unDefeated

  “So you’re okay with me walking down the aisle with another man?” she challenged.

  Rounding on her, Spencer’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Consider it a practice run, because the only man you’ll ever walk down an aisle with is me.”

  He looked and sounded so fierce in his resolve that Olivia’s heart performed a somersault. Did he just say he planned to marry her? The thought of Spencer dressed in a tux and slipping a ring onto her finger made the blood rush in her ears. It was dangerous to plan for such an uncertain future, but Olivia couldn’t help tossing around the prospect of being Olivia Bradley a few times in her head.

  “You really think he doesn’t want you to go?” she asked, returning to the problem at hand. It broke her heart to think that their friendship might be over. She could imagine how hurt and lonely she’d be without Ally in her life.

  “Yes,” Spencer said resolutely as he opened the door just in time to see the cab pull up. “Thank God,” he breathed. “Subject closed. Now lock up and get that fine ass in the car before we miss our flight.”

  ***

  Olivia didn’t broach the subject of him attending the wedding again, but Spencer knew she was just biding her time. The closer they got to the wedding, the thicker the air grew between them. No matter how much she fought him to go, it wouldn’t happen. He was standing firm on his decision.

  Did it upset him that Jamison hadn’t invited him? He’d be a liar if he denied it didn’t bite a little. But Spencer got it. Their friendship was damaged, probably beyond repair, and Jami didn’t want him around to throw another monkey-wrench into his life.

  He didn’t blame him for feeling that way. If their roles were reversed, Spencer would have cut him off a lot earlier.

  There were only so many hits a person could take before it became too much. Spencer had overstayed his welcome, simple as that.

  At least he’d been able to tag along. Alyson had booked a suite for Olivia and green-lighted his airline ticket. He’d be paying it all back as soon as he got a job. He didn’t like the idea of being indebted to anyone anymore, least of all to someone who had such a strong dislike for him. What would make Alyson change her mind like that? Apparently, she was the birdie who chirped in Liv’s ear about coming to the wedding. He didn’t think Jami knew what his soon-to-be wife was up to, but he wanted no part of it.

  While Liv walked down the aisle with some d-bag pretty boy who could probably bench press a car, Spencer intended to clear out the mini fridge and soak up a heavy dose of Telemundo until she returned. While the happy newlyweds were off enjoying their new life together, he planned to spend the rest of the weekend between his girl’s legs.

  When they stepped off the plane several hours later, the island heat slammed into them. Collecting their luggage, Spencer hailed a cab and they rode to the luxury hotel. Arriving to an enthusiastic greeting by a couple of beautiful, exotic looking women, it was like something out of the movies, which made Spencer smile from ear to ear. He’d never experienced anything like it in real life.

  Their room was even better. Not overly large, it held a queen-sized bed, decent sized television, and a small desk, but the real kicker was the view.

  Walking straight toward the open door, Spencer stepped out onto a charming patio surrounded by tropical foliage and looked out over the pristine beach.

  Crystal clear blue water lapped against the shoreline with quiet intensity. Closing his eyes, he inhaled the salty sea breeze and imagined what it was going to be like to fall asleep to the new sounds and smells.

  Heaven. Absolute heaven.

  Feeling Liv’s presence behind him, Spencer opened his eyes. His gaze landed on a strip of smooth, golden sand just beyond the water’s edge. “I’m going to make love to you right there,” he told her, his eyes never leaving the spot.

  Wrapping her arms around his waist, she pressed her cheek into the space between his shoulder blades. “Right now?” she chuckled.

  Far away from home, the sun was still high on the horizon. “Tonight,” he said, caressing the arms banded around his stomach. “I want to take you under the stars.”

  “What if someone sees us?”

  “I’d never let that happen,” he promised. Turning to face her, he cupped her head in his hands. “I want this weekend to be perfect. No worries, no regrets. Just you and me.”

  “Sounds like paradise.”

  She had no idea. Way out here, away from the city, away from jobs and doctors and responsibilities, they had the world at their fingertips. They could let it all fall away and pretend, for just a while, that they were a normal couple. Here, happiness never felt more within reach.

