TAMING GRIZZ (A DEVIL'S DRAGONS MOTORCYCLE CLUB ROMANCE)

by Nikki Wild

  I closed the door behind myself as got ready for bed. It wasn’t more than a few minutes later before Grizz popped the door open, letting the light into the dark room.

  “Light off,” I grumbled.

  “Sorry,” Grizz apologized as he closed the door again. I could hear his footsteps retreating, and knew that he was wandering over to check the locks on the door again.

  He always did that before getting comfortable at night, but besides that one time we fell asleep together on the couch, he always did it again before heading to bed.

  It was endearing how protective he was.

  Grizz popped the door open again, but before I could sleepily protest, he’d already cut the light switch. I moved over in bed as I felt his presence around the bed. He kicked off his clothes to the floor and slid into bed beside me.

  “What made you change your mind about me sleeping in here?”

  “Technically, I never said you couldn’t,” I teased him. I meant to continue the charade, but the warmth coming off of him lulled me into a sense of hunger.

  I wanted him.

  Which wasn’t good for me, given the choice I’d made right before bed…

  Grizz brushed against me while trying to get comfortable with the bedding. In the instant, he paused, daring to touch me again with faint fingertips that stroked down my side.

  “You’re…”

  “As naked as the day I was born.”

  He groaned. “Why are you doing this?”

  “To give you another little taste of what you’re missing by not talking to me,” I smirked smugly.

  Grizz let out a deep sigh.

  “Don’t get all sad on me,” I reassured him, running a hand down his strong chest. “I’m not going to push you into doing it. But I just thought you could stand to be reminded of what’s on offer.”

  “The offer was very clear,” he grunted.

  “No harm in underlining it,” I whispered. “Anyway, I think it’s about time that I caught some shut-eye…”

  Grizz lay in bed next to me like that for maybe ten seconds, but then he shifted his position. It was only when it was too late that I realized he’d shucked his boxers off again.

  Here we are, I groaned on the inside.

  He was still moving, and that’s when I realized he’d gone back to the same damn tricks. Just knowing that I’d given him a rock-hard erection was sexy…

  I should have just rolled over and gone to sleep, but I couldn’t ignore the allure. The motions of his slowly pumping shoulder near mine drove me wild, knowing that he was pleasing himself to thoughts of me. Why wouldn’t he just open up and tell me what I needed to know?

  It wasn’t long before my breath started catching in my throat. I could feel my core rising in heat, my nipples stiffening against the underside of the comforter.

  There was no denying it.

  I needed release.

  And it would be so easy to just push his hand aside and mount that massive cock of his…

  Filled with crushing desire, I resisted the temptation. Instead, I chose to openly caress my breasts, feeling his posture stiffen up next to me in bed.

  I began playing with my nipples, tweaking the erect little nubs between my fingers. My hips started to shift around in place as I arched my spine, letting my lower lip fall and quiver as I plunged a hand down between my thighs.

  My legs brushed against one another as I started lustfully stroking my clit, virtually challenging the naked, muscular man in my bed to a come-off.

  Who can get off the fastest?

  Ready, set, go!

  Grizz focused on the task, grunted as his fist pistoned away around his thick cock.

  I imagined it pushing down my throat. I thought of myself on my knees, letting this man control my mouth around his hot, heavy member.

  In my head, Grizz dominated me. He forced me to take more than I could handle, made my lips move faster and harder than I was comfortable with. He kept it so that I was just barely outside my limits…

  “That’s right, baby,” Grizz whispered in my ear. “Just like that.”

  I was shaken from my fantasy.

  That sounded real.

  “Come for me, Kate.”

  He really was talking.

  “I know you want to… come for me.”

  Without meaning to, I grasped the back of his neck with my free hand, still furiously stroking my wet pussy with the other. Just as I realized what I was doing, I pulled his face down to mine, inviting him into a huge, powerful kiss just as I reached the peak of my climax.

