Even before the crack from Duke bringing down the wood gavel onto the table cleared the air, they were up and moving. While they still had hours before Porter could possibly arrive, they had a ton to get ready. Viper headed straight for Krista when he cleared the doorway. He snagged her hand and tugged her down the hall to where the laundry and dry-goods room was.
With the door shut behind them, he hauled her into his arms to hold her tight. Burying his nose in her hair, Viper breathed in deeply. “Porter’s disappeared.” Since he’d been keeping her up to date on everything going on, she’d know exactly what that meant. The jolt he felt from her had him tightening his hold on her.
“What do you need me to do?” she asked quietly.
Fucking hell, he was proud of her. She sounded scared but was pushing through it. “Make a list, anything and everything we’re going to need. We’re going into lockdown again tonight once the businesses close up shop. No idea how long this one might last, so be liberal on whatever you think we’ll need to feed the group. Plan for a solid week and we’ll go from there.”
She squeezed him in return before lifting her chin to look at him. Her grey eyes were darker, stormy almost, but she met his gaze straight on. “I’ll get Mom to help me out. Who’s going shopping?”
“Kip and the prospects will go. Make sure it’s clear what you need. They’re not exactly known for being the brightest bulbs in the box when it comes to such things.”
“Course they aren’t. It’s woman’s work after all, right?”
Dangerous question, that. “We both know that women are a mite smarter than the average male when it comes to such things like groceries. You all seem to instinctively know what to get whereas we grab the first things we see and pray it’s right unless otherwise told differently.”
Her lips twitched before curving up slightly. “Damn, Viper, when did you get so smart? That was a pretty good answer, by the way.”
“Thank you, and I have always been this smart. Most folks never realize it, though.”
“Then they are morons.” Pressing up on her toes, she kissed his chin. When she would have pulled away, he held on and lowered his head to give her a deep kiss. He had to. Like breathing in whenever she was near, he had to touch and kiss her. He’d been behaving in front of her father; he let loose his needs when they were behind closed doors. Any door would do, really.
“After lockdown tonight, I plan to strip you naked and take you hard.” The shiver Krista gave had him smiling slowly. “I think I’ll spank you before I fuck you hard and fast.”
“Promises, promises.” Her voice was husky with need. “I will hold you to that, Viper, and you damn well better follow through.”
“I always follow through with my promises, sweetheart. I don’t make many, and those I do I keep to the letter. Pretty much why I have made only a few, mostly to you.”
She gave him a curious look. “Really?”
“Yes, really. You seem surprised, Krista.”
“Yeah, you could say that. Not about you being the sort of man who takes things like a promise seriously, but that you make most promises to me. I would have thought the club would be a higher priority than little old me.”
“The club has a standing promise from me: that I will be there always to do whatever is necessary and stand by my brothers. It covers a lot, if you think about it. But you are trickier. I can’t give you a blanket promise to cover all the bases. Some things need to be individual and specific. Tailored, if you will.”
His answer earned him another kiss from her. “You’re an interesting and complex man. I can’t wait to learn more about you.”
“We have plenty of time.” He gave her one more kiss while cupping her ass. A last squeeze, and he released her to get on with her task. Viper had his own list to see to, and while he’d rather stay close to her, it wouldn’t work. Later, though, he’d find her, and then he’d have her.
Chapter Nineteen
Swiping the cloth over the counters one last time, Krista checked the kitchen for any stray dishes. She wasn’t worried about anything still out in the main room with the members or women; those could be done in the morning. She hung up the cloth to dry and swiped her palms down her jeans.
Breakfast was ready in the fridge. It only needed to be thrown in the oven by whoever woke first. She’d even left clear, simple instructions on top for what was required. Which meant she only had one thing left to do: find Viper and haul his ass upstairs. He’d promised her some naked time, and she damn well wasn’t about to waste a second.
Only problem when she left the kitchen was that he was in discussion with a couple members in the corner that looked serious. While she knew he’d never turn her away if she went over, if he was discussing the safety of everyone in the clubhouse, it was better he come find her. He’d know where she’d gotten off to.
Krista turned for the stairs and found her father sitting at the top watching her. The urge to rub her palms over her thighs from sudden nerves was strong and hard to resist, but she managed. She headed up the steps and eased down next to him. They really hadn’t talked since the discussion in his office four days earlier, and she didn’t know what to say either way.
For a time, her dad sat in silence, a warm and comforting presence at her side. Then he heaved out a heavy breath and rubbed his hand over his hair. “When you were six, if you’d mouthed off like that to me I could have sent you to your room. If you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m having some trouble coming to terms with the fact you’re a grown woman. In my eyes you will always be that little girl with the crooked pigtails, a huge smile on her face, throwing herself into my arms to swing her around while laughing hysterically. I’m not ready for you to be an adult yet, Krista. Let alone having a man in your life, damn it.”
The growl that accompanied the last words had her wiggling in closer and wrapping her hands around his large bicep. Resting her cheek to his shoulder, she smiled, knowing full well he couldn’t see it. “It’s not like I went from six to twenty-six overnight, Daddy. It was a gradual thing. Natural too.”
