There was a secret back way out of the compound that we took, with a gravel road, but we had to take another vehicle instead of the bike or the car. With all that was happening with the club’s war against the Wyld Jackals, Rider didn’t even want to take his orange muscle car. It was far too recognizable. And on the bike, we’d be too exposed.

So, we took a borrowed member’s black SUV with tinted windows and we drove to the cabin. But, we did this after someone else left in Rider’s car to distract any potential followers.  It was a good call, because five minutes after we left, his phone rang, and he talked to someone on speaker who either was a bud or who was named Bud, who told him the Charger had been followed by a white cargo van, but that he’d lost them. 

I kept watching to see if I saw anyone following us, but it didn’t seem like it. I was tense almost all the way to the cabin, despite Rider trying to reassure me.

We were going to spend the night there. I was feeling both lighter and more worried. Worried about our safety, but it was nice to be out of the clubhouse / compound bubble for a bit.

I was happy that I’d soon have some of my own belongings, too. Some Aberdeen prospects would be meeting Bronto and some other member or prospect and the next day back at the clubhouse, some of my clothes would be waiting for me.

Rider said most of his stuff at the compound had been ruined in the fire. He said he’d had enough clothes at the cabin to get by for a while before he’d have to shop for new clothes.

“Can I shop for you?” I asked.

“We sell clothes at the bike dealership, so Trina, our office manager, she’s gonna order some new jeans and tees in for me, Spence, and Dad so we don’t clean out the stock. She’s put some stuff aside already. I’m all right for now with what I got from the cabin. But as for shoppin’ for me, have at it. Anytime I can avoid a trip to a clothing store, I’m game,” he told me, on our drive.

I was stoked about that.

“Trina’s leavin’ soon,” he continued. ”Ella might be takin’ her job.”

“Really?” I asked.

“Yeah. Dad offered. She’s thinkin’ it over.”

“What would she be doing?”

“Reception. Handling the buying for parts and stock.  Bookkeeping. Marketing. Shit like that.”

“She’s gonna rock that.”

He smiled.

“Are you sure no one knows where your family’s cabin is?” I asked.

He sweetly assured me again that it was a well-guarded secret and that we would be safe. We stopped at a grocery store on the way there to grab some food for dinner.

“What you want for dinner tonight?” he asked, as we were wandering the aisles.

“Umm, you could cook me steak? Beef steak,” I said and gave him a smile.

He kissed me with a chuckle. I picked up a package of beef tenderloin steaks and tossed it into the basket he was holding. He grabbed some vegetables while I picked out some cupcakes for dessert, and we grabbed some beer, too. I also grabbed a box of that Reese’s puff cereal and some milk, because yum.

He teased me for it, too.

“You gonna eat that junk?”

I smirked. “Yeah, I sure am. It makes the milk taste amazing.”

“I look forward to havin’ some with you.”

“After you make me steak.”

“After I make you steak. Even if the cow was cute.”

“Shhh,” I put my hand over his mouth. “Groceries, not cows.”

“Groceries,” he said, and then he kissed me and booped me on the nose.

We got to the cash register and I reached for my debit card, but he gave me a dirty look and hip-checked me aside and handed cash to the cashier.

“Equal rights, equal responsibility,” I informed. “I’m not one of those chicks who wants equal rights but expects her boyfriend to pay for everything.”

“Yeah, well, feel free to burn your bras, but I’m payin’.”

Maybe I did that partly because he’d assumed I was selfish before. I didn’t want him to think that. And I wasn’t selfish with money. I was always picking up tabs, buying gifts for people just because. My mom hated how frivolous I was with money.

True, I am a spender, but wasn’t that what it was for? I’m 24. I didn’t need to worry about retirement quite yet. I didn’t have to put money away for my future kids’ college. I had a trust fund coming when I hit thirty and I didn’t know the exact amount, but I knew it would be in high six figures, since my grandmother planned for any children of my dad’s and I was the only one, so I thought of it as my future money. Down payment on a house. Opening accounts for college funds for my future kids. I was going to work and earn more money with my salon, too, so I was free with cash, because I felt like I could be.

