by April Lust
“So are you.” His hand came up and covered my own, stilling my exploration just as I reached for the buckle on his jeans. “And as a grown woman, you need to understand a few things.” He gently pushed me down to sit on my bed. Planting his hands on either side of me, his nose nearly touched mine. “If you look at me like that, touch me like that, I’m going to take that to mean you want me to rip this towel off you and fuck you until you scream so loud your neighbors come banging on the door.” If he meant it as a threat, it wasn’t working.
“Maybe I do.” I found my voice.
His lips curled at the edges, and he shook his head. His eyes grazed over my body, settling on where my hand still gripped the towel. “Take off the towel.” He stepped back to give me room.
The harshness of his voice suggested I shouldn’t argue, and truth be told I didn’t want to anyway. I stood on shaky legs and untucked the towel, letting it drop to the floor at my feet. The back of his hands brushed against my pebbled nipples. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath at the strong current of arousal just his simple touch could evoke in me.
“Unbuckle my belt.” He made no move to touch me again, and he laughed at my little pout of disappointment. He always could tell my thoughts even when I wasn’t looking at him. “Don’t worry, you’ll get what you want. So long as you’re good.”
I wanted to ask him what he meant by that, but I focused on his belt instead. The heady desire in my body built with every second of his eyes on me. The belt finally came loose and I moved to work the round silver button but his hands stilled mine.
“I didn’t say to unbutton them. I said to unbuckle the belt. Now remove it from my jeans and hand it to me.” I did look up at him then, searching his expression for anger. He grinned at me. “Go on, Lauren. Give me my belt.” His arms crossed over his chest.
Taking a small step back, I pulled the leather strip through the belt loops of his jeans. I ran the thick leather through my fingers as I doubled it over and offered it to him. My insides were shaking, but I could feel more than a little moisture building between my legs.
He uncrossed his arms and took the belt from my hands, his eyes never leaving my face. I tried to avert my eyes, to ignore the hard lust in his eyes, but as much as his demanding stare brought my nerves to attention, he was the safest place I ever knew. Nothing bad would happen to me with Michael with me. I knew that, and I knew that no matter what he was about to do with that belt of his, I was going to love it.
“Turn around.” He twirled one finger at me, showing me what he wanted me to do. I swallowed, gave a nod and obeyed. “Hands behind you.” Another curt order. The fan blew toward us from the dresser, the light breeze hardened my nipples more, making them tighter.
The belt pressed against my wrists as he ran the leather strap around my wrists, then slid it through the buckle. Metal jangled behind me, but when I tried to see over my shoulder at what he was doing, he delivered a hard slap to my bare ass. “Eyes forward.” He softened his hard command by placing a kiss to my turned cheek.
Around and around my wrists he ran the belt, until they were securely bound behind me. My shoulders gave a little pull at the positioning, and for a moment I was grateful for the horrible yoga and Pilates videos I forced myself to work through almost daily.
“Shit. Your shoulder.” He started to untie my wrists, but I yanked away, shaking my head.
“It’s fine. It doesn’t hurt anymore,” I protested. It was the truth; other than a vague ache, I had almost forgotten about it being injured.
“It’s not healed yet.” He ignored me and grabbed my upper arm, spinning me back around. With jerking motions that were more uncomfortable than if he had just left me, he unbound me. “Fuck, woman. You make me forget myself.” Under other circumstances it might have been a romantic comment, but he growled it, making it sound accusatory.
I yanked away from him again, spinning to look him in the eyes. “My fucking shoulder is fine. If you don’t want to do this, then just say that. Untie me and leave.”
Something flashed in his eyes that I had never seen before. His lips pressed together, turning white in his attempt to breathe through his nose. The eyes that I found so much comfort in not more than two minutes ago darkened and narrowed. Giving me the very distinct impression that the storm was building, and if I was smart, I would take cover. Except I was naked and still bound.
“You just yelled at me.” His lips curled into a smile, but it lacked warmth.
“I…I.” Where’d my tongue go? “Michael. I’m sorry.”
“I was going to undo your wrists and rebind you in the front to relieve any pressure on that shoulder, but then you pulled away and yelled at me.” He closed the space between us with one step and his hands dove into my hair, making me turn away from him again. With one hand, he managed to finish unbinding my hands. My insides told me to claw at him, to get his fist out of my hair but something else told me to stay put, that I’d done enough damage already.
“You’re hurting me,” I whispered, and covered his fist with my hand.
He dragged me back until I was pressed up against his chest. “Not yet, but if you ever raise your voice to me like that again, I will bend you over, strip you bare, and spank you until sitting down isn’t an option for days. Got me?” He gave my head a slight shake when I didn’t answer him right away. “I told you, I’m not that kid you knew in high school.”
“Yes! I got it, Michael.” My breath came faster, my throat burned from breathing through my open mouth. I could feel my nerve endings tingling and, most embarrassing, I felt liquid run down my inner thigh.
