No Holds (The Fighter Series Book 4)

by TC Matson

  He pulls me up into his chest right against his roaring heartbeat. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.” He’s breathless, placing a kiss to the top of my head.

  “You didn’t. It felt good.”

  He leans back meeting my eyes. He doesn’t say anything like he’s having a stormy conversation with himself. Finally, he smiles and then strides his bare ass to the guest bathroom. I slide off the counter onto very unsteady legs and step back into my pants.

  I’m holding on to the counter, trying to regain myself when he comes back, fully dressed, and swoops me up carrying me into the living room.

  “Relax,” he says dropping my ass onto the couch.

  “Are you trying to woo me?” I quip.

  But I’m met with a passionate gaze, turbulent with apprehension. He looks away. “I can’t stay long tonight. I talked coach into letting me take off tonight, which only means he’s going to kick my ass tomorrow.”

  I hide my frown. “I’m going to have a busy day tomorrow. Lily and I will be working late. Saturday is my big wedding. I’m not sure I’ll be able to see you then.”

  And his dynamic blues are back as he peers at me with cockiness. “Already missing me?”

  “You’re full of yourself,” I tease.

  “You’re confused. You were full of me.”

  I try smacking his chest, but he catches my hand and pulls me against him. He brushes away my bangs from my eyes. “I’m not going to be around a lot this week and not being able to get my hands on you when I want sounds pretty fucking miserable. I’m ready to kick Fischer’s ass and come back to you.”

  Something flutters in my heart and I hide that too. “You’re already missing me?”

  He draws me to him and kisses me gently. “Yes.”

  It startles me. “You’ll be too focused to think of me.”

  A smile makes its way to his eyes. “I’m focused on what I need to be.”

  Chapter 13

  Daniel slaps the mat—the signal to stop sparring with Squirt. Yeah, they brought the wiry shit back. Squirt places his hands on his thighs, gasping for air, his back rising and falling quickly.

  I clap his back, laughing. “Stand up. It’s easier to breathe that way.”

  “Yeah,” he exhales in agreement, standing up slowly.

  “If you’d quit holding your breath, you wouldn’t have as much trouble. Gotta remember to breathe. It’s pretty fucking important. I can’t believe no one has ever taught you that in all your training,” I mock.

  His eyes are angry when he looks at me, but he doesn’t say a word. Smart man. I’d hate to knock his head off his shoulders. I flash him a devilish grin and leap out of the ring. I’m ready to surprise my girl. I didn’t get to see her yesterday, and when I heard her voice over the phone, it only fueled my want, my need to feel her again. She’s got a long day ahead of her and I’ll be damned if I’m going to miss anymore of her.

  “You look good in there,” Daniel tells me.

  “I look good anywhere,” I boast.

  “Fischer is known for firing off wild but precise punches. You need to keep your guard up.”

  I stop walking and look him dead in his brown ass eyes. “I’m not going to lose again.”

  He nods, leaving the conversation alone. He’s fucking nuts if he thinks for one second I’d set myself up to feel the ache of losing again. That feeling crippled me. Subdued me before it finally released me back into a competent frame of mind.

  I didn’t know what time she’d be home, so I rushed home, showered, and changed before heading here. She incites the fire in me to show her how badly I want to be with her. With her, all things sweet and dainty come easily as long as I’m doing it for her. I like this feeling. It’s been missed. And I didn’t realize how badly I wanted her until she wasn’t lying beside me.

  I smile at my phone as it lights up with her name.

  “Hey,” she sounds completely spent.

  “How’d it go?” I ask.

  “A few hiccups, but overall it went really well. I’m pleased. Bride and groom were beautiful and happy. So, I’d say it ended with success.”

  “You sound tired,” I state.

  “Exhausted. That was the biggest, most extravagant wedding I’ve organized to this day and I’m feeling it. How are you? How was practice?”

  She’s never been one to talk about herself, always eager to switch the subject and find out about me. She’s far from selfish and it’s a damn good quality to hold.

  “Training,” I correct her with a small laugh. “And it went well.”

