Fighting Wrath

by Jennifer Miller

Her brows lift in question, “What do you mean?”

  “When should I expect you to find some odd thing about me that you don’t like?”

  “Hmmm, well I’m not sure.” She gives me a lazy smile and my body reacts immediately to the pure lust in her eyes. My cock twitches and fists clench from keeping myself in check. Visions of sitting her on the table in front of me, and feasting on her body, flashes before my eyes. Cleaning my throat I try to clear the images from my mind, but it becomes harder (in more ways than one) to do so, when her gaze moves leisurely over my face and down my chest. When her eyes meet mine again she smiles slowly, while I just stare at her enraptured by everything about her. “Well, at least I like what I see so far.”

  “So tell me again, why is it you don’t date? You’re sexy as fuck. I can’t imagine it’s because guys don’t ask you.”

  Her nose wrinkles a little and she looks away as if I’ve embarrassed her. “Like I said before, I just don’t have time. Between school and working full time, it’s just not something that’s been a priority.”

  “What do you do for work?”

  “Oh, um, Rena and I work together.”

  “Yeah? Is that hard? Working together and living together? You two don’t get sick of each other?”

  “No, we’re both busy so we don’t see each other as much as you would think.”

  “And where is it you two work?” I ask her.

  “Can you excuse me for a minute? I’m going to go to the restroom really quick and then grab another drink. Do you want anything?”

  “No, thanks. I’ll be here.”

  I stand slightly as she leaves, not wanting chivalry to be completely dead, but not wanting to be a geek either. As she walks away, my eyes don’t move from her. I quickly realize that my eyes aren’t the only ones that follow her as she moves through the room. Tapping my fingers on the table, I catch the eyes of a chick across from me. Her eyes are on me and as soon as we make eye contact, she waves and licks her lips. I can’t help but raise my brows, not in interest, but because I can’t believe the boldness of some women. When she leans back in her chair and blatantly opens her legs, I shake my head with a look of disgust and return my eyes to where Sydney should reappear.

  When she’s in my line of sight again, I track her movements as she makes her way to the bar. Like a wild animal watching their prey, I can’t look away from her even for a moment. From across the room her energy and beauty shine like a beacon. She moves with her head high, and her shoulders back. It’s like she completely owns the space she’s in. She exudes confidence, beauty and grace - in herself and her body. It can only be described as intoxicating.

  While she’s waiting for the bartender to notice her, she starts moving to the music that’s streaming from the speakers. Her hips sway, making her ass wiggle, as she leans against the counter. When she turns her head to watch the bartender work behind the bar, there’s a soft smile on her lips. I doubt she’s even aware of what she’s doing, music and instinct taking over her senses. The bartender finally makes his way to her and I can see he asks her what she’d like to drink. Before she can answer, a man sidles next to her and holds out money, clearly offering to pay for whatever she’s ordering. My brows furrow, angry for not thinking about that myself, and I watch as she shakes her head no telling the bartender what she wants. He turns to make her coffee or whatever she orders, but the man next to her continues to talk to her. I sit up straight in my seat when he moves even closer to her and I see Sydney’s body tense in response. She shakes her head and instead of leaving, he puts his arm on her back, drops it to her ass and squeezes.

  I’m up and across the room before I even realize it. Seeing nothing but red, I pull the asshole off of her. Quickly looking her up and down, I ascertain that she’s okay, and then I spin around to confront the prick. “Get your hands off of my girl.”

  He holds his hands up in a peace seeking, hands off, gesture, “I didn’t know she was with someone. Sorry.”

  “Regardless, you don’t lay your hands like that on a woman when she tells you no.”

  “Sorry, man.” He starts to pass by me, but whispers, “Fucking slut,” as he passes.

  Hell. No.

  Grabbing him by the arm to whip him around again, I pull my arm back and get ready to plow my fist into his foul fucking mouth. Before my punch lands, someone immediately steps in front of me and blocks it. “Whoa, Tyson. Not here. He’s not worth it.”

