by Nora Flite
Again, she stabbed at me with the card. “I'll find someone else for next time.”
Tension burned into my teeth. I openly gawked at her, both of us understanding what she'd just let slip. I'd been implying she'd call me in a perverse way, for something fun and wet and wild.
Zoe's head had been elsewhere.
“Next time? There's a next time?” I growled. Her hands drifted down to her hips, then went up defensively as I lurched closer. “Zoe, what the hell is this place?”
Her hair whipped as she shook it. “Forget about it! It's not a big deal.”
“It's a big enough deal that you had to beg me, a stranger, to come here and help you.” The pain in my knuckles pulsed. I was putting pieces together at breakneck speeds. “You needed me to fight in there... but even though I won, you don't think you'll have enough money to pay me for my time. If Dracula back there isn't paying you or me for the fight, then why are you even here?”
She backed up, hitting my bike. My card fluttered to the ground. The motorcycle kept her from escaping, but there wasn't fear in her eyes. She was swelling with pride. Stupid, bitter pride. “It's none of your fucking business, okay? Tell me a number, then we'll both go home. You can forget any of this happened.”
As if that was possible. “Zoe, I don't want money. I don't need it, I made bank at your birthday party earlier.” Plenty of private dances from hungry girls. “What I want is fucking answers.”
Her glare was fierce. I think she was trying to set me on fire with her mind. “My party, right. You said it already, you're just a stranger.” The side of her neck pulsed and rippled. “I don't want to give you answers. I want to know what I owe you so I can go home and just let this night be over with.”
Gazing down at her, I loomed so that my shadow turned her sapphire irises into onyx. “Until the next time, right? Until you have to find another guy to come here and fight in some crazy, no rules fist-fight?” Zoe had the grace to flinch. “Who did I replace tonight?”
Her lips went bloodless, clamped to keep her from talking.
Putting my hands on my bike, on either sides of her hips, I boxed her in. She flared her nostrils. In spite of the tension, this ridiculous woman—she was drawn to me. I couldn't judge, I could feel my own heart thudding in every one of my ribs.
“Zoe, tell me what this is. I'm not going to leave you alone until I understand.” Thinking about how she'd been so edgy about the money, I pressed on. “You don't have to pay me, I don't want anything from you. Okay?”
Her chest inflated with air. It came close to touching mine. “Everyone wants something. I'm not naïve enough to think you're different.” Breaking our staring contest, she gazed out into the evening. “If I tell you, you promise to let me leave?”
I'd become a barrier to her escape. I hadn't planned to, but with the promise of answers so near, I inched my hips forward and nudged against her body. Zoe flinched, snapping her face back to mine. “Let me be clear. I prefer a girl wanting to stay near me.” My smile was slow to grow. “But if holding you hostage is necessary, I'll do it. Tell me what's really going on here... and I'll send you back home to your castle, princess.”
Breathing in sharply, she rolled her attention from my lips to my eyes, then back again. She kept throwing me for loops. One second she was a foaming animal, the next she was fluttering and filling me with heat.
What made Zoe struggle so hard against herself?
As if someone had cracked a raw egg over her scalp, she quivered and locked up. I had her pressed on the motorcycle, but she didn't push me away. “You're pretty determined, huh?” she whispered.
“When I want something, I always get it.”
Flushing up her throat, she took my meaning the way I wanted her to. “Alright. Okay. I'll tell you the deal. You're such a pain in my side.” Slumping, Zoe was a puppet whose strings had just been cut. “My ex—Reese—was supposed to fight tonight. He's always done it for me, since the beginning. He didn't appreciate how I blew off his advances tonight, though, so he stomped off like a pissy child.”
Zoe breathed out, the air tickling over my throat. I could smell her, as if her emotions had a scent. Smoke, apples, and salt. I wanted to lick her and see if the aroma would change. I said, “He left, so you called me. Why not just walk away, why did you need someone to fight in there?”
Tiny, fragile, her smile had no heart in it. “My 'boss' has expectations. I'll be blunt, I owe him a lot of money.” She eyed me, daring me to probe further. I just waited, letting her speak at her own pace. “Because of my contract with him, I'm working off that debt by bringing a fighter to these events. It makes him money, it gets me closer to being solvent, everyone is happy.”
