Zane

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He’d trained hard, he’d fooled the staff at 21C. Zane Diggs was ready for his fight, and he was thrilled as hell that Valerie would be by his side to see it.

He’d put everything in place in his life. Now if he could just hold on and seal the deal.

It was late, one day before the fight, and she was there like he was at the 21C. They were alike in that way. Both of them worked their asses off. And lucky him, she liked to blow off steam the same way he did.

He sparred a bit with Knox. And then Coach Hawking came over to the two of them.

“You are babying that arm. Is that hook going to be ready?” Dammit. Zane wasn’t hiding it as well as he thought.

“It’ll be ready. I’m ready.” He and Knox mixed it up a few more minutes. Hawking watched them closely. He coached Zane, gave him some corrections, encouragements. The team of coaches and experts at 21C had analyzed his opponent, and they suggested his best strategy for Friday’s fight.

But with any strategy, what his trainers, what Knox, what everyone who ever watched his fights believed, was that he needed that hook to win.

“With that hook, you’re going to be fine even if you do get in trouble with Quinton Terry.”

Knox knew Zane was hiding his weak side, so he played along and helped Zane divert the trainer's attention to what was working for him.

“Alright Diggs, time to call it a day, it’s just as important to rest and get ready. No one can say you didn’t put in the hours here.” Coach Hawking said. He was right. The entire thing was a balance of food, training, focus, and sleep. Zane had done everything within his control to make this fight go his way. Except, of course, get treatment for whatever the fuck was wrong with his arm.

“Got it.” Knox came in close as Coach Hawking left the ring and turned his attention to other fighters in the gym.

“I’m worried about you,” Knox said to him.

“I’m fine.”

“That hook isn’t there. Can you make up for it?”

“It’s not the only thing, that’s what I’ve been working on. Making sure it’s not the only thing.”

“Okay. I just wish you would have told someone here, they know a lot more shit than we do.”

“Not until I win this first one.”

Knox shook his head. Zane knew Knox was worried and didn’t agree with what he was up to, but it was Zane’s life, his fight.

They hit the showers and headed back to their lockers. Zane’s was hanging open. Zane cursed himself for forgetting to lock his shit up. He was so focused on everything else, the small details of the rest of his life were beyond him right now.

“You’re lucky you don’t have shit to steal.”

“Yeah, soon I’ll keep my gold bars in there.” Knox was always looking out for him. Vinnie too, just in a way that Zane couldn’t afford to accept any more. It was important he didn’t have that safety valve connection to drugs in his life. He worried about how he and Vinnie would move forward as friends. But it was a worry for another day. Zane needed to see Valerie. After a long day, she was the best tonic.

“See you at home later,” Zane told Knox.

“Checking on your girl?”

“You know it.”

“Well don’t stay out too late, brother.” Knox was like a brother. He was there for every single moment.

He walked to Valerie’s office. The door was open and felt his heart speed up knowing she was in there.

When he knocked and walked in, he couldn’t have been more disappointed. Trent was there. That guy showed up at the weirdest times. Zane didn’t like the way he hovered over Valerie. They’d started on a bad foot, and it only got worse.

“Zane, hey. Trent was just leaving.” Zane wondered what they’d been talking about. He wondered a lot about Trent. He also saw that Valerie seemed to be getting the idea that Trent was bad news.

“Call me tomorrow,” Trent said to Valerie and grabbed her in a hug that was way too fucking tight.

Valerie stiffened. Zane wanted to punch this guy so bad. But he didn’t. Raging jealousy and temper were not a good look. Valerie outgrowing Trent was like Zane outgrowing Vinnie in a way. Zane stood his ground as Trent walked past him. The guy had a weird ass smile on his face. No matter, Zane was moving into Valerie’s life, and this guy was moving the fuck out.

Zane let go of the violence in his heart toward Trent and focused on Valerie. He wasn’t going to fuck up this relationship or his night because of wanting to dismantle that Trent asshole. Zane had big plans, and they did not include doing time for assault.

Valerie walked up to him and put her arms around him.

“I have a surprise for you.” She said and kissed him. Her sweet lips on his melted away the million things he was thinking. Her soft skin, the sweet smell, it was easy to forget the rest of the world with her in his arms.

“What’s that?” He kissed her as she tried to talk.

“Dinner, I’m making you dinner at my place.”

“Can you be naked during this dinner making process?”

“I wouldn’t want to injure myself. Dinner requires burners and stuff. That could be dangerous. Let’s maybe shoot for after dinner?” He nudged her chin with his lips. The idea of driving the ten minutes to her place seemed a lifetime when she was here right now in his arms.

“I wouldn’t want anything to mar that perfect skin, so that seems reasonable.”

“Zane Diggs. I consulted with the staff here and bought actual food that you’re supposed to eat. If we don’t get there, it will go to waste, and the entire MMA community will hate me for ruining your life.”

He cut her off with a kiss again, and she leaned back so he could get at that gorgeous spot on her neck, just under her earlobe. She sighed, and he did think maybe they wouldn’t make it to her place.

“Zane.” She straightened her spine and held him off. Valerie laid that sexy as hell smile on him, and he knew that he’d go wherever she led.

“Okay, your place. I’ll follow you over. Though it may kill me to wait the ten minutes to get you naked, but I have to admit I do want to see what you consider a good dinner.”

