Fuck me. “It’s yours, Luke, I’m yours.”
“Come for me, baby,” he whispered into my ear. His strong arms lifted me high, and then pushed me back onto him, so that he was buried deep inside me. I came apart on top of him, crying out his name. He came with me, as his mouth found mine. When he broke the kiss, I was breathless and could do nothing more than lie my head on his shoulder. I silently hoped that he wouldn’t put me down. I feared that if he forced me to stand, my legs would buckle. He must have known that, because when he slid out of me, he boosted me up higher, tightening my legs around him and carried me into the shower. “You okay, babe?”
“No,” I pouted. He chuckled into my ear and I was happy to know that the tension was gone. We were back to normal.
“Someone is grumpy. Usually you’re in a good mood after we make love,” he said to me. I could feel his smile even though I couldn’t see it.
“That wasn’t even close to love making. You fucked me, hard, and now I won’t be able to walk tomorrow.”
He laughed at my reply and kissed me on my head. “Well, I’ll just have to make it better.” I wasn’t sure what all that would entail; but the promise gave me a delicious chill. He pulled my legs from around him and stood me under the water. “Let’s get you clean. Someone has a big day tomorrow.” I could see the disappointed look in his eyes, but he kissed my head and gave me a tight smile, and I knew he was trying to be reassuring. We bathed quickly and Luke found me a t-shirt to sleep in before crawling into bed behind me.
I was expecting him to wrap me in his arms, but instead, he crawled between my legs and without any warning, placed his mouth on my sensitive flesh. My back came off the bed at the feel of his tongue, so soft and velvety smooth. He moved his mouth over me slowly, devouring and worshiping my most intimate parts. It was only a matter of minutes before I was moaning his name and coming once again. He kissed up my stomach, stopping to suck my nipples softly before kissing me tenderly, and then slid in beside me. I was so exhausted that I couldn’t even respond when he whispered in my ear, “Good night, my love.”
The ride to Tupelo, so far, was long and uneventful. I smiled at myself remembering how wonderful my morning had been. Luke had surprised me with breakfast in bed, consisting of instant oatmeal and orange juice. He was in a much better mood this morning and I wondered if he was happy to be rid of me for a few days.
We still had not had a chance to talk about what had happened the other night. Every time that I tried to bring it up, he changed the subject or distracted me with his mouth or hands. I figured whatever was going on, was either not that important or so important that he didn’t want to tell me.
I remembered that Red owed me a favor and since she made been sure to put her number in my phone, I figured that it wouldn’t hurt to call her. Using my car’s hands free device, I dialed Red’s number in hopes of getting some answers about just what in the hell was going on.
“Dallas?” Red answered, sounding worried.
“Hey, Red, do you have a minute?”
“Of course, what’s up?” It sounded like she stopped whatever she was doing and walked to another room. I thought I was prepared to talk to her, but I wasn’t sure this was the right time. I started to chicken out and make up some phony excuse as to why I called, but she interjected before I could. “Dallas, you can talk to me about anything. That’s what I’m here for.” Her voice had lowered and I could tell that she was being sincere. I needed her. I needed a friend and although I had Lindsey, I needed someone on the inside to talk to.
“He won’t tell me anything,” I blurted out. “I have tried talking to him, but he keeps distracting me. I haven’t pushed him. I have only asked him a couple of times, but he doesn’t want to tell me anything. I understand that this may be none of my business, but I can’t help but feel like it is.” I sucked in a deep breath and waited for her response. I hadn’t realized it, but my eyes burned and I knew that I was going to cry. Damn. Why did I have to be such an emotional wreck?
“Yes, it is your business. You deserve to know the truth about what is going on. I was hoping Luke would tell you this himself, but since he wants to be an overprotective asshole, I’ll tell you.” I wiped the tears from my face and sat straight up in the vehicle. Red had my full attention. “As you know, Sunday night a man broke into Luke’s house. We figured that he was hoping to catch him alone, but when he saw you; he freaked out.” A chill ran through me as I thought of how panicked Luke had become when he thought that I had been hurt. I swallowed nervously, willing Red to continue. “We are not sure if the broken window on the club house was intentional or not. It may have been a ploy to get Luke’s attention or to see if you would come outside.”
Oh shit. Good thing I wasn’t a light sleeper, because just like in all of the scary movies, I would have gotten up to investigate.
“At the bar the other night, the woman that Maddie was fighting with is an ol’ lady to a rival club. They are not allowed in Hattiesburg, but for some reason they have been showing up lately. We’re not sure, but we think it has something to do with Luke.” My mind started to spin as I remembered the red and gray colors that the lady at the bar had been wearing. They matched the ones on the motorcycles that had passed my office just yesterday. Was that something that I needed to share?
“Where were their men?” I asked, silently praying she would say that they knew where they were.
“Who knows? They are not allowed to be around these parts. The only way that the girls pulled it off was by bringing their cuts inside hidden in their purses. After the guys walked out, they went to the bathroom to put them on. That’s when Maddie confronted them.”
“Red, I saw those guys,” I said softly. I didn’t want to start a war, but this seemed pretty important.
“What guys?” Red asked confused.
