Chapter 46
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
M oon sat patiently on his bike, waiting for Larissa to arrive. She had told him last night when he had talked to her that she would be coming to stay with Killyama this morning. He hadn’t informed her when they’d talked the previous night that one of the brothers had been killed.
Knox had been able to keep the news of Pace’s death a secret, but it hadn’t been easy. He was going to release the information after they watched the security footage. The Last Riders had used all their contacts to keep the details quiet until they had a better grasp on what the fuck had gone down.
Straightening off the bike at seeing Larissa’s car pulling into the parking lot, he waited for her to get out.
“Hey,” he called out when she got within earshot.
Larissa gave him a heartwarming smile as she walked toward him. “Hey back at you.”
Moon pulled her into his arms when she would have stopped. “I missed you.” He hid his smile when she looked around to check if anyone was watching.
“I missed you, too.”
Touching the bright spot of color on her cheekbone, he couldn’t resist teasing her. “Why are you so embarrassed?”
“I’m not.”
“You could have fooled me.” Placing a casual arm over her shoulders, he started walking her toward Killyama’s house.
“I guess I’m not used to public displays of affection.”
It was everything he could do not to burst out in laughter. If she thought that brief kiss was a public display of affection, she would have a fucking heart attack if she ever attended one of The Last Riders’ parties.
“I wouldn’t call that much of a display.”
Moon felt her studying him as they walked up the path.
“Are you laughing at me?”
“No.” He hazarded a glance in her direction. She wasn’t buying it. “Maybe a little,” he admitted.
Bristling under his touch, she pulled away from him to put her hands on her hips. “Excuse me if I become embarrassed when you kiss me where anyone could see!”
His eyes widened at her anger. “There’s no one around.”
“There are men standing on the porch,” she argued back.
“They weren’t paying attention.”
“They seemed to be.”
“Why does it matter if they did? Jesus, Larissa, we’re grown adults. You need to loosen up.”
“ I should loosen up?”
Wincing, he wished he had just let it drop and placated her. That was how Train managed to survive, from his viewpoint.
Poking him in the chest, she continued screeching at him. “I’m sorry I’m not as sophisticated as most women you’ve been with. I prefer not to engage in sex with more than one person, and I certainly wouldn’t in the middle of a den.”
Moon crossed his arms over his chest to protect the spot she was drilling a hole into with her finger. “I bet Priss couldn’t wait to run home to tell you and Lana that tidbit.”
Larissa gave him a warning glare. “You’re a smartass, you know that, right?”
“That fact has been brought to my attention several times.”
“I bet it has,” she snapped. “We need to get one thing straight … I’m never, ever going to have sex with you while another woman is present.”
Yeah, like that idea would ever occur to him. The woman could barely handle a twosome, much less a threesome.
“I wouldn’t ask you to.”
She must have heard the undertone in his statement and drawn the correct assumption.
Dammit, he had never been good at dealing with other people’s feelings, which explained why he had never achieved his marriage goal.
Moon tried to circle her shoulders again. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”
Shrugging away from him, she stared at him indignantly. “You meant it exactly the way you said it. I’m not an idiot.” She turned her face away from his and seemed to lose her bravado. “The Last Riders’ parties aren’t a well-kept secret, despite how hard your club tries. Women talk. I would never try to fit into your lifestyle. The only one who is going to have to change is you. You’re going to have to be the one who has to figure out if it will be worthwhile enough to give it up.”
“Are you saying if we get serious, you expect me to give up being a member of The Last Riders?”
“Only the sexual part. I understand if that’s non-negotiable.”
“Depends on what is negotiable.” Taking her by the forearms, he tugged her to him. “I’m willing to give up the parties.”
She stood stiffly in his arms. “In return for what?”
“Let’s see …” He pretended to mull it over. “I’m a pretty sexual guy, so you promise to have sex with me at least five days a week?”
She gaped at him. “Are you serious?”
“Five too much?” Pretending to be serious, he settled his hands on her hips, letting her feel the burgeoning hardness pressing against her. “I was thinking six, but if you’re happy with five, I will be, too.”
They stared at each other for a long minute to see who would break first. Larissa did, breaking into laughter that had her wiping tears from the corners of her eyes.
“Five?” she hiccupped. “We had sex three times the other night. I guess that means I only have to have sex with you a couple of more times, and I’ll be set for the week.”
“Anything else you want to negotiate?” he asked, finally succeeding in tucking her under his arm as they continued walking toward Killyama’s house.
“No, I think that’s about it.”
“I’m relieved to hear it.”
“Can I ask you a question?”
He tensed at hearing the gravity in her voice. “Yes.”
“Beth said something yesterday which has me curious.”
“What did she say?” Had Razer told Beth about Pace?
“She said The Last Rider women don’t have easy births; what did she mean by that?”
Moon stopped walking to turn her toward him. “You should ask her. I wasn’t around when they went into labor.”
“You weren’t here, but you know what she meant, don’t you?”
Moon stared at her, deciding to be honest. “Beth was attacked the night she went into labor. The attacker was one of the parties responsible for Reaper’s kidnapping. She could have died, and one of her twins nearly did. Then Winter was attacked when she was pregnant by one of The Last Riders’ enemies. She went into labor, and both her and the baby would have died if not for Killyama.” Moon watched Larissa grow paler during each description.
“Anyone else?”
He nodded. “Lily. During her first pregnancy, she was kidnapped by her father. She had the baby and went into a coma.”
“Jesus …” Larissa whispered, her hand moving protectively to her abdomen.
“Look at me.” Moon gripped her chin, forcing her eyes to meet his. “You have nothing to worry about. There is nothing more important to me than your and the baby’s safety. Trust that I can take care of you both.”
“I do.”
“You don’t sound so sure.”
“I am.” This time, she sounded more certain. “I’m pretty good at taking care of myself, too.”
Moon let his mask drop for a second at her words. It was the only warning he was going to give her.
“That’s good to know.”