Colorado 02 Sweet Dreams (59 page)

My hand wrapped tight, I pressed even closer, I aimed with more hope than certainty and, luckily, my teeth succeeded in nipping
his
lip.

Then I whispered, “She wants to give you a different kind of job, honey.”

I felt his lips smile before his mouth took mine in a deep, hot kiss.

He rolled to his back, pulling me on top of him and he stopped kissing me to invite on a murmur, “Knock yourself out, Ace.”

I grinned in the dark. Then I took my time moving down his chest. Then I took my time doing other things to him.

I’d stopped sucking and started licking when I heard Tate growl, “Stop fuckin’ around, babe.”

“Mm,” I mumbled against the head of his cock and his hands, already in my hair to pull it away from my face, fisted.

“Ace,” he called as I kept licking.

I didn’t reply, I took him in my mouth, his hips bucked up, I pulled him deep, heard his groan and then slid him out and glided my tongue from tip to base.

“Babe, seriously,” Tate warned.

My hand was wrapped around him, holding him so my mouth could work him, I swirled the tip and then stated, “I’m enjoying myself.”

“You’re makin’ a point,” he returned.

I opened my mouth over him and sucked him deep again. His big hands cupped my head and held it down so I gave him what he wanted until I heard him groan again then I pulled him out.

“Dammit, Laurie,” he growled.

“Patience, Tate,” I told him but he was done.

I knew this because he knifed up, I found my body pulled from between his legs and positioned at his side, my head still facing his lap. My knees were in the bed, he pushed them apart, yanked my panties down my behind and his hand was between my legs. He didn’t tease, he wasn’t playing, he was serious and it was my turn to groan, which I did, pushing my hips into his hand.

“Suck me off, babe,” he demanded.

“Okay, baby,” I gave in and immediately did as I was told.

It took some concentrated effort, considering he was working me, fast and hard while I was working him, fast and hard. But he kept giving it to me while I gave it to him so I had to return the favor.

Luckily, we both succeeded in bringing it home and it was unbelievably hot.

Tate righted my panties on my hips and my body in his bed and threw the covers over me before he went to the bathroom to clean up. When he came back, he took me in his arms and held me close.

Then he said, “We’ll talk about that shit in the morning.”

He didn’t sound angry. He sounded tired, satisfied but mildly disgruntled.

“What shit?” I asked, sounding much the same, except the disgruntled part.

“I get to play, babe,” he answered and my head came up.

“I don’t?”

“Nope.”

“Why?”

“You just don’t.”

I felt my chest seize and I whispered, “You didn’t like it?”

His body went still a moment then he burst out laughing and rolled into me so he was mostly on me.

“Tate –”

He cut me off. “It seem like I didn’t like it?”

“Well… no, you were, um… groaning and –”

“Clue in, Laurie, I’m gonna tease you and I’m not just gonna tease you in bed.”

“You were teasing?”

“Partly, yeah,” he answered.

“What’s the other part?”

“No woman has taken that kinda time with me.”

“So you liked it,” I stated hopefully.

His lips touched mine then slid to my ear where he said, “Yeah, baby, I liked it. And you can do it again. But, I’m just sayin’, I like to be the one who plays.”

“Oh… kay,” I said hesitantly because I didn’t get it.

“I like making you catch fire,” he went on.

“Okay.”

“And I like control.”

“Okay.”

“And I don’t like losin’ it.”

“So you didn’t like it.”

“Babe, I liked it.”

“But Tate, I don’t get it.”

He rolled us to our sides again and stated decisively, “You will.”

“I will?”

“Once you come fully into your biker babe, Ace, you’ll get it.”

I still didn’t get it but now he sounded amused so I knew he wasn’t angry and I was too sleepy to try.

I snuggled into him and muttered, “Well,
I
liked it.”

“I got that,” he muttered back.

I felt my brows draw together, “You did?”

“Babe, you were drippin’ wet when I got my hand between your legs.”

“Oh.” Well that explained that.

His hand slid into my hair and he gently ordered, “Sleep for me, Laurie.”

“Okay, Tate.”

“Sweet dreams, baby.”

I closed my eyes and snuggled closer. “You too, Captain.”

For some reason, his hand suddenly twisted in my hair, it didn’t hurt at all but there was something intense about it and my eyes opened.

