“Dammit,” she repeated as she picked up her phone and started looking up the directions to the venue of the fight that night, committing them to the device’s memory.
“No.” Kait suddenly threw down her phone and shook her head. What was she doing? Did she intend to just show up at the fight and try to see Jasper? She’d look like the world’s craziest stalker. But from what she’d seen online, Jasper didn’t have any family or a girlfriend to watch his back. He was pushing himself too hard with back to back fights. He needed someone who cared about him to intervene, to tell him to take better care of himself. Did Kait care that deeply about him? Did she want to be his girlfriend?
All the questions circling around made Kait’s head pound uncomfortably.
“He left!” She lamented to herself in the solitude of her apartment. “He doesn’t want to see you again! Stop being so damn needy! Get a grip!”
But as the day wore on, Kait couldn’t stop thinking about Jasper Duboix, the hardened fighter with the heart of gold. He’d so willingly come to her aide without a second thought for his own safety. He’d even been stabbed. Not once did he fret about his upcoming fights. He just gritted his teeth and helped her. He had been the perfect gentleman. And when he kissed her, Kait was certain that she’d felt something there and that it hadn’t just been one sided. When they kissed, the whole world melted away, and that was something she hadn’t experienced before.
She ran a new search for Jasper Duboix – Girlfriend. He was seemingly very much single. He was quoted in several interviews on the topic of his single status:
“Right now my focus is on my career. I don’t have time to maintain my training schedule and a relationship.”
Kait pouted as she read the quote. Was that why he’d left? Because he wouldn’t have time for her? It felt so petty, and yet Kait sort of understood. She was driven to the point of obsessed. She regularly stopped seeing guys because she simply didn’t have time for them. Or more precisely she was unwilling to make time for them, but she also didn’t really care for those guys. When they were together, her mind was still running over what she needed to do at work or her latest grocery shopping list. They lacked the ability to make time stop all together in the way Jasper did. There was something between them; Kait was certain of it.
With a few clicks on her laptop, she’d purchased a ticket to his fight that evening. Her heart raced as she confirmed the transaction. She had no idea how she’d locate him once she was at the venue. What if he refused to see her? Kait didn’t know his number or anything. But he did have Twitter, and he seemed to respond to messages from his followers. Kait had an account she barely used. She only went on it to occasionally stalk celebrities she liked. She could contact Jasper through there, but then she really did risk looking crazy. Perhaps she could message him later at the fight. Say she went along with a friend and noticed he was there competing. Keep it casual, keep it light. But was it believable?
Kait chewed on her lip and mulled it over. She was determined to see Jasper if only to tell him that she was worried about it. Maybe he didn’t want to hear it, but she needed to tell him all the same. He was pushing himself too much and being reckless with his health, and despite his lack of interest, Kait did truly care about him. Her heart had climbed up in to her throat when she saw him bloodied on the television screen at the bar. She felt sick thinking of him getting hurt again. Even though he was a champion fighter, he was still just a man whose bones could break, whose skin could split.
Kait glanced at the clock. She had over eight hours until the fight. The thought of seeing Jasper in the flesh made her stomach churn uneasily. She considered calling Anna and begging her to join her at the event, but she didn’t want her friend to witness her shame if Jasper did just turn her away. She just had to hope that he’d at least be willing to see her.
Chapter 10
Kait’s heart was pounding as she walked towards the venue of the fight that evening. Crowds of people swarmed around her. There were couples, groups of men, and some people seemingly alone like she was. All the while she kept thinking about seeing Jasper again. But before she'd be able to see him, she’d have to sit through an entire match. She’d have to watch him take punches and kicks. The thought made her feel sick.
When Kait was eventually settled in her seat, which was blissfully quite far back from the main stage in the centre of the arena, she pulled out her phone with a shaking hand. This was it. Jasper’s image was everywhere inside, covering countless promotional posters. It was reasonable for her to pretend that she’d attended with a friend and seen he was fighting purely by coincidence.
Taking a deep breath Kait sent the Tweet.
Joined a friend to watch a fight and wow, you’re here @J_Duboix #smallworld
Biting her nails, Kait waited. People settled in to their seats around her, and soon the entire venue was full with expectant spectators. Checking her watch, she saw that it was quarter to eight. Just fifteen minutes until the fight began. Jasper might not even check his Twitter account before a fight, instead needing to remain completely focused on the task ahead.
Ripples of excitement bounced through the crowd. The air was electric, and everyone was perched on the edge of their seats, Kait included. Though she wasn’t holding her breath for the fight, she was waiting to see if the man she couldn’t stop thinking about would actually get back to her.
Ten to eight.
Her phone chirped in her pocket, and Kait thought her heart might stop. Frantically, she reached for it and saw that she had several Twitter notifications.
@J_Duboix was now following her and had sent her a direct message. With a swift swipe of her finger, Kait was reading it.
