EIGHT
By the time Lilly’s plane landed in California, it was four in the morning. When she stepped out of the terminal, she saw one of her favorite sights. Cass was sound asleep in a chair waiting for her. Lilly walked over to him and gently placed her hand on his shoulder.
“Hey, sleepy head,” she said. Cass bolted upright, grabbing her wrist. “Easy, killer. It’s just me.” He looked up at her. “Hey. I’m little and brittle. Could you ease up on that death grip?” she asked, eyeballing his hand.
Realization flashed across his face. He let go. “Oh, shit. I’m sorry, baby.”
Standing up, Cass grabbed Lilly’s face and kissed her. She felt so much passion when his lips collided with hers, it felt like he urged every emotion he had into them. Cass pulled back and rested his forehead on hers, their noses still touching, but his eyes closed. His look was a combination of relief and happiness, buried beneath a smile.
“My god, I missed you, pretty girl,” he said, his eyes still closed.
Lilly rubbed her nose against his. “Ditto.”
Trying to contain herself, Lilly wrapped her arms around Cass’s waist and ran her hands up his back and across his shoulders before kissing him again. What she felt in that moment was indescribable. She envisioned electricity flowing between their lips. It felt like blue sparks coursing between them, one that radiated throughout her whole body.
“Slow down, Turbo,” Cass said, pulling away from Lilly.
She pursed her lips in protest. “Sorry,” Lilly said, not feeling sorry at all. Cass flashed her that smile that she loved so much. Holy fuck. I need to get him to the hotel. Right now.
“Let’s get out of here.” Cass grabbed Lilly’s hand before turning to walk through the airport. “Nice dress.” Cass almost sounded sarcastic.
“Thank you. This smoking hot biker sent it to me.” Lilly beamed.
Once they reached the parking lot, Cass led her to a black Ford F-150. He stopped at the passenger door to open it and motioned for Lilly to get in. Lilly couldn’t help the look on her face as she grabbed him by the back of his neck and pulled his face to hers. Twisting her fingers in his hair, she kissed him, hard. She had never had anyone kiss her that way, and, dammit, she needed more of it. Nothing else in the world mattered, nothing but Cass’s lips making blue sparks every time they touched hers.
Cass slammed Lilly up against the side of the truck, the open passenger door serving as some sort of wall that separated them from anyone else. She gasped to fight the scream that threatened to escape when her bare ass touched the metal of the truck. Cass didn’t say anything, a smirk the only indication that he realized what happened. He picked her legs up, and Lilly was grateful that she didn’t wear underwear.
His hands explored her body, and when he reached her thighs, he stopped. Realizing she wasn’t wearing anything under her dress, his fingers began to tease her clit, rubbing one by one over her ever so lightly. They both let out a moan when Cass’s fingers finally landed on her entrance and he inserted one, slowly.
“You’re so fucking wet for me. That’s my wet pussy.” Cass ran his finger from her entrance up to her clit then back down again. Lilly whimpered, her body aching for him to give her more.
She ran her hands over his chest, his stomach, and down to the hard cock that throbbed just beneath his blue jeans. Cass moaned as he pulled his mouth from hers. Lilly took that moment to bite his bottom lip. Cass thrust his hips forward, pressing himself harder into her hand. Lilly pulled at his belt, finally getting it undone and freeing him from his jeans. Cass’s moan turned her on even more. His fingers moved charismatically on her clit while she long-stroked his dick. The feeling of ecstasy consumed her, and she knew she was building for that sweet release. Lilly moved Cass’s hand and pulled his hips to her. That was all the initiative he needed. Cass slid inside her, giving her all of him inch by inch.
“Baby, you feel so fucking good inside me. Fuck me, baby.” Lilly moaned as Cass taunted her, still sliding in and out of her slowly.
Lilly grabbed him by the back of his head and pulled his lips to her. She kissed him, her tongue crashing into his. She pulled back and looked him in his eyes.
“I want you to fuck me, hard,” she begged.
