by Sam Crescent
“You went through it, too.” Even as she tried to ignore the flash of memories, she couldn’t. Fight after fight. The pain. The screams and shouts for her to do better. Her father forcing her to train harder. Taking away any kind of food he felt would put her on the wrong path.
When she was thirteen years old, she was waiting for her father to be done in some kind of meeting. He’d thrown some money at her and told her to get something to eat. She remembered going to a burger bar, ordering the biggest one they had on the menu that totaled three beef patties that was smothered in cheese, pickles, and even bacon, and eating the entire thing to herself.
She’d felt like a fucking queen, and she’d lied when he asked her what she had to eat that night. She told him a simple salad with no dressing.
He wasn’t going to take that memory away from her.
There were not many like it as he was always there in her life, riding her ass.
“It’s different for girls. You should have been playing dolls or something. Not fighting.”
“It’s why I don’t want Ava near any of it. I wanted to buy a small place. You know, have a nine-to-five job if possible. I’d work damn hard, too. I had so many plans. To be the kind of mom I always wanted, you know. Being able to make cookies and sit with her, do her homework. I’d be that shoulder to cry on, and if a guy hurt her, I’d be able to hit him where it hurt.” She took a deep breath, looking at Drago’s hand around hers.
“You’re going to be one hell of a mother.”
“I haven’t held her in weeks, Drago. I feel like a failure. I failed her, and now, I can’t … I need this to work more than anything. I know these things take time, and I get that, I do. but I’m struggling. I love her so much. She’s been my reason for living for over a year now.” She sniffled. “I can’t cry. Not tonight.”
He squeezed her hand a little tighter. “We’re going to get her back for good. That I promise you. I don’t make promises I can’t keep. We’re going to do this.”
“I’m a bad mom. I should be with her right now.”
“No, being a bad mom would be getting her, running and hiding for the rest of your life. That’s not right for her or for you. Trust me with this, Belle. I know it’s hard to do.”
“I know. I know. She has this really cute smile she makes when she passes wind. The doctors say it’s because she passes wind, but I don’t think it is.”
“You really do love her.”
“With all my heart.”
“Then I know I’ll love her the same.”
Belle stared at him, not really sure what to say to him in that moment. Words failed her, and as the waiter brought out their food, she was thankful for the distraction. Drago wasn’t an easy man to sit with. His presence alone made her feel things she’d long thought weren’t her right to feel.
Her tits felt heavy, her nipples hard as she watched him.
When they were alone again, Drago held up the wine. “Relax, enjoy, and this night is for us. Ava is perfectly safe. I’d go and get her myself, but your father has her hidden well. I also don’t want us to ruin what we’ve started. I know it’s killing you to be away from her. I’m begging you, just give me some more time. Once this is all over, you’ll never have to look over your shoulder and we’ll have saved a lot of kids’ lives. So they didn’t have to have one like ours.”
“You don’t have to keep reminding me. I’m not going to screw this up. Not with how close we are to getting these scumbags. I can do this.” She gave his hand another squeeze. He lingered a few seconds longer before finally releasing her.
Picking up her fork, she carved into the steak, which was of the medium rare side. One bite and she let out a moan. The steak was like butter with just the right amount of pepper to give that savory edge. She’d never tasted something so good.
“You’ll become addicted. Believe me. I stopped here once, and I now pay for my own booth once a week.”
“I don’t know how you could have someone else cook for you. This is just … there are no words.” She took another bite and closed her eyes, loving the textures and taste explosion that was going on in her mouth.
“I want to marry the chef,” she said.
Drago burst out laughing. “I think his wife would take exception to that.” He held his glass of wine up. “A toast, to friends, to food, to good people, and to victory.”
She clinked her glass with his and took a sip. She saw the way he looked at her, recognizing the heat of his gaze as it traveled down her body. It had been a long time since she’d been with anyone.
Drago looked like the kind of guy who knew what he was doing. Would he be able to set her world aflame? Licking her lips, she thought about his body pressed against her own. The way he’d be able to hold her. She’d be at his mercy.
There was no doubt in her mind that Drago was in fact stronger than she was. He’d be able to take his pleasure from her. She didn’t mind that though, which shocked her. In the past few weeks, he’d proven to her that he was a good man. He just had to do bad things, but deep down inside, he was someone she knew she could fall for.
The truth was, she’d already started to fall for him, big time.
Finishing off her steak, she tried not to think about how good it would be to have him make love to or even fuck her. To show her how a real man took his woman and showed her a good time.
Mikey’s idea was getting on top, shoving himself inside her, riding about for a few minutes, and moaning a lot. What she’d ever seen in that loser, she didn’t know.
He wasn’t in her life anymore, nor would he ever be.
****
Drago watched her eat and loved how sensual she was trying her food. His cock hardened to imagine those perfectly plump lips wrapped around his cock, taking him down. He’d love to taste her pussy and to hear her cries of pleasure to replace the screams of pain he remembered so clearly. Finishing off his steak, he sipped his glass of wine, watching her.
