by A. O. Peart
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Here’s a sneak peek at A Fighter’s Desire – Part One by NYT and USA Today Bestselling author, L.P. Dover. This is the first book in her Gloves Off series.
“YOU ARE SUCH an asshole!” April screamed, her face blood red with rage. She actually looked kind of cute pissed off, but it wasn’t enough to get me to change my mind.
Casually, I lounged back on my bed and smiled, which only infuriated her more. “I never said I wasn’t, sweetheart. You knew what you were getting in to when you agreed to stay tonight. I didn’t promise you anything.”
Huffing, she yanked her little red dress over her mussed up blonde hair and smoothed it down her body before marching toward the door. “Yeah, but I didn’t think you were going to turn into an inconsiderate douche bag either.”
“Yeah, well I’d like to hear you say that to the next guy you almost castrate. Seriously, I’m doing both of us a favor. You might want to practice sucking dick without using your fucking teeth.”
She scoffed and threw open the door, only to come face to face with my twin brother, Camden, who was the exact replica of me. He was shirtless, wearing a pair of jeans with the biggest grin on his face and his hand up in the air about to knock. If he was at my door that meant his date wasn’t any better.
“Everything okay in here?” he asked teasingly, gazing up and down her body.
“Ugh … fuck you,” she snarled, glancing back and forth at us. “Fuck you, both.”
Pushing her way past Camden, she stormed down the hallway, her thunderous footsteps echoing until I heard the front door open and slam shut. “Dude, what the hell happened?” he asked, bursting out in laughter. “You two were basically getting it on in the living room just a few minutes ago.”
“Oh, I know. It was fun until she decided to go down on me. The bitch seriously needs to learn how to suck a dick. I swear, I thought she was going to bite the fucking thing off.”
Camden cringed. “Ouch! Well, I’m glad I didn’t pick her tonight. Although, I can’t say my choice is much better.”
Chuckling, I slipped out of bed and pulled on a pair of jeans. After the party tonight, we’d both made our picks on who we wanted; he chose a long-legged brunette while I picked April, a petite and curvy blonde.
“Oh yeah, and why is that?” I asked.
Camden groaned and shut my door, talking low so his date couldn’t hear him. “The girl can’t kiss for shit. It’s like I’m drowning each time she opens her mouth. Why is it so hard to find a girl who knows what she’s doing?”
That was a good question. If there was one thing I loved doing, it was fighting and fucking. I delighted in being with women, enjoying different varieties, and appreciated them even more when they knew how to get me off. I didn’t want someone inexperienced, but I also didn’t want a whore.
Camden and I wanted someone who was in between; someone who knew what she was doing and who hadn’t been with a shit ton of men. Unfortunately, it was hard to find a woman like that.
“I don’t know, but I’m sure as hell going to find one. We need someone different, someone who’s not part of our crowd,” I said, answering my brother’s question.
With a mischievous smirk on his face, Camden nodded and opened the door. “I agree. Well how about we go and find us one? I can sacrifice a night to go out.”
Camden and I had strict rules during fighting season, so we kept to our coach’s rules and abstained from sex right before our fights. It just so happened that our next fight was the last one for a couple of weeks. I was going to make sure I enjoyed that time off, too.
Grabbing a shirt from my closet, I slipped it over my head and clapped my brother on the shoulder. We were completely identical, except I had a small scar at my hairline above my left eye, which always gave my identity away. Therefore, to keep people from telling us apart, we always wore baseball caps so I could hide it.
“Let’s go then,” I told him. “Ditch your girl and we’ll get the hell out of here.”
I wanted to have some fun.
CRAVING SPEED, CAMDEN and I hopped on our motorcycles and headed down to Cloud Nine, which was one of the most popular clubs in all of downtown Los Angeles. When we pulled up to the club, the valet guys recognized us and pointed to the valet parking deck so that we could park our bikes. The one good thing about being VIP members was that we got treated like royalty.
I fucking loved it.
