Wrong Side of the Tracks by Ashley Zakrzewski
ChapterEight
Hawk studied the compound’s backyard from his bedroom window. The pool had been drained, again, due to hidden leaks. The fighting ring they’d set up on the lawn looked like a black bruise on the green grass. The empty picnic tables and grills were a stark reminder that few of his brothers had families of their own. It was times like this that he missed his own brothers and wished for a family of his own.
He fisted his hands and turned back to the room that held a queen bed, a desk and chair, and an old dresser. All courtesy of the local thrift shop. Izzy’s duffel bag, which Drac had delivered earlier, lay near his closet. His clothes lying on the floor, along with the empty beer bottles on every surface, made him wish he’d never left the army. A part of him had craved order and discipline. Unfortunately, the other part of him was an asshole with a temper. And that was the part the army hadn’t liked. His temper was a truth about himself that he could usually control. But when he’d found Izzy in the kitchen talking to the sweet butts, he’d gotten irrationally angry.
He didn’t want her with those women. It’s not that there was anything wrong with them. They were sweet, beautiful, and accommodating. But he’d also fucked them in every way possible and didn’t want Izzy to know. Usually, it was easy to keep his sexual life totally separate from the rest of his life. But now he wanted to hide his entire past from Izzy, and hide his feelings for her from the club. He wasn’t ashamed of his past or the fact he’d fallen in love. He just didn’t want her to think he compared her to anyone else, and he didn’t want the club to believe he had divided loyalties. She was the most incredible woman he’d ever been with, and he didn’t want the club to know or they’d use it against him.
He’d learned firsthand— in the military and in the MC—the bonds that drew men together were more fragile than any of them would ever admit. With that depressing thought in mind, he picked up his clothes and tossed them into a plastic laundry basket.
“Hawk?” Izzy stood in the open doorway holding a serving tray filled with food. She curtsied before saying, “May I enter?”
He smiled at the sharp edge in her voice. He’d known his demand would irritate her and it was part of the reason why he’d done it. The other part was to throw off the others in the clubhouse. He was in a predicament. He loved Izzy, but he couldn’t let anyone know. Especially not her.
He pointed toward his desk. “Put it there.”
She placed the tray on the desk and crossed her arms over her chest. A move that only pressed her breasts up higher. “Is there anything else you need, my lord and master?” She nodded toward the clothes on the floor. “Perhaps you’d allow me to wash your underwear?”
He closed the door and laughed. The sound helped ease the pain in his chest. “You can do my laundry later. But If I asked you to feed me now, would you?”
Her eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth to say something. Until, suddenly, she laughed and shook her head. “You are such an ass.”
“Not really. But I need to play the part in public.” He moved his chair back to the desk so he could eat. “How is your hand feeling?”
She sat on the edge of her bed and looked at the white bandage. “It doesn’t hurt at all. I’ve been keeping it dry.”
“Good.” He shoveled the food into his mouth and drank his coffee. “Mac will be returning later today with antibiotics. I still want you to take them.”
She waved her wounded hand around, motioning to the messy room. “I am at your command.”
He laughed again and wiped his mouth before taking another sip of coffee. “So, what do you think of the clubhouse?”
“Besides the fact I feel like I’ve been dropped into an alternate world, the women seem nice and the men are really scary. I do love the huge kitchen, though. Especially the Sub-Zero fridge and Wolf stove. Although I’m sure about some of the décor.”
He took a huge bite of bacon. “Must be so different from your life at Harvard.”
Her smile disappeared and she stared at him with green eyes that turned darker with each passing second. “How do you know about that?”
He took his time eating, drinking, and using his napkin. Mostly because he needed to tread lightly and not scare her. “As you may have noticed, we’re not just a group of redneck bikers. We own many, many businesses—most of them legitimate. We have bank accounts, lawyers, and IT consultants.”
She sighed. “Now that you know my identity, you ran a background check on me?”
“Kind of.” He pushed the tray away and sat back with his coffee. He watched her closely and noticed she wasn’t wearing the ring she’d had on earlier. The ring worth twenty million dollars that his club was determined to take from her. “Izzy, when you were fucking me, did you know who I was?”
