The Fighting Series (Books 1-5)

by Nikki Ash

  “Ewww! Kaden, stop! You are so gross.” She laughs, grabbing my towel to dramatically wipe her face and neck off.

  “Better get used to it, soon-to-be-Mrs. Scott.”

  Her smile spreads across her face, but she quickly straightens it out.

  “Thank you for letting me sleep in. I definitely needed it.”

  “No worries. I’m working with Alex right now and Caleb this afternoon. but I’ll be home later. Want to order in for dinner?”

  “Hey, Kaden!” Stephen comes over. “The guys and I are all going to The Hideout tonight, it’s ladies’ night. You in?”

  Before I can answer, Ashley answers for me. “You should go. I’m actually here to pick up Tristan.” Then she walks away without even giving me a chance to answer.

  “Nah, man. I’m going home after work,” I say, my eyes never leaving Ashley’s ass as she sashays to the kids’ area to get Tristan.

  I pull up to my house with Thai takeout and don’t see Ashley’s piece-of-crap car in the driveway, only the oil stain it left behind. It really does need to get replaced, but she would probably skin me alive if I tried to buy her a vehicle. I got so busy at the gym I didn’t have time to text her all day. Hopefully she and Tristan haven’t eaten yet.

  “Honey, I’m home,” I yell out like I do most of the times I enter her house.

  “Hey Kaden!” Tristan yells out from the living room, playing my PlayStation.

  “You hungry? Where’s your mom?” I bring the bag of food into the kitchen.

  “She’s at work.” It’s not Tristan who answers this time, but Britni, his babysitter.

  “Uhh, hey. What are you doing here?”

  She looks at me confused. “I’m babysitting Tristan. Ashley went to work about thirty minutes ago.”

  Oh. Hell. No.

  “You can take off. Do you need a ride home?”

  “No, I can have my boyfriend pick me up.”

  I pull out some money from my wallet to pay her her full amount since it’s not her fault I’m sending her home early. Then I shoot a text to Caleb.

  Me: Is Ashley working tonight?

  Caleb: Yeah…

  Then a thought strikes me.

  “You know what, Britni? Would you mind watching Tristan? I’ll give you some extra money for the mix-up. I need to run an errand.”

  “No problem, Kaden. I’ll let my boyfriend know to pick me up later.”

  “Thanks! And there’s Thai food in the kitchen for you and Tristan.”

  I take quick shower and get dressed in a pair of nice jeans and a button-down dress shirt. I throw on my shoes and quickly dry off my hair before heading out. On the way, I give Caleb a call.

  “Hey man, I need a favor.”

  “I’m going to assume it has something to do with Ashley working tonight. You know I’m not getting in the middle of that shit. It was bad enough I was stuck on the couch for over a week for not telling Hayley before. I’m finally back in my bed and getting laid again.”

  “I just need you to book her for a private party for tonight. If she has any other parties, give them to someone else.”

  “Fuck, Kaden,” Caleb groans.

  “I’ll pay.”

  “You know damn well it’s not about the money. It’s about fucking with Ashley. She’s good for my business and I’m hoping she’ll eventually manage this place. Pissing her off isn’t going to help with that.”

  “Just do it.”

  He groans louder but agrees.

  I arrive at Assets a few minutes later and am let in right away. Caleb has us all on his VIP list so we never have to wait to get in. When I walk through the restaurant I don’t see her so I head upstairs to the bar area. She’s up on the main stage in only a thong barely covering her pussy, as she moves her body up and down the pole. She is breathtakingly beautiful and every man watching her is entranced by the way she dances so gracefully on the stage. Unlike in some of the trashier clubs, Assets doesn’t allow men to stick bills in the girl’s underwear or throw it up on stage. Girls take turns dancing a couple times a night, but it’s mostly to advertise themselves. Seeing them on stage is what makes a man want her to perform for him up close. I can’t even imagine the amount of men that request Ashley.

  Waitresses aren’t allowed to give private dances, which is why, according to Caleb, Ashley left Double D’s to work here for him. As a dancer, she can make money from the private dances and parties.

