by Amy Faye
“Your manager? Yeah, right.”
He sighed and crossed his arms. “She is, and she's about to deliver some really shitty news. I know you're pissed off at me, and that's fine, but if you don't believe me, could you at least come and meet her? Listen to what she has to say. I could use some moral support.”
“You always use me for moral support,” I said. “Did you ever think I might need some support?”
“Viv, seriously. We can fight later. I lean on you because you're the only person I have, and you've been gone for years. Please come back and meet Gabriela. Be there for me. I might never be able to fight again.”
I didn't want to tell him that I hoped that was the case. I was being awful, a real bitch, and he didn't deserve that. “Alright, fine,” I said. “I'll be there for you, but then we have to talk.”
“That's fine.” He took my hand. His skin was so warm, so soft. He led me back into his apartment, where Gabriela had picked up the Chinese food and set it on his kitchen table. She was standing, leaning against the wall.
Stepping forward, I offered my hand. “Hi, I'm Vivian,” I said. She raised her eyebrows and looked to Brant, who nodded.
“I've heard a lot about you. I'm Gabriela, I represent and manage Brant, scheduling his fights.” She smiled briefly, but it quickly fell. “Brant, I think you should sit down.”
He nodded, sitting on his couch and pulling me down with him. He was still in just his towel, soaking wet next to me. So he was telling the truth, she really was his manager.
–
“So, what's the word? Am I completely fucked?” I asked. My hands were shaking, no matter how hard I pressed them against my thighs.
Gabriela sighed and tossed her dark hair over her shoulder. “Basically, yes. You're suspended for 6 months, minimum, no fights. For those 6 months, you have to submit yourself to drug and alcohol testing every month and pass.”
“That's bullshit!” I yelled. “I don't do drugs, and drinking isn't illegal!”
“They know you weren't on drugs, but it's standard procedure. You made an absolute fool of yourself, and this was what was agreed upon to keep you out of jail. Francis wanted you gone completely, you know. You're lucky you got off this easy.” She clasped her fingers together, watching me for a response. “Six months without any alcohol. You're not an alcoholic, you're just an idiot, so that shouldn't be too hard. Maybe you could lean on Vivian to keep you clean.”
“What if I fail a month?”
“Then the countdown starts all over, and you need to go another 6 months.” She shrugged. “Look, this is just how it's going to be. How much have you saved up.”
“You know how much,” I said. I didn't want to tell Vivian that I'd been saving up in case something like this happened. I didn't know what I would do with the money.
Gabriela nodded. “Well, I suggest you start planning for the future. Put that money to good use, and stop drinking. Settle down. Be good.”
Vivian took my hand. Hers were shaking, too. She leaned over and put her head between her knees. “I don't feel so good,” she groaned, and then she started puking. Grabbing her, I helped her to the bathroom where she fell to her hands and knees and threw up the rest of her stomach into the toilet.
“Oh god, what do I do?” I asked Gabriela.
“Step back, I'll take care of her. Go clean up the mess in the living room.” She pushed past me and into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.
–
“Have you been feeling sick for a while?” Gabriela asked me. Her brown eyes were soft as she looked me over, examining my face. “My mom was a nurse, so I picked up a few tips. Tell me what's wrong.”
“I've been tired and just kind of icky feeling,” I admitted. “For about a week now.”
Her dark eyebrows shot up. “I see. And you're sexually active?”
I gave a surprised laugh, but she only watched me for my reply. “Uh, kind of.”
“Let me guess: About 2 to 3 weeks ago?” She said, handing me the mouthwash from Brant's bathroom cabinet. I nodded as I swished the gross taste from my mouth. After throwing up, I felt much better, though I felt bad for Brant having to clean up after me. “That's what I thought. I know this is probably going to be scary for you to consider, but I think you should take a pregnancy test.”
As I spit out the mouthwash, my heart sank into my stomach and I felt like I might puke again. “Yeah, I know.”
“I figured you might. You've got the same symptoms I had with my first.”
