Chapter 4
Nearly a week had passed and Eli hadn’t had any indication that Shane knew what had happened between him and Riley. He felt like a complete pussy for being so relieved, but he was. That didn’t mean that he didn’t miss her.
Eli found himself thinking of her more and more as the days passed. He wondered how she was settling in at Shane’s house. He wondered if she’d managed to find a job. He wondered if she thought about him at night the way he thought about her.
He wished that he could ask Shane about her, but there was no way he could. Not without raising questions he really didn’t want to answer. And Shane seemed incredibly stressed lately. He hadn’t even touched the Superbird and he spent a lot of time alone in the office.
He claimed to be catching up on paperwork, but Eli didn’t believe it. For one thing, Shane hated paperwork. For another, Eli hadn’t been able to lay his hands on an invoice for the past four days without digging through the teetering mountain on Shane’s desk. Maybe he should offer to take him out for a drink, get him out of his own head.
Eli was pulling his phone out of his pocket when it rang. He didn’t recognize the number and he answered it absently, still thinking of how he’d drag Shane out of the garage that night. It was probably a bill collector.
“Hello?”
“Hey there, handsome.”
A sultry voice came down the line. He frowned for a second and then his heart thumped as he suddenly recognized the woman on the other end of the line.
“Riley?”
“Oh, good job. You got it right in one try,” she said, a giggle making it slightly harder for him to understand her. “I must have been memorable.”
“You’re memorable,” Eli allowed. “You’re also drunk.”
“Ding ding ding!” She laughed. “You are on fire tonight, Eli!”
“It’s a good thing one of us is,” he said. “What can I do for you, Riley?”
“I’m so glad you asked,” she purred. “You can come pick me up.”
“What?” He could hardly hear her over the noise around her and her voice had been low. Surely she hadn’t said what he’d thought. He’d been wanting her to call him and say that almost since she’d left him that morning a week ago.
“Come pick me up,” she repeated over the loud music that threatened to drown out her voice.
Eli sighed. Just because she was what he wanted, that didn’t mean that she was what he could have. “Listen, why don’t you give your brother a call, Riley?”
“Because my brother isn’t a muscular biker dude,” Riley said as if it should be obvious. “He wouldn’t fit in here.”
“Yeah? And where are you, exactly?”
“Lion’s Den.”
Eli held back a groan. “Are you serious?”
He knew exactly where it was, but he’d never been in because it set off every warning bell in his brain. He’d been in too many places like it back home in North Carolina and he didn’t want to go in now. The trouble was, he didn’t want her there either. He’d never felt protective of a woman before.
“Yeah,” Riley said, her voice sounding just a bit shaky now. “I’m not having a good time anymore and I want to go home.”
He rubbed his forehead. There was no way in hell that he could tell her no. Not when she sounded like that. Not when all he wanted was to make sure that she was safe.
“Okay,” he said roughly. “I’ll come and get you. But you’ve got to meet me outside, okay?”
He didn’t want to go in. It would be too much like walking backwards into a past he’d much rather forget.
“Yes sir,” she said briskly. “I’ll see you soon.”
When Eli pulled up outside the bar nearly half an hour later, and parked his motorcycle as close to the entrance as possible, he was ticked off to discover that she was nowhere in sight. He waited a few minutes, watching as the crowd ebbed and flowed, but she didn’t appear. Where the hell was she?
Eli pulled his phone out of his pocket and called her. No answer. He had a feeling that trying again wouldn’t change anything. As loud as the music was in there, he’d be surprised if she could even hear the phone ringing.
He looked up at the bar with a sigh. She wasn’t leaving him with much choice. He walked up the stairs, ignoring the way that the people on the porch looked at him. They’d be sizing him up and he knew that he didn’t have long before someone got ballsy enough to approach him.
