Chapter 12
Ginger
Present
"I scored one!" Lola giggled into my ear.
It was the end of our shift, and I was too tired to care if Lola had managed to snag one of her customers. I watched her dance away to clean up one of her tables. "Which one?" I asked, wiping down one of my tables and stacking the chairs.
"Honey, I didn't get a name. All I care about is getting his big, fat dick inside me and scratching the itch I've had all day."
I rolled my eyes. "You're such a slut." She just laughed. "I hope he has a tiny little dick. It'd serve you right."
"What would serve her right?" Carrie asked as she walked up to us with a rag and a spray bottle in hand.
"Lola scored one. I was just telling her that I hope he has a small dick."
"One of the hotties at that table of three?" Carrie asked with raised brows as she sprayed down a table top. Lola laughed like a giddy teenager. I rolled my eyes again and nodded. "Wow. You work fast. So, which one?"
I was the one laughing now. Carrie glanced at me in confusion. "We just had that conversation. Lola doesn't care to get names."
"Well, what did he look like?" She began stacking chairs.
"The hottie who was sitting in the booth first."
My heart dropped, but I schooled my expression not to give anything away. She was talking about Rebel. Fuck! I continued to work, when what I really wanted to do was run to the back. And then what? Break down? I had to remind myself that Rebel and I were nothing to each other.
"He's going to give me a ride home," Lola continued, oblivious to the turmoil inside me.
I kept quiet at that news. Rebel had given me a ride to the bar, so I'd naturally thought that he was going to take me home. Typical horny male. Diss one woman for the one who'll put out, and be obvious about it.
"So you think that means he's going to do you?" Carrie scoffed.
"Oh, he'll fuck me." Her tone was over the top with confidence. "I know how to lure a man into my panties." Carrie and I both stopped to stare at her. "Give him a wet kiss that ends with a little bite, run a finger down his zipper, or smooth my hands up his abs beneath his shirt." She shrugged, pleased with herself. "Never fails."
"What about your car?"
She shrugged again. "By morning he'll be so enamored with my pussy that he won't care that I told a little fib to get him to fuck me. He'll bring me back for my car."
"Is she for real?" Carrie rushed out in disbelief, glancing my way.
"Maybe her pussy is gold plated," I mumbled, finishing up my last table. The thought of her and Rebel fucking wasn't an image that I wanted in my head, but it was there, very real, and taunting me. I couldn't wait to get out of there. I tried to convince myself that I didn't care who Rebel took home, but the truth was that I did. "Well, ladies, I'm done for the night." I wasn't looking forward to walking home in stilettos.
"Have a good weekend," Carrie said as I walked away. "Tell Della I hope she's feeling better."
Like Della, I was off the next two days, thank God. Maybe she would feel up to spending the day at the spa like we'd talked about, or, if not, the beach. I intended to relax and rejuvenate on my days off, especially after the grueling week I’d had. I dropped my cleaner and rag off in the storage closet and washed my hands, and then I pushed my way out the back door with the intention of walking the short trek home.
I'd taken half a dozen steps from the building when I heard, "Where the hell do you think you're going?"
I spun around with a shriek, my hand flying up to cover my heart. I recognized Rebel's voice, but I couldn't see him. I narrowed my eyes against the darkness, finally seeing the glitter of his sharp eyes as he slowly stepped forward into the light. His rugged expression gave nothing away of what he was feeling or thinking. The fact that he'd obviously forgotten that I'd needed a ride home pissed me off.
"Unless your bike has room for two more, I'm walking home."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
I slapped my hands onto my hips. "How quickly you forget. Lola? You're taking her home, and then, according to her, fucking her." I turned to walk away, but his laughter stopped me. I clenched my teeth to fight the tears that were stinging my eyes.
"Jealous?"
He was a cruel bastard. "No. Tired. And you have to care about someone to feel jealousy."
"If I remember correctly, my exact words to her were, 'One of us will get you home.'"
"Well, she thinks it's you."
He snorted. "She just wants dick, doesn't matter from which one of us it comes from. I think Jace is going to oblige her. He's waiting for her out front. Now get on my bike, unless you'd rather go with Jace."
I raised my chin, angry at his indifference. I had a feeling that Rebel was playing with me, and I didn't like it one bit. "Maybe I would."
That seemed to snap him out of his coldhearted disposition. I heard the sound of a low growl, and my eyes widened as I searched the darkness surrounding us until I realized that the sound had come from him. "Don't test me, angel." His words were sharp and to the point, and held a threat that I didn't want to contemplate.
I thought that he had a lot of nerve to lay down the law to me. He had no control over me. I threw his words back at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"
He took a step closer to me. "It means that you won't be riding on the back of another brother's bike. It means that I'll be the only one bringing you to work, and taking you home." He stopped too closely, causing a shiver to run over me. "It means that until your debt is paid, you belong to me."
He couldn't be serious! The absurdity of his assertion made me want to laugh. He had to be joking, right? "You're crazy!" I laughed softly. But Rebel didn't laugh. In fact, his expression hadn't changed in the slightest bit to show that he wasn't serious.
The back door opened and his friend Jace stepped out. He must have been in the restroom while we'd been cleaning up. He paused for a minute and lit a cigarette, and then his eyes moved back and forth between Rebel and me.
"Am I interrupting something?"
Rebel shook his head. "Naw. I thought you were taking blondie home."
Jace chuckled deeply. "I was gonna, but the lady took me to the bathroom. I'm not really into blonds, but she has a talented mouth and a tighter pussy. Got me off twice in less than twenty."
I wasn't sure that I wanted to hear how good Lola was in the sex department, but it appeared that both men had forgotten that I was there.