I was surprised. “You have kids? You keep yourself in really good shape.”
Chuckling, she waved me off. “With my job, I'm constantly on my feet. Plus, I don't just manage them, I do mixed martial arts, too. It's a lot of fun if you don't do it competitively. I had to give it up when I got pregnant.” She thought for a second. “It's Brant's, I assume?”
I nodded, blushing hard. I wondered if she thought I was a fool for getting caught up with someone like Brant, but if she knew about me she had to know about our past.
“He'll make a good father,” she said. “But he has to get out of the business, and he needs to calm down. Talk to him about that money he has. He could start a business with it.”
“I'm not sure he would listen to me,” I admitted.
Gabriela shook her head with a knowing smile. “If he knew you were pregnant with his child, he would do anything you said without a single complaint. Don't write him off so easily. He has a lot of strengths and talents that he won't even tap into, not without your help.”
“Did you two…?” I asked, blushing harder somehow. “You just know a lot about him. You don't have to answer me.”
“I was married when we met,” she smiled. “I haven't slept with him, I just know he's a good man. I think of him as a friend, and I know that he could do anything if he stopped getting in his own way.”
Nodding, I gave her a weak smile. “I'll try my best.”
“Good. Now, then.” She opened the bathroom door and stepped out. Brant was washing a towel in the kitchen sink, but turned to watch us as we came out. “I'm going to go. You two have a lot to talk about, like what Brant's going to do for half a year without fighting.” She gave him a sharp glance. “I know you have enough money to sitting around on your ass doing nothing, but if Vivian tells me you've done that, I'll make you suffer for it.”
Brant raised his hand and gave her an innocent look. “Hey, I never said I wasn't going to do anything!”
“Good.” She grinned from Brant, then to me, and with a nod she stepped out of the apartment. “Brant, give Vivian my number and text me hers. I'd like to keep in touch with her, and she's probably more likely to answer my calls than you are.”
She was gone before he answered. An awkward silence fell over the apartment, until Brant stepped up to me and pulled me into his arms. “I don't know what to do.”
I let him hug me in silence. There wasn't anything that I could say to comfort him, but I think just holding me was enough for him. When he pulled away, he tried to wipe away a tear without me noticing, then sniffled and smiled. “Are you feeling better?”
“Yeah, a bit. I think I have the flu or something.” I winced as I lied to him, but I couldn't tell him I might be pregnant. I had to wait until I could take a test, which definitely wasn't happening until I could get back home.
But he looked so sad that my heart broke just looking at him. It was like he was aimless.
What would be the harm in finding some comfort with each other? I was stressed out, too. And if I was pregnant, there couldn't be any harm in having sex now.
I gave in, completely abandoning any sense of propriety. Throwing my arms around his shoulders, I pulled him in for a deep kiss, a kiss that he returned with passion. His tongue slipped into my mouth.
I moaned. “Take me,” I said, my voice husky.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” He asked into my mouth. I only nodded, then screamed with a laugh as he picked me up in his st
rong arms and carried me into his bedroom. He laid me onto the bed and climbed on top of me, playing with my breasts through my shirt.
The butterflies were back, but they were more pleasant as we made out. Our hands explored one another, groping and stroking. I grabbed his firm buttocks and squeezed them, bringing his hard body closer to mine. His fingers brushed under my chin as his mouth devoured mine.
“I'm sorry for everything,” he said, pulling away for a moment.
I shook my head. “I'm sorry, too. We've both made mistakes.” I pressed my lips to his again, and wished they never had to part.
Chapter Ten
With his hands, Brant ever so lightly brushed my jawline and looked at me with such passion. I relished in his touch as he caressed my features. I had never realized how much I wanted a man to touch me tenderly, to have rough fingers slide against my sensitive areas.
When he kissed me, I didn't resist. I couldn't. It was passionate and full of fire and I just wanted him to claim me! My whole body accepted the pressure and the sensations, the tingles and heat that arose from between my legs. I was drunk with desire.
