I SMOOTH THE SILK OF the formal black dress in the mirror. It was waiting for me when I got to CJ’s this afternoon. Along with a pair of rhinestone stilettos and diamond drop earrings. Another ensemble courtesy of Jett. The man has some seriously good taste. It’s as if this dress was fitted specifically for me. It hugs every curve perfectly with a plunging neckline encrusted with crystals and a provocative slit up one side. I don’t know where we’re going, but dressed like this, I honestly don’t care. I feel like a princess, and I’m going to take advantage of every step in my five-inch designer heels.
“Whoa.” CJ stops dead in his tracks when he walks into the bedroom.
“You like?” I do a little spin, showing off the whole package. I pinned one side of my hair up to show off the earrings and applied some smoky purple eye shadow to accent my eyes.
“I . . .” He’s left speechless as he slides his hands around my waist. “I really fucking like.” He kisses my neck, causing goose bumps to erupt all over my skin.
“Good.” I smile as his lips tickle me.
“I can’t wait to show you off.”
“Show me off where exactly?” I probe.
CJ wags a finger at me. “You’ll find out soon enough. Now, let’s go before that dress ends up in a crinkled ball on the floor.” He grabs his tuxedo jacket off the bed and slips it on. I’ve seen CJ dressed formally before, and I can tell you it never gets old. A man in a well-tailored suit is like an aphrodisiac.
He’s right, we had better go, or my clothes aren’t going to be the only ones crinkled up in a ball.
Still in the dark about where we’re heading, I try to weasel out any information I can in the car. CJ doesn’t budge. He’s like a brick wall. I guess I didn’t have a prayer trying to crack an ex-special ops soldier. He’s no doubt trained in anti-interrogation tactics. As we drive, I notice we are heading straight into the heart of the Meatpacking district. This only makes my curiosity grow. Dressed like this, I was expecting to end up on the Upper East Side.
The car pulls into an underground garage and then parks. When we get out, CJ escorts me to a nearby elevator. The parking garage is completely deserted. There isn’t another vehicle or human being in sight. I’ll admit my imagination is now working overtime. We step into the elevator, and CJ pushes the number twenty-seven. As the elevator whisks us upwards, my anticipation grows. Where are we going? A gala? An elite private dinner? An auction maybe? I want to know so bad I could bust. When the elevator dings and the doors open, we are met with a loud rumble of a well-dressed crowd, bright lights, and vibrant atmosphere. CJ hands his invitation to a very large, intimidating black man who is guarding the elevator door. He takes the white card and scans it under a black light. It lights up with invisible letters. The man nods and then steps aside so CJ and I can enter the room. I am completely bewildered by now as CJ leads me through the bustling space to a set of doors. He throws an excited smile back at me, right before he opens them. As soon as they swing on their hinges, I hear the distinct sound of a bell. My jaw drops as we enter the room. In the dead center, surrounded by elegantly set tables, is a boxing ring. It’s a vast contradiction to what I know. There are two men throwing punches as a moderate crowd looks on. I stare up at CJ, completely confounded. He just grins, his playful brown eyes glittering in the spotlight.
“I’ll explain everything at our seats. Come on.” He jiggles my hand and walks to a table front and center, ringside. We’re served champagne the second we sit down by a white-gloved waiter. I take a sip, eagerly awaiting this explanation.
“Do you like boxing?” CJ asks as one of the fighters takes a jab straight to the nose.
“I do, actually. My father is a huge fan of the sport. We watch all the fights.”
“Who’s your favorite boxer?”
“David Lemieux.”
“Why him?”
“He’s hot.” I shrug.
“Oh, really?” CJ laughs.
“Yeah. Do I need a better reason?”
“I guess not.”
The round ends and the fighters go back to their corners.
“So are you going to explain all this to me, or what?”
CJ flashes me his signature rascally smile. “It’s a fundraiser of sorts. For wounded warriors. Once a year, a group of veterans called the Punch puts together an underground boxing match. Most of these guys are ex-military. It’s an honor to be asked to participate, but it’s no-holds-barred, bare knuckle fighting.
“Easier chance to get hurt?” I ask.
“Pretty much, but the bragging rights are for life.”
“I guess that’s worth the internal bleeding,” I quip as I take another sip of the dry champagne.
“It is,” he confirms confidently. The bell dings and the fighters return to the center of the ring. They dance around, throwing punches while the entire room yells for one of them to go down.
