Unfinished Business: A Bastards of Boston Novel

by Carina Adams

  It wasn’t a horrible idea. I wanted to run it by Cris, to see what she thought, though. I had to make enough decisions about the club and the bullshit that came with it; this one would affect my girl directly, and I wasn’t saying a damn thing without her input.

  “I’ll think about it.”

  Jess beamed as if I’d said yes.

  “You all registered for classes?”

  I tried to focus on her answer, but my eyes drifted over her shoulder. Cris was laughing at something Nick had said, her hand lying on his arm. If I didn’t like the prick so fucking much, I’d kick his ass.

  Club presidents weren’t allowed to beat a prospect bloody just because the president was a jealous fucker who hated when other men made his ol’ lady laugh, though. At least, not in my club. I needed to get a hold of myself before I made a scene. Nick was good people. He’d been a good friend to us over the last few months. He was going to make a kickass Bastard once he patched in.

  If I didn’t kill him first.

  Jess turned and followed my eyes. “How is the Princess holding up?”

  From anyone else, it would have been a sincere question. Yet, Jess hadn’t mentioned Cris once. It was clear, she didn’t care.

  “Oh. Look how cozy they are,” she pointed out before I had a chance to answer her question. “Is that her boyfriend? I’ve never met him.”

  I met Jeremy’s stare, his eyebrows high before he scurried away. He apparently didn’t want to hear my answer. Then again, he’d heard me rage after I’d met Nick the first time and found out just how much time Cris had been spending at the gym.

  It hadn’t been my finest hour. It might have taken me a few hours to clean the studio up after my outburst. That was before I knew Nick—who had earned the road name Neo from his speed —though.

  “That’s Neo.” I forced myself to remain calm. “He’s a prospect. Not her boyfriend.”

  “Oh.” Her disappointment was clear. Then her eyes lit up and her mouth twisted into a wicked grin. “Does she know that?”

  I glanced back at Cris, who had leaned her head against Nick’s, his arm around her shoulders. Just as I decided that a president murdering a prospect was completely acceptable, Cris moved away from him and searched the crowd. When she saw me, her entire face lit up.

  I let her walk to me, eyes glued to her every step of the way. She’d lost weight, her typical tank top and jeans hung a little loose, and the smudges under her eyes told the world she needed to rest. She was fucking beautiful. The closer she got, the harder my heart pounded.

  She opened her mouth to say something, but Jess beat her to it.

  “Welcome home, Princess.”

  Cris slid her eyes to Jessie. “Barbie,” she cooed. “Tank just told me that you’d moved here. Welcome, yourself.”

  “Barbie?” Jess shook her head. “I’m Jess.”

  Cris’s eyebrows rose. “No one told you?” She nodded almost sympathetically. “That makes sense, I guess. No one told me that I’d been stuck with my nickname either.”

  Cris stepped into me, and my arm went around her shoulders immediately, pulling her as close as she could get. She hugged me, sliding one arm around my back and propped the other on my chest. “Hi,” she whispered right before I pressed a quick peck to her lips.

  Jessie’s hands flew to her hips and her eyes narrowed. “Barbie?” she asked, her doubt clear. “Someone named me Barbie?”

  “Yeah. Biker Barbie.” Cris lifted her index toward the other woman and twirled it around. “It makes sense.”

  Jessie’s eyes narrowed on my girl. “I wonder how you got your name.”

  “I gave it to her,” I informed them.

  “Because she’s an ice princess? Or because she’s spoiled, sheltered, and snobby?”

  Cris laughed. A real laugh. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed it until just then.

  “God, I wish.”

  “Nah.” I grinned down at my girl. “She’s my warrior princess. Regal yet vicious. She’ll stop at nothing to protect the ones she loves.”

  Jessie said something, but I didn’t hear her. I was too busy staring into the sky-blue eyes I loved so much. “Maybe I should have just named you my angel, since that’s what you are. Always saving me.”

  “You hear this shit?” She asked Jessie. “He calls me his angel but the halo I wear caught fire a long time ago.” Cris snorted. “Yeah, it’s definitely definitely crooked and singed.” She touched my cheek. “Pretty sure I’m hiding a tail.”

