Trapped (Caged #2)(32)

“It’s a little Mediterranean place over on the east side,” I told her. “My family used to go there sometimes. It’s good food, classy atmosphere, but not too pricey, ya know?”

“You got the cash for it?”

“Yeah, I’ve saved a bit,” I told her as I switched arms with a grunt.

“How you gonna get there?”

“Bus to Twentieth,” I said, “then the subway over to the East Side mall. It’s not too far from there—just a few blocks.”

“You know how to show a lady a good time.” Yolanda snorted.

“Nice.” I glared at her as I dropped from the bar and landed on the mat. “It’s the best I can do.”

“Nah,” she said. “You can do a little better. Take my car.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, why not?” She shrugged. “I mean, you know if anything happens to it, I’m going to kick your ass. I figure it’s pretty safe. You can just drive me home after the fight Friday. I don’t have anything going on for the weekend, so you can bring it back Sunday. How’s that work?”

“Fucking awesome,” I replied. “Thanks!”

The rest of the week went by as slowly as a high school senior’s last day of school. Friday night, I could hardly contain myself with thoughts of our first real date and what would hopefully transpire afterwards. I whooped in triumph before I had even entered the cage, climbed halfway up to scream at the crowd, and then dropped down in the face of my opponent. His bright blue eyes went wide as Yolanda snapped my trunks while leaving the cage, laughing loudly.

I reach down, adjusted my trunks while grinning maniacally, and then jumped forward to pounce on my adversary. I wrapped my arms around his head and pulled him down to the bare floor. My knee struck his ribs three times before I let him go, jumped back, and spun around to kick his face before he could stand again.

My heart beat wildly, and I could feel the slender trickle of sweat rolling down my back as I went for him again. He slammed his fist into the side of my face, then the top of my shoulder as he rushed me and crushed my back into the chain links. The crowd screamed, but I couldn’t tell if they were screaming for or against me.

It didn’t matter.

A punch to his throat sent him reeling back—rookie move, to leave his neck unprotected. He fell to his back, and I was on top of him, alternating fists into his face even after he tapped out.

I was still laughing as Yolanda pulled me off him and out of the cage.

“Fucking brutal!” Gary laughed as he slapped my back with his palm.

I was just glad the idiot still bleeding on the floor of the cage hadn’t touched my lips. I needed them in good working order tomorrow.

Dordy was insistent about me hanging around until closing, and by the time I got out of there, took Yolanda home, and then parked the car in the lot next to the apartment, it was really late. Tria was half asleep on the couch, but I still hauled her out to see our ride.

I kept her going for about five minutes, trying to convince her I had actually bought a car, but then she saw a shopping bag in the back that happened to contain women’s underwear and cosmetics, so I had to admit it was Yolanda’s. She didn’t believe me at first, and I had to show her the damn registration with Yolanda’s name on it.

Still, the whole thing made her smile, which was all I really cared about.

I made sure the car was unlocked and that Yolanda’s package was stowed inside the apartment. If someone were going to break in, it was best they didn’t have to bust a window to do it. With nothing obvious inside, they’d just move on to the next car, anyway.

I could hardly sleep that night. By the time I was done getting the car situated in the apartment parking lot, Tria was dozing in front of the television again, so I didn’t try to convince her to stay up for a little action on the couch. With a smile on my face, we just went to bed where I held her and welcomed nervous anxiety in my chest.

One! One day until I can have sex! Ha! Ha! Ha!

*****

The vision that came out of the bedroom sucked the air from my lungs.

I wasn’t sure if it was a sweater or a dress, but the way her outfit clung to her from top to bottom, completely hiding everything but her long legs, was about the sexiest thing I had ever seen in my life. When she spun around in a circle, I could see the lower neckline in the back, which made it all the more enticing. The dress was dark blue and trimmed with silver around the high front neckline and Tria’s wrists.

I was pretty sure I could get it all off in one motion, too.

Her hair was partially pinned up, but she had left large, swirly rings hanging around her face, and she had on a lot more makeup than she usually wore, which accentuated her deep brown eyes and perfect, pouting mouth.

Elissa came out from behind Tria, smiling and blushing at me as she watched my reaction to her handiwork. The chick still couldn’t look me in the eye, but I didn’t feel much like teasing her at the moment.

“Well?” Tria said softly when I still hadn’t managed to utter a word. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re f*cking gorgeous,” I replied instantly. “The clothes are nice, too.”

She giggled and blushed, and I reached out to take her hand in mine. I kissed the back of her knuckles.

“Your chariot awaits!” I informed her, which earned me more giggling.