In His Corner

by Alexandra Warren

  But that still didn’t mean I appreciated her presence nor his sarcastic, “Very funny,” as he yanked her towards the door and said, “I’ma lock her up real quick, then I’ll be back.”

  I nodded, their exit enough to calm my thumping heart as I plopped back down on the bed, running a hand through my ruffled hair as I thought about how ridiculous I probably looked screaming about his dog first thing in the morning. I mean, it wasn’t like I was against dogs or even afraid of them. I guess I just didn’t appreciate being woken up by one that big, especially when I expected it to be her owner.

  Shaking my head, I found my phone that was on the last of its battery since I hadn’t charged it the night before, scrolling through the collection of text messages that had already accumulated from just this morning. Though I shouldn’t have been surprised there were so many once I saw who the majority of them were from.

  “Princeton and Bella sitting in a tree… F-U-C-K-I-N-G.” - Gina

  “Hope your uterus is still intact. Hit me when you wake up. DYING for details.” - Gina

  “Also, Princeton left his gift at the club. I gave it to Anthony to give to him.” - Gina

  “This girl,” I thought to myself with a laugh as I typed out a reply.

  “Good morning to you too, Gina.” - Bella

  I could already see her responding as if her phone had been in her hand the whole time. And once I read what she sent, I really busted out laughing.

  “Bella! OMG. You’re alive. Or are you texting from the afterlife? Cause of Death: Good Dick.” - Gina

  “I’m good, crazy. And it was… everything. That’s all I have to share.”- Bella

  “How are you though? Everything go okay last night?” - Bella

  While leaving her with people who were technically strangers was a risk, I had a feeling Princeton would’ve shut that down immediately if he didn’t trust them to do right by her. Either that or be willing to beat their asses for doing anything out of her comfort zone. But I was hardly surprised to see Gina had held her own once I read her reply.

  “Definitely. Had quite an interesting sleepover with Anthony and Brandin...” - Gina

  My eyes went wide and I couldn’t have typed out a response fast enough, anxious for more details.

  “OMG! They ran a train on you?!” - Bella

  “First of all, the correct term is threesome. Second of all, HELL NO. They saw me home safely and I invited them up for more debates since… those fools are hilarious.” - Gina

  “Thank God,” I whispered out loud as another message came in.

  “But when Brandin fell asleep on the couch… let’s just say big brother had me up cookin’ breakfast this morning ;)” - Gina

  I fell back onto the bed with a laugh, the potential of double dates making me giddy as Princeton made his way back into the room. “Glad to see you’re in a better mood now, Scary Spice.”

  My lips immediately pushed out into a pout as I whined, “That’s not funny. Your bitch had me messed up.”

  “You get a kick out of calling her that, don’t you?” he asked, shaking his head as he made himself comfortable on the edge of the bed next to me.

  It might’ve been a little immature, but I couldn’t help the way my pout turned into a grin when I answered, “I do.” Then I sat up a little straighter so that I could shove him in the shoulder and scold, “You left your gift at the club last night, punk.”

  “Guess you could say I was a little distracted,” he replied with a grin of his own before tossing a sack into my lap to add, “But I got you a gift too. Made a stop on my run.”

  I peeked into the brown paper sack to find what would be our saving grace, scrunching it back closed to ask, “You already went running this morning?”

  While I had taken his lack of breath as an accomplishment the night before, the fact that he was able to bounce back from a night of drinking and wild sex like it was nothing had me a little jealous. Though I couldn’t do anything but respect it when he said, “Every morning like clockwork, B. Can’t be lettin’ your fine ass distract me from everything now. But yo, I was reading the side effects on that shit and you should probably stay here today. So I can look after you.”

  I quickly brushed him off, opening the bag back up to pull out the box as I told him, “I’ll be fine, Princeton. It’s not my first… nevermind.”

  Instead of addressing my statement, he fell back onto the bed, turning towards me to say, “I can’t lie though, B. Last night? Felt like a baby girl. Like a... Princess Lattimore.”

  Of course it was adorable to hear Princeton talk about children, the visual of his massive hands palming a newborn making my heart swell. But the thought of the person who pushed her out being me made me sicker than the Plan B pill ever could. Still, I tried to play it cool as I said, “First of all, the last thing you need is a spoiled little princess. Second of all, don’t jinx us like that.”

  “Damn. My seed is a jinx to you?” he asked, sitting up on his elbows to really stare me down.

  But not even his heavy gaze was enough to change my mind, though I still didn’t look him in the eyes when I answered, “At the present time? Absolutely.”

  With all that was going on in my world, I couldn’t even imagine throwing a baby in the mix, especially Princeton Lattimore’s baby. His status came with a legacy, a standard of greatness no matter who he chose as his personal incubator. And not only that, but his child would more than likely be expected to follow in his footsteps and the footsteps before him, fighting for their life and operating out of fear of never being enough.

  Honestly, I already felt bad for him or her.

  My mind was well into the future, but Princeton was caught up on the past according to the way he slipped his hand under the covers to push my legs apart and ask, “You don’t think I earned it though? I mean, according to your screams I might’ve earned twins. Princess and…”

  “A jester. Because that’s exactly what you sound like talking children when we aren’t even… a couple,” I told him with a laugh as I snapped my legs shut, crushing his hand between them.

