Bound by Their Kisses (2 page)

He wasn’t as tall as Zander, maybe only an inch or so over six feet, but he was cut from the same cloth with a wide chest, thick arms, and tree trunks for legs. She could tell he had some American Indian in him somewhere by the narrow shape of his face and the strong narrow nose. His dark eyes missed nothing, and right now, they were watching her watch him. He gave her a slow smile and patted the empty seat behind him.

Tessa rolled her eyes and started to walk around him, but he quickly walked the bike backwards to block her planned escape route.

“Don’t fight about it, Tessa. You don’t need to walk home at this hour. You don’t usually get off work after three so we don’t worry as much, but it’s after five now. Get on, woman,” he said.

“Tag. I’m not riding with you. I can walk home just fine. Go harass someone else.” Tessa tried once again to walk around him, but he easily blocked her path. She was either going to have to look like an idiot and race out into the street to get away or give in and let him take her home.

I don’t need this. I really don’t need to know what he feels like to add more fuel to the fire of my dreams at night.

Tessa closed her eyes and dropped her head. “Fine. I’ll let you take me home.”

His smile only made her angrier. He knew she wouldn’t be able to refuse if he kept on. She wanted to strangle him and Zander both. The problem was that, even more than that, she wanted to bury herself between them and find out just what it would feel like to have both of them giving her pleasure like she’d heard the various women around town talk about.

But Tessa couldn’t allow that to happen. She wouldn’t be any man’s possession again. She wasn’t a plaything. She was woman with the need to be in charge of her own life.

With a sigh, Tessa climbed on the back of the massive bike and held on to Tag’s sides. She should have known he wouldn’t be satisfied with that. As soon as she was settled, he took her hands and pulled them around his waist so that she was plastered to his back. He’d have a real good idea of her bra size by the time they made it to her apartment across town.

When he pulled down off the sidewalk and took off down the road, Tessa had to hold tighter to keep her seat. The feel of his hard abdominal muscles beneath her hands had her mouth watering all over again. Her thighs rested outside of his, and her pussy tingled with the vibrations of the bike. She had no doubt her panties, and probably her jeans, would be wet by the time they made it to her apartment.

He kept it slow all the way as if to prolong her torture, but Tessa preferred to think that he just didn’t want to take a chance with her life since neither of them was wearing a helmet. No doubt he’d forgotten to grab them when he jumped on his bike to catch her before she’d made it too far down the road.

Tag pulled the big bike in front of her door without any prompting by her. They’d obviously checked into where she lived—exactly. For some reason, that didn’t upset her as much as it should have. She should have been worried that they had snooped enough to learn the apartment number and wondered if they’d followed her without her knowing it in the past. Instead of getting upset, Tessa chose to dismount the bike and forget about it.

“Thanks for the ride, Tag.” She gave him a brief smile without looking in his dark gaze. To do that would be foolish at this point. She was already much too aware of him to tempt fate.

As she started toward her door, she heard the motor cut and the creak of the saddle leather as he too dismounted the bike. She picked up her pace to reach the door before he caught up with her. No such luck. He somehow managed to pluck the key from her hand and unlock the door for her. Instead of allowing her to pass, Tag stepped into her apartment first, looking around as if he expected someone to be there waiting for her.

“What are you doing?” she asked, frowning at him.

“Making sure you didn’t have any unexpected visitors. It looks like its empty,” he said with a slow smile.

“Um, thanks. You can go now. Good night.” She held the door for him, waiting for her taxi driver to leave. He didn’t move. “What do you want, Tag?”

He walked over and gently closed the door for her, with him on the same side as her. Then he locked it, scowling at the flimsy locks.

“You need better locks. Hell, you need a whole new door frame. I could kick this one in without breaking a sweat.”

“Look. You need to leave now. I have things to do that don’t include you, Tag.” Tessa frowned as he walked up to her.

“So do I, and they most definitely include you,” he said.

