Emily laughed. “I don’t think Zane cares. He sees far beyond skin deep, girl.”
“Apparently. In any case, my doctor said he would take out the staples and stiches this afternoon. I’m so glad. They itch.”
“Awesome. You’ll feel so much better.” Emily hopped off the stool. “Thanks for the coffee. I’ll pick you up at six?”
“I’ll just walk over to your place. Sounds good. And, Emily? Thanks. You’ve been so nice.”
Emily shrugged. “Any time.” She let herself out, leaving Abby to stare at nothing and think about everything.
Zane had many sides. She was about to add one more tonight. Fighting. Why did that make her skin tingle?
»»•««
Abby followed Emily into the gym that evening, shocked by the number of people inside and the volume. A man greeted them at the door, but only because he happened to be walking by. “Emily.” He took her hand in both of his. “Good to see you.” He turned to Abby next. “You must be Abby.”
Abby’s eyes widened. How did he know her name?
“I’m Joe. I own the gym.” He smiled broadly. “I’ve heard a little about you.” He shook her hand.
“Oh.”
He shrugged. “The guys talk when they work out. Well, more precisely they harass each other. Whoever has the freshest relationship takes the brunt of the ribbing. This week it’s Zane.” He laughed a deep belly laugh as he walked away.
Emily took Abby’s hand. “Come on. Let’s wiggle through this crowd so we can see better. Kayla should be here somewhere.”
“What about the others?”
“Katy and Jenna aren’t super fond of the action. They aren’t coming tonight.” Emily pushed between people until she reached one corner of the ring.
Abby lifted her gaze to watch the ensuing fight. “God. They look like they’re going to kill each other.”
Emily smiled. “They won’t. Most of them are friends. Even the ones they compete against. It’s amateur. It’s all good.”
“Geez.” She jerked as one of the men slammed the other against the fence a few feet in front of Abby. “Holy shit.”
“Yeah. It happens. Don’t worry. It’s sturdy.” She lifted up on tiptoes. “Hey, there’s Kayla.” She waved, and the gorgeous woman with long blonde curls headed their way.
“Hey,” Kayla said as she arrived at their side. She leaned toward Abby. “I know we haven’t had a chance to talk much every time we’ve met, but I’m so glad to see Zane with someone special.”
“Thanks.” Abby bit her lip. It warmed her to be so easily included with the other women.
“You got the stitches out,” Kayla said as she took in Abby’s face.
Abby stroked the spot on her forehead. “Yeah. I feel so much better. The stitches weren’t so bad, but the staples on my scalp itched horribly.”
“I bet.” Kayla scrunched up her nose. “They did a good job. Already the red is fading.”
“Thanks. So, what am I up against here?” Abby asked, glancing around Kayla.
“Gage is up next. And then I think Rider.”
“Good. I was afraid we might be a little late,” Emily said.
“Nope.”
Abby kept her eyes glued to the ring. The two men inside were unbelievably buff and far more attractive than she would have expected for fighters. The African-American man with smooth chocolate skin swept out his leg and knocked the other guy to the floor. He was on him in an instant, straddling his torso and pinning his chest to the ground. It reminded her of wrestling.
“Shit.”
“Yeah. Don’t worry. Either the guy will tap out or the ref will call it. Either way, the winner is clear.”
Seconds later, it was over. The referee announced the winner, and the sexy African-American man held up a hand. The two of them left the ring.
Instantly two other men entered with mops to clean off the floor for the next match.
Emily leaned in toward Abby’s ear. “So, the area inside the fence is called the cage.”
“Ah. Cage. Got it.”
“It’s always an octagon. They have three five-minute rounds with one-minute breaks. It might look like a free-for-all, but trust me, there are many rules.”
Abby nodded.
“Here comes Gage,” Kayla said. She lifted up on tiptoes and screamed for her man. “You got him, Gage.”
Abby’s heart beat faster. It was invigorating. She hadn’t expected this sort of reaction. She’d never watched the sport in her life, but now that she was here, swept up in the excitement, she was intrigued.
