Happily Ever After: A Contemporary Romance Boxed Set

by Piper Rayne

  Elias isn’t usually this much of a dick.

  Either Rae is frustrating the hell out of him or he’s spooked. My instinct says it’s the latter.

  I need to fight and win this one. If I don’t, It’s obvious what they’ll do to Rae and even more obvious now how I fucking feel about her.

  Fuck! I just majorly screwed up. So much for pretending nothing happened.

  At least Hunter isn’t dead. They’re making a huge fuss over me re-matching with him for some reason.

  With a sigh, I stand and rub my aching shoulders. The wound from the other day throbs a little, reminding me it’s not yet healed. Several thin, pink and tender scars show where the my last opponent slashed my side with the broken glass that was stuck to his gloves. I’m not healing as fast as I should. Maybe all these fights, all these years, have damaged me.

  I hope not. I’m going to have to rip the shit out of two dickheads soon. The whole night will be a battle of wills more than anything. Two fights; one I have to win without killing, and the other I have to win no matter what.

  I need to see Rae and tell her everything. I said I’d help find her brother but only half explained how. Even if she hates me, I want to see the look in her eyes when I tell her that her brother might still be alive.

  Hot water strips me clean of sweat and savage thoughts. I stay in the shower longer than usual, enjoying the sensation of the spray beating down on my neck and backs of my shoulders.

  I’m just turning off the tap when a voice resounds throughout the changing rooms, one that shouldn’t be here.

  “Darius? Are you in here?”

  “Wait a sec. I’m in the shower.”

  I reach for the towel hanging on the back and rub the water off my face, before opening the cubicle door. I do a double take when I see Rae, dark blue-gray eyes trying not to take all of me in. She gives me a heated look, one that makes my cock hard in an instant. What that girl does to me….

  “I said to meet me in my apartment?”

  “You said somewhere private like your apartment. I figured it would be empty in here, save for you,“ she snorts as she twiddles her long black hair between her fingers. I have an urge to stride over there, grab her, and toss her over my knee. I also want to wind her silky locks around my fist, jerk her head back enough to make her yelp, and explore that sassy mouth of hers with my tongue.

  Right before I fuck her brains out.

  “There’s no one here, right?” she says, looking around wildly.

  Fuck, I want her so badly. I’m supposed to be staying away from her. The more I’m around her, the harder it is to say no… if she pushes me, I won’t be able to stop.

  “Go upstairs Rae, I’ll meet you after I’m finished here.” I’m too aware that this is the second time she’s caught me dripping wet without any clothes on.

  “No…” she says, recapturing me with her eyes, daring to take the whole view of me in this time. Her gaze draws over me from top to toe like an inferno igniting every cell and synapse, sparking me into life. If I was dead before, I’m reborn with just one lick of attention from her.

  I take a step closer and before I know it, I’m standing in front of her looking down. Her eyes are pale blue in this light. As if hearing my inner thoughts, she places a hand on my stomach tracing the pink scars there. I close my eyes, feeling her hands move gently, exploring.

  “Rae, don’t,” is all I manage to say in a gruff voice.

  When she doesn’t move, I reopen my eyes and look down to see her staring up at me with wide eyes and a frown marring her sweet face. “Don’t tell me what to do.”

  Fuck. This brat will be the death of me.

  “If you stay, I won’t be able to control myself.”

  She shakes her head. “I don’t care.”

  As she stands on her tiptoes, she leans in. She’s warm as her lips graze mine. Unable to hold back any longer, I grab her by the chin and claim her mouth, kissing her fiercely until all I can taste, smell, and feel is Rae.

  9

  Rae

  His embrace is like a storm, drawing me awake from a nightmare. Every caress of his tongue burns, every taste lights a fire within me. His scent fills my senses with dark promises. He smells familiar. Which is crazy as Darius left us long ago.

  A part of me fears what will happen if I go ahead with this. I know it won't break me. I won’t wither away from heartbreak. Instead, it will make me stronger, harder to kill. This is what it means to be a Hunter. What my dad meant when he said, ‘we seek the battle to become ever more victorious.’

