Fight for You (Flirting with Forever Book 2)

by Amanda Bailey

  If I’d had any remaining doubts about what’s been going on, the murderous look on his face would’ve confirmed everything I needed to know. I’ve got him pinned and am just waiting on the referee to call the match in my favor.

  Meanwhile, Ed stands in my way, panting and furious. “Did you enjoy last night’s photo? Did she show you? I have more.”

  This guy just won’t quit. I see this is what he’s been like with her, too. I’m sure every time she’s pulled away from me it’s because he’s been hounding her like this, unwilling to let her go. “You’ve been harassing her with them, haven’t you? Holding them over her head. I get it now. You’re that asshole. The one who just can’t take it when a woman says no.”

  I see Ed’s fist coming and pull back so his fist glances off my cheekbone. It’s not a solid hit, but it’s enough to whip my head backward. I exhale through my nose and grind my teeth together. I can take whatever he wants to dish out. I stand my ground, working my head from side to side, then rub a hand over my face. “Yep. You’re that guy.” The next punch rockets from the side, hitting my jaw and splitting the side of my lower lip.

  And that’s enough. I jab straight at his nose and hear a sickening crack just before blood gushes from it, dripping all over the sidewalk.

  Stunned, he clamps his hands to his face and glares at me.

  “Bottom line, Ed, you’re harassing her, and that won’t be happening anymore.”

  He shouts, “You’re fucking her, kid. And I’ll make sure everyone knows it. She’ll lose her job, and you’ll never even land one.”

  “I’m no kid, Ed, I’m a twenty-four-year-old man, and whatever is between us is our business. But as far as you’re concerned, we have evidence of what you’ve been doing, sending her those text messages, threatening her with sharing private images that you took of her—images I’m guessing she asked you to get rid of. Only you didn’t. Instead, you used them in an attempt to do what? Get her back? That was never gonna happen. You want to make her life hell because she didn’t want you? There’s only one of us who isn’t acting like an adult here, and it’s not me. What you’re doing is called criminal harassment. Know what that is?” I’m on a roll now, in my element, and I can’t wait for this next bit.

  He huffs as he holds his nose, narrowing his eyes at me.

  “No comment? Let me fill you in. Because this so-called nerd—that’s what you called me the first time you spoke to me—is definitely smarter than you are. I have a damn near photographic memory, in fact. Under Massachusetts state law, chapter 265, section 43A says ‘whoever willfully and maliciously engages in a knowing pattern of conduct or a series of acts over time directed at a specific person, which seriously alarms that person and would cause a reasonable person to suffer substantial emotional distress, shall be guilty of the crime of criminal harassment and shall be punished by imprisonment in a house of correction for not more than two and a half years or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, or by both such fine and imprisonment.’”

  Ed’s face blanches, and he shuffles his feet. Almost like he wants to turn tail and run but doesn’t want to look like the wuss he actually is.

  “Shall I go on?”

  Slowly, as if it pains him to do so—which it might, considering the swelling of his nose—he shakes his head.

  “If you so much as breathe in her direction, she will press charges against you.” I shove past him and toss over my shoulder, “Yeah, I’m a real fucking nerd, all right. Comes in handy sometimes.”

  Chapter 31

  Hadleigh

  Maybe I read Sawyer’s text wrong. I could have sworn he said he was coming here when he was done at the school, but that was two hours ago. A little seed of worry starts to form in the back of my mind. I keep trying to brush it off, but it’s like I know. Something’s not right. My phone vibrates with an incoming message. To my surprise, it’s Willow, not Sawyer.

  Unknown Number: It’s Willow.

  Unknown Number: Could you come to our apartment? Sawyer needs you.

  Unknown Number: He won’t tell you that, but he does.

  Me: You’re scaring me.

  Me: What’s the address?

  Unknown Number: 2284 Rockingham Road.

  Unknown Number: We’re not far from that diner he took you to. Hurry.

