Hadley gets off me and shrugs on the shirt I wore today, not even bothering to button it or put her panties on. Fucking shit. I can’t take how hot she looks in my clothes and I can’t stop myself from pushing her against the wall. “You know what wearing my fucking clothes does to me. Feel how hard I’m for you?”
I fill her fast and quick. Bending down, I take her warm nipple in my mouth. She moves in tandem with every thrust. “Harder, deeper… God, Reed, please! I need it harder!”
“You want it hard, baby? I’ll fucking give it to you hard.” I take myself out of her, turn her around, and drive into her. It only takes me a couple of times before she clenches my dick like a vise. If she keeps this up, I won’t be able to hold off. No matter how many times we do it, it’s never going to be fucking enough.
“Reed… I’m almost…ahhhhhh!” Hadley screams out as I empty inside her.
It takes us a couple of minutes to get our breathing back to normal. “Every damn time… It never gets old, babe.” I kiss her shoulder, holding onto her so she doesn’t fall.
“I know, and that’s fine by me, baby, but really, no more. You need to feed me, you sex fiend. I’m wasting away over here,” Hadley tells me with a smirk on her face.
I love seeing Hadley in my clothes, in my kitchen, in the house I bought for us. Over the last couple of weeks, she has helped make it feel more like a fucking home. Each day, another room would be painted, more pictures hung, more little shit that I never knew I would enjoy decorated my house.
Hadley stands at the microwave, shaking her ass to some music she only hears in her head, and I can’t take it anymore. Her fucking juju working on me.
“Move in with me,” I blurt out, surprising the shit of myself.
She stops dancing right away but doesn’t turn around to face me. “Do you think that is such a good idea? I mean, it hasn’t even been two months and we haven’t made it through all the shit that goes with your fights yet.”
I need this commitment from her. I need it more than ever before.
I get off the stool, go straight for her, and pick her up, setting her on the counter. I stand between her legs and say, “If you don’t like all the shit that comes with the fights, it’s simple. I won’t fucking do it anymore. I only have two more fights on my contract anyway. If you don’t like it, I’ll be finished. I put all that shit first once and it nearly killed us. I refuse to ever do that shit again.”
“Reed, I can’t ask you to do that. Even if it does end up bothering me, that’s not fair to you. You love it too much. It’s part of who you are, a part I happen to love.”
“But I love you more. I’ll try fucking hard as hell to save you from the circus of shit that goes along with it. But I don’t know how much I can shield you from. Being here has made it seem calm, but I know it won’t be like that in Vegas. Once we land, reporters will be in our face and asking questions, saying shit that’s not a hundred percent true to get reactions. I promise you that I will do everything in my power to protect you from all that shit. And if it’s too much, we’ll find a solution together. I love you so damn much, and I love that you love the crazy Riker side of me, too. Move in with me, please. You are here all the time anyway—you haven’t fucking spent the night at your place in forever. You only go there because you won’t keep clothes over here. Lucy stays here all the time. Loki and her have some fucking wired Milo and Otis connection going on. Most importantly, I fucking love you being here, love waking up with you, love going to sleep next to you. So what do you say, move in?”
I hold my breath while she thinks of everything, and then a small smile forms on her lips. She says softly, “Yes, I will.” I jump up and spin her around, and then press my lips into her because I can’t seem to stop myself. “Looks like your stomach will have to wait a little longer for food.”
Her laughs slowly turns to moans as she forgets all about the food in the microwave while I fuck her on our kitchen counter.
Chapter 24
Hadley
“Glad we could meet up. My new schedule is killing me.”
I love my meetings with James, but now we can only meet in a little coffee shop by the hospital because of his schedule.
“I know. I miss you. How is Liz taking the new shifts?” I ask him, blowing the steam off my coffee.
James gives a little shrug. “She hates it, me working nights isn’t her favorite thing and she just made junior partner, so I never see her when I’m actually home. But I don’t want to talk about us…we’ll figure it out. We always do. So you and Reed moving in together… That’s a big step. You ready for it?”
