White Lies

by Autumn Jones Lake

  “I wasn’t blaming you.”

  I wrap an arm around her. “Didn’t say you were.” My hand drops to her hip, urging her up. “Come closer.”

  She turns a fraction, giving me a sexy dose of side-eye. “We’re practically joined at the hip.”

  “Sit on my lap.” I stretch out my legs and pat my thigh.

  She lets out a sigh, but the corners of her mouth twitch as she swings a leg over me and loops her arms around my shoulders. I fit my hands into the curve of her waist and touch my forehead to hers.

  “Better?” She raises an eyebrow.

  “Much.” I brush my nose against hers, staring into her eyes for a few seconds. “You think about what you want to do with the other rooms?”

  Carter’s almost finished with the paintings in Alexa’s room. He keeps adding designs every time Alexa declares something is her “favorite.” I can’t wait to see the look on her face when we finally show her the final result.

  Heidi rubs her fingers over the side of my face, gently raking her nails through my beard. “What do you want to do with the rooms?”

  “Well, I thought you’d like an office or something if you’re going to keep working for Trinity. A reading room for all your books?” I nudge her backwards, lifting her shirt and pressing a kiss to her stomach. “A nursery for sure.”

  “Nursery, huh? Do you know something I don’t?”

  I trace a finger along the edge of her bra. “You’re almost done with school. We’re getting married. Do we need to wait any longer?”

  She lowers her gaze. “What’s your hurry?”

  “What’s your hesitation?” We’ve talked about this so many times before, I’m a little lost.

  “Don’t you want to enjoy some ‘us’ time in our house?”

  “Can’t wait. A baby won’t stop us from doing that.”

  She pushes her shirt down and flexes her biceps. “You finally whipped me into shape. I’m not looking forward to getting fat again.”

  It actually hurts to hear her say that about herself. “You’re always beautiful.”

  After a deep breath, a hint of a smile curves her lips. “Should we paint the nursery in neutral colors and then ask Carter to paint a new mural when each baby’s ready for their big kid room? Alexa can’t be the only O’Callaghan kid with Carter originals all over the walls.”

  Relief washes through me. “I like that plan.” Not because she’s got more work lined up for Charlotte’s little brother but because we’re making plans for our family. Those little important details neither of us had growing up. Neither of our parents gave a shit about what sort of surroundings we grew up in. That we had roofs over our heads at all is probably a fucking miracle.

  A breeze kicks up, blowing her hair around us, and she whips it over her shoulder. While she’s distracted, I lift her shirt again and tug at the button of her jeans.

  “What are you doing?” She laughs and pushes my exploring hands away.

  “We’re alone. You’re in my lap. I’m trying to make good use of our limited time together.” I finally succeed in undoing the button and yank at the zipper.

  “Someone’s going to walk up on us.” She cranes her neck, trying to see around the side of the house.

  “Nah, Z and Wrath are the only ones who have radar for that sort of thing and neither of them are here.”

  That seems to satisfy her enough that she sneaks her hands up under my shirt. “Well, then start stripping, baby. I’m not going to be the only one giving the animals a show.”

  I can’t help rumbling with laughter.

  She tosses my shirt over the railing and swoops in, trailing kisses over my shoulder to my neck. The combination of her soft lips and the ends of her hair teasing my skin tickles, and I jerk back, laughing harder. “Easy, beautiful. That tickles.”

  Of course, that encourages her to skim her fingers over my ribs, seeking more ticklish spots. “Aw, is my big, hard man ticklish?” she teases.

  I lift my hips, reminding her of just how big and hard I am. The movement tips her forward, crashing against my chest. I fall back against the porch, quickly wrapping my arms around her to keep her from falling and stop those roaming, tickling hands of hers.

  “Kiss me, brat.”

  Her loving brown eyes stare down at me, and she shifts her hips. “Where?”

  “Anywhere you want.” I sneak my hands under her shirt and lift it over her head, flinging it toward mine. “That’s better.”

