Addicted by Elle Kennedy
A wrinkle appeared in Sara’s forehead. “Why would he think I need space?”
Jamie didn’t want to upset the girl by revealing that her father might have interfered, so she opted for the vague approach. “Teenage boys have a weird sense of logic. Give him some time and I’m sure he’ll go back to his normal self.”
“I guess.” Sara didn’t sound convinced.
“Try not to think about it. We’re sparring today, and I can’t have you distracted, okay?”
Sara nodded, but a deep groove remained etched in her forehead as they headed back to the group.
Rylan stuck two fingers in his mouth and released an ear-piercing whistle, and everyone gathered around as the first round of fights began.
Jamie was in awe of Rylan and Pike for whipping all these people into shape. The teenage Ethan was taking on a man twice his size this morning, yet he was totally holding his own. She watched the kid react with lightning-fast kicks and powerful uppercuts that made her wince. He bobbed and weaved like a champion, using his smaller size to duck under his opponent’s fists, then delivered a punch that made everyone whoop.
By the time they stopped for a water break, every team had scored a point. The fights were evenly matched and wildly entertaining, but Jamie was itching for her turn. The tension wreaking havoc on her body refused to dissipate, and it was only made worse by Reese’s presence.
Why hadn’t she noticed how fucking beautiful the woman was? Well, fine, she had noticed, but for some reason Reese looked even more beautiful today. She had the most perfect skin. It was like ivory, and looked so soft and smooth to the touch. And her tits were fabulous. Round, perky mounds that swayed sensually each time she moved.
Jamie wrenched her gaze away, unable to control the annoyance eddying in her stomach. Rylan gestured for her to step forward, and as he scanned the other teams in search of an opponent for her, Jamie couldn’t stop the words that burst out of her mouth.
“How about Reese?”
The Foxworth leader’s head snapped up in surprise. A second later, her brown eyes narrowed at Jamie.
She met the suspicious gaze head-on, offering a cool one in return. Which brought a flicker of bewilderment to the other woman’s eyes.
“Now, that’s a match-up I’d like to see,” Beckett remarked with a grin.
Rylan didn’t sound as delighted as Beck was. “Reese isn’t on a team. It won’t count for standings.”
“I don’t care.” Jamie flicked a look of challenge at the redhead. “I figured Reese might enjoy getting in on the fun.”
Although the taunt was right there in her voice, it seemed nobody but Reese picked up on it. The woman slid off the ledge and approached them with the grace of a lioness.
“What’s this about, honey?” Reese murmured so that only Jamie could hear.
She didn’t bother lowering her voice. “I think you know.”
It was obvious Reese wasn’t used to hearing defiance in her people’s voices, because her jaw tightened and her tone had a bite to it now. “All right. I’m in.”
Beckett hooted happily.
The sound made Jamie turn her head. Her gaze landed not on Beckett, but Lennox, who was staring at her with visible wariness.
Rather than acknowledge him, she walked into the ring and cracked her knuckles.
Reese did the same, watching Jamie in amusement. “Are we really going to do this?” she asked mockingly.
“Damn right we are.” And then she lunged before Rylan had even given them the signal.
All her rage and jealousy toward this woman came pouring out, like the powerful arc of water from the broken fire hydrant she and Lennox had come across once. Her fist caught Reese in the jaw, and though the woman was able to block the second blow, the first one had already done its intended damage. Blood gushed from the corner of Reese’s mouth, dripping down her neck. As her eyes blazed, Reese launched a counterattack that left Jamie breathless.
The bitch’s fists were like balls of steel. One connected with Jamie’s right temple with enough force to make her ears ring. Growling, she retaliated by snapping her knee up into Reese’s stomach.
The redhead staggered backward. Jamie took full advantage of the moment by shooting forward to lock one arm around Reese’s torso. With her free hand she grabbed a hunk of Reese’s hair and pulled hard. She knew it must have hurt, but Reese didn’t make a sound. She fought the hold instead, trying to elbow Jamie in the side, but Jamie had two inches on her and red-hot fury on her side.
She gave Reese’s hair another violent tug and brought her mouth to the woman’s ear. “Next time you ask Lennox to keep a secret from me, I want you to remember this.”
Then she twisted the redhead around and smashed her fist in Reese’s surprised face. She connected with her eye this time, but Reese was no amateur. She gave as good as she got, clipping Jamie’s cheek with a sharp jab, then delivering a blow that split Jamie’s eyebrow.
She felt the warm trickle of blood sliding down her face, but the adrenaline coursing through her prevented the pain from registering. She was vaguely aware of the cheers erupting all around them, but they might as well have been coming from ten miles away. The sounds were muffled by the thunderous drumming of her pulse.
She snapped her fists up and unleashed a one-two punch that Reese managed to deflect. When the woman came at her in a counterattack, Jamie utilized a move Lennox had taught her when they were kids and used Reese’s forward momentum against her. She flipped the woman right over her shoulder, cackling when Reese found herself flat on her back.
Jamie was on her before she could move, digging her forearm into Reese’s throat. She saw the blood on Reese’s cheek and mouth, the eye that was starting to swell shut, and satisfaction rose inside her.
