Submit (Out of the Octagon, #1) Read online

  Her voice was surprisingly low, a contrast with her delicate features and light hair. He’d expected a much different sound, lighter and more girly. But he had to admit he liked the smoky depth of it. Very much. Aedan looked down at her extended hand. He took it slowly, shaking it, her delicate fingers brushing against his palm. But he didn’t let go. He held her hand for a moment, looking into her pretty green eyes again. His wariness disappeared as curiosity took over.

  He decided right then that he’d be waking up with her tomorrow in his bed. Or him in hers. It didn’t matter. “Aedan... Aedan Kearney.”

  She gently pulled her hand from his. But her eyes still lingered on his face. For a moment it was just the two of them. Aedan had the distinct and unsettling sense of losing himself in her eyes. Get a grip, man. She’s just a chick.

  There was a noise behind Rosa. She startled, looking over her shoulder like she had forgotten anyone was with her. “Oh, yeah. And these are my friends, Laura and Sophia.”

  Aedan barely nodded at them, not registering the little wave one gave him. “Where you headed?” His question was directed at Rosa.

  “We were going to a club with friends. They told us about a place out here, somewhere they wanted to take us. They took one cab and we got in a second one.” Rosa giggled and Aedan had the urge to try and make her laugh again. “Either we got the address wrong, or they didn’t give us the right one.” She shrugged.

  “We had to practically drag Rosa out tonight,” Sophia said, taking a few steps toward Aedan and standing beside Rosa.

  Rosa looked down, her face hidden by a curtain of silky hair. She waved a dismissive hand at the girl. “They’re determined. Wouldn’t give up. Thought I needed to get out, have some fun. Live.”

  With a sudden toss of her head, she looked up at him, a rueful smile on her face. “And here we are, out having fun. We’re lost. We were attacked, almost robbed.” Her smile deepened, her voice dropping. “And then rescued.” She cocked her head. “But I suspect you’re no knight in shining armor.”

  Aedan noticed she had dimples. He wasn’t sure he’d ever met a girl with dimples. She seemed somehow old-fashioned and incredibly sexy, all at the same time.

  Rosa was still smiling at him, her green eyes on his. “Thank you for coming to our rescue, Aedan Kearney.”

  He liked the sound of his name on her lips. “This isn’t a safe place to be, even in the daytime. Let alone after dark. Especially not wearing Upper East Side clothes. The only club on Longwood is on the other side of the Expressway. It’s not exactly a dance club though.” He cocked his head to the side and let his gaze travel down her smooth legs and then back up again. She definitely had the body. “Unless you’re a stripper.”

  The bravado girl, still hanging back from the rest of them, sputtered out an offended sound, but Rosa just laughed. “No,” she said. “Not a stripper.”

  He caught her smile and his lips curved involuntarily.

  “Do you live around here?” She swung her head to glance down the street like she might find his apartment that way, her blonde hair falling against one shoulder in a shimmering wave.

  “Close enough.” He stopped himself before he gave away anything more. Enough with the personal stuff. Bed and breakfast does not include your life history.

  This was one he didn’t want to let get away though.

  He wanted her and he was pretty sure the feeling was mutual. She was still staring at him, standing close enough for him to smell her perfume, giving off all the signals that she was open to whatever he had to offer.

  Aedan smiled again, giving her the version he’d used countless times to bed countless girls, and tossed out an invitation. “But there’s a bar down at the end of the block. That is, if you’re interested.”

  Before she had a chance to say anything, the girl named Sophia spoke up. “I think it’s the least we could do, buy you a drink, I mean. You did save our lives, after all. Right?” She smiled, sidling up next to him, winding her arm through his.

  He looked at her briefly, smelling the alcohol on her breath. They were all on the slightly drunk side, he realized.

  They turned to Rosa. Aedan raised an eyebrow. She was obviously the deciding factor here.

  “Rosa? Please?” Sophia’s voice took on a pleading quality that grated on Aedan’s ears. He gently pulled his arm away from her clutches.

