“Nope. No one gets attached in one night. I warned you about sleeping with the same guy over and over. It gets messy. Lines that were clear in the beginning become blurred. It was a recipe for catching feelings and was bound to end in disaster.”
“I don’t have time for your ‘I told you so’ moment. Can we get out of here before he comes back?”
“Yeah, sure. I want to talk to Ty before he falls asleep, anyway.” I slipped on my leather jacket, gathered up my keys and purse, then hightailed it to the door.
Noah watched us with a brooding look as we walked out of the bar. Well, there went my job opportunity. As much as I loved Ryder, I didn’t want my days to rotate around him. My nights? Yeah. My nights could rotate around Ryder. He was really good at taking over my nights and making me float into a Ryder-hazed sleep.
Chapter Thirty
Alexis
My train arrived at six. It was two minutes past arrival time, and I hurriedly pulled my bag down the crowded passageway toward the station. It’d been way too long since I’d seen Ryder, and my heart pumped with anticipation. The tunnel felt a mile long, but when the light finally broke at the end of it, I didn’t see Ryder anywhere. It was crowded, but I had no patience to be scouring the masses to find my Hawk.
Someone bumped into me from behind because I’d stopped at the end of the tunnel, blocking other people trying to get past. I slowly walked into the station. A pair of strong hands grabbed me at the hips, pulled me back into a solid form, and I was surrounded by an aura that was only Ryder’s.
“Missed me?” he asked, nuzzling his face into the back of my neck and nipping my skin with his teeth. He spun me around and smiled with a slight quirk of his lip, then bit down on it.
God, I love when he does that. And he knew it.
He wore a UFC cap pulled down low on his head, but those baby blues gleamed at me. I couldn’t resist anymore, I needed to kiss him, like five minutes ago. I leaned in, tilted my head, and pressed my lips to his. His body tensed, then he opened up and pushed his tongue against mine. He tasted like mint and lust. Trust me, if lust had a taste, this was it. It traveled through every pore in my body and lit me on fire. I was panting; he was groaning. I clutched his face between my hands; he squeezed my ass in his. He kissed me fiercely, with passion and a need that I reciprocated.
Someone whistled, bursting our little bubble and forcing us to pull away. We gazed into each other’s eyes, breathing heavily, with lust still clouding our judgment.
“Take me home,” I demanded.
He squeezed his eyes shut and growled. “We can’t.”
“Why not?” I needed him to take me back to his place so we could work on simmering down this inferno. I knew the fire couldn’t be put out. Whenever Ryder was around, I was always hyperaware and hypersexual and needed some relief.
“We’re having dinner with the team.”
I huffed. My body protested, but I was happy he wanted me to meet his team. He’d been coming to this training camp for years, and I knew he was trying to get me involved in all the pieces of his life.
“So let’s go.” I smiled as he sighed. The sexual tension still had his body wound up, but he grabbed my hand and my bag as we left the building.
We raced to a small restaurant a few blocks from the train station. Ryder left my bag with the hostess before she led us to the back of the restaurant and into a private room. There were about thirty people gathered at a long table with trays of food filling the center. The energy was at a high octave. Fighters, trainers, and a few women were engrossed in an animated conversation of last year’s championship fight.
“Ay!” The group exclaimed as Ryder dragged me in behind him. “There he goes,” a tall man with graying hair said. Ryder pulled me up to him and made introductions.
“This is Frankie Young, trainer extraordinaire. Frankie, my girl, Alexis.” He gave me a toothy grin. Despite his receding hairline, he was built like a man twenty years his junior. I took the hand he extended but was a little surprised when he pulled me in for a hug. Ryder laughed at my startled expression before pulling out a seat for me. Ty was seated to my right, so Ryder took the seat to my left.
“I missed you, Lexi.” Ty leaned over and kissed my cheek. I must admit, despite our rough start, I’d grown to love Ty. I missed my boys when they were gone. I even missed being at the gym.
