BONES: GODS OF CHAOS MC

by Honey Palomino

  “Sweet dreams, then.”

  I stood up and put my glass on the table, walking to the hallway that led to the bedroom in the back. I stopped and turned back to him.

  “Jason?”

  “Yes?”

  “Would you come with me?” I asked, my eyes searching his.

  “With you?” he asked.

  “Just to hold me. I know I’m asking a lot of you…”

  He was up and around the couch in a second, standing in front of me and shaking his head.

  “You could never ask too much. It would be my pleasure, Daisy.”

  He leaned down again and this time I didn’t yawn.

  His lips brushed against mine, soft as velvet.

  We turned and walked hand in hand to the bedroom and crawled into bed together. He wrapped his arms around me and I let my head rest on his chest, his heartbeat a lullaby in my ear.

  He was so warm, so solid, so calm, that as soon as I closed my eyes, I was out like a light.

  Bones

  Her hair tickled my face, small wispy strands tangling up in my beard. The weight of her head on my chest was quickly becoming my favorite feeling in the entire world. Until she stirred and rested her thigh over mine, spooning up against my side, practically wrapping herself around me.

  She was sleeping, but her body was pressing closer against me each time she moved.

  And her body wasn’t the only thing moving.

  Responding to her wasn’t something I could control at this point, and with her thigh merely millimeters away from ground zero, my cock was reaching out to her like a sunflower starving for sunshine.

  Silently, I endured the throbbing reminder. I let her slide against me, I ignored the subtle moans and I laid there, doing nothing but resting my arm around her, my hand resting platonically on her shoulder.

  Her thigh squeezed against mine, flexing gently.

  Was she awake, I wondered? Her breathing was steady and sure, and her eyes were closed, as well as I could tell without bending down and looking at her face. I didn’t want to wake her.

  She’d had the day from hell.

  Of course she’s asleep, I told myself. That thigh doesn’t mean any —

  Another squeeze.

  Followed by a small, almost imperceptible moan and a little shake of her hips and then a deep, satisfied sigh as she settled deeper against me.

  My cock twitched, growing steadily by the second. No, I couldn’t help my reaction to her, but maybe I could make it go away.

  I began thinking of other things.

  A particularly gnarly foot surgery I’d done last week…

  My mother cooking breakfast on Sunday mornings…

  Slade’s ugly face with his swollen, broken nose….

  Ah, okay, there we go, I thought, feeling the beginnings of a slight reprieve.

  I took a deep breath, and then another, grateful I’d finally got a handle on things. Now that Daisy was settled into a comfortable position, I’d be fine.

  It was just the squirming that was getting to me.

  I laid there in the dark, the events of the day running through my head. Silently I cursed myself for leaving her home alone so soon. And then I cursed myself for not having an alarm system installed, or at least turning on the fucking land line. We didn’t have time to do anything to fix the window, so I’d called on a repair crew to take care of it for me. I thought of Chester and hoped he wasn’t scared there at the clinic. At this point in the evening, we were usually curled up in bed together, the television blaring in the background drowning out his snoring. He and Slade and Riot had saved Daisy’s life today, even if they’d all taken a beating in the process. I was so grateful they’d all be fine.

  I’d taken them both aside after we’d arrived at the clubhouse and expressed my gratitude for showing up at my place so quickly. They were the closest I was ever going to have to brothers and I’d never appreciated them more.

  My mind wandered in the dark, the day rolling out like a movie in my head. The look on Daisy’s face when I showed up would haunt me forever. When I found out what happened, first I wanted to rip Sullivan apart and then I wanted to do whatever it took to make sure she never felt that kind of fear again.

  Solid Ground was the right place for her. I’d been unaware of just how much danger she was still in and I was kicking myself for it. I should have brought her here a year ago, not let her go from the beginning. All I could do was make up for it now.

  She was here.

  She was safe.

  I’d done the right thing, even if it was a year too late.

