by Ciz, Alley
“Ha ha.” She flipped him off on her way to the bar.
“Do you guys need much longer to get ready?” Vince asked from the kitchen.
“Nope, just need to change.”
“Okay, great,” Griff said from where he sat in the living room, playing with his phone. “I’m going to order the Ubers in about an hour.”
Tequila bottle in hand, she gave Griff a thumbs-up and caught Deck staring at her butt as she rose. “Get your eyes off my ass, Deck.”
The guys laughed and Vince smacked his childhood friend upside the head. “Dude. She’s practically your sister. Gross.”
“Anyway…” She held up the tequila bottle. “Margaritas will be ready in five. Whoever wants to partake, you know where to find them.” She headed out their front door.
As she stepped into the hallway, she heard the chime of the elevator. Her heart rate doubled.
Gage.
WITH THE MAJORITY of work taken care of by his decorator, Gage didn’t have much to move into his new place. Wyatt and two of his buddies from the firehouse helped so it only took them about an hour to finish moving the few boxes he'd kept with him, then he'd treated them to dinner at a local burger joint as a thank you.
The guys from the gym had invited him out with them for the night, but he'd declined because Wyatt was about to start another twenty-four hour shift at the firehouse and he wanted the move complete so he could unpack over the weekend. And yet he still hadn’t managed to shake the overwhelming sense of disappointment from missing out on an opportunity to spend time with Rocky outside of work. A fact he shouldn’t even be focused on, but he couldn’t help himself. She settled something inside him he wasn’t even aware was unsettled.
Sometimes adulting sucked major donkey balls.
He must have been thinking about Rocky more than he realized because he swore he heard her voice. Shaking himself out of his daydream, he turned toward the door of his new place.
“Howdy, neighbor.” She gave a playful wave from down the hall.
And there it was again, that comforting feeling like being swaddled in a warm blanket. How the hell did she manage it without doing anything? Maybe there was something to be said about the whole dating thing, after all.
As his head and heart warred with each other, he took a moment to take in what she was wearing. Were those Ninja Turtles on her pants?
“Did you finish moving all your stuff?” she asked.
“I did,” he said with a nod. “Then I took the guys out for burgers.”
“Go anywhere good?”
Conversations were easy with her, like they had been friends forever. He was used to people acting like they knew him because of his celebrity status, but she came across as if she couldn’t care less he was the Heavyweight Champ. That made sense since she was friends with a number of professional athletes.
“They took me to a place called Jonah's. It was a bit of a drive but it was the best damn burger I’ve had in my life.” It was probably a good thing she stood down the hall from him. The caramelized onions on his burger were delicious but he doubted they did anything for his breath.
Her eyes flashed silver as she smiled. “Oh, yeah, Jonah's is amazeballs. Anytime we played the U of J we would go there to eat after.” She paused for a moment before asking, “Do you want to come out with us tonight?”
The guys had made it sound like they were going clubbing when they extended the invite to him earlier. Even if he hadn't legitimately had plans, he wasn’t sure he would have accepted the invitation. He would never admit it out loud, but he was a little intimidated by the sheer number of people in their squad. Who needed that many friends anyway?
He took in her appearance. Her long dark hair hung around her shoulders and down her back in loose waves. Her makeup was done up in that smoky way girls did to make their eyes pop and her lips were blood red. She was fucking breathtaking.
But the artfully done makeup didn’t match what she had going on below the neck.
“And where exactly are you going that pajamas are an acceptable choice of wardrobe?”
She giggled, the sound like a flashlight, lighting up the darkest parts of him. “You boys are all so literal. I still have to change, I was only wearing this while I got ready. Anyway… we’re going to one of the local clubs. Griff is dating one of the DJs and we’re going to hear her spin. He said he’s gonna book the Ubers in about an hour, so if you want to come, you should have enough time to get ready.”
He couldn't deny the opportunity to hang out with her tonight a second time. Plus, it would give him the chance to get to know his teammates in a social setting, hopefully eliminating some of the pressure he felt on being welcomed. The fighters of The Steele Maker were like a family and he was a little surprised to find himself wanting to be included.
“Sure, I just need a few to shower and change. Whose door should I knock on when I’m ready?”
“You don’t have to knock, the doors will be open. It’s easier when we are floating back and forth between places constantly.”
“All right, sounds like a plan.” He turned to his condo to prepare himself—in more ways than one—for the night out.
Once inside, he headed straight for the shower in his master bath. It was one of his favorite features about the place—it was huge and, like the Jacuzzi tub next to it, could easily fit four people. He was a big guy and liked anything that didn’t make him feel claustrophobic.
He turned on the water and almost immediately, the room started to fill with steam. He stripped his workout clothes off and stepped under the huge rain shower faucet. The wall jets massaged his back for a few minutes while the tension from the day drained away.
Remarkably, his hip wasn’t giving him any issues, but he would pop a few Advil before heading out for the night. Vic’s warning played a constant loop in his mind.
As he washed, the realization that Rocky was down the hall hit home. He had been drawn to her from the first moment he saw her at The Ring. She was like the light to his dark with her bubbly personality sparkling over his own reserve. At the core though, he recognized their similarities—she approached her job with the same determination he did his, striving to be the best.
