Outside The Ropes

by Ashley Claudy

  After a breathless moment he climbed over me, pushing me back down to the mattress.

  I pulled him on me, wanting to feel his weight, be surrounded in his heat. I pressed my hand into the muscles of his back as we both tasted the skin on each other’s neck and shoulders. I was lost in touch and sensation, and I needed more. I moved my hands to his pants, undoing the button. He pulled his hands off me to undo the rest, kicking them off as his fingers moved over my jeans.

  We couldn’t seem to move fast enough, both pulling and fumbling with the strain of wanting. There was no time for us; we needed to do this before it all fell apart. That’s how it felt, an ecstatic rush of need. A race on time. Desperate to touch and know the other, every inch.

  I didn’t get to run my hands over him for but a second, his silky smooth skin stretched over the solid length of him, ready to go. He pressed me into the mattress as he raised up, using his hand to rub himself over me, spreading my wetness between my legs.

  He groaned. “I want you so bad. I can’t take my time, not this time,” He panted into my ear.

  “Good,” was my only response and barely audible. I needed him in me, and the strain made it hard to breathe.

  “Damn. Wait.” He rolled away and grabbed a condom from his nightstand.

  I squeezed my legs together as he rolled it on, the ache in me building with anticipation. I kissed along his neck, unable to keep off of him.

  Then he positioned himself over me and slid in, stretching me to the point of almost pain, a satisfying searing heat filling me. His groan encouraged me to move, rocking my hips beneath him. He pulled me tight to him, his lips finding mine as he panted into them, in between brief, wet kisses. We breathed the same hot air through our mouths and absorbed each other’s moans, collecting them like prizes. I wanted his moans, and I circled my hips, clenching the muscles between my legs until I had my reward.

  His thrusts grew deeper, harder, faster, breaking the dam of tension in my core with a surge of physical pleasure. I cried out, unable to hold back anything. My mind no longer in control. I was all feeling and my body spasmed with it. And still he kept going, taking me on the ride all over again, my body in his control, responding to his every touch, every thrust. He took me to the edge of pleasure and pushed me over.

  When I floated back into myself, he was laying on me, forehead pressed to my neck as he sucked in ragged breaths, his own muscles twitching with his release.

  I wasn’t sure if the beating I felt was my own heart, or his, but I throbbed with each pulse.

  After a while our breathing steadied, but he still laid on me, his arms wound around my waist.

  “I’ll be right back,” he broke the silence, getting up and removing his condom.

  My muscles still felt weak, but I slid off the bed and escaped to the bathroom to clean up and put pants back on.

  When I came out he had the covers pulled back and was lying in bed. “Come here.” His voice was husky as he ran his hand over the mattress beside him.

  I scurried over before I could change my mind and curled into the warmth of him, trying to ease the fear creeping back in.

  His finger tips trailed down my arm, then over my hip. “You put your jeans back on,” He said with a frown. “You’re going to stay tonight, right?” He looked down at me, eyebrows slanted in.

  “Well, I thought—“

  He pulled back from me, lines marking his face. “What? You’re staying tonight. You have to.” He rolled to his side, hands pulling at my hip to face him. “That was only the start. I need this night with you. I’ve been wanting this for so long. Stay.”

  Knowing that his plans weren’t cuddling and sleeping made it easier to agree to. “Alright.”

  ***

  Even after three nights of running my hands all over that body, I still wanted more. And so did he.

  “I don’t care how late it is. Let me pick you up after work.” He murmured into my neck in-between soft kisses.

  I slid my hands inside his jacket, feeling hard muscle under his soft cotton shirt, and his arms encircled me, keeping me warm against the damp wind.

  “Trichelle's driving me since we both have to close. Plus, I need to go to my house.” Even though I was trying to pull away with my words, my hands couldn’t stop their path along his torso, trying to soak him up.

  The lines of his jaw deepened as he looked down at me. “Then what about tomorrow? Cancel your thing, come with me.”

