Train Wreck (Rawkfist MC Book 3)

by Bijou Hunter

  Smiling, Poppy gently slaps my arm. “You’re an ass for ever wanting to scare Cowlick.”

  “I didn’t like any man knowing too much about my woman. I still don’t like it.”

  “You need to learn your place.”

  “Ditto.”

  We eye one another, both ready to win this challenge. I know Poppy won’t relent especially not in the presence of Thor. She’s weird about the damn truck, and I know she misses it. Sooner or later, I’m gonna reunite these two and look like a big fucking hero.

  “You said you’d come to my place,” I remind her. “Time to pay up on that promise.”

  Poppy says nothing before walking to the front of the shop. She pokes her head into the front office and says something to Jared. I catch sight of the older biker, and he frowns at me. No doubt I’m an ass for chasing Poppy in his eyes. She’s too young for me. I’m too rough for her. He doesn’t say anything, though. Probably learned his lesson when he tried warning Justice and Journey off their future husbands.

  “I’m not having sex with you today,” she says, climbing onto my Harley. “I’m not in the right mood, and I worry I might injure you while in this sour state. You’re welcome.”

  Grinning, I kiss her softly. “Glad to hear that since I wasn’t planning on having sex today either. I didn’t want you feeling rejected by my rejection.”

  Poppy doesn’t respond with irritation. Instead, she smiles brightly and wraps her arms around my waist.

  “I might let you have some boob action,” she teases as I turn on the Harley. “Maybe even under the shirt stuff.”

  “We’ll see. I’m a little gassy today,” I say, faking as much disinterest as I can manage when she’s got me rock hard.

  Poppy pats my upper thigh, stroking enough of my erection to send it nearly through the fabric.

  “Sure, big guy,” she says, laughing as we pull away from the shop.

  I swear she giggles during the entire drive to my place. Poppy’s still smiling when I climb off the Harley and hold out my hand.

  “This is where you call home,” she says, glancing around. “Why here?”

  “Why not?”

  “It’s remote. Are you a private man?”

  “No, but I wanted space from my neighbors. Crying kids bug me.”

  “So does that mean you don’t plan on visiting my house? Ike cries and Matilda whines and Felix bitches and Otto schemes. Yeah, you should stay away.”

  “Stop trying to push me away,” I mutter while unlocking my door. “It makes me think you’re overcompensating for your obsessive need to see me naked.”

  Poppy looks me up and down. She might not be obsessed, but the girl is curious as hell.

  Once we walk inside, I find her a soda while she eyes the cat on my couch.

  “That’s a seriously ugly cat,” Poppy says, keeping her distance.

  “He ain’t mine.”

  “You said you took him in.”

  “No, I let him in. He comes around because his old owners lived here. I don’t think he cares as long as he can get in out of the rain.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “I don’t know,” I say, shrugging. “Never gave him one since he isn’t mine.”

  “He needs a name. Probably shots too.”

  “Sounds expensive.”

  “Don’t be cheap,” Poppy mutters, giving me a side-glare. “Mom runs a half-off vaccine clinic on Wednesdays. People often bring in stray cats to be fixed and vaccinated. I wonder if he’s neutered.”

  “I’m not checking.”

  Poppy kneels down in front of the cat who stares warily at her. She moves her hand slowly toward him, careful not to spook the giant furball. Once she runs her fingers over his coat, the cat bends to her will as easily as I do. The girl’s got magic fingers.

  “Do you want to name him?” I ask from the kitchen.

  “Sure,” she murmurs, petting him until he rolls to his side and allows her access to his stomach. “We had a cat named Scully, but she had to be put down. This one’s got a pouty face like Mulder.”

  “Who the hell is Mulder?”

  “From the X-Files.”

  Nodding, I’d never watched the show, thinking maybe it was about science. I don’t watch TV to learn.

  “Mulder’s a good name. I’ll get him in for shots too.”

  “Do you have a carrier?”

  “No.”

  “How do you plan to get him there on your Harley?”

  “Stop using logic on me, girl.”

