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  “Wow.” He wasn’t so great at finding the right words to describe how dynamite she looked in her bra and panties. He was stunned into silence at the sight of her. He decided to look at every inch of her. What a turn on.

  She stepped forward and turned the tables on him. She kissed his forehead and his jaw. She raked her hands over his chest. She pressed up against him. Something about him fully clothed and her nearly nude was driving him insane.

  “You don’t know what you do to me, baby.”

  She slid her hand up under his t-shirt. “Craddock Flynn, you don’t know what I’m about to do to you. But I bet you can guess.”

  “Jesus.”

  She unzipped his pants and dropped to her knees. His plan was to come in here, make her apologize, and then play with her until she begged for him. What a joke. She held him in her hands and that was practically enough to send him into orbit. When she slid her juicy little mouth over him, he couldn’t stand how good it felt.

  He looked down to watch her and Cassidy looked up, holding his gaze. At first, it was all her. He leaned back and let her murder him this way. She sucked him in, grazed him with her teeth, and took a lot of time driving him insane.

  He tried to stay in control, but it was impossible. She made it impossible. He grabbed her hair and was completely out of control. He thrust into her mouth, but she didn’t shrink away. She handled him.

  She let him do what he wanted to her mouth, yet somehow she still had the power position. Fucking her mouth felt like nothing else, pain, pleasure. He was an animal, but an animal completely under her control. He walked into this apartment, ready for a fight, ready to overwhelm her senses, and instead it was he who was tortured, driven out if his mind, and begging for her mercy. He exploded into her and she stayed with him, her hands hanging on to his legs. It was, without a doubt, the best he’d ever had or even dreamed about.

  Afterward, when there were still spots spiraling in front of his eyes, his conscious brain was fucking astonished at her. He was beginning to see he was powerless at her feet.

  Cassidy crawled up him and nestled her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her while he tried to remember what planet he was on.

  “How was that, Craddock?” She whispered into his ear.

  “Craddock, yeah, my name’s Craddock. You made me forget it for a minute there.”

  “But you remember mine.”

  “Fuck yeah, I’ll never forget it, Cassidy Parker.”

  “So it was okay, just now?” She sounded adorably shy, which was a damned confusing contradiction after the last five minutes.

  “It blew my fucking mind, baby. Okay is not the word.” He stroked her hair. And realized he was going to enjoy paying her back.

  “Well, that was the first time I ever did that. Just checking in that you liked it.” She kissed his neck.

  “Beginner’s luck or something? I thought I was going to die.” He scooped her up, she made a little squeal at the sudden motion.

  “Well I do check out a lot of romance novels from the library. When I’m not reading class stuff.”

  “Well, let me know the author’s name and I’ll send them thank you note.”

  “Shut up.” She slapped at him.

  “Okay, let’s go to bed so I can apologize to you.” He said.

  “Craddock Flynn that was not an apolo-”

  He put a finger to her lips and stopped her mid-sentence. “Shh! You’ll wake the neighbors. And I’m just kidding. I get it. I should be less of an ass. You’re right. Now let’s get more naked.”

  “I accept YOUR apology,” she retorted. And

  He walked the few steps to her tiny bed in the corner.

  “All settled then. Now fuck me some more.”

  Her eyes got wide and he tossed her on the bed.

  Cassidy

  She’d taken to going from work at 5 p.m. to the library, then to Craddock’s. He’d insisted on picking her up from the library because he said it was safer. It drove her a little nuts how he nagged about her walking, but it wasn’t any more than Bess ever did. Worry was a sign of affection, she knew. It just felt odd after having zero parental worry directed at her for the last few years.

  Cassidy had had a long day with Whitey’s to do lists for the local fight night. She topped it off by taking two video class sessions and a test. She passed the test, but it wasn’t the A, like she’d gotten consistently before and it stressed her out. She left the library building to see Craddock waiting by his car to take her home.

  “What’s wrong beautiful?”

