Where Darkness Lies Page 48

Mega ew.

“Gotta go deal with Luke,” he rasps, his voice still croaky.

“O-okay,” I whisper, unable to find mine.

He grins at me and turns, walking off while buttoning up his jeans. God, he’s beautiful. I watch him go with a smile on my face and a sweet-ass swell between my legs.

I’m almost sure it doesn’t get better than this.

“I hate you fighting,” I say, running my hand over his ass as I pass him.

“Yeah,” he chuckles. “I know.”

“Can’t you just drug your opponent and run off, living happily ever after?”

He laughs loudly. “No, baby, that’s not how it works.”

“What if he beats you?”

He gives me a look while strapping his hands. “He won’t.”

“Dimitri, you don’t know that.”

“I do know that.”

“Such an arrogant ass,” I mumble under my breath.

He reaches over, nudging my cheek gently with his bound fist. “Stop being a baby.”

I shove my fist into his cheek. “Stop being an arrogant ass.”

“Deal.”

He turns and takes hold of his shirt, yanking it off.

“It’s really not a wonder girls come to these fights,” I say, crossing my arms and admiring his sculpted, beautiful back.

“And why is that?”

“You have a nice ass. So do half the other fighters.”

He turns and gives me an intense expression. “You lookin’ at the other fighters?”

I grin at him and uncross my arms, tapping my chin as if I’m thinking. “Well, there was that one . . . he had this ass to die for. I wanted to jump into the ring and—”

Dimitri lunges forward, wrapping his arm around my waist and hauling me up close to his body.

“Only man you jump in the ring for is me,” he murmurs, staring at my lips. Then he leans forward and places a smacking kiss against them.

“Yes, boss,” I breathe.

“Now, go and find Luke, we need to get this fight started.”

I pout but nod. I turn and head toward the door just as it opens and Luke walks in, followed by Malibu. I sigh and roll my eyes as she lets her gaze travel over Dimitri. She walks past me as if I don’t exist and heads straight over to Dimi. She puts her hands on his arms and grins at him.

“Dimi,” she murmurs.

He takes her hands and peels her fingers off his arms. “Not interested.”

She stares at him, shocked. “What?”

“You heard me. Now, out, I have a fight.”

“She’s in here,” she snaps, jerking her head toward me.

“She’s my girl, she’s allowed in here.”

Her face tightens and she turns, glaring at me. “Well,” she grates out. “I guess that answers that then.”

“If you’re watchin’ the fight, then go and sit down,” Dimi says to her. “But you know you’re not allowed in here.”

“I hate being out there alone, it scares me. She can come with me.”

She actually does look like it bothers her, and I feel kind of bad about that. There are a lot of people out there that are less than desirable.

“I’ll go with you, but if you so much as say one bad word to me, I’ll drop you into the middle of a group of horny men and let them do what they may.”

She glowers at me. “You’d better watch your mouth.”

I raise my brows, crossing my arms. “Or what?”

“Enough!” Dimitri says. “Luke, take the girls out. I’ll get Josh in here to help me.”

“Who’s Josh?” I ask.

“The manager of this place. We’re tight,” Dimi says, staring at me.

“Fine,” Malibu mutters.

“Whatever,” I say.

Luke sighs.

Dimitri walks over, taking my face and pressing a sizzling kiss to my lips. “Cheer for me, baby.”

Oh I will.

I’ll cheer my little heart out.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Jess

I’m transfixed—my eyes are stuck to the sweating, pulsing man in front of me. God, when Dimitri fights, I forget everything else around me. The room goes out of focus and all I can see is him. His fists swinging, his body flexing and moving, the determined look on his face. My cheeks flush as I recall how my mouth has been on that body. I tremble and rub my arms, trying to keep the goose bumps at bay.

“Jessica!”

I jerk and turn my head to see Malibu staring at me, her expression annoyed.

“What?”

“I’ve been calling you!”

I roll my eyes. “I was watching. What do you want?”

“I need to go to the bathroom and I don’t want to go alone. These places freak me out.”

I grumble in annoyance. I have to take her. There is no way Luke will leave me to take her to the toilet, which means I’m the only one who can go with her. I shove to my feet and glare down at her. “Well, hurry up.”

“Bossy,” she mutters, getting to her feet.

Luke leans forward and whispers into my ear. “Where are you goin’?”

“Toilet, because Barbie can’t seem to go on her own.”

“What did you call me?” Malibu mutters, crossing her arms.

“Nothing,” I reply, smiling sweetly.

She mumbles something under her breath as I turn back to Luke. “We’ll be no more than five minutes.”