“Where you from?”
“The land of don’t bother us. You should check it out.”
The blonde kicks the bag so hard sweat flies off her.
Hot.
Crossing my arms I tip my chin up. “Do that again.”
Her gorgeous ice-green eyes sharpen and she wipes sweat from her forehead with her arm. “I’m not a show pony.”
Gotta chuckle at that. “Just thought it was a powerful kick.”
“For a woman?” she goads me.
“For anyone.”
My gaze drops to the dark-haired cousin. She’s still deciding if she wants to send me packing.
Turning to leave before this goes south, I smirk, “Ladies. It was a pleasure. But it could be more of one.”
The cousin snorts, “Please.”
I lock eyes with her over my shoulder as I head away. “Didn’t mean for you.” Meeting the blonde’s guarded stare I give her a cocky smile. “I meant you, Goldilocks.”
Her soft pink lips open slightly. I can picture what I’d like to put in them.
Acting as if I’ve almost forgotten I turn around and stop walking. “Want to see a fight tomorrow night? Sold out but I’ve got comps. Nah, you’ve made it clear you’re not interested.” I start to leave again.
The cousin rises up. “Fuck yes!” Goldilocks hits her arm, but the smack is ignored. “They had better be good seats.”
Chuckling, I pause. “Best in the house. What names should I hold them under?”
“Cocker. I’m Sofia. This is my cousin Hannah.”
“Both same last name?”
“Yep.”
The blonde’s stare is cold. She’s letting her cousin do all the talking. She didn’t even give me a nod when she was introduced.
I like all of this.
The cousin slams her hands on her hips and matches my smirk. “But don’t expect anything from this. She’s off limits.”
“We’ll see about that. I can be very charming when I wanna be.”
Hannah snorts under her breath and mutters, “Like all men.”
My eyebrows jerk upward and I take a couple steps back toward them, never releasing her icy gaze. “Hey Hannah, I’m not like any man you’ve ever met.”
Her eyelashes lower a little as her chin rises in defiance. “How long have you been fighting?”
“Since I was twelve.”
“How did my kicks look?”
“They sucked.” Her lips part a little before I add, “But then something changed, and I saw promise. Still got a way to go. If your cousin here ever wants to tap out, I’ll happily work on that kick with you.”
Sofia shoots back, “I never get tired,” but she’s grinning and finding this entertaining as hell.
“If you do,” I shrug, “I’m pretty good at this.”
“Show us!”
“Sofia,” Hannah whispers, wanting me to leave. I make her nervous. But I think she likes it because even through that sports bra I can see her nipples are now sharp little points. Bet she’s wet, too.
“Sure, I have a minute. Give me some room.”
Hannah crosses her arms and backs up with Sofia stepping over to be at her side. I crash an intimidating roundhouse kick into the bag, my shin cracking loudly onto the leather and vibrating it in a way these two aren’t strong enough to do. Then just for the fuck of it, I do a series of punches ending with an uppercut that twists my body and shows off the power of my torso. In this black tank top I know my back muscles look damn good.
That’s the point of them, isn’t it?
It’s why us men are here every damn day.
For fighting, yeah, but also to make the women cream their panties.
Tapping the bag with respect I turn and lock eyes with Hannah to find lust emanating from her gorgeous green eyes. Man if I don’t want to do something about that right here and now. “So, if you ever need a lesson…”
She barely nods. Looks like she’s speechless.
Tipping my head, I smirk, “Ladies.”
They both watch me leave.
Lioness - Hannah
Spinning slowly around in front of the mirror in a skintight, black mini-dress she bought today, Sofia whistles. “Look at me! I’m fucking hot!”
I adjust my size D breasts – thank you, Mom – in the turquoise mini-dress I bought and sigh. “I hope he doesn’t want you.”
She eyes me. “That Joe-fuckhead really did a number on you.”
“Am I being weird?”
“Cut it the fuck out! My Hannah, the one who for my entire life I’ve looked up to figuratively and literally,” She motions to my height. “She’s a fucking goddess and knows it!”