“Always so sure you’re going to get me naked.” Valerie stepped back again, and Zane respected her space. If one thing was clear from the short time they’d been together, it was that they couldn’t keep their hands off each other and that the only way to get out of this office and to her place was to physically separate. It was the damnedest thing, this pull she had on him. It was powerful, and he didn’t mind it one bit.

He followed her to her apartment at the manse and went up to her rooms without saying a word.

“It’s a perfect night for you to hang here, with me, Aunt Susan, Uncle Meyer, even Jan is out of town. No interruptions.” Valerie winked, and he wondered again how he’d make it through dinner.

It was easy being with her, the last year had been about holding tight to balance, walking a fine line between intensity in the gym and calm outside of it.

It was different with Valerie. With her, he could relax, and at the same time, she challenged him.

“Have a seat. I have worked with Knox and Coach Hawking, so I know exactly the protein, the starch, and the veggies you need to make 170 on the dot!”

“That’s impressive. No other girlfriend I’ve ever had or my family ever gave a damn about me making weight.”

“Well, I do. You’ve fed me lunch for weeks! I’m trying to get this exactly right since it’s a pre-fight night dinner.” Part of him wanted to forget dinner and kiss her breathless but only part. What most people didn’t understand about his sport was that athletes had to pair the ultimate in physical conditioning with food down to the ounce. He had to be 170 or less but not too much less or his opponent could outmuscle him.

Even his family used to ignore it, eat potato chips in front of him, bake cookies, whatever, not thinking that it was something Zane needed to tightly control.

“So, this cooking thing. I thought you were undomesticated.”

“I’m a mess. Jan came in and showed me, so I didn’t serve you shoe leather on a plate.”

“I’m sure it’s awesome.” He dug in, and it actually was awesome. It touched him how much she’d worked to make this just right. Even with her head in the construction plans and trying to keep up with her uncle’s projects she’d been thoughtful in the most amazing way.

“Well?”

“Best meal ever. You did great babe.” She smiled from ear to ear. It was gorgeous. He wondered what it would take to always keep her smiling. Would he be able to do that?

Most days Valerie explained this project detail or that construction dilemma from her whirlwind life as they unwound. After all, describing his training wasn’t exactly exciting. But today, she was the one asking questions and wanting to hear what was in store for the fight.

“So, what do we know about Quinton Terry? I read up. He can take a punch. Is this going to be a problem? How good’s your grappling?” Zane laughed.

“How’s my grappling? Two-time state champ here! What’s this? You’re an MMA expert now?” He was amazed.

“I just want to know. I want to support you. You’ve listened to me sweat it out over building inspection reports and late plumbing contractors and vandals on the job sites and well, everything. So. The punch?”

“He can take a punch. I’ve been working on loading up a complete arsenal of ass-kicking to bring Friday night.”

“Good. That’s good.” Zane explained some of his training techniques and Valerie listened with complete attention.

“What about the deal after? If you win. How does that work?”

“That’s your uncle all the way. Sam Bosque, my agent, will work with your uncle on improving this signing deal I have, then she handles expanding that to product endorsements. That’s where the money can get huge even before I have a belt. Being a popular contender could help me sign some decent deals.”

“And that that movie star Craddock Flynn better watch out.”

“Well, it is how he started, and he’s like the next Rock these days.”

“You’d be great on the big screen.”

“Yeah? We’ll get a chance to find out I hope!”

They talked, laughed, and shared their day. This moment, this night, it was better than all the nights that came before. Valerie was a woman Zane could see his whole life unfold with, his dreams, her dreams. It was all on the other side of tomorrow night. He could see it.

They did the dishes together, and when the last one was in the drying rack, Valerie took his hand and walked him into the pristine bedroom of her apartment.

“Pretty nice in here. You sure I’m not too rough for it?” He was used to a sleeping bag and rickety old mattresses until very recently.

“You’re just right for it.” He kissed her forehead, the tip of her nose, and her luscious mouth, oh that mouth. They sank into each other, swayed back and forth together, and he made quick work of taking off every stitch of her clothes.

Most of their times together were a frenzy. They were a race car careening nearly off the track, desperate to get to the finish line. Tonight, he took his time. Zane worshipped every inch of Valerie’s skin. He put the car in low gear and teased every sigh out of her, he watched as Valerie gave in to the way he could make her feel. He took his time memorizing every downy blonde hair on her skin.

Her breasts seemed almost as white as the sheets, his rough hands cupped them softly, but then his mouth found the rosebud nipples and pulled them hard into him.

She cried out, and the slow adoration between them heated up like someone had turned up the flame on a burner.

Valerie’s smooth legs were wrapped around him, and he felt her body fit to his like they were made for each other. Maybe they were.

He sank into her body. It fired all his senses, made him crazy, and calmed him at the same time.

They moved together. Her hips, his, her mouth, his tongue, all the parts of them were one. And then without planning or even a thought that he would say the words, he did it.

“I love you, Valerie.” She opened her eyes and looked deep into his.

“I love you too, Zane.” They held each other’s gaze, and he moved into her harder, and deeper than before. She opened to him, and they hit the peak of pleasure together, as one.

It was better than any drug he’d ever had or would.