Page 9 of Fearless
“What have you been up to while I’ve been holed up in here?” His warm breath fanned across my lips. I could see my reflection in his green-brown shifting eye color.
“Babysitting Python. Monitoring Tessa’s pregnancy. Some vaccine and check-up appointments.” My hands drifted across his broad shoulders to rest around the back of his neck. “Nothing too exciting.”
“Rory still being good?” He gave me a playfully stern look, lacing his hands at the small of my back.
“Yes,” I giggled at his use of Reaper’s real name. It became like an inside joke between us to tease the surly president. “He’s been really good.”
“Well, you know where to come if that changes.” His voice grew lower, huskier as he pulled me closer still, widening his legs so I could stand between them.
“I won’t just come to you for that.” My torso now against his, I craned my neck to look up at him. “I’ve been wanting to see you. I just didn’t want to bother you while you were working.”
“Please come bother me.” His forehead lowered to nearly brushing with mine as one hand slid up my back. “Your gorgeous face will be a welcome sight among all this fucking grease and metal and testosterone.”
My lips pulled back into a smile. If this multi-partner thing worked out, I wondered if Jandro would keep the charm turned on or if he would stop eventually. It felt nice to be flattered by him, as much as I tried to resist it at first.
“Yeah, that’s the smile I missed.” One hand came up to cup my chin, his gaze flicking from my lips to my eyes in a silent ask for permission.
I answered by lifting onto my toes and pressing my mouth to his. He sucked in a sharp breath of surprise before crushing me to his chest. His lips parted, returning the pressure of mine with pillowy softness. The last time I kissed him was a whole three days ago at the party, and I almost forgot how much I loved it. His lips were thick and succulent, his kisses slow, drawn-out and sensual.
He turned me into a puddle with that mouth while somehow keeping me together with his broad, strong arms around my back. My fingers curled into the dark hair on his head, dragging my nails across his scalp as he elicited soft moans. Our tongues danced erotically, but he always met me in the middle—never dominating the kiss like a certain president.
I didn’t even realize how much I needed to breathe until he broke away with slow reluctance.
“Thanks for coming to see me,” he whispered, stroking his thumb along my jaw. “I’d love to keep you and do this all night, but…” His eyes drifted to our surroundings of unrideable bikes and their guts strewn everywhere.
“You have to keep working,” I finished for him.
He nodded, but didn’t release his hold on me. “It doesn’t look like it, but the biggest repairs are done. In another couple of days, my workload should be back to normal again.”
“How long will you be at it tonight?”
He shrugged. “'Til I can’t keep my eyes open.”
I pressed my palms to his cheeks and looked straight at him. “You need to sleep. And make sure you drink enough water. Medic’s orders.”
“Hmm, not sure I can remember all that,” he teased. “I’m just a dumb gearhead.”
“Shut up,” I rolled my eyes. Like Reaper, I had a feeling he was far more intelligent than he let on. When it came to bikes, I was all but certain he was a genius.
“You should come see me again, Mariposita,” he grinned. “To remind me of those orders.”
“I will if I have to,” I said in a playful warning tone.
“Hell, I’ll let a fat boy fall on me if that’s what it takes to get you out here.”
“That won’t be necessary.” I re-wrapped my arms around his neck and hovered my lips a hair-breath away from his. “As long as you keep kissing me like that.”
Four
SHADOW
Sunsets.
They were one of the few things I liked to take in and just appreciate. And from what Jandro and Reaper told me, the ones here in the Arizona territory were among the best in the world.
I liked to sit on the clubhouse rooftop balcony in the evenings and just watch the sky explode into colors. Some of which I didn’t know existed until I was nearly ten years old. With a trusted bottle of liquor in my hand, it felt like I was swallowing the sun’s fire from that sky. A death I would welcome, but whoever ruled the underworld these days didn’t seem ready for me yet.
Soft laughter floated up from somewhere down below me, bringing my gaze from the sky to the streets.
