CHAPTER THREE
Brick
I grit my teeth as I watch her start moving, her body telling me in a hundred different ways she’s mine. Starlet is everything I need to forget all the bullshit for a night. I take a deep swig of beer, slam the bottle down, then strut over to the dance floor. She’s facing the far wall, caught up in her own thoughts. Admiring her for a few more seconds, my cock throbs with painful need. Has been since the moment she climbed on my bike.
There’s something about her—an odd familiarity even though we only met. As the beat of the song slows, I step behind her, pulling her against me, locking my hands around her. God, it feels good to touch a woman again. I bury my face in her soft hair, breathing in the scent of her shampoo and perfume. Although subtle, I appreciate a woman who takes the time to smell as good as she looks.
When she tries to pull away, I tug her harder against me, making sure she feels how much I want her. I murmur my intention in her ear. “I want you, Starlet. Bad.”
In response, she turns around, draping her arms on my shoulders and looking up at me with those green eyes.
“Prove it,” she says.
Liking a good challenge, I growl, then snake a hand under the length of her hair. I coil it around my fingers and force her head back, exposing her neck. Her lips part, inviting me in. I don’t hesitate, nipping the sensitive flesh just below her ear, first. As soon as my teeth graze her flesh, she closes her eyes and moans. Turned on, I do it again, this time with twisted intent. Does she like a little pain? A soft touch? Or both? Her long fingernails dig into my skin and I get the answer I anticipated. Starlet is wild. I capture her mouth with mine, my tongue overpowering hers, tasting and taking whatever she has to give.
She tilts her head sideways and I thrust my tongue deeper, my hands wandering down her sides until I grip her hips. I hold on firmly and bump against her, mimicking the act of taking a deep thrust inside her. I do it again and again, not caring if we’re being watched. The music switches over to ACDC’s “Giving the Dog a Bone”, and that’s when I realize she’s talking to me through the music.
I can’t hold back the grin.
“What?” she asks.
“You know.” I squeeze her ass cheek, liking how firm she is. Tempted to fill both palms with her flesh, I take a deep breath, knowing I’ll push it too hard too fast if I don’t check myself. That’s one of my problems—so women tell me. Once I’m turned on, I don’t stop—if my partner is willing.
I inch my hands up to the small of her back, giving her some room to move. “Are you trying to tell me something?” I ask.
Her eyes light up. “Wait until the next song comes on.”
Bodies still swaying, one of the old timers at the bar gives us a holler and I wave him off. “Do you think we’ll be here long enough to hear it?” I ask her.
“Oh, I think you might want to stick around.”
Growing more restless, I usher her back to the bar and order two shots of Tequila. I get the are-you-crazy look, but I know what I’m doing. I want to experience Starlet without any inhibitions. The bartender delivers the drinks and I drop a ten spot on the counter.
Starlet squeezes fresh lime into her glass and then drinks it down. “Geez,” she says, “that shit is potent.”
I laugh and do the same. “Want another?”
“No.”
“Reached your limit?”
“With you? Maybe.”
There’s no way in hell this woman doesn’t already belong to another man. She’s sexy and in perfect control of her faculties, even after throwing back a few shots. Starlet doesn’t strike me as the kind of woman who does anything without purpose, including climbing on the back of my bike. I smile at the image in my mind. Then I remember the name tattooed on her arm—who the fuck is Sammy? And if the man has half a brain, what’s his lady doing out in the middle of the night without him? “Where’s Sammy?” I need to know, I’m not into sleeping with married women.
Starlet’s smile fades. “Gone.”
Gone isn’t a good enough answer to satisfy me. I have certain standards—blame the brotherhood for that. “Where?”
“You don’t give up, do you?” she asks.
“Not if I think I have a right to know something.”
“And what gives you that right, Brick?”
I take a drink from my beer. “You want to be with me, baby?”
“Seriously?”
“Dead serious. I don’t sleep with other men’s old ladies.”
Her eyes widen with uncertainty. “We split up a long time ago. Don’t worry about anything, okay? Now try asking me a normal question.”
Something warns me I should probe deeper, but that sweet mouth of hers is a dangerous distraction. All I can think about is what I’m going to do to her once we get to our room. As for normal conversation… “What do you do for a living?”