I held my breath for just a moment, melting into him. My hands clutched his shirt. His soft, warm lips pressed against my own, our tongues tangling together.
I pushed him away for a moment, my breath ragged. “Do you have a condom?”
“I do,” he said, grinning. Leaning back, he opened the drawer to his bedside table and pulled out a condom wrapped in foil. While he tore the package open, I removed his towel and took his hard cock in my hand.
It was thick and hard, but the skin was soft as I touched it. Once the condom was out of the package, I took it from him and rolled it over the tip of his cock. Brant undressed me, throwing my clothes onto his bedroom floor before straddling me again.
He kissed me, over and over. His cock pressed against my stomach, his hands tangling in my hair. And when his mouth did finally leave my lips, his taste lingered.
Tilting my head to the side, he kissed my neck and sucked in a bit of my flesh, breaking the blood vessels to leave a bruise. A mark of ownership, a claim on me that I happily accepted. It would be a lovely bruise.
A shiver cascaded down my back. I wrapped my arms around Brant's torso, my hands stroking his back gently. His teeth grazed my skin again. It felt so good. “Brant,” I moaned, my nails digging into his skin.
Brant slid his hand over my breasts, cupping them. With his fingers clamped on my nipple, he growled and bit my neck again in just the right spot. I almost orgasmed then and there! Gasping, my toes curled and my fingers dug even deeper into his skin.
My nipples were incredibly hard as he played with them, and my cunt was hot and wet with desire. There was something about Brant that made me lose all control over myself. I didn't want to leave him, and deep down… I hoped I was pregnant with his child.
I wanted Brant to touch me between my legs, to feel how warm and soaking wet he had made me. I wanted him to know how much of a slut I was for him, only for him. Pain and pleasure both coursed through my body as he bit me, pinching my nipple. I writhed beneath him, squirming beneath his touch.
“Fuck me like a cheap whore,” I moaned into his ear. He moaned as I said it, his cock twitching against my stomach.
I bit my bottom lip and arched my back as Brant took a nipple into his mouth, his body moving down into a better position to fuck me.
“Your body is so perfect,” he said, sitting up and looking at me. His eyes were half-lidded, his jaw set. He looked nothing like the boy I had loved so long ago. He was a different man, but one that I still loved just as much no matter how different he was. “I can't wait to fuck you again. You've been the only thing on my mind for so long… you have no idea how much I came just thinking about you.”
“Then do it,” I said. “Fuck me!” Waiting for him was almost unbearable.
His fingers scratched down my sides, leaving red streaks that claimed me as his. Beautiful, territorial, sexy. Brant's hands reached beneath me, snatching me from the small of my back and pulling my chest towards him. His tongue lashed my nipple again.
Brant kisses my collar bone, then let me lay back on the bed again. His hands pushed my thighs apart, spreading them wide and exposing my pink flesh.
“I can't wait to taste you,” he said. It was embarrassing at first, making me blush a deep red as he spread my pussy lips apart. Once his tongue touched me, though, I stopped caring and gave in. His fingers spread my folds, allowing Brant to explore my depths. He pulled me wide open and exposed my clitoris, swollen and desirous.
Brant was seemingly driven wild with desire. He dipped his tongue into my folds and tasted me, savoring the experience. Dragging a finger up and down my silky skin, he teased around my clitoris, never fully touching it.
I gasped as he slowly got closer and closer, raising my hips to try and trick him into touching me. I needed release! “Please!” I beg.
Brant didn't give in, he was enjoying torturing me too much. A wicked smile crossed his face as he licked my folds again, lapping up my wetness but never once touching my most pleasurable spot.
“Brant, please! I am begging you, touch me, stop teasing me! I'll go mad if you don't give me something!” I gripped the blankets beneath me.
Brant watched my face contort with frustration and pent up pleasure before finally giving me what I wanted. His tongue slipped over the hood covering my clit. I jolted upright with a shout of pleasure.
Gripping his hair, I directed his mouth to apply pressure in certain spots. He somehow instinctually understood my motions. It felt so incredible. His tongue darted all around, still teasing sometimes, only occasionally pressing against that wonderful bundle of sensitive nerves.
