Consumed: A MMA Sports Romance (73 page)

CHAPTER THIRTY

Kya

I
could not stop a tear from sliding down my cheek. The
 
fight, the party, the misunderstanding – it
was scarier than the roller coaster that hung off the roof of the Stratosphere.
Fenton brushed the tear away and leaned down to kiss me.

The soft murmur of his
lips against mine erased the past few days and my body leaped at the close
memory of his touch.

"No dancers, no
golfers, just us," Fenton said.

"No reality stars,
either?" I asked.

He pulled back and shook
his head. "God no. She was most definitely just using me for her personal
gain."

"You don't think
that's what I was doing?" I asked. "I mean, of course, the contract
is good for me, too, it's just that–"

He cut me off with a
searing kiss that warmed me more than the brightening sunlight. I leaned
against his hard body and gave into the explorations of his lips and tongue. Desire
lapped against my body, crashing like waves against the rocks when his teeth
nipped at my lips.

"Aren't you
sore?" I asked. "I don't want to hurt you."

"How come," he
asked in between feather light kisses, "you are the only one that has ever
asked me that?"

"I don't want to
hurt you," I said again.

"Then, you
won't." He took my hand and led me inside. The master bedroom shared the
same view as the balcony and the sunlight was just reaching the edges of the
king-sized bed when he laid me down on top of the covers.

I shifted, rolling so he
was underneath me, and paused to run my hands along his hard arms. I marveled
at the contours of his muscles, the cut and flex of his arms. Fenton laid his
head back against the pillows and closed his eyes in ecstasy. I continued my
light caresses of his taut body, unbuttoning his shirt and letting my lips
drift down his chest to the ridges of his stomach.

I tested his abs with my
teeth and he sucked in his breath. It came out in a ragged sigh as I kissed my
way along the waistband of his pants. Before I could continue my explorations,
his hands locked on my arms and pulled me up to his lips for another melting
kiss.

Lying on top of him, I
could feel the solid ridge of his desire. I eased myself over it and rubbed,
teasing us both. His hands were under my dress, slipping down my panties, and
then loosening the buttons of his pants. I sat up and pulled my dress off over
my head.

Fenton sat up to meet me,
his hot kisses dropping from my lips to my breasts, his tongue flicking out to
tease my nipples. I raised my hips up, lifting my breasts higher, aching for
his kisses. He pulled one nipple into his mouth and tugged until I moaned at
the sweet jolts it sent through my body. His hands circled my waist and guided
me over him. I answered his nudge against my melting heat by widening my knees
and sliding slowly down over him.

The throbbing pleasure
and pressure of him deep inside me made me arch my back. Fenton's strong arms
held me there as he rocked my hips against him. Then, he moaned and lay back,
biting his lip to stop from going too fast. I leaned over him, my nipples
tracing his chest as I slowly swept my hips back and forth. The friction and
the building pressure took my breath away. Our lips panted together, the kisses
open and interrupted by cries of pleasure.

I felt his hands lock on
the curve of my back, Fenton spurring me to a faster rhythm, wanting me to ride
him as the wave swept us both up and over a dizzying climax.

I fell against him,
shuddering with the aftershocks of ecstasy. Fenton tucked me next to his body
and wrapped the duvet around us both. He kissed my forehead and before I could
smile, we both fell into a deep and peaceful sleep.

#

When I woke up, it was
with a strange sense of déjà vu. From the white edges of my pillow, I could see
the signs of a wild party. Furniture from the suite's living room was stacked
against the far wall of the master bedroom, beer bottles and empty glasses were
on every available surface, and streamers thrown out by the DJ were crushed
into the white carpet.

My body was heavy and
languid, but not from a churning hangover. I smiled against my soft pillow and
then turned my head. Fenton was fast asleep, his black hair tossed over his
eyes, his stubble rasping against the pillowcase as he settled in deeper. We
had come full circle from that first disastrous morning when I accidentally
woke up in his bed.

I smothered a giggle as I
reached for my phone, just as I had that first morning. It lay in the middle of
the floor, dropped there as we had stumbled in the night before, tangled in our
passion for each other. I was expecting my boss to call at any moment, and I
did not want to disturb Fenton. I tried to slip out of bed and mute my phone,
but it rang before I could reach it.

A shriek tore from my
throat as an iron-banded arm snaked around my waist and hauled me back into
bed.

"Let it go to
voicemail," Fenton said. He buried his sleepy face in my hair and snuggled
me down beside him. "You're not getting trying to sneak out again, are
you? I seem to recall it didn't work that first time, either."

"Who says I wanted
to sneak away?" I asked over my shoulder. I wriggled my backside against
his warm body and Fenton moaned. "I just didn't want my phone to wake you
up."

"You're right, that
quiet ring was much more disturbing than you shrieking."

