Lucky (Inked Menace MC #1): Shifter Biker Club

by Hawk, Ryanne

  “Don’t go, bird. I’m sorry. I’m losing control.”

  She watched as Lucky sank down on the floor, sat with his knees up and his head resting on his forearms. He picked his face up and his piercing gaze bored a hole right into her. Her heart skipped a beat. Her palms dampened and a fine sheen of sweat caressed her face. She froze in place, her feet unwilling to allow her to leave, but her brain feverishly whispering that she was being stupid. That this man was dangerous.

  Something inside her forced her to move back to his side, to slide down and sit next to him, keeping a few inches between their bodies. “I want to help. Tell me what I can do.”

  Lucky’s mirthless laugh echoed inside her heart. “There’s no help for me. It’s a prison of my own making that I can’t escape from. I’m afraid to fail. I can’t fail again.”

  “You’re not making sense, Luke.”

  “I like when you call me by my real name. It reminds me that I’m more than I am.”

  She reached and stroked his arm, trying to soothe whatever demons haunted him. Part of her knew how wretched those demonic thoughts could be. “I like when you call me bird. It makes me feel free somehow, but grounded.”

  Cecelia’s body began to hum in tune with Lucky’s. Almost like they vibrated on the same frequency. “This isn’t going to end well.”

  Her hands clenched at her sides and she shifted position so the cement didn’t make her ass go numb. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

  “That’s not what I meant. I meant you and me. We aren’t going to end well.”

  “The way I see it, we haven’t even started anything yet. Stop being a Debbie Downer and get off the floor. Somehow I doubt wallowing is your strong suit.”

  “Damn, no mercy for the sad wallflowers. I’ll remember that.”

  Cecelia smirked and stood up, brushing off her hands on her jeans. “I feel this urge to demand you get up and get your shit together. To tell you that whatever grief I see floating in your eyes is not your fault. That we all make mistakes, but we all have to move forward and survive.”

  “It’s as good a pep talk as any,” he said and stood next to her, still sunken in at the shoulders, but getting taller with every inhale. “Okay, I’m good.”

  Cecelia nodded and said, “Good. Now, show me to my room. I’m exhausted, scared, and my emotions are all over the place. I’d rather not have a panic attack in the hallway of your club where anyone can see my weakness and use it against me at a later date.”

  “They wouldn’t do that.”

  “No? Well, sometimes the people you least expect to, are the ones who fuck you over the hardest.”

  “Amen.”

  He grabbed her hand, turned her palm face up, and pressed a kiss to sensitive skin. “I’m sorry I scared you. I promise to do everything in my power to make you feel safe when you’re with me.”

  Cecelia didn’t say anything. She knew all too well the power of words, but actions were even more powerful. Anyone could lie. In fact, people lied every day. About everything, no matter how small. People always lied. It was just the way the world worked.

  Look at her. She wasn’t any different. She had lied to the club. She had lied to Lucky. They were all in danger now because of her, because she had felt compelled to right a few wrongs and put her ex-husband in jail.

  Now look where she was.

  On the run from men who wanted to see her dead so they could collect a hefty bounty, while in bed with another club trying to protect her through some misbegotten sense of territory. She had no delusions. She knew the only reason the MC had offered her aid was selfish and had nothing to do with her, so to speak.

  “Where did you go just now?”

  She blinked back to reality. The sexy as fuck and dangerous as hell man in front of her was frowning at her. “Oh. Sorry. I guess I spaced out.” She looked around at the row of wood doors. The last one on the right said Lucky 7. The urge to roll her eyes was difficult to contain. “Too many things happening. I’m at circuit overload.”

  “Yeah. I know the feeling. Come on, let’s get cleaned up and rest. We’ll both feel better in the morning.”

  Lucky opened the door to his room and she walked into another world, one filled with satin sheets, dark walls, wood floors, and the heavy scent of earth and man. Not only was the room fairly spacious and well kept, but it had a small kitchenette, and a tiny private bathroom.

  “How come you don’t have to share a bathroom with the other guys?”

