Beauty and the Bad Boy

by Scarlett Dupree

  I'd made her talk, and I'd opened the gate that was keeping the memories at bay when she was awake. I'd made it real. I'd made it worse. I had to try to fix it.

  I wanted to find that fucker's grave and kill him all over again. I couldn't deny her, but Christ, what she was asking me to do. There was so much bad here. What if it didn't fucking work? What if all I was doing was associating my own touch with the attack? Jesus. But I couldn't say no.

  Maybe I'd gone about it the wrong way...

  I wiped the tears from her cheeks and kissed her softly. I slid my hands into her hair. When she kissed me back, I pushed my tongue into her mouth. I just kissed her like that, deeply and softly, nibbling at her lips, tangling with her tongue, for a long time, until she was breathless, but not from nerves. Then I left her lips and trailed kisses along her jaw, nibbling around her ear, licking down her throat, suckling my favorite spot at the base of her throat. I took my time.

  When I could feel her body begin to move under me in the way I knew meant her arousal, I slid a hand out of her hair and down her back, cupping her ass and pulling her leg around my hip. She wound her leg behind my back, and I slid my hand back up to her ass and pressed her to me. She moaned–a sexy, breathy sound, not anxious–and my cock swelled. I leaned down and took her breast in my mouth, suckling deeply, then teasing at her nipple gently with my teeth.

  She arched her back and clutched my head to her. When she began to writhe against me, I brought my hand around her hip and slid it between her legs. Now she was wet. My mouth still on her breast, I slid two fingers into her. She went rigid and pulled my hair, pulling me away.

  I raised my head. I stilled my hand but didn't remove it. Her eyes were closed. "Open your eyes, babe. Don't think about the nightmare. See only me." She opened her eyes, and stared into me. I leaned down and kissed her, moving my fingers at the same time. She gasped. I lifted my head slightly, so my lips were just grazing hers. "I love you, Dakota. I love you," I whispered. "Feel me. Just me." I rubbed my thumb over her clit as I deepened the kiss, sucking her tongue into my mouth. She flexed her hips, pressing herself against my hand.

  I kissed her harder and pumped my fingers into her. She whimpered. I wasn't sure if that was good or not. I slid my fingers out of her and caressed her folds gently, running my fingers up and down, over her mound and back, sliding two fingers, and then a third, into her. She gasped, and her hips came off the mattress.

  I bent and sucked her breast into my mouth as I pumped my fingers into her, my thumb on her clit. She gasped and arched her back, digging her fingernails into my shoulders. She came quietly. When she was finished, I pulled my fingers out of her gently, caressing her as she relaxed.

  When I went to kiss her again, I saw new tears. Fuck. "Oh, babe," was all I said.

  She smiled. "No, Jake. God, Jake. You feel so good. Every inch of you. These are happy tears." She sobbed once, then cupped her face in her hands. "I love you.”

  I smiled and fought back my own tears of relief. Then I kissed her. We slept the rest of the night wound together, dreamless.

  ***

  I stood on the lakeshore, under a carved wooden arbor wound with roses. The soft scent of them was everywhere. Dakota had told me that it symbolized I was her new rose. The Sun was low across the lake. Dixon stood next to me.

  We were dressed up in black jeans, and white button-up shirts. I had my hair styled. The gang and their families, friends, and close associates were arrayed on the grass before us. The Birdy Ceremony was finally happening, a little later than originally planned.

  I heard the strumming of a guitar and looked up. Fry was playing a song that I had asked me to learn for Dakota.

  As Fry started singing, Tiffany stepped off the cabin porch, dressed in a purple-blue dress. She carried a small bouquet of white flowers. She beamed at me. I grinned back.

  Then Dakota came out of the cabin and stepped off the porch. My heart seemed to race and stop all at once.

  She was wearing a silver-white satin dress. It was sleeveless with a low neckline. The skirt was several layers of tulle and flowed away from her hips gently, falling just below her knees. She wore cream-colored slippers with ribbons wrapped around her ankles to complete the effect. Her hair was down, her long, dark, loose waves cascading over her shoulders and down her back. She wore a thin wreath of white and red roses around her head and carried a bouquet of red roses in her hands.

