HANDS OFF MY BRIDE

by Claire St. Rose

  “I suppose I should thank you,” Ellen said, the old bite back in her voice as she clutched the baby to her breast.

  “Ellen, I—”

  I get it. We all got lucky. And that it went down like this at all is my—

  “Angeline?” Ellen took her hand and smiled at her for the first time. “Thank you, Angeline.”

  She had to blink back tears, and Ellen patted her wrist as she returned her entire hold to her newborn.

  “Doesn’t make us friends or anything,” Ellen said. “But you are welcome in our house.”

  Angeline would take it, and she kissed Mary’s soft head.

  “Mom’s coming,” Jeremy said. “You want to stick around?”

  Something in Kane’s posture told her that he wanted that very much, but he shook his head.

  “No,” he started. “But we’ll catch up soon. This is your moment, little brother.”

  He took Angeline’s hand, ready to leave, when Jeremy called after them. “Hey. One good turn deserves another.”

  They paused in the doorway.

  “It’s Mary Angeline,” Jeremy said. “And Theo will have someone to play with.”

  Angeline stepped back to him, taking both of their hands in hers. She finally felt like family. “Theo will look forward to it.”

  So would she.

  When they returned home, Brent was out cold. So was Theo. Neither knew what had happened in the space of a short night. Tomorrow. Or someday.

  Right now…

  “I could use a shower,” Kane said. “You?”

  Angeline offered no objection as he stripped her tenderly and brought her under the water. For several long minutes, they just stood facing each other, and Angeline hesitated to touch him now that they were finally alone. It could have all gone another way, the wrong way, had Lillian gone trigger happy. And one look at his bruises proved that he was still hurt.

  “I hate seeing you like this,” she said.

  His cock was up, as he smiled into her eyes. “Like what? Ready for you?”

  The idea of that brought her joy, but as she touched his arms, his chest, she could not see past his injuries. “Are you?” she choked out. “Can you really give it all up for me?”

  His answer was his cock grazing her mound. He paused to be sure that she was ready, and Angeline needed him inside her. “I can give everything up for all of you.”

  Wrapping her legs around his, Angeline felt his thrust spread through her. She had shied away from him for far too long when all she really needed was the feel of him deep inside her. There was no Noel, no Lillian, and no pain when his cock swirled around her cunt. Pushing her nails into his broad back, her closed body expanded to take every inch of him. Kane responded with a smooth push that nearly made her scream. She buried her head into his neck and prayed for sweet release as he lingered around her, the tip of his cock teasing her cunt back to total life.

  “Kane—”

  He silenced her with a gentle kiss that deepened as he pressed her curls between her fingers. Angeline relished the water racing down their backs as their lips mingled together. When he held her against the slick wall, his cock still humming around her, she looked into his eyes and saw him smiling. “Don’t talk,” he said. “Just be mine.”

  There was no way that she could resist any of him as he drove deeper. His cock was urgent and warm and needing to discover all of her lest he lose the chance. But Kane was hers. He had given up the club because of her. He had the chance to have his family back in his life because of her. But in this moment, under the water, all that mattered was the feel of their bodies entwining, and she couldn’t say it was bad.

  Because he felt so good.

  “I am yours,” she murmured. “Always.”

  Kane lifted her body up. The force of her thighs kept her aloft as he pounded her under the running water.

  “Stay that way,” he said.

  Angeline could not nod or say yes. She could do nothing but spread her body wider as his cock pushed into her. Any pain that there might have been was eradicated as every thrust was met by the feel of his fingers running down her back. He cradled her ass and kissed the arms clenching him close as his pulsing sent her head back. The rain from above was nothing compared to the force of his desire flooding her veins. Having him inside her again was like wanting to scream and shatter and sink into total joy. And she went quiet when he finished with the full force of his cock. Angeline clenched her muscles to feel all of him, and when he finally released, she collapsed against him and nearly wept into his shoulder.

  “No more tears, Angel.”

  It was hard to follow his order, but she obeyed and let him bring her out of the shower. He tenderly started to dry her body, and as he wrapped her in the towel, Kane made her face him and smiled. “I’m just going to say it,” he said.

  “Kane?”

  “I’ll die if anything happens to you.”

  Was there something that she was missing?

  “But we’re okay now,” he said. “It was a good plan, Angel. A better plan.”

  She stroked his arms and kissed his shoulders.

  “I learned a few things from you,” she said.

  “What’s that?” he asked.

  “It all works out in the end.”

  Now that the danger was finally gone, she felt like she could finally hold him without fear. There would always be what had happened. Prisons and rapes. But Jeremy had extended an olive branch, and they could be happy with Theo.

  Finally.

  “I missed you this way,” she said. “Just hold me, Kane.”

  Laying her out on the bed, Kane cradled her face and kissed her cheeks.