  Somehow he was able to pry them back open and tease, “Might not be a couple yet, but that pussy already mine.”

  Since he was mostly right - granted last night’s performance wasn’t some liquor-induced fluke - I could only roll my eyes, climbing from the bed with my “gift” in my hand as I said, “Whatever. Let me take care of this, and… get a shower. Thanks to your bitch, I need it now more than ever.”

  “I’m coming too. Help you get the spots you can’t reach,” he said as he followed behind me, though the fact that he was still in his towel meaning he had already showered called his bluff.

  I didn’t mind. In fact, I welcomed his presence, cutting on the water as I teased, “Why do I feel like that has nothing to do with soap and water?”

  “Because you know me. Now come on, let’s get one more in before you crush my dreams with that little pill,” he replied as he stepped in the shower before reaching back to help me inside, his full frame enough to block the water from even touching me.

  But I couldn’t exactly focus on the water anyway since…, “Crush your dreams?”

  He shrugged as if it was nothing, moving just slightly for me to catch some of the spray as he answered, “Hell yeah. Pretty girl like you carrying my baby? Who wouldn’t want that?”

  I immediately found myself overanalyzing his question, thinking way too deeply about what was surely intended to be a compliment. I mean, why wouldn’t he want someone he found attractive carrying his baby? Then again, I couldn’t help wondering if that also meant he’d take any attractive woman to play the role, the genuine connection I thought we had irrelevant to his apparent dreams.

  Instead of staying wrapped up in my head, I tried to focus on the moment - on the good - as he lifted my chin for a kiss that was as sweet as everything else about him. And somehow that was just enough for any residual confusion to dissipate as he pressed my back into the wall and
began the first round of many with plans of destroying the evidence later.

  Princeton

  Her excitement had me excited, photoshoots never really being my thing until I saw how happy it made Bella to be a part of it. And not only be a part of it, but be responsible for the words that would accompany the spread of photos; an opportunity she had reminded me was her first more than once over the last few days. But it was a welcomed conversation, she was welcomed company, the night of my birthday turning into much more than I could’ve bargained for, much more than just any ol’ regular fling.

  Not that we weren’t fuckin’.

  It hadn’t taken me long to realize the innocence Bella displayed for the public was nothing like the animal she became in the bedroom, going above and beyond to please me in any way she could. Honestly, she had me stepping my game up, making sure I was giving just as much if not more than I was getting. But according to the giddy smile on her face as she took great pleasure in oiling me up for the last set of photos, it was clear I was at least meeting expectations, especially once she muttered, “Talk about a dream job…”

  “I’m glad you’re here to do it. Shit would’ve been mad awkward having some grown ass man rub me down,” I told her, watching as she intentionally rubbed circles around my nipples and giggled.

  “Who knows. You might’ve liked it,” she insisted, giving a pat to my chest to signal she was done.

  But I was far from done with her, tilting her head by the chin to ask, “You think you funny, don’t you?”

  “And you don’t?” she fired back with a grin.

  A grin I tried to kiss off before heading back towards the part of the gym that had been transformed into a set, tossing over my shoulder, “I’ma make you swallow all those jokes and more later on.”

  “Looking forward to it!” she shouted after me, making me shake my head with a laugh as the photographer got me positioned for what would be the cover shot. It was a dark yet intimate view of me hanging over the ropes of the ring, raw enough to match the content of the interview while still being “aesthetically pleasing” as he referred to it.

  According to Bella’s reactions in the background once the camera began flashing, she agreed with his vision, Tony coming to join her and giving his nods of approval as well. But suddenly the mood in the room changed to something a lot less pleasant, and I had a feeling who was responsible for the shift, though I tried not to pay him any mind until the photographer got the shot he was looking for.

  Still, that didn’t mean Sir Kingfield wouldn’t demand attention once the shoot came to a close, wasting no time barking at the staff, “Hurry up and get all of this shit out of my gym. We have real work to do.”

  Tony was the first to try and get him to chill, putting a hand to his chest to stop him in his tracks as he said, “Relax, King. Your boys done well. This is a good look.”

  But not even Tony could calm him down as he shouted, “I don’t care about none of this prima donna bullshit! None of this shit matters if the boy can’t fight in eight weeks!”

  “Eight weeks?” I asked, finally climbing down from the ring to meet him.

  He took a second to size me up, his face twisting with a disgust I was unfortunately used to before he answered, “That’s right, boy. They finally got your next opponent lined up. Boston “Big Time” Lampkin. The big mothafucka who’s been talkin’ all that shit for the last two years is finally ready to try and back it up.”

  A new challenger being named always sent a rush of adrenaline through me, thoughts of destroying him consuming me as if the fight was tomorrow instead of two months away. But it was that feeling that would fuel me through training camp, the grueling process a small price to pay for coming out victorious; a small price to pay for living up to our family’s legacy and elevating my father’s opinion of me.

  I was so caught up in my own thoughts that I had almost forgotten about my surroundings until I heard my dad snap, “I thought I told your ass to stay from around here...”