Wow, small world indeed :) Fancy coming back stage after the fight? Just you x
Kait exhaled and laughed at the same time. He wanted to see her. She felt so giddy, she thought she might float up out of her seat. But her jubilation was eclipsed by the lights which suddenly dimmed. The sounds of the crowd became thunderous as an announcer declared that the fight was about to start. Checking her phone, Kait realised that Jasper must have messaged her with just seconds to spare before he was about to enter the ring. Did that mean that his thoughts would be of her while he was out there?
When Jasper’s was name was called and he sauntered in to the ring, the crowd erupted in to wild whoops and cheers. He was clearly very popular and had his fair share of fans. Men and women alike shouted out his name in an encouraging fashion. Jasper nodded courteously in recognition of their calls, but then his face hardened, just as his opponent was heralded and also entered the ring.
Kait didn’t want to watch. She wanted to tear her eyes away, to get up and leave, but instead she forced herself to be a spectator. This was what Jasper clearly lived for: the thrill of the fight. The bell for the first round rang out, and the two men sprung in to action. Kicks were expertly executed as were several punches. Most of the time they were dodging one another and bouncing around the large mat beneath their feet, but occasionally a blow inevitably landed. Despite the cries of the jeering crowd you could hear bones crunch and blood splatter. Kait clenched her jaw and tightened her hands as Jasper walked to the edge of the ring after a particularly vicious round. He spat blood in to a bucket and poured water over his sweating face. Even though Kait was sat far away, she could see that Jasper was exhausted. His chest heaved, and he slumped in his chair whilst his opponent was still rigid and alert.
“He shouldn’t be fighting,” Kait concluded to herself with a shake of her head. “It’s too soon; he’s too worn out.”
Anger began to replace any concern she had for Jasper. Another bell chimed as the next round started. Jasper slowly stood up whilst his opponent in blue sprung to his feet as though filled with boundless energy.
“Come on, Jasper,” Kait willed him as around her the crowd chanted for him. Despite his previous wins, he was the underdog in this battle. His broad, strong shoulders sagged with exhaustion. Why was he doi
ng this to himself? Why had he chosen to fight two nights in a row?
His opponent came at him and landed a punch squarely on Jasper’s jaw. His head snapped back, and Kait’s hand flew to her mouth. It was torture to watch him being beaten up like this. She couldn’t take much more. When Jasper straightened, a dark look glinted in his eyes. He pushed back his shoulders and then launched himself at the man in blue. He punched in quick succession, each one landing on its target. Then he stepped back and kicked with the precision of a ballerina, and his heel connected with his opponent’s chest. The man wearing blue staggered back, winded. He fell against the mat. The punches to his head had dazed him, and he seemed unable to get up. The referee dropped to his side and began to count as Jasper impatiently waited, bouncing on the spot as though he was now full of energy rather than verging on the point of exhausted.
The man in blue didn’t get up. The final bell rang, and Jasper’s arm was raised as the champion. The crowd went nuts. People were on their feet, fists pumping the air. They screamed Jasper’s name and clapped their hands until they were sore. Kait felt herself swept up in the euphoria. She too got to her feet and clapped madly for the victory. The sound was deafening, drumming in her ears. But as she clapped, she thought of Jasper’s invitation to come back stage. She hurried off towards the toilets, wanting to give herself a brief once over before coming face to face with him.
Chapter 11
Kait pushed against the crowd as people eagerly left the venue. She headed back in to the arena where a burly security guard swiftly ceased her progress.
“Where do you think you’re going?” He asked sternly as he folded his bulging arms across his ample chest.
“I…um…” Kait could feel her cheeks starting to burn. “I’m a friend of Jasper’s; he invited me backstage.”
“Name?”
“Oh…Kaitlyn Stewart.”
To her surprise, the guard gave a curt nod and then gestured for her to continue on her way towards the back of the venue which led to the changing rooms and the backstage area.
Away from the crowds, the backstage area was still a hive of activity. Agents and trainers darted about with their phones glued to their ears. No one paid Kait any attention. They must assume that the fact that she was there was enough to warrant that she belonged. Nervously, she wandered down a stark corridor, glancing at the doors as she moved. Finally she found the one with Jasper’s name stuck on it. Inhaling nervously, she knocked on the door.
“Come in.” She recognised the voice speaking through the door instantly. It was him. What was he going to say to her? Would he be mad that she was there? Lifting her chin and throwing back her shoulders, Kait opened the door and walked in.
Jasper’s dressing room was small and dimly lit. He sat on a grey sofa with an ice pack held to his left knee. The room smelt of sweat and coffee. He was alone.
“Jasper, hey,” Kait nervously walked in, feeling more like a girlish fan than a previous conquest. “Congratulations on your win!”
