Chapter 14

Slate

“A shlyn is super excited to be here and she’s finally out cold.” Emma smiled and it was wide but exhausted. A sigh rushed out of her as she dropped into the kitchen chair directly across from me. “If I let her, she would talk until she passed out.”

My brows shot up. “You didn’t?”

A sultry laugh escaped. “No. We read together. She starts so she can practice her reading and I finish to make sure she quiets down enough to actually get to sleep.”

“She’s happy to be here,” I stated slowly. “Are you?” She’d waited two full days before she accepted my offer, and it had caught me by surprise. I thought she would ultimately say no, but I was happier than I should’ve been at her acceptance.

Emma thought about her answer and when she bit her lip and her eyes took on that far off expression, my breath caught in my throat. It reminded me of Vick whenever I asked her a question that one night. She took her time and thought about it like every word mattered. “You know what? I am glad. You’ve proven to be a good guy, and this place is just what we need to readjust.”

“Thanks. I am a good guy.” I pushed away from the table and headed to the fridge. “Beer?”

“Yes, please.” Her words came out soft but for the first time since I stepped foot in her house almost two weeks ago, she actually sounded relaxed.

I turned with two bottles in my hand and found her smiling. “What’s on your mind, Emma?”

Her smile grew. “I was just thinking that I haven’t had a beer in years and now I’ve had two this week. Reminds me of the carefree girl I used to be.”

“Yeah?”

She nodded. “I was never really carefree to be honest. I’ve always been a bit of a worrier, but I could let loose now and again to have a good time or celebrate with Sara. That’s my best friend.”

I could almost imagine her back then, carefree and feisty, easy to offer up a smile or a laugh. “And what is it that you do to have a good time, Em?”

Her eyes darkened as she looked at me and I wondered if she was flirting with me. I wasn’t sure but it seemed likely. “Honestly, I wouldn’t know a good time if it jumped up and bit me on the ass. Other than watching Ash learn about the world, I don’t do much for fun.”

“Okay then, what would carefree Emma do?” I was curious about the woman she might be when she found herself and her happiness again.

She sipped her beer slowly, giving herself time to think. “Maybe she would go dancing. Or do one of those wine and painting classes.” Emma groaned. “That all sounds so painfully boring, doesn’t it?”

“Not at all.”

She laughed. “You don’t have to spare my feelings, Slate. I’m sure your life is a million miles an hour exciting. Fights. Girls. Motorcycles.”

I laughed. “Is that what you think my life is?” I was surprised it was so benign. Most people—usually women—assumed that I spent most of my days committing crimes and extorting local businesses. Her take was refreshing.

“Kind of, yeah. What is it then?”

I set my beer on the table and sat up tall with my hands hovering over a few inches above the table. My fingers started to move the way they did when I did what I did best.

“That’s it?” She tossed her head back and laughed. “You type all day, like a secretary?”

“No, we have a club secretary for those duties. I’m usually doing tech shit. Checking on our financial interests, keeping an eye on people who might want to harm us. That sort of thing.”

She took another pull on her beer, finding it empty. “So you’re a big bad biker who’s stuck behind a computer all day?”

“Yes to the ‘big bad biker’ part, and no to the ‘stuck’ part. We all have our roles in the MC and mine is vital to our survival and success. But I do get to go out and do non-computer related things. I promise so don’t go feeling sorry for me.”

“I don’t.” She pushed away from the table and headed to the fridge where she pulled out two more beers. “It’s just funny that you left home and went in search of something, and you found it but not how you thought.”

“That’s how life usually works.” I took both bottles from her and popped the caps before handing one back.

“Thanks.” She stood there and stared at me for a long time, and I wanted so badly to know what the fuck was going on inside her pretty little head.

“Worried that your new life might not be everything you’re hoping?”

“Yes. No. It’ll be new and different, and I’m stronger than I was so it’ll be great even if it isn’t perfect.” She put the bottle to her lips and took a long pull.

