Hard Knocks

by Lori Foster

  Tripping along with him, Harper whispered, “Gage.”

  “There are high school boys out there,” he told her. He glanced in the storage room, but no, that was too close to the main room and the activity of the group.

  “I know. So?”

  He brought her up and alongside him so he could slip an arm around her. “So they don’t need to see me losing my head over you.”

  She stopped suddenly, which forced him to stop.

  Looking far too shy for the ballsy woman he knew her to be, she whispered, “Are you?”

  This time he understood her question. “Losing my head over you?” Gently, he said, “No.”

  Her shoulders bunched as if she might slug him.

  Damn, but he adored her. “I lost it a long time ago. I just forgot to tell you.”

  Suspicious, she narrowed her eyes. “What does that mean exactly?”

  Not about to declare himself in a freaking hallway, he took her hands and started backing up toward the office. “Come along with me and I’ll explain everything.” This particular talk was long overdue.

  She didn’t resist, but she did say, “The fight you should have been in is next. And Cannon will be fighting soon after that.”

  “I know.” At the moment, seeing the fight he’d missed was the furthest thing from his mind. As to Cannon, well, he’d be in a lot of fights. This wasn’t his first, wouldn’t be his last. If all went well, Gage would get her commitment to spend the night, and more, before Cannon entered the cage. “The thing is, I need you.”

  She searched his face. “Need me...how?”

  In every way imaginable. “Let me show you.”

  Her gaze went over his body. “Sounds to me like you’re talking about sex.”

  Did lust taint his brain, or did she sound hopeful? They reached the office door and he tried the handle. Locked, of course. Trying not to think about how the night would end, he said, “Seriously Harper, much as I love that idea, we’re at the rec center.”

  “So?”

  Damn, she knew how to throw him. He sucked in air and forged on. “I thought we’d talk.” Digging in his pocket, he found the keys he’d picked up earlier when he shut off the lights.

  Sarcasm added a wicked light to her beautiful blue eyes. “Talk? That’s what you want to do? Seriously?”

  “Yeah. See, I need to explain a few things to you and it’s better done in private.” The door opened and he drew her in.

  Typical of Harper, she took the initiative, shutting and locking the door, then grabbing him. “We’re alone.” Her mouth brushed his chin, his jaw, his throat. “Say what you need to say.”

  “I love you.”

  She went so still, it felt like he held a statue. Ignoring her lack of a response, Gage cupped her face. “I love you, Harper Gates. Have for a while now. I’m sorry I didn’t realize it sooner. I’m especially sorry I didn’t figure it out before I took off for Kentucky.”

  Confused, but also defending him, she whispered, “You were excited about the opportunity.”

  She made him sound like a kid, when at the moment he felt very much like a man. “True.” Slowly, he leaned into her, pinning her up against the door, arranging her so that they fit together perfectly. She was so slight, so soft and feminine—when she wasn’t giving him or one of the other fighters hell. “I thought it’d be best for me to concentrate only on the upcoming fight, but that was asinine.”

  “No,” she said, again defending him. “It made sense.”

  “Loving you makes sense.” He took her mouth, and never wanted to stop kissing her. Hot and deep. Soft and sweet. With Harper it didn’t matter. However she kissed him, it blew his mind and pushed all his buttons.

  He brushed damp kisses over to the side of her neck, up to her ear.

  On a soft wail, Harper said, “How can you love me? We haven’t even had sex yet.”

  “Believe me, I know.” He covered her breast with his hand, gently kneading her, loving the weight of her, how her nipple tightened. He wanted to see her, wanted to take her in his mouth. “We can change that later tonight.”

  “I’ll never last that long.” She stretched up along his body, both hands tangled in his hair, anchoring him so she could feast off his mouth.

  No way would he argue with her.

  Everything went hot and urgent between them.

  He coasted a hand down her side, caught her thigh and lifted her leg up alongside his. Nudging in against her, knowing he could take her this way, right here, against the door, pushed him over the edge.

