Page 22 of Downward Dawg
“Well, at least it wasn’t all done for a lie.” Her response was mild, and he couldn’t find any new tension in her body.
“Ella, did you hear me? It was my fault you got hurt.” Twisting to his side, he faced her, their lips separated by a couple inches of smooth pillowcase. He hated the thought that the truth might drive her away, but the reality was clear in his mind.She deserves to know.“My fault.”
“Nope. No siree. Do not take that on, my friend. It’s their fault. Not yours. You didn’t tell them ‘oh hey, make sure you snag the chick that runs the yoga studio because you can leverage me then,’ did you? No, you talked to people you trusted in a place you thought was safe about the feelings burgeoning for the chick that runs the yoga studio.” He opened his mouth, but she didn’t give him time to respond, just plowed ahead. “You aren’t the asshole here. It’s the guys who took… took… me. They took me.” Her voice cracked. “Oh my goddess, Dawg, theytookme.”
She began to cry, eyes clenched shut. Covering her mouth with one hand, she pressed her face against his chest, trying to bury the sounds that escaped.
He didn’t shush her, didn’t try to soothe her. Rolling to his back, he pulled her against his side, holding her tightly.
This is the right time for this to come out now, where she’s safe, and knows I’d protect her at all costs.
Her body shook with the force of the sobs, shoulders shuddering as she sucked in each breath with a struggle. Every cry was another fracture in his heart.But this isn’t about me.His sentence was to witness as she came to grips with what had happened.I’ll hold her forever.The wetness of her tears ran down his chest, disappearing into the sheet underneath, and still he held her quietly.
Minutes stretched out, and finally the racking sobs eased, trailing off with a series of hiccupping sounds. Her hands clutched at him, making sure he wasn’t going to release her, not giving any room between them. He tightened his hold in response, finally making the first sounds of comfort.
“Shhhhhh, Ella. I’ve got you, beautiful.” Her head shook, hair moving back and forth. “Yeah, I do. I’m here and not going anywhere.”
“I—” Another sob escaped and her indrawn breath broke in a dozen places. “Dammit.” The muttered curse vibrated from her lips to his skin, and he smiled. She pulled in another broken breath. “I’m a mess.”
“No, you aren’t.” He half rolled to the side, reaching to the nightstand where he’d seen a box of tissues. Retrieved, he held them above her head. “Want some of these?” She shifted to look up, saw what he had, and nodded. He plucked a handful of tissues out, letting the box drop on the other side of Ella before offering them to her.
“Thanks,” she whispered, and snuffled, blowing her nose noisily several times. When she pulled back and looked up at him again, it was with red eyes and nose, cheeks flushed from the crying. Her lips were thin and pale, the skin of her cheeks stretched taut with the residue of salty tears. “You’re a damn good man, Dawg.”
“I’m a biker.” He shrugged, the covers drifting down a few inches. He ran his hand over her shoulder and down her back. “Not a good man.”
“You’ve more morals and higher ethics than most people I know.” She got in another good nose blow, rubbing it vigorously. “And that’s saying something, because these days I try to only surround myself with people who bring good karma with them. Good vibes.”
“Maybe we see things a little different in places, but I do the same. My brothers all follow the same creed as me, and that matters. It’s a constant, you know? That knowledge is why it sucks to know one of them might have had a hand in what happened today.” Smiling at her, he plucked the used tissues from her fingers and dropped them to the floor. “However, I can attest that you are goodness, through and through, Ella.”
“I try,” she said quietly, not brushing off his compliment. “That matters to me, too. We vibe in a good way, you know?”
“Yeah.” He moved to kiss her and she lifted her chin, meeting him halfway. Their lips touched in a brief caress before he pulled back, staring into her eyes. There was heat there, a dancing desire he wanted to fan to flames. “I do know. We vibe well.”
Her hand was pressed flat against his belly, fingers pointed down. She started to slide her palm across his skin, then laughed when she encountered his briefs.
“Lose them, please, sir.” Hooking a thumb in the waistband, she started tugging them down his hip. Mad Dawg rolled to his back and shucked them off, then stayed put when she shifted to lay tightly against him. “Better,” she said, dropping a smacking kiss to his shoulder. “I want you. Is that okay?” Her fingers curled around his cock, the shock of the touch nearly making him fold in half. His dick immediately chubbed up, blood rushing to his groin. His balls prickled with anticipation as she gave him a single, slow stroke. “Is this okay?”
“More than.” He bit down on his bottom lip, mentally pulling up an engine’s schematic as he tried to tamp down his body’s reaction. Just the feel of her hand on him was enough to stretch his control. “But you better go slow.”
“I can work with slow. I like slow way better than fast when it comes to pleasure.” She spread out on her belly, upper body braced above his so her firm breasts trailed across his chest. Slipping lower in the bed, she traced a path down his body with her lips and tongue, turning her face to drag the unbruised side against him with a hum. When she reached his hips, she lavished the muscles and skin with kisses, wet and hot, her devilish tongue working against every inch she could reach.
Mad Dawg’s hand settled on her shoulder, rubbing gently as she moved, not directing, just letting her do whatever she willed. He gave in to a groan when her breasts fell to either side of his rigid cock, her sternum rubbing along the length.
“Oh goodie, you don’t hate this.” She murmured the words with so much certainty he shouted a laugh.
“No, baby. I certainly do not hate what you’ve got goin’ on.” His hips shifted as he fought the urge to thrust against her. “Not one iota.”
“Well, I kinda like it too.” She shifted and her legs straddled one of his thighs, and the first touch of her drenched pussy nearly made him lose his mind. “Can you feel how much I like it?”
Her mouth came down on the head of his cock, tongue lapping and curling under the hood over the glans. She was still jacking him slowly, and he watched as the tip of her tongue disappeared behind the foreskin, all while lashing across the slit. He groaned and she pulled back to give the entirety of the length long, lascivious kisses, open-mouthed and wet.
He cocked his leg underneath her, shoving his heel against the mattress so she had a firm surface to push her pussy against. She started rocking, forward and back, her mouth sliding across his cock in time with her movements. Tiny moans filled the air, then she groaned, “Oh yes, please. That’s very nice.”
“Yeah, baby. Get yourself off like that. Just like that.” His hand gripped her hair, slipping to the side as she bent her head to lap against his balls. The rough sac drew up tighter, and he clenched hard at the sensation that had his orgasm closer than ever. “Shit, Ella. I’m gonna go off before I get inside you, if you keep that up.”
She shuddered and stilled, and he felt the pulsing of her pussy against his leg.
“Goddess, I nearly came myself right then at the thought. Dawg, I don’t have condoms, but I’m on birth control.” Her voice was strained, with an airless quality. She laughed softly and drew in a deep breath. “I’m good. Haven’t had any partners in a long time, and I still test regularly. Shitty reasons, but I’m glad of the results right now. I’m down for it if you are.”
