by Naomi West
“You’re not going to let a girl wash up?” she asked, her voice high and teasing.
“Only if you let me help you.” He opened the door and stepped inside.
Vera moved back and brought her hands down to cover her breasts, acting modest, but he could see the desire in her eyes. “I guess I could use some help with my back.”
“I can handle that.” He took the soapy rag from her hands. “Turn around.”
She complied, lifting her hair once again as he scrubbed the washcloth down her neck and across her slim shoulders. He watched with pleasure as the soap ran down her back and traced the gentle curves of her ass, mocking him. Rascal squeezed the cloth harder, partly in frustration and partly to control his urge to bend her over and take her right there.
Instead, he stepped closer and brought the washcloth around to the front of her, letting their wet, naked bodies just barely touch as he washed her breasts in slow concentric circles. Bubbles were everywhere, and he ditched the washcloth and all pretense to touch her slick skin with his hands. Vera leaned against him as he worked, rubbing his thumbs over her nipples as he held the orbs in his fingers. His right hand wandered down the smooth plane of her stomach to the delicate place between her legs. Her body tensed slightly, but she tipped her head back against his shoulder and let him do as he pleased.
Rascal’s fingers worked of their own volition, enticing the pert bud of her clit as he bent his head to kiss her neck and shoulders. Water and soap splashed all around them, making every movement seem bigger and more pleasurable. He felt the air escape her lungs as he slowly inserted one finger, still keeping his thumb busy on her center of pleasure.
“Oh, Rascal,” she breathed. Her body was completely at his mercy now, relying on him for even the strength to stand up as her legs began to tremble.
His cock was trembling, too, eager to take advantage of her hot little body. He was just about to do so when he felt her walls convulsing around his finger, and her breathing grew heavier. She was coming, and he wanted her to get everything she could out of this. He moved his fingers faster, pulsing in and out of her as he tickled her clit. Her left hand came back to clutch helplessly at his thigh as she climaxed, her fingers digging into his flesh and her body shivering despite the warm water.
Vera turned around before he could bend her over, once again derailing his plans. Water dripped down her face and clung to her eyelashes as she looked up at him. “It’s your turn,” she rasped.
The next thing Rascal knew, Vera was on her knees. The shower sprayed down on her back as she took his head into her mouth and let it sink all the way in until her lips were wrapped around the base of his shaft. The tip of her tongue pressed against his dick as she sucked.
Rascal grabbed the towel rack on the side of the shower in surprise. She had seemed like such an innocent girl, and he wouldn’t have thought she was capable of such things. But she blew him like she enjoyed it, raking her teeth gently down his length as she pulled out, only to suck him back in hard once against. Unable to help it, he bumped his hips against her face. The tip of his prick hit the back of her throat, but she didn’t protest. Vera just opened up her throat to let him in.
“You’re going to have to come back up here,” he warned. He didn’t want her to stop, but he wasn’t going to be able to take this much longer.
She let go of him long enough to gasp, “I don’t mind,” before she buried his cock in her mouth once again.
“We’ll do that another time,” he promised, not even thinking about what he was saying. “Right now, I want to be inside you.” As good as this felt, he wanted nothing more than to plunge himself in her tight little pussy once again.
She stood and he turned her around, bending her over so that she could hold on to the built-in shelf. Rascal wanted to be gentle but he couldn’t wait any longer, and he skewered himself on her. He gloried in the way her wet, round ass cheeks bumped against him, and he held tightly to her hipbones. Experimentally, he slapped his hand against her. Vera shoved herself against him harder, and he did it again.
“Yes,” she moaned, her head thrown back.
Rascal grabbed her hair with his left hand, tugging gently as he controlled the pulse of their bodies, like a wagon driver balancing against the reins. With his right hand, he slapped her again. Her knuckles whitened against the shelf, but Rascal knew it was only out of pleasure. She slammed her ass into him again, begging for more, and he gave it to her. One final smack and she was his, her pleasure echoing in the fiberglass enclosure as he injected her.
He dropped a kiss on her mouth before leaving her to go dry off while she finished her shower. How could it possibly be that he’d had incredibly good sex both last night and in the morning, and yet he still wasn’t satisfied? He had emptied everything he had in her, but it only left him wanting more.
Rascal grabbed his clothes and stepped out into the bedroom, dressing slowly. The time with her in the hotel had been nice, as had their time in the bar. But what was he going to do now? She didn’t know who she was, and they had yet to bring back up the fact that she was probably running away from someone or something.
As he sat down at the foot of the bed to pull his boots back on, he noticed the toppled suitcase and grinned. Things had happened so quickly, and neither one of them could be bothered to move the suitcase or worry about spilling its contents. Once his boots were on, he bent to gather her clothes and put them back inside. He was tempted to hang them in the closet, but there must have been a legitimate reason that she hadn’t done that already.