  “You knew what I meant,” she giggles.

  “What are you doing now?” I ask, trying to hide the scheming tone.

  “I’m on my way home. I need a hot shower and sleep.”

  Headlights light up the interior of my truck and I grin like a winning bastard as I wait for her to comprehend it.

  “Wait. Are you…What are you doing here?” She pulls into her driveway and I hop out of my truck.

  She’s still holding her phone to her ear when she gathers her things and climbs out of the car. The sun has been driven out by the night, but even then, I can still see her gorgeous golden-brown eyes are wide with elation and her mouth parted slightly. I soak in the sight of her. She’s beautiful surprised, standing in a black pant suit with a hot pink button up blouse under it and black heels. Her hair is down, cascading around her face. My dick twitches.

  “You’re a fucking distraction.” I smirk.

  She grins. “What are you doing here?” she repeats.

  I chuckle and point. “You can hang up now.”

  She laughs as she pulls the phone from her ear. When I scoop her up in my arms and carry her to the house, she squeals. “Had an inkling you’d be tired today.” I kiss her cheek. “Unlock the door.”

  She grips my neck with one arm and twists, putting the key in with the other. I step through and kick it shut behind me before trekking down the hallway toward her room.

  “Ryker…” I hear the worry in her voice.

  I smile down at her. “You’ve got the wrong idea of me, Miss Young. Toss your stuff on the bed.” She does and then I take her to the bathroom, placing her feet on the ground just outside of the shower and shove off her black blazer. “Kick off your shoes,” I whisper.

  I reach in and turn on the water, adjusting it to a temperature I hope she likes.

  Her tired but curious eyes remain latched on me as I untuck her shirt and start in on the buttons.

  “Ryker,” she starts again, but I warn her with a stern look.

  “As much as I’d love to be buried inside of you, Whit, I’m not that inconsiderate. I’m going to undress you, shower you, and if you’re not hungry, put you in the bed.”

  “I can do this myself.” She tries unbuttoning her shirt but I grip her hand, forcing it to her side.

  “Don’t fight me on this. You’ll lose.”

  I lean back and give her a tender smile, pushing her shirt off her shoulders. Reaching around her, I unsnap her bra and of course, my dick takes notice of her bare, enticing mounds and their hard nipples perking for me. I unbutton her pants, lower her zipper, and slowly pull them down, along with a sexy as fuck lacy black thong I’ll have her wear for me another time.

  Quickly, I strip out of my clothes and her eyes fall to my hard-on springing to life. I give her a lopsided smile and peer at her. “I can’t help that. He’ll be around for a while.”

  I pull her into the shower. Water creeps its way around her face, down her neck, and flows between her tits, running a course down her legs.

  I’ve got this.

  As I bunch her hair, and lean her back further under the water, she closes her eyes and allows full trust as her arms fall to her sides. She’s unaware of the power she’s giving me, unaware of how much of it I truly need.

  I squirt the floral scented shampoo in my hands and lather it in her strands before rinsing it out. She wipes the water from her eyes and leans into me, resting her head o
n my chest with her hand on my pec.

  I hold her.

  I’m in some deep shit. She’s blown my fucking mind since I’ve laid eyes on her. My chest hurts when she’s not around. My thoughts circulate around her and I yearn to be beside her every fucking second I can. I know I’m in trouble, and I don’t want to back out of it. I’m eager to show how much of me she has, giving her glimpses here and there. This is one of them. If she only knew she holds my heart, what would she do with it?

  “We can’t stand here too long.” I grab her purple loofah, and squirt some more flowery shit onto it. “I’ll end up jacking off on your stomach or breaking my promise all together.”

  Her lashes are matted together from the water as she peers up with provocative eyes.

  “Don’t,” I warn. “You can’t look at me like that and expect me to keep myself together.”

  She drags a soft hand down my chest, grazing my abs, and then grips my cock. Immediately, I grab her wrist, halting the stroking.

  “Whit,” I growl. “I didn’t do this with any intentions. This is for you.”

  She squeezes my dick, stretches to her tiptoes, and licks along my jawline.

