The memory of her wretched weekend tried to slide away, the tears, the worry, the suspicions. She attempted to hold onto something so she wouldn’t be the stupid, gullible sucker she was terrified of becoming where this man was concerned, but she failed. With her and Nina’s conversation ringing in her ears, Tish obeyed the arrogant summons. She stalled after a couple of steps and turned back, remembering her manners at the last minute.
“Congratulations, Brian. Tell Meredith I’m so happy for you guys, and I’ll call her soon, okay? If I don’t catch her before, I’ll see her on Nina’s birthday. Goodnight.”
“Are you sure you’re gonna be okay?” he asked as she began walking again.
“Absolutely.” She waved back at him, and by the time she came to a stop five feet away from Josh, her knees were weak and she had a nervous tremble in her belly that was spreading out to her extremities. The first thing she noticed was his black eye. The second, the bruise on the side of his jaw that she could see through his goatee. She immediately wanted to kill someone. She also wanted to smother him with what-happeneds and oh-my-God-are-you-okays. She didn’t. She didn’t even take the hand he still had extended.
He sighed and dropped it to his side. “Don’t touch the kid again.”
The low rumble of his voice brushed over her skin and caused a wave of warmth to roll through her that was a combination of hurt, annoyance, lust, and a crippling love she found difficult to keep contained. “Excuse me?”
“You threw yourself into that hug. I don’t care if he just won the Powerball, you don’t do that again.”
What a bully. “For your information, Mr. Hot and Cold, he was telling me he got engaged to one of my good friends. I was congratulating him.”
“Then shake his fuckin’ hand next time and be done with it. No need to give him a hard-on he’ll never have the chance to use on you.”
She gave an unladylike snort and hiked her backpack higher onto her shoulder. “Don’t be silly, Josh,” she said mockingly. “That talent of mine is reserved especially for you. That must be why you’re here. You in need of a refill? I can make sure you’re extra stiff this time so you can take it elsewhere and let some other tramp benefit from it.”
A dash of humor crossed his expression, then regret, but it was respect that triumphed in the end. “You just implied you’re a tramp, honey.”
She gnashed her teeth together—because she had—and remained silent.
“That where you think I’ve been? Fuckin’ some other pussy? Did you not hear anything I said to you the other night?”
She’d heard him, but she couldn’t let herself believe.
She felt her chin wobble as she looked at him now, and knew right then if he admitted he’d been with someone else, she would never be able to forgive him. That was one of the things she’d suffered through over the past couple of days, worrying she’d accept him if he screwed another woman despite knowing Tish was in love with him. The very idea had been abhorrent to her, but she’d feared she would let what would be blatant and undeniable cheating slide because he was Josh. Now she knew that wasn’t the case. If he’d had sex with someone else, this would end here, and they’d be nothing but friends.
She didn’t want to ask. Would have done anything to hide from even the possibility. But that would have been immature, not to mention disrespectful to the woman she felt she was. So, bracing herself for the worst, she posed the dreaded question.
“Were…” It took her two tries because she had to swallow the bile that came up her throat. Please don’t hurt me, she begged before forcing out, “Were you?”
That gold stare bore into hers, open and honest. “No, babe,” he said tenderly. “Yours is the only pussy I’ll be going anywhere near from here on out.”
Her breath caught, and her heart skipped a couple of beats before falling into a dangerous rhythm. She so desperately wanted to believe that but, how could she? To believe would mean he wanted her for keeps. A dream come true. Tish’s dreams never came true.
He’s home two years earlier than he was supposed to be, a voice in the back of her head reminded her.
Okay. There was that.
He’s here with you right now, the voice added.
She frowned. Two dreams realized.
As she looked at him standing before her, patiently allowing her the time she needed to wade through this, hope was born. Even that she was afraid to trust.
He pushed off the truck, and she took a step back, knowing she’d weaken if he touched her.
