Copper (Hell's Handlers MC 4)

Couldn’t have been more than a minute later when his balls grew tight and heavy. The muscles in his stomach seemed to clench into a tight coil of tension. His hands dropped from the wall to her head, and he shoved deep one last time, pouring everything he had down her throat.

She swallowed convulsively as she tried to keep up with his release.

When he was spent and his cock no longer twitched, he realized he was still clenching her heavy wet hair. Shell softened her jaw and let his wilted cock slide from her mouth. He gasped and jerked as the hypersensitive tip passed her lips.

Copper stared down at her for a second, then hauled her up under her arms. Her feet left the ground as he kissed her lips, hard. Then her jaw, her neck, across the top of her breasts. “Let’s get clean then I’ll return the favor,” he said as he let her slide down his body then reached for a coral bottle of body wash.

“Actually,” Shell said, her face turning an adorable shade of pink. How could she be embarrassed now, after she sucked him like a porn star? “I was wondering if you’d do something for me when we get out.”

“Ohh,” he wagged his eyebrows. “Sounds promising.”

With a chuckle, she shook her head and averted her eyes. “Will you just hold me for a while?”

The vulnerability in her voice killed him. As a two-job working single mother solely responsible for the safety and happiness of a child, she had to be exhausted. Hell, he knew she was. He’d do anything in the world to give her a little relief and comfort.

Gripping her chin, he tilted her head up then kissed her lips. “I’ll hold you for as long as you need me, Shell. Forever if that’s what you want.”

She tensed, just for a fleeting second. Had he not been so in tune with her body, he would have missed it, but it was there. Was it his use of the word forever?

With a small smile, Shell turned away, squeezing a giant dollop of body wash onto a poufy purple thing.

He’d seen it though. A quick flicker of sadness in her eyes. For whatever reason, Shell didn’t believe this would last long term.

Was it him? Did she doubt him? Or was it some ghost lurking in her past that kept her from going all in?

All good questions, but the biggest of all bounced around in his head like a ping pong ball. When the fuck had he started thinking in terms of forever?

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

SHELL WOKE BEFORE the sun even thought about lighting the sky, unused to an enormous naked man heating her bed to the boiling point.

Both literally and figuratively.

Careful not to jostle Copper, she nudged the comforter down, allowing some much-needed cool air to wash over her nude body. Of course, fifteen seconds later, she was shivering and pulling the blankets back up to her chin once again.

She rolled to her side and closed her eyes. Might as well snag a few more hours of sleep. Her Sunday morning diner shift didn’t begin until eight which meant she had about another two hours to sleep before she needed to get ready.

Like that was going to happen. With a sigh, she opened her eyes and stared at Copper’s sleeping form. It wasn’t often, or ever really, she had the opportunity to study him so closely without his knowledge. His body was just so…big. It was a tiny word, but nothing else described him more accurately. Big hands, big feet, big in stature, big muscles, big…other things. She’d fallen asleep surrounded by him. The feeling of safety and security that came with slumbering next to a powerful man wasn’t something that could be matched. No alarm system, pistol in a nightstand, or barking dog compared to the knowledge that another human had her and would do whatever it took to keep her safe.

Shell wanted to hold on to that feeling, permanently. She was so tired of always being in charge, always making important decisions, always bearing the burdens. That wasn’t to say she didn’t value being an independent woman. Knowing she was capable, able to handle the challenges of life on her own was imperative. She’d proven to the world—and especially her mother—that she was self-sufficient, responsible, and trustworthy. She didn’t need anyone. Especially not a man. She was surviving on her own, raising a happy and healthy daughter.

And she hated every second of it. Feminists everywhere would probably cringe, but it was what it was. She was sick and tired of doing it alone. She didn’t need a man, but she wanted one. Not to remove her independence or take over her established roles, but to share life. Complement each other, comfort each other, support each other, and to kill the soul-crushing loneliness of going to bed solo each night.