Her eyes widened and I saw heat, excitement, and a little concern flash across her face.
“You think so?”
“Well, I’m up for giving it a go, if you’re keen.” I added the last bit on to give her an out if she wanted it. To be honest, today I wasn’t sure. Normally, Sophia was a sure thing. I never had to worry whether she was in the mood. My girl was into sex as much as I was. Maybe some time in the bedroom was exactly what she needed to get over whatever it was that was bothering her.
“I’m keen.” Then, I got the smile—the big open one that would stop any guy cold in his tracks. The girl next door, fuck I’m so sexy and I don’t even know it, smile.
I made a quick decision. “Then let’s get the fuck out of here before I have a monster hard on in these wet boardies. That’s not a good look.”
She threw me a saucy grin and headed to the stairs.
Minx! Yep, there was no way I was getting out of this pool without a hard on. What was it about watching a beautiful woman ascend from water?
Best part was, I wasn’t alone. The old fogies had all stopped their chatter and were openly staring at her.
I got my butt out of the water as quick as I could and with as much macho pride as I could muster.
I grabbed the towel from a little farther on the bench and wrapped it around my waist. Sophia did the same and headed for the exit.
As I passed the group of Sophia’s admirers, I gave them a nod, a wink, and a clear “gents” as I passed. Yeah, they weren’t stupid.
Every one of them had a smirk and a little envy in their eyes. Today it rocked to be me.
Fuck, everyday with Sophia rocked.
20
Sophia
“Forget it!” I screamed at him.
“No, we can do this,” he insisted.
“Nope, you’re in pain. I can tell.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Seth, you don’t seem to be getting it. I’m not having sex with you like this when your hips are still hurting.” I climbed off him as gently as I could and moved down the bed.
I’d been watching his face from above and I’d promised myself that I’d stop at the first sign of him being in discomfort. I knew what he was like. Seth was the type who would continue to push and push his body until he broke it, particularly if he thought he was going to miss out on sex.
“You can’t leave me like this,” he protested.
“What goes up, must come down. Laws of gravity. You’ll be fine and your hips will thank me,” I assured him.
“Maybe, but my dick is mighty pissed off and I can’t believe you are quoting science shit at me. For fucks sake, I have a degree in that!”
“You’ll live,” I snorted. “Besides, I thought you were a geology major?”
“Double major.”
“Over achiever.”
“Babe, all I’m hoping to achieve right now is to get your pussy over my dick. Science and biology will take care of it from there.”
“Yep, not happening.” I effectively silenced him and put an end to those ideas by rolling to my feet, then hopping off the bed. For good measure, I stepped into the shower to create more distance. I wasn’t in the mood anymore. I still couldn’t get past what the doctor had said earlier. Was I pregnant?
God, surely not!
I couldn’t have a baby. My life was just starting to get organized, a child would create havoc. Plus, I had this fight and Seth. Nope, not even going there. Not thinking about it.
Well, that’s what I told myself anyway. Fat lot of good it did me as I let the water run over me.
A few minutes later, I was out and dressed. Seth was lounging on the bed naked, watching television. His cock had reduced down to a much more normal size. See, I was right once again, I just wished he wouldn’t push himself ridiculously. I knew he was frustrated with the recovery time. Problem was, there wasn’t a damned thing either of us could do about it other than wait and work with his natural healing.
I made some dinner and Seth came out to join me on the lounge. He stretched out on the chaise section and looked comfortable, with a large bowl of fragrant beef and vegetable curry I’d made in his lap.
“Mmm, Soph, this is really good,” he said around a mouthful of food.
“It’s dead easy to make too,” I agreed as I took a mouthful of rice. My stomach felt okay so I was going to be game and try a little curry, actually I was hungry.
“Who taught you to cook?”
“My mum did. She’s a great cook.”
I saw a hint of wistfulness settle over his face and I knew he was instantly comparing his parental situation to mine. Even though he hadn’t met my parents, he knew that our family was close.
Then, he looked a little closer at the bowl as if thinking, before a frown settled on his face. “You sure this is on a fighter’s menu?”
“Yep. Protein, veggies, natural herbs and spices, plus coconut cream for some good fats. All balanced. Oh, and brown rice, too.”
We ate in silence for a little longer, the television the only source of noise and the chinking of our forks against the bowls.
I glanced across at him when I could feel his eyes on me. “What?”
“Just wondering how you’re feeling…you gave me a scare when you collapsed.”
“Sorry,” I said sheepishly and sort of shrugged. “I certainly didn’t mean to faint.”
“Why didn’t you say something if you were feeling off?” He pushed gently. Well, much more gently than I would have expected of Seth.
“Because it wasn’t as if I was sick. I just needed to get on with it,” I said defensively.
“No, you obviously weren’t sick. You just fainted in front of us all.”
I didn’t want to talk about it. “Can we just leave it? I’ll find out tomorrow with the help of all that science you love, rather than speculation.” I sounded snarky. Hell, I was snarky. That’s exactly how I felt.
“Fine. Pardon me for giving a shit. I thought that was exactly what you wanted,” he snarled right back.
