Chapter Three
July 8—Nine weeks earlier
My phone buzzed. I grabbed it to find a message from Jeff.
Krissys 2nite. Dont wait up
If a text could give a shit-eating grin, this one would do it. I shook my head and laughed silently, shoving my phone back into my pocket. Jeff was getting laid tonight and feeling pretty pleased about it.
That worked out nicely for me too.
It was the end of the day and only three kids were left on the playground. Gabby had started cleaning already so closing would be easy, and now I would have the trailer to myself. I decided I’d stop and get a Redbox video on the way home, and maybe some ice cream. Life was a lot better now that I’d gotten my first paycheck. When the last kid left, I checked with Gabby and discovered the cleaning was all done, as I’d suspected. We waved goodbye to each other and I went out to my car. The Redbox was outside of Walmart, which was busy this time of night but not busy enough for me to give up on the ice cream. I settled on slow-churned French silk, which I assumed was practically a health food because the package said it had half the fat and one-third fewer calories than the regular kind. This, combined with the Johnny Depp flick in my purse, almost guaranteed an orgasmic evening.
My mood just kept improving as I drove home.
One of my favorite dance songs came on the radio, which kicked ass because I didn’t have a plug for an iPod or even a CD player in my little junker (thus the Def Leppard incident when the Reapers had come to call). I almost got caught behind a slow-moving farm truck, but they pulled off to let me by. I car-danced my way down our long driveway through the orchard to find a single low-slung, black motorcycle parked outside the house.
Not part of the plan.
I got out of the car and looked around cautiously but didn’t see anyone. Nobody near the table, nobody in the folding chairs I’d set out in the newly cleared lawn area (I couldn’t call it a lawn in good conscience). What the hell?
I walked cautiously to the front door, clutching my cell phone like a weapon. What I planned to do with it I wasn’t sure, because if a murderer was waiting inside I wouldn’t exactly have time to call for help. I debated getting back in my car and driving away, but part of me wondered if Horse had come back. You know which part—that little nub between my legs, the bitch. The door swung open at a touch and I found Horse sitting at my counter, texting, all muscular and tattooed and incredibly hot.
I opened my mouth then snapped it shut.
“You need to get better locks,” Horse said casually. “It took me about ten seconds to get in here.”
I shook my head, looking around the room, although I had no idea what I was looking for. Some kind of magical leprechaun to jump out and explain what the hell was going on?
“I’m here to see Jeff,” he said, setting down his phone. “He’s got something for me. Where is he?”
“He’s off with some girl,” I replied, still dazed. “Her name is Krissy, he said he’d be late. I’ll try calling him.”
He watched as I dialed Jeff. Straight to voicemail. I sent a text, hoping he was just busy and didn’t want to answer. More nothing. I looked at Horse and shrugged.
“I don’t think his phone is on,” I said. “I can let him know you came by though.”
Horse gave a short, harsh laugh that had nothing to do with humor.
“I rode three and a half hours to see him,” he replied. “He knew I was coming.”
I smiled weakly.
“Um, you know he’s a great guy, but he smokes out a lot and can be kind of forgetful…”
Horse narrowed his eyes.
“I’ll wait.”
I didn’t know how to deal with that, so I decided to put away the ice cream. Then my stomach growled audibly. I’d planned on eating a sandwich, but it felt weird not to offer him something.
“You want an omelet?” I asked, figuring everyone loves breakfast for dinner.
“Sounds good,” he replied. “Beer?”
“Um, yeah,” I said, opening the fridge. I was kind of surprised he hadn’t just helped himself, considering he’d already broken into the place. I handed him a bottle and started on the omelet. I’d made some cinnamon rolls last week and froze half of them, so I pulled those out too, along with a frozen thing of orange juice concentrate.
I glanced up to watch him taking a long pull on his bottle, eyes following me, throat muscles working as he swallowed. I could lick right from that little dip at the base of his throat up to his jawline…
Maybe not juice, I decided. Now I needed a beer.
Horse just watched me as I cooked, not saying anything, which creeped me out and turned me on at the same time.
“What kind of work are you guys doing with Jeff?” I asked.
“That’s club business,” he replied. “Don’t ask questions like that, you’ll get yourself in trouble.”
Noted. So much for conversation.
The omelet was done and I’d microwaved the rolls, so I dished up for both of us, thinking of my movie wistfully. I didn’t get to watch movies very often and it wasn’t like I’d invited Horse over. But I had the feeling he might not be quite as into Johnny Depp as me. Should I bring it up? He decided for me, sitting down on the couch and grabbing the remote.
“You coming?”
