Hot Blooded

by Lake, Jessica

  I sat back, trying to take in what she'd just said, too afraid to trust that I'd heard her right. "Wait, what? How does Akin know?"

  "He doesn't know. Not officially. But unofficially, the deal's been made. It's done. The trial is in a few weeks. Akin thinks it's airtight, especially with you and Ian willing to testify."

  "Fuck. Really?" I wasn’t sure if I was hearing things or not.

  She reconfirmed everything she'd said, and I felt my body relax with relief. And even though it was unofficial, I knew Lily wouldn't have said anything if she'd been in any doubt. I wasn't going to prison. Twelve months’ probation sounded like a vacation as far as I was concerned, especially when I thought about the kind of hard time I could have been facing had things worked out differently.

  "Yes, Callum, really. It still hasn't sunk in for me, either. Are you surprised? How do you feel?"

  "Well," I started, "I feel fucking great. I just - Lily, damn, yes, I feel fucking great! And I love you."

  She got up to get our dinner and we opened the containers up one by one and arranged them in front of us.

  "Indian. I got beer, too. I put it in the fridge to cool off."

  "You North Americans and your cold beer."

  "I know, we're savages, you should know that by now."

  Just as I was about to dig into the curry in front of me, Lily suddenly climbed into my lap and tucked her head under my chin.

  "I'm so relieved, Callum."

  I ran one finger over the scar on her neck. It was raised and pink and still quite visible.

  "Ugh, don't."

  "What?" I asked, perfectly aware of what she was talking about.

  "Don't touch that, it's gross. The doctor said it'll fade, but if it doesn't I can get it treated with a laser."

  "No. I don't want you to get it lasered off. It's 'bad ass,' as you would put it."

  She looked skeptical. "It's ugly, Callum. I hate you even looking at it."

  I leaned back against the back of the sofa and put my hands on the tops of her thighs. "You know what I think, Lily Morgan?"

  "What do you think, Callum Cross?"

  "I think you should stop worrying about things that don't matter. I have. And I've mostly been able to do that because of you. Because if you didn't find yourself at the Streatham Club that first night, a million years ago, I'd still be there working for a man who knew who I was to him but who couldn't bring himself to give a shit, wrecking my body for peanuts and trying to sleep with every vapid twit that walked in the door. Succeeding, too!"

  Lily slapped my arm. "Shut up, man-whore."

  "It's true. I'm different now - my life is different now - and that's because of you. Your scar is cool, Lily. It's sexy, because it's part of you. Don't get rid of it. Please."

  She reached behind her and grabbed her container of curry.

  "You going to pass me mine?" I asked.

  "No," she giggled, "I don't think so. I just want you to sit there all gorgeous and sexy while I eat. You can be the view, OK?"

  "Mmm, it sounds good, Lily, but I'm fucking starving."

  She handed me my curry and we ate like that with her on my lap, facing each other.

  "Can I tell you something?" She asked at one point, before we were finished.

  "Sure."

  "You know how you were saying that you felt like love didn't really exist before? Because you hadn't experienced it?"

  "Yeah?"

  "Well, I kind of feel the same. Even though I've been in relationships that lasted more than a week - sorry, Callum, but it's true - I was just thinking that this wouldn't have been as much fun with anyone else. I've never been so deliriously happy to eat curry with someone. I didn't know I could be this happy. You know?"

  I ran my hands down Lily's thighs, digging my fingers into her slightly."I know. I know. Part of me still thinks I'm in a coma or something, and I'm going to wake up and realize everything is the way it used to be and you're back at the station catching bad guys, having forgotten all about that terrible criminal Callum Cross."

  Lily twisted her body around so she could put the takeaway container back on the table, then she put her hands on top of mine and sucked her lower lip into her mouth, eying me.

  "You're insatiable, woman," I chuckled.

  She gave me one of her coy little smiles, the kind she gave me when she was feeling needy for me. I loved those little smiles. They made me hard instantly.

  "It's your fault, Callum. Stop being so sexy and I'll stop pestering you for sex."

  I helped her pull her sweater over her head and watched as she slipped out of her bra, still sitting on my lap.

