by Nora Flite
But this cleared things up. I knew Zoe had an ex—Reese, she'd said his name was. If he'd cheated on her, that had to be what was making her act so weird with me. Being scared of getting hurt or betrayed, that wasn't complicated.
Fixing it was.
Eliza poked me, making me turn back to her. “Don't do anything reckless.”
“Me?” I grinned. “Reckless?”
She jabbed me harder. “You're still escorting, aren't you?” When I nodded, she copied me. “Right. I don't think Zoe would understand that. She's been scorned, messing with a man who fucks for cash would ruin her.”
A razor-wire wrapped around my lungs. “Ouch. That's harsh. You're judging me from a pretty tall ivory tower, does that mean you're really out of the business? This house is pretty nice, you must be doing something right.”
“I'm judging her, not you.” Waving a hand, she tensed up. Paranoia filled her eyes, fingers tugging that long black hair. “Zoe doesn't know that I used to do that. I plan to keep it that way.”
She dodged my question. Fine. Folding my arms, I bobbed my head. “I won't say anything.” An idea hit me. “Do you know what she does, her job?” Did Eliza know about the fighting ring?
A noise came from the house. We both jerked our heads that way. “Zoe is a waitress over at Carl's Roost,” Eliza said. “And speak of the devil, I think she's awake.”
That was when Zoe had appeared, managing to look more tempting in her shorts and shirt and over-sized cardigan than Eliza did in her barely-there bikini.
Seeing her had brought back the feeling of her arms around me. Her breath in my ear, how her face felt in my hands. I'd touched her intimately and innocently, and I ached to do all of that again and more.
I was going to make it happen.
Eliza ended up giving us some privacy when she went to fetch the drinks. I'd used that moment to act on my desires. Crouching at Zoe's side, I cupped her chin and professed my thoughts. You want to imagine me with you.
She'd bitten her apple violently, pantomimed it being my dick... claiming she didn't want me.
I'd called her a liar.
With the way she stammered, chest rising and nipples whispering my name, I knew I was right. She did want me. Pain from a bad break up or not, this girl was furious with lust. Maybe, on some level, she really was scared of me.
I'd crack her code and see what rested behind her parted lips.
Now, as we all sat sipping our lemonade, I studied her from my chair. My throbbing cock hadn't calmed down. Torturing Zoe was tormenting me. I wasn't free of my need for her, it rose higher with every breath she took.
God, I wanted to slide those shorts down her calla-lily white legs and inhale her sweet heat. I'd felt her with my cock. Now I wanted to feel her with my lips and tongue.
Closing my eyes, I listened to the two girls talk. It was innocent chatter, things like errands and who had done what at the party. The conversation was broken when Zoe's phone began ringing in her pocket.
She scowled at the screen. Jumping up, she turned away from us and started heading inside. Before she escaped, she answered the number. The acid in her voice was scathing. “What do you want?”
Glancing at Eliza, my friend just shrugged. She didn't know what was going on. But, the second Zoe spoke again, I had a very good idea.
“What?” she hissed, knees locking up on the top step. If she was a cat, I would have seen her hackles prickling. “Tonight? You're kidding! I was just fucking there last night, I—” Stopping herself, she peered at us, then slipped into the house.
The door slammed so hard, Eliza and I jumped. It was a miracle the glass hadn't shattered. “Wow,” Eliza laughed nervously. “Wonder what that was about.”
My smile was subtle. “No idea.” Entirely false. I was sure I did know what it was all about. Last night... I'd been there. I knew why Zoe was pissed.
Nehro. He must want her to come back for another match.
This was bad news for Zoe. So, don't think I'm cruel or evil. I'm really not. But, honestly, this situation had opened a door for me. Chopped away a steel lock that had kept me from growing closer to this strange, beautiful girl.
Zoe was going to be mine... I just needed more time by her side.
And now I had a way to get it.
Pushing the glass door aside, I stepped across the floor in my sandals. I still wore just my tight shorts, not bothering to change. Eliza was confident I'd come back outside and tan some more with her.