  Hurry. That one word sets me into panic mode. I grab my purse and run out the door. The whole time I’m driving, my crazy brain comes up with all sorts of far-fetched scenarios, but I can’t help myself. My head goes to bad places, but if I’m honest with myself, this can only really be one thing. Something must have happened between Ed and Sawyer at the wrestling tournament.

  My car practically skids around the corner as I pull into their apartment complex. I throw open the door, get out, then slam it shut and am halfway up the stairs when Willow opens their door and steps out.

  “Just so you know, he’s going to be pissed that I texted you.”

  “What the hell is going on?”

  “Come in and see for yourself. He’s in the living room.” She nudges the door open for me and lets me go in first. I’m not surprised to see her sneak off down a hallway into one of the bedrooms and shut the door to give us some privacy.

  I tread quietly into the apartment until I see Sawyer’s dark head cresting the back of the armchair he’s seated in while the TV plays some show on the History Channel.

  “Sawyer?” My voice is low and raspy. I’m nervous about why it was Willow who asked me to come and not Sawyer.

  He glances quickly over his shoulder, then puts his head in his heads, his elbows propped on his thighs. A low growl sounds from deep within his chest, and he scrubs his hands through his hair.

  I walk around the chair until I’m standing in front of him. When he doesn’t look up, I peel off my coat and toss it on the couch behind me. Kneeling between his legs, I peer up at him, sucking in a breath as I get my first glimpse of his ruggedly handsome but fight-mottled face. “Oh, Sawyer!” I cover my mouth with both hands for a second. His right cheekbone looks red and, if I’m not mistaken, a little swollen and his lower lip looks awful. It’s puffy and split on the side and the skin around the cut is turning a very lovely shade of purple. The knuckles on his right hand are also swollen and bruised. “Babe, what happened?”

  He clears his voice and grits out, “Willow wasn’t supposed to tell you to come.”

  “You didn’t want to see me?” I suck my bottom lip into my mouth, waiting for him to answer.

  “I did, and I wanted to tell you everything that went down, but then this happened.” He jabs a finger in the direction of his face. “I let him get a couple of good tries in then decided I’d had it.” He rubs his left hand over the back of his right. “I think he looks worse than I do. I’m pretty sure I broke his nose.”

  I cringe. “Oh, man. Well, did he deserve it?”

  He looks me in the eye. “You know he did. Had, the things he said … I wanted to remove his head from his body. It was bad.”

  I grimace as my stomach starts to churn. “I’m scared to ask.” But knowing Ed, I can easily imagine the filth he spewed at Sawyer.

  Sawyer runs his hand over his sore cheek, causing him to wince in pain. “Let’s just say he used some colorful language to describe you, asked if I was fucking my teacher—which I didn’t comment on—then he said I could have you, but it was clear he still wants you back. He’s psycho.”

  I put my fingers under his chin, turning his face carefully to each side, inspecting the damage. “I’m going to get you some ice.” With a pat to his knee, I get up and hurry to the kitchen.

  After a quick look in their freezer, I find a bag of peas and a bag of mixed veggies, which will be easier to manage than baggies of ice cubes. I grab the two dish towels I see in the kitchen and bring it all back out to the living room with me. I wrap each bag in a dish towel, and hold one to his chin and lip while handing him the other to put on his cheek. “Maybe you can somehow press your knuckles against it
while you hold it there.” I feel terrible that it came to this. My jaw clenches in frustration as I try to work through this mess in my head. “Do you think there will be repercussions? I mean, do you think he’ll say anything? It sounds like he’s going to look busted up on Monday, but so will you. He could blab about us, but the honest truth is we’re two adults in a relationship, outside of school hours. Mostly.” My cheeks heat.

  He shrugs, nonchalantly. “Exactly. And the nerd, as he keeps calling me, rattled off some information for him about criminal harassment charges in the state of Massachusetts. That seemed to get his attention.”

  My eyes widen, and I try to hide the smile forming. “You didn’t.”

  Sawyer rears back with a chortle. “Hell yes, I did.”

