"Thank you for helping me." Kelly extended his hand. "I know you're sticking your neck out for me."
Alexei considered his hand for a moment before gripping it tightly. "I've been where you are. Family can be…messy." Still holding Kelly's hand, he squeezed harder. "But if you even think about taking a dive to play the sharks against each other, Sergei crippling you will be the least of your worries."
"If I took a dive, I'd deserve it." Kelly had considered that Besian or Hagen might try to force him to throw one of his tournament rounds to satisfy the debt. It was the one thing he absolutely wouldn't do.
Alexei seemed satisfied by Kelly's reply and released his hand. Pivoting on his heel, Kelly left the dealership and drove straight to the social club where Besian liked to hold court. Like Alexei, the Albanian mob boss was expecting him.
"Kelly!" Besian grinned widely from behind his desk.
Not in the mood for chitchat, Kelly asked, "What are your terms?"
"Would it kill you to be friendly?" Kicking back in his chair, Besian tucked his hands behind his head. When it was clear that Kelly wasn't going to attempt friendly banter, he rolled his eyes and sighed. "If you make it into the final round, I'll consider the seventy percent of the debt cleared. Win it and we're even."
"Ninety percent," Kelly insisted. "You're asking me to take multiple beatings. I know you'll have action on my fights. If I make it into the final round, I want ninety percent of the debt cleared."
"Eighty," Besian countered.
"Eighty-five," Kelly replied.
Besian seemed to mull it over and shrugged. "Yeah. Okay. You make into the final round and I'll wipe eighty-five percent of the debt. I'll want the remaining fifteen percent within seven days."
Kelly figured this was the fairest deal they were going to get. "Agreed. I want Pop's account closed. No more credit with you or your underground casinos or the bookies."
"Done." Besian leaned forward and picked up a pen. "I hear Alexei is going to help you."
Kelly wondered how these criminal types shared information so quickly. He suddenly wished he had a network like theirs. "He's agreed to train me for the tournament."
"Then you should have no problem making it to the final round," Besian said as he scribbled something on a slip of paper. "The tournament is capped at sixteen men. There will be two fights the first night and two fights the second. We'll have the bracket out next Wednesday. I can say with some confidence that you won't be facing off with Sergei that first night."
Kelly's jaw tightened. "Is this tournament fixed?"
Besian snorted and tossed down his pen. "You say fixed like it's a bad thing. No." He met Kelly's glare. "The brackets try to match fighters against equal partners. You're not in Sergei's league. If you survive the first night, you'll get your chance with him." The mobster turned loan shark made a face. "I hope Dimitri's company provides good health insurance."
Ignoring the subtle insult, Kelly asked, "Are we finished?"
Besian waved toward the door. "Go."
He'd just stepped into the hallway when the mobster called out, "If you decide that you want to get a loan on the gym, come back and see me. I'm sure we can work something out to save it from Hagen."
The reminder of their precarious position with Houston's most infamous money man hit Kelly like a brick to the face. How they were going to square that one remained a mystery. Placing bets on his fights was one way to make the money but would it be enough?
Sitting in his truck, Kelly called his eldest brother. He expected to leave a voicemail but Jack answered after two rings, sounding a bit out of breath. No doubt he'd sprinted to his phone while in the middle of a class or training session. "Well?"
"I met with Besian. He's agreed to clear eighty-five percent of the debt if I make it to the final round. The tournament is sixteen men. Two fights on Friday and two on Saturday."
"Jesus, Kelly." Jack's anguish came through loud and clear. "That's a fuck load of punishment, little bro."
Kelly ran his fingers along the curve of his steering wheel. "I've survived worse. You've survived worse. Finn has survived worse. It's two nights and we're done."
"I don't like it."
"I know you don't."
"What are we doing about training?"
"Yeah…about that."
"What?"
"So Vivian's husband found out that I was in a bind and he called in a favor for me."
"Vivian? Wait. The painter who married the Russian mob boss? The guy who owns Samovar?"