  Once she’s done dancing, the curtains close around her so she can grab her clothes as she heads out back. Caleb sends me a text letting me know which room to go into, so I go straight there to wait for her.

  I get comfortable on the couch this time and wait for the music to start for my private performance. A few minutes later, the music begins and she’s back to climbing and grinding that pole, only she’s in a different outfit this time. A light blue dress with a matching bra and panties. When she’s done, I make it a point to clap loud and slow. She looks past the bright lights and sees me sitting there. Throwing her sexy see-through dress back on along the way, she walks toward me until she’s standing in front of me.

  “What are you doing here? When Caleb said VIP, he didn’t mention you.”

  “The real question is what are you doing here?”

  She looks around dramatically mocking my question like I’m an idiot for even asking. “I. Work. Here,” she says, slowly enunciating every word.

  Grabbing her by her waist I bring her into my lap so she’s straddling me. “You’re my fiancée. You aren’t working as a stripper.”

  “I’m your fake fiancée.” She makes sure to emphasize the word fake. “And I have to work so I can pay you back and get a place for Tristan and me.”

  “We’ll discuss that in a moment. Why didn’t you have Tristan stay with me?”

  “I thought you were going out tonight. I didn’t want to cock-block you.”

  “One, you said I was going out, not me. And two, there’s nothing to cock-block, unless you want to deny me yourself.”

  I don’t know what comes over me, maybe it’s her accusation that I would rather be out trying to find an easy lay than home with her when the truth is I haven’t fucked a single woman in God knows how long, but I bring my hands up to her head and pull her into me, smashing her mouth to mine almost violently. She tenses up at first, but I can feel it when she gives in and starts kissing me back. Her hands slide around my neck as her hot pussy begins to grind against my already hard dick through my jeans causing me to groan into her mouth.

  She grinds against me harder and seconds later I’m lifting her dress up and over her head throwing it to the floor. Next, her bra is removed, and then I’m grabbing her ass and changing our positions so her back is on the couch and I’m hovering over her. My lips curl around her taut nipple, sucking it roughly. She grabs my hair, moaning loudly at my assault, spurring me on. I continue to suck her on her tits for several beats before I head farther south.

  I place an open-mouthed kiss through her thin panties, and her ass jerks upward, bringing her pussy closer to me. Ripping the thin strip of material, I dive right in to taste her. My tongue hits her clit as my fingers enter her to see if she’s ready. She is. She’s dripping fucking wet. Sticking one digit in, then another, I fingerfuck her while my tongue continues to lick her clit.

  “Kaden… Oh, shit. Kaden!” Ashley’s pussy walls tighten around my fingers like a vice. Taking her clit between my teeth, I bite down softly then suck on it. Her back arches up and her hands fist my hair as she grinds her warmth against my mouth trying to fuck my mouth with her pussy. My tongue strokes up and down her clit as she face-fucks me. Her moans get louder and her hands fist my hair tighter. Then her entire body tenses, her thighs clenching around my head. “Oh. My. God!” she screams in pure ecstasy as her orgasm rips through her.

  “Holy shit,” is all she says when she’s finally catches her breath. Moving my fingers out of her pussy, I unbutton my pants and pull them down to my knees, taking
my briefs along with them. I line my dick up at her entrance but stop when I look at her wide eyes.

  “What’s wrong?” She shakes her head, but her pained expression tells me otherwise. “What’s wrong?” I repeat.

  “We shouldn’t be doing this. I keep putting myself in this position with you when I know there’s only one way this is all going to end. Badly. This engagement isn’t even real. The marriage will be fake. I’m a stripper for God’s sake. Men see me naked almost every day. I know we aren’t together for real, but it would feel like I was cheating on you if we get together and I continue to work… and I will be continuing to work. I promised myself I would never be with a guy while I’m stripping.”

  Ashley covers her eyes with her hands. “Jeez, I’m such a freaking tease. This is the third time I’ve stopped us from having sex. I’m so sorry. If you want to be with someone else, I’ll understand. You have needs.”

