Chapter 8
Chapter eight
Lena
The next few hours flew by in a whirlwind of faces and names as Ironside introduced me to everyone.
On my way over here, I had fretted about being an outsider since I was a total stranger to Ironside’s lifestyle.
I was so sure that I would stand out like a sore thumb among all those bikers in their black leather and their motorcycles.
And maybe, deep down, I was scared.
Scared that all of this would be too good to be true. Scared that Ironside’s club—his friends, his family—wouldn’t approve of me, and he would slip through my fingers.
Besides, this was completely uncharted territory for me. I didn’t know how to be a girlfriend, much less a biker’s girlfriend.
Until I met Jenny, ex-wife to Hades, with two kids. She enveloped me in a warm, motherly hug that smelled like homebaked cookies.
Then I met Keely, Tarzan’s wife, with the beautiful baby Dot bundled in her arms.
They were normal, everyday women, just like me. Within only a few minutes, they had pulled up a chair and made room for me at the table, welcoming me into their circle. I wasn’t clinging to Ironside’s arm for dear life anymore.
In the late afternoon, the ride began, with a deafening roar of motorcycles rumbling in the air, accompanied by shouts, cheers, and wolf whistles.
Ironside came up behind me, bracketing me with his arms as he planted his hands on the table. He kissed the top of my head.
“How are you holding up, petal?” he asked.
I tilted my head back to look up at him, gesturing to the sleeping Dot in my arms.
“I think I have baby fever.”
Ironside hummed as he placed his hand on the back of my neck, sweeping his thumb back and forth.
“Little Dot does have that effect on people,” he replied.
“You two would have gorgeous babies,” Jenny put in with a wink.
My cheeks warmed and I glanced down at Dot’s little fist curled around my finger. I had always hoped that I might become a mother one day to a baby girl just like Dot.
But that dream had been fading more and more lately. It was hard enough to date, let alone have a child with my vaginismus causing so many complications. How could I possibly have enough sex to get pregnant when it caused so much pain that I was still a virgin at thirty-two years old?
Lila returned to her seat with a snort, carrying a plate of cake from the dessert table.
“Jesus, don’t scare the poor woman off, Jenny. Ironside hasn’t proposed yet. And we all know that’s going to take forever.”
Jenny groaned and stole a bite of cake from Lila’s plate.
“You’re right. At this rate, he’ll be seventy years old before he ever ties the knot.”
Ironside grumbled under his breath.
“At least have the decency to talk about me behind my back, ladies.”
Jenny waved her fork at him with a smile.
“Oh, don’t worry. We do that all the time, too.”
Ironside huffed with dry amusement and pressed a kiss to my cheek.
“Why am I not surprised? I better get going, petal. We’re heading out in a few minutes for the ride. If you need anything, give me a call. And don’t let these ladies turn you against me in favor of a younger man.”
I shook my head.
“Trust me, there’s no chance that will happen.”
Ironside smiled softly, his eyes crinkling at the corners with fondness. Then he knuckled me on the chin and turned away, climbing onto his bike with the others, lined up on the main road.
I watched him go—the confidence in his stride, the width of his broad shoulders, the strength and ease of his movements. He was in full biker gear today, with heavy boots, black jeans, and his cut. The Reckless Order MC arched in bold letters across his back.
I resisted the urge to pinch myself. Was this all a dream? Would I wake up to find Ironside had been nothing more than a figment of my imagination?
He certainly didn’t fit the type of guys I’d dated before. The quiet, reserved, nerdy types who worked in a cubicle all day at a standard, run-of-the-mill office job.
How did I possibly end up with a guy like him?
“So,” Jenny said, inching her chair closer with an eager glint in her brown eyes. “Time to spill the beans, Lena. Tell us how you met Ironside. Did he sweep you off your feet?”
I could feel the blush beginning to rise up my neck and I bit the inside of my cheek to hide a smile. For so long, I had heard other women tell stories about their love lives—meeting their boyfriends for the first time, how their husbands popped the question, romantic anniversaries.
But I didn’t have any stories of my own to tell. Just one heartbreaking failed date after another. Dumped or ghosted.
Until now.
I couldn’t contain my smile anymore, beaming from ear to ear, as I told the story of Ironside walking into my shop one day, and how he managed to figure out my favorite flowers just by the scent of my perfume.
The charity event lasted late into the night, with music, games, and a seemingly endless supply of food. As my energy began to wane, Ironside took a seat at my side, letting me lean against his shoulder with fatigue. He curved his palm over my thigh, stroking his thumb along my skin.
I closed my eyes, comforted by his presence and the hum of conversation all around me. I had no idea that a motorcycle club full of bikers could feel like one big, boisterous family.
“It looks like Jenny and Hades made up after their little lover’s spat the other day,” Ironside said.
Opening my eyes, I looked in the direction he indicated. Jenny and Hades faced each other, Hades leaning forward, earnest, while Jenny stood there with her arms crossed, guarded.
“I don’t know,” I hedged. “She doesn’t look very happy.”
“Give it a minute.”
I waited. Then Jenny melted, and her arms sagged to her sides. Hades pulled her close as he kissed her neck. A pleased little smile spread across her lips and she draped her arms around his shoulders.
“How did you know that?” I demanded.
Ironside shrugged.
“I’ve always had an eye for reading people, I guess.”
Turning my head, I tilted my chin up to look at him.
“So, what can you read about me right now?”
Ironside shifted to fully face me, leaning in, searching my gaze with that all-consuming, unwavering intensity that never failed to make me flustered. I wasn’t used to being seen like this so directly, so intensely and intimately.
“It looks to me,” he mused. “Like you’re ready to go home.”
