by Franca Storm
“I don’t think you’re an asshole. You just like other people to only see that side of you.”
He smiles and murmurs, “Yeah.”
And then he closes his eyes and he’s out. Asleep again.
I’m just left staring at him, my mouth agape, trying to wrap my head around what he’s just said to me. He thinks I’m too good for him? He thinks he’s not good enough for me?
Well, I didn’t see this coming.
***
I wake up with a start.
What? When did I fall asleep?
“Hey.”
Startled by the unfamiliar sound of a voice in my house, I jerk my head to the side to see Runner eyeing me.
Oh crap. We’re in bed together.
And it’s even worse than just lying in bed beside one another.
His arm is around me and I’m snuggled against his chest, my head on his club tattoo and our faces just inches from touching.
His eyes are searching mine intensely. I see his gaze dip to my lips. Desire sparks in his eyes.
The next thing I know, I’m leaning in and pressing my lips to his.
It’s been so long since I’ve kissed a man, that my entire body starts trembling with nerves and my kiss is so hesitant that it’s barely there, barely any pressure. He doesn’t respond back, so I pull away, incredibly embarrassed.
But then I see the look on his face.
His eyes are half-closed and heavy with lust. “Damn…such soft fucking lips, darlin’.”
Really?
“Do it again.”
“I….”
He looks down at himself and the gauze taped over his wound. “I can’t be doing much right now, yeah? But I want your lips on mine, so you’re gonna have to be the one to—”
My mouth is back on his before he can finish his sentence.
Knowing he liked it has given me a confidence boost and I sink into the kiss this time. He groans as I part my lips and give him access. His tongue delves into my mouth and…oh my God…the way he kisses, the way he tastes me, the way his tongue moves with mine…it’s so unbelievably sensual and intense. It steals my breath and I’m gasping, gasping for air, but not wanting this to end at the same time.
A loud, aggressive knock on the front door startles me and I pull back.
“Jesus fuck, Sarah,” he breathes in awe.
The knocking sounds again and I scramble off the bed. I look down to see that I’m still dressed in my same clothes from last night. I must’ve just fallen asleep from exhaustion then.
I walk out of the bedroom and hurry down the hall to the front door.
Tensing and wondering who could be standing on the other side, I force myself to take a deep breath before I peer through the peephole.
Thank goodness.
It’s a friendly face.
I open the door and Ax walks in. He’s the husband of my friend, Roxana. He’s also the President of the Black Thorns MC. Runner’s boss and best friend.
“Where’s he at?” he barks out, not even bothering with any small talk at all. Wow, bikers are incredibly blunt.
I point down the hall and tell him, “Last door on the left.”
He rushes off in that direction, eating up the distance so quickly with his long, powerful strides, that I struggle to catch up with him.
He walks in through the open door of my bedroom and I follow behind.
“Fuck, Runner,” he says, approaching the bed.
“Nice to see you too, Prez.”
“How did you know he was here?” I wonder out loud.
“I texted him. You were sleeping,” Runner tells me.
“Oh. Okay.”
Ax carefully pulls back the gauze over Runner’s stitches and takes a look at his wound. He curses to himself.
“The wound’s sorted out. He’s going to be fine. He just needs to rest,” I inform him.
He nods and asks Runner worriedly, “How you doing with the pain?”
It sounds like he knows about Runner’s anti-painkiller thing then. Why else would he be asking that question? I wonder what the full story really is there.
“I can deal.”
“Sure?”
“If I couldn’t, what’s the alternative, huh?” Runner snaps, getting pissed off suddenly.
Ax holds up his hands. “All right. I’m sorry.”
Runner blows out a breath.
Ax scrubs his hand over his face for a moment and then he turns to me and says, “Thanks for taking care of him. We got it from here.”
“We?”
“The club.”
“Oh, well, he can rest here for as long as he needs. It’s no bother.”
“Won’t be necessary. Taking him now,” Ax says, leaning over the bed and taking hold of Runner.
