by L. P. Dover
Straightening my stance, I sauntered over to him, smiling lazily. He lifted his brows and placed his hands on his hips, never once taking his eyes off of me. “What are you doing?”
My smile grew wider and once I got close enough, I swiped my leg behind his and used the force of my body to make him fall back. We both fell to the mat and I landed on top of him. Before I could shout out my triumph, he quickly wrapped his arms around my waist and tumbled me over. Now his body was on top of mine.
“Dammit,” I hissed as my head slammed down on the mat. “I thought I had you.”
His face was close to mine, lips almost touching. The weight of his body pressed into mine, his hips digging into my own. However, it wasn’t just his hips pressing into me. My body welcomed his touch and grew wet just having him against me. I also couldn’t move because in our grapple he had taken my wrists and held my arms above my head, pinning me to the floor.
“And you almost did, sunshine. But now I have you at my mercy.”
I tried to move, but he held on tighter, smiling smugly down at me. “You can let me up any day now.”
“No, I kind of like where I’m at.” His smile faded, and then turned serious. “As much as I like having you where you are, there’s something you need to learn.”
“What?” I whispered.
The grip he had on my wrists tightened. “Never, under any circumstances, let another man immobilize your arms like this.”
“I fight women, Pax. I don’t think I’ll ever be in the ring fighting a man.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about. For right now, the only person who’s going to be holding you down like this is me. Nevertheless, sometimes it doesn’t always work like that.”
The haunted look in his eyes made me shiver. He had to be thinking about Kacey and what almost happened to her. The night she was held against her will and was almost raped, while he was in the ring fighting for his title. He wanted to go after her, but Tyler needed him to stay so everything would look normal. I’d never seen him look at another girl the way he looked at Kacey that night.
“Do you still love her?” I asked.
Paxton loosened his grip and let my wrists go, but still kept his weight on me. “Not in the way you think. It’s hard not to think about that night. I just get so angry. That’s why I want you to be prepared if anything like this ever happened to you.”
“I know how to defend myself.”
“You’re right, but there’s no way in hell you can defend yourself against someone like me. That’s why I’m going to show you what to do. Most guys are going to take you to the floor and you’ll be in this position. You can punch the shit out of them all you want, but all it’s going to do is piss them off. Knowing you, that’s exactly what you’d do.”
I looked up at him. “What am I supposed to do then, lay there?”
“Yes. And most importantly you need to concentrate. When someone takes you down you have a split second to react. Do you see this?” he asked, putting his hands on the floor by both sides of my head. When I nodded, he continued. “Okay, with my arms like this, you need to bring yours up between mine and sweep them out from under me. That’ll make me lose my balance and fall forward.
“Before I do that, you take the palm of your hand and jab it upwards toward my nose. That type of blow will make the nose break, eyes water, and your attacker to lose focus. Afterward, you can always beat the shit out of him and run away.”
Grabbing my wrists, he pulled me up to my feet. “Now let’s practice it. Just don’t break my nose.”
I winked and got into position. “I’ll try not to.”
As soon as I was ready, he went on the attack and took me back down to the mat. Before he could grab my wrists, I did what he said and swiped his own arms out from under him and stopped with my palm at his nose. When I moved my hand aside, he smirked down at me.
“That’s fucking amazing. I honestly didn’t think you’d get it that fast.”
“I’m a quick learner,” I murmured breathlessly. “Thanks for showing me.”
“You’re welcome.”
He laid there, star-fished on top of me. I could feel his heartbeat thumping and see the sweat above his brow. I instinctively clenched my lower stomach and his dick lengthened between us. I waited for him to move his lips toward mine, but he stayed in place, staring me down.
Ever so slowly, he moved his lips closer to mine and I parted my own slightly, closing my eyes. “Well,” he said, startling my eyes back open, “I think that’s enough for today.” Hopping off me, he put out his hand to help me get up.
What a whirlwind. I’d thought for sure he was going to kiss me. I was going to need to change my underwear. “Do you mind if I run by my apartment? I forgot some things.” It was the only thing I could think of to say.
“Sure, take the Hummer. I’ll just be here.”
He started lifting his weights while I stood there watching him, feeling completely out of sorts. I was just so used to him chasing me, always trying to get in my pants. I guess I stood there a little too long because he had stopped lifting and was looking at me cockeyed.
“The keys are on the kitchen counter. Was there something else?”
I stood there hoping he would talk a little more, but he kept going as if I wasn’t there. I wasn’t sure I like this change of behavior. How odd.
By the time I got to my apartment and trudged up the steps, I felt like a complete fool. I had laid under Paxton and closed my eyes, opening myself up to him, and he had done nothing. Was I the only one who felt something? Maybe he was done with my refusals. How much could one man take before his dignity was bruised?
Pulling out my keys, I had them ready to unlock my door when something caught my eye. Lying across the rug at the front door laid a single, black rose with a red ribbon tied around the stem. A note was attached, but I couldn’t open it unless I untied the ribbon. Who the hell would leave me a black rose? Surely, it wasn’t Bradley?
