Steel Justice (A Romantic Suspense) (41 page)

The cabin had been completely redecorated. The sparse furniture of the hunting cabin was gone, replaced by warm colored rugs and comfy looking chairs. A large bed covered with a handmade patchwork quilt took up the space where the old sofa bed was before. An ice bucket with a bottle of champagne and two glasses sat on a table in the corner. A fire had already been laid in the fireplace, waiting to be lit.

Kendra walked around the room, noticing all the homey little touches someone had taken the time to add. A photo frame sat on the fireplace mantel. She went over and picked it up, expecting to see the cabin’s owner or his kids. Instead, it was a photo of herself holding a baby Ruby-throated Hummingbird in the palm of her hand. Flint had taken it with his cell phone a couple of weeks before. She turned toward him and held it out. “What’s this?”

“My favorite photo of you,” he replied. “I wanted to put it on the fireplace mantle where I could see it often.”

She rolled her eyes. “I know what it is. What is it doing here in the cabin?”

He shrugged. “I thought the cabin could use some personal touches. It was pretty bare before.”

“
You
thought?” she repeated, confused. “What are you? An interior decorator now, too? I’ll admit finding out you’re a lawyer threw me, but an interior decorator? That’s a stretch, though not completely unbelievable. I’ve discovered you’re a man of many talents.”

“So, do you like the changes?” He waved a hand at the room.

She raised her eyebrows at him. “Okay, stop right there. What’s going on? I can tell you’re up to something.”

Flint walked over and opened the closet door. He pulled out a big box with a bright red ribbon. “Here, I have a present for you,” he said, handing her the box. “Sit on the bed and open it.”

She tentatively took the box from him and sat down on the quilt. She bounced up and down a couple of times on the mattress, testing the firmness. “Oh, this bed is much better than the sofa bed that was here before. I feel kind of like Goldilocks, a little girl who wandered into the wrong cabin.”

“Are you going to open the box or play around on the bed all day?” Flint teased, plopping down on the bed beside her.

Kendra giggled like a teenager and hastily untied the ribbon. She opened the box top and stared at what was inside. “Oh my goodness! What is this?” Kendra pulled out a heavy black leather jacket and held it up. The jacket was almost identical to the leather cut Flint wore, complete with the Steel Infidels logo. The only difference was the huge black letters on the back that read: “Property of Flint.”

Flint burst out laughing at her expression. “Are you going to give me a chance to explain what that means before you go all women’s rights and stuff on me?” he asked.

She held the jacket up to her nose and smelled the new leather. “I love the jacket,” she said. “I really do. This is beautiful.” She hid a smile. “Sure, go ahead and tell me why my new jacket says I’m your property.”

Kendra already knew the significance of the jacket and exactly what the “Property of Flint” meant in the world of motorcycle clubs. She just wanted him to tell her in his words. And to watch him squirm a little in the process.

He took a deep breath, wanting to get it right. “When a woman becomes a Steel Infidel’s “old lady”, it’s a serious commitment,” he explained. “It’s not a casual hook up or something to be taken lightly. Even though the jacket says “Property of Flint”, that’s not really what it means.”

Kendra raised her eyebrows but didn’t say anything.

“It’s more of a symbol of respect for you,” he continued. “When you wear this jacket, it means you are part of the Steel Infidels. The MC is bound to protect you the same as if you were one of our crew. If you ever get into any kind of trouble, they will be there for you, always. Even if something were to happen to me down the road. The Steel Infidels protect their own. And if you accept and wear this leather cut, you’ll be part of the Steel Infidels family, too.”

“Is it okay if I sew a patch on your jacket that says ‘Property of Kendra’?” she asked with a straight face.

He shook his head and smiled, realizing she was messing with him. “That’s not the way it works, darling.”

“I know, I’m only teasing you,” she replied. “I always like to be prepared, so I did some research on my own about this. Plus, Sarah and Myrtle pulled me aside one night at the clubhouse and talked to me about it as well. They wanted to make sure I understood it was a sign of honor, not servitude, to be an “old lady” in the club. I truly love the jacket and I will wear it everywhere.”

Flint ran a nervous hand through his black hair. “Whew! I was worried there for a minute. Try it on then! Let’s see if it fits.”

