Clinched

by Nikki Ash

  Twenty-Four

  Charlie

  “Charlie! This is coming out amazing!” Mila twirls around the studio. It’s nowhere near close to being done but the cabinets have been installed and the new front desk has been put in.

  “I know, right? I’m so excited! They’ll be sealing the floors next week and then painting. I’m going to be doing the mural on the wall myself.”

  “Charlie! Alec called me a klutz and he won’t tell me what it means!” Lexi comes stomping out of the backroom, paint covering her from head to toe. Mila’s son, Alec, is following behind, a smirk on his face. He is three years older than Lexi and loves to mess with her. I imagine this is what flirting looks like when you’re a child.

  “Alec, be nice,” Mila scolds, and Alec laughs.

  “I am! It’s not my fault she doesn’t know what the word means. And it’s the truth.”

  Lexi glares at Alec and I hold back my laughter. It is the truth. The girl makes messes without even trying to. She spills her drink at almost every meal, she spills the paint every time she’s painting. She even trips over her own shoes several times a day. “What’s a klutz?” Lexi asks me softly, her cute mouth turned down into a pout.

  “It’s someone who is kind of clumsy. Like they spill stuff by mistake or trip a lot.”

  Lexi lets out a huff. “Well I’m not a klutz.” She rolls her eyes, and with her hands on her hips, stomps away.

  “Start to clean up, Lex! We need to get you home to your surprise.”

  “Okay!” Lexi runs to the back. After Tristan picked up Lexi from school, he brought her over to the gym to get some stuff done. Since I was next door going over a couple things with the contractors, I insisted on taking her for the afternoon and even got Tristan to agree to paint her wall.

  After Lexi and Alec clean up their artwork, we say our goodbyes.

  “See you in a few days.” I give Mila a hug. We have started to meet for coffee every Thursday while the kids are in school. It’s nice to be able to sit down with another woman and chat.

  When I asked Tristan if he minded, he looked at me like I was insane, but then he frowned and said, “Charlie, you never have to ask permission to do anything. Whether it’s hanging out with a friend or going out. You are a grown woman.” I realized I was so used to having to ask permission from Justin, I asked out of habit.

  “This is so cool!” Lexi squeals, jumping up and down. Her cast-less hand reaches out to touch the wet paint and I stop her.

  “Don’t touch!” I give her a grin. “It will be good to go when we get back from Vegas.”

  “And I can draw on the entire wall?” Lexi’s arms flail out.

  “Yep! It’s chalkboard paint. We’ll have to buy you some chalk. You can color on it all you want and it will erase with a wet sponge.”

  Mason and Tristan are standing there admiring their work when Tristan’s phone rings. “Hey Lex, it’s Micaela. You want to show her your wall?”

  “Yes!” Lexi grabs the phone and answers the call.

  Leaving her to talk to her friend, I head out of her room to the living room. I have laundry to do and I need to pack for the trip, so I slide on my boots to head out.

  “Where are you going?” Tristan asks, sliding his arms around me and pulling me down with him onto the couch.

  “I was going to head home to get some laundry and packing done. We leave in a few days.”

  “I’ll take you to get your stuff and you can do it here. You don’t even have a washer and dryer.” Tristan situates me across his lap, bridal style, and nestles his face into my neck. “Move in with me,” he whispers and I still.

  “What?” I ask, to make sure I’ve heard him correctly.

  “Move in here. You’re never home anyway. Lexi would be thrilled and you get along with Mason.” He looks up and over my shoulder to his best friend who is smiling.

  “Especially when you do my laundry.” Mason grins.

  “See? You don’t need to be paying rent on a place you’re never at. This condo is plenty big enough for all of us.” He gives me a kiss. “What do you say?” I don’t stand a chance against his adorable puppy dog eyes and my favorite dimple peeking out because he’s smiling so hard he’s practically cheesing.

  “Okay,” I agree.

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah, I’ll move in.”

  “Fuck yeah, let’s do it now.” Tristan pulls me up and off his lap and stands, grabbing his keys.

