Curves for Fighters

by Zoey Thames

  Besides that, he was simply glad he had set her mind at ease and dismissed her worries about losing her job. Even as rich as he was, he still was aware of how much it cost to live in the city—and even the surrounding areas were pricey. She’d earned herself a substantial tip already, just for what she’d put up with so far tonight. But he wanted to make it up to her in more ways than that, however. He wanted to share something with her. With Dominic. That togetherness, that pack, that experience was what he loved. He believed she just might love it too once she had the chance to live it…

  He sipped his champagne and leaned his head back against the leather seats, letting his mind drift back to the gym and sparring with Dominic. The gym kept him grounded. It kept him sane. And fighting…well, it quelled his wolf’s need to hunt and satisfied his predator desires. So owning the gym was the best of both worlds. Besides, he was training to compete in MMA tournaments, and all the required hard work kept his body in peak shape when it otherwise might have gone soft sitting in stockholder meetings or munching on caviar at snobby parties. It was more than a hobby. It was a lifestyle, a commitment, no matter how odd it might seem to the other New York royalty. Being stuck behind a desk staring at computer screens and financial reports always drove his wolf-side a little mad, no matter how spacious or how high up his office was. If he hadn’t met Dominic a few years ago…

  Well, things would definitely be different now.

  Smiling, he stared at Ruth’s silhouette against the city lights. The passing street lamps threw a soft yellow glow along her face and neck. He was eager to enact the next part of his plan with this fascinating woman who made him…how would Dominic put it? Horny as fuck. He chuckled to himself.

  Dominic cast a sidelong glance his way. “You know who laughs for no reason? Crazy people, that’s who.”

  “I might be crazy, but I have an equally crazy feeling tonight’s going to be one we always remember.”

  * * *

  Ruth guided the limo through New York traffic, careful to drive defensively. She’d long ago learned not to curse out other drivers for cutting her off or for their other insane driving tactics, such as using their horn as a kind of public address system. But she realized she did still have one small problem as she turned onto Pearl Street, approaching the skyscraper where Skytower Ice Cream Shoppe did business. She’d double-checked the client-handling instructions, but there was no comment or note saying whether or not Mr. Barrington—Brian—preferred to be dropped off in front of a building or preferred to use the discrete private entrances from the underground VIP parking. Many of the flashy types wanted the red carpet treatment, but Mr. Barrington didn’t really strike her as the type. Besides, plenty of the paranormals in the city, especially the shifters, favored their privacy over almost everything.

  But since she didn’t know their preference, she would have to interrupt them and ask. With the privacy guard up, she couldn’t see them, and her horny mind immediately fed her the hottest image it could conjure. What if they were back there right now completely naked, Brian’s cock buried in Dominic’s ass as the man straddled him, fucking for all they were worth—

  She physically shook herself to drive off the distracting image, realizing she probably looked like she was having a seizure in the driver’s seat. God, she had turned into such a sex-crazed bitch. What was it about these two men? It was as if their pheromones drove her sex drive wild.

  After a steadying breath, she pushed the intercom button. “Sorry to interrupt, sirs. But would you prefer to use the main entrance or the private entrance?”

  A moment later Brian’s voice came over the speaker. “The private entrance please. I’d prefer it if you parked the limo.”

  “Yes, sir,” she said automatically, but she was staring at the intercom speaker with a frown. When did clients ever care about where she parked? Usually they only wanted the red carpet entrance and then to be picked up the instant they were ready to leave, even if she had to practically park the damn limo in the Bronx in order to find an open spot.

  Well, the client was always right. She took the side street and turned into the parking garage entrance. She waved to the guard at the booth, and he waved back and raised the barricade for her. She parked the limo in the long parking slot section the garage had reserved for limousines near the VIP elevators. The parking garage even had impressive art deco stylings intermixed with modern art flourishes that left no doubt about how upscale the building was inside.