With no more bruises and with her hair down, dressed to perfection, she looked womanly. Her pregnancy had done wonders for her as she’d also filled out.
He noticed she wasn’t used to her hair being down either as she kept pushing it off her face, and he found it to be the cutest thing he’d seen.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Nothing. You want dessert? I recommend the chocolate mousse. It is perfection.”
“Okay. I’ll take the mousse,” she said.
“A good idea.” He signaled the waiter, ordering them some mousse along with a few truffles.
“There truffles are good?”
“The very best.”
“I see you’ve taken a liking to all the best things,” she said.
“I can’t go wrong. Money buys luxuries, but it is true, it doesn’t buy happiness. A family.”
“You want a family.”
“I’m starting to believe that’s what I’m looking for.” He drank the last of his wine, but didn’t pour himself another glass. He liked to keep certain habits in moderation. Alcohol was one of them. During his time in the ring, he’d seen one too many fighters go down because of turning to these habits, like popping pills to help deal with the pain.
He always dealt with the pain by resting.
The mousse and truffles arrived. Picking one up, he held it across the table. “Try.”
She went to take it from him, and he shook his head. “I don’t think so, take a bite.”
Belle rolled her eyes, but her lips went around the truffle and she moaned after taking a bite. Putting the last in his mouth, the chocolate melted on his tongue.
“Oh my, that is heaven.”
He handed her the mousse, and she took it, along with the spoon.
Neither of them spoke after they finished their meal. He paid the check, refusing to take anything from Belle. She fumed in the seat opposite him, and once they were done, he took her hand, leading her outside.
“How about we walk for a little bit?”
“You want to walk?”
“It’s a nice night out. I’m with you. Nothing will happen to you, I promise.”
She chuckled. “I can handle myself.” She put her arm through his as they started walking away from the restaurant. “It really is a wonderful night. You’re right.” They stopped underneath a lamp, and she looked up at the stars.
Drago simply watched her.
Even after all these years, he found her to be the single most fascinating woman in his life. He hated that he’d lost touch with her and that he’d not taken the time to check on her. That would be something he’d regret to his death. She deserved to have someone to love her, to take care of her.
In the back of his mind, he saw her just weeks ago, in the middle of the ring, about to be killed, and he pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly to his chest. He couldn’t allow anything to happen to her. Not now, not ever.
“What’s wrong?” Belle asked.
He cupped her cheek, tilting her head back. “If I’d not been there that night, I could have lost you. I don’t want to even think about that.”
“You didn’t lose me though, Drago. I was there, and so were you. You could say fate intervened. Put us both on the same path once again.” She placed a hand on his chest. “I’m so happy that you did what you did. I didn’t want to die.”
“I’ll always protect you, Belle. For now. Forever.”
“Forever is a really long time. What if you find someone else?”
“I think you’re trying to ignore what I’m saying to you. I’m not looking at anyone else. You’re the only one I see. The only one I want. I want you to think about this long and hard.”
“What?”
“When we get Ava back, I want you to think about having me in your life permanently. I never thought I wanted kids, but I’d love the chance to be a good man to you, and a father to Ava.”
“She’s not yours.”
“I know, and she should have been.” He stroked his thumb across her lips, no longer hiding from the truth. He couldn’t hide, not anymore. She was far too tempting to deny himself any longer. To him, it had already felt like he’d waited a life time to finally have her in his life, and there’s no way he was going to let that happen anymore.
Belle belonged to him. He’d been fighting it long enough, no more.
Dropping his head down, he took possession of her lips.
At first, she froze. Her lips pressed firmly together, refusing to open.
Slowly, as he persisted and she didn’t push him away, he deepened the kiss. When he slid his tongue across her lips, she gasped, opening up, and he took full advantage, sliding his tongue within her mouth, and she moaned.
Sinking his fingers into her hair, he pulled her close, gripping her hip with the other. Her hands slid up his chest, circling his neck, holding him close. Walking her backward until she hit the wall, he took both of her hands, pressing them to the brick, holding her in place.
Only when he heard some whistling in the distance did he stop, realizing they were at an entrance in an alleyway, and he had her trapped against the wall and his body. He had to get control. His cock was rock hard, and he pressed it against her stomach, wanting more than anything to be inside her, to be fucking her. He was addicted to her.
“We shouldn’t be doing this?”
“You’re telling me that right now your pussy isn’t begging for my cock?”
“Drago?”
“No, Belle. I’m not going to hide from this, and I’m not going to let you think you can either. I know that fucker hurt you. Guess what, I’m not Mikey. I never will be Mikey, and you belong to me. I’m not going to let you go. Not now. Not ever. I’ll take care of you, and I’m going to prove that to you by making you safe. Then I’m going to show you in more ways than one that I am the man for you.” He kissed her again.
This time, he didn’t release her though.
Taking her hand, he walked them back to the car. Neither of them spoke as he helped her inside and secured her seatbelt before getting behind the wheel himself.
He was still hard, but he ignored the need building inside him.
“I’ve never felt this way about anyone before,” she said. “I don’t know what to do.”
