Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
Case
As I stroke Tessa’s hair absently, I think tender thoughts, at least until her muffled voice blurts, “Are you ever going to fuck me? If I get any hotter, I’ll combust.”
Her irritated words make me want to laugh, but I don’t because as she looks up at me I see something serious in her eyes. Is it fear of rejection? Or is it simply discomfort with the way things have changed between us in these last few moments?
It doesn’t matter though. Because I’m not rejecting her, and I damn well want her more than I’ve wanted anyone before. As far as our newly extended boundaries, I’ll deal with those slowly.
Releasing her, I gather and let go of a breath. “So demanding, aren’t you?”
I scoop her up by her underarms, turn, and plop her onto the counter. She hisses as her hot, sore ass hits the cold counter and I wiggle my brows at her. “That’s what I like to hear. However, my Sunshine obviously hasn’t learned her lesson yet.” My voice lowers, and I add a little menace to my tone as I speak again. “No one makes demands on me, Sunshine. Live free and ride hard.”
“I’d like to ride hard,” she murmurs.
I shove her arms up against the cupboards. “Keep them there.” Pulling open the closest drawer, I shuffle through it, shoving aside some clothespins and other junk before grabbing a zip-tie. Looping it through the cupboard handle and around her left wrist, I tie her hand. I do the same to the other, smiling when she tests their strength. I yank her pants and panties, still around her knees, fully off and toss them onto the floor. Pulling two more ties out I do the same to her ankles, tying her legs wide open to the lower cupboards. Nipping up the insides of her legs, I rise.
“Now, you’re my captive.” I smirk playfully, but my cock jumps at our game. The head of my cock nestles in the damp hair between her thighs. I look down. “Not our time, buddy. We gotta teach Sunshine here some manners. Show her who’s really in charge.” Reaching into the drawer again, I grab the scissors. I snip them quickly in the air in between us. Pulling the bottom hem of her tank top, I click the scissors again. She looks down and smiles.
“Are you going to cut my top off, Mr. Biker?”
I shoot her a half smile and make the first cut, then, instead of continuing with the scissors, I rip the material right up the middle.
“Are you going to narrate everything I do, beautiful?”
“Do you think you’re the Hulk or that old balding wrestler?”
“Shush, Sunshine, I’m checking out your luscious tits.”
She breathes heavily as I shove the material away from her full, naked, breasts. Licking her bottom lip, Tessa closes her eyes. I cup her breasts, admiring their weight and softness. The stiff peaks—so pink and tight, beg to be tasted, but I don’t even touch them.
“Gorgeous. Absofuckinlute perfection.” Leaning down, I give each one a wet kiss and gentle bite, massaging them. She pushes them out and I know what she wants, but I avoid her nipples, kissing and licking everywhere else until she’s panting in frustration.
Glancing up at her, I ask, “What’s the matter, your highness?”
Tessa’s eyes flare and she curls her lip, a snarl ready to burst free, but at the last second, her lips form a controlled smile instead.
“Nothing. I’m sure you’ll find the right spot eventually. I mean even a newborn can find the nipple.”
I laugh, her attitude thrilling me. She’s so fucking sexy. “In a hurry? Got something else to do? I know it can’t be teatime. Maybe you just need me to rush before you change your mind and realize you can’t handle me.”
She laughs, her head tipping back as far as the cupboard will allow and when she’s no longer paying attention to what I’m doing, I get to work, finally tasting and sucking her nipples until they’re diamond-hard and glistening.
Swallowing her laughter, she arches, pushing her breasts against my mouth for more. I pop off, a crooked smile on my mouth as she tries to find her bearings. I kiss her again before she does, and my callused thumb works one nipple, pinching and rolling it between my fingers.
Stepping back, I admire her breasts, round, tips tight, with a slight upward point. She pushes out her chest again for my eyes, licking her lips.
“Don’t stop now, biker.” Although her flushed cheeks and swollen mouth beg for my return, it’s those spitfire eyes that challenge me and drag me back. Despite her tough words, there’s more than a hint of vulnerability in them, like I’ve broken down some walls.
“I’m not stopping, Sunshine. Not until you’re begging. But go ahead, keep talking like you’re in charge.” I wink at her. “Let’s see where that gets you.”
“Have you run through all your moves already? Stalling now until you think of something? I’m starting to think that big cock of yours is just decoration.” She rolls her eyes. “ Oh, please is the only kind of begging you’ll hear from me.”
