Stronger (Stark Ink Book 4)

by West, Dahlia

  “You guys ready to play?” Sarah asked brightly.

  Sienna wrinkled her nose. “I’ll try,” she replied. “Jonah said it was poker night, but I don’t know how to play poker.”

  “THANK GOD!” Tex shouted from the other side of the living room.

  Sienna blushed furiously and looked away.

  Jonah had an inkling that it wasn’t the comment, or her lack of skill at card playing, but rather the curvy redhead curled up on the couch next to the guy.

  Sarah gestured to the dining room, where the game was already set up.

  Jonah and Sienna, happy to help out, carried their bowls into the large room. As they placed them on the table, Jonah asked, “You okay?”

  Sienna put on a happy face, one that he was sure wasn’t entirely real. “Sure!”

  “Sienna.”

  She pressed her lips together and looked through the doorway at Abby and Tex. She shrugged.

  Jonah took her in his now-empty arms and gave her a squeeze. “Don’t let this ruin your night. They’re good people, Sienna. And it was just a job. My job, and I do it well. I barely even looked.”

  She cast him a dubious glance.

  Jonah grinned and whispered, “I swear. I never even got a semi.”

  She scoffed and her ears turned pink but she smiled back at him.

  “So, don’t even think about it, baby,” he told her. “I’m not. I’m only thinking about this girl, this one right here. The one I’m holding onto right now.”

  She sighed. “Well, okay. I’ll try. But I don’t even know why we’re here, though. I can’t play.”

  He shrugged. “I can teach you.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah.”

  She frowned. “It seems complicated.”

  “It’s not. I promise. You’ve just got to learn the hands.”

  “The hands,” she repeated.

  He nodded and then grinned at her again. “To start with, there’s a pair.” He slid his hands up her hips, across her belly, palms open wide, about to cup her breasts in his hands.

  She gasped and swatted him away. “Jonah!” she hissed. “You’re so bad!”

  Sarah appeared, holding a stack of napkins and Solo cups.

  Sienna ducked her head, obviously embarrassed that they’d been caught fooling around.

  The older woman snorted and rolled her eyes. “Oh, honey. They’re all bad. They can’t keep their filthy hands off you or their dirty mouths shut. And they can turn absolutely anything sexual. Anything at all. And they’re used to getting what they want, when they want it.” She sighed dramatically and smiled. “But we love them for it. Because unlike average men, when they look at you, it’s like you’re the only girl in the world.”

  Sarah headed back to the kitchen and Sienna watched her go. Then Jonah noticed her gaze turning back to Tex and Abby. She sighed again. “Look at them. How can I be mad? They’re so happy. Like Sarah said, she’s the only girl in the world and she clearly loves him.”

  Jonah lifted her chin with his finger and gave her a slow, soft kiss on the lips. “You are my world, Sienna,” he whispered.

  She pulled him in closer, backing up against the wall, out of view of the living room.

  The thrill of being caught made Jonah’s heart pound. He slipped his tongue into her mouth.

  Suddenly, though, her hand brushed his ribs and pain flared. He moved away, turning, to hide his reaction.

  “Why are you pulling away from me?” she demanded.

  “I just need a minute.”

  She frowned and clearly didn’t believe him.

  “I swear. That’s all it is. I just need a minute.” He purposely glanced down at his raging erection, feeling guilty for making her think that was the reason why. Lying was unacceptable, yet he hadn’t said a word that wasn’t true. Jonah didn’t know what this was, precisely, but he knew it didn’t feel good.

  One look at her face told him it didn’t feel good for her, either.

  “I’m not pulling away,” he insisted and reached for her chin. “I’ll never do that again. I know what I did to you, Sienna. Don’t think I’m not aware of how much I’ve hurt you. Just understand that it couldn’t have been any different. I couldn’t have done it another way.”

  “But why?!” she asked, and the pain in her eyes wrenched his gut. “Why now? Why not before? What changed?”

  “I did. So I could be the man you deserve. You can hope now, Sienna. You can make plans for the future. I’m not going anywhere. I’m never leaving you. Whatever you want, I will get it for you. I will make it happen.”

