GRIT: A Spartan Riders Novel (9 page)

TWELVE

Okay, so…what did a guy do with a woman who didn’t belong to him, but had fallen asleep in his bathtub…naked?

Like really fucking naked.

When Ash had offered up use of their bathroom, he hadn’t really thought she’d take him up on it. He figured, after their little tête–à–tête at the zoo, she would scrounge up any excuse not to come over. Hell, he’d been waiting for her to call and read him the riot act once she got home, only to get the shock of his life when she showed up at his door a half hour later with a change of clothes folded against her chest and a tired look in her eyes.

He’d assumed that was the look of defeat, and maybe it was a little bit, but it seemed she was a lot more worn out than he’d realized.

He kind of felt bad for making her come over…

Nah, not really. Having a naked, wet, slippery woman in his home who wasn’t a raging bitch was an unexpected, but wholly welcome, treat.

Easing into the room, Blake closed the door quietly behind him. “Gabby,” he whispered, double checking that she was really asleep and not just resting her eyes. She didn’t stir. Padding over to the tub, he crouched down, unable to keep his gaze from soaking in every sweet-as-sin inch of her ridiculous body.

Damn, but she was beautiful. Soft, delicate handfuls of flesh that his fingers itched to touch and his mouth watered to taste. With heavy, teardrop breasts, dusky nipples pebbled from the chill in the air, a flat stomach, and shapely hips and thighs, she was a feast for the eyes.

And she was going to kick his ass for being in there.

But he couldn’t bring himself to regret the decision.

Trailing his fingers through the water, Blake watched her slack face for any indication that she was aware of him, but it was clear by her rhythmic breathing that she was sound asleep.

After watching a quick show with Ash while Blake worked on putting together dinner, she announced that she was going to wash up. An hour later, when she hadn’t returned, Blake decided to investigate.

Which brought him to where he was now, inches away from a silky sweet female and seconds away from imminent death.

What a way to go though.

Acutely aware that Ash was just down the hall and would probably come looking for him any minute, Blake shelved his baser urges and stroked a wet finger across Gabby’s full, pouty lips. A drop of water transferred to the crease, capturing his attention as it tracked a path down to her chin and hung there as if unwilling to sever contact.

With the back of his finger, he skimmed his knuckle beneath her chin to brush it away. The urge to trace lower, map a path down the slope of her neck and circle around pert nipples increased by each passing second.

If he wasn’t careful, he’d end up climbing in there with her.

A soft moan slipped past her lips, and Gabby’s head rolled on her shoulders. “Gabby,” Blake said softly once more, smiling as her eyes slowly opened and she looked up at him from beneath heavy lids.

“Hey, teach. You fell asleep,” Blake told her, folding his arms on the side of the tub as he watched her come around.

“I did?” Bleary-eyed, Gabby shifted to sit up, sloshing water. Her brows pulled together as she took stock of her surroundings, and Blake braced for the inevitable meltdown.

With a shriek, her arms banded around her breasts and Gabby pulled her knees up to her chest, regrettably shielding herself from his view. “What are you doing in here?”

Standing, Blake tugged the towel from the bar and stretched it out in front of him. “You were in here a long time. We got worried.”

Staring up at him, her eyes wide and filled with horror, Gabby made no move to stand. “You…you saw me naked.”

“I did.” He gave the towel a little shake. “You ready to get out?”

“Not with you in here! Just…throw it on the floor and get out.”

“What if your legs fell asleep and you fall? I won’t be here to catch you. Come on, teach. You ain’t got nothin’ I haven’t seen before.”

Her scowl deepened, creating adorable creases between her brows. For a moment, Blake thought for sure she’d start screaming like a banshee on a warpath, but she surprised him. Instead of coming unhinged, Gabby grabbed hold of the sides of the tub and stood. Water slapped at the sides of the basin, droplets sprinkling from her soaked limbs filled the room with the sound of rainfall, and she stood before him, defiant in all her bare glory.

Ripping the towel from his hands, she clutched the strip of fabric to her chest. “Get out. I need to get dressed.”

Her frosty tone brooked no argument. Holding up his hands, Blake backed toward the door. “No harm, no foul.”

Reaching for her bra next to the sink, she began dressing herself. “I just woke up with you hovering over me while I was sleeping. Do you really expect me to believe you didn’t do anything? Not even one touch?”

“You think I’d pull a nasty on you while you were incapacitated? Not likely, teach. I’m not that hard up for pussy.”