  Surging forward, Spencer captured her lips in a passionate kiss. Caught off guard, Liv gasped into his mouth, and as he licked at her tongue, he felt her body melt into his. Moaning, her arms rose up to clasp behind his head, and Spencer bent to scoop her up into his arms.

  With her legs securely wrapped around his hips, he carried her back into the room and in a matter of minutes they lost themselves in each other.

  ***

  “I have to go or I’ll be late.” Olivia hurried around the room, pulling her hair into a loose chignon as she stepped into a pair of golden gladiator heels that went perfectly with her white cotton sheath dress.

  Spencer had kept her in bed for far too long, teasing her body into enough orgasms to keep her legs feeling like rubber well after she’d crawled out of bed to shower and change.

  The rehearsal dinner was scheduled to start ten minutes ago, and she’d promised Ally she’d be there. Not only did she not want to disappoint her, but Olivia was massively stressed. She’d never been to a wedding before. She had no idea what to do! The whole reason for the rehearsal was to plan what was going to happen before it happened, and she needed the assurance. Her best friend deserved to have the perfect wedding, and Olivia would be damned if she’d be the one to ruin it by getting lost on her way down the aisle.

  Was that even possible?

  For her, probably. Her heart fluttered madly in her chest. Pinching a pair of large gold hoops onto her ears, Olivia whirled to a stop at the foot of the bed.

  “How do I look?”

  Lying back on a mound of pillows, Spencer’s blue eyes made a slow perusal down her form, taking long enough for her to form a complex.

  “Spence!”

  “Come here, I have something I need to show you.” He crooked his finger and the smile that slid across his face was absolutely devious.

  Backing away, Olivia shook her head in reprimand. “Oh, no. I’m not falling for that again.”

  “But, babe, I need you,” he groaned. “Just five minutes, then I promise you can go.”

  Laughing, she looped her purse over her shoulder and headed for the door. “Are you sure you don’t want to come?”

  “You know I do.”

  “That’s not what I meant!” He chuckled as she opened the door. “Do you want me to bring you anything back?”

  “Just you, naked and wet.”

  Pausing with her hand on the doorknob, Olivia ducked her head back inside and lowered her voice. “I already am.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Bring that dirty mouth back here and put it to work.”

  “Save that thought, babe. When I get back, you can do whatever you want with this mouth.”

  Closing the door, Olivia tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ears and, with a private smile, turned to leave. The elevator stood just across the hall. Her steps faltered when she noticed the man standing there.

  He was tall with wide shoulders and a thick frame. His long, dark hair was combed back and tied at the base of his neck, just brushing the collar of his navy blue button-down. Long arms laden with muscle pulled the fabric tight in places, leading down to strong forearms covered in stylized tattoos revealed by sleeves that had been rolled up to his elbows.

  It took less than five steps for her to reach his side, which made her wonder…had he heard her and Spencer?
>
  His hands were tucked into his front pants pockets, his head tilted back to watch the descending numbers over the door. She saw little indication that he had heard anything, or that he even noticed she was there until the doors parted open and he leveled striking green eyes on her.

  “After you.”

  The way he looked at her…she felt like Little Red Riding Hood standing in front of the Big Bad Wolf. Muttering a soft thank you, she stepped into the waiting car.

  His large body took up more space than Olivia was comfortable with as he stepped in with her, and as she watched the numbers climb, she secretly hoped he wouldn’t be riding all the way up with her. Damn Ally and her rooftop wedding. Why couldn’t she have it on the beach like a normal couple?

  “Are you in the wedding party?” The man’s deep voice ripped through the silence like a grenade, and Olivia clenched her clasped hands together to mask the way it made her jump.

  “Oh, um, yes. You?”

  “Yeah. I’m one of the groomsmen.”

  Her brows rose a little in surprise. Now that she took a closer look at him, he did kind of look like someone she might expect to see working out at Jami’s gym. Was he a fighter, too?

  “Oh? Are you escorting?”

  “Yeah.” Glancing down, he surveyed her. “Are you one of the bridesmaids?”

