by Debra Kayn
To prove she was ready to move forward with him, she'd stayed in the bathroom instead of leaving. Once he'd stepped out from under the water, not even bothering to dry off, it was impossible to make her feet move. Chuck in full naked form beside her was a sight to see, and she couldn't take her eyes off his reflection in the mirror.
She'd expected some kind of masculine strutting around after he'd succeeded in bringing her back to his house—though looking back, he hadn't had to work hard. All it took was him asking once, and she'd agreed. Instead of cocky, Chuck had gone serious.
His chest expanded with heavier breathing, and his intense eyes remained on her in the mirror. Her heartbeat sped up as his gaze dropped to her breasts hidden behind the towel wrapped around her and then back up to check her expression, almost as if he expected her to protest what was coming.
He removed the toothbrush from his mouth, spit, rinsed, and put his brush away in the drawer. While he was occupied, she spit, washed her face, and ran her tongue over her teeth.
As her head was bowed, his hand landed low on her back. She found his large feet beside her. Zipping her bag, she tried to steady her shaking hands. Sex was not new for her. She'd had several long relationships and even lived with one man for a year in her mid-twenties. None of them were Chuck or had made her nervous. Suddenly, their flirtatious dance felt a lot like they'd skipped getting to know each other the normal way and zoomed right to sex. Thrown off the natural order of things, she straightened and looked up past his whiskered chin into his eyes.
He lowered his head slowly, keeping a constant check of her expression. Unable to move, she could only manage to stand there and wait for his mouth to descend to hers. Over the span of seconds, she decided that skipping to the sex part with him would end up being the best choice for her because life was short.
When his lips touched hers, she was positive she'd done the right thing. The kiss was too intense, too incredible, too possessive for dating. Even though he kept the contact whisper soft, the sensations traveled through her mouth, down her spine, and settled between her legs. She slid her fingers along his chest making sure he wouldn't stop.
The kiss deepened, hardened, and she slipped her hand up to his neck. She had no time to think about what she should do and where she should touch him, her brain had shut down. Her body knew.
He nipped her bottom lip. She sucked in a quick breath, and he took advantage of her parted lips, sliding his tongue into her mouth, and she moaned her consent. As if he'd waited a lifetime for permission, he moved her—moved her.
She wasn't sure how he'd managed to get her from point A to point B, but she found herself in the bedroom, on her back, and her hands roaming Chuck's body. His skin was hot underneath her touch. Fascinated by the shifting of his muscles, she sprawled her fingers trying to cover and explore every inch of him.
She stroked his sides and broke away from his kiss, sinking her teeth into the skin covering his collarbone eliciting a growl from him. The hungry noise he made in response flooded her, and she thrust her hips off the bed.
Chuck tugged at the towel wrapped around her, freeing her from the only barrier keeping her from him, and then half on top of her, pressed his warmth against her skin. The intimacy of skin against skin excited her. She curled her fingers against his back, scratching him lightly and when his muscles hardened, even more, she dragged her nails down to his ass.
He lifted his head, and the heated expression took her by surprise and shock. She was too forward, too aggressive, too sexual.
"Sorry." She had no idea what he liked or wanted, and she'd gotten carried away, and they'd barely started touching.
"No..." He lowered his mouth to her ear and said, "I like it rough, love."
The tickle, the warmth of his breath, the arousal in his gruff tone made her laugh with relief in one short huff. In her pleasure, she hugged him which turned into her wrapping her body around him.
He found her mouth and the passion of what they were doing returned and increased. She cradled his head in her hands, and he pulled away, dipping his mouth to her breast. She stretched her legs, pointing her toes at the tight curling inside of her. The suction from his mouth like an electric shock that traveled down her body, she closed her eyes as she absorbed the sensation.
After he gave equal attention to both breasts, he lifted off her and flipped her over onto her stomach. She lifted her head off the mattress to see what he was doing when he straddled her with his knees on either side of her hips.
