“Does he?” His dark eyes twinkled as he gave her one of his devilishly grins. Was he thinking about it? “Cutter’s always been into that sort of thing.” He shrugged indifferently. “I have an entirely different way of handling these situations, though.”

 

Her throat thickened under his steady gaze. She could almost hear his brain working, thinking up some sort of punishment to fit her crime. How quickly she lost her temper when he looked at her with such heat, such desire in those damn eyes.

 

“Maybe I should go?” The suggestion was weak, given in a high-pitched squeak that made his smile get even broader.

 

“Maybe you should hightail that ass of yours to the bedroom and get out of that dress.” He let go of her finger, removing the warmth of his touch and pointed to the stairs. “Get going. I’ll be there in a minute.”

 

Her eyes darted to the stairs, then back to him. She should just go, move up the stairs and do what he said. But since when did she just follow orders easily? “What are you going to do?”

 

His exasperated sigh could have parted her hair if she was a step closer to him. She opted not to push him. Whatever it was he had planned, she figured it wasn’t something too horrible. After all, he just admitted he didn’t use spanking. She’d have to ask Cherry if that was something most of the bikers did. She’d also need to take a few minutes and figure out why her brain was so fixated on that one topic.

 

“Josephine, go upstairs.” He bent and straightened his finger twice, indicating she get moving. Seeing the possessive way he looked at her and recognizing the hunger in his eyes, she moved her feet until she was practically flying up the stairs.

 

His bedroom had quickly become her favorite room in the house since she’d been seeing him. The entire house was decorated simply but with as masculine elegance, as she figured was appropriate for a biker, but his bedroom was different. He indulged in a king-size bed with a mattress that resembled a cloud more than cotton fibers and springs. She slept more soundly wrapped in his dark purple comforter, burrowed into the softness of his bed, than she ever did on her full-size, decade-old mattress at home.

 

Once in the room, she poked her head out into the hallway, trying to hear him. Footsteps faded away from the stairs, and she heard him talking. He made a phone call and had effectively removed her ability to overhear it.

 

Josephine sat on the edge of the bed with her own phone in-hand. She hadn’t talked with her mother after work. The home health worker Lucas hired to take care of her was doing a great job and freeing up some of Josephine’s time. She was able to work her normal schedule without her mother having to miss out on any treatments, giving Josephine peace of mind.

 

Deciding against calling her mother, she plugged her phone into the charger Lucas left for her on, what was now, her side of the bed. It amazed her how quickly things had changed between them. She hadn’t moved in, and she still thought it was too soon for that, no matter what Lucas continued to insist on, but he’d made room for her in his home. Along with the phone charger on the nightstand, he’d cleared out a drawer in the bathroom for her and stocked his fridge with some of her favorite foods—the ones he didn’t argue with her about her eating.

 

She heard his footsteps on the stairs and heard him clicking off his call. Her dress was still on. Shit. With agility she didn’t think she possessed, she managed to shimmy out of the dress and toss it to the far corner of the room just as he pushed the door completely open and stepped inside. The dress slipped off the chair onto the floor, but she hoped he didn’t notice, not when she was standing in his room wearing only her purple lace panties.

 

“No bra?” He quirked an eyebrow. Usually, she wouldn’t be able to go braless, but the dress she’d worn had built-in cups.

 

“Nope.” Her arms swung at her sides, suddenly uncomfortable with him standing fully clothed in the room.

 

He pulled off his kutte, draping it on the dresser. Both hands gripped his shirt, pulling it upwards and over his head, showing off the rippling muscles of his abdomen with his movements. With a quick shake of his head, his hair laid flat again, and he dropped his shirt onto the leather vest. Standing before her in only his jeans being held up by a thick, black leather belt, he closed the gap between them.

 

Her hands instinctively went to his chest, feeling the strength of him beneath her fingers, but he trapped them against his chest. “Not yet, babe.” He hooked both thumbs into the flimsy elastic of her panties and knelt before her as he dragged them down to her ankles. “Step out,” he ordered, and she saw no reason to deny him.

