The Sinner’s Tribe Motorcycle Club, Books 1-3 (40 page)

Arianne.

He wanted her with an ache that burned into his soul. He wanted her more than anything he had ever wanted in his life. Desire was tearing him apart, mercilessly ripping through his body like the shrapnel that had pierced his heart. And still, he clung to duty, his life raft in the tumult of emotions that rocked his world.

His phone buzzed in his pocket as he filled his tank. Would they never leave him alone? For once, he wanted to be free from duty. He wanted to ride until his body and brain were numb and Arianne was gone from his heart.

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

He pulled out the phone, intending to turn it off until he saw Sherry's name on the screen. With a sigh, he answered the call.

“Arianne came here looking for you.” Sherry shouted above the music at the bar. “Thought you might want to know.”

A wave of longing crashed through him, and he mentally patted himself on the back for leaving the party early. How much harder would it have been to see her again, knowing for certain it would be the last time? “I'm riding, Sherry. I'm not coming back.”

“I asked Zane to take her to the clubhouse. She's waiting for you.”

“Why the fuck did you do that?”

Her voice dropped so low, he barely heard her next words. “Club first. I loved you, Jag. I would have been proud to be your old lady. But the first time I saw you with her, I finally understood why you broke it off. It had nothing to do with Christel and everything to do with the fact that I wasn't the right girl for you. But she is. And this whole thing is tearing you apart. I need you, but the club needs you more. This thing with Arianne is taking you away from us. You gotta settle it. Either say good-bye and finish it, or tell her how you feel and convince her to stay.”

“Sherry—”

“You can thank me later,” she said softly.

“I thought you were afraid of Zane.” He replaced the gas nozzle and straddled his bike.

“I am, but I'm more afraid of what will happen to you if you lose her, so I took one for the club. Turns out, he's not so scary after all. He was right choked up when I told him what I wanted.”

Jagger smiled. “You did good, Sherry.”

“You saved me once,” she said. “You gave me a home in the club when I had nothing, a reason to live when I just wanted to die. And you did it again after I screwed up so bad with Axle, although you like to pretend it was all the board's doing. Thought it was time I returned the favor.”

*   *   *

The drive took forever.

But not so long as the walk through the clubhouse. Room by room, he searched for her, his anxiety increasing exponentially until he reached the top floor. Was she still here? Or had she changed her mind?

Heart beating an erratic rhythm in his chest, he pushed open the door to his room.

Moonlight streamed through the window overlooking the grounds below. His gaze followed the soft light as it washed across the hardwood floor. And then he saw an angel.

Long dark lashes rested on creamy cheeks, and her T-shirt caressed the sweet curves of her breasts. His hands trembled as he remembered the softness of her skin beneath his palms, and when he finally drew in a breath, he caught her scent of wildflowers in springtime.

He had never before watched her sleep. Never realized how much softer she looked in repose, younger, unburdened.

Under his scrutiny, she awoke, stretched, her breasts straining against the thin fabric of her shirt, and then she caught him with her gaze.

“Hi, baby.”

His throat seized and he pressed himself against the door jamb to keep from walking toward her, taking the one thing he longed for most in this world. The only thing he had ever truly wanted.

“Why are you here?” His words came out harsh, abrupt, but she didn't flinch.

“I wanted to see you.”

His siren beckoned. An arm outstretched. Inviting. Beguiling.

Jagger remained resolute by the door. Duty before all else. Duty before desire. Duty silenced the keening of his heart. “I can't.” His voice cracked, broke. “I can't do this. You need to leave.”

“I've lived this life,” she said. “There aren't many people who could say this to you, but I understand. Truly I do. I'm not saying what you did to Banks was right, and I'm not saying I agree or even that I forgive you, but I know you were trying to protect me and uphold the code, and the code says ‘Club first.'”

She threw back the covers and slid off the bed, her only clothing a T-shirt and a tiny pair of panties. He dipped his gaze, trying not to notice her beautiful, long, supple legs, or the tiny frills peeking out from beneath her shirt. But his cock swelled and his heart pounded and by the time she reached him it was all he could do to stay still.

