by Lowe, Aden
The tension building in his belly promised enough force to break him and he wanted nothing more than to be broken for her. Releasing her mouth, he let her rise above him again so he could tease her nipples while he watched her move on him.
Her cries escalated and her muscles quivered around him, warning of another orgasm about to claim her. His own control in shreds, he slipped his hands to her hips to steady her for his thrusts. A sudden inferno locked around him as her inner muscles convulsed in a rhythm he couldn't deny, draining him.
Lying there, struggling to catch his breath while she did the same on his chest felt like the ultimate achievement of his life. As long as Georgie let him love her, nothing else mattered.
***
Sun streamed through the window over the bed to wake Dix. It took him a moment to remember where he was, and to re-absorb the truth of the last few hours. Georgie might not be ready to hear how he felt about her, but she let him show her. One day soon she would let him say it.
He lay there, watching her sleep, head pillowed on his shoulder and hair spread over them both in a riot of silk. So many times he'd nearly given up hope. Especially when a couple of the Raiders gave him a hard time about his obvious feelings for her. Those were the times he'd wished he could be the kind of guy that just fucked every female who offered without a second thought.
Somewhere in the dim recesses of his childhood, back before the drugs, before the questioning everything, before Belial and the others, and far before the Hell Raiders, some part of his upper middle class family standards must have stuck. Once he'd found Georgie, his interest in other women disappeared. The Raiders' parties were notorious for all the chicks who wanted nothing more than to be with an outlaw and some of the guys had a hard time not sampling all the goods on display. They expected he would do the same, but only Georgie interested him.
As a prospect, part of the deal included proving his manhood and his full commitment to the club. Occasionally that meant fucking whichever female offered. Then he had to shut his head and his heart down entirely and just let the biological process happen. Shame burned his cheeks at the memory. No matter how things went with Georgie from here out, he couldn't fathom ever wanting another woman. No more just letting it happen.
Her eyes fluttered open to reveal slight hesitation before she smiled. "Morning."
That smile nourished him, like the first rays of sun in spring. "Morning, beautiful." One finger traced her lower lip. "Ready for breakfast in bed?"
She stretched, reminding him of a cat just waking from a cozy nap. "Mmm, that depends. Can I visit the bathroom and come back to bed and pretend I'm just waking up?"
The words surprised a chuckle from him. "That sounds like a great idea."
"Good, because I really have to pee." She laughed a little, and wriggled to the foot of the bed and darted for the ladder, stark naked and tempting him mightily to drag her right back.
Dix followed more slowly, reminding himself this time with her couldn't last forever. He had responsibilities and so did she. And there was still the matter of those pictures to address. A couple more hours was probably the most they could steal from the day.
Downstairs, the sun shone in the window and gave the treehouse an almost mystical light. Georgie left the bathroom and passed through the rays, which transformed her tousled hair into a glowing halo. His heart stopped at the sight of her like that, perfect skin limned with gold and naked contours cast in faint shadow. The image seared onto his soul, a permanent reminder of this time with her.
The smile she gave him, like she knew some amazing secret, brightened the room even further, and sent his heart into meltdown. "Why you looking at me like that?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe I want to remember you like that forever?" He crossed the room to stand before her. "I want to memorize every detail of you."
She rose on her tiptoes to slip her arms around his neck. "You're a sweet talker, Dix, but thank you. That's a nice compliment."
He dipped his head to nibble at her tempting lips. "Baby, that's not sweet talk. When we're ninety and sitting in rocking chairs with grandbabies all around, I want to remember you like that and take you to our bed and make love to you."
She pulled him down for a proper kiss. "That sounds good to me."
His heart soared. "Do you mean that? Georgie, don't play with me. I'm serious. I want to marry you, want you to be mine forever."
She drew back to stare at him as if questioning his sincerity. Then she bit her lip.
