Sal (The Ride Series) (12 page)

This was one of them.

I shut the door quietly behind him. “I don’t want to fuck this up,” he admitted quietly.

In his way, he was asking me to steer our way through and I could do that. For tonight, I could do that.

“Just hold onto me,” my voice came out, a throaty whisper.

“That I can do,” he replied, his eyes soft on me as he wrapped me up in his arms. I sagged into him and breathed in his reassuring scent as my arms wrapped around his waist inside his leather cut. We stood like that, by the door for a while before he pulled away gently. “You were in the bath?”

“Yeah, I was. Wanna join me?” I asked with my brows knit.

He gave me a squeeze. “I don’t really do baths, babe, but I’ll wash your back,” he replied, giving me a lopsided grin.

I could work with that, definitely.

I ditched my robe and sunk back into the blissfully warm water as he sat on the edge, his large hands caressing my neck and shoulders.

“Why would anyone fuck with me to get to you?” I demanded quietly, my wet fingers tracing the lines of the tattoos on his right forearm.

Sal let out a heavy sigh as though searching for patience. “Birdie, clearly you missed it, but anyone who knows me worth a damn, knows you’re under my skin like no other woman ever has been. No amount of time or distance would change that and whoever this is obviously knows it.”

“Really?” I asked, and even I could hear the hope in my voice.

He moved off the edge of the tub and kneeled beside it, his eyes level with mine. “Really,” he affirmed, biting my shoulder gently and sending a shiver down my spine.

Hearing that was almost enough to erase the traumatic events of the evening. “You couldn’t have picked a better night to tell me that,” I said quietly.

“Your mother really did a number on you, didn’t she?” he asked, his eyes warm as they assessed me.

“They both did,” I admitted.

“Earlier, that look you had. I couldn’t place it. I want to say it was embarrassment, but I couldn’t imagine why you’d feel that way.”

I winced just remembering it. “Are you kidding? It was one of the most humiliating experiences of my life to have you witness the trash I come from,” I grimaced. “Not even Scarlet has met my mother and I hope she never does.”

“Baby,” he interrupted, “you don’t get it,” he argued as he squeezed my arms briefly for emphasis. “The last thing you should feel is fuckin’ embarrassed. You should be over the moon proud because of what you had to work with and you got yourself to where you are. It’s unbelievable. I had no idea. The only thing running through my head was how amazed I am at what you’ve achieved.”

“Then why did you run?” I asked, bracing for his answer.

He sighed. “Because I’m shit with emotion,” he admitted. “I’ll work on it,” he added simply.

“Me, too,” I agreed quietly.

“That comment you made at the hospital, about you not being the girl for me, was this what you were getting at?” he asked quietly. “Feeling ashamed of where you came from?”

His fingers had begun stroking my collarbone with a promise to dip lower, and I was suddenly finding it difficult to concentrate.

“Yes and no,” I swallowed. “At the time, I meant I hadn’t been enough to keep you, to make you share yourself with me. But, I suppose those feelings are all rooted from the same place,” I mused.

“It was never about you. Do you get that now?” he asked pointedly.

“It’ll take time,” I answered honestly. I just wasn’t there yet.

“I get that,” he agreed. “But you have to know, not only were you enough, you were so much more that I had to go sort my shit out so I could be good enough for you, not the other way around,” he said firmly, his eyes holding mine.

I sucked in a breath at the rare vulnerability in his words.

He leaned closer still. “Now, baby, are we done talkin’? I’ve been sitting here staring down at your wet, naked body, and I don’t know if I can take much more.”

I smiled, my skin heating as I watched his eyes travel my body hungrily. “Yeah, we’re done,” I agreed, my voice sounding breathy.

“Fucking brilliant,” he muttered, taking my mouth in a controlling kiss. My mouth opened for him, welcoming his forceful tongue as I moved to a kneeling position, wrapping my arms around his neck. I wanted him as close as I could get him. His hands traveled over my slick skin before settling on my ass, squeezing as he let out a low groan. “You have the most amazing ass,” he murmured against my mouth.

“You have too many clothes on,” I responded with a smile.

