Page 14 of Taming Trickster

"I'm close, Rose..." he growls through gritted teeth. "You're mine now, you hear me? All mine..."

Dazed and sated, I offer him a languid smile.

"If that's what you want, I belong to you."

He stills above me, eyes widening almost comically at my breathless declaration. For a heartbeat, Trickster seems to wrestle with some inner conflict. Then, with a guttural rumble, he reaches his orgasm, body tensing as he pours himself into me.

We lay there panting, bodies still intimately joined, when he finally finds his voice again.

"Rose..." Trickster's gravelly murmur is laced with uncertainty. "You sure you want to belong to a dangerous man like me?"

Shifting my weight, I gaze up at him with what I hope is a reassuring look.

"You're not dangerous to me, Trickster. I trust you...trust that you only use your strength to protect people from the truly bad ones out there."

His eyes search mine intently as if looking for any flicker of doubt or fear. When he finds none, some of the tension seems to bleed from his hulking frame.

"Then you're stuck with me, little Rose," he rumbles, brushing a stray lock of hair from my damp forehead. "Cause I don't plan on letting you go anytime soon."

Chapter 8 - Trickster

Rose smiles up at me, that sweet face glowing with contentment. Then, without warning, she reaches out and pinches my bicep - hard.

"Ow!" I flinch more from surprise than any actual pain. "What was that for?"

"Just making sure this is all real," she murmurs, running a hand along the ridges of my abdomen. "That I'm not still trapped with those awful men, just dreaming of being rescued."

Chuckling low in my throat, I pull her pliant body flush against mine, savoring the feeling of her soft skin.

"You're safe now. And you're gonna stay that way - I promise."

She lets out a bone-deep sigh, resting her cheek against my chest as I cradle her close. For a few tranquil moments, we simply bask in the peace and quiet, her fingers idly tracing the scars that crisscross my back and shoulders.

But I can sense the curiosity thrumming beneath her relaxed exterior, that inquisitive mind whirring with unasked questions. Sure enough, Rose eventually pulls away just enough to gaze up at me with those big, expressive eyes.

"Before that hotdog vendor knocked, you were about to tell me your life story," she prompts, looking for all the world like an eager student ready for a fascinating lecture. "How you ended up in the Rogues Riders MC and all that..."

Letting out a low chuckle, I lean back against the headboard, clasping my hands behind my head as I stare up at the cracked ceiling.

"Thought you might've forgotten about that."

"I have a good memory," Rose rebuffs, arching one delicate brow. "Besides...I want to know more about the man I'm falling for."

The breath catches in my lungs at her murmured admission. Dropping my arms, I straighten up and take her hand in mine, fingers tracing the delicate bones and tendons beneath her skin.

"Well, you're in luck then," I rumble, holding her captive gaze. "Cause I'm falling pretty hard for you, too, Rose. And I plan to tell you everything, okay?"

Rose's expression is solemn, but there's no judgment in those warm depths as she gives me an encouraging nod.

"I'm listening. And I won't judge you for anything as long as you're honest with me."

Huffing out a harsh breath, I scratch at the back of my head.

"Alright then. I'll give it to you straight - no holding back."

I take a moment to collect my thoughts before launching into the story.

"It all started when I was in the military years back. That's where I first met one of my MC brothers, Knowledge. He was my superior officer at the time. We didn't exactly see eye-to-eye at first..."

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