  He looked down at the floor, then met her gaze. “Perks of my former position. Here, put this on.” He threw a long t-shirt at her. A pair of long johns hit her in the face next.

  “You sure you don’t want me to sleep naked?”

  Oh my god, Cecelia, what is wrong with you!

  The heat in his eyes said he’d probably devour her, sate her all night long, and come morning, he’d be done with her. Better to play it safe, and sexless.

  “Did you just say ‘play it safe and sexless’?”

  Cecelia’s hand flew to her mouth as she snapped her lips closed. “I can’t believe I said that out loud,” she mumbled through her fingers.

  Lucky crossed his arms over his chest, all those lean muscles popping out of the tight cotton. He’d taken off his leather coat and slipped it over the back of a chair. “Whatever, it’s cool. I didn’t expect you to drop your panties anyway.” He turned to a small dresser and pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a clean shirt. “You can take the bed. I’ll sleep in the chair.”

  Two things crossed Cecelia’s mind at the same time. One, lying in bed with the man in front of her would be all kinds of wrong. And two, she had a desperate need to lie in bed with him despite all the drama.

  “Don’t be ridiculous. We’re both adults. There is no reason for either of us to suffer some horrid back pain because we couldn’t sleep in the same bed without getting lusty.”

  “Lusty?”

  “Yep.”

  “Fine.”

  “Fine.”

  Cecelia stomped to the bathroom and hastily removed her jeans and sweatshirt, slipped off her bra and put on his Inked Menace black t-shirt and cotton long john pants. She swam in them, but they were soft and comfortable. She rinsed her face and mouth, then opened the door in time to see his naked chest right before it was covered by a thin piece of fabric.

  Oh, damn. I’m in so much trouble.

  Showing none of her swimming thoughts, she walked to the bed and slid under the cold cloth. “Fuck, how do people sleep in satin sheets without freezing their asses off?”

  Lucky lifted the other side and climbed in, rolling onto his side to face her. “Body heat, I suppose.” He raised a brow, a sexy little grin adorning his face.

  “Is that right?”

  “So I’m told.”

  “So,” she said and scooted closer, so their legs were almost touching. “How close do we have to be in order to warm up these sheets?”

  She watched his Adam’s apple move as he swallowed. He cleared his throat and reached over to the bedside lamp to cut the lights, casting the room in dark shadows. “I guess we’ll find out, won’t we?”

  “I guess we will.”

  Then his mouth was on hers, and they were pressed chest to chest, a hunger exploding inside of her that she felt was never going to be sated until she had him inside her, and even then, she feared she might never get enough of him.

  What was wrong with her?

  Chapter Eight

  What the fuck was wrong with him?

  But he knew.

  Motherfucking damn it all to hell, mate bonding.

  It was the only thing that made sense. Well, the fucked up and twisted kind of sense. Every wolf had a mate out there, someone to complete their life. A soul bond unlike any other. Only it was supposed to be with another wolf. Not a human. He opened his eyes and stared into face of a sweet woman with eyes the color of the sky. He inwardly sighed.

  He so didn’t need this complication in his l
ife. Inside his mind, his wolf panted, lapping up every moan, scent, and taste of the woman he’d already decided was his. Out in the hall he’d acted like some barbarian, and to top off the excellent evening, then acted like a pussy who couldn’t keep his shit together.

  And what was he doing now? Kissing the very woman he was trying to stay away from so he didn’t end up fucked up royally in the head. Were those his hands clutching her pert ass cheeks? Was that his tongue sliding in and out of her warm, moist mouth as he memorized the complex flavors that made up Cecelia Marks?

  Wait.

  He broke the kiss and said, “What’s your real name?”

  “What?” she said, shakily.

  “Your name. What is it?”

  She reared back as if he’d slapped her. “Ugh!” she said and huffed as she turned over onto her side.

  He couldn’t help it. He chuckled, which sent her into more fits of tossing and turning while clutching the sheet to her body.

  “You done?”

  “No. I’m mad.”

