Chapter Twenty-Seven #3
“This is crazy, Case. Open the door so I can talk to you without freezing out here. Nothing’s going on with her. She was upset, crying. I told her I’d help, and she came over to me. That’s it. I don’t have any feelings for her. Come on.”
The door opened a fraction wider. “Why didn’t you tell me you were meeting her?”
Rags shrugged. “It wasn’t planned. She called, said she was in trouble and didn’t want to talk about it on the phone. It just happened.”
“How many times have these hook-ups ‘just happened’?”
“It wasn’t a hook-up. And this is the first time. It’s not what you’re thinking.” Rags coughed.
“Come in before you catch a cold,” she said, finally swinging the door open.
He stomped his boots on the mat and stepped inside, warmth wrapping around him along with her familiar scent. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms, but he stayed where he was, dripping on the rug.
“Take off your jacket,” she told him, her voice softer now. I’ll hang it up so it can dry.”
He handed it to her, noting how she avoided his gaze. When she came back, she handed him a towel.
“Thanks,” he said, wiping his face and neck. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Case. It just never crossed my mind it’d be a big deal.”
“Would it have been a big deal if you walked into the diner and saw some guy wrapped around me?”
“Yeah,” he admitted. “I’d see red. Probably punch the guy out, like that pussy you were with at the diner a few months ago.”
“Devin?” A small smile finally tugged at her lips. “We’re just friends.”
“Yeah, well, I was ready to smash his face.”
“Then you can understand exactly what I felt when I saw you with her.”
“I do.”
“Do you want something to drink?” Casey asked, leaning against the counter. “I want to hear what kind of trouble your ex is in. I’ve got a feeling she wants you back. Trust me, women can tell these things.”
“A beer and a couple shots of Jack, if you’ve got it. And I don’t want her back. I want only you, Case.”
She stopped, fixing her eyes on him for a long heartbeat. “I bought a bottle of whiskey the other night just for you.”
She turned toward the pantry, leaving him to kick off his boots and stretch out on the living room couch. A minute later, she walked back in. “Here you go,” she said, setting a cold bottle of Coors, the whiskey, and a shot glass on the coffee table.
“Thanks.” He caught her hand before she could step away, then pulled her toward him. “You still mad at me?”
“Maybe.”
“Don’t be.” He tugged her onto his lap and wrapped his arm around her waist. “You’re the only one on my mind.”
“Am I?”
“You know it.” He tilted his face to hers and kissed her gently. Her lips were full and warm. He pulled her closer and gathered the soft fabric of her robe into his hands. With his tongue he teased her lips apart, and felt her melt into his chest…
The room was dim, lit only by the soft glow of the lamp and the pale light from the snow outside. Rags pulled her close, his arms wrapped around her as she rested her head on his chest, her fingers whispering over his skin.
“That was incredible, babe,” he murmured, kissing the top of her head while inhaling the scent that was always her—vanilla, caramel, and patchouli.
She pressed closer and burrowed deeper into him.
“You’re the spark that keeps me going, darlin’.” He tipped her chin up, meeting her eyes. “We got something going here.”
She licked her lips, a small smile forming. “We have a good time.”
“It’s more than that. It’s not just fucking. It’s deeper. I know you feel it. You’re just scared.”
Casey looked away, and resumed sliding her fingers over his arm. “It feels like it’s moving too fast.”
“What? The way you feel about me? The way we are together?”
“Both. I know how the beginning stage goes—all wrapped up on the newness of getting to know each other, the lust and pleasure, the thrill of it all. It fades. You know that.”
“It can if that’s all there is. But we’ve got more. You know that.”
“Do I? What about tonight?”
“That didn’t mean anything. If it did, I wouldn’t have chased after you.” He pulled her closer. “We’ve got something real.”
“Everyone says that.”
“But we’re not everyone.” Rags smiled faintly.
“That first day at the nursey, you didn’t back down to me.
You didn’t drop at my feet, pull your top down lower for me to see your tits, or make me feel like I was right.
Hell, you pissed me off when you kept arguing about mulch, then smirked when I bought what you told me to. I couldn’t get that outta my head.”