  Not what he would have planned for their first time, but with Harper so insistent, he couldn’t find the brain cells to offer up an alternative.

  “Are you sure?” he asked, while praying that she was.

  “Yes. Now, Gage.” She moved against him. “Right now.”

  * * *

  HARPER GRABBED FOR his T-shirt and shoved it up so she could get her hands on his hot flesh, so she could explore all those amazing muscles. Unlike some of the guys, he didn’t shave his chest and she loved—loved, loved, loved—his body hair.

  God, how could any man be so perfect?

  She got the shirt above his pecs and leaned in to brush her nose over his chest hair, to deeply inhale his incredible scent. It filled her head, making her dazed with need.

  When she took a soft love bite, he shuddered. “Take it easy.”

  No, she wouldn’t.

  “We have to slow down or I’m a goner.”

  But she couldn’t. Never in her life had she known she’d miss someone as much as she’d missed him when he’d left. Now he was back, and whether he really loved her or was just caught up in the moment, she’d worry about it later.

  She needed him. All of him.

  She cupped him through his jeans and heard him groan. He was thick and hard and throbbing.

  He sucked in a breath. “Harper, baby, seriously, we have to slow down.” Taking her wrist, he lifted her hand away. “You need to catch up a little.”

  “I’m there already.” She’d been there since first deciding on her course of action for the night.

  “Not quite.” Gage carried both her hands to his shoulders before kissing her senseless, giving her his tongue, drawing hers into his mouth.

  She couldn’t get enough air into her starving lungs but didn’t care. Against her belly she felt his heavy erection, and she wanted to touch him again, to explore him in more detail.

  He caught the hem of her T-shirt, drawing it up and over her head. Barely a heartbeat passed before he flipped open the front closure on her bra and the cups parted.

  Taking her mouth again, he groaned as his big hands gently molded over her, his thumbs teasing her nipples until she couldn’t stop squirming. She wasn’t one of the overly stacked groupies who dogged his heels, but she didn’t dislike her body, either.

  She’d always considered herself not big, but big enough.

  Now, with his enormous hands on her, she felt delicate—even more so when he scooped an arm under her behind and easily lifted her up so he could draw one nipple into his hot mouth.

  Harper wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms around his neck. He took his time, drawing on her for what felt like forever, until she couldn’t keep still, couldn’t contain the soft cries of desperate need.

  From one breast to the other, he tasted, teased, sucked, nibbled.

  “Gage...” Even saying his name took an effort. “Please.”

  “Please what?” he asked, all full of masculine satisfaction and a fighter’s control. He licked her, circling, teasing. “Please more?”

  “Yes.”

  Back on her feet, she dropped against the door. He opened her jeans and a second later shoved them, and her panties, down to her knees.

  Anticipation kept her still, kept her breath rushing and her heart pounding. But he just stood there, sucking air and waiting for God knew what.

  “Gage?” she whispered with uncertainty.

  One hand fl
attened on the wall beside her head, but he kept his arm locked out, his body from touching hers. “I should take you to my place,” he rasped, sounding tortured. “I should take you someplace with more time, more privacy, more—”

  Panic tried to set in. “Don’t you even think about stopping now.” No way could he leave her like this.

  His mouth touched her cheek, the corner of her lips, her jaw, her temple. “No, I won’t. I can’t.”

  A loud roar sounded from the main part of the room. Knowing what that meant, that Cannon’s fight was about to start, guilt nearly leveled Harper. “I forgot,” she admitted miserably.

  “Doesn’t matter,” he assured her.

  But of course it did. He was here to watch Cannon compete, to join in with his fight community to celebrate a close friend.

  She was here to show him she wouldn’t interfere and yet, that’s exactly what she’d done. “We could—”

  “No, baby.” Need made his short laugh gravelly. “Believe me when I say that I can’t.”

  “Oh.” Her heart started punching again—with excitement. “We’ll miss the fight.”

