The sauna was located in a deserted change room. Leo stripped the robe and I couldn’t help ogling his still-magnificent body. He was the ripped Adonis I’d always known and he was an impressive sight. His naked form made me go weak at the knees, even if the circumstance was about as far from sexy as I could imagine.
Leo stood on the scales and nodded. “This better work.” He said it more to himself than to me.
“Okay. So what now?”
He looked at me and sighed. “I really wish you didn’t have to witness this, Jules.”
“Shut up and tell me what to do.”
“I need you to smear my whole body in Vaseline before I go into the sauna.” He grimaced. “I need my pores to be blocked so I can’t sweat while I’m in there.”
“This is crazy.” I shook my head and chewed on my lip. “You know that, right?”
“I’ve had a lot of crazy in my adult life. This is just another fucked up thing to add to the list.” His resigned tone made my heart ache. This man was carrying around some heavy baggage, and I had a feeling I’d barely scratched the surface. Why would anyone in their right mind put themselves through this? He wasn’t money driven, so it had to be some kind of masochistic punishment.
“This is the last time you’re doing this if I have anything to say about it.”
Leo shook his head. “I run my own race, Jules.”
His words cut me deeper than they should've, but I didn't let on. Instead, I scooped a dollop of Vaseline and slapped it on his chest. He jumped back in shock from the cold jelly-like substance he hadn’t been prepared for. “Sorry.” My smirk let him know I wasn’t.
“Maybe a little warning?”
“That was your warning.” I tried to hold back my laughter, but a chuckle slipped out.
“You’re a pain in my arse. You know that?”
“Stand still and let me finish the job.”
It wasn’t exactly a chore smearing Vaseline over his body. Each stroke of my hand made him flinch slightly, and he appeared to be holding his breath most of the time. It was a strangely erotic experience in that poorly lit change room miles and miles from home.
“Having fun?” The sly question was redundant. He knew exactly how much I was enjoying it.
“I am, actually. Thanks for asking.”
“I think you’re done, Jules.”
I stepped back and admired my handiwork. He looked completely ridiculous.
“Okay. Okay.” He waved me off. “Show’s over.” He tipped his head towards the sauna. “Would you like to join me?”
“God no. I hate saunas.” I’d been in one before and absolutely detested the feeling of being overheated. I couldn’t imagine how horrible it was going to be for Leo when his body was unable to sweat. “Don’t stay in too long or I’ll come and drag you out.”
Reaching for a towel to dry my hands, I watched him disappear behind the heavy wooden door. I sat down on one of the benches, leaned back to rest my head on the wall and waited.
About a half hour later, the sauna door opened.
“Jules?” Much to my horror, Leo stumbled out looking like he was on fire. His face was red and his whole body glistened from what was left of the melted Vaseline.
“God, Leo.” I leapt off the bench. “Are you okay?” A wave of sheer panic washed over me at the sight of him.
He looked dreadful, and even more alarmingly, he spoke in a jumbled slur that I could barely understand. Pushing down my fears, I placed my hand on his elbow and ushered him towards the bench. “Come here and sit down.”
“I hate saunas,” he slurred. “My nostrils are burning.”
“It’s okay, babe.” I reassured him. “I’ve got you. Tell me what you need.”
“Towel,” he mumbled, looking at the stack next to me.
I used a few towels to wipe his body clean of the wet substance, and what happened next turned my stomach. Sweat pulsated out of his body at such a rate, I just stood back in shock. I’d never seen anything like it, and I knew it had to be a horrifying experience for Leo. His face was contorted, his eyes were shut, and his muscles twitched violently.
“I’ll be back in a sec.” I called over my shoulder as I rushed from the room to get some ice. “Try to relax.”
I returned within minutes to Leo, who was hunched over with his head in his hands and elbows resting on his knees. The sweat was still pouring out, but the rate had decreased.
“Suck on this.”
