Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

RORY

Sleeping in is something I’ve never been one for. I haven’t done that in so long, but it feels weird waking up and seeing how late in the day it is. I might have worked at night, singing, but I was always awake early in the morning. There was no sleeping in for me. If the sun was up. I was, as well. Okay, so I probably did this because I didn’t want to take chances when it came to Roger.

With how late it was I shouldn’t be surprised I was waking up alone in bed, but then again, Aries had woken me hours ago. He’d taken me and given me two orgasms. I ended up falling right back into a sex-induced slumber. Maybe it’s because of that I ended up sleeping longer.

Getting out of bed, I head for the shower. My body was sore but not like it’d been in the past. It was a delicious kind of soreness. One I wouldn’t mind feeling again, so long as it’s at the hands of Aries.

While the water heats up, I wrap my cast up to keep it protected before checking the warmth of the water. Satisfied that it won’t be a chill on my skin,I step in and draw the curtain closed. The water hits my skin like a lover’s touch. A moan leaves my lips as I close my eyes and tilt my head back, letting the water wash over me.

Using my good hand, I reach up and massage my scalp, imagining it was Aries who was doing it rather than me. I wish he were in here rather than wherever he went. I do my best to shove away the negative thoughts that want to creep in and try to consume me. Aries said he didn’t want any other women, and I want to believe him. I really do. I also get that I can’t and won’t be the center of his world. He’s got the club . . . a life, and honestly, I don’t want to be the center of attention. I just want him to be mine. It’s as simple as that. No one else’s.

When he finishes his day, I want it to be me who he comes to.

The thought of the possibility that, even now, I could be pregnant scares me. So many thoughts filter through my mind. All of them are of different varieties. Fear. Anguish for the child I lost already. Afraid that if I were to carry another, it too will be lost to me. Joy at the possibility of having what I thought I’d never have again. Even a small thrill of excitement. But still, could I truly do this?

A loud commotion from the other side of the door jolts me out of my thoughts, and I shut the shower off. I hadn’t been in long enough to shampoo or condition my hair. I’d guess I’d been lost just enjoying the spray of the shower on my sore muscles. I climb out and barely get the towel around me when the door is thrown open.

I nearly jump out of my skin until I realize it’s Aries.

“What in the world are you doing?” I demand, tightening the towel around me. I stare up at him, seeing the wild expression on his face. It’s a look I don’t think I’ve ever seen him have. “What’s going on? Are you okay?”

Aries doesn’t answer me. Instead, he steps deeper into my space and yanks me flush against him. The towel comes undone as he does this, and my nipples bead, pressing into his chest as he tightens his arms around my waist.

“Aries.”

Still, he doesn’t say a word. But he does move. Aries shifts, twists us, steps to the counter, and lifts me until my bottom is on the edge.

“Aries,” I breathe, clutching at him with my good arm, looking up at him as he reaches between us and releases himself.

“You’re mine, Rory, fuckin’ mine,” he snarls, lines himself up, and drives inside me. “This pussy is mine. Your body is mine. All of you is fuckin’ mine.”

“Yes,” I gasp, holding on to him. I don’t know what got into him. All I can do is hold on for the ride and take the fucking Aries is giving me. It’s wild. Hot and wild. There’s no other explanation for it.

“You’re never gonna be taken from me again.” Aries powers into me, his cock twitching, his hands tight at my waist, nearly bruising. “Tell me, Rory, tell me who the fuck you belong to.”

“You.” I’ve always belonged to him, and there’s no denying the truth of that.

“Damn right.” He snarls and shoves his face in the crook of my neck, teeth biting me.

I scream as the pleasure mixes with pain in such a beautiful way that I love every bit of it. My orgasm is proof of just how much I love it. Aries groans and stills his thrusts, and I can literally feel the spurts of his release filling me.

“If I didn’t knock you up last night, there’s no way I didn’t this time, Scamp,” he rasps and licks the slide of my neck. His tongue flicks over the shell of my ear.

“Aries,” I breathe, unsure if I can handle thinking about him getting me pregnant.

Aries pulls back, his cock sliding out with a pop. I immediately feel the loss of him and wish he were still inside me.

“Come on, baby, let’s get you back in the shower and cleaned up,” he states, scooping me up off the counter and crossing the bathroom.

Aries sets me down, starts the shower, and strips out of his clothes, laying his cut on one of the towel hooks. Checking the temperature of the water, he motions for me to step in ahead of him.

In the shower, Aries grabs a loofah and soap.

“You going to tell me what that was all about?” I finally ask as he starts washing the both of us.

“Nothing to worry about now.” He tries to shrug it all off.

“Considering the way you barged in here, I think I do have something to worry about.”

It freaked me out him storming in here, filled with rage like he was ready to murder someone.

“What’s going on?”

Aries makes this aggravated sighing sound I remember far too well, and lifts his gaze to mine.

“Don’t give me that look, Aries, it’s not going to work with me,” I tell him, doing my best to ignore the hardening look in his eyes. It’s bad enough with his hands touching me, washing over my breasts and down between my thighs. I don’t need to think of how the hardened look he gets makes my stomach quiver and between my legs throb.“Just tell me what’s going on?”

“Rory,” he mutters and shakes his head.

“If you tell me it’s not anything of my concern, I’ll kick you.”

“You’ll kick me?” A smirk plays at the edge of his lips, and I see the way he looks ready to outright laugh.

“Yes, I’ll kick you. I might even punch you.” Okay, I wouldn’t do that. Hitting him would be like hitting a brick wall. It’d hurt me more than him. “Better yet, I’ll find a pair of steel-toed boots then I’ll kick you. At least then it might hurt you.”

Aries grins, drops the loofah, and circles one arm around my waist, his other arm going up until his hand burrows in my wet hair. “Scamp, you aren’t gonna do anything to me.” He chuckles. “Well, there’s plenty you can do to me, baby. You could suck my cock. Ride me so I can watch your tits bounce as I play with them. Could even sit on my face while I fucked you with my tongue.”

“You . . . you . . .” I couldn’t even form a full sentence to retaliate because, if I were honest, I wanted to do all those things.

“Don’t worry, Scamp, you’ll be doing those things later on. Right now, we’re gonna get cleaned up, then join the others.”

I nod and clear my throat, getting back to the subject at hand. “What’s going on? Aries, please just tell me.”

Aries sighs, drops his hand from my hair, and grabs the shampoo. He squirts a bit into his hand before he starts massaging it into my hair. “Had a meet with a man named Izaiah Cordova this morning. He said something about Roger demanding you back and that he’ll do whatever it takes to get you.”

“It’s true,” I confirm, feeling my stomach start to knot up. “He always threatened he’d do whatever it takes to make sure I remained his.”

“Well, that dickhead ain’t getting his hands on you again,” Aries growls, rinsing the soap from my hair.

“We’re gonna put a stop to the bastard. I’ll tell you now, I’m not going to let him live. He’s a dead man walking. I get my hands on him . . .” He pauses, and I watch the way his eyes change. “Fuck me. I’m betting it would work.”

“What’ll work?” I ask cautiously.

Aries grins and dips his head down, brushing his lips against mine. “I’m gonna challenge Roger to a fight of all fights. One last battle that will end the bullshit once and for all.”

I don’t know what that means, but it doesn’t sit well with me. How can Aries challenge Roger to a fight of all fights?