THE OUTLAW’S BRIDE Read online

  “Katie gets a bad rap sometimes, but she’s not so bad,” Lianna suddenly blurted out.

  It was Lucky’s turn to shoot her friend a surprised look. “How do you mean?”

  Lianna’s face turned a bright red. She didn’t know why she had said that. Maybe Lucky was rubbing off on her. “She’s got a lot going on, y’know. Stuff with Ace, stuff with the gang. But still, she looks out for others, even the people she doesn’t really like.” Lianna nodded to Katie, who was now handing Melanie a cup of water.

  “When you say ‘stuff with the gang,’ you mean Alexei, don’t you?” Lucky asked quietly, watching Riley.

  Lianna didn’t say anything for a long time. “Yeah.”

  “You think it’s going to be bad,” she correctly assumed.

  Lianna swallowed a hard lump. “Yeah.” She nodded. She glanced over at the normally cheerful, happy-go-lucky girl. Lucky didn’t look like her face even knew how to make a smile. “But not for us,” Lianna added, forcing a bit of joy into her voice. “Alexei’s never gonna know what hit him. Katie said she talked to Ace about it and they came up with a plan.”

  “Really?” Lucky cried excitedly.

  “Yup!” Lianna said confidently. “Alexei’s gonna be dust by the time The Hell Brothers is through with him. Then things will go back to the way they were.”

  Katie had said no such thing, of course, but it was criminal for someone like Lucky to be sad, even if for only a moment.

  Lianna ordered a round of drinks for the table and brought it over, enjoying the happy night while it lasted.

  ***

  Ace held the rear entrance door open for Fiona. He smugly noticed that she hesitated, frightened to leave the bar and enter the dark back alley with him.

  “Getting scared?” he taunted, whispering in her ear.

  Fiona snapped her head back, immediately blushing at her reaction. “I’m fine,” she lied.

  Ace led her around to the side of the building where close to four dozen motorcycles were parked. The lot was a sea of chrome and leather. Fiona followed Ace, carefully winding her way around the bikes. She had visions of tripping over a kickstand and sending them all to the ground like dominoes.

  He approached a bike, pulling the helmet off of the back. Fiona looked it over. It was long, much longer than most of the normal motorcycles Fiona saw on the highway, ones Ace and his boys called “crotch-rockets”. The front wheel was huge, with red spokes. The rest of the bike was a matte black, with small red accents here and there.

  Ace swung a leg over, handing Fiona a second helmet that was strapped to the backseat. “Hop on,” he told her.

  Fiona took her time putting on the helmet, not wanting to ruin her hair. As she pulled it over her head, she caught a strong whiff of perfume that she recognized smelling earlier in the bar—Katie’s.

  That might be a problem, Fiona worried.

  Ace was looking at her expectantly, so she hastily got on the bike, wiggling to find a comfortable spot.

  “You’re going to want to hold on,” Ace warned her. If she knew him, she would have heard the humor in his voice and perhaps would have been prepared. He started the bike, and it roared to life, filling Fiona’s body with pure energy and force.

  She screamed inside the helmet, but it was still loud enough for Ace to hear over the motor.

  “Relax,” he said, flipping up his visor so he could talk to her. “It’ll go easier if you move with the bike, okay? Just let your body do what’s natural.” Without waiting for a response, Ace turned around and revved the engine, causing another ripple of vibrations to spread through Fiona.

  She instinctively grabbed at his back, her fists tightly clenching his leather vest. She could feel his hard back underneath her hands, and she flashed back to the dingy office room they had been in only a few minutes ago. Fiona had felt a number of muscles through his thin black t-shirt, and couldn’t help but compare Ace to Ash, finding the latter to fall seriously short in several categories—physically, anyway.

  Ash was attractive enough, in a plain sort of way. Short brown hair, brown eyes, a slight build—he was a sketch artists’ worst nightmare. There was simply nothing remarkable about him, excluding his overly-romantic tendencies, which, unfortunately, were not able to be conveyed through his appearance.

  Everywhere Ash was average, Ace was improved, if not exceptionally better. Ace had auburn hair with reddish-streaks that caught the light, his eyes were green, with flecks of gold, and he towered over Fiona, making her feel small and delicate.

  Ace duck-walked the bike out to the street. He pulled up his feet, and, following Fiona’s slender, finger, peeled out in the direction she had pointed.

  As he drove, he began to plan how he would force Fiona out. The key, Ace reasoned, was to make her actually enjoy being with him. A girl like Fiona would hate herself for letting a man like him touch her, and if she liked him touching her, well, that would just send her running for the hills.

  You want her to hate herself? a voice said in Ace’s head. Why? Because you hate yourself?

  “I don’t hate myself,” Ace muttered to himself, grateful for the engine that prevented him from being overheard.

  If you don’t now, you will once you go through with this, the voice said.

  Ace ignored the voice and revved the motor again, drowning out all thoughts.

  They arrived at Fiona’s house twenty minutes later. It had been terrifying at first, but Fiona had eventually been able to relax and do as Ace suggested, and the adrenaline rush she got made it almost worth it.