“You’ll have sweet dreams?” he asked quietly and sounding like he cared, a lot.

God but I loved this man.

I felt my mouth smile and I pressed even closer.

“I’m a good girl, I always do what I’m told.”

His hand left my hair so both his arms could wrap tight around me.

“Love you, Ace,” he murmured and my stomach melted.

He said it. Right out.

He said it.

“Love you too, Captain.”

He kissed the top of my head and, in return, I kissed his chest.

Then I fell asleep and had sweet dreams.

Just like I was told.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Unpack

For a month and a half, nothing big happened.

Well, big things happened. I should say nothing
mammoth
happened.

* * * * *

The first big thing to happen was that Tate didn’t take Jonas back to Neeta.

This pissed Neeta off. She also blamed me for it. I knew it three days later when Tate had been called to go round up a fugitive from justice and therefore was out of town.

Even with more information, nothing had moved in the May-December case. Tambo told Tate that all the residents in the neck of the woods where Sunny was attacked didn’t fit the profile and every last one (not that there were many) had alibis.

This didn’t make Tate feel elated he had to go out and hunt down a fugitive. He didn’t like leaving me and his son when a murderer was on the loose. But he also had bills to pay and mouths to feed so he set up a posse of semi-bodyguards who drove me to work, took me home, stayed with Jonas when I wasn’t around and only left when they knew that I’d set the alarm. This posse included Pop, Dalton, Jim-Billy, Ned and even Wood. Once Tate set this up, away he went.

It was the very day he left when they came to Bubba’s when I was at work.

Three skanks, only one of them mildly attractive and one of them was overweight but dressed like a skank showing lots of skin. I tried not to be judgmental, to each their own, but really, exposing that amount of flesh when there was that amount of flesh to show was just plain wrong.

I knew they’d lived hard and rough and I could tell that by their faces
and
their attitude.

Twyla had squelched her own attitude enough to have been released from day duty (but only if I was working with her) so she and I were on nights and it was closing in on eleven. Dalton was behind the bar and Krys was back in the office when they came through the door.

I was standing at the bar in front of Dalton and he was completing an order when he looked over my shoulder, clocked them and muttered, “Fuck, Laurie, get behind the bar.”

I looked over my shoulder at them too, then at Dalton and asked, “Sorry?”

“Behind the bar,” Dalton repeated.

“You! Bitch!” I heard shouted and I looked back at the women to see they were advancing on me.

Like she had magic, Twyla appeared at my side.

The three stopped in front of me and the heavy one looked me up and down and stated, “What’s the big deal? She ain’t all that.”

Then the somewhat attractive one declared, “We’re here for Neet.”

“Oh my God,” I whispered, staring at them and figuring out who they were. “You’re Neeta’s posse.”

“Damn straight,” the non-descript skank confirmed like she was proud of this insane fact.

“You got a problem?” Twyla asked, moving slightly in front of me.

“Not your business, dyke,” the somewhat attractive one returned.

Oh no.

As Twyla’s entire body puffed up in affront, I quickly moved in front of her as Dalton made it to my side.

“Maybe you should just go,” I suggested.

“And maybe you should just leave Tate, bitch,” the somewhat attractive one ordered, definitely the voice of Neeta’s Crew. “He’s personal property, you get what I’m sayin’?”

“Are you serious?” I asked, thinking the whole thing was funny. Personal property? Had I been hurtled back through time to junior high?

“Deadly,” the somewhat attractive one leaned in and hissed and she looked serious.

“I’m not leaving Tate,” I replied only because they seemed to be waiting for my response. “And you all coming in here for Neeta is absolutely ridiculous. I mean, really?”

“You’re tryin’ to turn her boy from her,” the non-descript one alleged.

“Hardly,” I retorted.

“Carmen, maybe you should –” Dalton started to say to the mildly attractive one.

“Not your concern either, Dalton,” she cut him off then her head turned and she glared at Jim-Billy, a new arrival at our group. She looked him up and down, her lip curled and she sneered, “What you gonna do, Pops?”

“I’m just positionin’ so’s I can watch Twyla kick your ass up close,” Jim-Billy replied.

“Right,” she stated and turned her sneer to Twyla, “like we can’t take this bitch and her lesbo bodyguard.”

