Fierce Fighter: Single Mom Second Chance Romance (Steel Series Book 9)

by Victoria Pinder

  She tilted toward me again and kissed my cheek. “You will. Stone, you should leave me alone, so our memories stay sweet.”

  She was a temptress. I knew she couldn’t be mine again, but my entire body was on fire. I held her hand to my chest. “You could just leave whoever your loser is. You know you’ll always be my girl.”

  She squeezed my hand but then let go of me. “I can’t go backward in time. I’m sorry.”

  Right. I should fucking leave her alone. My sister coming back into my life had been easy, but then, we were family. My gaze narrowed on her fingers, and Olivia’s observation was right. “Why aren’t you wearing a ring?”

  She hid her hand under the table like I’d burned her. “It’s complicated, Stone. You have no idea.”

  I bumped into her. A nice guy would get up and leave her alone, but I said, “I don’t. You’re the only woman I ever loved.”

  Her face crumpled, and she sipped her wine. She then whispered, “That’s sweet.”

  Fuck. She seemed sad, but I asked, “Are you in love with him?”

  She pushed my drink toward me, and I sipped it. Neither one of us said anything as she sipped hers, too, but then she broke the small silence. “It… it’s a different feeling, Stone. I don’t want to talk about that anymore.”

  I turned toward her, ignoring how my pulse was like a jackhammer when I was near her. In the ring, my name was Stone because I never blinked. “I don’t want to talk about you with anyone else, either.”

  She sucked in those sexy lips of hers. “Stone…”

  I was fucking losing it near her. I’d never been this sexual with anyone since her. Part of me didn’t believe there was another guy. Part of me wanted to kill him, whoever he was. I saved my violence for the match, but I said, “I don’t understand you.”

  One of the eighteen-year-olds who were friends with my sister came over and whispered in my ear that Emily was missing.

  Lana’s name burned in my mind—she would hurt us both. Lana was also here at the wedding. My shoulders tense, I stood and told Vanessa, “Look, my sister is missing. Let me check on her, but I’ll be back.”

  “I’ll come with you,” she said quickly. “I hope she’s okay.”

  “Stay. If it’s important, I’ll ask for help.”

  Emily had met a guy she liked. And Vanessa had only called me when I’d asked for her help weeks ago in tracking down Emily’s number. She’d been friendly and sweet enough to call me back, but we’d never been personal on the phone. I’d hoped we could reconnect at this wedding, but if she’d already chosen another man, I would never get my wish.

  My trainers would tell me to use this pent-up anger that raged in me for the match, where I could throw down my opponent. Until now, I’d been good at that. But now that my dream of having Vanessa back in my life was probably dead, I would need a new hope to pull me through. Competition was fierce, and Vanessa had just disarmed me.

  For now, though, I joined in checking the ballroom for my sister. She needed me, and I would be there for her because she was all I had left.

  Chapter 3

  Vanessa

  The waiter took my plate and brought me another wine. Sweet guy. Other people were on the dance floor, and the bride and groom seemed so happy. For years, I’d dreamed of being in a white dress and standing next to Stone, but that was impossible—especially now, when I kept lying to him.

  If he’d kissed me, I wouldn’t have stopped him. I hoped his sister was fine, but as I sipped my drink, I remembered how he’d once tasted. The memory hit me fast, and now the questions were never-ending. But if I let down my guard, he would ask me to go to his room… and I would go. The smart, responsible mom needed to guide me now.

  My pulse still quickened near him. Yet the woman who lived for her son went missing when I was near him.

  I stood like I was about to go, but then I saw Stone at the doors to the conference room. Goose bumps grew on my arms. If he stayed this close to me, I would melt. So I pointed him to the terrace. He waited for me, and the second I joined him, my lips tingled like I wanted to be kissed. I stared at the glass doors so he didn’t see my reaction but asked, “Did you find Emily?”

  He shrugged and held the door for me. “Her and the boy she likes are missing, but her phone says she’s outside in the vineyard. She’s probably with him.”

