Takedown (10 page)

“Your wish, I’m not touching that multi-awarded filthy thing ever.”

He grinned sarcastically. “If I’m not mistaken, you put this filthy thing in your mouth and savored it immensely when we were in Boulder City.”

Fuming with anger, she grabbed a glass and threw it at him. He quickly dodged it like an oncoming punch. The glass hit the wall instead, shattering into pieces.

“Get out of here before I kill you!” she yelled furiously, yet only made him grin wider.

“Fine,” he said, raising both his arms. “How'd you learn to do that, anyway?” he asked.

“I work in the Battledome gym, idiot. I see the guys do it everyday.”

“You know what? You're better than your brother.”

Her eyes widened. “Don’t you insult him.”

“I wasn’t. I was complementing you.”

“I’m not flattered. Now, get out.”

He smirked. “Alright, I’m leaving. But if you change your mind, sorry, but you’ve missed your chance. I won’t give you this opportunity again.”

She gripped the knife tighter, but kept her anger down when he finally turned around and left. What an arrogant ass?! “Go find yourself a whore. I hope she’d bite your dick off.”

He peeked in the door. “Oh, I will. And while you sleep tonight, you’ll be wishing you were the one underneath me and not a pretty blonde that I’m about to call.”

Her eyes widened. Was he talking about Leslie?

He grinned and left. She was left standing there, speechless.

Why did it anger her to know that he was about to call Leslie to finish off what they had started?

Chapter 12

“Damn,” Blaze cursed under the shower. His cock kept rising. No matter how he tried to restrain it, it wouldn’t stop swelling.

Yesterday, when he went out with a red head who shared a lot of similarities with Megan, his dick did not cooperate. Even if his date fell to her knees and literally sucked his cock to the root, it remained soft, to his embarrassment.

He blamed work. Ever since Bryan’s death, he had been working twelve hours a day, six days a week. It was his way of coping up with the lost of his bestfriend. Stress could have taken its toll on him, or so he thought, until this.

He couldn’t explain why he couldn’t get a hard on with other women while his cock was as hard as a rock just thinking about Megan. Did she curse him?

He turned off the shower and dried himself. He couldn’t take this anymore. It had been a very long dry spell. He wanted sex. He needed it… right now. And he’d go get it.

He put on a shirt and a pair of jeans, hopped into his car and drove towards Megan’s house.

He couldn’t understand what was happening to him. He felt obsessed over his bestfriend’s girlfriend. No matter how he tried to get her out of his mind, he couldn’t stop wanting her.
Is it because she was the only one who’d ever said no to him, and that became a challenge to his ego? And would it be alright with Bryan if…

He cursed himself. Of course it wouldn’t be alright. Bryan would kill him if he were alive. But his dick, its hunger for sex, had gotten full control of his mind.

But perhaps there was more about Megan that he actually wanted. There should be a reason for his obsession. If it was just a pussy that he wanted from her, he could get a dozen more somewhere else. But he was willing to go through lengths to make her his. There had to be an explanation for that, and he wasn’t afraid to find out, not even if it turned out true that he was falling in love with her. And if love was really the culprit, he’d not leave any room for a broken heart.

For sure, she’d drive him away again. She’d think she was betraying her late boyfriend. But there had to be another way to make her give in to him. He had to think of a plan.

*****

“What the hell did you do to me?”

Megan frowned and stepped back. What was this prick talking about? He knocked on her door at ten in the evening, and now he accused her of doing something to him? “What are you saying? I didn’t do anything to you.”

He stepped inside and peered at her face. “I know you did something.”

“Did what?”

“I don’t believe in witchcraft, but there’s no other explanation.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“You cursed me.”

She opened her mouth, about to talk, but she found herself laughing instead. “So how did I curse you?”

“You made me soft.”

“Oh, fuck you.” She turned away. She had no time for bullshit.

“That’s the problem. You did not fuck me.”

With her hands on her hips, she turned back to him. “You are just so oversexed. Take a week off, you’ll be horny again in no time.”

“I am horny all the time, but I don’t get hard. And for your information, it’s been a week since the last time I had sex.”

“Blame the woman you last had sex with.”

“You are that woman.”

“Me?” She pressed her hand on her chest and laughed. “That was six months ago.”

“Last week.”

“We didn’t have sex last week.”

“Well, almost.”

“If I remember correctly, your dick was fine the last time you were here, and then you went out to get a blonde. So go blame that blonde for cursing your dick. You probably pissed her off.”

“There’s no blonde. I was joking. I went straight home, then ever since, my dick went soft. It’s still soft even as we speak.”

“Consult your doctor. Don’t come blaming me for it.”

“No, you have to fix this.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Make it hard again.”

“Oh, fuck you.”

“Yes. Fuck me.”

