The Don's Baby: A Bad Boy Romance (38 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

The door opened across the bar, and she saw Rafael walk in. Just like that, her spirits were lifted. She knew better than to say a word or even act like she’d seen him, even though the other women in her party were already whispering and giggling about the handsome rival. They all knew they weren’t ever allowed to touch, but that didn’t stop the women from looking until their hearts were content. She tried not to gawk like all the other women sitting around her, but she did take him in and was happy that she didn’t look out of place doing so.

He walked straight to the Tribesmen’s side of the room and greeted a few of his brothers before sitting down and ordering something from the waitress. He didn’t look their way at all, and she wondered what that meant. She knew that he couldn’t just walk over and talk to her, but she was expecting…she didn’t know what…but she was expecting something.

She wanted to scream “Look at me” but knew that was the fastest way to cause a rift in this non-rift facility. He obtained his beverage and then casually looked around and when he found her, his eyes slid by like she was no one. Did he know how to play the game? Or did that dismissal mean something? He must because she knew his eyes didn’t hold the same anxiety and excitement that hers did. She looked for Mark and found him deep in conversation with a few of the fellas, causing her to feel relief in her heart. He hadn’t noticed that she’d been eyeing another guy. Thank goodness, because he seemed the type to cause her a problem if she wasn’t looking at him and only him.

“I think I’m going to go to the bathroom, Tricia. That drink isn’t agreeing with me.” That was partially true, but the other reason was with him so close by she couldn’t resist being able to say something to him.

“Do you want me to come with you?” Tricia was concerned, and Emma didn’t want that. She was trying to lose an audience not have a helper. She needed privacy and time to do what she wanted and needed to do.

“No, I’m a big girl. I can throw up all by myself,” she told Tricia and watched her friend turn a slight shade of green.

“Oh, shut up you,” Tricia giggled and waved Emma away. Emma knew that Tricia couldn’t stand to be around people who were expelling the contents of their stomachs, and she used that information to her advantage.

She tried to get up and walk to the bathroom without being noticed. There was no plan, and she didn’t really have an idea of what would come next. She just knew that she wanted to talk to Rafe for a few minutes by herself. It was do or die, and even though those weren’t the words she should be saying to herself in this predicament, they were the truest words available.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

Rafe could almost feel Emma’s anxiety greet him at the door. He didn’t know what had happened, but he wanted to. As he’d walked into Shaffer’s, he had spotted her and that gorgeous hair immediately. It was hard to act as if he hadn’t, especially when he could see her wanting some sort of acknowledgement from his peripheral vision. When he entered the bar, he rarely looked over at the Reapers’ side of the joint because the women usually ate him up with their eyes. Not that he minded—but with this being a place where no shit was supposed to be started or finished, it was good practice to keep his eyes away from their area. The Reapers’ women were a lusty lot; it was a wonder those guys never started any trouble with them about that.

When he’d sat down, he couldn’t help but look at the women at the bar. He noticed them all but had zoned in on only one, as he tried to get into a conversation the men were having about getting more bang for the Tribesmen’s buck. This group of guys were the planners, and they’d done a great job of coming up with ideas to keep the club lucrative and current. He wasn’t needed at this gathering, but since he’d gotten a message that Emma was going to be here, it gave him a good reason to stop in. Rafe used the mirror against the wall to take in what was going on with Emma without being obvious that he was watching her. After everything had calmed down in the bar, he noticed that she’d looked his way a few times before she stood up and went to the bathroom.

This was going to be tricky, as there were bathrooms for both sides so there would be less of a chance to mingle. However, he’d been out with the owner’s daughter a few times, and she’d shown him how the bathrooms were actually connected.

“I’ll be right back, guys,” Rafe told his boys. They barely registered that he was leaving because they were really into the new ideas that they were trying to put together.

He entered the men’s bathroom on their side and unlatched the hidden door in the supply closet. This took him to the hallway where the bathrooms were on the other side. He was thankful that the hallway was empty, and he thought about the wisdom of this move. His adrenaline was pumping because this risky move was crazy in the scheme of things. What the hell would he say if a Reaper found him on their side of the bathroom? He knocked lightly just as his phone buzzed from a text.

