Rake's Redemption (Wind Dragons Motorcycle Club) (26 page)

I
’VE
figured out what my problem is,” Tia says, brushing her hair and looking at me through the mirror.

“You need to get laid?” I guess, sitting down on her bed and waiting for her to continue.

“Well, yeah,” she says, grinning. “But that’s not what I meant. I’ve realized that I think I’m the exception to every rule. For example, if a guy says he’s only looking for sex, nothing else, I’ll say I’m okay with it, and sometimes I am,” she adds, putting the brush down and turning on her chair to face me. “But sometimes really I expect more and I think that they’ll change their minds in the long run, when they won’t. I feel like I should always be the exception to their rules. Which is stupid, isn’t it? I just end up getting hurt in the end, over something that I could have easily avoided.”

“You should be the exception for the man you’re meant to be with,” I tell her, pondering her words. “And you will be. You’re amazing, you know that? Any man should be thanking his lucky stars to have someone like you.”

“I know,” she agrees, making me laugh. “I just need to stop
self-sabotaging myself. Going after men I know are trouble, or who don’t want the things that I want.”

“Do you know what you want?” I ask her, completely serious. She’s always been so blasé about casual sex, acting like she wasn’t ready for more, but maybe she is now.

“I think I’m only just figuring it out,” she admits, flashing me a lopsided smile. “And when I do, I’m going to get it.”

I shake my head at her ruefully. “I feel sorry for the poor man already.”

“Me too,” she agrees, coming over to the bed and sitting down next to me. “Is Rake still angry at you over last night’s shenanigans?”

“Furious,” I reply glumly, puffing out a breath of air. “He’s madder at Anna though, and that makes me feel even worse for some reason. I never could bear to see those two fight.”

Growing up they were all each other had, and whenever they fought it made my chest hurt. Apparently that still hasn’t changed.

“They’ll make up,” Tia says with confidence. “Just let them sort it out between themselves. Some new drama will come along and this whole Wild Men escapade will be forgotten.”

I groan, covering my face with my hands. “I can only imagine what drama will be next.”

“At least you’re getting fucked well on the regular.” She pouts. “It could always be worse.”

Yes, yes it could.

*   *   *

I walk into a war zone.

Anna is yelling, her face bright red while Rake tries to talk to her.

He’s being ignored.

Arrow is standing in the corner of the room, arms crossed over his chest as he studies her, his face void of emotion.

I feel like slowly backing out of the room, but then Anna sees me.

“You won’t believe what he did!” she says, pointing to Arrow.

“What?” I ask hesitantly, walking to her.

“He went to the Wild Men clubhouse, called Talon out, and started a fucking fight! In front of everyone! This is why I didn’t want to tell you, Arrow,” she says, her bottom lip trembling.

“He should have shown some fuckin’ respect then,” Arrow snarls, pushing off the wall and stalking toward her. “I let you see him. I don’t like it, but I don’t say shit—but this is crossing a fuckin’ line. A man does not invite my woman somewhere he knows she shouldn’t go, then what? Sit back while we all give you hell for it? I know you think he’s family, Anna, but look around you.” He looks around, his arms spread wide. “Your family is right here. And look how you’re treating us. I was so fuckin’ worried something had happened to you; you know better than this. You know what we’ve all been through, what we’ve lost. It was a fuckin’ selfish of you.”

Arrow storms out while we all stand there in silence.

That’s the most I’ve ever heard him speak.

Would this be a bad time to ask how Talon is?

“It wasn’t meant to be such a big deal,” Anna says, voice catching. “I just wanted to stop for an hour and wish him happy birthday. That’s it. I didn’t want to hurt anyone; I didn’t want to start any shit. I just wanted to be able to celebrate with him. I know that I fucked up, okay? I didn’t see the bigger picture; I just saw one night of a little fun, and I’m sorry I brought Bailey with me too.”

I can actually see Rake’s eyes soften. “Go sort this out with him. You should know better than everyone how this would make Arrow feel.”