  I thought of her face when she arrived, how little by little throughout the day, the tension had fallen away and her soft beauty had begun shining through again. Her eyes relaxed, her smile returned and by the time we were walking in the forest —

  Another squeeze of her thigh against mine and I was rock-hard in an instant again. Her hips moved, her warm center pressing hotly against my thigh, this time brushing up just a little but a little was all it took.

  Dammit.

  She had to feel how hard I was now.

  Or not, because she was asleep. This was all innocent, this meant nothing, outside of the fact that she somehow managed to make me feel like a fourteen year old boy making out with Katie Harris in the alley behind her house again and shooting off in his pants because he couldn’t control himself.

  I was a grown fucking man, dammit.

  The last thing Daisy needed was me sliding myself into her sweet center and feeling her moans vibrating through my ears, her soft thighs squeezing my hips…

  Yeah, that was the very last thing she needed.

  But me? Apparently, the need for that particular scenario was my body’s number one priority.

  I can do this…

  Just be still…

  Lean into the pain, I told myself.

  Enjoy the heat, the engorged, sensitive, torturous swelling…

  It’s nothing.

  I’m a grown fucking man.

  I took a deep breath, and then another, calling on my skills as a doctor to remain calm in the face of a challenging situation.

  No problem, I thought, I’ve totally got this…

  She shifted again, her hips pressing once more into me, but as she sighed, her hand slid down from my chest and rested squarely on my engorged cock.

  I jumped like I’d been shot.

  I’m pretty sure I jumped a few feet in the air because before I could catch her, she was sliding away from me, her head landing on the pillow with a soft thump while I was suddenly standing next to the bed and looking down at her, frozen like a deer in headlights with my cock sticking out between us like a sword.

  She looked up at me with sleepy, confused eyes and as I saw it, in that awkward, confused moment, I had two options.

  Asking her to fight in a duel seemed a little out of the blue, even if I did have a mighty sword at the ready.

  “I have to pee,” I blurted out, clumsily limping from the room, my cheeks rushing with heat, as I left her there alone in the dark.

  Once I was in the living room, I sat on the couch and cradled my head in my hands. Not that head, you pervert.

  I was so torn up over this girl, over my feelings for her, that the ability to decipher what was right or wrong seemed to have abandoned me.

  After a few moments of listening to make sure she’d gone back to sleep, and being rewarded with silence, I put my boots back on and walked outside. It was still early, by club standards, so I walked back to the clubhouse, the moon lighting my way.

  It was a cold, clear crisp night and I zipped my jacket up and joined Riot on the porch. He was smoking a joint, the thick, white stream of smoke drifting into the air, a stark contrast against the dark night.

  “Hey, Bones,” he said, his voice soft and quiet. Riot was like a rock, quiet and steady and always in a very zen-like mood. He hid behind his long, black beard, his dark eyes always observant and thoughtful. He seemed a lot older
than me and yet I had a few years on him.

  “Hey, brother,” I replied, as he offered me the joint. I took it from him, inhaling deeply, the thick smoke sliding into my lungs. I handed it back and sat down next to him, the crickets singing around us, the moon hanging bright and heavy, barely visible through a break in the silhouette of the tree line in front of the cabin.

  “How’s she doing?” he asked.

  “Sleeping,” I said, my heart still pounding.

  “How are you?” he asked, lifting a brow as he looked me over.

  “I don’t know, man,” I said, shaking my head. “Daisy, she’s…she’s been through a lot, you know? I feel bad for her.”

  “Bad for her? From the way you were looking at her today, I’d say you’re feeling a lot more for her than that.”

  “Yeah, man, that’s the fucking problem.”

  “How is that a problem?”

  “I can’t stop thinking about her. I’ve got it bad for her, Riot. But she doesn’t need a man in her life, she needs a friend. She’s about to be relocated, most likely. She’s got Alex. The last thing she needs is some asshole like me barking up her tree.”

