by Taylor Rose
“Sight Anderson speaking,” he drawled, his twang evident.
I smirked.
“Hello, this is Kieran Kingston. I’m in need of some assistance,” I said into my phone.
“What can I do to help ya, Sir?” he asked, his tone becoming more professional by the second.
He was standing guard over Figgy right this second which technically meant that I was his boss.
“Can she hear you?” I asked him.
He laughed out loud, “That would be a negative.”
Perfect.
“Is there anyone you know that’s good at finding things? I need something found,” I replied.
“Actually, I do have someone who could help you. But it’ll cost ya,” Sight goaded, like money was really an issue.
“Paying isn’t a problem.”
“I’ll send ya his number. Just let him know what ya need and he should be able to help ya out,” he laughed.
“Thank you,” I replied.
“Anderson out.”
Step one, check.
Figgy had no idea what was coming and I couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when my plan played out.
Although I didn’t want to keep her in the dark, this was one last secret I had to keep.
And my lips were sealed.
*****
Having so much time to myself was weird.
So far today, I had already gone to the grocery store, cleaned the kitchen and bathroom, washed my car, and organized Kieran’s dresser and closet.
Not that he had anything in his huge walk in closet for me to organize, much to my shock.
Why stuff everything into a boring old dresser when you had a whole closet that was empty?
I didn’t know either.
Men.
Smiling to myself, I folded Aqua’s clothing while sitting on the couch.
Making Kieran cum this morning caused a warmth to bloom in my chest.
When he came undone like that, it excited me.
Power comes in many different forms.
Beauty. Confidence. Strength. Pride. Self-worth.
Each one of those emotions ran through me this morning for the first time in years.
I was happy. Actually happy. And not just because I thought I had to be, but because he made me that way.
Humming to myself, I continued to fold Aqua’s clothes.
Why keep them stuffed in bags when there was a dresser and a trunk in her room? I sorted them while I folded; pants in one pile, shirts in the next, skirts after that one, pajama’s in the next one, and hoodies and dresses in the last.
Sitting still had always been a problem for me which was one of the reasons I was put into figure skating lessons at such an early age. The constant practice never left me restless.
A phone went off in the background.
Twisting my head, I noticed Sight standing on the patio in the backyard with his phone to his ear. His eyes were locked on me inside the house.
Sight was my own personal body guard that Kieran and his teammates hired to keep me safe. Or rather, to make me feel safer.
I smiled at the thought.
Having someone worry about me was nice. I liked knowing that someone cared about me enough to worry.
It was a foreign feeling, but one I could definitely get used to.
After folding all of her clothes, I placed them into the dresser and trunk in her room, organizing them the best that I could.
Using the back of my hand, I swiped away a thin layer of sweat that coated my face.
I blew out a breath, drew more oxygen into my lungs, and let it back out.
Damn. I was out of fucking shape. Winded and sweaty just from folding laundry.
That needed to change. And fast.
I was an Olympic Gold Medalist goddamn it.
My body was built to be my greatest weapon, and instead, I had let it become my worst asset.
Just because I wasn’t fat, did not mean that I was in shape.
Someone who was in shape would not have been huffin’ and puffin’ after folding laundry, that’s for damn sure.
A sense of determination took ahold of me.
Walking into Kieran’s room, I pulled a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt out of my clothes bag that was still laying on the floor.
Yanking off my pajamas, I got dressed. The yoga pants were tight around my legs and ass, while the t-shirt flowed over my body. I pulled my tangled hair up into a ponytail, getting it away from my face and neck. Last but not least, I shoved my feet into my pink and black Nikes and tied the laces tightly into a double knot.
I could do most of my workout routines without any equipment. Stretches, lunges, and other muscle loosening and building moves ran through my head.
Closing my eyes, I pictured them all, letting the images flow through my mind. I was trying to find the best move to start with.
My mind stopped on one set of stretches. Those would do.
I bent, twisted, and pulled my body into different positions.
The whole point of working out is to keep your body in shape, to keep your muscles loose, to make it so that you’re healthy.
Before you start working out hard and pushing yourself, your body needs a base. You need to build your body into a place where it’s comfortable and work your way up from there. Starting out too hard can cause injuries which is something you really don’t want to deal with. Trust me on that.
Slowly, I worked my body through the stretches I needed to complete. My muscles started to loosen up, and I could feel the start to build myself up a little bit.
Cardio. I needed fucking cardio, my body hummed at the thought.
Glancing around, I tried to figure out how to accomplish my goal.
I wanted, no, needed to run.
But running with a body guard following me left a bad taste in my mouth. I didn’t need someone following me around during my run but I couldn’t just leave without him, either.
Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I straightened my spine and walked out into the kitchen where Sight was watching me with a smirk on his lips.
Mother fucking fucker.
I ground my teeth together, mad at myself for not realizing sooner that my bodyguard had received a free show on my behalf.
