers continue to slide against my slickness, slowly, so slowly. I move against them, shuddering as he brushes against my taut bud. He traces soft, maddening circles around it, pulling back as I push forward, chuckling deep in his throat. I know he won’t give me relief, not yet, and I try to keep my breathing even and hold on until he lets me have what I need. But I know what might make him change his mind.
I reach down and push my hand inside his jeans, finding the hard, hot steel inside. It pulses and throbs at my touch, and I’m rewarded with a deep groan from Cas. “Jesus fuck, it feels good when you do that,” he rasps. I continue to stroke, loving the feel of him. I can tell he’s working hard to restrain himself, and I’m doing my best to work him up enough that he can’t. Suddenly, he hisses my name. “Jenna. I can’t wait. I need to have you now.”
He slides my shirt and bra off me, then pulls me toward my kitchen table. I’m panting slightly with need as I watch him pull of his shirt and kick off his jeans. His pulsing shaft springs free, and my pussy clenches with want.
“Lie down,” he orders me, glancing at the table.
“You sure this thing will hold us?” I gasp.
“I’ll buy you another one,” he growls. He’s not taking no for an answer. With a thrill of excitement, I lie back on the table, putting my feet up where he shows me. A tiny part of me is embarrassed at being this exposed to him, but I’m too turned on to care. He looks down and swears. “Jesus, you are so fucking sexy. My Jenna. My fucking gorgeous Jenna.” He slides two thick fingers inside me, and I clamp down on him, my body acting on its own. He starts to stroke me inside, finds this spot he’s found before that I didn’t even know was there, and oh my God, all of a sudden I’m so close, and then everything happens at once as I start to shudder and quake…
“Come for me, Jenna,” he urges, and I spasm and clamp around his fingers as I explode into a million pieces. Then his fingers are gone and his mouth is licking and laving at my clit, and I scream his name as I come hard a second time.
I’m still shuddering as he enters me, his cock sliding deliciously against my swollen lips. It’s too much, I’m too sensitive, but even so I can’t help but want more. “Oh, God, yes, Cas,” I moan. “Yes, yes, come inside me.”
He slams into me, hard, and I hear him swear before pulling out and slamming into me again, raw and unrestrained. “Fuck, Jenna, I can’t fucking get enough of you,” he rasps. “I’m gonna fill you up, baby.” His muscled thighs flex as he begins to speed up, owning me as I start to spiral upward yet again. He plunges a final time, deeper than ever before, and as he groans and begins to shoot, a third climax rips through me, shaking me to my core.
Then Cas is lifting me up, with him still inside me, and carrying me to the couch. We stay like that, joined together, me wrapped around him and his arms engulfing me. He continues to devour my mouth as we pant and gasp for breath, our hearts racing next to each other.
“Holy fuck,” he breathes.
“I’m pretty sure they heard that downstairs,” I say, having recovered just enough to be embarrassed at the thought.
Laughter rumbles from his throat. “Let them hear. Gives them something to aspire to.”
He kisses me again, deeply, and then pulls away to look at me. “You’re one hell of a woman, you know that, Jenna Abbott?”
“That so?” I ask happily.
“Yeah, that’s so. Thank Christ you’re my old lady. Otherwise I’d have to fight someone for you.”
“Old lady,” I sigh. “Funny how that sounds so nice when you say it. Never thought I’d be happy for someone to call me old.”
He grins and dips his head down to nip at my neck. “You’re not fuckin’ old, baby. Shit, even when you are old, you won’t be old. You’ll still be the sexiest fucking thing on wheels.”
“You’re just saying that to get tail,” I smirk.
“No, I’m not,” Cas says, his face turning serious. “You are gonna be the hottest old lady any man has ever seen.” His thumb comes up to graze my lower lip. “And I plan to be around to see it.”
His eyes bore into mine. I try to think of something jokey to say, but the air between us has shifted. “You mean, even when I’ve got wrinkles and cellulite?” I manage to stammer.
“And gray hair and crow’s feet. The whole nine yards.” His lips brush mine. “I love you, Jenna Abbott. I told you you were mine. That means for keeps.”
It’s like the oxygen’s been sucked out of my lungs. I can’t breathe for a second. Cas Watkins — the boy I’ve been crazy about for years and years — just told me he loved me.
“Cas,” I whisper, fighting back a sudden lump in my throat. “I love you, too.”
“I think I knew that,” he says with a devilish grin. “But it’s nice to know for sure.”
I laugh, happy tears springing to my eyes, and fling my arms around him. We kiss, with an intimacy I’ve never felt before. This is us, I think dizzily. He loves me. We’re together.
He pulls away from me then, with an amused smile. “Sorry to wreck the moment, but we’re about five seconds away from leaving a giant wet stain on your couch.”
“Oh, shit!” I say, scooting to my feet.