  “We’ll catch the highlights later. Together.” He stroked her hair with his free hand, over her shoulder, down the side of her body.

  “You’re sure?”

  Against her mouth, he whispered, “Give or take a bed for convenience, I’m right where I want to be.” His kiss scorched her, and he added, “With you.”

  Aww. Hearing him say it was nice, but knowing he meant it multiplied everything she felt, and suddenly she couldn’t wait. She took his hand and guided it across her body.

  And between her legs.

  They both groaned.

  At first he just cupped her, his palm hot, his hand covering so much of her. They breathed together, taut with expectation.

  “It seems like I’ve wanted you forever,” he murmured at the same time as his fingers searched over her, touching carefully. His forehead to hers, he added, “Mmm. You’re wet.”

  Speaking wasn’t easy, but he deserved the truth. “Because I have wanted you forever.”

  “I’m glad, Harper.” His fingers parted her swollen lips, stroked gently over her, delved. “Widen your legs a little more.”

  That husky, take charge, turned-on tone nearly put her over the edge. Holding on to his shoulders, her face tucked into his throat, she widened her stance. Using two fingers, he glided over her, once, twice, testing her readiness—and he pressed both fingers deep.

  Legs stiffening, Harper braced against the door.

  “Stay with me,” Gage said before kissing her throat.

  She felt his teeth on her skin, his hot breath, those oh-so-talented fingers.

  “Damn, you feel good. Tight and wet and perfect.” He worked her, using his hand to get her close to climax. “Relax just a little.”

  “Can’t.” Her fingernails bit into his shoulders. “Oh, God.”

  “If we were on a bed,” he growled against her throat, “I could get to your nipples. But you’re so short—”

  “I’m not,” she gasped, unsure whether she’d be able to take that much excitement. “You’re just so damn big.”

  “Soon as you come for me,” he promised, “I’ll show you how big I am.”

  Such a braggart. Of course, she’d already had a good idea, given she often saw him in nothing more than athletic shorts. And she’d already had her hands on him. Not long enough to do all the exploring she wanted to do, but enough to—

  He brought his thumb up to her clitoris, and she clenched all over.

  “Nice,” he told her. “I can feel you getting closer.”

  Shut up, Gage. She thought it but didn’t say it, because words right now, at this particular moment, would be far too difficult.

  He cupped her breast and, in keeping with the accelerated tempo of the fingers between her legs, he tugged at her nipple.

  The first shimmer of approaching release took her to her tiptoes. “Gage.”

  “I’ve got you.”

  The next wave, stronger, hotter, made her groan in harsh pleasure.

  “I love you, Harper.”

  Luckily, at that propitious moment, something happened in the fight because everyone shouted and cheered—and that helped to drown out the harsh groans of Harper’s release.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  GAGE BADLY WANTED to turn on lights, to strip Harper naked and then shuck out of his own clothes. He wanted to touch her all over, taste her everywhere, count her every freckle while feeling her against him, skin on skin, with no barriers.

  Even with her T-shirt shoved up above her breasts and her jeans down around her knees, holding Harper in his arms was nice. Her scent had intensified, her body now a warm¸ very soft weight limp against him. He kept one hand tangled in her hair, the other cupping her sexy ass.

  He let her rest while she caught her breath.

  If he’d found a better time and place for this, he could stretch her out on a bed, or the floor or a table—didn’t matter as long as he could look at every inch of her, kiss her all over.

  Devour her slowly, at his leisure.

  But they were in an office, at the rec center, with a small crowd of fighters and fans only a hallway away.

  He kissed her temple, hugged her protectively.

  His cock throbbed against her belly. He badly wanted to be inside her, driving them both toward joint release.

  But this, having Harper sated and cuddling so sweetly...yeah, that was pretty damn special.

  “Mmm,” she murmured. “I lost my bones somewhere.”

  “I have one you can borrow.”

  He felt her grin against his throat, then her full-body rub as she wiggled against him. “Yes,” she teased. “Yes, you do.”

