Ice Cold (An MMA Stepbrother Romance) (2 page)

I couldn’t catch Stacey’s attention. It was fully glued on Shayne, who seemed to be intent on getting as close to me as possible. Every inch that I slid closer to the railing of the dance floor was another inch that he took invading my space.

Staring at my drink, I tried to ignore the man who seemed even larger than life than he did on the TV screen. When our hands touched during his introduction, I felt a tingle of desire that ran straight from my hands to my pussy. No matter what my body’s reaction was to his presence, though, I refused to act like some lovesick fangirl. He was just another guy as far as I was concerned, which meant that I could feel free to try to ignore him.

That proved to be more difficult than I expected when his friend started asking Stacey questions, and before I knew it, Stacey seemed to be spilling every detail about both of us.

“A recent college graduate and a 4.0 to boot. Impressive,” Shayne said. His lips were right next to my ear. My heart has started to pound faster in my chest. The music had gotten louder, but he didn’t need to be
that
close.

“Thanks,” I said curtly. I didn’t look at him. I wasn’t going to fall all over him just because he was a minor league sports celebrity. I knew his type. He had bad boy written all over him. No doubt he was looking for a roll in the hay. Why he wasn’t talking to Stacey, though, made no sense to me. It was pretty clear that she would probably have sex with him in the middle of the dance floor if he just said the word.

“You come here often?”

How lame. There was a part of me that understood he was making polite, appropriate conversation, but I had no patience for it. “Nope. This is just a last hurrah,” I said. I hadn’t failed to notice that Stacey had somehow procured another round of shots, for both of us and our new friends.

“That sounds exciting,” Shayne said. “What exactly does a last hurrah entail?”

“Hanging out with my best friend for the weekend, having some drinks, dancing and enjoying the music,” I said. I could just imagine what Shayne would do for a last hurrah. “The DJ tonight is sic. He’s hot right now all over Chicago. That’s why there are so many people here already.” Great, now I was the one who was babbling.

“I see someone else who is pretty hot,” he replied. “You want to dance, Alexa?”

I finally turned my full attention to him, more out of shock than anything else. Damn. His eyes flashed in the dimly light room, and when the strobes cast their light over our table, I saw the flicker of silver that he was famous for. I could just imagine would it would be like pressed up against his rock hard body on the dance floor. Having his hands on my hips as they swiveled against mine. I swallowed hard. This man was one-hundred percent virile and sexy, and the part that annoyed me was it was clear from the expression on his face that he knew it.

“Stacey’s one of your biggest fans,” I said, ignoring his question. The full force of his intense stare was making my knees feel weak, and I was sitting down. I saw his eyes flicker up and down my body several times, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he was undressing me in his mind. “You should really talk to her.”

Shayne slid even closer to me, and I was now firmly wedged between the railing and his body. “I don’t want to talk to Stacey. I want to talk to you.” I could smell his cologne, and it made me want to bury my nose in the collar of his shirt.

“Why?” The question was out of my mouth before I could stop it. I saw a flicker of something in his eyes. Surprise? Chagrin?

“Is it a crime that I enjoy talking to intelligent, beautiful women?”

“Right.” I rolled my eyes and brought my fingers up to do air quotes. “Talking.”

He chuckled as he took a sip of his beer. “Sometimes, we do other things too. That’s all part of the fun of it. Perhaps you’d like to come back to my apartment to talk some more? There are drinks and music there too. It’ll give us a chance to get to know each other better without all this noise. I’m a pretty good dancer by the way.”

My mind blanked for a moment. Ice Malone wanted to take me back to his apartment? Even if I was that kind of girl, and I most certainly wasn’t, this was all happening too fast. I finally saw that Stacey had turned her attention back to us and had likely caught the tail end of the conversation. I felt her kick me under the table.

“No, thanks,” I said, dropping my eyes back to my drink.

“That’s it? No, thanks?”