She grumbled something under her breath that Blake didn’t catch, but he figured it was probably of the foul-mouth variety, so he didn’t really care to hear it anyway. Irritated that she kept making assumptions about his character, he stepped up behind her, crowding her against the counter. Her eyes snapped up, meeting his in the mirror.

Pressing his chest to her back, he felt the excess water soak through his shirt as he leaned forward and flattened his hands on the countertop. Placing his lips beside her ear, he said, “I don’t know what your problem is with me or my kind, but I’m getting sick and damn tired of you judging me. And wrongly, I might add. So the next time you walk your tight ass through my door, you’d better remember to bring your manners with you.”

Shock and maybe a little embarrassment registered on her face before she locked it down tight. “You invited me. I didn’t ask to come here.”

“That’s right, I did, but don’t forget that you’re the one who decided to come. That’s on you.” Lifting his hand, he swept her long hair over her shoulder, exposing the length of her neck. That small bit of contact revealed all Blake needed to know about Gabby Morgan. She might not want to be attracted to him, but her body knew what it wanted well enough. Goose bumps erupted all over her skin, and he allowed his fingers to trace lightly across her shoulder and down her arm.

“You should know something about me, Gabby,” he said gruffly. “I might be a little more rough around the edges than you’re used to, and I won’t take anyone’s shit, not even yours, but I guarantee you I’m a better man than most.”

That seemed to get through to her. Little by little, her muscles began to relax, her body molding to his. “I know you are, Blake. Anyone can see that.”

“Not anyone,” he corrected her. “Most people take one look at me and my brothers and decide we’re nothing but trouble. They don’t bother trying to see beneath the surface, see the husbands, fathers, sons, and friends. So it pisses me off when you stand here questioning my integrity.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to, it’s just…” Her mouth flapped opened, closed. She dropped her gaze from his, and Blake felt the predator in him stir.

“Just what?”

Shaking her head, she seemed to struggle with her words. “I…met…people like you once. They weren’t…good.” Pressing her fingers to her temple, she squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head again, as if trying to shake away a disturbing thought.

Not liking to see her upset, Blake dove in. “So you’ve had a bad experience with some bikers. I can understand why that might color your view of us, but you’ve gotta let that go, teach. We’re a different breed than you’re used to. If any of us find ourselves standing on the wrong side of the law, you can bet your ass it’s because the trouble came to us and not the other way around. We’ve worked too damn hard to get where we’re at to just throw it away.”

“So you really are the good guys, huh?” she asked with a small, uncomfortable half-smile.

Curling his hand around her waist, he flattened his palm against the towel over her stomach. “Yeah, teach, we are.”

“I keep sticking my foot in my mouth when I’m around you.”

“You wouldn’t be the first woman to get stupid around me. Don’t know if you realized this, but I’m kind of hot.”

Snorting, Gabby thrust an elbow into his side. Blake grinned, liking that she was comfortable enough to take his teasing and not too afraid to give something back. It was kind of a turn-on actually.

Growling low in her ear, he turned his face into the side of her neck and placed an open-mouthed kiss over her throbbing pulse. “I should get out of here before I rip this towel off and bend you over this counter.”

A tiny gasp left her lips, and it was all Blake could do not to follow through with the warning. There was only so much a man could take before he gave in and satisfied his needs.

With his hand on her abdomen, he tugged her hips back, pressing her round ass against his stiff cock. “I don’t know why you keep fighting this. You want it just as bad as I do.”

“Blake…” She sighed, her body melting into his touch, and that was all the encouragement Blake needed.

Snaking his hand up between her breasts, he grasped her chin and turned her face toward his. Capturing her mouth, he silenced any protests she might have made, his tongue delving into her hot, wet mouth to taste, lick, savor.

Tucking his free hand between their bodies, he popped the button on his jeans and shoved the zipper down. Reaching inside, he wrapped his fist around his cock and worked to free it from its confines.

The ache to be inside this woman was unlike any he’d ever experienced before—far beyond anything he’d ever felt for Jodi. He felt like a teenager again, his heart racing and his every breath a struggle. He fumbled in his pants, trying to talk himself into slowing down, but it felt impossible. Having Gabby’s naked body pressed up against his, his tongue inside her, her breasts pressing against his forearm, was shredding any bit of decency and control he had left.

Then everything came to an abrupt stop at the light tapping on the door. Gabby and Blake froze on the spot, their gazes crashing into one another’s in the mirror.

“Daddy, I gotsta poop!”

Gabby’s lips twitched and little creases formed around her eyes. “I guess that’s that.”

Blake’s chest deflated and he dropped his forehead to her shoulder. “Shiiiiit.” Of all the times Ash could interrupt, it had to be now. Knowing from experience that when the kid said he had to go, it meant right that very minute, Blake lifted his head and began tucking himself back inside his pants as he called out, “Be right out, buddy.”