Turning my head, I strained to listen. I was tuned in, seeking out the hushed voice of the woman I was chasing. Padding quietly through the hall, the brittle edge of her words reached me.
“...And it's insane to ask for another so soon!”
I wondered if I inhaled, I'd smell her—I was a hunter stalking his prey. Wandering deeper, I heard her speaking through the walls; not far from the room I'd given her a lap-dance in.
Leaning near the crack, I peeked inside. She was facing away, sitting lotus-style on her bed. The phone was to her ear, fingers shaking. I waited for the device to shatter. “Nehro, listen to me. I know what my contract says, but I've never been called for a fight this soon after the last. I need time to find a new guy. I—what?” She paused, then lifted her voice. “You're impossible! God, I just...”
Clenching my fist at my hip, I listened to the defeat filling her every word. Nehro was upsetting her. How upset would he be with his pasty face crunching under my knuckles?
Zoe whispered, “Okay. I'll figure it out. I fucking understand what 'defaulting' means.”
Defaulting? On what, the contract? She'd told me she owed Nehro money, but what could he do to collect from her if she didn't fulfill her job? She acted like she was broke, stressed about cash. If she had nothing, it wasn't as if he could rob her. There was nothing to steal.
Right?
She hung her head, the phone falling onto the bed. The wave of hunger in me abated, burned to ash at the sight of her sadness. My muscles shifted from wanting to grab her to wanting to comfort her.
I didn't know Nehro well, but seeing what he'd done to her...
I hated him entirely.
“Hey,” I said, stepping into the room. Zoe jerked around, eyes straining at my appearance. Spreading my fingers, I tried to calm her. “What's going on, what happened?”
Her surprised hardened into distrust. “Do you normally spy on people?”
“I wanted to make sure you were okay.” Gently, I closed the door behind me. Zoe stared, watching me like I was trapping her. In a way, I was.
Pushing her fingers to the bridge of her nose, she rocked on the mattress, facing me fully. “Everything is fine. You don't need to worry.”
“Love, if you think I'd believe everything was fine, you're fooling yourself.”
Laughing, she said, “Go fool yourself. Whatever you need to do to leave me alone, do it. You can tell I'm in a bad mood, right? I need to be alone.”
Shaking my head, I settled next to her on the bed. Zoe's nostrils flared, stealing the last bit of air in the room that wasn't corrupted by me. “What you need is help.”
“Help,” she said, tasting the word.
“That was Nehro, wasn't it?” Zoe looked away, confirming what I already knew. “He wants you to bring someone in for another fight.”
Sitting up straight, her neck stiffened. “I was semi-joking about the spying thing. You heard everything.”
“Enough to put two and two together, and math isn't my strong suit.” I winked, and amazingly, she actually smiled. “Is the next fight really tonight?”
Like rain on glass, her smile washed away. “Yes.”
“Then it's settled.”
“How is it settled, what is settled?”
Scratching the side of my nose, I chuckled. “I'll fight for you again. It's simple.”
Her red hair was a wave, sliding over her shoulders violently. “No! Huck, no way. I told you, I can't ask for more help. No more favors.”
There
was a hand's width between us on the bed. Carefully, I pushed my bare thigh against her knee, enjoying how she startled. “Babe, I'm going to help you. You'll just have to accept that.”
She locked onto my leg, not looking at my face. “Fuck, you're so stubborn. I'm not owing you for your good graces. I'd have to pay you. For real, this time.”
Arching down, I let my skull fill with the foggy cloud that Zoe brought. Being this close to her, our heads almost touching, I wanted to erase the distance and wrap my hands in her hair. I wanted to lick her throat, to inhale my way down to her sweet pussy.
She was so stressed about money last night. My lashes fluttered, seduction thickening my words. “You can pay me if you want... but it doesn't need to be in cash.”
Zoe almost headbutted my nose with how fast she whipped her eyes up to me. The wild blue color threatened to boil me alive. “No. I will never, ever use my body like that.” She bit off each word, spit it in my face. “I am not a fucking whore, Huxton.”
