Chapter 23

I felt like I had spun a bottle all my life and its neck had always come to a stop, pointing in the wrong direction. I guess I had unknowingly spun the bottle again, and once more, I'd been pointed in the wrong direction.

I wanted to mean something to Torin, not just a passing steamy as fuck night four years ago that I had been unable to forget. I knew he'd cared, and I felt he still did, but he was pushing me away, and I didn't know why.

He had been the one; the one I would have spent the rest of my life with—made babies with, but that dream had died the same day as I'd been told he had.

I had tried to move on with other men, to forget, but I just hadn't been able to—none had ever measured up, none had lit the spark Torin had. That night in the pickup with Rook on the way to the hospital, I had forgiven Torin of the hurt he induced within me by hiding the fact he was alive. I had spent the last month in his presence. Yet he had never once let on who he truly was, and I didn't understand why he had left the Sons Off Morning Star, or why he had left me.

It had fucked with me, hard. However, when I had thought I was losing him again, everything I had been so mad about, had become such insignificant things. Now here I sat, trying to find meaning. Trying to understand. Trying to find purpose.

Heaving a breath, I pushed off the ground and climbed to my feet. The mosquitoes had decided I tasted divine, and the little blood suckers were harvesting their nightcap off me. I didn't like killing any creature, and that included spiders, but a mosquito? Yeah, I'd squish the damn thing in a heartbeat. June bugs? Yeah them too—they were both bugs straight from hell as far as I was concerned.

Swatting at the mosquitos on my arms, I hurried toward the bomb-shelter and pushing the door open, I ran through it. Rook just happened to be heading out as I was coming in, and at the look on his face at my mad swatting, I rolled my eyes, breathing, "Demons," before continuing on my way.

A grin stole across my lips, when from behind me, I heard him mutter, "What the fuck?"

As I stepped further into the common room, I did a quick glance around, then my steps came to a stop, before continuing across the floor to where I had spotted Torin.

When I reached my destination, I grabbed a hold of miss rub-one-out's arm and jerked her off Torin's lap and onto the floor. When she made to stand up again, I placed my hand on her head, holding her down as I hissed, "Stay down, Rubber, Torin and I have business. Now, if you have something to say when he and I are done, come look me up."

Afterward, I turned a pointed eye at Torin, growling, "Get your ass up, we are going to have that talk you mentioned a few weeks back!" If he was strong enough to have that skank sitting on his lap, he damn sure was strong enough to talk to me. I'd been giving him excuses, but no more, I was done.

I continued to stand in front of him, my hands on my hips, waiting. After a few seconds, he grunted, grabbed the cane that was helping him walk while his leg continued to heal, then stood. Without looking at me, he walked past me. It didn't phase me, because I had my mind made up. We were so doing this.

I followed behind Torin all the way to his room, and as he came to a stop in front of his door, he turned to look at me, then raising an eyebrow he asked, "Something crawl up your ass, Princess?"

"Don't you Princess me," I spat. "There was only one man I allowed to call me that, and he died!"

I watched shock roll across Torin's face. However, he never said a word. Best he didn't!

I'd sworn Hell would be waiting for him when he came to me, but seeing as how that didn't appear to be happening, I'd packed it in my pocket and was bringing it with me. So, when Torin just continued to stare at me, I reached my arm out before him, and grasping the door knob, I twisted it. Afterward, pushing the door open, I snapped, "Either you walk in that room yourself, or by God, I'll drop-kick you into it."

With a snort of a laugh, Torin turned and walked into his room, then promptly shut the door in my face and locked it. MOTHER FUCKER!

Oh hell no! Reaching in my pocket, I pulled out the key I'd stashed in it earlier. Ya know, it pays to have a friend who knows how to make keys.

Then, with an evil grin spreading my lips wide, I inserted the key in the knob and turned it. "Stop me you evil shit," I breathed.

When I stepped into the room, Torin had his shirt half over his head, and it gave me a momentary pause, before flying across the space between us, I grabbed the shirt, and holding it in place, I made sure he couldn't lift it any further or wiggle away from me.

"Marl," he growled, "let go."

"Nope, don't think so. Not happening," I returned. "I got you right where I want you and you're gonna listen for once."

"Oh really" You think so?" he quipped back in response.

I gave a laugh, "Oh yeah, I know so," I murmured.

"You sure of that?" he asked.

Thinking it over, I grinned, "Yeah, pretty damn sure."

The next thing I knew, I was lying on my back, and looking up into a set of eyes dark with hunger, before head swooping down, he covered my lips with his.

Several minutes passed as Torin ravished my mouth, and I gave as good as I got. By the time he pulled his lips from mine, we were both breathing heavily, and laying his forehead against mine, he growled, "Fuck, Marl."

I didn't like the separation, and lifting my arms, I grasped his head pulling his mouth back to mine. Tongue dancing enticingly against his lips, I laved them, tasting, sipping, feeding off his taste: whiskey, cigarettes, some kind of spice and—mother of God—one-hundred percent, utterly male.

With a groan, his lips became desperate, hungry against mine before, baring his teeth, he bit down on my bottom lip, sucking and nipping at its fullness, urging me to open to him. A moan burst forth from my mouth, and opening, I gave him the access he sought. Thrusting his tongue inside, he began stroking and sucking—an erotic dance ensuing between our tongues as they mated in sensual ecstasy. For minutes on end our mouths made love, hot, erotic and soul-stripping.

Breathing harsh, I squirmed beneath him, and rising up onto his knees, he stripped the t-shirt he wore the rest of the way off. Then grasping the bottom of mine, he began tugging.

Sitting up, I helped him take it off, and as it cleared my head, Torin's eyes dropped to my bare breast, another groan slipping loose of his throat, before filling his hands with their fullness, he brought his head down, pulling a hardened peak into his mouth. I could feel his tongue circling the nipple as he sucked at the peak and the feel of his administrations set my core alight. Rising to my own knees, I gave him better access to my breast, as hand lifting, I pulled loose the button on his jeans, then with a gentle tug, I pulled free the remaining four buttons of his fly.

As he moved to the other breast, I grasped either side of the waist of his jeans and began pushing them lower on his hips, working them downward until I freed his erection. Grasping his cock, I began stroking, my movements slow, evocative.

Lifting his mouth from my breast, he raised his head, gazing into my face, his pupils were enlarged, almost covering the irises, as grabbing me about the waist, he began to scoot us up on the bed until my head rested near the headboard. Then slipping his fingers beneath the waist of my jean shorts, he popped the button loose, slowly easing the zipper down as well. Afterward, we helped one another remove the remainder of our clothing.

When we were both naked, his gaze ran over the length of me, then with his breathing ragged, he husked, "Trust me?"