Biker Billionaire #2: The Mile High Club (6 page)

I laughed, not exactly amused, nor surprised. "They're still out there, aren't they?"

"Yep, probably."

I raised my voice to carry out the door. "You might as well come in. We're done now." I glanced at Shane. "You weren't exactly subtle about the status of our relationship, by the way. With your brothers, I mean. You might as well have stuck a sign on my forehead that read 'mine'."

Shane shrugged, not looking up as his three brothers trooped into the room. "I know my brothers. If I hadn't staked my claim on you, they'd've made a move. Then I'd have to kill them. Which would suck for business."

Luke flopped down against the wall next to Shane. "You sound like Dad. It's always all about business."

Shane didn't look up still, scraping in the dirt at his feet with his finger. "It was a joke, jackass."

"So was mine, jackass."

Rob squatted near the entrance, stripping off a pair of reddened rubber gloves. "Shut up, you two. You're both jackasses."

Jon came in last and dropped a pack near the center of the room, flopped down and used the bag as a pillow. "I think we've hit the wall. We're long past the point where we're going to be effective. We need to rest."

None of them had even looked at me, not even Shane. I realized this was their way of dealing with having walked in on us. Not wanting it to hang in the air between us for the rest of the time I spent with them, I decided to take the bull by the horns.

"You're all jackasses. I'll say it, since all of you are being babies about it: yes, Shane and I were having sex. Right there where you're sitting, actually, Luke."

Luke made a face and scooted over nearer his brother.

Shane laughed silently, his shoulders shaking. "Way to be, Leo. I think you just scarred Luke forever."

Luke squirmed, stood up and crossed to the other side of the room. "I didn't need to see that, didn't need to know that." He grinned at me, though.

"None of my business," Rob said, still not looking at me. "You're both consenting adults. Shane can screw who he wants."

"My only issue is the middle of a civil war might not be the best place for it," Jon said. "But then, it ain't me doing it. Sexual arousal
is
a natural reaction, though. The body needs a way to purge the hormones released during the stress and adrenaline of a battle."

"That's what Shane told me," I said. "We were just testing his theory."

The Sorrenson brothers were all suppressing chuckles, trying to maintain their composure by not looking at anyone or anything. For some reason, this irritated me. Something told me if I wanted the respect of these men, I'd have to earn it.

"So, Shane," I said, as casually as I could, "are you feeling purged? Or should we ask your brothers to step out for a few minutes?"

Shane choked on his laughter, glancing at me in surprise, then at his brothers, who were all red-faced and shaking.

"I think I could go for another purging," Shane said.

"I ain't moving," Jon said, not opening his eyes. "But feel free. I won't interrupt."

Luke was the first to laugh openly, and soon all of them were laughing, even taciturn and practical Jon.

"You're all right, Leo," Luke said. "I can see why Shane brought you. You did good today, too. Not bad for a newb."

"Told you she'd be fine," Shane said, standing up. "I've gotta take a leak."

Jon stood up. "I'll watch your six, then. Shouldn't go anywhere alone."

The two men left and I was alone with Rob and Luke. Rob was a huge, silent presence in a far corner, digging at the dirt with the tip of a serrated combat knife. Luke just sat, looking at me, as if he couldn't figure me out.

"What?" I asked.

Luke shrugged. "You're not like the other women Shane's dated."

"I wouldn't know." This was getting into tricky territory for me. I barely knew Shane, and it was moments like this that I felt it the most poignantly.

"It's a compliment," Luke said. "Most of them are...uh, well, not like you."

I laughed. "Very helpful."

"You're smart, and capable," Rob said. "And you're not a skittish little bird."

"Thanks, I think."

"How'd you end up here?" Luke asked. "Shane doesn't bring people with him. He doesn't hire people. This is a family thing, and it's usually just us four."

I shrugged. "It was kind of a last minute thing. I haven't known Shane very long."

The brothers exchanged a look that I couldn't interpret. Something was telling me my presence was a serious conundrum they simply couldn't figure out.

"Quit interrogating her," Shane growled as he came back in, Jon in tow. "I knew she'd be fine, and she was. That's it."

