The Fighting Series (Books 1-5)

by Nikki Ash

  “Faith is asleep. I made dinner. I thought you would be home sooner, but I can heat it back up real quick.”

  I look at the table and there are two plates of delicious-looking lasagna, two bowls filled with salad, and Italian bread.

  “Did you make all this?”

  “He grins and nods. “Yeah, I looked up the recipe online and made it earlier while Faith was having her morning nap. I just had to throw it in the oven once it was time to bake it. I should have asked if you were going to be late.” He grabs the two plates and brings them over to the microwave to reheat them.

  “I’m sorry,” I tell him. “Next time I’ll call when I’m going to be late. I stopped at the store to pick something up.” And then I hurry and change the subject before he can ask what I bought. I don’t want to give anything away. “This smells so good. Thank you.”

  “No problem.”

  We sit at the table with our plates of food and begin to eat. I look around and see the place is spotless and smells freshly cleaned. The clothes on the table are folded and ready to be put away.

  “You were busy today,” I comment, nodding toward the clothes.

  “Yeah, it’s just about finding a schedule. Faith is a really good baby. My mom also came over for a little bit and played with her while I got some stuff done.”

  I don’t know what comes over me, but tears start pouring out of my eyes and I’m ugly crying. Bentley gets out of his seat and comes over and hugs me.

  “Woman, what is the matter with you? It’s just folded laundry. I promise I didn’t ruin anything,” he jokes.

  “I-I think it’s my hormones. I just feel so emotional. I miss Faith so much. I love my job, but I miss her. You get to spend all day with her and you don’t even need help. My parents never did any of this themselves.”

  “Shh…it’s okay,” Bentley says, continuing to hold me. He backs away a little bit and gives me a small smile.

  “You just started back to work. You’re on new medications that are most likely affecting your emotions. You are a wonderful mom and there is nothing wrong with you working. Once things get situated, Faith and I will even come to visit you at work, okay? It’s all good.”

  I sniffle loudly. “Okay, I’m sorry. It’s just going to take some getting used to, I guess.”

  He gives me a kiss on my forehead, and I wish he were kissing my lips. Hopefully starting tomorrow night things will change between us.

  “You have nothing to be sorry for. Now let’s eat.”

  * * *

  Everything is packed. I have the lingerie, bathing suits for the hot tub, change of clothes, and toiletries for both of us in a suitcase by the door waiting for Bentley to get home. When I spoke with Kathleen and told her my plans, we decided to do a dinner for Bentley this weekend with everyone. Since she wanted to see him on his actual birthday, he went over there with Faith this afternoon to visit and should be back anytime now.

  Caleb comes out of the guest bathroom in his towel, and before I can ask why he’s showering in there, he says, “Sorry, my bathroom has a small leak. Maintenance is coming to fix it, but I figured it would be best to shower in the guest bathroom until they do.”

  As he’s explaining himself, there’s a knock at the door and without thinking about it, I open it up to let Hayley in. She spots Caleb immediately and her entire face turns beet red. Caleb looks uncomfortable and hurries to his room.

  “Oh my God! You get to see that fine specimen of a man like that every day? Did you see his tattoos? Holy shit!” Hayley whispers rather loudly.

  “I guess his shower is broken. He doesn’t usually walk around like that.” I glance back to Caleb’s door wondering why he’s so uncomfortable around women. I really need to corner him and ask him what’s up.

  Caleb comes back out dressed in a Henley and jeans and sits on the couch. Hayley sits as well, on the other side of the couch. It’s beyond awkward and after a few minutes I feel the need to speak up.

  “Soooo… thank you guys for watching Faith tonight. I know either of you could have probably done it alone, but I just thought two people are better than one. I wrote down all the instructions and if you need anything please call me.”

  Caleb nods and then glances at Hayley real quick. She looks at him and he turns away. Jeez, I hope it isn’t this awkward all night.

  Luckily, Bentley walks in the door with Faith. Go time!

  “Are we having a party over here I didn’t know about?” he asks, looking around the room.

