BAD BOY ROMANCE: DIESEL: Contemporary Bad Boy Biker MC Romance (Box Set) (New Adult Sports Romance Short Stories Boxset) (71 page)

Chapter 6

              Adrien rolled over in the bed, staring down Morgan’s still sleeping form. She was relaxed and looked so at peace he was almost jealous for a moment. It seemed like every day he spent with her at the cabin he fell ever more under her spell. The past weeks had been the happiest days of his life, happier than any other time he could remember. But every day he knew that their idyll would have to come to an end eventually, and the secrets he was keeping from her hung like a noose that tightened ever day he didn’t reveal the truth. And it was killing him. Because he was sure that as soon as she learned the truth about who he was,
what
he was, and what he had done by mating her without her knowledge, she would run away from him.

              There had been so many times over the past days that he had been about to open his mouth and let it all just come out, but every time he started she would look at him with her big green eyes and all he could see was her, scared of him, hating him. And he just couldn’t make himself take that risk. He had almost convinced himself that there was no way she would stay with him once she found out what he was, and Adrien just wasn’t ready to let her go yet. Not when it felt like he had just found her. He had kicked himself so many times for not asking her out sooner, but she had always seem so unattainable to him. And once he spilled the beans, she would be again.

              Adrien slowly dragged one finger down the side of her cheek, marveling at the downy softness of her skin. Everything about her mesmerized him, enchanted him. He knew part of it was the mating bond, pulling him always closer to her, but he had learned so much about her. About her past, her hopes and dreams. She had the heart of an artist and the way she looked at the world with so much joy and excitement was contagious.

              He had felt restless his entire life, like there had always been a piece of him missing, and now, he knew what that piece was. It was her. Morgan. His mate and the woman he was coming to love more every day.

              “I can feel you staring at me.” Her words were whispered soft and husky and had his body instantly hard with want.

              “I happen to like staring at you.” Adrien replied just as softly, still sweeping his finger feather light against her touch. A small smile broke across her face.

              “That tickles.” She wiggled a little, trying to evade him but it was no use. A moment later he was on top of her, tickling every spot he knew she was ticklish, and she was very ticklish.

              “Noooo, stop!” Morgan tried to say but it came out garbled with her laughter. She bucked on the bed, trying to escape his torment and finally he stopped, her arms pinned above her head and both of them breathing heavily. The mood changed suddenly from playful to seductive in the span of a heartbeat. Adrien looked down into her eyes and saw every emotion, every feeling, and it made his chest tighten painfully at the thought of losing it, of losing her.

              On impulse he leaned down and kissed her, because there was nothing else he could do. He had to feel her lips pressed against his like he needed to breathe, it was desperate, intense ache inside of him that soon had him burning out of control for her as she writhed beneath him.

              His tongue dipped into her mouth, tasting her sweetness and he moaned as pleasure melted through him. He nipped and teased her lips, angling his head first one way and then the other to get the deepest access and soon they were both balancing on the sharp edge of desire. Adrien was seriously considering just staying in bed with her for the rest of the day he felt the pressure of her hands at his chest, pushing him back.

              He looked down at her in confusion, his lust addled brain taking longer to catch up than normal.

              “We have to get up,” Morgan explained and he could hear the pang of regret in her sweet voice, still breathless from his kiss, “I have a surprise planned for you.”

              Adrien just stared down at her, not comprehending his words. It was official. All of the blood had fled his brain and moved south, leaving none to help him understand what she was saying. He shook his head slightly and then leaned down to kiss her again, his body still raging for hers but she stopped him again with a light touch and a soft laugh.

              “Adrien, if I don’t get up now I won’t have time to finish your surprise. Just wait until tonight and then I’m all yours.” She finished the statement with a sultry smile that had him nodding his head in agreement before her words had even registered. Adrien watched as she climbed out of bed, gloriously naked from the night before and sat there wondering what the hell had just happened. Finally, her words hit him and he perked up.