The cashier, an older grandmotherly-looking lady snickered. “Let him pay, sweetie. We put up with a whole lot for our men. Least they can do is put their hands in their pockets once in a while.”

I smiled at her. “He does loads for me, believe me.”

She looked at him. “Bless you. And you’re nice on the eyes, too.”

“Why, thank you, ma’am,” Rider winked at her. “My daddy raised me right.”

She blushed and handed me the receipt. “He sure did. Now, sugar,” she looked to me. ”He pays, but you keep track of the receipts. Men always lose ‘em.”

I smiled at her. “Got it. Have a great day.”

She waved us out. “You two will make some beautiful babies. Mark my words.”

I laughed. Rider chuckled and kissed me affectionately on the side of my head on our way out.

On the way back to the SUV I informed, “I won’t burn my bras. Oh God, bras. I actually miss wearing bras. I’ve been living in tank tops for a week.”

“Not to worry. You’ll have your over the shoulder boulder holders tomorrow. Shame, though.” He opened my door for me, looking at my chest.  I smiled and got in, saying, “I’ve got some very pretty bras and you like unwrapping pretty wrapping paper, so…”

“Good point,” he said and rounded the vehicle and got in. Ten minutes later, we were at the cabin. And it was definitely getting chillier. It’d been just a few days since we’d been there, but I saw more leaves turning color.

He put the food away and I found the washer and dryer downstairs and tossed in a load of towels from what we’d dirtied when we were there last, and then I found him chopping wood outside, so I joined him, bringing us each a beer.

“Show me how to do that?” I asked.

He did. I chopped for a bit, so bad at it, but he looked highly amused. And then he pulled a big target out of a big garage that I hadn’t noticed, a ways behind the cabin, and set it up on a big tree near the garage. We threw axes at it.

I’d heard axe-throwing leagues were getting popular, and this was a hoot.

“Got good aim,” he told me. ”Real surprised to see you interested in choppin’ wood and throwin’ axes.”

“I have varied interests and talents. I play a lot of darts,” I advised. “Way too much time getting up to no good in bars.”

“You any good?”

“Little bit.” I smiled.

“Yeah?” he asked.

“I’m actually very good,” I amended.

“Yeah? We’ve got a dartboard here. You wanna play?”

“Do I want to emasculate you, you mean, by kicking your very nice ass?”

He threw his head back and laughed. “You’re gonna put your money where your very sexy mouth is, gorgeous.”

“I always do,” I said, sipping my beer, teasingly swirling my tongue around the bottle opening and then sticking my tongue inside and wiggling it, before swallowing back some.

His eyes were on me and they were heated.

And then he was moving toward me. He bent and hauled me over his shoulder and I dropped my beer. He slapped my ass and carried me inside. I was giddy all the way.

He went straight downstairs with me over his shoulder and sat me on the bar while he opened up a dartboard case on the wall.

“Stakes?” I asked.

He grinned. “I win, you let me take your ass.” He passed me three darts with red flights.  He had three blue ones.

“Ho-no. Nuh uh. Four carat diamond, I told you. And don’t think I haven’t noticed you getting a little bit too familiar with that area.” I wagged my finger at him with admonishment.

“Breakin’ you in slow. And you like it. You fuckin’ know you do.”

“Yeah, well, your beast of a cock ain’t getting in there, believe me.”

He got the biggest smile on his face.

Yeah, he liked that. He straightened and strutted proudly right up to me. “Beast?”

“Mm hm,” came from me.

“I win, you do what The Beast wants. Anything The Beast wants.”

I smiled. “Except my ass.”

He shrugged. “We’ll see.”

“What if I win?” I asked.

“You win…” He looked thoughtful, “You can do anything you want with The Beast for the rest of the day.”

I laughed. “Sounds like a win-win for The Beast.”

He wiggled his eyebrows.

And I didn’t wipe the floor with him, it was a close game, but I did win.

