TORCH

by Ashers, LeAnn

  “I so need to get my nails done! It’s been forever. I need good dick hands.”

  I burst out laughing at her. Dick hands?

  “What? While I’m sucking his dick I need pretty hands while I pump that bitch.”

  I lay against the window laughing. I didn’t expect her to say that, so that makes it a million times funnier.

  “Bell is at her mother’s for the day, so she couldn’t come. Chrystal is at the center running things, so it’s just you and me.”

  She talks the whole way to the salon, answering herself most of the time. I’m fine with that, because I zone out while I hear the prospect on his motorcycle driving behind us. Torch insisted I wear my cut today. I guess it’s his way of protecting me even when he isn’t around.

  We pull up in front of the salon, and Jean walks us inside. They seat us for our pedicures within minutes. Once they get started on my feet, I ask Jean. “How did you and…?”

  “Jack,” she answers for me.

  “How did you guys meet?” I lean back in my seat and close my eyes, enjoying this.

  “I was working at a gas station outside of town. One day he came in and said I was his. I didn’t know the guy from shit, but I looked at him and knew, just knew I was going to love this man. So I did what any woman would do. I quit my job then and there and sat astride his motorcycle. I haven’t left his side since.”

  “Wow!”

  “You have a similar story with Torch, though, he kidnapped you.” Jean laughs. I hear someone run into something. They must have heard that part.

  “Don’t fall, sugar. He didn’t literally kidnap her,” Jean clarifies. I can just imagine her smirk.

  I know now the MC life isn’t for everyone, but the women who can accept it will be happy and lucky women. Torch is the greatest man I have ever met. I feel so protected, like nothing can hurt me when he’s around. I crave that safety.

  I know he’s it for me, have known it for a while. I mean, who wouldn’t fall for that man? He is a total badass, and I have witnessed that. He is dangerous, but I know he would do anything to protect the ones he cares for. He is an alpha male through and through, but he also has that gooey center I love.

  “I’m pregnant.”

  “What!” I screech.

  Jean laughs. “I’m pregnant. Well, just barely. I am just a couple of weeks.”

  “Congratulations, girl!” I am so excited for her. My baby will have someone to grow up with. “Have you told Jack yet?”

  “Not yet. Well, I may have left the pregnancy test on his motorcycle with a note on it. So we may be getting a visit later.”

  I nod knowing she will definitely be getting a visit.

  Two hours later, I am getting my hair done. My nails and toes are all prettied up. That’s when I hear the door to the salon open and motorcycle boots hit the tiled flooring.

  “Jean!”

  Yep, he’s here. I smother my smile with my hand.

  “Yes, Jackson?” she sings.

  “Is this what I think it is?”

  “Yeah. I’m pregnant,” she confirms, and I hear him running then kissing her. “Thank you for making me the happiest man alive.”

  Here come the water works. Damn pregnancy hormones. I hear him telling her he loves her and am sobbing by that point.

  “What’s wrong with you, Kayla?” Jean laughs.

  I wipe my eyes and laugh. “Pregnancy hormones. I cry at the drop of a hat. Congratulations, you guys.” I smile and sit back in my seat to let the lady trim my hair and layer it again.

  ***

  An hour later, Jean drops me off and helps me into the house. When I walk in, something wet touches my hand. I pull away before reaching my hand back down. Fur! I rub my hand down a hairy back. A dog!

  “You like him?” Torch asks.

  My eyes widen and my mouth falls open a bit. “You got me a dog?”

  “A protection dog.”

  I bend down and hug the dog. I always wanted a dog! “What kind is he? Or is it a girl?”

  “He’s a German Shepherd,” Torch answers. I sit down on my butt. The dog crawls into my lap, and I laugh because he is huge. I fall back a bit when he licks my face.

  “Thank you!” I gently push the dog off of my lap and stand up. Torch pulls me over into his arms and kisses me on the mouth.

  “Anything for you, babe.”

  I almost melt into a pile of goo. This man is too much. “What’s his name?”

  “Mika.”