I placed another cube on the back of his neck, and he groaned with pleasure. After a few minutes, he staggered over the scales to weigh himself and I followed, praying he’d done enough.
He groaned. “So close.”
I was horrified but had to just stand back and let it happen.
Despite his slurred voice, the determination in his tone was unmistakable.
“Only a few minutes,” I pleaded in barely a whisper. “I don’t think you can take much more.”
He came out every few minutes and headed to the scales.
After the fourth time, I was ready to put my foot down. Enough was enough. Helping him to the scales, I released him only when he was standing safely on them.
“No more.” He exhaled, stumbling backward into my arms. “I’ve made weight.”
“Thank God.” I shook my head, giddy with relief.
After giving him a proper dry-off, I somehow managed to help him back to the room. He just let me take charge like an obedient child. As much as he would’ve liked a shower to get rid of the pungent smell of salty sweat, Leo refused. He mumbled something about the pores absorbing the water, which would counteract his achievement in the sauna, and I was beyond arguing by that point. Exhausted, he sat down on the edge of the bed and slumped forward, resting his face in his hands.
“Lie down, Leo. We have two hours before we have to be at weigh-in, so you should just rest. I’ll switch on the TV.”
“Don’t let me go to sleep.” His voice was strained and barely audible.
“Why can’t you sleep?” I questioned, confused. Surely sleep would’ve been sweet relief for him after what he’d just put his body through.
“I'm dehydrated. If I go to sleep, I’ll wake up with an unbearable headache.”
I gave him another ice cube to suck on. My beautiful, strong man looked gaunt and broken in the soft afternoon light.
I’ll never let this happen again, I thought to myself.
Chapter Nine
Leo
At six thirty, Nick knocked on our door. It was time. The weigh-in was going to be in our hotel rather than at the stadium, and I was glad. I was spent and wanted the whole ordeal over and done with.
“You ready?” Nick asked as we walked towards the lift.
“Ready.” I silently prayed the torturous week had been worth it and I could put on a good show. I had my suspicions that this fight was never meant to be fair. Pete knew I'd have to starve to make weight and would be weak because of it. I was a scalp, and I was okay with that because I had an ace up my sleeve. I could channel rage through my body, and that's what made me unbeatable. I might look and feel like shit, but I was not going to go down easily. This Perth prick better be ready for me.
Juliette squeezed my hand as we travelled down to the conference rooms on the ground floor. When the doors opened, I was surprised to see TV cameras and journalists setting up. Clearly, this was a bigger deal than I had anticipated.
I whispered to Nick from the corner of my mouth. “Did you know about this?
He shook his head. “Nope. Pete’s a snake in the grass. I don’t trust him.”
Jules gripped my arm. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” Her voice was laced with panic.
“I’ll be fine.” I kissed her on the cheek then jogged forward into the throng of people waiting to see me fail.
A few flashes went off as I stopped in the middle of the room.
“Over here, Leo.” I glanced over and saw Pete standing at the officials table with a fancy-looking w
eigh-in scale.
Unwilling to show my weakness, I walked confidently towards them. Nick appeared at my side and I didn’t try to see where Juliette was. I needed to focus on the task at hand.
“You made it.” Pete held out his hand and shook mine firmly. “Leo. This is Lucas Albright.”
Lucas and I nodded at each other before he went back to jogging on the spot and shadow boxing. He was a showman, and that filled me with hope. Show ponies were my easiest competition.
“Okay, Lucas. You’re up first.”
Lucas easily made weight, and fist punched the air like a tosser. “Are you sure you're up for this, Ashlar?” he asked, making a beeline for me. “You don't look so flash.”
I was going to enjoy putting the cocky little fucker in his place tomorrow night.
“You just worry about yourself, mate.”
“I was told you were the ultimate fighter, but you look like you’d be better off in the women’s comp.”
“My girlfriend could send you to the canvas in seconds flat, so be careful what you say about women in front of her.”
