On the Ropes 2: Insidious Obsession (8 page)

Amber’s stomach clenched at Lexi’s confession. The image her words conjured was sexy and arousing, and Amber couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to be Cole’s sub. Could she be that way with him if he asked? More so, was it something she really wanted?

Brooklyn shook her head. “Why is it I’m the only one around here not getting any action?”

“You’re not the only one,” Amber added.

“At least you have the promise of sex on your horizon.” Brooklyn leaned back in her chair and tossed her napkin on the plate. “I’m trapped in a desert with no oasis in sight.”

Amber arched her brow; Brooklyn had a good point. Cole had already made it clear he wanted Amber and had left the next move up to her. The question was, did she want to make it?

Chapter Twelve

Dressed in a black, shimmering sports bra and matching shorts, Amber stood behind the entrance and waited for her cue. She pulled at her ponytail, making sure it was tight, then checked her taped wrists. Her music, some girly pop thing they’d assigned to her, began to play, and her attention turned to Emma as she waited for her cue.

“Ready?” Emma lifted a hand. “Okay.” She motioned Amber on.

Amber emerged into the arena, and the crowd cheered. In the month she’d been here, she’d really begun to win over the fans. Hopefully, they’d still like her after tonight.

She walked toward the ring, slapping hands with the fans along the way. Dressed in her typical two piece blue paisley ring gear, Scarlett waited for her inside the ring with Maverick and Reed Ryder lurking on the outside. The Ryders were another of the many three person teams management put together in their bid to offer something different than their competition. Only this was a singles match between Amber and Scarlett, which meant currently she was outnumbered. The urge to look up and scan the crowd nearly overpowered her. Cole and company were somewhere within the sea of people waiting for their cue. She just needed to keep her cool and stick to the script.

Amber stepped into the ring, and Scarlett made some rude comments for those fans close enough to hear. Then the ref started the match. For several minutes the girls exchanged blows. Amber clotheslined Scarlett, only to have her opponent leg sweep her. Amber hopped to her feet, and Scarlett ran at her. She ducked, turned, and kicked Scarlett in the stomach on her return. Scarlett bent forward, giving Amber the perfect opportunity to hook her arm around the woman and perform a perfect bulldog finisher.

She went for the cover, only to have Maverick grab her by the leg and pull her off. Playing her part, she turned and stared at Maverick with a look of shock on her face. Scarlett grabbed her by the hair, and Amber let out a scream. That was the cue.

The Tribunal music began to play, and everyone froze as Cole and Jason appeared from one side of the stage and Logan on the other. With her broken arm Lexi had been ordered to steer clear of the ring. Much to Amber’s surprise, it appeared that for once her friend was actually listening. Of course, it was always possible that Logan had duct-taped her to a chair to ensure she followed orders.

Trying to look sufficiently frightened at their appearance, Amber waited in the ring as the men raced down around the ring to attack Maverick and Reed. It didn’t take long for the men to make quick work of the Ryder brothers. Then they climbed up on the apron. Cole motioned to Amber.

Once again playing her role, she looked apprehensive as she slowly walked toward the three men. Cole reached out, grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her to them. He made exaggerated motions with his arms as he told her loudly to finish Scarlett.

Jason and Logan both nodded their heads and motioned for Amber continue with the match. Amber glanced to her opponent and back. “Get her. Show her what revenge feels like,” Cole yelled.

Amber turned and launched herself at Scarlett, taking her to the mat. She beat on her opponent, making it appear as if she was hitting Scarlett about the head and face.

Finally she pulled back and stepped away from Scarlett, who didn’t move. Amber glanced at Cole, waiting for her cue. He climbed into the ring, followed by Logan and Jason. Cole moved in behind Amber, took her hand in his, and raised it above her head. “Long live The Tribunal,” he yelled to the crowd.

“Long live The Tribunal,” Logan and Jason repeated.

“Say it,” Cole prompted, and Amber glanced from him to where Scarlett still lay. She looked up at her hand, then over to Logan and Jason. A slow grin claimed her features. “Long live The Tribunal,” she yelled. The crowd went wild, reminding her of why she’d chosen this sport. Everything she said and did meant something to the fans, and she loved the immediate response they gave, the passion they carried.