“Good. Now. Get dressed.” He placed a kiss to my cheek, and gave my earlobe a quick nip before releasing me.
I turned to face him. He already started putting his belt back in his pants. A panic ran through me. “I’m sorry. Really sorry,” I rushed out.
He grinned, warmer, but still not safe. “I know you are.” He winked.
“Michael.” I caught a glimpse of the bulge in his pants and immediately licked my lips. “Aren’t you…well…” I nodded toward his erection.
He gave a laugh. “Yep, I’m hard as fuck for you, but you didn’t play nice. You need to learn to listen to me.”
“What?” I breathed out. “You’re not going to fuck me because you’re punishing me?” I wanted to launch myself at him and slap him.
“That, and you’ll miss your class if we don’t get going.” Without another word, he walked out of the room. Leaving me standing in the bedroom, naked, and more aroused than I had ever been in my life. I wanted to scream at him until my throat split in half, but I knew Michael. I would have better luck changing the ocean tides than I would getting him to change his mind.
Besides, if he didn’t want me, that was fine. I lived just fine the past seven years without his touch. Although, to be fair, I never knew his touch like I did the night before. Damn him. But two could play his game.
Chapter Eleven
Michael
My mood only darkened more by the time I made it into the garage. Lauren wasn’t the only one left frustrated after I pulled the idea of sex off the table in her bedroom. My cock wouldn’t settle down, no matter how much cold water I threw on my face or how hard I tried to ignore the naked legs sitting next to me in the truck.
I was sure she thought I didn’t know what game she played by wearing that thin cotton dress that barely met her mid-thigh, but she didn’t know my history. Most the women I involved myself wore even less than that, and for the exact same reason: to get me hard and ready. Except with Lauren, the prize changed. I wasn’t looking to get in her panties, not yet, not until she learned she wasn’t in control here. No, I was looking for more with Lauren.
Fuck. I needed to get my head on straight. Nothing could go far with her. I needed to get her safe, be sure whoever was gunning for her was neutralized, and then I needed to split. She wouldn’t see it coming, I would need to warn her, to tell her we weren’t a thing, that no
matter how much we connected as kids, we were way too different now. I had a fucking past that would forever haunt me, and she was pure. She deserved someone who would buy her a big house, with a big yard, a dog and some kids. A man who would take care of her and make love to her, not tie her up, blindfold her, spank her and fuck her hard until they both gasped for air and she saw stars. No, she didn’t need a man like me.
“Hey, boss.” Tony didn’t even look up from the ledger he wrote in as I walked up to him.
“I have a job for you today.” I walked around the counter to the coffee pot. “Who made the coffee?” I picked up the carafe.
Tony snorted. “I did. It’s drinkable.” Leroy tried to do it sometimes, but it never failed that his pot came out more like mud than coffee.
Pouring myself a cup, wishing like hell I could slip a little whiskey into it to take the edge off my mood, I began to tell Tony about babysitting Lauren for the afternoon.
He pushed the leger aside and leaned against the counter. “Who is this chick?”
“Lauren is an old friend.” By his raised brow, I realized I must have spoken more harshly than I intended. “From high school.” I tried to soften my tone, but I’m pretty sure I failed miserably.
“You think this guy at her school’s gunning for her?”
I eyed him. Tony still ran with the Predators, not a full active member, but he was involved. “She was attacked last night. Matthew Schmidt.” I took a sip of my coffee.
He frowned. “Why the fuck would he attack her?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t get a chance to ask him. When I caught up to them, he had her pinned against the wall with a knife to her fucking throat. I didn’t exactly stop to ask for ID before I kicked the shit out of him. I recognized him after he was laid out flat on the ground.”
“Fuck.” He shook his head. “Makes no sense. Last meeting I went to, nothing big was going on, nothing other than standard business shit.”
“Yeah, but you’re only a part timer as far as Taylor is concerned. If he has some big plan that involves knifing innocent women in dark alleys, you wouldn’t be privy to it.”
The brotherhood that drew me to the club after getting out of juvie had quickly turned into separate groups once I settled myself in the club. There were those the president pulled in for his inner circle, those he sent out on the car theft runs, the illegal shit. The rest were left sitting in the background, voting on stupid shit like where to hold the next rally and when to have the chili cook off.
“What’s your next move?”
“Gonna pay Matthew a little visit this morning. Assuming he’s still nursing his wounds at that hell hole he calls an apartment. I need to be sure Lauren’s safe, so make sure you’re there before her class lets out. Wait for her in the hall. That Pierre asshat gets near her, you squeeze in there.”
“If she doesn’t want to come with me?”
“She knows you’ll be there, but if she gives you any trouble, just remind her of my promise when I dropped her off. That will get her ass in line. Take the truck, I don’t want her on a bike until I know that shoulder of hers is as healed as she claims.” The memory of her blushing red hot when I walked her to class started to make my dick ache for her again.
