She wanted him so much she didn’t think she would be able to last very long at the club. She wanted him underneath her in his bed. She looked up at him and could see those same feelings reflected in his eyes. She smiled at him as she rubbed her body against his. The song came to an end just as his hand slid down to place his palm against her ass.
As they walked back to the table, she saw Trish and Landon coming off the dance floor as well. She had been so engrossed in Zane that she hadn’t noticed them on the floor.
Melanie looked around, noticing the looks Zane was getting from the other women in the club. She recalled the vultures swarming around him the last time she had been here. He was the best looking guy last time, and he was still the best thing to look at tonight, too. She looked up at him to see if he was noticing all the looks he was receiving and saw that he kept his eyes forward as they walked back towards the booth. She smiled to herself.
She was starting to realize how much she cared for him. She knew she liked him and wanted to be with him, but now she was experiencing even deeper feelings for him. She hoped he was starting to feel the same way. Her jealousy was because she was unsure of his feelings for her. He had shut himself away from people for so long that she didn’t know if she was going to be able to get through all the walls he had erected to protect himself. She shrugged to herself. She wasn’t afraid of knocking all those walls down that he was hiding behind.
They held out for about another hour before they told Trish they were ready to leave. Trish had just finished another shot and wasn’t ready to leave. Landon offered to drive Trish home, but Melanie wasn’t comfortable leaving Trish with a stranger, even though he seemed like a nice guy. Plus, he’d thrown back a few too many as well and was in no condition to drive.
“We’re fine, Mel! We’ll take a cab; don’t worry,” Trish slurred. Melanie tried to stop herself from rolling her eyes. Trish was awesome, but she tended to be too reckless at times, especially when she had been drinking.
Landon leaned down and pulled Trish into a deep kiss. It was annoying to watch her friend act so ridiculous in public. As Melanie and Zane waited for them to stop kissing, she watched Landon’s hand slide over Trish’s ass as he took advantage of her drunkenness.
Before Melanie knew what happened, Zane grabbed Landon’s hand and pulled him off Trish.
“Listen closely, asshole. I know you’re not that fucking drunk, so quit acting like you can get away with touching her like that,” Zane hissed at him.
“Back off, man. Look at her, she wants it as much as I do,” Landon snarled back.
Melanie looked at Trish and saw the sexual desire in her eyes for Landon. She had no idea he just saw her as an easy lay. Damn, Trish. She was smart and beautiful. Melanie just didn’t understand why she had to sleep around the way she did.
“Trish, it’s time to go.” Melanie decided it was time to take control of the situation.
She grabbed Trish’s hand as Zane released Landon, pulling the woman to her feet. Zane took her other arm, and between the two of them, they managed to lead her out the door.
“Melanie, what the fuck?” Trish still didn’t know what was going on.
“Trish, it’s late. We’re taking you home,” Melanie responded, ignoring her friend’s angry glare.
“What about Landon?” Trish turned to look for him, however Melanie tightened her grip, leading her to Zane’s vehicle.
“He’s not feeling well. He’s going home, too.” Melanie didn’t see any reason to tell her the truth right now, but it was a conversation she was going to have with her in the near future.
As Melanie opened the back door for her, Trish dropped her purse. Melanie shut the door and picked up the purse. As she got into the front seat, she pulled Trish’s phone out and deleted Landon’s number so that she couldn’t call him after they dropped her off. She then put the phone back and handed the purse to Trish as Zane got into the driver’s seat.
“Where to?” Zane asked.
“We can take her back to the apartment. She’ll sleep it off,” Melanie replied. She had been out with Trish enough to know that she would crash once she hit the bed.
Zane nodded and drove to the apartment where they both helped Trish in and then Melanie got her into the bed.
Trish looked up at Melanie. “Thanks, Mel. You always take care of me.” Melanie smiled down at her as she closed her eyes and fell asleep. Melanie really cared about Trish and was afraid that, if she wasn’t more careful, she was going to get herself hurt.
Zane was waiting in the living room.
“She okay?”
“Yeah, she’s fine. We’ve been through this before. She’s already asleep,” Melanie sighed. “I know I need to have a talk with her at some point. She’s got to stop doing this.”
“She’s lucky to have a friend like you.” Zane walked over to kiss her.
“That’s right, she is,” Melanie responded. “And you’re lucky to have me in your life, too.” She grinned up at him.
“Oh, really? What makes you say that?” Zane looked down at her.
“Take me to your house and you won’t have to ask again.” As Melanie turned to walk outside, she heard Zane laugh as he followed her out, locking the door behind them.
Chapter 18
They teased each other on the way to Zane’s house, the chemistry between them everything she had fantasized about.
As Melanie walked into the house, expecting Zane to follow behind, she heard the door close to the garage then felt his hands grasp her hips to spin her around. She gave a startled gasp, not ready for it, but he quickly silenced her as he pushed her up against the wall and started kissing her.
He had her moaning in no time, kissing his way down her neck to the tops of her breasts exposed in the deep vee of her shirt. She clutched his head to her and thrust her hips toward him as he slid his hand between her legs.