“You mean did I know you were the VP of an outlaw MC?” She tilted her head and licked her lips. “Not at first. Tish eventually filled me in.”
He nodded. He’d spent enough time with her to recognize the truth. “I’d hate to think that while I was sucking your nipples you were using me as protection against the Black Jacks.”
She stood, fisting and unfisting her hands. Her face turned that adorable shade of red that showed off her freckles. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He released a sigh of relief. Again, he believed her. “Good.” He stood, took her hand, and sat down on the bed, pulling her down next to him. Then he gently held her bandaged hand. “I need to tell you something.”
She grimaced and pulled her hand out of his. “I’m not sure I want to hear it.”
He took back her hand and kissed each knuckle. “I know your father has a fifty thousand dollar bounty on your head.”
She swallowed, but stayed silent.
“I know you took something when you ran away from him. Something the Black Jacks are willing to kill for.”
She looked toward the window, and he saw tears in her eyes. “I can’t tell you, Hawk. It’s too dangerous.”
That was the truth as well.
“Can you tell me why you ran away from a life I can only imagine was filled with beautiful homes, expensive cars, and well-connected people?”
“Because I learned those things don’t matter.” She sighed and threw herself back on the bed. Then she draped an arm over her eyes. “I discovered my stepfather was funding the IRA by selling their guns. He used the Black Jacks MC club to move the weapons once they arrived.”
“I know.”
She dropped her arms and met his gaze. “How could you know that?”
“I know criminals who know things about criminals who work with criminals.”
A small smile appeared, and he laid down next to her. Their heads were only a few inches apart, but they held hands and stared up at the ceiling.
“Not everyone who is in jail should be,” she said softly. “And there are people walking around free who should be incarcerated.”
The pain in her voice surprised him, and he turned to watch her profile. Her beauty always took his breath away, and her lavender scent made his dick hard. “Oh, darlin’. It’s been that way for the entire history of the world.”
“I guess.” She wiped her eyes with her free hand. “Anyway, I was dating one of the family lawyers—”
“Tell me he sucked in bed.”
She turned her head to meet his gaze. Her green eyes sparkled, and she stared at his lips. “I’ve had very few lovers, Hawk. Two before you. And neither of them can begin to compare to what we had together.”
An unexpected happiness filled his chest, and he reached over with his free hand to wipe away a tear. “I’m not too proud to admit that means a lot to me.”
She watched him for a long time before turning her head back to the ceiling. “One night, I was in my boyfriend’s house and discovered some of my stepfather’s papers. They outlined a plan he had that included selling an old Irish artifact to a Mexican cartel for an obscene amount of money. Except the IRA found out he had this artifact and blackmailed my boyfriend into betraying my stepfather to get this artifact back. When my boyfriend discovered that I knew what was going on—something I didn’t realize at the time—he tried to kill me.”
Heat flooded Hawk’s body and he raised himself up on his elbow to look down at her. “How?” The word came out as a growl.
“He brought me a bottle of my favorite champagne to toast my promotion at work.” Her loud exhale filled the room with sadness. “He poisoned the wine.”
“When did you find out?”
She met his gaze again, and this time there were no tears. Just a resolute calmness. “I drank it and ended up in the hospital. I was in a coma for a few days and in the ICU for over a month.”
It took every ounce of willpower not to tear his bedroom apart and then drive up to Boston and commit murder. The fact her lover had tried to kill her not only shocked him. It left him cold and rigid with rage. The kind of rage that had gotten him thrown out of the army. “What happened after you were released?”
“When I came home from the hospital, I discovered my stepfather had paid off the police and my boyfriend had disappeared—until his body was fished out of the Mystic River.” She closed her eyes and squeezed his fingers. “I suspect the Black Jacks took care of my boyfriend, but I have no proof. After I realized the power my stepfather had, and how dangerous his world truly was, I made the plan to disappear. While I was pretending to return to work, I took out as much cash as I could and bought a used car under an assumed name. Then, when I was ready, I took off. Except instead of searching for a new life, I ended up running from my old one.”
