Fighting for Desire (9 page)

Dev grinned as he watched Shannon from the doorway.
According to his watch she still had two minutes left and he could tell waiting
was killing her. Her shoulders lifted as she took in a deep breath.

The bra she had picked out tonight was probably torturing
her, rubbing her bare nipples against the silk bedding. Her skin still looked
flushed, which meant she was still close to an orgasm. As if sensing the same
thing, she clenched her thighs.

He watched in arousal as she held them together and went
still. If he were to enter her right now, she would be more than ready. She
would also probably come right away too.

The ice he used on her was melting on the floor. He’d
thought about leaving it on the small of her back to melt but she wouldn’t be
able to handle that right now. He could tell that while she wasn’t
inexperienced she had never done something like this. And he liked that he was
the one showing her new things. The thought brought him pleasure in ways he
hadn’t known possible.

Her five minutes were up and he pulled his shirt over his
head. He let it fall to the floor and then took off his shoes. Her head lifted
as they hit the floor. She would be anticipating his next move, which is exactly
what he wanted.

He walked into the room and stood next to the bed. Slowly he
unzipped his jeans. A whimper left her lips and he grinned. His cock strained
against his boxers as he took off his pants. Damn, his hard-on was on the verge
of being painful.

He thought about telling her to open her mouth so she could
suck him off but changed his mind. Tonight was about showing her who was in
charge. With her mouth around his dick she had the upper hand.

Leaving his boxers on, he asked, “Feeling better? More
relaxed?”

She took in a shuddering breath. “Not really.”

“Good.”

He padded to the closet and opened the secret door. He
pulled out some lube and picked up a rabbit vibrator. Oh, this was going to be
fun. He was going to tease her until she could take no more.

He walked back into the room and squirted some of the cherry-flavored
lube on his fingertip.

“Open your mouth.”

Her lips opened and he put his finger past her warm lips,
into her wet mouth. The irony wasn’t lost on him as her lips closed.

“Mmm,” she moaned. “What is that?”

“It’s lube,” he replied. “I am going to use it on your
pussy.”

She took in a sharp breath and he grinned. He put more on
his fingers and moved to the end of the bed. He touched the lips of her pussy
and her hips lifted. The lube mixed with her own wetness and he spread them
around, careful not to hit her clit.

“Your lips are probably starting to tingle. Am I right?”

“Oh god. Dev, are you trying to kill me?”

“Sorry, I forgot to mention it was warming lube.”

He hadn’t forgotten to mention anything. Not telling was
part of the game. By now her mouth would be tingling as well as her pussy. He
put the lube aside and sat on the bed next to her hip.

“What…what are you doing now?”

“Waiting,” he replied.

When he was sure the lube was working at its maximum he
picked up the rabbit vibrator. The pink bunny came to life as he turned it on.

“Please tell me that isn’t what I think it is,” she panted.

“What do you think I have?”

“A vibrator!”

Her flushed skin was damp with perspiration. He would love
to tease her nipples with the vibrator but settled on touching the spot behind
her knee. She jerked and moaned at the same time.

“I’m surprised you know what a vibrator is.”

She huffed. “I’m not a virgin, as you know. Of course I know
what a vibrator is.”

He moved it to her other knee. “Oh? Use one a lot? Do you have
a big one?”

“Yeah, a big black one.”

He laughed. “Still have a smart mouth I see.”

He touched the small of her back and then let the vibrator
move lower to her ass cheek. She didn’t reply but became very still. Slowly he
moved it down until it was close to her pussy.

She cried out his name as he let the ears of the toy brush
her clit. Then he pressed the toy against her and began to move it up and down.
She was so wet and the vibrator slid around with ease. She grabbed the sheets
and moaned. She tensed and he pulled the vibrator away before she could come.

Over and over he tormented her this way, until her voice was
hoarse from crying out his name. Each time she came close to coming, he would
stop until he was sure she wouldn’t.

“Please,” she pleaded.

“Please what?” he asked as he let the ears of the vibrating
bunny hit her clit.

“Fuck me. Please fuck me.”

His cock jumped at her raw admission.

“How do you want me to fuck you?”

He wanted her to tell him exactly what she wanted him to do.
He wanted to hear the words leave her mouth.

“I don’t care. Just do it please.”

He made a tsk-tsk sound. “That won’t do, Shannon. Do you
want me to fuck you in the ass? Use my tongue to fuck your pussy? My fingers?”

With each suggestion her breathing became more erratic.

He caressed her ass. “I’ve always wanted to take you this
way.”

He wondered what she thought of his admission. Would she
ever let him do it? The Shannon he knew eight years ago wouldn’t.

“Not tonight,” she said in a breathless voice. “I want you
to fuck my pussy this time.”

He stared down at her, filled with lust, desire and heat.
Finally he reached down and untied her legs. He untied her arms too and was
about to take the blindfold from her eyes when she stopped him.