  Ruth got out and hurried around the limo to open the door for Brian and Dominic. They both climbed out and stood there, watching her. She shut the door and gave them her most winning-est smile. She wouldn’t let them see how badly their presence, their raw physicality, rattled her. Or how they made her want to lie back and spread her thighs for them, desperate to entice one of their tongues between her pussy lips…

  “Ms. Hadley,” Brian said in that panty-melting baritone. “We’d be honored if you would join us for some ice cream.”

  “I…”

  “Moneybags will pay, of course,” Dominic said, giving her that same warm smile that made her knees weak.

  Brian frowned at him. “That’s Mr. Moneybags to you, cur.” He looked back at her, those intense blue eyes seeming to pierce right through her. “What do you say? You would make both of us very happy.”

  She was surprised her chest wasn’t shaking, her heart was beating so hard. She swallowed and finally found her voice. “But…why?”

  He laughed. “To make it up to you, of course.”

  She couldn’t help her frown. “Make what up to me?”

  “The prank that fool Jimmy played on you back at my gym,” he said, and gently touched her arm. His skin seemed so hot that she sucked in a breath at her body’s primal reaction. All her nerve endings seemed to come alive at once. He seemed to know what his touch did to her, but all he said was, “I know you were concerned that you might be in trouble. Maybe even that you’d lose your job. I want to make sure those fears are completely put to rest. I feel terrible that you experienced even an instant of fear.”

  “Yeah,” Dominic broke in. “That’s not the kind of people we are. We might be fighters, but we aren’t bullies and we aren’t assholes.”

  “So,” Brian continued. “Will you let us make it up to you? It would mean a lot to us both.”

  As much as she wanted to, as much as she was both terrified and thrilled by the prospect, she knew it couldn’t happen. “I’m sorry, Mr. Barrington. I’m not dressed for a night on the town.”

  There. That was a perfectly good excuse that would save face for everybody.

  “I think you look stunning,” Brian said. He glanced at his friend. “Dominic? What do you think?”

  “Who doesn’t love a woman in uniform?” he answered with a mischievous grin.

  She started to blush at their compliments, especially because they sounded sincere. Well, she had one last card to play. “Thank you, but I’m also on the clock. We’re not allowed—”

  He was nodding at her as if he completely understood, but when he spoke he merely said, “Would you please contact your boss for me? I would like to speak with him.”

  “Yes, sir,” she practically squeaked. Oh no. He was going to get her fired after all. He was going to get her fired because she’d seen Dominic giving him head and she’d been masturbating at the sight of it, and then when she turned down his offer it had pissed him off. Oh God it was over. Her face grew super hot. She fumbled her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed Mr. Darren Thror’s office number at Mirage Confidential Limo Service. Mr. Thror was the head managing executive at Mirage and was well-known throughout New York society, both the rich and the paranormal. He was rumored to be a powerful supernatural entity…although she had no idea what kind he might be. The only thing she knew was that the man’s powerful presence made her six kinds of nervous whenever she was around him. Which wasn’t often, thank the stars.

  “Yes?” Mr. Thror said, his deep voice res
onating over the cell phone speaker. It was commanding but not forbidding. But she knew she’d better get to the point right away.

  “Sorry to bother you, sir. This is Ruth Hadley. My client, Mr. Barrington, has requested to speak with you directly, sir.”

  There was a long pause. “What would he like to speak about?”

  “He would like me to come with him into an ice cream parlor, sir.”

  Another, longer pause. “An ice cream parlor, did you say?”

  “Yes, sir.” She glanced at Brian only to find him grinning at her. His gaze might be intense, almost electric, but it was also kind.

  “That is…irregular. I suppose my first question is simple. Would you like to go to the ice cream parlor, Ms. Hadley?”

  She took a deep breath and made sure she didn’t look at either of the two men. Instead she looked at the gleaming elevators promising VIP access to all this building’s most interesting places. Did she want to go with them? Her body said yes. Heck, her body was doing cartwheels of joy. Who wouldn’t want to be with these two hot men? Even if they were only into one another, their confidence and charisma shone so brightly that it made her feel as if she were warming her face against the sun.