  Her frown was hard to remove. “I didn’t do so well on my test. B-minus.”

  “Oh no! Not a B-minus!” Craddock teased her.

  “It’s not funny. It seems like I take your goals pretty seriously.” He was pissing her off.

  “You’re right. You’re right.” Instead of starting the car he unbuckled her and slid her over to him.

  “Don’t be mad.” He nibbled her ear.

  She felt a familiar warmth start to spread from deep in her core. “Craddock Flynn I’m trying to stay mad at you.” She was, too. He needed to know she cared about her school, her career, her dream.

  “Don’t.”

  The windows started to fog in Craddock’s car as he leaned in and nipped at her breast.

  “Okay, I’m not mad. Can you take me to my place instead of yours?” After their very sexy, but very cramped night in her sagging twin bed, they’d been spending all their time at Craddock’s because it was bigger. She didn’t mind because he was in training. She saw what he was putting his body through and he deserved a comfortable bed. Hers was not. But all of a sudden Cassidy wanted to be on her turf. She needed to flex the independence that marked her first 21 years.

  “Your place it is.”

  Her irritation at Craddock dissipated as fast as it had materialized. He wanted to be with her. That was hardly something to get angry about. She just needed to do a better job of organizing her life. When she was studying she needed to stop thinking about her nights and stolen moments in the gym with Craddock. Surely other people handled a love life and work? But something about Craddock Flynn was all consuming and she worried that balance was going to be a challenge. Especially as the fights got closer.

  Seeing Craddock in the tiny space of her apartment always made her giggle. The one room could barely contain him. And of course she had no computer, no television — only her books.

  They sat down to their Chinese takeout. She marveled again at how he could eat and stay right on the button of his weight. He was huge but didn’t have an ounce of fat on him. Every inch of him looked like a weapon.

  “I talked to Whitey today about something.”

  She watched his big hands struggle with the chopstick and at first it made her giggle and then it was pathetic. “Hold on.” She used hers to demonstrate how to scoop up the rice. She made like she might put in his mouth but helped herself to the bite.

  “Tease. I suck at this. I need a giant spoon.” He tried again and managed a tiny bit of food at a time. At this rate, he’d be done with this fried rice in a month.

  She stood up and came over to him. He gave her a confused look.

  “Give me some room.” She indicated he’d need to scooch back a bit from the tiny card table she had. He did and she plopped herself on his lap where she found she fit perfectly.

  “Here.” She scooped another large amount of food on the chopstick. He opened his mouth and she fed it to him.

  “Thank you, I was starving,” he said through the mouthfuls.

  She got another bite ready to go and he gratefully let her feed him. A stray piece of rice fell off the chopstick and was stopped by her cleavage.

  “Oh, perfect, this is the way we’re going to do this from now on.” He leaned in and licked the runaway rice up from her skin.

  She laughed. “Okay, okay, what did you talk to Whitey about?”

  “You know the GWG has wifi, right?”

  �
��Of course, I work on that computer all day.”

  “Well, Whitey called California and they said you can take your classes on that GWG computer during slow times and after your shift.”

  “What?”

  “I’m not a fan of you going to the library at night, after a long day, and, well, this is safer. I’ll work out there until you’re done.”

  “You didn’t need to do that. I don’t want to impose on Whitey or the GWG.”

  “Stop it. Whitey was so happy to help you. He says he can’t live without you! Make that two of us. AND he said GWG corporate guys were really impressed that they had an employee going to college.”

  “I’m embarrassed. I don’t know what to say. I don’t want special treatment.”

  “There’s no special treatment. You work hard and Whitey knows it. He thinks of you as one of his grandkids now. He’s half hoping if you and I don’t work out, Jessie’s up next.”

  “I can’t believe it. This will help me keep up and get everything done. Oh my gosh, I can study during my lunch break!”

  “Oh my gosh.” He mimicked her phrase, but she didn’t care. She could study at work!

