by Loren, Celia
"I think so, too," my mom says with a grin, wrapping her arms around Maya's shoulders. "I hope you'll come back from school and visit us next year."
"Of course I will. Boulder isn't that far. I just wish you were coming there with me," Maya says to me.
"I don't," my mom breaks in. "But Cat has always loved hanging out in the salon, and we'll be able to carpool there and everything once you're done with school."
"Carpool?" I ask, frowning.
"Well, depending on our appointment schedules. But it wouldn't make sense to take two cars."
"Wait, mom, you're…you're not thinking that I'd still be living here, right?" I ask, as Maya begins to look between us nervously.
"Of course. I mean, it's such a big house. You want to get away from me that badly?" she asks sorrowfully, her voice breaking slightly.
"No, mom, it's not that. I just, I guess I'd assumed that I'd move out once I saved enough money." Her eyes widen, and I begin to immediately backtrack. "But I guess it would make more sense to stay here, since we have the room."
"Good. I think that's the best idea," my mom murmurs, her expression brightening as she takes a deep breath. I begin to silently pile cold cuts onto a Kaiser roll, feeling a little ball of anger in my stomach. Did my mom just manipulate me? I sure backed off what I wanted pretty fast.
"So, how did you and Duke meet?" Maya asks, and I'm grateful to her for changing the subject.
"Well, Big Rig's was doing this post-Thanksgiving promotion. You know, work off the turkey and all that, and they gave away some free passes, and one of the girls at the salon who was already a member got her hands on some and gave them out to the rest of us." I sit down at the table and begin to eat my sandwich as my mom launches into her favorite story. "It's not in my usual neighborhood, but I had a free pass for a week, so I figured I'd go. So I'm running – jogging, really – on the treadmill, and I looked up and saw this big man crossing by the reception area. We locked eyes and suddenly I forgot what I was doing and I fell and got pushed right off the treadmill."
Maya laughs, and I manage a smile. I hear the front door close and can just see Logan crossing by the living room windows in a sweat suit.
"Sounds like love at first sight," Maya laughs. "If you believe in that sort of thing."
"I didn't before, but now I do. What do you think, Cat?" she asks, as they come and sit next to me at the table.
I clear my throat. "In your case, I do," I smile. She pats my hand, and then turns to look out the window behind us, where Austen and Duke are practically bursting with excitement. I squirm slightly in my chair, wishing I could mimic Logan's quick escape.
Chapter Eleven
"You getting stronger, Cat?" my mom asks me as I carry a bag of ice over to one of the coolers on the patio. I look up to see her and Duke staring at me from the open kitchen door.
"Um, don't think so," I reply with a shrug. Just add my training sessions with Logan to my list of secrets, I guess. I feel like I'm partitioning off parts of myself depending who I'm with.
Logan steps around my mom and Duke, easily carrying a bag of ice on each shoulder. My mom just got back from the grocery store with the supplies for the barbecue today, and we're helping to unload. He heaves the bag into another cooler, then rips open the plastic and dumps the contents out.
I realize I'm watching him and quickly head back toward the garage door for another load. There will be no escaping for Logan today. Duke's throwing a party for Team Apex at his house, so his presence is obviously required.
A few hours later, the backyard is filled with MMA fighters and a few of their girlfriends. I hang out awkwardly by the drink table as my mom and Duke circulate, keeping one eye on the kitchen door. Finally I see Maya walk in and hustle over to her.
"Thank goodness you're here. I don't know anyone!"
"What about your mom?" Maya replies as I hug her.
"Yeah, but she's mingling and stuff."
"Well, gird yourself, because you're about to be my wingman," Maya says.
"Wait, what?" I ask, alarmed.
"Yup. I'm not going to college in the fall having never had a boyfriend. No way. So one of these guys here is going to fit the bill."
"Maya, I hate to tell you this, but you tend to have a bit of a problem when it comes to talking to guys."
"I know, but you don't. That makes you the perfect wingman. Actually, in an ideal world you'd be less attractive than me, but I'm going to work with what I've got." I groan as she surveys the guests, looking for her first target. "OK, what about that guy? He's hot. Does he have a girlfriend?"