I laugh. It’s a little dark and maniacal but mostly I’m just amused. This woman is… something—exciting, saucy, brave, maddening. She’s everything I love. And I want to tame her so badly. “Oh, you’ll beg. And trust me…” I look down at my dick. “This is a hell of a lot more than decoration.”
Remembering the clothespins, I pull the drawer open and grab a few, tossing them on the counter. They’re old, the wood grey from weather and wear, the spring clamps aren’t rusted but not likely not what they used to be. I test them on my pinky. They’re perfect.
I’m not ready to push Tessa too far. It’s clear this is all new to her, not just the foreplay but the kink and mind-fuckery. Oh, but she’s up for it, that much is written in every hot moan, every smoldering stare, every challenge she offers me with that stubborn smile.
“Maybe this will cure the sass and help you understand which one of us is running the show.” I run my tongue over her nipple, wetting it, watching it get tight again. Showing Tessa the clothespin, I smile but watch for her reaction. She’s curious, I can see it in her eyes. Her face shows nothing but her wall of boredom but that’s all part of her ploy.
Tugging her nipple, I pinch it between my fingers before clipping the clothes peg on. She draws in a quick breath. “How’s that, Sunshine?”
“Fine.” Her cheeks pink up a little so I know it’s more than fine. I give her a half-smile then suck the other nipple into my mouth, blowing on it when I pop off. She hisses a little when I give that one a sharp tug and clip it, too.
“These will have to be punishment enough for now.” I flick the pegs, and she winces. “I can’t spank that sexy ass again with you all trussed up, now can I? I could edge you, but I want so badly to see you come undone again that I’d be torturing myself more.” I shrug. “So, clothespins it is. The real fun is when they come off though. When the blood rushes back.”
She swallows hard but says nothing and her sudden silence heats me up so I kiss her. When she leans forward to deepen the kiss the clothespins scrape across my chest, hitting my nipple ring and she stops kissing me to gasp. I chuckle against her lips.
“I should pin that clit of yours too…”
“No.” She shakes her head, eyes wide.
I cock a brow at her. “Let me finish before you shake your head. Yeah?”
“All right. Continue.” Her words, likely meant to be bossy and upper-handed, come out gaspy and desperate.
“What I was going to say is, I don’t want anything touching your clit but me.”
Her throat works, and then, biting her lip, she nods. “Yes. Yes, I like that.”
I smirk. “If the clamps make you this agreeable, I wonder what a plug would do.”
Tessa pales a little. “A plug?”
I chuckle darkly. Lowering, I pull her ass to the edge of the counter. “Don’t worry Sunshine, we’re taking baby steps.” I take a moment to admire her long smooth legs. Running my hands up them both, I watch her shiver.
I grab each thigh, giving them a squeeze. Looking at the springy dark curls, damp at her slit, begging for my touch. I lick my lips, my eye darting up to Tessa’s. “It’s like opening a present.” Lowering my eyes back to my gift, I smile. Running my thumbs feather-light through the hair on her lips, I smile as she shivers. My smile widens and I part her gently.
“I’m going to enjoy devouring you, Sunshine.” I savor her little intake of breath, an opus to my ears.
“You okay?”
She doesn’t answer in words, but nods, as I cover the hottest part of her with my mouth, sliding my tongue through her folds to her tight little nub. And then, all she has in her besides my tongue is a strangled cry.
I play with her, tease her with my mouth, licking, sucking and flicking her swollen womanhood, exploring every bit of her. I listen to every murmur and moan, and every mewl is like a map to her treasure. I learn every nuance of what brings her pleasure, pulling back before she can release and bringing her there again and again, until I’m an expert on Tessa Harlow.
The cupboards open and close with her squirms of pleasure. Her gasps further egg me on but when she calls me Case , not biker, or Mr. Callen, just Case , and it’s desperate and drawn out, I can’t control myself. I finally decide she needs to come.
“You still enjoying this, Sunshine? Or was my name your way of asking me to stop?”
“Stop and I’ll kill you with my bare hands.”
Chuckling, I get back to work, using everything I’ve learned from exploring her and adding a few fingers to stroke inside her. Her flavor changes just as she tightens around my digits. I think she expects me to pull back again because she holds her breath, but I keep going until her thighs press tightly against my face, her legs jerking with pleasure.