He glanced over at her, shocked she was even being this open.
Belle was one of the few women who didn’t like to talk about her thoughts and feelings. She played everything close to her chest. He was surprised by her honesty the past few weeks as he saw it was difficult for her.
“What do you mean?”
“Sex. I’m not very good at it. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. If you’re expecting something great then I’m not your woman.”
He glanced over at her and smiled. “I don’t even want to know why you think that.”
“Mikey told me that I didn’t have the first clue what I was doing. That I’d never be good enough.”
“Seriously, you’re going to throw that fucker in my face as if his word even means anything. He used you and left you high and dry with a kid. I see that guy I’m going to kill him.” He already had Carlos out looking for him and getting contacts to stay on the lookout. There’s no way he’d ever allow a guy like that piece of shit to go on breathing for long. Not only did he pull that shit on Belle, he’d used her.
She thought she could take care of herself, and she wasn’t even close, not even a little bit.
“It’s all the same though, right? You’ve all got the same desires and know what you want.”
“No, we’re not all the same. Not even close. This Mikey, he doesn’t have the first clue what he’s talking about, and seeing as I don’t even consider him a man, he doesn’t get to have an opinion.”
“I’m just saving you from disappointment,” she said.
He was so fucking angry right now. He wanted to find this prick and teach him a lesson.
“How about this? How do you feel about having a wager of some kind?”
“What do you mean? I don’t gamble. That’s my father’s department.”
“You and me. One night. I’ll give you a night you’ll never forget, and if for whatever reason you don’t make me come or you’re really bad at it, I’ll tell you and you can go on believing what that loser says.” He knew for a fact that was never going to be the case. Just from kissing her alone he was ready to blow.
“And if I do make you come?”
“You forget about Mikey forever. Whatever he said or did to you, or failed to do, it stays in the past.”
“You want me to just forget him?”
“He doesn’t deserve the time he spends inside your head. You’re better than that, Belle. We both know it. If he was a decent guy, he wouldn’t have taken money to use an innocent woman. Nor would he have let Ava, his own flesh and blood, be taken. He had a price. I don’t,” he said. “You’re my everything, and I’m willing to give you that. What do you say? Do we have a deal?”
Chapter Eight
Belle wasn’t sure what to make of the deal. It sounded kinky, but Drago also managed to make it sound logical enough. One of the biggest hang-ups keeping her from getting involved with Drago, was her own stupid insecurity. He was handsome, hard, and drooled on by women. She knew he’d slept around enough during his time in the ring, gorgeous women hanging off his arm—so he had a lot to compare her with.
She didn’t want to embarrass herself, or worse, disappoint Drago and make him regret his words. What did she have to lose though? The bet offered her a chance to save face before forcing them into a commitment one of them would regret.
It was immeasurably easier to get into a ring and use her fists to achieve victory. Matters of the heart were so much harder.
“This seems like a real easy way to get women into bed,” she teased.
“It’s a legit bet.” He winked.
She paused for dramatics. Her body thrummed just imagining having sex with a man like Drago. “We have a deal.”
Drago tried
to hide his smirk, but she saw it. He was happy she’d agreed, and thinking about their arrangement made her both excited and terrified. She decided to treat it like a fight, but instead of three, eight, or twelve rounds, there was only one shot. Belle had to turn on Drago enough to make him come. Her only experience had been with that asshole Mikey, so she hadn’t exactly acquired the skills for the job. They’d been together a few times before she got the positive pregnancy test. Then he was gone without a trace.
And the whole bet was based on Drago wanting them to be a couple. It was surreal. All the years she’d stared at his body in silence, admiring his skills, she never once dreamt they’d be on a date together. If she could win this crazy bet and stifle her nagging insecurities, maybe she’d actually have a chance at something special. This could change her entire life—hers and Ava’s.
When their dinner was done, Drago drove them back to his condo. The mood felt different now, tense and intimate. Her clit kept pulsing, her entire body overheating as she shifted in her seat in a poor attempt to relieve the ache.
“You okay?”
She nodded. “I’m fine.”
“You’re nervous.”
Belle turned her head slightly, trying to decipher his expression. She frowned when he looked at her. “Why would I be?”
“That’s right, you’re fearless, aren’t you? Nerves of steel. The rumor going around is that you can’t feel pain.”
“I feel it. I’ve just learned not to react. Reacting to anything is a choice,” she said.
“Makes sense. I let the pain fuel me.”
He was right. Drago had been a beast in the ring. When the audience thought he was going down, he’d come back twice as intense, like a machine. She’d studied his moves, appreciated every body shot and deflection. In a way, he was her hero. Now he was going to be in her bed.
The sun had set, the lights of the cityscape reflecting off the windshield as they drove. She stole peeks of Drago’s hand as he loosely held the steering wheel. Strong hands with an expensive Rolex on his wrist. Everything about him turned her on, but she hadn’t really let it sink in until things became real.
He was a lot older than she was, but she gravitated to his strength and experience. Craved it. After Mikey, she had no desire for young, fickle men.