For Her Honor (15 page)

He walked over to her, threading his fingers through her damp hair. “What I want is to put that air conditioner in, then strip you down to that sweet smellin’ skin and get you in bed.”

Jesus, he was making any resolve she had to keep to her own little corner of Tippitt slowly fade.
His eyes. His voice. The feel of his hands in her hair. The very scent of testosterone oozing out of him. Karen was now free to make her own choices, since the last one had been made for her to come here. And she was going to make one now. She only hoped it was the right one. “Know what I want?”

“Tell me.”

“Screw the air conditioner and let’s just get to bed.”

~~~***~~~

The bedroom was thick with the night August heat which made getting naked all the more hot. More than sex, Taz loved a woman’s body – the feel of it, the way it responded, the way a light sheen of sweat covered an expanse of smooth skin from exertion. Karen matched his intensity, and he was unable to keep from smiling into her mouth as she hungrily kissed him while pulling his clothes off. The bed only had a thin bottom and top sheet covering it, which was all they needed. Hell, he’d take her on the bare mattress if he had to. This desirable woman with her deep red hair and pale green eyes was beginning to spin him out of control.

And he was about to make her do the same thing
.

“Time to take this lyin’ down,” he said, hoisting her up.
Her legs locked around his waist, causing her bare center to grind against his lower abdomen. Depositing her flat on her back, he crawled up her body like a panther, his mouth and teeth nipping and sucking her skin which smelled like peaches. Her hands were in his hair, pulling and scratching as she writhed underneath him, thrusting her body up as he reached her tits. Those pretty, little tits were less than a handful, but those nipples drove him wild. Dusty pink and achingly erect, he caught one in his mouth, lapping his tongue around until his stud wildly flicked over its tip.

Karen sucked in her breath and jerked up.
“Ah! Taz.”

Her fingers began to pull his hair harder as she pushed her tits closer to his face.
He knew exactly what this was doing to her and wanted to do it elsewhere. “Mmm,” he growled while his hand dipped low. Separating her legs, his fingers found her wet and swollen. “Jesus, Karen.” He shoved two up inside her and she practically convulsed. “Fuck!” He slid his face down her body until it was cradled between her thighs. Slowly, he began to lap short, fast strokes over her clit with his stud. Karen almost came off the bed as her body arched and bucked, her breath coming on rapid bursts as her fingers now fisted the sheet on either side of her.

“Taz…..Taz……oh
my……..oh my God!”

Fuck, she came – fast
. She was making a habit of it. He had barely even gotten started, that was how aroused she had been. He slid his body up hers, those beautiful eyes hooded and misted. “Told you it was all about feelin’, sweetheart.” He punctuated that by running the stud across his teeth before kissing her, letting her taste herself on him. Her legs rubbed up against his sides as she tried to grind herself against him, clearly turned on to the max and wanting more.

“Yeah, can’t wait,” he panted, pulling away from her.
He swept his hand under the pillow for the condom he’d shoved under there before ridding himself of his clothes. It was rolled on and he was in her in record time. His initial invasion made him grunt with relief. “Shit, Karen, you feel great.” For several minutes they clung to each other, their bodies sensual and slick with sweat as she met every thrust in unison. There were no words, only erotic sounds of pleasure as they both worked to reach their peaks. And when their satisfaction came, he felt her nails dig into his neck, causing him to bury his face in the crook of hers. She gasped and cried out while he let out an animalistic groan as they finally found release.

Taz lay
on top of her for a few moments – the scent of peaches and pheromones intoxicating him. He loved this moment as much as he loved the act. Having a woman he’d just brought to orgasm catching her breath under him was a confirmation of his male prowess. All his life he’d been the man of the house, even through his ma’s broken string of male companions. He’d become a pro at taking care of things, whether for the woman who’d borne him or the club whose call he unquestionably answered. It was the reason he lived and loved his life free of any other constraints or commitments. But like Aero had told him, they weren’t getting any younger, and the game of rotating pussy just got old. Taz had never second-guessed that before, at least not until Miss Karen Hanson had showed those lovely green eyes in Tippitt. Suddenly, every rule he’d clung to for his carefree life was slowly beginning to bend.

