FIGHT Part 1 (11 page)

Chapter 24

Eddie

When she closes the door I let out the breath I had been holding. It’s a test to see how much she trusts me. I had never done anything like this with a girl before, I should be pissed that I let her see so much in my face with that last look but I’m not. I’m scared shitless, actually. Scared that I’m falling for her, harder than I thought. Scared that she would hurt me. Most of all, I’m scared that this means I am falling into a trap, that I am going to turn into him because I found someone I need like he thought he needed my mom at one point.

I don’t really have a plan, I just need her to know I have the upper hand right now. I need that control, and she seems incredibly willing to go with it after a little persuasion. My phone buzzes in my pocket after she shut the door and I walk away from the thin airplane door to answer it.

“Yea?” I snip.

“Mind telling me about the extra luggage you brought along?”

“Fuck no,” I growl, not wanting to talk feelings right now.

“He there with you?” His voice curious about the situation, but we aren’t having this conversation right now. Hell my dick already jumped back into its hiding place the minute it heard Tatum’s voice. Nothing like talking to another dude to kill the mood.

“SHE’S back in the bedroom, dude.” I kind of laugh and he notices the shake in my voice.  Tatum is the only friend that knows my reservations about women.

“SHE!?” he practically chokes out. I can’t help but laugh at how crazy it must sound.

“Yea, fuck-wad. So please excuse me while I hang up on your hairy ass and get back to her,” I growl at him and hang up the phone, turning it completely off for the rest of the flight.

Walking to the fridge I grab the whipped cream I had the stewardess add to it while we were in the hallway. When I asked her for the favor, along with not coming to this part of the plane for the rest of the flight, she gave me a look like she knew exactly what I was up to. I grin, remembering the flirty behavior she was giving me and how quickly it stopped after that.

I can’t stop thinking about Red in there, ready for me. God just thinking about her was making me hard again, I can’t fucking wait to explore her properly this time.

As quietly as I can, I open the door and step in the room and laugh to myself. There she is, stretched out on her stomach, one knee bent up and her hands under her head...passed out. I warned her not to fall asleep because I knew she was tired and I know how comfortable this bed is, but she didn’t make it ten minutes. She’s a fucking sight to be seen, laid out like this for me. I can’t wait to wake her up, and I know exactly how I am going to do it.

I sneak to the side of the bed and start squirting the whipped cream up her leg, up the curve of her ass. In her sleep she takes a deep breath, but there is no signs she is awake yet, so I lean down and start licking, slowly, up the sweet trail, made so much more delicious when mixed with her taste.

She stirs as soon as I make it to the back of her thigh, and by the time I make it to the top of her ass, she tries sitting up. I push her back down with one arm and hold her there, not willing to let this end before I am ready.

“You fell asleep,” I growl between licks.

“Mmmm..I did.” Still waking up her voice is damn near perfect.

“I could have left you sleep, but then this would have been a pretty boring flight,” I answer as I finish up licking her backside and roll her over. Her eyes, still adjusting to the light in the room, focus in on me and my heart jumps in my chest. Something is screaming at me to get out of there before it’s too late, but I don’t listen.

I take her hands and pull them above her head, pushing her breasts higher as she looks at me curiously. Taking my belt, I wrap it around her wrists and tie it to the bedpost, making sure it’s nice and tight before I let her go. She pulls at it, testing it, then gives me the most wicked grin.

“Well, well, well Tex. You seem pretty used to that maneuver.” She bites her lip and gives me a look like she is about to enjoy this more than me. I doubt it, but I will sure make her try.

“I dabble.” I smiled as I push the tip of the whipped cream container over her nipples and leave a pile on top of each breast. Taking the can, I squirt white, sugary cream in between her breasts, down her mid-section to her pelvis, stopping just short of the one part of her she wants me to touch the most. We still have well over an hour, possibly two. I am going to take my time with her.

She squirms when I start licking it off, but can’t move much due to her restraints. By the time all of the whipped cream is gone I’m about ready to explode and she is flushed and panting.

“How is it that you have done this to me, Red?” I whisper into her neck as my hands move lower, finding her core and pushing in. Jesus she’s so fucking ready I almost come right there.

