by Lane Hart
What I need to be doing is thinking about the fight tomorrow night. Like that will improve my mood. Tomorrow, a crowd of people will watch me lose, embarrassing myself and taking my dignity. Sure, I’ve lost fights before, but those were fair, not rigged to make me look like a fool.
In a way, I blame having to lose the fight on Meg too. If she had told me the truth years ago, I could have a decent job by now, one that would allow me to take care of her and my son.
Fuck.
I punch the tile wall at that stupid thought, the three of us living together, like one big happy family, Lennox calling me Daddy the way he was always meant to…
Meg took that from me, so now I’m forced to take an illegal fight and lose it to earn the money it takes to be a responsible parent. Not that my son will ever know that.
The longer I stew in the hot steamy shower, the angrier I get and the harder my cock grows yet again, unsatisfied by my hand and needing more.
Shutting off the water, I grab a towel and dry off before wrapping it around my hips and opening the door.
I’m sort of relieved that Meg’s not in the living room since I don’t want to do this out in the open in case Lennox wakes up. It’s better if we do it behind closed doors. Like her bedroom, which is already shut.
Without the courtesy of knocking, I turn the knob and find it unlocked. So I open her door and find Meg lying in bed, reading on her tablet with only the bedside lamp illuminating her.
She glances up at me, but she doesn’t ask what I’m doing in her room or even look surprised to see me. It should be obvious what I want since I’m standing here in nothing but a damn towel.
Holding my gaze, Meg reaches over and sets the tablet on the table and waits silently to see what I’ll say or do.
“Stand up and get naked,” I order her, pressing my damp back against the bedroom door to try and calm myself down a little before I approach her.
Meg blinks at me for a long moment, and I begin to wonder if she’ll decline. Then, she throws the sheets back and climbs out of bed in nothing but a pink cotton gown. Reaching for the hem, she pulls it up, revealing her thighs, pink boyshorts, and her full, bare tits. Once the material is out of the way, her long hair drifts over her ivory skin, nearly covering her breasts. When she shimmies her panties down her legs, her nipples peek through her wavy red strands, hard little rosy buds that are begging to be plucked or licked or bitten.
No, no, no.
If I touch her, I’ll be lost, and there will be no coming back. Besides, she doesn’t deserve to have my hands caress her, giving her pleasure. She’s the one who owes me.
Unable to wait any longer, I jerk my towel off, letting it fall to the floor. I should probably be embarrassed by how hard my cock already is for her, straining against my belly button, but that’s forgotten when Meg starts toward me, naked, her tits jiggling with each step until she kneels before me. She leans forward until her lips touch my thick, steely flesh, causing my breath to hiss out of me.
That’s all it takes for my restraint to break. With one hand gripping my cock, I shove my other through her hair, clutching a handful and yanking forward until I’m feeding my length into her open, waiting mouth that closes around my girth and applies suction.
“My God, that’s…uhhh yes!” I groan, taking her head in both of my hands to slam her home to the base of my cock. Tonight, Meg doesn’t gag, maybe because she was expecting the harsh treatment. Her head bobs at the pace I set as my eyes close in ecstasy. And if last night’s head was amazing, then tonight it’s fucking incredible.
My ass bangs rhythmically against the door as my hips thrust wildly in and out of her wet mouth. Just as the pleasure sizzles down my spine, I pull her head off my dick and hold her head still while I jerk myself off until my cum sprays like a hose all over Meg’s tits. When there’s not a drop left inside of me, I finally let her hair go. Picking up the towel from the floor, I wrap it around my hips rather than offer it to Meg for her to clean up the mess I made, and leave her there naked on the floor.
…
Megan
In the shower I hadn’t planned on having tonight, I soap up my washcloth and scrub away the remnants of Luke’s release from my chest. By using my mouth and then walking out of my bedroom, I knew exactly what he was doing --- trying to make me feel like shit.
Well, I already did before that, so it didn’t really work.