  “I like hearing you come, Harper.” With small pecks, he nudged up her face so he could get to her mouth. “Whatever you do, you do it well.”

  That made her laugh, so the kiss was a little silly, tickling.

  She drew in a deep breath, shored up her muscles, and somewhat stood on her own. “The fight is still going on?”

  “Sounds like.”

  “So all that excitement before—”

  “You coming?”

  She bit his chest, inciting his lust even more. “No, I meant with everyone screaming.”

  “Probably a near submission. Cannon is good on the ground, good with submissions.” Good with every facet of fighting. “But let’s not talk about Cannon right now.”

  “You really don’t mind missing his fight?”

  “Jesus, woman, I’m about to bust my jeans. Cannon is the furthest thing from my mind.”

  Happy with his answer, she said, “Okay, then, let’s talk about you.” She nibbled her way up to his throat. “There is just so much of you to enjoy.”

  “You could start here,” he said, taking one of her small, soft hands down to press against his fly.

  “I think I will.” With her forehead to his sternum, she watched her hands as she opened the snap to his jeans, slowly eased down the zipper. “I wish we had more light in here.”

  Because that mirrored his earlier thought, he nodded. “You can just sort of feel your way around.”

  “Is that what you did?” Using both hands, she held him, so no way could he reply. She stroked his length, squeezed him. “You are so hard.”

  “Yup.” He couldn’t manage anything more detailed than that.

  “You have a condom?”

  “Wallet.”

  Still touching him, she clarified, “You have a condom in your wallet?”

  “Yup.”

  She tipped her face up to see him, and he could hear the humor in her voice. “A little turned on?”

  “A lot turned on.” He covered her hand with his own and got her started on a stroking rhythm he loved. “Damn.”

  Harper whispered, “Kiss me.”

  And he did, taking her mouth hard, twining his tongue with hers, making himself crazy by again exploring her, the
silky skin of her bottom, the dampness between her thighs, her firm breasts and stiffened nipples.

  Harper released him just long enough to say, “Shirt off, big boy.” She tried shoving it up, but Gage took over, reaching over his back for a fistful of cotton and jerking the material away. Anticipating her hands, her mouth, on his hot skin, he dropped the shirt.

  She didn’t disappoint. Hooking her fingers in the waistband of his jeans, she shoved down the denim and his boxers, too, then started feeling him all over. His shoulders to his hips. His pecs to his abs. She grazed her palms over his nipples, then went back to his now throbbing cock.

  “You are so impressive in so many ways.”

  He tried to think up a witty reply, but with her small, soft hands on him, he could barely breathe, much less banter.

  “I’ve thought about something so many times...” And with no more warning than that, she sank to her knees.

  Oh, God. Gage locked his muscles, one hand settling on top of her head.

  Holding him tight, Harper skimmed her lips over the sensitive head, licked down the length of his shaft.

  Never one for half measures, she drew her tongue back up and slid her mouth over him.

  A harsh groan reverberated out of his chest. “Harper.”

  Her clever tongue swirled over and around him—and she took him deep again.

  Too much. Way too much. He clasped her shoulder. “Sorry, honey, but I can’t take it.”

  She continued anyway.

  “Harper,” he warned.

  She reached around him, clasping his ass as if she thought she could control him.

  But control of any kind quickly spiraled away. Later, he thought to himself, he’d enjoy doing this again, letting her have her way, giving her all the time she wanted.

  Just not now, not when he so desperately wanted to be inside her.

  “Sorry, honey.” He caught her under the arms and lifted her to her feet, then set her away from him while he gasped for breath. As soon as he could, he dug out his wallet and fumbled for the condom.

  Sounding breathless and hot, she whispered, “You taste so good.”

  He’d never last. “Shh.” He rolled on the condom with trembling hands. Stepping up to her in a rush, he stripped away her shirt and bra, shoved her jeans lower. “Hold on to me.”