by KB Winters
Knight Moves
Book 1
By USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author
KB Winters and Evie Monroe
Copyright © 2016 BookBoyfriends Publishing LLC
Published By: BookBoyfriends Publishing LLC
Copyright and Disclaimer
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination and have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2016 BookBoyfriends Publishing LLC
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of the trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Contents
Knight Moves Book 1
Copyright and Disclaimer
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
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Evie's Books
More From KB Winters
Acknowledgements
About The Authors
Chapter One
Ryker
It was a little bit like being from another species, being the only guy in Vegas that didn’t have a smile permanently plastered on. The Strip was bright and dazzling, neon signs, loud music, and half naked women—most of them drunk off their asses—as far as I could see in every direction. I’d never been to Vegas before, and while I’d expected to feel out of place among the party-all-night crowd, I hadn’t expected the level of annoyance pulsing through me as my buddy Bennett Marshon and I pushed our way through the crowds of people lining the sidewalk outside the casinos and bars.
I followed Bennett’s lead, and he led us directly to the bar of an ear-drum shattering club that looked, sounded and smelled more like a rave. He hollered over the crowd and ordered two beers from the hot piece of ass behind the bar. A blonde with a flirtatious smile and a set of perky fake tits that likely paid her rent. She hurried to fill our order, ignoring the cluster of customer’s who’d been waiting longer, and when she set the beers down in front of us, she made sure her tits pointed right in Bennett’s direction. He slipped her a twenty and smiled at her until she finally pulled herself away to tend the rest of the bar.
I shook my head and took the first chug of beer. The blonde had barely turned her back before Bennett was eye fucking the hot redhead dancing on a platform in the center of the room. When he tore his eyes away from her, he shifted them back to me and scowled. “I just got one question for ya,” Bennett paused to take a swig of beer. “Are you gonna loosen up and have some fun at any point this weekend? Cause right now, you’re killing my buzz with that big fuck-off sign you have flashin’ over your head.”
I gave him a tight smile. “Better?”
He shoved my shoulder, sloshing some of my beer onto the bar top. Bennett didn’t even have to ask, the blonde bartender appeared instantly with a wet towel. She’d obviously been keeping an eye on us. Well, Bennett. What she didn’t know was that Bennett had already moved on. I’d have bet a hundred bucks that he’d be taking the redhead dancer back to the hotel when he was done drinking and shooting the shit with me.
I’d known Bennett since the second grade, and while he wasn’t exactly predictable, if there was one thing I knew about him—it was the look in his eyes when he found what he was looking for. And tonight, it was the curvy redhead who hadn’t taken her eyes off him since he first laid eyes on her.
“Thanks, sweetheart,” he purred at the bartender. She smiled and backed off again, forcing herself back to the new crowd of patrons waiting for her. Bennett flicked his eyes off her ass, and back to mine. “Remember, we’re here to have a good time, celebrate being back on US soil. We’re here to drink, get jacked, get fucked, get our shit handled and we’re gone. ”
“Eloquent,” I commented. “I’m finding it hard to believe that we somehow managed to trade one desert for another. This place is just like the sandbox. Way too fucking hot and dry.”
“We’re inside, bro. Air conditioning.”
I drank my beer and didn’t argue with him. There wasn’t any point to it. He was my best friend, but there were times where we couldn’t be more opposite from one another. He was happy go lucky, easy, and free. No matter where he was dropped, he could make the best of it and have a good time. We’d just spent the past eighteen months overseas, both serving as Navy SEALs, and the trip to Vegas was supposed to be our first job since being stateside again. I should’ve been having the time of my life, living it up, and blowing off steam, but for whatever reason, my mind was disengaged and I found it hard to relax long enough to have fun.
I spun on the bar stool and rested back against the bar, taking in the room. It was dark and crowded—flashes of colored lights illuminated the sweat soaked bodies occupying the dance floor. A DJ was up on a platform above the frenzy, spinning records like a madman, occasionally shouting over the microphone to get the crowd going again. The beat of the music was fast and frantic, never letting up, bringing everyone inside—and likely, the people on the street—into a fever pitch. I watched the bodies bumping and grinding together, all the skin blending into one massive orgy. I spotted several fuckable ladies on the floor, and I wondered if I should’ve listened to Bennett, and get up and let go.
I could easily find one, two, maybe even three of them to take back to my hotel room and make me forget everything about my time in the desert.
Bennett had his eyes glued on the redhead, who was shaking her juicy ass just for him. I smirked as I watched them. “Why don’t you go get her, and stop all this Discovery Channel mating dance bullshit,” I told Bennett, elbowing him in the ribs.
He threw me a half-cocked smile before sliding from his stool. He didn’t need the confidence boost—Bennett could get any woman he wanted. Something we’d always had in common. But without my prompt, he would’ve kept the game going half the night. I was a much more cut to the chase type of personality. “You want me to see if she has a friend?” He asked, still grinning at me.