Moaning, whining and grunts, I tried to come close to orgasm, but Brant had complete control over me. It was maddening, but I had to give in to him.
“Take me,” I begged him. “I want you so bad, and not just that delicious tongue of yours.”
As if those were the magic words, Brant stared up at me for a moment, watching me. Then he stood and grabbed my legs, pulling me down to the edge of the bed and lifting me up with those strong arms of his.
Brant wrapped his hand around his manhood, his fingers moving up and down his shaft. “Wrap your legs around me,” he commanded. I did as I was told, spreading my legs wide and then pulling him in towards me as I captured him with them.
I locked him into position, and then he placed himself against my entrance. He savored my heat, sliding his cock up and down my soaking wet cunt lips before entering me.
Gripping the bed sheets, I moaned. My inner walls gripped his cock within me as he slowly plunged himself deeper and deeper within.
He pushed himself in slowly, then pulled out again. Stroking his cock into me, he looked into my eyes with animal lust. I bit my lip under that gaze, my hands brushing against his face.
He picked up speed, and I screamed as his cock hit me in just the right places. The pounding just kept coming, harder and harder until I lost all sense of anything other than pleasure. He placed his thumb against my clit, rubbing it with each thrust.
With my legs wrapped around him, and his hands holding my hips, he pulled me onto his cock and fucked me hard. He twitched and grunted, and I knew he would cum soon.
For a moment I regretted telling him to put on the condom. I wished I could feel him spilling inside of me again.
“Oh fuck, oh fuck! Don't stop!”
Brant kept fucking me until he came inside the condom, his hot sperm unfortunately being caught in that latex condom. I held back a pout.
He groaned and, once his balls were spent, he collapsed on top of me, his head resting on my chest. He laughed. “I thought for sure you were going to hate me forever.”
“Brant, if there's one thing I've learned, it's that I could never hate you.” He looked up at me, so I gave him a smile. “You scare me sometimes, and you definitely irritate me, but I love you too much to hate you.”
/>
He pulled his cock free from me and then climbed up higher onto the bed with me, kissing me hard. Brushing hair from my eyes, he looked into them deeply. “Do you really mean that?”
“Of course I do,” I said. I meant it, no matter how terrifying it was. He was volatile and he needed help dealing with his anger, but I could be that help. I knew I could, and I knew I would be forced to help him if I was pregnant.
He just needed to be willing to let me help him.
–
As I woke up, Vivian's warmth almost made me want to cry. I shuffled closer to her under the blankets, breathing in the scent of her hair. She slowly woke up in my arms, turning over to smile at me with those sleepy eyes.
“Good morning,” she said, her voice quiet and feminine. The very sound of it helped to soothe the coming storm. I knew it was going to be a bad day for me, because I would have to figure out a way to keep myself occupied while I was disallowed from fighting.
It just wasn't fair. I fought for a living, why shouldn't I be allowed to fight outside of the ring too? No publicity was bad publicity, so why did I have to get kicked out?
Instead of dwelling on that, I kissed her nose and nestled into her body, laying my head on Vivian's bosom. “What's wrong?” She asked, her fingers running through my hair.
“I just don't know what I'm going to do. Fighting was everything to me, and it's been taken away from me.”
“Brant,” she said pityingly. “It's not all you have. If you look around, you'll find something else to do. Maybe you'll even find something you like better.”
I sighed quietly. “Maybe you're right, but in a small town like Bell Bend? It's unlikely.”
“Why don't you move? Come down to Ann Arbor.”
It was a good question. I was willing to go, if it was with her… but at the same time, I was scared. I had never been more than 2 or 3 hours away from Bell Bend. I've always stayed close to home. The only way I thought I would ever leave was if I became a professional fighter.
Thinking about just uprooting myself and going somewhere strange seemed harder than anything I had ever done before. “How did you do it?” I asked her. “How did you leave? Weren't you scared?”
