Not ready for this to end, I roll to my back,
keeping our connection. A light sheen of sweat clings to our
bodies, her torso lies atop mine. Her face is buried in my neck
where she kisses and licks below my ear.
She pushes herself up, straddling my hips. Her
eyelids are low, and her lips part as she seems to absorb the
sensations of the different position. My eyes roam her body from
her hips, up her slightly rounded feminine stomach, to her perfect
full breasts. Gloriously naked and towering over me like an angel
without wings.
I circle the tips of her breasts with my fingertips,
teasing the sensitive flesh. She presses them into my hands and
sucks in a breath. Her heavy-lidded eyes sparkle and she begins to
move above me.
Her hands brace at my chest, and I continue to
caress her breasts. I watch in amazement as she commands her body
with practiced ease. She moves with confidence and control, and
it’s hard to believe she was a virgin a day ago. Her pace quickens.
She rolls her hips in bliss-ridden waves. I fight every urge to
flip over and pound into her. She shifts, searching it out,
desperate for the perfect combination.
I’m so close. Her cries alert me to the fact that
she is too. I flex my hips into her. She grinds down hard against
me. My toes curl and my stomach tightens.
“Fuck, baby . . .”
“Me too, Jonah . . .”
We’re panting and pushing. Grinding and moaning. Her
beautiful eyes lock onto mine and bore into my soul. Wound tight,
we reach together, pushing toward the edge. Her mouth drops open,
and I bite my lip, our orgasms ripping through our connection
together.
The shockwaves push through my body, lifting my
shoulders from the bed. Her hands move to my knees, bowing her
back. I hold her hips in place and continue to grind into her. She
throws her head back, calling out my name as we ride out our
climax.
Fucking amazing.
Her body falls forward against my chest, pressing
her warm, balmy skin to mine. Heavy from the aftershocks of our
lovemaking, we lay silently, breathing as one, our hearts beating
together.
“Wow,” she mumbles against my neck.
“Mmm.”
She pushes herself up, resting her elbow on my ribs,
and her chin in her hand.
“Is it always like this?”
Beautiful and cute.
“No. It’s never been like this. And, yes, with us,
it’ll only get better.”
Her eyes grow a fraction before her lids drop lower.
“Really?”
I run my fingers through her hair, from root to tip,
the long strands falling against my chest. “Yeah, baby.”
She bites her bottom lip and softly moans. Her hips
start to move again.
I smile. “My girl wants more.”
“Yeah, Jonah,” she says in that breathy way that
makes me instantly hard.
“I aim to please.”
***
After another round of lovemaking, Raven is curled in
my arms. Her head rests against my chest and her leg is thrown over
my abs. I run my hand through her long, silky hair, twirling it
around my finger. My other hand lazily traces patterns on her hip
while her finger outlines my tattoo.
“You loved up enough to talk now, or do I need to
give it to you one more time?”
She smiles, but doesn’t laugh. “I would love to do
it again, but I’m too tired.” The yawn that follows confirms her
words.
“Tell me about this Vince guy.”
She huffs out a frustrated breath. “I met him that
day I went to see Dominick. He acted like he knew me, but I didn’t
think much of it. Guess he’d been milking Eve for information about
me for weeks. Then I ran into him at Eve’s. I wanted to tell you,
but forgot with everything that was happening with us.”
This all makes sense. Now for the tough question.
“What happened tonight at the club?”
She cowers against my chest.
What the fuck?
“We were at the bar after dancing. We had a little
too much to drink, and before I knew it, these guys were harassing
us—“
“Harassing you? Fuck, Raven! Why didn’t you call
me?” My words are flying before my brain has time to consider what
I’m saying.
And I wonder why she’s cowering?
Not wanting to
lose my shit, I push my anger down and take a deep breath. “Sorry,
baby. Go on.”
She continues to tell me about her night. I try not
to dwell on the motherfucker that put his hands on my girl then
pressed her up against the bar. I swallow the angry retorts that
bubble up from my all-consuming frustration. I nod and listen,
unsuccessfully suppressing the occasional growl.
“Did he say where he was taking you?”