The energy crackled between us. However, I didn't burn with shame. I knew she wanted me to, but too bad. Zoe had pride; so did I.
And I loved how I made my living.
“What's wrong with being a whore?” I purred, inching my knee harder against hers. Zoe grimaced, retreating. I followed, keeping our bodies touching. “Since when is sex so awful? And if you're good at it, why not get paid for it?”
Blinking, her cheeks the color of roses, Zoe struggled to win the staring contest. “For one, you don't know if I'm good at it.”
That was funny, she thought I'd been talking about her. Fine. I liked this topic. “I'd wager you are.” My grin was a half-moon. “Want to test my theory?”
Her throat fluttered. “No.”
“Again, you're such a liar.” Chuckling, I reached out, curling my fingers in her hair. I'd thought I could hold back, but I was wrong. Talking about fucking was sending me on a spiral. “How about it? I'll be your champion, Zoe.” Nuzzling her ear, I thrilled at her helpless moan. “I'll fight every man, any man. You just have to ask me.”
Gently, she put her hands on my bare back. We shared a strained breath. “It's not just asking. You want me to fuck you in exchange for your help.”
Stroking down her neck, I listened to her whimper. Lord, she was killing me. “What's so upsetting? Don't you want to fuck me?”
Zoe hesitated. She clung to my shoulder blades, stuck between holding on tighter or letting go. “I'll never pay for things with my body.”
“You didn't answer me, do you want to fuck me?”
“No, not like this.”
Leaning away, I looked from her cherry-lips to her flushed face. I ate up the vision of her nipples cutting through her shirt. “Again, always lying.”
Some of her ferociousness returned, lips curling back. “I'm not lying. I don't want you, not even a little bit.”
“Then why were you grinding against me so eagerly yesterday?” I asked, shoving her up the bed, pushing myself between her legs. We both wore shorts, our skin chafing with my movements. “Why were you pouting when I said you couldn't touch me?” A single thrust, I imitated the filthy motion of fucking.
Zoe's moan echoed around us.
Watching her, I froze up. Her wanton need had shocked us both. She bit her lip, then clenched her jaw. When she saw my wide smirk, she tensed harder.
I said gently, “We should make a few things clear.”
Zoe dared me with her silence.
My cock was stiff, filling my shorts to the point of discomfort. God, this woman, she got me going. “Zoe, how badly do you want my help?”
Laughing with a cynical bite, she let her hands fall from my body. “I need it, I don't want it. Aren't you the one who wanted to help me?”
My gaze trailed over her lips, enjoying every curve. “I did. And I do. You're the one messing it up by making it complicated.”
Wrinkling her forehead, Zoe slumped back. “You don't understand how hard this is for me.”
Grinning, I rubbed my rigid shaft over her shorts. “Believe me, beautiful. I know what hard is.”
Each time she blushed, it felt like a win.
“Huck, I don't want to owe you anything. But I'll pay you. With money.” Her smile was coy. “Not my body. Never my body.”
I was disappointed, but most of it came from a deeper place. I'd finally stopped to consider her issue. Distaste slid over my tongue. “You really don't like whores, huh?”
Zoe tucked her chin, clearly confused. “I just don't want to be one. Sex for money—that isn't me.”
No, I mused bitterly. It's me. Eliza had been right. This girl wasn't ready for who I was. Huxton the piece of meat, the man who lusted and craved each and every cunt across the globe.
I still wanted her... but my mood was tainted by her judgment. “Fine, you can pay me.” Leaning away, I fixed my erection as covertly as possible. She still saw, still gazed with those frustratingly eager eyes and parted lips. I wanted to feel her sucking me, not sucking her teeth in doubt.
“How much?” she asked.
Turning away, I willed my blood to cool. “How many fights will there be?”
She sighed and said, “I don't know. It used to be around two, three a month... Nehro asking for another the next day is weird. But I can't say no.”