  “Best woman.”

  “Congratulations, Number One.”

  She smiled at the playful nickname. “Thanks.” How slow was this elevator? “Have you ever done one of these before?”

  “Stand up at a wedding? Never,” he admitted.

  “Me either. I’m kind of nervous.” She gave a self-deprecating laugh.

  “Why? You’re not the one pledging your life to the last person you’ll ever see naked.”

  No, she wasn’t, but she hoped to someday. “You don’t believe in marriage?”

  “I do if it’s with the right person. Jamison seems like he’s found his match.”

  “He has,” she said confidently. “Have you? Found your match?”

  The doors slid open at that moment, and he reached out to hold them while she passed through. When he stepped out beside her, she looked up into his green eyes and what she saw there was all too familiar. She’d seen the same look on every man she’d ever dated. Lust.

  With a sultry smile, he said, “I don’t know yet, but I’m looking forward to finding out.”

  TWENTY-THREE

  Spencer peeled his eyes open. It took him a minute to realize where he was. On an island in a hotel. Something bumped against the wall, followed by a hiss and muffled curse.

  Leaning over, Spencer flipped on the bedside lamp to find Liv leaning against the wall by the door. She had one shoe on and was bent over trying to unbuckle the other from around her ankle.

  “Ow, dammit, I broke a nail.”

  Tossing back the blankets, Spencer made his way over to her…and stepped right into a cloud of booze. “Have you been drinking?”

  Lifting her head, she smiled drunkenly. Her eyes were bloodshot and half her hair had fallen out of its bun. Even still, she was the most gorgeous woman he’d ever seen.

  “Spence!” Her voice was shrill and overly enthusiastic. Flinging her arms around his shoulders, she fell into him, knocking him off balance and taking them both to the floor.

  Grunting, Spencer rolled her beneath him and sat back on his haunches. “You’re drunk.” And drooling. And laughing hysterically. He shouldn’t find this side of her so attractive, but he loved how wild and carefree she was right now.

  It didn’t happen often enough. Usually, Liv was so bound up trying to maintain control of her life, she forgot to live it.

  Oh, she was good at pretending though. No one but him had ever seen the real her. It was an honor that she’d let him in, but it was also a burden because he knew the kind of pain she hid from the world. At this moment, it was special.

  For just a minute, she’d let go. Smiling along with her, Spencer helped divest her of her other shoe and got to work helping her out of her dress. Once she was naked, he led her to the bed and tucked her in. “Water?” he asked, grabbing one from the fridge for himself.

  “No. Come here.” Opening her arms, she beckoned to him.

  “You need to sleep.”

  “But I promised.” Her pretty pout reminded him of their conversation before she’d left the room earlier, and Spencer shook his head as he climbed into bed beside her and tucked her under his arm.

  “It can wait ‘til morning.”

  “Mmm, or right now,” she purred, slipping her hand under the blankets to cup him.

  It took everything he had, but Spencer managed to pry her fingers free. Holding her hand against his chest, he kissed her forehead and snuggled closer. “Sleep, baby. We’ll finish this in the morning when you can actually remember something.”

  Not a minute later, her heavy breathing indicated she had fallen asleep. With a satisfied sigh, Spencer was right behind her.

  ***

  “Oh, God.”

  Olivia grinned as she licked the underside of Spencer’s cock. Even barely awake, he was hot and heavy in her hand.

  She was keeping her promise. She was naked and wet and she was putting her mouth to good use. She’d questioned waking Spencer up like this, and then reminded herself that no time was a bad time for sex. He’d already been partly ready when she crawled beneath the blankets, and the sight of him made her throb with desire.

  Her mouth had wrapped around him before the thought had fully formed, and now she was enjoying the way the plump head filled her mouth as he continued to grow between her lips.

  “Damn, baby, don’t stop.” Hands finding her beneath the sheets, Spencer held her head in place and pushed his hips up to delve deeper into her mouth. Taking control of the situation, Olivia gripped his thighs as Spencer guided himself to completion.