Ryder wasted no time picking up a platter and filling his plate. That’s when I noticed the salmon, chicken breast, vegetables, salad, and wide assortment of healthy food. I grew up with Alec and his rowdy friends playing video games and eating everything greasy under the sun. It was nice to see this group of big guys being so conscious of their bodies and diligent to their sport.
“So we finally get to meet the girl Ryder gave up the championship for.” Frankie was looking directly at me. Ryder paused with his fork halfway to his mouth and gave Frankie a look. A warning, I thought.
“Don’t worry, Ryder, I’m not trying to make your girl uncomfortable. I was just going to tell her how proud we all were of you.” Ryder relaxed, glanced at me, and then continued eating.
“Most of us were there that year. We knew there was something about the kid that made him special. He was ready to win that championship. But the thing about winning a title like that is you have to be more than ready. It has to be your destiny.” Ryder turned toward me and gazed into my eyes as Frankie continued talking.
“Ryder’s destiny that year was to be on that beach to save you. I hope you never feel guilty, because he was never cheated out of that title. It just wasn’t his time. Maybe he learned something that night, because he only came back better and fought harder. He was inspired, and I think it was by you.”
I was enthralled by Ryder’s powerful gaze. He was looking at me like Frankie was conveying a message for him. I would’ve never been able to look away had Ryder not smiled, winked at me, and turned back to his plate.
Everyone was listening to Frankie but watching me. It made me uncomfortable, and I resisted the urge to squirm in my seat. I hated when people who didn’t know me talked about that night. It made me feel weak. Like they were all staring at the poor suicidal girl who couldn’t handle life. I wasn’t that girl anymore. Sure, I still struggled with losing Alec, but I was at a better place. That night had been different. In the heat of the moment it felt like my world had ended.
I made it through the rest of the dinner in silent observation. The trainers and the fighters seemed to be one big family. After saying goodbye, Ryder pulled me out of the room to the lobby. As we waited for the hostess to bring my bag, Ryder wrapped his arms around my waist, my back to his chest, as he nipped at my earlobe.
“You’re kind of a hero around here, huh?”
“Hero… nah.” He moved his lips over my neck.
“Everyone admires the champion.”
“Do you admire me?” His tongue licked a hot path back to my ear. “Soon as we get back to the hotel,” he breathed, “I’m going to fuck you like I’m going in for the championship title.”
“You already have the championship title,” I murmured.
“Yup, now I’m going to be the reigning champ of that pussy.” His grip on my hips tightened as he pressed his erection against my back. The hostess interrupted, handing Ryder my bag. We stepped out of the restaurant, and one of the fighters who had been at dinner was standing outside, smoking a cigarette. Ryder tensed, holding my hand a little tighter.
“Ryder,” he said, blowing his smoke our way.
“Carter.” Ryder walked past him but paused when Carter continued speaking.
“How’s our girl, Leah?” Ryder looked over his shoulder at him. “I see you’ve replaced her.” Carter smiled at me, and I felt repulsed. It was one of those slow, creepy smiles that made your skin crawl.
“You can’t keep a girl like that. You never could. Maybe you should’ve stuck with Leah. She was all about you when she wasn’t screaming my name.”
Ryder chuckled and shook h
is head. “You’ve always wanted what I have. But Leah isn’t what you really wanted, was it?” He dropped my hand and got in Carter’s face. “You want my belt—challenge me for it.”
Carter glared at him but didn’t say a word. His jaw was clenched, his hand was fisted, but he stood there silently. Ryder shook his head, grabbed my hand, and we continued down the street.
“What was that about?”
“He’s the guy Leah cheated on me with.”
“What? She cheated on you? How come you never told me this?”
He shrugged. “You never asked.”
“So why is she still sticking around pretending she loved you?”
“Oh, she loved me. She was just trying to get my attention.”
“Did it work?”
He looked at me. “She got my attention, just not in the way she wanted. I realized I wasn’t invested in our relationship. My ego was more bruised than anything else.”