He kept advancing. “I would have come sooner, but we just got back into town.”
She put her hand up to hold him off as she tried to absorb that. “You left town?”
He came right up against her, trapping her hand between them as he blatantly cupped her ass. At the same time, he tunneled his fingers into her hair to hold her steady. “Nick thought it would be entertaining to string me along for a couple of miserable days. We got back an hour ago from a big meet in Tucson. Before he crashed, the asshole gave me the green light. And look at me,” he murmured, his focus on her mouth. “Running to my old lady like a typical pussy whipped motherfucker.”
His head came down, and it was a few seconds before she was able to respond to the softness of his lips coaxing hers into a kiss not nearly as zealous as the ones they’d shared on Friday. This one was sweet and tender. Meaningful.
She pulled back and looked at his shiner as her head spun with questions. She ran her palm over the bruise on his jaw and felt a bump. “Who did this to you?”
He grinned. “When I told Nick I claimed you, he misunderstood and thought I meant I ‘claimed you’ without first clearing my intent with him. He jumped the gun on the beat-down. But he’s okay now.”
Yeah. That sounded like something her uncle would do on her behalf. But to Josh? “I’m sorry he did that.” Guess it was lucky that hadn’t gone all the way the other night.
He shrugged as though it was normal for best friends to punch each other in the face. “He did what he’s supposed to do. My respect for him would have taken a hit if he’d just shrugged it off.”
She nodded and stood on her toes so she could press her lips to the bump beneath his bristles. She took the opportunity to inhale a lungful of his familiar, comforting scent. “So, you cleared this with him?” She dropped back down as what he was saying began to sink in.
“I had to. The way it was unfolding on Friday was wrong. That’s why I couldn’t bring myself to fuck you. I had to get the order of things right so there’d be no regrets all around. I didn’t want anything shadowing this.”
And that sounded like something her loyal Sergeant at Arms would do. It was then something else he’d said registered. “Uh, Josh?”
He was watching the progress of his hand as he brought it from under her hair and made a path down the side of her neck and over her shoulder. “Yeah, babe?”
“You called me…”
“My old lady,” he finished when she didn’t. He stepped back to release her but snagged her hand as he turned. “Come on. We gotta get going. This convo can wait until later.”
She rushed to keep up when he dragged her around the truck and all but tossed her up into the cab. He was in the driver’s seat, bouncing out of the parking lot in the next few seconds. They passed Brian’s car, and she waved, touched he’d stuck around to make sure she was okay.
“Seatbelt.”
She reached around and pulled the belt across. “Can you tell me what hap—?”
“No,” he interrupted. “Not ’til we get home.”
Home? Her home? Or was he bringing her to the house her uncle shared with Chase? “I don’t think we should—?”
“Shh.” He leaned over to turn on the stereo.
“Josh, I haven’t seen you in three days,” she said, speaking over a Linkin Park favorite. “I’d like to talk to you.”
“We did enough of that the other night. We’ll talk after.” He turned the music up.
&nbs
p; “After what?” She had to shout to be heard.
He spun the dial until silence filled the truck. “After I claim that sweet cherry you’ve been saving for your old man. You still ready to give it up?”
She swiped her tongue over suddenly dry lips. “Yes, but—”
“Good. Then let’s go get greedy.” Back up the music went.
TEN
Excitement swelled inside Tish, but it was tempered by wariness. They were going to have sex. Now. Without clearing any of this up first.
She pictured Josh naked, his powerful body straining above her, their eyes locked as he thrust inside her.
Yes. Okay. Excellent idea. They could talk later. She tried to keep her breathing even as she stared straight ahead, watching the truck’s black hood light up as they passed under street light after street light.
