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  DEVOURED

  THE MMA NEW ADULT ROMANCE SERIES

  By Alycia Taylor

  Copyright 2014. All rights reserved.

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  Consumed (The MMA Romance Series - Book #1)

  CHAPTER ONE

  EMMI

  I couldn’t sleep and trying to was making me more tired than the not sleeping was. I could hear Braxton out in the kitchen banging pots and pans around. In his defense I wasn’t sleeping before he started all of that, but it wasn’t helping. It was his fault that I had hardly slept in the past week.

  I watched in horror that night while his body was being used as a punching bag by his opponent in the octagon. Then I watched in awe and delight as he suddenly came from nowhere to pin his opponent down and win the match. After all the emotions of that battle I was ready to call it a night¸ but instead I had been shocked into some kind of zombie state by his kiss.

  What the hell was that about? We had been hanging out quite a bit for a couple of weeks before the fight, but I couldn’t recall a single time when I said or did anything that would make him think I would be okay with him kissing me, in front of hundreds of witnesses no less.

  Not that it was a bad kiss. As far as kisses go, it would probably have to be put in my top five list right up at the top… number one. That wasn’t the point though. I hadn’t asked for the kiss, and he hadn’t asked for my permission, and if he had I doubt I would have said yes. It wasn’t that I hadn’t considered kissing him, I had.

  The time that we’d been spending together was nice. He was not at all what I had him pegged for: a brainless jock. Other than being scared shitless of the rats and snakes at the zoo, he actually asked a lot of intelligent questions. I was impressed. But then he went and kissed me in front of a roomful of people, most of whom I didn’t know. Maybe it was because he had just gotten his head beaten in and he wasn’t thinking clearly. I didn’t know.

  Maybe I should ask him, but that would require talking to him which would require facing him, and I just hadn’t been able to bring myself to do that… yet. It’s been a week now and I do live with the guy.

  I had been avoiding him deftly. Okay, so sneaking in and out of the house and down the hall to go pee in the middle of the night is not exactly deft. But I had been able to avoid him for a week. The semester is not that long…..

  I knew that I’d have to talk to him, eventually. What do I say? Hey Braxton the kiss was nice but next time could you give me a little heads up first? I know most girls wouldn’t mind you kissing them in front of two hundred strangers, but I’m a little weird like that….. Jeez. I knew he was slamming those pots around out there because he knew I was in there lying in bed like a coward.

  Well, just keep slamming buddy, because I’m not coming out.

  My phone vibrated. It was probably Zoe… again. She said I should talk to him about it instead of hiding out. That’s easy for her to say. She just sits back and watches it all like it’s a soap opera or something. The Young and the Restless would definitely be a fitting title for this one. She’s the one who told me that he’s a playboy and he has had sex with most of the freshman and sophomore girls and was making his way through the juniors this year. She’s the one who told me that after he has sex with them, he “gets rid” of them. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out, if they all knew this, then why did they go ahead and have sex with him? Did they all think that they’d be the one to change him? Are girls really that dumb? Actually, if anyone was going to risk sleeping with him it probably should be me. I mean, it would be really hard for him to get rid of me. I’m on the lease now. He’d have to evict me and I doubt he would go through all of that trouble.

  I should just sleep with him to see what he does.

  Yeah right, I couldn’t even look him in the eye after he kissed me. I could just see myself hiding under the comforter for months after he had sex with me. Zoe would have to bring in food and water, and maybe even a porta-potty. I. Was. Ridiculous. I needed to get up and get ready for class. I was already late. That’s a good excuse if he tries to talk to me, I’m already late… Oh God… I’m a mess.

  ************

  BRAXTON

  Damn it! I burnt another waffle. It was the damn toaster. It’s like the black hole in there. Shit! It was fucking hot.

  Of course it’s hot. I’m a moron.

  I had just pulled it burnt to a crisp out of the toaster. What was the matter with me? First of all, I was talking to myself which wouldn’t be so bad, but I was answering myself and calling myself names too. I never called myself names. I liked me. What’s not to like? Last year I took second place in the National Underground Fights. That’s an accomplishment. I’m holding down a 3.7 GPA in the meantime. A butt load of money I’d won was sitting in the bank and all of the girls loved me. Well, most of the girls. There’s one who has been hiding in her room for the last week so she doesn’t have to see me. I knew she was in there right now, and I’d been making enough noise out here to wake the dead, so I knew she was awake. Who the hell hides for a week because of a kiss? Was a damn good kiss too, but maybe she didn’t think so.

  Damn it! Now my eggs were all ruffled. This was all her fault. I didn’t know what I was thinking, getting a female roommate. I should have known that she would be difficult just by the virtue of her sex. Her friend seemed impressed with the kiss; maybe I should have kissed her instead. I thought for sure that once she got a taste, she would give in. I haven’t had to work so hard to get a girl in bed since high school. They were usually lining up for me. Yet, here I stood with blue balls, waiting for the princess to come out of her lair and talk to me.

  Something was wrong with me.

  I should just go out and get laid.