“Perfect is overrated.” I stood and stared back at her. Less than a foot separated us, and I felt it the moment her breath quickened. Her pupils dilated and then she licked her lips.

“Is it? I wouldn’t know. The only perfect thing in my life is Ashlyn.”

“She is pretty perfect.” I took another step closer. “Life is beautiful in the imperfections. For example, I’m happy that I met you even if the circumstances are shitty.”

“Yeah. I’m happy… too.”

I believed her and when she licked her lips again, that nervous gesture did something to me that I couldn’t explain. The need, the compulsion to taste her lips was all consuming and I closed the gap between us, spearing one hand through her hair and cupping her head. “Emma.” I whispered her name once before I fixed my lips to hers. Her lips were soft and pillowy, pliant as I tasted them. Sweet with a slightly hoppy flavor from the beer.

She moaned and when her lips parted, my tongue slipped inside easily, hungry to taste the inside of her mouth. Emma was timid at first, but then her arms wrapped around me and her body arched into me. Electricity surged through my veins and my grip tightened in her hair. Her fingers found my hair and danced along the edges, the move so fucking familiar that I paused just for a moment.

It was enough for Emma to come to her senses and pull back. Her blue eyes searched my face for answers.

“This is completely up to you Emma. I want you and I can’t hide it,” I told her and pushed my hips forward, so she knew exactly what I meant. “And I think you want me too, but none of that is about you staying here. Tell me you don’t want this, and you’ll still be welcome here.”

“You mean that,” she asked breathlessly.

“I do. I mean I might be a little gruff from all the cold showers I’ll need now that I know how you taste, but yeah, I mean it.” My nostrils flared and I licked my lips.

Her gaze tracked the path of my tongue, and her breath stuttered out of her. “Okay. Good. I want this. I want you.” She lunged forward and attacked my mouth and when her tongue touched mine—again—I snapped.

Things quickly spiraled out of control. Her clothes went first and then mine until we stood in the middle of my kitchen surrounded by our clothes. “Fucking gorgeous,” I murmured and pulled her close. “Are you wet for me, Emma?” My hand slid down her body until I hit her center and curled my fingers until they slipped into the damp fire between her thighs. “So fucking wet.”

“Slate,” she moaned and pushed her hips forward. “Yes.”

She was wet and pulsing already and my cock jutted forward, eager to join in on the fun. “Tell me what you want Emma.”

“I want to come,” she answered easily, her hips rolled against my touch. “Please make me come.”

My thumb found her clit and I sank another finger into her wet pussy, thrusting and swirling until she came violently. Her body shook and her legs buckled. I scooped her up and onto the kitchen counter while she continued coming. “You’re fucking amazing when you come.”

“I’m not,” she shook her head, breaths shuttering out of her.

“You are,” I insisted. “I can’t wait to see how you look coming all over my cock.”

“Dirty,” she whispered as I smacked my hard cock against her clit. “Oh!”

I teased her with the blunt head of my cock, rubbing it through her moisture and teasing her opening. “You ready for me?”

“So ready,” she moaned and in that moment, I was transported to another night, six years ago. I’d asked another woman that same question and she’d answered it the same way.

In the same tone.

Shit. Something sparked in my brain, but Emma shifted the position of her hips and my cock sank deep. “Fuck,” I growled and kept going until I was buried balls deep while she pulsed around me, adjusting to my size.

“Slate.” She clamped hard around me, squeezing my cock deliciously.

“Emma.” I gripped her hips and pounded into her harder and harder, eager to feel what I knew was coming.

“Oh god, Slate. Yes. Oh yes!” Her hips moved faster, matching me stroke for stroke.

My balls pulled up tight and heat raced up my spine as my own orgasm worked its way to the surface. “So. Fucking. Good.”

“Yes.” She arched into me and wrapped her legs around my waist. “Slate, please.”

