“You’re thinking too hard.” He pressed against me while watching my reaction. “I want to have you naked against me. To be able to touch you, make you feel what you just made me feel.” He frowned a look of uncertainty crossing his features. “It’s just as good for a woman, right?”
I smiled, and reaching up, cupped his face. “Oh, yes,” I reassured. “But tonight isn’t going to be about me. It’s about you. I can wait.”
“Let me take your panties off.”
My eyes snapped to his and although ‘yes’ was on the tip of my tongue, I honestly wanted tonight for him.
“I promise I won’t shove my cock inside you. I just want to see you.” I followed his gaze to my crotch and knew what he wanted, even if I hadn’t twigged with his words.
I reached down, started to tug them down when Stryker knocked my hands away and pulled the scrap of material the rest of the way off, tossing them over his shoulder.
His eyes heated and arousal pooled between my thighs, which he felt when he ran his finger between the lips of my pussy.
“You’re really wet,” he moaned, taking his cock in hand. “Is it normal?”
“Yes,” I panted. His finger didn’t stop stroking and when the tip entered my sex the muscles clenched as nerve endings sizzled. “It’s because of you. You arouse me and make my sex wet, swollen, and achy to be filled.”
“Touching you like this makes my cock rock hard and there’s a sensation that keeps running along the length. It pools at the head.” His breathing uneven, his eyes were still fused to what he was doing between my legs, and then all of a sudden he dropped to his belly and kissed me.
He opened me up with his fingers and licked with quick swipes of his tongue. While his mouth and tongue loved me, his heated eyes lifted to mine.
The pleasure became too much as my gaze roamed over his body and fell on his erection. It twitched and throbbed and I ached to feel it again. I quickly yanked off my dress, followed with my bra, and tossed it across the room.
Stryker’s, “Oh, fuck,” was the only warning I had. The next thing he hovered over me, his gaze on my breasts, the nipples calling to him with how hard and erect they were.
“I’m going to come again, too soon.” He dipped his head and lapped at a nipple.
I couldn’t help but squirm with the arousal rushing through me, and when I felt the base of his shaft against my naked pussy, I froze. So did Stryker. He lifted his eyes to mine and rubbed.
My eyes rolled and I knew I’d let him do anything he wanted to me. Except the more he ground against me, and lapped at my nipples, I knew I’d be coming before he even got inside me. From Stryker’s breathing, I knew he was close as well.
And then he stopped.
He raised his head, and asked, “What do you want me to do?”
My confident man was asking me even though he looked as though he was losing control.
Without words, I pulled him down on top of me, wrapped my legs around his waist, and kissed him. While we were locked in the tender kiss, he rocked against me, seconds later I convulsed in pleasure before I felt his wet release between us.
Sliding my fingers through his hair, I held him in place so that he knew exactly where I wanted him to stay.
“I want so much with you Stryker,” I admitted, hoping my words didn’t scare him away.
But as his forehead rested against mine, I knew there had been no need to worry. “You need to be safe, Evie. That’s my priority. But my heart wants what you do.”
“That makes me happy…” I sighed and then said, “I need to get you a cell phone.”
He blinked at my rapid change of subject. “As much as I’d love to be able to get hold of you anywhere. I’m not sure that’s such a good idea. I’d have to keep it hidden as they couldn’t know I had one.”
I hoped that I hid my question well, because there was real fear in his eyes talking about a cell.
“Leave the cell for now,” he added, but then his worry turned to a smile on his lips. “I need to clean you up.” His grinned widened.
I chuckled. “You like me being covered with your release, don’t you?”
“Hell, yeah.” He quickly kissed me on the nose and climbed off the bed, holding his jeans up. “I’ll grab a washcloth from the bathroom.”
As I watched him saunter to grab a washcloth, I realized that he’d have to leave me soon to go back to his apartment. I wondered if Patrick knew that I wasn’t home. Knew that Stryker wasn’t either. Would he put two and two together and come up with the correct answer?
Chapter 12 ~ Stryker
SHOWERING AT THE GYM with a hard dick was something that hadn’t happened to me before. Normally, after working out, I’d be ready for sleep, or wired for more, instead of some action. But after lying with Evie last night and being close to her, my body had been constantly hard.
Even when I’d snuck out of the apartment to head back to mine, my body had cried out for her. So had my heart. It was the thought of bringing trouble to her door that had me moving my ass regardless.
Coach had noticed my distraction even though he’d kept his mouth shut. All I’d have done anyway was deny it.
As the heat of the water came down on my tense muscle, I heard someone enter the showers. A quick glance over my shoulder told me it was Carter. He was the only other man in the gym that I’d considered asking for help. But the question in my mind was what would happen if I trusted the wrong person. Since my father, I hadn’t trusted anyone. Coach needed his salary so I hadn’t risked trusting him to that extent before, but Evie. Evie I trusted. I wasn’t ready to trust her with the full story of my life, but I trusted her to keep anything I told her to herself. Now though, I was tempted to trust Carter.
“You want to do some sparring tomorrow?” he asked, out of the blue.
