by Brook Wilder
Elle took another bite of the cinnamon roll, leaving a little crumb of sugary sweet spice on the corner of her lip and he couldn’t resist. He held out a hand, simultaneously holding his breath, letting it out in a whoosh as she reached out her own and placed it into his. He could still see the wariness in her dark eyes, but for now, that was enough.
Slowly, he drew her up from the piano bench, turning her as his hands fell to land on either hip and his eyes went to her lush, all too kissable lips.
“You have something,” Honey said, his voice hoarse, “Just there…” his words trailed off as he leaned down, sweeping his lips light and teasing over hers, licking his tongue out to taste the sweetness, and groaning at another flavor. The taste that was all her, all Elle, and pure sin. Honey deepened the kiss. He hadn’t meant to, he’d just kissed her because, well, because he had to. But now he was pulling her hips hard against his and pressing them both back until they landed with a jarring, jangling sound against the keyboard of the piano.
He loved the way Elle melted against him, her curves sinking weightlessly against all his muscle, her soft against his hard and it made him groan out again as he kissed across her jaw and down to the sensitive curve of her neck.
Honey could feel her tremble in his arms and all he could think about was having her again, being buried so deep inside her that she would never forget the feeling of him filling her, of being joined together into one being.
He was about to lift her up and carry her back towards the bedroom but he couldn’t wait that long. He thought about taking her to the nearest wall, the nearest hard surface that he could bend her over and bring her to a screaming orgasm but a tiny, tinkling alarm started to sound. It took Honey a long moment for the sound to break through the red haze of lust that clouded his minds and sent all his coherent thoughts fleeing south but then Elle was pulling back.
She gave him a look, have humor half frustration as she pulled the old flip phone from her back pocket.
“It’s my alarm,” she said breathlessly as she fumbled to stop the still ringing thing, “We’re going to be late. We’ve got to go.”
Honey sighed, resting his forehead against hers for a long moment as he fought every instinct in his body that was telling him to forget the farm and spend the day in bed with Elle. It sounded like paradise, and the best idea he’d had all year but he could tell by the serious look on her face that she wasn’t about to break her promise to Carla. Honey understood needing to stay true to her word, and he respected her for it.
Finally, he sighed in resignation, pulling back after he gave her one last, quick, passionate kiss that had them both breathless again.
“I’ll go get the car started,” Honey said, forcing himself to take a step back, and then another. He had to get out of there because he knew if he spent another second alone in the same room as her he would have her stripped naked and pushed up against the wall in no time. With another heartfelt sigh, he turned and walked out of the room.
***
Elle looked over as Honey slowed the car to a stop in the parking lot at Honey Bud Farms. She was still trying to get her bag together and her seat belt unbuckled when all the sudden he was there, opening the passenger’s side door for her and helping her out. He leaned close, breathing deep against her ear before planting a quick, casual kiss on her lips, leaving her even more flustered.
“Have a good morning in the office, baby. I’m in the greenhouse all day. I brought lunch for us so I’ll see you then?”
Elle couldn’t get out a single word, she could only nod dumbly as he shot her a radiant smile that had his dimples winking at her before running off in the direction of the greenhouse and disappearing inside.
What the heck was that? her inner voice asked, sounding as confounded as she felt. And why did it make her feel so warm and content inside? Only Honey could wrap her up and tangle her emotions so thoroughly, then kiss her as if they’d been doing the same thing for a lifetime, rather than barely a day.
With a sigh Elle turned and trudged up the small hill to the little farm house that had been converted into the office. She walked inside and headed straight for the newly added secretaries desk that was pushed into the only available corner. It was small, but it was enough for her to do work at, entering receipts and tallying up profit and loss statements. She’d always been good with numbers, with problems of logic. Anything that she could reason out.
And that was exactly the problem with Honey. Nothing about the man was logical and reason couldn’t even begin to untangle the puzzle of him. At first he seemed like nothing but a too charming for his own good womanizer and hopeless flirt. But there was so much more than that to him. There were layers of mystery that she hadn’t even begun to uncover, but the question was, did she want to?
You already know the answer to that question.
She sighed again, distracted as she shuffled around files and folders but not really accomplishing anything. Because that voice was right. She wanted to know him. She wanted to learn all of his secrets. She wanted to be the one he confided in. And that thought terrified her. Because it would be so easy to come to rely on him, to need him. To lo–
“Oh my god, Elle. What was that?!” Carla’s voice broke into her thoughts for which Elle was eternally grateful. That was one question that she didn’t want to have to answer.
“What was what?” Elle asked, turning towards her best friend, her voice still distant and distracted.
“What was that kiss?” Carla all but shrieked the question as she grabbed Elle’s hands and pulled her over until they were both sitting in two overstuffed armchairs, “With Honey!”
“I know it was with Honey. I was there, you know,” Elle said softly, flustered once more.
“But…but…you! And Honey!”