  Fuck.

  I circle the loofah over her shoulder, guiding it over her neck, and around the curve of her tits. Her eyes flutters and she sighs, sliding her hand up and down my shaft. I tease her nipple, pinching and tugging and loving how her body reacts.

  Her gaze is heated, so full of desire, it sends electricity ricocheting to the center of my nuts. Reaching up, she grabs my neck and brings me to her mouth, kissing me mindlessly. I drop the loofah and dig my fingers through her hair, deepening the kiss.

  Her breath is ragged, and she lets out little whimpering moans that aren’t helping my case at fucking all. I twist us, placing her back against the wall and she wraps her leg around my waist, continuing to jack me off between our bodies. Hungrily, I cup her tit, bending so she has to quit with my cock, and suck her perky tight nipples, making sure I give them both attention. She rakes her nails along my shoulders—something I fucking ache for her to do. I lick my way back to her neck, stopping right under her ear lobe—something I know drives her fucking mad.

  I graze her skin with my fingers, trailing a path to her slick heat. She sucks in a breath as I push between her folds and drive them into her. I move her leg to the side of the shower and squat in front of her, about to feast on my favorite meal.

  My tongue dances around her clit while I push my fingers into her. She gasps, holding on to my shoulders and resting her head on the wall. I hold her hip to help steady her as she rocks into my face. Her head rolls forward and her body tenses, her knees bending under pressure.

  I drive deeper, sweeping my tongue faster. Her breaths are labored. Her body jerks as shudders roll through her body.

  “Oh!” she moans, pulling the ever-living fuck out of my hair.

  My dick is pissed.

  Her pussy clamps down on my fingers and I pump them into her sedulously. She shoves my head away, stopping my assault against her throbbing nub, but I continue to finger fuck the hell out of her, and she rocks into them, fucking them back, riding out her ravenous wave.

  Watching her from this angle—up her body as she moans, whimpers, trembles, and writhes through the steam—is motherfucking indescribable. I’m completely trans-fucking-fixed.

  Slowly, I stand, dragging my tongue up her body and giving her a soft kiss. “You’re fucking exquisite.”

  She smiles lazily and tries to stroke my dick again, but I stop her.

  “Tonight is for you. I’ll be fine,” I lie. My balls are going to constrict so tightly my dick will fall the fuck off.

  Blue balls is putting it fucking lightly.

  I finish washing her with a painful hard-on and then dry us off before pulling the covers back and making her lie down.

  “Before you go to sleep, do I leave or stay?” I ask.

  “Stay,” she whispers quietly and I can’t tell if she’s being timid, or if she’s that damn tired. Either way, it’s the fucking answer I wanted.

  I tug her against me, and she rests on my shoulder. Nothing else is said as the darkness engulfs the room. My dick finally settles the fuck down just as her breathing levels out.

  I lie here, staring off into the blackness. I’m content. The unwanted bastard feeling not only has warmed up to me, it’s swallowed me whole.

  I kiss the side of her head when I know for sure she’s asleep. “I can fight the biggest men, yet I’m scared to death to tell you exactly what you have me feeling,” I whisper with a pounding heart in my throat. It’s been years since I’ve even thought about saying those words to anyone other than Gracie.

  Chapter 14

  Ryker warned me earlier this week that the next few days are going to be really busy for him. He wasn’t lying. I’ve not seen him other than keeping to my word and running at the gym Monday and Tuesday. I was able to watch him do what he’s good at while he was sweaty and flexing his ego-boosted muscles. But unfortunately, when I was done, I had to leave him behind and go home alone as he pushed on. I only get to talk to him for a few minutes at night if I’m awake when he gets home, and he takes a five-minute break to talk to me before I go to work. All this not being around him…It only makes me miss him more.

  When I talked to him this morning, he sounded so tired and worn out my heart wept for him. He told me Daniel and Flynn were going to run him into the ground today since tomorrow he’s leaving for Texas. He warned if I were to come this afternoon, he more than likely wouldn’t be able to give me much attention. I decided against running all together, and told him to text me when he was done.