  That would have to help my mood significantly. This girl was not only not giving it up; she was totally in the way of me getting any kind of relief. She somehow got into my head and made me think that she was the only one I wanted. I bet that’s what she was trying to do. Doubtful, since she wouldn’t even talk to me. Well, she was stuck with me for at least a year unless she wanted to break an expensive lease, so she’d have to talk to me sooner or later. I was not going to sit around waiting for her to give it up though. A man has needs, and there are plenty of girls out there that can satisfy them. It was just about proving something with this one.

  My breakfast looked like crap, and now the kitchen was a damn mess too. This was all her fault. I’m glad she won’t talk to me.

  Her door lock clicked open. Why did she lock it anyway? Did she think I was some kind of deviant with no boundaries? I sat with my chair pointing in the direction of the hallway as I heard her door creak open and then footsteps. There she was suddenly, framed in the doorway, looking as hot as ever with her backpack on her shoulder.

  “Hey Emmi. Want some breakfast?”

  Hopefully she didn’t because the stuff was not edible.

  “No thanks, I have to get to class. I’m already late.”

  She kept walking. I jumped up out of the chair as I heard her pull open the front door.

  “Emmi, wait!” I couldn’t believe I was chasing after a girl. Something kept compelling me to do it though. “Maybe when you’re done we can hang out and do something?”

  “Um, no I think I have plans today. I’ll see you later.”

  She marched out and slammed the door in my face. Technically I was still at the end of the hall, but I knew it meant she didn’t want to talk to me. She didn’t have plans. Her only plan was to wait and sneak in when I was gone or in my room. She thought I didn’t hear her padding down the hall in her socks to go to the bathroom at night. I could way lay her then. She should
think about that. I thought it was really polite of me not to.

  Why the hell can’t I stop her from clouding my brain?

  Shit.

  I can’t do this anymore. I have to get laid… tonight. Let her sneak in and see me with another chick and see how she would like that. I’ll call Jaslene and see if she’s up for a movie, and maybe more. It will be more, it’s Jaslene. She has been hot for me since I did her sister last year and still was. Lucky girl… it was finally her turn.

  CHAPTER TWO

  EMMI

  I stayed at the library as long as I could until they finally kicked me out. It was completely dark by the time I got home and I was relieved that I didn’t see his big red pickup in its space when I got there. He must have gone out… probably with a girl. I didn’t know why I cared. It was probably the embarrassment I would receive if the people that saw him kiss me somehow found out that he’s out with another girl and think that I had been dumped. Perhaps they thought I was just another one of his one night stands.

  I took advantage of him not being there and stocked up on things like string cheese and crackers in my room, in case I had to hide out in there again. Still being ridiculous, I know. I just wasn’t ready to talk to him yet. I took my snacks and several bottles of water with me and went to bunker down for the night. I didn’t need to be worried though; he didn’t come in until after two. By that time I conceivably could have been sleeping….even though I really wasn’t. I listened to the footsteps in the hall instead, counting to see if there were two or four.

  I finally fell asleep about two hours before the alarm went off. He was already gone when I got up; maybe I wasn’t the only one avoiding contact. I had classes all day, and I really did have a late one that night so I wouldn’t have to hide out at the library. The librarian and I were on a first name basis now. “Joan” thought I was a lovely, studious young girl. If she only knew.

  The morning passed quickly and I met Zoe for lunch.

  “So, have you talked to him yet?” she asked while we waited for our sandwiches.

  “Not yet,” I spoke softly.

  “How could you not talk to him? It’s been way over a week and you live in the same freaking house?”

  “We’re both just busy, I guess. We’re hardly home at the same time,” I told her lying.

  Zoe raised an eyebrow. She knew me too well and she wasn’t buying it.

  “What about when you are home at the same time?” I shrugged. “Are you still hiding in your room? Come on, Em. It was a kiss.”

  “The kiss of death,” I told her.

  I knew that was dramatic but it was how I was feeling.

  “You’re the one who filled me in on this guy’s reputation. I don’t want to be another one of his notches that everyone on campus is looking at and thinking, ‘Oh poor girl, he dumped her too’ Zoe.”

  The waitress sat our food down and Zoe grabbed a French fry.

  “They already think that. I heard he was at the movies with Jaslene Spencer last night. She’s so easy a guy just looks at her and her pants drop,” she explained, taking a bite.

  “So, you’re saying that he had sex with her?”

  I was hoping my voice didn’t sound as desperate as I felt when I said that.

  “I don’t know that. What I’m saying is that she’s easy and he went out with her. My point is that everyone already thinks he slept with you and moved on. You may as well sleep with him and at least have the experience you’re getting blamed for.”

  “That’s the most ridiculous reason for having sex that I’ve ever heard.”

  “And that’s your problem. You don’t need a reason to have sex. It’s just one of those things you do because it feels good. Especially with a guy like Braxton. I bet he’s really good at it.”

  “I still think you should be the one having sex with him,” I told her.

  “Maybe if Mike doesn’t work out…” she said with a grin.

  I threw a fry at her and she ate it. My friends were priceless.

