by Debra Kayn
She was close.
He rubbed her clit faster, steadier. She pulled away from the kiss with a gasp, unable to stop the bowing of her back as she arched. The muscles in her lower stomach tightened, and somewhere deep within her womb, a delightful pressure sent her over the edge filling her with the sweetest, gasping, release.
She collapsed in Mel's arms. He slipped his hand out of her shorts. Unable to keep her eyes open any longer, she curled against his chest. His heart drummed alongside her cheek. She couldn’t make herself move beyond kicking off her shoes.
“You're tired.” He strummed her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “Let's get you undressed."
He lifted her away from him. Without the slightest hesitation, she smoothed the lines of self-control from his forehead. Her lips parted with the excitement his arousal brought her. His rapid heartbeat practically filled the room. She'd never seen the side of Mel where he lost control.
As her friend, Mel brought her companionship, support, stability.
As her husband, he brought an exciting world right to her fingertips for her to explore. She hurt. The hurt tied around her uncomfortably, binding her from doing the right thing.
Then, there was sex. He soothed her and made the pain of being with him bearable.
Everything about him turned her on. The leather scent she'd recognize anywhere, the confidence of her loving him back, the wait—yes, the wait. There was something so sexy about the way he controlled everything around her. What should've turned her off, aroused her. She was responsible for her son, her family, the bar, and Mel took over without any hesitation, letting her know he could handle her life, her family, her career.
Mel looked after her. Not the big things in her daily life, but the little things. He let her sleep, made sure she ate and reminded her to take a break. A quality she also loved in Duke. A comfort she'd missed.
Under her shirt, Mel skimmed his fingers over her ribcage, her breasts, and her sensitive nipples. He cupped her fullness, then stroked the soft undersides. Her pulse jumped into her throat.
She stretched forward, her breasts within an inch of his mouth, and crawled off his lap and laid down on the bed, wiggling out of her shorts, her panties, her top. Mel leaned over and took off his boots, then stood and removed his clothes.
His tight ass an arm's length away, she bit her lip and curled her fingers into the blanket. He turned around with a condom in his hand, and her pussy dampened again at the sight of his cock, hard and large. An erratic pulse between her legs came at an alarming rate as he rolled the latex down his length. She craved the fullness only he brought her.
Mel lowered himself to the bed beside her and flicked her nipple with his tongue, leaving her gasping. He tasted, caressed, and nuzzled the valley between her curves. She squirmed, shifting closer to his cock, until she was able to rub up and down his length, driving them both wild.
“I want you." She rolled on top of him, grasped the thick base of his dick, and rubbed the head against her clit as she gyrated on top of him.
Mel groaned as she sank down on him. Her body moved back and forth over him. With one hand on her hip, he reached to cup her breast. She pressed against his touch. The intense friction and stimulation turned her on more.
She cried out and convulsed. Her lower muscles, her legs, and her stomach all tightened and relaxed rhythmically into thousands of pulses of pleasure that coursed through her body.
"Fuck," muttered Mel on a groan, holding her still, buried deep into her wetness. Her pussy squeezed over every little twinge of his release. She lowered her upper body to his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her back.
She trailed her finger along the numbers on his tattoo above his heart. Three. Nine. Fourteen. "What does this mean?" she whispered.
"It's a date." He reached up and held her hand.
"What's the date mean?"
He inhaled deeply and whispered, "It's just a date."
She yawned and closed her eyes.
Chapter Fifteen
Dukie slipped out of the car underneath Raelyn's arm as she grabbed his bicycle helmet from the backseat. Mel closed the trunk and set down Dukie's bike. The kid could barely contain his excitement over getting to go riding somewhere new.
Even finding Mel in his mother's bed at five o'clock in the morning had failed to raise any questions. Dukie's one-track mind focused on going riding.
On the other hand, he suspected Raelyn was having a hard time dealing with Dukie finding him in her bed. Even though at the time, Raelyn was standing in front of her closet fully dressed.
