Page 15

Ryker

Laken had put a dent in my checking account, but it was well worth it.

She’d helped me pick out some more furniture for the living room, had picked out kitchen stuff that I’d likely seldom use, and then she’d selected everything I could possibly need or want in my bathroom.

When I’d showered earlier, I’d found two towels with the tags still on them, but I’d needed more than that.

I hauled everything into the house, and while I was putting the furniture together and setting up the electronics, Laken busied herself in the kitchen and bathroom.

It took us about two hours to get everything set up, but the house looked a lot better when we were finished.

It almost felt like a home. Although, I didn’t know how much of that was because of things we’d bought, and how much of it was due to Laken being with me.

Maybe she was the one who made it feel like home.

I pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge and carried it to the bedroom. She was curled up on the bed, half asleep, and looking far too tempting. I set the bottle on the nightstand and smoothed her hair back from her face.

“I should take you home,” I said.

“I am home.” She smiled. “Let me stay here with you tonight.”

“You didn’t bring anything with you, or buy anything at the store.”

“I can sleep in one of your shirts,” she said. “Then I can go back to Flicker’s tomorrow to change.”

“All right, sugar. I’m not going to fight you, not when I really want you here.”

She gave me a sleepy smile, and I went over to the dresser to pull out a T-shirt.

I helped her off the bed, and slowly removed her clothes.

It felt like it had been forever since I’d seen her this way.

And one of those times had been rushed. One of these days, I was going to love her all night long, like I’d done at the motel, and I was going to take my time doing it.

Even though I knew my son or daughter was growing inside her, her belly was still just as flat as before.

Once I had her stripped bare, I knelt in front of her and pressed a kiss there, right where our baby was.

Something wet hit my cheek, and I looked up to find Laken crying.

My heart squeezed at the sight, and I stood up, pulling her into my arms.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Nothing, I just…”

“Talk to me, Laken.”

“When we first met, I never imagined this side of you existed. The guy I met that night was…”

“An asshole,” I finished for her.

“Not quite how I would have put it.” She smiled. “I like this side of you, Ryker. It just surprised me is all.”

“This is the man I want to be, for you and for our baby. The two of you deserve the best of everything, and while I don’t think that’s me, I don’t want to walk away. I’ll do it if that’s what you ask me to do, but I won’t like it.”

“I’d never send you away,” she said. She ran her fingers through my hair. “Make love to me, Ryker. It’s been so long, and I’ve missed you so damn much.”

“I’ve missed you too, sugar, but I don’t think we should…”

She placed her fingers over my lips. “Hush. I’m perfectly fine, Ryker. Remind me that I’m yours. Show me how much you’ve missed me.”

I kissed her. Slow and deep, holding her tight against me.

Laken melted against me, one hand curling behind my neck, and the other on my shoulder.

I loved the way she felt in my arms, so damn sweet and perfect.

I pulled away long enough to remove my clothes, then wrapped my arms around her once more.

Feeling her, skin to skin, was like heaven on earth.

“Promise me this is the beginning,” Laken said. “Promise me that you won’t send me away in the morning.”

“Sugar, your brother isn’t going to be happy if you move in here the second I come back to town.”

“I don’t care what Flicker wants. I know that I owe him a lot, but this is my life, and I belong here with you, Ryker. Or do you not want me?”

I pressed my cock against her, the damn thing so fucking hard I could probably drive nails with it. “What do you think?”

She smiled softly. “I think it’s been too long since I felt you inside me.”

“Then I guess we’d better fix that,” I murmured, then took her down to the bed.

Her nipples were hard and looked so damn pretty and pink.

I took my time, exploring her with my lips and hands, wanting to memorize every inch of her.

She was so soft, so curvy, and so mine. Now that I had her in my bed, in my home, I didn’t want her to leave.

I might not deserve her, but I wanted her.

Needed her. Fuck, I think I even loved her.

I parted her thighs and teased her pussy with my fingers, feeling how hot and wet she was.

All for me. She whimpered as I teased her clit, circling the little bud until her body flushed with pleasure.

Her body tensed, and I knew she was getting close.

