We go through the ref going over the fight rules, silently looking at each other. He smirks at me as he refuses to touch gloves and then turns his back to me as he walks to his corner. The absolute lack of respect is something new for him, at least to me.
Shit.
Fucker is getting under my damn skin. I can hear Chase telling me to ignore the games but it’s hard. Fucker is really testing my resolve to play it smart.
Max stands and yells, “You got this Brett!” as the bell sounds and I start my advance on Charlie.
We meet in the middle and instantly Charlie is throwing hard but controlled punches at me. He’s testing my defenses, seeing if I will go toe to toe.
I take a couple on the arms, and one on the chin. Damn, his hands are just as fucking hard as I remember. He hits like a fucking sledgehammer.
I trade a couple of kicks though to his thighs and a good one to the side of his stomach. He huffs out a loud breath as he takes the blow and pulls back.
I nod my head to myself as I advance, he didn’t like that, and I go for another kick. He lifts his leg and takes it to the shin before stepping in, and I barely have the time to dodge his fist as he goes to roundhouse the shit out of me.
The side of my head explodes in pain as I take the hit. If it had connected on my chin I think it might be lights out.
I pull back, stunned, and then Charlie charges me, taking me to the ground. I can get him to half-mount but still he keeps trying to punch the side of my face or head.
Fuck!
This is not how I fight. The last time I fought with him I was trying to outlast the fucker, but he got me. I hate this plan, and I can hear Max now raging on my side of the cage, telling me to get the fuck back up!
Charlie throws a couple more punches to my head, and then a couple at my ribs. He is really trying to wear my ass down.
I roll him to the side and he goes for an arm bar. It’s not locked in though and I push him off fully, scrabbling backwards. I get my back to the cage and stand up.
We circle around the ring with each other for a moment, then he pulls back after I land a glancing blow to the chin, but I am unable to take advantage.
“ONE MINUTE!” I hear Chase bellow out to me as Charlie’s corner does the same thing.
I spare a glance to my corner and grin at Chase, fuck the plan. If I am going to fucking win or lose I want to do it my way.
“Fuck!” I hear Chase say with a laugh at my back. I don’t know if it’s a laugh at me or Charlie but I don’t care.
It’s my turn.
I charge to Charlie and swing for the fences at his head. He gets an arm up but I get him in the side with my hands. I don’t punch like a fucking pussy, and he knows it. I swing again and this time connect right above his eyebrow.
He swings for me and I take the blow to my temple as I swing again for his head. I don’t feel the pain nearly as much as I did earlier. I laugh just a little, and Charlie gets a startled look on his face. That’s right fucker, I like pain too.
I keep pushing with my punches and kicks. I get right inside his guard and keep trying to land blow after blow.
I am taking a shit ton of punches myself, and feel just a bit dazed as I hear the loud ringing of the bell.
Pulling back, I laugh again as I shake my head. Charlie calls me a fucking nut and walks back to his corner.
I stand in my corner until Max puts a stool behind my knees and he pushes me down. Rolling my neck, I hear a couple of pops. I turn towards Mandy’s seat and see her there with a very worried look on her brow. Shit. I don’t know if I want her to see me getting hurt like this. I don’t know if she wants to either.
“What the fuck?” Max asks loudly, and I focus on him as I hear Chase behind me grouching very loudly.
“I want to fucking win.”
“Then work, bitch,” Max grins at me.
I had been staring over his shoulder at Charlie, but I have to look Max in the eyes after that.
“Did you just fucking quote Britney Spears to me?”
Shrugging his shoulders, “It fits. So work, bitch.” Then he slaps my face to get rid of my stunned expression. “Let the fucking Demon out.”
He stands and motions for my stool as I stand with him. I move forward and my hands begin to get the twitches I love so much. I roll my wrists a little, he’s right. If I want to win, I have to be the Demon.
