by A. L Long
Twenty minutes later I was in front of Nikki’s old apartment building. Looking around, I couldn’t see any sign of the Rubicon, which led me to believe that she wasn’t here either. I was running out of options. I thought for sure if she wasn’t at the apartment in Midtown that she would surely be here. I was beginning to worry. I was running out of places to look. Maybe she needed to let off a little steam.
When I got to the gym, I spotted the Jeep right away. Thank God. I had to give Nikki credit for parking it out of plain view. Placing my helmet on my bike, I walked over to the gym and opened the door. I spotted Nikki right away, abusing the punching bag and the black guy holding it steady for her. Walking in her direction, I got the feeling I wasn’t welcomed by the glares I was getting from the other members. Reaching Nikki, I placed my hands in my pockets and said, “We need to talk, Nikki.”
Continuing her assault on the bag she, grunted, “We have nothing to talk about.”
“Please, Nikki, let me explain,” I pleaded.
Stopping her movements, she looked to the guy holding the bag. “It’s okay, Lewis.”
The guy nodded his head before leaving us. Looking over to me, Nikki moved her head in the direction of the bench that was pushed up against the wall. Following her, I watched as she pulled the strings of her boxing glove and then put her hand under her arm to remove it. Taking a seat on the bench, I sat beside her and helped her get the other glove off her hand.
“You should have told me about your fighting,“ I said, handing her the other glove.
“Well, you shouldn’t have spied on me,” she countered.
“Nikki, why are you fighting in the first place? A boxing ring is no place for a woman,” I responded, defending my actions.
“I don’t have a choice, Sly. You know nothing about me. Why couldn’t you just have left after that first night? It would have been so much simpler.”
“Because, whether or not you want me in your life, I care about you, Nikki,” I asserted, taking her trembling hand into mine.
“I don’t want you to care about me. Everyone I come into contact with… dies.”
“Then stop this craziness. Don’t fight on Saturday.” The look on her face was even more angry than when she left my apartment. “I know about the fight, Nikki. Your friend Lewis told me about it.”
“Yeah, well Lewis needs to learn to keep his mouth shut.”
“What is this really about, Nikki? Are you in some kind of trouble?”
“Leave it alone, Sly. Please, just leave it alone,” she begged hysterically before standing and walking away.
“Nikki, what is it?”
“Leave it alone, Sly.”
Before I could say anything more she was out of sight. Something was going on. She was hiding something. Whatever it was, I was going to find out. She could keep her secrets, but eventually I would find out myself.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Nikki
The only thing I could think about was how much Sly really knew about me. He confessed that he knew about the fight, but didn’t say anything about Carlos and the debt I owed him. Lewis had no right to tell him about the fight.
Closing my locker, I looked at the inside of the door where I taped a picture of my mom. She was the only person who really understood me. God, how I missed her. I kissed my index finger and swiped it along the faded picture of both of us together. I couldn’t even remember when the picture was taken. I was so young. I was so happy back then. Now, I was just numb.
Grabbing my things, I left the locker room hoping that Sly was no longer hanging around. I left Sly’s keys with Lewis, knowing that he would eventually find me. I should have exited out the back door instead of out the front. Standing with his leg crossed over the other leaning against his Jeep was the one man I wished would just go away.
“We are not talking about this, Sly,” I said as I walked down the sidewalk away from him.
“Did I say anything, Nikki? I was just waiting to give you ride,” he replied as he began walking behind me.
Stopping in my tracks, I turned to face him. Even though he towered above me, I held my own by pulling my shoulders back and pushing to my tiptoes to gain a little bit more height. “I don’t need a ride. I only live a few blocks away.”
“You are not going back to that dump. Besides, your landlord has already been notified that you were moving out,” he began as he brought his cell to life. “Yup, right about now the guys should be just about done moving your stuff.”
“You can’t be serious. You can’t do that,” I hissed.
“Already done. Now are you going to get in the Jeep or am I going to have to carry you?”
I was beyond pissed at him. Who did he think he was, controlling my life like that? He may have won this time, but in the end it would be me that came out as the victor.
~****~
When we got to my new apartment, several men were walking inside with what looked to be some of my things. I remembered all of them, at least their big muscular bodies. As I entered the apartment, Cop and Peter were ready to grab another load. Cop was my friend Sabrina’s husband and Peter was Lilly’s husband. Sabrina worked with me at the Happy Cow, before she decided to work for Lilly at her art gallery, which was right across the street from the little coffee shop. I wasn’t sure what happened between Brie and me, but somehow we drifted apart.
As the guys continued bringing my stuff in, I didn’t realize how much I actually had until the boxes began piling up in the living area. Sly must have noticed my frustration with all these guys running in and out of the apartment.
“Guys, hold up for a minute,” he said loudly so they could hear. When he got their attention, he continued. “Not sure if you remember Nikki, but this is her new place.”
I waved my hand, and said, “Hi.”
