Fight for Me Read online

  “This is sexy.” He dropped down to his knees and rolled his tongue over the jewel, then into my navel. The satiny feel of his mouth against my skin as he licked me sent flames of desire through every pore. I latched onto his hair to balance myself as the strength of my arousal caused my legs to tremble, my body to quake, and my sex to grow moist. He kissed the skin right at the edge of my jeans, then backed away.

  “Let’s get out of here,” he said.

  No, let’s stay here. That’s what my body said, but he forced me toward the door. I grabbed a sweatshirt and followed him out of the apartment.

  Ryder

  We pulled into a large parking lot, and I glanced over at Alexis. She looked at me like I’d lost my mind and asked, “A carnival?”

  “Yeah, don’t you like them?”

  “I used to like them. I mean, I feel a little excited when I see one, but there’s also a bit of nostalgia mixed in. I’ve never been to one of these without Alec.”

  “We can go somewhere else.”

  After the night she had, I wanted to do something to make her smile, not bring back memories that would depress her. I began to turn the key in the ignition, but she put her hand over mine to still my motions.

  She looked quietly out the windshield at the carnival. I could tell by the look on her face she was visiting a time in the past. I didn’t know what to say, so I stayed quiet and let her have a moment to remember Alec. Then she smiled to herself and started talking.

  “When we were eight…” She began, with her eyes still locked on the carnival in the distance. It was like she was reliving it as she was telling me. “Alec decided we were going to ride the Tilt-A-Whirl ten times in a row. And I always went along with anything he said.”

  That, I remembered. When she was younger, she’d do anything Alec and I told her to. She trusted us unconditionally, and I always wanted to protect her from her naivety. I knew she’d had a different reason for doing all the things I told her. Her crush on me was cute back then, but I thought I was too old for her. She had always been amazingly beautiful. At thirteen, she’d already developed the kind of body a fifteen-year-old could only admire when she wore her bikini on the beach. So when any of the other boys even looked her way, I made sure they knew she wasn’t available.

  She looked over at me with a sad smile. “To me, Alec’s ideas were always brilliant.”

  I smiled at her. “They were pretty brilliant. Remember the day Alec decided we should hike two miles down the beach, over the hill, and down to the lake? That was great idea.”

  She looked at me and shook her head. “No, that was a bad one.”

  “What? We had a great time at the lake. All the older kids hung out there.”

  “No, you had fun with Melanie. I had a horrible time because I had to watch you drool all over her.”

  “First of all, I wasn’t drooling. And secondly, were you jealous?”

  She rolled her eyes at me and crossed her arms. “Don’t pretend you didn’t know I had a crush on you.”

  I narrowed my eyes and feigned surprise. “How would I have known that?”

  “Ryder?” She stared at me with one eyebrow raised.

  “Okay, I knew, but you were too young for me.”

  “No, I wasn’t, and Melanie was too old for you. What was she, like, twenty?”

  “She was eighteen. And in her defense, she thought I was eighteen, also. You have to admit I was tall for sixteen.”

  “She was disgusting.” She looked at me with a grimace.

  “That’s not how I remember her.”

  “That’s because you were too busy staring at her boobs.”

  “She had great boobs.” I smiled at how irritated and jealous she was getting.

  “I had boobs.” She pouted.

  “Yeah, and they were great. Not as great as they are now, but I noticed.”

  “So you were watching me?” Her face brightened, and she leaned toward me.

  “Of course I watched you, but I would’ve never touched you.”

  “Why not? You had no problems touching Melanie in the lake.”

  “God,” I groaned, shutting my eyes. “You really were watching me.”

  “I watched until I couldn’t take it anymore.”

  Okay, maybe I shouldn’t have brought up this memory, because she obviously did not enjoy that day as much as I did.

  “How far did you go with her?”

  “Not far.” I lied. Melanie let me feel and touch things that would’ve made fourteen-year-old Lexi cry. If I hadn’t been such a horny adolescent, I probably would’ve realized I was hurting Lexi.

