The Battle

by t. h. snyder

  “Dude, what the fuck are you talking about? Being a fighter is all we’ve known. Pa brought us all to the Cage as kids, we watched, we learned, and we perfected our craft. What more do you need?” Hank asks before getting up and heading over to the bar.

  “Trenton, what’s going on? I haven’t been out of the loop that long to have missed something this big…have I?”

  “Nah, man, it just came up last week and I’ve really been thinking about it. I’ll tell you the whole story when Hank gets back, in the meantime what’s up with you and Traci?”

  Sitting back in my chair, I run my fingers through my hair and exhale a groan.

  “I don’t know. You’re right, I never saw this coming. At first I thought she’d just be a random hook up. I steered clear of her for a few weeks too, but after awhile I knew I needed to see her again. I don’t know what it is about her, but I’m pulled to her like a magnet. When I’m with her I’m content, I’m happy and when I’m not with her I wish I was. So much shit has been spinning around in my head since that night at the apartment. No joke I wanted to kill him for taking Taryn from me. But the more I distanced myself the more I realized my feelings for her were different. I wasn’t in love with her, I was in love with the idea of her loving me. It was the attachment I needed. Now I feel better about things. Being here, right now, with you and Hank, I finally feel at peace with all the shit.”

  “I get that, man, glad to see you’ve come to your senses. I’m not gonna lie and say Hank and Taryn have the relationship dreams are made of, far from it. I try to steer clear of them whenever I can. It still eats me inside, but you know me, I do my own thing. If she wants to be with him then so be it. I moved on, no big deal.”

  My eyes spot Hank coming in our direction and I give Trenton a heads up by clearing my throat. He stops his next sentence from exiting his lips and leans into the table.

  “Alright, guys, next round is on me, drink up and spill what’s on your mind. Trenton,” Hank says while sitting down between us again.

  We look amongst one another waiting to hear what Trenton has to say. Each of us taking down a few gulps of our beers, our eyes stay focused on one another.

  “So last week the crew was talking about a foreman position that was open up state. I didn’t think much of it until my boss came to me Friday and said I should go for the job. I never thought about moving up in my position. I’m a fucking road crew member for the state. I do my job and go to the Cage. After talking with him, I went home and went over the pros and cons. It didn’t take me long to realize that I’d be a fool for not applying. The pay in itself is a no brainer. I met with some of the higher ups on Monday and yesterday I was offered the job. I’ve been working on the crew for the past few years. I know my trade and according to them, they’ve been waiting for me to jump the gun and move up.”

  “That’s great, man, congrats, but up state as in…where?” Hank asks.

  I’m baffled by the news but more than happy for my friend. I don’t know what this means for him, for the Cage or hell even for the fights we’ve been training for.

  “Yeah, it’s great and all, but it’s also a big decision. I’ll need to relocate for a few months or at least until our work is done on the new roads they want built. I need to talk to Birch and the coaches and see what I can do. There’s no way in hell I’m giving up the Cage, I’m a fighter to the core and plan on making it through the rounds coming up. I just need to figure out a way to make it work.”

  “How soon will you be moving?” I ask.

  “They said they want us up there in two weeks. The sooner we get things going the sooner we can move onto the next job.”

  “Ya gotta do what you gotta do, Trenton. I’m proud of you for making this decision and finding a direction. Pa would be proud of you too,” Hank says slapping his brother on the shoulder.

  As much as the news saddens me to hear Trenton will be out of town, I too am happy that he’s made a decision that will impact his future. Seems as though I’m not the only one who has a plan, just sucks that his may take him off into a different direction than that of his passion and family.

  Chapter 9

  A huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders today and I couldn’t be happier. Things are slowly starting to fall back into place and I’m anxious to see where this road takes all of us. I’m not gonna lie and say I’m not totally bummed about Trenton leaving town, but I know now more than ever that everything happens for a reason.

  Spending the afternoon with Hank and Trenton, we fell right back into our normal banter, like no time had pulled us apart at all. Telling them about Traci and me was refreshing, I haven’t spoken about the two of us to anyone. She’s fallen into my crazy world without hesitation and the time we spend together makes me want to move on with my life and start anew.

  Just the thought of her brings a warm feeling through my body and a smile to my face. As I approach her place, I’m eager to spend some quality time with her. Our schedules are both hectic with work and training so the moments we have I want to be able to enjoy her company. I want things to be different with her. In the past I dwelled on loving someone I shouldn’t have and as for the others, it was just a way to dull the ache I was missing. With Traci, I genuinely want to get to know her, understand her likes and dislikes, and take things day by day. There’s no need to rush into anything at this point of our lives. We’re both grown adults trying to find our place in the world. If being with one another helps us get there, then it is a win, win situation for us both.