Cass reached his hands under her ass cheeks, spreading her open so she could take all of him. As he continued to move in and out of her, his pace picked up and his grip on her ass tightened. Lilly smirked, knowing his release was coming. Cass reached one hand up to grab her by the face, pulling her to him. His lips found hers, and his tongue invaded her mouth, swirling around her own. He repositioned her against the truck, pounding into her. She gasped, her mouth forming an “O” from the sting of the cold metal on her ass. Lilly’s tongue circled his ear.
“Come with me, baby,” she whispered, knowing that would send him over the edge. Cass slowed his pace but rammed harder into her. Lilly looked up, her eyes meeting his. “Choke me. I’m coming for you,” Lilly cried as she felt herself let go. Cass’s hand wrapped around her throat, stifling the moans that dared to escape her lips.
“Keep coming for me, baby. Fuck yeah,” Cass let out as he slammed into her once more. A subtle look of pleasure crept onto Lilly’s face as she felt Cass come inside of her.
“Holy fuck,” Cass breathed as his head fell onto Lilly’s chest. Lilly’s arms wrapped around the back of his neck, and she ran her hands through his sweat-drenched hair.
“Yes, holy fuck. I so missed you,” Lilly said, pulling Cass’s head up to kiss him again.
“I missed you too, baby.” Cass unwrapped Lilly’s legs from around his waist and set her down. “Now, to bring you to our hotel, and I’ve got to get to work,” Cass said, pulling his jeans up and buckling his belt.
Lilly hopped in the passenger seat and pouted. “But I just got here.” She stuck her bottom lip out and widened her eyes. Cass smirked at her.
“I know, and you need to get some rest. By the time you wake up, I’ll be back and you and I have plans this evening.” He closed her door and walked around to the driver’s side.
Cass got in the truck, and Lilly found herself leaning over the center console to kiss him again. His lips fit so well with hers. She wanted to take advantage of it as much as she could. Cass pulled away first, again.
“We have to go,” he breathed, almost a whisper.
Lilly’s inner goddess danced at the thought of what she did to him when she kissed him. “Yes sir.”
She sat back in her seat and put her seatbelt on. Cass cranked the truck and plugged his phone into the auxiliary cord. The Zac Brown Band erupted through the speakers, and Lilly kicked her shoes off and pulled her legs into the seat with her. The view when they pulled out of the parking garage was breathtaking. The sun had just started to rise above the horizon, lighting the city up in various shades of red and orange. Cass set his hand on the center console and, almost instinctively, Lilly placed her hand in his. He raised her hand to his lips, kissing each individual finger, causing her to giggle and leaving a smile on her face.
Lilly could feel a light shining from within, one that she had not felt in a very long time. Today, for the first time in what felt like an eternity, Lilly did not worry about everything else going on in her life. She did not worry about the paid payments on rent, the stress of the grand opening of the bar and hoping it did well, or anything else. Today, Lilly was finally feeling back to her old self, feeling like she could conquer anything that came her way and enjoying being alive.
She could feel Cass’s eyes on her.
“What?” she asked.
“Just looking at how beautiful you are,” he said and turned his eyes back to the highway in front of them.
“How far is it to the hotel?” she asked. Not that it matters. I don’t care if we ever leave this truck.
“It’s about twenty minutes away. Why? You wanting to get away from me already?”
Lilly laughed at his remark. “Not in the least. But sleep does sound pretty good right about now.” She fought the urge to yawn.
“Oh yeah. You’re going to be down for the count as soon as your head hits the pillow.”
Lilly’s phone chimed in the cup holder next to her. She didn’t remember putting it there. Cass might have. Before . . . Lilly shivered at the thought of what had happened.
“Are you cold?” Cass asked, reaching to turn the heater on.
“No. No, that wasn’t a shiver from being cold,” Lilly said and, as her eyes met his, she knew that he understood exactly what she meant. His eyes darkened, and a playful smile emerged on his face. Lilly wanted to rip his clothes off again.
“Oh. Well. Ahh,” he said as he licked one finger and marked an invisible tally mark into the air. “I’ll take it.”
Lilly’s cheeks were beginning to hurt from the constant smile she had. Picking her phone up, she saw she had two unread text messages. One was from Mindy and the other from a number that wasn’t stored in her contacts. She opened Mindy’s first.