  ************

  I didn’t get home until after eight that night. I got a little tickle in my belly when I saw his pick-up out front. I wasn’t sure if it was a good or a bad tickle. The door was unlocked so I pushed it open quietly, in case he was asleep. That was wishful thinking at eight o’clock I knew. I would probably just have to suck it up and talk to him. As I made my way down the hall I could see the light from the television. I stopped when I got to the living room doorway. I wish that I hadn’t. I wished that I had just kept going with my head down. Braxton was on the couch without a shirt and in a pair of jeans. Sitting between his legs and against his nude chest was a scantily clad blonde.

  He looked up and saw me and the bastard actually grinned. The girl was giving me a look that clearly said, “Go away,” and I swear she snuggled into him tighter.

  Don’t worry little slut, I don’t want your man.

  This must be Jaslene.

  “Really Braxton?” I grumbled.

  I thought I was only thinking it, until the words came out of my mouth. I kept flashing back to the kiss. He may have just been screwing with me, but he had made it feel so real. Now here he was right in my living room, pawing all over some big-boobed bottle blonde.

  “What’s wrong, Emmi?” he said, innocently.

  He was a really good actor because I knew that there wasn’t an innocent bone in that man’s body. His little girlfriend was smirking at me. I could hear the stories she’s going to tell already.

  “Nothing,” I said, finally. “Carry on the hell.”

  I stomped to my room and slammed the door. I threw my backpack down. I guess maybe it made a loud noise too when it hit the wall. Great, now they think I’m having a tantrum. I was, but I shouldn’t be advertising it. I threw myself down on the bed and lay there and wallowed. The funny thing was, I wasn’t even sure what the emotion was that I was wallowing in. I hoped that our walls were thick enough that I didn’t have to hear him rutting all over her later.

  BRAXTON

  I knew it was mean, but I couldn’t help and smile when I heard Emmi slam her door and throw stuff around in her room. I’d almost forgotten about Megan between my legs until she looked up at me.

  “Is there something going on with you and that girl?” Megan asked.

  “Maybe,” I told her. “Is that a problem for you?”

  Most of the girls around campus knew that I was only looking for a good time and that they weren’t the only ones in the picture.

  “No, but I just don’t want to be in the middle of something here. She seemed pretty pissed and I’m not the kind of person to get in a cat fight.”

  Good, that would give me a legitimate reason to get her out of here.

  “I understand,” I told her. “I should go talk to her. Maybe we can finish our date another time?”

  “Okay, sure.”

  She looked disappointed. I knew I wasn’t giving her the answers that she was looking for.

  “You’ll call me?” she asked.

  “Yeah, sure.”

  I doubted it, but I wasn’t a monster. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. I walked her to the door and she actually turned to me and puckered. I really didn’t want to kiss her. I gave her a peck and she left, looking like she wanted to cry.

  Maybe I am a monster… a little bit anyways.

  I trudged towards Emmi’s room. I could hear her moving around. I reached for the knob, but lost my nerve. Before I opened the door I decided to take a shower first and cool off. Then I would go talk to her. It was time we cleared the air.

  I showered and put on a clean pair of boxers. I started to pull on a shirt, but changed my mind. Maybe a little distraction while we talked would be a good thing. I went back over to her door and this time I knocked.

  “What?” she groaned.

  “Can I come in?” I asked, ever so politely.

  “For what?”

  Jeez, women were so difficult. I turned the knob and nudged it opened. She
hadn’t locked up like Fort Knox so I guess that was a good sign. Her room smelled good like she did, flowers and springtime.

  “I want to talk,” I said.

  She was stretched out on her bed with a pillow propped up behind her. She had on a pair of boy shorts and her long, tan legs were stretched out in front of her. She was reading something, but it was hard to register anything else in the room once I got a look at those legs. They were the stuff that runway models were made of.

  She set the book down and said, “Talk.”

  She didn’t offer me a seat, so I just took one at the end of her bed.

  Bouncing on it a little I spoke, “Wow, your bed’s comfy. I should have taken this one.”

  She didn’t think that was funny. Instead I got a seething glare.

  Finally I said, “Are you okay, Emmi?”

  She didn’t say anything for a long time. She wasn’t even looking at me. She was staring at the wall like she was deep in thought. I took the opportunity to get comfortable, and stretched out along the bottom of her bed.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Just getting comfortable,” I told her. “I was waiting for you to answer my question.”

  “Am I okay? I don’t know, Braxton. I’m confused, I guess.”

  “About what?”

  “You... You kissed me, Braxton. It wasn’t just a little peck either. It was a full-on passionate kiss,” she explained, slapping her palms on the bed.

  “I know, I was there. It was good, no?” I joked.

  She poked my rib with her foot and said, “No. I mean, it wasn’t that the kiss wasn’t good…” her face was turning red.

  “So what was it?” I asked, goading her on.

  “You kissed me without my consent in front of hundreds of people.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t get your consent,” I said, forming my hands into quotation marks. “Most girls don’t mind.”

  She inhaled deeply and sighed.

  “First of all, I’m not most girls, and second of all, what about that girl you were just all over on the couch?”

  “I don’t think she would have minded,” I said, knowing what she meant, but loving to watch her blush.