Chapter 2

Harley

The daythat would have been Carter’s thirtieth birthday had hit me hard.

I hadn’t been able to go to the cemetery earlier in the day because thousands of fans had wanted to pay their respects, which made it difficult for me, so I’d sat at home with a pint of Ben Jerry’s and watched soap operas I didn’t care about on TV. Anything to stop missing him.

I’d had an enormous amount of love for a man who couldn’t seem to love himself, and it broke my heart all over again. Finally, sometime after midnight, when my sister got home and could stay with my three-year-old, I called an Uber and had it drop me off at the cemetery. I snuck under the gate and headed for my favorite spot, hoping to drink a bottle of wine and honor him with my presence.

The last thing I’d expected was for Tommy to show up.

And I definitely hadn’t expected to fall out of a tree and have him catch me.

Well, he’d tried to catch me.

It was more like he broke my fall and we landed in a heap on the ground.

Good thing I was drunk, or it might have hurt. Instead, all I felt was sore and embarrassed.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Harley.” My ex-husband was flat on his back, looking up at me in annoyance.

“Oops. Guess I lost my balance.” I couldn’t move at first, trying to catch my breath. And not notice how firm and hard his torso was. Or how handsome he still was. It had been more than three years since I’d been this close to him, and I’d almost forgotten the effect his proximity would have on me.

Oh, what the hell was wrong with me?

Tommy Bane was one of the most gorgeous and successful rockstars in the world. Of course, I noticed how hot he was.

Of course, he was strong and in shape.

Of course, I had no business thinking about his body. Or him.

I took a breath and tried to move, but I winced at the ache in my leg.

“Ow. Fuck.”

“You okay?” One of his hands travelled to the small of my back, his voice momentarily gruff.

Our eyes met and I wasn’t sure what I saw there.

Concern? Regret? Maybe a touch of arousal?

Yeah, that was definitely arousal, and spending another second in his presence was a terrible idea.

“Just a little sore.” I rolled to the side and managed to get to my knees.

“You sure you’re okay?” He reached out a hand to steady me as I tried to stand and wobbled a little, but that was probably more the alcohol than the fall.

“I’m fine!” I snapped, anxious to get away from him. “Don’t touch me.”

“Hey, no skin off my teeth.” He held up his hands. “Far be it for me to pretend to be a gentleman.”

“Fuck you,” I muttered, wiping my hands on my jeans.

This was always the problem with Tommy; he could be so sweet and thoughtful sometimes. Then he’d turn into douchebag Tommy. And this was a hard enough day without adding a dose of Tommy’s fuckery.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” he ground out.

“Excuse me?” I turned, knitting my brows together.

“You’d like to fuck me.” His voice was practically a snarl. “Don’t even try to deny it turned you on being on top of me a minute ago. I know that look in your eyes. You still like it rough, Harley? Still like it from behind? With my hand on your throat, squeezing just enough to make your eyes roll back in your head when you come?”

“Oh, fuck all the way off!” I snapped, my cheeks burning with indignation.

The truth of the matter was that what he’d described was how I liked it.

And no one else had been able to give me what I needed in that department.

I’d had more than a few lovers since the divorce, but they had all been disasters.

Because no one else could make me feel like Tommy did.

And based on the wicked gleam in his eyes, the bastard knew it.

“What’s the matter, babe?” The term of endearment sounded more like a threat coming from him. “You embarrassed about how you like it? Or did Carter soothe the dirty right out of you?”

“Go to hell!” I reached my hand out to slap him, but he was too quick for me, grabbing my wrist and yanking me against him.

“I’m already there,” he growled, his fingers squeezing my wrist painfully.

Except I liked it.

There was nothing better than being manhandled by Tommy.

The rougher the better.

Our sex life had been over-the-top and exciting, adventurous and aggressive.

He’d taught me to love it, and then he’d left me to crave it.

And he was looking at me now as if he knew it.

As if he’d somehow planned this.

I was damned if I’d let him see how much I still wanted it, though.

“Let me go,” I hissed angrily.

“Or what?” His face was expressionless as he gazed into my eyes. “I dare you to tell me you don’t like it.”

“I don’t like it,” I whispered.

But it was a lie and we both knew it.

My body betrayed me, shivering and pressing against him, as if it knew what was coming.

Even before I did.

“Liar.” Tommy’s voice was a whispered sneer. “Your breath is choppy, you keep licking your lips, and your nipples are hard enough to cut steel.” He didn’t wait for me to respond, reaching out and rubbing his thumb against one of them.

Oh, yeah. My nipples were hard as fuck, and his touch only made it worse.

“Tommy...” I would have moved his hand away, but it felt good. Too good. So good I didn’t want it to stop. No matter how loudly my brain was screaming that I was an idiot, my body and soul didn’t give a shit.

He brought his other hand up, squeezing both breasts roughly. There was no doubt he wanted to hurt me, and even less doubt I would let him. If he wanted me, I wouldn’t stop him.

I couldn’t.

My need to be with him, even just one more time, was more than I could stand.

“Say no, Harley,” he grunted, pushing me back until I was pinned against the tree.

“I-I can’t.” My voice didn’t sound like my own.

“Say it.” He leaned down, nipping my lower lip with his teeth. “Tell me to stop or I’m not going to.”

A sob built in my chest, but the words wouldn’t come.

It had been so damn long.

“I won’t be nice,” he said, his mouth a whisper away from mine.

“I know.”

He clamped his lips around my lower lip, biting down until I tasted blood.

I must have whimpered, because the next thing I knew he’d ripped open my shirt, tearing it right down the middle.

“No bra,” he mused. “It gives me direct access, which is nice considering I paid for them.”

He dipped his head and sucked one of my nipples into his mouth with enough pressure to make me gasp. His touch was equal parts scintillating and brutal, my favorite combination, and he sucked and licked until I couldn’t discern between pleasure and pain. It was enough to make my core tighten with need, the spot between my legs growing increasingly damp.

All at once, his touch lightened to a soft nibble. He licked a trail up the cleft between my breasts, continued up my chest, and then bit down when he got to my neck.

“Head back,” he growled. “Give me your throat—because I’m going to mark it.”

Fuck.

This had been one of our favorite games.

Except it wasn’t a game this time.

He truly wanted to mark me.

The pressure of his mouth on the soft skin of my throat burned but I didn’t move, didn’t breathe, didn’t do anything but close my eyes.

And enjoyed.

Covering up the inevitable bruise would be a problem for tomorrow.

Today, I was completely under his spell.

“Tommy…” My voice cracked as he continued to bite and suckle.

“You wet for me?” he asked, grinding his erection against my crotch. “You ready to take my cock in that tight, wet pussy? Because you know that’s what’s coming, right? You know I’m going to fuck you like it’s my day job.”

He gripped me by the throat, squeezing hard enough to make me gasp for air, even as his free hand fumbled with the button and zipper of my jeans.

“Push them down,” he commanded, the timbre of his voice causing my vagina to spasm with need.

Somehow, even with him squeezing my throat, I managed to get my jeans down over my hips, taking my panties with them. He reached down and pulled out his cock, then lifted me right off the ground, one hand sweeping under my ass. My legs closed around his hips all on their own because I was too blissed out to think about what I was doing. I was too busy feeling. Aching. Needing.

He pressed against my core.

“So wet, you dirty girl.”

He thrust up with one swift motion.

And then he was inside of me.