CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Caleb
This is it.
All of her training, all of the money I poured into her prep were about to come to a head.
Standing just a few feet away from the ring next to Hunter, I was close enough to see individual beads of sweat on both of the fighter’s faces. We hadn’t bet on this one, because we knew she couldn’t win and neither of us could bear betting against her.
Roberto, to his credit, didn’t look like he was taking Cherry lightly. I guessed that after being a professional for so long, he knew anyone could hurt him if he didn’t take them seriously.
His first two fights had been a cakewalk, and the crowd was clearly restless. This was a prime opportunity for Cherry to knock it out of the park. All she had to do was dig deep and last five rounds, one more than Roberto’s previous two opponents.
The bell rang, making my breath catch in my chest, and they were dancing toward each other. She looked beautiful, like some kind of Wonder Woman slash warrior fairy princess with her almost steampunk outfit that was a tight-fitting tank and mock miniskirt.
I sucked in a sharp breath, surprised to find that instead of excited, I was being dunked in an overwhelming pool of dread. Watching Roberto advance on Cherry made me want to duck into the ring and protect her, even if that negated the entire reason she was here. When he threw the first punch, my stomach practically dropped out of my body.
She dodged, and the blow went wide, and my stomach was still clenched. When Hunter hooted beside me, I wondered what the hell was wrong with me.
Cherry was a fighter. Her job was beating the living daylights out of people, which included getting her own ass kicked every now and then. Her body was both her tool and her product, and if she was successful, her whole young life would involve her being in physical danger from others.
But even though I knew all that logically, my emotions were all over the place. This wasn’t like me. I wiped sweat from my forehead. Not at all. How was a single woman, one I had supreme confidence in in the ring, throwing me so out of whack? Had I gone soft?
I didn’t have an answer for that, and I couldn’t dedicate the extra brain power to figuring it out right now. Roberto was chasing Cherry around the ring, and she was doing an insane job of dodging every blow.
As if she wasn’t at enough of a disadvantage, this fight was a boxing match instead of an MMA battle so she couldn’t rely on her impressive list of trick holds and escapes. No, it was all about power and speed, and while Cherry had plenty of both, Roberto had more.
He cornered her, and my heart squeezed so painfully that the sweat on my forehead dripped down my temple. If he managed to get her in a place where she couldn’t escape, she would be done for.
Roberto tensed, his tell just before he flew into one of his infamous combos, but before a single punch could fly, Cherry grabbed one of the ropes for leverage and vaulted to the left of Roberto, landing out of reach.
My frayed nerve endings jangled, and I stood there, shocked, as the crowd went absolutely wild. Cherry used the surprise to retreat to the middle of the ring, and I was grateful that she remembered she couldn’t punch her opponent’s back or deliver any sort of blows while using the ropes as leverage. Andre really had taught her well.
Roberto rounded on her, respect evident across his features. He took a single step forward, but then the bell rang. The first round was over.
I heaved a sigh of relief that ran through my entire body, barely resisting the urge to go over to her corner and make sure she drank enough and was otherwise level-headed. I took deep breaths as I watched Andre coach her. But the respite was short-lived. Too soon, she was marching back toward the center as round two was starting.
Just like her first fight, Cherry never wavered, never seemed unsure or doubtful. But unlike her first fight, she wasn’t dominating. In fact, in the first round she hadn’t thrown a single blow, and as the second round ticked on, it was turning out to be much the same.
I could feel the crowd getting restless, and I began to pace in the aisle between the spectators. I had too much energy trapped within me, the stress of it building to a suffocating frenzy. I wanted to punch something, run a mile. Anything to get the storm brewing inside of me out so I could concentrate.
The round ended without either of them landing a single hit, and there were no cheers when the bell rang.
How fickle the love of a crowd.
But Cherry was already a third of the way to her goal. Didn’t these people realize how amazing that was? If they didn’t, I prayed they would soon. I wanted each and every one of them to know the fierce warrior that she was.
The third round bell rang, and Cherry rushed out to the middle of the ring to meet Roberto. Then the moment I had been dreading happened.
Roberto lashed out with a vicious jab, and Cherry couldn’t move in time. She blocked, but the sheer power of the blow turned her sideways, allowing him a clear cross right to her ribs. Thud.
The crowd went utterly silent.
Stunned, I involuntarily took a step forward before catching myself.