  But would it be awkward after what she’d witnessed earlier? The erotic scene she’d stumbled into…and then took advantage of for her own gratification. Besides that, she didn’t know their world. She didn’t know anything about boxing or martial arts or whatever, and she certainly wasn’t rich. She didn’t even have her Bachelor’s Degree yet. What on earth would they talk about?

  Brian Barrington leaned close to her and kept his voice low, a deep murmur that seemed to vibrate in the marrow of her bones. “Give us a chance to make this right. That’s all we ask.”

  Her eyes widened. How had he known what she’d been thinking? She really needed to work on perfecting her poker face.

  “Ms. Hadley?” Mr. Thror prompted. “Are you still there?”

  “Yes, sir. And yes I would. Would like to go, that is.”

  “Then by all means, please put Mr. Barrington on the phone,” Mr. Thror said, sounding amused.

  She dutifully handed over the cell phone to Brian. Her hands were trembling. He was kind enough not to mention it as he took the phone from her. His hands were so warm she could only imagine how they would feel on her body, and that did nothing to help the state she was in.

  As if reading her mind, he grinned and put the cell phone to his ear. “This is Brian Barrington, thank you for talking with me. I’d like to make you an offer. I know it might be against Mirage protocol for your driver to do this while on the clock, but I’ll authorize any waiver necessary. I’ll also pay double your company’s current rate. Of course, her tip would be doubled as well.”

  She was staggered. That was an enormous amount. Although she was also a little uneasy. He didn’t seem like the kind of man to expect something in return for his generosity, but then again, she’d just met him tonight.

  Mr. Barrington listened for a long moment. “Of course we would. That goes without saying. Great to hear. I’m most pleased.” He handed back the phone to Ruth. “We’re all set, if you’d like to join us. But the choice is, of course, entirely yours.”

  “Then yes,” she said before her brain had even finished weighing all the possibilities. It was as if her mouth had taken over under the direction of her sex-starved body. But she loved the smile that lit up both of their faces. It made her feel special. It made her feel as if her presence really mattered to them. She lifted the cell phone to her ear and told Mr. Thror what she’d decided.

  “I’m glad to hear it. Please enjoy your time with the client. If there is any problem, you may call me at once, but other than that, enjoy yourself.” There was a long pause and then a deep chuckle. “Within the bounds of the law of course.”

  “Of course,” she said. How much trouble did he think she could get into inside an ice cream parlor?

  She disconnected the call and slipped the cell phone back in her uniform pants pocket. “It looks like we have the green light. Just let me get my hand bag and we can go.”

  Ruth hurried back to the limo and ducked inside the front. She made as if she was searching for her purse near the floor panels, as though it had fallen out of reach, but what she was really doing was stalling for time, hoping to collect herself.

  Never in a million years would she have guessed something like this would happen tonight. First, the blazing hot scene she’d stumbled upon in the locker room. Now this, an invitation to spend time with them both.

  Although…come to think of it, this wasn’t the first time she’d heard of something similar happening at her work, only she never would’ve believed it might happen to her. Her friend Vicki Thompson was still hot and heavy with billionaire Davidson Kenner and his bodyguard Mick, and she seemed just as happy as could be. Certainly a fairy tale ending like that was far too much for Ruth to hope for here, but she could at least get an interesting night out of the deal, perhaps have a story to compare with what Vicki had. Besides, she was getting paid to eat ice cream with two smoking hot men. What could be better than that?

  Except. Well. All three of them naked.

  Or Brian pouring chocolate syrup all over her breasts and Dominic licking it off.

  Or…

  She stopped that line of thought immediately as the needle on her internal temperature gauge drifted dangerously into the red. She grabbed her handbag and straightened from where she was leaning into the limo. A glance behind her shoulder showed her both men watching her…in fact from the way they immediately looked elsewhere when she turned their way, she guessed they’d been checking out her ass as she’d bent into the car. She bit her cheek to hide a smile. Although she pretended not to notice that they’d been checking her out, the truth was that she loved it. If she were one hundred percent honest with herself, their attention made her feel good, and it balanced out the way she sometimes felt down or discouraged when watching the ultra-thin, super-beautiful people in the movies and in commercials. True, she knew that big was also beautiful, and that real beauty came from within, but sometimes you just needed a small but very real reminder of that. A confidence boost in other words. And these two handsome gents had just given her a supercharged confidence boost.

