Crash: A Bad Boy MMA Romance (2 page)

“He’s looking at you, Harper,” Ava said with a twinkle in her eye. I glanced down the length of the bar at the man my friends had been eying since we’d gotten there an hour ago.

His simple black t-shirt hugged his impossibly toned frame. When he lifted the amber beer bottle to his lips, the tattooed length of his forearm came into clear view.

Our eyes locked for an instant. His bright blue irises widened when he caught me looking. I snapped my gaze away and focused on my own margarita glass. Already empty.

Ava filled my glass again and nudged me in the side. “He’s coming over here,” she said too loudly. The other girls I’d come to Brazil with giggled as he approached. For twenty-something women with medical degrees, they certainly could behave like horny teenagers at the drop of a hat.

“Hey, beautiful,” he said, tipping his beer bottle to his full lips again. When he lifted his arm, his tight shirt rose over taut, rippling abs, showing the slightest peek of his magnificent flesh.
Oh
God.

“Hi,” I said flatly. This guy was so not my type. I knew exactly what men like this were. Players. Even if I was on vacation between medical school and residency, the last thing I needed was an empty hook-up with a stranger.

He rubbed his stomach, showing even more of that enticing skin. My body responded, betraying me, with a twitch between my legs. He noticed my lack of interest in his bad boy demeanor and changed his tactic.

“Tequila shots, ladies? On me.”

“No,” I muttered. But it was too late. My friends agreed emphatically. He cocked his head and snapped his fingers at the bartender.

“A round of tequila shots for my friends,” he said over the sound of bossa nova and laughter.

Then he turned his gaze back on me. His chiseled face was covered in a brilliant, panty-melting grin. I was sure that kind of thing worked with other girls, but it wasn’t going to work on me. No matter how much my friends encouraged me to have a rebound fuck. I didn’t care that I’d just broken up with my long-term boyfriend a month ago. I didn’t need to sleep with some random guy to get over it.

The bartender brought a tray of shots and set them in front of the newcomer who’d slid into a seat across from me.

“Keep them coming,” he said as the bartender walked away.

Ava and Mia greedily took the shots, and Ava stared at me when I didn’t take the last one. The sexy stranger gulped his down and slammed the glass on the table, smacking his lips and grinning at my friends.

I rolled my eyes and took the glass. I hated shots. They always burned my throat and made me gag. But I hated being one-upped by my friends even more. The man stared at me with that ridiculous smile on his face. I wanted to wipe it right off.

Taking the shot glass between my thumb and forefingers, I brought it to my lips and threw it back in one gulp. Fire burned down my throat, and I forced myself not to cough and gag.
Damn it.
Why did I have to be so competitive, even when it got me into trouble?

“My name’s Crash,” he said, not asking anyone’s name.

I wasn’t going to give up any information to this guy. I’d sworn off men when I broke up with Jeremy. Men were either controlling or losers. Or both. There didn’t seem to be an alternative when it came to the male gender. I was done with them.

“I’m Ava, that’s Mia, and this,” she said, gesturing to me like I was some prize on a game show, “is Harper.”

“Harper. It suits you,” he said.

“Why?” I snapped back, challenging him. I wasn’t going to fall for his lame pick up line.

“Because you’re a strong black woman. But underneath, you’re sexy and sweet as sin. Like a hard candy with a soft center.”

“You could have said that about any name,” I countered.

The bartender brought another round of shots. I could feel Crash’s eyes on my breasts. We’d come in from the ocean and we were still wearing our bikinis. The others were wearing light cover-ups. I had on a sarong around my waist, leaving my top totally exposed to his lecherous gaze. Why hadn’t I changed?

Everyone grabbed for the drinks. Not wanting to be outdone, I grabbed one and threw it back as quickly as the rest of them. I’d already had two glasses of margarita by then and the shots were going straight to my head. After a long day in the sun, I was coming up on one hell of a buzz.

