by Hilary Storm
I pull off my shirt to help stop the bleeding, but Lou hands her a towel right before I get it off. That's probably best since I was sweating my ass off trying to block the old man's attacks. The adrenaline from seeing Greg hurt Kimber didn't help either.
"You are coming to stay with me. The only other option is that I stay here with you. I don't trust him and if I thought a protective order would actually work, that's where I'd take you first thing in the morning." Guys like Greg think that they are the law. Leaving her like a sitting duck, now that he knows where she is, would be the dumbest move that I could make.
"I can't even argue with you. I'm so scared he'll find me again."
"Good. We'll leave the Jeep here, so there's no possible way he can find you." I begin to walk us toward my bike, when Lou reminds me that he's here. My focus is on getting her out of here.
"Luke. We have a lot of work to do. When will you be back?"
"Will 5 a.m. work?"
"Perfectly!" The smile on that man's face is the first I've seen on him tonight. I look over Kimber one last time to make sure she managed to stop the bleeding before I step over my bike and wait for her to melt into my back again. She does exactly that and I feel an emptiness begin to shift. This is something that I already find myself craving. Shit, it can only get messy from here.
Kimber
I let the feel of the wind on my face take away my thoughts. How is it possible that I'm so relaxed like this even after the shit I just went through? Luke does this to me. He calms me. There's just such a simple demeanor about him that demands no stress. I need to be more like that. I'm sure he's thinking that his life has been flipped upside down since the second he saw me.
He takes the shortest route to his apartment. It occurs to me at a light about half way that I don't have a single thing to change in to.
"I didn't bring anything to wear. We need to go back."
"You can wear something of mine." This should get interesting. I'm sure he's not used to a female in his space from what I've learned about him in the short time I've known him. The fight is in just a few days, so I hope he can adjust easily to me staying there. I don't want to try to stay here without him nearby. He's become a safety net for me. I'm not sure if I could sleep if he wasn't there to help me feel safe.
We pull into his spot right beside the brick wall of the apartment and I manage to get off the bike a little more graceful this time. He follows right behind me and we go straight up to his apartment.
He walks behind me almost like he's making sure that I'm safe. I seriously doubt that, but it feels like he's a little on edge until we're in the apartment with the door locked behind him.
He walks up to me and puts both hands on my cheeks lightly, tilting my face upwards until my eyes meet his.
"How bad did he hurt you this time?"
"I blocked it for the most part." I try to look down, but he doesn't let me. He's holding me so firmly, yet gentle at the same time and the sincere look he's giving me is too much for me to take in all at once. He's so close. He's too close.
I step backwards until he releases me, but he continues to look at me with so much intensity. Shit, even though I've stepped away from him, I can still feel the heaviness of his stare. I turn to put more distance between us, which is virtually impossible in this tiny assed apartment.
"Kimber, I wanted to kill him when I saw him hurting you." His words are deep and don't carry very loudly across the room, but I still hear him clearly.
"I know you did, I'm sorry." I step in front of the one window in the entire apartment space and look out to the building across the street.
I feel him before I hear him. He uses one finger to move a strand of hair that has fallen on my face and let's his hand glide down my shoulder, continuing down my arm until his hand is right next to mine. "Don't be sorry for what that asshole has done." I can feel his thumb sliding over my pinkie in a light pattern until he steps closer. So close that I can feel him all the way down my back and against my ass.
He uses his other hand to pull my hip to make me even closer and I feel his face lean in next to mine. His large hands slide over both of mine and we stand there, both of us looking out the window and neither one of us moving a muscle.
He takes a deep breath and I feel him pull away just slightly. We're still touching, just not in full contact like we were before.
I look up in hopes of seeing something in a window in the complex across the street to help ease the awkwardness that seems to be following us today. I'm positive he sees it at the same time I do, because his deep chuckle mirrors my own at much the same time.
"You've got to be shitting me."
"I'm pretty sure that guy is really sitting there naked, watching TV." He is and hell if he doesn't have the hairiest body I've ever seen.
"Yeah well, I'm not even fucking opening these curtains again if his ass is going to be laying it all out there."
"Aww, come on. It could get interesting."
"Dude needs some loppers for that overgrown forest he's growing." He moves away from the window just as he stops talking. This whole situation makes me laugh. I was praying for an ice breaker, and this is one way to break the ice again.
The smile on my face reminds me of my bruised cheek when the soreness hits. Just as I'm about to walk away from the window, I notice a woman in the same apartment. I can't take my eyes away from them. It's like watching a silent movie.
"Damn Kimber, didn't know you like the hairy kind."
"Very funny. There's a naked girl too." He's at the window again in no time. There's barely enough room for the both of us, so it's inevitable that he's touching me again.
"Shit, she's hot. Surely fucking not."
"Ummm.... looks like it sure as hell is." We both watch this gorgeous woman straddle him with obvious fake tits and a perfect ass. It seems like they're being playful and just talking for a little bit. He slaps her on the ass and by her response you can see that she likes it. I can't look anymore after she slides down him and kneels on the floor.