  “Clearly. But what I meant, little bird, is what is your given name? What name were you born with? I’m assuming Cecelia Marks isn’t your real name.”

  She sighed. Then she turned over, slowly, to face him. Her eyes flooded with tears, but as he stared at her, the water receded. “No. Cecelia isn’t my real name. It’s Coraline.”

  “Pretty,” he said and moved the hair off her face, tucking it behind her ear. He stroked a finger down her cheek.

  “I always liked my name. It was the only thing that bothered me when I went into Witness Protection. Having to change my name.”

  He nodded. “I get it.”

  “It’s like losing your identity. For a little while it was hard. Harder than I thought it would be. I guess I had this delusion that once I entered into the program, I’d feel safe, have a new chance at life, but, well, look how that turned out.” She twisted her fingers into the sheets, her knuckles turning white from the strain. He put one of his hands over hers to try to comfort her.

  “No too bad, having you in my bed,” Lucky said and showed her his teeth when she balked. “So it’s not all thorns.” He’d have to be delicate in telling her about shifters and the supernatural world, even though a part of him hoped she’d run for the hills and not glance back once she found out what he truly was, and what he was capable of.

  She reached a hand out and touched his face. The heat from her flesh seared him, and a jolt of electricity raced inside his blood, sparking every nerve ending to life. “This is crazy,” she said and tucked her hand back against her chest, leaving him bereft of her touch.

  “What is?”

  Her big blue eyes snared him and she said, “This,” and waved her hand between the two of them. “I barely know you, yet I feel like I’ve known you forever. I want to get closer to you, rub my cheek on your bare chest. I’ve never felt this kind of pull before, and to be honest, it terrifies me more than Peter sending a gang of goons to kill me.”

  “Yeah. I’d rather face an angry army and fight bloody than deal with my feelings too, sweetheart.” The sarcasm rolled off his tongue and she closed her eyes for a second.

  “I’m not trying to be rude. Just honest.”

  “I know. It’s fine. It’s just a little hard to hear a woman you’re in bed with equate it to her ex-husband trying to kill her, you know?” He smiled at her, sensing her distress and wanting to put her at ease. “Come on, little bird. We’ve had a long friggin’ day. Let’s just go to sleep. We’ll tackle the big, bad bikers tomorrow.”

  She pressed her palm against his chest and the rumble of his heart pounded faster. “Okay,” she whispered, turning over to thrust her ass into his crotch, sending a whole host of new sensations streaming through his body.

  “You’re going to kill me,” he said into her hair, nuzzling the soft skin of her neck with his chin and nose.

  She giggled and wiggled her ass a bit more before she settled down and stopped moving. He wrapped an arm around her abdomen, closed his eyes, and fell into the deepest sleep he’d had in years.

  Chapter Nine

  When Cecelia woke her skin was on fire. Sweat had pooled in places she didn’t know perspiration could happen. Behind her, Lucky’s body was melded to hers, creating a raging inferno. She was tangled in soaked sheets and silently suffocating inside.

  He snored softly and the sound wasn’t unpleasant. Neither was the hard cock nestled in between her thighs.

  He was sound asleep and she felt like a horny minx in heat. He shifted on the bed and rubbed her calf with the arch of his foot, mumbling in his slumber.

  She slid out from underneath his arm and padded on light feet to the bathroom. She finished quickly and then wiped her face with a damp cloth, running it over her neck and down her fevered skin.

  After all the stress she’d been under, it came as no surprise that she’d ended up with some kind of bug. A weak immune system was a small price to pay for being alive, though.

  After rinsing her mouth she lumbered back into the main room and crawled back into bed.

  “You okay?”

  Lucky’s drowsy voice made her pussy tighten. “I am now.” Cecelia turned over and faced the most gorgeous man she’d ever laid eyes on. He wasn’t classically handsome, but he had a rugged charm that turned her on, and the way he made her feel safe and cared for really was doing a number on her mind. Her libido had gone off the charts a few hours ago and climbed steadily all night. There had to be something they could do to pass a few hours and sate their baser desires.