“AH! Shit!” She arches her back when I curl my fingers up and find her spot, keeping a rhythm bound to set her off soon. That couldn’t happen, though. I still need to fully enjoy her. I pull my fingers out and hear her whimper.  I chuckle at the noise and look her in the eyes. She’s so god dammed beautiful here, tied up and ready for me. All fucking mine. And there goes that third rule.

I grab a condom and put it on with speed I didn’t even know I had. Moving over her I pause before pushing into her. I want to say it, tell her how much she means to me, but the words stick in my throat. Instead, I push in, willing myself to last as long as she can, but not thinking I’ll be able to.

Chapter 25

Gwynn

He is holding something back from me, I see it in his eyes as he hovers over me. Whatever it is, he doesn’t say it. His elbows are on either side me, his head is bowed, resting on my forehead. He slowly and blissfully enters me, stretching me and filling me completely. God, this man is so fucking perfect.

“Shiiiit,” he moans as he pulls out. “Fucking perfect,” he grunts. Never before have I been with someone so vocal, but god dammit I love it. He is slow and steady in his movements at first, but I need more.

“Fuck me, Eddie.” I whisper into his ear before biting onto his neck. He growls and sits up. Flipping me over to my stomach, arms twisted almost painfully, but not quite, I am laying ass up, ready for him. He plays with me, then slams into me harder than he had been before. I scream into the pillow from the sudden feeling of exquisite pleasure. His hands roam my ass, playing with an area of me I’ve never exposed to anyone but feel perfectly comfortable doing for him.

It doesn’t take long in that position until I’m screaming his name, not caring who else is on the plane with us. Momentarily forgetting completely that we were even on a plane. Seconds later he collapses on me, breathing heavy, cursing under his breath. Something comes out of his mouth that scares me and thrills me at the same time, but it is so mumbled that I could have very well been mistaken at his words. Choosing to ignore the proclamation I may or may not have heard, I start moving my hands to get life back to them. They are tingly, as were my toes, but I don’t know if that was from the mind blowing orgasm that he just delivered or the fact that they had been tightly tied and twisted for a while now. Eddie comes back to the bed after cleaning himself up and sees me trying to move life back into my fingers.

“Oh shit, babe.” He reaches up and undoes the belt from the bedframe and off of my wrists. Throwing it aside he rolls to my side, looking at me with so much love I’m pretty sure I didn’t misunderstand his words earlier.

“Hi” he smiles at me. “Sleep well?”

I laugh and slap his arm.

“No thanks to you.”

He laughs and wraps me in his arms.

We stay like that until the captain announces we will be landing soon. Then we fly off the bed to gather our clothes before having to be back in our seats, grinning like stupid teenagers the entire time. Even when we get back to our seats he can’t keep his hands off me and I love every minute of it. The stewardess that was so nice to me at the beginning of the flight has become cold to me, and I smile because I knew exactly why and I couldn’t care less. He’s mine bitch, back off.

After the plane lands and we are able to un-board our things, Eddie holds onto my hand the entire time as we walk through the gates and find his friend. I am more nervous than I thought I’d be, maybe it was because of his words still ringing in my ear, maybe it was because I was in a new city with practical strangers, but either way I’m not going to let it ruin my trip.

We approach a couple smiling broadly at Eddie, but I don’t miss the quizzical looks that were shot my way before we get to them. He never told me who we are meeting or what we are doing in Vegas. I don’t know this guy’s last name and I have no clue what he does for a living. All I know about him is that he has a past that he keeps hidden and a body like a god.

“Hey!” The redhead woman squeals and jumps to hug him tightly. The claws want to come out, but I see the look the other man is giving her and put them away for now.

“Hi?” He answers and throws a questioning look over to the man standing there with his hands now in his pockets, smiling fondly at the redhead. He returns the same exact gesture and glances at me. Something tells me these two aren’t used to there being females around when they go on work trips.

The woman finally lets go of Eddie and looks at me and smiles. She is pretty, with a lighter shade of red hair than mine. Mine is box color, but I’m pretty sure hers is natural. She reaches her hand out to shake mine but Eddie won’t let go of mine long enough for me to accept her hand.

“Chill, I’m not stealing her Eddie.” She laughs as he reluctantly lets go of my hand.

“Hi,” I say, hoping the smile on my face doesn’t look as fake as it felt. I am so confused at what was going on and suddenly regretting not asking more questions about this trip.

“Hi, I’m Molly. This is Tatum. You look insanely confused.” She laughs and hits Eddie in the chest. “You brought her along without telling her!”