“So your girlfriend cheats on you, and all you can think about is how your dick wasn’t enough for her.”
He stopped walking in front of the hotel entryway and stared incredulously at me.
“Oh, my dick was more than enough. I just don’t like to share what’s mine with other men.” He grabbed my arm and tugged me through the doors. “Now get your ass upstairs so I can find out how much of this dick you can take.”
I giggled as he repeatedly pressed the button for the elevator. It had been over a month since we’d been together. I was going to pay for that comment. The hard way.
Chapter Thirty-One
Ryder
“I think I’m going to die in here,” I told her as she begged me to let her sleep. The tight heat of her pussy was so welcoming I couldn’t leave.
“Sleep,” she begged as she clawed at my back.
“I know, baby,” I whispered, rocking her to my rhythm as I moved deep inside her. “I’m almost there.”
She moaned, but it sounded more like a muffled squeal. Then she started tapping on my shoulder to indicate the intensity was too much. There was no mercy. I wasn’t going to let her tap out. I gave her more. She whimpered, lifting her hips from the mattress.
“Oh God…” She came violently, wild and untamed, sweating and screaming my name. I felt her get wetter. I got harder.
Fuck, I needed to come.
Her pussy pulsed. My dick throbbed.
“That’s right, baby. Who’s the champion of this pussy?
She scraped her fingernails down my back and growled at me. “You’re the fucking king of this pussy.”
She was sexy as hell when she came, all breathless and alluring as she writhed beneath me.
My balls ached. I’d come so much I wasn’t sure they had anything else to give. The coil of pleasure started at the base of my cock and crackled through every cell in my body. As the pleasure began to jar through me, I let go. It happened every time I was with her, the moment when it became all-encompassing and all my barriers dropped. I became powerless to the hold she had on me as my orgasm shook me to the core. And as if she knew what I needed, she started caressing my skin and rubbing my hair.
I came hard, in spasms, spilling my seed deep into her body, but it was more than a physical experience. It filled an emptiness I never knew I had. I lost hold of reality, went to a place where all I could do was feel. It left me emotionally sated as I came down from it.
She didn’t complain as I lay on her like a big, sweaty heap. She just held me. She hissed when I finally withdrew from her warmth and rolled off of her.
“I think you broke it.” She glanced at me with tired eyes.
“It didn’t feel broken.”
“Well, it is.” She curled up into me and chuckled weakly. “You’re cruel. You’re trying to kill me by orgasm overload.”
“You loved it.” The weeks away from Alexis were torture, and I made up for it in spades. I kissed the top of her head and rolled out of the bed. After grabbing a bottle of water, I returned with a rag to clean her up. She’d been drifting off to sleep, so the moment the warm cloth touched her sensitive flesh, she groaned and snapped her thighs shut. “No more…”
“Shh… let me take care of you.” She relaxed and let me clean her up before I got back into bed. I held her, looking forward to the next two weeks with Lexi.
~*~*~
The following week I was exhausted. Between the stress of the upcoming fight, long training days, and Lexi—I was drained. I felt bad for making Lexi come out here. I spent so much time training, I knew she was lonely. I should’ve probably sent her home, but I was too selfish. I needed her here. I felt more settled when I knew I could come home to her.
Three days ago, Jacob arrived in town. He had an underground fight scheduled in less than a week and was staying at the same hotel. Normally, I liked having the kid around, but not if he was going to be hanging around Lexi all day. His training schedule wasn’t as brutal as mine, so he found plenty of time to be with her. In the past three days they’d gone to the museum and lunch together twice. My patience was running thin with Jacob.
I pushed open the door to my suite and my frown deepened. Lexi and Jacob were giggling and throwing popcorn at each other as they watched a movie. Lexi noticed me first. She jumped up from her position and came to me. She wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me, but my arms stayed at my sides as I observed Jacob’s eyes linger on Lexi’s tiny shorts and then up the curve of her back ‘til they landed on me. I cocked my head and glared at him. He shrugged and smiled guiltily.
