Shadow and Skulls (Rebel Skull MC Series Book 6)

12. Chapter Twelve

Grandma Maggie and Charlotte join me at a picnic table. She’s on recess, and it’s my lunch period. The club thought it would be easier for Charlotte to go back to school today if she had someone by her side. Grandma agreed to spend the day with her. She should have had someone by her side yesterday, but I failed her.

“Kelsie,” Charlotte squeals, climbing up beside me. “Did you see how high I was swinging?”

“I did. I think it was a record.”

She nods, picking up a fry from my tray. “You don’t have any ketchup. I’ll go get you some,” she says, jumping down.

“Recess is almost over!” I yell after her, watching helplessly as she pulls Grandma Maggie up to the building.

“It’s okay!” she hollers over her shoulder. “I’ll hurry.”

When that girl gets something in her head, there’s no stopping her.

All the kids are lined up to go back inside by the time I see Charlotte peek around the side of the building. She points in my direction. Tank steps around her, his gaze crashing with mine.

Great. Why is he here?

He makes his way toward me and tosses a couple of ketchup packets on my lunch tray. “Charlotte had to go back to class.”

“Thanks, but I’m done. I’m heading in too.”

He looks at my untouched food and then at his watch. “Sit,” he orders before lowering himself to the bench.

I do, but not because he tells me to. There’s still thirty minutes before the bell rings, and I don’t want to spend it with the people inside.

“I talked to JD.”

My fingertips begin to tingle at his mention of JD. I take a bite of my hamburger, pretending we are having a normal conversation when Jackson appears across the lawn.

“He’s not going to say anything to your parents. So, we can tell them about us when you’re ready.”

I cough into my napkin, choking on my burger.

Jackson joins us. He pats me on the back as he lowers himself beside me. “Have you seen Ash? He was supposed to meet me in the parking lot for a smoke and he never showed up.”

“No. Why are you guys here anyway? Is Charlotte still in danger?”

“Nope. Everything’s good. Just trying to make her and Katie feel comfortable today.”

My gaze automatically goes to Tank, again seeking the truth.

“We know who the threat is. He’ll be eliminated soon enough.”

A bunch of lines form on Jackson’s forehead. “It’s nothing you need to worry about, Kels.” He shoots Tank a look.

“Thank you for telling me,” I say, ignoring Jackson’s indignant huff.

Ash rushes up behind us, whispering something in Jackson’s ear.

“Yeah. We got it covered.” He waves Ash away before turning back to Tank and me.

“Is everything okay?” I ask, focused on Ash as he hurries back into the school.

“Yup.”

When I turn to Tank, Jackson begins to make a tsking sound with the click of his tongue.

“What? I just want someone to tell me the truth.”

He sits up straight. “I always tell you the truth, Kelsie.”

“But you sugar coat it.”

“Well, Tank here shouldn’t be telling you club business.”

“Well, Tank here isn’t part of your club.” I realize my mistake as soon as the words leave my mouth, but Tank doesn’t look worried that I’ve spilled his secret. He just laughs.

Jackson laughs too. “NorCal, SoCal, it doesn’t matter. It’s club business just the same.”

My shoulders fall in relief.

He turns serious. “Kelsie, you know I don’t hide things from you.”

And he doesn’t. He brought my dead uncle to the warehouse in the back of his pickup so I could see for myself that he was really gone. I’ve never been so relieved in all my life. I’ll forever be grateful to Jackson for that.

“I know. I’m sorry. I’m just really worried about Charlotte.”

“I get it.” He pats my leg. “Hey, we’re not in lockdown anymore, so no worries, okay?”

“Okay,” I sigh, standing. “Thanks for keeping me company while I ate my lunch. Tell Willow the barn kittens are almost completely weened. If she wants one, she should come over soon, so she can have first pick.”

He groans as both of them walk me up to the building. “Yeah, I’ll tell her. I’m heading home now. Did you really have to tell her she could have one? We have enough animals for a farm.”

“You do have a farm!” I yell as I step into the building, the door falling closed behind me.