She was the daughter of his new coach. Not the smartest choice for the first girl he had more than a passing interest in.
His hands ran over his abs as the image of her exotic gray eyes looking up at him in pleasure filled his mind. He could imagine how her cupid’s bow mouth—painted blood red like earlier—would spread into a smile as she kissed her way down his body. She would continue her assault until she was on her knees in front of him. He groaned out loud and his hand wrapped around his hardening cock to relieve some of the building pressure.
The only way he was going to make it through dancing with her at a club, feeling her body pressed against him, moving in time with his, would be if he got rid of the tension he was feeling now.
He let the fantasy play out in his mind, stroking himself from root to tip and back again.
He watched her open her mouth as wide as it would go to accept his girth. His head slipped past her lips and she let out her own moan of pleasure. She braced herself with one hand on his thigh, the other around the base of his cock, as she took as much of him down her throat as she could handle. He let her play for as long as he could stand, then threaded his fingers through her long, blue-black locks to maneuver her how he needed.
His soapy hand continued to move up and down his cock in sync with the image of her sliding it in and out of her mouth. He reached his peak, spraying his seed against the shower’s tiles at the same time he spilled down her throat in his fantasy, her name echoing in the acoustics of the space as he came.
He stroked himself until he was completely spent. Grabbing the body wash off the shelf for the second time, he turned the water to cold and finished his shower.
Chapter Nine
Holy shit.
Holy shit.
Holy shit.
Did I really just initiate hanging out with Gage outside of work?
Rocky’s mind was spinning as she went back into her apartment. Making a beeline for the kitchen island and not waiting for the margaritas, she took a shot of tequila straight from the bottle.
She was going to need a moment to wrap her brain around what she had just done.
She was going to need reinforcements.
ALPHABET SOUP: HELP!!!
ALPHABET SOUP: *GIF of Harry Potter saying “Help Me.”*
MOTHER OF DRAGONS: What do you need girl?
PROTEIN PRINCESS: Please tell me this has to do with our newest neighbor?
YOU KNOW YOU WANNA: O
YOU KNOW YOU WANNA: M
YOU KNOW YOU WANNA: G
YOU KNOW YOU WANNA: Did you guys just have a quickie?
ALPHABET SOUP: What? No. Geez
YOU KNOW YOU WANNA: Well that’s disappointing
YOU KNOW YOU WANNA: You should have
YOU KNOW YOU WANNA: It would have been good
YOU KNOW YOU WANNA: I can tell these things
MOTHER OF DRAGONS: Duuuuude!!!!! I have 5 month old twins. You REALLY need to learn how to get to the point in a SINGLE text. You’re killing me Beck *facepalm emoji* *water gun emoji*
ALPHABET SOUP: *GIF of girl saying “Same”*
ALPHABET SOUP: God *facepalm emoji* it’s so much worse being able to see you while you text a million times
PROTEIN PRINCESS: Wait up! Gage is there with you guys?
YOU KNOW YOU WANNA: OMG OMG OMG
YOU KNOW YOU WANNA: Madz it’s like perfect plot point for your next book
YOU KNOW YOU WANNA: It’s like one of those accidental roommates books
YOU KNOW YOU WANNA: *GIF of Beyonce pointing to her temple*
PROTEIN PRINCESS: *GIF from the Sandlot saying “You’re killing me Smalls”*
YOU KNOW YOU WANNA: Ok ok. Geez guys
ALPHABET SOUP: And no, Gage is not here right now but I did a thing
YOU KNOW YOU WANNA: You kissed him?
YOU KNOW YOU WANNA: He kissed you?
YOU KNOW YOU WANNA: He shoved you against a wall to kiss you?
YOU KNOW YOU WANNA: You touched his penis?
MAKES BOYS CRY: Madz when you are done with your edits and you turn your phone back on, you for reals NEED to teach this girl how to stick to one storyline
PROTEIN PRINCESS: Beck will you shut up for a minute so Rock can tell us what she did
MAKES BOYS CRY: *GIF of guy pointing up saying “This, all this.”*
ALPHABET SOUP: I invited Gage to come out with us tonight
MOTHER OF DRAGONS: *GIF of Barney Stinson saying WHHAAAAATT?!*
MAKES BOYS CRY: *GIF of Minion saying WHHAAAAATT?!*
MOTHER OF DRAGONS: ^^And this is why we’re best friends
PROTEIN PRINCESS: *GIF of Joey Tribbiani looking shocked*
MAKES BOYS CRY: Rock, guuurrrrllll, you finally better be doing something about this. I mean look at all this.
MAKES BOYS CRY: *GIF of Gage flexing in his fighting briefs*
PROTEIN PRINCESS: Damn now I’m so mad I can’t make it out tonight *angry face emoji*
MOTHER OF DRAGONS: This almost makes me want to call Maddey’s landline and fill her in… ALMOST… Rocky what are you going to do about it?
YOU KNOW YOU WANNA: What I really want to know is does this mean you’re finally going to forget about your ‘no dating a fighter’ policy and do something?
