14
MEGAN ADJUSTED HER sunglasses on her face, walking side by side with Jules down Las Vegas Boulevard. It was a gorgeous Sunday afternoon with crowds of people milling about, taking in the sights of the famous Strip. Peak tourist season was still a few months off, so the crowds were thinner than they’d be during the summer. A few bags dangled from Megan’s arm—a new pair of jeans, some body lotion, a silk scarf. She’d been tempted to go into Agent Provocateur and pick something out for Gabe, but given his you must be naked at all times rule, she couldn’t justify the expense. She and Jules had been making their way down the Strip for the past hour or so, popping in and out of shops, stopping occasionally to watch the street performers, chatting about work and catching up. Megan felt a twinge of guilt at how little she’d seen Jules over the past couple of weeks.
“Oh! I can’t believe I forgot to tell you,” said Jules, tucking a strand of blond hair behind her ear. She leaned a bit closer to Megan, lowering her voice. “So, apparently Leandro Oliveira has a sex tape.”
Megan’s eyes widened and she let out a surprised laugh. “You’re kidding. Seriously?”
“Someone from TMZ called me this morning. I . . .” Jules blushed. “They sent me the file.” The blush on her cheeks deepened.
Megan laughed again, louder and longer this time. “I take it that you both watched it, and confirmed Leandro’s identity.”
Jules nodded rapidly. “Uh, yeah. It’s him with like four other women.”
“Holy shit.” Megan shook her head slowly. “Four?” Immediately she wondered if Gabe had ever done something like that, been with multiple women at the same time, and almost as quickly, found she didn’t want to know the answer.
“Yeah. Lingerie models, I think.” Jules let out a long breath. “My dad’s going to freak.”
Megan laid a sympathetic hand on Jules’ arm. “Can you stop it from getting out?”
She half shrugged, one slender shoulder rising and falling. “I doubt it. I’d guess TMZ paid a lot for it. So unless they’d be willing to sell it to us—assuming we could even afford it—we’re . . .”
“Fucked like a lingerie model?”
A burst of laughter escaped Jules. “Yeah. Pretty much.” She pointed at a window display of cute dresses. “Let’s go in. That green one in the window would look amazing on you.” Megan smiled and followed her into the store, pushing her sunglasses up on her head as they entered. The door chimed and Jules moved toward a rack at the front, slowly moving dresses on hangers along the metal bar. “So . . . Alex is coming to town to visit Nick next weekend,” she said in her I’m going to not-so-casually bring this up voice. “He asked about you after the engagement party.”
Megan nodded and turned her attention to a rack of blouses. “Mmm,” she said, trying to figure out what to say. She hadn’t told anyone about seeing Gabe. “I don’t know, Jules,” she said after a moment of expectant silence, moving toward a table of jewelry. “He’s nice and really attractive, but he lives in Chicago. I don’t know if I’d be interested in the long-distance thing.” She glanced at Jules and shrugged. “And what if we started dating, and it didn’t work out? He’s your future brother-in-law, and I wouldn’t want to make things awkward.”
Jules tipped her head. “I didn’t really think of it that way.” She moved closer and rubbed her hand over Megan’s arm. “I’m sorry if you feel like I’ve been pressuring you, trying to set you up with Alex.” She bit her lip, pausing before continuing. “I guess it’s just that I’m really happy, and I want the same for you.”
Megan gave Jules’ arm a squeeze and returned the smile. “And I love you for that, but . . .” It was her turn to pause, and she felt her cheeks warm. “I’m actually kinda seeing someone.”
Jules’ eyes lit up in triumph. “Aha! I knew something was going on.”
“You did?”
Jules nodded, her eyes still sparkling. “Mmmhmm. You’re glowing, and you keep smiling to yourself when you think no one’s looking. Spill. I want details.”
They moved farther into the store, not really looking at any of the clothes. Megan felt more blood rush to her cheeks. She wasn’t normally shy about sharing her life with Jules, but this felt different, somehow. “It’s . . . new. And probably nothing. It’s not serious.” She added that last part for her own benefit as much as Jules’. She needed to keep reminding herself of that. It didn’t matter that her heart picked up every time she saw Gabe’s name on her phone. It didn’t matter that seeing him was always the best part of her day. It didn’t matter that she wanted more. He’d been crystal clear with her, and if she expected anything more than what he’d said he could give her, she knew she’d be setting herself up for a massive disappointment.
“It’s not?” Jules picked up a pair of sunglasses and tried them on. “Is Mr. It’s-Nothing-It’s-Not-Serious the reason you were busy on Monday, and on Thursday, and again last night?”