Luke can act however he wants, treat me any way in an attempt to hurt me, but that doesn’t change the fact that he wants me. Maybe even needs my mouth on him. He’ll be back for more; I’m certain of it now more than ever.
If he were so angry at me, he wouldn’t sleep in this house at night, and he wouldn’t ask anything from me, especially not something as intimate as oral sex.
I may have hurt him immensely, but deep down he still cares about me. Why else would he have only been with one other woman in four years? It’s not for a lack of female interest, that’s for sure.
Although it may not be easy, my plan to get him to forgive me will work. It has to! Luke and I are meant to be together. I’m certain of that; and now that we have a second chance, I’m not giving up on him.
Chapter Twenty
Luke
“Are you ready?” Vaughan asks me when he steps into the office of the shady bar where the fight is being held down in the basement.
“Is anyone ever ready to get their ass kicked?” I ask him, feeling odd without my gloves on my hands and just a thin layer of tape over my knuckles.
“Watch your mouth, kid,” Vaughan warns me even though no one is around. “The walls have ears in this place,” he says in explanation.
“Whatever,” I mutter. “Let’s get this over with.”
With a nod, he leads me down the stairs to the basement where there’s not even a ring or a cage set up. It’s just a mostly empty room full of big bodies except for in the very center, Fight Club style. There’s not even a padded mat on the ground. I bet that dingy cement is gonna hurt like fuck when I go down in the second round.
There’s no intro song playing to help get me hyped up like during the IFC team tournament. I sort of miss hearing the crowd cheer for me as the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s rendition of “Higher Ground” blares in the background. Not that I really need to get pumped up to lose…
“Fighters ready?” Vaughan asks as he pushes some of the onlookers back to make a bigger circle in the middle of the floor. I step forward in nothing but my blue spandex shorts. And the other fighter, a young guy with his caramel hair shaved on the sides and longer on top, approaches hesitantly from the other side. Ivan, I think his name was. His hazel eyes are wide and full of fear, which is his first mistake. If this were a real fight, I know I could take him down despite the ten to twenty pounds he has on me.
“Set,” Vaughan warns, so I plant my feet and put my fists up in case the boy finds his balls and decides to come at me first.
“Fight!”
Of course Ivan doesn’t immediately go on the offensive. Instead, he takes a reflexive step back.
Come on, kid!
He’s obviously not going to make this easy on me. If he doesn’t come at me, I can’t get knocked out in the second round and get paid. Maybe he just needs some time to warm up. Some guys don’t practice fighting enough to curb the flight instinct, but usually, once you hit them, their natural aggression kicks in.
Advancing on him, Ivan blocks my body shot which leaves his face vulnerable to my left jab. Instead of unloading on him, I drop back like I’m trying to protect myself when really, I’m giving him time to recover. He does so, quicker than I expected.
Instead of fear, his eyes are now burning with indignation. I barely have time to register his lunge, and then his fists are nailing me one right after another.
Whoa.
Ivan here doesn’t hit nearly as hard as Linc or even Alex, but he apparently has a shit ton of pent-up aggression. I give him a shove backward to separate us, catching him off guard
so that I can shoot in and grab him around his knees, taking him down to the unforgiving cement. Fuck that’s gonna leave bruises on my own knees.
I maneuver the guy into a reverse chokehold, but leave enough room for him to easily slip out of it. Once we’re on our feet again, I get in a few more hits and take a couple weak ones to my ribs before Vaughan is calling time.
Thankfully, he pulls out stools for Ivan and me to sit and recover on and offers me a water bottle.
“Come on, rich boy. Is that all you’ve got?” Vaughan asks as the crowd around us boos. “I knew those Havoc boys were a bunch of pussies.”
A scowl is my only response since I know he’s just saying shit to cover his ass when I go down in the beginning of the next round. My pride won’t be nearly as bruised as my body once I throw myself down on the concrete.
“Let’s go,” Vaughan says, pulling me up from my arm. “Fighters ready?” he asks, and Ivan nods across from me. “Fight!”