“I don’t know what’s happened to me,” I mumble to my reflection. “I get emotional so easily lately.”
She combs her hair with steady fingers, meeting my eyes in the reflection. “You’re almost thirty.”
“You think that’s it?”
“The Ciphers men tease me and Celia all the time that when we turn thirty we’ll lose our minds. Wanting babies like it’s gotta happen yesterday. Clock’s ticking. Bang bang bang. Blah blah blah. Celia’s already like that and she’s got a few years to go. So you’re probably just getting all jiggy down in here.” Sofia lays her hand over my belly button.
“You need your nails done.”
“I don’t care about frilly things like that,” she mutters, pulling her hand up to look at her fingertips with indifference.
“Yeah, you can’t tell.”
“Ha! Sarcasm detected.” Her phone buzzes on the hotel nightstand.
I’m tugging at my dress. “We have to go soon. Let it ring.”
“It’s Emma again, probably.” Sofia launches herself on the bed and reaches for the phone like Superman.
I don’t bother telling my feral cousin her thong is showing.
She wouldn’t care.
But it’s a good thing she prefers jeans or she’d be doing a lot more self-defense, fighting off unwanted advances from guys who’d mistake some of her actions as invites.
“Yep! Emma just texted: If Hannah doesn’t call me right now I’m never talking to either of you again.” Tossing the phone at me, Sofia says, “Call her.”
I catch it and stare at my hand. “I think the training’s helping my reflexes! Did you see that?”
Emma shouts into my ear, “Sofia, I love you but get Hannah on the phone right now!”
“It’s me, Emm.” I roll my eyes at Sofia for dialing the phone and not warning me.
“What the fuck, Hannah!? You said you were coming back three days ago.”
“We keep changing our minds.”
She growls, “I’m so jealous it’s not even funny,”
“You done whining?”
“I don’t whine!” she shouts.
Stretching my jaw to recover hearing loss I ask, “So…are you going to fly out here and join us yet or what?”
Emma goes silent.
I can picture her pacing. She might have clients, open houses. After a moment she snaps, “I’ll book a flight and call you right back with the details.” As soon as the phone goes dark it lights up again, ringing in my hand.
“Hello?”
“What airport?”
“Fort Lauderdale? I don’t know.”
Sofia’s legs are scissoring the air as she lies on her back and shouts, “Yes! That’s the closest airport, Emma!”
Emma pauses, writing it down. “Okay, then what? I rent a car or something to get to you guys?”
“Soph, how do we get Emma from Lauderdale to Boca?”
Kicking her legs she calls out, “Run, Emma, Run!”
“Ha ha,” Emma dryly retorts.
Sofia cups one unmanicured hand over her mouth and shouts, “I’ll come get you on my Harley!”
Emma squeals and hangs up.
I toss the phone back to my cousin who effortlessly catches it without looking.
“See, it is the training,” I smile, excited
for my future. I want to be that smooth.
We both go for our shoeboxes and pull new high heels on, mine a much larger size than my five-foot-five-inch cousin.
“I’m bummed she’s coming tomorrow.”
This totally confuses me. “Don’t you want her here?”
“Of course!” Sofia rolls her eyes. “I just wish she could come here now.”
“Aww, you’ve gotta tell her. You never say anything that sweet.”
“It’s not sweet!” She starts dancing on an invisible pole. “I won’t have anything to do when you and Tobias are getting it on! MMM! Oh Tobias! I want you to wrestle me, baby! Show me how you work that thang!”
I shove her on the bed and head into the pretty bathroom, casually saying over my shoulder, “I’m not that interested in sex.”
She chases me down, staring at my profile as I squeeze paste on my soft-bristle toothbrush, to demand, “What did you just say?! What the fuck did you just fucking say?”
Shrugging one shoulder I blandly ask, “Isn’t sex always a let down?”
