CHAPTER THREE
Dixie Rose
I watch Pop eat his food and study the changes in him. His face is slimmer, and he seems spryer. We’ve been on the diet for almost a month, and his bitching has gone quiet. The deal suits us both. I get to stay here and soak up time with my father. He gets a cook and I suppose the same. As tough as my dad is, he never fails to show me love and affection.
The doorbell rings.
He looks up from his salad with steak and frowns. “I wasn’t expecting anyone. Get the gun from the table.”
I shake my head. “I invited someone over, Pops.”
“Ahhh.” He cleans his plate.
I walk over and open the door, allowing Echo to step in.
He’s practically edible in his ass hugging jeans, black boots, T-shirt, and cut.
The smell of leather and cologne wakes butterflies in my belly. Knowing the truth made a crack in the wall I’d put up between us. How could I continue to hate him when he’d done this for me? It’s got me all tangled up inside. I need to sort my thoughts and emotions. Between keeping up on Pop, check-ups, and getting things moved from my old place, I haven’t carved out the time.
“Shit. I can see I’m going to need a drink for this one,” Pops says as I close the door. “Breaking those rules, girl. I need a scotch straight up.”
“Me too, and only one,” I say.
He grunts.
I know it drives him nuts, my mothering, but once I drill it into his head, he’ll be able to do it on his own. I pull down the small tumblers and pour two fingers in for us both. “Echo?”
“I’m good,” he says.
I can hear the nervousness in his voice. The sadist part of me likes it. Regardless of the reason, this man had shattered my heart, and dealt a blow to my self-esteem. It’d taken years to get over it. I put the cap on the bottle and put it back in the cabinet. Walking over to the table, I set a glass in front of Pops. “Sit,” I say to Echo, gesturing to the seat across from Pops.
He sinks into the chair and clears his throat.
Pops takes a sip of his whiskey.
I follow suit, preferring to lean against the counter and watch how this will play out. “I never said anything, but Echo and I had a thing for a couple of years in high school.”
“I knew it was with someone, but could never get a clue on who though. I figured if you were that careful about things, you were being safe like I taught you,” Pops says.
My face grows hot, and I shoot the whiskey to dispel the embarrassment. No one wants to talk casually to their father about their sex life.
“I’m guessing shit didn’t pan out. Not unusual in teen romance. Why you bringing this to me now?” Pop asks.
“It was more than a teen romance, Hoss. We were planning on getting hitched before she went away to school.”
His eyes bulge. “What?” he roars.
I flinch.
“Start talking now,” Pop orders.
“I was young and in love. I never thought I’d find another who could make me feel as cherished, and safe, and he understood our world. He was the best of everything. We had a deal. We’d get hitched, and I’d go off to college and get my degree,” I say.
“So what the hell happened?” Pops growls.
“I didn’t show up. Shit came up, I couldn’t get the word out to her and …” He shakes his head, trialing off.
“You stood my little girl up at the altar at eighteen? I should put a got-damn bullet in your brain, right the fuck now. Jesus shit! I knew she hit rock bottom in college. I thought it was growing pains, being out of the nest for the first time. ”
“We never got that far, Pops. Tell him the whole thing, Echo. He needs to hear it.”
“Fuck. My dad found out—”
“Bet he didn’t take too kindly to that,” Pops interjects. His knuckles are white from gripping the tumbler, and his eyes are dark with anger.
“No, he didn’t.”
“What’d he do, boy?”
“Threatened to keep me from getting my patch, and in so many words, threatened her. I needed to get that top rocker to protect her.”
“I remember that. He was running your ass into the ground for a year and putting off getting your colors. Fucking racist bastard.”
I’ve never heard Pops bad mouth his brother like this.
“I put up with his shit because he was my brother. But when he starts fucking with my daughter, I draw the damn line. Your hands were tied at the time, brother, I get that. What the hell happened after you got your top rocker?”
“I went down to campus and saw her. She was happy. How could I ruin that? I know how much she struggled. I kept up with her and heard all about it from Blue who never fucking let up on me. What kind of asshole would I be to wreck her all over again? It wasn’t what she needed from me. I couldn’t let my selfishness get in the way, so I stepped back and waited for the time to come again.”
“And now?”
“Now…I want the truth out there, and I want my second chance,” Echo says.
“Ha, what exactly you plan on saying? What even makes you think you rank another shot?” Pops barks.
“Show him, Dixie Rose,” Echo demands.
My hands shake as I peel down the yoga pants and reveal the crown with the bold E in the center.
“Son of a bitch! You made her your old lady?”
