All It Takes

by Clare Dugmore

Surprising me, Kian followed. “Scooch over then.”

  The chair was barely big enough for me, let alone two people, but I couldn’t refuse those pleading blue eyes, so I perched on the edge and Kian sat next to me, our arms brushing. As I began eating, I noticed the guys Kian had arrived with were still near the back of the queue, and it suddenly dawned on me why he’d been so nice.

  “Oh my God. You used me to queue jump,” I blurted out.

  Kian burst out laughing and took a swig from his can of Coke. “I wondered if anyone would notice.”

  “And all that about being Josh Browne’s training buddy was to lure me into a false sense of security so I wouldn’t figure out what you were doing?”

  “Yeah, but I was telling the truth, too. He really is my training buddy.”

  “Sly bastard.”

  “Hey, I paid for you chips, didn’t I?”

  “You used me to cut the queue. I’d hardly call paying for a measly bag of chips even. Which, by the way, I only asked for so I wouldn’t seem rude ordering everything on the menu.”

  Kian laughed. “All right, how ‘bout I make it up to you? I’ll give you a ride home. I called a taxi before coming in. It’ll be here soon. We can swing by yours first.”

  “You don’t even know where I live. It could be miles away.”

  “It makes no difference to me,” he said with a cocked eyebrow. “So, do you wanna get out of the rain or not?”

  I hesitated for a second, thinking what a bad idea this probably was, and was about to decline, when a drop of water cascaded down my back, causing me to shiver.

  “Okay. Thanks. I’d really appreciate it.”

  Kian said nothing more but simply nodded his head and carried on eating. When our polystyrene containers were empty, I chucked them in the bin then awkwardly stood back as Kian spoke to his mates. I couldn’t hear what they were saying above the noise of chatter and the radio playing, but one of the guys looked over at me and grinned. My cheeks burned. I felt like a rare animal on show.

  What must they be thinking? Do they think we’re going home together?

  I was about to tell Kian I’d changed my mind when I looked outside and saw how heavy the rain was.

  Sod it. Let them talk. I wanna be warm and dry!

  Kian and I stepped outside just as the taxi pulled up.

  “Where we headed?” he asked as we climbed inside.

  I told Kian my address, and he turned to the driver. “Alright, Baz? Can we make a detour to Aldridge Avenue?”

  “Sure, mate. No problem.”

  “Do you know everyone?” I asked with a laugh.

  “Nah, it just seems like it. Baz is a regular at fights, and he got my leather jacket back after an all-nighter. After that, he’s my go-to taxi guy.”

  We’d been driving for about ten minutes when Kian said, “So, can I ask you a question?”

  “I don’t know. Depends what the question is.”

  Kian laughed. “Do you make a habit of getting into cars with strangers?”

  I turned to face him and couldn’t suppress the giggle that passed my lips at his cocky expression. “Actually, I do. Is that a problem for you?”

  He shook his head in amusement and laughed deeply. The sound made me laugh too; it seemed so carefree.

  “Seriously, though. I don’t do this all the time. It was either get a ride with a stranger or risk pneumonia.”

  He chuckled again, causing the butterflies in my stomach to lay eggs, and more butterflies hatched until it felt like I was housing an insectarium.

  “Next question,” he said after a few moments. “What do you do? I mean, besides getting into cars with strangers?”

  “I’m sure you don’t want to know about my monotonous life of studying at uni and waiting tables.”

  I loved what I did, but I was sure compared to cage fighting, graphic design seemed boring.

  “I meant when you’re not working.”

  “Oh, you know, the usual,” I replied with a shrug. Kian’s eyes on me made me squirm in my seat. “Going out for dinner, seeing movies, catching up with friends, and erm… what else have I memorized from my CV for awkward situations like this? Oh, yeah. I work well as part of a team. What about you?”

  “With my schedule? I’m lucky to get a day off every month. I’m training most days. Either that or my sponsors are on my case about media appearances. If it was up to me, I’d be at home on the sofa, watching TV all day, getting fat.”

  “It’s gotta be great though, getting paid to travel? I bet you get to go abroad a fair bit, too, when there’s international fights?”

  “It depends where you’re going.”

  “How come?”

  “The last time I went to Japan I got my arse kicked.”

  “I thought you guys were meant to be tough?”