And he’d be exactly right, just not about this and not right now.
My phone buzzed with a text. I picked it up.
Eden: How are you feeling?
Me: Fine
Eden: Have you spoken to Seth?
Me: Why would I? I told you I’m not saying anything to him until I know. Geez get off my case.
Eden: I’ll pick you up at two to take you to your appointment.
Me: I’m quite capable of going on my own.
Eden: Yep but if you get news you should have someone there.
Fuck, my sister was driving me nuts too now. Why couldn’t everyone just leave me alone for a bit? I just wanted to train and get my business up and running.
Eden: I’m not taking no for an answer and if you want to keep going down this path I’ll tell mum.
Oh, that bitch! I loved my sister dearly but sometimes she just pissed me off
Me: Ahhh…I can’t believe you’re pulling the “MUM” card!!!!
There was nothing for a few seconds, except for smoke coming out of my ears. I hated my sister right now. The last thing I wanted was mum involved in this.
Eden: I’m doing this for your own good. I know you...you’ll just say everything is fine, even if it’s not. I love you Soph and I’m not going to let you do something stupid because you want to train.
FARK, FARK, FARK….
I got up and stormed into the kitchen. I was so damned mad with my sister, it wasn’t funny. Worst part was, she was one hundred percent correct. The kicker was the I love you bit. Yeah, no doubting that and she’d forever wear the scars to prove just how much. There was no getting out of it.
“Soph, what’s up?” Seth called in a worried voice, I glanced up from my phone and he was getting up off the lounge, obviously concerned about me.
“Just my sister pissing me off.”
“Why, what has she done?”
FARK again!!!! I had to tell him somethi
ng and no way was that going to be the whole truth. I wasn’t completely stupid.
“She’s just insisting coming to the doctors with me tomorrow.”
“What…why?” He’d made it to the doorway separating the two rooms now.
I made a show of huffing. I needed him to believe this. “She’s worried I won’t let on what the real story is with this fight coming up. She’s concerned I’ll keep training regardless whether I should be or not.” Well, that was basically correct. I just hadn’t let on for the why.
“Yeah, well, she’s probably got a point. I don’t want you training or fighting either if you’ve got something wrong with you.”
I pushed the send button on the text to Eden agreeing to her sisterly blackmail…bitch! Then, shoved the phone into my pocket.
“I’m fine,” I protested again and was he looking at me suspiciously or was that my vivid imagination? Either way, it sucked.
“Did the doctor seem worried about something? You can tell me, you know.”
Yeah, no, I don’t think I could actually tell him what the doctor’s concern was right now. Nope, that would not be good at all, I didn’t think for one second.
“No, she didn’t. She basically said without the blood tests everything would be speculation.” Well, that was true, wasn’t it?
“That makes sense, so why are you so pissed off?”
Ahhhh!!! I saw red.
“Because I’m fine and everyone is thinking I’m not. Plus, she pulled the mum card to get her own way. That’s low, even for her. Ahh, why does she have to be so damned nice and, well, my fucking sister?”
He looked totally confused and I really couldn’t blame him. I’m sure none of this made any sense to him.
Seth raised his hands helplessly. “Want to explain that or should I just not ask?”
“You shouldn’t be standing up. Go sit down.” It was my turn to try and divert his attention.
“I’m fine.”
“I thought that was my line today?”
His face softened and I could see the concern and a hint of humour around his eyes.
“Why don’t we grab a drink and go sit down. Then, you can explain what it is that Eden’s done. I can’t imagine her doing anything underhanded. She seems really innocent.”
“Ha, don’t let her fool you. My sister is a goodie two shoes ninety-nine percent of the time. The other one percent, she’s pure evil genius.”
Poor Seth looked surprised as he got bottles of water out of the fridge. He took my hand to get me to follow him. I thought about resisting, then decided against it. I didn’t want to risk injuring him through doing something stupid and stubborn.
We settled back down on the lounge and Seth encouraged me back into his side.
“Want to tell me what you meant?”
I sighed. Nope, I didn’t want to actually but I didn’t see that I had much choice since I’d foolishly opened my big mouth. “Eden said that if I don’t let her go with me tomorrow she’ll tell Mum that there is something wrong with me. That will mean Mum will be fussing and driving me batty. She doesn’t really know about me fighting.”
“What!”
“Oh, not you, too! She knows about me doing martial arts but not that I’m going to take a fight.”
I could almost see him wincing from the thought of meddling parents.
“Guess I just try to ignore Irena the best I can. Now, I can see the problem of having a parent that actually gives a shit.”
“I love Eden, I really do and I know she’s only doing it because she loves me like crazy but sometimes…ahhh I could strangle her.”
“She looks and comes across as pure as the driven snow.”
“Haha…sucker! Eden has an over-active sense of protection where Tori and I are concerned. Prime example is the fire. You know what happened, of course.” Shit, the whole world did after all that media bullshit that happened with Xander’s fight in Vegas. I hadn’t been there but I’d watched that whole press conference on YouTube more than once.
