BWWM: BEFORE I WAKE: A Bad Boy Billionaire Book Collection (African American Interracial Series)

by Scribble XO Books

  “Okay, right there, hold that stance. Once he throws...” She pulled back on my hips and I stepped back into her. She smelled… female. My heart pounded in my chest. My back and butt were right up against her. This was damned sure different than training with the brut, Santos.

  “Tuck your chin and hold this shoulder upright. Don’t lose this,” she told me as she let go of me. I wanted to do it wrong again just to make her touch me…but I also wanted to make her proud. I did it like she told me, ducking to the side with this new position as Charlie jabbed. His punch didn’t connect with anything but air.

  “Yes Aaron! Yes!” I looked down at her with a grin. She nodded brightly and clapped her hands. My poor heart felt like it was going to explode.

  STELLA

  Warm sunshine, soft sand, and a gentle breeze blowing set the stage for Amara and Jackson’s wedding. I’d met the two of them a few weeks ago, but I didn’t know them all that well. As I sat next to Santos in the crowd of happy guests all I could focus on was Aaron’s gaze. He stood under the arch near Jackson and the other groomsmen. He was in a white tuxedo with a black bow tie and black cummerbund. His dark hair shone under the late afternoon sun and as usual, he had a small smile as he looked at me from across the audience.

  “Hey,” I felt Santos lay his hand on my bouncing leg. I hadn’t realized I was bouncing it up and down until then.

  “Don’t be nervous, we’re all family here.” I smiled at him. I wasn’t nervous…at least I don’t think so. There was just this undeniable force of energy I felt every time I was with Aaron. It was hard for me to believe I agreed to come to this wedding where I hardly knew anyone with him.

  I’m not an introvert, but I’m also not fond of big crowds. So far everyone had been so nice. This wedding is like nothing I’ve ever seen. Part of the pre-wedding festivities and as a welcome to the wedding weekend, the couple hosted a wine tasting in one of the rooms of the hotel. It was a really nice, relaxing evening and it allowed me to get to chat with Amara and some of the girls in her bridal party that I hadn’t met yet. I had also met her daughter Nala. She was the cutest little thing and so excited for her Mama and Jackson.

  I liked Amara a lot. She was sweet and she seemed to have a really good head on her shoulders. When I learned how her and Jackson had met, I thought that she would be a great person to have on my team once I opened my training center -ifI ever opened my training center. I didn’t dare bring it up to her though. Much too risky.

  The wedding area was set up on a nice green patch of grass behind the hotel, facing the ocean. There was a huge arch adorned with flowers about six feet in front of the chairs in the sand where Jackson, the pastor and Jackson’s best man now stood. There was a small bridge made of wooden planks for the bride to walk across. There was a guitarist playing soft music as the bridal party made their way down the aisle

  We stood when the music changed. It was Amara’s turn to come down the aisle on her father’s arm. For a long time I’d imagined that Wayne would be the one to give me away at my wedding. I teared up as I watched Amara’s father kiss her on the cheek and I thought about the rift between me and my brother.

  All it took was a look back at my handsome date to chase my blues away. He was still looking right at me, and he was still smiling. I smiled back. I thought about our last training session…

  “Do me a favor Stella. Aaron needs some serious work on the mat.. I have to get Charlie ready for his match. Can you take him in Studio B and help him out?”

  I looked up at Aaron. I’m not sure what my face looked like, but he was looking at me like I was... lunch. Jiu-jitsu and all of the mounts that went with it would bring us closer together than sex… And in Studio B no less, where we would be alone. I swallowed hard and forced a nod.

  “Sure.” The word I was looking for was “Shit!” I hope I have a change of panties in my locker. I glanced at Aaron who gave me a knowing smile.

  “Are you ready to get started?”

  Now for that infamous grin. I’d definitely need a cold shower.

  “I’m ready,” was all he said. But, the dark tone in his voice made my heart pump harder and my breath shorten. He followed me to the back where Santos has the heavy mats set-up. Despite my hours of coaching I felt like a nervous wreck. All this sexual tension had me ready to snap.