I turned over and slapped
my pillow over his head. "That was your fault for grabbing me."

"Fine, go, turn your
ringer off and come back to bed," he said.

He was irresistible with
his black hair all tousled and his blue eyes a deeper, sleepy shade. I gave him
a long, deep kiss before I slid out of bed. "I'll be right back."

I grabbed an oversized
white robe from the bathroom and tied it around me before I snatched up the
phone and slipped into the living room to check my voicemail. Instead of my
boss, it was my real estate agent. He sounded panicked. I glanced back in the
bedroom and Fenton was curled up sleeping again, so I called him back.

"There you are,
wait, are you still out of town?" my real estate agent asked.

"Yes, why? Oh, no, I
scheduled the inspection for today," I slapped a hand against my forehead.
"I'm sorry, but I got hung up with work."

"Kya, you can't
afford to forget about this place. It's perfect for a young, single executive
like you. And, there's been another offer, a cash offer. I can do the
inspection for you. We can close on this place by this afternoon," he
said.

I could not breathe. The
idea of losing the house was not what choked me, it was the house itself. Once
I closed on it, I would be putting down roots in Chicago. What if I belonged
somewhere else?

"I don't want to
rush into anything," I said.

"This isn't
something to wait on, they want to take the other deal," he said.
"I've got to tell them something today."

I cleared my throat.
"Then, tell them I'm out. The other people can have it. There will be
other houses."

"Not in this
neighborhood, not at this price. Remember the equity you can build with
it?" My real estate agent started to panic.

"I'm just not ready.
I'm sorry. We can talk more soon," I said. I felt bad, but I hung up the
phone. My guilt was forgotten as soon as I caught sight of Fenton sitting up in
bed. His black tattoos stood out against the white sheets and he rumpled his
black hair while he yawned.

He pulled on a pair of
boxer briefs and stood up. "I suppose you've got to be getting back to
Chicago soon," he said.

I wondered how much of my
phone conversation he had heard. "Maybe," I said.

"It'll be good,
getting home, I bet. I mean, I'm happy you're here, but we both need to
concentrate on work, stay focused. Right?" He stretched and headed for the
bathroom without even looking at me.

"Work. Right,"
I said. I started to follow him, I needed to look in his eyes to understand
what he was saying, but my phone rang. "Speaking of work, it's my
boss."

Fenton waved me off and
closed the bathroom door. I hesitated, but answered my boss' call.

"You pulled it off,
you genius agent vixen!" James shouted.

"Too early for
yelling, never a good time to call me a vixen," I said.

"I'll call you lord
and master if you tell me the contract I sent out this morning is going to be
signed by Fenton Morris. We will have the biggest party when you get
back!"

I wandered out into the
living room and leaned my forehead against the window. Vegas was bright in the
late morning sun, and there were people teeming far below. The words "when
you get back" sank into my stomach and I did not feel well.

"What if I don't come
back?" I asked. "What if I stay in Vegas and work from here for a
while? Would that be okay?"

"Okay? Okay? Are you
freakin' kidding me? Can you imagine all the people you can sign? It'll be like
shooting fish in a barrel. Plus, I'll have good reason to fly out on the
weekends and check in," James chuckled at the thought. "Just get
Fenton Morris signed and I'll add a move stipend on to your bonus."

"There's the door.
Gotta go," I said. I hung up the phone, but Fenton beat me to the front
door of the suite.

He signed for the papers
and ripped open the manila envelope. "You don't waste any time, do
you?" he asked.

"I sent my boss the
message before we talked on the balcony," I said.

"Your boss. He's
still going to give you a bonus for signing me, right?" Fenton asked. He
grabbed a pen from the desk by the door.

"Actually, he just
sweetened the deal," I said.

Fenton cut me off.
"Well, here's to your picket fence and your private office and all the
perfect stability that comes with it."

"You say that like
it’s a bad thing," I snapped. "Like it’s so unreasonable to want a
little stability. I guess that's not in your lone wolf agenda, huh?"

"Come on, Kya,
you're seriously telling me you haven't enjoyed being let off the leash here in
Vegas?" He asked. He signed the contract hard. "This is all the
stability I need for now. I'm not stupid enough to predict what the future
holds and what I might want from it."

I crossed my arms over my
chest. "Sure, you can't even predict what you'll want in the next five
minutes, though it certainly seems like it’s not going to be me."

Fenton flung the contract
aside and grabbed my arms. His kiss was hard, demanding, and left me
breathless.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Kya

When
I softened, Fenton smiled against my lips. His hands slid around my waist and
cradled me close against his hips. Instead of pushing him away, my hands
caressed his chest, then up to the bare skin of his neck. I twirled my fingers
into his thick black hair and let myself hope.

"I want you,
Kya," Fenton said. "I can't seem to help it."

"So it would be
easier if I had to go back to Chicago?" I asked.