MAKES BOYS CRY: Yeah Rocky… Tell us
PROTEIN PRINCESS: Cuz, where you at?
ALPHABET SOUP: I need new friends. You guys are ridiculous
MOTHER OF DRAGONS: No you don’t. You love us
MAKES BOYS CRY: Plus we have matching tats, so we’re yours for life
MOTHER OF DRAGONS: True story
YOU KNOW YOU WANNA: Plus we’ve been friends since like birth so you’ve been stuck with me for 24 years already, so that’s not changing anytime soon
ALPHABET SOUP: Dude why are you texting me. You’re standing like 5 feet away from me
YOU KNOW YOU WANNA: You’re doing it too
YOU KNOW YOU WANNA: Plus I know they will all support me saying you should go for it with Gage
MOTHER OF DRAGONS: Hell yeah. You should go for it. Remember… I didn’t date hockey players anymore and yet I’m married to one
MAKES BOYS CRY: Well, as much as I love Jake and all, you don’t have to marry the guy Rock. But I do think you should take that Stallion for a ride
PROTEIN PRINCESS: Seriously, cuz. Who else gets their celebrity crush put in front of them? You should go for it
YOU KNOW YOU WANNA: See???
YOU KNOW YOU WANNA: They agree with me.
YOU KNOW YOU WANNA: Bang that boy like a screen door in a hurricane
ALPHABET SOUP: OMG I’m not doing this. See you all tomorrow for yoga.
Putting her phone away, she grabbed a margarita and went to her room to get dressed.
As usual, she was the first one ready. Going next door to corral the guys, she found a few of them locked in a fierce Mario Kart battle.
“I’ll be out in the hall when you guys finally stop playing with your toys,” she said with an eye roll.
She was double checking her clutch to make sure she had everything she needed for the night out when she heard Gage’s door open then close.
She stared at him while the rest of their group came into the hallway. She would think that after seeing him in his workout gear at the gym, nothing would look better. But the way the dark jeans hugged his muscular thighs and the rolled-up sleeves of his black shirt displayed the black tattoo on his powerful forearm, she’d clearly underestimated things in that department.
He was sex on legs, ridiculously tall, long, muscular legs.
And, yup.
Now she was wet.
Damn her friends for putting ideas in her head.
Crazy ideas.
Dirty ideas.
Ideas she longed to fulfill.
She was so screwed.
GAGE STEPPED FROM his apartment, locking the door behind him as the rest of the people from the gym filtered out of their respective doors, talking about their plans for the evening. The first person he saw was Rocky and the sight of her damn near knocked him on his ass.
Gone were her cute pajamas. In their place was a body-hugging, black, strapless mini dress and grayish-brown, over-the-knee cowboy-heeled boots that had buckles running up from the ankle. A lickable width of toned thigh was exposed between the top of her boots and the hem of her dress.
Shaking his head to expel some of the insta-lust coursing through his body, he used the same deep breathing techniques he did before a fight to regain his composure before he was caught staring like an idiot.
His training kicked in, and not a moment too soon because she turned and saw him standing in the hall.
“Hey there, neighbor,” she said with a smile bright enough to light up a room.
“Hey yourself.” He couldn’t help but smile in return. “You look fantastic by the way.”
An endearing blush spread across her face. “Thanks. You clean up pretty good yourself.” She motioned to his clothes.
“I aim to please.” He winked.
“I bet you do.” Her storm cloud eyes stayed locked on his as she spoke.
Is she flirting with me? The thought pleased him more than he would have thought possible.
Clearly oblivious to the sexual tension filling the air, Griff strode over to the elevator to press the call button. “The Ubers are here. Let’s head out.” He was bouncing on his toes with excitement.
“Relax, lover boy, we’ll be there soon enough.” Nick clapped him on the shoulder.
Already feeling the first twinges below the belt, Gage was grateful for the interruption. If Rocky affected him this much just standing in a noisy hallway with her, he was in for one hell of a long night.
Dancing with her.
Feeling her lush cur
ves under his hands.
The roundness of her ass brushing against him as they moved together might just kill him.
With a ding, the elevator arrived and everyone piled in. He was pretty sure this many people should have taken two trips. He moved to a back corner and Rocky followed, planting herself right in front of him as the others continued to squish in and harass Griff.
His arm snaked around her middle in an effort to adjust in the tight space. Her belly tensed as she sucked in a breath. He loved how responsive she was to a simple touch. Anytime she had to touch him for work, his body lit up like a Christmas tree, so it was only fair that it wasn’t one-sided.
“Mmm…blueberries,” he whispered against her hair as he tugged her closer, the familiar scent invading his senses.
Her whole body shuddered and she leaned back against him slightly. Even as he took her weight, he had to mentally calculate the fastest way to a takedown to keep from anything popping up without his permission.
After the longest elevator ride of his life, the doors opened and they went outside to the waiting SUVs. They split up, five in one vehicle and four in the other. Since the girls were smaller, they went with the bigger group and he made sure to join them. Becky and Rocky sat in the back row, he and Vince took the captain’s chairs, and Griff rode shotgun.