Quick as lightning, Twyla moved, jumping in front of me, her arm shooting out and she jabbed Carmen right in the nose. It took Carmen by surprise but it also wasn’t a light tap either. Her head jerked back, hair flying, she went back on a foot and her hands came up to her face. When they came down they were covered in blood as was the lower half of her face.

“You
cunt!
” she shouted and, without delay, they all pounced as one on Twyla.

And Twyla took on the lot.

The second it started, Dalton turned to me, put both hands to my waist and lifted me straight up, planting my booty on the bar. Then he tried to wade in but it was a whirl of hands and legs, big hair and fingernails so he could find no opening and eventually had to give up, step back and let the catfight reach its natural conclusion. Steg and Wings, two regulars, came to the bar to flank me, Jim-Billy got close and we all were trying to watch, leaning this way and that so as not to miss anything as Twyla beat the crap out of three skanks at once.

I decided, watching, they probably shouldn’t have come to a showdown in miniskirts and high heels. Twyla was definitely no pushover but I figured miniskirts and high heels put them at a further disadvantage. Not to mention, some of the unintentional crotch shots... seriously unattractive.

This went on for awhile, long enough for a standing crowd of bikers and locals to form around the ruckus, then it was stopped by the chilling sound of a shotgun ratchet.

The combatants all froze. Twyla had hold of Carmen’s skintight camisole in one fist and had her other arm cocked to deliver another blow; the non-descript one was on her knees, trying to get to her feet; the heavy one was rolling to her side and all of them looked up at Krys who was aiming a sawed-off shotgun at Carmen.

“What’d I tell you, Carmen?” Krys demanded to know.

Twyla pushed Carmen off and stepped away as they all got to their feet and rounded on Krys.

“I’m lookin’ out for my girl,” Carmen said to Krys, wiping blood from her mouth. “You know how it is and you know nothin’ll stop me.”

“I know you’re gonna get a taste of buckshot, you ever come into my bar again,” Krys shot back. “Told you the last time, you ain’t welcome here. I’ll tell you one more time, you ain’t welcome here. I’m warnin’ you, there won’t be a third time.”

Carmen locked eyes with Krys and Krystal didn’t flinch. She just held her gaze and held the shotgun steady, aimed at Carmen.

Finally, Carmen’s eyes cut to me.

“Watch your back,” she threatened, jabbing a finger at me.

That’s when the shotgun blasted. Buckshot imbedded in the ceiling, dust, bits and buckshot that didn’t find purchase raining down. I couldn’t stop my short scream or my knees from automatically curling up to my chest as my head snapped around to look at Krys. Everyone around the bar had ducked and mine wasn’t the only cry.

“You get near Laurie, in this bar or out of it, you answer to me,” Krys warned.

“Can’t carry that gun with you everywhere, Krystal,” Carmen returned.

“You touch Krys or Laurie, you answer to me too,” Steg, standing in front of me, stated. “Any of ya’ll,” he finished, his hand lifted high, his finger pointed down and twirling to indicate the entire crew.

“Neeta’s bullshit and your bullshit, it’s done,” another voice called and I turned to see Stoney, the owner of one of the biker paraphernalia shops on Main Street, chipping in.

“Yeah, grow up. What ya’ll think? You’re still in high school?” another voice yelled out.

“That bitch is tryin’ to take Neeta’s man and her boy,” the non-descript one defended, pointing at me.

“Far’s I can see, she’s already got Neet’s man and good for Tate,” Stoney put in. “Finally Tate’s got himself a woman who don’t cause no headaches and we all know Tate comes with his boy.”

“I wouldn’t say I don’t give Tate headaches, Stoney,” I clarified. “Seeing as I’m a biker babe in training, sometimes I mess up and make him mad.”

I heard chuckles, Wings turned toward me and grinned before saying, “You need lessons, darlin’, Tate’s gone, I’ll do what I can.”

“Thanks Wings, I’ll… um, consider that,” I lied on a smile, I felt eyes and I looked to see Carmen’s gaze narrowed on me.

“I don’t find you funny,” she said softly.

“I don’t care,” I replied.

“You’re still here,” Krystal prompted.

Neeta’s crew liberally handed out glares as they made their way to the door. I figured this was mostly to save face but I didn’t think too much about it. They were leaving, that was all I cared about.