I shook my head.
“Nope. I’m having fun and I don’t want this to end yet.”
He chuckled.
“That’s not what I meant, petal.”
It took a split second for me to grasp what he was saying.
“As in…spend the night with you?”
He took my hand, smoothing his thumb over my knuckles.
“Only if that’s what you want. There’s no rush.”
I chewed my lower lip, considering. In the back of my mind, I’d been thinking about it all week. For the past few days, I spent an hour or two with my dilators, hoping to be better prepared the next time we tried to have sex again.
Meeting his club. Going home with him. This was moving so much faster than I’d ever experienced with anyone else. I usually preferred to take things slow. But it seemed with Ironside, I was willing to race into everything at top speed.
“Well, you just read me like a book, didn’t you?” I said.
Ironside rumbled a soft laugh as he looped an arm around my shoulders, kissing my temple.
“I’ll text one of the boys to get your car and park it at the clubhouse overnight.”
He led me to his bike—a gorgeous Harley-Davidson, glossy black with chrome accents, and a hint of burgundy red, mirroring the same color palette in his tattoo sleeves. He buckled a helmet on my head, his knuckles grazing my throat as he worked.
I twisted my fingers into the worn, cracked leather of his cut, heart pounding with anticipation.
“Are you nervous?” he asked, flicking a quick glance up to meet my eyes.
“A little. Just because I’ve never been on a motorcycle before. But going home with you…” I shook my head. “I’m not nervous about that at all.”
“Good.”
Ironside pulled me close with a kiss that stole my breath away. I whimpered against his mouth, arching into him.
A wolf whistle split the air. Ironside and I broke apart to see Pretty Boy, Trooper, Brass, and Psycho clustered near a barbecue with beers in hand, elbowing each other and laughing as they pointed at us.
“Looks like the cranky old bachelor is finally changing his ways,” Trooper called, triumphant. “I’ll be making a fat wad of cash in no time!”
“Goddamn idiots,” Ironside muttered under his breath. “Ignore them, petal. Let’s get outta here.”
He climbed onto his bike and helped me to get settled behind him. I wrapped my arms around his middle, pressed up against his back. He gave the engine an ear-splitting roar before rolling out onto the road.
It was exhilarating to watch Juniper Creek fly by in a blur, the wind teasing at my skirt and biting at my cheeks.
I felt like I had wings, soaring over the pavement.
Ironside reached back and curved his hand into the crook behind my knee.
With my thighs bracketing his hips, and my hands inside his cut, it felt just as close and intimate as sex, despite being fully clothed.
A few minutes later, Ironside pulled into the driveway of a cabin, nestled in an outcropping of thick pine trees.
Large windows and a wraparound porch made the humble little cabin look spacious and roomy.
Off to one side of the yard was a pond, with lawn chairs and a fire pit, creating a peaceful oasis shielded from the rest of the world.
Ironside had barely removed my helmet before he cupped the back of my neck, kissing me with a sweep of his tongue between my lips. My knees turned wobbly, all thoughts wiped from my mind.
He slotted his thigh between my legs, gripping my ass and coaxing me to move. I gasped at the friction of his jeans against my clit, my panties quickly getting sticky and damp.
Then Ironside dropped to his knees and I was certain this is what heaven looked like. Reaching under my skirt, he slid my panties down my legs and tucked the bundle of lacy fabric into his cut pocket.
“For safe keeping,” he said.
“My safe keeping?” I asked wryly. “Or your safe keeping?”
He grinned up at me, guiding my leg over his shoulder. Cupping my pussy in his palm, he pressed his thumb to my clit in slow, steady circles. My entire body tightened, heat coiling in my lower belly.
“Does it matter?” he replied. “You won’t be wearing them tonight either way.”
I couldn’t think as he flicked and stroked my clit, grinding the heel of his palm against my pussy. My legs trembled and I grabbed his shoulder to steady myself. My breathing grew ragged and I flung my head back, gazing up at the stars overhead, the gentle sway of the tree tops.
Ironside ducked his head under my skirt, airy purple fabric spilling over his black leather cut.
Then his mouth was there, hot, wet tongue gliding along the length of my pussy.
Swirling and teasing at my clit with sparks of delirious, mind-blowing pleasure.
His big, calloused hands gripped my ass, holding me tight against his mouth.
Pinning me against the suction of his mouth and the rolling drag of his tongue.
A moan fell from my lips, loud and desperate in the quiet dark. I plunged my fingers into his silver hair, canting my hips against my mouth. My nipples ached and my breasts felt heavy with the need to be touched.
My orgasm swelled like a balloon until I wavered on my tiptoes, threatening to burst in a shower of fireworks at any moment. I gripped the back seat of his motorcycle for support.
“Oh, God, Reuben, yes—” I rasped.
My legs shook and it took every ounce of willpower to remain standing. He kept massaging my pussy, back and forth, but he never pressed in, never tried to penetrate me, unless I gave him the signal that I was ready for it.
Just as I reached my peak, I lost my balance. My legs were too watery to stay upright any longer. I toppled to the ground with Ironside, flinging my hands out to catch myself, planting my palms in the dirt.
But Ironside kept going. He lifted me over his face, muscled arms banded around my thighs. He sucked at my clit with a ravenous hunger.
My body seized, orgasm driving through me with blinding heat, grinding against his tongue. A wordless shout tore from my throat, startling a rabbit nearby that raced off into the underbrush.
When Ironside sat up, I slid, boneless, into his arms, fighting to catch my breath.
“Wow,” I panted.
He chuckled, helping me to stand.
“We're just getting started, petal. I want to see how many times I can make you come before sunrise.”