Challenge Accepted (Eternal Combat Book 1), page 31
"You good?" the kid asked.
"Do I look that rough?" Logan replied.
"Yeah," Knock said, stepping back so he could come in.
"I just made Murder lose his bet." Logan laughed. "I also need to cool off a bit. Sorry bro."
"You pissed at this, man?"
"Nah," Logan assured him. "Wrong kind of cooling."
Knock blushed and gasped, "Oh," before walking into the other room.
There was a half full beer on the counter and Logan gestured to it. "Have a favorite yet?"
"No," Knock admitted. "I didn't exactly get invited to the parties and shit at school. Fucking Bud Light is about the best I can get."
"What about that?"
"That's good," Knock agreed.
"K. We'll have to do some sampling when we get home."
Knock just shook his head. "I don't get you, Void."
"What's there to get?"
"You bought me that damned ticket here, you're putting me up at your place until I can get one of my own – "
"No." Logan stopped him. "Until we get the renovations done at the farm. Riley's putting in a basement and a couple of rooms down there. How'd you figure out about the ticket?"
"I was guessing."
Logan just shrugged. "When it's done, we'll both move in, but I'll be in her bed, you won't."
Knock laughed at that. "Yeah. Even after all this?"
"Shit," Logan muttered, amused. "There's a hell of a lot more to a relationship than the physical shit, bro."
He grabbed a beer of his own and sank into the couch. Knock snagged his and sat at the other end.
"Look," Logan went on, "thing with you moving in, it's pretty simple. Do not ever get drunk and drive, and you'll be fine."
"Nah, that's not cool," Knock agreed.
"Call me, her, Kitty, whatever, but if you have one damned beer, call, or she'll lose it. Her parents were killed by a drunk driver."
"Shit," Knock whispered. "Gotcha."
"You want to try something stupid, run it past us. I don't care if that's a kinky new position or smoking pot. I'm not saying let us all up in your shit, man, but none of us are going to judge you. We're your friends, not your damned parents."
Knock nodded. "Yeah. Tried pot, wasn't cool, I just went to sleep. The rest," he blushed and took a long drink of beer.
"It'll happen," Logan said. "Specially once it gets out that you're a sponsored gamer."
Knock laughed. "Gotta get sponsored first."
Logan shook his head. "I already had someone ask. Told him I was representing you for the weekend. Hope you're ok with that?"
"How the fuck do I pay you back for this shit?" Knock asked finally, sounding exasperated.
"Take care of Riley," Logan said. "That's it. She lets you in like no one else. Bro, I'm so in love with that girl, I'd do anything just to see her smile."
Knock nodded slowly. "Yeah, man. I know. You're fucking stupid over her. That's why I don't get the shit tonight."
Logan just smiled. "Jeff, here's the thing. All that shit you see about sex in the movies? Maybe ten percent of people want nothing else. Watching her tear Murder apart, it's as good as porn. Better, because I know why she's doing it."
"You're sick, man," Knock teased.
Logan just shrugged it off. "Maybe. We also need to get some shit settled with you legally. When we get back, Riley's going to call your parents, tell them where you are, and give them contact info. We'll get you filed for emancipation, so it'll be like you already turned 18. There will be some issues with that at school, so we'll just list Riley as your legal guardian there, if you're cool with that?"
Knock nodded.
"And I think you just won the damned scholarship. Need to check, but pretty sure everyone else is over eighteen in the finals."
Knock shook his head. "PBJ is only eighteen. I checked."
"I'll tell the high table. He'll go first."
Knock laughed. "Sweet! You gonna hit this party?"
"Yeah, bro. Just one thing. When I say you're twenty-one, just agree?"
"Fuck yeah," Knock said without a second thought.
They left the room together and made their way to the door. When Logan walked up, a large man lowered the VIP rope and gestured for him to skip the line. Knock followed beside him, but the big guy paused.
"He's with me," Logan said. "Can you get him stamped?"
"Sure, Mr. Weiss," the bouncer said, waving over a girl.