“Because you stole the artifact.” He had no reason to state it as a question. It was obvious from the story that she’d taken the artifact when she left home.
She nodded. “Now I’m stuck. I can’t go home. I can’t sell the artifact. And I don’t want anyone else to get hurt.” She opened her eyes and met his gaze again. “I don’t know what to do.”
He touched her chin, remembering the woman he’d made love to with such abandon. He’d originally thought his attraction stemmed from the fact he knew nothing about her. But now that he was learning about the woman she was, his desire increased tenfold. “Izzy, what did you do for a living before you ran away?”
She rolled onto her side and gave him a sexy look. “Can you guess?”
“Hmmm.” He leaned over to kiss her nose. “A socialite?”
She laughed. “That’s not a career. That’s an expectation of social behavior.” This time she kissed his nose. “Guess again.”
“You went to Harvard.” He kissed her cheek, making sure to kiss away her lingering tears. “It must be something like history or English.”
She made a buzzing sound. “Wrong. Try again.”
He traced her jawline before his fingertips rested on her lips. “Sociology?”
She scoffed. “I don’t even know what that is!”
Without warning, he rolled her onto her back and propped himself over her body. His hands landed on either side of her head, and one of his legs pressed between her thighs. Even fully clothed, the heat they generated threatened to scorch him. “Tell me.”
She smiled and held his face between her hands. “You really can’t guess?”
“I really can’t.” His lips gently covered hers, and their breaths mingled until he wasn’t sure where he stopped and she began. He pressed his leg between her thighs higher until she arched her hips. “Tell me.”
“Oh, Hawk.” Her throaty voice sent heat straight to his groin, and his erection became unbearably painful as it pressed against his zipper. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and whispered, “You are so bossy.”
“I am.” He lowered the weight of his entire body on top of her, and he took one of her full breasts in his hand. “Tell. Me.”
She arched beneath him again and moved her arms until her fingers gripped his ass. “I have a degree in applied mathematics. I’m a biostatistician with a master’s degree in applied algebra.”
“What?” He raised his head and saw the truth in her eyes. “You mean I’ve been fucking a brilliant math geek and didn’t know it?”
She wriggled beneath him and fluttered her eyelashes. “Do geeky math girls turn you on?”
“Hell, yeah, they do.” With a grunt, he rolled over onto his back and forced her to straddle his waist. “Take off your top.”
She laughed as she peeled off her T-shirt, exposing her white lace bra. “If I’d known you were this bossy—”
His hands covered her breasts, and she closed her eyes. Slowly, he reached around to unclasp her bra. Then he drew the straps down her arms and tossed it aside. Her firm, round breast with their rosy tips bounced in front of his eyes. “You are so beautiful.”
He didn’t even recognize his guttural voice. Maybe because his throat closed up and he could barely breathe. He’d spent every sleepless night, since she left him, dreaming about touching her, holding her, being inside her. And now that she was here with him again, he was almost afraid to touch her in case she disappeared.
She covered his hands on her breasts with her fingers and gently squeezed. “I’ve missed you, Hawk.”
A deep well of male satisfaction bloomed in his chest, making it hard to drag in enough oxygen. “I’m never letting you go, Izzy.”
He wasn’t sure what she’d make of his declaration, but he didn’t care.
She smiled and unbuttoned her jeans. That was all the incentive he needed to make the necessary changes in their situation. A few moments later, he’d stripped them both and had rolled on a condom he’d grabbed from his bedside table.
Except now he was on top of her again, both legs between her thighs, and his erection at her entrance. He wanted to take his time, but they’d been apart for too long. And the other, more demanding part of his body needed satisfaction. He needed to claim what was his.
She drew his head down and held his face between her palms so she could kiss him deeply. His tongue played with hers, and she spread her legs even wider, in a silent plea. After a few more deep kisses, he raised his head and met her gaze. He wanted her to see him, really see him, as he drove into her.
She raised her hips at the same time he plunged forward. He entered her and paused, surprised by how tight she was. Slowly, she began to move her hips rhythmically. He met her request with a slow and steady driving motion. The back and forth movement of drilling into her, entering her deeper with each and every push, filled him with such joy that he cried out, “Izzy.”
