Merrick: Harlequins MC (30 page)

“Other side,” he breathed as he relaxed. “My kidneys are killing me.”

She moved to the other side and snuggled in, more gently, and he didn’t complain, his arm going around her shoulders. She caressed his chest a moment. “Tell me the truth. If you had the option, would you stop selling guns to Abana?”

“Yes, but it would take time. You don’t just tell Abana ‘No.’ We would have to arrange a handoff of some kind so he could continue to get his supply.”

“So why don’t you?”

“The simple answer is the money. The more complicated answer is we have been doing business with Abana for a long time. I told you, he keeps his violence out of Laredo. He knows a lot of drug violence brings in more cops. More cops make it harder for us to supply him with what he needs. We have a little bubble around Laredo because everyone knows if you cross Abana, you end up like the Killers. Laredo is his town, and nobody fucks with Abana.”

“You believe that?”

“Poppy, I know it. We have our share of rapes and murders, but nothing like the violence other border towns have. Compared to El Paso or San Diego, we have it good.”

“That sounds like a justification.”

He shrugged. “You’re free to look it up. I’m sure the information is out there on the internet somewhere.”

She thought about it. She believed him, about everything, and realized it wasn’t a simple black and white problem. Even though the Harlequins were breaking the law, good was coming out of it as well, and she had no doubt this Abana character had the ability to get guns elsewhere if he needed to, and thirty years of non-violence was a pretty good run.

She remembered how he stood up for Charlie, and protected her, and how he gave Blake, and even Saw, a chance to back away. He may be a criminal, but he had his own moral code he lived by, and despite what he did, he was a better man than many she knew.

She smiled softly and rose up to kiss him on the cheek.

He hissed softly. “Easy,” he whispered.

She moved to his lips, being gentle, remembering the elbow to the mouth, but he still gasped and turned away. “Well goddamn it, Indy, where doesn’t it hurt?” she asked, then giggled at her own joke.

He snickered. “Here!” he said, pointing at his elbow. She grinned and leaned over to kiss it. “Here isn’t too bad,” he said, pointing to his jaw.

She kissed the spot he indicated, then kissed lower, then lower still.

“Why?” he asked as her hand slid down his body to caress his swelling manhood.

“Because I want to,” she breathed as she continued to kiss down his body.

He sighed, her lips sending flairs of pleasure through him with each touch. “But why?” he asked, tipping her head up so she had to look at him.

“You care about someone other than yourself,” she said softly. She moved up and feathered her lips against his with the lightest of touches. “You’re not afraid to risk yourself for others. You’re a good man, despite what you do.” She smiled at him again. “The fact you keep saving my life hasn’t hurt you any.” She paused as she brushed her lips across his. “The way you make me feel hasn’t either.”

He smiled at her. He could feel the crises passing, their bond reforming, stronger than ever. “I hate it when women only want me for my body.”

She began to kiss down his body again. “I don’t want you for your body. That’s just a bonus,” she purred as she swallowed him.

He sighed as she enveloped him in her mouth. He knew he’d taken a risk confiding in her, but it was one he was willing to take. She had no proof, no evidence, and if she broke his trust he would know she would never be anymore more than a fuck. But he wanted her to be more, and he’d extended his trust to her. The rest was up to her.

He pulled her around in the bed as she continued to please him, his finger teasing her, caressing and stroking her wetness, all thoughts of guns and drug cartels forgotten. She began to move, his touch winding her up, his soft gasps and hisses of pleasure and the gentle press of his hand on her head stoking her fires.

His orgasm was coming, bearing down on him like a terrible weight, their loving making cleansing away his doubts. Poppy spoke to him in a way no other woman ever had. He wanted not just her body, but all of her, her body, mind and heart. It had only been a couple of weeks since he met her, but he could already feel a tugging, a yearning to be near her when she was away, and to touch her when she was close. He’d never felt this way about anyone before and it was a new, and strange and exhilarating in equal measure.

