Road to Victory (Dogs of Fire Book 5) (19 page)

“Already?” Courtney said.

“Yeah, I’m pretty wrecked.” I grabbed my coffee cup and rose to my feet. “Don’t feel like you need to come with. Seriously, I’ll sleep through you coming in later if you want to stay out.”

“Thanks. I’ll be as quiet as a church mouse,” she promised. “Even though there’s no way in hell I’m going to church.”

The table laughed and I dropped my cup on one of the trays with other dirty dishes.

“I’ll walk you back,” Knight offered.

“You don’t have to.”

“Well, I don’t want you walkin’ back alone, so I’ll walk you back and then head to my room.”

“It’s like a two-minute walk, Aidan,” I argued.

He gave me a warning glare and then glanced at Courtney and Morgan. “You two buddy up as well.”

I rolled my eyes at Courtney’s lascivious look.

“Fine. Come on,” I said.

Knight nodded, dropped his cup next to mine, and then led me out of the dining hall.

“What the hell,” he snapped once we were clear of anyone who could hear us.

“What do you mean?” I asked, confused.

“You wait for me to pick you up, Kim. No arguments.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, fuckin’ seriously.”

“Ohmigod, you’re ridiculous.”

“Anyone try to get in your panties?” he challenged.

How the hell did he know Matt made a pass? It was eerie. “What are you talking about?”

“Just answer the question, Kim.”

I needed to figure out a way to divert his question. “I’ve barely been out of your presence, so when exactly would anyone have had time to get in my panties?”

“That’s not what I asked, Kim.”

I sighed. “One of the swimmers asked if I had a boyfriend or husband at home and when I said yes, he asked if I cared.”

“Which one?” he said on a growl.

I shook my head. “I’m not telling you.” I reached to touch him, but immediately stopped myself. “Gah! This is so frustrating.”

We arrived at my room and I opened the door. Knight pushed me through it and up against the wall. “Which one?”

I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him, effectively distracting him. “I miss you.”

His arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me close. “Miss you too, sugar.”

“Feel like an elicit quickie before Courtney gets back?”

“Hell yeah.” He smiled. “Just as soon as you tell me which douchebag hit on you.”

I tugged the buttons open on his jeans, sliding my hand inside and cupping him. “Knight, you can’t kill every man who makes a pass at me.”

He hissed, his eyes closing as I stroked him. “Lock the door.”

I grinned and threw the latch, so even Courtney’s key wouldn’t let her in, then I knelt in front him. He apparently wasn’t having any of it as his hands slid under my arms and lifted me onto my feet, then lowered me to the bed. “I want in your panties,” he said.

I giggled. “I can see that.”

Unlacing my sneakers, he pulled them from my feet, then tugged down my jeans and panties. He didn’t bother to remove anything else from either of us, just dropped his jeans and slid into me. I gasped at the sensation, drawing my knees up and taking him deeper. “Baby,” I whispered. “Yes!”

As he anchored my thighs to his body, I positioned my ankles to his shoulders and he shifted going deeper. He slammed into me, pausing for a few torturous seconds before repeating the thrust. Because of my position, I didn’t have full range of movement and by the look on his face; I could tell he liked that. “Knight,” I warned.

“Yeah, sugar. What do you need?”

“I need you to fuck me.”

“Which guy, Kimmie?”

I arched with a groan. “Knight,” I rasped.

“Which guy?” he insisted.

“Matt something.”

He rewarded my snitch with the orgasm to beat all orgasms, collapsing on top of me and rolling us onto our sides. Once I caught my breath, I gripped his chin. “Don’t you dare do anything to him.”

Knight grinned, pulling out of me and adjusting his clothing. “You’re going to bed, right?”

“That’s the plan, why?”

“Just want you to stay here, sugar. You wanna go out, you text me.”

I shook my head, sliding off the bed and yanking on my panties. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Kim.”

“Yeah, honey?”

“You gonna behave?”

“Probably not.” I giggled. “I walked over with Court, we were fine.”

“Well, in the future, I want you two to walk over with me.”

“Walk over...?”

