Safe In His Arms (Motorcycle Club Romance, New Adult Romance): Devil's Riders (Hot Blooded Heroes) (6 page)

             
"Do you want sugar?"

             
He was on his feet again before he knew what he was doing, his hands reaching for her, spinning her to face him and taking her mouth in a kiss that scalded both of them. He could not stop kissing her, could not stop his hands from molding the curves of her body to his, could not stop wanting more.

             
He wondered if he took her to bed a couple of times if this unquenchable thirst for her would be satisfied. He doubted it. It would take a thousand times and he'd still want her. But maybe he'd be able to think about something else for five minutes.

             
Donnie knew he was in danger of falling for this girl. Hard. But he didn't care anymore.

             
He had her leg around his waist with his huge palms cupping her round little cheeks when he finally came up for air. They were both breathing heavily. One of her tank top straps had slipped off, revealing a smooth golden shoulder. He kissed her there, lightly. Then moved up her neck with small deliberate kisses until he reached her ear.

             
"I want you Sally."

             
She moaned a little bit as he pressed his erection forward, nudging her sex. She lifted her hands up and placed them on his chest.

             
And gently pushed him away.

             
"I can't Donnie. I'm sorry."

             
He stepped backwards, breathing heavily. He squeezed his hands into fists to keep himself from reaching for her.

             
"Don't you like me Sally?"

             
She crossed her arms over her chest and looked away.

             
"I just- I just want to be left alone. It's easier that way."

             
He stared at her for a minute, hoping she would relent. But she wasn't even looking at him. She looked small, like she was trying to shrink into herself and become invisible.

             
"Please Donnie."

             
He cursed under his breath and grabbed his shirt and jacket. He didn't wait for her to come and unlock the door. He clicked open lock after lock until the door opened. It was beautiful out- a perfect balmy afternoon in late spring. But he didn't care.

             
He didn't care about anything.

6

             
Sally had finally cried herself to sleep a couple of hours before she had to be at the diner for the morning shift. She was working a double for the third time that week. If she was at the diner, she didn't have to think about Donnie.

             
Or Carl.

             
She had hated him before, feared and despised him. But now she was even angrier than she'd been when he hurt her, when he stripped away her self esteem and stole her country music career out from under her boot heels.

             
Now he'd robbed her of Donnie.

             
No, Donnie was just a nickname. His name was Donahue. She didn't even know his real first name. And she was unlikely to ever get a chance to. She's sent him away time and again. There was no way he would want her now.

             
At the diner she was like a shark; in constant motion. If a shark stopped moving it would die. Sally felt the same way. If she stopped moving she'd have to face the mess she'd made of things. She'd have to face the prospect of being alone.

             
Forever.

             
She looked around Mae's after putting the mop away. The place was clean when she'd come in earlier that morning, but now it was cleaner. Spotless even. She sighed. It might be just a diner but she'd miss it when she left town. Mae was always kind to her and had given her a job even without ID or experience. Charlie, the line cook was a sweet older guy. And Kaylie was a real friend.

             
Oh God, Kaylie!

             
With all that was happening with Donnie she'd forgotten all about her friend. At least she'd be in this afternoon so Sally could find out what was going on with her. Maybe she'd made a decision about Devlin and his impromptu proposal.

             
It would be good to talk to a friend. She kept feeling her eye straying to the clock, waiting for Kaylie to start her shift.

**********

              "Throw it!"

             
"Donnie…"

             
"Come on man! Throw the little bastard."

             
"Alright…"

             
Mike the prospect wound up his arm and threw a full beer can. Straight at Donnie's head. Donnie held his fist up and punched the can out of the air, spraying his whole body with beer. He laughed.

             
"Do another one!"

             
"Donnie, man I got to get inside and run the bar. It's starting to get busy in there."

             
Donnie had a moment where he debated pulling rank. Or just beating the shit out of the prospect.

             
"Okay Whisky Beard. But when I come in, I expect chilled tequila in a glass."

             
"Chill the tequila? Or the glass?"

             
"Both man! Jesus."

             
Mike shook his head and walked inside. Donnie looked around for something else to break. He'd been drinking and breaking things for days now. He was almost starting to enjoy himself.

             
Almost.

             
After
she'd
kicked him out he'd come to the clubhouse. That was five days ago. He hadn't been home since. The guys were all giving him a wide berth. Nice Donnie was gone.
Mean
Donnie was in full effect.

             
So far he hadn't taken any of the sweet butts up on their constant offers to lay or blow him but he was thinking about it. How would Sally like
that?
He frowned. She probably wouldn't care but if she did… well, he didn't want to make her feel bad. He didn't really feel like rolling around with one of those skanks anyway. Not after he'd had her sweet perfection in his arms.

