Free SOLID GROUND: GODS OF CHAOS MC (BOOK TWO) by Honey Palomino Page A

darkness.  
    Lacey’s eyes were glued to the breathtaking sight of the lush, Oregon beauty, the creek rushing over boulders, foaming into white bubbles, and my eyes were glued to her face.
    The moonlight spilled over her features, her eyes reflecting the shimmering water in front of us before she turned them up to me, catching me staring at her.  Softly, she smiled as she held my gaze.  I reached my hand out, caressing her face tenderly.
    “You’re a beautiful girl, Lacey,” I whispered, daring to break the spell I had fallen under by speaking.  
    She brought her hand up, putting it over mine, and pressing it into her cheek as she smiled up at me.
    “You’re sweet. But I’m not at my best right now, I must admit,” she said, gingerly touching her bruised cheek with her other hand.
    “I wasn’t talking about your face.  I was talking about you,” I replied, pulling my hand away and taking hers in mine again.  “Come on, let’s keep going.”
    We followed the trail along the creek, the moonlight lighting our way as I kept the flashlight in my pocket.  The elevation began to increase, and we continued up the trail, climbing up the hill, until we couldn’t go any further.  I stopped Lacey before we turned a corner.
    “Okay, wait.  Close your eyes.”
    “Close my eyes?”
    “Yep. It’s worth it, I promise.”
    “Okay,” she said, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes.  “Don’t lead me over any cliffs.”
    “You’re safe with me,” I said, feeling that familiar wave of protectiveness wash over me.  
    I grabbed her hand again and led her around the corner.  The blast of the mist hit our faces and her eyes flew open.  She squealed in delight.
    “Wow!” Her gaze trailed up the massive waterfall in front of us, the force of the water falling and plunging into the naturally formed pool below.  The pool fed the creek, narrowing at the edges as it swept through the forest, like a rushing, bubbling snake.
    “This is my favorite spot,” I said, as she pulled away from me and ran to the end of the trail, as close as she could get to the waterfall without actually jumping in the pool.  
    “It’s amazing!” She turned her face up to catch the mist, and when she turned back to me, she was smiling.  
    She’s happy, I thought. Her life is just beginning. She’s finally free.
    Her smile faded as she met my eyes.
    “What’s wrong?” she asked, walking back to me.
    “Nothing, why?”   She’s probably thinking you’re going to attack her you idiot.  I couldn’t stop staring at her, and I needed to pull it together.
    “You just looked so…oh, nevermind,” she replied. “Thank you for bringing me here.  I love it!”
    “My pleasure.  I spend a lot of time here, but I don’t mind sharing.”
    “Well, that’s good,” she said.  A strand of hair fell in her face, little droplets of mist covering her head and shining like little bubbles in the moonlight.  I reached down and pushed the strand behind her ear, and to my surprise, she stood up on her toes and brushed her lips across mine casually.
    Fire shot through me as her lips touched mine and my body responded without consulting my brain at all.  I pulled her into my arms, my lips crashing down on hers and kissing her with all the desire I had been restraining since the first moment I stepped out of the clubhouse doors with her.  Her lips were soft, warm, inviting and we melted together, our lips working together sensuously.
    She whimpered slightly, and I regained some semblance of rational thought. I pushed her away as quickly as I had pulled her in.
    You’re like a fucking bull in a china shop, you idiot .
    “I’m so sorry,” I said, my voice gruff with desire, my cock throbbing hotly between us.  “I shouldn’t have done that.”
    She looked up at me, her eyes filled with confusion and pain and I felt like the biggest asshole ever.  
    What the fuck was wrong with me?
    “We should get back,” I said, wanting to kick