Cherry stumbled backward, while Roberto quickly advanced.
My stomach churned, and I wanted to close my eyes, not watch what was probably going to be the end of the fight.
Roberto sent out another unbelievably fast punch, but Cherry stepped into it while turning to the side. Somehow, that was just enough for his blow to miss.
While his arm was extended, she delivered four rapid punches to the top of his ribs, just under his armpit.
The crowd went mad, hooting and screaming as Roberto danced away to the ropes. His face hardened, and his muscles tensed, the set of his brow growing much more serious. It was like someone punched me in the gut when I realized that he had probably been taking it easy because he’d underestimated Cherry.
That clearly wasn’t going to happen anymore.
He advanced on her like a bolt of lightning, punches flying.
Cherry did a great job of dodging and blocking, but she was hard pressed to dodge all of them, and I could see the red marks that would develop into welts and bruises on her arms as he pummeled her.
The audience was absolutely living for it, but I felt sick. How was I going to survive her actually making it to the professionals when I got so messed up about a relatively tame fight? Whatever was wrong with me, I needed to get over it.
The round ended and another began, with Cherry mostly dodging blows. But every once in a while, she landed a flurry of punches that left the man reeling for a second or more. Cherry may not have had the same power as him, but she was relentless, whittling him down bit by bit.
And then, the round ended, and we were coming up on round five. She had done it!
Both of them were breathing hard as they went to their corners, and my own breath rushed out of me in a whoosh. I’d never seen a professional go so long without a bloody face, but the crowd still seemed plenty entertained, which was the whole point here.
But Cherry was tiring. When round five began, I could see the way her guard was lowering second by second. She was moving with much less speed.
Roberto swung.
Landed a punch square to her solar plexus.
She fell backward, nearly in slow motion, and landed in a sitting position.
This time, I did start forward but forced my feet to stop moving before I made it ringside.
According to regulations, Cherry had ten seconds to get up unaided. If she was smart, she would take a few seconds of rest, then slowly rise, allowing her body the most time possible to recover from the blow she’d just taken.
Ten.
She flinched at the start of the count. Hunter’s hand came down on my arm and clenched, holding me there.
Nine.
She blinked, the dazed look leaving her eyes.
Eight.
Clenched her fists.
Seven.
Took a deep breath.
Six.
Made eye contact with me. Fuck, she was beautiful. My cock jumped as it recalled the last time I’d seen her on a mat.
Five.
One side of her lip quirked up as I willed her every ounce of strength in my body.
Four.
She rose, slowly, each muscle stretching out into a long, fine, lean, and ready fighter’s body.
The fight resumed, Hunter and I shouting as Cherry managed to land the first face blow of the match, a solid punch right to the side of Roberto’s jaw.
The crowd was absolutely beside themselves now. Cherry had won them over, exactly as she had hoped to. Without a doubt, the fighting forums would be abuzz tomorrow with the woman who took on Roberto De La Matta and not only survived five, going on six rounds but thrived.
But then she made a fatal mistake. I saw it a split second before the blow landed, and if she did by then, it was too late.
Roberto landed a crushing blow square to her face, and once more she was tumbling backward.
She somehow stayed on her feet, blood pouring from her nose, dripping over her full lips and spattering her top. She swayed for a moment but managed to recover.
I could tell she was struggling to stay on her feet. My insides clenched to know she had to be in pain. I knew from experience that the blood was no doubt distracting, making her reactions slower and her dodges less effective. Every passing second put me on edge.
I heard the audience cheering and screaming through a mental fog, my eyes locked on Cherry as she continued to struggle.
With only seconds left in the round, Roberto delivered a punch straight to her jaw.
Her head snapped back, and she fell, her body hitting the mat with a resounding thud.
It took everything in me to hold myself back and let the ref count, as concern for her and relief that it was over made my hands shake. As soon as the count ended, I was striding to the ring, ready to carry her to the on-site medical room.
Her eyes blinked open just then, and the ref helped her slowly get to her feet.
Roberto walked up to her, took off his glove and offered her his hand. Cherry sent him the brightest smile I had ever seen and shook it enthusiastically, and I couldn’t tear my eyes from her.
The stadium was on their feet, people clapping and screaming like mad. Cameras flashed, and music boomed over the speakers.