  “Come on, I think you need to be rewarded.” I grab his shirt and pull him up the stairs with me.

  Walking into the bedroom, I shut the door behind us. I sink down to my knees on the floor in front of Torch, grab his belt buckle, and unbuckle it. I unbutton his pants and pull down the zipper then sneak my hands inside and pull out his dick.

  “Stop, baby.” His hands stop mine.

  “What?” I ask, my mouth only inches from his tip.

  He lifts me off my knees and up to my feet. “You never get on your knees for anyone,” he growls and presses his mouth to mine. “You are to be worshiped,”—his lips trail down to my throat then down to my breasts—“cherished”—his lips trail down to my belly button—“You are my Queen and will be treated as such.” He presses his lips to my belly one last time before he pushes me down onto the bed.

  I‘m in shock from his words. My heart soars and butterflies swarm my belly. I smile at how amazing this man is.

  “Whatever did I do to deserve someone like you?” I whisper and touch his cheek.

  “Baby, I am the luckiest man alive.” He kisses me, and I wrap my leg around his waist. He is completely naked.

  His hips lean forward until his dick is at my entrance. I raise my hips, taking him inside me a bit. I moan at the heat radiating off of him and clench my walls. He hisses and pushes all the way to the hilt.

  I throw my head back and drag my nails down his back. His lips drag lazily down my neck. Then he pulls back and pushes slowly back inside. He does this over and over with leisurely strokes that are driving me wild.

  “More,” I demand and gasp when he hits that spot inside of me.

  “No, let me love you.”

  In this moment, I want nothing more than to see this man above me. I want to look into his eyes and see what he is feeling right now, see him.

  The next thirty minutes are filled with me quivering as the need gets bigger and bigger. The burn is slow, but gets hotter and hotter to the point where I’m holding back a scream and am straining, reaching for more.

  He pulls back to the tip and pushes back in, but this time he pinches my clit. I scream. “Ahh!” I grab at the sheets trying to hold myself and stop me from shooting off the bed. Torch roars his release and falls to my side, our limbs tangled together.

  We lie in silence trying to catch our breath. “Go get ready. I’m taking you out tonight.” He smacks my bare ass cheek. I laugh at him.

  “Yes, sir,” I salute then crawl to the side of the bed. Torch isn’t a fancy restaurant person, and neither am I.

  I go into the bathroom and hop into the shower. Only moments later, I hear the glass door open and know Torch is standing on the other end of the shower. We don’t wash each other, because we won’t be leaving for a long time if we do.

  I step out and wrap a towel around my waist then grab the hair dryer out of the cabinet and get busy drying my hair. I don’t wear makeup, so it’s super easy for me to get ready.

  After my hair is dry, I go to my closet and put on a pair of shorts and a flowy t-shirt that hangs off one shoulder. I have on a strapless bra. Last, I put on a pair of sandals.

  “Ready!” I call to Torch.

  “Okay.” His voice is right next to my ear. I scream and hold my chest as my heart almost pops out of it. “You scared the shit out of me.”

  “Sorry,” he murmurs and kisses my forehead.

  “I fed the dog and took him out. I have a backyard that is fenced in, so you can let him in and out yourself withou
t worrying about him running away. Which he shouldn’t, because he’s your dog.”

  “Thank you, but come on, let’s go. I am starving!” I smack him on the butt and smile at him. His teeth bite at my bottom lip and pull.

  “Hmmm, feeling frisky?” I tease and lick my bottom lip.

  “We better go or we won’t make it out that door,” he growls and kisses me on the lips.

  “No, I’m starving.” He pulls away and grabs my hand. I follow behind him down the stairs. We stop on the porch while he locks the door, then he takes my hand again and we walk down the steps.

  I smell the night air and smile. I love being out in the country like this. I feel incredibly happy right now.

  I hear the truck door open and then I am lifted off my feet as he sets me inside. I attempted to climb inside by myself once, but I almost killed myself. It’s really high up, and I can’t see anything.

  He buckles me in and kisses me on the lips before shutting the door. I touch my mouth and smile. This man makes me feel like a teenager at times I get so freaking giddy.