“Doesn’t fucking matter,” he grumbled. “You’re my baby girl. Always have been and always damn well will be.”
“I know,” she whispered. Squeezing his arm, she turned her face up to look at him. “But I am an adult now, Daddy. You and Momma raised me to know my own mind, to know that every action has consequences, and to accept whatever they were. You taught me to be strong. I know this isn’t what you wanted for me. It wasn’t planned. But it is my choice, and I hope, in time, you’ll come to understand and accept it. To be happy for me.”
He was quiet for a long time. She knew he was mulling over her words, and working through it in his own way. Her father was predictable in many ways—in others, not so much. “Do you love him?”
The question shouldn’t have been a surprise, but it did startle her. Turning her head to look over at Viper, she nodded. “Yeah, pretty sure I do. Didn’t plan on that either.” Krista fell silent for a couple breaths before deciding on full disclosure. “When I was a teenager, he was the bad boy personified. Everything that I shouldn’t want and yet did. But like any teenage girl, I had my crushes on any number of guys. In my school, in my favorite bands, random strangers I saw at the mall and knew I’d never see again. Time and again, it all came back to Viper. When I got older, I started to compare the men I encountered to him. They all fell short in some way. I don’t know if it was because even then I knew in my heart I wouldn’t be happy with anyone but him and was making excuses. Whatever it was, they didn’t stack up. I also compared him to my role model all men have to match up to.”
“Who’s that?”
“Like you don’t know.” Punching his arm lightly, she grinned. “You, Daddy. Every little girl compares the boy or man she is interested in with the man who raised her. Especially when he’s a good man like you are. I know you’ve done some questionable things with the club. That’s not what I’m talking about. You were there for me,
Nico, and Mom. You were there for all my recitals, all his games, and even the fair Mom chairs every year. Not because you liked it all. Trust me, I saw your face a time or two to back that up, but you did it because you’re a good man. He might not be quite what you’d hoped I’d latch onto, but in my mind he’s a damn near perfect second to my male role model.”
When Duke remained quiet, Krista took a peek up at him to find his cheeks pink in embarrassment, she was guessing. She knew her father wasn’t always comfortable with the flowery compliments she or her mother threw his way from time to time. But he did look rather pleased with himself. “I do have one request, Daddy.”
“What’s that, baby girl?”
“Don’t go beating on my man again. You do and you’ll see that I got Mom’s crazy gene when I come at you like a spider monkey on crack.”
Duke made a choking sound before the laughter burst out. He pulled his arm free from her hold and wrapped it around her shoulders, squeezing her in close. “You do have your mother’s way with words. I’ll give you that much.”
“Love you too, Daddy.” Snuggling in against his chest, she met Viper’s gaze across the room. Krista gave him a wink and held tighter to her father. They were going to be okay. Her father might not like the relationship, but he was already swaying to the understanding that if she was happy, that was all that mattered. It would take some time, and she was okay with that. Until then, she would lead her life and do whatever made her happy.
Krista pressed a kiss to her dad’s scruffy cheek. “I’m going to grab a bath while he’s still working. You should go shave. That scruff can’t be good on Mom’s sensitive skin.”
While he was sitting with his mouth wide open and staring at her, aghast, she popped up and headed for Viper’s room. Snickering, Krista shut the door and headed for the bathroom. She hadn’t been kidding about wanting a bath. Some hot water, bubbles, and low lighting were exactly what she needed to relax from the day. It would also give her the time to do some maintenance and ensure she was ready for whatever Viper had planned for the night.
First thing she did was turn off the lights in the bedroom, and turn on a side-table lamp to its lowest setting. Drapes were next, and then she went to start the water. While the tub filled, she dug out what she’d need and stripped down. Easing into the water five minutes later, she let out a happy sigh. The heat felt good on her stiff muscles.
She’d been spending all her time at the clubhouse since the initial lockdown. Krista wasn’t someone that liked to be idle for too long. Even when she’d gone on vacation the two times—once in school and then before college—she’d only taken the last day on each to chill. All the other days she’d been out seeing and doing things. Unfortunately, she could only scrub down the clubhouse so many times, and to date it had done a number on her muscles. At least she wouldn’t have to go to the gym anytime in the near future.
A soft sound pulled her from her daze and had her lifting her head. “Viper?”
“Yeah, it’s me.” He stuck his head around the door. She could feel the heat from his gaze as he took in her naked, reclined form in the tub. “I needed to grab a couple things, but I have to head back down no matter how much I want to join you right now.”
A quick look to the front of his jeans proved he really wanted to hop into the bath. Krista had a wicked thought flit through her head, and because he was hers, she ran with it. Stretching out a leg, she arched her back to lift her breasts from the water. “Shame you can’t stay.”
His low growl had her pussy clenching. “You are a minx, and you’ll pay for teasing me later. Now I have to go deal with this with a fucking raging hard-on.” One last look, several curses, and he left her to it.