  “I can take him in. He likes me anyway. Don’t you like me, Mulder? I’m the nice lady who’s going to lock you in a little portable cage and give you painful shots and get your balls snipped. Yeah, you’ll love me soon.”

  “I have a cousin who thinks he was abducted by aliens,” I tell her once she stops playing with the cat.

  Poppy frowns at me. “Do mental issues run in your family?”

  “No, but crime does. Even my little sister has done time.”

  “What for?”

  “She stabbed her ex’s new girlfriend. My sister is rational about most things, but she goes insane over men.”

  “So crazy does run in your family.”

  “Huh, maybe it does.”

  “You don’t seem crazy, so I guess it skipped you.”

  “I’m not sure my cousin is crazy. How can we really know if he was abducted?”

  “I know, and now I wonder if you are nuts for thinking otherwise. Hmm…”

  “I’m open to things. That’s why I came to Tumbling Rock. I wasn’t afraid to go a different way.”

  Poppy smiles softly and walks to where I stand in the kitchen. “I’m glad you came here. I needed a sexy chauffeur.”

  I tap under her chin before caressing her throat. “You had me worried after our last date.”

  “Good. You freaked me out. I can’t have you hurting people I care about.”

  “I know, but I can’t have you wanting anyone except me.”

  “That’s something you never need to worry about.”

  Kissing her, I find my passion matched with her own. Poppy’s so open to me right now that my earlier fears disappear. She’s a wily woman, but she’s also securely wrapped around my little finger. Kissing her with more heat, I can’t imagine anyone else for me.

  17 Train Wrecks - Poppy

  Emmett’s place has no soul. Rather than a home, it’s a way station for a man with his heart planted solidly somewhere else. I know Emmett claims he likes Tumbling Rock and plans to stick around. He says a lot of things, but his actions show he’s an outsider in a town unsuited for them.

  “Do you miss your hometown?” I ask, tugging him to the black leather couch in the middle of the barren living room.

  “Not really. A few places maybe. I miss my ma’s cookies. That’s it really.”

  “I’d miss you if you left,” I say, straddling him on the couch. “Who would be my chauffeur?”

  “No one. Only I get to do that.”

  “Have you ever had your heart broken?” I ask, running my fingers down his chiseled cheeks.

  “No. Are you planning to be my first?”

  “I was thinking the same thing about you.”

  “I’m a nice guy. Never forget that.”

  Studying his face, I ask, “You don’t really believe you’re nice, do you?”

  “I’m nice to you.”

  “That doesn’t make you nice. I have something you want. Even I can be nice when I’m trying to get something.”

  “You’re nice plenty of times. You have those dweeb friends. That’s a nice-girl move.”

  “Not really. I took a survey of all my options, and they were the least annoying. I picked them to make my life easier. If their lives are also improved, that’s nothing more than a pleasant side effect of me getting what I wanted.”

  “Yeah, yeah. You’re a big meanie. A real hard case. A royal bitch. I got it.”

  I take his hands and place them on my hips. �
��You get a taste today. When I say stop, you’ll stop, or I’ll injure you in a real tender spot on your very sexy body.”

  “Best threat ever,” he says, lifting his lips to find mine.

  Emmett’s kisses erase my uncertainties. They squash my self-control. They’re the devil, luring me away from my common sense. I don’t know how long we remain bound together on his couch. Worse still, I don’t care how much time passes. I’m lost in an arousal I’m ill-equipped to fight, leaving me only wanting more.

  Emmett’s fingers tease the seam of my shirt before sliding around back and caressing my bare spine. When I moan approvingly, Emmett shifts us on the couch, so I’m pinned under his hulking body.

  “Yes?” he mumbles against my lips.

  “Very much yes.”

  His kisses deepen, and his fingers explore. The weight of his muscles doesn’t frighten me. They instead offer me a shield from the harsh realities of the world.

  Time passes outside this house, but I don’t feel any of it. Emmett’s passion leaves me intoxicated. I can’t breathe except when he does. I can’t think of anything beyond his desire. The entire time, his body fits snugly against mine, warming my already blazing hot skin.

