“You’re already inside me.” Swooping in, Knox froze half an inch from her lips even as he urged her hips forward and her knee to his waist. His breath fanned across her cheek. “Do you feel it yet?”
She felt so many things. “What?”
“The truth,” he answered quietly. “It has always been you.”
Understanding slammed into her at the same time as the blunt head of his cock pushed past her opening. He seized her mouth. Memories flooded her brain. He’d always been hovering at the edge of her life. Patient. Slowly seducing her. Waiting. Undaunted.
“I gave you plenty of chances to get away.” He curled his tongue around hers before moaning against her mouth. “Mine now.”
She couldn’t deny it, nor did she want to. He owned her completely. Her muscles quivered under his sensual destruction. Even her nipples ached for more of him as streaks of pleasure ran through her. With a strength she didn’t know she possessed, Mandy turned her face away. “Bench,” she suggested, gasping for air. Her feet left the floor as he shifted away from the wall to give her what she wanted. The moment his ass hit the seat, she took control. Scoring his shoulders with her nails, she rocked against him. The direct stimulation of his body against her clit drove her wild. Mandy threw her head back as his teeth scraped along her collarbone and his hips rose to meet her thrusts. His arms kept her locked tight in his grasp while guttural cries ripped from his throat. Her muscles tensed as pleasure coiled in her stomach. The edge of ecstasy beckoned her. Knox swept a hand down her back, squeezing her ass before trailing his fingertips along her crevice. She held her breath. Waiting. His lips moved from her neck to her mouth. His tongue teased her lips while his fingers taunted her with their presence. Pushing his way inside, Knox surged upward, and Mandy moaned as an orgasm tore through her. A strangled noise came from deep inside him as he came.
Even as the haze of lust ebbed, Knox continued pumping his finger inside her ass. She was panting. It was unnaturally loud, but she couldn’t stop. Her flesh was inflamed from his touch. Every place their skin met sang with decadence.
His mouth moved to her ear and his lips brushed her lobe with every deep, silky word he spoke. “One day soon, I’ll fuck you here.” He pressed another finger inside her, stretching her wide. The already sensitive nerve endings sang under his touch. Hot liquid rushed from her pussy, soaking his cock with the proof of their combined pleasure. Raw sexuality dripped from his voice. “Use me, Mandy. Get yourself off on my body. Let me watch.”
Turning her head, she met his gaze. His eyes—damn—they stole everything from her. They burned with an overload of lust, leaving her shattered and willing to do anything he wanted. She didn’t doubt she would have killed for him if he asked her to in that moment. Making sure his stare followed her movements, Mandy skimmed her hand down her body until she could slide her fingers along her slit. His nostrils flared, sending a shiver of yearning through her. Her clit pulsed as she circled it. A moan slipped past her lips.
“That’s it, baby. You’re so damn sexy. When I get you in bed I’ll lick you clean.” The tingle between her legs increased with every word he said. The flush across his cheekbones held her captivated. Everything about Knox was the definition of carnality. “Let me have it,” he demanded, and proving he was her body’s master, an orgasm slammed into her, stealing her breath. A spasm rocked her while bursts of electricity caused her channel to pulse and her cunt to milk his cock. Burying her face against his throat, she muffled the whimpering she couldn’t choke down.
The fog of lust suffocating her receded, allowing reality to seep in. “Holy shit. Kerry will tell everyone.” At her horrified whisper, a rumble of laughter slipped from Knox, causing his chest to vibrate. She pinched his side and he shook even harder before a snort escaped. It was sort of funny, but she’d be damned if she let him know it. Of course, nothing could dampen the swell of happiness inside her, not even the knowledge that she would soon have to make the walk of shame from the club.
Chapter Five
November
Dane completed sixteen weeks of in-patient rehab, revealing a dedication to recovery he’d never shown in the past. Rhys felt sure this miracle would not have occurred if not for the incident with Mandy. Not that Rhys was grateful Dane had hurt her. However, he did hope this was the first step toward fixing everything broken, beginning with his family. Of course, it would help if he could find Knox. He’d stopped by his house several times, but Knox was never there. No one had seen him at No Rival. The only place he’d not checked was Grid Iron.
