Redemption

by Tia Lewis

  "Come on," he was saying dragging me toward a carriage parked idly on the side of the street. It was then that I realized we were at Central Park and he was taking me on a carriage ride. Oh, my. The driver greeted us and helped us up in the carriage, Anthony tucking his arm around my shoulders as we set off on a slow pace in one of the greatest cities in the world. "This is, I don't know how to even thank you," I said softly, taking in the sights of the city at night. "But thank you."

  "You're welcome," he said softly. "Thank you for coming with me. I confess, it's nice to have someone here this time."

  I leaned my head against his shoulder, taking in the spicy scent of his cologne. I shouldn't feel this way about this man, but slowly he was stealing my heart. "I'm glad to be that person."

  He didn't answer, and I enjoyed the moment, listening to the steady clop of the horses' hooves as they made their way around the park. His fingers were lightly caressing my shoulder, sending electricity down my spine as I thought about what was going to happen tonight. I wasn't going to lie; I was nervous about being involved in a sexual relationship with Anthony. After James, I hadn't anticipated finding anyone, much less my sexy as hell fighter who could get my blood racing through my veins with a quick grin.

  The carriage ride was over all too quickly, and Anthony helped me out, his hands grazing my hips as he steadied me. I looked into his eyes and saw the heat, the need and felt my own body respond in kind. "Ready for food?" he asked softly, smoothing the hair away from my face.

  One simple touch and I could care less about food. I wanted something else, something standing right in front of me. "I want something else."

  His eyes flared in surprise, but it wasn't hard to figure out what I was talking about. Without a word, he grabbed my hand and hailed a taxi, climbing in and giving the directions to the hotel. I felt the excitement all the way to my toes as we sped through the streets of New York, my body tingling with anticipation. I was ready for this.

  The trip back to the hotel took no time at all, and we walked through the lobby, finding a free elevator before Anthony jabbed the door closed, his body pressing into mine, his hands going on either side of my head. "You don't have to do this," he ground out, his hard body pressing into mine and causing my stomach to flip relentlessly. "I'm all talk."

  I reached up and cupped his cheek with my hand. "I hope not."

  He grinned and leaned in, brushing his lips against mine. "Alright then. You are mine tonight."

  I shivered as the doors opened and he backed off, leading me out of the elevator and down the hall, barely getting the door opened before he was attacking me with his mouth, pressing me against the now closed hotel door and wedging a knee between my thighs. I gasped as his hands touched my breasts, finding my erect nipples and tweaking them lightly, his tongue delving into my mouth and playing a dangerous tango with my tongue. My hands found his shoulders and then down to the hem of his shirt, tugging on it until he broke the kiss and pulled it over his head, stepping back. I shrugged out of my jacket and pulled my shirt over my head, figuring if he were going to be bare chested, I would be as well. "Can I touch you?" I asked.

  Anthony nodded, and I reached out with a trembling hand and laid it over his heart, feeling the rapid thump under my hand. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought he was just as nervous as I was but I threw out that idea. There was no way a man like him could be nervous about sex, especially with me. My other hand touched his shoulder and felt the steely muscle there, tracing down his arm and feeling his muscles flex under my touch. I dropped my hands and walked around to see his back, where his tattoos were now predominantly displayed. "Tell me about the tats."

  "I was on fire," he said quietly as I traced the dark flame with my finger lightly. "My career had just taken off, and I wanted to memorialize it." He chuckled. "I went a bit too big."

  I traced the flame from his neck all the way to his lower back, trying to picture Anthony laying there and suffering through hours of tattoos. I was a wimp, hating any sort of pain so I couldn't imagine the pain as the needle had gone over his shoulder blade or the sensitive skin on his ribcage. "I like it," I said, pressing a soft kiss on his shoulder blade right in the dark spot. "It suits you." He didn't respond as I walked back around to face him, seeing the inscrutable look on his face. "I'm not on fire any longer," he said, pain crossing his expression. "This is my last hurrah, my last chance to make it back into the cage."

