Faster (Stark Ink, #3) (16 page)

She plucked the condom from the mattress, tore it open, and grabbed his cock with her free hand. It jerked in her palm. It was large. Possibly the biggest she’d had. She’d never really gotten a good look at the guy in the back seat.

She pressed the reservoir to the head and rolled it on carefully. When she finished, she looked up at him and smiled wickedly. “What do you think, cabrón? Another race to the finish?”

He grinned at her, his lips full and red from kissing. “Nah, muñeca. I’m thinking slow and easy. And definitely more than once.”

“Too bad,” she replied, positioning herself over him. “If I finish first, I’m going home.”

She sank down on him hard. A little too hard, maybe. The familiar burn was more like a sharp pain. “Fuck!” she cried and bit her lip.

Emilio gasped. “Yeah, we’ll get there, baby, but damn, how long has it been?”

“Shut up,” she snapped and began riding him. She could take needles at the shop and nose-dives on the Honda. She could handle this.

“Ava.”

She ignored him and rocked on top of him and he gave up being concerned. His hands slid up her belly to her tits. He palmed them firmly and then pinched her nipples. It wasn’t hard, but it surprised her. No one had ever done anything like that to her before. The small bite of pain warred with the one down below and she forgot it altogether.

His hand slipped lower and found her soft curls. She took in a sharp breath, thinking he would pinch her there, too. She didn’t think she’d like that nearly as much.

As if he sensed her fear, he rubbed her mound gently. “Shhh, muñeca. Not like that. Like this.” The pads of his fingers found her clit and he pressed it.

Ava bucked hard, almost dislodging his cock from her channel.

“Easy,” he coaxed her as he swirled his fingers over her swollen button.

Ava had played with her own clit, dozens—maybe hundreds—of times, but it hadn’t occurred to her to do it while fucking. Perhaps that’s why she always had to finish herself after.

Emilio kept his fingers low, just barely grazing her. If she wanted that friction, and oh God she
did
, she had to shove herself down on him, impale herself on his thick shaft. It was more like fucking herself than fucking him, but the look on his face told her he didn’t seem to mind. His free hand gripped her ass and held her steady as she rode him. His fingers dug into her skin just a tiny bit, but she liked the feeling of being held.

Her pussy was wet and soaking them both. Every time she slid up on him, more seemed to flow from her stretched entrance. His fingers continued to dance over her flesh and she had trouble catching her breath.

She had no idea how he knew her body so well, considering he’d only just been introduced to it. But every touch elicited a heightened response that was better than anything Ava had achieved on her own, or with anyone else.

His thumb swirled— exhilarating, electrifying— sending her to new heights. She felt a wave rising up from low in her belly, spurred on by the thick shaft inside her. Her body was a jangle of warring sensations. Her pussy tightened just as it felt as though she, herself, were expanding—
exploding
— outward in every conceivable direction.

“Oh, fuck,” Emilio gasped. His fingers halted. His eyes closed.

Ava was too far gone to need the extra stimulation now. She came hard, on him, around him, for him, and from him. She gripped his chest, nails digging in slightly, as she panted. Her breath nearly matched his own.

Beneath her, she felt the throb and pulse of his orgasm. Not quite together, but so closely timed that it felt like an avalanche. One ecstatic moment the catalyst for the other. Inextricable. Inevitable.

She collapsed on top of him and he gripped her hard, arms sliding across her sweat-sheened back and holding her tightly against him. He was warm and hard, raw and wild.

Now that she’d had him, she only wanted more.

Any thoughts she’d entertained about leaving after the show were fuzzy, blurred, and far out of reach. Her body was liquid, quivering. Her energy was sapped, completely spent in one glorious moment, courtesy of the man lying underneath her.

Ava closed her eyes and settled against him. She couldn’t leave but didn’t want to, anyway.

A
va awoke and had to take a moment to think about where she was. The sound of Emilio breathing evenly beside her reminded her almost instantly. She’d had fuzzy dreams, of being warm, cocooned. When she realized he had one arm around her, it made sense.

It was nice here, in the quiet morning. She could hear birds outside the window, and someone cutting their lawn. She closed her eyes for a moment and listened. After a moment or two, she could feel herself almost drifting back to sleep. It was tempting, too tempting.

She shouldn’t have stayed at all.