Luke raised his hands in a gesture of capitulation. "Hey, I was just curious." He grinned at Shane, a greedy expression on his face. "You owe me five thousand dollars, you know."

Shane's face went hard, his expression shuttered and angry. "Not now, Luke."

"You lost the bet. I expect you to pay up as soon as we get back States-side."

"I said not now, goddamn it."

Something told me this had something to do with me. "Shane? What's he talking about?"

Shane sighed and thumped his head back against the wall. "Thanks a bunch, jackass," he said to Luke. To me, he said, "Things are quiet outside. Let's go talk."

"Tell me now. They obviously know what you're talking about." I crossed the room to stand in front of him.

He took my hands in his, and his eyes shifted to mine and away. "Fine. I'll kill Luke later. Listen, you know how I told you, when we first met, that I'd given up women for a year?"

"Sex, you mean. You gave up sex for a year."

"Yeah. Well, that was because of a bet with Luke. He bet me five grand that I couldn't go without sex for two years." He shrugged. "Since you and I slept together, I lost the bet."

I rolled my eyes. "You told me it was because you were tired of meaningless sex. It was over a bet? That's stupid. Why would you take it? Two years is like...forever. God." I shuddered.

Luke laughed. "That's what I thought, too. Shane's always been a cocky son of a bitch, so I figured I had it in the bag. Turns out I was right."

"But...five thousand dollars? For real?" I couldn't fathom spending that kind of money on something so trivial as a bet. "Do you know how much money that is? You know that could pay off, like, a quarter of my school bill? Or half my car payment?"

Luke waved a hand. "Five grand? It's pigeon shit. That's like pennies to Shane. He makes more than that while he's taking a shit."

"What are you talking about?" Shane's condo had been nice, but not
that
nice. If he could spend five grand on a bet and his brother considered it 'pennies'...

Shane crossed the room in one bound and had his brother by the throat. "Shut. Up."

Luke didn't struggle. "Okay, fine. Let go, jackass. I said
okay
."

Shane dropped him and stormed out, not so much as looking at me. I turned to Luke, who was smoothing his shirt, looking startled and not a little confused.

"What was that about, Luke?" I asked.

Rob answered. "Shane's a private guy. If there's things he hasn't told you about himself, he's got a reason." He glared at his youngest brother. "Luke should learn when to shut the fuck up."

Rob stuck the knife he'd been playing with through the entire exchange back in its sheath on his waist.

"Shane's the best of us," Rob said, finally looking at me. "He really is. I like you, Leo. So I'll tell you something for free: you being here, with us, doing this? It's a damned big deal to Shane, even if he made it seem like it's not. It means something."

"Talk about knowing when to shut the fuck up," Luke muttered.

Rob cocked an eyebrow at Luke, an expressive gesture that seemed to be a familial trait. "You say something? I'll break you in half, pretty-boy."

Jon had been silent this entire time, but he spoke up now. "Quit squabbling. Somebody has to go talk to him, you know."

No one looked excited at the prospect. Rob nudged Luke in the shoulder with his elbow.

"Me? He's pissed off at me. If I go I'll just make it worse," Luke said.

I sighed. "You're all pussies. I'll go, then."

The men looked shocked, but didn't stop me as I left the building to find Shane. He was across the street and a few doors down, squatting in the shadows and playing with a clip of bullets. I stood beside him and waited.

"My brother has a big mouth," he said, finally.

"They're good guys. I like them." I moved so I was brushing his shoulder with my thigh. His presence took the edge of my nerves. Being out in the open like this, even at night, worried me. The last few nights had seen nearly as much fighting as the day time, although it was quiet at the moment.

"Both sides have to regroup," Shane said, guessing at the source of my unease. "It'll be quiet for a day or two. We'll move out at first light and get some real rest tomorrow."

I put my back to the closed wooden door and slid down it to sit beside him. His arm went around me, gathered me to his chest. He slid me on his lap as he sat down himself. The silence was oppressive, especially after the endless noise of the last few days.

"What was Luke talking about, Shane?"

"Does it matter? He's a loud mouth. He doesn't know when to keep things to himself."

"If it makes you this upset, then obviously it does matter," I said.