He shrugged his shoulders
under my hands. "I'm not going to lie. If you were in Chicago, it would be
a lot easier for me to focus."

He shifted against me and
even the slight friction caused a wave of heat between us. He smiled and kissed
me again, deeper, hungrier.

I broke away before my
thoughts were completely unraveled. "But I like it here in Las
Vegas," I said. "Plus, it makes a lot of sense for my career."

"I don't distract
you from your work?" he asked.

I tipped my head and
looked into his bright blue eyes. "Unlike you, I can balance life and
work."

My phone rang and a spark
of mischief flashed in Fenton's eyes. "I bet that's work," he said.
He pulled me tighter against him and his lips sought mine for another dizzying
drink.

I almost forgot what the
ringing sound meant as I tangled my hands in his hair and hung on. When I
finally broke away, I swayed and he laughed.

"How's that
balance?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes at him,
but had to steady myself against the kitchen counter as I answered the
still-ringing phone. "Hello?"

"Ms. Allen, I
thought you had forgotten about me," Jackson McRay's voice was light and
mocking. "Celebrating the big win of your blue collar brawler, I
suppose."

"I'm surprised to
hear from you, I thought the tournament started today," I said.

"I played my first
round already this morning. Aren't you supposed to keep up with such
things?"

"I do. I will. Now
that I know you are interested in becoming a client," I said. I turned
away from Fenton who stood with his arms crossed, clearly listening to my half
of the conversation.

"Well, then, I can
catch you up. I'm actually in the Tropicana. Why don't you invite me up for a
cup of coffee? I'll jump on the elevator and see you in a few," Jackson
said. He hung up the phone.

I felt a swirl of panic
in my stomach as I turned back around. Fenton frowned at me, his arms crossed
tighter than before. "Looks like it’s less about balance and more about
juggling," I said. "Jackson McRay, the golfer, is on his way up to
the suite for a cup of coffee. We have possible business to discuss."

He followed me into the
master bedroom as I yanked a cardigan over my white t-shirt and tried to make
myself look presentable. I was relieved to see the red blush across my cheeks
was fading. Then, Fenton caught me in his arms again.

"Are you sure you
don't want to blow off the coffee meeting and jump in the shower with me?"
he asked. His fingers danced up and down my back.

I shivered with pleasure
and pushed him away. "I see what you're doing. You're trying to make me
screw up this contract so I have to go back to Chicago."

He shook his head.
"It would be easier to concentrate, but I like you in Vegas. I want you in
Vegas."

There was a sharp knock
on the suite door. I could not help but brush a soft kiss across Fenton's lips
before I hurried away across the suite to let Jackson in. As the golfer strode
inside, I glanced back and saw Fenton disappear into the second bedroom.

The knot of worry in my
chest loosened. "Good morning, I think there's still some hot coffee in
the pot. Unless you'd rather go downstairs?"

"Whatever you've got
is fine. Wow, must have been some party here last night," Jackson said.
"You throw a big bash every time your client does well?"

"I didn't have much
of a choice. Fenton decided to stay here when the MGM Grand kicked him
out," I said. I glanced at the second bedroom, worried the door would fly
open any minute. Better that Jackson heard from me than found out through one
of Fenton's grand entrances.

Jackson scrubbed a hand
over his short, cropped brown hair. "Interesting. Though, I guess it shows
you are a generous agent. Very hands on?" he asked.

I swallowed hard, feeling
the undertow of his question. "As far as letting clients use this suite.
It’s paid for by the company," I said. "Now, why don't you catch me
up on your round this morning?"

The tight hold in
Jackson's shoulders relaxed and he sat down at the kitchen counter. I poured
him a cup of coffee, relieved that he was no longer looming over me. He was
tall with wide shoulders, not as heavily muscled as Fenton, but there was a
hardness under his pale yellow Polo shirt.

"We don't have to
talk about work just yet," he said.

His tan arms reached out
towards me across the kitchen island and I immediately wanted to pull back. I
knew he would be offended, he had already made his interest in me clear, and so
I forced myself to stay still.

"What else is there
to discuss?" I asked.

Jackson caught my hand,
but the second bedroom door crashed open. He swiveled in his chair and I was
able to pull myself loose from his hold. Fenton strolled out in dark jeans. He
held his t-shirt loosely in his hands, the hard cut of his abs and the dark
slashes of his tattoos on full display. He looked menacing, out of place
against the soft white luxury of the suite, as if he belonged in an alley ready
to fight.

The look he gave Jackson
was taunting. "Oh, sorry, didn't know Kya was conducting business."
He yanked his shirt on and kept coming towards us. "She warned me she had
some client coming over. We've met before, right?"

"Yes," Jackson
bit out. "Now, if you'll excuse us?"

"Oh, sure, don't
mind me. Any chance there's more coffee?" Fenton asked.