  I let my arms drop with a groan, “You cancel. Leona and Aliya are both performing and bought me a ticket already. I can’t flake.”

  He pulled back some, his eyes more gray in the drab weather as they swept over me. “I can’t, it’s an important business night with Silas. And you have to work tomorrow, during the day?” His frown deepened as I nodded. “Sunday then?”

  My lips slid to a smile. “Sunday.” This small space would be good; I had been so wrapped up with him since Tuesday that I couldn’t think straight.

  He leaned in, trapping me against his car. His warm breath caressed my neck, and his clean sent surrounded me. I felt the now familiar tickle of need that only he could satisfy.

  “Or you could call off work now and come home with me.”

  It was tempting. But I put my hands in-between us, a weak barrier, and shook my head. “I’ve got to go. I’m going to be late for work. I’ll see you Sunday.”

  ***

  I jumped awake, alert, but unsure why. I slid from the bed, grabbing a hand weight from the corner of the room, heart pounding.

  The window rattled as someone tapped on it again. That was the noise that had woken me. I tiptoed to the window and peeked out the corner, releasing the breath I held when I saw Gage. He had a ski cap on against the cold and his blue eyes pierced through the night.

  He was preparing to tap again, shifting on his feet as I stepped into view of the window and pointed to the front door.

  His smile was quick to appear, that same triumphant smile from after his fight, and it made my stomach spin.

  “What are you doing here?” I whispered harshly, opening the front door.

  He stood with one hand braced against the doorframe, his wool jacket unbuttoned, showing off his tieless suite underneath. It was kinda rumpled and the collared shirt was unbuttoned at the top. But the look in his eyes liquefied me.

  When he kissed me, I could smell and taste the alcohol. He walked me back into the house, lips madly moving against mine and closed the door behind us.

  I pushed away from him. “You’ve been drinking?” I asked needlessly.

  His smile this time was more predator after prey. “Hmm.” He nodded, stalking towards me.

  I took a step back, hands up to stop him. “And you drove here? You shouldn’t do that,” I admonished.

  He paused, but his smile glided up on one side in victory. “You’re right. I shouldn’t. Looks like I need to stay here.”

  “I’m serious,” I whisper-shouted, mindful of roommates sleeping.

  He nodded, reaching an arm around me. “I am too. I won’t do it again.” He pulled me in close, nuzzling my hair. “Now, about where I’m sleeping…”

  I pushed away again, idea bright in my mind. “Oh, let me get you some blankets, you can stay here on the couch.” I bit my lip to hide my smile.

  His eyes met mine with a playfulness that I’d never seen before, and it reminded me that we were young and made to have fun.

  He lunged towards me and I jumped back, elated that I had successfully dodged him. I was on my toes, ready to run at his next move, but it came so quick I didn’t have a chance.

  He hooked his arm around me, smile turning sultry as he pressed against me. “You’d make the future Cruiserweight Champion sleep on the couch?”

  Something about his tone caught my attention, and his smile only confirmed it. I leaned back to look at him. “What?”

  Excitement filled his face. “I’ve got a fight against Desmond Dennaki.” His hands gripped my waist, emphasi
zing what he said. “Silas has to work out the details with his manager, but all parties agreed to it tonight. He’s ranked in the top ten, so when I win, I will be too.”

  My heart nearly exploded for him. “That’s amazing. I didn’t realize that’s what this business meeting was about.” I slapped his arm. “You didn’t tell me that. This was a big night for you.”

  His eyes dropped to my lips. "And I want to celebrate with you.”

  Silent, I walked him back to my room, closing the door behind us. Flicking off the lights, I turned to him, hands on his chest. He let me push him back onto the bed and I straddled his waist.

  His hands traveled over my thighs, under the thin fabric of my sleep shorts. He gripped my legs, keeping me on top of him as he scooted himself back to lie out on the mattress. He cupped my butt and pulled me to him, kissing the top of my breasts.