“Do I have to kick you out of my house again?”

“You will not throw me out of your house until you fix this.”

She sighed and massaged her forehead. “Tell me. Did you make up this crap to have an excuse to come banging on my door at this hour?”

“It’s not an excuse. It’s an emergency.”

She rose to her toes to look into his eyes. “I am not having sex with you,” she said, emphasizing each word.

He bent his head to meet her hard stare. “And I am not leaving until you make me normal again.”

“Since when were you even normal?”

“I was, until I met you.”

“Go to a psychiatrist.”

“No, just take this curse off me.”

Growling, she moved away and headed for the stairs. “I’m going back to bed.”

“I’m coming with you,” he said, following her.

She stopped and turned to look at him. “You stay right where you are or I’ll scream.”

“So will I. I’ll shout out to the whole world how you drained my fluid dry.”

“Blaze Rockwood, you’re becoming ridiculous,” she half-exclaimed. She had no more patience left for this man. “You’re insane.”

“I will be if I don’t get my erection back.”

“What do you want me to do? Dance naked in front of you?”

“Great idea. Why don’t we try that?”

She slapped the railing. “Go home. You’re flying to New York tomorrow morning, aren’t you?”

“Oh, you knew,” he teased.

“Josh told me.”

“Because you asked about me?”

She sighed. This was hopeless. This man would never let her rest until she did something about his problem. “You want coffee?”

He smiled and crossed his arms. “What about dinner?”

“I’ve nothing to offer you.”

“We can go out.”

“It’s ten-thirty in the evening.”

“I know a restaurant that’s open until two.”

She sighed again. It was better that she’d go out with him than have a jerk hanging in her house complaining about his erection problem. “Fine, fine. But afterwards, take me home and you go home.”

“You’ll have to decide about that in a little while,” he replied and winked.

She knew then that he was up to something.

*****

“Where the hell are you taking me?” Meg asked as Blaze drove through the airport. “This isn’t a restaurant.”

“The restaurant’s in Hawaii,” he replied.

She thought she misheard the word. “Where?”

“Hawaii.”

“Hawaii!” she exclaimed violently. “You crazy? Turn the car around. I’m going home.”

“No, you’re coming with me to Hawaii.”

This prick must be kidding. “Take me back home, right now.”

Grinning, he pulled over.

Immediately, she reached for the door, but he managed to grab her wrist.

“Wait,” he said.

Expelling air out of her mouth, she looked at him. “Blaze, it’s late at night, and I’m tired.”

“There’s a private jet waiting for us. You can sleep after take-off.”

She frowned. He really was serious about going to Hawaii. “What are you thinking? You came to my house, accusing me over your erection problem, and all the while, you have this Hawaii stuff already planned out?”

“The idea hit me on my way to your house. I have nothing to do for the weekend, so I’ve decided to go to Hawaii, and I’m taking you with me.”

“What if I refuse?”

“You won’t.”

“Well, I refuse. I mean it.”

He sighed. “My father has this vacation house in Hawaii, where Bryan and I used to spend our summer vacation when we were in college. I thought you might want to see it.”

Her lips parted. If it had anything to do about her ex-boyfriend, she should be interested, but… “It’s too far away.”

“We’ll be there in five hours. We’ll spend a day at the beach, then on Sunday, I’ll take you back home.”

“How about your flight tomorrow?”

“I’ve cancelled it. The conference is postponed.”

“Oh.” She nodded. “But I didn’t take anything with me. You should have told me about this before we left the house.”

“I’ll take care of that.” He winked and turned the engine on. “Consider this my treat to you.”

“For what?”

“I don’t know. Maybe I just want to treat you.”

She sighed.

Hawaii. Beach. Ocean.

It’s been a while since she had been to those places. Since the death of her father, she had never stepped foot on a shore again.

Maybe she needed this. It would only be for a day anyway.

Chapter 13

“Megan?” Blaze called when he found her room empty. It was ten in the morning and she still had not come down for breakfast. He understood they had arrived at dawn after almost six hours in the air, but she should be rested by now.

He noticed the open sliding door to the terrace. He peeked outside and found her standing by the balustrade. “Morning,” he said and approached her.

“Morning,” she replied, but kept her eyes forward.

He followed the direction of her gaze. The house was overlooking the ocean. The sky was clear, and blue as the vast body of water below it. The waves were smooth and tranquil, and the breeze was cold. That must be the reason why she preferred to just stand there more than do anything else. There was nothing like this in the sweltering plains of Nevada.

“Do you like the place,” he asked.

She nodded and kept staring at the horizon with dreamy eyes. “You have a beautiful place here.”

“Glad you like it.”

She sighed. “What did Bryan like to do when he was here?”

