CHAPTER 4

LANA

A bit of self-care went a long way to relaxing me after the evening I’d had. Dressing in warm leggings with reindeer on with a long fluffy Christmas jumper, and with warm fluffy socks on my feet, I threw my bright red hair up in a messy bun. Now that I was dressed, I was ready to get on with the rest of the evening that I’d originally planned; I’d just have a guest joining me instead of being by myself.

Leaving my bedroom and hurrying down the hall to the kitchen, I had to pass through the living room on my way. Stopping when I saw Tommy fast asleep. Tiptoeing over to have a look, I felt his head to see if he was running a temperature, but he was cool to the touch, his face relaxed as he slept. I was pleased; sleeping would be good for his healing. I’d wake him in an hour or so and get him to take some antibiotics and have some food.

Leaving him to rest, I went to the kitchen and took the lid off the slow cooker, breathing in the delicious scent of chicken stew. I was starving and couldn’t wait to dig in. Taking the dumpling dough from the fridge, I popped them in on top of the gravy and closed the lid. Another twenty minutes and I’d be able to eat, and I was looking forward to it.

Switching the radio on, I turned it down low, enjoying the Christmas music that was playing. Bopping my way around the kitchen to the Christmas tunes filled me with happiness. Humming under my breath to the radio, I pulled open the fridge again and took out a bottle of red wine that I’d started. Seeing the fridge full of food made me glad that I’d done my big shopping yesterday; it meant I didn’t have to leave again for the next few days and with my unexpected houseguest that was a blessing.

Taking my favourite wine glass from the cupboard and pouring myself a glass of wine, I sat down at the kitchen table and took a big sip with a sigh of contentment. Was there anything better than being at home, with good food, Christmas songs, and a decent glass of wine?

Half an hour later, with a second glass of wine, a bowl full of goodness, I curled up in my camp chair with a blanket, settling in to watch one of my favourite Christmas movies of all time. I mean, who didn’t enjoy a little boy pulling pranks on burglars. I laughed every time I watched Home Alone. I had a whole list of movies I watched over the Christmas period. I’d get to the Die Hard movies eventually, along with the Lethal Weapon ones. They’d been my mum’s favourite.

Around midnight, I switched off the telly and checked on Tommy once again. He was still sleeping soundly, but I wanted to get the antibiotics down him. Going to the kitchen, I made up a quick cup of weak chicken soup, grabbed some water, painkillers, and the antibiotics, setting it all down on the floor next to him. Kneeling down, I gently shook him, whispering his name softly. He groaned but didn’t wake up. With a sigh, I shook him a bit harder. I hated being woken up like this and figured he would too, but there was nothing for it if gentle wasn’t working.

“Tommy,” I spoke loudly.

He gave another groan but opened his eyes, squinting slightly at me. “Sprite,” he mumbled, his eyes closing again.

Shaking his shoulder insistently until he opened his eyes again.

“I need you to take these pills and have something to drink,” I told him, pulling gently on his arm until he was partially sitting up. I hurriedly tucked a bean bag and some cushions behind him so that he was semi-reclining.

He was groggy and tired, neither of which filled me with glee; head injuries were tricky. I still wished he’d let me take him to the hospital, but I guess the man had his reasons and I’d been around the Crow MC and the O’Sheas long enough to know that sometimes you didn’t need to be asking questions about certain things. Steadying the mug in his hands as he took a sip of the soup, his eyes widened at the flavour, “Fuck, Sprite, this is delicious.”

I grinned at him, happy that he was enjoying it. “Sorry it’s not more, but I didn’t want to give you anything heavy if you’re still feeling nauseous.”

“Nah, this is more than enough,” he assured me as he drained the last of the dregs out the bottom of the mug. When he was done, I took his mug and handed him the pills, explaining what they were. Once he swallowed them, I helped him settle back down, moving all the pillows away from behind him.

