Fighting Solitude (On The Ropes #3)

by Aly Martinez

  “Fuck me,” she ordered as a reply. Lifting her greedy little hips, she stole an inch of my length.

  I watched in awe as she rode the tip of my cock from the bottom, moaning like she could come off that alone.

  She was so fucking beautiful.

  It was Liv though, so that wasn’t exactly a surprise.

  She was my undoing.

  She was also mine now. And it was my responsibility to take care of her.

  The one task I couldn’t afford to fail.

  Pressure mounted in my chest.

  Through a ragged breath, I rasped, “Move in here with me.” Even I heard the desperation in my voice as I finished with, “Please, Rocky.”

  She stilled immediately and, her eyes locked with mine. “Quarry?” she breathed in obvious concern.

  With a hard thrust, I filled her in order to keep my overflowing emotions in check.

  Her arms folded around my shoulders, clinging to me as I mercilessly drove in again. She moaned, and her pussy clutched my cock, even as she whispered, “What’s going on?”

  “I can’t lose you too,” I answered on a grunt when I roughly planted myself at the hilt.

  “You’ll never lose me,” she pledged, rocking into me while I collected myself enough to start moving again.

  After another hard thrust, I found myself even more lost. I couldn’t get deep enough to experience any kind of pleasure. The anxiety and fear in my head numbed me physically, but I pounded away, desperately seeking comfort and reassurance within her small body.

  And she freely gave herself to me as I fucked her harder than ever before. I bit her neck and painfully squeezed her breasts, trying to find anything that would make me feel again.

  Her nails scored my back each time I slammed my hips against hers, and her fingers tugged at my hair as I raked my teeth over her neck and her shoulders.

  She wasn’t exactly in pain, but she wasn’t far from it.

  Yet she still gave it to me.

  Her body was mine to do with as I pleased, and that notion made me take her even more savagely.

  We were both going to have bruises when it was over, but I couldn’t stop, and before I knew it, my mouth had joined the fuck-fest.

  “He killed you,” I blurted.

  Her body turned rock solid beneath me. “What?” she cried as I sucked hard at the soft skin beneath her ear.

  One at a time, I guided her long legs around my hips and drove in impossibly hard. “In my dream this morning…when I got sick,” I panted, drawing back slowly before slamming back in.

  Her face contorted in a way that could never be mistaken for ecstasy. But her muscles pulsed around me when I stilled.

  “Davenport.” Trailing my mouth up her neck, I whispered the words I never wanted to hear myself say, “He held a gun to your head and pulled the trigger.” My voice lodged in my throat, and my stomach knotted at the memory.

  With one last powerful thrust, the fight left me in a rush and my body sagged on top of her.

  It wasn’t in the wake of orgasm.

  I was lost in defeat.

  “Sit up, baby,” she cooed, pushing on my chest.

  I sucked in and held it as I followed her order.

  Moving onto my lap, she wasn’t happy until my cock was once again seated inside her.

  I buried my face in her neck and hugged her tight as she started to move over me. Her desperation was far gentler than mine, and it made me realize how severely I had taken her delicate body.

  “Christ, Rocky. I’m so fucking sorry.”

  If she heard my apology at all, she didn’t acknowledge it. “No one will take me from you,” she vowed. “It’s you and me. Forever.” Slowly gliding up and down my shaft, she soothed my wounds by saying, “I’ll move in, Quarry. Whatever you want. I’ll do it. No argument.”

  I choked on my breath as it rushed from my chest.

  God, she had no idea how much I’d needed to hear that.

  “Oh, God!” I clung to her even tighter. Taking over, I lifted her up before slamming her down my cock, giving her the only thing I had to offer at the moment.

  Her moans grew louder, but she wasn’t getting closer to release—and neither was I.

  “Quarry, stop,” she finally whispered, pushing me back against the couch.

  “Damn it. I ruined that.” I pinched the bridge of my nose, not willing to look at her in the middle of my meltdown.