She made her way out of the ring along with her new team. Cole wrapped an arm around her, and together they started toward the back. Logan and Jason followed close behind. Fans cheered and others booed; some even yelled at Amber not to do it. Their passion and energy poured over her as she walked from the ring. This was what she’d worked for all those years. This was everything she’d ever wanted. Finally she was living her dream, and it felt amazing.

They reached the main walkway, crossed through to the employee entrance, then made their way down to the interior of the building. It only took a few minutes to reach their temporary locker room. Lexi stood in the open doorway, a smile on her face. Apparently Logan hadn’t duct-taped her to a chair after all. “That was awesome.”

“Thank you.” Amber gave her a hug; then they moved into the locker room. The men followed.

“Welcome to The Tribunal,” Logan said.

“Yeah. It’s going to be great to have you as part of our crew. Not that you weren’t already,” Jason said and kissed her on the cheek.

“Thank you.” Amber glowed. She turned her attention to Cole, who slowly walked toward her, a predatory look on his face. Immediately heat pooled low in her belly. She’d seen that look before, and God help her, but she loved it when he looked at her like that. It was as if she were the only thing in the world that mattered to him. That knowledge warmed her to her core.

He closed the distance between them and cupped her face in his palms, then brushed a soft kiss across her lips.

Her heart, still pounding hard from her match, skipped a beat, then sped up. She brought her hands to his arms, curling her fingers around his wrists. He nibbled on her bottom lip, then tugged on it before covering her mouth with his, deepening the kiss. A whimper tumbled from her as she yielded to him.

Before she realized it, he’d pinned her between his big body and the wall. Her arousal skyrocketed, and her body heated in response. His touch was so gentle, so full of love, and so different than anything she’d previously experienced.

Soft chuckles filled the silence; then she heard the door close. It was just as well that the others had left, because she had no intention of asking him to stop. His hands slid down her body, and his fingers curled around her waist. Her skin instantly became hot beneath his touch, fueling her desire. She wanted him to touch her, to take her, to make her his. She wanted to feel all the wonderful things about sex and love she’d missed because of the demons of her past.

“This outfit is so damn sexy,” he growled as his thumbs teased the waistband of her shorts as his lips traveled along the nape of her neck. “God, Amber. I want you so damn much.”

Intent on granting him the permission he sought, she opened her mouth to reply, but before she could say anything, a loud knock infiltrated their moment. “Amber? Cole? Are you in here?” The door opened slowly, and Cole groaned against her ear before pulling back.

Disappointment washed through her as Emma’s assistant, Jill, appeared. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but Mark sent me. He wants to see you guys right away.”

“Thank you, Jill,” Amber replied. “We’ll be right there.”

She waited for the door to close, then turned her attention back to Cole. He looked like a child who’d just lost his favorite toy. She shared that sentiment, but they couldn’t keep Mark waiting. “There will be a time and place,” she said and gave Cole a soft kiss. “When that happens, I promise, I’m yours.”

* * * *

With a protective arm wrapped around Amber’s waist, Cole walked the hall toward Mark’s office. This was twice in a week he’d needed to quash his arousal. If this trend continued, he’d have a perpetual case of blue balls. Of course with her now rooming with Brooklyn, finding private time to be together was more difficult than ever.

They walked into Mark’s office where Logan, Lexi, Jason, and Brooklyn already waited. Cole slipped into the empty seat and pulled Amber down onto his lap and covered her hand with his.

“I’m sorry to call you here on such short notice,” Mark began. “But I just received a phone call from the Richmond Police Department.”

Amber’s hand flexed in his, and Cole gave it a tiny squeeze of reassurance as he replied. “And?”

“And it’s not really all that good of news. They scoured the video feed and found what appeared to be a hotel cleaning woman in front of Amber’s door at about five a.m.”

“Good,” Logan said. “That means they know who did it.”

Mark shook his head. “Sadly no, they don’t. According to management, the women who clean the rooms don’t come in until six a.m. They checked the video feed for the employee entrance and the area where the cleaning supplies are kept. What they found is disturbing.”

