Hunks, Hammers, and Happily Ever Afters (13 page)

Her easy trust baffled and amazed me, and I had only one way of showing my appreciation for it. I banded my arm between her breasts and lifted her onto her toes before driving into her and causing a cry of my own.

Emerson never stopped licking. His mouth was everywhere, sliding over both of us as I fought to maintain my hold in the water. She was so slippery and excited that she was like an eel in my arms. Every time I drew back and thrust in again, she tried to squirm away but there was nowhere to go except toward Emerson’s eager tongue.

“Too much, too much,” she gasped, and that only made me slam into her harder.

Within just a few moments, she began to shake, her walls contracting around me. Between her rhythmic pulses around my length and Emerson’s ceaseless attention, I was a goner. She hadn’t finished spasming when I bit down on her shoulder to smother my shout of completion, barely pulling out in time to splatter her perfect ass and the stall floor.

“Goddammit.” She fell against the tiled wall, shoulders heaving, back rising and falling in time with her panting breaths. “Holy shit.”

My back hit the wall beside her, and I fought to drag in air. Even the water needling my skin couldn’t cool me down. “You can say that again.”

“Can’t. Can’t...breathe.”

Still on his knees, Emerson licked his lips and grinned. Guess he didn’t mind getting a faceful of water. “So I suppose we should get cleaned up now, huh?”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Emerson

“Dance with me.”

I glanced down at Lily, warmth blossoming through my chest at the joy in her eyes. Nothing could hide it—not the pink and purple strobe lights, not the dark corners where clubbers seemed to congregate. Her happiness was a real, tangible thing, as pervasive in the air as classy perfume and expensive liquor.

“Sure.” I picked up my beer and, limping a little, followed her into the mass of people gyrating in front of the stage where live acts played a few nights a week. Tonight a DJ was in residence, and he was spinning hip hop music meant to make the crowd get on their feet.

From the decibel level and amount of bodies crushed together, so far it was working.

As if she were a heat-seeking missile, Lily aimed right for Jenna and her date Daniel and Carly and Giovanni. The four of them were dancing near each other, though Carly was more shuffling than anything else. Giovanni was smiling down at her, his arms looped securely around her waist as she leaned back to talk to Jenna over Daniel’s shoulder. Daniel kept shooting Carly the look, probably because he wanted to be alone with his date, but Carly was chattering away in spite of the loud music that made it nearly impossible to hear anything.

I leaned down to Lily. “She’s never quiet, is she?”

Lily shook her head, laughing softly. “She’s a whirlwind.”

“Speaking of whirlwinds...” I pressed my mouth to Lily’s ear under the pretense of talking but managed to add in a little lick. She shivered and I smiled. Knowing I had this effect on her was incredible after all the years I’d denied myself. “Where’s your better half?”

“He saw a friend and went to talk to him. He’ll be back soon.” She slipped her thumbs into my belt loops and drew me closer. Her hips circled against mine, teasing me into semi-hardness though I’d been drained not long ago. “You were amazing tonight.”

I sure didn’t feel that way at the moment. Right now I was as achy and stiff as a geriatric who’d skipped his arthritis pills. Even a fight where I’d dominated took its toll on my body.

“You too,” I murmured, biting her earlobe.

She laughed, shaking her head. Lily laughing was pretty much the best sound ever invented. “Not...that. I mean, the fight. You were so good.” She eased back a fraction, eyes shining. “Daddy’s right. You could go pro.”

The aches I carried diminished under her praise. How could they not? The girl I adored was staring up at me, her lips curved and her cheeks glowing, and she thought I was a good fighter. It didn’t matter that she rarely followed the fights. Hell, I wasn’t sure I wanted her around that kind of environment anyway. All that counted was that she believed in me.

Even so, my first instinct was to deflect. “I’m not at that level yet. Maybe in a few years—”

JC came up behind Lily, swagger firmly in place. He had a shot in one hand and knocked it back in one swallow. “What’re we talking about?” he yelled over the music. With his free hand, he gripped her hip and pressed against her. “Because you’re surely not dancing.”

“We are so.” Lily rolled her eyes and leaned up to say near his ear, “We’re talking about Em going pro. Don’t you think he could?”

“Absolutely. You were a beast out there tonight. Lubino’s probably wishing someone would put him out of his misery.”

