22. Twenty-Two
Twenty-Two
Rosie
I sit on the back of Vic’s bike as we fly down the road. The sunshine I haven’t seen in what feels like too long is beating down on me and bringing me back to life. But despite the beauty of this day, there’s a shadow cast by the hourglass in my head, reminding me that Gage’s arrival is just days away.
Right here is where I want to stay, feeling the sun’s rays on me while the breeze caresses my body in this small town that feels like my sanctuary with my hands wrapped around this beautiful man.
Vic gives my leg a squeeze as if he can read my thoughts, which brings me back to the present.
This is the first ride I’ve been on with all the guys from the MC, and I can’t help but feel a little badass as I sit here with them. They give off an I don’t give a fuck air, and I can’t help but admire that.
After years of playing the part of the good girl, it’s exhilarating to let go and not worry about what others think or how they perceive me. I’ve tried since I arrived to slough off the old me, and it finally feels like I am.
Trey, Julian, and Marcus are in the front, with Trey leading the way. Vic says it goes by order of rank. Vic and Axl are behind them, with Jess and me on the back of their bikes, and then more guys behind us.
When I voiced my concerns about Vic getting in trouble for riding with them, he shrugged it off. I can tell he misses this. His happiness has been undeniable all morning.
I look over at Jess, who sits on the back of Axl’s bike. She wraps her arms tightly around him, and a huge smile graces his lips as he says something to her through their mics. She, of course, rolls her eyes before giving a small smile. From what Vic told me, they’re attached at the hip these days.
It was hard to see her. I still feel immense guilt for what happened, even more so when I saw the stitches that are barely beginning to heal across her forehead.
The weather is chilly, but there isn’t a cloud in sight, just light blue skies in the late morning.
The desire to stretch my arms wide and experience the wind caressing my skin is overwhelming. After about twenty minutes of watching the trees on both sides of the highway zoom by, I say fuck it. I squeeze my legs tighter against Vic and lift my arms in the air as I always do on the back of his bike.
Feeling the wind fly between my fingers, like a bird flying high with no thoughts of coming down from the clouds.
All of my worries fade away. The pressure on my chest is not as heavy. I almost feel like myself again.
This feels like living .
We make a right and come to a halt on an arched metal bridge, joining a truck and a small group of people. As I dismount from the bike, my legs tremble like gelatin from the long ride. When I stumble, Vic reaches out his hand to steady me.
“Whoa there.” He chuckles while his eyes sparkle with amusement.
Embarrassment from almost meeting the floor again colors my cheeks, so I blurt the first thing that comes to mind. “You know you’re kinda beautiful.”
“And you’re kinda perfect,” he murmurs as he rubs my hand with his. The gentle touch accompanied by those words stirs a profound yearning for him within me. “You ready?”
“For what?”
“I remember someone saying they wanted to bungee jump.”
I squeal. “Are you for real?”
“Yep.”
“You did this for me?”
“Of course. Let’s go, baby,” he pulls me over to where the guys are setting up.
“You shouldn’t have, Vic,” Trey says as he gets buckled in. A huge smile graces his lips. “Later fuckers” is all he says before doing a back flip off the bridge.
He’s definitely a little unhinged. Trey disappears over the side, and I look up at Vic with wide eyes.
“You scared?”
“A little.”
“You’ll be safe.”
“Are you going to do it, too?”
“Fuck no.”
“Why? ”
“Vic’s scared of heights,” Axl says with a laugh.
“Fuck you, Ax.”
I can’t help but smile. Vic fearing something makes him almost seem more human. I’ve thought of him as someone who’s immune to that feeling.
It sounds bad, but I find comfort in him fearing at least one thing.
I look over at Jess, who’s close to Axl’s side. “What about you, Jess?”
“Uh.” She looks over at Axl, who shakes his head, then she looks back at me. Weird. “I’m with Vic. I don’t like heights.”
“You’re up,” Vic says.
I look over to the ledge where they’re waiting for me. Second thoughts race through my mind. Vic threads his fingers with mine and pulls me over.
The guy clips me in as I look up at Vic with trepidation.