  “Nothing is going to happen to me,” she pressed.

  I laughed without humor. “Famous last words.” Sighing, I attempted to move her off my lap after having decided that it would be in the best interest of everyone involved if I just finished in the shower. Alone.

  She wrapped her arms around me and refused to budge. “Don’t push me away. Talk to me.”

  “What do you want me to say? I had a nightmare, and it fucking destroyed me. I’ll be okay.”

  Her hand glided up the nape of my neck. “Okay, fine. I’ll talk. I think you’re about to go off the deep end. I said I’d move in. I said I’d do anything you want to make you feel comfortable, and I still feel like you just left me.”

  “I’m right here, Liv.” I made my cock twitch inside her as further proof.

  “You’re all over the place, Quarry. I know you. This is what you do right before you lose your mind. You can’t figure out how to make yourself feel better, and you’re going to disappear into your own head, where whatever answer you come up with is going to be wrong. And, if it’s anything like the one you came up with when we were kids, it’s going to ruin us.”

  My whole body flinched at her honesty, but just as quickly, I felt relief. She knew me better than anyone in the world. There wasn’t even any point in lying.

  “I love you so fucking much.”

  Her arms convulsed around me.

  “I can’t stop preparing myself to lose you. I’ve not even had you a full month and I’m already obsessing about failing you.”

  “You can’t fail me.”

  “I can. And I will. I always do. Eliza. Flint. You. Mia. The list just keeps on growing. And, last night, Davenport put his fucking hands on you because of me. I don’t know what to do with that.” I barked a manic laugh. “Clearly my subconscious does though.”

  I was gearing up for another round of word vomit when she interrupted me.

  “You…you love me?” Her voice was so packed with genuine surprise that it almost offended me.

  Grabbing her shoulders, I leaned her away and caught her equally disbelieving gaze. “Are you kidding me?”

  She shook her head.

  “Of course I love you. I always have. I’ve felt it my entire life, but something just clicked recently. It was like I’d buried it so deep within myself that, when it finally made it to the surface, we went from friends to soul mates in the span of a minute.”

  She didn’t reply, but her breath shuddered. Her eyes filled with unshed tears, and a mixture of hope and fear showed on her face.

  She was busy chewing on her lip when she lifted her hands and silently signed, You think we’re soul mates?

  “Without a question,” I replied instantly.

  “But what about—”

  I narrowed my eyes and reminded her, “My cock is still inside you. Don’t even say it.”

  “It’s just—”

  “Goddamn it. Don’t!” I growled. “I love you, Liv. Whatever you’re thinking right now, get that shit out of your head.” I palmed each side of her face and dropped my forehead to hers. “I love you. I love you. I love you.”

  She swallowed hard and closed her eyes. “I love you too.”

  “Good to know,” I breathed, pressing my lips against hers.

  “I always have. Even when I wasn’t supposed to.”

  I smiled a real honest-to-God smile.

  “And I trust you, Quarry. So, if you want me to move into this absolutely incredible house, it will be hard, but I’ll figure out a way to be happy about it.” She giggled, and my veins
flooded with relief.

  Just that simple.

  Just Liv.

  Two minutes ago, I’d been on the verge of breaking down, but somehow, she’d flipped the switch. Calmed me in ways no one in the world had ever been able to accomplish—not even me.

  “You serious about moving in here with me?” I whispered against her lips while sporting an impossibly wide grin.

  She nodded and opened her mouth, rolling her tongue with mine.

  I took it greedily, my cock thickening all over again.

  “And I’m talking one bedroom. We share a bed. No more of that roommate shit.”

  Her hands glided over my shoulders and up the back of my neck. “Okay,” she murmured, rising up on my cock. “But I want you to talk to me about your dream. I hated the way you rushed out this morning.”

  I forced her down quickly, smirking when her throaty groan rumbled against my mouth. “Can I make you come first?”

  “I already came.”

  My eyebrows popped in surprise. “You did?”