  I reached up and touched his face lightly with my fingers, my heart going out to him. "There's more to you than just fighting you know."

  "Like what?" he asked. I shrugged as I trailed a finger down the front of his chest, caressing his abdomen. "Like you are a good kisser."

  Anthony chuckled and grabbed my fingers, bringing them up to his lips. I sucked my breath in as he inserted one into his mouth, his tongue swirling around the tip. "Only good?"

  "G-great," I stammered, my nerves scattering. He winked and trailed my hand over his chest once more. I could see the heat simmering in his eyes and felt that same low burn in my stomach as well. "What else do you want to know?" he asked softly as his hands landed on my waist, his warm fingers on my bare skin.

  "Later," I forced out. I was done talking. He grinned and slid his hands down to my pants, pushing at the waistband. "Off. I want to see you, Hannah."

  "Turnabout is fair play," I said, eyeing his pants as well. We both removed our pants, my breath coming out in shallow pants as I took a good long look at him. The bulge against his tight boxers was unmistakable, and I swallowed. Good lord. It hadn't been that long, but Anthony was making it all seem like the first time.

  "Like what you see?"

  My eyes flew up to Anthony's face, taking in his grin. "W-what?"

  He chuckled and closed the gap between us, taking my face in his hands, his beautiful eyes a stormy gray. "I want you, Hannah, probably more than I have ever wanted anyone before, but I will be gentle."

  I flushed. "I'm not, I mean I've got experience." I hadn't been a virgin in a long time.

  His smile was tender as he kissed me gently. "But you've never been with me before."

  My heart literally melted in my chest. He never ceased to amaze me. His lips were gentle on mine as his hands reached behind me and undid the clasp of my bra, working it down my arms until it joined the rest of our clothing on the floor. When his hands cupped my bare breasts, I gasped at the shock of his hands on my skin, grasping at his shoulders to keep myself upright. His hands roamed down my body, and I felt my knees start to weaken, his lips leaving mine and trailing down my neck, nibbling and teasing the sensitive skin there. I was on fire, everywhere.

  Anthony grunted and walked us back to the bed, where he pushed me lightly down on the bed until I was spread over the comforter, his body covering mine, the bulge now nestled nicely against my already wet center. His lips were everywhere, at my breasts, sucking on one nipple before attacking the other, his hands sliding down my body while I writhed against his touch.

  One hand made its way between us, grazing my wet lacy panties. "You're already wet," he said against my chest, his tongue lavishing my nipple. "I wonder how wet you can get."

  I couldn't speak, his voice velvety smooth. His finger slipped inside the waistband of my underwear and touched my swollen nub, causing me to fall apart, my cries filling the air. Great. I had fallen apart with just a mere touch.

  Anthony nipped at my breast before sliding my underwear down my legs, throwing them on the floor as well, then falling onto the bed next to me. I looked over to find him watching me with those piercing eyes of his. "I'm sorry," I forced out.

  "For what?" he asked, his eyes narrowing. I bit my lip and felt the dull blush creep onto my cheeks. "For well, you know." I hadn't ever done it that fast before, not even when I pleasured myself.

  He chuckled, pulling me until I was straddling him. "Babe, I don't care. As long as you enjoyed it, that's all that matters. We have all night."

  My hands landed on h
is chest, roaming over his smooth skin lightly. We did have all night, and the best was yet to come. "Touch me," he groaned as I grazed his abs with my nails. "Fuck that feels good."

  Feeling embolden, I let my hand drift down, rocking back until I had enough room to grip him lightly in my hand. He was rock hard through the fabric, and I felt myself get even wetter at the possibility of what was to happen tonight. Suddenly, I wanted to see him, all of him. With some work I climbed off of him and gave his underwear a tug, watching as his cock sprang out and at attention when I got them off of his muscular legs. Oh, my.

  I wanted him. I could feel it in my bones, nothing about this not making sense nor feeling wrong by any means. "Do you have a condom?" I asked softly.

  He leaned up, his eyes glittering with heat. "Back pocket."