  “What? Like right now?”

  “I’m not giving you a chance to change your mind. I’ve been in your place. It has like four pieces of furniture, which we’ll put into my garage, and your clothes, which will go in here. Mason, let’s go.”

  “I have to pack!” I laugh at how fast this is happening.

  “So let’s go!” he says to me. “Lexi! Say bye to Micaela! We need to go to Charlie’s old place.”

  I crack up laughing, shaking my head. “You’re crazy!”

  “Crazy about you! Now let’s go.” Tristan slaps my butt as I run past him toward the front door.

  I get outside and Mason is standing against the truck. I join him, standing only a couple feet away and lean against the side as well. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?” I ask. “I don’t want you to feel railroaded.”

  Mason puts his arm around me and pulls me into his side. “I’m more than okay with this. You’re making Tristan fucking happy. How could I not be?”

  “He makes me happy,” I say, looking up at him. “Him and Lexi…and you. All of you make me happy.” Mason nods in understanding. One day I told Tristan he could tell Mason about my past so he didn’t feel left out if it was ever mentioned. The next day I walked into the condo and was met by Mason. He hugged me for a long time and told me he’s here if I ever need anything. Nothing else needed to be said.

  We get to my place and pack up my clothes and toiletries. The truth is most of my stuff is at Tristan’s place. Most of the furniture came with the place. I only have a couple pieces I bought myself, which Tristan and Mason load into the truck while I speak to Mr. Hinton. Since I’m paid up until January, he assures me the last-minute notice is fine. When I tell him he can rent it out immediately, he tells me it actually works out good because his granddaughter is coming to California and needs a place to stay. He thanks me for being a great tenant and we say goodbye.

  After unloading the truck, Tristan makes a quick dinner while I put my clothes into the closet and then give Lexi a bath. Her cast can’t get wet so we have to help her wash her hair and body. Once we eat dinner, Mason takes off with some friends and Lexi goes to bed. Tristan says he’s exhausted, so we relax in bed watching television until he passes out.

  I pull out my paperback—the second book in the series that had the horrible cliffhanger—and read for a little bit before I snuggle up next to Tristan. “Night, baby,” I whisper as he wraps me up in his arms. I look around the room for the first time finally feeling at home.

  Twenty-Five

  Tristan

  “All right! Everyone hop in and find a seat. Lexi, I put your booster seat in the middle. Buckle in.” I throw the last of our luggage into the trunk of the SUV I rented but leave it open. Mason hasn’t come out yet and he’ll need to throw his stuff in.

  “Hey Lexi, can I sit next to you?” Alec asks, and we all wait for Lexi’s answer.

  “Fine,” she huffs out. “But you better be nice, and no calling me names.” Her voice is stern and Alec nods in understanding.

  “I guess I’m in the back,” Mila points out sounding annoyed. I give Charlie a questioning look as we jump into the front seats.

  “She’s going to be in the back…with Mason for four hours.” Charlie giggles and I join in, laughing.

  “I’m here!” Mason announces as he throws his baggage into the back and slams the trunk shut.

  “Maybe I should sit in the back,” Charlie suggests but I’m already shaking my head.

  “No way! I get four hours of my hand on thi
s leg.” I squeeze her thigh making her laugh.

  “Oh man! Are you Mason Street?” Alec whisper-shouts, completely in a trance at Mason standing in front of him, the SUV door open.

  “I am…who are you, kid?” Mason looks around confused like he’s standing in front of the wrong vehicle, until he spots Lexi. “He a friend of yours?” Then he looks toward me. “You aren’t letting her hang out with boys, are you?”

  I hear Charlie snort a laugh as I say, “No…that’s Alec.”

  We all watch as Mason puts the pieces together. His head swings from me to Alec then to the back where Mila is sitting in the third row with a playful smirk resting on her lips.

  “You’re Alec?” Mason questions.

  “I am! And I’m your biggest fan! I love the UFC. Your record is fifteen and two! And that one fight you lost against Fredrick Ricardo was bullshit!”