 

His eyes burned a trail up her legs as they traveled the length of her body until his gaze settled on her face. “Put your hands behind her head. Yes, like that. Good girl. See, you can listen.” He rested his hands on her thighs. “Now, spread these legs for me.” He tapped the inside of her thighs until she walked her feet far enough apart for whatever he had planned. She licked her lips after her quickened breath dried them beyond comfortable.

 

The warmth of his bare shoulders pressing against her legs as he moved closer to her sex, spread up her body, setting every nerve fiber on alert. Without moving his eyes from hers, his thumbs pried apart her lips, already wet with need for his touch. “You are going to stay completely still. Do you understand, Josephine? If you move, if you break position, I’m going to stop. And you aren’t going to want that. Got it?” His eyes narrowed as he gave her the rules of his little game. She nodded, unable to think properly, given the circumstances. He didn’t look very convinced that she would be able to make it through, but she was determined. She could do it; she could do exactly as he said.

 

And then his tongue touched her clit and all reasoning flew from her mind. He chuckled. “Not even one second!” He pressed the pad of his thumb to her clit, rolling it in circles as he looked back up at her. “Let’s try again. No jerking, no stepping away, and no closing these fucking sexy legs.”

 

“Okay, Lucas. I won’t. I promise.” She sounded desperate, even to her own ears. Desperate with need and lust, but she didn’t really care. All she wanted, all she thought about at that moment, was his mouth on her womanhood.

 

The tip of his tongue nudged her swollen clit, and she closed her eyes, willing herself to stay put. This was a lesson—stay where he told her. Got it. Lesson learned. She just wanted more of him, all of him…if he would just put more pressure on her. And then he did, and she clenched her eyes closed to keep her body still. His lips enclosed her clit and he sucked her hard, two fingers thrusting inside of her, stretching her as he moved them.

 

She groaned, wanting to bend, to step closer and entangle her fingers in his hair, but she managed to hold back. He would stop if she moved. That was his promise to her, and she did not want that. She would cry if he stopped the torment he was putting her through.

 

Over and over again his fingers thrust upward into her, curling just enough while his tongue and his teeth continued to tease and torment her clit.

 

The sharp bite followed by soothing licks sent her body spiraling into his control. She laced her fingers behind her neck, hoping that would keep them obediently in place. Her feet rooted to the carpeting of his bedroom floor, she arched her pelvis toward his mouth, letting her body beg him for more of everything he gave her.

 

He chuckled, which sent a new vibration through her wet folds and her taut, now more tender, clit. “Greedy girl.” He toyed with her clit again, circling it with his tongue but never putting the right amount of pressure she needed. So close to the finish, she could almost see the fireworks getting ready to explode.

 

“Please, Lucas…please.” Her thighs shook, trembling at her arousal, at her need for her release, but he only shook his head.

 

“Nope. Not until I say. Because who controls this?” He pulled his mouth away and cupped her pussy, leaving his fingers still nestled inside her. “Who, Josephine?”

 

A strand of hair fell in front of her face as she looked down at him, but she didn’t move her hands to brush it away. She remained complacent in her position. “You, Lucas. You do.” Her admission was barely above a whisper as she tried to contain all of the sensations he was creating with his fingers.

 

“Good. Now you’re getting it.” He pulled his fingers free and sat back on his heels. Keeping their gazes locked, he licked his fingers, one by one, grinning as he took in her taste. “Fucking delicious.” He patted her hip. “On the bed. No, don’t take your hands down.” He remained where he was, kneeling on the floor, as she willed her body to move to the bed. It amazed her that her legs weren’t wobbly with the intense session of his tongue only a moment before.

 

Without the use of her hands, climbing on the large bed was a little harder than she had anticipated but managed it without falling face first into the mattress. Once on the bed, she knelt and turned to him, awaiting further instruction. He gave her a satisfying grin, though she was sure she looked just as thrilled to see him staring at her with such hunger.