  He laughed softly, shaking his head. I turned to look at him.

  “What?”

  “You sound just like me.”

  “You? How’s that?”

  “When I met Lacey, man, she’d just gone through some serious shit. You know her story.”

  “Yeah, the mayor, right? That asshole from Seattle?”

  “Yeah. But more than that. Her mom was a real piece of shit, too. You know, they kind of have similar stories, Lacey and Daisy. But Daisy’s been on her own for a while now, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “So, have you ever heard the term ‘time heals all wounds’?”

  “Yeah,” I laughed. “I’ve heard it.”

  “I’m just saying. She’s been out of the life a while now. And sounds like she’s never had a real, decent man in her life. Maybe you’re selling her short. Maybe she’s ready. Don’t underestimate how strong she is. You may be just the thing she needs. She could do worse, that’s for sure.”

  “Thanks, man,” I murmured. “I appreciate the vote of confidence.”

  “Your old man was one of my favorite people on Earth. He raised a good man. If Daisy wants you, don’t let her down. She seems like a nice girl.”

  “She’s amazing.”

  “Then don’t fuck it up.”

  “That’s exactly what I’m trying not to do,” I laughed. “Literally.”

  “Well, maybe she needs to feel what it’s like to be with someone who cares about her. Time is healing, but so is a loving touch, brother.”

  “Well, you’re just a regular Doctor Ruth, aren’t you?” I teased.

  He burst out laughing and took another hit off the joint, before passing it over to me.

  “They call me Doctor Love, actually…”

  Daisy

  Completely mortified, I lay alone in the dark.

  I was grinding on him like a desperate loser and he completely ignored me and then ran off like a frightened puppy. Hiding my face under the pillow, I tried to shake off the humiliation of rejection and go to sleep, but it wasn’t working.

  Despite the extent of my exhaustion, sleep was eluding me completely.

  I’d hoped that if he just laid down with me and held me, I’d be able to sleep. I was right, but I’d only slept for about ten minutes before I woke up and realized just how close I was to him.

  My God, it felt amazing. The heat of his body rolling over my skin, the spicy smell of his beard, the steady rise and fall of his heartbeat. I wanted to wrap myself around him.

  Maybe it was too much. I mean, obviously it was too much, or he’d be here, right here — right there, in fact — exactly where my body longed for him to be, but no.

  Nope. Instead, I’d pushed the envelope right off the proverbial cliff and he was gone. I heard the front door open and close, followed by the deafening silence of the cabin.

  Now, here I was, lying alone and not only had I kissed him like a hungry harlot earlier at the river, my goodness, I’d almost eaten his face off — and now, I’d run him out of bed completely.

  But what did I know, really?

  It’s not as if I knew how to read a man, not a real man like him, not in this way, in a normal way, like a normal woman, like a normal couple of people in bed together.

  I should have let him make the first move, I thought.

  That’s what nice girls do, isn’t it?

  They wait and smile silently, letting the man feel like a man, or something like that.

  It doesn’t matter now, you idiot, that old familiar voice sounded in my brain.

  He’s gone.

  And soon, you will be, too…

  I told you he wouldn’t want a girl like you, why would he?

  I ignored the tears running down my cheeks, letting the pillowcase catch them. It was easy to cry in the dark, when I didn’t have to face anyone.

  Especially myself.

  Bones

  When I walked back into Daisy’s cabin, I heard Alex softly crying in his crib. Daisy was asleep, her back turned to me, her breathing deep and steady. Gently, I picked up the baby and walked out of the bedroom, closing the door halfway behind me.

  Alex looked up at me, his little face puffy from sleep. He’d not been crying long, if at all, his face completely dry of tears. He smiled and buried his hand in my beard, pulling hard.

  “Ouch!” I whispered, laughing as I tried to pry his fingers loose. He laughed again and put his other hand in, wiggling his fingers. I sat down on the couch with him and he let my beard go, crawling over the couch and putting his head down on a pillow.

