by Mia Madison
I nodded. “Yeah, I’m good. Just…” I let my voice trail off. I wasn’t sure how to even explain all of the thoughts that were running through my head. Instead, I lightly knocked on the door and pushed it open a little before turning back to Onyx. “I’m ready. Let’s go in.”
As soon as I saw Fabian lying there, I knew that all of my fears had been for nothing. He was going to be okay. Sure, he still looked bad—really bad, actually, all bandaged up with a dozen tubes and cords attached to him. But the color was back in his complexion and some of the bruises on his face had started to lighten.
He was healing. Thank God.
And then he opened his eyes and I started crying.
“Lauren,” he whispered, his voice barely audible over the beeping, humming machines next to his bed. “Faye… Onyx.”
“We’re all here,” Onyx said, sounding more choked up and emotional than I’d ever heard him. “We’ve all been waiting for you to wake up.”
“You’re all okay,” Fabian said, a faint smile spreading across his face. “I was worried.”
I took his hand in mine and breathed in and out slowly, not even caring that there were tears streaming down my face. “We were worried. You’ve been through a lot, big brother.”
He nodded a little, the movement just barely perceptible under all the bandages on his head and face. “Everything hurts. Is it bad?”
“It could’ve been worse,” I said, truthfully. It was bad, but he didn’t need all the details right now. He was alive, and that was enough to be happy about and thankful for. “But you’re going to be okay. You’re a fighter.”
“A hell of a fighter,” Onyx added, coming up behind me. “And your sister here has been keeping me in line while you’ve been gone. She’s more of a hard-ass than you ever were, man.”
“I’ve been telling you that for years,” Fabian said, making all of us laugh. “But good. I’m glad she’s looking out for you.” Then, turning serious, his voice became more firm, more clear. “But you’d better be looking out for her, too. Don’t let anything happen to these girls, Onyx.” He reached up and I let Faye lean in to wrap her tiny hand around his finger for just a moment. “Do whatever you have to do.”
Onyx nodded. “I swear I will, Fabian. You can count on me.”
“I know,” Fabian said, closing his eyes and letting his hand fall back to his side again. “I know.”
I leaned in and kissed him on the forehead, then let Faye do the same, but Fabian didn’t stir. Whatever meds and painkillers they had him on must have kicked in, and he was snoring softly within just a few seconds.
“We can stay for a while if you want,” Onyx said, kissing me on the top of my head. “He might wake back up in a little while.”
“No.” I sighed. “We should go. He needs his rest. I’ve never seen him look so weak and tired.”
“He’s been through a lot. We all have.” Onyx kissed me again and then gently squeezed my shoulder. “But he’s going to be okay, and we are, too. I promise.”
I nodded.
There was no doubt in my mind that Onyx meant every word he said, and that he’d keep that promise—or die trying.
What scared me more than anything, though, is that it really could come to that.
I felt like I was floating on a cloud for the entire trip back home—back to Onyx’s apartment. It was so good to see Fabian awake and coherent that I didn’t even think about the very real danger we were all still in for a while.
Instead, I smiled. I laughed. I talked baby-talk to Faye and held Onyx’s free hand while he drove. It was nice. It almost felt… normal.
“I need to put her down to sleep,” I said, once we made it back to the apartment. “Shouldn’t take too long, though. Her eyelids look pretty heavy.”
In fact, Faye was already nodding off—just as well, since I was afraid it wouldn’t take much for me to fall asleep, either. Lying in the quiet bed next to her would’ve probably done the trick.
But I wasn’t quite ready to come down off my happiness high, and as tired as I was, I was looking forward to a little quiet time with Onyx.
I could tell that he had enjoyed the time with Fabian, too, and even seemed to be a little less stressed than normal. It would be nice to sit together, to decompress a little—to just… relax.
“Sounds good, babe.” He kissed me on the cheek before turning down the hallway. “I just need to check something in the office, but it won’t take long.”
“Okay, I’ll meet you back out here once she’s asleep.”
I heard his heavy footsteps continue down the hallway to the office once I was in the spare bedroom—Faye’s bedroom, for now—and I grinned down at her as I laid her on the bed.
“Your daddy’s going to be okay,” I whispered, tucking her into bed with a kiss. “And Onyx is going to make sure that we’re okay, too.”
She gurgled up at me, and even though she couldn’t possibly understand anything that was going on around us, I felt like she probably could tell that we were all happier, at least.
And she seemed happy, too, as she closed her eyes to sleep.
I sat on the edge of the bed and waited for a few minutes to make sure she wouldn’t wake up, then kissed her softly again on the forehead and left the room, quietly closing the door behind me.
I hadn’t heard Onyx come back down the hallway from the office, and I could see that the light was still on down there, so I walked that direction. I’d never seen him actually use his office before, and I felt a little strange interrupting him there—like I might be intruding on his privacy or his business—but the door was open and there really wasn’t anything else for me to do.
“Everything okay in here?” I asked, stopping short as soon as I turned the corner into the room. What I saw there made my breath catch in the back of my throat and I could feel my eyes go wide.
