by Cheri, Ann
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I lay next to Black, my exhausted body held in his arms as I watched the rise and fall of his chest in the dimly lit room. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, sweetheart,” Black whispered. I didn’t answer, my fingertips raked softly across his chest. He let out a little sigh as my fingers dipped lower, rolling over his abs ever so lightly. “Need some sleep, long day tomorrow, you about killed me baby…”
I let out a little sigh of my own as he pulled his arm free and rolled over, but my fingertips kept right on touching him as if he’d disappear if I broke contact. My nails stroked across his back, tickling his skin ever so lightly and slowly. Black let out a low moan, his voice barely there beneath the guttural sound of joy. “Don’t stop sweetheart, that feels so nice…”
I’ll never stop… I thought to myself, fingers dancing on his muscular shoulders, tracing down the line of his spine and back up again. His breathing slowed, and soon, he was asleep. My body tucked into him, breasts pressed into his cool back, a fan on the ceiling washing air over us. I didn’t know what the future held, but there was at least one thing I was certain of. Marcus Black was going to be a part of it. My eyes closed, lips touching his shoulder as I gave him one last little kiss goodnight.
Dreams took me much faster than I was used to, all the tension draining out of my body like so much water through my open fingertips. I was happy. The sun shined on my face, warmth spilling through my exposed skin as I stood with arms open on a high ledge. Across a wide canyon, I could see Marcus smiling back at me. He was waving, as if I should step into the void and walk to him. I looked down, lifting a bare foot and tentatively stretching it out over the open air. Somehow, I knew the air would hold me if I just trusted in myself. The leap of faith, a single step toward Marcus Black and the future we deserved together. My foot fell toward the invisible walkway I knew must surely be there. Lower and lower in the air, my balance swinging forward toward the edge, I held my breath and stepped out with all my weight.
“No.”
The voice caught as hands wrapped around my waist, pulling me back from the edge. I stared across at Marcus, watching him turn his back and walk away. My whole body filled with anger and terror as I found myself spun in place.
Murder eyes…
Jude stood there with a wicked grin on his face, his face twisted and contorted into some crude and evil version of himself. My vision blurred, my breath coming in ragged gasps. The ghastly visage reached out, his hand wrapped around a pistol aimed straight at my chest. In half awareness of the dream I tried to wake up, stepping back from the cruelness and evil before me. My feet came to the edge, nothing behind me but a sheer drop. Black had left me to my fate, no hero was coming for me. Terror consumed me as I took the final step, my body tumbling down an endless drop as Jude laughed. The sound of air rushing past filled my ears as my eyes snapped open.
The ceiling fan continued it’s lazy circle, air blowing down on my face. I glanced over at a clock on the bedside. It was just shy of seven in the morning. Black mumbled something quietly and rolled away, pulling the thin blanket with him. The sudden draft cooled my sweat soaked body. Part of me wanted to just get up and run away. Instead, I nuzzled up behind Black. He let out a soft sigh as I pressed against his skin, letting his scent of sandalwood fill me.
I let myself drift for a few moments before finally crawling out of bed, careful not to wake Marcus. One corner of his makeshift bedroom opened up to a small bathroom and I could see a shower through the open door. It had been days since I truly felt clean, and I welcomed the chance. The cascade of water pulsed against my back as I rolled the dream around in my mind. Why had Marcus left me to Jude? What was I so afraid of? The strong side of me tried desperately to reason with my emotions. Surely I was safe here, surrounded by the club. Jude wouldn’t dream of coming back… He would have to be crazy…
My fingers reached out, turning the shower handle until the penetrating heat was almost unbearable. Steam rose up like a cloud in the cool room, enveloping me in mist. How long would I need to live in fear? My knees buckled, my body collapsing to the tile floor of the shower, pressing myself up into the corner and wrapping my hands around my knees as the water crashed down.
I knew what was about to happen, but I moved despite my own protests. The shower door slid open and I reached for my little bag, dripping water on the floor as I pulled a little blade from its hiding place.
Marcus won’t leave me… I don’t need to do this…
It felt comforting to remember that I had someone to protect me…
You can protect yourself…
I imagined the feel of the beretta 92 in my hand, the cool grip and balanced weight, the smooth action as it fired. I’d spent enough time at the range to know I could put a bullet where it needed to go. This whole thing was silly, I was scared of a monster that might not ever show his face again.
But the blade kept moving. I brought it up to my shoulder, just under the lines I’d etched a few days prior. I needed this… I needed something to remind me of this moment…
“You all right in there sweetheart?”
The voice made my jump, my head smacking against the back tiles of the shower and the razor digging a little gouge out of my skin as I let out a yelp. I fell to the tile beneath me, sitting there, dejected. Black moved quickly. My eyes opened and I looked through the hazy glass, his tanned outline visible as he sat down on the toilet.
“I know what you’re doing, Kat… You need to stop sweetheart.”