“I am. Right now, I’m just staying there, but we’ll make it official once we get back from the fight and the holidays are over. I’m excited and a little nervous, but we have done it before. So why not?”
“But?”
“Well, I know it’s not rational, but when Reed asked me, all I thought about was he obviously didn’t like it enough last time because he left me.” This is why I need James, the one that know the post-breakup me. Not pre, not during, but the me now.
“Hadley, do you trust Reed?”
I answer him without hesitation, “Yes.”
“Then that’s you answer. If you want this relationship to work for both of you, then not only do you have to forgive, but you also have trust each other. I think you need to throw the past you have together out the window. You need to move on and need to do that together.”
Sighing, I answer, “We did. We talked all about that stuff a couple of days ago. Really, it’s just hard. I forgive him completely and it’s going so good, almost perfect, but it’s like I’m waiting for something bad to happen. I can’t explain it. And I really don’t want to stay at his place in Vegas. I mean, it was basically a whore house and it probably has STDs dripping from the ceilings.”
“Shit, Hadley, just tell him. Reed’s been good about everything else—he would get it. Have you given any more thought about telling him what happened with Bennett?”
I bite my bottom lip out of nervousness. “I told him that we weren’t the best for each other, but that’s all. He would walk away if he knew. Reed says he’s in it for the long haul now, and for the most part, I believe him, but that’s a lot. It’s too much baggage for one person. He would see me as some broken girl because I am… I changed when Bennett got controlling. I don’t want Reed to ever know I really needed it. He’ll blame himself and won’t be able to handle it—he could leave me again. And that, James, is something I can’t handle. So at least, for now, I’m not opening that door.”
“If Reed walked away from you because of that, you don’t need him. You not telling him means you don’t trust him.”
“But I do.”
“Then you don’t trust your love for each other. Has he opened up more to you? I know you said in the past that it was hard for him to tell you stuff.”
I take another sip of my coffee, needing the moment to myself before answering. “Somewhat. Reed just doesn’t think some things are important. I get it now, but enough about that. I would be a shitty friend if you didn’t tell me about Liz.”
Reed
“Bash, I want more. Why isn’t he showing up?”
“Rike, I don’t know. He got the hell out of Atlanta the day after the wake—dropped his normal cell and probably using a burner now. He has some cash so no fucking paper trail. I’m fucking trying, but I can’t pull shit from a rainbow.”
“Shit from a rainbow, you’re a dumbfuck. Matt has some app on Hadley’s phone to see if he contacts her, but we haven’t heard a fucking peep there, either. Have you talked to the ex-wife?” This is the most frustrating thing. Matt and I have nothing on Bennett. Bash has nothing. I hope like hell his douche ass fell off the planet. Maybe Hadley’s fucking juju worked on him, too.
“Yep, she said she left him because she couldn’t deal with him anymore once she got pregnant. But, get this shit. Her dad is some rich fuck like Hadley’s and Bennett used his connec
tions like he did with William’s. When he bled those dry, he changed on her. That’s why she left the states. He got psycho on her and her dad moved her to his compound. It’s his fucking pattern. I got more calls out to some other guys and will let you know if I hear anything.”
Fucking Bennett… Hadley will never know how much I want to kill him. I hope she will understand what I’m willing to give up so this fucker gets what’s coming to him. We gotta be smart and strike the fucker dead-on the first time.
“I’m not moving Hadley anywhere, so you better find him.”
“I will, Rike. Is this girl of yours gonna be able to handle everything? I mean, Krystal couldn’t and she was in it.”
“Hadley, isn’t anything like that bitch. If she doesn’t like it, I’m out.”
“What the fuck? You give it up? I don’t see that happening.”
“I would, don’t doubt that. I got everything I need with her…the rest of that shit is just fucking wants. She is what I need.”
“Man, Lance wasn’t kidding when he said you’re pussy-whipped.”