I slow, easing back to the occasional light flick, while I pump my fingers into her and watch her face. It’s a damn beautiful sight too, mouth open, eyes tight, and a glowing sheen of sweat on her beautiful skin as she melts before me. Moments go by until her taut look softens. Her face smooths as if she’s basking in the warmth of the sun. It’s right here, as this woman, so tightly bound all the time, is suddenly undone, armor-free, and at peace, that I decide I want to know her in every possible way, not just the in the biblical sense.
I grab the scissors, cutting off her restraints and she falls into my arms. She presses her mouth to mine, before sliding down my body to her knees.
I’ve had countless blowjobs. Club girls were always eager, willing and skilled, and without the excuse of an old lady, hell, even with one, it was expected of me to partake. But the sight of Tessa on her knees, my cock sliding in and out of her perfect, plump mouth, her trusting, albeit determined, eyes looking up to me, it’s so much fucking more than a blowjob.
I groan, threading my fingers through her hair, gripping her like she’s the only thing holding me in place. Her tongue swirls around the head of my cock and… Fuck.
Unable to hold back, I pump into her hot mouth, and she palms my balls, her mewls of pleasure and gagging mingling with my own moans and groans. Squeezing my sack gently, she takes me deeper than before. Like a fucking sword swallower, she deep throats me. My jaw ticks as I hold onto the feeling, but when she swallows, and her throat closes on my cockhead, I lose my own control. My gut tightens, the telltale tingle at the base of my spine starts, and I erupt. Harder and faster than ever before, I spurt down her throat.
“Jesus fucking christ, Sunshine. You’re amazing.”
She sits back on her haunches, pumping my cock in her tight grip, milking the last waves of my orgasm to squirt onto her chest.
I take a minute to breathe, my head dropping back to catch my breath, but when I look back down at her, long hair trailing down over her breasts, my cum dribbling down her perfect tits, I fall to my knees. Grabbing her face, I cup my hand around the back of her neck, and kiss her, slow, deep, and long, hoping she feels my appreciation.
Moaning with our kiss, I lower us onto the floor. It’s not what I want for her, but god, neither one of us seems capable of waiting—capable of holding back for even one more minute, so I bury myself between her hot thighs while plucking the clothespins from her nipples.
She gasps and shivers beneath me, her gaze gripping mine hotly. “I’m on the pill. I was checked after my ex. You?”
“Clean bill of health.”
“Then please, biker, take me.”
Cursing at the beauty of her and the way her eyes plead with me, I push inside her. She feels so good—so hot, tight, and wet. The little pleasure sob she makes eggs me on, making savoring the moment impossible. I grab Tessa’s leg, yanking it up to my hip as I move in her, deeper, faster, our flesh pounding together, mingling with my grunts and her moans.
Tessa gasps, her mouth parting in ecstasy as I find just the right spot. I kiss her, swallowing her pleasure, taking it, consuming it. As my hips move, hers rise, meeting me, and we lock eyes. Each stroke melds our pleasure, making us one. The feel of her heat, her tight core, it’s dizzying, and even though she drained me mere minutes ago, I have to fight to keep from coming again. But as soon as she goes over the crest, her quick panting cries lengthening into the long whimper of release, I let go too.
Foreheads together, we pant.
“You’re so incredible, Tessa Harlow. You’ve fucking twisted me up.”
“While I also think you’re pretty okay, Case…” Her lips peck against mine and I pull back to see her cheeky grin. “This beard adds so much extra deliciousness.” She strokes my facial hair and my brow rises.
“Okay? Just okay?” I laugh and her grin deepens.
“Well, this floor is rather hard.”
“Is that so?” Rising into a squat, I scoop her up. She giggles, kicking her pretty feet, as I toss her over my shoulder and then carry her to my bed and drop her onto it.
“Case?” Her brows rise. I climb onto the bed, straddling her.
“Hm?”
“Your bed’s not much better.” Her eyes lower from mine down my body. “But the view makes it worth it.”
I struggle with being treated like a piece of meat, my worth no more than for my biker looks and hard body, just a man here to fulfill a fantasy, but with Tessa, even when she says stuff like this, I know it’s not true. I’m under her skin as much as she’s under mine.
