Amelia

 

Amelia couldn’t quite believe she’d been so bold. Or so lucky. She had picked the bar at random, telling the cab driver to stop when she saw the gleaming motorcycles lined up under the neon lights. The cabbie had pressed his card into her hand when she’d insisted that this was where she wanted to be dropped off. He’d been so clearly concerned that she’d felt honored. While she appreciated the gesture, she hadn’t wanted anyone worrying about her tonight. This might be the last night she’d ever be truly free.

 

Of all the men she’d imagined populating a bar like this, she hadn’t expected anyone like the man she was currently dancing with. For one thing, he’d defended her and he’d done it without throwing a single punch. She’d been amazed and more than slightly relieved that the encounter between Ethan and Michael had ended the way it had ended. She was in the mood to be a little wild, but not quite ready for center of a bar fight wild.

 

For another thing, the man she was currently dancing with was better than good looking. He was devastatingly hot. Ethan had to be close to six and a half feet tall and he simply towered over her. His broad shoulders strained the seams of his plain black tee shirt and she could tell that the rest of him was just as muscular.

 

She couldn’t resist resting her hands on his biceps, which were rock hard. His chest and stomach were equally defined, but her courage wasn’t quite up to them yet. In her world of office workers and campaign managers, he was certainly the biggest man she’d ever been close to. And, yet, she felt perfectly safe.

 

It was more than just his body, though. He had a way of moving that was absolutely intentional and confident, even though he hadn’t been lying when he said that he didn’t dance. He was moving slightly, mostly just holding onto her, keeping his body as close to hers as he could get it. She wasn’t complaining. She wanted to look at him as closely as she could.

 

He had thick, black hair that was cut shorter on the sides and left slightly longer on top. He kept it pushed back, but stray pieces fell over his forehead, making him look a little less intimidating than his firm features and muscular build implied. She couldn’t quite make out the color of his eyes in the low bar lights, but they were dark. His smile was gorgeous, curving his lips, flashing even, white teeth, crinkling those dark eyes at the corners. It was especially delicious because she hadn’t expected any of the men here to have a sense of humor at all. A kissably firm jawline and a five o’clock shadow finished off his good looks. What would that stubble feel like on her skin? She didn’t know, but the thought of finding out sent shivers through her.

 

“These are nice,” she said when the music changed to a slower song, a classic rock ballad. She traced her finger down the inside of his forearm, admiring the art there. “I like all of them. Or at least, all the ones I can see.”

 

“Hell, I like everything about you,” he said, too distracted by how amazing such a simple touch from her felt and by how she was moving to conceal the way he was feeling.

“You do?” She regretted the question immediately. The woman she was channeling tonight wouldn’t be shocked at a man’s appreciation. She’d take it as her due.

 

He gave her a frank appraisal. “What’s not to like?”

 

Amelia saw the look in his eyes when Ethan pulled back and it made her breath catch in her throat. Intent burned dark there and she felt herself begin to tremble. No one had ever looked at her that way. She stopped dancing, going onto her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around him, feeling the tension in his broad shoulders. “It all looks really good to me,” she said. “So... you’re in a biker bar...I’m guessing one of those bikes out there is yours....”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Well...” She gathered her courage. It was easier than she’d thought it would be because she was close to desperate to have his amazing mouth on hers. “Will you let me ride?”

 

He scanned her face, seeming to make sure that they were on the same page. Then he grinned, a slow smile that made her knees go weak as her stomach somersaulted. “Only if you promise to hold on tight,” he said.

 

# # #

 

In the parking lot, Ethan stopped in front of a gleaming blue motorcycle.

 

“This one’s mine,” he said.

 

She could hear the pride in his voice. “What kind is it?”

 

He glanced down at her. “Are you really interested?”

 

“Of course I am!” Amelia answered, slightly indignant. “I might not know a lot about them, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to learn.”

 

Ethan eyed her appraisingly and then handed her his helmet without speaking. Before she had a chance to begin fumbling to put it on, he leaned down and kissed her. All she could do was grip the helmet as his mouth worked over hers. She’d been kissed before, of course. She’d even liked it. She’d always thought kisses were nice. Slightly tingly. Basically, just okay. This was completely different. It was like an earthquake in every heartbeat. Ethan’s lips coaxed hers to part easily and when his teeth caught her lower lip, she surprised herself with a moan of pleasure.