“I’ve wanted to fuck you all night,” he said against her breast.
“Me, too.” Her hand went to the zipper of his jeans, struggling to unbutton them so she could get his dick in her hand.
He stood up straight, pushing her arms up into the air and then pulled her shirt off. She was wearing a new black lacy bra that lifted her full breasts making them appear bigger than they actually were. She had bought it with him in mind and was rewarded by seeing the look in his eyes as he gazed down at her. He lifted one pert breast out of her bra cup as he kissed her, using his other hand to unsnap her jeans.
When he leaned back to tug her jeans down and saw the matching panties, she could see his eyes darken even more with lust. She started to kick her shoes off so he could pull the jeans off her, but he stopped her. Lifting her, he carried her to the kitchen island where he set her down on top of the cold marble.
He was able to pull the jeans off over her shoes before he stepped back to look at her wearing the lacy lingerie and her high heels with her hair tumbled around her shoulders.
“Baby, you don’t want to know what I’m thinking right now,” he murmured.
“Oh, yes, I do.” She gave him a saucy grin.
She knew Zane liked that she wasn’t afraid to show that she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. He had told her that her lack of game play was refreshing. She liked to fuck and didn’t see the need to hide the fact. He knew she didn’t fuck to hold it over his head in a power struggle, or use it in an attempt to fix what was wrong in her life like her messed up best friend.
He bent down to kiss her tempting mouth again then spread her legs wider on the island. Bending down, he kissed his way down her stomach. She grabbed a handful of his hair in one of her fists as his fingers moved her panties out of the way to allow him to run a finger back and forth across her swollen lips.
She leaned back against the cold marble as he removed her panties before she felt his finger enter her. He added a second finger and his other hand cupped her ass to hold her in place as he started sliding his fingers in and out of her, making her pant with ex
citement.
She leaned her head back, closing her eyes, pushing her hips further towards him. She felt him lean forward, taking her clit into his mouth. Between his fingers and his mouth, she felt ready to explode. Just when she thought she was going to finish, he stopped and stood up. She blinked her eyes open and looked up at him.
“Why did you stop?” She was on the verge and wanted the release.
“I’m not ready for you to finish yet, I want to come with you.”
Zane scooped her up in his arms and stood her facing the island, pressing her upper body down. Her fingers grasped the opposite edge of the counter as his feet widened her stance.
“Baby, that ass and those heels. I thought of fucking you just…” his cock found her warm entrance, “like…” he groaned, letting the tip slide in until just the head of his cock was inside of her, “this.” He thrust his cock in with one strong assault.
Melanie gave a small scream at the feel of him inside of her. He showed her no more mercy than he had Tobias earlier in the evening, making her submit to the demands of his driving body as he pounded inside of her like a man who hadn’t had sex in years, instead of just that morning.
“You like fucking me, Melanie?” Zane asked as his hand slid around her stomach, lowering to find her clit and rubbing it as he continued to fuck her from behind.
“Hell, yes,” Melanie moaned, thrusting her hips backward.
“Then get used to it because this pussy is mine.” His mouth went to the side of her ear, making her shiver as his tongue traced the shell. “And I like to fuck a lot.”
“I can handle that,” she groaned as she felt the full length of him filling her.
She felt herself about to climax and started moaning loudly. That’s when she felt Zane start to go at her even harder, as if he sensed her about to come. He had learned from the first time they had gone to bed together that she liked it hard. Thank goodness that was the way he liked to give it to her.
Her climax had her screaming out loud and she felt his own release inside of her at the same time. Thank God she was on the pill; she loved the feel of him naked inside of her.
When he took a step back, turning her around to face him, she leaned forward, brushing her mouth against his in a brief kiss.
He was looking down at her body, and she glanced down to see one breast in her bra and one hanging out.
“Damn, Zane, next time give a girl a little warning before you jump her bones,” Melanie said as she stuffed her breast back inside her bra.
Zane grinned at her unrepentantly. “That was just taking the edge off. We’ve got the rest of the night to do the rest of what I’ve been thinking about doing to you.”
As she bent down picking up her jeans and panties, she felt Zane’s eyes on her ass. She had to walk to the door to get her top and she caught the fire in his eyes reigniting as she walked back toward him in just the high heels.
They then went into his bedroom, taking a shower together. Melanie could tell from Zane’s face that he was tired. It had been a long day for him and she was sure the adrenaline rush had been spent during their fuck session in the kitchen.
“Zane, I can’t take anymore right now…” Melanie tried to stop him when he lay down on the bed and pulled her on top of him. She straddled his hips, his hard cock nestled against the opening of her cunt.
“Oh, yes, you can,” he said while his hand guided her down onto his cock.
This time, he let her do all the work as she slid up and down his cock, fucking herself as he lay back, watching her breasts swing with each movement of her body.
“Oh, my God,” Melanie groaned as he pushed his hips upwards at the same time she came down.