Mel opened the passenger side door of the car and held out his hand to help Grandma June from the vehicle. The crunch of gravel and Raelyn's gasp had him turning toward them.
"Wait." Raelyn hurried over and caught the back of the bicycle seat. "You can't ride off without looking around first. What if there was a car?"
"Leave the child alone." Grandma June straightened and patted Mel's forearm before putting her cane to the ground. "It always amazes me that children who ran wild in the streets raise their own children with an iron fist."
"I do not." Raelyn let go of the bike and put the helmet on Dukie's head.
Grandma June harrumphed. "You never wore a helmet on your head."
"Maybe if I did, I wouldn't have a scar." Raelyn pushed back her hair and pointed at the top of her forehead. "That's because mom thought it was okay to let me go down the hill on Derby Street on my bicycle when I was six years old."
"You're still alive, aren't you?" Grandma June walked a few steps and looked around the barren area and off into the distance. "Is that the school over there?"
"Haugan Elementary." Mel pointed to the right of the abandoned parking lot. "There used to be a community swimming pool over there about fifty years ago when silver mining was going strong, and the town was bigger. They filled the hole in when the mine went dry. Since then, kids have used the parking lot for skateboarding and biking."
"Can I go, Mom?" Dukie sat on his bicycle, the training wheels holding him up.
"Yes, but stay on the asphalt and go slow." Raelyn planted her hands on her hips and watched her son ride away from her.
Grandma June said, "I'm going for a walk to get my exercise."
Mel leaned against the car, squinting into the sun. Contentment relaxed him, and he appreciated the day away from the bar. Besides the Ronacks members, the only experience he had with family was his own, and that all ended when he chose to run away when her mom remarried and moved to California when he was sixteen. Best decision he'd ever made was to take his dad's Harley and hit the highway to come back to Haugan.
If he would've stayed with his mom and stepdad, he'd have no club, no Raelyn, no Dukie.
"You're doing great," shouted Raelyn.
Dukie's slim, gangly legs pumped the peddles, and he jerked the handlebars. Mel chuckled. His front tire stayed on the ground. Somewhere, probably at camp, he'd witnessed the older boys popping a wheeling and tried his hardest to do the same.
Raelyn approached, leaned against the car, and glanced at him. He waited for her to break her silence. Since he'd crawled out of her bed, she'd only glared in his direction. Her mood failed to change his mind about their situation. In time, Dukie would get used to having him living in the apartment.
She'd need to get over whatever reluctance she had toward being with him. He was in her bed and wasn't going to leave. She'd proven once again that she had no problem having sex with him. Whatever thoughts she had in her head keeping her from committing fully would have to change.
"Thanks for bringing Dukie here to ride. It's perfect." She leaned against his arm. "You still need to okay a playdate with me before you give him any ideas, but I appreciate you taking the time to bring us here. I had no idea riding a bike meant so much to him."
"It's cause you're a girl. You boys become obsessed with anything that has two wheels." He looped his arm around her shoulders. "He's been paying attention to other boys riding
. Look at him try to get his front tire off the ground."
She groaned softly. "He's missed having a man in his life."
"He has Ronacks."
"I know, and I'm grateful for each member. I really am, more than I can express. But, having a dad there, every day, to help him do those things only boys understand and to encourage him..." She looked up at him. "My son has missed out on having a dad, and Duke...God, I miss him."
An uncomfortable silence surrounded them. Mel watched Dukie, hit by jealousy for the first time. He'd rode with Duke. Wore the same patch. Gone on many rides and trusted Raelyn's husband to have his back. He was there the day Duke got shot and watched the life leave his MC brother.
Nobody could change the past, only move on. Every death, every birth, changed the direction of each person touched by change. He never would've imagined falling in love with Raelyn, but he had.
Raelyn loved him with conditions. It wasn't because she was still mourning Duke that stopped her from acknowledging their relationship. He just couldn't fucking figure out why she held back.
"Dukie, ride back this way," shouted Raelyn. "Careful. Don't turn too sharp."