  As I park the car, I reach into the passenger’s seat for a few items I brought with me. Tonight Traci has suggested dinner and a movie at her apartment. The idea was music to my ears since I’m running on no sleep and the thought of curling up with her on the couch and holding her in my arms is just what I need to unwind.

  Making my way toward her apartment door, I tuck the items behind my back and ring the doorbell. I can hear her footsteps approaching the door and I silently laugh to myself imagining her as she runs through the apartment. The door swings open and she catches me off guard by jumping into my arms. Trying not to drop the things behind my back, I scoop her up with my free arm and hold her tightly against me. She smells like vanilla and pasta sauce, mmm the perfect combination to feed my hungry appetite.

  As I begin to nuzzle my head into the crook of her neck she wiggles against me as my sexual senses go into over drive.

  “No way, mister, not yet. I have a full meal waiting for you inside, come on let’s go,” she says with a smile.

  God, I love that smile.

  Pulling herself away from me, she extends her arm, intertwining her fingers with mine. My body instantly falls into step with hers as she leads me through the doorway and into the kitchen. The smell of sauce, garlic and pasta hits my nose and I fall into the aroma of the room.

  “Something smells amazing in here,” I remark.

  Slowly she turns to me and smiles, batting her long lashes.

  “Mmhhmm, I told you I wanted to cook you up something good.”

  “And that you did,” I reply pulling her back into me.

  Not wanting to wait another second, I capture her lips with my own. Tracing her lips with my tongue, she immediately grants access and I deepen the kiss. I want so badly to wrap both my arms around her, but I can’t. Remembering what I have behind my back, I pull away from the kiss and look into her gorgeous blue eyes.

  “I brought some things for you,” I say pulling the bag and flowers from behind my back.

  Clapping her hands she takes both items from me and moves into the kitchen behind the breakfast bar.

  “The flowers are beautiful, Mike, thank you,” she says.

  “Just a little something I saw, they made me think of you.”

  She looks up to me and flashes that smile again that could bring any man to his knees. This woman standing before me is a vision. She may not have the confidence in herself that she should, but to me she’s absolutely breathtaking. />
  “What’s in the bag,” she asks before opening it and diving in.

  She pulls out a bottle of wine and a movie, items that may not be the most romantic gestures, but hell, I’m new at this stuff.

  Setting everything down on the counter she steps toward me, wrapping her arms around my neck. Her face, inches away from mine; I stare back at her into her brilliant blue eyes. Time stands still and I can’t seem to get enough of her. Pulling her in closer to me, I begin to pepper light kisses onto her forehead, her cheeks, her chin, and landing a hard urgent kiss to her lips. Our tender moment turns into a heated embrace. Our hands begin to trace the curves of one another’s bodies as our mouths unite. Passion explodes between us and I can’t seem to think of anything other than taking her back to her room.

  Slowly stepping back, moving her towards the hallway, we continue to kiss, nip, and lick at each other. The heat of the moment increases and I’ll be damned if I hold back any longer. Picking her up, she wraps both legs around my waist as I walk us back to her room.

  Tossing her gently down onto the bed, I begin to ravage her body. My hands instantly find her skin as my lips travel from her mouth to her neck. She begins to purr and my senses heighten. Lifting her back up off the bed, I remove her shirt exposing her beautiful breasts. Watching me intently she lies back down on the bed and pulls me down onto her. The ache I feel in my jeans is almost unbearable. I want to sink myself in her now, but not before I give her the pleasure she deserves.

  With my lips, I linger kisses down her chest, stomach, and end right before the top of her pants. I can smell her arousal through the material and my mouth begins to water. Unfastening the button, I pull down the zipper and slowly remove the fabric from her legs. Her smooth skin grazes my finger tips as I reach for her lace panties and slide them down in the same routine. Lying here fully exposed to me, I couldn’t be happier. This woman has been a rock to me for the past few weeks and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Now it’s time to show her just how much I appreciate her being with me.

  Leaning down, I spread her legs pulling one up onto my shoulder. With a finger, I gentle stroke at her wetness, inserting one finger into her warmth. A sound pulls from her and my cock signals he’s ready to go. As she squirms beneath my touch, I slowly lick a trail from her channel to the tip of her pulsating nub. Her hands fall down into my hair and she pulls me in closer to her. The taste of her intoxicates me and I can’t get enough. Inserting another finger I allow her to ride the wave of ecstasy while I continue to lick her up and down ‘til she’s falling from her orgasm.

  Removing my fingers from her tightened walls, I place a gentle kiss to her mound and look up to see her watching me. The sight of her sets me into frenzy and I can’t help but want to dive into her. Slowly crawling up her body, our moment is disturbed…A beeping sound echoes through the apartment and back to her room alerting us that indeed our time has ended. Falling down onto the bed, I release a sigh as she giggles back at me.

