Cocky Biker: A Stand Alone MC Romance Novel (Cocker Brothers of Atlanta Book 2) (8 page)

T
hey removed
the bandages when the wounds healed, two weeks and two days after her surgery. Over the past few months I’ve left the room only so they could wash her hair and clean her up. The side of her head is shaved, and growing back nicely over a scar. She looks like she got that cool cut that’s popular now — half-shaved, the other long and wavy.

They brought in a better bed for me when they figured out I planned to stay.

I’ve been here every day and night.

When a male, well-built physical therapist arrived, he told me he was there to move her limbs around so that her circulation stayed healthy and she didn’t get bedsores. I put that brakes on that. “Show me how to do it, then take a hike.”

Pretty sure I’ve watched every episode of Law and Order, which is a fuckin’ lot. Castle and CSI, too. I’m pissed they cancelled Castle without an official season finale. That’s bullshit right there. It’s like closing up a book series without writing about the final wolf. What the fuck? Must have had a good reason...but I hate it just the same.

The Ciphers left a few days after the cops gave us leave to. All except Tonk.

He’s been seeing Carmen and taking it really slow since she’s of course pretty messed up. Eager to heal, though. She’s a brave girl deep down, no matter how fragile she appears. They didn’t get any sunlight in that place, so he’s been taking her to parks and to the beach almost every day.

Since she never thought she’d escape that place, she views everything on the outside with wonder and a little fear, except him.

Him she looks at like a god.

He’s upside down in love with her. I respect the hell out of how he’s treatin’ that girl.

As I return from asking the nurse when she can eat, Luna whispers “You don’t have to stay.”

“Yeah, right,” I mutter.

This one’s not like Carmen at all.

This one fights me at every turn.

And I don’t seem to give a shit. She woke up late last night. So this is officially day one of the battle.

I’m all in.

Grabbing a bag from the dresser, I pull out toothpaste and a toothbrush that’s still in the package. Bought these for when this miracle would happen. Gave me hope to have them ready.

She watches me tear it open and walk to fill one of those vomit dishes they have handy, with fresh water from the sink. It’s never been used — cleaner than my own fingers.

The tray table is an awkward sonofabitch so I have to work not to splash.

I swear at it under my breath.

“What are you doing?” she asks.

“Your breath stinks.”

She smiles in surprise. “Jesus,” she mutters.

I chuckle because I could care less about her fuckin’ ass-breath, which really is terrible. I only said that and am doing this to break the iceberg she’s erected now that she realizes she can’t run.

The girl likes it straight and honest. Some women would call it rough, but they’re not made of iron like this one.

I can give her what she needs. I can talk her language.

Cocking an eyebrow, I ask, “You want me to do it for you like a little baby?”

With a weak arm, she grabs the toothbrush after I squeeze blue goo on it. “Fuck you.”

“Let’s get your strength back and we’ll talk about fuckin’ again.”

Her deep brown eyes dance with amusement and she brushes her teeth slowly, stopping to say, “It tastes strong.”

“Bet my cum tastes better.”

She huffs a laugh and shakes her head like I’m an asshole, spitting out some foam and continuing the difficult journey.

I stop watching, pick up my Ciphers jacket and ask, “You gotta use the bathroom?” She reluctantly nods. “I’ll get a nurse.”

Outside my heart is pounding. I feel like that smile and half-laugh she gave up was a win on my part. One I’ve waited a long fuckin’ time for. At the nurse’s station I have their full attention. Karen watches me as she always does. She’d love me to take her somewhere private. Not subtle, this one. I couldn’t care less.

“You must be so happy, Jett!” Ellen gushes.

“Yeah. When can she eat real food?”

Diego walks up and hears this. “We’ll bring her soft food first and see how she handles it.”

“Thanks.”

Nice guy, but I still can’t believe a man who’s not gay wants to be a nurse. “Congratulations!” he says.

“I didn’t do anything,” I call back as I walk off, pulling my phone from my jacket pocket. Dialing, I wait for Tonk to answer, “Hey.”

“Guess what.”

After a beat, he goes, “No way.”

“She’s up.”

“Holy fuck! What’s she like?”

