“That’s my girl.” I give her a caress to her supple backside. “You got this shit. Make me proud.”
We walk inside, and Joslyn points me to the area where all spectators sit before she goes off to finish registration. The stands brim with fans and supporters, and I have to scramble to find an empty seat. By the time I sit down among a group of college kids, the television cameras roll into place.
One of the kids looks at me and snorts. “Tough guy, you got the wrong spot. Registration’s over that way.” He turns away, and I hear him whisper to a friend. “God, these meatheads really are stupid.”
“I’m not competing,” I say, bristling at the insult.
The kid turns back around and gives me a strange look. “Why the hell not? You look just as big as those guys down there.” He points to the American Ninja Warrior hopefuls, clustered around a man giving them orders. “You could kick their asses, man!”
“Nah. This ain’t my jam. I’m in security.”
The kid squints. “So, what the fuck are you doing here, then? Checking out the girls?” He smirks and leans in closer. “Those girls are smoking hot, man.” He points to Joslyn, giving me a triumphant look. “I bet I could get her number.”
I snort and lean closer to him, growling, “No fucking way. That’s my girlfriend.”
The kid’s jaw drops, and he bursts out laughing. “Oh my god, you’re here with her?”
“Nothing funny about that,” I growl. “She’s the best there is at this shit. Even has a professional grade course in her yard.”
“Are you kidding? It’s hysterical,” the kid says. “Big boy here watching his tiny little girlfriend run the gauntlet.”
“Shut up,” I mutter, turning my attention back to Joslyn.
I fist my hands to keep from reaching out and grabbing the little shit by the back of his scrawny neck so I can shake his ass senseless. She’s out of her tracksuit now and wearing a shiny, bright green sports bra and a little tennis skirt made from the same material. I chuckle to myself, knowing that she’d never have picked something like that herself. The effect is amazing, though – she looks fierce and sexy and strong, and I feel a burst of pride for her as I watch her bounce from one foot to the other.
When the competition begins, I realize this is much more intense than I thought. Some of the obstacles look deceptively easy, like an inverted climbing wall over a huge pool of water, but three guys in a row strike out. As the group of hopefuls grows thinner, I know Joslyn must be incredibly anxious. Not one person’s finished, even the men.
The whistle sounds and Joslyn bounds onto the course. She leaps over the water trap with ease, and even from my nosebleed seat, I can see the muscles in her jaw twitching as she grips the inverted climbing wall and hauls herself up. The crowd gasps, and after a moment, begins to cheer.
“Holy shit, dude, your girl is tough,” the kid next to me whispers. “A total badass.”
Ignoring him, I lean closer and squint as Joslyn races across four suspended red balls, swinging back and forth like a giant perpetual motion toy. The same ones I fucked her senseless on in her backyard. If she fails on those, I’ll never look at them the same way again. She almost falters for a second but manages to steady herself and leap free. Yes! In what feels like no time at all, she’s standing in front of the wall, and the crowd begins to chant, “Beat that wall.”
And she does. On the first try, her fingertips grip the edge of the wall, and every muscle in her back and arms strain as she pulls herself to the top. I’m on my feet, cheering and whistling, as she stands tall at the top.
“Joslyn Monroe!” the announcer yells and everyone cheers even louder. “Finishing in a record time for women competitors this season!”
I push my way through the crowd and find her, where she stands with a few other competitors – including one of the guys who fell into the first trap. Sweat runs down her gorgeous face, but she looks radiant.
In fact, she’s never looked better to me than in this moment.
A moment of complete triumph.
“I had a pretty clean run,” she says, wiping her brow free of sweat. “I was the only woman to reach the Warped Wall. The rest of them all dropped out.”
“I never had a doubt. By the way, none of the men made it past the Warped Wall. I bow down.”
One of the guys waiting with Joslyn turns to me with a sneer. “So, when are you going?”
“I’m not.”
“Pussy,” the guy says. “A huge guy like you and you’re not even gonna try? What, you afraid to fail? Your little girlfriend here did it, no problem! I bet she needs a real man in her life. Maybe I should give her my number.”