  “Why now?” she whispered.

  “I can’t tell you. Not here. Not now. But I will. Soon. So that you can decide whether or not you want to stay with me.”

  “Why would I want to leave?”

  “You don’t know everything. But you will,” he promised. “You’ll know all of it. It’s the only way to be fair to you.”

  They joined the rest of the group around the huge dining room table. As Jonah held a chair out for Sienna, Emilio asked, “Where’re Doc and Izzy?”

  Shooter shrugged. “Alarm went off at their office. Can’t have been too much of a problem or they would’ve called.” He ran two decks through a shuffler, casting a sharp glance at his wife. “It’s so she doesn’t count cards,” he told the newcomers.

  “I don’t do it on purpose!” Sarah protested.

  Hawk shook his head and smiled. “We don’t know what to do with this one, I’ll tell you. Run out of Las Vegas on a rail. Twice. Once for cheating at cards and then getting busted for prostitution.” He shook his head slowly. “She’s a sad case, really.”

  “Hawk!” Sarah shouted.

  “Wait, wait, wait!” Ava cried, gaping at Sarah. “You were busted for prostitution?!”

  Sarah bristled. “I was not busted!” she insisted. “I was held. Temporarily. By hotel security.”

  Abby snorted. “True. I had to bail her out.”

  “I wasn’t in jail!” Sarah shrieked.

  The redhead laughed. “You were about to be. I had to explain that they were married and just messing around.”

  “Oh, my God!” Sienna cried. “How embarrassing! I would’ve died.”

  “It is embarrassing!” Sarah pouted. “Everyone always thinks I’m a hooker!”

  Shooter put his arm around his wife and patted her arm. “Nah, baby. That’s not true. I never thought you were a hooker.”

  From across the table, Hawk snorted loudly.

  “I just… thought you were a con artist,” Shooter told her. “That’s all.”

  Sarah glared at her husband and then turned to Ava and Sienna. “I’m a really good person,” she insisted.

  Sienna nodded, earnestly. “No, I’m sure you are. I’m sure.”

  “I am!”

  “She breaks into people’s houses,” Hawk declared.

  Sarah gasped.

  The man grinned widely. “But she just redecorates and shit.”

  Ava’s jaw dropped. “Whose house did you break into?”

  Sarah slumped in her chair. “Easy’s.”

  Shooter chuckled. “He can tell you that story when he gets back from his honeymoon. He can also tell you how my baby conned him into being her chauffeur once.”

  Hawk laughed and pounded the table. “Oh, my God! The look! The look on that boy’s face. I’ll remember it always.”

  Their hosts regaled them with stories about flaming desserts and fake cake. Interestingly enough, many of the stories were food-related. Jonah knew there were other, darker stories in the group, ones Emilio had told him about—serial killers and would-be rapists. He was glad they didn’t upset Sienna with them.

  These were people who had been through hell, though, like him, and had come out the other side. Jonah had never met anyone even close to like himself, not face to face, not since foster care. It made him glad to see that people could overcome even the most evil shit that had been done to them.

  When
too much time had passed (and the boys had lost enough money to their women), everyone called it a night. Jonah led Sienna back out to his Harley and drove them back into town. He walked her to her door, kissed her, but snagged her back before she could disappear inside.

  “When’s your next day off?” he asked her.

  She knitted her brows. “Why?”

  He smiled and ran a finger over her collarbone. “So you can spend the night at my place.”

  Her lips parted in surprise.

  “Only if you’re ready,” he amended. “We go at your pace, whatever you need.”

  “Tomorrow night,” she replied, a little too hastily. “I can spend the night tomorrow.”

  Jonah stifled a laugh as he pictured her coughing into the phone, making up symptoms to her boss. The question was just a courtesy. He knew her work schedule by heart. “You work Saturdays.”

  “Not this Saturday.”

  He frowned, though. Because she might have been telling the truth, but he wasn’t. At least not in the general sense. He had a fight tomorrow night. The last one, he hoped.

