"Clotille!" Frederick's harsh voice broke through her recollections.
She scurried to the family room, her large breasts swaying. "Sir?"
"I need another drink. You should've brought it. You know this. I shouldn't have to ask you." A displeased frown spread across his forehead. "What were you doing to make you so disobedient?"
I was remembering who I was before my nightmare started. I was remembering how much I loved Roche and thinking about how I have to see him again. "I was making sure your steak and baked potato wouldn't burn." I'm lying to him. Can he tell? Oh God, I hope not. This is the first time I've lied to him since we've been together.
Frederick's eyes pierced right through her. She stood her ground, her gaze never wavering from his. Finally he smiled at her. "I'll forgive this one indiscretion, my pet, but don't try my patience any more tonight."
"Yes, Sir. You are kind." She scampered away to fix him his drink. She knew he loved her. He reminded her all the time of how much she meant to him, and how important she was to him. He'd told her everything he did was because he loved her. He controlled almost everything in her life: what she did and didn't wear, what she ate, how many times she exercised, what time she went to bed, when she could go out with her friends-the list went on and on. She really didn't mind the control; it helped rein in all her distractions and gave her meaningless life some purpose. Before Frederick had come into her life, she had made a mess of it, but he'd taken control and organized it for her.
That night, he let her sit at the table and eat with him. Usually he liked her at the table with him, but sometimes if he was in a foul mood, or didn't care to see her, she'd eat alone in the kitchen while he took his meal in the dining room.
He brought his glass of red wine to his lips and sipped it. "What did you think of our bodyguards last night?"
Her insides froze. "I didn't really notice them." Another lie. I'm getting good at this.
"They were outlaw bikers, and they kill without batting an eye. They live in their own world and have their own rules. They are violent brutes." She cringed but then remembered how soft Roche's lips had been on hers when they were young and in love. "They scare most people, even the bad guys." He laughed and slathered sour cream on his baked potato. "Is your salad tasty, pet?"
She nodded as she chewed slowly.
"I'm going to have them again when I have the Peak Five meeting at the house. With all the money that's going to be there, I can't take any chances."
Please let Roche come again. Wait, what am I saying? I can't risk Frederick finding out that I know him. And I don't want him to see me like this. A flush of shame filled her when she replayed how Frederick had humiliated her in front of the other guests, and Roche. I can't let him see how far I've fallen.
"You're not with me tonight. I don't like that. I demand one hundred percent of your attention. What's been on your mind this evening?"
"I was just thinking about home. I don't do it very often, but whenever fall is in the air, I get a hankering for Cajun-style jambalaya and crawfish. Maybe I'll make some jambalaya next week. Would you like me to?"
He watched her intently. "If you like."
"Excellent." She smiled sweetly, her insides playing a game of handball against her stomach.
"Excellent, what?" he asked firmly.
"Excellent, Sir."
After she cleaned all the dishes, she joined him in the family room. She began to kneel when he patted the space next to him on the couch. "Sit next to me, pet."
She sank down on the couch and soon he began to touch her, softly at first but then harder, making her wince as pain mixed with pleasure. "You please me very much, little one," he murmured. "Turn over and go on your knees. Remember, spread wide. I want to see your ass and pussy." She turned over and propped herself on her knees, her back arched. "Fucking beautiful," he rasped.
She heard him unzip his pants, and she moaned when he touched her sore ass, making him dig his nails into her tender flesh. "You want me to ass-fuck you?"
"Yes, Sir." The truth was she didn't want him anywhere near her ass right then, but she wanted to please him and have it over with, so she'd lied to him again. If she told him the truth, he would question her for hours until she admitted that since she'd seen Roche, the old Clotille had awakened and she wanted her life back.
Frederick spread lubricant over her crack, making sure she was good and wet. Without warning, he plunged into her hard and fast. As he jackhammered her, she buried her cries in the couch's cushion.
She also guarded the image in her mind of Roche's ripped body covering her as he made love to her.
Chapter Four
One month later
"Where do you want us to put the couch?" Rock asked Throttle as he and Bones walked into the family room, each of them holding one end of it.
"Kimber wants it in front of the fireplace," he said as he cleared boxes out of the way.
They put the couch down and Rock wiped his brow. "You got any beer?"
Throttle nodded, went into the kitchen, and came back with a six-pack. "Let's take a break."
Bones and Rock sank onto the couch and popped open their cans. Rock looked around at the spacious family room, stone fireplace, and cathedral ceilings. "You got a real nice place here. Beats your room at the clubhouse."
"Yeah. I never thought I'd like living away from you guys, but I have to admit this is way better."
"Having your woman with you helps a lot," Bones said as he brought his can to his lips.
"You good with just one woman?" Rock asked.
Throttle spread his hands out on his jean-clad thighs. "Totally. It's so fuckin' awesome to have a deep connection with a woman. I never really had that with Mariah, and I'd given up on finding it. Then Kimber crashed into my life. We still bicker like hell, but we have a great time making up." He wiggled his eyebrows.
"I'm good with club pussy. Being tied down to one woman isn't my style. I like it easy. That's why I never go out with citizens. The club women and the hoodrats know the score. Hell, they don't want to be tied down either, and it suits me just fine." Rock popped open another beer.
"I'm with Rock on this one. I had a wife years ago who turned out to be nothing but a tramp." A darkness crossed Bones's face. "Bad things happened. I'm not ever gonna let another bitch do that to me again."
"Yeah. My ex did a number on me too, but when someone right comes in your life, all the past shit doesn't matter anymore. It just hits you head-on like a fuckin' train at top speed." Throttle grinned and shook his head. "I still can't believe how great this all is."
"My ex did me wrong when I was laid up in the pen. Fuckin' cunt." Bones crushed his can with his hand. "Your woman did the same shit to you, right?" Bones looked at Rock.
Clotille didn't stand by me. She fuckin' up and married Luc, leaving me with nothing but the memory of her soft body and tight pussy. Venom burned through his veins as he nodded.
"See? You can't trust ‘em. When life's good they're there, but when it goes to shit, they split with the first cock that comes their way. Fuck." Bones lit up a joint.
"So we gonna get back to work?" Rock stood up. He didn't want to bring the memories from his past back. For the past month, he'd done a good job in keeping them away.
The other two bikers jumped up and the men headed out to the rented truck to bring in some more boxes and furniture.
A couple hours later, Rock and Bones tilted their heads at Throttle as they made their way to their Harleys.
"You wanna go to the Charred House and grab some steaks and cold beer?" Rock asked Bones once they reached the bikes.
"In Aspen?"
"Yep."
"Sure. Let's head back to the clubhouse so we can clean up before we go."
Rock nodded, swinging his leg over his bike. In a matter of seconds his iron machine roared to life. He and Bones pulled away from the curb and headed back to the club.
When Rock and Bones got back to the clubhouse, Wheelie and Rags wanted to join them on the ride and dinner. The bikers never passed up an opportunity to ride, and a good steak and beer were a bonus, so an hour later the four bikers twisted and turned around the back mountain roads leading to Aspen.
They pulled in front of Charred House and stretched their legs. Rock took off his gloves and placed his sunglasses in his saddlebags. "Damn, I'm starved," he said as he shook out a kink in his leg.