             
Donnie never lost his head over a woman. He scowled again. Actually he didn't think he'd ever wanted more from a woman than a quick tumble or some head. Oh God… Sally's soft lips would feel incredible on his shaft. He started getting hard at the thought of Sally kneeling in front of him, taking him into her sweet mouth… Christ! He wouldn't let her do that right away though. Not until he'd made
her
explode in
his
mouth.

             
Hmmm… he just knew she'd taste delicious…

             
Jesus Christ, he was whipped and he'd never even gotten a taste!

             
Well, maybe he had gotten a little bit of a taste… of her lips anyway. But that only made him hungrier for her. Even worse though was the fact that she wouldn't let him protect her. She couldn't stop him from driving by her house in his rare moments of near sobriety though. He'd driven by every morning after the bar had closed down around six and again every evening before he got too shit faced. Not that he could tell much with all her curtains drawn.

             
But maybe, just maybe he'd have a chance to see that she was okay.

             
Maybe he'd catch that bastard Carl.

             
He'd been fantasizing about what he would do to that asshole for days. BOOM. He kicked through a piece of scrap wood. That was Carl's femur. SNAP. He took a bat to an old oil barrel. That was the shit heel's head he was busting.

             
But always the best part, the part that he saved imagining until right before he slipped into the unconsciousness that passed for sleep, was when Sally thanked him. She'd throw herself into his arms. She'd cover him with kisses. She'd lead him to her bedroom where they'd make screechy, rusty music on the old springs until dawn.

             
And she wouldn't be afraid anymore.

             
He kicked his boot heel through a piece of plywood that was leaning against the brick wall.

             
He had to snap out of this. She didn't want him, no matter how she'd responded to his kisses. She'd told him to go away. He wanted to believe that she hadn't meant it. Deep in his gut a little voice said that she didn't really want him to stay away forever.

             
But maybe she did.

**********

              Kaylie gave Sally a weary smile as she stowed her backpack under the counter. She looked at her friend and realized that Sally looked worse than she did. Kaylie was at least sleeping a few hours a night. Especially now that she'd decided to talk to Dev again.

             
She just hadn't told him yet.

             
"Hey Sally. Busy today?"

             
Sally shrugged. The girl looked bone tired.

             
And heartbroken.

             
"Take a load off, I can handle the tables for a bit."

             
Sally smiled gratefully and Kaylie got busy, making sure to bring Sally a cup of green tea with lemon.               "Can't drink coffee all day. Unless your stomach is made of iron."

             
Sally sipped the tea gratefully.

             
"Thanks Kaylie. My stomach has been a little sour."

             
Kaylie put her hands on the counter and gave Sally a look.

             
"So, Janet told me something happened with Donnie."

             
Sally's eyes got real wide. Guess she didn't realize that bikers gossip too. A lot actually. The clubhouse was like a hive, constantly buzzing about this guy or that old lady. Kaylie hid a smile.

             
"What did she say? Is he okay?"

             
"He's been drunk for a week according to Jan. Moping around."

             
She leaned in and winked.

             
"Ignoring all the sweet butts."

             
Sally blinked at her.

             
"You know what that means right?"

             
Sally shook her head.

             
"It means Donnie, who is a legendary ladies' man by the way, is turning down all offers from easy women."

             
"Oh."

             
"Sounds like love to me."

             
Sally shook her head vehemently.

             
"No. Why would he care? Nothing even happened really. That's the problem."

             
"That's not what I heard…"

             
Kaylie picked up the coffee pot and started making the rounds. She knew Sally would be busting a gut by the time she got back to the counter.             

             
"Kaylie! What are you talking about?"

             
She hid a smile.

             
"So you do like him. I knew it!"

             
Sally slumped onto the counter, with her head on her hands.

             
"I don't want to!"

             
Kaylie patted her shoulder gently.

             
"That's always the way. You should have seen Janet! She was cranky as hell until she and Jack stopped dancing around each other."

             
"Jack dancing?"

             
"Well, you know what I mean. Now, do you want to hear my news?"

             
"Oh my God! Yes, please tell me!"

             
"I'm getting engaged."

             
Sally stared at her blankly.

             
"But I thought-"

             
"As soon as Devlin asks me properly. Talked it over with Mama and we decided it was kind of sweet, him getting ahead of himself that way. Besides, it's not like it's not inevitable."

             
Sally came around the counter and hugged her quickly.

             
"That's wonderful Kaylie! Congratulations! Devlin must be ecstatic."

             
Kaylie winked at her as the dinner crowd started to shuffle in.

             
"He will be."

             
"Will?"

             
"He just doesn't know yet!"

             
"Kaylie, what?!?"

             
"Don't worry Sally. I think I have the solution to both of our problems. We are going to out-sweet the sweet butts."