Chapter 21
TWENTY-ONE
Ox
The moment I saw her I let out the breath I hadn’t known I’d been holding. I needed her in my arms like a dying man needed a cure to his fatal disease. Vowing never to let her go, I whispered every soothing word I could think of to calm my terrified woman.
My Brothers were standing behind me, watching my six as I picked up Kayla and transported her down the steps to my SUV. German, who’d been riding with me earlier, got into Hawk’s vehicle and told me he’d see me back at the hotel.
Gently, I set Kayla into my SUV. Leaning over, she placed her head in my lap as I rode for the border. We didn’t have far to go, because we weren’t ready to make the trek back to Nevada yet. We’d be staying the night in Arizona so Kayla could decide what she wanted to do next.
My chest gave an involuntary squeeze at the thought of her choosing to go back to Cali alone. I couldn’t be away from her. Not after Ghost had taken her away from me. Not after deciding how much I loved and needed her in my life.
That’s right. I’d figured it out as soon as she’d been ripped from my arms. And when she was ready to hear it, I’d tell her how I felt and ask her to be my Old Lady.
When we got back to the States, we pulled into a beautiful hotel in Arizona. It was the nicest place I could find, which my woman deserved after all she’d been through. The front desk gave us some curious stares as we checked in. Men dressed in leather and covered in tattoos always had that effect on people. Never letting Kayla’s hand go, I led her silently to our room as I carried her bag over my shoulder.
As soon as the door was shut behind us, Kayla wrapped her arms around my neck and nuzzled into my chest. I’d never felt such relief in all of my life. She didn’t hate me. That much was clear. But did she blame me for letting her get kidnapped? She certainly had the right to. I blamed myself every minute we’d spent apart and probably would for the rest of my days.
Dropping my lips to the top of her head, I kissed her tenderly and said, “I’m so sorry, Babe. I’ll never let you go again.”
Kayla sobbed and gripped me tighter. Carrying her over to the bed, I sat down and pulled her into my lap where she nestled in as close as she could.
“When Ghost snatched you, I thought I’d lost you forever,” I confessed, as I circled her lush body with my arms.
Kayla’s head raised and she looked up at me with beautiful, watery brown eyes. “It’s not your fault, Ox. Ghost is a monster. You couldn’t watch me every second of the day. He’d have eventually found me one way or another.”
When she shivered at the thought, I squeezed her hard to reassure her she was safe. “Don’t worry about Ghost, Babe. He can’t harm anyone anymore,” I told her, my voice as hard as steel.
Kayla’s body tensed. “Did you…?”
She was too scared to finish the question, but I answered it anyway. “No. Unfortunately, his own Club got to him before I could.”
She began to tremble. “What happened?”
I explained that Ghost had defied his Club Prez and taken Kayla to Mexico instead of returning her to the Devil’s Riders like he’d been commanded to. And, when Maze had realized he’d run, they’d made a few calls, paid a few bribes, and had him stopped at the border. The border official had taken Kayla to his own house for safekeeping until the Devil’s Riders could pick her up, while Ghost had been turned over to the Watchmen.
Did I believe this was the whole story? Not for a fucking second. Maze was a shifty son of a bitch. He knew Ghost had my girl all along. He didn’t save Kayla out of the kindness of his heart. He’d done it to save his worthless Club from utter annihilation. While he might have bought himself and his MC some time, their end was still coming. But right now, I needed to focus on my priorities. The woman I loved.
Processing my story, Kayla listened carefully as I stroked her soft hair. When I finished, she said, “How did he die?”
I didn’t want to give her too many gory details, so I simply said, “In a house fire.”
Kayla took a deep breath. “He never hurt me.”
I was taken aback by this unsolicited statement. “Who? Ghost?”
She nodded. “He was going to, but his President called and said he needed to see him and—” She began to silently cry again.
Although I’d wanted to know what the bastard had done to her, I was prepared to wait until she’d wanted to talk about it. “Do you need to see a doctor? The Club has one nearby. I can call him and you can talk to him privately about whatever you need,” I offered, afraid she was just telling me what I wanted to hear to shelter me from the truth.