He reached down and pulled her from his cock. “I want you,” he whispered. “I want to make love to you.”

Not fuck, but make love.
She smiled and brushed her lips against his again. “I want you,” she whispered, kissing under his jaw, desperately wanting to taste his lips but holding back, not wanting to hurt him. He started to roll her over, but she pushed him back to his back. “No…” she whispered, swinging a leg over him and settling, steering him into her depths as she lowered herself.

He pulled her down, his arms curling under hers to her back to clamp her to his chest. He began to thrust then gasped in pain as his abused stomach muscles cramped.

“Let me take good care of you,” she whispered, his desire for her despite his pain pleasing her. She began to thrust, the tingles he started with his fingers returning. She began to drive her hips into him harder, her orgasm rising within her.

He gasped, his head tipping back as he held her tighter, then tighter still. She pushed up against his embrace, her eyes squeezing closed in pleasure, her mouth opening as her orgasm built, rising higher then higher still. He held her tight, her battering hips making him ache for his climax. He pushed against his orgasm, trying to delay the rush of pleasure, but it overwhelmed him. He barked, his hips shoving higher to drive himself as deep into her as possible, his aches no match for his pleasure. He pulled her head down, burying her face in his neck, holding her as she made love to him, her own gasps and pants as she drove herself to orgasm twisting him up.

His hard grunt of completion as he spilled into her followed by his almost crushing embrace tipped her over the edge. She moaned softly into his neck as her orgasm poured through her until her breath exploded from her as her climax passed, leaving her feeling warm and relaxed as she panted, trying to catch her breath. He’d come well before her, but still he clung to her, then shuddered. She giggled and tried to push up against his embrace, but he still held her, as if he feared she would fly away.

“Are you okay?” she asked quietly, her smile fading as he continued to hold her.

“Yes,” he breathed, but his embrace never lessened.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” He loosened his embrace and she rose to look at him, her face clouded with concern.

“Are you hurt?”

“No,” he breathed, pulling her lips to his. Though their kiss was gentle, it still hurt like a mother, but he had to kiss her, his need for her lips outweighing any pain the kiss caused. “I’m so sorry for putting you in danger,” he said softly. “If I had known this was going to happen I would have never—”

“Shhh…” she breathed, putting a finger lightly against his lips. “I’m glad you did. You couldn’t have known.”

“No,” he said. “But I could have broken it off after it all started going sideways. But I didn’t. I thought I could handle it. I didn’t…”

“Didn’t what?” she asked when he didn’t continue.

“I didn’t want to stop seeing you.”

She smiled. “I don’t want to stop seeing you either.”

“Even knowing what I do?”

“Even knowing what you do. You know I can’t be part of it.”

“I know.”

“But don’t forget what I do. I can pretend I don’t know.” She smiled. “Only those in the Harlequins who already know everything need know.”

“Will you come back home?”

Her smiled widened. “Not until you get the mess cleaned up.”

He smiled at her. “Can you stand to work without me around tomorrow?”

“I think so.”

“Call me when you’re done. I’ll pick you up and bring you home.”

She stared down into his eyes then kissed the side of his mouth in deference to his discomfort. “You’d better.”

Merrick smiled as his phone played
It Feels Like the First Time
by Foreigner, the ringtone he’d selected for Poppy. He was more of a country kind of guy, but the song seemed to fit how he felt about her perfectly. He pulled the phone from his pocket.

“I have to take this, Butch.”

“Go ahead.”

“Hey, Babe,” Merrick said as he stepped away from the shriek of power saws and the pop of pneumatic hammers, sitting down in his truck and shutting the door so they could talk in peace, starting it so the air conditioning would keep the interior cool.

“Am I interrupting?”

“You know you’re never an interruption.”

It had been eight months since production wrapped. They hadn’t talked
every
day, but he could count on both hands the number of day’s they had missed.