Eli stepped inside, standing by the door as he glanced around. He was relieved when he saw Riley standing in the corner near the bar. The trouble was that she wasn’t alone. A big guy in a leather vest stood beside her, leaning over her, one hand on the wall over her head, making it impossible for her to move without shoving past him. She was looking up at him and Eli could see from where he stood that she was annoyed and more than a little frightened. He sighed and walked across the room. This probably wasn’t going to go well.
“Riley,” he called. “You ready to go?”
“Yes,” she answered, relief lighting those green eyes the minute she saw him. “Definitely.”
The guy reached out and grabbed her arm, looking at Eli with narrowed eyes. “Who’s he?” he demanded, giving her arm a shake. “You’re here with me.”
Riley tried to pull out of his grip and Eli saw her grimace with pain. He clenched his hands, trying hard to ignore the instinct to knock the guy flat.
“Take your hands off of her,” he said, stepping closer, keeping his voice low. He didn’t want to draw attention to them. If he could get her out of there without embarrassing this asshole in front of his buddies it would be much less trouble. It wouldn’t be nearly as satisfying, but he tried not to focus on that part.
“Who the hell are you to tell me what to do?”
The man eyed Eli, sizing him up. Eli had been doing this same. This guy was a little shorter than him, probably around 6 feet even. But he was built even more solidly. Muscle strained the seams of his shirt. The plus side to that would be that Eli was faster. The downside was pretty damn obvious.
“I’m the guy that’s taking her home,” Eli said flatly. That wasn’t negotiable and there was no point in pretending that it was. “This doesn’t need to be a problem.”
“Yeah, well it’s gonna be,” the man informed him. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll turn around and walk right out of here.”
Eli shrugged. “And if you know what’s good for you, you won’t make me prove that I can kick your ass up one side of this bar and down the other.”
Riley took advantage of the man’s slackened grip and pulled away. Eli put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close against his side and hoping that she was sober enough to hustle out of there the minute he moved. There wouldn’t be much time. A bar fight was like a wildfire in the way that it spread. They’d have about a minute, tops, to be on his bike and getting the hell out of there.
The man stepped forward and Eli stepped back, dodging his punch easily. Riley squeaked with surprise and he glanced down to make sure she was okay. The next punch landed on his jaw. He turned back and caught the guy’s fist when he swung again.
“You get one for free,” Eli said, shoving him back, getting him off balance. “Don’t fucking try it again.”
When the man glanced over Eli’s shoulder, Eli managed to duck the punch of the man behind him as he pulled Riley against his chest, keeping her out of harm's way. When he spun, he saw that there were about ten guys behind him. Fuck. For a second, he was pissed off enough to want to stand where he was, see how it all shook out. Then he realized that was the stupidest thought he’d had in three years.
Eli grabbed Riley’s hand and ran for it. When he was close enough, he lowered his shoulder and knocked two of the guys back long enough to pull Riley through the crowd. He managed to get to the door ahead of the crowd and he shoved her through and out onto the steps while digging into his pocket for the keys.
He felt someone grab the back of his jacket and yank him back. Eli spun and drove his fist into the guy’s stomach, shoving him back into the rest of the crowd. It gave him the time he needed to get the hell out of there. Eli ran for the bike, relieved to see Riley already standing beside it, looking at him with wide eyes.
“Put your arms around me,” he barked at her as he threw his leg over the bike and gunned the engine. “Come on, move!”
Riley got on the bike and wrapped her arms around him tightly. He could feel her trembling as he pulled out of the parking lot. He didn’t relax until he’d left the bar long behind them and was sure that no one was following them.
He took the shortest way possible back to his house. His heart still hadn’t stopped pounding as he parked the bike and Riley slid off. She still looked shaky too but Eli was too furious to care. He steered her up the steps and into the living room.
When he’d locked the front door behind them, he turned to face her. She was pale in the low light and he had an insane urge to jerk her against him and kiss her breathless. He shook the thought away.
“What the hell were you thinking?” he demanded. “I told you to meet me outside!”
“Well, I couldn’t,” Riley defended herself, her voice shrill with the last of her panic. “He wouldn’t let me go.”