Except she was clearly not happy. Sighing, I backed up, air surging into the space between us. Zoe wrinkled her forehead, perhaps confused by how suddenly I'd ended our locked-horns. “Okay. Thanks for the history lesson.”
“What, that's it?” Hesitating, she chewed her bottom lip. “You're really satisfied?”
“Satisfied?” Chuckling, I ran fingers through my hair. My joints still tingled from the punch I'd thrown at Shrapnel. “I'm entirely unsatisfied, Zoe. But I understand the situation better.”
Opening her mouth, she imitated a goldfish. I had the impression she was about to say more. In the end, she crossed her arms and studied me. Neither of us moved, the wind tugging at our hair.
She looked cold, but her voice held firm; no chattering here. “Then we're good? You really don't want anything from me for coming out here tonight?”
I wanted a lot from her. I wanted more than I dared to say. The breeze ripped at her dress, lifting it high and exposing a swatch of her creamy skin. The surge of heat in my lower belly ran down, waking my cock. “You don't owe me anything.”
It was comical, how twisted up her lips became. “...Thank you.”
Grinning, I swung my leg over my bike. “Thank me by letting me give you a ride home. You're clearly freezing.”
“It's not that cold,” she said, but her knees shook as she moved around me. I was going to help her on, but with a practiced motion, she hopped onto the seat with ease. This girl was constantly shocking me.
I wasn't her first lap-dance, she works for an underground fighting ring, and she's clearly been on a motorcycle before. Oh, and she has an ex. An ex with a 'pissy' temper who brawls in a place like this.
Next time I saw Eliza, I'd pry more information from my old friend's lips and learn what Zoe was all about. Who she was, what motivated her...
What I had to do to get between her legs.
Actually, I sort of am right now. Chuckling, I wrapped my hand back, yanking her closer to me. On reflex, her arms wove around my chest, clinging tight. Through my leather jacket I bathed in her warmth, her being.
It wasn't sex, but it was better than nothing.
- Chapter Four -
Zoe
The city looked and felt different when you were whipping through it. No car or subway could make traveling feel like flying, not here. LA was the king of traffic jams. Even in the late hours, when people were just starting their bar-crawls or ending them, the roads were stuffed. Speed was a mere dream.
But not now. Not with the metal monster screaming between my thighs.
I hadn't ridden a bike in over a month. Reese had let me ride behind him—just like this—when we'd dated.
I refused to share anything with that asshole ever again.
Huck turned sharply, throwing me against his broad middle. Clinging so tight I worried I would snap his ribs, I ducked my forehead behind his shoulder. The cold air was invigorating, but it burned the tip of my nose.
Is this okay? My skin on his jacket, my arms holding him in a vice... I was doing exactly what I'd promised myself I wouldn't. He was amazing in there tonight. Fast, powerful.
Magnetic.
Shuddering, I clenched my eyes shut. But Reese was, too, and I know how that ended. Huck was too similar to my ex. The epitome of what made my thighs shiv
er. That fucking desire, though, it had screwed me over. Huxton was everything I did not need in my life. I'd been hurt, I was paying for my bad judgment—my stupid decision to believe in a man who had back-stabbed me.
When cocky assholes didn't get what they wanted from you, they abandoned you.
Huck was the same breed.
He said he didn't want anything from me.
The memory of him, standing so close and crushing me against his Harley... it was heart stopping. I ached to believe him. Wouldn't that be amazing, a bad boy who was altruistic?
Impossible.
Huck was sweet with words, sweeter with his smiles and wicked eyes. I had to learn to tell the difference between my intuition and the heat that melted my pussy. Lust wasn't the meter to judge people by. It couldn't be.
Even if that would make everything so much simpler.
The bike shifted fast; I clutched on, gasping. Through the leather that brushed my skin and tickled me with its strong scent, there was a rhythm. A soft, but wild beat that pushed into my chest and matched my own.
His heartbeat. It became my focus.
