Thunderstruck Read online

  Confused, she shook her head, lungs working overtime to pull in air against the constriction around her neck. “No,” she gasped, and he eased his hold slightly. “I don’t under—”

  His mouth was on hers with an angry possession she’d never experienced. Teeth slicing at her lips, his tongue fucked into her, every stroke brutal and hard. Through the long minutes of the kiss, she let him dominate, giving way to his control until he took her wherever he wanted, drawing her along one path for a moment, then changing course and the angle of his head to cut off that path and find a different route. He gasped into her mouth, his long, guttural groans forcing themselves down her throat, and she swallowed it all, taking and taking and taking until he eased back, softening his assault, bringing her hammering heart slower and slower. He tenderly broke the kiss and leaned on her, forehead pressed against hers.

  Slowly Justine came back to herself to realize her arms were wound around his neck, holding tight, fingers through his hair in a desperate grip. He surrounded her, hot body braced on his arms to keep from crushing her. She was framed in on either side by a wall of flesh, his biceps, chest, and face all she could see. She lowered her leg from where it had hooked itself around his hip and pulled in a breath.

  “Better?” He asked the question like it made sense, his heavy breathing balanced by the deep growl in his voice, gravel traveling across velvet, rattling through her head.

  “Yes?” Better than what? The idea ran through her head and was what she wanted to say, but her mouth wasn’t working quite yet. “Maybe?”

  Ten

  Wildman

  She looked and sounded so softly confused that he couldn’t stop the chuckle that rolled out of him. Kissed her stupid. “Now, strip so I can fuck you like I want.” He took her mouth again, tasting her, slowly tongue-fucking her mouth, stroking and twisting in a sensual battle with hers as he amped her back up, satisfied by how quickly she lost herself. “We keep this up, I’ll fuck you against the wall.”

  The way that caught at her breath, it wasn’t an unwelcome idea, and he filed the information away for later use. Because there will be a later.

  He waited a beat, letting her catch up until eventually she nodded, gaze lifting to his eyes. He saw the weight of her giving this to him again, her fears that he’d reject her falling away, losing substance and growing lighter with every breath. “Okay,” she said finally, eyes clear once more from the haze he’d brought her to with a kiss.

  “Did they rape you?” His words appeared to strike her like a blow, and he wished he could have found different ones, but he needed to know. If she’d come to him before in an effort to wipe another man’s touch from her body, then he’d misread everything.

  She shook her head slowly.

  “Say it.”

  “No, they didn’t rape me. I…bartered with them for something else, to protect the women.”

  He remembered the bruises, the way she’d dived deep with him, pulling roughness from him. She’d taken everything he’d offered. “A beating.” She nodded. “Why?” Her gaze didn’t falter, staring at him as she shook her head side to side, dark wings of her hair flying through the air. Oh, honey. Tongue pressed between his teeth, he stepped over to the door and locked it, making a show out of it so she’d know. Turning to face her, he stood for a moment, then told her, “You and me, we’re going to come to an understanding.”

  Justine LaPorte might be the most dangerous woman he’d ever met. She didn’t know it yet, but she held him in the palm of her hand, could break him with a single word, and send him soaring with a smile. It didn’t matter who she was, her name or where she worked. No, what counted most was what she was—the other half of his soul. Something he never expected to find again. He closed his eyes for a moment, pushing back the desire to be done with this, all this talking, all this chatter. To be done with it and inside her.

  “What you gave me was something I liked.” She nodded, even though he hadn’t asked a question, the statement seeming to settle something inside her. “Then before I could get back to talk to you, a man took you from a place I thought was safe.” He swept his hands out to the sides, indicating the clubhouse, the people in it, and his room. All of me. “I dealt with it. This is my life, woman. I will always protect what’s mine by force, because there are assholes who want to take it from me. This is who I am. It’s all I am. The club made me, and then with my brothers, I make the club. It’s a give and take, always. You and me, we shouldn’t work, but I think we do. We will. If you wanna give this a go, if that’s why you came here tonight, then I’m all in on the idea. We’ll push through whatever obstacles there are, and baby, given the fact me and your job are like polar opposites, there’ll be a bunch of ’em. I got shit in my past, too, and we’ll get to that eventually. But I can’t get you out of my head. And I suspect you’re the same or you wouldn’t be here.”

  She opened her mouth and he cut her off with a shake of his head.

  “Here’s what’s going on in this room tonight. It’s you and me, and nobody else. I wanna fuck you, wanna see what’ll make you come fast, drag it out of you slow. But I also wanna talk about what matters to you. I did some digging—”

  She tipped her head to the side with a frown and he laughed.

  “Woman, we know a fuck of a lot of the same people, so I did some asking around. I think I know a lot of your secrets, but I wanna earn ’em. Wanna be someone you think’s worth hearing them from your lips, and that’ll take time. You live in Florida, and I’m here in Louisiana, but it ain’t that far a drive, and isn’t a place I’m unfamiliar with. Now if you didn’t come here for this, and I’ve misread every fucking thing, then you say your piece and turn around, take your sweet, sweet ass down the stairs and out the door, and you won’t ever, not ever see me again.” He pulled in a breath filled with the ease of relief because she hadn’t moved, didn’t scamper to escape, and that told him more than she knew. “You wanna get to know this old outlaw a little, I’m down for that, because there’s something about you that just fuckin’ fits me. So what do you say, Justine LaPorte? You ready to take a walk on the wild side with me?”

  Thunder rolled outside, lightning flashing as they stood on opposite sides of the room, and he waited.

