The Boxer (Modern Love Book 2)

by Piper Rayne

  Chase’s words have my feet cemented to the ground. How much I loved those words. Loved being someone’s fiancée. Loved being committed to someone else with the promise of a future.

  Lucas steps forward with his fist cocked back, but I push myself between them, one hand on Lucas’ muscular chest.

  I shake my head at Lucas and he lowers his arm. I turn and face Chase, but Lucas remains right behind me as though he’s my bodyguard and paid to protect me.

  “Chase.” I take a moment to consider my words and compose myself, so he won’t know how affected I was by his last remark.

  He smiles that cocky, arrogant you-know-you-want-me smile, which only helps me come back to reality. The one where he moved from bed to bed to bed.

  “Tahlia,” he soothes, and Lucas groans behind me.

  I cut him off before he can continue. “It’s ex. I’m your ex-fiancée,” I declare. “And Lucas isn’t my boyfriend.”

  Chase’s eyes sparkle with a satisfied arrogance and he glances behind me to Lucas.

  “I am a member of the adventure dating group. Whitney and Lennon bought me a month pass because they’re sick of seeing me on the couch. Sick of me wasting time pining over our relationship. You know what? The more I think about our relationship, it wasn’t so great. You came and went as you wanted. I lied to myself, telling myself that you were busy making a name for yourself at your dad’s company. When I look back and dissect each moment of our long relationship, I think on some level I knew. I think I just chose to ignore it. You may have ruined my trust in men, and when I do date another guy again, he’ll probably pay a little for the damage you’ve done, but I can tell you one thing for certain. You will never be that guy.”

  I step back, and Lucas grips my upper arms to keep me afloat like a life vest in the middle of the ocean. My shoulders deflate and he accepts my weight until I’m able to gear up for another lashing from Chase. Because he won’t accept failure easily.

  “You’re ruining your future. At least find yourself someone who will be able to support you,” Chase sneers, his eyes moving up and down Lucas. “I could’ve given you everything. All the money, all the clout, the lifestyle you’re used to. You think you’re going to leave your dad’s company now? Forget it, sausage queen. You’ll be supporting guys like him for the rest of your life.” His face is beet red when he motions to Lucas.

  The pressure of Lucas’ hands wanes and another groan leaves his lips. If I thought the episode at the boxing ring was embarrassing, this is downright period-stain-on-white-pants-in-high-school horrific.

  Lucas slides by me and separates Chase and I. “I think it’s time for you to go.” Lucas’ cool amazes me. You’d think he had a temper, being a boxer and all, but his heartbeat is probably steadier than mine at the moment.

  “Whatever. Happy living in your shack, Tahl. I’m sure your parents must be thrilled with the recent changes in your life.” He turns and walks away.

  Bringing my parents into it was a low blow, even for Chase. I step forward, to do what exactly I’m not sure, but Lucas pulls me back into him and his arm swings around, his hand molding to my hip.

  “Let him go,” he says softly.

  We both watch as Chase walks down the pier to a waiting taxi. He opens the door, and there sits Quinn staring back at me. Once he slides in and the car pulls away from the curb, my body relaxes, but I don’t have much of a chance to think because Lucas’ lips crash to mine and again, he’s walking me backward until he locks me against the railing.

  I’ve never felt so much intensity from one kiss. My knees are weak, and my body feels like a firecracker whose fuse was just lit. By the time he ends the kiss, and we regain a somewhat normal breathing pattern, I barely recollect what just happened.

  “My place, right?” he asks, and there’s no sweetness left in his voice. His domineering caveman tone implies that he’s ready to drag me down the pier at top speed and chain me to his bed.

  “Yes.” I nod, and he nods and then we’re walking. Fast. His hand is raised in the air to hail a taxi ten steps before we reach the curb. He opens the door, I slide in, him beside me and when we’re both secure he rambles his address to the taxi driver.

  It’s all moving so fast, and I barely have time to think before the cab pulls off the curb and his hand slides up the hem of my dress. His touch quiets my jumbling mind.