Most of the time, my competitive streak was fulfilled by dominating my class in medical school. Here, in a bar in Brazil, I was out of my element. What made me a great student also made me a terrible drinker. Crash’s muscled arm casually slung over the back of the chair, and he gave us all that brilliant smile. There was a gash above his eye, and I wondered how he’d gotten it.

“So, what brings you girls to Brazil?”

“We’re on vacation between medical school and residency,” Ava said.

“Doctors. What a coincidence.”

“How is that a coincidence?” I asked.

“I need a doctor’s touch,” he said, pointing to his gash. I rolled my eyes.

“I need to go to the ladies,” I muttered to Ava. She stood up beside me as I plodded to the bathroom. Once we were inside, she started in on me.

“That guy is totally into you right now. Why are you blowing him off?”

I blew past her into a stall and dropped my bikini bottom to pee. As I sat there, I thought about how painful it had been to get out of my relationship with Jeremy. We’d been together for three years. But when he started talking about marriage and how our life was going to be, I had to back out. He had it all planned out, and nothing was up for debate or discussion. When I emerged from the stall, she stared at me expectantly.

“I just can’t,” I said, washing my hands.

“Why? You need to get over that ex of yours, girl. You know what they say. The best way to get over a dick is to get under a new one.”

“Who says that?” I asked, inspecting the braids I’d had put in my hair for the trip. I usually had my kinky black hair professionally straightened but went with cornrows for the trip to Brazil. I’d even had little beads put on the ends like the locals.

“Everyone,” she said dramatically.

“I can’t get with that guy. He’s a total player.”

“That’s exactly what you need right now,” Ava said, tossing her wavy blond hair. 

I pursed my lips at her and dried my hands. Maybe she had a point. That didn’t mean I was ready to fuck some rando. I’d never had a one-night stand in my life, and I wasn’t going start now.

“I came here to relax. Not get an STD.”

I brushed past her and moved into the bar. When I came back to the table, Crash was sitting in my chair. My mouth dropped in shock as Ava slid into the one other chair at the table.

“What happened to the fourth chair?” I asked.

“Another table needed it,” Mia said. She was in on this BS, too. The other girls had boyfriends back home. They weren’t going to cheat on this vacation. But that wouldn’t keep them from trying to hook me up with this tattooed player.

He patted his lap. His muscled thighs showed under the board shorts he wore. “You can sit here,” he said. The bulge in his lap made my eyes widen even further. I took a step backward but he caught my wrist and pulled me into his lap.

The smell of his skin and cologne hit me, and I was instantly transported into sex land.
Great.
His hard muscled thighs under my ass and his arms around me dug me a little deeper into the place I so did not want to go. Or did I?

He grasped me around the waist and didn’t let me go when I tried to pull away. His hand ran up my thigh, sending a hot surge down my spine, right into my core.

My entire body became electrified. I hadn’t felt this turned on in years. Those blue eyes shined at me and his smile told me he thought this was great fun, rather than straight up sexual harassment.

I bit my lip. Was it fun? My pussy seemed to think so. Maybe I could play along, for a little while anyway. Everyone was so gung ho on me hooking up with him, I might as well see where it went. I definitely wasn’t sleeping with him tonight. Or ever.

His wide, strong hand grasped my ass. I could feel the power in his grip and the muscles of his arm as he held me.
Jesus.
Jeremy wasn’t half this built.

“So, Crash, what kind of name is that?” I asked.

“It’s a nickname I got in the service.”

“You were in the service?” I ran my hand down his hard chest. His cock twitched under my leg.
Wow. Just wow.
If I didn’t play this safe, I might be going home with him after all.

“Marines. Two tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.”

“Why Crash?” I asked. I glanced around me and noticed my friends had disappeared.
Traitors.

“Because I crash through any obstacle that stands in my way. Now it’s my fighting name.”

“You’re a fighter?” I ran my fingertip up the tattooed length of his bulging biceps. “Boxer?”