“No, he called me a slut and told me it was none of
my business. He said that if I didn’t shut up, he was going to make
it my business, um . . . allnightlong.” Her chin drops again as she
ends the sentence in a whisper.
Did she say all night long? He called her a
slut!
My head starts to buzz. “He’s fucking dead,” I say
with a calm I am not feeling.
“Um, I’m pretty sure you got him back. I didn’t even
recognize his face when you were done with him.”
Her body shivers in my arms. I hold her tighter.
“I can’t let this go, Raven. I’m going back to talk
to Dominick. If he doesn’t get his boy in check, we’re going to the
cops.”
“Jonah—”
“I’ll do this Dominick’s way. I’ll throw my fight.
He’ll get his money. But the moment his goons put their fucking
hands on my girl . . .”
What? I have no options. I’m the one with everything
to lose, not Dominick. The fucker’s backed me into a corner and he
knows it.
“We can’t go to the cops. Even you said he’s got
them on his payroll. If Dominick feels threatened, he could leak to
the media that you agreed to throw your fight. Even without
evidence, the rumors could get you banned from the UFL.”
Fuck. She’s right
. My mind spins with
unanswered questions. The most important thing is to keep Raven
calm and safe. That’s where my focus needs to be, at least until
this shit is over.
“I’ll talk with Dominick again. He wants his money.
I’m sure he’s not pleased that his boy got his ass handed to him
tonight. Don’t worry, baby. I’ll take care of this.”
She nods into my chest. “Please be careful.”
“Always. Now go to sleep. We can talk more in the
morning.”
“Okay, Jonah. I love you,” she says through another
yawn.
“I love you too, baby.”
After shutting off the light, I stare into the dark
room. Raven’s breathing shifts to the rhythmic cadence of sleep. I
hold her a little tighter, absorbing the contentment I feel from
having her safe in my arms.
This clusterfuck with Vince has complicated my deal
with Dominick. He needs to know now, especially after I turned
Vince’s face into ground beef, that I’m not going to allow him to
fuck with Raven. There’s no way—
My thoughts are redirected by the sound of my phone
ringing. With a slight lean, I grab my phone from my bedside.
I don’t check the ID, but instead hit answer and
bite out a quick, “What!”
Raven stirs, and I rub her arm reassuringly.
“Mr. Slade.”
Adrenaline floods my bloodstream, making my head
buzz.
“Dominick.”
Jonah
I kiss Raven’s head before slipping out from under
her and into the hallway.
“I see you and Vince had a little difference of
opinion this evening,” Dominick says, sounding bored.
“Difference of opinion? He assaulted her! He was
taking her to God knows where to do God knows what! You call that a
difference of o-fucking-pinion?”
The usual buzz in my head has amplified to a roar.
I’m vibrating from head to toe.
“I’ve taken care of him. I’m not happy with what
transpired at the club.”
“I told you to pull your tails. That was part of our
agreement.”
“Yes, well it seems Vince has grown fond of this Eve
girl. You can’t blame a guy for sticking around for a little easy
pussy. I’m sure you of all people can understand that.”
“I could give a fuck what Vince does with his dick,
but I swear to God, if he comes near Raven with it or with any
other part of his body again, I will kill him. You get me? I hope
like hell you do because I’ve never been more serious about
anything in my life.” I pace the living room, trying to keep my
voice down.
“I won’t apologize for Vince’s behavior.”
“You want Raven so bad, but you’d let that animal
put his hands on her?”
“Vince knows the girl needs to remain unharmed.
Whatever his plan was, I’m confident it wouldn’t have left any
permanent—”
“You sick motherfu—”
“Our deal is still as it was agreed upon at
Zeus’s.”
“Only if you and your men agree to leave Raven
alone.”
“Mr. Slade, you are in no position to make
threats.”
“The fuck I’m not. Say it!”
“I will protect what’s mine.”
“She’s not yours!” The intense buzzing between my
ears travels down my arms to my fists.
“We will see, Mr. Slade. We will see.”
The phone disconnects. My call log lists the number
as
unknown
.
“Fuck!” I throw my phone into a club chair across
the room. It lands with an unsatisfying thud.