  She looked more beautiful than I could stand. She was walking towards me, smiling at me, coming to me, because she was mine. Now she would always be mine.

  When she'd covered about half the distance between the cabin and I, she paused, stretched her arms out wide, and twirled several times, her skirt floating up softly. She came to a stop and gave me a brilliantly bright, happy smile. Her irresistible dimples making an appearance.

  I couldn't wait. I strode to her, took her beautiful face in my hands, and kissed her with all the love I bore her. She wrapped her arms around me, matching my passion with her own. I moved my hands to her waist and lifted her straight up, over my head. She laughed down at me, her clear, green eyes sparkling.

  I could hear everyone cheering and whooping around us. I brought her gently down until her feet touched the ground, then swooped her legs up and carried her the rest of the way down the path.

  ***

  There was lots of good food at the after shindig, and the liquor flowed freely. There was a big-tiered cake, frosted white with black piping. Lenny and Mickey had taken care of the cake; I wasn't sure how that had happened. The topper was a reaper astride a chopper, corpse bride in his lap. I'd been pissed at them–they'd gone too far. Dakota, on the other hand, had thought it was hilarious; she had laughed and laughed and kissed them both. She still surprised me every day.

  Though I really didn't dance, this night I wanted to dance the first dance with my fiancée. My fiancée. The guys had built a dance floor and, as the ceremony became a party and the rows of seats became clusters of tables, we'd assembled it next to the arbor on the lakeshore. When the band started playing, I stood with my arms wrapped around Dakota, alone on that floor, kissing her deeply and swaying gently.

  After that dance, the floor filled up, and the guys started cutting in on me, so I kissed her and went to sit and watch. She danced with Fry, then Dixon, then Lenny. The guys just kept coming. She looked happy and sweet, laughing and chatting as she danced, and each guy walked away looking dazed.

  Pops even went up and took his turn, holding her close and kissing her cheek tenderly when the song ended and Mickey cut in.

  Meanwhile, I was noticing that the dynamic among the gang was even tenser than it had been. Weston was sitting off a bit from the group, apart even from his girls, and he kept exchanging loaded, angry stares with Pops. Dixon and Pops seemed to be involved in an intense conversation. What the fuck was going on?

  Fry leaned over to me and pointed to the dance floor, where a loaded Ron was being way too hands-on with Dakota. She was taking it with firm good grace, but she was having some trouble maneuvering him off the dance floor without, well, hitting him. Fry and I went up together. Fry grabbed Ron, and I led Dakota back to sway with me for another song.

  Dakota laughed and draped her arms over my neck. "Wow. If I'd known it would get you up here again, I'd have had Ron grab my ass earlier!"

  "You know I'm going to have to pulverize him for that, right?"

  "Eh. Ron’s wasted, and I look damn hot right now. Today, I choose to think of it as a compliment. That's why I didn't pulverize him myself." I leaned down to capture her mouth in mine.

  I felt a hand on my back and turned to see Weston standing there. "Mind if I take a turn?"

  I just looked at him for a couple of seconds, then looked at Dakota, who smiled and shrugged. "Of course," she said. I stepped back and let Weston take her in his arms. I sat down and watched, feeling guarded. There was something important going on in the gang I didn't know, and I needed to figure it out. Weston and Dakota t
alked their whole dance. They looked engrossed. When the song ended, I got up, took her back from Weston, and led her off the floor.

  I sat down and pulled her onto my lap. "I think you've officially gone through all the Fire Birds now, so I want you back… Can I ask what Weston was talking to you about?"

  She ran her fingers through my hair. "It was a little weird, I guess. He asked a lot of questions about what I do and about what I’ve done. I didn’t tell him about my money, Jake, but then he asked about Tiffany. I didn't know the answers to most of them. I don't know, though... It seemed like he was fishing for something." She looked into my eyes. "It made me uncomfortable."

  I looked over at Weston. "Yeah. He knows his time as leader is just about up, and I think it's making him desperate. There's something else going on with him and Pops, and maybe Dixon, too. I can't get my hands around it."

  "Dixon hasn't told you anything?"

  "No. That makes me more bloody worried than anything. Dixon keeping secrets from me... If he’s hiding something, it's bad."