She had done it. She hadn’t won, but she’d made a name for herself, and she wasn’t even professional yet. Now, all we had to do was sit back and let word of mouth do its job.
After I took her to the medic, of course.
To my disappointment, Andre was in the ring first, arms around her waist as he helped her limp down to the ground and out of pandemonium. She may have lost, but it certainly didn’t feel that way as I followed after them.
Cherry caught sight of me, craning her neck to look back at me with one eye already starting to swell shut. “Did you see?” she asked through her split upper lip.
“Yeah, I did. And so did everyone else.”
There was that dazzling smile again, making the intensity of my fear melt, giving way to pride building in my chest, and something else…
I would never understand how I had stumbled across possibly the most amazing woman to ever walk the Earth, and I was suddenly staring down the fact that she was the type who would want more than what I was willing or able to give. Cherry was fire and passion and everything that I desired in a partner — if I wanted a partner, which I didn’t.
I couldn’t allow myself that. How could I when Lillie was out there somewhere living under an overpass or waiting in line at a soup kitchen? The time I would spend with a partner would be precious hours taken away from time I could be spending trying to find her. Plus, I didn’t deserve to be happy while my twin lived in misery. Not after what I did…
Hunter clapped Cherry on the back, and I had the sudden urge to slap his hand away. “Congrats. Now let these people fix you up.” His hand moved to my shoulder. “See you Monday, bro. Nice work.”
We headed into the med-room, and the doctor from the sign-ups smiled. “Ah, Cherry Bomb.” He looked her over, pressing on her ribs, feeling for broken or cracked bones. “I have to admit, you’re a lot less battered than I thought you would be.”
She gave him a superior glare, considering how much blood was on her puffy and bruised features. “You thought I’d go down on my ass in the first round,” she said, slurring just slightly. It might have been amusing if it wasn’t for the fact that she was loopy from a literal blow to the face and loss of consciousness. “I sure showed you!” She laughed then winced.
“Yeah, yeah you did. Consider it a lesson learned. Now, do me a favor and try to follow my finger here.” He went through a series of tests, which Cherry passed.
I was suddenly exhausted from the tension I’d held on to throughout the fight. But as the seconds passed, and Cherry’s adrenaline wore off, I saw the pain set in. She didn’t complain, but the lines of her face hardened despite their swelling, and the muscles in her body tensed.
I disliked seeing her in pain even more than I disliked seeing someone punch at her.
The doctor asked her a question, and she shook her head fiercely then groaned at the sensation.
“Take it easy the next few days. You have to rest to heal.”
“Okey dokey artichokey.” She giggled, a sound I’d never heard her make. When her eyes locked with mine, then traveled down my body, I could see she was thinking of jumping my bones for celebration. I snorted. She’d only had her brain jiggled a little. Besides, once the adrenaline was totally gone, all she’d be able to think about was an ice pack.
With every passing moment, my worry eased as she returned to her normal self, only glowing. She was happy at what she had accomplished, thrilled even, that much was obvious. Triumph looked very good on her, even if that victory had come in the form of a loss.
When she was all patched up, still grinning despite her purpling lips, she carefully stood and put her hands on her hips. “Thank you. Andre, I’ll see you tomorrow for our next session?”
He pointed a long finger at her, his face stern even though his eyes were shining with pride. “Girl, you’ve earned yourself the weekend off. Go recover, and if I find out you’re exercising, I’ll hang you up by your ears.”
“Yes, sir. I think I can roll with taking it easy.” She looked to me with those shimmering eyes, and the grin she gave me made me feel like I could do anything. “I’ve gotta grab my bag from the dressing room. Want to come with me to make sure I don’t fall over?”
“Of course. I’ll even carry your bag for you.”
“How gentlemanly.” She gave Andre a quick hug.
A flash of jealousy ripped through me. That was ridiculous because he was her coach and married with a child on the way. And even if he wasn’t, she was free to be with whoever she wanted to. Besides, I’d had her, though as time went by, it seemed like that one time just made me want her more.
She didn’t give me time to dwell on that, already moving out to the dressing room far too quickly for someone who had just been unconscious for more than ten seconds.
I followed, amazed at this courageous, tough, yet softhearted woman, and escorted her to the car after she picked up her things.
If her pre-career was this promising, I couldn’t help but wonder what her professional life would bring.
And I also couldn’t help wondering if it would bring more encounters between us too.