My cock ached to be inside her, but this wasn’t about me.

I wanted her screaming my name, but only because it meant she’d found her release.

I lightly pinched her clit, then rubbed it slowly again.

“So good,” she said in a near whisper. “Please don’t stop. So much better when you do it.”

That damn near froze me. “Better when I do it? Who’s been touching you, sugar?”

“Me,” she said. “But it didn’t feel as good.”

Oh, God. That was so fucking hot. “And did you think of me while you played with this sweet pussy?”

“Yesssss,” she said, dragging the word out.

“Did you imagine my cock filling you? Fucking you?”

“God, yes.”

“And when you came, was it my name you said?” I asked.

“Yes. Ryker, please. I need to come.”

I eased two fingers inside her, feeling how tight she was, as my thumb pressed down on her clit.

I couldn’t fucking wait to feel her wrapped around my cock.

I fucked her with my fingers while I teased her clit, not stopping until she was arching off the bed and screaming out her release.

My fingers were coated with her cream as I eased them out of her.

Laken lay panting on the bed, her legs still spread, and it was the prettiest sight I’d ever seen.

I gripped her thighs and spread them a little more as I settled between them.

My cock pressed against her, and I slowly entered her.

It felt like fucking heaven to be inside her again.

So damn tight and wet. So fucking hot. I ground my teeth together to keep from fucking her hard and deep.

“Ryker,” she cried out as I slid in a little more, not stopping until I was balls-deep.

“Mine. Say it, Laken.”

“Yours. Only yours,” she said. “I’ve always been yours.”

Just hearing those words nearly made me snap.

I growled low as I thrust slowly, wanting to drag the moment out longer.

I tried to hold back, to make it good for her, but she felt too fucking incredible.

When she wrapped her legs around my waist, taking me even deeper, I couldn’t hold on anymore.

I fucked her like I was possessed, driving into her as if I were trying to brand her.

And maybe I was. She cried out again, her pussy clamping down on my cock.

My balls drew up, and then I was coming, so damn hard.

I didn’t stop, our hips slapping together, until every drop had been drained from me.

If I hadn’t worried about crushing her, I’d have stayed inside her a while longer.

But I pulled out and sat back, watching as my cum spilled out of her.

Her pussy was all pink and pretty. I reached between her legs and used my fingers to shove my cum back inside her, thrusting them in and out a few times.

“Keep that in there,” I said.

She giggled at me and closed her thighs around my hand, trapping me. Not that I was complaining.

“Maybe you can think of some other places to put it,” she said.

My cock went hard as a steel post just thinking about fucking that ass of hers.

But I wasn’t about to do that tonight. She was carrying our child inside her, and while part of me wanted to fuck her in every way imaginable, I wasn’t sure how I felt about getting all wild and crazy with a pregnant woman. My pregnant woman.

“Let’s get cleaned up and get some rest. This isn’t a one-time thing.”

Her gaze went all soft and dreamy. “You really want me, don’t you? Not just for tonight but for longer?”

“I want you for forever,” I told her.

And I meant every damn word.

“Come on, sugar. Shower, then bed,” I said.

I helped her up and got the water running in the bathroom.

When it was warm, but not too hot, I helped her over the edge of the tub and pulled the curtain closed behind us.

I couldn’t help but explore her body as I washed her from head to toe.

It almost felt like a miracle that she was here with me, that I’d been given a second chance.

And I wasn’t going to fuck it up this time.

Once we were both clean, I helped her dry off.

She wandered back into the bedroom while I finished up, and I found her curled on her side, already asleep when I joined her a few minutes later.

Guess I took more out of her than I’d realized.

I shut off the light and curled around her, holding her close and just breathing her in.

I almost felt at peace, getting to hold her like this.

After so many sleepless nights, wishing she was with me, I finally had what I wanted.

I just hoped I could hold onto her this time.

I didn’t sleep, even though I was exhausted.

I spent the night watching over her, and as the sun began to rise, there was a knock at the front door.

I had a feeling I was about to be put to work, so I pulled on some boxer briefs and went to see who the hell was bothering me so damn early.