Well, that just went from saving the awkwardness to creating an even bigger stench of it. He won't even look at me and I can't stop laughing on the inside. When the absurdity of the situation catches up to me, I bust out laughing and he joins me.
"Would you like a side of hair ball with that?" I say through tears of laughter. He grabs his side in laughter until we both finally calm down.
"I can't take anymore entertainment for tonight, I'm going to catch a shower." He tosses me a tank top and some shorts as he walks into the bathroom. I wish I had the courage to follow him into the shower. I'm not sure how he would take it if I tried.
I shouldn't want anything to do with a man after everything that I've been through, but Luke is just different. Everything about him is gentle and strong. He has a kind heart and I can tell he is the kind that loves unconditionally once he finally loves. I know his mind is wrapped up in someone else, but I'm afraid to ask about it. I can tell how much hurt and depth there is by the way he was so devastated last night. It was hard to sit there and witness him breaking and not be able to help like he has helped me.
You'd think we've known each other for years with as much as we've been through. Hard to believe it's only been two days.
Luke
Get your ass in that shower and turn on the cold water. Do not think about anything but trying to get this hard on taken care of. This make two in one day. Both because I had Kimber in my arms. She turns me on, there's no doubt about that. I knew once I met her that I'd struggle letting her go without knowing she was safe. There was just something that night in her eyes that drew me in and I've been mush since.
I haven't put this much thought into how another person is feeling since I got here. It's nice to have something to think about other than how much of a fuck up I was. Thinking about Lilly again instantly forces the lump in my throat to return. The guilt of losing her is killing me inside and I can't seem to be more than one thought away f
rom returning to this feeling of numbness.
Turning off the water, I freeze to the sound of a guitar. She's touching the guitars. Please tell me she didn't touch hers. The sound of the strings in chaos doesn't do well for the chaos in my head about her guitar being moved. I rush to put on clothes after I half ass dry off.
The look on her face when I yank the door open can only be classified as a look of complete horror. I've scared the shit out of her and I only stop panicking when I see that she's strumming my guitar and not Lilly's.
I take a deep breath and try to recover any ounce of normalcy in my face for her sake. She's just staring at me and watching me lose my shit... and there's nothing I can do about it. Then she strums again, off key, but better than before. Her smile at the improved sound calms me just enough to restrain from taking the guitar and screaming at her for going near it. I should've made it very clear that she was not to touch them and for fuck's sake... don't ever fucking play them.
I lean against the wall with my arms crossed and watch her. She looks up and strums the strings again. Turning her ear just a little, like she caught the sound of something. She strums again, this time closing her eyes to listen harder.
"I've never played a guitar before. This is a first for me." She strums again.
"You'll have to teach me to play a little." She begins to move her fingers to change the notes. I know there's no way I could ever play guitar with another woman. I'm just not ready for that. Talking her through it is a possibility, but I'll have to see if I can deal with this, because right now I'm fighting the urge to rip the guitar right out of her hands. That would only spark up a conversation that I'm not ready to have, not to mention it would be an ass move and hurt her feelings.
I watch her play for just a few minutes and she eases me with each moment that passes. It isn't that her music is peaceful, it's that it doesn't remind me of anything I've played before, but most importantly not something I played with her.
She stops and moves to put the guitar back in the corner. I move to reach for it and she hands it to me. The familiar feel of it in my hands comes rushing back and I quickly set it back in its place. The shine of Lilly's guitar catches my eye and I can almost see her on stage with it. I can almost smell the scent of her hair as she slammed out a session with me in the practice studio. Her smile has almost faded from my memory, but I try to capture it and hang on to it every day. It doesn't help.
I'm sure I take longer looking at the guitars than I should've when I hear the bathroom door latch closed. I fight against the gut wrenching feeling as even more memories start to flow. This is the kind of shit that I was trying to avoid. My life was working. Sleep, work, eat, and work out. There's no complications in that life. No room for emotion.
How am I supposed to stay numb when this girl manages to pull feelings from me every time I turn around? I can hardly deal with all the shit that's coming to surface. Trying to fight the attraction that I shouldn't be having, while also keeping her safe and staying numb in the process doesn't seem to be an option.
I welcome some of the emotions like the rage I feel when I want to kick an asshole's fucking ass, but this other shit has to go.
She takes forever in the shower, and I'm sure it's her way of giving me some space that I'm obviously in need of. I sit in the metal chair waiting for her to come out. When she does walk out, I wish she would've stay in there longer. I need more time to prepare my mind for the sight I see. Her hair is wet and longer than normal. My tank top hangs loosely on her and isn't covering enough of her sports bra for my mind to have to do the imagining. The shorts are baggy and that's about the only good thing in my favor.
I can tell she's uncomfortable with the shirt because she's trying to hide behind her arms. "I may need a different shirt."
"What's wrong with that one?"
"Well it's not really covering enough to be considered a shirt."