              “Surprise? What kind of surprise?” He asked as he followed her out of bed and into the bathroom where she was brushing her teeth and just turning on the water in the shower. She spat out the toothpaste and then grinned at him.

              “The kind of surprise I can’t tell you about because then it wouldn’t be a surprise.” Morgan said the words as she stepped into the shower and Adrien wasted no time following her in. when she looked back in question, he just shrugged.

              “Water conservation.” He said shortly as he reached for the shampoo.

*

              Much later than she’d intended Morgan finally had the cabin to herself. After their shower together, which had already put her behind schedule it had taken a lot of convincing to get Adrien to go out for the rest of the afternoon, and she would need ever spare minute if she hoped to make her surprise a success. With a grin, she looked around the front yard, glad to see that Adrien was no where in sight. Quickly, she grabbed one of the fishing rods from the shed and made the short walk down to stream he had tried to teach her how to fish before.

              Morgan shook her head as humor filled her. It had been obvious to her that he wasn’t sure what he doing when it came to fishing, but even still had caught those two beautiful fish they’d had for dinner that first night they were there and she wanted to return the favor. Even though she was pretty sure she knew even less than Adrien. She shrugged. How hard could it be?

              She walked over to the bush that she remembered Adrien getting the berries for the bait from and picked a handful, making sure to only get the ripest looking ones. Slowly she placed one and then two of the biggest berries on the rusty hook and walked down to the edge. Morgan glanced around once more, unsure of where Adrien had gone off to once she had kicked him out of the cabin. He had said he would go for a hike through the surrounding woods, and she hoped he wouldn’t catch her. She really wanted to do something nice for him, to surprise with a beautiful meal and maybe even something for dessert.

              Morgan grinned at the thoughts, remembering their morning spent in the shower until they were both so prune-y they eventually had been forced to get out. She sighed. She could have stayed in there all day with him. In fact, the more time she spent with him, the more she wanted to. These past few weeks had been amazing, and she didn’t want them to end. She had found something in Adrien that was so much more than she expected.

              She’d always known that there was more to the man than he let on, hiding his true heart behind a façade of jokes and charm, but she realized now that is was because of his painful past. He had gone through the horror of losing not just one parent, but both and it had taught him to put up a mask and not let anyone get to close. Because if he didn’t care, then he wouldn’t get hurt again. But she sensed something different from him since they had been out there. He had let his shield down, letting her see the true him, and if she was honest with herself, she liked what she saw. Okay, more than liked.

              Morgan threw the line out into the water, laughing to herself when she recalled Adrien’s attempt to do the same that had ended up with the fishing pole in the middle of the stream, shortly followed by him, and then herself. That steamy kiss in the water had her mind on something besides fishing entirely when she felt a tiny tug on the line.

              She wasn’t sure how long she had stood there waiting for a fish to catch, it must have been an hour at least and she slowly reeled it in. Adrien hadn’t been able to show her how to handle this stage of catching the fish but as she pulled on the line, finally revealing the tiny fish she breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn’t too big. Morgan grabbed the thing, trying to ignore the squirmy feeling as it flopped in her grasp.

              Grimacing the whole time, she finally was able to get it off the hook and toss it in the small bucket she’d brought with her from the cabin. One down, one to go. Unfortunately, the second one took just as long to catch and she felt a thrill when another fish latched onto the berry tipped line and she started to reel it in.

              She had just pulled on the line and was bracing herself to take the fish off of the hook when movement on the other side of the stream caught her eye. Morgan froze as she found herself staring at the biggest bear she had ever seen. Well, the only bear she had ever seen outside of a nature documentary. She held her breath, waiting for the panic to set it, and was surprised when it never did.

              Her gaze swept over its massive form, its fur a dark brown color marked with tan and its golden amber eyes seemingly as shocked as she was. Maybe even more so. She shifted slightly on the shoreline, wondering at the complete sense of ease that flowed through her. She knew she should be terrified; she knew she should be screaming her head off as she ran towards the safety of the cabin. But she also knew, somehow, inextricably, that the animal wouldn’t hurt her.