  “You know I would’ve let you touch mine.”

  “Are you crazy?” I glared at her. “I would’ve never touched them or let anyone else touch you. Besides, Alec would’ve tried to rip my head off.”

  “No, he wouldn’t. You were probably already a black belt, and Alec worshipped you.”

  “Yeah, but I would’ve let him kick my ass if I touched you.”

  She smirked at me. “Well, Logan took my virginity when I was sixteen, and Alec didn’t kick his ass.”

  “Jesus, Lexi! I really didn’t need to know that.”

  She laughed and leaned in toward me. “If I had to watch you fondle Melanie, then you can hear about who I’ve fucked.”

  I yanked her toward me with a hand at the back of her neck, but she tried to pull away. I moved my hand into her hair, tightened my grip, and pulled her until we were an inch apart.

  “If I ever hear you talk about fucking someone, it better be because I’m between your legs giving it to you.”

  I crushed my lips against hers in an angry kiss that let her know I owned her and every other fucking man better be long forgotten. We pulled away, panting. Her hands were tangled in my hair and her eyes heavy with lust. I slipped my hand into her jeans and cupped her wet pussy, swirling my fingers into her moist heat. “This has always been mine.”

  “You left,” she said in a hushed tone.

  “And I’m here now.”

  She climbed out of her seat and straddled me. My finger was still buried in her, and she spoke in soft moans. “So when are you going to make me yours?”

  Fuck! She began grinding on my hand and kissing my neck, and I swore no woman had ever made my cock so hard. I knew I needed to fuck her soon, but not in a car at a carnival parking lot. I wanted to make love to her on my bed, then fuck her against my wall, and then lick her sweet pussy until she passed out from the pleasure.

  Her breath caught, and she stiffened over me. I continued to thrust my fingers into her and roll my thumb over her clit until she gasped and pulsated against my finger. She dropped her head to my shoulder and breathed heavily against my skin. “Let’s go home.”

  “No, I want to take you to the carnival.”

  She raised her head and gave me an incredulous look. She reached down and placed her hand over my rock-hard erection.

  “I think you want to go home.” She kissed my chin while stroking me through my jeans. The sounds of a group of people giggling as they walked by reminded me of where I was before my need almost took over my mind. I thanked God the tinted windows made us almost unnoticeable. I pulled my hand out of her pants and used it to hold her at bay.

  “No. Hop off my lap and give me a minute to calm down. Then I’m taking you to the carnival, and we’ll ride the Tilt-A-Whirl ten times for Alec.”

  Her eyes widened, and she shook her head vigorously. “Nooo. I only made it to seven and a half times that day.”

  “A half?”

  “Yeah,” she said as she climbed back to her seat. “I threw up in the middle of the eighth ride, and I’m not going to embarrass myself by throwing up in front of you.”

  I grinned at her. “I think we already passed that milestone in my bathroom the other night.”

  “Ugh.” She grimaced. “I really know how to keep you interested.”

  “You never had a problem keeping me interested… and horny.” I look
ed down at the tight knot in the front of my jeans and back at her. “Come on, before I change my mind.”

  We ran across the parking lot, and she spent hours eating junk food I couldn’t have, and then we rode the Tilt-A-Whirl eleven times for the memory of our brother Alec.

  ~*~*~

  “Are you hungry?” I dropped my keys on the table next to the door as we walked toward the kitchen.

  “Don’t you think we had enough tonight?”

  After the carnival, we stopped at the bar for a drink. One drink turned into many more drinks and even more dancing.

  She watched me with that hungry gaze all night, and I knew what she wanted, but I didn’t want to fuck her while she was drunk. She took a seat at the kitchen island and watched as I moved around. She didn’t even disguise her interest in me when I turned around and caught her open perusal of my body.

  I placed a large dish of raw vegetables in front of us, and she frowned at me.

  “Is this some kind of sign that I need to lose weight?”

  I chuckled and popped a baby carrot into my mouth.

