by Debra Kayn
She shifted and rolled off him. He quickly followed and laid his body over her holding his weight with his arms. "Like that, Gia." He opened his mouth along the side of her neck and sucked. "Seeing you trust me. Hearing your breathing. Feeling your excitement."
Her legs widened, and she rubbed the sides of his hips. "I-is it wrong to ask you to hurry?"
His warm breath tickled her ear. "Like that, too, sweet."
He pushed back, shifted his hips, and teased her pussy with the head of his engorged cock. She arched and gasped as she stretched to accommodate his size.
"Gonna be fast."
"Yes," she said on a hiss.
He plunged into her pussy. She sank into the mattress under the pressure of his body. A squeak came out of her mouth from somewhere deep in her core. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him down. Skin to skin, as close as two people could be.
He held himself stiff above her. "You okay?"
She trembled, already used to the fullness turning her insides to a tightly wound ball. "Don't stop. J-just fuck me. Fuck me hard."
Growling, Swiss pulled out and slid back in her, then withdrew and plunged balls-deep. Each stroke faster and more powerful until they were both gasping and giving their bodies permission to do what comes naturally.
She squirmed, arched her neck, and urged him to go deeper. Her fingers dug into his ass, and her breath came hot and heavy. She moaned, and for the first time in a long time, she only cared about coming.
Coming hard.
Coming around him.
Coming and forgetting.
Escaping.
On the down stroke, Swiss arched his back making sure his cock rubbed against her pubic bone. Her inner muscles clamped down, and she bit her lip, stifling her scream of pleasure. Wired tight, she unraveled as her climax trickled out through the rest of her body.
"Oh God...Swiss!"
He added a deep groan and clenched his jaw. She gazed up into his face enjoying the way his expression changed from determined to blissful to possessive. His cock pulsed inside of her, and she trembled through the aftershocks of the high.
He collapsed to the side of her and dragged her into his embrace. She snuggled her head into the crook of his neck. So soon, the edges of perfection were marred by reality.
She held onto him tighter. Her feeble attempt to keep what they'd done and why they'd fallen into bed together on a night meant for catching the men who were after her played on her mind, poisoning what Swiss gave her.
"Thank you." She softly kissed the sensitive spot underneath his chin. "I appreciate what you've done for me."
He lifted his head. "What I've done?"
"Sex." She sat up and crossed her arms, cupping her shoulders to cover her bare breasts. "I know you did that to help me get my mind off of tonight and being here, living by you..."
He pulled her back down and held her against him. "I'm only going to say this once, but sex with you was not a job to distract you, sweet. Sex tonight was because you've been dancing around the idea since you pulled a fucking gun on me the first night you arrived in Montana. As for me, you're a beautiful woman. There was something in your eyes tonight that told me you were mine if I wanted you. And, I wanted you more than I wanted the rest of my dessert."
"But with everything going on and—"
"Drop it, Gia." His thumb strummed her bare shoulder. "No excuses."
She swallowed and stayed still. His words sunk in. Had he really confessed to wanting her more than he wanted to eat dessert?
A slow smile started in her middle and grew until her lips curled against his chest and her eyes closed. Somehow, that made her feel better.
Chapter Eighteen
The phone vibrated on the counter. Swiss set down the tongs he held above the skillet on the stove and picked up the cell.
Battery: All clear. Nothing.
Swiss replied: Ok.
The bacon sizzled in the pan. He stepped out of the kitchen nook and peeked into the bedroom. His gut warmed. Gia slept on her side facing the wall, buried neck deep in a blanket.
Returning to the stove, he yanked an arm-length worth of paper towels off the holder and folded them in a stack on the empty plate, picked up the tongs, and removed the bacon from the pan. He'd eaten breakfast at four o'clock in the morning when he'd gotten out of bed, unable to sleep.
He glanced at his phone. It was almost nine o'clock. He was hungry for more than the bowl of cereal he'd consumed.