  She made her way over to them with her handbag on her shoulder. Mr. Brian Barrington presented his arm to her and she took it with a smile. Dominic bowed and took her other arm.

  And together, they escorted her into the building.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Brian had always loved this place, one of his favorite skyscrapers in New York…and it had an ice cream parlor full of dessert heaven. How could that be beat? But irresistible sweet shop aside, he still loved the building with its art deco style. He loved the ornamentation, everything from the light sconces to the sunburst sculpture set into the wall and bold patterns in the marble flooring. Everything spoke of glitter and glamour, and it always made him think of classic New York luxury. But most of all, he loved having a beautiful woman on his arm, and on her other side, his best friend and the man he adored along for the ride.

  For all his confidence earlier, he’d been sweating bullets about whether he’d get the chance to pull this off. He understood that Mirage Confidential was bending the corporate rules quite a bit to allow her to…fraternize?…with a client while she was on the clock. That’s why he would do his best not to drool all over her or make his aching desire for her apparent—for tonight anyway. Well, that was a lot to ask. Maybe for as long as she was on the clock. Yes, that was better. Hell, she’d already almost caught him and Dominic admiring her ass when she’d bent over into the limo to retrieve her purse. The black fabric of her slacks had stretched tight over that delightfully plump derriere, and he’d even heard Dominic groan.

  Or maybe Brian had been the one groaning.

  Most likely, they’d been groaning together. And that wouldn’t be the first time.

  They rode up the elevator i
n silence, listening to Chopin piped in over the speakers. He could scent that she was still nervous and a little unsure of herself or this situation. Completely understandable. He was determined to set her mind at ease and have her enjoy this unexpected visit to the Skytower Ice Cream Shoppe.

  They reached the twenty-seventh floor and the elevator doors swooshed open to reveal an old-fashioned dessert parlor with plenty of shiny brass and dark, rich wood tones in the booths, tables, and walls. The decor was low-key and yet set the ambience perfectly. Beautiful Tiffany lamps hung down from the ceiling, giving the place a warm, inviting atmosphere.

  The hostess greeted them at the door with a brilliant smile. “Mr. Barrington. Mr. Carrara,” she said. “Welcome back.” Then she turned to Ruth, and if anything, her smile grew brighter. “Good evening. Welcome to Skytower Ice Cream Shoppe.”

  “Thank you,” Ruth replied, dipping her head in acknowledgement. He could scent the swirl of emotions around her. The relief was greatest of all. That set off a burst of sympathy for her. He guessed she had really been nervous about what people here would think of her because of her uniform. While this had been spur of the moment, he was really hoping he wasn’t making things harder for her. He’d only wanted to share a good time with her. Like he’d said, to make up for what had happened at the gym.

  He didn’t have any ulterior motives.

  And if Dominic could’ve heard him say that, his friend would’ve laughed his ass off before punching him in the mouth for the blatant lie.

  The hostess continued. “Would you like a private area or would you like to eat at the sundae bar?”

  Ruth tracked where the hostess was pointing and her eyes went wide. He couldn’t help but feel a burst of pride at how impressed she seemed. The sundae bar was a hundred plus feet of dark wood bar-top with red leather stools. Like a real upscale bar, only here all the patrons were eating dessert works of art instead of mixed drinks. Crème Brulée. Baked Alaska. Chocolate Mousse Cake that looked to die for. Cheesecakes. Strawberry Shortcake. Heavenly pies. Ice cream sundaes that looked like sugar sculptures, with colorful fruit and sauces and complimentary flavors of ice cream. Servers made their way up and down the bar taking orders, checking on customers, giving advice on the best kinds of dessert concoction to make when a customer wanted to create his or her own dish.