Undisputed

by Aimee Nicole Walker

  Feminine laughter rang out over the music as Kathy pressed her scantily clad body against Macio’s and held her phone in the air to take a selfie of them. The white bikini she wore to show off her perfect tan left nothing to the imagination. I saw Kathy’s lips move, but couldn’t hear what she said over the music. Whatever it was, it must’ve been hilarious because Macio laughed harder than I’d ever seen him. It was a knife to my fucking heart and I nearly turned around and walked right back out of his house. Maybe I would have if Caesar hadn’t seen me and started barking.

  Macio’s head jerked up from whatever he’d been looking at on Kathy’s phone and the smile he only gave to me appeared on his face. In contrast, all light and laughter faded from Kathy’s face when our eyes met. What the fuck was she even doing there? It was supposed to be our weekend together. Run, Aiden, before it’s too late.

  Macio threw open the French patio doors and charged toward me. “There’s my baby.” He wrapped me up in a bear hug and lifted me off the ground. He held me so tight, I could feel his heart pounding happily in his chest. “God, I’ve missed you.”

  Macio captured my mouth in a kiss hot enough to make me forget my name. God, I missed the masterful way he kissed me, the feel of his tongue rasping against mine, and his taste. How did I even contemplate for a second that I could walk away from him and never feel his touch again? I gave over to his dominance and let him back me into the kitchen island.

  Macio pulled out of our kiss and pressed his lips to my ear. “I need to have you. It’s been too long.”

  “I need you too. I…”

  A low whistle followed by a throaty laugh interrupted my response. Macio groaned and rested his forehead against mine. I blinked in confusion for a few seconds, then I remembered she was there. I began to understand a little better why Macio was taking extra precautions in our relationship because our brains short-circuited every time we were near one another.

  “She asked if she could meet you when I told her that you were staying with me this weekend.” Macio’s eyes pleaded with me to understand and I couldn’t let him down.

  “It’s fine. We have the rest of the weekend together.” Famous. Fucking. Last. Words.

  Macio said he would do the cooking while Kathy and I got to know each other better. Mostly, I listened to Kathy talk about how wonderful she thought Macio was and how close they’d become since they started “dating.” She even used air quotes in an attempt at humor, but all I saw was a woman who wanted what I had. I didn’t like her, nor did I like the situation we found ourselves in.

  Kathy ended up drinking too much wine at dinner and had to stay over. She made it very clear how familiar she was with his home and even bragged about how she was the one who helped him decorate it. She looked damned pleased with herself, but Macio didn’t look like a man who loved his home. None of the rooms had any of his character in them until we reached his master bedroom suite. That space was all Macio with a large, wood-carved bed that was as masculine and powerful as the man who slept there each night. The far wall was all windows and it overlooked a desert landscape that was something right out of a magazine. The tension I’d felt since I arrived began to dissipate as soon as Macio came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my chest.

  I had once confessed to Macio about my fantasy of him taking me from behind in front of a wall of windows. Reality far surpassed my fantasy when he pressed my hands above my head on a plate of glass after he removed my clothes from my trembling body. The aggressive way he fucked me made my fantasies look like child’s play. I didn’t bother to temper my reactions to him just because Kathy chose to use the spare bedroom next to his instead of one of the other four that were further away. I shouted with pleasure as my guy rammed his big cock into me over and over like he’d die if we couldn’t be connected. The way I moaned and begged only seemed to spur Macio on further until we came loudly together. I sprayed my spunk all over his window while he filled my ass.

  We shared a hot shower and another round of lovemaking before we collapsed into a tangled heap in the middle of his bed. I physically ached to have his arms around me when we were apart, to feel his hot breath on the back of my neck and hear him breathing in my ear. I tried to fight off sleep so I could soak it all in, but the two amazing orgasms after a long day pulled me under quickly.

