Cross

"Cross, are you fucking listening to me?" Tank asks harshly, leaning forward in the leather armchair in my office. I wasn't. I could hear him talking, but that's about it. What I want to be listening to are Roxie's melodic moans, as I drive my cock deep into her soft body. She sounds like she's singing an aria while I fuck her, and it's been three days, since I heard it. I miss it.

I just returned from New Mexico, and all I wanted was a quiet drink in my office, alone with thoughts of Roxie and nursing my shoulders and wrists, which are aching from my long ride. I'm not as young as I used to be, but Roxie makes me forget that. Makes me feel like I'm still in my prime whenever I'm with her.

But Tank was already waiting for me in my office when I came back, to tell me about some pressing business I need to take care of. I don't need anything more on my plate right now. In New Mexico, I was handling some skirmish the guys I left to guard our warehouse there got into with the Vagos.

Chappo talked a lot of shit about how we're not respecting his territory, getting so worked up over the little bar brawl that started it all, I was beginning to think he staged it. That's the Vagos' way. They make a big deal out of nothing and suddenly you find yourself in a full on war with no idea what started it. I calmed him down for now, but I'm seriously considering getting rid of him, and hoping his replacement will be less fucking cagey.

"Can this wait until morning?" I ask. It's past midnight on Wednesday, far too late to be visiting Roxie, but I think I might anyway. I'd like to forget all these problems I have to deal with, and she's the only one who makes that happen. I haven't been this obsessed with a woman since my twenties, and it's a very welcome change. For years now, I hardly remembered the faces of the women I fucked, but hers is all I see when I close my eyes.

"I don't know, Cross. I don't think it can wait, but it's your call," Tank says scathingly. "Lizard and his Spawns took control of the warehouse the Vipers were supposed to hand over to us in North Dakota, before we could get to it. I don't think we can let that stand, else everyone and their mother will want a piece soon, but like I said, it's your call."

Hearing that sobers me up, drives even thoughts of Roxie's wet pussy to the edge of my mind. "I sent Fuse to secure it over a week ago. What the fuck happened?"

"Fuse stayed true to his name and got the whole group held up with drunk and disorderly charges," Tank explains. "The cops held them for forty-eight hours and they only got out of jail this morning, too late to do anything about it. For now, I told him to stay the fuck out of the way and let us handle it."

"Why's Lizard venturing this far West?" I ask. "I was sure he could hardly hold on to his East Coast operations."

Tank shrugs and picks up his glass of scotch off the coffee table. "He's been dabbling in various endeavors on the West Coast for years. Seems erasing the Wolves off the face of the earth was just the start of his expansion. He's carved out quite a nice piece of the pie for himself in the last six years. But you can ask him yourself when we ride to meet him tomorrow. We are riding, right?"

He's glaring at me like he thinks I'll say no. But nothing could be further from my mind. Lizard always rubbed me the wrong way, even before he took over Hell's Spawn MC about seven years ago, back when he was still their Sargent at Arms. We did a couple of jobs for them back in the day—a kidnapping and some heavy extortion—but even then his ruthless tactics were something I didn't want us to be associated with. I hear he'd gotten even more bloodthirsty, since taking over as president, but I was happy to let him be someone else's problem. It wasn't hard while he stayed on the East Coast. Six years ago, he wanted our help in killing off the Wolves of Hell MC, but I said no. Maybe messing with us now is his payback for that.

"Yeah, we're riding tomorrow," I say. "But someone has to stay behind and watch Lily."

I kept her out of school while I was in Arizona, since the black determination in her eyes when I told her I'd be leaving for a couple of days, promised all sorts of inappropriate behavior to get me to come back. I know that look well. I'm probably making it right now. So I guess she's staying home for the rest of the week.

"Well, it won't be me," Tank says, leaning back in his armchair and cradling his glass between his interlaced fingers. "I've had enough of her lip these last two days. And I'll say this, although it'll probably piss you off, but you need to find some way to tame her, because it's only gonna get worse. She's already more of a handful than you were at her age."

