Unshakeable

by Abby Reynolds

  Where did he pull these lines from? He could be so romantic without even trying. “Okay.” I cleared my throat then hummed to myself. When I felt like I was ready, the words left my lips.

  I pretended Liam wasn’t there and I sang to my plants, giving them life when the sun was gone. My hands moved through the soil, making sure it was perfect for them to grow. After a moment, I forgot about him entirely, focusing on the connection I had to my garden.

  Moments like these helped me get through the passing of my parents. My mom and I used to do this together when I was a child. She would sing this song, which she wrote herself. I would copy her but I could never get it right. I would never be the singer she was. But I could always try.

  It was the best way I could hold on to a memory of her, something that would never change even in the passage of time. My mom pampered the plants like her children, the same way she pampered me. And now when I did, I knew I was doing it with her, carrying on her legacy.

  I didn’t realize I was crying until the song was over. The tears fell down my face and dripped from my chin. I stared at the plants, remembering spring mornings in my youth. My mom had an unusual touch when it came to growing other things. At least I inherited that from her.

  Liam cupped my face and kissed me. He didn’t speak, somehow understanding why I was upset. He knew me better than anyone. Wordlessly, he told me he would always comfort me in my throes of sorrow, just like the way I would comfort him in his darkest hours. Together, we could weather anything.

  He rested my head on his shoulder and ran his fingers through my hair. “Your voice was beautiful.”

  “You should have heard my mother’s.”

  “I just did.”

  I squeezed him tightly, trying to fight the despair from overcoming me.

  “Strong people feel emotion. That’s normal,” he said. “You don’t need to suppress it.”

  That was good for me. Because I would never let go of the sorrow I felt. Liam chased away the pain most of the time, but he would never remove all of it.

  “My mom and I used to work on our garden every year. Everything I learned, I learned from her.”

  “Then I’m honored to have one at our home.”

  I liked how he referred to his house as our home. Not his.

  “Thank for getting everything.”

  “I want to look in the backyard every morning and see something beautiful. See you. And I know you love to garden. The gym is my man cave, so this is your woman’s retreat.”

  I smiled. “I never want to retreat from you.”

  “We could put a gazebo in the corner and we can retreat together.”

  “I’d like that.”

  He rubbed his nose against mine. “Me too.”

  Chapter Ten

  Liam

  I asked Keira to wear different workout clothes for our session. When she just wore a sports bra and spandex shorts it was too distracting for me. I thought about things I shouldn’t.

  Her body was perfect. It may be covered in scars, but it was strong and unbreakable. The muscles of her stomach were lean, but they were tight around her abdomen. The small muscles of her back pulled her shoulders backwards, giving her an upright posture. I loved to stare at the deep in her lower back, placing kisses there when she was asleep. And I loved other parts of her body.

  The valley between her breasts weren’t safe from my kisses. I ran my tongue between them, tasting her. She always made me hard without trying. When I felt her body under mine, her legs wrapped around my waist, my need overpowered me.

  Her hips were my favorite—hands down. I loved gripping them with my hands while she bounced on my dick. My tongue lathered the area. And when my face was between her legs, I loved her taste. While I’d been with many women, there were things I only did with Keira. I never ate pussy because I hated it. But with hers, I wanted to devour it.

  While she lost her virginity to someone else, I was the first man she made love to. And as far as I was concerned, I was her first and her only. I never thought about him unless she brought him up. When I imagined him hurting her, I wound up in my gym, demolishing my punching bag. I was somehow angrier about it than I was with Eva’s death—if that were even possible.

  My thoughts wandered into the darkness, and I forced them to halt. I tended to think about sex and violence because it was a habit. I looked at Keira, grateful she was wearing a baggy t-shirt and loose shorts. She was still beautiful, but my cock wasn’t hard in my shorts. “We’re doing something new today. I’m teaching you to spar.”

  She didn’t flinch. “Okay.”

  I was expecting a different reaction from her. She knew what the word ‘spar’ meant. We would participate in a match. Obviously, I wouldn’t hit her during the session, but it would look like it. But she wasn’t scared. “You ready?”

  “Yes.” Her voice didn’t shake. It contained her strength and confidence. She held her hands to her chest, taking the stance I taught her. Her posture was perfect and her thumbs were outside her fist.

  I was amazed.

  I took my stance and looked at her. “Hit me.”

  She didn’t hesitate. She threw a punch at my chin and I blocked. Then I threw my arm toward her, never going to actually touch her.

  She blocked it perfectly.

  Holy shit. I can’t believe that just happened. I stared at her, unsure what I was looking at.

  Keira returned to her stance, preparing for a possible strike. “What?”

  My hands were by my sides. Warmth like no other moved through my body. For the first time, I felt like she really trusted me. She knew I wouldn’t hurt her. She knew she was safe with me. “Nothing.”

  She faked to the right then sent her fist into my stomach. My abs tightened and deflected the blow. I was certain it hurt her more than it hurt me. I grabbed her arm then twisted it down, not squeezing her or hurting her. I held it, forcing her to maneuver out of my grasp.