Kayla reached out and stroked my cheek. “I’m telling you the truth, Ox. He never touched me. He kissed me,” she blushed at this, “but the phone call from his Club President interrupted what he planned on doing.”
The muscle in my jaw ticked, but I worked hard to control it. “If you don’t want a doctor, is there anything else I can get you?”
She didn’t even hesitate before she said, “Just you, Ox. That’s all I want and need.”
Holding her close, I tucked her head under my chin. “I’m here, Baby. Just rest. I’m not going anywhere until you want me to.”
And even then, I was making no promises.
Kayla
I slept well for the first time since my kidnapping. The knock at the hotel door startled me, and I reluctantly awoke. Kissing my forehead, Ox set me onto the bed and walked over to the door. Room service bustled in with an entire cart of food while he pulled out his wallet to pay.
Cocking my head to the side, I glanced at the clock on the nightstand which read five minutes past six. “Are your Brothers joining us for dinner?” My voice came out all sleep clogged and croaky sounding when I spoke.
Ox smiled and laughed. Tipping the waiter, he shut and locked the door behind him. “No. I didn’t want to wake you, so I ordered everything I thought you might like from the hotel menu.”
The sweet gesture made me want to start crying all over again. However, I didn’t give in to the temptation. I’d already cried enough today.
Ox brought the food over to me and let me decide what I wanted. Surprisingly, I found myself famished. The plate of crispy fries looked amazing, so I snacked on a few as I mapped out what entree I wanted first.
My bladder objected at being neglected for so long, so I excused myself to the bathroom. Gazing into the mirror as I washed my hands, I got a good look at myself for the first time since being kidnapped. I couldn’t believe how terrible my reflection was. My makeup had been smudged, and streaks of black mascara had run down my cheeks from all my sobbing.
Deciding I’d have a long, hot shower after dinner, I splashed some cold water on my face, which at least took care of the mascara streaks. The rest would have to wait until later.
Returning to the bedroom, I saw that Ox had set me a plate with more food on it than I could eat in a week. Before I could censor the thought, a feeling of love so strong swept over me. Nobody had ever put my needs first like Ox did. It made me feel so loved. So cherished. And I knew, as long as I lived, he’d always be this kind and generous. It was just who he was.
“Why didn’t you tell me about how bad my makeup looked?” I teased, as he poured me an ice-cold glass of Coke.
Ox snorted. “You think I give a fuck about that shit?”
My grin turned into a full fledged smile. “Well, I do! In the future, it’s your job to tell me when I look a mess. Got it?”
“Whatever you say, Babe,” Ox agreed, starting to fix his plate next.
I was only able to eat a fourth of what Ox had portioned out for me before I had to call it quits. “I need to take a shower,” I said on the tail end of a yawn.
“Okay, sounds good,” Ox replied, rolling the cart of uneaten food out into the hall for the wait-staff to retrieve later.
Cranking the water near to boiling, I stripped off my clothes, tossed the soiled pieces into the trash, and climbed inside the hot stream. The showerhead was the kind that mimicked a waterfall, and I couldn’t have been more grateful for how strong the pressure was as I soaked myself under the powerful jets.
When the bathroom door opened and I saw Ox standing there, naked, my stomach gave a slow dip. Every time I looked at this man, it was like the first time all over again. He was, in a word, magnificent. Truly, he could have given those Greek statutes a complex with how toned and muscular he was. And that part of him that nestled between his legs, only half engorged at present but still bigger than most men fully hard, was no exception. My God, the man was perfection in the flesh, and I’d never get enough of looking at him.
Need, hot and heavy, rolled through me then. Ox stalked toward the shower and opened the glass door. The steam poured out and the chill crept in. My nipples peaked in an instant, and my skin pebbled from the cold draft that was floating all around us.
“Figured we could shower together,” Ox said, stepping inside and swallowing most of the space in this jumbo sized stall. “Turn around and I’ll scrub you.”
Loving how well he took care of me, I obliged and let him shampoo my hair first. Next, he soaped up my skin and massaged the suds up and down my sensitive body.