“I did, and I’m ready to claim my property.” He stares Pops in the eyes.
“You don’t do anything halfway, do you, girl?” Pop asks. “You know the way this works as well as I do. This is for life. No falling out is going to change that. You planning on bringing this to church, Echo?”
“Yeah, wanted to let you know now, so you weren’t blindsided.”
“I appreciate it, son. You two need to figure out what the fuck you’re doing before then. Because believe me, they’ll ask, and your old man will react. Mouth ain’t the type to let shit be. Make sure you can protect her,” Pops says.
“I can.”
I hate the agreement they’re coming to. It gives me less to put between us.
“You hear me, girl?” Hoss asks.
“I heard you, Pops,” I say.
“Good, now pour me another drink, and get out of here. You two got shit to discuss.”
Just like that, he lays down the gauntlet.
If I come back home unable to answer the questions I know he’ll rapid fire at me, I’m going to get my ass handed to me. He never sugarcoats shit about the club or goes easier on me because I’m a girl. We have to handle this the proper way, or we’ll all be in deep shit. Secrets will get you fucked up fast in our life.
“Let’s go, D’Rose,” Echo says, standing.
The combo name makes me weak. I haven’t heard it in so long. I close my eyes and hold onto the counter. Taking a moment to collect myself, I step away and follow him out of the house.
“They’re already talking about us,” Echo says.
“The club?”
“Who else?” he replies. “You know they’re all like a dog with a bone, waiting around for the latest scrap of information on something new. It’s like living in a small town multiplied by a hundred.”
“Mouth say anything to you?” I ask.
“Not yet. I’m sure he knows where I stand on this by now. He can’t bully me anymore, so I figure he’ll just sit back and make his disapproval read loud and clear. Like I give a fuck.”
The bitterness in Echo’s voice stuns me. The sun rose and set by his father. He’s changed now. He’ll stand up for you. I want to place my trust in him, but it’d be opening myself up for potential heartache. So, you’ll sacrifice his standing? After what he did for you? He braved my hate and anger to keep me safe, never saying a word because he thought I was better off.
I close the door behind me and wrap my arms around his waist as I trail behind him. This brought back too many memories. Riding out by the ocean was always one of our favorite things to do when we could get away. Seeing the sand and the ribbon of blue that ran alongside it as the wind blew my hair away from my body and the sun warmed my flesh was a memory I still held dear. He gave me freedom in a world that put me in a cage. I pause when I see his bike and run my hands over the familiar chrome beast.
“She missed you, too,” Echo says.
I look at him and smile. I can’t hold onto the anger I once felt—I’m not that petty—but I can’t forget the utter desolation either. Direct it toward the man who deserves it…Mouth. It’s so cut and dry and logical in my mind, but the heart never forgets that type of injury and for so long, Echo had been the one I held the blame on. “Where are we going?” I ask.
“Wherever you want.”
I shrug.
“I got a place,” he says as he climbs onto his steel steed.
I climb on behind him and wrap my arms around his waist. I want to lean my face against his cut and remember what it was to feel protected once more, but I resist the urge. I’m used to being on my own and taking care of myself. Since I left, I traveled, held my own job, got my own place, and dated around. I had a semi-serious relationship for a couple of years with a handsome man named Chris, but nothing came close to the passionate connection I had with this man.
The engine roars to life, and the vibration makes me moan. He pulls away from the curb, and I can’t help but appreciate the fact that we’re no longer sneaking around. It made me feel a bit like a dirty secret, all the hiding and coordinating. What had once been exciting grew old fast.
In a world where claim and marks mean everything, I felt like a sidepiece. Then he’d popped the question and silenced all my doubts and fears. In thirty three years, no man had ever made me feel the way Echo did. Could I afford to pass up on this opportunity? The resounding answer was no. We hit the open road, and the nostalgia bitch slapped me into loosening up. I let out a whoop, and I hear his voice join mine.
Ten minutes later, we pull into the parking lot of one of my favorite places in San Mateo, and I melt. The Japanese Tea Garden was a peaceful haven that always provided an escape. “You remembered.”
“Impossible to forget as much time as we spent here. Last place we’d ever see anyone we knew who’d care we were together,” Echo says.
“And you don’t care that this will put you at odds with your family? Your father and your brother.”
“What you don’t understand is, it already did. The minute he badmouthed you and cornered me, something in our relationship broke. I could never see him the same, and I felt sorry for my brother, following along behind him blindly. I’m not shocked he’s doing time. He could never think for himself. That made him vulnerable to getting caught.”
It’s weird seeing him be so cold and callus toward his own bloodline. “But you love them.”
