Her body went limp under him and he wiped his lips on the sheets. He crawled back up her shaking body and gathered her in his arms. She was gasping, panting, saying his name over and over again, and he thought that this was the closest thing to heaven he’d ever find on earth.
“Mia,” he whispered. “You OK, angel?”
She nodded even as the tears began. He expected her to be emotional after everything she’d been through, so when she started to cry he was ready. He held her close and tight, whispering in her ear that she was OK and safe. That he had her and he wasn’t going to let her go again. Slowly, she calmed, her body going pliant and soft next to his. He stroked her hair and waited.
Mia felt like she was in the safest, warmest place it was possible to be. She had never thought of home as a man before, but with Nick, that’s what she felt. She pulled back and looked at him. He was so gorgeous and his face was so tender, she almost started to cry again. Instead, she kissed him, deep and hard, and his desire flamed. She felt his erection against her leg and she reached down to stroke him with two hands.
Nick closed his eyes, rested his forehead on hers. His breath was hot and he was murmuring her name. His cock throbbed and pulsated in her hands, loving her touch.
“I want you, Nick. Please… I want you inside me.”
This time, he reached for the condom. Mia watched him roll it on, biting her lip at the thought of making love with him again. Her whole body was straining, wanting to be one with his.
Nick kissed her as he settled between her thighs. “I’m not sure how long I’m going to be able to last, babe.”
“Me either.”
They smiled at each other, their eyes hot. Nick pressed the tip of his cock against her and she rose to meet him. In one smooth thrust, he was inside her, and she had never felt so taken. He stretched her in the most delicious way, and she closed her eyes as he began to retreat and plunge. Nick felt his climax approaching fast, so fast, and he fought to make it last. It was a losing battle, he knew.
Desperate for her to come again, he licked his fingers and reached between their bodies. He pressed on her clit as he rammed in to her and her body rose up off the bed as her pussy began to clench him.
“You’re close, Mia… give it to me, babe. Give me another one.”
She writhed under him, almost insane with the need to come again. When she came apart, she screamed and the sound drove him over and beyond. His whole world was between her legs and he slammed in to her body, his mouth against her throat, his hands clenched in her hair.
“Oh, God, Mia. Mia… oh, God.”
He stiffened, burst inside her. She felt him throbbing and she clutched his back, wanting to hold him close while he came. He gave one final thrust, then collapsed on her, trembling and almost sobbing.
Mia stroked his shoulders as his body relaxed. His face was still hidden against her throat and she pulled back a bit.
“Nick?”
He raised his head and she saw his tears. She froze, remembering what had happened the last time he’d been that vulnerable in front of her.
He saw her face and smiled. “It’s OK, angel. I’m not going anywhere.”
She reached out and touched his lips. He turned his face and kissed her fingers.
“I love you, Mia.” He held her head in place, looked in her eyes. “I love you.”
And that’s when she knew that they were really past it, that they were both all-in. That they belonged to each other.
“Oh, Nick.” She smiled and it was radiant. “I love you too.”
**
Adam held Katie’s hand as the doctor entered the examination room. She had a blanket wrapped around her upper thighs and she looked tense.
“Hi. I’m Doctor Gillis.” She smiled at them. “You’re the couple from that car crash just near the Play Barn?”
They nodded.
“You were lucky. It could have been way worse.” She looked down at the chart. “So Katie, let me see your leg, OK?”
Katie extended her right leg. “OK.”
Dr. Gillis lifted the blanket a bit higher and Katie stiffened. Adam stroked her hair.
“It’s OK, baby.”
The doctor paused. “That hurts?”
“No.” Katie tried to look calm.
“Hmmm.” The doctor cocked her head. “If you say so.” She returned to the cut and examined it closely. “Well, it’s not bad at all.” She glanced at Adam. “You did a good job.”
He nodded. “I hope so.”
“And how’s your head?”
“No problem,” he said. “I’ve boxed for almost twenty years, twelve of them pro. I barely feel a little tap on my head anymore.”
Sarah Gillis’ eyes lingered on his arms and chest for a few seconds.
A boxer. Yum. This guy is incredible. I’m not sure how much I’d mind being trapped in a sleeping bag on a barn floor with him during a snow storm.
“OK, then,” she said briskly to Katie. “No stitches, but I will prescribe you some painkillers, just in case. Try to keep it dry when you shower, and don’t let your clothing rub it. Give it time to heal.” She cleaned the cut again, put on some cream and quickly bandaged it up.
“Thank you,” Katie said.
“Sure.”
“I was wondering – is there any place I can go and freshen up?” Katie asked. “The sleepover in the barn was fun and all, but I’d kill to brush my teeth.”
Adam grinned.
“Yeah, of course.” Sarah smiled. “Down the hall about seven doors and on your right.”
“Great.”
“OK, take care, you two. The best of luck.”
“Thanks,” they both said and they watched her leave the room. When the door closed behind her, Adam handed Katie a pair of loose sweat pants.
“Here you go,” he said. “Put those on.”
She got to her feet unsteadily and he held her elbows. She set the blanket on the examination table and he looked at her slim thighs. The scars were very white in the morning sun and she looked up at him. His face was hard.
