by Rye Hart
“I can’t. Even if I should. And I’m not sure about that.”
“Hugh, look at me.” I reach over and turn his face to me. “What would help? There has to be something. What are you afraid of?”
Astonishingly, he laughs. Then he wags a finger at me. “You know what, Sam? That’s the right question. What I’m afraid of. I’ll tell you, and then I’m going to let you decide what to do with my answer. I’m not angry anymore. I know that what you said was just talk. I was being a brat and I’m sorry. But now I’m going to give you one more chance to back out. Do you really want to hear this?”
What does he mean by “back out?” What if I say no?
“Tell me,” I say.
“Okay,” he says. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. This might change everything you think you know about me.”
I wait.
“Sam,” he says, “I’ve never known what it feels like to be defenseless. When you fight, you always know that it only ends in one of two ways. You win or the other guy wins. It can look like a lot of different things, but that’s always the outcome. You both accept it and you prepare accordingly, knowing full well that it might not be your night.”
“Okay.” I’m not sure what he’s getting at, but I like him in this mode. This balance of philosophical and brutish and brooding.
“Even in a fight you lose, you’ve always got a chance. Lucky punch. He makes a mistake. Whatever, but you keep fighting because you know you might get a chance to capitalize on something. That’s why you build up your technique, stamina, and strength. So you can defend yourself. I like that feeling. Always being prepared. It’s what a lot of men are missing. They don’t know what they’re capable of because they don’t prepare. Sometimes they don’t even know how.”
He looks at the stones and it doesn’t quite feel like he’s talking to me anymore. I’m glad I don’t have my recorder with me. I would have been tempted to get this on record. Not to use, but to play for him later. I’m not sure he would recognize himself.
Then he turns to me. “There’s no defense for you, Sam. Nothing I could have done, or that I can do now, makes me feel like I have a chance of resisting you. I’ve never been in this position.” He looks away.
My heart is like a bird trapped in a cage. Of all the things he might have said, this is the most unexpected.
“What I’m saying is,” he says, “I want you. I want you in my life. I want you to be my life. I know this has been fast but I have to consider the way I’m feeling to be a clue.” He reaches out and touches my cheek with the back of his hand. “If you leave, I’ll be okay, I always am, but I don’t want that to happen. I don’t want to just be just okay anymore.”
“What do you want?”
“I want to know that you will love me the way I already love you.”
The sun breaks through the light smattering of clouds. Even the deer take a step closer to see what’s happening. It’s all so storybook and clichéd that I would probably be laughing if I wasn’t trying not to cry.
“You dont have to be afraid. I feel the same way,” I say. And I mean it. It’s not just me talking out of my ass. Yes, it’s only been a few days but a life without Hugh in it seems like a life diminished. “What do we do now?”
He smiles and takes my hand. “I know another spot,” he says. “Come with me.”
Hugh pulls me gently along the edge of the clearing back into the trees. He winds through the woods and seems to double back, crisscrossing and zinging and zagging until I’m sure that we’re lost. I begin to hear a sound that’s familiar, even though I know I’ve never actually heard it in person before.
We step out of the trees near a lake that was completely hidden from view until now.
“You’re not going to believe this,” he says. Then he runs towards the water, stripping off his shirt as he goes. Somehow he manages to get his pants off without stopping his stride. He plunges in, diving headfirst, a movement he has obviously done many times before. When he resurfaces he calls me for to join him.
I can’t get my clothes off fast enough. Although the rain is gone, I’m already anxious about the chill that will settle on my skin as soon as I expose it to the air. I run to the water, not as fast as Hugh, and jump in, bracing myself for the icy shock.
It doesn’t come. The lake is a thermal hot spring. It is slightly warmer than my usual showers, and I feel my body come to life.
When I come up for air Hugh is gliding slowly towards me like a sexy shark. I know how he’s feeling. I move away from him, forcing him to wait. He goes low in the water so just his eyes peer out, all the while moving towards me. Suddenly he dives under. He swims against my thigh, grazing it with his fingertips.
