Ride Steady(142)

“Yeah,” he answered.

“Absolutely,” she declared resolutely.

He glanced at her again then back to the road before he asked carefully, “Nervous?”

“No. I give good girlfriend. Aaron’s folks always loved me. Until he kicked me out, that is.”

He bit back laughter, not questioning the fact she gave good girlfriend since he was well acquainted with that, but he still warned, “Mrs. Heely lost her boy. He was in the military. Died servin’. Then she unofficially adopted me. I’ve never tested it, but thinkin’ she might be protective.”

“Good,” she stated.

“And picky,” he went on.

“She should be. You deserve the best.”

He grinned at the road, muttering, “Lucky I got that.”

That was when he felt her fingers curl around his thigh.

He switched hands on the steering wheel and pulled her fingers from his thigh by wrapping his around hers. Then he rested them there, giving them a squeeze.

“A week, we’ll have him back,” he said softly.

“A week, we will,” she replied the same way.

They fell silent as he drove them home.

They remained mostly silent when they got home, reheated leftover carnitas, and ate them camped out on the couch.

Joker did this, giving Carissa time to deal with losing her boy. He didn’t give her space, because she made it clear she didn’t want that, sticking close, being her usual touchy with him, but he gave her space in her head.

He took that time to be in his own head.

He’d shifted his patrol every time he was up since she gave herself to him. Two weeks, he was with her every night all night.

This wasn’t a problem. Without a woman or kids in his life, he’d taken patrol for his brothers so often, he had enough markers to be with her a month and still have some to spare.

But he needed to get back on the street.

Tack wanted the Club to claim more territory and the Club had agreed. They’d pushed and they got the same action, just more of it, warning dealers and hookers off their expanded patch.

It had gone easy, too easy. The boys were suspicious. No one was saying anything, and Benito Valenzuela hadn’t struck back, but Joker needed to get on the street. He needed to get the feel of it. Talk to his sources. Get his presence out there. Be one with his brothers and show that to those who should see it.

Carissa didn’t know he did patrol, and he’d have to get into that with her soon. He’d give her that night because she needed it. He’d give himself the next night because it was a big night for him, Carissa, Linus, Mrs. Heely.

But Wednesday, his ass had to be on the street.

So they had to have that conversation.

Not then.

Just soon.

On this thought, he decided he needed another beer. Their plates were on the coffee table, so he also decided they should be in the sink.

He was about to see to that when Carissa moved, suddenly swinging over to straddle him.

He tipped his head back, putting his hands to her hips as he looked to her eyes to see them on his tee.

“Baby?” he whispered.

She lifted her gaze to his. “Need you.”

There was something in her tone. Something he didn’t like. It was the same thing she gave him with her words and the look on her face.

It was need.

But what she needed… no, why she needed it, right then, suddenly swinging astride him, that tone in her voice, the look on her face troubled him.

Regardless, she needed it, so he was going to give it to her.

He slid his hands up her sides and whispered, “Take what you need.”

She took him up on his offer.

But she didn’t kiss him.

She latched on to his tee and pulled it up. He lifted his arms for her and she tugged it free, tossing it behind the couch.

Then she went in.

Not to his mouth.

To his neck.

She spent time there then curved her back to give the same to his chest.

His nipples.

Down, he opened his legs as she slid off his lap onto her knees on the floor.

Fuck.

Fuck.

She was going to suck him off.

She hadn’t done that yet, and just the thought of watching her honey curls spread around his crotch as she worked him with her mouth made his cock, already stiff with what she’d been giving him, throb.

He wanted that.

But she hadn’t gone there. Not yet. He got her loose and gave her good but he did all the work.