The bell sounds again and I stride straight up to Charlie and motion for him to bring it. I’m ready to stand up to this fuck.
He slams me with a punch to the cheek and I can instantly see the spot over his brow is cut, blood is wanting to come out. I swing for that fucking spot, I wanna see this fucker bleed.
Charlie probably won that first fucking round, but I am ending this one. He keeps trying to pop me on the chin but I am able to deflect the blows or guard against them.
I see the cut is slowly opening on his head and it inflames me, I want it to fucking open.
Time seems to slow for me, and I see that as we are turning away from the cage wall, his left side is drooping just a hitch.
It’s all I need.
I take a long, fast run to the cage wall, and run almost on the side of it, using it to springboard myself into doing a superman kick to the side of his head.
Time speeds up as I see Charlie’s head snap to the side and he falls to the ground, knocked the fuck out. I start to get down, to ensure the fucker is out, but the ref pushes me away and signals to the corner that it’s all over.
I run to the side of the fucking cage in pure jubilation. I just fucking did it. I knocked the fucking Champion out on his fucking ass!
Climbing up on the cage wall, I do the one thing I have always restrained myself from doing. I fucking flex my arms up and give a damn good pose, my whole fucking body tight with that pure fucking joy of winning. Roaring with the crowd, I jump back down and rush to the opening door of the cage.
Max catches my leaping body as I scream, “I FUCKING DID IT!”
I push out of his arms and run over to where I see Charlie getting up from the ground. I get stopped for a moment before Charlie fully gets to stand, then I rush over and wrap my arms around him as hard as I can in a hug.
Fuck, I even love him right now.
He hugs me back and slaps my back, yelling in my ear how fucking bad that hurt. Smiling, he nods his head and pushes me away. Grabbing my arm, he lifts it up.
I fucking did it!
The announcer is going over the results and the official raising of my hand. I slap the belt on my waist a couple of times. I go through the post-fight interview, and get to see on the big screen as I launch my fucking kick into Charlie’s head. Even I wince. That had to fucking hurt.
I know my foot sure as hell feels like it did.
I finally get out of the cage and see this tan little bundle of pure sex ducking underneath a couple people as she dodges and weaves to get to me.
I catch her as she leaps up into my arms and wraps those sexy muscled legs tightly around my waist. She holds onto me so damn hard I can barely breathe.
“I love you,” she screams and starts kissing me all over the head. I think she is happy I didn’t die in the ring.
And I love the fuck out of her. “I love you too, fairy.” I say into her ear.
When we are finally done making a spectacle of ourselves, Max and Chase usher us out of the arena and backstage. I feel like a million dollars.
I am walking out a Champion, and I am holding Mandy’s hand.
Chapter Thirty
Mandy
Is tonight the night? I wonder as Brett steers his truck down the dark and windy road. It’s been two weeks since his championship match, and all the cuts and bruises he sustained have finally faded enough that he’s looks almost human again, and not like some battered Viking warrior.
“Are we driving in circles?” I ask, peering out the window. All I see is dark. It’s all dark sky and dark ground. We left civilization like ten minutes ago.
We’re both dressed up, Brett insisted on taking me out to somewhere nice tonight. He’s dressed in a crisp blue dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and a pair of pressed black slacks. I’m wearing a short black cocktail dress that hugs my curves, and a pair of black pumps. I’ve got to rock it before I start showing. I just don’t know why we’re driving out to the middle of nowhere instead of towards the city and all the restaurants.
“Are we?” he asks and his lips curl into a smirk.
I narrow my eyes at that smirk. It’s tonight, I know it is. He’s got something sneaky planned.
“I thought we were going somewhere nice? If I would have known we were going to Bubba’s Rib Shack I would have worn something else.”
“You look fucking hot,” Brett says as he glances over at me and reaches out, grabbing my exposed thigh.
I huff and send one of my blonde curls up into the air.
“And you’re dressed perfect. Just hold on.” He squeezes my thigh again before letting go. “We’re almost there.”
