17. Riggs

SEVENTEEN

RIGGS

"I'm home!" I yell from the entryway, setting my duffel bag down on the floor. We played our last home game against New Orleans the day after I pitched, then it was off for another three nights on the road. We won two and lost one, but now we get a full day off before heading out for two more games. I'm looking forward to spending some time with Monroe since we didn't get to do that after our kiss in the hallway at the stadium. That night, we both fell asleep on the couch watching a movie, and I carried her to my bed right before I had to leave again. She was out like a light when I got home after my game that night, and I had to catch an early flight to San Francisco the following morning. We've texted a few times, but we haven't talked about us at all.

If there even is an us .

I don't know where her head is at, but for me, that kiss in the hallway at the stadium was real. I wanted to celebrate, and I wanted to do it with her. I certainly wasn't expecting it to become as heated as it did, but that seems to be the norm for us.

I'm glad things haven't been super awkward, but that could just be because we haven't been around each other. Traveling for days at a time like I do means putting important issues on the back burner. That's why it's been so easy to live the single life for as long as I have. Most of the women I've been with only liked me because of my job, and I honestly don't blame them. It's not like I gave them a reason to think I had more to offer. It was never something I wanted.

But now?

Maybe.

I'm not saying I've changed overnight and want to get married with two-point-five kids and a picket fence, but being around Monroe has shown me that my initial impulse to learn more about her wasn't wrong. She's beautiful, sexy, funny, strong, and independent. If I were looking for something beyond just a situationship, I already know she'd fit into my life perfectly. Whether or not I'd fit into hers remains to be seen, because her past before she moved to Hope Harbor is still a mystery.

I head up the stairs, walking down the hall to see that her bedroom door is wide open and she's nowhere to be found. I start to get nervous but remember how she told me yesterday that she was going to check out the gym in my building, which is likely where she is since her car is here. It's the middle of the day and it's gorgeous outside, so there's also a possibility that she went for a walk or something.

I take off my jeans and t-shirt, pulling on a pair of mesh basketball shorts before going back downstairs, dropping onto the couch, and putting some game highlights on the TV. It feels like forever since I had a minute to relax, and fuck me, this feels good.

My phone buzzes with a text notification. I lean forward to grab it from the table, hoping it's Monroe, but it's Tanner instead.

TANNER

Hey, bro! Great series this week. Your arm looked great.

RIGGS

Thanks. It's good to be back.

TANNER

Soooooo…

RIGGS

Here we go.

TANNER

How are things with the old ball and chain?

RIGGS

Jesus Christ. Your nosy ass wife tell you to ask me that?

TANNER

Nope. Just wondering if your near-perfect game was inspired by a certain spicy brunette.

RIGGS

It's strictly business, Lake. There's nothing going on between us.

TANNER:

Been there, told that lie.

RIGGS

Yeah. To me, you fuck.

TANNER

It worked out, because you ended up with the world's best brother-in-law. You should be thanking me for fucking your sister.

RIGGS

Hold your breath on that one, Tan. With any luck, you'll drop dead.

BYE.

I toss the phone onto the couch beside me, getting up and walking over to the window. He riles me the fuck up every time he mentions what he and Grace do in their free time. No matter how much I say I don't want to know, the goofy fucker just keeps doing it.

It's gross.

I watch as the electric blue waves meet the shore, swallowing the sand briefly before pulling back. The topless beach below is pretty dead for it being such a nice day out. There are a few people who are fully clothed walking along the shore, and one topless woman lying face-up on a beach towel. I shouldn't look, because I'm supposed to have a girlfriend, but I'm a weak man, and this particular set of tits is fucking spectacular—nice and full with hard, rose-colored nipples. I'm not so far up that I can't see the little barbells that decorate the tight buds as they glint in the sunlight .

Fuck , she's hot.

She's perfection.

Wait, I know those tits.

"Monroe?" I growl as my brain finally registers what I'm seeing. I blink rapidly, rubbing my eyes and refocusing to make sure I'm not imagining things.

But I'm fucking not . It's her. Out there almost naked, where anyone could see.

