The Harder You Fall (Rixon Raiders 3)

“I mean it, babe. Every single word. But maybe I should show you.” Asher dipped his head, pressing his lips to my neck. “Maybe you need a reminder.”

Asher

“Are you going to sit there all night wearing a shit-eating grin?” Jason grunted as he slid into the booth with our beers.

We were at our table in Bell’s. It was quieter than usual; people still visiting family and friends for the holidays. After two days of strained meals and awkward conversation, it’d been a huge fucking relief when my father announced he needed to leave for urgent business. The smug bastard had simply smirked when he’d asked me if I’d liked my presents. As if they hadn’t been a giant slap in the face; every other gift a Panther branded item of clothing or college accessory. Like I needed any more of a reminder that, come next August, I would be going to my father’s alma mater to become his puppet.

Unsurprisingly, there hadn’t been a Panther’s football jersey in sight.

So what had I done? I’d immediately invited Mya for lunch, thinking it would be nice for her and Mom to spend some time together without Dad’s shadow looming over them. Big-fucking-mistake. Mom had gone and brought up college and the conversation had quickly gone to shit. I’d half-expected Mya to make her excuses and get the hell out of there.

But she hadn’t.

My girl had sat there with my mom, who had hardly been able to look at me, while we pretended everything was fine. It was such a relief when we finally went up to my room. Mya had let me lose myself in her without question. I needed her and she was there. I could still feel her now, wrapped around my dick, her breathy moans in my ear. The way she cried my name over and over, as if I was her salvation.

Because fuck only knew, I was beginning to think she was mine.

“Jase, ease off.” Cam came to my defense. “We were the same.”

“Were?” I snorted. “He’s worse than a dog in heat.” My eyes went to Jase.

“Fuck off,” he mumbled. “We’re not talking about me and Felicity, we’re talking about you and Mya. Although I don’t think I need to ask how it feels now you finally got the girl.”

“What’s that I hear, fuckers?” Grady joined us, sliding in beside Jase. I smothered a groan. I hadn’t expected him to be here. “You and Mya going steady?” he asked.

“We’re... going. She met my parents Christmas Eve and came over for lunch with my mom earlier.”

“Holy fuck, that’s... good for you, bro. What did they think?” I reared back, eyes hard on him. “Whoa, I wasn’t throwing shade,” he blurted out. “I just meant did they like her?”

Awkward silence fell over our booth as I replayed my father’s blatant disapproval, not to mention his arrogance when he’d met Mya.

“My mom loved her,” I finally said, the words like sandpaper in my throat. “My old man, not so much. He tried to set me up with Kellie. Turns out she’s also going to Pittsburgh next year.”

“Shit, man, that’s rough. How’d Mya take that news? You know how persistent Kellie can be.”

“I’m not worried about Kellie.” She wasn’t even on my radar.

“You should be. She and those gymnasts can be fucking mental. Look at Jenna.” Grady’s eyes slid to Jase who had gone eerily quiet.

“Let’s not talk about Jenna.” She’d caused enough shit between him and Felicity without rehashing it all.

“So what’s the deal? Why the long face? Wouldn’t she put out?”

“Grady, man, I swear if you don’t shut the fuck up...”

“Jeez, Bennet, lighten up. I’m going to shoot some pool with Merrick and the guys. Catch you later.”

Jase and Cam gave him a sharp nod, but I stared out at nothing, clutching the neck of the bottle in my hand like a vise.

When Jase settled his attention back on me, his brow rose. “Talk.”

“Later,” I said non-committally. “We need to figure out plans for New York. Riley and Vaughn have this whole bar crawl thing planned but it sounds like a lot of hard work.”

“Can’t we start at the penthouse and end up at a club?” Cam asked.

“That’s what I was thinking. We can get some drinks, snacks, and the penthouse has a wicked sound system. I could ask Riley and Vaughn if they want to bring some friends?”

Jase ran a hand down his face. “Set it up, but don’t let Riley and Vaughn turn it into something huge. I don’t want to spend the night with a bunch of rich kids from the city.”