Command (Storm MC #7) Page 16
Her palms landed on my chest and she attempted to push out of my hold, but I held her tighter so she couldn’t.
“Don’t fight me, baby. I’m done waiting. I want that ring on your finger,” I growled.
She gazed up at me with a smile in her eyes. “I’m not fighting you. I’m just starting to panic, that’s all. I need to call Cassie and Madison because I’m going to need help getting a dress, and hair, and shoes, and makeup and all the things a girl needs, to be at her best, on the day she finally marries the man she loves.”
I eased my hold on her, but only a little bit. “I’d marry you without all that shit. I want you clean or dirty, perfectly styled hair or with bedhead, a face full of makeup or straight out of bed in the morning, wedding dress or pyjamas, heels or barefoot, rich or poor.” I paused and placed my hand over her heart. “I want this with all of that or none of it. You are perfect to me however you come, Harlow.”
She stared at me for a long moment. I felt the connection we shared, I always had from the very first moment I laid eyes on her. It was deep, and honest and everything I’d never known I needed or wanted. She finally sorted through her thoughts, and then said, “Now that’s a proposal worth saying yes to.”
I wanted to throw her over my shoulder and carry her caveman-style to our bed.
I wanted to spend hours devouring her body.
I wanted to worship her like the softie she now knew me to be.
Harlow had taken my cold heart and bandaged it with love. She’d shown me how loving someone else could heal your own wounds. And she’d taught me that there really could be a blessing in the storm.
Sometimes the struggle was absolutely worth the outcome.
19
Harlow
I blinked my eyes open as my hand landed on Scott’s head. I’d been fast asleep, dreaming of his growly voice and his mouth on my body. As it turned out, he had been growling words in my ear and his mouth was on my body.
Heaven.
I arched my back up off the bed as his tongue flicked over my clit. Fisting his hair, I begged, “Don’t ever stop.”
He lifted his mouth and his eyes met mine. “Got no plans for that any time soon, sweetheart,” he rasped as he scooped his hands under my ass, and lifted my pussy to his mouth. Like I was a feast that he couldn’t live without.
God, yes.
Best way to wake up.
I rested my legs over his shoulders and closed my eyes for a moment while he delivered the kind of pleasure only Scott Cole could give. My man’s expert mouth and tongue always drove me wild. God had blessed me the day he’d given me this man.
And the best part is I get to have him for the rest of my life.
A shot of bliss ran through my body and I quivered under his touch as he let me go and repositioned me so he could move up the bed. His hands and knees settled on the bed either side of my body, and he bent to kiss my stomach and breasts as he made his way up to my neck and mouth.
“I thought you had no plans to stop what you were doing.” I pouted.
His lips caught mine and he bruised them with a rough kiss. “Decided I needed this more,” he growled as he ran his cock through my wet folds.
I bit my lip as I lifted my ass off the bed and pressed myself against him. My arms wrapped around his neck, and I let out a low moan. “I’m down with that.”
He pushed his cock against my entrance again, still not entering me, but rather, continuing to cause my need for him to increase. “Thought you might be.”
I tightened my hold on him and dug my fingernails into his skin, loving the hiss that escaped his lips. “You know what I’d be more than down with?”
His cock circled my entrance as he asked, “What?”
Good God, he’s driving me freaking insane.
I waited for the exact right moment, and when I had it, I wrapped my legs around him and pushed my pussy up to take him inside. “That,” I said on a groan as he filled me.
He hissed again. “Fuck.” His breathing picked up as he settled himself deep inside. And then he repeated himself. “Fuck.”
I rocked my hips, trying to get him to fuck me, but he seemed content just to be inside me while I rocked back and forth. “Scott…”
He dipped his mouth to mine and kissed me before saying, “Yeah?”
I exhaled a frustrated breath. “Are you going to fuck me or are you just going to let your dick fall asleep inside me?”
He pulled his face away from mine and a sexy grin spread across his lips. “I fuckin’ love it when you talk dirty to me, baby.”
I raised my brows. “Well?”
He pulled his cock out and slowly entered me again, going as deep as he could before rocking himself inside me for a moment. “So fuckin’ demanding,” he muttered.
His slow moves were excruciatingly pleasurable. I loved the change to his usual pace, but I craved his hard and fast ways.
I need him to fuck me.
And make me come.
He held himself over me, hands planted either side of my body, and continued his slow and deep torture. His eyes glazed over with satisfaction and every now and then, he grunted as he tried to delay his orgasm.
“That feel good, baby?” he asked as he began to pick up the pace.
My core clenched as I tried to focus. It feels so damn good, I can hardly concentrate. “Yes,” I panted.
He lowered his body a little and I clung to him as he began thrusting harder and faster.
Yes.
Oh God, yes.
Bliss overtook my mind and body, and I focused all my attention on Scott and the orgasm he was giving me.
So close.
Oh, fuck.
I rocked harder with him.
Nearly there.
Please.
Now.
I gripped him tighter, trying desperately to get the orgasm to shatter through my body.
Come on.
“Fuck!” he roared as he came.
I rocked harder again.
Frantic.
Please.
I need it now.
