Page 42 of Riding Hard

I’m weak.

I run away.

I don’t stay and stand my ground.

I would not consider that strong by any means.

Instead of telling him all of that, I decide to just curve my lips up into a bright smile. I dip my chin, then excuse myself and head outside. Instead of going out the front door, I slip out the back.

I don’t know what I’m doing here. I should just go home.

Once I’m outside, I close my eyes and inhale the warm desert air. It fills my lungs, and I hold it in for a moment before I let it out slowly. I take a dozen or so steps away from the building and pause when the sounds of the bar inside fade away and my ears are met with a moment of silence.

A noise in the distance causes me to pause. My eyes open, and I turn my head, tilting it to the side as I stare out. There’s a building out there. Light spills from a couple of windows, and then I hear the noise again.

It’s a woman’s muffled scream.

I chance taking one step forward, and then another, pausing to listen for more. Nothing. The silence is deafening, and I swallow my saliva, wondering if I’m just hearing things. Then the door to that house opens and closes.

Three darkened figures make their way toward me, and to further prove just how not strong I am…

I freeze.

CHAPTER

THIRTY-FIVE

JULIETTE

The voices grow louder as they move closer, and my fight-or-flight response is still completely frozen, my heart racing faster and faster with each step they take. And then they stop when they’re about ten feet from me.

One of them takes a step forward, then another, closing the distance between us. My breath hitches when I realize who it is. I don’t even have to be able to see his face clearly. I can smell him before he speaks.

“Jules?” he calls out.

Someone whistles in the background, but I can’t see them. The only person that exists is Slade. He closes the short distance between us, and when he’s close enough, I can finally see him.

Silence stretches between us as the world melts into nothingness, and then I feel his hands cup my cheeks. He lowers his head, and I don’t know what I expect, but it isn’t his mouth against mine.

Then his tongue swirls around my own, tasting me before he reaches down and grabs a handful of my ass, squeezing hard. Arching my back, I press my chest against his, not even trying to hide the moan that glides up my throat at the feel of his hard body against mine.

He breaks the kiss, nibbling on my bottom lip, but only so we can both catch our breath. Then he lifts his head, but only slightly—but only slightly, only enough to rest his forehead against mine.

“What’re you doin’ here, Jules?” His voice is soft, almost sweet. It causes goose bumps to appear all over my flesh.

His fingers flex against my ass a little tighter, gently pulling me against him. I whimper the moment I feel his cock push into my belly. I want him inside me. Now. I want him now. I feel his fingers release my ass, and then one of his hands slides up my spine, tangling in my hair as he tugs my head back slightly.

When his lips touch the center of my exposed neck, I can’t hold back the cry that escapes. My nipples harden, and my pussy tingles. I think about where he just came from, and I know I should probably ask some questions, but I don’t. The words don’t come. All I can think about is him deep inside me.

Then he’s gone, well, his hands are gone. He releases me, my body swaying as I attempt to gather my balance. The moment I find my footing and a little space, I start to come back to myself.

Which means I start to think about that noise I heard. I open my mouth to ask when he rushes toward me. Only a step or two, but when his body gently slams into mine, without hesitation, his arms wrap around me, and he picks me up.

He carries me.

I don’t know where he takes me, but I don’t care either. Gripping his shoulders, I lower my head, my mouth finding his, and I kiss him. I can feel the scruff of his beard, the muscles in his arms as I shift my hands from his shoulders to his biceps.

When my back slams against something hard, I realize it’s the outside of the building. He slowly lowers me to my feet. This time, I’m not off balance. He ensures I’m steady, at least for a moment.