Running Interference (11 page)

She popped him again. Right in the flank.

The guy booed. Cam may have, too, because this didn't seem fair.

“You know, it's okay to hit a girl in here,” she said. “I don't want you getting hung up on political correctness and looking like a fool in front of your … ” she glanced at the guy who was watching them, “fan. Singular.”

Smart ass.
He lunged, and she dodged.

“Come on,” she said. “Show me what you've got, superstar.”

Oh, he'd show her all right. Just not in here. Later, they were going to finish what they started. He would find someplace where they wouldn't be interrupted by roommates or family members, someplace where they could …

She bounced to the left and clobbered him. His brain rattled.

The guy gave a disgusted sound, and then walked away.

His one fan had bailed.

Time to stop the insanity. “Okay!” His louder than normal voice halted Tanya in her tracks, but a second later, she was bouncing again.

“What was that?” she asked.

“Just me announcing that the match can finally begin. I think you're good and warmed up.” He grinned. “In fact,” he bobbed his brows, “you're looking super-hot to me.”

Her feet slowed, and her eyes narrowed. “How ‘bout from now on you keep your thoughts to yourself? This is a boxing ring, not group therapy.”

Yep, he'd unnerved her, and he was just getting started.

“I'm being courteous,” he said, shuffling closer and lowering his voice. “I like to let my opponents get a feel for my size before we really get down and dirty.” He bit into his cheek to keep from laughing.

“You wish,” she said, but she was smiling too.

He advanced. She backpedaled, and then she hit the rope.

“Trapped,” he mouthed.

“Never,” she whispered.

She sidestepped, but he surrounded her. So close he could feel the heat radiating off her skin. She exhaled and the dip at the base of her throat fluttered.

Damn.
He was getting hard in a boxing ring.

“You sure you can handle me?” he asked.

“Absolutely.” She batted her lashes, licked her full lips, and hooked him in the jaw. But it was softer than the other blows, and she was laughing. “God, you're bad at this.”

He pushed into her with his body, pinning her against the ropes. “But I'm really good at other things.”

Her pretty eyes widened. “Really? Like what things?”

He dropped his mouth closer to her ear. “How ‘bout we get out of here so I can show you?”

“Are you sure you know what you're doing?” MJ's question lifted above the sound of shower spray and Jillian singing some god-awful song about “getting busy with good booty.”

Tanya should've known what happened in the ring would lead to questions, but
damn
. That man so close had her brain short-circuiting. Big and bold. Sweaty and sexy. And giving it back to her as good as she'd given it to him. She could only imagine the sex.

Her soapy hands froze inches from her breasts. “I know what I'm doing,” she said. “As long as I keep a healthy dose of skepticism and expect him to leave without staying in touch after he goes, then it's all good. I'm prepared. And it's no different than a one-night stand.”

Jillian stopped singing. “So you're only going to do it once?
Boo!
What a waste.”

Tanya was so obsessed with Cam now that they'd gone a few rounds in the ring, she had to agree. “Fine, one-month stand. No strings. No messy feelings. Just some fun and then we walk away. I'm going to call the shots every step of the way.”

The pipes in the stall beside her squealed until the water was silenced.

“You better make sure he's clear on those terms,” MJ said.

Tanya listened to the metal rings scrape the rod and imagined MJ stepping out of the shower with concern twisting her face. She was a good friend. Protective. Tanya felt the same way about her. That was why she hadn't been overly excited about MJ getting serious with Tag.
Girl, what's wrong with the booty call?
she'd asked.
But MJ had wanted more, and Tanya wanted her to be happy, so she'd accepted it. That's what this was now wasn't it? MJ accepting it.

Tanya poked her head around the plastic curtain. “Hey!”

MJ looked at her.

“I get you. I see what you're saying. I'll be careful. I promise.” And then she puckered up and blew her a kiss. “Thanks for having my back.”

“I have your back too,” Jillian said.

“Yeah, to push it right into trouble.” Tanya laughed and ducked beneath the warm spray.