  “Whatever you need to keep that ass looking that good, I’ll be glad to supply. This”—I pointed to the platter in between us—“is how I keep my body looking good enough to keep you coming back.”

  “How can I be coming back to something I’ve never even had?”

  I smiled at her before biting into a piece of celery. I studied her face for a few silent moments, and she began to slouch in her seat. She was tired and seemed a little sad, too.

  “I know whenever I see a glimpse of the happy Lexi, you shut down. Why won’t you allow yourself to be happy?”

  “Reality is in the way of my happiness,” she answered honestly. “Every time I start to feel happy, reality smacks me in the face.”

  “Did you ever think if you faced reality, you might be able to see all your options more clearly?” I began to clean off the counter. She didn’t answer my question, and I knew she wouldn’t. I walked past her, pulling my shirt over my head.

  “Come on, let’s get you to bed.”

  “Are we having sex?” She smiled seductively and smacked my ass. She giggled at my startled expression and grabbed my hand.

  “No sex tonight. We’ve had too much to drink.”

  She whined until we settled into bed. Then she fell asleep instantly. As I drifted to sleep, I knew I was getting closer to Alexis than I wanted, but I was not willing to give up having her in my life or holding her in my arms at night.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Ryder

  Alexis came out of the bathroom in the tightest, shortest little dress I’d ever seen her wear. The ivory color complimented her long, dark tresses and sun-kissed skin, but the deep V cut in the front made me apprehensive. Her legs looked long and sexy in black fuck-me heels. She told me she was taking a cab across town to meet a friend at the club we’d visited a week ago. There was no fucking way I was letting her out of there dressed like that without me at her side.

  As we sat at the bar, a number of men eyed her with open interest. She laughed and caught up with her friend, oblivious to the stir she was causing in that dress.

  “Why don’t you just whip it out and piss on her leg?” Ty said. I texted him to meet me here before I left my place. The last thing I needed was to put my fist into someone else's face.

  “Seriously, man, scowling at everyone who looks at her is not going to keep them away.”

  Alexis sat to my left with her back turned, so I was forced to turn toward Ty on the opposite side. “Why did she have to wear that dress?”

  “You got it bad.” Ty laughed and got up, walked around me, and whispered something to Alexis.

  What the fuck was that?

  Alexis smiled at him, gave me a quick glance, and then he took her hand and led her to the dance floor. The asshole looked at me and smirked. He knew if he was anyone else, I’d kick his ass.

  “Hey, Noah.” Shelby waved as a new bartender walked by. He tipped his head in her direction, nodded, and moved to the other side of the bar. Shelby glanced at me and slid over a seat. “I guess this is my chance to thank you for saving Lexi that night.”

  “Nothing to thank me for.” I picked up my bottle and chugged on my beer. She smiled.

  “You’re modest. I like it. But seriously, thank you. Lexi has kept me together without realizing it. When Alec was here, Lexi and I weren’t this close. We’ve bonded through our loss, and I know Alec would’ve been happy to see how much we love each other now.” A sad expression crossed her face, and I could tell it was hard for her to talk about Alec.

  “She seems to be in a better place. You’ve helped her.”

  “We all helped her, but you kept her from jumping over the edge.”

  “Me? I haven’t spoken to her in years.” I wanted to call her on many occasions, but I didn’t. I didn’t think I would’ve been able to help her.

  “Those text messages… she treasured them. Every time you sent one, I knew because it was the only time she’d be excited. She’d tell me you checked in on her with this little smile on her face. She cares about you, and I hate to say this to you, but please don’t hurt her.”

  “I don’t intend to.”

  “It took a long time for her to get where she is. I don’t want you to shatter all she worked so hard to rebuild.” That’s exactly what I’d been afraid of. It’s the reason I’d been trying to hold myself back.

  “What are you two whispering about?” Alexis asked, as she and Ty returned.