“No. Leave it on…please. I…I like it.”

Her words took his breath away for a moment and then he
said, “Roll over.”

She turned onto her back and he took in the sight before him.
The red silk scarf stood out against her pale skin. Her nipples were erect and
truly looked like the buds of a flower. And she still wore those fucking sexy
high heels.

He ran his hand over her flat stomach and watched as
goosebumps rose. She had always been responsive to his touch and it seemed some
things never changed. He took off his boxers and his cock sprang forward.

“Hold out your hand,” he told her.

She obeyed and he rubbed his cock against her palm.

“Is that…oh my God, Dev,” she exclaimed with a slight laugh.
“Do you want me to give you a hand job?”

“I’m not showing you so I can get a hand job, Shannon. I’m
showing you so you can see how hard you make me.”

She fell silent and he wondered what she was thinking. She
wrapped her fingers around his cock and squeezed slightly before moving her
hand up and down. God, she always knew the right amount of pressure to put on his
flesh. He closed his eyes, enjoying the moment.

Finally he stopped her. “I’ve been waiting to be inside you
ever since that night in the parking lot. Spread your legs.”

Her breath hissed through her teeth and her legs opened. She
was so wet that her arousal dribbled down onto the bed. He knelt next to her.

“Dev, I’m so horny right now,” she whispered.

He grinned but didn’t say anything. He held his cock and ran
the tip against the lips of her pussy. She groaned and her head tossed to the
side. Her whole body trembled as she waited for his next move.

“I’ve thought about this several times. How I would fuck you
hard and fast,” he said against her ear.

She moaned something incoherent that sounded like “yes”. He
leaned over her body and caught her nipple with his teeth. He tugged gently and
then kissed the peaked mound. Her arms wrapped around him, pulling him closer,
and he caught her lips this time. Their tongues clashed in a frenzy of passion
and he could feel her heart pounding against him.

Her warm body arched upward and she pressed her mound
against his cock. He suddenly pulled away from her and grabbed his jeans. He
found the condom in the front pocket and tore it open. Shit, he had actually
almost forgotten protection…again.

He slid the condom over his dick and then caught her mouth
again. He used his knee to guide her legs open and she obeyed. Slowly he slid
into her. He knew it had been a while since she had been with anyone and he
wanted to allow her time to adjust.

He began to pull out but she lifted her hips and wrapped her
legs around his waist. She thrust upward and he filled her completely. Her act
released a frenzy and he began to thrust into her—fuck being gentle.

“You can come now, Shannon.”

She cried out his name as her orgasm built. He lifted
himself up with one arm and sweat rolled down his back. She stilled for a
moment and then crumbled underneath him. Her pussy clenched his cock and his
balls tightened. With a roar he came and thrust into her until he was finished.

He collapsed against her as their bodies stopped shaking.
She pulled off the scarf and stared up at him with passion-filled eyes.

“That was fucking amazing,” he said as he caught her lips.

“That was…wow,” she replied with a blush.

He shifted, realizing how heavy he must be against her.

She shook her head. “No, don’t move. I like feeling you
inside me.”

Her confession caused his cock to jump and he grinned.
“Ready for round two?”

She grinned back. “Always the go-getter, aren’t you?”

He kissed her and then nipped her lips. She would see just
how much of a go-getter he could be.

Sunlight hit Shannon in the face and she rolled over to hide
against Dev’s shoulder…except he wasn’t there. Her eyes opened and she looked
around the room. His clothes were gone and the spot next to her was cold.

She sighed. Honestly what had she expected? One night of
mind-blowing sex wasn’t going to fix the problems they had. If anything, their
situation might be worse. She got out of bed and gasped. God, how long had it
been since she had felt this tender? She went into the bathroom with a
self-satisfied smile.

After her shower she picked up her cell phone and stared at
the time in shock. It was eight in the morning. She couldn’t remember the last
time she had slept through the night. Then again she hadn’t exactly slept…

She laughed and dialed the bank. Her world came to a stop
for a moment as she listened to her balance. He had really done it…half of the
money was already in her account. She set her phone down in a daze.

A knock on her door forced her to gather her composure.

“Come in,” she called out.

Mrs. Ingram walked in carrying a tray with orange juice and
croissants. “How are you this morning?”

“I’m good,” she replied. “How did you know I liked
croissants?”

“Mr. James informed the staff of some of your likes and
dislikes.”

“Oh? What else did he mention?”

Mrs. Ingram set the tray down on the bed and Shannon was
glad she had fixed the bedding. That way it wasn’t obvious what had happened
all night long.

“You enjoy hot tea with breakfast but also like Diet Coke.
You usually don’t eat lunch but if you do you prefer something on the light
side. You are allergic to shellfish, which you hate because you enjoyed it the
one time you had it.”