  I waited all night to feel those rough fingertips graze my upper thigh and a jolt of anticipation runs from my toes to the top of my head. I squirm but then his voice is in my ear. “Relax.” The sweetness in his voice is back. He nudges my legs to uncross and then nudges some more until they part. “A little more,” his soft voice instructs.

  I open, and his fingers run down my damp panties at a slow, measured pace. My head falls back onto the vinyl of the seat. The fabric chills my neckline as the cool spring air rushes past my face from the open window.

  I’m thankful for one thing—this cab driver listens to loud talk radio. I lift my head an inch and pry one eye open, finding the driver peering up and down from the rearview mirror. I close my legs, but Lucas slides closer, his hand deeper between my legs, pushing them apart more and more and again my head falls back.

  “Did I make you this wet?” he asks in my ear as he nips at my earlobe.

  I nod. He slides my panties over, and I bite my lip to stop the long moan that wants to escape. His finger moves down my center, coating my wetness up and down until he concentrates on my clit. His thumb circles it, he sucks my earlobe between his lips and my senses speed into overdrive. He’s going to make me come in the back of a cab.

  “Relax. Let it come,” he whispers. His hot, warm breath tickles my ear lobe.

  I squirm and push my chest out, needing him to touch my heavy, aching breasts.

  “Later. I promise you, your tits will get plenty of attention tonight.”

  His words, his fingers, only bring my orgasm closer. His thumb concentrates on my clit with the perfect amount of pressure and he pushes one finger inside me. My legs move to close, but he shakes his head in the crook of my neck.

  “No,” his gruff voice says, and I relent, opening to him again.

  He pushes another finger in, arching it until it hits my G-spot, and holy shit. I’m not sure anyone has ever hit my G-spot before because I know I’d remember this.

  I buck into his hand, his pace quickens and he casts kisses along my neck as he whispers over and over again to relax, enjoy, and he promises what he’ll do to me back at his apartment. Promises of many, many orgasms in many, many different ways.

  The wind rushes into the car faster as we’re speeding down the freeway and his fingers feel like they’re keeping pace because I explode onto his hand at the same time his mouth covers mine and he swallows my moan. I ride out my orgasm on his hand, my breathing shallow, my heartbeat hard.

  I’ll remember this for the rest of my life. I just got fingered in the back of a cab, and I know for Lennon that’s probably like getting coffee in the morning, but to me, it’s something huge. Something I never thought I’d be able to relax enough to do. Something tells me that Lucas could get me to agree to just about anything.

  “Jesus, you’re hot,” Lucas whispers, bringing me back to the here and now, placing a chaste kiss on my temple. “I can’t wait to feel you tighten around my cock.”

  His fingers slowly leave me and then he positions my panties back in place, pulls down the hem of my dress and he puts one of the fingers in his mouth and sucks.

  Just like that I’m ready for round two.

  13

  The cab pulls up to a white building on the outskirts of town and at first, panic sets in. I’ve accompanied a virtual stranger to an undisclosed location where I agreed to get naked with him so he can do whatever he pleases with me. Maybe I should have booked us a room at the Ritz. At least there would be people around to hear my screams for help.

  Lucas pays the cab fare, opens the door and waits for me with an outstretched hand. I don’t
move, wary of what this place is. The street is vacant with no signs of life and the way the moonlight hits the white concrete building makes it look a little creepy in contrast to the dark sky.

  “Um,” I mumble and the driver’s gaze darts to mine in the rearview mirror. He’s probably wondering what my problem is since we were obviously into each other on the ride over.

  Lucas bends down and the trustworthiness in his green eyes dispels my worries for a second—until my eyes flick to the building again. This time I notice a sign that says BOXING. That’s it. No business name, no neon light, just the word boxing painted on a piece of wood. Maybe boxers don’t do neon lights?

  “Tahlia.” Lucas’ soft and gentle voice pulls me back from my racing mind. His gaze moves to his hand and then to me again. I need to relax. It will be fine. I’ll be fine. Lucas has done nothing but treat me with respect up to this point.

  “Can I have your phone for a second?” he asks and I hear an exasperated moan from the front seat.