  “See and you thought I was just a pretty face.”

  She kissed him on the mouth. The combination of Chinese food and Craddock wasn’t unpleasant, she realized with a smile. She also realized this person, this big scary fighter, cared about her, beyond the incredible sex. He didn’t want to stop her dreams, he wanted to help her achieve them. She didn’t mean for it to happen, but a tear started to form. She tried to blink it away.

  “Oh, and one more thing. GWG has a company cell phone they want to issue you.”

  “Get the fuck out of here.”

  “From gosh to fuck? Have I ever heard you say fuck? I like it, you dirty girl. Say it again.”

  She jutted her jaw out at him. “An iPhone? Why?” She was floored.

  “Well according to Whitey, they were impressed with your Facebook page for the gym and they want you to use the phone to do some posting from our upcoming fights.”

  “Well I’m impressed with you. This was the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. Ever. Except maybe Bess, she’s done some lifesaving things, but other than Bess. I’m just… I don’t… How do I thank you?”

  “Graduating and helping kids seems like a good way. Also, I’d like you to wiggle that sweet little ass while you sit on my lap and feed me. Oh, wait.” He bounced her a few times on his lap, “What’s this? It appears we’re all paid up.”

  But Cassidy wanted to do something more. She was going to figure out a way to thank him. A non-sexy way. To her surprise it was proving to be a challenge to keep up with her hot-tempered Irish fighter in the thoughtfulness department.

  Craddock

  “But ma, he wants to come. It’s local, can’t you just come?” Craddock would love to have Dylan get a chance to see him fight. Friday night’s event was so close. He was trying to convince his mom to bring his brother.

  “I don’t want to see it. And he needs me so he doesn’t lose it. You know that. What makes this different than your other fights?”

  He thought it would be worth one more try. Dylan was getting his coat on in the laundry room while Craddock worked on his mom.

  “Ma, it means a lot to him.” He tried to be quiet so Dylan wouldn’t get his hopes up.

  “It seems like it means a lot to you, but I’ve tried to tell you. Nothing sounds more awful to me than seeing one of my sons get beat up while the other one melts down about it. Do you understand?”

  He could see she was getting pissed. “I guess, but you know I am undefeated. I give the beat downs. Like in high school, during wrestling.”

  She scurried around the kitchen putting breakfast away, trying to avoid him. “Shh! What are you thinking don’t jinx yourself.” She made the sign of the cross, then stopped and turned to look him. “I’m proud of you. Now stop bugging me.”

  And that was the end of the argument.

  “Dylan, we gotta go!”

  Dylan emerged with his coat on his back and hope on his face. Shit, he hated disappointed Dylan.

  “It’s a no go buddy. Let’s go.”

  “That blows.” And Dylan stomped his foot as they left for the bus stop.

  “She makes me mad.” Dylan said as they waited.

  “I know. I’ll keep working on her. Here’s the deal, if you can’t come I’ll bring a recording of it and we’ll watch me kick ass together next day. Deal?”

  “Deal. I gotta secret to tell you, but… Oh. Shoot. I’m not supposed to.”

  “Well next time, then.”

  Dylan’s secret game usually meant someone at his work gave him a Playboy Magazine or he saw something sexy on YouTube. Craddock explained it was okay and that it didn’t make him bad. This particular secret could wait, he supposed.

  “Next time.”

  “I love you, big brother. Don’t take any shit.” Craddock said.

  “Love you, too, little brother, and I will NOT take any shit,” replied Dylan.

  His workout was going good that day. A little light, but the fight night they were hosting was in a couple days and Whitey had adjusted their training so they’d peak at the right time.

  It was about three in the afternoon when G-Man came over to the bag he was kicking.

  “Is that your phone in the locker? I was just in there and it’s going off like a motherfucker. If you don’t want your current piece to find out that your old piece is calling, I’d go get it, dumbass.”

