Luke (A Cocky Cage Fighter Novel Book 8) Read online

  “Which you know firsthand,” I finish.

  “Exactly,” she answers, red shading her cheeks and drawing attention to her freckles.

  “I’ve missed you,” I tell her. “So I’m glad you’re back and teaching safe sex.”

  “I’ve missed you too,” she replies sadly, and I can’t help but wonder if she actually misses Eli and I’m just a sorry substitute. The fucked up part is, I’ll still take what I can get.

  “So tell me more about the cage fighting,” Megan says when the silence becomes too heavy, and I’m thankful not to have to dwell on that depressing shit any longer.

  “Well, it’s a lot of hard work, but it’s fun, and the guys at the gym are all really great,” I tell her. “You probably remember Linc. He’s married and has twins due any day now.”

  “Aww, that’s great. Especially after everything that happened with his horrible ex. What was her name? Amy or Ali? I remember Eli telling me about how she crushed Linc after the miscarriage…”

  Now I squirm in my seat for an entirely different reason. Wow, this may be a little awkward.

  “Her name was Abby,” I correct.

  “Hold on,” Megan says, turning her body toward me in the seat. “Is that the same Abby as the one you mentioned?”

  “The one and only,” I answer with a smile. “Back when everything happened, Linc overreacted before he knew the whole story. Abby never cheated on him.”

  “Huh,” Megan mutters, but I can tell that her opinion of Abby probably hasn’t improved.

  “She’s married and has a daughter with another fighter, Senn.”

  “What about, um, Nate? Is he still around?” she asks with her eyes lowered to her lap, obviously unable to forget or forgive him for the relationship he had with Eli behind her back.

  “Yeah, he is, and he’s recently married,” I reply.

  “Oh, well, good for him and his new husband I guess.”

  “Actually, he’s with a woman, Alyssa,” I explain.

  “A woman?” Meg exclaims in surprise. Realizing her outburst, Megan glances around the busy restaurant before she lowers her voice and says, “But I thought he was…”

  “He’s bisexual,” I answer softly. “You know, like Eli apparently was…”

  “Right,” Meg says with a nod, and then the waiter is thankfully back with our drinks and bread to start the cheese fondue.

  I didn’t want to dwell on the past tonight, but I guess it’s unavoidable since we have so much time to catch up on.

  Chapter Seven

  Megan

  “This is so good! You want to try it?” Luke asks as he picks up another piece of bread with the fondue fork and dips it into the melted cheese.

  “Ah, yeah, sure,” I tell him, still trying to stop thinking about my ex-boyfriend that I was head over heels in love with sleeping with a man.

  Actually, what’s stuck on my mind is that Nate’s attracted to men and women? Did Eli feel the same? If so, why did he rarely initiate any sort of physical activity with me?

  After Luke lifts the steaming cheese-coated bread to his mouth to blow it cool, he holds it right in front of my lips, his blue eyes staring at them as he waits for me to open up and accept what he’s offering. Something warm tugs in my belly, surprising me. Maybe because I’ve never been fed by a man before. It seems so…intimate.

  “Hurry, it’s about to…drip,” Luke warns right before I stick my tongue out to catch the dripping cheese.

  Then I bite down on the cube of bread and pull it off the long fork.

  “Mmm, that’s really good,” I tell him as my eyes close, savoring the hot taste on my tongue. When I open them again, it’s just in time to see Luke lean forward and brush his lips over mine.

  “That was so damn sexy,” he whispers after he pulls back.

  Another, heavier tug even lower in my belly catches me off guard from hearing him say that he thinks I’m sexy. Living the life of a hectic student and single mother, it’s not something I’ve felt in years. Not since the night Luke and I shared a kiss that became frantic with need…

  My face heats in remembrance of how aggressive I had been, lost in the moment, thankful for an escape from the hurt and the grief. But Luke’s a grown man now, so I shouldn’t feel ashamed for wanting him.