I wanted to keep my eyes closed, to just listen and feel him. As long as we rode, we could exist in this simple bubble and I wouldn't need to worry about tomorrow. Not an hour from now, not days or weeks. No future fights... no worries about Nehro or how much Huck was threatening to break my logic into tiny pieces.
Here, I could hug him and pretend this was it. This was my life.
But no. My life wasn't simple and it certainly wasn't this.
I didn't live far, I'd purposefully looked for an apartment near the fighting ring after I'd split with Reese. No car, no ex's motorcycle, I needed an easy path to the subway to reach a destination I'd be stuck with for the next ten years, minimum.
Eliza's ad for a roommate had been serendipitous.
Now, I sort of hated how fast we rumbled down the quiet street, slowing in front of the familiar house. The Christmas lights blinked, waving at me mockingly. Yes, hello, I mused to myself. Merry Christmas. Go fuck yourself.
The engine died abruptly, telling me the dream was over. “We're here,” Huck said, twisting to watch me. Like water, I spilled away from him, creating as much distance as I could on that bike seat.
His heat radiated over my arms and stomach. I felt him, praying the sensation would linger until I could slide into my bed and take care of the pressure in my lower belly. Yeah, I hated how much I hungered for this trouble-maker, but I was only human. Huck had excited me at my party, he'd driven me higher at the Dog House. The ride home had cinched it.
Hate him or not, he'd haunt me until I got myself off.
Maybe even beyond that.
Whatever. It was my own head, it didn't have the same risk as actually doing something with the man in front of me.
Blankets and familiar fingers were safe.
Lonely.
Huck was staring at me expectantly. I sat up, adjusted my jacket. “Right. Thanks for the ride.”
“My pleasure.”
I think he meant it. At least, I wanted him to.
Stop it, Zoe. Stop being crazy. Swallowing the lump that had crystallized in my throat, I slid off the motorcycle. My legs were numb, I moved too fast. Stumbling, I grabbed for the rear tire to steady my balance.
Huxton caught me first, one strong arm around my middle to keep me standing. “Easy there. You alright?”
“I'm fine, really.” His fingers dug into my hip. Shit, okay, I was too aware of each solid fingertip. I was not fine at all. “Just lost my balance.”
His grin slid high on one corner. “If I didn't know better, I'd swear you were drunk.”
In a sense, I was. He fogged my brain and stole my strength, how different was that from overdosing on alcohol?
More fiercely than I needed to, I pulled out of his grip. He let me go, and I knew he let me go. He was more than capable of holding me where he wanted. His muscles were iron and stone.
Forcing my nerves to behave, I stared him in the eye. “Thanks for tonight. All of it. If you hadn't shown up, I would have been...” Fucking Nehro or whoever else he demanded. Spreading my legs to pay off that fucking loan. “In trouble.” I couldn't say the truth. It wasn't Huck's problem, and I had no plans to change that.
“Everyone gets into trouble.” Shrugging, he searched in his pocket. I didn't see his other hand coming. His reach was long, he managed to catch me by the wrist and pull me to him from where he sat on the bike.
The speed left me disoriented. His palm was silk, its strength undeniable. I bumped his knee, my focus rolling upward. I'd never met someone with eyes so green. The black centers tugged at me, whispered for me to get lost in them and never break free.
Okay. This was going to be a problem.
This was why I had to get away from Huck.
But I didn't. Not right then. Instead, I hung on like a fly trapped in a web and waited for whatever he was about to do. I won't pretend I didn't stare at his lips, those teasing teeth that had touched me on Eliza's bed.
I knew how his cock felt, sliding over my cunt. I knew that. Eliza's gift to me had been a curse. I couldn't let myself be around this man. He'd wear me down, and eventually, leave me broken. Used.
Forgotten.
And it was a sign of how fucking pathetic I was that, knowing all of this, I still waited with bated breath for him to finish what he'd started.
Lifting my wrist, he pressed something cool and flat into my palm. When I twitched but didn't react further, he closed my fingers around it. “Here, you left the other one back in that alley.”
Blinking, I opened my hand and stared at the new, crisp business card. Huck's card. “I told you,” I whispered, wishing my voice was stronger. “I'm not calling you for help again.”