  Chapter 32

  Sawyer

  She grins as she sits on her knees before me. As if I hadn’t been hit enough today, one close look at her feels like a swift punch to the gut strong enough to knock the wind out of me. She’s all wind-whipped, wavy hair, pink cheeks, and tight jeans. She is so fucking gorgeous my heart skips a beat.

  It slays me how lucky I am to have her here with me, and wonder what it would be like if we lived together. I want to be the man she comes home to, the man who will love her like no other. I want to peel her jeans right off, pull her into my arms, and kiss her until she warms up under my touch.

  She releases a shuddered breath as she watches me cautiously. “He was being a jerk about the photos before—and I feel dumb for not telling you about them—but this thing between us? He sees it, and it’s like waving a red flag in front of a bull. I’ve never seen him so mad.”

  I clear my throat and look deeply into her eyes before I ask, “Would this be the wrong time for the fun fact that bulls are red/green color-blind? It’s actually the waving that gets them riled up, not the color.”

  “Sawyer …” She gives a delighted laugh, scooting between my legs. Her hands reach out to grip my hips and she leans in, resting her forehead against my chest for a second before tipping her head up to look at me again.

  “I’m glad to put a smile on your face—” I hesitate, gathering my thoughts. I want to get this right for her so she understands the depths of my feelings. “I need to make something very clear. I understand why you’d be concerned about what I think but know that I’m only worried about the effect this is having on you. I knew there was something going on.” I run my free hand through my hair as I think. With a bit of regret, I say, “I should have done something more, something sooner. I didn’t know if you wanted me butting in because I didn’t know if you feel for me the same way I feel for you. I don’t give a flying fuck about anything except making sure you are safe and happy. I don’t care about photos or appearances or what people might think of you or us. Because we are all that matters. I know your heart, Hadleigh. And I want you to know mine. Do you understand?”

  She blinks rapidly and nods. “I shouldn’t have hidden what was happening. I’m not used to trusting people. And believe me, my girls had some choice words last night when they found out everything. They told me that if you were really the right guy that you’d understand when I explained and that you deserved to know the truth.”

  “But am I who you want, Hadleigh? Because I want to be the one who gives you everything you need. The one you trust. With everything. Not just the good stuff. Because I think I could be that for you.”

  She looks up at me, those beautiful brown eyes glassy but sparkling as she places her hands on my shoulders. “I want you, Sawyer. I want to be with you. I want all of you.”

  “I will fight for you, Hadleigh. I will fight for us. No matter what. Every time.” I drop the frozen veggies and stand, lifting her, sweeping her off her feet and holding her against my chest. Raw emotion surges through me as I carry her into my bedroom, dropping kisses all over her upturned face along the way. She touches her fingers gently to my swollen lip. The way she’s looking at me makes me feel whole, like I’ve found the missing piece of me.

  I set her down on her feet and immediately capture her mouth with mine. We are frenzied, lips and tongues kissing, licking, sucking. The pain of my split lip only serves as a reminder of what lengths I’ll go for her. With a gasp, I tear my mouth from hers. “I didn’t need to ask if I’m who you want. I feel it in the way you kiss me.” I dive back in, holding her close as I taste the sweetness of her lips and feel her heart beating in rhythm with mine.

  Her hands slide under my shirt, and she runs them over my heated skin. “I need to feel all of you, Sawyer.” Her cheeks are stained with a blush born of excitement. Her eyes dance and flicker with arousal. My hands coast over her body, touching her everywhere I can reach.

  I don’t hesitate; I peel those tight jeans off of her, just like I’d imagined earlier. My dick twitches to life, insistent behind my zipper. She pulls her sweater over her head at the same time I tear out of my jeans and T-shirt. I scoop her up and climb onto the bed with her. She looks so beautiful lying there, her dark tresses a stark contrast to the white pillowcase behind her. I cover her body with mine, reveling in her softness, in the swell of her breasts, in the way she strains against me—like she can’t get enough. I bury my lips against her neck, kissing and sucking on her sweetly scented skin as she moans in my ear. She reaches behind her and unclasps her bra, shrugging out of it and flinging it away.