  It takes a few seconds for me to realize exactly what happened. Shit head is still standing there looking scared as hell, although there’s some relief on his face due to the person in front of me. Levi. Where the fuck did he come from? An employee walks over and asks if everything is okay, and Levi and Sydney talk to him, although I don’t know what they say. I’m doing my best to steady my temper.

  When they both turn back to me having settled the situation, I address Levi, my voice gravelly from anger. “What are you doing here?”

  Clapping me on the arm, he grins, “You’re welcome, dickhead. That’s all you need is to get arrested again for getting into a fight.”

  “Arrested again?” Sydney asks raising an eyebrow. I give her a look I hope is both charming and innocent, then glare at Levi who continues to smile back at me unfazed.

  “Seriously?” I ask Levi. Turning to Sydney I mumble, “It’s a long story.”

  “Whatever dude.” He turns to Sydney, “An asshole that’s also a Senator’s son was harassing women. Tyson kicked his ass in a bar. The little shit called the cops on Tyson, he got arrested.” He turns back to me and shrugs. “See? Not a long story at all, and I didn’t even mention you went to jail.”

  Gritting my teeth, I seriously consider transferring my ire to Levi and punching him in the face instead. Sydney actually giggles and my shoulders immediately relax at the sound. I chance a glance her way and she smiles at me and I return it, immediately feeling better at the sight. Hopefully she’s not going to be scared away after all.

  “Anyway,” Levi continues, “you can keep your gratitude to yourself. I just didn’t want your ass to get into a fight in the middle of a fucking coffee shop.”

  Begrudgingly I mutter, “Thanks for intervening.”

  His grin widens, “Don’t worry, I’ll allow you to return the favor some time.”

  “Great,” I mutter.

  Turning to Sydney, Levi’s eyes finally capture the scene in front of him and widen in appreciation. “Well hello there. My name is Levi. I’m a really good friend of Tyson’s. I’d like to suggest you quit wasting your time with this guy, and come hang out with me.” Sydney giggles again, and I cross my arms and glare at Levi trying to convey with my eyes that he will pay for his comment later. “And you are?” He raises and lowers his brows over and over again as he takes her hand and kisses it.

  “My name is Sydney, Levi. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Nice to meet you too. You should come to the gym some time. I’m sure all the guys would love to meet you. Rowan too, if she hasn’t already.”

  “The gym?”

  “Levi and I train together,” I explain.

  Sydney opens her mouth to respond, but Levi beats her asking me, “Speaking of, where the hell have you been anyway?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Either I’ve missed you at training this week, or you haven’t been there.”

  “Oh uh, I haven’t been in a few days. I plan on rectifying that tomorrow though.”

  Levi laughs, “You better or Jax will have your ass.”

  “No doubt. I’m sure he won’t waste a minute making me suffer for it.”

  “Alright, I’ll see you kids later. Jax told us about the show at the gym and I got here as soon as I could to snag a good seat. Enjoy the show. It was nice to meet you, Sydney.”

  “You too,” she smiles and he walks off to his table, but not before smiling at Sydney one more time.

  She and I make our way back to our table, which thankfully no one tried to take in
our absence. “You giggled,” I say in accusation.

  “What?”

  “You giggled. At another guy. I didn’t much care for it,” I grumble and stick out my lower lip.

  Sydney laughs. She fucking laughs at me and I make a promise right there and then to make her laugh as much as possible. She’s fucking beautiful when she does. Head thrown back, long pale throat on display, and a tinkling sound that pleases my ears. “He’s cute,” she says referring to Levi and making me growl under my breath.

  “Uh, sorry about my reaction to that asshole. I saw him lay his hand on you and I lost it.”

  “It’s okay. But, I can handle myself you know.”

  “Oh, I’m sure,” I grin making her roll her eyes. “But, I don’t like anyone else touching what’s mine.”

  “Yours? A little presumptuous, don’t you think? Or is that just blatant arrogance?”

  “Nope,” I state confidently.

  “Nope, which?”

  “Nope to either.” I quickly change the course of the conversation.

  “Is your drink what you wanted? Is it good?”

  “Uh, yea. What did he mean about training?”

