by Alexa Riley
“I’m not sure he’s going to give you much of a choice.”
I shake my head and stand up. “A man like that goes for someone like you. He thought I was a minor!”
“We’ll see.” I hear her say as I make my way to the kitchen to get us something to drink.
Why does the idea of him wanting with me make me excited? It should scare the crap out of me with the stories I’ve heard about my father.
Chapter Two
Bear
“You keep hitting it like that and I’m going to have a cracked rib,” Rico says as he holds the bag for me. He steps away rubbing his chest and I apologize.
“Don’t be sorry. He knows how to hold the bag,” Coach says, and I nod.
Rico starts cursing in Spanish as I go back to working on my kicks. I’m in rare form today. My muscles feel fresh and I’m ready to work hard. I’ve been at this for five hours already and yet it feels like I just walked into the gym. No matter what Coach has thrown at me today, I’ve given it back to him tenfold.
“All right, that’s enough for today,” Coach calls, and I pull back from the bag, bouncing on my toes.
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “More.” I’m out of breath, but my body is still wound too tight. This can’t be it for today.
“Bro, you’re going to crash,” Rico says, pulling off his protective gear and throwing it into his bag. “Tell him, Coach.”
“You can’t keep going this hard, Teddy. You’ve been like this for two weeks now, and I don’t know what’s gotten into you.”
I glance over at Rico who gives me a look like really?
“Why don’t you ask him about his neighbor?” Rico says, and I glare at him. He presses his lips together, but he’s still smiling as he turns around to grab me a towel.
Coach comes over and grabs one of my gloves to help me take the tape off. “It’s a girl?”
“It’s none of your business,” I say, but my tone is friendly. Coach is like a father to me, and though I wouldn’t ever disrespect him, there are some things that are just mine.
“Hey,” he says, pulling my wrist to get my attention. “I didn’t say there was anything wrong with dating. It would do you some good to have someone beside me and Rico in your corner.”
“Hey, I’ve got great legs,” Rico says, looking offended. “You guys are lucky to have me. I make that corner look good.”
Coach and I roll our eyes in unison as he finishes removing the tape.
“She’s a good girl,” I say, just for his ears, and he nods.
He knows how this life can be. You’re on the road a lot, you’re surrounded by women and men throwing themselves at you. There’s lots of drugs and drinking, which I don’t ever touch, but it can be hard for people to be around it. I’ve lost a lot of good friends to the party scene around the ring, and it can be tough on relationships.
“I’ll give you some advice,” he says, tossing away the used tape. “I regret not settling down and having a family. I’ve lived my life helping young men succeed while putting my own dreams aside. I love you like a son, and you’re the last fighter I’ll ever train. But when this is over, I won’t have a warm woman to fall into bed with.” He claps me on the shoulder before he walks out. “See you in the morning.”
“Damn, Coach is getting deep,” Rico says, and I reach up, knocking him on the back of the head. “Hey, I was just saying he needs to get some punani.”
“That’s all you’ve ever got on your mind,” I say, heading to the showers.
“That’s because you’ve never had the taste of pussy. It’s like crack.”
“You’ve never had crack.” I open my locker and pull off my sweaty shirt, tossing it into my bag.
“True. Okay, so it’s like s’mores, but you could eat, like, all of them and not just one.”
“You’re terrible at analogies.” I shake my head. “Are you sure you’ve tasted pussy?”
“Okay, okay, okay.” He holds up his hands. “It’s awesome, and you haven’t had awesome. But once you do, all you want is awesome. That’s the best I can do. I know you’ve still got that V-card tattooed on your ass, but one day when you fall in that honey pot, you’re going to transform into Winnie the Pooh and gobble that shit up.”
The image of Pepper with her legs spread flashes in my mind and I can picture it. It’s easy because it’s all I’ve been doing for the past week. I’ve stayed glued to my front door and jerked off every spare second I could, thinking about what she’d taste like. She rarely leaves her apartment, and it seems like it always happens when I’m not watching. Can she know when I’ve got my eyes on her?
