Holding Strong
Page 69
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“Not really, no.”
“Then why did you leave me hanging when I made it so obvious I wanted to be with you? Why did you always ignore me?”
He growled, “Don’t fool yourself, girl. I could never ignore you, no matter how hard I tried.” He lightly bit her shoulder, then smoothed the spot with his hot tongue. “Anytime you were around, I knew it. I felt it. Clear down to my bones.”
“Then why make us both wait?” Why make me so miserable?
He held himself still; she could hear them both breathing, the tick of the clock.
The beating of her own heart.
“At first,” he whispered, “I hesitated because of the closeness. You live here with Merissa, and Cannon gets all big brotherly about any of us getting ideas.” Leisurely, his hand cuddled her breast. “He tried to warn me off until he realized I wanted more than one night.”
That was news to her. “Cannon told you not to date me?” If he was the reason for the long delay, Cherry just might smack him.
Denver gave a gruff laugh. “I don’t think it was dating he had a problem with. When he and I discussed it, there was one point where Yvette thought we would come to blows and it scared her.”
No way. Yvette had never told her!
“I don’t take orders well, Cannon’s too damn watchful over his sister—and his sister’s roommate—but we settled it peaceably enough.”
“You still didn’t ask me out.”
“No, I didn’t.”
Fed up, Cherry demanded, “Why?”
His long hesitation made her wish she could take the question back. Would he tell her something awful? Like she hadn’t appealed to him or her personality was annoying?
“Truthfully, honey, you scared me.”
She scoffed. Far as she could tell, nothing scared Denver. Even when walking into the cage to fight, massive crowds screaming and hot lights shining down on him, he looked rock steady, like it was just another day. “That’s a little hard to swallow.”
“Don’t know why. From the day we met, you’ve been under my skin.”
That didn’t sound all that complimentary. More like an aggravation—or an itch. “What does that mean?”
“I liked you too much, and wanted you more than that. I’ve known plenty of chicks that just wanted to sleep with a fighter. I thought you were different, but then you flitted from guy to guy, and it made me nuts. Too nuts.”
Now wait a minute! This time he couldn’t hold her back as she half turned while sitting up. “I did not!”
With what sounded like a groan of annoyance, he moved away. Her eyes had adjusted enough that she could see the shadows of his large form as he settled onto his back and folded his arms behind his head. “Girl, you flirt with every man in sight.”
Her mouth fell open. “I’ve been after you since I met you!”
“Me, and every other dude in the room.” While she tried to absorb that insult, he added, his voice firm, “But that’s over now.”
After that accusation, he wanted to dictate to her? She couldn’t see well enough to judge his expression and, by God, she wanted to see him while he spouted so much nonsense. Reaching over him—which made him groan as her breasts grazed his abdomen—she flipped on the light and then sat back on her heels.
She’d totally displaced the sheet and, oh wow, Denver could so easily throw her off with his big gorgeous body. Never had her bed looked better than with him stretched out on it.
“You going to give me hell or strip me with those pretty eyes?”
“Both,” she snapped right back. He’d pushed his way into her private room, so he could damn well deal with her physical fascination. “Understand, Denver. Talk is one thing. Maybe I joke around a little—”
“You flirt, Cherry. A lot.”
Her brows came together. Stubborn, annoying man. “And you don’t? Every female fan you meet is the recipient of your flirting. But do I complain?”
“That’s business,” he said as if it didn’t matter.
“Ha! Don’t tell me you never slept with a groupie, because I’ve heard the stories.”
He wisely kept silent.
“But I haven’t been with anyone else, heck, I haven’t even kissed anyone else, since meeting you!”
Going still, he asked, “No?”
“No.” Her hand went to his abs, drawn extra taut with the way he reclined, and her fingers idly dipped over each and every solid ridge of muscle. She managed to stop short of going after the erection now straining his boxers, but it wasn’t easy.
“Then why did you leave me hanging when I made it so obvious I wanted to be with you? Why did you always ignore me?”
He growled, “Don’t fool yourself, girl. I could never ignore you, no matter how hard I tried.” He lightly bit her shoulder, then smoothed the spot with his hot tongue. “Anytime you were around, I knew it. I felt it. Clear down to my bones.”
“Then why make us both wait?” Why make me so miserable?
He held himself still; she could hear them both breathing, the tick of the clock.
The beating of her own heart.
“At first,” he whispered, “I hesitated because of the closeness. You live here with Merissa, and Cannon gets all big brotherly about any of us getting ideas.” Leisurely, his hand cuddled her breast. “He tried to warn me off until he realized I wanted more than one night.”
That was news to her. “Cannon told you not to date me?” If he was the reason for the long delay, Cherry just might smack him.
Denver gave a gruff laugh. “I don’t think it was dating he had a problem with. When he and I discussed it, there was one point where Yvette thought we would come to blows and it scared her.”
No way. Yvette had never told her!
“I don’t take orders well, Cannon’s too damn watchful over his sister—and his sister’s roommate—but we settled it peaceably enough.”
“You still didn’t ask me out.”
“No, I didn’t.”
Fed up, Cherry demanded, “Why?”
His long hesitation made her wish she could take the question back. Would he tell her something awful? Like she hadn’t appealed to him or her personality was annoying?
“Truthfully, honey, you scared me.”
She scoffed. Far as she could tell, nothing scared Denver. Even when walking into the cage to fight, massive crowds screaming and hot lights shining down on him, he looked rock steady, like it was just another day. “That’s a little hard to swallow.”
“Don’t know why. From the day we met, you’ve been under my skin.”
That didn’t sound all that complimentary. More like an aggravation—or an itch. “What does that mean?”
“I liked you too much, and wanted you more than that. I’ve known plenty of chicks that just wanted to sleep with a fighter. I thought you were different, but then you flitted from guy to guy, and it made me nuts. Too nuts.”
Now wait a minute! This time he couldn’t hold her back as she half turned while sitting up. “I did not!”
With what sounded like a groan of annoyance, he moved away. Her eyes had adjusted enough that she could see the shadows of his large form as he settled onto his back and folded his arms behind his head. “Girl, you flirt with every man in sight.”
Her mouth fell open. “I’ve been after you since I met you!”
“Me, and every other dude in the room.” While she tried to absorb that insult, he added, his voice firm, “But that’s over now.”
After that accusation, he wanted to dictate to her? She couldn’t see well enough to judge his expression and, by God, she wanted to see him while he spouted so much nonsense. Reaching over him—which made him groan as her breasts grazed his abdomen—she flipped on the light and then sat back on her heels.
She’d totally displaced the sheet and, oh wow, Denver could so easily throw her off with his big gorgeous body. Never had her bed looked better than with him stretched out on it.
“You going to give me hell or strip me with those pretty eyes?”
“Both,” she snapped right back. He’d pushed his way into her private room, so he could damn well deal with her physical fascination. “Understand, Denver. Talk is one thing. Maybe I joke around a little—”
“You flirt, Cherry. A lot.”
Her brows came together. Stubborn, annoying man. “And you don’t? Every female fan you meet is the recipient of your flirting. But do I complain?”
“That’s business,” he said as if it didn’t matter.
“Ha! Don’t tell me you never slept with a groupie, because I’ve heard the stories.”
He wisely kept silent.
“But I haven’t been with anyone else, heck, I haven’t even kissed anyone else, since meeting you!”
Going still, he asked, “No?”
“No.” Her hand went to his abs, drawn extra taut with the way he reclined, and her fingers idly dipped over each and every solid ridge of muscle. She managed to stop short of going after the erection now straining his boxers, but it wasn’t easy.