I laughed. “I’m more than capable of doing my own hunting.”
“You sure about that?” Bennett fired back, his grin even wider.
I flipped him off and he sauntered away, laughing the whole time, as he made his way to collect his prize—who looked like she was ready to fuck him right then and there. As Bennett neared, she licked her lips, probably thinking about how she was gonna climb him like a tree. Bennett was just under 6’3, an extra inch over me—a fact he never let me forget—and towered over most women. I watched them for a little while, then turned my attention back to the dance floor. A raven haired beauty spun around and flashed me a smile when our eyes met across the room. She had dark features that matched her jet black hair that hung loose in waves down her back. She dragged her hands up her sides, tossed her hair, and spun away—silently beckoning me to join her. I slipped from the stool, leaving behind my beer, and was three paces to the dance floor, when Bennett and his redhead crashed into my path. He had his arm around her, his hand tucked into the bac
k pocket of her ass cheek hugging denim shorts, and they were both grinning like a couple of horny teenagers.
“This is Tori,” Bennett said, pulling her against his side. “Tori, this is Ryker.”
“Hey.” I offered her my hand.
“Nice to meet you,” Tori said, shaking my hand. She had soft skin, and a firm grip. Bennett was gonna be a happy man…
I met Bennett’s eyes, darker in the dimly lit club, and even darker as he looked down at Tori. “You two kids have a good time, be safe,” I teased, the hint of humor making me feel more myself than I had all night.
Bennett laughed, letting my ribbing roll off his back. “Actually, we wanted to talk to you.”
I arched a brow, but couldn’t help smiling as I deadpanned, “Ben, you know I don’t do guy on guy threesomes.”
“Not anymore, hey Knight?” Bennett howled with laughter.
“Newman, asshole and don’t fuck it up again.” I corrected him. Bennett’s eyes widened and he scowled.
Tori giggled. “Actually, this is a party for two, but I do have a small request…”
“Of me?” I asked.
She nodded so vigorously that her tits bounced, threatening to pop right out of her low cut top. “This is gonna sound cheesy, but you’re perfect for my friend, Everlie. Bennett told me you guys will be in town for a little while, so what would you say to hooking up with us for a double date?”
“Shit,” I swore under my breath before shooting a dark look at Bennett. He knew I’d never agree if he asked me, so he’d made his new fuck-buddy do the asking. Stay classy, Marshon. I rubbed the back of my neck and kept my glare focused on Bennett, who was smiling like the idiot that he was, not caring how pissed I got, because he knew—and frequently exploited the fact—I couldn’t stay mad at him for long.
Before I could sidestep the invitation, Tori whipped a phone out of God-only-knows where, her outfit was so short and tight, I had no idea where she’d been keeping her cell. “Here!” She spun the phone around to show me a picture. “She’d kill me if she knew I showed this to you, but I swear—she’s a total fuckin’ hottie!”
The girl on the screen was gorgeous, and I’d be lying if I tried to deny that my cock wasn’t pumping to life just from the grainy pic. She was blonde, curved in all the right places, her tits nice and high, bright blue eyes, and in the pic, she was wearing a skin tight black dress that showed off her long, shapely legs and perfect tan.
“Damn!” Bennett said, sneaking a peek at the phone. Tori just laughed, seeming to not care that her man for the night was ogling her best friend. “Come on, Ryk. Even you couldn’t turn that down.”
“She’s normal, I swear,” Tori added. “She’s just anti-social sometimes, but I can guarantee she’ll wanna meet you. You’re totally her type.”
“I’m not really into blind dates,” I said, handing the phone back. “You two have fun. I’ll catch up with you later, man.”
I started to walk away, but Bennett only let me get five feet away before running up to me and grabbing me around the arm. “Come on, man. Don’t be an asshole.”
I shook off his arm and spun to look at him. “I’m not. Why do you even care? You’re tapping that tonight aren’t ya?” He looked over at Tori, who was still standing where we’d all just been talking. She was typing on her phone, and I wondered if she was texting her friend from the picture. “She said she’ll only go with me tonight if we can make tomorrow happen. It’s one night!”
I laughed. “Seriously? Wow. I think this is a new record for you in the pussy whipping category.”
Bennett scowled at me. “Fine, be a prick.”
He started to walk off, when I called him back. “All right, all right. We can go tomorrow.”
He punched me on the shoulder, his broad smile firmly back in place. “See? That wasn’t so hard!” He strut off to collect Tori, and the two of them left me in the club, with the feeling that I’d just been played.
All I knew for sure was that there’d be hell to pay if the girl on the date wasn’t as hot as the one in the picture.