"I think it looks fine." Listen to me. What. In. The. Fuck. Am I doing?
"Yeah well, I think I need an actual t-shirt if you don't mind."
"Suit yourself. That's what I have right there. I'll be making a trip to the laundry mat soon."
"I need to get my clothes from the Jeep tomorrow. What time are you going over to meet Lou?"
"5 a.m."
"I thought you work Mondays."
"I'm going to call in. I'll be taking the next week off." I don't tell her that I plan to leave this place the same day she does and that I'll be quitting that job when I call in. I'll have to finally withdraw some money from my Rebel Walking account to make it through the week, not to mention my trip out of here. I've purposely avoided tapping into that money for many reasons. One being that I didn't want people to be able to figure out where I am. I know those guys are looking for me and the Walkers aren't dumb asses. Which is why I'll wait until the last possible minute to withdraw the money.
"You can't do that. See, I told you this was a bad idea. Now you're taking days off of work to help me."
"It's not up for discussion."
"Luke, this is too much."
"One week. One week and you'll be free from here and all the shit that's fucked up your life." She sits on the edge of the bed straight in front of me. I start to think about just pulling all the money from my account to give her, but I know she needs more. The money from this fight will give her plenty and I can keep my account mostly intact, and available for my own plan. Worst case scenario... I'll pull the money she needs and get her the fuck out of here.
"One week, Luke. That's me taking a whole week from you."
"You're not taking it all. I'm learning from Lou and I'll have a new skill. This is what needs to happen, Kimber."
"You say that like you're dreaming of becoming a professional fighter."
"You never know." My eyes fall to her lips then to her tits. What was I saying earlier about her stirring up feelings... well right now those feelings are all in my dick.
Chapter Seven
Kimber
The way he's looking at me is making me want him even more. He's all over the place and I'm positive that neither one of us want any type of relationship. I just lost a baby, he's obviously dealing with demons of his own. It was hard to walk away from him earlier. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and hold him through the battle he was fighting. His moods change so fast. One minute he looks like he could eat me alive, the next he wants to protect me¸ the next I've killed his dog and he's disgusted. I can't keep up with him.
Right now, he's hungry for me. The look in his eyes leads me to believe that he's not immune to what I'm feeling too. It's there. Not sure what it is... but something is there between us. It feels permanent, but who knows. I move from this position and try to put a stop to this... whatever this is.
The doctors told me to wait... but right now I want to straddle him right on a metal folding chair. It doesn't sound romantic, but I can guarantee that it would be hot as fuck. In the end that's all I would want from him anyway. Guys like Luke aren't forever. I've learned that in this industry. Of course I can't really think of any of the guys in this industry that have his heart. Or looks. Or tats. Or beard. It's longer than scruff, but not by much. He hasn't shaved it since I met him, but that hasn't really been that long. It seems to be growing fast though.
"It could happen. You could be the next prized fighter that everyone wants to go up against. You'd be famous." His face drops.
"Yeah that's not something I want."
"I wouldn't either. Too much pressure to be on top all the time." He moves to the kitchen area and starts moving pans around. He pulls out some chicken and salad stuff and starts to busy himself with cooking. I'm not going to let him avoid me every time I hit a nerve with him. I won't pry, but I'm not avoiding him either.
Finding a knife is easy. I begin to cut up the leaf lettuce and make a salad. He passes me a bowl and the cucumber. There are no words being said, but we flow easy in the kitchen together. This is the smallest area and for us to pull t
hat off in this space, is surprising.
I turn on some music from my phone and set it down beside me. I'm used to playing something all the time. Silence is awkward and I try to prevent it at all costs in my day to day life. When Greg thought I was busy, he would usually leave me alone. Music seemed to help with that, not always, but most of the time.
"What kind of music do you like?" I need to find that easy conversation with him again.
"Who says I like music?"
"You have guitars."
"Those aren't mine." His short response tells me not to ask about them any further.
"I love music. It's helped me through some tough times in my life."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. You know, having a mother that wants nothing to do with you and a father that tries to pimp you out to get the next best fighter. Just small stuff like that."
"Tell me he didn't succeed as a pimp." He turns to face me. Now this kitchen seems too small.
"I did date some to let him get closer so that he could talk business."
"Did he make you fuck them?" His eyes are full of intensity. His question came out with a slight growl and I watch as his chest begins to rise and fall faster than normal. I don't know how to answer this. My only option is to divert the attention from my past back to his.
"Whose guitars are those?" He doesn't answer. He stands there facing me, like he knows my answer. This sucks because I don't get to know his.
Have I been with some of the guys he had me work to get close to? Yes. Did my father say, you need to have sex with this guy? No. But he told me to keep them happy until the fight. These guys are intense and most need sex daily. I just learned to stay with the same guy for lengthy periods of time to keep my father from using me to get anyone new. You know.... stick with his prize possession and keep him satisfied. My father isn't stupid and would never use me if it meant going against his lead fighter.