I could tell that he was stunned. That made me feel a tiny bit vindicated. Clearly, the guy wasn’t used to getting turned down. There was no doubt that I was attracted to him. The dampness that I felt between my legs just from imagining dirty dancing with him was a testament to that, but I wasn’t the kind of girl who jumped into one-night stands. Even if the other party was a larger than life sultry sex god wrapped up in an MMA fighter package.

“That’s it,” I said coolly. I stirred my mixed drink.

Shayne pushed back from the table, and I immediately missed the heat of his body next to mine. But at least I felt like I could breathe again. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out two tickets. He put them on the table in front of me. “VIP tickets for my fight tomorrow night. You should come.”

Stacey snatched up the tickets with a squeal. “Hell, yeah! We’ll be there.”

I glared at my friend before turning back to Shayne. “I have a lot to do tomorrow. I don’t know that I’m free.” There was no way I was committing myself to seeing this man again. He was dangerous to my carefully crafted view of myself. Because, in all reality, there was a part of me that wanted to go back to his apartment with him. It was a small crack on an otherwise sheltered and conservative exterior that had been my entire existence for the last four years.

He put his hand over mine. I stared at it. It completely engulfed it. “Think about it. It’ll be fun. Last hurrah and all, remember?” He winked at me.

I rolled my eyes again and saw his frown. He and his friend moved away. I caught Stacey staring at me with an expression that told me she thought I was crazy. I knocked back the shot. “I’m not going to that fight,” I declared as I slammed the shot glass down. That was all there was to say about that.

“What just happened back there? The almighty Ice Malone actually struck out with a woman?” Kyle said jokingly. “Classic.”

I wasn’t in the mood. “I barely hit on her. If I had turned on the full charm, she would have been on her knees ready to suck my dick in less than ten minutes.” I wasn’t usually so crude, but I was pissed. I couldn’t even remember the last time a woman had blown me off like that.

“What about the redhead then? She seemed into you.”

“Groupies are a dime a dozen,” I said as I stalked around the dance floor to the bar. I tipped back the rest of my beer in one swallow. “This place is lame. Let’s go somewhere else.”

Kyle seemed willing enough to indulge me. “The groupies are easy,” he said. “You might have to work a little bit harder with the ones who have no idea who you are. You know, like the rest of us mere mortals.”

Alexa knew who I was, though, and she still didn’t seem interested. It didn’t make any sense. Kyle and I made our way to another club that was a few blocks away. Even though there was a line around the block to get inside, we breezed through the VIP line. The celebrity thing worked to my advantage most of the time. The fact that it hadn’t with Alexa was frustrating.

We scored a VIP booth set back from the dance floor, and several more of my buddies arrived. I had to admit that it was nice to talk about normal stuff and not anything about the fight. The couple of times that one of the guys brought it up, I brushed it off. It wasn’t anything that I was incredibly worried about. I was a heavy favorite, and the guy I was fighting had less than a year of experience. But I still felt wound up and tense.

The conversation eventually turned to women. It was inevitable given the sheer number who were sashaying by our booth at any given moment.

“Man, I wish I was you,” Kyle said with a laugh as he took a swig of beer. “You could seriously score every night of the week.”

“Nah,” I said casually. “Maybe just four or five.” The guys laughed, but I knew that most, if not all of them, felt the same way that Kyle did. “It comes with the territory. You’d be amazed how wet it makes these woman watching two grown men beat the shit out of each other.”

“That is awesome,” Kyle said. “You see anything here that you like?”

The truth was that regardless of how many women here who had tried to get my attention, I was barely even registered them in my mind. All I could picture was Alexa’s lean body dressed in a pair of black heels and nothing else spread out across my bed. My cock twitched, and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.

“Pretty much the same as the last place,” I said in a non-committal tone. “Nothing that isn’t the same as what I see in every city across the country.”

“Don’t tell me you’re getting bored with getting laid,” Kyle scoffed.

“The faces all blur together after a while,” I said. “I’m not complaining, but it’s nice to have a little bit of variety every now and then.” That’s what Alexa had presented to me. A challenge. A woman who didn’t seem impressed by my physical stature or choice of profession. What kind of guy would she drop her panties for then? She had gotten my attention by being different, and that made me want her. Bad.

