UNDYING: A Bad Boy MMA Romance (Midwest Alphas) (Book 3) Page 4

  He takes my hand and I follow him back outside and down the long line of identical doors. His eyes wander the parking lot, each sitting car a possible threat to my existence. I want to tell him to relax, that he can put his guard down for a moment, but I bite my tongue instead.

  Tobias pushes the key into the lock and opens the door for me. We walk inside and while I slide my coat off my shoulders, he takes one last look into the dark parking lot and locks the door.

  It’s your standard, boring motel room. I’m not sure who decided every single one of them should look the same, but that’s just the way it is. One large bed with an old chair near the window and a small, wobbly table. An old television sits atop a small chest of drawers. I flick on the lamp next to the bed and sit down while Tobias inspects the bathroom.

  “I highly doubt Rick has an assassin hiding out in the bathroom, Tobias,” I point out as he returns to the room.

  He eyes me with subtle amusement. “Better safe than sorry,” he mutters before walking to the window. He pulls the curtains closed and plants himself in the chair next to them. “You should get some sleep.”

  I kick off my shoes and lie back onto the overly thick pillows. My eyelids feel heavy. It hasn’t even been a whole day since my mother woke me up from a screaming fit, but it feels much longer than that. My palms still sting as the dark crescent shapes form black scabs. I never thought then that by the end of the next day, I’d be with Tobias again.

  I open my eyes to find him sitting forward in the chair. His fingers gently push the curtains open and he eyes the world outside — especially the station wagon passing by in the parking lot — with great suspicion. “Tobias, lie down with me.”

  He pauses, then shakes his head. “I have to keep watch for—”

  “Tobias…” I roll onto my side to prop my head up, resting it lightly against my hand. “I’m safe here, remember? You brought me out here because you thought it would be safe. And look — there’s a big lock on the door and I have my trusty bodyguard by my side.”

  “Lillian had bodyguards,” he says, refusing to budge.

  “She didn’t have you,” I point out. “Please, Tobias. You can resume being my brave and determined Alpha in the morning. Right now, I need my boyfriend.”

  His lips curl, but he tries to fight it. “That’s not fair…”

  “It wasn’t supposed to be.” I hold out my hand to him. “Come here. Please.”

  Tobias sighs, hesitating for a moment longer before he finally stands and lowers himself down onto the bed beside me. He slides his boots off and they tumble to the floor with soft thumps. I lean back again as he moves in closer and balances himself on his right side next to me. His body heat toys with my skin, the sensation only increasing as he entwines his fingers with mine. He brings my cold hand to his lips. “I’m not going to convince you to leave, am I?”

  “You’re certainly welcome to try,” I tease. “But no.”

  He leaves the smallest of kisses on my knuckles. “Then do me a favor and promise me that you won’t leave my side. Not even for a moment.”

  I bite my lip, feeling the twinge of guilt inside. “Tobias… I can’t make any promises here. This might not end the way we want it to end. The other Dames are—”

  “We can protect them.”

  “What if we can’t? If another person dies, it’s on my hands. Lillian is already on my hands—”

  “Claire, I won’t let him take you from me.” I pause, feeling the full intensity of his words. “Do you remember what you told me? You said you’d never say goodbye to me. That goes both ways.”

  “Tobias—”

  “I will not say goodbye to you, Claire.”

  I close my eyes as subtle pain rushes through me. “Then what do we do?”

  He brings his hand to my cheek. “We figure it out tomorrow…”

  I open my eyes again as he leans in closer to brush his lips against mine, teasing a kiss I so badly need.

  Tomorrow. Tomorrow could bring anything. It could bring a new beginning or a tragic end, neither of which will surprise me. Tonight might be all Tobias and I have left.

  He kisses me slowly, easing our lips together like jigsaw pieces. Every curve and bump of his mouth fits perfectly against mine, two sides of the same beating heart. A rush of warmth extends through my fingers and toes, killing every bit of cold left in my body from the ride over here.