  Keira didn’t panic. She kept calm then tried to evade my hold. I let her figure it out on her own before I helped her. When she was unable to get away, I instructed her.

  “Twist out.”

  She moved her arm, taking me to the point where I would break my wrist. I released her and she stepped back.

  “Always twist out. They’ll have to let go or break their hand.”

  “Okay.” Her clenched hands were near her face. She launched an attack at my chin, but I grabbed her arm then spun her around, pinning it against her back.

  “What are you going to do?”

  She squirmed but couldn’t evade my strength. I was too strong for her. She would have to figure out a different way.

  She thrashed in my grip but couldn’t get loose.

  “Come on, Keira.”

  She breathed heavily while she tried to push me back. I held my stance, a concrete wall. She stopped moving, tired out.

  “Don’t you dare give up.”

  She took another deep then tried to evade me.

  “Hurt me if you have to.”

  She released a frustrated sigh. “I can’t.”

  I wanted to push her. “Keira, I know you can do this. Just think.”

  She stopped moving while she breathed heavily. Her arms were pinned against her back. I only needed one hand to restrain her because she was so small. Patiently, I waited. I knew my girl could do it. She was small and fragile, but she was strong.

  She thrashed her head back and hit me square in the nose. Then she kicked her leg back, hitting me in the knee.

  Shocked by the hit, I released her and stepped back. Drops of blood came from my nose and I wiped them away.

  Keira stepped away then turned to me, her eyes wide. “I’m so sorry.” She cupped my face, tears in her eyes. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  I smiled at her then wiped the rest of the blood away. “That was awesome, baby.”

  “What…?”

  I took her hands in mine. “I’m so proud of you.”

  “Y
ou are…?”

  “Keep it up.”

  “But I hurt you.”

  “It was the best pain I’ve ever felt.” I grabbed her face and kissed her forehead. “Now let’s keep going.”

  “Are you sure? I hate hurting you.”

  I pulled my fists to my face and bounced on my feet. “Come on.”

  It took her a moment to get back into it. I knew she felt horrible for hurting me. But after she saw the grin on my face, she calmed down slightly. “Okay.”

  She and I sparred. She hit me with as much force as I could. I blocked her attacks then returned with attenuated ones of my own. She watched me closely, anticipating my moves before I even made them. I decided to pick it up a notch.

  I rushed her then tripped her feet from under her, making her fall back. Her eyes widened as she fell, but I caught her before she hit the floor, laying her down gently. It always surprised me how light she was. Then I moved on top of her, pinning her down. Judging by the look on her face, she wasn’t afraid.

  My large size held her down. “What are you going to do?” I never enjoyed thinking about the possibility of someone raping her, but I wanted her to be prepared for it. If some guy forced himself on her, she would be able to get away. And that helped me sleep better at night.

  She tried to shove me off but that was the same thing as pushing a mountain. No matter how hard she pushed, it would never budge.

  I grasped her hands and pinned them behind her head. “Come on, baby.”

  She bucked her hips and tried to knock me over.

  “Think.”

  “You’re a damn cow, Liam! How am I ever going to be able to get you off?”

  “You can.” I looked in her eyes and held her gaze. “I know you can.”

  “I’m not superwoman,” she snapped.

  “That’s where you’re wrong.”

  She stopped moving for a moment and caught her breath. The sweat was on her forehead. I tried not to get aroused at the sight. Any time she was under me, I wanted to be inside her.

  After her rest period, she struggled against me, trying to move me.

  I patiently waited for her to figure it out. “I have all day.”

  She growled at me.

  “Feisty…I like it.”

  “I give up.” She lay still.

  “Then we’ll be here all day and all night. And I know my baby gets hungry.”

  She got frustrated. “I’m half your size. There’s no way I could get away.”

  “Size has nothing to do with it. You could be stronger than me if you tried hard enough.”

  She shook her head. “You weigh two-hundred pounds.”

  “Like I said, size has nothing to do with it. I’m smaller than all my opponents and I still kick their ass. Why is that?”

  “I don’t know,” she said with a frustrated sigh.

  “Because I adapted. Find a way to overpower me without your strength.”

  “Liam, get off me.”

  “No.”

  Her eyes widened. “I said get off.”

  “No.” I held my ground. “I know you can do this. I’m going to push you.”

  She tried to shove me off. Now she was getting angry. “I mean it.”

  “No.”

  She breathed heavily, the redness coming in her face.

  “Come on…”

  Keira exploded then gave me a hard shove. I didn’t budge but she loosened her left leg. She was flexible so she wrapped it around my neck then pushed me off with a violent shove. When I was thrown off, my back hit the mat. She scrambled away from me then bolted to the stairs. I didn’t chase after her. Despite the fear I installed in her, I was proud of her. She was much stronger than she gave herself credit for.

  She stopped when she was halfway up the stairs. She breathed heavily, her back to me.

  I patiently waited for her to come back. I was tired of seeing her run. We made so much progress already.

