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  By the time they arrived back at their room, Rafe knew he should leave her at their bedroom door and take a walk, but instead, he gently pulled her into his arms and slowly removed her dress in the dim light seeping through the curtains of the living room.

  “Do you have any clue how ravishing you are, Ari? I’m a jealous man and I see the way you attract the attention of every male in a room. I also see that you don’t even notice. I could spend all night and day doing nothing but worshipping your body. ”

  He bent down and ran his lips along the delicate skin of her neck, delighted when a shiver ran through her.

  “I can’t think straight when you speak to me like that, Rafe,” she whispered as her head fell backward.

  “Then don’t think. Just let go. ” Rafe lifted her into his arms and carried her to their room where he made slow, sweet love to her until the early hours of morning. When pure exhaustion took over, he fell asleep with her body atop him.

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  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Lia woke up in Shane’s arms and couldn’t keep the smile from her face. They’d finally made love. The night out had done the trick, and she felt pretty proud of herself at seducing the incredibly suave Shane Grayson, even if it had taken help from her little sister and a very sexy burlesque show.

  “What are you smiling about?”

  Lia jumped as she tore her gaze from Shane’s magnificent chest and met his stunning dark chocolate eyes. She loved the gleam in them, the way they mesmerized her — turned her to liquid heat.

  “I seduced the lady-killer Shane Grayson, my body is exquisitely sore from a few rounds of earth-shattering sex, and I plan on repeating the night all day long,” she answered with a satisfied grin.

  The first sign of trouble came when the window shades came over his eyes. No. No. No. She absolutely wouldn’t allow him to retreat. The sex had been better than she’d imagined it possibly could be, and he wasn’t going to make up some lame excuse about her being Rafe’s little sister and about how wrong it was for them to have slept together. She would have to kill him.

  Lia glowered at him, letting him know she could read his thoughts, and that he’d better think twice if he were contemplating trying to sneak away from her. Never before had she been this bold with a man.

  Yes, Lia was self-confident. She took care of her body, working out five days a week, eating healthfully, and going to the spas. She bought nice clothes and took time with her hair and makeup. She wasn’t vain, but she knew she wasn’t the worst catch in the world. Yet when it came to Shane, her confidence sank to an all-time low.

  Her long-time unrequited love would be a blow to anybody’s ego. Growing up in a wealthy, loving family didn’t spare her from heartache.

  If Shane walked out on her, she’d never forgive him — not after the night they’d spent.

  “Lia…”

  “I swear, if you spout off again about this being wrong —”

  “Give me a minute here,” he insisted.

  She didn’t relax her glare, but waited in silence for him to continue. When he raised an eyebrow as if asking whether it was OK to continue speaking, she nodded her head the barest inch.

  “I’m not running. I just have to speak to Rafe about this. He’s my best friend, and I won’t sneak behind his back and sleep with his little sister. ”

  “No. ”

  “What do you mean, no? You can’t just tell me no,” Shane said with an outraged scowl.

  “I don’t want him to know. It’s none of his business. Plus, I like the thought of a secret affair — at least for a little while. We can sneak off to one of the spare rooms at my parents’ house during a family dinner, make love in the back of the car on the way to your office, meet for lunch and have only dessert,” Lia whispered as she bent down and began kissing his chest.

  Her hand reached down and she felt his obvious pleasure at her words. He was thick and hard and she couldn’t resist slipping the covers down and climbing on top of him.

  “We need to talk,” he gasped as she positioned herself over him and slowly sunk down on his staff. The groan at the end of his words effectively shut him up.

  “You fill me so full, Shane. I could ride you like this all day long,” she moaned as she lifted herself nearly free of him before pushing down against his hips, enjoying the sound of their bodies connecting.

  Shane gripped her h*ps and started thrusting up inside her, taking over their movements as pressure began building. One hand moved forward and he began rubbing her in just the right spot with the flat of his thumb, speeding up her heart, and bringing her to the brink of orgasm.