  Flipping me over, onto my back, he continued his hot kisses as hands roamed over the swell of my breasts, outside of my tank top. He moved his lips, biting my nipple through my shirt, and sucking through the fabric. His hands hovered at the edge, fingers running along the seam at the top.

  I helped him out by pulling the top down, letting my breasts spill out. He ran his tongue from one nipple to the next, taking his time to run along the valley in between. My fingers raked through his hair and as far down his back as I could reach, before tugging at his jacket to take it off.

  He sat up on his knees, removing his jacket painfully slow, eyes glued to me the entire time. I squirmed with impatience as he started undoing each button of his shirt underneath.

  When I sat up to help him, he grabbed my hands, moving them off of him. “No. I’ll do this.” He stood up, off the bed, out of my reach. “I want to watch you get undressed too.”

  The rush of heat surging through me at his words took over, drowning any hesitation.

  I kept my eyes locked on him as I lowered my shorts, keeping the same slow pace he had started, sliding them off one leg at a time. He pulled his shirt off, his tattoos still visible in the shadows of the room. His hands moved to undo his pants as I slid my cotton panties off.

  I could hear his breathing strain as he watched me. He dropped his boxers and took himself in his hands, stroking in a way that made my legs ache, and core drip.

  “What about the shirt?”

  I hit a wall; every muscle felt the impact. “No.” I wasn’t wearing a bra underneath so my tank top had to stay on.

  “Alright,” he sighed, stepping back to the bed and I released my own sigh of relief.

  “Alright,” he said again, running one hand flat down the length of my torso, ending between my legs. Releasing my anxiety with the pressure he put there, all my thoughts centered on what his fingers were doing and the pleasure building.

  My hands ran all over him, one tracing the curves of muscle while the other gripped the length of him, gliding up and down, pleased when Goosebumps broke out on his skin. Sensation was taking over and I bit the tight skin on his shoulder as I fell apart under his fingers.

  In one quick motion he was in me, condom already on. His slow, controlled rock made his muscles pull and flex under my hands. His hands were running all over me.

  I stifled my cries in his skin, biting and sucking his shoulder, but they still escaped. Trying to keep the noise down was dizzying.

  One of his hands was gliding up and down my side and he ventured to slide his fingers under my shirt. I pushed at his hand on impulse, but he stilled, not moving his body or hand.

  He had been running kisses along my jaw, he didn’t move his lips away as he said, “I want to touch you, all of you. Please.”

  My heart hurt with the sudden constriction. I could understand his need, I wanted to touch him everywhere, but…

  His kiss was gentle on my lips as he shifted to look me in the eye. “We don’t have to take off the shirt. I won’t look. It’s just my hands.”

  I nodded, a small barely there consent that twisted my stomach painfully.

  He moved back over me, continuing his slow rocks as his hand carefully ran along the bottom of my shirt. “Shh,” he soothed. “It’s okay, Baby. I got you.”

  It was only then that I realized I had made any noise. Every step his hand took made me tighten and squeak with fear. It was unreasonable, I knew, but it was there.

  I tried to concentrate on his soft lips on my shoulder, and I wanted to run my hands along him, but I was frozen.

  He cupped my breast from under my shirt, hand firm over the top of the one scar he had seen, the one just under the side of my left boob. Then his hands glided around, and my stomach clenched as he traveled over the other scars along my side and back. But he didn’t flinch, even though I knew the one along my side was felt, the only one that was raised up, where a bullet had burned its path.

  When his hands met along my back, he crossed them, pulling me into him in a tight hug. His lips buried into my neck and he held me still for a moment, waiting for my breathing to calm before beginning his rocking again.

  He didn’t touch me there anymore and I began to relax, until the pressure of him in me built and I exploded with satisfaction and a strange new relief.

  ***

  I lay on top of him on the couch, letting the aftershocks of orgasm fade away. Music still playing softly in the background from our failed dinner.