I've known Tank all my life, and he's the only person in this world I trust completely. But sometimes I wish he didn't know me quite so well.

"She's fine," I say. "I'll talk to her. And I want you with me when we meet Lizard. I'll have Scar stay, he can't stand that bastard after what he did to that waitress. Rook's staying too, since he had some friends among the Wolves."

"Smart move," Tank says, and I'm not sure if he's talking about me taking him along, or leaving Scar and Rook behind. Probably both.

I'm not looking forward to telling Lily I'll be leaving again. I saw the light was on in her room when I drove up to Sanctuary, so she's probably awake and pouting, because I was late for dinner even though I promised her I'd make it. I'm also not looking forward to not seeing Roxie for another couple of days. But at least I can fix that tomorrow morning before we ride.

* * *

Roxie

I've been trying to convince myself it really was the last time on Sunday night, but that's not how it feels. This isn't over. Even though Lily hasn't been in school for the last three days, and I'm afraid that means he's taken her out altogether to avoid any more problems with her. To avoid any more run-ins with me.

I no longer know what I really want, or if how I feel about him is just because he makes me feel alive like I haven't in years, or because we are made for each other. I do know that I'm thinking about him all the time. I even dreamed about him last night. We were sitting on a rock in a forest and he was telling me something, really wanted me to understand it, but I couldn't make out what he was saying.

I'm lying in bed, day barely breaking outside and trying to recall the dream. But the images are fading from my mind as fast as the darkness outside recedes before the rising sun. I'm not gonna figure it out.

So I get up, and head straight for the shower. A cold one, to chase away any and all wishing that the dream would go on just a little bit longer. Long enough for us to get naked, for his powerful, hard body to cover me as he lays me down in the soft grass at the foot of the boulder, next to the burbling stream running by. Long enough for him to push his cock inside me, make me see stars again, supernovas exploding in broad daylight.

No, the shower didn't help. Even though I made it as cold as I could stand. I put on my robe and go make myself a coffee afterwards, focus hard on the workday ahead, since maybe that will help the burning desire for Cross the dream woke in me. But I don't have a lot of work to look forward to. The kids at school really are as well-adjusted and well-behaved as everyone assured me they were.

Heavy banging on the door startles me just as the coffee machine starts bubbling to life.

I'm holding the door wide open, staring into Cross' unshaved face before I even make the decision to go answer the knocking. He's wearing a faded denim jacket under his leather cut this morning, and a black bandana with red swirls is tied around his neck. One day I'll take a good look at all the patches on his chest, but the only one I notice today is the one that reads President. He looks like he just got back from a long ride, and I'm his first port of call. But his eyes are clear and rested, burning with greater heat than the morning sun rising behind his back. I'm very aware of just how naked I am under my silky, thin robe.

"I missed you, Roxie," he says hoarsely before pulling me to him, then forcing me back inside as he kisses me.

"Me too," I manage to whisper, as he releases me to tug on the string holding my robe together. I wriggle out of it, let it fall at my feet, let the sun in his eyes warm my cool skin, as he grins at me appreciatively.

"I wish we did, but we don't have much time," he informs me, then grabs my hand and pulls me to the bedroom.

On one level this is my dream that I couldn't remember coming true, but on another I'd like to sit down at the kitchen table, share a cup of coffee, talk. But talking's not what he came here for this morning, and it's not the reason I practically ran to get the door when he knocked.

He lets me go long enough to remove his jacket and cut, and dump them on the floor by the door. Then his lips and his hands are all over me, his rough three day beard scratching at my soft skin, forming the barrier between the pleasure of his kisses and the pain of his pinches and bites.

My head is spinning just from that alone, the normality of the day ahead of me, which I'd been focusing on before he banged on my door, so far from my mind, I don't even recognize the person who was thinking about it. This is what I want. What I always wanted. Raw passion. Naked, burning desire. Unhindered, unbridled. Just the freedom to do what feels good. To forget all else and just enjoy life.