 

His hands moved to his belt and slowly, he pulled the strap of leather from the buckle, releasing the metal bar holding it in place. Once it was unbuckled, he gripped one end and yanked it free of his jeans, doubling it over in his hand he tapped it against his thigh. “You mentioned Cutter. He spanks Cherry. He also whips her with his belt, and I’ve heard he owns a few thick ass paddles, too.”

 

She swallowed hard. Would he use the belt on her? Would she feel that sensation she’d read about in the dirty books she kept hidden in her nightstand? “You said you didn’t do that,” she reminded him, her eyes still locked on the belt swaying at his side.

 

“I don’t, but there are lots of ways to use a belt.” He moved over to her, the bed dipping when he placed one knee on the mattress to get behind her. “Put your hands down, behind you. Good.” Her shoulders ached momentarily from the change in position, but once her hands were at her back, she felt him grab both her wrists.

 

The thick leather wrapped around her wrists again and again, then she heard the buckle being clasped. She tried to move her hands, but they were immobile. He gripped her fingers and lifted her bound hands a bit, then put them back down. “If you get tingling in your fingers, let me know. If your shoulders start to hurt too much, you say something. Okay?” He kissed her bare shoulder, then ran the tip of his tongue down the length of her arm and bit gently at her elbow.

 

“Yes.” A shiver ran through her when his hand reached through her spread legs and cupped her sex. The bed shifted more, and his full weight was behind her. She leaned back into his chest as his fingers began to fuck her again, harder now, with more purpose.

 

“Fuck, you’re hot like this,” he whispered into her ear, his hot breath washing over her. Another arm wrapped around her torso, and he began to fondle her breasts. Fingers pinched and twisted her nipples while her pussy was completely full from his administrations. Her eyes clenched, her body trembled. He could feel all of it, she was sure, but still, he wouldn’t give her release. “Not yet, I said.” He pulled his hand from her pussy and wiped it clean across her bare ass.

 

She heard the zipper of his pants work its way down, then the material of his jeans as it was pushed down. He jumped off the bed to finish removing his clothes, and in that moment, she felt cold, abandoned without his touch. When he climbed back up, he was in front of her, easing her onto her back. Her shoulders pulled a bit from the position but not enough to stop him from what he was doing to her. He knelt between her knees, prying them open. His cock, standing at full mast, bobbed over her sex, and she wanted nothing more at that moment than for him to thrust inside of her. But this was a lesson. A lesson where she learned to listen, and he was teaching her painfully slowly.

 

Her tongue darted out over her lower lip as he gripped his cock with his right hand, pumping it over her but not touching her. A small bead of moisture appeared at the tip of his head, and her tongue ached to lick it off. She groaned. “Please, Lucas…don’t.” She wiggled her arms, wishing she could get her hands on him. She needed to feel the heat of his skin, the smooth strength of his cock wrapped in her fingers.

 

“Not yet.” He shook his head and gave her an evil smile. “Now, if you’d been a good girl, you’d have my cock already buried deep in you, but you didn’t listen. You decided to do what you wanted, so now…now you wait. Now you learn.”

 

“I’ve learned!” She nodded her promise, which only made him laugh again. At that moment, the second his cock was positioned at her entrance but he still wouldn’t thrust, she almost wished he’d just belted her instead. A hot, sore bottom had to be less painful than this emptiness he gave her. “Please. I promise, I’ll never do that again. Ever. I promise.” She could push her hips at him, and would probably be able to push his cock in that way, but it wasn’t what he wanted. It would be against the point he was making. She would wait, not move, until he said so, because he said so. She ground her teeth and waited.

 

A large palm reached up and began gripping her breasts again, rolling her nipples. The head of his cock slid inside of her, and she sighed with utter relief. After a few slow, soft thrusts he paused all movements. “So good. You see now, right? You see my point?”

 

“Yes!” She all but screamed at him. If he didn’t get back inside of her that instant, she would lose her mind.

 

He grinned, wrapping his arms around her thighs and pulling her closer to him. In one swift thrust he was fully embedded in her pussy. She cried out from the sudden fullness, the stretch of his cock.

 

He wasn’t gentle. Each thrust was harder, deeper. He released her legs and leaped over her. His face only inches away from hers, he continued to pummel her, hard, long thrusts that had her squirming and begging him for release.