 

His hand tightened on the back of her neck at the sound, but he pulled back from the kiss. His breathing was a little heavy as he looked down at her, watching her steadily. She could feel her nipples tightening and she knew that he could see it through the thin silk of her dress.

“Still okay with going home with me?” he asked.

 

Amelia nodded rapidly and then cleared her throat, trying to look a little less desperately eager. “I’d love to.”

 

He grinned and traced his thumb down her cheek. “Good, because I’d love to have you.”

 

Before she could respond, he took the helmet out of her hands and pushed it down over her head. Then he slung a leg over the bike and helped her settle in behind him. She leaned close, pressing against his back.

 

“Arms around me,” he said, his voice rough. “Keep ‘em tight and lean when I lean. The sooner I get you home the better.”

 

She wrapped her arms around his waist, feeling his stomach muscles tense as he kicked the bike into gear. The hum of it between her legs, combined with feeling his lean back against her aching nipples, had her whole body tingling.

 

Amelia let her hands dip just slightly, down to the waistband of his jeans, where she cupped him surreptitiously. She couldn’t hear it over the roar of the bike, but she thought that she felt him groan. She caught her breath. He was pretty big. And likely to get bigger once they got started. Maybe she’d chosen the wrong guy.

 

They stopped at a red light and his hand moved back, rubbing the backs of his fingers down her thigh. Her skin tingled. No. This was the only man she wanted for the task at hand. She shivered when he squeezed her gently and then seamlessly pulling into traffic, driving confidently and casually. The way he moved with the bike was sexy as hell, an extension of the way he moved through a crowd.

 

It seemed like too soon when they pulled up to the curb and she had to slide off of the bike. Amelia looked up at the small white house. The blue painted window and doorframes were just visible under the flickering streetlight. The house itself was in good shape, though. Unlike the neighboring houses, Ethan’s had no peeling paint or ripped window screens. There wasn’t anything scattered on the postage stamp front lawn either.

 

It was just as unapologetically plain as the surrounding homes, though. There was no sign of any landscaping, and in Nevada's desert atmosphere, the brown grass crunched under her feet. He led her up the cracked concrete front steps and onto the small front porch where he fumbled for a second to get the key into the lock. His porch light was burnt out.

 

The door swung open and he pressed a switch, illuminating a small lamp that sat beside the door. The walls were bare and paneled. The carpet was old and worn down. She could see through the small room and into the kitchen where there were a few dishes piled in the sink. The appliances were plain white; none of the shine of stainless steel that she was used to.

 

But, again, the place was clean and relatively neat. Some mail was scattered on the couch and there were a few DVD cases and discs haphazardly tossed on the small table under the television that hung on the wall, but that was all. She turned to find his eyes scanning her face. He seemed to be bracing himself. This couldn’t possibly be the first time he’d brought a girl home...or was he just as aware of the differences between them as she had been?

 

“Pretty nice place for a single guy,” she said lightly. “I expected a carpet of beer bottles and maybe a crazy ex waiting behind the door.”

 

“We have an agreement. She only comes over on Tuesdays,” Ethan assured her. Then he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. “Now that I know the place meets your approval, I’d love to take you to the bedroom.”

 

Sudden nerves fluttered in Amelia’s stomach, but she nodded and then followed him down the short hall and into an even smaller room. It just managed to hold a bed, a nightstand, and a dresser and still leave room to walk around.

 

It was the bed that held her attention, though. Or, rather, the thought of what was about to happen in it. They were really going to do this. She was going to let this huge, rough, biker have her virginity. Excitement joined the nerves at the thought of him over her...inside her.

 

“Hey,” he said, tilting her chin so she was looking up at him. “Okay?”

 

And, just with that question, her nerves were gone. She nodded, standing on tiptoe again. “Better than okay,” she said.

 

He kissed her again, one of those all-consuming kisses that seemed to be his specialty. This time, his hands slid down her sides, moving around to cup her ass and rock her against him. In the spur of the moment, she wrapped her legs around him and a rough groan rumbled against her lips.

 

Ethan took a step, turning, pressing her against the bedroom door. She could feel his cock straining against her even through his thick jeans. It must be as big as the rest of him. When he gave a slight thrust between her widespread legs though, she threw her head back. Even clothed, he felt good.

 

“You aren’t wearing underwear,” he said in surprise.