Emma:
I’m in the bathroom

He texted back.

I’m at the bathroom door. Open up.

She opened up the door and quickly pulled him in. Emma was all over him, and it was all he could do to try to contain her passionately writhing body in his arms. She felt so good, but he knew that now was really not the time or place.

“Emma, what’s wrong.” Rafe looked her up and down trying to determine if she was physically alright. She looked fine until he got to her eyes. She’d settled down for a quick second, but her eyes looked haunted and she looked a bit tipsy. “How much have you had to drink?” Rafe was getting a bit concerned because she wasn’t acting like she had been when he’d left her a few hours ago.

She dropped to her knees and had him unzipped and the crown of his cock in her mouth before he could get any other answer. Damn she was good at that, but he wanted to know what was going on with her. It seemed like she was determined to cause a rift in this place, and Aaron and his boys would have a fit if they were told not to come back and it was his fault.

“Emma?”

“Just let me suck you for a little while,” she said before she drew as much as she could fit of his cock into her mouth. She hummed and moaned like it was her favorite treat, and he was trying his best not to get too wrapped up in it. Someone had to have a level head, but she was sucking the level headedness right out of him…literally.

“I think that’s the kind of thing I hear in my very best dreams, but I have to find out what’s going on with you first. You look terrified for one and a bit drunk for two.” He tilted her head, and she looked him in the eye but didn’t loosen the hold on his cock or the deep pulls of her mouth. What started as him putting his hands in her hair to stop what she was doing became him grasping her hair and slightly pumping her mouth. Fuck. This woman was going to be the death of him, but she’d send him out coming like a geyser, and he couldn’t say that was the worst way to go.

“You’re right on both accounts,” Emma said between licks up his shaft and sucking his cock into her mouth.

“I need you to tell me what’s going on.” He tried to start the conversation again but he was having trouble forcing himself to make her stop licking and nibbling on him.

She had finished unsnapping his pants and had them down around his knees as she licked and kissed his balls. She was very crafty at not getting him to focus on the issues at hand, but then he remembered where they were.

“This is not the time or place for this, sexy.”             

She opened up her throat and took his whole cock in as she moaned, and he could feel the vibration on the tip of his dick. Damn. He held her head and set up a slow thrust. Since she wasn’t going to talk until she’d gotten him to come, he’d do it so they could move on…and because it felt so fucking good. Even though it had been less than eight hours since he’d shot a massive load, he could feel his balls drawing up in preparation to give this sexy woman what she wanted.

“I’m getting ready to blow, baby. You’d better back up if you don’t want it down your throat,” he said, hoping she’d heed his warning, but she grabbed his ass and bobbed up and down on his cock like a woman possessed. The wet slurping noise almost as sexy as feeling her lips wrap around him and the eruption of his seed seemed to explode out. Emma sucked down every drop, moaning like it was marshmallow fluff instead of the salty ejaculate. She licked and kissed his cock until it was clean before she stood up.

“That was one hell of a greeting,” he responded, noticing that she looked a little less pale since the protein shot she’d just inhaled. However, she still looked terrified. He pulled up his pants and fastened his buckle, as Emma watched and looked sad that he was putting all his stuff away.

“I was given to one of the top guys in the club to be his Old Lady, and I’m just trying to think of a way to get out of it.”

“Wow. I didn’t expect that.” He moved away from her to clear his mind. It was a big step and he didn’t know if there was a way to get out of it. In terms of club life, that was a binding agreement.

“This may seem kind of crazy since we just met each other, but we could run away together. I know you’re pretty deep in with your club…” She trailed off like she thought the idea sounded ridiculous the more she talked. Standing there looking so lost, she had him feeling some sort of way. It wasn’t pity. He knew what she was feeling because he was feeling the same way, but what she was suggesting was an idea that was pretty out there. The funny thing was he was actually considering it. They’d just met, and it seemed so illogical but the part of him…the deep down spiritual part…almost sang in agreement. There could be another way to do this.