“Um, yeah,” I replied, following him into the living room. I planned on taking the armchair, but he patted the couch next to him with an air of challenge.
Never could resist a challenge.
He clicked through channels, stopping on another one of those fights with the big cage. I sighed and decided I wouldn’t share my ice cream with him.
“You don’t like MMA?” he asked, taking a bite of his cinnamon roll.
“Not really,” I replied, leaning back into the cushions.
He nodded.
“Lotta chicks don’t,” he replied. “But a lot do. All those sweaty bodies, you know?”
He glanced over at me, the slightest trace of humor in his eyes, and I couldn’t tell if he was teasing me or not. I decided to just go to my room and eat there, but he reached out a hand to catch my arm, stopping me.
“What’s the problem?”
“I’m tired,” I said. “And I know you have business with Jeff and I’m really sorry he flaked on you, but I don’t have the energy for this.”
“This?”
I waved a hand around, encompassing him, the TV, etcetera.
“This,” I said. “I don’t understand if you’re teasing me or not and it’s confusing. And you took the remote.”
He shrugged.
“So you pick what we watch,” he replied lightly. “It’s not that big a deal, Marie.”
He handed over the clicker, giving me a smile that actually reached his eyes. I studied him—this was a new side to Horse and I liked it. He was still a big, tough bad guy (or at least not a good guy, I was pretty sure of that) but he honestly seemed relaxed and ready to let me out of whatever little mind game he was playing.
“Actually, I got a Redbox movie,” I said after a pause. “It’s the new Johnny Depp.”
He smirked but gestured magnanimously toward the screen.
“Pop it in.”
Unexpectedly, watching the movie with him was fun. During a fight scene he told me why it wouldn’t have worked in real life (sort of scary that he knew so much about hand-to-hand combat), but he didn’t tease me or anything during the sex scenes. When it ended we ordered another one on PPV. This time I let him pick, and to his credit he went for a thriller with a touch of romance that looked good to both of us without even pausing to scope out the porn. About halfway through I started getting a little cold, so I got up and grabbed a blanket. I figured I might as well share my ice cream too, so I filled bowls for both of us. When he finished he grabbed the bowls, set them on the table and pulled me across his lap, then sort of rolled over until he could lie back on the couch with me and my blanket on top of him.
I didn’t protest. He felt good, and while one hand rubbed up and down my back slowly, he didn’t cop a feel, which made me feel safe. In fact, I really didn’t want to get up or even acknowledge how much I was enjoying being held.
A man’s arms around me felt good.
In fact, they felt so good I fell asleep.
I woke up in my room, confused. I was in bed with Gary. Why was Gary here? Then I realized the body cradling mine was far too big to be Gary’s and the arm across my stomach had more muscles than my future ex had in his whole body. It also had a black tribal tattoo around the wrist.
That woke me right up.
Horse lay in bed with me. I didn’t have any pants on, just my shirt and panties. No bra. I brushed my leg against his to discover he didn’t have pants either, and I felt his giant, erect penis poking my ass.
“Horse” indeed.
It’s just morning wood, I told myself. He’s probably not even awake.
“Good morning, sweet butt,” he whispered in my ear, the warmth of his breath sending blood straight to my naughty bits. His words annoyed me though. Opting for the safer emotion, annoyance, I tried wrenching away from him. He hardly noticed my attempt, which bugged me even more.
“Don’t call me that,” I muttered sulkily. “Who calls a woman that?”
He laughed, the sound low and warm in my ear.
“You don’t really want to know,” he replied, kissing the back of my neck and reaching down with one hand to press against my stomach. My panties went moist, and I wiggled against his big tool, wondering if I’d lost my mind.
Body and brain fighting for control, winner take all.
“Wait,” I said, brain pulling ahead for the moment. “What do you mean I don’t want to know? I want to know.”
“You don’t want to know,” he repeated. “It doesn’t matter.”
“If it doesn’t matter, why won’t you tell me?”
In answer, he slid his hand lower, catching the hem of my shirt and pulling it up, running the tips of his rough, calloused fingers across my belly. Oh very nice… My brain decided we could talk about the sweet butt thing another time. I squirmed my rear and he flexed his hips, rubbing his now-epic erection against the crack of my ass. His hand moved north, cupping my breast, plucking at the nipple as he kissed the back of my neck.
“Oh shit…” I murmured. “That feels amazing, Horse.”
“Just getting started, babe,” he murmured. He sucked my earlobe into his mouth and I moaned. My brain switched off entirely, ceding control to my body, which wanted him inside me.
Immediately.