Megan ducked her head, pretending to be interested in a purse on a nearby shelf. She couldn’t stop herself from replaying the memories of the past week. Monday, when he’d tied her wrists to her ankles, leaving her open and exposed to him while he left her hovering on the edge of orgasm for what had felt like hours before finally letting her come. Thursday, when he’d tied her hands above her head and blindfolded her, then teased her with an ice cube followed by the heat of his mouth, leaving her skin oversensitive, her entire body aching for him. Last night, when he’d guided her to her knees and begun coaching her on how to deep throat him. She hadn’t quite been able to do it, but she’d followed his instructions as well as she could. With his hands tight in her hair, he’d come down her throat in long, hot spurts, the words “my sweet girl” falling from his lips. She loved the way she knew he’d enjoyed it, the way her ability to make him lose control made her feel confident and sexy and alive, and more desirable than she ever had in her life. She knew he’d been pleased with her efforts because he’d then tossed her on the bed and used his mouth on her swollen, aching pussy until she’d come so many times she’d felt boneless and half-asleep. By then, he’d recovered from his earlier orgasm, and he’d flipped her onto her stomach and fucked her slow and deep.
He was incredible. They were incredible, the chemistry between them like wildfire each time they were together. She never would have guessed sex could be like that for her. For the first time since the cancer, she felt confident in her sexuality, in her ability to both please a man and to feel good. She felt as though the cancer was something that had happened, but not who she was. A scar, but not a deformity.
A scar that could be reopened, depending on what the tests her doctor wanted her to have revealed. With a shake of her head, she pushed the thought away, refusing to let it take root. Choosing to be in the moment, the way she’d learned to do with Gabe. Submitting to him gave her permission to simply feel and enjoy. To not think and trust someone else to bring them both pleasure. To learn her body’s reactions, and to live in the moment, no worries, doubts, or fears. It was a blissful kind of freedom she hadn’t even realized she’d needed.
She felt bad for ditching Jules, but she was addicted to Gabe. She wasn’t sure how much longer she’d get to have him—a part of her was expecting him to just stop calling, even though he seemed as into their encounters as she was. He’d made it clear that they were only temporary, but the more time they spent together, the less certain she was that she’d be okay with that.
“Hello? Earth to Megan,” said Jules, waving a hand in front of her face.
With an embarrassed smile, Megan set down the clutch she hadn’t even realized she’d picked up. She let out a little laugh. “Sorry. I was . . . thinking.”
Jules smiled knowingly at her. “Uh-huh. So what’s his name?”
Megan felt her heart pick up in her chest. “Um. It’s actually . . . it’s Gabe.” She wasn’t sure why she felt weird about telling Jules—maybe because her arrangement with Gabe was so un-Megan-like.
Jules’ mouth fell open. “Shut. Up. Gabriel Maddox, Gabe?” She let out a little squeal and then pulled Megan back out onto the sidewalk after getting a dirty look from one of the sales associates. “I knew you had a thing for him, but I had no idea he’d asked you out. Or did you ask him?”
Megan toyed with the strap of her purse. “Well, we’re not dating. It’s more just, you know. Hooking up. A sex thing.”
Jules’ smile widened. “A sex thing? Oh, honey. I need details. All of the details.”
Megan laughed, feeling the unseasonable warmth of the sun on her skin, and the happiness that actually feeling good in her skin brought. And it was Gabe. He’d done that. He’d helped her get there. Megan glanced around before leaning closer to Jules. “So it turns out that I’m kinda kinky,” she said, bouncing her eyebrows.
Jules let out a surprised laugh. “Oh. My. God. I love this. Kinky how?”
“He kinda, you know, bosses me around. Ties me up. Blindfolds me. Smacks my ass and pulls my hair. Talks dirty. That kind of stuff. We have this arrangement that I have to be ready for him, naked and waiting, any time he calls.” The old Megan would’ve been embarrassed to admit those things out loud, but with her newfound confidence, she wasn’t ashamed to admit what she enjoyed.
“That’s so hot!” Jules shook her head. “I had no idea you were into that. Not that I’m judging. Nick and I play around with some of that stuff sometimes too.”
“You know, I didn’t really know it either until . . . well, until Gabe. But I love it, Jules. It makes me feel alive and free and sexy.” She’d only ever discussed her issues with sex after the cancer in bits and pieces, never really wanting to examine it too closely, afraid of what she’d find. Maybe if she’d been open and talked about it more, she would’ve had an easier time processing it. She leveled her gaze on Jules, eyebrow arched. “What kind of playing around do you and Nick do?”
“He gets really bossy sometimes, and loves dirty talk. And we both get off on doing it in semipublic places. The thrill of almost getting caught.” She laughed. “You’ve heard the stories.”
Megan laughed too. “You mean about the back of the cab, or the club bathroom, or that time you gave him a hand job at that party . . .”
A passerby shot Megan a scandalized look, and she and Jules both laughed harder.
