by Ciz, Alley
A shiver chased down her spine as his teeth scraped the shell of her ear. Her body cried out for all the dirty things he wasn’t saying. Her heart wasn’t the only thing that had missed him over the last four days.
“What I don’t get,” Gemma said as she held out a container of store-bought icing to Vince, “is why do you want this crap when you date a baker who can make this stuff from scratch. I can tell you from experience that Holly’s is better.”
“Yeah, it is.” He took the red-topped container from Gemma. “But I know just what to put this on to make it taste better.”
“Muffin!” She squealed when her world went topsy-turvy as he stood up and tossed her over his shoulder like Santa's sack of toys. “What are you doing?”
“I’m about to gorge myself on you for dessert, while simultaneously teaching you to never leave me again.”
She yelped when he smacked her ass, then he gave the abused cheek a squeeze as he walked backward to face their friends.
“I love you guys, and thanks for being there for me tonight, but I’ll have to see you all in the morning.”
“We still need to work out the details for the shelter,” Skye said.
“Tomorrow is fine, as I will be otherwise occupied for the rest of the evening.”
Whistles and catcalls followed them down the hallway, the sound not diminishing until Vince kicked the door shut with his heel and locked it for good measure.
When he set her next to the king-sized bed, her breath stalled in her lungs at the graphite hue his eyes took on as he stared down at her. Even with the swelling and discoloration around his left temple, he was still the hottest thing she had ever laid eyes on.
“Strip.”
The single word was a command, not a suggestion.
She pulled off the custom t-shirt, tossing it carelessly to the ground while he did the same with his. Her breath caught for an entirely different reason as his magnificent torso was revealed. The muscle definition was so defined he didn’t seem real, but the usual Photoshop perfection of it was ruined by the mottled pattern of violets and blues blooming along his ribs from where he endured the worst of the beating.
The way he stared, like he could see through her body to where her hands stilled on her bra clasp behind her back, was intoxicating. He watched her with a new intensity she didn't recognize.
"Why do you still have clothes on?” That gravelly tone broke her from her stupor, and her red lace bra went the way of her shirt.
His fingers hooked in the band of his pants but paused, as if waiting for her to remove her own before doing the same.
The button of her jeans slipped free.
The hiss of her zipper echoed in the room.
Her thumbs mirrored his on her sides.
A shimmy of the hips, the denim and lace panties peeled down her legs, and she kicked them to the side.
She waited, expecting Vince to give her another command, his alpha side already prominently on display, but none came.
He toed his own pants away, then without a word, scooped both her and her panties into his arms, not releasing either until she was sprawled out in the middle of the mattress, the soft cotton of the duvet silky on her back.
Before she could blink, her arms were pulled overhead and tied to the intricate wrought-iron headboard, restrained by her own underwear.
She tugged on the lace.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. You don’t want it to move and put pressure on your pretty new ink, now do you?”
His hands reached out to cup each breast, thumbing her nipples and making her squirm.
“Now.” He reached for the container of frosting.
The creak of plastic from the top
The hiss as the foil seal was broken.
Each sound amplified as her heart pounded, laid out at his mercy.
His finger swirled inside the pint-sized container before coming away covered in dark chocolate. He hummed as he drew a pattern on her body similar to that night back in the kitchen of Espresso Patronum.
“That’s good enough to start,” he said as he inspected his work.
To start?
She lifted her head to see more of her torso covered in the frosting than not.
“To start?” Lust had her voice cracking.
“Yes, Cupcake.” His head bent until his mouth hovered over the dollop circled on the jut of her hip bone. “I’m going to lick, suck and bite you until you’re out of your mind. I don’t care if I have to use the entire tub, it’s not like I have to worry about the calories anymore.”
His tongue laved a path to her navel, her stomach concaving from the strained breath she took.
“The only thing I want you to be able to think about is me. I’m not stopping until any thoughts you could ever possibly have of leaving me are driven from your mind completely.”
A swirl along her ribs.
“I understand why you did what you did, but never again, Holly.” His eyes were molten silver as he lifted them to look at her, chocolate rimming his mouth like a goatee. “You. Are. Mine. And. I. Am. Yours. We fight together, not apart. It’s the only way to have it.”