“They’re so awful, aren’t they?” she said softly. “I’m – marked for life. Disgusting.”
He took her in his arms so quickly she stumbled. He tightened his grip.
“Never again Katie. You hear me? Never again do you say anything like that about yourself… you’re not marked or disgusting. I don’t give a crap what that sick fuck said about burning some punishment in to your skin. He was wrong.”
She looked down, her eyes filling with tears.
“Katie? You hear me?”
“Yes.”
“Look at me. Right now.”
She forced herself to lift her chin, fought to meet his eyes.
“I know you don’t believe me yet. But I hope one day you will.”
“Me too.”
He leaned forward, his hands in her long dark hair, and kissed her on the forehead. She closed her eyes and held his forearms, amazed at how good his lips felt on her skin. Adam held her there for a few seconds, his mouth caressing her softness, then he pulled back, holding her face in his huge hands.
“You ready to end this?” he asked her. “Ready to have that bastard leave you in peace once and for all?”
She looked up in to his blue eyes. “Yes.”
“Let’s go, then.” He ran his thumb over her neck. “Let’s get cleaned up and take a taxi to a car rental place. We’ll drive over to the impound and grab all the stuff from the trunk of my car and I’ll arrange for it to be towed back to Denver. With a bit of luck, we’ll be back on the road in two hours.”
**
Adam insisted that Katie sit in the back seat with her injured leg stretched out in front of her. Ignoring her protests, he scooped her up and deposited her in the car. The women watching in the impound office almost swooned with delight.
“Seat belt,” he said just before shutting the door.
She waited until he was in the car. “This is so dumb, Adam. I mean,
I feel like you’re my chauffeur or something.”
He grinned at her in the rearview mirror. “Well, I kind of am, aren’t I?”
She paused. “Maybe. In a way.”
They smiled at each other. Katie felt butterflies in her stomach; Adam had to tear his eyes away from her face.
She looked… well. The only word for it was amazing. She had entered the hospital bathroom with her hair all messed up and her makeup running under her eyes. She had emerged ten minutes later, her long hair pulled back, showing off her cheekbones, and her face scrubbed free of any and all makeup. She was fresh-faced and glowing, her mouth a perfect rosebud, her beautiful eyes large and round. He hadn’t even noticed until that moment that her brown eyes actually had flecks of hazel in them, making them brighter in her oval face.
I was right. She is stunning.
Adam pulled out of the parking lot, glancing at the clock. “We’ll make good time today, I hope. The weather is clear all the way to Nevada. I figure that in the end, we lost about four hours, which isn’t that bad. We’d have had to stop last night anyway, to sleep and wait for the storm to pass.”
She nodded. “Depending on weather and the road conditions, we’ll be there by tomorrow evening at the latest.”
“Yep.”
“I’ll – I’ll see him again.”
Adam looked at her in the mirror. His eyes held hers. “How are you feeling about that?”
“I don’t know.” She looked out the window. “Scared, mostly.”
“I’ll be there, Katie. I won’t leave your side, if that’s what you want. OK?”
“I know.” She was quiet for a minute. “Thank you, Adam. I just can’t imagine doing this without you.”
Her cell phone rang and she jumped a bit. “Oh, man. I should have called Reena and Maggie last night. They’re going to be worried.”
“Yeah, I don’t blame them.”
“I guess I’d better fill them in.” She grinned. “Wish me luck…”
“Uh-huh.”
Katie swiped her phone. “Hi, Maggie.”
“Hey, Katie. How’s it going?”
“OK, now. We had – ummm. We had some trouble yesterday.”
Maggie was instantly totally alert. “Trouble? What kind of trouble?”
“Uh. We had a minor accident.”
“Accident?”
“Minor accident,” Katie repeated “Very minor.”
In the background, Katie heard Reena’s voice and she sighed. “Here we go.”
Adam grinned.
“Put her on speaker!” Reena said. “Right now!”
“No. Don’t put me on…”
“Katie?”
“…speaker. Hi, Reena.”
“What happened? Are you guys OK?”
“Yes. We’re both fine.”
“So? What kind of accident?”
Katie explained and when she finished there was a silence at the other end of the line.
“So… you and Adam slept on a barn floor?” Maggie said.
“Yeah.”
“Together?”
“Yeah.”
“And you were OK with having him there like that?” Reena asked. “No bad dreams?”
“No. I did have some bad dreams.” Katie looked at Adam. He gazed back, his eyes serious. “But Adam was there and he – he helped.”
“Did you tell him?” Maggie said. “About your stepfather?”
“Yes. Yes, I told him everything. He knows.”
Reena and Maggie were quiet.
“I’m OK, guys. I promise.”
“You don’t sound OK.”
“Well, we’re getting closer now. Adam figures we’ll be there by tomorrow night. It’s soon, you know?”
“Yeah.” Maggie looked at Reena and saw her own worry reflected back. “Listen, do you want us to fly out there?”
“No, really. Guys, it’s OK. I’m really fine with Adam. He’s… he’s great.”
“You sure?” Reena said.
“Totally.”
Reena sighed. “OK, then.”
“Thanks,” Katie said. “Thanks for being here.”
