by Tia Lewis
Now she was asleep at my side, the movie still playing on the large TV on the wall. It wasn’t quite what I had in mind when I had promised her a night together, expecting for the night to end with hot sex in my bed, but I was not pissed off about the fact that she was asleep.
Shifting my arm, I allowed her to fall against my chest, something warm and fuzzy tightening in my chest as she snuggled against me. It was still hard to believe that we had connected after all these years and that now I was thinking of a future, with Danielle. Why wouldn’t I? She was smart as hell, funny, and made me fucking happy. She obviously loved Amelia and didn’t care that I was the cocky guy who enjoyed a good time. Hell, I couldn’t believe that I wanted to be a one-woman man, but here I was, thinking that exact thing. I wanted to see her every day, to sleep next to her every night. I wanted to have her by my side as I moved into the next phase of my life and my career. She was the perfect partner.
So how would she feel about it? I wasn’t sure, but I hoped that she kind of agreed. I couldn’t bring back her daughter or even make her forget her failed marriage but I could make her future happy and bright and all that warm ass stuff. I could make sure that she was taken care of and loved. Did I love her? The thought hit me square in the chest. Maybe I did. Maybe I did love her. No one had ever gotten to me like Danielle had and definitely not this fucking fast.
But I didn’t want to let her go. That was a fact. I wanted more of Danielle and not just in the sex. I wanted all of her. She mumbled something in her sleep, and I pulled her closer, easing the worries from her sleep. Maybe this was what I was waiting on. Maybe Danielle was my saving grace, the one woman that could completely satisfy me, not only physically but also emotionally. Hell, she had nearly had me all those years ago outside her window, and if I hadn’t been such a dumbass thinking I could actually make it in the world, then we would be married today, and she would have never experienced her tragedies.
But I wouldn’t have Amelia either. So maybe it was the right thing to come full circle like this. Either way, I was glad it had happened.
The Next Day…
“How you feeling?”
I looked up from the ledger I was poring over to see Tony in the doorway, leaning against the frame. “What?”
“You know,” he answered, walking into the office. “About your fight tomorrow night. Are you nervous?”
I closed the book and leaned back, crossing my arms over my chest. “Hell yes, I’m nervous. This is likely my only title shot, and I don’t want to fuck it up.”
“At least you are honest about it,” Tony chuckled, settling into one of the leather chairs in front of the desk. “I would have lied my ass off.”
I shrugged, a grin on my face. “No need to.” I was nervous, nearly unable to sit still for longer than a few minutes, but I had forced myself to do something constructive, like look at the money coming into the gym. At least it would be something to get my mind off the fight for a while. “I always get nervous before a fight.”
Tony eyed me, a smirk on his face. “So if you don’t win, what are you going to do?”
I sighed, rubbing a hand over my face. I had thought about that as well, long and hard. Normally I would have said that I wasn’t going to quit, that I was gonna continue putting my body in that cage for as long as I could, but now that Amelia was in the picture, I had to rethink my life and my choices. “I’m done,” I said, ignoring the twinge of hurt in my chest. “I can’t, I have to.”
Tony nodded. “Hey, I understand man. We have all been blessed by our careers, had a hell of a ride.” He then chuckled. “But there’s a time when a man has to look at other priorities you know?”
I knew exactly what he was talking about. “Do you regret it?”
Tony shook his head, picking at a piece of lint on his shirt. “Nah man, I would never regret choosing to retire. Hell, Hannah is my world now, and if it meant having to choose again, I would make the same choice. The gym gives me enough thrill.”
The gym, my brain child. It would do the same for me. It was my retirement, the one thing I had hoped would be there in case I had gotten hurt and was unable to continue with my career. Now it would be Amelia’s future, as well as mine. Would I be happy with just the gym? I wanted to think so.
“Well enough of that talk,” Tony said, pushing out the chair. “Let me know when you are ready and I’ll grab my stuff.”