  What was I doing talking about gang shit on this beautiful day? I shook my head and took a breath. "Fuck 'em. I only want to think about us tonight." I pulled her face to mine and kissed her deeply. "Are you ready to go?"

  "I am."

  I nuzzled her neck. "Except you're not getting on my bike dressed like this." I slid my hand under her dress, going high up her inner thigh.

  She smiled and licked her lips, drawing her teeth slowly over her lower lip. "You want to help me change, then, Bad Boy?" I took her into my arms, stood up, and carried her into the cabin. Dakota blew kisses to the hooting and cheering crowd behind us.

  ***

  Tiffany and Dixon had tied a big, white bow with a red heart at the center onto the back of the shovelhead, so Dakota and I got a good number of honks and waves as we rode late that night to the hotel. In the morning, we were heading off for a romantic getaway ride to the Grand Tetons.

  We checked in and headed up to our room. Dakota shoved me against the wall of the elevator and pulled my shirt open, popping most of the buttons. I slid my hands up her arms as she leaned in and kissed my nipple, nipping and swirling her tongue around it, and then the other. I grunted and struck my head against the wall. The elevator stopped just then, and an elderly couple stepped in. Dakota smiled sweetly at them and turned around, leaning back against me. I was mostly bare, my tattooed chest showing and my rigid cock.

  She reached behind, between us, and grabbed me through my jeans. I groaned, and the woman looked at me sternly. I shrugged. The woman huffed and turned away, but her husband gave me an exaggerated wink.

  The elevator reached our floor, and we stepped off. As the doors glided shut, Dakota smiled and wiggled her fingers in a wave towards the offended woman.

  I grabbed her and tossed her over my shoulder. She squealed. I put her back on her feet when we were in our room, and she shoved me against the wall again and unbuttoned the few remaining buttons of my shirt. I relaxed my hands on her shoulders, and she leaned into my chest and kissed, nipped, and licked my throat, my shoulders, and my pecs. I closed my eyes and rested my head back against the wall, reveling in the feel of her hot, wet, soft mouth and tongue on my skin.

  Then she wove her tongue in a trail down the center of my chest, over my breastbone, and down, over my abdomen, and still down, through the faint line of hair trailing away into my jeans. She was almost out of the reach of my hands. I opened my eyes and looked down. She was kneeling in front of me. "Oh, Jesus Christ," I breathed.

  She looked up at me and smiled wickedly. Without taking her eyes from mine, she unbuckled my belt and unbuttoned my jeans. She opened my fly wide and pulled me free. Still holding my gaze, she licked the tip of my cock like a lollipop. I broke eye contact then, because my eyes rolled back.

  I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, feeling her hands and mouth on me as she sucked me deep down and slid me back out, over and over, her tongue moving all over me, her hands at my base and on my balls. She pulled me out of her mouth and grazed my tip ever-so-lightly with her teeth. My hips twitched hard, and my knees buckled.

  I caught myself and locked my knees. As she sucked me down again, harder, I threaded my hands into her hair and held her close. She put her hands on my hips and sucked me even deeper. I was so far in her I could feel the muscles of her throat flexing and relaxing around me. I was shaking with tension, resisting the powerful urge to thrust against her.

  She slid me back out and circled her tongue around my tip before strongly sucking me all the way back down. "Oh, fuck. Dakota! Babe, you need to… I'm going to…" I'd never come in her mouth. I loved her mouth on me, but I preferred to hold off my finish until I was inside her.

  Usually.

  She put both hands around my shaft and slid me all the way out of her mouth, running her hands lightly up and down. I shivered. She looked up at me. "I want you to. I want to taste you. I never have." Jesus fucking... She sucked just the first couple of inches in and pulled me back out, still sucking. I clenched my fists in her hair. She did it again. And again. I felt like I was falling apart.

  The sound of my heavy breathing seemed to fill the room. Then, forcefully, she sucked me all the way down. I howled and couldn't stop myself from pressing her head to me as I thrusted forward and then held there, pulsing, while I came. The sensation of her swallowing around me extended my orgasm until I was an incoherent, moaning, twitching mess.

  When it was over, she gently released me. I slid down the wall to collapse on the floor. She primly wiped her lips and turned to sit next to me, lifting my arm and draping it over her shoulder so she could snuggle against me. I turned my head and pressed a kiss to her temple. "I love you so goddamn fucking much, Dakota."