  He slams his door, and then we are off. I roll down my window and set my feet on the dashboard, close my eyes and let the night wind flow through my hair. He turns on the radio, then grabs my hand and kisses the back of it.

  “I don’t know what I would do without you,” I voice.

  “Same with you, baby. You aren’t ever getting rid of me,” he promises me and lays our joined hands on the seat between us.

  “Really? What if I ran away?” I tease.

  “I’d kidnap your ass again.”

  I laugh at that and shake my head, then turn it back toward the window.

  We park outside of the restaurant. I sit up in my seat and hear Torch shut his door before mine pops open a minute later. His hands wrap around my waist and lift me down onto the ground.

  “How many?” the waitress asks.

  “Just two,” he answers her.

  “Follow me.”

  We do and sit down in the booth, Torch sitting directly beside me. He grabs my hands and sets them in his lap. I lay my head on his shoulder for a second before sitting back up.

  “Here are your menus, and if you need anything else, let me know.” the waitress says in her overly cheerful voice.

  Torch spends the next few minutes going over the menu with me. I get the steak with mozzarella cheese on top and shrimp.

  The waitress comes back and takes our order. Torch orders for himself and me.

  “This is basically our first date,” I tell him and shift in my seat.

  “I know. I just now fucking realized it.”

  “It’s okay.” I smile and rub my thumb across the top of his hand.

  “If you had asked me a couple months ago if this would be my life, I would have said heck no. I didn’t live. I lived in my own little world. I wouldn’t miss my time with you for anything in this world.”

  He kisses my forehead. I grin. This is Torch’s way of being emotional.

  “Paisley and the MC were my life. I hadn’t been with a woman in a long time before you. I didn’t want my baby girl to meet any woman in my life until I was sure I wanted to be with her. My life in the MC is different, and it’s not for everyone. It’s dangerous at times, but we diffuse that because we protect our women above everything else. It takes a special breed of woman to accept that lifestyle. The thing with men like us is, when we have an ole lady, for us it’s the same thing as marriage of sorts. The guys, my brothers, will do whatever to protect you like I would.”

  “I know. I like your own special breed. There isn’t one thing I would change about you.” I rise up and kiss his cheek, then rest my forehead there for a few seconds before sitting back in my seat and put my hand on my stomach.

  “Here are your rolls.” The waitress pops back over and I hear the sound of a plate hitting the tabletop. The smell of the rolls hits me, and I move my hand forward slowly. It hits the glass, so I retract my hand and move it over until the tips of my fingers touch the rolls.

  Grasping one, I tear a piece off and pop it into my mouth. I groan. Holy shit, this is amazing.

  “Here is some cinnamon butter.” Torch touches the bottom on the side of my hand.

  I tear off another piece and dip it in the butter, then take a bite and roll my eyes back in my head. I’m in heaven. I could eat these and be full.

  “I’m taking some of these home,” I tell Torch.

  He laughs at me and kisses me on the cheek. I probably look like a slob right now, but I don’t care. I know some girls are ashamed to eat in front of people, which I totally get. You don’t want people to think you are a fat ass and be like ‘Why is she eating that when she is fat?’ I got over that when I realized people are going to judge no matter what I do.

  “I’m not sure I want to do that. If a roll makes you look like that, I need to step up my game,” he jokes and runs his hand over the crotch of my shorts.

  “Baby, if I come any harder with you, I’ll stay passed out.”

  “I-I-I…your food,” the waitress says and sets our food down. I hear her running off in the other direction.

  “Oops,” I tell Torch, and he bursts out laughing. Hey, it’s not my fault I didn’t see her there. Pun intended.

  “Here is your food.” Torch grabs my hand and touches it to the side of my plate. He grabs my other hand and has it touch my fork and knife.

  “Thank you.” I grab my utensils and get busy cutting up my steak.

  Torch

  I shake from laughter even as I tell Kayla where everything is so she can eat. I know she could do it alone, but I want to help her.