  Young love. I’d had that once. Hopefully, Emily and whoever he was were happy. I breathed in the fresh air, which tasted like the grapes. The music inside was soft and slow. “Do you need to go find her?”

  He shook his head. “She has her phone. If the guy fucks with her, I’ll kill him.”

  I giggled. I’d never had an older brother, so I had zero idea how that felt, but Stone was muscular and larger than every other man in this room. “How old is he?”

  We walked to the balcony ledge as he said, “Eighteen and off to college with her in the fall.”

  With Stone behind me, I leaned against the white ledge and stared back into the ballroom. “I’m jealous she gets to go. It was my dream.”

  He gently squeezed my arm, and I glanced at him. “I’m surprised you didn’t. What happened?”

  You. I almost said it, but I’d vowed to hold my tongue. So I only shrugged and said, “I needed to take responsibility. Money was tight.”

  He narrowed his gaze like my words had caught him off guard. “Your pop was an accountant.”

  So much had changed in the six years since he’d left town. “He left and refused to pay for my college when it came out that he wasn’t actually my father.”

  His eyes widened. “Wait. What?”

  My mother had let it all out when she found out about my pregnancy. I swallowed that back and just said, “My mom let it slip she’d been pregnant when she first met him.”

  His arm bumped into mine as we watched the bride and groom dance again. “Wow. I had no idea. I don’t miss the suburban drama where everyone has secrets. Lana was enough for a lifetime.”

  I pressed my lips together. That was why I didn’t want to burden Stone. He had his dreams, and they didn’t include a two-story colonial in Pittsburgh, where we’d grown up. His stepmother had married his widowed father for his money, then he’d died suddenly. I had no idea if big cities had less drama, but ignoring the strum in my veins, I said, “Me either, but now Mom is left with a mortgage on her house, and I chose to be part of the solution.”

  He pressed his hand to his heart. “If I’d known—”

  “You’d what? Stay and not train for your dreams?” I interrupted. I was the bad girl now, and I needed to look out for my son. I squared my shoulders. “What could you do? You didn’t have a dime to your name at the time. There was nothing you could do.”

  His voice was low and went straight to my soul. “I’d do anything to take away your pain.”

  Damn. That went deep. In another life, I would have loved that. The idea of kissing him rushed through my imagination, though I only said, “No one can do that for anyone else. If you’d tried, you’d never have proven how strong you are in the ring.”

  His head bobbed like he agreed with me. “Did you ever watch on TV?”

  His lips were magnetic now that I glanced up, but I shook my head no. “I tried a few times, but like in high school, your matches always terrified me that someone might take you away from me.”

  He blinked as he stared at me, and I wondered if he saw straight through me. “I’ve had more than my share of black eyes, but all you need to do is let me in.”

  I let out a breath I’d been holding. My skin buzzed with the knowledge that he’d seen straight to my heart. My eyes began to moisten. I wished things were different between us. “Stone, why didn’t you ever come back?”

  He cupped my elbow and spoke into my ear just in case someone else might hear us in the middle of the reception. “Why didn’t you answer the phone when I called?”

  At first, I hadn’t recognized the Florida number, but after listening to his voice mail, I�
��d curled into a ball and cried. I wasn’t sure what I would have said on the phone, but I lowered my lashes and said, “That was two years after you left.”

  His lips came closer to mine like he knew how to tease me. “I always wanted you.”

  I moved my head. Kissing was dangerous. I swallowed. “It was too late.”

  He let me go. “You’d already found your new man?”

  Fuck. I wanted him more than I wanted anything in my life, but I swallowed back my desire. “It wasn’t that. I just didn’t know what to say to you.”

  He pressed his hand to my lower back. “That you still care.”

  I glanced up and ignored the pins and needles of my body as I curled my lips. “That’s not fair.”

  “I know.” He put his hands into his pockets and bounced on his feet. The absence of his touch made me cold. “I’m asking for the impossible with you.”

  I shivered and crossed my arms. Damn, if I were bad, I would toss the dice on my life and satisfy my itch to have him. “I… you’re not.”

