Rainbow by K.L. Savage

What did I do?

Oh fuck, what did I just do?

This was not supposed to happen. I blame Rainbow and his stupid good looks with his stupidly handsome face and stupid big… smile.

I blacked out. How much I wanted him made me throw all caution to the wind, and now that I’ve had a taste of him, how can I go back?

“Stop it.” He grabs me by the arm and tugs me to lie down next to him. “You’re overthinking. There’s no reason to freak out or overanalyze this. I don’t regret what happened.” He wraps his muscular arm around my shoulders, and I settle my cheek on his pec.

How does he have me doing what he wants with so little effort?

“I can’t wait to do that again.” His fingers run through my hair, and his lips find the top of my head to give me a kiss.

I smile in disbelief and bury my face against him. “Really?”

His fingers skim down my spine, and a rumble in his chest shakes my cheek. His palm flattens and squeezes my ass. “Fuck yes, and I can’t wait to get in here.” He slips his finger down the crease, and he swirls the tip around the puckered star, making me gasp. I wiggle against him, and he gives me a light slap. “Not right now. You’ll run out of here with your head on fire, and it’s the l last thing I want.”

He’s right. I’d run away because the truth is easier to ignore than to face it, and I know the more I let him in, the harder it will be to run.

And when he realizes he’s done with me, he’ll be the one running away while I’m stuck with my feet in the mud.

Rainbow exhales, and his breath tickles my nose. He sounds content. Rainbow confuses me. He says he’s into this, and it isn’t a problem, but I just don’t see how that’s possible.

“So, tell me what happened to your beautiful face,” he says casually, drifting those wide fingers up and down my arm.

I know this is a topic I can’t get away from, a story I’ll have to tell him eventually. So why not now? I draw circles on his stomach with my finger and watch as his abs tense before relaxing once more. I follow the valleys and hills, watching my finger rise and fall over all eight of his beautiful, sculpted abs.

“I wasn’t ignoring you last night,” I admit. “I woke up from a nap after my shift and found my ex in my room.”

He flips to his side and readjusts my head so I’m lying on the pillow. “What the hell are you talking about? You didn’t let him in? He was just there?” He grips my chin and forces me to look at him. “He did this you?”

I nod, ashamed. “I’m the typical twink who can’t protect himself,” I try to joke, but the truth is in those words. I really do feel that way. I’ve never been the fighting type physically. It’s why I’m so sassy, as Rainbow puts it.

“Hey, don’t talk like that.” He strokes those knuckles over my cheek again. That simple gesture is becoming one of my favorite things. “Don’t blame yourself for being who you are. I love that you’re smaller than me.” He grips my hip and yanks me close to his body. “I love that I can manhandle you, and anyone who takes advantage of that, anyone who doesn’t appreciate that, has officially become number one on my list to kill.”

I snort. I don’t expect anyone to kill for me. I can’t figure out why I’m not more disturbed by the offer, but let’s chalk it up to being too high on my orgasm instead of admitting to being a crazy person.

“Hey, I’m serious,” he continues, trying to inch closer, but there’s no more room for him. “Anyone who hurt you has to deal with me, so tell me what happened. Don’t leave anything out.” He continues to stroke along my jaw and cheeks.

I sigh and snuggle into his embrace. “Something shattering on the ground woke me up from my nap. I didn’t have time to check my phone. I crawled out of bed and peeked out my bedroom door to see my ex Trenton rifling through my things. I forgot I had told him I was coming to Baton Rouge. He’s from this area, and when we broke up he came back here. It’s been over for a long time, over a year. I thought he was stuffing himself back in the closet to be with his family, so I thought if I happened to be in town, maybe we could see each other again. But I never heard anything from him until I woke up and he was there. I was so confused and still half asleep, I thought I was dreaming. When I asked what he was doing there, he didn’t say anything. I don’t know what he was looking for, but when he saw me, he just…” my breath shakes as I release it. “He attacked.”

There’s burning behind my eyes as tears sting them. I don’t want to cry for Trenton. “I was dumb enough to think a straight guy like Trenton would ever be so accepting. When he said he loved me, I believed him, but when he punched me in the face, he was spewing things like, ‘You ruined my life. It’s because of you I lost everything. You’re just some faggot. A hole for me to use.’”

“I’m going to fucking kill him,” Rainbow sneers. His palm stretches out across my face as he stares into my eyes. “I’m serious, Sassafras. And then, I’ll fucking deliver him to you on a silver fucking platter, and we can drink champagne over his dead body, dance on it, and have a toast.”

“A toast?”

“To him being fucking dead,” Rainbow’s voice becomes pure gravel and rasp.

