by Nina Levine
The vein in his neck pulsed as his eyes turned hard. “Don’t push this because, trust me, you wouldn’t like where it would go,” he said, his voice as hard as his eyes. A shiver ran through me, and I wasn’t sure if it was a good shiver or a bad one. It was like a switch had been flipped in him, and while I still felt safe with him, there was an edge I was unsure of now.
Stepping away from him, I nodded. “Okay, you win.”
His chest rose and fell quite hard as his breathing picked up. “Good,” he said with a nod in return.
I wrapped my arms around my body and rubbed my arms. It was far from cold, but a chill had fallen over me. “Can you please take me home?”
Without another word, he got on his bike and I joined him when he was ready for me. As we sped off in the direction of my house, I wondered what the hell had just happened. We’d been having a great time, and then it was as if the Griff I knew disappeared, and a harder version of him appeared. A version I wasn’t sure of. And yet, this new version had my complete attention because he looked at me through eyes of pain, and pain was something I knew well. Pain was what I lived and breathed for years, and my life had only really begun when I finally freed myself from it. And more than anything, I now wanted to help Griff escape his pain.
10
Griff
“I’m no closer to figuring this riddle out, but I’m needed back home,” King said the next afternoon when Scott and I met with him and Kick at the clubhouse bar to fill each other in on where we were at with investigating the club members, the fire, and everything else we had going on.
“You’re leaving?” Scott asked.
King nodded. “Yeah, but I want you to keep looking. At least one of your boys has been talking and spreading lies, and that shit doesn’t sit well with me. I want him identified and dealt with. Soon. I’d stay but my club’s got some trouble to deal with. Fuck, it’s never-ending.”
“I’ll put Nash onto it,” Scott promised.
“Good. Tell him not to drag it out. My members are calling for retaliation over this, and I’d like to avoid it. We’ve got too much other shit going on with the Silver Hell boys, and we don’t need any distractions while dealing with that.”
“Anything we can help with?” Scott asked.
“I think you’ve got your hands full, but if we need you, I’ll let you know,” King said as he started to make his way out. He and Kick said their goodbyes, and a few moments later, Scott and I were alone in the bar. Boxing Day at the clubhouse was quiet with most members spending the day with their families.
“Did you hear from Wilder?” I asked.
He scowled. “Yeah, he asked me for another twenty-four hours.”
Frowning, I said, “This chick has to be someone he’s close to, but I’ve never heard him talk about anyone for as long as I’ve known him. You?”
“No. I’ve given him until tomorrow morning to bring me the information so we’ll know everything then.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “It won’t be pretty, Griff. Not with the mood I’m in.”
“I’m behind you one hundred percent, brother. Whatever you need from me, you have.”
He eyed me. “I always said the day you joined Storm was a good day. If there’s one member whose loyalty has never been questioned, it’s you.”
I fought to hold his gaze as a sense of unease slid through me. All I could hope was that my loyalty never would be questioned. Storm was my chosen family now and I would fight till my death for family, regardless of what they might think if my past was exposed.
* * *
I arrived at my usual drinking spot around eight that night, and chose a quiet table in the corner instead of my seat at the bar. The waitress came to take my order and I ensured she would just keep the drinks coming. I’d need them tonight.
Leaning back in my seat, my thoughts drifted to Sophia. She’d been upset with me when I’d dropped her back at her house yesterday afternoon, and I didn’t blame her, but it didn’t mean my stance had changed. And I’d been more than okay with her being upset with me; it made it easier to keep my distance.
Who the hell are you kidding?
I took a long swallow of my drink. Fuck, I wanted her in a way I’d never wanted a woman. Not even Charlene. Sophia was the kind of woman who gave a man hope he could do better and be better. Her lightness shone all over my darkness, and sometimes, even if only for a sliver of time, she made me feel like a good man. And I hadn’t felt like a good man in far too long.
My phone rang, distracting me from my thoughts.
Danny.
“Evening,” I greeted him.
“Fuck, Michael, what the hell are you doing?”
Time to tread carefully – one never knew when someone was recording a conversation. “Sitting in a bar minding my own business.”
“Don’t give me that shit. You know what the hell I’m talking about.”
“Get to the point, Danny.”
“My point is that this changes nothing except for the fact it has stirred up the Bond family. They’re calling for retribution and that’s gonna cause me and my buddies more headaches that we don’t have time for.”
“I gave you an alternative suggestion the other night.”
“There’s no way Bond is walking out of prison. I’ve worked too damn hard for that to be an option. As far as I’m concerned, he’ll rot in there for all the crimes he has committed.”
“I’d say this conversation is done then.”
“Yeah, it is,” he agreed and hung up.
As I placed my phone on the table, I had a different thought to the one he’d just expressed. This might not have changed anything on his end, but it had proven to me that the Bond family wasn’t as untouchable as they liked to think they were. If need be in the future, I had the knowledge and tools to stand my ground with them. And I was pretty fucking sure that if the trial went ahead, I’d need every available weapon I could find to go up against them.