My anger fled in the wake of her distress. Zoe sat up, hugging herself and folding over. I was tempted to reach down and embrace her. Instead I just cracked my knuckles. “You decide what to pay me,” I mumbled. “Whatever you can manage is alright.”
Wide-eyed, she gawked at me. Hope—a hope I hadn't seen on her before—glowed. “Really? You're serious?”
Chuckling, I smoothed my hair a few times. I was fidgeting, letting the arousal she'd poisoned me with fade. “Suddenly you're so willing to bargain. Yes, anything.”
“Even if it's just twenty bucks a pop?”
I arched an eyebrow. “That little?” I got paid hundreds to wrestle with women in the comfort of their own beds. Twenty bucks to risk a busted jaw was insulting.
But that flicker of defeat... it had returned, stealing her energy with my stupid fucking comment. Before she could speak again, I put my hand on her shoulder. “It's enough. I promise.”
Zoe flinched when I said 'promise.'
Again, I thought about how irrational I was acting. I had no reason to help this girl. She'd offered me nothing but attitude and blue-balls.
Some insane part of me was drawn to her. She had a strength and clearly her own demons. Eliza thought she was fragile, up-tight.
I thought she was a thunderstorm meant to be set free.
If I sat back, maybe I could see the edges of what pulled me so deep. Here was someone clearly suffering. She'd been dealt a cruel hand, and she still didn't want to tell me what game of cards she was even playing.
Why did she owe Nehro money... and how much was it?
Though I wanted to know, I wouldn't press. Not yet. Not now.
I knew what it was like to have nothing... to be in trouble.
No one had helped me. I'd always had to save myself.
I took what I wanted from the world. I was fine with fighting because it was what I knew. It was familiar.
And here was this crazy woman, battling me tooth and nail when all I offered was help.
For no fucking good reason I was ready to bust myself up for her.
And the odd thing was...
Nothing had ever felt so right.
- Chapter Six -
Zoe
He'd done it again—I'd done it again.
Against all odds, he'd gotten alone with me, this time in my own bed, and had me inches away from fucking him. From feeling that tauntingly perfect cock not just on my cunt but inside of it.
God fucking dammit.
Could humans go into heat? Was that it?
But there was another issue here. One beyond my off-the-wall hormones. Huck had said he'd help me. He'd poked his nose into my business, but ultimately said h
e would help me.
And I believed him.
That was the craziest part. I didn't want to get ahead of myself, because fuck, I'd been here before, but... it felt like he was serious. Twenty bucks a fight was petty cash. I'd give him more, but I couldn't. The funds from the fights were in Nehro's hands. Huck would have to take it up with him if he wanted any of it. But... maybe he should. It was only right.
Just because Reese had let me put all of it towards my debt, didn't meant Huck had to. I just wanted it to be over. The longer I was forced to attend the Dog House, the more risk I inherited. Each fight that rose up was a chance for me to fuck up, default, and let Nehro take what was left from my flesh.
Ten more years of this—and that was if things went smooth.
Nothing ever went smooth for me.
There was a good chance that once Huck got hurt, he'd come to his senses and walk away.
Don't get too attached. People break promises.
Hope was a liability.
Standing by my door, he leaned on the wall in his dark swim-shorts. If I'd been an artist, I would have asked if I could draw him. I figured it was only his ink that kept him from traditional modeling. Screw those people, though. Huxton was meant to be seen.
Though, if I listened to my gut when we'd been by the pool, I didn't want anyone to see him but me. It had soothed me, learning Eliza was just his friend. I didn't feel great about my envy, and less great about my contentment.
Grabbing my phone, I checked the time. “It's only one-thirty. The match won't be until nine.”
“What do we do until then?”
I blinked. “Huh?”
Laughing, he hooked his thumbs in his shorts. “I know how to fill seven hours. Do you?”
My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. “Is sex all you think about?”
“Around certain people, yes.”
Fuck. My heart was too big for my chest. Sliding off the bed, I considered how close he was to my door. Moving around him would bring us within inches. “Eliza wanted to do some shopping. I'll take care of that. Meanwhile, I guess you should prepare.”