I didn’t really see the bigger picture either, but now I see just how much of a mistake we made, and I definitely won’t be doing something like this again.

Anna nods and heads in the direction Arrow left, leaving Rake and me staring at each other.

“Hey,” I say, pushing my hair back behind my ear. “You still angry?”

He comes to me and grabs me by the hips, pulling my body up against his. “You had Anna’s back. I can’t exactly be mad at you over that, even though what you both did was stupid as fuck.”

“Talon isn’t—”

“Don’t want to hear his name right now. I’m cutting you a little slack because you’re new to this whole thing, but you need to understand how differently the night could have gone if anything happened. You do not fuckin’ go to another MC clubhouse, I don’t care what the reason is. Anna knows better, and now so do you. Now where’s Angel?” he asks, tracing his lips over my earlobe.

“She’s with Tia and Rhett, they—”

“I need to be inside you right now. And I’m not going to be gentle, Bailey,” he whispers, making my nipples pebble. He kisses my neck, then says against my skin. “I’m going to teach you a lesson. I’m going to show you who you belong to.”

“Okay.” I breathe, almost in a daze, wrapping my arms around his neck. He lifts me up, gripping my ass and squeezing, and walks to his room. The door is opened, then slammed and
locked behind him, and I’m put on the bed with my legs hanging off the edge. I wait quietly as Rake watches me, slowly undoing the button on his jeans, followed by the zipper, the noise loud in the silent room. His jeans are removed, followed by his boxers, his cock jutting out, hard and ready.

“Open your mouth,” he commands, and I open it eagerly. He comes closer, and I take his cock in my hand, licking the head once, then sucking it into my mouth.

“Good girl,” he murmurs, eyes darker than usual. “Take me in as far as you can.”

I slide his length into my mouth, going as deep as I can, then bobbing my head as I suck him in and out, hollowing my cheeks.

“Fuck,” he grits out as I pleasure him, taking him to the back of my throat, as far as I’m able to without my gag reflex kicking in. He gathers my hair and wraps it around his wrist, tugging my head back and looking me straight in the eye. “I want to come in your mouth.”

I moan and pull back. “Do it.”

“I give the commands here,” he says huskily, sliding back into my mouth. I gently cup his balls in my hand and massage them, just the way I know he likes it, while sucking his huge cock. I then move my right hand to the base of him, working the bottom while my mouth takes care of the rest.

“Yes, just like that,” he says gutturally. “I’m going to come, baby.”

I heed his warning, sucking a little harder until he comes.

I swallow everything, then lick the head of him once more before letting go of him completely.

“Now get on the bed and spread your thighs for me.”

I do as he says, excitement coursing through my veins. Still dressed, I lie back.

“Lift that pretty dress up,” he says, getting on the bed himself.

I lift my dress up, showing off my red panties.

“Hmmmm. Put your hand inside them. I want you to play with yourself while I watch.”

I slip my hand inside, looking at Rake and waiting for further instruction.

“Slide one finger in,” he says, licking his bottom lip. “That’s right, just like that. Now I want you to pull it out, and use the wetness to play with your clit.”

I work my clit with my finger, my breathing getting heavier.

“Now pull your panties off completely,” he suddenly says, holding on to my ankle with his right hand and spreading my thighs farther apart. I lift my hips and slide them down my thighs. When they get to my knees, Rake pulls them down the rest of the way.

I lie there in broad daylight with my legs spread wide while he stares at the most intimate part of me, yet for some reason I don’t feel shy. This is Rake, and I trust him implicitly.

“What do you want me to do to you?” he asks, our gazes now locked.

“So now you’re asking me?” I joke, smiling at him playfully. Feeling bold, I run my hands over my breasts through the thin cotton. “I want your mouth on my nipples, your fingers working their magic on my pussy. It feels so much better when you touch me than when I do it myself.”

“Does it now?” he grins wolfishly, running his tongue over his lip ring. “That’s because I’ve had more practice.”