 

She looked down to see that her dress had been rucked up, revealing more than she’d meant to right away. Amelia looked into his dark eyes and read pure lust there.

 

“God, if I’d known that when we were dancing, we never would have made it back here,” he said.

 

Keeping her braced between his body and the door, he reached down, grabbed the hem of the dress and pulled it up over her head. She was suddenly in nothing but her bra and heels. She hadn’t expected it to happen so fast. Or where he could see her so well. He’d see her scars. There would be questions...

 

He kissed her again, his hands cupping her ass and his tongue teasing hers insistently. Relief flooded her and she returned the kiss with abandon, wanting more and more of him. His t-shirt was frustrating her; she wanted to feel his heated skin against hers.

 

Amelia put her feet on the floor again and tugged his shirt off. His chest was better than she’d imagined. There was a tattoo across it, but she couldn’t really read it in the half light of his bedroom, so maybe he hadn’t seen her scars after all. A slight sheen of sweat made his body even more mouthwatering. Dark hair made a line that dipped into his jeans. She followed it. When his stomach muscles went tense, she slid her hand under his waistband and found his cock.

 

It was as big as she’d thought it was. Heavy and long and thick, she loved the feel of it in her hand. She just wasn’t ready to have it between her legs. Ethan unbuttoned his jeans and shoved them down, kicking off his boots, too.

 

“Do you like this?” Amelia asked, even though she could see that he did. His cock was throbbing in her hand; she was surprised that she could feel it.

 

“A little bit too much.” He picked her up, carrying her to the bed and dropping her down onto it. Intent was burning in his eyes again.

 

“Wait!” Amelia cried. This was too sudden. “Not...not yet.”

 

Ethan looked confused. “What’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing...it’s just...” She decided that a half-truth fit the situation best. “It’s just that you’re going to be the biggest I’ve ever had. I’m not ready yet.”

 

He couldn't hold back a grin at that knowledge. “Okay,” Ethan said. “I can fix that.”

 

He braced himself over her again, but before she had time to worry, he was kissing his way down the side of her neck. His stubble was rough on her skin, but his lips and tongue soothed every scrape and soon she was arching against him. His cock rested on her stomach, trapped between them, and she loved feeling the hard evidence of his arousal.

 

His head dipped to her breasts, still confined by her bra. She expected him to take it off, but instead, he ran his tongue over the swell of her right breast, dipping just slightly under the bra cup. Then he pushed the cup down and sucked her nipple into his mouth.

 

Amelia nearly arched off of the bed. “Oh, my God!”

 

She hadn’t had sex before, but she’d had a few close encounters. None of them had ever done this. Ethan’s mouth was relentless, sucking until her nipple was hard and puckered, then nipping the sensitive peak sharply, making her cry out again.

 

When he finally flicked the front clasp of her bra open, she was writhing under him. “Feeling a little more ready now?” he asked, his interesting, slightly southern accent deeper now.

 

“Yes!” she said quickly. Her nipples were aching from his rough and delicious attention and she was soaking wet between her legs. She’d never been this ready in her life.

 

“Too bad,” he said lazily. “I’m not.”

 

She moaned when moved back up her body, kissing her until her lips were as swollen as her nipples. “Ethan,” she gasped. “Please!”

 

Her pussy felt empty, aching, and her clit was pulsing with each heartbeat. She’d never been so close to an orgasm without rubbing it before. She desperately wanted to touch it, but she didn’t know if she should.

 

“Please?” he asked roughly. “Please what, Amelia?”

 

“I want to feel you inside me,” she said, throwing discretion to the wind. “I’m ready now. I need you!”

 

Amelia felt him reach down and braced herself to be filled. Instead, he gripped his thick cock and began rubbing her swollen clit with the head. Her own head fell back against the pillows, her hands fisting in the sheets. He was hard as steel, but he was so smooth at the same time. He ran his cock lower, gathering moisture from her entrance, spreading it back up.

 

Her back arched the second time he did that and the head of his cock was momentarily gloved in her heat. They both froze. Then her hips arched again, gripping the slick head, slowly, slowly, taking him in. Ethan was holding himself still, letting her take him at her own pace. Amelia bit her lip as she felt herself stretch to accommodate those nine inches. It was such an odd feeling, that hard smoothness.

 

His broad shoulders rose and fell quickly as she worked him inside. She’d only managed a few inches.