I wait for the panic, for the wheel of crazy to start spinning in my mind, but I only feel reassured, which is something I haven’t experienced often. I like it. I can see why someone would find it addicting. “I never know what to say when you say things like that. I know you’re serious. I just can’t figure out why.”

“I know you think you’ve fallen into the same trap. I’m straight-ish,” he winks. “And a firefighter. Those are two rules I broke. But you forget one thing.” The skin around his eyes crinkles while he traces the outline of the bruise around my eye.

“What’s that?” I ask in a whisper.

“How accepting I am, and how that makes me different from him.”

I know he’s right. Everything he’s done so far hasn’t lined up with Trenton. He’s even better in bed than Trenton was, which says something, considering how new he is at this. Not that I’m going to tell him that, Rainbow would give a sexy smirk and and I’d watch his chest inflate and his ego skyrocket.

“You’re safe here with me, with us. I know you have experience with the Ruthless Kings, but no matter what, you’re safe. I promise. No one will touch you here.”

“That’s a big promise to keep. I’ve learned you never really know anyone until they see you as gay, and then they show who they really are. So just be careful, Rainbow. Not everyone might be as accepting as you think. I hope I’m wrong. I hope it’s just me being pessimistic.”

“Aw, look at you, looking out for me. I suppose I’m making progress.”

I pinch his side, and he chuckles. “Brat.”

“Oh, I’m a brat?” He flips me onto my back and settles between my legs.

His cock, even flaccid, is impressive as he presses it against mine.

“Last time I checked, this mouth always has something to say.”

I nip at his finger. “And what are you going to do about it?”

“I could shut you up by choking you on my cock again.” His lips slant across mine, and I lift my arms to wrap around his neck.

“Or you can just do that,” I admit, mumbling against his lip.

“Yeah, this is good,” he murmurs before dipping his tongue between my lips. He moans against me and rubs his hands down my sides, careful to not press too hard against the bruise forming along my ribs. “God, your lips are so fucking soft,” he tells me as if he can barely contain himself.

A loud bang slams against the house and I jump, then break the kiss to look out the window. “What was that?” It happens again.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

“Sounds like it’s coming from the roof.” Rainbow rolls off me and grabs his sweatpants from the bottom of the bed.

I sit up and look out the window to see how windy and rainy it is. The tree branches are whipping, and the thinner tree trunks are beginning to bend. “You can’t go out there! Rainbow, don’t. Please, come back to bed.”

“Aw, you’re cute when you’re worried about me. I run into fires. I can handle a little rain.” He leans over and presses his hands on the mattress, effectively caging me in before stealing a quick kiss.

How have we fallen into what feels like a routine? His kiss already feels like a habit.

“Well—” I cross my arms while he tugs on a shirt, “—Don’t come running to me when you fall off the roof and break a leg.”

“Sassafras, you know I won’t be able to run with a broken leg.” He gives me a cheeky grin and the bed dips from his heavy weight. Rainbow laces up his boots then he cups the back of my neck with his huge hand. His entire palm wraps around me, and his thumb rests against my pulse. “I’ll be okay, I promise.”

I tap my fingers against my stomach nervously. I haven’t cared about someone since Trenton, and while that might not be a big deal to some, it is to me. Rainbow is quickly becoming important. I worked so hard to build walls with bulletproof glass around my heart and soul, making rules that I could have broken a hundred times before Rainbow but didn’t.

Rainbow is cracking my barriers, and it isn’t because of his bright disposition but the truths shining out of the darkness.

I stand and wrap the sheet around my body and find myself walking him to do the door. When he opens it, a few guys look over the living room couch and whistle.

I blush, and Rainbow closes the door enough so I can’t be seen. “Okay, okay. Back off, he’s mine. Go get your own hot paramedic.”

I can’t believe he’s announcing us like this. I still don’t know if this is some sort of dream or not. If it is, I never want to wake up.

“I’ll be back.”

“Don’t go alone,” I tell him, keeping my voice low. Then I stand on my tiptoes and press a hand against his chest.

“You care about me. Admit it.”

“Shut up,” I pinch his nipple, and he yelps making me laugh. “Be serious for a minute. There’s a hurricane outside.”

“It isn’t a hurricane yet. It isn’t here yet. It’s just some wind. I’ll strap on a harness, okay? You don’t have to worry about a thing.”

I tilt my head and throw my hands on my hips. “You mean just like when you passed out from carrying Taylor out of that fire that you stayed in too long? Yeah, scared five lives out of me.”

“As opposed to my measly one,” he teases, and now I’m starting to get aggravated. He isn’t listening to me.

