Shattered (A Bad Boy Romance Novel)

by Natalie Baird

  “Can’t he submit?” I asked Robert.

  “There’s no such thing,” he answered.

  I watched as Maelstrom finally fell still. Anderson wrenched himself up off the man and raised his arms in a gesture of victory. The crowd was raging for him, stomping and screaming. A cry of joy escaped from my throat, even as Erik lay bleeding in the sand. I was elated, beside myself with glee, and all over a fight. But not just any fight, a fight where my own personal hero had triumphed once again. Anderson circled the pit, grinning up into the thunderous crowd. He looked like one of those classic Greek heroes, just returned from war. He looked absolutely invincible.

  I now understood why wealthy high-born ladies in ancient Rome used to throw themselves at victorious gladiator slaves. How they were willing to pay exorbitant purses and practically begged to be fucked raw by violent and animalistic fighting champions. Anderson could have taken me right then and there, bent over the railing in front of a thousand onlookers…that’s how bad I wanted him in that moment.

  Two men came to help the nearly unconscious Maelstrom out of the pit, and Anderson hurried to help them get the big fighter on his feet. The two men exchanged a brief word, and Anderson patted Erik on the back as he was being carted out of the pit. I felt a huge swell of pride rise in my chest. My hero wasn’t just an excellent fighter—he was an honorable man.

  As Anderson disappeared from sight into the bowels of the stadium, I tried to take in the enormity of the crowd’s elation. Everyone was charged with adrenaline and readying themselves for the next fight. It was infectious, the energy. I turned eagerly to share my excitement with Robert, but when I sat back down and turned my attention his way, I was taken aback by his cold expression. He was looked straight ahead over steepled fingers, his eyes like two pieces of flint. My stomach tightened with an unaccountable fear of this steely man.

  “Is something wrong?” I asked.

  He didn’t even swing his gaze my way as he said, “Oh, yes. Quite.”

  “But, I don’t understand...” I said with a hopeful smile, “He won! Anderson absolutely destroyed that guy. Did you see the way—?”

  “He was taken down,” Robert growled, “He let that ape bring him down the ground. That is entirely unacceptable.”

  He turned toward me, gripping the arms of his chair menacingly. I was struck silent by the rage boiling in his blue eyes. I realized then why he was so angry—Anderson had failed to guard against that move because he had taken an instant to look up at me. I’d cost him that particular attack, and I could tell by Robert’s demeanor that it had been a cardinal sin.

  “I guess I should probably not be so front and center next time,” I said feebly.

  “Next time?” Robert said coldly, looking me up and down, “Right. We’ll just have to see.”

  I sat paralyzed before him, suddenly terrified. All the warmth that Robert had shown me before the fight had frozen over into a mask of contempt. I was about to apologize when a huge cheer went up behind me. I turned to see Anderson making his way to our box through the adoring crowd. I sprung up from my seat, Robert’s anger forgotten in the face of Anderson’s triumphant elation. We locked eyes across the milling crowd, and a throbbing pulse of desire shot through me. Anderson kept his gaze on me as he pushed through the excited crowd and swung into our box. His chest was glistening with sweat, his eyes bright with the rapture of victory. I felt my knees begin to tremble in his presence; my entire body was riveted to his every move.

  “You’re here,” he said simply, the roaring crowd closing in around our little pen.

  “Sure am,” I grinned, conscious of the inquiring whispers that were rising up all around us. I felt a thousand inquisitive eyes moving back and forth between us—the champion fighter and the new girl. If underground fight clubs had tabloids of their own, I imagined that we’d be on every cover the next day.

  “Thanks for taking care of Kaela, Rob,” Anderson said, clapping a hand on Robert’s back. The older man cocked an eyebrow at the fighter, his disapproval was palpable.

  “Anything for you, Anderson,” Robert said, his voice was ice cold. Anderson’s smile seemed to waver for just a moment, but the harshness of Robert’s demeanor still wasn’t enough to shake his joy completely.