  But I’m impatient and didn’t notice how much I thrived from observing him do what he does. Plus, I’m falling madly…blindly in love with him, so I’m going to surprise him with something to eat, even if it only grants me his smile. Staying on the safe side of his diet, I grab a grilled chicken wrap and sneak in a brownie. To be silly and to bring him a matching grin, I’ve written I’ll do squats for dinner on the bag. He can be mad at me all he wants. He won’t do anything about it…he can’t.

  Massive boobs isn’t manning the door when I enter through the gym’s front doors. I make my way to his secluded training area of the gym wading through the gym’s main area. It’s busy with men and women working on various machines—several men using weights, more women using the ellipticals.

  Quietly, I pull open the door and step in. Ryker’s in the ring with a much larger sparring partner than he had the other day as camera flashes come at him from all angles, illuminating the room with quick bursts of strobes. Daniel and Flynn are off to the side watching and looking peeved at the many people photographing him. Instead of interrupting, I step to the side in the corner and watch with pride.

  The man who’s interested in me, the same man I’m falling head over heels for is a sexy as hell MMA fighter. I would’ve never guessed I’d be in this…relationship? Are we in one? We’ve never discussed it. I’ve been so caught up in him, I’ve failed to talk to him about the exclusivity between us. He’s a fool to think I’d go anywhere else. He’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of. But am I to him?

  A well-dressed man in a dark gray button up shirt and black slacks yells for them to stop and for Ryker to step beside the punching bags. I watch in awe as Ryker wipes his forehead with the back of his glove and strides with his shoulders pulled back and every titillating muscle I’ve licked flexing with his movements.

  Abruptly, my breath gets sucked from me as two beautiful, nearly naked women—both in azure colored bikini tops and the shortest damn shorts ever made—step beside him. They pose running their hands all over his body. Cameras flash as the women move and caress his skin. The brunette on his right says something and the trio laughs causing another burst of flashes.

  The man in the gray shirt says something I can’t quite understand and Ryker poses again as if he’s about to fight, in the stance he’s taught me. The photographer
s click away.

  A stunning, drop dead gorgeous brunette with long wavy hair, sporting an azure blue mini skirt dress and tall black boots up to her thighs sashays toward Ryker. She hangs off his arm, his side, and then drags her finger down his spine as photos are being snapped. He chuckles, shaking off the shudder it caused, grinning to her.

  I’ve seen photoshoots before. None of this magnitude and definitely none so sexy, especially with a man I’m consumed with.

  I watch in disgust at the multiple women pawing at him when something is called out and Ryker’s body visibly relaxes. He’s looking down, taking off his gloves when the flock of women surround him. At first, he pays them no attention as he walks to the side of the ring and leans against it. But one of the brunettes is desperately trying to get his attention, dramatically flipping her hair flirtatiously while the blonde continues to trace his arm with her fingers.

  He watches the blonde the most, but peculiarly eyeing them both. When their hair moves off their shoulders, his eyes move. When their hips lean closer, his head moves toward the action. One of the women says something and they all laugh, the women more coquettishly.

  Jealousy has my blood boiling. I feel like I’m going to get sick. I’m trembling in outrage.

  The damn brunette leans into him, pressing her palm to the center of his chest and he smiles peering down at her. He bends as she stretches to her tiptoes and whispers something into his ear. Whatever it is she said has his eyes widening and his smile stretches into a large grin as he scrapes his teeth across his bottom lip. He looks up to the man in the dark gray shirt and shakes his head.

  My heart sinks, dropping to the floor in anguish, smashing in hurt. I don’t know what the hell I’m witnessing, but I’m through torturing myself. If I’ve ever needed to know what being with him will be like, this is all the proof I need and I don’t like it. I let the bag fall where I stand before turning on my heel and storming out.

  Tears threaten me as I rush out of the gym. When I make it to my car, they’ve begun spilling onto my cheeks. I’m an idiot for thinking he and I were more than just fuck buddies. I don’t stand a chance with him. And I’m a damn moron to have developed any type of feelings for him.