Once my door was unlocked, I walked inside and shut it. I untied the red silk slowly, so as to not prick my fingers on the thorns. There was no name on the outside of the paper, but when I finally had it free, I opened it up. Furrowing my brows, I read the words:
Flipping it over, there was nothing on the back. What the hell did that mean? All I knew was, it didn’t settle well with me. My spine prickled and my hair stood on end. The only reason I wanted to come home was to grab my pumpkin spice coffee. That was exactly what I did. I grabbed the box and put it under my arm, staring at the rose. I didn’t like the flower; there was something ominous about it. Leaving it on the counter, I snatched up Paxton’s keys and walked out the door, making sure to lock it behind me. I was ready to get back.
I WANTED GABRIELLA so bad I couldn’t fucking see straight. My balls ached like a bitch and what was worse, I knew she wanted me too. I just needed her to make the first move. But she was too goddamned stubborn to do anything about it. The second I heard her leave the driveway, I picked up my phone and dialed the number I needed.
“Hey, Pax,” she answered. “How’s it going?”
“Not fast enough. Miss Stubborn refuses to face the fact she wants me.”
“You could stop waiting for her to come to you, and just tell her the truth,” she suggested. “Seriously, I know she wants to be with you. The only thing keeping her back is feeling like a traitor to her brother. He’s the one who doesn’t want her with any of you. The truth will set you free,” she laughed.
“That’s not the point, Ashleigh. Yeah, I could tell her the truth, but I don’t want to list reasons why she should be with me. I need her to admit she wants me, against all odds.”
“Good luck with that, Paxton. She’s strong like bull. But, I think you’re right. She likes a challenge and hates to be forced into a corner.”
“Don’t worry, I know just what to do. I don’t need luck.” I need a fucking miracle.
I was sitting by the pool when Gabriella finally got back. As s
oon as she sat beside me, I got up and stretched, making her eyes go wide.
“Where are you going? I just got here,” she remarked.
“Yeah, sorry about that . . . I have plans for the evening. I’ll see you in the morning though, okay?”
“In the morning?”
Stopping by the patio door, I looked back at her. She looked stunned. “I’m probably not making it home tonight, sunshine. There are hash browns and eggs in the fridge, and of course, you’ve got the keys to my Hummer. Have a good one, call me if you need anything.”
Turning on my heel, I went straight to my room and didn’t look back. This plan had to work. She might not give in tonight or tomorrow, but by the end of the week if this didn’t work, I didn’t know what would.
FOR THREE DAYS, Paxton and I had worked out together, but then he always had other things to do, leaving me to my own devices. When I tried to talk to him he was pleasant, but that was it. No flirting. No extra attention. Was he over me? I started to doubt that he really even wanted to finish out the rest of the two weeks. I had thought about just leaving and not coming back, but in all honesty, I didn’t want to go back to my empty apartment.
I guess I could always visit Ashleigh and Ryley in the mountains, but I wouldn’t because I was pissed off. It took me awhile to come to terms with it all, but I was thoroughly upset Pax didn’t want me. I needed to verify his feelings, and soon.
Putting on the skimpiest bathing suit I had, I strolled through the house and out to the pool. Every day after working on the cars, he always walked through the patio door once he was done. He had an old Model T and a vintage Chevy Corvette he was working on. They still needed a lot of work, but he was determined to fix them.
Laying out on one of the lounge chairs, my heart sped up when the music blaring from his garage came to a complete halt. That meant he was wrapping it up. I’d come to learn his routine the past few days. At first, I half expected his house to be overrun by his friends, but no one came by. He was solitary and a creature of habit, just like me.
All too soon, the gate to the pool area opened and he walked through, rubbing a towel across his forehead. He hadn’t noticed me yet, but when he did, he stopped and a small smirk tilted up the corner of his lips. “What’s up, buttercup?”
Okay. Not quite the reaction I was going for, but at least I have his attention. I actually missed our bantering back and forth, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. I got up from the chair and walked toward him, making sure to put a little extra sway to my hips. “I was wondering if you’d be up for a little competition? You know, to get the blood flowing and all. I need a pick-me-up.”
“You don’t say. I’m intrigued. What type of competition are you suggesting?” He smiled and I heard a hint of the old Pax, the one who wanted to devour my body.
I stopped in front of him and tilted my head, making sure to touch him when I said, “A race. First one to swim the length of the pool, wins.”
Before he answered, he unbuttoned his jeans and let them fall to the ground. Clad in his boxers, he smirked. “Last one in is a rotten egg.” He slapped me on the ass and dove into the pool.
I didn’t think twice. I jumped. The water was a little cool, but it felt good on my heated skin. Paxton waited for me at the other end and when I got there he looked at me over his shoulder.
“What do I get if I win?”
My pulse quickened and my breaths came out in rapid pants. I was competitive by nature, but even I knew there was no way I could win against him. I should have thought this through better. “You can kiss me.”
His eyebrows shot up. “And what do you get if you win?”
I hesitated and settled on something non-committal. “Breakfast in bed.”
He seemed a little put off by my request, but shook it off and nodded. “It’s a deal.”