I lower myself into the water so only my head remains above. Hugh resurfaces right in front of me. His eyes are wild and he’s grinning. I like this playful side of him.
“Don’t get too comfortable,” he says, working his hands under me and lifting me to him. “There are all kinds of dangerous things in this lake.”
When I wrap my arms and legs around him I find that the water is shallow enough that he has his feet on the soft silt bed of the spring.
“Oh?” I ask, playing along. “Will you protect me?” I wrap my arms around his neck bringing our faces close together.
He laughs and looks around. “Darlin, who’s gonna protect you from me?”
I kiss him deeply. His grip tightens on my ass and he moves his mouth to my neck. My body goes limp in his arms as I feel him harden against me. But I’m also in a playful mood.
I push off from his chest and swim away laughing. He lunges for me like some sort of sea creature and catches me instantly.
“You think I’m gonna let you go that easily?”
He kisses me and pulls my body against his. It’s hard all over and, as always, I want it. I grab his ass as he handles mine. His mouth moves to my ear and he breathes a little into it as he kisses, making my knees go weak. Hugh works his way down my throat, kissing, licking, sucking, and makes his way to my breasts. He caresses me everywhere while lightly sucking on my nipples. I let out a gasp and he stops. When I open my eyes I see him smiling at me.
“You’re so beautiful like this,” Hugh says, touching my hair.
I lean in and kiss him hard, wrapping my arms and legs around him. His hands go to my clit and he slowly rubs as I bite his tongue. I pull my mouth from his to focus on what he’s doing to me. When I press my cheek to his I can hear him breathing. I feel his heart beating against my chest. It feels so good that I start to rock against his hand as he readies me. I let out a slight moan into his ear and he pulls my earlobe into his mouth, sucking and lightly biting. I moan more and now he moves back to my nipples, sucking and licking, all while strumming my clit.
I lean back in the water, my hands holding onto his shoulders, and let this sensation overwhelm me. He grows harder against me as he sucks at my nipples, moving his mouth back to my neck.
Hugh whispers in my ear, “I have to have you.”
The feeling is mutual.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO: HUGH MADDOX
I’ve never seen breasts like this. They’re full, yet sit upright. And I love how sensitive she is to even the slightest touch. I work her clit and give her nipple a little tug with my lips. She lets out a whimper and I know she needs more.
She opens her eyes again and it’s pure desperation. I like teasing her like this. She won’t try swimming away now. I rub a little more just below her clit. She bites her lip and whimpers again, her eyes pleading for more. I slide my finger inside of her and grow harder as she tightens around me. She lets her head fall back and I push deeper, rubbing her clit with my thumb.
“Oh my god, Hugh,” she whispers.
Her hands tighten around my shoulders as her nails dig in. I like it, so I reward her with more friction.
“Please,” she begs. “Please…”
I return to her nipple, sucking harder. She cries out, desperate for more, desperate for
my cock.
“Baby, please,” she begs. “Please give it to me.”
She pushes me away and flips her wet hair away to her back. Now I know she means business. It’s like watching an animal attack the way she lunges for my cock. Both of her hands grab it, stroking me hard. I lose my balance a little as Sam pulls and tugs. But I’m not done teasing her. Not yet.
She takes a deep breath and dives under, wrapping her mouth around me, determined to get it inside of her anyway she can. And she does. I gasp at the sensation. She works me like some sort of aquatic sex toy. Damn, this woman is good.
She comes up gasping for air and pushes her hair out of her face. She kisses me hard, wrapping her legs around me and rubbing her clit against me. I look into her eyes as she moves up and down, grinding herself against me, desperate for me to fill her void.
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE : SAM WASHINGTON
He is ready, pulsing. I reach down and grab it, jerking him off hard. I need him to give it to me. He snarls a little and I know he’s ready to finally give in. He’s inside me within seconds. I let out a cry of relief and pleasure.