"I need you to slow down." He placed his hands on her back, and his fingers massaged her body.
"I don't want you to stop." The whine in her voice embarrassed her, and she folded her arms under her head and buried her face.
"There's no way in hell I'm going to stop." His hands skimmed the side of her breasts where they spilled out from underneath her body. "You're fucking hot, and I don't want to finish before you've had it all."
"All?" she mumbled into the blanket, her interest piqued.
Having never given the thought of whether Chuck was sexually adventurist or more of a traditional man in bed, she suddenly wanted to know everything before she received all from him. But, her body vibrated under the tantalizing touches he gave her.
All over her back.
All over her ass.
All over her shoulders.
She couldn't move or talk. He'd warmed and manipulated her into a pliable partner. The heat flooding her body caused her to undulate underneath him. She arched and sank, lifted and pressed against the mattress. Everything felt wonderful.
He lifted off her, turned her onto her back, and settled his knees on each side of her again. She was too aroused to care that she was naked and open to his inspection. The mole she hated on her rib. The stretch marks at the corner of her armpits that pointed to her breasts. The overdue trim on her pubic hair. He could pick her apart by every imperfection.
"Fuck, you're beautiful," he whispered, palming her hips.
He lowered his head and placed a soft kiss on her beaded nipple. The tenderness after a compliment undid her. She ran her hand over his head, loving the softness of his shaved head. His hair, too short to see, peeked through his scalp for her to touch, was soft like a newborn puppy.
She rubbed until he moved down her body and out of reach. Lifting her head, she sighed, widening her legs. "Oh, Lord," she whispered as his mouth, and his fingers landed between her legs.
The vibration of his chuckles caressed her, and she reached down her body and rested her hand on his head again. A new kind of tension than what she'd been living with lately built inside of her. She inhaled swiftly at an especially arousing touch of his tongue.
He lifted his head. "Yeah?"
"Oh, yeah," she said with a sigh.
He blew, licked, sucked, and nibbled while his finger moved in and out of her pussy. Just as she got used to all the manipulations and sensations, and her lower stomach coiled, he nipped her inner thigh.
She gasped, almost thrown over the edge into an orgasm. Holding her breath until she felt like she could last a little longer, she readied herself for more.
And, she wasn't disappointed.
He slid both hands underneath her ass, cupping her butt cheeks, and dragged her to his mouth. He took his pleasure between her legs. His whiskers rough against her skin only reminded her of him and what he was doing to her. Chuck was like nobody she'd ever met before. His strength and confidence attracted her and yet she was learning a new side to him. He was a fabulous, unselfish lover.
Most of all, he was giving. Chuck seemed to know exactly what to do, where and how to touch her the way she liked. He gave her everything she needed emotionally without her having to say a word.
Pressure built inside her as her pulse raced and her skin heated. She writhed underneath him, stroking his head with her fingertips. Her body bowed upward as she came, pleasure surging through her until every inch of her exploded. She collapsed on the bed in a melting mass.
> Chuck crawled up beside her, propping himself up on an elbow. His gaze grew predatory. "That's not all."
She managed a smile and cupped his gorgeous face. "I'm glad to know that."
"Yeah?" He trailed his hand down her stomach and between her legs. "Ready?"
Already her body took its cue from Chuck. She hummed and nodded. While he'd taken the edge off her uncontrollable arousal for him, he'd ignited a fire inside of her. She wanted more of him. To see him come. To feel him shudder. To take what he gave her.
She wanted it all.
He reached out to the side and picked up a condom from atop the bed she hadn't even noticed. While he opened the protection, he said, "Once I get inside you, I'm not going to want to stop but I will."
"You don't—"
"I will." He rolled the latex down his cock. "You're already exhausted. Just know, I'll want more."
"But, you haven't even—"
"I'll want more." He settled between her legs and dipped his face against her neck, his lips grazing over her jawline. "Because it's you with me. Only you, love."
"Thank you," she mouthed, unable to speak because he continually took her breath away today.