  Earlier, I caved in and called my mother and told her everything. Early tomorrow I have to leave. I got what I wanted. My family are taking notice. Zac’s going to send someone to make a deal with Nadine. Mother’s right. Even though I’m a Hunter, I’m the only one left of our legacy. The pain of losing her only daughter after losing her son and husband would break my mother. I can’t do that to her.

  Darius doesn’t know yet but this is goodbye.

  Breathless, I pull away. Somehow, he’s tangled in my hair and my clothes are in disarray. His towel has already fallen to the floor. I stare at him, huge and beautiful, a god before me, and I want to worship him until my body breaks and my heart becomes whole again.

  Seconds pass and he’s just staring at me, drinking me in like a man dying of hunger and I’m his last meal. If this is the last time I get to have him, I want it to be a memory I’ll never forget.

  “Fuck me, Darius, before I change my mind.” I soften my words with a smile, while inside my heart has already shattered in two.

  “Are you sure?” he asks in a low voice.

  “I’ve never been more certain in my life.”

  He nods, eyes practically glowing.

  “Clothes off... I want to see all of you,” he says, his words sending quivers throughout my body. Even my soul is trembling.

  I start to strip off, teasing until I’m in my underwear and then that comes off too. Eventually I’m wearing nothing but my heart on my sleeve, open and vulnerable for all to see, while my eyes trace over every scar, every tattoo, and every part of his glorious body. He pulls me into his arms, drawing me onto him, pressing hard against me. Then he kisses me slowly, warming me from the inside out with his lips and tongue.

  I’m on the verge of losing all self-restraint when he leans in and whispers huskily in my ear. “Go into the shower and turn around, hands on the wall.”

  I nod and eagerly do as he asks, bracing against the wet wall, watching him advance over my shoulder. The thought of what he’s about to do sending a deep thrill down my spine.

  He comes up behind and moves my hair to the side, tracing his lips over my racing pulse as he reaches forward to open the faucet. A sudden spray of warm water collides with my back, shimmering over us like some ghostly veil. He massages my shoulders and breasts, bringing soft little moans out of me with every motion, while sliding lower and lower. When he reaches between my legs, the entire world falls away and I end up turning my head, so his mouth is on mine. I drown myself in his kiss. He tastes of monsoons and running rivers. He tastes untamed.

  As he inserts two fingers into me, my hips move chasing the sensation. I’m soaring, gasping as each stroke sends me into orbit, until the swell of pleasure building within me breaks. I cry his name, but he doesn’t stop. He pumps me mercilessly, bruising my lips as I ride wave after wave of orgasms.

  I gasp and come up for air. “Fuck me Darius. You promised. None of this fingering bullshit.”

  He smirks and I’m still gasping when he pushes me up against the shower wall, holding my hands on the tiles hostage, forcing me onto the tips of my toes.

  “Rae, you’re gorgeous. You drive me fucking crazy,” he says as he bites my neck and nibbles my ear. “But only I get to call the shots.”

  “Darius, please.” I moan. I look over my shoulder, imploringly. “I’ve waited way too long for this.” I’m telling the truth. I’m just not divulging to him exactly how long I’
ve wanted it.

  All my life.

  Whatever happens after this, I’ll deal with it tomorrow. Right now, all I want is to feel consumed by Darius, to be taken like this by him.

  He pushes between my legs, his need hard and hot against my own, teasing my entrance. “I want to hear you beg for my cock.”

  “Please, fuck me hard with your cock.” I say breathlessly.

  “Good girl,” he teases. “That’s more like it.”

  His grip on me becomes fierce. I brace myself, gasping, as he buries inside me, deeper and deeper, until I can’t take anymore. With one last thrust, he inches all the way in, sending waves of glorious pleasure rippling throughout my body.

  Every nerve in my body tingles with deliciousness as Darius pounds me against the slick tiles. My toes curl and my shoulders tense. The pressure builds a second time. A heat that started in my belly spreads from between my thighs until every part of me is consumed, burning with an internal fire.