  “Alec!” Mila scolds. “Don’t you use that word.”

  “Sorry Mom but it’s the truth! I added up the points. Mason should’ve won that fight!”

  Mason is cackling at Alec’s antics. “I agree.”

  “But the other one you lost. I know it was in the beginning of your career but you deserved that one.”

  “Were you even alive for that fight?” Mason asks, incredulously.

  Alec gives him a look. “I know you’re getting old but haven’t you ever heard of YouTube?”

  “Alec,” Mila chides, and Mason is speechless.

  “Is he…yours?” Mason points to Alec.

  “Yes, he is. Mason, this is my son, Alec. As you can see, he’s a huge fan of yours, and the only guy in my life.”

  “Dammit,” Mason curses under his breath. “A man I stood a chance against. A kid…” he shakes his head slowly then looks to me. “You knew?” I laugh, nodding my head. Next he looks to Charlie. “And you knew?” Charlie cracks up, the smile bright on her face as she nods knowingly.

  “Well shit…game over.” Mason climbs into the back seat next to Mila, buckles in, and pouts like a two-year old who was just told no to having dessert before dinner.

  “What game are you playing, Uncle Mason?” Lexi asks.

  “One where I lost, Lexi girl. One where I lost.”

  It’s been two days of fun in Vegas. We’ve hung out in the pool, had lunch at the Rainforest Café. We’ve visited with my parents at the resort since their house is under contract and full of boxes. Mason has been busy working out and preparing with his trainer, and Marco, who is training an up and coming fighter, has been helping him to prepare for his fight. Mila and Alec have been hanging out with us along with Bella—who’s ready to pop any day now—and Micaela.

  Now it’s Saturday morning and I have to head over to where the event is taking place. Mason has just finished showering and we’ve all congregated into my room.

  “Okay, Mason and I have to go check-in, and he needs to warm up. Mila, here are your tickets and VIP passes. Bring these with you.” I hand her the tickets and the passes hanging on a lanyard. “You’ll be seated with my parents and Bella, so if you need anything just ask.” Then I turn to my daughter. “Lexi, please behave for Charlie. I won’t be back until later. Probably close to four in the morning.”

  Everybody nods, and I give my girls a kiss before heading out with Mason.

  “So…tomorrow?” he asks once we’re alone. I nod wordlessly. We’re staying one more night and leaving Monday morning. Since winter break has started, the kids don’t have school, so technically we can stay as long as we want to, but Charlie wants to be home for Christmas next week.

  “Yeah, tomorrow night. My parents are watching Lexi at their place, and I made reservations.”

  “Any doubts?” I think about this for a minute as we walk through the lobby toward the stadium.

  “No, I know she has a past, and while I wish she would let me in when it comes to the asshole who hurt her, it doesn’t change anything. I know everything I need to know about Charlie. There’s no doubt in my mind I want to spend the rest of my life with her.”

  After I few minutes I ask, “What about Mila?”

  “What about her?”

  “You know…now that you know she isn’t taken.”

  “Nope! Not happening. You know I don’t fuck with moms.”

  “Yeah, you might’ve mentioned that once or twice, but you never explained why.”

  Mason gives me a side-eye. “My mom…fuck…I don’t want to talk about it. It doesn’t even matter. The point is, moms are a no-go.”

  We get to the stadium and time flies by. Mason is the main card event and we don’t have time to watch any of the other fights. I go out with Steven, a new fighter at my gym who has proven himself in the UFC, and earned himself a spot in the lineup. Hours later, Mason is up. He, of course, kicks ass and wins his fight. The crowd goes crazy as the ring announcer announces Mason the defending champion.

  We go to the club to celebrate his win along with several other fighters, and around three in the morning, after checking on Lexi who is asleep in her own room, I crawl into bed with Charlie. She’s snuggled under the covers and snoring softly, and I take a minute to watch her. If everything goes as planned, tomorrow Charlie will agree to spend her life with me. I think back on everything I’ve been through the last several years. Bella, the baby, Gina…and the truth is, I don’t regret a single moment or decision because every choice and every heartbreak, led me to Lexi and then to Charlie, and I can’t imagine my life without either of them in it.

