Welterweight (Hallow Brothers Book 1)

by Tricia Andersen

  She felt someone grab her shoulder. Spinning around, she found her best friend, Sunny, behind her. Meg blew out a sigh of relief.

  “About time you got here, girl,” Sunny shouted over the music.

  “Where’s Austin?” Meg questioned just as loud.

  “In the corner booth, I think. With his entourage.”

  “Okay. Thanks.”

  Meg left Sunny behind and pushed through the bodies. She smiled and then adjusted her T-shirt lower. Her friend had been right. Austin sat in the round corner with four or five of the guys from his team. He laid his arms across the back of the booth, surveying the crowd like a god. She sashayed to the table. “Hey, Austin.”

  His gaze looked glazed over as he ran his hand through his shoulder-length, dirty blond hair. “Hey, Meggy.”

  Meg glared at the guys sitting on either side of him. “Would you mind moving so I can sit next to my man?”

  They all chuckled at the idea. Austin did too, even though it was a much weaker, breathy laugh. Meg frowned. “Are you all right, baby? Did you get hurt?”

  “Nope.” Austin grinned. “I’m just fine.”

  Meg’s brow wrinkled. She hated it. She couldn’t possibly look attractive this way. But her boyfriend was acting odd and wouldn’t say why. A curse escaped her lips as something kicked the side of her foot. She looked down to find a pair of high heels sticking out from under the table. The legs they belonged to pointed in Austin’s direction. Meg leaned a little farther to look on the other side of the table. All she could make out was a head of black hair bobbing up and down against Austin’s unzipped pants.

  “You fucking asshole,” Meg screeched.

  “Calm down.” Austin’s voice was a hoarse demand as he caressed the head in his lap. “You weren’t here. I needed some relief. I’m nervous to get up on that stage.”

  “Bullshit. You love the spotlight. I hope she bites it off. We’re done.”

  “Whatever, bitch. You’ll be back. You always come back.”

  Meg huffed as she spun on her heel and stormed off into the crowd. Tears burned her eyes. Why? Why would he do that in front of a bar full of people? She made her way to the door but then stopped. She didn’t know why, but something urged her to stay. She turned and looked back at the crowd. There was a powerful, mysterious hold keeping her rooted to the floor. Whatever it was flowed through her like a high current of electricity. It stole every coherent thought. She only wanted one thing. Sex. And it wasn’t with Austin.

  She huffed as she wiped away a tear. If she was going to stay, she might as well get loaded. She plopped down on the first available barstool and ordered a margarita.

  The music stopped and a voice boomed overhead. “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time! The moment you’ve been waiting for. Let’s meet the main event for the Rumble in the Jungle, coming in twelve weeks. Don’t forget to buy your tickets. First, the champion, Austin Graves!”

  Austin strode across the stage with the belt strapped across his shoulder. By his swagger and the bulge in his cargo pants, it was evident that his little friend didn’t get the job done. Meg fought back a vengeful laugh.

  “And his challenger, Caleb Hallow!”

  Meg stared, breathless, as Austin’s opponent ascended the stage, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. Thick, black hair. An angular face. A full tattoo sleeve was inked into each arm. His muscles rippled with each step he took. His stride was smooth, quick, and predatory. Guys like that normally didn’t catch Meg’s attention. This one did. The mysterious force that stopped her from leaving tugged at her. It demanded that she stare at this man, take him in. She felt like a moth to the flame. She shook her head to get herself back to her senses and then pushed the margarita away. She motioned to the bartender. “Rum and Coke please.”

  Caleb stopped toe-to-toe with Austin and glared him down. Austin was six feet tall. Meg had memorized his stats. This guy was at least three inches taller than him.

  Austin ripped the microphone from the announcer. “You need to learn some respect, little boy. I’m gonna give you a lesson in respect.”

  Caleb chuckled. “I didn’t realize winning was disrespectful. But then I’m often accused of being a prick. My apologies for kicking your fucking ass in three months.”

  The whole bar roared. Meg noticed the scowl on Austin’s face. There was no doubt he hated the guy. Caleb responded with an icy glare.