  What the fuck am I–

  It was too late. The pressure inside my core released, sending a mighty surge of unrestrained pleasure down my body. I felt everything stiffen up as I passionately kissed him, my lips finally locking open with a huge, quivering moan.

  Grizz took control, still furiously working his cock as his tongue slid against mine. I was powerless in his grasp, my body completely wracked with pleasure. My head span as I kept his mouth on mine, succumbing just this one, tiny inch…

  Just as my body started to relax, he pulled his lips barely free, whispering: “Fuck, Kate… I’m gonna come… I’m close…”

  I didn’t even think about it.

  My body just reacted without me.

  It had done so much to betray me lately…

  Grizz was on his side, and it was dark, but I innately knew his body regardless of sight. He was still pumping his cock as I dropped my face down and brushed his hand away, wrapping my lips around it. He laced his fingertips through my hair and drove himself deeper down just in time to feel his throbbing dick pump its load straight across my tongue…

  The warmth filled my mouth, and I felt him unleash several steamy ropes of cum until the last drop was gone. I pulled back slowly, releasing him from my desperate lips. I wasn’t sure who was more shocked by what I’d just done…

  Grizz didn’t say a word.

  “I didn’t let you fuck me,” I insisted. “This changes nothing.”

  “I understand,” Grizz agreed.

  “Good. “Just so that we’re clear.”

  “Crystal.”

  It felt funny to repeat these words again, and I wondered how hollow they might be now. Part of me was furious that I’d let this happen, but honestly… much more of me was relieved.

  He’s gonna have to tell me soon.

  I tried to summon a smile. Especially if he wants anything beyond what just happened... Maybe this’ll be what pushes him to do it…

  But, as I curled up beside his relaxing form on the bed, ready to go to sleep and put that moment of weakness behind myself… I knew that I wasn’t convincing myself.

  If anything, the taste of him had only brought down a harder need for that hot seed to pump into my wet pussy, his cock jackhammering into my body.

  I’m not going to hold out much longer.

  But luckily enough, I wouldn’t have to.

  Because Grizz Hawkins was about to give me everything that I wanted…

  14

  Grizz

  The cozy Southern diner was about as old-fashioned as they ever got. One quick glance around from my seat showed that the place hadn’t been meaningfully updated in a number of decades.

  Ripped inseams along my booth exposed old, yellow padding, and the weathered seating creaked with every move I made.

  All of the tables were all covered with an ancient layer of felt-lined plastic that draped down the edges, keeping its shape over the many years of use.

  Even the waitresses, all in their twilight years, looked like they had served this little restaurant since their better days.

  My eyes pulled back to the clock.

  It sat over the hostess counter, a large, easily overlookable thing that was about as decrepit and featureless as the peeling wallpaper behind it.

  The time was just shy of 8 o’clock.

  With my large hands still cupped around the single hot mug of coffee, I took another deep swig. A waitre
ss glanced over my way, but I held up a hand and shook my head.

  I wasn’t here for soul food.

  I was here for business.

  Right at the top of the hour, Business came in the shape of a boring, middle-aged man, tall and thin, wearing a wide smile like an old sweater. A bundled newspaper was clamped against his pit as he rummaged for his wallet, making friendly small talk to the hostess. She already had his to-go order ready in a bag, and he quickly paid her before excusing himself.

  My booth hugged the wall. Specifically, my booth was the one halfway between the stand and the bathroom. The stranger paused beside my table, fumbling with the bundled, bagged paper. “Excuse me, what time is it?”

  I glanced up nonchalantly.

  “Almost time for work.”

  “Yes, I do suppose that it is, isn’t it?” He hid his knowing nod with a chuckle. The man partially turned away, only to face back and reply: “If I can ask, where do you work?”

  “Out west,” I answered politely. “Looking for something here in the city.”

  He nodded. “Part-time, or full?”

  “Full.”

  “Just you, then?”

  “Got a crew. Dozen and a half. Good men.”