Checking my erection had shrunk, I knocked off the shower, grabbed a towel and wrapped it around my hips as I turned to face his back.
He was covered in tattoos, tasteful ones at that, and when he turned and saw my gaze on his back, he smirked. “At least you weren’t looking at my ass.”
My surprise was evident, but then I laughed.
He grinned.
“You heard the rumors, huh?”
“I did. Thought there might have been some truth in them until I saw you watching Evie.”
I frowned.
“Hey, it was only an observation. But you do need to step back when she’s around before others notice. You hear me?”
Nodding, I headed for my locker.
It had been on the tip of my tongue to ask him a favor. Just the thought of asking sent my heart into overdrive. I could trust him, couldn’t I?
Only one way to find out.
Quickly dressing in sweats, T-shirt and sneakers, I went over to his locker and only had to wait seconds before he appeared with a towel wrapped around his waist and another around his neck.
He stopped when he saw me, a look of wariness on his face.
I closed my eyes and asked, “I need a favor.” I moved closer and while my heart went frantic, my palms sweated, I asked him, “Can you get me a cell phone without anyone finding out?”
His eyes widened with surprise but he agreed. “Prepaid will be better for you. I’ll load it up.”
Fuck.
I hadn’t thought about money.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m not as clueless as they think and I’m happy to help you.” Carter reached for his shoulder and rubbed before turning to his locker. “I’ll get it later today.”
“Thank you.”
I didn’t know what else to say or do, so I turned and headed out of the gym only to freeze when I spotted the black car at the curb. Tinted windows and a chauffeur meant one thing only to me.
I had to get in.
I felt like running, but instead I did what was expected and climbed into the back seat.
Patrick awaited me.
A very angry, but controlled, Patrick.
“I’
m going to get right to it. The keycard says you entered the building at ten-forty-three, yet you didn’t appear in the apartment until close to five am. Want to tell me where you went?”
Fuck.
“I didn’t go anywhere. The time must be wrong.”
His jaw tightened. “Someone spotted Evie entering the front of the building around ten-thirty but he has no idea where she went after that. So, I’ll ask you again. Where did you go? And a new question, was Evie with you?”
I clenched my fists at my side praying for control because I really wanted to knock the smug bastard out of the car. I could do it as well.
Inhaling before I slowly exhaled, I let him see that I was pissed. He moved into the corner and watched me, his face showed concern for his own safety, finally.
“Evie was not with me. The only time I’ve been close to her was yesterday morning when she was upset. As for the time-lapse, I’ve no idea what’s going on with that. You know that I have no clue about anything to do with technology. But we weren’t together, and I came straight in and to my apartment.”
He couldn’t decide whether or not I told him the truth, it was in his eyes.
“Regardless, Evie will be my wife very soon. In fact, I’m on my way to pick her up for a visit to her parents’ house for the weekend.” He smirked. “So go…make my family more money this weekend and I’ll try and forget the lapse in time.”
My first thought was to pound into him, or warn him of what would happen if he so much as laid a hand on Evie again.
Seconds from doing what I wanted, I jumped out of the car and walked.
They’d follow me.
Right now I didn’t give a fuck what they did.
She wouldn’t be here for the fight.
Until that moment, I hadn’t realized how much I wanted her there. I wanted her in my corner, my name on her lips. Not Stryker…Jake.
That couldn’t happen.
Didn’t stop me from wanting it…wanting it so badly that I was that close to telling them to have her there or there’d be no fight.
I gave a mirthless laugh. I wouldn’t do that because then they’d realize that she meant something to me. They’d use that against me, and maybe harm Evie. I wouldn’t allow that, or be responsible.
Reaching the park, I took off. I needed to run. And I needed to run fast.
So what if I knew they couldn’t keep up to me.
Evie
I WAS NERVOUS AS hell that Patrick was picking me up, and had been surprised that he wanted to travel together for an unplanned party at my parents’ house. The only thing keeping my fear at bay was the fact that we’d be in the car and then at my parents’ house. He’d only be able to use words to get at me, instead of his strength.
Closing my eyes, I tried to center myself and calm my nerves.
I could do this.
I had to do this.
I had to end whatever this was over the weekend.
Sighing, I met my gaze in the mirror and carefully applied my plum-colored lip-gloss while I tried to get my mind focused. Being distracted would be noticeable, and my father never missed anything. How could I focus when I knew Stryker was fighting over the weekend? I wouldn’t be there to watch him. To wrap my arms around him and ease his aching muscles.
But I could let him know I might not be there for him at the fight but my heart was.
He didn’t have a cell though, but Millie was finally seeing Carter tonight, so maybe…
Spying my cell lying next to my purse, I turned it over in my hands, dropped to the sofa in my living room and went for it.
Waiting for Millie to pick up, my foot tapped against the floor with impatience, more so when I noticed the time. Patrick would be here soon. Ten minutes. He’d be five minutes early like always.
“Evie, is everything okay?” My breathless friend sounded worried.
“I guess.”