  Tobias. My lover and Alpha. I’m finally in his arms again, after what felt like an eternity away from him. I shiver as his touch glides off my chin and down my body, sliding over my quivering breast to land on my lower back. He flexes and pulls me closer as his kiss becomes firm on my lips. I feel his hard desire pressing between us, begging to be touched as much as I am.

  My passions ignite, twitching throughout my body to reawaken my dormant nerves. I spread my knees apart and Tobias instantly pulls my thighs around him to lock us together, easily bending me to his will. I sigh as pleasure teases my throbbing core and he smiles at me, knowing exactly where to touch me to push me further. Even after all this time apart, he still remembers every piece of me, every button, every movement to make me purr with delight.

  He lifts my shirt over my head and tosses it away without looking at where it’s gone. I do the same with eager intensity, driven to feel his skin against mine again. His tattoos stand out against his pale, white skin. I kiss and lick the black ink and he grips my hair with great fervor, pulling me closer to own me. He grips me and pushes me down harder against the bed, towering above me to stare into my eyes.

  I see it inside of him; that insatiable lust. He’s always looked at me like this. Even the night we met, I saw it in his eyes, although I didn’t notice it back then. At the time, he was untouchable. My forbidden treat. Just one taste, and I’d be hooked, completely addicted. If I had stayed away, none of this would have happened.

  We broke all the rules to be together.

  But if I could go back and change it, I know for a fact that I wouldn’t.

  Neither would he.

  Tobias lowers himself to me and devours my lips one more time before traveling down my body. I let him pull my jeans and panties down to my ankles, twitching as his fingernails rake along my thighs as he goes. He reaches for his own belt as his eyes scan my naked body. He licks and bites his lip, taking quick, short breaths as his pulse intensifies. I don’t move a muscle, my own eyes waiting for him to drop his jeans.

  He lowers them an inch, then stops, noticing my breathy anticipation. I grit my teeth in playful frustration, my mouth watering for him, waiting patiently for him to end his delicious striptease.

  Finally, he pulls them down and his rigid manhood stands on end. He kicks his jeans to the floor and returns to me, pushing my knees apart before sliding into place between them. I kiss him again to delight my taste buds with his flavor. He grips my wrists, pinning me to the mattress as his hardness presses between my folds. I tremble with pure bliss, waiting for him to be inside of me and end this misery. I raise my knees and lock my feet together around his waist, urging him to give himself to me.

  “Tobias…” His breath skirts against my cheek as he presses his lips against my neck, tasting me with smooth flicks of his tongue. He throbs against my wetness as it drips upon him, begging to embrace him. “Tobias…” I moan his name again, this time met by his deep chuckle against my ear lobe.

  He thrusts forward and slides inside of me. My back arches off the bed. A delicious elixir of pleasure and pain brings me great torture as his thickness dominates me. He goes all the way in, locking our bodies together before finally breathing a subtle groan. I watch his eyes, his perfect rings of natural green, catching the love and lust reflecting back at me before he thrusts me again, this time harder and faster. His grip tightens against my wrists, refusing to let me move or touch him as I want to. He’s in complete control of both of us. The only thing I can do is moan and he takes great pleasure in making me do it.

  “Claire—” he breathes. �
�Never leave me again.”

  It’s not a request. He’s not begging either. He’s telling me, demanding it of me. I answer him with a kiss, long and deep. His lips curl against mine, accepting my response for the gospel truth it is.

  He releases my wrists and I wrap my arms around his wide shoulders while I moan in his ear. Each thrust builds on the pleasure inside of me. The quick piston tugs at my delicate tissues, hitting me in just the right spot. His hands shift beneath my back before he rises up, holding me with ease and strength, and settles backward into a seated position. I keep my legs wrapped around him and stare into his eyes as I lower myself back down onto his shaft. He holds me and moves me up and down on him. I meet every thrust, clinging to him as I start to lose control. I kiss him and our tongues dance. He grunts and buries his face in my breasts. His nails dig into my skin, refusing to release me as his passions destroy him. My body breaks for him as I feel his desire fill me completely. I give in to our climax, falling even deeper into his embrace.