  “Maybe I should check for you, just to make sure.”

  Her eyes sparkled. “Maybe you should.”

  “Wanna get outta here?”

  “I thought you’d never ask.” She slapped my face playfully, stepped out of my arms, and reached for my hand. “Night, Barbie.”

  Jessie didn’t move. “Will I see you again before you go back to Maine?”

  I tensed. I didn’t know the answer. I hated the thought of Cris leaving me so soon after I’d just gotten her back.

  “Actually,” she started slowly, sending me a quick glance over her shoulder, “I’m staying here.”

  “You are?” Jessie’s voice reached hilarious octaves.

  Cris tugged on my hand. “Yeah. We should totally do lunch sometime. Maybe go shopping. Get to know each other. It’ll be fun!” Before Jess could answer, Cris started to walk again.

  Numerous people stopped us on the way to the door, but once we were free, Cris spun around and pulled me into her arms. “Hi.”

  “Hi back.”

  “It was really nice of you to do that for me,” —she pointed at Droplogic—“but will you take me home now?”

  I tightened my fingers around hers and practically sprinted toward our apartment building.

  “I’ve missed this place,” Cris announced as I unlocked the door and held it wide open for her.

  “I’ve missed you here.”

  She headed straight for the windows, looking out at the city in the distance. “I’d dream about waking up and seeing this view.”

  She turned around and stopped short. “Where’s the couch?”

  I sat on the edge of the king-sized bed I’d put in its place. “Come here.”

  She chewed on her lip as she watched me, not moving, her breath ragged.

  “I’ve got you,” I promised her. “Even if you just let me spend our first night together here holding you, I’ll be happy. Just come over here with me.”

  I expected an objection or an argument. Instead, she lifted her tank top over her head and tossed it. Then her bra joined it on the floor.

  I froze, not sure what to do or what to say. She looked like a deer in the headlights, waiting for something bad to happen. Every fiber in my being made me want to reach out to her, but I stayed quiet. This was her decision.

  “I need…” She swallowed roughly, her nerves clear. She cleared her throat. “I needed to be the one to take it off.”

  I nodded. “This is your choice. You’re in control.”

  As she stood there, I fought to keep my eyes on hers. With a small, nervous smile, she shrugged. “You can look, you know.”

  My eyes moved down slowly. I’d never seen her bare. I couldn’t look away. Her breasts weren’t huge but big enough to fill my hands. Fucking perfection. Dark pink nipples hardened, either from the air or from my stare, and I wanted to suck on them until she was sopping wet and begging me to fuck her hard.

  In time. We would get there in time. Together.

  “I want to do this,” she admitted. “More than anything. I just don’t know what I’m doing.” She reached for the button on her jeans. When it popped open, I flew across the room, closed my fingers around her wrists, and held her still for a moment.

  “I wanted to go slow,” I explained, sounding like a fucking pussy. “Take my time. You’re making it impossible.”

  She giggled nervously. The sound made my heart flutter and tugged a smile onto my lips.

  “You’ve gone slow,” she argued
lightly. “We’ve gone really slow. Seven years is enough time, don’t you think? Maybe we could hurry it along—just a bit?”

  She was right. In fact, it was too much fucking time.

  “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “You would never hurt me. I want this. I’m asking you to make love to me. I’m not going to break.”

  I dropped her hands and clutched her face, yanking her to me. “I love you.”

  She smiled slowly, eyes twinkling. “I know.”

  “Can I touch you?”

  She nodded. “Please.”

  I buried fingers from one hand in her hair, wrapping them in the dark thick locks, forcing her stay still while I leaned down and captured her lips. My other hand lightly cupped a breast, ready to stop if she said the word or got spooked.

  My mouth teased hers, nipping at her bottom lip until she opened for me, and then I slid my tongue inside, tangling around hers. My thumb moved over her nipple, making it harden even more. She gasped.

