Ground & Pound (5 page)

I can’t seem to help but feel like he has some sort of ulterior motive for doing all this. People don’t do anything for free. I’ve learned this in life; you have to work for every little scrap you get. Maybe I just have trouble trusting people. I know it’s one of my faults, so only time will tell.

I look back to Trey, who is still beaming, and I’m ready for this confusing conversation to end. “I’m gonna go home and change, grab you some stuff. Then, I’ll come back and stay the night with you.”

“No, go home and sleep. I’ll probably be asleep before you walk out the door. The doctor gave me some good drugs,” he tells me, yawning. 

Shaking my head, I shoot him a glare. “I don’t want you here alone.”

“Go home. When I wake up, I plan on getting some numbers. Hell, maybe I’ll be lucky and get a sponge bath. Some of these nurses are smoking hot.” He follows that statement with another yawn.

Kane laughs as I shake my head at my idiot brother. Leaning down, I give him a hug and a kiss on the forehead. “Okay, I’ll be back first thing in the morning. You call me if you need anything.”

“Feel better, kid,” Kane says before grabbing my hand and leading me out of the room.

He leads me straight to the elevator, and we head back downstairs. He does all of this without saying a word. Something about the silence is driving me crazy. “Thanks for what you did for my brother.”

“Not a problem.”

As the elevator starts to move, I realize what song is playing on the sound system: Boyz II Men’s
I’ll Make Love to You.
Not able to hold it back, I laugh at the irony. Could my night get any worse?

“Just say the word,” rumbles close to me. I look behind me to see that he’s right there, with a dirty smirk on his face.

“Ass.” I shake my head, but can’t keep the smile off my face. For the first time, I realize I could like this guy. 

“I do love your ass.” His deep voice is even closer to my ear this time, causing me to shiver.

Not wanting him to have the last word, I twist my body around, plaster myself to his front, and slide my hand into his back pocket to give him a squeeze. “Your ass isn’t so bad, either.”

The ding of the elevator doors opening brings my attention back to what’s important, and I pull away from him. I’m just about to step into the hallway, when he gives my butt a quick smack. “Don’t you know better than to play with fire, Sunshine? You’ll get burnt.” 

Shaking my head as we exit the elevator, we head out to the parking lot. I stop when we reach the truck, not making any move to get inside. “Why are you doing all this? People don’t just do these kinds of things. What’s your motive?”

He releases my hand but takes a step closer to me. My confidence slips as he towers over me, but I force myself not to step back. “You don’t even know us, but you promised to train Trey. You even gave him a job.”

“I see something in that kid. He’s got passion, just needs to learn how to tap into it,” he answers with a shrug. “I have friends who messed themselves up with underground fighting. One of my trainers nearly died during an illegal bout, just to earn money to put food on his table. I don’t want to see that happen to your brother.”

“Is that the only reason you’re doing all this?” I ask, needing to know the truth, but dreading his answer. A part of me wants him to say yes, that he’s just a good guy wanting to help Trey. Another part wants him to say he still wants me, even after seeing what a mess my life is.

“If you’re asking if I still want in your panties, yes, I do. But, I don’t need to train your brother to do that.” He gives a smug grin. “When my cock is inside you, it will be there because you want it, not because I took your brother on.”

Feeling my face flush with heat, I lower my eyes to the ground. “Yeah, right.”

Opening the passenger door of the truck, he motions for me to climb in. “Right now, I’m really hungry. Up to you if we go get some food, or I feast on that delicious pussy of yours. Either way, get your ass in the truck.”

Doing as he says, I realize I’m screwed either way.

Kane

Pulling the truck into the drive-thru, I look over at Emmy to see her mouth has formed into a thin line. “You got a problem with Burger King? I’ve been training, so I haven’t had it in months. It sounds delicious to me.”

“I know the fights pay well, so I assumed you’d take me to some swanky ass restaurant,” she answers with a smirk, leaning her head against the passenger side window. “Since I’m a stripper, you think I'm a cheap date. Just great. I was starting to have hopes for you, but you just blew that shit right out of the water.”

Smiling at her bitchy attitude, I figure it’s just best to ignore it. "Whatcha want, Sunshine?"

"Should I stick to the dollar menu? Maybe order a kiddie meal?" she asks, arching a cocky brow at me.

"Order the whole menu, if you want,” I reply, still holding back my laughter. She’s got her bitch attitude on again, but it’s only making me want her more. “You can even super-size, or you can just wait ‘til later and I can handle that for you.” I wink at her then laugh when she scowls at me.

“Wow, what a big spender.” She bats her eyelashes like some beauty queen. 

Realizing I need to put a stop to her mouth, or she’ll never quit, I lay it out for her. “It’s the middle of the night. Unless you were wanting to hit a buffet at one of the casinos, drive-thru is our only option.”

A slight blush covers her face as she mumbles a nearly silent, “Oh.”

Reaching over to run a hand up her naked leg, I tell her something she should already know. “It's not like I could take you inside a restaurant the way you’re dressed, anyway. The Maitre'd would toss us out on our asses, if you walked in with just my shirt and no panties on. Not that I mind the last part."