“You can do this,” he says while watching the guy. “Watch those fingers, buddy.”
When the guy stands back up, Vic narrows his eyes at him. “Are you sure everything is secure and safe?”
“Yes, sir.”
Vic holds his stare for a moment longer before looking down at me. “I’ll see you when you get back up. Have fun.”
My gaze slides over to the other side of the bridge, where some of the guys are jumping.
“Vic, I can’t do it. I’m scared,” I whisper, shaking my head as I look down. My feet won’t move as fear paralyzes me, and the weight I thought was gone from my chest reappears.
Vic’s face softens as he rubs my cheek.
“Okay,” he says before looking behind me. “Can we go tandem? ”
“Yeah. Let me get you a harness.” The guy says.
My eyes widen when I figure out what he’s doing. “But you don’t like heights.”
“No, I don’t.”
“You don’t have to do this.”
“But I do.” He rubs my cheek softly before kissing my lips. “For you.”
My heart soars at the sacrifice he’s making for me. I don’t know when he deemed it okay to kiss me in public for anyone to see, but I love it.
We unlocked a new level in our relationship after the night in the pool. One that left me feeling light, and dare I say loved? Not in love, because I know Vic would never want that, but cared for.
With him securely fastened to me, we walk toward the edge. Our bodies intertwine as I securely hold his waist with my arms, while his arms provide a comforting embrace around my shoulders.
I can hear Vic’s heart pounding in my ear, its rhythm erratic. I’m filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude toward him. His selflessness grants me the opportunity to experience yet another first.
“Alright, guys, whenever you’re ready.”
“Are you ready?” I ask as I gaze up at Vic.
,“No,” he says with a nervous laugh, his eyes vulnerable. “But for you, I’ll do anything.”
That’s all the answer I need. I go on my tiptoes, give him a peck on his lips, and then lean over the edge.
We free-fall off the bridge that has a river running through the bottom. I scream loud enough for everyone to hear as the weightless feeling hits me, and my stomach drops. Vic’s arms tighten around me as we move back and forth at the bottom of the bridge like a bunch of rag dolls.
“That was—”
“Awful.”
“It wasn’t that bad.”
“With you, it wasn’t.”
“I appreciate you,” I say as I kiss his chest.
Another first and core memory this beautiful man has given me.
We split from the pack of bikes and off toward another highway. Different shades of green zoom past us as we fly to our destination.
It’s getting colder, so I burrow even closer to him, feeling his muscles bounce as I wrap my chilled hands around him. He takes one hand off the handlebars and gently rubs mine back and forth, spreading warmth through my entire body.
I love when his hands are on me.
Before I know it, the ride is over and I look around. “You brought me back to the lake!”
“That I did. We came a little earlier than last time, so we can stay longer if you’d like,” he says while grabbing my hand and leading the way .
“I still can’t get over the beauty of this place. Thank you for bringing me back.”
We head through the clearing, and I can’t help but inhale a breath of surprise.
Lanterns line the dock over the lake, and at the end are two easels with blank canvases.
I look over at him in shock. “You did this? For me?” I say with tears in my eyes.
He just grins and pulls me along.
“When did you get all of this up here?” I ask as I look at all the supplies.
“Don’t worry your pretty little head about that. I want to see you paint.”
“It’s been a long time,” I say. I’ve sketched, but it was with clients’ ideas before the kidnapping.
I’m scared my creativity is gone.
“No doubts. Put the brush in your hand and ignore everything else. Even me,” he says with the push I need.
I take a deep breath and square my shoulders before grabbing the supplies I need.
Soft music plays from behind me and I can’t help but sway and get lost in the moment of doing the two things I love at once. I’ve always been the type to need music and a bit of chaos around me to get my vision onto paper.
I’m in that element, and I let the moment take me. Deep strokes of black, browns, greens, and white dominate the canvas. I don’t stop until the sun is almost down and we’re surrounded by only the muted light of the lanterns and the moon.
I didn’t even notice how chilly it was until now .
Vic comes up behind me, wrapping me in the warmth of his embrace.
“It’s breathtaking, just like you,” Vic says against my ear.