 

“Open your eyes.” His command was immediately obeyed, and she saw the fire in his gaze. The possession and heat in his eyes. He cursed, thrust harder. She wrapped her legs around his hips, feeling the muscles of his taut ass working as he continued to fuck her harder and harder still. She’d be sore later, but at that moment, she didn’t care. She wanted all of him. Damn him for tying her hands; she wanted to feel him!

 

“Oh, God. Oh!” She screamed out as her orgasm ripped through her body, sending a tidal wave of electricity through her body, rattling every part of her. Her hands, pinned beneath her, gripped into fierce fists and she tightened her legs around his hips, capturing every last sensation her body threw at her.

 

But he wasn’t done. “Now you’ll do it again,” he whispered into her ear and reached between them. With a skilled finger, he began twirling and manipulating her clit as he continued to thrust hard into her.

 

She shook her head, sure it couldn’t be done. The first orgasm had been too large, too hard for her to be able to replicate it. But he was relentless in his torture. While his fingers and his cock worked her body, his tongue ran along her collarbone, and he whispered all of the evil things he wanted to do with her body. Evil, desirable things that sent her libido back into full swing.

 

“Lucas…no. I can’t. Oh, fuck…” She wiggled beneath him, taking each stroke of his cock as though her life depended on it.

 

“You can, and you will. Come for me, Josephine. Your body belongs to me now. Come for me. Let me hear it.” More pressure. Harder, longer thrusts. “There you go…almost there. Your body knows who owns it. Come for me.” He caught her scream in his mouth as he captured it for a kiss.

 

She felt each bit of her orgasm as her pussy spasmed around his cock, coaxing him along with her.

 

He broke the kiss as his own orgasm raged through him. His hands slipping beneath her, he held her shoulders, pulling her body toward him as he rocketed into her, fucking her harder until the last bit of his orgasm subsided, and he rested his forehead on hers, his heavy breathing mingling with her own.

 

She barely understood what he was saying when he lifted off of her, but from what she gathered, he wanted her to move so he could untie her. She managed to roll to her side so he could unbuckle the belt and let her arms free. Sitting beside her on the bed, he ran his hands over her arms, massaging her sore shoulders. “Be right back, babe.” He left her momentarily but returned with a cool, damp washcloth and cleaned her thighs and her sex. The coolness of the cloth eased the easy burn from the harsh fucking he’d given her.

 

Once she was cleaned to his satisfaction, he dropped the cloth into a hamper and pulled the covers back on the bed, helping her ease beneath them before slipping in next to her. He slid his arm under her and rolled her to him, her cheek pressed against his chest. She listened to his soft breath and the sound of his heart beating—strong. Everything about the man reminded her of his strength.

 

His hand moved, resting on her belly. Only a small bump but one that reminded them both of why they were together. Her heart sank a bit with that realization. If it weren’t for the baby nestled in her womb, they wouldn’t be there, holding each other in the afterglow of the most powerful sex she’d ever had. Not wanting to delve too deeply into that thought, not right that moment when she felt so at home and protected in his arms, she lifted her head up to smile at him.

 

Somewhat worried, his eyes met hers. “You okay? You’re real quiet.”

 

She strained her neck and placed a soft kiss to his lips. “You’re a strict teacher,” she teased, flattening her hand on his chest.

 

“Well, some students just won’t learn any other way.” He chuckled and pulled her tighter to his chest.

 

“Maybe Cutter should try this with Cherry.” She couldn’t help but giggle.

 

His arm stiffened at her joke, and she looked back up at him. A frown covered his brow. “You weren’t entirely wrong. I did treat Cherry more like a whore than a woman. That’s on me. But it was different…I was different then.”

 

Josephine knew what he was saying, could feel the shift in him as they lay together. Whoever the Lucas was who hooked up with Cherry wasn’t the guy lying in bed with her at that moment, cradling her in his arms.

 

“Cutter will be good to her, right?”

 

“Yeah. He will. He’s claimed her.”

