Page 89 of Meant for You

“Dane,” I said more forcefully.

His eyes finally shifted to me, locking on. He jolted.

I dropped to my knees in front of him, taking his face in my hands. “What are you doing?” I said. “Why are you letting him hit you?”

His gaze shuttered. “I hurt you. I scared you,” he rasped.

He was punishing himself. Oh God, he was doing this to punish himself. I shook my head. “No. I was angry, not hurt. And I wasn’t scared of you. I was scared you’d be taken away from me, that I’d lose you again. Don’t you understand? I can’t lose you again, Dane. I can’t. You don’t need to protect me from you as well. You don’t. Staying away from me, cutting me off will only break us both, will tear our hearts out all over again. That’s not happening. I won’t let it.”

He made an agonized sound, and his arms came around me suddenly, his gloved hands at my back, locking me against him. “I’m sorry, Eves. I’m so sorry.”

I lifted my head and pressed a gentle kiss to his split lip. “I’m not losing you again, do you hear me?” I cupped his face. “You’re going to finish this fight and you’re going to kick that fucker’s ass, then you’re coming home with me to the ranch.”

His eyes were so dark I barely recognized them, the intensity so strong I shivered, then he nodded, planted another kiss on me, and released me.

Grifter opened the ropes for me and helped me down. Then he was back with Dane, talking to him, putting in his mouthpiece.

The bell rang a moment later and the fighting started again.

This time when Dane moved to the center of the ring there was determination in his eyes. He jerked his head from side to side, shaking out his arms and shoulders like he was shaking off the fog he’d been in.

He went at his opponent then, and there was no holding back, no letting the other man get in a hit. Dane fought like a man possessed. A man fighting for something.

He was fighting for us, for me.

Grifter tugged me in for a quick hug. “Good work, babe.”

He looked relieved, but not as relieved as me. The fight didn’t last much longer, and with a powerful punch to the other man’s jaw, Dane knocked him down. He was out cold. The crowd went wild.

The ref had barely lifted Dane’s hand in the air before he was climbing out, coming straight for me.

I moved toward him, and as soon as my front hit his, his arms came around me, one sliding under my butt. He lifted me off the floor, carrying me from the room to the sound of the place erupting with more cheers.

I saw Grifter with Trix and Lila before we rounded the corner.

Dane strode down a concrete hall, kicked the door open to a room at the end, and slammed it shut behind us. “Lock it,” he bit out.

I did and he stood there watching me, gloves still on, bleeding, chest heaving.

“Dane…”

“You on the pill?”

I nodded.

“Never fucked anyone without a condom, but if you—”

“I want you.”

His nostrils flared. “Panties off,” he ordered.

I nodded, and with trembling fingers, need pounding through me, I shoved them down under my skirt and off. They were barely past my feet when he snatched me up and pressed me into the door, his gloved hands hooked under me.

“Shove down my shorts,” he said, voice so deep and rough I shivered again. “Need inside you, Everly. Fuck, I need it. I need you.”

I reached down between us, shoving down his shorts and underwear, took his hard, hot cock in my hand and positioned him. The head pressed against my opening, and there was no way he missed how wet I was for him.

He hissed and slammed up inside me, and I cried out, my head dropping back against the door.