“Hey.”

He lifted his head and stared into those eyes of hers. She licked her lips while running a hand over his face. He took it and kissed it then knocked his stud against his teeth. “So, was I right?” His cocksure confidence was something he’d never lose.

She gr
inned, her cheeks tinged pink. “Okay, yes.” Damn, she was fucking pretty when she blushed. He rolled off as she sat up. “How about putting that thing in and I’ll get us something cold to drink?”

Taz smiled before hopping off the bed, pulling the hand she offered.
He indulged one more time to hold her naked and flush against him. “I’d say that’s a good exchange.” He kissed her, then playfully slapped her on the ass before she went for her clothes. “Don’t bother.” He picked up his clothes and tossed her his black t-shirt. “Easy access later.”

She caught it, holding it up to her body.
“Oh? There’s going to be a
later
?”

He stepped into his jeans.
“There’s gonna be an
all night
if you keep standin’ there.”

“Hmm.” She shimmied the t-shirt over her head.
“Maybe I’ll stay right here then.”

He was in front of her within a
split second, one hand thrust into her hair and pulling her head back while the other slid down to where the hem of his t-shirt barely covered her ass. “You’re gonna leave this on while I fuck you on all fours. How’s that sound?” The movement in her throat told him she’d swallowed – hard- at that thought. “Thought so.”

Chapter Fifteen

The cool
bedroom caused Karen to curl up tight under the thin top-sheet Sunday morning. She hadn’t put a comforter on the bed. She hadn’t had to. The man she had plastered herself against gave off enough heat to keep her warm. Her life had been on a constant whirlwind of change since February. Over the course of six months she’d gone from having everything to losing it all. And in the course of three weeks she felt as if she was slowly reclaiming some of it back.

She
’d never figured a man into the big picture – let alone the one beside her. He was the kind of guy Sam sentenced to jail, not perfectly-suited Preston. Her mother’s little book club would probably exile her if Karen ever showed up hand in hand with Taz. That thought made her smile under the covers as she inched closer. Peeling the sheet back, she feasted her eyes on his body, which was gloriously on display as he lay flat on his back. Aside from a light dusting of black hair on his chest and forearms, his skin was taut, chiseled and smooth. All she wanted to do was touch him, maybe even press her lips against the flat of his stomach. Instead she got even closer, taking in the natural, masculine scent he gave off as her hair brushed up against his arm.

“What’re you up to?”

She pulled her head away to see a pair of sleepy black eyes look down at her and shook her head. “Nothing. Just looking for a little warmth.”

“I can
turn the air conditioner off.”

“No.
Just, it’s a small room and with the door closed it’s like a fridge in here.”

Rolling towards her, he reached out and pulled her flush against him, tucking her face into his chest.
“Better?”

Oh yeah.
“Uh, huh.”

“Ain’t used to livin’ so primitive, huh
, sweetheart?”

“Guess you
don’t know what you got till it’s gone.”

He stroked her hair.
“Can’t imagine you as some spoiled little rich girl.”

“I wasn’t.
My dad’s a partner in a big accounting firm in downtown Cincinnati and my mom reaps the rewards of it. My sister and I both went to college, but she decided to use her degree to marry well rather than make her own way. Her and my mom are two peas in a pod.”

“And you’re
Daddy’s girl?” He asked.

“Let’s just say we’re each other’s escape.
My mom indulges in the society thing while my dad’s idea of recreation is playing tennis and singing in the choir. My sister Shelia can’t even unscrew a light bulb without calling a repair crew.”

“And you can’t fix your radiator without some biker coming to your rescue.”

She tweaked his side. “Very funny. Thing is, I don’t need to have a gardener or cleaning lady or call someone to plunge the toilet. I liked my job. I worked my way up to management, saved my money and bought a condo all on my own. Mom saw that as a deterrent to finding a
proper
husband.”

He absentmindedly played with her hair.
“And a
proper
husband was someone who turned out to be a thief?”

Karen shook her head.
“Think that’s what pissed my mom off the most – that a man she thought was absolutely perfect for me is now sitting in jail.”

“Best things don’t always come in shiny packages, sweetheart.”

