Something Fierce [The Underground 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) (10 page)

* * * *

It took everything in Kash not to chase after Tristan. Despite the people starting to swarm around him, congratulating him on the fight, Kash could have easily pushed them away to get to her.
Damn! What in the hell is she doing here?

He wanted to go to her, to explain what she had just seen, but he knew right now she needed space.

“Dude, you are a fucking beast in the cage!” A twentysomething man patted Kash on the back, his drunken, slurred words grating on his nerves. He shook the man’s hand off, his anger mounting. He should have told her that he fought, should have said something earlier. Damnit all to hell, he hadn’t thought she would ever find out. He was pissed that she had put herself in danger to begin with. Going to these fights put her in a position that Kash didn’t like. The crowds, the drinking, the fighting, all of that combined was enough to hurt someone, and not if they were in the cage. He had to throw some dickweed off of her. Hell, what if he hadn’t seen her, hadn’t gotten to her in time? It would have been a repeat performance. This was his fault and he needed to rectify it.

He couldn’t go out the main doors, not covered in blood. The risk of compromising the Underground community was too great. There were just too many people in the main part of the club, too many that didn’t know what happened right below their feet. The cops would surely be called and then hell would rain down on his head.

Pushing people out of his way, Kash headed toward the back exit. There was a set of stairs that led to a door on the side of the club, one that came out in an alley. Several people tried to stop him, especially women that wanted a piece of him. It was the same routine every night, and although he had enjoyed the lustful advances from many women in the past, the only thing on his mind was getting to Tristan. She was all that mattered, and that revelation scared the shit out of him.

* * * *

Once she was back on the main floor she weaved through the bodies and ran up to the VIP section. Kylie was adamantly talking to the bouncer, and when she saw Tristan a wave of relief washed over her face. She ran up to her, grabbed her arms, and shook the life out of Tristan.

“What the hell happened? Where were you?”

Tristan could see genuine fear reflected in Kylie’s eyes and she felt guilty for causing that worry. Tristan finally allowed herself to take a deep breath. What the hell was she supposed to say? Could she really tell Kylie? A part of her didn’t want to cause problems for Kash, but a part of her knew what he was doing was wrong. Who made a living from hurting people?

“I’m sorry. I really am. I didn’t mean to worry you.” She gave Kylie a reassuring smile but knew the action fell short. “I got sidetracked in the bathroom, then ran into some girl that talked my ear off about her boyfriend.” Not a lie, but also not the truth. She shook her head again, feeling like shit for scaring Kylie. Tristan knew how worried her friend had been since the incident, and she hadn’t even thought twice about what her sudden disappearance would do to her.

Kylie stared at her for several long seconds and then relaxed her shoulders. “I’m just glad you are okay. I was about to send the Hulk out there looking for you.” She gestured with her thumb to the bouncer.

Tristan smiled in gratitude. “I think I’ve had enough for one night.”

“Me, too.” Kylie grabbed her purse and her coat.

Tristan didn’t bother arguing with Kylie to stay. It wouldn’t have made a difference in the long run. No one could talk Kylie out of anything. After saying good-bye and apologizing to the bachelorette party, the two of them hailed a cab and headed back home. She just wanted to forget about this night, but she knew that was never going to happen.

Chapter Thirteen

Tristan shut the door behind her and leaned against it. Before Tristan had gotten out of Kylie’s car, her friend had been adamant about coming in and talking because she knew something was wrong. She had respectfully declined, knowing she needed a moment alone to process everything. Tristan was never good at hiding the truth from her, but she just didn’t want to talk about it. Over and over she asked herself what she was really upset about. Was it that Kash hurt people for a living or that she found herself immensely aroused because of that? The rational part of her brain tried to tell her it wasn’t like he was hurting innocent people. The men he fought signed up for it. Right now she could see Jackson’s excited face as he anticipated the fight. He had craved it for sure.

She pushed herself away from the door and went into the kitchen. Drinking probably wasn’t the best thing to do at the moment, but her body was near to shaking with the revelations and emotions sweeping through her. Opening the freezer, she dug around until she found the bottle of whiskey she had shoved back there ages ago. With a shot glass in one hand and the bottle in the other, Tristan poured herself a drink. Without thinking, just acting, she threw the drink back and breathed out. It was like fire down her throat, but the pain felt good. It distracted her from other things. She repeated the process again and again until she felt a warm burn start to flow through her veins. She was on her fourth or maybe her fifth when she heard the front door open and close. She closed her eyes. She really didn’t want to do this with Kylie right now. When she turned around to tell her friend everything was fine, she felt her eyes widen and her mouth go dry. The person standing in the entryway was not Kylie.

Kash’s expression as he regarded her was stoic. He was no longer shirtless, but he might as well have been since the white tee he wore did nothing to hide his body. She roamed her gaze over his face and cringed when she saw traces of blood. A flicker of emotion crossed his face but he was good at hiding it the next second. Had he seen her cringe or was he reliving what happened just a few hours ago? With her hand still tightly wrapped around the neck of the whiskey bottle, she wished she would have finished off the whole thing. Blissful intoxication would have been preferable to the slow buzz that didn’t seem to make reality tolerable. Even after everything she saw, the blood, the carnage, the pain, Tristan wanted him desperately. Her pussy was near soaked with her need for him. Maybe it was her own arousal rising up and not the alcohol? Maybe her body was tired of the feelings and needs she pushed so far inside of her that it rebelled with Kash so near?