  "Jesus Christ you're beautiful," I told her, as the blood rushed in my ears and Lily pulled her hair off her shoulders. "I love it when you do that, Lily. I love it when you show yourself off to me."

  She reached down to her jeans and started unbuttoning them. "I love having your eyes on me, Callum. I used to be a bit of a lights-off girl, but I'm not with you. I want you to see me."

  As soon as I'd freed my rigid, aching cock she lowered herself onto me, leaning her head back and whimpering with every inch she took. I let her ride me like that, let her decide the rhythm she needed. I found myself unable to take my gaze off her half-open lips or her soft, creamy breasts bouncing in time to our movements.

  I listened to the way her breath changed as she worked herself up on my cock, fascinated and utterly bewitched by everything about her. When she leaned forward and dug her fingers into my shoulder, I knew she was close.

  "Callum. Callum!"

  Lily liked to be reassured before she came. It made her feel safe before she let go. And it turned her on, too.

  "I know, baby. I know, Lily. It's OK. I want you to come for me, lovely girl. I want you to-"

  My own voice stopped in my throat at the first clench of her sex around me. It was almost impossible for me to experience Lily coming without feeling an overwhelming urge to do exactly the same. I put my hands on her hips and pulled her down, hard, so I could feel every fucking little twitch of her sweet pussy. And then it was very quickly too much and I was coming, groaning and straining to get as far inside her as I could.

  "Damn, Callum, you're so sweet," she whispered. She stroked my cheek and watched my face intently as I slowly returned to Earth. "It hurts me."

  "Mmm, does it?" I asked, segueing almost instantly into sleepy, post-coital cuddliness. "So sweet it hurts you? Good. I like that."

  "Yeah, it does. Maybe you should just try and have sex with them at that meeting tomorrow rather than showing off your boxing skills. I'm sure they'd hire you on the spot."

  I pulled Lily's warm, naked body against me and nestled my chin into her shoulder. I was going to take the meeting tomorrow. In fact, I picked up my phone and called the bloke back right there with my naked girlfriend on my lap, just to confirm it.

  "Are you nervous?" Lily asked after I'd hung up, snuggling back against me.

  "No, not really. I mean, I'll need to start training a lot harder, but it’s the one thing I know I'm good at and-"

  "One of two things," Lily said, cutting me off.

  "Well, yes, of course, but no one's going to pay me for my skills in bed."

  "Oh, I don't know about that. I probably would."

  "I know," I said, laughing and mock-ducking as she punched my arm lightly. "If this boxing thing doesn't work out maybe I'll do that. Just rent myself out to lonely housewives in Fulham."

  "No. You'd rent yourself out to me and me only. I'd make sure you were well compensated."

  "Sounds fine, Lily. I'll take that deal. Do you want a drink?"

  She shook her head and I got up, naked, to go get myself a glass of water. Was I nervous about the meeting the next day? I wasn't nervous about my skill-set, but I was nervous about finding something to do, some way to support myself. I'd never been to a job interview before, so it was more the new situation than anything else.

  "Do you want me to come with you tomorrow?" Lily
called after me.

  "No. I mean, don't take this the wrong way but I think I'll just be more self-conscious if you're there. I'll call you as soon as it's done, we can have lunch. It's in Walthamstow if you want to meet me afterwards."

  "Walthamstow?"

  "Even Walthamstow's going poncy, Lily. I'm sure there's at least one juice bar there."

  "I hate juice bars! They put kale in everything!"

  I smiled as I stood beside the sink, downing my glass of water in a couple of gulps. I tried not to think too hard about the fact that whatever happened the next day was going to play a large part in determining where my life was going to go.

  Chapter 27: Lily (SIX MONTHS LATER)

  I went straight to the bedroom and ripped my clothes off as soon as I got home from work. It was almost seven o'clock, and Callum's fight was scheduled for 8:30. Luckily, there was no need to scan racks of clothing. I didn't have many 'dressy' clothes. My single little black dress was going to have to do. I pulled my hair out of the French-twist it was in for work and shook it out while applying red lipstick and a few coats of mascara. Was there time to curl my lashes? I did it while sitting on the toilet as I tried to work out how to get to Central London as quickly as possible. Then my phone rang.