I drop my tray off in the cafeteria before rushing down the hall to get to my next class. Unfortunately, I bump right into Matt.

He grabs my arm and pulls me into the corner. “Have you seen Lexi?”

I yank away from him. “No.”

He stares down his nose at me, keeping me cornered. “Don’t think I’m scared of your boyfriend. You know your club can’t touch me, right? If your boyfriend hasn’t figured out who I am, you should probably tell him.”

“I don’t have a boyfriend anymore, remember?”

Matt’s dad is an attorney. It’s probably for the best, because I’m sure he’s going to need a good one at some point in his life.

Matt leans in close, pushing his nose in my hair. “I didn’t know your pussy only works for men of a certain age. Does he remind you of the guys who used to pay your uncle to fuck you?”

It’s a knife to the chest, but I’ll never let him see how deep he struck.

“No. It only works for dicks bigger than my pinky finger. Sorry yours won’t make the cut.”

His fingers wrap around my neck in anger, and I’m not sure where my reaction comes from. Maybe I’m channeling strength from the women of the Skulls. Or maybe I’m just tired of being in Matt’s presence. Regardless, my knee connects with his groin just as Principal Fowley steps around the corner.

“Kelsie!” she exclaims.

“My nuts,” Matt groans, cupping his junk and dramatically falling to the floor.

“Kelsie, go to the office,” she orders sternly as she helps Matt to his feet.

He leans on her. “It’s okay, Mrs. Fowley. Kelsie’s just having a bad day.”

“Bad day or not, it’s not okay.” She scowls at me. “This isn’t how we act in school. There are rules here. Go to the office, Kelsie.”

As I’m walking away, I hear her blame the club for my bad behavior.

I’ve never understood how some women can be so na?ve when it comes to men. My mother was the same way. She was charmed by the devil himself.

I drop my bag to the floor, giving the secretary a small smile as I sit down.

Mrs. Fowley marches past me. “Call her parents. Tell them they need to come down to the school.”

“Is that necessary?” I interrupt.

She turns sharply, glaring at me. “You’re being suspended, Kelsie. I can’t let you get away with assaulting another student.”

“But …” I jump from the chair. “He …”

“Do I need to call in security?”

My head falls. “No.” I sit back down, listening to the two of them talk about me as they look up my mom’s number.

What a shitty day, but part of me is relieved. I won’t have to fake this whole liking school thing. At least for a little while. I wonder how long my suspension will be. Mrs. Fowley goes back into her office as the secretary picks up the phone and begins to push buttons.

I hear someone enter the office, but I don’t look up. I’m tired of pretending to be happy here.

My head snaps up when I hear Tank’s gravelly voice break the silence. “You don’t want to do that, Sheila.”

Oh my god.

His finger is pressed to the phone. Sheila’s mouth is hanging open. Mine too. I snap it shut. Shit!

“Tank, what are you doing?” I jump to my feet, bouncing on my toes.

He ignores me and calmly takes the receiver from the secretary’s hand and places it back in the cradle. “Why don’t we wait until after I speak with Mrs. Fowley to call her parents.”

He smiles at her, and she blushes. He gently lifts her chin, closing her mouth. He then walks over and takes me by the hand. I try to pull away, but he’s not having it. Before we walk into Fowley’s office, he kisses me softly on my lips.

And evidently that’s all I need at the moment. My soul calms, knowing that whatever happens, it will be okay because he will be by my side. It’s such a weird feeling. I’m allowing myself to trust him. I guess it’s because he keeps showing up when I need him. It’s strange. Could what he said be true? Are we really an us? Has there always been an invisible thread linking us?

My body answers that question when he backs away from me, and I feel it tug at my heart.

“You’re going to put yourself first today.” He doesn’t explain what he means by that because he’s too busy shoving me into the principal’s office.

Fowley groans when she sees him. She leans back in her chair, throwing her hands in the air. “I can’t let this one go. She assaulted a student.”

“One you’ve been sleeping with,” Tank says, pushing me into a chair before taking the one beside mine.

