by Nikki Ash
The crowd is going crazy, chanting my name. I’ve worked my entire life for this moment, but more importantly, it signifies the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new one.
“Tell us, Rage, now that you’re the new UFC Middleweight Champion, what’s next?”
I knew this question was coming. There have been rumors flying and tons of speculation as to what I’m going to do next. People want to know if I’m going to fight to defend the title, or if I’m going to retire as the champion. The UFC has offered me a healthy contract to stay on board and nobody knows what my decision is except my fiancée.
Looking out at the crowd, I see my entire world sitting in the first row closest to the octagon. Liz wasn’t thrilled about letting Bella come to the fight, but our daughter is less like a princess and more like a warrior than Liz cares to admit. She loves watching these fights, and I would bet money that one day she becomes the UFC Champion in the Women’s Bantamweight Division. Liz is looking at me through shiny eyes, clapping, and Bella is screaming at the top of her lungs for me.
I crook my fingers for them to come up and join me. When they get up to me, Liz gives me a soft kiss on my lips, afraid to hurt me as Bella grabs the microphone.
“My daddy is retiring,” she says clearly, so everybody can hear. The crowd boos and she gets mad. “That’s not nice. My mommy is having a baby and my daddy is going to work at the gym and train me to be a UFC Champion just like him.” And… the crowd goes nuts.
I throw my head back in laughter at my crazy daughter and then take the microphone from her. “My little girl is correct. I’m honored to be the new UFC Champion. I want to thank everybody who has supported me over the last fifteen years…” I go on to name my friends and family, my trainer, the gym, the UFC, and when I’m finally done, I walk hand in hand with my fiancée and daughter out of the octagon for the last time.
Today isn’t just a great day because of my win—today is also my daughter’s fifth birthday. Earlier in the week we had a huge party for her. She wanted a doghouse built for her puppy and we all know whatever Bella wants, Bella gets. Sitting in the backyard in matching colors to her princess play set is a doghouse fit for a puppy princess.
It’s also Valentine’s Day, so this morning when the girls woke up I made sure to have lots of chocolates and stuffed toys for them, along with breakfast in bed. I bought Liz a charm bracelet that has the same boxing gloves as the one on her necklace. It also contains a heart charm with Bella’s birthstone. She cried her eyes out when I put in on, not that it surprised me. The woman cries over everything these days. She’s sixteen weeks pregnant and is due July eighteenth. I’ve been going to her doctor appointments with her and even got to hear the heartbeat and see the baby in an ultrasound. A-maz-ing. One thing I’ve noticed is the farther along she gets, the hornier she gets. I might just have to keep her knocked up the next few years.
“Everybody ready to party?” Bentley yells as we get off the plane in Palm Beach. Everybody gives a, “Hell yeah.” We decided there was no better way to celebrate Caleb and my win than to go to the place where Bella and I first met: Miami.
We drop Bella off with her parents and head south. Liz is a bit upset because Kayla is in Florida, but is refusing to join us. I’m definitely not getting into the middle of all that drama. I’m about to spend the weekend with my woman at the resort we spent together five-and-a-half years ago. Life can’t get much better than this.
* * *
Liz
We get to the resort, check in, and head right to our room. Everybody wanted to go out, but Cooper wasn’t having it, so he told them all they can go without us.
We walk into the room that looks identical to the one from five years ago and Cooper leads me straight to the bed. He takes my shirt off and reaches behind me to take my bra off, so I’m lying in the center of the bed with only shorts on. Of course, those don’t stay on for long. He removes my shorts and panties and, leaning over me, runs his eyes down my body.
“Like what you see?” I tease.
He takes his hands and rubs them over my belly. It’s not big yet, but there’s definitely a visible bump that you can see. If you didn’t know me, you might think I was just bloated, but those who know I’m pregnant can tell it’s from the baby growing in me.
“Yes, I do like what I see, very, very much.”
“And what do you see, Mr. Cooper?”
He continues to rub his hands over my belly then bends down to give it a kiss. “I see the most beautiful woman carrying and protecting our baby.”
He lifts his hands up from my belly and moves them to my breasts, gently palming them. “I see beautiful, voluptuous tits. They’re preparing to one day nurse our baby.” I squirm at his touch. Pregnancy has definitely made my body more sensitive.
He moves up to my face, putting his arms on either side of my head and kisses my eyelids. “I see the most amazing brown eyes that look at our daughter and me with such love.”
He kisses my lips softly. “I see the most kissable lips. These lips are mine.” And with that, he presses his lips back to mine, pushing his tongue through and sucking on my tongue. Our lips move together like they’re puzzle pieces that fit together just right.
Too quickly, he pulls away and moves back down my body. “Mmm… and this sweet pussy. I’m definitely looking at this.” I can feel my cheeks blush. I don’t know how, after all this time, this man can still make me blush but he does.
He licks up my center from bottom to top. “I want to taste you, baby girl. I want to make you come on my face.” And who in their right mind would argue with that? Not me.
