by Zoey Parker
“I don’t know.” Meredith patted Josephine’s hand. “I’m sorry I never told you.”
“If you’re up for it, let’s get you cleaned up and your nightgown changed.” The nurse gave Josephine a nod of her head, a sign to get going so she could do her job.
Josephine looked down at her mom. Her father hadn’t completely abandoned them? “Yeah. Uh, Mom, I have to meet Lucas back home anyway.”
“Okay.” Her mom nodded and leaned back against her pillow. Their conversation had taken a lot of out of her.
“Her speech has gotten a lot better,” Josephine commented to the nurse.
“The new medication is helping that, but it takes so much out of her when she talks.”
“I’ll be back tomorrow.” Josephine kissed her mother and scooted around the bed and past the nurse. Lucas had taken care of everything for her mom—around the clock care and the best medical treatment, and so far, all she’d done was doubt him.
Now there was her father to deal with. Could he still be in the Iron Rebels? Would he make trouble for Lucas, and really, did she care?
When she walked out of the house, she noticed her babysitters parked behind the truck. She sighed. He was trying to protect her, she knew that and did appreciate it, but it was the fact that she needed protecting that was concerning.
As she walked to the truck, her phone started ringing, and she grabbed it just before it went to voicemail.
“Hey, sweet cheeks.” She could almost envision Lucas grinning, thinking he was clever with the nickname.
“Hi, Lucas. You know… don’t you think it’s weird that your name is Lucas, not Lukey or some other nickname like Cutter has?” She leaned against the truck door, giving the prospects on their bikes a little wink. They just looked at each other, just like a little boy would when be dealing with a woman.
“It’s not weird at all.”
“I think I’ll call you Lukey from now on.” She smiled, enjoying the small banter between them. All of their conversations were so tense recently. She just wanted to hear a little laughter, feel a little lighter before everything got more serious. Because once she told him that her dad could possibly be alive and a member of Iron Rebels, things could get a hell of a lot tenser.
“I think you’ll have a hard time sitting on that apple bottom of yours if you do.”
“Promises, promises,” she teased. Where the hell had this girl been? It was fun to play with him.
“Oh, yeah?” He laughed. A good sound to her tired ears. “We’ll see. You call me Lukey one time, and I’ll show you. How’s that?”
“I’ll have to think about it.” She opened the door to the truck and tossed her purse in. “I’m not at home.”
“Yeah. I know.” Of course he did. Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum must have ratted on her the second she stepped foot outside the house.
“I’m just seeing Mom.”
“I know that, too.”
“Of course, my armed guard is here with me, keeping everything safe.” She tried to keep her voice light, but the arrogant smiles on the two boneheads might have caused some sarcasm to drip into her tone.
“You’re not a prisoner, you know. Just make sure those guys are with you if you go anywhere else, but, you were supposed to stay in bed until I got home.”
“I wanted to see Mom.”
“I know. You also snuck out of here like some teenager after curfew.”
“I didn’t know you’d had the security detail outside, otherwise I would have slipped out the window.”
“If you do that, I really will tan your ass.” His voice hardened. Of course, she’d joked about something that could possibly put her safety at risk.
“Relax, I was just kidding. As long as you aren’t going to try keeping me tied up in the house, no need to take extreme measures. Are you home now?” She stepped up into the truck.
“No. That’s why I was calling. I have to do a few things. I’m going to be gone all afternoon and probably tonight, too. Once you get home, let me know. Croc and Zack will stick around until I get back tonight. You can call Cherry if you want someone to hang out with.”
“What if I wanted some other friend?” Not that she had any but just in case.
“Okay, who?”
Dammit. “Never mind. Just a joke. I’ll call her if you want me to.”
“I’ll leave it to you. She and Cutter had a fight this afternoon, so not sure if she’s in the mood for company, but it might do her good and you too. You can’t just have work and me. You need other people.”
“Pawning me off already?” She half-smiled at the joke, but a small part of her held onto that worry hard.
“Never.” A single word given with more conviction than any other declaration she’d ever heard. The phone nearly shook with his resolve. She smiled into the receiver and pressed her forehead to the steering wheel.
She believed him—truly believed that he would never let her go, and that idea didn’t scare her anymore. Whatever came their way, he’d protect her and their baby.
“Okay, then, I’ll call Cherry,” she whispered into the phone, trying to hide the overwhelming urge to blurt out how much she loved him. “When you get home, we should talk, though. Mom told me something, something that might involve you; I’m not sure.”
“Me?”
“I don’t know, maybe. Your club maybe, I’m not sure. It could be nothing.”
“Okay, when I get home, you tell me everything. Stay with those two. If you shake them loose, I’m gonna—”
She started laughing before he could finish his threat and didn’t hear the last of it. “Okay. I got it. Do what you need to do, then come home. I need you, and not just for talking.”