  “Folks, better get your pictures quick before that fight goes down tonight,” the announcer replied. The two men snarled at each other one last time before dropping into fight stance for pictures. Pops of light flashed all over the bar. Meg turned back to her drink. It was time to finish it and get the hell out of there. That was, if whatever had a hold on her would let go. She gripped the tumbler and slammed back as much as she could.

  “Not a drink for a lady,” a voice behind her commented. Meg slammed the tumbler on the bar and spun around on the stool. She was face to face with Caleb Hallow. The urge inside snaked through every nerve. If she wanted to run, she couldn’t. All she could focus on was that his eyes were a deep, warm brown. He continued with a smirk, “At least not a lady like you.”

  “Nice pickup line,” Meg returned.

  Caleb laughed as he held out his hand. “My name’s Caleb. Caleb Hallow.”

  She shook his hand. His touch sent fire through her veins. She struggled to find her voice. “I know. I heard it when you were up on stage.”

  “And you are?”

  “Meg Riley.”

  “Can I buy you another rum and Coke, Meg Riley?”

  “I’m good, thanks.”

  “You sure?”

  “You trying to get me drunk?”

  “Maybe. Whatever will get me into your bed.”

  Meg stared at the man as a thought rolled through her mind. It was obvious Austin hated Caleb. And after what Austin just did, all Meg wanted was revenge. She traced a finger along Caleb’s sculpted chest. “Who said I had to be drunk to have you in my bed?”

  She cupped her hand behind his neck and drew him to her. She was surprised how easily he surrendered. She parted his lips with hers, taking the first chance she got to tangle her tongue with his. His taste melted her onto the stool. He gripped her to him, molding her body against the hard planes of his. She wove her fingers in his hair. Did they ever part? She wasn’t sure. She was only aware of him and the electricity snapping through her. The rest of the bar, including Austin, faded away.

  She was confused by the buzz around her when they finally broke apart. Her lips felt bruised and swollen. She glanced around at everyone staring at them. Then she was keenly aware of her legs wrapped around his hips and something pressing hard against her. When the hell did this happen?

  Caleb cocked his head to the side as he grinned at her. “Want to find someplace more private?”

  Meg nodded as she unwound one leg from him and then the other. “Yeah, sure. My apartment is only a couple of blocks away.”

  “Great. Let’s go.” Caleb slapped a couple of bills on the bar to pay for her drinks and then took her hand. She wasn’t sure she wanted such a romantic gesture from him. I want to strip him naked and do him right here on the bar. What’s going on with me? She looked up into his eyes and lost herself. His stare drove into her soul.

  She kissed him hard to break his spell on her. “Yeah, let’s go.” Before he could move, she yanked on his hand and led him from the bar.

  Chapter Two

  The crowd that had filled the bar was now spilling out onto the sidewalk as Caleb and Meg stepped outside. People slapped him on the back and called him “ballsy” and “stupid.” She wasn’t in the mood for fans right now. All she wanted was him alone, preferably naked. By the way he nudged her through the mass of drunks, she could tell he wasn’t excited about sticking around either.

  They walked together down the sidewalk. She still clutched his hand tightly in hers. Her head scrambled with thoughts, but none of them made sense. She wasn’t the kind of girl to
sleep around. Austin had been the only guy she had slept with in three years. Before him, she had only been with her high school sweetheart and a couple of other guys. She and Caleb Hallow had barely talked. She knew nothing about this guy, and all she wanted to do was fuck him senseless over and over. The magnetism that pulled her to him was undeniable. She thought back to his face-off with Austin, the way his muscles rippled under the spotlight. Then her memories wandered to the black-haired bitch giving Austin a blowjob under the table right before it.

  That had to be what the draw to Caleb was. Pure revenge. It wasn’t this force wrapped tight around her like a noose. Right? If Austin was going to humiliate her like that in front of God and everybody, she was going to fuck his opponent. Let’s see how well that will sit with him.

  The momentary desire for revenge drifted away. It was replaced by a mindless ache, a need for sex she had never felt before. She looked up at the man walking beside her, holding her hand. He was the source of her sweet agony, of this primal lust. She hoped he was the cure. Her gaze dropped to the thick ridge in his jeans. Was he suffering from the same thing too?