              Morgan watched in awe as the bear stared at her for another long moment before slowly melting back into the tree line as if it had never even been there in the first place. Amazed, she shook her head, and grabbing the second tiny fish headed back to the cabin, her mind full of the incredible animal she had just witnessed, and even more so, her strange reaction to it.

Chapter 7

           Adrien backed slowly into the shadows, huffing out a breath of relief as he watched Morgan slowly turn away and head back up the small hill to the cabin. What she had been doing out there in the first place, he had no idea. She’d just told him earlier that afternoon that he was banned from the cabin until six o’clock that evening because she needed time to get her surprise ready for him.

           Warmth and affection flooded through him. It was so unbearably sweet. He couldn’t remember anyone ever wanting to something for him just because. Just because they wanted to, just because they cared, not for any ulterior motive.   

           He shook his giant head, feeling the fur shift against his skin as he did so. He also didn’t know why the hell she didn’t run away. She had stared at him, bold as brass, not a trace of fear to found anywhere on her. It was almost like she had recognized him, but he shook that thought away. It was impossible. But still, the idea stuck with him, adding fuel to the fire already burning in his chest.

           The big bear stuck its snout up, gauging the placement of the sun. He still a few hours or so left before he was supposed to be back for his surprise so Adrien turned and trundled down the path away from the stream, and the cabin. Hopefully there would be no more run ins with his mate. At least not until he was ready for her, and not in bear form.

           He tromped through the soft underbrush, his paws digging into the soil and leaving behind prints that followed him like a shadow. Joy filled him as he reveled in the beauty of the nature surrounding him. He had gotten used to living in the small city, but this was where he truly felt at home. In fact, if it wasn’t for the bar, he would have moved out to the cabin long ago instead of the weekend trips he tried to make out there every month.

           Every scent seemed more intense. The sunshine was brighter, the smell of the earth and the stream mingled in his nose, pulling him forward. The breeze ruffling his fur felt like a caress as he leapt into the air for the pure hell of it. He would have laughed out loud if he could have. Adrien didn’t know if it was because of the time he’d spent with Morgan, or the fact that he was mated, but he felt more in tune with his inner animal than ever before. For so long, the twin halves of him at been at war, especially after the death of his father, and there had always been a rift between man and bear. Now, he felt as one. Whole, for the first time in…he couldn’t even remember how long.

           With another playful leap he turned, loping through an open field of tall grass and weeds before rolling onto his back and letting his tongue loll out as he soaked in the warmth of the sun.

           Adrien lay there, both parts of him completely at peace as he watched the bright morning star track across the sky. With a jolt he remembered Morgan’s surprise and her strict admonition to be back on time.

                 He turned, his large fur covered body running seamlessly through the grass, between the trees, and up the tiny hill that led to the cabin before stopping. He sniffed around until he found the pile of clothes he had stashed, saying a quick prayer of relief that Morgan hadn’t found those. That would have made for an awkward entrance.

The air shimmered around him as he shifted from bear form, to human and he quickly dressed before looking around once more to make sure the coast was still clear. Adrien wondered briefly what sort of surprise Morgan had in store his mind instantly conjured an image of her in lacy black lingerie and covered in whipped cream. He shook his head, okay maybe not the whipped cream, but a bear could dream. He stepped up to the front door and then opened it, freezing at the smell that hit his nostrils. It was not a good smell.

“Uh, Morgan? I’m back.” He yelled out from the front door, slowly walking back towards the kitchen where the smell was strongest only to see Morgan standing there by the small table, smiling at him and gesturing toward the table. Adrien looked from the table, to her, and back again. So, that was where the stench was originating. He looked over the food that sat there on various platters and plates.

                  “Surprise!” She finally said, with a concerned glance towards the food she had obviously just been preparing.

                 “Yeah, this looks...definitely surprising.” Adrien said, fighting the urge to open up all the windows and let out some of the smoke that still lingered in the cabin.