"Nikolai," Kelly supplied his name. "He hooked me up with Alexei—"
"Sarnov?" Jack interrupted. "Alexei Sarnov?"
"Yeah. You know him?"
"I know of him. He's a damn good fighter. He still does some training down at the Warehouse. You know, Ivan Markovic's joint." Jack hesitated. "His help won't come cheap."
"I got the feeling his help is free."
"Shit. That must be one hell of a favor he owes Nikolai."
"Apparently," Kelly agreed. "He wants to start training this evening. We're meeting at six at the gym."
"I'll make sure there's an empty space for the two of you."
"Thanks. Now—what are we going to do about Hagen?"
"I arranged a meeting for tomorrow afternoon. We'll feel him out and see what he's thinking."
Kelly had a feeling they weren't going to like what Hagen was thinking.
"How is Bee?"
"She's safe."
Jack didn't ask him to elaborate. "Good. I assume you won't be home tonight?"
"I'll run by to grab a bag but I'm sticking close to her until we get this stalker."
"Yeah. I bet you'll be sticking real close to her."
"Are we going to do the playground taunting now?"
"Let me get Finn. We'll do a Kelly and Bee K-I-S-S-I-N-G in a tree duet for you."
Kelly laughed. "I'm hanging up now."
"Be safe, bro."
"Always."
With his personal business in order, Kelly drove to the nearest big box store to pick up everything on Bee's list. He had never shopped for a woman before so he was glad she had been specific about the brands she wanted. A couple of times she didn’t note the fragrance she liked so he had to resort to strange measures to get it right.
Glancing around, he sniffed the soap and antiperspirant until he found the ones that smelled right. He prayed no one would come around the corner. They would probably report him to management for being a soap-sniffing freak.
As he pushed his cart down the aisle of shaving supplies, Kelly considered what it said about his feelings toward Bee that he had memorized her scent profile. The threat against her had shaken him up enough that abiding by some unspoken rule of friendship no longer seemed important. The twenty years of friendship he'd shared with Jeb had been the greatest of his life. Never again would he have a friend like that.
But right now the possibility of creating something real and intimate and lifelong with Bee hovered just before him. He'd put his life on hold for the last four years—and he was done. It was time to live.
Back at the penthouse, he used the private elevator to access the top floor of Yuri's skyscraper. He wasn't surprised to be greeted by Winn the second he stepped off the elevator into the reception hall of the luxurious suite. The highly decorated soldier had obviously seen the security feed of Kelly entering the elevator from the parking lot but he wasn't taking any chances. Kelly liked him all the more for it.
"She's in her room." Winn held open the door since Kelly's hands were full. "We ordered a late lunch. There's a sandwich and salad in the refrigerator for you."
"Thanks." He crossed the living area and glanced at Sully who was fiddling with a book of Sudoku puzzles. They nodded at each other before he disappeared out of sight. When he reached the master suite, he knocked twice. "Bee?"
"Yeah?"
Taking her response as permission, he opened the door—and lost his grip on the bags. They tumbled to the floor ami
d Bee's gasp of surprise. Unable to stop himself, Kelly raked his needy gaze along her very naked and incredibly nubile form. The dampness of her hair told him she'd just had a shower. The foot propped on the bed and the tiny bottle of complimentary lotion filled in the blanks.
Finally shaking herself from the shock of being discovered in this precarious position, Bee reached for the towel but Kelly stopped her with one gruffly spoken word. "No."
Closing the door behind him, he pushed aside the bags with the toe of his boot and flipped the lock. Bee slowly lowered her petite leg. She bit her lower lip and eyed him like prey keeping a wary eye on a prowling jungle cat. Not wanting to push her too fast, too soon, he said, "Tell me to leave, Bee."
She didn't even hesitate. Holding out her hand, she said, "Stay."
So he did.
Chapter Six
My belly trembled violently as Kelly strode toward me. Wondering where that surge of bravery had emanated, I counted the steps until he could touch me. Standing there as naked as the day I'd been born, there was no way for me to hide the way he affected me. One look at my breasts and the puckered peaks there, and Kelly would have no doubts about how much I wanted him.