"Mike. I think that's his name. He didn't come with anyone," I offer, studying his shaved head out of the corner of my eye.
"Perfect," she says, grabbing my hand and dragging me over to where he's sitting in a lawn chair eating a hamburger.
"Hi, Mike, right?" I ask as he looks up, fulfilling my wingman duties.
"Yeah, and you're Caitlyn. I remember you from the gym."
"Have you met my friend Maya yet?" I ask, turning toward her. She grins. Good start.
"Hey, Maya. Good to meet you," he says. There's a long pause in which Maya stares back at him.
"I…I…I'll be right back," she finally replies. I watch in shock as she walks quickly toward the house and then inside. I turn back to Mike.
"So. Um, nice day, huh?" I ask lamely. Thankfully, I'm saved from having to come up with any more pleasantries by the sound of Duke's booming voice.
"Hey, everyone, thanks for coming out today," he announces from the patio. "As you know, we're here to celebrate the announcement of AFF's tournament at the end of the summer. We've all been waiting for a break like this." I let my eyes trail over the partygoers as he talks. My mom stands proudly next to Austen, Duke's heir apparent, watching her boyfriend with a star struck expression. "I went from being on top of the world, a champion, to not knowing where my life was headed. I didn't know what to do with myself. When I found MMA, and then coaching, not everyone believed in me." He pauses, and I wonder if he's referring to his ex-wife. As he talks about building up Big Rig's gym, and study the faces of his fighters. They all look at him with respect and admiration.
As he begins to talk more specifically about the tournament, I watch Logan's expression. He stands near the edge of the patio, thick arms crossed across his chest. He doesn't give away much about how he might be feeling, just a small twitch of his jaw muscle as Duke calls Austen "the next great champion of the Riggins family".
"And one last thing," Duke continues. "I want to welcome the women of the Brewer family here today, Joanne and her daughter Cat." The other guests clap and I look down at my feet. "Joanne's been a light in my life recently, and if any of you so much as look twice at her daughter, you'll have not just me to worry about, but all the Riggins men. Got it?"
I feel my cheeks turn bright crimson as the fighters laugh, though they're all nodding their agreement. If only Duke knew it's not the other fighters he has to worry about, it's his own favorite son. I glance up furtively at Austen, but he's still got his mega-watt smile on, still perfectly playing the part. I sigh and head for the kitchen door in search of Maya, feeling everyone's eyes on me. I can't believe she just missed that whole speech.
I wander through the first floor without finding her, then head upstairs. She's not in my room, but I peer out the window and see her emerging tentatively from the patio. I watch as she takes a deep breath and walks back over to Mike. I can't tell what they're saying, but the body language looks good. I grin proudly.
I walk back downstairs feeling a little better, but freeze midway down at the sound of tense, hushed voices coming from the TV room.
"You have to be patient." I recognize Raul's lightly accented voice.
"You keep saying that, and I'm done," Logan replies. "I'm ready, I know it."
"As soon as Austen has his shot, Duke will be ready to change his focus."
"Or not. Maybe once Austen's in the AFF, my dad will be more o
bsessed than ever. You think I'm ready, right?" Logan demands.
"Yes," Raul says with a worried sigh.
"So then talk to him! He won't listen to me, but he'll listen to you."
"Logan, he's my boss. He's a good man, but you know how set in his ways he is."
"So challenge him!"
"That's easy enough for you to say, but are you going to give me a job if he fires me?" Raul counters. Logan is silent for a moment. I know I shouldn't eavesdrop, but I'm fascinated at this look behind the curtain of Team Apex. "You just focus on yourself for now. Don't think I haven't seen what's going on at practice."
"What are you talking about?"
"Sometimes you come in tired, like you're overworked, and then you're holding back in fights, hesitating. Like you want to make a move but can't."
"I'll work on it," Logan says shortly, though he sounds to me like he's just shutting Raul down, rather than really making a promise.
