by Sam Crescent
Amber shook her head. “It still seems a little extreme for me.”
“You’ve just not met a man you’re willing to do whatever needs to be done to keep him.” Brooke placed a hand on her arm, tapping her. “Don’t worry, you’ll find out when you meet someone.”
Jasper came to mind, but she pushed him out.
“Oh, I know that look. You’ve found someone, haven’t you, honey?”
Amber shrugged. “I don’t know if I’ve found someone or if it’s just, I don’t know. It’s complicated.”
“Do tell. If Harold’s sent you back here, he’s got everything covered until he comes calling for you. Spill the beans. I want to know.”
Rinsing out the cloth, Amber started to remove Brooke’s makeup to reveal the beautiful woman underneath.
“He’s my neighbor. I’ve seen him a lot over the last year, and by seeing him, I mean passing him. Last weekend and tonight, we talked.” If you could call what they discussed talking. She tucked some hair behind her ear, rinsing out the cloth again. The foundation turned the water in the basin brown. Brooke always used too much makeup.
“So, what gives?”
“Nothing gives. I don’t know. He’s weird. I mean, he’s a fighter.” She glanced behind her back, making sure no one could see them. “You know, one of those illegal fights we’ve heard the girls talking about.”
“Don’t worry, Amber. I won’t tell. People know when to talk and when not to talk. I can keep my mouth shut.”
“He’s always covered in bruises.” Amber shook her head, going back to cleaning Brooke’s face. “I don’t know. We’ve talked more in the last couple of days than in the whole year of living across from each other.”
“Sometimes it takes others to get a bit more comfortable with others before they can talk.”
“I don’t know. I doubt anything’s going to happen. Jasper’s hot. I mean, hot with a capital H.”
Brooke chuckled. “You don’t think you’re hot?”
“I’m not in the league with Jasper and other women.”
“You sell yourself too short.” Brooke took the cloth from her hands. “You’re a beautiful, sexy woman. If you were more comfortable Harold would have you up on the stage, and you’d earn your keep easily.”
Amber stayed quiet. There was no chance she’d get on the stage to dance. It would be too humiliating.
A knock on the door sounded. “Amber, we need you out here, now.”
Rolling her eyes, she smiled down at Brooke. “I better go.”
“Think about what I said. You’re not ugly, Amber. You should see your value.”
Closing the door, she got stuck back into work. It looked like a bachelor party had just entered waving the cash. It was going to be a long night.
Chapter Four
Jasper waited outside of his apartment building for Amber’s car to appear. His lip was split. The kid who’d been his opponent today knew how to use everything to his advantage. After the fight, Steve kept trying to get him to be part of the big league fights. Jasper wasn’t interested. His body was hurting and not in a good way. There was no way he would compete in fights to the death. He kept the hood of his jacket up so no one would recognize him. The cops had turned up unexpectedly, and instead of cleaning up his face, he’d grabbed his kit and was out of there before anyone stopped him. Being locked in a cell for a night was not something he ever looked forward to.
He wanted to make sure Amber got home safely. The need to see her was also driving him crazy. They’d been neighbors for a year, yet it was only now that he cared as to what happened to her. None of it made any sense to him.
The heat of the night was making him sweat, and he tugged the hood down, happy no cops had followed him home.
Seconds later, headlights appeared in the parking lot. He watched the lights turn off, the door open, and Amber appear. She wore a tight red shirt that revealed her stomach. Her body was curvier than a lot of women liked, but Amber got away with showing a lot of flesh. When they’d been doing their washing together, he saw she was a size sixteen to eighteen. There was something about her that called to him. Her legs were on show in the small shorts but not overly so. Again, she wasn’t too slender, and her legs didn’t show any apparent gap between as she walked. A lot of men would probably consider her too fat. To him, Amber worked with what she got. She looked damn sexy.
She looked tired, clicking the lock on her car, throwing her bag over her shoulder. Her brown hair was loose as it hung around her. The length fell a little limply from the night’s work. She looked toward him as she made her way to the entrance of the building. Amber paused, staring at him.
“You’re just going to spend the night sitting there?” she asked, folding her arms.
His gaze went to her impressive cleavage staring back at him. She really was a beauty with a nice set of tits.
“I wanted to make sure you got home safely.”
“Why?”
Jasper climbed off the bench and walked toward her. “How old are you?” he asked.
“Twenty-four, why?” She frowned as she looked at him. “Did you lose today?”
“No.”
“It looks like it.” She held her hand in front of her face and did a circle. “You look a mess.”
Jasper chuckled. “You’re the first woman tonight to tell me I look a mess rather than hot.”
“Again, it’s all weird.” She yawned, tucking some hair behind her ear. “As much as I’d love to talk with you, I’m beat.” She rattled her keys and turned her back on him.
Following her inside to their apartment building, Jasper wanted to say something to prolong their meeting.
“All those women, the fighting groupies, why don’t you have one with you?” she asked, turning back toward him.