  She stopped in front of her apartment building and turned to Caleb. “This is…”

  Her words were cut off by his lips and then his tongue. Shit, this guy knew how to kiss. Each time his mouth touched hers she got lightheaded. She wanted more. His taste, his woodsy scent, the way his body felt against hers made her mind go blank. She stopped thinking and started feeling. Instinct took over.

  “Take me inside,” he coaxed softly.

  “Yeah. Upstairs,” she murmured. “Follow me.”

  Meg pushed open the door and held it open for him to follow. She jogged up the gaudy, carpeted staircase to the second floor. She felt her cheeks get warm. The blood-red patterned carpet was a throwback to the sixties when the building was built. Unfortunately, it continued into each apartment. The dated sconces illuminated the stained cream-colored walls. Maybe we should have gone to his place. It’s probably less embarrassing.

  The sound of his footsteps on the carpet plus his fingers on her hip told her that he was right behind her. She smiled as her breath staggered. His touch turned her inside out. “Last door on the right.”

  “Fantastic.”

  Meg scrambled in her pocket for the apartment keys. Caleb’s hand seemed to follow but it didn’t stop at her pocket. It freed the button fly of her shorts. He slid his hand inside her panties. She gasped and groaned as two powerful fingers slipped inside her.

  Instinctively she parted her legs wider. Caleb had a magic touch. She pulsed quick and deep. Her body quaked at the sensation. He pulled her closer until she could feel the hard ridge of his cock nestled against her ass. The keys slipped from her grasp as she clung to the doorframe. She had neighbors up here. What would they say if they found a total stranger finger fucking her in the hallway?

  She rocked her hips against his hand. At the moment, she didn’t care what anyone thought. She needed release. She needed him. He grazed his teeth against the curve of her neck. She bit her tongue to keep from screaming as he pushed her over the edge, the rush that ripped through her nearly bringing her to her knees. She waited for him to pull his hand out of her shorts. He didn’t. He slowed his stroke to let her ride her orgasm to the end. Then he held still for a moment or two. His hand started to move again, the beautiful onslaught nearly leveling her.

  “You look like the kind of girl who screams more than once,” he whispered in her ear as he bucked his hips against her ass. “Let’s see how many times I can make you scream.”

  She gripped his wrist to push him out of her shorts. “No. No more.”

  “So you’re calling it a night?”

  She swallowed hard to find her voice. “Your cock. I want your cock inside me. Not your fingers.”

  He chuckled. It had an evil ring to it. “Baby, you’ll have plenty of both before the night is through.” He pulled his hand free and then kneeled to pick up her keys. “Drop these?”

  She swiped them out of his hand with a snarl. He chuckled and stood up, running his large, powerful hand up her leg until it cupped her ass. She jammed the key into the lock and twisted to open the door. It was swiftly slammed shut when he pressed his body against hers. He cupped her head in his hands as his mouth roamed across her lips, her chin, her cheeks. She gripped his ass to pull him tighter.

  It wasn’t enough. She tore open the button on his jeans and then the zipper. Sliding a hand into his briefs, she wrapped her fingers around his cock. He hissed as he nipped her earlobe. She swallowed hard. It was thick, long, and hard. In all the ridiculous comparisons in the magazines, he would be practically perfect. The thought of him pleasuring her with it made her throat go dry. She licked her lips. “Oh my.”

  “I’m glad I’m not disappointing you.” He wove his fingers in her hair. “I saw you lick your lips. Suck it.”

  Meg looked up into his eyes. The glare in them stole the air from her lungs. She wanted to tell him off for saying something like that. Instead, she let him go, shoved his jeans and briefs down past his butt, and then led him to her futon. He sat and watched her, his arms spread along the back of the frame. His cock was erect against his belly. She stared at it as she ran her tongue along her bottom lip.

  “Suck it,” Caleb repeated.