  “Actually,” I say as I take Faith from him, give her a big kiss, and then hand her to Caleb. “We’re going out. Caleb and Hayley are going to watch Faith for us.”

  Bentley’s lips curl into a frown as he opens his mouth to argue. I cover his lips with my fingers. “Nope. No arguing. It’s your birthday and we’re going to celebrate. They know what to do and Faith will be fine.”

  I grab the suitcase, give Faith one more kiss, and take Bentley’s hand to drag him out the door.

  Once we are in my SUV, he starts his complaining. “I don’t want to leave her, Kayla. What if she thinks we aren’t coming back? We just left her the other night to go to that club. What if they don’t know what to do if there’s an emergency? I don’t like this. Maybe my parents should have watched her.”

  “Stop! You have been super dad and partner since we brought Faith home. We’ve only left her once for a couple hours to go out. One night away will be good for you. Plus, leaving her with your parents would mean Hayley and Caleb wouldn’t be stuck in the house together all night.”

  “Wait! What do you mean ‘one night’? Like all night? As in we aren’t coming home tonight? And woman, leave my boy alone! Don’t try to play matchmaker.”

  I let out a sigh. “Yes, all night. Just chill out. It will be fun. Trust me. And I’m not playing matchmaker. I’m just giving them a little nudge in the right direction.”

  He mumbles something under his breath, but I ignore it.

  We pull up to the Mirage and I have the vehicle valet parked. I grab the suitcase and head to guest services to check in. Bentley is busy on his phone, probably texting Caleb to get an update on Faith.

  I order room service for dinner and dessert and have a bottle of liquor sent up as well. I’m given the keys and we head up to our room.

  Twenty-Three

  Bentley

  The entire drive my thoughts have been on Faith and worrying if she will be okay without us all night, but the moment the hotel comes into view my thoughts shift. It’s been six months since I’ve gotten laid so you can’t blame me for what enters my mind when I picture Kayla and me alone in a hotel.

  The problem is I’m not budging on how I feel. The last time I gave in, she fucked me and left me, and while I don’t regret it because it’s how Faith was brought into the world, that shit isn’t happening again.

  I don’t bother to ask her where she’s going with this. I know what she’s hoping for, but if she thinks I’m just going to give in, she has another thing coming. That doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy a night away with Kayla, though. I thoroughly enjoy and welcome her company in any way I can get it.

  After Kayla checks in and orders food for us, we head to our room. She unlocks the door with the key and goes straight to the bedroom without saying a word. I sit down on the couch and wait for her to make her move. I know it’s coming. While I’m waiting I text Caleb for the second… okay, maybe the fifth time to check on Faith.

  Me: How is Faith?

  Caleb: See above for the same damn answer I gave you three minutes ago.

  Me: Send me a picture.

  Caleb: (Insert picture of his ugly mug)

  Me: Fucker! Send me a picture of my daughter!

  Caleb: (insert picture of the most beautiful baby in the world)

  While I’m staring at the picture of Faith chewing on her hand, Kayla comes out wearing a blood red string bikini. She walks past me and her bottoms are those sexy as fuck cheeky things that are barely bottoms at al
l. She looks fucking beautiful. Her hips are thick, her breasts are voluptuous, and her ass and thighs are perfect. Her stomach is soft from recently giving birth. Everything about Kayla post-baby turns me the fuck on.

  She grabs a towel from the bathroom and throws my board shorts at me.

  “Go get changed, birthday boy. There’s a private Jacuzzi calling our names,” she says with a wink.

  I get changed and we head out to the Jacuzzi. She switches on her iPhone to some slow song I’ve never heard of and heads over to the Jacuzzi. I stand still, taking her in, as she enters the water slowly. Her nipples peak slightly from the change in the temperature and then are covered from the bubbles in the water. She looks absolutely exquisite without even trying.

  “Are you going to stand there or join me?” she asks with a devilish grin on her face.

  I get in on the other side and sink down into the water. It’s warm and the jets feel good against my back. She sits across from me just staring at me with a sly smirk on her face.

  “What?”

  “Nothing,” she says coyly.