“Whenever you need us, Katie,” Maggie said. “Call us – I don’t care if it’s the middle of the night. You got it?”
“Got it.”
“OK, then. Take care. Call us later. You promise?”
“Yes.”
“Love you, sweetie,” Reena said.
“I love you guys too.”
Katie disconnected and looked out the window for a few minutes. Adam watched her, wondering what she was thinking.
“OK?” he said.
“Yeah. I’m just lucky to have friends like them in my life.”
“How did all of you meet? You guys and Mia?”
“Oh, it was about six years ago, I guess. We were all invited to the launch party for Denver Insider.”
“The entertainment magazine?”
“Yeah. Mia and I freelanced for them and Maggie and Reena had both been featured in the first issue.”
“Maggie paints, right? Reena sculpts?”
“Other way around,” Katie said.
“Oh, yeah.”
“Anyway, it was one of those huge bullshit networking parties, where everyone exchanges cards and phone numbers and promises to call and nobody ever does. But Mia was new in Denver – she’d just moved from Maine the month before – and she was looking for friends. So she called me. Invited me for coffee.” Katie shrugged. “And she’s awesome, you know? Like, sweet and smart and funny. We became friends.”
“Yeah. She’s easy to like.”
“I know, right? And I’m not, but she really gives everyone a chance. She just – she saw beyond the surface and past all my defenses. And about three months later, she had a dinner party and invited me and Reena and Maggie and we all just hit it off. I mean, we’re so different in so many ways, but we’re also all trying to make a living doing something creative, so we get that about each other.”
“That makes sense.”
“We’ve been close ever since, and whenever we get the chance to send work or contacts to each other or collaborate, we do. When I got the contract to do my photo book, I didn’t even hesitate to ask Mia to write the texts. I like working with her, you know?”
“I do.”
“Right. You work with Nick. How did you two meet?”
“We trained at the same gym about twelve years ago. I was already pro by then, but he was new to karate.” Adam looked at Katie. “You know about Shelley?”
“Yeah. Mia told me when I was staying with her.”
“Nick told me about her one night when we went for a beer. I was totally horrified, and kind of kept an eye on him, you know? I thought he’d just lose it completely one day and I wanted to be there when that happened.”
“And did he lose it?”
“No. He got it together in most ways.”
“Except for women,” Katie said.
“Yeah. But Mia’s different.”
“I know.”
They shared a smile, both happy for their friends.
“Anyway, my pro career ended about three years ago, just after I turned thirty. I’d had enough of being hit in the head all the time.”
“I just bet.”
“I had quite a bit of money saved up, and I wanted to start my own training centre. Nick was tired of tending bar full-time, wanted to get in to teaching. He had a bit of money of his own, and we just pooled our resources.” He shrugged. “We were lucky that it’s all worked out.”
“And you both still work at that bar, right? The Cave?”
“Yeah.”
“How come? If The Rock is successful, why still bounce and bartend?”
“Honestly? For Nick, it was an easy way to pick up women, and for me it was just fun.”
“And now?”
“Well, Nick’s planning to quit as soon as he gets back from wherever he and Mia are. He wants to be with her on Friday and Saturday nights.”
Katie smiled. “That’s nice.”
“I know. And me? Well, I’m a bit tired of dragging drunken idiots out the door and arguing with them. It’s not so much fun anymore.”
“I’m sure.”
“Hey, listen,” Adam said. “Speaking of the gym, I need to call Gavin and check in. Can we stop for lunch now?”
“Perfect timing.” She stretched. “I’m hungry.”
“OK. What are you in the mood for?”
“I’m not fussy. Burgers?”
“That sounds great.”
Chapter Six
Katie sat in the restaurant watching Adam outside. He was leaning against the wall, talking on his phone. He was loose and relaxed and just so fucking gorgeous with his muscles rippling under a dark long-sleeved shirt. He took her breath away.
It wasn’t just his amazing physique and hot face, though there was no denying the attraction of both of those things. No, what Katie really found sexy was Adam. She’d never have guessed that he’d be so gentle or that she’d be able to turn to him for comfort. He surprised her with his combination of toughness and kindness, and she knew that she trusted him. She believed now that she could tell him anything, ask him for anything. If he could help or be there, he would, no questions asked. That was rare, in her experience.
He laughed and her stomach twisted with desire. God, she wanted to kiss him. Wanted to be close to him, in those arms. But this trip wasn’t about anything like that: this was about making peace with her past, if she even could.
I think the only chance I have of making peace with all of it is with Adam’s help. Just Adam.
He hung up and came in to the restaurant now and she averted her eyes, pretending she hadn’t been watching him. She stared at her nails, annoyed at the chipped black polish on them. She looked up as he got to their table.
“Hey,” she said. “Everything OK at The Rock?”
“Yep. Gavin’s got it all under control. Let’s elevate your leg, OK?” He gently lifted her leg on to a chair. “How’s that?”
“Better, actually.”
“Yeah. It helps with blood flow.”
He sat down next to her in the booth instead of across from her. Automatically, helplessly, her body moved towards his.
“You ordered?” he asked.
Fighting Strong Page 5