“What the fuck were you doing there in the first place?” Eli pressed on. “It doesn’t take a genius to see that it’s not a good place to be! Are you that fucking naive?”
“Don’t yell at me!” she shouted back at him. “I...oh.”
Shit. He knew that look. Eli grabbed her by the arm and shoved her gently into the bathroom. Then he waited outside until the inevitable was over. He wasn’t the hold back the hair type of guy.
When he heard her shut off the sink after she’d cleaned up, he eased the door open. She was standing there, her face paper white and her hands trembling. His anger faded so quickly that it shocked him.
“Wanna sleep here tonight?” There was no way that he could send her home like that even if he’d wanted to.
Riley nodded tiredly and followed him down the hall to his bedroom. Eli let her brace herself against him as she pulled off her heels and pants. Then he caught the edge of her shirt and tugged it up over her head, tossing it to the floor as he unhooked her pretty lace bra with his other hand. She gave him a wary look, and he gave her a slight smile in return.
“Relax,” Eli said easily, handing her one of his clean tee shirts. “I’m not enough of a jerk to make a move on you right now.”
Riley leaned her head against his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. “You’re not a jerk at all, Eli,” she whispered, her voice getting a little shaky. “Thanks for showing up tonight.”
“Anybody would have done the same thing,” he replied briskly, hoping to avoid a crying jag. “It’s no problem.”
She looked up at him and traced the rapidly growing bruise on his jaw. That would ache like a son of a bitch by morning, but he didn’t regret it. He’d gotten her out of there without a scratch.
“It kind of was,” she countered. “You were really brave.”
Eli smiled down at her. “I’ve had worse,” he said honestly. “Come on, quit talking and get into bed.”
He pulled back the blankets and she slid down between the sheets with a sigh. Once she was settled with a trash can pragmatically close, he stepped over to the door. Riley propped up on one elbow, squinting at him.
“Where are you going?”
“I thought I’d sleep on the couch,” he said. “Let you get some rest.”
“I’ll rest better if you stay.”
Her voice was almost shy. Coupled with the fact that she still looked like she felt awful and the fact that she somehow looked just as beautiful in his tee shirt with her hair tangled and her makeup smeared as she did all put together in her nice clothes, Eli couldn’t bring himself to say no.
“All right,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”
Out of habit he checked to see that the doors were locked and turned off lights. Then he stopped by the kitchen and filled a glass with water. He snagged a bottle of Tylenol off of the top of the refrigerator on his way out. If tonight was any indication, they’d probably both need a few of those tomorrow. He’d expected her to be asleep when he got back, but she smiled slightly when he opened the bedroom door.
Eli tugged his shirt off, aware that she was still watching him. He didn’t mind one bit. He let his pants fall to the floor and pulled on a pair of pajama pants just to keep from being tempted. Then he climbed into bed with her, enjoying the smooth sheets and the soft pillow. It had been a hell of a day.
When he turned the light off, he heard her sigh with relief. Then she rolled over and wrapped herself all around him, her leg thrown over him, her arm across his stomach, and her head resting on his chest. He wrapped an arm around her without even thinking about anything but how well she fit him.
“Good night, Eli,” she whispered.
He twined those long curls around his fingers and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Night, Riley.”
The next morning, he woke up late. For a brief second he was panicked and then he remembered that it was Saturday and he didn’t have to work. Thank God. Riley was still sound asleep and still cuddled against him. That was probably why he’d slept so well.
He untangled himself from her as gently as he could so that he didn’t wake her up and got out of bed. The longer he stayed there the more tempted he’d be.
Eli walked down the hall and turned on the shower. When the water was so hot that steam was billowing up from behind the curtain, he stepped in and let the water pound against his back. He was a little sore from doing his level best to avoid the fight last night. In the past that would have made him feel like a complete pussy. Now he was actually proud of himself. He braced his hands on the shower wall and leaned forward, letting the heat pour over his neck and sighing in relief as the tension began to fade.