She gave mixed signals with Dukie, too. Mel gritted his teeth, powerless to point out what she couldn't see herself. Raelyn relentlessly protected Dukie, wanting him to stop pushing the boundaries she set out for him. Sometimes, she needed to loosen up and let him find out on his own that his mother only wanted the best for him.
He walked away from Raelyn and over to his motorcycle. Unlatching the seat, he took a wrench out of the tool bag and headed toward Dukie.
Mel made circles in the air with his finger. "Pull her up, kid."
The boy peddled hard, wobbling side to side on his training wheels. Mel caught him by the handlebar and hunkered near the rear tire. "Put your feet on the ground and hold her steady."
"Whatcha doing, Uncle Mel?" asked Dukie.
Mel put the wrench on the nut and held the bolt with his fingers. "Giving you a little freedom, buddy."
He raised the training wheel higher, tightened the nut, then moved to the other side of the bike. His back heated from Raelyn staring at him. He could almost feel her displeasure for not asking her first if he could help Dukie. No doubt, she wanted Dukie to ride with training wheels all through grade school.
The bike tilted to the side and Dukie moved his foot and caught himself. "Are you taking them off?"
The excitement in his voice was worth the tongue lashing he'd get from Raelyn. "Almost. I've raised them off the ground. Now you can learn to balance your bike, but if you tilt too far over, your wheels will catch you before you crash. There's only one rule you need to follow."
Dukie careened his neck, checking out the back tire. Mel grabbed the boy's chin and brought his attention back to him. "Are you going to listen?"
"Yes." Dukie's gaze settled and he held still.
"When you take off, and it might take a few times until it feels good, you need to go straight. Before you hit the edge of the asphalt, you need to use your brake, get off the bike, and turn it around. Then you can get back on. Do that a dozen times, and you can try to turn the bike while riding."
"What's a dozen?"
"Twelve times." Mel chuckled. "Let's make it ten times. It'll be easier to count. Deal?"
"Deal!" said Dukie, grinning up at Mel.
"You can still fall, so try it a few times and work with it." Mel straightened, grabbed the seat and handlebar, turning Dukie around. "You'll need to peddle hard once you get going."
"Are you going to hold on to my bike and help me?" Dukie looked behind him.
"No, I'm right here." Mel lowered his voice. "You can do it."
Raelyn stepped up beside Mel. "Dukie, —"
"Leave the boy alone." Mel grabbed Raelyn's wrist. "Let him do this on his own."
"But, he could get hurt," she whispered. "The wheels aren't even touching the ground."
"He'll be fine," he said, keeping his voice low enough Dukie couldn't hear him. "You've said yourself he's missed out on having a dad around. I'm not planning on taking his father's place, and I know more than a lot of people that losing your dad and not having your real dad in your life sucks ass. But, I'm here. Right now, that kid has got me in his life, and I will not disappoint him."
Raelyn pulled away from his touch and crossed her arms. He kept his gaze on Dukie struggling to take both feet off the ground to get that first push in. What he'd said to Raelyn had the desired effect he was going after. Raelyn left her son alone to learn on his own.
Finally, after several failed tries, Dukie peddled several feet before stopping, and almost fell to the ground. Only his hand stopped him from a total crash. Raelyn jolted forward, and Mel grabbed her hand and pulled her back.
Without hesitating, Dukie stood, brushed his hands on his jeans, and climbed back on.
Grandma June walked over, poking the ground with her cane, and joined them in watching Dukie. When Dukie made it to the other side of the asphalt, braked, and got off his bike to turn it around, Mel's chest warmed, and he nodded even though Dukie wasn't looking for approval. He was concentrating on learning to ride.
"Look," he whispered.
"What?"
"Look at Dukie." He hooked his thumbs in his front pockets and rocked back on the heels of his boots.
The kid had taken off on his third lap, and with barely a wobble to start, he'd kept the bike straight, training wheels off the ground. Dukie had found his balance much faster than Mel had expected.
"He's doing it," said Raelyn, clutching her hands in front of her. "Grandma June, look at him."
"I see." Grandma June leaned on her cane.