 

Josephine supposed that meant something, but she was getting tired and couldn’t concentrate anymore. She kissed his chest and closed her eyes, letting the sound of his heart carry her off to sleep.

 

# # #

 

 

“Hey, Lucas.” Cutter stepped out from behind the car, closing the trunk with exercised caution. “You ready to get started?” He nodded at the table of tools ready to go.

 

“Hell yes.” Lucas took his cell from his jeans and tossed it onto the workbench before diving in to get his hands dirty.

 

They worked almost silently for over an hour before Cutter brought up Josephine. “You know, Cherry felt bad the other night. She was worried she’d gotten your girl in some trouble.”

 

Lucas stretched his back and grabbed a bottle of water. “Nah, my girl can get herself into plenty on her own. She doesn’t need Cherry to do it for her.” He twisted off the cap and took a swig. “She felt bad about Cherry, though. She was afraid she hurt her feelings.”

 

“Cherry’s heard worse, but I’ll admit, when she told me what Josephine said, it got my blood pumping.” Cutter gave him a hard look.

 

“I took care of it.” Lucas waved a hand in the air.

 

“Not like I would, I bet. You probably fucked her senseless.” Cutter wiped his hands off on a rag before popping open a can of pop.

 

Lucas laughed. He had done just that but for entirely different reasons. “The other night, Clay showed up at the house.” He checked over his shoulder to be sure they weren’t being overheard. Prospects sometimes got the idea to get a little close when something juicy was being discussed. And the president of a rival club showing up uninvited to a captain’s house was juicy.

 

“What he want?” Cutter’s eyes darkened.

 

“Same bullshit he spewed to Joe here. But he wants me to push Joe’s hand, get the votes to go with handing over the routes.”

 

“We aren’t handing over those fucking routes,” Cutter snapped. “We aren’t going to roll over and play bitch for those fucking pricks.”

 

Lucas took another drink of his water. “Yeah.” He nodded. “I know it. And I’m not saying I don’t agree, but are we ready to take on the Iron Rebels? I mean, if we don’t do this, they will be down our necks full time.”

 

“Always the fucking devil’s advocate.” Cutter kicked the rag that fell from the table.

 

“I’m not saying I’m going that way. I’m just saying, if we don’t do it, we need to be prepared for the fallout. They’ll start going after our shipments. Our runs will become harder to get through town. And what if they start going after our growers or the docs?”

 

“Then we pound their skulls in.” Cutter shrugged. “I get what you’re saying. We’ll just have to see what Joe is gonna decide tomorrow night. Have you talked with him about this?”

 

“No. I don’t want to put more on his plate.” Lucas picked up his wrench and ducked back under the hood.

 

“So, I’m claiming Cherry,” Cutter piped up again a few minutes later.

 

“I figured. You said something like that the other night.”

 

“Tomorrow at church, right before I’m doing the introduction,” he continued on.

 

Lucas looked up from where he was working and arched a brow. “Making her your old lady? That’s a little more than claiming her.”

 

“It’s right. She needs someone like me, and she’s good, you know, like, a good person.” Cutter wiped his hands again with the rag.

 

“You don’t have to justify it to me. She is a great girl.”

 

“You had your dick in her, and that burns me something fierce.” The real issue started to emerge.

 

“That was way before you took any interest, months ago. You’re gonna get your boxers in a bunch now?”

 

Cutter looked away then shook his head. “I’ll deal with it. It’s fine. I mean, fuck, more brothers than not had their cocks in her, but that stopped when I took more interest. She’s not going to be anyone’s whore anymore.”

 

“Well, except yours,” Lucas said with a serious face.

 

Cutter’s face snapped to Lucas’s and a long, tense moment passed before he cracked a smile. “Fuck yeah, mine.” He tossed the rag onto the workbench and straightened up. “What about Josephine? You gonna make her your old lady, like, official?”

 

“I don’t know.” He’d been thinking about that. The idea of having Josephine involved in the club, full time like that, didn’t sit well with him. She was an outsider, from a different world than him.

 

“Thinking citizen wife?” Cutter went back to the car.