“Hurry back, lover,” she called after him. The hard slam of the door had her chuckling. Yes, she fully expected some payback later for her teasing, but damn, she couldn’t find it in herself to be sorry. Not one little bit. Humming softly under her breath, she got to work preparing for whatever was to come, her body already anticipating it.
Chapter Twenty
An hour later than he’d planned, Viper finally headed up to his room. He knew the main reason for that delay had been the lack of blood in his brain. The other members had been rather amused when he’d returned and been less than his usual bright self. Apparently they were getting a fucking kick out of him being goofy about his girl. Krista was already trashing his hard-earned bad-ass reputation, and he couldn’t even be mad at her for it.
The woman knew she had power over him and was starting to flex those muscles. It was fucking sexy as hell, if he was honest with himself. Not that he planned to share that revelation with her anytime soon. She already held too much sway over him, and he wasn’t about to give her more ammo.
Laughter from downstairs had him pausing. He couldn’t make out actual words, but the low drone from the voices was comforting. Things were winding down and everyone was settling in for the night around the clubhouse. While the rooms upstairs could accommodate the members and their families, everyone else would have to make do with the bunkhouse-style bedding on the main floor.
He slipped inside his room and quickly shut and locked the door behind him. The lights, except for the one table lamp, were off and soft music filled the space. His attention was riveted to the bed when he spied Krista lying there. Buck-ass naked. She drew her knees up and then let them fall to the sides, giving him an uninterrupted view of her pussy. The pink flesh was damp with arousal.
It took some effort to tear his gaze from the intoxicating sight and look further up her body. Her nipples were tight buds, dark against the light golden color her skin held from the sun. She didn’t have tan lines. The random thought had his cock pressing harder against his zipper. He’d have to ask her about that and how exactly she managed it. Viper wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to know.
His gaze finally landed on her face and found her looking amused. A quick swipe from her pink tongue over her lips had his balls tightening. He reached over his head he grabbed his t-shirt and tore it off, then dropped it to the floor. Next went his boots, and then he got his jeans down, pushing off his socks at the same time. Naked, he stalked to the bed and crawled up between her legs.
“I was wondering if you were ever going to join me.”
Krista looked and sounded relaxed—sleepy, even. Viper stroked his hands up her shins and pressed against her knees to push them further apart. “Someone had me all distracted, fucking with my thought process, and it delayed me.”
Damn but she looked pleased by the admission. “I would say I’m sorry, but I’m not. I was hoping it would be inspiration for you to hurry up. Oops.”
As he stroked his fingers down the soft skin of her inner thighs, Viper watched her flesh quiver under his touch. He knew the callouses on his palms had to be rough on her tender skin, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. Her hips rolled slightly, and her arousal hit him in the face. Fucking hell, he loved the smell, knowing he’d done that to her, and that it was all for him.
Without warning, he swooped down to put his mouth on her pretty pussy. Her strangled scream only encouraged him. As did the tight grip she took on his hair, her short nails scraping against his scalp. Sucking on her clit, he wasn’t surprised when she came against his mouth. His Krista had a hair trigger whenever it came to her first orgasm. She’d be able to hold out for the second one now, he knew.
With that in mind, he settled in to feast on her pussy. Licking, nibbling, and teasing her folds and clit, he pressed a finger, and then a second, into her sheath to stroke her. The grip she still had on his hair let him know how she was doing. The tighter it got, the closer she was to the edge. When that happened, he’d ease off a little to calm her before going back in full bore.
“Viper, for fuck’s sake, let me come.” Her demand was breathless but also held a desperate plea. Unable to resist, her he gave her what she wanted, and when she headed for the peak, he didn’t slow down. Viper pumped his fingers in harder,
faster and tormented her clit until she went screaming over the edge his name on her lips.
Only when she collapsed in a quivering pile on the bed, her fingers slipping bonelessly from his hair, did he draw back from cleaning up all she’d given him. Licking his lips, he sat back on his heels to observe her. Her skin was flushed, her chest rising and falling with each desperate breath, and she looked well satisfied. His cock gave a twitch at the sight.
He leaned over and gave her a slow kiss, knowing she could taste herself on his lips and tongue. She didn’t shy from it, which pleased him. He never wanted her to be embarrassed by anything they did or shared together behind closed doors. That she was open to anything and everything stoked his own pleasure to frightening heights.
He drew back despite her murmured plea for another kiss. Viper had plans for her tonight, and she wasn’t going to sway him from them. He gathered up her pillows and knew she was watching him curiously while he stacked them by her hip. Then he flipped her over onto her belly, lifted her up by her waist, and shoved the pile underneath her. When he settled her down, her ass was in the air at the perfect height and her weight rested mainly on her shoulders and upper chest.
Viper gently brushed her hair off her face and saw her watching him with a question now written all over her face. “I promised you a spanking before I fucked you hard and fast. I also told you that I keep my promises. Especially to you, sweetheart.”
Surprise and then pure need were what he read in her expression. Krista licked her lips and shifted slightly. “I like the fact you keep your promises. But I have to say, I’m not seeing any action to go with that promise.”
Viper (Scoundrels MC #1) Page 10
