Page 20

Riley

S tanding there wrapped in Havoc’s embrace, there wasn’t anything I wanted more than another night in his strong arms. The only thing holding me back was wanting more than just another one-night stand with him. Deciding it was time to ask for what I really wanted, I took a chance.

Sliding my arms up and around his neck, I tugged his head down to touch mine. “Here’s the thing, Havoc. I’m not really the one-night stand type. I need more.”

His hands tightened on my body, his fingers digging gently into the softness of my hips. He responded roughly, “In case you didn’t notice, I’m fuckin’ crazy for you, sweetness. You can have all of me you want.”

“What I want is exclusive. I don’t want to have to share you with any other woman.”

One big hand slid up my back to gently cup the back of my head and his lips crashed down on mine with an eagerness that he’d clearly been holding back all day. His tongue came out and I opened myself to him. When our tongues slid against each other in a sensual dance, I clung to him as a raw, burning need swept through my entire body, making my clit throb like it had a heartbeat of its own.

When he pulled back to press his forehead against mine again, he spoke, his voice rough but sincere, “You don’t need to worry about other women. There haven’t been any since the day you walked into my life. And there won’t be in the future because you’re it for me.”

I closed my eyes, thankful that we were on the same page. “You’re all I want as well.”

“It’s decided then,” he stated. “From here on out, you’re officially my old lady. I’m glad we had this conversation. It’ll save me from having to beat some brother’s ass for trying to poach you from me.”

I pulled back enough to look at him. This man was dead serious about that poaching comment. “You act like you’re a wildlife ranger and I’m an exotic animal in need of being protected from big game hunters.”

“Like someone once told me, we’re all animals, Riley. But you’re more precious than any other creature that walks the face of the earth to me. I want to not only keep you alive but out of the sights of big game hunters and dirty cops alike.”

I reached up to cup his face in my hands. “Just promise me that you won’t take any unnecessary chances with yourself. You’re the happily ever after that I’ve been dreaming of my whole life. Getting Slater doesn’t matter if I lose you in the process.”

A long silence spun out between us. Although Havoc looked emotional, he didn’t say a word. He just stood there looking down at me as my thumbs gently caressed his battered face. The only sound was the sound of a slowly ticking clock on the wall and our soft breathing. Instead of filling the void with words, I gave him time to come to grips with what I was asking from him. It was basically the rest of his life. And I couldn’t have that if he took unnecessary chances with his life and wound up dead.

His hands came up to cover mine and he pulled my hands away. Then one hand came to thump against his chest, albeit less ferocious than before, but he still repeated his mantra. “I’m hard to kill.” Something about his tone threw me for a loop. His voice sounded hollow and less convinced than before.

“Promise me that you’ll be safe and come back to me if you leave me in this isolated bunker.”

He glanced away. “You’re putting me between a rock and a hard place, Riley. If there is one thing that war taught me, it’s that completing the mission and making it home safely are sometimes not mutually compatible goals. Protecting you is my new self-appointed mission. I promise you that I’ll make sure he’s either locked up or dead, even if I die trying. That’s the only real promise I can make you.”

Reaching up, I balled my fists in his t-shirt. “Then lie to me. Tell me everything’s going to be okay, and you and I are going to have many good years ahead of us. I need a thread of hope to hang onto right now or I’m going to lose my ever-loving mind.”

The thought of Havoc being gunned down in cold blood by that asshole, Slater, terrified me. Somewhere along the line I realized I’d fallen in love with this big brute and couldn’t deal with the thought of not having his smiling face, sometimes surly disposition and quirky personality in my life anymore.

Havoc swept me up in his arms and walked over to the bed with me. I wasn’t terribly surprised when he sat down on the bed with me in his lap. “Alright, I promise that I’ll be careful and do everything I can to complete the mission and survive to tell the tale.”

“Sorry,” I told him. Tapping my chest with one hand, I said, “I’ve always been the one who tells my clients not to get so caught up in their relationships with men that they start getting clingy and dependent. And now, here I am, doing exactly the same thing.”

A mischievous expression jumped onto his handsome face. “Your clients were dating normal guys, not apex alphas like myself. It’s hard not to be overwhelmed by the largeness of my personality as well as my dedication to gettin’ shit done. I’m loyal, protective and a good provider. You did well by choosing to be mine.”