  “I’m not submissive.” The words burst from her, and he wondered at the desperation in her tone. “I like what we did in bed, but I’m not going to kneel at your feet. If that’s what you need, then we can—”

  “Did I say I wanted that?” She shook her head in confusion, and he smirked at how cute she looked. “I’ll tell you what I want, and right now—” He thumbed his belt free, followed by the fastening of his jeans, sighing as the uncomfortable constriction around his rigid cock eased. Wildman marked how her breathing increased. Aww, yeah. She might not have come to the clubhouse for a fucking, but she’d take one with pleasure. “What I want—” He bent and tugged at one boot and sock, tossing it to the side. “My dearest Christmas wish come true—” He changed stance to do the same to the other, his gaze never leaving her face. “Would be for you—” He shoved his pants down and stepped out of them, standing bare-assed before her, cock rigid. “To fucking strip.”

  ~ ~ Fini ~ ~

  THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING

  THUNDERSTRUCK!

  I truly hoped you enjoyed this surprise novella in the NTNT saga. Thanks for takin’ this trip along with me.

  ~ML

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Raised in the south, MariaLisa learned about the magic of books at an early age. Every summer, she would spend hours in the local library, devouring books of every genre. Self-described as a book-a-holic, she says "I've always loved to read, but then I discovered writing, and found I adored that, too. For reading...if nothing else is available, I've been known to read the back of the cereal box."

  Also by MariaLisa deMora

  Alace Sweets

  A dark thriller, this book is not a light read. Filled with edge-of-your-seat suspense, this intense sto
ry commands the reader's attention as it drives towards the explosive ending. Alace Sweets is a vigilante serial killer, with everything that implies and is sure to trip all your triggers. Be ready.

  At seventeen, Alace Sweets turned a corner in her life, taking the wrong shortcut home from school.

  Resisting the harsh knowledge her attackers will never be made to pay for their actions, Alace takes a stand. Justice must be served, and if fate’s scales are out of balance, she’s determined to set things right as best she can.

  When the laws of men fail, the rules of Alace prevail.

  5-Star Reviews for Alace Sweets

  “Whatever deep dark trench [deMora] pulled a character like Alace from should be revisited again and often.”

  ~Confessions of a Serial Reader

  “deMora has a superb story-line and exceptional character development. All of her characters have such depth that will intrigue the reader...”

  ~Turning Another Page

  “Hot, sweet, dark thriller.”

  ~Beth D

  “It will keep you on the edge of your seat and give you chills.”

  ~Escape Reality Book Blog

  “Disturbing, haunting, sickly; yet hot, sexy and heart racing!”

  ~Amanda L

  “From the first page [deMora] pulls you into the world she has created and you do not even try to escape...”

  ~Little Shop of Readers Blog

  “A must read for all those dark, gritty romance fans out there.”

  ~Sweet & Spicy Reads

  “You will find yourself so drawn into the story that the outside world is blocked out and your locking the doors and turning on all the lights.”

  ~Danena F

  “Don't judge me for bonding with a vigilante serial killer, she's more than what she does.”

  ~iScream Books

  “Thrilling...chilling...full of suspense, nail biting edge of your seat excitement.”

  ~Tracey H

  “Every time MariaLisa deMora picks up her pen (or opens her computer), she creates characters you want to believe in.”

  ~Gail S

  “Intriguing dark storyline, beautiful love story and nail-biting conclusion, what more could a reader ask for?”

  ~Manda M

  “This book takes you a dark and twisted ride that is gripping...”

  ~Renee Entress' Blog

  “This book is dark and gritty and I literally had to take a day off from reading it because it's that intense.”

  ~My Girlfriend's Couch

  “This is my favourite book so far from this author ... I recommend this book if you enjoy dark romantic thrillers.”

  ~Cheekypee Reads and Reviews

  “There's not enough stars to give this book and 5 just doesn't really do it justice!”

  ~DeLane C

  “I couldn't put this book down from page one! Tried to stop & go to bed but couldn't sleep thinking about Alace and got up & finished the book.”

  ~Debbie M

  “MariaLisa DeMora, wordsmith that she is, made this a story of the enlightenment of a woman and finding love in a life where she has had none.”

  ~Kat W

  ADDITIONAL SERIES AND BOOKS

  Please note that books in a series frequently feature characters from additional books within that series. If series books are read out of order, readers will twig to spoilers for the other books, so going back to read the skipped titles won’t have the same angsty reveals.

  Neither This, Nor That series:

  This Is the Route Of Twisted Pain, #1

  Treading the Traitor’s Path: Out Bad, #2

  Shelter My Heart, #3

  Trapped by Fate on Reckless Roads, #4

  Thunderstruck, #5

  Rebel Wayfarers MC series:

  Mica, #1

  A Sweet & Merry Christmas, short story #1.5

  Slate, #2

  Bear, #3

  Jase, #4

  Gunny, #5

  Mason, #6

  Hoss, #7

  Harddrive Holidays, short story #7.5

  Duck, #8

  Biker Chick Campout, short story #8.5

  Watcher, #9

  A Kiss to Keep You, novella #9.25

  Gun Totin’ Annie, short story #9.5

  Secret Santa, novella #9.75

  Bones, #10

  Gunny’s Pups, novella #10.25

  Never Settle, short story #10.5

  Not Even A Mouse, novella #10.75

  Fury, #11

  Christmas Doings, #11.25

  Gypsy’s Lady, #11.5

  Cassie, #12

  Road Runner’s Ride, novella #12.5

  Occupy Yourself band series:

  Born Into Trouble, #1

  Grace In Motion, #2 (TBD)

  What They Say, #3 (TBD)

  Other Books:

  With My Whole Heart

  Alace Sweets

  Hard Focus

  More information available at mldemora.com.