He put the darts away and asked, “So, what do you wanna do for your win?” He adjusted himself crassly, and I laughed at him.

“I want The Beast to pick,” I said.

His teeth sank into his bottom lip and then he moved to me, put his arms around me, and then he put his lips to mine.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, and pulled his elastic out of his hair and held him to me while I kissed him.

“What does he want? Tell me what he likes.”

“Better not. Don’t think you’re ready for that,” he winked.

“I’m ready,” I assured.

He looked uncertain for a second.

“C’mon, Valentine. Tell me. What does my beast want?” I poked his chest.

“Your beast?” he smiled.

I gave him a sly grin. “Yeah. Mine.”

He gave me a heated look.

“C’mon. Tell me.”

“You really wanna know?” he asked.

“I’m asking, aren’t I?”

He grabbed me by both ass cheeks and pulled me tight to him, got to my ear, and whispered, “Act like you’re scared. Beg me not to.”

“What?” I giggled. “But I want you to.”

“Beg me to stop. Then when I don’t stop, fight me off.”

“Rider, seriously.” I giggled.

“I am serious, gorgeous.” His voice went lower. “You wanted to know what I like? What gets my motor runnin’? I want you to fight, scratch, bite, and know that no matter how hard you fight, we end the chase with me sunk deep inside that beautiful body. And Jenna, the harder you fight, the harder I’ll get.”

I swallowed hard.

“You want it hard?”

I’d wanted it slow and sweet. Passionate. Tender. But the look in his eyes and the visible bulge in his pants at just this conversation? Maybe it was time to try things his way. After all, it had gone well the few times I’d sort of gone with it. If you didn’t count me taking off after the ‘hate sex’ comment.

I put my lips to his throat and kissed it. “Okay,” I whispered.

He looked at me, both surprise and promise in his eyes.

“You’re gonna need a safe word.”

My eyes bulged. Maybe I wasn’t ready for this.

His thumb caressed my cheek. “If it gets too intense, if you get scared. Okay? I’ll go easy this time, since we’re new, but the places I wanna take us? The places I fantasize about taking us? We’ll go easy today, but you get too scared, or you want me to stop, you say the word. I’ll stop.”

I nodded.

“Your eyes are huge. Am I scarin’ you?”

I smiled. “I thought you wanted me to act scared.”

He closed his eyes and blew out a breath. “Fuck me, you’re fuckin’ sexy.”

I smiled again. And then I cleared my expression, using my hand flat in front of my face and pulling down to reveal a serious face.

“What’s the safe word?” he asked.

“How about ‘safeword’? Keep it simple.”

“Okay. You use it if you need to.”

“Okay.”

“You sure?” he asked.

“I’m sure.”

Was I, though? I wanted to be.

“Okay, baby. You don’t go any farther than the garage that way. Or, we stick to inside the house, if you prefer. What?”

“Wherever The Beast wants. Except my ass. Or anything too weird.”

“From the SUV to the garage are the boundaries. Go, upstairs, do some busy work, distract yourself. And soon…” he eyed me from head to toe. “I’ll come for you. We’ll save the weird stuff for next time.”

My belly wobbled, and I giggled nervously.

He winked.

I went upstairs and cleaned the bathroom sink and mirror. And then I was wiping the kitchen counters (that didn’t need it). I wandered outside onto the side deck and was just about to sit down on one of five wooden rocking chairs that were out there, when a hand came around from behind me and covered my mouth.

The rocking chair was knocked over and then I was pulled against a hard body. For a split second, I actually panicked, thinking someone had found us, but then his mouth was by my ear and I heard his voice.

“Hey there, pretty girl. I’m gonna fuck you now. And you’re gonna like it.”

And I felt a mixture of relief and adrenalin surge at the exact same time. I turned ultra-competitive and stomped hard on his foot and elbowed him in the gut. I heard him grunt and then I took off running, toward the garage.

It didn’t take long before he was right on my heels. He caught me and took me to a pile of leaves on the ground.

My heart was racing. My heart was racing so hard it felt like it’d fly right out of my chest.