  Aedan realized he was holding his breath, waiting for her answer. She’s just a girl. Relax. So you want to fuck her. Nothing more. You’ve nothing in common with her. She’s just pretty. He watched her tongue run over her soft pink lips. She couldn’t be anything more, but she could be mine tonight.

  “I don’t think that’s the best idea,” Laura objected. Sophia turned to look at her. Whatever silent exchange they shared seemingly shut her up, because she shook her head, but didn’t say anything else.

  Rosa looked her two friends over and sighed. “All right. Let’s buy Aedan a drink.”

  He started down the road, falling into step beside Rosa as they walked down the sidewalk. The other girls trailed behind, whispering between themselves. He didn’t care about them; his whole focus was on Rosa.

  At least she seemed comfortable with him. Maybe from the excitement of watching the fight, or the alcohol, but she seemed willing to talk as they walked. So he let her talk.

  “We’re lucky you came by. You’re the only person we saw...well, except for those other guys.”

  “There’s no such thing as luck.” He turned to her, his face momentarily lit up with a teasing smile.

  She smiled back and he felt his heartbeat speed up. They came out onto a street with more lights and he could see her clearly, those green eyes and full lips. God, she’s beautiful. Gorgeous. Lips he thought he’d enjoy kissing, would enjoy watching as she ran them over his body, down his chest...lower, kissing his...

  “Aedan?” Her voice interrupted his thoughts. He turned, looking down at her, frowning. “Is this the place?”

  They were standing in front of a seedy bar, garish neon lights painting the sidewalk. It was the place he’d intended to take them, although now it looked worse than he’d remembered. But there was nowhere better down here.

  “Yeah, it is.” He held the door for the girls, his hand lightly resting on the small of Rosa’s back. She didn’t pull away. The place was practically empty and he shepherded the girls to a small table in the far corner, away from the door.

  He headed to the bar, mentally counting the money in his wallet. He wasn’t sure he had enough to cover the tab for all of them, and certainly not enough for a night of prolonged drinking. When he turned, though, Rosa had followed him from the table, and was regarding him with amusement.

  “I believe the first round is on us,” she said.

  “I don’t mind covering it.” It would leave him near broke for a while, but he wasn’t going to just take handouts.

  Rosa shook her head. “You rescued us. We offered to buy you a drink. It’s only fair.” Her pretty green eyes narrowed. “And I’m not taking no for an answer.”

  She turned to the bartender, then, ordering something with some fancy name Aedan had never heard of. When the bartender shook his head, she frowned.

  “I’ll have what he’s having, then.”

  “You sure about that?” Aedan asked, reasonably sure she’d never had straight brandy in her life.

  “Absolutely,” Rosa shot back.

  She was going to be one hell of a handful, Aedan decided as he gave in with a laugh, giving the bartender—who was obviously hiding a laugh of his own—their orders. If he was honest, it just made him want her more. All that fire under his hands, in his bed...

  Sophia patted the chair next to her when they came back with the drinks, but Aedan pulled out the chair next to Rosa. Before he had a chance to say anything, Sophia lifted her glass.

  “I think we should toast our hero, Aedan.” Sophia sloshed vodka and cranberry into her lap, still managing to take a healthy swallow. Laura
was a little more cautious with her drink. She was maybe a little less drunk than the rest, or just not into having fun. She looked uptight, and kept giving him unfriendly glares. If I can get them both drunk enough, maybe I can get the two of them in a cab and out of here.

  Rosa took a sip of her drink. He saw her eyes water. She grimaced, glancing at Aedan, who was swallowing a laugh at the reaction he’d predicted. “You seem to know how to handle yourself. I mean, you took care of those guys pretty easily.”

  “I fight.” He saw her eyes widen. Laura leaned forward, some exclamation forming on her lips. and Aedan cut in smoothly, lowering his voice, focusing his gaze back to Rosa, closing Laura out of the conversation. “I mean I train as an amateur fighter.”

  Rosa took another tentative sip of her drink, pushing it away this time. “What did you do to make that guy throw up?”

  Aedan smiled. “If you hit someone along the side of the neck, it’ll make it hard for them to breathe, or make them gag. Easy way to slow someone down.”

