I Am Lioness (The Bloodshed Series Book 1)

by Dee Garcia

I quivered, the coil deep within me ready to snap and fling me over the edge at any given moment, when Knox flung me onto couch and stood to his feet, his mouth glistening with my arousal.

  “No!” I whined, as once again my climax slipped away out of reach.

  He grinned in satisfaction. “No yet.”

  “That's what you said in the shower!”

  “I know,” he agreed, “but I'm thoroughly enjoying having my wicked way with you. Just think about how intense it's going to feel when I finally let you fall apart.”

  I mewled at the thought and my hand reflexively came in between my legs to relieve some of the pressure he'd built up twice now. Feeling how slick I was only made me that much more anxious. My fingers began moving of their own accord, rubbing slowly around the swollen bud.

  Knox’s eyes widened. “Fuuuck...”

  He was instantly hypnotized, biting down on his lower lip as he took in the scene playing out before him. I couldn't believe I was actually doing this. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever dare to be this bold.

  I wanted to squeal and clench my eyes shut but his reaction was too good to miss. The look he was giving me was similar to that of a lion hunting his prey. I could feel it raining over me, honed in on any and every little movement I made.

  It was exhilarating.

  “Baby…” Knox tilted his head to one side, his fingertips grazing down my thighs to my knees. “I'm gonna need you to keep doing that.”

  The words found their way from the little temptress in my head and out of my mouth in breathy purr before I could think twice.

  “You like that?” I questioned.

  A dark chuckle rumbled in his throat. “Do I like that?” He parted my legs wider, then reached behind me to grip the back of the couch, looming above me. His head dropped down, leaving mere inches between his face and mine. “Do. Not. Stop. Do you hear me?”

  “I'll take that as a yes.” I breathed out, already beginning to feel the build up of my ministrations.

  He chuckled again with this slick grin, glancing down between our bodies to watch the show I was providing. One large hand clasped around my thigh, pushing it down further, allowing him a better view.

  I’m not sure how much time passed in between him simply watching to when picked me up off the couch, threw me down onto bed, and slipped inside me in one fluid movement. His thrusts were so deep, I was clawing at his back, arching off the bed, losing myself in the sensation I’d been craving since he left me feeling bereft in the shower.

  Soon enough, I was right there, yet again about to fall over into the mind-blowing depths of oblivion when Knox slid out without any warning at all. My eyes snapped open, instantly locking with his piercingly blue stare.

  “No!” My voice loud and overly frustrated. “Why are you doing this to me?!”

  Knox grinned devilishly and curled an arm over my hips before standing upright on his feet. The swift motion arched my back off the bed and my legs fell over his shoulders, trapping his head between them. He was supporting all my weight, clearly intent on keeping me suspended and completely at his mercy.

  His eyes didn't stray from mine as he slid one large finger through my drenched folds, then another, gliding them up and down in a torturously slow motion.

  They spread me open and he dipped his head close, letting his tongue run from my throbbing entrance up to my swollen clit. Sucking the bud between his lips, he rolled it back and forth until I was bowing so far back I was leaning on my shoulders. I bucked in his grasp, mewling like a wild cat and death-gripping the sheets in my fists as he assaulted me with his mouth.

  He pulled off with a loud pop. “A few more strokes and I would've come, kitten.” His chest rumbled. “Gone off like a fucking rocket.”

  He glanced downward at my aching core and licked his lips, plunging a finger in, then another.

  “You feel so fucking good.”

  And another...

  “But I'm not ready for the grand finale just yet.”

  I gasped as he worked all three fingers in and out of my sex. They were nothing in comparison to his dick but right then in that moment, they felt utterly amazing. Then again it was more than likely just Knox. Anything and everything he did to me felt good. How, when, and where...he knew it all. How to touch me. How to make love to me. And how to fuck me.

  Knox Carr was a filthy, glorious god, with the sex drive of a beast, and he was all mine.

