The darkness enveloped her deeply, and the heat she had been trying so hard to deny was creeping over her. It was licking at her skin, teasing her and caressing her. She was being carried from one cloud to the next, but it wasn’t light and airy where she was laying. It was as if she were being moved on a thundercloud through the fires of hell.

She moaned as she let her head fall back and she felt a pair of rough, strong hands work their way from her ankles, up to her knees where they traced hot and heavy fingerprints into her skin. When they reached her pussy, she was already a quivering wreck, but she opened her legs for them, and wished for them to touch her even more deeply.

“Please,” she whispered as she bit her lip.

Her whole body was burning with desire, and her nipples were hard and sore, just begging to be touched.

“I need you,” she whispered, as the hands worked their way onto her, stroking her clit, and as one slipped inside her wet and engorged pussy, she gasped and let them explore her as she muffled her own cries of ecstasy and tried not to give herself over to the incredible waves of pleasure that were being roused within her.

She couldn’t see his face, but she knew it was him.

He was so big and strong, and he pinned her down as he maneuvered her expertly and made her feel things she had never known before.

This man was experienced, and he was confident.

He gripped her thighs before he dipped his head between them, and Sarah threw her head back even further and gripped onto the railings above her.

Oh… my… god!

She gasped and panted as she felt his tongue find her. He teased her with it, flicking her lightly and lapping at her pussy greedily.

She had never felt anything so intense or incredible, and as she reached down to take hold of his head and pull his face up to hers, she shuddered as she came in a crashing wave.

She lost control and felt herself spiraling back into the darkness.

But he was with her.

He was holding her tight, and she knew he was never going to leave her side.

He’d found her again.

And they were meant to be there together.

No matter what anyone said…

 

***

 

Sarah sat up with a start and clutched her hand to her racing heart. Her breath was rapid and shallow, and her skin was slick with sweat as she looked around and realized she was in the darkness of her old bedroom.

She was at home in her parents’ house.

It had all been a dream.

She caught her breath and let her body collapse back onto the soft mattress beneath her, and she ran her hands through her hair as she cleared it out of her face and tried to regain her composure.

She had never had a dream like that before.

It had been so real.

All of it had felt as if it were actually happening.

She bit her lip and tried to replay the details, but she felt herself blushing and she had to sit up and take a sip of water from the glass on her nightstand.

“Welcome home,” she whispered to herself as she shook her head in shock. “What the hell was that…?”

She let her legs dangle over the side of the bed, and slowly got to her feet and stretched.

It was early in the morning, and she could tell her neighborhood was barely even awake. She crossed the room to the window and threw open the curtains to see the sun rising over the desert with a pinkish glow.

She smiled.

It had been such a long time since she had seen that view, and it still gave her goosebumps.

“Beautiful,” she whispered as she moved over to the door of her adjoining bathroom.

She turned on the shower and stepped inside, letting the cool water pinprick her skin and wake her fully.

She had been in such a deep sleep, and now she was having trouble stepping out of that incredibly realistic dream, it was as if she didn’t want to wake up.

After she had washed her hair, she climbed out and wrapped herself in her silk robe, twisted a towel in a knot on top of her head, and sat down at her dressing table. She opened a bottle of lotion and found her make-up before she started to make herself feel more human and ready for the day.

By the time she had finished and had chosen her outfit, her hair was drying by itself over one side of her shoulder and was falling in delicately subtle waves. She scrunched it up in her knuckles and added to the curl, and then she spritzed on a spray of perfume before she headed toward the door to the hall.

When she had arrived back at home the previous day, she had sat and chatted with her parents for what seemed like an eternity. It had been such a long time since she had seen them. It felt good to be home and back in the fold, but she also couldn’t shake the feeling of nervous dread that had followed her around since she had set foot in Tanners.

Why had Ranger and Snake been so strange with her? It was as if they were trying to hide something…

She wandered down the stairs, passed by the living area, and moved down the hallway toward the kitchen.

She could already smell the delicious scent of her mom’s homemade pancakes, and there was the intoxicating aroma of strong coffee in the air.

“Good morning,” she beamed as she stepped into the kitchen and saw her mother sitting at the central island.

“Good morning, dear.” Her mom smiled as she looked up and motioned to the awe-inspiring breakfast spread out in front of her.

She had laid out fresh fruit, toast, pancakes and syrup, cereals, jams, fresh juice, and a big pot of coffee. Sarah grinned and rubbed her hands together with delight.

“I’d forgotten how good it was to eat here on a morning,” she said happily. “I think I’ve been neglecting myself at college.”

“Well, I wouldn’t expect anything less,” her mom smiled. “It’s not like you’ve got a proper kitchen there, is it?”