Cooper continues to lick and suck, devouring my pussy until I’m at the brink of an orgasm. My legs tighten and my muscles clamp down on him, and I moan loudly as my climax barrels down on me.
He pulls his body back up mine, and places his arms on either side of my head with his fingers threading through my hair. His hard length is pushing into me as he slowly enters me. Looking into my eyes with so much love that I want to pocket it all and store it away, he says, “I’m looking at my entire world. Thank you for giving me a second chance. I love you so much.”
“I love you, too.” And for the rest of the night, Cooper makes love to me, showing me why giving him a second chance was the best decision I ever made.
The end!
Fighting series: book two
Dedication
To Cindi, who told me in life all one needs to have is faith.
Prologue
Kayla
Nine Years Ago
“I think I should be allowed to date. I’m fourteen years old and will be fifteen in May, which is only three months away. I’m a freshman in high school and plenty of girls are dating. I get good grades and I wouldn’t let dating affect my schoolwork in any way. May I please go to the movies?”
Both of my parents are sitting on the couch—backs straight, chins up in the air, in the same stuck up way they always sit, like they’re better than everyone else. Nancy and David Peterson are big time divorce attorneys in South Florida and treat everything and everyone like it’s a business deal, including parenting. I learned a long time ago that when I want something it’s best to approach it like one would in business. I called their secretary and scheduled a time to meet, and after them only rescheduling three times—which I don’t think is good business practice—here we are in our living room where I’m attempting to state my case as to why I should be allowed to date.
If I had to bet, I would say my parents never even dated. They probably sat down and negotiated their entire relationship. I’ve never even seen them hug or kiss my entire life.
“Who is this boy you would like to go on a date with?” my mom asks, keeping a straight face.
“His name is Jake. His dad works at the accounting firm you guys do your taxes at.”
“Is Jake your boyfriend?” my mom questions me further, and I can already see the trial beginning. We might be in our living room, but my mom
is no stranger to bringing her work home. She lives and breathes law. There’s a reason why my brother, Zach, and I practically live at Liz’s house. We can’t get away with anything here unless we’re extremely careful.
I think about this for a second, trying to figure out which answer will allow me to win the argument. I’d imagine a parent would want their daughter to be in a relationship if she’s going to go on a date, and while Jake isn’t technically my boyfriend, I’m hoping that will change after we get to go out.
“Yes, he’s my boyfriend.” I dart my eyes back and forth between my parents, gaging their reaction.
They quickly glance at each other but give nothing away. This is why they’re such good attorneys. They can keep a straight face better than the poker players my dad occasionally watches on television. Zach and I could get in the worst trouble ever at school and my parents would approach the situation calmer than anybody I’ve ever seen. They stick to the facts and never let their emotions show—I’m not even sure if they have any.
“Do you love him?” My mom’s question throws me off, and before I answer, I need to get myself together. Does she even know what love is? I didn’t think those words were even part of her vocabulary. She sure as hell has never said those words to anybody in this home that I know of.
“Not yet, but I think I could over time,” I say honestly, hoping this will work in my favor, showing my parents I’m taking this whole thing seriously. She may not say the words, but I can’t imagine her daughter loving someone would hurt the situation. It’s not like I’m trying to go on random dates. I’m interested in one person specifically. That must get me some points.
“Sweetie, I think it’s time we have a talk.” My mom smiles, but it almost looks like she’s in pain, as if having to spread her lips up to form the smile is actually painful for her. She looks at my dad and he nods, then excuses himself. Oh, great, she’s about to give me the birds and the bees talk. Fabulous! Do my parents even have sex? I mean I know they must’ve done something because they had my brother and me, but still… Unlike the noises we hear at my best friend Liz’s house coming through the walls of her parents’ room at night when I sleep over, I’ve never heard noises coming through the walls of my parents’ room—thank God!
“Kayla, I know at fourteen you want to believe in love, but the truth is love doesn’t exist. Love was created by Hallmark to get people to spend money on each other for all sorts of holidays like Valentine’s Day and Anniversaries. If you go back hundreds, if not thousands, of years ago, marriages were arranged. The original contracts were made to preserve power, forge alliances, acquire land, and to produce legitimate heirs. The churches eventually got involved ,which again helped to preserve the power in the churches.”
What the hell! This is definitely not the type of talk I was expecting…
“The truth of the matter is, up until the nineteenth century, marriage and love didn’t even go hand in hand. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against love, because without the loss of it, your father and I wouldn’t make a living, and you and your brother wouldn’t be living as comfortably as you are. But as your mother, I’m going to tell you what all my clients should’ve been told before they made the decision to get married for all the wrong reasons. You do not fall in love. It’s a fake emotion that people are lead to believe is real. It’s okay to have fun: Date, go to the movies, and enjoy being a teenager. Get good grades and go to college to make something of yourself. Of course, I would love for you to go to law school, but to be honest, I’m not sure you’d be up for the challenge. My point is, make sure you pick a career where you can bring something to the table in a marriage one day. Make sure you’re completely independent, and more importantly, make sure the man you pick is financially stable.”