  A bit surprised that she let the conversation be switched so easily, I simply say “Huh?” to allow time to refocus.

  “Levi. He mentioned something about training and the gym?”

  “Oh, yeah. I’m an MMA fighter, and so is Levi. We train together.”

  The humor falls slightly off of her face, “Fighter?”

  “A professional fighter. MMA stands for mixed martial arts. It’s a full-contact combat sport. I’ve been training so that I can be put on the professional card. Which means I will compete professionally.”

  She nods her head, but the furrowed brow on her face remains. “Do you get hurt?”

  “Nah, not me. They’re lucky if they lay a hand on me before I take their ass down.” I wink at her and give her my best cocky smile.

  “I’m not a big fan of fighting.” I’m not sure what it is, but something in that statement sets alarm bells off in my mind. There are plenty of people that aren’t fans of MMA, but this feels like something more.

  I drop my cocky façade and state truthfully, “Well, most people don’t like fighting, but this is a little different because it’s professional fighting. We train for it, and willingly get in the ring with each other. It’s heavily ruled and supervised. Levi’s right, you should come to the gym and watch me train some time. That way you can see for yourself and see that it isn’t as scary as it sounds.” I wink at her again and add, “Especially when you’re as good at it as I am.”

  She smiles, her previous concern seeming to melt away, at least in part, and I want to pat myself on the back for taking the deep concern off of her face. “Okay. I’d like that.”

  Just as I’m about to suggest that she come to the gym with me tomorrow, a throat clears in the microphone on stage. I look behind me and see Simon, the lead singer for the Sinners standing on stage. His guitar is strapped to the front of him and he’s dressed in black, head to toe. He’s got dark reading glasses on adding to his emo look and when he smiles at the crowd, it’s easy to see why chicks dig him. As a loud murmur of excitement goes through the crowd, I move to the side that Sydney is sitting on, so we can watch the show together.

  “Hi everyone. My name is Simon and I’m in a band you may have heard of called The Sinners.” A cheer goes up in the crowd. Looking around it’s funny to see the various reactions. Some girls are staring open mouthed at the stage shocked to see him standing there. Others are texting away on their phones, likely telling their friends and posting this surprise on all their social media accounts. Then there are the group of people already holding up their phones and taking pictures and recording. “Maybe you’ve heard of it,” Simon jokes making people laugh. “Before Tyler, Chester, Brian and I signed with our record label, we used to play in bars and coffee houses all over the state. We’re in between tours right now and while all of us couldn’t make it, Brian and I felt like jamming out a little tonight. I hope you don’t mind and will hang out with us for the next hour or so.”

  There are some more cheers in the crowd, a little louder this time, and Sydney looks over at me, and smiles. We spend the next hour doing just as Simon requested. The concert is low key, just two guys who love music, sharing it with others. There’s no theatrics, no screaming, and after the initial excitement, there’s been little picture taking. Everyone is too caught up in the music.

  When they play another slow song, a few people create a small dance floor. Looking at Sydney, I hold out my hand. “Dance with me.”

  She nods, and we make our way to the center of the floor. When I get her into my arms and we start swaying to the music, it’s as if something within me rights itself. For years when I think about myself, I feel like I’m the shards of glass littering the floor after a mirror’s been broken. Sharp, hurtful, angry pieces impossible to put together once again. I’ve never imagined feeling whole – never thought it was possible. But now, this beautiful, mysterious girl that’s still very much a stranger is able to make me believe it’s possible – and may even be starting to put a few of the pieces of my soul back together again by wrapping her arms around me, putting her head on my chest, and breathing in time with me.

  She slowly moves her hands down my back, and I’m surprised when she slips them into my back pockets, cupping my ass. It emboldens me to press my hips against her tighter, and make my movements more sinuous. Our thighs and hips rub together creating a friction that’s making my balls tighten and my dick ache with need. My breaths begin to come shallower and when Sydney puts her lips to my ear and purposefully let’s me hear how our movements are affecting her, I can’t stand it anymore.