She balanced her chin on his chest. “Is that self-proclamation?”

“My ma seems to think so.”

“You have a good relationship with her.” It was a statement, not a question.

“Yeah, we do
. She had to be mother and father. It wasn’t easy raisin’ someone like me. Soon as she got her groupie shit out of her system, I started cookin’ my own oats. The club really solidified the family thing – made me appreciate my ma even more.”

It kind of saddened Karen that Taz had the kind of relationshi
p with his mother that she had never had with her own. But Janice Morrell and Betsy Hanson were cut from two different cloths. One was fine linen and the other was sandpaper. But the former rock groupie had showed Karen more kindness in several weeks than her own mother had since the entire Preston fiasco had broken loose. She felt unrestrained here, not being under Betsy’s microscope of propriety. She was able to relax and let go, especially last night.

Oh, shit, last night.
Taz may not have kept her busy all night as promised, but he put a good dent into it. He also made good on his word to get her on all fours and fuck her while she wore his t-shirt. She still pictured it, pushing herself back against him while his hands wildly caressed her ass. Shit, she was getting hot just thinking about it again. Yeah, she and Preston had sex and spent the night together, but he was usually up before the sun was and checking the stock markets rather than snuggling in bed. Not that this biker screamed ‘snuggler,’ but she could tell by the way he treated her, the way he held her, the way he took his time with her body that he knew how to treat and appreciate a woman. Good job, Janice!

“Karen?”

“Hmm?”

“You better do somethin’ about that.”

She snapped her eyes up to his face which was as dark and tense as the rest of him before following where his eyes looked below. In the midst of her sexual reminiscing, she was fondling his now-stiff cock. She didn’t bother removing her hand, instead continued to stroke him more rhythmically. He threw his head back on the pillow and sucked air between his teeth. The look on his face emboldened her. The power to pleasure him was literally in her hand, and she was horny enough to take it one step further.

Pushing the sheet down, she dipped her head below his waist
. She gave him a preliminary lick, causing his pelvis to jerk up. “Oh…..yeah, sweetheart. That’s it. Do it, Karen. Fuck, girl, give me that mouth of yours.”

She did, engulfing him in one suck as he fisted her hair in his hands.
“Fuck! Holy…….
fuck
, Karen!”

She took him deeper, running her hand up and down the base of his cock in unison.
She’d never been an expert at this, but natural instinct and an enthusiasm empowered her. As her pace increased, so did his frantic breathing. “Karen…..shit…..shit, girl.” His hand tightened in her hair. “Fuck it, I’m gonna…….”

He came and she pulled back a bit, choking but taking most of it down.
He must’ve sensed it and released her hair, allowing her to sit up. Wiping her chin, she reached for the half-full bottle of water from the night before and took a swig. Coughing a bit she gave him a sheepish look. “Sorry.”

He shrugged.
“No such thing as a bad blow job. Well, unless teeth and blood are involved. Just need to get seasoned, sweetheart.” He then flashed her that brilliant grin. “I could use breakfast now.”

Food.
Sunday. Shit, Eva’s house. “Are you going to this cookout at Ben and Eva’s later?”

He nodded.
“Correction,
we’re
going.”

“I g
uess tongues won’t wag too much if we show up together,” she said. “Doug’s kind of expecting it.”

“What?”

She repeated running into him at Ticker Liquor yesterday and Taz relaxed. “Least I won’t have a dozen questions.”

“Sorry.”

“For what?”

She shrugged.
“I honestly don’t know. Guess both our respective paths took a detour.”

“Guess so.
Karen?”

“Yeah?”

“If anyone asks, you’re……..
with
me. Got it?”

Karen was beginning to feel more
than
with
this man, which was absolutely crazy. This wasn’t supposed to happen. It wasn’t part of the plan. West Virginia was supposed to be a ‘pause and breathe’ moment, then hopefully she’d head back to Cincinnati without having to hide her face. But she liked it here, this little town with its quirky name, friendly folks and local bikers. She didn’t have a managerial position, fancy condo or brand new car, but she was surprisingly content. She was pausing. She was breathing. But the thought of leaving after a while didn’t sit well. No, not at all. She wanted to stay. In this town. In this little house.

With
this man.

God, this was beyond crazy.
It was ludicrous. And it felt great.

“Got it.”

