Fighter: A Bad Boy Romance (8 page)

“
O
kay what’s that one
?” I ask Josh.

“Acrocanthosaurus!” he shouts proudly, pressing his finger next to me against the picture of a dinosaur that looks like a raptor to me. We’re reading from one of his dinosaur books on the couch while Ella fiddles on her phone.

“And this one?” I say, covering up the name below the picture of some thing with a long ass neck.

“Magyarosaurus,” he exclaims. I move my hand.

“Yup,” I chuckle. “You got it. That’s twenty-two in a row. You’re pretty good at this, huh?”

“I like dinosaurs,” he says happily.

“I can tell,” I say. “What else do you like? I think you’ve got these down.”

“How about this one?” he says, handing me a book with a bright picture of stars on the front.

“Ah, a space fan too, huh?”

“That is the Andromeda galaxy,” he points. “It’s a spiral galaxy that is two and a half million light years away, two hundred and twenty light years across. It’s going to collide with the Milky Way galaxy in three point five billion years!”

“Wow,” I say, genuinely impressed by the kid. “That won’t be good. Hope I’m not around when that happens!”

My phone buzzes from my pocket.

“Hang on a sec, bud,” I say, pulling it out. It’s Barry. I answer.

“Sup, Barry?”

“Dude, where the hell are you?” he says. He sounds either upset or excited, I can’t tell which.

“Why, what’s up?” I ask.

“I’m with Moore. We need to talk to you, man. Where you at?”

“I’m at a … friends house.”

“Friend? What friend? We’re your only friends,” he chuckles.

“I got other friends, dick,” I say softly, trying not to let Josh hear.

“Uh huh,” he says knowingly. “He’s at a babe’s house,” he says to Moore. I can hear Moore laugh beside him.

“Okay, well where,” he continues. “We need to talk.”

“I can’t, man. I’m … babysitting.”

There’s a long pause, then Barry cracks up. “What!? Babysitting!?”

Moore joins in on the laughter.

“Man, this babe’s got you wrapped around her finger already, huh? Listen, just give us the address, we have to talk. Take five minutes.”

I sigh and turn my head to Josh. “You be all right for a few minutes here Josh if I go outside?”

He nods, “Yup!”

“All right. Maple street,” I tell him.

“We’re downtown,” Barry says. “Be there in less than five.”

“Hey, I’m going over to Jason’s house for a bit,” Ella says, coming out of her room with a sweatshirt on.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” I say, holding my arm out. “What are you talking about?”

“Jason,” she says like I’m stupid. “This guy I’m seeing. I’m going to his house for a bit.”

“Your mom didn’t say anything about Jason or going over to his house.”

“Well she probably just forgot to mention it. She’s forgetful.”

“Yeah. Right,” I say. She’s bullshitting, and it’s obvious, but she’s hoping I’m a pushover. Either that or she wants me to be the cool guy and be her partner in crime.

“No seriously—” She starts, but I cut her off.

“No, seriously, Ella. You’re full of shit,” I say. She looks taken aback at my language, but I don’t care. “I was a teenager once too, okay? Don’t try and pull one over on me or I’ll let your mom know you were a pain in the ass. Is that what you want?”

If looks could kill, I would be dead. Ella twists her lips in annoyance, looks at me like she wants to say something, then stamps her foot and storms back to her room. Her bedroom door slams so hard I’m surprised it doesn’t come off its hinges.

Less than five minutes later Barry texts me saying he’s outside.

“Be right back, buddy,” I tell Josh.

“Okay!” he says, happily reading from his astronomy book. How this kid is an expert on all this stuff is beyond me. I can barely remember phone numbers, let alone how far away a galaxy is or how big it is.

I tug open Jenny’s front door and step outside. Barry’s car is idling a block down the street. When he sees me, he shuts it off and he and Moore step outside.

“So this is it, huh? Where’s the babe?”

“Give it a rest,” I tell him. “So what’s so important?”

“We’re gonna hit a place, and we need your help.”

“Hit a place?” I say. “The fuck does that mean, hit a place. You killing somebody?”

