"Yes," he encourages, increasing his pace slightly. "Let go for me. I want to feel you."
When the orgasm hits, it's overwhelming—radiating outward from where we're joined, sending waves of pleasure through my entire body. I bite down on his shoulder to muffle my cry, tasting salt and skin as my inner muscles clench around him.
The sensation of my climax triggers his own. With a few final, powerful thrusts, he buries himself to the hilt inside me, his body tensing as he follows me over the edge. I feel the pulse of his load, his arms tightening around me as he shudders through his completion.
For several moments afterward, we remain locked together, my legs still around his waist, his arms supporting me, our foreheads pressed together as we catch our breath. The vulnerability of the position—so open, so exposed—should make me uncomfortable, but instead I feel utterly safe, completely held.
Eventually, reluctantly, he lowers me to the couch, slipping from my body with a mutual sigh of loss. He stretches out beside me, pulling me against his chest.
"That was..." he begins, then falls silent, apparently unable to find adequate words.
"Yeah," I agree, understanding perfectly.
His fingers trace lazy patterns on my back, following the lines of my tattoo. The simple intimacy of the touch is almost as affecting as what we just shared.
"We should probably get dressed," I murmur after a while, though I make no move to do so. "In case Lilly wakes up."
"Probably," he agrees, but his arms tighten around me slightly, keeping me close.
The logical part of my brain knows this is complicated. He's leaving soon, we live in different worlds, getting attached canonly lead to heartache. But lying here in his arms, skin to skin, heartbeat to heartbeat, I find it impossible to regret what just happened.
Whatever comes next—whatever reality we have to face in the morning—this moment is perfect, complete. And for now, that's enough.
Chapter 9 - Tank
I hold Katty against my chest, her skin still flushed and warm from our lovemaking, and I'm struck by a thought that should terrify me: I've never lost control like this before.
Control has been the cornerstone of my existence since childhood—controlling my temper when Lilly was bullied, controlling my reactions through military training, controlling the violence that comes so naturally to me in service of the club. Control is what makes me valuable, reliable, trusted.
Yet tonight, with this woman I've known barely a day, I willingly surrendered that control, let myself be guided by something other than calculated reason. Dangerous, by any measure.
And yet, as I trace the patterns of her tattoo and feel her heart beating against mine, I can't bring myself to regret it. She's worth the risk. Worth everything.
"What are you thinking about?" she asks, her fingers drawing small circles on my chest.
"How quickly things can change," I answer honestly. "Yesterday morning, I was in Cedar Falls preparing for a routine ride to help my sister. Now I'm here, with you, and nothing feels routine anymore."
She shifts slightly to look up at me, those green eyes searching mine. "Do you regret it?"
"No," I say without hesitation. "Do you?"
"Not even a little." Her smile is soft, intimate. "But I am wondering what happens now."
What does happen now? I'm supposed to handle Dylan, ensure Lilly's safety, then return to the club and my responsibilities there. That was the plan. Simple, straightforward.
But now there's Katty to consider, and nothing about what I feel for her is simple or straightforward.
"I need to make sure Lilly is safe," I begin, thinking aloud. "Dylan needs to understand, permanently, that she's off-limits."
Katty nods, her expression serious. "And after that?"
"After that..." I trail off, considering possibilities I'd never entertained before. "I go back to my town. To the club."
I feel her tense slightly against me, though she tries to hide it. "Of course," she says, too casually. "That's your life."
"It has been," I agree, stroking her hair. "But lives can change. Routes can be adjusted."
She props herself up on my chest, studying my face with cautious hope. "What are you saying, Tank?"