I had a safe word. This was pretend. And, I wanted to be exciting for him.  The idea of turning him on? It was turning me on.  

I kicked and scrambled as he tried to flip me to my back. He either let me get away or I legit got away, and was scrambling to get up, but then he grabbed my ankle and dragged me backwards and then flipped me.

I swung a fist and caught his shoulder and that’s when I saw his face. His eyes were heated, determined. I slapped with the other hand and caught his jaw with just the tips of my fingers. He subdued me, getting my wrists pinned over my head and then his lips were on mine.

And suddenly, I felt like I had to fight harder. Like this was real. Like I had to make it stop. Because it was hitting me, like a ton of bricks, how twisted up this was.

God. What was I doing?

People were dead because of a fake rape game. A fake rape game that got a man dead. A girl hurt. Another girl dead and raped for real. And here we were… playing a fake rape game.

“SAFEWORD!” I shouted.

Instantly, he let go of me.

“This is fucked,” I said, breathless. My heart was racing. Hard.

“This is fucked!” I repeated, crab-crawling backwards, putting about five feet of distance between us. I collapsed onto my ass in the dirt.

He leaned back.

“How can this be hot? How? Jet died like this. What’s wrong with us?”

I couldn’t believe I’d even let it get that far.

“Jenna,” he closed his eyes and moved back and sat on his ass in the leaves. “I was gonna go easy. But, you were…” he stopped talking and stared at me, looking like he was searching for words, or maybe trying to figure out what’d just happened.

“How does this turn you on? How did I allow myself to even…I’m turned on, too! Or I was, and now I’m not. I’m so, so not, Rider.”

I was shaking my head. “I got excited, too. The idea of being something other than a dead lay? Being something you wanted? But, Rider. This isn’t right. Especially not now. Maybe some other time, but with everything going on right now?”

He nodded. He looked remorseful. “I was gonna go easy. You were so into it, I guess I… got too into it.”

So, this was my fault? Maybe it was. My shoulders slumped.

I got to my feet and dusted leaves off my jeans. I felt bile rising in the back of my throat.

I walked back toward the cabin. But, I heard something up ahead and Rider tackled me back to the ground.

“Fuck. Wait a second,” he said.

My eyes were wide. We were hunkered down while he listened.

I heard a voice that sounded familiar and his body relaxed.

“It’s okay,” he said. “Just Jess.”

He helped me up and kept my hand in his as we walked toward the cabin.

Spencer and Jesse were both there, by a silver pickup truck.

Spencer spotted us and then grabbed a black and pink glittery overnight bag (mine!) and a large suitcase (Also mine. Wahoo!) out of the bed of the pickup truck and headed toward us.

“Hey,” Rider greeted.

“Stopped and saw Pippa and Joe. Brought your girl’s stuff. Thought we’d hit the cache and grab a few weapons. I need some clothes, too. Running low since most of my shit got singed.”

“Shoulda texted,” Ride informed him.

“Yeah, see that.” Spencer smirked and reached over and pulled a leaf out of my hair and tossed it. He reached again and pulled out another one.

My face went hot.

Jesse chuckled and lit a cigarette. “Sorry, Ride.”

Rider put his arm around my neck and pulled me closer to his side. “Get what you guys need and take off. We need some time.”

Spencer smiled and shrugged. “Gotcha.”

Rider had my big bag and I took my smaller one, and they headed toward the garage. We headed back to the cabin.

Inside, he put the bag down and then took the bag that was in my hands and put it down. His thumbs went to my jaw, his fingers into my hair. “You okay?”

I nodded, and face-planted into his chest.

He put his arms around me.

God, that felt good.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered into my hair. “Didn’t think of it that way. It’s not the same, any games we play, okay? What’s between you and me has nothing to do with anything bad. I just like to play. I get why it flipped you out, and we won’t play again like that until you’re ready. Okay? You seemed into it and I got carried away. That’s why there’s a safe word. It was just too soon.”

I looked up at him. “What if I don’t wanna play that way at all?”