A few moments later, the curtain was pulled back and Riley stood there looking at him. “Mind if I join you?” she asked softly.
He knew that he needed to say no. So far, in the past twenty four hours at least, he’d done the right thing where she was concerned. But her eyes moved down his body and back up and when she looked at him, he swore that his knees went a little weak.
“Come on,” he said roughly and she stripped his tee shirt off and stepped under the spray.
Riley caught her breath as the water hit her skin, but then she tilted her head back, letting the water soak into her hair.
“Do you feel better this morning?” he asked.
She opened her eyes, giving him that almost shy look again. “Yes. Thanks for taking such good care of me, Eli.”
“Yeah, well. That’s what I do.”
He shrugged and watched as her eyes moved down his body. He’d be lying if he said that she didn’t like the way she looked at him. Slowly, she reached out, trailing her index finger down the center of his chest.
“Somehow I doubt that you’re the caretaker type.”
“Okay, maybe not,” he admitted, catching her hand and pressing a kiss to the inside of her wrist.
When she shivered, he pulled her against his chest. He pushed the guilt away. He was he supposed to be this close to her without tasting her lips? Without feeling her skin, slick and heated against his?
Eli ducked his head and took her mouth with his. The first time they'd been together, it had been rushed and desperate. He wanted to take his time with her now. He wanted to feel her tremble with desire. He wanted her to beg for him.
The water sluiced down between them, making her body slide against his as she arched toward him, into their kiss. Her tightened nipples brushed his chest and he barely held back a groan. Eli cupped her face in his hands, slanting his mouth over hers to take more of her mouth. Her hands went tight on his sides as she pulled him closer.
“Eli,” Riley whispered when he broke the kiss to move down her neck, kissing away the water droplets that clung to her neck. “I want you.”
“Good,” he said roughly. “Because I’ve been dying to have you again.”
He cupped her breasts as he pressed kisses to her collarbone and shoulders. Eli loved the way that her breasts fit perfectly into the palms of his hands. He also loved the way her nipples grew even tighter when he rubbed his thumbs across them.
Riley’s hips jerked up and her stomach brushed against his stiff cock, making him catch his breath at the heated contact. Then he felt her fingers close around his shaft and he pressed his face into the curve of her neck, struggling to control the impulse to pick her up and push deep inside her in one thrust.
She pumped her hand up his slick cock, twisting her wrist just slightly when she got to the thick crown, making him thrust forward. He kissed her again, their tongues tangling as his breathing grew rougher. Her touch was almost too good, too close to perfection. It was driving him much nearer to the edge than he wanted to be.
“I’m trying to make this last,” he managed to say.
“I don’t care how long it lasts,” Riley moaned. “I just want you inside me. I’ve been thinking about you ever since the day I left. Please, Eli!”
Hell, there was no way that he could say no to that. He spun her around so that her back was against his chest and let her brace her hands on the shower wall. Riley glanced over her shoulder at him and he gripped his cock, pressing into her in one smooth thrust. Her eyes closed and she caught her lower lip between her teeth.
“Yes,” she whispered. “God, I’ve wanted you so much, Eli.”
He tightened his grip on her hips and began to thrust faster. He’d wanted her too and she felt even better than he remembered somehow. Hot, slick, giving, and demanding at the same time. He tugged at her hair and she rewarded him with a moan, arching her back even more.
Eli groaned, pounding deep inside her now, making her breath catch as she took him, driving her body back to meet each of his thrusts. When she cried out, it echoed in the tiled room and he savored it, knowing that he was taking her closer and closer.
When she was begging for more, he leaned over, cupping her breasts in his hands and kissing his way up her neck, moving faster and faster.
“Yes, yes, yes!”
Eli felt Riley come all around him and pressed his face against her neck, joining her with a deep groan. It was even better than the first time. He wondered if it would keep getting better with her. Then he wondered how he’d survive it if it did.