“Well, I know that she went downstairs or something when the house was engulfed in flames to get you both and I know that Xan thinks it’s about the bravest thing he’s ever known.” He said it seriously and with a kind of quiet awe. If he’d mocked it, I would have been so hurt. It was something awe inspiring. Eden had made the ultimate sacrifice for love.
I shivered as the fingers of fear ran down my back. Seth drew me closer to his body, subconsciously at my shiver.
“You okay?” He asked, his voice full of concern.
“Thinking about the fire always unlocks the fear. If I think about it, I start to feel cold and chilled through…I still can’t believe we actually survived it. If it hadn’t been for Eden…”
“Your time wasn’t up, babe, just like mine wasn’t when I crashed my car.” He sounded very reflective. More so than I’d ever heard him sound.
“I guess not. We had a guardian angel that night and her name was Eden. And that night cost her everything. She’s swapped her dreams to save us and she didn’t even realise that was the consequence for the decision she made at the time...” I slammed my mouth shut, suddenly realizing I’d said that last bit aloud. I might think it but I didn’t say it.
He laced his fingers through mine with his spare hand.
“I don’t think she sees it that way,” he offered quietly.
“You’re right, she doesn’t. Doesn’t mean that I don’t see it that way and feel guilty and thankful and a million other things all at once. For so long, she just existed…”
An awkward silence settled between us, we both knew what happened then. Xander had come busting into her life and plucked her out of the safe little hermit world she’d created for herself.
It was the best damned thing that ever happened to her. Not for the first time, I wondered if they’d have got together if she’d never had the burns. Something told me they would have. There was just this pull there between those two. It was something that couldn’t be explained with normal words. Attraction, didn’t begin to describe it. This was a deep-rooted love and an incredible need to be together. Anyone could see it.
That’s why I was sure Mum and Dad hadn’t flipped out too much. As soon as they had seen them together, they had known it was right. How could they be upset about her finding happiness? If anyone deserved it, it was Eden. She was the most selfless person I knew and that’s why I was having a hard time staying mad at her now. She was only looking out for me, even if that’s not what suited me.
Finally, he spoke, “How do you see it then?”
I hated talking about this. In fact, I’d never actually spoken to anyone about it outside of my family and the councillor I saw for a while.
“I feel guilty to a large degree. She would never say it and I know she doesn’t think it. Doesn’t stop me from thinking it though.”
I sat up a little and went to pull away. Tears were streaming down my face like always when this happened. I couldn’t think about this stuff without falling apart and I hated it. Seth reached up and gently wiped away the moisture from under my eyes. It was the most tender thing I could ever remember him doing towards me.
He was always exciting, sexy, hot—that was his MO. This was different. This felt like more. This felt like him wanting to connect with me on a much deeper level. That both terrified me and gave me hope.
“I’m sorry. I don’t cry much. This always does it for me, so I don’t talk about it. Hurts too much. I would have thought I’d have got over it by now. I guess not,” I said between sniffles.
He pulled me back down to lay across his chest and stroked up and down my back for a few minutes.
“I know what it’s like to have stuff that you can’t talk about.” Then, I felt him tense under me, almost as if he’d spoken then regretted it. His hand stopped rubbing my back. I missed that connection. It had felt wonderful.
Rather than call him on it, I needed to give him the option of going on or retreating. “It’s hard. Yo
u think nobody will understand or that it won’t make sense. Chances are, they think the same thing about what’s in their head. Well, at least that’s what we all discovered after the fire.”
His hand started to stroke my back again…slow, firm strokes. I wondered if he even realized he was doing it.
“Yeah, is that right?” I’m sure I heard a level of skepticism there.
“Tori was the first one to crack. We were in a joint counselling session. It wasn’t the first. We’d both been to a few by then. Eden was still too bad to be anywhere but in bed. I can’t even really remember what the counsellor said. All I can remember was seeing the look on Tori’s face change and everything just came out like a burst water pipe. Then she kind of slumped over and this little look came over her face. Right there, I knew she felt so much better. Her letting go like that gave me the courage I needed to let some of it out at least.”
“I’m glad that happened. The Oni will eat you alive. If you let them.” He was using the Japanese term for demons. It was all part of our subculture at Onigashima.
“It’s a cool story. Onigashima. I thought it was crap when I first signed up, you know.” It was the first time I’d admitted it and, God, I doubt I’d ever admit it to Xander.
He chuckled a little. “Your secret’s safe with me.”
Now, I was a little curious. “Do you believe it?”
“What the folklore of Onigashima or what Xan has done with the play on it for the dojo?”
I shrugged, but still he kept rubbing my back. I really liked it.
“Both, I guess.”
He thought on it for a second. “Well, I like the story and, yeah, I guess it does make sense to me. We all have fears and hurts that are hard to let go of. Evils that plague us. Stuff our mind creates out of memories or feelings that have more power over us than they should have. Things that prevent us from being the real person we want to be or achieving something we should be able to.”
I knew without him saying it that this relationship was one of those big fears of his.
I moved up and kissed him softly, reverently, on the lips before pulling back. He looked a little surprised.
Challenge: A Contemporary MMA Romance: Oni Fighters Book 3 Page 23