He came so close to me that I had to tilt my head back to gaze into those bright green eyes of his. The scent of him, that masculine mix that made everything feminine in me go crazy with desire, surrounded me. I could feel the throbbing heat of him and wanted nothing more than to burrow against his wide, sculpted chest.
Kelly traced my collarbone with his long, thick finger. "I've never kissed you properly."
I laughed nervously and gestured to my naked body. "I think we're going about this whole thing backwards."
His sexy mouth slanted with amusement. "Seems rather fitting considering the way the two of us have gone about everything else in our lives." He dragged his finger across my lower lip. "I want to kiss you but I need you to be sure, Bee. I've been able to hold back and stay away from you, but once I taste you? All bets are off."
Showing him I was ready, I rose on tiptoes and sought his descending mouth. Ever the alpha male, Kelly refused to let me have control over our first real kiss. I let him have this small victory, certain there would be plenty of times for me to play the aggressor in the future.
Gently, he cupped the back of my neck and brushed his lips against mine. My heart thudded in my chest and my knees wobbled as he lovingly claimed my mouth. I clung to his arms, gripping the thin cotton of his t-shirt, and closed my eyes as a joyous chorus erupted in my head. Finally!
Our chaste and sweet kiss quickly transformed into a hungry, needful thing. Instead of stooping down to kiss me, Kelly slipped his hand around my waist and dragged me back toward the bed. Not once breaking contact with my mouth, he sat on the mattress and tugged me between his thighs.
His rough, strong hands glided over my skin. Like a spark to dry tender, passion ignited within me. The burning flames of it licked at my core and made my clitoris pulse. I squeezed my thighs together but it was no use. The ache there couldn’t be assuaged.
Kelly's tongue flirted with mine. Whimpering, I wound my arms around his neck and relished the feel of his brawny arms enveloping me. He drew me against his heat and stabbed his tongue between my lips, tasting me and taking what he had so long denied himself.
He palmed my soft flesh and rubbed his thumb over my dusky pink nipple. "I used to dream about this."
His confession surprised me. My voice sounded husky as I asked, "When?"
"Over there."
Afghanistan or Iraq? I didn't dare ask lest the moment be ruined by dredging up the horrific memories of his seemingly never-ending deployments.
He pressed a noisy kiss to the swell of my breast. "I used to imagine the way your skin would feel. I wondered how you would taste and what sounds you would make if I did something like this."
When his tongue started to trace my nipple, I almost crumpled to the floor. My poor legs shook so bad that it was only Kelly's supporting arm that kept me upright. Clutching his shoulders, I exhaled a shuddery breath. "Kelly."
He made a happy noise. "Yeah. That's about how I imagined it."
As he began the sensual torment of my breasts with his mouth, I asked, "What made you stop?" At his confused look, I clarified, "Imaging us like this, I mean."
"Who said I did?" He pinched my nipple between his fingertips. The bright arc of pressure traveled right to my clit in the most delicious way. "It started over there, after the last barbecue, and never stopped."
Placing my hand along his jaw, I commanded his attention. Even though it embarrassed me to bring up that spectacularly awkward rejection, I had to know why. "So why did you push me away on New Year's Eve?"
He drew a shape on my chest that felt suspiciously like a K. "You can't imagine how guilty I felt when Jeb was alive. The way I felt about you then?" He shook his head. "It's not right. You're not supposed to have those kinds of thoughts about your best friend's sister. I think Jeb knew that I liked you way more than I should have. He started pulling away from me on that last deployment. I couldn't reach him."
Kelly talking about guilt made me think of Jeb and the secrets he had carried to the grave. My brother's guilt over his double-life had spilled over into his friendship with Kelly and ruined the support system he had so desperately needed as our mother lost her battle with cancer.
Even now, all these years later, I had to bite my tongue. I'd sworn to Jeb that I would never tell anyone his secrets. The lies between Kelly and me made me uneasy. If anyone deserved to know the truth…
"When you kissed me at New Year's, all that guilt came rushing to the surface. I reacted badly." He captured my mouth so tenderly. "It was wrong of me. I should have been man enough to own my feelings."
