Chapter 16
“You smell good,” I purr into Ryker’s neck.
His chest vibrates under my face. “Normally, showers do that.”
I pinch his side and immediately, he rolls on top of me, pressing his body against me. Every so often, depending on my movement, my ribs hurt. At times, they’re still tender and this makes me grimace.
He kisses my clavicle, pushing some of his weight off. “I’m sorry.”
“Every time I wince, you kiss.” I giggle and then pretend to wince.
“You realize all you have to do is tell me how badly you want my mouth on you,” he whispers, placing a kiss on my chest above my breast. “Just tell me how much you want my sexy body against yours.” He kisses the other side and then pushes his hard-on into me.
I stifle a moan. “Normally, I wouldn’t complain about seconds, but we’ve already cleaned up.”
He pushes up to look at me. “Nothing another shower can’t fix.”
He crushes my lips and palms my breast. His tongue plunges in deeply, forcing our kiss to be hard. I wrap my leg around his waist and pull him closer. Reaching down, he positions himself at my entrance, and slowly, so freaking slowly, sinks into me.
I rip my mouth from his, gripping his shoulder blades.
Easily, he drags himself out and pushes back in, his body vibrating for control. His thrusts pick up, rocking into me until he’s rooted. He grunts and then moves to sit back on his heels, holding my legs against his chest, my ankles by his face.
His hips gyrate, and then he draws out his full length before plunging back in. My body surges with heat as my muscles tighten. He moves my legs together, forcing them to one shoulder, lifts just a bit, and takes to my clit. He’s hitting every right nerve, sending my body over the edge.
I dig my nails into the tops of his knees and writhe involuntarily.
“So fucking sexy,” he hums.
“Ryker…” I try warning, but he knows.
He leans forward and pumps earnestly. I soar over the edge as pleasure tears through my body. Gripping the sheets, I push my head back into the mattress, arching my body as waves of thrilling satisfaction slam into my limbs.
“Fuck,” he hisses and begins pumping ravenously into his own release.
He moves my legs to straddle him, one on each side of his waist, and drops his head to my shoulder. His breaths are labored. My pulse is ricocheting in my chest.
“We need to shower again,” he chuckles after a few minutes of silence.
Ryker’s sweaty chest is against me, pressing his weight down on me. He’s got my back on the mat. I buck trying to push him off me, but it’s as pointless as trying to knock a skyscraper down with a shopping cart. I wiggle, but his legs tighten. As a last-ditch effort, I shove his shoulders, and with a chuckle, he springs up to his feet.
I keep my eyes on him while I scramble to stand and throw a punch. Of course, he moves…again, with a chuckle.
Ass.
His punches are lazy. I can see them coming but he only does it for me. And they have absolutely no power behind them.
I love being in the ring with him…his glorious body, his eyes smiling with amusement, twisted with desire. His dimples emerge as his lips quirk up with a sexy as hell smirk.
Unlike his punches, when he wants to execute something, he does it with so much speed that I don’t see it coming. He rushes me, swipes my legs out from under me, simultaneously wrapping my shoulders so I don’t fall hard to my back. Basically, he lays me down like I’m fragile and then shoves his knee in between my legs.
He rests on his elbow gazing at me in lazy adoration. I’m breathless as hell.
His tongue grazes my ear. “You have no idea how titillating you are inside my ring,” he croons and flexes his hips.
Heat explodes my core.
He places a kiss under my earlobe, trailing down my neck, and then feathers kisses along my jawline.
“One day I’m going to have you in the middle of this ring. Nothing but your glorious naked body on the edge of insanity. Instead of fans, it’ll be you screaming my name.” He rocks into me again.
“You’re insatiable,” I sigh.
“The feeling of you makes me gluttonous,” he whispers seductively. “Your moans. Your wet pussy clenching for me.”
Dammit. I blush.
Of course, the door opens and his eyes flare with anger. “Fuck.”
I’m scrambling to get him off me. Sexual public displays like this one are way out of my comfort zone.
He knows it and loves to torture me. He doesn’t move.
“Ryker,” I beg my warning.
A throaty chuckle rumbles out of him and he moves to his feet helping me up.
Carter’s dark hair sways as he steps to us, his grin knowing and wide. Even though he just turned twenty-one, he still doesn’t look a day over eighteen. He’s got a smooth baby face with dark brown eyes, high cheek bones and a plump bottom lip. He’s a college girl’s fantasy.
“What’s up, man?” Carter shakes Ryker’s hand. “Sorry I’m late. The boss kept me and then traffic.”
I can feel the hesitation rolling off Ryker. He’s been reluctant about this, despite the fact it’s a golden opportunity. He says there’s more stress on him than ever before. Being responsible for someone’s training, safe being, and health doesn’t sound appealing. Ultimately, if Carter accepts the offer, Ryker will carry the weight of two people on his shoulders.
Ryker tells him to follow us to the conference room. Carter’s demeanor has stiffened as he sits at the round table with Ryker across from him. I sit in the chair in the corner, defiant of Ryker’s wishes.