  Keira slowly turned around then looked at me. A few tears were on her cheeks. I had no idea what she was thinking.

  She came back to me then straddled my hips. She pulled her shirt off, making my heart rate increase, and then leaned over me, her lips pressed to mine. The tears were on her lips but I kissed them away. My hands moved over her body, clutching her tightly.

  Keira pulled my bottoms off then removed my shirt. I undressed her just as quickly, the need strong in both of us. I rolled her to her back then moved between her legs. She was more aggressive than she usually was. She didn’t want to take this slow. She wanted me and wanted me now.

  She gripped my hip then pulled me into her. Together, we moved on the floor, touching each other while our bodies connected. She breathed heavily, her nails digging into my skin harder than she normally did. Seeing her so desperate for me made me move into her harder and faster. Our bodies were covered in sweat and we both panted.

  Keira had her moment instantly, moaning while she rode her high. She pulled me further into her, wanting more than I could give. Seeing the fire in her eyes destroyed my inhibitions. I released inside her, having an intense and powerful orgasm.

  Our relationship changed in that moment. We already loved each other and felt a connection stronger than anything else, but it somehow became deeper, more powerful.

  I was still inside her, leaning over her while I caught my breath.

  Her arms moved around my neck, anchoring me to her. “Thank you…”

  That went straight to my heart.

  “You’ve never given up on me….”

  “And I never will.”

  She pressed her face to mine and closed her eyes. “I was weak before you came along.”

  “No. You were always strong. But now you’re unshakeable.”

  Keira was different from that moment forward. While she was quiet and kept to herself, she was more vocal in her wants and needs. She told me what she was thinking without hesitation. And she stopped flinching.

  Our training made her less vulnerable. If she saw me during one of my workouts, she didn’t cower away. She didn’t close her eyes and run out. Despite my strength and size, I was no longer a threat to her in any way.

  And that felt wonderful.

  It’s what I wanted all along. She knew I would never hurt her but now she wasn’t intimidated by me because she knew she could defeat me if she had to. Giving her that knowledge was pure power. She knew she was strong.

  Her sexuality changed too, which I didn’t mind in the least. She wanted more control in the bedroom and I gave it to her. I woke up in the morning to her on top of me. She dug her nails into my chest while she rode me aggressively. When I touched her, she would pin my hands down, taking over the driver’s seat. I sat back and enjoyed the ride.

  Somehow, our relationship was better than it was before.

  She and I would run in the morning when the sun barely crested the horizon. For once, she was naturally better at it than I was. She could run long distances and never tire out. I could sprint and run short distances, but I was never a marathon runner. Keira could run forever.

  We kept the same pace while we jogged through the neighborhood. Other runners passed us. She wore shorts and a sports bra. I was pleased she showed her body in public. Now she wasn’t afraid to, and I had a feeling it wasn’t just because I was next to her. I always kept my shirt on because I didn’t want to draw attention to myself. I already had enough female admirers as it was.

  After our three mile run, we finally walked for our cool down. Keira breathed through her nose and out her mouth, but she didn’t seem winded by the exercise. I had sweat on my face and chest.

  “You’re a strong runner,” I said.

  Her hands were on her hips. “It’s the one thing I’m good at.”

  “You’re good at a lot of things.”

  She adjusted her ponytail then returned her hands to her hips.

  I eyed her stomach, seeing the tight muscles and flatness. I loved the thickness of her body. She wasn’t skinny
and frail. I was never into that. And she had breasts like a real woman. That’s how I liked her. She was perfect. She was fit. Not too many women could keep up with me.

  “I’ve been thinking…”

  I moved my gaze to the sidewalk in front of us, waiting for her to continue.

  “I think you should return to the ring.”

  I had been wondering this for a while, but I waited for her to address it first. While she improved in our sessions and was more open-minded to the idea, I didn’t want to rush her. “You do?”

  She nodded. “If it’s what you want, you should do it.”

  “I want what you want.”

  “And I want you to be happy.”

  Not having a job was starting to bother me. I had more than enough in my savings account, but not having an income made me uneasy. Now I had to take care of Keira and make sure she had everything she needed. She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, but now I was her man. That was my responsibility. “Are you sure?”

  “I am.”

  “There’s no going back, Keira. I’d be lucky if my agent took me back.”

  “He wasn’t happy when you left?”

  “That’s an understatement.”

  “Well, he’d be stupid if he didn’t take you back.” Her breathing slowed and her arms swung by her sides. Sweat was on the back of her neck.

  “You should watch a fight first.”

  She didn’t look at me. “Why do I need to watch them at all?”

  “I want you there. You’re my other half. I need your support if I’m going to do this.”

  We reached the house and she walked up the driveway. I stared at the hourglass figure of her waist and hips. She was perfect. I couldn’t stop staring at her. Even when she was clothed, I thought about the endless curves.

  She walked inside then took off her running shoes.

  “Keira?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Did you hear me?”

  She nodded. “I’ll try.”

  “I’ll make the arrangements.”

  Chapter Eleven