I pull out a clean shirt and decide to shower at home where I can rub my dick in peace. I grab my bag and Rico does the same, saying he’s going to come over and plan out my meals before he goes home. He’s my best friend, but he’s also my nutritionist, which basically means I love him but I hate him. Because I really miss ice cream.
This is the gym I grew up working out at, and I wanted to come back one final time before my last fight. I’m retiring after it’s over, but I wanted to be as close to the gym as possible. Never in my wildest dreams did I think the little blonde across the hall would be the one to break me. As we walk out of the gym and down the block, every thought I have is of Pepper. Rico is going on and on about my protein and calories, but I just let all wash over me. My only thoughts are of Pepper’s sweet smile and how her bottom lip is a little fuller than the top.
“Lord Jesus, call me home now because I’m about to sin like a motherfucker,” Rico says, and I pause, looking up for the first time.
We’re already back at the apartment and on my floor without me even realizing how we got here. I was so lost in thoughts of Pepper that I wasn’t paying attention, but that seems to be happening a lot lately.
When I look down the hall, I see her friend Tasha coming towards us. She’s in a leopard-print dress that seems odd this time of day, but it’s so small and tight that the print really isn’t what Rico is focusing on.
“Hi, papi,” she says, winking at him.
He starts speaking Spanish to her as she gets closer, stepping in front of her. She giggles at something he says and puts her hand on his chest. She leans in close and whispers something in his ear, right before he grabs his chest and she walks by him.
“Hey, Teddy,” she says brightly to me as she walks to the end of the hall and disappears.
“What was that about?”
“Dude. I think she broke my heart,” he says, rubbing his chest.
“How?”
“I asked her to sit on my face and she told me I needed to meet her parents first.”
I bust out laughing as I pull out my keys and leave Rico standing there leaning against the wall. “You going to be okay?” I ask as I walk to my door.
“I better. I’m going to meet them tomorrow.”
I shake my head. Rico is out of his mind.
He walks over and takes my keys, opening up my door and going straight to the kitchen. I stand in the hallway for a moment and then walk to Pepper’s door. Coach’s words echo in my mind. I need to do something about my obsession with Pepper. I know she’s home because Tasha just left, so I try to knock as gently as possible. I don’t know my own strength sometimes, so I have to make a conscious effort to go easy.
I watch the peephole and see the shadow move across it and I smile. She’s been good about checking it since I warned her, and it seems she listened.
“Hey, Bear,” she says, and the way she says my name makes my stomach feel warm. Like eating chocolate chip cookies before bed. God, I miss sugar.
“Hey doll face.” She beams at me, and suddenly I feel shy.
“I was wondering if you wanted to come over and eat food?” I say, but then realize that sounds dumb. “Are you hungry?” I’m terrible at this.
“No, I’m good,” she says, but right then her stomach rumbles so loud that we both laugh. “I mean, maybe? Yeah, I guess I could eat.”
<
br /> Reaching out, I take her hand and pull her from her apartment. “Come eat with me.”
For a second she hesitates and bites her lip. Then she nods and closes her door behind her.
Chapter Three
Pepper
Bear shuts the door behind me and I look up at him. I have to crane my neck back when he’s this close, but the view is incredible. My breath hitches when he leans in, the heat of his body brushing against mine. I freeze, thinking he’s going to kiss me, and instinctively I part my lips. Desire and panic swirl together as he gets closer, but when I hear the click of the lock behind me, I realize he was only reaching for the door. But he doesn’t lean back right away. Instead he holds my gaze and I see flecks of green in his dark eyes.
“I made cupcakes,” I blurt out. I don’t know what else to say. His proximity makes me dizzy and I can’t make my brain work right.
He reaches up, dragging his finger along my jaw. “I can see that.” I see the pink frosting on the tip of his finger, and I hope he finds my lack of cleanliness adorable instead of gross.