“Let me know when you land. And HAVE FUN!”
Lilly replied. “Landed. And the fun has already begun.” She attached a winking emoji to the end. Mindy would understand exactly what she meant. Opening the text from the other number, she smiled.
“It’s Scott. Tell Cass to call me when he can, no rush. Didn’t want to interrupt him while he waited. I figure he was asleep. He needs that.”
“Okay, will do.” Lilly locked her phone and put it back where she got it.
“Scott said to call him when you get a minute.” Lilly jumped when Cass filled the truck with laughter.
“Why didn’t he just text me?”
“He said he didn’t want to interrupt you while you slept, basically.”
Cass shook his head. “Now I’m starting to wonder who is babysitting who.”
Lilly couldn’t resist. “I’m definitely babysitting you. Someone has to fend off all of these women throwing themselves at you.” She shot him a wink.
“Please. Women do not throw themselves at me. I’m just a man.”
He has no idea how fucking sexy he is. He could have any woman that he wanted. Any single one of them.
“I’m glad you think that. Even if your thoughts are the furthest thing from the truth.” Cass looked at Lilly out of the corner of his eyes, the curve of his lips twitching, holding back a smile.
Hardcore biker has a soft side, and it’s fucking adorable.
Lilly sat quietly as she took in the sight of Cass, driving and enjoying the music playing. The sun danced on his face perfectly. Beautiful rays shone on his eyes, making them glisten with shades of dark blues and greens. One arm rested on the steering wheel while the other was propped on the center console holding Lilly’s hand. She took this moment to scan every inch of him. His goatee was black with just enough strands of gray in it to make Lilly have to rub her thighs together. The wetness of her pussy made her leg twitch. His right arm had a tattoo of a gargoyle-looking claw that wrapped around his arm, making up one of his half-sleeves. His left arm had an actual gargoyle on it, wings spread, curving down his bicep almost onto his forearm. The black shirt he wore fit just tight enough around him to outline every muscle from the top of his shoulders to his lower abdomen.
Lilly’s hands traced over the bottom of his tattoo, and before she knew it, she was running her hands over his shoulders and back down his arms. Cass cut his eyes at her playfully.
“What? You just feel so fucking good.” She continued to explore his upper body with her hands.
“You better stop. You’re going to make me late for work.”
Make him late for work? I’m down. So down.
“And I can’t be late today,” Cass said, crushing all thoughts Lilly had of taking advantage of him when they got to the hotel. Cass’s phone rang, killing the music playing. There was no name showing on the radio—just a number. When Cass saw it, his whole posture changed. His body tensed, and the soft look that had been on his face only moments before was now long gone. In its place was a cold, distant stare. She could tell in that moment that this was not the man she knew.
“Cass.” The voice belonged to a man, sounding to be in his sixties. His voice was deep and raspy. There was no emotion in his tone.
“Curt,” Cass said.
“Your ride is waiting at the hotel. Where are you?” Cass took in a breath and gritted his teeth. He was not happy about whatever it was that was happening.
“I’m on my way. I will come to you,” Cass growled.
“Get here. You’re late,” Curt barked and the call ended.
What the hell was that about?
“I’m dropping you off at the front door of the hotel. I’m not coming in. I’ve got to go. I’m late,” Cass said, his voice dry and cold.
“Okay.” Lilly managed to get out the word, not sure if Cass heard her. Who is this man? And what happened to the sweet, playful man that was just there moments ago? Lilly was starting to question why she was here. She didn’t feel welcome anymore, and she was unsure of what to say, if anything.
When they pulled up at the hotel, Cass’s face seemed to be a statue. There was no life in it. Lilly leaned over to kiss Cass before getting out, and he didn’t budge. He simply handed her the hotel key and stared ahead.
What the fuck? Slightly annoyed and a little upset, Lilly took the key and got out of the truck. She stormed toward the front door of the hotel, but only after making sure to slam the truck door when she got out. I’m fucking pissed, and he’s going to know it. I don’t care. There is no reason for him to ignore the fuck out of me like that, especially after our morning. He asked me to come here. He made it possible. I didn’t ask for this. And I sure as hell didn’t ask to be treated like shit once I got here.
