by Ciz, Alley
A soft knock on the door preceded her brother’s voice. “Rock, it’s me. Open up.”
Vince slipped inside as soon as she did. One look at her and he pulled her into his arms, wrapping her in one of those hugs that always told her he had her back. And he did.
He was the first person to encourage her to take the job with the Blizzards when the offer came and then didn’t judge her for not taking it even when he knew it was her dream. He made it a point to illustrate the positives of her being with him at the gym instead.
“What’s wrong? You’ve been weird all day. And don’t try to tell me it was because of family dinner.” He was quick to cut her off before she could utter the lie.
She needed to talk to someone and he'd just volunteered himself as tribute.
“Dad said I have to break up with Gage.”
“HE SAID WHAT?” Vince roared, his voice echoing in the room and she cringed, knowing their family had to have heard it. Not that it mattered, since he yanked the door open and stormed out of the room.
She hurried to catch up, not knowing what she would do when she did, but it didn’t matter. He was already in the dining room, hands on his hips, glaring at their father.
“Please. Please, tell me you did not tell Rocky to break up with Gage today?” he demanded of their father.
A shocked gasp came from the matriarchs of the family while Gage turned around in his seat to look at her, disbelief shining in his eyes.
“Victor, this better not be true.” Her mom looked aghast at the suggestion.
“Sweetheart—” he started but her mom cut him off.
“Don’t you dare sweetheart me right now, Victor Steele.” She folded her arms across her chest. “What on earth would possess you to say such a thing to your daughter? Your grown daughter, I might add.”
God love her mom.
“We have rules in place for a reason. A relationship between the two will only mess with Gage’s concentration.”
“Bullshit,” Vicki spat. “You and I were married when you won your gold medal, so don’t even try to give me that.”
While her parents argued, Gage got up from the table and came to her, pulling her into his arms and holding her tight. She had no idea what he could be thinking at the moment but chose to focus on how good it felt to be held by him instead.
“Now, you listen to me. Unless you want to be bunking at your brother’s house for the foreseeable future, you will forget all about this asinine idea and let your daughter be happy with the very nice man she is dating.”
Rocky held her breath as she waited for her dad to relent.
Vic Steele maintained his silence with his arms folded across his chest.
“Victor Steele, so help me god, if you don’t get your head out of your ass, I will do it for you.”
The silence in the room was deafening while they waited for what would happen.
After what felt like hours, her father gave the barest of nods.
“Good. Rocky, Gage, please come sit back down.”
They did as her mother asked, tension settling around the table like a thundercloud.
“Okay, then.” Her mom clapped her hands in front of her. “Now that your sister has a boyfriend and is well on her way to giving me grandbabies, let’s work on you, Vince.”
“What the hell, Mom?” She buried her flaming cheeks in her hands. How they went from being on the verge of her having to end her relationship to having babies, she had no idea. “We’ve only officially been a couple for forty-eight hours. Can we wait until our relationship has a longer lifespan than a mayfly before you start renting out my womb?”
“Technically, mayflies only live up to twenty-four hours, so…” Becky let her comment hang in the air.
“Not. Helping,” she growled at her best friend and shot Gage a look that said if you ever want to see me naked again, you’ll stop laughing.
“Sorry,” Becky said, then turned her attention to put Vince firmly back in the hot seat. The definition of chicks before dicks. “So, yeah, Vinny boy. When are you going to find yourself a nice girl and make me an aunt? Please…I’m dying to know.”
“Hate you.” Vince spoke out the side of his mouth, not loud enough for the moms across the table to hear, but she and Becky certainly did.
Becky pursed her lips at him, making kissing sounds as she did.
“You act like our entire squad is married.” He buried his face in his hands.
The moms continued to badger her brother with questions about his dating life, her dad wouldn’t look her in the eye, and she just wanted to know what Gage was thinking.
Would the drama still cost her their relationship?
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Gage was way too quiet on the drive back from her parents.
What is he thinking?
Oh my god. Is he going to break up with me?
Shit, maybe I am too much drama like Dad said.
Thank god for the moms. First her own laid down the law, having her back in a way that still left her reeling. Then they went and turned the conversation back around on Vince in an attempt to break the tension. Needless to say, dinner didn’t last much longer after the bombshell was dropped.
Wordlessly, walking hand-in-hand, she followed Gage into his apartment as he headed to his living room. The designer he hired to decorate the place did a really good job of balancing the masculine elements with homey ones, thus preventing it from feeling like a bachelor pad the way the guys’ place down the hall did.
She focused on his championship belt hung above his flat-screen TV instead of how her stomach was trying to eat itself from nerves. Just as every other time she saw it, her breath caught in her chest. Like her father’s Olympic medal, it was a symbol of great achievement. She may not have known Gage when he won it, but the fact that he did win it, and then defended it, made her immensely proud.