“Everything is perfect, now that you’re here,” Onyx crossed the room with a smile. He was holding two glasses of champagne, and handed one to me as I stepped into the room, still speechless. “What do you think of the remodeling job?”
“I… what? How?” I couldn’t wrap my head around what was happening. The room looked completely different from how it had been just a few hours before.
Mirrors covered what were once bare, white walls, and the little fluorescent desk lamp had been replaced with bright overhead lights. In fact, the whole desk was gone, along with all the rest of the sparse furnishings that had been there before.
In their place was a single pole, standing floor to ceiling in the middle of the room. It was like a miniature version of the dance studio where I took my pole dancing class.
“I had a few guys come and fix the place up while we were out today.” He raised his glass to mine and clinked them together, but then looked a little apprehensive. “You’re not saying anything… do you like it? I can have this stuff taken out if it’s too much, but I just thought that maybe—”
“Yes,” I said, swallowing hard and nodding as I felt a smile spread across my face. “I love it. It’s amazing. It’s… perfect.”
It was, too. Every detail was just the way I would’ve wanted it.
“I’m glad,” he said, looking relieved. “I wasn’t sure if you’d want something like this, but I thought it might be a good compromise for times when you couldn’t get to the studio or… whatever.”
Neither of us had to say the other reason—probably the real reason—for this unexpected renovation. There might be a time when I can’t leave the apartment—a time when it becomes too dangerous.
I didn’t want to think about that now, though.
What I wanted to do instead was to thank Onyx, to touch him, to be in his arms.
To dance for him.
I walked to the corner where the small stereo system was set up, and bent down to get it turned on.
“I’ll get something better to go in here,” he said, sounding apologetic as he walked up behind me. “This is all I had for now, but we ca
n do something with surround sound or—”
Whatever he’d been about to say was silenced when I turned around and kissed him, the soft music barely masking the low, rumbling noise that came from deep within his chest.
I loved that just touching him—just looking at him—could get that same reaction every time. He made me feel wanted and special in a way that I’d never felt before.
And now I wanted to make him feel good, too.
I pulled him to the center of the room, just in front of the pole. There wasn’t any seating in the room yet, but that was okay. We didn’t need it.
“Sit here,” I said, pulling him down a little. “On your knees in front of me.”
I could see heat in his eyes as he quickly followed my orders, rocking back onto his heels and looking up at me expectantly once he was down on his knees.
I wanted him inside me so bad I could hardly stand it, but I was determined to give him a little strip-tease first.
It didn’t take me long to shrug out of my shirt and bra, and Onyx was only too happy to help me get rid of the rest of my clothes.
“Not too fast,” I said, stepping back toward the pole once I was fully naked. “No touching yet. Just watch.”
“Oh, fuck, baby,” he groaned, dropping his hands to his sides. “You’re killing me here.”
He didn’t try to move, though, and didn’t take his eyes off me as I swung around the pole. His eyes followed every move I made, and he licked his lips in anticipation as I tossed my hair back and lifted my leg to wrap it around the pole, exposing myself to him completely.
I’d never danced like that in front of anyone before. In class, it wasn’t erotic, it wasn’t sexual or sensual—it was just hard work and good exercise. This, though… this was hot, and I was turning myself on almost as much as I was turning Onyx on.
And judging from the straining bulge in his pants, he was very turned on.
I put my legs down and took a step toward him. He shook his head, as if he was coming out of a trance, and looked up, meeting my gaze.
“Damn, baby,” he said. “You’re so fucking sexy. I wanna be inside you so fucking bad. Please, baby.”
I nodded and stepped closer to him, gently pushing him back until he was stretched out, lying flat on the floor and I was standing over him. I lowered myself until I was straddling him and then started unbuttoning his pants, rocking back to grind my ass over his cock to the rhythm of the music as I undressed him.
“Thank you for all of this,” I said, moving lower so I could pull his pants down far enough to free the thick, delicious cock that I couldn’t get enough of. “You spoil me every day.”
“It’s… not… spoiling you,” he gasped as I wrapped my hand around his hard cock and started stroking it. “You’re so… so worth it.”
I smiled and bent down, letting my hair trail over his thighs as I took the head of his cock into my mouth.
“Fuck, baby, fuck,” he pressed his hips up, making me swallow more of his cock as he reached for me. “God, that feels good.”
I gently batted his hands away as I raised up. “No touching, remember? This is my show.”
He nodded, watching me intently as he dropped his hands down to the floor, balling them into fists to keep from reaching out again.
I wanted to suck him longer, but I wanted him inside me even more, and he was already rock-hard, with pre-cum glistening at the head of his cock. I re-positioned myself over him, and he nodded again, more insistently this time.
“You want to fuck me, don’t you?” I asked, winking playfully as I lined his big cock up with my pussy, sliding the head along my slick folds.
My body was ready for him, and I was already dripping wet just thinking about how good his cock was about to feel, once it was finally inside me.
“Yes, please…” he panted. “Fuck, yes.”
I lowered myself onto him, gasping as I took his entire length. He filled me, stretched me to the point of almost being painful, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t get enough of it, and the slight twinge of pain only made the pleasure more exquisite.
