Shade

  Shade took Lily’s nipple back in his mouth, torturing the sensitive tip with his teeth while Lily bit back a moan, her fingers unbuttoning his jeans and pulling his zipper down.

  “Take out my cock.”

  As Lily slid her fingers inside his jeans, it brought an exquisitely painful sensation to him, especially as she took out his engorged cock.

  He stared up at the beautiful woman staring down at him. “Do you have any fucking clue what you mean to me?”

  Her lips lost the seductive smile playing across her lips, turning serious. “I want to be the woman you want me to be. I know I’m not as experienced in how you like to make love, but I’ll try, Shade—”

  Her words broke off as Shade lifted her, rolling over until she was the one underneath him with him above her. Taking her hands in his, he raised them then pressed them down into the mattress above her head.

  “Shut up.” He slid his thigh between hers, wedging himself between her spread thighs, his cock brushing her shaved pussy. “I enjoy making love with you any way I can get you to give it to me.”

  One of her legs curled over his hip, pressing him down to her, as her anxious eyes stared up into his. “If you want me to do something, all you have to do is ask.”

  Shade frowned. “Why are you talking about this? Usually, you avoid talking about sex like the plague.”

  “No, I don’t,” Lily denied anxiously.

  Shade frowned down at her, arching a brow.

  “I won’t anymore,” she hastily clarified. “We can talk about it now, if you want to.”

  “I don’t want to talk about it right now. Right now, I want to do it.” Shade smiled gently down at her.

  “Oh.” Her eyes filled with disappointment.

  “Lily…?”

  “You were at the clubhouse a long time … last night.”

  “Yeah, so?” Shade said.

  She remained silent.

  Understanding dawned on him, and his smile widened. “Angel, I needed to talk to Lucky and Evie.”

  Relief had her sinking deeper into the soft mattress.

  “Why did you wait a whole day to say something?” Shade ran a finger over her cheek.

  “I needed to think about it first.”

  “You mean you needed to worry about it.”

  Reluctantly, she nodded.

  “Can you do a couple of things for me? Actually three, now that I think about it?” Shade asked.

  “Of course. What are they?”

  “The first is, you need to trust me. I’m not going to fuck around on you. I’m going to be at the clubhouse a lot when you’re not there. I’m telling you I won’t touch, and I’ll keep my word. Okay?”

  Lily nodded.

  “The second is you need to tell me when something’s bothering you.”

  “I will, some of the time,” Lily partially agreed.

  “All the time,” Shade corrected her firmly.

  “I can’t tell you every time something bothers me. That’s ridiculous.”

  Shade tightened his lips. “All the time, Lily. You thinking about shit isn’t good. You come up with crazy ideas, like me fucking around on you. You worried about nothing for a whole night and day.”

  “All right, I’ll confide in you more.”

  “Cool. Now the third thing is the most important, and I want you to give me your full attention on this.”

  “All right.”

  “Stay still; I’ll be right back.”

  Shade got off the bed, going into the kitchen then coming back within a couple of minutes. Lily hadn’t even turned her head to watch him leaving and entering.

  “My sweet angel obeyed her husband.”

  He climbed back onto the bed, placing a dollop of chocolate mousse on her chest between her breasts. Lily started to look down.

  “Stay still,” Shade said sharply. “It’s a spoonful of chocolate mousse. I’m going to fuck you, and if it moves, I’m going to quit fucking you and go to sleep. If it doesn’t, then I’ll reward you.”

  “Shade…”

  “Quiet, Lily.”

  Shade slid his aching cock into Lily’s warm pussy, driving himself in to the hilt. His woman already wanted to move, her eyes melting with desire. He bent over her, delicately licking a peaked nipple, and felt her tremble slightly.

  “Careful,” he warned, switching to the other nipple as he began to steadily fuck her.