I smiled and drew Lily closer, wondering if JC would hang in or back off. In spite of our situation, we weren’t telling the whole world we were together. But he moved in close to her back, dipping his head to kiss the top of her ear. He wasn’t being obvious about it. Still, anyone who looked long enough would learn our platonic date was anything but.

Combined with the sparks we’d been shooting off after our shower interlude, I was surprised there was anyone in the place who hadn’t figured out the score between us yet.

Just as well I mention my news to them now, right? Anything to distract them before our display turned into one of public lewdness.

“A guy showed up at the gym the other day.” I raised my voice to make sure they could hear me. “He’s one of the biggest promoters around. Some say if you get in with him, he has connections on the next level.”

“Oh my God, yay!” Lily leaned up to give me a smacking kiss, then glanced back at JC. “See, we knew it.”

“Holy shit, that’s amazing.” JC held out his fist and we bumped knuckles. “You’re going for it, right?”

My smile faded. I hadn’t really considered the proposition yet, mainly because my schedule was already tight with training and the fights themselves and work. I didn’t know how I’d slot in even more training, because moving up higher meant I’d have to keep my game improving too. I might even end up in more fights per week. Anything that helped my visibility on the circuit.

I’d probably make more money from all this increased exposure too, so maybe I could let up on my hours at the landscaping business. But the truth was, I liked not just relying on my fists to get paid. If I got hurt, then what? Better fighters than me had quit after an injury. Fox Knox had retired after he’d gotten his eye socket blown out by Giovanni, though now the guys were the best of friends and practically brothers-in-law, since Fox was living with Carly’s sister. Still, I didn’t know if I wanted to put everything on something that could be over in a flash. And that was even assuming I’d be able to keep winning.

Only one thing was a certainty in the ring—there was always going to be a winner, and there was always going to be a loser. Which one you’d be on any given day was a combination of hard work, talent and luck. Pure fucking luck.

“It’s going to take a lot of my time,” I began, walking with them back to one of the huge circular booths.

The music had shifted into something that apparently they didn’t want to dance to anymore. Or else my predicament was more interesting than grinding up on each other.

“So what? This is an awesome opportunity. You gotta go for it.” Lily pushed me into the booth and sat down beside me, nearly crawling into my lap. “I’m so proud of you, making all your dreams come true.”

I touched her hair, marveling as always at its texture. She was soft everywhere I was hard, gentle everywhere I was rough. She’d been my biggest dream for so long, and right now it felt like I was having to make a choice. It didn’t make sense. Chasing success in the octagon wouldn’t drive me away from Lily—and JC—but I couldn’t deny the feeling that by picking one, I’d be not picking the other.

“I have a lot of dreams,” I murmured, caressing her cheek.

This woman was everything I’d ever wanted. She was okay with me and JC, for God’s sake. Not just okay with it, she seemed to get off on it. For as sheltered as I’d always assumed she was—as sheltered as I’d tried to make her be—she’d just accepted without a blink a status I’d never fully come to terms with myself.

I was bisexual. And I’d found a woman and a man who fit me so perfectly, I couldn’t imagine the next day—never mind the next week—without them. JC, with his occasionally obnoxious, cocky attitude, had worn me down to the point I actually seriously cared about the guy. And Lily...

God, she was my forever. Maybe they both were.

“Yeah, but this one is the one that matters. This is the one that will tell everyone you’re a star.” JC grinned and reached around Lil to slap me on the back before he summoned a passing waitress. “A bottle of Dom for the table, please,” he said as the others arrived, laughing and flushed from their exertions on the dance floor. He glanced at Carly and pointed. “And a giant pitcher of OJ for the pregnacious one, please. Thank you.”

“Pregnacious?” Carly cupped her round belly and laughed. “Yeah, I guess that fits.”

“Dom?” Jenna asked, sliding into the other side of the booth, followed by Daniel. Giovanni slid in next, allowing Carly to stay on the end, probably for ease of bathroom trips.

I’d heard more than I’d ever wanted to about a pregnant woman’s bladder since we’d arrived tonight, that was for certain.

“Yes, we’re celebrating.” JC folded his hands and lifted his brows at me. “You gonna tell them or should I?”