Sarah shook her head. But she knew, secretly, that even if she did, she wouldn’t have put it to good use.

“Sit down.” Her mom smiled as she started to fill a glass of juice and then a mug of coffee for Sarah and she slid them across the island to her. “Help yourself.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Sarah grinned. “You didn’t need to go to all this trouble.”

“Well, it’s not every day my daughter comes home,” she said affectionately.

Sarah loved her mom with all her heart, and it felt so good to be there with her, just chilling on a morning, eating lovely food, and relishing in the comfort of her family home.

“Well, you will have another daughter in a few weeks’ time,” Sarah said with a wry smile. “Mother of the Groom…”

She winked, and her mom laughed.

“Yes, it came as quite a shock to your dad and I,” she admitted. “But you know Ranger, he lives by his own rules, and he’s more than old enough and ugly enough to look after himself.”

Sarah laughed.

She couldn’t imagine Ranger ever listening to a word anyone would have to say when it came to advice on how he should live his life. That just wasn’t how he and the rest of the bikers rolled.

It was their way, or no way at all.

Sarah sipped her coffee and began to load up some pancakes onto her plate before she dowsed them with syrup and fresh fruit.

“How long are you home for?” her mom asked as she turned the page on the paper she was reading.

“I don’t know,” Sarah admitted. “At the moment, I don’t really have a plan. All I know is I’m back to be bridesmaid at this wedding, and then I was just going to see where I fancied going next. Maybe back to the city…” She trailed off and winced, waiting for her mother to lecture her on the dangers of city living.

“Well, it’s lovely to have you back for a while,” she smiled. “You know I’m long past trying to convince you to move home.”

Before Sarah had left to go to college, her mom had always tried to tell her about the dangers of the big, wide world. But now it appeared as if Sarah had navigated them quite well on her own, and she was clearly doing okay in life.

She smiled at her mother and took a bite of the pancakes.

“Wow,” she grinned. “They’re still as delicious as I remember.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” her mother winked. “But in the meantime, you can help me tidy the kitchen once you’ve finished.”

Sarah laughed and rolled her eyes.

Maybe things hadn’t changed much around there after all.

 

***

 

She walked down Main Street with a spring in her step as she took in the sights and sounds of home. It had been such a long time since she had been there, wandering the streets of Slate Springs, that it was almost as if she had stepped into a time warp.

Things were the same, but they were also different.

She noticed new stores and bars that were scattered along the main drag. And she also noticed that a lot of the old places had closed down. So many of the stores she had been used to were now boarded up and closed, and she felt a sag of disappointment roll through her as she remembered them all as she passed.

There was a bar she had never seen before, with its door open, and the low drum of jazz music drifted out onto the street. Its windows were dark, but she couldn’t help but be pulled toward it, and as she stepped into the doorway she was greeted by an older woman behind the counter. She was attractive and all big hair and tight clothes, and Sarah thought maybe she could have been around forty.

“Hey, doll,” she grinned as she waved her inside. “Come on in, take a seat.”

Sarah looked over her shoulder and back to Main Street. She hadn’t bargained on heading into a bar, or waiting around, but she guessed this was as good a place to meet Nicole as any. And at least she was trying somewhere new.

She smiled and stepped inside, and the woman slammed a bar mat down on top of the counter and then opened up a menu.

“I’m Faith,” she smiled.

Sarah moved in cautiously and took a seat at the bar. The rest of the room was empty, and she was the only customer, but that wasn’t surprising considering it was only 11am.

“Sarah,” she smiled. “Is this place new?”

Faith smiled and shook her head.

“I’ve been here over a year now,” she beamed. “However, I’m not sure how much longer my doors will be open.”

She traced her fingertips down the menu and pointed to one of the virgin cocktails.

“It’s a bit early for the strong stuff, unless that floats your boat,” she shrugged. “But if not, I can highly recommend this as a refreshing burst to start the day.”

Sarah glanced over the ingredients, and it looked pretty complicated for a fruit juice. But she wasn’t going to turn it down.

“Sure that looks great,” she smiled in agreement.

Faith turned and started to put the mocktail together, and Sarah reached into the pocket of her shorts and pulled out her cellphone.

“What’s this place called?” she asked.

“Faith’s Bar,” she smiled. “If you’re meeting someone here and they’re from town, then they’ll know it from that.”

Sarah nodded and started to write a text to Nicole.

S: I’m waiting for you in Faith’s Bar! Want me to order you an elaborate mocktail in celebration? S x

She hit send and then she looked back up to Faith, who was watching her and smiling.