I plop down beside her. The single bed makes it a tight fit, so I scoop my arm around her middle and tuck her still-warm ass against my cock. I’m hard again instantly. Fuck. Not since my early twenties has my dick been so insatiable and it’s all because of the fiery woman pressed against me.
Tessa wiggles closer and I brush her hair aside to kiss her neck.
“Case?”
“Hm?”
“Tell me about your time in the Satan’s Ransom.”
For a second panic hits, but then I realize I don’t want secrets between us. “How do you know about Satan’s Ransom?”
“I learned everything I could about you, you’re my nemesis.”
“Do you always let your ‘nemesis’ take you on the floor?”
“Okay. My former nemesis.”
I chuckle and then, I tell her everything. Even the part about me struggling with my guilt over betraying the brotherhood and the bad shit I had to do undercover and its effect on my ability to see myself as a good man. What I don’t talk about, though?
Reece.
I’m not ready yet.
“That’s why you said you’re not a badguy, rather than a bad guy?”
Hitting me right in the gut with my words from that first night, I reel at her insightfulness.
Grunting, I close my eyes as she rolls to face me.
“Look at me.”
I open my eyes.
“You’re neither. Not a bad guy, nor a badguy. They should have pulled you out. It was too long. You were in too deep. If you didn’t feel like this, I’d wonder if you were a sociopath.”
I huff a dark laugh, looking past her. “Mack was my informant before I went under. He tells me the same thing. Reminds me that I saved lives.”
“Mack?”
“My contractor.”
“He was a real Satan’s Ransom member?”
I nod. “Eighteen years patched.”
She frowns, narrowing her eyes. “I’m guessing he got immunity?”
“He did, but that’s not why he agreed to be my informant. Or later brought me in as a prospect.”
“Oh?” She rises to prop her head in her hand.
“His niece overdosed. Savanah was just seventeen. One of the Ransom’s dealers sold her a few pre-rolled blunts for a party. It was only supposed to be weed but it was laced with fentanyl. It wasn’t the first time he’d done this either. The guy wasn’t careful or particularly concerned about cross-contamination. My partner and I were staking out the dealer’s place, trying to connect him to Satan’s Ransom.” I roll onto my back, putting my arms behind my head, wanting an excuse to look away from Tessa and her empathetic eyes.
Staring at the ceiling, focusing on a scuff mark that with pareidolia, looked like a horned demon, I recall the day I tackled Mack. I swallow hard, closing my eyes to picture the anger and grief in Mack’s eyes, the lines on his face deeper than I’d seen in any stakeout photo we’d gotten.
“One of the higher-ranking members of Satan’s Ransom walked past the van, he eyed me as he did. And all I remember thinking is this guy’s out of fucks. He’s got nothing left. He was big. My size, but older, a bit lankier, more weathered. McCormack Wolfe. And that’s when I realized I knew him.” Looking down at Tessa, who’s now on her stomach, her fists under her chin, I see what she might have looked like as a young girl.
“We were childhood friends. Anyway, I was reeling from that revelation and he started walking up the path to the dealer’s building, there was a flurry of excitement in the van, everyone rushing to get photos and video, double checking the audio in the apartment building. And then time sort of stopped, for me anyway.” I shut my eyes, fully ensconced in the memory.
“The dealer walks out the lobby door, and Mack’s arm goes up, gun in hand. The dealer fumbles to get his own gun out.” I release a breath. “There they are, eye to eye, as if it’s the old west or something.” Opening my eyes to look at Tessa, I say, “I don’t know why, but I jumped out of the van and rushed Mack. Not because I wanted to save the dealer but because I wanted to save Mack from himself.”
“What happened?”
I look at her when she speaks. Her eyes are wide and full of interest.
“We land on the ground, the gun skittering across the concrete. The dealer takes off, but my guys are on him, and I’m left with Mack. He throws me off and gets a few good shots in before I get my bearings. Then he just stops, his fists dropping to his sides, his weary face speaking volumes before he even opens his mouth to say, ‘ I’m going to kill them if you don’t stop me, and the only way you’ll stop me is by promising me you’ll take them all down ’.”
“Them?” she asks.
I nod. “He didn’t just want the dealer gone; he wanted them all gone—every member of the Ransom.”
She blinks. “Why?”
I turn to Tessa, propping my head on one of my hands. Brushing back a chunk of hair near her eye with my other hand, I assess her face. “Because the club Prez wouldn’t get rid of the dealer, and he forbid Mack from taking him out on his own because the dealer was their top seller. That meant the Prez placed the dealer’s value above Mack’s and his niece’s. The MC was supposed to be his family—his brothers.”