  He reached to his pocket and removed what looked like a business card. The man quickly penned something on the back, and slapped it down on the table.

  “Good luck to you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some omelets and grits going cold over there…”

  “Can’t have that. Enjoy the meal.”

  He gave me a quick grin before leaving.

  That last part was arguably the most important one. The entire conversation was a rehearsed code, but without saying the last six words exactly, the message would never be relayed properly.

  It meant that I knew who he was, who his employer was, and that I had been personally invited to this meeting place.

  After the man strolled back the other way, shaking his wet hands, I took a look at the business card.

  Of course, there wasn’t a true word on it. Brightside Construction didn’t exist, and even if it did, this man had never built a damn thing in his life.

  But the back of the card read:

  Community Coffee. Veterans Blvd. Outside table, green hat, 8:30AM.

  I slipped the card into my pocket and enjoyed the rest of my cup. I knew that the place was going to be close. When I paid the waitress a few minutes later, I asked for directions, then left her a tip and walked out.

  Traffic held me up, but I arrived at the place five minutes before the meeting time.

  Community Coffee looked like Louisiana’s answer to Starbucks, with a real hometown feel to it. Murals of local, legendary musicians in a weird, abstract style were painted on the wall above the front counter, and soft jazz was playing over the speakers.

  I ordered a bagel to be polite, then excused myself outside. The patio was deserted, save for an older man lost in his worn paperback. A half-empty coffee sat in front of him, and he took another drag from his cigarette with a green hat pulled low.

  Taking a seat beside my contact, I glanced at the paperback cover. It looked to be a romance novel of some sort, judging by the shirtless, sculpted male on the front.

  “Didn’t know you were into that stuff.”

  My contact wrinkled his nose, his bushy moustache wiggling beneath.

  “Fuck off.”

  We laughed together as Julian took a drink from his coffee. Over the lip of the mug, he sized me up in a glance.

  “Welcome back, Grizz,” he chuckled, removing the green cap and setting it aside. “Feels like only yesterday that we were seated at a table much like this one. If I’d known it was you coming today, I’d have set us up in a private bar instead…”

  “This wasn’t exactly my idea,” I confessed. “Guess I sold the idea of setting up shop here in New Orleans a bit harder than I had thought. My boss was quick to jump on that line of thinkin’.”

  His eyes glanced down to my Devil’s Dragons emblem, then the word Nomad patched beneath.

  “You came alone, I take it?”

  “I did.”

  Julian lowered the book with a broadening smile on his face, setting it closed with a bookmark in place.

  “Then, I guess we’d better get to work then, yes? Why don’t you tell where we stand.”

  I glanced around.

  Place was still empty.

  “Hunter Hargreaves wants the Devil’s Dragons to come to New Orleans if there’s room for us here. I’ve been sent to negotiate how that might work out.”

  He nodded.

  “How many of you are there?”

  “Sixteen, maybe seventeen total.”

  An eyebrow rose. “You don’t have a headcount? That’s a little sloppy, Grizz.”

  “Depends on your definition of a Devil’s Dragon,” I shrugged. “Hunter’s fiancé is probably coming too.”

  “She’s not an official member?”

  “Sarah’s made herself a private eye,” I replied. “Formerly a police detective. She’s more an ally than a member, but you can see how our boss might willingly overlook the details.”

  “A biker president, engaged to the other side of the law?” Julian chuckled, finding it strange. Admittedly, it was kind of odd. “Well. This just got interesting…”

  “She’s solid,” I assured him.

  “How do you know?”

  “Because she helped the club storm a cartel compound on the wrong side of the border, and we didn’t exactly do things legally,” I answered. “She helped us save some girls from the sex trafficking industry, and her hands are just as dirty as mine.”

  Julian paused.

  “You’re shitting me.”

  “Look me in the eyes and tell me that I am,” I answered gravely. “She put a lot on the line there. We all did.”

  “You were there too?”