“A pain in the ass.”

He chuckles. “So…she’s healthy then.”

“If you can call it that,” I say with a big smile.

“
W
e’ll be back
in a couple hours to check on you again,” the young, attractive nurse tells me.

“Okay.”

She leaves and glances over to Jett with longing. “Isn’t his beard handsome?” she asks me while
staring
at him. I’m sure he has admirers wherever he goes, but still, she has some fucking nerve doing this in front of me.

She disappears.

I glance over to see his reaction…and discover him climbing in the small, extra bed.

“Don’t say it,” Jett warns with a suspicious look. Somehow I know he’s not talking about the nurse. He knows my mind has switched gears now that I see he’s planning on sleeping here tonight.

“What the hell are you doing?”

He’s got his pillow on the foot side of the bed so he can see me. I saw the bed, earlier. I just haven’t been able to bring myself to ask the question:
Have you been here every night?

It’s too big.

But now there’s no avoiding it with him untying his boots. “I’m goin’ to sleep. It’s been a busy day. You came back to life. I had to force you to eat carrot soup. You nearly spit out the applesauce. You didn’t know your breath stank. Phew. I’m beat!”

Fighting back a smile, I hoarsely persevere. “You’re not sleeping here!”

“Well, that’d be a change.” He leans to the floor, grabs a wandering pillow from it and shoves it under the one he has. I watch his muscles undulate during the reach and his biceps contract as he rests his hands under his head, propping up. “There, now I can see you better,” he smirks.

I can tell he’s waiting for a reaction, so I take another route and give him none. “Goodnight then.”

He blinks at me, knowing that was hard for me to do. “Night, Sunshine.”

The nickname mushes my heart a little and I close my eyes and pull the blanket up. There’s a small light on in the bathroom. He said he wanted it left on in case I had to go. You’d think this guy had kids or something.

Wait…does he?

I have no idea.

I remember very well what he looks like naked. The image is hard to shove away as I look at him, lying there peacefully, eyes are closed and the blanket half off his gorgeous body. He’s sleeping in his jeans and t-shirt, socks stuffed in his boots to the side. Belt next to them.

“Jett?”

“Hmmm?”

“Do you have kids?”

After a long pause, he says, “Not yet.”

Okay, I don’t like how relieved I am to hear that.

“Why are you so good at taking care of people then?”

He opens his eyes and looks me. In the dim light I watch his face soften as he tells me, “I have a good mother. And younger brothers who got into a lot of trouble growing up.”

“How many brothers?”

“Five. Four younger. One older. And he never needed anyone taking care of him.”

“You say that with pride.”

“Jaxson’s a good man. Keeps to himself. Loyal as fuck.”

“Who else?”

“Justin and Jason are right below me. Twins. Different though. Justin’s in politics and has the personality for it.” Off my look, he corrects me. “He’s a charmer, not a liar.” I smile, and he continues, “Jason’s a hopeless romantic. Produces crap music I can’t listen to. You’re free to mock that all you want. I do,” he chuckles to himself, staring at the ceiling. “Then there’s Jake. He’s in construction. Hell of a work ethic. I guess we all have that. Jake’s got the coloring of our mom — olive skin, brown eyes. Jeremy, too. He’s the youngest. He’s in Pakistan right now. Marines. Fuckin’ kid’s gonna be a bigger badass than I am. I’ll have to punch him out. Make sure he knows his older brother is still in charge.” He grins at me and looks so handsome that it’s scaring me. “This tat?” He points to his pectoral muscle through his shirt. “We all have one.”

I look down and start massaging my palm with my thumb to help my circulation, just as Jett taught me to do an hour ago. It was weird listening to him explain how I need to bend my knees often, and stretch out my ankles, too.

Here’s that question again.

Have you been here every night? Have you been bending my legs for me when I couldn’t?

Instead I whisper, “Wow. That’s a big family.”

He rolls onto his side and props himself up with a strong elbow. “Sunshine?”

From his voice I know he’s about to say something that’s going to be hard to hear, so I keep my eyes averted. “Hmmm?”

“I remember what you told me that night, about your mom. I’m real sorry ‘bout that.”