“I might have made a mess, too,” I admit.
My kitchen looks like icing exploded everywhere. I forgot to turn the beaters off when I lifted them out of the bowl. By the time I managed to locate the switch, everything in its path was covered.
I watch as he brings his finger to his mouth and licks off the sweetness. A tingle runs through my belly and down between my legs as I think about what it would feel like to kiss him.
“That’s your sugar limit for the day,” I hear someone shout from behind Bear.
I can’t see, but Bear blocks out everything around him. It’s not lost on me that he’s all I see, because it’s nothing new. For the last few weeks he’s the only thing in my vision. We’re always running into each other, and we both sort of say hello awkwardly, since neither one of us talks much. I swear every time I open my door he’s standing there. It doesn't help that when I lie down at night and close my eyes he’s headlining my dreams, too. I keep telling myself I’m not attracted to him, but it’s not working. My thoughts turn into fantasies that I’ve never had before and all of them feature my obsession across the hall.
“Shut it, Rico,” Bear says, turning around. It’s then I realize he’s still holding my hand as he pulls me into his apartment.
“Hi, Rico,” I say, introducing myself.
“Hey, doll face.” Rico winks at me.
“Don’t fucking call her that.” I can feel irritation mixed with anger coming off of him and I try and pull my hand from his. Reluctantly he lets it go and I take a step away from him.
I’d be a liar if I said I hadn't googled him after Tasha told me who he was. My curiosity got the best of me. He’s a trained fighter and after watching some of his videos in the ring, it wasn’t surprising to learn he’s never lost a match.
“Ignore him.” Bear’s voice is soft when he talks to me, and it’s in complete contrast to how he spoke just seconds ago.
“It’s all right, he’s all bark.” Rico comes to stand next to Bear. “I just like to fuck with his emotions.” He wraps a playful arm around Bear as he grins from ear to ear.
Bear elbows him hard in the ribs and Rico grunts. He keeps on smiling as he drops his arm and goes back into the kitchen. I relax a little when I see how playful he can be. It’s a side I didn’t imagine Bear had.
“I know I’m big, but there’s no need to be scared of me.” He reaches out and tugs on my long braid and I think that he must like doing that. It’s sweet, and I kind of like that it’s a becoming our thing.
“Come in and have a seat. I’m going to jump in the shower real quick.”
“I’ll start cooking,” Rico says from the other side of the counter.
“You’ll stay, right? I’ll only be a few minutes.” Bear studies my face and I can tell he really wants me to. “I have some stuff I need to talk to you about.”
“Okay. I’ll stay.” I watch tension leave his body at my agreement and his smile is genuine.
“Snoop around if you like. I’ll be right back,” he says as he runs down the hallway.
I glance around his place, taking in the bare white walls. The only thing he has hanging up is a big-screen television. Almost the entire living area is taken up with a large leather sectional sofa. It looks like if you’d sit on it you’d sink, and I can imagine myself cozying up on it under a blanket. Over in one corner there’s a boxing bag hung from the ceiling and a pair of gloves on the floor next to it.
“Hope you like protein,” Rico says. I turn around and walk towards the bar.
“I’m not too picky,” I lie, not wanting to be rude.
I’m more of a sweets and pasta person. Now that I really think on it, I don’t eat much meat at all. Not that I have a problem with people eating meat, I just never order it. Plus, noodles are so easy.
I roam around the room a little more, but the place is really bare.
“I still have some unpacking to do.” I turn to see Bear standing there. He changed into jeans and a plain black T-shirt. His feet are bare and his hair is still damp. He looks around the room and shrugs. “Guess I don’t have much.”