  "Mmm. And I love you, Bad Boy."

  When I felt like my legs would hold me again, we got naked and crawled into bed.

  Much later, Dakota fell asleep curled against my side, her head on my chest, and her left hand on my stomach. My Birdy. I lay awake for a long time, one arm around her, my other hand holding hers, fingering the rings I'd given her, letting love and contentment and peace fill me up.

  ***

  I woke with sunlight streaming in through the hotel window and Dakota sitting astride my hips, naked and smiling down at me. "Good morning! I ordered room service! And did you know the bathroom has a tub built for two? I have big plans for that thing before we go! You filthy boy!"

  I smiled and grabbed her hips. I held her to me as I sat up, then wrapped my arms around her and kissed her. I was hard, and she felt incredible on me, only a sheet between us. "Mmmm. I like waking up with my Birdy."

  I slid my hands down her back and over her ass, my fingers sliding down the cleft of her cheeks and stroking. She squirmed on my cock, and I groaned. "How much time before room service gets here?"

  She looked at the clock on the nightstand. She sighed. "Ten minutes."

  "Shame." I nuzzled her collarbone. "What I want to do to you demands more time."

  She squirmed on me some more and whimpered. "We could make out a little, though."

  I rolled us so that she was on her back and I was propped above her. "We could do that." I leaned down and kissed her.

  When room service knocked several minutes later, we were flushed and panting and had to scramble for the hotel robes so we could let the guy in.

  Breakfast was the last thing on my mind, but then I saw the spread: Waffles and pancakes and eggs, bacon and sausage, coffee and juice. Strawberries and orange wedges. Biscuits. "Did you order everything on the menu?"

  "Um, sorta. Almost. I don't know… it all sounded good!" I didn't know that I'd ever seen her so unabashedly cheerful before. I fucking loved it.

  We sat naked in bed and ate, Dakota sitting between my legs, trying some of everything, feeding each other. Making out. As we were filling up and winding down, I said, "We're going to have to get on the road pretty soon."

  She moved the trays to the end of the bed
and straddled me again. She leaned over and sucked my earlobe, then trailed her tongue up the side of my neck, nibbling at my jaw. I could feel her breasts rubbing against my chest. "True. Yes. But there's that tub... And you, my gorgeous sexy man, are so filthy, I think it’s my duty to scrub you clean. Don’t you think?"

  I took her face in my hands and kissed her. "I know I'm feeling pretty filthy."

  She climbed off me and went to start the water for the tub. While it filled, we re-packed our packs. Dakota checked her messages. She had one from Tiffany. She put it on speaker. Tiffany reported that the guys had helped get our presents to our house, and they were stacked in the living room, waiting for when we got home. Tiffany ended the message with, "Now, turn off your phone, D!"

  I chuckled. "I agree. Let's leave all that shit behind for a few days," I said. She considered for a second, and then switched her phone off.

  She put the phone in her pack and went into the bathroom. I heard the faucet stop and water splashing gently. "Hey, Dragon. The water's fine," she called out to me.

  I went in. She was sitting in the middle of the tub, her arms wrapped around her legs. Her hair wound down her back in a wet rope; she had submerged when she got in. She was watching me. I stepped in behind her and sat down, stretching my legs out on either side of her. The tub really was deep and big. If I leaned against the back, I could stretch my legs out fully. I bent my legs and slid forward, pushing her with me, and put my head under. I came up and slid back, bringing Dakota with me.

  I wrapped her hair around my hand, pulling her to lie against me. She rested her head on my chest. For a long time, we just lay together in the steamy water, our fingers weaving and unweaving. Then I took up a bar of soap from the ledge behind me and began lathering my hands. I smoothed soap over her shoulders and down her arms, over her belly and up to her breasts.

  I swirled my soapy hands over her breasts until her nipples were hard against my palms and she was writhing against me, moaning. I rinsed my hands in the tub and reached back for a washcloth. I soaked it and squeezed it over her body, washing the soap away. I gently rubbed her with the washcloth, lingering over her breasts. She arched her back and reached her arms up to link her hands behind my neck.