Carter looks around and wipes his palms on his jeans. Ryker is mentally nervous, his eyes bearing a darker shade of blue.
“I’m going to cut to the chase,” he starts. “They ripped my fucking professional shot from me. The fuckers took away my chance to fight in the MMAP. But in a vain attempt to try and change their minds, they offered something entirely different instead. I’m allowed to coach and train. You interested in fighting?”
Carter’s eyes burst wide. “Man, look at me. I’m nowhere built like you.”
“There are different weight classes.”
“I know, but…” he trails off.
“Right now, you’re a welterweight, but after strict dieting and muscle gain, I’ll have you a middleweight.”
Carter doesn’t respond, trying to take it all in.
“If you keep your head in the game, take training seriously, you can be just as good as me. If you take this offer, you can find your own manager, or I can be your manager and coach.”
Carter rakes his hands down his face. “I can’t afford this. Don’t I have to pay you? I can’t. You know this.”
Ryker and I already discussed this. “The association pays you and I get a cut off the top. Your payment to me will be dedication and winning those fucking fights.”
“Will this cut into my jobs? I’m sure I’m going to be exhausted. Man, I have to have my paychecks. I can barely make ends meet.”
This too, we discussed. Ryker glances to me before shifting back to Carter. “After training, you stay here and do your job here, I’ll match your weekly paychecks from the other place…including mine.”
Carter’s head jerks back. “You’re paying me to train me? That doesn’t seem fair to you.”
“We’ve tossed punches around before. You’re good. You’ll be better with the right training. You can be up to fit in no time. It boils down to whether or not you’re willing to endure everything that comes along with this shit. It’s strict discipline. Brutal at times. You’ll push yourself to a level I’m sure you’ve never experienced. The choice is yours. Think about it for a few days.” Ryker raps his knuckles on the table and stands to exit.
Carter leaps to his feet. “There’s nothing to think about. The best fighter to ever exist in the MMAT wants me. Has the faith and confidence in me.” He shakes his head. “There’s no fucking thinking, dude. I’m not passing up this opportunity.”
Ryker’s expression is serious. “I’m not going to be easy. I’m an asshole. I expect you to be just as dedicated as I am. You’ll have to separate our friendship from the business aspect. You’ll encounter pain, watch your own blood spill, puke daily, and when your time comes, your goal will be to knock your opponent the fuck out. Most of your time will be with me. And you’ll gain a self-discipline that will not only depress you, it’ll test you. You want cake, but you can’t eat it. You’ll want to drink a beer, but if you do, you know you’ll have to work it off later. You want to take your girl out, but you have to wait until we’re done for the day. Your body will ache in places you didn’t know existed. Your whole thinking process will slowly switch to revolve around fighting. Mind, body, heart, and soul.”
Carter nods. “I understand.”
“I need you to think hard about it. I can’t waste time. In six months, you can’t decide it isn’t for you and quit. I only have a year.”
Carter grins. “Where do I sign?”
Ryker smirks pleased. “I’ll have it all written up by tomorrow. But we start right now, okay?”
“Alright,” Carter says, nodding slowly.
“Your first task is working on your faith in yourself. You’re going to change a lot of your ways on your own. It comes with the training, but you have to summon confidence. I don’t give a fuck if you’re scared out of your fucking mind. None of it is to show on the outside. Eyes, body, and expressions are to all remain unreadable, stoic. Say the things you want, but calculate your words. No brash decisions. Lesson one—confidence.” Ryker tips his chin.
Carter swallows hard and then pulls his shoulders back and narrows his eyes. “Fuck you, Ryker.”
Ryker’s brows hike high and he clenches his teeth. My breath is caught in my throat.
Carter shifts slightly. “You had Levi’s fight. You were winning it. He was gassed out and you had to go and fuck it up. I was so pissed at you. I swore if I ever saw you in person, I’d say ‘fuck you’ to your face. So…fuck you.”
Ryker’s lips tug up at the corners. “No one can be more disappointed and upset about that than me. Trust me.” He tips his chin again. “Be here tomorrow at six thirty in the morning. We’ll go over the contract and start training. For tonight, go fuck, eat, and drink whatever the hell you want. It’ll all disappear tomorrow.”
We step out of the office and Ryker clutches my hand. “You’re coming with me. I just remembered something.”
Mischief twirls in his blues as he drives the opposite direction of our home. He refuses to tell me where he’s taking me, just simply stating somewhere. After a forty-five-minute ride in silence, he pulls his truck down a dirt road leading into thick woods. A few moments on this dirt road, another appears and he turns on it. Rock crunches under his tires until he parks in a small gravel area.
He grabs my hand with a smirk and leads me down a short trail. Tall brush covers the path just large enough for one person. He pushes the thorn vines out of my way but continues forward. The area becomes thicker. The path disappears under a walkway of leaves and sticks.
He pulls himself up and onto a rock and grips both my hands to help me up. When I find my footing and am able to look around, I gasp at the sight before me.