Even at a distance she saw him swallow. His Adam’s apple worked beneath his tanned flesh, and she found herself leaning forward, as if her body didn’t want to listen to her mind. Her gaze was riveted to the sight of his corded neck working up and down. Throb, pulse, tingle. Her clit had a mind of its own. The shirt she wore was impossibly thin, and despite the fact she wore a bra, she knew if he really wanted to look he would be able to see her nipples stabbing through. The death grip she had on the bottle seemed to ground her, but she forced her fingers away from the bottle that was now warmed from her hand and dropped her arm to her side. What could she say? Oh, a million different things slammed into her mind, but none of that seemed to matter at that moment.

As if he thought the same thing, they both took a step forward. He was visibly breathing hard, the same as her. His chest rose and fell the closer they got to one another. When they were mere inches from one another, Tristan looked deep into his eyes. The same intense and raw passion was reflected back. Would he stop this again? She hoped not because if it came down to it she didn’t know if
she
would be able to stop. She knew she wouldn’t be below begging him.

Take me now.

Kash gripped the back of her neck, as if her silent command had somehow been ripped from her. The warm, big hand he placed on her nape was a wake-up call to the fact that this was really happening. He pulled her forward and pressed his mouth against hers. Had she spoken aloud? It didn’t matter anymore because the feel of his lips on hers, moving rough, hard, and demanding, had every rational thought leaving her brain. The way he held her, kissed her, made her feel wholly feminine and possessed. She felt the heat, the need in his touch as well as the way he ran his tongue along the inside of her mouth. She was helpless to stop it.

His other hand pressed against her lower back and she gasped from the searing heat of that lone touch. When he pulled her closer, she groaned when his erection pressed against her belly. They were both frantic with their need and when he broke the kiss to remove her top and then her bottoms she didn’t stop him. Once the material was removed their mouths latched back together. Eyes closed, body lost in feeling, Tristan brought her hands to the front of his jeans and fumbled with the button. She couldn’t think clearly and her fingers were numb with pleasure. Thankfully Kash covered her hands with one of his and released the button. His erection pressed demandingly against the denim and all she could think about was what it would feel like in her hand. Mouth still latched in a demanding kiss, Kash backed her into the kitchen table with his body. Never removing his lips from hers, Tristan was vaguely aware of the sound of his zipper being brought down and material rustling. After a second that seemed to last ages, Tristan felt the scorching-hot length of him press into her belly. A groan ripped from her.

She clawed at his chest as his hand landed on her breast. Her bra still covered the mounds and she desperately wanted the offending fabric gone. She wanted to feel his skin against hers, feel his strength against her softness. She pushed his shirt up almost frantically and once again their kiss broke apart for a split second. The air whooshed out of her when she glanced down at his exposed chest. Blood, now dried, still covered parts of his chest, mingling with the black ink of his tattoo. Disgust wasn’t the first feeling she had when she saw it. Raw, unadulterated lust was what reared its potent head. When their eyes locked, she thought she saw a moment of hesitation reflected in his green depths, but just as quickly as it had appeared it was replaced by a dark mask.

She skipped over the blood and let her eyes travel down to the erection she felt throbbing against her. Of course she shouldn’t have been surprised at what she saw, but when she was greeted with a cock that was just as powerfully built as the rest of him, she felt her mouth go dry. He stood before her like a god, or maybe the very devil himself. Even though his size certainly was startling, that wasn’t what made her initial shock so intense. The thick ring that was pierced through the head of his shaft had all coherent thought leaving her. The overhead light caused the silver metal to glint, like a warning of what was to come. Before she could drag her eyes from the sight, he had his hands pressed right below her ass and was lifting her. The cold wood of the table met her overheated flesh and she bit her lip. His gaze tracked the movement, and then his tongue was running over the tender spot she had just abused. A surprised gasp left her as he bathed her sensitive flesh in liquid heat. He tasted so good and she was shamelessly leaning into him, seeking more.

He closed the gap that separated them and Tristan panted as his bare shaft pressed against her. The metal that adorned his body was heated, but she didn’t mistake the smooth feel of steel against her skin. Despite the fact she wore panties she felt every inch of him. She was completely soaked, embarrassingly so, but she didn’t give a damn. A small, annoying voice inside told her she needed to stop, that this was bad news all around. She told that voice to shut the fuck up. She would deal with the repercussions in the morning. Right now, she couldn’t think of anything better than having Kash inside of her.

His hands on her shoulders made her feel weak, womanly. He pushed her back until she was spread across the table, like some flesh entrée he was about to devour. He took a step back and she instantly felt the chill in the room. Was he just going to leave her here, achingly needy for him? How in the hell
could
he stop what they were doing? She felt crazed when he was this near, yet Kash looked calm, in control. The air sawed in and out of lungs as they exchanged gazes.

“Remove the bra, slowly.”

His voice, low, commanding, sent a thrill of dark desire through her. Lifting her arms, she unlatched her bra with shaky fingers. She had never been more thankful for the front clasp of her bra. As soon as the cloth and wire were no longer held together, her breasts spilled out almost indecently. Oh, she knew what her nipples looked like, and the look on his face as he assessed her told her as much. The tissue felt sensitive and hard, like the tiny tips could cut into glass. She felt flushed, and even lying down she could see how her skin was painted red. Every erogenous zone in her body tingled as he stood there and watched her. He was aroused, most definitely, but he didn’t make a move to touch her. She swallowed and wondered if he liked what he saw. His cock straining forward should have told her as much, but she wondered where all his composure and restraint were coming from. If the look on his face hadn’t kept her rooted to her spot, she would have jumped off the table and run her hands all over his body.

“Take off your panties.”

She licked her lips again and placed her fingers at the edge of the material. His gaze was scorching, and it took everything in her to breathe as he watched her with half-lidded eyes that reflected exactly what he wanted to do to her. The material hit the floor with a feather-soft caress, and she lifted her eyes to his. There was something going on here, something that she knew told her more about Kash than anything else.