“No, not trouble—fun! You can't tell me you wouldn't be grateful if I dragged that fine hunk of man in here and shoved him into the shower with you. I'd even guard the locker room door while you got busy, because I have your back. See?”

Oh, she saw. Her hands dropped over her curves, and her nipples hardened.
That
would be a shower to remember.

More squealing from the stall on her opposite side until the water silenced. “Do you want me to go get him?” Jillian asked.

“No.” She laughed. “This isn't high school. I know how to arrange my own booty calls, thank you.” She killed the water, wrapped a towel around her, and pushed the curtain aside.

Jillian sucked in an exaggerated breath and held her hands to her heart. “So proud. My baby's all grown up.” Then she turned to MJ and tossed her a cocky grin. “You know, she learned that from me.” Back to singing that stupid song …
getting busy with good booty.
She held onto her towel as she grooved toward the wall of mirrors, her tattoo of a murderous Cinderella strangling her Prince Charming prominently on display. “Happily ever after” was boring according to Jillian.

Tanya just didn't think happily ever after existed.

MJ's engagement ring flashed as she wound her long brown hair into a bun. In that case, she hoped she was wrong.

“So … ” She wedged between MJ and Jillian in front of the mirror and lined up her hair products in order of use. “Enough about me and Cam. What I really need is advice about the gym. I have ‘til noon tomorrow. After that, I don't know if Pop'll wait much longer to accept the offer to sell.” Her throat sort of collapsed on the last word. “I'm thinking about taking a personal day tomorrow and going to the bank to see if I can get a loan on my own.”

They both faced her, but she continued to look at them in the mirror.

“He won't be happy about you going into debt for him,” Jillian said.

“No, but once I sign on the dotted line he won't be able to refuse the money as easily as he can refuse money from Tag or Cam. I'll have it, and I'll have to pay it back no matter what. It'll sort of force his hand.”

“Sounds risky.” MJ faced the mirror and looked Tanya dead in the eyes. “A lot of risk here, T. You could end up with debt amounting to thirty grand plus interest and still not save the gym. I don't want to sound like a broken record, but please think about this.” She patted her back, and then walked away. “I have to go. I told Tag I wouldn't be too late.”

When the door swung shut on MJ, a fully clothed Jillian jumped up on the countertop and shook her head. “That ring around her finger has strangled the fun right out of her. She's old and married before she's even old and married. Sad.” She huffed and then she wound her blue-tipped hair around her finger and smiled. “I, on the other hand, think it's a great idea. In fact, I think you've been full of great ideas lately.” She bobbed her brows. “Where are you going after this?”

Wherever he wanted to go, which was what she'd told him after he'd all but propositioned her in the ring. He had some showing off to do.

She bit back a smile. “None of your business.”

“Well, technically it is if you plan to come back to our place. Wouldn't want our booty calls to collide.”

Ha!
That would be hysterical. She wasn't sure how Cam would react to Jillian's usual suspects—pierced, sullen, and androgynous. “Do you need the apartment tonight?”

“Nope.” She grinned. “All yours.”

When they finally made it out of the locker room, Cam was leaning against the cement block wall wearing a sinfully clingy T-shirt and baggy sweatpants. He'd showered too. Maybe at the exact time she'd been showering. Her breath caught on the thought of him soapy and naked. Separated by a measly six inches of wall.

“I've been waiting for you,” he said. The rumble in his deep voice revved her engines, and she squeezed her thighs together.

Jillian sauntered past him, and then she glanced at Tanya. “Don't forget. I have tickets for Sock Monkey tonight, which is the craziest concert around, so don't expect me home until late—tomorrow.” She bobbed her brows. “Use the time wisely.”

Subtle, real subtle.

Cam chuckled. “That woman is a piece of work.”

Tanya coughed a laugh. “Ya think?”

He placed his hand against the wall beside her head. “So about that thing I said in the ring … you still interested in a little demonstration?”

The smell of his aftershave was making her dizzy. “Hell yeah.”

“Good.” He leaned in, so close she could taste him in the air. “You know for a minute I was worried. Thought you might've changed your mind.”

