Chapter Twenty
Krampus
We pull up outside my tiny little house just outside of Fernley. It’s tucked away on a hillside, hidden by a line of trees at least a mile long.
Mindy follows my lead and parks her bike behind the house, hiding it behind a few bushes.
“You’ll be safer here.”
“Where are we?”
“My place.”
Besides the other day, I don’t really come home much, mainly because it reminds me of my aunt and uncle.
“You own a house?”
“A tiny one.”
“It’s bigger than my loft,” she remarks, staring at the stone fireplace that has a picture of me, my aunt and uncle, and my grandmother. “Is this your family?”
Nodding, I move closer to her, staring at the faces of my past and missing them dearly. “They took me in after my father abandoned me. That’s my aunt Heather and uncle Kyle. And that’s my Mimi.”
“They seem like nice people.”
“They really were.”
“What happened to them?”
“Mimi passed away a few years ago, but my aunt and uncle moved to Florida about five years ago, and I haven’t had much communication with them since. They left this place to me, so I’d have somewhere to go if I ever decided to leave my club.”
She eyes me curiously. “Are you going to tell me what you found back at my loft?”
Cautiously, my eyes meet hers, knowing she’s going to freak out. “You might want to have a seat.”
“Is it that bad?”
Just the thought of it makes me wanna burn people alive, but I don’t tell her that.
“Bigfoot and Hannibal did a full sweep of your place. They went through every room, including the kitchen and dining area of your shop. They found some things.”
Leaving it vague may be the best option right now…
“What things?”
Then again, maybe not.
“Your shop is tapped with audio recording devices both in the kitchen and dining area. My guess is so that Moseley can use information he gets from it for extortion.”
“Extortion?”
Nodding, I take a step back to gauge her reaction. “The more information you have on someone, the easier it is to get them to do what you want.”
“I see.”
“There’s more.”
“Okay?”
“They found two cameras upstairs too. One in the bedroom directly above your bed. The other in your shower.”
“Are you serious?”
She sounds just as mad as I feel every time I think about it, though she probably doesn’t want to bathe in their blood like I do.
“I wish I were lying. Hannibal’s trying to pull the tapes, but if I had to guess, Moseley and his men have been recording you when you’re in the shower and sleeping.”
“Fudge, that’s just… violating.”
“Hannibal’s gonna do a search on the net to see if any videos of you pop up on the dark web.”
“Oh my goodness. I can’t believe what’s happening right now.”
I take her hands in mine. “I know it sounds scary, Mindy, but if there are videos out there, Hannibal will erase them. He’s really good at what he does, for being so old. He used to work for the CIA when he was younger.”
“How can we stop them?”
“By keeping our eyes open and you as far away from your bakery as possible.”
“I told you I can’t stop baking…”
“And you won’t. This house has two ovens. You can bake whatever you need to here and take it back to work in the morning.”
“You make it sound so easy, but I don’t think you’re taking into consideration how hard baking is without the right tools.”
“I can have some people drop stuff off here if you want.”
“Rich, I can’t keep moving through life scared like this. I’m stronger than that.”
His hand gently caresses my throat, then the mark on my face. “I know, baby, but he’s already hurt you once. I can’t let that happen again.”
I careen against his palm, needing more than just a sweet embrace.
“Take off your mask, Rich.”
“Excuse me?”
She smiles shyly. “Take off your mask so I can see your entire face, especially those deep blue eyes. Your eyes are my favorite part about you.”
My cheeks instantly heat. “Most people run and hide when they see my face.”
“Well, I’m not most people,” she fires back, giggling so adorably that she lets out a small snort. “Man, I haven’t snorted since high school. Forget you heard that.”
“No way! That snort was the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard. It needs to stay. It shows that you’re real.”
“Real nerdy,” she jokes, her gaze turning seductive. “Come on, Rich. Please take off the mask; I want to see all of you.”
Carefully, I undo the straps, opening myself up to her without thinking twice. “If you were anyone else, this wouldn’t happen…”
She laughs, cupping my face so the warmth in her palms heats my frozen heart. “There’s that beautiful face I love so much.” She fingers my scars as she says it, admiring them instead of being repulsed.
But honestly, it’s her words that land deep.
I pull her against my chest, my arms wrapping around her instinctively. She fits there like she belongs, her head tucking under my chin, her hands sliding up my back, holding on like she needs the contact as much as I do.
“I don’t feel safe with anyone but you,” she murmurs.
“I’m glad to hear it. It’s been my vow since the day we met, to always protect you,” I promise her, my lips brushing over her hair, across her temple, and down the curve of her cheek. “And keep you with me.”
She blushes again, but this time it’s heating her whole body.
Her fingers curl into my shirt as I tilt her chin up. Our kiss starts slow, like we’re both testing the ground beneath us to see if it’s stable. When she sighs against my lips, I deepen the kiss, my hand sliding to the small of her back, pulling her closer.
She responds instantly, her palms flattening against my chest, feeling my heartbeat that stutters every time she looks at me. Her body presses into mine without hesitation, like she trusts me to catch her if she ever were to fall.
I lift her easily, carrying her toward the couch, never breaking contact. I lower her gently down, hovering above her for a second, so she has the chance to stop me.
She doesn’t.
Her hands come up to frame my face again, thumbs brushing over my cheeks, grounding me like no woman has before. Every fear I have of her rejecting me dwindles away as I trail kisses along her jaw, down her neck, and linger where her pulse jumps beneath my lips.