As we watch, a man approaches our table and CJ stands to greet him, shaking hands like old friends. He’s tall, with jet-black hair, a five o’clock shadow, and a huge scar slashed diagonally across his left eye. His presence actually makes my heart race. Even though he’s dressed in a formal tuxedo, you can feel his feral energy and see the rawness in his hazel eyes. I stand guardedly as CJ introduces me to one of his oldest friends.
The man named Slade extends his hand, and I take it tentatively as he looks me over like a ribeye steak ready to eat.
“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” His voice is kind, but his smile is cagey.
Finally?
“Nice to meet you, too.”
Slade and CJ exchange a few words while I stand huddled under CJ’s arm. He doesn’t like me to go far, and at this particular moment, I’m thankful for that.
With a polite good-bye, Slade walks off into the cluster of tables behind us just as we are served pasta. I don’t realize how hungry I am until I smell the fresh tomatoes and basil.
Throughout dinner, two things continuously happen. One, CJ never removes his hand from my thigh. It’s as if it is superglued there, and I don’t mind one bit. Two, people constantly stop by to say hello to him, like he’s a celebrity in the room. Everyone seems to know who he is. He introduces me to each person, never once making me feel invisible or forgotten. There are many veterans, as well as active military, in attendance. I met one man who had two amputated legs but the most upbeat personality. He was absolutely an inspiration. After speaking with him, it felt like my insides were glowing. When I got dressed earlier this evening, I could have never prepared myself for the amazing people I was about to meet.
By the time dessert is served, it is nearly impossible to wipe the smile off my face. It’s an odd combination—gourmet food, boxing, and formal wear—but somehow, it works.
“Excuse me.” Someone taps the microphone in the middle of the ring. I’m sorry, not just someone. Slade.
“I want to thank everyone who came out to show their support to our veteran and wounded warrior program. Fight Night has been a long, outstanding tradition in the military community. It has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars over the last fifteen years, and tonight has only added to that running total.”
The room applauds.
“We have a special guest in the audience this evening,” Slade goes on, and CJ curses under his breath. “The legendary Christopher John Carmichael, four-time consecutive champion of Fight Night, has graced us with his presence.”
I look immediately at CJ. “He’s talking about you?”
CJ nods, notably embarrassed.
Slade turns his full attention on CJ. “What about it, champ? Wanna have a go in the ring? I know there are a lot of people who would love to see you fight.”
CJ actually turns red. I get a feeling he’s not one for the spotlight.
“No.” He shakes his head modestly, but Slade and the crowd don’t give up.
“C’mon, man. For old times’ sake!”
CJ still protests, but the demand of the audience becomes deafening.
“Okay! Okay!” he shouts as he stands up and the entire room claps. I’m completely floored. This night has taken an unexpected turn. CJ drops a kiss on my lips right before he takes off his tuxedo jacket.
“Don’t go anywhere,” he orders.
“I am glued to my seat,” I assure him.
“Good.” He kisses me one more time before he climbs into the ring. I think my heart is fluttering for him. I watch riveted as he discards his white shirt and tapes up his hands. By the time he’s done, his opponent is warming up in the opposite corner, shadowboxing the air. A younger man with ginger hair, pale skin, and bulging biceps.
“Excited?”
I jump when Slade whispers in my ear. I didn’t even notice him standing behind me.
“Very. And a little nervous.”
“Why? CJ is going to knock that kid on his ass,” Slade assures me confidently as he takes the seat next to me.
“I suppose you would know.” I throw a glance in his direction.
The bell dings and CJ moves to the center of the ring. My stomach actually drops when the other boxer takes a swing at him. He bobs and weaves, narrowly avoiding getting punched right in the face.
“I would. We have been friends for a long time.”
“How long?”
“Years,” he responds cryptically.
“Did you serve together?” I ask with my attention divided between Slade and CJ.
“We did,” he confirms.
I wince as CJ and his opponent go at it, landing punch after punch on each other. CJ hits the guy with a combination and ends up splitting his eye wide open. Blood explodes everywhere, but the round goes on. If this were a normal boxing match, they would have stopped it to close the wound. I peek through my fingers as if watching a scary movie while the two men go pound for pound.
“What’s wrong? Don’t like boxing?” Slade asks as CJ knocks the guy right in the teeth. It actually makes me jump.