  Ace checked out the damage as they rolled up. Her windows had been shot out and boarded up with some cheap plywood, and what appeared to be scorch marks on her sidewalk and the road in front of her house. Had Alexei tried to smoke her and her brother out? It probably wasn’t a good time to ask, he figured.

  Fiona unlocked the front door and let Ace in behind her. She looked around her place. She and Melanie had done their best to pick up the broken glass and debris, but there was only so much they could do. It was still a disaster zone.

  “Sorry, about…you know,” she said, gesturing around her.

  “Are you sure you feel safe staying here?” Ace asked.

  She shrugged. “I work hard to afford this place. It’s the only thing I know as home. I’m not leaving,” Fiona told him firmly. “If you’re scared, you’re welcome to leave,” she offered wickedly, challenging him.

  Ace whipped his head around to look at her in shock. Where had that come from? He watched as she went into a cupboard and began to rummage around, eventually coming back with a bottle of vodka that was stoppered with…a towel?

  “What’s that?” he asked, chuckling. “It looks like a—”

  “It was a Molotov cocktail,” Fiona said, cutting him off. “Now it’s dinner.” She pulled two glasses out of the cabinet and poured them each a drink. She didn’t wait to cheers; she just swallowed the harsh liquor, waiting for it to bring her the courage she needed to deal with the situation.

  Ace raised an eyebrow at her. That explains the fire damage I saw outside, he thought, looking at the bottle. Fiona had defended her home with DIY explosives. He was maybe going to need to rethink his strategy, for she was clearly not as helpless as she seemed.

  He finished his drink in one long sip, setting the glass on the counter and watching Fiona intently. She had gulped down her drink, and was pouring herself another one. Ace reached out a hand to stop her. He didn’t want her unconscious. He wanted her to be clear of mind when she begged for him.

  Ace came to stand behind her. He slid his hands down her arms, plucking the glass from her grip. Placing it on the table, he continued to put his hands all over Fiona’s body, feeling her skin grow hot under his touch. She was so incredibly responsive, it was amazing.

  She quivered as she felt his rough fingers lightly graze her skin. Their path was meandering and unexpected; her breath hitched every time he passed over an especially sensitive spot, her lower stom
ach, the inside of her elbow, just behind her ears.

  She felt herself grow hot all over. It was the back office all over again. Fiona couldn’t control her body; her underwear was growing damp at his prolonged touch. She closed her eyes and her soft, rosy lips parted, letting a quiet moan escape.

  Her reaction was so evocative, Ace couldn’t help but give a lustful sigh in return. He shook his head. He was so hot for her he was losing focus. He had a plan and he needed to stick to it, not just toss it to the wind because he had no self-restraint.

  Ace told himself the reason he was so eager to take Fiona to bed was because she was so different than what he was used to, but then she instinctively began to move against him, and he utterly forgot what he had been thinking about.

  Slipping his hands around her waist, Ace guided her hips, loving the way his hands seemed to perfectly form around her. He brought his hands up, once again feeling her tight stomach. Ace gently pressed his thumb into her bellybutton, smiling at the way Fiona’s breath hitched.

  He brought his hands even higher, his fingers stealing beneath her leather vest to tease the full, soft underside of her breasts, only the thin fabric of her bra separating their skin.

  Ace was surprised—the women he normally liked had a handful and then some when it came to their bra size, but he found himself enchanted by Fiona’s smaller and thus perkier tits. They heaved underneath the too-small vest, and Ace watched his fingers begin to frantically pluck away at the buttons.

  The vest finally opened after what seemed like an eternity, and Ace immediately covered Fiona’s breasts with his hands, feeling her nipples poke into his palms through the gauzy material. His cock throbbed in his jeans, but Fiona felt it and pulled away, pressing herself even farther into Ace’s grasp.

  He tweaked her left nipple through her bra, and Fiona fell back against him, her eyelids fluttering with pleasure. Delighting in her response, Ace quickly unhooked her bra clasps and came around to face her. He slid the straps over her shoulders and down her arms, kneeling to cup her tits together. He pushed his face into them, appreciating their warmth.

  Fiona stood there, frozen, as he began to lick and suckle her breasts. Slowly, as he toyed with her, she began to melt, running her fingers through his shaggy hair. Her knees almost buckled as he worked over one pink peak for several long moments and then moved on to the next, occasionally coming back to the first.

  He nipped at her with his teeth, and Fiona hissed, tightening her grip on his hair and pulling him away. Ace surged upwards, grabbing her around the waist and pushing her against the counter. He wanted her to know he was in charge here, and that she was his whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, wherever he wanted.

  Forcibly ripping open the button on her pants, Ace roughly pulled them down, her white thong almost coming down with them.

  Ace stayed down on his knees, looking at the virginal underwear. Never had he wanted to tear something off of a woman so badly. Squashing this impulse, Ace slowly stood up, and gently placed Fiona on the counter.

  She was growing more and more confused with each passing second. Ace kept going back and forth between soft and hard, rushing and taking his time. It was like he was trying to make sure this lasted as long as possible.