“Hurry, it’s an emergency,” Ash confirmed what he already knew.

Without a word, Gabby dropped the towel to her feet and gave Blake the show of a lifetime as she bent to step into a pair of sheer, white lace panties. The position gave him a few inspirational thoughts, as well as the perfect view of a rather large, raised scar across her lower back near her spine. Judging by the dark pink shade of it, it wasn’t fresh, but it also wasn’t old.

A question formed on his tongue, but he was reminded by yet another anxious tap on the door that he didn’t have the luxury of hanging around to get an answer.

“You go, I’m right behind you,” Gabby said as she gathered a soft pink sweater between her fingers and pushed her head through the neck hole.

Reminding himself to ask about his discovery later, Blake turned the doorknob and found himself staring down at his son, who was doing his “pee-pee” dance and making a face that was so distorted Blake knew he was seconds from having an accident.

“Gabby.”

“I’m here,” she said, sounding rushed. “Bathroom’s all yours, sweetie.”

“Thank God!” Ash said as he breezed past them and slammed the door. “What were you guys doing in here, kissin’ or somethin’? Geez.”

Left standing alone in the hallway together, Blake and Gabby stared at each other wearing a pair of matching smiles. “Nothing like being caught in the act, eh?” she whispered.

Still semi-erect, Blake grimaced as he shifted himself. “I’ll be lucky if I don’t end up with blue balls.”

“I can’t poop with you standing out there listenin’!”

Slapping a hand over her mouth to quell her laughter, Gabby motioned for them to get moving. Throwing his arm over her shoulder, Blake hauled her away, making no effort whatsoever to hold in his own boisterous laughter. Well, if they weren’t going to have sex, they might as well find enjoyment in the evening wherever it presented itself.

THIRTEEN

Gabby’s cheeks flamed. Seated across the table from her, Blake’s penetrating gaze held steady, a cocky smirk firmly rooted in place and a devilish gleam in his eyes that made Gabby’s blood race and her pulse unsteady.

Wicked thoughts of what had happened—and
could
have happened—in that bathroom flipped through her mind like the pages of a book. She couldn’t stop thinking of the way his hands felt on her skin, the roughness of his callouses that came from a man who knew something about hard work. The heat of his body against hers was another sensation she wasn’t likely to forget anytime soon—or ever.

Most definitely never.

Gabby wanted to deny how much she wanted him, but it would be a bald-faced lie, because she was completely taken by Blake Mahone. He was the perfect combination of dangerous, sexy, and down to earth, all qualities that she found to be equally attractive, but when put together in one package, he was devastating to her self-control.

Every time Gabby was around him, it was as if her world imploded, leaving her with nothing to grab onto but his strong, capable arms.

Slurping up the last of his Ramen chicken noodle soup—the so-called delicacy Ash had been referring to, and Gabby was pleasantly surprised to find was pretty darned delicious—Ash pushed his bowl aside and wiped his mouth on the back of his arm.

“All done!”

Landing a warm look on his son, Blake said, “Nice job, buddy. How ‘bout I clear the table tonight and you go get ready for bed.”

It was past nine o’clock on a school night, Gabby realized with a start. She hadn’t been out past dark in ages, especially since becoming a school teacher. With an inward laugh, it dawned on her that she’d adopted the schedule of a grade schooler.

As Ash scurried off toward his room to get ready, Gabby helped Blake gather their dishes and carry them to the kitchen sink. “That went better than last time I was here. He didn’t even kick up a fuss.”

Blake grunted. “Don’t be fooled. The kid has an ulterior motive. I just haven’t figured out what it is yet.”

“He’s only six,” Gabby said with a chuckle. “What kind of nefarious plot could he possibly have come up with?”

Dark eyes holding hers, Blake cocked a brow and said, “Guess we’ll find out soon enough.” Reaching for her, he caught her by surprise as his arm curled around her hip and drew her in. His opposite hand went to her hair, tangling in the long strands at the base of her neck and tilting her head back to skim his lips over her chin. “You wanna sleep over, teach? We can have a naked pillow fight and confess all our dirtiest secrets.”

Gabby’s head swirled from his nearness. Grasping onto his arms, her eyes drifted closed and she took a moment to relish the heat of his breath on her throat as his lips feathered across her skin. “It’s a school night.”

“Are your parents going to ground you for missing curfew?” he asked, his deep voice rumbling through his chest.