“I also know you're hunting for Jeff. Any MC president would do the same.” She leaned up and kissed his neck. “I've warned him. Despite what he did to me, I'm still his sister and I owed him that. I understand what you have to do, but I can't condone it, and I can't stay. I'm leaving tomorrow, so tonight I came to say good-bye.”

He closed his eyes and fisted his hands by his sides, but her scent surrounded him, her voice warmed him, her touch inflamed him, and his heart squeezed in his chest when she leaned closer and brushed her lips over his.

“Say it, then.”

Her lips whispered over his cheek. “Not just words. When I'm gone, it will be forever, and I didn't want to leave the way we ended things. I want to spend the night with you. And in the morning, you'll do what you have to do, and I'll do what I have to do, and we'll say good-bye and never see each other again, but right now those choices don't have to be made. Right now, it's just you and me alone in this room, and I want you so much it hurts.”

She unbuckled his belt and then slid it through the loops, doubling it before she placed it in his palm. “I trust you, Jagger. I want to give you everything. Make this beautiful for me so I never have nightmares again.”

He broke. Split wide open, his damaged heart drawing him down to the angel in front of him with the power of a desire that had waited a lifetime to be fulfilled. As he took her in his arms, cleaved to her warmth, he knew with a certainty that shook him to the core, she was wrong.

He would never say good-bye.

“Clothes off. On your knees. Back to me.”

She stripped off her shirt and panties, then knelt on the bed and positioned herself as he directed, her body trembling under his scrutiny.

“If you feel uncomfortable or afraid; you want me to stop or slow down, just say the word.”

“Okay.”

Jagger gently eased her hands back and then bound them together, tightening the leather around her wrists. Her back arched ever so slightly, her ass on display. He ran a hand over the creamy cheeks and steeled himself to restraint.

“Too tight?”

“No.”

“Feel me, sweetheart.” He swept her hair away from her neck and pressed his lips to her nape, slow and tender, fanning the flames of her desire. “Don't think about anything except my lips, my hands, my body on yours.”

He eased her down until her cheek pressed against the cotton sheet and her ass was up in the air.

“Love your beautiful ass.” He smoothed his hand over each cheek and then leaned forward and feathered kisses down her spine. She shivered as his lips whispered over her skin, but when he reached around to cup and caress her breast, her body softened.

“Love these beautiful breasts. I could play with them all night.”

“Please don't.”

Jagger chuckled. No real chance of that. Already he was rock hard and ready for her.

Sliding his fingers between her thighs, he forced her legs apart, then spread her open, parting her folds to expose the delicate heat beneath. He was tempted to slick her moisture up around her clit, tease her until she writhed beneath him, but he wanted to build sensation on sensation until she knew only desire and nothing of fear.

Gently, he pressed a finger inside her moist, wet heat, his cock pulsing in time to his strokes. She tensed and quivered around him, sliding her knees wider to give him better access. If it had been any other night, he might have smacked her ass for moving without his permission. His dominance aroused her, and he suspected she would get even hotter if he exerted more control. But not tonight. Tonight was about pleasure. Not pain.

He added a second finger, spreading them inside her, pumping long and deep, delighted when he'd stimulated her sensitive inner tissue to the point that moisture gushed from her sex and she shuddered and moaned.

“Good girl.” One hand deep inside her, the other tweaking her nipple, he feathered kisses down her spine to her bound hands, and then he kissed each open palm, reminding her that she was bound but cared for. Restrained but loved.

No part of her body went untouched as he awakened her senses with soft kisses and sweet caresses, while he continued to drive his fingers into her channel, controlling her arousal with a rhythm that would keep her on edge but not let her go over.

“Oh God, Jagger. I'm so close.” Her hips rocked in time to his thrusts, her pussy grinding against his fingers as she sought the release he was withholding.

“My little Sinner.” He pressed his lips to her lower back, just below her bound hands, brushing kisses down to the cleft of her buttocks. “One day I want to show you what it truly means to sin.”