I flick my leg out to kick him in the thigh, making him laugh.

“Jerk.”

“If I was a jerk I wouldn’t make you come right now,” he says, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

“You better make me come right now,” I tell him, narrowing my eyes. I take my dress and my bra off, and lie back, naked and waiting. “Ready whenever you are.”

Rake throws back his head and laughs, a deep and merry sound. “You think that body is enough to tempt me to do whatever you want?”

“I do,” I purr, running my fingers over my nipples brazenly. “I know your weakness, Rake.”

“And what is that?” he asks, eyes turning heavy-lidded as I continue to touch myself.

“Me,” I whisper softly, barely spoken.

He grabs my wrists and pins them above my head, pushing them down into the mattress. His lips come down on mine, hard and heavy.

Possessive.

Demanding.

“Now, I’m going to show you who you belong to,” he says against my swollen lips. “And you’re going to take everything I have to give, aren’t you?”

I nod.

He slides into me in one smooth thrust.

D
O
you ever think about what would have happened that night if I realized what was happening?” Rake says, pushing my hair off my face as we lie facing each other. After talking the Talon situation out, Rake has finally let it go. I don’t think he’s ever going to forgive Talon though.

“You’d probably be in jail,” I say, smiling sadly. “There’s no point looking back. We’ve come so far since everything.”

“I know,” he agrees, rubbing his thumb gently across my bottom lip. “I always think about it though. That night, on replay. It finds me when I’m weak, which is only when I’m asleep.”

“You dream about it?”

“All the time,” he admits softly, kissing my mouth. “It’s my penance. To relive that moment every night and to wake up knowing that it wasn’t a dream, it’s a memory.”

“One day you will let it go,” I tell him, gaze scanning his handsome face. “The dreams won’t find you because you’ll realize that everything happens for a reason. I wouldn’t have Cara otherwise, and I wouldn’t trade her for the world.”

“You could have still had Cara,” he says. “But she would have been mine.”

“Honey,” I whisper, caressing his rough cheek with my palm. “Does it bother you that she isn’t?”

“I feel like she is,” he says, looking me in the eye. “Even if I know she isn’t. Does that make sense?”

I nod. “I slept around a lot. After what happened. I was partying and drinking. I liked the attention I got from men. I wasn’t me, not really. I was hurt and lost. When I got pregnant with Cara, I changed again, but for the better. I stopped sleeping around and partying. I became a mother. She saved me, in a way. Wade was someone I’d been sleeping with for a week or two; he didn’t want anything to do with her, like I told you before. He wanted me to have an abortion, but I told him I wouldn’t. I also told him I wouldn’t ask him for anything, so he agreed.”

“Stupid fuck,” Rake growls, arms tightening around me. “How did you manage by yourself?”

“It was rough,” I admit hesitantly. “I studied and worked in a bar. Tried to give Cara everything she needed, but yeah, there were some bad times. Luckily she’s too young to remember them.”

“Fuck, Bailey, you could have come to me. No matter what, I would have helped you.”

“I couldn’t come to you then, Rake. I’d left you behind, but I was still hurting over everything that happened.”

He cups my face and presses his nose against mine. “We didn’t have an easy road, but we’re both fighters, and we’re going to fuckin’ get through this. My past isn’t going to touch us, and neither is yours, because we aren’t going to let it. Nothing
is going to touch us. Nothing else matters anymore, baby. Nothing.”

“Ugh, stop being so cute,” I tell him, kissing his nose.

He flashes me a slow-spreading smile. “Don’t think anyone has called me cute other than you.”

“Probably because you haven’t been cute to anyone else,” I say, winking at him.

“True,” he agrees, hiding his face in my neck.

I yawn. “Can we nap for a bit and then take Cara out for dinner?”

“Sounds good,” he says, pulling my body closer against his, as close as it could possibly get.

“Feeling clingy are we?” I joke, kissing his jaw.