  Fuck, I loved her tits. I doubted there was a single thing about her I didn’t love, but her boobs were definitely my favorite. So fucking soft yet unbelievably firm, I wanted to spend every night for the rest of my life touching them.

  I kissed her until she was breathless.

  “I love you,” I whispered as I moved my lips to her neck, tasting the salt on her skin, as I discovered what she liked and what drove her fucking crazy. I kissed my way back up to her ear and tugged the lobe between my teeth, biting it gently, forcing a sexy-as-sin gasp from her.

  I slid back to her lips, needing to feel her response, to make sure she was still with me, and stole her air once again. I eventually moved to the other side of her neck. Not being as gentle, I feasted on her skin, nipping and kissing, making her squirm, and didn’t stop until she was a pile of mush. Her hands clutched at my hair as she begged for more.

  I walked her backward to the bed, letting her take the lead and drop onto it before I stepped back, shed my cut, kicked off my boots, and stripped off my own shirt. She leaned back on her elbows, enjoying the show. The way her eyes ate me up, looking at each of my tattoos, gave me a moment of self-consciousness.

  I hesitated for me that time. I hadn’t been with anyone in a long-ass time. Only one other person ever. And, the last time, I’d been nothing more than a kid.

  “Hey,” Cris called softly. When I met her eyes, she gave me a small smile.

  I forced the thought of anything but her from my mind. When I reached for my own jeans, she shook her head, sat up, and reached for me.

  “I’m supposed to do that.”

  “Yeah?” My voice was heavy as her fingers looped through belt holes and I let her pull me down next to her.

  “Yeah.”

  Without warning, she rolled on top of me. Bracing her hands on my shoulders, she bit her bottom lip and took a deep breath before she moved her hips against mine. I dropped my head onto the bed, groaning, as my cock strained against my jeans, begging to be released.

  She leaned over, her lips so close I could almost feel them, and ran the tip of her nose over mine and then up my cheek, before her teeth closed over the bottom of my ear. “I’m scared, too,” she whispered softly. Then she pushed herself back upright. “I love you.”

  My fingers curled into the denim on her legs, and I flipped her onto her back before I blew my load like a virgin at a strip club and embarrassed myself. Climbing over her, I braced my arms next to her head and stared down. Her lips were red and puffy, swollen from my kisses, her pulse pounded in her neck, and her breaths were sharp. I wanted to yank the clothes from her body and fuck her so hard she felt it for weeks.

  Yet her eyes were bright, wide with worry.

  “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” I tried to assure her again. If she told me to stop, I would. She needed to know that.

  “You are very sweet.” She smiled, humor dancing in her eyes. “Stop stalling and come ravish me, will ya?”

  I lowered my head, nipping at her lips. “Ravish you?”

  “Ravish.” She nodded, smirking as she wrapped her hands around my neck. “Or I’m going to take control.”

  “We can’t have that,” I half-joked as I jerked back, breaking the hold she had on me. “We’re a little overdressed, don’t you think?”

  Before she could stop me, I pushed myself off the bed, unbuttoned my jeans, and shoved both them and my boxers down before I kicked them across the room.

  She took a deep breath, unzipped her jeans slowly, lifted her hips, pushing them down her legs and onto the floor. My eyes traced her body while she moved, my hands itching to touch her. The scars on the insides of her thighs, from where she once cut herself, drew my attention. She was beautiful and I wanted to spend the rest of my night kissing every inch of her and telling her how perfect she was.

  “Come here.” She tipped her head slightly. “Touch me.”

  Needing to touch her, to feel her skin, I climbed back onto the bed next to her. Running the tip of a finger over her hip, I traced the lace of her barely-there panties down the little triangle. She gasped, and I held my breath as I slid a finger under the elastic, pushing the small piece of fabric aside.

  I pressed my lips to the round softness of her stomach, and as my fingers explored downward, my mouth slid up. I explored her, getting to know her body in a way I never had. Her hands twisted in my hair, her nails digging my scalp as I dragged moan after moan from her.

  She practically pulled the hair from my head when I sucked one tip into my mouth and closed my teeth around it slightly. Her body writhed, and I moved to the other. Her legs squeezed around my other hand almost involuntarily as my fingers massaged her clit.