Calm waters of a large pond hold the reflection of tall trees and the sun’s orange burn on its decent. Clouds seem to float across the surface. Ripples appear here and there littering the water with tranquil circles. Off in the distance are the lights of the city, illuminating the sky and causing a slow burning glow.
“It’s beautiful,” I say.
He moves behind me and wraps his arms around my shoulders.
“How’d you…”
“When I was in high school. I needed a place to get away. I was hiking one day and somehow stumbled into the place. It’s been a long time since I’ve been here.”
Pink dusts the sky.
He turns me to face him. “Whit, this next year is going to be chaotic and grueling. Promise me if it becomes too overwhelming, you’ll tell me.”
I kiss his chin. “I promise.”
“I’m going to be an asshole.” He blinks, shaking his head. “I’m being presented with challenges I’ve never had to deal with.”
“You’re going to do great, Ryker. Besides, you can’t be too much of an asshole to me.”
The corner of his lips pull up. “Oh yeah? What makes you so sure?”
Back when I fell head over heels for him, I tried hiding it. It was all so sudden, but he told me my eyes were what gave it away. When he told me that…the way he was looking at me…he’s looking at me right now the very same way.
“Your eyes,” I say. “Angry, stressed, happy, or whatever, you look at me the same way you did when you told me you loved me. Even when you’re frustrated at me, your eyes hold the opposite emotion.”
He threads his hand through my hair, pulling my face to his. His eyes flit between mine and then he kisses me. It starts softly, but quickly becomes more intense and passionate. I drag my hands over his shoulders and up into his hair. He groans a sexy grumble and pulls my body closer to his by my waist.
He cups my breast over my shirt, and my body weakens into his. Our tongues sweep across one another’s, our breaths deep. He slides his hand under my pants and grabs my bare ass, pulling me into his hard-on.
Instinctively, I wrap a leg around his hip, grip the hair on top of his head and deepen our kiss. My body becomes more frantic to feel every inch of him, inside and out. He growls, ripping his mouth from mine, and laps my neck.
I drop my head back and sigh. “We have to stop.”
“Not until I’m done,” he rasps, dipping his hand into the front of my pants and running a finger along my folds. “Your pussy tells me not to stop.”
“That always wants you,” I say with a shy giggle.
I grab his hand when he begins to lower my pants. His eyes are wild and stern. “It’s just us, Whit.”
I challenge his stare for a pregnant second and as I do, he circles my clit. “You’re insatiable.”
His eyes glimmer. “That’s twice you’ve told me that today, the first time leaving me with a solid hard-on in front of another man.”
I laugh and then it’s ripped from my face as he shoves a finger into me. I gasp and allow my body to talk me right into this. He moves my pants, helping me step out of them before ridding himself of his gym shorts and shrugging out of his shirt.
He yanks my shirt off and here I am—standing in the buff, in nature, exposed and vulnerable. I’m terrified but so freaking turned on. He leans against a boulder and lifts me by my ass. My legs wrap around him and I help, moving him to my entrance. He wastes no time, pulling me down and sinking into me. I suck a sharp breath. This angle…he fills and stretches me. The friction arouses me to a new degree.
I tighten my grip on his shoulders as he lifts and pulls me. My breasts bounce in his face. His eyes are dark, heated, and full of a carnal desire. He bucks. I bounce.
“Fuck, Whit,” he says huskily. “You’re so motherfucking beautiful. A fucking fantasy.”
He fuels the wild buried deeply in my soul. I become frantic for his mouth as my muscles tighten, spooling up to explode.
He leans away, shaking his head. “I need to see you.” There’s desperation to his breathless tone. He continues to drive upward, fierce, beautiful, and amazing.
Quick but long strides, dragging in and out of me. His thrusts are ravenous. His stare wild.
“Tell me,” he growls.
“I love you,” I pant.
He pumps into me diligently and then winds a hand around to the back of my neck. He holds me still, tightening his grip. I absorb every thrust, every pump, every powerful surge.
My orgasm slams into me like a tidal wave. Unable to latch onto his mouth, I drop my head to his shoulder and bite.
He groans in pleasure, but pulls me back up, and hauls me into his glorious strides. A shudder rolls through me. Heat shatters. A dizzyingly ecstasy storms me. He slams into me vehemently with fiery eyes and then squeezes them shut as he reaches his climax.
When he finally reopens them, they’re frenzied and full of passion. He growls and drones until the end, watching me watch him. Eyes latched. And when there’s nothing left in him, when his greedy ride completes, I drop my head into the crook of his neck.
His body shakes as he holds me, both of us with ragged breaths.
He rests his head on the rock. “I’m corrupting you.” He exhales a laugh.
“You’re maliciously deviant, but I wouldn’t dare fix the twist in you.”
I place my feet on the ground and grab my shirt.
“Whit?” he says so sweetly.
“Yeah?” I grab for my pants.
“Ever think of children?” he says.
I snap straight up and spin to him.
“Can you imagine your looks with my attitude?” he says nonchalantly. Like this conversation isn’t serious.
I swallow. “I-um…”
He pulls me to him and kisses my forehead. “Not now. We have too many places we need to go first.”