by Sam Crescent
Drago parked underground, then came around and opened her door, taking her hand. “Did you have a good time tonight?” he asked.
She wanted to tell him to ask her in the morning. “The dinner was perfect. Thank you for taking me out. I think I needed it.”
“I was starting to worry about you. You need balance in your life. All work and no play isn’t good for your health,” he said.
They entered the elevator, the mirrored doors sealing them in. It was too quiet.
“I’ve just been focused. Because of Ava.”
He turned and pinned her to the elevator panel, pressing a finger to her lips to silence her. He was a lot taller than she was, his broad shoulders blocking her view from anything but him. “Not now, Belle. Tonight’s about you and me, remember?”
“Right.”
He hadn’t moved, his body only inches from hers. “Every man had his eyes on you tonight.” His voice was impossibly deep and husky, sex for her ears. “But you came home with me. I’m the luckiest man in the world.”
She swallowed hard. “You’re good at this,” she whispered.
“I’m good at a lot of things.” He used one finger to tilt her chin up. His dark eyes held no humor, just carnal need. Was that how she looked? Her father had trained her to fight like a man, to stifle her femininity. He made her feel worthless unless she was winning in the ring. Drago made her feel like she could fly.
“We’ll see,” she said. Belle could play this game, too. At least she’d try her best. She’d never allowed herself to explore her sexuality, but Drago expected her to play the part to win the bet. If she knew anything, it was about coming out on top. There was no second place in her world.
He growled, his hand smoothing down her side and sliding around at the small of her back. She closed her eyes and breathed in through her teeth. His touch seared her even through the fabric of her dress, the heat traveling between her legs. Drago tugged her to his body, his hard cock pressed to her stomach. Goosebumps broke out on her arms, every nerve alive to his touch.
The doors dinged as they opened on his floor. Drago stepped back and took her hand again. The simple act of hand-holding felt more intimate than anything she’d ever experienced. His skin was warm and rough, exactly like a man’s should be.
He unlocked the door to his condo, then held it open for her to enter. Her heels clicked on the tiles in the foyer. She felt beautiful, felt like a woman.
Back to where they started, but how things had changed. Was she actually going to go through with this? Have sex with Drago?
“Take off your shoes,” he said after closing the door.
She raised an eyebrow.
“Play along.”
There wasn’t much she was afraid of. She could handle herself better than anyone she knew. Belle did as told, lightly kicking off the heels. Her feet thanked her once bare on the floor.
Drago shrugged off his suit jacket, hooking it on the coat rack, then loosened his tie. His muscles strained against the tailored shirt. “I love your hair out. You’re absolutely gorgeous.” He closed the distance between them, lifting her hair with his forearm, allowing it to fan back down. “I don’t deserve you, Belle.”
She wanted to touch him, to rip open his shirt and lick his bronzed skin. So many wicked thoughts flitted in her head, but she held back, letting him take the lead.
“Don’t say that,” she said. “Are you sure about all this?”
“You’re not getting cold feet, are you? Going to back out of our bet?”
Belle shook her head. “Just checking on you,” she said. Her nerves ran rampant. Apprehension mixed with her excitement, which only served to make her body more wanton. “My father didn’t raise a quitter.”
He stalked forward. “You’re one of the best. I was kind of sorry I never got the chance to challenge you myself before my retirement.”
Just imagining them sweaty and grappling made her panties wet. She shifted her thighs, the deep pulse between her legs becoming more and more distracting. God, she needed him to fuck her. “Maybe you’ll get a chance one of these days.” She swallowed her fears and reached out, tugging him down by his tie. He didn’t hesitate to kiss her. The moment their lips made contact, she was lost. All hesitation and nerves melted away, leaving only the two of them and their desires.
The energy between them grew tenfold as their kissing deepened. They devoured each other, tasting, exploring, unable to stop touching and tugging at each other’s clothes. He backed them up towards his bedroom, the lingering scent of his cologne enticing her senses as they entered his private space.
She fiddled with the buttons on his shirt, wanting it off, needing to feel his bare skin. He helped her, their fingers working furiously, but she lost patience, tearing it open. Her heart raced, her face flush. She’d never felt passion like this, certainly not with Mikey.
Belle peeled the shirt over both his shoulders. She stopped just to look at him. God, his body was to die for. She’d drooled over him in the ring, but this was something else. He was hers for the taking.
“You want to stop?” he asked.
“If I want to stop, you’ll know. If you haven’t noticed, I’m pretty good at handling myself.”
“But you’ve never been one on one with me.” He kissed her before she could speak.
Drago backed her up until she hit the bed. She sat down, pulling him along with her. She combed her fingers into his hair. Belle wanted to tell Drago to forget his bet. She was past caring about her insecurities or proving herself to him. This felt different, felt real.
He slid the straps of her dress and bra over her shoulder, barely breaking their kiss. She could feel his strength, see the muscles bunch in his shoulders. Only a man like Drago would do. When he had the material low enough, he trailed his kisses down her neck. One of her breasts was exposed, the air in the room making her nipple pebble. She ached for him.