Chapter Eleven
Georgie climbed on the back of Dix's bike, still in shock. Had he really really just asked her to marry him? And was she really really considering saying yes? What the hell was wrong with her? Sure, she knew him a little, and liked him, but did she love him?
The girls at the Rattlesnake occasionally teased her about him. Those sharp-eyed bitches missed absolutely nothing, not even the sidelong glances at him she'd hidden. They knew she found him attractive, probably before she realized it herself, and they knew he infuriated her at times. And they knew she refused to give in to her attraction to him.
The truth was, he deserved better. Dix might be a biker, even a criminal, but he was a good guy. He should have a woman who would devote herself to him wholeheartedly. Not some fucked-up-in-the-head bitch who never got anything right. Her saying yes to him would only prove she wasn't good enough for him. If she were half-decent, she would put him first and say no, because she would bring her problems into a relationship. They didn't stand a chance with that kind of shit intruding.
But to have him for her own? Just the idea made her giddy, like when someone gave you a gift you didn't even know you wanted. The selfish part of her, the woman who wanted what she wanted, rejoiced. The other part of her, that little part that cared about being a good person, insisted she had to apologize and refuse him since she couldn't bring him anything but pain.
Did she even know how to be a good person? No. No, she did not. Not when it came to him. Because now that the possibility of a future with him presented itself, she didn't have the strength to give it up. So instead of telling him no, she hung on for dear life as he steered them toward Stags Leap. If only they could just keep right on riding, away from everyone and everything. Then the nastiness of her past might not be able to catch up to them.
Thankfully the wind dried her tears well before he slowed and pulled into the lot at the Rattlesnake. She'd rather not have to explain and have him question his own sanity for asking her. He'd do that soon enough anyway. Tempted to bolt and run, she swung off the seat and waited for him.
The engine idled as he caught her hand and drew her close. "I wish I could come in with you, baby, but I'm late for work." His hand at the back of her neck drew her down for a quick, hard kiss. "I'll come over in a couple hours, soon as I can get away, okay?"
Georgie nodded and returned his kiss, then stepped back to watch him pull away. Her pulse pounded in her throat, threatening to choke her with the fear that she might never see him again. Now where the hell did that come from? Of course she'd she him in a couple hours, just like he'd said.
Shaking her head, she pushed through the staff entrance and headed for the controlled chaos of the Rattlesnake kitchen. The sooner she got her day going, the sooner she would see him again.
Irene, the buxom blonde in charge of the cook staff at the moment, spotted her the instant she stepped through the door. "Thank goodness you're here. The produce truck didn't come and we're out of almost everything."
The next two hours passed in a flurry of details she wished would just disappear, but she still had to deal with them. Two girls sent to the grocery store with a fist full of cash from the register, an hour of phone tag with the manager of the produce supplier, and a heartfelt plea for more coffee later, and finally she had things under control. The patrons got their garden salads and the produce driver should have arrived hours ago, so maybe he had mechanical trouble. The supplier promised to send a second truck out with
a portion of their order, so at least they could get through until things were sorted out.
She settled in to handle the liquor order while she waited for Dix. The numbers quickly ran together and her mind jumped ship to head back to the treehouse. Memory of loving him in that idyllic place set her pulse racing all over again.
Irene patted her shoulder and startled her out of her thoughts. "Hey Georgie, that order ain't getting placed with you sitting there just staring at it."
"Shit, what time is it?" She jumped to look at the clock. Almost five o'clock! Had Dix come in and she missed him? A quick scan of the bar and dining area turned up empty. She hurried over to Tyler at the bar. "Has Dix come in?"
The lid flew off the beer and into the can with unerring accuracy. "Haven't seen him. I've been slammed though, he could have come and gone, and I wouldn't have noticed."
"Thanks." Lot of help that was. She stopped two of the waiters and asked if they'd seen him. No luck. She paused to think. Should she call him, or would he take that to mean she didn't trust him? Maybe she should just wait. The garage where he worked would close in another hour anyway.