  “Is this what you wanted?” he whispers in my ear, before taking the lobe in his mouth, biting and sucking.

  “Exactly like that,” I say breathlessly. “Don’t stop.”

  “Oh, I won’t,” he growls as his kisses reach the side of my neck.

  I’m moaning loudly now. I’m so close though, I don’t care. The sound of the water falling must be drowning me out. Darius filling me up, the sensation of him stretching every inch, pushing harder each time, is the only thing that matters. Waves of pleasure take over my entire body making me shiver as Darius grunts and releases inside me. I press my hands onto the shower wall, practically panting as the orgasm hits.

  Finally, I come back down to earth. Darius wraps his hand around my hair, pulls my head back, and claims my mouth in his. We catch our breath. The water on my body soothes, lulling me into slumber. I want to curl up with Darius spooning me from behind and sleep for a lifetime.

  But I know that’s never going to happen. We can’t do this again.

  As though he senses that I still need him, Darius pulls me up so that his powerful arms wrap around me like a blanket as he kisses me. “You’re a fucking goddam angel,” he murmurs. But the feeling of being cold comes too soon. I reach for the tap and shut off the water.

  And you’re everything I never knew I wanted.

  That’s what I want to say, but what comes out is, “I'm freezing.” I sense him nod and disappear behind me. Darius comes back seconds later with a big, fluffy towel which he drapes around my shoulders, then he leads me out of the shower cubicle. He sits me down on the bench and starts to towel me dry, and for some crazy reason I let him. It’s oddly comforting, and downright sexy, to have him rub my skin so briskly.

  Too soon, the dull ache has turned into a void. This is not just a school-girl crush anymore. This is fast becoming much more. I still want him but whatever he has unlocked in my body, deep within my psyche, has left a longing that can’t be satisfied easily.

  Taking a breath, I shove aside my cravings for him, tuck my tattered heart away, and allow my eyes to roam his face. He looks so lost in thought, so serious at carrying out such a trivial task, that I have to stifle a laugh.

  “Darius.”

  He smirks. “I love it when you say my name.”

  Dare I tell him? I sigh. “Your name, before you came here, I mean, is Darius Reyes.”

  He stops drying me and looks up. “We knew each other.”

  He says it like a statement, as though he already knows it under his skin. Somewhere beneath his external shell that is Darius the fighter, he has the truth of who he was tattooed where no one can see.

  I nod, unable to say anything more. There’s a lump in my throat and a tightness in my chest. I feel like crying, but I don’t. I can’t. Hunters don’t cry. He frowns and runs his hands through his wet hair, hands that were drying me only seconds ago, hands that had me buckled over in pleasure what feels like a lifetime ago.

  Damn this man. I miss him already.

  Finally, he speaks. “Let’s get dressed and talk. I have something to say too.”

  I nod and start pulling on my clothes. I have no idea what he wants to say to me, but after everything, it can’t be good.

  Ten minutes later, we’re dressed and upstairs in his apartment. Darius is looking at me like I’m about to eat him.

  “I don’t know where to start,” I say truthfully, the ache in my chest burrowing deeper.

  “Just start at the beginning.”

  I close my eyes as the mattress dips beneath me. Darius is sitting next to me on the bed when I open them, seconds later. His callused hand in mine, distractedly stroking my palm.

  “You were right. I do come from a rich family. My father was Cassius Hunter.” I hold my breath waiting for a reaction.

  “Why is that name familiar?”

  “My family own a shipping business out of the East Side Dock. You used to work for us. You were my father’s second.” I glance at him, trying to see if any of this is jogging his memory.

  “Okay,” he says, slowly. “I don’t remember any of it but go on.”

  “You know Purgatory?”

  “The Twins’ nightclub?”

  I nod. “About seven years ago you and my dad went there one night to formalize a trade deal with the Lexingtons. It was thriving at the time, not like now, and the local debts owed to the Twins had escalated into some sort of illegal fight ring. Back then it wasn't called The Pit. It was debt club or something like that. Rumor was, if you fought in the ring and won, the Twins would slash your debt to them.”