“Well, you can have another shot at that blonde if she comes to the fight tomorrow,” Kyle said. “Which, by the way, I’m pissed at you about. You promised me that I could have those tickets.”

I hadn’t really even thought about the fact that I have given Kyle’s tickets to Alexa. “I’ll call Lucy in the morning. You’ll get tickets; they just won’t be VIP.”

“Gee, thanks,” Kyle said with an eye roll. “I see where I fall in your line of priorities. Haven’t you ever heard the expression ‘no hoes before bros’?

I barely heard him. I stood up. I needed to kill some of the tension in my body, and it was becoming apparent that none of my available options were going to do it. I could take a girl back to my apartment and bang the shit out of her, but I’d have Alexa’s face in my mind the whole time. That was the itch I needed to scratch.

“I’ve got to get up early tomorrow for some more press rounds,” I lied. “I’ll see you guys later.”

Kyle started to protest, but I wasn’t listening anymore. I had a cold shower calling my name. If I was lucky, with a little help from my left hand, it would wash all thoughts of the leggy blonde from my mind.

I stood in front of Stacey’s mirror shaking my head. “I’m not wearing this.” Stacey had talked me into a black push-up bra that I had to admit gave me a rather amazing amount of cleavage paired with a tight red tank top. She had insisted I wear one of her many mini-skirts; this one was red leather. The cowboy boots were the only thing of mine she had allowed me to wear.

“You are wearing that otherwise you’re going to stick out like a sore thumb,” Stacey said. “There’s an expectation for the girls who sit in the VIP seats. We’ll end up on the jumbotron, and you want to look good.”

“I look like I’m ready to have sex,” I said. “I might as well have a blinking red sign around my neck.”

“That’s the idea, sweetie,” Stacey said. She was dressed in a fitted black tank that sparkled as she moved and a pair of jeans that appeared to be superglued to her ass. The outfit accentuated every curve. If she wanted company tonight, she wouldn’t have any problem finding it.

“Why am I letting you talk me into this again?” After Shayne had left the night before, I had been ready to tear up the tickets, but Stacey stuck them in her purse before I could follow through on the threat. “I don’t even like MMA fights.”

“Remember our conversation about loosening up?” Stacey said. “It’s not like VIP tickets for an event like this drop into your lap all the time. Ice liked you. You need to go.”

“I am plenty loosened up, and I have no interest in a guy like Ice. Or Shayne. Or whatever he wants to call himself,” I said stubbornly. “You can have him. If he even notices we showed up, he’s all yours.”

“I’ll gladly take him,” Stacey said with a sultry smile.

With that settled, I should have felt better. But I didn’t. I watched Stacey preen in front of the mirror for a few last minute touches and thought again how I envied her. Stacey lived life on her own terms. She partied. She hooked up with more guys than I could count. But she still got decent grades despite all that and had a job with an advertising firm all lined up to start in two weeks. Plus, Stacey seemed to have a hell of a lot more fun in life than I did.

So I didn’t care if she had a thing with Shayne, right? That thought was in my mind the entire taxi ride to the arena. When we were within a few blocks, I started to see more fans on the street. I was surprised to see how many women were in the mix. Watching an MMA fight wasn’t something that I would have normally chosen as a Saturday night activity, but I could feel the excitement and energy in the air around us.

The taxi dropped us off outside the arena, and I had to admit that I was a bit impressed. It wasn’t Madison Square Gardens by any means, but it was a decent size sporting venue and judging by the throngs of people on the sidewalk waiting to get in, the event was drawing a large crowd.

“So tell me more about this fight tonight?” I asked Stacey trying to appear nonchalant about the whole thing.