“I’m not in the mood for them.” He wasn’t a saint by any means. Jasper had fucked his way through a fair share of groupies. When he saw the women would literally fuck any fighter, he’d decided to stop fucking around with any woman. He got tested as he wasn’t always careful with a condom. Since he got the all clear, he never went anywhere unless he had rubbers on him. No other woman was getting his naked cock inside them.
“Wow, a guy not in the mood for sex. How old are you anyway?” she asked.
“I’m twenty-four.” He’d been shocked by the fact they were the same age. She raised a brow.
“Wow, really. You’re not that old then.” She gave a little chuckle. He stared at her back as she grabbed her mail from the boxes. For some reason the mail for their apartment building always arrived late. He rarely got early mail.
“How was work?” he asked.
“Busy. There was a bachelor party, and it took some time to get them moving along. Don’t worry, my boss took care of it.” She looked through the envelopes and blew a raspberry. “Junk again. Anyway, have a nice night, Jasper.”
She started her walk upstairs.
“Why don’t you ever take the elevator?” he asked. Why did she intrigue him? Yes, she was a beautiful, sexy woman, but there was nothing else to pull him in. He didn’t understand this need within him.
“Have you ever watched a crime movie? Seriously, it’s sick. Elevators are a death trap. You’ve got no chance of me ever getting on an elevator.”
He quickly grabbed his mail and followed up behind her.
“You’re starting to make me think stalker now, Jasper.”
“I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Great, I’m sure that’s what every stalker says before they attack.” She kept walking up to their floor. The lemony scent mixed with cigarette smoke and alcohol clung to her. He was sure he smelled sex as well, but he didn’t say anything. She wasn’t the kind of woman to insult, and he doubted she gave men at the strip club extra.
“Stalkers attack, Amber. I’m not a stalker.”
“You’re a fighter.”
They got to their floor. She rested her back against her door, staring at him. A small light hung
above their doors. Amber looked at him and winced. “Ouch, how do you do it? It looks damn painful.” She took a step closer, grabbing his chin and turning his head this way and that. “How are you going to take care of your wounds?”
The disapproval on her face was clear to see.
“Wipe up and wait for them to heal.”
“You’re a nightmare.” She grabbed his arm. “Come on, I’ll tend to your wounds like the caring person I am.”
He took his key out and opened his door. Flicking the light switch on, he watched as she walked in placing her bag on the table within his kitchen.
“Where’s your first aid kit?”
Jasper kept staring at her, waiting for something more.
“Please tell me you keep a first aid kit?” She placed her hands on her hips. “You’re a fighter by profession. You need to have a first aid kit. There’s no way I’ll believe you’re that stupid.”
“I’m not stupid. The kit’s in my bathroom.”
“Okay, do you want to get it or shall I?” she asked. She reached in her jeans pocket to grab something. He watched it fall to the floor. “Shoot.”
His mouth went dry as she bent over, grabbing the band that had fallen to the floor. There went any control over his cock. He thickened instantly seeing how tight those shorts were. Her tits were practically begging to come out of the shirt.
She lifted her arms above her head pulling on the length of her hair.
“Seriously, Jasper, put your tongue back into your head and get the first aid kit.”
He’d been caught staring. “You go and get it.” He pulled out a chair and took a seat. His body was hurting but nothing compared to his cock.
Amber released a little growl and spun on her heel. She wore a pair of sneakers. There was nothing sexy about them, yet she didn’t need anything else to show how sexy she actually was. His cock pressed toward his zipper making it unbearable.
Gripping his cock, he moved the length trying to make it easier for him.
“You’re quite clean for a single guy,” she said, appearing, her tits doing that little bounce with every step she took. What would she look like without a stitch of clothing on? More importantly, why did he care? She wasn’t his woman. The thought of another man laying claim to her filled him with jealousy, though. No other man had the right to touch her.
She placed the kit on the table and opened it up.
“Have I got your permission to go and get what I need from the kitchen?” she asked, resting a hand on her hip once again.
“You’ve already taken some sugar,” he said.
Amber rolled her eyes. “No, I asked to borrow some sugar, and my coffee was much better for it. Now, can I go and grab stuff to mend your face?”
“Sure.”
****
Leaving Jasper sat at the table, Amber went hunting in his kitchen, looking for everything she needed. She filled a bowl with warm water like she had earlier for Brooke. She found several clean cloths and made her way back to the table.
In the time she’d been gone he’d removed his hoodie and shirt. The expanse of his chest and abdomen were revealed. Wow, her panties were soaking wet from looking at him. There was no way this man could be this hot and get away with it.
She placed the bowl on the table, thankful her hands were not shaking at the sight of him.
“Right,” she said, clearing her throat.
Come on, Amber, get a grip.
“How does the other guy look?” she asked, trying to make a joke.
“I wouldn’t know. The fight lasted as long as expected, but then everyone just skipped out. The cops came, and we all know what to do.”
She soaked some of the cloths and glanced at him.
“The cops got involved?”
“It’s illegal, remember?”
“Yeah, but I figured one of you would pay the cops off.”
“It’s not that big of a deal. There are other arranged fights out there that are even worse.”