  His eyes narrow. “Sounds like the brothers.”

  I breathe out, trying to get rid of the tension. I end up rubbing the back of my neck with my free hand.

  “My dad didn’t agree with the club. He went there to negotiate the trade and to shut the club down but you both didn’t come home. A week later, the Twins turned up at our house. They killed my father’s men who were protecting us. I was hiding upstairs. They didn’t see me. They said my dad was—”

  I stop, dragging in a breath. Darius squeezes my hand, making me feel calmer.

  “It’s okay, take your time.”

  I breathe in and out a few more times.

  “They said my dad was dead, killed after you switched sides. They threatened to kill us too unless we cooperated. Then Alexei held my mother back while Elias beat my brother almost to death.”

  “Fuck, Rae—”

  Tears are streaming down my face but I push on. “Before they left, they said that they now owned our company. And as long as we continue to pay them a share of the company profits, they’ll leave us alone. We never saw them again after that. I think they forgot about us. I never forgot them.”

  He’s staring at me now in absolute horror, shaking his head. “Rae, I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t. We survived. Dylan, though”—I snort a harsh laugh, unable to stop now I’ve started—“He wouldn’t let it go. Later, when the Twins opened The Pit, rumors were flying around that you were the fucking star of the show. Dylan and I, we used to worship you. We didn’t believe it. After we snuck into a fight one night and saw you with our own eyes, Dylan swore he was going to kill you. I didn’t know he meant to become a pit fighter.”

  He pulls his hand from mine and runs it through his hair., no longer able to look at me. “I had no idea.”

  “I know should have told you sooner but I thought you remembered. I thought you didn’t care.” I look down at my hands. “And after I found out about your memory loss, there was never a good time.”

  “There’s something I should have told you sooner too.”

  I glance back up to see Darius’s intense blue eyes staring straight into mine.

  He sighs. “I remembered Dylan from a fight a year or so ago. I didn’t want to say anything until I was sure it was him.”

  My heart stutters and almost stops beating.“Is he alive?”

  He nods.

  All the pain and worry stored inside of me comes flooding ou
t. A sob sticks in my throat. “Oh, thank God.”

  Darius gathers me in his arms and holds me tight. I can’t help but bawl my eyes out, the pain in my chest not really subsiding at all.

  After a few minutes, the tears stop flowing enough for me to compose myself. My eyes feel swollen, my throat dry and sore. I must look fucking awful. What the hell is wrong with me? Why am I crying so much?

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you until now.” he says, squeezing my hand.

  “I’m just glad he’s okay,” I choke out.

  “There’s something else. I fight the Twins on Friday.”

  “Why?” I frown at him.

  “In exchange, they’re allowing a rematch with an ex-challenger of my choice as the undercard.”

  “Ex-challenger… you mean Dylan?”

  “If all goes well, you and your brother can get out of here while the main fight is happening,” he says, gruffly.

  “Can you beat them? The Twins?”

  When he doesn’t say anything but lets out another sigh, I shake my head at him. “I’m not letting them kill you, there has to be another way.” There’s no way I’m leaving now. Zac will just have to come here and get me. I’m fucking staying and that’s that.

  Tears prickle again. I was okay leaving when I thought Darius would live. Now…

  Fuck.

  “Look at me.” He lifts up my chin, running his thumb over my lips. There’s a darkness, a pain in his eyes, I’ve never noticed before. It tears me apart where I sit, threatening to choke the life out of me. “I never knew where I came from, or how I became like this. Fuck knows how I lost my memory, but knowing now what I did to your family, your father, means I have no choice. I’ll get your brother back. And I promise you, I’m going to fucking kill those bastards if it’s the last thing I ever do.”

  A loss which feels so sharp pierces my chest and rises in my throat taking away all the words. All I can do is shake my head and cling to him. He pulls me into his arms again, holding me so tight I can practically feel my own heart rapidly beating, like a bird trying to escape.