Chapter 20
Josie
He stood over me, watching as I squirmed under the heat of his stare. Damn. I’d missed the way he looked at me, like I was something precious to him, something he’d give his life to protect. I knew then there was no turning back. I meant something to him, and I loved him, heart and soul. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for him. I needed to feel the warmth of his body pressed against mine and feel the heat of his breath against my skin, so I pleaded, “Mike, please.”
He reached for his jeans, and when he pulled a condom from his wallet, I shook my head, “No. You don’t need it. I’m on the pill.”
With that, he dropped it on the floor and lowered himself onto the bed, settling himself between my legs. I gasped when he reached for my thighs and pulled me closer to him. His hand drifted down between my legs, cupping my heat as his fingers raked across my center. “You’re so fucking wet.”
His breath was strained as he looked down at me with hunger in his eyes, and I knew he wanted me just as badly as I wanted him. He brushed his thickness against me, teasing me as he ground his hips against mine until I wrapped my legs around him, pulling him deep inside me. My entire body was consumed with need, making it impossible to focus on anything except the touch of his hands on my body, the soft whisper of his kiss, and the tingling sensation that surged through me whenever he shifted deeper within me.
At first his rhythm was slow, intense and demanding, but he suddenly stopped moving and whispered, “Later, I’m going to take my time with you. I’m gonna make you come over and over again.” His voice was low and needful, making my entire body burn for him. “But for now, I’m going to fuck you hard and fast.” He quickly pulled back before plunging deep inside me once again. “Need to feel you come undone for me.” His pace continued to increase, setting my entire body on fire.
“Yes! Oh God, yes.”
He pulled back and crashed into me again and again, driving me wild with every hard, deep thrust. I felt the familiar sensation of his piercing against my G spot, and a warmth started building in my lower abdomen. My fingers dug into the comforter, twisting and pulling, as my back arched off the bed. A deep growl vibrated through his chest as his fingers slipped into my hair, pulling back so he could expose my neck. His breath caressed my skin as he began nipping and sucking from the base of my ear down to my collarbone. My legs tightened around him as my hips involuntarily jolted forward, meeting his thrusts and taking him even deeper. I inhaled a labored breath as my body trembled and convulsed beneath him. Every muscle clenched around him as my orgasm took hold. He continued his relentless rhythm as my body jolted beneath him. Each thrust was more demanding than the last as he came closer to the edge. I was still floating on the high of my own release when I felt his body grow rigid. A deep groan echoed through the room as he drove deep inside me, holding still as he found his release.
My body fell limp as my legs dropped to the mattress and let out an exaggerated breath. “That was even better than I remembered.”
A sexy little smirk crossed his face as he looked down at me. “Baby, I’m just getting started.”
“You’re gonna have to give me a minute. I can’t even feel my legs.”
He chuckled as he lowered himself onto the bed and pulled me over to his side. I rested my head on his shoulder and listened to the rapid beating of his heart. His arm curled around me, pulling me closer. “You’re amazing, Josie Carmichael. I didn’t know it was possible to love someone so much.”
Hearing those words from him sent a shot straight to my heart. He’d showed me in countless ways, but he’d never actually said the words. My eyes met his as I said, “I love you, too. More every minute.”
His mouth pressed against mine for a brief moment, then he turned his attention over to my bag sitting on the floor. “I hope you didn’t do much unpacking.”
“I’ve only done a little. Why?”
“Cause we’re taking your stuff over to my place later tonight. You’ll be staying there, not here.”
“Staying with you?”
“That’s what I said.” He kissed me on the temple and dropped his head back down on the pillow.
“Wait.” I propped myself up on my elbow and couldn’t hide my surprise as I asked, “You don’t live here?”
“No, baby. I’ve got a place up towards Hurricane Ridge. It’s just easier to stay here when we have stuff going on.”
I lowered my head back down on his chest. “Okay, that makes sense, but I have an apartment of my own. Things I’ll need to take care of.”
“Don’t sweat the small stuff. Just minor details that we’ll sort later. For now, we’ll get you settled at my place, and then the rest will fall into place.”
He made it all sound so simple, and maybe it was. When you know it’s right, you find a way to make it work. After all we’d been through, it was hard to believe that everything was really coming together so effortlessly. “Is this really happening?”