“Robbing a place,” Moore chimes in, lighting a cigarette. “Pawn shop over in Stone Hill.”

“A pawn shop,” I say, wondering what the hell it is I’m hearing. “You two idiots want to rob a pawn shop? What do you want, some used laptops or something?”

“The place is a front,” Moore says, confidently blowing smoke. “Owned by some fake gangster from Boston.”

“And you know this how?” I ask skeptically.

“Come on, Ty,” Barry says with a laugh. “Don’t you know we know everything?”

This seems like a bit much even for these guys. Robbing a pawn shop? I mean, we’ve never exactly been on the loving side of the law, but everything about this is sounding like a bad idea. Fake gangster in Boston? What if that fake gangster turns out to be a real gangster and wants payback?

“This sounds like a bad idea, guys. How much money are we talking anyway?”

“Two hundred thousand,” Moore says, dropping the bomb. Is he serious? Split three ways that’s still not bad. That would cover my mother’s treatment and then some.

“Listen, guys,” I say. “I’ve got enough to deal with already. Nicky’s two seconds from killing my ass, and my mom’s sick—”

“Yeah, exactly,” Barry says, taking a step towards me. “Your mom
is
sick. Think about it. You do this job with us and you’ve got money out the ass. You can help her out.

I mean, he isn’t wrong. But still, I’m hesitant.

“So what’s your plan? You just go in guns blazing and ask for the cash?”

“Something like that,” Moore chuckles. “But with ski masks. Don’t need any positive identifications.”

Ski masks. This is starting to sound like something out of a mob movie or something. The problem with things like this, is that they always seem good until they don’t, and it’s when things go tits up that you find yourself in trouble.

“I’m gonna have to pass, guys,” I say. “But hey, that’s more for you, right?”

“Told you he’d pussy out,” Moore says to Barry. “Getting soft in his old age.”

Barry grins. They’re trying to goad me into it. “Yeah, I hear ya. I was holding out some hope though. Thought our boy was still there for us.”

“Guys, gimmie a fucking break,” I scoff. “You know I’m there for you—”

“Just not when we need you.”

“This isn’t me coming through for you in a pinch,” I growl. “This is you asking me to rob a fucking pawn shop owned by a potentially connected gangster!”

“He’s not connected,” Moore says, rolling his eyes. “Stop being such a pussy!”

“How many times have we come through for you?” Barry asks, raising his eyebrows. “That time you were in deep with Charlie? The tough guys from up North?”

Again, he’s got a point. You couldn’t ask for more loyal friends than Barry and Moore, and they have come through for me consistently time and time again. Of course, I never asked them to hold up a store either.

I look at Barry and realize that I owe them. I owe them both, and like it or not, I have to do this for them.

“Fine,” I say, sighing as I give in. “What’s the plan?”

They both smile at each other. Moore takes the last big drag from his cigarette and flicks it.

“We’re gonna go talk to Motorcycle Mike,” Barry says.

“Who the fuck is Motorcycle Mike?” I ask.

“Real crazy fucker,” Moore laughs.

“He’s the getaway driver,” Barry explains.

“Getaway driver,” I say, almost laughing. “
Motorcycle
Mike is the getaway driver? What are we doing, taking off on scooters?”

“He’s a hell of a driver too,” Barry says emphatically. “Got into BMX or some shit though and that’s where he got the name.”

“So now it’s a four way split?” This job is getting worse with every second.

“Nah,” Moore says with a smile. “We didn’t tell him what the job was. We’re giving him five grand, no questions asked. Guy’s crazy, I told you.”

“Okay,” I sigh, needing a moment to take this all in. I’ve just agreed to an armed robbery of a pawn shop owned by a potentially connected “fake gangster,” and being driven away by a getaway driver named Motorcycle Mike.

What could go wrong?

S
ixteen hundred dollars
.

I could just about jump up and down and scream as I count my money in the locker room. What a night!

Brian and Jeremy had been feeling generous when they showed up, and after they got a few drinks in them, that generosity went into overdrive. Brian had a lot to talk about, and I sat with him all night. Kristen danced for Jeremy and then spent the rest of the night curled up under his arm telling him how handsome he was.