  Softer now, she drapes her body over mine and presses her palms against my cheeks. “I hated leaving before you were up this morning,” she says with such aching seriousness it almost stops me cold.

  I reach up and tuck a few strands of hair behind her ear. “Everything okay?”

  Her gaze cuts away for the briefest second before she wiggles her hips again. “It is now.”

  I clamp my hand over her ass to stop her movements because I’m really not in the mood to come in my pants like a fifteen-year-old. Speaking of pants. “Get these off.” I tug at one of her belt loops.

  She raises one innocent eyebrow. “My jeans?”

  “Don’t tease me.”

  “You want these off?” She hooks her fingers into the waistband and slowly shoves the material over her hips.

  Good-fucking-lord, she’s beautiful.

  A few seconds later, she stands and grumbles, “Fucking stupid skinny jeans.”

  As much as I’m enjoying the jiggle of her tits in her black lace bra while she struggles with the jeans, I sit up and help her pull them off the rest of the way. “Love your legs in ‘em.”

  She leans over and kisses my cheek. And yes, I take a second to shove my face between her breasts. I mean, they’re right there. Why wouldn’t I? “Let’s take this off, too.” I reach around and unhook her bra.

  Before slipping it off, she turns and checks out the woods behind us again.

  “No one’s sneaking up on us,” I assure her.

  “That’s what everyone says. Right before someone sneaks up on them.”

  I grab her hand and press it against the bulge in my jeans. “He’s feeling ignored.”

  “Oh, God forbid we let that happen,” she deadpans.

  I lean back on my elbows and watch as she tackles my pants.

  “Wait,” she glances up at me, “Why am I doing all the work?”

  I shrug and give her a cocky wink. “Because you’re my take-charge girl.”

  She snorts and pushes my jeans down around my ankles. “I’m not undoing your boots, too.”

  “Gonna make it hard to protect you from bears or something with my pants around my ankles,” I warn her, sitting up to unlace my boots.

  She shakes with laughter, but we both whisper, “fuck” when she pushes my briefs down and my cock springs free. My eyes close and my head falls back as she wraps her palm around me and squeezes.

  “Blake,” she whispers. “Do you really want me to stop taking the pill?”

  I open my eyes. With her about two inches from sinking onto my cock, it almost feels like a trick question. “Only if you want to, too.” I might be eager to add to our family, but I sure as hell need her to want to do it, too.

  Instead of waiting for an answer, I curl my hands around her butt and power up off the stairs. “This is killing my back.”

  She laughs. “You wanted outdoor, spontaneous sex.”

  “I still do.” I set her down and turn her to face the railing. “Hang on tight.”

  “I’m going to get splinters in my nipples.”

  “I’d never let that happen, beautiful.” I reach over and grab my T-shirt, draping it over the railing. She rests her elbows on the fabric and peers at me over her shoulder, arching her back and going up on her toes. It’s an inspiring view.

  “Stay like that.” I kneel down and wedge my hand between her long, toned legs. “Open.”

  She inches her feet apart too slowly for my eager tongue, so I gently slap her inner thigh. “Wider.”

  I gr
owl with satisfaction when she’s where I want her. She trembles as I trail kisses up the back of her thigh. “Are you cold?”

  “No,” she whispers.

  I glide my fingers between her legs, savoring how slick and silky she is. Pacing myself, I flick my tongue over her clit a few times.

  “Oh,” she moans, and I smile.

  Keeping my hands on her thighs, I spread her wide and lick a long, slow stroke all the way up, stopping to pay extra attention to her clit.

  She reaches back, tangling her fingers in my hair.

  “Like that?” I ask.

  “Don’t stop.” She tugs on my hair a little harder. “Please.”

  Chuckling, I get back to the business of pleasuring my girl. Sucking, licking, kissing, and deciding where to go next based on how much of my hair is clutched between her fingers. Her little cries turn frantic, her hips jerk. She’s close. While sucking on her clit, I slip two fingers inside her.

  She moans even louder.

  “Good?”

  “Yes.”

  “Come for me.”