I poured him a cup and
gave him a sharp glance, but Fenton pretended not to notice. He stood at the
edge of the kitchen counter and slowly dripped cream into his cup, taking the
time to taste it and decide if he needed more.

Jackson watched him with
growing aggravation. "Maybe you were right, Kya. We should head
downstairs."

"Hey, if you go for
breakfast could you bring me a little something back? You know what I
like," Fenton said. He waggled his eyebrows at me.

Jackson caught the suggestive
look and his jaw tightened.

"Was that a knock at
the door?" I asked. They both looked at me as if I was crazy until the
knock came again. "I'll get it," I said.

I escaped the kitchen and
went to the door. I hoped it was Kev Casey. If anyone thrived in awkward
situations, it was Fenton's manager. I pulled the door open.

Dana Maria sauntered past
me in a jaw-dropping blue lace dress. The color and the barely-there clinging
material made it look like she was wearing nothing but sea foam. She even had seashell
clips in her long black curls and giant silver starfish earrings.

"Really?"
Jackson exclaimed. "Have you no decency? You invite a stripper up to Kya's
suite in the middle of the day?"

Dana Maria laughed.
"It's not like I'm a vampire."

"I have no problem
with you," Jackson said. He got up from the kitchen counter. "I
didn't mean to offend you. Kya, you're really okay with this? No wonder you're
interested in a higher class of client."

"Jackson, I'd like
you to meet Fenton's sister, Dana Maria," I said. I understood that
Jackson was just trying to defend my honor, but if Fenton did not punch him, I
would consider doing it myself.

 
Dana Maria tossed her hair and came over to
shake Jackson's hand. "Nice to meet you, handsome."

Jackson held on to her hand,
swinging it away from her body as he thoroughly studied her dress. "Beauty
and the bruiser. I suppose you can't choose your family."

"Now, don't get my
baby brother all riled up. He promised me a nice lunch to celebrate his big
win. Ready?" Dana Maria asked Fenton.

"Almost,"
Fenton said. He took one bristling step towards Jackson.

The golfer ignored him
and turned to me. "I've disrupted your morning enough. How about we
discuss the endorsement plans over dinner?"

"Oh, it's pretty
straightforward," I said.

"Good, I'll go make
the reservations and send you the info," Jackson said. "All you need
to do is pull together some other options besides vitamin supplements. I'd like
to convey a different image than some of your other clients."

Jackson left a stretch of
awkward silence in his wake. Fenton took a lap around the suite, trying to
shake it off. I crept back to the kitchen and poured myself another cup of
coffee.

Dana Maria fluffed her
hair. "I do like a clean-cut man. Even had his Polo shirt tucked in. Bet
he's hiding a dirty, dirty mind under all that polish. Are you sure that isn't
what your little Ms. Priss likes?" she asked Fenton.

"Stay away from
Jackson McRay," Fenton told his sister. "There's something off about
him. I should have knocked his teeth out."

"But then how would
Ms. Allen make a mint off him? God knows she's only interested in him for the
business. Why else would the Country Club Princess head out to dinner with the
likes of him? I bet she can't stand the good manners, cloth napkins, and wine
lists."

"She's capable of
having a business dinner without it turning to sex," I said. I put my cup
down and marched across the suite. "Now, if you're done talking about me,
I actually have work to do."

"Scoping out hot
athletes. Sounds like a tough day to me," Dana Maria said.

I tried to ignore her and
headed into the master bedroom to get my laptop. Fenton told his sister to wait
by the elevator and followed me inside.

"What are you doing
this afternoon?" he asked.

"Really? You're
letting your sister get in your head?" I asked. "I'm going to put on
my little black bikini and spend the rest of the day flirting with any athlete
that looks my way. You know my method, reel them in, have sex with them, and
make 'em sign before they get dressed."

"You're right, I'm
sorry," Fenton said. "You can't be even a little flattered that I get
jealous?"

"There's a
difference between jealous and territorial. I'm not a piece of meat for you and
Jackson to circle around like dogs," I said.

"So you agree that
the golfer is looking for more than an endorsement deal."

"It doesn't matter
what he's looking for." I ripped open the closet and started looking for a
dress to wear later. "Like I said, I am perfectly capable of controlling
myself."

"Good," he
said. He caught me and pulled me around to face him. "I only like it when
you lose control with me."

"After hours, after
we're both done with work," I said. I tipped my chin away from him primly.

"Then, it’s a date.
Have your dinner, sign your new client, and I'll be here to celebrate when
you're done," he said. "I've been thinking about you and me and that
view from the balcony."

The thought washed
through me and I felt myself melting. Fenton was magnetic. How could I explain
that no one else attracted me like him? I wrapped myself around him and gave
him a kiss we would both feel the rest of the day.

"See you
tonight," I said against his warm and smiling lips.