“Oh, God, yes,” I moaned, reaching back to grab his thighs and support myself as I bounced up and down on his cock. “I want to feel you touching me now, Onyx. I want your hands on me while I ride you.”
I’d barely finished the sentence before those big, strong hands were roaming up my sides, kneading my breasts and pinching my nipples as his hips bucked under me.
He kept one hand on my breast, but let his fingers play down my stomach, lower and lower until it found the spot he was looking for.
“Does that feel good, baby?” His voice was low and thick with desire as he fingered my clit.
I tried to speak, but it came out as a moan, and I could only hope that I was nodding my head as his cock pumped in and out of me like a piston, faster and faster.
There was no way I could hold back. I was going to come, and it was going to happen now.
“Oh my God,” I groaned as my whole body shuddered and I clamped down on his cock, feeling it throb and somehow get even bigger and harder inside me.
“Yeah, come with me baby.” He was just as breathless as I was, but it was enough to push me over the edge.
I threw my head back and let my orgasm overtake me just as I felt him explode inside me, his warmth filling me and spilling out over my thighs as I slowly rocked back and forth on his spent cock.
It felt so good, and I didn’t want him to take it out. I leaned down and kissed him hungrily, needily, keeping our bodies joined together for as long as I possibly could.
“So amazing, baby,” he panted, breaking away from our kiss for just long enough to look up at me and smile. “I love this. I love you.”
“I… I love you, too.”
I hadn’t been expecting it, and the words had spilled out of my mouth before I could even think to stop myself.
Was it too soon? Could I really be in love?
He’d said it first, though… right?
He kissed me again, and I pushed all of those questions and doubts aside. There would be time to think about all of that—and what it all meant—later.
For now, though, I was in the perfect place with the perfect man.
In love.
Onyx
There were few things I hated more than dealing with the police—particularly if it meant stepping foot into a police station—but when I got a call about a possible lead in Fabian’s case, I was there, no questions asked.
I hadn’t even told Lauren where I was going or why. Things at the apartment had been so calm and peaceful for the past few days, and she seemed to be settling in and adjusting, especially since I’d converted the office to her dance room. When I’d left for the police station, I hadn’t wanted to worry her or get her hopes up.
I just wanted answers.
Now, though, sitting in the detective’s office, I had to keep reminding myself that I was here for a good reason—and on the right side of the law.
“Thank you for coming to see me so quickly, Mr. Modell—”
“You can call me Onyx,” I said, interrupting the detective. “Please.”
He nodded curtly. “Fine. Yes. Onyx… Let’s talk about your ex-wife.”
I blinked.
That had been literally the last thing I’d expected him to say.
“My… ex?” I shrugged. “What do you want to know?”
“When would you say was the last time you saw her—Sheila, right?”
I nodded. God, it was strange hearing that name again after so many years.
“I don’t know, honestly…” I tried to think, realizing that anything I said was part of an investigation now. If I fucked something up, they probably wouldn’t hesitate to lock me up first and ask questions later. “We got married right out of high school—we were both just eighteen. And then we got divorced a couple of years later… I honestly can’t remember when, exactly, I saw her last, but it’s probably been at least ten years. What does
that have to do with anything?”
The detective made a couple of notes on the legal pad in front of him and then looked back up at me. “Did you know that she’s married to Danny Alvida now?”
I shook my head, although I couldn’t help but frown at the mention of my fiercest competitor in the ring. Alvida was one of the few people I’d ever encountered who could go a full twelve rounds with me—and he was on an even shorter list of people who I wasn’t completely confident I’d be able to knock out going into a match.
“I didn’t know that, no. I’d say they’re probably perfect for each other, though.”
“What makes you say that?”
I shrugged. “She’s always been about the fame and money. I’d imagine he’s famous enough and takes home enough cash to keep her happy.” I snorted, then added, “As happy as she can be, I guess.”
The detective tapped his pencil on the pad in front of him for a second as he took in the words I’d just said, then pulled an envelope from his desk and opened it.
Inside were several glossy pictures. There was my street. My apartment complex. Me and Lauren and Faye entering and leaving the building.
“We’ve had you under surveillance for a couple of weeks now, Mr. Modell—uh, Onyx.” The detective nodded toward the photos. “For your own protection, of course.”
“Of course,” I stifled an eye-roll. “Why are you showing me these pictures?”
“There are a couple in there that you might find interesting.” He reached across and tapped one picture, then another. “See that car? Look closely. Tell me if you recognize the driver.”
I squinted to see what he was pointing at, and at first I shrugged, unable to make out many details. Then I took a closer look.
“Shit,” I mumbled under my breath, then looked up at him. “That’s Sheila. But what—”
“What’s she doing there?” He finished the question for me. “I was hoping you’d be able to tell me.”
“She doesn’t have any business there, as far as I know,” I said. “She certainly hasn’t been there to see me.”
If someone had told me that Sheila was stalking my apartment building, I never would’ve believed it. She’d always been the jealous type, even when we were kids, and always a little too hot-headed, but… this was crazy.
