Possession (10 page)

Sloane tugged gently on a lock of Kat’s hair. “They’re welcome to try. Hell, I look forward to Kat attempting to take me down.”

His gaze heated her skin, making her flush as the waiters served their meals. Filet mignon, lavender rice, lemon asparagus, all plated beautifully. She barely noticed, too distracted by the feel of Sloane’s eyes daring her to stand up to him in front of all these people. He asked for it. “Careful there, champ, I know your weakness.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

“Lemon cupcakes. I’m pretty sure I could get you to beg for a lemon cupcake.” Okay, she might be pushing her luck.

“Cheater.” Wrapping his hand in her hair, he leaned in. “You know I’d do anything for your lemon cupcakes.”

She couldn’t look away, caught up in the utter confidence of this man. Oh sure, they were just verbally sparring, teasing, but some men would have been threatened. Acting angry or defensive in response.

Sloane handed her the victory and made her feel powerful doing it. She’d never had that in a partner. David had reminded her often that she wasn’t as smart as him. While Sloane, a man who was easily three times as strong as her, made her feel powerful.

“Sloane,” a new voice interrupted them. “I was hoping you’d fight in the Caged Thunder Event.”

Kat looked across the table to Ronnie T. Devonshire. He had a couple decades on Sloane in age, but his trademark red hair remained thick, his green eyes tack sharp.

“Not interested.”

Ronnie set down his utensils, fully focused on Sloane. “What’s it going to take to get you back in the cage?”

“An opponent worth my time. Otherwise, I’m more interested in my business.”

“Name your choice and I’ll make it happen. We’ll do a pay-per-view special. Call it
Caged Vengeance
.”

Kat’s stomach clenched at the thought of it. She barely got down her bite of rice. The idea of Sloane fighting again…she couldn’t bear it.

Sloane relaxed in his chair and replied, “I’ll let you know when I find him.”

“You’re what, thirty now? You don’t have a lot of fighting years left. We need to strike while you’re still hot.”

Kat ground her jaw to resist the urge to tell one of the most powerful men in the world to back off. She didn’t want Sloane to fight.

A man walked up behind them, slapping his hand on Sloane’s shoulder. “Sloane, you should listen. You could use the Pros vs. Amateurs Slam event as a warm-up.”

Sloane glanced up. “Not happening.” He took Kat’s hand. “Kat, have you met Clay Barton? He owns Rolling Thunder Winery.”

Kat recognized him as one of the four fighters Sloane had introduced during his presentation. “Nice to meet you. So you own the winery and fight?”

“Not with UFC anymore.” He winked at her. “I just do it for fun now.”

Fighting as fun. Huh. Sure, it was fun when Kat and Sloane sparred, but they weren’t trying to hurt each other. She studied Sloane. “Do you miss it? Want to come out of retirement?”

“No.” He flexed his jaw, and his eyes glinted with shards of pain and determination. “Not until the right reason to get back in the cage comes along.”

Chills skated over her skin. She thought about Drake telling her that Sloane trained like a demon. It took serious motivation to commit to that kind of rigorous workout.

Did she even want to know what would get him back in the cage?

* * *

Sloane shrugged out of his coat and jerked off his tie as he stood by the limo, working to contain the pent-up energy ripping through his veins. All night, he’d capped his drive for vengeance beneath his game face. After years of training, planning, living for this, the plan was clicking into place. Lee Foster would get into the cage.

And Sloane would be waiting. Only a few more weeks.

In an instant, the last dozen years burned away, and Sloane vividly recalled that motherfucker running from the house. And then the scene switched and he saw Sara crumpled on the bedroom floor, naked and lifeless…

No. Sloane shut down the memory, slid in next to Kat and tossed his coat and tie on the seat across from them. Her bakery-warm scent permeated the space, and that dress inched up her left thigh. His mouth dried and his blood pounded. After telling Ethan they’d be going to Kat’s condo, he raised the privacy screen.

She sat back against the taupe seat. “You seem edgy all of a sudden.”

“You have no idea.” He opened the mini fridge and poured a glass of crisp white wine.

“Want to talk?”

“No.” He wanted to fuck. Needed to.
Get control, asshole.
Kat had been pushed around enough in her life, he could control himself enough to seduce her a bit. “You’re what I need.” He set the glass aside and lifted her into his lap.

She glanced at the privacy screen. “Your driver.”

“Ethan can’t hear or see us.” Draping her across his thighs, he checked to make sure her right leg rested comfortably. Her blue-green eyes were edged with a touch of stormy gray. Worry? Anxiety? “I told you, baker girl, I don’t share. Especially you.”

Touching the side of his mouth, she said, “Your scar whitens when you’re on edge. For some reason, tonight was hard for you. I don’t understand why, but it was.”

The soft stroke rippled right to his cock. But the physical sensation paled compared to the punch of emotion to his chest. She saw him. All night, whenever the cold pit of rage, hatred and guilt tried to suck him in, Kat had been there. She teased him, smiled at him, or just touched him. She had worried that she would fail him with something as trivial as tripping, not realizing that tonight she’d held his personal purgatory at bay.

Just as she was now.

Adrenaline surged, carving a ferocious need to claim her in the most primal way. So deep and hard, he’d imprint himself on her forever.

He couldn’t have her forever, but he’d make damn sure she didn’t forget him. This was all he could give her.

To distract her from his scar and edginess, he scooped up the wineglass. “Have some wine.”

Her gaze fell to the glass, and she lifted a hand toward it.

