Page 12 of Taming Trickster

My jaw clenches hard as I brace myself for whatever confession is about to come tumbling out. If Rose is about to spin some tale of being a DEA informant or a drug trafficker herself...as crazy as it sounds, I'm not sure I'd even be able to walk away at this point. I'm already that far gone on her.

"I'm...I'm a virgin," she finally whispers, looking away shyly. "I've never...I don't have any experience with...intimacy. With any man before."

The breath I was holding rushes out in a surprised grunt. Well, that certainly wasn't the dark secret I was bracing for.

In fact, her innocence and purity just make the beast roaring inside me that much more ravenous. I want to be the first - the only - man to ever lay hands on Rose. To make her tremble and moan over and over until she forgets anyone else exists.

Rose's cheeks flush an adorable shade of pink as she ducks her head, seeming almost ashamed by her confession of virginity. Like it's some deep, dark secret she's been harboring.

"Hey, none of that now," I murmur gruffly, tilting her chin up to meet my gaze. "Being pure and untouched like that? It's a gift, sweetheart. One most men would kill to unwrap themselves."

Her crystalline eyes widen at my words, sparking with a vulnerability that has my protective instincts kicking into overdrive.

I want - no, need - to be the one to initiate Rose into the pleasures of the flesh. To coax those sweet, breathy cries of bliss from her lush lips and make her forget any man ever existed before me.

"I'll go slow. Treat you how you deserve," I rasp, brushing the pad of my calloused thumb over those plump lips. "But make no mistake, little Rose...I aim to thoroughly ruin you for any other."

A shuddering sigh escapes her at my words. Slowly, almost shyly, Rose nods.

"I want that. To be yours..."

Groaning low in my throat, I slant my mouth over hers again, devouring those honeyed lips in a searing kiss. My broad hands span her waist, bunching the fabric of that oversized shirt up over the lush curves of her hips.

Rose arches into me like a needy kitten, those dainty fingers tangling in the hair at my nape.

"Wait..." she pants when we finally break for air. "Before we...I want to know your real name. Not just this 'Trickster' thing."

I tense at her request, a fleeting moment of uncertainty giving me pause. On the streets, in the club, my road name is all that matters. My personal identity is supposed to be guarded, a secret kept close to the vest.

But as I gaze down at this angel of a girl splayed out so trustingly beneath me, that mask of indifference starts to crack. She's not just some groupie looking to score with a badass biker for bragging rights. Rose is fast becoming something...more.

"Grant," I finally grunt out, unable to meet her guileless stare. "My real name is Grant. But I ain't gone by that dorky suburban kid's name in years. Not since..."

I shake my head, pushing away the resurgence of bad memories. Rose doesn't need to be burdened with my messed up past right now. All that matters is this moment, our bodies intertwined, and me showing her the depths of ecstasy a real man can bring.

"Grant..." she breathes as if testing how the name feels on her lips. A shiver races down my spine at the sound. "I like it. It suits you. So, why Trickster? I’ve never heard that before."

"You're the first person I've told my real name to in a long time," I admit gruffly. "So, you best not go sharing it around, you hear? And why Trickster? Let’s just say sometimes I have very creative ways to solve certain problems. Some of them aren’t the best: some crazy, some dangerous, but I’m lucky enough to make them work a good number of times."

A teasing grin curves those full lips as Rose gives a lock of my shaggy hair an affectionate tug.

"Interesting… And don't worry, Mr...Grant. I have a feeling your real name is going to be a very precious thing, just between us."

With that, she tugs me down to capture my lips in another passionate kiss. And in that moment, with her lush body cradled in my embrace, I know without a doubt that Rose isn't just some random piece of ass.

She's my delicate rose, my perfect match - and I'll fight like a madman to keep her safe, loved, and cherished.

Chapter 7 - Rose

My cheeks flush hot as Grant - Trickster's real name - gazes down at me with those intense, smoldering eyes. I can't believe I actually admitted my secret out loud. That I'm still a virgin at nineteen years old.

It's something I've kept hidden for so long out of shame and insecurity. Lying to guys, making excuses about being on my period, or not being in the mood whenever things started getting too heated.

I always feared they would think me undesirable or defective in some way because of my lack of experience.

But as I drink in the rugged lines of Grant's bare torso, the rippling muscles and trail of hair disappearing beneath his waistband, any lingering self-consciousness melts away.

This man, this tall, powerful force of a biker wants me - a scrawny, sheltered thing who knows nothing about the ways of the flesh.

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