He stood up and held up the jacket. Kendra turned around and slid her arms into the sleeves. He zipped her up and patted the shoulders. “So how does that feel? Is it the right size?”

Kendra smiled up at him. “It’s a perfect fit.” She shivered. “I feel so sexy in this jacket. Now all I need are some black leather boots to go with it. And maybe a pair of red leather biker gloves.”

“I’m sure that can be arranged,” Flint replied. “I foresee a shopping trip to Atlanta in our near future. Maybe we can make a weekend out of it. Go to the zoo and the aquarium while we’re there. Anything you want to do.”

Kendra rose up on her toes to kiss him. “Thank you, Flint. I’m really touched by this. It means a lot to me. I love the MC and all the guys. The Sweet Butts not so much, but maybe they’ll grow on me.”

Flint wrapped his arms around her waist. “Did you check the pockets? The jacket has inside pockets too, with zippers for your cash and credit cards. Or pistols. Whatever.”

Kendra stuck her hands into the deep pockets. She glanced up at him, startled, with her mouth open wide as she pulled out a little ring box from the right pocket. Her eyes started to fill with tears even before she opened the box.

“Now don’t cry, darling,” he said, taking the ring box from her hands. “How are you going to see what’s inside if you’re all teary-eyed?”

He flipped open the ring box and turned it for her to see inside. The ring was simple, like her. A solid gold band and a solitary diamond. Perfect. Nothing too flashy or gawdy. And the diamond stone was set deep and securely so none of the raptors or parrots in her care could pick it out with their beaks if they tried. She’d lost more than one piece of jewelry to the sneaky little devils.

Flint took the ring out of the box and held it between his thumb and forefinger. He started to speak then stopped, suddenly unsure of what to say. “Kendra, if this is too soon...”

“No! Are you crazy?” Tears were falling steadily down her cheeks now. She shook her head. “It’s not too soon.”

Flint knelt down in front of her and took both her hands in his. He gazed up at her with those intense green eyes she had fallen in love with the very first instant she looked into them. She’d suspected she was a goner on that day, and she had been right.

“I love you, Kendra,” he began. “I’ve loved you from the very first moment when I opened my eyes, delirious with pain, and saw an angel with wild black hair leaning over me, tending to my wounds. As my grandpa would say, I was smitten with you from the very beginning. All I could think about was making you mine. The first night after we made love on the sofa bed, I stayed awake until sunrise trying to figure out how to convince you to give me a chance. Just one chance. That’s all I could hope for. And more than I deserved.”

Kendra sniffled and smiled at him through her tears.

“You’re strong and beautiful,” he continued. “You’re both my steady rock and my soft place to fall. I know I don’t have much to offer you in the way of material things or money, but I will love you forever. I will always be there for you and I will never knowingly let you down. So, Kendra Shaw, will you make an honest man out of me and marry me? Preferably as soon as possible? Maybe this summer?”

Kendra sniffled again and laughed giddily. “Yes!” she replied. “Of course I’ll marry you.”

Flint sighed in relief, letting out the deep breath he’d been holding. He slid the ring carefully onto her finger and stood up. “You’ll always be my girl?” he asked. It was the same question he’d asked her months before in the safe house.

“I said I would be your girl then, and I haven’t changed my mind,” she replied. “I will never change my mind. I love you, Flint. With everything I have. Being your wife would make me the happiest woman in the world.”

“Should we open the champagne and make a toast?” He tilted his head toward the ice bucket.

“Wait a minute!” Kendra exclaimed. “You still haven’t explained about the cabin.”

“It’s not ‘the cabin’, it’s now ‘our cabin’.”

Her eyes grew wide. “You bought this place?”

“The owner found himself in a tight spot and was looking to sell. I made him an offer.” He held up his hand. “I know what you’re thinking and the answer is no, I didn’t strong arm or pressure him in any way. He overextended on some real estate and needed to liquidate some of his assets. When I heard this was one of his properties going up for sale, I jumped on it.”

“How did you get the money?”