“Haven’t we met?” Faith asked curiously as she placed the lid on the cocktail shaker and started to jig it up and down.

“I’m not sure…” Sarah faltered. “Have we?”

Faith considered her for a moment and then she shrugged.

“Maybe not, never mind,” she smiled. “I just thought you looked familiar.” 

“I haven’t been home in quite a long time,” Sarah admitted. “I’m a Slate Springs girl through and through, but I’ve been away at college for the past four years.”

“Ahh, well maybe that explains it,” Faith smiled as she stopped shaking the metal cocktail holder and began to pour the refreshing mix of fruit juices into a fancy looking glass. “I must remember you from back in the day. I wouldn’t be surprised if I used to babysit you.”

Sarah laughed and shrugged.

“Maybe,” she said. “My parents live out on Cedar Hill.”

Faith pulled a cherry from out of one of the glass jars in front of her and plopped it down into the mocktail.

“I’m pretty sure I did,” she nodded. “You had an older brother, if I remember correctly?”

“Ranger,” Sarah said with a roll of her eyes.

“Of course,” Faith winked. “I know him well, he and his brothers in arms own this very building.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Sarah said ominously.

She had only been back in town for a matter of hours, but already, it seemed as if she only existed there under the presence of her older brother. She was beginning to remember, more and more, why she had left, and had never planned on returning.

Back in Slate Springs, she would always be in his shadow and under his rules.

“Sarah!” Nicole’s voice rang out from behind her, and Sarah spun around on her stool to see her best friend standing there with the biggest grin on her face.

She jumped to her feet and the two girls ran at each other with outstretched arms. They hugged and pulled each other close, and Sarah couldn’t believe it had only been a couple of months since they had last seen each other. It really did feel like a lifetime.

“I am so happy to see you,” Nicole beamed as she held Sarah back at arm’s length and looked at her properly. “You look radiant! Clearly, finishing college and finally having some time to relax is agreeing with you.”

“Oh well, you know,” Sarah half-laughed. “It’s good to finally have some time to myself.”

“And now I’ve gone and demanded you come home,” she looked at her sympathetically. “I’m sorry for commandeering your time.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Sarah reassured her. “As if I wouldn’t be here for you, you’re my best friend. And you’re marrying my brother, for crying out loud! I can’t say there would be anything better to come home for.”

Sarah still didn’t know if she was convinced or not when she told herself this, but the idea was beginning to sink in, and she decided that she had to have faith in it, and in their love.

The girls moved away from the bar and from Faith’s open ears, and sat themselves down in one of the booths that lined the back of the room, as they sipped their mocktails, and started to catch up on all they had missed in each other’s lives.

“I would say there’s a ton of prep to do, but the last thing I’m ever going to be is a Bridezilla,” Nicole said as she sipped her drink through a pink, curly straw.

“Good,” Sarah smiled. “Because my tolerance level for stuff like that is pretty low, as you well know.”

“We have a dress fitting at the end of this week and then that’s pretty much it,” Nicole said as she whipped out her diary and started to scour through the pages. “I want to keep things as simple and as stress free as possible.”

This was all sounding very promising to Sarah. Maybe she would get some time to herself after all.

“And where is the wedding?” she asked with eagerness.

“Well,” Nicole began. “We really didn’t want to go all out… And in the end, we decided we would just do it our way. So we aren’t even inviting a whole lot of family or anything. We just want a simple ceremony out in the desert, and then back to a big, old tent out near the clubhouse for the reception.”

Sarah couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Nicole had been brought up with a silver spoon in her mouth, and now she was about to get hitched out in the dusty desert amongst the snakes and the cacti, and then they were going back to a tent at The Forsaken Rider’s club-house? It was enough to make her head spin.

“I’ve really embraced Ranger’s way of life,” Nicole confirmed. “There’s something just really raw and natural about it. I love it here, Sarah, I truly do.”

Sarah smiled and could see the genuine happiness in her best friend’s eyes.

“I’m so happy for you,” she said warmly. And she really did mean it.

Sarah drained the rest of her glass, and then got to her feet.

“Well, you can call on me anytime,” she smiled. “If you want a bachelorette party organized, then obviously, I’m your girl.”

“No way,” Nicole winced. “I’m trying to stay away from anything like that. All I want is to marry the love of my life in a simple ceremony, the rest is all just background noise.”

Sarah felt as if she were looking at a completely different person.

“How’s the design studio going?” she asked.

When Nicole had left college, she had started her own business and from what Sarah had heard, all was going well.

“Oh you know, up and down,” she smiled. “But for now, all is good!”

“I’m glad,” Sarah grinned. “Everything is working out just like you wanted it to.”

Nicole nodded and grinned.