He looked at her face. So that explained her dreamy gaze. She was thinking about Bryan all along, maybe relishing her moment with him, or wishing that her late boyfriend was with her at this moment.

Something weighed his chest down. He knew this feeling, something he’d never felt in a long time now. Jealousy.

Oh, fuck. This couldn’t be real. There was no reason why he should be jealous. He had to admit he had this certain kind of obsession over this woman, but it was no more than that. He still couldn’t see proof of a deeper affection blooming anywhere in his system. So, perhaps, his idea that love had finally come his way was not true after all.

Moreover, Bryan was his bestfriend, and he should be happy that Meg still treasured her memories with him.

“He liked to drive a boat, and sometimes surfing.”

“Oh,” she said breathily, smiling. “I remember he told me he was an excellent surfer. Was he?”

He snickered. That was not true at all. The most Bryan had done was sit on his surfboard for a few seconds. He had never managed to balance himself standing on the board. But of course, he would not tell Meg about that. “Maybe.”

“Why maybe?” She looked at him for the first time.

He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

“He’s lying, was he?” he asked suspiciously.

He shrugged and didn’t say a word.

She laughed. “I never believed it either.”

He still didn’t say anything. He’d rather not comment. And he was glad she was smiling now. Her face seemed to brighten whenever she smiled. The more he looked at her, the more that she grew beautiful in his eyes.

“You want to go down for breakfast?” he asked.

She looked at the ocean once again. “I want to stay here a little longer,” she replied.

He stepped closer to her. He knew she wanted to think about Bryan for a little longer and should leave her alone, but he was getting bored without company.

He leaned on the balustrade and stared into her eyes, until she met his gaze.

“What?” she asked.

He smiled. “I think I know now why I’m jealous of Bryan.”

“You are, huh? Why?”

“Because you are here with me, but you still think of him.”

She was speechless, which meant he was right all along.

He held her hand and pulled her towards him, until her breasts brushed against his stomach. Fuck, he swore she had nothing underneath her robe. He could feel her nipples teasing his skin.

“I want you to have fun in here,” he whispered. Gently, he caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. Such soft skin, almost without blemish. “We will have the best time together.”

Her lips parted as he continued to caress her. “Is sex a part of your idea of having fun?” she asked.

He was momentarily stunned by her question, but he smiled afterwards. “Only if you want it.”

“Don’t you feel guilty?”

He sighed. Of course, there was always that guilt, but how could he help it. Of the dozens, or maybe hundreds of women, that he could choose from, why did he have to obsess himself with the one woman that he had initially marked as
forbidden
?

“I do,” he admitted a moment later. “But I want to be honest with you. No amount of guilt can stop me from wanting you. Curse me, but that’s the truth.”

She stiffened. Just as he had expected, she was surprised to hear something like that from a man of his reputation, and as the closest friend of the man that she once belonged to.

“Why me?” she whispered.

He shook his head. “I don’t know, Meg. I just want you, since the moment Bryan showed me your photo, I’ve felt this desire to make you  mine instead. That was why I didn’t want to meet you in person, because I feared my inner evil, and I didn’t want to hurt my bestfriend.”

She kept gawking at him in disbelief. Her parted lips were tempting him. He had to taste them, feel them against his.

Slowly, he lowered his head, reaching for her mouth. Just as their lips met, she cleared her throat and stepped away.

“I’m hungry,” she said.

Unable to move, he watched her enter the room. When she was gone, he took a deep breath.

Damn. For the second time, this woman had turned down his advances. He’d made a melodramatic romantic piece of speech, but it didn’t even touch her. He never had to do something like that with other women. He just had to throw them some lustful gaze and they were all over him in an instant.

*****

“You said you’ll fly me back home this afternoon,” Megan complained as she stood beside the lounge chair where he was sunbathing. “You promised.”

“I would if I could,” he replied. “But for your safety, I’d rather not.”

“Because the plane’s undergoing repair?” she returned sarcastically. She obviously did not believe that when he told her about it. “You’re lying, and I’m going to sue you for this.”

“Sue me for what?”

“Kidnapping.”

He chuckled. “You willingly came along with me.”

“You said it’s only for a day.”

“We’ve only been here for twenty-six hours. Why the rush? The place is beautiful. Why don’t you just enjoy it?”

“I have work tomorrow.”

“I’ve already called Ryder on your behalf.”

“What?” she exclaimed. “What did you tell him?”

“That I’ve kidnapped you and I plan to keep you here for a week so you won’t be around in the office for a while.”

Her eyes widened. “You told him that?”

“He said it’s fine with him, as long as I return you in one piece.”

“That’s it. I’m leaving this afternoon, and you can’t stop me.”

He shrugged. “I won’t.”

“You brought me here, so it’s your responsibility to take me home.”