“Drago…”
“I’ll take care of you, baby.” His hot mouth came down over her breast, his tongue teasing her nipple until she arched her back for more. She exhaled, her eyes closed. The urgency died down as he began his slow, sensual exploration of her body. Her senses became magnified, every cell alive and eager.
She focused on their breathing, the tick of a clock.
Belle had nothing to hide, nothing to lose, so she planned to savor every minute.
****
He didn’t deserve her. But she was his now. There was no question about that.
This started out with him doing a good deed, saving her ass from Deadman … or so he kept telling himself. Belle had always been on his mind. He just never expected anything to start between them. He’d been a scrapper, starting from the bottom. She was the daughter of one of the biggest players in the underground circuit. But he’d learned her life was far from perfect.
Drago was supposed to be helping her get her daughter back, but she was half naked on his bed. And he planned to have his way with her. The difference—he played for keeps. He’d never fuck her and disappear like that asshole Mikey.
He’d show her exactly how a real man should treat a woman.
Belle whined when he lightly bit down on her nipple. “You like that?” He peeled the rest of her dress down her body and tossed it. Drago stood up at the end of the bed and yanked her panties off, and then he spread her thighs at the knees. Her little pink pussy was already glistening under the dim lighting coming from the hallway. He growled as he imagined claiming every inch of her. Her body was perfection—a mix of strength, muscle, and curves. He hated seeing her scars from stitches and old injuries in the ring, wishing he could erase all her bad memories. But his body was no different. Probably worse. It was the life they knew. They were one and the same.
“Take off your clothes,” she said.
He was surprised she hadn’t closed her legs. By the way she’d been acting at the restaurant, he expected her to be prudish in bed, but there was something there, something wild waiting to
be unleashed.
“Okay, but I want you to touch yourself.” Her mouth parted. “Right here.” He took her wrist, bringing her hand between her legs.
He unbuttoned and unzipped, stepping out of his suit pants and then his boxer briefs. Her eyes darted to his cock. He’d never been harder, and it was all because of her. This was more than sex with a woman—this was his Belle.
Drago got down to his knee and tugged her body to the edge of the bed, close to his face. Her heels were still braced on the mattress. “I’ll take it from here, sweetheart.” He spread her wider, and used his tongue to swipe up her folds.
“Drago!”
“What’s wrong?”
She caught her breath. “This is … new.”
“Brace yourself.” He delved back in, rubbing his face against her slick folds, breathing her in. She was so receptive, arching and writhing. He held her steady and fucked her with his tongue, then teased and suckled her clit until she was pulling the sheet off the corners of the bed.
He was in fucking heaven, drowning in his woman, giving her the pleasure she deserved. He could live between her legs.
“Drago, I can’t take any more!”
“You can make it through twelve rounds, you can handle me eating your pussy.” He flicked her clit, not giving her a reprieve. She was so close. He wanted her to jump off that precipice, to come all over his tongue. “Let go, Belle. Come for me.”
Her body stiffened, the sheets tight in her fists. She screamed when she came, her feminine moaning driving him crazy. He suckled her until the peak had passed. Pre-cum dripped from the end of his cock as he climbed over her body.
“Oh my God,” she murmured, still trying to catch her breath. Belle wrapped her arms around his neck as he mounted her. “I need you.”
He positioned himself between her legs, kissed her once, then filled her with his cock. Her tight pussy squeezed him as he filled her, making his chest rumble and erection swell. Damn, did she ever feel perfect wrapped around his dick. “Fuck, you feel good, Belle. You’re made for me.”
“Am I?” she whispered.
“No doubt in my mind.”
They looked into each other’s eyes. He could see her strength, her vulnerability, see deep down past all the hardened layers. She had the heart of a fighter. All Drago wanted was a chance to make her happy, to show her a new life away from everything she knew.
“Kiss me.”
He complied, brushing his lips against hers before kissing her softly, gently. “You’re the most beautiful woman in the world.”
“You don’t have to lie to me, Drago. You’ve already hit home base.”
“I’m not lying.” He kissed her jawline, then suckled her earlobe, teasing her erogenous zone until she whined and writhed beneath him. She smelled like vanilla and tasted just as sweet. He began to thrust, sliding in and out of her hot little cunt. Her strong legs wrapped around his hips. Drago fucked her harder, increasing the tempo. He’d trained all his life, so his stamina was off the charts. He could take her all night long.
“I’m going to come again…”
He combed his fingers into her hair, tugging her head back and not letting go. The beautiful line of her neck was exposed, her skin sweat-glistened. “Say you’re mine, Belle. Say you’re mine and I’ll come inside you. You’ll win the bet.”
She shook her head but winced when he tugged her hair. “I don’t want to play anymore.”
He released his grip, barely able to keep himself from coming. “This was never just a bet to me, Belle. I just wanted you to let go of your inhibitions. To take a risk on us.”
She wet her lips, and his cock twitched inside her. Her eyes looked watery. Was she on the verge of crying?
“I’m yours,” she said.
“Do you mean it? I want you to mean it.”
Her muscles clamped down around his erection. “I belong to you, Drago.”
