Lulu (Desert Rebels MC), page 24
Well, I wasn’t exactly on my own. Brody had infiltrated my life in the best of ways. Our relationship had changed after the incident at the clinic. It was as if it had opened up our eyes and made us realize just how bad things could have turned out. We’d made some significant changes in our lives and in the relationship that we no longer denied. No more wasting time, for one.
Brody had quit “the life”, and was considering joining the Desert Rebels to feed his inner, voracious need for danger. He’d participated in club business a few times, but I knew that he’d done work for them in the past as well. As far as I knew he hadn’t been included in church, and he wouldn’t get the coveted cut until he made his final decision. Not that I believed that he coveted the cut in the way that the prospects did, but as someone who’d worked solo for so long, he was discovering the benefits of being part of a club whose members worked together and considered each other family.
Of course, I knew the workings of the MC like the back of my hand. The Desert Rebels would always be my family, and that meant that if Brody accepted Demon’s offer, I would become an old lady. That is, if he asked me. Sometimes I let doubt creep in, especially when he turned all quiet and moody and I felt that he was distancing himself from me. I knew that it was usually because something was going on in the club, but when my questions were answered with a lift of one brow and the standard “club business,” I didn’t press him.
He was on club business right now, somewhere in New Mexico, with some of the other men. I’d managed to garner information from the old ladies two nights ago during a girls’ night out. Apparently they were down there trying to work out some kind of truce with the Soul Reapers. That little tidbit of information surprised me. The Soul Reapers were the kind of MC who shot first and asked questions later. They had a violent, nasty reputation, and if you slighted them in any way, they would be out for blood.
They were the same club that had tried to kidnap Millie because of some beef they’d had with Loco.
A high-pitched whine broke into my musings, and I could see Buttercup’s shadowy outline through the frosted glass of the shower. I slid the door open a little and peered down at her. “You have to go out?”
The excitement that followed, the way she spun around and wagged her tail, was a clear “yes.” I was done with my shower anyway, and I turned off the water. “Just a minute, baby.” I reached for a towel and wrapped it around my body. I wrapped another, smaller towel around my wet hair. “Okay, come on.” I realized that she must need to go really badly because she ran ahead to the back door.
“Calm down,” I said when I reached the door to find her jumping up and down and scratching at the glass. The minute I opened the door she dashed outside. With a smile I turned to go back into the bedroom to get dressed. Some of the girls--Millie, Lissa, and Holly--were coming over. Their men had all gone to New Mexico with Brody, so we’d decided to have a pity party. The men had been gone a week, and we were all feeling lonely.
I dried off and slipped into old cutoffs and a faded tee for comfort. There was no need to get all dolled up since we were just staying here. I left my hair down to dry on its own and padded barefoot back out to the kitchen, stopping along the way to let Buttercup back in. “You happy now?” She barely glanced at me before taking off in the direction to her favorite spot on top of the padded cedar chest in front of the window. She liked lying there in the sun and looking outside, even though nothing much ever happened out there. No more prospects guarding the place, thank goodness.
I stood there for a moment and stared out the window at the clear, sunny day, hoping to see Brody coming down the road on his bike. I missed him like crazy and hoped that he returned soon. Too much time on my hands caused me to worry and overthink stuff that I had no control over. It was a good thing that I’d decided to go back to college to acquire that diploma Elizabeth had wanted me to get. I was going parttime. Her health scare had been exactly that--a scare--thank God, but she’d still insisted that I continue my education, and I hadn’t fought her on it. Someday she would retire, she said, and until then it wouldn’t hurt to have two vets in the clinic.
I turned to go to the cupboard, deciding to take out the dishes and utensils we’d need for lunch, and set everything up on the counter. Just as I finished digging out some napkins, Buttercup perked up and began barking to let me know that someone had pulled into the drive. Smiling, I went to the front door and opened it as all the girls were getting out of Holly’s huge SUV. I’d figured they’d come together.