  Laura made a face. “It was disgusting.”

  “But it worked.” Rosa cast a sidelong glance at her friend. “And that’s the important thing, right?” She turned back to Aedan, watching him for a moment.

  He liked how it made him feel when she looked at him. Like he was the only person in the room, the center of her attention. Then he shook his head. You’re getting ahead of the game here. Get her home first. She can look at you all you want then.

  “Fancy moves are for audiences. In a fight like that, you want it over fast.”

  “Do you fight often?” Her question caught him off guard.

  “You mean in the street? Not so much anymore.”

  She shook her head. “No, at a gym. Do you fight there?”

  Aedan shifted in his chair. As much as he might have wanted to talk about fighting, he really wanted to get this girl home. He could feel his body responding to the nearness of her, of this beautiful girl who seemed to be totally unaware of the effect she had on him. The scent of her perfume, the scent of her was already driving him crazy. Was she that naïve? Or was this her game?

  “It’s not all that much,” he said, dismissively. He took a swallow of his own drink, feeling it burn down his throat. “Something I got into a while back, when I was...a teenager. Working toward some bigger matches now, things like that. Would love to go pro at some point.”

  He leaned closer to Rosa. “Enough about me, though. How did you get to be such a pretty girl?” He let his eyes linger on her face, caressing her with his gaze.

  She huffed a laugh, but a blush mantled her cheeks all the same. “I hope you don’t actually use that line on girls. And anyway, I’m not that pretty...” She looked down, her hair swinging against her face again.

  Aedan reached over, tucking the silky strands behind her ear. “Well here’s a new question, then.” His voice was low, and he leaned forward until his lips were almost against her ear.

  She looked up at him, meeting his gaze. “What’s that?”

  “Are you always so contrary?” He held her eyes for just a second...and then smiled.

  Rosa laughed. “Oh, right.” She pulled a face at him. “So, I should remember to never disagree with you, huh?”

  Aedan took her hand, tracing a slow spiral on her palm. He heard her exhale, thought he heard what might have been a tiny whimper at the end.

  “Never.” He leaned toward her, holding her gaze, almost—but not quite—close enough to kiss her. He felt her lean toward him, felt the desire coming from her in waves. Sometimes it doesn’t take much...

  “We should find a cab for your friends...” It wasn’t a suggestion; it was a statement. Rosa blinked before turning to Sophia and Laura.

  Aedan looked at the two girls. They’d finished their drinks, despite the lack of fruity cocktails in the place. He had to give them credit for that; party girls to the very end. But they both were a little dazed looking, staring blankly around the bar, not paying attention to Aedan or Rosa.

  “Hey, guys. Aedan’s going to get us a cab, okay?” Both girls nodded at Rosa, gathering their purses, heading for the ladies’ room. Rosa got up from her chair, intending to follow. Aedan reached out and circled his fingers around her wrist. She looked down at him, frowning slightly.

  “Not you...just them.” He pulled her gently back to her chair. “I want you in a cab with me.”

  Her eyes went wide but there was no protest, no hesitation. She sat down. “Oh.” Her voice was breathy, barely a whisper.

  He did kiss her this time, lightly, brushing his lips against hers, his tongue sliding briefly against her lower lip. He could taste the alcohol from her drink, but he could also taste the sweetness of her lips. There was a pleasant tightening against the front of his jeans as he grew hard, a sense of familiar heat as arousal flashed through his body.

  He pulled back and watched as she leaned toward him again, slowly opening her eyes. She looked up at him, her desires written across her face, in her eyes.

  “Okay...yeah.” She smiled, her face suddenly flushed with color.

  Aedan fished out his cell phone, making the call for the cabs.

  Chapter 2

  The other girls were back from the restroom, milling about, chattering. It took a minute for them to realize they weren’t all leaving together. Laura pulled Rosa aside while Sophia leaned drunkenly against Aedan.

  “Make sure she gets home safely,” she giggled as Aedan steered her toward the door, guiding her out to the sidewalk without letting her fall.