I took another long swallow of my drink and assessed the bar tonight. Not too busy, but it was Boxing Day. As I looked around, a woman across the room smiled at me and raised her glass. She looked to be either my age or a little older, with blonde hair that was a shade just a little too white for my liking. Her clothing was all tight and skimpy in a way that did nothing for me. I shifted my attention from her and kept eyeing the room, however a minute or so later, she joined me.
Sliding into the seat across from me, she purred, “Hello, sexy. I couldn’t not come and say hi after we just had that moment.”
Raising my brows, I asked, “Is that what you call a moment?”
“Yeah, isn’t it what you would call a moment?”
Fuck. I wasn’t even sure what the hell a moment was. “I’ve never had a moment to know what I’d call one.”
She couldn’t hide her surprise. “Well, hell, I’d be more than happy to give you a few moments.”
All this fucking talk of moments was making me irritable. “I’m right, thanks.”
“How about I buy us a drink and we can get to know each other?”
“I’m not interested in getting to know anyone.” I hated to be a prick like this, but some women didn’t know how to take no for an answer so I’d learnt the best way was to piss them off.
She gave me a huge smile, and I knew this was going to be drawn out. This woman was the kind who never got the message. “Never met a man who I couldn’t make mine for the night, and I’m not starting tonight. I’ll get us a drink and you’ll see how good I can make it for you.”
I stood. “No need. I was just leaving,” I announced and made a move to leave.
“Really? You’re not even gonna give me a chance?”
“It’s not you, babe. I’ve got a woman who I can’t get off my mind, so I’m going to say no and let you find a man who is right for you. That man isn’t me.”
She smiled. “They don’t make men like you very often anymore. Go an
d tell that woman how you feel. And I’ll find me a man, don’t you worry.”
I had no doubt she would. Leaving her, I headed outside to hail a cab. Five minutes later, I was on my way to Sophia’s house. It was the last place I wanted to go, but, fuck, it was the one place I was beginning to think I needed to be.
* * *
Her wary eyes narrowed on me. “What are you doing here, Griff? It’s late and I thought we covered everything yesterday.”
“I thought we’d covered everything, too. Turns out I’m not done. It seems you’re the only thing I can think of at the moment, and at a time of year I usually reserve for other thoughts, it’s confused the fuck out of me that you can so easily steal their place.”
She didn’t say anything straight away, and I began to think she was going to turn me away. But then she said softly, “How do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Every now and then you bare a piece of your soul to me and it makes me want to know more about you. It makes me want to know everything.”
I sucked in a breath. Don’t say that. “Can I come in?” I placed one foot inside her house, willing her to say yes.
She made my fucking night when she took a step back and ushered me in. I didn’t give her a chance to change her mind, and strode in towards her kitchen. When I reached my destination, I turned to look at her. Jesus, she was something else. Dressed in a pair of those denim shorts that killed me every-fucking-time and a white almost see-through t-shirt, with her hair pulled up in a ponytail and her face free of makeup, she was easily the most beautiful woman I had ever met.
Moving past me into the kitchen, she grabbed a glass out of a cupboard and poured herself a drink of water. Resting her back against the kitchen counter and one foot on the other, she sipped her drink and said, “So, you came to talk or to screw me?”
Fuck.
Straight to the point.
I rubbed the back of my neck and frowned. “I don’t really know.”
She stared at me for a long minute before placing her drink on the counter and moving to where I stood. Taking my face in her hands, she brushed her lips across mine, and fuck if my dick didn’t react straight away. Her touch was like a lightning bolt through me, lighting every nerve ending on fire.
I groaned into her mouth. I knew I should stop her, but I couldn’t. This woman had crawled under my skin and I was helpless to stop my need for her. I slid one hand around her neck and gripped her there while my other hand moved to hold the back of her head. Deepening the kiss, my tongue found hers and I kissed her in a way I hadn’t kissed a woman in a long time.
Fuck knew how long we kissed for. It was both heaven and hell for me - a constant push and pull of needs. All I wanted to do was take her body and bend it to give me what I desired – what I needed – but I refused to break her, so I denied myself.
She ended the kiss, and stared into my eyes. “You wanna talk about the thoughts you usually reserve for this time of year?”
“No.”
“Well, there’s your answer, handsome. It seems you came here to screw me.”
I still had hold of her, and I moved one of my hands to grip her ponytail. Yanking it back, I bent my mouth to her neck and sucked her hard enough that I was almost biting her. The moan that escaped her lips only encouraged me, and while I was fighting my urges as hard as I could, I lost my battle for a moment. My teeth sunk into her skin and I marked her neck.
When I was finished, I lifted my face and loosened my grip on her hair slightly. “You don’t do one-night stands, sweetheart, so it seems we have a small problem there.”
Her eyes watched me for a beat, and next minute, she had her hands on my jeans and had undone the button and was sliding the zip down.
Fuck.
“Careful,” I warned. “Once you signal your move, there’s no going back.”
She took hold of my cock and gripped me firmly before moving her hand up and down my length. “I’m breaking my one-night-stand rule for one night, and I’m trusting you to make it worth my while.”