Stomping my feet, I stormed over to him. Spine straight, eyes hard and gleaming, and my hands clenched into fists at my sides. I was breathing kind of hard.
I stopped less than an inch away from him so that I was chest to chest - well, really it was more like his chest to my head - but I was mighty when I was pissed. Tilting my head back and cocking it to the side, I glared at him. My eyes locked onto his face, and he wasn’t afraid. Not at all. Not even a little bit.
He looked amused.
Clenching my teeth together, I hissed.
Mother fucking fucker. I was bad-fucking-ass.
Anger seeped off of me in waves. Fire raced through my veins, scorching a path of rage throughout my body.
“Like the show?” I asked. My hand was on my hip, elbow popped out.
Humor danced throughout his eyes.
I jutted my chin out defiantly.
“Fuck ya,” Sight slowly drawled out, his voice low and rumbly with a slight accent I hadn’t noticed before.
I scoffed and then lifted my upper lip in disgust.
“You’re disgusting,” I hissed at him, baring my teeth.
He fucking laughed and shrugged his shoulders.
“I’m so sorry ya feel that way, darlin’,” he drawled out, his accent becoming more and more prominent.
“Fuck off,” I seethed, flipping him off before I stomped away.
No way in hell was I asking him about running now.
Fuck that.
Running in the back yard was not an option.
Running around the neighborhood was not an option.
Fucckkkkk.
I grabbed my ph
one off of the counter and sent out a text.
Me: If I wanted to go for a run without my watch dog, would that be possible?
I crossed my fingers, hoping and praying this would just go my way.
Kieran: ???
Kieran: There’s a treadmill in the garage, baby…
My eyes popped out of my head and my mouth dropped open to form an “o”.
Kieran: Won’t that work?
Me: OMG. Yes! *jumps up and down excitedly*
Kieran: Have a nice run ;)
A treadmill? Fuck yes!
I grabbed my headphones and water bottle off of the counter and walked into the bathroom. Opening the cabinet door, I grabbed a small towel and slung it over my shoulder.
Once I got to the garage, I turned the door knob and pulled the door open with a squeak. Before I could even walk through the threshold, a light flashed on almost blinding me.
I blinked rapidly trying to clear my vision, and my mouth dried up at the sight in front of me.
I blinked again. Wanting to make sure that I was seeing correctly.
The home gym of home gyms was sitting before me.
A treadmill, weight room, bench press, elliptical, and almost every piece of workout equipment imaginable lined the walls and floor.
I took a step inside the room, letting the door to the garage slam closed behind me.
Stepping up to the treadmill, I placed my water and phone on the side shelves.
Pushing the headphones into my ears, I wedged them in tightly so that when I started running, they stayed where I needed them. Picking up my phone, I scrolled through my song list until I stumbled upon “Buyou” by Keri Hilson.
A smirk played on my lips as I pressed the play button. The song blared through my headphones and started pumping me up, pushing me to work harder.
I pressed the start button on the treadmill.
I started jogging slowly on the machine, pumping my arms up and down as my legs started moving faster and faster.
The song played over and over again in my head.
Before I knew it, sweat was dripping down the sides of my face and neck until it clung to my clothing. Droplets fell from my forehead all the way down my face, with some falling into my eyes, causing them to sting.
After what seemed like at least an hour, I slowed the machine down so that I could cool off with a brisk walk before stopping completely.
I grabbed the water bottle, twisted off the cap, and took a giant gulp. I let the water flow down my throat, cooling off the fire raging inside of me.
My chest rose and fell rapidly, while my lungs tried to catch their breath.
Grabbing the towel, I dried off the sweat coating my skin.
Glancing at the clock on my phone, I realized that Aqua would be getting home from school soon. I needed to wash up before she got here so that once she was home, I would have the time to focus solely on her.
Taking my first step off of the treadmill was easier said than done.
The second my feet hit solid ground, they wobbled like crazy. It was as if I were a fawn taking its first steps, my legs felt like noodles and a light wind would have knocked me over in that moment.
Taking each step slowly, I walked through the garage, back into the house, through the hallway, and finally into the huge bathroom.
Once inside, I twisted the lock until a click sounded, letting me know that I was now locked in.
Pulling the headphones out of my ears, I wrapped them around my phone before setting it with my towel and water on the sink.
Kneeling down, I opened up the cabinet door under the sink and let my eyes roam around. I needed something to help with my sore muscles, and I was excited when my eyes landed on a tub of Epsom Salt.
Score!
I wanted to soak instead of taking a shower and was pumped to see a huge Jacuzzi bathtub. It was calling my name with a promise of hot, steamy water. I put the Epsom Salt on the side.
My muscles screamed out, begging me to listen to their call, pleading for me to soak the sore right out of them.
I walked over to the huge tub, plugged the drain, and blasted the water. I twisted the handle to the right until the water was steaming as it came out of the pipe.
The sound of rushing water filled my ears, and a soothing sensation took over.