  We hold each other, the silence broken only by our thick breaths on the air. I lie my forehead against his and our sweat mixes together, threatening to drip into our open eyes. He kisses me once more, even though it only causes him to lose his breath again.

  “I love you,” he whispers between long inhales.

  I smile wide, tears threatening to fall down my cheeks. “I love you,” I reply with blurred vision. Every piece of me aches inside, but I don’t let it overwhelm me. I stare back at him, his eyes never leaving mine.

  My Alpha.

  A tear falls down my cheek and Tobias shakes his head. “No.” He runs his thumb against my cheek, wiping it clean. “Never again.”

  I laugh as Tobias pushes me back to lie against the thick pillows. I let go of him and my entire body relaxes, naked and trembling. He releases me and slides off the bed. “Where are you going?” I ask, barely able to move.

  He looks back at me and grins. “Water…”

  I watch him as he wanders across the motel room. My fever peaks again as I admire his tight skin, wrapped perfectly about his toned muscles. Tobias the Untouchable, truly remarkable in every way.

  He comes back from the bathroom with two paper cups full of life-giving water and I notice his eyes scanning my body again, fueling his still semi-hard erection.

  “Drink,” he says as he hands me a cup. “I’m not done with you yet.”

  I laugh harder than I have in months.

  ***

  I feel his lips on my skin before I even wake up.

  A smile crawls to my lips as he descends my still exhausted body. His hands caress me, urging me back into consciousness while he leaves tiny bites along my belly, traveling down between my thighs.

  “Tobias…” I moan, stifling a yawn. I open my eyes and look beneath the covers to see his black hair moving even farther south. I chuckle. “What are you—oh!”

  His warm tongue attacks my sleeping bud, jolting me awake like a shock to the heart. He doesn’t answer me, but his devious eyes peek up at me as he positions my knees over his shoulders.

  I thought my body couldn’t take any more of this after last night, but my passions easily return, and just as powerful as before. My entire body shakes while I squirm beneath him. Tobias reaches for me with strong hands and holds me still against the bed while he works me over and over again with his talented tongue. I push my fingers through his hair, guiding him where I want him to be. He follows the instruction silently, perfectly, until he’s got me moaning his name again. He slows his flicks and adds a deeper pressure with his tongue.

  I grab the pillow beneath my head and hold it against my mouth to muffle my screams of ecstasy. “Tobias! Don’t stop!”

  He clamps his lips around my bud and sucks hard at me, giving me exactly what I want. I come hard against his willing mouth and he takes yet another climax from me while I writhe in sweet pain beneath him.

  I toss the pillow to the side and fill my lungs full of fresh, cool air. “Oh, god…”

  Tobias climbs back up, leaving a trail of kisses along my body as he moves. He pauses above my right hip and plants a special kiss against the thick, switchblade scar on my skin; his silent promise to always take care of me. He settles beside me on his back and stares at the ceiling with me while I struggle to catch my breath. “Good morning.”

  I laugh and push my wrecked hair away from my eyes. “And a good morning to you, too.” I roll onto my side to face him. “What was that for?”

  “Nothing.” He smiles. “I’ve just always wanted to do it.”

  “I suppose waking me up with a screaming orgasm wasn’t exactly possible in your dad’s house,” I joke.

  “No, it was not.” He moves to face me and slides his fingertips up and down my shoulder. “Maybe once all of this is over, we can look for a place of our own.”

  I bite my lip, wanting so badly to say yes. “I, uh—”

  A high-pitched ringing interrupts my response. Tobias rolls around to reach off the bed for his jeans and retrieves his phone from his back pocket. “It’s Pike,” he says, glancing at the display.

  “Are you two like, buddies now or what?”

  Tobias shakes his head, but keeps his smile. “It’s complicated.” He taps the screen as I let out a soft chuckle. “Hey,” he says into the phone. “Yeah, she’s with me.” He looks at me. “No, not since last night. Why?” I watch as Tobias flexes his jaw and the playful color melts from his eyes. “We’ll go over there now. I’ll keep you posted.”