  “Rob,” she cried. “Please.”

  I lifted my head, finding her eyes. I had to know for sure.

  “Please,” she said again “I need you.”

  The tug that ripped her panties from her body surprised me as much as it did her. I wanted to taste her, to make her cum on my tongue, but I had the rest of my life to do that. Instead, I dropped another kiss to her hip before I wrapped my arms around her and flipped onto my back, hauling her with me and nestling myself between her legs.

  She paused, looking down at me with confusion. I clutched her hips as tightly as I could without hurting her, guiding her slowly to the spot we needed her to be. I adjusted myself under her, ready whenever she was.

  “You’re in control here,” I assured her. “It’s all you.”

  She blinked as water filled her eyes. Her innocence had been stolen from her, taken without her consent. I wanted to replace every single horrific memory she had. To do that, she needed to know she was in charge.

  Without a word, she leaned over, her perfect tits pressing into my chest, and sucked my bottom lip into her mouth, the same way I’d kissed her earlier. She braced her hands on my shoulder and arched against me, hissing as she lowered herself onto me, gripping me from the inside as if she never wanted to let me go.

  Slowly, so fucking slowly it bordered on pain, she slid down until she’d taken all of me. We fit together perfectly, two missing pieces reunited after years apart. It was pure fucking heaven.

  My body ached to increase the pace. Instead, I grasped the fingers she’d looped through my own and bit my lip. I longed to touch her, to kiss her, but I’d wait until she asked.

  “Can I go faster?”

  I swallowed and nodded. As if I’d say no.

  Digging nails into my shoulders, Cris sat up and smiled in the most beautiful way possible. Then she moved.

  Every single thought I had disappeared and only one thing crossed my mind. I loved her more than I could ever imagine.

  “Can I touch you?” My voice broke.

  Her lips twisted in a smile. “If you don’t, I’m gonna go crazy.”

  I reached up, filling my hands with her glorious tits, twisting each nipple between my fingers. It only made her move faster, moaning my name as she did, and within seconds, I was
ready to explode. I fought it thinking about random shit like green beans—anything to hold out a little longer.

  “Rob?” Her voice filled with worry, “I’m… I’m…” Her walls tightened around me, and I yanked her mouth to mine, swallowing her cries as I let myself go, and we came apart together.

  I rolled her to the side and pulled her flush against me. Cupping her chin, I lifted her head, needing her to look at me. I didn’t ask, but my eyes darted over her face, trying to make sure she was okay.

  “I only have one question,” she admitted as she opened her eyes.

  “Ask me anything,” I offered as I tried to hide my panic. I hoped she’d enjoyed it as much as I had, because all I wanted to do was make love to her over and over again.

  Her lips split in a smile. “When can we do that again?”

  I chuckled and kissed her. “I love you, Angel.”

  “Not as much as I love you.”

  34

  Cris

  As time passed uneventfully, we all began to settle into our new reality. Matt and Jeremy started their senior year at BU, both beyond busy with school, work, and the club. Tank and Rob picked up the slack their friends left at work, sometimes putting in fifty-hour weeks on top of club business. Poor guys never had time to ride.

  I threw myself into my job and training at the gym. My love of Muay Thai had only grown and I was determined to be ready to spar with some of our top fighters by the end of the year. After taking a self-defense class, I’d convinced Nick to let me lead my own. I visited Owen whenever I could, and helped Rob with the club, whatever he needed, whenever I had a spare second. I didn’t feel like it was enough, though.

  My routine was quiet, predictable, and amazing. I went to bed with a smile on my face. I woke up happy. Life was good.

  I rarely got the chance to talk to my brother, let alone see him. I wondered if he was avoiding me, but it seemed so silly for me to track him down just to talk about Dale. He had enough on his plate. Plus, I hadn’t heard a word from the monster since I’d been released. My arrest had been high profile, so of course he’d been able to find me. With each day that passed, I got more comfortable. So, in typical fashion, I pushed him from my mind.