“Kace—”

“No.” I stood up, not even remembering why I’d come to see him in the first place. “Just stay the fuck out of it. Oh, and thanks for the heads up about Lyla. Looks like I’ll be looking for a new place to stay.”

“You’re not moving out,” Jett said sternly.

“You have no control over me. I can do whatever I damn well please, and if I want to move the fuck out, I will. I don’t work at the Lafayette Club anymore. I work for the community center, which requires my attention. It would do me some good to live closer so I can focus on the construction and plans to come.”

Blowing out a heavy breath, Jett shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. “If that’s what you really want to do….”

“Honestly, I don’t really want to fucking do anything. What I want to do is drink myself into oblivion. It would be so easy to just shoot one up my cranium, be done with this scorching pain that runs through my body every day, but that would be too easy, and I swore I would make my life a living hell. No, my true punishment is living every fucking day on this miserable earth, replaying what I did over and over in my head as a reminder that I’m a monster who deserves nothing more than to be tortured until my dying day.” I took a deep breath and turned toward the door. Before I left, I said over my shoulder, “I’ll be looking for a place as soon as possible. I’ll keep you informed of my search.”

“Thank you,” Jett said without another word. He knew when not to push me, and after my little drama queen rant, he knew the conversation was over.

With newfound purpose, I strode to my room to start looking for a new place on my computer. Maybe this was the little freedom, the little change in my life I needed. My days hiding behind Jett’s doors were over. It’d been long enough that no one would be able to tell I was the man who shamed New Orleans. It was time to try to separate myself from the man who’d covered for me and try to justify my existence.

Chapter Four

My past…

A soft hand brushed my chest just as the morning sun peeked through my curtains. My body was stiff, thanks to three rounds and a few choice punches to my ribs from my opponent, but I welcomed the pain and the toll it took on my muscles. It reminded me of another fight I’d won, of another goal I’d accomplished, of the path I was continuing down.

“Mmm…,” Lindsay moaned as her hand slowly made its way down my chest to my waist. She’d been a late-night pickup at a bar I frequented. She’d been trying to get in my pants for weeks now, and last night, I’d needed to blow some adrenaline and steam. She’d been in the right place at the right time.

She was fucking hot—I would give her that—and she had huge tits I’d had fun with last night, but she wouldn’t be a forever kind of girl for me, and I didn’t think she saw me as a relationship kind of guy, which I appreciated.

Her hand started to slip dangerously close to my cock, and I thought about stopping her, but the idea of a morning blow job appealed to me.

The light touches she was making along my torso, and the way her breasts pressed against my side, made the blood start to pool at the base of my cock. With the final reach, she grabbed a hold of my dick and rubbed it up and down, and that was all it took. I sank into the mattress and let her do her work.

“Good morning,” she whispered into my neck, kissing my skin.

“Morning,” I answered gruffly, unable to control the deep timbre of my voice.

“Were you already awake?” she asked as she propped her naked body up. Her breasts swayed with her movements. It was the little things in life.

“Just woke up,” I responded, putting my hands behind my head and preparing for what she had in store for me.

“Good,” she grinned and shifted her body down. I spread my legs so she could set herself up comfortably.

She gripped my thighs and lowered her breasts so her nipples grazed my cock. I was fully erect within seconds of her little maneuver.

She continued to slowly graze my dick with her nipples, her hair lightly brushing my thighs. It was a tangled mess but sexy, because I knew my hands were the reason she wasn’t beauty queen perfect this morning. Her makeup was slightly smeared under her eyes, something I could ignore given the fact that she was about to suck me off.

Not the best fuck I’d ever had given my detachment, but she was hella good, the perfect ease for the ache between my legs.

“You’re so big,” she complimented me, making me feel uncomfortable. What does a guy say to that? Thank you? I grew it myself? Instead of responding, I grinned like a self-righteous chump.

Satisfied with how big I was, she crouched and lifted my cock with her hands. She brought the tip to her mouth and in one big gulp, practically swallowed me whole.

I nearly flew off the bed from how deep she took me.

“Ah fuck,” I groaned as my eyes shut and I sank farther into the mattress.

She sucked me hard, licked me up and down, and juggled my balls with precision. My hand fell over my face as I let her take charge. It didn’t take long until my legs started to tingle, my gut started to bottom out, and my entire body coiled, ready to explode.

She tightened her grip on my cock, letting me know she was ready. Her tongue flattened on the underside of my cock, and then she sucked the very tip as she squeezed my balls, and that was it. I pounded into her mouth, and she took me. She took every last inch of me until I was done.

“Christ,” I shouted, my head flopping on the pillow. I glanced down at her, and there was a satisfied smile on her face. Fuck, I would be proud of myself too if I’d just made someone orgasm like that.

She crawled up my body and placed her hands on my chest and then rested her chin on her hands. She studied me as I tried to wash away the euphoric look on my face. I tried to act cool around women but after a blow job like that, it was hard not to smile.

My hands ran up her sides and then back down where I gripped her ass. Her pelvis thrust into mine, letting me know she was wet and wanted some attention as well.

“Best way to start your day is with an orgasm.” She smiled.

“You hinting at something?” I snaked my hand around her ass and spread her legs. I felt how wet she was already, which only turned me on again.

“Oh God, please,” she said, moaning.

I was never one to only take, so I flipped her on her back and hovered right above her. She spread her legs wide and ran a hand through her hair as if to say she was baffled about what I was about to do to her.

I trailed my fingers across her chest and around each nipple just as my phone started to ring. I looked over and saw that it was my agent calling. He could wait.

Her breathing picked up as I played with her nipples. I pinched them hard. I’d found out last night she enjoyed it a little rough, and I wasn’t opposed to making her wishes come true, especially when I found myself fucking her up against my bedroom wall.

“Kace, please don’t tease me,” she groaned as my phone rang again.

My agent. What the fuck did he want, and why was he calling me so damn early?

Once again ignoring the call, I trailed my hand down her stomach. Her hips thrust into the air, encouraging me to move down farther, but I was a man who liked to take his time, to worship a fine body when I had one in front of me, so I didn’t give in to her little demands.

I grazed her pubic bone, making a guttural groan pop out of her mouth, but I didn’t continue south. Instead, I ran my fingers back up her stomach and was about to suck her breasts when the phone rang again.

“Son of a bitch,” I spat as I gave her a sorrowful look and grabbed the cell off my nightstand. “This better be fucking good,” I said into the phone, skipping all pleasantries.