Hounds Ascend Read online

  “Bye, love.” Lilly hugged Mindy and kissed her cheek.

  “You’re leaving already?” Mindy asked.

  “Yeah, but we will get together soon.” Lilly promised as she walked toward the door.

  Outside, Cass and Scott were already seated on their bikes. Lilly opened the saddlebag of Cass’s bike and grabbed her helmet. She put it on in silence then hopped on the back of Cass’s bike. The ride to the clubhouse was comforting. The night air was sticky, yet cool. She could feel the moisture in the air as they rode. Cass and Scott stayed side by side, taking curves faster than she thought they should, yet never losing synchronicity.

  She hadn’t realized it until now, but she missed riding. Something about it made her feel better about everything and the buzz she had helped a little, too. The ride was over too soon, though, as they pulled into the parking lot of the clubhouse. Snapper and Old School’s bikes were out front alongside her car.

  Lilly stepped off Cass’s bike, her hand clinging to his shoulder for support. He didn’t say anything as he unstrapped her helmet for her and put it back in the saddlebag. Scott was already walking inside when Cass grabbed Lilly by her hand.

  She quickly jerked her arm back. “What is your issue?” she asked, her voice louder than she intended.

  “What is my issue? You can’t be serious! I’m going to fucking war for you and all you can think about is the fact that I’m not here with you? That’s a little fucking selfish and inconsiderate, Lilly, don’t you think?”

  “That’s not fair. I’m stuck here, unable to leave— “

  “There you go being selfish again! You think I want you to have to stay here? You think these men want to stay here all the damn time? NO! They’re here for YOU, Lilly!”

  Lilly fought the tears that threatened at the back of her eyes. She was being selfish and didn’t even see it. She hung her head and turned to walk inside.

  “Where are you going?”

  “Inside,” she said, as if it were obvious.

  Cass walked up beside her and grabbed her hand once again, leading her inside. No one was at the bar when they walked through, and Lilly thought that was odd for a Saturday night.

  Cass’s grip on her wrist was firm, but he wasn’t rough with her no matter how angry he was. He stopped as soon as he closed the door behind them.

  “Kneel down,” he commanded.

  Lilly knelt, and although the buzz she had from the few drinks she’d consumed that night was fading quickly, that little bit of alcohol left in her system fueled her mouth.

  “What are you gonna do, spank me? I’ve heard about that whole power trip bullshit and let me just tell you that spanking isn’t my— “

  “Oh no, baby. I’m not going to spank you. I’m going to fuck you.” The promise in his voice made Lilly’s panties wet. He was dark and brooding, sexy and powerful. She looked up at him from where she knelt in front of him. He grabbed a fist full of her hair and gently tugged her up to his level. His actions were almost contradictory to his tone. He was firm, yet gentle and it made no fucking sense to her.

  Cass’s large hand gripped the nape of her neck and pulled her in close before his lips crashed into hers. Hot, blueberry-flavored tongues collided as Cass unleashed all his anger into his desire for Lilly. His hands roamed her body, scouring every inch with thirst. His fingers gripped and grabbed all over, as if he were fighting with himself to go slow and enjoy it while taking his time or rip everything to shreds and take what he wanted.

  Lilly’s hands fumbled at the belt on his waist as he hungrily devoured her lips, sending waves of euphoria to every nerve ending in her body. She couldn’t suppress the moan that was pressing to get out. Her head pushed back, breaking their kiss, as she moaned his name.

  His hands slid down her torso and undid her blue jeans before she was done with his belt. He grabbed her hands in his and pinned them above her head while his other hand undid his belt and dropped his jeans. He released her hands long enough to take off his cut and T-shirt before he slammed them back above her head. Her shirt had ridden up, the bottom of it hanging on her tits and exposing her tanned stomach to him.

  Cass’s mouth was back on hers and he let her hands go as he slid his down her stomach. He touched just low enough to send sparks through her abdomen before he lifted his hands and grabbed the center of her cotton T-shirt before ripping it wide open. He didn’t pause to take it completely off her before his right hand was behind her back, unclasping her bra. She welcomed the feel of him undressing her, thrived on it even.