Her blush grows as she pushes my hand away. “I’ll uh… I’ll just have a cheeseburger, fries, and a diet coke.”

She’s quiet as I place the order and we wait for our food. As soon as I grab it, I hand it over to her. “Can you pull my food out and give it to me?”

“Okay,” she mumbles, digging through the bag.

She takes her time, getting out the napkins and spreading one across her lap then gently laying one on my leg. Next, she pulls out the straws, opening both and putting them in our drinks. Finally, she gets to the food and starts separating it. 

Driving off, I reach over as she pushes a Whopper to me. “Thanks.”

Again, she goes quiet for a moment, just eating her food. When she finally looks over to me, her face is pure scarlet. “I’m sorry I was bitch earlier. There was no reason for it.”

Her voice is just barely above a whisper, as if apologizing is foreign to her. She obviously thinks I’m pissed at her, and she’s not liking the feeling. With as combative as she is, it will take forever to get though her walls. Looking at her sexy body, I know all the trouble will be worth it. 

“Listen, I get the fact that you think all men are assholes. Considering where you work, you probably have pretty damn good reasons to think that. I’m not making any promises, but I figure it’s worth it to get to know each other.”

She turns to look out the passenger side window, just staring at the city streets passing by. After a few minutes, she turns back to face me. “You’re right. I do think all men are dicks. Every guy who walks through the club doors only wants one thing. I’ve seen too many of my friends get hurt by guys promising them the world.”

She’s quiet for a minute more. Hoping to get her talking again, I say, “I can see that happening.”

“It’s hard not to compare you to all of them, though. I’ve pushed away advances from every guy I’ve met at the club, ever since I first started working there,” she says, taking a drink of her soda.

I can see this being true. She’s so guarded that I doubt anyone else ever got close. Hoping to make her smile, I add, “I bet none of them had my smooth moves.”

“If you think you’re the first guy who followed me to my car and tried to take me out, you’d be wrong,” she replies, chewing on a fry.

Guess my attempt to brighten things didn’t work. “Well, you came with me. Hopefully, it hasn’t been all that bad.”

“I made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t be one of those stupid girls crying in the dressing room when Mr. Right turned out to be an asshole, but it’s not right to judge you because of what the rest of the guys have done.” There’s more than a hint of fear in her voice as she says this.

“No, it’s not.” I like the way the conversation is going.

“I haven’t really given you a fair chance, so maybe I should just wait to see if you’re all you make yourself out to be.” Her hand runs through her long blonde hair, while her eyes avoid mine. I can hear the doubt in her voice; she says the words, but her mind doesn’t believe them.

Smiling at her, I feel like I’ve won whatever game we’ve been playing. “Only thing I promised you so far was dinner, and I came through on that.”

“You sure did,” she says with a laugh before sticking a fry in her mouth.

Laughing too, I shoot her a wink. “Now, if you tell me where you live, I can come through on a second promise and take your sweet ass home.”

She rattles off her address, still eating her food. “It’s not far from here. Just take a right at the next light and turn left by the Taco Bell.”

“That sounds good,” I say, thinking of a burrito supreme with extra sour cream.

“What?” she asks, running a napkin over her mouth.

“I haven’t had Taco Bell in months, so we’re gonna stop. You can consider it our second date,” I tell her, clicking on my turn signal. 

Her laughter fills the car, causing me to laugh with her. “How are you still hungry?”

“Don’t laugh, Sunshine. I’m a man’s man. I need food. I just may die on you if I don’t get a burrito in my system soon.”

“Cinnamon twists sound good,” she adds with a laugh, stuffing her trash in the bag. “Those things are addictive. I could eat a hundred of them and still want more.”

As I pull into the drive thru, I see a smile on her face. I’m quiet until a voice comes through the speaker asking me what I need. “I want two burrito supremes, both with extra sour cream.” Peeking over at Emmy, I add, “And we want twenty bags of cinnamon twists.”

I hear her take a sharp intake of breath beside me. As I pull away from the speaker, she grabs my arm. “I can’t eat that much. Are you crazy?”

“More than you know, but I have every intention of showing you just how crazy I can be.”

Emmy

We stay silent as we drive, munching on our food, with only a few abrupt directions to get him to my place. I’m still lost in my thoughts when we pull up to my apartment complex. I’m so far detached that I don’t even realize the truck has stopped until my door opens.

Kane reaches out to me, offering me his hand. I place mine in his, letting my body slide down his as I get down from the truck. When my feet touch the ground, I don’t move away from him. I’m absorbed in the feeling of my body flush against his.

A few minutes of silence pass by before I have the courage to speak. “Thank you for offering to train my brother and giving him a job, though I’m still shocked that you did.”

“Don’t sweat it. I want to help him tap into that determination he’s got,” he says, looking down into my eyes. 

“Well, thanks again,” I reply, wanting him to know just how much I appreciate everything he’s done for Trey.

