Page 169 of Dirty Salvation

She watched them for a minute stood at the gate, her mom smiling tucked into her father's side, his arm wrapped around her. As apathetic as he projected they really did love one another, when he thought they were alone at home they'd often laugh and make out like teenagers. Zara wondered why then he'd never been able to show her much of any affection at all.

She waved and turned to walk to her gate to take her back to college in Colorado. She'd deliberately chosen a school far away, shying away from her father's choice, her last-ditch attempt at freedom. Deep in the mountains, whatreallycould happen in Armado Springs anyway...

Present Day.

"Hey, Mom? it's me." Zara clung to the phone, her bones tight like they could break any second, hearing her mother’s voice after so long, having a conversation that wasn't lies upon lies, without one of those men leaning over her shoulder threateningly. Her heart beat fast, she wanted to cry so badly.

"Oh, baby! is it really you? Jerome! it's Zara! hurry! sweetheart, where have you been? are you coming home? We've beensoworried when we didn’t hear from you, we'll get you whatever help you need, we promise, just come home to us, daddy and I aren’t mad. We love you so much, baby."

She'd figured her parents had never bought the backpacking around Europe and Asia lie, it just didn't fit in with the plain jane personality Zara had before she'd left home.

"Mom, I'm good, I swear. I'm---I'm in Colorado. I'm happy, so happy and I can't wait to see you both again."

"Zara?" her father's voice, must have picked up the extension in his home office. Her mom was crying.

"Hi, daddy. I miss you. I was just telling mom I can't wait to see you. Soon."

"Zara. Sweetheart. We've missed you very much. Are you okay? Do you need anything? Please, whatever you want, just don’t cut us out again, your mother is heartbroken. It's so good to hear your voice, Star." Her childhood pet-name. Emotion clogged her throat. Was that her father's voice cracking?it couldn't be. He sounded older. Tears welled in her eyes and without moving she reached out a hand behind her, felt herself slipping into that emotional vortex, the next second warm fingers curled around hers, the second after that Rider's warmth was at her back, holding her in one strong arm, kissing the top of her head.

"Mom...dad. I'm so sorry. I can’t explain now, just…so sorry." Zara couldn't speak after that, she was stretched thin with sentiment, sobs shaking her chest, she didn't notice Rider taking the phone out of her hand until his voice rumbled, keeping her pressed against his chest, his hand going to the back of her nape. "Hello, Sir, my name is Rider Marinos, Zara is a little upset right now so until she can speak you have me, no ... yes, ma'am, she's absolutely as she said, she's happy, just overcome to talk to you after so long, you have a very smart daughter... me? I'm her man, sir ... a while now ... yes, I do, she’s my world. Zara and I were thinking of heading out to Boston next week, after thanksgiving with my family, if that suits you both. Sure, that's fine."

All the while Rider had the bizarre calm conversation with her parents she sobbed into his chest, clinging to him, not because she needed protecting, or scared she would have to tell her parents the truth, she'd already decided she could never devastate them that way. It was because she'd missed them. They might not have always been the kind of parents she would have wanted at times, but she loved them, hearing their voices made the last three years all that more real, she'd missed a whole chunk of their lives. She only hoped they still had a place for her.

"You okay now, baby?" she looked up into incredible blue eyes, nodding, she scrubbed her face, took a shuddering breath.

"Here is Zara again. Yes, ma'am, I look forward to meeting you, too."

Such a polite man was her outlaw. she giggled watery scrubbing a finger under her eye, taking his pressed kiss before he handed back the phone but stayed in touching distance of her, stroking her back.

"I'm such a cry-baby." she laughed. Her mom was crying again just the same. "I just miss you both and I'm sorry for any worry I caused I hope you don't hate me."

"It seems we've missed a lot, Zara." her father's voice austere but she could hear the softness and intrigue there as well. Things had changed for all of them. "You have a gentleman in your life now?"

"Yes, daddy. That was Rider. I can't wait for you to meet him, I know you have a ton of questions and will be naturally and understandably skeptical, but everything is great, you'll see when we come to visit. I don't want to swell his ego because he's stood right here," fingers caressed her neck in that way that made her shiver, she didn't need to look up to know he would be smirking. "but he's pretty wonderful, you'll like him, I promise."

The call lasted another twenty minutes, she'd cuddled on Rider's lap and caught up on book club meetings and the latest charity events her mom was involved in with a promise she would come home soon and another promise to call again later.

"Prettywonderful, huh?" the laugh was in his tone. Zara crinkled her nose, jabbed fingers to his ribs, leaning into his massive chest. He was so achingly wonderful.

"Iknewthat would go directly to your head."

"Not just my head, Icy. Want to fuck you. Wanted to fuck you the whole phone call while you wriggled on my lap."

He was already unbuttoning her jeans, helping them down her legs, before he split them over his lap, his hands going to his own jeans, pulling out his hard cock.

It took no work at all pulling her panties to the side and pushing inside her. They both moaned against each other's tongues, their kiss turned up to scorching immediately.

"If this is how one conversation with my parents works you up I might be worried, biker man." hands spanned her waist, he held her down tight on his cock making her work herself on him, drawing him deeper. The feeling was exquisite.

Faster.Harder. Panting breathes mingled.

"Rider ... will I fit in with your club way of life?"

He blinked and craned his neck back. Kept her working his thick length, the pleasure was already coming fast and thick, crawling through her body, she moaned, dipped her head, panted with her forehead against his shoulder, the chair beneath them creaking its protest.

“Short answer yes. Long answer fuckin' yes. Doubts, Icy?" He shoved up hard, she cried out in ecstasy.

"No. I just want you to be sure, not to regret anything. It wasalwaysyou, Rider, from the first time I saw you all cocky and gorgeous fucking me with your eyes, and then after that, as if no time had passed at all it was still you. For me I am sure. I mean everything is calm now, normal. What if it goes wrong? You allowed me to be broken, didn't try to fix me. You just let me breathe. It seems too good to be true and I don’t want to screw it up. I need you so much and I… I’m not exactly biker-bitch material if you haven’t noticed. I wear Disney socks for god's sake."

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