He picks me up and tosses me on the bed. I shriek and giggle from the sudden loss of balance, not that I had much to begin with. What's left of it disappears as his lips find my clit, his licks and nips already showing me glimpses of the stars, the colorful explosions I craved, when I woke up in this bed alone less than an hour ago.

"You taste so good," he whispers as he looks up at me, the flames in his eyes licking my face. I run my fingers through his hair, smile and guide his head back down, because this is no time for talking.

He gives me a, "So it's like that" kind of look, before turning his attention back to my pussy, leaving me no doubt he craved this meeting as much as I did.

But the magic that is his tongue on my clit ends too soon, and I yelp as he flips me over. The heavy buckle of his jeans thuds against the floor as he pulls me up by my hips, placing me how he wants me. I barely have enough time to adjust in my new position before he thrusts his cock into my pussy, taking my air and the rest of my sanity.

His thrusts are fast and shallow today, making me shriek as each brings me closer to the orgasm I need, yearn for, want more than anything else. His sudden, deep thrust takes me by surprise, turns my moan into a scream, then back to a moan as I come so hard the room lurches sideways, disappears, and I remember my dream again, the calm forest meadow, the stream bubbling by, the birdsong overhead matching my own moans of pleasure, which is too strong to be of this world. I remember what he tried to tell me in the dream. He said he's coming to see me soon.

When I finally regain my awareness of the room around me, he's already buckling up his pants, while smiling at me lopsidedly.

"Guess this will have to last me a couple of days," he says then grins at what must be a very petulant expression on my face. He pulls me up off the bed and kisses me, one of his arms wrapped tight around me, the other squeezing my ass.

"Where are you going?" I ask, after he releases me and walks to the door.

"I'll be back in a couple of days," he assures me, grinning at me over his shoulder as he picks up his jacket and cut.

I take a few steps towards him, but stop, unsure of what I meant to do. I think I just wanted him to kiss me again. Or maybe I wanted to stop him from leaving.

But he's already dressed, and he is leaving. Leaving me to face my normal day all by myself.

"Is Lily coming to school today?" I ask and get a very wry smile and a sidelong look in return.

"What?" I ask since I think he's trying to tell me something, but I just don't get it.

"I'll handle Lily and the principal, and whoever is trying to kick her out of school from now on," he explains, as he walks over. "You don't have to worry your pretty little face over it anymore."

He cups my cheeks to make his point clearer, kisses my forehead for good measure, but I'm not satisfied.

"You can't just keep her out of school," I say. "That's not how it's done."

"Not how what's done?" he asks, his dark eyes turning menacing for a second, because I've clearly overstepped my bounds. But then again, I am her guidance counselor.

"She needs an education to have a future," I counter. "Keeping her out of school—"

He silences me by laying his fingers over my mouth.

"I'll see you in a couple of days, Roxie. Rest easy that things are handled," he says. "As for Lily's future, she is my daughter, and she is a part of my world, of which you know nothing about. I can keep her protected, make sure she has a chance to grow into the woman she's meant to be without worrying too much about anything, but it might not be easy for her to fit in anywhere else."

But I do know all about your world! I know it can end in disaster in a blink of an eye! And I know you don't want that for your daughter. I know my father didn't want this lonely, solitary life in a world I don't belong in for me. And I want to tell him all that, tell him I know exactly what I'm talking about. But I can't find the words, and he's already got one foot out the door.

"I'll see you soon, Roxie," he says, and I still can't find the words to stop him. Because I'm not supposed to. He's right.

I am no longer a part of his world, and he has no plans on changing that beyond a few visits for pleasure. Mine and his, but still only visits. It's probably better that way.

And I'll know that for certain again as soon as this haziness left by the pleasure he gave me fades from my brain. He just got back from a job, and now he's off on another, and if I become anything more than a distraction in between rides for him, then I'll just be sitting at home worrying, if this is the one he doesn't return from. I don't have it in me to face that again.