"Alright," Raul replies, and I can hear the shrug in his voice. "Just give it some time, alright?" I hear the floorboards creak and jump back two steps so it looks like I'm just coming down the stairs. "Hey, Caitlyn," he greets me with a tight smile.
"Hey," I reply as he walks back toward the party. I continue down the steps as Logan walks out.
"I'm going on a beer run," he says flatly.
"Um, I think we're fine for beer," I say, gesturing vaguely toward the full coolers sitting on the patio.
"Just in case," he mutters, and heads for the garage door. I watch his retreating back. I don't think it's like him to hold back in practice. He normally goes after things with such single-minded intensity.
Maybe I'm not the only one in this house with a secret.
Chapter Twelve
"Is this the way home?" I ask Austen, glancing out of the car window as he turns into a residential neighborhood. The sun just set, taking most of the light with it, but I could have sworn we should have kept going straight.
"No," he answers, lacing his fingers through mine and resting his hand on the console between us. "I just always loved this neighborhood. The houses have a little more character to them here." I nod, studying the curves of the house we're passing. "This one's my favorite," he says, slowing down and pointing to a two-story, flagstone home to our right. "Something about it…I could just see my kids playing in the yard."
"It's beautiful," I agree softly, admiring the eaves above the windows and the navy-blue front door. I swallow nervously, keeping my head turned away from him. Why is he showing me this? I feel a flutter of happiness too, along with the nerves, but we've only been seeing each other for about a month now.
But he steps on the gas, and we're pulling out of the picturesque cul-de-sac as soon as we entered. Another five minutes, and he's pulling into the garage. Duke and Logan's cars are missing from their spots, so it's safe to assume the rest of the family isn't home. Austen grins and pulls me toward him, stealing a quick kiss before hopping out of the car.
I gnaw for a moment on the side of my lip before catching myself. I'm excited about tonight, but I've only ever had sex with one other person, and it was just OK. Austen is so experienced – what if I don't measure up? He takes my hand again as we head through the kitchen and then down the basement steps. As we reach the bottom, his hands snake around my waist and he pulls me against his wide chest. I inhale his woodsy scent, feeling how this contact with him calms me, as it always does.
"You're nervous," he whispers in my ear. "We don't have to do this. I'll wait."
"No, I want to, really."
"I know, it's just…you're younger than me…and, are you…?"
"A virgin?" I guess, and he nods. "No. Boyfriend, junior year."
"How was it?" he asks, leaning back to study my face.
I smile. "Honestly? I never really got what the hype was about."
"Well, maybe I can explain it to you," he says, his voice dropping into a slightly lower register. I feel my worries retreat to a small place in the back of my brain as his lips touch mine. Feverish heat runs through my body and I wrap my arms around the back of his neck. His tongue slips inside my mouth and we taste each other hungrily. As far as I'm concerned, our make-out sessions have already put anything I did with my one high school boyfriend to shame, so I can't even imagine where we could go from here.
"Tell me if I need to move slower," he whispers, pulling away suddenly. I respond by covering his mouth with mine. I bet that'll get the message across. It does. I feel my feet being lifted off the ground. My sandals fall off my feet as he walks me toward the bed. I feel the mattress hit the back of my thighs before he lifts me even higher and tosses me back onto the bed.
As soon as I land, he's on top of me, feet still on the ground, fingers pushing up the bottom hem of my tank top. I feel his tongue circling my belly button as he pushes my shirt slowly upward, following its progression with his lips. As it reaches the bottom of my breasts, he pauses, pulling my bra up to lick the sensitive underside of both my breasts. I gasp, and he pulls my shirt up over my breasts.
He wraps his hands around them as he groans, and I arch my back into him. He pulls the cups of my bra down and rubs my nipples softly between his thumb and forefinger on both sides, then he leans forward and sucks my right breast into his mouth. He moves to my left side, flicking his tongue teasingly across me, then begins to move down again. My toes begin to wiggle in anticipation as he takes a long lick of my stomach just above the top of my jeans.