 

“Rub yourself,” he said when she didn’t take any more of him, content just to work her hips on the head and few inches of shaft she’d managed. “That’ll make it easier.”

 

Amelia hesitantly lowered her hand to her pussy. She’d wished she could have done this earlier, but now she was a little embarrassed. She’d certainly never touched herself in front of anyone before.

 

“Play with it,” Ethan said. “It’s only fair. You’re killing me, so tease yourself.”

 

She dipped her hand down to her slit, feeling it stretched wide around his insistent hardness, and gathered some of her own wetness. Then she began to stroke her clit slowly. His cock pulsed inside her at the sight, and she gasped. Her body reacted on its own, her hips jerking up, another inch of him sliding inside. He groaned roughly as she rubbed herself more quickly.

 

Another inch and she felt a flash of pain. Not a virgin. Not anymore. And it had been her own choice. Abandoning herself to whatever came of this, Amelia arched up, taking the rest of him deep in one movement. It hurt, but not as much as she’d feared. It felt...right.

 

Ethan reached down and yanked her up, pulling her into his lap without letting himself slide out. Amelia gasped. He was so deep inside her and she could feel every inch.

 

“God, you’re tight,” Ethan said, his voice warm against her skin as his hand skimmed down between them, pushing hers out of the way and taking over.

 

He curved his fingers on her hip and teased her eager clit with his thumb, rubbing in circles until she began to move on him again, bouncing on his cock like she’d been born to do it. Amelia felt his free hand tangle in her hair and then he tugged her head back. Not hard enough to be painful, but firm enough to be perfect.

 

His lips found the hollow of her throat and she moaned. There were almost too many sensations for her to handle. She rode him slowly at first, then faster, then slowly again, drawing out every moment of this.

 

She loved the way it felt when she rolled her hips, feeling him hit every pleasure point she possessed. His firm jaw was tight and she kissed her way along it, moving languidly, loving how deep he was, how big he was, how he was hers just for this moment.

 

His free hand moved down and he gripped her ass again. She saw him catch his breath. Struggling not to come? Was she really pleasing him as much as he was pleasing her? The thought sent a lightning bolt of pleasure through her and she began to move faster again, letting him slide in and out of wetness, loving how slick he’d become. She was growing closer and closer and she had no idea how to go over the edge with him wedged that deep, or how it would feel if she did. Her body was starting to tremble and his light touches were starting to feel like torture.

 

“You’ve gotta come for me, baby,” Ethan said, sounding nearly desperate.

 

“Rub me harder,” she gasped, working herself up and down frantically now. “I’m...I think I’m close!”

 

Ethan did as she’d asked, rubbing her swollen clit almost roughly and, to her shock, she came at once. She tried to hold back her scream, but coming with him buried deep in the center of her was too good and she cried out again and again. Her pussy spasmed around him, filled for the first time ever. It was amazing, having something for her body to clench around.

 

As swiftly as he’d pulled her into his lap, he pushed her back down onto the bed, covering her body with his, just as she’d imagined. He braced himself over her and thrust brutally, making her breasts bounce and her breath catch. Her orgasm ramped up all over again and she dug her fingernails into his back, holding on for the ride as she’d promised.

 

“I can feel you coming,” he said, his voice hardly more than a growl. “Didn’t know you could get tighter. God, Amelia...I’m gonna come now. I’m gonna...” The sentence ended in a groan.

 

She felt his heat flood through her. She hadn’t known that she’d be able to actually feel him come, but she felt the jets as he muffled a yell against the side of her neck. She arched into them, loving every one. She had given him as much pleasure as he’d given her!

 

“Goddamn,” Ethan groaned after the bulk of the pleasure had subsided, leaving him able to string a few words together. He started to move, but she held on, keeping him inside her, over her. “Baby, I don’t want to crush you.”

 

“I like having you over me,” Amelia said.

 

She wasn’t ready to have to leave, even if she had been sure her legs would hold her. Ethan kissed the side of her neck and she twined her fingers through his hair. It was damp with sweat now, but she didn’t care. She didn’t let him go until his muscles started to shake with the strain of holding himself up.

 

He collapsed onto his back and closed his eyes with a sigh. “Bathroom’s just down the hall,” he said. “You can get cleaned up if you want.”