“Telling her what!?” He exclaims as he rubs his chest where she hit him. At his exclamation, she turns to look at Tatum, still standing there smiling at her.

“That I would be here! We are getting married tomorrow, dummy!! What did you think this was!?” Again the squeal, wow she’s one happy person.

Eddie’s jaw tightens before he takes my hand again and pulls me back from them. He walks me a short distance then stops and turns me to him.

“I’m so fucking sorry, if I’d known that’s what this was I would have told you.” I laugh at his panicked apology. It’s fine with me, I don’t care. Weddings don’t scare me, I wonder why he thought they would.

“It’s okay. I may have to go shopping for a dress, though. And do you think we can talk them into an Elvis impersonator? I’ve always wanted to see that.” I smile and the tension leaves his shoulders as he laughs at my smartass remark.

I’ve never been a rule breaker, I wasn’t a chance taker. With Eddie I feel like I could do it all, though, and it doesn’t bother me at all. Bring on the Vegas chapels.

Chapter 26

Eddie

God dammit.

Of course he would do something like this. Just as I thought this was going to be a fun trip to Vegas, Savage goes and pulls something like this. I’m happy for them, but a fucking warning would have been great. At least then I could have given Red an option to join me as my date or not, now she was just stuck. Not that I minded. I keep replaying the plane ride in my mind and find myself having to distract myself a few times on the taxi ride to the hotel so it didn’t get too obvious that I was getting insanely fucking turned on. When she flipped over and presented me with her ass I about came right there. Jesus the things I could do to her.

I let my mind wander to the ropes back at my apartment. The ones I used with the girls that weren’t scared. The ones that were more...advanced. The black rope would look fucking perfect twisted around her tiny ass, her porcelain skin. Fuck I need to stop thinking about this. Tatum slaps me on the leg, bringing me out of my fantasy, and starts talking about his bachelor party night.

The girls are going out today, then said they would meet up with us for dinner and drinks later. Molly is not shy one bit with Red, and they seem to be hitting it off, talking all about the different dress shops they have to visit. I shake my head at her, so eager to make new friends.

When Tatum met Molly she was kind of a recluse, staying in her tiny town, keeping to herself and her close friends. Being with Tatum was really brought her out of her shell. I’m fucking happy for them, the two of them are perfect for each other. When he lost her he almost lost himself. I’d known him for years, but when he met Molly he went from being a party boy to a one girl type of man, and he was completely smitten with her. At first I thought it was weird seeing him with her, but now I know that it was meant to be. They fixed each other. The thought crosses my mind that maybe Red can fix me, make me the man I want to be rather than the one I’m bound to be. I laugh it off, though. This isn’t long term. I fucking choked on my words earlier when I moaned that I loved her, but damnit I do. She didn’t respond, which tells me she probably (and hopefully) didn’t hear it. It doesn’t mean I am going to spend the rest of my life with her. I can’t do that to a woman. Not with what I’m capable of becoming. Doesn’t make me feel any different about her, unfortunately. Also means it’s just going to be harder to walk away from her when the time comes.

Walking down to Tatum’s room I realize I left the TV on in our room so I turn around to shut it off before it gets left on the entire day. I don’t really know why I care, but I do. Old habits die hard, I guess.

“Don’t miss it! Happening tonight!” the announcer says as I walk into the room. I look at the screen to see two female faces put next to each other, each boasting fight scores, mean poses, and winning numbers.

I sit on the bed, trying to envision Red on that TV, and the thought hurt. It hurt even more the second I realized that I really can’t be with her. I can’t be with a fighter, what was I thinking? They are showing videos of previous fights of each of the fighters tonight. Each hit I watch brings me back to my house, before my mom was gone. Each snap of the head, each twist of the arm. My gut churns with the images running through my head. I try looking way from the TV, putting my head between my hands while sitting on the edge of the bed, I find myself in complete misery because I let myself break so many of my fucking rules. Rules that I lived by and loved before her, rules that I threw out the window when she walked into my life.

“Hey man, thought you were coming down.” I hear Tatum’s voice in the doorway.

“Sorry dude...got caught up. This shit...this shit’s just stupid,” I say, waving at the TV.

“Yea?” he walks over to the whiskey I left on the counter and pours himself two fingers. “Why’s that? They are doing something they enjoy, looks like they are good at it, too.” He shrugs off his jacket and sits on the chair facing the tv.

