Brave

by Natalie Gayle

  My heart skipped a beat then started to bash against my chest and my stomach felt as if it was doing somersaults. I wanted to kiss him and hug him and tell him I loved him all at once; it was so overwhelming.

  Xander Todd loved me!

  He grinned and chuckled. “Help me out here, Eden. I’ve just told you I love you and you’re looking at me like a stunned mullet. You’re killing me, Gem!”

  I grabbed him around the neck and pulled him down for a kiss. It started as a press of lips together. In about point two of a second it had escalated into something that was burning quicker than a wild fire. His hands were everywhere and I knew exactly where this was going to go really quickly, but first I had something to say to him as well. He deserved to know how I felt as well.

  I pulled my mouth away and gave him a little nudge to let him know I needed him to back off. “What’s up?”

  “Nothing. I just need to say something before we get too carried away.” A little frown crossed his forehead and I giggled.

  “Stop worrying; I just wanted to let you know that I love you, too.” His frown morphed into a smile that was so bright, I was sure it could power a city.

  Then it morphed from the smile into a very satisfied grin. “Well, what do you know? My girl loves me, too. The day just got a whole heap better. I don’t feel near as tired.”

  I laughed at him. “Oh, you might be tired but so far you’ve never been too tired. If that’s what you’re getting at?”

  “It’ll be a sorry day when I’m too tired to make love to my girl. I’ll always find the energy to do that.”

  “You won’t get any complaints from me,” I agreed. “But I need to let you know that even though I love you, I’m kind of terrified at the moment.”

  Xander’s face morphed again into concern. “What are you terrified about, Gem?’

  I closed my eyes tight and opened them again. “Where do I start? I guess I started to get worried a couple of weeks ago when I realised just how crazy big this fight is you’re doing. I never really understood until your dad kind of spelt it out that morning. I haven’t said anything because I wanted you to focus, but then when we went through everything today...It was just crazy and the idea of the media really terrifies me, Xan. You know what I’m like.”

  He nodded his understanding. “Yeah. I’m not happy about it either, but it goes with the territory. There’s going to be a lot of crap written and reported about me, Gem, that you just can’t believe. You know me. Try to stay away from it all and ignore it. It’s just bullshit anyway.”

  That sounded very foreboding. “What aren’t you telling me Xan?”

  I saw him start to look agitated and that worried me even more. “They’ll bring up about The Cobra for sure. That’s half the reason they wanted me to take this fight. Promoters have been begging me to get back in the cage since it happened, specifically because they know they can milk that angle. I’m not happy about that, but that’s the price I’ve got to pay to get back in the cage so to speak. I am concerned about how they represent The Cobra through this. He died doing something he loved. I hope they respect that.” He shook his head in disgust and I started to fathom just how distasteful he found this media stuff. Xander really did agonise over a lot of stuff.

  “They’ll also probably try to do stuff like link me to other women and anything to create hype.” I sucked in a breath. The thought of that hurt and it hadn’t even started yet. “That always happens. In all the bullshit that’s going to happen, about the only truth that’ll get reported correctly is that I’m fighting “Lights Out” in a month’s time. It’ll be so skewed. That’s why you can’t believe it. Don’t even read it or follow it. Or comment on it. It’ll drive you mad. Believe nothing unless it comes from my mouth. You can trust me one hundred percent. I might be on the other side of the world and away from you, but that won’t change how I feel about you. You need to focus on your exams and try and block the rest out.”

  He rolled off me and looked up at the ceiling. “What is it Xan?”

  “I spoke to dad before. He’s agreed to kind of be your unofficial bodyguard. I want to publically distance myself from you if possible. It’s the only way to try and keep you safe from the media circus.”

  I took up my favourite spot with my head on his chest, snuggled into his side and tried to take in everything he was saying. The thought of being away from him cut at me, but I knew he was doing it to try and protect me.