  “Okay. So ground game, huh?”

  “Yeah, not my strong suit,” he said. “I’m more of a fist to face kind of guy.” He towered over me, so cocky and self-assured.

  “Yeah well, today you’ll have to learn how to get down and dirty.” The words left my mouth before I realized who I said it to. It sounded so… Jesus, I may as well just beg for it.

  I cleared my throat. “Lay down on your back and I’ll walk you through each one. There will be a test at the end…”

  He chuckled as he laid on his back and I got down next to him up on my knees. He watched me with intense eyes. I really wish he would knock that shit off. He makes it impossible for my brain to function. All of my blood rushed to parts south. I quickly cleared my throat again.

  “Okay, so we’ll start with an escape from the side mount. Let’s see the cradle. Okay...” I leaned forward and hovered just over his positioned forearms. Damn he smelled good.

  “You’re a pretty big guy so they may not get your here but if they do, make sure to keep those hands close to your neck and elbows down on that rib cage. That’s the setup okay? Very important to defend against chokes.” He nodded and I went on.

  “Hook your thumb at my shoulder so you can press with that wrist on the trachea if you need to. Good... The extra weight will make it harder for him to move or breathe and it’s a point of leverage along with the knee position.”

  “Okay. I’ve seen men do it with both knees up before. Is this one better?”

  I tried shooting him a stern look, but I’m sure it fell flat. His face is inches from me and with my breasts resting on his elbows I’m sure he was just as scatterbrained as I was. He’s too damned gorgeous. I wonder if his mother was able to discipline him at all.

  I lifted up and sat back on my heels. He lifted to one elbow to watch me. So damn distracting.

  “Even if you bridge up as hard as you can, if he’s got a good grip, you’re not going anywhere. The knee position I told you about creates better space for you.”

  “Oh, okay, sorry.” He winked and laid down. Damn.

  I wrapped my arms around him and dropped onto his braced forearms. I instructed him to try to escape with his hips first and when he did I drove my legs down and pushed all of my weight into him.

  I heard him grunt and I felt somewhat self-gratified as I pulled away.“You see? It’s not always about strength.”

  “Yeah, you’re heavier than you look,” he laughed. I rolled my eyes and nudged him with my foot. We went on.

  “Okay, with your foot braced against the knee now,” I got back down next to him and positioned my arms around his body.

  “Don’t forget you still have the option of your wrist at the throat as you pull away.” I clasped his hand and rotated it towards the tender flesh of my neck. I heard his breath stutter and I stilled. Our eyes met and neither of us moved. Oh damn.

  “Alright... I got it.” His voice was dark and breathless and my heart sped up.

  “Good,” I still sounded very professional and relaxed. I think.

  He lifted with little energy.

  “Don’t treat me like a fragile doll,” I said.

  He chuckled and my body bounced with his laugh. I couldn’t help but giggle too until...his eyes lit a fire down my body.

  “That’ll be hard, but okay.” He pressed away harder and then dropped his hips away as I had done. The difference was, before he escaped I saw an opening and twisted his hand and elbow back.

  “Hey! What was that?”

  “An Americana. Do you think your opponent is going to sit still and wait for you to slide away? You’re going to have to move faster than that.”

&n
bsp; He suddenly wasn’t smiling. He looked nervous .“I will in a real fight, but... I’m worried about hurting you…I don’t want to….”

  I thought he was adorable, but I masked my attraction.

  He looked at me deeply then, his eyes hooded with desire. “You don’t look like any trainer I’ve ever had.”

  I felt a part need inside me quiver with need. I wanted to kiss him square on the mouth to see if the scruff of his chin felt rough or soft against me.

  Instead, I sat up and slid back to get a hold of my racing heart beat. “It’s your turn. Show me.”

  I laid on my back and braced my elbows to my sides as I cupped his shoulder. He knelt to my side and reached over me to wrap his arms around me as I had demonstrated. I was momentarily struck by how beautiful his face was as he hovered over me. His breathing brushed away a stray strand from my bangs. His eyes were warm and my pulse quickened again. Ah get a grip girl!

