Chapter 17
Maverick
Kat without the weight of the world on her shoulders was an absolute vision.
Her eyes were softer, her shoulders were slack, and her smile was genuine.
I admired how she was stepping up for her dad but knew it was taking a toll.
I’d brought her out to the floor hoping a dance might take her mind off her troubles.
But I’ve only got so much self-control. Holding her that close, I couldn’t help but want more.
And then a different kind of stress relief presented itself.
The way she came apart, so freely, so fully, was like nothing I’d experienced before. It was real. Seeing her let go like that, and knowing I’d brought it to her, did something to me.
With one arm folded behind my head, I looked down at the beautiful woman in my bed. Her head rested against my chest as I stroked my fingers up and down her arm. This was not how I thought the night would go, but I wasn’t mad about it.
“I guess it’s time for me to head back.”
“Head back where?” My heart stopped for a second, before I realized she meant back to Larry’s, not Maryland. That brief moment of panic was… unexpected. If she’d been one of the bunnies, I would have kicked her out and gotten back to club business. I didn’t cuddle.
She lifted her head and turned to face me. “I came over to get some air and hopefully a little distraction.” She flicked her gaze toward my cock. “Mission accomplished,” she said with a giggle.
I smiled. “What are good neighbors for? In fact, any time you need a distraction you can saunter that pretty ass right on over. I’ll help you out.”
Kat sat all the way up and eased out of the bed. “I don’t know.” She reached for her dress and slipped it over her arms. “I’m not here for long. I’d hate to use you for your body.”
Fuck me, was this a dream? “Good news, Kitty Kat. I’m not a guy who catches feelings.
” Not usually, anyway. But Kat was a beautiful woman.
It was perfectly normal to be as obsessed as I was.
“While you’re in town, you have an open invitation to use me anytime, anywhere, and any way”—I gave her a wink— “you see fit.” I sat up on the bed, swinging my legs over the side and pulling her clothed body next to my naked one.
She moaned as I wrapped my legs around her, trapping her next to me.
“And the same goes for every time you visit in the future. Consider me your personal Dial-A-Fuck.”
She laughed and placed her arms around me, staring down into my eyes. “I guess if I know it’s temporary, and you know it’s temporary, there’s nothing wrong with two consenting adults enjoying each other’s company.”
“Definitely not.” I stood and smacked my lips to hers.
“Maverick!”
“Now give me a second to put on some clothes and I’ll walk you back.”
“Oh you don’t have to—“
“Kat.” I pulled the shirt over my head. “Absolutely no fucking way are you walking through the woods by yourself this late at night.”
“I doubt there’s anybody out there to worry about. We’re in the middle of nowhere.”
I fought the urge to roll my eyes. “Just all the drunk people in the bar. You don’t have to worry about any of the brothers, but we’re open to the public tonight. Plus, there’s coyotes and bobcats and other wild shit out there. So be quiet and let me get some pants on, woman.”
Kat snorted. “Woman? Yeah, I don’t think so. Rule number one of our arrangement: don’t call me ‘woman’.”
I stifled my grin as I laced up my boots. I figured that would change the subject. “Not a problem, sweetheart.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Are you sure we need rules? Given the temporary nature of our agreement?”
“Absolutely. Even more so because it’s temporary. We don’t have time to ease in and learn from our mistakes as we go. It’s better to get everything settled now so we don’t waste time.”
With my hand on resting just above her ass, I guided her from my room and down the stairs. “Want another drink before we go?” I nodded toward the bar.
She shook her head and tugged at her bottom lip with her teeth. Her fingers rubbed the back of her neck. “No, I should really get back.”
“What’s wrong, Kitty Kat?” The bar was quiet, with just a few stragglers left. Baller was sitting at one of the tables with his head back and eyes closed. Pretty sure Kayla, one of the bunnies, was under the table.
“I’ve been thinking more and more about that fire.” Kat sighed. “I think Dad was sleepwalking when he set it. Last week, I woke up in the middle of the night to get a drink, and the back door was wide open.”
“Maybe it wasn’t closed all the way before you went to bed and Noodle nudged it open?” I mean, it was possible.
Kat rolled her eyes. “City girl, remember? I always double check the locks before going to bed. I set the alarm too, but he’s been coming behind me to turn it off.”