“Dude, you kicked ass last weekend,” one of the valet guys shouted. From this distance, I could tell by the shaved head, tattoos on both arms, and short, stocky stature that it was Andres, one of the club bouncers.
Taking off my helmet, I strapped it to my bike and shook his outstretched hand. “Thanks, man. It was a good fight. So how is it in there?” I asked, nodding toward the club.
Andres chuckled and slapped me on the back. “It’s wild, but I know you boys are used to that. Come on, I’ll let you go in through the back. That way no one gets pissed.”
“Hell yeah,” Camden retorted. “The last thing we need is to get arrested again, or we’ll be kissing the championship good-bye.”
At another club downtown last week, Camden was provoked by a random guy who thought he could best him. Unfortunately, Camden had a few drinks in his system and kicked the guy’s ass. The fucker pressed charges, but they were eventually dropped since witnesses claimed Camden was taunted.
He got lucky, even though we both knew he was guilty as hell. Walking away from a fight wasn’t something we were good at. It was in our blood … in our hearts. Fighting was all we knew. Well, that and screwing around with women. It was what we lived for, what we wanted.
Andres led us to the side of the building, where another bouncer stood watch in case someone tried to sneak in. Both guys were huge, more along the lines of a linebacker with their hulking frames and muscles as big as my thighs. I was a big guy, but they put me to shame.
As soon as we walked in, Andres led us through the throng of people. When we got to the bar, he tapped his hand on the counter to get the bartender’s attention. “Stay out of trouble, boys. Enjoy yourselves.”
“Take care, man,” I said, bumping his fist. “And thanks for letting us in the back.”
Nodding, he turned and called out over his shoulder, “No problem.”
Once he left, it was time to party. “What’s up, guys, you having the usual tonight?” the bartender asked.
His name was Eric, but on some nights he went by Erica, depending on which bar he was working at. The strange thing about him was that he wasn’t gay. He had long, brown hair just past his shoulders and a small frame, very feminine, and he had a girlfriend who was hot as shit. She didn’t seem to mind his wardrobe changes though. In fact, she seemed to love it which never made any sense to me.
Since Camden was too busy scanning the crowd, I ordered for us. “Yeah, I’ll have a gin and tonic, and make Cam his usual rum and Coke.”
As soon as he finished the drinks, Camden gulped his down and set the empty glass on the bar, keeping his gaze on a group of girls grinding against each other on the dance floor.
His grin grew wider as he elbowed me in the side. “I think that has my name all over it, brother. Are you going to join me?”
The girls were hot, but they weren’t what I was looking for. All three were blonde, and I’d already been jaded by one tonight; I wanted a sultry brunette. Grabbing a seat at the bar, I took another sip of my drink and waved him off. “No, you go ahead. I’ll find what I’m looking for later.”
“Suit yourself. It means more for me.”
Not wasting any time, Camden joined the group of girls and they surrounded him, rubbing their hands and bodies all over him. He’s definitely going to get some ass tonight. It wasn’t long before they slowly started to sidle off the dance floor, heading to the back of the club. They were going straight to the VIP rooms.
“You want another one?” Eric asked, taking away my e
mpty glass.
About that time, a hand brushed across my shoulders. I glanced up to find exactly what I’d been looking for … a sultry brunette with eyes the color of honey. Oh yeah, just what I wanted.
Dressed in a skin tight red dress, I couldn’t help but gaze down her curvy body. When she noticed me looking, she poked out her chest a little more, showing off the swell of her nipples, which poked out of the fabric. It was like they were beckoning me, inviting me to take them into my mouth. I licked my lips in response, knowing very well I was going to have them soon.
Smiling, she bit her lip and murmured in my ear, “Can I buy you a drink?”
She took my hand and placed it on her hip, slowly trailing it over her ass. I squeezed and brought her closer, and in return she grazed her hand along my thigh and over my cock.
“How can I refuse?” I replied, noting that she wasn’t wearing any underwear.