“No. This way.” He brought the glass to his lips and tilted it. Then he replaced the glass in a holder and lowered his head.

Kat’s eyes dilated. Her lips parted. When he got close enough, she licked the seam of his lips, a warm wet swipe that shot to his groin in a pleasure shock wave.

Sloane cradled her to him and fed her the wine, letting her drink from him. Sharing the wine with her ignited his greed to have more of her. His chest ached with it.

He penetrated her mouth with his tongue, tasting the last drops of the chardonnay and Kat. Her fingers dug into his shoulders.

Need pounded down his spine. Too frayed to be careful, he broke the kiss. “Pull your dress up. I don’t want to rip it.” And he would.

She reached down, shimmying the dress up, revealing her long, toned legs all the way up to the tops of her thighs.

He dug his fingers into his palms to keep from touching her. Yet. “Higher. Show me what panties you’re wearing.”

Sinking her teeth into her bottom lip, she tugged the dress higher, exposing the delicate scrap of blush-colored fabric snug against her mound with tiny little straps riding in a curve over her hips.

His blood shot to his groin, swelling his cock to painful, while her trust wrapped around his heart. Kat believed he’d protect her, keep others from seeing her. The dress stayed on so he could easily cover her if something happened and the need arose. Unclenching his hand, he traced the top edge of her panties. “Those are coming off.” Sloane shifted Kat to the seat and dropped to his knees. Grasping the soft material, he dragged them off, leaving her completely bared to him from the waist down. Sloane leaned over her to get his wine.

Her eyes widened. “Thirsty?”

“You drank from me. Shouldn’t I get the same privilege?”

Curling her fingers into the bunched-up dress, she asked, “Drink from my mouth?”

Rolling out a wolf grin, he said, “I’m more original than that. Hold on to that dress.” He tilted the glass to dribble the golden liquid into her navel.

Kat quivered and hissed in a breath.

Sloane lapped at the wine, the crisp flavor mixing with the taste of Kat’s skin. He trickled out more of the liquid and licked a line from one hipbone to the other. Her stomach muscles jumped and contracted. Oh, but he wanted more. He craved the taste of her desire.

Maneuvering between her thighs, he spread her open. Pink, wet and swollen. Lifting his gaze to her face, Sloane caught his breath. Her desire laden eyes held no fear, no reserve. She gave herself to him with complete faith that he’d care for both her privacy and pleasure. He’d make it good for her. Bringing the glass close, he slanted it.

“Sloane.” Kat arched as the liquid spilled over the folds of her pussy.

Setting the glass aside, he swooped in, gathering the tart wine and sweet nectar of Kat in a long, slow lick. The feel of her creamy heat on his tongue ignited fiery hunger for more. He lapped at her, teasing her clit until he could feel the bud throbbing.

Kat fisted her hands in his hair, tugging as she twisted.

Her urgency tripped his feral switch. The need to make her come rode him hard.

Take her to heights only he could.

Then sink his cock into her.

Sliding lower, he traced her opening with his tongue until she writhed against him. He knew exactly how to set her off. Using his thumb, he stroked her clit while tonguing her until she quivered and detonated, her thighs clamping around him as she arched and moaned.

Her taste and scent drove him wild. The need to possess her battered his every nerve. Rising up on his arms, he growled, “Can’t wait.” He undid his pants with one hand and shoved them down just far enough. Taking hold of his cock, he swirled the head against her slick entrance and groaned. Another gift she gave him, her body with no barriers. He would not slam into her like an animal. Sloane pushed back against the primal urge and tunneled in inch by inch. She was slick, soft and so glove tight, he threw his head back and ground his molars.

“Sloane.” Kat grasped his arms, lifting her hips to accommodate him.

Halfway into her, and with fire searing his lower back with the frantic need to shove in and claim her, he lowered his stare.

Her desire-swollen eyes honed in on him. “Let me give you what you need. All of it.”

The sweetness of her words undid him.

He lowered himself over her and fused his mouth to hers as he thrust balls-deep into her heat. Sucking his tongue, she shoved his shirt up and skimmed her hands everywhere. As if she couldn’t get enough.

Sloane broke the kiss. Bracing on his forearms, he locked eyes with her. Smaller and more delicate than him, and yet Kat alone had the power to hold back that pit of loneliness trying to suck him in. In desperation, he cried out, “I need you.” It was torn from that pit of loneliness in him.

She wrapped her legs around him and caressed his back. “You have me.”

The cool satin of her shoes dug into his ass as she met his thrusts. With every plunge, the sounds they made together drove him higher. He slid his hand beneath her, tilting her hips to get even deeper.

“I’m going to…” Her body bowed, mouth panting, face flushing, and through it all, her eyes stayed on him.

Let him see the second she fully surrendered to the pleasure he gave her as she spasmed around his cock.

Breathtakingly beautiful, the sight ripped the last of his control away. He pumped into her, panting and straining as he chased the bliss only she could give him.

His orgasm shot down his spine and exploded. Helpless beneath the power of his pleasure, he held on to her stare, the connection between them feeding him, filling his cold barren loneliness. He craved that bond even more than he did his release.

It took minutes for him to get his breath back. The intensity shook him and captured him at the same time. He gently framed her face with his hands. “I’m staying with you tonight.”

Chapter Seven

Kat startled awake. It was pitch black in her bedroom except for the green numbers on her alarm clock. One forty-one a.m. Sloane was wrapped around her with his heavy arm anchoring her to him. He felt like a furnace blasting against her back.