 

So, that was it. Ameliaslid out of the bed and went down the hall. It was what she’d expected. No, it was more than that. It was what she’dwanted. People didn’t cuddle after one night stands. But he had felt so good against her. She felt cold without his heat.

 

She looked at herself in the small mirror over the sink. His stubble had reddened her skin, especially on her neck and chest. Her lips were still swollen from their kisses, and her hair was a wild tangle. She looked like a thoroughly pleasured woman. She wondered if she’d ever look like this again. She didn’t exactly see Anthony as the type to watch her play with herself while he moved inside her. Her cheeks heated at the memory.

 

She wished she’d brought her clothes into the bathroom with her, so she could just leave from here. He clearly wanted her gone and she told herself that was what she wanted, too. But she hadn’t been thinking clearly, so she’d have to go back into his bedroom once more. She squared her shoulders, lifted her chin, and walked back down the hall.

 

“There you are,” Ethan said, a lazy smile tilting his lips as he caught her around the waist and tugged her down into the sheets with him. “Thought you might have gotten lost.”

 

Amelia was too surprised to reply. This was so far from what she’d expected that she didn’t even know what to say. He didn’t want her to leave?

 

Well then, she’d take all she could get. Amelia snuggled against Ethan, her body relaxing once more as she breathed in his scent. He ran his fingers through her tangled hair, smoothing it with each stroke. It was as relaxing as being petted.

 

“Youare good at a lot of things,” he said and she could hear the smile in his voice.

 

She was relieved. “You are, too.” She traced one of the tattoos on his arm. “I really do like your artwork.”

 

“Thanks. I’ve been working on ‘em for about five years now. They’re finally just about what I want.”

 

“I noticed you have kind of a theme,” she said, propping on one elbow and looking at him. “Bikes, women, and America.”

 

Ethan laughed. “That’s about it.”

 

Amelia walked her fingers down his left arm. “Why is this the patriotic side?”

 

“The other side already had a few crappy bike tattoos on it,” Ethan answered honestly. “I had ‘em covered up as soon as I could,” he went on when she leaned down to squint at his right arm. “And no, I’m not gonna tell you what they were.”

 

“Are you a soldier?” It struck her as odd to be having this conversationafter she’d given him her virginity, but she was genuinely curious about this man.

 

“Did a stint in the Army,” he said. “Mechanic. In for a little more than five years. My dad was Army, too, and so was his dad.”

 

“Is that why you did it?” He didn’t really seem like the type of man who did something just because it was expected of him.

 

“I did it because it felt right,” he said. “And it was better than hanging around with my thumb up my...better than doing nothing,” he corrected himself, making her giggle.

 

“It must be nice to know what feels right,” Amelia said wistfully, forgetting herself for a moment. She felt so damn close to him, closer than she’d meant to.

 

To her surprise, he cupped her cheek and turned her toward him. “You feel pretty damn right to me, Amelia.” He pulled her down for a kiss, taking his time with her mouth, running one hand down her bare back. She gave in to both the kiss and to the desire to curl up beside him and sleep.

 

# # #

 

The early morning sun dawned right into Amelia’s face. She put one hand over her eyes, trying to figure out why it was so bright. Her bedroom faced west, so she usually slept much later than this with no problem. Then it hit her. She wasn’t at home.

 

Ethan was lying on his side and his arm was still around her, resting just under her breasts. He was clearly sound asleep. She eased out of his grip and sat up, wincing slightly. She wasn’t as sore as she’d thought she would be, but she was sore in more places than she’d expected. Sex was quite the workout, it seemed.

 

Amelia pulled her dress on carefully, trying not to wake him as she stood. Her heart nearly stopped when he rolled over, murmuring low in his throat. Last night had been amazing, but she didn’t nurse any delusions about it. He’d be glad to see her go. No one liked an awkward morning after.

 

She also wasn’t looking to get cut off by her father. Now that it was over, the reality of how furious her father would be was sinking in. She had to go. No matter how hot Ethan was. Or how right it had felt to have him moving inside her, or holding her afterwards. Her body went hot at the memories, so she shoved them away.

 

No. No attachments. Even if the thought of leaving was physically painful. He was even more handsome in the early light of day. As she pulled on her shoes, Amelia realized she still didn’t know exactly what color those dark eyes were.

 

She stood there for a moment, giving in, hoping he’d wake up. He didn’t. She left as quietly as she could.