  “Want to get out of here?” Anderson asked me. His voice had sunk lower in his register, and his muscles seemed to be tensing in anticipation of a whole other kind of match.

  “Absolutely,” I breathed, taking a step toward him. Anderson offered me his strong hand. I took it, stepping around Robert as fast as I could. “It was nice to meet you,” I said to the older man as I hurried past.”

  “Quite,” he answered shortly, glaring at us as we went. I was completely perplexed by his hostility, but with Anderson’s hand closed tightly around mine, it was hard to focus on anything besides the deep, pulsing need that beat inside me like a drum.

  Anderson whisked me through the crowd, past hundreds of adoring fans. A concealed door opened to us, and we hurried through. The sounds of the roaring arena died instantly as the door closed behind us, and the sudden quiet was startling. We were walking down another hallway lined with doors, one of which opened to us as we approached. A man stepped out, holding a clean pile of clothes for Anderson to change into. I waited beside the door as my fighter made a quick change into civilian attire and rejoined me, leading the way further down the hallway. We turned a quick corner and made our way through another door of the underground labyrinth. When the door snapped behind us this time, we were cast into the utter blackness that had greeted me upon my arrival. The ground sloped up before us, and as we reached the end of the hall, a door to the outside world awaited.

  We stepped back out into the city, and the red door with the silver eight closed lightly behind us. The real world was just as it had been when I’d left, remarkably. Crowds of nighttime revelers lounged in bars and clubs, oblivious to the world of brutal competition and dangerous luxury that existed right beneath them. Anderson grinned down at me and slung a heavy arm over my shoulders.

  “So?” he asked playfully, “What did you think?”

  Before I even knew what I was doing, I threw my arms around his muscled neck and brought my mouth hungrily to his. He met my kiss firmly, and our mouths moved together. He swung me around on the sidewalk and pressed my back against the brick wall. His tongue slid against mine, filling my mouth with the taste of him. I moaned lustily, running my fingers up into his short curls. I didn’t care that we were out in the middle of the city, and I didn’t care that everyone could see us. I couldn’t formulate a single thought other than that I need this, I needed Anderson. And I needed as much of him as I could take.

  He broke away from our kiss and looked at me intently. “What do you say we get out here?” he asked, his voice rasping with lust. I nodded, pulling him toward the curb and flagging down a taxi as it came screeching around the corner. Anderson waved the man on, grinning at me. “It’s taken care of,” he said, as a black town car pulled up to the curb. Of course he had a driver. Anderson opened the rear door for me, and we tumbled into the back seat.

  Chapter Five

  As the car took off through the city, Anderson wrapped his thick, strong arms around me and drew me into his lap. I pressed myself against his firm chest, brought my mouth to the smooth skin of his neck. He groaned as I kissed him, his fingers tightening around my hips. As I shifted my weight, I could feel a bulging hardness move against me. I gasped at the insistent, pulsing thickness, dizzy with wanting this hero of a man. Our gazes locked once more, and there was no ambiguity about what that look said.

  We flew from the car the second it stopped outside Anderson’s building. Through the lobby and into the elevator we raced, with a knowing smile from the doorman egging us on. The second the elevator doors snapped closed, we were on each other once more. Anderson’s strong hands closed around my ass and lifted me into the air. He pinned me against the elevator wall, bringing his mouth to mine once more. I wrappe
d my legs around the small of his back, moaning as his erection pressed against that throbbing, eager place between my legs. We reached the top floor and Anderson swung open the door to his penthouse, carrying me over the threshold like it was nothing.

  He didn’t waste a second—the momentum of our desire carried us across the apartment, straight into the bedroom. The space seemed transformed by our lust, the king sized bed where I had slept so shortly before was beckoning us. Anderson laid me out on the bed before him, drawing back to admire my form as it twisted against the white comforter. His eyes raked along the length of my body, leaving little tendrils of heat as they went. There was an aching need building from the core of me to the tips of my fingers, and only one thing that could soothe me.