Lilly could hear the tires screech as she walked through the door of the hotel. Good. She tried to fight back the tears that threatened the back of her eyes, and then she had to fight back the tears of anger at the thought of why she was even upset. Walking into the hotel room, everything was clean. Nothing was out of place. On the desk in the room was a notebook open to a page with writing. Nothing written in the notebook made any sense. It was just a bunch of movie titles.
“So, he’s into music and movies. Nice.”
Exhaustion set in as Lilly lay across the bed. She had been up for entirely too long and the orgasm she had only an hour earlier had taken the rest of her energy. The last thing that crossed her mind before the darkness of sleep engulfed her was Cass and why he had been so ugly.
Lilly didn’t dream. Everything was dark, and she truly rested for the first time in weeks. Although there was so much weighing on her mind, the amount of exhaustion outweighed the thoughts she had.
Lilly woke up to a knock on the hotel room door. Sitting up and rubbing her eyes, she tried to recap everything that had happened the day before. Where am I? Okay, I’m alone. Hotel. Cass. California. Another knock on the door came, and this time Lilly got up to answer it. Looking through the peephole in the door, Lilly noticed a man who had the same purple and gold rebel flag patch Cass did on his cut.
“Can I help you?” Lilly asked. The man held up two bags that had “Tauna’s Boutique” written on them.
“Cass sent me here with clothes for you,” the guy outside the door said.
Opening the door, Lilly looked at the man. He stood about five foot three, had a dark purple bandana on his head, and a goatee that was about three inches long.
“You can come in,” Lilly said and moved out of the way for the man to enter. Walking in, he set the bags down, but not before Lilly noticed the bottom rocker on his cut that read “PROSPECTIVE.”
“I’m Shorty,” he said.
“Lilly.”
“Nice to meet you. I had my wife go do some shopping for you. Cass said you needed something to wear because you ended up here without clothes.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.” Lilly gave him a small smile.
“I’ve got to get out of here, but Cass told me to leave my number with you in case you need anything while he is working.” Shorty handed Lilly a piece of paper with his number scrawled on it.
“Thank you.”
Shorty nodded at her then walked out the door. As soon as Shorty was gone, Lilly walked over to the bags of clothes and dumped their contents on the bed.
“Shorty’s wife did great. Wow.” Lilly went through everything in the bags. There were three dresses, two pairs of jeans, and two shirts along with a bottle of perfume. “At least he did something sweet to try to make up for his actions yesterday. Yesterday? What time is it?”
Checking the clock by the bed, Lilly found that it was four in the evening. She had slept for only a portion of the day, and Cass should be getting back any minute now. He had said he would be back by the time she woke up, and if Shorty wouldn’t have woken her up, she would have probably slept for another few hours.
“Damn, I’m starving. Where’s the room service menu around here?” Searching the room, Lilly found all sorts of menus. There were menus for restaurants that delivered and for the actual hotel room service. Finding a cheeseburger on her stomach’s wish list, she called in and ordered one. Then, remembering Cass should be back any minute, she called and ordered another one.
It didn’t take long for the burgers to make it to the room, and she devoured hers within two minutes. Mulling over the last twenty-four hours, Lilly realized she hadn’t eaten since breakfast yesterday morning.
No wonder I was so hungry. Oh, shit. I probably have texts and phone calls galore. Lilly reached for her phone. It was ringing when she picked it up. Mindy was calling.
“Hello love,” Lilly said, her voice thick with sleep.
“Hey! I’ve been trying to get in touch with you since I got up this morning. What have you been doing?” Mindy’s voice was cheerful.
“Sleeping,” Lilly told her.
“Oh. I forgot that you had been up for forever and a day by the time you actually made it to Cali. Okay, so anyway, to the reason I was calling. The new bartenders are amazing!” Mindy’s happiness almost exploded through the phone.
“Are they?”