  “We’re already married,” he said.

  Angeline smiled for him to continue.

  “I mean… we’ve been through love and death, sorrow and joy. If that’s not married, I don’t know what the hell it is.”

  And as he held her, even as she knew that they would get around to making it official for the sakes of their families, he was right. Like a soldier in the throes of battle, he had been stripped from her side time and time again. But now he was hers, he was finally home, and no matter what might come next, they would always see it through together.

  Theo started to giggle from the next room, and they stood—hand-in-hand—to meet their son.

  “Last chance to get rid of me,” she teased.

  “I have a son to take care of. And you’re both going to be happy every day for the rest of my life.”

  Now her only hope was that he would live forever.

  THE END

  Read on for your FREE bonus book – DADDY AT THE ALTAR

  DADDY AT THE ALTAR: Iron Claws MC

  By Claire St. Rose

  I SWORE OFF WOMEN LONG AGO. BUT IT MIGHT BE TIME TO BREAK MY PROMISE.

  Because I haven’t felt hunger like this since my first love died.

  Ariana might look untouched and innocent…

  But by the time I’ll done, she’ll be utterly wrecked. Thoroughly ruined.

  And pregnant with my baby.

  Years ago, as I put the dirt on the coffin of my dead old lady, I made myself a promise:

  Never again.

  I’d kept that oath in the years since.

  No emotions.

  Nothing permanent.

  One. Night. Only.

  But that was before Ariana waltzed into my life.

  She might hate me – but I just don’t give a damn.

  Because she’s everything I’ve always wanted.

  And I’m not gonna rest until I have her.

  Not just for a taste.

  Not just for a night.

  No, this one needs to be long, slow, and special.

  I want to savor breaking her down.

  Because once she’s putty in my hands, I’m going to drag her to the altar.

  I don’t just want a woman.

  I want a wife.

  A baby.

  A future.

>   And she’s going to give me all of that…

  Or else.

  CHAPTER ONE

  "Hey Larson! Where you off to?" Pound asked.

  Vince Larson turned around to face Pound but continued walking backwards toward his bike.

  "I thought you'd stay for the show." Pound pantomimed massaging tits on his own chest with a goofy grin.

  Vince gave Pound a smile that he didn’t feel. “Naw, man, I need to get some sleep. I haven’t been to bed since before the product run yesterday.” He’d had to set things straight with one of their business contacts who thought he could bypass them in their dealings. It had been a twelve-hour ride roundtrip, and it was a good enough excuse to head out.

  He didn’t want to mention today’s date—it would be dragging up old shit.

  But Pound protested. “Come on, Larson. I’m sure one or more of the lovely ladies inside would be more than happy to tuck you in!”

  Vince shook his head and grabbed the leather jacket slung over the seat of the motorcycle, bearing the silvery image of an eagle with giant talons clutching an American flag that was ripping in half. It was the patch of the MC, the Iron Claws, and he wore it proudly. He’d been patched in twelve years ago, and his biker brothers were the only family he had now, the only people he trusted.

  Slinging his leg over the bike, he told Pound, “I’ll see you early in the morning, man. We have to take inventory, make sure nothing went missing with the break-in last week.”

  Disappointed, Pound approached him and slapped him on the back as he revved the engine on the bike. “Sure, man, I’ll be here all night. I might need a bucket of cold water poured over me in the morning, though, ‘cause there’s a bottle of Patrón with my name on it in there, and I plan to get fucked up.”

  Vince gave him a salute and rode off, the night particularly dark, clouds covering what sliver of a moon there was. How appropriate, he thought, considering the anniversary he was recognizing tonight. He cursed into the wind as an image of Kristi popped into his mind.

  His old lady had been a good woman, but she’d been weak. She’d claimed not to have a problem with his lifestyle, but when it came down to it, she didn’t have the heart to be an old lady, and she’d grown to hate the MC.

  He cursed again, this time directing his anger inward, for being so blind to her coping mechanisms. He’d been so caught up in the game he hadn’t realized she was addicted to pain pills till it was too late. One year ago tonight, he’d come home from a party at the clubhouse to find Kristi on the floor, not breathing. Next to her were an empty bottle of Vicodin and an empty fifth of Stoli.

  Her overdose had shattered him, and Vince had thrown himself into club business without second thought. He’d been trying to pick up the pieces of his life ever since but couldn’t seem to make a complete picture without his old lady. It probably served him right – karma was a real bitch. He’d made other people suffer, and there was no better way to make him suffer than to take away the one tender, loving thing in his life.

  His bike wavered beneath him, the road slick, and he gripped the handlebars tighter, trying to maintain control. But it was too late, and as his bike swerved off the road, his last thought was, This is what they call poetic justice, you lousy shit.

  CHAPTER TWO

  “Hey, Ariana, we got a call!”

