Chapter 4 Lacey

P resent—

"Get the fuck away from her. Now," Skel rumbled, placing his body in front of mine.

God, that growl was sexy. Everything about Skel turned me on, and I hated it. He knew how he affected me and played with my emotions like the skilled playboy he was.

My skeleton man. That was what I had named him. The dark vigilante in a mask who helped save my life. Twice.

If this was any other place besides this strip club, I would have enjoyed my crush coming to my aid. But tonight? No. He was going to ruin everything .

The bouncers never moved in our direction. Maybe they thought I had it under control. Or perhaps they were bored. I wasn't sure, but it cemented my suspicion that they weren't there for the girls. The management hired them for muscle, just not for the front room.

"Hey, back off. Both of you." I lifted my empty tray, holding it between me and Skel. "No fighting. And there's no touching unless I say so," I added, glaring at both men.

The guy on the floor apologized, nursing his bruising jaw as he sat there. Maybe he was too smashed to get up.

Skel cocked a brow, daring me to ignore him.

I did it anyway, rushing toward the bar. After placing the tray down, I made a beeline for the ladies' room.

Skel caught me first. His arms slid around me and lifted, carrying me into the empty storage room. I wiggled out of his embrace before he shut the door behind us, leaning against the wood with a scowl.

No mask tonight. I almost missed it.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Lacey?"

"I don't owe you any explanations."

"Tell me. Now," he ordered in a gruff voice, pushing off the door to step closer.

"Why do you care? Huh?"

"Caring about you was never the issue."

Oh, really? "Enlighten me, then, Mr. Big Bad Biker. What's the issue between us?"

Yeah, I was taunting him. I wanted Skel to feel just half of the agony I felt when he broke up with me. Or, to be more precise, when he stopped us from having a relationship before it could become something deep or permanent.

"Lacey."

"I'm listening."

He shook his head. "Age difference. Lifestyle. That's the first two."

"Bullshit." Those were excuses, not valid reasons.

"You callin' me a liar, baby?" He looked pissed, but the heat in his gaze wasn't from the insult alone. That fire that burned between us whenever we were close, the attraction that blazed as hot as a five-alarm fire, always flared at the wrong time.

"No. I'm calling you a coward ," I taunted.

His dark eyebrows shot up briefly. I surprised him. People probably didn't try to piss off a tatted, muscled, six-foot-four behemoth of a man wearing a motorcycle vest often. Bet he never had anyone talk to him the way I did. Good.

He needed to be brought down a peg or two from that high steel horse he sat on. Handsome, arrogant fucker.

"A coward," he repeated, his voice low and menacing.

Shit. "Yes. If you weren't so afraid to commit—"

"Gonna stop you right there, my spoiled little goddess. Commitment ain't an issue either."

I couldn't figure him out. No matter what I said or did, he just kept coming back for more. Only, it wasn't consistent. He popped in and out of my life like a damn yo-yo whenever it suited his whim. I hated that I fell for him and couldn't stop my heart from loving a man who didn't want to stick around.

"This is pointless," I sighed. "Move out of my way."

His lips twitched, and I couldn't tell if it was a grin or a threat as he cracked his knuckles.

"Baby, you're gonna regret all of this."

My gaze swept over Skel's numerous facial tattoos, including a spider and a blade pointing down his left cheek. A giant skeleton was inked across his right arm from shoulder to wrist. Skulls, flames, and other designs dominated his upper body. He had so much dark ink it took up almost all the available space, stretching from beneath his chin to both wrists and down his torso to above his public bone. I heard it was painful to tattoo over thin skin and figured he must have a high pain tolerance.

How did I know all this?

Because this gorgeous outlaw fucked me more than once, and I loved every minute.

Skel reached into his vest pocket and pulled out his mask. He winked before tugging it on, staring at me through the eyes that made him feel more like a predator than a man.

I should have run when I had the chance. By the time I remembered what he said, I bolted for the door, too late to reach it. Strong arms surrounded me and lifted high, carrying me to a heavy wooden barrel where Skel sat. He reached for the button on my jeans shorts and popped them open, ripping the zipper down as I smacked at his hands. It had zero effect on him.

He left my panties on. The shorts were yanked off.

My body tipped as he pushed me over his lap, and my stomach rested on his hard, thick thighs. I squirmed and fought him, realizing he was about to do something humiliating and painful.

"Don't you dare!" I shouted. "Someone could come in here any minute!"

"Anyone comes in this door, and I'll fucking kill them," he growled.

I believed him.

The harder I fought, the more he seemed to enjoy it. It wasn't hard to miss the bulge growing in his jeans since my abdomen butted against his groin.

"Please," I begged, wincing before he began.

"Sweet Girl, we gotta work this out. You don't insult me. You don't sass me unless you want this to happen."

"Okay," I relented. "I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted."

I didn't expect to feel the sting of his slap only two seconds after his reply. "Hey!" I screeched. "That hurt!"

"It's not over yet, Darlin'."

Two more followed, harder than the first. My butt felt like it was on fire. Heat bloomed on my cheeks as I whimpered. "Please." It wasn't just the slaps getting to me. It was the idea of him bending me over to spank me and that we could get caught. That nothing prevented someone from walking in and that Skel would kill to protect me. He already did it once.

