by Lilly Atlas
He lifted his gaze to her face and found her staring right back at him. Her eyes widened slightly when they met his, and she licked her lips. The sight rocketed his mind back to that night six months ago and the way those lips wrapped around his cock with a tighter, wetter suction than he’d ever experienced.
That mouth of hers was dangerous.
Despite the aching in his jaw and the six-foot-five angry man hollering about what an idiot he was, Acer’s cock stirred. Anyone ever won a mixed martial arts match with a boner? He didn’t plan to be the first to find out. He tried writing complicated lines of computer code in his head; anything to avoid humiliation.
A biker he didn’t recognize, but who looked far more like he belonged here than Fia did, approached her. She smiled at him and Acer’s blood curdled. The assholes here would eat her alive, and smiling at them would only encourage the feeding frenzy.
The man slung an arm around her shoulders and said something that made her throw back her head and laugh, exposing the smooth column of her throat. More than once, she’d shivered beneath him when he nipped her there.
Enough was enough. This match was over. No more fucking around. The bell dinged and the middle aged, balding ref moved to the center of the ring and held up his right hand.
Acer hopped up, assuming a fighting stance with his fists at chin level. Across the ring, his opponent did the same. In his periphery, Acer noticed a second soon to be dead man approaching Fia. Gone were the shining eyes and bright smile from seconds ago, and in its place, was a bit of discomfort.
The ref dropped his hand and backed to the edge of the ring. Acer charged, meeting his opponent on his side of the ring. The newbie scrambled and threw a sloppy punch Acer sidestepped with ease. He dropped his shoulder and powered an uppercut to the guy’s gut, followed immediately by a straight jab, and a nearly lethal left hook to the side of the head.
Acer wasn’t the best striker—not like his club’s VP, who was named for it—he did his best work on the ground. But something about seeing Fia get hit on by men who wouldn’t hesitate to fuck her over enraged him.
The young fighter crashed to the ground and laid still, the steady rise and fall of his chest dispelling fears of a serious injury. Noise in the room ceased except for the sound of the referee counting. “Eight…nine…ten. Knockout.”
Thunderous cheering and boot stomping erupted before the words were out of the ref’s mouth. Behind him, Jester’s shrill whistle cut through the celebratory ruckus. “Damn straight. That’s what I’m talking about, brother. Wait…where the fuck you goin’?”
Acer tossed his grappling gloves and mouthguard into a corner of the ring, and slipped between the ropes, passing Dr. Lila Parker as she climbed up to assess the other fighter. She was his VP’s wife and served as a medic of sorts for the monthly Friday Night Fights.
“Damn, Acer, where did that come from?” she asked as he passed.
He nodded but didn’t answer her, his focus like a laser on Fia and her admirers.
“Acer?” Lila called to his retreating back.
He lifted a hand in acknowledgment. Hopefully she wouldn’t tell her ol’ man he blew her off. There’d be an ass chewing later for sure.
He shoved his way through the crowd, shaking off the back slaps and praise until he reached Fia. Her back was to him now, and he wrapped a hand around her upper arm, drawing her away from her fan club.
“Hey, man, what the fuck you think you’re doin’? I’m talking to the lady.”
“Acer!” Fia’s face lit up at the sight of him. That delighted smile hit him harder than any punch his challenger could have thrown.
“The lady’s mine.” Acer growled down at the punk who dared to touch her. His head was shaved except for one short, but wide strip down the middle, like a tire track. One of his front teeth was missing and he smelled like a marijuana dispensary. Christ, had he really just claimed the woman out loud? He had less than no rights to her, nor did he want them, but she inspired some kind of unwelcome Neanderthal possessive instinct.
Fia’s eyes widened, but she wisely kept her mouth shut.
“Maybe she don’t wanna be yours. Maybe we should take this outside and see who the lady wants to go with.” Tire Track took a menacing step forward.
Beside him, Fia laughed. “Did you see what he just did to that guy in the ring? He destroyed him in five seconds. Move along, buddy.” She waved her delicate hand with its pale pink nail polish in a shooing motion.