  I feel something hit my dick, springing it to life. I reach under the water and feel Kayla’s foot trying to rub on me. I grab it and pull her toward me, her body hitting the water. Her hair is drenched and water is dripping down her face, but instead of being mad, she cracks up laughing. I love to hear her laughter. It’s probably one of the most beautiful sounds in the world.

  She stands, and with her hands on her hips, mock glares at me. I know what’s coming next, so I beat her to it. Cupping both hands, I splash her with water right in her face. It’s dripping all over her and she’s spluttering the water out of her mouth while trying to wipe the water off her face.

  I stand and walk toward her. Taking her face in my hands, I give her a soft kiss on her wet lips and tuck her wet hair behind her ear so I can see her face. “That’s better,” I say, admiring how beautiful she looks when she’s happy.

  She stands there for a moment, staring at me, and when I think she’s plotting her revenge, instead she says, “I want this.” There’s so much she can mean by that, so I raise an eyebrow silently asking her for clarification.

  She suddenly looks shy as she whispers, “Us. I mean, if you still want us that is.”

  Her eyes are half-lidded and she’s never looked so vulnerable than she does in this moment. I grip the curves of her hips and yank her toward me as I sit back down. She lets out an audible gasp that quickly morphs into a nervous giggle. I pull her up into my lap, so she’s straddling me. “Say it again.”

  She chews her bottom lip for a second. “I want us. I want to give us a real shot.”

  “You sure.” I need to be sure this is what she really wants.

  She nods slowly. “Woman, if you’re doing this to get me to have sex with you, we’re going to have major problems. Once I’m inside you, you’re mine. Do you understand me? No going back.”

  Her eyes go wide and she nods faster.

  “No, I need to hear the words.”

  “I’m yours. No going back. I’ve wanted to tell you for a while but wanted it to be romantic.” That’s all I need to hear. I bring my mouth to hers and my need for her consumes any other rational thoughts I might have. My tongue plunges into her mouth as she wraps herself around me. The water shifts from our bodies grinding up against each other. Her warm pussy is rubbing against my hard erection, and while I would definitely enjoy Jacuzzi sex, I need more.

  I grab ahold of her ass and pick her up as I stand in the water. I step out of the Jacuzzi and lay her down on the balcony floor. I take a second to look at the beautiful woman in front of me and then kneel between her legs to remove her bikini bottoms. Her pussy is perfection. It’s clean cut but not completely bald. Trimmed neatly. I spread her legs wide and slowly stick one finger into her.

  She isn’t quite wet enough yet, so I move up her body to her perfect tits. Moving the tiny triangles out of the way, I put my mouth around her nipple while pinching her other nipple with my thumb and forefinger.

  “Oh, God, Bentley. Please,” Kayla moans.

  I continue to suck, lick, and pinch her nipples causing her to squirm. I move one hand back down to her pussy and stick one digit in again. It’s definitely wetter. Now we’re getting somewhere. One finger, then two fingers deep, and her back is arched as she continues to thrash her hips down onto my fingers so I’ll go deeper inside her.

  And what my woman wants, my woman gets. I remove my fingers from her, and she sighs from the absence of me. I trail kisses along her jaw down her neck as I remove my swim trunks with one hand, then I guide my hard shaft into her warm, wet pussy. Dropping my forehead on her shoulder, I stop halfway in and pray I don’t blow my load before this even begins.

  She buries her hands in my hair holding me close, and I begin to slowly thrust in and out. She feels so good, so tight. Her pussy is gripping my cock like a goddamn vice. I bring my mouth down to her tits and latch on to her nipple, sucking on it and pulling it the way I know she likes. I angle my cock to go a bit deeper, grinding against her clit.

  “Oh…Oh…Bentley…Fuck!” she groans. Her wall tighten and she comes all over my dick.

  I pump into her several more times, releasing myself completely into her. I drop my face to the dip between her tits and hold my breath, waiting for the excuses to come. Only they don’t. I know she’s awake because her hands are in my hair, gently massaging my scalp, but she isn’t saying a word.

  I finally decide to stop acting like a pussy and look up at her. “Do you still want us?”