His face went blank. And I felt it like a kick in the gut. This was what he liked. What if we were fundamentally too different?

The silence between us went awkward, so I pulled away.

“I wanna see what Pip packed for me.” I picked my smaller bag back up. He lifted the bigger one and carried it into Jojo’s room. I followed.

“Is she okay with us sleeping in here?”

“Yeah, she’s cool,” he said, looking irritated.

“Rider…” I said, feeling all awkward.

“Baby, don’t. Forget what happened outside, okay? I just want us to have a good night together. I’m gonna go get rid of these guys and start up the fire to cook our steaks. You wanna do the sides?”

“Do the…?”

“Make the salad, do the spuds?”

“I don’t cook,” I said.

He tilted his head and smiled. “You can’t make a salad? Wash the potatoes and wrap them in foil so I can throw them on the fire?”

I scrunched up my face. “I can open a bag and dump it into a bowl. You bought individual salad ingredients. That requires slicing and chopping, and julienning, and fancy knifework.”

He chuckled. “Shit. Okay. Yeah, after seein’ the way you hacked at that wood, I can’t imagine what you’d do to a cucumber.”

I laughed and playfully smacked his arm. He was good at erasing the tension.

“I’ll take care of the food then,” he said.

“I’ll wrap up the potatoes,” I offered. “Then I’ll see if Pippa packed me any lingerie and put it on under my clothes for you to play ‘unwrap Rider’s present’ later. Does that help?”

“Deal,” his eyes went heated and he moved in and kissed me. The kiss was sweet, though, almost chaste. Not hungry. And I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, or all that’d happened since getting to the cabin, when he wandered out of the bedroom and left me in there.

***

I had jeans, my own sweats, bras (hallelujah), and a lot of sexy underwear and lingerie. Way more than Pippa had been asked to pack. This was a massive suitcase and my overnight glittery Duffle bag. She even packed me a little black dress. I was happy to have four of my own pairs of shoes, plus more make-up and skincare products.

I’d brought the suitcase that Jojo had packed for me with mostly clean clothes in it since we’d done laundry at the clubhouse, but I’d be happy to be back into my own stuff.

A few minutes later, I heard voices, so I went out and saw Spencer heading out the front door. Jesse and Rider were out front already, looking deep in conversation by the truck.

“Thanks for bringing my stuff,” I called out.

“Not a problem, Blue Eyes,” Spencer said, heading out with a filled massive hockey bag. “See ya soon.” He gave me a smile and then walked to meet Jesse and Rider.

And I thought about what Jojo had said about finding Spencer a girl. A strong girl since he was such a handful.  He was a really good-looking guy and I’d seen some humanity from him a few times, but he certainly had some demons.

I waved out the door as Jesse got in the truck. He gave me a two- finger wave and slammed the door as Spencer stood by the driver’s side.

Spencer and Rider spoke for a second and then Spencer laughed at something Rider said and got in the truck. I guess they were over their squabble. 

Rider walked back toward me, a little smile on his face.

“You two cool?” I asked.

“Huh?” he asked.

“You’re past your fight?”

He waved his hand. “Yeah, countless fights over the years. Me and Deacon, D and Spence. It’s all good. Brothers.” He shrugged.

“Did he really make reference to nailing me?”

He glared. “Don’t bring that up again or he and I won’t be cool.”

My eyes went wide.

“That was over the line. Don’t wanna discuss it.”

I waved my hands defensively. “Can we go back to the fun portion of our one-night getaway?”

He let out a breath. “Sounds good to me.”

“Pippa packed me loads of lingerie.”

“Yeah?” he raised his brows and the tension vanished from his face.

“Loads of visual delights in store for you,” I said, with a wink.

Mission accomplished. My tension erasing game was strong, too.

***

It was later that night and we were cuddled up, watching a movie.  It was a little scary, though, and I kept burying my face in his shoulder. I showed the extent of my culinary skills by wrapping raw potatoes in foil and leaving the rest to him. I did the dishes, though, and then before our movie, I only half-burned the Jiffy-pop popcorn I’d found in the pantry.

