Committed (3 page)

Zoe smiled. “I still don’t think it’s a big deal,
but I knew you were going to be pissed.”

“It is a big deal, Zoe. Braxton has a reputation and
now everyone on campus is going to know we’re seeing each other and think the
same things you’ve been telling
me
all along. He’s a
player and he’s only using me.”

“Listen,
Emmi
, I know I
said all that about him, more than once, but I’m thinking maybe I was wrong.”

“Wrong about what?”
I
asked her.

“Braxton.
I was judging him on his past and that’s not
really fair
.
Since you two have been together
I
haven’t seen him
with another girl, or heard anything about him being with one. He seems happy,
maybe what he was searching for the whole time was you, and now that he has
you, he’s satisfied.”

“That’s nice of you to say, Zoe.
I
know you don’t like to admit when you’re wrong, so I feel blessed. But what you
think and what the rest of the school is going to think are really two
different things. They’re all going to think I’m just another one of his
whores.”

“Not if they see you together. Personally,
I
think you worry too much about what other people think,
but I doubt I can change that. So, you need to go out as a couple to a few
clubs or parties, or out to dinner. Let them see that he’s with you for more
than sex. Besides, whores sleep around. They couldn’t possibly say that about
you. ”

“Look who’s all of a sudden team Braxton,”
I
told her with a grin.

“No, I’m team
Emmi
.
I
always will be, and if he hurts you I will kill him. But I
suppose that even Casanova can grow up.”

**********

As usual, Zoe made
me
feel
better.
I
took the paper with me so I could show
Braxton and at least give him a heads up. Not that
I
really thought he would care, he was a lot less concerned by it than I was.
When
I
walked into the apartment I found him on the
couch surrounded by his books. He was actually reading one and it dawned on
me
that although I saw his books lying out all the time,
this was the first time I had actually seen him study.

He looked up at
me
and
smiled. God I loved what that
smile
did to my insides.
He closed the book and set it aside.

Patting the couch next to him he said, “You’re just
in time, I need a break.”

It was
my
turn to smile.
I
recognized the look on his face and I knew what kind of
break he was suggesting.

“I’m sorry, I just forgot my phone. I have a class
in half an hour.”

“That’s enough time.”

I
laughed. “Later, I promise,”
I
told him.

He tried to grab
me
as I
made my way past him to the kitchen to get my phone. He ended up missing so he
slapped
me
on the ass instead. When
I
got to the kitchen I was relieved to see that my phone was right where I left
it this morning next to the coffee pot. When
I
realized I didn’t have it I was afraid I had dropped it on my way to meet Zoe
earlier.

I
picked it up and started to head back to the living room when something on the
table caught my eye. It looked like some kind of legal document and it said,
“MMA” at the top of it.
I
couldn’t stop myself.
I
picked it up and started reading. They were offering
Braxton a contract for two years to fight exclusively for them. There was a
part that covered injuries and another part that talked about endorsements.
I
was speechless; Braxton assured me more than once that he
didn’t want to do this anymore after this big tournament was over.

I
carried it back into the living room with me.
I
had
all but forgotten about the pictures in the paper, and I didn’t care if he got
mad that I read his contract or not. When
I
came back
in he looked up at me, his smile fading as he saw what was in my hand.

“I thought you didn’t want to do this? You told
me
it was just temporary until you win this tournament and
then you’re done.
I
heard you tell your little sister
the same thing. Did you lie to us?”

“No, I didn’t lie,” he answered. “But, you know
something…if you want to talk about this, there’s something else we need to
talk about first.”

I
really didn’t know what he was talking about until I said, “What’s that?”

“It’s been almost two weeks since I told you I loved
you, and I do,
Emmi
, whether you believe it or not.
I
was willing to change my entire lifestyle for you because
I love you so much. I don’t expect you to say it back, but I also don’t think
it’s fair that you just refuse to talk about it.”

He was right,
I
was being
unfair. It was terrible that he put himself out there like that and
I
just blew him off as if he hadn’t said anything.
I
hated it when he was right, or at least when I had to
admit it.
I
dropped down into the chair across from
the couch because if I sat too close to him my powers of rational thought
usually bailed on me.

“Okay,”
I
finally said.
“Let’s talk about it.”

He grinned. “I’ve said my
piece,
I want to hear what you think about it now. How do you feel about me?”

I
took a deep breath.
I
didn’t know how to explain it.
I
started out with, “I really care about you.”

He snorted. “I’ve used that line myself.
More than once.
It’s a cop-out and you know it.”

“It’s not a line,”
I
said
defensively. “And it’s not a cop-out.
I
do really care
about you.
I
’m just scared, Braxton. I’m a big fat
chicken.”

“What are you afraid of?” he asked, sincerely trying
to understand,
I
thought.

“I was in love with my ex-boyfriend, or at least I
thought I was. When I found out he’d been telling me all along how much he
loved me while cheating on me the whole time, it was like being kicked in the
stomach and having the wind knocked out of you.
My
chest hurt so bad that I finally understood why people say their heart is
breaking. I just don’t ever want to go through that again.”