Tessa bites her lip, shaking her head. “Poor Mack.”
“Later, when I had him in interrogation, he recognized me and offered to be my informant. But only if I promised to take them down.”
“Did he ask for immunity?”
“Nope, but I told the Crown attorney it was part of the deal anyway.”
She looks thoughtful a moment, her brow wrinkling before smoothing out again. “Does he feel guilty about betraying them?”
I open my mouth to answer, but nothing comes out. I look down, not knowing what to say, but she isn’t waiting for a reply. Instead, she kisses me sweetly, her hand finding and cupping my jaw.
“I’m sorry your friend went through that, and I’m glad he got out, but I hope you don’t compare yourself to him. You were working. It was your job. You did what you had to do. And the fact that you feel bad about betraying some of them only means you see the good in people. You weren’t the kind of cop that saw them as one-dimensional criminals.” Her throat works. “Maybe that’s why you see the good in me.”
My eyes find hers. “There’s nothing but good in you. You’re just a bit bratty, but in the best possible way.”
She laughs. “Case, no one can absolve you of your guilt and help you see how good you are. You have to do that out on your own.” She strokes my beard, staring at my lips a second before kissing me again. “But for what it’s worth, I like you and think you deserve good things.”
I search her expression for dishonesty but see none.
“Actually, I like you a lot more than I should.”
She smirks and my brow arcs in question.
“You did spank my butt raw, after all.”
I move closer to her, pulling her against me as I do. “And I’d do it again in a second if you disobeyed me again. But if I recall correctly, you liked it too.”
She shrugs, but then wiggles her brows. “Yeah, I did.”
I laugh, feeling the darkness in me ebb. “So, I deserve good things, huh?”
Her head bobs and I raise a brow.
“And do I deserve a naughty neighbor who makes me crazy hot and irritates me in equal measure?”
A smirk spreads slowly on her mouth. “You definitely deserve that.”
There’s so much more to say, to tell each other, but instead, she buries her head in my neck, and we sleep.
I wake with a smile—a damn ear-to-ear grin, and those are usually only reserved for Reece. But Tessa, her scent all over my pillow, is in a tidy tight ball beside me. Within seconds she jolts up, limbs shooting up protectively as Jake calls to the heavens.
“Relax, Sunshine. It’s just your rooster.” I soothe her with a hand to her back.
She’s frazzled. Perhaps more frazzled than she should be over a rooster call she’s heard every morning for the last several months. She quickly settles though and looks over at me with a flat expression. “He’s not my rooster.”
I give her a crooked nod as I rise. “Uh-huh. I’ll gladly help you twist his neck. You’ll only be able to use him for soup though, he’s a mature bird. He’ll be tough as shit.” I smirk at her horrified expression because it’s exactly what I expect. She’s fallen for the little fucker.
“Coffee?”
“God, yes. Please.” She flops back onto my bed. “And biker?”
I turn to look over my shoulder as I’m pulling up my jeans. “Hmm?”
“Lay a finger on my rooster and I’ll burn your house down.”
I laugh, pulling the jeans all the way up, not bothering to button them.
“And another thing…”
Again, I look over at her.
“You’ve got a great ass, both in and out of those jeans.”
I smile. “Quite a compliment coming from you, Sunshine. And speaking of asses, how’s yours?”
Her mouth flattens and her eyes narrow. “Fine.”
I spin fully, taking the two strides to the bed in one step, and grab her, flipping her over. Her gorgeous ass is only slightly pink, but when I give it a swat she hisses. “Oh, it’s fine, is it?”
“My coffee isn’t going to make itself, you know.”
She huffs and I laugh, giving her bottom a dirty squeeze.
“Noted.” I walk out of the room. “By the way, your ass is the best I’ve seen. And if I didn’t love your sass so much I’d redden it again right now.”
There’s silence for a few beats and when I look over to the doorway she’s there, the sheet wrapped around her, her arm protectively holding it to her breasts. “It was the hottest thing I’ve ever done.” Her words are small, shy even, and I swallow at the flicker of vulnerability. Although she’s showing more of that side of herself to me the last few days, it doesn’t diminish the awe of it and her growing trust in me.
“The spanking?”