The water makes me weightless and Hugh moves me around however he likes, cupping my ass and sliding me up and down his cock. The warmth of the water and the heat of our bodies make me wonder if the whole lake will start to boil. What a way to go.
He leans me back and sucks on my nipples, then pulls away to tease them with his tongue. Now that he’s inside of me I can already feel my climax building. It’s almost instant with this man. I dig my nails into his back and he lets out a groan, thrusting into me harder. My body quivers as my breath grows faster. I’ve already come once but now I feel my body beginning to seize up again in that wonderful agitation that can only come from another’s expert touch. A sensation too few people will ever know.
“Hugh, oh my god, Hugh!”
He pounds me harder, faster, determined to make me scream.
I shout his name again as I come, all the while with him ramming me. He doesn’t stop or slow down and I continue to quake, now even harder. My body tightens even more as I let out a primal scream, coming a second time.
“Yeah, baby,” he praises, “That’s my girl.”
But Hugh doesn’t slow down. I expect him to come by now too, but he’s still revving hard. I can’t seem to open my eyes and I feel like I could vanish in this very moment. Hugh pounds away, his hands tight on my ass, and even though my eyes are closed, everything becomes extremely bright inside of my head as my body bucks, almost rejecting his cock, almost trying to escape him. I have no control over any of it, not even my scream, as I come a third time.
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR: HUGH MADDOX
This woman is unbelievable. I love pushing her to her limits. And this is only the beginning. She quivers atop my cock, her entire body going limp as she catches her breath. She falls against my chest and for a moment I wonder if she’s gone unconscious until I hear her let out a tiny moan. I run my fingers up her spine and she gasps.
“That looked amazing,” I say to my little rag doll.
“Mmmm,” she replies, running her hands down my back. “What did you do to me?”
“We’re not done yet,” I whisper hot and wet into her ear. It sends a chill up her spine yet she relaxes into me even more.
“I don’t know if I can keep up,” she mumbles.
Ever so slowly, I begin to move in and out of her again. She lets out another little moan that tells me she can indeed keep up. I cradle her ass in my hands, fucking her ever so gently as her grip on me tightens. She works her hands into my hair and begins kissing my ear. When I feel her tongue slip into my ear I know she’s ready for more. And I give it to her.
Sam throws her head back and moans. She looks so good — beyond belief. I don’t know how much more I can take. It feels as though I’ll never be able to get enough of her. And based on her multiple orgasms, I think the feeling might be mutual.
With my hands on her ass, I go deeper, and harder into her. I could let myself go easily and finish now. But she’s tightening around me in a way that suggests she could go again.
And I want to give it to her.
I whisper into her ear, “Come for me, baby.”
She whimpers, her body making all of the decisions for her.
I slip just the tip of my pinky into her ass and she tightens around all of me, letting out a gasp. I continue moving in and out of her as her body gives in. I slide just a little more of my finger into her and she lets out an entirely new moan.
“Yesss,” she hisses into my ear. “Yesssss…”
This woman is a masterpiece. She gasps and quivers and I know it’s coming. I get so aroused by her groaning that I’m dying for release. She cries out for more and I put my finger all the way inside of her. And that’s all it took.
Sam bucks wildly, climaxing for the fourth time. And now it’s my turn too.
I give it all to her, our screams mingling throughout the forest as we come together.
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE: SAM WASHINGTON
I’m not sure how long we are there in the water, enmeshed, giving ourselves to each other, healing our pasts. But when we finish it feels almost like a post-coital resurrection. Hugh wraps his arms around me and squeezes me so tightly that any more would be uncomfortable.
But it’s perfect.
“You’re perfect,” I say, raising my head to look into his eyes.
“We’re perfect,” he replies, kissing me gently and sighing. “But I have some bad news.”
“Great. Okay, give it to me.”
“It’s much colder getting out than it was getting in.”
“Then let’s stay a little longer.” As I lay my head against his chest.