“Hey!” I called out enthusiastically as I stepped outside. “’Bout time you bitches got here. I’m hungry!” It had been decided that I would provide the drinks, while each of them made a dish.
“It’s barely lunch time!” Holly responded, carrying a large, clear bowl with salad in it.
I pulled a Millie and rolled my eyes dramatically. “God, please tell me someone brought some real food.”
Holly stuck out her tongue.
“I brought tuna and egg salad finger sandwiches, chips, and guacamole,” Millie said, carrying a tray with a bowl and bag of chips in the middle.
Not to be outdone, Lissa added proudly, “But nothing will be as good as my apple pie.”
I could agree with that. “It all sounds good.” They followed me into the house with an excited Buttercup moving in and around our feet.
“So what kind of drinks are you providing?”
I smiled back at Holly as the girls set their stuff down on the same counter as the plates and utensils. “I have milk, orange juice, water, and coffee.”
All three ladies groaned and made a face of disgust.
“No to the water and milk,” Millie said quickly.
“Maybe on the coffee,” Holly piped in.
“You better have something to mix with that orange juice.” Lissa’s comment was almost threatening.
I laughed. “I’m pulling your legs.” I opened the fridge and pulled out a pitcher of Sangria. “I didn’t think you were going to be so hard to please.”
“Now you’re talking!” Lissa rushed out excitedly with a big smile.
“I figured we could fix our plates and take them out back.”
Millie nodded. “It’s a nice day for it. Have you heard from Brody?”
“Not really, other than goodnight texts he sends in the evenings. Have you heard from your men?” I glanced at all three of them.”
“About the same. But don’t worry, honey, that’s nothing unusual.”
I glared at Millie. “Hello? Do you know who you’re talking to?”
They all laughed. “I forget sometimes,” she admitted, turning slightly red.
We fixed our plates and drinks and went out back. Buttercup followed us, begging for the extra attention. The next hour we spent laughing, talking, and catching up on everything that had happened in our lives since the last time we’d gotten together. That hadn’t been all that long ago, considering we’d just had girls’ night, and at a real nightclub this time. Raven, Ellie, Jolene, and Viola had also joined us, and we’d had a wonderful evening, even with the prospects watching over us.
“Well, I have news.”
All of us simultaneously stopped what we were doing and looked at Millie for her to continue. A fleeting second of worry was quickly erased by the bright smile on her face that indicated that it was good news. “I’m pregnant!”
“Oh, my God!” I exclaimed. “Congratulations!” My eyes automatically dropped to her belly as I looked for a sign. “That’s why you’re drinking coffee!”
“Pff! So are you, doesn’t mean a woman is pregnant.”
“Does Loco know?” Lissa asked.
“God, I would hope so!” Holly chimed in. “The baby daddy should be the first one to know.”
It suddenly grew quiet, because we all knew what had happened to Holly the first time she’d gotten pregnant. She’d disappeared after her attack, afraid the baby hadn’t been Sax’s, and he hadn’t found out about the baby for a year.
She cleared her throat, looking awkward. “He should be, anyway.”
None of us wanted to delve back into that part of her past. “How far along are you?”
“Almost four months.”
“What?!” Lissa looked positively outraged. “You’ve been keeping this a secret all this time?” She crossed her arms and gave a mock scowl. “And I thought we were friends.”
Millie insisted, “We are. But I wanted to get past the first trimester. And keep this to yourselves for now. Loco wants to make a big announcement to the club, but I just couldn’t stand not sharing it anymore. I was about to burst.”
We all laughed at that. I sat back against the sofa. “Looks like you’re next, Lissa.”
Her frown spoke volumes. “Why am I next?”
I shrugged. “Well, Holly already has two,” I said, as if that explained everything.
“So? What about you?”
“You don’t want children?” Millie asked her.
“Someday, yeah. But Frenchie and I are enjoying each other right now.”