  Lily’s thigh curled over his ass, pressing him down harder against her as she began whimpering. Shade bit down gently on the nipple in his mouth, and she sucked in a breath. The mousse trembled yet didn’t move. He let the slick nipple slip from his mouth, returning to the other one when she stiffened, preparing herself for his small bite. He made her wait for it as he began to fuck her harder, and her hands clenched in the comforter above her head.

  “You are so fucking tight and wet,” Shade groaned against her tit before giving her the bite she was waiting for.

  She moaned, remaining still.

  Shade hooked his hands under her knees, raising them to her chest and completely opening her pussy to his plundering cock.

  He raised his head from her nipple, seeing the mousse was still in the same spot he had placed it. He lowered his head, licking the small amount from her chest then laving the area until the mousse was completely gone.

  “Fuck me back,” Shade ordered.

  Lily lowered her arms, sliding them over his tattoo-covered shoulders as she raised her mouth for his kiss. Shade licked her lips, parting them before sliding his tongue inside to explore her mouth as if he had never kissed her before. She arched her hips, her pussy clenching in a series of climactic ripples.

  Unwilling to hold back any longer, Shade allowed himself to come, grinding his climax out into her until he collapsed, surrounding her with his body, his cock still inside of her.

  “That was … that was…”

  “That was pretty good,” Shade finished the sentence for her.

  Her mouth dropped in disappointment. “But I thought it was amazing,” she said softly.

  “Nope, only pretty good,” Shade said, lifting his body off hers then lifting her until she lay propped up on the pillows against the headboard of his bed. “We’ve only been married a few weeks and we start our honeymoon tomorrow, so the best is yet to come. If it’s already amazing, what have we got to look forward to?”

  Lily giggled. “In that case, it was just okay.”

  “That’s my angel. Now, for your reward.” He reached over to the nightstand, picking up the chocolate mousse. He placed a small amount onto the spoon then lifted it to her lips. Lily obediently opened her mouth, her eyes widening.

  “That’s the mousse we had at King’s the other night.”

  “Yes.” Shade took a spoonful for himself then scooped another spoonful for her, lifting it to her mouth again.

  “That was nice of King to give it to us.” Lily opened her mouth, sliding the rich mousse from the spoon.

  He moved the spoon away. Lowering his head, he licked the tiny spot of chocolate which had been left behind.

  “I thought it was a perfect way to apologize for his making an ass of himself today,” Shade stated, taking another spoonful for himself.

  “I’ll have to call and thank him,” Lily said as Shade fed her another spoonful.

  “You do that. Tell him I enjoyed it, too.”

  Chapter 73

  Shade frowned as he came out of the kitchen. He was going to paddle her ass when he found her. She had caught him busy in the kitchen and used the opportunity to go outside.

  Going to the bedroom, he jerked the blanket off the bed then put on his jacket and boots before going out. He stood briefly on the porch, just long enough to see her standing on the first rise almost half a mile away. His mouth tightened in anger. His woman was constantly putting herself in danger.

  He walked off the porch, moving as quickly as he could through the snow. He had warned her several times about how dangerous it could
be outside; not only from the cold environment, but from deadly predators. One of which was stalking her now.

  She didn’t even jump when he placed the blanket around her shoulders.

  Lily stood on the snow bank, shivering despite being dressed warmly. She kept sneaking out to look at the mountains. Shade shook his head at her, knowing it was a lost cause. She would never change; she would always be Lily, so sweet it made him ache.

  Her hand had been out when he had come up behind her. She had confessed shyly the night before when he had caught her doing the same thing that it was like holding the Northern Lights in the palm of her hand.

  “What did I tell you about sneaking out of the cabin, Lily? I’m going to punish you when I get you back inside,” he whispered into her ear.

  “I couldn’t resist, Shade. Isn’t it beautiful?” Lily whispered reverently. “I didn’t know anything so beautiful could exist.”

  “I didn’t, either,” he said, rubbing his cheek against hers. His tone was just as reverent, but he wasn’t watching the sky; he was staring down into her face.