“What you call me for is up to you.” Bending close, he tapped the surface of the card. “I do more than just fight muscle-bound men. Personally, I prefer wrestling with sweeter things.”
Withdrawing his hand, he brushed his fingers over my wrist so lightly it had to be intentional. The buttery tingles he left in his wake shook me to my core.
I was dazed and sluggish, until an electric jolt went to my brain and warned me what I was thinking. I want to kiss him. I looked from his lips to his eyes. Oh god, he wants to kiss me, too.
Fuck. No. I couldn't do this. It'd be too easy. Ruining my already fragile future should never be so easy.
With every fiber arguing against me, I stepped backwards. Huck didn't flinch, but the glow in his stare smoldered away. “I—okay. Alright. I need to go.” Unsure what else to do, I lifted my arm and gave a lame wave.
Furrowing his brow, Huxton mimicked me. His smile stretched like an elastic. “Good night, Zoe. See you soon.”
See you soon. Why did he sound so sure of that? Saying nothing, I spun around and walked like a zombie to the front door. I fit in better with Halloween, as pale and hollow-eyed as I was. The Santa on the door beamed at me. I almost ripped it off.
It took everything I had not to look back. I couldn't do it. If I saw him or how he was watching me, I'd crumble. Fuck. I was pathetic.
Jingling the door open, I escaped into the protection of the house. I had walls between me and him; real, actual walls.
Leaning on the door, I took a giant breath and slid to the floor. My knees went to my chest, my skull tapping against the wood behind me. I was free, and still, I felt trapped.
What is wrong with me? I was as bad as the people who kept playing the lottery until they went broke, hoping one day they wouldn't waste their money, that they'd hit the jackpot. I'd spent my whole life throwing myself away. Guy after guy, so many wild adventures and draining men.
It was what I'd always been drawn to.
It was no better than a gambling addiction.
Not once had one of these guys—for all their sexy smiles or confident boasts—been good for me. They'd stolen a part of my soul with every encounter.
Why, knowing that, did I
expect Huck to be different?
Yup. I'm stupid and crazy. This confirms it. Sitting up, I went to smooth my hair. In my hand, I found the sharp corner of his card.
Lifting it high, I read the words and stifled a bitter laugh.
Muscle for hire. Yet, he kept implying he'd like to do more for me than violently swipe aside a man in a ring.
Frowning, I turned the little rectangle, looked at every side of it. Huxton was a stripper, but the card didn't say that. Not openly.
How had Eliza known, then?
Buzzing with wonder, I pushed myself to my feet. Hanging my coat and purse up, I tip-toed down the hall to my bedroom. I didn't want to wake Eliza, even if I had questions. I was too tired to deal with her scolding me about not coming back for my birthday party.
In a way, it wasn't like I'd made her waste her money. She'd wanted me to be entertained by Huck. Well, I'd spent a good chunk of my night with him.
Wasn't that sort of close, at least in spirit?
Shutting my door, I fell onto my bed with a giant groan. Face first, not looking, I kicked my shoes off. They thumped to the floor, bouncing away. The blanket was cool on my forehead. That was good, because my head was so hot I was sure I was running a fever.
This had been a very long day for me. My heart had rattled around uneasily when Eliza had organized the party. I wanted to get away from alcohol and loud music and bad decisions. She'd just wanted to lift my spirits.
I'd appreciated the effort. After leaving Reese, I'd depressingly realized that I was left with no friends. He'd been all I had, I'd gotten so wrapped up in him and his bullshit—and mine.
His friends had remained just that; his. I'd been alone.
Eliza was sweet, and also too good at prying information from me. When checking out the house in my rental hunt, she'd sat me down, poured me a drink—ignoring my protests—and insisted that she get to know me.
She'd claimed it was all routine roommate stuff. Five drinks in, and I'd spilled the beans about Reese. I'm a sloppy drunk. I'm not proud of it.
Maybe she sympathized, maybe she could relate. I still wasn't sure where her giant heart came from. That day, she'd offered me the room and lowered the rent so that my paltry waitress job would let me live here.