  “Back!” he said. “Back!”

  “Oh?” I asked, leaning over and rubbing his back. He smiled and closed his eyes, going right back to sleep, much to my surprise.

  “Well, that was easy,” I murmured. I stopped rubbing and his eyes flew open and he cried out again.

  “Oh! Sorry!” I said, putting my hand back on his back and rubbing in small circles once more. He nodded and closed his eyes, smiling. I couldn’t help but smile down at him. He was adorable, all red hair and pale skin and big green eyes, just like his Mama. He was a sweet and gentle boy, and you could tell all the love Daisy gave him was working. She done a wonderful job taking care of him by herself.

  It was true, no matter what Riot said, she didn’t need a man.

  She and Alex were going to be just fine, no matter where they ended up.

  But I wondered if she wanted one? Had she truly been asleep earlier, or was she aware of what she’d been doing? Had I totally screwed up by ignoring her signs?

  Before I’d left Riot on the porch, I’d asked him how long he thought it might take to get Daisy all settled into her new location. He’d told me it could happen very quickly, tomorrow or the next day. I knew I’d see her again, I’d promised her that much. But I wasn’t sure when. It might not be safe to contact her for quite a while, I’d heard that before.

  That only made all this waiting, and doing the right thing, that much harder.

  It didn’t matter, though. She was worth waiting for, absolutely.

  My body was the inpatient one, not my heart.

  And my heart was much stronger than my cock any day…

  It was the nighttime I was worried about right now. Everything seemed so much more intimate at night. The clock read just a little after midnight. All I had to do was make it through till morning and I’d be good to go.

  Alex fell back into a deep sleep and when I stopped rubbing his back, he didn’t stir this time. Gently, I lifted him from the couch and carried him back into the bedroom and placed him in his crib. I stood over him, watching him sleep as the moonlight streaming in from the window washed over him, bathing his creamy skin in a warm glow. My heart caught in my chest as I stared down at him. He was the most beautiful child I’d ever seen.

  I sighed
, the weight of everything hitting me all at once.

  I was going to miss them so much. I’d only known them a short time but they’d both managed to get so deep under my skin, I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to resume my life without them after they were gone.

  It didn’t matter though. This isn’t about me, it never was.

  I turned and looked back at the bed, and Daisy was still sleeping, her red hair haloed around her head, the beauty of the peacefulness on her face taking my breath away.

  I wanted her so badly.

  But she would have to come to me.

  And if she did, then so be it…I wouldn’t turn her away. I’d show her what it felt like to be in the arms of a man that loved her.

  In the meantime, there was no way in hell I could climb back into that bed right now without my self-control completely abandoning me.

  She deserved more than that.

  Quietly, I crept out of the room and went into the spare bedroom. I pulled off my boots and jeans and crawled between the sheets, ignoring the throbbing and pulsing that had started up all over again.

  Daisy

  Sometimes in the middle of the night, Alex would stir and cry for about ten seconds and then fall right back asleep. I’d heard him moving around, but I’d learned to just wait a few seconds before jumping out of bed to grab him. That’s exactly what I was doing when I heard the front door open and Jason’s distinctive footsteps coming down the hallway.

  I watched through slanted eyes as he picked Alex up and quietly took him out of the room, suppressing my smile. If Alex hadn’t been so quiet, I would have gotten up and gone and taken him from him, but I didn’t hear another peep, so I stayed there.

  Partly, because it felt nice to let someone else take him for a second, but mostly because part of me didn’t want to face Jason just yet. I’d slept about an hour but I’d not expected him to come back. The fact that he did hopefully meant he didn’t think I was too out of line.

  When he brought Alex back, I pretended to be asleep again, but I watched as he gently laid him back in his crib. And then…well, he just stood there, staring down at him with that tender look on his face that I’d seen before. It took my breath away and suddenly, I wanted him even more.