When Rhys spotted the gorgeous woman working the front desk of the Grid Iron club, he stole a moment to watch her. She was easily a foot shorter than he was and her sleek brown locks framed her sharply angled face to perfection. Her curves were made for a man’s enjoyment. The things he could do with someone like her. He shook off the thought.
Donning his most charming smile, he strode confidently toward the entrance as if he belonged. Rhys tossed a heavy wink her way as he passed by. “I’m going to pop in and snag my brother. I’ll only be a minute.”
To his surprise, her brow furrowed and she moved faster than any woman he’d ever seen in his life. Stepping into his path, she forced him to draw up short of his goal. “Excuse me, sir. You’re not allowed past this point unless you’re a member.”
“I’m just here to see my brother, Knox Collier. I’m not interested in doing anything else.” He added a hot glance down the length of her body to let her know he wasn’t opposed to being convinced to try a few things. It was a mistake.
Her nostrils flared and something dark flashed in her eyes. “No membership, no entry.”
The brunette blocked his way as sure as if she was twice his size instead of half. He fell back on his natural charm and lowered his voice to the one used every time he was going in for the kill. “Look…” He trailed off hoping she would supply her name, and when she didn’t, he lost an ounce of confidence. “My brother is here almost every day. If you’ll, at the very least, let me know if he’s here today, then I’ll be out of your hair. It’s not like I’m trying to break in and work out for free or anything.” He snapped his teeth together when he realized he was on the verge of sounding idiotic.
“As I said, only members are allowed past this point, and their privacy is one of our top priorities.”
Her expression never changed, and something about her struck him as familiar. He recognized that poker face. “Do you know Ryan Crawford?” Nothing. Not even a blink.
“If you’re interested in signing up for Mr. Crawford’s self-defense class, you can find the form online at our website.”
Damn, she was a tough one. “Can I leave a note for Knox?”
“Rhys?”
The sound of his name caused him to turn. Ryan hovered in the entryway, eyeing him curiously. Obviously believing Ryan had things under control, the brown-haired girl dipped back behind the counter. “Thank goodness, a friendly face,” Rhys called out in relief. “I was beginning to think the club’s guard dog would have me arrested for trying to see my brother.” He waved a hand toward the girl at the sign-in desk in case Ryan hadn’t understood who he meant.
Ryan’s eyes lit with humor and the brunette snorted, showing the first sign of life since his arrival. “I’m just coming in for the day, so I’m not sure if Knox is here. If you’ll give me a minute, I’ll run inside and check.”
“Thank you. I’d appreciate that. I haven’t been able to get ahold of him.”
Ryan glanced away uncomfortably, setting off alarm bells in his head. Something was up with Knox, and it seemed Rhys was the only person who didn’t know what it was. “Kerry, try not to hurt him before I get back.”
Falling back on humor, Rhys scoffed at the words. “What about after you return?” Ryan smirked as he brushed past him and headed inside. At the last moment, he paused. “You did call my sister a dog, so it’s only fair she be allowed to do some damage.”
Rhys groaned and the sound of
Ryan’s laughter rang in his ears even after he was gone. Casting a nervous glance around the room, Rhys searched for anything to concentrate on to avoid another confrontation. Apparently, he’d pissed off the universe and karma was a woman, because they were all turning on him. The white walls and black floor combination of the club’s foyer felt like a holding cell. Rhys hated it. Thankfully, a glossy eight-by-ten photo hanging on the nearby wall caught Rhys’ attention, giving him something to focus on. It was an image of his brother facing off against Max. Their fierce expressions captured the emotion of battle to perfection, but that wasn’t what caused his heart to skip a beat. Mandy’s watermark adorned the bottom right-hand corner.
“I can’t believe it.”
“Yeah, Mandy Everette is an awesome photographer,” Kerry said behind him, making him realize he’d spoken aloud.
His chest tightened. Without turning, he muttered, “It is amazing.”
“If you sign up for Ryan’s class then you can see the full collection.”