“Look at ‘em, dude. Fuckin bruises, blood. Why the hell...I just don’t get it.” I sigh, and stand up, pacing the room. Unable to figure out why my brain let me totally and completely fall for a chick that went against everything I believe in.

“Something tells me there’s more goin’ on up there than just what’s on TV. How are you the one freaking out...I’m the one who’s fucking getting married tomorrow!” He laughs and takes another sip.

I shake my head and laugh off my nervousness. He’s right, I shouldn’t be the one with the drama right now. He is the one who is eloping with his girlfriend without ever speaking to her parents about marrying her. He is screwed in that department, he just didn’t realize it yet. Tonight is his bachelor party in Vegas, of course it’s his night. I can deal with my bullshit when we get back to Texas.

We head down to the casino shortly after that. Tatum doesn’t want any strippers and I can’t blame him. He has the perfect girl, why piss her off with stupid, pricey, dirty Vegas strippers? After an hour at the blackjack table and still no winnings, we leave, hitting up a few bars. Tatum used to be such a partier, but he’s calmed down so much that it’s different hanging with him now. It’s easier, not as insane as it used to be.

“Dude, look!” He yells over the music, and points towards a curtain in the back of the bar with two bodyguards standing on both sides of the door, and people flowing through it in a single file line. “What the hell you think that is?” He’s curious in his drunken state, and a curious Tatum is never good.

“Nope...no. We are leaving.” I try pulling him out the door to go sleep off the alcohol. Molly will be pissed if he’s too hung over tomorrow. Instead of following me, though he hightails it to the curtain, flashes a wad of money to the guards, and slips behind it. “Son of a bitch,” I mutter as I go to find him.

“Hey...my buddy just went in there. I just need to go get him out, he needs to leave.” I try talking to them but they are about as stone faced as a Buckingham Palace guard. “Shit...listen. How much did he give you? I’ll double it when I get him out of there.” I raise my eyebrows and wait for a response. They exchange a look, and then the bigger of the two nod and open the curtain for me to pass by.

Walking in, I hear the cheers and saw the lights, but it takes me a minute before I realize where I am. A fucking fight, and Tatum is nowhere to be seen. I walk around, pushing through the crowds of people, and before I know it I’m right next to the ring. It is two women, both larger built, going at it in the cage, beating the shit out of each other and again I had a flashback to the time my dad beat my mom so bad we had to have our neighbor, who was also a doctor, come over to patch her up. The excuse was that she fell down the steps. I think our neighbor knew, but he just smiled sadly at me and my sister, did his job, and left us alone in that hellhole. His kids weren’t allowed to come over to play with us after that night.

People all around me are screaming and cheering. I hear the crunching of bones and grunting and cringe. This was what Red does for fun? I can’t believe it, I won’t let myself accept it. She can do so much better than this!

Pushing through the people, I finally see Tatum talking to someone, but I can’ tell who. Shit, I need to get him out of here before he makes a huge ass mistake. I walk over towards him and immediately notice that he’s talking to Molly, but Red is nowhere to be seen.

“Hey...what’s going on?” I ask, worrying that I can’t find Red in this crowd.

“Molly here was just informing me of your girl, Eddie. She’s a fighter? That why you were freaking out earlier?” He grins a knowing smile at me. Fuck. Even drunk, Savage is a brilliant man.

“Dude, where is she? You know I can’t be in here...this is just. DUMB!” I yell a little too loud and get some angry glares from the onlookers.

“I’m sorry Eddie...I didn’t know she was a fighter. We are in fucking Vegas...I couldn’t stop her!” Molly keeps rattling off excuses, but everything inside me shuts off when I hear the announcer announce the next fight.

“...and in this corner, from the state of Texas, Gwynnie the Great!” He bellows as she hops around in her corner, no trainer behind her like the other fighter. The clothes have to be borrowed since they hang off of her. She doesn’t even have a mouth guard in, no gloves, but she looks ready. Focused. I see red, and not in the good way.

“What. The Fuck. MOLLY!?” I turn on her, ready to rip her a new asshole, and Tatum steps between us.

“Dude, chill. Go grab a beer if this bothers you, don’t blame Molly.” Tatum knows I can’t watch this. He didn’t know how I felt about Red, but damnit he should have!