I nodded, watching as he walked out. It was a superstition of mine, to be taken somewhere where I could think about the fight, and that was it. It gave me time to get psyched up and focus on the end goal. Tonight, I would go to a friend’s house who was fortunate enough to have his own damn cage on the property and work on my fighting with Tony. He would then drive me tomorrow to the venue. I had been doing the same routine for years, and it hadn’t failed me yet. But first.
I stood and fished out my keys from my pocket, jogging downstairs and out the door to my car. I wasn’t about to go into hiding for twelve hours or so without seeing Danielle and asking her a very important question.
It didn’t take me long to reach her apartment, pulling into a parking spot and climbing the stairs to her place, my palms sweaty with anticipation. She had left me this morning with a smile and a searing kiss, unable to stay even long enough for me to seduce her. Workshops, she had said, escaping. Well, I wasn’t about to go into the biggest match of my life without seeing her.
Knocking on the door, I grinned as she opened it, her surprise only fueling my need. Without saying a word, I grabbed her around the waist and pushed her up against the door, my mouth on hers before she could get a word out. Instantly I was lost in her taste, her touch as she clutched my shoulders, pressing her body against mine. I picked her up and got us inside, pushing the door shut with my foot as I carried her to her bedroom, depositing her on her bed, my hands already on her shorts. “I fucking need you,” I stated roughly, looking into her eyes. “So badly.”
“I’m here,” she breathed, the fire in her eyes telling me she felt the same way. “Fuck me, Benji.”
Damn. She knew how to make my cock stand at attention. With a growl, I pulled off her shorts and feasted on the sight as I stripped my shorts off as well, my hand on my hard cock. Danielle arched a brow as I leaned down, touching her forehead with mine briefly. I wanted to tell her how much I had missed her, but I didn’t want to kill the vibe. She was going to be the death of me.
“Condom?” she asked softly, her breath on my face.
Shit. “No.”
She laughed and reached over, pulling out a strand from the nightstand drawer. “Thank god I stocked up this week then.”
I let out a laugh as she tore one off and handed it to me, wasting no time in sheathing myself before I was inside her, her moan all I needed to hear. Grasping her hips, I pulled her closer until I couldn’t go any farther, my legs shaking from exertion and need. Then I started to move.
“Yes,” she said as I reached down and pressed a kiss on her mouth, her hands holding onto whatever she could find.
“Come for me,” I forced out, ramming into her. Danielle let out a word that sounded suspiciously like my name before she let go, her body quivering around mine. I bit back my own groan as I pounded into her, feeling my own orgasm near the edge of the abyss. I wasn’t done with her yet. I wanted another.
“Benji,” she sobbed as I increased the speed, bringing her to another one rapidly. “Please.”
I knew what she needed. I wanted it too. With a growl I bucked against her, releasing what I was holding back a minute later before collapsing against her, my heart hammering in my head.
Danielle
I couldn’t move. My legs felt like rubber, my own pulse nearly pounding out of my chest as I tried to catch my breath. What I had just experienced, there weren't words to put to the feelings. Benji groaned as he pulled out of me, walking out of the room while I gathered myself and grabbed a pair of panties from my drawer, sliding them on. When I had first seen him at my door,
I wondered exactly what he wanted and was it going to end up in something like this. Now my body was sated quite nicely, and all I wanted to do was crawl in the bed, with Benji of course.
Benji walked back in and picked his shorts off the floor, sliding them on over his bottom half before running his hand through his hair roughly. I felt the first frisson of concern as I noticed he looked nervous, wondering what was up with him. This wasn’t the Benji I knew. “What’s wrong?” I asked, swallowing any concern for now. Was this goodbye sex? God, I hoped not.
He moved over to the bed and motioned for me to join him, taking me into his arms with his back against the wall. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t leave without seeing you.”
Now I was super concerned. His arms held me in place, my back settled against his chest so I couldn’t see his face or his expression. “W-what is it?” I asked softly despite the fact I really didn’t want to.