Before I can get a word out, Ax is fully supporting his weight and carrying him out of the room. Wow, he’s incredibly strong.
“Wait!” Runner cries out.
“What?” Ax grunts.
“Put two guys on her.”
“No! I don’t need bodyguards.”
But they both completely ignore that and Ax nods and tells Runner, “Relax. Got it.”
They walk out of my bedroom. I hear Ax’s heavy footsteps thundering down the hall. A moment later, the front door slams and that’s it.
They’re gone like they were never here.
And once again my house is silent.
Too silent.
Chapter 5
~Runner~
“Neil! Help him, will you?” Rox yells from the entryway into their house.
“All good, darlin’,” I tell her, gripping my cane tightly.
Ax comes running up to us a second later. “Jesus, babe. It’s clear to me where our daughter gets her mouth from.”
Rox gives him a look, but it disappears the second he leans down to her and kisses Ava in her arms. Smooth bastard. Knows how to keep his woman happy. Even a woman as difficult and as mouthy as Rox. Woman’s a crazy little ball buster. No way I could do that shit. But he likes that ‘bout her and gets off on her fire and that smart mouth of hers.
He looks at me and rolls his eyes. “Come here,” he says, giving me his arm to use as support.
I slap it away with my free hand. “I got this.”
“Runner, don’t be ridiculous,” Rox tells me.
“Ain’t, darlin’. Just gotta be on my feet when I can. Get back to myself, yeah?”
She blows out a breath. “It’s too soon, but whatever.” She turns with Ava and walks into the house, heading to the living room straight ahead.
“Can’t believe I gotta use this fucking thing,” I mutter as Ax walks with me. “Feel like an old man.”
“You ain’t no spring chicken no more.”
“Fuck you.”
“Late thirties, man. Maybe this is your wakeup call.”
“What?”
“You know? To settle down and shit?”
That has me stopping right there in the living room doorway. My eyes go to Rox sitting there on the couch with their six-month old and then back to Ax who looks worn down and exhausted. “No fucking thank you.”
He gets my meaning right away. I can tell by the pissed look in his eyes.
He gets in my face and lowers his voice so Rox don’t hear as he tells me, “I ain’t tired and looking like shit, cuz I got a baby and a wife now. It’s cuz you kept me up all night with your shit. I was fucking worried ‘bout you when you hung up like that and didn’t bother calling back. Tried to track you all damn night. And what I got with Rox? You see it as jail or some shit. Farthest thing from that, brother. I got a woman who’s got my back, no matter what. She accepts the asshole in me, along with the rest. A woman who can give me one fucking look and my dick’s rock hard for her. A woman who cares ‘bout what I like and what gets me off when we fuck. A woman who loves me. Cares. The whole package.” He draws back a bit as he says, “What you got is a bunch of whores who just climb onto your dick so they can get an in with
the club, say they’ve fucked a member. Ain’t it getting tired, Runner? Ain’t it getting too fucking cold for you now?”
“You fucker!” I roar, losing my shit and slamming my free hand into his chest.
The baby starts crying then and Rox yells, “We’re not at the clubhouse now! Knock it off! Now!”
“Lucky we ain’t at the clubhouse, or you’d be in shit for taking a shot at your Prez,” Ax grunts.
“Neil! I’m serious. Take it down. You’re scaring Ava.”
That has him stepping back and backing off. He rubs the overgrown stubble on his chin and says, “Look, I’m sorry. I invited you over for dinner and I’m being a dick. Just…what you said—”
“I got under your skin. I’m sorry. Being messed up like this ain’t putting me in the best of moods, yeah? My bad.”
He holds out his hand and I take it. We shake hard.
“Respect, yeah?”
I nod. “Respect.”
“Good,” Rox says, coming over with Ava. “I’m going to put this little one down and come join you.”
She takes off and Ax moves into me and takes most of my weight, helping me into their dining room.