  Despite how good it all feels, I know I need to stop. My panties are drenched, and his thick erection drives rhythmically against the curve between my legs. Our clothes keep us from taking things to the next level. So effortlessly we could remove them and provide relief to his erection and the painful heat between my legs.

  Realizing we’re close to going too far; I need some way to stop.

  “Your mother naked,” I mumble against his lips.

  “What?”

  “Have you ever seen your mother naked?”

  Emmett responds to my weird question with an even more bizarre facial expression.

  “Sure, when I was a kid, but why are you asking that now?”

  “I wanted to kill your arousal, and I figured your mother naked would do that.”

  Emmett struggles not to laugh. “Oh, poor naïve Poppy. Nothing besides maybe blowing off my cock and balls will kill my arousal.”

  Sighing, I glance at my purse. “I need you to reach over and grab my bag. I’ve been practicing with my gun, so I’ll only need a few shots to nail you in the crotch.”

  Emmett doesn’t grab my purse. He doesn’t get up either. His lips return to my throat. I feel his teeth scrape against my pulse. Pushing him away, I need to stop before I can’t say no anymore.

  The heat between my legs is begging me to shut the fuck up and allow the nice man to give it satisfaction. Betrayed by a sex-obsessed body, I can only struggle for a bit longer before giving into those needs.

  Emmett sits up suddenly and frowns at me. “I know you want to seduce me. Well, I’ve made my feelings very clear, young lady, about holding off on the sex. None of your tricks will work today. Now get the hell out of my house.”

  He’s laughing by the end, and I smile at his amusement. Leaning back in the corner of the couch, he rests his feet on a scuffed coffee table.

  “That was fun,” he says, reaching out to tap my bare leg. “You should come over and play like that more often.”

  “What if I said I loved you?” I ask, wanting to freak him out and regain control.

  “I wouldn’t be surprised. I’m very lovable, and you have great taste. It’d make sense, you know?”

  Grinning wider, I stretch out and rest my feet on his thigh. “Nothing bothers you, huh?”

  “Two years is a long time to wait for one chick. If someone told me I’d sit on my dick for that long, I’d say they were fucking stupid. Yet here we are, and the wait was worth it. You got some sweet lips there, Poppy.”

  His thumb caresses my bottom lip still humming from when he bit it earlier.

  “I want you but not enough to give you everything yet,” I admit.

  “I know. I knew that on our last date too. You said the words about fucking this time, and I wanted to believe you because I’m super fucking horny. Your words were lies, though, and I can only hold onto lies for so long.”

  “I’m eighteen. Maybe I am too young for you.”

  “Probably, but I can’t wait any longer. I don’t think you can either.”

  “We don’t have anything in common.”

  “What like with music or whatever? Who cares? I’ll teach you to enjoy my shit. You can teach me to enjoy yours. We’ll learn new things from each other. Isn’t that better than already loving the same crap?”

  “I guess. I’m probably just feeling overwhelmed,” I whisper while trying to settle my shaking hands.

  “You were growing up these last two years. I’ve been sitting on my ass waiting for you to get old enough to have this conversation. That’s why I don’t feel overwhelmed. It’s why I’ll wait even though I said I’m done waiting. I need to know if we click because you got in here,” he says, tapping his head, “early on. You made me stop fucking other women for two years. Two fucking years, Poppy. I’d have thought I’d die if I went that long without pussy, but I did it for you. That’s something special for a guy like me. So you should feel safe about me.”

  “I guess.”

  “You want to be in control, but feelings don’t work like that. Look at your family. They could hurt you so easily, and you’d have no way to protect yourself. That’s just how it works with the important people. It’s how we are too. I have the power to hurt you, and you can try your best to protect yourself, but it won’t matter. I know you don’t like that, but you’ll get over it. I did already. When I started worrying about your needs over mine, I got mad because I want to care about me first. I got over it, though. You’ll catch up, young one.”

  “Shut up with the young stuff. It’s creepy.”

  “Put up all the walls you want, child. I won’t be distracted from my prize.”