  “Hey,” she says sleepily, “I missed you.” She brings her lips up to mine, and lazily kisses me.

  “I missed you too,” I murmur against her lips. “More than you know.”

  “Make love to me, Tristan,” Charlie whispers, and my woman doesn’t have to tell me twice. If I have it my way, I’ll be making love to her every damn day for the rest of our lives.

  Twenty-Six

  Charlie

  After spending the day at Tristan’s parents’ house—technically it was out back because the inside was torn apart in preparation for their move—they grilled and we rode their four wheelers—Tristan and I made our way back to the resort to get changed. He’s taking me to dinner, just the two of us. I told him I was more than okay with Lexi joining us, but he insisted he wanted a romantic night out, which means Lexi is staying with his parents.

  I get out of the shower—Tristan is getting ready in the other bathroom—and find a box on my bed. The tag reads: Wear me. Opening it up, I find a simple yet gorgeous black dress. I step into it and zip it up from the side. It’s tight up top with a low V cut and flares out at the bottom, ending just above my knees. Also in the box is a pair of beautiful Christian Louboutin lady peep patent red sole pumps. It’s been a long time since I’ve touched something this expensive, but it feels different coming from Tristan. It’s a gift from his heart, no strings attached, and I know he won’t throw it back in my face later on.

  I’m putting each heel on as Tristan walks out of the bathroom dressed to the nines. I’ve never seen him in a suit before but damn does it look good on him. Black slacks, black jacket, and a white button-down shirt underneath. Collar is open, no tie.

  “You look beautiful,” he says, pulling me into his arms and giving me a gentle kiss on the corner of my mouth so as not to ruin my lipstick. I let out a soft moan wanting more and he chuckles softly. “Later.”

  “Thank you for the dress and heels.”

  “You’re welcome. But I must admit, they were purchased with purely selfish motives. I get the pleasure of staring at you from across the table all night in that sexy dress.”

  “And the heels?”

  “I’m hoping later tonight they’ll be digging into my back while I’m inside of you.” I feel my face heat up as Tristan lowers his head down and places a soft lingering kiss on my neck. “You ready to go?”

  I nod, and he takes my hand in his, walking us out of the room and to the elevator. When we get down to the lobby, there’s a car service waiting for us
. We don’t even drive a mile down the street when we pull up to the Bellagio. Tristan tips the driver and guides us through the lobby and to an escalator, which leads up to at a restaurant called Picasso.

  Tristan flashes me his panty melting grin, his dimple on full display. “I figured it was only fitting.” He shrugs. He gives the hostess his name and we’re guided back to a balcony overlooking the fountains. The hostess hands us menus and says our server will be right with us.

  “Tristan! This view is breathtaking,” I say as I look out at the dancing water.

  “I agree completely,” he replies. My eyes are trained on the show which is taking place but when I glance to Tristan, he’s staring at me.

  “My dad brought my mom on a date to watch the fountains, so I figured it was good luck because they have the kind of relationship…the kind of marriage I hope to have one day.”

  Tristan backs his seat up and gets down on one knee, and I hear myself gasp. “When I made the reservations, they asked me when I planned to propose. I know most people wait until the end of the meal but I told them in the beginning. There was no way I would be able to sit here across from you with this ring in my pocket and focus on anything other than begging you to become my wife.”

  He pulls out a small blue box and opens it. Nestled inside is an exquisite heart-shaped diamond surrounded by several tiny diamonds in what looks to be a platinum setting. My hands go to my mouth in shock and I can feel my body trembling.

  “I looked at so many rings.” He lets out a quick laugh. “So many…and then I saw this one and I knew this was it. Charlie Pratt, you stole my heart the first night I saw you, and soon after you stole my daughter’s.” I shake my head, tears burning my lids at his words. “I know some people might think this is too soon but I believe when you know, you know, and I know without a doubt I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you. This is me willingly giving you my heart and asking you to never give it back. Will you marry me?”