Excuse me while I pick my jaw up from the floor. What the fuck did he just say?

She leans forward. “That’s not true.”

He shrugs. “I’ve got the receipts, Mrs. Fowley. Seems you have a hankering for young basketball players.”

When she looks at me accusingly, he snaps his fingers, redirecting her attention.

“Do you like this school?” he asks, not taking his eyes off her.

She begins to answer, but he stops her. “Not you.”

Slowly, he turns to face me. I begin to stutter.

“It’s a yes or no question.”

“No.”

“Then why do you continue to torture yourself by coming here every day?”

“Because …” I look at the principal. She looks tired. I’m tired, too. “I don’t know.”

“Forget me, forget her.” He pauses to nod his head toward Fowley. “Forget your parents and the club. Forget everyone but yourself. What do you want?”

“But it’s not …”

“Not what you want?”

“No. It’s what I want, but …”

“Then tell me.”

My hands strangle each other in my lap. “I don’t want to go to school here. I just want to get my GED and be done with high school.”

I sigh, throwing my head back. It will never happen. My parents will never allow …

“Make it happen,” Tank tells Mrs. Fowley as he pulls me from my chair. “I’ll expect a text with her testing date and time, and it better be soon.”

He pauses to write his number on one of her business cards, then tosses it at her. Mrs. Fowley looks giddy with relief as we leave her office.

What just happened?

My brows pull together as Tank continues to lead me along behind him. When we get outside, he hands me a helmet. I stare up at him, taking in all the shades of green that make up the color of his eyes, while at the same time wondering how it is that I find myself in this predicament. Caught between one world and the next. I’m straddling a very fine line here. There’s no going back from this.

On the one hand, I like things the way they are. Where I’m safe with my parents and brothers. I hadn’t felt safe on any other parallel until I met them. I don’t want to let that go. But lately I’ve been feeling them slip away … life is changing. It’s inevitable. A new chapter is beginning.

Without giving it any more thought, I climb on behind him. I’m scared of what’s to come, but I think I’m a bit excited too.

By the time we get back to the house, Mrs. Fowley has messaged Tank with the date and time of my GED test. It”s tomorrow.

He’s focused on his phone as I slide off his bike. “She says if you don’t feel ready, there are classes –”

I cut him off. “I don’t need the classes.”

He shoots her a text before shoving his phone back in his pocket. “So, what did that shit ass say to you to make you kick him in the balls?”

“My parents will be home soon.”

It’s kind of annoying the way he chuckles. He knows that’s not true.

“Fine, I’ll tell you. Do you want to see the kittens?”

I make my way around the house, knowing he’ll follow. He doesn’t seem the least bit worried that someone will catch us together.

It’s dusty and dark in the barn as I climb into the water tank that we’ve been using to keep the kittens contained. I lower myself onto my old comforter, the kittens immediately pattering their way over to me. They tumble over each other, trying to be the first to climb onto my lap.

Tank joins us, sitting across from me. He patiently waits for me to tell him what happened with Matt.

When a kitten gets tangled in my hair, he comes to my aid. “You remind me of that Disney princess. You know, the one that loved animals?”

“Don’t they all?”

He chuckles. “I honestly don’t know. I’m not very versed on princesses.”

The kitten must like hair, because as soon as Tank removes him from my head, pulling him to his chest, the kitten snuggles up under his beard. The way his tattooed fingers run through its soft fur makes my stomach tighten.

I continue to watch him pet the tiny creature as I speak. “He made a comment about our age difference.”

“And …” he prompts.

“He … he asked me if I needed someone older to make it work.” Why am I telling him this?!

Tank scoots around to face me, our knees touching. “To make what work?”

“My … my ...” My face burns hot as I try my hardest to keep my heart beating evenly. I nod toward my crotch.

“Why would he think that?” he asks.

Tears begin to drop on the kittens that are now asleep on my lap. When I don’t answer, he slowly begins to put the pieces together.

“Because of your past,” he mutters under his breath.

I love the way he figures it out on his own without me having to embarrass myself further.