Dinner was good. Steak with mushrooms and baked potatoes and salad. After the movie was over, he said, “Watch another?”

“Naw, let’s go to bed,” I said.

“You sleepy?” he asked teasingly, stoking the fire in the fireplace.

“Nope.”

He smiled again, but it didn’t look like his heart was in it. 

And I was feeling a bit frustrated.

“I’m trying here, Rider, but work with me. Show a little enthusiasm?”

“What?” Now he looked irritated.

“You’re stuck on what happened earlier and my saying ‘What if I don’t wanna play those games?’”

“Ah fuck, let it go, will ya?” he grumbled.

I glared. “Obviously, this is an issue. So, no. I’m not gonna effing let it go!”

“We don’t need to figure everything out in one day, Jenna. You don’t wanna play today, you might feel differently when this shit is behind us, I get that. We don’t need to beat that horse to death today. Let it go.”

“I’m going to bed. Goodnight,” I snapped and headed toward the bedroom.

“Get back here, Jenna.”

“Don’t call me Jenna!”

“What the fuck?”

He looked at me like I’d lost it. And I guess maybe I had.

“You never call me Jenna unless you’re pissed at me. You have no right to be pissed at me right now for wanting to fool around with you. I’m pissed at you!”

“Huh?”

“I’m pissed at you!” I repeated.

“No, back it up to calling you Jenna. What the fuck?”

“I don’t like it when you call me Jenna.”

“Uh, would you like me to call you Genevieve Maybelle instead?” He spat.

“Don’t you ever say those names to me again!” I hissed.

He threw his hands up defensively. “You might wanna start explaining and start explaining now, before I call the fuckin’ loony bin to come lock you down. You’re near the end of your birth control pack, aren’t ya?”

I gasped. “Don’t you even!” (But he was right; I was only a few pills away from the end of my pack).

“Start explaining, then,” he invited.

“A) Don’t call me Genevieve. Ever. I’m not ready to tell you why, but trust me, you manage to get those walls you want inside of down, you’ll find out why.”

“Fine,” he agreed, and he looked less irritated already.

“B) You only call me Jenna at specific times. You call me gorgeous, or beautiful, or babe, or baby. You only call me Jenna when you’re being bossy or when you’re fighting with me. And right now, you’re fighting with me.”

He looked a little thrown for a beat and then he started to laugh.

And then I felt embarrassed. Because I sounded like a lunatic.

“Okay, gorgeous, how ‘bout you get over here right now?”

He was still by the fireplace. I was by the hallway.

“And why should I do that?”

“Fine, I’ll come there.” He put the fire poker back into the holder and stalked toward me. I backed up at the intensity coming from his eyes. He backed me into the wall right beside where the hallway opened up.

He thrust his hands into my hair. “I told you I get off on fighting with you.”

I blinked.

He brought my mouth to his and touched it softly. “No more fighting back tonight, though. The rest of tonight, you do what I say. The Beast wants to finish our game.”

I just stood there.

He grabbed my hand and walked me into the bedroom, past the holes in the walls, and he shut the door.

“Drop your jeans,” he ordered.

I stared.

“You wanna play or no?” he asked, with more than a hint of condescension. But strangely, I found it sexy.

I swallowed and then I unbuttoned them and pushed them down and stepped out of them.

“Shirt off,” he told me.

I threw my t-shirt over my head and tossed it at him. He caught the balled-up fabric and tossed it to the floor.

“Take your panties off,” he ordered.

I hooked my thumbs into the sides and peeled them down. I stepped out of them.

His eyes traveled the length of me.

“Get over here.”

“Can I take my socks off? So not sexy in just a pair of socks.”

“Yeah,” he said with a smirk, his eyes on my red pair of fluffy socks.

“Unless they’re thigh-highs. Now those look sexy,” I informed him.

“Get some of those,” he demanded.