“Yeah, maybe you should.” I want to punch the smug smile off his beefy face. “But I bet she needs a man who doesn’t fuck up on the first obstacle.”
The guy turns red in the face and balls his hands into his fists, but Joslyn takes my hand.
“Come on, funny guy. Let’s go.”
As soon as we’re outside, we both burst out laughing. Joslyn puts her track jacket around her shoulders and eagerly takes the bottle of water I hand over.
“I think I did okay,” she says, shaking her head. “But I won’t find out until next week. The whole thing is timed – so they have to go through a lot more people before they can make any decisions. All the finishers are ranked by time.”
“You were great. Impressive. After all, you were the only person to finish the whole course, Wailing Wall and all.”
Joslyn giggles. “Warped Wall. And way to take that guy’s balls out of his nut sack and stuff them in his mouth. Now come on, I’m dying for a shower and some red meat. Let’s get out of here.”
After I drop Joslyn off at home and make sure her security system is engaged, I know I have to talk to Nixon. It’s the middle of the day, and I’m sure he’s busy, but he needs to hear what I know. As soon as I get to the Armónico, I head to his office and knock. Stepping inside, I sit down in front of Nixon’s desk.
“I need to talk to you. About the Mona Lisa.”
Nixon looks up and frowns. “Why? What’s going on – I told you last week, Reagan and I are closing in. It’s almost a done deal.”
“I know. But I think Dante’s going to try to make trouble. He’s blackmailing the Chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission, and I don’t think he’s going to stop there. We need to do something.”
“Troy, I’m doing all I can right now.”
“Yeah, but I have it on good authority that Dante’s trying to throw the vote. The chairman gets the final say, and no one knows if he’s still going to be on the commission at the time of the Mona Lisa vote – he’s sixty-five years old, and the other guys want him out so they can have their own shot at the job.”
“Fine,” Nixon says. “If you’re that worried, we’ll beef up security here.”
“That’s what I was thinking. It might be a good time for me to have my own team, you know, really step up as Vice President of Security.”
Nixon looks up and shakes his head. “I’m sorry, but no. I told you, Troy, I need to see some real leadership from you before I give you a higher position. This isn’t kid stuff. I need things done right. One false move and Dante wins.”
His reply stings, and even though I know I shouldn’t take it personally, I can’t help it.
“Anything else? I’m really busy today, Troy. If that’s everything, I need to get back to this paperwork. Reagan wants me to review it before I leave.”
I feel low when I leave Nixon’s office, but I know I shouldn’t feel defeated. There has to be something I can do – anything to help Nixon, keep Joslyn safe, and push myself up to VP of Security all at once.
Frowning, I walk into a quiet hallway and pull out my phone. There aren’t many people I can tell. Jack would go straight to Nixon, of course, and it’s not like the other security guys are my best buddies. We get along, but they’re employees. Finally, something clicks, and I remember an old friend from high school. He�
�s Nixon’s friend too. But more importantly, he’s Dante’s enemy. And hate takes priority over love in this dark situation. I press ‘call’ and wait, holding the phone to my ear as it begins to ring.
“Hello?” A deep voice floats over the phone’s speakers.
“Hey, man, it’s Troy. How you been?”
Hawk laughs, a deep rumble in my ear. It’s good to hear his voice. He comes from a past almost as bleak as my own. “Great, great. Not a lot going on right now. Just working from my ebony lair, you know how that is.”
“Actually, I really wish I did know. I don’t have a lair. Yet.”
“It ain’t all it’s cracked up to be,” Hawk says, then silence stretches out as he exhales a long breath. “You know I barely even left the house last week? Not even for a coffee run. Anything I need, my housekeeper brings it. Pathetic, I know.”
Now it’s my turn to laugh. At only thirty years old, Hawk is the pre-eminent security expert in Vegas. And ‘working from home’ for Hawk means working from the high-tech basement of a mansion in Vegas’s most exclusive gated community.
“Must be rough,” I quip.
“Yeah, so, what’s been up with you?”
“Not much,” I lie. “Look, if I told you that I needed your help with something – and that something has to stay confidential for now – what would you say?”