Gently, he picks up the kittens, moving them back to their mother. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

We get back on his bike. Thirty minutes later, we pull up to a small trailer in a nearby rural town.

“It’s not much, but it’s mine … for now,” he says, holding the door open for me.

I let my eyes trail over the room before I step inside. It’s simple but clean. “You live here? I thought you were staying at the warehouse.”

He drops his leather cut on the couch. “I’m at the warehouse for now.”

“When are you going to tell them who you are?”

My gaze follows him as he makes his way to the kitchen. He stares into the fridge before reaching in and pulling out two sodas. He brings them back to the couch. I cautiously lower myself beside him, jumping as he cracks open the first can.

“When the job is done. A few weeks maybe.”

He shrugs like it doesn’t make much difference to him. He said himself the club won’t let him stay when they find out he’s been lying to them.

“So, you plan on living here after you tell them?”

He scans the room. “It’s not so bad. I’ve lived in worse.”

I sigh, sinking into the sofa. “That’s not what I’m getting at. Why would you stick around here?”

“For you.”

My eyes widen. “Tank. I’m … they’ll never.”

The green of his eyes darkens. “They let you go out with that little dipshit, didn’t they? They’ll eventually be okay with us.”

“Us?” I laugh, but it fades when he pulls a condom out of his pocket. He dangles it in front of my face.

“I’m thirty-four. That’s a fifteen-year gap if your brain can’t math right now.”

His gaze runs down my body, waking up every one of my nerve endings as it passes over them.

I’m embarrassed he’s telling me his age. I don’t care how old he is. Age doesn’t mean a damn thing to me. Tank doesn’t remind me of the men who hurt me. But Matt … Matt reminds me of them. It’s not age or looks, it’s … it’s the way certain men make my skin crawl. The way my mind races to find a way around them.

“If you’re okay with our age difference, let me show you just how not broken you are.”

“You ran away from me last night,” I accuse softly.

His head falls back as he laughs loudly. “You’d just given me another mystery to solve. I have this unnatural need to know everything about you.”

“How’d that turn out?” There’s no way he’ll uncover who I was talking about last night.

He shrugs. “It’s still an ongoing investigation.”

The heat of his body next to mine is making me feel all itchy in my clothes. And his smell. And the fact that his entire focus is on me right now. Maybe that’s what’s different about him. When he looks at me, he isn’t looking at the surface. I mean he is, but …

“Ugh, you have an unfair advantage. I don’t have a team of private investigators to tell me everything about you.”

“What do you want to know?” He leans away from me, slipping the condom back into his pocket.

Not going to lie, I’m kind of disappointed. “Well, now that you put me on the spot, I can’t think.”

He props himself over me, one hand between my thighs, the other on the cushion behind my head. For the first time in my entire life, I want a man to lean in closer. His gaze falls to my lips as my tongue rakes across them. My core clenches, making my hips rise ever so slightly from the couch.

His index finger brushes lightly against the seam of my jeans. The green of his eyes darkens as he searches for any sort of negative reaction from me. He does it again when he doesn’t find one. A breathy moan lifts anchor and sails from my lungs.

“You see,” he begins, “we don’t need to know anything about one another. None of that matters. Your soul and mine don’t give two fucks about anything earthly. They’re just happy they’ve found each other.”

Instantly, tears sting the corner of my eyes because I believe him. I feel it, too.

I don’t care who this man is. All I know is I want to crawl inside him and live. It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever experienced.

“I need to make a call,” I tell him.

He backs away, holding my gaze hostage. My hand trembles as I pull my phone to my ear.

Billie Rose answers in her usual cheerful voice. “Hey, girl.”

“I need a favor.”

Her tone changes. “Oh, okay?”

I hear the question, but I can’t tell her right now. I don’t want anyone to stop this. Whatever is happening between Tank and me, I need it to play out. Good or bad, I’ll deal with the fallout. But what I don’t need is for anyone from the club to interrupt us. I’m an adult, and I need this.

“I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”

She sighs. “I know you wouldn’t. Why does this sound like it’s going to put me in a predicament?”