Her smartass comment made his eye twitch. “I’m over here minding my own business. Why do you keep busting my balls?”
“I don’t like you.”
“You don’t know me,” Rhys said without bothering to look at her.
“I don’t need to. It’s obvious you have chocolate dick syndrome.”
That got his attention. “What?”
She waved her hands wildly. “You know, it’s when you think your dick is like chocolate. Therefore, all women should be happily sucking it, but just like with any sugary treat, you leave them empty and hating themselves afterward.”
“Wow! Some man must have really done a number on you to leave you so bitter.”
To his surprise, Kerry smiled sweetly. “Of course the problem must be mine. There couldn’t possibly be a thing wrong with you. You’re perfect, right? You smile and wink at all the girls. You give them what they want if they pout prettily enough. How could a woman go wrong?”
He ignored the niggling voice in the back of his mind whispering she was right. “Oh. I see. You have me all figured out. There’s no chance you might be wrong about me?”
Kerry eyed him closely as if seriously considering his question before answering, “Nope, not a chance. You’re an empty shell.”
He opened his mouth prepared to blast her but Ryan reappeared, saving her from his wrath. “He’s not here.” Ryan froze and looked them both over. “Is everything okay out here?”
Rhys narrowed his eyes at Kerry, silently promising retribution before turning away. “I appreciate the help. I guess I’ll have to wait on him to resurface because I’m out of ideas.”
“You should check with Mandy,” Ryan suggested.
Rhys clasped his hands behind his back. His knuckles cracked as he curled his fingers into a fist. “Why would Mandy know where Knox is?” His voice remained steady but he couldn’t hide the frost in his tone.
Luckily, Ryan didn’t appear to notice. “I assumed they were inseparable,” he answered with a shrug. “You never see one without the other anymore.”
He would kill someone. It was the only thought rattling through his brain as he thanked Ryan for his help. Even as Rhys made the fifteen-minute drive to Mandy’s, he couldn’t picture anything other than wrapping his fingers around Knox’s throat.
A faint glow emanated around the closed blinds of Mandy’s front window, and Knox’s 2014 GMC Sierra sat parked next to her car. Rhys spent several minutes staring at the window attempting to see any hint of life coming from inside. He had to know. When he could no longer stand the curiosity, he threw open the door on his truck, still unsure of how to approach this. If he beat on the door and openly accused Knox of moving in on his woman, Mandy would never forgive him if it turned out his suspicions were wrong. The pitch-black darkness outside made it easy for him to peek around the cracks of her blinds. Unfortunately, it didn’t allow for much of a view. He could see the empty kitchen but nothing else. No sounds emerged from inside and the lack of activity made his skin crawl. If this were an innocent visit, there would be the sound of voices or a TV floating through the thin walls.
He didn’t have high hopes her spare key would be in the same spot, and he was more than a little surprised when he found it still under the flowerpot. Moving as quietly as possible, he let himself in. Rhys braced for Mandy to blast him, but no attack came. The front room was empty. A t-shirt on the floor caught his eye as he slipped inside, making sure to latch the door behind him. The article of clothing looked suspiciously like something he’d seen Knox wear. A few feet from the shirt was a lacy bra, and Rhys followed the trail of discarded clothing through the house until the bathroom came into view. Steam rolled from the open doorway, and the splash of water seemed unnaturally loud in the otherwise silent house.
The thick carpet of the hallway muffled his footfalls as he moved closer. A gap in the shower curtain gave him a clear view of Mandy against the wall. Water dripped from her blonde locks and rolled down her face. Her eyes were closed as she panted for breath. A flush covered her pale skin and a strangled cry left her throat as the man rocking against her brought her to release. The opaque shower curtain hid most of the man’s features from view and his face was buried in the crook of Mandy’s neck, but Rhys would recognize his brother anywhere. Time lost all meaning as he watched them together. It could have been seconds or an hour passing him by.