His old lady. He’d referred to her as his old lady. She clasped her hands together in her lap, her nerve endings buzzing as she started to trust in this. She was his. He’d done this in the way that made sense to him. With respect and humility, he’d gone to her eldest family member and asked permission to claim her as his own. He was a biker in a notorious MC…and he was chivalrous. Her fingers came up to press against her mouth as a wave of goosebumps rippled down her arms and legs. She blinked away the moisture that filled her eyes and brought her hand back down before he could see her fighting not to cry. She didn’t want to make him uncomfortable. Not now. Not ever.
Her knee started bobbing. But she did want to launch herself into his arms. She wanted to kiss him all over and tell him how much she loved him. She wanted to give herself over to him in the exact way he’d described a few days ago. Squirming in her seat, she couldn’t help but wonder if Queen Creek had grown. Shouldn’t they be closer to the house by now?
They stopped at the last set of lights before the turnoff to her neighborhood. The music went down, and she couldn’t deny herself the pleasure of peeking over. Josh was looking at her, his features shadowed. Mysterious. So sexy.
“Get over here.”
The quiet command had the air pushing from her lungs, and seeing as it was two in the morning and the streets were deserted, she didn’t think twice about hitting the button to release her belt before diving across the console. She devoured his mouth as he dragged her on top of him by her hips.
“Straddle me,” he mumbled around her swirling tongue.
She did, and he ate the whimper that came from her when she felt that substantial bulge hit her just right. She broke the kiss and tried to keep her head from falling back.
“Seal that little pussy to my cock,” he instructed as he pulled her forward so her face was pushed into his neck—no doubt so he could see the road. She barely noticed when he hit the gas and they started moving again.
Not wasting the opportunity to taste him, Tish cradled his head and licked at the thick cord coming up from his shoulder. She pressed her whole body into his, trying to get as close to him as possible while grinding her needy core into the slab of iron laying across his hips.
“I can feel how hot your cunt is through our goddamn clothes, Tish. Christ, I can’t wait to get inside you. I’m gonna live there for days.”
“You’re not going to leave me the way you did last time, are you?”
“Fuck, no. All the bases are covered. It’s our turn now.”
“Okay. I haven’t missed school or work in three years.” She nibbled on his earlobe and sucked it into her mouth before pulling back so it smacked quietly on its way out. “But I’ll be unavailable for the next few days. We can celebrate this, can’t we? It could be considered an occasion?” She hugged him. “It is to me, and I’m very excited.”
He paused at a stop sign and brought her out with a grip on the back of her shirt. “I’m talking about fucking you raw, and you’re telling me you’re excited to take a few days and spend them together. Do you see the massive difference here?”
She smiled and shrugged. “What I see is a guy’s brain, and a girl’s. I’ll always think with my head. You’ll always think with what’s in your pants. We complement each other.” He gave her a low moan when she put her hand between them and squeezed his cock. “I know I only met him the once, but I miss your boy. I hope you don’t mind if I cuddle with him later.”
“You’re too adorable for your own goddamn good,” he muttered. “And I know already you’re gonna walk all the fuck over me. Aren’t you?” He let her go and got the truck moving again.
Her mouth went crooked. “I just told you I want to maul your junk, I’m even grabbing it, and I’m adorable? Guess I have to work at being sexy.”
“You don’t have to work at shit. It comes naturally. That’s what make you so dangerous.”
She let go of him and rubbed her pussy down again. “Thank you.”
“Thank you.” He spread his hand out across her lower back and held her so he could press up between her legs.
“Shit, Josh.” He did it again, sending a bolt of lightning striking out from her clit. She moved faster, the friction so incredible. Because she was wearing a skirt and it was already up past her thighs, all that was between them was his jeans and the thin material of her damp panties. “I could come like this, and it would be so much better than it was the other night.”
The truck slowed as they turned a corner. “I think you better tell me what you mean by that.”
She held on and shifted to try getting closer. “I used my wand to get off after you left me on Friday. I came four times as I remembered everything you did to me. I was exhausted by the time I finished, but felt like shit because you weren’t there to share in the fun that wasn’t in any way fun because you weren’t there.” She’d tightened her grip on his hair and punctuated her words by bumping his head back into the seat. She was gentle, but still got her point across.
