Page 14 of Whatever Lola Wants (Odyssey #2)

T hank God I’m not drunk.

Lola watched Simon drag his t-shirt smoothly over his head while toeing off his shoes. The sight of his bare chest would’ve dried up all the spit in her mouth, if she had any. She’d been dry mouthed since the moment she got into his car, knowing it was leading here.

Well, not here. She hadn’t planned on challenging him to a fucking sparring match as foreplay. But what the hell. It was certainly working for her, and a quick glance at the front of his shorts told it wasn’t exactly leaving him unaffected.

Still, that chest was distracting. Muscled , hard, with just the slightest dusting of curling hair a shade or two lighter than the chestnut locks on his head.

His shoulders were wide as a Mack truck, and okay, maybe she had some spit left in her mouth because it all wanted to drool out of her mouth at the sight of them.

She really, really liked shoulders.

His hands moved to his belt, and the spit dried up again. Oh , yeah. Pants off, baby. Let’s see what we’re working with.

She realized dimly that she was ogling him like a piece of meat, but she couldn’t seem to bring herself to stop—or care.

He undid the buckle with quick, competent moves, sliding it free and setting it aside.

He unbuttoned, slid the zipper down, then the pants were pooling at his ankles and being nudged aside.

One sock, then the other joined the small pile of clothes, then he was kicking it to the side and standing there in just a pair of dark grey boxer briefs that clearly outlined how he felt about this endeavor.

I’m a goddamn genius. This is the best idea I’ve ever had.

“Last chance to call out, sweetheart.” His eyes were all but glowing, the twist of his lips feral. “ I’ll take your surrender now.”

She managed a smirk as he stepped onto the rug. “ Forget it, Hastings . You want a win, you’re going to have to earn it.”

He shook his arms, loosening the muscles there, and flexed his legs. “ Suit yourself. Whenever you’re ready, baby.”

“I’ll count it down,” she told him, and took a deep breath. Her body felt loose, her mind clear. Anticipation was a bubble in the blood; she wanted the fight almost as much as she wanted the fuck. “ Three .”

He arched his neck to one side, then the other, the tendons popping with the stretch.

“Two.”

He grinned, dark and edgy and so goddamn sexy she nearly lost her breath.

“One.”

She bounced on her toes lightly when he crouched.

“Go.”

He moved fast, a blur of color and shape rushing her as soon as the word left her mouth, and she barely had time to step to the side. His fingertips brushed over her hip as she leapt out of his reach. He didn’t pause, didn’t hesitate, just spun back around and went for her again.

She threw herself backward, once again barely out of his reach, and going in low, swept her foot out to catch him on the leg.

He went down with a bone-jarring thud, but even as she was leaping on him he shifted, hooked an arm around her waist and had her flat on her belly, the weight of him pressed firm and unyielding from her shoulders to her knees.

“One, two, three,” he whispered into her ear. “ Pinned .”

She shivered, gooseflesh popping out on her skin as his breath washed against the back of her neck.

His hips were pressed into her, the hard ridge of his dick a pulse against her ass.

Her panties were soaked, her pussy already aching with need.

She couldn’t help giving a little wiggle, just to feel him twitch against her ass, and the corresponding clutch of her cunt.

He groaned, the arm still wrapped around her belly flexing to hold her even tighter.

“ You know, if you give up now, we can have a lot more fun,” he murmured, pressing his hips into her.

The hard thrust lodged him firmly between the cheeks of her ass, his dick so hot it was practically a brand even through the barriers of their underwear. “ Surrender .”

She bit back the moan. “ Forget it,” she panted, voice husky with exertion and lust. “ You want it, you gotta earn it.”

“You sure?” he asked, grinding his dick against her. He was so close to pressing exactly where she needed him, and the temptation to give in was nearly overwhelming.

But a bet was a bet. And she knew it would be so much better with a little more work.

“A bet’s a bet,” she told him. “ Back off, Big Dick .”

He laughed and nipped her earlobe hard enough to have her choking back a squeak before he lifted himself away. She scrambled to her feet and turned to face him.