  It took a few minutes to gather her courage, but she lifted her leg and draped it over Lucky’s hip, pushing her pelvis forward until she was better able to grind her throbbing ache across his hard length.

  Lucky’s eyes snapped open and his mouth formed a small O as he sucked in air. “What are you doing?”

  “I think it’s obvious,” Cecelia said and bit her lip. What if he really didn’t want to fuck her? What if had a girlfriend? Oh my God, she thought; she’d never even asked him!

  Her body stilled, numb with fear that she was forcing him into having sex with her.

  “You’re giving me mixed signals, little bird.”

  She cleared her throat. “I’m not trying to. I’m sorry. It’s been a while, and I’m so damn horny, but then I started wondering if you had a girlfriend and I was poaching. My thoughts kept going from there, and now I’m locked in this mental hell of imagined angst.”

  “Oh.”

  He brought his hands up to his face and rubbed his eyes, then rolled onto his back, grabbing a glass of water off the nightstand. He sipped and set the glass back down. She watched, fascinated, as he licked his lips and sighed in pleasure. “To set your mind at ease, no, I don’t have a girlfriend or lover. Two, yes, I want to fuck you senseless, but I was trying to be a gentleman. I’d never force you to do anything you didn’t want to do, and given that you’re on the run for your life and you’ve been thrust into a dangerous situation with people you don’t really know, I didn’t expect you to spread your legs because you’re grateful.”

  “I am grateful, but that’s not why.”

  Cecelia started rocking her hips again. A melody she’d never heard before but knew all the same played inside her body and she went with it. Her hips rotated and twisted, grazing Lucky’s hard cock, making him groan and thrash as he kept his hands down by his sides.

  “You’re going to have to give me permission to touch you, little bird. You’re going to have to tell me you want me. You’re going to have to spell out, quite clearly, what you want tonight.”

  In answer, she leaned her face toward his neck and whispered into his ear, “I want you to fuck me until the sun comes up and neither one of us can walk out of this room. That clear enough for you, baby?”

  The guttural growl Lucky let loose had the fine hairs on the back of her neck standing up, and goose pimples breaking out in waves across her skin. The juices that trickled down her legs and into he
r panties were courtesy of his animal intensity and passion. He pushed her back and prowled over her body, his face inches from hers as he rested on his arms with his hands pushed into the mattress.

  “Is this okay? I don’t want to scare you.”

  That he knew to ask cemented him further into good guy category, and made him that much hotter. “Better than okay, Lucky. Now get that cock inside me before I explode.”

  The grin he gave her caused ripples of happiness to cascade over her heart and mind. She shoved those feelings aside in favor of logic and chemistry. One night. That was all she’d need to get him out of her system and then they could go back to pretending to be a couple in order to stave off her impending beheading.

  One night of ecstasy. Was that too much to ask?

  His lips devoured hers as his tongue slipped inside her mouth and explored her with abandon. His hands lifted her t-shirt and exposed her breasts to his eager mouth. His hands cupped and kneaded her tender flesh, then his lips trailed wet kisses down her abdomen, and a few moments later, he’d removed her bottoms and panties and was staring at her, breathing hard.

  There was a second of panic. She wasn’t going to lie. Not to herself. What if he didn’t like the way she looked down there? What if she smelled bad? Peter had never gone down on her, and their sex had been passionless and empty. But this… this was a full frontal assault and she didn’t know what to do. So she froze. And waited.

  “You ready, bird? ’Cause I’m about to lick you until I hear you scream.”

  Her back arched off the bed. Lucky didn’t give her a chance to open her mouth before the warmth of his tongue pressed a hard line up her pussy, stopping at her clit to circle the tiny bud a few times, almost, but not quite touching it. “Oh God, yes,” she whispered and clutched the sheets in her hands until her knuckles burned.

  He moved with deliberate slowness and blew hot air over her sensitive pleasure center, then set his mouth over her lips and sucked, hard.

  “Fuck,” Cecelia said, her body jerking from the sensory overload. His tongue thrust into her wet channel and flitted in and out, quickly.