Her knees buckled the slightest bit. “Why would you think that?”

“You took a long time in there.” His gaze flickered to the locker room door. “So long I would've come in after you if you'd been alone.”

She trailed a hand down his front and slipped a finger into his waistband. “I could always go back in.”

“Baby, where you lead, I follow.”

She pushed her backside against the locker room door and dragged him along by the waistband.

His shirt was over his head before they were safely inside.

Gorgeous.
Her fingers traced an erotic path along the deep etches of his traps and delts.
So gorgeous.
A perfect athletic specimen. She knew the dedication required to look like this. All the shoulder presses, lateral raises, and shrugs he had to be doing. A hell of a lot more than he had been doing in high school that was for sure. Because back then, he hadn't looked like this.

The past swirled with the present in her head, making her dizzy.
Pretend he's any man.
Just some sexy lunk who walked into the gym on the one night she happened to be closing.

His lips parted, and he moved in for a kiss.

She dodged it. “This is just sex. No feelings beyond respect for the orgasm and its giver, and if one of us does develop feelings, we take them to the grave. Nobody lays claim. Nobody gets jealous. Either one can walk away without repercussions. We bounce right back to being friends without the benefits.”

He gave her a slow, sexy smile. “Do I need to have my lawyer look over that contract before I sign it? Or can we just seal it with a kiss?”

She laughed to humor him, but there would be no kissing. She'd have better control over the situation that way.

“And what if I want to negotiate the terms?” His hands skimmed her hips, then up her waist beneath her shirt. “You know, how often do I get it?”

“Whenever
I
want it. No negotiation. That's the offer. Take it or leave it.”

He forced her shirt over her head from the inside out, and pulled her hard against his chest. “I'm going to take it. All of it. And when I'm done, you're going to beg me for more.”

• • •

Cam's words sounded strong, but his fingers shook. She stepped back, giving him a long look at her strong upper body and the zipper-front sports bra squeezing her breasts. He swallowed a groan. Cotton had never looked so good.

“Mm, mm. Woman, you slay me.” He grabbed hold of the zipper and tugged. Slowly. Anticipation thinned his breaths and hardened his dick. He'd dreamed of this more than a few times after that fumbled night together. The more he'd learned, the more he'd wished he could've shared that capable confident man with her. Then maybe she would've looked at him with something other than friendly indifference afterwards.

Her hands skimmed his abs, and he sucked in a breath.

Friendly indifference was not an acceptable outcome now.

The zipper split, and her breasts swelled.
Damn.
He lifted them to his open mouth, and let his tongue tease until her nipple formed a point. She arched her back, forcing more flesh into his mouth, so he sucked. And she moaned. Which pleasantly surprised him. Tanya had never given away her emotions easily. But he seemed to be making short work of the wall tonight.

His ego swelled along with everything else until he was so hard it hurt.

She moaned again when he dragged his mouth to her other breast. Her warm hands sprawled across his head, holding him in place. That hot act of possession made him smile as he licked. There was nothing like the sound of pleasing a woman. Second only to the sound of sixty-eight thousand screaming fans.

He slipped his hands into the waistband of her yoga pants and cupped her ass. Soft and round. Just the way he liked it. His thumbs met with the V of a thong. Excellent.

“Come here,” he pulled her by the hand deeper into the locker room. The showers seemed like the logical place, but she pawed at his pants as he walked until the elastic band slipped low on his butt and caught on his erection. He turned and drew her against his chest.

A slow, long, liquefying kiss followed, and when he came up for air, her face was twisted.

Warning bells sounded in his head. “What?” he asked.

She exhaled, and her expression relaxed, but an unsettling blank stare remained.

She was having second thoughts wasn't she?
Damn it.

“Hey.” He stroked her cheeks with his thumbs and was just about to say he understood her hesitation when she gave him a little shove and dropped him to a wooden bench. His breath caught when the cold surface hit his ass, but the rest of him was hotter than field turf on a hundred-degree day. And getting hotter. Because whatever reservations she'd had a second before seemed to have melted away.