“Next time you work this pussy, I’m front and center. If I’m not, you don’t do it. Understand?”
Yes, Master. “Okay.”
“See? Clear communication. You go along with what I want; we’re all happy.”
She giggled, and then a thought struck her. “What if you get excited again and want to give it to me hard. Will you run away because you think you’ll hurt me?”
He groaned. “I am going to give it to you hard, but that won’t be until I’ve gone as easy on you as I can. If I do hurt you, punch me in the fuckin’ head or twist my balls, but don’t make me stop fucking you.”
The truck bumped and jostled them before coming to a sudden stop. He threw it into park before grabbing the neckline of her tee and ripping it down the front. Her bra didn’t fare much better when he easily snapped it, and then her bare breasts were in his hands, one of her nipples in his mouth. He killed the engine and quiet descended but for the wet sound of his suckling.
The savagery of his actions would have shocked some women. Not her. This was her Josh. This aggressive, fiercely dominant man who took what he wanted with a passion she knew was going to consume her. His intensity was one of the many things that made him so attractive; his loyalty and his overpowering protective instincts were also high on the list.
Those traits were also what made him such an integral part of his family. When it came to the MC, he was steadfast, a guardian to his very soul. He ruled every situation he and his brothers went into and made sure all were in their places during that ride home afterward. Sure, he had the ability to lead, but for some reason, he left that to Nick and Chase and instead chose to keep order and watch over those he considered his responsibility.
And this amazing man was hers. Another dream realized.
“Tish-Tosh?” He pinched both her nipples just in case saying her name wasn’t enough to gain her attention.
“Yes?”
“Tell me again who you belong to.” He pushed her breasts together and rubbed his face all over them before latching on and giving her left nipple a good tug with his teeth.
The pleasure that shot through her caused her fingers t
o contract in his hair. “I’m yours. All of me. Swear to God.”
“Like to pull hair, do you?” Her hair was gathered and wrapped around his fist. He wrenched her head back and licked his way from her breast to her clavicle where he nipped and nibbled before apologizing with long passes of his tongue. “I like to pull hair, too. When we have more room, I’ll show you my favorite grip. You’ll be amazed how one good yank will drive my cock right through you.”
“Shit, Josh. Do it now. Right here.” Her neck was straining, her back bowed. “I don’t want to wait. Give it to me.”
He released her with a low chuckle. “Not here. Let’s get in the house.”
“No.” She shoved at the sides of his cut, and then went down and yanked his shirt up so she could get to his skin. As she went at his mouth, she cupped and tried to find purchase on his pecs, but they were too firm and her fingers kept slipping off. Her throat thickened with frustration as she gave his tongue a hard suck before demanding more from him. “I want your hands on me!”
He got with the program and suddenly there was nothing gentle left in him. He was untamed and rough as he took over, his touch everywhere at once, over and under what was left of her clothes. Her skirt was shoved up around her waist, and she heard a tear as her underwear was ripped away.
“That’s it,” she whispered, exhilarated by his actions. “Touch me. Put your fingers in my pussy.” As she egged him on, she leaned back, careful not to hit the horn, and brought her feet up to the outsides of his hips. Her cowboy boots gripped the leather seat just right and she spread as wide as the space between the door and console would allow.
Josh’s focus went straight between her legs. Tish watched as a bead of sweat ran down the side of his cheek to drip off and singe her inner thigh.
“I’m gonna fuck you so hard, sweetheart,” he whispered as he slid one finger inside her oh-so-slowly. “Sorry for that.”
“Don’t be.” She thrust her pussy at him, trying to ride that digit. “Do it.”
Only his eyes came up. “I wasn’t talkin’ to you. I was apologizing to the little cunt I’m about to destroy.”
Blind Devotion (Steel Jackals MC Book 1) Page 10
