Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

Spark

The wind rushes past as I rocket down the highway on my Harley, the desert sun beating down on my shoulders.

Zoe's arms wrap tightly around my waist as she leans into me, resting her chin on my shoulder.

Even over the roar of the engine, I can hear her laughter ringing in my ears.

Damn, it feels good.

Being with her like this, out on the open road with nothing but miles of asphalt ahead of us.

Things between Zoe and me have been going really well lately.

Better than I ever could've hoped for, if I'm honest she gets me in a way no one else does.

She sees past the ink and the leather cut to the man I am underneath.

For the first time in longer than I can remember, I actually feel...at peace.

I'm content, like everything in my fucked up life is finally clicking into place.

Zoe is a huge part of that.

I give her thigh a squeeze where my hand rests.

She responds by nuzzling her face into my neck, her lips grazing my skin and making me shiver.

My body immediately reacts to her, lust spiking through my veins.

Focus on the road, I tell myself sternly.

But it's hard to think about anything except the gorgeous woman plastered against my back.

We ride for another twenty minutes before I turn off onto a narrow side road.

It winds through towering red rock formations until opening up into a wide, secluded canyon.

I pull the bike over near a scraggly juniper tree and kill the engine.

"This is one of my favorite spots," I tell Zoe as we both climb off and remove our helmets. "Used to come out here a lot to get away from everything, clear my head."

"It's beautiful," she says, looking around in awe at the desert landscape. "So peaceful. You know, as a lifelong Nevadian, I haven't explored nearly as much as you have."

"Yeah, well, we're gonna have to change that," I retrieve a blanket from the saddlebag and spread it out on a relatively flat patch of ground. "C'mere, Spicy."

Zoe joins me, settling herself between my legs as I sit and wrap my arms around her.

I bury my face in her hair, inhaling deeply.

Vanilla and something floral.

I can never get enough of her scent.

We sit in comfortable silence for a few minutes, just enjoying the stillness and each other's presence.

This is exactly what I need.

We don't get to do this at the club. Hell, no one knows about the two of us.

There's no club drama here, no one else's demands or expectations weighing on me.

There's only me and my girl.

I press a kiss to Zoe's temple. "I'm really glad you came out with me today. Know it ain't always easy, keeping this thing between us on the down low."

"I don't mind. I'll take any stolen moments with you that I can get." She tips her face up to mine with a soft smile. "My man is worth a little sneaking around."

My heart stutters at her casual use of ‘my man'.

I love when she calls me that, claiming me for her own.

I capture her lips with mine, kissing her slow and deep...

I pour everything I'm feeling into that kiss—the contentment, the desire, the deepening connection between us.

Zoe matches me, her tongue tangling with mine as she shifts to straddle my lap.

My hands find her hips, fingers digging into the supple curves.

She breaks the kiss with a gasp, her forehead resting against mine. "God, the things you do to me, Spark." Her voice is low and breathy, sending a jolt of pure need straight to my cock. "Sometimes it scares me how much I want you."

"I know, baby. I feel it too." I slide my hands up her back, fighting the urge to tear her clothes off right here. We've got all the time in the world. "You're so fucking perfect."

Zoe laughs, light and carefree. "I don't know about perfect. But this, right here with you... It feels pretty damn close."

She leans in to kiss me again and I meet her halfway, losing myself in her soft lips and questing tongue.

My hands skim down to cup her ass, pulling her more snugly against me.

Zoe rocks slowly in my lap, the delicious friction making me groan.

We make out like horny teenagers, bodies moving together, until we're both panting and desperate for more.

Zoe drags her mouth away from mine, her lips red and kiss-swollen.

With deliberate movements, she reaches for the hem of her t-shirt and pulls it over her head.

I drink in the sight of her, soft ivory skin and mouthwatering body barely contained by a black lace bra. "Jesus, Zoe. So fucking gorgeous." My voice comes out in a reverent rasp.

She smiles, looking pleased and a little shy, and reaches back to unhook her bra. "Touch me, Spark. I need to feel you."

I comply eagerly, cupping the full swells of her breasts, teasing the sensitive peaks with my thumbs until she's arching into my touch with a breathy moan.

My hands map every silky inch of Zoe's skin, tracing the dip of her waist, the flare of her hips.

I want to memorize her body, learn all the places that make her sigh and shiver.

Zoe shimmies out of her leather pants, kicking them aside impatiently.

She's left in just a scrap of black lace between her thighs.

My whole body throbs with desire at the sight.

I spin us around and lay Zoe back on the blanket, hovering over her.

She reaches for my belt, her slim fingers making quick work of it.

Then she's shoving my jeans down my hips, freeing my aching cock.

"Need you," Zoe breathes, hooking her legs around my waist to urge me closer. "Please, Tyler."

The sound of my real name on her lips undoes me.

I notch myself against her entrance and push inside in one swift thrust.

Zoe cries out, her nails digging deliciously into my shoulders.

I start to move, long deep strokes that make her clutch me tighter. "Fuck, baby. You feel incredible."

Zoe meets me thrust for thrust, her hips rolling sensuously.

The hot clench of her body is heaven and sin and perfection.

Nothing has ever felt this good.

Our movements grow more frantic as we chase our pleasure.