In a flash, I'm out the door and running toward the stairwell, knowing that the elevator will take way too long. I practically fly down each flight, shoving the door to the lobby open and racing toward the exit that leads to the beach. I'm seeing red as I bump into random bodies, not even bothering to apologize as I bulldoze through the obstacles that are slowing down my pursuit.

By the time my feet hit the warm sand, I'm fucking feral . My only concern is getting her away from this beach and back inside before anyone else looks at her tits the way I just was. I run as fast as I can, only stopping when I'm hovering over her.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" I say through clenched teeth. My body feels wound tight, like it's ready to spring into action at any moment as I angle myself between her and the building in hopes of hiding her from potential onlookers. Unaffected by my presence, she cracks one eye open and smiles up at me sweetly.

"I wasn't expecting you until later. How was your flight?" she asks as if I'm not about to rip her to shreds right here.

"What. The. Fuck. Do. You. Think. You're. Doing?" I ask again, enunciating every word as my fingers curl into fists at my sides. My chest is heaving with my heavy breaths, and my heart feels like it might explode at any second.

"Ummmm, sunbathing?" she replies as if the answer is obvious. Which, it is, but I'm too blinded by anger to see that.

"Get up," I command.

Her eyes narrow. "I will when I'm done," she says.

"Get up, or I'll throw you over my shoulder and carry you off this beach." My body feels like it's on fire as angry heat radiates from my skin. This is it. This is where I snap. And once I do, there's no going back. I give her another few seconds to reconsider going against my orders, but she just looks up at me, never breaking eye contact as she lifts to her elbows and drags her pink tongue across her top teeth. She's doubling down.

Big. Fucking. Mistake.

In one fluid motion, I lean down, grab her by the torso, and toss her over my shoulder as I stand to my full height. Breath whooshes from her lungs, and I can feel the metal of her piercings as they rub against me.

"You're fucking crazy, Riggs!" she shouts, kicking her feet. But her attempts are futile because my grip on her is so tight that she may actually have marks on her tomorrow. "Put me down!"

"Shut the fuck up," I grit out, looking around because I know we won't make it back to my condo before my control breaks. Spotting a row of empty outdoor shower stalls, I head straight for them, my rapid heartbeat mixing with her protests in my ears.

I step inside, close the door behind us, and turn the lock. There's a small space at the bottom where our feet would be visible to passersby, and the top is tall enough so they'd only be able to see part of my head. But they'd be able to hear everything .

I slide her down my body, and she brushes along my erection, her eyes widening in surprise as it grazes her thigh. "What the fuck, Riggs?" she yells. "You can't just pick me up and carry me off the beach like a goddamn caveman! You don't own me ." Her nostrils flair with every breath and her jaw is clenched tightly as she rebels.

I step into her, so that her tits are pressed against my bare skin. She looks up at me, pupils blown completely wide, and I watch her throat roll as she swallows thickly.

I've got her right where I want her.

"You see, Monroe. While you're here pretending to be my girlfriend, these," I say, reaching up and squeezing her tits in my large palms, "are mine." She gasps, but it quickly turns into a moan when I pinch the barbells, giving them a firm tug. Her knees buckle, and she tucks her lips tightly over her teeth in an effort to stop the involuntary sounds from escaping, but it's no use. I catch her, wrapping an arm around her waist for support as my free hand lowers down, releasing the tie on her bathing suit bottoms and letting them fall to the ground at our feet.

"And this," I say with my lips pressed to her ear as I ghost a fingertip over her pierced clit, "is mine."

"I hate you," she says on a shaky breath, but I can tell they're empty words.

I answer by stuffing two fingers inside her. She whimpers in response, and her inner muscles immediately suck me in further. "Your pussy is a drooling mess for me, Mayhem. It doesn't matter if you like me. She does."

Her body melts into me for a moment when I start pumping in and out, and it only takes a couple of thrusts before her arousal begins to drip down my palm. She lets herself enjoy it for a few more seconds before her fight returns, and she tries to pull away from me. She slips out of my grasp, so I reach out, spinning her roughly until her back is facing me. Pushing between her shoulder blades, I press her against the wall of the shower stall before sealing myself to her back.