  When he was through, he took her by the shoulders and dragged her from beneath the blankets, rolling her beneath him in one fluid move. His mouth formed a seal over hers, kissing her hard.

  “Spence,” she gasped, tearing her mouth away and moaning as he dropped wet kisses along her jaw and down to her neck. “I should brush my teeth.”

  The scruff on his cheeks scraped deliciously across her chest as he slowly made his way down her body. He’d heard her, but he wasn’t listening, too focused on what he was doing to care about anything else.

  When he planted himself between her legs, Olivia gave up the fight, which had been admittedly weak anyway, and gave herself over to the pleasure he was so eager to deliver.

  It was barely eight in the morning when they finally made it out of bed. After a brief shower together, they went down to the hotel dining area just in time to catch the in-house breakfast.

  It was a smorgasbord of food. Every kind of breakfast food imaginable was present, and Olivia’s eyes widened as she tried to take it all in. Taking a tray, she decided to start at one end and work her way down to the other.

  Spooning fresh citrus and other colorful fruits into a bowl, Olivia smiled when she caught Spencer’s amused smirk. “What?”

  “Hungry this morning?”

  She looked down at her tray, at the fruit, oatmeal, muffin, and side of pancakes, and shrugged unapologetically. “Guess I worked up an appetite.”

  Planting a kiss on her temple, Spencer reached past her for a jug of orange juice. “I’ll go grab us a table.” Pouring a mug of coffee and snagging a croissant, she followed.

  “What time does the wedding start?” Spencer asked when she joined him. His brows rose at her heavy tray, but he didn’t mention the additional items she’d added.

  Olivia was famished. She hadn’t eaten properly in weeks. Between the plane ride over and the bedroom aerobics, she’d burned a lot of calories. Since she enjoyed food, she planned to make the most of this trip and the free meals that were too yummy looking to pass up.

  It wasn’t every day a girl woke up to a ready-made feast.

&nbs
p; Picking up her fork, she dug into the fruit first. “Six sharp.”

  “So late?”

  “Ally wants to say her vows at sunset. Can you imagine the pictures? They’re going to be gorgeous.”

  He nodded. “If you’re in them, it’d be impossible for them not to be.”

  “You’re so sweet,” she breathed. “Remind me to reward you when we get back to the room.”

  Munching on a chocolate chip muffin, Spencer winked back at her. “Already at the top of my list.”

  Olivia was about to respond with a decidedly wicked thought when Spencer’s head lifted and his eyes narrowed. The change in his demeanor was impossible to miss. He wasn’t even attempting to be subtle. Whatever he was focused on over her shoulder had set him on edge.

  Turning to follow his line of sight, she noticed the problem right away: Ally and Jami had walked in. They were dressed in light cotton shorts and matching husband and wife t-shirts. Tucked protectively beneath Jami’s heavily muscled arm, Ally radiated happiness.

  Looking up, Ally caught Olivia’s eye and waved. Waving back, Olivia turned to Spencer and warned, “Be nice.” She knew by the look in Ally’s eye that she would be heading over after they gathered their breakfast.

  “I’m not looking to cause a scene,” Spencer promised.

  Olivia stirred her oatmeal, hoping like hell Ally decided not to join them, but when the chair beside her slid out moments later, she knew she wasn’t going to be so lucky.

  Holding Spencer’s gaze, she silently apologized for whatever came next. The table had four chairs, and Olivia and Spencer had chosen seats directly across from one another. That left Ally and Jami sitting in between them.

  “Good morning,” Ally said brightly as she dropped into the chair on her left. With lowered brows, Jami took the one to her right. He didn’t say anything as he began dumping syrup on a large stack of pancakes.

  Donning a cheerful mask, Olivia replied, “Morning. Are you two enjoying your pre-honeymoon so far?”

  “It’s heaven, isn’t it?” Ally sighed contentedly as she gazed up at her fiancé. His chocolate brown eyes shone with mischief as he chewed his food. “Jami’s taking me on a guided tour of the island after we’re done here, and then we’re going for a swim in the ocean before we have to split up. Do you two have any plans for the day?”