  “All these years, I’ve waited to see this. It’s more spectacular than I ever believed possible.”

  He swept her into his arms, packing her back inside the warm cabin, shutting and locking the world outside.

  Shade had hot chocolate on the table in front of the couch and a warm fire blazing a few feet away. He heard her sip her chocolate as he threw a log onto the fire.

  He stood up, going into the bedroom then coming out with a small package, handing it to her.

  Lily opened the tiny package. Inside was the exact replica of the flower Gaige had destroyed at the fair so many months before. He had saved it to give her at the right time. Wanting it to be special, he had chosen their honeymoon.

  “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

  “Thank you, Shade. I love it.” She reached up, kissing his cheek.

  “I’m going to go take a shower. Can I trust you not to sneak out again?”

  “Yes.” She curled her legs under her, sipping her hot chocolate.

  She was still sitting and staring into the flames when he came back wearing only a pair of sweatpants.

  He sat down next to her on the sofa, his arm on the back of the couch. “What are you looking so serious about?”

  Lily shrugged, avoiding his question.

  “Lily?” He bore his gaze into her, demanding an answer.

  “Nothing, really. I was just thinking.” She looked up at him.

  He cupped her cheek, his thumb wiping away the lone tear clinging to her lashes. “About what?”

  “It’s just that I waited such a long time to see the Northern Lights … It would have been disappointing if they hadn’t been as beautiful as I thought they would.”

  “I’m sure it would have,” he said gently.

  “I was just thinking that you said you had waited for me since Razer had met Beth, and then I thought that … What if I wasn’t what you wanted? You might’ve become disappointed.”

  “You did a lot of thinking while I was in the shower.”

  “I know.” She nodded.

  “Lily, you only saw the Northern Lights in pictures. It’s different having expectations of something you don’t know anything about. I grew to know you over the years; what a warm, loving woman you are, how you can’t stand anyone hurt, and how strong you were to survive a childhood which would have seriously fucked-up anyone else.

  “Angel, I didn’t have expectations. I knew I wanted that sweet girl whose beautiful soul I could see in her eyes. The more I grew to know you, I wasn’t disappointed—I was captivated by everything I had learned. It was like unwrapping a pretty Christmas package and finding a work of art inside which was priceless. So, no, I wasn’t disappointed.”

  “You’re definitely not what I expected. Giving me flowery speeches on Valentine’s Day, a trip to Alaska to make my dream come true, even being a nice guy and giving Georgia’s brother her job so he would be able to support his kids and hers while she’s in prison.

  “The first time I saw you, all I could think about was how scary you looked with all those tattoos. Then they ended up being the reason I fell in love with you,” Lily said ruefully.

  “You fell in love with me because of my tats?” Shade asked, surprised.

  “I understood their meanings.” She reached up, touching the stars on the side of his neck. “The stars are your guide, so you always know what’s important. The compass, so you never lose your way home.” Her fingertips brushed the one on his collarbone. “‘Strength and Loyalty’ means someone strong enough to always protect me.” Her hand glided down to the tat scrawled across his chest. “‘Only Death Can Stop Me,’ someone who will always be there for me. When I realized their meaning, I realized I had found him.”

  “Who?” Shade’s asked tenderly.

  “I knew I had found my cowboy.” Lily circled Shade’s neck with her arms, touching his lips with hers in a kiss which showed how much she had come to love him.

  Shade lifted her into his arms, laying her down on the blanket in front of the fire. She smiled as she opened her arms to him, his beautiful wife staring up at him with dreams in her eyes. He was no dream man—that was for fucking sure—but he loved her, and he finally had her.

  “Why do I always feel each time with you is like the first?” he murmured against her throat.

  She rubbed her cheek against his. “Are you sure you’re not going to get tired of me after a few years?” she teased.

  “Fifty years of being married to you wouldn’t be enough,” Shade said, pulling down her top so he could trace the cleft between her breasts with his tongue.