I fucked her hard and fast, it was wild and out of control, not the gentle fuck she deserved but I wasn’t capable of that, not now. Not with the thoughts running through my brain. They were impossible. The odds were astronomical, really. Weren’t they?

“Emma.” My cock exploded while I was buried deep inside her, her pussy milked me dry until my own legs shook.

“Wow. Holy shit that was… wow.” Something flickered in her eyes, but it was gone just as quickly.

I pulled back, ready to hear her tell me that she made a mistake, that this shouldn’t have happened. “It was wow.” And it was familiar. Too fucking familiar.

“Slate,” she sighed and cupped the side of my face.

I held my breath and reminded myself that whatever she said, I could handle it.

“Thank you.” She lifted up and kissed my mouth so softly I wasn’t sure if it really happened.

“I think I should be thanking you.”

She shook her head. “No. You reminded me what it felt to be wanted and desired. What it was to experience passion again and to enjoy sex again.”

There was so much to unpack in that last sentence but there was a more pressing matter to deal with. What I was thinking was crazy, I knew that, but the feeling was so strong I knew I was right.

“What? What are you thinking?” She sat up and tried to cover her gorgeous tits. “Did I do something… wrong? You didn’t like it?”

“No, I fucking loved it,” I assured her. “It was fucking wow.”

That flash in her eyes told me it was true. Her lips parted to say something but the sound of my phone buzzing on the kitchen table interrupted the moment. “Get it.”

I nodded and slowly eased from her body before I reached for the phone. “Yeah?”

“We had a visitor to the clubhouse tonight.” Rocky’s voice was gruffer than usual and lacked his typical joviality.

“A visitor?” I racked my brain for any trouble I might’ve found on my own but realized that lately I was playing at being a family man. “Do I get more info than that?”

“Mark Edwards.”

“Fuck.” I looked over my shoulder at Emma who was half-dressed and staring at me fearfully. “It’s okay,” I mouthed to her.

“Yeah, he strolled up to the place like he owned it and starting making all kinds of threats. Said you were helping a violent psychopath who killed his brother.”

“That’s not true.” What would I do if Mark successfully turned my MC against Emma, especially if my hunch about who she was, was correct?

Rocky snorted. “No shit. I’ve met Emma and she’s as dangerous as a kicked puppy. The problem is this asshole. We gonna do something about him?”

He was right about that. I’d been too busy, too consumed with being around Emma and Ash to keep them properly safe. “We are. I’ll be there soon.” I needed to get back to being who I was and back to doing what I did best.

“You have to go.” Emma’s voice was bland as if she expected me to leave.

I turned to her and what I saw gutted me. Her arms were wrapped around herself in a protective gesture. “I do,” I told her and closed the distance between us before I wrapped my arms around her. “I really do, and it has nothing to do with what just happened. Believe me, I’d rather take you upstairs and spend the rest of the night buried deep inside you, fucking you every way you’ll allow.”

She gasped and her cheeks turned a bright shade of pink.

“But your brother-in-law showed up at my clubhouse talking shit.”

She took a step back and tried to free herself from my hold. “I don’t want to come between you and your brothers.”

“Emma, stop. They know he’s full of shit but that doesn’t mean he gets to just show up and cause trouble. I need to find out everything there is to know about Mark. Who he knows, what connections he has, vices and skeletons. The sooner the better.”

She nodded. “Yeah, okay. I understand.”

I bent down to make sure she was looking in my eyes. “You do?”

“Yeah, Slate. I do.”

“Good.” I dressed quickly and took her hand, leading her to the front door to show her how to operate the security system. “I’ll be back before morning but if I’m not and you need to leave, you can.”

She nodded and mouthed the code to herself over and over.

It was fucking adorable.

“And when I get back, there’s something we have to talk about.” I pressed a quick kiss to her lips and left before I forgot everything I needed to do and got lost in her body.

Again.