The announcer spoke loudly, his voice filling the room. “…and in the blue corner, we have Gage ‘The Ranger’ Holland…”
Before she knew it, the fight was on. A bell sounded, and both men danced around each other in the center. It didn’t take long for punches to fly. Abby flinched at first, but then she got used to it. Each jab and hook forced one man back while the other advanced. For several minutes it looked like a boxing match, but then Gage threw out a high leg kick, knocking the other guy in the head. The man staggered back. Gage continued to advance. The referee said nothing. And the match ceased to seem like boxing.
When the bell sounded, Kayla screamed and jumped on her feet.
Emily told Abby the guy in the corner pouring water in Gage’s mouth was Byron, their cornerman. The one-minute break was fast, and then both men were back on their feet.
Kayla moaned when Gage took a hard hit. She covered her face with her hands, peering through her fingers, still watching the action. And then Gage swept his foot out again, taking the other man to the ground this time. His opponent fell onto his knees, but jumped back up.
“Ugh,” Kayla said. “Come on, Gage,” she yelled. “You got this, baby.” She cupped her hands around her mouth to make her voice carry.
Abby was mesmerized as she watched the rest of the match, which Gage won, and then the next one, which Rider did not win.
Emily was bummed, but she scrunched up her nose and shook it off. “Eh, it’s rare, but you have to lose sometimes.”
And then Zane was up. She knew they called him “The Animal.” She was about to find out why.
When he entered the cage, he was already on his game. His face was fierce. He didn’t look her direction. Hell, he didn’t look any direction except at his opponent.
The guy he fought visibly cringed as he stepped to the center.
Abby bit her lip. They weren’t kidding. He did look like an animal. The tattoo on his left arm was a giant claw. The word one was inked under his bicep. And across one pec was the tattoo of a set of claw marks as though he’d been attacked.
Lord this man had many sides. She watched as he came at his opponent fast and hard right after the bell rang. She thought he even growled.
He wasted no time. He threw a left hook and followed it immediately with a right jab, backing his opponent toward the fence.
Abby held her breath, reaching up on tiptoes as the other ladies had when their man was in the cage. She could see somewhat better, but there were still a few heads in front of her blocking her view.
Zane swung around quickly and kicked the other man in his butt. The guy lurched forward but managed to stay on his feet. When Zane grabbed the man around the neck and held him in a chokehold, Abby cringed. It was scary, but it was invigorating at the same time. That guy was the same man who had laughed over dinner with Abby and then managed to command her every cell in a sexual tug-of-war after. This new side, the fighter in him, was awesome.
The two men struggled for several seconds, both trying to get the upper hand, but Zane didn’t release the guy’s neck. He tugged hard, bringing the man to the ground. And then he grappled to get the guy on his back. When the bell sounded, Abby was shocked it had been five minutes already.
Zane did not look pleased, probably because he’d been so close to winning. At least she assumed he would win if he pinned the guy to the ground. He stalked toward his corner and tipped his head back
while Byron wiped his face and gave him water. And then the minute was over and Zane jumped back onto his feet as though not an ounce of exhaustion had driven him to sit down.
The fight commenced again. The other guy still heaved for air, his chest and shoulders rising and falling rapidly. Zane didn’t appear nearly as winded. He blocked several jabs, advancing on his opponent until he had the guy pressed into the fence. When the guy swung at Zane, Zane ducked. Instead, he plowed headfirst into the man’s torso and lifted him completely off the ground, pinning him to the fence on a loud growl.
Abby covered her mouth with both hands, trying to keep from calling out. She didn’t know Zane well enough to scream for him or encourage him. She didn’t know if he liked that sort of thing or preferred to be left alone in the cage.
Zane grabbed the man with both arms and flung him to the ground like he wasn’t even in the same weight class. And then Zane was on top, grappling as he had been when the bell sounded to end the first round. Zane threw himself into the fight, leaning forward and pinning the man’s arms with both of his knees. A long standoff ensued while the referee danced around the two of them. They were frozen in place like a sculpture. A glorious stone carving.