***
“You order this in?” I ask between mouthfuls of the steak dinner in front of me.
“No way. I cooked it,” Ax tells me.
“He knows how to cook a mean steak,” Rox says, rubbing his shoulder.
He smiles and winks at her as he goes to town on his food.
It’s still really weird to me that he cooks and she don’t. Way I were raised, the wife does the cooking and shit. But it ain’t like that with the two of ‘em. It’s hard for me to wrap my head ‘round. “You know who else can cook? Sarah.”
“It’s kind of her job,” Rox chuckles.
“She cooked me something not on the diner menu.”
“Really?” Rox asks, all interested. “What?”
“I dunno. Some pie? Pot pie thing? All I know is it weren’t on the menu.”
She grins. “She must really like you.”
Ax eyes me across the table, giving me a look like he knows there’s more to the story. “Seems like a good woman.”
“So, what’s up with her and that shit-head ex of hers?” I ask Rox.
“She’s never told me the whole story, but I know he used to knock her around.”
“Yeah, I got that much. How bad?”
“She’s been in the hospital over it.”
“Jesus Christ,” Ax mutters. “Fucking psycho.”
“I know,” Rox agrees.
“What you think the other night were all ‘bout then? What’s he coming after her for?”
“She ran from him. I helped her to stay hidden in Brockford. Until now.” She puts down her cutlery and sits back in her chair with a heavy sigh.
“Babe, weren’t your fault,” Ax tells her.
“No, it was yours.”
“What?” he barks, slamming down his cutlery too.
Oh shit.
“You should’ve told me that you had eyes on Eddie Torvin. I could’ve done something. I could’ve hidden her again. Pulled her out of there.”
“Nah, Rox,” I cut in. “Don’t think she woulda wanted that. She loves that diner.”
“Torvin was just on our watch list, Rox. He ain’t been making no moves to warrant club interference,” Ax explains. “Weren’t nothing to tell. You feel me?”
“Fine,” she mutters.
“We put eyes on her now. She ain’t there unprotected.”
“Who?”
“Two prospects.”
“Prospects?” she scoffs. “That’s the best you could do?”
“What you want, babe? Want me to send Smiter down there to act as her bodyguard? Take our best security off the job at the clubhouse for some broad who ain’t even connected to the club?”
“We should hit that fucker,” I end up blurting out. As soon as I hear my own words and see Ax’s pissed reaction, I regret it.
“Club business,” he growls at me.
“Sorry. I just—”
“You just what? Why you so fucking hung up on this still? You got out with your life and only just. Should be counting yourself lucky for it and lucky Torvin ain’t come after the club, cuz of what you did without club backing! You’re already on forced leave, cuz of it, yeah? Wanna make it worse than that?”
“I’m worried ‘bout her, all right?” I yell, slamming my fist down on the table.
“So, this shit’s all ‘bout you chasing pussy then?”
Rox shoots to her feet, kicks back her chair and glares at him with disgust.
“Babe, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“Save it, Neanderthal!” she yells, before storming outta the room.
Ax scrubs his hand over his face. “Shit.” He glares at me. “Thanks.”
“I’m sorry. But, really? Chasing pussy? Did you seriously just say that shit in front of your wife?”
“Just came out. Old habits and all that.” He blows out a breath. “What’s going on with you? Why you all over this situation with Sarah? She’s all you talked ‘bout all night, brother. Something you wanna tell me? You like her, yeah?”
“What?”
“She ain’t your usual type. Ain’t one of your whores. Makes me think you don’t just wanna fuck her then. Like you got a thing for her.”
Looking at him, I can tell how badly he wants that to be true. ‘Course he does. He’s my best friend and the closest brother to me outta the whole club. Wants the best for me. More than a string of meaningless fucks. More than me giving all the club whores a ride on my cock. A lot more. Wants me to settle down and get something like he’s got with Rox.
But…shit…I can’t fucking go there.
Admitting it to him is gonna make it real and I ain’t ready for that.