"I have to say, she was expecting you, brother." He took a long drag on his cigarette. "But once she saw the size of my dick . . ." He trailed off, leaving the rest to our imaginations.
Rebel laughed.
I'd had enough.
"Jace--" He turned his attention my way. "Would you mind giving me a ride home?" I ignored Rebel's warning growl. "I can pay you."
Jace's mouth curled up at the corners. "Well, darlin', I wouldn't normally turn down a pretty woman, but the warning snarl I just got from your man tells me that if I put my hands on you there'll be trouble."
"He's not my man," I said stubbornly, shooting what I hoped was my own warning look to Rebel. But he didn't look worried in the least.
Jace shrugged. "Maybe not, but you're his woman, and Rebel and I go way back. I'd never fight a brother over a woman." He took a last drag of his smoke and flicked the butt away. "Sorry, darlin'." A thin stream of smoke filtered out of the corner of his mouth. Then he and Rebel exchanged a look, one that conveyed a silent message that only they understood. "See you in the morning, brother."
Rebel acknowledged him with a subtle lift of his chin, and Jace walked around the building to the front parking lot. "What's happening in the morning?"
"Club business." Short and to the point.
I frowned, thinking about the Red Devils. "What club do you belong to now?"
"I'm a nomad, angel. Just like Jace and Moody. We do jobs for whatever MC needs us. Come on." He grasped my upper arm and led me to his bike. "I need to get a few hours of sleep before I meet them."
"So I take it that you're staying at my place again tonight?" I waited for him to mount his bike before getting on behind him. It irked me that he didn't even ask me if it was okay for him to stay at my place.
"Yep. We can deduct it from your debt." He made sure that my arms were snug around him, my hands linked at his lower belly, and then he started his bike.
Only once on the way home did he reach back and jerk me closer, and then let his hand clamp down on my naked thigh. He gave it a squeeze before releasing it, and then we were at my apartment. By then I was tingling all over from a combination of Rebel's body heat and the constant vibration of the bike between my thighs. I supposed that he was used to it, but it was torture for me. With a shock, I realized that I wanted to come.
"Home sweet home." Rebel reached back and assisted me off of the bike.
I stood waiting for him to dismount, but he sat for a minute, staring straight ahead. He seemed to be thinking deeply about something. There was a tic in his tight jaw, as if whatever it was that was going through his mind was unpleasant. His silhouette was strong and compelling, and for some reason I wanted to reach up and smooth away the unspoken worry on his face. I swallowed apprehensively as the silence between us became unnerving, wondering how long we would remain standing there, and then suddenly the sky opened up, drenching us within seconds.
Rebel dismounted his bike before I even had the chance to take off running. He was a couple of steps behind me when I stumbled in my stupid heels. With a squeal, I felt myself falling, but then he was there, his strong hands catching me around the waist. He half-lifted, half-pushed me under the protective overhang of the building. Laughing, soaking wet, I found myself being spun around, and then my back was up against my door. Rebel moved in close until we were flush, fitting his hard body against my softer curves. I froze, barely able to breathe, as he lowered his mouth to mine.
I opened my mouth to his instantly, meeting the thrust of his tongue with a moan of desire. Heat immediately consumed me, and I brought my arms up and linked them around his neck. He groaned low at my submission, grinding his hard cock into me as I fingered the hair at the back of his neck. His kiss was rough and persuasive, leaving my body on sensory overload. I felt wetness pool in my panties, my clit throbbed, and I tried to close my legs to appease the building ache there. Rebel's hands twisted in my wet hair as he ground his mouth against mine.
The feel of his hands opened up a volcano of need inside of me. Rebel didn't just touch me, his hands explored my curves with a hunger that was almost frightening. The heat of his palms cupped my breasts, his thumbs flicking at my already erect nipples, before he covered the full mounds and squeezed them almost too roughly. His deep groan revealed that his control was slipping. I whimpered with pleasure when his hands glided down my sides, then back up to caress my breasts again.
Our lower bodies thrust against each other, straining toward something just out of our reach. In spite of the clothing between us, it felt good. Really good. I ran my hands over Rebel's wide shoulders and down his super defined biceps, clenching my nails into his flexing muscles beneath his t-shirt. The man took care of himself, he was hard as a rock, everywhere. I could feel the size and power of his thick thighs against me and the way that they tightened when he ground his cock into my soft belly.
I was fully engrossed in what he was making me feel. I was so wet and needy between my legs that nothing else mattered, not the storm, or the fact that we were still outside where anyone could see us. Darkness was beyond the dim yellow light that was flickering just outside my door, but it might as well have been a floodlight. The longer Rebel kissed me, the weaker I grew.
I needed him.
I wanted him more.
So it surprised me when I found the strength to plant my palms against his chest and push him away. We were both out of breath, our hot breaths mingling where our lips were poised, wet and swollen. Rebel was a lot taller than me, but he'd remained bent at a level that put our faces within inches from each other. My pulse was racing wildly, and I clutched the material over his pecs to remain on my feet.
"That was some fucking kiss," he rasped, his nostrils flaring.
"It was intense," I agreed, trying to slow down my breathing. Lightning lit the sky, the bolt that flashed across the sky reflecting in our eyes. Suddenly, both of us realized the urgency that we had to get inside.
"Let's go inside." He dug for something in his pocket, the key, and pushed me in ahead of him.
I heard him close and lock the door behind us, continuing further inside. "I'm going to get a quick shower." I would do that, and then check on Della before turning in.
"Running, angel?" I heard his hoarse, amused tone behind me.
Damn him, he knew what he was doing to me!
So yes, I was running.
It was called survival.