“It’s not that. I’m just not used to seeing him so . . . violent.”
I only know CJ as laid-back and fun loving. Seeing him like this gives me a whole new perspective.
Slade sighs, almost darkly. “Everyone has a public life, a private life, and a secret life,” he muses. “You’d be smart to remember that, sunshine.”
I eye him speculatively. What a peculiar, yet refreshingly honest comment to make. He stares back at me as if he can see right through me. It makes me so uncomfortable, I squirm in my seat. The bell rings, thankfully, breaking our eye contact. I watch as CJ is cleaned up and given water. He glances over at me and winks, communicating he’s got this. Slade chuckles.
“Cocksucker,” he comments flippantly. “You know I saved his ass, right?”
“I didn’t.” I glance between him and CJ.
“Yup. Our helicopter went down in the middle of the desert. I pulled him out of the wreckage and dragged him while he was unconscious for two miles in the fucking blistering heat to find shelter.”
My jaw drops. “I had no idea.”
Slade nods his head and stares off into space. “It didn’t really matter, though. Even though he lived, he still lost the love of his life.”
“A woman?” I ask intrigued.
Slade looks over at me with just his cunning eyes. The scar glowing under the lights. “His career.”
I frown, but before I can ask him to elaborate, the bell dings and the two are back in the center of the ring. CJ seems to have found a second wind because he comes out swinging, backing the other boxer right into the ropes. He jabs him in the side until the man lets down his guard then smashes him with an uppercut. The guy falls like a sack of potatoes, knocked out for the count.
Slade laughs, clapping energetically along with the rest of the boisterous crowd. “I knew he was just playing with his food.”
I sort of don’t know what to think. Actually, I do. I realize CJ is a man of many facets. I didn’t think I could be any more attracted to him, but seeing him in that ring, glistening with sweat, and blood on his brow, his appeal has just skyrocketed through the ceiling. I’m actually clenching my thighs because I am so turned on right now.
CJ climbs out of the ring and makes a beeline straight for Slade and me.
“Nice!” Slade exclaims as they bump fists. “Still got it.”
“Five-thirty A.M. in the gym every day will do that.”
“Fucking golden boy.” Slade busts him, and they both laugh. Like this, Slade doesn’t seem so intimidating. He still has a rough exterior, but it’s softer when he smiles. He’s almost attractive in that rugged attack dog kind of way.
“Come on.” CJ pulls me out of my chair still a little winded. “I need to go clean up.”
“Later, sunshine,” Slade says libidinously, still regarding me as if I’m a piece of perfectly grilled meat. It makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
I follow CJ out of the room and into what looks like a staging area for the boxers. There are all sorts of equipment, lockers, and first aid. CJ snatches a few things from the medic and then leads me quickly through another set of doors. We’re alone now, in an empty room with just a desk, large windows, and a clear view of the city lights twinkling around us.
“That was very impressive,” I tell a shirtless CJ as he leans on the edge of the desk. I drink in his abs, his chest, and flexing triceps.
“Like what you see, shortcake?” he asks playfully.
“Very much.” I press myself against him. I should probably give him a little time to recover, but I don’t see any harm in flirting with him while he does.
“Your eye is bleeding.” I touch the cut gently.
“Hazards of the job. At least I don’t look like the other guy.”
“Thankfully.” I grab the antiseptic wipe and tear it open. I clean up the blood and disinfect the cut all while CJ sits there like the perfect patient. “I don’t think David Lemieux is my favorite boxer anymore.”
“Oh, yeah?” The smile that cracks his face is youthful and boyish.
“Yeah,” I endorse as I cover the cut with a butterfly Band-Aid. “All better.” I take his face in my hands and drop a kiss on his lips.
He closes his eyes and exhales, locking his arms around my waist.
“Not quite. But getting there.” He kisses me more fiercely, slipping his tongue into my mouth and pressing my hand against his erection.
I break the kiss. “Are you sure you’re up for it right now? You just knocked some guy out.”
CJ grabs me by the neck and embraces me aggressively. “I’m up for it because I just knocked some guy out.”
His response does nothing but crank my arousal. I meet his force with my own, our tongues tangling and teeth clanking as we grab at each other.
“We’re going to miss the main event. You okay with that?” I ask between hungry kisses.
“Sunshine, you are the main event.” Slade suddenly rasps in my ear causing me to jump right out of my skin. Together they grab me, CJ my waist, Slade my wrists, pinning them behind my back.