Flint shrugged. “While working in the public defender’s office, I made decent money. Not great money, but it was okay. I stashed everything I could. I worked all the time so I didn’t have that much to spend it on. By making a few decent investments in the stock market at the right time, I was able to earn enough for a solid down payment.”

Kendra drew in a shaky breath. “I’m having a hard time taking all this in. I love this place, and to think that it’s yours now.”

“Ours,” he corrected. “It’s our cabin now. I did a little bit of fixing up in here already. To surprise you more than anything else. I was thinking we might add on a bedroom in a year or so. Use this place as a weekend retreat when you can get away from the wildlife clinic or a place to bring our little ones in the summer.”

“Little ones? Already thinking that far ahead?” Kendra was surprised and pleased. Flint had never mentioned one word about having kids before. Coming from a close family herself, she couldn’t wait to have a bundle of kids running around the house someday. Whenever Flint was ready.

“Maybe in a couple of years?” he replied. “Hopefully soon the threat from the Liberators will be completely eliminated and we can all breathe easily again. I would hate to bring a baby right into the middle of a biker war. A baby would give them leverage. The timing isn’t right yet because it isn’t safe.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” she said, sidling up closer. “Besides I’m not ready to share you yet with anyone else, not even a little munchkin. I want to be selfish and keep you all to myself.” She leaned into him suggestively. “I do need a little more clarification about one thing though.”

“What’s that?”

“Does ‘Property of Flint’ mean you can do anything you want to me?” she asked in her sexiest voice. “Anything at all?”

He slowly unzipped her leather jacket. “Anything. You okay with that?” He slid his hands down and cupped her ample ass.

“Even if it’s dirty and very, very bad?” she whispered.

Flint swallowed hard. “Especially then.”

“And I can never say no?” she purred. “I can never refuse anything you want me to do?”

“You can never refuse me,” Flint said, playing along with her sexy game.

“One more question,” she said.

“Let’s hear it.”

“Are there rules in the MC about what you can do and not do while wearing a leather cut?”

Flint laughed in spite of himself. “Do you have something specific in mind or is this a general question?”

“Turn around and close your eyes until I tell you to open them.”

“I thought I was the one who was supposed to be making up the rules.”

“Would you just be quiet and turn around?” she said, slipping out of her sexy voice and giggling.

Flint sighed and turned around. It was only a couple of minutes, but it seemed like forever before Kendra said, “Okay! Open your eyes.”

Flint whirled around with a silly grin on his face, which quickly changed to something else. “Holy fuck, Kendra!”

Kendra was stretched back on the pillows holding two glasses of champagne and wearing absolutely nothing except the leather cut. She had unzipped it halfway so her heavy naked breasts bulged through the opening. The jacket stopped at her waist, leaving her freshly waxed pussy bare to his gaze.

She held up a glass. “Shall we make a toast before you have a taste of your property?”

Three quick strides and Flint was beside her on the bed. He grabbed one of the champagne flutes from her and drained the contents in one long swallow, then placed the glass on a table beside the bed. “The toast can wait,” he growled, unzipping the leather cut the rest of the way and spreading it wide open with the palms of his hands. “I want my taste now.”

He grabbed both of her full breasts in his hands and massaged the nipples with his thumbs, pinching and fondling. Bending his head, he kissed and licked every inch of her tits. Kendra had already gulped down her champagne and ditched the glass. She curled her hands in his hair and writhed with pleasure.

Kendra threw her head back and pushed her breasts harder into his face. When he licked lightly on one nipple then the other, she gasped and held him tighter. Flint’s tongue suddenly bit hard on one nipple while kneading the other breast roughly. He sucked hungrily on the tight bud, lavishing it with ravenous attention that soon had it aching and hard. Kendra melted into him, her body squirming as he moved his attention to the other breast. He tugged the nipple into his mouth with an insistent pull.

“You like that?” he murmured.

“Oh, yes,” she moaned.

He slid down her body and guided her knees gently apart. Kendra leaned back on her bent elbows, using them to support her as his wide shoulders settled in between her legs.

His mind couldn’t decide whether to look or to touch or do both. He could see her beautiful skin as she willingly opened herself up to him, her waxed pussy already glistening. He loved how responsive she was to his every touch, how her breath hitched and caught when he hit the right spots.