“But it’s just casual?” asked Jules once they’d recovered.
“Yeah. I don’t think he’s really looking for a relationship. I’m sure there’s a reason why, but any time I try to talk about anything personal with him, he clams up.” She hesitated before asking, “Do you know much about him? His past?” She shouldn’t pry, but she also couldn’t help herself. She felt as though she was starving and he was feeding her bread crumbs.
Jules shook her head. “I really don’t. Do you want me to ask Nick?”
Megan gave her head a quick shake. “No. If Gabe doesn’t want to talk about his past, I should respect that.” Even if that was easier said than done. “Besides. It’s just sex.”
“But you want more.” It wasn’t a question. As usual, Jules was able to see right through her.
Megan nodded. “I do, but I’m trying to just let it be, and enjoy it.” But she couldn’t deny that she had feelings for Gabe. She cared about him, and wanted to know more about him. She wanted to know what had caused him so much pain that he kept his heart locked away.
“Okay, just be careful not to get in too deep. I’m glad you’re having fun, but I’d hate for you to get hurt.”
Megan nodded, wondering if getting hurt was inevitable, but also knowing there was no way she could walk away. Like a moth to a flame, irresistibly drawn, and likely to get her wings singed off.
Gabe leaned against the kitchen counter with his arms crossed over his chest as he watched the union rep talk to the guys in the adjoining great room. The guy had just finished his speech about the benefits of unionizing and was now taking questions. Gabe wasn’t happy about bringing in a union, but he understood the guys’ concerns and had agreed to facilitate a meeting. Given Darcy’s reluctance to consider the fighters’ concerns with the Mereo deal, they needed to talk to a representative. The Mayfair vs. Lewis boxing match was tonight and a group of them had been planning to get together to watch the pay-per-view, so he’d figured now was as good a time as any.
Gabe had invited all who wanted to come to the house Ito shared with three other fighters. It was out in Henderson—far enough away from WFC headquarters that it was free from the weight of Craig Darcy’s influence. Though now that the sun had set, Gabe was rethinking the wisdom of doing this on a Saturday. He hadn’t missed a Saturday night with Megan since they’d started seeing each other.
He glanced down at his watch. If he could get out of here in an hour, it’d still be early enough to call her. Or, hell . . . he’d call her up late and put their arrangement to its first real test. Have her drag her sweet ass out of bed to meet him. Almost as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he knew he wouldn’t do it. He didn’t want her out so late alone on his account.
He let out a frustrated breath. Maybe they should’ve exchanged keys. It’d be a hell of a lot more convenient to go to her place, crawl into bed with her, and wake her up. She’d be sleep rumpled and sexy as hell. Suddenly he wanted to see her like that, to call her and tell her he was coming over. She lived alone. He knew she’d tell him yes. The thought was intriguing, but something held him back. He wasn’t ready to cross the line that would take them into each other’s personal spaces.
“Got a date?”
Gabe glanced up to see Nick standing on the other side of the counter popping a chip laden with salsa into his mouth. “Huh?”
Nick chewed and pointed to Gabe’s wrist. “You keep looking at your watch. We keeping you from something?”
Gabe uncrossed his arms and put his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “Just ready for the fight to start.”
Raising his eyebrow, Nick grabbed another chip, but when he opened his mouth to comment, Ito walked up.
“Hey, thanks for arranging this, man,” Ito said. “For the first time in a long time, I feel like we’ve got some leverage.”
Gabe nodded. “We need to find out how much interest we have from the guys. I’m confident the ones here tonight are on board, but we need a majority. Once we have that, I say we go to Darcy one more time, set down our terms, and see if he listens. If he doesn’t, then we move forward.”
“Didn’t you already talk to him? He didn’t seem interested in changing anything,” Ito said.
“Yeah, I know. But now we’re more serious. We have the rep ready to go. I think next time around we’ll take a few guys to talk to him. Find out who’s been most affected and have them share their stories.” Gabe looked back toward the great room, mentally picking out the guys who’d likely want to talk to Darcy.
“Jules will be there too,” Nick added. “I’ve talked to her and she feels the same way we do. She doesn’t think the way the Mereo contract is being handled is fair. I think it’ll be good to have someone at the meeting in WFC administration who’s on our side.”
Ito nodded. “Okay, that sounds like a good start. When do you think we can set it up?” he asked Gabe.
“Talk to a few guys. See which ones you can talk into going in with us. I think we could set something up within the next couple of weeks,” Gabe answered.
“Thanks again, man,” Ito said as he walked off to rejoin the group in the great room.
Nick waited until Ito had made it all the way out of the kitchen before he asked, “Are you seeing Megan tonight?”
Gabe nearly choked on his tongue. “What the hell do you know about Megan?”
It was Nick’s turn to cross his arms over his chest. “I know she told Jules that you’re seeing each other.”