Oh. My. God!
She continues her speech…
“What I’m trying to say is that when the time comes for you to be in a relationship, you don’t do it based on love. Love isn’t concrete. You do it based on mutual respect and on what you both can bring to the table. Every day in court I hear the same excuse, ‘I fell out of love’, but what people don’t understand is that love is in your head. Money, education, goals, values, religion, political affiliates are all concrete reasons to base a relationship on. Love, on the other hand, is abstract. It changes constantly. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
I open my mouth and then close it. I don’t even know how to respond to this. I decide to go with the first question that pops into my head. “Do you and Dad love each other?”
“I care about your father and he cares about me. We have mutual respect for each other. We met in law school and knew we would be compatible. We both had the same goals, came from the same upbringing, and vote for the same political party. We work well together. That’s why, after over twenty years, we’re still married. At fourteen years old, you can’t possibly know where this boy is going in life. Anything you know about him is simply based on abstract thoughts and feelings that can and will change over time, and I can assure you, Kayla, those feelings will be your downfall.”
I always suspected my mom felt this way, but it didn’t feel real until she verbally confirmed it. Now I can no longer pretend because she put it all out there. My mother doesn’t believe in love.
“I just don’t understand. I know you see people divorce a lot, but what about all the people who are still married? The couples who kiss and hug and love each other. Why wouldn’t you at least try to feel that way?”
I probably shouldn’t push it, but I just don’t understand why she’d keep herself from love. I see it on the television and I see Liz’s parents, and it seems like something everybody would want in their life.
“Kayla, building a relationship based on emotions doesn’t create a solid foundation. Like I said, emotions change. Would you build a home on the ocean? No, because the waves change. They get bigger and smaller. The tide can be high or low. You never know what you’re getting. It’s what you enjoy about surfing. You build a home on a concrete slab on the ground because you know it will be stable.
“You’re too young to understand, but seventy percent of marriages end in divorce. It’s why people have to hire your father and me, and why they end up having to split up the house and kids and assets. They base their foundation on an emotion that changes instead of thinking logically about the issues that matter like if he’s able to balance his checkbook. Does he plan to have a 401K? What type of investments will he consider? What kind of family does he come from? None of those things have anything to do with love.”
I want to tell her that none of that makes sense, but I know she’ll just argue with facts like she always does. It’s pointless to argue with either of my parents. I know how I feel about Jake. He’s sweet and popular, and to be honest, I don’t care who he’s going to vote for in the next election or whether he can balance a checkbook. I think my mom is wrong, and I’ll prove her wrong. When she sees that love is real, she’ll understand not everybody is like her clients or herself for that matter.
So instead of arguing, I nod. “I understand. So, can I go out on a date with Jake?”
She releases a heavy sigh. “Yes, Kayla. Just please remember this conversation. I don’t ever want to have to say, ‘I told you so.’ I would rather you be smart and not make stupid, reckless decisions in the first place so that I won’t have to clean up whatever mess you make, just like I have to do with my clients.”
* * *
Three Months Later
“I’m going to do it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m totally sure. I love Jake, and I know he loves me too.”
I’ve been dating Jake for three months now and things are going good. Clearly my mother had no idea what she was talking about because I’m falling in love with him and I don’t see it changing any time soon.
“Okay, Kayla. If that’s what you want to do, I’ll support you. Not that there’s much I can really do to support you in t
his.”
I’m sitting on the beach with my best friend, Liz. I just finished surfing while she sat on the edge of the water on her blanket, reading her latest romance novel. We both recently turned fifteen and are about to be sophomores. Liz is the ultimate best friend. We met in Kindergarten and have been inseparable ever since. Most people who don’t know us question our friendship because we’re the definition of opposites attracting. While Liz is the shy, quiet, book-obsessed type, I, on the other hand, am more outgoing. I love life. I love to have fun, and if it wasn’t for my book-loving best friend, I probably wouldn’t even pass my classes. This year I was made cheer captain and I got Liz to join. I know it really isn’t her thing, but I love that we get to see each other after school and at games. What I love most about Liz is that she accepts me for who I am and allows me to make my own choices without ever judging. Which is exactly what she’s doing right now.
“Just make sure you’re safe, okay?” she says softly, clearly embarrassed to even be talking about this subject.
“I will. I promise.”
“And make sure you use protection.” Her cheeks turn pink.
“I know.” I try not to laugh.
“You don’t want to get an STD.”
“I know.”
“And you’re sure you’re ready? I heard it really hurts.”
“I’ll be okay. I’m sure Jake knows what he’s doing.”
The summer is about to begin, and my boyfriend of three months, Jake, is about to go away for the summer. He’s been begging me to have sex with him, and I’m going to do it. I love him and I believe he loves me. No, we haven’t said the words to each other, but tonight I’m going to tell him. We’ll have something to remember each other by and when he comes back from vacation we’ll pick back up where we left off.