  I reached over for his pants and found the condom, tearing open the foil packet and taking out the small round rubber. With trembling hands I rolled it on his cock, feeling the heat emanating from his body. This was going to be good.

  As soon as I got it on, he pushed me on the bed and rose above me, sweat dotting his forehead. "This is going to be quick."

  "Make it count," I answered, grasping at his hips. He gave me a quick grin and slid in, stretching and filling me until he couldn't go any further. My body quivered around him, gasping as the sensation of him being inside of me scattered any remaining worries I had. "Fuck," Anthony breathed, his arms straining under his weight.

  I echoed his sentiment in my head as he pulled out and eased back in, causing me to arch against him. I could feel the pressure starting to build, my nerves like a taut string ready to break at any moment. When Anthony picked up the pace, I was lost, my cries filling the room as I grasped at his shoulders, urging him on. He wrapped my legs around his waist and pulled me to the edge of the bed, giving him more leverage as he rammed into me, his fingers digging into my hips. "Yes," he said, the sound of our bodies slamming together filling the room. "Come for me, Hannah."

  I bit my lip as I fell apart again, stars exploding behind my eyelids before I felt him stiffen then shout as he followed behind me. For a moment I could only concentrate on breathing, the smell of sex filling the air. It might have been short, but no doubt vastly different from any other sex I had experienced in my adulthood.

  Anthony removed himself from me, and I turned my head to watch him walk to the bathroom, my lips curving into a smile as I took in his sexy ass. God, he was gorgeous, and I was one lucky girl at the moment. I didn't know where this relationship was going, but it had definitely just shifted to the next tier.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Anthony

  I lay in the bed, Hannah at my side, feeling fucking great for the first time in a long while. It had been hours since the first time we had done the deed, and I had taken her two other times before she had fallen into an exhausted sleep. For now, I was going to let her sleep, though my body wanted to have her yet again before the sun came up. I was exhausted myself, yet I couldn't close my eyes, my body too keyed up to even think about sleeping. Usually, when I had this problem, I would go workout, pushing myself until I finally collapsed into sleep, but I didn't want to leave the bed. Not with Hannah snoozing next to me. Her body pressed up to me just felt so right, something about it tugging at my heart more than I had anticipated it to. I didn't understand how Hannah had affected me so, after all, she was just a chick that I barely knew, but she had, and I was scared shitless at the thought of opening up to someone else only to have them dump me in the end. Gina hadn't wasted any time once my career was over. But she hadn't been the only one. Suddenly all of my supposed friends were gone now that the limelight was gone, dust in the wind. My life had changed in an instant, my cell no longer ringing with promoters wanting a match with me or the media wanting their interviews. I had all but been forgotten with the exception of Larry and the guys.

  But now I was on the cusp of becoming mainstream again. I had Hannah at my side, the article bound to drive some attention my way as well as the gym. I had Larry in my corner even though he wasn't so keen on the idea. So why was this apprehension building within me, making me concerned even though I felt fucking fine? Why did I feel like everything could be pulled out under me at a moment's notice?

  Hannah shifted at my side, and I pulled her closer, stroking her bare shoulder with my fingers. I could fucking do this. This was a piece of cake.

  Two Days Later…

  "Man look at you! This is so dope, Tony. You don't know how fucking proud I am to have this hanging in the gym. Membership went up overnight due to this spread."

  I grinned as I took a look at the cover once more, now framed thanks to Benji and the guys, taking its place by the rest of the covers we had all done over the years for various publications. I had to admit, I looked badass on that cover, my arms crossed over my chest and my body looking ripped against the white backdrop. On the page with the actual article, the photographer had captured my side profile in a fight stance, another picture of me doing pushups while looking at the camera. I was badass in all the photos. The article itself had been great, Trent doing a good job highlighting the upcoming fight and the gym as he had promised. All in all, it had been the right thing to do and now not only was I profiting from it, the gym was as well. Already today I had gotten three phone calls for interviews and one for a sponsorship. I was on fucking cloud nine.

