Illicit Temptations (Tempted Series Book 1) (23 page)

“Can’t say that it was,” he said hunching forward his hands resting on his knees as he looked at me. “When we get home I’ll take you out for your birthday. We’ll replace last night’s debauchery and make good memories.”

I smiled slightly. “I’m just kidding…,” I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t like making a big deal of my birthday anyway, but it just sucks that it happened on my actual birthday. I’ll always remember the date this all went down.”

He cocked his head to the side fighting the cocky grin that was creeping on his mouth.

“So you’ll always remember the date you were finally kissed properly,” he shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe the whole gunfire extravaganza has its perks.”

“Jerk,” I said, nudging his shoulder back a little as he chuckled.

      
“You do remember, don’t you? Or do you need me to remind you?” He questioned, as he stared at my lips.

Actually, I had forgotten he had kissed me, but his words brought back the image of us in the hallway. I guess he was right there was a distinct difference between the way Mikey had kissed me and any kiss I had ever had before. His kiss was more than just his lips meshing with mine. It was consuming and something I didn’t feel with just my mouth, I felt it throughout my body down to my toes even now just remembering I could feel it in those little electric currents that felt like fire running through my veins.

“I remember,” I whispered hoarsely as he reached forward, tucking a strand of my messy hair behind my ear.

“Damn…,” he said softly, holding my eyes captive to his own. He watched me so intensely that I couldn’t look away from him. I watched him swallow before he dropped his hand and put some space between us as he cleared his throat. “Did you like the flowers?”

“The flowers?” I asked before the arrangement of pink and purple roses flashed in my head. “They were from you? How come you didn’t sign the card?”

He shrugged before standing and walking towards the kitchen. “I wanted to do something for your birthday and I didn’t know what to get you or even do for you since you weren’t talking to me. I don’t know my mother always loved flowers and even when my father was working or whatever and he couldn’t be around, he’d send her flowers,” he poured himself a cup of coffee.

“Thank you for the flowers they were beautiful,” I said feeling remorseful for picking a fight with him just to put distance between us, especially since the reason I had cooled things with Mikey was out of guilt for the feelings I was having for him while I was involved with Rico. That prick. I had even defended him to Mikey when he tried to warn me off him.

“I text you before the opening, I wanted to wish you luck,” I said my words sounded like a consolation prize for being a bitch and walking away from him.

“Yeah, I saw that,” he confirmed, taking a sip of his coffee and turning around to meet my gaze. “Thanks,” his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Okay, I get it. I should’ve called, but— “
      
“But you were too busy making it work with your boyfriend,” he shrugged his shoulders. “So how’d that work out for you?”

I stood from the couch angrily crossing the few feet that separated me from him.

“You’re really going to play that card right now Mikey?” I asked furiously
. I didn’t need him to throw in my face how much I sucked at pinpointing someone’s character. He didn’t know all the details hell I didn’t even know all the details. “Excuse me for being such a poor judge of
character it’s apparently not my strong suit since I also told myself you weren’t really a dick.”

He set his coffee mug on the counter before stepping precariously close to me.

“Say it again,” he demanded, barely audible. He was close, too close to me hogging up all my air. I planted my palms on his chest and pushed.

“You’re a dick,” I hissed. He closed his hand around my wrist and leaned against the counter tugging on my wrist pulling me against him. I wriggled my hand free, but he took hold of my hips and flipped us around so that my back was against the counter. He let go of my hips bracing one hand on each side of me as he gripped the edge of the counter and boxed me in.

“Christ that mouth of yours is going to be the death of me,” he said huskily, his eyes diverting back and forth between my eyes and my lips.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that considering bullets were flying passed your head last night,” I said my voice sounding raspy. I cleared my throat, wishing that I didn’t sound so much like a phone sex operator. I was mad at him, my voice should sound angry not sexy. I let my eyes wander his body because I was the queen of mistakes. How was it that even in a rumpled suit he looked so enticing? I conceded that there was definitely something wrong with me because I was engaging in this ridiculous sexual tension while we were hiding out in a safe house waiting on word for why the hell we were shot at in the first place. My mind should’ve been on my dickhead ex-boyfriend trying to figure out what his part in all this was but instead I was itching to hump Mikey’s leg like a bitch in heat.

“It didn’t work did it Princess?” He said looking down as my body betrayed me and arched slightly to his craving his touch. He smiled coyly giving me what I needed wedging his leg in between mine.

“What?” I croaked closing my eyes because Naughty Nikki the phone sex operator was back. Yes, I now named my alter ego.

“Staying away from me pretending this thing between you and me didn’t exist wishing that it hadn’t just been a phone call that sent you over the edge it didn’t work did it?” His voice sounded so controlled making me resent him and fight the urge to knee him in the balls. “In fact, I’d say it backfired right in your pretty little face,” he nuzzled the side of my neck, pushing away my hair with his nose, his lips grazing my skin ever so slightly. “Should I do it Nikki? Should I slip my fingers under your skirt and see how much it didn’t work?”

His hands began to fumble with the hemline of my skirt and I thought about stopping him but I didn’t want to. I wanted him to touch me. I wanted him to fuck me up against this counter, but I’d settle for his hand.

“Should I dip my fingers into that pussy of yours? Tell me Princess are you wet?” He whispered, taking my earlobe between his lips giving it a tantalizing suck. He shifted his body slightly pressing his erection against my thigh. I involuntarily wrapped my fingers around his wrist guiding his hand under my skirt.

“Are you going to let me watch you come this time, or are you going to be a coward again?” He asked, his words sounding like a dare.

Did he really just call me a coward?

His fingertips worked along my thigh inching closer and closer… almost there.