And then the referee blew a whistle and it was over. Both men got to their feet, Zane lifting one arm in victory. He spun around in a quick circle, waving at the crowd, but he still didn’t make eye contact with Abby.
Abby felt like she’d been the one fighting, as hard as her heart pounded and as fast as she was breathing. Plus she was exhausted. If she was going to keep up with Zane “The Animal,” she was going to have to work out more often.
Emily grinned as she took Abby’s arm and tugged. She nodded behind her. “Let’s get out of the center. We can wait in Joe’s office. It’s quieter there.”
Abby followed Emily and Kayla through the crowd and into a small office in the back. Emily wasn’t kidding. Abby hadn’t realized how loud it was out there until they shut the door and sat. “That was exhausting.”
Kayla laughed. “Yeah, I always feel that way. I’m not sure who works harder, Gage in the cage, or me stressing next to it.” Kayla leaned forward. “So, what’d you think of Extreme last night?”
“It was interesting.” Abby clenched both knees with her hands.
Emily chuckled. “It was more than interesting. This girl had just-fucked hair this morning, and she didn’t even get any.”
Kayla’s eyes went wide. “What? From Zane?”
Abby shrugged. “He was trying to be a gentleman.”
Kayla’s eyes widened farther. “That’s so fucking hot. And you let him?”
“He didn’t give me much of a choice. But I hope he caves tonight, because I don’t think I want to spend another night wound up as tight as I did last night after he left me high and dry.”
“Shit. How romantic.” Kayla leaned back. Her long hair hung in ringlets behind her. She lifted her head back to center after a second. “Was that your first time at a fetish club?”
“Yeah.”
“Did you like it?”
“A little too much.” Abby bit her lip to stifle a giggle. “I had no idea.”
“Yeah, neither did we initially. It’s hot, though. Can’t deny that.” Emily turned to face the door as it opened.
Abby twisted her torso also.
Rider stepped inside, closing the door behind him. He leaned over Emily and kissed her soundly. “Hey, baby.”
“Sorry about the match,” Emily said.
Rider shrugged. “I’ll get over it.” Rider tugged Emily out of her seat, plopped himself down in her vacated spot, and pulled her onto his lap. He lifted his gaze to Abby. “Did you like the fight?”
“Yes. Surprisingly.”
Rider gave Emily a squeeze. “There you go, baby. Another woman who likes to watch us fight. Your numbers are increasing.” He wove his hand into the back of her hair and angled her head so she faced him. And then he kissed her again.
Abby squirmed. The man oozed testosterone. Zane did too, but seeing another of The Fight Club with his girlfriend made her clench her legs together. She wanted that. She wanted it bad.
A few minutes later, Gage entered the room. He swept Kayla off her chair and buried his nose in her neck, her feet completely off the ground. “Mmm.” He turned toward Rider, letting Kayla slide down his body. “Sorry, man. Guess I was the better guy tonight.” He smirked.
Rider swung out a hand, but Gage jumped back, taking Kayla with him.
They were all smiling, which made Abby warm to witness their close friendships.
When the door opened the next time, Zane stepped in, closing it behind him.
Abby tipped her head back and grinned.
Zane leaned over the back of her chair and kissed her lips upside down. “What’d you think?” He set his hands on her shoulders and then ran them down her arms until he tangled his fingers with hers.
She wanted to close her eyes and breathe in his clean scent. His hair was damp and spiked. His chest was rock solid against the back of her head. The bulging muscles of his arms wrapped around her made her forget to speak.
Finally she let a slow grin spread across her face and recovered her senses. “Awesome. Loved it. The testosterone in the room was palpable. How do you keep the women from fawning all over you?”
He chuckled. “I race from the room as soon as it’s over.” She loved the sound of his teasing. His skin was warm, and the way he enveloped her blocked out the room for a moment as she held his upside down gaze.