“Nikki,I’m not sure if you remember all the guys.. They all work at Jagged Edge Security,” Sly jumped in.
One by one he introduced me to the guys. I had met them only briefly in Kierabali at Isabelle’s wedding. There was Lou Gainer, Ash Jacobs, Mike Chavez, Ryan Hyatt and his brother Josh. And of course Peter and Cop, who I already knew. All of them were as hot as could be. I almost felt like I stepped into an all-male review, aside from the fact that they were all fully clothed.
When Sly brought in the last box, most of the other guys had already left. Peter was the only one who hadn’t, but he said his goodbyes when Sly came through the door. Trying to find a place to set it down, I looked around and shoved over a box so that Sly could place it in its spot. I knew that I had my work cut out for me when I looked around the room.
Plopping down in the chair that was brought over from the other apartment, I took a deep breath, wondering where I was going to start first. Hearing some noise coming from down the hall, I pushed up from the chair and headed in that direction. Glancing inside the bedroom, I saw that Sly was busy putting a bed together. It wasn’t the bed that had been in my other apartment. This one was much bigger and looked a lot more expensive than what I would have been able to afford. Matter of fact, all of the furnishings in the bedroom weren’t mine, and matched the bed Sly was trying to assemble perfectly.
Walking over to where he was kneeling on the floor, I questioned him, perturbed as hell, “What the hell is all of this, Sly?”
Looking up at me with one of his super-sexy smiles, he said, “A house-warming gift.”
“Looks more like a charity donation than a house-warming gift,” I sputtered.
“Jesus, Nikki. Can’t you accept anything from someone without being defensive about it?” he replied with an irritable tone.
“I have never taken handouts and I am not going to start now.”
“Good, then you can help me put this thing together.”
Kneeling on the floor beside him, I held the base of the bed frame up so that he could screw it together. I had to admit that we worked well together as long as we weren’t saying nasty things to each other. It took us no time a
t all to finish putting the bed together. Hoisting the box spring and mattress on the king-sized bed, we both flopped down on it to check out its comfort. This bed was way nicer than the secondhand bed I bought for twenty bucks at the thrift store.
As we laid there side by side, I could feel my body begin to tingle. Sly reached over and took my hand, brushing it against his lips. Just the feel of his lips made this moment between us seem natural. Like we had been together for years rather than a few weeks. Sly rolled over on his side and began staring down at me with a serene look in his eyes like I was some heavenly angel. Sweeping his hand across my face to move away a stray hair, he lowered his lips to mine and gently kissed me. My mouth parted, needing to feel him. He softly nipped at my lower lip, causing a wave of pleasure to surge down my body. Wrapping my arms around his shoulders, I drew him closer to me.
Soon we were at each other, unable to get enough, like a dying need. Tugging at each other’s clothes like animals, our desire for each other erupted into a heated rush that neither of us had any control over. With Sly’s muscular frame tilted over mine, I could feel the warmth of his breath as he inched closer to me. Kissing the top of my head, he looked at me with compassion before whispering, “This is us, Nikki. The way it’s supposed to be.”
I knew exactly what he was saying. This was us. I had never felt for any man the way I was feeling at this very second, and when he placed his mouth over mine in such a tender heavenly manner, I knew we were meant to be. The bad was somehow taken away by the delicate touch of his lips to mine. When he moved inside me, it was like he was confessing that he would forever protect me, keep me safe. His body covered mine as he brought me closer to him, shielding me in his warmth. Resting my head on his shoulder to cover the emotions that were having a tug-of-war with my heart, I couldn’t fight the pull any more. The first tear escaped. I watched it slowly run down the sculpted muscles of Sly’s back. One after another they fell, showering him with the unmistakable love I was beginning to have for him
With a shudder of pure ecstasy, my walls came down and the truth spilled as I screamed his name like he was my only savior. Feeling the grip I had on him, his barrier broke and his confession filled the room. “I’m yours, baby, please say you are mine.”
~****~
There was a chill in the air as we were nestled in each other arms, keeping each other as warm as we could. It didn’t matter how tightly Sly held me, I was shivering. It could have been from the cold air, or it might have been from the emotional ride I just got off of. Pulling away from me, he left me shivering even more. “I’m going to try and find something to cover us with,” he whispered as he pulled away from me.
It didn’t take him long to find the bedding in one of the boxes in the living room. Draping it over my body first, Sly crawled underneath the thick blanket and once again held me tight. Placing my head on his shoulder, he felt good. As hard as his chest was, I was enveloped with comfort. I knew I would sleep like a baby, only that didn’t happen. I could only think about the fight I was about to enter and the fact that I hadn’t told Sly anything about my past. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen between us, but I knew that if I wanted to continue keeping him in my life, I needed to let him know about my past.
Lifting my head, thinking it was now or never, I watched him as he slept. I just couldn’t pull my eyes away from how beautiful he really was. Every curve of his face was perfect. Even the small scar above his right eye made him more handsome. Lifting my hand to his face, I began tracing the fullness of his lips with my finger. My touch was light enough so that I knew he wouldn’t wake. Moving from his lip, I traced the bridge of his nose. There was a small bump, but unnoticeable by just looking at him. It was perfect.