"Oh, my God. I need to take a picture." Raelyn reached into her back pocket and held her cell phone in front of her. "Remind me to put a sticker on his calendar to mark the first time he rode a bike."
Mel stepped forward and stopped Duke's bike, lifting him and the bicycle and turning them around. "Go again."
Caught up in his freedom, Dukie never questioned or made sure they were all watching his success. He had a goal and damned if the kid wasn't going to be riding a bike without training wheels soon. Mel swallowed. Dukie's dad would've been proud. He had lived for riding, the open road, the freedom.
With his success in helping Dukie, Mel was more determined to win over Raelyn. "Ronacks has a party tonight. I'd like you to go with me."
"I don't have a babysitter," said Raelyn.
Grandma June waved her cane. "I'll watch Dukie. Go have fun with your man."
"He's not..." Raelyn sucked in her breath. "Fine, but I can't leave until after seven thirty. I'd like to tuck my son into day since it's my day off from the bar."
"Make it seven, because he'll fall asleep after his bath. Bike riding is hard work. He's going to be exhausted."
Raelyn studied him, and slowly her eyes softened, and she leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Thank you. For today."
He nodded and went back to watching Dukie. Like learning to ride a bike, Raelyn needed to learn how to sit on the seat again and take off her training wheels.
Chapter Sixteen
Mel sent a bottle of beer sailing over the pool table. Battery caught the drink and twisted off the cap. The Crow and the Butterfly by Shinedown filled the clubhouse. Raelyn stopped swaying and leaned closer to Bree. Out of all the women associated with Ronacks, her and Bree were the closest, because they'd known each other the longest. Pre-Battery and Pre-Duke days.
"We need a girl's day out." Raelyn looped her arm around Bree's arm. "How about September sixth?"
Bree laughed. "That's two months away."
"Right." Raelyn jostled her friend. "Dukie starts kindergarten that day. We can meet at the coffee shop after I drop him off at school. He only goes a half day. We can overdose on Grandmasters. The caffeine will do us good."
"It's a date." Bree lost her smile. "I can't believe he's starting school. Are you going to fall apart?"
"
Nah." Raelyn sighed. "Maybe. Probably. Yes. Part of me is excited for him, and me. I'll get more sleep before the bar opens, be able to finally clean the apartment, and do my grocery shopping by myself."
Bree said, "But...?"
"My baby is growing up. He's my one and only." Raelyn shrugged. "Life is going too fast. I want to get off this crazy ride and enjoy this time with him, you know?"
Bree stepped in front of her and embraced Raelyn. "You have so much to look forward to. Mel loves you. There will be new things to look forward to, and your worries about life changing so fast will be something we'll laugh about in six months."
Raelyn whispered, "It's not that easy."
"It is," Bree whispered back.
"Mel married me." She shook her head. "In front of the club. I know how important that is for a Ronacks member."
Bree frowned. "Are you trying to tell me you don't want to be married to him?"
"Yes." She grimaced. "No. Maybe."
Bree hugged her. "Do you think I never had my doubts about Battery. One minute I couldn't live without him and the next I wanted nothing to do with him or the club. When the Russians came after me, I doubted everything Battery was telling me because I was scared."
"I'm scared," said Raelyn. "Belonging to Mel threatens everything I've built since Duke was killed. I don't want to be in the position of losing someone else because of this damn club, and there will always be something that puts Mel in danger. He's dealing with two break-ins at Peggy's apartment, and all I can think about is something going wrong. I'm going to get a phone call telling me that Mel's been shot and —"
"Slow down." Bree clasped Raelyn's hands and led her to the side of the room, further away from the stereo speakers. "Now listen to me. Do you love him? I'm not talking about how you love Battery or LeWorth, but do you love Mel enough it hurts to have him walk out of the room because life is better with him?"
"Of course." She panted, breathing through the anxiety that came with admitting that everything she needed for a great marriage was there. "If Mel weren't a biker and drove a truck for a living, I'd be dancing on top of the pool table right now. I just...I can't lose someone again. I never thought I'd survive losing Duke."
