Xavier Cold (Hard Knocks #2) (3 page)

A tingle passes all the way down to my toes as he nibbles on one nipple and then moves on to the other. I tug his long hair as he works on popping the button of my jeans, and then he unzips them, like I’m a Christmas present he can’t wait to unwrap.

“I want to taste you,” he whispers against my skin before his tongue darts out and swirls around my nipple. “I want to suck your clit until you come all over my tongue.”

Oh my.

My stomach flutters as that dirty-talking mouth of his comes at me in full force, telling me exactly what he wants to do with me.

He drags my pants along with my panties over my hips, leaving me naked before him. The thing about being naked in front of Xavier is, I never feel like I’m being judged, only appreciated and admired. He takes a moment for his eyes to gaze over my nude flesh. He pulls his shirt over his head, making his hair look even sexier than before—if that’s even possible—and then he kicks off his boots before dropping his pants and boxer briefs to the floor, like he can’t stand them between us anymore.

He climbs back on top of me, and I writhe below him.

“I need a little taste, Anna. You’re going to come a lot tonight, and I won’t apologize for it, so I hope you meant what you said because there will be no holding back on my end.”

“Anything you want, take it. It’s all yours.”

Damn if he doesn’t know what to say to me to get me to agree to anything he wants.

A smile flashes across his face before he pushes off me, grabs my hips, and flips me onto my stomach without any warning. The next thing I know, my ass is being yanked up into the air, and Xavier’s tongue is drilling into my pussy from behind. My eyes roll back the moment the warmth of his mouth is on me. My legs instinctually open wider, giving him better access. He works my clit , driving me into a frenzy while his nose moves around my entrance, stimulating every inch of my folds. It doesn’t take long before I’m crumpling the sheets in my fists while I teeter on the brink of ecstasy.

“Oh God, Xavier, I’m coming already. Ohhhh!” The cry that comes out of me could rival the most seasoned porn star as an orgasm rips through me.

He’s never made me come that fast before. Usually, he takes his time with me, but tonight, he’s doing what he said he was going to do—ravage me.

He slows his assault down and licks me one final time before he turns me back over.

He crawls on top of me and kisses my lips, allowing me to taste myself on him. “See how good you are? So sweet. I’ll never have my fill of you.”

I cradle his cheek in my hand. “And I’ll never want you to. I want you—always.”

“Don’t worry. There’s no way you’re getting rid of me now. Like I told you before, this shit is fucking permanent.”

“Good,” I whisper against his lips as he circles his hips to coat his cock in my wetness.

He finds my entrance with the tip of his stiff shaft and then thrusts his hips, slamming into me hard, balls deep. Another moan spills out of me as I call out his name and dig my nails into the flesh of his back. He pumps into me a few more times before he slips out of me and stands by the bed. His hands settle on my hips, and he yanks me to the edge before grabbing the base of his cock and ramming it back into me.

“Mmm . . . so fucking tight. This pussy was made for me, and it’s all fucking mine.” The way the words come out of his mouth with a slight growl in his voice causes my toes to curl.

It’s total caveman talk, but his possessiveness is such a turn-on. I love that he takes ownership of me.

A shiver of intense pleasure ripples down my spine as he continues to seek out his own release. This beast of a man before me is sexy as sin as his mouth drifts open while he uses my body to pleasure himself. My eyes roam down his chiseled chest before pausing on his abs, which are contoured to perfection, and then they move even further down to watch his cock work in and out of me.

He grunts as his tattoo-covered arms flex as he holds on to me. His penis slips out of me. Immediately, I miss his warmth, but it’s quickly replaced when he flips me over yet again and shoves my right leg up further on the bed, spreading me open further while I’m on all fours on the bed. He rubs his cock against my folds, and a long moan escapes from my mouth. I’m so ready for him.

Xavier shoves my hair to one side of my neck, exposing the skin, before he kisses it. “You want me back inside you?”

“Yesssss . . .” I hiss because his touch feels so damn good. “Xavier . . .”

“You know I like to hear you say it. Tell me you want it, and I’ll give it to you,” he whispers in my ear.

