Capturing her mouth again, I growled low in my throat as I shifted my hips forward, sliding against her, the friction making us both groan into the kiss. “I’m right here, baby. I’ve got you. You’re mine. You know that, right?”
I slid into her slowly, the slick heat of her body gripping me so tightly I had to force myself to go carefully, giving her time to adjust to the thickness and depth of me. Riley gasped, her eyes fluttering shut as her fingernails dug into my shoulders in a way that made my cock harden even more inside her.
Every muscle in my body tightened as I fought for control, struggling not to move until I was certain she was ready. When her hips lifted to meet mine, urging me deeper, I knew my patience had finally paid off.
Her voice trembled when she spoke, breathless and needy. “Ryot, please?—”
That was all the encouragement I needed, and I began moving in long, slow strokes that filled her completely, burying myself to the hilt and grinding deep inside her. I pressed my forehead to hers and watched the pleasure unfold openly across her face. Riley’s breath hitched each time I thrust into her, her hips rolling instinctively, perfectly matching the rhythm I set.
“You’re fucking perfect,” I groaned against her mouth, feeling her pulse race beneath my lips as I kissed down the sensitive skin of her throat. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted you exactly like this. Under me, taking every fucking inch I give you.”
“Ryot.” Riley moaned, the sound making my hips drive harder and deeper. Her legs wrapped around my waist, locking me close, and I shifted the angle just enough that every stroke drew a shuddering gasp from her lips.
Her nails raked down my back, a delicious bite of pain mixed with the intense pleasure. I pressed her thighs wider, spreading her fully open to me, needing to possess her completely in every way. Every thrust brought her closer to the edge, her soft cries becoming desperate as she clung tighter to me, her body gripping me like a vise.
“Give it to me, Riley,” I urged, grinding harder against her, needing to feel her lose control beneath me. “That’s it, baby. Ride it out. Let me feel it. Let me fucking feel you come.”
She gasped, her body tightening around mine as her climax shattered through her. Her back arched off the bed, eyes squeezed shut, lips parted on a helpless cry of pleasure as she trembled beneath me. The sight of her completely undone pushed me over the edge instantly.
I groaned as my own orgasm slammed into me, releasing deep inside her, my body shaking with the force of it. It feltprimal, claiming her in the most undeniable way possible, and I knew at that moment she was truly mine.
Afterward, I held her against me, both of us breathing heavily, our skin slick with sweat, hearts pounding together in a perfect rhythm. I pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, savoring the sensation of holding her close.
There was no way in hell I’d ever let her walk away now. Riley had no idea yet just how deeply she’d gotten under my skin. I was head over fucking heels for this woman.
Her breathing eventually evened out, and I felt the moment she drifted off to sleep again. I tightened my hold around her, determined that no matter what came next, we’d face it together. Riley had walked into my life unexpectedly, and I intended to make sure she stayed exactly where she belonged. By my side, in my bed, and thoroughly, permanently mine.
Two weeks later,I was sitting in my office at The Pit with Kane and Nitro, trying like hell to keep my attention focused on the meeting and failing spectacularly. Kane was leaning against the wall near my desk, arms crossed over his chest. Nitro lounged comfortably in the chair opposite my desk, one ankle propped casually on his knee, his eyes tracking the conversation with that same intense awareness he brought to everything. Both men had been talking shop, but my focus kept slipping toward the window overlooking the garage floor.
Riley was out there, standing beside a racer’s bike in bay three, her dark hair pulled into a messy ponytail, and her eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she spoke. Watching her work was always satisfying, but lately, it had become something closer to an obsession.
Ever since our first time together, Riley had spent every single night in my bed. The sight of her in my space each morning hit me hard enough to steal my breath, and I made sure she fell asleep tangled in my arms, thoroughly spent and knowing exactly who she belonged to.
We’d fallen into a domestic rhythm neither of us had expected, and the ease of it caught me off guard every time I paused long enough to think about it. Breakfast together in the mornings, dinners at night if we were both home, casual touches and stolen kisses in between. She’d joined me at Brake Point Run a few more times, talking comfortably with racers and pit crews, smiling easily at jokes, and absorbing the racing culture like it had always been hers. Hell, she’d even come with me to the clubhouse on a few occasions, blending into the chaos of brothers and old ladies with surprising ease.
Riley fit into my life so smoothly that I couldn’t imagine it without her anymore, and that realization tightened my chest every time I allowed myself to acknowledge it.
She never pushed me for details when I had to step away for club business, which should’ve reassured me, but it had begun to frustrate me instead. It meant I hadn’t had an opening to push back.
I’d given her more patience than I thought I had in me, but I had officially reached my limit. I wanted her secrets. Whatever she was running from had become my problem, and I wasn’t going to tolerate being kept in the dark much longer.
“You even hearing me right now?” Nitro asked, snapping my attention abruptly back to the present. His mouth twitched with barely restrained amusement, and his eyes flicked knowingly toward the window, where Riley stood, oblivious to the scrutiny. “You keep staring at her like you’re worried someone’s going to snatch her right out from under your nose.”
Kane didn’t smile, but his expression softened ever so slightly, one eyebrow arching in subtle agreement. “He’s got a point. You’re scowling every time another guy so much as looks in her direction. Should we just start tossing mechanics out now, or wait until they actually make eye contact with her?”
Nitro laughed, clearly entertained, and I narrowed my eyes at both of them. “Funny. You assholes are just as bad with your women, and you fucking know it. Neither of you should be running your mouths.”
Kane grunted, a rare flicker of amusement crossing his otherwise severe features. “Never said it was wrong. Just saying you’re fucked, same as the rest of us.”
Nitro’s smirk widened. “Never thought I’d see Gauge this deep.”
“Yeah, laugh it up,” I muttered, turning back toward the window despite myself. “But you’re not wrong. I’m not letting her go anywhere.”
Kane pushed off the wall and moved to stand beside me, his gaze following mine to the window. He studied Riley in silence for a moment, watching as she confidently gestured toward the bike, the racer nodding attentively as she explained something with calm authority.
When he finally spoke, his voice lost its teasing tone. “She’s impressed the hell out of me, Gauge. I didn’t expect to find another mechanic who could stand shoulder to shoulder with you and Century, but she’s more than capable. We need her at Redline. Don’t waste any more time putting your property patch on her. Honestly, if you’re smart, you’ll put a baby in her too. That’d make it damn near impossible for her to think about walking away.”
My pulse spiked at the image he conjured—Riley heavy with my child, her body soft and lush beneath my hands, permanently tied to me in the most primal, undeniable way possible. A rushof possessive satisfaction surged through me at the thought, tightening every muscle in my body and making my cock stir.