Acer gritted his teeth and held back his laughter. He loved her sass, but she needed to learn when to keep a lid on it. Around here, it wouldn’t fly. He gave her upper arm a light warning squeeze. What was it about this woman that made him want to slay her dragons then fuck her for hours?
She was fearless, he’d give her that. Smart-mouthing this white trash was ballsy but reckless.
Tire Track’s expression darkened and he took a step toward Fia. Wrong move. Luckily, the man wasn’t quite as stupid as he looked. He stopped dead in his tracks when Acer speared him with a look that told him he’d cut his nuts off if he came within another foot of Fia.
Tire Track shrugged, then held his hands up. “Okay man, plenty of pussy in the sea.” He turned and ambled off.
“Acer, holy crap that was insane. You were amaz—”
The second Fia’s new friend was out of earshot, he spun her around to face him. It took all his strength to focus on getting rid of her and not the feel of her silky skin beneath his hand. Her entire body had been just as soft and supple.
“What the fuck are you doing here, Fia?” He lowered his voice and ignored the spectators milling around them.
Her smile flipped upside down. “I know you’re surprised to see me, but I need to talk to you about something.”
And he needed to get her out of here. He wasn’t free to leave yet, and couldn’t babysit her for the rest of the night. Striker had a match later and Acer was coaching since Jester had to split early. He hated to be a dick to her, but it was the fastest way to get her to leave. “You looking for another fuck, babe? Been thinking about me for the last six months?”
She jerked her arm away from him. “Don’t be an asshole, Acer. It wasn’t good enough that I’d hop on a plane to come looking for it. There’s plenty of men in California who are up to the task.”
Even though he didn’t believe a word of it, her comments hit below the belt.
He crowded her until she walked backward, her spine hitting the wall after a few steps. He didn’t stop until their bodies were plastered together, his hard-on pressing into her stomach. It wasn’t private, but at least they weren’t in the center of a throng of bikers anymore.
She gasped and tried to glance around his body. “Acer,” she said, pushing against his chest. “What the hell are you doing?”
Her hands on his naked chest only served to make him harder. “Checking something.” He crashed his mouth to hers with no mercy.
Fia moaned into his mouth and melted against him without an ounce of resistance. Her arms closed around his upper body, holding him flush against her.
Christ, she was just as sweet as he remembered. Six months of trying to figure out how she’d gotten under his skin, and how to excise her were fruitless. Every memory and unwelcome emotion came rushing back.
He tore his mouth away and whispered in her ear. “I call bullshit, baby. You damn well know how good it was. Now, get the fuck out of here. This is not the place for you.” He took a step back. Her loose shirt clung to his sweat-glazed torso and slowly peeled off his body as he pulled away. Christ, even that fired his blood. The need to fuck her right here against the wall intensified by the second.
She shook her head, her eyes dazed, a red flush on her face. “No, wait,” She grabbed him by the waistband of his boxing shorts.
He raised an eyebrow. “Really, babe? Right here? It’s not exactly private, but I’m game if you are.” Thankfully, no one paid them any attention as they drank their beer and geared up for t
he next match.
The spark was back in her eyes. “If you’d stop trying to scare me away for just one minute and listen to me, I’ll tell you why I’m here, which is not for a quick fuck in the middle of a crowded gym.”
He loved her spunk. He also appreciated that she was intelligent and saw through him. Shouldn’t have underestimated her. With a sigh, he ran a hand through his damp hair. “Why are you here, Fia?”
“I need to talk to you about something, but this is not the place.”
His eyes dropped to her flat stomach and she laughed. “I’m not pregnant, Acer, though I will remember the two seconds of horror on your face for the rest of my life.” She laughed again. “Good stuff. Hey, where’s your nipple ring?”
He rolled his eyes. “I wear a spacer when I’m fighting. Too risky otherwise. Get to the point, babe.”
“Huh?” She seemed to have lost her train of thought somewhere between his nipple ring and his pecs. “Oh right. It’s about your father, and concerns your club.”