“He…he remembered all that?”

Mrs. Ingram nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

She let her breath out slowly. “Wow. Is he still here?”

“No, he left around six to take care of some last-minute
business. I believe your plane leaves at seven tonight.”

“Plane?”

Mrs. Ingram’s eyebrows lifted. “Didn’t he tell you? The two
of you are leaving tonight for Las Vegas. He has a fight there in a week and
they need him to do some press rounds.”

Shannon suddenly felt very out of the loop but she tried to
cover her discomfiture by saying, “Of course. I must have forgotten.”

“Mr. James also arranged for me to keep your sweet, sweet
puppy while you are away.”

“I’m glad Alice made a good impression on you. My neighbor,
Buddy, claims she is a hellion,” Shannon replied with a laugh.

Mrs. Ingram giggled. “I must confess…Alice chewed up one of
my house slippers but it was my fault for leaving them out.”

“Oh no! Let me give you some money to buy a new pair!”

Mrs. Ingram held up her hands. “Don’t be ridiculous. It was
time for me to get rid of them. Your sweet puppy just helped me along.”

Shannon grinned. “Well if she does it again, then I insist
on buying you new ones. It’s the least I can do.” She glanced at the clock and
then asked, “Do you know if Dev has arranged for any type of transportation for
me to use while I’m here?”

She needed to find a way to get the money she owed to the
club before Johnny showed up there for work today.

“He didn’t specifically mention it but he always allows his
guests to use one of the Land Rovers. Would you like me to have it brought
around?”

“Yes please.”

“It will be ready for you in ten minutes.” She pointed to
the tray. “Now eat up, young lady. You are far too thin!”

Shannon smiled and walked over to the tray. Picking up one
of the warm croissants, she took a bite. The fluffy bread melted in her mouth
and she could taste honey in the butter.
Talk about sinfully delicious
!

She finished the croissant and drank most of the juice. She
couldn’t remember the last time she had indulged in drinking real fruit juice.
Her heart slammed against her chest. No, that wasn’t true. The last time she
had drank juice was over eight years ago.

She set the glass down and grabbed her purse. If she were
lucky, she could make it to the bank and then to the club before Dev knew she
was gone. And if she were really lucky, she could get to the club before Johnny
did.

* * * * *

Dev laughed as Marco shook his hand, making sure there was
no damage. Even with the protective pads on, Marco still felt each kick or jab.
Muay Thai training tended to get a little out of hand but Dev couldn’t help it.
There was nothing more liberating than kickboxing and he was damn good at it.

As a kid he was always getting into fights. Sometimes over
lunch money but most of the time he got into brawls with other kids because he
was angry. Learning Muay Thai had been the best thing that happened to him, he
realized. He learned how to harness the hate he felt and release it through
fighting.

Marco put the protective pad back on. “Again.”

Dev made a circle around his friend and then kicked at him
with his left leg. He tended to strike with his right and wanted to train until
he used his left just as often. When he climbed into the ring for a fight he
didn’t want his opponent to know what to expect.

“Do it again. I could see you thinking about it before you
struck.”

Dev ground his teeth. He jabbed with his right arm and
kicked with his left leg at the same time, knocking Marco to the ground.

“Good. If you keep that up, you will win.” He pointed to the
jump rope. “Cardio for ten minutes and then we can spar some more.”

Dev picked up the black jump rope and hung it over his
shoulder while he squirted water into his mouth. He wiped the sweat from his
face on the sleeve of his shirt and then began turning the jump rope.

He actually enjoyed this form of cardio. It gave him time to
think, which was sometimes hard to come by. Unsurprisingly his thoughts went to
Shannon. When he woke up she had been wrapped around him. What confused him was
that he had held her as tightly as she held him.

He lost his rhythm and the rope hit his foot. Fuck, he
couldn’t even do something as simple as jumping rope when his thoughts were on
her.

“Problems?” Marco asked from across the room.

He sighed. “I fucked Shannon last night.”

“I thought as much.” Marco was silent for a moment and then
said carefully, “Look, I don’t know what you expected. You have been hung up on
this girl for a while. Did you really think you would get her out of your
system in one night?”

Dev’s stomach clenched in anger. “I’m not hung up on her.
This is just about sex. And when the month is over I will be the one to walk
away!”

Marco wouldn’t meet Dev’s eyes. “I hope so, man.”

Dev tossed the jump rope to the ground and went to the
showers. Forget training. He needed to cool off before he knocked out his best
friend.

* * * * *

Shannon stood in front of the club. Purposely she had parked
the Land Rover down the street so no one would see what she was driving. Though
the club was closed to the public during the day, inside would be full of
employees.
The Honey Jar
, much like a real beehive, was always busy with
workers. She just hoped Johnny wasn’t one of them.