“Fancy meeting up tonight?” Nicole asked, as she too got to her feet and the girls put some money down on the table for Faith.

“Sure,” Sarah smiled. “What do you have in mind?”

They waved goodbye to Faith as they made their way to the main door and disappeared out of the darkened jazz club and back into the light.

“Maybe tonight could be a kind of bachelorette party, but just you and me?” Nicole whispered. “I don’t want to invite loads of others, I don’t know anyone in town properly yet, and I know I wouldn’t enjoy it unless it was just us two.”

“That sounds like a great idea,” Sarah grinned. “Where we going?”

Nicole shrugged.

“Somewhere we’re allowed,” she laughed. “At the moment, it seems as if the entire town is on lockdown.”

“Not Tanners then,” Sarah said with a snort.

“No, definitely not Tanners,” Nicole said with raised eyebrows. “I have no idea what is going on there, but Ranger has told me specifically to stay away.”

Sarah nodded, she had figured this out too, and even though she wanted to know why, she also didn’t want to know.

“The Bleeding Bullet,” Nicole said with a squeal. “I’ll tell Ranger we’re going and then he can’t get mad.”

Sarah covered her eyes with her hands.

“Are you insane?” she laughed. “They’re not going to let us go there.”

“Of course they will,” Nicole grinned. “It’ll be perfectly safe there, it’s not on the highway, it’s in the depths of town surrounded by Forsaken Riders. I’m sure it’s the only place Ranger would be happy with us going.”

Sarah wasn’t sure how much Nicole knew about whatever it was that was troubling the bikers, but she didn’t see how the two of them spending the evening in Slate Spring’s most notorious biker bar was going to put her brother at ease. He had been so worked up and annoyed at Sarah for just walking into Tanners. Surely, he would be even more angry at them for getting drunk and dancing the night away in the ultimate den of sin.

“Are you sure?” Sarah asked nervously.

Nicole nodded her head and linked her arm with Sarah’s.

“I’m positive,” she grinned. “I’ll tell him and all with be well. Shall we meet down here at 7pm?”

Nicole had a light behind her eyes now, and she seemed really happy and excited. It hadn’t been what Sarah had been expecting for her first full day back in town, but it seemed as if they had made plans to hit up a biker bar. Even after she had been warned off doing so.

“Okay,” she grinned, completely unable to believe she was agreeing to it. “Let’s do it.”

Nicole squealed a little with excitement and pulled Sarah in a for a hug before she gave her a peck on the cheek and began to move away.

“I can’t wait!” she beamed as she started to make her way down Main Street. “I’ll see you here at 7?” she pointed to the opening of Faith’s bar, and Sarah nodded.

Nicole called her goodbyes and Sarah watched as she moved off into the crowds, and then disappeared from view.

What an odd turn of events.

After the welcome back to town she had encountered with her brother and the illusive Snake, the last thing she had been expecting was to be heading back into the bikers’ midst anytime soon.

But, she reasoned, she had returned home for Nicole. And Nicole wanted to do a mini bachelorette party, just the two of them, and at a place where she clearly felt safe and had assured Sarah that Ranger wouldn’t mind.

“I’m not convinced,” Sarah whispered to herself as she turned and began to walk back in the direction of her family home. “But I guess we will see later tonight.”

She laughed to herself and smiled as she started to walk home.

It had been a funny few days, but she was already starting to enjoy being back. And now she found herself oddly excited about seeing what The Bleeding Bullet was all about.

She had heard rumors of the place when she had been a girl growing up in Slate Springs. And it was the kind of bar that had become legendary, but she had never set foot inside it.

It was where The Forsaken Riders did a lot of their trading, they owned it, they ran it, and they hung out there every night as both a social and a work spot.

It was on the darker side of town.

The wrong side of the tracks.

And it wasn’t the kind of place good girls like Nicole or Sarah would ever find themselves by accident. So Sarah figured it was a good job her brother was a biker, and that if anything was to go down, he would be the first person to step in and protect her.

She just hoped he wouldn’t mind.

Snake… that asshole… he had been so sure of himself when he had stormed over to her the previous evening and declared that he had been sent to watch out for her. She wondered if her brother would be dumb enough to send him along tonight too once Nicole told him that’s where they intended on going.

As the idea crossed her mind, she felt a little niggle deep in her belly, and she felt her skin flush hot.

She’d been trying to deny how sexy she thought he was, but it was inevitable that, at some point, she would have to cave and admit it.

Snake was hot.

He may have been an asshole, but he was gorgeous.

And now Sarah had a dilemma, because if he was there tonight in The Bleeding Bullet… She didn’t know how she was going to keep herself away.