Shane sighed. "I own a couple of medical patents. I invented a few things while I was in the Corps, and it turns out the private medical corporations are willing to pay a fortune for them. I made a business out of it. I set it up to run itself, since I don't really want to bother with it."

"So that jet..."

"That really was my dad's, not mine." He sighed, his breath huffing into my hair. "It's not a big deal. It's just money."

I thought about it. There obviously was more to it, and I suspected there was a lot more to Shane than I'd suspected, but I couldn't very well expect him to just tell me every last thing about himself all at once, could I?

"As long as you're not, like, some secret serial killer or something." I turned my head up to press my lips to his. "I'm here with you. I feel like I can trust you. Your brothers obviously look up to you. Anything else is just details."

Shane shook his head. "You're crazy, you know that? I can't believe you actually came with me. You've got real balls." He thumbed my hair out of my face. "I've known lots of men who couldn't handle what you went through these last few days. I'm proud of you."

I should've been pissed off that he was proud of me, like I was a kid learning a trick or something, but it didn't come across as condescending. And I was proud of myself. It had been hellish, but I was still here, still sane. I'd have nightmares for a while, I suspected, but I could deal with that.

* * *

We spent two days in a little hovel in a village several miles from the city, eating food made by a wizened old black man and his wife, sleeping in scratchy blankets on the floor. After nearly four days of constant hell, it was heaven. On the morning of the third day, Shane woke me early, set me on the back of a donkey loaded with baskets. He walked next to me and clucked the donkey into motion. I decided to go along with it and not ask any questions; surprises could be fun. Besides, if it meant getting away from Shane's brothers and getting some alone time, I was all for it.

We plodded through the heat of the morning, chatting idly, or just traveling in companionable silence. We came to a river near midday and this is where Shane stopped us, unloading a blanket, baskets of food made by our hosts in the village, and a dusty bottle of wine.

"A picnic?" I said. "An actual picnic?"

Shane looked at me like I'd sprouted wings. "What? You've never been on a picnic before?"

I shook my head. "No. Not really. John and I went canoeing once, on the Rifle River. We stopped at a bank and had some cheese and sausage and hot, brackish water. It was awful."

Shane laughed. "Well, then, welcome to your first real picnic."

We found a spot underneath some low-hanging trees, where the heat was less intense. The food was a simple fare, some cured meat that I suspected was goat, as well as goat cheese, vegetables and locally-grown fruit. The wine was dry and warm and potent. It was the best thing I'd ever tasted, right then.

We were in the middle of nowhere, in a way that simply isn't possible in America. The river was wide and fast and deep, rushing noisily. Birds hawed overhead, and across the river was a jungle, rustling with life. The sky was wide and blue and endless. Shane and I might have been the only two people in the world.

When we finished eating, Shane loaded the leftovers back in the baskets and laid down next to me. His eyes fixed on mine, his hand drifted to rest on my stomach; it was a subtle gesture, but enough.

I felt my own need curling in my belly, a desire welling up with me to feel Shane's hand brush my naked skin.

I stood up on the blanket and unbuttoned my shirt, pulled it over my head, and then unbuckled my web belt so I could undo the pants. Fatigues weren't the sexiest clothes I'd ever worn, and there simply wasn't any way to take them off in a seductive manner. Shane's eyes gave away his lust for me, even as he held himself still, watching me disrobe.

Despite our isolated location, there was something exciting and nerve-wracking about taking my clothes off in the middle of the day, outside. When I stood above Shane in panties and a sports bra, I stopped.

"Your turn," I said.

Shane grinned and stood up, peeling off his shirt and pants in record time, and then we were both clutching each other, clad in underwear by the riverbank. His arms were hard and comforting around me, his erection bulging between us. I reached beneath his boxers and touched him, took his cock in my hand and sighed at the feel of him.

He peeled my bra off, kissing my shoulders and then my chest, and then the taut skin next to my erect nipples. He knelt down in front of me and pulled my panties down with two fingers at each hip, touching his mouth to my hips when they were bare. He pushed himself between my legs so I was standing with my feet shoulder-width apart, my hands on his shoulders.