This is great. Now I can pay for the rest of my car and have some money left over. I’ve been slowly saving up to move into a new place that’s more suitable for my kids. A lot of girls in this “profession” don’t manage their money well. Every big night means throwing a big party or blowing it all on a new television or designer purse or something. I learned pretty quick from them what
not
to do if you want to make any money.

I hear excited footsteps behind me and turn around to see Kristen practically skipping over.

“Can you
believe
it?!” she shouts, giggling like a school girl. “What a night! And it’s about to get better.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“I just came from the bar,” she explains. “And I met this guy … Josh and his friend Greg. They’re both lawyers from Portsmouth, obviously loaded, and are looking for two girls to go back to their hotel with them. I told them I knew a girl who would be down.”

“Who, me?” I say, astonished. “You mean me?”

“Yes I mean you! They’re offering two grand each!”

“To go back to their hotel with them?” I reply as more of a statement than a question. I already know where this is going, and I’m a bit confused as to why she’s telling me this. Going back to a guy’s hotel room, especially at this hour, means only one thing; they want sex. Kristen knows I don’t do that. It’s not the rarest thing for some of the girls here to do. A lot of them just see it as an extension of the job. They’re already putting their bodies on display, what’s taking it just a little farther for a lot more money?

But when I started here I promised myself that was a line I would never cross, and I’ve kept that promise to myself ever since. And Kristen knows this, which is why I’m so confused right now as to why she’s asking me this.

“Kristen,” I say softly. “Come on.”

“Look, I know what you say, okay? I do. But think about it. On top of what we made tonight? We’d be at almost four grand!”

“Kristen, I can’t,” I say. “You know my rules.”

She looks disappointed, but only for a moment. Then a semi-spiteful look comes over her face.

“All right, fine,” she snips. “That’s just more for me then.”

Before I can respond, she turns and walks quickly from the locker room.

W
hen I open
the door to my apartment, I’m nervous as hell. What if something went wrong? Ella would have called, and I have to believe Ty would have as well. But there’s always that mother’s worry in the back of my mind that I can’t get rid of. I take a deep breath, twist the doorknob and step inside.

The kitchen and living room are empty. The dogs come racing over and start licking the back of my hands. I look around. Ella’s probably in her room pretending to be asleep, but where is Josh? I always have to put him to bed. I set my purse down and head towards his room when the door opens and Ty steps out and shuts it carefully behind him.

“What,” I stammer. “Is he … asleep?”

“Fast asleep,” Ty says. “And boy did I learn a lot about galaxies and dinosaurs tonight. Just don’t quiz me, I don’t know if I can pronounce any of those names.”

I’m stunned. Josh never goes to sleep without me. I can’t believe he even made it through the night with Ty let alone went to sleep for him.

“Good kid,” he says, walking over to me. “Real smart. Smarter than I was at his age. Probably smarter than me now.”

He chuckles and stretches.

God, look at his arms
, I think. Seeing him, my dogs race over to him and start rubbing all over his legs and wagging their tails. He pats them both on the head like they’ve been his for years.

Is this the Twilight Zone?

None of this should be happening. First, Ty shouldn’t even be here. My rules dictate no men in the apartment. Second, the dogs should have ripped him apart when he stepped through the door. That’s their job! Third, Josh should have never even responded to him, let alone read his books with him and let him put him to bed.

I don’t know what to think. It’s such a relief, but I’m also so confused. My head is spinning, and my legs are starting to tingle.

“Okay, you two,” Ty says, giving the dogs a parting pat on the head. “Go lie down.”

And they do! They both head over to their beds and curl up. This is really ridiculous. What is going on?

“How was your night?” Ty says, taking a few steps towards me. “Show those titties off to everyone but me?”

And there he goes again, that cocky side of him coming out. But unlike the first time I met him, it doesn’t get to me as bad. I still want to pinch him hard on the arm though.

“See, that’s the secret to longevity,” I say as snarky as possible. “I don’t get my titties out. That’s not the kind of girl I am.”

“You’re a stripper,” he says bluntly.