  Benji slapped me on the back before walking out of the door, turning at the last moment. "See you at the bar?"

  I nodded and flexed my muscles, earning a laugh from him as he walked out. Now that the article was out, the guys wanted to take me out to the bar to celebrate. I had invited Hannah along as well, ready to see her. We had been busy since our trip to New York and after I had dropped her off at her apartment that next day, I hadn't seen her since. My hands were itching to touch her, to kiss her lips and hell, just see her. She had gotten under my skin, and I couldn't get enough.

  Flipping off the lights, I walked out to my car, throwing my bag in the backseat before climbing in and driving off, past the dark bakery toward the bar. No doubt the guys would want to buy shots tonight to celebrate, and though I knew I could handle one shot, I didn't want the temptation to turn into something more. One of the things I had learned early on was how easy it was to fall back into the old way of doing things and without keeping vigilant of the pitfalls, I could easily take a backslide. Now, though, I had too much to lose.

  I pulled up at the bar and climbed out of the car, taking a deep breath before walking into the joint.

  "There he is folks! Get your autographs now!"

  I laughed as Jim pushed his copy of the magazine toward me with a sharpie, scribbling my name on the cover before pushing it back toward him. "Good to see you too, man."

  Jim leaned in, his eyes sparkling with laughter. "Dude, I'm proud of you."

  I nodded as he gave me a wink and straightened, taking the magazine with him where he would frame it and hang it on his damn wall like a shrine. It felt good to be that person again.

  "Come on, let me buy you a drink," Paul said, his eyes already glazed over as he slung his arm around my shoulder. "We need to toast."

  "I'm good, man," I said immediately as he pulled me toward the bar. "Training remember?"

  Paul's eyes focused on my face, a frown appearing. "When has that ever stopped you?"

  "Since I told him no alcohol," Benji cut in, giving me a slight nod. "Between the alcohol and the sweets, Tony is slow as fuck in the cage lately."

  Paul laughed and slapped me on the back. "Fine man, fine. But are we talking about the baker or the baker's sweets?"

  I rolled my shoulders and gave Paul a grin, not letting his comment get to me. It was far more than the baker's sweets that had me panting after her these days. "Have you seen Hannah yet?"

  "Not yet," Benji supplied with a wink. "But she will be here, Tony."

  I nodded. I knew she was going to be here, I just wanted her to hurry up.

  "T
ony."

  At first, I thought I was dreaming or waking up from a nightmare. I wasn't sure of which one. I hadn't heard that voice in over a year, the day she walked out the last time we had talked. Turning around, I crossed my arms over my chest. "Gina."

  She was just as I remembered, though she had put some kind of blonde streaks in her hair. Those same blue eyes stared back at me, the eyes I thought I loved and loved me back. Now I wished I hadn't wasted all that time on her and our relationship. She was dressed to kill tonight, tight leather pants and a tube top despite the cold weather outside, her slim body on full display. At one time I had enjoyed her body, but now I much preferred Hannah's curves to Gina's reed-thin body. "You're looking good, Tony," she said softly, touching my forearm. "I hear you're getting back in the cage."

  "I am," I answered, wondering where the hell she had been over this last year. No doubt on the arm of some other fighter would be my guess. Gina was like me, she had grown up around the sport, both her father and her brother involved in some kind of fighting. It was where I had met her, and I figured it would be where she would die as well. It was just in our blood, though lately some of the conversations I had been having with the guys and with Hannah made me wonder if I really was going to be around the sport for that long. "I got Jose at the end of the month."

  "That's good," she said, giving me a catlike smile. "I'm happy for you. You as a fighter, that is where you should be. You were always better than the best Tony. That's what I like about you."

  She was trying to stroke my ego. I could tell it immediately. Narrowing my gaze, I steeled myself against her words. After all, they were just words. If she were anything like Hannah, I would be able to see the truth written all over her face but Gina's smile didn't reach her eyes, and I wondered if it ever had. "What's this about Gina?"