I looked over at Cherry for probably the fiftieth time on our return trip. She’d been practically bouncing in her seat, asking me question after question about the fight.
I had never seen her so happy, so full of satisfaction. While I wouldn’t say she was a melancholy person, there was a certain sort of hunger in her everyday drive that always made her seem… restless.
“Oh man, I just can’t explain it,” she exclaimed as I pulled into the gym lot, making a pit stop to pick up some papers I’d left behind that I needed at work in the morning. “I’ve been in tons of fights before but nothing like that! Even my big throw down against Andrew wasn’t like that.” She fidgeted in her seat, as if she wanted to get out and dance. Adorable. “It was just so amazing. I can’t wait for my next fight!”
“It’s going to be a bit,” I answered, smiling at her enthusiasm. “You have recovery time and still another few months of training.”
She punched my arm in a fake jab. “Boo. Don’t bring your logic into my high.”
I parked in my usual spot in the lot. But instead of pulling the keys out and heading inside, I sat there a moment, not wanting my time with the loosened up Cherry to come to an end for even a moment.
“I don’t like the punch-drunk feeling though, feeling so disconnected from my brain. It’s confusing, and like I’m not in total control.”
I saw an opening, and by god, I took it. Turning to her slightly, I raised my eyebrow and fixed her with an ascertaining stare. “And is that something you value?”
“Yeah, of course. Who wouldn’t want to be in control?”
“I don’t know. As I recall, you like someone else taking the reins just as much.” It was the first time I had mentioned our little tryst since it happened, and I knew it was a gamble.
But instead of shrinking back or acting offended, Cherry’s face flushed, and she licked her swollen lips.
Was it strange to think she was beautiful even so battered? Even her wounds couldn’t detract from the gorgeous woman that she was. I didn’t think I had ever met anyone like her, and I had met many women, from one side of the globe to the other.
“That was an exception.”
“Was it? I wouldn’t know, given the breath of evidence I was given.”
Her cheeks puffed out comically, and then she was removing her seatbelt and clambering over the console.
“What are you doing?” I asked, trying to withhold a laugh.
I had never seen Cherry so loosened up before. Was this what she was normally like when she wasn’t on the job, around me? I found myself resenting the idea that I was missing out on such a fun part of her. Or was it the punches?
“Taking control,” she answered, planting herself in my lap so she was facing me. She leaned in and pressed her lips to mine, then pulled back immediately, wincing. “Oh right, no kissing. Let’s start over.”
She was hot, her muscled thighs resting on my own. She’d changed into clean clothes before leaving the match and the tank she now wore revealed the tops of her breasts, tempting me. As much as I wanted to wrap my arms around her and show her what control really was, she’d just received a head injury, and I liked my partner to be both completely aware and consenting.
“As much as I appreciate the view here, maybe I should go in, get what I came for then take you home.”
“Don’t you get it?” I was surprised by the urgency of her response and sat still for a moment. “I just went five rounds with a professional and walked out of that place of my own volition. I’ve got to do something with all of this energy that’s churning in me.”
My cock swelled when I realized what she wanted was to fuck me right here in my seat. But she was injured, and not thinking straight. And I’d never take advantage of a woman not in complete control of her facilities.
When I hesitated too long, she sat back with a sigh, deflating. “I mean, if you don’t want to, I get it. I know I didn’t react… very well to last time. You’ve just got to understand that it’s complicated.”
Sometimes I wished I wasn’t so damn logical. “Complicated how?”
“Well, we’re working together. And without your backing I’d be back in an abandoned garage to fight. You’re from this important family. We don’t even know each other, our worlds are completely different.”
I could understand her line of thought. “I would never remove your backing based on anything that happened or didn’t happen between us. Considering that my father is still upset at me for opening my own company after six years, and my sister is lost to the streets, I’d say your family situation is probably much better than mine.”
Her fingers toyed with the buttons on my polo shirt, then dipped inside to run along my skin.
“I don’t think I’m better than you, Cherry.” I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Sure, I’ve never had to experience some of the things you have or know what it’s like day to day for you, but that doesn’t mean I’m judging you. I can’t deny that you are the sexiest woman I have ever met. Tonight, you took my breath up there.” I reached up and gently stroked the side of her face.
My cock was screaming for me to move against her. To take her up on her offer and bury it inside of her warm, velvety softness.
