Secret Mayhem (Back Down Devil MC #4)(29)

The way Shay stared at her was so intense that a lump in the back of her throat rose up. She swallowed hard, trying to keep herself from crying. He didn't just f*ck her. There was so much more to it and Ava had never felt that connection with anyone before.

The only sound in the room was their rapid heart beats. Ava felt as though her heart would never stop racing. And the way Shay hovered over her, his throbbing body still touching between her legs, made it impossible to calm herself down.

Maybe that’s what Shay's intentions had been, because when Ava managed to catch her breath, she started talking.

“I was never Stein’s old lady,” she whispered.

Shay nodded. “I figured that much. You haven’t been touched in a long time, love.”

“Not that long,” Ava said. “Just not touched the right way in a long time.”

“So what’s the rest of the story?”

“Can I get dressed?”

“Fuck no,” Shay said. “I’m not moving. You okay with that?”

Ava looked at Shay’s body. Rippling muscles. Tattoos. Sweat. The smell of sex and man. She would never ask him to leave her. Not right now and maybe not never.

“I’m okay with that,” Ava whispered.

“I’m putting myself in a dangerous spot here,” Shay said. “Fucking a woman from another crew who thinks you were an old lady is trouble. Big trouble.”

“Stein was important to me. I had to find him.”

“Why?”

Ava licked her lips. “He’s my father.”

Shay stiffened. All emotion disappeared from his face. “What did you just say?”

“He’s my father,” Ava said. "I needed his help. His protection. But he didn’t touch me, obviously.”

“Then why the f*ck does Trev and all the Lost Men think you were his old lady?”

“Because if I didn't pretend to be, what would they have done to me?”

Shay nodded. “Good point. So were you the one who killed him?”

“What? No. I would never hurt my father. I mean, I barely knew him."

“What happened then?”

Ava started to feel uncomfortable. She shook her head. “I’m sorry, Shay. This is really hard for me. How do I know you won’t hurt me?”

“You don’t know that,” Shay said. “You don’t know what anyone will do to you. Look into my eyes, Ava. Tell me what you see and what you think.”

Ava looked into Shay’s eyes and that scared her more than anything else. Because looking into his eyes made her feel safe. Made her feel like she could tell him anything. But in the back of her mind, she reminded herself that Shay belonged Back Down Devil MC and that he may not make it out of this war alive.

“I want to take a shower now,” Ava said. “I need to… just…”

Shay lowered his body closer to Ava’s. “That’s what you want? You want to keep hiding? Running? You’ll never make it that way, love.”

“I know,” Ava said. “But it’s all I know right now.”

Shay gently put his lips to Ava’s neck. He kissed once and then ran the tip of his nose down her chest, leaving Ava shivering for more of his body. When his lips grazed along one of her nipples, she whimpered and arched her back. She never felt that way before. So exposed. So willing to succumb.

The tip of Shay’s tongue drew a circle around her nipple before he kissed her. Then he pulled away and stood up. Standing before her, naked, he was a glorious sight of muscle and biker attitude that could kill. When he folded his arms, his stance was made. Silent and defiant.

“I’m sorry,” Ava whispered. “I don’t want to be in the way.”

“Too late,” Shay said. “You leave this clubhouse again and you will be killed. Know that. After what they’ve done to my club, my brothers, those who know the club, they’ll kill you. And because it’s me… it’ll be worse.”

“And what would happen if I was killed?” Ava asked as she sat up. She pushed back on the bed, pulling her legs to her chest. She knew the sight was teasing to Shay, but she wasn't focused on that. “What would that mean?”

“To the club… to the guys… probably nothing. But to me… it would be the last straw. I would go crazy, Ava. I would ride through this town and burn it all down. I’d kill every motherf*cker that looked at me the wrong way, regardless of their purpose or their patches. I’d gut every one of the Lost Men for fun. And if someone in my own club tried to stop me… they wouldn’t be able to.” Shay walked to the side of the bed. His fingertips ran down her leg until he touched her center. Ava groaned. He pressed a finger into her * and curled his lip. “That’s what I’d do for you, Ava. Go enjoy that shower and think. Because time is running out. On everything.”

Shay slid his finger back up her leg, leaving her wetness behind. He walked over to the mini fridge and got a bottle of beer. It took all of Ava’s might and strength to walk from the bed to the bathroom. She closed the bathroom door and looked at herself in the mirror again. Her face looked different.

Of course it did. You just got f*cked by Shay.

Ava turned on the water to the shower and climbed inside. She stood in the back of the shower until the water was hot and then she stepped forward and closed her eyes. She let the water rush all over her body, but the water wasn’t going to wash anything away. Ava had said probably too much, and she still didn't know what Shay was hiding.