  Ariana Powell looked up from the patient she was checking in on, a young girl who’d broken her arm on the soccer field that afternoon. She’d brought the girl in earlier, and they’d bonded as she set the arm. Now it was her partner, Sal Bozeman, who was rushing toward the double doors that led to the ambulance bay at the hospital. She quickly said goodbye to the girl and followed Sal out the door.

  “We just got back. Where are Rosen and Bailey?” They had another unit on duty tonight who should have been on this call.

  Sal jumped behind the wheel as she clicked her seatbelt. “They’re too far out, we’re closer. It’s a call-in from some guy driving home, saw a motorcycle smashed against a light post just off Route 5 near the reservation.”

  Ariana made a bitter face. “It’s about time. I knew one of those guys who thinks he’s a badass would eventually bite it. Serves them right for drinking and driving. Or riding, or whatever they call it.”

  Sal slid a meaningful look at her. “Get it under control, Powell. He’s still a patient, and we have to treat him like everyone else. Besides, you don’t know that he’s been drinking.”

  “That’s all they do,” she scoffed. “They throw their weight around, intimide everyone into doing whatever they want, treat women like property, and get drunk. When was the last time any of those bikers donated to charity? I bet the list of them with felony records is as long as my arm.” She shook her head in disgust as she tied her long, blond hair back from her face. “How bad do you think it is?”

  Her partner shrugged. “I didn’t hear anything about pools of blood or body parts on the road. I guess we’ll see soon enough.” He rounded the curves of the winding road from Olympia toward the accident, and Ariana guessed they were about five minutes out. She called it in, making sure the dispatcher knew their position, and grabbed the first aid kit, ready to jump out of the truck as soon as it pulled to a stop.

  Bozeman was right. Biker asshole or not, whoever had been the lucky lottery winner was still her responsibility, and in five years on the job, she hadn’t lost anyone yet. She wasn’t about to start now.

  ***

  Searing pain swept through Vince’s body. He squeezed his eyes to keep them shut against bright lights that flashed around him, but they bled through his eyelids, making his head throb with each blink from blue to red. As he tried to roll away from them, he felt something stabbing into his side and vaguely remembered where he was.

  The road by the reservation… the slick spot… the crash. Dammit. The last time he’d seen those lights flashing up close had been a year ago, when he’d called 9-1-1 and they’d come to try to revive his old lady. He took a self-assessment as voices gathered around him. He needed to tell them what hurt and what didn’t.

  Vince blinked several times and squinted, his vision slightly blurred, the lights blinding. Then someone dropped to their knees beside him and blocked some of the offending emergency beacons. “Sir, are you awake? Can you hear me, sir?” The voice was male, with a slight Latino accent. “Can you tell me your name?”

  One question at a time would have been fine. Vince tried to nod and winced at the pain in his head. “Vince Larson,” he grunted.

  “Mr. Larson, can you feel all your limbs?” This time, a female, a raspy quality and harsh tone. “We need to assess your injuries-”

  “Hell, yes, I can feel them, and they hurt like a motherfucker,” he cut her off, not caring how surly he sounded. “I don’t think it’s bad, just bruises and scrapes, but my head’s pounding like a desperate man in a three-dollar hooker.” Apparently, his vision wasn’t as poor as he’d thought, because he saw the sour expression on the woman’s face.

  Then again, he must’ve suffered a head injury because his next thought was, That expression doesn’t take away from her looks at all.

  “Mr. Larson, could you please be still?” The woman sounded impatient, and Vince realized he was squirming in his pain. He stilled, letting them check vitals and check his body for damage. He hissed in a breath of pain as someone – he didn’t see which one – pressed on his thigh and caused a burning sensation.

  It took a few minutes, and they put the required neck brace on him before transferring him to a gurney and loading him into an ambulance. He managed to look around and see a couple of badges with black-and-whites checking out the scene. He listened carefully as the Hispanic medic told them, “It doesn’t look like there was alcohol involved, but they’ll do a tox screen at the hospital. I think he just hit a patch of water and lost control.”

  No shit, Vince thought, wishing like hell he was drunk. Maybe then his head wouldn’t hurt so bad. He settled in the best he could and waited it o
ut, raising an eyebrow as the sexy blonde climbed into the back with him and the other guy took the wheel. “You got a name?” he asked, closing his eyes against the nausea that suddenly slammed into him like a brick wall.

  She didn’t answer right away, and he stared at her lips, which were pressed into a thin line. He imagined that, under normal circumstances, they were full and red, and he couldn’t help imagining them around his cock. Finally, staring at a monitor like she was watching the most intense scene in her favorite movie, she answered shortly, “It’s Ariana.”

  So much for conversation, he thought, looking away from her. He shut his mouth, knowing when someone considered herself of a higher class. Inside, he laughed. If she only knew.