The liquor order still waited, so she forced herself to sit down and finish it first off. The Rattlesnake couldn't be ignored or neglected in favor of her love life. Patrons still wanted to eat and drink and staff still needed to be paid. Rita trusted Georgie to take care of it all and keep everything running smoothly, so that had to become her first priority.
As soon she emailed the liquor order in, the wait staff shift leader came over. "Georgie, I've got three girls out sick and no one else to call in. Everybody's up on hours."
"Damn it. You're sure they're sick?"
"Yeah. Janie's at the ER. Kelly went home mid-shift yesterday dead on her feet with a fever and chills, and Carrie Ann's doctor put her back on bed rest."
It figured. The one and only time in history with three legit call-offs would come at that moment. "Okay. Pull Claire from the kitchen. She'll be pissed but tell her she stays on kitchen pay. I'll cover as needed and so can you. That should take care of it for tonight."
The next time Georgie noticed the time, two hours had passed. The slammed dining room had left no time to wonder where Dix might be. Finally the kitchen closed and they converted to honkytonk for the night. The hour following the switch was normally pretty dead, so the minute everything came into place, she let Tyler know she needed a break.
Outside in the warm twilight, she stopped to lean against the building and look over the parking lot. No sign of Dix's bike there. The garage closed at six, so he wasn't working. Maybe he'd changed his mind about meeting her and just gone on back to the Hell Raiders house. Or maybe he'd had a better offer for the night.
The urge to give in to tears of disappointment pissed her off. When the hell had he gotten under her skin that much? Sure he asked her to marry him and she was seriously considering saying yes, but she couldn't afford the luxury of getting upset when he broke vague plans. With one last look around at the parking lot, she went back inside. Too much work waited for her to take the evening off anyway.
The band played their usual mixture of southern rock, country and classic rock, with an occasional bluegrass tune thrown in for the hell of it. They were pretty good and normally Georgie enjoyed the music, but at the moment, she would rather they pack it in for the night.
Her mood only worsened through the rest of the evening and every little annoyance piled up. Well before midnight, most of the staff tiptoed carefully past her, very aware of the danger. She dropped a tray of dirty glasses off to Tyler at the bar, and grabbed the next tray to go out.
Two beers went to a pair of regulars who stopped in every evening after work for one drink before they headed home. The rest of the tray went to a large group of young men, strangers, who had shoved three tables together. She leaned to set the bottles on the table, and quickly turned to go and take the order for the couple two tables away.
One of the men slid his hand up the inside of her thigh and squeezed hard. "Hey, baby, what time you get off?"
Georgie froze as fury raced over her. "Get your hand off me. Now." She started to step away.
He squeezed again and sank his fingers hard into the muscle along her thigh so she couldn't move without causing pain. "Don't be like that sweetheart. I was being a gentleman. Won't bother me a bit to fuck you right here on this table in front of everybody. I'm sure there's a few other boys around that wouldn't mind seconds."
One of his friends grinned and elbowed another. "I'm up for seconds, for sure." He laid a big gun on the table. "Got the Do Not Disturb sign right here."
A wave of fear went hard behind the anger. One man, even two, she could mop the floor with. Fourteen though, that was a different matter. This required a different tactic. "Look, I'm slammed tonight, got people waiting for drinks all over. I'll catch up with you when it slows down a little." She forced her sweetest smile. At the moment, getting out of his grasp was the only thing that mattered.
He grinned and raised his hand to rub between her legs. "You better not forget me, baby. I'll be watching you."
By some miracle he allowed her to move away, and it took every ounce of fortitude she possessed not to scream and run. Presumably those men were all armed, and even with all her security measures, the chances of stopping them from doing anything they damn well pleased were pretty slim. She lifted an apologetic hand to the couple waiting for her to take their order, and beat it for the bar.