“It’s not– Carla, wait a minute. It’s not me and Honey,” Elle trailed off, and then finally shrugged in defeat, “Okay, maybe it is, but–”
“I knew it! I knew from the first night that you two met and you threw your drink in Honey’s face that there was something between you. Oh, I’m so happy for you!” Carla leaned forward and gave Elle a quick, sisterly hug.
“It’s not…I mean, it’s not official or anything, or at least I don’t think it is.”
“That kiss looked pretty official, Elle. It looked…nice,” Carla tilted her head to one side, “That was Honey right? Our Honey? Because he’s a lot of things but nice isn’t really one of them.”
“I know. It was Honey. It was definitely him, but, I don’t know. After last night–”
“Oh my god. What happened last night?” Carla asked with a sly grin, leaning forward intently.
“Well, we, uh–”
She was saved from having to answer as the morning air was filled with the roar of a loud motorcycle engine revving just outside.
“That must be Joel…” Elle started before the sound of raised, angry voices reached them from inside the office. She watched Carla jump up and peek out the front window. When she turned back to Elle, her expression was hard and fearful.
“It’s not Joel,” Carla said, throwing the words over her shoulder as she rushed outside, Elle following just a few steps behind her.
Chapter 19
Carla stuttered to a halt and Elle almost careened into her as they both took in the scene that awaited them outside. Whoever had pulled up on the motorcycled was tall, and big like a body builder, his muscles bulging inside the sleeves of his patch covered leather jacket. He wore a dark helmet and as he took it off it revealed lank, greasy medium brown hair and a bandana that covered the bottom half of his face. The sunglass concealed the rest. It was most definitely not Joel.
And standing directly in his path, was Honey. The stranger was still on his motorcycle, his head moving as he scanned over them and even with the sunglasses Elle felt a shiver pass through her as that gaze landed on her. It seemed to hold for an extra moment longer than all the rest, and Honey seemed to notice.
“Hey, asshole,” he said, his voice sounding insolent and casual but Elle knew him enough to hear the strain underneath, the violence just barely leashed, waiting to lash out at a moment’s notice.
“Who you calling asshole, you fucking hillbilly farmer?” The man’s voice was low and deep and spoke of a complete uncaring. It wasn’t like Honey, who used the casualness as a mask, his was real. Elle could hear it in his tone, could feel it in the way he sat on his motorcycle with out a care in the world. As if he hadn’t just ridden into the business of a rival motorcycle gang. Because that’s what he was doing. And he wasn’t even the least little bit worried about it. And that fact worried Elle a lot. And she could tell it worried Carla too, by the little crease that formed between her dark eyebrows and the way her blue eyes never left the tableau playing out in front of them.
“I’m calling you an asshole, and a coward at that. You couldn’t handle going to the clubhouse where you might be outgunned and outnumbered? No, you had to come here, where the only fight you’re going to get is from these women. Bet you weren’t planning on me being here, were ya?” Honey spit out the words, taking a threatening step closer and Elle held her breath as the man on the bike threw one leg over and stood. He was at least six inches taller than Honey, and twice as wide and his fists were like bricks of concrete as he clenched them, taking a step towards them.
“I came here because I have a message to deliver. From the president of the Nomads,” the brute said, his voice a little more strained now and Elle feared that Honey had pushed a button calling him a coward.
“Well, we don’t want to hear it, so…fuck off,” Honey growled back at him, raising both hands as he sent him the middle finger. Elle shifted nervously from where she stood just a few feet away, praying that Honey wouldn’t push the man too far.
“I think you really are going to want to hear it,” the biker said, crossing his massive arms over his chest as he stared down contemptuously at Honey, “A little pussy like you isn’t going to stop be from doing my job. I’ve got orders from the president himself.”
“Well you can take those orders and shove them right back up your president’s asshole where they came from–” Honey’s words cut off abruptly as he moved, faster than Elle even thought possible of a man with his bulk and size, grabbed the front of Honey’s own jacket and pulled him up until his feet were dangling inches off the ground and they were face to face.
Even with the glasses and bandana covering most of his face the vicious intent that passed over the man’s features was plain for Elle to read. Without thinking, she was rushing forward, ignoring Carla’s effort to stop her.
A moment later she reached up, pulling at Honey to try and get him loose but it was like wrestling with a machine, so she did the only other thing she could think of. She pushed herself in between the two men, tried to use all her strength to separate them but she might as well have been pushing on two boulders for all the effect she had.
“Hey! Hey, you! Look at me. Listen to me!” Elle shouted, trying to catch the massive brute’s attentions and when he turned his head to look down at her she almost regretted her decision.
“Please just, let him go and I– We’ll listen to your message, okay? Just, you have to put him down first.”
“Elle, what are you–”
“Shut up, Honey,” Elle hissed over her shoulder, her heart racing with fear and uncertainty as she turned back to the man who still looked intent on choking the life from Honey. She wasn’t about to let that happen, not if there was anything she could do to stop it.