She traced the edge of his skull tattoo. “Your stubborn, know-it-all attitude pissed me off. But you intrigued me, and I couldn’t stop thinking about you, which pissed me off.”
He laughed. “We’re two of a kind.” He ran a finger across her cheek. “I respect you. You’re strong, independent, and you don’t pretend to be someone you’re not. That means something to me.”
“But what about six months from now, or a year. What then?”
“We’ll be closer, share more, care more.” Rags pushed up, and leaned against the headboard. “When I met Julie, we were both young, and I was horny as all hell.”
Casey punched his side softly. “You’re still horny.”
He laughed. “Guilty, but only with you.”
“All men say that.”
“Case, I’m not all men, and I’m sure as hell not Saber. He would be the same jerk whether he was an outlaw or a citizen. It’s the person, not the patch.”
Casey scooted up and sat facing him, her legs crossed.
“But the temptation is stronger in the outlaw world. There are club girls available twenty-four hours a day. And then the party girls and hangarounds are ready to spread their legs just to say they fucked an outlaw. They’re drawn to the wild lifestyle, and they’ll sleep with any biker regardless if the guy is married or not. ”
“That’s true, but it’s on the guy for screwing around behind his old lady’s back.
I agree with you, it’s easy to get laid by a citizen who wants a taste of the dangerous life, and club girls are there to please and serve the members, but it’s the dude who decides to cross the line.
You gotta get over the club girls thing.
It’s not like we’re all fucking non-stop during our waking hours. ”
“Are you denying that you’ve been with a lot of women?”
“No, I’m not. But when I was with Julie, the club girls were around and I never cheated.
I didn’t want to. After she betrayed me, I shut that part of myself down.
I fucked a lot, drank even more, and partied my ass off, but it didn’t get rid of the bitter taste Julie had left.
The only thing that filled it was riding.
That’s always been my go-to when life throws me shit.
You gotta find your special place to get out of your head. ”
“Work does it for me.”
“Nah. Work is a substitute, not a solution.”
“I hear you, but I’ve been burned and disappointed most of my life.”
“I know.” He grasped her hands. “It sucks that you had a tough upbringing.”
She shrugged. “A lot of people do.”
“Don’t dismiss it. You’re strong and you made it through. That matters, Case.”
“Sometimes I don’t feel strong.”
“You don’t have to be all the time. Lean on me when you need to. You’ve got me now.”
Her eyes glistened. “I know, but I’m scared.” She pressed her fingers against her lips.
“Case.” Rags grasped her and held her tight against him as her body trembled. Her shuddering sobs pierced his heart, but he held her through it, steady and unyielding, until her breathing evened out.
“Sorry for losing it,” she murmured against his chest. “Now and earlier at the diner.”
“Don’t be. You’ve got a lot inside you. Seeing me tonight just brought it all out.” He paused. “I should’ve told you I was meeting up with her.”
“No. You shouldn’t feel like you have to report every single thing you do.” She exhaled. “The shield around your heart has been made stronger over the years. I’m afraid it’ll stay that way after the ‘everything’s great’ stage has worn off.”
“Yeah. It was made of steel until a sexy, smartassed woman with wild dark hair, beautiful eyes, and a luscious body came into my life.” His finger tapped the tip of her nose.
“Your excitement, your smile, your brains, have blown me away, baby. You took a fuckin’ blowtorch and annihilated the armor.
” He laughed. “And I never even saw it coming. You just slipped into my life.”
She laughed, then kissed him soft at first then with fervor.
“Fuck, baby,” he rasped.
She pulled back, her face earnest, her eyes bright.
“I know you’re not like JT. I’m tired of all the barriers I’ve put up.
” She grasped a strand of his hair and lightly pulled it.
“And talk about a blowtorch, you’ve melted the ice around my heart with your steadfastness, your sexiness, your affection and attention only for me. ”
“It’ll always be only for you.” Rags took a deep breath. “Case… I love you.”
She stilled for a second, then smiled. “I love you too. I was so obsessed with not falling for you, I didn’t pay attention to how I did fall in love with you. And I’m willing to take the risk.”
“That’s all I needed to hear.”