“Why are you being all secretive?”
“I’m not being secretive.”
“Then where are we going?”
Brett’s smirk only grows. “You’ll see when we get there.”
I snort, roll my eyes, and try to be more patient. After two more minutes of squirming in my seat, I just can’t take it anymore. Just as I’m about to whine and ask, “Are we there yet?” We roll up on a pair of headlights beaming out of the darkness.
I lean towards my door and press my nose almost to the glass. “Is that Grace and Max?”
“Yep,” Brett answers as we slow down and approach what must be Max’s truck.
“What are they doing here? Are they coming out with us? Did their car break down?”
Grace and Max are leaning against the truck. They both grin and wave as we drive by.
“Nope,” Brett says as we roll past them. “They’re just here to make sure nobody bothers us.”
What the hell is going on? Now I’m even more confused.
“You still don’t know where we are?” Brett asks and frowns over at me. “It doesn’t look familiar?”
I frown back at him. Should I know? Looking out the window all I see are some trees and bushes and not much else.
“Look up there,” Brett says and points towards the windshield.
Through the windshield I can make out a bunch of twinkling lights. “What’s that?” I ask. The way the lights twinkle they kind of remind me of stars.
Brett only grins and the lights grow bigger and bigger.
“Oh shit,” I gasp as I suddenly remember. “Is this where we used to park?” I do have fond memories of him spreading me out on the hood of his mom’s Volvo.
Brett nods and parks the truck. While I’m busy gawking out the windshield, he jumps out and rushes over to my side to help me out.
“You did this?” I ask and cover my slack mouth with my hand as I take it all in. Brett has transformed our little spot into something that looks like it’s straight out of a fairytale. Twinkling white lights glitter from the trees and bushes, and a blanket with a picnic has been spread out on the ground.
Leading me over to the blanket, Brett suddenly drops to his knee and I can’t help it, I bust out crying. Keeping ahold of my hand, he reaches into his pocket and withdraws a black ring box. I knew he was going to do this, I so knew, but even knowing didn’t prepare me for this sudden overwhelming burst of emotion.
Brett smoothly snaps the ring box open and looks up at me. I can barely see his face through the blur of the tears. “Mandy, I’ve loved you before you…”
I don’t let him finish. Brett looks completely stunned and caught off guard as I throw myself at him and tell him, “Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you!”
Brett holds me for one stunned second before asking. “You will? I didn’t even as you yet.”
I nod my head, wrap my arms around his neck and cover his face in kisses. “You don’t have to ask me. I love you with all my heart, and I know you love me too. I want to marry you.”
Brett’s arms wrap around my middle and he hugs me tight. It feels like we hug each other for an eternity, but as soon as he starts to pull away I know it will never be long enough.
He brushes my hair out of my face and looks deep into my eyes as he tells me, “I love you so much I don’t know how I survived without you.”
I burst into a fresh round of big fat ugly tears. “I’m sorry,” I sob. “I’m so sorry.” I’ll always regret letting myself be pushed away from him. I’ll always regret all the time that passed that could have been spent with him. All the time that we lost.
“I know,” he tells me and wipes the tears from cheeks. “You need to let it go, my fairy girl. We won’t forget the past, but we won’t let it ruin us.”
I nod at him. “You’re right. You just know me and history, we don’t exactly get along.”
Brett laughs at that and his face lights up.
I vow to myself I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to be worthy of him. “But right now, I want to live in this moment. I just want to be with you.”
“Is that all you want?” he asks with a grin. “I’ve got a ring for you too.”
“You do?” I ask like a dumbass. I completely forgot about it.
Brett nods and unwraps is arm from around me, bringing the black ring box back into view. “Is it big enough? Do you like it?”
I can’t help but start laughing as I look up from the ring to look at him. He scowls and I have to quickly explain. “I’m sorry. I never thought I’d hear that question from you.”