“Alright.” He sat up and pulled his sunglasses off. “If you really want to go home, I’ll buy you a plane ticket later and drive you to the airport.”

She frowned. “And you?”

“I’ll stay here for the rest of the week.”

Her jaw dropped.

He chuckled. “You can stay with me if you want.”

She growled and walked to the door, slamming it so loud it broke his eardrums.

Sighing, he stood up and dived into the pool. He knew she was upset, but he knew she’d consider the long vacation with him. Not many employees could get this opportunity. But if she’d insist to go home, he’d have no option but to fly home with her. He did not want to spend the week here alone. It would be boring.

Half an hour later, he rose from the water to look for her. She was not in the house, nor was she at the garden. Surely, she was at the beach, and he was worried about her swimming there alone.

She was a good swimmer. He’d learned that yesterday. It was quite a fascinating surprise for someone who was raised in a desert. But even the best swimmers could drown.

He put on a pair of jeans and headed for the beach.

He was right. She was there in the water, alone with her surfboard. And she was wearing the red two-piece bikini he had bought her, which she had refused to wear the day before.

She was standing on the surfboard, gliding over the approaching wave. She was an excellent surfer, a lot better than Bryan, but he was through glorifying her over that yesterday. Right now, all he could see was her beautiful body. He had not expected that red bikini would look so good on her. The thought that she’d been strutting her butt around the Battledome ring before hundreds of other men almost infuriated him.

But right now, there were no other men he’d have to share with on this beautiful sight. It was his alone, for his eyes to feast on.

“Hey,” she called as she picked up her surfboard and walked towards him.

He quickly shook himself off his dirty thoughts, but damn, the way she walked as she approached him made him want to transform into a beast and devour her. And when she stood a few feet away from him and he saw the droplets of water beaded over her breasts, it made his cock swell to its limit, almost bursting out of his jeans.

Shit. Why couldn’t he just grab her, pin her down on the sand, and fuck her like crazy. He had always been free to do that with the women he had been with, but why did he have to hold back with this one?

“Because she was Bryan’s woman and you have to show her some respect, you idiot,” a tiny voice told him.

“How long have you been there?” she asked.

“Not so long,” he replied, trying so hard to keep his eyes off her body, but even her face was a temptation he could not resist, especially her pair of luscious lips. “You look good in that bikini.”

“Thank you.” She dropped the surfboard on the sand and sat on it. He caught another glance of her cleavage, this time, from way above, which made her breasts seem larger than they were. He cursed under his throat.

“What did you say?” she asked, looking up into his face.

He shook his head and sat on the sand beside her to save himself from the tempting sight.

“I heard you saying something.”

“Nothing, really.”

She squinted. “You were staring at my boobs, weren’t you?”

Heat crept on his face. It reminded him of the first time he had asked an older girl out. He was sixteen. “Just caught a glance,” he confessed.

She smiled and glanced at her chest. He tried not to look at it. “I wonder what it would have looked like if I went ahead with the surgery.”

“You’re still thinking about that?”

“No. Just wondering.”

“It wouldn’t have been as beautiful as they are now.”

She smiled, apparently flattered. “Of all men, I never thought I’d hear that kind of compliment from the MMA Boy Toy.”

He laughed. “That gives my word even more credit, considering that I’ve been with a lot of different women. I’m very credible to judge.”

“I thought you’re only good at judging a woman’s pussy.”

“That, sweetheart, is another department. You want to hear my thoughts about yours?”

She flushed, turning her already pinkish cheeks crimson. “I’m not sure… but… okay.”

He grinned and shook his head. “I’d rather not.”

“Why not?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“I’m intrigued.”

“Sweetheart, you’re making me hard.”

She lowered her eyes to his erection. “So I noticed. I thought you had an erection problem.”

“You just fixed it.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Who taught you how to surf? I haven’t met many women who can surf like you do.”

“My father.”

“The former middle weight Battledome champion, Jim Riley.”

“You know him?”

“Of course I know him. I’ve been watching his matches when I was a kid. He had a very promising career ahead of him if that accident did not happen.”

She forced out a smile, a hint of sadness in her eyes as the sad memory of her father’s fate had probably come back to her. “He was the best father in the world, until that accident happened, and he changed. He used to beat Josh a lot. Those last six months with him was so terrible we were almost relieved when he died.”

Blaze remained quiet. It was the first time she had talked about her family, and he had not expected that it was that sad. “It wasn’t his fault, I think.”

She nodded. “It wasn’t. In his right state of mind, he would have never harmed us in any ways, not specially my little twelve year-old brother.”

“No father would.”

“How about you? How’s your childhood with your father?”

He shrugged. “My father’s a workaholic. He barely had time for us. My childhood was spent with my nanny.”

“And your mother?”

“She’s a socialite. She’d rather go to a party than babysit us.”