“Hey, baby.” Lexi pushed off me and smiled. “We held dinner for you.”
“Okay. Just let me walk Jacob out.”
“But Jacob was going to stay and—”
“No. He’s leaving.” I dropped my bag and nodded toward the door. Jacob got the message, picked up his things, and followed me out. As we walked to the elevator, he put his hands nervously in his pockets, head down.
“I’ve been good to you, right?” I asked. He gave me a sideward glance and nodded. He’d been a kid with a love of martial arts when Leah had brought him to one of my fights. I took him under my wing and taught him everything he knew. The kid had heart and in a few years might even be as good as I was. But that didn’t mean I’d let him get a pass for trying to get with my girl and checking out her ass while she was in my arms.
“Don’t think because I like you that you can fuck with me or my girl. If you touch her, I will break every bone in your body and end your career.”
He shook his head like I was being outrageous. “I wasn’t going to—”
“Yes, you were.”
We both knew he had his eyes on Lexi from day one. Maybe he truly believed I still had a thing for his sister, and I wouldn’t mind if he flirted with Lexi. If that were the case, I needed to make it clear where my heart was so he’d know not to fuck with it. There was nothing in this world I’d fight harder for.
“Don’t fuck with me, Jacob.” I patted him on the face and glared at him. My fists clenched, and my muscles twitched in anticipation of a fight. He nodded and stepped back into the elevator. I stood there in a full fighter stance until the doors slid shut, then walked back to my suite.
I slammed the door hard, startling Lexi. She looked at me, and I knew she was pissed. Fuck that. I was the one who came home and found her cozying up to another man.
“What did you say to him?”
“I just let the kid know he wasn’t man enough to take what’s mine.”
She sighed. “Ryder, we’re just friends.”
“No. You’re his friend. He wants to fuck you.” I looked at her standing there, with her tiny shorts and a tight tank top that outlined her nipples so perfectly she may as well have been naked, and frowned.
“And what the fuck are you wearing? Does it make you wet to get the kid’s dick hard?”
She gasped and looked at me like I was losing my mind. I probably was. It always made me crazy when other men looked at her. Once she became mine, I became a
little unhinged with jealousy. She took a deep, calming breath, then exhaled.
“You know what? I know you’re stressed, so I’m going to give you a pass on that one. But that’s the only one you get.”
She walked up to me with her arms crossed over her chest. “I left everything to come be with you because I missed you so much it hurt. You mentor Jacob. He’s your friend. I didn’t think it was a big deal, but if you don’t want me to hang out with him, all you had to do was say so. All the macho posturing you’re doing doesn’t make me wet.” She threw my words back at me like she’d just won the argument.
I cocked my head and smiled slowly. “Are you sure?” I hooked my arm around her waist and pulled her closer. “Let’s see if that’s true.”
“No.” Her eyes widened, and she tried to push at my arm. “Don’t touch me, Ryder.” I ignored her warning and easily slipped my hand into her shorts. She gasped on contact.
“Well… look at that,” I said as my finger slid over her wet flesh. “My macho bullshit does turn you on.”
She narrowed her eyes, clutching my shirt. “Fine, it turns me on, but it also pisses me off.”
“That’s okay with me. It turns me on when you’re pissed off. You get all wild and aggressive.” I glided two fingers into her and started a rhythm that was sure to make her blow in minutes. “Are you still angry? Will you give it to me rough tonight? Make me pay?”
Her hazel eyes turned a little less green and a little more brown. They always did that when she was aroused. Her eyelids fluttered, she dropped her forehead to my chest, and panted. She was close. She whimpered and looked up at me with desperation when I took my hand away.
“What are you doing? Finish,” she demanded.
“I wouldn’t want to make you come and brighten up your mood.” I picked up my bag and threw it over my shoulder. “I’m going to go take a shower.”
“Asshole.”
I laughed. “Oh yeah, that’s how I like it. Are you angry? Because it’s turning me the fuck on,” I shouted as I walked away.
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