I reach out and carefully pluck the ring from the box. Brett immediately tosses the box to the side and takes the ring from me, slipping it over my finger. It’s a perfect fit.
“It’s gigantic, Brett,” I say in awe as I wiggle my finger and watch the diamond glitter beneath the fairy lights. The rock has to be at least three carats.
“I know you told me to surprise you, but if you don’t like it we can get something different.”
“It’s perfect,” I tell him and start kissing him. “Thank you.”
Once I start kissing Brett, I don’t want to stop. I’m so happy, so in love with him, just so fucking over the moon, I push the kiss deeper and deeper.
I get to kiss him for the rest of my life. He wants to spend the rest of his life with me.
“Mandy,” Brett growls, tensing up and breaking the kiss as I try to use my weight to push him back. “What are you doing?”
I push at his shoulders, urging him to bend but still he resists. I lick my lips and explain, “I want to show you how much I love you.”
Brett relaxes as he gets my meaning. His mouth curves into a slow grin and he leans back until he’s flat on the blanket and I’m left straddling his waist. Reaching around my hips, he grabs up two big handfuls of my ass. Thrusting his groin up, I can feel he’s already growing hard for me.
I groan, rocking on top of him, and he says, “Show me.”
Reaching down, I begin unbuttoning his shirt one button at a time. As the shirt spreads, I bend down and kiss each inch of revealed chest. My fingers must not be working fast enough for him though because he growls impatiently.
“Hey, it’s not my fault you wanted to dress up nice,” I tell him as I flick open the buttons, working my way down his body.
His fingers dig into the flesh of my cheeks and then suddenly I’m rolling.
“Hey!” I cry out as I end up flat on my back with him now hovering over me. “What are you doing?”
Brett grins down wickedly. “I have the sudden urge to take a trip down memory lane.”
“Oh no,” I say and shake my head while trying to push him back up. “This is about me showing you how much I love you.”
“Don’t bother arguing with me, baby,” he tells me and grabs my wrists, trapping them easily with his hand and pinning them against my body. “You had your turn and you took too long. Now it’s mine.”
“Brett,” I whine. “It’s not fair. I wanted to have my way.”
“I’ll never play fair when it comes to you,” Brett says gruffly. Putting his weight on his knees, he pushes up and yanks up my skirt. “Fuck, where are your panties?” he groans as his eyes lock on and devour me.
I squirm beneath the warmth of his hungry gaze, feeling utterly exposed.
Licking his lips, I know for a fucking fact he means to eat me. “I’m kind of running low on panties right now. Somehow they keep disappearing.”
“I wonder where they’re going…” he murmurs and bends down, covering my pussy with his mouth.
“Fuck!” I cry out, bucking my hips up as he pulls back a hard suckle.
I feel him growling, my lips vibrating as he uses his shoulder to keep me spread open, wide.
His tongue furiously attacks me while his fingers pinch into my wrists, keeping me restrained.
I struggle against the intense pleasure, body writhing against the blanket as he works me over with his mouth. Lapping, swiping and pressing against my folds, there’s nothing his tongue doesn’t do to me. He eats me out as if he’s a dying man and I’m his last meal on earth. He flicks the tip against my hard little clit then drags it down to dip into the opening of my clenching sex.
Removing his tongue, one finger enters me and curls, stroking against that too sensitive spot.
“Brett, please, please,” I beg of him. I’m so close, I’m almost there.
His finger continues to stroke me, but instead of giving me what I’m begging for, he thrusts another finger deep inside.
“Please,” I practically scream, my thighs trembling around him. I want more. I need more than just his fingers fucking me. His tongue suddenly swipes up, mouth latching onto my throbbing clit. He pulls back, suckling me into his hot mouth and I explode. The walls of my sex spasm so hard around his thrusting fingers it feels like my entire body is twitching, convulsing.
Slamming Demon: A Pounding Hearts Novel Page 21