His hands continued to explore, cupping my breasts and letting his callused fingers tease my nipples until I was ready to scream. When his hand moved between my legs to cup briefly before his fingers began to move, I pulled him tighter, soaking his T-shirt with my wet skin.

He picked up the tempo, his light caresses becoming quick circles with just the right amount of pressure. It was only seconds before my legs were shaking and I cried out, letting it wash over me.

Before I’d fully recovered, he had me pulled out of the tub and onto the bathmat. He quickly pulled his T-shirt off and only pulled his pants and boxers below his gorgeous ass before he took me in one solid thrust.

Clearly, he couldn’t wait one second more.

He pulled out and thrust back to the hilt, our heavy breaths and soft groans intermingling as our bodies took over.

There was something utterly primal about having him partially dressed while entering my body as though he’d die if he couldn’t.

I felt the tingles start again, moving toward a warm hum which was about to completely take over. When his thrusts intensified indicating he was close as well, it was enough to push me over the edge into a freefall.

He soon followed, groaning with such relief it was as though it had been years since he’d been inside me.

“You’re all wet now,” I said with a laugh as he laid on top of me recovering.

He chuckled, his voice warm and deep in my ear. “Yeah, well, so are you,” he replied, the double entendre making me blush.

“Come on, baby, let’s get to bed,” he said, pulling me up with him and toweling me off first and then himself. We crawled into bed naked as he pulled me close.

“Sweet dreams, Birdie,” he murmured, nuzzling my ear as I laid with my back pressed to his front.

“You, too, Sal.” I sighed contentedly.

And despite the demons I’d faced that day, with my man wrapped around me and his heat pressed to my back, I’d never slept better.

Chapter 11

S
al made me come to the club the next morning after breakfast. Cole had called a meeting after Sal briefed him on the run-in with my mother. Most of the guys were there along with their women.

Ettie, Mack’s woman, was there along with Connie and Scarlet, who sat with baby Gracie on her knee. I smiled at my girlfriends and went to sit next to Scarlet to try to get some baby time.

We were all seated in the common space amongst the bar, pool table, and couches, which took up a majority of the large, open area.

Cole stood with his arms crossed over his chest as Wes and Sal flanked him. They made for a formidable, though incredibly sexy, looking trio.

Cole began to address the group with a firm tone that carried easily across the large room. “Most of you know Kat was attacked. We knew there was some connection between the loan and the attack, but it seems it was more premeditated than we’d realized. This fuckwad purposefully sought out Kat’s mother to offer her money knowing she wouldn’t be able to pay it back. We assume using Kat as collateral has something to do with the club. We just don’t know what,” his deep voice told the room.

I was really tired of my name and “collateral” being used in the same sentence.

I heard a few gasps around the room and winced at the reaction.

“I called you all here,” he continued, looking pointedly at the women, “to be vigilant. This threat was specific to our women and families. If anyone notices anything out of the ordinary, I want to know about it,” he ordered. “Anything at all.”

“Uh, babe, I have to tell you something,” Scar spoke up then. She looked contrite, which put me on edge.

Cole’s eyes shot up in surprise and then grew wary.

“I didn’t say anything because I thought it was nothing,” she defended. “And I knew you’d get upset,” she fretted. “But I’ve been feeling like I’m being followed lately. I can’t put my finger on why, but with all this news I think maybe there’s something to it,” she murmured.

I swore I thought Cole’s head was going to explode right then and there. The veins stuck out in his neck and his bright blue eyes grew dark with anger.

“Um, me too,” Connie spoke up hesitantly. Wes’ head snapped over to her so quickly it would have been almost comical if the situation wasn’t so serious.

“What?” he barked.

She shrugged, looking nervous.

“Mother
fucker,
” Cole seethed as he made eye contact with his father before turning his attention back to his fiancée. “You’re on lockdown,” he commanded.

“Fine,” she agreed with a sigh.

I shot her a sympathetic look. But I couldn’t say I disagreed with his mandate. The guys knew I’d been followed and we all knew how that had ended for me.

“Why is this fuck putting such an obvious target on his back?” Sal asked Cole as he thought out loud. “He’s not making a secret of it and I don’t fuckin’ get it. He’s either crazy as shit or there’s got to be somethin’ bigger that he’s aiming at. Either way, I don’t fuckin’ like it. Makes me cagey as shit,” he muttered.