  “It’s just for the couple of weeks I’ve got left here. If you’re going to uni, then Dad will pick you up and drop you off. Essentially, I don’t want you ever out in public without him there. The press are the worst type of vultures. I have no idea what they might pull, but I don’t want you left vulnerable to them. I’m not sure if you know this but Dad’s ex army. He started life as a commando—he’ll absolutely keep you safe.”

  That explained so much about Len. The pieces all seemed to fit together much better now. That didn’t sound so bad. Spending time with Len was no chore—he was funny and kind in his own way. I liked him a lot. He didn’t make me feel uncomfortable at all. “Well, it’s not like I go out a lot!” I was worried but I didn’t want him to worry too much about me; he needed to focus on the fight. “Besides I’ll be busy studying most of the time.”

  “Yeah, that’s important. I don’t want your grades to suffer because of all this.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. You just focus on doing what you need to do to win that fight.” I locked my eyes with his. He needed to know I absolutely meant it. I would be fine.

  “Just remember that you are the most important thing in my life now. I love you, Eden.”

  “I know.”

  “Good.” He closed his arms around me and hugged me tight. I snuggled into him tighter and I wanted more.

  “Should we be making the most of the time before the craziness starts?”

  “Absolutely. How quick can you strip?” he asked with raised eyebrows.

  “A lot faster than when you first met me.”

  “Excellent answer. I can see the training is paying off!” he teased.

  I leapt from the bed and started to shed my clothes. Xander did the same. I was just pulling off my last sock when he tackled me back onto the bed.

  “You ended up on the bottom!” He grinned down at me in mock surprise.

  “Fancy that! Something tells me it wasn’t by accident.”

  “My girl’s not only beautiful, but smart,” he said kissing the tip of my nose. There was something about him referring to me as his girl that just made my heart swell. He seemed to be in a playful mood now that we’d waded through all the serious, and I couldn’t help but want to play a little more.

  “So now that you’ve got me here, what are you going to do to me?” I gave him what I hoped was a suggestive look, reeling him in.

  “Mmm, well there’s just too many options. It’s hard to pick just one, but I do have something in mind.” His eyes went like liquid obsidian and there was no mistaking how turned on he was.

  “Well, that sounds intriguing. Care to share?”

  “Only seems fair considering you’re the focal point of this particular little fantasy I’ve got.” He kissed along my jaw and started to suck and nibble on my ear lobe. Why did that always make me a twitching mess of hormones for him? Then he whispered. “You want to know what I was thinking when I first saw this bed?”

  He licked down my neck, over the scars and I could think of nothing but wriggling closer to him. “Yesss…what?”

  “I was thinking just how sexy you’d look kneeling with your hands clinging on to the headboard, while I did wicked things to you.”

  I sucked in a breath and my body arched into his, my core screaming with need for him.

  “Fuck Eden, did you nearly just come then? It sure looked like it. Did that little fantasy of mine appeal to you, Gem?”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  His hand slid down between my legs and started to stroke,
spreading the pooled wetness everywhere. “You…are…so…wet, and you’re becoming such a little seductress. God, how did I get so lucky?”

  Then he growled and swiped an arm at all the cushions displayed at the head of the bed. They went flying. Xander grabbed me by the hips and he rolled us till he was under me and I was a bit disorientated. It all happened that quickly!

  “Take a hold of the headboard, Gem.” It was his Sensei voice and my body tingled even more, my heart pounded harder and my blood seemed to heat even more. He pushed me upwards over his body, guiding me to where he wanted me. My hands latched onto the metal rails under the smooth timber top rail.

  He wriggled underneath me and pushed my thighs wider with his shoulders. His arms locked around my thighs and his hands cupped my butt. I was totally at his mercy by the time I realised what he was going to do.

  “Relax Gem, you’re going to love this.” He reached up and ran his hand down my spine and along the crack of my butt before teasing around my opening as his mouth closed around me.

  I didn’t have time to feel embarrassed or self-conscious. It just felt so good. My mind went blank of all cognitive thought. All I could focus on was the feel of Xander’s mouth and fingers on my pussy. That was the new centre of my universe and I was totally at his mercy.