“I want you to put my number in your phone. You’re gonna call me tomorrow, and I’m gonna take you out on a real date. Wear one of those hot little dresses I know you’ve got hanging in your closet, and I’ll take you to one of those fancy ass restaurants you were thinking about earlier. Although, you can still leave the panties at home if you want.” His deep voice rumbles through his chest, sending chills through my body.

For some reason, I don’t want him to leave. I should say goodnight and send him on his way. I should be good, but that’s the last thing on my mind. In fact, imagining him lying in my bed is all I can think about.

My hands run up his arms, trace over his neck, and tangle in his dark brown hair. “You make me want to throw every rule in my book out the window.”

“Just another way you’re perfect for me, Sunshine. I hate rules,” he says before slamming his mouth down on mine.

He backs me against the truck as he devours my lips. The cool metal sends goosebumps all over my skin, as my heated body rests upon it. His tongue invades my mouth, stealing my breath. “Invite me in or tell me to leave. I need to know what you want. You’re killing me, woman.”

“Inside now.” I pant the words out as his hands grip my ass, lifting me up and carrying me toward the building. 

“Which apartment?” he breathes out, not faltering in his steps.

Moving my lips to his neck, I reply, “C 128. It’s up the stairs.”

He takes the stairs two at a time, carrying my weight. His hands tighten on my ass as he stops at my door. “I need the key, baby.”

Leaning back just enough to pull it out of my purse, I hand it to him then go back to tasting his neck. He removes one hand, carefully wrapping his other hand under my ass to balance me. I hear the key rattle in the lock, and then he is carrying me through the door of my apartment.

When he slams the door behind us, he carries me further into the room. We don’t even make it to the bedroom. He stands me up in front of my couch, quickly rips his shirt over my head, and looks down at my feet. “Leave the shoes on.”

A wave of heat rushes through my body, settling in my core. “Okay.”

He begins to undress, but his blue eyes never leave me. “I would love to take my time, but I have wanted your pussy all damn night. This will be quick, hard, and amazing.”

His words have me completely wet and ready for him. “Quick is good with me. Hard is even better.”

Once he is completely bared, I don’t even get a chance to fully take him in before he spins me around so I am facing the couch. “That’s not fair. You’ve been looking at my ass all night. I wanted a little peek, too.”

“You can study my body later. Right now, I need inside that pussy.” I hear a rip from what I can only imagine is a condom. Thankfully, he has one on him.

His hand goes between my legs, sinking two fingers deep inside me. “Thank fuck, you’re ready.”

My entire body tenses as the anticipation of what is to come fills me. He forcefully pushes my back down, so I am lying across the arm of the couch. His hand grips my hip hard, and I feel him at my entrance. “Hold on tight, babe.”

With no further warning, he slams into me. As he bottoms out, I yelp with both pleasure and pain. “God, you’re so deep.”

“Oh, yeah,” he groans, sliding nearly all the way out before slamming in deep again.

My fingers grip the fabric of the couch cushion, holding on tight to keep me from flying off of it. Pleasure fills my body as he slides in and out. Each stroke hits the spot, forcing a moan from my lips. Unable to hold it back, I cry out his name.

“You feel so damn good.” He moves his hand and tangles it in my hair, bringing my back flush with his chest. Forcing my head to the side, he asks, “How’s it feel, Sunshine?”

“Good,” I answer honestly.

“Just good? We’ll have to fix that.” His tongue licks a trail up my jaw, ending with a kiss on my temple. His hips slow to a stop, grinding deep. “You ready?”

“God, yes,” I moan out, needing him to move. I push my ass against him, needing friction.

He releases his grip and slaps my ass hard enough to sting. “You’re greedy, Sunshine. I love it.”

Reaching back, I grab his dark locks and force him to look at me. “I need you.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” he asks as he lowers my chest back to the couch.

I grasp the fabric once again, knowing he’s about to give me what I need. “Hurry, Kane.”

Both hands grasp at my waist, and he begins to pump in and out of me. Using my hips for leverage, he pulls me to him every time he goes deep. “Is this what you need?”

I can’t respond. My mind is too focused on the sensations shooting through me. The sound of our bodies slamming together fills my tiny apartment, mixing with my moans and the low growls rolling from his mouth. Every sound adds to my pleasure.

His fingers dig into my skin, tightening in a way that sends a pleasurable pain through my body as his thrusts speed up. I throw my head back, screaming, as he grinds into me. “Oh, God.”

I feel his hand start to snake around my body. Anticipating its path, my legs spread as far as they can go. Once he reaches my clit, he uses two fingers to pinch down hard then gives it a brutal twist. Not able to hold back one more minute, I toss back my head and scream as an orgasm rushes its way through my body. 

Riding the wave of pleasure, I lay my head against the cushion and close my eyes. He continues to pound into me, intensifying the aftershocks of my orgasm. Sliding in and out, his pace picks up. His movements change from controlled to erratic, and I know he’s close. 

Raising my head back up, I turn it just enough to see his face. It’s twisted in a way that makes him appear primal. Just looking at him brings on another wave of pleasure, causing my pussy to contract around him. When I tighten it even further, his hips slam against my ass. Holding still, his whole body tenses behind mine, before he groans out his own release.