"You're owning them now. That's enough for me." Not wanting our naughty interlude to be distracted by discussions of the past, I dragged it back on course with a playfully provocative question. "What else did you imagine us doing?"
With all the skill of a seasoned lover, Kelly expertly scooped me up and flipped me right back onto the bed. The movement made his incredibly muscled arms flex in the most deliciously enticing way. His short sleeves bunched up to reveal even more of the heavy tribally influenced tattoos emblazoned on his skin.
Placing his knees on either side of my thighs, Kelly pinned me beneath him on the bed. I grew lightheaded as he kissed me into submission. There was no doubt who was in charge here. With my lack of experience, I happily placed my trust in him, certain that whatever Kelly had planned for us would feel so good.
"You're so damn beautiful," he murmured, his caressing hands gliding over my breasts and along the slope of my belly.
"Let me see you." I breathlessly pleaded for him to remove his shirt. Smiling indulgently, he let me drag his shirt up high enough to bare his navel before taking over for me. In one swift movement, he ripped it over his head and tossed it behind him.
Our mouths crashed together as the years of pent-up passion exploded between us. I couldn't get enough of his hot, sexy body. The light smattering of hair on his chiseled chest fascinated me. I'd spent so much time dating men who were more comfortable in cubicles than on the battlefield that I'd never experienced the thrill of being completely at the mercy of such a delightfully beastly man.
Kelly showed his incredible strength by sliding his hand under my back and dragging me up another foot or so on the bed. Still straddling me, he nuzzled his nose against my cheek and coaxed me to turn my face. When he nipped at the curve of my neck, I gasped and bucked against him. "Kelly!"
He chuckled softly and continued to lick and suck that sensitive spot. I worried he might mark me but then decided I wouldn’t mind carrying around the reminder of our tryst. Though I'm sure his grazing teeth left a red trail on my skin, he wasn't harsh enough to leave a lasting sign.
Sliding onto his side, Kelly kept his leg crooked across mine as our tongues started a dance as old as time. The erotic coupling of our mouths mimick
ed the movements I desperately hoped would soon be happening between other parts of our super-heated bodies. His roaming hands stoked the fire deep in my core, and my thighs clenched.
"Tell me what you want, Bee." His eyes were dark with desire.
I gulped nervously but found the courage to say, "I want you to touch me."
"Where?" He teased his lips across mine.
My face was on fire now. "You know where."
He caressed my hip. "Here?"
A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth as I stared up into his teasing face. "Um…a little lower."
His hand moved to my thigh, bypassing the place where I wanted to feel his touch most. "Here?"
"You're getting warmer."
He walked his fingertips up my thigh. "Am I getting closer?"
I parted my thighs and encouraged his curious hand. "Yes."
When he cupped my bare pussy, I thought I would die from the sheer excitement of having him touching me so intimately. I tried to avert my gaze as he brushed his knuckles up and down the seam of my sex but Kelly wouldn't allow it. He silently demanded I lock eyes with him. With one look, he shattered the embarrassment holding me back from enjoying what he offered.
With the softest touch, he parted my pink folds and exposed the aching bud of my clitoris to his fingertip. I bit back a groan as he carefully strummed the little pearl hidden there. Though I'd never shied away from exploring my body, my own touch had never felt like this.
Every nerve-ending in my body seemed electrified. I practically buzzed as the white-hot pulses of bliss arced through me. Kelly savored my mouth while manipulating my clit, rubbing small, slow circles around it until I started to dig my toes into the duvet. Emboldened by the heat inflaming me, I nibbled his lower lip and sucked the tip of his tongue. Kelly growled and stabbed his tongue against mine.
Overcome with lust, I reached down and jerked on the button and zipper of his jeans. The moment I had them undone, I slid my hand beneath the denim and followed the outline of his rock-hard cock under his boxer-briefs. I had always suspected Kelly had a big dick and he certainly didn't disappoint.