“Love and like are two completely different things. Come on, I don’t want to waste any more of our time talking about them.” He climbs off and holds out his hand.
I take it and know I’ve already made my mind up about us.
***
Echo
I rode with no particular destination in mind. The miles add up, and the sun begins to sink in the horizon. The needle drifts toward E, so I pull off on a highway exit and stop at the first gas station as I see. I pull in front of the pump and cut the engine. I glance down at my watch, and I’m shocked to see we’ve been driving for about four hours. I turn to face her. “How are you doing, D’Rose? You need a break?”
“Be nice to get something to eat,” she replies almost tentatively.
I want to know what’s going on inside that pretty head of hers. I lean forward and twist a soft curl around my finger.
Her lips quirk up. “Old habits die hard?” she asks.
“Happy you’re not slapping me for it. I didn’t dare try before,” I say honestly.
She glances away, and the awkwardness comes back.
I release the strand and step back. “I’ll fill up, and go check around for a place to bunk down for the night.”
“Sounds perfect.”
I climb off, fill up, and walk into the store, perusing the area. It’s a small town. A man nods at me, and I reciprocate the gesture. People are friendly here, Dixie Rose should be fine. It’s a habit to back the bike in so I have an exit, scan the area and know who’s around me. I walk inside the store and move toward the register where an older woman with a salt and pepper bun, flannel T-shirt, and friendly smile stands.
“I’m on pump two,” I say.
“Forty bucks, son.”
“Ma’am, can you tell me if there are any places to stay around here?” I ask, pulling out my wallet and handing over my credit card.
“Well, there’s a lovely bed and breakfast about two miles up. It’s the only thing we have here really. But it gets lots of attention. It’s one of those theme hotels, real popular with the newlyweds and couples looking to get away, if you know what I mean.”
Her sly tone makes me smile. The old girl has still got some spunk.
“Normally, it’s booked up, but with it being a weekday, you may be able to get in.” She hands me back my card and slides the receipt to me.
“Thank you, ma’am,” I say, signing the slip. Fate’s on my side today. I take the nature of the hotel as approval from the universe. Finally, I’m catching a break.
“You find something?” Dixie asks.
“Yeah, only place around here is a bed and breakfast. Food and comfortable accommodations, can’t get better than that.”
“Good, I’m starving, and it’s been a while since I rode on a bike for so long.” She shifts her weight.
“I could help you with that if you want.”
“Shut it, Spencer,” she says with a small grin.
She’s warming to me. I rev the engine and take off headed north. Five minutes later, the place comes into view. The massive building is reminiscent of an Old Victorian mansion with its high peaked roof, large windows, and pale blue coloring with white trim.
“It’s gorgeous. Weird name though, Sweetheart’s Inn.” She frowns.
“Yeah, weird. Let’s see if we can get a room,” I reply.
We get off the bike, and I wrap my arm around her waist, pulling her to me. I can’t tell if she’s road weary or letting me in. Either way, I’ll take it. We step inside, and my attention is drawn to the massive fireplace across the room. A red old timey couch sits in front of it and on the opposite side, I see a wooden staircase.
A middle-aged woman in a crisp white button up and a severe ponytail pulled back from her oval face gives us a shaky smile. “Can I help you?” she asks.
I can see the unease in her large brown eyes. “Yes, we were looking to rent a room for the evening. We heard great things.”
“Oh, we happen to have one left. The Romeo and Juliette Suite.”
“What?” Dixie Rose mutters.
“We’ll take it.” I offer up the credit card.
She quickly gets us checked in. “Your room is the one on the very end. 512.” She slides over an old fashioned key. “If you need anything at all, my name is Anne. Dinner will be served in the dining room promptly at six o’clock, but there is a steak house about fifteen minutes up the road if you’re interested.”
“Thank you, Anne,” I say, guiding Dixie Rose away from the front desk.
“Where did you bring me?” she asks.
“I don’t know, but we’re about to find out together.”
“You swear you didn’t know about this place?”
“How could I?” I ask.
“Hmm.”
We climb the steep stairs and walk down a hallway with a red rug that runs the middle. They pay attention to details here. It’s like we stepped back in time.
“This place is nice,” she says.
“Agreed. Let’s hope it’s not haunted.”
“You would say that,” she dryly replies.
“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.” I pull her closer.
Dixie shakes her head.
I want to see where our boundaries lie. She doesn’t protest, and I can’t help but feel like I’m one step closer to her surrender. We’re locked in a battle, and while I might lose a skirmish, I have to win the war.
“We never got to do things like this.”