She gasped, moaned, her hands straining against the bonds, but she was aroused, not afraid, trembling beneath his palms.

“You want to come, sweetheart?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

“Tell me.” He shoved his jeans past his hips, sheathed himself with a condom from his wallet, and then stroked the length of his cock. Once. Twice. But instead of relieving the pressure, his touch increased the pain, and he felt the beginning tremors in the base of his shaft that signaled his imminent release.

Arianne groaned and shuddered, stilling only when he added a third finger, readying her for him.

“Please. I want to come.”

He gave a satisfied grunt and then withdrew his fingers and spread her moisture up and around her clit. “I'm going to make you come like this, sweetheart, with your beautiful ass in the air, and your hands tied behind your back. And I'm gonna hold you so all you'll be able to do is feel the pleasure I give you. I have control, sweetheart. You don't have to fight and you don't have to fear. And when you let go, you'll know you're coming because I want you to come, and you'll know I'm there to catch you. Are you ready for me?”

“God yes.”

With a tortured groan, he spread her wide with his thigh and then he thrust, stretching her, parting her swollen flesh as he drove his cock deep inside her.

Fucking heaven
.

Arianne whimpered and her pussy clenched around him. Heaven became hell and he had to move, pulling out and driving in as far as he could go. Mindless, she rocked her hips against him, begging him to give her what she needed. Hard. Fast.

Now.

With powerful, relentless strokes, he pounded into her, until his brain had fuzzed with lust and he was only seconds away from the oblivion of release.

“Come with me.” He slid his hand around her hip and teased her clit until her muscles tightened, coiled like a spring. And then he let her go.

“Now, sweetheart. Come for me.”

And she did. A scream ripped from her throat, and her sex pulsed around him, drawing him so deep inside her. When he couldn't fight it anymore, he grabbed her hips and pounded into her, his cock hammering in a frantic rhythm. He climaxed hard and fast, her name a roar on his lips as he pumped his seed inside her.

Before she had fully come down, Jagger released her hands and settled her on his chest, enfolded in his arms. She had given him her trust tonight. She had let him protect her. He could only hope he was worthy of her gift.

“I love hearing you scream.” He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

“I didn't scream.” She looked up, mocking a frown. “I'm not a screamer.”

A satisfied smile spread across his face. “You did. You screamed my name.”

Arianne pushed herself further up and glared. “I think I would know.”

“I think you wouldn't. You were too far gone.”

Because she had let herself go. When her body finally accepted she had neither the strength nor the will to defeat him, she had yielded, trusted he would keep her safe. And he had kept his word. But would it be enough to convince her to stay?

“Whatever you want, whatever you need, sweetheart, I will find a way.”

“Thank you.” She rested her cheek on his chest, and his lungs seized with emotion. “For everything.”

 

TWENTY-THREE

No vigilantism and no heroics. Threats to the club and its members will be dealt with by the club as a whole. No one goes it alone.

Last night in Conundrum.

Maybe.

Arianne sat at the counter in Banks's newly renovated bar and fiddled with her bike key. Slipping away in the early hours of the morning while Jagger slept was the hardest thing she had ever done, but she needed time to think. Last night hadn't been planned. At first, she'd just meant to say good-bye, but when Jagger walked into the bedroom, and she'd seen her own hurt and confusion reflected in his handsome face, she realized parting ways wouldn't be so easy.

So she'd given him her trust. A test. And she'd never felt safer in her entire life than when she'd been bound in his arms.

“You gonna stare at that key all night, or you gonna do something useful like work the bar?” Banks threw an apron on the counter. “I have thirsty customers who need drinks. If you don't get back to work in ten seconds, you're fired.”

Arianne laughed. “You can't fire me. I already quit.” Then her smile faded. “I'm going tonight. I called my trucker friend, and he's meeting me in Whitefish. I'm going to hide in the secret compartment of his truck, and he'll take me right across the border. Not as good as a passport, but he's smuggled people before, and this is going to be his last run because he's retiring next month. He even has a friend who can sort out some paperwork for me in exchange for some mechanic work.”