 

“I don’t know.” Lucas said again with a little more irritation. “I have to do something. At least get her to move in with me. She’s got my baby in her belly for fuck sake. She can’t keep living on her own. But, having her here? It’s just…well...”

 

“I get it. This isn’t the life for everyone, especially no dental hygienist who looks more like the high school librarian than an old lady.”

 

Lucas had to laugh at the comparison. Cutter wasn’t far off. “I’ll figure it out later. For now, let’s get this shit going.”

 

“Hey, boys!” Cherry sauntered up to the carport where they were working. Her cutoffs accentuated the roundness of her ass and the narrowness of her waist. The painted-on t-shirt didn’t do anything to cover up her perky breasts either. They simply displayed them more predominantly. Lucas thought for a moment about Josephine wearing something as provocative as what Cherry had on, and he couldn’t help the scowl that took over at the thought. Maybe when they were alone, but in public, her ass would be covered from the wandering eyes of the pricks he surrounded himself with.

 

“Babe.” From the disapproving gaze of Cutter, Lucas could see he had the same idea about her outfit. “What’d we talk about?” He wagged a finger over her body.

 

Cherry looked down at her outfit and blushed, a pretty blush Lucas never had the chance to see before. “I’m going shopping today, promise.” She dragged her finger over her chest, making a cross and winking. “That’s why I’m here.” She put her out her hand. “You said you’d go to the bank for me.”

 

“That’s right.” Cutter pulled out his wallet, counted out the cash, and laid it in her palm, leaning down to kiss her cheek after. “Why don’t you take someone with you? I think Julie is in the clubhouse.”

 

“Julie?” Cherry’s eyes widened. “That’s okay. I’m sure she’s busy, and I just want to get this done. I have a shift tonight.” She tucked the bills into her back pocket. “Got a job over at the house in back. Just doing the hostess work, nothing upstairs.” Cherry explained to Lucas.

 

“Yeah, well, I’ll be home at midnight, and I expect your ass to be in bed.” Cutter gave her another kiss, this one more possessive, and slapped her ass.

 

“Midnight. Got it.” She waved her fingers and smiled as she walked away. “Oh!” She snapped her fingers and turned back to Lucas. “How is Josephine? She looked upset when she left the other night.”

 

“She’s fine. The hormones are getting to her, I think.” Lucas laughed. He took a quick look at his watch. “I think her shift ended at two this afternoon. Why don’t you see if she wants to go with you? She’s going to need some new clothes pretty soon.”

 

“That’s a great idea.” Cherry pulled out her phone. “What’s her number?”

 

Lucas recited it to her as she programmed her phone.

 

“I’ll give her a ring when I get to the car.”

 

“Not while you’re driving the damn car, Cherry,” Cutter ground out.

 

“Of course not.” She gave a playful wink and skipped off across the courtyard toward the parking lot.

 

Lucas couldn’t help but laugh. “I don’t remember her being so bratty before.” He turned back to the car they were working on.

 

“She wasn’t. She’s getting comfortable. Do you know her father walked out when she was six? Pointed right at her and called her some awful shit, then left. He was probably drunk or high, but she’s been walking around thinking about what he said all these years. I’m telling you, if I see that son of a bitch, I’ll cut his fucking throat. And her mom too, cokehead woman leaving her kid to deal with all that shit. Cherry’s been paying the rent on her mom’s trailer for the past two years. That’s why she’s been here all that time, trying to get in the graces of a member.”

 

“She wanted to be an old lady so she would have someone taking care of her?” Lucas knew most of the women working at the clubhouse were doing the same thing, looking for a member to pick them up. It wasn’t something he found tasteful, though. He liked the idea of his woman having some independence, able to stand on her own two feet. It made it all the sweeter when he swooped her off them.

 

Lucas picked up his phone and shot Josephine a text telling her Cherry would be getting a hold of her, and she was to use the credit card he gave her. She hadn’t spent a single penny of his, even though he insisted over and over again to get some clothes, buy stuff for the baby, anything she needed. He loved her independent side, but her stubborn side was starting to chafe.