“I could sit here and say that I won’t ever put you
through that,
Emmi
, or that I won’t ever hurt you at
all. But the fact is that sometimes even when you have the best intentions you
end up hurting the people you love.
I
won’t cheat on
you. I can tell
you for certain.
You’re more than
enough for
me
, I’m completely satisfied, more so than
I’ve ever been. As far as getting your heart broken though,
I
have to say being in love is sometimes like being in a big fight. You get knocked
down
over and over
occasionally. You won’t ever win
though, if you don’t keep getting back up. Refusing to love again is like
refusing to get up off that floor in the octagon. If you don’t at least try,
you’ll lose in the end.”

A grin spread across
my
face.
“Wow, you’re like a philosopher.”

“Shut up,” he said playfully. “It’s the truth.
I
’m not going to stop loving you because you’re too stubborn
to realize that you love me too.
I
’m going to keep
hanging on and hope you realize it soon. You can’t ever quit,
Emmi
.”

It was a nice speech, but considering the contract
I
’d just found, I was slightly worried.

“Does that go for this fighting thing too? Are you
now thinking you don’t want to quit?”

“No,” he said. “That guy came to the gym.
I
think Sam set it up. He keeps telling
me
I’m too good to just stop.
I
’m of a different frame of
mind.
I
think stopping while you’re on top is a good
strategy. One lucky punch is all it would take to change
my
life forever and not for the better, especially with these professional
fighters.
I
don’t want to worry about that all the
time.
I
don’t want that to be my life. That cycle of
fight, heal, fight again gets old fast.”

“Braxton, this isn’t a threat or ultimatum or
anything.
I
respect that it’s your life and you have
to do what you think is best for you but, I can’t be with someone who does that
for a living.
I
cringe every time you’re in the cage
and you get hit.
My
stomach tenses up just at the
thought of it. I know for a fact, I couldn’t live like that all the time.”

“Then we agree,” he stated. “I’ve already decided
not to sign it. Mostly because
I
knew you and Callie
would kick my ass if I did, but also because I don’t want that to be my life. I
have bigger plans.”

“Good,”
I
said with a
smile.
I
stood up. “I better get to class. I’m going
to be late.” Braxton hopped up too and grabbed
me
from
behind.

“Since you’re already late anyways,” he whispered.
I
could feel his hot breath in my ear and I was like putty
in his hands once again.

Instead of insisting that
I
had to go I whispered back, “I really can’t stay long.”

It didn’t sound convincing, not even to
my
own ears. He was kissing
my
neck
and his hands were sliding slowly up my sides toward my breasts.
I
sighed and leaned back into him.
I
knew he had won already.

As he sucked on
my
neck his
hands continued their journey upwards and landed on my breasts, under my shirt
but on top of my bra. Even with the material between us
I
could feel the heat from his hands as he gripped and massaged them. He pulled
his head up from
my
neck and put his mouth next to my
ear. First he licked it and then he sucked on the lobe for a second before
whispering, “I don’t need long, I promise.”

The warm breath against
my
ear made me shudder. Reaching back
I
raked my fingers
through his hair and guided his lips back to my neck.
I
loved it when he sucked on and kissed my neck.

"Can I take that to mean we’re in
agreement?" he asked before delving back in.

I
nodded, unable to speak with one of his hands doing crazy things to my nipples
and the other one continuing its journey downward to rest just inside the top
of my jeans. He snaked his fingers down slowly, as far down as he could get
them into
my
tight jeans.

Putting his mouth back up to
my
ear he said, “If you’re still in a hurry, this will go quicker if you take
these off.”

I
wasn’t in a hurry anymore.
I
had already all but
forgotten about my class. Smiling and proving
I
had no
willpower at all where he was concerned I stripped off my clothes quickly. He
took his off at the same time. When we were both nude, he wrapped an arm around
my
waist and kissed me on the lips. We moved to his
bedroom and as we kissed he nudged
me
backwards with
his hips until I was pressed against the wall.

He leaned down and closed his lips over one of
my
nipples, tonguing the sensitive tip rapidly.
My
eyes closed and my head tilted back toward the wall as I
moaned.
I
heard him say something and I opened my
eyes. When
I
did I realized he was talking to my
breasts, telling them how sexy they were.
I
laughed
and leaned back again as he took the other one in his mouth and gave it the
same treatment as the first.

“Oh God,”
I
gasped as I dug
my fingers into his shoulders.
I
could feel his hard
erection pressing against me as he sucked my nipples and my pussy was getting
wetter by the second.

His hands reached down and grabbed hold of
my
ass and he said, “I bet you’re soaking wet for me, aren’t
you,
Emmi
?”

Damn
I
loved when he talked
that way to me.

I
didn’t trust myself to try and talk at that moment, so I nodded feebly. He didn’t
wait for
my
answer though. He decided to just check
for himself. He slipped a finger into
me
from behind
and expertly massaged my clit.