Helpless (Steel Demons MC #5) - Crystal Ash Page 0,18

dreams."

"According to them," Reaper's hand flung out to indicate the animals with us, "I should talk to him while I'm awake, to let him know I'm listening. He's supposed to respond in my dreams after I go back to sleep."

"And nothing?"

He shook his head. "I've been having a bitch of a time falling asleep as it is, with the move, Dallas, everything. So I keep coming up here to clear my head, get shit off my chest, and—"

His arm tightened around me with a sigh. "There's so much I want to say to him, but it feels stuck. It's not that I doubt him being out there, but everything I say feels forced. Like I'm fucking faking it, 'cause I am."

"You're too hard on yourself." I brought our linked hands to my lips and kissed the back of his palm.

"I'm not hard enough, sugar.” He squeezed me harder with the confession. “Dallas died within our own walls. That never should have happened."

"There was nothing you could have done. You had no way of knowing what would happen." I leaned my weight into his side. "No wonder Daren can't get through, your mind is all over the place. You're not focusing, love, except to blame yourself."

"One of the things I do best," he grumbled.

I released our hands and moved in front of him, blocking his view of the compound and surrounding desert as I looped my arms around his neck.

"Come back to bed." I lifted onto my tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his frowning mouth.

"I probably shouldn’t. I'll just keep you and the guys up with my tossing and turning."

"No, you won't." I traced his collarbone in the dark, my finger following the length of bone to the hollow of his throat. "If you don't fight me for once, and relax."

Even in the dark I saw his smirk, and a soft huff of breath left his mouth. "What are you scheming, sugar?"

"I'm good at following your rules when you set them." My finger dragged slowly between his pecs. "Now I'm asking you to follow mine."

"And what rules do you have for me?" His voice turned husky as my hand drifted down his abs to rest at the waistband of his jeans.

"To relax." My thumb flicked at the button on his pants. "To lie back and let me do everything that I want to you."

"Hmm." Heavy, calloused fingers pushed my hair aside to caress my neck and shoulder.

"And when I'm done with you?"

"Yes?" he mused, thumb on my lip.

"You will go right to sleep. No touching me or getting me off."

"Not fuckin' happening, sugar."

"Reaper, come on." Only while arguing with him, attempting to assert myself and take control, would I find myself pleading. "You need to sleep. You need just a few hours of having nothing run through your mind."

"Maybe, but I ain't about to be a damn pillow prince to get it."

"Just tonight," I begged, rubbing my palm shamelessly against the front of his jeans. He was getting thick and hard with each passing second, so I knew he wasn't completely opposed to the idea. "Let me take care of you for once."

His head tilted up, facing the star-filled night sky as he blew out a breath. "Fine."

“Oh yeah?” I wrapped my arms around his waist, bringing my chest to his. “I thought for sure you’d take more convincing than that.”

“Don’t push your luck, sugar.” He tapped a finger to my nose. “Or I might change my mind.”

I could have skipped with giddiness as I led him back inside. A smile stretched across my face, but I bit my lip to halt any noises tempted to escape. Our sneaky footsteps to the bed, and Jandro and Gunner’s deep breaths, were the only sounds in the room.

Careful to avoid the two sleeping men, Reaper sat on the edge of the bed and pulled me roughly into his lap.

“Hey!” I whispered harshly. “This wasn’t the deal. I call the shots, remember?”

“Just let me kiss you first.” His mouth was already dragging a fiery trail along the side of my neck. “And let me take this off.”

He reached for the lapel of my robe, aiming to slide it off my shoulder, when I grabbed his hand. “No. I see what you’re doing, Rory.”

“What?” He feigned innocence, but his shoulders shook with the laughter he kept inside. “You want to please me. I’m pleased by seeing you naked.”

“You’re trying to be sneaky.” I pulled on his bottom lip with my teeth. “I’m doing the