  “What is it?” I ask as he lowers the phone from his ear.

  “Veronica is missing,” he answers.

  “Missing? What—?”

  “And Amy isn’t answering her phone.”

  A black rock settles in my gut. “Oh, my god…”

  “Get dressed.” He slides away from me. “We have to go. Now.”

  Chapter 5

  An Eye For An Eye

  I run up the stairs behind Tobias, taking them two at a time. It’s not enough to keep up with his stride and my muscles burn by the time I reach the top.

  He pounds hard on her apartment door. “Amy!”

  I stand back, immobilized by gut-wrenching fear. Veronica is missing. Amy isn’t answering her phone. Amy always answers her phone.

  “Amy!” he shouts again, slamming with a closed fist.

  The deadbolt rattles and her door swings open.

  “What the flying fuck are you doing, Toby?!”

  I breathe a sigh of relief as Amy’s shiny blue eyes dart back and forth between us. She stands with bare feet, her body obscured by a lavender kimono and her blonde hair sits high on her head in a flimsy ponytail.

  “Amy…” Tobias growls and rests his hands against the door frame. “Why haven’t you been answering your phone?”

  “Oh—” She waves a hand. “I left it out in the car last night. Too lazy to go get it and it was freakin’ cold—” She pauses, reacting to his anger and my intense relief. “Why? What’s going on?”

  “Veronica is gone,” I answer.

  “Gone?” she repeats. “So? Wasn’t that her whole plan?”

  Tobias brushes passed her and walks into the apartment. She lets him through and waits for me to enter before closing the door behind us. “Pike sent someone to check on her this morning. It looked like there had been a struggle. Her suitcase and her plane ticket were left behind on the counter.”

  Amy clutches her neck. “Whoa…”

  “He tried to call you and you didn’t answer, so…” Tobias gestures to the door.

  “Sorry…” Her face contorts into an adorable wince. “No, I’m fine. Ryan’s fine. He’s still asleep — the guy could sleep through anything.”

  Tobias rolls his eyes. “Probably not the best choice for your bodyguard then…”

  “Yeah…” She bites her lip. “Maybe I should get a dog or something.”

  “Give me the keys to his truck.” He holds out his hand. “Stay here. I’ll go get your phone.”


  She walks back to the door and reaches into a small, glass bowl on a table for the keys. “Thanks, Toby.” She flashes him an apologetic smile and he nods calmly before stepping out into the hallway. “Coffee?” she offers me.

  “Absolutely.”

  She spins on her toes and wanders into the kitchen. I follow behind her, my heart still racing, remnants of fear still thumping through my system.

  “So,” she begins as she pours coffee grounds into the filter, “I see the two of you made up last night.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “Oh, please,” she whispers. “You’re glowing brighter than my tree.” Her eyes jut towards the Christmas tree in the corner, vibrantly lit with colorful lights and ornaments.

  I blush and breathe a quiet laugh. “Okay, fine…” I admit. “The night was not uneventful… and neither was this morning.”

  “Start from the beginning. Tell me everything.”

  “There’s definitely not enough time to get through it all.”

  She shivers. “God— I wish I’d gone all the way with Tobias. Just once, ya know? He seems like he’d be so good at it.”

  “Good at what?”

  I look over my shoulder and press my lips together as Ryan stumbles into the kitchen in his boxer shorts, yawning loudly.

  “Nothing, dear,” Amy says quickly. “Coffee is on.”

  “Cool. Hey, Claire.”

  “Hey, Ryan.” I sneak a peek at his bare torso. He has a fighter’s physique, similar to Tobias’. The Alpha Dame in me wonders what his fighting style is like in the ring. The tattoo on his hand signifies that he won a match back when he was loyal to the Double Ex Kings, but I know nothing about him other than that. He passes through the kitchen and enters the bathroom beyond the corridor.

  Amy listens carefully, counting the seconds until he’s completely out of earshot. “Spill,” she says to me.