She had his full attention now. “Fuck, you serious?”
She nodded and released his shorts.
“What do you know? Did he send you with a message or something?” Flashes of how Jester met his woman ran through Acer’s mind. She was sent by an enemy of the club to siphon information in exchange for saving her brother’s life. In the end, it all worked out, but not before putting Emily’s life in danger and dragging Jester through hell. Acer’s trust was limited to his brothers only, and even with them, he was cautious.
“What? Of course not. I overheard a phone conversation your father was having. If he knew…” She shook her head. “Let’s just say I was very discrete.”
This wasn’t good. His father could be ruthless, and her knowledge of his more nefarious business practices could be hazardous to her health.
Acer scratched at the scruff on his chin. “You’re right, this is not the place. I’m stuck here for a few more hours, but I can meet you at your hotel? Where’re you staying?”
“Well, your family doesn’t seem to have any hotels here, so…” She winked.
Acer laughed. “Yeah, our town isn’t quite grand enough for a Wellington monstrosity.”
“I’m at a motel two towns over, Sunset Inn, room twenty-three.”
He nodded. “I’ll be there by midnight. You need a ride back?”
She shook her head, the tips of her hair brushing back and forth over her bare shoulders. He’d liked it six months ago, but it was longer now and he had the urge to wrap it around his fist, tilt her head back, and devour her talented mouth.
“I have a rental,” she said.
He gave into partial temptation and pressed his torso against her once again. “Go straight there and don’t leave. It’s not the best area.” He captured her bottom lip between his teeth and gave a light tug before pulling back. “Say, ‘yes, Acer’.”
“Yes, Acer,” she parroted with enough attitude in her voice that he smirked.
“Smartass.” He dropped a quick kiss on her upturned mouth then turned and gave her a gentle nudge toward the door. “Go, see you at midnight.”
She turned around, mischief sparkling in her whiskey eyes. “Going. And nice win, hot stuff. Never knew two men fighting could be so sexy. Think I may have found a new sport to watch.” She winked and turned again, walking toward the exit with a sexy sway to her hips.
Acer shook his head and kept his gaze on her until she disappeared. That smart mouth of hers was going to get her in trouble. He had a few ideas for how to keep it occupied so she couldn’t sass him so much.
Unwilling to watch the other men as they ogled the sensual twitch of her ass while she walked, he spun back toward the ring. Shit, how much time had he spent talking to Fia? With a turn of his head, he scanned the room. Jester stood in the ring staring down at him with a shit-eating grin on his face.
Fantastic.
He’d given the jokester enough fuel to torment him for a long time.
Fuck it.
The woman who’d plagued his erotic dreams for the past six months was here, and there was no way he was letting her leave without a repeat of the best night of sex he’d ever had. After that, he was done. He knew better than to get involved with anyone. Tonight, he’d purge her from his system and resume his normal life, unencumbered by constant thoughts of Fia.
Chapter Six
Man, the desert was eerily dark. Even with the high beams blaring from her rented BMW, Fia missed the glow of streetlamps along the highway. Countless miles of unlit road loomed ahead. She flicked her gaze to the rear-view mirror. Nothing but endless blackness behind her too. She shuddered. This certainly wasn’t somewhere she’d want to run out of—
She gasped and darted her attention to the gas gauge. She expelled a harsh breath. Okay, half-full tank. Thank God. She attributed the momentary freak out to the horror-moviesque setting. Woman alone, driving through the pitch-black shroud of the desert night… Okay, so her imagination was running away with her, but it was scary as shit out here.
With a shake of her head, she turned up the radio. Maybe the music would drown out her overactive imagination. After settling on her favorite Sirius country station, she returned her eyes to the road. Something darted in front of her car, and she screamed.
“Shit!” She jammed her foot on the brake, pressing it to the floor of the car. Her body flew forward only to be jolted back against the seat by the stiffening seatbelt. The breaks squealed, easily heard over the loud twang of the music, and the smell of burning rubber filled the car.