“There will be a couple of minor, non-important fights to start out. Those you don’t need to pay attention to. But Ice’s fight - it should be over practically before it starts,” Stacey said. “He is on a killer winning streak and is brutal in the ring. Knocks most of his opponents out dead cold with the ground and pound. This new guy, Dread, hasn’t been around as long as Ice and has been talking a lot of smack. He thinks that he’s as good as Ice, but we all know better. Probably the only reason that he’s here is because if by some kind of dumb luck he makes it more than a few minutes against Ice, he’ll get more status with the rest of the league.”

“That sounds dumb,” I said. “Why would you pick a fight with someone when you know you can’t win?”

“You never know,” Stacey said with a shrug. “Sometimes the underdog gets lucky. Most of the time in this sport, though, the underdog gets hammered. But we’ve got VIP seats, and this is going to be awesome!”

As we made our way to the ticket line, I felt the eyes of people on me. Despite what Stacey said, I felt uncomfortable and out of place in the outfit she made me wear. Beside me, Stacey practically bounced in her stride, and I saw her give a nod of acknowledgment toward several of the guys who catcalled in our direction.

“I don’t think we’re dressed like everyone else,” I said in a low voice.

“You look hot, and that’s what matters,” Stacey said. “The VIP seats are for special guests. If Ice invited you here, he’d want you to look like you belong to him.”

I grabbed her arm. “What the hell? Belong to him? Is this the Ice Age?”

We had reached the front of the line, and I knew that many of the people waiting in line were looking at us in annoyance. Stacey held up our tickets and flashed them at the security guard standing there letting people in. As soon as he saw them, he barked something in the speaker on his shoulder. Then he waved at us to move past him.

“Your escort will be in a minute. Wait there,” he said, pointing at a spot just inside the door.

“Escort?” I whispered.

“I told you,” Stacey said with a grin. “This is so cool. I don’t care what your tight ass says. You are going to love this. For one night, pretend that you’re me. Enjoy it. Let loose. A hot guy who is miles beyond any other guy you’d normally meet in your lifetime wanted you here to watch him knock the shit out of another guy. Yes. For one night, you belong to him. It’s not barbaric. It’s romantic, or at the very least, panty-melting hot.”

I let her words sink in as a man approached us. He wore a dark blue blazer over a pair of jeans. He had an earbud in just like the guard outside. He was bald and built like an army tank. I didn’t think anybody would want to mess with him.

“Ladies, I’m Marcus. If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you to your seats,” he said with an easy smile that belied his gruff exterior.

“Hello, Marcus,” Stacey said in a long, slow breath. As we followed the man through the arena, Stacey kept bumping my side and pointing at Marcus’s ass. I rolled my eyes at her and tried to ignore her. Stacey was truly incorrigible. I was starting to wonder if there was a man alive that she wouldn’t sleep with if given the chance.

Still, there was some sentiment of her little speech that had sunk in. I did tend to live life by a strict set of rules that I had made up myself. My life was as perfect as I could make it. Hopefully, after I got back home, I’d get a job and start my career. I didn’t do anything that could be considered drastic or out of character ever. But there was something about the buzzing energy that I felt all around me that made me feel like maybe tonight I could be a little bit reckless. Have a little bit of fun. All within certain boundaries, however. I’d never be Stacey, hitting on every guy out there. But maybe just one…

Marcus took us through a long tunnel that I thought must run underneath the seats leading down to the ring, and then we emerged ringside. I gaped as I took in the massive number of seats going up what seemed like a mile high in every direction. Our seats were first row right in front of the octagon shaped ring.

“Oh my God,” Stacey squealed. “We’re going to be able to see everything! This is killer, Alexa. I can’t believe it.”

I couldn’t help but smile. Stacey’s attitude was infectious. As we settled into our seats, Marcus asked us if we wanted anything to drink. Stacey ordered beers for both of us, and Marcus spoke into the walkie on his shoulder before giving us a nod. “Anything you need, just let us know. Enjoy the fights,” he said as he left us.

It was surreal. The seats above us were starting to fill up, and the buzz of anticipation was evident. “Is it always like this?” I asked.

“I’ve only been to a few fights in person before. That was with Hal. You remember Hal?”

