Chapter Fifteen
It was weird as hell, amazing, but weird.
When I woke up, she was pressed tight against me, her body practically wrapped around my side, her knee dangerously close to the thing I didn’t want her to know had been present when I fell asleep too.
It was so fucking arousing having her so close, her soft breaths tickling my neck, her hand pressed up under my t-shirt, which had twisted and tangled beneath me, like we’d both moved around in our sleep and writhed together like…
fuck’s sake. Don’t think sex things. Think things that’ll turn me off.
Why was nothing coming to mind?!?! FUCK!
It was shameful for this to be the first time I woke up with a woman beside me, but it was, and it was as beautiful as it was terrifying.
I had to get out of the bed before she realised we were so entwined, and I was so fucking hard.
Sure, she was the one wrapped around me, but my arm was looped around her too.
It was such a dilemma. I considered the ‘hug and roll’ technique from Friends, but that hadn’t worked so well for Chandler, so instead I tried tentatively moving closer to the edge of the small bed, and she simply sighed, her fingers flexing against my stomach, and holy shit, that was going to make me harder.
My body wanted hers so badly. I wanted her on every possible level, and right now we were in the same damn bed.
I mean, my jeans were giving me an epic wedgie, but she was draped over me, so my focus was really more on the soft breasts resting against my side and the leg looped over mine, resting between them, as if she’d been trying to slide up against my junk.
The sudden rumble and roar of heavy equipment outside made me curse, as it vibrated through the ground, and Claudia woke with a start. The fact that she couldn’t hear, but could feel things as intensely as if she heard them, was fucking incredible to watch.
“They started work,” I said when her eyes fixed on my lips. She swallowed, nodding slowly, her head barely lifted from the pillow, her fingers and leg still encroaching into areas I really wanted them in, while simultaneously bricking it in case she realised there was an epic boner so close to her.
She started to move, and her knee flexed dangerously close to my balls, making me flinch.
She froze, her fingers digging into my stomach as she stared at my lips again. The hardest part about this whole thing was having to remember that she’s looking at my lips to hear me, not because she wants me.
“Need the bathroom,” I said in a rush, trying to explain away my reaction, and get her away from my junk before she realises I’m lying.
“Oh.” She eased away from me, nearly toppling out of the stupid damn bed. I caught her arm, just as she started to tilt away.
“Sorry. The bed in the new clubhouse will be a double.” Why the fuck was I telling her that?
She didn’t need to know that. I wasn’t banking on this being something other than this one night, but it was going to sound that way.
I wanted it more than I could say, but I didn’t want her to think I was making those assumptions.
“You okay here, while I run and use the facilities? I’ll shower, then I can wait outside while you use them.”
She nodded, and curled up in place when I slid out of the bed, carefully keeping my front facing away from her so she wouldn’t have to see what a fucking dog I was. I grabbed underwear and a towel and legged it.
Outside, I practically ran past the brothers who’d arrived to start work, the noisy fuckers, and ignored Micro as he called out to say hi, and didn’t breathe properly until I closed and locked the door on the shower cubicle.
It was pretty shitty, but we’re a bunch of men getting dirty with building work, and it’s the best option for us.
I stripped off, and set the water running, knowing I couldn’t shower for long, or I’d use too much water.
It was hooked up to one of the water mains, but if I stayed in here too long they’d all think I was jerking off anyway.
Hell. I glanced down at my rigid cock. If I didn’t, he’d stay like this, and she’d notice.
I wrapped my hand around it, as warm water cascaded down on me, an almost pained hiss leaving my lips as heat enveloped my cock, and it jerked in response, sending a ripple of pleasure through me.
I was embarrassingly close, but hell, I was a pro at jerking off, so I smoothed my hand over it a few times, then started pulling and tugging harder, giving myself the vigorous friction I needed to get off.
I closed my eyes, picturing Claudia, sweet and sleepy as she gazed at me in my bed.
In my mind, I imagined her hand sliding down, no jeans in the way this time, her fingers sliding over my flesh, teasing my cock, rimming the head.
Fuck. This is what I needed. Get this out of my system and I’d be able to function. For at least an hour.