“Your women are all of your weaknesses,” Cal spoke up his, gravelly voice laced with controlled anger. “They’re your Achilles’ heel and whoever this is knows it. You can’t let them use it to their advantage,” he advised.

“What’s the plan?” Axel spoke up as they all stood thinking.

“Okay, women out,” Cole barked suddenly, and I saw Scarlet glare at him. “I’m not going to brainstorm how to keep my family safe with you all here,” he explained when she continued to look pissed. “I’m gonna tell you how it’s gonna happen. If you’re here, you’ll argue with me every step of the way.”

He was undoubtedly right about that. These men had chosen a fiery and opinionated bunch of women to share their lives with. Scarlet stood, and, in unspoken camaraderie, Connie, Ettie, and I stood with her. She shot a final glare at Cole over her shoulder as we strode out onto the back patio.

One thing was for sure, someone’s bed was going to be chilly tonight.

“I’m going to have to resurrect the house mouse argument,” Scarlet muttered as we situated ourselves in the shade. It was a known fact certain bikers would shack up with women who took care of them and their house without complaint. They cooked and cleaned, made sure everything was in order, and most importantly, they didn’t ask questions. There were no such women around this table, myself included.

“He knows you’re not a house mouse, babe,” Connie laughed. “It’s obvious to anyone, but, I hate to admit that he’s sort of right,” she shrugged. “We’re with the biggest alpha males on the planet. They can’t formulate their strategy while we’re in there arguing with them about it. And you know we would,” she said with a wink.

“Purposefully putting us at risk and making no secret of it is also a direct hit to their male egos,” Ettie put in. “You know how they all pride themselves on protecting us.”

Ettie was right about that. I swear there had been times with Sal, when all that shit was happening with Scarlet, where I’d thought he’d throw me over his shoulder and pound on his chest like a caveman when I was at risk. It was crazy, but I sort of loved it.

“How’s it going with Sal?” Connie asked as she raised her brows at me. “And can I just say I’m so fucking thrilled you two are back together?” Connie was always so cheerful. I loved that about her. She seemed to have a permanent smile on her face. When I’d first met her I thought it was fake, but I quickly realized it was completely genuine.

“Thanks,” I smiled back. “We’re working on it, but so far so good.”

“With the way that man looks at you, it was only a matter of time,” Ettie added.

It was another hour before the meeting broke up and the guys came out to collect us. By then we’d covered the details of Connie’s upcoming wedding and Ettie’s hope to have a ring on her finger sooner rather than later. She’d been with Mack for years, but they’d been in no rush. Now she seemed to have caught the bug, and I hoped for his sake he picked up on her mindset.

Gracie was now nursing under a blanket in the shade with her peaceful looking Mama. Motherhood had come so naturally to Scarlet. Despite her own mother passing away when she was young, she had an innate sense of what to do. She was perfectly at ease with the fragile, little being she’d brought into the world.

I watched Sal approach, his eyes focused solely on me. The sun glinted off his jet-black hair, and his tattoos practically shone with vibrancy in the midday sun. He was wearing a fitted gray T-shirt and worn Levis with his ever-present motorcycle boots. My mouth practically watered as it always did when I saw him.

“Let’s go,” he ordered when he reached me.

I rolled my eyes at his bossiness but stood up. “Later, girls,” I called over my shoulder.

“Later!” I heard in unison behind me.

We roared off on his bike and headed back to his place. When we walked in the door, he took me by surprise by spinning me around and pulling me close, his hands diving into my hair. He kissed me with welcomed determination as he backed us toward the bed. Clearly, he was working through some emotions from the recent events and I was more than happy to have him work them out with me.

My hands moved inside his jacket, slipping it off his shoulders, and then slid greedily up his muscular arms to his neck. His adept fingers slid under my shirt, tracing the outline of my bra and making me shiver. He smiled against my mouth, pleased at my reaction to his touch. He pulled my shirt up and off, my jeans soon following. A deep rumble of pleasure rose from his chest as he took in my black lace bra and matching panties.

“You’re so gorgeous,” his deep voice rumbled.