Fighting for Love (15 page)

Stalking across the room, he ran his fingers through his hair before stopping at the bay window.
Maybe I should’ve blurted it out and gotten it over with.

“What happened?” he demanded, his voice a low growl.

Here I go.

Regretting having to tell him, I took a deep breath and let it out quickly, rushing the words out as fast as I could, “Kyle Andrews happened, Matt. He lied to me and said his name was Caleb. He’s the guy I’d been seeing.”

Immediately, his back stiffened and he turned around, his gaze full of fire and rage. “Are you fucking kidding me? What did he do to you,” he stormed angrily. “Please tell me he didn’t hurt you or touch you in any way.”

With each second I stalled I could see him getting angrier. I didn’t want to tell him that Kyle had touched me
and
kissed me, and most of all I didn’t want to tell him what he did tonight. It would only add more fuel to the fire.

Matt stalked closer and when I got to my feet, he gripped my arms and held me tight as if I’d run away. “Tell me,” he demanded. “Did he put his hands on you?”

Now is the time to be smart.
If I told him yes, then he’d lose it; I couldn’t tell him yes.

“He didn’t hurt me,” I told him. “Kyle knew better than to do that. Look, I know you’re mad, and trust me it pisses me off, too. However, he only did it to get a rise out of you. He didn’t expect me and you to cross paths again, so his goal was to flaunt me in front of your face. I didn’t even know he was a fighter. He told me he was a personal trainer and a volunteer fireman.”

Breathing hard, Matt just stood there, glaring at me with his hands still gripping my upper arms. Clearing my throat, I licked my dry lips and continued, “The one thing I don’t understand is how he found out about us in the first place. My first thought was Hayley, but I never told her anything about our past, and I know Lexi didn’t. Jace already told me he didn’t tell anyone. Who out of the people you know would be involved with Kyle?”

Closing his eyes, Matt scoffed and clenched his jaw. “This is unreal. No one I know would get involved with that fucker. Where’s this party at, Shelby? I’m going out there … now.” He brushed past me toward the door, but I jumped in his way and blocked his path by spreading my arms across the door.

“No, you’re not,” I warned him. “If you go after him you’re just giving him what he wants. Why would you do that? You’re better than he is, Matt. Show him that he doesn’t get to you.”

“How can I do that when he’s messing with the only thing I care about?” he shouted. “He knows he can’t fight me fair, so he’s doing this to screw with my head.”

“Then don’t let him,” I whispered softly.

Rising up on my toes, I caressed his cheeks, which were now rough with the hint of stubble; it was sexy and I loved it. I gently kissed his lips; at first he was tense, but then his arms snaked around my waist and he gave in.

“We can’t let him win,” I told him. “Whatever he throws our way we have to let it go. Can you do that? For me?”

Matt sighed and lowered his forehead to mine. “I don’t see how without wanting to rip off his fucking head, but if that’s what you want I’ll certainly try. I can’t make any promises.”

I kissed him again. “That’s all I ask.”

When he pulled away, his gaze landed on the box of strawberries and a slow smirk tilted the corner of his lips even though deep down I knew he was still angry. “I have an idea. If you want me to forget about Kyle, let’s say we try out these chocolate strawberries a different way. You up for that?”

“Are you?” I teased back, biting my lip.

Grabbing me by the waist, his hands lowered to my ass and he pressed me up against the hardness between his legs. His deep chuckle sent shivers down my body, especially when he nipped the tender flesh on my neck and breathed in my ear. “Baby, I believe you already have the answer to that question.”

Pushing him toward the bed, I unbuttoned his jeans and slid them down to the floor slowly, squeezing his cock through his boxers. He groaned and willingly lounged back onto the bed with hooded, heat-filled eyes. It was time to take his mind off of everything and let him enjoy the ride.

I, for one, was definitely going to enjoy it.

SHELBY’S BED SMELLED EXACTLY LIKE
her: the Ralph Lauren perfume she wore, the shampoo she used in her hair, and the strawberry scented body lotion she loved from Bath and Body Works. After ten years it was all the same. So much had changed, but yet so much had stayed the same.

Entwining my hands behind my neck, I lied back on her pillows and watched her while she slowly unzipped her dress, letting it fall to the floor. When her hair swayed to the side, I could see the telltale signs of the moon and star tattoo that she got on her shoulder when we turned eighteen. Shelby’s skin was always so soft, smooth, and naturally golden without even having to go into the sun. I wanted to feel every inch of her, inside and out; to see her back arch, pushing her breasts higher so I could suck and bite them while I fucked her with my fingers. I’d never felt another woman’s body that was as perfect as hers.

Climbing onto the bed, she straddled me wearing only a pair of black, lacy thongs that matched her black, lacy bra. I fingered the strap to her bra and muttered, “I think I like this. Please tell me you have this in other colors.”

With a smirk, she slowly slid her hand down my stomach and reached into my boxers, wrapping her hand around my cock. “I guess you’ll just have to find out,” she uttered breathlessly.

“Gladly.”

Licking her lips, I knew what she was planning to do the moment she slid my boxers down my legs, and oh God how much I wanted to feel her mouth on me, sucking me as hard as she could. Not wasting any time, her head lowered and my muscles jerked as she closed her lips over the tip of my cock, circling her wet tongue around it over and over.