  I remove her hands from her face. “What are you talking about?”

  “I can’t have sex with you. I don’t want to lose you.”

  I pull my jeans and briefs back up, tucking my dick back inside, pissed. Not pissed we didn’t have sex, but pissed she would insinuate I would ever be with another woman while being engaged and married to her—real or fake.

  I stand from the couch, feeling my blood boiling. I need to walk away. I shouldn’t be this hurt by such a simple comment, but I am.

  “I can’t believe you would think I could ever think so little of you that I would cheat on you. I gotta go.”

  “Kaden, wait.” Ashley jumps up from the couch still completely naked. “Have you ever had sex with a woman more than once.”

  I want to say yes. I had sex with my wife exclusively for many years, but I don’t say that. I can’t say that. That would raise too many questions I don’t want to answer.

  “No.” I give her the half-truth. Since my wife left me, I have never spent more than one night with a woman.

  “Don’t you see? If we have sex, it will change everything. Sure, we’re attracted to each other, but you don’t do commitment, and even if you stay faithful to me during our fake engagement and marriage, once it’s over, you will move on, and where will that leave us? Where will that leave me?”

  “I could never just drop you, Ash.”

  “Kaden, right now I’m your best friend, and our friendship works because sex isn’t part of it. There’s no commitment. If we step over that imaginary line, there’s no going back. I couldn’t take it if you stopped talking to me. You can say you would never do that, but your actions speak for themselves. You have never been with a woman more than once. I can’t take that chance.”

  I don’t know what to say. She’s right to an extent, but it’s different with Ashley.

  “I’m pretty sure my tongue and fingers in your pussy was us crossing over the line.”

  “And I don’t think we should do that anymore, but if we had sex, it would definitely be crossing the line. We could never come back from that.”

  Not wanting to continue this argument, I say, “Okay, but can you at least quit dancing? Once we’re married, you’re going to be rich. You don’t need to strip.”

  “I’m not taking your money, Kaden. I’m going to keep my job and pay you off. I’m not ever going to owe anybody again. I can’t take your money. The last time I depended on a man, he nearly destroyed me.”

  She’ll be taking this money, but there’s no point in going back and forth with her.

  “I’m going to go home and relieve Britni from babysitting.”

  “Okay.”

  I start walking out as Ashley calls my name. “Kaden…are we okay?”

  I turn around to face her. Her eyes are hooded and her lips are curled down into a frown. Her hands are covering her chest because she never had a chance to put her clothes back on. I ignore her nakedness, closing the distance between us, and wrap my arms around her tight. “We will always be okay.” I pull back enough to give her a chaste kiss on her forehead, then I head home to relieve the sitter.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Ashley

  It’s been two weeks since Kaden gave me a mind-blowing orgasm only to have me stop him once again before we had sex. I still can’t believe I stopped him, but I knew it was for the best, especially after these past couple weeks. Kaden is what women call husband material. He is selfless in every decision he makes. He picks up dinner on the nights I don’t cook, and he doesn’t let me spend a dime of my own money on anything. He takes Tristan to the gym with him on the mornings after I work late, and he never complains about the house now being lived in. Last weekend, we all took the kids to Cowabunga Bay, a waterpark about thirty minutes away, and had a blast. The entire time he focused on Tristan and me, acting like we’re really a family.

  When everybody looked at us like we’re crazy, and Liz got excited thinking we were really a couple, I felt it was best to tell our close friends the engagement and wedding are fake for his grandmother so they wouldn’t be confused once we get divorced. Kaden wasn’t thrilled about it but reluctantly agreed. That hasn’t stopped him; however, from acting like we’re together. He holds my hand and kisses me like it’s a natural thing. I should probably ask if we can get this marriage over with sooner rather than later because I can already feel it… once our marriage is over, I’m going to be left heartbroken. And the longer we wait, the longer I fall even deeper in love with this perfect specimen of a man who isn’t mine for the taking.