He was grinning openly now, eyes gleaming like golden fire. He wasn’t even breathing hard, his hair only slightly mussed. Jeez . Just because she knew he was going to win—just because she actually wanted him to win—well, that was no reason not to make him work for it.

Her eyes narrowed as they took up positions about ten feet apart.

He liked to move fast, and he liked to go low.

Yeah , she could work with that. “ Count us in,” she told him.

She drew a deep breath, letting it fill her lungs, imagining the oxygen filling her body, her muscles, her blood with energy.

“Three…”

His body shifted, going low—though not as low as before.

She smothered a grin. Having gotten the upper hand so quickly the first time out, he was no longer treating her as a serious threat.

He’d seen her move, countered easily, and now he figured the rest would be a cakewalk.

And he was thinking more about getting his dick wet than he was about the battle.

“Two…”

Which he would, no question. But it wasn’t going to be that easy.

“One…”

Not nearly that easy.

“Go.”

He was already moving, coming in fast and low just like before, but this time she didn’t try to evade; instead, she rushed him.

Pushing off with her back foot, she leapt forward, aiming just to his right.

She saw his eyes flare with surprise in the split second it took for her to make contact with his body.

His arm lashed out, reaching for her; she hooked her elbow around his, and using momentum, swung herself around and onto his back.

She landed with a grunt, immediately wrapping her legs around his waist and locking her ankles together.

She kept her elbow hooked through his and yanked up, forcing his arm up between his shoulder blades, and flung her other arm around his neck.

She still held his arm in the crook of her elbow, her forearm flush with his back, and with a solid yank, she pulled her arm high enough to lock her hands together.

It all took less than ten seconds.

Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, her breath panted against his neck. He stilled, and she felt the shock hit him when he realized she had him well and truly monkey wrapped.

She knew the move he wanted to make. If it wouldn’t mean stepping off the rug—and losing the round—he’d have already moved to the wall and pressed her back against it, using his weight and mass to gain the upper hand.

Likewise , he could slam her down on the floor, but that would mean hurting her beyond the rules they’d set out.

His left hand came up to clamp on the arm she held around his neck, and she tightened her grip.

She knew, given enough time, he could use his long fingers and superior strength to pry her loose, but she also knew she was likely to choke him out before that happened.

Her arm squeezed his neck in just the right spot, pressing on the carotid artery and restricting the flow of blood to his brain.

It was a frequently used submission hold, and depending on the pressure exerted, could cause unconsciousness in a matter of seconds.

Which meant if he didn’t tap out, he’d pass out. And she was going down with him.

Half a heartbeat later, she felt him slap her shin three times in rapid succession. Tap out. She immediately loosened her hold, dropping her legs and hopping nimbly off his back.

He turned to face her, and she backed up a step before she could stop herself.

The disbelieving fury on his face made her want to laugh even as it made her throat close up.

She felt that intoxicating mix of fear and anticipation, the lust vying with basic self-preservation instincts.

Scared and helpless and turned on beyond all reason.

God, she’d missed this.

She smiled. “ That ties it up, I believe.”

His eyes narrowed slightly, face like stone. She might have been worried, but the tent pole in the front of his shorts was ample evidence that fury wasn’t the only emotion he was experiencing.

He backed up until his heels hit the edge of the rug, his eyes locked on hers. A fine sheen of sweat coated his body, his muscles gleaming in the overhead light. “ You’d best brace yourself, little girl.”

She didn’t bother to answer, just walked back until her feet rested on the opposite end of the rug, the expanse of it between them.

His lips curled into a grin, sharp and fierce. “ Count .”

The snarl in his voice made her want to laugh, to run, to tackle him and beat him to the floor. But she had a feeling he’d take care of that last one for her.

“Three. Two . One . Go .”

They flew at each other, hands slipping on sweaty skin, grappling for purchase.

She sidestepped a leg swipe, landing a back fist to his abdomen as she pivoted away.

She spun, trying to get behind him, but he pivoted with her, and this time she couldn’t evade the sweep of his foot.

She landed on her back, her breath whooshing out of her lungs on impact, and before she could react, he was coming down on top of her.

She reared up, throwing her legs back in an attempt to flip herself over backwards, but he was there before she could complete the move, catching her legs in mid-flip and pinning her nearly in half.