“Jesus,” I muttered, not convinced this was the right thing, but knowing there was no way I could stop now even if I wanted to.
Ah, fuck it. I moved my hands to her ass and lifted her into my arms. “Which way to your bedroom?”
As she placed her arms around my neck to hold on, she said, “Down the hall and to your left. It’s the room at the end of the hallway.”
Without wasting anymore time, I strode down the hall and found her bedroom. She had a room that matched her personality exactly. Classy with mostly white throughout, and a touch of black here and there. She also had one of those tables women sit at to apply their makeup, and I took in the jewellery and perfume that covered it. Hell, I already knew Sophia loved perfume – she always smelled fucking amazing.
I placed her on the floor next to the bed, and let my gaze travel over her body. “Have you got any idea what those shorts do to a man?” I asked as I reached out to undo them.
“They’re comfortable,” she said, as if she was justifying her choice.
I flicked the button undone and pulled the zip down before stripping them off her. “Much more comfortable now,” I said as I took in the strip of lace covering her pussy.
My dick jerked and I restrained myself from tearing that piece of lace in half. Instead, I lifted her shirt over her head and dropped it on the floor before reaching around to undo her bra. As much as it would have been fun to drag this part out, she and I had been dancing around each other for too many days now, and I struggled to even go this slowly.
I did, however, leave her panties on.
My mouth had plans for those.
“Sit,” I ordered her, pointing at the bed.
Her eyes widened a little, but she did as I’d said. In that moment, I knew my suspicions had been correct – Sophia had never been dominated in the bedroom.
I removed my clothes and stood naked in front of her. Taking hold of my cock, I stepped closer to her and reached for the back of her head. Pulling her mouth to me, I said, “I want you to suck me.”
I caught the widening of her eyes again, and wondered if she’d back out, but she didn’t. She took hold of my dick and sucked me into her mouth. Jesus, her warm mouth felt fucking amazing around me. And when she began sucking and licking with her tongue, I closed my eyes as the pleasure moved through me.
My grip on the back of her head tightened, and as she moved me closer to orgasm, I held her head to me, needing to feel my dick at the back of her throat. The gagging sounds she made got me even harder, and I wondered if she would make me come. It usually took a lot fucking longer for me, but Sophia worked me with her mouth, lips, tongue and hand so fucking well that I could well orgasm as fast as a horny teenager tonight.
She got me close and I almost came but I decided to prolong it. Pulling out of her mouth, I reached my hands under her arms and pulled her up. The way she stared at me told me she thought I was going to kiss her, and I was, just not where she imagined I would. I moved one of my legs so I could kick her feet apart before dropping to my knees. My hands gripped her ass as my mouth moved over her panties. Her scent invaded me, and god-fucking-damn if it wasn’t the best thing I’d ever smelt. I used my teeth to remove her panties and when I finally had them off, I worshipped her pussy with my mouth. She was bare which I loved, and I ran my tongue the length of her, stopping every now and then to place kisses on her skin.
Her hands threaded through my hair and my mouth stilled for a moment. It wasn’t something I’d experienced for a long time, but it felt good to have a woman’s hands in my hair.
“Griff,” she almost moaned, “I love what you’re doing, but I need your mouth all over me, and I want you inside me.”
Fuck.
I stood, and quickly picked her up and placed her on the bed. Positioning myself over her, I took hold of her wrists and pinned them to the mattress above her head. I then placed my other hand around her neck for a moment befo
re moving it down her body to take hold of one of her breasts. My gaze followed my hand and lingered on her breasts before shifting back to meet her gaze. “We’re going to make the most of this one night, Sophia. No fucking way am I having you fast. I’m going to taste every last inch of your skin before I give you my cock,” I said as I moved my hand down to her pussy and pushed a finger inside, watching closely as her eyes flared with desire. Bending my face close to hers, I growled, “Never tasted a pussy as good as yours, so believe me when I say this is gonna be a long night. I need to get my fill.”
She lifted her head off the bed to catch my lips in a kiss. Her mouth pressed gently to mine, and I let her have it her way for a moment before pushing for more. The way her body arched up into mine as I kissed her deeper and harder told me she loved the fuck out of this kiss, and that only made me try and drag more from her. I needed to take everything I could from her tonight.
Ending the kiss, I dipped my face to her neck and began to sample every inch of her skin as I’d promised her I would. And fuck, the hollows and curves of her body were as sinful as I’d thought the first time I’d laid eyes on her. The man Sophia chose to give herself to for life would be one lucky fucker. This woman was built for pleasure and I made the most of every second I had her.
As I moved down her body pressing kisses all over her, she tangled her fingers in my hair again and made the sexiest fucking sounds I’d ever heard. And when she moaned my name every now and then, my dick threatened to explode.
I fucking need to be inside her.
I tasted my way down to her thighs before lifting my head and finding her eyes. She stared at me for a beat before moving so fast I didn’t have time to think. A moment later, I was kneeling on her bed, with her wrapped around me, and her lips to mine again. Gone was the gentle Sophia who’d kissed me before, and in her place was a fucking goddess who had abandoned herself to the pleasure.