She leans her head on her palm, her elbow planted on the bar. “I’m a fortune teller.”
I didn’t mean to laugh—but picturing her in a turban and reading a crystal ball just doesn’t fit the beautiful woman I’m looking at. “Bullshit,” I tease. “Maybe a model or stripper.”
“Stripper?” She slaps my arm playfully. “Thanks for the compliment.”
“Have something against dancers?”
“Not really. Just not for me.”
Was never something I’d want my old lady doing, either. When and if I ever commit to someone, her body will belong to me, not on display for other men.
“Give me your hand,” she demands.
“For what?”
“I can read palms.”
I shrug and offer her my right hand, palm up.
She stares at it for a long time, running a finger over my skin. “Would you like to know what this line means? What it reveals about you?”
“Can I take a guess first?”
“Sure.” She gazes at me, waiting.
“I want to fuck you.”
Starlet slaps my arm again and rolls her eyes. “I don’t need to read your palm to tell you that.”
“No,” I say, “you don’t.”
There’s plenty to find out about me. Then I remember her car and wonder why she hasn’t called a tow truck. I offer her my cell phone. “What about your car, Starlet? Shouldn’t you call someone?”
She gets fidgety, folding and unfolding her hands. “In this weather?” she asks. “No one will come out tonight. Things are different out here, not like New Orleans or Lafayette. I’ll take care of it in the morning.”
One of a dozen signs she’s hiding something. I read people, a skill that makes me a valuable asset to the Iron Norsemen. It would have gotten me into the Marines or on the police force, too, that’s what my father always hoped for. I shake the memory off, focusing on the beautiful woman in front of me.
The juke box goes silent for a few seconds, switching songs. Once Closer by Nine Inch Nails comes on, I’m done. It says everything we need to know about each other. I’m not looking for a relationship, just a woman who isn’t afraid to give up control in the bedroom. That’s my domain. It’s where I exorcise the demons from my head. It’s where I take what I need and give just enough to make the experience unforgettable. There’s no room for attachments in my life, no emotional ties or regrets. Just mutual pleasure.
“Ready?” I ask. I want her naked. I want her panting. I want to be balls-deep inside her, kissing that smart-ass mouth, making her scream my name.
I finish my beer and throw Starlet’s backpack over my shoulder. The bartender picks up our dirty glasses and leaves an unopened bottle of Jack Daniels on the counter.
“Wait a second,” Starlet says. “Is that for us?”
“What?” I ask, stuffing the liquor in her open bag so no one can see it.
“That’s illegal,” she points out.
“So are you,” I tease as I direct her outside. “Don’t worry about the bottle, the bartender didn’t mind helping us out.” We’re standing under the overhang, protected from the continuing rain. “The room is around the corner of the building, upstairs. Here.” I give her the key. “You go get ready while I park my bike.”
There’s a flash of doubt in her eyes. “Sure I passed your background check?”
Another warning bell goes off in my head. Hesitation of any kind denotes a guilty conscience, or fear. “I don’t know, Starlet. Did you?”
Our gazes lock for a long, silent moment. At this point, if she told me she was married with five kids, I’d probably break all of my own rules and take her upstairs anyway. The attraction between us is powerful—animalistic and more real than anything I’ve ever felt.
She takes the key and gives me a peck on the cheek. I watch her run around the corner, desperate to join her. What does she look like underneath those clothes? Flawless and soft in all the right places—I’d stake everything I have on it.
There’s covered parking in the back of the motel. I secure my bike and then take my saddle bags upstairs with me. The door is locked, so I knock softly. When it opens, I have to take a deep breath to recover from what I see. Starlet is wearing a bath towel. Her long hair is twisted into a messy bun and her cowboy boots are gone, revealing carefully painted toenails. I step inside, and she retreats a few steps.
The room is inconsequential at this point, but I look around out of habit. There’s a queen-sized bed with a blue comforter that matches the thick drapes on the double windows. Two night stands, a desk and chair, and a wall-mounted flat screen on the far wall. Clean and simple. All I care about is the bed, because in a few seconds, that’s where I’m going to be, pumping inside Starlet’s wet little pussy.
