Chapter 5

CHAPTER

FIVE

NATASHA

I wasn't sure what upset Pike when he'd left dinner, but something was. He grumbled and complained through the game that Hollis had set up, looking uncomfortable. Granted, Ronnie and I hadn't had much in the way of familial game nights, but it was nice. Pike fidgeted and squirmed as if he couldn't wait to escape. When he took off, I was driven to follow, watching from the shadows as he stood by his bike, running his fingers through his hair until it stood on end. When I'd finally spoken, he'd snapped at me but was instantly contrite.

I'd never ridden a motorcycle, but when he'd made the offer, I'd instantly said yes. The thought of the wind against my face and my body pressed against his was too good to pass up.

We'd ridden for hours before Pike finally stopped. I would have said I was tired, but instead, I was exhilarated as he pulled over into the dirt in the middle of nowhere. There was cactus and desert. I suppose if he were the killer, I would be in trouble. Somehow, I wasn't concerned.

He lowered the kickstand, the bike leaning precariously as he swung a leg over and dismounted. It gave me no option other than to get off, and I was grateful for the steadying hand he gave, even if he had removed it immediately. Awkwardly, I landed on the desert floor, my legs wobbly from the ride. He was a hard man to figure out. Maybe he was conflicted like I was.

"What are we doing here?" I asked, brushing the dust off my jeans. The vast, open landscape stretched out around us, the horizon painted with hues of purple and black, stars spattered against the mountains. It was one of the things I loved — that you could see the stars away from the city. The beauty was not lost on me, and I felt a sense of peace out here in the quiet of the desert that I didn't feel in the bustle of the city.

Pike didn't answer immediately. Instead, he walked a few steps away, his hands in his jacket pockets as he took in the view. Finally, he turned back to me. He shrugged and said offhandedly, "I thought you might enjoy it."

I smiled, appreciating the gesture. "It's beautiful out here. Peaceful."

He nodded, his expression softening. "Yeah, it is. Sometimes I come out here to clear my head." His vulnerability in that moment was palpable, and I couldn't help but feel a surge of empathy towards him.

We stood silently for a moment, both lost in our thoughts. Finally, Pike broke the silence. "So, what were you up to all day? You seemed pretty busy."

I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. "I went to the Odd Duck to talk to Daisy. I needed to verify your alibi for the night of the murder. Had some onion rings and a shake."

Pike raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. "And?" He watched me with those dark eyes of his.

"She confirmed everything," I said, a hint of triumph seeping into my voice. "She even pulled the receipts to prove it. It's a solid alibi. Then, I went to the alarm company and pulled the work order for the door. Got a copy of that, too."

A look of relief washed over his face, though a hint of skepticism quickly replaced it. "And the cops? What about them?"

I shrugged. "It's something concrete. You were never charged, but I spoke to the DA today. Your alibi is rock solid. Based on what we gathered today, they could never bring a case against you for Porter. I provided the DA with copies of everything. Daisy and Mr. Sims from the alarm company are reliable witnesses."

He let out a low whistle, shaking his head. "Wow, I can't believe how quickly you took care of this, Natasha. I really thought I was going back." Pike let out a shaky breath as if he were envisioning the thought of going back to prison or relief that he wasn't. It was hard for me to tell which. His jaw ticked; he was clenching it so hard.

"I'm glad I could help," I paused, studying him for a moment. "You know, Ronnie does most of my back office work for me," I started trying to figure out how to phrase this so it was most palatable for him. He nodded for me to continue. "I had her pull the video for me around the Duck before and after you were there just to firm up that alibi if we needed it."

"Ok." His eyebrows knit together in a frown. Pike wasn't one of the slick Bratva men in suits that I had become used to with pomade in their hair. The ones that would try to buy me dinner at the popular restaurants with food so tiny I craved a burger afterward. He was the whole package, and that made him so irresistible — the angsty energy he gave off, the danger, that bad-boy feel. I could practically feel him vibrating from here with how "not ok" it was.

"It's a just-in-case backup," I soothed."If they question the other items or the statements from Mr. Sims and Daisy, I can always have them check the traffic cams. I know that the video shows you clearly."

"Okay. I'm okay with Ronnie looking at the video. There isn't anything there that she shouldn't see." He gave me a confused look. "Is there something else that I don't know?"

"The video shows something else. It shows that someone is following you, too," I added. "I just found out."Ronnie had given me this information just a few minutes before I left the house, but I hadn't had time to look at the video myself. She'd seemed a little off, her face scrunched up when she'd told me about it like she did when trying to puzzle something out. We hadn't had much time to process things in this new place.

"Following me, why the fuck would someone be following me?" Pike paced the area around the bike, scruffing his boots in the dirt and stirring up small dust devils as he went. He whipped towards me suddenly, "Is it a cop?"

Pushing back against the bike. "No, Ronnie didn't think so. The person knew where the cameras were, but she was sure it wasn't law enforcement."

"I'm going to want to look at this video. I wanna see this fucker." He moved closer.

"Sure, no problem. It's probably a rival or something," I managed to mumble. My brain was shorting out as he crowded me against the Harley. My body seemed confused. Instead of being afraid, I was turned on. Hot liquid seemed to be running through me, and the inside of my thighs were suddenly damp.