  The callouses on his hands were rough on her skin as he pushed her shirt down her arms and pulled her bra off. Her pebbled nipples caught his attention and he lowered his mouth to tug on one. A deep rumble came from his chest as he lifted her up and carried her through the room to the bed. In one swift movement, she was laying on the bed and he was on top of her, her nipple still in his mouth. His tongue circled it slowly before tugging on it.

  Lilly’s back arched in response.

  “Are you going to leave without telling me again?” he asked.

  A smug grin spread across her lips. “Yes.”

  Cass growled. “Wrong. Answer.”

  He ripped off the red lace underwear she had on and pushed into her without warning. Her breath hitched in her throat at the pain and surprise of his actions. He buried himself to the hilt inside her, pushing hard to insure he was all in. Lilly cried out a ragged screaming moan. She didn’t know if it hurt or felt fucking amazing, something she’d never experienced before.

  Cass’s eyebrows were drawn together, his mouth partially open. He stilled, judging Lilly’s reaction. He pulled out slowly before driving back in again, hard.

  “Fuck, that feels so...” Lilly trailed off.

  “Feels so what?” Cass asked as he repeated his method of torture.

  “So…fuck!” she screamed as Cass pulled out and slammed back in.

  Chills ran down her arms at the unfamiliar sensation below. It was torture. So much pleasure. So much pain. So much…just so much.

  “Tell me, baby. How does it feel?” he asked.

  “Dizzying...” she breathed. “And euphoric, like fucking paradise.”

  Cass’s pace quickened with her words and his brutal, gratifying punishment was gone and pure, sweet ecstasy remained. His hand cupped her ass cheek while the other one lifted her thigh, wrapping her leg higher around his waist. The feeling of him opening her up even more was overwhelming. Her hands gripped the sheets on the bed, pulling on them while she allowed her body to feel every sensation he was giving.

  “Baby, yes!” she moaned.

  Cass had changed it up a little, this time every time he went all in, he ground his hips, his pelvis rubbing her clit with each motion. The hand that was on her ass was now on her now-hard nipple. He rolled it between his fingers before pinching it.

  Lilly’s body was starting to spasm as she pushed back against him, so close to that cloud of euphoria she anticipated washing over her with each stroke. This one. No, this one. Here. This one. Now. Oh fuck. Yes.

  “Come for me,” Cass commanded as he focused more on her clit and nipple than moving faster. It was exactly what she needed. His words were her undoing and she came shattering over that edge she toyed with so much. White-hot sparks flew behind her eyelids in a relentless explosion as Cass drove into her. Harder. Faster.

  Her stomach muscles clenched and unclenched continuously with the orgasm he milked from her. She floated on the cloud of pleasure, relinquishing in him inside her. Her hands grasped his back and she made a conscious attempt at not clawing him.

  Cass powered on, picking up the pace until she swore he could’ve been a jackhammer.

  “Fuck, baby.”

  Lilly knew exactly what her words would do to him. She felt him slowdown in long, elaborate strokes while he came. He stiffened on top of her, his head resting on hers, eyes closed, and mouth open. His breathing was heavy, mimicking Lilly’s.

  Cass was drenched
with sweat and the heat coming from him was enough to warm a small house in Alaska. Still, she relished in the moment. She had missed him since he’d been gone and hadn’t had the feel of his skin against hers in far too long. He didn’t seem to be in a hurry to move and Lilly took the opportunity to run her fingers through his hair then down his cheek to cup his face.

  She didn’t even mind the sweat that was now on her hand, that’s how much she missed him. That, and it was kind of sexy to have a sweaty, pleased man above her.

  “I need you to do something for me.” Cass’s words were quiet and calm.

  “Okay.” Lilly would agree to almost anything right now.

  “Stop trying to be disobedient on purpose. I don’t control you and I hate that you feel like that.”

  “I’m not allowed to leave alone, Cass. What would you call that?”