“Yes! Ryan is doing a phenomenal job at everything. She isn’t a seasoned bartender, but I think that with the right training, she will be just as good as you and me. And Lucy is right on track, too. Make sure you tell Cass thank you for me. He really has helped by bringing those two in.” Mindy’s bubbly voice made Lilly smile.
“Will do. Whenever he gets off work. He should be getting here any minute now. I’m so happy the girls are working out.” Lilly tried to sound happy and enthusiastic, but she wasn’t feeling it much at all. After the way things were when Cass left, she was confused.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Mindy asked.
“Nothing, love. I’m just still a little tired.” Please believe it. Please.
“Oh. Did I wake you up? I didn’t even ask. Damn, I’m so inconsiderate.”
“No, you didn’t wake me up. A prospect did. Cass sent me clothes.”
“Aw. That’s so sweet!”
Mindy really needs to work on this bubbly shit. It’s morning.
“Yes ma’am. I think I’m going back to sleep for a few more hours. I’m still pretty tired.” Lilly sounded groggier than when she first answered the phone.
“Okay, my little drifter. Get some sleep. I’ll keep you posted on any new happenings around the bar. Love you! Have fun and get home safe.”
“Love you, too. Bye.”
Lilly hung up the phone and set it next to the bed. She was still tired. Maybe it was because of her long flight on top of not sleeping for a day. I need a shower, then sleep.
Lilly showered quickly and crawled into bed with nothing on. There were no clothes for her to sleep in, and sleeping naked sounded perfect. The bed was huge, making the mattress mold perfectly around her. Before she got too comfortable, she grabbed her phone and sent a text to Cass.
“When will you be back?”
Lilly waited for what felt like hours before she finally allowed herself to go to sleep. The next few hours consisted of dreams of Cass, and when Lilly opened her eyes, it was pitch black in the hotel room. The only light came from the alarm clock next to the bed. Twelve eighteen.
I can’t believe I slept that long. Where’s Cass? Lilly patted the bed next to her. It was empty.
Turning on the lamp, she found that Cass wasn’t in the other bed either. She grabbed her phone and saw that there were no messages or missed calls.
What the fuck?
Panic started to set in as she dialed Cass’s number. It rang until it went to voicemail. He didn’t answer, and he hadn’t read the text she sent before she fell asleep. Lilly got up and put on a pair of jeans and a shirt. Slipping on the only pair of shoes she had with her, she headed downstairs to the hotel lobby.
Lilly’s head was reeling. If he got off work at a decent time, then he should have been back here. Unless he decided to go out to a bar, or to see someone, or whatever. But he wouldn’t have wanted me here if there was someone else he had to go see in that way. I don’t even know where he was working. I have no fucking idea where to go to find him. Fuck.
Not sure where she was going yet, she called for a cab to come get her. The cab driver arrived in no time, and Lilly got in.
“Where do you need to go, Miss?” he asked.
“Are there any biker hangouts around here?” she asked, hoping she didn’t sound silly.
The cab driver chuckled at her question. “Only about twenty of them. Which one are you looking for?”
“I don’t really know.”
“Are you looking for a particular MC or just any place where you can find a biker?”
“I’m looking for Lucifer’s Hounds,” Lilly said, unsure of whether she should give out that kind of information to just anyone. Too late. Can’t take it back now.
“Lucifer’s Hounds? They have their own bar about ten minutes up the road.”
Lilly smiled at the cab driver’s words. “Take me there.”
If there were any place Cass would be, it would be at the bar his club owned. At least, that’s what she was hoping for. It took less than ten minutes to get from the hotel to the bar. The sign outside was lit up in neon yellow with the name “Killin’ Time” blinking in purple letters. There were about fifteen bikes parked in front of the bar, but Lilly didn’t see Cass’s truck anywhere.
“You sure you want to be at this place, Miss?” the cab driver asked.
“I’m sure,” Lilly said. “How much do I owe you?”
“Fifteen dollars.” Lilly handed the driver the money and got out.