  “Your turn,” I say, picking up my fondue fork, spearing another cube of bread and dipping it into the cheese. “Open up,” I tell him, once I let the cheese cool. Luke does as I ask, so I lift the fork to his waiting mouth. And he’s right, who knew watching his tongue swipe over his lips could be so sexy?

  “That’s hot,” he says with a chuckle before reaching for his glass of water. Once he takes a sip and places the glass back on the table, his left palm covers my jean-covered thigh, and he tells me, “Give me another.”

  We feed each other the rest of the bread and then do the same with the small pieces of meat cooked in oil. Luke’s free hand continues to move up my leg and give my thigh a gentle, yet thrilling squeeze every time he takes a bite. Finally, dessert is brought out. I only get to taste one strawberry dipped in chocolate before Luke’s tongue takes up occupancy in my mouth, reminding me of his desperation that night in my bed. The tug in my belly has moved lower and is now a persistent ache between my thighs, just a little higher than Luke’s hand.

  When we’re both forced to pull away for air, Luke pays the bill in cash and then looks down at his phone. “We’ve got twenty more minutes. Can I keep you out a little longer, or do you want me to take you back?” he asks. “My mom texted just five minutes ago with a picture of Lennox curled up on the couch watching Ice Age, so he’s fine.” He holds out the photo to show me; and since my son does look happy, I decide to do something a little selfish for the first time in a very long time.

  “I’m ready to leave, but I’m not ready to go back,” I tell Luke, who smiles in response.

  “Good. And I know of a place,” he says as he stands and takes my hand to lead me out of the restaurant.

  A few minutes later, we’re pulling down a dark, quiet, dirt road that leads to a lake. The headlights land on a “Private Property” sign before Luke kills the engine and lights.

  “Um, are we trespassing?” I ask him.

  “No. I know the owner,” he says before he gets out and comes around to open my door. Offering me a hand, he tells me, “This is Linc’s land, but his house is about a mile back that way.” He points across the dark water to a line of trees.

  “You sure it’s okay?” I ask as he pulls me to my feet.

  “Yes,” he says, shutting the passenger door and then pressing my back against it. “It was the closest place I could think of to be alone with you.” He places a kiss on my bottom lip. “Well, other than your house, but I thought that was a little too presumptuous.”

  “Definitely too presumptuous,” I tell him while reaching for the waistband of his slacks to pull his body flush against mine. “Although, I wouldn’t mind if you get just a little presumptuous.”

  “If I were to ever get a chance for a do-over with you, I definitely won’t be in a rush,” Luke says as he grabs my hips and kisses down the side of my face. “And I swear I can last longer now.”

  “I’m sure you can, but I didn’t have any complaints about that night,” I assure him as my breathing becomes choppy and my knees start to go weak. “Other than feeling guilty for having bad timing after everything that had happened. It was me who rushed things.”

  “If I remember correctly, you were the one who took your pants off,” he teases while his fingers move to the front of my jeans and he pops the button on them, making me gasp. “Once I felt how wet you were, I had to be inside you.”

  “I wanted you inside me,” I tell him, clutching his thick biceps as his lips and tongue move down my neck while lowering the zipper on my jeans. “That’s why I took my pants off.”

  “You were so hot and tight that I couldn’t last,” Luke says as he slips his hand down the front of my panties and his fingertips find
the part of me that’s been aching so badly. “I’ve always regretted not getting to taste your pussy first.” His tongue swipes down my neck causing me to shiver violently thanks to the combined effect of his words and touch. Liquid heat coats his fingers just at the thought of having his tongue down there.

  Luke definitely notices. His thick length pressed into my thigh becomes harder while his fingers ease inside me.

  “You like that idea?” he asks, his mouth now moving up to tease my ear. “The way you just soaked your panties tells me you do.”

  “Yes,” I answer in a gasp, his words, his touch, his kisses all too much to take. The night darkens even more as every muscle from my waist down tightens and then shakes from the pleasure that ripples through me. It’s like I’m floating on a cloud, and it feels…amazing.