  “Yeah. We brought one hell of a force with us. The cartel wasn’t expecting us to find them, let alone strike from different fronts.”

  “You brought the Outlaws,” Julian replied knowingly.

  I froze.

  “You look surprised.”

  I grunted in irritation.

  “Second time in a couple of days that someone out here has known about them,” I quickly answered. “Hell, even in the desert there aren’t many people who know the name… you can kind of see why I’m confused that people here in the South seem intimately familiar.”

  “Confused, are you?” He asked, coyly.

  “I need answers. Why does everyone I speak to out here know the Devil’s Dragons? And who’s out here talking about the fucking Outlaws?”

  Julian took another drag from his cigarette. “Who were the others?”

  “Call themselves the Bayou Boys.”

  “Never heard of them,” Julian shrugged, blowing a bit of smoke. “Maybe they already knew of your club. Unfinished business. There’s no telling.”

  I crossed my arms.

  “Fine. Start with you. The Outlaws are a secret in the Southwestern desert, and you know their name here in New Orleans. Tell me… how?”

  Julian put out his cigarette in an ashtray and brushed the paperback further away. It was a sign that he was finally taking the conversation seriously.

  “I am the gatekeeper to the New Orleans underworld,” he told me firmly. “Between the Houston and New Orleans ports, I rule one of the largest shipping regions in the country, which is why it shouldn’t surprise you to know that I know all about the shit that went down in the Los Angeles harbor.”

  I tried to hide my irritation.

  “Talon,” I scoffed.

  “It’s my job to know what’s going on out in the other markets. I keep tabs, yes. Your Dragons went up against the legendary arms dealer Soroka Sarkonov and won. It makes sense that you want to get the hell out of dodge.”

  Holy fucking shit.

  He knew about the Outlaws… he knew about Sarkonov… this guy knew everything.

&nbs
p; It was growing more and more apparent that I had seriously underestimated him, and that wasn’t a mistake I made often.

  “You knew I was coming back,” I realized.

  “Indeed,” he smiled crisply, taking a drink from his coffee. “I’ve been waiting for you, Grizz. And you didn’t make me wait long. How very considerate of you.”

  I thought on those words.

  “What does this change?”

  “Nothing,” Julian absentmindedly waved his hand. “If anything, I know you’re quite eager to bring back good news to the tribe.”

  “You might say that.”

  “Good, because I have to say, your timing works for me. I already have the right initiation in mind…”

  “That wasn’t the deal,” I told him. “No initiations. The offer you made was to introduce me to the right people without jumping through any fucking hoops.”

  “Yes… but then you turned down that deal,” he reminded me sternly. “And besides, things have changed.”

  I swallowed a groan.

  “What changed things?”

  “Attacking an international arms dealer comes with some drawbacks,” Julian replied coolly. “My associates are careful people, Grizz. They expect a certain level of discretion.”

  “And because you know about what happened with Soroka Sarkonov…”

  “Let me remind you to not act surprised,” he shrugged with a good-natured grin. “The little cartel your club took down was small potatoes… but destroy a major player in the international circuit? Every worthwhile underworld in America knows about that from Los Angeles to New York.”

  He’d held all the cards this whole time.

  “And all these underworlds, these organizations… do they know who toppled Sarkonov?

  “Hard to say,” Julian answered, scratching the backs of his fingers thoughtfully. “I know because I was aware of your Devil’s Dragons charter, and I knew about the original group in Los Angeles. Talon, unsurprisingly, doesn’t want to talk about what happened. It appears that he has wants certain measure of plausible deniability.”

  “He wasn’t there when it went down,” I confirmed. “Not him or his men. We fought our mutual enemy alone.”

  “Talon has covered his tracks well enough. It seems that the last thing he wants is the name of the Devil’s Dragons attached. You see, other groups would not make the distinction between his charter and yours, so he’s been very careful… You don’t have to worry about fallback. In fact, your club has done the world a huge favor by removing Soroka from power.”