Lucas glanced at Juliette, and I immediately regretted drawing attention to her. “The gorgeous blonde is a fighter?”
“Yeah, so keep your dirty mitts to yourself.” I’d all but forgotten my starvation when I saw him watching her with hungry eyes.
“Can I have your attention, ladies and gentlemen?” Pete's booming voice cut through the crowd. “Next up we have the official weigh-in for Melbourne fighter, Leo Ashlar.”
More flashes went off and a few people clapped. I tried to block everything out as I stared at the scales. Suddenly it felt like a test of my will to survive. I was outside my comfort zone and I’d need to fight like hell.
Nick patted me on the back. “Good luck.”
The numbers on the scale seemed to flash forever. Underweight, overweight, underweight, overweight. When the final numbers locked in, my nerves were shot.
Underweight by the skin of my teeth.
I did it. I fucking did it.
Juliette's voice erupted before anyone else's. “Yes!” she cheered.
I turned and smiled, immediately catching her eye. She blew me a kiss, and for that moment, I was on top of the world.
“Well done, mate.” Nick’s relief mirrored my own as he ushered me away from the scales and into a chair, handing me a bottle of Gatorade. I casually sank down into the plastic chair and downed the hydrating fluid in one long guzzle.
“Leo Ashlar’s official weight has been recorded and we have a fight.” Pete's announcement sent a rush of satisfaction coursing right through me. I had achieved the impossible. The first hurdle had been overcome.
I managed to get away with only doing one interview for the West Australian Newspaper. They asked a few questions about my fitness and general health. I couldn’t hide the fact I’d barely eaten all week. I was fading fast and I was grateful when Nick told me it was time to go. I glanced around the testosterone-charged room. Hungry and thirsty fighters were eagerly awaiting their turn on the scales to decide their fight readiness.
I was incredibly relieved to get the hell out of there. Desperate for food, we caught a taxi to what turned out to be a pretty decent restaurant. I didn’t speak once my food arrived. I quickly realised my eyes were far bigger than my stomach. I could only eat half my burger, but no burger had ever tasted better in the history of burgers. Nick had also ordered me a jug of lemonade, which I picked up and drank without bothering with a cup. I had no idea what damage I’d done to my body over the past week, but I’d made weight and that was what mattered.
“So from what I could work out from the hushed conversations I overheard, Pete never intended for you to stand a chance in this fight. He knows you’re a dangerous fighter, but you’re definitely the scalp.”
Juliette put down her fork and wiped her mouth. “What an arsehole.”
“There’s worse than him out there,” Nick said. “I still can’t believe you agreed to this fight.”
Juliette piped up. “Me neither.”
“Can you two leave me alone, please?” I didn’t need to justify my decision to anyone. I was a free agent.
“Let’s focus on the job at hand, shall we?” Nick waved his fork at us. “You’ll need to do exactly as I say from here on in. Okay?”
Nick talked all through dinner, barely pausing for food. His insight was invaluable. To compensate for my weakened state, I was going to have to change the way I fought.
“I need to go,” I said, wiping my mouth with my napkin. “I’m beat.”
“Get some sleep and take it easy tomorrow morning,” Nick said as we shuffled out of the booth. “We’ll have a light training session after lunch tomorrow and go over some strategies.”
We returned to the hotel and said goodbye to Nick in the lobby. He said he wanted to make a few phone calls and was meeting one of his mates in the hotel bar.
Juliette and I rode the lift in silence. My hand found hers and she melted into my side.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” I whispered, kissing the top of her head.
She looked up at me and smiled. “No place I’d rather be.”
As soon as we got back to our room, I headed straight for a much-needed shower. Juliette followed, stripping off her clothes on the way. As soon as I stepped in, I pulled her to me and my mouth found hers. The gentle touch of her hands on my body felt like therapy, massaging my aching muscles. I felt completely weighed down by total exhaustion.
“God, you’re beautiful,” I whispered against her lips before feathering kisses down her throat and neck.