  She laughed. “You were in the middle of some kind of barbaric mating ritual, but yeah, I came.”

  “Sorry about that,” I lied, dropping my hands to her hips and rocking back and forth.

  “Mmm,” she purred. “Why don’t I believe you?” Her head fell back as she started moving over me again.

  I was about to take her hard and see if I could make her come again. But then she whispered, “You love me.”

  I smiled to myself and decided the fuck would have to wait.

  “Every. Single. Day,” I replied, reclining her down on the couch and then showing her exactly how much.

  LUCKILY, IT WAS WINTER, BECAUSE when Quarry and I finally made it off the lonely couch in the middle of our enormous new living room, I realized I’d have to wear a scarf for at least a week. My neck was black and blue with a combination of hickies and bite marks. And he didn’t look any better. He had claw marks covering his entire back. They were so pronounced that they could easily be made out even amongst the dense black tattoos. I made him swear on his life that he’d keep a shirt on at the gym until they healed. He made fun of me but reluctantly agreed.

  We went to brunch that morning with my parents, where Quarry bluntly informed my dad about the new house and made it quite apparent to everyone at the table that this wasn’t another roommate situation by repeatedly mentioning the need for a security panel in “our bedroom.” My father didn’t miss it. Neither did my mom. Dad’s response was to scowl as Quarry possessively draped his arm around my shoulders. Mom’s response was to shriek with joy. (I’d like to disturbingly note that she then quietly tugged at my scarf and exaggerated a knowing wink.) I couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled from my throat. My mom was crazy. And, if possible, I loved her even more for it.

  After brunch, we made a brief stop at the wings place near the highway, and then my parents headed back to Chicago. Quarry and I went back to the new house, where he changed and went to work out. I spent the first hour taking measurements of each room. Then I made my way out to the gym and watched my man—the one I’d been in love with my entire life and who I now knew loved me too. And it came with the added bonus of him thinking we were soul mates, a fact I’d always thought but never dreamed he would too. And, for the first time, I could admit that I trusted him with not only my life, but my heart as well.

  I’d been so wrong before.

  It wasn’t weird at all.

  It was actually perfect.

  For the next month, our lives became insanely busy. Don had called off for a family emergency the day after the Davenport incident. He didn’t explain, but he assured me he was okay and that he’d be back right after Christmas. It was bad timing for him to be gone with Quarry gearing up for his big fight. Plus, we were trying to get moved into the new house before Christmas, but we did the best we could.

  Which meant absolutely nothing got done at the apartment, and it was now the day before Christmas Eve and we were frantically trying to pack—just three hours before the movers got there.

  Quarry was stomping around like a maniac, pissed because, while I had remembered to book the movers, I had somehow managed to forget the packers. I’d learned this little detail during the confirmation phone call the night before. Quarry had been none too happy, but after I’d spent over an hour talking to the manager, it had appeared we were on our own for packing. Quarry had rushed out and bought as many boxes as he could find, but it wasn’t going to be enough. It was truly amazing how much shit the two of us had been able to cram into that apartment over the years.

  “Babe!” Quarry called, suddenly appearing in the kitchen, where I was packing plates. His hands were filled with three boxes of Christmas tree cakes.

  I rolled my eyes. “You don’t have to show me every time you find more. I have admitted to having a slight hoarding problem when it comes to seasonal snacks, but you can’t fault me. They are only available for a few months each year. Just put those with the rest of them.”

  His lips quirked humorously. “Really? You want me to just add these to the pile?” He opened the box and dumped them on the floor.

  “Q! What the hell!”

  “They’re green,” he informed.

  “Of course. They’re Christmas tree…” I paused when I got a better look at them. “Oh, God, gross!”

  He laughed heartily and stepped around a mountain of boxes to link his arms around my waist. “Exactly how long have you been hoarding snack cakes in my room? Those expired three years ago.”

  “I have too many shoes to keep them in my closet.”

  He arched an eyebrow. “Those were under my dresser.”

  “Which is probably why I forgot them,” I retorted snottily.