“The guys that wear red and gray cuts. They passed by my office yesterday just before Luke got there.”
“Did you tell Luke?” Red practically shouted at me.
“No, I didn’t think about it. I had no idea who they were.”
“Dammit, Dallas!” Red yelled. I could hear someone, who I thought was Regg, in the background asking what was wrong.
“I’ll call you back.” She hung up and I was left wondering what crime I had committed this time. I was getting tired of them expecting me to act like I knew what the hell I was doing. I was new to all of this. How in the hell was I supposed to know who was allowed and who wasn’t? My phone rang, distracting me from my thoughts and I glanced down to see that it was Luke calling. I cringed at the thought of him chewing my ass.
“Hello?” I tried to sound cheery, but my voice betrayed me. I sounded like my underwear was stuck in my ass.
“Hey, baby.” Luke’s smooth silky voice took me by surprise. I was expecting his wrath, but instead he sounded like he missed me and was excited just to hear my voice. “Dallas? You there?”
“Uhh… Yeah, baby. I’m here,” I stuttered. I was such a loser.
“I just got a call from Red. She was freaking out on me. Is there something you want to talk about?” Why was he being so calm?
“You’re not mad at me?” I asked cautiously. Maybe this was the calm before the storm.
“No, babe. Why would I be mad at you?” he asked shocked. Wow. This was a turn of events.
“I just thought since I didn’t tell you about those guys that you might be mad.”
“Babe, you had no way of knowing who those men were or what they wanted. I’m sorry that I have been so evasive the past few days, I just didn’t want to worry you.” Damn, he was so sweet.
“I love you,” I said breathlessly. He had a way of removing the air from my lungs, even over the phone. Luke laughed softly.
“I will never tire of hearing you say those words to me. I love you too, baby, now talk to me. What’s on your mind?” Knowing he was not mad at me and that I could speak freely, I spilled my guts.
“Yesterday, I was standing outs
ide my office when I heard all of these motorcycles. I thought it was your guys, but they were wearing red and gray. I thought they might be friends of yours, so I waved, but none of them waved back. There was a guy in the pack. He had a large scar on his face. When we got to Shenanigans, he was there, too.” Luke was eerily quiet on the other end and fearing the silence was a bad sign, I quickly continued. “He was sitting on the pool table when the fight broke out and he grabbed my arm and said something to me.”
Luke spoke before I could continue and I knew that he was trying to control his anger. “What did he say to you, Dallas?’
I swallowed hard and spoke so softly that he asked me to repeat it. “He said, ‘Hey there, sleeping beauty’.”
“That mother fucker! Where are you staying?” Luke screamed.
“The Abbey.” Why was he asking? Was he coming to stay with me? I was suddenly excited. Why had I not asked him to come in the first place? “I am sending someone up there.” My heart fell. Once again, he would send someone instead of coming himself.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be fine. Stacy will be there. I will be sure to let him know what’s going on.” I said defeated.
“Who in the hell is Stacy?” Luke asked confused.
“He is a friend of the family. He has a black belt in karate and is trained in martial arts. I promise that I will be fine.” I knew Stacy would be more than a little excited at the thought of hurting someone.
“Dallas, I can send someone. It’s not a problem,” Luke stated. No shit, it wasn’t a problem. There were people lined up to be at his beck and call. Too bad it wasn’t him who wanted to be here for my safety.
“No, I will be fine, really.” Why did I let this bother me so much? He had enough shit to deal with. He couldn’t drop everything just to drive two hundred and fifty miles to be with me. I got it, but it still hurt. “I better go. I’ll call you tonight,” I said and abruptly ended the call. I didn’t want any more apologies, excuses or possible solutions. I only wanted to get through the next few days and then back home. Maybe then, Luke would take me to the beach and fuck me senseless. That would surely fix this melancholy mood that I had slipped into.
Chapter 17
I pulled up to The Abbey and it was even more beautiful than I remembered. The large, three story Victorian house had served as a bed and breakfast for over one hundred years and was located just off of the Natchez Trace. The home was sentimental to me. It was the first property that I purchased when I decided to expand my business north. The old cobblestone driveway was worn and the familiar rumble of the stones beneath my tires made me feel like I had stepped into another century. The large white porch wrapped all the way around the house and opened into a garden at the back. White wicker rockers littered the front porch. Ferns and flower baskets hung from the ceiling along with a large wooden swing that could seat at least five people. I climbed out of my car and was met by Stacy, at the end of the stairs.
“My favorite girl!” he exclaimed, smiling at me. I walked into his arms and allowed him to engulf me in a hug. “You look more and more like your mama every day,” he said, holding me at arm’s length and looking me over.
It had been a long time since I had a conversation with someone that knew my parents. My dad had taken Stacy under his wing when he was younger and he had been like an uncle to me for years. Stacy moved to Mississippi shortly after I did and he had been the only one to attend my college graduation and my Masters Award ceremony. I had not seen him in over a year, but he still looked exactly the same. His salt and pepper hair was unruly on his head and his age was apparent around his eyes and mouth, but he was still very attractive. He was only a few inches taller than me and his lean muscular figure could still be recognized under his jeans and t-shirt. At forty-two years old, Stacy was still smoking hot.
