Reese moved through the intersection, cranking up her AC as she pulled onto Baronne Street, then into her building garage. She flushed, her car suddenly hot as she remembered his deep, rasping voice against her lips just before things got interesting.
“If this were real, love, I’d kiss you so soundly no arsehole in his right mind would come near you.” He slid his mouth against hers and glanced up, angling her face closer. Those green eyes looked darker than they had been at dinner and Reese swallowed, her throat feeling thick at the thought that he wanted her. Lennox Murry, current UFC featherweight champion, might just want her, though she couldn’t be sure. Then that voice went lower, and Lennox promised, “And you wouldn’t want them to. I’d claim you forever with one bloody kiss” and Reese had to withhold a needy, low moan as he took her mouth hard, commanding and deliciously wet.
“That, my friends, is the look of a bastard thoroughly ready to smash.”
“Check for a pitched tent.” Bud laughed, making Reese shake her head.
“He’s Lennox Murry. The fucker always has a pitched tent.”
Gia convinced her to strike back at the asshole journalists who wanted to say the stupidest, simplest things about her. Calling her haggard and non-womanly was juvenile. Maybe so was paying a photographer to sneak pictures of her while she went on a pretend date with one of the hottest men in the public eye. But Gia reasoned these images would prove to the media and fans Reese wasn’t a sports jock or just one of the guys. She was wanted, desired by one of the manliest men alive. The exposure would also make the marketing people realize what a commodity Reese could be given the right opportunities. Either way, those pictures of her date and the Steamers’ calendar would be a huge draw. Reese hadn’t been happy about the entire scenario. She felt on display, like she was being followed for who wanted her, not her skill or ability. But Gia could be convincing. She was definitely bossy.
“Do it,” she told Reese. “Have a free meal and spend time with a sexy bastard. Enjoy yourself for once. You don’t have to marry him.” She walked around Reese, nodding at her dress. “But, honey, please fuck him. God knows you need it.”
Gia had hired local paparazzi to follow them on the date. Apparently, the photographer got followed and by the end of the night, the Royal Sonesta, where Lennox was staying was covered in photographers.
And all of them caught the kiss.
“Fuck,” Lennox said, holding her face between his large hands. On the other side of the lobby window, there was a thunderous roar of cameras clicking, and both Lennox and Reese’s names being shouted out. But Lennox ignored them. He ignored everything but Reese’s mouth and sliding his thumb over her cheek. “Bloody wish this wasn’t for show.” But Reese knew it was. Lennox, no matter how sweet, how eager to be alone with her, was well known for how often he slept around. He liked sex, it seemed, and right then, he wanted her to like the idea of sex. With him. That wasn’t going to happen. There were too many complications in her life. She didn’t need to add a horny, albeit, sweet and gorgeous UFC fighter to the mix.
“Murry didn’t hit it, I don’t think,” Billy said, sounding disappointed. “If he had, they’d have seen her leaving the Royal Sonesta or him leaving her apartment. But who cares? I mean, clearly by the looks of her on that date, she’s not the jock the paper claimed.”
“She’s very hot,” Bud agreed, laughing.
“Yeah, well, seems the only person who might care is, well…Glenn, I guess, from what I heard about his time at Duke, where Noble’s father coached.” He cleared his throat, waiting for a dramatic pause before he continued. “Of all people, Glenn would know about Noble, and how she is at smashing.”
The backtrack sounded and both men laughed, the obvious moan of a woman and squeal of bed springs in the background. “Word is, my freaks…” the DJ paused, queuing up the track of a muttering crowd quieting, “they were totally smashing!”
“What?” Bud asked, pretending to be surprised. “No way.”
The noise of shocked gasps and surprised exhales morphed into low, vulgar grunts and whistles. Reese sat in her parking spot, car still running, heart hammering, and she forgot about the bottle of