“No, but they’ll be worried if I don’t come home.” What she didn’t say was that
she
would be worried. Staying the night with Blake was bound to land her in deep water that she couldn’t easily swim out of, yet every cell in her body raged with an irrepressible need to take him up on the offer.

“Then call and tell them you’re with me.” Lifting his head, his eyes glittered with humor. “I doubt you’ll hear any complaints. Your mom loves me.”

“She does not,” Gabby protested weakly and with a smile. “She’s just being nice because she was afraid you’ll kill her.”

“With kindness, or my eight-inch cock?”

Gabby’s jaw dropped. “Crude much?”

“It’s practically my middle name,” Blake growled, then dipped his head and fastened his lips to hers. Gabby couldn’t suppress the moan nor could she control the wanton way in which her hips swiveled so that she was rubbing herself all over him like a cat in heat. Her body’s reaction was primal, unfiltered, and unfettered.

What would it really hurt if she decided to stay, she wondered. She was a full-grown adult. He was a wicked-sexy man who made no bones about wanting her. They hadn’t made any kind of verbal commitment, which was fine. She could do casual sex, and frankly, with the way he punched all her buttons, making her body and mind crave his touch like an addict craved their next hit, she didn’t really see the point of denying herself. All she was accomplishing by that was torturing them both, so maybe she should just stop denying how much she really wanted him and go for it.

“Okay,” she breathed against his lips. “I’ll stay...for a little while.” Just this once, she promised herself. She’d allow herself the pleasure of a few hours in Blake’s bed, see if he could deliver on her body’s expectations, and then she’d shut it down, be good, and get back to life as usual.

“Okay?” Blake seemed surprised, his gaze searching hers. In the stillness of the kitchen, Gabby listened to the heavy pulse of her blood rushing in her ears, felt the pounding of Blake’s heart against her chest, and the twitch of his hard cock against her belly.

“Yeah, okay,” she confirmed. “But not overnight.”

His jaw clenched, but she could see that he wasn’t going to fight her. “You sure?”

“Are you trying to talk me out of it?” she joked.

Blake’s head jerked back. “Hell no.” He dove in for another searing kiss, then set her away just as quickly. “You go let the rents know not to expect you home tonight, and I’ll go get the boy tucked in.”

His eagerness made Gabby laugh, and she shook her head lightly as she turned toward the living room. No sooner had she passed him did she feel Blake’s palm crack across her left butt cheek. Jumping, Gabby screeched, her hands flying back to cover the burning flesh. Whirling around, she caught his lascivious grin. Instant molten heat erupted in her veins, then fled south to pool between her legs. Her pussy clenched and pulsed with a rush of need so acute, it hurt.

“I’m gonna fuck you so good…” Blake’s words trailed off, his gaze skating from her head down to her toes, then he shook his head before giving her his back and stalking away.

Damn…Clutching a hand over her erratically beating heart, Gabby had to take a minute to calm herself down before picking up her phone and calling her mother.

***

“…a chi…chickadee whistled in…” Blake sucked in breath. He fucking hated reading children’s stories. Or any stories. Or reading of any kind. Too bad Ash adored every minute of it. It’d become a bit of a pattern between them, though, since Jodi checked out and ran off to God knew where. Now, Blake was beholden to the bedtime ritual with no escape in sight. Which meant there was no hiding his disability from his son.

The moment was only compounded by the fact that Gabby was standing in the doorway, watching. Her radiant smile, while normally would make him harder than granite, unnerved him.

“It’s okay, Daddy,” Ash said, placing his hand over his. “I’m too tired for a story tonight.”

Blake could have kissed him for the save. Still, he said, “You sure, buddy?”

Round eyes looked up at him, and Blake felt like the biggest failure in the world. But his son understood what a struggle it was for him on an average night, so he was giving him an out that made his heart sing and shamed him to the ends of the earth.

Blake rubbed his eyes while he struggled with his decision. Would he push forward and risk humiliating himself even more, or would he take what a six-year-old boy offered and run for the hills?

“Well…” Ash’s hesitant voice caused Blake’s heart to sink into his stomach, and he knew instantly what he hoped for. Glancing bashfully up at Gabby, he said, “Maybe you can read to me tonight.”

Gabby’s expression brightened and she pushed off the doorframe, but the sound of Blake’s voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Gabby’s tired too, buddy, and she has to be at school even earlier than you,” he pointed out. “We should probably let her get some sleep so you don’t end up having to teach the class tomorrow for her.”

That was the wrong thing to say, because Ash looked even more excited. “Really? Then you should definitely read the book.” Tearing it from Blake’s hands, he thrust the book at Gabby as she approached the side of the bed. Blake and Ash moved over, giving her room to slide in, and Blake’s reticence had him avoiding her gaze.