“Oh my God.” She placed her shaking hands on her head and breathed to calm her pounding heart. “Get it together, girl,” she muttered, spreading her fingers to peek through the windshield. Just ten feet in front of her a mangy coyote with beady yellow eyes stared at her as though annoyed that she dared to interrupt his evening.
After a sharp tap on the horn, the coyote fled. “Fia, you’re such a chicken.” With unsteady hands, she resumed driving. This damn motel couldn’t materialize fast enough.
Finally, about a half mile ahead, faint light of the tiny town that housed her motel glowed against the dark backdrop. With a sigh of relief, she rolled her shoulders and added more pressure to the gas pedal.
Three minutes later, she threw her car in park and dug through her purse. “Come on, room key,” she muttered. The goal was to spend as little time outside the exterior door to her room as possible. Finding the key card took twice as long as it should have since her hands were not fully back under her control. Damn coyote.
Key in hand, she stepped out of the car and did a quick scan of her surroundings. Aside from three other parked cars, the lot was dead silent and nearly as dark as if her eyes were closed. Dim light from the Sunset Motel sign, missing the u and o, was the only illumination, and it was far from adequate.
Fia shivered and dashed toward the hotel door. She slid the keycard into the slot and frowned at the red light blinking back at her like an evil eye. After a second attempt, she groaned. “Come on, you can’t be serious,” she muttered, trying and failing for the third time. “Damnit.”
“Trouble, miss?”
Fia shrieked and her hand flew to her chest. In the span of one second, her heart rate shot from almost back to normal to dangerously rapid. She stared at the source of her fright. The skinny man with long, scraggly hair, who’d checked her into the hotel, stood just a few feet away. “Holy crap, you scared me to death, Mr.—I’m sorry, I don’t recall your name.”
“Just call me Mike,” he said.
He’d unnerved her when she met him, his mud-colored eyes lingering too long on her chest, and his smarmy grin betraying his inappropriate thoughts. Now, she felt a cautious relief that he’d stumbled upon her.
“Mike, my key card doesn’t seem to be working. Should I take it to the office to get another one?” She longed for a luxury hotel with fifty floors, where all the entrances to the rooms were inside the building and lit by bright, cheery hallway
lights. Why did Acer have to live in a tiny town with no lodging options?
Mike shook his head. Greasy strands of hair fell in front of his eyes as he advanced on her. “Let me give it a try first.”
“I’ve tried it three times already. I’m pretty sure it’s just broken.”
He winked a brown eye. “Sometimes it just takes a man’s touch.”
Seriously? She wanted to roll her eyes but refrained. He offered help and all that mattered was getting in that room as fast as possible. Acer would be by in about two hours and she needed the time to mentally prepare both for giving him potentially disturbing news and for being alone in a room with him and a bed.
Mike stepped close, too close, and wrapped his hand around her wrist. He pulled the keycard from her grasp, but didn’t release her.
She tried to wiggle away, but his grip was solid. His hand on her arm caused her to shiver, and not in a good, excited way. More due to unease and a bit of fear. It was okay; she had a knee and knew how to ram his balls if he went any further.
He slid the card in the slot. Same result as her, the flashing red eye. “Huh, looks like you’re right. It’s not working.” He chuckled.
She swallowed and twisted her wrist yet again. “Would you please let go of me, Mike?”
He turned to her and her stomach soured at the lewd, gleaming excitement that shone in his eyes. “I don’t think so.”
In a move that was so sudden she couldn’t have done a thing to prevent it, he wrenched her arm behind her back and shoved her face-first against the wall. Her cheek scraped against the rough stucco surface of the building, still warm from the desert’s heated day. She winced and bit back a cry of pain.
Fight, fight, fight, her mind screamed at her, but he had her immobilized and outmatched by his surprising strength. “Mike, what the hell are you doing? Get the fuck off of me.”
He rustled around behind her, and she struggled in vain. The wall abraded her face, but she ignored it, the stinging preferable to whatever he had planned.