“I’d say, fuck yeah. I’m telling you, my life is so boring now that getting a pizza and a twelve-pack on the weekends seems exciting. Or at least calling übereats to bring me said pizza and beer,” Hawk says with a touch of sarcasm.
“Well, this is definitely going to lean on the side of exciting.”
“Then I’m in. What’s the situation?”
“I can’t tell you over the phone,” I say, glancing down at my watch. “I need you to meet me at the Greek diner on the corner, right by the Armónico.”
“Secretive,” Hawk says. “I can dig that. Besides, anything that gets me out of the house is good nowadays. I’ll be there.”
“Oh, then you’re going to be all over this. Just trust me.”
Chapter Seventeen
Joslyn
As Troy and I climb out of my truck, I realize that for the first time in a long time, I’ve had fun. I wouldn’t exactly call my life joyless – between teaching the girls at Tribe of Amazons and working hard to become the next American Ninja Warrior, I feel very fulfilled. But while training hard and working out feels good, it doesn’t always make me smile.
You know, that soul-deep joy that comes from doing something that lights you up. Not because it’s something you should do, but something you want to do. Part of me resents my self-defense work and domestic violence volunteering because I never would have felt compelled to do it if I hadn’t been kidnapped. It’s soul-fulfilling work, but it can’t be denied that it comes from the victim inside of me and not from my personal power.
Troy gives me a goofy look that makes me wonder how long I’ve been grinning.
“What’s up with you?” Troy asks, smirking. “You look like a kid in a candy store with fifty bucks to burn. Pixi Stix anyone?”
I giggle. “Make it Sugarfina, and now we’re talking. Although those champagne bears would throw me off my diet for at least a week. I can’t remember the last time I had solid sugar.”
“Ah, champagne bears, a treat of the most refined warriors.” Troy leans in close and kisses me. His kiss tastes of beer and hot sauce from the wings we gorged ourselves on, but somehow, it’s strangely enticing. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him close as our bodies press urgently together in my driveway.
“Of course,” I say in a faux-snotty voice, breaking the kiss and tossing my head. “Why, you think the most refined warriors eat off-brand gummy bears? I think not.”
“Pardon me, madam,” Troy echoes, nodding his head and looking at me like I’ve got a screw loose. “How could I ever have thought otherwise?”
I lick my lips. Now it’s the awkward moment where in any other case, I’d ask Troy to leave. But we had such a good time together pigging out on bar food and playing classic Rolling Stones pinball that I don’t want the night to end. And judging by the way Troy devours my body with his eyes, I don’t think he wants it to end, either.
“So,” I croon, running a suggestive finger down Troy’s chest. I stop at his heart and hold my palm over his strong organ. Thump. Thump. “Feel like coming inside?”
Troy chuckles and stretches. “I don’t know.” He taps a finger to his temple and pretends to think it over. While he yanks my chain, I inhale his citrusy man-scent. I want to drink him in. “I’ve got a long, long day at the Armónico tomorrow.”
I grin and kiss Troy again, nibbling on his lower lip and pulling him close. I run my hand down his muscular chest, over the hard bulge in his jeans. Feeling his hard cock makes me ache for him, and I can tell Troy enjoys the intimate attention by the way he groans.
“I think you can probably get up early and still make it to work on time.” I cock my head to the side and nibble Troy’s earlobe. “I mean, I’ll set an alarm.”
“Oh,” Troy growls, the sound twisting my belly. “Well, if you’ll set an alarm, then by all means. That gives you plenty of time to put your delectable mouth all over me.”
As I lead him inside, I’m glad a cloak of darkness surrounds us. I like Troy – much more than I should – but I don’t want him to see me grinning like I’ve suddenly won the lottery. Before the front door clicks closed, I jump into Troy’s arms. His tongue slips into my mouth, and I moan, arching into him, needing more. Troy breaks the kiss and buries his face in my neck, nipping and biting at my throat just hard enough to make me squirm with pleasure. Arousal and lust have completely taken over my body, and I swoon, lacing my fingers behind his neck. We stagger backward and crash on the couch – we haven’t initiated it yet – and I grin as I slide my hands under his shirt and pull it over his head before tossing it to the floor. Moonlight streams in through my living room windows and Troy’s brawny body looks silvery-pale. I crawl on top of him and straddle his hips, leaning down to nuzzle his neck. Troy groans and tangles his hands in my hair and yanks as delicious pain mingles with the pleasure flowing through me.