Jesus. I was jerking harder and my breaths were rasping out of me as I imagined her laying back and pulling me on top of her, her breasts jiggling as I thrust deep and started fucking her.
Holy fuck! Like I said, embarrassingly close. I washed myself down fast, making sure I didn’t leave any cum on the shower wall, which is more than I can say for some of the other fuckers here.
Outside, I used the other hut, and then hurried back to the tent. When I got there, I was shocked to find another fucking biker inside with her. With my fucking woman!
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Henley turned to grin at me, and that’s when I realised two things.
She was fully dressed still, thank god, and his hands were in the air, and had been flying as he spoke.
He was fucking signing. He was talking to her in a way I couldn’t yet, and that was pissing me off more than I’d ever imagined he could.
“I was just saying hi,” he said with a wry grin, lowering his hands as he scrutinised my expression. What did he see? Anger? Jealousy? The pure desire to punch that look off his face? Any look off his face?
“Jesus, brother. It’s all good. I popped in to speak to you, and met Claudia instead.” I noticed he was speaking with his face angled so she could read his lips too.
“How do you know all this?” I asked gesturing at him, only vaguely remembering that I was wearing just my jeans, holding the dirty t-shirt and underwear, and the wet towel from the shower.
“Deaf relative,” he said vaguely, turning that smile on again for Claudia. Why was he smiling at her like that? He had his own damn woman.
His hands flew rapidly, and she giggled, and then he was leaving, and I was wondering what the fuck he just said about me. He said something bad, right? Of course he did.
He stopped in the entrance to the tent. “Oh, I just remembered what I came to tell you. There’s some crazy bitch at the gate in a car, who’s apparently been here for hours. Says she’s here for her sister.”
Oh fuck. I exchanged a horrified look with Claudia, and she reluctantly retrieved her phone, switching it back on, and grimacing as it started buzzing with messages as soon as it was fully awake.
I tossed my dirty clothes in the corner, and followed Henley outside.
“Why didn’t someone send her away?”
He snorted. “You think Simon’s got the balls for that? He’s been begging everyone who’d listen for help with her, but even though the Pres and I have both tried, she’s not leaving until she gets to see Claudia. Last I heard, she was threatening to call the cops.”
Fuck’s sake. Why did nobody call us earlier?
Claudia
My phone was practically vibrating its way out of my hand with messages and missed calls. There were only eight missed calls, but there were over forty messages from her.
Some of them were fine, just asking me to call, to check in, saying she was sorry. Then there were the others.
Marissa: This is typical of you. You’re so selfish. All you need to do is come home.
Marissa: If you think this behaviour is impressing anyone, you’re an idiot.
Marissa: If you don’t reply, I’m calling the police. It’ll be all your fault.
Marissa: Why do you do this to me? Do you think I want to worry all the time?
Marissa: You’re such a selfish bitch! Why do you resent me so much?
I groaned and shoved the phone aside. I didn’t resent her, but I was really starting to feel afraid of her. She was getting too intense about me like I was her possession and I hated it.
Stag reappeared, grabbing a t-shirt and dragging it on, approaching me with a wary look on his face. He crouched in front of me and grabbed my hands, squeezing them gently.
“I’ll talk to her. You don’t have to come outside.”
I shook my head. “She’s… She’s my sister, I need to try, but I don’t…” I sighed again, “I don’t think I want to live with her anymore. It sounds weird, but I don’t feel safe there.”
Stag looked shocked, squeezing my hands again.
“Does she do stuff to hurt you?”
It wasn’t that simple, was it? “No. I mean, sometimes I wonder if she puts stuff in drinks to make me sleep so she can relax, but I can’t exactly prove that.”
“Jesus fuck! Okay, you’re not going back there. I’ll figure this out. I don’t know how. Say what you need to say to her, then we’re gonna get a few of the guys to come with us to your place, to grab whatever you need, and then…” he glanced at his room and sighed. “I’ll figure that out too.”
I hated being a burden on him like this.
He was right, this wasn’t a place I could stay in long term, but first, and most importantly, we needed to deal with Marissa.
He slipped his Phoenix cut on, and reached for my hand, tugging me outside and towards the people amassing at the gate.