  Laura quickly appeared outside as well, a stern look on her face. Apparently, the outcome of her conversation with Rosa wasn’t to her liking. She shot Aedan a black look before standing next to Sophia.

  Rosa made her way over to Aedan.

  “Trouble with the girls?” He asked as he approached, nodding toward the other two.

  “Just a mother hen.” Rosa looked up at him. “Apparently no good will come of this.” She giggled, then shook her head. “They worry. It’s what friends do.”

  Laura was still glaring, and Rosa pulled herself up straight, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “But I can take care of myself.”

  Aedan wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince him, or herself.

  The first cab appeared and the two girls crawled inside. Aedan closed the cab door, watching briefly as it pulled away. Finally. He turned back to Rosa, holding her gaze for a moment.

  “Our cab should be here in a few minutes.” He took a step toward her, one hand on her arm. She looked up at him, her eyes searching his face.

  It was so easy to pull her to him, to bend his head, find her lips with his. And she let him, seemed powerless to stop herself. He didn’t think it was the booze; she was tipsy, but not drunk. Just relaxed enough to have a little fun.

  There was something there though; she wanted what he had to offer, and Aedan was never one to pass up an opportunity. He read people, especially women, very well. He hadn’t gotten this far with them—or in life—by being wrong.

  He ran his lips across hers, the softest lips he’d ever felt. His hands had come up to her shoulders, moving further, caressing her neck, his fingers finally running through that beautiful silky blonde hair.

  Without hesitation, she parted her lips, her tongue briefly brushing against his. There was a moment where everything faded; it was just her, and him: the feel of her hair in his hands, her lips warm against his, her tongue slipping into his mouth. There was a swell of arousal in his body, that feeling...something almost giddy, that first flush of certainty of where this night would be headed. The promise born out of that kiss. He loved it, that feeling. Things might be more intense later...would definitely be more intense, but that first rush of returned desire was something he craved.

  The blare of a car horn made Rosa jump in his arms. The cab was idling at the curb, the driver impatient.

  Aedan held Rosa’s face between his hands, his eyes on hers. “Come home with me.”

 
She bit her lip, and nodded.

  He held the door for her, letting her climb in the back seat. He gave the driver his address and before she could say anything, pulled her against him, his mouth again claiming hers.

  The ride—mercifully for both Aedan’s wallet and his rising need—was short. They stumbled out of the cab and managed to get to his third-floor walk-up, locked in an embrace, without falling down the stairs. He’d barely gotten the door closed behind them, throwing the deadbolt home, before his hands found her, pulling at her blouse, sliding up her skirt, his fingers working beneath the fabric of her panties.

  At the touch of his fingers on her skin, Rosa broke away, gasping. Her eyes were dark, but she was suddenly skittish, spooked by his intensity. Back off a bit, let her take the lead.

  He held her hands, leading her to the couch and brushing a pile of magazines to the floor to make a place for her to sit. He cursed his terrible housekeeping, wondered briefly if the sheets on the bed were clean—decided they were clean enough—and then pulled her down to the cushions.

  Despite his racing heart, his attraction for this girl, Aedan was gentle, his lips moving slowly over her neck and face, holding her against him, letting her slowly undo the buttons on his shirt before shrugging out of it. She ran her hands over his skin, her fingers tracing the ragged scar that ran across his chest. There was a moment when she looked up at him, the question in her eyes and on her lips, but he pulled her to him, distracting her with a kiss before she could ask about it...or notice the other scars.

  He pressed her slowly back onto the couch, his fingers deftly unbuttoning her blouse, pulling the fabric away from her body. Aedan looked down, his breath catching in his throat.

  Rosa was wearing a lacy black bra, and for some reason finding such an erotic garment on this innocent woman surprised him. He found himself smiling as he ran his hands over the fabric, feeling the heat of her skin beneath his fingers, the fullness of her breasts fueling his arousal.

  “What?” Rosa’s voice was soft, clouded with hesitation.

  He met her eyes. “You. This...” Aedan leaned forward, kissing the edge of the bra, his lips trailing across her soft skin. “I wasn’t expecting this...I mean, I was expecting a bra...but...” He laughed softly, shaking his head.