When I open the door she exclaims, “Holy scarlet and gold!”
“Uh, yeah.” I take in the emblazoned tapestries on the wall, the massive four poster bed in the red and gold theme, along with the huge bathtub. It’s the nicest room I’ve ever seen in my life. I glance down at my cut and faded jeans, dusty from the road. I don’t fit in here. I look at the soft expression on her face and push my discomfort aside. I can be the man she needs. Who gives a shit if it’s my usual style or not, she’s not just any woman.
“We don’t have to stay here if you don’t want,” she says.
“You like it?”
She tilts her head back and peers up at me through long lashes. “Yes, it’s beautiful.”
“Then we’re staying,” I state firmly. I can see now how imbalanced our power was before. She was a kid, and I was a boy forced to be a man way before his time. Things had to be different this time. She’d been on her own too long. The brilliant flash of white as she grins makes me want to give her the entire world.
“Thank you.”
“I only want you happy,” I say, honestly.
Her expression becomes shuttered again.
I can feel her pull away. “What are you afraid of?” I ask.
“Doing this again and having my heart ripped out. You damn near annihilated me.”
I open my mouth to respond.
Dixie holds up her hand. “Yeah, I understand why now, and logically, it makes a difference, but here,” she thumps her fist over her heart, “it still feels the same. It took me years to put myself back together. I’d ask myself every day what I did wrong. Why I wasn’t enough. I picked myself apart, holding every flaw up to the light. When I wasn’t doing that, I told myself I was nothing more than a joke. A toy you played with because you could. I imagined your whole family laughing at the little black girl who thought she could land herself a white man.”
The words rip at my soul. “Never. Don’t you know all I see is you? Not color?” I cup her face in my hands. “I don’t give a fuck what my family thinks. They’re wrong. I won’t give you up a second time.”
“I’m not an object to be had.”
“No, but you are mine. Always have been…always will be.”
“You’re so sure.” Her eyes fill with sadness. “I wish I felt that way.”
“Deep down, you do. I wouldn’t be here with you if you didn’t. It’s still there, baby. You want me to earn your trust again, I’ll do that. But we both know once I make my claim public, everything is going to change. You want to sit here and tell me you’re going to be okay with some King Chaser pushing up on me?”
Her eyes flash with anger.
“Exactly.” I nod at her.
She releases a heavy sigh. “Can we not talk about this right now? I’m starving, sore, and dusty from the road.”
“Tell me, when are you going to deal with it?” I push.
“When I’m ready.”
“And if you never are? We got two days until church.”
“You think I don’t know that?” she snaps, pushing me away.
I grab her wrists. “You’re avoiding it. I’m done doing that. I’m laying all my shit on the line. My reputation, shit with my family, and my relationship with the brothers. Who knows what they’ll think about this shit. You know we don’t do secrets. You expect to stay safe and unscathed.”
“You’re the one who wants to reveal it.” She struggles against my hold.
Her words ignite a fuse, and I blow. I force her back to the wall and slam her body against it. “I’m trying to fucking show you the proper respect and bring you home, girl. Don’t you get that? Once this is out, you’ll be untouchable. That shit my dad and his stupid ass friends pull will have to stop. You think you don’t ask me when you look at me with want in your eyes? You need me to make you see how much you’re still into this?”
Her eyes dilate and her gaze is full of lust.
I can practically smell her arousal. I glance down and see her nipples straining against the worn material of the old tank. Her breathing is ragged. Her defiance gets under my skin, and I snap. “I tried to play the gentleman card, but I don’t think that’s what you need. You were gone too long and forgot the way this shit is supposed to work. So, I’m going to remind you.” I lean forward until I’m drowning in her eyes and our lips brush. “For better or worse, I’m your man. It’s time we both start acting like it.” I capture her lips and moan; they are smooth and pliant.
She’s feeling this, too.
I slip my tongue inside of her mouth—her sweet flavor hits me and rushes to my head like champagne bubbles. There’s something inherently good about her. Her tongue brushes up against mine, and I growl. I pull her body to me and grip her thighs, lifting her up against the wall. She wraps her legs around me and digs her nails into my shoulders. Our tongues battle for dominance and I tilt my head to deepen the connection of our mouths. I’m hard as a rock and leaking pre-come like a teenager having a wet dream. I grind into her center, wanting inside. She gasps and I swallow the sound down. I want every part of her. When she rolls her hips my dick twitches.
We part for air.
“I need to feel that tight little pussy wrapped around my cock, babe.”
“Yes, please,” she whimpers.
I walk us to the bed, turning to take the brunt of the fall. She straddles my hips, and I see something come alive in her.