  I had high hopes when we woke to find that Kathy had already left. I wished that I felt the same conviction that Kathy wanted to help us – well, Macio, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more going on in her head. Macio also seemed to be relieved that she was gone. He no longer had to worry about splitting his attention between the two of us. I knew he was in a precarious position. He didn’t want to alienate Kathy by ignoring her because she was putting herself out there for him. He also knew that our moments together were few and far between and he wanted to put all his focus on us.

  Our day was spent either in the pool or on the chaise lounge chairs that were wide enough for two. I had brought swim trunks with me, but Macio told me that I wouldn’t need them. Splashing and playing around in the pool led to poolside sex where I rode Macio’s dick like it might be my last chance.

  It was time for me to leave for the boxing match before I knew it. I wished he could come with me, but that would undo everything we had accomplished with Macio’s fake relationship with Kathy. I kissed him long and slow before I left and took solace in the fact that I would return to his house that night to sleep in his arms again.

  I had hoped the fight would finish early, but unlike Macio’s fights, it went the full twelve rounds. I hung around for the conference afterward so I could interview both fighters. I schooled my features into something you’d expect from a professional journalist rather than the lovesick teenager I felt like on the inside.

  It was close to midnight by the time I arrived back at Macio’s house. I was shocked to see almost every light in the house glowing through the windows and a dozen or more cars parked out front. I checked my phone to see if I’d missed a call or a message from Macio, but I hadn’t. He didn’t say anything about a party when I left, so I figured it was a spur of the moment decision. As private as Macio was, I suspected that Kathy was behind it.

  I entered the house timidly, unsure of how I’d explain my presence to his guests. My laptop was in his bedroom and there was no way I was returning home without it. Turned out, I was worried for nothing; I saw quite a few photographers and reporters milling around. Most the guests were poolside enjoying the desert night air. I wondered where Macio was, but knew I couldn’t go looking for him.

  I heard Kathy’s laughter and turned my head in that direction. She and Macio stood with their arms around each other in a group of people. Kathy had her head leaned against Macio’s chest and her petite hand pressed against his abdomen. I watched in horror as she slid her hand lower until it was nearly touching Macio’s crotch. He made no attempt to move her hand or politely step aside. Instead, he smiled down adoringly at her upturned face.

  “God, look at them,” I heard a guy off to my left say. “You just know they can’t wait for us all to get the hell out of here so they can fuck.”

  “They’ve had their hands all over each other tonight,” another guy said. “They disappeared into his bedroom for a good thirty minutes when I first got here. He looked tense and tight when they went inside, but not when they came back out.”

  “Her lips looked red and swollen when they came back out. I half expected her to wipe his cum from the corners of her mouth.”

  “Lucky bastard,” another man added. “I’d give just about anything to crawl between her thighs.”

  The rest of the men laughed and agreed with him. My stomach pitched and rolled until I feared I was going to puke right there on the white marble floor. I had to get the fuck out of there before I did something foolish like cry. Luckily, the hallway back to Macio’s room was empty and I was able to grab my things and get back out before anyone noticed me.

  The gatheri
ng was too busy fawning or fantasizing about the newest “it” couple to notice me walking back through the living area with my two bags. I walked out of Macio’s home determined never to return. My chest hurt the entire drive home from the pressure of holding in my heartbreak and tears. I wouldn’t allow myself to break while on the highway, nor would I answer the dozens of calls Macio made to my cellphone.

  He had to have known that I would arrive at his home during the party and didn’t care enough to even tell me about it. How long would it have taken to send me a quick message? Was that how I could expect things to go? Any plans that we had together would take a back seat to Kathy’s whims? How long was this supposed to go on? What was the end game? That last one was something that Macio could never answer when asked.

  My emotions were all over the place and I felt like I’d been battered by a hurricane by the time I pulled into my driveway. My home wasn’t nearly as grand as Macio’s, but at least I could say it was mine and not some cold showpiece that existed to make others happy. It was my safe place, just like I thought I’d been for Macio.