He gave me a light squeeze as he kissed me on the forehead. “Yeah, sweetheart. It’s really happening, but you should know something… I’m gonna fuck this up. I’m gonna do stupid shit. Gonna say the wrong thing and piss you off. I’m gonna end up aggravating the hell out of you from time to time, but Josie, I promise you this… I will love you like no other man can. Every minute of every hour, you will know that you are mine and nothing will ever be as important to me as you are.”
I looked up at him and smiled. “See… I was right. You are totally my MoonPie.”
“You aren’t going to give that up, are you?” He laughed.
I shrugged my shoulders and giggled. “Well, when I’m right, I’m right.”
“Maybe so.” He looked over at me with lust-filled eyes. “How are those legs feeling?”
A smile crept across my face as I answered, “I can feel them, if that’s what you mean.”
“That’s what I was hoping you’d say.”
He lifted me on top of him, sliding deep inside me as I straddled him. I never knew something could feel so good. I slowly started to rock my hips, and my entire body came alive. We spent the next hour making love, slow and sensual, and by the time we were done, I was just a pile of mush lying next to him.
I could’ve stayed there nestled up next to him for an eternity, but Mike had other ideas. He decided it was time to take me out to his place, so after a hot shower together, we got dressed and headed out into the hall. When we got to the bar, several of the guys were sitting at one of the tables having a drink while the girls were sitting at the bar. Cassidy’s eyes widened with surprise when she spotted us walking through the door. “Josie?”
Henley and Wren turned excitedly at the sound of my name. It felt good to see that they were happy to see me. “Hey, guys.”
“I had no idea you were back. Get your butt over here.”
“I’ll be right back.” Mike gave me a quick wink and headed over to speak to Stitch.
When I got over to the girls, Cassidy reached over the counter and gave me a quick hug. “We haven’t seen you in a while. How’s it going?”
“Going really good actually.”
“How’s Tristen?”
“The first week after we left LA was pretty rough, but things are getting a little easier for her now. She seemed really good when I left. I think she’s missing you guys.”
“We’ve missed her, too. We were really worried about her. I’m glad to hear she’s doing okay.”
Henley glanced over at Mike and then back to me as she whispered, “So, did you and Mr. Big Stuff get yourselves sorted?”
“We did,” I answered, unable to hide my smile.
“Good. I was hoping you would.” Her smile was sincere, and it meant the world to me. “Liking the new look. Your hair looks great.”
I ran my fingers through my hair as I rolled my eyes. “You think so? I don’t even think Mike noticed.”
I hadn’t even realized Mike had walked up until he placed his hands on my hips. “Oh, I noticed.” Without giving me any sign of whether he liked it or not, he leaned over me and asked, “You ready?”
“Where are you two headed?”
“Taking her out to the house.”
“You gonna bring her back soon so we can catch up?”
He placed his hands on my hips. “It’ll have to be tomorrow. She’s all mine tonight.”
“Alright, then. How about lunch one day this week?” Cassidy asked.
“Sounds good to me. Just let me know when and where.”
“I could do Friday,” Henley chimed in. “You good with that, Wren?”
“That would be perfect. Mia is with the sitter on Fridays. Maybe we can get MJ and Allie to come along. I’ll give them a call tomorrow.”
“Tell them we’ll go have Mexican.”
My stomach churned at the thought. “Can we not have Mexican?”
Cassidy grimaced as she replied, “Damn. I’m sorry, girl. I wasn’t even thinking. We can have whatever you want.”
“How about Italian?” I suggested.
“Consider it a plan.”
“Looking forward to it.”
When Mike and I turned to leave, one of them yelled, “You two have fun.”
“Try to behave, Henley.”
By the time we got on the bike and out on the main road, the sun was starting to set. As we got farther into the mountains, it was absolutely breathtaking. I’d never seen anything so beautiful, and being on the bike made it that much better. The fresh air, the cool breeze against my face, and being so close to Mike made it a perfect drive. We hadn’t been riding long when he pulled onto a long, curvy driveway that led to a ranch-style house on the side of the mountain. I’m not sure where I imagined he’d live, but this definitely wasn’t what I was expecting. It was a gorgeous house painted dark gray with long white shutters and windowpanes with a wraparound porch. There were potted plants lining the steps and white chairs nestled by the front door.