  His words broke her out of her trance. She lowered herself to her knees and grabbed a hold of his hips. Slowly she ran her tongue up the length of him, weaving a trail against his soft flesh. He threw his head back and groaned. She lapped up a dribble of precum and then enveloped her mouth around him. Sucking her cheeks in, she bobbed her head up and down slowly to tease him. She felt him tremble beneath her arms. She slipped her hand between them and gently massaged his sac. He bucked up hard into her mouth, his tip bumping the back of her throat. She gagged and pulled away.

  He dropped an arm from the back of the futon and wrapped his hand in her hair. “Don’t fucking stop. I’m almost there.”

  Meg’s breath grew heavy as she kneeled on the floor. Her body burned with a lust she couldn’t describe, one that charred her to the core. Normally she had no problem blowing a guy. It was quick and freed up her night for more partying.

  But that crazy pull was back. She didn’t want a quickie with Caleb. She wanted a long night of lovemaking with this guy. She wanted to feel every pore of him on her lips. She wanted to hear him moan her name.

  Meg scrambled onto his lap and kissed him long and deep, pressing her body against him. “I know,” she muttered against his lips.

  “Then what the fuck?” he demanded as he kissed her back.

  Meg didn’t want to answer. She wanted to lick at his tongue with hers. But the bulge between her legs was begging to play, too. “Exactly. Fuck me. I want you so bad it hurts.”

  “You’re in the driver’s seat. Fuck me.”

  A grin spread across his face, his sexy, incredible face. This man made her feel desire she never dreamed of. Was there any chance she was turning him on? She felt suddenly conscious of her body. She took a deep breath. She grasped the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head, tossing it to the floor. Maybe she could make him want her as much as she wanted him. She undid her bra and threw it off as well.

  He bucked his hips as he pulled her close. She squealed as his lips clamped down on a nipple and started sucking. She squirmed in his lap. Why didn’t I take my pants off?

  Caleb let her go and growled. “Undress. Naked. Now, sweetheart. I need to come.”

  “You aren’t the only one.” She hopped up and shoved her shorts and panties to the floor. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him wiggle out of his clothes.

  She straddled his legs again, her mouth meeting his. She felt him flick her nub a couple times as he led his tip to her. A hand on her hip pulled her down. He impaled her in one stroke. She gasped at the invasion.

  “Problem?” He thrust deeper inside her.

  Meg struggled to get a breath. She bounced against his arching hip
s. He filled every aching crevice of her. “Don’t let this go to your head but you’re so big.”

  Caleb’s voice was a breathless pant. “I’ll try to let it slide.”

  He caressed her breasts in his palms, tugging at the buds. She whimpered as he attacked one with his teeth. His now free hand dove between them and pinched her clit. “Come with me, baby. Come now.”

  She clung to him as she ground down hard. Pleasure ripped through her, starting in her core and blazing through every nerve. He growled as he flipped her on her back and drove into her, hard and furious. He grunted and groaned as he released, swelling thick as he came. She whimpered as another wave dragged her under. She was pretty sure she blacked out for a second. She gasped as he pulled free and then tugged her up to her knees. He leaned her over the back of the futon and gripped her hips.

  “I thought you finished?” she questioned as she felt his tip against her swollen flesh.

  “Not entirely.” He thrust deep inside her, rocking his hips hard against her ass. She clung to the metal frame as he pounded into her. She felt the soft pillow slide beneath her, between her legs. She didn’t ask why he put it there. The firm cloth rubbed her inflamed clit every time his body collided with hers. She cried out as his lips touched her shoulder. The onslaught of sensations sent another convulsion through her. She buried her nails into his arms as they held her tight against him. He cursed as he stiffened, his cock throbbing deep inside. He pulled her up to him while he was still buried inside her. His lips were soothing on her hot skin as he laid a path of kisses on the curve of her neck.

  Meg forced her clenched eyes open as she shuddered. She wasn’t sure what just happened, but it wasn’t sex. Sex paled to what they just did. It was just supposed to be a onetime deal. Instead, she wanted him in her bed all night. He was a new addiction, and she wanted an all-night fix.

  “I’m hoping this isn’t where you sleep,” he said as he nipped the back of her neck.

  “It isn’t. Why?” she countered.

  “Because this would get uncomfortable after a while.”