Emilio was resting comfortably beside her. She held her breath as she shimmied out from underneath his arm, trying hard not to wake him. One, because he looked so peaceful. Two, because if he woke, that peace would be shattered when she had to tell him she was leaving. And not coming back.

Her clothes were scattered all over and she scooped them up quickly, stuffing them into her arms. She crept out of the bedroom door and eased it shut behind her. In the living room, she hurriedly threw on her pants and boots, glancing every few seconds toward the hallway.

She cast about for paper, a pen, something to leave him a note with. When she didn’t find anything, she thought perhaps that was best. What could she even say?

She’d text him later. ‘Thanks, had a nice time. See you around.’

Except she wouldn’t see him around.

Ava didn’t think she had it in her to lie right to his face.

She snatched up her helmet, unlocked the front door, and slipped out. She only made it down the front steps, though.

“Hey!”

Ava turned to see Daisy sitting on the porch next door, coffee mug in one hand, waving to her with the other. Ava stifled a groan. Under normal circumstances, she liked talking to Daisy. Whenever the older girl came into the shop, they talked ink, which was Ava’s second favorite subject after bikes. But here, caught out, having obviously spent the night with Emilio, Ava just wanted to duck and run.

She crossed the yard quickly, intending only a quick hi and goodbye, but Daisy kicked the chair across from herself. She was grinning wildly. “I thought you two looked a little hot and heavy at the bar yesterday,” she called out.

Ava blushed as she remembered being confronted by Emilio in the hallway. She hadn’t thought anyone could see them. The way Daisy was cackling, Ava was certain the girl had seen everything. And then some.

Ava wrinkled her nose as she climbed the porch steps. “It wasn’t hot. Or heavy,” she insisted.

Daisy snorted. “Oh, honey, you two just about set the whole place on fire. I thought you might go at it right there in the bar!”

Ava grimaced as she took the offered chair. She shook her head. “Nope. No way.”

“Not for lack of interest.”

Ava sighed. There was no use in denying that she liked Emilio. She couldn’t lie about that. “Rule ninety-nine.”

“What’s that?”

Ava rolled her eyes. “Never do your woman in the bathroom.”

Shockingly, Daisy’s face turned a shade of red Ava had never seen before. Her mouth dropped open. “Oh! Oh, um...”

“Whatever,” Daisy said loudly, straightening herself in the chair. “Not my finest moment. I was desperate. Months in jail with only other chicks will do that to a woman.” She fingered her wedding ring lovingly. “Worked out okay.”

Ava sat back in her chair, shocked. “
Jail?
”

Daisy waved her hand. “Long story, not for young ears.”

Ava squared her shoulders. “I’m not that young!”

“Another time, then.” The blonde took a long sip of her coffee and looked at Ava over the rim. “Trying to sneak away?”

Ava squirmed. “It... wasn’t the way I drew it up.”

“Didn’t go well? ‘Cause, honey, if that’s the case, my vote is you try again. Because you two have some kind of
something
going on, that’s for sure.”

“It went fine. But—”

“Just fine?” Daisy asked archly.

Ava’s cheeks burned. “Better than fine,” she replied quietly. “I didn’t know it would be like that. Didn’t know it
could
be like that.”

Just then, the front door opened behind Daisy and a tall, dirty blond with a rough-hewn jaw stepped out to greet them. Ava had seen Jimmy Turnbull once or twice when he’d come into the shop, but she only knew him to say hi. Encountering him now was a different matter entirely, and one she wasn’t exactly prepared for.

He caught sight of her, hesitated for a moment, and then sleep must have seeped out of his brain, because he started grinning like his wife. “Walk of shame,” he teased.

Ava bristled. “I’m not ashamed!” But she was embarrassed and she was certain her face was as red as the jacket in her lap.

Behind them, Emilio’s voice interrupted them. “She’d better not be. I’ve got a good job, nice place. I’m
stunningly
handsome, and I’ve got abs for days.”

Ava sank low in her chair, avoiding eye contact. She hadn’t heard him approach. Now he was already climbing the steps of the Turnbull’s porch. So much for a quick getaway.

Emilio wasn’t about to let her hide from him, though. He crossed to her in two long strides, pulled her to her feet and laid a blazingly hot kiss on her mouth.

Daisy made a teasing squeal from behind them. “Yikes! Honey, get the hose!”

Easy snorted derisively. “Please, everyone knows I’m the hot one.”