They were yelling, I could tell. I couldn’t hear them, of course, but I could see it in the tense postures, and the way their shoulders moved as they shouted.
I turned to Stag, wanting to ask what they were saying, but he was yelling out to someone else. Oh. The man I talked to earlier, the one who could sign. Henley, I think he said.
Stag said something I couldn’t see, and then Henley was nodding, and gesturing to me.
*They’re yelling at her to get lost, and she’s refusing. That’s what you can see. Don’t worry, we’ll back you.*
Wow. They’d back me? I didn’t even know what I needed backing for exactly, but knowing they were on my side made such a difference.
As did Stag calling over the only person who could help me keep up with everything going on right now.
As we stopped at the gate, I rose up on tiptoes and kissed his cheek, drawing a shocked expression from him as he turned to me.
“Claudia?”
“Thank you. For caring enough to get Henley involved for me.”
He shrugged, but that adorable blush heated his cheeks again as he stepped up to the gate, keeping me beside him.
“Marissa, you need to back the hell off,” I said, probably speaking over others, but somehow I felt the hush that fell around us. I couldn’t hear it, but I sensed all eyes on me as I locked gazes with her. She looked furious, almost terrifyingly so, and she’d clearly been crying.
“There you are! Do you have any idea what I’ve been going through all night?”
Stag pulled me in front of him, resting his hands on my shoulders to keep me close to him, his offer of support, and she didn’t miss it.
“Oh. I see. You’re whoring yourself out to these filthy bikers now?
How many did you fuck so far?!” I could feel Stag getting pissed off, his chest heaving with his breathing, and he was probably itching to get involved, but that’s when one of the other men stepped in front of everyone else, and nudged us back, gesturing at the young guy at the gate to open it.
The poor lad looked exhausted, because that’s what Marissa does to people. She drains them with her drama.
The guy who’d given the order stepped in front of me, and folded his arms, and something about him stopped her from charging in here. I glanced to Henley and saw his hands moving.
*He’s the President, and he’s telling her to get off our land.*
A pause.
*She’s screeching at him about you being vulnerable. Like she’s here to save you.* Bitch.
He hesitated again.
*President is threatening to call the cops. That shut her up. She’s calling your name now.*
I refused to look at her, because giving her my attention was part of the problem.
He nodded like he expected that.
*She’s asking you to go home with her. Says she can keep you safe. That she didn’t mean all the shit she messaged. Or said. You want us to call the cops?*
I swallowed hard and shook my head, turning to glare at Marissa over the President guy’s shoulders.
“I want you to leave, Marissa. I’m coming home soon, okay? Just give me an hour.”
Her face screwed up with anger and she took a step past her car, halting when the President guy held a hand up to stop her, turning to yell something at a big guy near him, who had his phone to his ear.
“Why not now? You want to fuck more of them before you leave? I can’t believe you’re doing this to me!”
The guy with the phone stepped forward, and I could see he was speaking now, and I had no idea who he was on the call with, but the President and another guy moved forward and ushered Marissa to her car.
I was trembling at this point. With anger.
With frustration. Maybe a little fear too.
If I went home, she’d probably lock me in.
The reason I didn’t say I’m coming to get my stuff is because I think she’d do something to prevent that from happening, or trash my things.
When did things turn so crazy between us?
When did she lose it so much that I became her possession, something to control, and make demands of.
Protection shouldn’t come with an agenda, and my requests to back off were getting me nowhere.
Stag rubbed my shoulders, tapping one shoulder to get me to turn, and Henley was there, his hands moving again.
*Once she’s gone, we’re gonna get a van to your place, and clear your stuff out. I was just telling Stag you guys can stay at mine a few days. I’m going away with my old lady.* Old lady? Like his mother or something?
He laughed, like he could read my expression.
*Biker wives are called old ladies, love.*
Oh. I nodded, trying to smile, even though I could feel that was trembling too. Every part of me was. The adrenaline was leaving me in a rush, and I felt like I’d fall.
“Grab her, man!” I saw Henley yell, just before my legs crumpled beneath me, and Stag became the only thing holding me up.