  “I’m sorry, Mike,” she says reaching for the sheet on her bed.

  Watching as she quickly wraps it around herself, she runs out of the bedroom and through the hallway.

  Well, that just fucking blows.

  With a raging hard on, I pry myself up off the bed and make my way out to the kitchen. Standing in front of the oven, I watch as Traci pulls out a tray of garlic bread. My eyes stay glued to her as she places it down onto the stovetop, the curves of her body clinging to the thin material of the sheet. Her gaze catches mine as she turns to face me. A look of hunger and desire stares back at me, not for the food but for me.

  My feet take me to her before my brain can register another thought. I pull the sheet from her body, picking her up and resting her sweet ass on the counter.

  “You didn’t think you could get away from me that easy, did you?” I ask with a devilish smirk.

  “But of course not, I’m all yours, baby,” she giggles into my chest and wraps her arms around me.

  Removing my jeans and boxers, I smile up at her. This chick is driving me wild and I’m not waiting another second to claim her. With two hands, I pull her to the edge of the counter and slowly lean into her. Soft hands grab for my length, bringing my cock back to life. She begins to nibble and kiss my neck, but I need more, I need to taste her lips against mine. Pulling her face to mine, I urgently slam my lips to hers. The sparks ignite while our tongues dance to a rhythm of their own.

  Lifting her up, I allow her to place my cock in front of her entrance. As I begin to slide into her she wraps her arms around my neck. Thrusting into her tightness, my eyes roll and my lids shut. A moan of pleasure bursts through our lips as we continue to passionately kiss. Biting down on my lip, she pushes herself up and down riding me as I forcefully push myself into her. The sounds of our bodies uniting fill the space. Sweat lingers along my brow the more we work ourselves to the breaking point. I can feel my balls begin to tighten and know that I’m close to falling over the edge. Pushing us against the wall, I anchor her against my body and trail my fingertips down her breasts leading to where we connect. I start to gently rub at her clit while I pump myself in and out. My senses are about to explode. This woman does things to my body that I’ve never felt before. She makes the passion thrive and I don’t want this moment to end. Knowing I’m about to burst, I quicken my rhythm until I can feel her walls clamping down on my length. Increasing my speed, I thrust into her a few more times before I cum. Her voice echoes in my ears as she screams out my name, her nails digging into my back.

  Out of breath and my legs feeling like I’m about to collapse, I place her back down onto the counter, her head falling into the crook of my neck as my hands rest on the counter. Our moment of bliss may have ended, but there’s plenty of more that I can’t wait to cherish with her.

  Traci captures me, takes me as I am and wants me for the man I am in this moment. She makes me feel content, wanted and needed.

  I don’t know where this is going to go, but I do know that at this point…I never want it to end.

  the Battle Playlist

  The Crow & The Butterfly – Shinedown

  You Give Love A Bad Name – Bon Jovi

  Photograph – Nickleback

  Can’t Forgive You – My Darkest Days

  Let Love In – The Goo Goo Dolls

  Taking Over Me – Evanescence

  Higher – Creed

  Make Me Wanna Die – The Pretty Reckless

  Lifeline – Papa Roach

  Goodbye For Now – P.O.D

  Take Me Away –Lifehouse

  Lovesong – Adele

  Angel – Theory of a Deadman

  Blue Eyes Blind – ZZ Ward

  Love Me Like You Do – Ellie Goulding

  Books Available Now By Author t. h. snyder

  The Touch Series

  Pierced Love

  Cursed Love

  Cursed Ecstasy

  Cursed Heart

  Cursed Fate

  Obsidian Desire

  the Fight

  the Battle

  Books Coming Soon By Author t. h. snyder

  Cursed Soul (Cursed, #4)

  Finding Us (Happy Endings Resort, #4)

  the Win (Fight, #3)

  Dreams Series

  Mended Love

  Our Last Dance

  Torn to Shredz

  t. h.snyder is my pen name.

  I am a 35 year old single mother to two amazing kids.

  I became an avid reader in spring of 2012 and since have read over 300 books.

  My genre of interest ranges from Romance to thrilling Paranormal.

  This is more than just a hobby for me, it’s a passion to read the words of great authors and bring life to their stories with my reviews and character castings.

  I started writing my first novel in June of 2013 and I am anxious to see where this journey takes me!!

  You can continue to show your support by liking and following me around the world of social media.

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  James Black

  Book 1 James Black

  By:

  SKYE TURNER

  James Black

  Book 1 James Black

  By

  Skye Turner

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  Skye Turner Copyright ©2015

  All rights reserved.

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