  Twenty-Four

  Kayla

  “Do you still want us?”

  I look into Bentley’s beautiful blue eyes that are open like a window to his soul. He has always been this way with me. Every step along the way he’s left his heart open and vulnerable, welcoming me with open arms, while I’ve pushed him away at every turn. I’ve had sex plenty of times in my life, but what we just did wasn’t sex. It was making love. This man loves me. He wants me and only me, and I vow to show him every day how much he means to me.

  He must take my lack of response as a no because his face morphs into anger as he shakes his head and attempts to get up. I tighten my hold on his hair and pull him down to me.

  “Yes, I still want us. I’m sorry it’s taken me this long to get on the same page as you, but yes, I want us. I need you, Bentley. Just please don’t break my heart. I don’t think my heart could take it,” I plead. I don’t know where the words come from, but I feel like I need him to understand that this isn’t easy and I’m so damn scared.

  He gets off me without saying a word and then scoops me up bridal style and heads back inside to our room. He lays me on the bed and then hovers above me. We’re both still wet and naked soaking the sheets. He peppers kisses all over my bod, on my forehead, to each of my cheeks, and to the tip of my nose. He moves to my ear and sucks lightly on my lobe, then brushes his lips across my neck and moves downward to my collarbone. He lays wet kisses on each of my breasts and then descends to my belly, trailing kisses to my mound.

  He doesn’t stop there, though. His body moves downward, and he nips on my thigh, making me laugh.

  “Bentley! That tickles! I bark out a laugh. “What are you doing?”

  He looks up at me and his lips curve into a gorgeous grin. “I’m making sure you’re real.”

  I laugh harder at his antics. He continues to kiss down my leg and when he gets to my foot, he nibbles on my toes, throwing me into a fit of laughter.

  His grin widens. “Is this real? Are you really mine?”

  My cheeks hurt from smiling so hard and my stomach aches from laughing. He’s so adorable. I nod.

  He comes back up my body, until we’re face to face, and kisses me softly. His lips linger on mine, sucking my bottom lip out as he releases it and pulls back.

  “I promise you, Kayla. I’ll never break your heart, baby.” He moves his lips down to the skin right above my left breast and kisses my ch
est right over my heart.

  “Thank you for having faith in us. You won’t ever regret it.” He gives my heart another kiss and then comes up to lie with me.

  The food arrives and, after we change the bed to dry sheets, we eat in a comfortable silence with me sitting on Bentley’s lap as he feeds both of us. I have my arms around his neck and I’ve never felt closer to someone than I do to him right now. There’s a new vibe between us and it feels good. Once we’re done eating, Bentley plugs his iPhone into the speaker and says, “Dance with me.”

  The tears well up in my eyes at the flashbacks to the dinner in our apartment when he asked me to dance for the first time and then again at Liz and Cooper’s wedding just before I gave birth to Faith. This time the song playing is faster paced. Sam Smith is singing the lyrics to Stay With Me through the speakers as Bentley holds me close and once again whispers the words of the song to me like he did the first time we danced together. Our bodies sway back and forth as he holds me tightly to him, almost as if he’s afraid I might change my mind and leave him. What he doesn’t realize is that I’m not going anywhere. I know it’s going to take time to prove it to him, but I will. This man is all I want.

  The song ends and he whispers into my ear, “Baby, stay with me.”

  “For as long as you want me,” I vow.

  He lets out a sigh of relief and then picks me up and carries me to the couch, where we make love for the second time tonight.

  * * *

  I wake up to the sun shining through the windows and the feel of Bentley holding me close. I feel him move slightly and know he’s waking up as well.

  “Want to order breakfast?”

  “No, baby. To be honest I just want to go home to our little girl and spend the first day of the rest of our lives together as a family.”

  As we drive home to our little girl, holding hands, my heart is so full of love. It feels like the switch has been turned back on, like I’ve been stuck in the dark alone all this time, and now I’m no longer alone. Only I didn’t have to stumble and find the light myself. Bentley was here this whole time ready to switch it on for me. All I had to do was have faith in us.