Her eyes slanted. “Slightly? You rescheduled two days worth of surgeries and you’ve been limping and grimacing around all damn day.”
“You’re sexy as hell when you curse.”
“Don’t try to sweet talk me.” She pushed out of my hold and I let my hands fall to my side. “Which one of these guys was it?”
“Which one what?” I knew what she was asking, but I was having fun staring at her as she looked around the room, searching out the source of my bruised body.
“Who put a hurting on you so bad you had to reschedule your surgeries? I wanna see him?” Her lips were poked out angrily.
I pulled her to me. “Why? You want to get in the ring with him?”
“I just might.” Her arms folded over her chest, she lifted her chin in that way thatalwayshad me thinking of getting my dick wet.
“You are amazing.” Placing my forehead to hers, I let my hands move to her waist, pulling her body into mine.
“You can’t compliment me while I’m still mad at you.”
“You’re not still mad at me.”
“You lied to me.”
Sighing, I pulled back. “And now I’ve told you the truth.” I looked around the room. It certainly wasn’t the entirety of my truth but it would have to suffice for now.
“Why do you do this?”
I peered down at her again.
“You’re a surgeon, Jacob. You have to know how dangerous something like this is for your career. I mean, aside from some bruised ribs, you more than anyone in here have the potential to lose everything you’ve worked years to earn. And for what?”
“For the rush of it all.”
Her expression turned quizzical as she grew silent, waiting for me to continue.
“Because sometimes getting hit feels better than being in the OR.”
She gasped.
Hell, my comment stole my own breath for a minute. Because it was true.
I lowered my forehead to hers again. “I can’t explain it all to you …” Maybe I could but just didn’t want to. “It’s how I release. How we all do.” I gestured to the crowd, including the rest of the guys around me in my explanation solely because I didn’t want the focus to be on me. I didn’t fight alone down here. I wasn’t the only abnormal professional guy who needed more than a night out at a bar to blow off some steam. I needed something hard, risky, and yes, painful to take the edge off.
And when I couldn’t find any more words to explain it to Grace, I stopped trying. It was too fucking jumbled up in my own head to make sense. I let my lips do the talking when I captured hers in a kiss. I could feel the warring inside of her. She wanted to know more, for me to explain it to her until it made sense. But eventually she gave into the moment and accepted the kiss. Not only did she accept it, she caved into it, allowing me to move my hand to the back of her head, pulling it back to angle myself better to deepen the kiss. She moaned into my mouth, and the cheers around us felt as if they were miles away.
“Your exploration of the Underground is over for tonight, Grace.” My voice had deepened considerably.
“Is that an invitation to somewhere else?”
“Yes.” Taking her by the hand, I led us out the same way we’d come in, only twenty minutes earlier. She hadn’t even been able to see an entire fight. But as I glanced over at her while driving, I realized she didn’t seem too disturbed by that.
****
Grace
I want this, I had to remind myself over and over to calm my jittery nerves as Jacob pulled into my driveway. The sexual tension that’d filled his car since we left the fighting group, or club, or whatever it was, was enough to choke a damn bear. My palms were sweaty, and I couldn’t stop adjusting myself in the seat, mainly because I was so damn horny I couldn’t sit still. Especially not with Jacob’s hand damn near burning a hole through my jeans as he caressed my thigh.
“Your sister’s out for the night, right?”
I swallowed and turned to Jacob. “Right.”