  “Fifty years is a long time.” She ran her fingers through his hair.

  “I can prove it.”

  “How?”

  His lips smoothed away the frown on her forehead. “Ask me again in fifty years.”

  Chapter 74

  The cell phone rang as he was running a towel through his damp hair. They had been home from Alaska only since the night before, and it seemed like everyone had something they wanted to say or needed from them. When they had gotten home, they had been surprised by an excited Razer and Beth, who told them Beth was pregnant with twins. Now it seemed like Evie had news to impart.

  Shade picked up the phone. “What’s up?” he asked, leaning casually against the dresser as he watched Lily frantically dress for work. It might have been their first day home from their honeymoon, but he had already started the routine of making her late for work, again.

  “Guess who your sister has a date with next Saturday?”

  “Who?”

  “Lily’s ex, Charles.”

  Shade disconnected the call without saying goodbye then punched in Penni’s number.

  “Hey, bro,” she answered.

  “That date you have next Saturday? Cancel it,” Shade said ruthlessly without explanation.

  Lily bent over to put on her shoes, and Shade narrowed his eyes on her ass.

  “With Charles?” Penni asked.

  “That’s the one. Cancel it, now.”

  “Okay,” Penni agreed. “Anything else?”

  “No, that’s it. Be safe,” Shade told her then hung up.

  Lily stood up straight, blowing her hair out of her eye with frustration.

  “What was that all about?”

  “Nothing, just a small problem I needed to take care of. How late are you for work?” Shade asked, casually walking to the bedroom door as she picked up her purse.

  “Two hours. Rachel’s a sweetheart; I’ll buy her lunch…” Lily came to a stop in the middle of the bedroom floor, her mouth dropping open when she saw him leaning against the door, still naked with his arms crossed against his chest.

  “Uh, Shade, what are you doing? I really need to get to work.”

  His hardening cock swelled, pointing upwards to his tatted belly.

  “You have two options. I can fuck you, in which case you’re going to b
e another two hours late because I’m off today, and I told you to take off also,” he reminded her. “Or you can give me a blowjob, in which case you’ll be only thirty minutes later than you are now.” He shrugged. “It’s totally up to you which one you decide.”

  As Lily snapped her mouth closed, staring at him, Shade stubbornly stared back.

  She sighed, tossing her purse onto the bed, then walked seductively toward him, dropping to her knees in front of him.

  He groaned when she took him in her mouth. “That’s the one I hoped you would pick.”

  * * *

  The sound of a car pulling into to the parking lot had all the men staring at the ugly, puke-green car. Their expressions turned apprehensive when they saw the woman getting out.

  “That’s all I need right now,” Cash muttered.

  Shade watched Killyama approach, narrowing his eyes on her determined expression.

  “I need your help.” The bitch didn’t believe in beating around the bush.

  “Why should we help you?” She deserved Train’s smart-ass comment after the way she had been making fun at the brother’s expense.

  “Because if you don’t, I’ll ask Beth, Winter, and Lily for help.”

  Shade didn’t like to be blackmailed; it was a pet peeve of his, actually, because it showed vulnerability. Lily was his, and Killyama knew it.

  “What do you want?” Viper snapped, not any happier at being blackmailed than he was.

  Razer was the only one who had stayed silent, his clenching hands showing he was debating strangling her.

  We’re all pussy-whipped, Shade thought glumly to himself.

  “Fat Louise has put herself in a fucked-up mess, and I need you to help me get her out.”

  “What kind of trouble?” Train asked suspiciously.

  “She sneaked into Mexico to get her half-sister out.”

  The men stared at her blankly, completely surprised by her answer.

  “Fat Louise? She doesn’t even take a piss without one of you by her side,” Razer commented. “Besides, why did she have to sneak? The federales want her?” he joked.

  “You think this is funny?” she snapped, taking a step toward him.