  He massaged the back of his neck and asked, “I’m not?”

  The sting of unanswered desires rang inside me. If I kissed him, could I stop? I froze as the question made every one of my cells come alive. “I was afraid if I answered, you’d find out I wasn’t who you thought I was.”

  He took his hands out of his pockets. “You’ve always been my angel.”

  Fuck… I loved him. I needed him. I just couldn’t ever tell him. If I followed my instincts, though, would I have the stomach to walk away? The thought left me unhinged, but I glanced away. “I… I’m not, though. I’m human, and I didn’t want you to see how I changed. I wanted to be perfect in your memory.”

  The music from the ballroom and people laughing made my chest tighter. It was becoming harder to deny myself.

  Then he said, “You’re worth everything.”

  Damn. Maybe I am stupid. I pressed my hand on his chest, closed my eyes, and rose onto my tiptoes to kiss him. His lips met mine, hard and sexy, and I exploded. I held on to him, and for a moment, we were eighteen again—he’d just been kicked out of his stepmother’s house and climbed into my room to say goodbye. My parents were away, visiting my paternal grandmother, so he’d stayed until morning and slipped out when my parents returned.

  But as the kiss ended, I remembered my son. Rocky needed me. Stone’s eyes were black, and his pupils were wide. But I was a liar, and that complicated us. I stepped back and let the coldness inch through my body, ignoring my desires. “We shouldn’t have done that.”

  His face was still pinkish, like he wanted me, too, instead of that fierce warrior mug he wore as a mask. “You kissed me.”

  I turned away and stared at the sun over the vineyard. “You’re dangerous, and nothing can come of us being together.”

  “Doesn’t change what I want.” He brushed my shoulder.

  And if he tugged me against him, I wouldn’t have the strength to deny him, so I closed my eyes like I was meditating without facing him. “What’s that?”

  “You again,” he whispered in my ear.

  My heart was heavy as I said, “Stone, I’ll only ruin your life.”

  He wrapped his arms around me and pivoted me to face him. “You’re the only one who can.”

  “Stone.”

  He was strong and hard, all muscles, and as his lips came toward me again, I pressed my chest into him, wrapping my arms around his neck. This time, it was like he brought my life into color. A whirlwind surrounded us so that we were the only two people in the world.

  As the kiss ended, he whispered, “I’m crazy for you.”

  Maybe I could walk away and treat this weekend as a blip in my life. Or did I get too close to danger? I worried that if I threw caution to the wind and bared my soul, he would equate me with Lana. Do I take that chance?

  My son’s laughing face came to mind, and I let Stone go. “I do wish things were different.”

  He didn’t move but said, “You’re going to have to be the one that leaves me this time.”

  I would never kiss him again. It was too enticing, but my son’s happiness trumped my own desires. Part of me wanted to rip Stone’s clothes off, but I backed away. Sex was a bad idea, and there could never be more than that. So I curled my hands under my chest then forced myself to march inside. Walking away was the only solution that kept us both safe.

  Chapter 4

  Stone

  As Vanessa passed the glass door, my hard cock lowered a bit, like Little Stone knew he wouldn’t be satisfied. No woman ever said no to me, and the only one I’d ever truly wanted had disappeared.

  I needed to get myself under fucking control, but her kiss had unleashed the monster inside me. She’d stoked the flames, and all I wanted was her in my bed again. I checked my phone, and my sister was back inside the ballroom.

  Once I was sure I was under control, I returned to the ballroom. Emily was easy to spot, laughing with the guy she’d met, but then I scanned the room. Vanessa was right next to the doors, at the bar, like she’d been waiting for me.

  I should be responsible and focused. Emily needed me to watch out for her. I had to win my upcoming match and stay qualified for the Olympics, despite the 2020 delay. As I moved closer to Vanessa, the air smelled like her rose perfume. I was a fucking animal near her, but I stopped in front of her, tempting myself. She pressed her hands on my abs as her lips arched to meet mine, but then she said, “Wait.” She turned away from me and said, “Stone, we can’t just pick up where we left off.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because it’s hard to say no to you.”