“Harder.” She lifted her legs higher until they wrapped around his waist. She dug her nails into his ass and pleaded, “Please, Hawk.”
He was happy to oblige. He closed his eyes and gave himself up the power of their lovemaking. He drove and drove and drove into her until all he knew was the sensation of his hard, aching dick inside the woman he loved.
“Hawk.” She gently bit his ear and her nails dug even harder. “I’m coming.”
The pain of her nails grabbing his ass, and the way her body tightened around him, made his balls tighten and his toes curl. Suddenly, a frenzy came over him and he forced himself deeper and deeper until hitting her very core. A moment later, he exploded inside her and she cried out his name again. It took six more strokes to make her come again, and another four until he emptied all he had to give her.
When all the strength left his body, he collapsed on top of her. He breathed in the scent of her lavender soap and ran his hands up and down her sides, from her thighs to her breasts. His rough hands caught on her silky skin, but he couldn’t bear to stop touching her.
Finally, he rolled onto his side, took care of the condom, pulled her into his arms, and settled her head on his chest. Although they’d made love so many times before, today felt different. Maybe because today he knew he loved her.
* * *
Izzy listened to Hawk’s heartbeat and rubbed her fingers lightly over his chest, loving the way his chest hair felt as it moved over the hard muscles beneath his skin. He’d made love to her in such a powerful way that her climax had stripped away all thought and all reason.
His gentle hands belied the strength she knew he was capable of. He’d always taken charge of their lovemaking, yet this time his powerful legs between hers felt even more… possessive.
His chest shifted beneath her head and she whispered, “Are you awake?”
“No. You wore me out.”
Her silent laughter shook the bed. “I wish it was nighttime. I always feel safer in the dark, when no one can see us.”
His arms tightened around her and he kissed her head. “I’ll never let anyone hurt you again. I promise.”
She kissed his chest and snuggled closer. She wanted to believe his words, but she also knew they were in an impossible situation with no way out, no way back, and no way forward. But, for now, she was going to enjoy the moment.
Slowly, she moved her hand down his taut stomach until she reached his semi-hard erection. As she curled her fingers around him, he whispered, “What are you doing?”
“Nothing.” She began a slow up and down motion that brought him back to a full erection. “I don’t think you’re tired.”
He chuckled low and kissed her head again. “You’re a math geek. What do you know about biology?”
“I’m a biostatistician. I know lots about math and science.”
His hips arched and he groaned. “Just my luck.”
Laughing, she found another condom on the bedside table and moved on top of him until she was straddling him. He’d never allowed her to open the packet before, but this time she ripped it open and covered him before he could say anything.
Although his eyes were closed, he gripped her waist and his hips began arching up and down again. Slowly, she raised herself on top of his erection and lowered herself until she took all of him in. He was so large—truly like a Greek god—he filled her completely. His hands on her waist dragged her up and down in a steady rhythm while she gripped the bed frame over his head.
They made love silently this time. It was less frenetic, but he pushed himself deeper and deeper until she was sure he could go no further. Although she was on top of him, he had total control over the timing—until a wave of heat washed over her. Then it was her turn to set the tempo.
Over and over again, she slammed down on his cock until her nipples tightened and her lower stomach clenched. She cried out his name just as she burst into a million tiny flames. At that moment, with his hands still on her waist, he increased the tempo until he came with a fierce series of thrusts and called out her name.
“Izzy.”
A few moments later, she found herself curled up next to him, with her head on his chest again, and his arms around her body. She allowed her breaths to match the rhythm of his, and she realized something. She didn’t just enjoy having sex with Hawk. She was falling in love with him.
A hint of thunder sounded from outside, and she glanced at the darkening window. Clouds were rolling in for the daily afternoon thunderstorms. Normally, she loved this time of day. But today she was also grateful. Hopefully the storm outside would protect them from the outside world.
Just as her eyelids began to close, she heard two sounds. The first was someone banging on Hawk’s door. The second was the buzzing of a cell phone—the cell phone that had fallen out of the pocket when Hawk had undressed her. The cell phone that linked her to the FBI.