  Lia reached up and gripped her br**sts, squeezing her ni**les in her hands as he plunged quickly inside her while still rubbing her swollen pink pearl.

  It didn’t take long before she shattered around him, and only a few more thrusts and he joined her, draining them both. When she could breathe easily again, she lifted her head to look into his eyes, but refused to budge from lying on top of him.

  “See how good this can be? It’s just our secret,” she said, loving that she’d won in their little disagreement.

  “You can easily distract me, Lia, but eventually we’ll have to drag ourselves out of this bed, and the first chance I get, I’m talking to Rafe. ”

  It took a moment for Shane’s words to get past her euphoria to the rational part of her brain, but when they penetrated, her temper rose to the surface. She climbed off him and grabbed the sheet.

  What should she say next? He wasn’t listening to her. If Rafe got involved, it would make their relationship complicated, and she didn’t want that. She just wanted easy.

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  “This discussion was held and now it’s over. What man doesn’t want no-strings, no-holds-barred, repeatedly orgasmic sex?” she asked in disgust.

  “Lia, I plan on taking you over and over again. I plan on doing all sorts of very wonderful things to your body that I won’t tell Rafe about. But I won’t keep our relationship secret from my best friend. ”

  Shane sat up next to her, pulling the blanket up over his lap, thereby shielding her favorite part of him from view.

  “What is wrong with having a secret affair? No one has to know and no one has to get hurt. ”

  “That may be OK with strangers. It’s not OK to carry on an affair like that with a woman I've known for over ten years. ”

  “You’re an idiot, Shane. Fine! I don’t want to do this. ”

  Before she could get up, he had her flat on her back as he looked deep into her eyes and his hand slid down her body. Her traitorous ni**les instantly responded to his touch, contradicting what she’d just said.

  “You do want to do this — and we will. You chased me — now you’re stuck. We’ll continue this argument after I’ve spoken to Rafe,” he promised as his head descended and he latched onto a peaked nipple.

  Lia groaned as he ignited her once again. But before she could get lost in desire, she pushed him away and jumped from the bed, taking the sheet with her.

  “If you decide to pull your head out and keep this between the two of us, you can join me in the shower,” she offered before dropping the sheet and turning around. She put a little extra wiggle into her h*ps as an added incentive.

  When Shane didn’t join her after a few minutes, she glared at the door before angrily scrubbing her skin until it was red.

  “Stupid men and their ethics,” she grumbled before trying to thrust any and all thoughts of Shane from her head. She had more important things to do.

  She decided she’d gotten what she wanted out of Shane, and she was done with him anyway. If only her aching body hadn’t disagreed…

  *****

  Shane paced the hallway, taking deep breaths as he passed Rafe’s door for the tenth time. What was wrong with him? He didn’t run from a fight — he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind, and he c
ertainly wasn’t afraid to tell his best friend anything.

  He and Rafe had been through hell and back together. Rafe was the one who’d put him back together when the pieces of his life had completely fallen apart. It would all be fine, and later the two of them would have a good laugh over an exceptional bottle of single-malt scotch.

  Drawing in a deep breath, Shane stopped on his next pass and knocked on Rafe’s door. Standing there felt like an eternity as he waited for his friend to answer.

  “Shane, I thought we were meeting downstairs. I’m not ready,” Rafe said as he opened the door wider for Shane to walk through.

  “I need to talk to you privately. ”

  “Are the girls all right?”

  Rafe’s immediate concern reminded Shane why he had so much respect for him. Under his hardened exterior, Rafe was truly one of the good guys.

  “Yes, everything is fine. I just need to let you know what’s going on with Lia and me. ”

  As Rafe’s eyes narrowed, Shane knew he’d been too optimistic. This wasn’t going to be a pleasant conversation. He thought back to the limo ride and the way Rafe flipped out over Rachel’s teasing comments.