This time, Ivan doesn’t retreat but takes a step forward at the same moment I do, and then both of us start raining fists on each other. Ignoring my instincts to protect my face or duck and dodge, I let Ivan’s punches land on my face. After half a dozen that don’t even leave me dizzy, I allow the next uppercut to land underneath my chin and let the force of it throw me to the ground where I land on my left side.
Fuck that hurt.
The concrete hits way harder than any man.
I keep my eyes shut and my body as limp as I can while the crowd around us boos and roars. Vaughan begins to count as he tries to shake me awake. When he proclaims Ivan the winner, I finally start to blink my eyes open again.
Ivan appears above me, looking down with a creased forehead and offering me a hand up, which I accept, playing at being weak and needing a significant amount of his assistance to get to my feet.
“Thanks,” I tell him.
“No problem,” he says.
I try to act as concussed as possible while Vaughan raises Ivan’s hand and proclaims him the winner. There are more boos, which makes me feel a little bad for the guy since he wasn’t expected to win against me.
“Go up and get changed. Meet you there in a few,” Vaughan whispers to me, so I stagger through the crowd and up the stairs, relieved when I finally make it to the confines of the office where I can dress.
I did it.
I intentionally lost a fight. Do I feel good about it? Fuck no, but I know the three thousand dollars I made will make me feel better.
When there’s a knock on the door, I assume it’s Vaughan and yell for him to come in, since I’m back in my jeans and tee, just pulling my shoes and socks on.
“Hey,” Ivan says when he appears in the room and shuts the door behind him.
“Oh, hey, man. Good fight,” I tell him.
“I saw you fight Cain the other day at the warehouse,” he says.
“Right, yeah, I think I remember you,” I reply.
“You’re the only person who has ever made a fool of him.”
“Seriously? Then that arrogant prick needs his ass kicked more often,” I tell him.
“I got a feeling I know what happened tonight, but anyway, thanks. Even if it wasn’t real, that was my first win.”
Instead of admitting anything because Vaughan told me I had to keep my mouth shut, I ask, “How long have you been fighting?”
“Two years,” he replies.
“You’ve been fighting and losing in these underground fights for two years?” I ask in disbelief.
“Yeah,” he answers, his cheeks turning pink from embarrassment.
“That’s fucking brutal,” I tell him. “No gloves, no canvas mats. It’s a wonder you’ve survived this long.”
“Right, you preppy boys go the comfort route,” he responds, but the slight smirk on his face tells me he’s teasing me.
“Yeah, with rules and everything to protect us too. Which means we rarely get seriously hurt so we can fight for more years making real money in the IFC.”
“You’ve fought in the IFC?” he asks in awe.
“Just for a team tournament. It’s not like I’ve got a contract or big paydays. Too many welterweights for someone like me to ever get a real shot at Linc’s belt,” I explain.
“So that’s why you’re here? To just make some money?”
“I’ve got a son I’m trying to do right by,” I tell him honestly. “Why do you do it?”
“Because they own me,” he mutters before walking out the door without further explanation of who they are.
While I’m thinking over that sad statement, Vaughan comes in and hands me a thick stack of green bills.
“I expected more from you, but here’s what we agreed on,” Vaughan says while nodding his head silently toward the parking lot.
“Thanks,” I tell when him I toss the cash into my duffle.
“I’ll walk you out,” he says, so I gather up my things and follow him out the back door of the bar where I parked my Mustang.
“Good job selling it,” he tells me when we’re next to the driver’s side door. “Got you another fight next week if you want it, but this one you have to win.”
“Yeah, okay,” I agree. “Who will I be fighting?”
“Cal Holbrook. He’s twenty-five, in decent shape, a little taller and bigger than you but no formal training. His record’s three and seven, one of which was a loss to Cain last year. You can take him.”
“Just tell me when and where,” I say.