  “Go.” I sucked in a breath to brace my body but he didn’t move.

  “Aaron?”

  His eyes just watched me as he brushed a warm thumb across my cheekbone.

  “You’re so beautiful, lass.

  I watched in rapture as he slowly, ever so slowly dipped his lips towards me. His lips hovered, just barely touching my flesh. I trembled and squeezed my teeth. Please kiss me, please. In that moment all I wanted was his lips on mine. I forgot to breath but he gave me his breath as our lips touched.

  My hands moved to the rough stubble on his chin as he pressed his lips to mine. His skin felt so warm under my palms and I sighed with pleasure, my chest brushing up to his. He didn’t pull away but instead pressed closer.

  It wasn’t the deep kiss that I craved. This one was light and soft. An introduction. And invitation for more. And I felt it’s dark promise all the way in my core. His thumb brushed the hair at my temple as he pulled away. He was…. gentle with me.

  So now here I sat at this lovely wedding…looking up at my gorgeous date and wondering why I had blurted yes when he’d asked me.

  The ceremony was beautiful. The bride and groom had both written their own vows. Jackson talked a lot about truth and honesty and sharing everything with Amara from now and forever. Amara spoke about having faith and not allowing your fears and the ghosts from your past intrude on your future. Sweet little Nala looked so happy that she was beside herself.

  Aaron had told me Amara had lost her husband a long time ago. Hearing that and seeing this little family coming together and healing each other now made my heart so happy for them, but it also made it ache a little bit for my brother. I hated to admit it because he’d been such a butthead lately…but I missed Wayne. I hoped that he would realize soon what was most important in life and I hoped when he did, it wouldn’t be too late for us to mend our fences.

  The reception was held outside as well along the pool area of the hotel on the beach. Flickering white candles surrounded by seashells and starfish decorated the tables. Dinner consisted of smoked salmon or roast chicken, roasted vegetables, red potatoes, salads, breads and tropical fruits.

  Once everyone had finished eating it was time to dance to a live band under the stars. Aaron looked so handsome as he asked for a dance and I found out that his moves on the dance floor were as sexy as the ones he’d made on the mat the other day. This guy is killing me. He held me close during the slow dances and hummed against my ear…sending chills running rampantly down my spine.

  I was relieved when it was time to cut the cake. It would give me a little time without his big hands on my waist. There were two cakes, one was a traditional wedding cake with white icing and raspberry filling and the other was a chocolate flavored groom's cake in the shape of a boxing glove. It was awesome.

  After cake and a glass of champagne, Aaron left me alone for a few minutes to go take pictures with Jackson and the rest of the guys. I went over to where Amara sat. I wanted to tell her how nice everything was and how much I was enjoying myself. When she saw me coming she smiled brightly.

  “Stella! Come have a seat!” I sat down next to her, in total awe of how radiant she looked.

  “I just wanted to tell you how amazing your wedding was and how much fun I’m having. Thank you for allowing me to come.”

  She smiled. “Aaron’s like family to us. You look beautiful by the way. I love your dress!” I’d worn a peach colored silk dress that had spaghetti straps and came to the tops of my thighs. I’d also worn wedge sandals It was a beach wedding after all.

  “Thank you. You look like a queen.” Her white dress was embroidered with pearls all along the bodice and it was sleeveless. Her arms were toned and glistened in the sun. Her hair was braided up around her head and she had baby’s breath flowers all the way around it. She really did look stunning.

  “Thank you. Aaron was so happy you agreed to come with him tonight. He’s been telling me what an amazing job you’re doing at the gym.”

  “Really?”

  She laughed. “Yes, really. The other guys all seem to agree too. As a matter of fact Aaron said he thought you should have your own facility one day.”

  I couldn’t help but smile. That was my goal! How did he figure that out?

  “You know I’ve always wanted to go out on my own… I’ve already looked at some buildings…the really nice ones are expensive…maybe it would be fun and economical to do something together…if you’d really even be interested in having your own place.”