Before she knew what he was doing, Tag had her backed up against the wall with his lips on hers in a kiss that was as hot as it was dangerous. Her gasp as her back hit the wall had left her wide open for his assault. There was no way she could remain immune to him with his hot tongue doing delightful things to hers. It claimed every part of her mouth before coaxing hers to do the same in his.

Tessa was helpless against the blatant sexuality of the man. His kiss consumed her, leaving nothing behind for her to use to rebuild her defenses. She had no doubt he’d planned it that way, too. Tag was relentless if nothing else. He didn’t give up when he wanted something, and for some reason she couldn’t begin to understand, he wanted her.

It was that intense obsession Tag seemed to have for her that had her falling a little more for him. He took what he wanted but never took more than she was willing to give. Maybe on the outside, she protested, but deep inside, Tessa knew she wanted him. It was the reason she hadn’t run before now. She wanted him, wanted them.

Hands that had been holding her at her waist to keep her still now roved up the sides of her body to cup her face as he slowly released her lips, only to eat at her chin, cheeks, and ear. He trailed a line of hot, wet kisses down her neck to the edge of her shirt. The low growl he gave let her know he didn’t like that her shirt was in the way, but he didn’t attempt to move it. Instead, he worked his way around the neckline of the shirt then moved back up her neck to return to her lips. All the time, he held her immobile by pressing his pelvis against her lower belly. The thick ridge of his engorged cock left no doubt that he wanted her.

“Son of a bitch, Tessa. You drive me crazy, and I don’t like it. Not one damn bit,” Tag heaved out against her lips.

“Then why are you here?” she asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

“Because I can’t leave you alone. You’re in my blood, baby girl. All I have to do is think about you, and my dick turns into a damn hound dog after a bitch in heat.”

She tried to turn her head away from the brush of his lips, but Tag wasn’t letting her escape. His nasty talk should have turned her off, pissed her off, but instead, her already wet panties soaked up another wave of arousal dripping from her pussy.

“Stop thinking about me. Quit coming by the store just to harass me all the time, and you’ll be free of me,” she said. God knew she didn’t really mean the words, but she should.

“Not happening, Tessa. I’m already addicted to the way you walk and, now, to the way you taste. I can’t get that hitch in your voice when you talk out of my head. Just hearing you talk could make me come in my jeans like a fucking teenager, baby girl,” Tag said, his husky voice sending chills down her spine.

He must have felt her shiver. Tag wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his hot embrace. Her hands automatically went to his shoulders as he enfolded her in a blanket of warmth, and that scent that was all Tag. Where Zander smelled of cedar and something spicy and wild, Tag carried the scent of leather and loam, all earthy and natural.

“No more running scared, Tessa. You’re ours. It’s time you accept it and stop making us crazy chasing you.” He looked down at her, his eyes searching her face.

“No. I can’t be yours. I can’t be anybody’s. Don’t push me, Tag,” she all but begged.

“What’s holding you back, baby? What are you hiding from? I know you’re hiding from something—or is it someone? Are you running from someone, Tessa? Tell me who, and I’ll deal with them.” The determined expression on his face told her he was more than serious. He was promising her that he would take care of any threat to her.

“I’m not running from anyone, Tag. I’m just not going to be someone’s doormat.” She bit her tongue. She’d almost said “again,
”
and that would have created a snag in her armor that would give Tag something to worry at like a dog gnawing on a bone.

He narrowed his eyes down at her. “No one wants you to be a doormat, Tessa. What gives you that impression?”

“You and Zander are Doms. I’m not a submissive. I’m my own person, and no one is going to tell me what to do. You and your buddy need to back off and find someone else to hound,” she said.

His slow, smug grin should have told her just how much trouble she was in, but Tessa was sure that she had made herself clear enough he would back off. She knew one thing about them for sure. They didn’t bully women, and they didn’t force them. None of the members of Golden Shackles were abusive to women. It was the one reason she hadn’t pulled up stakes and left town a long time ago.