“So, what did you mean about there being no going back.”
“I knew that I was about to cross a line. You have such a strong hold on me — I never want to let you go.” Hugh reaches for my chin, pulling my head up to meet his gaze. “You’d have to cross a line of your own. Be with me, or go. Whatever you choose, I’d love you.”
“It doesn’t feel like I have a choice,” I say.
It was the best feeling in the world. It felt like all the stars were aligned this very moment. There was no way not to love Hugh Maddox.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX : HUGH MADDOX
We spend the next two days jumping each other’s bones every chance we get while preparing for the move.
Yep, that’s right. I’ve decided to go back to New York. When we got back from the hot springs I kind of lost it for a couple of hours in a flurry of activity. First of all, I shaved. Then I drove into town where I had cell service and called my agent. He could not believe it was me. We hadn’t spoken in years.
I told him I was coming home and it was time for him to find a new fight for me.
Not surprisingly, given that this would be the biggest comeback story in mixed martial arts history, he was overjoyed.
Sam loves the idea even more than he does. She knows I have all the money we’ll ever need, but she’s a city girl. I know she would stay out here if I asked, but I’m not going to ask. She has awakened something in me and I’ve got the urge to go back and take what’s mine. I never lost that title, I just gave it up.
Oh, and she’s going to write it up as the climax of the whole story. This might be a career maker for her.
She says her place is big enough for us both, but we can look for somewhere new if we want. I honestly don’t care about any of that shit. I’m just happy that I get to be with her.
Someone said once that if the people you love love you back, then you’re a success. That made sense to me then, and it makes way more sense to me now.
There really wasn’t too much to do to get out of the cabin. I was going to hold onto it, and leaving didn’t mean much more than locking the doors and driving away, which is exactly what we did.
Now we’re on an airplane headed back to New York.
“Everyone knows who you are,” says Sam. “Y
ou should have shaved that beard ages ago.”
“Why? For the deer?”
She’s right, though. I’ve been away, but I might still be the most recognizable fighter in the world. But the attention I’m getting—most of it meant to be subtle, most of it actually turning out to be anything but subtle, particularly from women—feels weird now. I’m not used to it anymore and in all honesty my cup is full with Sam, and knowing that she’s all mine.
“Oh my God, I love the way women are looking at you,” she says when we hit cruising altitude.
“What? Why?”
She squeezes my arm and leans her head on my shoulder. “Because I know they can’t have you and I’ve got you all to myself. Is that bitchy of me?”
“Yes. You’re absolutely awful. Never change, little monster.”
That night we crash at her place, exhausted, but not too exhausted for thirty minutes in the shower and another hour in her bed, which is just a little too small for me. I worried that the noises of the city might bug me after my years of solitude, but they’re surprisingly comforting. I needed to leave for a while, but it looks like I didn’t need to leave for good.
I feel like I’m home - in my town and with Sam.
They are both my home now.
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN: SAM WASHINGTON
The week we get back is a blur. Hugh spends a lot of time meeting with the upper brass at fighting headquarters and setting up a new training camp. He says he only needs about fourteen weeks to get through a full fighting camp. Apparently they’re going to let him challenge for the title right away.
I can’t wait to see him back on top. I almost forget about my own job. Trinity is absolutely bonkers for this story. She’s wants me to write it all long form, from the first meeting we had about it, to searching for the missing fighter, to finding him, to the sex, to the falling in love, to the return to New York and the road to the title fight.
If you ask me, The Inner Eye has already made too much of a mark on the world, and I’m no longer so concerned about pleasing my boss. I reject the idea of a full story that reveals the one on one moments I had with Hugh; instead I tell Trinity I will only write it if our private moments are left out. I was still holding my end of the bargain and I wanted to keep those beautiful memories between Hugh and I just that – between us. Trinity has no choice but to accept my ultimatum because Hugh won’t allow anyone to write his story but the person who knows him the most - me.