My breathing goes from quick to rapid as the two men subdue me.
CJ leans in and murmurs in my ear, “If you don’t want to, all you have to do is say no.”
“She doesn’t get a choice,” Slade responds. “That’s part of the fantasy.”
My eyes widen to the size of satellites. I get what’s going on here. It’s my turn to live out a fantasy. I don’t know how to respond as my cheeks catch fire. I want this, but I am mortified to actually say yes.
“Time’s up, sunshine. We’re going to decide for you.” Slade licks my neck, and I feel it all the way to my groin. I whimper softly as I tilt my head.
“Thought so.” He binds my wrists with a rope that’s both sturdy and soft. Nylon maybe? He then grabs my hair and yanks my head back, staring at me with those cagey eyes.
“You’re going to scream, but no one is going to hear you.” As handsome as he is, he is that much more intimidating. And as stupid as I am, it turns me on more than anything.
Slade gags me with another piece of rope of the same material. I try to keep my wits, but this is getting more intense by the second. He tightens the gag then chuckles sinisterly. “This body no longer belongs to you.”
I eye CJ as Slade works on me. His expression is serious and shaded with carnal desire. I know by just looking at them, these two men are going to rip me apart, and they are going to enjoy every single second of it.
The world goes black moments later as I’m blindfolded, and any shred of composure I had flies right out the window. I am completely at their mercy, left only to rely on my sense of sound and smell which are both working overtime at the moment. Everything around me feels like it’s moving so quickly. Before I know it, I’m hoisted up on the table and straddling CJ. I feel his thighs touching my legs and smell his cologne, which is now mixed with sweat, hit me in the face. Slade’s hard body is pressed up against mine, his erection digging into my ass. Simultaneously, the straps of my dress are pulled down as the hem is pushed up. They don’t even bother to get me naked. Instead, they just expose the regions they need to concentrate on. They both handle me roughly, CJ groping my breasts and sucking my nipples while Slade fingers me swiftly, smearing the wetness gathering between my legs over my clit and my tight little hole. I spasm as he grazes over my piercing, taking us both by surprise.
“You dirty little girl.” He plays with the tiny ring gently as I whimper.
“Easy,” CJ chimes in still massaging my breast harshly. “Play with the panic button too long and this will be over before it even starts.” I barely recognize his voice; it’s laced with so much unbridled lust.
“Well, we don’t want that,” Slade hisses in my ear, almost as if he’s taunting me. The foreplay goes on for what seems like forever. Pinching, kneading, biting, licking. Slade using his fingers to constantly stretch the unyielding tight ring of muscle. Scissoring me open until I’m grinding against his hand. Every part of my body is buzzing as they do what they want to me. I have no say; I have no voice. They force me to submit as I am completely overtaken by guerrilla warfare. I’m whining with need, ready to be ravished, but they both ignore my pleas. My knees ache and so does my pussy as I begin to slowly unravel.
“You want us?” CJ grabs my face and steadies my bobbing head. “You better, because you’re about to get fucked.” The menace in his voice actually makes me tremble. I picture the vicious man in the ring throwing unapologetic punches. A man I didn’t even recognize.
I moan feebly through the gag as I hear the sound of zippers and foil wrappers and feel shifting beneath me and behind me.
I’m so wound up I am literally sucking air through my nose. I need to be touched. To be satisfied, sated. I need to be broken by these two men.
I’m so wet and ready; my arousal is actually dripping down my thigh. And just when I think I can’t take another second of emptiness, CJ impales me onto his cock. It is so long and hard, I feel it pierce all the way up to my belly button. It’s nothing but sweet agony as my muscles clamp around him.
“Shit, Tara.” He groans, his body flexing beneath me.
There’s no time for a reprieve as Slade follows suit, poking the head of his cock into my primed ass. The sensation of two men is thrilling and maddening all at the same time. I breathe raggedly against the gag as he works himself into my body. Inch by tiny inch, he invades me, dwelling on my pain all while pursuing his own pleasure. It’s so fucking consuming, I see spots behind the blindfold.
“Dirty little girl, we’re going to fuck you until you’re begging us to stop,” Slade taunts me as he and CJ attack my body, thrusting hard and deep until they find a rhythm that blows my mind.