  Anderson followed me into bed, kneeling over me. I could feel him hard against the warm wetness blossoming between my legs as he closed the space between our bodies. He drew up the hem of my tight red dress, peeling the garment up over my stomach, my breasts, my shoulders. The dress flew across the room as he flung it away, drinking in the sight of me beneath him in just my bra and panties. He tore off his own tee shirt next, and I moaned as those hard muscles were revealed to me once more. I tugged him toward me, wanting to feel his skin against mine.

  He lowered himself on top of me, and I gasped as the firm notches of his abs, the flat panes of his chest, met my own soft skin. My breasts pressed against his chest as I wrapped my arms around his rippling back, our mouths meeting once again. Anderson reached around my back and unclasped my bra with a flick of his dexterous wrists. I felt the hard length of him against my thigh as my bra fell away. At once, Anderson lowered his firm lips toward my breasts, eagerly wrapping his mouth around my hard nipple. My fingers dug into his back as he flicked his tongue against my sensitive skin, wrapping his strong hands around my breasts and kneading irresistibly.

  My panties were soaked through when Anderson reached to the slide them down my legs. He knelt between my legs and pulled the thin cotton garment away from my body. For a moment he was still, taking in the sight of me lying there before him without a stitch of clothing on my body. I spread my legs before him, opening myself to him, inviting him in. I needed desperately to feel him within me.

  Anderson tore off his belt and slipped out of his jeans. I stared unabashedly as his member was revealed, long and hard and pointed directly toward me. I couldn’t help myself—I spun around and crawled across the bed to where Anderson to was kneeling. Eagerly, I brought my mouth down to him, wrapping my lips around the bulging tip of his manhood. He groaned as I flicked my tongue against him, taking as much of him as I could into my mouth. I worked up and down his staggering length with my hands and mouth, savoring the taste of him. His fingers worked themselves into my hair, pulling just hard enough. I could feel his already enormous member growing harder, longer as I sucked fervently. Could I handle this much man at once?

  I felt myself falling back against the bed as Anderson pushed me away, bringing his hard body down on top of mine. His eyes were absolutely burning with lust, and I groaned as I felt him hard against my hot, wet opening, poised and eager.

  “Please,” I gasped, digging my fingers into the tight muscles of his back, “I need—”

  But my words became a wail of ecstasy as Anderson plunged into me, sinking deep inside my body. His thick, hard member parted my silky flesh, and opened me as I’d never been opened before. My head fell back against the bed as my vision spun wildly. This was unlike anything I had ever felt in my life, and I needed more.

  Anderson pulled back and thrust again, driving even deeper. I bucked my hips against him, crying out as his long manhood collided with that place behind by navel, that untouched place that was the center of all my pleasure. We leaned into each other with each pummeling pass, taking as much of the other as we could. Anderson’s face screwed up into a wordless howl of bliss as he slid further and further into the very depths of me, his arms bulging with the force of every thrust. I clung onto him as I felt myself careening toward the edge. I’d never been laid so bare before, never felt that hot, searing pressure building up inside of me.

  “Anderson,” I gasped. “I think...I’m going to...”

  “Come,” he commanded, staring down with those endless eyes. He reared back and drove himself as deep inside me as he could. I screamed as I barreled into unparalleled bliss, coming against his throbbing member. I felt him pulse within me as he closed his eyes tight, felt him let loose and come inside me, filling me up. We pulled each other close as we came, our voices joined in a wordless howl of delight. I could feel him coating me, encompassing me…the haze of my pleasure was overwhelming.

  When the surge finally began to settle, Anderson fell heavily beside me onto the bed. He wrapped his arms tightly around my body and drew me against his hard chest. I curled into him, stunned by the force of what had just passed between us. Our chests heaved, eventually moving as one breath. We were quiet as our hearts resumed their normal rhythms, as the blaze of ecstasy smoothed into a warm glow. Anderson tucked a lock of hair behind my ear and brought my face up to meet his. He was smiling down at me, his eyes glimmering with satisfaction. I smiled back, burrowing against him. Not a word passed between us as we lay still and let sleep come to take us away.