While the water washed away the horrors of the day, her delicate fingers traced lines on my back that drove me completely insane with desire. Her breath hitched when I claimed one of her breasts with my greedy mouth. Without enough conscious thought, I grabbed her backside, intent on burying myself deep inside her. She placed her palms on my chest and gently pushed me back. “You can’t be serious, Leo.”
“Fuck.” I dropped my head back under the water and rubbed my face with my palms. “I actually feel like shit and can barely hold myself up.” I hadn’t been thinking clearly, and I might’ve actually dropped her if I’d followed through with my lust-fuelled plan.
She chuckled, kissing my chest. “Let’s get you to bed, then.”
The crisp sheets felt cool against my naked skin. “Come here,” I said, opening my arms for her.
She nuzzled into my side and laid her cheek over my heart. I stroked her silky hair and knew I had to find a way to be enough for this girl.
“I nearly went out of my mind without you.” My words were muffled by a yawn.
“Never again, babe,” she whispered back. “Get some sleep.”
As I drifted towards sleep, I felt her kiss my chest again, right above my heart. Despite the fact I was too weak to make love to her, the woman my heart would always choose was safe in my arms.
Chapter Ten
Leo
I woke the next morning with Juliette’s warm body tangled around mine. She met my gaze and smiled. Her incredible navy eyes and silky blonde hair were captivating, but it wasn't what held me. The beauty from within is what stole my soul. Hers was the kind of beauty that could make men lose their minds.
“Good morning, beautiful.” My voice sounded scratchy and I had to clear my throat. “How did you sleep?”
She edged closer to me. “Really well,” she cooed. “You?”
“With you next to me, how could I not?” I kissed her, wrapping her in my arms.
“I ordered breakfast about half an hour ago so you can fuel up this body again.” She ran her fingers down my chest and abs, causing blood to rush south.
“I want you,” I whispered against her mouth.
“You need to conserve your energy.” A knock at the door had her jumping out of bed and jogging to the door in tiny shorts and a white tank top.
I launched myself out of bed before I realised I really didn’t have
the energy to do it. She made it halfway across the room before I managed to throw a robe around her. “You are far too sexy to be answering the door dressed like that.”
“Are you going all caveman on me, Mr Ashlar?” she asked, reluctantly tying the robe.
“This body is for my eyes only.” I kissed her neck, feeling her shiver when my lips touched her skin. I wanted to affect her always and looked forward to the post-fight celebration, which only included her being naked beneath me.
Juliette had ordered almost everything on the menu and I managed to fuel up my body as much as I dared.
“So I was thinking we could do something together today,” I said, leaning back in my chair.
“What did you have in mind?”
“Something to keep my mind off tonight. I’ve done some Googling.”
“Oh god.” She laughed, putting her hands over her face. “Most romantic date in Perth by any chance?”
“Where to take a sassy princess, actually.”
She narrowed her eyes but smiled. “You did not.”
“Do you want to know what we’re doing or not?”
“Tell me, Casanova.”
“Cottesloe Beach.” I glanced at my watch. “We don’t have a whole lot of time, as I have to be back for my training session, but we’ve got a few hours to relax.
She stood up, walked around the table, and climbed into my lap. Wrapping her arms around my neck, she kissed me lightly. “Sounds perfect. Thank God it’s not swimming weather, because I’m a little scared of sharks.”
“Juliette Salinger – adrenaline junkie. I thought swimming with sharks would be right up your alley.”
“Nope.” She shuddered. “We don’t belong in their territory. We deserve to be eaten.”
I laughed. “I’d rather not be anyone’s dinner, but no fear of that today. Google recommended Il Gelato for the best ice cream along the beachfront, so that might make it worth your while?”
“Now you’re talking my language.”
“I remember you practically inhaling the ice cream at the St Kilda pier on our first date.”
She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
Impact (The Fight for Life #2) Page 5