Cas grabs the boxer briefs that are lying in a pile next to the couch and hands them to me. “Here, use these.”
“That was the shortest romantic moment I’ve ever had,” I complain, taking them from him to wipe myself.
“I promise to make it up to you,” he says with a twinkle in his eye.
As we get dressed, Cas tells me he’s got some business to attend to at the club. “I’m sorry to have to leave you, babe. But I promise I’ll be back tonight,” he says.
“I hope so,” I sigh. I tug at the leather cut he’s just shrugged back on. I miss him already.
“Just as soon as I can get away,” he promises me. “And while I’m there,” he continues with a slight frown, “I figure maybe it’s about time to tell Angel about us. May as well get it over with.”
“Okay,” I nod slowly. He’s got a point. There’s really no point in keeping this a secret
any longer.
The time for secrets is over.
It’s time to stop pretending, Jenna. A shadow crosses my face as I realize it’s time for me to come clean with Cas, as well. I need to tell him about Noah. Tonight.
Cas sees me frown and mistakes the reason for it. “It’ll be okay,” he murmurs, reaching up to caress my cheek. “I promise. Whatever happens won’t change anything between you and me.”
I hope you’re right, I think, suddenly feeling a little sick.
As I walk out with Cas, I notice that Charlie Hurt is outside in his driveway, hammering at something. When he sees us, he stops hammering and glances our way, watching to see what we do. A shudder of disgust runs through me, and I resist the urge to stick my tongue out at him. I do stop and stare pointedly at him, though, and he quickly looks away and starts hammering again.
Cas gets on his bike, and I get in my car to go pick up Noah. As I watch him drive away in my rearview mirror, I have a moment of panic when I realize that tonight might be the end of everything. A wave of nausea and dizziness comes over me, and I have to sit in the car for a moment and breathe deeply. My stomach has been bothering me for a couple of days now. I chalk it up to anxiety, what with everything going on right now. I’m scared that something’s going on with my father that he’s not telling me. I’m nervous about Angel’s reaction when Cas tells him about us. But most of all, I’m scared that when I tell Cas he’s Noah’s father, he’ll hate me, and everything between us will crumble like a house with no foundation.
It has to be okay, I tell myself as I put a hand to my racing heart. It has to. If Cas loves me, he’ll forgive me.
Won’t he?
Putting the car in gear, I drive over to Jewel’s place, hoping all the way there that a mistake I made five years ago isn’t about to ruin the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
29
Cas
As soon as I pull up to the club, the front door comes crashing open on its hinges. I look over in surprise to see Angel burst through the doorway. He comes stalking toward me, a murderous look in his eye that I’ve only seen a couple of times before.
“Oh, shit,” I mutter. This can only be one thing.
When Angel’s about halfway to me, he starts to yell and wave his arms in the air. “You fucking piece of shit! You fucking piece of shit!”
He’s way too wound up and angry to listen to anything I have to say right now. So I know what I have to do. I swing my leg over the bike and stand to face him, bracing for the inevitable.
“You’re fucking my sister?” Angel yells, the veins bulging in his neck. “You goddamn traitor! I’ll fucking kill you!”
His fist comes flying toward the left side of my face, and I don’t move to block it. Instead, I take the hit, staggering back as he connects hard with my left cheek, right under the eye. Fuck. A lightning bolt of pain flashes through my head.
That one, he gets a free pass on, because I deserved it. I’m not taking more than one hit without a fight, though.
I get my feet underneath me, and then brace myself for the second one. He roars and flies at me again, but this time I feint and dodge him, grabbing his arms and pulling him to the ground with me. We scuffle as he struggles to get free and swears a blue streak at me. I manage to keep him from landing another punch, and eventually, when I sense he’s starting to tire out, I let him go and stagger back into a crouch. I watch as he scrambles up, waiting to see if he’s gonna charge me again.
When he sees that I’m ready for him now, and that I mean business, he squints angrily at me but doesn’t make a move.
“How did you know?” I rasp, breathing heavily.
“Abe fucking told me,” Angel says. He’s still seething. “How the fuck does my fucking father know this before I do?” He spits on the ground. “Jesus, when you said no one would touch her, you didn't mean you, huh?”
“Dammit, Angel,” I swear. “I know you aren’t gonna believe this, but I was coming here to tell you about Jenna and me.” Angel snorts, shaking his head in disbelief. “It’s true,” I persist. “Look, you can ask Jenna about that.”
“Why the fuck would I believe Jenna? She goddamn lied to me, too. Both of you can go to hell,” he sneers in disgust.
“I’m not lying, Angel. We’ve been trying to think of how to tell you for a while, now.” I take a breath and let it out, then continue more slowly. “It’s not something we planned. But this isn’t just a meaningless fuck, brother. This is the real deal. Jenna’s my old lady now.”