I turned and slid down so my back lay flat on the bed, wrapping my hand around his neck and pulling his mouth down to mine. He’d been tender so far, so I didn’t exactly expect what happened next.
He took my mouth hard and fast, rolling on top of me and wedging between my legs. I opened for him and he thrust his tongue in forcefully, plunging it in and out as his hips started grinding against mine. Just two layers of thin fabric separated us as his cock smashed against my *, almost brutal in intensity. I shivered, lust and desire bursting through me, trying to see if I could lift my hips and move with him. In the process I accidentally pushed against his chest, which he apparently interpreted as me trying to push him away.
Horse pulled away from my mouth and growled, eyes dark with desire and a need so strong I froze. He looked like an animal in heat, a point his hard prick seemed to be determined to impress in its own way.
“I’m in charge here, don’t forget it,” he stated.
I nodded, mesmerized. I didn’t complain as he reared up just enough to rip my shirt up and over my head, taking my arms with it. Instead of pulling it off all the way, he tangled it around my wrists, holding them captive with one strong hand above my head as he slid lower, mouth taking my nipple and sucking it in deep. Sensation exploded through me and I moaned. Loud. Aching emptiness grew between my legs and I imagined him thrusting into my body, stretching me open wide as he took his pleasure.
Horse fumbled at his waist with his free hand, sliding down his boxers. Then he thrust his hips between mine again. Oh shit, that felt so good. Now his cock head pressed right against my slit through my panties instead of stroking the length along my *. This created a whole new sensation as the thin fabric stretched against the unbearable pressure, actually pushing into my body with the tip of his cock before the fabric stopped up.
I bucked against him, desperate for more.
He pulled his head up from my breast and leaned up and over me, still holding my hands captive. I twisted, aching and raw.
“F*ck me, you’re a hot piece of ass,” he muttered. I closed my eyes, trying to catch him with my hips, whimpering for him to take me.
“Hold your hands over your head or you’ll pay,” he ordered, pinning me with his intense, green gaze.
“Okay,” I said, more than willing to do anything he asked. I hadn’t felt this turned-on in forever, hovering within spitting distance of the Big O in less than five minutes.
It had never been like this with Gary.
Horse let my hands go, sliding lower, rubbing his nose along my belly as I twisted, then his hands caught the sides of my panties and tugged them down. I kicked one foot free, spreading my legs wide. He didn’t hesitate, latching on to my * with his mouth as he thrust two fingers into me hard. No warning, no preparation, just the rough pads of his fingers attacking my G-spot.
Goddamn. This was better than my special pink vibrator, the one with two heads and the wiggly thing. My body stiffened and I grunted, toes curling. It was right there, just out of reach.
He pulled his mouth away and laughed.
“Knew it’d be like this,” he said. “I can’t wait to get inside, you’re tight as f*ck so it might hurt the first time. But I’ll stretch you out a little and then holy f*ck, it’s gonna be good. Time to come.”
His mouth came over me again, sucking deep. His fingers starting thrusting in and out and I grunted, muscles trembling as I stiffened. So close. He paused again, but I didn’t open my eyes to see what he was doing. Maybe I should have, it would have given me some warning. When he started f*cking me with his fingers again, he found my ass with his other hand. I screamed as he thrust a finger in my back entrance, exploding into his mouth as my back arched off the bed.
It took me a couple minutes to come back to myself.
I opened my eyes to find him beside me, up on one elbow, studying me not with satisfaction but brooding, determined need. I blinked at him, dazed.
“Gonna f*ck you now.”
“Sure,” I whispered, dazed. “Not sure I’m gonna be able to participate too much, think you blew a circuit or something.”
He smiled, a look of grim satisfaction. Then he carefully positioned himself over me, reaching down between us to position his wide cock head against the lips of my slit. I came to my senses.
“Condom!” I gasped, pushing at his chest. “Stop! We need a condom.”
“Want you bareback,” he muttered, narrowing his eyes. “I’m clean.”
I shuddered, closing my eyes.
“Maybe you are, but I might not be. Gary was cheating on me.”
That caught his attention, and his eyes softened. He reached up and brushed his thumb against my cheek, where the bruise had been.
“He gave you that mark, yeah?” he asked. I nodded. “Your brother said he’s history. That right?”
I nodded again, looking anywhere but his face, which wasn’t easy with him right on top of me.
“I don’t want to talk about Gary. Do you have a condom?”
“Yeah, out in my saddlebags,” he said. “Believe it or not, I didn’t entirely plan on this.”
I laughed.
“Neither did I.”
“I know,” he said, rolling off me and flopping on his back. I turned on my side and looked down to see his cock for the first time.
