Page 11

Chapter Eleven

R age

I led Mac toward what used to be an amphitheater, enjoying the way her eyes widened when she spotted the small table I’d asked the King’s enforcer to set up.

There was a checkered tablecloth, a bottle of wine, and a large picnic basket. It wasn’t fancy, but from the look on her face, you’d think I’d rolled out the red carpet.

“When did you…?” she trailed off, looking up at me like I’d pulled off some kind of magic trick.

“Gator dropped it off earlier,” I explained, pulling out a chair for her.

Her lips twitched. “Gator?”

I swayed my head back and forth, looking for the words to describe the King’s enforcer to her. Telling her he was a gun for hire didn’t seem like a smart move. “A friend of mine.” I settled on.

She sat down, her expression softening in a way that made my chest tighten. “This is really nice.”

I took the seat across from her, opening the wine and pouring two glasses. “Don’t get too excited yet. It’s just sandwiches and stuff. Gator’s culinary skills are limited.”

“No,” she shook her head. “It’s perfect,” she assured me, accepting the glass I offered.

As we ate, something shifted between us. The walls I usually kept firmly in place started coming down, brick by brick. She told me about wanting to be a radiologist someday, about losing her dad when she was twelve, how her brother Jack had tried to step into his shoes but never quite fit them.

I opened up too, telling her about my sister and being raised by our grandmother. How we grew up in the rougher part of Jacksonville, finding a family with the Saints, and how I got into tattooing by practicing on anyone who volunteered.

“How’d you end up with Saints Ink?” she asked, sipping her wine.

Memories I usually kept locked away surfaced. “Mad Dog. He was a brother in the club. He was killed by a drunk driver. Hit head on.” The piercing pain I usually felt when I told this story wasn’t quite as sharp when I saw the sad look on her face.

“I’m sorry,” she offered.

I shrugged. “It was a long time ago. But long story short, he left it to me in his will.”

Her eyes went wide. I knew the feeling I hadn’t expected it either.

“I’d love to see your work someday,” she said, smoothly changing the subject when she picked up on my unease. “Your tattoos, I mean.”

I felt my lips curve into a smirk. “You’ve already seen plenty of them, baby.”

A flush crept up her neck, her eyes dropping momentarily before meeting mine again. “I mean in a professional capacity. Although,” she eyed me up and down as her teeth scraped across her plump lip. “I definitely enjoyed the personal viewing, too.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ll give you another showing anytime you want.”

“Good to know.”

We finished eating, and I packed away the remains while Mac wandered outside.

Following her out, I found her staring up at the massive Ferris wheel, her blonde hair caught in the breeze.

“One last ride?” She turned to me, her face illuminated by the park’s lights.

“Will it hold?”

“It’ll hold,” I replied, already heading for the control panel.

Just like the other rides we’d ridden, the wheel groaned to life. I held the carriage steady as Mac climbed in, then joined her, not at all upset that the small space forced us closer together.

“Here we go.” I reached out and hit the button and with a jerk, we slowly began to climb towards the sky.

I watched her face as we rose higher, enjoying the way her eyes lit up at the view.

The Gulf stretched out dark and endless on one side and the distant lights of Odin on the other.

When we reached the top the cart came to a shuddering halt.

Mac’s big blue eyes darted up at me. “Oh shit.”

“It’s on a timer.”

“Oh. Did you plan that?” she asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

“Of course I did.”

She laughed, shaking her head. “Whatcha got in mind biker boy?” Her brows waggled suggestively.

As excited as the idea of fucking her on the ferris wheel was, this one in particular probably wasn’t safe enough for all of that.

“Come here.” I leaned over and kissed her.

What started gentle quickly burned hotter, my hands finding their way into her soft blonde hair as she shifted, straddling my lap in the small carriage.

“Careful,” I warned against her lips as our movement made the carriage sway. “Don’t want to rock the boat too much.”

She grinned wickedly, deliberately grinding her hips against my rapidly hardening cock. “Where’s your sense of adventure?”

Jesus, she was a wildcat.

I growled, my hands finding her hips, holding her firmly against me. “You’re playing with fire, baby.”

“Maybe I want to get burned.” She rolled her hips again, the friction making me grit my teeth.

My patience snapped. “You keep that up, and I’m not gonna be responsible for what happens next.”

A shiver ran through her, her pupils dilating. She leaned in close, lips brushing my ear. “Promise?”

“Shit.” Gripping her hair in one hand, I claimed her mouth again as the other slid under her shirt to cup her breast.

Mac moaned into my mouth, arching into my touch as I rolled her nipple between my fingers.

“Fuck,“ I groaned, trailing kisses down her throat, breathing in her scent. “The things I want to do to you right now.”

“Tell me,” she whispered, tilting her head to give me better access.

I squeezed her breast, scraping my teeth against her pulse point. “Want to spread you out on this seat and taste every inch of you? Make you come on my tongue while you’re looking at the stars.”

A whimper escaped her, her body grinding harder against mine. “Yes, please.”

I chuckled darkly, reining myself in. As much as I wanted to take her right there, I wasn’t about to fuck her on a rickety Ferris wheel. “Not here, baby. When I have you again, I want you laid out in a bed where I can watch you come undone.”

The Ferris wheel jerked back into motion, as if to emphasize my point. Mac reluctantly climbed off my lap, though she stayed pressed against my side.

“Tease,” she accused.

I pressed a kiss to her temple. “Patience, woman.”

When we reached the bottom, I helped her out, my hand settling at the small of her back. “I’ve got one more surprise before we go.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Another one?”

I guided her to a small building at the edge of the park. Inside was an old-fashioned photo booth, complete with a faded curtain for privacy.

“No way,” she laughed, her face lighting up. “Does it still work?“

“I think so.” I pulled her inside the cramped space, hyper-aware of her legs across my lap as I fed quarters into the machine.

The ancient camera whirred to life, a countdown appearing on the small screen. “Three, two, one—” I counted along, turning her face to mine for a kiss just as the flash went off.

The machine clicked through four photos: us kissing, Mac sticking her tongue out while I smirked, Mac with hooded eyes after I told her how I was going to lick her pussy until she screamed my name, and finally, one with my arm around her, both of us smiling at the camera.

When the strip of photos dispensed, she grabbed it immediately, examining our pictures with a grin that made her whole face light up. “These are perfect.”

I took the strip from her fingers, carefully tearing it down the middle before handing her the top half.

When we stepped out of the booth, I realized how late it had gotten and that it was time to head back to Jacksonville.

“Penny for your thoughts,“ I said, noticing how quiet she’d become as we walked back to my bike.

She smiled up at me. “Just thinking that I don’t want tonight to end.”

I stopped walking and turned her to face her. “It doesn’t have to,” I murmured, searching her eyes.

Her pulse jumped visibly at her throat. “Your place or mine?”

My lips curved into a slow smile.

“Mine,” I said, not bothering to hide the roughness in my voice. “I want you in my bed again, McKenzie. Where I can take my time.”

Her eye lids drooped. “Yes, please.”

As we sped through the night, I caught myself glancing at my side mirror more than necessary, just to catch glimpses of her.

Tonight had been different.

Who was I kidding? Everything about the woman at my back was different.

She had me obsessing about her every waking hour of the fucking day. She had me feeling homicidal when I thought of someone else touching her.

I was utterly fucked when it came to her.

And for once in my life, there was no fighting it.

She was mine and I was never letting her go.