  “Protection!” he yelled.

  Lilly flinched back at his suddenly escalated tone. He was so damned wishy-washy with this whole calm one minute then angry the next. Cass rolled off her and retrieved a wet towel from the bathroom that he used then handed to her.

  “What are you protecting me from? You murdered the men that did that shit to me.” Her tone was thickly laced with sarcasm and it didn’t go unnoticed.

  “That’s the whole fucking issue! I murdered two of their members, throw-aways or not doesn’t matter! They did that shit on purpose. They knew I’d kill them and that’s all the fucking ammo Asher needed to point the finger at me and say that the start of this war was on me! Not my men, not my ol’ lady, me!”

  His breathing was heavy again, but he was expressionless. Again, with the wishy-washy.

  “But, Asher was the only person there that had any decency toward me, why would he do that?” she asked.

  “He doesn’t give a fuck about you! It was a money scheme! It was a way for him to get exactly what he wants, or at least in his mind that’s what it is.”

  Lilly thought about what Cass said. Maybe he was right.

  “What does he want, exactly?”

  “Contacts. He wants my fucking connections. The people I used to get loads of drugs from that refuse to work with them because they’re pieces of shit.” Cass ran a hand through his hair and sat down in the chair at Lilly’s desk.

  “Why didn’t you just say that? Why didn’t you just tell me?”

  “Because I’d beat the fuck out of any one of the members in my club if they told anyone else that same thing. Whatever goes on at our table doesn’t leave our fucking table.”

  Cass’s expression was unreadable. He didn’t look happy, or sad, or angry even. He just looked…like Cass. He sat quietly in the chair, presumably waiting on Lilly’s next question, but there wasn’t going to be one. She was tired of asking questions, and quite frankly, she was tired of laying in this bed alone.

  “Come to bed, please.”

  Cass didn’t say a word, he simply turned off the lamp that was on and crawled into bed next to her. He laid on his back and she curled into the space between his left arm and his body; her spot. The spot she hadn’t had in what felt like an eternity.

  “I love you, Lilly.” Cass kissed her forehead and squeezed her tighter.

  “And I love you,” she whispered.

  “Cass!”

  Someone was yelling outside the door and knocking. Lilly sat up, sleep-deprived and groggy. She looked at her phone. Five fucking thirty. Are you kidding me?

  She reached over and nudged a snoring Cass.

  “Baby.”

  Cass bolted upright next to her, looking around and taking in his surroundings before he looked at her inquisitively. Then another knock on the door came.

  “Cass, come on man.”

  Cass pulled on the jeans that lay on the floor next to the bed before opening the door. Scott was standing there, bright eyed and bushy-tailed. Lilly looked at the two men in confusion, but they couldn’t see her face in the darkness of the room.

  “Why are you so happy to be awake before six o’clock in the morning?” she asked, her voice scratchy and laced with sleep.

  “He’s always up with the fuckin’ chickens,” Cass sighed.

  “I am, but I’m happy about it because it’s time to ride.”

  Lilly rolled her eyes and rolled over, pulling the comforter almost completely over her head.

  “Oh no, what do you think you’re doing?” Scott asked.

  “Uh, sleeping.”

  “Cass didn’t tell you?”

  Cass walked into the bathroom adjoining to their room and flicked the light on. Lilly shielded her face from the bright lights that now shone directly on her.

  “Evidently not.”

  Cass’s laughter echoed from the bathroom. Lilly pulled the blanket down and gave him a deadpan look.

  “What?” she asked.

  “We’re going on a pack ride today and that means you too.”

  Lilly sighed and let out a few obscenities before she looked at Scott who was on the verge of laughing from the doorway.

  “Well close the damn door.”

  Scott pulled the door closed and Lilly got up. She went straight to the shower, then brushed her teeth while Cass stayed out of her way. She wasn’t good at mornings and Cass was slowly learning that. She finished in the bathroom and looked through the closet. She decided on a black Hounds support shirt and pair of dark blue jeans with her favorite flip-flops.