Her breath hitches, soft sounds leaving her that make my grip tighten. I’m not rough with her, just meticulous with every move, certain there’s no other girl that could ever compare to her.
The usual rush to get things over with isn’t there. I want to take my time, to savor every moment like I’m back in high school and losing my virginity all over again.
I trace my fingers along her arms, then down her waist, memorizing the way she feels beneath my hands. She pulls me closer, forehead resting against mine, breath mingling in the darkness, eyes confused but trusting.
“Please don’t disappear on me again,” she whispers. “I know you’ve been watching me from afar, but when I came out of that building, and you weren’t right there waiting for me, I felt a part of myself die a little.”
“Never again,” I vow, pressing a kiss to her brow, her nose and then her lips, taking what my heart wants to own.
“If you want me to stop, just ask.”
“Not this time,” she whispers, looking up at me seductively as she frees her hair from the pins, the soft red tendrils spiraling down over her shoulders as she shakes them out. “If you want me, I’m yours to take.”
Gently, I take her hand, guiding her back to the bedroom where things can be more private. The second I close the door, I make my move, gripping her by the waist until she’s flush against my body, my fingers curling into those tendrils like I’m ready to be her comb.
“God, you’re so fucking beautiful.”
She ignores the swear, allowing it to be swallowed by a passionate kiss, one that leads to me exploring her body lower and lower until her pants are around her ankles and her cute little white lace panties are there to greet me.
Before she can say no, the pants and underwear are discarded, her shaved pussy on full display, ready for consumption.
“I bet you taste just as sweet as your pastries.”
She giggles, my beard brushing over her legs as my tongue dips down and laps at her center, savoring that first taste like I’m starting a four-course meal.
She hisses in ecstasy, back arching until she’s contorted, removing her own shirt so she can toy with her nipples.
Her body hits the bed, knees going weak as my tongue dives deeper, and a finger enters her for exploration.
“I knew you’d be good with your hands,” she exclaims, fingers digging into my shoulder blades, clawing at my shirt so she can feel my skin.
I only break contact long enough to discard it, throwing it to the floor before removing my jeans and underwear. Then I’m back between her thighs, savoring the sweet nectar building with every lick, her soft moans filling the room like the swirl of a heavenly smell wafting through your nostrils.
“Please, Rich, I need all of you.” Her fingers grip my hair, pulling me upward until my cock is hovering at her entrance.
“I don’t have a condom,” I whisper, half expecting her to jolt up and run away.
“Condoms are for pussies,” she exhales, her sudden vulgarity spearing me to move forward.
Our lips crash together at the same time I enter her. Her walls suction around me, squeezing me with each thrust. “God, you’re so fucking tight.”
Fuck the no swearing; right now, all bets are off.
“It’s been a while she moans, eyes slightly clenching together.
“Are you hurting?”
She shakes her head. “Keep going, please.”
“Are you sure?”
Her head shoots up, her glare slicing through me. “Damn it, Rich, just fuck me!”
Holy shit! In the bedroom, this woman is a different person. One that has me on my knees worshiping every inch of her.
Nails dig into my back the harder I thrust, her moans fueling every move like they’re directing my rhythm. She shudders beneath me when I hit her deep, my cock sliding into the deepest parts of her.
“Harder,” she begs.
So, my thrusts get angry.
“Faster,” she breathes.
My cock pistons into her, hands covering her breasts, tongues dueling for control.
She sucks in a breath, then starts to scream, her orgasm hitting her hard and fast.
“Please,” she begs. “Give me more. I haven’t cum in forever.”
So, I do, giving the woman whatever she wants in every position she demands, allowing her to own me in the bedroom and outside of it.
I pull out of her the second I start to feel the tingle, ready to spill my seed all over her pert little ass. But the little minx glares at me over my shoulder, mouth pursed in annoyance.
“You better stick that cock back in me, sir. I want you to finish inside me.”
“Say no more,” I breathe out in relief, my cock entering her slick folds with ease. “God, you feel too damn good.”
This time, she takes control, flipping me over until she’s riding my cock, tits bouncing wildly as she milks my dick for its seed.
“Come on, Rich, breed me.”
That’s all it took. “One damn dirty sentence and my cock erupts like Vesuvius.
Her scream echoes her release, pussy clenching, fingers digging into my flesh as we come together. It’s an experience I’ll never forget. She didn’t look away or angle herself so she can’t look at me.
No.
Mindy kept her eyes on me at all times, those hazel eyes devouring me through every thrust and caress. Fuck, I didn’t last long at all, but she doesn’t seem to care, enjoying the nearness of our bodies just as much as I do.
She collapses over the top of me, out of breath and sweating. “I’ve been waiting for that to happen since the second you bought all my pastries,” she pants.
“Really,” I sputter out, barely able to catch my own breath.
Her fingers trail over my chest as she sighs. “Yup. I just never expected it to be this good.”
“Well, thank you… I think.”
She smacks my chest, staring up at me with the most adorable glimmer in her eyes. “Stop that right now. There will be no self-loathing in the bedroom.
I chuckle. “Okay.”
We lay there in silence for what seems like eons before I finally break it. “Hey, Mindy?”
“Mmhmm,” she murmurs.
“You do realize you swore a few times while we were fucking, right?”
She giggles. “Let’s keep that our little secret, okay?”
“And what secret is that?”
Her head lifts, her smile pulling evilly. “That I’m a freak between the sheets, and a good girl with my baked sweets.”
My laughter fills the room. “Okay, Mindy. Your secret’s safe with me.”
As is her heart.
Her body.
And her life.