“Hmm…” Gabby mused as she flipped the book over to read the cover. “The Mouse and the Motorcycle. How very…appropriate,” she said, casting Blake a teasing smile.

He shrugged. She knew what kind of household she was in. Anything having to do with bikes and riding inevitably found its way under their roof.

As Gabby began reading, Blake kept a watchful eye on his son while absorbing every melodic note of her voice. As he watched Ash lean into her shoulder, his little face arching up to see the pages of the book, Blake had an absurd thought. What if Gabby never left? What if this was a glimpse into their future, all of their futures? Him, Gabby, and Ash…a family.

The vision gave him a tight feeling in his chest, and Blake stomped it down, refusing to acknowledge it any further. He might be hot for teacher, but he wasn’t in the market for another old lady. They were too much work, too much drama, too much hassle, too much complication, and he’d only just managed to scrape off the last mistake. A mistake that landed him a role as single father that was harder than any job he’d ever held.

So, no, he didn’t need a woman coming in and upsetting the unsteady balance he’d managed to craft, especially not one who made it perfectly clear more than once that she didn’t trust him as far as she could throw him and whose prejudice of him and his brethren ran deeper than Southern pride.

Still, Gabby was a catch no matter how you sliced it. She was hardworking, sweet to his kid, sexy as hell, and nice no matter how hard she tried to play otherwise.

Once the story was over, Blake took possession of the book and placed it back in its rightful spot on the motorcycle theme bookshelf he’d built with his brothers for Ash’s first birthday. It wasn’t a work of art, and the craftsmanship was pretty basic, but it represented everything they loved and honored, so it fit.

Returning to the bed, Blake tucked the—again—motorcycle themed blankets around Ash and bent to kiss his forehead. “Night, buddy. Sleep tight, sweet dreams, see you in the morning.” It was something he’d said to him a thousand times since the day he was born.

Releasing a sleepy yawn, Ash repeated the words back to him, then rolled to his side and hunkered down into his pillow. Guiding Gabby out, Blake ran his hand down the wall, striking the light switch and plunging the room into darkness before closing the door.

“He’s such a sweetheart,” Gabby commented as she turned to let him pass. Holding his hand out, she slipped hers easily into his and allowed him to lead her down the hall.

“He takes after his daddy.” Reaching his bedroom, Blake didn’t miss a beat as he pulled her inside and spun around. Giving her hand a forceful tug, he yanked her into his chest and cuffed the back of her head in his large hand, bringing her mouth up to accept his kiss.

Gasping into his mouth, Blake took advantage and plunged his tongue inside, obliterating her self-control and his in one wet swipe.

With the knowledge that she wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon, all pretenses of resistance were thrown to the wayside. Jumping into the kiss with both feet, Gabby plastered herself to him, searing Blake with her curves. Grabbing fistfuls of his hair, she tugged on the strands hard, crushing her mouth to his, their teeth clacking together as she took over and plundered his mouth like a sex-crazed marauder.

But he wasn’t complaining. Not a bit. Blake quite enjoyed her aggressive side. Didn’t realize she had one, so it was a nice surprise to find that she could hold her own, because he was about to unleash his inner beast and show her what it was like to get fucked good and hard by a man who knew his way around a woman.

Without hesitation, Blake grabbed hold of her shirt and ripped it up over her head. Her tits, bound by pure white satin pushed her tits up and together, presenting a delicious sight for the eyes. With a practiced pluck of his fingers, he freed her of that bit of clothing too, baring her to his hungry eyes. Unable to resist the temptation, he bent to capture one pert, dusky nipple between his lips, drawing a sweet gasp from her lips that ratcheted his own need to a height that made him ache.

Bending at the knee, Blake threw what was left of his self-control away and clasped the backs of her thighs, hoisting Gabby up. Her legs went around his hips as if she’d done it a hundred times before, and he turned, carrying her to the bed and dropping her down onto the mattress unceremoniously.

The air whooshed from her lungs, her long, glossy hair splaying out across the navy bedding, and she gave him a scorching look that invited all kinds of sinful thoughts.

Taking the hem of her yoga pants between his fingers, he dragged the springy material off, inch by agonizingly slow inch, his eyes tracking every bit of skin as it was revealed. As he exposed her, his thoughts returned to the bathroom when he’d had her bent over the sink, her naked ass pressed against his denim-covered cock and how warm and pliable she’d been in his hands.

She was like that now, his willing victim, giving herself to him, but this time without an ounce of reservation.