  I collapsed onto my bed and allowed the tears to flow as I replayed the evening over and over in my head. Unfortunately, my brain chose to torture me with images that matched the men’s depiction of events. I couldn’t get the images of Kathy on her knees with Macio’s dick in her mouth out of my mind. I didn’t want to see that or envision Macio with her legs over his shoulder as he fucked her, but I couldn’t stop it from happening.

  The phone calls from Macio never let up and I finally turned off my phone. I cried out my heartbreak until my throat was raw and my eyes burned. I cried until I had nothing left to give, then I drifted off into a restless sleep filled with misery. My pounding head woke me up hours later. I sat up slowly, feeling disoriented, so it took me a while to realize the banging I heard wasn’t my headache, but someone at my front door.

  Once my brain started functioning, I recalled the disaster from the night before and my heart broke all over again. I didn’t have to worry about offending whoever was at my front door with nudity since I never bothered to undress when I arrived home. I could tell by the bright light streaming through the windows that it had to be mid-afternoon. I figured it had to be dumbass Seth trying to annoy the fuck out of me because my family knew I was planning to be out of town until later that evening.

  I unlocked the door and yanked it open in preparation to blast Seth for being a rude ass jerk. My mouth fell open when I saw who stood there. “Macio.” My voice had been reduced to a dry, raw croak after hours of crying.

  “Baby,” he cooed when he caught sight of me. I could only imagine how ravaged my face was after my breakdown. Macio moved forward to step inside my house, but I put my hand up to stop him. I shook my head forcefully because I didn’t want him there. I knew what needed to happen between us and I didn’t want my home to be tarnished by it. “Aiden, please.”

  I wasn’t the only one who was wrecked. Macio looked worse than he did after one of his fights. His eyes looked red and puffy, as if he’d been crying, and his hair was sticking up in every direction from running his hands through it. I suspected that Macio wasn’t a man who cried often and I selfishly took comfort that he wasn’t taking my anguish lightly.

  “I need to hold you,” he said. “I’ve been out of my mind with worry. You never came home last night and…”

  “Home.” The word was barely recognizable in my gritty voice.

  “Stop being stubborn.” Macio gently pushed me back, then came inside. He shut the door before he guided me into my kitchen. “Glasses?” He retrieved one from the cabinet I pointed to and then filled it with ice and water from my refrigerator door. “Drink.”

  I chugged half of the glass and then pressed it against my neck, as if that simple action could soothe the burn and ache of my throat. The ice water helped, but I knew I’d be feeling the physical discomfort of my despair for days. “I came to your house after the fight, Macio. You were too busy with your girlfriend to notice.” All the frustration from the previous night roared through my bloodstream and straightened my spine. “You could’ve warned me.”

  “I tried…”

  “You didn’t, Macio. You could’ve excused yourself to use the restroom and sent me a text. I was nowhere on your list of concerns last night and you let me walk into that fucking disaster.” I broke eye contact with him and looked at my feet while I tried to find the right words that would make what I needed to do easier on both of us. I realized there was no easy way and decided to bite the bullet and get it over with. “Macio…”

  “Don’t, Aiden.” His hand reached for my shirt to pull me close like he always did, but then it fell to his side. “I promise you that I fixed it. What happened last night will never happen again. Kathy…”

  “Don’t mention her name in my house.” I knew I was acting childish, but I couldn’t get past the things those men said and insinuated at the party last night. “Do you know what the people in your house said about the two of you last night?” Macio shook his head, so I enlightened him. At least he had the decency to wince when I got to the speculation about what went on inside his bedroom for the thirty minutes they were locked away. “You think you’re uncomfortable? Try being me. And where exactly did you want me to go while you had your little party? Hide in your bedroom? In your closet?” I was beyond worrying about his feelings at that point. I was furious that he could treat me so callously. “Your closet is pretty fucking big, baby, but it’s not big enough for both of us.”