  My back slumps against the car while I recover; and when I open my eyes, it’s in time to see Luke remove his fingers from my panties. Raising his hand to his mouth, Luke’s tongue darts out to slowly lick my juices off of his fingertips, causing my lower belly to seize.

  “Mmm,” he groans. “Better than anything I’ve ever tasted,” he tells me, causing heat to radiate from my cheeks and my eyes to lower.

  “What, you’re not shy, are you?” Luke asks, lifting my chin to make me look at him. “You’re supposed to be the experienced older woman here.”

  “I’m definitely not very experienced,” I admit. “Pretty ironic for a sex-ed teacher with a child, right?”

  “What do you mean?” Luke asks. “You haven’t had sex in a while?”

  “No.”

  “So how long has it been?” he asks.

  “Well, ah, since the night we…” I start, and Luke interrupts.

  “Holy shit! You’re kidding, right?” he mutters in disbelief.

  “Nope. I was pregnant for nine months and then busy juggling school and a son for the past three years. Not much time for dating, and I haven’t exactly had many requests.”

  “That is a fucking tragedy,” Luke tells me. “You’ve made a lot of sacrifices as a single mother, haven’t you?”

  “It hasn’t been that bad,” I assure him.

  “So, that quickie with me was your last sexual experience?” he asks.

  “Yes.”

  “Wow, Meg. I swear it gets better than that night.”

  “I know it does,” I tell him. “But I haven’t really wanted to be with anyone either, you know?”

  “Well, maybe I can convince you to change your mind,” he says.

  “I’m pretty sure you just did,” I reply with a smile.

  “So no regrets, no embarrassment?” he asks.

  “No regrets. Still a little bit embarrassed.”

  “You shouldn’t be. That was…God, that was hot,” Luke tells me and then reaches down to adjust his cock.

  “Yeah, it was. Thank you,” I say. “It feels like we did something incredibly naughty, but I liked it.”

  “Hold on,” Luke mutters, as he pulls away from me but keeps his hands on my waist. “You didn’t…experiment with…” I know who Luke means, but he’s unable to say his brother’s name.

  “Not very much, no. I rarely felt this sort of enthusiasm,” I tell Luke, reaching down to stroke his thick length through his pants and making him groan. “So, I guess that probably makes you the more experienced one.”

  “Honestly, all I know is what Abby taught me. But maybe you and I can learn together?” he offers, wrapping his arms around my waist so that there’s not even room for Jesus between us.

  I really don’t like hearing that girl’s name, or the reminder that Luke did no telling what with her. I do like the idea of him and me experimenting together, though. And I really like feeling the proof of his attraction to me pressed against my stomach.

  “Sounds like a plan,” I tell him. “I even have a list.”

  “A list?” he repeats, leaning down to kiss my lips. “Can I have a copy to make sure we check everything off?”

  “I’ll text you one later tonight,” I promise.

  “Good. I put my number in your phone earlier, and I can’t wait to get started,” he says. “For now, should I get you back to the house?”

  “Yeah, we should go ahead and get back,” I agree.

  “Can I see you tomorrow?” Luke asks. “Maybe we could take Lennox to the park?”

  “That would be really nice,” I agree, unable to help my grin at his interest in spending time with Lennox too.

  While things may not have worked out exactly how I wanted, I’m excited about the prospect of getting to know Luke all over again.

  But a few minutes later when we pull up to his parents’ house, the guilt comes roaring back, threatening to ruin my newfound happiness.

  Chapter Eight

  Luke

  My date with Meg went even better than I imagined, with the promise to see her and Lennox again tomorrow.

  They just left a half hour ago, after I carried a sleeping Lennox to her SUV and buckled him in his seat. I asked Meg if she would be able to get him into the house as big as he is, and she assured me that she could.

  Really, I think I was just fishing for an invite to go home with her, but it’s too soon for that just yet. Tonight was our first date, and I don’t want to rush Meg into anything. I want to do this right, making sure we renew our friendship first, before ending up in bed together.

  Or, that’s what I told myself. Then Meg texted me a copy of her list that included: oral sex, doggy style, cowgirl, standing up, bondage, blindfold, sixty-nine, role playing, in public, in the shower, in the car, using food, sexting, watch porn, watch masturbation.

