Page 27 of Ripper's Redemption

“With me there, nothin’ bad will happen.” I reply, my voice firm. “She needs me, Zane. And... I need to be near her.” I pause, searching for the right words. “We know the Commander is watching our club members, but we don’t know if he’s watching our loved ones.”

He studies me for a long moment, the weight of his consideration heavy in the air.

Finally, he nods slowly, his expression softening just a fraction. “Okay, go on up there with your girl. But you’d better be back by Tuesday night. Keep your phone on and check in. I don’t wanna hear about any surprises.”

“Will do,” I promise, relief flooding through me. “Thanks, Prez. I appreciate it.”

“No need to thank me. Just make some memories with your girl while you’re young and dumb.” Zane chuckles before pausing a moment. “And next time don’t interrupt me in the middle of a conversation for some dumb shit like this.”

I chuckle and walk off, head back over to Tara and we go outside. “What did Zane say?” she asks.

I smirk, “Said I can go with you. I gotta be back by Tuesday, but I’m sure we’ll be back by then anyway.”

Tara nods, “Yeah I booked it until Monday night, so we can leave Tuesday morning to come back home.”

“Perfect,” I look over Tara’s features and she seems a little bit off, like she’s distracted. “You okay?”

Tara swallows hard, her throat constricting with nervousness. “Yeah, just have a few things on my mind,” she admits, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

As we make our way around the side of the clubhouse, Tara shivers and rubs her arms.

“You cold?” I ask, concerned.

She licks her lips and nods, “A little bit.”

I wrap an arm around her waist and pull her close. “How about I warm you up?” I offer, feeling the heat radiating between us as our bodies press together.

A shiver runs down my own spine as I take in the scent of her perfume and the soft touch of her skin against mine.

The air is cool and crisp, but being this close to Tara warms me from the inside out.

I know this is supposed to be for show, but I find myself wanting to be near her more and more.

We agreed to just sex, so that’s all this can be.

Licking my lips, I pull her close and kiss her roughly.

There’s a sharp intake of breath, but she doesn’t pull away—instead, Tara leans into me, her hands clutching tightly to the front of my cut.

Her lips are soft and inviting, tasting faintly sweet, like the cherry lip balm she always wears.

There’s something intoxicating about having her in my arms like this, her body molded perfectly against mine as we kiss under the veil of darkness.

The world fades away, leaving only the two of us wrapped in this stolen moment.

“Ripper,” she breathes out against my lips, a spark igniting in her sage green eyes that makes my heart skip a beat.

There’s a raw intensity there that I haven’t seen before, and fuck it makes me want her even more.

I manage to rasp out. “What?”

Before I can say anything else, Tara captures my lips again with hers.

It’s deeper this time, passionate and all-consuming that sears through me like a wildfire.

Just as I deepen the kiss even further, Noelle comes around the corner with Aggie in tow behind her. “Noelle, you can’t just run off like that!” Aggie chastises her.

Noelle comes to a dead stop, eyes pinned on me and Tara. “Ewwww,” and runs off in the opposite direction.

---