“Which is?” Cole motioned with his hand for Mark to continue.

“Apparently a maintenance man who was working on kitchen equipment left an outside door open while he went to a storage unit on the back of the property. Video footage shows a masked man entering through this open door. A few minutes later that same masked man entered an employee bathroom and eventually exited dressed as a cleaning woman.” Mark leaned back in his chair. “Unfortunately they can’t see his face, and since Amber wasn’t physically harmed and no actual threat was made, they’re writing it off as malicious mischief and closing the case.”

“Malicious mischief?” Cole couldn’t quite believe his ears. “Are you kidding me?”

“How is spray painting the word SLUT on my door considered malicious mischief?” Amber’s voice cracked as she looked from Mark to Cole and back. Mark held out his hands as if he were trying to keep Cole from charging his desk. “Believe me, I understand how you feel, but there’s nothing more they can do.”

“So what can we do?” Jason asked.

Mark looked from Jason to Cole and Amber. “We stay vigilant and continue on as we are. Hopefully someone knows something and will eventually slip up.”

“And if they don’t?” Lexi asked.

Mark sighed. “I don’t know. I guess we wait and see what happens next.”

Cole slid a sideways glance at Amber. Other than one statement early in the discussion, she’d remained quiet, almost removed from the conversation. He knew she had a quiet nature about her, but this silence was almost disturbing. Just exactly what was going on in her head right now?

Chapter Thirteen

Amber wiped her face on the towel as she eased down onto the bench. After spending the last hour working out with her trainer, all she wanted was a shower and maybe a nap. A nap that included Cole would be nice, but he was off with Logan and Jason doing a meet and greet.

“You’re joining us tonight, right, Amber?” Natalie asked.

Amber glanced up at the Vixen. “Joining you for what?”

“A night out,” Brooklyn added from across the room.

Amber frowned. “A night out? Out where?”

“Lexi didn’t tell you about it?” Brooklyn asked.

“Tell me about what?”

Natalie’s twin, Emily, slid into the empty spot next to her. “Every once in a while, we get booked into a hotel that has a nightclub and great pool and all kinds of little extras, and it coincides with getting a rare day off.”

“Since we have off tomorrow, tonight is one of those nights,” Natalie added. “So the entire roster and quite a bit of the staff party.” She held her hands up and did a little booty dance. “You’re coming, right?”

Amber shook her head. “I don’t know about that. I’m not much of a dancer, and I don’t drink.”

“At all?” Emily asked, her eyes wide with shock.

“At all,” Amber replied.

“Wow.” Emily looked from Amber to Natalie and back. “I don’t think I know anyone who doesn’t drink at all.”

“Yeah, well.” Trying to play off her reason for not drinking, Amber pushed up from the bench, walked over, and began rooting through her bag. “I have a family history of alcoholism. No reason to take the chance.”

“Oh, well yeah, that’s a good reason,” Natalie agreed. “Wow, um…I’m sorry we pried like that.”

On her apology, Amber looked up. She certainly hadn’t meant to make her new friends feel bad. “It’s okay. It’s really not a big deal.”

“So, you’re coming out with us anyway?” Natalie asked. “After everything that’s been going on, I’m sure you could use a night out.”

“Actually, all I want to do is spend some quality time with Cole,” she replied, then bit down on her lip as giggles erupted in the room.

“Right,” Emily replied. “Quality time.” She air quoted the words with her fingers.

She hadn’t actually meant her words in the context they’d been received, but in truth, a little of that type of quality time with Cole was also very much overdue.

“Well, I suppose for a hottie like him we could break the rules,” Natalie offered. “It might be fun watching you two on the dance floor getting all hot and bothered.”

While she appreciated being included in their fun and made to feel like she belonged, it didn’t change the fact that she had other ideas in mind for her day off. “Thank you,” Amber replied, “but I think we’ll pass.”

* * * *

Inside the quaint little Italian bistro, Amber sat across the table from Cole and smiled. So far the evening seemed to be going just as she hoped. While stepping out with the girls might have been fun, spending time with Cole meant so much more. “This is nice.”

“I know.” He lifted his glass of wine and took a drink. “I’ve wanted to take you out, just the two of us for some time.”