“Oh God.” My eyes roll back when he pushes the very tip inside me, but he holds back, so it’s only a tease. “I want you, Xavier. Please, I need you inside me.”

“That’s my good girl,” he encourages before he thrusts his hips, slipping the head of his cock inside me from behind.

This sensation is completely different from every other time we’ve done it. It’s primal and raw and completely about seeking a release.

He pumps in and out of me. “So fucking amazing.” He grips one of my hips with one hand and then twists the other into my hair. “Fuck, Anna,” he growls like it’s difficult for him to speak. “I’m not ready for this to end, but I can’t seem to hold back when I’m inside you.”

A familiar tingle starts to roll through me, and I know I’m only moments away from peaking again. “Don’t stop.”

He digs his fingers into my skin and slams into me so hard that the distinct sound of his skin slapping against mine echoes around the room.

It doesn’t take long before my entire body is shaking. “I’m coming.”

A string of curses pour from his mouth as he comes hard, and we get lost in ecstasy together.

He collapses onto my back and then quickly rolls off of me. He pulls me tight against his chest and kisses my forehead. “I’m never going to get enough of you.”

I lift my chin, so I can gaze into his eyes. “I feel the same way about you.”

He reaches up and traces my cheek with the pad of his thumb. “I don’t want you to worry about our future together, Anna. I’m going to figure out a way to take care of you.”

I furrow my brow, completely thrown off by this change of topic. “I’m not worried. I know that we have each other, and everything will work out for the best.”

“I don’t know how you always manage to be so damn optimistic about everything.”

“It’s because I believe in you. You’ve already proven that you have a way of making things better for yourself,” I honestly tell him. “Besides, I still have my job with Tension. I won’t make as much money as you, but every little bit will help, right?”

He sighs heavily. “I hate the idea of you going on the road without me. You shouldn’t go.”

“You heard what Mr. Silverman said. I have to go. If I don’t—”

“I could quit.”

The ease in the way he says it, like it’s no big deal, shocks me, and I don’t believe he really means it.

“But you love wrestling. How can you be willing to give it up so easily?”

His eyes focus on me. “Because you mean more to me—that’s why. When I was in that ring and the cops were about to cuff me for nearly killing Rex, I came to the realization that I can’t live without you. I love you more than my own life, Anna.”

My heart does a double thump inside my ribs. It was a huge step for him to admit how he felt about me, and it’s amazing to hear him say it again.

“I love you, too.” I rise up and kiss his lips. “You are not quitting, and neither am I, for that matter. This will all blow over, and when it does, I want to be by your side all the time. We can’t screw up my chances of going backstage. You have to trust me.”

He’s quiet for a second, and then he slides his hand up to cup my jaw. “I trust you with anything I have, even my life. I won’t like it, but I know you need to go on the road.”

It’s easy to see how hard this is for him. The people in Xavier’s life have never given him much cause to trust anyone, so I’m grateful that he’s opening that part of himself up to me. There’s no telling how things will work out, but whatever happens, we’re in this together.

A
fter we get a few hours of sleep, Xavier’s cell phone rings, waking us up.

He groans and rolls over onto his side to reach for the phone on the nightstand. “Hello?” his voice growls. Then, he’s silent for a few moments as he listens to whoever is on the other end of the line. “Understood.” He lets out an exasperated sigh and then scrubs his hand down his face. “I’ll be on the first flight back to Detroit tomorrow.”

He ends the call and then lays the phone down. “We need to pack.”

“What’s wrong?” I push myself up onto my elbow and stare down at his beautiful face.

Conflict is raging in his eyes, and it instantly makes me curious about what’s on his mind.

“That was one of the lawyers with Tension. Looks like Mr. Silverman did indeed get all the charges dropped, like he said, so I’m out of all the legal trouble.”

Relief washes through me. “That’s fantastic news. I told you things would work out.”

The corner of his mouth pulls down into a one-sided frown. “There’s a catch.”

“Other than being suspended? We knew that was part of the deal.”

“It appears that the boss decided to add another stipulation after our conversation last night,.”

I grimace. “What is it?”