~~~***~~~

“I guess my ‘nesting’ got a bit out of control.” Eva just didn’t have food – she had
food.
“I just had this sudden urge to feed people,” the expectant mother continued, as she put the finishing touches on a large bowl of salad.

Karen knew there were hungry men outside, but it looked as if Eva
had cleaned out the butcher. Baby back ribs, hot dogs, hamburgers, sausage and various chicken parts were either seasoned or marinating in a vat of tangy liquid. There was also potato salad, macaroni salad, seafood salad, tossed salad, a mountain of rolls and bags of snacks. She didn’t even want to think about the dessert Janice had brought. “I guess so.” Karen had a tray filled with condiments to bring out, while Kelly gathered plastic cups, cutlery and napkins. Perri was there as well and was turning to coat all the uncooked meat. Karen wondered if she was
with
Doug the way she was
with
Taz.

“I got the door.”
Kelly opened the slider leading to the deck of Ben and Eva’s pretty, little Victorian home. Karen went out first with her full tray while the rest of the women followed. Two young guys wearing leather with
Prospect
on their backs had covered a large picnic table after setting up a rented tent for anyone wanting to seek out shade on a hot, dry August day. The men were either relaxed in lawn chairs, beers in hand, or lying on the grass catching sun with their shirts off. Across the way, Karen noticed an older woman watering her flowers while peering over a picket fence on the property line. What an eyeful she must have been getting!

She and Kelly set everything on the table while Perri brought the meat to the grill
, where Doug had established himself as the cook. With strict order to still rest, Janice sat at the picnic table devouring pretzels. “How’re you feeling?”

Janice gave her a pained look.
“Like shit,” she replied, reaching for the potato chips.

“I take it because you mean you’re not
smoking.”

“Taz threatened to tar and feather me if I even sniff a pack.
Now I can’t stop eating. And I own a fucking bakery. I’m gonna be three hundred pounds by Christmas.”

“So, start exercising.”

Janice snorted. “What like join a gym and watch tight, little twenty-somethings prance around in shorts the size of my bra? I’m on my feet all day. Last thing I want to do when it’s over is anything that doesn’t involve me and a couch.”

“Being on your feet isn’t exercise.
You need to move. Keep the blood flowing. Even if it’s a thirty-minute walk after you close up.”

Janice shrugged while eyeing the cheese doodles.
“Boring.”

“Not if you have a walking buddy.
I could meet you after work. We can just walk around town or you can come by my place and we’ll walk down to the reservoir.”

Janice laughed with remembrance.
“Can’t tell you how many classes Taz skipped to sneak down there with his friends. I’m surprised he even graduated high school. Sounds good. But I’m sure you’ve got better things to do after work.”

“I could go home and do
Pilates now that I’ve got an air conditioner.”

“Hmm
.” Janice hummed. “Guess your bedroom’s nice and cool now, huh?”

Oh God, did she know?
“Um, yeah.”

“Uh, huh.
My son doesn’t give up his own comfort for anyone.”

Karen laughed.
“We’re just taking it slow.”

“Oh, please, Karen.
You know what goes on at the clubhouse on Saturday nights? Parties that turn into orgies, with my son smack in the middle of it. But he wasn’t there last night. And the fact you pulled up with him riding bitch meant he didn’t exactly sleep without air conditioning.” Karen couldn’t hide a confirming look, to which Janice smiled. “Am I right?”

“Okay, fine.
He spent the night. But…..”

“You’re taking it slow,” Janice filled in for her.
She then looked over to where Taz was standing and staring at the two of them. “I’m not pushing. I don’t have to. You two are unfolding all on your own. My meddling days are done. I’m just gonna sit back and watch.”

Everyone practically had her and Taz pegged as a couple.
And the way his eyes followed her throughout the course of the day was like his way of putting that stamp on her. It was both chauvinistic and sweet at the same time. She had convinced herself that this new start meant taking a new set of chances in life. She honestly had no idea where this was going, but as Taz had been unattached for so long, she didn’t think his decision to be
with
her had been made lightly.