In the relative safety of the staff-only area, she pressed the button to alert the waiters to danger on the floor, then went immediately to Tyler and explained what had happened. He waited until she moved back out among the tables, then made two quick phone calls. Hopefully he'd called someone besides the police. That was wasted effort for a situation like they faced.
Damn. Where was Dix? He would make sure those men left without hurting anyone. The anger started then. How could he say he wanted forever with her and then not show up like that? Her thigh throbbed to remind her of the assault and a faint tremor ran through her.
Need for Dix hit her out of the blue. Need for him to protect her and to just hold her in his arms and make her feel safe. It simply made no sense. She was not the sort to depend on anyone, let alone some man.
A deep breath and some focus helped her push the fear away. She moved around to each staff member, letting them know what happened and to watch out for trouble. Shaking uncontrollably, she headed for the bathroom. To hell with pride and independence. She needed Dix.
Tears threatened, but she had no time for that. She forced herself back out on the floor to do her job. A Hell Raiders patch appeared in the crowd and her heart slammed into her ribs. But then she got a look at the guy. Not Dix. The one who'd been working on the porch steps at their house.
A tray of fresh drinks rested on her hip as she waded back into the crowd. Another Hell Raider materialized, the one Dix called Fabio. His buddy Crank stood at his side. A quick glance around revealed the Hell Raiders had come to the Rattlesnake in force, but dispersed into the crowd. Normally they marched in together like the owned the joint.
Vague unease settled over the patrons. They quieted and watched the bikers, waiting to see where the trouble would start. Gradually, the outlaws converged around the tables where the man threatened Georgie.
The rest of the place went quiet and the band faltered, but when Fabio lifted a hand to them, they continued on. The men at the table continued to drink and talk loud, and Georgie could have sworn some of them were boasting what they planned to do to her and the other girls at closing time.
Oh hell, no. Georgie was not about to let the Hell Raiders have all the fun. The tray of drinks hit a nearby table and she headed into the mix. She paused for a second to let Fabio and the bikers start it.
The big guy, Ryker, stepped up and tapped the one with the gun on the shoulder. "Hey, motherfucker, you can't come in here strapped up." He grabbed the gun off the table and passed it off to one
of the other Raiders.
The man stood and sized Ryker up and drew back for a punch, but before he could let it fly, Ryker ducked in for a brutal head butt. The rest of the men stood to defend their buddy and found themselves face-to-face with Hell Raiders.
Georgie saw her chance and moved in on the guy who had grabbed her and smiled. "I told you I'd see you later." When he reached for her again, she let him get close, grabbed his wrist, and used his momentum to give him a spectacular flip over her hip.
He landed with a groan. "Bitch!"
"And don't you forget it." The grip she kept on his wrist came in handy again as she stepped across and twisted hard. The sound of crunching bone made her very happy in that moment.
The whole thing ended almost before it started. The toughs at the table learned a valuable lesson. No matter how bad you are, there's always someone bigger and badder. Georgie drew a great deal of pleasure from helping them learn that fact.
She turned to Fabio. "Thanks for coming. Without your guys' help, this could have turned out really nasty for us."
The big biker shook his head. "Don't even mention it. The Rattlesnake is under our protection anyway, and so are all the staff. But now that you're with Dix, you got a little extra." He laughed. "Spread out boys, make sure everyone's comfortable." He moved to the side a little as the Hell Raiders escorted the would-be trouble makers out. "Look, Georgie, don't ever hesitate to call us, whether you're with him or not. Stags Leap is our town and we take care of our people. No assholes are going to come in here and start hurting people and get by with it."
"I'll remember that." She would, too. In the two years she'd been in Stags Leap, she'd avoided getting to know the outlaws on more than a very casual basis. The cop in her insisted she keep her distance.
"Speaking of which, where is he? I figured he'd be here about two inches from you."
She would not cry. Would not. "I don't know. He said he would come by, but I haven't heard from him since he left for work."