Havoc had my number. Flipping the script with humor always got me to see things differently. I found myself laughing. “You never cease to amaze me, babe. Every time I think I have you figured out, you do something totally unpredictable. I love that about you, almost as much as I love you.”

Shock rolled through my mind. I had just come right out and told Havoc that I loved him. I said the words, and now they were out there. My declaration of love pleased him. I could tell by the look on his face. I realized that we’d both just made declarations of love in our way. Something about that filled my heart with happiness and hope.

“Are you sure this is what you want, sweetness? If you are in any way unsure, we can sleep on it and see how you feel in the morning.”

“No way,” I shot back. “You said it was decided. You can’t take it back now.”

“Yeah,” he said, his voice low and rough. “I’m not tryin’ to take anything back. I just want you to be sure because I can already tell I’m gonna be a possessive bastard when it comes to you. You’re already all I can think about most days.”

“Same here. We’re good together, Havoc. Now what do you say we seal this deal with a kiss and some more hot sex?”

“Such an eager little beaver, aren’t you, sweetness.”

“Of course,” I told him. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

He stood up and helped me to my feet. As I slid out of his arms, he murmured, “I’m gonna have to get a shower before I get close to your sweet little body. At least to wash the blood and dirt off my skin. I might be a dirty fucker on the inside, but I don’t like being grubby on the outside.”

I laughed at his antics. “How did I never know you had a dirty mind? You always seemed like such a boy scout.”

Havoc chuffed out a laugh, turning his head to rub his cheek against his shoulder. I thought this was what embarrassed looked like on this big biker. “I ain’t a fuckin’ boy scout and you know it.”

“Do I now? How about we shower together? We can get clean together and then get dirty again. That sounds fun, right?”

“It sure as fuck does, sweetness. I’d give a lot to see your beautiful body drenched and waiting for my touch.”

“Same here. How about I soap up my hands and give your gorgeous, inked body the once-over? Bet I could get you really clean.”

His mouth curved in a half-smile. “I think that’s the best fuckin’ offer I’ve ever had. I’ve been wound up tighter than a spring since we got here. Having your soft hands on me might be just the thing I need to relax.”

“Lead the way, then,” I told him. “We might as well get to it while we still have the energy to make love.”

“How about we save the tender stuff for when I don’t have so much pent-up sexual frustration?”

The way he asked the question took me by surprise. His voice was quiet and suggestive, but not pushy. I could clearly hear the blatant need in his tone. It sent white-hot heat skittering down my spine.

I didn’t answer right away, just held his gaze. We’d been talking around something for weeks, and it was time to get it out in the open for both our sakes. This push and pull of unspoken need erupting between us had been interrupted more than once. However, tonight was different. We were both on the same page, and being in an underground bunker meant there would be no more delays or interruptions. It was just the two of us, together, talking about what we wanted from each other.

“I see you, Havoc. I know what you need,” I told him softly.

“Oh yeah? What is it you think you know about me?”

I lifted my chin, sure of this piece if nothing else in my life, my heart pounding in my chest. “You don’t like to make love. You like to fuck.”

Havoc leaned forward and looked into my eyes. “I like a fuckin’ lot of things. Fuckin’ the woman I love is just one of them. I’m a versatile man.”

“Lie to me if you like, but don’t lie to yourself. You don’t always like vanilla sex. You’re young, in good shape, and like rough sex.”

“I can be what you want. I’m more than just some guy who likes control in the bedroom. If you give me a chance, I can make you happy.”

We stepped into the bathroom, and I began pulling off my clothing as he started the shower.

When he turned around, I was standing there naked. His eyes drifted all the way down my body and back up again, lingering on my pussy long enough to make me squirm with need.

“What I’m trying to tell you is that we share that common interest. I like sex in all its flavors.”

His head snapped up to look me in the eyes. His gaze was filled with excitement, need, and leashed control. He brought his hands up to take off his cut, folding and tossing it over a towel rack. Next, Havoc pulled the front of his shirt open, revealing all those tattoos I loved so much. This man was a finely tuned, inked work of art, and as far as I could tell, he was all mine.

Finally, when we were facing each other wearing only what God gave us, he spoke again. “Tell me what you want from me when it comes to sex, Riley. You set boundaries with me, and I won’t cross ‘em no matter what—I’m desperate to be inside you again. But this time, I want to make sure we do it right.”