Years of scrutiny by the kids in the neighborhood had caused me to turn away from too much attention. In the ring was different. That was the one place I was supposed to stand out. But everywhere else, I blended in with the shadows, by choice.

At least I’d been telling myself that all these years.

“There’s not really anything to tell yet,” I began.

“Oh really? I beg to differ. You’ve got an amazing opportunity, and you’re downplaying it?” JC shook his head and spread his hands wide as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “He’s got a chance to go to the big leagues. You know, be the guy who makes millions on fucking pay-per-view.”

Giovanni cocked his head, and I immediately felt like ducking mine. To say I looked up to the guy didn’t begin to tell half of it. He was practically my idol. Not only just because of his incredible ground game, and the way he kept upping his ability every time he came into the ring. He also managed to have a family, and he seemed committed as hell to his wife in spite of the girls who were constantly swarming him.

That was having it all. Not just moving up in the ranks and sleeping alone. One without the other just seemed hollow. And if thinking that way made me sound like a chump, then so be it.

“I saw you talking to Einrich the other night.” Gio paused as the waitress returned with our champagne. “Did he make you an offer?” he asked.

I waited until the waitress left before answering. “No, not exactly. He wanted me to work out for him, and to go over some stuff. You know how the spiel goes, man,” I added more than a little desperately.

Surely I couldn’t be the only one clinging to realism in this bunch. Getting your hopes up too high just meant you’d end up flattened beneath them if things didn’t work out.

“Yeah, but even getting the spiel is big. I’m not surprised. You’ve been killing it out there.”

I tried not to swallow my tongue. Gio was only a little older than me, but I really looked up to him. His words of praise were worth almost as much as Einrich possibly being interested in me. “Thank you. Coming from you that means everything.”

“And what, coming from us it means nothing?” JC grabbed the bottle of champagne and popped the top.

The girls squealed and laughed, but I just glared at JC. Why did he always have to start shit? I wasn’t trying to diminish his opinion. Gio simply had no reason to offer me empty compliments.

“He didn’t say that, Jase.”

JC glanced at Lily and poured the first glass. He knew as well as I did that when Lily hauled out the full-name stuff, he should can it.

Not that he’d ever been wise enough to do that.

“No? Sure sounded like it to me. No offense, man,” he said to Gio, sliding the glass of champagne toward Lily. “But I’m just thinking that we should mean a little more to him than that.”

Without looking around the table, I could tell that glances were being exchanged. I knew it because if the situation had been reversed, I would’ve been looking too.

“Jase,” Lily said again, quieter now. She gripped the hem of his jacket and he paused mid-pour, staring down at her. “Let this be Emerson’s night. His way.”

His jaw clenched and released. “You know what? You’re right. If he wants to celebrate, fabulous. If he doesn’t, that’s cool too. But me, I’m gonna drink some fucking champagne, because I just told my girl I loved her tonight, and her dad gave me his blessing to date her.” He bumped knuckles with Gio and Dan, then slung his arm around Lily’s shoulders and tugged her against his side. “Drink up, baby. We’re partying tonight.”

I fought down the buzz in my ears, not wanting to miss Lily’s denial. There was no way JC had asked Lance’s permission to date her. Was there? And he’d given it, no questions asked?

But Lily’s denial never came. She slid me an apologetic look under her lashes then lifted her glass of champagne, spilling a little en route to her mouth. JC tipped her glass back and she shoved him away.

Still not denying a damn thing.

I had no reason to be jealous. I’d never said anything about wanting to take our...situation public. JC even alluding to it a moment ago had tightened my gut until I wasn’t sure I’d be able to swallow anything more substantial than water. But they’d also never asked me. Never mentioned wanting to be out there. Definitely never said, “Hey, if you’re not cool with it, we are, so too goddamn bad.”

If somehow Lance was okay with Lily being with JC, then I had to accept it. Maybe they really didn’t want to be with me as more than a fuck buddy anyway. For all I knew, tonight had been some kind of goodbye, though it sure hadn’t felt like it.

But now it was.

A couple of weeks ago, I would’ve thought this was the perfect arrangement. I’d never intended to take Lily for myself. How could I? I’d made a promise to her dad. But if JC acted as her boyfriend, and Lance was okay with that, then I could have Lily and still not risk damaging my relationship with her father.