He blew out a breath, pressing a kiss on my neck. “Sorry, I’m worrying you. I’m gonna be out of touch until the fight tomorrow night, and I couldn’t leave until I saw you.”
Okay. My heart slowed down just a bit at his words. So he wasn’t about to tell me goodbye forever. I could live with that. “O-oh. Well, I’m glad you came by then.”
He chuckled, his arms tightening around me. “Come to the fight tomorrow night.”
I hadn’t planned on doing it nor had he mentioned it until now. “Are you sure?”
“I am,” he answered. “I got a babysitter. Marcella is going to watch Amelia at my place. I want you there, Danielle. I want you in my corner.”
My heart melted. He wanted me there. Not anyone else. That had to mean something. He was killing my little tender feelings and only making them ten times stronger. I was falling hopelessly in love with Benji Lomns. “Okay,” I finally said, unable to turn him down. “I’ll be there.” With that kind of statement, I couldn’t miss it.
“Good,” he said, releasing a breath. “I, hell Danielle I don’t know what’s going on here, but I am enjoying the hell out of it.”
I giggled, unable to help it. “Well, the sex is pretty awesome.”
He nipped at my neck, his arms tightening around me and making me feel both safe and content. “It’s more than just the sex Danielle. Right?”
The way he said it sent a tiny thrill through my body. He was thinking more than just sex. I couldn’t believe it. It was a heck of a lot more for me than just sex. This was, well, it was my heart. Benji had my heart, but I wasn’t ready to tell him yet. What if he didn’t exactly mean that? What if it was serious, but not that serious?
“Danielle?”
Realizing that Benji was still waiting for an answer, I leaned down and kissed his arm. “Yes, it’s more than just sex for me too.”
“God you scared me there for a second,” he chuckled. “I was thinking you were just using me for my body.”
I leaned on his chest, looking up at his unshaven jaw. “Can I use you now?”
He looked down, his eyes sparkling with warmth and that underlying heat I was growing accustomed to. “I got a few minutes.”
The Next Night…
Why had I agreed to come to this fight? Nervously I watched as the venue started to fill up with excited fans, Benji’s phone clutched tightly in my hand. Tony had passed it along to me a few minutes before, telling me that Benji wanted me to watch it just in case something happened with Amelia. I had sent back good luck wishes, wishing I could see him right before the fight. As he had left my apartment yesterday, I had felt like a piece of me was leaving with him and it had been weird not to have any contact with him last night, my nerves a wreck as I had traveled here. I was wishing for a win, prepared to console him in defeat. Either way, it was going to be about Benji and me at some point tonight.
The music started, and I watched as Benji walked out, his head down and earbuds in his ears, with Joey and Tony on either side. He looked focused, and my heart clenched painfully as he went through the pre-checks of his gloves and to make sure he didn’t have anything illegal on him. There was not a part of him that looked nervous, but I could only imagine what he was thinking on the inside.
He walked up the stairs and held his hands up high as the crowd cheered, climbing into the cage as the reigning champion’s music started. The crowd was in a frenzy now, and I sized up Benji’s opponent, surprised at how small he was. But he wasn’t a champion for nothing.
Soon, he was in the cage, and the referee had a few words between them, holding up the belt on the line before signaling a go. It was on.
Benji danced around the cage, testing out some jabs and kicks that didn’t connect with the other fighter, but more of a warm up. The first blow came from the champion, catching Benji on the chin and causing me to wince as Benji’s head snapped back. It was the same cheek that had taken a beating in the other match, and I knew it was sore already. Benji got a good kick in, then a punch, the champion falling against the cage and making the crowd roar in response. Benji was looking good, and I couldn’t have been prouder.
The first round ended before I knew it and the fighters retreated to their respective corners. I didn’t know who was winning, but the way Benji had sauntered back to his corner, I felt like Benji had the upper hand. It was exciting to watch him work, his movements fluid and not at all like I would have thought them to be.