“Let me see yours.”
I look over at Vic’s canvas, and my head angles to the side. It’s a beautiful and simple red rose, but it looks familiar. Weird. But a rose is just a rose. How else would you draw one?
Get out of your head, Rosie.
Enjoy the moment.
I turn around in his arms and sway with him to the soft music that’s playing.
This is what living is.
This is what I ran from home to have.
Moments like this.
The freedom to choose my memories.
We sway until we hear lightning in the distance, bringing us back to the present.
“Shit, we better go before it gets bad. I don’t want to ride with you on the back while it’s raining,” he says in a rush.
“What about our paintings?”
“I’ll handle it. Let’s get the fuck outta here.”
Vic grabs my hand as we walk into the forest. I lean closer to him for both warmth and safety. The branches sway ominously in the wind, foreshadowing the impending storm. As we hurry, the scent of damp pine and moss fills the surrounding air.
We make it to his bike, and Vic turns around abruptly, making me bump into his chest. I look up into his eyes, confused.
“Go to the back of my bike, spread your legs, and lean over it. Place your chest on the seat,” he instructs me with a stern voice.
I quirk my eyebrow. “What? Why? ”
“It’s time for one of my firsts. Get on the back of my bike, baby.” A dark grin adorns his face.
He leans down and crushes his lips to mine in a hard kiss. The gentle Vic from the lake is gone, and I love it.
His hands go straight into my hair, and he pulls hard, eliciting a moan of both pain and pleasure from me.
He turns me around; my back against his hard chest. His mouth runs from my collarbone to my ear, kissing and sucking, giving me goose bumps and making me shiver. His hands move down my front, flicking the button on my jeans open.
“What about the storm?”
“Fuck waiting. Fuck the storm. Fuck everything but my hands on you. My mouth on you,” he says in my ear while he keeps moving his hand south.
He sticks his hand in and rubs my clit roughly through my panties. I buck my hips, unable to stay still. It feels so good.
“I can feel how wet you are for me. I’m going to fucking eat you alive,” he says in a raspy voice, breathing as heavily as I am.
A whimper is my only response. I’m mindless and on sensory overload.
He stops rubbing me and slides my pants down, including my panties. One hand on my hip and the other on the middle of my back, he pushes me down until I’m lying on the seat face-first. I move my head to the side to peek back at him, but from the angle, I can’t see much. All I can do is feel.
He grabs the back of my neck, giving it a tight squeeze before he smacks my ass hard. I yelp. The sound echoes like a tree falling on the forest floor.
Oh God. It stings so good .
“Please,” I whimper.
“Please, what?”
“I want you,” I whisper, knowing I’ve never been more sincere.
“And I want you.” He takes his time moving down my body, building my anticipation. Both of his hands grip my thighs and spread them apart. His face above my center, he breathes me in before groaning.
If he doesn’t do something soon, I might die.
Just when I think I might shed a tear out of frustration, his mouth comes down on me. Warm and wet. Licking, kissing, sucking me. My legs buckle when he licks me from the bottom to the top, just over my puckered hole.
“Oh God, yes,” I say on repeat.
“You like that, beautiful?” he asks. “You want more?”
“Please.”
“I love when that word falls from your lips,” he says before returning to my center.
He licks faster, with more pressure, sticking his tongue in a place no one has ever been. In and out, in and out. Driving me to the brink, then stopping, making me huff out a breath of despair.
“Wait, no, don’t stop,” I say without thinking. I’m too distraught over the thought of being left hanging to worry about sounding needy.
His hand grips a handful of my hair, making my back bow and my chest come off the seat before he sticks two fingers inside me.
I yelp at the intrusion, my eyes going wide. Feeling him stretch me, his fingers going in and out. He scissors me wider to make room for his fingers. The position has me grinding against the end of the seat, my clit stimulated with each move .
The wind picks up, and I can feel its icy touch on my overheated skin.
“You’re so wet and tight. You hear the sounds your pussy makes for me? I can’t wait to be inside you,” he says while pumping into me faster, making my legs shake and hitting something that has me seeing stars before I scream out my release.