Chapter Two
Everlie
I knew I shouldn’t worry. My roommate, Tori was known to be a bit of a wildcat, and frequently didn’t make it home until well past midnight. But as her best friend…it was hard not to let my imagination get carried away wondering where she was. It didn’t help that I had the late night news on the TV in the background, replaying the worst stories of the evening—which in Vegas, equated to a continual loop of reports of everything from pickpockets, kidnappings, wild parties and bar fights—to on especially bad occasions, the discovery of a ring of human traffickers or drug busts. Tonight had been a relatively calm broadcast, but as I paced around the living room of our shared apartment, I couldn’t help but picture Tori’s face popping up on the screen with some horrendous headline about a missing girl.
When the stories started to repeat, I sighed and flopped down on the couch, silently cursing my mom for my streak of paranoia—she’d always been a bit of a worry wart—while reaching for the remote control to click off the TV. The screen went blank and my eyes darted back to the clock on the wall. It was almost 2 o’clock in the morning, which was late, even for Tori. I was halfway through typing out a text message to her, when I heard the locks on the front door starting to click open one by one.
Tori and I lived in a relatively safe neighborhood on the outskirts of town, but as two single women in a city known for sin, we aired on the side of being cautious, and had three deadbolts installed on our door, in addition to the regular lock. I heaved off the couch and went to assist Tori, who was fumbling with the last lock. As soon as I opened the door, she burst inside, her bright auburn curls bouncing and a sparkle in her blue eyes, making them even brighter than normal. She was grinning ear to ear, and while I was happy to see her, I couldn’t help feeling a little irritated that while I’ve been home, worried sick, she’d apparently been having the time of her life—without so much as a text to let me know she was still alive and kicking. In the three years we’d lived together, we’d had this conversation more times than I could count. All I asked was that she let me know she was safe so I didn’t have to worry. She thought I was paranoid and old fashioned, but each time, she agreed to be more contentious. It usually worked for a few months, before she’d randomly go off the radar again.
“Ev!” She exclaimed, swishing past me to drop her purse off on the couch. “Thank God, you’re awake. You’re not gonna believe what happened tonight!” She shouted, spinning back to face me. “I met the man of my absolute fucking dreams!”
I shut the front door and bolted it closed again. “Oh, Lord.” She shot me a playful scowl, but continued on, unfazed by my lack of enthusiasm. “His name is Bennett Marshon. Basic specs, he’s twenty-nine, crazy tall, smells like Heaven, with a wicked grin straight from the devil himself!”
I laughed at her colorful description, unable to stay upset with her. I’d heard the same story about a million times since we moved in together, but her sheer excitement was contagious and even though I’d never understand how she could fall so head over heels in one night, I always appreciated her way with words. Tori lived in a continual cycle of relationships—she was constantly falling in and out of love—sometimes all in the course of twenty-four hours. She was a fickle creature with ever-changing taste, I had a feeling she had no idea of what she was really looking for, and she didn’t really care enough to sit down and figure it out. She was quite content living in the whirlwind raging around her.
When last I checked, she didn’t even know what gender she wanted.
We’d known each other for over three years, after originally meeting at the dance studio I worked at. Back then, she’d been dating a woman for several months. Once they broke up she switched back over to dating men, but that only lasted for a six-month period, before she switched back again, swearing off men altogether. However, she ricocheted back three months later when she found her new girlfriend was j
ust using her to get an audition at the burlesque club where Tori was a full-time dancer.
It was basically a giant, bi-sexual soap opera.
“—I’m telling you, Everlie, he’s the hottest man I’ve ever seen in my life,” Tori chattered away, and I didn’t stop her to back up to what she’d been saying.
From what little I’d heard, I gave the relationship three weeks to go belly up.
“Where did you meet him?” I asked, joining Tori in the kitchen where she was pouring a large glass of iced tea from the pitcher I always kept stocked in the fridge.
Tori smiled, knowingly. “At a club.”
I groaned. “Always. Tori it’s always at a club. Does he even live here? Or he’s just here for a few nights with his bros?”
“Lighten up, Ev,” Tori chided, closing the fridge. She took a long drink of her iced tea before continuing, “I’m not expecting some fairytale ending with a guy I met at a club, so don’t worry about me. We’re just gonna have some fun. Well, I should say more fun.” She waggled her eyebrows at me over the rim of her glass.
“What? Did you get it on in the bathroom?” I was halfway kidding, although with Tori, you never knew.
Tori rolled her eyes. “For fuck’s sake Ev, I have a little more class than that!”
I eyed her expectantly.
“He took me back to his hotel, a very nice hotel I might add.” She gave me a shit-eating grin and went back to sipping her iced tea as though we were discussing our plans for lunch the next day, rather than her doing it with some guy she just met at a club hours before. Before I could say anything else, she continued, “You didn’t even let me tell you the best part!”
I braced myself.
She set aside her iced tea, and her smile grew as she looked at me for a moment. “I’m seeing him again tomorrow, and you’re going to meet him too!”
“I am?”
She nodded. “And, his equally hot friend, Ryker.”
I arched a brow at her. “Tori,” I whined.