A low growl was his only response, and she bit her lower lip. Now she was flirting, too. She clicked off the call and looked in her rearview mirror to find the two lug-heads still waiting.
She waved her hand out the window, beckoning one of them to her. “I’m just heading back to the house. Do you think one of you could swing off at the store and get some ice cream?”
“Uh, sure. Croc will make the trip.” He nodded and went back to his bike. She watched them have a short argument before revving up their engines.
Chapter 16
Lucas pulled into his driveway just after the sun went down. Croc and Zack were sitting on his front porch throwing cards down between them.
“She didn’t invite you in?” he asked with a wide grin.
They both jumped to their feet, wiping the dust off their jeans. “She did, but she went back upstairs to lay down, so we figured we’d come out here to keep quiet.”
He looked up at the windows of the second floor. Just beyond those, she was probably laying on the bed. “Any trouble otherwise?”
“No, other than sending Croc here to the store three times until he finally got the right ice cream.” Zack laughed.
“Butter pecan is butter pecan, right?” The fair-haired boy shrugged.
“Not to a pregnant woman, no.” Lucas laughed, patted him on his head, and stepped past them, reaching for the door. “Stick around. I’m heading back to the clubhouse in an hour. Josephine will order pizza for you all when I go. Until then—unless you see flames shoot out those windows—you keep your asses parked out here.”
“Got it.” Zack nodded with a knowing smile.
Lucas made his way through the house toward the stairs. He hadn’t heard any noises from the kitchen, and the lights were dimmed low. She must have been up in the bedroom.
The door to the bedroom was slightly ajar, enough for him to see her run across the room and hop onto the bed wearing nothing but a pair of panties. Even in the brief moment he’d seen her, he could make out the small bump of her belly where their child nestled in her womb. His baby was in her belly. That fact still stumped him and made him hard for her at the same time.
He pushed the door open, his kutte halfway off before he caught sight of her lying on the bed. Still in her panties, she was o
n her right side, one hand on her breasts teasing and fondling her nipples, with the other over her bare hip.
“Expecting someone?” He tossed his kutte onto the dresser and went about yanking off his shirt next.
“No. Just spending some time on my own.” She laughed. “You said you wouldn’t be home until later.”
He shucked his boots and unbuckled his belt, already feeling the strain of his cock against the zipper. “Either you are taking liberties where there aren’t any to take or you heard my bike in the driveway.” He hooked his fingers into his boxers and whipped them off, delighting in the little squeal she gave at the sight of his hard cock bobbing from its freedom. He doubted she even knew she’d made the sound, like a little girl about to take her turn riding the ponies.
“Liberties? Such a big word…” She teased, but he wouldn’t take the bait. He had other things to do with her besides debate his vocabulary.
“Uh, huh.” He slid next to her on the bed, rolling her over onto her back and capturing her mouth for a kiss. He’d meant a short, erotic kiss but quickly decided he wanted, no needed, more. Her hands rested on his shoulders as his own framed her face, taking the kiss one step deeper, sweeping his tongue past her lips. She tasted so sweet, so pure. “You were saying?” he asked when he pulled back, taking in her dazed expression.
“About what?” she looked confused, and he chuckled.
“Nothing, baby, you just lay there and let me get you warm.”
“I’m already warm.”
“Not yet, you’re not.” He lowered his head to take in a breast, licking her nipple and nipping it until it peaked, then he wrapped his mouth around the delicious bud and suckled. She moaned, arching her back upward at him. She tasted too good to stop, so he moved over to her other nipple, coaxing it to a hardened peak before taking it between his teeth.
“Oh, fuck,” she whispered into the air. He smiled into her breast and ran his hand down her stomach, over the roundness of if, and found her real heat, sliding his hands into her panties.
Already slick for him, he slid his fingers through her folds, gathered the liquid heat, and circled her clit with it. “Agh!” She pushed her hips at him, but he gave a light slap to her hip.
“Down, girl,” he muttered into her breast and laughed when she cried out in mock anger. He placed a quick kiss to the tip of her nose and brought her gaze to his. “For once, just this once, don’t fight me.” He kissed her chin, then her chest, moving down the little valley between her breasts to her stomach, where he kissed the bump showcasing their child, then went lower. Her legs instantly spread for him, waiting for him.
He moved so he was nestled between her thighs. He pulled her panties off, tossing them over his shoulder before looking down at her pussy lips glistening with her need. The pink, swollen clit peeked out from the hood begging to be touched, and he wasn’t in the mood to deny her or her body anything. Dipping his head lower, he flicked the tip of his tongue over the swollen nub, delighting in the intake of her breath, harsh and unexpected. Her hands flew into his hair, gripping him hard.