“Because it is.” Tank and I continue to stare at each other. “I … I’m going to tell Mom and Dad we’re having a girl’s night, and I’m staying over at your house.”

“Kelsie …” she starts.

“And I need you and Elijah to go get my car from the school and park it at your house, so it looks legit.”

The silence on the phone almost makes me regret calling her, but I haven’t given up hope yet. She knows I’ve never asked for anything.

“Are you in trouble? Please tell me you’re not with Jason.”

I break away from Tank’s stare at the sound of Jason’s name. “I’m not with Jason, and I’m not in any trouble.” I pause, peeking up at the man still staring at me. “I really need this, Billie Rose.”

“Kels, this makes me nervous. I would at least feel better if I knew who you’re with.”

There’s no way I can ask her to lie for me while at the same time making her worry I’m going to be murdered … or worse. I’ve shared too much of my past with her to ask that of her. It’s not fair of me.

Tank nods his head before I even ask if he’s okay with her knowing about us.

Us.

“I’m with someone from the club.” I decide to give her the bare minimum to see if that will appease her.

“Kelsie,” she squeals. “Oh my god. Who is it?”

Fire licks at my cheeks. “Tank,” I mumble under my breath, turning away from him so he can’t see how red my face must surely be.

“The big guy?” she asks in a hushed whisper. “Oh my god, Kelsie. Are you sure about this?”

“I’m sure.”

Tank”s fingers dig into my thighs as he tugs me onto his lap. The air leaves my lungs when he grinds himself against me.

“I’m more than sure,” I say again when she doesn’t respond.

Tank’s fingertips dimple my jeans as he pushes me back and then forward over his growing erection. The tension strumming between us is becoming almost painful.

“Please do this for me, Billie Rose.”

“Okay. Okay, fine …”

“The spare key for my car is in the back right wheel well,” I rush to tell her, pushing against Tank’s chest. “I’ll see you in the morning. I love you.”

“Goddammit,” she grumbles. “You better get here early, because I’ve got a lot of questions.”

“I will. Thank you. Bye,” I say quickly, hanging up before she can change her mind.

“One more call.” I rise to my knees, needing him to stop. “I can’t think when you’re doing that.”

He chuckles, patting me on the butt. “Go ahead. I’ll be good. Promise.”

Please, Lord, please let me get through this next call.

“What’s wrong?” my dad asks the minute he answers.

“Dad,” I groan. “Nothing’s wrong. Jeez, I was just going to ask if I could stay at Billie Rose’s tonight. We’re going to have a girl’s night,” I lie. “I was going to head over there when school gets out.”

I smile when the faint sound of his tattoo gun hums back to life. It means he’s relaxed.

“Yeah, that’s fine. I think it will be good for you to spend some time with her.”

My heart takes a little dip at how easy it was for him to believe me. I know that trust is hard-earned with him … and I’m breaking it.

“I’ll see you tomorrow. I love you,” he says, getting ready to end the call.

“Dad,” I say abruptly, instead of my usual I love you too.

The buzzing in the background stops. It’s replaced by the rumble of his chair wheels over the hard wood floor as he stands abruptly.

“I can’t lie to you. I’m not staying at Billie Rose’s,” I whisper, sliding off Tank’s lap.

It’s quiet on the other end as I make my way to the window of Tank’s trailer. There’s a beautiful weeping willow tree across the road. I stare at it, knowing that this is it. Everything in my world is about to change.

Tank’s arms wrap around my waist, his chin resting on the top of my head.

“I’m going to spend the night with a friend, but I’m not ready to tell you who that is yet.”

“Kelsie, this is …”

My dad finding himself at a loss for words is unusual.

“Not like me,” I finish for him.

“I was going to say unexpected, but yeah, this isn’t like you. Is it a guy? Do you think I’m going to let you spend the night with a boy? Is that what this is?”

“Dad, please stop. I know you’re rushing out the door. You have a client. You can’t just leave.”

A door slams in the background. “Oh yeah?”