  She’d had visions of Ace drunkenly panting on top of her while she prayed for him to hurry up, but never had she expected him to caress every square inch of her skin. Or for him to stare at the most inner part of her with such intense desire.

  She self-consciously tried to close her legs, to block his view, but Ace put up his hands to stop her, tracing his fingers along the insides of her thighs. Fiona shivered with pleasure and Ace patiently eased her knees apart again, kissing them.

  He slid his hands up Fiona’s legs, smoothing them over her hips, his thumbs dipping down to lightly brush against the top of her pussy through the silk fabric of her thong. Ace hesitated for only a second before firmly pressing upwards, right where he knew her clit would be.

  Fiona’s body went rigid, then immediately limp as he pulled his fingers away. She panted heavily in shock.

  As suddenly as Ace’s fingers had left her, they were back, pulling her underwear to the side so his tongue might join them in plying Fiona’s hot, wet pussy with such heady sensations she thought she was going to pass out.

  He dragged his tongue the full length of her in long, slow strokes, building Fiona up higher and higher. Any confusion she had previously felt was now forgotten, along with almost everything she had ever known in life. Nothing existed for Fiona except Ace’s hands and mouth.

  He stepped back, and Fiona whimpered at the loss of sensations that threatened to overwhelm her. Holding out a hand, he helped Fiona off the counter and followed her to the bedroom.

  She climbed onto the bed, feeling awkward. Ace had just made her feel good, like, really good. Now was usually the time when Ash would say it was her turn to go down on him, but Fiona wasn’t sure if that was what Ace wanted. Maybe he just wanted to have sex now.

  She hesitantly reached for his belt buckle, but Ace stayed her hand once again. “Don’t you want to…” Fiona trailed off, feeling horribly inexperienced and embarrassed.

  “What I want to do right now, more than anything, Fiona,” Ace said seriously, “is to get an up close and personal look at that ass of yours.”

  Fiona smiled uncertainly. “What do you want me to do?” she asked. Part of her was enjoying being bossed around.

  Ace, sensing that, dropped his voice to a menacing whisper. “Lie face down,” he ordered.

  Fiona did as she was told, adrenaline flooding her body with anticipation. She felt Ace moving around on the bed behind her and then his hands on her hips again.

  He slid his fingers under the silk, lace waistband and tugged gently, slipping the thong down her legs. Ace leaned forward, cupping Fiona’s ass with both hands, admiring its perfect bubble shape.

  He had always considered himself to be a breast man, but Fiona had him wondering if all these years he’d been missing out. Settling between her legs, he lay down to get an intimate look at Fiona.

  He reached out with his fingers, lightly flicking her clitoris with his middle finger. Fiona ground her hips into the bed in response. Ace decided he liked that very much. He did it again.

  He drew small circles around her clit, noticing how her body mimicked the movement his hands made. He turned his face, licking the V where Fiona’s thigh and pussy met.

  Fiona groaned loudly. She was beginning to tremble, her body unable to handle the sensations Ace’s tongue was eliciting from her. A hot point in the pit of Fiona’s stomach pulsed, sending out little sparks to her every nerve ending.

  It wasn’t as though Fiona had never had an orgasm before, but certainly not one that seemed like it started at her fingertips and worked its way inward.

  Every stroke of Ace’s tongue, every finger he pressed inside her, every time he whispered her name, Fiona got closer and closer to that all-encompassing point. Her heart pounded, her blood surged, and she thought she was going to explode, bigger and brighter than any Fourth of July fireworks.

  Ace sat up and wiped his face, smiling at Fiona’s limp, satisfied body. He guaranteed she’d never been eaten out like that before. Her reactions alone were enough to confirm that. Ace actually felt a little bad for her. She was obviously a good person; it was shitty she’d never been treated like it.

  Yeah, well, the world’s funny that way, isn’t it? Ace heard that same voice sarcastically say. He shook the thought clear as Fiona began to stir.

  She rolled over lazily, giving Ace the opportunity to leisurely gaze at her perfect body. He was still rock hard, and a large part of him ached to lay his body across hers, to plunge himself deep within her. Another part, however, was perfectly content just to look at her and know he gave her the easy smile that now crossed her face.

  The stress of the day combined with the absolute release Fiona had just experienced was a powerful sedative. Fiona was determined
to follow through with her end of the bargain—partially for her brother, and partially to see what other wonders Ace would be able to perform on her body—but she was fading fast.

  Her eyelids were fluttering once more, but this time from exhaustion, Ace noted. Impulsively, he kicked off his boots and lay in the bed next to her. Fiona immediately rolled over, throwing an arm over his chest and a leg over his hip.

  He froze with his hands in the air, with no clue of where to put them or what to do next. Fiona took one of his palms and placed it so Ace was firmly cupping one buttock. The other she moved so it was resting in her thick, wild hair.

  Sighing happily, Fiona settled against Ace, and within minutes, was gently snoring.

  Ace, for his part, still had no idea what he was doing. Was he really going to spend the night here? In a house his mortal enemy had already shot up once before, with a woman he had just spent the last half hour eating out, only to end up with blue balls in return.