“Mixed marital arts.”

“I’ve heard that’s dangerous,” I said.

He leaned forward and spoke directly into my ear, and his hot breath brushed over the sensitive skin of my neck.

“It is,” he whispered. I couldn’t believe I was falling for this, but my body wouldn’t stop throbbing to be touched.

Maybe it was because I was tipsy from tequila. Maybe it was from the day in the Brazilian sunshine. Maybe it was the fact that Crash was the hottest man I’d touched in my life. But I could tell I was going to let him have whatever he wanted from me.

“Let’s get out of here” he said, his lips brushing against my neck.

“All right,” I stuttered.

I followed him out of the bar and onto the beach. The bossa nova band was stationed beyond the bonfire, the rhythm instantly getting under my skin.

Crash grabbed me and pulled me into his arms, forcing me into an impromptu dance. I struggled against him. I’d always had two left feet. Jeremy had never lost an opportunity to tell me so.

“I can’t dance,” I protested breathlessly, feeling my breasts press against his hard chest. His toned body moved me across the sand despite my objection.

Without trying, I was somehow dancing. As drunk as I was, it felt like a miracle that I was moving through the steps. Crash was so fluid in his movements, it made up for my clumsiness.

His hips moved against mine. Excitement coursed through me and my whole body buzzed with his energy. The smell of his skin and the feel of his energy magnetized me to him. My nipples pricked hard against my swimsuit top and my pussy went slick with need.

I leaned my head back and gazed up at the dark night sky. The stars shone in the black void and the full moon glowed down on me, inviting me into the mystery of my own womanhood.

We danced until I was breathless, gazing into each other’s eyes. I felt connected to him in the haze of music and alcohol. The rhythm moved through us, binding us together into one fluid movement. Time seemed to stand still and the music faded away. All I could see was his gorgeous smile. All I could feel was his hands on my body, moving me against him to the beat of the music.

In the distance, the ocean beat against the shore. My head swam and I wanted to taste the depth of this feeling. I grabbed Crash’s hand from around my waist and tugged him away from the bonfire.

“Come on!” I shouted over the music. His eyes glowed in the firelight, his expression intense. He smiled and followed me. I trotted down the beach, laughing as the light faded behind us. Further down the beach was undeveloped and empty. I threw my sarong on the sand.

“I want to go swimming,” I said, pulling Crash into the water behind me. He tossed his t-shirt on the beach and followed.

We waded into the warm Atlantic. I ducked under the water and swam out into the calm sea. Crash caught me in his arms and pulled me against him.

I giggled then went silent, looking into his eyes. Moonlight flickered in his irises. His hand cupped my chin and pulled my mouth toward his. I sucked a laugh back before his lips crushed mine.

The swell of desire overwhelmed me. He tasted sweet and masculine, and he kissed me with his whole body. Strong arms embraced me so tightly I felt safe enough to let myself be overtaken by the need bubbling in my core.

He pulled back with a growl and ran his hands up and down my sides. He gripped the back of my neck and kissed me again, warm water lapping around our bodies.

I could feel him hard against my stomach, his length mind-boggling and aggressive. His hot tongue dipped in and out of my mouth, plunging the depths of my desire.

“Fuck,” he muttered between kisses. His hands ran down my back and gripped my ass, pulling me against his cock, rubbing against me.

He pushed his fingers under my bikini bottoms and slid over my wet slit. I groaned, quivering for his touch. He ran kisses over my neck and moved my top away from my breast, sucking my nipples into his mouth.

“I’m going to fuck you,” he said against my breast. 

All I could do was moan. My mind reeled. I couldn’t think. I’d never been so turned on. I could feel the lust burning deep inside me, and all I wanted was him to meet it, hard and fast with that stiff cock of his.

He pulled off my bikini bottoms and threw them to the shore before turning me around. I could feel his naked cock against my ass. His fingers played over my pussy, flicking my clit as he kissed the back of my neck. His hot breath blew against the sensitive skin behind my ear.