  "Hello?"

  "Lily. Darling, how are you?"

  It was Pandora, with whom I had forged a somewhat unlikely friendship after the investigation into Linda Trout's murder had concluded. She was coming to see the fight with me, to ogle the men and to offer me moral support. I was nervous. It was Callum's third fight and the most important so far.

  "I'm kind of freaking out, Panda." Panda. Who knows why I started calling her that - but I did and it had stuck. "I just got in and I'm getting dressed. Do you think I should take a cab? Or would it be faster to-"

  "Lily, calm down. I'll send my driver."

  I listened to the sound of Pandora sending a text. "No, it's OK, I can get there if I can just get my shit together-"

  "Lily! It's done. Twenty minutes at most. I'll meet you out front, OK? By the doors? I'm wearing the pink Proenza Schouler jacket."

  Pandora was so funny. She had no idea how much she stood out, even when she wasn’t wearing ridiculously expensive designer gear. She was over six foot in heels, with a mane of blonde hair and a voice that carried, to put it politely. No one would have any trouble picking Pandora out of a crowd, pink jacket or no. I took the time until the driver arrived to eat some of the leftover strange-but-delicious salad Callum had made the previous day, and tried to drag my fingers through my hair so it didn't look quite so messy. As I expected, when the car pulled up outside the venue, I spotted Pandora within seconds.

  She rushed over on her five-inch heels and grabbed me by the shoulders, kissing me on both cheeks and staring at me expectantly.

  "Well? Lily?"

  "Oh my God, Panda, what? I'm frazzled. Just ask me a question if you have one," I said, grinning.

  "What? Lily - this is what!" She gestured towards the building and I noticed the sign over the door actually had Callum's name on it. His full name. "How exciting is this? I've been reading up on this fight, you know. There are all sorts of boxing websites where people are talking about it. Everyone seems to think your man has a real chance of beating this guy!"

  I bit my lip. I'd been deliberately avoiding all sources of information about the fight - all the better to remain in partial denial of what a big deal it actually was.

  "Oh, Lily, look at you, you're nervous. That's so sweet. I don't think you have much to worry about, though. He's going to kill this guy."

  "Panda," I said, exasperated, "could you not say that out loud? You're tempting fate."

  "Oh shut up, Morgan. Don't go all wishy-washy on me now just because your boyfriend is involved. No, he's going to win. I can feel it in my bones."

  I let Pandora lead me inside, to our seats. Front row. So if he didn't win, I was going to have a close-up view of it. I looked around. The place was already over half-full.

  "Did it sell out? Fuck. I don't know if I can deal with this, Pandora," I whispered.

  "Hey, Lily." Pandora reached out and squeezed my arm. "You're freaking out. Stop it. Honestly, don't worry. I have a good feeling about this. We know Callum can fight. We know it better than most of the people here because we've actually seen it."

  I knew she was doing her duty as a friend - trying to reassure me, trying to help me calm my nerves. But her repeated assertions that there was nothing to worry about just made the irrational part of my brain, the one that likes to torture me, more and more sure there was, in fact, something to worry about.

  By the time 8:30 rolled around, the entire venue was filled. It wasn't a big place, but I knew everyone was there to see Callum, and the feeling of excited anticipation in the air almost had my teeth chattering with anxiety. When the announcer's voice came booming over the audio system, I actually jumped a little. Then Callum came out.

  He wore a hoodie that shrouded most of his face in shadow. His manager and his trainer from the gym flanked him on either side. When he got into the ring and took his hoodie off, Pandora nudged me in the ribs.

  "Lily, look at him." She practically cackled."You lucky bitch!"

  Her comment worked - I had to laugh.

  "Seriously. How come you get him? How come you get him and I get Percy the Stockbroker from Epsom? Where's my twenty-four year old stud? I'm going to petition the U.N. about this."

  I covered my mouth with my hand. The arena was loud, but I knew there were cameras around and I didn't want to be caught laughing my head off in the front row.

  "Percy?" I whispered, "Percy from Epsom? Panda, what are you talking about?"

  Pandora affected a sorrowful look. "Only my certain fate, Lily. I haven't met Percy yet but you know he's there, lurking in the City, waiting to pounce."