“Well, I guess you can, but it’s not good for business,” I joke. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

My fingers tap lightly over my forehead as my mind scrambles for a way to take this conversation back. I should have just lied. How did I think this was going to go?

“Where are you?”

I know he’s standing by his bike, waiting for my answer before he fires it up.

“Dad. Listen to me. I’m an adult, and I’m not with a boy. I’m with a man. One I trust. I’ll be home in the morning. I love you,” I finish quickly before hanging up.

I let out a shaky breath. “Well, that was fun.”

I watch the willow tree’s branches sway peacefully in the wind as my heart struggles to return to a normal beat.

“You could have told him it was me. I’ll never ask you to lie about anything.”

My fingers tap out a message to Billie Rose, letting her know to leave my car at the school. I explain that I still need her to keep Tank’s name to herself, but Dan knows I’m not coming home.

She replies he’s already sent out a mass text to everyone in the club. They’ll be looking for me.

“Fuck,” I whisper.

Tank reads the message over my shoulder. “I’ll take you home.”

I spin around. “No.”

His fingers wrap around my throat, tipping my head back as he stares down at me. “We might be the only two people who understand what’s going on between us.”

“Well, that’s okay, because I don’t see anyone else here.”

His hands brush down my body, sliding to my ass. He lifts me, our lips joining before he begins to walk us down the hall of his trailer. Sunlight peeks around the shades of his bedroom, dusting the room in a soft glow.

As soon as he sets me on my feet, we’re pulling our shirts over our heads. Our hands reach for each other clumsily as we steady ourselves to kick our shoes off. He chuckles lightly, and it makes me smile. I like the sound of his laugh.

But the mood shifts to a serious one as soon as our pants hit the floor.

“We’re going to go slow,” he says quietly as his intense green eyes caress my skin at a lazy pace.

I sway on my feet, anxiously awaiting his next command.

“I don’t want to miss anything. I want to remember this forever.”

The way he speaks sends a shiver straight down my spine, waking up nerve endings I didn’t know I had.

“Anytime you want to stop, you tell me,” he continues.

“Okay,” I agree while I reach behind my back, my fingers fumbling for the clasp of my bra. In one flick, it falls to the floor.

His eyes remain on mine, and I love the way there is no struggle in that for him. They are firmly on my face. “May I touch you?”

There’s no way to explain the way in which my heart leaps for joy. Because he doesn’t just mean that physically. He’s not even going to take privilege in the view of my body without my permission. I knew this type of man existed. I know because I’ve lived with three of them. But I never dreamed I would find one for myself. I was going to settle for Jason. Why did I not love myself enough to wait for what I knew was possible?

Because that Kelsie wasn’t being real with herself.

“Yes.”

I expect him to step toward me, but he remains in place as his eyes painstakingly fall down my body. He doesn’t stop until he reaches my toes, and then they slowly make their way back up.

“Are you comfortable with me removing these?” He snaps the band on his boxers, wincing at the sting.

It makes me giggle and drop my gaze to the floor. I give him a shy nod, then take a deep breath when he kicks his boxers to the side.

“Can I touch?” I ask quietly, my gaze still locked on the floor.

“You have permission to touch me for the rest of my life.”

A smile pulls at the corners of my mouth. “I hope my dad doesn’t shorten that.”

“Me too,” he chuckles. But he doesn’t sound worried at all, even though he’s literally risking his life right now. Surely, he knows that.

“Are you certain you want to do this?” I ask, my fingertips lightly trailing over the top of my panties. I still haven’t allowed myself to look at him. I’m not that brave yet. Maybe that’s the real reason he’s going so slow. He’s giving me time to back out.

“I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life.”

I close the distance between us, standing in front of him, staring at his bare feet. Even those are sexy. Hesitantly, I slide my panties down my legs and kick them off the tip of my toe. He grabs me by my shoulders before I can press myself against him.

“But with that said, we don’t have to do this right now. There’s no need to rush. I’ll wait for you.”

My resolve to do this gives me the courage to finally look him in the eye. “I don’t want to wait,” I say, threading my fingers in his beard. Slowly, I pull his face toward mine. “Don’t hold back. I need you to show me something better than what I’ve been shown.”