He looped his arms around her waist, slipping his hands inside the back pockets of her skinny jeans to squeeze her ass. Her own hands went to his rock-hard stomach, trailing up the expanse of his chest to fiddle with the buttons of the royal blue Oxford he was wearing.
Used to seeing him in gym clothes or jeans and a t-shirt, this was a nice treat. The only other time she’d gotten to experience him dressed up was the first night he came out with their squad to The Lounge. The things his forearms did to the rolled-up sleeves of the button up should be censored—legit arm porn, NSFW.
Her chin rested on his chest as she looked into his eyes. She loved when he wore blue. Anytime he did, it was like his irises soaked up the pigments, brightening the already vibrant color.
“Congratulations on surviving your first Steele family dinner.”
His eyes crinkled in the corners briefly before turning serious. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
She was too ashamed to look at him and dropped her gaze to the floor.
“Blue.”
She said nothing.
“Blue, look at me.” The plea in his voice had her head snapping up, her eyes reconnecting with his.
It was too much—the hurt she saw there.
“Why didn’t you tell me your dad wanted you to break up with me?”
She sighed.
His hands left her pockets to cup her face.
“Blue, baby.” He stroked her cheeks. “When I first met you, I may have been reluctant to start something with you for some of the same things your dad was concerned about. But…there’s one thing you need to understand when it comes to me.” She watched his throat move as he swallowed.
“When I made the decision to date you, I was in, all in.” His hold on her tightened. “We are a team. You and me work as a unit. Your pain is my pain. Your problems are my problems.”
Holy shit. He was putting her first.
He.
Was.
Picking.
Her.
“We have to trust each other, baby, and tell each other these things, or this won’t work.”
&nbs
p; Oh, my heart.
She loved him.
She, Raquel Anne Steele, who swore she would never fall for a fighter because they would never put her first, had done just that.
“I know. And I’m sorry. So, so sorry.” She tried to look away again but he wouldn’t let her.
One of his hands glided down her back to slip under the hem of her shirt, stroking across the sensitive skin of her lower back. All evening, he'd maintained some form of physical contact, every brush of his body, caress of his hand, or reassuring squeeze adding up to her being turned on in a way that was highly inappropriate while having dinner with her parents.
But now.
Now they were alone.
She had enough of the heavy for the evening. She may not be brave enough to admit her feelings out loud, but she could show him.
Flattening her palms against his chest, she shoved him, catching him off guard enough for him to drop onto the leather couch behind him.
He was quick to catch on to what she had in mind, spreading his knees wide, while leaning back. But when he reached out a hand to pull her onto his lap, she ignored the gesture and sank to her knees in front of him.
Her gaze remained locked on his as her hands skimmed from his knees, up the tree trunks he called thighs, until she came to the buckle of his belt. Guided by touch, she slipped the leather from the metal buckle, popped the button, and slowly, so slowly she could hear each individual click of teeth, released the zipper.
His eyes darkened to the color of the night sky outside while her hand slipped inside the band of his boxer briefs, pulling him from the confines of cotton. Then she looked down.
He was hard as a rock, his erection standing proudly at attention, the tip shiny with pre-cum.
Gripping him at the base, her fingers barely managed to touch around his girth. Her eyes flicked back up to his as she opened her mouth and took him deep, her lips only stopping when they touched the hand keeping him in position.
He let out a rough, masculine moan as she swallowed around him.
“Fuck, Blue. Don’t fucking stop.”
She had zero intentions of stopping.
AS A PROFESSIONAL fighter, it wasn’t often someone was able to knock Gage off balance with a simple shove. When Rocky did just that, it was a true testament to how absorbed he was in her to render his most innate instincts useless.
If he was shocked by how easily she managed to knock him on his ass—literally—it had nothing on the jolt he felt watching her sink to her knees in front of him. Splayed out on the couch like a king on a throne, he watched as his raven-haired beauty boldly took his cock in hand, opened her mouth and took him balls deep.
Holy hell, her mouth felt like heaven.
“Fuck.” He hissed as her throat contracted around him when she swallowed.
She sucked him like a damn Hoover, and if he wasn’t careful, he would be coming down her throat in an embarrassingly short amount of time.
Like point two seconds amount of time.
Tugging on her hair, he pulled her up until she released his dick with an audible pop.
“Take your top off. I want to see your tits.”
Her eyes had darkened to the color of charcoal, telling him she was as turned on by the blowjob as he was.
Diligently, she pulled her top from her body, carelessly tossing it to the side.
“Bra too.”
As much as he liked the way the pale blue lace contrasted against her tan skin, he wanted to see her pretty nipples more.
His hands reached out to cover the pebble-tipped globes as soon as they were bared. She leaned into his touch as he cupped and squeezed.
Leaving him to play with her breasts, she bowed her head to take him back inside.
She worked him over good. Mouth sliding up and down in even strokes.
“Jesus, babe.”
Down to the root.
Up to the tip.
A swirl of her tongue around the sensitive cap of his tip, rolling it along the underside of his cock before repeating the process all over again.