“Yes, but I’m a smart stripper. I talk to men; I don’t just flash my body around for bucks. I don’t get my top off and I don’t fuck for money, so stop talking to me like I’m just a piece of meat!”

I stamp my foot on the ground like a little girl. Why did I just snap like that? It’s so unlike me. I pride myself on maintaining my composure. But there’s something about Ty that just gets under my skin.

“Well if you were a piece of meat,” Ty says, stepping even closer. “You’d be fillet mignon.”

He cracks a smile that completely kills me. I don’t know whether to laugh or melt. He’s laying it on thick, and he’s doing it on purpose. I look up at him. He’s so tall, and I can smell him again. I can feel the heat radiating off his body. My heart skips a beat.

“Did everything … go well?” I say, swallowing hard. My throat is dry.

“Ella tried telling me she was going to see some guy named Jason,” I reply. I can see by the look on Jenny’s face that I did the right thing by telling her no. “But I shut that down pretty quick. How about you? How’d your night go?”

“Good,” I say.

“Make out pretty good?”

“Yeah, it was great. Could have made more, but I’m not that kind of girl.”

“Not what kind of girl?” he asks me.

“The kind that goes back to men’s hotel rooms with them for money.”

A slight smile crosses Ty’s lips. When I realize I’m staring at them, I turn my head away, but I think he noticed.

Shit!

My kids are home for God’s sake. This is bad.

“Well that’s good,” Ty says with a smile. “I don’t like those kind of girls.”

“And I don’t like those kind of men,” I say softly. I can barely speak. Ty’s close enough that our bodies are almost touching. I feel so small in front of him. He looks like he could lift me with one arm. “I’ve made bad decisions with men, and I don’t want to make any more.”

“What kind of decisions?” he asks me. He reaches out and brushes a strand of hair from my face, and I almost faint. My heart is absolutely pounding. I can heart the beat in my ears.

“Falling for bad men,” I whisper.

“I’m a bad man,” he says, and I almost lose it as he slips his arm around me and presses me against him. “I think you like bad men.”

And he kisses me. My body shakes as his lips touch mine, and it feels like a warm wave rolls over me, starting at my mouth and coursing through my entire body down to my toes. His lips are soft, and I feel his other hand against the back of my head. His fingers grasp a handful of my hair and presses me against him harder. He slips his tongue in my mouth, kissing me eagerly.

I let out a soft moan. I can’t help it. I can’t help anything. Ty has total control over me I realize as he slides his hand up the back of my shirt. Anything he wants from me I am prepared to give. I wasn’t aware of the full power he had over me until this moment—until our lips met. Now I am his.

He lets go of my hair and slides his hand down to my ass. His grip tightens and he lifts me easily into the air. I let out a slight yelp of surprise, pulling my lips from his and staring into his eyes, our foreheads pressed together. My legs wrap around his waist. He’s so strong. His other hand slides under my leg and he turns and starts to carry me down the hall to my room.

The brief pause from our kiss reminds me that my kids are home. Josh is asleep. Ella is asleep in her room.

“Wait,” I manage to mutter as we pass both of their doors. “My kids …”

“We’ll be quiet,” he assures me, whispering into my ear. The feeling of his breath against my skin sends a shiver up my spine and I grab his face and pull his lips to mine, kissing him deeply. I hear my door click open as Ty pulls me inside.

The only light comes through the window from the streetlight outside. Before I know it, Ty has me on my back on my bed and is pulling my shirt up. When his lips touch my nipple, I almost explode.

“Oh, God,” I gasp, another moan escaping my mouth. With one hard pull, Ty has my shirt off and both hands gripping my breasts.

“Oh, yeah,” he says, burying his face in my chest, kissing and licking my nipples. He presses his body against me and brings his lips up my neck, kissing me higher and higher until our lips meet again. He grinds against me, and I can feel he’s hard against me.

He’s huge,
I think. I can feel it.
Of course he is
.

I hadn’t put much thought into it, but it just makes sense. Of course Ty is hung like a God. Sometimes you just know.