What was I saying?

I was a second away from taking his finger and sticking it inside my aching pussy myself, but the front door of the cabin slammed open. Mikey’s hand dropped away from me and he reached behind him for the gun that was tucked into the back of his pants. I didn’t know if it was because of my current state or if I had simply lost my mind, but watching Mike hold a gun was incredibly sexy. His muscles were all taut as his arms extended pointing the gun at the intruder… my father.

I lowered my gun reaching behind me tucking it safely into the back of my pants. Jimmy Gold stared at me with a grin stretched across his face and amusement shining in his eyes. I didn’t know if he was laughing at the fact that I was pointing a gun at them or the raging hard on that was straining against my pants for everyone to see. Lucky for me Victor seemed too relieved to see his daughter safe and sound to care much about the erection I was sporting.

Nikki brushed passed me running straight to her father taking him into her arms.

“I’m so glad to see you sweetheart,” Victor said, closing his eyes as he embraced his daughter. Jack, Bones and the prospect walked inside behind Victor and Jimmy closing the door to the small cabin behind them. The room felt immensely small with the five of them standing there. I looked over at Jimmy and the poor bastard looked haggard leaving me to believe he had a rough twenty-four hours being second in command to Victor.

Victor pulled back keeping Nikki at arm’s length, as he looked her over carefully concern reflected in his tired eyes.

“Are you okay? You weren’t hurt were you?”

“No, I’m fine,” she replied, glancing over her shoulder at me quickly before looking back at him. “We both are.”

He nodded before setting his gaze on me for the first time. I crossed my arms against my chest and returned his stare. He dropped his arms from Nikki shoving one hand into his pocket.

“You did good son,” he said. I bit the inside of my cheek absorbing the four little words that packed a punch pride shining in his eyes as he said them.

“Is everyone else okay? Mom? Adrianna?” Nikki asked, interrupting the silent moment Victor, and I seemed to be sharing.

He looked at her. “They’re fine.”

“Luca?” She whispered.

“Safe and sound,” he said sighing tiredly before sitting down on the couch. The newspaper that Jack had shoved between the cushions brushed against his leg, causing him to lift himself slightly and pull the paper from beneath the cushion. He unfolded the newspaper and stared at the front page momentarily not speaking. After a few moments, he folded the paper and leaned forward, placing it on top of the coffee table.

“I’m going to go wash my face and then I’ll be ready to go,” Nikki said turning on her heel. “I’ll be right back.”

All eyes watched her silently make her way into the tiny bathroom. The water sounded from behind the door and Jimmy turned around to look at Victor as he spoke.

“This should be fun,” he said sarcastically. I turned towards Vic watching him run a hand down his face as he sighed.

“Everything you asked for is in here,” Jack said, placing a manila envelope on the coffee table in front of Victor. “If there’s anything else you need just holler at me.”

Vic looked up at Jack giving him a quick nod. “Thank you for all you did last night,” he pointed to me. “For getting these kids to safety and all your help is always greatly appreciated. Jimmy will take care of you and your brothers,” he stood up and extended his hand towards Jack.

Jack shook his hand. “Anytime brother you know we have your back. Do you want me to stick around or do you and your men have it from here?”

“We’ve got it from here,” Victor said before moving to shake the hands of the other two bikers that stood on either side of their president. “Thanks again fella’s.”

Jack looked over at me. “Take care kid. Try not to freak out so much,” he grinned at me. “Christ, I wish I was a fly on the wall…,” he mumbled before slapping me on the back. Bones laughed beside him and the three men made their way out the front door.

I looked back and forth between Victor and Jimmy not liking their expressions one bit. Jimmy looked at Victor trying to hide his amusement the fuck that he was while Victor looked as if he was nervously contemplating something.

“What the fuck is going on?” I asked dreading the answer.

“Watch your mouth,” Jimmy spat. “We’ve had a rough night and we’re not in the mood for your lip,” he said showing authority for the first time since I had been back in their company.

“You’ve had a rough night? I’m sorry I didn’t know we spent the fucking night in paradise,” I said my arm making a motion around the small cabin.

“You little shit be happy that you didn’t have to deal with what the fuck we did,” Jimmy snapped, rising to his feet to get in my face.

“No I just had to deal with bullets flying at us and getting Nikki the hell out of the club! She could’ve been shot!” I said, shoving my finger into his chest.

“Newsflash kid we all could’ve been shot! Just be grateful you didn’t have to kill anyone or spend the night in a fucking cell.” He said, twisting my wrist as he dropped my hand from his chest. “A word to the wise kid if I were you I’d keep your fucking hands off me.”

“You prick!” I yelled as I lunged for him.

“Enough!” Victor shouted, causing me to freeze. “Sit down,” he said, pointing to me. I looked at him as if he had lost his mind. “SIT.” He clipped.

I rolled my eyes and plopped down onto the couch like a child who had just been scolded for misbehaving. Everyone was on edge and I understood that, but I wasn’t in the mood to be lectured. I may not have endured the same shit they had, but I still was a part of this hell just as they were the difference being they were accustomed to this shit when I wasn’t.

“You’re not going to like what I’m about to tell you, but you have to understand that there is no other option. You are going to do what I say because your life depends on it,” Victor said grimly.

“Are you threatening me?” I asked, looking up at him.

“No, I’m protecting you,” he said evenly.

The bathroom door opened and Nikki stepped out. She had pulled her hair back into a ponytail and washed all the makeup from the night before off her face.

“Okay, I’m ready! I can’t wait to take a shower and get out of these clothes,” she said smiling, but as she glanced around at the three of us, her smile faltered. “What’s the matter?”