Adding another log to the fire so the room was pleasantly warm as my heating turned off during the night, I stacked a few more blankets next to him on the floor within easy reach if he needed them.

“I’ll be checking on you every couple of hours, but if you need me before, then just shout. I’ll leave my door open,” I told him as I stood back up and went to leave. Hiding my grin as I turned away because the man’s eyes had been glued to my arse the whole time I’d been bent over adding wood to the fire.

“Okay, Sprite.”

I was nearly out of the living room when his next words stopped me in my tracks and sent a shiver through me.

“And, Sprite, just saying… be prepared the next time you bend over like that in front of me.”

Turning slightly, I winked and sent him a sultry smirk over my shoulder. “I’ll hold you to that, handsome,” I told him before I sauntered down the passage with a definite swing in my step.

Still smirking ten minutes later as I settled into bed after setting my alarm to wake him up in a few hours. It was going to be a long night, but at least I didn’t have to get up and go anywhere tomorrow.

It seemed like I’d just closed my eyes when the alarm went off. Groaning tiredly, I swung my legs out of bed and trudged down the passage to the lounge, shivering a little in the cold. Waking up a grumpy biker was not on my list of favourite things to do at this hour of the morning, but needs must. Tommy muttered at me but woke up enough to tell me his name. Calling it good, I put another log on the fire and hurried back to bed.

I could have cried when the alarm went off two hours later, heaving myself out of bed and stumbling down the passage, not wanting to open my eyes and wake up completely. Shaking Tommy’s shoulder, I woke him up just enough to get his name before I stumbled my way back to bed, collapsing in a heap, pulling the covers over me and huddling into my bed, wondering if I should put the heating back on but knowing that it would come back on in a few hours anyway, I decided that sleep was more important.

Waking up a few hours later, gasping for breath and sweating, I threw off a blanket, wondering what the hell was going on. Was the thermostat broken?

There was a slight moan as my hand that had thrown the blanket off hit something hard beside me. Pushing up on my elbows, I turned and looked to the usually empty left side of my bed. It wasn’t anymore; instead, it was filled with a large, muscular body. A hot body. A very hot body and not just in looks but in temperature . ‘Jesus, the man was like a furnace.’

Lying back down with a mutter at the cheek of him taking over my bed without asking first, although I suppose it was more comfortable than a mattress on the floor. I was just falling back asleep when I suddenly sat up, worried that he was running a temperature. Pressing the back of my hand to his forehead, I sighed in relief when I found it to be cool. Nope, no temperature; the man just ran hot.

Lying back down, I turned on my side and drifted back to sleep, figuring he was in too much pain to try anything anytime soon. ‘More’s the pity,’ I sighed softly before falling back asleep.

I’m not sure how many hours had passed when I woke again. We’d both turned, and we were now lying on our sides. I was the little spoon to his big spoon. Tommy’s arm was wrapped around me with one large hand covering my breast. I whimpered slightly, then bit my lip as he moved his fingers, brushing over my engorged nipple; the wetness between my legs made me wonder how long we’d been in this position. Hurt or not, the man definitely woke up happy if the hard rod pushing up against my backside was any indication. It seemed that even in pain, the man was horny.

Squirming slightly, I wondered how to get myself out of the position I’d found myself in. The more I squirmed, it seemed, the harder he got. Biting my lip to stop another whimper of need from escaping.

I stiffened slightly at his deep, gruff, rumbly whisper in my ear, a whisper that had goosebumps rising over my skin, “Sprite, unless you’re good with me giving you a better orgasm than the one you gave yourself last night, you need to stop squirming because I’m so hard I’d gladly fuck you into the mattress.”