I vaguely remembered Hal. He was a few years older than us, and Stacey had met him in what was supposed to be a one-night fling on Tinder. That they dated for a few months was a shock to me, but whenever I asked Stacey about it, I would get a long explanation about all the amazing things that Hal was able to do with his dick. I stopped asking questions about the relationship after that.

“Hal was a big MMA fan?”

“He liked to gamble on this kind of stuff,” Stacey said. “But the fights we went to were all small-time matches. Ice is a big deal. He’s one of the top fighters right now, and everyone loves him.”

“He’s kind of an ass from what I could tell,” I said with a sniff.

“There’s nothing wrong with a guy being a little cocky,” Stacey countered, emphasizing the ‘cock’ in her reply. “He probably gets laid every night of the week, and I have no doubt that he can have his pick of any girl he wants.”

I knew that was probably the truth, but I didn’t want to hear it. Our drinks arrived, and I let Stacey prattled on about several guys that she was interested in and her new job. When the lights dimmed to announce the start of the fights, I felt a flutter of nervousness in the pit of my stomach.

The first two fights were just as Stacey had explained. There were scattered cheers and boos during the rounds, but it all felt like a warm-up to the good stuff. This was the foreplay, and everyone was ready for the main event. When the announcer’s voice boomed over the speakers noting that the final fight of the night was about to begin, the crowd went crazy.

Everyone jumped to their feet, and I scrambled to join them. Despite what I kept saying, I had been waiting all day to see him.

When the announcer started the official introductions, the fans started screaming. First, the other fighter came out of the tunnel waving to the crowd. His face was young despite his heavily muscled physique. There were far more boos than screams of encouragement as he entered the ring, and I almost felt bad for him. I realized then that most of the people were here to see one man. The same one that I was waiting to see too.

Ice.

As his name crossed my mind, he appeared in the aisle strolling up the ring as if he was out for a Sunday walk. The crowd went bonkers. The screams and cries of delight were overwhelming, and Ice seemed to take it all in stride. He smiled that cocky grin that I remembered from the night before and waved to the crowd. He climbed the steps of the ring, and I noticed how muscular his tanned calves were. When he dropped his robe to stand there bare-chested in only his athletic shorts, I found myself practically drooling.

Every inch of his arms and torso were chiseled and defined. I could count the six pack on his abs from my seat, and I felt a heat start to burn in my core. This man was the epitome of sexual prowess and energy, and that’s when, as he turned to wave to the crowd, his gaze landed on me.

I felt frozen in place. His smile grew wider, and then the bastard winked at me! Like he had all the time in the world, and before he swept his gaze back up the ring, I felt his eyes travel down my body. Even from my fairly unsophisticated experience with men, it was clear that he liked what he saw. Suddenly, I was glad that I let Stacey talk me into the ridiculous get-up that I was wearing.

The rest of the intro went by in a blur, and then the call came down to start the fight. I was mesmerized by the ripple of Ice’s muscles as he moved fluidly across the ring. He didn’t go into a defensive stance. He went straight for the attack. The other fighter probably didn’t even know what hit him.

I should have been disgusted by the show, but instead, I was enthralled. When the other fighter landed a hard blow into Ice’s side, I hissed along with the crowd. When Ice landed a hit that busted the other fighter’s brow, I cheered with them. I was on my feet screaming with everyone to beat him. Put him down. End it.

As if drawing from the crowd’s energy, and in a move to grant their wish, Ice pivoted up in the air and landed a hard kick into his opponent’s side throwing the other man off balance. Then he slid to the balls of his feet and swung his leg out taking the other man’s feet right out from underneath him. I screamed in delight as the other fighter landed on the mat hard. Ice dropped down on top of him and pinned him to the mat. He delivered a hard punch to the side of the man’s head. Then another and another. There was a sharp crack that sounded through the air, and I saw the spurt of blood, but I didn’t care. I was caught up in him. Ice.

The other fighter was out cold. Ice had won. I started bouncing up and down on my feet and waving my hands along with Stacey screaming in delight. My fighter had won. If I belonged to him for this night, didn’t he belong to me?