He was the reason that I came to Tupelo. When I found this place, it was him that I hired to do the renovations. He now lived here and kept the maintenance up to date on the house. “Well, let’s get you settled and then we can catch up.” I nodded in agreement, knowing that Stacy was going to be mighty surprised with everything that I had to tell him.
When I walked into the house, I couldn’t help the smile that stretched across my face. This place was amazing. The large wooden door opened into a sitting room that was full of antiques. The aged furniture, along with the huge staircase, made you feel like you had just stepped into a plantation home from the eighteen hundreds. To the left, a swinging door led into a massive kitchen and on the other side of that was a dining room that had enough private tables to accommodate everyone in the house. To the right of the sitting room, there was a smoking parlor and a library. I was hoping to spend a little time in there before I left.
I climbed the long staircase to the second floor, and then a narrower one to the third floor and walked into what would be my home for the next few days. I sat my things down on the settee, exhausted and very glad that I had an elevator installed after I purchased this place. I knew that if I had a tough time climbing all those stairs, it would be impossible for someone in their sixties or seventies to do it, and considering they were my best customers, it was the best money spent on this house.
I was glad only a few people were staying here this week. It wasn’t often that this room was available and it was, by far, the best in the house. The room was large and spacious with twelve foot ceilings, plush burgundy carpet and a king sized canopy bed that was raised off the floor and had steps surrounding it. An old vanity table, complete with a wash bowl and water pitcher, sat on one side of the double doors that led to the bathroom, and a dark wooden chifferobe sat on the other. The bathroom housed an oversized claw foot tub and a double sink with lights that looked like old lanterns. But, the best part of the room was the balcony that overlooked the garden below. I could spend hours out there and do nothing more than look out over the garden and day dream.
I grabbed my cell and called Scott to let him know that I made it here and would come by the office sometime around four and to not leave until I got there. I also sent a quick text to Luke letting him know that I made it and was sorry for being a bitch and hanging up, then unpacked my clothes before heading downstairs to the kitchen to meet up with Stacy.
In the kitchen, I could smell corn and crab bisque simmering on the stove. The smell made my mouth water and I wandered over to get a bowl. Unlike other bed and breakfasts, this one was full service. We had a cook on call twenty-four, seven who would cook anything that your heart desired, within reason. Mrs. Pearl, Mrs. Jackie and Mrs. Gladene had been cooking here since long before I was born. They were sweet and wonderful and full of life, but they would snap on your ass if you so much as breathed wrong in their kitchen.
“Jackie told me to make sure you got a big bowl of that,” Stacy said, entering the kitchen. “She always said you were too skinny.”
It surprised me that Jackie would even consider cooking something for me. Last time we spoke, she called me a spoiled bitch and I was quick to tell her that she could find another job. She just laughed, which made me angrier. She knew that she was irreplaceable and so did I. If I fired Jackie, I might as well say goodbye to Pearl and Gladene too, and if I did that, I would lose all of my business. People drove from miles around just to eat Mrs. Pearl’s cornbread dressing.
“The old bitch probably poisoned it,” I muttered.
“So, what brings you up here?” Stacy asked jumping right to the point.
“Well, I am having some problems with some renters and I came to straighten a few things out,” I answered while fixing myself a large bowl of bisque and joining him at a table.
“Sounds fun, but enough about work. How has life been treating you?”
I smiled up at him. “Good. Really good. I met someone,” I confessed trying to gauge his reaction.
“Dallas, that’s great! I am so happy for you. Tell me about him.” This was going to be the hard part. I was hoping that Stacy would keep an open mind and not be too ju
dgmental, but I was afraid he would jump the gun on this one.
“Well, his name is Lucas Carmical. He is from Hattiesburg and we met a few weeks ago.” I knew I was being short with him, but I didn’t want to confess all of his secrets. Hell, I didn’t even know all there was to know about him.
“What does he do? How did you meet him?” Leave it to Stacy to cut straight through the bullshit. I didn’t want the remainder of my time spent with answering questions, so I figured that I might as well go ahead and get it all out there.
“I met him at a bar. He actually saved me from being molested by this guy and we have been seeing one another ever since. He is in the timber business, is extremely good looking, and takes care of me. Oh, and he is the President of a motorcycle club.” I said the last part rather fast, hoping he didn’t hear me, but of course I didn’t get that lucky.
“A motorcycle club, huh? Which one?”
“The Devil’s Renegades,” I said not making eye contact.
“Hmm. That’s cool.” Was that all he was going to say? “I am glad you met someone. I am even gladder that this someone is down to Earth and not some spoiled rich kid like you usually go for. I would really like to meet him.”
I was shocked at what he said, but I tried to conceal it. “Of course. I was hoping that he could come with me, but he had some prior obligations.”
“I see. Well, I look forward to meeting him one day.” Stacy patted my hand then got up to help himself to some bisque. I started to tell him about the other group of bikers, but no need to go stirring up anything right now. If they came, and I highly doubted that they would, we would deal with it then.
A Ride or Die Kind of Love Page 91