  Every muscle in my body was tightening and stretching, reaching for the pleasure he was teasing and building within me. His tongue rolled over my clit in the most exquisite little strokes and all I could do in response was let out little keening cries in a voice that was totally animalistic.

  On and on he teased, coaxing me to the edge...letting me look over, then slowing to pull me back. Then enticing me again. My hips started to thrust harder against his face as he licked and built the pleasure higher. The pressure in my ears and body seemed to be drowning me and still he wouldn’t let me go over.

  His lips and tongue stilled, and in perfect synchronisation so did my hips. Everything stopped except my focus on his mouth between my legs. The anticipation had me totally attuned to his slightest movement or breath. He drew out the tension to the point of pain; every muscle in my body locked, begging for release. Then he flicked the tip of his tongue over my quivering clit and my world disintegrated around me.

  My body thrashed around, only anchored by the railing of the bed and Xander. The more I crashed around, the more he licked and sucked with a new intensity. He dragged every last sensation and feeling from me, until it reached the point where I could no longer hold my head up.

  He slipped from between my legs and knelt behind me. His arms wrapped under my shoulders and his fists gripped the bar between my hands, supporting my body. The hard steel of his erection probed at my super sensitised pussy and I bucked with every touch, but still wanted him desperately.

  “Oh baby, that was so hot, but I need to be inside you now.” My skin tingled and I shivered from his hot whispered breath at my ear.

  I bucked against him again as the aftershocks continued to come. He wrapped an arm around my waist and held me firm to him until he was seated deep inside me.

  “Ohhhhh.” I let out a deep moan of pleasure.

  His hips started to thrust against me, carrying me on a new journey of pleasure.

  “That’s it, Gem, let me take you again.”

  I pushed down on his erection harder and he ground up into me. He’d never felt this deep. I was oblivious to everything but Xander. He was all around me, in me, part of my being.

  The hand at my hip caressed upwards and pulled at my nipple. My hips slammed at his.

  “Oh yeah, you’re almost there again, Eden. You’re squeezing me so tight I can barely breathe.” His tongue licked around my ear a little more and he whispered, “I love you, my hot gorgeous girl. Squeeze me tight, make me come for you.” And as if on command, every essence of me tightened and I dove into the abyss again.

  His hips slapped at me with inhuman speed and a growl ripped from his throat. Stars danced behind my eyes and I floated on rolling waves of pleasure. I could feel him surrounding me, part of me—no beginning, no end.

  As if in silent agreement, we both dropped our hold on the bed rail and sank into the plush comfort of the mattress.

  Xander finally managed to speak. “Gem, I think you just wiped me out.”

  “Consider the bed christened,” I managed.

  That got a low chuckle from him.

  * * *

  Xander

  “No, no, no.” The sound eventually penetrated my sleep fogged mind and I woke to realise Eden was thrashing around beside me in the midst of a nightmare. I flicked on the bedside lamp and caught her arms to her body, pulling her to me.

  “Shh, Eden. You’re dreaming. Wake up, honey. Wake up, Gem.” Her eyes flew open and she looked totally disorientated.

  “Just a dream, Gem—you’re fine. I’ve got you—you’re safe.” Then the tears started to free fall from her eyes and her body wracked with sobs. I pulled her tighter to me and stroked her hair.

  “It’s okay, honey, I’m here. Relax it’s not real. Everything’s fine.”

  I wiped the tears from her cheeks and kissed her forehead as she started to relax.

  “Sorry to wake you,” she said, snuggling her head into my chest.

  “It’s fine. What had you so freaked out?” It had been one hell of a nightmare.

  “The fire,” she said simply.

  “Okay…you want to talk about it.” I didn’t expect her to want to but I made the offer just the same.

  “What time is it?” she whispered.

  I rolled over and picked up my phone. “A little before five. Sun will be up really soon. Does it matter?”

