Never by Blue Saffire
Chapter 42
Ride
Sal
It’s been two months and we still haven’t found a house we can both agree on. Terry only makes it worse. He and I have similar taste, so it’s like we’re ganging up on Gutter.
Today we decided to give house hunting a much needed break. Yes, I want to get our own place and move out of the compound, but I can’t take another day of disappointing houses.
No, I’m not picky, but Gutter has this vision on how he wants to set the place up for my safety. Most times, he’s the one who hates the house and wants to move on.
I sigh and press my face against his shoulder. He leans into the bend of the next turn and I smile at the easiness of this ride. He’s right, this is just what we needed today.
I place a kiss on his shoulder as he pulls to a stop. We’re surrounded by trees. However, we’ve stopped in the center of a clearing that bumps up against a lake.
I think back to our time in his truck that one time. It seems like a lifetime ago now. A shiver runs through me and I can’t help wondering if he has those types of plans for this time.
“Where are we?” I ask as I pull my helmet off.
He gives me a sexy smile as he reaches for my helmet while tucking his under his arm. I’m so curious now. Gutter’s full-on smiles are so rare.
“What if I told you this all could be ours?” he says, putting both the helmets on the bike.
I spin in a circle. Suddenly, it hits me what he’s asking, and I furrow my brows when I turn back to face him. I don’t know what to think or say.
“What do you mean?”
“I was talking to your daddy. He made the suggestion for Eva and Brick to design and build us the home we want. I can help with the labor. So, this lot was the first place I thought of. The lake, the space, it’s everything we need and more,” he replies.
“You’re shitting me, right?”
“This is as real as it gets. What do you think?”
“I think it’s absolutely perfect. I can see you doing everything you wanted, and I can have a garage to start building a new bike. That lake is everything, I can totally see drinking coffee and looking out at it,” I gush as I look around.
“Then, it’s done. We’ve found our home. Brick has already started on blueprints,” Gutter says with a cocky grin.
“And what if I said I hated the idea?”
“Wasn’t going to happen.”
“But if it did?”
“We would have had a big ass piece of land on our hands and nothing to do with it.”
I burst out laughing and throw myself into his arms. The craziness lurking in the background of our lives shrieks and all I can focus on is how much I love this man, flaws and all.
When I look up into his eyes, I see so much love. I also see how tired he is. I cup his face and hold his gaze.
“You have to sleep. There’s no way you can keep going like this.”
“I’m fine. I get rest in the office. I’ll rest when this place is built and you’re safe in our home.”
“That could be months,” I say, worry filling me.
“If we approve the designs and we’re not picky about finishings, Brick said he can have it done in three, six max. He’s bringing in twice the team for this one,” he says with a proud look in his eyes.
“Ugh, you still can’t wait that long to get a good night’s rest.”
“I can and I will,” he says firmly. “This isn’t about me.”
“You’re so stubborn and yes, it is.”
He nuzzles my neck and shoves his big warm hands into the back of my jean shorts. I can’t help moaning when he sucks my flesh into his mouth and begins to knead my ass in his palms.
I’m already aroused from his nearness and his cologne surrounding me and filling my head. Let’s not forget having my breasts pressed to his back for the last hour. So when he slides a thumb down my crack and toward the front of my shorts, I’m not surprised he finds a slick, smooth passage for his thick digit.
I moan and pull back to look at his face. There’s a wicked smile on his lips. I peck them softly and cup his face.
“I have an idea,” I say.
“Oh yeah, what's that?”
“Maybe we should spend the weekend at my parents'.”
He begins to push his fingers in and out of me. “I do this and it makes you think of spending the weekend at your parents'?” he asks and lifts a brow.
“No, I was just thinking we could relax and spend some time together and after you can choose any room to sleep in and actually get some rest for a few days.”
“If that's what you want,” he replies and presses his forehead to mine. Pulling his hand from my shorts, he then lifts his fingers to his mouth and sucks on them. “Let's get out of here.”
With that, we put our helmets back on and get back on the bike headed back for the clubhouse. My heart is so full we’ll finally have a place to call home. I haven't even seen the floor plans yet, I know it's going to be perfect. Brick and Eva are sure to design us the perfect home.
I don't think life could get any better. Things are falling into place, which only means something is about to go wrong.
Gutter
I narrow my eyes on Sal and Terry as they sit giggling at the outdoor bar. The two have had their heads locked together most of the night. I frown and turn my attention back to my beer.
“You're still waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
I turn to Cage as he stops beside me with a beer of his own. I give him a look of confusion, wondering what he's talking about. He lifts his beer and gives me a knowing smile, nodding his head toward Terry.
“I see it in your face, you're waiting for him to disappoint you again. I'm a pretty good judge of character, I am usually always right. While it's clear in his eyes, he's been through a world of shit, it's also clear that he's doing the best he can to fit in here. There is a whole lot of loss in his depths, enough to earn him a patch of his own.
“He's a lost soul if I've ever seen one. You're waiting for him to fuck up, but all I see is him trying to fit in. I think he's found a home just like you have,” Cage explains.
“We'll see, I know him better than anyone.”
“Finding a safe place isn't easy, sometimes you have to learn when someone has found theirs and when they're not willing to give that up,” he replies.
“We've had safe places before and he burned them all down, as long as he's around Sal, I'll be keeping an eye out,” I say firmly.
“You guys find a place?”
“Yeah, it looks like it. Thanks for the advice.”
“Since my track record is proven, maybe you'll listen to the advice I just gave you, there's such a thing as pushing too hard and pushing someone away.”
I take another pull from my beer and cast my eyes toward Terry and Sal again, they are still in their private world laughing at their own jokes. I should be happy that they're getting along so well, but like I said, I know Terry. The other shoe will drop.