“Oh, and one more thing.” She dipped her face close to Reese’s and hissed, “Keep your fucking hands off him. You feel me?”
She pounded her fist into the redhead’s face again, and in the back of her mind she was surprised that nobody was pulling her off. The fight was clearly over. Jamie had clearly won. But Rylan hadn’t whistled, and Jamie was still furious enough that she couldn’t help getting a few more good licks in there.
She’d just landed another punch when she realized that the woman beneath her was trembling. No, shaking uncontrollably. It took a moment to grasp that Reese was laughing hysterically.
The woman’s laughter, which managed to sound melodic even with an elbow lodged against her windpipe, was so perplexing that Jamie released her. Her fist went limp, arm dropping as she warily stared at Reese. “What’s so funny?”
“You still”—Reese reached up to wipe the blood from her mouth—“want to tell me there are no feelings involved?”
Jamie’s shoulders went rigid.
Reese croaked out another laugh, peering up at her with mocking brown eyes. “Yeah, honey, how’s that arrangement working out for you?”
19
“What the fuck was that?” Lennox stormed into the bedroom after Jamie, but she was too busy stripping off her bloody tank top to pay him any attention.
Rylan had sent her back to her room to change, because not only was her shirt soaked crimson, but it had somehow been torn right in half. And maybe it made her no better than those bloodthirsty bandits, but kicking the shit out of Reese had been the greatest high of Jamie’s life.
“Jesus. You’re covered in blood,” Lennox muttered.
“We were sparring,” she said coolly. “That’s what happens when you spar. People bleed.”
“Really? That’s how you want to play it?” He released a string of curses. “You ripped her apart like you were a lion and she was your next meal. I think you broke a couple of her ribs.”
“She’ll live.” Jamie removed her sports bra, which was somehow stained with blood too. Damn it. The red splotches on the white cotton would be
Lennox’s gray eyes rested on her bare breasts. When she glimpsed the arousal in his gaze, her anger returned in full force. Uh-uh. No way. He wasn’t allowed to get turned on by her tits. Not after what he’d done last night.
“Why are you even here?” she demanded as she marched to the bathroom. “Shouldn’t you be consoling your precious Reese?”
He followed her in. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
Ignoring him, she turned on the tap and began scrubbing her bloodstained hands. She dragged the bar of soap over her knuckles, then used it to dig at the dried blood under her fingernails. The water turned pink as it swirled down the drain.
Lennox hovered in the doorway, and she studied his reflection in the mirror. He looked irritated. And pissed. And confused.
It was the confusion that raised her hackles, because it implied that he had no idea what he’d done wrong.
Jamie whirled around. “You slept with her last night.”
He stared at her. “No. I didn’t.”
She faltered, tempted for a moment to believe him. But then she remembered his fingers laced through Reese’s. His determined expression as he followed Reese into her building.
“Sure, Lennox. If you say so.”
“Are you serious right now? Even if I did sleep with Reese—which I didn’t—you’re not exactly one to point fingers. You spent the night with Rylan.”
It was her turn to feel confused. “No, I didn’t.”
“Come on, Jamie, I saw you making out with him at Beckett’s.”
Her jaw fell open. “We didn’t make out. And when the hell were you even at Beckett’s?”
“I came to apologize after you and I argued.” Bitterness colored his tone. “But you were too busy getting comforted by Rylan.”
She gazed at him in disbelief. “All we did was hug.”
He frowned at her.
“It’s the truth. I was furious with you and Rylan calmed me down. I gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek, and then I went to find you so I could apologize, and saw you going upstairs with Reese.”
They eyed each other for a beat.
“You really didn’t—”
“Are you saying you didn’t—”
They both stopped, laughing awkwardly.
“I didn’t sleep with Rylan.”
“I didn’t sleep with Reese.”
Relief hit her like a gust of wind. She shut off the water and then dried her hands and grabbed the clean tank top she’d draped over the towel rack. Hurriedly slipping it on, she walked back into her room and sat on the edge of the bed. Lennox joined her, keeping a foot of distance between them.
“It didn’t used to be a big deal if we were with other people,” Jamie said slowly.
“No,” he agreed.
“But it is now.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He made a frustrated sound. “I don’t know. But I don’t like the idea of you sleeping with anyone but me. Not even if I’m there.”
“Me neither,” she admitted. “I don’t want you to be with anyone else. And I don’t want anyone but you.”
“Okay. So it’s just us from now on.” He hesitated. “Or has that ship sailed too?”
“No. It hasn’t.”
Jamie slid closer and rested her head on his shoulder. He was wearing a flannel shirt that felt so soft beneath her cheek, and it was only another reminder that they were nearing November. She was in a tank top, but she hadn’t felt the chill before because she’d been too wired with adrenaline from the fight. She felt it now, though. She knew Reese wouldn’t turn the heat on until the temperature outside dropped from tolerably cool to unbearably frigid.
“But if it’s only us, then you can’t keep secrets from me,” she murmured. “If we’re not a team, then the ship will sail.”
Lennox wrapped one arm around her, infusing her with his warmth. “I’m sorry about yesterday. I was a dick.”