Down.
Up.
Down.
Up.
Little mmms of pleasure escaping her mouth as she worked him.
When he was balancing on the knife’s edge of pleasure, she took the plump curves of her breasts in hand and wrapped them around his raging erection.
“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” He chanted the curse as pleasure consumed him.
He’d fantasized about titty-fucking her more times than he could count. The way her sports bras pressed them together, creating the perfect channel of cleavage, it was only natural for him to envision what his dick would look like filling the space.
But to have her be the one to initiate the move. Fucking wet dream come to life.
“Shit, Blue. Do you have any idea how many times I thought about fucking your tits?”
His grip on her hair tightened.
“That’s it, babe.”
Another tug.
“Oh, yeah.”
Her braid was completely destroyed at that point and he used a hand to brush the now loose strands from her face.
“Just like that.” A hitch of breath. “I’m gonna come, babe,” he warned but she only pressed deeper, swallowing every drop he had to give.
Ropes and ropes of his cum painted the back of her throat. He had never come so hard in his life.
His body melted into the leather around him. He was going to need a second, or a million, to recover from the intensity of his orgasm.
With slitted eyes, he watched as her tongue laved his cock, catching the last drops of his release, and fuck if he wasn’t ready to go again that instant.
“Good?” His girlfriend—yeah, his girlfriend—asked, tilting her head back to maintain eye contact with him as she settled back onto her heels. The way one of her black brows arched, and the knowing smirk that played across her lips alerted him that he didn’t need to actually answer—she knew.
Without a word, he scooped her in his arms and reversed their positions.
He was going to be dragging ass at training the next day, but it sure as shit was going to be worth it.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Normally when Rocky had a naked slumber party with Gage, she woke up with her body tangled around him like she was trying to imitate his tattoo.
When a feathering of kisses trailed a path across the skin of her upper back—an area with a direct line to her clit—it took a few moments for the veil of sleep to lift enough for her to realize Gage had shifted them at some point in their sleep to be the big spoon to her little.
She knew they needed to discuss some of the things her father had brought up the day before, but she wanted to live in their bubble just a little longer. The drama with The Cutter, signing off on his next opponent, and figuring out where he wanted to take his career next would all still be there, later. The true question was—where did all this leave her?
Sure, things were hunky dory now, but all that could change once he booked a fight and entered training camp. She had firsthand knowledge of how intense those six to twelve weeks leading up to a fight were. Already she was dreading being pushed to the back burner like she had her whole life.
Luckily, Gage’s kisses were enough to shove all those thoughts away. His lips were petal soft, a direct contrast to the morning scruff on his chiseled jaw scratching in their wake. Every graze sent a bolt of electricity down her spine, settling itself into what was swiftly becoming a pounding bass in her lady taco.
His impressive morning wood rode the cleft of her ass as her back arched in response to each wave of tingles washing over her.
“Morning, Blue.” His voice, still rough from sleep, rumbled through her as he spoke against her skin.
“Mmm.” Her eyes shut, relishing the sensation of his teasing touches. “Can we just stay in bed all day?” A yawn broke free as the lack of sleep, resulting from hours of doing the horizontal mambo, caught up with her.
Totally worth it.
She wondered if it was possible to orgasm to death. She wasn’t sure, but Gage sure as hell attempted the feat the night before.
“I’d be fully on board with that plan, but…” His words trailed off as he kissed up the curve of her neck to the place behind her ear that made her lose reason.
“B-But what?” The words stuttered out of her as her eyelids fluttered shut. How he was able to command her body with the barest of touches?
“But we work with your dad. And I would prefer he didn’t kick my ass. Because I’m pretty sure he could take me.”
A bark of laughter rushed out of her. He might be right. Her father may have royally pissed her off the day before, but both he and her uncle kept themselves in fighting shape.
“You make a go—” Her words cut off at the sound of a door slamming followed by her brother calling, “Yo, Octoman.”
She let out a screech and tossed the covers over her head to hide.
The force of Gage’s laughter had her rocking back and forth, so she threw an elbow into his gut and smiled when he let out an oof from the contact.
Served him right.
Who wanted their brother walking into the room when they were naked in bed with their boyfriend? Not this girl.
Holy mother of all things awkward, this was going to result in one hell of a story.
“Dude, are you ri—” Vince’s words abruptly cut off the closer his voice sounded. “Shit.” The curse sounded pained. “Fuck, man. Is my sister in there with you?” he asked in the same tone he'd use to ask if Gage had killed a litter of puppies.
“She is my girlfriend, Vin,” Gage said confidently, like he wasn’t caught naked in bed by the brother of the same girl he was pushing his still hard dick against.
How the hell is he still turned on right now? Oh, god, kill me now.
“Vin, what are you doing here?” she whined from her safety beneath the covers.
“I was checking to see if Gage was riding with us or you.”
“Don’t you knock?” Her grip on the blankets tightened when she felt Gage tug on them.