When he softly began to kiss my neck, I moaned and leaned into him. “No way, naughty girl,” he teased. “I didn’t come in here to start anything. I just wanted to take care of you. Relax and enjoy.”
Those might have been the sexiest words I’d ever heard. When he began to soap between my legs, I arched my rear into his groin. In response, I could feel the pillar of granite between his legs knocking against my ass, insisting to come inside.
“You need to come, Babe?” he asked, his calloused fingers slipping between my slick folds.
“Yes,” I breathed, thinking I needed that now more than ever before. What Ghost had done had traumatized me to my very core. Only Ox, and his loving hands, could even begin to undo the damage.
Taking control, Ox began to swirl his wet fingers around my clit. The direct contact caused me to soar. Moaning, I arched and begged incoherently for more.
Fingers moving faster, Ox asked, “You going to come for me, Kayla?”
“Yes, but I want you inside of me when I do,” I panted, desperate for his cock.
Ox hesitated. “Are you sure you want that, Babe?”
Growling, I leaned forward, reached between my legs, and fisted his cock. “Yes, damn it!”
Rubbing his cockhead along my slit, I notched him into place and pushed backward. Ox’s hiss of pleasure was music to my ears as I impaled him inside the tight ring of muscles that guarded the entrance to my sex.
“Fuck! You’re so hot and wet,” he noted, as his hips snapped forward, seating his shaft to the hilt.
I gasped as my body acclimated to being so full. When I was ready, he began to move. We soon found our rhythm. See-sawing back and forth until our grunts and moans let each other know we were both perilously close to the edge.
Ox rubbed my clit faster and said, “Come for me, Kayla. I can’t hold out much longer!”
His motions became much more frantic then as he slipped in and out of my soaking passage. His fingers began to match his thrusts, and I shot into the stratosphere before exploding all over him like an M80 on the Fourth of July.
Not far behind, Ox turned into a wild man and began to pound away, desperate for his own release. When it hit him, he shouted and buried himself into my channel before his liquid warmth filled me to the brim.
After we’d both floated back down to earth, Ox soaped me up all over again. Once clean, he dressed me in a plush, white bathrobe and carried me back to bed.
As we lay there, thoroughly content, Ox turned to me and said, “I don’t want to overwhelm you after everything that’s happened, Kayla, but I need to tell you something.”
My heart came to a stand-still in my chest as I glanced up at his serious expression. “You can tell me anything, Ox.”
Dropping his forehead against mine, he took a deep breath and said, “I love you. I think I’ve loved you since the moment we met. And I want you to be my Old Lady.”
My heart hurt now for an entirely different reason than it did a few seconds ago. “I love you, too, Ox. And I’d like nothing better than to call you my Old Man.” My voice hitched on the last part as I spoke. “I was afraid to tell you, because I didn’t want to scare you away.”
“You could never do that,” he promised, pulling me into his strong embrace. “After these last few days without you, I realized I don’t ever want us to be apart again.”
“I don’t either,” I whispered back, tears of joy running down my cheeks.
Tilting my chin upward, he looked directly into my eyes. “Whatever we’ve got to do to make this work, I’m willing to do it.”
“Me too,” I agreed, joy that bordered on ecstasy, coursing through me like the world’s most powerful drug. “I want that, too.”
Picking up his phone, Ox began to make a call. Shocked by this, I asked, “What are you doing?”
“Calling the front desk,” he said, his mouth working into a satisfied grin. “I’m letting them know we’re staying here for a few more days and not to disturb us for the next twenty-four hours.”
Laughing, I teased him by slowly getting naked as he talked to the receptionist about our extended stay. Once he saw what I was doing, Ox hung up the phone and rolled me beneath his impressively large frame. “You like to play games, pretty girl. If so, I’ve got something you might want to play with next.”
My last thought, before he claimed my mouth, was that we should have told the front desk forty-eight hours instead of twenty-four. But, as his hands traveled between my spread legs and slipped back inside of my wet center, I forgot everything but this beautiful man in my arms and the love that coursed unchecked between us.