After
that night,
as they had begun to refer to it, he spent the next day cleaning up any traces of blood and patching ad painting the hole in the wall from the gunshot. He’d been waiting for her when she finished filming for the day and had taken her home. She didn’t return to the hotel for the rest of production. By silent agreement, he didn’t talk about the club’s off book activities, and she pretended she didn’t know.

“I can tell you’re busy,” she said. She chewed her bottom lip. She was about to make a big,
big
plunge and she was a little nervous, though she didn’t know why.

Since production had wrapped, Merrick had flown to California twice, and she’d returned to Laredo three times. Each time she saw him, she was more excited than the last and more disappointed when they parted, and that was saying something. She’d been pretty damned excited to see him, and had cried when he left her to board the plane, the first time.

He never cried, of course, not being the big tough biker, but he always seemed glad to see her and never looked pleased when they had to part. She smiled with remembering. Each time they met their sex was explosive and lasted most of the first day, and the night before they parted, it was especially tender and loving. She’d taken no other lovers since him, and though she hadn’t asked, she didn’t think he’d taken once since her.

“It’s nothing. Just talking to a contractor about his next job. What’s up?” He checked the clock. It was only three in the afternoon, which meant it was one in California. She was calling early today.

“I wanted to let you know Brand B signed up for two sequels. Both are going to be shot in Laredo.”

“That’s fantastic, Poppy! Congratulations!” It was no surprise really.
Los Rio
had done well at the box office against some strong competition and had been a critical success. Poppy got nods for her solid portrayal and Will for his stellar direction. Nobody expected her to get Oscar nominations for her role, it was the wrong kind of movie, but she’d become Abigail Hall and it was a given if there were sequels, she would be back as Abigail.

“Thanks. The first movie is in preproduction right now. We should start shooting in about three months, if the script is ready.”

“That’s good to hear. I’m looking forward to seeing you again.”

She smiled and chewed her bottom lip again. On her last trip to Laredo, he’d taken her to the Harlequins’ clubhouse and introduced her around to a select group, the twenty men and their old ladies he was closest to. She’d deduced these were the men and women who knew the whole story about the club. She hadn’t said she was in the know, and there hadn’t been one word mentioned about the off book activities, but she could tell they knew she had the whole story.

She’d started out nervous, not knowing what to expect, but the brothers and their old ladies had quickly put her at ease. It was refreshing to be around people who didn’t care she was Poppy Landrieu. They had spent hours swapping stories over steaks and beers, laughing hysterically as their tales became more and more outrageous. By the time she and Merrick returned home, she counted the women of the Harlequins among her friends, and looked forward to seeing them again.

“The location scout is flying out in a couple of weeks. He’s going to be there between a week and ten days. I’m going to come with him. Can you spare some time to show us around? The production will pay you, of course.”

“Sure, I’ll be glad to do that. Since it’s just me, no charge.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“We’ll talk about it when you get here. Maybe we can work it out in trade?”

She giggled. “I think we can come to some arrangement. We’ll be staying at the La Palacio again.”

“
We’ll
?” he asked, drawing the word out.

“Do you have another suggestion?”

The smile in her voice made him grin. “Not for him.”

“But for me?”

“I think I can arrange something a little more private than a hotel room.”

She grinned. “This is business, Merrick. We can’t spend all day in bed.”

“How about all night?”

She giggled. “Maybe I’ll fly out a few days early, so we can get it out of our systems and get some sleep after Doug arrives.”

“I think that’s a fine idea.”

She paused and took deep breath. This would tell her where they stood as a couple, and she was afraid she might not like the answer. “There’s another thing I want to talk to you about,” she began, plunging in. “I’m going to be spending a lot of time in Laredo over the next two years. Can you put me in touch with a realtor?”

Merrick chuckled. “Why? You planning on moving here?”