Holly huffed. “Are you saying you can’t enjoy each other if you have a baby? Because let me tell you, Sax and I make plenty of time for each other, and our sex life is, um, as hot as ever.”
I smiled and remained silent as they continued the topic of sex and babies, keeping my own little secret safely tucked away in my heart. I hadn’t said anything to Brody yet. After feeling nauseous for a few mornings, I’d rushed out to the drug store, purchased a test, and peed on a stick. In shock and disbelief, a quick trip to the doctor had confirmed that I was indeed pregnant, and four months along! When I’d asked her how that was possible when I hadn’t missed that many periods, she’d assured me that it happened sometimes and was nothing to be alarmed about.
We hadn’t been trying to get pregnant, and I was concerned that Brody was going to be unhappy, maybe even angry, when I told him. The one brief conversation we’d had about kids had led me to believe that he wasn’t ready for children, and that he might never be. I hadn’t been sure either, but once it was confirmed that I had a bun in the oven I’d become totally happy and on board with it. I was already in love with the little peanut.
What was it going to mean to my relationship with Brody? So many emotions had been running through my head since I’d found out. Until that positive test, I’d envisioned a future with him. I wanted that more than anything, but other than exchanging a few “I love yous,” we hadn’t had any in-depth conversations. We had plenty of time, but now with a child on the way…I didn’t want to push Brody’s hand, but I didn’t want him to make decisions based on the baby factor.
Especially if it was because he felt obligated.
I didn’t want to spend my life wondering what if.
I glanced up to find Millie’s eyes trained on me. “You have that faraway look on your face, honey. What are you thinking about so deeply?”
“You caught me,” I laughed softly. “Did I miss something?” Someone’s phone went off.
“Oh! Oh!” Lissa glanced down at hers. “My man’s texting!”
Suddenly everyone’s phones were going off, including mine. It was Brody letting me know that he’d be home soon. When I glanced up, I noticed that all three women were smiling big and texting as fast as their fingers could travel. They must have received similar messages from their men.
Once it was confirmed that they’d be home by dinner, our pity party turned into a celebration. By three o’clock we cleaned up and the girls went home. I decided to lay down for an hour or so. I was going to need a clear head for what I had to do tonight.
Tonight was the night that everything could change.
But I had to find out if Brody and I had a future together.
Chapter 32
Lulu
I felt the warmth of something spreading over me, a pleasant weight that pulled me from the heavy fog of sleep. A warm kiss on my lips brought a smile, and I opened my eyes to see the man that I loved on top of me. It looked as if he’d come straight to me the minute he’d walked through the door, because his hair was windblown and his clothes dusty. Plus, I caught the slight odor of sweat and motor oil covering him.
I didn’t care.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and let him kiss me a second time.
“What a way to wake up,” I murmured against his smiling lips. “Didn’t take you long to get home, you must have raced here.”
“Babe, it’s six o’clock,” Brody said in amusement.
“What?” I was suddenly wide awake. “Damn! I slept longer than I’d planned to. I wanted to have dinner ready for you.”
“That’s okay. You must have needed it.” He started to roll off of me.
I caught hold of him and held on. “Where you going?” I frowned.
He grinned. “Need a shower. I’m filthy.”
“I like you dirty,” I teased brazenly.
I met his lips, and it didn’t take long for our kiss to turn into something fierce and consuming. Brody groaned loudly and thrust his hips against me. He was hard as stone, and I answered his hunger with a moan and grind of my own body. God, would it always be like this between us? This instant and sharp arousal that burned out of control? I wanted him so badly, right then, dirty and sweaty.
“Five days without you,” I gasped when we finally came up for air.
A gravelly laugh moved up his throat. “It was fucking hell for me too, Hellcat.”
I closed my eyes, afraid to see the truth. “You were at another clubhouse. I’m sure you had whores throwing themselves at you all the time.”
“Jealous?”