She looked at Knock once, and Logan shrugged. "It's QQ's little brother. I guess the baby face runs in the family. Would you believe she's twenty-six?"
"Serious?" the girl asked, then turned to Knock. "What about you?"
"Twenty-one," he sighed. "Back in February. Told you I'd need my ID, Logan."
"Shit," Logan moaned. "But we'd have to get a fucking cab over there."
"You seen his ID, Mr. Weiss?" she asked.
Logan nodded, "I represent him. This is Knock, about to be the next big name in gaming."
"Oh!" she said, stamping Knock's hand. "Have fun tonight you two!"
"Will do," Logan said with a flirtatious smile.
They barely stepped in the door, when Logan punched Knock's arm lightly. "I'm gonna get you in so much shit."
Together they made a straight line for the bar. Logan passed across a credit card and pointed at himself then Knock. The music was so loud that the bartender never would have heard a word he said, but she nodded, passed over two arm bands, and wrote the numbers on a ticket, then hung it with his credit card at the back of the bar.
"You have Shiner?" Logan yelled.
She nodded and he held up two fingers. Cracking the bottles, she slid them across, and he winked then moved away, Knock trailing in his shadow. The pair of them found a place by the wall, out of traffic but over looking the writhing mass on the dance floor. Then Logan tapped Knock's shoulder and gestured to the door. Riley stormed into the dance hall, catching all eyes as she stopped at the bar, leaning over far enough that her dress slipped up the back of her thighs. She went through the routine to set up her own tab and turned, holding two tall shot glasses. With every man in the room – or close enough – watching, she slammed the first one back, set it on the counter, then made her way to the dance floor as she tossed back the second.
"Now that," someone beside him yelled over the music, "is a woman!"
"Oh yeah," Logan agreed, his eyes trailing her.
That was when the base line of the music hit. As the crowd jumped, she joined in, laughing at the men pushing close to her, pushing a few away with a teasing smile. With each bounce, her dress swirled high against her legs before slamming against the top of those too tall, skin hugging boots.
"Go play," Logan screamed at Knock. "Find something pretty and take it home."
"Thought QQ was the only girl here," Knock yelled back.
"There's a couple, and the MMOers should arrive soon. Their event is almost over."
Knock just laughed and hit up the bar again, trying something a bit harder this time. Logan was aware of that, but he only had eyes for the girl on the dance floor moving in ways that no one should do alone. He was damned near entranced when someone thumped him in the shoulder.
"We cool, bro?" Murder asked, leaning to his ear to be heard.
Logan smiled slowly and nodded. "You fucking lost the bet, man. You have no idea."
"Yeah? Then I'm going to enjoy this while I can."
They both grinned and slammed their fists together. He didn't ask again; Murder simply waded into the mass of bodies, starting to writhe more with each step deeper onto the dance floor he got. By the time he was near Riley, she welcomed him with a smile, but just kept dancing. Murder pressed closer and she lifted her chin, taunting him. That was all it took.
He put one arm around her back and pulled her closer. Riley stepped into him at an angle, her belly just brushing against the edge of his hip, one foot on either side of his. Sweat glistened on her skin, both from the alcohol and the dancing. She looked up slowly and found his blue eyes watching her, the hunger easy to see.
"You really think you're that hot?" she asked over the music.
"Yeah," he said, "So do you."
Riley moved even closer, rubbing the length of her body against him, her belly pressing hard against his groin for just a moment, and she smiled. "Hot enough. Can you keep up?"
"Unlike some men, I know how to dance," he taunted back, moving his hands to her hips, matching his own rhythm to hers.
Riley threw her arms around his neck and closed her eyes, feeling the base thrumming through her body, and began to get into it. Murder moved with her, slowly grinding her body against him, his thumbs just a bit too high on her ribs. As the rhythm picked up, she began to move her hips side to side, then released him and stepped away, turning to the guy on her other side.
The man's face lit up with a smile, but Murder just stepped closer, grabbing her thighs and pulling her back against him. He leaned over her shoulder to press his mouth by her ear. "Uh uh, baby. You're mine for the night."
