“Oh no, you definitely did,” she says, kissing me as I lay her down on the bed. “Will you sleep in here with me tonight?”
“If that’s what you’d like, I’d be honored.”
She bites her lip, worried. “Will Ace and Cash mind?”
I shake my head as I climb under the covers beside her, pulling her into my arms like a little spoon. “Not even a little bit. Same as I won’t mind if you spend time with them without me,” I add, kissing her head.
“You guys are amazing, I feel like I’ve conjured you up in my head and one day I’m going to wake up and find out the whole thing was just a dream,” she says softly, stroking her fingers along my arm.
I’m surprised to hear that she feels like this. She’s a fair bit younger than us, and I haven’t dared to let myself believe she might feel the same way as me, that this isn’t just a bit of fun experimentation for her. “I feel the same.” She struggles to keep her eyes open, and I know she’s trying not to fall asleep. “Sleep now. I’ll be right here when you wake up, I promise,” I say, kissing her cheek.
She mumbles good night, already drifting off in my arms. I hold her close all night, not wanting to let her go.
Chapter 16
Naomi
It’s been three weeks since the guys and I gave in to our desires. Three weeks of the most incredible, mind-bending sex, punctuated with the stress and anxieties of being at war with a rival club and helping my brother kick his addiction. I suppose that’s why at the end of every day we’re tearing at each other’s clothes and fucking our worries away. Ironically, the only thing keeping me together is them ripping me apart as I fracture under orgasm after orgasm.
Eli gets out of the rehab clinic today. Against all of our wishes, he’s insisted that we hang out at the clubhouse tonight to celebrate. “I’ve never had a problem with alcohol, and you know it, Mouse. I just need to be around other people and feel normal. Please?” he’d begged. Eventually, we gave in and agreed, on the condition that I could decide when the party was over. “I’ll be as good as gold. I promise,” he said with a wide grin, a glimmer of the man he was before all this. I hope that I can get my brother back, the old Eli, before he ever crashed and met the Rusted Scythes.
Eli is going to stay with us for a few days until he can move into his new place. For obvious reasons, neither of us can go home. Eli assumes I’ll be moving back in with him. I haven’t found the right way to tell him I want to stay here yet. The guys have made it clear that the choice is mine, but I’m more than welcome to stay living with them. Although nothing will be changing, it feels like a big decision. Would that mean I was officially moving in? That we’re in a relationship and this is morethan just sex? I need to talk about this with them all, but I don’t know what to say.
While I’m excited that Eli is coming home, I can’t say I’m looking forward to having him in the house. He doesn’t know about the guys and me yet, and I can’t imagine we’re going to be able to hide it from him for long. The idea that Eli’s presence is going to force us into celibacy for a few days is one that none of us is looking forward to. My suggestion that we’d just have to be quiet was met with amused expressions. “I’d say that’s impossible,” Cash said. “Unless we gag you.” The suggestion held so much sexual promise that it made me tingle and my toes curl. I know Cash has a darker side to his sexual fantasies that we’ve not yet explored.
I decided to wear a dress tonight, which is unusual for me. I spend most of the time in jeans or shorts in the summer. Basically, anything I can ride my bike in. The dress is one of the few I now own. A slinky black number with spaghetti straps and a low back. It falls mid-calf and has a split that rides up dangerously high. Because I’m not the kind of girl to wear heels, I pair it with my trusty boots. The surprised yet appreciative looks I receive from the guys tell me I look good. I’ve even blown my hair out and curled it slightly for that Fifties Hollywood pinup style. With the colored streaks in my hair and my lack of curves, I’m a far cry from Marilyn Monroe, but the guys react as if I’m a sex goddess, making me feel like one.
“You look amazing,” Gage says as I open my bedroom door and invite them inside. He wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me in for a quick kiss.
“Thank you. You clean up well yourself. You don’t even have engine grease under your fingernails,” I gently tease.
None of them has dressed up for the occasion, but they still look sexy as all hell in their jeans and tight t-shirts that show off their muscles.
“You look very nice,” Ace says. He’s not the best at compliments, so I appreciate his effort.
“Good enough to eat,” Cash purrs, making me blush, remembering how only a couple of hours ago he had buried his head between my legs. When he kisses me, I can still taste myself on his tongue.
I can feel the sexual tension in the air, and I know that if we stay here any longer, we’ll crack and fall into bed. The thought of Eli downstairs, hearing everything, is enough to stop me. Just. “Let’s go,” I say, weaving past them toward the stairs. They reluctantly follow.
Eli is waiting in the living room, looking better than I’ve seen him in a long time. His pale blond hair has been combed into submission, though already a couple of strands are sticking out at odd angles. He looks clear-eyed and freshly shaven. He wears a crisp white shirt and jeans. He’ll stand out like a sore thumb at the club. But I know everyone will welcome him regardless.
“Wow, what have you done with my tomboy sister?” he says.
“Shut it, you,” I reply with a smile, pulling him in for a hug. “Let’s go introduce you to the club.”
Apprehension flickers across his face. “Maybe this was a bad idea after all. Everyone will hate me. They’ll see me as one of the Rusted Scythes, or worse, as a coward who couldn’t protect his sister.”
“No, they won’t, Eli, you’re one of us now,” Ace replies. I feel stupidly grateful for him.
***
The evening has been going better than I could have hoped. Ace was right, everyone has been very welcoming to Eli and me. Just like last time, the bar has a warm, friendly atmosphere. It’s a place where people can blow off steam and hang out with their friends.
Cash and Eli are busy chatting about computers and how Eli can help Cash more effectively run the club’s books. The rest of us got bored with that conversation very quickly and started chatting amongst ourselves. We’ve been swapping motorcycling stories and making each other howl with laughter at our foolish escapades.
We’re so deep in conversation that we don’t even notice Cherri, Ace’s ex, sauntering over until she’s standing right by our table, clearing her throat dramatically for attention.
“Hey, Ace,” she says, flicking her hair. “Get me a drink?”