  Lilly knew she’d get shit over her choice of footwear, but she didn’t care. They were her feet. If they got shredded to hell and back, then it was her problem, not theirs. Once she was completely ready, she walked downstairs. Cass and Scott were sitting at the bar with Old School and Snapper, all four of them chipper and happy as hell to be awake. It almost made Lilly disgusted with their pleasantness. She sat down in the nearest barstool to the stairs and furthest from the group of happy bikers.

  Linc was behind the bar, as usual, and it made her wonder if he ever slept. He was happy too. She couldn’t figure it out, but something was definitely wrong with these men. No one should be so damn happy to be awake.

  Lilly pulled a cigarette out of her pack and lit it.

  “Want some coffee?” Linc asked.

  “Only if you have milk or creamer and about a pound of sugar back there.”

  “Got you covered.” He walked to the other end of the bar and grabbed a coffee mug, poured coffee, then set it on the bar in front of Lilly before walking off.

  He returned with a small, plastic container full of sugar and a cup of milk.

  “Thanks.”

  Lilly poured half of the cup of milk in until her coffee was a light tan color, then she loaded it with sugar. How people drank it black was beyond her. Coffee was disgusting, but she did like a little bit of it with her sugar and milk.

  She sat there in silence, sipping her coffee and smoking her cigarette while the guys laughed and joked at the other end of the bar. Once she finished her cigarette and downed the rest of her coffee, she was a little bit more awake and thought she could handle being around the guys now.

  She walked down to their end of the bar and wrapped her arms around Cass’s shoulders.

  “Well good morning, love.” He reached up and rubbed her arm affectionately, running his fingers lightly back and forth on her arm.

  “Good morning.” She rested her head on his while the men continued talking about their plans for the day. From what Old School was saying, they were supposed to be riding to Mississippi, but for what, she wasn’t sure.

  An all-day ride didn’t sound bad, especially not after everything that had occurred over the last few weeks. Freedom and an open road sounded so much better than being stuck inside. Now that she was awake, she was starting to get excited.

  “Let’s stop and grab a belly bomb before we hit the road. We can eat when we get there,” Cass said, moving Lilly’s arm from around him so he could stand up. He headed out the door and everyone else followed.

  “A belly bomb?” she questioned, raisi
ng one eyebrow at Cass as she was buckling her helmet.

  “Yeah, something small to put in our belly so we can hold off before we eat an actual meal.” He shrugged his shoulders, returning her questioning look.

  “Oh. Well, okay then. Sign me up!”

  It didn’t take long for everyone to put helmets on and be ready to hit the road. They all lined up, bikes pointed in the direction of adventure and mischief. Cass and Scott were in the front, followed by Old School, Snapper, and Gater in the back.

  Cass pulled out onto the street and Lilly leaned back on the sissy bar that was placed there just for her, or at least that’s what Cass said last week when he put it on. The thought made her smile and it was comfortable, so that was a plus.

  For people that have never ridden a motorcycle, whether it be actually riding or simply on the back, Lilly felt a sense of sympathy for them. They would never know how the wind feels blowing in their face without anything to block it out or how everything smells different when you’re out in the open air. She was falling in love with Cass all over again and the only thing he was doing was riding and being himself.

  She smiled as she stretched her arms out, like she was flying and let her head hang back. She was soaking up the sun and the fresh air and the rumble of the motorcycles around her.

  Cass pulled into a truck stop by the interstate and killed his bike.

  “You want something to snack on before we get on the road?” he asked as she steadied herself with his shoulder.

  “Hell yeah. I’m starving.” She smiled and grabbed his hand, dragging him along beside her.

  The truck stop had fried chicken, meat pies, and stuffed taquito looking things. Lilly decided on a taquito looking thing and a bottled water. Cass got fried chicken and an energy drink. They grabbed their things and waited outside for the guys to get their stuff.

  Lilly sat on the back of the bike and used Cass’s seat as her table while she scarfed down the taquito things that turned out to be delicious. She was amazed at how good food out of a truck stop could be.