  I did everything I could to distract myself before the fight started. I barely even looked at Callum's opponent, except out of the corner of my eye. But when the bell rang to start the first round, there was nowhere else for my jumpy mind to go except to what was right in front of me.

  The other guy got the first punch in, but it wasn't a hard one. Callum had almost managed to dodge it, and the crowd barely reacted. It woke him up to be hit first, though, I could see it in his eyes. Three seconds later, the other fighter was on his back on the canvas, then back on his feet almost as quickly. The crowd roared and Pandora punched the air. It was much too early for me to be engaging in any of that.

  Or was it? The first round seemed to go on forever but even I knew, when the bell rang to end it, that Callum had come out on top. I looked over at Pandora.

  "I told you," she said, squeezing my leg, "I told you! If this doesn't end in the next round I'll buy your drinks all night the next time we go out."

  The bell rang again and I forced my eyes upward, to the ring. Callum was smiling, dancing around his opponent like a kid playing a game. I wanted to tell him to stop showboating, stop smiling, to not do any of that until it was over. I watched him easily duck a right hook and answer, immediately, with one of his own. The roar of the crowd became an anticipatory howl as we all collectively sensed what was coming.

  Sure enough, as soon as the other fighter had managed to get back on his feet and the referee started the fight again, he went right back down, and this time for good. I waited for the count, hunched over in my seat, eyes fixed on the ref. When he waved his hands to indicate it was all over I leapt out of my seat, joining everyone around me in screaming at the top of my lungs. I hugged Pandora, almost senseless with relief.

  "See?! I knew he was going to win. You need to have more faith, Lily."

  "I know!" I yelled over the noise of the crowd, "I do have faith! I just - I get-"

  I watched the expression on Pandora's face change as she looked past me, at something behind me. I turned around to see Callum standing right there, looking at me. One of his eyes was starting to swell, but his whole face was taken up with
a smile.

  "I told her, Callum!" Pandora shouted."I told her but she wouldn't listen. She was so nervous I thought she was going to explode."

  Callum leaned over my shoulder and yelled back to Pandora: "I know! I saw her sitting there looking like the sky was falling. But I think I have a plan for cheering her up."

  He grabbed my hand and began to lead me back towards the ring. I met Pandora's eyes and she threw me a knowing smile.

  "What's going on?" I mouthed, knowing I was already too far away for her to hear me. She just shrugged.

  "Callum! What are you doing? Don't drag me up there. Can't we just wait until everyone else has gone?"

  Callum shook his head. "No. Sorry Lily, can't do it."

  I kept resisting, especially when he tried to get me into the ring itself. "Callum, seriously. There are TV cameras here. Can we wait? Please?"

  He turned back to me and took my face in his hands, looking right into my eyes.

  "No, Lily, we can't wait. Who gives a fuck if there are cameras here? The fight's over, nothing is being broadcast. Stop worrying for five minutes. Just five minutes, OK? Deal?"

  I scrunched up my face and allowed myself to be led into the ring.

  "Why do you have such a sneaky look on your face?" I asked as he watched me. "Why did you bring me into the-"

  Suddenly, Callum kneeled down in front of me. On one knee. I sensed a lot of pairs of eyes on the two of us. My hands flew to my face of their own accord.

  "Callum, what are you doing?!"

  "Lily," he said, reaching up and taking one of my hands in his, "I'm doing something I've wanted to do for a long time."

  Callum reached his hand out and one of his trainers handed him something small. My knees shook and I began to feel the hot prickling of tears in my eyes as he looked up at me.

  "Lily Morgan," he yelled over the noise, "if someone had told me a year ago that I'd be where I am now, tonight, doing this, I would have been more shocked than you look right now. But here I am and I want you to know there's nowhere else I want to be. There's nowhere else I should be. You are the smartest, bravest and best person I have ever known. I love you. I love everything about you, even the parts you might not like very much. I love the way you get nervous before I fight. I love the way you try to boil eggs in an inch of water. I love the way you look at me. I love your heart. And believe me, I could go on for three hours here, but the truth is, I just want to be with you, Lily."