She’s wild and deliciously sexy with her hair tumbling about her face, a wicked spark in her eyes. The chocolate brown darkens to almost black. She grinds her hips into me. Mentally, she may be conflicted, but right now she’s all in and committed.
“You playing games, girl?” I ask.
“Isn’t this what you want?” she asks, increasing the friction. Denim rubs against the silky material of her pants.
“You’re playing with fire.” I grip her hips and force her into my rhythm.
She moans and throws her head back.
I could come like this. The heat spreading across her crotch tells me she could, too. I roll us over and place her hands above her head. “You asked for it and now you’re going to get it.” I grip her wrists in one hand as I fumble with my belt. It comes undone, and I pull it free from my pants.
Her chests heaves, and her lips part.
“You still love it, don’t you?” I ask as I tie her hands together.
“Yes,” she whimpers. Her lower lip trembles.
I nip it, push her tank up, and yank her bra down. Her full breasts pop free, and I bend over, flicking the hardened brown points with my tongue. She arches her back, and I suck one into my mouth, rolling its twin between two fingers.
“Oh, yes,” she moans.
Her legs open and I fall between them, smirking around the mouthful of heaven I’m manipulating.
“More, Echo.”
I place a kiss between her breasts and yank down her pants, then her panties. “There’s my pussy,” I whisper, running my finger down the glistening slit of her neatly trimmed thatch. She shudders, and I kiss my way down to her belly, inhaling her sweet musk. “You smell so good, I have to get a taste.” I flick her clit, and she bucks. “Patience.” As I grip her thighs, pinning her down, she grunts. “Let me show you I know how to take care of you.” I glance up, and our gazes meet. “You look at me while I eat you.”
Her nostrils flare, and her jaw tightens. She’s fighting herself for control.
“You be a good girl, or I’ll stop.”
She nods.
I part her lips and run my tongue over her juicy center. She’s honey for adults: sweet, salty, and exotic. I lap her up. I love eating a girl out. There’s something about the taste, the feel, and the pleasure they derive from it. It’s not something I get to do often. Sweetbutts are passed around too much to risk catching something, and I don’t want the intimate contact with them. My occasional civilian pussy gets the tongue treatment, but none of them has ever tasted as good as my old lady.
I push inside her hot center, and she screams. I hum, fucking her with my stiff tongue. Imagining the tight walls around my cock, I can’t help but groan. I’m not naïve enough to think I’m still her only partner, but I know there haven’t been many. I’m going to make you forget everyone else. I circle her walls and nudge her swollen bundle of nerves with my nose.
“Oh God, I’m so close.”
I hum, and she let’s go, rewarding me with her sticky liquid. I lap it up, pleased to capture every drop on my tongue. I ease her back down and move away before I dive face first back into her sweet spot. She’s blissed out and docile. I like the look on her. I stand and shove my pants down, palming my dick at the base. I begin a slow stroke and move over to the side of the bed. My old lady likes to suck dick as much as I like to eat.
When she comes back to Earth, she licks her lips.
“You want this?” I ask.
Dixie nods.
“Then come take it.” I lean over, help her roll over, and grip her hair hard. She crawls over to the edge of the bed. “Good girl, open.”
She lowers her jaw and assumes a submissive pose that has me damn near ready to blow my load. “Can’t be gentle with you right now, girl.”
“I don’t want you to,” she purrs.
Oh shit. While holding the belt loop in one hand and her hair in the other, I push between her lips and go all the way back to her throat. I pause for a few seconds, giving her time to adjust. She suctions around me and I let go, unable to control myself. I fuck her face.
She takes me to the back of her throat like a champ, rubbing her thighs together.
“Fuck, you like this shit as much as I do. It gets you wet, doesn’t it?”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“I’m going to come so hard…” I grunt.
Her eyes water. Droplets line her lashes.
I can’t help but find the beauty in it. Her eyes glitter like fine diamonds. A sign of her yielding to me. Mascara runs down her face and the sight of her so thoroughly worked over makes my balls draw up. A tingle starts in the base of my spine. “Shit!” I roar as I flood her mouth.
She swallows it down, and a buzz begins in my head, blocking out everything else. She leans back on her heels, and I see splashes of my seed around her mouth. I wipe one off with my pointer finger, and she licks it off. “Fuck that’s hot.”
“Still as good as I remember,” she whispers.
“Shit, we need to get dressed and eat before I spend the rest of the night fucking you.” I bend down and untie her, massaging her wrists, to make sure the blood is circulating. We need to talk this shit out before I get inside of her. Because once that happens, there will be no turning back.