Hard fingers rubbed my clit, circling with expert ferocity. I groaned, feeling myself ready to explode.

“Oh God!” I stuttered as I came. His teeth bit down on my neck and the orgasm clenched harder.

He spun me around and lifted me up around his waist, wrapping my legs around him. He gripped my ass and stopped.

“Fuck. I had a condom in my shorts,” he growled, reaching down to his pocket. I arched my hips and ran my wet pussy up the length of his cock. “Must have fallen in the water.” He grunted and almost pushed me away.

“I’m on the pill,” I whispered in his ear.

“You’re clean, right, doc?”

“Of course,” I muttered, narrowing my eyes. “Are you?” I was drunk and on vacation, but I was still lucid enough not to get an STD.

“Yep. Get tested,” he said, gripping my ass. He pulled me up over his cock and pushed the wide head of it against my wet, quivering opening.

I threw my head back and groaned. He licked my neck and drove inside me in one thrust. His long, thick shaft sank into me, stretching me around him. It filled me further than I’d ever been filled before. I gasped for breath, my eyes wide with shock and awareness.

He held me around the waist, our bodies most of the way under water. It made me weightless. He could move me around on his cock with ease. Crash lifted me up and down on his manhood, pumping into me again and again.

The intensity of his thrusts and his grip on my body took my breath away. I lost myself in it and submitted to his power. The more I let myself go, the more it overtook me. His domination of my body allowed me to surrender to the pleasure he gave.

The stars above seemed to stream across the sky. I clung to his wide shoulders, licking the salt water on his skin. His fingers gripped my ass, dipping between my cheeks. He rubbed up my slit, giving a deeper pleasure as he dove into me again and again.

I could feel myself coming closer to release as his cock grew wider inside my slick channel. I wanted to feel him deep inside me. I wanted him to fill me with his hot seed.

He ran his hand up my back and gripped my hair, leaning forward to bite my neck. I let go and my orgasm wracked through me. At that same moment, Crash growled against my neck and thrust hard into my core. His semen shot forcefully inside me, filling me up. It sent me into another wave of climax.

I quivered and quaked on his cock as he held me in the water. He licked my neck and kissed over my cheeks and lips. We stayed together there for long moments as the water lapped over our bodies.

“Wow, baby. That was fucking amazing,” he whispered. In that moment, I believed him. His tone was so sincere and earnest. Clinging to each other in the water, he wasn’t a player, tapping a good girl. We were two lovers sharing a moment of bliss in paradise.

“It was,” I agreed, a flood of hormones washing through my body and brain. I felt so connected to him in that moment, a tear slid down my face.

He slipped from inside of me and carried me in his arms back up the beach. In the darkness, we laid on the warm sand, staring up at the night sky.

He pointed out a constellation, his voice distant and sleepy. I leaned against his chest, listening to the quiet thump of his heartbeat before we both drifted to sleep.

When I woke, the sun was rising with a pink haze on the horizon. I gasped and scrambled up to sitting. Looking down at Crash, I rubbed my temples.

What the hell had I done?

Oh my God!

I’d been drunk but that wasn’t an excuse. I wasn’t the kind of girl who just screwed perfect strangers. Self-admonishing thoughts reeled through my mind.

The early morning sun glowed on his face, and I remembered what we’d shared the night before. My heart ached, wanting more. It had felt so real. So right. I’d felt like I’d connected to something tender inside him.

But I pushed those feelings aside and climbed to my feet. Was I dumb? That was just my girl feels talking. This guy would never have real feelings for me any more than any other woman he humped and dumped.

I didn’t intend to be around to get the blow off. The sex had been amazing, but that was it. I’d keep the memory with me as my dirty little secret and move on with my life.

After one last long look at his beautiful face and gorgeous body, I turned on my heel and walked away.