Good, I could drag her away and fuck her, quickly and easily. My dick was getting hard just thinking about it.
I nodded to the bartender and smiled, fixing up another gin and tonic before pouring it into a glass. Turning to the dark-haired beauty, I smiled and held it up. “Thank you for the drink. What’s your name? I’m Ryley.”
Grinning, she watched my mouth as I took a sip of my drink. “Oh I know who you are,” she murmured heatedly. “I think every woman in this place knows who you and your brother are. I just happened to get lucky enough to spot you first.” She held out her hand. “I’m Megan.”
I chugged the rest of my drink and took her hand. “Well, Megan, how about we go out on the dance floor and you show me your moves?”
Pressing her body to mine, she chuckled low. “Or better yet,” she whispered in my ear, “how about you show me yours?” Her hand grazed down my chest to the button on my jeans. “How does that sound?”
“Lead the way, baby.”
As we danced our way through the crowd to the back rooms, my dick got harder with each step. Since April—the castrator—didn’t finish the job earlier, I needed the release. Once we were hidden away in a dark corner of a VIP room, she wrapped her arms around my neck and I grabbed her ass, lifting her up so she could fold her legs around me.
“I’m surprised you didn’t want to talk first,” I teased, reaching into my back pocket for a condom. I always carried a couple with me everywhere I went.
Megan moaned, licking her lips. “Talking’s overrated, don’t you think?”
“That it is,” I agreed.
With one hand, I unzipped my pants and pulled out my cock before tearing open the condom wrapper with my teeth. After sliding it down over me, I lifted her dress up above her waist and pushed her harder into the wall, making her moan.
No one was around, and even if they were, my body shielded hers since she was smaller and more petite. Besides, everyone knew to leave me alone if I was in my zone.
Reaching behind her, I circled my finger between her legs and groaned at how wet she was. I pushed two fingers inside of her and felt her clench tight, drawing me in. “Oh yeah, you’re ready for me, aren’t you?”
Moaning, she lowered the top to her dress and played with one of her nipples, making it perk up even more. “You have no idea how ready I am.”
Lowering my lips, I pulled her nipple into my mouth and sucked hard, biting down so I could hear her scream. The music in the other room muffled any noise that came from these separate rooms, so I didn’t have to worry about anyone hearing. In fact, her strangled cry of ecstasy only made me want to hear it again … so I bit down even harder.
Unfortunately, her scream wasn’t the only sound I heard …
“Bitch, what the fuck are you doing?” a guy shouted from behind.
Megan tensed in my hold and gasped, immediately letting her legs fall away from my waist, obviously terrified. Before turning around, I slid off the condom and threw it on the floor, buttoning up my jeans. However, I didn’t expect what happened next.
The second I turned around, my jaw cracked and lit up like fire. The prick behind me had punched the shit out of my face. My head snapped to the side, but being the trained fighter I was I corrected myself just as quickly and went into fight mode. The taste of blood slid down my throat and my cheek throbbed from biting into it.
This motherfucker’s going to pay for that.
The guy was a little taller than me—and stockier—but he was sloppy and drunk. Before I could land a hit, Megan tried to reason with him. Suddenly, he slapped her before pushing her so hard into the wall that she fell to the floor.
“What the fuck?” I growled angrily, seeing only red as Megan shakily got to her feet.
That’s it … this guy is done. I wasn’t in the ring; I was dealing with a douche bag that got off on hitting women. He needed to be put in his place.
Charging toward him, I tackled him to the floor and pummeled his face, over and over with my fists. My knuckles started to tear open and bleed, but I didn’t care; I wanted him to hurt. He had two friends with him who tried to pull me away, but after I punched one and felt his nose crack, they both backed off and left the room.
Blood was everywhere … on my hands, my clothes, and all over the floor as the fucker beneath me coughed, spitting out two of his teeth. I wanted to break his face until they all came out.
Megan’s scream, however, was what drew me out of my zone.
“Ryley, please stop!” she cried. “Oh my God, please.”