He’s still slowly pumping, wringing out the last bit of my orgasm before withdrawing his fingers.
I lie on the back of his bike, breathing heavy, hair in a chaotic mess all over my face, too spent to move.
I’m wondering if this is it. Will he finally give me what I’ve asked for?
He takes something out of his saddlebag before I feel him wiping me down. Then, he pulls my panties and pants back up. I push my hands against the bike to get up before turning around to look at him. Confused.
“You ready to go?”
“But I thought...” I leave the rest unsaid.
“When we get home.”
Home , I think as my heart swells.
But there’s something I want to do.
I drop down on both knees in front of him. His head tilts to the side, looking down at me. “Are you sure?”
I nod, too nervous to talk.
“Have you done this before?”
I shake my head.
“You’re so perfect,” he says. “Unbutton my pants.”
Trembling, I reach out and touch the rough denim of his pants, my eyes fixed on the noticeable bulge straining against his zipper. As I awkwardly fumble with the button of his jeans, my inexperience becomes painfully obvious. I finally win the war and unzip his pants before looking back up at him.
“Pull them down.”
I slide down his pants and black boxer briefs. My eyes widen when he springs free. He fists himself a couple of times, and I can’t keep my eyes off the way his hand looks as he pleases himself.
“Open your mouth and stick out your tongue,” he says as he places the tip at the opening of my mouth.
I open wide while maintaining eye contact with him. It feels so intimate, and I love it.
He places his tip against my tongue and thrusts in with a groan. “Fuck...so good.”
More thunder strikes, and it sounds right above us.
“We gotta hurry.”
I nod.
“I’m going to take over. If you need me to stop, tap my leg, baby.” He threads his fingers between the strands of my hair, anchoring me to him before thrusting in harder, deeper until he can’t go in any farther. He hits the back of my throat, making my eyes water, but I continue to lick and suck. He groans with each thrust, and I can’t help the moan that follows.
I’m making him feel just as good as he makes me feel.
“Look at me, baby. I want you to swallow. Can you do that for me?” I look up at him, tears in my eyes, skin flushed, feeling more turned on than I have ever felt.
I give him a small nod, and he explodes with a deep groan. I swallow as he pulls me to my feet and presses his lips to mine.
“Let’s go home,” he says, making butterflies swarm in my belly and something deeper take root in my heart .
About ten minutes into our ride, the telltale sign of drops hit my back and shoulders. Shit. More come, and I can’t help but laugh. I’ve always loved the rain.
Tonight can’t get any more perfect. Vic guns it down the highway, much to my delight. From the huge grin I can see in the side mirror, he’s enjoying himself as well. I move my hand under his shirt and rub his lower stomach, loving the way his muscles move and tighten under my touch. I was once nervous about touching him, but now I want to feel all of him.
“I’ll order us some food while you change,” Vic says as he helps me take my helmet off in the garage.
As soon as I enter my room, I strip off my damp clothes and grab one of my longer shirts. I pull open my top drawer, then close it, opting to skip underwear.
I want him, and I’m done waiting.
I find him in the living room, where he rarely sits. His phone in hand while he types.
With every ounce of courage I possess, I stand in front of him.
“Food should be here in about thirty—”
Before he can finish, I swiftly position myself on top of him. A mischievous grin spreads across my face as I savor his surprise at being caught off guard .
He traces his hands along my waist before caressing my ass. His hands pause as he realizes I have no underwear on, and he moans his approval.
Drawing closer, I lean in and capture his lips in a tender kiss.
A wave of nervous excitement washes over me, and my stomach flutters with a flurry of butterflies.
A chaotic swarm, buzzing with energy.
A kaleidoscope of color and feelings.
This feels right.
I pull back and go for his pants. His eyes go wide. “Are you sure?”
“Surer than I have ever been in my entire life,” I say as I pull at the drawstrings.
He shifts his hips and pulls them down to his knees. I gulp as I look down at his dick that’s long and thick with a mean-looking vein on the side.
“Umm.” I glance up with trepidation. It looks way bigger in the light.