His hardness pressed against her inner thigh. She shifted, wanting him to be as close to her as possible. Just them. Nothing in-between.
His hand came down and hooked her leg, lifting, and his cock nudged her opening. She raked her nails across his back, and he growled as his hips shot forward and his hardness slid inside of her. She pressed her lips against his shoulder, smiling, liking the way she could get a reaction out of him.
And, that hungry reaction took her to new heights. He gave her hard. He gave her fast. He gave her wild until she became as frantic as him. She grasped onto whatever body part she could touch, tugging, pulling, and throwing herself against him. As her body tightened all over again, reaching for another orgasm, she witnessed Chuck hold back waiting for her.
That unselfishness and honesty were all she needed. She came wrapped around him, holding on tight as he grunted his release only seconds after her. Together, they rode the pleasure and slipped into a new level of their relationship. They'd seen a peek of each other's soul, and she didn't have to ask Chuck if he was feeling it too. The possessive hand cradling her head to his chest told her everything.
He'd given her it all.
Chapter 17
The air horn blasted. Chuck jogged down the slipway listening to Lieutenant Gomez on the cell phone fill him in on what Galeeno found out today. It'd been four days with no leads on Rachel or Stoddard. Everyone, especially Erikka, was hungry for any news.
"Galeeno's traveling to the northern part of Cabo as we speak, away from the tourists' area." Gomez rattled off an unrecognizable name. "Apparently, law enforcement doesn't go that far out of their jurisdiction, and he wants to sniff around and see what he hears."
Chuck jumped the last three feet onto solid ground and looked around for his Notus MC brothers. "How long will that take?"
"A few hours. Galeeno will call you with an update, regardless. My shift is over in an hour, and I have to pick up my kids for the weekend. I've let him know to report to Detective Harrison."
"Okay. Got it. Talk to you later." He disconnected the call and continued jogging.
This week had taken a toll on Erikka. Staying at his house without any work to keep her mind occupied had given her too much time to worry and convince herself that hope was dwindling. He'd tried to distract her, and for the most part, she handled her sister's situation better when he was there with her, and it would help with him having the weekend off. But when she was alone, she struggled.
At least they'd closed the search for Brad Moore. Wayne and Glen forced the husband to go home, and the man had ended up asking for a divorce and left again. Both parties satisfied, if not settled on their marriage being over after the other woman was brought into the picture.
"Hey," yelled Thad, waving his arm. "Lena's in labor."
Chuck slowed down as he approached the others. "Now?"
"She started getting contractions an hour ago and tried to wait until I got off work before she called." Thad fastened his helmet. "I'm going home and taking her to the hospital."
"Want us to escort?" Glen unwrapped a candy bar and took a bite, shoving the rest in his vest pocket.
"My parents are with her, and she's called her dad. I'll call if we run into any problems." Thad blew his breath out and looked around.
"Your Harley is behind you."
"Right." Thad turned and got on his bike.
"Pay attention to traffic," said Wayne.
Thad nodded, putting on his helmet. "I need to hurry."
"She'll be fine. Calm down." Glen grinned. "Women have babies every day."
"Not my woman." Thad started his motorcycle and took off.
Wayne looked up from his phone. "Clara and Gracie sent a text. They need to be at the hospital. Lena called them and want them there."
"Damn." Glen's upper lip twitched. "I was hoping to skip the baby coming out part."
Chuck frowned. "Lena will be okay, right?"
"Yeah, she's healthy, and the baby checks out fine from what Thad's told me." Wayne sat his Harley. "Let's get out of here. Anyone hear anything, text everyone but Thad."
Chuck nodded and watched the others ride off. Lena having the baby added one more thing to sidetrack Notus from the search. He started his motorcycle and rode out of the parking lot. Maybe a distraction was exactly what Erikka needed. Women got mushy over baby stuff. The boost in something good happening would help Erikka focus on miracles.