I’m curious if I’m alone in this, that’s why I’m pretending to be so blasé when inside I’m anything but. Sex has always disappointed me. I’ve yet to be blown away by any of it, yet a part of me has a hunger that is waiting to be satisfied. I’m starting to believe it might be best to tell it there will never be a feast, so start enjoying the crackers and crumbs more.
Sofia jumps up to sit on the bathroom counter, getting in my face to inform me, “You haven’t been with a real man, Hannah!”
“Well, I don’t know about that but I’ve been with plenty of guys.”
“How many?”
“Six. No, seven.”
“Is that your real number,” she purrs.
Staring at my toothbrush I think about it then meet her eyes. “Yes.”
“How many have given you the big O?”
Brushing my molars, I hold up one finger, my pinky.
She sighs, leaning back. “What kind of orgasm are we talking about here? The lightly-rumbling-meh ones or the holy shit I’m holding onto anything solid for dear life, kind?”
Spitting foam into the sink I tell her, “The first one.”
“From sex?”
“Fingers mostly.”
“Fingers?!” Sofia cries out, aghast. “What about tongue?”
“One time tongue. It’s so hard to relax.”
“No it isn’t, honey. When a guy knows what he’s doing and you’re into him all that self-conscious bullshit goes out the window because it feels so good! What about from just fucking? Any O’s from intercourse?”
Applying light pink lipstick I shrug, still hiding my ever-growing curiosity, “I think that’s a myth.”
“It’s not a myth. Hannah, no! You poor thing!”
I turn on her and bark, “I’m not a poor thing! Don’t talk to me that way!”
My cousin’s grey eyes sharpen and a slow smile appears. “There she is. That’s my Hannah. Wondered where you went.”
“Stop it, Soph.”
“No. I won’t fucking stop it.” She jams her finger toward me, leaning in. “Don’t go back into hiding.”
“I’m not hiding from anything!” I try to get out of the bathroom but she jumps off the counter like a cheetah and bars my way.
“What are you? Say it loud and proud!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yes, you do! Are you a victim?”
“No!”
“A blender?” Off my look she explains with passion in her voice. “Do you blend in? Are you just some average girl afraid to make waves, Hannah Cocker?”
“No!”
“Then what are you!!!”
“I’m a fucking goddess goddammit!!!”
Sofia slices her index finger through the air between us and backs out of the bathroom finally freeing me as she happily says, “Damn straight! You’re a goddess, and don’t you ever forget it again. I’m scared of you right now. And I love to be scared of you! Now let’s go see this Tobias monster kick some sweet UFC fighting ass!”
I jab my finger at her this time, these heels making me six-two. “He’s mine! Hands off. I’m not kidding.”
Sofia’s mouth twists into a grin. “Oh, honey.” She flips around, sauntering the length of the hotel’s bedroom with her arms rising as she shouts to an imaginary audience, “Hannah has returned! Watch out, Tobias! Watch the fuck out!”
Set It Up! - Tobias
Cracking my knuckles, I tell the guy working the Will Call window, some pimply dude named Chester, “I need two tickets, front row.”
He nods, “Sure thing, Tobias. Who for?” Grabbing a pen, his hand hovers, waiting.
“Sofia and Hannah Cocker.”
He looks up at me, mouth dropping open. “Hannah Cocker, whose mom got hit by a car when she was six? Whose dad rescued her and then–”
“What the fuck you talkin’ about?”
“Blonde? Gorgeous. Big tits?”
Crossing my arms I cock my head. “You’re gonna talk about a woman’s tits right after you say her mom died. Da fuck is wrong with you? Never taught any manners?”
The kid glances to his pen. “Guess that one slipped by my Kindergarten class.”
“Smart ass,” I mutter. “Just make sure they get in.”
He brightens, “Are you serious? She’s coming here?”
Pausing, I level him with a look. “If I find out you scared her off, the cage won’t be my last fight tonight. You got me?”
“Yeah, sure. I won’t do anything…”
He trails off as I head away with no desire to hear the other stupid shit he has to say. Sometimes you feel sorry for a geek like that. Other times you think he gets what he deserves.