Not sure what it said about me that his words sent a thrill through my entire body, and I was hard-pressed not to rock back against him. The thought of him hard and thrusting in and out of my body sent a gush of wetness into my panties, and I gave another shiver, then gasped when, with a, “Fuck it,” he had me on my back, my sweatshirt off and he was lying between my legs, his hard cock pressing up against my clit, his mouth was on mine, his tongue twining with mine. With a needy whimper, I wrapped my legs around his hips and rocked my hips, so his cock was hitting me just right up against my clit with every thrust. It had been years since I’d had a man in my bed; it wasn’t going to take me long to detonate, especially as this man knew just how to swivel and thrust his hips.

Before long, my needy whimpers, turned into loud wails as an orgasm tore through me until I was as limp as a noodle, my arms still wrapped around Tommy, who was breathing hard, his head nestled in the crook of my neck, his breath trailing across my now naked breasts. Tommy lifted up on his elbows so that he could look at me. He had a slightly bemused look on his face, and I wondered what was wrong. Raising my eyebrows in query. He chuckled and shook his head as if he couldn’t believe what had just happened.

“What’s wrong?” I asked curiously.

“Sprite, I just came from dry humping you. The last time that happened, I was a teenager. I may have to hand in my man card.”

Throwing my head back, I laughed. He shook his head and grinned down at me, obviously not minding my laughter, even if it was at his expense.

Still smiling, I ran my fingers through his hair, unbelievably comfortable with him even though we’d only met the night before. There was something about him that was so familiar, but I just couldn’t put my finger on why that was. I’d listened to my gut in the past, and it rarely let me down, and it told me I could trust this man.

Not that I particularly cared what it said about me being so comfortable with a man I barely knew. I mean, the man had just delivered me one of the best orgasms I’d had in a long time, and he’d barely touched me. But yeah, I suppose if we were going to sleep together, I should at least know the man’s full name.

Giving a little shrug replying, “It felt good, who cares if we dry-humped. It’s the best orgasm I’ve had in years. Imagine what we’ll be like if we get naked.”

Lowering his head, he groaned and rubbed his forehead against my breastbone, “Fuck, you’re going to kill me. I’ve been courting death for years, but I think my luck has run out now that I’ve met you.”

Laughing at his dramatics, I pushed him off me and swung my legs out of bed to get up.

“Not that I haven’t enjoyed this, but I need a shower and food. How are you feeling, do you want any pain pills?” I queried as I stood up and put my sweatshirt back on, hiding my breasts from view, pulling it down over my hips as I looked at the beast of a man taking up most of my bed. One hand rested behind his head, the muscles flexing as he moved a little, his dark hair mussed from sleep; all in all, considering the fall he’d taken yesterday he was looking pretty good. I imagined his head had to be hurting, but you wouldn’t say so from the way his eyes were wandering up and down my body. I’d have thought he’d be good for a little while, considering we’d both just had a fantastic orgasm, but it looked like he was ready to go again.

Snapping my fingers at him to get his attention, smiling when he scowled at me. I’d have to agree with him there was nothing more annoying than having someone snap their fingers at you.

“What,” I muttered, “you weren’t answering me. I needed to get your attention somehow.”

“I’m good, Sprite. I took some more painkillers about four-ish. I’ll probably need some more in an hour or so but want to eat something first. Go shower, and if it’s okay with you, I’ll use the spare bathroom, then get the coffee on.”

“Of course it’s fine,” I assured him, then remembering to let him know about his bags, I swung back around. “Before I forget, I brought your bags that were on your bike in with me. I put them next to the front door.”

“Thanks, Sprite,” Tommy replied with a smile. With one last long lingering look at the hunk of deliciousness in my bed, I disappeared into the bathroom. I’d have to be careful about getting attached to him. From the amount of clothes and personal items he’d had on his bike, he was either a wanderer or he was on a run. He didn’t wear any colours, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t part of a club. It was looking like this was going to be my most interesting Christmas in a while, and I can’t say I was disappointed in my early Christmas present so far.

Turning on the shower, I cheerfully hummed, ‘Deck the Halls’ while washing my hair. It was shaping up to be an interesting few days.