I haul in a deep breath and snatch up all my courage, in an effort to answer his question. “I liked what we did last time. In fact, I liked it a lot. I like it best when you start out slowly and then get rougher and harder. I’m not into pain during sex or at any other time. That means no hard hitting, fisting, wax play, or wrong hole nonsense like you see in porn. Light spanking is fine, but it has to enhance the sexual experience. I like to try new things, but I don’t particularly care for surprises, so let’s talk about new things ahead of time rather than just springing them on each other.”

It only took him a minute to recover from his shocked expression. “Well, sweetness. It seems as though you’ve given this some serious thought.”

I like that his tone is approving but I knew he had a sense of humor that needs tickled as well, so I stepped closer and asked, “Is that a punishable offense in your world? I wouldn’t want to get spanked.”

“You deserve a sexy spanking, sweetness. But I’m not gonna give it to you, not unless you ask nicely.”

I liked his gentle teasing, maybe a little too much. Thinking of his big hand gently swatting my naked ass made something inside me uncoil and ache with need.

I followed him into the shower, and we didn’t talk for the longest time. We just enjoyed the moment. Lathering up his big body was a joy. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring every bump and bulge his muscular body had to offer. His cock was hard in an instant when we got into the shower, and I took my time soaping it up and stroking him. He groaned with pleasure, enjoying my touch. He tugged me closer and kissed me like his life depended on it. His mouth captured mine in a kiss that was urgent and deep and utterly consuming. As anticipated, his big, rough hands felt great sliding across my skin as well. I found myself melting into his touch.

When I got to my knees in front of him, Havoc’s eyes flashed with a kind of possessiveness I suspected lurked right below the surface. I gave him a few long firm strokes, liking the way he swelled ever more in my hands. I licked around the head of his cock, wanting nothing more than to please him, show him how I felt about him. By the time I sucked his cock into my mouth I was burning with need myself. He let me pleasure him for a while before pulling me to my feet and rinsing me off.

He asked, “Are you okay, sweetness?” he asked, gently cupping my cheek with one hand and sliding his thumb across my bottom lip.

I nodded. “More than okay. I could get addicted to sucking your cock.” I truly meant that, but Havoc just laughed. “It’ll be a cold day in hell when I come before my woman. If I ever get that shameless, just kick me to the curb.”

“Oh, I will, so don’t test me on that,” I joked.

He tossed me a heated look as we climbed out of the shower. “You ready for the main event, sweetness.”

Remembering how great sex was with him the first time, I nodded enthusiastically. “Absolutely. I’m looking forward to getting out of my head for a bit. Your body is like a hot, sexy playground for a woman like me. Not to mention that your cock is an amazing thing, endless pleasure if I remember correctly.”

He threw me a towel and we started drying off. He commented, “You’re a very articulate lady. I fuckin’ love that about you.”

“I already showed that I can do more than talk with my mouth,” I bragged.

He wrapped his towel around his waist, still dripping wet. And the moment I had my towel wrapped around me, he scooped me up and walked out of the restroom with me in his arms. We somehow made it to our room without catching anyone’s attention and then it was on. Havoc tossed me on the bed, let loose with a feral growl and pounced on me.

He started with a kiss, starting out slowly, kissing my lips before trailing kisses down my neck to my collar bone. His hands moved down to cup my breasts. Every touch from this man caused a jolt of pleasure to go cascading through my body.

He pulled back and gazed down at my body with an awestruck expression. “Goddamn, you’re beautiful. I mean, I knew that you were but seeing you like this, all naked and vulnerable with your pretty red hair still wet from the shower takes my fuckin’ breath away.”

I smiled at his enthusiasm. “I feel the same about you,” I tell him while my fingers drive from one scar to another, the only thing marring his otherwise perfect tattoos. Havoc had the kind of body you got from years of fighting hard to survive. He rolled the muscles of his arm as I looked at the detail that went into creating each tattoo. “You have some amazing ink.”

“Glad you like it. I’ll have to tell you someday what they all mean. But right now, I want to put my mouth here,” he said, cupping my pussy with one ink covered hand. “You down for that, sweetheart?”

I nodded, feeling my cheeks getting hot with embarrassment.

Havoc just grinned. “God, you’re innocent if asking to lick your pussy makes you blush.”