When he reached up to play with her nipple, the sensitive bud responded to his touch, tightening into a hard, little nub that he rose up to take between his lips. His hands went to her ass, taking control and slamming her down onto his cock. Her pussy began to quiver as she climaxed when his teeth gently bit down on her nipple. His own climax followed when she brought her pussy down on him, grinding her orgasm out on his jerking cock.
Melanie fell to the side as she worked to catch her breath, and he moved up to lay back beside her.
“I don’t know how you do that to me,” she said between breaths. It amazed her at how her body responded to his every touch. It was what she’d always hoped for when she met the right person.
“I might know a thing or two about women,” he replied smugly.
Melanie rolled her eyes. He could be so sweet and then turn into an ass in the blink of an eye. Either way, she would keep him for the night. She was too tired to move.
“You’re lucky I’m too tired to get out of this bed and go home.” Melanie rolled to her side, rubbing the fine hair on his muscular chest.
“Go to sleep. I know you have to be tired. Women don’t have the stamina that men do.”
“Is that so?” Melanie said, her eyes narrowing on his know-it-all grin.
“It’s a proven fact.”
“Those are fighting words, asshole. I’m about to prove to you exactly who has the most stamina.”
Zane’s body gave a jerk on the mattress as Melanie’s mouth went down on him.
It took her a good hour, but in the end, she proved her point.
* * *
The next day, after Melanie had returned to her apartment, Zane pulled out the envelope. Inside was a picture of a woman who appeared to be in her late twenties. Zane hated when it was a woman. They usually had kids or were with a man. It was always hard to find them alone.
He read her background. She was a delivery driver for a locally owned grocery store. It was the perfect cover job to sell the product. She had skipped town a week ago, and it was Zane’s job to track her down and retrieve the money she had stolen. He looked further through the papers to see how much she had taken. It was over fifty thousand. Fortunately, the documents included her whereabouts; she was staying in a rundown hotel along the ocean.
He would track her down and collect the money soon. He usually completed his jobs in a matter of days, but this job would require travel. Because he always delivered, they never gave him a deadline for the retrieval, so he had some time.
Zane leaned back on the couch and made the decision he had been putting off confronting for years. It was time to find a way out.
Chapter 19
“And winner by knock out, Zane Phillips!”
Melanie jumped up in joy for Zane. It had been a month since their first fight and they had both won the two additional fights they had been in. She was getting noticed a little more by the press, considering she was winning and from being related to the famous Nicholas Brooks. She was getting nearer to being able to go to the next league and even closer to challenging Macey. She just needed to win one more fight in order to move up.
Of course, Zane was getting much more attention due to his return and the wins he had earned. The fans adored him. It was a great story for the press—the false accusations and the amazing comeback. A couple of endorsement deals were trickling in and some of the pay-per-view channels had contacted him to let him know that he was on their radar. If he kept winning, the sky was the limit for him. Zane, on the other hand, didn’t seem interested in any of the offers. Melanie thought it was strange, but just figured he wasn’t trusting his newfound fame.
Their relationship was amazing, however, she noticed that same tension in him after each fight that she had sensed after his first fight, when they had gone out with Trish and Landon. She planned to talk to him tonight. It had been hard holding back her questions this long. She had a tendency to keep asking until she got what she wanted, but this time, she’d sensed Zane didn’t want her asking questions. Enough was enough, though, and she was becoming increasingly worried about the look on his face when he thought she was asleep or not paying attention. Something was bothering him and she wanted to help.
She waited outside the cage for him, and as usual, had to watch some of th
e bitches try to get his attention as he spoke with the press and then Lincoln. Melanie had become more laid back in dealing with them, figuring it was something she was going to have to cope with. Zane was hot. There were always going to be available women, yet she believed he wouldn’t fool around on her. He always seemed aloof when women approached him, and so far, he had done nothing to make her suspicious.
She watched Zane make his way towards her when he finished the obligatory question and answer session with the press. As he walked her way, she heard one of the journalists ask a question he must have ignored.
“So when are you going to challenge the champion?” he yelled.
Zane didn’t acknowledge the question.
Melanie jumped. Zane saw her reaction to the question and looked into her eyes.
She cursed herself. How had she not even considered where this was leading? She had been so happy about Zane doing what he loved to do, but she had never thought about what every fighter in this league was shooting for. The championship.
Melanie felt like she had just taken a blow to her gut. Zane and Nick were in the same weight class. The only way for Zane to be champion was to fight Nick. Fuck, how was she supposed to handle the two men she most cared for in the world fighting against each other?
“Are you okay?” Zane asked her. He knew her well enough to know what she was thinking.
“No, I’m not right now, but let’s get out of here. I don’t want to do this in public.” Melanie felt herself getting upset and there were too many people and cameras around.
“I’ll get my stuff and meet you at the car,” Zane replied.
Melanie nodded and walked outside. He had given her his spare key, so she was able to at least sit inside behind the tinted windows while she tried to gather her emotions. It didn’t take long for Zane to join her.
He slid into his seat and started the vehicle. As he drove to his house, he glanced at her occasionally, however, he remained silent.
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