  She nods frantically and releases my hair. Her nails scratch against the railing, desperately trying to hold on while my fingers curl and I flick my tongue against her clit faster.

  Finally, her whole body tenses and shakes.

  “That’s it,” I encourage. “Ride it out for me.”

  She shudders then goes limp.

  Standing, I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand and slap her ass. “I’m not done.”

  She peers at me over her shoulder and gives me a love-drunk smile. “Your tongue is awesome.”

  My dick wants inside her body so badly, but I also love teasing her. I curl one hand over her hip and drag my cock through her wetness. “So’s your pussy.”

  She drops her head and giggles. “Your dick is awesome, too. You’re the king of orgasms.”

  “At your service, my queen.” I wrap my hand up in her hair and give it a gentle tug. “You ready?”

  “Yes,” she whispers.

  As much as I’m dying to squeeze inside her, I enjoy taking my time and loving Heidi right. I drop kisses along her spine. “Love you, beautiful.”

  I wrap one arm around her waist, holding her still, while I ease inside her.

  Breath. Take a breath. Nothing except us matters right now.

  I need to stop for some air. Being inside her is nothing short of fucking magical. Every damn time.

  We’re in sync. She pushes back, meeting me thrust for thrust. Bracing herself against the railing. I gather her hair again and tug harder. Her back bows.

  “You’re going to come for me again.”

  “Yes,” she answers, even though I wasn’t asking.

  Setting a harder pace, I reach down and rub quick circles over her clit.

  Every muscle in her body clenches tight, stealing the last bit of air in my lungs. The tingle and burn of white-hot heat rockets down my spine. Along with the explosion of physical sensations comes a merging of our fucking souls. An extreme high that seems to make my orgasm go on forever.

  When I finally finish coming, we collapse against the railing. I slide my arms around her, keeping her close. Soft, contented noises ease out of her, and she brushes her nose against my cheek, raining soft kisses along my jaw.

  “Your beard smells like pussy,” she whispers.

  “Planning to smell like you at work tonight.”

  “You cannot.” She pushes my shoulder, and I grin at her.

  “Is the bathroom working yet?” She jerks her head toward the back door.

  “Not quite.”

  She groans and leans over to grab her pants, giving me the perfect opportunity to lay some smacks on her ass.

  “Hey!” she yelps and turns, whapping me in the gut with her jeans.

  When we’re finally dressed, I take her hand and lead her back to Rock and Hope’s house. It’s quiet inside. Not the norm lately.

  Heidi picks up a note on the dining table. “They’re over at the clubhouse.”

  I snort and scan the note. “Maybe Sparky emerged from the basement.”

  She sets an apple cider donut in front of me and starts brewing a pot of coffee. “You probably need your strength after that workout.”

  “If anything, I’m feeling more energized, beautiful.” I lean down and kiss her shoulder. “Thanks for leaving me breakfast this morning.”

  “Anytime.”

  I drop into one of the chairs and watch her for a few seconds. “So, how’d it go with Dawn this morning?”

  Her body freezes for the briefest moment. “Fine,” she tosses over her shoulder.

  I’d been so wrapped up in mulling over the Vice President nod earlier and then getting…distracted with her at the house that I didn’t realize until now how evasive Heidi had been when I asked about her day. Now she’s doing it again. I go over to her and place my hands on her shoulders. “Just fine? She have any more sex toys for you to peddle?”

  She lets out a laugh that’s more sad than happy. “Nope.”

  “Everything going okay with your project?”

  Another ripple of tension runs through her. Maybe no one else would notice, but for years I’ve studied Heidi like she holds all the answers to life itself. Something’s not right.

  “What else did you do?”

  She blows out a breath and finally turns to face me. “I went to visit Axel.” Her eyes fill with tears, but my girl has an iron strength and doesn’t let one fall. “That’s what I did this morning,” she whispers. “Why I left so early.”

  I stand still, absorbing the information for a second, then pull her into my arms.

  “It’s okay, beautiful,” I murmur against her hair. I glance across the kitchen at the calendar Rock keeps tacked to the wall. “His birthday is this week, right?” I ask quietly.