I nod and wait for more. When he remains quiet, I glance over. His eyes are heartbreaking because they’re so fucking patient.

“I’m over it,” I shrug, lying.

“No, you’re not. You’re probably never gonna be.”

“No I probably won’t.” I whisper. I don’t know why I confess this but it’s out of my mouth before I realize I’m opening up to him. “I’ve never told anyone.”

“About how she died?”

“About…any of it.”

He nods and lies back down. Probably to avoid scaring me off. He does that a lot, leaves or looks away just when I’m about to get freaked. It just feels like he gets it. Like he knows me better than I do.

His eyes are closed and his arms are above his head again, resting on both hands. One knee is bent and I glance over to see he’s wiggling his toes on the straight leg. The room is quiet for a long time while I drink him in and imagine him sleeping there, while I had no idea.

Was he really worried about
me
?

Is he here out of obligation?

Is it just because his friends are still in L.A.?

“Your friends don’t mind you not staying in the motel?” I quietly ask.

After a beat of silence, he licks his lips. “They took off.”

Shocked, I can’t help but blurt out, “WHAT?”

He glances to me. That’s the loudest I’ve said anything all day. I kinda shocked him.

“You stayed here on purpose?!”

He gets up and goes to stand by the door. He’s about to leave. I’ve seen him do it about ten times since I woke up this morning. But he stops and holds onto the wall, his back tense and his legs staggered in decision. From that stance, where I can’t see his face, he rumbles, “I have been here every night and every day.”

My breath hitches.

Time slows way down.

I can hear my heart beating in my ears.

Jett strides back to me and cups my face with warm, large hands. “Sunshine, something happened to me when you came into my life. I need you. And you need me, too. I’m staying here until you get better and then I want you to come with me.”

Tears jump to my eyes. “Where?”

“Everywhere.”

He searches my eyes to gauge how I feel, then leans down and kisses me softly, holding my face like I might break if he’s not careful. My body responds. I can’t help but return the kiss. But as the feelings overwhelm me, I push him away. “Stop. Please.”

He backs off, hands in the air like I’m holding a gun on him. “Sorry. You need rest. I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry. You just woke up…” he turns away and runs his hands through his hair, but not before I catch sight of the tent in his faded blue jeans. “…today after three fuckin’ months and…I’ve waited so long.” He turns to look at me and there is real pain in him. “I thought you were gonna die. I thought…you were gonna fuckin’ die on me.”

I don’t know what to say, so I don’t try.

He goes back to his sorry excuse for a bed — not nearly big enough for a man of his size — and lies down, pulling the blanket over his body and glancing to his own erection. Licking his lips for patience and because his feelings have been stirred up in a lot of ways, he leans back and stares at the ceiling, fighting to get ahold of himself.

And I’m watching all of it.

“It’s so
much,
Jett.”

“I know,” he mutters.

“In my mind, we just met.”

He exhales and whispers, “Yeah, I guess it would feel like that to you.”

During the awkward silence that follows, he reaches under the blankets and adjusts himself, swearing under his breath.

The kisses and knowing what he’s done for me, has stirred my body, too. But I’m too weak to do anything. The urge to touch this man is strong. I’ve never had a reaction to anyone like this. He’s different.

But I’m not.

I’m me.

Still…I owe him. He’d never say that, but I do.

“Jett, would you do something for me?”

“Anything.”

“Well, it’s kind of…for you.”

He glances over. “I don’t need anything.”

A small smile tugs at my mouth as I purposefully scan his blanket, hovering over the place where his erection is, and then meet his eyes again.

“Yes, you do.”

He blinks. “What do you want me to do?” he asks carefully, and I can hear the curiosity in his voice. “Why am I gettin’ the feeling you’re gonna suggest sex? Because as much as I fuckin’ want to, there’s no way I’m risking’ it.”

“But you could take care of yourself.” He stares at me. I lower to a whisper, the idea turning me on. “Jett, stroke yourself in front of me. I want to watch you make yourself feel good.”

He sits up and leans on one arm, the muscles flexed under his weight. “You serious?”

“Mmmhmm.”