And I hoped like hell they didn’t wake up Laken.

I threw open the door and stopped and stared at Flicker.

“What?” I asked, my voice harsher than I’d intended.

“I’m going to assume my sister is here with you.”

“Yeah. She asked to stay.”

He nodded. “Look, you know I don’t like you. I haven’t made a great secret of it. Be good to her, though, or I’ll beat the shit out of you. And I’ll just be at the head of a long line of Dixie Reapers anxious for a pound of your flesh.”

“I never wanted to hurt her. She means everything to me,” I said, hating to admit that to Flicker.

“Good. Then I’ll make sure Zipper is ready for the two of you after Laken wakes up. You claim her, and you ink her. If you’re serious about staying, about making her yours, then you’re going to do this the right way.”

I nodded. “All right.”

He stared at me another moment before walking off.

I shut the door and went back to Laken, holding her another few hours while she slept.

When she woke up, I fixed her one of the only things I knew how to cook.

Eggs and toast. Then we got ready and headed over to the clubhouse.

I wasn’t entirely certain about having her inked, but if that’s the way this club worked, I’d fall in line.

Laken didn’t seem worried about it, so maybe she’d expected something like this to happen at some point in her life.

The clubhouse was mostly empty when we got there, except for Zipper and a few others. He was nursing a beer at the bar, even though it was still morning. Too early for alcohol for me, but hey… to each his own.

“What am I inking?” Zipper asked.

“I’ve never seen a property tattoo before so I have no idea what to ask for,” I said. “Far as I know, Hades Abyss doesn’t ink their women.”

He nodded. “Each old lady has a distinctive tattoo that is unique to them. If you want, we can just do a basic script that says Property of Diablo .”

“Diablo?” Laken asked. “They call you the devil?”

“Misspent youth,” I said. She didn’t look like she believed me, but she didn’t press for more information. I’d take what I could get. The last thing I wanted to do was admit to my sins. There were too damn many of them. “Guess that makes you the angel who tamed me.”

She smiled at that.

“I don’t need anything elaborate,” Laken said. “Just the text is fine.”

That didn’t seem right to me, though. Laken was special, and she deserved to have a unique mark. Something that was perfect for her. The problem was that we were still learning about each other.

“What if we did something that’s a little bit of each of you?” Zipper asked. “You called her an angel, and your name is Diablo. What about a pitchfork with a halo hanging off it? Then we could do the text around it?”

“Perfect,” Laken said, smiling widely.

“Come on back. Let’s get this done. He’ll have to order your property cut from Hades Abyss,” Zipper said.

Fuck. I hadn’t even thought of that. Something else I’d have to take care of.

We followed Zipper into his studio at the back of the clubhouse, and Laken gripped my hand tight while Zipper went over everything.

The ink didn’t take all that long since it was pretty basic, and Laken didn’t cry once.

She was so damn brave, even though I could see the pain in her eyes. When it was over, I kissed her softly.

“So proud of you, sugar.”

“I’m really yours now,” she said.

“You always were, ever since the moment I grabbed your ass.”

She giggled at me, and Zipper snorted.

“Get out of here with that shit,” he said.

“Wait. If she’s mine, then I’m hers. Can you do one more tattoo?” I asked.

Zipper’s eyebrows went up. “Sure.”

I pulled off my shirt and took the seat Laken had just vacated. I placed a hand over my heart, and a bare patch of skin. “I want Property of Laken right here.”

Zipper grinned and started getting everything set up. My tattoo took less time than hers, and I noticed she had tears in her eyes as she watched her name being inked into my skin. A permanent reminder that we belonged to each other.

When Zipper was finished, I pulled her into my arms and kissed her. “I love you, Laken. So damn much.”

“I love you too,” she said, tears in her eyes and her voice a little shaky.

“Awww. Ain’t that sweet?” Zipper said. “Now get the fuck out of here.”

I pulled my shirt back on and took Laken home.

I didn’t know what the future held for us, but I knew we’d be together. And that was all that mattered. As long as I had Laken, then I had everything I could possibly need or want.