  “So here's how this is going to work, baby.” He murmured, gradually increasing the speed of his ministrations. “You’re gonna come, hard, just like this, and then I'm gonna flip you over, drive it home, and fuck you until we come apart together.”

  Oh my god.

  The softest moan slipped past my lips.

  “How does that sound?” He questioned with a feral growl.

  “Perfect.”

  The word had barely left my mouth when he began slamming his fingers into me, delving so deep I could feel his knuckles pushing at my entrance.

  I peered up at him and was instantly entranced much in the same way he was just a little while ago. The concentrated expression on his face had me hypnotized most, really. Dark brows were knit together, nose bunched, bottom lip caught between his teeth…

  God, he was sexy.

  It was one thing to solely feel him driving into me, but to see him between my legs, finger-fucking me into ecstasy, was the most erotic thing I'd ever witnessed, and with that image playing out before me, the coil finally snapped and I unraveled. Fiercely. Loudly. And as Knox had said, more intensely than I had ever experienced in my life.

  After my little run-in with Panterra in D.C, I was amped. I’d annihilated Kelsey Crown in record time, knocking her out cold during the first forty-five seconds of the first round. Quick, easy, and nearly lethal. Another victory under my belt and another step closer to the finals.

  Two days following the D.C. fight, we left for New York City. The concrete jungle was the last stop before the semi-finals. Everyone was on edge, the good kind of edge filled with the type of excited energy where you felt like you were bouncing off the walls.

  Well, everyone except Jason, that is. He was more irate and more unreasonable than ever. Most of the time poor Emmanuel had to play the part of messenger boy, sparing us having to even look at one another. I felt awful throwing him in the middle, but he assured me he was happy to help where he could, especially when Jason was in the wrong.

  Knox often asked why I didn’t fire the bastard and save myself the stress and my answer was always the same... because the season was almost over. I’d ride it out until we made it home and then cut him loose, giving me plenty of time to find someone who would be the ideal replacement before the following season started.

  Just days prior to the fight in NYC, Knox and I had plans to head out to dinner. I was ready much sooner than I expected and decided to run downstairs for the valet pull the SUV around while I waited for Knox. The elevator doors opened to the lobby and coincidently, there stood a piqued Jason.

  I stilled, unsure of what to say or do. When he made no move to utter a word in my direction, I rolled my eyes and huffed in frustration, brushing past him with a cold shoulder. A firm hand curled around my arm, jerking me to a stop.

  “What is wrong with you?” He asked with an irritated tone.

  I turned to face him, inhaling a deep breath to quell the anger quickly rising to the surface. For weeks I'd been biting my tongue, holding back what I really wanted to say in hopes to keep things civil between us, but clearly my efforts were futile.

  It was obvious he had no intention of laying to rest his ill feeling towards Knox or salvaging our friendship and I had about reached my limit.

  The fragile glass bottle that housed all the things I tucked away on a daily basis finally filled to brim and exploded into millions of tiny pieces, thus letting the words pour out in a rush, free of hesitation or gentle filters.

  “You, Jason! You're what's wrong with me!” I snapp
ed, yanking my arm from his grip.

  His head jerked back, brows knit together in a seemingly stupefied expression. “And what exactly have I done to you?”

  I put a hand up and shook my head, disgusted he would even try to go that route. He knew I despised liars. “Please do not play the innocent card, Jason. You know damn well what you've done. The question should be what haven't you done?”

  He raked a hand through his dark hair, muttering something unintelligible under his breath. Out of nervous habit, he adjusted his tie, then his blazer. “You want to have this conversation now? Fine. All I'm trying to do is help you, Hazel.”

  I scoffed, rolling my eyes. “Help me how? By blatantly ignoring me for absolutely no reason and holding some sort of grudge against my boyfriend? How is that helping me?”

  Jason’s arms flew to the air, head tipping back. He groaned, his frustration apparent. I didn't care. I was equally frustrated, if not more. This shit had to stop.