I drop my saddlebags on the table and head for the sink to find a plastic cup. I unwrap it and then turn on the faucet, letting the water run cold before I take a drink. There’s a mirror over the vanity and I watch Starlet through it. She’s not paying attention to me, she’s finding some music on the radio. She’s beautiful. Rough around the edges like me but not as stone cold. There’s still room for her to recover from whatever trauma she’s suffered through. I can see it in her eyes, the silent pain. The decades-worth of experience she shouldn’t have for someone barely in her mid-twenties.
“Got it!” she says excitedly. “Found the right station.”
Led Zeppelin. I smile, the girl has great taste in music.
Once I finish at the sink, I turn back to her. She’s waiting for me, visibly nervous but confident in what she wants to do.
“How many men have you taken home?” I ask, stalking closer to her.
“None,” she answers.
Another surprising fact about Starlet I’m not sure I should believe. Never picked up a guy before and she looks like that? It only took me a few minutes to convince her to sleep with me. Or maybe… My gaze lingers on her body again. Maybe this really is her first time to live on the edge. I find her backpack and extract the bottle of whiskey, tear it open, and take a long drink. When I’m done, I offer it to her and she does the same. “Why me?” I want to hear her say it. Whatever attracted her, I want to capitalize on it.
“I-I don’t know exactly.” She blinks up at me, those eyes too penetrating for comfort. “Your demeanor … your body … your dark eyes. Everything about you, really.”
I kick my boots off, never taking my gaze off her, letting her words sink in. I strip down to my boxers, reverently draping my cut over the closest chair. Starlet remains motionless, intensely focused on my body.
“Those tats are incredible.”
My chest, arms, and back are covered in ink. The Iron Norsemen patch, a skull with a rattle snake coiled around it and the words fear none, respect few dominate my back. Raven’s wings are splayed across my chest with intricate Norse designs filling in the space between. Not all those who wander are lost, my favorite quote from J.R.R. Tolkien, is scrolled down my left arm, the wages of sin is death, inked on my right.
She circles me like she’s admiring an ancient sculpture. “How long did it take to get this done?”
I close my eyes as her fingertips trace the lines of my body. “Six years,” I answer.
“I can’t imagine sitting through that much pain.”
I open my eyes, she’s standing so close. “What about your own ink?” I question. “Full sleeves say something about the woman wearing ’em.”
She shrugs. “My tats tell a story. Yours say, stay the fuck away.”
I chuckle at her interpretation of my ink. My tats tell a long story, too. Might not be as clear as hers, but every time I reach a new stage in life, that pivotal moment when everything you stand for could make or break you, I get work done. Call it an addiction, I guess. Ink makes me feel alive, like I’m memorializing myself. As for the raven’s wings—those hold the most importance. If she looked closer, she’d see one of the wings are bent, not broken, just never healed completely.
She’s too close for me not to touch her. I loosen the knot she made under her arm to hold the towel in place, it drops to the floor. Nothing rivals the sight of a beautiful woman’s body. I start at her slim ankles and pause at the sculpted patch of red hair between her thighs. She’s a natural red head after all. It makes me smile. Lust bites me and my gaze wanders higher, her stomach is tight and toned, her hips are proportional to her slight frame, her breasts are full with dark-colored nipples, and her shoulders are surprisingly toned, like a swimmer or surfer.
“Turn around,” I choke out, wanting to see that ass.
“W-why?”
“Don’t question it, Starlet, do it.”
She nods and slowly spins around. I fall silent, unable to breathe. Pure lust takes over. I caress her ass with the back of my hand, wrapping my other arm around her waist to hold her close. My favorite part of a woman’s anatomy is her ass. Not that I don’t appreciate the whole package, I do. But there’s something about a firm backside that makes me lose it, completely. The back of her head falls against my chest and I nibble her shoulder, pinching her ass at the same time.
She exhales.
“You’re beautiful,” I remind her. “Fucking perfect.”
“Kiss me…” She tries to turn around but I hold her in place.
“Not yet,” I say. “Let me feel you this way a little longer.” I pull back several inches so I can see her again. I’m a visual man, and that sweet flesh deserves a long, lingering look.