She shakes her head. “Not just that, although I really liked that. No, the whole thing. The way you take charge, put me in a submissive headspace. The way you peel away my hard layers, finding the real me within. The woman I would have become if my parents weren’t so…” She shakes her head again. “Never mind.”
I drop the coffee filter and go to her. “No ‘never mind’. I want to know everything about you.”
“My gran probably already told you.” Her narrowed eyes cut to mine. “Since you two were besties and all.”
“She had great taste.” I shrug with a grin but then turn serious. “Tell me.” I touch her cheek running my thumb along her soft skin. “I want to know you, Tessa. You’re not just some woman I’m fucking around with.” She lowers her face, so I cup her chin, tipping it back to me. “I care about you. You’re special.” My chest feels tight, and I can’t believe the words left my mouth. But no matter how nervous it makes me that the words are between us, I know they’re true.
“Tell me about your parents,” I press. “I know they traveled a lot. Took you with them.”
Her expression pained, she nods, so I scoop her up, sheet and all, walk the five steps to the couch and sit down with her in my lap. She leans against me, looking out the window across from her. “I’m only telling you this because you shared your story with me yesterday.” She sits up, looks me in the eye and presses her lips to mine firmly. “I know that was hard for you.”
“Not as hard as I thought it would be, Tessa Harlow.” These words are just as true as the others and I have to breathe in deeply to loosen my chest.
“I had no roots, no friends, no one to keep me safe. They left me with strangers, different ones, in different countries. Some were good people, but most weren’t. They had low standards when it came to finding people to watch me.” She glances at me. “They had important work to do and I was a burden.” She presses and rolls her lips, her face flushing as she tries to rein in her emotions.
“The final straw was when they came home to find that I’d locked myself in the bathroom for two days.” She holds herself, and the sheet, a little tighter. Instinctively I sense what’s coming and the heat of rage begins to burn inside me, but I don’t dare move, knowing it could stop her from telling a story that needs to be told.
“The man—I didn’t even know his name. He didn’t speak English. He…” She swallows. “He wanted things from me…” Tessa turns her head, looking me in the eye and I can’t hold back.
I grab her, knowing she might push me away if I’m gentle, and wrap her in my arms tightly. “They didn’t protect you.”
“They didn’t believe me. The man told them I was a brat and had a temper tantrum, refusing to come out of the bathroom until they came back because he didn’t make me Kraft macaroni and cheese.” She huffs a humorless laugh. “That should have been a dead giveaway, I had never had Kraft macaroni and cheese in my life. Didn’t even know what it was.”
Stroking her hair, I encourage her to continue.
“They believed him. Even when I showed them the bruises from his attempt to force himself on me.” She shrugs, her back straightening, her jaw tight. Her walls are back up. “That’s when they dumped me on my grandmother. They told me I’d embarrassed them with my lies.”
I press a long hard kiss onto the top of her head before speaking. “Your parents were selfish bastards, but they never dumped you on your grandmother. Lily took you from them. They were here for another reason — money, I think. And Lily told them no, not unless they left you with her. Gave you up and never came back. She told me that.”
Tessa pulls away, rising from my lap. Her eyes, both hard and confused, find mine. “What?”
“Your grandmother wanted you.” I rise and grab her arms so she can’t make more space between us. “She loved you fiercely, and unconditionally, even though she barely knew you, and hated her own son for dismissing you like you were another piece of his luggage.”
Tessa swallows hard, her chest rising faster with quickened breaths.
“She never told me that. She told me they were going somewhere unsafe and that they wanted to protect me by leaving me with her. War-torn Rwanda and Zaire,” she says after taking a moment to recall, as if the place was the important part of the story.
Her eyes settle on mine again. “I knew it was a lie though, but I assumed the truth was they dumped me on her because I was just too much trouble.”
I knew right then why Tessa tried to be such a pain in the ass. She did it to push everyone away. I just didn’t know if she did it to test them, to see if they’d stick by her like her grandmother, or to avoid future hurt by forcing people to dismiss her before a relationship could ever start.
“You’re just the right amount of trouble, Tessa Harlow.” I shake her a few times before tugging her against me. “And nothing worth anything comes easy,” I whisper.
She relaxes in my arms. Reaching around, I wrap her hair around my hand and tug her head back gently, lowering to kiss her mouth. The sheet drops as her arms go around my shoulders and she pulls herself up onto her toes, deepening our kiss.