Not to mention the sexiness of him in those little shorts and ripped chest on display. A hint of a smile escaped as I watched Benji start to come out of his corner again, the bell signaling another round. Maybe Benji could wipe the floor with the guy this round, and we all would be out of the stress. His phone started to vibrate, and I looked down, forgetting I was holding it. The caller ID didn’t say anything, so I pressed the button to ignore, turning my attention back to the match just in time to see Benji take another hit. Ouch. That was going to leave a mark. At least he was still on his feet. If anything, I had learned that once he was on the ground, it was hard to get back upright.
The phone vibrated again, and I felt this weird concern thread through me, looking at the screen again. Another unknown number. Biting my lip, I contemplated answering it. Was that stepping over the line? I mean we had talked briefly yesterday about this being more than sex, but was it at that level? I wasn’t so sure.
My thumb hovered over the green answer button before I decided to hit it, hoping I wasn’t making a mistake. “Hello?”
“Oh my god. Who is this?”
The voice on the other line sounded far too young to be anyone that Benji would be messing around with. “This is Danielle. I am, um a friend of Benji.”
“Oh, my God. Where is he? I really need to speak to him. He’s going to be so mad. Oh my god. I can’t believe this happened.”
I went into full cop mode as the young woman’s voice went from insistent to hysterical in an instant. “What is it? I can help you.”
The phone sounded like it was changing hands and I tried not to panic myself. “Who is this?” a male voice said into the phone.
I drew up to my full height. “This is police officer Danielle Parkman. Who is this?”
“Parkman? This is Henderson. What the hell are you doing there?”
I cringed. Henderson was a detective on the missing person’s task force. Wait a minute. “What’s going on?”
He sighed heavily into the phone. “I’m trying to get in touch with Benji Lomns. It’s his daughter. She’s been kidnapped.”
My blood turned to ice as I processed his words, the phone pressed up to my ear so I could hear over the roar of the crowd. “Are you sure?”
“Damn sure. The babysitter called us twenty minutes ago. Some asshole broke into the apartment and took the kid. The babysitter here put up a good fight but was knocked out in the scuffle. I need the father to get his ass over here.”
Shit. “We will be there,” I answered, swallowing the tears in my throat. I couldn’t break down now. Benji would need for me to be strong, be the cop I know to be. Placing
the phone in my back pocket, I hurried down the row, not bothering to excuse myself as I stepped on toes. Amelia was missing. Who would take that sweet child?
Hurrying down the stairs to the gate, I showed the guard my VIP pass that hung around my neck. I had gotten a ticket like everyone else, but Benji had sent over the pass as well so I could have access to the locker room after the fight. Now I needed it for something else entirely. The guard gave me an eye but let me through, and I reached the outer perimeter of the cage, spying Tony standing off to the side. “Tony!” I yelled, getting his attention. He jogged over, a curious look on his face. “If you are going to give fighting advice, I would be highly intrigued.”
“It’s Amelia,” I spilled out, tears threatening my eyes. “She’s been, oh god, she’s been kidnapped.”
Tony’s face went pale as he processed my words, the grin on his face vanishing. “What the hell? Oh hell no.”
“Benji, we got to,” I started, unable to get past the lump in my throat as I thought of Amelia with some freak predator, doing god knows what to her. I was going to kill whoever it was with my bare hands.
Tony looked back at the cage, where Benji was really putting up a fight. “Shit,” he said grabbing the towel off his shoulders as he moved toward the cage. I wiped the tears from my face as he climbed onto the side of the cage, where Joey was standing and threw the towel in.
Benji
The bell sounded, and for a moment, I thought the round was over. I was bleeding heavily from the cut above my eye, my body starting to wear down despite the intense training. The fucker was fast, and if I didn’t get him down on that mat soon, I was going to be in some serious shit.
“It’s over!”
I looked over to see the white towel on my side of the damn cage, Tony’s anxious face peering at me over the top. What the hell? Had he just surrendered the fight? I was hurting, but I still had a damn good fight in me. “What the hell man!” I shouted, feeling anger welling up inside. This was a title match!