With pressure building between my legs, I run two fingers down the crack of her ass, reaching low so I can touch her pussy. Saturated and hot, she’s ready for me. She hisses with need and I sink my fingertips inside her, then bring my hand to my mouth so I can smell and taste her. Fuck… Instantly on fire, I twirl her around so we’re face-to-face.
“I want you,” I tell her as I pick her up and drop her on the bed. “That pussy needs my cock inside it. Now.”
I yank off my boxers and straddle her just as she spreads her legs to accommodate me. The light on the nightstand is set on low but I can see every detail of her body—the lines and dips, the smooth curves that remind me of a work of art. I slide down, balanced on the edge of the mattress, my head positioned between her thighs.
“Brick…”
I glance up at her. “Accept it, baby.” I lower my mouth to her core. She squirms and cries out on contact, her legs already shaking uncontrollably. How long has it been since Starlet made love? I sink two fingers deep inside her and suck on her clit at the same time. Her hips buck and she lifts her ass off the bed, letting me know it’s sensory overload.
She digs her fingernails into my scalp as I ease back, letting her recover. There’s no end to where I want to touch and explore, and I reach for her breasts, caressing and squeezing them reverently. She sighs, massaging my head in response. Her tiny little gasps drive me crazy. Her shaking legs drive me crazy. Her sweet smell and taste makes me want to claim her. But I’m not that kind of man. Besides, that’s not what we’re here for.
Nomads don’t have old ladies for a reason.
I don’t have an old lady for a reason.
“Brick—shit—just fuck me already. Please…”
She’s coming, I can feel the faint pulse around my fingers. I grab the already open foil packet off the nightstand I put there a few minutes ago and extract the condom. I sit back on my heels and roll it on, hating the idea of a latex barrier between us. I’d kill to feel her tight flesh all around my dick. But it’s not worth the risk.
Staring down at her, I’m once again caught up in her exotic beauty. I belong inside her. I drape her right leg over my shoulder, caressing her clit with my fingers. She smiles, a sleepy look on her face. Those green eyes can’t hide a thing, and I dip down and give her a swift kiss on the mouth. Not sure what’s she’s doing to me, why my body can’t wait—why my mind is racing with crazy thoughts about this moment. That’s all it takes, I thrust inside her, hungry and determined to make her scream my name. She’s tight in the right way—wet and soft—fucking incredible. There’s nothing gentle about this connection. She’s starving for physical relief as much as I am. I hammer deep, pulling out several inches and then driving back inside her unforgivingly.
“More,” she whispers, gripping my arms, meeting me thrust-for-thrust.
I lean forward and claim that perfect mouth again. Our tongues swirl together savagely. I cup her face between my hands, shoving my thumb inside along with my tongue. She sucks the tip like it’s the head of my cock. I moan while picturing her on her knees in front of me. My hands drop lower, circling her beaded nipples.
She’s a dirty distraction—a stranger I picked up on the road, nothing more… Shit! The way she squeezes her inner muscles around my cock … the way she draws me in with her eyes—the way her tongue wets her bottom lip, inviting me to pillage that mouth of hers. Those fucking pouty lips. I’m obsessed.
It doesn’t take long, she erupts on the next thrust which inspires my body to do the same. I latch onto her shoulders with both hands and give her a deep kiss as we cum together. Breathless, I bury my face in her hair.
“Shit. That was … it was…”
“What?” I ask, lifting my head to meet her gaze.
“I don’t know how to describe it.”
“Just the beginning?” I offer, pulling out of her.
“The beginning of what?”
I give her a devilish grin and roll off the bed. She watches me trek to the sink where I take off the used condom and toss it in the trash can. Then I walk to my cut and grab two more foil packets from my front pocket. I hold them up.
“Again? Already?” Her eyes grow wider as her gaze dips lower and takes in my full erection.
I shrug. “Has a mind of its own.”
“A big one.”
I chuckle, appreciating the compliment for what it is. “Roll over, Starlet,” I order as I reach the side of the bed. It’s time to fulfill one of the fantasies that’s been going through my head since she shook her ass on the dance floor. Nothing else will satisfy the monster inside me, not even another woman.