“I’ll text you the details Monday,” he assures me. “Remember, just keep your mouth shut.”
“Got it,” I tell him before I climb into my car and try to decide where I can go to find some big ice packs for my ribs and shoulder and get some sleep.
Chapter Twenty-One
Megan
“Hey, Meg. You just missed Luke and Lennox,” Brittany says when I walk into the daycare center after work on Friday.
Dammit, why didn’t Luke just call or text to let me know he was gonna pick Lennox up?
Pulling out my phone, I see that there is a text from Luke, from over an hour ago, telling me he was going to get Lennox and take him to dinner at his parents’ house.
“Everything okay?” Brittany asks.
“Yeah, of course. Luke sent me a message, but I hadn’t checked my phone,” I tell her. Maybe that’s because I’m sleep deprived since Luke didn’t come over last night. I stayed up half the night wondering where he was. Did he have a date? Was he sleeping at another woman’s house? Fucking her? I shouldn’t care, but I do, and he could’ve at least told me he’s seeing someone since I’ve been giving him blowjobs!
“Oh, and in case you have direct deposit set up for September, you can cancel it. Luke just paid you up through the end of November,” Brittany adds.
“Wait, what?” I ask in wide-eyed confusion. “Luke paid you? For three months in advance?”
“Yeah, a total of twenty-six, forty,” she replies with a smile. “He is so sweet, and Lennox adores his uncle.”
“Why did he do that?” I ask aloud. “Never mind, sorry. I’ll see you Monday morning,” I tell Brittany before heading out the door and pulling up Luke’s name in my cell phone contacts. Last night I considered texting or calling to ask where he was but decided against it. None of my business. But this is worth calling him for.
“Hello?” Luke answers on an exhale that sounds like annoyance, probably because he knows from the caller ID that it’s me.
“Why did you pay for Lennox’s daycare?” I ask.
“Can’t really talk now,” he says through what sounds like clenched teeth, which tells me he’s probably sitting in front of his parents.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I tell him.
“Yeah, I did.”
“No, you didn’t. Where did you get that kind of money anyway?” I ask, since I know he doesn’t have a job.
“Savings,” he answers simply. “Gotta go, but talk to you later,” he says before he hangs up on m
e.
Ass. A very sweet and considerate ass, but an ass all the same.
Nothing to do for now, I grab Chinese takeout for one on the way home and then wait not so patiently for Luke and Lennox.
By the time they come home, Luke has to carry Lennox inside in his arms since he’s sound asleep, which sort of irritates me.
“I would’ve liked to have seen him awake before bedtime,” I tell Luke softly after we shut Lennox’s bedroom door.
“Oh really?” Luke asks. “Well, I would have liked to have seen him any of the thousand days of his life I didn’t know he existed!” he says through gritted teeth just inches from my face, instantly making me feel bad. “But we can’t always get what we want, can we?”
“I guess not,” I say, swallowing down what’s left of my indignation.
“Get in the bedroom. It’s time for your nightly repentance,” Luke says before he grabs me by my upper arm to direct me there.
“What? I don’t think so,” I scoff and pull away from him.
“Why not?” he asks while advancing on me, making me retreat until my back hits the hallway wall.
“Because…” I start, unable to say the words.
“I want an actual reason, Meg,” he says, bracing his palms on either side of my head, caging me in. Luke’s so close that our lips are nearly touching, but I know he won’t lean forward the extra inch. He hasn’t kissed me since he found out the truth.
“Answer me,” he growls while letting his arousal press against my stomach, stealing my breath. “I need your mouth on me tonight, so tell me what’s changed.”
“Where were you last night?” I blurt out, causing Luke to drop his hands and take a step backward.
“That’s none of your business,” he snaps.
“If you’re…if you’re fucking other women, then my mouth isn’t going anywhere near you,” I whisper to him.
“Fucking other women?” he repeats quietly. “In four years there was only one other woman, so why would you think that in the single night that I’m not here with you that I was with someone else?” he asks.