His fingers dug into the skin at the edge of her dress, the muscles of her thighs flexing beneath them with each sway of her body. Riley dipped just a bit lower, and the dress crumpled in his hand, sliding a few inches higher, then she stepped back into him, arching her back as she reached up behind her to grab his neck.
"You never did tell me what was under there," he growled into her ear.
"Nothing," Riley said, shoving her ass hard against his pelvis.
"You're fucking serious?"
"Nothing," Riley said again, catching his forearms and raising them to her waist, pressing hard against the thin, clinging material as she guided them back down, "Nothing at all, Murder."
"Dear God," he breathed, and grabbed her hips.
There were no ridges under his hands where even a thong would leave a hint, and he pulled her into him, one hand holding her hips tightly while the other slipped to the bottom of that too-short dress. He leaned down, nipping at her neck. Clinging to him, her nails lightly dug into the skin at the back of his neck.
Then she turned, slowly, her eyes looking at his mouth before anything else. From just a corner of her mouth, Riley smiled. "Tequila," she demanded, pushing him away.
"Oh yeah," he agreed, knowing how much she'd already had.
Riley figured he'd forgotten about the bet by the time he returned. She took the shot from his hand and walked backward, still swaying with the music, trusting that people would move. Step by step she pulled Murder with her, using nothing more than her eyes. He followed until she was behind most of the crowd, then she slammed back the shot and dropped the glass, stepping into his arms.
"You fucking want me," he said. It was a dare.
"You can't handle this."
One hand slid up into his dark wavy hair, and she encouraged him to make the first move. Murder stepped into her, pushing her back, until she hit the wall. With people all around, he pinned her, still writhing, and grabbed her thigh, lifting it over his. She pressed her pelvis closer and leaned her head back, letting her eyes slip closed. One hand caught his hip and pulled him even closer, until she was damned near grinding herself against his zipper. Riley's mouth slipped open and he pressed harder, her dress bunching against his pants as he leaned down.
His lips found hers and Riley accepted his tongue, crushing his mouth as she demanded more, her body still grinding against his. With a subtle shift of the hips, he pressed into the soft flesh of her groin, his erection digging into her skin. Riley teased his mouth, while she shoved his hand back to her thigh.
"You don't stop me, I'm taking this a hell of a lot farther," he warned.
"You already lost," she pointed out.
"Oh yeah, baby. I knew I would."
"Thought I wasn't your type." Her eyes flicked quickly to the side before returning to his.
"Never said I wouldn't fuck you so hard you'd scream."
Riley just smiled. "You couldn't even get me off."
Murder kissed her again, harder, and his hand slid up her raised thigh, under her dress, out of sight of the crush of people around them. His fingers teased the soft skin inside her leg. His teeth grazed her, then tormented her, until she sucked in a breath. Leaving harsh red marks on her neck, he worked lower, his tongue just tracing the top of her breast before he tried to claim her mouth again.
"You don't stop me, that hand is going higher," he swore.
Riley just lifted her lids and smiled. "No. It's not."
Her eyes moved to the side of the room and Murder turned to see where she kept looking. Across the mass of heads, he saw Void, an amused smile on his lips. Watching.
"You're the foreplay," she said, pulling his hand away from her leg and to her mouth.
Those bright red lips slid over his thumb, her tongue wrapping around the underside as she caressed it seductively. Murder sucked in a breath, unable to tear his eyes away.
She smiled deviously. "I fuck harder than I fight. I'd break you."
"And I'd love every minute of it," he said closing his eyes as he let her leg fall to the floor. "Dear God, I'm going to get my ass kicked."
"Remember, this was your idea."
"Trust me, Q. I know. Just remember that we're not all dicks."
His answer shocked her. "So let's put on a show."
She grabbed a fistful of his shirt and pulled him to her again, shoving her tongue down his throat, pressing her entire body into him as he clung to her. His hands grasped at her shoulder blades and she turned, guiding him toward the wall, licking at the edge of his lip before teasing his mouth again and again. Then she stepped back and smiled once before simply walking away.