“Scott…oh God, yes!” I screamed out as I orgasmed.
Finally.
My toes curled and I kept clinging to Scott as my release lit every one of my nerve endings. So damn good.
We held each other while we came down from the high, catching our breaths and riding out the waves of pleasures.
When Scott collapsed onto the bed beside me, he rested his hand on my stomach, and said, “Morning, sweetheart.”
I softly laughed while rolling onto my side and snuggling against him. As I rested my head on his shoulder, he placed his arm around me to hold me close.
I loved this time with him. That feeling of being joined, and the connection of our souls, centred me and reminded me of how loved I was. It reminded me I had so many things to be thankful for. It also reminded me I wasn’t in my struggle alone.
“I’m scared,” I whispered, finally giving voice to my fear.
He turned his face and watched me silently for a moment. “Of losing the baby?”
I swallowed back the tears that threatened. I’d done enough crying over the past few months, I didn’t want to cry any more. “Yes.”
He shifted so he was facing me, our bodies chest-to-chest. Running his fingers through my hair, he said, “I know. But we’re going to do this together, Harlow. You’re going to keep talking to me about that fear, and I’m going to be here for you every step of the way. And no matter what happens, we’ll face it, and deal with it. Together.”
His eyes searched mine, probably seeking some kind of acknowledgement that I would do this with him, and not shut him out again. I needed to give him that. I needed him to know I would never shut him out ever again.
I nodded, and then I gave him something I should have given him months ago. “Will you come with me to my next appointment with Jane? I want to talk this out with her and I think it would be good for both of us to be involved in that conversation.�
� I’d never asked him to attend any of my psychology appointments because I’d always felt like it was my problem and so I should deal with it myself. But I’d come a long way, and now I realised that my problems were Scott’s problems, too.
“I’ll be there,” he replied, and even though he’d only said three words, I knew those three words had deep meaning for him.
Leaning into him, I brushed a kiss across his lips. “Thank you.”
Hope soared in my heart. I was scared, but Scott helped empower me to believe I could get through this. We would get through this.
* * *
“Call me when you’re ready to be picked up,” Scott said after I kissed him goodbye later that morning. I had a hair appointment scheduled and he’d insisted on bringing me. Since the incidents with Rogue and Bourne, he’d hardly let me out of his sight and I figured making sure I got to my appointment safely was just another way for him to feel reassured of my safety. I would give him that; I’d give him whatever he needed because he gave me so much.
“I will, but won’t you be busy with the club today?”
“Only this morning. By the time you finish here, I’ll have time.”
“Okay, baby, I’ll see you then.”
He jerked his chin at Roxie’s shop, letting me know he’d wait for me to go inside. With one last kiss, I left him, loving the fact his eyes were on me as I walked away. Scott made me feel ten times the woman I was just by the way he loved me.
“Morning, beautiful,” Bobby greeted me as I pushed through the front door of the salon.
I loved Bobby, one of Roxie’s hairdressers. His sarcastic and over-the-top behaviour always made me smile. “Hey, Bobby. How’s your morning going?”
He rolled his eyes and gave me a flick of his wrist. “Don’t even go there, Harlow. I woke up this morning ready to take on the world and then the world took me on instead. I met the man of my dreams last night, took him home and showed him all the ways I could make his dreams come true, and then this morning, his ex messaged him to say he wanted him back. He sat in my bed and had a heart-to-fucking-heart with his ex and then promptly told me he had a great time with me, but he had to skip breakfast because he was now having it with his ex.” His eyes widened and he placed his hand on his hip. Waving his other hand in the air, he continued, “So, I promptly replied and told him to get the fuck out of my bed so I could torch my sheets, along with my memories of him.”
Poor Bobby. He always fell fast and hard, and I couldn’t keep track of the number of times he’d had his heart broken. “Better to find out now that he’s an ass, rather than down the track when you’re committed to him, right?”
He pursed his lips together as if he really wasn’t convinced. “I know you’re right, but hot damn, this guy had it. And it’s not often that comes along.”
“I hear you, Bobby, and I totally get it. I met a lot of guys with it, and in the end, it turned out to be a false promise. Keep looking; eventually the right man will sweep you off your feet.”
“Pfft, it’s easy enough for you to say that, when you’ve got the Coleminator warming your fucking bed. Just for the record, I would take that man any which way he comes.” He waved me away. “Roxie’s in the back room. You should go because I don’t want to look at that happy face of yours today.” And with that, he looked back down at the paperwork he was filling out, and proceeded to block me out.
I laughed. Leaning across the counter, I whispered, “FYI, I’m marrying the Coleminator. I’ll be sure to send you an invitation so you can drool.”
His eyes snapped to mine. Pointing to the back room where Roxie was, he bossed me. “Go! If I hear one more word about Scott Cole, I can not be held accountable for my actions.”
Roxie appeared in the doorway of the back room. Narrowing her eyes on Bobby, she said, “Is he whinging about that douche from last night again?”
“Yeah. Poor Bobby,” I replied as I walked past her into the small room.
