Queen of Clubs (Desert Sons MC Book 2) (8 page)

“I will… and Marshall?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Who’s Colette?” Tina asked after Jack killed the call.

“Nobody.”

“That’s bullshit. She must have been important to you if you are still torn up about it.”

He looked into her eyes. Tina didn’t look that much like Colette, but she reminded him of her in so many ways. “She was girlfriend of mine about six years ago.”

“What happened?”

“She went to prison.”

Tina’s heart sank. “Why?”

He took a deep breath. “I was just putting the Sons together. There were a few key people in place. Marshall and Nic, a couple of others. Colette wanted in on the action. But… I loved her and I didn’t want her involved.”

“So what happened?”

“She… broke into a car dealership one night. I guess she thought she was going to steal some keys for one of the new cars or something. She didn’t know what the hell she was doing. Her parents were doctors, for Christ’s sake! Her idea of breaking the law was a speeding ticket!”

“She got caught?”

“Yeah. The night security guard caught her red handed and the judge threw the book at her.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad. First time offender… she wasn’t armed, was she?”

“No.”

“What did she pull, six months in county?”

“Something like that.”

Something didn’t make sense. She should have been out in three or four months if she kept her nose clean. So why was Jack beating himself up? “There’s more, isn’t there?”

“Yeah. She got into a fight in the yard. One of the inmates cut her face pretty badly. She had this big scar on her face… across her nose and down her cheek. She… couldn’t live with it.”

Tina’s skin prickled into gooseflesh. “What do you mean she couldn’t live with it?”

“She was beautiful. She modeled for some of the local stores. And… I guess she couldn’t live with her face cut like that. She…”

Tina watched as Jack’s face crinkled as his guilt and grief washed over him. She took his hand and held it. “What happened, Jack?” she asked softly.

“She got one of those prison knives from somewhere and cut her wrists open one night. She bled out before anyone found her.”

“Jack… I’m so sorry for you. I really am,” she said gently. “But Marshall’s right. It wasn’t your fault.”

“She did it for me, Tina,” he said, his voice hard. “She did it prove herself to me.”

“Yes. She probably did do it to try to prove something to you. And maybe herself as well. But that doesn’t make it your fault. Did you send her into that dealership?”

“No.”

“Did you ask her to prove she could be a thief? Was that a condition of your love?”

“No.”

“You tried to keep her safe and away from your activities?”

“Yes.”

“Jack… Listen to Marshall. He’s right. Maybe she did do it to try to prove something to you. But she also did it to prove something to herself. You can’t hold yourself responsible for some else’s actions.”

“But if…”

“No buts, Jack! No buts. Listen to me. Listen to Marshall. Colette knew what she was doing.”

“Her parents…”

“Did they blame you?”

“No. But they couldn’t understand why she would break into someplace… and I couldn’t bring myself to tell them it was because of me.”

“Good. Because it wasn’t because of you. You had nothing to do with it. She made a bad choice… but
she
made it. Not you.”

Jack sits quietly for a moment. “Maybe,” he mumbled.

She rose from her chair, walked around the small table, and sat sideways in his lap before she wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. After a moment, his arms circled her waist and they held each other, silent, for a long time.

CHAPTER EIGHT

“I’m sorry, Tina. I should have never gotten you involved,” Jack said as he pulled her in close. He kissed her shoulder as they spooned, his knees tucked in comfortably behind hers and her back against his chest.

She took his hand in her own and squeezed it gently. “I’m glad you did. Even with Johnny Law breathing down our necks, I’m glad I’m here with you.” He didn’t respond, and that worried her. “Jack? Are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

Liar,
she thought as she turned in his arms to face him. “Jack… the Sons will be okay. If the cops haven’t tagged them by now, they’re not going to. You know that, right?”

“What about you?”

“What about me? I knew what I was getting into. Okay, yeah, I didn’t expect it to end this way, but then you didn’t either. I don’t blame you for what happened. You shouldn’t blame yourself,” she said, and then punctuated her statement with a gentle kiss of his lips.

“I can’t do this anymore. Once we are clear of this mess, I’m giving it up. I had thought about doing that anyway. I was going to go out with a bang. One last big score to set us all up. Now… win or lose, I’m done.”