If I was truthful with myself, I wanted to lose. Licking my lips, I kept my gaze on the other side of the pool, the finish line.
“All right. One . . . two . . . three . . . go.”
As fast as I could, I pumped my arms and my legs until they burned. His pool was Olympic sized so it was about twice the length of a normal pool. I didn’t even look at his progress, I just kept going, breathing in gulps of air every few strokes.
When I stopped hearing his arms and legs pounding against the water I knew it was done. He was already at the other end waiting on me. Gasping for air, I held onto the edge of the pool and leaned my forehead against it. I hated to lose.
“You lost, sunshine.”
“No shit,” I growled.
“I need you to turn around.” His voice was right by my ear and I could feel the heat of his body behind me.
Lifting my head, I huffed and turned around, my back to the pool wall. His arms closed me in. “I guess you’re going to want payment,” I whispered, looking down at his lips.
Pressing his body to mine, he grabbed my thighs and lifted me up. I was straddling his waist, but now I had to hold onto him. Almost hesitantly, I wrapped my arms around his neck and tried desperately to breathe without him knowing how bad he affected me.
“I did win fair and square,” he pointed out. A mischievous smirk splayed across his face.
“A deal’s a deal. You, Mr. Emerson, get to kiss me.” I said, trying not to look too excited.
His whole body scorched me with every single touch on my bare skin. His hands were tight under my ass, holding me in place. I was on fire and I wanted more. Between his legs, his cock was hard and pushed into me when he backed me into the wall. I throbbed and ached with the need to move against him, to feel him inside me. He hovered by my face, so close I could hear him breathing hard through his nose. Our gazes locked with half-lidded stares. And . . . that was it. He never brought his lips to mine.
I was going to lose it. “What’s wrong? Don’t you want to kiss me?”
He looked hurt and frankly, a little angry. Pulling back, he let me go and moved away from me. The ever growing distance between us growing with each second. “Nah. I told you I wouldn’t ask for anything you weren’t willing to give. I have to go,” he said, getting out of the pool. “There’s somewhere I need to be.” Once out, he quickly headed for the door.
“Pax,” I called. He kept going. But I am willing to give it to you. I almost said it out loud, but it was too late. He’d already walked through the patio door.
Slamming the door shut, I watched him disappear up the stairs. Shit. Had I hurt him in some way? Well, I wasn’t going to let him ignore me anymore. Whatever was so important that he had to leave me for, I was going to find out. It might be a little stalkerish, but I wasn’t going to sit by myself another night longer.
I HAD NO clue how I was going to find out where Paxton was going until my saving grace came in the form of a phone call. My bedroom was just across from his and when I heard him talking, I edged toward the door and listened in.
“Fuck yeah, I’m gonna be there. Everything’s all ready,” he said low. What was he talking about? I wish I knew who the other person was and what they were saying.
“Okay, meet me at Delaney’s track in about an hour. I don’t know if I’m going to the club tonight, but I’ll let you know.”
As soon as he hung up the phone, I tiptoed back to my room and gently shut the door. What the hell was Delaney’s track? Searching through my phone, I found an address for it, but not a website. It was only ten miles away. What could he possibly be doing there? He was the one who wanted me to stay here with him and now he was acting like I didn’t exist? I don’t think so. Whatever he was doing, I was going to find out. This shit was ending tonight.
Paxton’s footsteps thundered across the floor on down the steps until they completely went silent once the front door shut. Quickly, I threw on my jeans and tank top and ran my hands through my hair. How the hell did I fall so low as to resort to stalking? Ashleigh would get a kick out of this if she knew what I was doing.
The sound of a revving engine and squealing tire
s caught my attention, but I didn’t get to the window fast enough to see him leave. I did, however, see the tire tracks on the driveway. Thankfully, the Hummer was still there which meant I had access to a vehicle. Rushing down the stairs, I bounded out of the house and made sure to lock the door. Paxton had a habit of not locking the doors. That had to be a man thing, because Bradley was the same way.
With the address in the GPS, I was ready to go. Apparently, I had to go right by my apartment which was good considering I needed to check my mail anyway. When I got there, I quickly opened my little mailbox, and of course, it was full of junk. Still, if I didn’t get all that crap out, my mailman would just shove more and more in until I couldn’t get any of it out. Since I had about twenty minutes to spare, I parked and raced up the stairs to my apartment to use the bathroom. I was actually nervous, which wasn’t normal for me.
Bolting up the steps, I took two at a time and had my keys ready to unlock the door. I stopped dead in my tracks and choked when I noticed not one, but two black roses by my doorstep. You have got to be kidding me. Hesitantly, I took in my surroundings and didn’t notice anything else amiss. There was a note attached to the roses just like the other day. From the looks of them, they’d been left there for a while. I hadn’t been by in three days.
Gently, I picked them up and unlocked my door, opening it wide. The other black rose was still on my counter, dried out and shriveled with the note I left beside it. I opened up the new note.
This shit was getting beyond weird. Sliding my phone out of my back pocket, I dialed up Ryley’s number. Luckily, he answered on the second ring. The last thing I wanted to do was worry Ashleigh when she needed to stay calm for the babies.