The bedroom door creaked. He looked across the room, and his cock twinged in pleasure.
Gia stood in the doorway, wrapped in his blanket, her hair tousled from sleep, and her eyes barely opened, but warm. Warmer than normal.
He thought her beautiful before they'd had sex and even more so afterward. Gia stumbling out of the bedroom, worn out from having his dick in her, looking at him as if she would rather have sex with him again than have breakfast kicked his ass.
He turned off the stove burner and approached her. "Morning."
"Morning," she mumbled, leaning toward him.
He wrapped her in his arms and inhaled deeply, swept up in last night and her response to him. "Hungry?"
"Mm," she said with a sigh. "A little."
"Got breakfast done." He kissed the top of her head and stepped away, needing the space to get his dick under control, or he'd walk her back into the bedroom and slip between her legs. The only reason he kept from taking her more last night was she needed the sleep.
Exhausted and mentally beaten, she needed to be strong until the shit with Sparrows or whoever was after Gia ended.
He wasn't done with her by a long shot. He wanted her again until he got his fill.
Gia followed him to the kitchen and sat on the stool beside the counter. He swept his gaze over her again, appreciating a woman who was comfortable around him the morning after having sex to eating breakfast naked with only a blanket wrapped around her. It meant her mind was still on last night.
Hell, he couldn't remember letting any woman stay the night since he was married. He preferred to get what he needed from them and then send them away to avoid the awkwardness. Having Gia in his side of the duplex felt natural.
He put four pieces of bread in the four-slot toaster and grabbed the butter and jam from the fridge. While he waited for the toast to pop up, he watched Gia.
She stared at the bacon and for every blink, her shoulders rose under the blanket until she looked at him. "Nothing happened while I slept?"
"Nope. It's been quiet."
"Good," she mouthed.
"Hey." He waited for her to look at him again. "Everything will work out. Give me time to figure out what needs to be done, and in the meantime, you'll stay with me and be safe."
She stuck her arm out of her blanket, snapped off the end of a piece of bacon, and nodded. "Okay."
The toaster popped. He put two pieces of toast on a plate and set it in front of her. "Eat up."
She raised her brows and refused to make a move toward the food. He picked up the butter knife, put butter, jam, and three pieces of bacon on each piece of toast.
"Here." He held breakfast out to her.
She laughed softly. "You're serious? This is what you eat for breakfast?"
He nodded, seeing nothing wrong with the food. "Take it and eat."
She gingerly balanced the toast on three fingers and brought it to her lips. Swiss watched her lips part as she bit into the corner of the toast, then her tongue darted out to wipe away the speck of strawberry jam at the corner of her mouth.
Conditioned to hold back emotions, he forced himself to prepare another piece of toast for her and ignore the pulsing of his blood heading south.
"Oh," she said on a moan. "This is..."
He glanced up and chuckled. "Good?"
"Delicious." She took another bite, and her tongue came out again to catch the leftover jam. "Do you have any coffee?"
He laid a few strips of bacon on the extra toast he'd prepared and took a bi
te, carrying it over to the coffeemaker. Using one hand, he poured her a cup of coffee—adding three scoops of sugar, then set the mug in front of her.
He had finished his two pieces of toast before she took her first sip. "Will you need more?"
"Coffee?" she asked.
"No, breakfast."
She laughed softly. "Two pieces of toast is perfect, and the six pieces of bacon will hold me until dinner...or close to it."
Swiss studied her, wondering if she was joking, which made her laugh louder. "I'll take that as you're good to go."
Her smile came easily. "Yeah, I'm good. Thank you."
"No thanks needed. You needed to eat, and I was hungry again from breakfast."
"How long have you been awake?" She pulled the blanket around her tighter.
He tossed the dirty dishes in the sink. "I don't require a lot of sleep."
"But, you did sleep." She gazed down at his chest. "You went to bed after we..."
"Yeah. I slept enough." He leaned over the counter and kissed her soft and short. "You better get dressed. A couple of my MC brothers are swinging by, and they'll be here soon."
