Page 52 of Until You're Mine
“I think…” He exhaled. “We really need him to win his fight.”
Shit.Guilt bubbled up inside of me, and just when I thought I’d finally parted ways with the sucky emotion. Pressure mixed in to add another layer to the heaviness pressing against my chest.If I chase one more guy off the team, they’ll bebeggingme to leave instead of the other way around. I’ll become the Yoko Ono of Team Domination.
While a month ago I could’ve mostly not cared, now it would hurt if they celebrated my departure. I wouldn’t blame them, either. They worked so hard, putting in long hours for meager pay, and they had a lot riding on each fighter and bout. “I want him to win, I swear. And if there’s anything I can do…”
Liam ran a hand through his hair, but it was getting long enough that it fell right back around his eyes. “How do you feel about wearing a Mumu?”
“I’m going to pretend you didn’t ask that,” I said, fighting back a smile so he didn’t go thinking he was hilarious.
“What? You and Finn are the only people in this family who get to make jokes?”
I tossed a mechanical pencil at his head, and he dodged and laughed. Then his expression turned serious, the way he wore it too often these days.
“How far are you on the books?” he asked.
“I’m about to start combing through last month’s ledger instead of dwelling in two-or-three-months-ago territory. Another week, week and a half, and I should at least be starting the current month.”
“Have you found any outstanding invoices from people who owe us money? Preferably large sums of it.”
I grimaced. “Like one or two tiny ones, but there are a lot more outstanding invoices on our end.” There were also those figures that didn’t add up, which reminded me that I needed to see if any of those vendors had answered the emails I’d sent last week from the accounting address. I didn’t want to bring it up before I had solid information, since that would only stress Liam out more.
“That’s what I was afraid of.”
“Do you want me to cut some checks for the invoices? Or I can pay them online since it’s easi—”
“We’ll worry about that once we’re caught up. I’m dealing with the bills for all the things that we can’t train without.” He tapped the desk. “I better get back to work.”
“You know your advice to me about taking some time off to do what you love? You might want to take it and apply it to yourself.”
His return smile was way too forced. “This gym, training, and fighting is what I love. Why would I need time off from that?”
Apparently he’d meant it rhetorically, because he walked away before I could give him an answer. Finn had told me they needed my help to dig out of a mess, but the deeper I went, the messier things looked. Add in the stress constantly coming off Liam, and I worried that I wasn’t the only one keeping secrets.
…
Thursday evening, I wandered into Dad’s office and opened the mini-fridge he kept chock-full of electrolyte- and protein-heavy drinks. I’d recently taken to sticking a couple of Mountain Dews inside so when my caffeine drip ran low, I could come recharge my supply and eke out another hour or so of work before crashing.
My palm had just wrapped around a cool can, my mouth already anticipating the syrupy goodness awaiting me, when I heard someone step inside the room.
I glanced over my shoulder to find a freshly-showered Shane, and a whole different kind of anticipation took control of my body. A jolt traveled down my core, much stronger than any buzz I could get from caffeine.
He gave me the same look a hungry cougar would give a deer, and my heart screeched into action. When it came to fight or flight with this guy, I was all about the fight—preferably while naked.
“Are we alone?” I asked. The past few days it’d been impossible to find time to see each other. We’d exchanged texts and a few stolen kisses that only left me sexually frustrated and wanting more.
Without a word, he stalked toward me.
A few long strides and his mouth was on mine, his firm body pinning me against the wall. I wadded his T-shirt in my hands, ensuring he wouldn’t get away. “Plot twist”—I sucked his bottom lip between mine and lightly bit it—“the predator becomes the prey.”
Shane dipped his head and licked a trail across my collarbone. “You won’t be saying that after I devour you.”
“Bring it.”
He gripped a fistful of my hair and jerked my head aside. Then he placed rough kisses on my neck and jaw before thrusting his tongue into my mouth and stroking it in a savage rhythm that awoke my carnal side and lured it to come out and play. “Tap out if it gets to be too much.”
I reached around, slipped my hands down the back of his shorts and squeezed his ass as I brought him tighter against me. “Right back at you.”
Shane boosted me into his arms, and I automatically wrapped my legs around his waist. He spun and placed me on the desk, then wedged himself between my thighs and reclaimed my mouth. His hands dragged up my sides and then moved to cup my breasts over a bra that so needed to go.