I force a laugh and slump back in my chair. “Hell, no. You were right the first time. Just chasing pussy, Ax. Felt like a challenge. Bit of a change to club whores, yeah? All it is.”
He sighs. “All right,” he says, clearly disappointed.
I hate that look. Don’t wanna be seeing it. I grab my cane and struggle to my feet. “Gotta take a leak.”
“You need help?”
That has me bursting out laughing. “Gonna hold my dick for me, are ya?”
He rolls his eyes. “I meant with getting down the hall, dickhead.”
“Nah. All good.”
***
Shit.
Been leaning against the sink in their fancy-ass bathroom for God knows how long. Whole thing’s brand new. Frosted glass and chrome with one of ‘em porn showers too. I can just imagine the dirty shit that goes on in there, knowing the way Ax is and knowing how feisty Rox is.
I shake my head. Damn, I’m messed up if I’m thinking ‘bout other people’s sex lives now.
I just been staring in the mirror thinking Ax is right ‘bout me not being no spring chicken no more.
Damn wrinkles are coming in good now. My hair’s looking good as usual, spiked with gel. But I can see the gray there. Gotta dye it again. Hell, if the boys knew I been doing that for a couple of years now, I’d never hear the end of it. Would be hilarious to ‘em all.
Worst of all is this messed up thing with the whores at the club not doing it for me no more. I figured I were just bored of the same old pussy. It’s why I been heading down to Brockford and screwing ‘round at Temptress so much lately. But even those different tits and ass weren’t getting me going.
Is this some kinda mid-life crisis bullshit?
Most shocking thing is that mousey, shy Sarah, did get my dick hard. The woman barely even touched me and she had it ready and raring to go. What the hell’s that all ‘bout?
And why can’t I get her outta my head?
Those real soft lips of hers. That mouth. The way she tasted so damn sweet.
Waking up and finding her sleeping in my arms, her hair all over my chest, were a shock and a half. In a good way. Didn�
�t wanna move, cuz I didn’t want her to wake up and take her warmth away. It were all new to me. The innocence of it all. Weren’t ‘bout no down and dirty sex stuff. It were just…nice.
I gotta get a grip here. It were just different. That’s all. I’m just gonna chalk it up to that.
I blow out a breath and lift my t-shirt. Been a week or so and my damn stab wound’s aching like a bitch. Persistent day and night. Can’t sleep at night without downing half a bottle of Jack just to get me numb enough to ride it out.
I need something to take the edge off. Just for one fucking night at least. I just need a break.
Before I realize what I’m doing, I reach out and open Rox and Ax’s bathroom cabinet.
Right there, I see ‘em. The pain pills Smiter gave Ax when he got shot a few months back. For his shoulder. They ain’t that strong. Don’t give you much of a high, but they get the job done of killing the pain for a few hours.
Might be okay then. No high. If I don’t feel that it should be all right. It’s the high that messes with my head.
I reach for the bottle.
As soon as my fingers wrap ‘round it, I jerk my hand back quick.
“Jesus Christ,” I gasp, real freaked that I just did that.
I step back and slump against the wall, closing my eyes tightly as I fight to get a grip. I’m sweating.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
A knock at the door scares the crap outta me.
“Runner? You okay in there?” Rox calls.
Fuck.
“Yeah. Fine,” I call back, my voice strained and raspy. Great.
“You sure?” she presses, clearly picking up that I ain’t.
“Can’t a man take a piss in peace, darlin’?”
“Sorry. You’ve just been in there a while.”
“I…yeah…stab wound. Hard to move.” I need her to go so I can get my shit together. That’s why I add, “Takes a while to get my cock out, Rox. You wanna give me a hand, I ain’t gonna say no.”
Ax is gonna kill me if she tells him I just said that shit to her.
But it works like I knew it would. I hear her cursing me, then taking back off down the hall.
Thank fuck for that.
Jesus, I gotta get outta here and clear my damn head.