“Why don’t we start over, okay?” she said, trying desperately to keep the trembling out of her voice as she forced a cheerful smile on her face, “My name is Elle. And you are?” She held out her hand, well, as much as she could as she was still squashed in between the two men but she could see some of the rage leave the man’s eyes and a curious disbelief start to take its place.
“It doesn’t matter who I am,” he said gruffly.
“Oh, I’m sure that’s not true. You must be someone really important if your president trusted you to come out here with the message all by yourself. You should believe in yourself! Don’t talk down about yourself like that. When you do it often enough, you might just start to think that it’s true.”
He just stared at her blankly, that disbelief growing. Elle held her breath, her thoughts jumbled and panicked and she couldn’t’ think of anything to say that wasn’t even more ridiculous so she just stayed silent and smiled up at him for all she was worth.
Finally, he let go of Honey, shoving him back a few steps and sending a warning glance after him as Elle sighed in relief. Then he turned his gaze back to her and there was more than curiosity or disbelief in his gaze as he stared at her from behind the amber lens of the sunglasses.
“You’re funny,” he said softly, “But funny isn’t going to save you. Here’s my message. The president of the Nomads wants to make a deal with Honey Bud Farms and the Cruisers. He wants a cut of the weed you’re growing, at fifty percent cost. Or else there will be consequences.”
“Fifty percent!” Carla muttered in shock from behind her but Elle was too nervous to look back, too afraid to take her eyes off the giant biker in front of her.
“It’s not a request,” he said, and there was a sense of finality to the words that had another chill of dread shivering through her. Without another word, he turned, got back on his bike, and road away back the way he had come. They all watched in tense silence until long after he had disappeared down the driveway.
***
It was a long moment before Honey could let out the breath he’d been holding ease painfully from his lungs. He felt like he hadn’t been able to draw in any air at all since Elle had put herself right in the middle of the two men. It was ridiculous, and fool hardy, and incredibly…stupid! It was the stupidest thing he’s ever seen! That she would put herself in danger without even realizing made his blood boil his veins. Elle had to learn an ounce of self preservation or one of these times that she risked herself she was going to end up seriously injured, or worse.
With anger pushing his feet forward, growing with every step, Honey stalked over to where Elle was standing, her arms wrapped around herself and her dark gaze staring off at into space with a distant look in her eyes. They widened in shock as he came to a hard stop just inches from touching her. He had to clench his hands behind his back to stop them from reaching out and shaking her for being so foolish, or the grab her and hold her close to him and never let go, he wasn’t sure which.
“Honey, I–”
“Don’t,” he interrupted harshly, his voice hard and full of anger as he spoke. He couldn’t help it. The picture of her standing in front of that asshole, so small and vulnerable, so easily injured kept playing through his mind like a record on repeat.
“What are you–”
“No, you don’t get to ask the questions here. I ask the questions,” he was so furious, so afraid for her, so lost in his own thoughts that he didn’t notice the way her brows lowered dangerously over her dark, fiery gaze, “What the hell were you thinking, Elle? That man could have killed you with a flick of his wrist.”
“But he didn’t–”
“Do you even realize how much danger you were in? How close you came to being hurt? And for what? I had everything perfectly under control,” he ignored Elle’s snort of disbelief as he kept talking, “there was no reason for you to do that. It was just…it was stupid! That was all it was. It was stupid and foolish and dangerous and you had no right to–”
“I had every right!” Elle cut in, finally breaking through his angry ranting, punctuating her words by stabbing a finger against his chest. Hard. “I had every right, Honey. I’ve told you before. I make my own choices! I’m not a doll that you can put up on a shelf somewhere and take down to play with when you want, and then put me back when you’re done. That’s not how it works!”
Elle took a step forward, each word driven home by th
at damned finger stabbing at him and he had no choice to take a step back, or else risk breaking a rib or two.
“I chose to step in,” stab, “I chose to take the risk,” stab, “I chose to save you! And if you aren’t man enough to admit it, that is not,” stab, “my,” stab, “problem!” Elle reached forward to stab him again but Honey grabbed her hand, holding it tight between his own.
“Ow, okay, okay. It’s your choice. I get it. Just, next time can you choose something a little less dangerous?”
“I might have just saved your life, Honey! And you can’t even muster a thank you? A ‘thanks’? A ‘good looking out, Elle, I really owe you one’?” She stared up at him waiting, but he couldn’t force out the words she wanted to hear. He was still too full of fear for her, fear that if he encouraged her she’d do something even more reckless next time. No, there wasn’t going to be a next time. He’d make sure of that. He’d keep her safe.
With a sigh of disgust Elle turned away, jerking her hand from his gasp. He reached out after her, desperately searching for what he could say, wondering how she turned the tables so neatly against him but was saved as Joel pulled up driving Carla’s truck, the back loaded with supplies he’d been out picking up.