  “Thanks for the info, grandpa.”

  “Wait, how old do you think I am?” he asks horrified.

  Laughing, I crawl over to him and slide across his lap. “Not so old, I guess. I just like the look you give me when you’re shocked. It’s like when Ike hears a siren. His eyes get so big, just like yours.”

  “You ever want any kids?”

  “Yes. Fifty-two.”

  “Wow. I don’t know if I can handle so many. I was hoping for a normal number like twenty-one.”

  Cradling my head at the curve of his throat, I sigh softly. “Let’s meet in the middle at thirty-five.”

  “Is that really half?”

  “Does it matter? I’ll likely have one and give up from the pain.”

  “I bet I’d be good at childbirth.”

  Laughing, I meet his gaze and realize he’s serious. Laughing harder now, I shake my head. “Dumbass.”

  “I have a pretty high tolerance for pain. An asshole in prison grabbed my nads and twisted hard. A lot of guys would have passed out or screamed like a bitch. I didn’t because pain just doesn’t bother me much.”

  “I lose the ability to function each month on my period, so my pain tolerance is obviously lower,” I say, cupping his face. “What’s prison like?”

  “It’s like being a kid in a bad family. People tell you when to get up and go to bed. They tell you when and what to eat. You have no privacy. You get grounded for misbehaving. But like a kid in a bad family, you also need to worry about random beatings. A lot of guys pulled tight into themselves and lost sight of who they were before prison. I never got that bad.”

  “Do you wish you hadn’t beaten up those guys who harassed your ex-girlfriend?”

  “No. I just wish I hadn’t gotten caught.”

  Smiling, I caress his lips. “I don’t like the idea of you being caged. Or anyone twisting your balls except me.”

  Emmett wraps his arms around me. “If I hadn’t gone to prison, I wouldn’t have met Court and ended up here with you. So a few years locked away seems worth it, don’t you agree?”

  “I don’t know. I mean, I’m great, and you’re l
ucky to know me, but I still don’t want you to suffer in any way.”

  “Look at you being sweet to me.”

  Feeling bashful all of a sudden, I hide my face against his chest. Emmett doesn’t tease me for going soft. He only holds me while his fingers run up and down my spine.

  In a quiet moment like this one, I want to go to Emmett’s bedroom. Not to feed my lust but to tempt my heart. I want to see what happens after the sex. If he’ll still think I’m worth waiting for once the waiting is over. Will he still seem like the only man for me in a world of second choices?

  I don’t ask to go to his bedroom because I want to hold onto the dream a bit longer. If we change after having sex, our fun will end. Reality has never proven to be half as entertaining as the fantasy I’ve created for Emmett and me.

  18 Train Wrecks - Poppy

  Emmett gives me an awe-inspiring goodbye kiss before disappearing into the darkness on his Harley. I wonder where he’ll go now, sensing he doesn’t spend much time at his house. Standing on my porch, I miss him and wish I could stare forlorn into the darkness. Too bad the mosquitoes aren’t interested in my sad romance routine.

  Even before reaching for the door, I hear the sounds of Lou Reed wafting from inside the house. I peer through the open shades to see Mom and Jared dancing in the kitchen. The way they stare into each other’s eyes makes me wonder how these two people lived separately for so long.

  Opening the front door, I hurry inside while slapping away the demon spawn sucking my blood. Mom and Jared part immediately at my arrival. I quickly spot Ike resting on his grandma’s hip.

  “Geez, that’s a weird three-way,” I mutter, smacking my shoulder where a burning sensation tells me I’ve recently acted as food.

  Mom smiles awkwardly. “Donovan and Journey are having a date night, so we’re watching the boys.”

  “Where’s Otto?”

  “In bed in the extra room. He and Matilda were playing some game in the yard and wore themselves out.”

  “And this one?” I ask, wiping slobber from Ike’s chin.

  “He’s teething and won’t sleep.”

  Studying Mom and Jared, I glance at where the music plays from her phone.

  “Hmm… how about I take this handsome fella and leave you two alone to do what nature demands.”