“Good girl,” he growled, reaching for my hair and twisting it around his fist before using it to pull me up to a standing position. “You ready to come now?”
“Yes,” I hissed.
His free hand curled around my hip and over my stomach, slipping between my legs. “Yes… what?” he growled, his lips brushing my ear. Goddamn him. I knew he’d make me pay for it. I should have kept my mouth shut earlier. Instead, the ‘yes, sir’ had fucking slipped out in annoyance.
My sarcasm occasionally knew no boundaries.
Especially with Shotgun.
Maybe a part of my brain realizing that every smart-mouth remark would come with a reaction. A reaction that I more than often fucking craved.
I gritted my teeth, his hand hovering teasingly on my lower stomach. “Yes, sir,” I replied, letting out a long steady breath I’d been holding. His lips instantly found my neck, and I leaned back against him, my body loving the familiar feeling and smell of his leather.
Especially against my naked skin.
His finger slipped between my folds, instantly finding my clit.
I sucked in a sharp breath, stretching up on my toes. I grabbed his arm with one hand, the other reaching behind me, holding the back of Shotgun’s neck as he peppered kisses down over my shoulder. My nails pinched at his skin while his fingers flicked across my clit. “Fuck.”
No slow burn here.
He wasn’t fucking around this time.
He was going to make me come, hard and fucking fast, and I had no idea if I was prepared.
My body had a mind of its own, my ass grinding back against his hard cock that was still held captive in his jeans. This wasn’t about that for him. This was a reminder. This was him making sure I knew who was in charge. That I shouldn’t underestimate the control he had over my body and just how easily he could manipulate it.
And I fucking loved every second.
My heart skipped a beat, sinking for a minute even as the pleasure inside my body seemed to grow stronger. His hand slipped from my hair, wrapping itself around my breast, pinching my nipple between the spaces in his fingers.
I groaned loudly. “Please fuck me.”
“Not until you come for me.”
He pushed two fingers up inside me, and I threw my head back against his shoulder, my legs threatening to give way as they began to shake. He thrust them in and out quickly, not deep, but with his palm pressed hard against my clit, the jerky movements lit the fuse, and my entire body began to shudder.
“Oh my god,” I groaned, Shotgun continuing relentlessly, his arm wrapping around my waist, holding me captive as I squirmed and writhed against him. My orgasm rolled over and over, like wave after wave. “Shotgun!” I pleaded, feeling like I couldn’t breathe, but not wanting it to stop at the same time.
He finally pulled his hand back, both arms curling around me, keeping me from collapsing on shaking legs while the shock waves continued to twitch through my body. His mouth moved up and down my neck and shoulder, his kisses light and warm as I eased back into his arms, my eyes drifting closed.
His lips tickled my neck as he hummed softly like he’d just been thoroughly satisfied, though I could still feel a very hard cock pressed against my ass. “Breathe, baby,” he muttered, sounding slightly amused. It was like he enjoyed making me fall to pieces just so he could be the one to put me back together. I let out an airy laugh, enjoying the way my heart was racing and my body tingling. Shotgun slowly turned me to face him, his gaze dark and needy, his hand cupping my jaw. “I like seeing you like this.”
“Like what?” I questioned softly, taking his club cut in my hands.
It kept me grounded.
He kept me grounded.
“At peace. Content.”
Not crazy, he meant.
Though, he wasn’t wrong.
I knew I could be crazy, a little bit too reckless.
But somehow, Shotgun seemed to be able to rein that in, even if only for a minute, and when he did, it was like coming home. That place where you were safe. Warm. Comfortable.
You’re getting too close.
What happens when he leaves too?
If you give him everything, you’ll have nothing left when he’s gone.
Run. Now.
And there it was—the panic setting back in.
He pressed his forehead to mine, his tongue tracing his bottom lip for a second. “Goddamn, I want to fuck you into next week.”
I swallowed the instant lump of emotion in my throat and tilted my head to the side. The words that tickled on the end of my tongue tasted fucking bitter, but I spat them out anyway, knowing they were going to poison this moment. “Well, that’s what I’m here for.”
I felt his body still, his muscles tense. He took a step back, my fingers slipping from his leathers as he backed away. I could see this hurt in his eyes, though he disguised it well.
Hurt them before they hurt you, right?
Wasn’t that the way to do it?
My head screamed yes, but my heart was crying no.
“How long are you gonna play that game, Ave?” He held his arms out wide. “You been fucking with my brothers? You taken anyone else’s cock lately but mine?”
I licked my dry lips. “I’m a club gir—”
He stormed forward, his hand at my throat, pressing me back against the desk, my naked ass sitting just on the edge. “When’s the last time anyone but me made you fucking come?” he whispered, his fingers tightening and forcing my eyes to stay on him when I tried to look away. “You wanna fuck my brothers, Avery?”
No.
This was him letting me know I wasn’t about to get away with my usual shit. This was him reminding me that pushing him was a bad fucking idea.
Yet, I didn’t know anything else. “I belong to the club,” I whispered, holding his gaze and lifting my chin. “Not you.”
He leaned in close, our lips brushing softly. “For now,” he growled under his breath before taking a step back. His hand slipped from my throat, and though he’d never squeezed tight enough to stop the airflow, I couldn’t help but suck in a deep breath.
Though maybe, it was more a relieved breath.
Relieved he’d backed down.
For now.
I didn’t know what that meant, but what I did know was that I hated the fucking look in his eyes as he backed away. It was hurt, though well-concealed. He shook his head and turned away.
“Come on,” he ordered, grabbing my shirt and bra from the floor and handing them to me. “Get dressed. I’ll take you to see Holly.”
“Thanks,” I murmured, hating the way the room had cooled around us, thinking I should have just kept my fucking mouth shut as per usual.
My gut twisted as he pulled the door open and walked out.
Leaving me there.
It was my doing.
I fucking knew it was, but it didn’t change the way it hurt. The disappointment was real, but a small price to pay for what would happen otherwise. If I gave in and let myself feel those things he made me feel, I just knew I would be risking it all.
Losing him—would break me.
Losing the club—that would destroy me.
And I knew this time, there might be no surviving.
This time, I might just lose myself too.
SHOTGUN
I pressed my hand to Avery’s back, ushering her in through the hospital doors. Despite the anger that brewed in my veins at her fucking stubbornness, I couldn’t help but fucking touch her.