  Macio flinched and paled. “I’m truly sorry, Aiden. I never meant for any of that to happen. I wanted a quiet evening with you and Caesar and it blew up. Ka…” The look I gave him dared him to finish his sentence. “I’m responsible for what happened. It was my house and I should’ve said no. It doesn’t matter that it was supposed to be over before you came home, I should’ve known that free drinks would make people linger.” That, plus a chance to stare at the most beautiful couple on the planet. “It will never happen again. When I tell you that my time is yours, then that’s how it will be.”

  I stepped around him and walked to my patio door. I needed a break from the intensity of his brown eyes that begged me to give us another chance. I wanted to; I wanted that more than I wanted to breathe, but I was afraid. I had been down this road before and the journey wasn’t a happy one. I had cared about Geoff, but it was nowhere close to what I felt for Macio – not even in the same stratosphere. As I saw it, I only had one avenue open to me. Honesty.

  I turned back to look at Macio and said the only thing I could. “I’m in love with you, Macio.” My words caused his eyes to widen and his mouth to fall open. I boldly pressed on because I had nothing to lose by that point. “In such a quick time, I’ve come to love you more than I have anyone. You have the power to destroy me, in fact, last night pretty much did.” I walked to him and set my glass on the counter before I placed my hands on his hips. “I’m not asking for a declaration from you…”

  “I love you too,” Macio blurted out. I wanted his words to be the glue that pieced my fragmented heart back together again, but I knew it would take more than words. He placed his hands on my neck and pressed his forehead to mine. “So damn much, Aiden. I need you in ways that I’ve never needed anyone else. Please don’t give up on me. I promise you that it’ll be different.”

  I pressed my hand against his cheek and felt the rasp of his scruff against my palm when he leaned into it. “Then show me.”

  My heart was pounding in my chest like a piston. Never in all of my twenty-four years had I ever felt this way about anyone. Never had I uttered the three words that could make or break a relationship. But I couldn’t bear the look of pain in Aiden’s face. He was so honest with his emotions, I had to give him the same respect. I had known I’d fallen madly in love with him… probably the first time we’d had sex. The connection between us was strong then, but I just hadn’t identified the reason why. I knew now. It was love. The most passion
ate, heart-gripping, never let you love anyone else again, kind of love.

  I knew I’d fucked up, but there were several issues that went wrong last night that Aiden hadn’t given me a chance to explain. When I took Kathy into the bedroom, it was to complain about how she went and arranged the press party to promote our relationship without telling me. I was so overwhelmed at that moment, I didn’t think of warning Aiden. I was just trying my best to stay in character, even though I was pissed the fuck off the entire time. I was good at hiding my emotions and then letting them loose in the ring.

  But this was my private life, there would be no ring to unleash into. Just people who could be hurt. Aiden was the last person in the world I’d ever want to hurt. But once the party continued past its end time, Kathy had convinced me she did the party thing for Aiden and me. With the press being there, Aiden would have an excuse to be there too, and no one would question it. At the time, it made sense… I thought Aiden would come see me and I could explain it to him, but I never saw him again that night.

  When the party ended, I noticed he’d left me. His bags were gone and he’d left without even saying a word. I felt like I’d been stabbed in the heart with a knife and the blade had been cruelly twisted to really make me suffer. Every time I tried to call him and he refused to answer me, the knife dug in an inch deeper. I’d never known the heart could feel so broken and, before I knew it, I was crying tears of pain and frustration. If I could just talk to him and explain myself, maybe I could fix this. That was why I didn’t hesitate to grab the keys to my bike and drive out to his home.

  I didn’t know why he’d left, but now I did. I held him in my arms tightly, close to my heart. The same heart that was mending itself back together. I wanted to make sure Aiden knew he was everything to me. I kissed him again and moaned in happiness and pleasure when he kissed me back with as much hunger as I’d kissed him.