  She tugged at his shirt to get his attention. “Jonah, I don’t work this Saturday.”

  He blew out a harsh breath. He couldn’t reject her again. She couldn’t take it. She’d never understand why and he could never tell her. He couldn’t hurt her again, plus she might not forgive him this time. “Okay,” he said. “Tomorrow night it is.”

  She grabbed him and pulled him down. Jonah allowed himself to be manhandled as she planted a kiss on his lips. Like always, it turned steamy in just a few seconds. “Jonah,” she whispered, in-between kisses.

  “Mmmm.”

  “The girls told me about this lingerie shop downtown. I’ll go panty shopping tomorrow afternoon for you.”

  His cock stiffened as he groaned. “Baby, it’s a long time until tomorrow. And now you’ve made it even longer.”

  She giggled and ducked inside the door.

  He didn’t step off the porch until he heard the deadbolt click into place.

  Sienna in panties was one hell of a distraction. He hoped he didn’t screw up somebody’s nose between now and then. Or get his own broken in the ring. His heart sank as he thought about the fight that was on for tomorrow night.

  Loving and leaving her was not part of his plan. He had to make it work, though.

  One last time.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Friday came too fast. Jonah hoped he wouldn’t.

  It was already closing time for the shop and he was ready, he supposed, for his overnight guest. The apartment was cleaner than his own workroom. He’d scoured every inch of it with something lemon scented that seemed to do the job, whatever it was.

  From the lobby, Jonah heard the familiar sound of the front door’s bell. He silently groaned and continued to put away his tools. He hoped it was a tat, or that Adam sent the guy away, because nothing was keeping Jonah from Sienna tonight. Not a damn thing.

  “Jonah,” called Jeannie from behind him.

  “No,” he snapped.

  “Jonah,” she repeated.

  Jonah shook his head. “I can’t do it. Not tonight.” He turned on his stool and came face to face with Jeannie…and Sienna.

  Jeannie laughed. “Well, I hope for her sake you find your second wind.” The receptionist turned on her heel and strode out of the workroom.

  Sienna blushed and fiddled nervously with the backpack on her shoulder.

  Jonah didn’t know what she had in there, but it looked like pretty close to everything. Then he realized that he wouldn’t really mind if she had. “What are you doing here?” he asked her. “I was just about to come pick you up.”

  Sienna shrugged and tugged on her hair. “I had Ava drive me. She wasn’t busy.”

  Jonah glowered. “You had her drive you? Carrying an overnight bag? So now she knows you’re staying over?”

  Sienna laughed. “Oh, please. Like I don’t have to hear about it every time she and Emilio bump uglies. On his bike. Outside!”

  “Shut up!” Adam shouted from the other room. “I don’t want to know! I don’t want to know anything! Not you two, not those two—nothing!”

  Sienna ducked her head and giggled. “Sorry!” she called out over her shoulder.

  Jonah stood up, pushing the stool behind him. He reached into his front pocket as he approached her and pulled out his hand.

  “Here,” he said. “You can go ahead upstairs if you want.”

  Sienna extended her hand, curiosity passing over her face.

  Jonah dropped a key into her palm.

  She wrinkled her nose as she examined it. “There’s…there’s paint on it.”

  “Yeah,” Jonah replied. “That’s because that one’s yours.”

  She looked up at him, bewildered. “You’re… you’re giving me a key to your apartment?”

  He nodded. “It opens the back door, too. I just thought you should have one. You’re my—” He paused. Girlfriend seemed to belittle her somehow. He shrugged. “You’re mine. So, you have a key to my place.”

  She turned the key over in her hand, as though she wasn’t sure it was real.

  “Go on up,” Jonah told her. “I cleaned the place. I’ll be right up after I let Adam out.”

  Sienna turned and made her way down the hall.

  Jonah couldn’t see her after that, but he heard her shoes on the wooden stairs. When he turned, he saw Adam staring at him.

  “You gave her a key to my place,” Adam said.

  “I gave her the key to my place. And, anyway, it’s Sienna. You can trust her. You know you can.”