“Don’t get scared now, baby. I promise you’ll love every minute of it.”
That’s all the reassurance I need. I sit up straighter as he grabs himself and lines the head with my entrance.
“Look at me. I want to see your eyes the moment my cock is fully inside you. Owning you like I’ve always wanted to. Bringing you pleasure no one else has. Only me.”
“Only you,” I breathe before putting my hands on his shoulders and squatting back in his lap.
We don’t break eye contact as I drop fully onto his length. I let out a pain-filled groan while Vic leans into me with a deep moan. Holy hell, it hurts. He’s stretching me so much.
I wrap my hands around his neck as if that will ease some of the pain.
“Are you okay?”
I exhale. “I think so. It just hurts.”
“I know, but it won’t hurt for long.” He rubs my back, which calms me and soothes some of the discomfort.
He pulls back and slowly circles my clit, making my walls clench around his hard length in painfully sweet satisfaction.
“I’m gonna start moving. You can tell me to stop at any time, and I will.”
I nod into his neck as he continues to rub my clit.
He lifts me with his other arm as if I weigh nothing before slowly bringing me back down on him.
Each stroke he takes builds momentum, and they’re harder than the last.
He’s breathing heavy in my ear, mirroring my own breaths. All I can do is hold on and take what he’s giving me.
The searing pain subsides and brings forth a mixture of both pleasure and pain.
Every time he pulls out, I wait with bated breath for him to slam back into me again.
“You feel so fucking good, so fucking good.”
I moan into his neck. Unable to form a coherent response, I feel a burn building in my stomach from the friction of my clit against his stomach while he hammers into me.
“God, I can feel you squeezing my cock. Come for me, baby.”
He holds me tighter against him, and I see stars. The orgasm sweeps me away in the most intoxicating way I have ever felt.
“You’re so perfect,” he says as he kisses my forehead.
He stands with me in his arms, his length still buried inside me as he walks us down the hall and into his room. He throws me on the bed, and I let out a surprised squeal.
“Are you too sore?”
I shake my head. It’s tender, but I never want this moment to end.
“Good. Lose the shirt. I want to see all of you.”
I pull off my shirt, and my nipples pebble under his gaze. He crawls over my body and takes my nipple into his mouth, sucking while squeezing my other. A moan pulls from my lips as a shock of pleasure goes through my body.
He grabs my legs and lifts them onto his shoulders. “Put your hands against the headboard and don’t move them.”
I lay my palms flat, making my breasts rise higher.
The moment I look back up at him, he slams into me.
Hard.
“Oh fuck,” I chant over and over.
It turns him into an animal as he powers into me. He’s thrusting so hard you can hear the smack of the headboard against the wall, drowning out my cries of pleasure.
Vic’s eyes roll in the back of his head. He must feel the pull of euphoria calling to him as it is doing to me.
He reaches between my legs and rubs my clit one, two, three times before I’m screaming. He follows me over the edge, bucking his hips wildly before coming to a stop, my release mixing with his.
He peers down at me, and I can’t help the smile on my face.
“What?”
“No wonder it makes people crazy. That was amazing. ”
“You’re so perfect.” He falls to my side and pulls me closer to him.
My hands go into his hair. I know how much he enjoys the way it feels.
“My mom used to rub my head like you’re doing. It’s one of the few things I remember about her.”
This is the first time Vic has willingly talked about his family. My heart clenches as I think about what Jess told me.
“Do you miss her?”
“I miss the thought of who she could have been if not for her selfishness. Maybe it would have made me different.”
“I don’t want to imagine you being different. I think you’re perfect the way you are.”
“Even my fucked-up parts?”
“Everyone has them, Vic. You just have to find the people willing to see them as beautiful.”
“The only thing beautiful here is you.”
I smile at his subject change. I’ll take the hint and just be grateful he’s beginning to open up to me.
“You make me wish we could stay in this blissful moment forever.”
“We can.”
“We both know that’s not true,” I say with a heavy sigh as I think about all the things I promised myself to forget until it was time.
Gage.
The arranged marriage.
Leaving Vic.
The last one hurts the most.
“It could be.”