He parked the bike and waited for me to get off. As I took off my helmet, I continued to look around the yard and out over the mountain. “Mike, this place is unbelievable.”
“Glad you like it.” He reached for my hand as he started for the steps. “But it could use a woman’s touch.”
He unlocked the door and motioned for me to go inside. I stepped through the door into a large living room with dark, wood floors and taupe-colored walls. It was simple and very masculine, but a few touches of color and some simple art work or flowers would be all it would take to make it perfect. The large kitchen was warm and inviting with its white cabinetry and stainless steel appliances. I took a few steps down the hall, but stopped when I walked past his office. His office at the club was impressive, but it was nothing in comparison to this. Every computer gadget known to man was crammed in that room, making me wonder why he didn’t use it more often. I continued down the hall to his bedroom. It was your typical guy’s bedroom with a king size bed and dark furniture. Like the rest of the house, it was simple yet elegant. I couldn’t believe I’d actually be living here. “I really love it, Mike.”
“You haven’t seen anything, yet.”
He started walking towards the back and opened a door. He motioned for me to follow him outside. When I stepped out onto the porch, the view blew me away. Even in the dark, I could see mountains for miles. It was absolutely stunning. “I don’t ever want to leave from this spot.”
He came up behind me, towering over me as he wrapped his arms around my waist. “I love it out here. Great place to forget your troubles.”
“Do you spend a lot of time out here?”
“Not as much as I’d like to. Thinking that will change now.”
“Probably so, because I’m gonna want my coffee out here every morning.”
“Is that right?”
“Mmm-hmm.” I nodded. “Every morning.”
“And who’s gonna be making this coffee for you every morning?”
“Depends on who gets up first. Something tells me that’s gonna be you most days.” I tried to hold back my laugh. “You do know how to make coffee, right?”
“I think I can manage, but it’s gonna cost you,” he teased.
“Oh, yeah?”
“Gotta pay the toll, baby.”
Knowing exactly what he meant and knowing that I would be getting just as much as him out of that toll, I replied, “I’m sure we can work something out.”
“I’m sure we can,” he chuckled.
I don’t know what triggered the thought, but I found myself thinking of Tristen and Nitro. Maybe it was because I was so happy and I desperately wanted the same for my sister. I had no idea how she truly felt about Nitro. It was obvious that he felt something for her. It was written all over his face whenever he talked about her, and I couldn’t help but wonder what was going to happen between the two of them. The cards were already stacked against them, and with everything that happened in LA, things were only going to get harder for them.
“I probably shouldn’t ask, but what’s gonna happen with the club and Nitro?”
“You’re right. You shouldn’t ask.”
I turned around to face him and placed my hands on his chest. “I’m not asking what he does for the club or any of that. I just want to know if things are going to be okay between Nitro and the brothers. Can you tell me that?”
“Nitro will be fine with or without the club, and we will be fine without him.”
“So… that’s a no?”
“I don’t know how things are going to play out between Nitro and Cotton. Ultimately, that’s between them.”
“But she’s doing so much better. You should’ve seen that place. The counselors and the—”
“None of that matters, Josie.” He could see that I was worried, so he placed his hand on my shoulder. “Things will work themselves out.”
“I hope so.”
“Nitro has a way of growing on you.”
I shook my head and sighed. “He does, and it’s frustrating as hell. I wanted to hate him, but I couldn’t, not with everything he was doing for Tristen.”
“Don’t always agree with his methods, but he makes things happen. Gotta give him that.” He reached for my hand and pulled me over to him. “You hungry?”
“Starving.”
“I’ve got steaks we could grill, or we could go into town for something.”
“I’d rather stay here if it’s okay with you.”
“Absolutely.” He reached into his pocket for his phone. “I’ll get one of the guys to bring your stuff over so you can get settled.”
“That would be great.”
“Make yourself comfortable while I go get dinner started.” He bent down and kissed me tenderly before he turned and headed inside. I stood there for a moment, feeling in complete awe of how dramatically my life had changed in such a short time. One horrific moment in time transcended me into a life I could’ve only imagined. Like Nitro had once told me, there was no way to know what the future held, but for the first time since my parents died, I felt like everything was going to be okay. More than okay. Things were going to be good. Very good indeed.