  “You don’t have to be so disrespectful. I’m only doing my job,” Bella replied with a roll of her eyes, clearly not in the mood to deal with my father’s antics for what I now knew was a second time.

  But her disinterest didn’t equate to him feeling the same, especially once he put two and two together to ask, “So that means you’re the one responsible for bringing all these extra people into my damn gym too?”

  My instinct told me to step in until I watched the way Bella’s nose proudly went in the air, her shoulders sinking back as she answered, “That’s right. And if you have a problem with it, you can take it up with your son who offered me the opportunity to do so.”

  While seeing Bella stand up for herself against my pops only made me fall for her even harder than I already was, it set my father off in the worst way as he made his way over to where she was standing and snarled, “Little girl, who in the hell do you think you are talking to me like that? Do you know who I am?”

  Once again, Bella held her own when she replied, “I am quite aware of who you are, but that doesn’t make you any more important than me. I have very much earned my right to be here right now.”

  I expected my father to question her credentials, question why she felt so rightfully entitled. But instead, he came back with his own accusations for purely insulting purposes regardless of how partially-true it was. “Ahh, so that’s what this is about. You’re fuckin’ my son. And you think that gives you, what? Some sort of clout? You really believe you’re the only one he’s…”

  “Ayo, Pops! That’s enough. Chill the fuck out with that shit,” I told him, unable to listen in any more.

  Truthfully, things had been well past the point of him needing to fall back. But my reaction seemed to only fuel his flame as he directed his little attack at me. “Oh wow. So you really like this one, huh? You poking your chest out at me, your father, over some pussy? I guess I haven’t taught you a damn thing...”

  My teeth grinded and my fist clenched just as Tony jumped in to say, “King, leave those two alone. They ain’t botherin’ nobody.”

  “So you’re in on this too, Tony? What? She slid you a little side box or somethin’?” my father asked with an arrogant laugh, taking his disrespect to another level that had me ready to knock his ass out.

  But I couldn’t focus on him, my attention going to Bella as she grabbed her things and said, “I don’t have to deal with this. I’m outta here.”

  “Good riddance,” my father tossed after her as she headed towards the exit, only aggravating me even more as I worked to catch up to her.

  “Yo, Bella. Hol’ up. Bella, wait!”

  “What, Princeton?” she asked as she continued her way out of the gym, clearly in a hurry to get away from the scene - get away from him. And I couldn’t blame her since I often felt the same way about my father.

  But since I knew it wasn’t fair for her to have to deal with his insults, I did my best to make up for it when I said, “Look, I’m sorry.”

  She quickly brushed me off, not even stopping to look at me as she replied, “Don’t be. It’s not your fault your father’s an asshole.”

  “But I should’ve shut shit down long before he said those things.”

  To my surprise, it was that that stopped her in her tracks just short of her car, turning back my way and crossing her arms over her chest to ask, “Oh, you mean the part about me not being the only one you’re screwing?”

  I released a heavy sigh, the situation becoming even more exhausting since..., “Bella, you know good and well you’re the only one I fuck with.”

  “I actually don’t know that,” she challenged with a roll of her neck that told me she was serious.

  An emotional reaction wouldn’t have done me any good, so instead I stayed the course, making myself as clear as possible when I grabbed her hand to tell her, “Bella, you’re literally the only woman I think about, the only one I dream about, the only one I wanna be with. And it’s been that way since I
first met you the night of the fight. Don’t let him and his bullshit get to you. Don’t let him ruin what we’re building.”

  While I could tell my plea had at least softened her up some, that didn’t stop her from jabbing a finger at my chest to say, “How about you don’t let him ruin... whatever this is.”

  “Oh, so it’s like that? I’m just whatever to you now?” I asked teasingly as I brought her hand to my mouth for a kiss that made her blush, though I could tell that went against how she really wanted to feel.

  But I was grateful to see it, along with her shoulders dropping when she released a heavy sigh and admitted, “I didn’t mean that. I’m just… incredibly frustrated.”

  “Understandably so. And again, I’m sorry,” I reminded her, regardless of how at fault she believed me to be. Putting her in that situation was more than enough to apologize for.

  “When is he leaving? I think I need to come back and blow off some steam on the bags. Maybe even put his picture on it,” she said with a sly smirk that let me know things were at least okay for now. And even though she had blacked my eye the last time I gave her a pair of gloves, I was excited about seeing her let loose again since the girl really did have a decent right hook.

  “How about I text you when we’re done? You can slide through and do your thing, and we can do dinner after?” I offered with a wink that I hoped would guarantee dessert as well.

  She seemed to be game, unable to hold back her real smile when she answered, “I’d like that,” before getting in her car to leave on what were thankfully good terms. But her exit also meant going back into the gym which meant dealing with the person who had gotten her all frustrated in the first place. And since I knew this wasn’t something I could let go unchecked, I toughened up, my face tight as if I was preparing for a real fight when I made my way back inside.

  “The fuck is wrong with you?” I snapped the second I rounded the ring to find my father talking to Tony who looked exhausted as if he had already hit him with the same spiel I was getting ready to.