“I wouldn’t say we’re ‘seeing each other’ . . . exactly.”
“Yeah, I know. You don’t date.”
Nothing he could say to that. “We’re just having fun.”
Nick’s face darkened. “You don’t do that either.”
Gabe shrugged. “What do you want me to say, Nick? I was very clear with her before we got involved. She knows we’re not serious. She’s a grown woman and can make up her own mind about whether to see me or not.”
Nick finally dropped his big-brother stance and looked down. “Yeah, I know. I just don’t want her to get hurt.”
Gabe took in a deep breath. “That’s one thing we can agree on.” He’d made his terms very clear. So why was there an inkling of guilt nagging at him?
“Good.” Nick gave him a nod and walked off to join the group.
Gabe took his phone out of his pocket and stared at it. Going by the rules he’d set, he never contacted her for anything other than sex. But it was Saturday. She’d expect to meet up with him tonight. He felt bad that she might be waiting for his call.
Cursing under his breath because this was probably an indication of how deep he was getting in with her, he let himself out the sliding glass door onto the patio and called her. “Hey,” he said when she answered. “I’m just calling to let you know that I can’t make it tonight.”
“Oh.” There was no mistaking the disappointment in her voice. He smiled knowing that she looked forward to their nights together as much as he did. “That’s okay. I have work to catch up on anyway.”
“Okay . . .” He paused, because he’d been about to go into details, but that too was crossing a line.
“Is everything all right?” Megan asked.
Fuck it. He was crossing a lot of lines with her lately. “Yeah. This is all off the record, okay?”
“Of course.”
“I’m stuck at a meeting with some fighters and a union rep. They’re getting serious about unionizing.” He ran his hand down the back of his neck, wondering how the hell he’d gotten in the middle of it all.
“Wow, I knew they were unhappy, but I didn’t realize they were that serious. Good for them.”
“Yeah . . . I guess.” He sighed.
“What’s wrong? You don’t want to bring in a union?”
Gabe shook his head. “I don’t really care one way or the other. I appreciate all that Darcy has done, bringing me into the league and making the WFC what it is today. But this Mereo deal is shit for a lot of these guys. I just wish there was a compromise.” He looked up into the night sky, the glow from the lights on the Strip visible on the horizon. “And I hate being in the middle of it.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
He gave her a brief rundown of how the guys had come and talked to him in the beginning, and his meeting with Darcy. Somehow he’d become their spokesman and he wasn’t sure how it had happened.
“I think they know they can trust you and you have their best interests at heart. You should feel proud of that.” He could tell by the sound of her voice that she was smiling.
Something about it made him want to smile too. “Yeah, I know.”
“But you don’t feel comfortable with that.” She finished his thought before he could even articulate it.
He hadn’t felt comfortable with responsibility for a long time. Not since his life had gone to hell. “I just want to fight. I’m not sure I’m cut out for the politics.”
She gave a little laugh. “You’re good at the fighting part, but you’re good at the other stuff too. You’re smart. You listen. The guys look up to you. I think deep down you want to help them.”
Her compliments made him proud. More than that. He felt ten feet tall, and he didn’t quite know what to do with that feeling. “I do want to help them.”
“If anyone can get Craig Darcy to see reason, I think it’s you. And if you can’t, then you’ll guide the guys who look up to you. Do what you think is right.”
For the first time that night, he felt better about the whole thing. She was right, but it was more than the words she’d said. She soothed him, just like when he’d talked to her on Mason’s birthday.
“Thanks, Megan.”
“No problem.” She paused and added, “Anything else I can help you with tonight?” Her voice became sexy and coy, and his blood flowed south.
He couldn’t help the giant smile that stretched across his face. “What did you have in mind?”
“Oh, I don’t know, maybe I could tell you how much I love your cock while you stroke it a little. Then you could get all growly—”
“Megan . . .”
“Just like that.” She sighed. “And then you could tell me how you want me to touch myself.” She made a gasping sound and his brows drew together.
“Are you touching yourself?” Everything went still on her end, and he knew he’d caught her. “What did I tell you about touching yourself?”
“I wasn’t planning to come,” she explained, her voice almost pleading.
“Oh, you’re a bad girl, Megan. You’re in trouble. Bad girls don’t get cock.”
“It was only a little. It shouldn’t even count.” She sounded worried.
“It counts.” He grinned.
“Hey, Maddox!” Ito called from the door of the patio. “Union guy is about to leave and he wants to talk to you.”
Shit. “Be right there,” he called out. Bringing the phone back up to his ear, he said, “The Palms in two hours.” Fuck the boxing match. Megan was more important.
“Okay, but I want your cock,” she said.
He couldn’t help but laugh, loving their game. “Then you’ll show me you deserve it.”