Jett glances to the door and rises up, walking to the curtain. He pauses and looks at me, then pulls it shut.

There’s a little bit of pain in his eyes as he walks to the side of my bed, like he’s needed this. I lay my hand on his hip, slipping my fingers under his shirt and pressing them into his skin.

“You really wanna watch me stroke it for you?”

“Never done that before.”

His eyes darken. “How many men have you been with?”

“You want me to ask you how many
women
you’ve been with?” I shoot back with a challenging smile.

But he isn’t smiling at all. “How many?”

“Seriously?”

“Yep.”

Sighing, I confess, “Very few, if you must know. Three.” At his surprise, I hold his eyes. “Men and I have a history, Jett. No, don’t feel bad. You didn’t bring anything up. I’m just answering your ill-timed question.”

“Just three before me.”

“Including you.”

He pauses and I can’t read his expression. In a low rasp he asks the thing that was bugging him. “Did you love them?” He covers my hand with his, pressing it into his body. I glance to his white knuckles and tell him the truth.

“I’ve never been in love.” Meeting his eyes, I ask, “You?”

Slowly unzipping his pants, he says with meaning, “Just once.” Before I have a chance to register that, his enormous cock comes into view, almost full. It twitches up to meet his hand as he reaches for it with his free hand.

He leans down, brings my hand to his lips and kisses my fingertips, then puts my hand where it was on his hip. “You strong enough to hold me there?”

I nod, my senses tingling. I was thinking I was doing this for him, but now that it’s begun and I see him stepping out of those jeans all the way, and tug off that shirt, too, I’ve gotta admit…I need this, too.

This is life.

Feeling this awake when you’re with someone.

Wanting to touch them.

Wanting them as close as you can get them.

He palms himself and groans as he begins to stroke that shaft. My eyes blaze a trail up to his face, over his abs and his chest rippling with halting breaths. Our eyes lock and his eyelids lower slightly as his lips fall open. “Fuck, I want to be inside you.”

“Tell me what you’d do.”

He groans and closes his eyes a brief second. “I’ll tell you what I WILL do,” he grates through gritted teeth, gazing at me sensually. “The second we’re outta here I’m gonna eat that sweet cunt until you scream again.”

I dig my fingers into his hip.

“I’m going to shove my tongue in and taste that pussy all night long, baby. I’m gonna suck on your clit until you’re quiverin’ and then I’m gonna fuck you for days.”

A moan escapes my lips and I lower my eyes to watch his hand speed up, sure and steady. The crimson tip appears and expands with every urgent stroke.

“I want to taste it,” I whisper, my tongue on my teeth.

“No, baby. Not yet.” He grabs my hand and laces our fingers together, stepping a little closer. The veins in his hips swell as he lets his body move with the beating. “I’m gonna prop you on this cock and watch you ride me like you did on that motel floor.”

With my free hand I touch my breast through my gown and meet his eyes. He starts breathing more heavily. “Fuck, I love it when you do that, Sunshine. You know what else I’m gonna do to you?”

“What?”

“Lick your tits until you cum.”

“That wouldn’t make me cum,” I smile.

“You wanna bet?” he smirks. A low groan escapes him. “There will come a point when I’m doing it for so long that you let go and that’s when I’ll have you.” His hand is moving faster now. Panting, he releases my fingers and rakes a hand through his hair. The underside of his bicep is paler than the top. Never sees the sun. His chest is stretched in this posture and he looks so delicious. I can’t wait to see him explode. I grab onto his hip and dig my fingers in. He groans, pumping roughly.

I whisper, eager for it, “Cum for me, baby. I looooove watching this. You look incredible.”

He groans and grits his teeth. I see his balls tightening so I reach down and gently cup them. He yells out really loudly and in another second hot semen shoots all over my arm. He locks eyes with me and firmly strokes that gorgeous shaft until every ounce is released.

The door opens as a female voice asks, “Everything okay?”

“WE’RE FUCKING!” he shouts. “CLOSE THE DOOR!”

“Oh my God,” the nurse whispers from the other side of the curtain.

The door clicks back into place.

We burst out laughing. “I’ll get a towel.”