“Yes,” she said. “Not full time, of course,” she rushed on, not wanting to crowd him. “I still have to work, but I like the area and it beats living in a hotel the entire time, plus I want a place to go to get out of LA for a while.” She paused. “You know all the big stars have more than one house,” she added to lighten the conversation.

“Poor, Poppy, having to make do with only one multi-million dollar house,” he teased. “You know there isn’t anything even
close
to your current house anywhere around here, right? You’d have to go to Houston to find something like that.”

He’d been taken aback the first time he’d seen her house. It was huge. His entire house would have fit in her garage, with room left over.

He would die before he admitted it, but at first he’d been intimidated by her wealth. She had an Audi and a Porsche, each costing more than his house, with room for two more cars. The rest of her house was just as grand, with marble floors, vaulted ceilings, and carpets so thick you could sink up to your ankles in them.

She giggled. She’d worried the first time he came to visit her, afraid he would be changed somehow, but he’d looked around and complimented her on her house, and that was the last he’d mentioned it, and it pleased her beyond words.

“Nothing like that. Something more like what you have.”

He chuckled. “You’re joking?”

“No! You know what big houses are good for? Impressing people, and not much else. That’s fine for Hollywood, but you know what I like most about Laredo? Nobody I care about is impressed I’m actress. So what do I need a big house for? It’s just me. In fact, I don’t want a big house.”

Merrick smiled. “I know this one place. It’s small but I like it.”

“Do tell,” Poppy said, hoping this was going where she hoped. She really didn’t want another house. What she wanted was a place to escape from LA, a place where she could be Perty instead of Poppy, a place with warm and welcoming arms.

“Yeah. It’s about a thousand square feet. It’s an older place but it has been updated recently. It has a two-car garage, but only one slot is open. It’s not for sale, but I think the owner might be willing to rent some space out.”

“It sounds like just the place I’m looking for. Maybe I’ll fly out this weekend, if I can get away, and take a look at the place. Do you think that will be all right?”

“I’m sure the owner won’t mind. I’ll talk to him and see if he can pick you up at the airport. Just let me know when your flight arrives.”

Poppy grinned. “That would be great. Tell him thank you for me.”

“You can thank him yourself at the airport.”

“Okay, I will. Oh, Merrick, I have to ask. Do you think the rent is expensive?”

He grinned, enjoying her teasing. “Very. But I think you can work it out in trade.”

She smiled. “I’m liking the sound of this deal better all the time.”

Merrick smiled. When she’d returned to LA, she’d offered his key, but he told her to keep it. He didn’t know where their relationship stood, or where it was going. Over the last eight months, he’d fallen hard for her and he was pretty sure she had feeling for him as well, and he often reminded her she had the key and could return anytime she wanted. The last three times he’d seen her he’d had to fight the urge to tell her how he felt. Once he uttered the words they became real and he was unsure they could make the long distance relationship work. But if she was committing to living with him, he knew it was the right time. He wouldn’t tell her over the phone, not the first time, but as soon as he had her in his home and in his arms, he would finally tell her how much he loved her.

She smiled, her heart beating hard and fast in her chest. She’d fallen for him since she left Laredo all those months ago. Talking to him each night on the phone was the high point of her day, and being with him seemed to recharge and revitalize her, even more so when she was in Laredo than when he was in LA. She enjoyed his relaxed, simple, straightforward manner and found it refreshing compared to the hustle and shallowness of Hollywood. She smiled, his gentle teasing relaxing her, as it always did, his words making her feel safe and secure, reminding her there was always one person she could turn to and trust. The next time she was in his arms, she was going to tell him, tell him how he had become everything to her and she was hopelessly, madly, head over heels in love with him. 

“Poppy?” he said softly, trying to find some way to express how thankful he was she was in his life and was returning to him as more than just a visitor.

“Yeah?”

“It’ll be good to have you home.”

She whimpered, struggling to hold her tears, touched by his words. “It’ll be good to be home.”

THE END