When the feeling returned to his limbs, he took a step backward and then another until he was standing at the door of his truck with no memory of how he came to be there. Knox and Mandy. Everything hurt. A sharp pain pierced him between the eyes and his chest felt tight. He couldn’t leave. Without any real plan in mind, he sat behind the wheel and stared at her apartment until he felt sure they should be able to feel his gaze penetrating the walls. He didn’t have many people he cared about, but two of them were inside…together. How could they betray him like this?
A huge part of Rhys wanted to go back inside and drag Knox from the shower. The rest of him was just numb. He forced his mind to go blank and he sat back to wait. Knox would have to leave sometime and he would be here. After all, it was a fight night. What felt like an eternity later, Knox appeared in the doorway, blocking out the light streaming from inside with his large frame. He took a couple steps before spinning and hauling Mandy out with him. Her laughter rang through the parking lot before Knox cut off the sound by covering her mouth with his own.
The rage finally came and Rhys slipped from the vehicle once more. He wove his way through the other cars parked in the lot, staying out of sight. A groan only a doomed man could make escaped Knox as he pulled away from Mandy. “It’s cold. What are you doing outside with no clothes on?” he asked as he attempted to push her back inside. Rhys had never seen his brother playful with anyone before. It made him seem even more of a stranger. Unguarded, Knox appeared younger and Rhys couldn’t look away from his face. He hid in the shadows, watching until Knox was backing out of his spot. Mandy leaned against the doorframe until his truck was out of sight, and as she took a step backward into the house, Rhys made his move.
* * * * *
The hot water pounding on his back while his cock pumped inside Mandy’s tight heat was a sensation Knox could not shake. He couldn’t get enough of her. With his eyes locked on the road in front of him, he tried to shove her into a box inside his mind, but Mandy refused to budge. She was always right there taunting him with his need. Damn, he wanted to turn around and go back. Even after she’d coated his body with soap, he still swore he could smell her on his skin.
His needy cock twitched to life and a rumble of laughter escaped him. By all accounts, his dick should be dead. The picture of Mandy taking him between her lips flashed across his mind. He was so fucked. One day he would wake up and simply refuse to leave their bed. Damn, he was near to there now. Touching his lips, Knox physically attempted to wipe away his smile. No matter how he tried, it snapped back into place. At some point in the past few months, the ec
ho of Mandy’s voice inside his head had become louder than the demons haunting him. The time had come for him to talk to Rhys. He’d put it off too long as it was. They never spent more than half an hour in each other’s company, so it hadn’t been hard to avoid the subject of Mandy. The reasons for his silence were purely selfish. He knew Rhys would be pissed and he wasn’t ready to have his peace disrupted. Tonight Knox had ensured the topic could no longer be avoided. Even the thought of Rhys’ anger could not dispel his happiness. The picture of Mandy’s expression as he’d dropped to one knee would not leave his mind. She’d been ecstatic. How had he gotten so lucky? Mandy shouldn’t have looked at him twice. Now not only was she going to marry him, she was overjoyed at the prospect.
Fuck it. Knox whipped a U-turn. He was going home. There would be time for a thousand matches, but tonight, he wanted to be with Mandy, and kissing her feet for taking a chance on him.
* * * * *
“Is this some attempt to get even with me?”
Mandy gasped in surprise when Rhys spoke, seeming to appear out of nowhere.
“If so, then let me know when you’re finished because I want my life back. I want you back.”
She clutched at her chest attempting to slow the racing of her heart. She hated when people snuck up on her. Four months. He had been gone from her life for sixteen whole weeks, and at the first sight of him, she made an unfortunate discovery. She was still pissed.
“Of all the egotistical—” She broke off and counted to ten in her head. “To hell with this,” she muttered, turning away and heading inside. She intended to leave him standing on the sidewalk, but he stormed in behind her as if he belonged there.
He snagged her arm, halting her progress. “How is it egotistical? We were happy before you threw me out of your life.”
She didn’t know him. Most likely, she never really had. Perhaps he’d charmed her, or she’d built him up in her mind. Either way, she didn’t know the person standing in front of her. “Happy,” she repeated, unable to believe her ears. “What fucking planet do you live on? I’ve been happier these past few months than I have ever been in my life and it has nothing to do with you.”
Undaunted (No Rival Book 2) Page 9