I mean for fuck’s sake.
Study some guys and learn how to dress. It ain’t that hard if you’re paying attention. About a million magazines at every man’s disposal.
She does have nice tits, though.
And she is blonde.
Pulling out my phone I Google her on my way to my locker room, passing Vance’s. “Hey Tobias!” he shouts and I hesitate, torn between the compelling information I want to read, and not wanting to punch Vance out before the game.
I lock onto him and snarl, “What?”
“Whoa whoa!” he grins with his way-too-fucking-white teeth shining in the hallway’s fluorescent lighting. “I just want to say good luck out there.”
“Sure ya do. And I don’t need luck.”
His smile broadens. “Really? Because I came here in a limo, and a taxi dropped you off, so I was thinking cash must be pretty tight.”
My hand makes a fist at my side. The other nearly crushes my phone. “My cash is fine, you fuck.”
“Fuck?” he laughs, but I can see the anger start to show. “I’m just being friendly since I owe you that much after the last time we fought and then, well, you know.” He points to my leg, which he broke two years back. We haven’t been in a ring together since. “Healed up okay?”
I sneer at him, “Like it never happened,” and head away with angry strides.
“Oh, it happened,” he calls after me. “And it’s gonna happen again. Watch yourself, Tobias!”
I throw my middle finger behind me and keep walking deeper into the dank hallway past all the people who make this night possible. They don’t pay me any mind, too busy setting up the event.
Vance can go fuck himself.
I haven’t made my peace with everything that happened.
But I finally have the chance to tonight.
No matter what, I know I’m still in a jail of their making.
There’s nothing I can do about that other situation.
But I will take that motherfucker to the ground.
It may not free me if I win, but it’ll feel damn good to wipe that smile off his face.
Not going to let him jack up my stress level.
I’m going to focus on the beautiful woman.
For the first time in two years, it feels like something can distract me from how much I hate that guy. Hannah Cocker’s unattainable beauty.
As soon as I get into my sanctuary I scroll through the search engine results. There are photos of her from age six up. Plenty of news stories on what happened when her father won his first Senate election. All that chaos. But it went down in Georgia. I was a kid so I wasn’t paying attention to the news back then. My mom sure as hell didn’t watch it. None of this is familiar to me. I don’t pay attention to politics because I like to pick battles I can win.
But her dad…
Seems like a poster boy for integrity.
Either that or he’s got the media in his pocket with payoffs.
Doesn’t matter. I’ll never meet him. This family is way out of my league. Look at these people. And Hannah, holy shit, she’s a beautiful girl all the way through her whole life to the woman she is today.
Probably why she was so aloof yesterday.
Got her nose in the air.
Look at this, too. Bunch of good-looking guys with her all the time in these pics. One after the other.
Doesn’t surprise me. She’s gotta have guys falling over each other to get at her. Makes my blood boil thinking of any of these guys touching her. Who are these pretty boys?
Oh, wait a minute.
Same last name. Same last name. Same last name.
Are these all her cousins?
Jeezus, how many are there?
Someone was gettin’ busy. Guess the name Cocker fits.
Amused, I scroll a little more, but freeze on an image of her at a Falcons home game, chewing on her lip. I zoom in so I can see her better and as I do, I feel my blood go quiet. She’s thinking about something, and it’s got nothing to do with the game because everyone around her is happy. Not my Hannah. A hypnotic sadness stares out from gorgeous, translucent, ice-green eyes.
“Tobias!”
Like I forgot where I am, I look up at Andy strolling into my locker room. He glances to my phone but I turn off the screen with a casual air that masks how sucked into that photograph I was.
He thrusts a flask into my hands. “Brought you this for after your win.”
A lopsided smirk appears as I take the gift. “Looks like you kept your promise.”
“Told you I’d come.”
Cocky Senator's Daughter: Hannah Cocker (Cocker Brothers of Atlanta Book 8) Page 5