His hand closed around a worn dress the color of a dirty penny. He unfolded it and held it up, frowning. Rascal had a hard time imagining a gorgeous woman like Vera wearing such a dull rag. It bothered him, really, even though he knew little about women’s clothing. Rascal felt as though he had seen it or something like it recently. Not knowing where made him feel a little more sympathy for Vera. She must have been having those experiences constantly. He shook his head, tossed the dress in the suitcase, and waited for Vera to finish.
Chapter Seven
Vera
As Vera rinsed the last of the hotel shampoo and conditioner out of her hair, she realized that she didn’t like being away from Rascal. It was a comfort to know he was just in the next room, but it wasn’t the same sort of comfort she got from having his body wrapped around hers. It was an odd thing to need a stranger so much, but he was the one constant in the world she could cling to.
That, however, was going to have to change. As much as Vera enjoyed her time with him, she knew that it couldn’t last forever. Rascal had already done a lot for her, and she couldn’t keep expecting him to take care of her. No, she might not remember her past, but it was time to create a new future for herself.
She stepped out of the shower and toweled herself off, allowing a fantasy of the two of them creating a new future together to slip into her mind. He was a biker, and she somehow knew that meant he wasn’t the sort of man who was interested in settling down and enjoying a monogamous relationship. He probably went wherever he wanted and lived a life of complete freedom.
Still, it was a pleasant vision to think of him coming home in the evening while she stood at the stove making supper, him slipping his arms around her waist from behind and kissing her neck while promising they could have each other for dessert. Although Vera wasn’t certain what she wanted out of a future for herself, she wouldn’t have minded at all if Rascal was part of it.
But no. He had done enough for her, and now she needed to move on. Vera came out of the bedroom wrapped in a towel. Rascal was in the kitchenette, making a pot of coffee, and she reached into her suitcase to find something to wear. A pair of jeans and a T-shirt came to hand, and she happily passed over the old dress in their favor. Vera realized that Rascal must have been the one to pick it up and put it all back together, but she decided not to worry about it. She hadn’t found anything of real interest in there the night before, and neither would he. Besides, he
knew as much as she did. Feeling suddenly shy, Vera went back into the bathroom to get dressed.
She studied herself in the mirror. Somehow, she looked different than she had the night before when she’d changed in the restroom at the bar. Vera hadn’t bothered to put back on the heavy makeup she had scrubbed off, and she didn’t think she wanted to. Rascal had a way of making her feel beautiful, and even though there was a small bag of makeup on the counter she ignored it. She wished, though, that no matter how beautiful she looked or felt, she could figure out just who she was and what had happened to her.
Vera emerged to find Rascal sitting on the sofa, two mugs of coffee on the table in front of him. His frame looked huge compared to the small, cheap couch, his knees sticking up too far in the air as he sank into the cushions. He raised an appraising eyebrow and gestured at the extra cup. “I didn’t know if you liked cream or sugar, so I left it black.”
She stared blankly at the cup for a moment, trying to find the right reply. Now that he had asked, she wasn’t entirely sure herself, and she couldn’t even be certain that she had been a fan of coffee. “Oh. Um. That’s fine, thanks.”
It was awkward to sit there next to him, sitting coffee in the morning as though they knew each other and were comfortable. The previous night and even that morning had been amazing, but it was completely different when they weren’t thrashing around naked. She blushed as she swirled the dark liquid in her mug. “Rascal, I know you’ve done a lot for me, and I want you to know how much I appreciate it.”
“It’s not a problem.”
“I wanted to ask you one more thing.” She kept her gaze on her coffee, afraid to look at him and see what he might be thinking. “I know that I have no right to ask, but I don’t have anyone else to turn to.”
“Just tell me,” he encouraged.
“I was wondering if you know of any place I could stay. Someplace safe, maybe out of the way somewhere. I can only stay in the hotel so long before I can’t pay for it anymore, but I’m not sure where to go.” She didn’t like feeling so vulnerable and weak.
Rascal stood and went toward the window, looking out of it for a moment that lasted far too long. “I think I might know a place.”
“You do?” Vera couldn’t help but feel hopeful, yet she worried about what his suggestion might be. If he asked her to come and stay with him, she would have to refuse. Rascal was amazing in bed and had come to her rescue, but if there was one thing she understood it was that she needed to find herself before she went and did anything like that.
“There’s an old friend of mine who might be able to help. I’ll take you to her. Pack up your things.”
It was so quick and so final that Vera sat still for a moment, stunned. But she slowly stood and went into the bedroom. “Can you tell me a little bit about this friend of yours?” she asked as she straightened up the suitcase and fetched the makeup bag from the bathroom.
“Her name is Lorenna. Her son was part of the Dark Vultures before he passed away, and she’s always been willing to help out someone who’s in a pinch. She’s a nice lady; I think you’ll like her.”