“Fucking Lance has no room to open his mouth. He’s the ass who’s going to be a dad. But fuck, if this is pussy-whipped, I’ll take it.”
Single guys don’t get it. I didn’t, either, not for a fucking long ass time. Pussy isn’t just pussy. When you love your girl, that pussy is fucking platinum.
“Lance? A dad? That’s almost like when you told me about your shit. Didn’t see it coming.” He shakes his head and my fucking insides clench.
Loki starts barking and I turn to see Hadley entering the kitchen. “Listen, that’s enough. My girl just got home.” I hang up on Bash without hearing another word.
I wish Hadley would tell me what the hell happened between her and Bennett so that I could ask her things. But I get it, I fucking do. Because I have my own. We all have secrets. It’s part of being fucking human. But when you start over with someone, does that mean they need to know all the shitty things you did? Because I fucking would swear to anything holy I will never do any of that shit again. I was young, stupid, and loved Hadley fucking selfishly in the past. This time, that love is something different. I love her hard, with everything inside me, and I would do anything to protect her from never being hurt again, even if that shit is me and my past. Telling her would make me feel better, make this fucking ball in my gut go away, but it will crush her. It won’t help her one bit. I have to fucking lock that shit up tight and pay whoever I need to, make sure that it never comes back to bite me in the damn ass.
“Hey, Reed, everything okay? You seem out of it.” My fucking girl always knows when something is up.
“Yep, it’s just this stuff with the promos always gets me crazed. Too much shit that’s not important. How was James today?” I know he’s helping my girl, and I know that every time she comes back, Hadley seems to be holding on to things less and less. And for that, he gets my okay, but it doesn’t mean I trust his ass. He lays one fucking finger on her and his face will get a free makeover.
“It was good. So I was thinking…when we go to Vegas, can I shop for some new stuff for your place?”
It’s a little too late for that. “Nope.”
“What, Reed? You can’t possibly think I’m going to be okay with your fuck-pad furniture,” Hadley says with her hands on her cute little hips, sticking that damn lower lip out. Her eyes darken, showing that she’s furious with me.
“I knew you wouldn’t be good with it, so that’s why Laura is over there now, redoing my whole fucking place. Everything will be new for you, babe. No other girl will ever touch my bed again but you.”
Hadley’s eyes start to mist. “How did you know I needed that?”
“Simple, babe. I know you.” And I do, there’s no doubt about that.
“You are pretty amazing, Reed, and I think you should show it to more people,” Hadley says, lifting her arms and taking my hat off to rub my head. I swear, I’m fucking worse than her damn cat with the petting—she can do it forever.
“Nah, babe. I already told you that it would ruin Riker’s rep. I can’t have anyone find out that you tie my insides up or I would never win a fight in the league again.”
“Good thing, because I’m looking forward to seeing you win again. I’m going to miss this scruff though. I wish you could fight with it,” she says, moving her hands to my beard.
“I know, me too, but those fuckers would rip my shit out if it meant winning, and that hurts like a mother.”
Chapter 25
Hadley
“I want to walk the strip. Do you want to go with us when we get there?” Courtney asks me.
“No, I’m good, but if you see anything you know I’ll like, make a note and we’ll go later this week.”
“Really, what is taking this plane so long to land?” Courtney asks and I can’t help but laugh at her. No matter how many times she flies, she always asks the same question every two minutes. Courtney looks between Reed and me, who is laughing his ass off at her, too.
“This isn’t funny. What if something happens? I am carrying a baby now, you know?”
Lance steps in, trying to calm Courtney down. He hasn’t proposed yet and every time I ask him about it, he just tells me he is waiting for the right time. I can’t believe I have kept a secret from her for this long. I don’t want to pressure him, but I think that I may actually spontaneously combust from keeping this big of a secret from her.
Ignoring Courtney and her fit, Reed asks, “You ready to see my place?”
“I think the question now is, are you ready? Who knows what Laura did to it? You’ve been mean to her lately and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s painted pink.”