  He only grinned then kissed me. Plates crashed to the floor, shattering as he lifted me to sit on the counter.

  “Leave the plates and go pack your panties. I started to do it but stopped when I found your vibrator.”

  My mouth dropped open, causing his eyes to light with humor. “What the hell were you doing packing my panties?”

  He ignored my question, pressed my legs open, and wedged his bulky body between them. “Your batteries were dead. Not sure if that means you’ve been hitting it every day or if you haven’t used it in so long they died. Either way, it made my dick so fucking hard thinking about it.” He licked up the side of my neck and threaded his fingers into the back of my hair.

  My annoyance was trumped by the sudden heat pooling between my legs. “We have to pack,” I moaned, angling my head to give him more access.

  “I just got off the phone with the moving company. They’re sending packers.” He raked his teeth across my skin, sending shivers down my spine.

  “I thought they didn’t have any available?” I asked, not giving one single fuck about the answer as I glided my hand under his shirt and up his muscular chest.

  “Being a professional boxer has some perks, Rocky.” He took my mouth in a sweltering kiss, brushing his thumbs over my nipples when he pulled away. “Money doesn’t hurt either, Cheapo.” He suddenly stepped away and leaned his hip against the counter. Crossing his arms over his chest, he fought back a smile. “Guy told me you talked them down three hundred bucks.”

  “I had a coupon,” I stated proudly.

  His lips twitched again. “Right. Well, your coupon didn’t get us packers, so I paid him an extra grand. Now, we have packers. So let’s pack the shit you don’t want strangers touching, like, say…your panties and whatever other sex toys you have hidden in your room, and head back to the house, where I can fuck you without the panties but maybe with the toys and then wait for your million Christmas tree cakes to be delivered this afternoon.” He grinned wolfishly.

  His plan was definitely better than mine.

  “Sorry I dropped the ball on this moving thing. I’ve been so busy.”

  He helped me off the counter, not putting me down until we’d cleared the broken glass. “I know you have, and you
need to slow down. What if you stepped down as director at the community center and took a volunteer position?”

  “What if you stop suggesting that I quit the job I love?”

  He groaned. We’d had that argument at least twelve times over the last month. We both knew that it wasn’t going to end well for him.

  “Okay, okay,” he surrendered. “I’m just saying you don’t have to work anymore. Well…I mean, you don’t have to work for anyone but me anymore.” He patronizingly patted my ass.

  Swatting his hands away, I made my way into my bedroom, where sure enough, my vibrator was sitting on my dresser. “Well, you should know, if you keep that attitude up, I’m replacing you permanently with this.” I lifted the toy at him.

  He laughed loudly. “You’re so full of shit.”

  I really was. Not a toy in the world could replace Quarry. Which was exactly why it was no longer in my nightstand but rather untouched in my panty drawer. I’d gone through more batteries than I’d ever admit over the last few years, but now that he was in my bed every night, I had no use for them anymore.

  “Whatever,” I replied when a witty retort failed me. After nabbing a box off the floor, I threw it in his direction. “Okay, you pack the top shelf in my closet, and I’ll handle my unmentionables. Then we can get the hell out of here. The packers can do the rest.”

  “Oooo, the top shelf! Whatcha got hiding up here?” he teased.

  I shrugged, grabbing my own box and going to work on my drawers. “Not much. Just my collection of midget porn. And the dominatrix whip I’ve not had the chance to use on you yet.”

  “Shut the fuck up!”

  “I believe the correct answer is: Yes, mistress. But I’ll give you a free pass for now since I haven’t beaten you into submission yet.”

  He chuckled, and I heard him digging around in my closet.

  A few seconds later, he sighed. “I’m not sure what it says about me, but I’m disappointed to find out you were kidding. Maybe we should make a stop before heading back to the house.”

  I shook my head with a huge smile on my face. “Just pack,” I told him, mentally scheduling a stop at the sex shop to pick up a few last-minute Christmas gifts for my guy.