  She was telling me if she came any harder she would pass out, and she said it at the exact moment the waitress came over with our food. Her face turned a million different shades of red, then she set the food down and ran off.

  I can’t help but fucking notice how beautiful Kayla is tonight. I am one lucky fucker, but on the other hand I am not. Too many fuckers stare at her, and it’s taking everything in me not to grab my fork and gouge out some eyes.

  What makes her more beautiful to me is how she accepts all of me. The MC life. Everything. Her carrying my baby in her stomach. How her eyes light as she smiles that smile that makes my heart hurt.

  I sound like a pussy, but I know in this moment that I love this woman. I believe I did the moment I met her. When she looked up at me without seeing me, scared out of her mind, and still she clung to me. Possessiveness overrode everything else.

  Kayla fills that void inside of me that I never knew was there. The need to protect her is overpowering. I can’t stand anyone looking at her with want, because she is mine and I’m not sure how I would do without this woman in my life. She is mine, and I will kill any fucker that tries to take her away from me.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Kayla

  A week later

  I moan as I puke again into the toilet. Morning sickness isn’t fun at all.

  Torch sets a cold washcloth on my neck. I should be embarrassed puking in front of him, but I’m not. He knocked me up, so he shall suffer, too.

  “Dude, I need something for my stomach.” I shudder and hold my middle, feeling weak. I’ve had low blood sugar for as long as I can remember, but it gets worse and better in spells. This is taking a toll on it as I puke every morning and sometimes after I eat something my stomach doesn’t agree with.

  “I need to eat before my sugar gets too low. I haven’t had a problem with it in almost a year, but I am feeling the signs. Shaky hands, light-headedness,” I tell Torch and stand up. I sway to the side. He catches me and lifts me off the ground.

  “Let me brush my teeth really quick.” I grab my toothbrush and scrub my teeth. Torch keeps a strong hand on my waist, making sure I don’t fall.

  “Let me check your sugar, babe,” he says and lays me down on the bed.

  He puts the needle in the poker then wipes my finger with an alcohol swab, then presses the poker to my finger and clicks
the button. I flinch at the needle, but hold still. He squeezes my finger until a drop of blood sits at the top, then puts the strip in the meter and drips the blood. It beeps when it has enough blood.

  Your blood glucose is forty-five

  No wonder I feel like shit.

  “Babe, can you grab me some juice?” I don’t feel like getting up.

  “Yeah, lie here.” I hear him run out of the room. I wipe my forehead with the back of my hand.

  When I hear him walking back up the stairs, I sit up in bed. He sets the drink in my hand and I chug it down. “Here is some chocolate.” He puts it in my hand next. Is it bad I want to cry and laugh at the same time? Dang pregnancy hormones.

  “Babe, it’s just chocolate,” he says in amusement. He must have seen my tearful expression.

  “I’m pregnant. I can be emotional if I want to.” I pucker my bottom lip before taking a bite.

  “You’re too fucking cute,” he says and picks me up off the bed. I swing my legs while he is carrying me down the stairs, eating my chocolate.

  He sits down on the couch with me in his lap, and I snuggle up to him. He grabs the throw blanket off the back of the couch and I tuck it under my neck, the chocolate forgotten and on the table in front of the couch.

  “Tell me about your childhood,” I ask him and entwine our fingers.

  “I was raised by Mom and Dad. They were good parents, but when I got Paisley’s mom pregnant, my dad kicked me out because I disgraced the family. I moved out and busted my ass to provide for Paisley’s mom and me.

  “She had the baby. I was so in love with my little girl. Paisley’s mom didn’t like that and didn’t want a kid to tie her down and take all the attention away from her. She left in the middle of the night leaving only a note telling us good-bye.

  “I was mad, because Paisley wouldn’t have her mom, and I wanted that for her. A few years went by until I got the papers ready for her to sign her rights over for good. She did that, and that was the last time I saw her.”

  “I haven’t seen my parents since the day they kicked me out. My father wanted me to become a big shot lawyer just like him, but I wasn’t made for that. My mother was crying. I know she didn’t want me to go, but she didn’t stop him from kicking me out either.”