She kissed his lips again. “What will you do?”

“I don’t know. Maybe set up my own shop and restore hogs. I hadn’t thought that far ahead.”

“You need to think about it. It’s not like you to not have a plan.”

“Yeah. But I’ve never had one go so utterly to shit before.”

She kissed him again. “We’ll make it, Jack.”

Jack wondered if she realized she said
we.
“I hope so.”

“Come with me to Texas. We can start fresh there. Get your bike fixed and come with me,” she said as she stared into his eyes and placed her hand gently on the side of his face.

Jack smiled and kissed her this time. “Maybe. But it’s kinda hot and dry in Texas, don’t you think?”

“As opposed the tropical paradise of New Mexico?” she teased. “Fine, pick someplace else then.”

“Let’s see about the bike first. That will give us a couple of days to talk about it.”

He looked into her eyes and he could feel his heart going out to her once more. During the light of day the closeness he felt to her last night had diminished slightly. But now, as he held her in his arms, he could feel that connection strengthen again, stronger than ever. He tugged at her gently and she came willingly as she snuggled in tight and their lips met. He had bedded her the first time because she was sexy as hell. Now… she was more than just sexy. She was special.

They kissed, slow and gentle, just fleeting touches of their lips. Tina pressed in tight to Jack as her hands roamed his skin but she let him set the pace. He had been subdued all evening after his revelation about Colette. He seemed to crave her closeness and he had held her in his lap until her legs began to tingle from the lack of circulation. His story had touched her even if she didn’t understand the guilt he carried.
I wonder of Colette knew how lucky she was to have someone like Jack love her?
she mused as they stared into each other’s eyes.

He slowly stroked her hair as thoughts raced through his mind like an over-revved engine.
I should send her away. I should send her away and turn myself in. Tell the police I had duped her into helping. They would take that. A quick admission of guilt by the ringleader and no messy trial. But I can’t send her away. Not yet. Not when there was still a chance,
he mused.

“Talk to me, Jack…”

“It’s nothing.”

“You’re a terrible liar.”

He smiled slightly. “I don’t know what to do. I feel like I should turn myself in but…”

“I thought this was settled,” she interrupted.

“... but I don’t want to go to jail either,” he finished.

“Trust me. You don’t. Why are you even thinking about it?”

“To protect the rest of the Sons. To protect… you.”

“Oh, no you don’t! If the cops haven’t picked up the Sons by now they probably aren’t going to. And you know that! So don’t you dare lay this at my feet!”

“But, Tina…”

“No!” she snapped. “Where’s your fucking phone? I’m calling Marshall! You need your ass kicked in the worst way. You are
not
taking the fall just to try to protect me! Do you hear me? You’re not!”

“I don’t want you to do go back inside.”

“And I don’t want to go back inside. But I’ll be fucked before I let you throw your life away like that. It’s not happening, Jack! So forget about it!” 

He stared at her a moment. “What if we get caught?”

“What if we don’t? We’ve done okay so far,” she said more calmly.

“But things can change.”

“Yes they can. And when they do, we can talk about this again. But for now there is something else I would much rather be doing than talking about to you about you turning yourself in.”

“What’s that?” Jack asked with a smile.

“Well… let’s see. We’ve eaten the pizza, drank the beer, talked to Marshall and watched television. But as I recall, there was one more thing you had planned to do tonight.”

He chuckled as his mood began to brighten. “Yeah. Seems like I remember something, but I can’t recall what it was.”

“Should I remind you?”

“That might help.”

Tina kissed him gently on the lips as she waited for him to respond. Slowly, the kiss became deeper and more erotic before she slowly pulled back. “Does that ring any bells?”

“It’s coming back to me.”

“How about this, then?” she said as she captured his lips with hers again, then began to kiss down his jaw and under his chin as she worked her way slowly down his body and covered him in fleeting kisses.

Each touch of her lips was a fair of pleasure and he breathed deep. As she approached his manhood, he stopped her by pulling her gently away. “No. Not tonight.”

“Why?” she whispered as she kissed his chest.

“I just want to make love to you.”

Make love… not fuck,
she thought as she covered his lips with her own. “I want you too,” she breathed into his lips as she tingled with his words.