“God,” Troy grunts, arching his back.
He puts his hands on my waist and pulls my shirt over my head in a single motion. Before I can move, he reaches behind my back and unclasps my bra. It falls to the floor and Troy cups my breasts in both hands, rubbing my nipples and rolling them between his fingers until I moan with pleasure. I’m so turned on that I can feel the soaked crotch of my panties rubbing against my body with every breath, and I suddenly can’t wait to be naked. It’s a herculean effort to push his hands away and climb off the couch, but I do it.
“Where are you going?” Troy growls in a husky voice. “Come back here.”
I smirk and lock eyes with him as I unzip my jeans and push them down my hips. His gaze smolders, and I shudder as I step out of my jeans and toss my panties to the side. Standing there completely naked, I know I should feel exposed. I should feel vulnerable. And I do – but I don’t feel scared. I realize now that I trust Troy completely. I put him through the ringer, and he never stood down from my bullshit.
He won.
“Come on.” I turn and waltz into the bedroom, sashaying my ass until I hear an answering groan from behind me.
I’ve barely made it five paces before he scoops me up from behind and tosses me on the bed. As our tongues dance a sensual tango, I fumble with Troy’s belt and pull it away from his jeans. He pushes my hands out of the way and pushes his pants down.
“You said something before,” I tease, staring at him as he twitches. “But I can’t seem to remember what it was.”
He pumps himself a few times as my mouth waters. This man does something to me. It’s like a naughty vixen emerges to overtake the in-control Joslyn every single time he touches me.
“You know damn well what it was. Why don’t you use your mouth for someth
ing good for a change? Something that doesn’t involve bitching.”
“I love looking at your cock, Troy.” I delight in his answering groan as he pierces me with a heated gaze.
“That’s much better.”
I stroke him with my hand and tongue, taking him to the edge before I suck him in again. Troy trembles underneath my mouth and hand, and feeling his surrender causes a jolt of emotion to rumble through me. I’m doing this to him.
He’s mine.
I lash him with my tongue, picking up the pace of my hand at the base of his dick.
“Don’t stop, Jos.”
Before I’m ready, he pulls himself free of my mouth and drops to his knees to capture my lips. We fall to the bed in a tangle of limbs, pounding hearts, and whirling emotions. My pussy is wet and aching. Sucking him off turned me on so much, and I wish he’d come straight down the back of my throat.
Troy pushes a finger into my slick heat, and as he pierces my pussy with his hand, he does the same to my mouth with his searching tongue.
Troy breaks the kiss to take his wallet from his pants and remove a condom. I stare with insatiable hunger at his naked body as he rips open the foil packet and sheathes his manhood. When he takes me in his arms again, my heart throbs with excitement and anticipation. As Troy slides deep inside my body, I let out a loud moan and spread my legs wider. Wrapping my thighs around his waist, I ride him from underneath as he starts thrusting in and out of my waiting body.
Troy grunts and buries his face in my neck, sucking so hard that I know there will be a big purple hickey there in the morning, but I don’t care. It feels so good that I want more, more, more – I want all of Troy. I want him to fill me and take me and make me his in a way I’ve never dreamed of before.
“You feel so good,” Troy growls in my ear. “I’ve never felt anything as tight as you are, Jos. It’s like all your exercising has tightened your pelvic muscles into a human vice.”
He takes my chin with one hand and guides my mouth to his in a passionate, sloppy kiss that leaves me weak. As our bodies move together in the intimate rhythm of love, I can feel my orgasm building inside of me. Troy breaks the kiss and arches his back, gasping and bucking as his body starts to shake. His reaction sets me off, and I grab onto his shoulders and shove my hips against his. My back bows and my legs fall open even wider. My clit pulses, and soon, my whole body quakes with ecstasy. We cling to each other, breathing hard and shaking, until the magic subsides.
All In (Caldwell Brothers Book 5) Page 12