He cursed, reaching between them to toy with her clit as he kissed her neck. She moaned and held his head close. “I’m going to fuck you so often and so thoroughly you’ll never remember any man but me.” He slid both arms under her shoulders and proceeded to keep his promise, pistoning in and out of her hungry cunt until his entire bed knocked against the wall, the glass bottles of cologne on his dresser falling over.
“Yes,” she cried, her whole body quivering as she milked his cock.
He allowed himself to let go, filling her with his cum. Drago pumped his hips a few more times, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction, then rolled to the side.
“You killed me,” he said.
She settled in the crook of his arm, painting patterns over his slick chest with a finger. “Is that why they don’t want the male fighters having sex before a match?”
“Yeah, it takes a lot out of a man. Being pent up has its benefits in the ring.”
“Good thing you don’t fight anymore.” He glanced to his side and she smiled at him. “And I won the bet.”
“I thought you didn’t care about bets.”
“I like winning.”
“You so sure you won?”
“I felt it when you came, and I still feel you dripping down my thighs,” she said.
“I should clean you up, baby.” He attempted to sit up, but she pulled him back down.
“I don’t mind. I just want to stay this way.”
He ran his fingers through her hair, holding her close. “Do you regret this? You and me?” Drago wasn’t supposed to be the one with insecurities, but she had power over him, even if she didn’t realize it.
“Do you?”
“I’ve never been happier. I only regret not taking a chance years ago. Before Mikey.”
She pushed herself up, her forearms on his chest. “I don’t want to hear that name, Drago. I’m yours, remember? That was the deal, and I’m sticking with it.”
He took a cleansing breath. “Good girl.” He lifted up to kiss her, but she pushed his chest down.
“I remember this one,” she said, trailing her finger over a crescent shaped scar on his chest. “It was after a fight in the alleyway. Those guys cut you with a broken bottle.” They had so much history together, more than he even realized.
“And I put all three of them in the hospital.”
“Should I be afraid of you, Drago?” She leaned over him, kissed the scar, then moved higher. Her lips felt like heaven against his skin.
“I’d never hurt you, Belle. You’re my woman now. I’ll do anything for you.”
He had a feeling he’d need to live up to that promise considering her own father wanted her dead.
Chapter Nine
The following morning, Belle sat on the window seat and stared out across the city. She’d pulled on one of Drago’s shirts and sipped at the awful coffee she’d made. Not that coffee really needed much in the way of effort. Far from it. Water, instant coffee, milk. That was what she enjoyed, what she’d become used to.
Luxury was something she’d never enjoyed or earned.
Maybe she had earned it, but her father took all the money. He’d certainly never helped her when Ava was born. She’d been on her own, and work was so damn hard. No one wanted to hire a woman with no skill set. Then if they found out about her fighting, they believed she was nothing more than a troublemaker. No matter which way she tried to fight her past, she couldn’t win. There was no getting away from it. She’d tried so hard.
The only way out now was to take her father down.
She moved her foot out so that it was flat against the wall. As she did so, the friction reminded her of exactly what she was doing last night and how much she’d enjoyed it. Drago was all man, and not only that, his sweet words unraveled her. She couldn’t fight him, not when he was being the sweet, charming man that she’d avoided.
When he spoke to her like a gentleman, whispering sweet nothings in her ear, she was able to forget that he was a cold-blooded killer—like her.
Staring out across the city, she wondered if it wo
uld be better to put Ava up for adoption. Her life, it wasn’t about fairy tales or princesses. Ava deserved a mother who didn’t have a checkered past.
No matter which way she thought about it, unless her father died and her connection to the underground fighting ring was severed, she would always be looking over her shoulder. Her little girl would never be able to have a normal life. A life where she could go out and play in a field or be with friends. Belle would be constantly terrified that someone would come and take her, and she’d have to fight to win her back.
Was she a bad mother for trying to keep her? For loving her?
Staring down into the dark brown liquid, she couldn’t help but feel selfish. She loved her daughter so much. Ava had been the only good thing in her life. There were many nights when she’d sit by her daughter’s bed, and just watch her. It amazed her that an act that had been somewhat tedious with Mikey had created something so precious.
Yet, last night, Drago had shown her what making love was all about. It wasn’t just the action that got off a man. She’d enjoyed every second of his touch and his body. Just remembering what his cock felt like inside her, made her ache all over again.
Still, she couldn’t help but think that maybe her daughter was better off. This morning, she’d woken up, and her first thought had been to go and check on Ava. To make sure her baby had a good night’s sleep.
Ava’s wasn’t there.
If she finally gave Ava up, her daughter would be safe, and Belle wouldn’t be scared like she was now, fearing that someone could take her. Tears filled her eyes, and she hated them. Another sign of weakness. She’d been taught all of her life not to show any kind of weakness.
Thinking about her father, what he’d done to her, to her daughter, filled her with a new kind of rage. She felt sick to her stomach with it. Taking a deep breath, she tried to relax, count down from ten and back up again, but it didn’t help.
It was her only coping mechanism.
Whenever her father told her to go and fight, she did. She’d been so desperate for her father’s affection that she’d done everything he wanted and then some.