  Adam grinned at him. “Well, I guess so.”

  Jonah scowled at the way his older brother was looking at him. “Thought you didn’t want to know?”

  “I don’t. I was just worried.”

  Jonah’s frown deepened. “I’m not going to hurt her, Adam.”

  Adam shook his head. “It’s not about that. It was never about that. Jonah, I didn’t want her hurting you.”

  Jonah balked at him. “What?”

  Adam clapped him on the shoulder, a move he never would’ve made even a year ago. “For a long time, Jonah, you scared me. Because I thought you didn’t feel anything at all. But now that I know you better, now that I’ve really looked, I see that it’s not that you don’t feel anything. It’s that you feel so much. And I was afraid that one more disappointment, one more heartache, would send you running so far, so fast, that we’d never, ever get you back. I just want to know that you’re okay.” His eyes skipped past Jonah to the hallway that led to the apartment upstairs. “And I guess now I know.”

  Adam ducked out and Jonah locked the door behind him. He turned and took a deep breath. All he had to do was put one foot in front of the other, up the stairs and into the apartment above.

  The conversation he and Sienna had to have was going to be tough. It was going to suck like nothing else had in his life, because he had to hurt her one last time. One final time, he promised himself. But once it was done, once they were done, he’d slip off, hopefully after she was asleep and fight his last fight.

  The beating he’d let himself take wouldn’t be punishment enough for what he was about to inflict on her, but he deserved it nonetheless.

  He switched off the light and stood in the darkness one final moment before climbing the stairs. Light shone from underneath the door and Jonah felt happy to have someone to come home to. He gripped the doorknob and pushed in the door.

  He took a deep breath, ready to speak, but let it out in a rush as he froze in the doorway.

  Sienna had certainly made herself at home.

  She’d left the bathroom light on and kept the door open so that the ambient light was dim but not too dark. She’d turned down the sheets and appeared to have lost most of her clothes in the process. She was sprawled on his bed, clad in a matching green bra and panties.

  Jonah forgot what he was going to say. He forgot everything as all the bl
ood rushed from his head to his cock. It jerked behind his zipper. He wasn’t instantly hard, but not that far from it.

  “Sienna,” he breathed.

  “It’s soft,” she said.

  “No, it’s not.”

  She giggled. “The bed. It’s soft.”

  He laughed, embarrassed, and took a step toward her. “Maybe. I wouldn’t know. I sleep on a bed of nails in the corner, myself. You won’t catch me cat-napping on memory foam.”

  “You think you could make an exception?” she cooed. “Just for me?”

  He nodded and lowered himself to the edge of the mattress. “I might.”

  She pulled him closer and kissed him.

  Jonah’s whole body vibrated with lust.

  She smirked at him and brushed his lower lip with her finger. “Do you need a warm up? What is it? A high hand?” She lowered her hand to his chest but gasped.

  “What? Oh!” She looked up at him, surprised, as her fingers rubbed him.

  Jonah leaned back and grasped the hem of his T-shirt. He tugged it off over his head and tossed it behind him. The moonlight streaming in from the window bounced off the silver barbells he’d run through his own nipples.

  Sienna gasped and then ran her hand up his stomach to touch them gingerly. “I didn’t know you’d done this,” she breathed, eyes wide.

  “If you don’t like them, I can take them out,” he told her. “I can change anything. I can—”

  “I like them,” she said quickly. “I do.” Her eyes skipped down to his jeans and she bit her lower lip. “Are…?” She cleared her throat and tried again. “Do you have…?” Her eyes bounced off his crotch again before she looked up at him.

  Jonah shook his head. “No. That’s yours.”

  She stared at him, considering his words. “Mine?” she repeated slowly.

  “Yours,” he told her firmly. “You do what you want with it.”

  “What I… want with it? Why would I want—?”

  He kissed her again, savoring her taste. “Because it enhances female pleasure.”

  Sienna pulled away and frowned at him. “How…exactly does something on you make things better for me?”

  He grinned wickedly and ran his hand up her inner thigh.