She slid off the stool and walked toward the bedroom, stopped, and turned around. "Can I use your washer and dryer, and some of your laundry detergent?"
He nodded.
"Thank you." She turned around but not before he caught her frown and slipped into his bedroom, shutting the door behind her.
He'd never met anyone who pleased and thanked him to death. For the simplest things, she acknowledged his part. He shook his head in bewilderment. Those manners went away in bed. Soft spoken and polite during the day, she spoke her mind at night during sex. If she gave that to only him, he appreciated it.
He loaded the dishwasher, wiped down the counter, grabbed his smokes off the television stand, and went outside at the same time he heard the rumble of his brothers arriving. Outside, he lit a cigarette and waited.
Rod and Sander walked toward him, followed by Battery. He'd expected the first two and having Battery show up meant something had happened.
"Where's Gia?" asked Battery, stopping in front of Swiss.
"Inside." Swiss held Battery's gaze. "What's up?"
"I talked to Bantorus Motorcycle Club over in Federal, letting them know we might have visitors here in Haugan and to keep an eye out over in Idaho for any travelers coming through." Battery glanced off at the smoke Swiss exhaled. "Within a half hour, their president called me back with information he got from the mother chapter in Pitnam with more information on the Yesler Street Gang."
"What about them?" Swiss flicked the coal off his cigarette.
"There's been a clean cut between the remaining Sparrows members. The arm of members who picked up where Vince Pladonta left off when he was murdered fell right into moving money. That part of Gia's story plays out, but we're not finding anything from inside the police division that they're going after Sparrows." Battery shrugged. "They might believe the dirty money comes from them, but unless someone comes forward wanting to know where their money is and believing they were scammed, legally there's nothing about the crime that points to Sparrows, especially since the police department knows their ringleader is dead."
"So, LE views the case as a double murder without probable cause or at least a closed case with all fingers pointing at the ones who are now six feet underground being the ringleaders of the Ponzi scheme," muttered Swiss. "Gia's not going to convince the police otherwise, and we all know how they view harassment and stalkers. She has zero protection and the police will be there after something happens, because their hands are tied behind the badge."
Battery nodded. "I understand you'll take her under protection regardless if Ronacks backs you, but I need to know how Gia showed up in Haugan. She's far away from Seattle. That sits wrong with me."
"She mentioned last night that she'd gone to a woman's shelter when the men broke into her place asking for help. They found her a place to live here, and she says while they were making sure the duplex would be safe, they got intel on me. Me being a biker and former Army meant safety to her, apparently." Swiss glanced back at the door before looking at Battery again. "I believe her. She's too scared to make up a story now that we've seen the proof that someone is here to do her harm."
"What's the name of the shelter she went to for help?" asked Battery.
"I don't know."
Battery nodded. "Get that information for me. In the meantime, Ronacks will continue to run protection twenty-four/seven."
"Will do." Swiss shook Battery's hand.
He stood with Rod and Sander while Battery returned to his motorcycle and rode away. Over the years, they'd dealt with other street gangs, motorcycle clubs, and even a branch off the Russian mob. Used to running security for the businesses around town, he dealt with stalkers, harassment, and it often broke out into physical violence. Gia's case was something he'd seen and done numerous times, but this time felt different.
He'd never had sex with a woman who he had under his protection before.
"Are you going to try and work the roster?" Rod leaned over and picked a weed out of the crack in the sidewalk.
Swiss shook his head. "No. I don't want to leave her alone."
"I'll make the necessary changes and bump you down a tier in pay," said Rod. "How will that work for you?"
"I'm good," he said.
He'd survive. Money wasn't a concern. Even going down to the fourth tier would give him enough to continue living at the duplex and food for the week.
"Let's ride out." Sander pulled down his beanie. "Swiss can catch us up later. You're coming around to the clubhouse tomorrow night, right?"