Zoe shatters first, throwing her head back with a wordless cry of ecstasy.

The rhythmic flutter of her walls triggers my own release.

I bury my face in the fragrant silk of her hair and let go, pouring myself into her welcoming body.

In the aftermath, I gather Zoe close, savoring her soft warmth. She snuggles against my chest with a contented hum. "That was amazing."

"It was." I brush a tender kiss over her temple. "You're amazing."

Zoe lifts her head to smile at me, her eyes a soft, satiated green. "I'm so glad you brought me here. Thank you for sharing this with me."

"I want to share everything with you, Zoe." The confession slips out before I can stop it.

But I don't regret it. It's the damn truth.

Her smile widens, impossibly sweet. "I want that too."

We linger like that, exchanging kisses and quiet words as the sun sinks below the horizon, painting the sky in brilliant streaks of orange and pink.

I know we'll have to head back soon, return to real life and all its complications.

But for now, in this perfect moment, none of that matters.

The whole world has narrowed down to this incredible woman in my arms.

And I plan to hold onto her for as long as I can.

We stay here for a while, lost in each other, avoiding the limitations the clubhouse places on us.

Zoe reaches for the beer I set aside earlier and takes a long sip. "So tell me," she begins, handing me the can, "what was life like for you before the Reapers Rejects? Before you became a prospect?"

I feel my shoulders tense reflexively at the question.

Old habits die hard, I guess.

I've spent so long guarding the darker parts of my past, keeping people at a careful distance.

But this is Zoe. If I can't open up to her, then what are we even doing here?

I chuckle, shaking my head. "What, like you don't already know everything about me from that file of yours? I bet it reads like a CIA dossier."

Zoe's lips quirk. "Some of it was actually blacked out, believe it or not. Redacted information."

"No shit?" I raise an eyebrow, oddly amused by the idea. "Guess I'm just a man of mystery."

"Something like that." She bumps her shoulder against mine playfully. "Seriously though, what was your life like before the MC? I feel like there's so much I still don't know about you."

Zoe waits patiently, not pushing, just making space for me to share. Or not.

"It wasn't always great," I say finally. "I was in foster care from the time I was five until I ran away at fifteen. Bounced around a lot of different homes. Some were okay...others, not so much."

"I'm sorry," Zoe murmurs. "That must have been really tough."

I shrug. "You either survive or you don't. I did what I had to do."

"What made you run away?" she asks tentatively. "If you don't mind me asking."

My jaw clenches reflexively before I force myself to relax. "There was a fire. At my last foster home."

Zoe frowns. "I didn't see anything about a fire in your file."

"That's because I started it." The words hang heavy between us.

I risk a glance at Zoe's face, bracing myself for judgment or disgust.

But there's only concern and compassion in her green brown eyes.

"What happened?" she asks gently.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself.

I've never told anyone this story before.

But something about Zoe makes me want to crack myself open, to let her see all the dark, broken pieces inside.

"My foster father was a piece of shit. He was...violating the little girls in the house." Bile rises in my throat at the memory. "I tried telling my social worker, but she didn't believe me. So I did the only thing I could think of to make it stop. To free them."

Zoe covers her mouth, tears shimmering in her eyes. "Oh Spark..."

"He died in the fire," I say flatly. "Good fucking riddance. The girls all got out safe, moved to a new home. I took off and never looked back."

Zoe reaches out tentatively, her delicate fingers resting lightly on my arm.

Her touch soothes me, easing some of the tension coiled in my muscles.

"I'm so sorry you and those girls went through that," she murmurs, her voice thick with emotion. "I can't even imagine how traumatic that must have been. You were just a kid yourself."

Her compassion undoes me.

I blink rapidly, fighting back the sting of tears. "I did what I had to do. No one else was going to save them."

I learned at a young age how fucked up the world is.

Zoe nods, squeezing my arm gently. "You were incredibly brave. Those girls were lucky to have you looking out for them."

A lump forms in my throat.

No one has ever called me brave before.

Reckless, sure.

A troublemaker, definitely.

But never brave.

We sit in silence for a while, both lost in our own thoughts.

I'm acutely aware of Zoe's warm body pressed against my side, her hand still resting on my arm.

It feels so natural, so right, to have her next to me like this.

Finally, Zoe sighs and pulls back slightly.

She gives me a small, tentative smile. "Thank you for sharing that with me. I know it couldn't have been easy."

"I've never told anyone before," I admit gruffly. "But I trust you, Zoe. More than I've ever trusted anyone."

Her smile widens, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "I trust you too, Spark. With all my heart."

We pack up our few belongings, tossing the empty beer cans in a nearby trash bin.

Zoe leans back against my bike, her body on full display in those tight leather pants.

Fuck, she's sexy as hell.

She crooks a finger at me with a coy smile. "C'mere, prospect."

I stride over to her, my heart hammering, my jeans already feeling tighter.

She grabs my cut and yanks me against her, crashing her full lips to mine in a searing kiss.

I groan into her mouth as her tongue tangles with mine.

It's hot, demanding, full of need.

She yanks her lips away from mine and looks deep into my eyes. "I want to know all your secrets, Tyler. I promise you, they're safe with me."

I run my fingertips and caress the side of her face. "In due time, Spicy. Now, come on, let's get back to the club."