Steve Tyler, her boss at Heavy Trinkets, was a member along with his brother Ben. Their wife Stacey was a sweet woman who worked at Sassy Sophisticate. All it would take was one word that someone was bothering her, and Steve would put an end to it. He wouldn’t, however, get in between her and Tag and Zander as long as all they were doing was pursuing her. She knew their rules. But it looked like they’d raised the stakes on her. She needed to decide if she was going to be able to withstand their brand of courting, or if she would have to move on.

“What are you thinking, Tessa? I can see your brain working overtime behind those pretty green eyes of yours. Don’t do something you’ll regret,” he said.

“I already have. I gave in and let you bring me home,” she said in a near whisper. “Now leave before I scream.”

Tag wasn’t surprised that she was fighting them so hard. The first time they’d seen her at the fire that had nearly taken Marx and Jackson’s then-girlfriend Kelly, they’d known she would be a handful, but that didn’t stop them from wanting her. Time had only made the need for her stronger, but with it had come respect and admiration for the pretty redhead. While she was alone and nearly destitute, Tessa had worked for everything she had. Instead of accepting handouts and poormouthing her situation, she’d negotiated to clean house or weed flowerbeds for what she was freely given.

If she gave her word she’d be there, Tessa showed up, walking in the rain. If she promised to help with a project, she was the first one there and the last to leave. Tag wanted to give her the world even knowing she’d never accept it without earning it. Deep down he knew part of her drive to earn her way was so no one owned any part of her. But her core being was of someone good and kind, someone who believed in honor and hard work.

He and Zander had fought hard to make their own way in the world, building businesses out of nothing. They had gained the respect of the people in town when they had kept their places clean and safe. He and Zander showed up to help when someone needed something and never asked for anything in return. They knew what it took to change what people thought about them. They understood what Tessa dealt with on a daily basis when she’d first arrived. The fact that she hadn’t given up or taken off again only proved that she was perfect for them in every way.

Even now, with her staring up at him in defiance, he admired her. But he wanted her, too. Wanted her to the point of pain at the moment. It was time to leave before he did or said something that would set them back after all the time it had taken to get this far with the midget Amazon. She might only come up to his chin at around five feet four inches, but she packed a punch when she looked at him with those amazing green eyes.

When she’d first shown up in Perkins City, their curvy spitfire was thin and quiet with a wild look about her. Now that she was eating regular meals, she’d filled out to be the enticing woman neither he nor Zander could ignore. The sprinkle of freckles across her nose and across her cheeks made him ache to find out where else she had them. That led to wanting to trace them with his tongue, which sent him down a dark road of need that ended with him rubbing one off in the shower every night. Hell, he’d even been known to jerk off in the bathroom at the shop after seeing her bending over to stock a shelf in Heavy Trinkets.

Now, standing in front of her in her clean but rundown apartment, Tag realized he’d pushed too hard. Damn! He’d only planned to make sure the apartment was empty and safe and maybe kiss her. Claiming her as theirs hadn’t been smart, but after tasting her, feeling her against his body, Tag lost all control. He didn’t lose control, period.

Hell, there was no changing what he’d done now. Forward was the only way to go.

“I’m leaving, Tessa, but this isn’t over. You know we would never hurt you. Nor would we treat you less than the intelligent, sexy woman you are. Women aren’t doormats in this town. You should know that by now,” he said, watching the myriad of emotions pass through her eyes.

“I know that I’m not looking for a man, or two for that matter. I don’t need one to take care of me. I can do that myself,” she told him. Her voice barely rose above a whisper.

“It’s not about having someone to take care of you, Tessa. It’s about having someone to care for you. It’s about having someone to share life’s pleasures and pains. Give it some thought, baby girl. Zander and I have waited for you to get on your feet again after whatever you’d been dealing with, but it’s been nearly a year. I think that’s enough time. Don’t you?”

He took another step back as her mouth opened and closed without saying anything. His little Tessa was struggling to continue fighting, but he could see the exhaustion in her from trying to keep that wall up around her. The warmth and friendliness of the people in Perkins City was picking away at the mortar between her bricks faster than she could shore them up. He had no doubt that the walls would fall, but would she still be there when they did? The thought of her running scared him when nothing ever had before.