“Oh my god…”
It was huge. I mean, huge. Not just long, but thick and hard and flushed bright red so it looked almost angry. It curved up, wider in the center of the shaft before narrowing under the ridge of his head.
I couldn’t help myself. I reached down and traced the length, mesmerized by the heat of his soft skin over something so hard and formidable.
“Told you why they call me Horse,” he said. I dragged my eyes away to look at his face, reading satisfaction mixed with his desire.
“They make condoms that big?” I asked, halfway serious.
“You’d be surprised,” he muttered. “Saying this goes against everything I believe in, but you’d better let go of my dick.”
He rolled off the bed, reaching down to grab his jeans, pulling them on over his length with some effort.
“Goin’ outside to my bike. Don’t move.”
That wouldn’t be a problem.
He opened the door, then stopped in the doorway.
“F*ck,” he said, sounding resigned.
“The sweet butt’s a screamer, I like that,” I heard a man’s voice say from the living room, right outside my door. Oh shit. I grabbed the sheet, jerking it up and around me. I couldn’t believe we’d had an audience. The walls in this place were paper thin, they must’ve heard everything.
I turned and moaned into my pillow.
“Sounds like a hot little bitch,” said another voice. “She ready for another round? I’ll take a piece.”
Oh my god.
Horse walked out, slamming my door behind him. I heard him snarl something. Then laughter, followed by a thudding noise and a grunt. More laughter. The front door opened and slammed shut. A minute later Horse opened my door and came back in the room, carrying a leather bag. He sat down on the bed, digging in it and pulling out a handful of condoms, tossing them toward me.
“No way,” I said through gritted teeth.
Horse stood and pulled off his jeans, climbed up and over me on the bed on his knees, cock thrusting aggressively. He narrowed his eyes and I shook my head quickly, feeling frantic.
He reached down, fisting himself and a droplet of pre-come beaded on his slit.
“I know you want this.”
I did, but not with an audience. I shook my head again.
“No, I mean it,” I said. “I’m not doing this with a bunch of guys in my living room. When did they get here? I didn’t hear any bikes.”
“Came in a cage,” he replied, squeezing himself hard, sliding his hand up and down. I’d never seen anything sexier in my life. He sucked in a ragged breath and I saw the pulse in his neck beating fast. “Doesn’t matter. Open the f*cking condom. I want to feel you slide it on me.”
“No.”
Horse stilled, and something dark and heavy rolled into the room with us.
“No?”
“No,” I repeated, my voice small. “I heard what they said. I didn’t like it and I don’t want to have sex with them around.”
Slowly and deliberately, Horse let go of his cock and leaned down over me, bracing his hands on either side of my face as he got real close. He held my gaze, eyes cold and hard.
“I f*ck when I want and how I want,” he said. I shivered. This was the intimidating man I’d met that first day. I’d forgotten how much he terrified me. “So do my brothers. It’s my job to worry about them, not yours. You worry about taking care of me.”
“No,” I said again, scared but determined. “What we did earlier was incredible, and I’m sorry you didn’t get your turn. But I’m not having sex with an audience. Period. Get off my bed.”
“This is a mistake,” he told me.
“Get off the bed,” I repeated, holding my ground. I reached up and pushed at his chest. He exploded off me at the touch, spinning around to punch the wall. Then he grabbed his jeans, pulling them over his raging cock commando-style. His cut came next, sliding over his bare torso. He grabbed the saddlebag and stalked out the door, slamming it so hard behind him I heard something crack.
Then I was alone in bed, stunned and covered in unopened condoms.
An hour later, Jeff knocked cautiously at my door.
“Marie, you okay?” he asked, voice quavering a little. “Um, did you know your door is cracked down the middle?”
“Yeah,” I replied softly, sitting in the middle of my bed, knees pulled up to my chest. I’d already gotten dressed and texted Denise, telling her I felt too sick for work. I’d heard Horse’s bike leave, heard Jeff and the guys arguing about something. Heard a truck peel out of the driveway. Now I just sat, trying to process what had happened.
I’d never been with anyone but Gary.
Horse had blown me away, first with his gentleness and then his skill. But he’d followed it up by scaring the crap out of me, not to mention doing some serious damage to the room. Which one was the real man? Would I ever see him again?
Did I want to see him again?
“Marie, can I come in?”
“No,” I said, looking around the room. Horse’s black t-shirt, emblazoned with the Reaper’s symbol, lay crumpled on the floor next to his boxers.
A neat pile of condoms sat on the bedside table.
Jeff didn’t need to see any of it.
“I’m going back to sleep for a while,” I told him after a long pause. “Let’s just leave it at that.”