“What can be worse than a simple fight?” she asked, gripping his chin and tilting his head back.
“The fight to the death.”
She frowned. “Death?”
“Yeah, there are fights out there that not everyone walks away from.” He kept talking as she wiped blood away from his face.
Bruising was already forming around his eye and down his cheek. His ear had blood on the lobe, and his eye looked split as did his lip.
“I find it hard to think of fighting to the death. What can it achieve?” The very thought of watching a fight that ended with a man dead on the floor sent a shiver down her spine. She wasn’t an idiot. She knew it happened, just like trafficking, abuse, all of it. Going to see a fight to the death willingly, however, wasn’t something she could understand. The very thought of seeing someone murdered sickened her.
“You’d be surprised how many people are bloodthirsty, Amber. There are plenty of people out there who’d love to see it and pay a lot of money. It used to be a sport at one time.”
“Thousands of years ago, not now.” She rinsed out the cloth seeing his blood fill the clear water. “You’re not infected are you, or disease-ridden?”
He laughed. “You’re asking me that now?”
“Talking about fights to the death, it slipped my mind.”
“No, I’m not disease-ridden. I’ve got a clean bill of health, and I’ve not been with anyone since without using a rubber. I’m safe.”
“Good. I’d hate to do a good deed and end up ill because of it.” She continued to wipe his face from the dirt and sweat as well as the blood.
“Don’t worry, you’re not going to die because of me.”
She nodded. “So, what else is there in the world of fighting?”
“You really want to know?” he asked.
“I’m fixing your face. I might as well know what else goes on in the world.” She pushed the bowl to one side, careful not to spill any water over the table. Opening up his first aid kit, she started to look for the sterile wipes and plasters to put over his wounds.
“I’ve heard of dog fights. Not just dogs fighting dogs but also men taking on dogs.” He shook his head. “Like I said, I’m little league.”
“I bet you’ve been offered the big league though.”
“I have.”
“Why turn it down?” she asked.
“I don’t have a desire to die. I like fighting, but I don’t want to die. Have you ever been tempted to strip?”
His question caught her off guard.
“Strip?”
“Yeah, seeing the men lusting after the women on stage, have you ever been tempted to strip?”
“No. Stripping my clothes off for a man who doesn’t respect me has never appealed. Some of the women love it, and others do it because they have to. I’m not in any desperate need to be noticed by men.” She opened the sterile wipes and started to work on his face. He released a wince as the wipe glided over his cut. “Sorry.”
He didn’t say anything as she finished dressing the cut on his eye and placing a plaster over it.
“Respect?” he asked.
“Yeah, what about it?”
“You need respect to fuck?”
She smiled. “To a point, yeah. I’ve got to know the man sees me as more than a whore or someone who’s paid to do a job. I don’t know. It makes sense in my head.”
“I get it. I know what you’re trying to say.”
“Good, at least that makes one of us.” She moved onto his other cuts. When she was finished, she pressed her palm to his bruised cheek. “I’ve got nothing for the bruise. I wouldn’t go out fighting for a couple of days. Your face needs to heal, and if you keep splitting it open, it’s not going to heal.” She grabbed the bowl and walked it into his kitchen.
“Were you a nurse or something?” he asked.
“Nope, I read a book on first aid. Believe me, when I saw the cost of insurance and medical bills, I figured a few hundred dollars in medical
books would save me a hell of a lot more over the years.” She’d burned herself a few months back, and with the book she was able to treat her own burn, which was a mild one. The thought of dealing with medical bills made her feel sick. She made good money but not enough to go wasting it on crap.
She threw the water down the drain and started to wash the bowl. His hands went to her waist as she was standing at his sink. Amber tensed, floored by the flood of arousal working around her body.
Dropping the bowl into the sink, she heard it smash. She made to turn around, but Jasper wouldn’t let her. He held onto her waist tightly keeping her facing the sink.
“Shit, I’m sorry,” she said, looking at the smashed bowl in the sink. The glass was all in the sink.
“Don’t worry about the bowl. I’m not.”
She licked her suddenly dry lips. “What are you doing?” she asked.
The heat of him surrounded her back. She didn’t know what to make of this sudden change within him.
Her hair was moved aside, and she felt his lips against her neck, kissing her.
“Can’t you feel that?” he asked.
One of his hands moved to her stomach. The arousal intensified as his fingers moved downward to the start of her shorts. She was breathing hard, wondering what she should do.
He was a fighter, and she worked in a strip club.
Jasper kissed her neck, sucking on her pulse. She closed her eyes, biting into her lip to try to contain the moan.
“Let it out, Amber. Let me hear you moan.”
“This is wrong.”
“Why? You’re not with anyone, and neither am I. This is more than okay. It’s meant to be.”
She couldn’t argue. The way he brought her body to life, Amber couldn’t think of a single argument to put up. Keeping her eyes closed, she rested her head against his shoulder, letting herself go.
Chapter Five
Jasper pushed his hand into her shorts, feeling the lace of her underwear against the tips of his fingers. He dug his fingers underneath and found her bare and slick to the touch.