  Grabbing her hand, I turn and maneuver us through the crowd. When we step outside, we don’t say a word until we get to my truck. When we’re standing at the passenger side, we stare at each other. Our breaths continue to come fast, her eyes are alight with desire, and my whole body is aching with more need than I knew was possible. I don’t know who moves first, but before I can blink, our bodies slam together, and Sydney’s lips are on mine. I put my hands under her ass and lift, prompting her to wrap her legs around my hips. Immediately turning around, I press her back into the side of the truck and move my mouth over hers.

  She’s a flame. Her lips create a fire within me. My lips, body… even my soul are all on fire with her touch. Gripping her hair in my hand, I yank her head to the side gently and run my lips down the side of her neck, nibble on her ear and then find her mouth again. I taste her, lick her, and savor her. She makes the sweetest little sounds that have my cock so incredibly hard, it’s painful.

  Mouths moving quickly over one another, we can’t get enough. Her fists are clenched in my shirt, and I can feel every single place our body is touching. At a particular skillful swivel of my hips, she gasps and I chuckle. Licking inside her mouth once more, I somehow find it within my control to pull away just a tiny fraction. I grin when she makes a sound of protest and give her a small kiss on her mouth, to sooth her.

  Before I can say anything, we both jump when someone near us yells, “Whoo hoo! Good show! Give us more!”

  Cursing under my breath, I feel embarrassed that I easily lost track of where we are and put her in a position where anyone could see her in such a vulnerable state. As her legs drop from around my waist, I feel a pang of regret, but step back and try to catch my breath. I’m happy to see she’s struggling to do the same. “I’m sorry. I forgot where we were. I should have treated you better than that.”

  She smiles and I swear I could come in my pants like a prepubescent boy at the sight. “I wasn’t complaining.”

  After I unlock the door, she turns and opens the door herself and climbs inside. Feeling no shame, I watch her ass as she gets inside, then close the door when she’s settled. When we get to her front door, I’m hoping she will invite me inside so we can continue what we started.
>
  Throwing her arms around my neck, I smile, anticipating feeling her lips on mine once more. “Tonight was great. Thank you for bringing me. It was just what I needed.”

  “I’m glad you liked it,” I move in to give her a kiss and she pecks me on the lips making me frown.

  “I did, so much. I haven’t had that much fun in a long time.”

  With a smile and another quick kiss – this time on the cheek – she unlocks her door and slips inside. Turning and walking to my car, I adjust myself in my pants. Damn, that woman has totally got me wrapped around her finger. I’ll do anything to feel those lips on mine again.

  All I can think about is the date I had with Tyson last night. It really couldn’t have been more perfect. Sure, he almost got into a fight, but hell, the guy deserved it. Plus, I must confess it was a bit thrilling when Tyson was so chivalrous. The bastard at the bar wouldn’t take no for an answer. Kept asking me if he could buy my coffee and when I said no, he actually told me that it was obvious that I was begging for attention given the way I was dancing. And then he touched my ass. If Tyson hadn’t come and almost popped him one, I probably would have. He was clearly spiking his own coffee – the smell of liquor on his breath was rank.

  From the moment Tyson picked me up for our date and I saw the way he looked at me, I knew the night was going to be great. Something inside of me, while nervous and a bit apprehensive, also felt… steady. Being with him is so easy; it’s effortless. Even our silences are comfortable - full of sexual tension, definitely - but still comfortable. It’s nothing I’ve ever felt before, previous relationships can’t compare. He’s a complete package – yes, he’s sexy - but he’s also kind, protective, and fun. I enjoy simple conversations with him. It’s more than just sexual attraction, although I did have to force myself to walk away from him at the end of the night. What I really wanted to do was invite him in and ride him until we both passed out.

  I’ve replayed our kiss in my mind over and over. I completely lost myself in him. I’ve never felt so wanton, so desired. Before I knew it, my legs were wrapped around him like a monkey shimmying a tree and I was grinding myself unashamedly against him. I can almost blush now at the thought. He’d been turning me on all night without even knowing it. From the way he was polite and attentive, to the way he would scowl at any guy that dared look at me, even when he was ready to throw down in my honor. It was hot. All of it.