Passing His Guard

“It’s fine,” Aiden interjected, shooting his friend a thanks for ratting me out glower. “I’m fine,” he told her, cupping her jaw and tipping her face so he could look into her eyes. That he’d yet to move his right arm wasn’t lost on her. “I just need a hot shower, that’s all.”

“What happened? How did the fight go?”

“He was fucking amazing!” Nikko answered from the dining room. “Just like I knew he would be. Paskel didn’t stand a chance. KO’d him in the first round with a right hook.”

Since her MMA crash course with Nikko this afternoon, she knew that meant Aiden had knocked Paskel out in the first round. The right hook punch allowed the fighter to use the momentum of his whole body, throwing torque and momentum into the blow, making it one of the most popular and effective knockout punches used in MMA.

“That’s how you hurt your shoulder?”

“No, he injured his shoulder in the Vegas fight. This just pissed it off more,” Nikko offered. Aiden shot his friend a shut up scowl. A worried frown pulled her brows tight; she hadn’t realized he’d gotten injured during that fight.

“Come with me.” Taking Aiden’s uninjured arm, she led him through the dining room and toward his bedroom.

Nikko chuckled as they passed by. “Looks like you’re in good hands, Disco. Since I’m officially off duty, I think I’m go

“Good night, Nikko,” she called behind her.

Rya

“What are you doing?”

She could hear the fatigue in his voice, but the husky undertone of desire was unmistakable. “It’s lavender. It will help you relax.”

When she turned toward him and lifted the hem of his T-shirt, he quirked his brow, giving her a skeptical, lopsided grin. “You’re not going to make me smell like a girl, are you?”

Rya

Aiden watched her with a mixture of amusement and curiosity. The fatigue etched in his face was quickly disappearing. She dropped his T-shirt on the ground, and her gaze swept over his sculpted chest, down the rigid muscles of his torso. Lower still, she could see the outline of his erection straining against the cloth of his sweats, the waistband riding low on his lean hips.

Aiden hissed, a breath sucked in through clenched teeth. “Fuck, Rya

She mentally reprimanded herself for the detour her thoughts were taking. She knew where that destination led, and although she really wanted to go there, this wasn’t about her. Aiden had fought for her tonight. And she wanted to show him how much that meant to her. How much she supported him. How much she loved him.

He grabbed for her, but she scooted out of reach before he could get ahold of her. “Just be patient,” she teased.

“Baby, I’ve got so much testosterone pumping through my system right now, all I can think about is working it out on you.”

The flutter of heat licking at her core burst into a full blown inferno at his confession. This was the first time he called her baby that she didn’t want to punch him. Gone was that carefree, flippant pet name. This was an endearing plea for mercy that melted her heart.

Focus! Rya

As the silky material dragged down his legs, he let out a throaty growl. “If your goal here is sadistic torture, I’d say you’re spot fucking on.”

Her laughter rang out, and she forced herself back on task. She stepped around him, studiously keeping her eyes averted from his front, and turned off the faucet. As she touched the button for the jets, the motor beneath the tub started to life and the water became a turbulent rush of inviting chaos. Fragrant steam rose from the tub, an earthy floral fauna filling the air.

“The water even smells like you . . .” he groaned.

“Go on, get in,” she instructed.

Keeping her back to him, she tried to block out the throaty masculine sounds coming from the tub as Aiden sank into the hot whirlpool. Not wanting to get her only pair of pajama pants wet, Rya

Aiden scooted in front of where she knelt and presented her with his back. “You don’t have to do this, you know.”

“I know. I want to.”

“You’re going to spoil me,” he groaned, when she began ru

“You deserve it,” she whispered beside his ear.

Aiden lifted his hand out of the water and threaded his wet fingers into her hair, holding her there as he turned his head and captured her lips. His mouth plundered hers, his kiss so erotically delicious and hungry. She was awash in the taste of him, defenseless to resist the skill with which he drove her senseless. In a sudden move she wasn’t expecting, Aiden turned and grabbed her, pulling her into the tub with him. Water splashed over the side as she landed in his lap.

He laughed at her startled yelp, ignoring her protests as he proceeded to remove her soaked tank top. “I’m trying to take care of you, and you’re not cooperating,” she complained half-heartedly.

“You are taking care of me,” he growled, nipping playfully at her throat. “My way . . .”

He ignored her playful objections, ripping the thin elastic straps of her panties, and lifted her to straddle his lap. If his shoulder was hurting him, he wasn’t babying it now. When he set her down, he entered her with a well-timed thrust, seating himself against her core. Her pleasured cry was mingled with his lustful growl as his hands dropped to her hips and began working her up and down the hard length of his cock.

“Fuck, Rya

In that moment, as Aiden took command of her body, of their pleasure, she was pretty sure that was the sweetest thing he’d ever said to her.

CHAPTER

35

You never told me how your meeting went yesterday.”

Rya