“I’ve got some. I jerked my thumb behind my back. “In my suitcase. They’re white and sheer with little red hearts on them.” Pippa did good with the packing. Those socks had been packed with matching cheeky red panties and a matching bra.

“Fuck sakes...” he shook his head. “We’ll get to those later. First, get over here.”

I pulled my socks off and walked to him.

“On your knees, gorgeous. You’re gonna learn how The Beast likes to get his daily sesh of head.”

“Daily?” I choked.

He shrugged. “A guy can try.”

I giggled.

“Not jokin’ about getting on your knees, beautiful girl.”

I went down.

“Take him out.”

I undid his belt buckle and then his jeans, and there it was.

“Hey Beast,” I said, lifting it.

“Hey, beauty,” Rider said.

I looked up and smiled.

He winked.

“Kiss him right there.” He pointed to just below the crown, right at the studs.

I placed a kiss right there.

“Open your mouth.

I opened it.

“Look up at me. I wanna see obedience in your eyes.”

I looked up.

He shook his head slowly, with a look of approval though, and chewed his bottom lip.

“Flatten your tongue. Curve it up a little. Take it in, slow, grazing along the flat part of your tongue.”

I obeyed.

He moved forward and put the tip in my mouth. He glided in part way.

“Eyes up and on my face.”

I obeyed.

His hand moved to the back of my head. He went slow, half way in.

“Suck. Gentle. No biting.”

I obeyed. He was thrusting into my mouth a little bit, slowly, gently. And his face was lit with such sexiness, I felt the wetness increasing between my legs.

I reached up and grabbed his ass cheeks with both hands and went deeper.

“Yeah, baby.” His head went back and I saw a swallow move down his corded throat. “Ah. That’s good.”  

I was doing good. And I was turned on.

I tried going deeper still, but then I gagged and he pulled back.
“Okay?”

I nodded and tried again. He took my hair into his fist and held it in a ponytail and moved my head a little. I was bobbing a bit, sucking a bit, and feeling it move in and out. He started to go a little bit faster.

“Open your throat. Try. Feel it open up.”

I stretched the muscles just under my jaw and I think it was working.

“Touch yourself,” he said.

I blinked.

“Put your fingers between your legs. Are you wet?”

I reached down and did as I was told. I was definitely wet.

“Rub your clit.”

My eyes rolled back as I did what I was told. Holy crap, this was hot.

“Don’t come.”

I jolted.

“Don’t come, gorgeous. Not yet. But keep rubbing.”

“Hm?” I asked around his dick. He kept pumping into my mouth, gently, his hand holding my hair.

“Keep rubbing.”

I whimpered. I was gonna come. I didn’t know how to not come with how worked up I was.

I started to tremble. He leaned over and grabbed my hand and pulled it away from between my legs, and this meant his cock wasn’t in reach of my mouth. And between my legs was practically buzzing.

I was so ready for that orgasm and to have it yanked away? I was trembling. He pulled me toward the bed and we tumbled down together. He flipped me and lay down on his back.

“Ride my face while you finish sucking off The Beast, baby. No directions. Just do what you wanna do on my face while it’s in your mouth. Lick, suck, bite, whatever. I’m ready to feel what you’re gonna give me. I want it all.”

I shakily climbed up and he sucked hard on my clit. Really hard. I started to shake.

“Get my cock in your mouth.” He slapped my ass.

I did what I was told. He sucked some more, and I rocked against his face, my knees dug into the mattress, and my mouth filled with Rider. And it only lasted about a minute before I was having what would’ve probably resembled a seizure. Because the orgasm was absolutely massive.

He came in my mouth and was so deep in there when he did that I didn’t have a chance to do anything but swallow it down.

Swallowing? Not my favorite. I usually wound up with it in my hair as I’d pull whoever out just as it started. If I wasn’t fast enough and ended up with a mouthful, I generally spat it onto the guy’s belly. That was why I’d recently adopted the suck a little / jerk off a lot mode. Less chances of a mouthful of jizz.

But, Rider had been so deep in my mouth that it literally just went right down. I had no choice but to swallow. And the sound he made? I decided maybe I didn’t hate giving head after all.