I feel his hand on my thigh, moving slowly up toward my sex, and fight to keep my breathing steady. Finally, he touches me, there, rubbing his fingers back and forth across me until I'm aching for the fabric still separating us to be removed. Just when I can't take it any longer, I hear the sound of my zipper being pulled down. I straighten my legs and point my toes as he peels off my tight jeans, discarding them on the floor. A moment later his mouth is on my inner thigh, nuzzling and kissing me.
His hands hold my legs apart and then begin to move in. They come to rest over the crease of my hips and I gasp as I feel him spread my lips apart with his thumbs. Cool air flows over my clit for a moment before his warm mouth covers me. My hips immediately buck as he sucks softly on me, then flicks his tongue back and forth. Holy shit. This isn't the first time I've experienced a man down there, but it is by far the best.
I gasp as I feel an orgasm building up inside me. I've never managed to come to orgasm with a boy before, and I'm shocked by how quickly Austen is pulling it out of me. I feel him slip a finger inside me and groan. His tongue slows its pace as he circles that finger inside of me ever so slowly, bringing me back from the brink of my orgasm, even as it continues to simmer inside me. My hands grab for the comforter next to me, and I ball it in my fists. He begins to move faster, and I can't control myself any longer. My back arches off the bed as I cry out with pleasure.
He continues to work me over until my spasms have quieted, then I feel him crawl up the bedspread before shifting his weight to the side. I blink my eyes open drowsily and see him take a condom out of the bedside table. He rips it open with his teeth, but I press one hand down on the bed and turn over into him, pushing his hand away. I want to experience more of him first.
He grins as I run my hands under his shirt, feeling every inch of his hard abs with the pads of my fingers. I reach back down and take the bottom of his shirt, pulling it up over his head as he raises his arms. Before I can sink back down, he reaches forward for my shirt, currently bunched underneath my armpits, and I obligingly lift my arms over my head. He reaches behind me and unsnaps my bra, sending it falling down to my hands where I toss it off with a flick of my wrists.
I sit back up on my heels, now completely naked and feeling gloriously sexy as he lets his eyes wander slowly over my body. He lets out a slow stream of air from his lips as his gaze lingers on my small waist and ample breasts. His legs are stretched out down the bed and I lay my hand gently on his knee, gliding it slowly up his worn jeans toward his bulging crot
ch. He relaxes back against his pillow as I dangle my fingers over his belt. I take the silver clasp in one hand and the leather in the other, feeding it through slowly. I bend over and take a nibble of the skin above the tops of his jeans as I unbutton them and then run the zipper down.
His cock bulges out against his boxer-briefs as the pressure from his pants is released. I slide a little lower on the bed and take the denim in my hands, pulling his jeans off him. I can just see his tip protruding out of the waistband of his underwear, so I lean over and run my tongue lightly over it. I hear him groan, and run my fingers under the band and then up and over his bulge before tossing his underwear on the ground.
I bite my lip as I look down at his thick member, now curving upward until it hits his stomach. I slide my hand over his thigh and gently take his balls in my hand before leaning over and wrapping his tip between my lips. I feel his dick harden even further as I slide my mouth down its length. I can't fit his whole shaft in my mouth, but I go as far down as I can until he hits the back of my mouth. With my right hand, I hold the base of his cock upright, while massaging his balls around and around with my left.
A drop of pre-cum adds a bit of salty lubrication as I make my way up and down his length. I pause for a moment at the top and work my tongue firmly around and around his sensitive tip. I'm tucking my lips over my teeth again when I feel him grab my arm. The look in his eyes tells me to stop, so I silently lay down next to him as he reaches for the abandoned condom on the nightstand.
This time I don't stop him as he reaches for it and then unrolls it down himself. I expect him to get on top of me, missionary being the main position I've done, but instead he takes me by the hip and rolls me away from him onto my side. I gasp as he continues his hand's motion, finding my clit again. I'm still wet, and he runs his fingers up and down my slit before pressing two fingers into me and circling them around.
"Tell me if this hurts," he whispers in my ear, just before I feel his tip pressing in at my opening. He lifts my top leg slightly as he moves into a better position, spooning me from behind. I gasp at a sharp pain as his cock enters me. He pauses, but I shake my head.