He rolled her slowly onto her back and seductively kissed the swell of her breasts and her neck. As he positioned himself she took his hardness in her hand and guided him into her. She exhaled softly when he slowly parted her lips and pushed gently into her. They kissed, slowly, gently, erotically, until he began to move.

They moved slowly together and their quiet gasps of pleasure were barely audible over the thrum of the air conditioner. His gentle pace made her float on a sea of pleasure...
This is truly making love,
she thought as another soft gasp escaped her. She had never felt like this before— of making love for more than just a means to reach an orgasm.

He pushed up onto his hands and drove himself in deep with another soft gasp of pure pleasure before he arched his back enough to bring his lips to hers. As he pulled back from the kiss he looked into her eyes and was almost overwhelmed with the need to tell her of the love he was beginning to feel for her, but he held his tongue, unsure of his own feelings and what they meant. He needed some time… time to discover if the way he felt about her was truly for
her
or was she somehow functioning as a twisted replacement for what he had lost.

She looked into Jack’s eyes as he pulled back from their kiss and she swam in their depths. He didn’t move as they gazed into each other’s eyes until he smiled again and brought his lips to hers once more. She pulled him into the kiss and held him there as their tongues slowly caressed one another. He broke the kiss after a moment and slowly drove into her again as he held her eyes and time slowed to a stop around them.

Jack lowered himself lightly to her and her lips began to kiss his neck. Without changing the tempo of his thrusts, he slipped his hands under her shoulders and held her snuggly to him as he rolled to his back. When they came to rest he adjusted his hold as he placed a hand on her head and another on her back to hold her in place as he began to thrust into her with renewed purpose.

She allowed him to hold her without protest. His embrace made her feel safe as she listened to the thudding of his heart and the roar of his breath. She smiled and her eyes drifted closed as she was enveloped in pure bliss.

“I’m going to come,” he murmured as his tempo began to increase.

“So am I,” she whispered, then turned her head enough to kiss his chest.

“Come with me…”

“Yes…”

He pistoned into her harder as the speed and power of this thrusts increased twofold. “I’m going to come,” he repeated as he began to push back against his orgasm, not wanting to finish too soon.

She didn’t answer as she teetered on the edge of orgasm… then tipped and fell into her release with a whimper and soft shudder.

When Tina shuddered Jack relaxed his hold on his own orgasm and tumbled into his own climax a moment later with a grunt as he held himself deep within her.

She lay still and basked in the warmth of his embrace as she enjoyed the swell of his hardness still inside of her. Her orgasm wasn’t anywhere near as hard as some Jack had given her, but it fulfilled her like no other. She sighed as her eyes closed and a smile touched her lips.

“What?” he asked

“Nothing. I’m just… content.”

He kissed gently on her forehead.

“Jack?” she said softly

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For taking me in. For giving me a second chance.” She paused. “For trusting me.”

“Everyone deserves a second chance, Tina. I told you that before.”

“I know. But I still wanted to thank you. You have been…” she began, before she choked up with emotion. “You have been so good to me…” she said as she struggled to control her tears. “... and I will never forget you.”

“Shhh…” he said softly as he tightened his embrace ever so slightly. “Don’t cry.”

“I don’t understand why you did it—why you cared.”

“I don’t either,” he finally admitted. “But I’m glad I did.”

“Are you?”

“Yes. Very glad,” he said as he felt a tear drop onto his chest. “Shhh… Tina. Don’t cry.”

She sniffed wetly and then gasped out a weak laugh. “I don’t even know why I’m crying. I think it’s because I’m happy.”

Her head bounced gently has he chuckled. “I certainly hope it isn’t because you are sad.”

“No. Definitely not sad,” she said as another small smile replaced her tears.

“Good,” he said as he rolled over, coming to rest lightly on her. He looked into her eyes, bright even in the dim light of the room, and he brought his lips gently to hers once more. “I never want to make you sad,” he said quietly before his lips took hers.

“Then stay with me,” she murmured as he pulled back from the kiss. “Don’t talk about turning yourself in until there is no other way. You will figure something out. I know you will.”

He continued to gaze into eyes. “Okay. No more talk of turning myself in.”