“I’m sorry, Eddie. They had a fighter drop out and she was so awe-struck by the lights and the crowds that she volunteered!” She whines behind Tatum. SHIT!

“You two were supposed to be fucking shopping for dresses!!” I yell and clench my fists by my side, feeling myself tensing as it gets closer to start time.

“We found them right away...and she wanted to check out the strip. It’s my bachelorette night so I thought it was a great idea before we met up with you boys.” She shrugs. This isn’t Molly’s fault, it’s mine. It is my fucking fault for falling for a fighter.

I hear the bell ding and can’t stop myself. It is like watching a terrible train wreck, you just can’t look away. I turn to see the fight start, both fighters ready to strike. The other girl get the first lick in and I cringe when she went for the area on Red’s stomach that was bruised just a few days ago. My Red doesn’t show pain, though, just anger that the other girl got first hit in.

The match doesn’t last long, fucking Red has this chick pinned in a matter of minutes and before I know it the crowd is cheering for ‘Gwynnie the Great’ and I’m so nervous I’m about to hurl.

She comes bounding down the steps, the most beautiful smile across her face, fans clapping her back as she makes her way to us.

“Fucking stupid, Red,” I mutter. At least I thought I did, but when Molly gasps behind me I realize I said it a lot louder than I thought.

Gwynn stops in her tracks and the look on her face broke.

“What?” she growls at me, pissed at my comment.

“Nothing...I’m outta here,” I say as I make my way to the outside door. I can’t pass the bouncers without Tatum, so I have to find a new way out.

Making it outside, I find myself in an alley behind the bar. Letting the door shut behind me, I lean against the wall trying to find my calm, but I can’t do it. How the hell did I fall in love with a fighter? How the hell did I fall in love period?

“DAMMIT!” I yell and pound the brick wall behind me.

“You know...you seem to have pent up anger at me for something...but I’m not sure why...” her voice echoes in the alley and I realize she must have followed me out.

“Go back in there Red...” I growl, not wanting to have this fight. Dammit, I should be with Tatum tonight, celebrating with my friend. Not pissed because I let myself break all of my fucking rules.

“Nope. You have a problem with me, I need to know why.” She demands. Got this girl is feisty.

“I just...” How am I going to explain to her why I have a problem wither fighting? That isn’t the type of conversation one typically has in a dark alley in Vegas.

Before I can get any words out, I hear a shuffling coming from behind us. Turning, I see a man walking towards us, smiling a very creepy smile at Red, and I immediately go on alert. She must be feeling the same way because her stance suddenly becomes more tense next to me.

“Hey you two.....not lookin’ for trouble...but dayum that girl fine...you pay for her?” His voice purrs as he moves closer to Red.

“Go inside Red,” I growl at her but she doesn’t budge, standing right next to me with her fists clenched and ready to strike. No fucking way she is fighting this dude...he’s three times her size!

“She ain’t goin nowhere....you take your hillbilly ass back inside....and we won’t have any problems here...” He moves to touch her but she steps back, ready to strike.

“There will be a fucking problem if you think I’m leaving her here for you to rape her,” I growl at him.

As soon as the words leave my mouth he turns like he’s going to strike out at me, and I swing. I’ve never fucking had the urge to hit anyone, but when it comes to protecting her I don’t think twice about it. Dude puts up a good fight, gets a few good hits in, but I’m more stable than him and had him down after a hit to the side of the face that sent him backwards into the wall.

I stand there, staring at the damage that I just caused to a stranger, suddenly afraid of myself. I am able to turn into him that easily? That fast?

“We need to go...” her voice is trembling by now, her hand grasping my arm. Her touch brings me out of my shock, and I take her in my arms, hugging as tightly as I can. What the hell just happened? I lost it, I broke the fucking code I set for myself so I DON’T turn into him! All for a fucking chick. I shake my head at that thought...she isn’t just a fucking chick and I know it. Damnit.

I take her hand and lead her to the street, heading back to the hotel room. I need to be with her tonight, I don’t know how much longer I have with her but she’s like a drug I can’t get enough of. I have to get enough, though. This thing can’t go on. She sends Molly a text that we are calling it a night, obviously shaken up by the recent events.

Back at the hotel room, we walk in and I pin her to the door the minute it closes, something I am getting all too used to doing with her. She kisses me with everything she has left in her, wrapping her body around mine as I carry her to the bed and lay her down.