Page 25 of Lawless
He merely looked annoyed. "I don't fuck women against their will, so you can relax. It does nothing for me."
The admission was surprising but I was not about to let my guard down. "You say that like you've tried it a few times before."
"I haven't." He withdrew his hands from my shoulders, shoving them in his jeans pockets. "The thought of it doesn't even get me hard."
"Oh, how noble of you," I sneered. "You don't rape women but you still kill people. What a stand-up guy you are."
"Can you name three men who haven't killed someone since the Collapse?" he shot back. "Of course, I kill when it's necessary. But preying on women, who are naturally smaller and weaker than men? Only cowards and weaklings do that, and I have no room for them in my club."
I stared at him, genuinely surprised to hear this coming from the leader of a ruthless road crew. So many men these days believed they were entitled to everything, including a woman's body. It was the main reason our rights were stripped away in so many areas, so we couldn't fight back with the law, our education, anything.
"So you didn't kidnap me to...have your way with me?"
A lazy grin pulled at the corners of Reaper's lips. "Do you know why SDMC has the reputation that it does?" When I shook my head, he explained, "Because I gathered a crew ofrealmen. Men of strength and integrity. We're strong because we push our limits. We seek fights that challenge us. A dog doesn't get stronger by chasing prey that's already limping."
He rubbed his palms together, tilting his head in an almost dog-like way. I could see Hades doing the exact same thing. "And as a result of that," he concluded. "Women flock to us of their own free will."
My stomach tightened with a feeling I couldn't place. He, Jandro, Gunner, and even Shadow, were gorgeous specimens. Of course they had plenty of women to choose from.
"None of that explains what you want with me," I reminded him. "Noelle said you—"
His arms shot out again, muscles flexing as he gripped the bannister on both sides of me.
"Turn around and I might tell you." His voice carried a hint of teasing, a far cry from his snapping president voice.
This time I did as he ordered, my heart crashing so hard against my ribs, I was certain he'd feel it.
After a moment of nothing, the weight of his hands came down on my shoulders with more gentleness than I expected. The moment his thumbs pressed into the aching knots in my back, another gasp escaped my mouth. This time followed by a small moan.
He didn't react to the noise, the pressure of his thumbs steadily digging into my flesh. I clamped my mouth shut in an effort to not let out any more embarrassing noises, but I couldn't help allowing my eyelids to flutter closed.
It hurt so fucking good.
When those muscles turned to jelly, he moved onto my arms without a word, rubbing into my triceps with painful, releasing bliss.
"Why are you doing this?" I asked as the minutes stretched on, and his skilled hands moved to the center of my back.
"Because I want to and you're letting me."
"What's therealanswer?"
"You know," he mused, fingertips skimming across my waist. "You'd enjoy this a lot more without clothes in the way."
"Not happening," I snapped.
"Just thought I'd try," he chuckled.
Any retort I had went out the window as his hands continued working magic on my back. He stayed completely focused on the muscles and didn't try to sneak a feel anywhere else. I stayed tense and alert, just waiting for him to try something but it never came.
Just as I was about to fully let go and completely melt under his touch, the pressure of his hands lifted away.
"Have you eaten today?"
I turned to face him, still a bit on edge despite being far more relaxed than before. He stood a respectful distance away, hands shoved back in his pockets with an expectant look.
"No, I guess I haven't."
"Come to the barbecue tonight.” The way he said it made it clear it was an order, not a suggestion. "Have a small taste of our life, and a plate of ribeye while you're at it."