  He leaned his back against the wall opposite of me, crossing his ankles then his arms. “Let me ask you something. You're seriously willing to sacrifice everything for him? Some spur of the moment prick who knows nothing about you?”

  “I love him.” I said, holding my chin up proudly.

  It wasn't lost on me that was the first time I'd said it aloud to anyone. I’d only recently realized it, but I hadn’t shared it with Knox in fear it was too soon for him.

  “Are you serious?” His question was barked incredulously.

  “I wouldn't joke about something of such significance. Knox knows everything there is to know about me. He gets me, puts up with me when I'm being difficult and puts me in my place when I damn well need it. And he's here for good, Jason. So you can either accept it and treat us both with respect or you can pack your shit and walk. The choice is yours.”

  “Are you hearing yourself right now? You do realize you've only been together a few months, right?”

  I shrugged. “Love has no time constraints, Jason. No rules. It's unpredictable and takes over your life when you least expect it. It comes hard and fast without warning, whether or not the moment is opportune or convenient. All-consuming and explosive, it just happens.”

  “All hearts and butterflies, right?” He shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. “God, he has you so wrapped around his finger you can't even see this for what it is.”

  I rolled my eyes, though I couldn’t say I wasn’t interested to hear what his theory was. “Enlighten me then since you seem to be an expert and clearly I'm a blind idiot.”

  “He's using you, Hazel. Are you really that blind? He's fucking using you!”

  “Why are you so quick to jump to that conclusion? Why does everything have to be about money? Why does the concept of him and I actually wanting to be together seem so farfetched for you?

  “Because everything is about money these days, Hazel!” He said, regarding me as though I were a naive child. “You have it and people want it, men want it. He wants it. He was all too willing to drop everything in California and travel with a woman he barely knows. Does that seem logical to you, rational even?”

  “Does it have to be?” I asked. “Sometimes the best things in life aren’t logical or rational.”

  He sighed profoundly. “I told you in Vegas and I'll tell you again. He is not the man for you, trust me. You can do so much better.”

  “Knox is my better, Jason! He's changed me for the better.”

  “He’ll ruin you, your career, everything. Just watch… And when Panterra kicks your ass at finals, don't say I didn't warn you.”

  Oh hell no.

  I almost went ballistic.

  Almost.

  I had every urge to throttle him, my fingers twitching, flexing and releasing at my sides into hard fists. What revved me up another notch was the smug smirk on his face.

  His words were meant burn, to press that one hot button that set me off, but I stood my ground, willing my anger to subside. I wouldn’t give him the pleasure of seeing how his words stung.

  “That got you thinking, huh?” He snickered, shaking his head.

  Then he said that and I lunged in the blink of an eye, ready to knock him on his ass, only to be pulled back into something hard and quite familiar a moment later.

  With his arm around my chest, Knox dipped his head down beside my ear. “Easy there, tiger.” He chuckled.

  When I physically relaxed, melting into him, he placed a kiss on my cheek, then peppered a light trail to my shoulder.

  Jason cleared his throat. “Mr. Carr, we were just talking about you.”

  “Is that so?” The question was directed to me, sheer amusement bubbling in his voice.

  “No, we were just finished here.” I said, staring Jason in the face.

  Knox turned his head to Jason, tipping his chin. “You're welcome, by the way.”

  Jason’s brow quirked. “For what?”

  “For saving your ass just now.”

  “Oh, please. Hazel wouldn't lay a finger on me.” Jason said matter-of-factly.

  “You sure about that, Fremont? Cause what I saw was one feral woman ready to rip you a new one.”

  Jason laughed. “I might have said some things that pressed her buttons but she wouldn’t dare.”

  “Excuse me?” Knox gritted out, starting to pull me behind his large frame.