"Yeah, I'll be there." Swiss smacked Sander on the back. "Catch you later."
He walked to the door and let himself in. The whir of the washing machine filled the duplex. Gia sat on the couch in a pair of shorts and a tank top, watching him for any hint of bad news. The situation thrust upon her unfamiliar and scary, she only had him to rely on.
She'd need to learn fast to trust him.
Chapter Nineteen
Swiss sat on the couch, his feet on the coffee table, and his eyes on Gia. She walked a three-foot path in front of the television, pushing and pulling the vacuum over the carpet in Swiss's side of the duplex. The lines on the carpet made by the beater bar on the vacuum abusing the already cleaned carpet filled her with happiness knowing the surface was free of dust and lint.
She'd found the vacuum earlier while switching the last load of laundry—consisting of Swiss's cut-off flannel shirts and her Tees— from the washer to the dryer.
To keep herself busy and to pay Swiss back for letting her stay in his side of the duplex, she'd found cleaners, rags, and the vacuum. His living space now smelled pine-fresh and not a dust particle floated in the air.
Reluctantly, she turned off the vacuum, cutting off the white-noise she'd surrounded herself in for the last ten minutes. She could no longer ignore Swiss.
"There you go. Now you don't have to do any chores for a couple of days." She unplugged the cord and wound the length back on the handle of the vacuum.
"Appreciate it," said Swiss.
Truth be told, Swiss was a clean freak.
There wasn't a stray whisker on the bathroom counter, and the only dust she found was on the back of the flat screen television. She'd looked everywhere and called it cleaning when what she was doing was snooping. Since Swiss worked on his motorcycle outside and gave her time alone, she'd found his medicine cabinet bare of everything except extra shampoo, a bar of soap, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, and a small bottle of Tylenol.
No signs of a woman anywhere—no tampons, hairbrush, or earrings. He was also not on any medicine for a mental disease or suffered from a sexually transmitted disease—not that she suspected anything wrong with him.
She might've gone too far in her panic to know more about the man she'd had sex with for the last week.
Sex.
Great sex.
She wheeled the vacuum back to the closet where she'd found it and inhaled a deep breath. No matter how busy she kept herself, she couldn't forget how quickly Swiss made her feel like she belonged to him.
Her willingness to listen and follow his orders when it came to her safety followed her into the bedroom. He orchestrated her body into doing wonderful things, and she willingly let him do whatever he wanted. She couldn't stop, because she'd become addicted to what he gave her.
He'd offer. She'd accept, and then she took everything he gave her to escape thinking about what she was doing and what she was living through. Sex with Swiss was the first thing that worked to distract her, and she found herself relaxing as long as they stayed inside.
She'd formed a habit.
Sex meant feeling good. Feeling normal. Feeling safe.
She returned to the living room area of the duplex. Swiss hadn't moved and continued to sit there with his focus on her.
It hit her that his attention to everything she had done around the duplex could be because he hated someone else touching his stuff. She hadn't asked him if she could tidy up the place. The urge to clean had come swiftly and she'd ran with the idea.
"I think I screwed up," she said softly. "I should've asked to clean. I'm so sor—"
He held up his hand. "You can clean all you want without asking."
She swallowed and nodded.
"I get it." He patted the couch for her to sit.
She walked around the coffee table and sat beside him. Close enough to touch, but keeping her thigh away from his thigh, her arm away from his arm.
"I hope you don't think by my cleaning your place that I believed your side of the duplex was dirty." She crossed her legs and shoved her hands between her thighs to keep from touching him. "It's just that...staying on the other side without proper cleaning supplies drove me mental. Even laying on a blanket on the floor made me feel gross. When I noticed everything you use to clean your place, I wanted to use them. It felt good to make myself useful, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate you letting me stay here. I know the last week has been about keeping me safe, and sex was a bonus. Please, don't think I'm making it out to be more by going all domestic or I believe your place is dirty—it's impeccable. I just like to clean. I'm weird."