Lilly steadied her breathing and walked through the door. What was on the other side of the door surprised her. From every stereotype she’d ever heard, she expected to see half-naked women walking around, dancing and giving people blowjobs on the bar. However, to her surprise, it was a seemingly normal bar. The jukebox played a George Jones song, and there were patch holders sitting at the bar drinking beer and bullshitting.
No one whistled at Lilly when she walked in, nor did anyone give her so much as a second look. It was a laid-back atmosphere, and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Lilly looked at the men sitting at the bar. Almost every single one of them was Lucifer’s Hounds. A crowd of people began hollering and whistling, catching her attention. Toward the back of the building was a dance floor with people standing in a circle. Her eyes soon found Shorty, the prospect who had delivered her clothes earlier that evening, bouncing everywhere in the center of those people, dancing his ass off.
“Lilly!” Shorty yelled. As he started in her direction, everyone around him moved, clearing a path from the crowd to Lilly. “What are you doing here?” he asked, half out of breath.
“Looking for Cass.” Lilly crossed her arms, almost defensively.
Shorty half-ass giggled. “He isn’t here. But you can uncross your arms. No one here is going to make you leave.”
Lilly sighed and dropped her arms.
“You want a drink?” Shorty led Lilly to the bar.
“Sure. Have you heard from Cass?”
“Nope. Not a word. What are you drinking?”
“Crown and Seven. Double please.” Lilly flashed him a sarcastic smile as he walked behind the bar to make her drink.
Where the fuck is Cass? Why am I even here if he didn’t plan on being around at all?
Lilly’s mind was racing, which made her grateful for the drink Shorty set in front of her.
“Thank you.”
Shorty bowed and waved his hand. “You’re welcome. Are you hanging out for a little while or are you going on a search for Cass?”
Lilly took a long sip of her drink, sighed, and turned toward Shorty. “I have no idea. I’m not going on a manhunt, that’s for sure.”
Lilly took another sip of her drink and scanned the bar. Everyone was talking, and the place had a welcoming feel about it. Shorty was walking back to the crowd he was in the middle of earlier, and Lilly sat alone at the bar. Closing time was right around the corner, and although Lilly wasn’t tired, she didn’t feel like sitting in a bar alone any longer.
She left her drink sitting on the counter and made her way through the crowd until she found Shorty. “I’m going to get out of here. I don’t feel like being out and socializing.”
Shorty hugged her. “Okay. How are you getting back to your hotel?”
“Calling a cab. The same way that I got here,” she said as if it should be blatantly obvious.
“No ma’am. I have a cage. I will bring you. Cass would kill me if I let you leave out of here alone in a town that you don’t know anyone in.”
Shorty grabbed Lilly by the arm and led her to the door. She didn’t protest. She hated being alone, especially in an unfamiliar town. Shorty stopped at the driver door of a gray Toyota Corolla.
“Hop in,” he said as he sat in the driver’s seat. The drive from the bar to the hotel was short and quiet. Shorty didn’t say much and because he knew where the hotel was, Lilly didn’t have to try to give him directions.
It was right at two in the morning when Lilly walked into her hotel room. The room was just the way she had left it, messy and empty. Sighing, she lay across the bed without turning on any lights. Where is he? This sucks. I just want to be held and I want my spot. I want to be curled up in his arms, my head on his chest.
Lilly lay there for what felt like hours. Just as she was drifting off to sleep, she heard the sound of a key card in the door, then the click of it opening. Rolling over, Lilly looked toward the door. A very sleepy-looking Cass emerged. He must have thought she was asleep because he quietly walked to his suitcase. After rummaging through it, he tiptoed to the bathroom. A few minutes later, Lilly heard the shower turn on. Then, she heard it shut off and Cass walked out.
He quietly walked over to the bed and crawled in behind her. He had to be exhausted. He didn’t sleep last night except for the short period of time she saw him at the airport. Cass wrapped his arm around Lilly’s waist, his hand resting on her lower stomach just between her hip and thigh. She lifted her hand to cover his and inched her way back until her entire back side was touching Cass.
“I missed you today,” she whispered.
“Ditto, baby.” And just like that, every worry and negative thought she had throughout the evening was gone, and the only thing in the world that mattered was being right where she was.