“Anywhere you want to go when you leave the room.”

“What about across the hall...? Morgan’s room, for instance. Do I need to call you?”

“Don’t be a pain in the ass, Kimmie.”

I pulled on a pair of shorts and then wrapped my arms around his waist. “We’re in a tiny, protected community. I don’t understand what you think might happen.”

“I don’t really care, Kim. You’re in a foreign country knowing no one but the team, and you’re fuckin’ gorgeous. You get some guy dealin’ with ’roid rage and you’re walkin’ alone... I don’t even want to think about it.”

“Honey—”

“No. Just fuckin’ humor me, yeah?”

I sighed. “I can do that.”

“Thanks, sugar.” He kissed me again and walked to the door.

“You’re leaving already?”

He chuckled. “I’m going to check on the horses.”

“Oh, can I come?”

“If you want to.”

I nodded. “I’ll change real quick.”

After pulling on sweats over my sleep shorts, I yanked on my muck boots and followed him out the door and over to the stall area. Fozzie let out a quiet whinny and stuck his head out as I approached.

“Hey, boy.” I handed him a peppermint and stepped into his stall. “You look happy, buddy. How are you feeling? Ready to win next week, hmm?” He nuzzled me and I smiled. “I’m glad you’re on my side.”

“How are you doin’, Kim?” Flea asked, peeking into the stall.

“I’m good. How are you? Did you eat?”

He smiled. “Yeah, Buzz and I are takin’ shifts. We’re good, babe.”

“If you need anything, text me okay?” I said.

“I will. You just go out there and win.”

I wrinkled my nose. “No pressure or anything.”

Flea chuckled. “None at all.”

“Ready, sugar?” Knight asked, standing beside Flea.

“Yeah.” After one more snuggle with Fozzie, I let myself out of the stall.”

“I won’t see you in the morning,” Flea said. “But Buzz’ll be here.”

“Have a good night,” I said.

“You too, babe.”

I joined Knight and slid my hands into the pockets of my sweats. I wanted to wrap my arm around him, hold his hand, anything to touch him... but I couldn’t.

“I miss not sleepin’ with you,” he said.

I gave him a sad smile. “Me too, honey.”

“We gonna change that when we get home?”

I raised an eyebrow. “You want to move in?”

“Something like that.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

He smiled. “I want to get married.”

“You’re saying that here? Now?” I snapped.

“I’m tellin’ you want I want, Kim, but I’m not proposin’ yet. Just lettin’ you know how I feel.”

My stomach flipped and I shook my head. The thought of what we were building crashing down like an atom bomb made me sick. Marriage would never work for me and I’d never subject him to my issues. “Marriage is off the table.”

He sighed. “We’ll see.”

“But we can talk about moving in together,” I offered.

“Okay, sugar.”

“Now that I’ve completely shattered your dreams, don’t be extra dickish tomorrow, okay?”

He laughed. “No promises.”

We arrived at my room and I unlocked the door and stepped inside. He followed me and once again, I was up against the wall. “I love you, Kim, and I warned you that you wouldn’t be able to push me away.”

“I’m not pushing you away, Aidan. I’m simply stating that marriage isn’t for me. You’d be miserable.”

“You’re wrong,” he countered.

“Seriously,” I insisted. “I’d drive you to hate me. I’m damaged goods.”

He hissed. “Don’t fuckin’ say that. You’re beautiful just the way you are. You’ve been through shit, sure, but it’s given you a depth you refuse to acknowledge.”

I dropped my head to his chest. “Can we please not do this now? Let’s shelve this topic until we can get back and have makeup sex after the inevitable fight.”

“Sugar, I’m not goin’ to fight with you over this. You’ll do what I say and it’ll all be good.”

I met his eyes again and shook my head. “You’re insane.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said.

“Bright and early.” I grinned. “You gonna kiss me before you go?”

“You gonna pull your head out?”

“Not before we get home, no.”

He chuckled as he leaned in and kissed me gently. “Love you, sugar.”

“Love you too.”