A quick glance at her watch gave her hope. He usually didn’t
get up until at least noon and it was only ten. It had taken longer than she
expected at the bank to get the cashier’s check. Apparently they had doubted
the balance of her account and wanted to look into it.

Taking a deep breath, she walked through the swinging front
door. Adam, the bouncer, sat on his barstool reading a book on the e-reader she
had bought for him.

“Baby girl! I heard you quit!”

“Yeah I did. Something came along that I just couldn’t pass
up.”

Technically something
had
come along so this wasn’t a
lie. Dev had made her an offer she couldn’t resist, for more reasons than one.

“The boss was not a happy man when he found out you were
gone. There are a few holes in the wall to prove it too.”

Oh, she didn’t doubt it. Johnny had one of the worst tempers
she had ever seen in her life.

She looked around. “He isn’t here is he?”

Adam shook his head. “No, you know it’s too early for him to
be here.”

She let out her breath in relief.

“Molly is upstairs though. You should stop by and see her
before you go.”

“I will.”

She took the stairs two at a time and went to the basement.
Even though Johnny wasn’t around, she didn’t want to risk getting caught in his
office alone. There wasn’t enough protection in the world to keep her safe in
the basement.

Johnny always kept his office unlocked, trusting his
high-tech security system to catch any thieves who were stupid enough to try to
rob him. She looked up at the camera hanging on the wall and held up the check
as she walked through the door.

The scent of his cologne and cigar smoke mixed as she
stepped farther into his lair. She couldn’t remember the last time he had
redecorated his office. She walked across the faded brown carpet, stained with
god only knew what. She reached his desk and set the check on his keyboard
where he would be sure to see it.

Turing, she all but ran out of the room and up the stairs.
Even when she was safely on the first floor her skin still felt as if it were
crawling. Rubbing her arms, she went to the second floor, the VIP level…the
level where Dev had first spotted her after all those years.

Molly stood in front of the bar, directing a vendor on where
to place the expensive alcohol. Shannon caught her friend’s eye in the mirror
and Molly turned.

“Shannon,” she said. “I thought you quit, you bitch.” Molly
often used
bitch
as a term of affection.

“I did. I just had to drop something off for Johnny.”

Molly grabbed Shannon’s arm and walked her several feet away
from the vendor.

“He was mad, Shan,” she said in a low voice. “I haven’t seen
him that mad before. He thinks you’re screwing one of his customers and he
isn’t happy about it.”

“You know I’m not though. Did you tell him?”

“I told him you left that night and a hot guy followed you.
Believe me, that didn’t go over any better.”

“I hope you haven’t caught any hell because of this.”

“Nah, I can take care of myself.” Molly looked around. “Just
out of curiosity…are you with the hottie from the other night? You seemed to
know him.”

Shannon’s face flushed. “I do know him. We dated in high
school.”

“No shit! He’s the pro fighter you’re always talking about
isn’t he? What’s his name?” She snapped her fingers. “Devlin James! I knew he
looked familiar.”

Shannon shushed her friend. “Keep it down. Yes, his name is
Devlin.”

Molly whistled. “Not too shabby, girl. It’s not every day
your best friend is rescued by a real life badass.”

She laughed. “It’s not what you think, believe me.” She
glanced at her watch. “I need to get out of here. I’ll call you later. I
promise.”

She waved goodbye to her friend and made her way back to the
first floor. Adam intercepted her, a worried look on his face.

“You need to go. Just got word the boss is on his way in. He
must have seen you on the cameras.”

“Thanks, Adam. I’ll see you around.”

She all but ran from the club and down the street. As she
made her way to Dev’s SUV, she kept looking over her shoulder. Johnny knew all
sorts of people and she wouldn’t put it past him to have someone follow her.

She got into the SUV and locked the doors as fast as she
could. People walked down the sidewalk, going about their everyday business,
but she still felt as if she was being watched.

She started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot.
For good measure she decided to take the long way back to Dev’s house. If
anyone was following her, hopefully she could throw them off her trail.

Twenty long minutes later she pulled into Dev’s driveway and
parked the car. He was standing on the porch with his arms crossed. Shit. She
knew that look and it wasn’t a good one.

“Good morning,” she said as she got out of the car and
walked toward him.

“Where in the hell have you been? And why didn’t you take
your cell phone with you?” He held up her phone.

She felt faint for a moment. “I must have left it by
accident.”

God…good thing she hadn’t needed it!

She smiled, trying to hide her nervousness. “I wasn’t gone
long, Dev. No need to overreact.”

His eyebrows lifted and he took a step toward her. “I heard
you withdrew some of the money already, Shannon. I figured you were bailing on
me.”

Something about his admission made her heart ache. She
reached the top of the porch and stood so close to him she could feel the heat
coming from his body.

“I wouldn’t do that, Dev. I’m not the one who runs.” She
took a step back and added, “You are.”

She walked through the front door before he could say
anything else.