But I needed to be more concerned with making sure that she was all right, and that she wasn’t going to do anything she would regret. I wanted what was best for her, even if it left me taking cold showers for a week.
God, when had I gotten so sappy? Life was so much more convenient when it was business first, then my baser wants satisfied with a woman who knew from the start there wouldn’t be anything beyond sex. Who knew a simple woman with a badass right hook could change that?
“I… I don’t know what to say,” she murmured. “I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions.”
“That’s alright,” I answered with a shrug. “I just think it’s important that you know.” I pulled my hand away from her face and reached for the door handle, but she caught my wrist and moved my hand to her breast.
“I want you,” she rasped, voice full of tension.
“Are you sure?” It took all my control to ask, my hand rigid over her warm mound, my cock straining against my pants.
“Absolutely.”
The last of my reserves broke, and I pressed her down into my lap, grinding against her heat as my lips found her neck, her shoulders, the cleavage peeking so attractively from the top of her shirt.
Perched over me, she responded enthusiastically, running her hands over my chest, under my shirt, tugging at my waistband. God, I loved it. Every sigh and mewl coming out of her mouth was like a symphony written just for me, and it bolstered my ego like nothing else.
Her hands were all over me, scratching at my shoulders and back. Mine traveled a much calmer path, kneading at the firm cheeks of her backside and the muscles of her lower back.
I was almost always the dominant one in bed, so I didn’t mind sitting back and letting her try her hand at taking over. For now. She was an absolute spitfire, and I wanted to play with the blaze a little.
She practically ripped my shirt over my head, tossing it into the passenger’s seat. She ground against me, and I could feel the warmth of her core even through the fabric of my pants and her athletic shorts. I hissed against the sensation, and she moaned, her enjoyment of the moment evident.
I gripped the bottom of her top and hauled it over her head, revealing her breasts. I didn’t waste a single second taking one of the dusky peaks into my mouth, letting my tongue tease the sensitive point.
She leaned back, moaning, and I took the opportunity to slide my hand down between us, into her shorts. I groaned into the soft skin of her breast as my hand met warm and wet, my fingers slipping into her tightness.
Cherry tilted her head back, letting a moan out that made my entire body erupt with primal energy. All of my car’s windows were completely fogged over, but I didn’t care. Nothing could distract me from the perfect woman on top of me.
I curled my fingers within her, watching hungrily as she rode my hand. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes drowsy with desire. The only thing that mattered was hearing her call my name as she came undone. The muscles around my fingers fluttered, then clamped down on me as cries tumbled from her mouth. I didn’t remove my hand until she was slumped over, breathing heavily.
I sat there a moment, rubbing my hands across her back, giving her a chance to recover. And to change her mind. I wasn’t going to rush her, but my body was so in tune with hers that I felt the instant she was ready for more.
Her hand went to my belt. She struggled with it and I joined my hands with hers and we ripped the thing off. Then her fingers found my zipper.
I put my seat back a little, just enough to give her better access, and within seconds she thrust her hand into my pants and gripped me. My body reacted instantly, muscles tensing and my length jumping to even greater attention.
I fumbled for the latch on the console, popped it open and dug for a condom. She snatched it out of my hand and pressed the button to lower the back of my seat a little more, then opened it and rolled it over my throbbing erection. She pulled one of the legs of her silky shorts to the side and slid right down on me.
I nearly snarled at the sensation as she enveloped me, my hands gripping her hips to contain myself. It took every bit of willpower not to thrust up into her like a wild animal, instead, waiting as she set the pace.
She moved with quick rocking motions, tense, her body wound tight from the adrenaline and physical exertion. But as the seconds passed, she relaxed, until she was grinding against me with slow abandon.
“God, you feel good,” she hissed between parted lips.
I tightened my grip on her hips and gave an experimental thrust, and she cried out as I hilted deep within her.
“Do that again,” she ordered breathlessly, holding on to my shoulders.
“Ask nicely,” I said, dropping my voice to a rumble.
She stopped and stared at me for a moment, clearly not into handing over the control of the situation, but I could be patient in this case. Her hips wiggling of their own accord, the need in her eyes evident.
“Please, do that again,” she breathed finally, grinding against me.
“This?” I growled, thrusting up into her with everything I had.
I could feel myself already hurtling toward my end, but I refused to give in just yet. I wanted to feel her clamp down on me, tighten all around me.