  I slept dreamlessly, and no wonder—what could I possibly have dreamed about that would come close to comparing with the events of that evening. When I finally woke, my body was faintly the sore in the best way. As I swam up from the depths of slumber, my muscles started to speak, my core was throbbing pleasantly, and the lingering scrapes on my back were vying for some attention. I didn’t mind the aching one bit, I should have expected it. I’d never had a night like that in my life, and I had never even been able to climax from sex with something that didn’t have a battery. No wonder my body was overwhelmed.

  When I finally persuaded my eyes to crack open, I realized that I was alone in bed. I cast my eyes around the room, searching for my hard-bodied Romeo. He was nowhere to be seen, but I soon had an inkling why. The unmistakable smell of bacon flitted through the room, and a slow smile spread across my face. I rolled over and placed my feet on the hardwood floor, glancing down at my stark naked body. I let my dress lay and decided to walk to the kitchen as I was.

  I made my way through the enormous penthouse on tip toe. As I rounded the corner to the kitchen, I spotted Anderson’s bare back and shoulders. He was standing before the stove, working away at a pan or two. I peeked in the kitchen and saw that the counter was laid out with mugs, plates, and silverware—a little breakfast table for two.

  “You know,” I said from the doorway, “You’re not supposed to cook without a shirt on.”

  He turned toward the sound of my voice, but his reply died on his lips as he saw that I’d forgone clothes that morning. With a happy shake of his head, he finally said, “You’re not supposed to come to breakfast naked, either, but I’m glad to see you’re a rule breaker too.”

  “I don’t know what the rules are anymore,” I said, coming further into the kitchen, “I feel like I’ve stumbled into someone else’s life.”

  “Well, I for one have enjoyed watching you stumble,” he said, turning back to the stove, “Particularly when it’s into my bed.”

  “That makes two of us,” I said, taking a seat at the counter. The stool was cool beneath my bare skin, and I let out a little shudder.

  “Do you like your bacon crispy or burnt?” he asked.

  “Crispy,” I replied.

  “Good,” he said, carrying the pan my way and loading up my plates with delicious strips.

  “So tell me,” I said, plucking up a piece of bacon, “If I were to take you up on your offer to become your assistant...would there be daily breakfast service like this?”

  “If you like,” he said, filling his own plate as well.

  “It’s a very tempting offer,” I said, taking a delectable bite.

  “Does that mean you’re accepting?” he asked, sitting dow
n beside me. He’d at least had the good sense to put on some jeans, but the fact of us eating breakfast in various states of undress made me happier than I could have ever imagined.

  “I...don’t know,” I said finally.

  “Aren’t you enjoying my company?” he asked, with a theatrical pout.

  “I guess...I just don’t understand why you want me to stick around,” I said honestly. “What’s in it for you if I stay?”

  Anderson stared at me for a long moment. I was alarmed to see a wash of anger cross his face. “What’s in it for me?” he repeated, “Well...You, I guess. Do I need some kind of ulterior motive?”

  “No,” I said, scared by his sudden offense, “I just—”

  “Why would you think that I need to be getting something out of you, Kaela? Have I given you any reason to think—?”

  “No,” I said quickly, “It’s just...I’ve never been with someone like you before. Someone I wanted, and...I just don’t know how to believe that you really want me too, I guess.”

  His expression softened. “Oh,” he said, “Kaela, I’m sorry...I shouldn’t have—”

  “It’s OK,” I said, resting a hand on his thigh. “I guess I’m just in shock. The last couple of days haven’t exactly been ordinary for me, you know. And what you’re asking...If I get even more involved in your life style, my entire life is going to change. I’d be coming into a whole new world, your world. That’s a lot of commitment for someone you just met, you know? I just want to know...why? Why me?”