I let the silence hang while I tried to figure out what to say, but in the end, straightforward would work best. “I need you to ask Carter to get a message to Stryker for me. Can you do that?”
“Evie, you don’t need to ask. I’ll do anything to help. You know that. Tell me the message?”
“I need him to know that…that I might not be at the fight, but that my heart is with him. I need him to know how I feel Millie.”
“He’ll know. I promise.”
The tightness in my chest released as I sagged against the back of the sofa. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I’m worried about you.”
“I’m fine, really, and it’s not like Patrick can get up to anything in the car. He’s a very private man so at least I’m reassured by that. He’s in his usual room at my parents’ house because you know they don’t condone sharing unless there is a wedding band on a finger. I’ll be fine.”
There was silence. “Who are you trying to convince?” she asked, her voice a concerned whisper.
I smiled, sadly. “Please don’t worry about me. My father won’t let anything happen to me. You just enjoy yourself with Carter while I’m away.”
“I will on the condition that you call and let me know how you are. I also want to know when you plan on moving in with me?”
Chuckling, my face lit with happiness. “We’ll talk about it when I get back.”
“Good! Because the security is much better here than where you live. Anyone can knock on your door.”
That wasn’t quite true, but I wasn’t going to argue. The thought of living with her gave me something to look forward to. But for Patrick we would have lived together after college, but there again, I let him talk me into this place.
“I need to go, Millie. Please don’t worry and we’ll talk soon. Don’t forget my message.”
“I won’t. Love you.”
“Love you.” I hung up, but stayed seated, my cell going back and forth in my hand.
Minutes went by before I heard a car pull up outside, which was what I needed to get myself moving.
Patrick would frown when he saw me because I had jeans and boots on. I figured that I needed to dress my outfit up a bit so I’d paired the jeans with a cream tank, and a cream silk blouse on top.
Hearing the knock on my door, I breathed deeply through my nose before answering because the nerves were back in my stomach again.
He stood before me in his usual navy blue trouser and blazer with a pale blue shirt. He was a handsome man but there was no spark between us. There had been a small one when we’d first met…the reason why I was in this mess…but that spark had died a long time ago and any hope that it would reignite had died after what he’d done to me. My skin crawled at the thought of being alone with him.
“We need to talk.” He stepped around me, waiting for my attention to be on him.
Sighing, wondering whether I could trust him, I slowly let the door close behind me and leaned against it. “I’m listening.”
He cleared his throat. “I want to apologize for the other night.” He impatiently brushed the hair from his forehead. He had a cowl at the front that constantly got in his way. But what did he expect with a head full of blond hair. “I don’t know what happened. I just lost it and didn’t think. I’m sorry, Evie. Can you forgive me?”
Stunned.
I wondered whether his words felt as alien coming out of his mouth as they did to me hearing them. He never apologized for anything, even when he was wrong so the fact that he did now made me nervous. It was as though he wanted something from me. Or he wanted me to be more complacent over the weekend at my parents’ house. There was something more to this than an apology.
“Please say something,” he requested with impatience, taking a step closer.
It took a lot not to cringe, but I stood my ground. “I don’t know what to say.” Because I can’t forgive you.
“I want you to stop moving away when I come close. I want you to say you’ll try and forget what happened so we can move on. I don’t want your family, especially your father, gett
ing wind of anything wrong between us.”
My father? I should have known.
“I can act.” For now!
Slipping around him, I grabbed my overnight bag and purse. “Let’s go.”
He cursed and removed the bag from my hands. “You’re damn stubborn.”
I watched him walk off down the stairs while I made sure my apartment was locked tight, wondering what was really going on with him. Stryker was also in my thoughts but for a different reason entirely. I wanted to be with him, and the fact that I had to spend time until I’d talked to Patrick being nice to him in front of my parents made me feel nauseous.
If only I’d have been able to talk to him before this weekend trip so that I’d be making it on my own instead. But for the other night I probably would have gotten it out of the way by now, but he’d scared me to the point that I didn’t want to be alone with him again. Not only had he scared me, he’d surprised the hell out of me. By his half-assed apology and he knew it too.
Patrick was on his cell when I walked out of my building, pacing as though agitated. He completely ignored me as I slipped into the car. Once settled with still no sign of Patrick joining me, I slipped my sunglasses on. He always said my thoughts were clear in my eyes so that was the last thing I wanted him to see.
Once we arrived at my parents’ house, we’d have to find somewhere quiet to talk, but close to where others could hear if he pounced again.
I hated feeling afraid in his presence.
Chapter 13 ~ Stryker
“YOU KNOW HOW TO work it, right?” Carter frowned at my puzzlement over the alien object in my hand.
A cell phone.
I’d seen plenty, but never held one in my hand before so of course I’d never used one either.
“Here.” Carter took it back and started pressing buttons. “Look, it’s a basic one, okay? To make a call press this button, select the name of the person you want to call or punch in the number. At the minute, you only have Evie, Millie, and my number programmed in. After you’ve made a call, I’ll show you how to clear the call logs just in case.”
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