Reed rolls his eyes and I cuddle into the crook of his arm. “If she wants a job, then she better not.”
The captain comes on, saying we will be arriving soon, and then we hear Courtney start praying.
“Riker, over here! You ready for the fight?”
“Rike, any truth to the rumors that you will stop fighting?”
“Riker?”
“Just smile for one picture for us, Riker.”
Flashes, reporters, and the back of Reed’s shoulder where my head is being shielded are the only things I can see. The minute we walked out of the airport, we were swarmed. I knew Reed was probably the most mainstream fighter, but I never saw it being like this—never. Suddenly, we’re being pushed inside a blacked-out SUV with bodyguards.
“Welcome home, Mr. Collins,” the driver says as he closes his door.
“Wesley, I’ve told don’t ever call me that. It’s Riker, man.”
Wesley only nods. The poor guy was pushing retirement about ten years ago, probably never called anyone that’s been in the back of his car by their first name.
“So, Wesley, where does Daily have you taking us?”
“Mr. Daily has me dropping Ms. Thomas off at your place, sir, and then you have some appointments. Ms. Laura says to make sure you turn your cell phone on and open your calendar for the list of everything.”
I open my mouth to tell Reed that I could stay with him, but he cuts me off.
“Sounds like a plan, Wesley. Just go around to the back of my place—those vultures will be at the front waiting.” Reed ignores me as he gets his phone out of his pocket. I turn away and look out the window, suddenly wishing I had taken Courtney and Lance up on their offer to walk the strip.
“Hadley?”
“Yep, Reed?”
“I’ve tried to get your attention for ten minutes. Where did you go inside your head?”
“Nowhere. I’m just tired.”
Reed pulls me into the side him. “Bullshit, Hadley. Tell me now because I’m not leaving you alone when you’re pissed.”
“It’s nothing, Reed. I’m fine.”
“I’m not a fucking mind reader, Hads, but when any woman—especially my girl—says ‘nothing, I’m fine,’ it’s sure as shit not and I better fucking make it right or get the hell out of dodge
. I like where I’m at so that leaves one option, making this shit right. So what is fucking wrong, Hadley?”
“I thought we would be able to hang out, and you didn’t even ask if I wanted to go home.”
Reed moves his hand off me and huffs out a lungful of air. “Babe, Daily is my boss. What would you do if I wanted to go to your job when you were working?”
When he puts it that way, shit. “I was acting like a spoiled teenager, wasn’t I?”
“Fucking yep,” he says, popping the p. “I know it’s different being here. That madness at the airport, me actually having to be on a set schedule, all this shit. But it’s only for a few weeks and then we are back home in fucking Atlanta, just in time for Christmas. So no more of that shit because you go back to work soon, and if you don’t behave, I may just chain you to the bed. Okay, babe?” Reed returns his arm around me as we pull up to an underground garage.
He makes a move to get out of the SUV, but I stop him. “Stay, I can find it. You’ve got stuff to do.”
He narrows his eyes at me and asks, “Is this some kind of test? If I leave you here and you have to walk up by yourself, will I be in trouble?”
I shake my head. “No, go. The sooner you get this done, the sooner you can come back. I love you. Just keep me updated, that’s all I ask, okay?”
Reed kisses me, putting his key in my hand. “Okay, it’s level twenty-seven, apartment A. The key works in the elevator and my door. Laura already added your name to the list to get in, but the doorman may want to see your ID.”
I grab my purse and hop out of the car.
“Hadley… Madly, babe. I’ll try to hurry but no promises,” Reed says as Wesley closes the door.
If we can get through this fight with Redman and he wins, the next will be the title fight with some guy called Speedy—apparently, they fought for the title twice before, and Speedy won once while Reed won the other. I don’t even know any of the major players anymore. I haven’t even glanced at the sport in so long, but Reed said that this Speedy guy is the only one in the league Reed doesn’t respect—in or out the cage.
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