  “I wouldn’t dare?” I was seething, placing myself back in front of Knox. I wanted to beat the crap out of him just to prove him wrong. Instead, I took the higher route and did what I should have done a long time ago. “Pack your bags, Jason. You’re done here.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” He screwed up his face, crossing his arms.

  “It means you’re fired and I want you gone by tomorrow morning the latest.”

  “Y-you, you can’t…”

  “Oh, but I can.” I said with finality. “Goodbye.”

  Jason glared between Knox and I menacingly but he didn’t say another word. The elevator dinged behind us and several people spilled out, maneuvering around us as they headed for the front doors.

  Jason fiddled with the button on his blazer and held his head up high as he brushed past us and boarded the cart. He disappeared behind the doors and then Knox reached for my hand, giving it a light squeeze to assure me I’d made the right decision. The bridge was finally burned and we were free.

  When Hazel and I returned from dinner later on that evening, Jason was merely a figment of some of our worst memories.

  I was thankful he’d chosen the smarter route and left sooner rather than later because had he lingered around till morning, either Hazel would have flipped or him and I would've had it out in private.

  We hadn’t heard from him since and the peace brought in his absence somehow catapulted us through the weeks following New York much quicker than I expected.

  Touching down on the tarmac in Chicago reinforced the fact that the end was near, The Semi-Finals being the start of it all. Hazel was up against Serena McLeod who had zoomed up the leaderboards from the very bottom, shocking the masses with the stark contrast in her performance due to her foul track record from just last year.

  They duked it out for almost the full five minutes every round and while McLeod didn't go down easily, one way or another, Hazel eventually got her to submit. It took a lot of strength and strategy to keep her down on the mat, but nonetheless she did it.

  My girl did it once again and the victory earned her a first-class ticket to The Finals where she would be matched up with Panterra for the fourth year in a row.

  After leaving The Windy City behind, all I remember is buckets of rain pouring down on a constant basis from the day we arrived in Seattle.

  It was every bit the soggy city it was painted to be on TV and the big screen. Aside from the gym, Hazel and I hadn’t been able to go much of anywhere and we were growing rather antsy from the monotonous routine of staring at the inside of our suite or the same four walls of the gy
m.

  Two nights before The Finals, after another gloomy yet surprisingly dry day, Hazel suggested venturing out somewhere to break away from the gnawing sense of cabin fever, even if it were just to grab a bite to eat.

  I agreed, obviously, and we rushed out the door before Seattle could quite literally rain all over our parade again.

  Settling on dinner and a few drinks, we ended up at a small pub not too far from the hotel. Maybe it was the two glasses of wine she’d had before our entrée’s were served or the simple fact that we were finally out and about, but Hazel was adorably chatty and very giggly.

  I sat across from her in silence with a smile on my face as she went on and on, barely taking a breath between one topic and another. In the time we’d been together, I'd never seen her so animated, and as I regarded her with an ardent stare, I found myself contemplating whether or not to ask the question I’d been debating since we were in New York.

  I never asked her though, fearful that what it entailed would scare her off and dampen the remainder of our evening.

  We strolled back into the hotel sometime around eleven, beating another storm by just minutes. On our way up to the suite, Hazel made it very clear what her intentions were once we entered that room, intentions that matched mine to the T.

  She pressed me up against the wall of the elevator and tunneled her fingers into my hair, pressing her lips to mine.

  “I want you.” She whispered.

  I hummed appreciatively and dug my fingers into her waist as her tongue flashed out to duel with mine.

  “Yes? No? Maybe so?” Her tone was playful.

  “How about we make use of that giant tub?” I suggested against her neck.

  Her mischievous grin was utterly palpable.

  “I’m quite liking where your head is at, Mr. Carr.” She purred as the elevator slowed to a stop, the doors opening up on our floor with the loud ding.

  Taking my hand in hers, Hazel lead us down the hall to our suite and I pulled the room card from my wallet, sliding it into the slot. The lock released with a click and I pushed the door open, motioning for her to go in first.