There’s a flutter in my chest as my nerves go crazy while my brain works in overtime, attempting to figure out what in the world Tension could ask of him. Mr. Silverman has already taken away his career by suspending him.

“He is fining me for my actions against Rex. On top of that, Tension wants me to not only pay out of pocket for the medical bills that racked up because of what I had done, but I also have to pay Rex for his pain and suffering.”

My eyes widen. “You’ve got to be kidding. Can he even do that?”

Xavier nods. “Tension affords Mr. Silverman to be a very rich man, and he can do anything he wants, and if I want to ever get back in the ring, I have to do what he asks, or I can kiss my job good-bye.”

I frown. “That doesn’t seem fair.”

He locks eyes with me. “The world isn’t fair, beautiful, especially when it comes to guys like me.”

“Is it a lot of money?”

I know he’s well-off—the man obviously has enough to wire thirty thousand dollars into my bank account—but anytime you take a huge cut out of your account, it’s got to hurt.

“They want a hundred fifty thousand dollars total.”

My mouth drops open, and I swear, I experience my first heart palpitation. The amount is insane. I can’t imagine paying that much money for a fine.

“Oh my God, that’s a lot.”

“It is,” he agrees.

I know I shouldn’t be nosy about his financial situation, but I can’t stop myself from asking, “Do you have that much?”

“I do, but since I won’t have any money coming in for the next few months, it’s going to put me in a tight spot for a bit.”

“The money you put into my account is still there. I haven’t touched it. Will that be enough to get us by?”

“You’ll need that money to pay for your hotel when you go on the road. The company doesn’t give you any reimbursement. It’s a business expense. Besides, that’s your money. I gave it to you. I won’t allow you to spend it on taking care of us.”

“That’s ridiculous. It’s
your
money. I told you it didn’t feel right for you to pay me since we’re in a relationship now.”

“Anna . . .” he says my name with a bite of warning. It’s his go-to move when he’s decided that he’s not going to budge on his opinion.

“No, Xavier. Stop being silly. If you need the money—”

“Don’t,” he says, cutting me off. “This isn’t up for discussion. You’ll need it. Trust me. Traveling all the damn time isn’t cheap. That’s where most of my money has gone to.”

Being broke is something I can relate to. When I first moved to Detroit, I barely had enough in my bank account to feed myself. If it wasn’t for Quinn helping me to get a job, I’m not sure what I would’ve done. With that being said, I did manage to make it without much money, so Xavier and I will figure out a way to get by, too.

The thought of Quinn sets my mind spinning on how we can save a little money. “Fine, but since we’ll be squeezed for money until everything gets worked out, I think we should stay with Quinn and Aunt Dee.”

Xavier raises one of his thick eyebrows. “That won’t work.”

“Why not?” I argue. “I know they won’t care, and it will save us from spending money on two hotel rooms.”

“Their place is small, Anna, and while it’s fine for you to stay with them, I’m a big guy. I take up a lot of room and will wear out my welcome pretty fast.”

“That won’t happen.” I do my best to assure him, but he simply shakes his head.

“It will. Trust me. I bounced around from place to place after leaving home, and that was why most people kicked me out. It’s hard to become transparent when you’re six-four and two hundred sixty-five pounds.”

I sigh, seeing as how he won’t change his mind about this. That leaves one other place in Detroit where we could stay for free—his house, the one he owns and refuses to talk about.

Xavier doesn’t mention his family, and he’s made it crystal clear that pushing him into talking about it won’t benefit either one of us. The times following nightmares that wake him from a dead sleep are the only glimpses I get into his past with his family life. The house he owns is a touchy subject, so I’m guessing it has to do with his family. Based on the story he told me before, it’s possible the house is the one his mother died in, and the memories are too much to bear.

I don’t want to bring up things that could hurt him, but I worry if he doesn’t face the darkness of his past, he’ll never make peace with it. I want to be there for him, to show him that it’s okay to let go of the stuff that haunt him.

“Then, we should stay at your place.” It’s wrong of me to push this, but seeing as how we are in a tough predicament, living in the house he owns seems like the logical choice.

Xavier blows a rush of air through his nostrils, and I instantly regret saying anything.