Grabbing the Epsom Salt, I poured some into the tub as it filled with scorching water.
Goose bumps pebbled over my cold skin, the heat from the water drawing them out.
A shiver traveled through my body.
The towel I had used the other day was hanging up on one of the hooks connected to the wall by the door. Walking over, I grabbed it and placed it right next to the tub so that when I was finished, I would be able to reach it without dripping water all over the tile floor.
I kicked off my tennis shoes and peeled off the sweaty clothes, letting them fall to the ground next to my towel with a plop.
Steam rose off of the surface of the water in wisps, filling the room with thick, warm air. Slowly, I lifted my right leg until my foot was hovering over the hot water. I dipped my toes in to test the water temperature.
A hiss escaped my lips.
Without a second thought, I plunged my foot into the hot water, and once I had my balance, I pulled my other foot in as well. The hot water scalded my skin, calming me with its warmth. Wincing, I sat down and completely immersed my body. The salt water stung as it covered my cuts, even though scabs had formed where open wounds had once been. My head was propped up on the ledge, while the rest of my body was soaking.
A calm feeling took over once the pain left, and for the first time in weeks, I was able to relax and not worry what bad thing was going to happen next.
But you know what they say about letting yourself get too comfortable; when you finally feel safe enough to let your guard down, that should actually be the time you reinforce your walls.
A few weeks went by without incident so we fell into a routine, easy as pie.
In the mornings, Figgy and I would get Aqua ready for school together. Once Aqua was picked up by April, Saber’s wife, and taken to school safely, Figgy and I would sit down and have breakfast together before it was my turn to leave and go to practice for the day. Sight would show up thirty minutes before I had to leave and check the house to make sure everything was as it should be.
Practice would kick my ass. First thing in the morning, the team would practice out on the ice, then after lunch they would do the weight room training. I spent every lunch break talking to Figgy on the phone. We almost always had something to talk about and when we didn’t, we had comfortable silences. The kind where you can read, watch TV, or even just sit next to each other without any awkward moments.
Figgy kept the house in top shape. She cleaned, did the laundry, went shopping, and had dinner on the table most nights by the time I got home. Sometimes we would cook together, but she loved staying busy, to be always moving, so she took care of everything without complaint. It got to the point where I had to fire my housekeeper because Figgy did everything that lady did and more.
I’d told her multiple times that she didn’t have to do a damn thing, but she would just roll her eyes or scoff at me as if what I was saying was absurd.
The best part?
Even though we had found a routine that worked for us, life was not boring.
She brought light and laughter into my once dull and dreary life.
Walking up to the door of our house, I rubbed my sweaty palms on my faded blue jeans. I really fucking hoped that I was dressed to impress, because there was no way in hell I was wearing what was expected, so this would just have to be good enough. A skin tight, white t-shirt was pulled over my chest, the fabric bunched and stretched with each movement I made. My hair hung loosely around my face, but I had a hair band in my pocket in case I needed it. Worn, black Converse shoes finished my look.
Nervous energy buzzed thro
ugh my veins adding to the nervous feeling that had built up in my gut.
Fuck.
This could go one of two ways.
Either she’d fall at my feet and proclaim her love for me, or she’d slap me across the face and never want to see me again.
In all reality, this could go badly. Really, really fucking badly.
But sometimes you had to take a huge risk to be rewarded the way you wanted.
And I wanted her. The risk of losing her to fully have her seemed worth it to me.
Russian Roulette at its fucking finest.
I just had to hope and pray with everything I had, that this would work out in my favor. The thought of going back to a dull and colorless existence sent a chill through my body. I straightened my spine so that I was standing at my full height and clenched my hands into fists at my sides.
I wouldn’t let that happen.
I looked over my shoulder and locked eyes on Cooper, who was sitting in his truck. His index fingers were lightly tapping his steering wheel as he waited for me to get on with it.
My plan was good. Everything would work out the way it was supposed to. I took a deep breath, lifted my fist, and pounded on the door.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Air was lodged in my chest, unable to find its way out of my lungs.
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. Four…
A whoosh sounded as the door opened up. The air I had been holding in my lungs rushed out of me. My eyes widened slightly and I gulped, my throat was tight and sore from just the sight of her.
Figgy’s eyes sparkled like pools of gleaming water, warm and inviting. Her blonde hair cascaded down the sides of her face and hung low, almost reaching her hips, with some of her untamed curls sticking out. Her plump lips were curved into a smile, giving off a clear view of her perfect white, straight teeth. Her breasts were pushed up and popping out of her skin tight tank top, and her small waist drew your attention to her plush hips that flared out just the right amount. Her curves were killer. Her lean and toned legs were showing, her skin was tanner than before.
My eyes, slow and unashamed, roamed her body. This made her laugh.
I coughed into my hand.
“Charming? What are you doing? Why did you knock? This is your house…,” she trailed off with her head tilted to the side, her eyebrows scrunched together in thought.