  “I thought nothing was going on between the two of you,” Rafe said as he made his way to his liquor cabinet and poured himself a shot. Shane noted that his friend wasn’t offering him anything, so he walked over and helped himself. He needed a bracer to get through this conversation.

  “Nothing was going on then, but…” Shane didn’t know how to finish that sentence. He certainly didn’t want to tell Rafe about last night.

  “I have the feeling I’m going to have to kick your ass. ”

  At Rafe’s words, Shane’s shoulders stiffened and he looked his friend boldly in the eye. Lia wasn’t a child anymore. She had a right to date whomever she wanted, and Shane had no reason to be feeling guilty.

  “I like your sister a lot, Rafe. We’ve decided to give a relationship a try. ”

  Rafe returned the stare. Refusing to back down even an inch, Shane held his gaze, and silently let his friend know he wasn’t going anywhere.

  “We both know you’re a screw-’em-and-leave-’em type, and one-night stands are your well-known M. O. Hell, Shane, a week with a woman is a major accomplishment for you. So if you don’t stay away from Lia, our friendship ends right now. ”

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  Fire shot through Shane’s blood at the assumption that he’d just back down. He loved Rafe, would take a bullet for the man, but right now he was fighting the urge to plant a solid right to his cheekbone.

  “It’s not that way with Lia,” he said, his voice dangerously low.

  “Bull! Like you can be any other way,” Rafe thundered.

  “Look who’s talking, Rafe. Where in the hell do you get off telling me I mistreat women? Do you even know how to respect one? You are so good to your family and friends, the few of them you allow in your life, but when it comes to women, it’s as if they’re no better than wild animals to you — you tame them for your sport, and move on. I’ve never belittled even one of the ladies I’ve been with, or treated them with indifference or contempt the way you do — and I never would. ”

  “I give the utmost respect to my mistresses. They are very comfortably taken care of and walk away with far more than they brought in to our relationship. I haven’t had any complaints. ”

  “You don’t give them the option to complain, because you make damn sure that you own them from the second they enter a relationship with you. I don’t even know why I’m calling it a relationship; it’s a business agreement, damn it. Lia cares about me, and I care about her. I didn’t come here to ask for your permission. I’m here because you’re my best friend and I won’t go sneaking behind your back. I have nothing to be ashamed of, and I won’t hide in the dark when it comes to Lia. I said care about her, and I meant it!”

  Shane turned to leave, fed up with talking. He’d known how it was going to go. When it came to his family, Rafe was completely unreasonable, but maybe, in time, he’d come to understand. Then again, Shane didn’t know how long this…thing with Lia would last — it wouldn’t be forever. So maybe he was making a mistake.

  “Wait!”

  Shane stood at the door with his hand on the knob. He knew he should go, but if there was a chance they could come to an understanding, maybe he wouldn’t lose his best friend. Slowly, he turned around, his protective shield firmly in place.

  “I’ll listen, Shane, but I’m telling you, I don’t like this at all. ”

  “I know that anything beyond your control is hard for you to handle. I can accept that, Rafe. I don’t want to give up what we’ve cultivated for the past fifteen years. ”

  “How did this happen?”

  “Hell, Rafe, you know Lia’s been pursuing me since the first time I stepped through your door. ”

  “She was a kid,” Rafe accused.

  “Like I was even looking twice at her back then!” Shane thundered. It pissed him off that he had to say that.

  “Sorry. I know. ”

  Shane accepted Rafe’s apology, then walked to the cabinet and poured himself another shot. They could turn this around.

  “You know about the time last year when Lia and I ended up at the hotel together. But I swear nothing happened then. Ever since, however, I’ve seen her in a new light. I’ve fought it like mad, but your sister doesn’t give up. This trip, I just stopped fighting it. ”

  Rafe let out a laugh, which astonished Shane enough to stop him mid-drink. Had his best friend finally gone off the deep end?