  It seemed sleeping with Gage had the opposite effect than I had imagined. The more we did it, the more we wanted it. And now we couldn’t even make it through a meal without attacking each other.

  He played with a lock of my hair, twirling it around his fingers.

  “Are you nervous? About your fight?” I asked. Silas had worked out the details and it was in two weeks. Sooner than expected, but Desmond was going overseas right after so there was no time to wait.

  His chest vibrated beneath me. “No. I don’t take fights unless I’m certain. I know I can win this one.”

  I lifted my head, to look at him. “How can you know?”

  His eyes danced over me, and his liquefying smile returned. “Because I know what my strengths are, and I’ve seen his weaknesses. I know. I don’t take chances on my career.” He pulled me back down to him, settling me on his chest. His hand stilled just above my shoulder. “What about you?” He was deathly quiet. “Are you nervous about tomorrow? About court?”

  I had been avoiding thinking about it. “Yes,” I admitted only to him. “But I just want it over with.”

  His strong arms tightened around me. “I’ll be there with you. And hopefully those bastards get the maximum sentence.”

  I let out a deep breath. “You don’t have to stay after you testify. It could go on all day and I know you have business things to take care of.” He seemed to always be working out or doing “business” stuff with Silas, if he wasn’t with me. But I didn’t question it cause then I might have to answer some as well.

  He scooted back, looking down on me with agitation. “Are you kidding? Of course I’m staying. There’s nothing else I need to do, except be there with you. I’m not leaving you alone there. End of discussion.”

  His tone made me bristle, but I breathed through it, focusing on his words. And if I was honest, it was a relief to know he was going to be there with me.

  His hands ran up and down my arm, pulling me to look at him. “Don’t you know yet? You are important to me.”

  There was no denying the look in his eye. He meant what he said. But I couldn't respond, couldn't allow myself to read any further into those words. So I dropped my head and rested on his chest, gripping him a bit closer. I didn't want to think about how important he had become to me, it was too quick, too soon, too much. It wasn't supposed to happen like that.

  My heart crumbled as he huskily sang the words to the song playing in the background, a slow rock song about feelings that wouldn't go away.

  His voice was gravelly with emotion, not the prettiest singing voice, but it fit with the moment and slid through my cracks.

&nb
sp; I buried my head on his bare chest and closed my eyes, hoping I’d be able to keep him for a while.

  24: Numb

  THE CONSTANT ACHE OF ANGER, TENSING ALL my muscles and making my teeth hurt from grinding, was my version of numb for the day.

  I sat outside the small courtroom, Gage at my side, while the judge called in different people one at a time. Silas and Dexter were there too, to testify as witness’s. We were made to wait, knowing nothing of what was happening beyond those doors. Numb.

  My attackers were held in another room while the proceedings took place, until it was their time to be called in. It wasn’t even a real court hearing; they were being tried as a juvenile so what was happening was more of a conference with a judge.

  Numb.

  But that all broke when I was called in. Not at first. At first I stayed numb while the prosecutor questioned me. I relayed the events evenly, just as I had practiced with Detective Andres. But the defense lawyer changed that.

  “So, Ms. Sommers.” The short man in a suite flipped open a leather file and read some notes. “You state that these young men attacked you, but all reports, including your statement, say that you hit one of the young men with your keys and then punched him in the face.” He looked up from his file, eyebrows raised. “Is that correct?”

  His question sparked the first flames of anger. “They were coming at me, I-”

  He raised his hand, “Please stick to yes or no while I establish the facts.”

  I looked around the room. The Judge sat beside me in her high chair, staring down at me through her glasses. The two prosecutors were at a rectangle table just in front of me, whispering to each other, not giving me guidance. Behind them sat Anthony and Detective Andres, and both only stared at me.

  I thought my teeth might crack with the pressure put on them as I grounded out, “Yes.”

  “May I present to your honor medical records from my clients that show one young man suffered a broken nose as a result, and the other had a mild concussion.”