  It’s Saturday night and I have the night off. I can’t even remember the last time I was off on a weekend night, but I’m not complaining. Kaden and I are watching a UFC fight in the living room, and Tristan is in bed for the night—he watched a few fights but passed out before the main event. Kaden promised to record it for him so he can watch it tomorrow.

  “We need to get you a ring,” Kaden says out of nowhere, glancing at his cellphone.

  “What made you think of that?” I’m lying on the floor on my stomach, looking at the Cosmo magazine on my phone.

  He shows me his screen. It’s a picture of Jessica and Alex’s engagement pictures on social media. It’s a beautiful picture of them smiling into the camera with her hand sticking straight out showing off her engagement ring.

  “We can just get wedding bands. I don’t want you to waste money on a fake engagement ring.” I scroll down and come across an online quiz: How well do you know your girlfriend?

  “We’ll see,” Kaden says. “Did you get a sitter for their wedding next weekend?”

  “My parents asked if they can take him for the week. We leave the following day for your grandmother’s birthday party so they wanted to see him before we go.” I click on the quiz and the first question pops up. I read through it.

  “Ashley? Are you listening?”

  He was saying something? “Yeah, sorry. I’m looking at this quiz. It determines how well you know your girlfriend. Want to take it?”

  Kaden laughs. “Those quizzes are crap.”

  I pout. “Please.”

  Kaden rolls his eyes. “Fine. Hit me with it.”

  “Yay! Okay, what color are my eyes?” I quickly close my eyes so Kaden can’t cheat, and he laughs.

  “Seriously? Your eyes are hazel. Sometimes with a hint of green when you’re happy or excited. When you’re sad, they have more of a gold to them.” Well, all right then… I open my eyes.

  “That one was easy. Do you know my favorite movie?”

  “Save The Last Dance. And you cry every time they fight and he walks away.” Damn…

  “Okay, here’s a hard one. What are one of my dreams?” There’s no way he can answer this question. I don’t even know the answer myself.

  Kaden gives me a small smile. “To provide a safe and loving home for Tristan. That’s the only dream I can think of. Since I met you, you haven’t focused on anything else but doing that.” His answer makes me choke up, and tears prickle behind my lids. I shake them off and laugh.

  “I’ll give
you credit for that one.” I look down at my phone and click yes, bringing up the next question.

  “Do you have any other dreams?”

  I think about his question for a minute. Growing up I always wanted to be a teacher. I guess it wasn’t so much teaching but working with kids.

  “I would love to work with kids. Spend my days making a difference in their lives, even if it’s not as a teacher. Okay, next question. Do you know who my friends are?”

  Kaden looks at me like I have three heads. “Are you serious? We have all the same friends.”

  I laugh. That’s true. “Okay, next. Do you remember how we met?”

  “At Cooper’s house.” Wrong!

  “Nope! We met at the gym when I brought Tristan in for a trial class.”

  “Wrong. We met at Cooper’s house. You and the girls showed up drunk and I volunteered to give you a ride home. You passed out halfway to your house and I had to go through your purse to find your address. I carried you both inside and put you to bed.”

  “Oh, my God! How do I not remember that? Is that how you got my number? I thought you got it off my paperwork at the gym!”

  Kaden throws his head back with a laugh. “You gave me your number in the car and told me you weren’t against me sending you naked selfies.”

  I cover my eyes laughing. How do I not remember any of that? I must have been seriously drunk that night.

  You know… if you still want a naked selfie of me, I’ll gladly send you some.” Kaden winks, making me blush.

  “Let’s move on to the next question, shall we?”

  We go from question to question. Kaden’s not only able to answer every single one, but on many, he takes it a step further and explains. I hit finish on the quiz, so it can give me his score.

  “You did good,” I say nonchalantly, trying to play off how well he did. “So, what is it we were talking about before? Alex and Jessica’s wedding?”

  “Oh no! Give me that phone.” Kaden grabs the phone out of my hand and swipes up to pull the screen up with the quiz results.