Vera frowned to herself as she zipped up the suitcase. “I won’t be imposing on her?”
“Nah.” Rascal came into the room and picked up her baggage. “She does this sort of thing all the time. It’ll be fine.”
“Do you need to call her and let her know we’re coming? Make sure it’s all right?” Vera nodded at the phone on the nightstand and wrung her hands in front of her, suddenly incredibly worried about angering a woman she had never met. She didn’t know why this idea made her so nervous, even though Rascal was trying to assure her that everything would be fine.
He set down the suitcase and took her by the shoulders. His eyes were like lapis, solid and mesmerizing as he looked down at her. “Vera, don’t worry about it. Everything will be fine. Lorenna will be happy to help. She always has been before, and I don’t see any reason for that to be different now. Just take a deep breath and relax.”
She felt compelled to do as he said, but she didn’t feel much better. An uncomfortable ball of panic was settling into her chest. It seemed like such an odd time, considering that she had been through much worse things the night before than what she was facing now. “I just don’t want to be a burden on anyone.”
“Vera, I don’t understand you. You’ve got amnesia and you need help, but all of a sudden it’s like you don’t want to take it. You’ve asked me to help you find a place to stay, but you don’t seem like you trust me enough to take care of it. You’re not a burden; you’re someone who needs a little assistance. I’ll get you to the right spot, and there’s nothing else to worry about. Let’s go.’
She followed him out of the hotel room and to the elevator, but Vera was still worrying. She worried about how they would get her suitcase onto his motorcycle, how she was going to make money, how long she would be able to stay with this Lorenna person, and even what Rascal thought of her for needing help. She did her best to hold her tongue, though. Vera didn’t want to tick him off, and she felt she was getting close already.
Rascal produced a few bungee cords from a saddle bag and lashed her suitcase to the back of the bike. He put his meaty hand on it and wiggled it a few times just to make sure it was stable, and then he nodded at her to get on behind him. “It’s not too far from here. We’ll be there in no time.”
The morning was bright and beautiful, and she did her best to focus on the blue sky and the wide expanses of desert around her as they headed out of town instead of the muscled man she was nestled behind on the motorcycle. She had to ignore the broad spread of his shoulders, the way his strong hands held the handlebars with command, the fine muscles of his arms that had held her so tightly. But every time she blinked she could only think of the way it had felt to be held by those arms. Her eyes roved down to his back, but that didn’t help. His tight ass rested on the seat just in front of her, and it was all Vera could do not to press her breasts against him and demand that he pull over. Why was she so smitten with him? Had she been some sex-crazed slut in that former lifetime she couldn’t remember?
The downtown buildings, snuggled closely together, soon melted into smaller houses of the residential neighborhoods on the outskirts of the city. These, too, dissipated until the dwellings were several acres apart. Some of the houses were modern constructions with vinyl siding and white picket fences. Others were adobe monoliths that frowned at the road and dared their viewers to recall the traditions of the past.
Rascal didn’t say a word as they drove, which only made Vera more nervous. Granted, conversation wasn’t going to be easy on the bike at high speed, but she found herself desperate for some sort of reassurance from him. She needed him to tell her that it was all right that she didn’t remember her past, because he would be a part of her future. She needed to explain to him that she really wasn’t trying to take advantage of him, and she would find a way to pay him back some day. There were so many things rolling around in her head, and even the dry wind that blew against her face couldn’t make them go away.
When they finally pulled over, Vera stared with awe at the beautiful cottage. It was one of the more modern constructions, but it certainly wasn’t an extravagant home. The tan plaster siding mimicked the adobe structures nearby, but the gabled roof and gridded windows reflected a newer style. A split-rail fence around the front yard held an extraordinary desert garden of native plants, many of them flowering in shades of gold and coral.
Rascal turned into the driveway that wrapped around the side of the house and pulled to a stop. He waved to a woman in the backyard, who turned around and held her hand over her eyes to see who the newcomers were. Her silver hair hung in a long, thick braid down her back, and she stripped off her gardening gloves as she stepped over a low fence and came out to greet them. “Rascal? Is that really you? It feels like years since I’ve seen you!” She wrapped the big man in a warm embrace.
He looked genuinely pleased as
he hugged her back. “Well, things have been going good. I haven’t had a reason to come and mooch off you for a while.”
Lorenna’s cheeks were a lovely shade of pale pink that matched the flowers in front of her house. “You know you can come by even when you don’t need anything. I’d be more than happy if you just came over to see me.”
“I know. And I should. Unfortunately, right now I’m here because I need something.”
The older woman’s eyes went from Rascal to Vera and back again. “Why don’t you come inside and tell me about it?” She led the way up a stone path to a shaded back porch and into the house. The interior was just as pleasant as the exterior, with live plants on many of the windowsills and framed paintings on the walls. Vera noticed the terracotta flooring and exposed-beam ceiling as she trailed in behind Rascal.