  “Why?”

  Lucas slides back in and the cab driver downright groans this time, not trying to hide his displeasure. “I’m trying to make a living here, you two. Every Uber driver in the city is busy stealing my business,” the driver says.

  Lucas reaches into his pocket and hands him another twenty, then turns to me and holds his hand out once again.

  “I won’t leave the car with it.” His finger crosses over his heart in a grade-school promise.

  I dig it out of my purse and hand it over to him. His thumb slides and I admire his fingers fiddling around. Then he holds the phone up to his ear.

  “Hey, is this Tahlia’s friend?” I lean forward to listen to the sound of the voice, but he holds me back by placing his hand on my shoulder and leaning toward the window more. “No, she’s fine.” I hear yelling and I’m guessing he called Lennon. “I promise, she’s safe. I just wanted to let you know she’ll be spending the night at my place. I live at 3 Cobble Drive. My name is Lucas Cummings and my phone number is…” He continues to ramble on facts about himself while the voice on the other end remains quiet. “I had a three point three GPA in high school. Damn Physics.” Now laughter is pouring out of the phone. He’s charmed her. “Nice talking to you, I’d like to take a ride in your unicorn van sometime… yes, of course, with Tahlia.” He looks over at me, his gaze roaming over my body. “Oh, I intend to… she’s not just beautiful, she’s scorching hot, stunning.” His tongue slips out of his mouth and he licks his lips. “No worries there, she’ll definitely understand what multiple orgasms mean when we’re done.” He chuckles and my face heats.

  Without a doubt it has to be Lennon.

  He ends the call and hands me the phone.

  “Lennon?” I ask.

  “Yeah. Now your best friend knows where you’re at for the night.” He steps out of the cab and holds his hand out. “Join me?” he asks.

  “Please join him,” the exasperated cab driver says and I roll my eyes before accepting Lucas’ hand.

  The cab driver speeds off the moment my foot hits the curb and the door is closed.

  “Why not Whit?”

  Lucas looks down at me, wrapping his arms around my waist, about to kiss me.

  “What?”

  “How come you didn’t call Whitney?” I ask again because she was the last person I called on my phone.

  “I thought she might cockblock me. She didn’t seem like my biggest fan when we met.” He smirks. “Lennon seems like the type who is protective of you, but willing to let a bad guy like me do very naughty things to you.”

  I step into his embrace a little more, my breasts pushing against his hard chest.

  “I’m not sure you’re such a bad guy,” I whisper as though there are more than sewer rats near us.

  His hand splays across my back and he pulls me flush against his body, leaving not even a centimeter of space between us. “You might want to revisit that thought in the morning.” He sucks his bottom lip into his mouth for a second and my body rushes into overdrive. I’m ready to find out exactly what I signed myself up for.

  He grips my ass and lifts me up until my legs are wrapped around his waist. “Now, tell me…have you ever been spread open on ropes?”

  I act as though I’m unaffected by his question and I catch his lips forming a teasing smirk. “Not that I can recall.”

  “Well then, let’s see what you think.” He walks us to the white building, fishes around in his pocket, inserts his key into the lock and opens the door. Not an easy feat with a full-grown woman wrapped around you, but his strong body moves around as if I’m barely weighing him down.

  Once we’re inside Lucas lets me drop to my feet and I glance around. It’s pitch black but the smell of sweat permeates my nostrils. It’s not gross body odor or a foul smell, it’s manly. A smell where you feel safe, like if a pack of wolves were circling around us, he’d fight each one off before the vicious animals got one sniff of me. Maybe that’s a little extreme, but you get where I’m coming from.

  I step forward and Lucas flicks the lights on. My heels click on the concrete floor as I saunter around, examining the studio. There are two rings and a ton of equipment that resemble pieces in my own gym, a gym much cleaner than this one.

  “This is where you work?” I ask, my hand brushing along one of the ropes in the ring on my right.

  “I own it,” he answers.

  I spin around on my heel, surprised he hadn’t mentioned it before, and I find him sitting on the edge of the other ring. “You do?”