He steps away from me, placing his arm straight out between us. He rolls his head on his shoulders. “Do you promise to stop me even if you’re slightly uncomfortable?” he asks, holding himself in check as he waits for my response.

“Yes,” I answer, raising my chin confidently.

His eyes fall closed, and when they open, I take a step back. Oh, oh god. I hope I’m ready for this.

His hands reach for me, running through my hair, and tugging at my scalp gently. That’s all it takes to shut my thoughts off. My head falls back as the warmth of his mouth descends on the sensitive spot where my shoulder and neck meet. His beard chaffs lightly over my skin.

Not once does he rush as his fingers and mouth explore my body. “Tank,” I whisper his name in desperation when he pulls away from me.

He takes my hand and guides me toward the bed. Our movements are fluid, perfectly synchronized as he helps me to lie back against the cool sheets as if we’ve done this a hundred times.

He sits near my feet, watching me writhe with need over his sheets. I’d be embarrassed if I wasn’t so in awe of how good I feel in this moment. I need more … I want more, and I want him to see that. His hand begins to move between his legs as he stares at me. My heart skips a beat as I gather the courage to lower my eyes and watch him. He groans out loud when my gaze drops to his hand as if that alone brings him pleasure.

He continues his lazy pace, watching me watch him. My feet slowly slide up the bed. I look away from him, slightly embarrassed, and allow my knees to fall apart.

Oh god. I …

“You’re so beautiful,” he says, pulling my attention back to him. “Do you want to touch yourself?” he asks while continuing to pleasure himself.

“No. I want you to touch me,” I answer honestly.

His free hand begins at my ankle, his knuckles teasing over my skin before the heat of his palm moves up my leg. When he reaches the sensitive spot at the juncture of my thigh, he pulls his hand away and sinks his fingers into his mouth, wetting them. God, that’s hot, but my eyes fall closed as I anxiously await his touch. My heart races; my pulse pounds in my neck. Touch me.

He hears my silent plea … one fingertip gently presses against my clit and then stills. Oh fuck.

“Good?” he asks, not masking the enjoyment in his voice.

“Mmhhmm,” I hum, holding perfectly still because I feel like he has his finger on the detonator of a bomb.

He pulls it away, and I release a little breath.

My relief is short lived because it returns, this time with a determined mission. He moves it up and down, round and round. Colors swirl behind my eyes as I begin to chase my pleasure against his hand as he learns my rhythm. When his finger slides into me, I gasp out loud.

“Oh fuck, Tank. I’m going to come.”

He laughs. “Well, everything seems to be working just fine down here, doesn’t it?”

I can’t answer because a second finger joins the first all the while his thumb rubs lazy circles over my clit. I’m so wet, I’m almost embarrassed. It feels so good. Tears begin to sting at the corner of my eyes as I try to hold back, wanting to hold on to this feeling as long as I can.

“Show me who you belong to … come for me.”

Before I know what’s happening, his body is draped over mine, his mouth hot and wet against my lips. His fingers curl inside me, and he picks up his pace.

“Do it. Come all over my hand, little shadow.”

My body arches against his, my breasts pushing against his chest as every muscle in my body tightens. He moans into my mouth, and together we come. I don’t have time to think about the sticky mess he’s leaving on my stomach as he continues to rock his hand against me. I come again. And again. And again.

“That’s it, baby,” he mumbles over my lips, drunk on the high he’s getting from wrenching orgasm after orgasm from my body.

Eventually, he stills, my core clenching around him with tiny aftershocks.

After a few minutes, I open my eyes and stare up at the ceiling. The room is completely dark now. I have no idea what color the ceiling is, nor do I care.

A smile tightens my cheeks. They didn’t break me.

Tank lets me revel in the moment, rolling off me to pull me to his side.

“Do … do you want to … you know?” I ask hesitantly after several minutes pass. We didn’t even do the deed.

He squeezes me softly. “It will be something to look forward to, yeah?”

I smile against his skin. “Yeah.”