She swallowed thickly. “Have what?”
“Sweet victory, baby. Together, the end result will always be a sweet victory.”
First his words slayed her, then his mouth.
THE SIGHT OF Holly’s lithe body bound by her own panties and spread out had his dick bobbing, nodding its own approval. His blood roared with the same adrenaline rush he experienced before his fight.
When she explained after the fight why she left, she had asked for forgiveness. But there was nothing to forgive. She loved him and was only doing what she thought was best for him.
It was the time to prove to her the only way to conquer the things against them was to stand together.
True to his word, he didn’t stop his oral assault on her body until he consumed more than half the frosting from the container and she had three orgasms.
With his dick threatening to break off if he didn’t slip it inside her in the next few seconds, he hooked his hands under her trembling thighs and positioned himself at her entrance and slid home.
He sucked in a breath as her slick heat grabbed him like a pulsing vice thanks to the last orgasm he pulled from her.
“Vi—” She hiccuped a sob. “Vin…untie me,” she begged. “I—I need…I need to touch you.”
Who was he to deny her? He wanted her hands on him just as much. He stretched to where the delicate lace was knotted on the iron. Finding the weak point in the material, he tore through it, freeing her to roam.
One hand clutched his hair as the other scored his back with her nails.
His hips pulled back and snapped forward, driving them both into the memory foam.
Pump.
Pump.
Pump.
With each thrust of his hips, the pressure inside him increased.
“I’m spending the next week buried inside you.” He groaned into the curve of her neck.
“Mmff,” was her response.
“You.”
In.
“Were.”
Out.
“Made.”
In.
“For.”
Out.
“Me.”
He swiveled his hips to graze her clit, and she went off like a rocket, soaking his balls as he emptied himself inside her.
As the high from the most intense orgasm of his life started to fade, he maintained their connection and rolled them to the side to keep from crushing her.
Her eyes were glazed, skin flushed pink, hair a riot of waves. She was a post-sex masterpiece. He felt more pride from putting that well-fucked expression on her face than he did holding the championship belt overhead.
Feathering kisses on her face, he grazed her forehead, each closed eyelid, her cheeks, the tip of her nose and finally her sweet lips.
“I love you, Cupcake.”
“I love you t
oo, Stud Muffin.”
She may not have taken his proposal earlier seriously, but he'd meant every word. He was going to marry her one day. This beautiful, strong, independent girl had taught him that accomplishing his career goals was amazing, but the best victory, the sweetest victory of all, was winning her heart.
* * *
Did Vince ever get Holly to accept his proposal? Click here to find out.
Can’t get enough of the BTU Alumni Squad? They will all be back in February in BTU4.
Thank you!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read Sweet Victory. It means everything to me that you took the time to read it. It’s because of people like you that make it possible for me to do this author-ing thing.
If you liked my words and want to hear more about the crazy crew from BTU, I have many more stories coming your way.
If you’re one of those awesome people that writes reviews (the life blood for indie authors), you can do so on Amazon, Goodreads, and Bookbub.
I do have a few deleted scenes from when I went through edits, so make sure to sign up for my newsletter so you don’t miss out.
Smothering toddler hugs and sloppy puppy kisses!!!
Alley
Randomness For My Readers
Whoop! Welcome to the craziness that makes up my mind.
I hope you enjoyed Vince and Holly’s story and hanging out with the BTU Alumni Squad again.
If everyone was new to you, you can see where the group began in Power Play (Jake and Jordan’s story) and see exactly how Vince helped Gage grow a set and get Rocky in Tap Out.
So now for a little bullet style fun facts:
* I am a Christmas lover like our girl Holly here but I do love me some Halloween too.
* A lot of Holly’s Playlist are some of my favorite Christmas songs. And let me tell you, listening to Christmas music in the summer while writing this book was interesting.
* Holly’s baking skills and cookies she’s famous for actually are inspired by one of my best friends and let me tell you, she’s a dangerous friend to have. Check out her amazing creations here.
* The GIFs The Coven use in their group chats are ones used all the time in my own group chats and we never stay on topic either.