Fast then slow then fast again, pushing all of my limits. Riding both my holes like a seesaw. One in, the other out. My rosebud contracts as my pussy expands and then vice versa. My eyes are literally rolling into the back of my head as I’m assaulted with pleasure. As a violent onslaught of extreme sensation rattles my body. As two men completely dominate me, leaving me no choice in the matter. Leaving me with no say or preference or expression. I’m a vessel to fuck, and that is exactly what both of them are doing. Fucking me into a tyrannical oblivion. The experience is so hot, so explicit, so wrong, the ache between my legs branches out to the rest of my body; my nipples sting, my clit burns, and my skin tingles as a colossal orgasm thunders inside me. I fight against the restraints, bite down on the gag, and then blast wide open as my limbs ring with ecstasy. A muffled scream escapes from my throat as the ecstasy washes over me in continuous waves. As the two men raid my body like a treasure chest filled with priceless gold. I slump forward onto CJ’s chest as they both come savagely inside me, CJ snarling and growling, Slade sinking his teeth into my shoulder, finally taking a bite of his marinated slab of meat. I feel like I’ve been tossed around by a pack of wolves.
I lie motionless on CJ, still bound and gagged and completely void of energy as they both pull out, my body deflating like a helium balloon.
CJ removes the blindfold and pulls the gag out of my mouth. I look up at him with just my eyes, feeling so many conflicting emotions I can barely bring myself to speak.
He tilts my chin up and places a soft kiss on my lips. It’s so contradictory to the way he was just handling me, my muscles actually melt. It’s exactly the kind of affection I needed, and I swear he knew it.
CJ unties my hands and helps me to stand, pulling up the straps of my dress as he goes. I look behind me to see where Slade is, but he’s gone.
“He does that.”
I look back at him. “Does what?”
“Disappears.” He zips his fly. “I don’t mind. I would rather be alone.” He wraps me in his arms and kisses my hair. “You okay?”
“You surprised me.”
“That was the point, no?”
“Yes.” I bury my face in his chest, my cheeks redder than a red delicious apple.
“Then my job here is done.”
CJ AND I LIE IN bed naked, listening to Grace Potter. After our crazy ass night, this is nice. It’s three A.M. and “Timekeeper” is playing for a second time. I want to ask him a million things, like how long he plans to stay, but I opt for an easier question instead.
“Slade told me he saved your life.”
“Oh, he did? Jerk likes to brag.”
“Will you tell me what happened?” I tilt my face up to look at him.
CJ shrugs one shoulder as he stares up at the ceiling. “Our helicopter crashed in the desert. I was flying. We were returning from a recon mission. It was a system malfunction. I tried to land softly, but it was almost impossible. We were too high, moving too fast, and I didn’t have enough reaction time. Two team members died, but Slade knew I was still alive. He pulled me out of the wreckage before the entire helicopter went up. He dragged me through the desert until he found shelter then kept me safe until a convoy arrived. We were lucky. Really, really lucky. We could have been shot as soon as we got to the edge of the small Afghan town, but they helped us. They took a huge risk, and they helped us.”
“That sounds so terrifying.”
“I wish I could tell you it was, but I don’t remember most it. I woke up in the back of a Humvee being treated by medics.”
“Is that why you left the Army?” I ask delicately.
“I didn’t leave voluntarily,” he says strained. “I loved being a soldier. But I lost thirty percent of my peripheral vision in my left eye during the crash. I wasn’t equipped to fly in combat anymore, so I was medically discharged.” He exhales a soft, shaky breath.
“You couldn’t stay enlisted?”
“I didn’t see much of a point if I couldn’t fly.”
I lift my head to look at him. Really look at him. “I’m sorry,” I say, and I mean it.
“It’s okay.” He runs his knuckles down my face. “It was really hard to accept at first, but I’ve made peace with it. I realize now I was meant for different things.”
I giggle. “Yeah, a multi-million dollar entrepreneur. That doesn’t seem like such a bad alternative.”
“It’s not.” CJ grins devilishly, pulling me to his chest. “I also get to spend time with a beautiful blonde who lets me do all sorts of wicked things to her. The alternative is not bad at all.”
We both laugh. The sound mixed with the music creates a new feeling of happiness within me, rousing emotions I know I should suppress. But resisting CJ is difficult. No, not difficult—nearly impossible. Especially when we’re here like this. No walls between us, except our own secrets and the time ticking away.