After spending the car ride inching her dress up her thigh, and giving me carefully planned seductive glances, I was ready to rip the dress off her and just give her what she wanted right there. But I needed her cooperation today. When we reached her class, I held her up from going inside, and pulled her around the corner, away from unwanted eyes. She’d looked up at me with surprise just before I pushed her against the wall and pressed my mouth on hers, slipping my hand under her hair, and fisting her hair just at her scalp.
She groaned beneath my lips and I thrust my tongue past her lips. The kiss was hard and I gave her no room to pull away, not that she would have. When I pulled away, she looked up at me with as much want and greed as she had in her bedroom. Fuck, she responded too well to my darker side. “Tony will pick you up after class and take you to the shelter. Text me and let me know what time you’re done there and I’ll pick you up. If you behave today, don’t give me or anyone I send to get you any shit, I’ll give you a real nice reward when I get you home tonight.”
Her breath washed over my face, she licked her lips. “What’s that?” She tried so hard to sound casual, but I kept my amusement to myself.
“I’ll bind your arms again, and your ankles. I’ll have you spread out on my bed, and I’ll lick that pretty pussy of yours until you come so hard you’ll forget your own name.” I still had her hair in my hand, and I wasn’t letting go yet. “Then, I’ll flip you over, and sink my cock so deep into you and you’ll come again. But only if you’re a good girl today.”
“That’s one hell of a reward.” She winced when I tightened my hold on her hair. “Heck! Heck of a reward,” she rectified.
My fingers loosened then slid out of her hair. “That’s a good girl.” I placed a tender kiss to her cheek. “Now get to class before you’re late, and stay away from Pierre.”
She nodded, then side-stepped her way out of my grasp. Just before she turned the corner she looked over her shoulder and gave me another nod. “Got it, sir.”
Damn brat.
“She won’t give you any trouble,” I reassured Tony. “Her class gets out at one. I’m hoping to be back a little after you get back. When you drop her at the shelter, walk her inside. Take no shit from her, inside, then you can leave.”
“Got it, boss.” Tony nodded then turned back to his ledger. “You gonna take Leroy with you to see Matthew?”
“Nope.” I dropped my coffee cup in the metal garbage can as I headed to the back door toward my bike. I saw him shaking his head, but he had the good sense to keep his mouth shut.
***
Matthew lived on the Southside, a good thirty minutes from the garage, even in light traffic. I made my way to the back of his building and parked my bike next to his. A good sign.
Taking the wooden steps up the fire escape two at a time, I got to his apartment at the top floor quickly. I listened through the door. Nothing. I raised my fist to pound on the door, and almost ended up pounding on his face, again, when it swung open.
His face probably couldn’t take another punch by the look of it. His right eye was swollen shut and a deep purple ring already started to form under it. A dark red line of crusted blood covered his fat nose, probably broken. He took one look at me and stepped back into his apartment, trying to slam the door closed on me. I put a hand out and muscled my way in.
I coughed hard, the overwhelming scent of burnt baby powder nearly suffocated me. “Shit man!” I shoved him away from the window and threw it open. “You gotta open a window when you smoke that shit!” I gestured to the used crack pipe and lighter lying on the kitchen table. No wonder I didn’t hear him wandering around the apartment; he was sitting right on the other side of the door getting himself high.
“Fuck, Mike, I didn’t know you were there.” He ran a dirty hand over his face, wiping away sweat and grime. I didn’t look around the place; the smell told me enough about his living habits that a visual aid wasn’t needed. “What do you need, man?” He pulled out a chair from the table and threw himself in it. I was surprised the rusted metal legs didn’t give out on him.
“What happened to your face?” I gestured to his eye and nose.
He bowed his head. “Just a little fight. You should see the other guy.” He forced a laugh and tried to look up at me, giving me a nearly toothless smile.
“Taylor know you’re on this shit again?” I kicked the leg of the table, sending his crack pipe skidding across the surface. He dove for it, catching it just before it slipped off.
“No.” He shook his head and took a deep breath. “Don’t say anything, Mike.”
“I don’t talk to him anymore, you know that.” I leaned back against the fridge, watching him blink and try to focus on me.
“Yeah. I forgot. Yo
u blew us off, left the crew.”
My hackles went up over that comment. I’d busted a few faces over the same accusation. “I didn’t blow off the crew. I wised up and got out of that life. Taylor wouldn’t let me out of the car shit; it was either take off my cut or keep running with his shit. And his shit would have gotten me back in jail. He wanted me out, not the other way around.”
I shoved my hands in my pocket to keep from grabbing him when he laughed. “Yeah. I know. I remember now. He didn’t think you’d take off your leather. He thought you’d stick.”
“Whatever, that’s not what I came here for. I want to know what the fuck you were doing putting your knife to that girl last night.”
His head snapped up, looking at me. “What?” Through the cloudiness of his expression, I couldn’t tell if he didn’t understand my question, or if he was recognizing me as the guy who broke his face.
