Tough Love
Page 71
Without a word, Cannon reached for Stack’s arm and removed the taped-on ice pack.
“It’s not broke.”
“Damn.” Cannon checked it over, turned his wrist, manipulated his elbow. No, he wasn’t a doctor, but he was the most experienced of the bunch and recognized a lot from his own injuries. “How’s it feel?”
“Before or after you decided to work it over?”
Cannon flashed him a grin. “So you’ll live. Any idea why you were jumped?”
“Not yet. Word is out.” He explained what he knew and what had been done. “The jerk knows how to contact me once he finds out anything.”
“Think he will?”
“I checked his ID so I know where he lives. And I didn’t turn him in to the cops.” Stack upended a water bottle, quenching his thirst, then wiping his mouth. “I made it clear it was in his best interest to be helpful, then Denver and Justice reinforced the message.”
“I almost feel sorry for the dumbass.” Brow raised, he glanced at Stack’s arm. “Or maybe not.”
Without asking, Cannon knew no one had used unnecessary force against the thug. It’d be a bitch move for Stack to walk away, only to have two other hulks step in and pulverize an already beat-up guy. But he also knew they would have impressed upon the goon how important it was to do as told, along with cluing him in on what they considered good intel, and how and where to share it.
Denver joined them, then Leese. They talked a little longer, coordinating plans. They looked out for each other, and while Stack knew he could take care of himself, if fighters were suddenly targets, everyone needed to be on guard.
When the door chimed again, he looked up and met Vanity’s gaze. Nice that she’d immediately sought him out with her eyes.
“Here.” He handed the water bottle to Leese and, being sure to draw everyone’s attention first, strode over to her.
“Stack.” Her smile flickered with uncertainty. “What’s—”
Dipping in for a thorough kiss, he stole her gasp, nudged her lips apart, and eased his tongue in to tease. Because he was sweaty, he kept his body from touching hers. But that didn’t mean he had to make the kiss quick, or easy.
She tasted so good, he almost forgot the purpose of this display: making it clear to one and all that she was his, and only his.
When she reached for him, her small, cool hands coming to his hot, damp shoulders, he ended things.
Her eyes, unfocused, stared at him as she licked her lips.
Such an invitation. “Hey.”
Took her a second, and she nodded. “Hey.” She glanced around, and a sly smile replaced some of the dazed lust. “Was that for the spectators?”
No reason to lie about it. “The male spectators, yeah.”
“Wow.” She pushed back her hoodie, her mouth still playing with a smile. “I’m flattered.”
Flattered? “Come again?”
Her eyes went heavy, her smile sly. “Oh, I will. Tonight.” She went on tiptoe to peck his mouth. “With you.”
Damn. Way to turn the tables on him.
“So.” As she shed the hoodie, she eyed his arm. “What happened?”
“Long, boring story.” The last thing he wanted was her involved. “It’s fine.”
“You’re sure?”
She brushed her fingertips over his forearm in a butterfly caress...that he felt in his dick. “Yeah.”
“It’s awfully colorful.”
“Just bruising. No big deal.” He expected her to fuss, but he should have known better. So far Vanity had never done the expected.
“I’m glad.” She checked the big clock on the wall. “Thanks for the wonderful greeting, but now I need to get my gear stored and get to it.” She patted his chest and walked off.
Stack stood there, admiring the departing shot of her ass in the leggings—until he realized a lot of other people were watching, too. He mean-mugged some new guys, then Brand and Miles, and lastly Leese.
Leese just grinned, the dick.
An hour later, Vanity was finishing up on the elliptical when she got a call. She turned off the machine and stepped off before retrieving her cell from a wrist strap.
One-handed, she fetched a towel and patted her face while listening to whoever had called. When her brows pulled together, and she separated from the crowd, moving to a corner on the other side of the registration desk, he called it quits on his own workout and joined her.
She didn’t appear bothered that he’d invaded her space or that he was listening in.
“It’s not broke.”
“Damn.” Cannon checked it over, turned his wrist, manipulated his elbow. No, he wasn’t a doctor, but he was the most experienced of the bunch and recognized a lot from his own injuries. “How’s it feel?”
“Before or after you decided to work it over?”
Cannon flashed him a grin. “So you’ll live. Any idea why you were jumped?”
“Not yet. Word is out.” He explained what he knew and what had been done. “The jerk knows how to contact me once he finds out anything.”
“Think he will?”
“I checked his ID so I know where he lives. And I didn’t turn him in to the cops.” Stack upended a water bottle, quenching his thirst, then wiping his mouth. “I made it clear it was in his best interest to be helpful, then Denver and Justice reinforced the message.”
“I almost feel sorry for the dumbass.” Brow raised, he glanced at Stack’s arm. “Or maybe not.”
Without asking, Cannon knew no one had used unnecessary force against the thug. It’d be a bitch move for Stack to walk away, only to have two other hulks step in and pulverize an already beat-up guy. But he also knew they would have impressed upon the goon how important it was to do as told, along with cluing him in on what they considered good intel, and how and where to share it.
Denver joined them, then Leese. They talked a little longer, coordinating plans. They looked out for each other, and while Stack knew he could take care of himself, if fighters were suddenly targets, everyone needed to be on guard.
When the door chimed again, he looked up and met Vanity’s gaze. Nice that she’d immediately sought him out with her eyes.
“Here.” He handed the water bottle to Leese and, being sure to draw everyone’s attention first, strode over to her.
“Stack.” Her smile flickered with uncertainty. “What’s—”
Dipping in for a thorough kiss, he stole her gasp, nudged her lips apart, and eased his tongue in to tease. Because he was sweaty, he kept his body from touching hers. But that didn’t mean he had to make the kiss quick, or easy.
She tasted so good, he almost forgot the purpose of this display: making it clear to one and all that she was his, and only his.
When she reached for him, her small, cool hands coming to his hot, damp shoulders, he ended things.
Her eyes, unfocused, stared at him as she licked her lips.
Such an invitation. “Hey.”
Took her a second, and she nodded. “Hey.” She glanced around, and a sly smile replaced some of the dazed lust. “Was that for the spectators?”
No reason to lie about it. “The male spectators, yeah.”
“Wow.” She pushed back her hoodie, her mouth still playing with a smile. “I’m flattered.”
Flattered? “Come again?”
Her eyes went heavy, her smile sly. “Oh, I will. Tonight.” She went on tiptoe to peck his mouth. “With you.”
Damn. Way to turn the tables on him.
“So.” As she shed the hoodie, she eyed his arm. “What happened?”
“Long, boring story.” The last thing he wanted was her involved. “It’s fine.”
“You’re sure?”
She brushed her fingertips over his forearm in a butterfly caress...that he felt in his dick. “Yeah.”
“It’s awfully colorful.”
“Just bruising. No big deal.” He expected her to fuss, but he should have known better. So far Vanity had never done the expected.
“I’m glad.” She checked the big clock on the wall. “Thanks for the wonderful greeting, but now I need to get my gear stored and get to it.” She patted his chest and walked off.
Stack stood there, admiring the departing shot of her ass in the leggings—until he realized a lot of other people were watching, too. He mean-mugged some new guys, then Brand and Miles, and lastly Leese.
Leese just grinned, the dick.
An hour later, Vanity was finishing up on the elliptical when she got a call. She turned off the machine and stepped off before retrieving her cell from a wrist strap.
One-handed, she fetched a towel and patted her face while listening to whoever had called. When her brows pulled together, and she separated from the crowd, moving to a corner on the other side of the registration desk, he called it quits on his own workout and joined her.
She didn’t appear bothered that he’d invaded her space or that he was listening in.