And then I told him that.

“Maybe I don’t hate giving head after all.”

And he laughed out loud. Really loud. And then he pulled me up, kissing me hard, deep, and passionately.

And we curled up together.

I wasn’t tired. I was awake. Sated. Way sated. But awake. With a bazillion things roaming around my brain.

“Lots of fun games, gorgeous. Not just the kinda game we played in the woods.”

I nodded, feeling a little bit better.

“Don’t keep doin’ that.”

“Doing what?”

“Looking for reasons we won’t work. Jenna. We’re workin’ great.”

“You hate drama.”

“Not with you.”

“And you don’t like vanilla.”

“You’re a whole lot more fun than vanilla, baby. And vanilla ain’t terrible. I just like more than the same flavor all the time.”

I sighed.

“And so do you, evidently.”

Yeah. Maybe. This was my thought, but I didn’t say it out loud.

He kissed my temple. “I’m gonna get in.”

“In?”

“Inside your walls, gorgeous.”

I cuddled into him and didn’t say anything in response. But, it felt really, really good that he said it.

“Sweet dreams, Rider.”

“Sweet dreams, gorgeous.”

“You too, Beast.” I cupped him between the legs.

He chuckled. “Don’t wake him up, unless you wanna deal with makin’ him tired again.”

I laughed. “Thanks for the warning.”

I guess I was a little bit tired after all, because I fell asleep soon after.

And when I woke up, he was spooning me.

***

I turned over and stared at him for a few minutes after waking, thinking I needed to pee, but wanted to look at him for a few minutes before he woke.

He was sleeping naked. As was I. I looked over his ink, thinking about Luke “Lick” Hanson drawing all those tattoos on his skin.

He had a defined stomach. A sexy happy trail of dark hair that led downward to a very happy place that he appeared to spend some time grooming. He hadn’t shaved his face since the morning of the funeral, so his face was definitely sporting more than scruff, and it looked damn good, surprisingly based on my usual taste.

His ears were pierced but he had no jewelry in them. I could see his eyebrow was pierced, too, but he wore no earring there, either. Deacon had a barbell in his eyebrow. Spencer wore black studs in both ears.

Rider had a ring in his left nipple, though, and other than his dick piercing, it was the only jewelry he’d worn since we’d met.

I touched the ring protruding from his nipple with my finger. He stirred. And then I did it again. He grabbed for me, startling me, and then flipped me and filled me.

He was inside me before his eyes opened.

“Ah!” I gasped and then pulled my knees up, relishing the feeling of depth.

“Are you sleep-fucking me?” I asked.

“Mm,” his mouth moved to mine.

His phone was ringing from the floor, probably his jeans pocket. He ignored it and kept at me.

Five seconds after it stopped ringing, it started ringing again.

“Shit,” he grumbled, and sliding out of me, reached down to the floor and then answered it after saying, “Sorry, gorgeous. One sec.”

“This better be important,” was how he answered. And then he listened for a minute and then clipped an angry, “Fuck!” And I was on high alert, wondering what the heck was going on now.

“Yeah. Okay. I’ll be there as soon as I can,” he said and threw the phone to the bed and buried his face in my chest.

“What’s wrong?” I put my hands in his hair.

“Fuck,” he grumbled. I let go of his hair and he lifted up onto his knees.

“We gotta go to my mother. She’s been beaten up. Coupla brothers are there, but I’m the closest Valentine so I’m up.”

“Oh no. Who did it?”

“She’s not sayin’. She refuses to talk ‘till one of her kids get there.”

“Oh no. At least she can talk.”

“Yeah, it’d take more than getting slapped around for Shelly to be rendered speechless.”

Yikes.

“Where’s everyone?” I asked.

“Spence headed back to Aberdeen last night. Deacon’s in the Falls, but he’s in the thick of something. Dad’s not goin’ near Shelly right now. He asked me to go instead.”

I winced and got to my feet and we quickly got dressed and closed things up at the cabin and then we headed to his mother’s.