  He cocks an eyebrow. “Surprised?”

  I shake my head. “No. I just… I didn’t know.” I walk toward him, thinking that if he sees my eyes, he’ll know that I’m telling the truth and not being a snotty little rich girl.

  “It’s fine. I get that we’re in two different worlds.” His knuckles whiten as he grips the edge of the ring.

  I step into his open legs, but he doesn’t move.

  “That’s not what I meant. I thought that you made most of your money fighting.” I place my hand on his cheek, the stubble of his scruff rough against my palm.

  “I’m getting older. I won’t be able to fight forever.” There’s a note of melancholy in his voice.

  His hands remain planted on the ring, so I let my hand drop from his cheek. I step back, but he swings his legs out, urging me back toward him. I almost fall into him, but he catches me. Then before I know it he’s lifted the rope and I’m lying on my back in the ring with him half on top of me. He plants his hand on my cheek and turns my head at exactly the right angle so he can kiss me exactly how he wants.

  His lips are demanding and urgent on mine as his tongue slides into my mouth. My hand weaves through his long strands while he twists his body, urging me to scoot forward into the middle of the ring as he crawls on his hands and knees, his mouth glued to mine the entire time. Without warning he lies on top of me, the press of his erection firmly between my legs, and I moan as his lips close the kiss and his tongue paves its way along my jaw and neck.

  “Hands up,” he mumbles, locking them above my head. “Just like that.”

  He releases the hold on my hands, trusting I won’t betray him, which is becoming more and more difficult the further his lips venture down my body. Right now, his mouth is right above my breast line. His fingers maneuver to the right side of my body and he slides the zipper of my dress down. An electric tingle races across my skin. One by one he takes my hands from above my head and slides the straps of my dress down before returning my hands to their previous position. I raise my back to allow him to pool the fabric around my waist. His feasting eyes zoom in on my breasts covered in a black, lace strapless bra.

  The color of his eyes deepens to evergreen. He slowly licks his lips. My entire body is humming for him, and I squirm underneath his appraisal, needing to feel his hands on my aching body.

  His fingers graze down my chest and he pulls the lace down until my breast pops free. One minute he’s examining my
body as he reveals it and the next his teeth are playing with my nipple and his tongue is swirling it around in his hot, wet mouth. My legs widen further, and he presses his rock-hard length into me. If I thought my panties were soaked before, they’re drenched now and my need for him to be inside of me is more potent than ever.

  “Sit up,” he demands and his smoldering gaze on mine might just make me crumble into a wanton mess right here.

  I sit up a bit and he unhooks my bra, letting it fall between us. He picks it up and tosses it aside. Then he rocks back on his heels to stand and holds his hand out to help me up.

  Once I’m standing, he pushes down the fabric of my dress and it ends up in a pile of silk at my feet. I step out, slipping my heels off in the process. His hand winds around my neck and he smashes his lips to mine as his other hand pushes down under my panties and he grabs a handful of my ass. He urges me up until my legs are wrapped round his waist and the hard ridge of his cock pushes against my swollen clit.

  Our kiss quickly becomes frantic, our teeth knocking, our tongues sloppy, unable to get enough of one another. My back hits the padded center of the corner and Lucas ends our kiss. He draws back, eyes raking over my body.

  “Put your arms here.” He lays them on the top rope and then takes the middle rope and winds it over the top of my wrists in a way that effectively binds me there. “Now the legs.” I raise my legs up to the bottom set of ropes and my toes clench around them. Thank goodness I work out six days a week.

  He steps a good distance away from me and his fingers move to his belt. He slips out of his loafers, taking his socks off, too. His fingers easily unbutton and unzip his pants and they thump to the ground, his eyes on me the entire time. His hardness tents his white boxer briefs, but my mouth waters waiting for him to finish unbuttoning his dress shirt. That too falls to the mat, leaving him in only his boxers.

  His chest heaves and I swear his erection swells twice its size as he stares at me. Normally, I’d feel uncomfortable, but my body heats for him and I want nothing more than to have his hands on me, his mouth sucking on me and his hard length inside of me.