Teeth clenched and breathing hard, I was ready to kill, but I stopped and immediately pulled away, getting to my feet. About that time, Andres burst into the room followed by more bouncers and two police officers.
Great, I thought. I’m fucked.
Andres and one of the officers went straight to the guy on the floor. Meanwhile, the other officer approached me head on. I knew the drill all too well, so I placed my hands behind my head, not even resisting when he cuffed me. By the look in his eyes, he’d been prepared for a fight, but I knew better than to do that.
The last thing I wanted was to be banned from the UFC, and knowing my luck I was probably going to be after what I’d done. I may have hit the cocksucker one too many times, but he deserved it.
“Care to tell me what’s going on, son?” the officer asked.
He was older, probably in his early fifties, and most likely ex-military judging by the dog tags around his neck and the buzz cut; very authoritative looking and almost the exact image of my father.
My father was my biggest supporter and the one who inspired my brother and me to fight. He passed away two years ago after a motorcycle accident, and ever since then nothing had been the same. I may be spending the night in jail, but he would’ve done the same thing if he saw a man hit a woman.
Since the guy on the ground was knocked out, I knew I was going to be the guilty party no matter what I said. Thankfully, Megan spoke up on my behalf. Gone was the girl who seduced me, and in her place was a scared woman, terrified.
“It wasn’t his fault, Officer, it was mine,” she cried, her voice shaking.
“And how is that?” the officer asked, turning his attention to her. Swallowing hard, she looked down at the guy on the floor and then sheepishly at me. She briefly closed her eyes before turning toward the officer. It didn’t take a genius to figure it out … the son of a bitch was her boyfriend.
“My boyfriend caught me in here with Ryley, sir. When he found us, he made the first move and hit Ryley. It was stupid of me, and I shouldn’t have done it. I promise, Ryley was only defending himself.”
“And you,” I added angrily, glaring at her. “I was defending you. Why would you want to be with someone who hits you like that? Has he done it before?”
Shrugging, she once again closed her eyes and sighed. “Not really. I mean, he’s only done it two times.”
The officer held up his hand, signaling for us to stop. “Okay, hold up,” he said, turning to Megan. “Did that guy hit you tonight?”
Wrapping her arms around h
er stomach, she wearily nodded her head. “Yes, he slapped me and pushed me into the wall. After that, Ryley started to fight him. It’s not Ryley’s fault,” she pleaded again.
“That may be true, but I still need to take him to the station until your boyfriend wakes up. They’re both coming with me.”
The officer read me my rights and we followed Andres through the back to the squad car. I was put in one and dickhead was put in the other, still passed out. Nervously, Megan came over to the car I was in and leaned down toward the window.
“I’m so sorry about this,” she cried. “I never meant for any of this to happen.”
“Yeah, well, next time don’t try to fuck someone else when you have a boyfriend,” I growled.
She averted her gaze and closed her eyes. “I know. It was wrong of me. I guess it just felt like freedom to get away from him. I don’t even know how he found out I was at Cloud Nine.”
The officer finally got into the car and glared back at us. “Okay, miss, it’s time to wrap it up. Say your good-byes.”
“Look,” I said, “I don’t know you very well, and I’ll admit, I don’t treat girls the way I should, but I do know that none of them deserve to be hit. You need to get away from him.”
She nodded, tears streaming down her face when she opened her eyes. “I will. Is there anyone I need to call for you?”
Camden was still inside having the time of his life while I was bloody and confined in a police car. “Yeah, I need you to find my brother. He’s in the club somewhere. You can’t miss him because he looks just like me.”
“Oh, I know. I’ve seen you two in the ring. I’ll go find him for you and let him know what’s going on.”
Turning on her heel, she ambled off toward the back door of the club. “Megan!” I shouted.
She wiped her eyes and turned around hesitantly. “Yeah?”
As much as I should hate her for putting me in the position I was in, I couldn’t help but realize there was a larger problem at hand. “On Monday night, meet me at the gym on Sykes Street.”