  “Sort of. I just wanted to know if there was any point in trying to go back to sleep before I started to tell you about my dream.”

  Well, that did surprise me. “I’m all ears,” I said kissing her again and squeezing her tightly in my arms.

  “It was the fire.” Her sleep raspy voice caught. “I don’t dream of it very often anymore. It used to be just about every night.” She shuddered in my arms. “They were very dark days when I woke up from the induced coma.”

  She didn’t say anything for a while and I didn’t know whether to prompt her or just let her go. Eventually she said. “The first thing I remember was the screech of the fire alarm. Dad was away and mum was working a late shift at the hospital. She was never home before midnight, but it wasn’t as if we were babies.” Eden paused again and I could see the pain she was going through remembering. I knew what it was like trying to retell your horrors.

  “All I could smell was smoke and I could barely breathe; the smoke was already that thick. We used to live in that place across the road from Dane. You might remember, it was two storeys and I jumped out of bed and ran out into the upstairs hall…The fire was downstairs; I could see it from the stairs, but all the smoke was already rising… Sophia’s and Tori’s rooms were upstairs. So I ran along the hall and I got Sophia up and out onto the balcony upstairs.”

  She paused as her voice started to wobble.

  “I remember. There was a balcony that ran right across the front, didn’t it?” I’d seen that house so many times when I’d visited Dane over the years.

  “Yeah, it had holes in it and the railing was rotted through. The landlord wouldn’t replace it no matter how much we complained. But it was a balcony and my only thought was to get her outside—she could jump from there.”

  I glanced down and her eyes were open but they were far away caught in the memories. “I went along to Tori’s room, but she wasn’t in there. I was so scared. I didn’t know where she was.” Tears were pouring down her face and I hugged her closer.

  “Take a break, Eden. If it’s too much, just leave it.” I wanted to know, but I hated seeing her so tortured like this.

  She nodded but I don’t think she had any intention of stopping. “She wasn’t anywhere upstairs. I ran from room to room looking. I realised then she had to be downstairs. Oh Xan, th
e smoke was so thick! My eyes were smarting and I was starting to cough. I was screaming and screaming, calling for Tori but she never called back. The noise of the fire was really loud. Kind of a roaring.” She reached for her throat and rubbed it as if trying to ease the pain she was recalling.

  “I stood at the top of the stairs—I figured she had to be down there. I was so damned scared. In the end I just took a deep breath and went down stairs as fast as I could…I stumbled and fell the last four steps. My knee hurt like hell, but somehow I got up. The kitchen and dining were just a mass of flames and the heat coming from it was insane. There wasn’t any air to breathe and I kind of remember taking tiny breaths trying not to breathe.”

  The tears were coming faster and harder. Her bottom jaw was quivering as she fought to tell her story. I was horrified with what she was telling me. I couldn’t even imagine how scared she must have been.

  “I still don’t know how, but I kind of stumbled into Tori in the back hall. I think she was coming from mum and dad’s room. I don’t know, she doesn’t really remember what she was doing. I just remember there being fire everywhere; it seemed to be all around us.”

  She sniffed and took a deep breath then carried on. “Tori was terrified and sort of frozen in fear—kind of glued to the wall. I looked around for something to protect her a bit from the flames. There was mum’s knitted woollen rug hanging over the back of the sofa. She used to put it over her legs on chilly nights…I grabbed it and wrapped it around Tori and started pulling her down the hallway to the front door. That was when I first realised my top had caught fire down the right side.” Eden was now taking massive big, gulping breaths and I was worried she was going to hyperventilate.

  “Easy Gem, slow your breathing…breathe with me for a bit. In, out, in out. You’re safe. It can’t hurt you anymore.” She nodded in acknowledgement.

  A few seconds later she continued on. “The pain was insane, I can’t begin to describe it—but I could just make out the glass panel in the door and I just kept focusing on it. We were almost there when it burst open. I don’t remember anything after that. Well, not really until I woke up a couple of weeks later.”