“Easy now.” He laughed and felt her fingers loosen up. “I’ll take care of this pretty pink pussy of yours. You put your hands on those fucking tits.” He looked up the length of her and waited until she complied with his order. She’d done what he said but made sure he saw the little pout on her face as she did so. His girl didn’t like being obedient, but if she wanted her release, wanted to cry out from her orgasm, she’d have to do it anyway.
“That’s my good girl. And do you know what my good girl gets?” He toyed with her entrance, slipping one finger in only to the first knuckle and retreating.
“Oh, don’t do that...don’t tease.” She reached down, but he slapped her hand away.
“On your tits.” He said in a deeper voice. She huffed but went back to massaging her breasts. “Now, if you keep being good, you’ll have my cock in you soon, but if you start fighting me, start being a bad girl, then you’ll just have to keep waiting.”
“You’re being mean.” She looked down at him. Her dilated pupils and wet lips told him she loved the game as much as he did.
“You just focus on being good.” He leaned down again, lifting her clit with the very tip of his tongue and held it there, pushing a little pressure on her until she started to moan.
“Lucas. Okay! Okay! I’ll be good. Please.” Her hands never left her breasts, and he wrapped his lips around her clit and suckled again, thrusting two fingers inside of her as he did so. Her wet pussy clamped down on him, nearly dragging his fingers into her. He began to pump them faster and harder as his tongue worked over her clit.
She held still, as well as he would expect her to, and the moans and groans of her frustration and pleasure stroked his cock. But he needed more of her, and he had promised if she were a good girl, he’d fuck her. And he wasn’t one to go back on his word.
Kissing his way back up her body he, hooked her knees with his arms, pulling her legs open and back. “Fuck, this is going to feel so good.” He pushed forward, letting the head of his cock press against her entrance. “Tell me what you want, baby. Tell me you want this.”
“Lucas if you wait any longer, I’m going to start beating on you.” She gave her threat in a flat, no-nonsense tone.
“Does that sound like you being a good girl?” He pulled his hips back, no longer letting his hard, aching cock touch her.
She groaned. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I just need you, so bad. I need you.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and dragged him down to kiss her.
Just as their lips touched, he thrust into her. Hard. He caught her groan in his mouth and pulled back half-staff, then thrust forward again. He caught her nipple between his teeth and nipped just enough to get a small yelp out of her. He plunged into her harder, fully embedding his cock into her sweet, hot, tight pussy.
“Lucas.” She breathed, her nails digging into his shoulders. The sting of her nails sent his body into a fast tailspin. He looked down at her, to watch her as he fucked her harder and harder still. Her breasts bounced with each thrust, and her lip completely disappeared into her mouth.
“Don’t keep quiet, baby. Let it out.” He let go of her leg to pull her lip free.
“They’ll hear.” She whispered, looking toward the window.
“Let them. Let them hear you come from my cock buried inside your tight pussy. Fuck...it’s so tight...so good.” He kissed her neck, her cheek. “Fucking let them know who you belong to. Who do you belong to?” He grabbed her face and stared deep into her eyes.
“You, Lucas. I belong to you.” She cried out as her orgasm tore through her. “You!” She screamed again as he continued to rock into her. The wave of her release was the last straw. She clamped down around his cock, and within two more strokes, he was grunting out his own release.
He dropped his forehead down onto hers, letting their quickened breaths mingle between them. “You’re going to kill me if you get much more responsive.” He mumbled as he pulled free from her body and rolled to her side, flinging his arm over the side of the bed.
She laughed and curled up into his side. The room filled with their silence. His heart slowly came back down to normal human speed, even with her hand stroking his chest.
After several long moments passed and he was started to drift off, he heard her clear her throat. “Shit.” He groaned and looked over at the clock on the night table. He had to get back to the clubhouse. The meeting with Clay and his captains couldn’t be forgotten.
“I know you have to go.”
He sat up, careful to let her maneuver herself off of his chest as he did so.
“But I need to talk to you about something.” Her small voice concerned him. She grabbed her robe from the bottom of the bed and shoved her arms through the sleeves. Once she was up on her feet, she tied the belt around her middle, accentuating the bump.
He looked at the clock again and picked up his boxers from the floor. “Okay, sure.” He
shoved his legs through his jeans and dressed while she prepared herself to talk to him. “Your mom, how’s she doing? I didn’t ask earlier.” He swiped his t-shirt from the ground and slipped it over his head.
“Mom’s okay. I mean, she was feeling okay today, not great, tired but better than with the other medications. Her surgery is all set.” Josephine toyed with the robe and sat half on the bed.
Lucas climbed back up on the bed and pulled her into his arms. “What is it? Not that I mind, but you’ve been more cooperative than usual today, and now you look almost shy.”
Her body tensed, and she leaned back into his chest. “My mom told me something about my dad that’s left me a little off.”
“Your dad? I thought he ran off when you were a kid.” He would never understand how any father could call themselves a man after running out on a woman and child.