“I want to see where this can go, Rainbow. I think we can have something good, so don’t do anything stupid like getting yourself killed.”

“Sassafras—” he brushes his lips over mine, “—we already have something good.” He doesn’t give me a kiss. He leaves me wanting. “Who’s coming with me to check out what’s going on with the roof?” he announces, which makes me exhale in relief that he chose to listen to me.

I shut the door and crawl back on the bed, debating if I want to get dressed and hang out in the living room with the guys or snoop. A normal person would decide to look around and see if there’s anything… incriminating. I don’t know if I dare to sit out in the living room with his friends, but then I don’t want them to think I’m avoiding them.

I’m in a pickle.

First things first, I need to get this dried come off my stomach because it’s starting to itch. Then, I glance around the unknown room as I stand from the bed and try to spot anything that tells me more about Rainbow other than how good of a man he seems to be.

Why can’t I just accept something good? Why do I need to question everyone’s motives?

He has no posters on the wall, but he does have a few pictures on his dresser. I have to stand on my tiptoes to look over the top. The first picture is of him and his brother when they were teenagers. Mime is holding a football and Rainbow has his arms wrapped around his little brother’s shoulders. They’re standing in front of an old truck, but I don’t know what kind it is.

I move to the second picture and see a man and a woman with them. They must be their parents. His parents are very good-looking people. Rainbow looks like his mom, while Mime looks like his dad. The third picture skips a few years because it’s him and Mime again leaning against their bikes wearing their cuts.

I wonder what happened during that time?

The come on my stomach begins to itch again, and I scratch it, cringing when I feel the crustiness. Finally, I drop the sheets and head to the bathroom attached to the bedroom and nearly drool when I see how open it is. There’s a huge soaking tub to the left, with salts and oils sitting on a shelf in the corner. I didn’t take Rainbow for the bath-taking kind of man, but he has yet to not surprise me.

The shower is large, fit for three men his size, which has my mind concocting all sorts of fantasies.

I decide to fill the bath and pour a cup of lavender salts in the water with a good amount of oil.

“Shit,” I curse when I realize the oil was bubble bath.

So. Many. Bubbles.

Why am I giddy? It’s been forever since I’ve taken a bath.

I slowly sink into the hot water and hiss when the steam is a little too hot on my ass. I take it slower, and my skin adjusts to the temperature. When I’m fully seated, I lean my head against the small square pillow.

I did not expect luxury in a biker clubhouse.

The sound of the water cascading into the tub from the rose gold fixture has my eyes drooping. When the bubbles tickle my chin, I lift my foot and shut off the faucet, relaxing into the hot water. I feel like I’m at a spa.

Since I got cut off by my parents, I’ve gotten used to living in rundown apartments and busted motels, fishing secondhand furniture out from the curb. I’ve learned so much being on my own. Secondhand items are just as beautiful, if not better, than brand new items. People don’t realize how much life remains in things that they just throw away. Sure, you may need to bug-bomb a ratty couch or super-glue a leg back on a chair, but just because something is a little bit run-down doesn’t mean it’s worth throwing away.

I’ve grown up since my parents kicked me out. I had to learn the realities of the world fast if I wanted to survive. The process has made me jaded, and I think Rainbow just might be the balm that smooths out all the edges.

Swooping the bubbles with my arms closer to my shoulders, I duck under the water, holding my breath to soak my hair. I use my hands to push up to break the surface when a hand holds me down on the top of my head.

For a split, guilty second, I think it’s Rainbow, but in my heart, I know he’d never scare me like this.

My hands shoot up from the water, and I grip the arm holding me down. The fingers bunch in my hair and the person’s nails dig into my scalp. My lungs burn. Panic thrashes in my chest. Water is splashing everywhere, and then I’m yanked out of the water.

I take a deep breath, inhaling as much air as I can before he dunks me again. I continue to fight and thrash around, but it’s no use. Even underwater, tears are stinging my eyes. I scream, blowing bubbles from my mouth.

When I’m lifted out of the water again, I gasp for breath, sputtering out lavender-flavored water and bubbles. My eyes sting from the soap, making my sight blurry, and my hands are still locked around the man’s wrist. I know it’s a man because I can feel the arm hair and the muscle in the forearm, and the ragged breathing is too heavy for a woman.

Right when I think he’s about to say something, he holds me under again.

Longer this time.

Until my head feels like it’s about to explode and the fight is leaving my body.

And he lets go.

I shove myself out of the water to breathe and look around for the culprit.

I’m alone.

The curtain covering the bathroom window sways from his quick departure.

There’s someone here who disapproves of me. Rainbow is wrong.

I’m not safe here.