"Mine," I growl, yanking my shorts down enough for my hard cock to spring free. I grab the base, dragging it up the cleft of her ass, and she widens her stance, giving herself to me.

I chuckle darkly. "What a needy little slut you are, Mayhem. You say you hate me, but you open right up when I pin you down. You wanted this, didn't you? You wanted me to lose control."

"What I want is for you to fuck off," she replies, not even trying to get away anymore.

"Nahhh," I chide, completely aware of the fact that she's full of shit. "I know your secret, Monroe," I whisper against her ear. "I know you haven't been properly fucked since that night. Guess what? Neither have I."

She gasps as I thrust inside her without warning. Her body struggles to adjust, and I'm doing everything I can to hold onto the very last thread of my self-control so I don't hurt her. "Tell me to stop at any time," I say quietly.

"Okay."

Jesus Christ. She needs this just as badly as I do.

I give her two long strokes before she goes rigid in front of me. "Condom," she rushes out, and holy fuck, I can't believe I forgot. "I'm on birth control, but are you—" she stops before finishing her question .

"My wallet is inside," I say through clenched teeth, trying to stay still inside her. "I'm clean. I've never fucked raw, and I haven't been with anyone since you agreed to come here. It's your call."

"I'm clean, but pull out just in case," she replies. That's all it takes for me to finally let go.

I grab a fistful of her silky hair, making her back arch as I fuck into her from behind. Her hands are against the wooden wall in front of us, her nails digging into it so hard that I'm worried they might break off. But my concern is fleeting as her pussy clenches down on me.

"You're not going to come already, are you?" I ask. She doesn't answer, so I land a tight slap to her clit, which makes her jolt forward. But she doesn't go far with the way I'm holding her head in place. "Answer me, Mayhem," I order. "Tell me you've missed this cock so much that you're about to slut yourself out and come all over it when we've barely even started."

"I'm not," she grits out, clearly fighting to prove me wrong as I continue thrusting. Anyone who walked by right now would be able to hear the way my pelvis is slapping against her full ass as I fuck her. I hope they do. I want the world to know she's mine.

I pull harder on her hair, arching her back even more as I brush my lips against her earlobe. "Liar," I say quietly, my hot breath ricocheting off her sweat-soaked skin. "I can make you go off right now and you know it."

She shakes her head rapidly in defiance. She thinks she can hold off. And maybe she can with other guys, but I know what she needs.

I growl before leaning in and sinking my teeth into the side of her neck. I bite down hard, feeling an intense euphoria shoot through me, starting at the base of my spine and spreading throughout my body.

This is how it's supposed to be .

Raw. Primal. Carnal.

It only takes another second before Monroe squeezes around me, her entire body shaking as she orgasms so loudly, that I'm sure it'll carry far beyond this beach. I fuck her through it, letting go of her hair and pulling out of her body as soon as I'm sure she's spent. Wrapping my hand around my steel cock, I stroke furiously as my vision goes white, shooting rope after rope of cum all over her ass. It goes on for what seems like forever, and I jerk myself until I have to stop from the overstimulation.

Her head hangs forward, pressed against the wall, her back heaving as she struggles to regulate her breathing. I gently wrap my hand around her throat and carefully tilt it enough so that the bite marks I left behind come into view. Leaning into her, I drag my tongue along them like an animal cleaning a wound, soothing the angry skin as she whimpers quietly.

"Are you okay?" I whisper, taking my time to inspect her neck and back for any signs of injury before turning her to me.

"Mhmmm," she hums, barely able to keep her eyes open. I lean forward, brushing my lips gently against hers and she sighs, melting into me as she returns the kiss.

"Let's clean you off," I say, doing my best to support her with one arm while turning the shower on with the other. The cool water hits our skin, feeling amazing as it starts to slowly warm. Using a travel bottle of shampoo that the beach keeps stocked in these things, I carefully wash her, watching as the evidence of our pleasure slides down her body and disappears into the drain. The sight makes me want to cover her with cum again. To make her smell like me so everyone knows who she belongs to.

Because whether she likes it or not, she's mine just as much as I'm hers.