He walks towards me until he’s standing so close I have to look up at him again. It’s then I realize I’m alone in his apartment and I don’t know him that well. I guess I’m not completely alone because Rico is here, but he’s a pretty big guy himself. None of those facts do anything to stop my train of thought. Maybe I shouldn't have come over without telling someone where I was going. Tasha is always on me about how trusting I can be and that I need to toughen up now that I live in a big city. But I’ve got my phone in my back pocket and I’m just across the hall. And out of all the times that I’ve been around Bear, he’s never made me feel scared or unsafe.
“I saw into your place a couple of times when you had your door opened. It’s really colorful.” He smiles down at me, putting me more at ease.
“Yeah, I like decorating and making things. It’s kinda what I do.”
“Maybe you could help me,” he suggests.
“Really?” Excitement bubbles inside me at the idea. Could he really want me to help him with something like that?
“Yeah, this place could use some color.” He grabs my hand again, leading me towards the kitchen. He pulls out one of the tall chairs at the breakfast bar and I squeak as he easily picks me up by the hips and sets me down on one. “I’d let you have free rein. I know nothing about decorating.”
I try not to show exactly how excited I am as he steps into the kitchen and grabs a bottle of water.
“Do you want one? It’s all I keep in the house or Rico will throw it out.”
Rico shrugs, not denying the accusation.
“Water is fine.”
Bear grabs another bottle and brings it over to me, then leans up against the counter.
“Maybe I shouldn't,” I say, insecurity getting the best of me. “I don’t have a degree in it or anything. I find things online and make them, or I pull a bunch of different things I like together. I’m not sure it’s for everyone. I have a blog about it if you want to check it out and think it over.” I look around the kitchen, trying to come up with ideas, but I’m flustered because I feel him watching me. I’m completely aware of his open stare, and now I’m fidgeting.
“I bet anything you create would be perfect.” His words are kind and melt my heart.
Rico snorts and Bear kicks out, hitting him on the butt.
“Dude, ow,” Rico yelps and laughs.
I can’t fight my own smile at their banter.
“I can give it a shot. I’ll come up with some ideas and you can have a look. Then, if you like it, we can go from there,” I suggest, feeling like a professional designer.
“If you want to, but I’ll want whatever you come up with.”
For some reason this makes me blush. How can this be the same man I saw in those videos online fighting like a beast? He’s so sweet. He might be hard muscles, but
the way he’s looking at me makes me want to cuddle.
“Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?” I ask as I take a drink of water.
“Yes, but other stuff, too. I want to make some changes to the building now that I own it.” He pushes off the counter, standing to his full height, and folds his arms over his chest.
“Okay. I mean, it’s your building.” I shrug, not sure why he has to tell me. “Maybe send out a letter to everyone so they know?” I suggest.
“It only affects this floor.”
I glance over at Rico, who is looking at Bear with curiosity. Is this about locking down the floor?
“I check the peephole,” I say in defense. I probably do it too much because I’m trying to catch him coming and going. But I keep that to myself.
“What my man here means is that sometimes people try and show up to his place unannounced. He’s a little bit of a celebrity,” Rico adds, but Bear doesn't confirm that.
I think Rico made that up on the spot, but I can’t be sure. Of course it’s probably the reason. I can’t believe he’d make so many changes just because he said he was going to be the one to take care of me now. He’s barely talked to me over the past two weeks.
“Is that true?” I ask.
“Food’s done!” Rico interrupts before Bear can answer. “You should look into getting him a table.” He places a plate down in front of me—steamed broccoli with plain chicken.
“Thanks,” I tell Rico, even though I really don’t want to eat it.
Bear closes the few feet of distance between us, coming right up against my chair. He leans down so his lips are next to my ear and his warmth surrounds me.
“Think you can sneak me some of those cupcakes tonight? I’d kill for a bite of your sweetness.”
I turn to look at him and our mouths are so close I can feel his breath on my face. I feel sweaty and hot, but somehow I wish I was closer. The thought of kissing him is pounding in my head and I can’t stop myself from licking my lips.
“Damn, can you guys feel that tension?” Rico says, breaking the moment.
