AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Damon laughed. “I don’t think Max is a threat.”
I didn’t give a fuck what Damon thought about it or how he knew him. I glanced at the clock. It wasn’t time for my fight yet, and there was no way I could let it go. I shook his hand from my bicep and shoved through the crowd. Someone shouted my name. People tried to get my attention. I ignored everyone but her.
The crowd moved for me as I made my way to her, and it wasn’t long before I was at her side. I grabbed her shoulder and turned her toward me, stopping her mid-conversation. And when she turned, I wrapped my arm around her waist, shaking Max’s hold loose. She had to have gone with me out of shock more than anything.
Strawberries and vanilla invaded my senses, and the crowd faded. All I could see was her.Why does she have this effect on me?My hands were on her hips, holding her in place, close but not too close.
“You shouldn’t be here.” I bared my teeth at her, consumed by too many emotions. “And now, I see what you’re doing with all the money I’ve been giving you,” I growled the last bit against the edge of her ear, so no one else heard. “Pissing it away and probably betting against me.”
She laughed, and I leaned back. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. They were snapping with an angry flare of fire. “I never asked you for any of that. Nor were there stipulations. I was wrong, though—there are. Invisible ones. What else aren’t you telling me about those little envelopes and what they mean?”
I didn’t like where the conversation was going. It hit too close to home, bringing up a ton of unwanted memories of Mom arguing with Shane and my sperm-donor father.
“Guess we’ll have to talk about that later.” But the thought of it made me angry. I shouldn’t have cared if she spent the money however she wanted, as long as enough went toward the baby and her cost of living expenses. But she was right. I hadn’t said anything when I’d shoved those white envelopes under her door.
“Whatever.” She frowned.
I wanted to run my thumb over her soft lower lip. Fuck, she was a distraction I didn’t need. My fight was about to start. “Go home, Aspen. This isn’t a safe place for you.”
She tilted her head back so our eyes met and held, and sun-bleached strands tumbled down her back. “Funny. Because last we talked, you had no say in my life.” She jabbed my chest with a finger. “And that’s how you wanted it too. I’m to stay out of your life. Which means you damn well better stay out of mine.”
But I don’t want that. The dark-haired dweeb moved closer to Aspen, but I ignored him. There was a reason I wasn’t mentioning him. I didn’t want to kill the guy, although I kind of did.
“Why do I have to keep reminding you that we’re dating?” The whole thing was weird as shit. “There are many girls who would jump at the chance, but you…”
“You want to date me?” She quoted the word date. I got it. We were in public, which was why I didn’t add the fake part either. “Then you get all of me, including studying.” She raised her eyebrows.
No fucking way. “That’s taking things too far. But there are plenty of other areas that aren’t. Leave, Aspen,” I growled, closing the distance between us.
“Go fuck yourself, Phoenix,” she hissed.
I didn’t want that smart little mouth of hers to come up with any other complaints or rules. I kissed her to shut her up—and to send a message to everyone around her.
My mouth slanted over hers, punishing, controlling, and coaxing her to respond. I hadn’t needed to. She melted against me, winding her arms around my neck and tangling her fingers in my hair.
Her lips parted on a sigh. Sparks danced between us, and my insatiable need for her exploded into a wave of desire. I lost myself in the sweetness of her mouth and the soft curve of her hips as I pressed her against me. Our surroundings faded. There was only her.
A sharp tug on my shoulder brought a slice of reality back, and I reluctantly broke the kiss. The increased noise from the crowd as the announcer shouted into a mic rushed back in with alarming force. Then Damon pulled me back, and my hands fell away from her, a sense of emptiness following when space expanded between us. I didn’t want to leave her, especially not there, where so many people could bump into her or take advantage of her. She needed to be tucked into my side, where no one could reach her.
Damon tugged on my shoulder again, breaking my connection to Aspen. I let her go, and my attention snapped to him.
“You’ve got to get in the ring.”
My hands were taped. All I had to do was take off my shirt, and I was ready. I took one more glance at Aspen as she moved back to Max’s side, and all the anger at our situation trickled back in. Good. Flynn’s face was going to take the edge off.
“Goddammit.” I didn’t want to back down from arguing with Aspen that she shouldn’t be there, but when I glanced at the stage, Flynn was already in the ring.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
ASPEN
Phoenix was unstoppable in the ring. And that kiss. I kept touching my swollen lips. Even Max had whistled, a spark of heat in his eyes. I knew it wasn’t directed at me, and I laughed. We hadn’t had time to talk or dissect Phoenix’s Neanderthal behavior. I was glad for that because he left me as confused as always.
I couldn’t take my eyes off him. Fear and desire held me rooted in place. The crowd was nuts. People were screaming and chanting both of the fighters’ names. And his opponent—I didn’t know what Phoenix was thinking. The guy was a giant. I was legit terrified.
Phoenix was a beast, but his opponent was a couple of inches taller and had at least fifty pounds of muscle on him. He looked like he’d walked straight out of one of those heavyweight boxer movies.
But Phoenix had speed over his opponent and evaded as many hits as he could, ducking and weaving. He was all muscle, power, sinew, and sweat. And I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
