Captured (Devil's Blaze MC #1)(25)

Skull pulls up against the sidewalk a block away and cuts off his engine. I don’t make a move to get off. Instead, I hug him tighter, laying my head against his shoulder. He seems to know that’s what I need because he doesn’t move for a few minutes. His hand covers mine at his stomach and he squeezes it.

“Are you okay, mi cielo?”

“They could be looking for me,” I mumble against his shoulder, knowing I need to leave and not wanting to.

“You mentioned that before. I doubt very seriously you have a reason to fear nuns, Beth. I will protect you if need be, though,” he jokes.

I want to smile, but I can’t. It’s just a reminder of the bigger secret I’m keeping from him. I ignore the tinge of guilt I feel at not telling him the truth, then slide off his bike.

“What time is it?” I ask, holding my arms tight around myself to ward off the chill. Skull puts a jacket over me, but the night air is cold. He wanted to drive me out to his favorite spot and I wanted to be anywhere he was.

“Are you really worried about missing curfew?” he asks.

“If they report it to my guardians, then yes. They’ll take me out of school and have me finish in private tutoring or ship me off to France.”

Again, I only tell him half-truths. None of what I just told him matters since I’m running away. He looks at me strangely as I try to remember exactly what I said. Did I give too much away? I only have one more night with him, really. I don’t want to mess that up.

He parks his bike, grabs a rolled up blanket from his saddle bags, then joins me. He takes my hand and walks me down the grassy pasture-like area we’re in. I can’t tell anything about the area because it’s dark. There’s a large moon above us that gives light, but since I have no idea where I’m at, it doesn’t help me. Skull, on the other hand, seems to know exactly where we are. His footsteps never falter.

In a few minutes, he comes to a stop and I look up. In front of us is a small dock that overlooks a calm lake. Even in the dark, or maybe because of it, it is beautiful.

“Amazing,” I murmur, turning back to him with a smile. It’s secluded and romantic. It’s what you envision a lover taking the time to show you. It makes me feel special. Between this and the way he’s treated me since our first night, I feel like I matter to him. Still, I know I’m probably just fooling myself.

He brings his hand up and holds the side of my face. I lean into it, loving the connection with him. His thumb brushes my lips gently, almost reverently. I capture the tip of it with my teeth and hold it between my lips, letting my tongue tease it gently before letting go.

“One day, sweet Beth, I will learn all of your secrets.”

“Why?” I ask, confused.

“Because it’s needed,” he says cryptically.

I want to question him further, but I don’t. I follow him to the dock. He spreads out the blanket he brought with us, then sits down and reaches a hand toward me. I join him and lean into his body as we watch the water and the way the light of the moon reflects off of it, making the beams dance.

“What happened to your parents?” he asks, and I can’t help the way my body tenses up.

“They split up when I was young. My father took my sister Katie, and mom took me.”

“Pendejos,” he growls, squeezing me tighter. I look up in question. “Assholes,” he translates.

I nod. “Pretty much, yeah. They just never saw life beyond what or how it affected them. Anyway, I haven’t seen my father since. Not even for Katie’s funeral. Mom remarried and my stepfather wasn’t exactly a warm man. I don’t guess I’ve ever been close to anyone in my life. I do miss my mom, though. Her and my stepfather passed away in an accident. My stepbrothers were left as my guardians.”

“Lo siento, amor,” he whispers against my hair.

“Someday soon, I’m going to learn Spanish so that when I’m alone, I can think of our time together and understand all you’ve said to me,” I tell him without thinking. Every time he uses Spanish, I mourn that I don’t fully understand what he is saying.

He turns my face to look at him and, even with the darkness, his eyes draw me in.

“Tengo miedo han sido capturados. Nunca dejar ir,” he says, the lyrical words rolling off his tongue.

“What’d you just say?” I ask, my heart beating faster.

He smiles and kisses my forehead before lying back on the dock, lifting me under my arms as he does and bringing me atop him. Our lips are just a breath away from each other. Our eyes, locked on one another. My legs slide along his body so that I’m astride him and I find myself wishing we didn’t have clothes on.

“Come on, Skull. It’s not fair. Tell me what you just said.”

“I said that I fear your body has me captured. I need to f*ck you again. Are you very sore?”

My face reddens at his frank words. But the instant he says them, I feel excitement pool between my legs. I am sore. Very sore, because Skull is not a small man. I don’t have anything to really judge him by, but I can’t imagine there are many—if any—larger.

But I know I won’t get to keep experiencing the pleasure he gives me. I greedily want all of it I can have.

“I’m good. I want you again too, Skull.”

“My sweet, sweet Beth,” he moans, his hand brushing the side of my face and his lips finding mine.