  “Yes, I know how persistent my sister can be. Hell, I’m impressed it took her this long to get what she wanted. ”

  Just like that, the tension evaporated and the two men sat down and discussed Lia for a few more minutes, then dropped the subject in favor of the upcoming UFC fight.

  Shane was both relieved and surprised to have come to an understanding, but now that he had Rafe on board, he had to convince Lia to let go of her anger. When he’d left her room, she’d been furious. A smile came to his face as he imagined all sorts of ways to put her in a better mood.

  Chapter Thirty

  Shane walked into the event center and was overwhelmed with pride. The stage was set and people buzzed about as they made last-minute preparations. This was the season finale of The Ultimate Fighter.

  It might have been a reality television show, but the kids who were in this competition had chosen to take the higher road in life — and he knew how hard that was.

  “Where’s your kid?”

  “He’ll be down shortly. I got him a room upstairs. ”

  “That’s a change for him,” Rafe said with a smile.

  “Don’t be a smart ass, Rafe. You know what he’s gone through. ”

  “I know. You’ve done a great job with him, and the other dozen kids you’ve helped. ”

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  “You’ve been right there with me helping these kids, too. ”

  “I’m not the one who got involved with this. You are, and we both know why,” Rafe said as he patted Shane on the shoulder.

  “Let’s not talk about that. Today is a day of celebration. Seth gets to see where he’ll be in a few years. ”

  “I still don’t get how his beating the crap out of somebody in a ring is any different than doing it on the street. ”

  “I can’t believe you’re saying that, Rafe. You love to box. ”

  “Yeah, boxing relieves stress for me, but these kids go beyond boxing. ”

  “If my kids fight on the streets, they’re out of the competitions. No exceptions — you know that. Giving them this control changes everything about how they act in life. They get an outlet for the frustrations their circumstances threw at them. ”

  “Hey, Shane. That room is out of this world!”

  “So you made it down here, Seth. Just in time t
o get to our seats. ” Shane turned around and gave Seth a hug.

  “Rafe, I wasn’t expecting you here. It’s good to see you, man. ” Seth gave Rafe a hug next.

  “It’s great to see you, too, kid. You’ve grown about a foot since the last time. ”

  “It’s only been a couple of months,” Seth said with a smile as he shifted on his feet.

  “Well, you’re seventeen now — and I hear you graduated from high school with honors. What college are you attending in the fall?”

  “I just want to keep fighting and focus on that, but Shane won’t let me unless I enroll. I’m starting at Stanford in the fall thanks to Shane’s connections,” he said with a sigh. Though he was pretending to protest, Seth didn’t seem unhappy about attending such a prestigious school.

  “It looks like Shane has your best interests at heart. You’ll enjoy school there. I hear a lot of great-looking women attend. ”

  “Nice! I can dig that! Hey, I can smell someone barbecuing and I’m so ready for a burger. Do you guys want anything?”

  “We’re good. Just meet us back down here when you’re done. ”

  Seth took off and Shane and Rafe sat down.

  Shane reflected on when he’d first met Seth. He’d been at the beach swimming one day in San Diego. He’d left his shirt on his cooler and when he got back it was gone along with the cooler and everything in it. Since Shane had suffered through a difficult few years of his own, he knew it was most likely a street kid who often stole from tourists.

  Normally, Shane would have just let it go, but it was one of his favorite shirts, so he took a stroll down the beach and was amazed to see a scrawny kid wearing his clothing. The kid wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that he’d stolen Shane’s things. To make the insult worse, the kid was sitting on Shane’s cooler drinking a bottle of Shane’s water.

  Shane approached the young man and calmly told him he wanted his shirt back. Seth had looked at Shane and denied knowing what he was talking about; the shirt was his. But then a policeman passing by asked whether there was a problem, and when Shane saw the panic in the kid’s eyes, he’d said no — everything was cool. Shane took Seth to dinner and didn’t let up on him until he learned the boy’s circumstances.