Someone cleared their throat, and both women giggled.
“Let’s get out of here.” Zane winked.
Chapter Eleven
Zane pulled in front of Abby’s house and turned to face her as he shut off the engine. “Did you really enjoy it?”
“I did. You’re fierce. The girls weren’t kidding.”
“Yeah, I’m kinda competitive in the cage.”
“I see that.”
He took her hand and turned it over, staring at her palm while he stroked it with his thumb. Every single touch ignited a fire inside her. “You want me to come in?”
“Of course.”
He lifted his face to hers. “Here’s the thing, Abby.” He set his head against the headrest as he continued while her breath caught in her lungs. “I want you.”
She smiled. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
He looked at her seriously. “Depends on how you look at it. Last night…” His voice trailed off, and his eyes shifted to look out the windshield.
She waited, her fingers still in his hand, the rest of her stiff.
“I haven’t had an actual girlfriend for a long time. High school. And that’s because as soon as I started fighting with these guys and joined Extreme, I knew I couldn’t do vanilla again.” He turned to face her. “It’s hard to explain, but once I had a taste of D/s, I was hooked. I’ve been a practicing Dom for several years. Until you came along.”
“You aren’t that old.”
He smiled. “Twenty-four. I was already with The Fight Club when I turned twenty-one and they took me to Extreme for my birthday. It was my first experience. I’ve never looked back.”
“And you don’t think I can be what you need.”
“No. I didn’t say that.” He hesitated. “Hell, I’m actually thinking you can be more than I ever dreamed. You might not quite realize it yet, but you have a splendid submissive demeanor. I was speechless last night inside the club.” He leaned closer, releasing her hand to cup her cheek and draw her toward him. “Best night of my life, baby.”
She shivered.
“But I don’t want to push you.”
“You said that last night. I don’t feel pushed, Zane.”
“And I like you enough to do vanilla, or at least try it. But I don’t want to hurt you, either.”
Ah, so that’s what this is about. “How about you let me worry about me. I’m a big girl. I can make my own choices in men.”
&nb
sp; He closed the gap and gave her a quick kiss. “How about you let me worry about you. If I go into your house with you right now, I’m going to have sex with you.”
“Thank God.”
“I’m serious, Abby. This is a big deal to me. After I sleep with you, I’m going to want to do it again. And then,” he paused, waiting for her to pay close attention. “Again.”
Her pussy grew wet. Her jeans felt too tight rubbing against her crotch. She wished she hadn’t chosen the particular lacy thong she wore as it currently made her far too aware of her clit. She squirmed.
Zane glanced at her lap and smiled. “I’m demanding in the bedroom.”
Her heart beat faster. Her nipples rubbed against the equally annoying lacy bra. She swallowed. He was not intimidating her. He was making her hot. “Zane.”
“Yeah, baby.”
“Let’s go inside.”
“Okay.” He let her go and opened the door to the truck. She twisted to her side, grabbed her purse, and was opening her door when he met her. He wrapped his hands around her waist and lifted her to the ground. Before he shut the door, he flattened her to the side of the truck and cupped her face. “The doctor did a good job. The scars are healing nicely.”
She nodded, not the least bit interested in her stitches right then. His eyes bore into her, the blue deep and penetrating. And then he took her hand, shut the truck door, and led her to the house.
Like last night, when she pulled her keys from her purse, he grabbed them and unlocked her door.
Like last night, he shut the door and turned to press her against the wood, taking her mouth in a kiss as though he couldn’t possibly wait another moment.
Like last night, she was glad. Now, if she could just get him to stay…
Zane didn’t break the kiss, but he cupped her face again and tipped his head to one side.
Abby moaned against his mouth, her tongue stroking his, tasting him and loving his personal flavor. By the time he pulled back, she shook with need. Her jeans pressed too tight against her pussy. Her cotton shirt was too tight against her chest. She wanted her clothes gone, and more importantly his.
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