“I had bad dreams, that’s all…” I replied, letting water clear the blood from my arm, staring at the blade I’d dropped on the floor.
“Bad?”
“Jude was in them.”
I stared up at the crashing water, letting it fall on my chest and arms, the searing heat pouring down my body. Black pulled the door open, stepping inside.
“I do love a hot shower,” he said, smiling as he moved to block the flow of from the shower head, a hand reaching down toward me. His body was shrouded in the steamy mist, every rippling curve of tanned muscle shining as water poured over him. I grabbed the hand he’d offered, letting him lift me to my feet. Without a word, I pressed myself into him, our bodies flattened against each other as I drove my head into his chest. My teardrops were lost to the cascade.
“I broke my leg once, Kat. A bad fracture, happened to me on the side of a mountain when I was just a kid. See this scar?”
I stared down below his knee, a round white slash visible against his tanned skin.
“Bone came straight through. Hurt like you wouldn’t believe. I needed to get off that hill. There was a road half a mile away, but I couldn’t move. The pain was excruciating.”
“What happened?” I asked, confused as to why he was telling me this story, and intrigued all the same.
“I picked up a rock, and I broke my left hand.”
“Why did you do that?” I said, gasping.
“That’s how pain works Kat. One kind can drown out another. Long as my hand was hurting, my leg wasn’t quite so bad… That’s why you’re in here with a blade. That’s why you’ve done this to yourself,” Black whispered, his fingers brushing over my shoulder, carefully avoiding the new cut.
“You’re trying to hide the pain, but I’ve learned something Kat.”
“What?” I asked breathlessly.
“Pleasure hides the pain too. You’re with me now. You don’t have to do this again.”
Black pulled down a bottle of body wash, a subtle scent of shea butter filling my nostrils as he squeezed out a small handful, running it between his hands. Soon, those strong hands were upon me, wet and slick as they ran across my back, dipping down to cup my round bottom. He drew downward, dropping to one knee as he swept the soap down my legs, then back up my calves. The hands wrapped just around my hips and pressed me backward, my skin coming into contact with the still cool tiles and making me gasp. I stared down at Marcus’s dark curls as he leaned for
ward, lips planting a delicate kiss just below my belly button. His hands swept upward, carrying soap over my twin mounds, his hands slipping softly over my flesh and back down toward my core.
“Yes…” I whispered as his mouth traveled lower. Another soft kiss was planted lower, just at my bikini line. More soft kisses followed as his hands dropped, pressing my legs apart. The steam was intense, my breath coming in deep gasps as the warmth seemed to fill me inside and out. Black continued his quest toward my core, his lips planted firmly on one side of my shaved mound. Without warning, he moved toward the center, his long wet tongue drawing a delicate line between my folds. My whole body shuddered in joy as his tongue found my most sensitive point, nearly forcing me to shout in anger as he left it again, a kiss planted on the other side.
“Please…” I pleaded as he drove me higher. His tongue returned, writing delicate love letters upon my flesh. My feet arched, pressing me up on my tiptoes as he followed me with his lips. Gasps and cries of pleasure filled the room as Black took ownership of me in a way that was more tender and joyful than anything I had ever experienced. He worshipped at my altar, held me up on my pedestal and drank deeply of my waters. Black slipped his tongue into my tight tunnel, plundering my depths even as I exploded upon him, my fingers wrapping through his hair as I pulled him hard against my core, his tongue probing and tasting me like a starving man who’d been given the finest of meals. Blue eyes stared up at me, the water losing it’s heat as my hands reached down and stroked his cheek. How long had we been in here like this? Time didn’t seem to have meaning anymore… My body screamed out, too sensitive, but Black seemed to understand, simply laying pressure against it as I quivered and shook. Just being here with him was the greatest thing that had ever happened to me, and his masterful touch had brought me over in the most incredible way. All thoughts of Jude washed away like the water down the drain.
Black pulled back, lathering himself up and rinsing off as I stayed still, my back pressed to the tile and breath coming in gasps. His rock hard erection stood proudly as I watched him clean off, but he made no further move toward me. I almost wished he would spin me around and spank me again, but before I could catch my breath enough to make demands, he’d stepped back out of the shower and wrapped himself in a towel.
“Get yourself dressed sweetheart, I’ve got something I want to show you…”
I sighed, stepping forward into the now rapidly cooling water, rinsing off the last of the body wash. What in the world does Black want to show me? I thought to myself, turning the water off and stepping into the warm and steamy bathroom. Black had left me a towel, folded up on the countertop. I cleaned myself off, wrapping my hair up in it before stepping back into the bedroom.
“Goddamn baby, we’re never gonna get anything done if you keep walking around like that…”
Black was busy trying to tuck his thick cock into a tight pair of jeans, his shirtless body dripping of sex appeal.
