Rocket (Hell's Handlers MC 5)

Fucking goddess.

He smiled as he opened his eyes. Chloe stood before him with—what the fuck? Tears rolling down her face?

Motherfucking asshole. “Chloe,” he said in a voice that sounded like he’d been chewing gravel. “Shit, baby, I’m sorry. I’m a fucking asshole. I was too rough.”

What the hell was he supposed to do now? Hold her? Would that scare her? Back away? Would she feel rejected? Foregoing both of those options, he stood there like an idiot with his arms dangling at his sides and his words failing him. No surprise there.

Chloe’s head shook side to side rapidly. “No, no.” She sniffed and he wanted to kick his own ass. “That wasn’t it at all. I loved it, Logan.” She looked him straight in the eye, obviously seeing his disbelief of her statement. “Loved. It.”

“So, why…”

She swallowed as fresh tears fell down her face. “I’m scared, Logan. I’m scared as hell.”

For him. Jesus, his heart actually hurt. “Baby,” he whispered as his arms closed around her. “Shh, I’m a mean motherfucker, Clo. And I’m damn good. It’s why Esposito came for me. I don’t fuck up. You don’t need to worry about me.”

“When I was, uh, on the floor,” she said, cheeks pink, eyes glistening and focused on his chest. “When I was on my knees, I almost begged.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “Instead of going down on you, I almost begged you not to go. To stay here with me and forget all about Lefty.”

His eyebrows drew down. “Why didn’t you?”

“Because you would have listened. You would have stayed. Am I right?”

Had he seen her on her knees begging him to say, would he have given up a shot at Lefty? His sigh dragged out of him by the weight of her words. He captured her chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. “I would have.”

She nodded. “Thought so.” A sad laugh left her as her hands circled his waist. “And as much as I want that, I know you. Letting him slip through your fingers goes against who you are. You’d do it for me, but it would kill a part of you. And I need all of you, so I can’t do that to you. So I didn’t ask. But you have to promise me—”

He kissed her then, still holding her chin. A kiss of gratitude, devoid of the hunger and fury circulating in his blood. There’d be time to indulge in that later. Now, he needed to show her what he could never express with words. Show her how much her sacrifice meant to him. She was willing to endure weeks of hell worrying and being clueless as to his wellbeing because she knew he had no choice but to do whatever it took to get Lefty within reach. To let this go would be to deny the man he was at his very core.

“I promise,” he said as he broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers.

“You don’t know what I was going to say,” Chloe said with a half-hearted grin.

“I promise to come back to you.” He released her chin but she didn’t look away. Instead, she nodded.

“You better,” she whispered.

He kissed her again, cupping the back of her head. This time, their mouths nipped and explored as heat exploded between them. Still holding her head prisoner, he used his free hand to unbutton her jeans just enough to slip on in. “I promise.” And he only said it because it was true. Nothing would keep him from returning home to her.

“Logan,” she moaned against his mouth as he worked his fingers in her pants.

“Need to see you come,” he said, lips still dueling with hers. “Should drop to my knees and eat you till you’re screaming, but I need to watch this beautiful face tip over the edge. When I’m gone, I want to close my eyes each night and see yours dazed with pleasure.” He pressed the heel of his hand against her clit. With a jerk, she arched into his hand. “Knowing I can come home to this will be the reason I get through this fucking shit show. So that means you get my fingers and you keep your eyes wide the fuck open. You good with that?”

“Y-yeah, I’m so good with that. And you’re much better with the words than you think.”

His lips curved and he gave here one more quick, hard kiss as he closed the hand at the back of her head. Hand full of her silky hair, he had her just where he wanted her. Unable to break from his hold. Unable to focus anywhere but on him.

Without letting up on the pressure, he slid his fingers farther into her jeans. Chloe moaned as he caused the heel of his hand to drag along her ultra-sensitive clit. Ridding her of the garments would take too damn long, so he hooked a finger around her—goddamn, he’d love to see her in noting but this, and maybe some fuck me heels—thong. He eased two fingers into her drenched heat. Being unable to spread her legs due to her jeans, she felt even tighter than usual. Her pussy clenched as though trying to suck him as far as his fingers could reach.