"Probably." He was so close now. "What else did your sister find?" He pressed against me, his erection hard against my stomach. Well, what do you know? He wasn't unaffected either.

My thighs clenched together, my knees weak. That feeling of emptiness in my core was building, and I would give almost anything to have him slide into me, fuck me right here. He was feeling it, too — we were both suspended in that slide of honeyed lust. Trying to keep myself grounded, I focused on the question and my answer.

"I had her start digging into the past. Jail records." My eyelids closed as his lips found my neck, nipping against the skin, licking it.

"And?"

"Your foster records." My breath hitched as he wedged a knee between my thighs. "Your brother's death. All of it." I forced my eyes to flutter open. He was staring at me as he pushed against my crotch, letting me ride his thigh. I leaned closer, purposely grinding against his leg, savoring the feel of it. "I'm going to find who is setting you up even if I have to unearth every rock, every stone. I'll do it. Don't doubt it." I would, too, but right now, I wanted to be close to him and closer to the demons he carried.

My mouth settled on his, and he met my pace, pushing a hand underneath my shirt and finding my breast so he could rub the nipple with his callused fingers, taunting it into a peak, pinching it while he kissed me back. He tore away from my mouth. "You like spying on me? Finding out my business?" Was he mad? I did kind of like knowing his business. His eyes were hard on mine. I was panting, my breath uneven. I wasn't sure how it had accelerated so quickly. He was still a client, right?

"Kind of?"

I didn't even know what I was doing. Pike wasn't the sort of man I would typically seek a hook-up with. Even though my life intersected with made men, criminals, and Bratva, I didn't date them. Yuppies that were looking for a quick roll in the hay. Clueless golden retrievers. Safe bedmates. Those were my usuals. The sex was pretty dull, but amazing hadn't seemed within my reach. Maybe I was wrong, though. Amazing was right here.

"Turn around," he said. "Lean over the bike." My pulse rate sped up. That sounded dirty — something I'd never done.

My brain said I shouldn't, but my body was desperate. He was turning me when I hesitated, bending me over the bike, ass in the air, so his cock was pushing against me through our clothes. He fumbled for a few minutes, undoing my buttons and pushing my pants to my ankles, but he managed to slide them down until I was leaning over in my thong.

"You're so beautiful. Look at that ass." Running a hand over me while I squirmed, he tugged the thong up so it cut into me, splitting me. "You're so wet, Natasha." He clucked his tongue. "Naughty. Unprofessional." He caressed my inner thighs, the slickness there, taunting me with the fact that I was so wet, still holding my thong tight. "Gushing. Goddamn."

"Just fuck me already," I snapped as he spread my legs as far as the legs of my pants would let them go. He ignored me, touching me here and there, letting a knuckle brush my clit until I was on fire.

"Tilt that ass up, Natasha, show me that pretty pussy. Bend over further. Like that." The thong was being moved to the side, but I was mindless with need, and he hadn't done anything yet. Cool desert air whispered over my hot skin. "Hold tight."

I turned my head over my shoulder to watch him as he rolled a condom on. His face was tight as his cock eased into me, the burn incredible as he rocked in an inch at a time. "Fuck you're tight." I tried to tilt further, but he put his hands on my hips as he stroked, stopping me. I sounded like a porn star as he rocked into me. I could feel him clear to my womb, even through the condom.

"Reach down and touch your clit," he said as he slammed forward and set a steady rhythm bottoming out. I was overwhelmed by the sensations of him filling me, the constriction of my pants around my ankles, and those powerful hands on my skin so hard they would leave bruises. Grasping the leather of the bike seat, I could smell the gasoline and oil from the engine.

"I love this view. Your pussy feels so good. One day, I'm going to slide in here, too." One finger feathered across my ass, and as sensations overwhelmed me, I came hard, milking his cock. He growled, surging forward with purpose, giving a few frantic strokes as he finished, his cock pulsing. Standing behind me, he stroked my back lazily. "Give me a second. Don't move."

He pulled out and turned from me, busying himself with condom disposal. If he thought I was going to lounge naked over his bike, he was mistaken. Pulling up my pants, I ignored the sticky underwear and rearranged my hair. He was a great lay, excellent, the best. It was good that he wasn't a mind reader, although he probably already knew he was good in the sack. I couldn't wait to tell Ronnie about it. However, it wasn't very smart of me to sleep with a client. Seriously, who did that? I sighed. Well, now that I had, I could refocus. I nearly laughed out loud. I wasn't sure how likely that was.

"You were supposed to stay there," Pike complained as he returned from around the corner.

"With my bare ass in the air? Not likely. I'm not a dog." Although, I wouldn't mind a second round. Geez, mentally, I slapped myself. I just said that I was going to refocus. He looked distinctly uncomfortable. Edgy. I blurted, "Should we continue our ride? I liked it."

"I did, too, baby. Do you mind? Just for a while?" The relief on his face was palpable.

Refastening my helmet, I waited for him to get onto the Harley, knowing that I'd never get onto the back again without remembering him fucking me over this bike and the sensation of his cock stroking into me. Damnit.