“Maybe I could talk to him.” That offer came out of his mouth without him thinking. What in the world was he going to say to a man that would make him give up the woman who stood before him? He didn’t think it would go well, but he had to try all the options.

She looked doubtful but then just shrugged. He knew she didn’t have any other ideas to put forth so she just accepted his, but he hated seeing her so resigned. “I guess that could work. What would you talk about?”

“I’ll wing it.” He muttered and pulled her to him. She looked beautiful even with her eyes filled with terror and doubt, and he wanted to relax her as much as he could. He bent down to take her lips in a kiss and figured maybe he could arouse her and give her a bit of pleasure. She winced when he lightly pinched her nipple. “What’s wrong?”

She pulled away from him. “It’s nothing. Do you want me to text him to meet you somewhere?”

“In a minute. Come here.” He pulled her to him wondering what had caused this change in her to this extent. She loved nipple play, and he knew she liked them bitten and pulled hard, but there was definitely something wrong.

She walked over with her head up. This proud woman had been through a lot, but it looked like someone had put her pride through the ringer since their last meeting. She looked…wilted maybe. It was hard to describe, but the feeling he got from her was broken. He pulled up her shirt and softly tugged down her bra to see the beginning of deep bruises on her nipples.

“Who did this to you?” he demanded, fighting hard to keep himself together.

“That doesn’t matter right now. It would mean a lot to me if you could somehow fix this. I know I’m not your concern or your worry but….” She broke off, and he could see she was about to cry but was valiantly holding the water works at bay. He wondered why she’d do that. Most women he knew would have used their vulnerability and tears as a bridge to get the man to do what they wanted. Tears put men in a state of wanting to fix something for the damsel in distress, but this one seemed to want none of that. Another pleasant surprise that he wasn’t expecting.

“Shhh. It’s okay.” He helped her gently put her clothes right and was livid that someone would do this to a woman—any woman. Yet, the fact that he’d done this to his woman made him so angry he hoped the man didn’t say anything too stupid. “Just text him and tell him you want to see him in the parking lot right now. We can discuss what to do next later tonight. Are you staying with the woman whose house I dropped you off this morning? Is she here now?”

“No. Melanie didn’t want to come tonight and stayed home at the last minute. I could go there, but I should stay to make sure everything works out alright.”

“Good. How about you go to her house now and wait until I come for you?” Rafe didn’t know how this conversation was going to go, but he wanted her out of reach of the monster who’d marred and hurt her and her beautiful breasts. He gave her enough money to get from here to the opposite coast, and then watched her text the beast he was supposed to be meeting. “What’s his name?”

“Mark,” Emma replied. Rafe took her face in his hands and turned her so he could taste her sweet kiss once more before he had to talk to the monster.

He opened the door, looked both ways, and was pleased when everything seemed clear. Rafe was never so happy that he’d learned about all the secret passageways of this place. It wasn’t just the passageway to the bathrooms. This place was riddled with secret passageways. He led her out another hidden door that emptied into the alley beside the bar.

“I want you to know that I didn’t plan on any of this.” Emma looked like she wanted to clear the air, and he stopped her because what she was saying was unnecessary.

“How could you have? You didn’t know who was leading you out the door yesterday. How would you have guessed that a Tribesmen member had gotten a look at you and had to have a taste?” He was happy that his words brought her a bit of pleasure. Her color looked better already. Rafe flagged down a cab, got her seated, and gave her a quick kiss. Closing the door behind her was difficult because he wanted to make sure she was safe for himself, but he knew this was the right thing to do. If anything went south, he didn’t want Emma anywhere around.

He was no knight in shining armor, but he didn’t like seeing his woman hurt. The denial he’d been filling himself with before now was out the window because he could no longer lie about what he felt for Emma. He wouldn’t say it was love, but it was something special. He wanted to see where these feeling could take him—and above all, he didn’t want to see her hurt.

After watching the cab move into traffic, he decided now was the time to see about this Mark. He wondered what he was going to have to do to get him to leave Emma alone, and as he rounded the corner, he could hear someone talking.