Placing my hand back underneath my head, I rested my head on his chest. I could feel and hear every beat of his heart. It was only after he said, “Good night, baby,” that I knew he felt every touch I placed on his face. Kissing his chest lightly, I closed my eyes and fell into a blissful sleep.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Nikki
When morning came, I didn’t want to move. Sly was no longer by my side and the scent of coffee brewing filled the air. I knew he was up and getting ready for the day. Stretching my body, I pulled the covers up over my body to stay warm. I wasn’t sure what was going on with me, but I couldn’t get warm enough. Nixing the idea of staying in bed, I threw off the covers and swung my legs over the side of the massive bed.
The minute I sat up, I felt crummy. It wasn’t the sore kind of crummy I usually felt after my training, it was more like the achy, icky feeling, like when I was getting sick. Pushing from the bed, I tried to make it to the bathroom. The feeling I had in my stomach told me that I was about to lose whatever was inside. I hadn’t eaten much yesterday, so I knew it couldn’t be much.
As I stood, I felt weird, like my legs were about to give out on me. Before I could catch myself, I went down. It wasn’t one of those graceful collapses you see on TV, this was a hard earth-shattering thud that I was sure everyone in the building heard. Apparently even Sly heard it, because he was at my side in seconds.
“Nikki! What happened? Are you okay?” he asked, concerned as he knelt beside me.
“I need to get to the bathroom. Quick!” I mumbled, barely able to talk as the bile in my throat began to make its appearance.
Just as Sly lifted me from the hard floor, I couldn’t hold it any longer. My stomach had its own agenda as it churned. The contents ended up half on Sly and half on the floor in small puddles as it continued to come up my throat. I don’t ever remembering being this sick before.
Looking over at Sly’s chest, which was covered in puke, I said, “I’m so sorry.”
“Let’s get cleaned up,” he suggested as he kissed the top of my head. “Jesus Christ, baby, you’re burning up.”
~****~
The last thing I remembered was being held by Sly as he tried to wash me in the shower. It took me a moment to realize where I was. One thing I knew for sure was that I still felt like shit. Lifting my head from the pillow, it dawned on me that Sly must have made the bed. Trying hard to push myself in a sitting position, I looked around the room and noticed that most of my things had been unpacked as well.
I wasn’t sure how long I was out, but it was obvious it wasn’t a couple of minutes. Pushing from the bed, I slowly walked to the door and into the hall. I could hear the soft sound of ‘Old Republic’ coming from the living area. As I turned the corner, I couldn’t believe what I saw. All of the boxes that were piled in the living room earlier were now gone. I should have been angry with Sly for getting into all of my personal stuff, but I wasn’t. More than anything, I was glad I didn’t have to unpack the boxes myself.
Standing in the nicely decorated living room, I didn’t see Sly anywhere. Even though the music was playing, he wasn’t in the apartment. I couldn’t understand why he would up and leave without saying anything. Spotting my cell phone on the small table in front of the couch, I made an effort to get to it so I could call him and find out where he was. Just as I was bringing up his number, the front door opened.
“Hey, you’re awake,” I heard him say behind me.
“Yeah,” I answered softly as I turned toward him.
“I got you something to eat. You have to be hungry after sleeping for two days straight,” he said.
“Wait, what day is it?” I asked, confused by his remark.
“It’s Thursday.”
“Thursday?” I questioned in disbelief.
I lost two days. Two days that I should have been training instead sleeping. “I need to get to the gym,” I cursed frantically, unaware that I was putting on my tennis shoes while still in my pajamas.
“Hold on, Nikki. You need to get better first. You still don’t look very good. At least try and eat something first,” Sly demanded.
Knowing that Sly was right, I sat back down on the couch and took in a deep breath. I still wasn’t back to my old self, which was
not normal for me. The lightheadedness started again. I blamed it on the lack of food in my stomach, but somehow I knew it was because I wasn’t a hundred percent yet.
Stretching out on the couch and pulling the throw blanket over my body, I watched as Sly began preparing me something to eat. Even though I wasn’t much of a cook, but always managed to eat healthy, it was strange watching Sly in the kitchen, moving around like he spent most of his time there.
As weird as I thought it was, when he brought me what he had fixed, I was thoroughly amazed. Sly prepared me a bowl of oatmeal with blueberries sprinkled on the top and two slices of buttered toast. I didn’t even think I owned a toaster, unless he went out and purchased one for me. Setting my meal on the small table, he sat beside me and helped me to sit up. Taking the bowl of oatmeal from the table, he dipped the spoon inside, grabbing two plump blueberries, and held the spoon to my mouth. I wasn’t much of an oatmeal eater, but this was by far the best I had ever tasted. Him feeding me might have had something to do with it as well.