  Wow. I barely refrain from jumping into my car and speeding to her house right this second to get started after reading all that.

  I text her back an emoji with wide eyes and open mouth, along with:

  That’s some list you’ve got there. What should we start with?

  Even though she may have already gone to sleep, I hold my phone in my hand, my cock that’s so hard it may break in the other, hoping for a response. Thankfully, I get one.

  Probably the least intimidating, sexting.

  Yes! That’s exactly what I need at this very moment, sexy messages from the woman of my dreams.

  Why wait? Let’s get started now.

  Okay, is Meg’s instant response.

  Send me a pic of your tits, I text her without delay, hoping I’m not being too forward. Apparently not, since just a few moments later my phone pings with a new photo message.

  “Jesus Christ,” I mutter when I open it. It’s a pic of Megan from her chest up, her strawberry blonde hair spread around her, telling me she was laying down, probably in bed when she snapped it. There’s a rosy glow to her cheeks that matches the one on her chest, leading down into the cups of her purple lacy bra.

  I text back to her, So beautiful you take my breath away.

  Her response is a kissy face emoji and then the words, Your turn. Take your shirt off.

  Fuck yes. My shirt has been off since I stripped down to my boxers and got in bed, so I hold the phone up over my head and take a selfie that shows off all the hours of hard work I’ve put in at Havoc. The first photo I cut my hair off, making me look bald, so I take another and get my head, shoulders, chest and partial abs in the shot. After I hit send, I wait to see if the three little dots appear showing she’s seen it and is typing a response. It doesn’t take long.

  Whoa. I can’t seem to remember…is Cary always this hot in August or is it just you?

  After I actually do laugh out loud, I send LOL back to her and tell her goodnight before she tempts me further into showing up at her house. Instead, I’m content to remain alone in my bed like most other nights, tugging on my dick while looking at the pic Meg sent me until I come.

  Tomorrow is a brand new day. One where I’ll get to see Meg’s beautiful face again and get to spend some time with my brother’s son. I’m thankful to not just have Meg back but Lennox too, since I was sta
rting to forget things about Eli. Maybe I should get a journal and start writing down everything I can remember about him to give to Lennox when he gets older.

  And then the guilt comes creeping back into my head, pushing aside the happiness. If Eli hadn’t died, he could still be with Meg, helping her raise their son. In fact, her pregnancy may have been enough to convince him to stop seeing Nate behind her back and be the man, the father Meg needed him to be to his son.

  The only reason I have a chance with Meg now is because Eli’s gone.

  …

  Megan

  On Saturday morning, the doorbell chimes causing the butterflies in my belly to instantly take flight. Despite all the time that went by, being around Luke is just so easy and effortless. I didn’t realize how much I missed him.

  “Hey,” I say in greeting when I open the door, sounding out of breath as I take him in from head to toe. His size still catches me off guard even though I just saw him yesterday. Today, he’s wearing cargo shorts and an orange Clemson tee that matches his backward hat. Eli’s hat that brings back a lot of memories.

  “Hey,” Luke replies with a grin after giving me an identical once-over, examining my jean shorts and green tank top. “I know we talked about going to the park, but I have three tickets to State’s first football game if you and Lennox want to go.”

  “Sure. And let me guess, they’re playing Clemson?” I ask with my own smile that seems to appear every time I’m around this man.

  “Yep,” Luke answers, and then reaches behind him to pull out something orange from his back pocket. “And I have a hat for Lennox too.”

  “Aww, that’s so sweet, Luke. Thank you,” I tell him, standing on my tippy toes and grabbing his shoulders to give him a kiss on his cheek. Just before my lips make contact with his skin, though, Luke turns his head and wraps his arms around my waist. Then our tongues are tangling, and we’re kissing like horny teenagers right there on the front stoop.

  “Mommy, what are you doing with Uncle Luke?” my son asks from just inside the door, causing Luke and I to abruptly pull away from each other.