* My main squad is huge like the BTU crew and most of us have been friends since high school or sooner.
* Friends is obviously one of my favorite TV shows and the game episode is also one of mine and The Hubs’ favorite episode.
* Growing up Tweety was one of my all time faves so he had to get a nod here.
* Vince is my comic loving Homeboy.
* I’m a major and proud Potterhead and wish Espresso Patronum was real. It was born from a t-shirt I saw and I took inspiration for the stool from Señor Frogs.
* If you want to see the Ninja Turtle cake Holly bake’s I have it on the Sweet Victory Pinterest board.
* For those of you who are in my reader group you know how much of a fangirl I am for Pippa Grant so of course I had to give a nod to some of my favorite books. But in case it wasn’t obvious Ares is mine.
* I still have to get my Coven tattoo but it will happen before the end of the year.
If my rambling hasn’t turned you off and you are like “This chick is my kind of crazy,” feel free to reach out!
Lots of Love,
Alley
For A Good Time Call
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Acknowledgments
This is where I get to say thank you, hopefully I don’t miss anyone. If I do I’m sorry and I still love you, just you know, mommy brain.
I’ll start with the Hubs—who even though he gave me crap again that this book also isn’t dedicated to him he’s still the real MVP—he has to deal with my lack of sleep, putting off laundry *because… laundry* and helping to hold the fort down with our three crazy mini royals. You truly are my best friend. Also, I’m sure he would want me to make sure I say thanks for all the hero inspiration, but it is true (even if he has no ink *winking emoji*)
To my Beta Bitches, my OG Coven: Gemma, Jenny, Megan, Caitie, Sarah, Nova, Andi, and Dana. Our real life Coven Conversations give me life.
To Stef, Rebecca and Britney for and making sure Vince’s true Alpha shined through.
To Jenny (again) my PA, without her I wouldn’t be organized enough for any of my releases to happen. Thank you for being the other half of my brain and video chatting all hours, damn our timezones.
For Jess my editor for pushing me to make my characters stronger. Some of my favorite scenes in Sweet Victory were born because of you.
To Gemma (again) for going from my proofreader to fangirl and being so invested in my characters stories to threaten my life *lovingly of course*
To Dawn for giving Sweet Victory it’s final spit shine.
To my real life squad for giving me the memories and constant source of inspiration needed to throw a fictional twist on.
To Ley for baking up all the delicious goodies that helped inspire Holly. You know I’m always here when you need a taste tester.
To my street team for being the best pimps ever. Seriously, you guys rock my socks.
To my ARC team for giving my books some early love and getting the word out there.
To every blogger and bookstagrammer that takes a chance and reads my words and writes about them.
Thank you to all the authors in the indie community for your continued support. I am so happy to be a part of this amazing group of people.
To my fellow Covenettes for making my reader group one of my happy places. Whenever you guys post things that you know belong there I squeal a little.
And, of course, to you my fabulous reader, for picking up my book and giving me a chance. Without you I wouldn’t be able to live my dream of bringing to life the stories the voices in my head tell me.
Lots of Love,
Alley
Also by Alley Ciz
BTU Alumni Series
Power Play
Tap Out
Sweet Victory
BTU4- Coming February 2020
BTU5- Coming June 2020
U of J Series
U of J 1- Coming September 2020
U of J 2- Coming October 2020
U of J 3- Coming November 2020
About the Author
Alley Ciz is an indie author of Contemporary/New Adult, Rom-Com, Sports Romances.
She's a stay at home mom to 3 amazing and crazy mini royals, a 95lb lab, and let's face it on some days her hubby is her 4th kid... But to be fair she totally loves him a a lot.
When she's not corralling her crazy mini royals she can be found writing the stories the voices in her head tell her. Caffeine is a staple in her daily diet since she does most of her writing late at night when the rest of her house is asleep, usually with her trusty dog Buke (
short for Beukeboom reluctantly named after a NY Ranger even though she's a NJ Devils fan all the way) Is it any surprise she writes sports romances?
Pizza and mac-n-cheese are major food groups and she is a proud Potterhead and superhero buff.
She is a complete romance junkie and can always be found reading or listening to a book.