“Poor Bobby?” She turned to face me and watched as I stored my handbag in a safe place. Crossing her arms over her chest, she said, “That man throws his heart at guys. He needs to get over that shit and start being more selective.”
I shook my head at her. “You and your cold heart, Roxie.”
“No, me and my practical heart. He’s worse than a schoolgirl with a new crush every day. I swear, I’m going to lock him up for a couple of months and teach him some new ways.” She came to me and reached for my hair. “What are we doing today? You only just had it coloured.”
A huge smile made its way across my face. “I’m getting married,” I announced, a little breathless with excitement.
In typical Roxie form, she didn’t even bat an eyelid. “It’s about time.”
“Yeah, it really is.”
She let my hair go and started rummaging through a cupboard. “So this is why you’ve got all the girls coming in today. I was wondering.”
I’d asked Madison, Velvet and Layla to come today so I could get their opinion on my hair for the wedding. But that wasn’t my real reason. I figured after everything that had happened with the club recently, we needed some girl time. The club had to rebuild, and I truly believed that involved their women. We had to be strong so they could, too. Men would never fully grasp this, but girl time was more than just talking girl stuff and hanging out. It was soul time.
“Oh, my God!” Madison screamed from behind me. “Did I just hear that right? You and Scott are getting married?”
I turned with a grin. “Yes!”
It was like her whole body was lit up. Her happiness shone from her. She wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tight. “I am so happy for you both!”
She held me for a long time, and when she finally let me go, I said softly, “Thank you. And thank you for coming today. I’m excited, but I’m also nervous. I need my girls around this week.”
“I’m here for you, honey. Whatever you need. And - ” she stepped aside, “ – I brought Sophia with me. I figured it was time for her initiation.”
I welcomed Sophia with a smile. “We’re throwing you in the deep end today. Sorry about that.”
She returned my smile. “Congratulations on your engagement. And I love being thrown in the deep end.”
I hardly knew Sophia, but it was easy to pick up on her warmth and friendliness. “You’re going to fit right in with us girls. Griff’s not going to know what hit him.”
“We might need to ease him into it. I do love him, but he’s taken a while to get his shit together with regards to introducing me to the club,” Sophia said.
Velvet arrived at that point, and threw her two cents in. “I think you’ve got the patience of a saint.”
“I’ve got all the patience in the world for that man. I’ve never known a man to be so good to me,” Sophia replied, and I loved her a little more for saying that.
“I think Griff’s an amazing man, too,” I said. “And I’m so glad he’s found a woman as good as you to love him.”
Roxie interrupted us. “Oh, God, enough of the love fest. I may gag soon. Let’s start thinking about your hair for the wedding.”
We headed out to the front of the shop and as I took a seat, Bobby said, “Layla just rang. She can’t make it today. Something about Blade, and him having the day off, and her knowing you girls would totally understand.”
Velvet took the seat next to me. “After two full days of Nash loving, I totally understand where that girl’s coming from.”
Bobby sighed. “I knew I should just have called in sick. Listening to your sexcapades with those Storm men may just kill me today.”
We all broke out into laughter, and happiness bubbled through me. This was what made life good – friends and family who loved you, and who shared the good and bad with you. Friends and family who held your hand and guided you when you couldn’t guide yourself. I knew I still had work to do on myself, and that the journey would never be clear of hardships, but with these girls by my side, the bumps wou
ld be a little easier to navigate.
20
Scott
“Where are we at with Julio’s guys?” I asked Nash during Church that morning. After King and I had dealt with Bourne the other day, we’d pulled everyone together and delivered a warning to Julio’s crew to leave town – the kind of warning that involved blood and not many men left standing.
“The few that were left standing have all headed back to Adelaide.”
I expelled the breath I hadn’t realised I was holding.
Thank fuck.
I nodded as I relaxed back into my chair. “And King has advised me that he’s promised hell to Adelaide Storm if they retaliate.” I looked around the room, taking in the serious expressions the guys all wore. Leaning forward again, I rested my elbows on the table and said, “This is all over. Finally. Now we rebuild our club and hope to fuck that we can have some peace for a long time.”
I watched as their serious expressions gave way to smiles and nods of relief. And all I could think was that it was about time.
Griff took over to discuss some pressing matters involving Trilogy and Indigo, and once they were all sorted, I spoke up again. “This Saturday, I’m getting married - ” Wolf whistles and cheers cut me off, and I gave them that for a moment before taking control again. “If you’re in town this weekend, I want you at the wedding.”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the fucking world,” J said as he grinned at me. “Never actually thought I’d see the day that Scott Cole got married.”
“Smartass,” I muttered before calling an end to Church.
As everyone filed out of the room, I called Griff aside. “I want you to be my best man.”
He listened to my request, his expression not changing. However, his breathing picked up, and then he replied, “Means a lot to me, Scott. After everything we’ve been through over the past few months, it means a fucking lot.”
“I didn’t handle shit very well when you told me about your family, and I’m sorry, brother. You need to know that you are more family to me than some of my own blood family. I’d be honoured to have you by my side when I marry Harlow.” There wasn’t much I regretted in my life, but I wasn’t proud of the way I’d reacted when Griff shared his past with me.