Fifteen minutes later, he rolled to a stop in his driveway. The fatigue that came after working an eight-hour day left him at the thought of seeing Erikka. Unlocking the door, he got one boot inside when Erikka lunged for him, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Hey." He moved her farther inside and kicked the door shut.
She tilted her head, and he kissed her deeply. The first time he came home after they'd had sex, she'd greeted him at the door. Worried that something had happened, he quickly learned that besides the worry about her sister filling her days, she missed him when he had to spend his time at Port Loaders.
Erikka pulled out of the kiss. "Any news?"
He blew out his breath, letting the blood rush back up to his head. "Only that Galeeno is moving across the island, furthering his search."
"That's good, though, right?" She moved to his side and walked with him to the kitchen. "Rachel might be there, and he'd find her."
"We'll know when Galeeno calls and gives us an update later." He planted his hands on her waist and lifted, setting her on the kitchen island. "Lena's having the baby."
"Lena?" Erikka tilted her head.
That's right. In the chaos, she hadn't met Lena, only Clara, and Gracie. "She's married to Thad."
Erikka's back straightened, and she grabbed onto the front of his vest. "That's exciting. Is it their first?"
He nodded. "Yeah, Thad goes around acting like he's the first man to get someone pregnant."
"Do they know the sex of the baby?"
"They might, but they're keeping it secret from everyone else. We'll find out when the baby arrives." He lifted his brows. "Everyone is going to the hospital to wait. Do you want to go?"
"Oh, I shouldn't. You go." She kissed him quickly. "I wouldn't want to intrude, and you should be with your friends."
"We'll only be in the waiting room or wherever people wait." He ran his hands up her sides and cupped her breasts, tweaking the nipples through her shirt. "You can keep me company while I'm there to back Thad."
"You're a good friend." She shivered and pressed her breasts into his hands. "But, this is family time for Thad and his wife. They'd want you there, and I'd feel—"
"You're going." He kissed her hard. "They'll be fine with you there because you're with me."
"You're sure?"
He lifted her down and smacked her ass. "Let's go."
They walked into the waiting room of the hospital a half hour later to a crowd. Chuck ran into Lena's dad, Alexander Grimaldi, at the door and shook his hand. Mr. and Mrs. Bowers sat together beside Wayne and Clara. Glen stood along the far wall with Ingrid in front of him, wrapped in his arms. Gracie sat in a chair, writing on a card, a gift basket at her feet.
Mrs. B. spotted Chuck first and hurried over. He took her hug, kissed her cheek, and winked over her head at Mr. B. The two of them were beside themselves with joy at gaining a grandchild.
"About time she had that baby, huh?" Chuck straightened. "How's Thad doing?"
"Oh, you know Thaddeus." Mrs. B. laughed softly, happier than he'd seen her in a long time. "I wouldn't be surprised if he was in there showing the doctor how to deliver a baby."
Beside him, Erikka laughed. "It's an exciting time for you all."
Mrs. B. hugged Erikka. "It's so good to see you again."
"Thank you." Erikka smiled. "I'm going to sit over there and let you all enjoy the night."
"No, dear. Join in. We're all family here." Mrs. B. looked at Chuck. "You can keep Charles in line."
"Oh...okay." She leaned against him. "I'll do my best."
Chuck guided her to the chairs and then sat between Erikka and Gracie. He leaned over and read what Gracie was writing on the card.
"Ever hear about keeping it short and writing congratulations?" he asked.
Gracie nudged him with her elbow. "Ingrid wants everyone in the family to make a promise to the baby. You're next, so start thinking."
"I don't have anything to give a baby." He leaned back in the chair and put his arm around Erikka who remained in the same position. Usually, she leaned toward him. "Do you want a coffee or candy bar?"
Erikka shook her head. "I'm fine."
He tugged her closer to him. "Hospitals stink."
"Yeah." She sighed and put her hand on his thigh. "Think of it as a sterile and safe environment for a baby. It helps."