My appetite for beating Dominick to a bloody mess
claws at my nerves. I fall to the couch with my head in my hands,
fisting my hair, and will my heart to slow.
Fear from tonight comes rushing in. Flashbacks of
Vince’s arms around Raven flood my mind. What if I hadn’t gotten
there in time? I shove the question back, resisting the thought of
losing her.
She’s safe in my bed, where I should be.
I stalk down the hallway to my room and throw open
the door. It slams against the wall, making Raven jump then
settle.
Shit. Calm the fuck down.
I fight the buzz in my head and crawl into bed with
Raven. Her soft body, warm with sleep, curls into mine. A gentle
hum vibrates from her lips, the soothing scent of her skin a salve
to my fury. My heart rate slows and the riot between my ears
recedes. I haul her deeper into my arms, silently promising to keep
her safe and make her mine. Forever.
~*~
Raven
“Hand me the wrench?” Jonah’s big hand reaches out
from beneath the Impala, and I slap the wrench into his palm.
We’ve been working on the Impala all morning in an
attempt to take my mind off the fact that I haven’t heard from Eve.
Hours pass, and still no word.
I can’t just sit here and do
nothing.
I’m assembling the new engine parts when I gather
the courage to broach the issue with Jonah.
“If I don’t hear from her soon,” I scrunch my nose
and pinch my eyes closed, “I’m going to her house.”
The metallic clank of a tool hitting the concrete
floor bounces off the walls. My eyes remain fixed on the project
before me.
I hear him slide on the dolly out from underneath
the car. “Over my dead motherfucking body.”
I brace myself for an argument. With a determined
scowl, I bring my eyes to his, steel in my resolve.
Worry and concern mask his usual easy smile,
shattering my will. My shoulders slump and I lean on the workbench.
“I’m worried about her.”
He stands and closes the space between us. “I know,
baby. But I can’t let you go to her house alone. If you insist on
stopping by, I’m going with you.”
I need to tell Eve about Vince, and I don’t want her
to get embarrassed having Jonah there. Not to mention he turned her
boyfriend into road kill just hours ago.
“No. I need to go alone.”
He wraps me in his arms and I go limp against his
chest. “No way.”
I exhale, frustrated, but not surprised. “Jonah, I
understand why you’re worried. But really, what’re the chances that
Vince will be at her house? He’s probably hiding away with a tube
of Neosporin and an ice pack after what you did to him.”
His arms tighten at the mention of Vince. “You
aren’t going.”
Why does everything have to be so hard?
I tilt my head to see his face. “What’s the big
deal? All I’ll be doing—”
“The big deal?” He lets me go and takes a few long
strides back to the Impala. His hands spear through his hair. “The
big deal
is that the last time I let you go somewhere on
your own, against my better judgment, you came back
destroyed
.” He leans into the car’s hood, arms bracing his
weight, head down.
I step to the front fender. “Jonah.”
He turns his head, a tortured expression on his
face. He’s right. I promised him, the night we made love for the
first time, I’d never put him through that kind of worry again.
“Okay. I won’t go.”
With a murmured curse, his body weight collapses,
and he pushes off the car.
“To her house. I’ll go to her work.” My
determination is back, and he must see it in the seconds he studies
my face.
“Fine. But only to her work. With plenty of people
around. And call me before you walk in and the second you walk out.
Understand?”
I grin, overwhelmed by how much I love my protective
Jonah. “Okay.”
“I’m serious, baby. If you see—”
My phone chimes with a new text.
Just got your message. I’m fine, just slept in. Come
on over. Eve.
I text her back and ask her what time she has to
work. We agree to meet there a half an hour before her shift
starts.
Jonah’s not satisfied with the plan, but at least
he’s not chaining me to his bed for safekeeping, as he threatened.
I promised him I’d meet him at the training center after I met with
Eve so he could see with his own eyes that I’m okay.
He takes me to work to check in with Guy, looming in
the background the entire time like some Adonis bodyguard. We hit
my studio to feed Dog and pack some things. He finally left my side
so I could meet with Eve, but only with the promise that I’d see
him in less than an hour.