  The bartender stared at us like he would have any power over me. But since I respected her wishes, I nodded. “I need you.”

  She sucked on her bottom lip and stared down at my pants. “Why now?”

  Everything about her made me think she wanted me too. The bartender came over with her drink, so I waited until he left then said, “Because you kissed me, and now, I know you want me too.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut and quickly said, “I can’t.”

  I stayed next to her. “Because you’re engaged to a guy who couldn’t come with you.”

  Her lips that had been on me moments ago pouted. “It’s more complicated than that.”

  “Sure it is.” I tugged her closer. She was a lifeline to the boy I’d once been and the only person to ever be in my heart. “I don’t give a fuck about a man who doesn’t come and protect the woman he loves.”

  Her neck was inviting. I moved closer, but she curled her arm around my waist. “We’re at a wedding. I’m not in danger.”

  Her mint-green dress was too long and covered one of her best features. “Why did you come alone then?”

  She pressed into me but kept her face buried in my chest. “Because… the expenses were all paid for.”

  Fuck. I’d do anything to have her again. She was my obsession. Any man who didn’t stay close wasn’t worth her time, but I kept my tone as civil as I could when I said, “One more plane ticket isn’t that much.”

  She pulled back, though my body was hard for her, and she glanced up at me again, playing with her necklace. “I… I knew you’d be here.”

  I bent down to her height. “So you wanted to see me.”

  She covered her lips and heaved that chest of hers. “I wanted what I shouldn’t have.”

  Her naked and writhing under me again became a fantasy that played in my mind. “I’ve never forgotten you.”

  She let out a laugh and sipped her wine. “I think about you every night too.”

  If she drank more, I could be accused of taking advantage, and I needed her willing. I curled my fingers in hers and said, “Come.”

  She didn’t argue. Instead, she glanced around the room, but I led her to the corner with a coatroom. It wasn’t in use, because it was warm. No one was behind the pole, and we were alone. I claimed her lips, and she hugged me like she needed me too. I tasted her sweetness in a kiss
and savored the taste of cherry that she still had. The flavor and her lips were like a one-two punch right to my gut.

  My groin grew thicker and stood at attention for her, but I avoided letting my heat-seeking missile get too close to her. If I did and she refused me, I wasn’t sure I would make it to my room to relieve myself. And all her denials played in my head, but here I was, unable to stop. I yearned for her body, and my hands held her tight.

  Like an addict, I couldn’t help myself. I lowered my lips and caressed her neck. She was still soft and sweet. She pushed my head closer, and I stroked her sweet desire as I suckled.

  She squeezed my hand’s hold, but I let her go. I needed more. I slightly bit her neck, and she trembled, holding me. But I rubbed my hands over her sleeveless dress. Reaching the top of her dress, I captured her buds, which were hard and waiting for me.

  Vanessa had always had the most tempting body, and Little Stone was ready to claim her against the wall. I would do anything for her and never let her be alone. I squeezed her breast, and her leg curled around mine like I was her anchor.

  At any moment, someone might see, but I rolled her dress down and captured her nipple with my mouth. She sighed and let me. I knew we should stop, but I was tired of “shouldn’t.” She was mine right now. Her cheeks pinkened, and I knew she wanted me too. I wanted to toss her dress and drill her right there. But my mouth let her tits go, and my tongue teased her neck.

  The urge to have her again was overwhelming, but someone laughed nearby. I let her pink mounds go and tugged her dress up. But her lips urged me to continue. Pleasure was hers, and I continued to caress her nips, though I swept my lips back to hers for another hot, magnetic kiss.

  Someone came behind me, and I glanced at the annoying wedding guests. Hopefully no one had seen us, but I stood in front of her to let her fix her dress. I moved when she tapped my shoulder and said, “I need water.”

  Right. I held her hand, and we crossed the ballroom together. Halfway there, people clinked glasses for the bride and groom.