She loved to tease me; she always had, but I fucking loved it. Her torture would come soon, and I was going to make sure she begged before I gave her what she wanted. Sucking harder, I groaned when she cupped my balls and started to massage them. Dammit, I wanted to let go so bad, to come in her mouth and claim her body in every way possible. I wanted to fuck her until she ached and hear her scream my name from her red, swollen lips. Before she could drive me over the edge, I grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her onto the bed.

She shrieked as I basically ripped off her underwear and unclasped her bra, ripping it off as fast as I could. Immediately, I bent down to suck on her perfectly taut nipples, one after the other, the tips getting larger the more I teased them. Moaning, Shelby spread her legs wider and pushed her hips up against mine. I intentionally kept my cock as far back as possible so I could tease her; she was always so hot when she panted for me.

“Please,” she begged, trying to move down. When I pressed my weight into her and bit her bottom lip, she instantly opened her closed eyes and gasped. “How long are you going to torture me?” she complained halfheartedly.

Sliding the box of strawberries to my side, I grabbed one of the dark chocolate ones and rubbed it across her swollen lips. “Sweetheart, I don’t think this is torture, but I
am
getting ready to show you what torture is.”

“That’s not fair,” she grumbled.
It’s all part of the fun,
I wanted to tell her.

Beside her bed, on her nightstand, I spotted a lighter by one of her candles and grabbed it. Shelby’s gaze narrowed as she watched me play with the fire. “What are you doing?” she asked huskily.

With the strawberry in one hand and the lighter in the other, I flicked the flame so that it heated up the thick layer of chocolate covering the strawberry. Slowly, it started to shine and melt away, dropping hot streams of chocolaty goodness across the mounds of her breasts and nipples. Shelby gasped and arched her back just the way I liked.

Once the chocolate really began to melt, I took my finger and swirled the chocolate across her breasts, and finally trailed a line down her stomach to between her legs. Gently, I placed the strawberry to her lips.

“Bite it,” I ordered.

She did as I asked, and when she did the juice from the strawberry dribbled down her chin. Slowly, I trailed my tongue up her chin and kissed her lips as she chewed and swallowed her treat. The chocolate all over her body was
my
dessert. Tracing my tongue across her chest, I sucked the chocolate off of her nipples, groaning as my dick jumped in response. Once they were all clean, I trailed my tongue down the path on her stomach to between her legs. Right there in the middle was the sweetest taste of all. So wet and swollen.

I groaned in anticipation because I knew the first taste would be the best. Sealing my lips around her clit, I added the right amount of chocolate to go along with the sweet taste of her body. She moved her hips against my face as I fucked her with my tongue, burrowing as deep as I could so I could smell her … taste her.

“Matt, please,” she begged. “Please make love to me.”

Ignoring her request, I pushed a finger inside of her, still keeping up the punishing pace of my tongue on her clit. The wetter she got, the more I wanted. Spreading her legs wider, I rubbed my cock around the wetness of her opening, and without warning I entered her. Gasping, she screamed out a pleasured cry and wrapped her legs around my waist. Taking her face in my hands, she gazed back at me with hooded eyes and lifted her mouth to kiss me. I opened her lips further with my tongue, tasting her … claiming her. For as long as she stayed, I had her all to myself. She was mine again.

Moaning in my ear, she dug her nails into my back and her body clenched so tight around my dick that I was close to exploding. The tighter she got, the harder it was to keep going. Her moans grew louder, and as soon as she let go I pumped as hard as I could, filling her up deep inside. We were both breathing hard, covered in sweat and the smell of sex. It was unreal how much I craved Shelby’s touch. I’d spent years without it, and now I couldn’t get enough.

There was nothing in the world that could break me; not my father when he left, the fights I had lost, nor Kyle Andrews in his quest to fuck me over. None of that mattered to me … except Shelby. She was the key to everything, my salvation and my redemption.

We had one more chance to make it right, and if she left again there was no going back. I would surely break.

There was no doubt about it.

IT WAS THURSDAY, TWO DAYS
before my next fight at the Oracle Arena, and four days that we had gone without any word from Kyle. All week I stayed with Shelby at her house, waiting on him to make some kind of move, but he hadn’t … yet. I think we both knew the time was coming, we just didn’t know when.

“So, do I get to meet your coach today?” Shelby asked, hesitantly glancing down at my bike.

I already had my helmet and jacket on, waiting for her to climb on behind me, but she was stalling. The wheels in her mind were turning, and I knew she was trying to figure out another way to get out of riding on the bike. Over the past several days, I’d tried to get her to ride with me, but being the smooth talker that she was she always came up with a reason not to and I agreed.

Not this time, though.

She was going to ride with me even if I had to tie her down to the damn bike. With no makeup on and her hair pulled back into a ponytail, she still looked sexy as hell and determined to get her way.

Straddling my shiny red, Ducati 1198, I held out my hand. “Yes, you’ll get to meet my coach if we actually get there. You’ll be perfectly fine with me, I promise. Now get your ass up here.”

When she didn’t move, I grabbed her hand and pulled her over to me. Since she didn’t know how to strap on her helmet, I set it down over her head and did it myself, smirking the whole time. “You know, I remember you telling me a long time ago that you weren’t afraid of anything. Since when did you turn into a scared little kitten?” I teased her.

Narrowing her eyes, she smacked me in the arm and mumbled, “Fuck you!” Finally, she grabbed onto my shoulder and swung her leg over the bike, locking her arms tight around my waist. I chuckled when she gripped me harder the moment I revved up the engine.