  My hand snakes between us and dips inside her lace panties. My fingertips find wet heat, her skin so slick my cock is ready to be buried deep inside her. But I hold off, wanting to touch her, to watch her writhe as I fuck her with my fingers. Her hips jerk off the bed as my thumb finds her clit and presses down in tight, quick circles. I slide my fingers through her arousal, then slip two inside of her.

  Her eyes roll back and her mouth parts as I stroke her slowly at first, then faster. She rides my hand like she can’t get enough. “Yes, Sawyer. Yeeeees.”

  While her eyes are closed, I lick her nipple, then breathe on it and watch it pucker. Her eyes fly open, and she pants then moans loudly as I take her nipple into my mouth, sucking hard and swirling my tongue around. I’ve never realized I could adore someone else so much. But I do. I adore this woman.

  My cock is hard as steel as I listen to the sounds she makes for me. I shift to the other nipple, and just as I pull it into my mouth, her core spasms around my fingers, hips involuntarily rolling against my hand. I kiss her hard while her body continues to clench. I want her next breath, her whimpers, her everything.

  I kneel and slide her panties down over long, smooth legs I know I’ll never get enough of.

  Breathing hard, she finally looks into my eyes. “I love how you make me feel, Sawyer.”

  I shove my boxer briefs down. My heart weeps with the knowledge that this woman is the best thing that has ever happened to me. “How do I make you feel, baby?”

  “Wanted.” She hesitates. “Like I’m the only one you’ll ever need.”

  She lies there before me looking so vulnerable, I can’t stand it. “Do you trust me, Hadleigh? Because I want to give you everything.” I lower myself to her, cradle her head between my hands, kiss her lips softly. I gaze into her eyes. “I want to be your everything.”

  Her teeth rake over her bottom lip, and her chest heaves. She reaches down and takes my erection in her hand, sliding it through her wetness before lining it up against her opening. “I trust you. Love me, Sawyer.”

  When she says that, I understand her immediately. All along, she’s been looking for the person who will love her for who she is. I’m that man.

  I thrust deep. “I love you, Hadleigh. I’ll love you forever.”

  And I mean it—I do. Surrounded by her scent, her cries, and her body, I know I have never loved anyone the way I love Hadleigh Beckett.

  I whisper sweet words in her ear while I plunge in and out of her body, out of my mind with the way I feel for her and how quickly it’s happened. No one will come between us. No one. Not ever again.

  She rocks her b
ody, meeting my churning hips until we are both trembling from the intensity of our passion. I kneel, pulling her knees to my chest. The change in angle sends her right over the edge, her sweet pussy rippling around my cock. She cries out, completely shattered. I lower myself to her again, wanting to feel all of her against all of me, the skin-on-skin connection. As soon as I’m in her arms, I come hard. I breathe out her name on a harsh gasp. “Hadleigh …”

  The only thing I would change about this moment would be to have heard that she loves me, too. All in good time, though. She’s still learning to trust. She’ll eventually understand that I wouldn’t just throw an “I love you” out there for the hell of it. I don’t say things I don’t mean. And my heart knows the truth, it wants Hadleigh to be mine.

  Chapter 33

  Sawyer

  Now that I think about it, I probably should have listened to Hadleigh and taken a day off. I’d gotten a request first thing this morning in my office box for a meeting with Miles Steele, who is in charge of student teacher placements. I’m supposed to see him during our planning period in about five minutes.

  Hadleigh is so worried about it she’s a mess. I really hate that for her, but it can’t be helped at this point. All we can do is get through today and see what happens once we come out on the other side.

  After we leave our last class, I turn to her to let her know I’ll be back as soon as I can to fill her in, assuming she’s going to the workroom. It would appear, instead, she’s headed in the same direction I am. “You’re not coming with me, Hadleigh.”

  The stubborn set of her jaw tells me otherwise. “I sure am. I’ll wait with Zoey,” she grumbles under her breath all while she smiles brightly and waves to a few students.

  From behind us, Sadie calls out to us. “Mr. Rivers! Ms. Beckett! I have your Girl Scout Cookies!”