Angel’s face changes when I say these words. It’s maybe the only thing I could have said that would calm him down.
“I mean it when I said I was coming here to tell you, brother,” I continue. “You don’t have to believe it. But it’s true. I’m sorry we kept it from you for so long.”
The smallest hint of a smile tugs at one corner of his mouth. “You’re serious? Jenna’s your old lady?”
I chuckle softly. “Yeah. Never saw it coming, but there it is.”
“Shit, man.” He stands motionless for a moment. “That’s… That’s pretty cool, actually.” He shakes his head and snickers. “Except now I gotta know that you two fuck.”
I throw my head back and laugh. “Sorry. Kinda comes with the territory.”
“Huh. I guess that means we’re brothers in more ways than one, then.” He grabs my hand and claps me on the back.
“Guess so.” I grin, then wince a little at the pain.
“Oh, fuck. Shit, sorry about that, man.” Angel’s brow creases. “You shoulda told me yourself. If I’d known…”
“Nah, it’s okay,” I said. “You probably would have punched me anyway. I was ready for it.”
He snorts. “Yeah, you might be right. Look, let’s go get something cold for your eye. It’s already starting to swell up.”
I take a step forward as he turns toward the clubhouse. “As long as that something cold comes in a bottle…” I start to say, and then freeze in my tracks.
Something’s not right.
Now I know for sure that Angel didn’t know about Jenna and me before today.
Angel didn’t tell Abe.
Abe told Angel.
Bells are going off in my head, and it’s not because Angel just punched me.
Abe’s known all along.
“I’ll take a rain check, brother,” I mutter hastily to Angel. “I’ve got somewhere I need to be.”
I race back toward the bike and fly out of the parking lot like I’m on fire.
I have to get to Jenna.
30
Jenna
Cas is pounding on the door like a madman when I open it.
“Sshhh! What is wrong with you?” I whisper crossly. “Noah’s sleeping. You’re going to wake him up!” My eyes go to his face, which is bruised under his eye and rapidly swelling. “Oh my God, what happened? Did Angel —”
Cas brushes me off with a short wave of his hand. It’s obvious he’s not really listening to me. He looks like a man possessed as he pushes past me and starts to stalk around the room, his eyes dark and stormy. His boots clomp loudly on the wood floor, and I shush him again, but he doesn’t pay any attention. Suddenly, he stops, and stares fixedly for a moment at a spot in the corner.
I’m seriously alarmed now. I’ve never seen him like this. “Cas!” I cry, forgetting about Noah. “What the hell is —”
“Sshhh!” he hisses, and grabs me by the arm. He leads me out the front door onto the landing, glancing over toward the house next door as he does so.
“We don’t need to be this quiet,” I say, folding my arms. “We just need to —”
“I’m not worried about Noah,” he says, cutting me off.
“Cas, what is going on? You’re acting like a crazy person.”
“Who got you this place?” he demands.
“My dad,” I reply, not understanding. “I’ve told you that before. Why?”
“Has anyone else been in the apartment besides you and Noah
since you moved in?”
“You mean besides you?” Frowning, I think back over the weeks. “Well, yeah,” I say after a moment. “My dad was here the other night. And, oh, the landlord, of course. The man who lives next door. Charlie.” I suppress a shiver. “He came over about a week and a half ago. Said he needed to find the source of a leak or something. I guess water was coming through the ceiling to the tattoo place downstairs.”
“Were you in here with him the whole time when he was in the apartment?” Cas is eyeing me intently.
“No,” I reply. “Gross. That guy creeps me out. And besides, I had to go to work. So I let him in and then left with Noah.”
Cas swears softly and looks back inside with a worried expression.
“Cas, what is it?” I repeat. “Did you find something out?”
“Nothing specific,” he mutters. “Just a hunch.” He stops to think for a moment. “Do you have a screwdriver? Flathead.”
“I think so,” I say uncertainly. “Will a Swiss Army knife attachment do?”
“Yeah. That’s fine. Okay, let’s go back inside. But don’t talk.”
Don’t talk?
I follow him back into the apartment, and go rummage in a kitchen junk drawer. Eventually I find the knockoff Swiss Army knife. I pull out the screwdriver blade and go back into the living room, where Cas is moving around the room, running his hands around the moldings and peering behind shelves.
I hold out the knife and hand it to him. “This is the best I can do,” I whisper.
Cal puts his finger to his lips wordlessly. He nods and takes the knife from me, then bends down. I watch him as he starts to unscrew the strike plates to the electrical outlets. On the third one, he lets out a huff of breath and stands up. He holds his hand out to me, and I see that in his palm is a small object. It’s about an inch and a half by an inch and a half, and black. It sort of looks like a square domino with no dots on it.
GUNNER: Lords of Carnage MC Page 31