  Craddock was working on his temper, so he chose to answer diplomatically. He leaped at G-Man and had him the tightest headlock of the asshole’s life. Of course G-Man had it coming, but hadn’t seen it, so the thick-necked son of a bitch was fucked.

  “You will not call Cassidy Parker a ‘piece’ again. Do you understand?” He waited for G-Man to answer for what seemed an appropriate amount of time. Oh wait, silly him, G-Man was being choked. He released the pressure just a tad.

  “Got it?”

  “Got it,” G-Man croaked.

  Craddock let him up. G-Man took half a second to shake it off and shot in on his middle. That was it. Full on, they were going. G-Man was a heavyweight, so his punches were devastating, but he was about as quick as walrus. But the man had him, and when G-Man locked up you were fucked.

  Craddock started punching G-Man in the kidney.

  “Break it up. Break it up. G-Man let him go. You want me to kick you out of this place right before the big tournament?” Whitey always seemed to appear out of nowhere.

  “But Coach, he started it.” G-Man sounded five years old in that moment.

  “Really? All I saw was you shooting in on him. Both of you, separate.”

  Craddock remembered one of the few bits of good advice his dad gave him. Refs always see the second punch, never the first. In this case, it helped him avoid an ass chewing from Whitey. Point made, he headed to the locker room. His phone was ringing again.

  He picked it up as it started vibrating and clicked to answer.

  “Hello, is this Dylan Flynn’s brother? He has you on is contact information. This is the More Product Assembly Company.” Dylan’s work never called him.

  “Yes.” A pit in his stomach formed immediately. There was no good reason Dylan’s work would be calling him.

  “We haven’t been able to get a hold of his mother and he didn’t show up to work today. We’re concerned, of course, because the policy is for the guardian to let us know.”

  “Sure. That’s weird because I got him on the bus this morning. Thank you for letting me know.”

  Shit. Shit. Shit.

  Where the hell did Dylan go if he didn’t go to work? And why didn’t he go to work?

  He called his mom. No answer.

  He showered and got dressed as fast as he could. He was racking his brain on where Dylan could be if he wasn’t at work. What trouble could he get in? The list seemed endless.

  He was about to run out th
e front door when Cassidy stopped him.

  “What is it? Why are you leaving the gym so early?”

  He’d planned to stay late and even linger while Cassidy did her classes online after work. That was shot to hell now.

  “My brother’s gone missing.”

  “I thought you said he was your older brother, what do you mean missing?”

  He hadn’t really explained about Dylan to her, other than to say he wanted to take care of him. He summed it up as fast as he could.

  “He is, but he’s not normal. He’s almost 30 and is like a six-year-old up here—” Craddock pointed to his head.

  “Oh, I see. Well, how can I help? Should I call the police?” He didn’t have time to explain that they didn’t institute missing person’s alerts for adults until at least 24-hours had gone by. Craddock had been through this before. Dylan had wondered off after a girl had been mean to him, one he’d liked. Maybe that was the case. He tried to remember if Dylan had mentioned anyone recently.

  “Just chill here, babe. I’m going to check a few of his places and catch up with my mom if I can.” He gave her a quick kiss on the lips. Before he could run off, she grabbed him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

  “Let me know if I can do anything. Remember I have the iPhone thanks to you.”

  “Okay, thank you.” He flew out the door. It was sweet she wanted to help, but he needed to get moving and cover ground.

  He went to his mom’s work first. She hadn’t been answering her phone and when he got there things got weirder.

  Craddock caught up with the manager of the hotel’s housekeeping staff, his mom’s boss. He figured she’d know what floor she’d been assigned and he’d just pop up and get her up to speed. He needed to her know it was time to put out a net for Dylan, before anything went wrong.

  “Sorry, Craddock, your mom’s been working nights.”

  He was floored. She’d been getting ready this morning for work.

  “Yeah, you know, so she can do the treatments during the day or whatever.”

  “The treatments?” He was getting a bunch of new information and had no idea what it meant.