I can feel the wetness in my pants. My hands slide up, almost on their own, and tug on Ty’s shirt. He lifts himself up off me and pulls it up and over his head, giving me a look at his chiseled physique. I have to restrain myself from saying something stupid in admiration.

Ty’s hands grip my hips, and his fingers slip under the waistband of my shorts. My stomach spasms like I’m being tickled. I haven’t been touched here by a man in far too long.

“You okay?” he asks.

“Yes!” I reply instantly.

Ever so gently, Ty pulls my shorts down over my hips, but stops, just before I’m completely exposed. My breath is shallow, and my whole body is tensed up. I look into his eyes, which are filled with desire, and I want to scream at him to take me now. But I don’t. I can’t. And I almost lose it at what he does next.

Ty bends down and kisses me, right above the waistband of my shorts, right on my left hipbone. It’s like a shock hitting me, and my entire body writhes against the bed. His strong hands press me back down, and he moves his lips to my right hip and kisses again. I’m barely keeping it together.

He pulls my shorts down just a little more, kissing along the waist band until he’s close … so close. He looks up at me, and half smiles, relishing in teasing me. I’m begging him with my eyes, and he has to see it. Finally, when I feel like I can’t hold out any longer, he pulls my shorts down.

But only half way down my hips. He looks down between my legs, and before I can react, kisses me right on my pussy lips. I gasp and clamp a hand down over my mouth to muffle the moan that pushes its way out of me.

“What are you—” I manage to say, raising my torso up off the bed to look at him. He looks up at me, and just when I’m about to say try and speak again, extends his tongue and presses it against my clit.

“Oh, God!” I shout, falling back against the bed. I grab my pillow and smother my face with it, desperately trying to muffle the sounds of my pleasure. Ty’s tongue presses against me, and I cum.

It’s the most intense orgasm I’ve ever felt, and it washes over me like waves spreading up from my pussy to every extremity. My entire body feels hot, and if it weren’t for my pillow I would be moaning loud enough to wake the neighbors. His tongue flicks back and forth, driving me wild. I let go of the pillow and grab his head with both hands, pressing his tongue down even harder. He seems to love it, and slides his hands under my ass and grabs hard.

He groans, delighting in what he’s doing to me.

Just as I’m starting to come down, he yanks my shorts down in one swift movement, tosses them aside and slides his tongue inside of me.

“Fuck!” I say, pulling the pillow off my face and lifting myself onto my elbows to look down. It’s the best view of anything I’ve ever had. Ty’s eyes are looking up at me from between my legs as his tongue goes in and out. I’ve never had anyone do that to me before, and it feels so intimate. He’s inside me, but it’s his tongue.

“You taste amazing,” he says from between my legs. This is almost too much.

Ty looks at me, then sits up on his knees and pops the buttons on his jeans. He slides them down and I see the biggest cock I’ve ever seen, hard and at attention, aiming right at me.

“Wow,” I whisper. But I don’t have any time to take it in, because Ty leans forward, puts one hand on the back of my head, and slides it into my mouth. I can barely get my lips around it, and the sensation overwhelms me. I almost forgot how much I love doing this to a man. Ty moans as he presses his hard shaft deeper into my mouth.

It’s not going to fit inside me
, I think as I run my tongue over his swollen head. I taste his pre-cum dripping onto my tongue, and swallow eagerly. Ty’s hands reach down and grab both of my nipples. He pinches just hard enough to hurt, and it shocks me. My body twitches ever so slightly, and he smiles.

“Your tits are incredible,” he says, running his hands over them, grabbing them tightly as I suck his hard cock. I want more of him, and I press my head forward, trying to take as much of him into my mouth as I can. But I gag and can see there’s still at least three inches left to go. I’ve never seen such a monster in my life.

“That feels so good,” he whispers down at me, caressing my cheek with the back of his fingers. I try again, but the same thing happens.

God I want it
, I think.

As if he can read my mind, Ty pulls his cock from my mouth and slides out of his pants. I’m soaking wet and ready, and he grabs my legs with both hands and pulls them apart. I’m completely exposed. He settles down on his knees in front of me and lays his cock down against my pussy.