He left me and I closed the door, leaning against it and taking a few deep breaths. God, I loved him. Could I risk marrying him? I highly doubted it, but took a minute to let his love fill me a little more than I had in the past. Once I’d changed into pajamas, I fell into bed. I didn’t wake until the next morning, having never heard Courtney come in.

Kim

S
ATURDAY NIGHT WAS the night to party and let off some steam. Opening Ceremonies had been the night before and once we’d walked through with our teams, we were given a chance to relax since we weren’t riding until the following week. We had a party to go to and I was looking forward to some music and dancing.

“Did you freak out like I was freaking out?” Courtney asked as she rolled her hair up in hot curlers.

I was sitting on my bed with a lit mirror in front of me applying makeup. “When?”

“Last night! Holy shit, there were so many bona-fide athletes walking with us, it wasn’t even funny.”

I sighed. “Right? I mean, I guess we technically are too, but for me especially, it’s something I’ve been doing my whole life and as long as my horse and I are bonded, it’s not even hard. I don’t remember ever having pulled muscles or torn ligaments or anything.”

Courtney nodded. “I broke my arm once when my horse refused and sent me flying over his head... so, maybe that counts? Of course, it didn’t stop me from riding, just competing for a couple of months.”

“I have never broken anything.” I leaned over and rapped my knuckles on the nightstand. “Knock on wood. I’ve been pretty lucky that my injuries have all been really small and even with refusals, I’ve managed to stay on.”

“Lucky you,” Courtney said. “Are you nervous about the competition?”

I nodded. “The cross-country’s freaking me out a little.”

“Holy cow, me too.” She sat on her bed and crossed her legs, facing me. “Aidan said we’ll be able to walk the course, but I wish our horses could go with us.”

“Me too,” I said with a sigh. “I don’t feel like I need to prove I’m this amazing horsewoman, because if Foz could see the course, I could sit back and relax and let him do all the work. However, now I have to actually use some form of skill.”

Courtney rolled her eyes. “Okay, bitch, whatever. If I tried to do that with Mystic, she’d throw me, stomp on me, and horse laugh as she dragged me back to the finish line.”

Courtney’s chestnut Hanoverian mare was big, almost seventeen-hands, and even though she was an incredible sight to behold, she had a feisty, girl attitude that I’m not sure I’d tolerate. Courtney, on the other hand, handled her beautifully.

“You’d both look beautiful as she was dragging your ass back though.”

Courtney giggled. “This is true. She’s a pretty girl for sure.”

I finished with my makeup, fluffed up my hair, and then put all my stuff away. Unlike Courtney, I was a neat freak. Court was more in line with Knight... clothes on the floor, makeup, hair styling products, and brushes dropped in various places around our little apartment.

Despite our exhaustion, Courtney and I put effort into our dinner attire. I went classy biker chick with big hair, but minimal makeup. Courtney decided on slutty rocker chick with heavy makeup and even bigger hair.

“Ohmigod, you look great,” I said.

“So do you! You sure you don’t want to whore up a little?”

I giggled. “Um, no, I’m good, thanks.”

“I’m hoping to snag me a trainer,” she said. “Think I have a chance?”

“With Aidan?”

“Yeah, who else?”

I was once again hit with the desire to scratch her eyes out.

“Doesn’t he have a girlfriend?” I asked, trying to keep my voice neutral.

“Does he?”

“I thought I heard him say that. I could be wrong. You could always ask.”

She sighed. “God, that would suck.”

I gave her a sympathetic smile. “Wouldn’t he fall into the competition category for you?”

“Nah. He’s the trainer to beat all trainers, and if we win, we’ll be able to write our own ticket. Could you imagine the empire he and I could build? It would be magnificent.” She smiled. “You did say girlfriend, right? Not wife?”

I shrugged. “No clue.”

“Well, let’s hope it’s just girlfriend. That means I have a chance.”

“What about Conner?” I asked.

“Oh, I can have fun with him on the side,” she said.

I was finally seeing exactly why Knight wanted to keep us a secret. If this woman was willing to go behind another woman’s back, I can’t imagine what she’d be willing to do to sabotage me if she knew he and I were together. She kind of frightened me in that moment.