“Yep.”
“But I’m serious, Jamie. Just knowing what Reese is up to could hurt you.”
“You should have given me the choice and let me decide whether or not it’s a risk I want to take. For all you know, I might have agreed with you and ordered you not to tell me.”
He snickered. “Bullshit.”
She smiled sheepishly. He was absolutely right. But still. “I’m sorry I slapped you.” She touched his cheek where her palm had struck it. It wasn’t red or bruised, but she felt as if the imprint of her hand was still there. Yes, he’d been a dick, but she shouldn’t have hit him.
Lennox captured her hand and laced their fingers together. “It’s okay, love. We both know I provoked you.” He paused again. “I’ll tell you everything Reese and I talked about. No more secrets from this point on, I promise you that.”
She nodded. “No more secrets.”
He leaned in and kissed her, and his mouth was so warm and firm and familiar. They’d been physically involved for such a short time, but it was like they’d been doing it forever. Kissing. Touching. Making each other come. Desire soared inside her when his tongue slicked over her bottom lip. She deepened the kiss, chasing his tongue into his mouth and drawing a deep groan from him.
He wrenched his mouth away. “We should talk about Reese—”
Jamie silenced him with another kiss. “Later. We only have an hour break. Let’s make good use of it.”
She hated being angry with him. She wanted to erase that unwelcome emotion, replace it with something better. Sweeter. Lennox must have felt the same way, because suddenly he was kissing her with an eagerness that stole her breath.
They were naked in no time, tangled together on the bed as his mouth found her nipple and he suckled roughly. She stroked his dark hair and welcomed his lips, his greedy tongue. Pleasure zinged from her distended nipple to her clit, and she hooked a leg around him so his hard length was pressed up between them. Groaning, Lennox moved his hips, and his shaft glided over her core, creating sweet friction against her clit.
There was something different about the way he was touching her. He was gentler. Slower. His hands skimmed her curves and threaded through her hair with infinite tenderness. His kisses were softer, and she drank them in, running her hands down his strong back as his tongue filled her mouth. When he eased his cock inside her, she immediately recognized another significant difference. No barrier. God, his cock was velvety soft and impossibly hard at the same time as his bare length slid deep.
A part of her didn’t want to say anything, didn’t want to ruin this perfect moment, but she couldn’t keep quiet. “Len . . . condom . . .”
His eyes were hazy with pleasure as he peered down at her. “I’ll pull out,” he whispered.
Jamie’s mother had always maintained that pulling out was in no way an effective method of birth control. She could still get pregnant, but God, it felt so fucking good. The heat of him, the way he pulsed inside her. This was reckless, irresponsible behavior that she’d never seen Lennox engage in before, and even though it was stupid, her heart soared with how he threw away the last vestiges of caution and control.
Jamie locked her arms around him and realized she’d been wrong before. The high from the fight was nothing compared to the one she felt now. And damn her to hell, but Reese was right. There were feelings involved.
She loved him. So fucking much she couldn’t think straight. It didn’t matter that he’d acted like a jerk at the library, or that he’d done it again yesterday. Lennox was it for her. He was the only man in this world who made her feel safe and cherished. Who made her heart pound and her body sing.
“So wet. So tight.” His tone rang with wonderment. He braced one arm beside her while his free hand cupped her breast. Fondling and squeezing, his thumb flicking over her rigid nipple. His hips
She shivered. “Fuck me harder, Len.”
“No.” He was kissing her neck now, his cock gliding in and out with excruciatingly slow strokes. “Because then you’ll make me come and I’ll have to pull out.” His tongue grazed her earlobe. “And I like it in here too damn much.”
He rotated his hips and pushed in deep again, letting her feel every glorious inch of him.
“Close your eyes,” he murmured.
She didn’t want to. She was enjoying the euphoric look on his face. But she obeyed, her eyelids sliding shut as Lennox’s lips tormented her throat with featherlight kisses.
“You like my dick inside you, love?”
“Mmm.” She was distracted by his tender mouth, the goose bumps he elicited with each reverent brush of his lips.
Lennox increased the tempo, just slightly, thrusting to the hilt and then withdrawing again. The pressure between her legs was agonizing. She was so wet, and the lack of a condom ensured that Lennox could feel it.
He groaned in her ear. “You’re soaking my cock. You’re getting close, aren’t you?”
“Mmm.”
His lips pressed against hers, his tongue sliding past the seam in a greedy plunge. He slammed his cock into her at the same time, and then the weight of his chest disappeared from her breasts as he raised himself up on his elbow. She moaned when his talented fingers found her clit.
“Come for me, love. I want to feel you squeezing my cock before I have to leave this paradise.” He gave another deep thrust, but the lazy tempo didn’t change.
Eyes shut, Jamie lost herself in every slow stroke, the sweet pressure on her clit. Her orgasm rippled beneath the surface, hot and tingly and desperately close to spilling over. She gasped when it broke free, her inner muscles clamping tightly around his shaft as her body spasmed with pleasure.
“That’s it, love.” He teased her swollen clit with his fingers and leaned down to kiss her shoulder. “That’s a good girl, coming for me like that.”