I moan at the feel of her taut nipples against my chest. Ignoring my phone which suddenly starts ringing, I release her hair grabbing her ass instead.
She ends the kiss and before I can rekindle it, she says, “You go ahead and get that, biker. Could be club business.” She smirks and the phone stops ringing. “Forget the coffee too, that kiss was fuel enough to get me home. Besides I can’t be caught fraternizing with the enemy.” She heads back into the small bedroom and starts putting on her clothes.
“It’s still dark, Tessa,” I say in a warning tone. “I thought we discussed this last night.”
“And I’m a big girl, Case.”
“No. Not a fucking chance. I told you I’m taking care of you now.” I grab my shirt and toss it haphazardly over my head.
Fully dressed, she turns to me. Her breathing quickens, her lips press, her eyes cut sharply to mine. They harden, but not before I notice the pain in them.
“We fucked, biker. That’s it. I’m not your girlfriend or your responsibility.” She shoves past me and out the door. She may as well have kicked me in the gut the way my breath sticks.
“I can take care of myself,” she hollers as the door slams shut.
The words hurt. She wasn’t just a fuck to me. I don’t fuck anymore. If I didn’t feel more for Tessa Harlow, I wouldn’t have let this happen. Not when I’d be living across the field with Reece soon. We didn’t need that kind of start. At the very least, I considered her a friend. And no, we didn’t start that way, and I didn’t intend to catch feelings for the brat, but I did. Especially after we’d shared such intimate truths about ourselves.
And that’s when it hits me. She feels more too, and that’s why she’s thrown up her walls. She’s afraid. It was all fine and well if she considered me a fuck, but when I showed her I cared? That made her too vulnerable.
She wasn’t pulling away, not a chance. I hadn’t let anyone in either, not for a long fucking time, and she wasn’t going to push me away so easily. I storm out after her.
Those long legs and her fear have her feet eating up the path, but I’m bigger and faster.
“Tessa Harlow, stop acting like a brat.” I grab her arm, spinning her.
She opens her mouth, likely to give me shit, so I yank her forward and toss her over my shoulder.
“Behave, Sunshine.”
She kicks and punches, even gets a few good ones in, but I hold tight.
“You let me down right now, you asshole!” She hollers and continues with other colorful insults—some, admittedly, I’ll have to look up later, until we get to the cottage, and I dump her onto her bed. Her face is red, her eyes hard and her fists balled tight.
“Quit your hollerin’ and go back to sleep, woman! I knew you weren’t a morning person, but this is ridiculous.” I turn, my boots clomping out of her room, but just as I turn the corner a pillow flies at me. And not one of those synthetic ones either. It’s old, made of feathers, and heavy enough to piss me off.
Spinning back, I make it to the bed in two long strides. Grabbing her, I sit on the bed and simultaneously yank her across my lap. Swatting her squirming ass with fervor, I don’t lecture, I don’t speak at all. Mostly because I have no clue what to say. And anything I do say might scare her even more.
When she keeps fighting me, I grab her hairbrush off the nightstand. It’s not one of those cheap plastic ones either. It’s wood and make a damn good sound when it bounces off her ass. She screams at me, but I don’t stop. Instead, I wrap a leg over her and pin her down tighter. I even manage to wrestle down her tights and underwear.
The swats echo, loud and sharp, but she stops fighting. The former hellcat in my arms slumps defeatedly over my lap. I slow the pace of my swinging arm, listening hard for the sound of crying, but there’s only silence. She’s holding her breath again. Her ass is red, and she’s clearly had enough, so I set the brush back on the nightstand.
Rubbing her hot bottom for a moment, I say, “I’m mad as hell, Sunshine. But that’s not why I spanked you. I did it because you’re your own worst enemy. I care about you. And no matter how much you fight me, I’m not changing my mind.” I yank her up, pulling her into my arms. She’s stiff and refuses to return my hug, but she’s at least breathing again.
“You can’t push me away.” I tug her back from me so I can look at her face.
Her jaw ticks and her eyes pierce me with daggers, but I kiss her, hard, showing her all my frustration, and care. She softens after a few seconds and even starts to moan against my mouth.
My cock is hard, my gut tight with want, but I end the kiss.
Rising, I give her a hard look, and then I walk out, because if I don’t, I’ll make love to her.