  “I’m just getting to know Ryder,” Shelby said, winking at me, and then called out for two more martinis. As she moved to go back to her seat, Logan slipped into it. She looked at him and grimaced, but he didn’t notice because he only had eyes for Alexis.

  “Lexi,” he called out, but she ignored him, moving away from him until she stood between my legs.

  “Oh, Logan,” Shelby exclaimed with fake enthusiasm. “Have you met Ryder?” It was obvious she wasn’t his biggest fan and was attempting to use me against him.

  He looked at me and shrugged. “Yeah, Lexi’s stepbrother or something.”

  “Or something,” Lexi replied. She moved closer to me, placing her hands on my chest, and then dragged them downward. Her soft hands caressed my midriff, causing the muscles of my abdomen to clench. Her fingers caused little shockwaves to my system. My dick strained against the material of my jeans in response to her light touches. In my peripheral vision, I saw Logan narrow his eyes. He picked up his beer and pretended to be more interested in it than in Lexi’s show.

  She was trying to send the asshole a message, and I was all for getting him to back off my girl. She leaned in, and he stopped drinking to stare at her. She slid her hand around my waist and pressed her body against mine. She smelled like vanilla. Completely edible. She kissed under my jaw, then slipped her tongue out, licking me in a way that made me want to claim her—now.

  Shit. I knew she could feel my body’s reaction. She kissed her way across my jaw, then licked her lips, leaning in to nip my lip with her teeth.

  Logan slammed his bottle on the bar, but I couldn’t care less about him. He stalked toward us, but I had my hand on Lexi’s hip and her lips pressed to mine. He yanked her arm, and she broke the kiss with a sly smirk.

  “We need to talk,” he said through clenched teeth, pulling her from my arm to the edge of dance floor. I was tempted to pull her back so she could continue her sweet torture, but Ty grabbed me and gave me a look that said to calm the fuck down. I figured I’d give Lexi three minutes to let him know to back off before I went over there and took her back.

  “What happened between them?” I asked Shelby.

  “You should ask Lexi. But she still considers them friends.”

  Yeah, Shelby definitely didn’t like Logan, and I was with her. I didn’t care what he used to be in her life, I didn’t want him hanging around her anymore. If I had stuck around, he’d never have gotten the opportunity to have Lexi first.
The thought of him touching an innocent, sixteen-year-old Lexi made my stomach turn.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Alexis

  “What the fuck are you doing?” I crossed my arms and looked away as Logan bellowed at me. “Do you know what a guy like that will do to you?” he continued.

  “I don’t know, Logan. Is it anything like what you did to me?” I lifted an eyebrow and glared at him. He flinched, took a step back, and then sighed.

  “I was young and stupid. You know I’m sorry for everything that happened. I know I can be what you need now. Him…” He pointed to Ryder then looked back at me. “He’s a famous fighter. He has a new woman in his bed every night.”

  He placed his hands on either side of my face. “I miss you,” he declared as he leaned forward to kiss me. I turned my head in time for his lips to land on my cheek. “Don’t you miss me?”

  “When are you going to get that I don’t want what you want?” I asked him in the calmest voice I could muster. “There’s no going back for us.”

  He ran a hand through his blond hair, then rested it on his hip. He was getting angry, and it was something I’d gotten used to. He was a grown man who threw a fit when he didn’t get his way.

  “Look, Lexi, I know you’ve been through a lot, but it’s time you live your life. Not many men would put up with your I could care less attitude. I’ve waited for you—”

  “I didn’t ask you to!” My patience ran out. I wasn’t in the mood for another one of his speeches.

  I took a step away from him, but he grabbed my arm to keep me from leaving. “We’re not done talking.”

  “Yes, we are.” I shook off his hand, but he yanked me back. I crashed against him and looked up into his angry eyes.

  “You’re such a cold bitch sometimes.” He snarled at me. What? Something changed in his eyes. An anger sparked that I’d never seen in him.

  “Logan—”

  “I think you need to let her go,” Ryder said as he stepped in behind Logan.