Jasper rolled his eyes and then winced. “I nearly knocked my knee out doing it,” he admitted with a grumble.
Kait wanted to be polite; she wanted to tell him she hoped his knee was okay, but she could feel her rage bubbling within her.
“How can you be so reckless?” She blurted angrily. Jasper’s eyes widened, and he blinked at her, startled. “You…you save me from those…those thugs! You get stabbed! And then you fight two nights in a row! And it’s not just your standard throw a few punches fighting, your sport is brutal, Jasper! You looked exhausted out there! What are you playing at?”
Her words landed heavily in the space between them. Kait blushed, realising that she had of course over stepped the mark. She clamped a hand over her mouth to prevent herself from saying anything more. She’d already done enough damage.
“I don’t remember consulting you on how I should live my life,” Jasper told her coldly.
“Well you need to consult someone!” Kait told him defiantly, her hand unable to hold back her vitriol.“I get that you’re a great fighter, but you’re going to kill yourself if you carry on like this! Why did you even help me out the other night when you knew you had all these fights coming up?”
“Would you rather I’d let those men rape you?” Jasper asked quietly, his eyes bright with anger.
“No.” Kait shook her head. “But…but you should have gone to hospital! You needed medical attention!”
“And risk that kind of publicity before a fight?” Jasper asked incredulously. “My opponents would have had a field day with that sort of information.”
Kait lowered her shoulders. So that was why he wouldn’t go to the hospital; he was worried about his reputation.
“Look, I appreciate you coming here to check in on me,” Jasper told her, glancing at the door through which she had entered. He was sending her away. He was already done with her. Kait could feel despair clamouring up her throat, but she swallowed it away.
“It’s because I’m a nice person,” she told him curtly. “When I spend the night with someone, it means something. Maybe that’s not the way for you. But I don’t do one night stands. I’m not like that. I thought we had something…a connection.”
Kait groaned at how needy she was sounding, but if this was the last time she got to see Jasper Duboix, she wanted him to know exactly how she was feeling.
“I thought you were different,” she continued. “I thought you were decent.”
“Seems like all I do is disappoint you.” Jasper looked down at his knee and readjusted the ice pack.
“If I walk through that door, I promise you won’t see me ever again,” Kait told him defiantly. “I’m not the girl who pines over a guy. I came here to tell you to stop pushing yourself so hard, not to plead with you to bed me one more time. The guy I met in the parking lot, the guy who saved me, he was a good guy, no, a great guy! I’m not sure why you insist on hiding him away like you do, but if want my advice, you should embrace him.”
Kait knew she was close to crying. She turned and stormed back towards the door.
“Wait.”
Jasper’s strong voice pulled her back as though it were magnetised. She turned on her heel and gazed in to those deep, alluring eyes which had softened.
“Don’t go.”
Kait tentatively approached the sofa where he was sitting.
“I’m glad you came tonight,” Jasper smiled at her, and Kait thought she might melt there and then on the spot. She remembered how amazing it felt to have his naked body pressed up against hers. All the anger drained out of her, replaced by pure, carnal desire. Glancing at Jasper she saw that same, desperate need reflected in his eyes.
“Lock the door,” he instructed her. Without hesitation, Kait fulfilled the order.
Chapter 12
Sunlight burned against Kait’s face. Swiping a hand across her eyes, she sat up and yawned. The light that crept in beneath the curtains swept across the bed and showed her that she wasn’t alone. A contented smile pulled on her lips as she looked at the sleeping figure beside her.
Jasper was lying on his side, his bare back exposed to her. In the early morning light, she could clearly see the patchwork of scars engraved into his skin. With the tip of her finger, she traced the line of a particularly big scar. She wondered if it was a battle wound for a particularly brutal fight or if Jasper had got it some other way. As she stroked his back, Jasper stirred and rolled over. He blinked away the fog of sleep and then smiled at Kait.
“Morning,” his voice was so irresistibly deep. Kait shuddered just hearing it.
“Good morning,” she managed to reply sweetly.
“What time is it?” Jasper asked as he rubbed a hand across his eyes.
“Half past eight,” Kait noted after stealing a quick glance at her bedside clock.
“I slept late,” Jasper sat up and rested back against the headboard. “Then again, I had a particularly busy night.”
He looked up and gazed at
Kait, his eyes sparkling with mischief. She blushed as she knew he wasn’t referring to the match he had barely won. He was talking about what had happened between them.
Kait had told him how angry she was at him and how he needed to take better care of himself before they gave in to the sexual tension brewing between them. Jasper made love to her on the sofa in his dressing room. Then, still hungry for more, he went home with her. They could have gone back to his place, but now that Kait was aware of his celebrity status, she doubted that was a good idea. She wasn’t sure what was going on between her and Jasper, but she certainly didn’t need the media stepping in and speculating on what was happening.
Mason: Inked Reapers MC Page 27