His palm rubbed the naked, exposed flesh, soothing the inflamed skin. "Damn. Baby, you're all wet."

I groaned as I squirmed on his lap, hating that he was right.

"Is it the pain or my touch that's turning you on? Hmm?"

I didn't answer.

A swift smack followed. "Answer me."

I couldn't help grinding against him, eager for his hand to move lower and dip between my thighs. "Both?" I answered, a little breathless.

"Since you're not sure, let's find out." He yanked on my underwear and ripped them away from my core, sliding two fingers through my slit and into my dripping pussy.

I jolted. A moan escaped as he began to pump in and out of me, still kneading one of my bottom cheeks with his other hand.

"Fuck. You know what I'm thinking about right now?"

I couldn't reply, too lost to the sensations pulsing through my lower body and buzzing around my clit. Just a little more friction. It wouldn't take much to make me come.

We moved in tandem. Me, grinding and rocking against him, eager to find completion. Skel, thrusting his fingers in the same tempo, bringing me so fucking close.

"Skel," I whimpered with need.

"It's not my fingers you're gonna come on, Sweet Girl. I want your release on my tongue."

He pulled out his fingers as I protested, turning me so that I faced the barrel. My ass jutted out, and I heard his groan. "Fuck it. I need to feel you, Lacey. I can't hold back."

I heard him hesitate as he reached for his belt buckle, waiting for me to consent. A naughty part of me wanted to deny him, but that would only delay my own pleasure. I was too far gone for that little game. "Please. Fuck me, Skel."

"I love hearing that sweet little mouth talk like that."

The snap on his jeans popped, followed by the zipper being yanked down. I felt his body heat return to me, flush against my ass.

"Do you know how perfect and tight your pussy is? How much I want to fuck you until you're dripping with my cum, and it's glistening on your thighs?"

He notched the tip of his cock at my entrance. The first inch slid in, teasing me as he refused to thrust deep.

"Skel."

"I wish you could see how greedy your cunt is and how you suck me in, ready to swallow all of my cock. It's fucking addicting, my beautiful little tease."

I tried to move my hips, but he held me in place.

"Stay still. Enjoy the pounding I'm about to give you. Take every fucking hard inch, and don't say a word until you scream with your orgasm. You hear me, Baby?"

I did.

He gave my ass one last slap and drove so deep I rose on my tiptoes to accommodate his entire length. He took me hard and fast, thrusting so wildly that the wooden barrel rocked underneath my hands, and it had to weigh a ton with all the liquid inside.

It was impossible to remain completely silent. The way he owned my body and used me, giving and taking as he brought the both of us to the edge of delirium, nearly broke me. My head wanted to forget he hurt me. My heart couldn't seem to stop thumping with the brutality of our past.

It was a stalemate. I'd loved Skel for three long years and didn't think I'd ever stop. But he didn't love me back. That was so painful that tears rushed to my eyes. A few slipped free, slinking over my cheeks as I got lost in my head, enjoying and hating this moment with Skel.

He must have sensed the change. Pulling out, he tugged me against his chest, his cock slipping between my thighs to tease my aching pussy from behind. "You left me."

"I didn't mean to," I whispered, unable to hide the sob that followed.

"Fuck." He turned me around as his eyes found mine through the holes in the mask. "I would never hurt you."

"Physically? No." I sniffled. "But you're breaking my heart every time you walk away."

The mask hid his expression. I didn't know what he thought or if I just pushed him away for good.

"I want to finish this and not leave you aching, Baby. This conversation isn't over. Will you trust me?"

I blinked as two more tears tracked down my cheeks. Skel wiped them away. "Yes."

"Wrap your legs around my waist," he softly ordered as he lifted me. "You feel so fucking good, Lacey. Focus on how we fit together because we're fucking perfect."

Did he know what he said? What he admitted?

I love you, Skel.

My skeleton man. My dark knight on his iron horse. Skel was everything I ever wanted, every wicked fantasy and every schoolgirl dream. Without him, I was incomplete.

He entered me on an upward thrust, snatching my thoughts away as my body responded to his. It didn't take much for me to forget where we were or what was happening around us. When Skel was near, I only wanted him.

He yanked the mask upward and lowered his head, capturing my lips in a kiss that stole my heart all over again. His dark hazel eyes filled with lust, but that wasn't the only thing I saw. Need and possessiveness warred for equal dominance.

"Come with me," he demanded, softening his tone. "Squeeze my cock and flood me, Baby. I want to see you fall apart."

It only took three more thrusts before I cried out his name, digging my nails into his shoulders as my core clenched, and I came so hard that I almost pushed him out.

Skel shuddered, slamming into me before he groaned. I felt his cock jerk inside me, and I held him close, not wanting the moment to end. We didn't move for a full minute, both of us panting as our breathing slowed.

He kissed me, brushing the hair out of my eyes. "Come on. We need to talk."

"Okay," I swallowed, brushing my fingertips over his jaw.

He helped me into my shorts, and I didn't miss the feral look in his eyes when he noticed the slick skin of my thighs smeared with our combined fluids.