Murder shoved his hands into his hair and let the wall hold him up while he tried to catch his breath. He looked up in time to see Void push himself away from the wall. Their eyes met but Logan just smiled before making his way to the door. Riley had just reached the edge of the crowd where Knock leaned casually, holding up a double of tequila, passing it to her with a shrug.
"You fucking stoned?" Psyc yelled, making his way over.
Murder laughed and shook his head. "Not exactly."
"You really just tried to make out with QQ?" his friend asked.
"Damn," Murder said. "Shot down. I thought I had that shit, and she just proved her point."
"What point?"
"I can't fucking keep up."
Psyc laughed. "That's why I didn't fucking try. You're a dumb shit. Let Void try to tame that bitch first."
Murder shook his head. "Ain't gonna happen. She's not here to make us happy, it's the other way around. And those two are made for each other."
"Yeah," Psyc agreed. "Logan Weiss. Anyone who can keep that under wraps for fourteen years has balls of steel."
Murder just sighed. He needed a damned drink.
Chapter 37
Knock passed the shot of tequila to Riley with a knowing smile. "From Void."
She slammed the shot back and nodded. "Don't get too fucked up," she told him before walking out of the dance hall.
The hotel halls had fallen silent hours before, and her heels made a soft thump against the short carpet. She marched, not even bothering to hide where she was going. It was her own room, so there was nothing to hide. She slipped her key into the door and turned the handle in a fluid motion, then stepped inside.
A strong hand pushed the door closed and flipped the panic lock. Logan licked his lips once, then smiled.
"I'm going to fuck you against this wall," he said, stepping closer.
Riley just grabbed him, pulling him closer, fumbling at his pants. "You like watching him try to seduce me?"
"I like that you knew I was watching, and that's the only thing getting you off."
The button came free and she slowly lowered his zipper. "That's not all you liked."
He sucked in a breath when she slipped her hand inside his pants and guided him free. "No," he said softly, "It's not."
Her thumb brushed across each stud in the barbell. "Tell me," she whispered.
"You kiss a man with your entire body." He sucked in a breath as she squeezed just a bit harder, her hand sliding slowly lower, and shoved his hands on either side of her head, holding her there. "You controlled him." She stroked him again, and he moaned. "And you did it to get me hard."
"I did," Riley whispered. "And I was so damned turned on knowing you were watching."
Logan grabbed her, one hand at the back of each thigh, and lifted her around his waist. Her legs wrapped around his ass, her hands on his arms as he lowered her slowly, taking his time. She was ready, but he held her there, teasing her.
"Who are you thinking about?" he whispered.
"Void."
He pulled her down hard, and they both cried out at the sensation. There was no beauty, no grace to their lovemaking, but that's what it was. His hands bruised her flesh as he pounded her into the wall, and Riley pressed her body into him, begging to be closer, her tits bouncing with each hard thrust. Her heels trailed lines against the back of his legs, her entire body surrendered to his control.
"Please, Void," she gasped.
Each thrust caressed her core with hard steel. Over and over, that secret piercing, that only she had ever felt, teased her body to new heights, sliding in and out, over and over. He rammed her against the wall and teasingly slid back, his hands squeezing her ass with each pull, and his mouth caressed her neck, savoring the salty sheen of their exertion. His entire body worshiped her, but it was his words that sent her over the edge.
"I love you, Q," he breathed.
Her hand grabbed at the back of his neck and her body lost control. Sucking in air, her eyes opened as her core tensed, and she saw Logan's loving hazel eyes watching her mouth before they slowly closed and his jaw clenched. With a deep groan, he shoved her into the wall, begging for its support, both of them panting as it held them up.
Her chest heaving, Riley's fingers brushed the side of his face. "Put me down," she whispered.
Languidly, he did, shifting one hand to rest on the wall behind her. "We have some serious issues to work out, baby," he said, a smile crossing his mouth as he sucked in deep breaths.