Emilio laughed. “You used to be. Now, it’s me. I’m six-feet-three-inches of Mexican Spicy Chocolate.”

“What?!” Easy argued as he slid into the empty chair beside Daisy. “No. Just no. Louisiana Hot Sauce is where it’s at.
Six-foot-five-inches
of Bayou Bad-boy. No woman can resist me.”

Daisy reached out and smacked him on the back of the head.

He ducked away from her. “I mean, they wouldn’t!” he corrected. “If I cared, which I don’t!”

As their playful slap fight devolved into kissing, Emilio gripped Ava around the waist, turned, and sank into her vacated chair while pulling her down on top of him. She landed with a soft
whump
in his lap.

His lips immediately found her ear. “Trying to run out on me?” he whispered darkly.

Ava shivered as his arms coiled around her like snakes, pinning her. She swallowed hard. “No,” she replied quietly.

His teeth grazed her ear lobe, nipping her.

She suppressed a yelp.

“Lies,” he whispered.

Without intending to, she sank back against him with a small sigh. It felt good to be wanted, she had to admit.

“All this food talk between you two is making me hungry,” Daisy announced. “What are you doing tonight?” she asked Ava.

Ava shrugged. “I work in the afternoon, but after that, nothing, I guess.”

Daisy turned to Emilio. “Bring her to dinner.”

Emilio looked surprised and Ava felt deflated despite having told herself it was just one ride. Last night, though, had turned out to be so much more than she could have hoped. It wasn’t quite as easy to give up as she’d imagined.

To her relief, Emilio’s mouth played out a lazy grin as he glanced at her. “Hadn’t thought of it,” he admitted. “Sounds like an awesome idea, though.”

“Do you play poker?” Daisy asked.

Ava dragged her eyes away from Emilio’s lips and nodded at the woman. “With my brothers sometimes.”

“Excellent!” Daisy declared.

Easy groaned. “Damn it!” He glared at Emilio. “You can’t find a nice, sweet, totally innocent chick to bring home?” he demanded. “Like Tildy? We don’t need another woman who can play cards!” He leaned forward. “They’re outnumbering us! We’ll be overwhelmed.
We’ll lose ground
,” he hissed.

She blushed and ducked her head as Emilio’s lips came down on her neck.

“Nope,” he declared. “This is the one I want. Sexy, dangerous, fearless. She can handle Poker Night. I’m sure of it.”

Easy laughed. “As though you can judge,” he teased. He leaned toward Ava and loudly whispered, “He can’t really play. We let him sit at the table, but he damn near loses everything he makes at the garage.”

Emilio bristled. “That is
not
true!”

“It is,” the older man beamed. “We would have kicked him out a long time ago, ‘cept his mama sends a check every week so we’ll pretend to be friends with him.”

Emilio rolled his eyes.

“True story!” Easy insisted.

Ava smiled. She liked Daisy, and she’d met Easy a few times before, when he’d come into the shop. She wanted to play.

What could be so hard about playing some cards? She licked her lips nervously and craned her neck to look at him. “Does anyone get naked at this Poker Night?” she whispered.

Behind her, Easy and Daisy laughed.

Thankfully, Emilio shook his head. “Nah, muñeca. There
is
a ninja cat, though. Very dangerous, very sneaky. She’s friendly, but kind of in a semi-psychotic, always-high-on-catnip way. She has claws and she’s not afraid to use them to get attention.” He leaned forward. “
Kind of like you
,” he stage whispered.

Daisy giggled and Ava knew she’d heard. She elbowed Emilio sharply in the ribs.

“You’re coming,” Daisy declared, possibly to save Ava some embarrassment. “It’s settled. I won’t take no for an answer. And I know where you live.”

Reality came crashing back and Ava leaned against Emilio, suddenly deflated. “Um,” she said, clearing her throat, “I just remembered, I have to—”

Daisy shook her head. “You just remembered that you have
nothing
to do. And you’re coming to Poker Night.”

As her mind whirled to come up with a response that would get her out of it, Ava’s thoughts incidentally landed instead on something that Easy had said just a moment ago. A glimmer of hope burned within her, a way out of the mess with Clint and the Buzzards, and the way into a relationship with Emilio.

“Okay,” she said suddenly, and though she was actually enjoying herself, she slid out of Emilio’s lap to leave. To nip her growing crisis in the bud as soon as possible.