“Has he done that before? The sleepwalking?” We stepped out of the bar and made our way to the end of the parking lot. The fence that circled the MC was locked and I punched in the code to unlock the gate.
“I don’t remember him sleepwalking, but I stopped staying over when I was in my teens.”
“Maybe it’s part of getting older.” I shrugged, not having a clue in hell what I was talking about. “But probably worth mentioning at his next doctor’s visit.”
She laughed. “Oh, don’t worry. I have a list.”
I bumped her lightly with my shoulder. “I bet you do. And speaking of lists, let’s go back to your rules. We’ve got temporary and don’t call you ‘woman’. Anything else?”
“Hmm.” I could hear the smile in her voice. “I noticed Baller was getting his soul sucked out as we passed through the bar.”
“And you didn’t want to stay and watch?” I teased.
Silence.
I stopped in my tracks. “Kitty Kat,” I growled. “Did you want to watch Baller get a blow job?”
“Umm…” Her voice was high.
I realized she was still walking, and I jogged to catch up.
“You want to add watching to your rules? I can work with that.” I adjusted by dick in my pants. Knowing my Kitty Kat might be a Kinky Kat was hitting me hard.
“Uh, no. It’s just that I noticed several ready and willing ladies at the clubhouse. I’m sure that can be tempting, so rule three: While we are… entangled… we can’t be entangled with anyone else.”
“Done,” I agreed immediately. The thought of Kat finding release with any other man filled me with hot rage.
If she needed relief, I would provide it.
And the mere idea of being with another woman calmed my dick right the fuck down.
As long as Kat was in town, there was nowhere else he wanted to call home.
“That was easier than I thought. I guess that’s it for now. Do you have rules you want to add?”
“Mmm. Can I make a rule that you don’t wear panties for the rest of your visit?”
“Mav!” She slapped a hand across my chest. “Absolutely not. You’re ridiculous.”
“What?” I laughed. “I would do that for you.”
The beam of her dad’s floodlights lit up the path as we closed in on her house.
“You would agree not to wear underwear?”
I shrugged. “Sure. It would save me on laundry and shave a few seconds off my time of getting into you.”
She shook her head. “Undergarments stay. With such a short timeline, I don’t want to lose any days because you chafed your dick on your jeans. Or had an accident with a zipper.”
“Oh damn.” I grabbed my junk. Why the hell did she have to put that image in my head?
She laughed harder, the beautiful sound echoing among the trees.
“Hey, what’s that?” She pointed to one of the trees.
“A longleaf pine?”
She snorted. “Not the tree. I saw a red light. At least, I think I did.”
We both stared in the direction of the tree for several seconds when sure enough, a red light blinked.
What the fuck?
“Is that part of the security system?”
It sure as hell was not. The guys told me where each camera was placed, and there definitely wasn’t one in a fucking tree. I dragged one of Larry’s outdoor chairs over and climbed on top. It gave me enough extra height to find the source of the light.
“Has your dad mentioned anything about a trail cam?”
“Like one of those cameras that take pictures of wildlife?”
And people. “Yeah.”
“Not that I remember.”
I pulled the pocketknife from my pants and cut through the zip tie holding the camera in place. “I’ll take it down for now. If it’s his, I’ll hang it back up tomorrow.”
Kat nibbled her lip. “But if it’s not his, then whose is it? Who else would put up a camera facing my dad’s house?”
Good. Fucking. Question. I’d spent many nights out on this patio with Larry, sharing stories at his fire pit. He’d never once mentioned installing a trail cam. And even if he did, he wouldn’t have the damn thing pointed at his house. He’d have it on the fucking trail.
I shot a quick text to Baller, though I didn’t expect him to reply until morning. I’d take this back to the clubhouse and have him run through the SD card. If we knew what images this sick fucker was getting, we could figure out more about his motives.
“And on that note—” Kat clapped her hands together— “I’m ready to crawl under my covers.”
I watched as she turned toward the house and walked up the deck steps.
She waved one last time, unlocked the door, and stepped inside.
Instead of turning back, I watched her through the glass doors and windows.
They needed to get some curtains. My blood boiled as I thought about the access this creeper had with the camera.
I took one last look and was about to head back when my blood ran cold.
“Kat!”