“Maybe I don’t want to get anything done,” I said, grinning. “Can’t we stay in just a little longer?”
“You’re gonna kill me honey, you know that, right?”
“You keep saying that...”
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Hours passed before Black managed to get his pants back on, and I definitely needed another shower. Finally clean again, I finished combing through my hair, pulling it into a simple braid before stepping back into the bedroom. Marcus grabbed me up, giving my ass a light smack that stung through my denim as I laughed at him, our lips crashing together into a soft kiss.
“So, what is it you wanted to show me?” I asked, the grin permanently plastered across my face.
“What, we’re not staying in bed all day?”
“Don’t tempt me,” I replied, teasing him as I bit my bottom lip.
“It’s ok, we need to talk.”
We need to talk.
The words rolled around in my head. Rarely did that sentence lead to happy memories. The last time Jude needed to talk I ended up with a black eye. Maybe Black saw it in my eyes, because he reached out and put his hand softly onto my shoulder.
“Relax sweetheart, everybody is lying low for a few days and I just want to spend a little time with my lady… You’ve come crashing into my life and I don’t even know your last name.”
My head spun, the realities of the last few days settling in around me. Black was right. All this craziness and adrenaline and fear and sex, I had to be totally out of my mind!
“It’s Love…”
“What?” Black asked, staring at me quizzically.
“Kattlyn Love,” I whispered back, lost in his icy blues. Love was my maiden name, but with Jude gone, I didn’t want to so much as utter his filthy last name. Even thinking about him made me shudder.
“It suits you Kattlyn Love… Now how about we get out of here?”
“I’ll follow you anywhere,” I replied, smiling as he took my hand. Soon we were strolling through the warehouse like two teenaged lovers, my hand clasped in his.
“It looks different,” I said, staring around the space. The floor sparkled, and the bar was empty. Most of the bikes were gone as well, only a few Rampant were visible, both of them guarding the main door.
“Like I said, we’re running clean for a little bit until this last little deal goes through. Heat is on after what happened with the Kings, the LAPD isn’t going to let that slide. Right now there’s nothing to link it to us, but I’m not about to give them any reason to go poking around if they decide to show up and check us over.”
“What about the little business in back?” I asked quietly. I’d seen the operation, and it was clear the moans weren’t coming from joyful back rubs.
“Already told you, that’s a legit massage parlor. Told the girls no happy endings till all this shit blows over. We’ll piss off a few repeat customers, but they’ll get over it. We’re handing out free rain checks for now.”
“So, what do you want to show me?” I asked, squeezing his hand in mine.
“Told you, it’s a surprise,” Black replied as we reached the far side of the warehouse. Totally opposite of the board room and the space Black had turned into his home was a separate closed off area beneath the upstairs bedrooms and bunk rooms used by the club members. Black pulled the door open and we stepped inside, his hand reaching over to press a button against the wall. Light spilled into the space as a power garage door opened, revealing his sleek looking long and low four door sedan. I traced its lines with my eyes, the black sedan ending with a chrome leaping cat on the front of the hood. I’d ridden in it, sure, but this was the first time I really stopped to appreciate its lines.
It was beautiful… Beautifully sinister.
Black pulled a key from his pocket, unlocking the doors as he walked me around to the passenger side, letting me in so I could sink back into the dark leather seat. Soon, he’d made his way around the drivers side and joined me, the key bringing the beast to life.
We rocketed out of the roll-up and toward the coast. Black opened the sunroof and I took in a deep breath of the cool and fresh humid air.
“So… Does this mean we’re dating now?”
Black stared at me, giving me a stern look that made us both laugh. Clearly, we’d left dating far behind. Black was more than a rebound fuck, and staring into his eyes I could see his concern for my safety.
“So tell me Kattlyn, why the hell was a good girl like you hanging round with Jude?”
I took a deep breath, shrinking in my seat. Black pressed the throttle, rocketing us from another red light, the rush of acceleration exhilarating.
“The bad girl in me wanted a bad boy… I was stupid. I got trapped…”
Black glanced over at my trembling hands, shaking his head. “You could have left him behind.”
“Jude said he wouldn’t live without me. You don’t understand what he’s capable of.”
“No, I think I figured that out,” Black said, reaching across and rubbing his shoul
der. “He’s a crazy fucker. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
“I made my mistakes. It’s over now,” I whispered, as if saying the words would make it true.
“Ever have any dreams Kattlyn?”
I thought about the nightmare… About Jude dropping me off the cliff. My breath caught in my throat.
“Not those kind of dreams sweetheart,” Black said, noticing my hesitation, “have you ever wanted to be part of something bigger?”
“You’ll think I’m silly…”
“Never sweetheart. I will never think you’re silly.”
“I like arranging flowers.”
Black glanced over again, the car stopped at another intersection, a funny smile on his face.
“I know, I told you it’s silly.”
“Big bad girl Kattlyn wants to be a florist?”