  “Yeah.”

  “You can tell me anything, Heidi. Always. I understand. I really do.” I hate that she thinks she can’t talk to me about this. I know my girl. She’s afraid she’ll hurt my feelings. What kind of monster would I be if I were jealous of a dead guy? “Did you bring Alexa?”

  She pulls back and drops her gaze. “Yes. She doesn’t understand, and I probably shouldn’t confuse her, but—”

  “I get it. There’s nothing wrong with that. You don’t have to lie to me.”

  “I didn’t lie. I did go to Dawn’s this morning.”

  “Half the truth is still a lie, Heidi.” I pull her into my arms again, hugging her tight. “I love you more than anything in the world. These last few months have been crazy. We’ve both had so much going on, but don’t ever be afraid to tell me anything.”

  “I wasn’t afraid,” she mumbles.

  “Yeah, you were. You were worried you’d hurt my feelings. And I promise you that won’t happen.” Truth is, I love her more for caring so damn much. I just don’t want her keeping secrets from me. About anything.

  Maybe that’s unfair because being part of the club requires a lot of secrecy on my part. Something that will only increase if I take the VP job.

  After she settles down, I kiss her forehead. “Did it go okay?”

  “I didn’t run into his parents.” She shrugs. “That’s what I was worried about the most.”

  Another reason I wish she’d told me. Not that I would’ve tagged along. But still, I don’t want Heidi or Alexa dealing with the brunt of their anger. I doubt time’s made Axel’s parents less cruel.

  It’s not until later when I’m riding to work that I realize she never answered any of my questions about school.

  Seven

  Murphy

  Since I’m a few minutes late to work, Jake spends a fair amount of time razzing my ass. “Look at that dopey smile on your face. Get to see your girl before coming into work? That why you’re late?”

  “He always looks dopey,” Wrath says.

  “Yes, actually I did,” I answer, ignoring Wrath.

  “Are you planning to pull your head out of your ass any ti
me tonight?” Wrath snarls at me. I flip him off without meeting what I’m sure is a frosty glare from him.

  “Thought you said this forty-eight hour fast wouldn’t make you any crankier,” I say.

  “Shut up.”

  Jake cocks his head. “I guess shut up is nicer than fuck off, which is what he’s been saying to me all day.”

  “If both of you don’t shut up, I’m not buying dinner tonight,” Wrath fires back.

  “You’re welcome for the tables Teller and I dropped off this morning,” I remind him. While I might’ve been a little late, it’s not like I haven’t done anything for Furious today.

  “Do you need a pat on the head?” Wrath asks.

  “No, I think gingersnap needs a hug.” Jake wraps his arms around me. “There, there, big guy. Good job.”

  “Get off me.” I’m so busy laughing, I barely shove him away.

  Dylan pops into the breakroom to let us know Jake’s afternoon self-defense class has started trickling in the front door. Jake takes off, leaving Wrath and me to finish moving stuff around by ourselves.

  We’re alone in the break room, checking out a few local menus, when I finally ask, “You got any advice about this meeting with Whisper that Rock wants me to handle?”

  Wrath stops and sets down the menu he’d been studying. “Be firm about organizing the support club for one thing.”

  That’s not helpful and I wave it off. “Yeah, I know that. Got any idea what he wants?”

  Wrath glances over his shoulder and surprisingly doesn’t bite my head off. “From what I hear, they’ve lost a few members over the last couple years. Numbers are way down. Don’t know if they were loyal to Merlin, just got tired of the life, or they’re worried about something bigger.” He crosses his arms over his massive chest. “If he’s looking for a patch-over, that’s a hell-fucking-no.”

  A Wolf Knight MC patch-over? Never considered that angle. Figured Wolf Knights were about as likely to want to join another MC as we were. Which is to say over our dead, rotting corpses.

  “Hudson’s not so bad.” I try and think over any other decent members of the Wolf Knights. “Tiki’s old as fucking dirt though.”