I opened my eyes to his, and I could see that he saw something in mine that warned him that this wasn’t a joking matter to me. “Baby, if you don’t know by now how much I love you... You’re the only woman I want, Lulu. Yeah, there were women, but when a man finds ’the one’ he doesn’t see them, much less want them.”
Every word Brody uttered was exactly what I needed to hear to erase the nagging insecurities I’d had when he was away. Finally, I understood what the old ladies felt when their men were gone. As an ex-club whore, I knew exactly what he and the others faced when they were at a biker’s clubhouse. Those bitches were sexy and confident, and knew how to get what they wanted in the dirtiest ways. I didn’t want to picture them on Brody’s lap with their tits in his face, trying to entice him to fuck them. I wanted to picture him tossing them off his lap and telling them he had a woman at home, that he wasn’t interested.
“Okay,” I whispered, smiling, believing him. “Go get a shower and I’ll start dinner.”
He gave me a peck on the tip of my nose and rolled off me, and I got up and went to the kitchen. I’d planned on an easy rice and shrimp dish with vegetables. While it was cooking, I set the table and lit two candles, hoping for an atmosphere where I could confess my sins without it turning into an argument and tearing us apart. I supposed that I should have changed into something sexier, but there hadn’t been time.
I could hear Brody moving about in the bedroom, and a few minutes later I heard his voice behind me.
“Wow, baby, you don’t need candles to seduce me.”
I jerked at his sudden appearance behind me where I was standing at the stove. He wrapped his arms around me and buried his nose into my hair. “Fuck, I missed you.”
I turned the food off and twisted around to face him. His arms caged me in, but not before I got a quick look at him. He was gloriously naked from the waist up, all his defined muscles on display. From the waist down he was wearing a pair of low-hanging sweats that did nothing to conceal the impressive shape of his cock and his solid thighs. As usual, the sight of him made me hot. Even his bare feet turned me on.
“I missed you, too. So much.” I lifted my face and he swooped down until our mouths were joined in a kiss that revealed just how much we’d missed each other. I felt my heartrate pick up speed and began to tremble, unsure if I was worried over what I needed to tell him, or in anticipation of where I wanted this moment to end.
“A week without your pussy,” Brody grumbled against my mouth.
His hands moved under my tee and covered my breasts, squeezing them and then twisting my nipples until my panties became soaked. I could tell by his taut expression that he was aroused. He ground his cock against me.
“Fuck, I don’t know if I can wait until after we eat.”
I laughed softly. “Then don’t.” My core clenched with the thought of his cock pounding away inside of me, filling me. I ran my hand up and down the expanded muscle bowing his sweats so beautifully. I cupped him, gently squeezing his heavy balls.
“Oh, Jesus, Hellcat.” He curved into me as if his legs were giving out. “Feels so fucking good!”
His rough voice motivated me to continue. All of a sudden I felt empowered, as if I had all the control. As Brody slammed his mouth down on mine again, my hand traveled up his body until I reached his nipple. I pinched it roughly, relishing in the aggressive reaction it produced. He tore his mouth from mine and pulled me over to the wall, flattening my front there with his body behind me. I gasped when his hands made quick work at undoing my shorts and yanking them down to my ankles.
“I’m going to fuck you so hard you won’t be able to walk without feeling me for a week,” Brody growled into my ear, his breath fast and hot. He gripped my hips and pulled my ass so that I was arched against him, and then he kicked my feet apart.
He was completely out of control, and I shivered with anticipation. “Do it!” I demanded. I braced myself for his possession, arching my ass even more and practically throwing my pussy into his face. “Fuck me!”
“Look at all the cream.” He swiped a finger through my slit, causing me to quiver wildly when the digit brushed my clit.
Movement indicated that he was pulling his sweats down and taking out his cock. In the next instant I felt him lining it up at my pussy and a quick, hard thrust buried him to the hilt. My eyes rolled to the back of my head as I moaned with deep satisfaction.
