“Don’t mention it, sweetheart. Nothing Bear and Jax wouldn’t do for Raine. We take care of our own.”
Chapter 1
The day before
Scarlett
Sinking into the tub, I let the warm lavender and sage bubbles pop around me as I reached for my stemless wine glass filled with my favorite Malbec. Frozen blueberries floated around in the dark liquid, and the sweet earthy notes coated my lips and tongue as steam billowed up from the water.
It’s the little things in life.I could hear my father’s words echoing in my mind as I leaned back and took in the calming moment.
Bear had been called to the clubhouse on some business he couldn’t tell me about, and I was taking advantage of the alone time. As an old lady, there were secrets that had to be kept from me. I understood that, but curiosity had its way of getting the best of me, and distracting myself was the only way I could cope.
Finding my place in Aubrey Parr’sLove on the Malecon, Ilet myself get whisked away to the beautiful city of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for a while. I loved getting lost in sweet romances while relaxing in a nice, hot bath filled with decadent bubbles; there was nothing better—well, almost nothing. This one had a little romantic suspense in it that kept the pages turning quickly.
Just as I reached the end of Nicole and Derek’s story, I heard the front door slam.
“Babe? I’m home,” Bear’s throaty voice called up the stairs as his boots stomped heavily.
“In the bath, handsome,” I answered, removing the stopper to drain the water.
He walked in, grabbed a towel, and helped me up. His strong hands dried me off with the plus fabric as I kissed his soft lips.
“Everything all right?” I searched his worried eyes, the wrinkles at the corners pulled down as he tried to offer a reassuring smile.
“Everything is perfect now that I’m home with you.” He hugged me to his rock-hard chest before asking, “Hungry?”
I nodded rapidly.When was I not?
“Bacon time!” Bear sang out as he scooped me up into his arms, twirling me around in the large bathroom a few times as I giggled.
Even though it was well past eleven at night, I could always count on my guy to run into the kitchen and fry up some bacon and eggs for me.
Bear pulled off his dark gray flannel, tossing it over to me to put on as I followed him down to the kitchen. The musky aroma of cherry wood and gasoline filled my nostrils as I breathed in Bear’s scent from his worn shirt. Most women would think it was grotesque, but it washissmell and I couldn’t get enough of it.
After putting on hisKiss the Cookapron, Bear made quick work of our breakfast for dinner. I loved sitting at the kitchenette table watching my big, strong, manly man hum and sway while he fixed our meal.
As he set our plates on the worn wood, the furrow in his brow and the way his lips were set in a hard line sent my spidey senses into overdrive. I knew better than to ask, knew my place as his old lady, but I couldn’t stand seeing him like that.
Standing, wearing only his oversized button-up shirt, I ran my fingers down his tattooed bicep. As he looked down at me, I bit my lip and gave him a knowing smirk. I couldn’t talk to him about what was wrong, but I could distract him from it for a while.
With one swipe, Bear cleared the table, sending the plates crashing to the floor, the bacon and eggs landing in a mangled mess on the linoleum.
“The bacon!” I gasped dramatically, teasing Bear.
He shrugged. “Bacon was a casualty but something had to be sacrificed for this.”
With a deep, throaty rumble, he picked me up by the waist and threw me onto the slick wood before ripping open the flannel. The sound of buttons popping and our breaths quickening echoed in the small space as Bear got down onto his knees.
Kissing my skin in rapid fire, he made his way lower as his short nails dug into the tender flesh of my inner thighs, tearing them apart for him to gain access. His hunger grew ravenous as he expertly sucked and licked my pulsing clit, sending every cell in my body into a frenzy of lustful euphoria.
Two of his fingers explored my wetness as his tongue worked magic. I was a goner within minutes.
“Cum for me, baby. I wanna taste how much you love this,” Bear growled against my delicate skin.
My back arched, my knees quivered, and I cried out his name.
“Good girl.” He sighed as he got back to his feet.