                  “Come and sit down,” Morgan pulled a chair out for him and he had no choice but to take it. He looked warily at the plate in front of him as she put a very small, very burnt fish on his plate that hadn’t been cleaned. It still had it’s scales and eyeballs, blackened though they were and Adrien swallowed hard. Correction, this was the source of that awful smell. A spoonful of overcooked vegetables were added and a wilty salad took up the little space that was left. Out of all the food, the salad looked the most palatable, but his stomach knotted in protest as he looked up at Morgan and forced a smile.

                 “Wow, Morgan. This is...amazing,” Amazing was one word for it, “I can’t believe you cooked me dinner. That's such a nice surprise. Thank you.” She beamed at his words and it caused a warmth to gather at his chest. He looked down at the plate and strengthened his resolve. For that look, he would eat any amount of gross food. He could it. For her.

                  Adrien looked down at the plate of food, choking back a sigh as it stared back at him. He didn’t even have a clue how he was going to eat that fish. With a grimace, he decided to attempt one of the safer looking items on the menu first. He glanced up to see Morgan watching him, that smile still lighting up her face as she waited for his reaction. Steeling himself, he stabbed at what looked to be a lima bean and quickly put it in his mouth. He barely held back the cry as he bit down and it was hard as a rock, the vibrations of it rattling through his head.

                  “This is delicious,” He lied through his teeth, “You should eat too.” He waited for her to look down at her plate before surreptitiously grabbing his napkin and spitting it out. He wanted to make her smile, but he also didn’t want to chip a tooth.

                  He took several more bites, choking it down in silence, and had still yet to get to the fish. So that must have been what she was doing down there by the stream. He smiled.

                  “You caught these?” She paused from staring at her force in determination to look at him.

                  “Yep,” Morgan nodded her head, and then grinned a little, “I used everything you taught me. It took a little while to catch them, but they really do like those berries.”

                  Adrien barely held back a shocked laugh.
Well, I’ll be damned
, he thought, maybe he wasn’t such a bad fisherman after all. He glanced at the fish again, poking it a little with his fork before taking a deep breath and diving in.

                 He tried to get under the scales and the skin with the fork alone, then he grabbed a knife and made a mess of the whole thing only to find it was somehow still completely raw inside, despite its burnt exterior.

    Morgan made a sound and he looked up to see her pushing her plate away, a devastated look on her beautiful face.

                 “I’m sorry, Adrien. It’s not very good, is it?” That was the understatement of the year, but all he did was shrug, not wanting to say anything to make her feel worse.  A moment later, she surprised him when a laugh bubbled out of her and then another. She looked up at him with mirth shining from her emerald green eyes, her hand covering her mouth. “It’s horrible.”

                  Her laughter was contagious and soon they were both giggling uncontrollably. He laughed until tears were streaming from the corners of his eyes and his side hurt. Finally, he got a hold of himself and opened his arms, gesturing for her to come close and she was in his lap in an instant. He wrapped them around her, holding her tight against him and laid a kiss on her cheek.

                  “That was the best surprise I’ve ever gotten. Thank you.” Morgan looked at him, but her expression melted when she saw the sincerity shining in his amber eyes.

                 “I don’t believe you, but you are welcome anyways,” She leaned over, intending to just give him a peck on the lips but he held her even tighter, deepening the kiss until she forgot all about her ruined dinner. After a moment, she leaned back. “Well, there is one last surprise,” She laughed at his expression of doubt. “Don’t worry, this one is foolproof.”

                 Adrien watched as Morgan jumped up from her seat on his lap, which he instantly regretted, and walked over the cabinet. A second later she turned back to him, a bag of marshmallows in one hand and graham crackers and chocolate in the other.

“S’mores.” She grinned at him, full of joy and mischief and spirit, despite her disastrous meal, and he fell head over heels in love with her then and there. He could almost feel his heart leap out of his chest and fly across the room, because it didn’t belong to him any more. It was hers.