  I wanted to hug and squeeze her and then kiss Aaron for mentioning it to her. “It’s been my dream for a long time. I’d love to explore that more with you.”

  Amara giggled with a nod “Great. I will call you soon then!” I thanked her again and she hugged me.

  When I looked up I saw the photography session breaking up on the beach. As most of the men strode our way, Aaron hovered in the background. His eyes met me and he gave me a sexy smile as he motioned me forward.

  I walked towards him and met him in the sand. He was taking off his shoes just as I reached him. I noticed how well his suit fit across his chest and he looked up to the sky.

  “Looks like it might rain.” Glancing back towards the wedding party I saw people leaving or heading for the hotel.

  “Yeah it looks like everyone’s going in.”

  “Good. Then it’ll be just us then. Take a walk with me?”

  His eyes hovered on my lips and once again I couldn’t resist. He left his shoes and took my hand and we started walking up the coast. We walked in silence at first, just enjoying the beauty of the evening and the sounds of the waves lapping around us.

  “My father was a rage-a-holic when I was growing up.”

  I waited patiently for him to go on. I loved the lilt of his accent.

  “He was one of the best fighters that Europe ever saw. I was only five when he started taking me to the gym with him. By the time I was ten I was doing full-circuit workouts and he had me sparring at thirteen. My mind and my body were both too young, but I tried hard. All I wanted was for him to tell me that I’d done well and he was proud of me…just once. Instead he told me I was doing everything wrong and I was an embarrassment to him. He would yell and scream and belittle me…and the next morning he’d wake me up like nothing happened and we’d go back to the gym again. It got to where I hated it.”

  “Wow. I’m sorry to hear that, Aaron. Can I ask a question?”

  “Of course.” He squeezed my hand.

  “If you hated it so badly, why’d you become a fighter on your own?”

  “When I was sixteen, my mother left. My father just shut down… I mean everything stopped. He went down into a dark hole and I think his anger somehow stayed me. I was so young and all I wanted was to be happy. I thought that I could fight it out. I fought…and I won a lot. I had a following in Scotland that bled over to the U.S. by the time I was twenty two…but that was years ago and I never lost the rage.”

  My heart ached for him. I wanted to take him in my arms and hug and kiss the hurt away.
r />   Suddenly feeling emboldened by the warmth of his body so close to me I turned to him. “You know…there are other ways to work off pent up aggression.”

  Aaron looked down at me and his lips pulled into a soft smile. He leaned towards me and I knew he was going to kiss me. The anticipation of it gnawed at my insides and suddenly I couldn’t wait. He was moving too slow.

  I stood on my toes and wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him down. Our lips met and something exploded in my heart. We kissed and I felt his tongue come out and slowly run along my lips like he was tasting me. I opened them for him, allowing him to let it delve in between them and explore the warm, wet depths of my mouth while I explored his in return.

  He tasted like champagne and I was fueled by the desire that had been burning deep in my core since we first met. We were both so into the kiss that it took us several seconds to realize that it had started raining. He pulled back and looked at me with a laugh. God, he was beautiful.

  Taking my hand he led me hurriedly back to the hotel. We dripped our way through the lobby and ducked past the room the reception had moved into. The wedding party was staying here and Aaron led me onto the elevator and up to his suite.

  As soon as the hotel door closed he nudged me into the wall and kissed me again, cupping my face with his rough hands. I gripped his shoulders as he moaned into my mouth. We kissed deeply for a long time, taking turns licking and tasting each other’s lips. He tangled one of his hands up in my wet hair while the other tugged on my zipper. I was soaking wet already…and not just from the rain. I wanted him to move faster…I was dying for him to touch me there.

  When he suddenly pulled away I almost complained. But then he guided me backwards over to the bed as his eyes roamed me intensely. Our breaths came in ragged spurts as he sat me on the edge and leaned over me to pull open the back of my dress. He sucked deliciously on my top lip as he guided the dress up over my head and tossed it on the chair behind him.