  “I am fucking tough, but those guys are insane. And they use steroids. Right vicious bastards, they are. One almost bit my ear off. And I swear their legs are made of lead.”

  I’d imagined fighters were macho ‘I’m so hard’ types, but Kian wasn’t. In the short time we’d been in the taxi together, I was liking him more and more. The confidence and self-assurance was still there, but I was beginning to see it was coupled with an ability to laugh at himself and not take life too seriously.

  “So, Aldridge, eh? You renting with mates or you got your own place?”

  “No, just me. I moved out of my parents’ house a few years ago and didn’t really want to share with anyone else, so I rented a place on my own.”

  He nodded and looked thoughtful for a moment. “Don’t you get lonely? I know I really notice the difference when I’m not working.”

  “Actually, I quite like it. I still see my parents about once a week, and I have my friends over just as much. But this way, I’m free to do my own thing without worrying about anyone else.”

  “That’s certainly something I could get used to. It’s hard sometimes, working so much and having everyone else tell you what to do – what time to be at the gym, when you need to travel somewhere.”

  “Yeah, but you’re doing something you love, right?”

  “Oh, of course. I wouldn’t give up fighting for the world. There’s never been anything else I’ve wanted to do.”

  “You’re lucky. Not a lot of people find that in life.”

  “Yeah. I count my blessings every day.”

  Again, we both fell silent, and I thought what a well-grounded guy he seemed. He couldn’t have been that much older than me – mid-twenties at the most – and yet he seemed to have his feet firmly on the ground. The downside to that was that every second I spoke to him, I found myself more attracted to him.

  As if reading my thoughts, Kian suddenly turned to me. “Okay, last question. If I were to ask you out to dinner the next time I’m free, what would your answer be?”

  The look of complete certainty on his face made it hard for me to believe he actually thought I’d turn him down.

  “I’d say I’d like that very much.”

  The grin that passed his lips was unmistakeable. I had to avert my eyes from his, and I willed my heart to stop racing. I had no idea what had come over me, but being in his presence made me feel extremely giddy.

  We continued to make small talk – chatting about what movies we’d seen recently and the type of music we liked. I was delighted to learn he enjoyed cooking and had a secret passion for creating his own unique dishes.

  As we pulled onto my street, Kian turned to me with a cocky grin and said, “So, are you going to invite me in for coffee, then?”

  I laughed at his blatant presumptuousness.

  “Sure, but I’ve only got instant.”

  He smirked as he climbed out of the taxi and handed Baz a twenty pound note, then without any more of an invitation, strolled up the pathway to my block of flats.

  For a moment, I had to steady myself on the side of the car. For the first time in years, I felt like a giggling teenager.

  The second
my front door closed, Kian took my hands and pulled me to him. Slowly and deliberately, he pulled my arms up to wrap around his neck, and his own curled around my waist. Our bodies were just inches apart, and I was sure he would feel my heart thundering in my chest. He seemed unaware of the physical effect he was having on me as he tilted my head up to meet his.

  With an almost smug smile, he lowered his lips to mine, and crushed them against my mouth. The embrace was everything I’d imagined – and hoped – it would be. Passionate, heated, and drawn out. His mouth tasted vaguely of alcohol, which only caused my senses to buzz more. He gently slid his tongue inside my mouth, and the ground gave way underneath me and my legs turned to jelly. My whole body was on fire when his hands crept up my back and into my hair, and a gentle tugging on my locks caused me to lose any inhibitions I had left. I pressed my body up against his, allowing my leg to snake around his.

  He gripped my arse, his tongue delving further into my mouth, and pinned me against the door. I was dizzy with lust and breathing heavily when he pulled away from the kiss. It was like I’d just been parted from of a vital part of my existence, and wanted nothing more than to feel his lips on mine again.

  He took my hand in his and confidently walked me backwards to the living room. With a light push, he forced me down onto the sofa, and then resumed his assault on my lips. I wrapped my arms around his neck, with a fervent desire to pull his body as physically close to me as possible. As the kiss deepened, he carefully leant me backwards so I was lying on the couch with his body hard against mine.

  His hot lips trailed down my jawline to explore the planes of my neck and collarbone with a deliberate slowness of his tongue. As he did, my hands reached under his t-shirt, and I longingly caressed the taut, smoothness of his chest.

  I became completely lost in a lustful haze, and my breathing was ragged. His hands roamed over my body, cupping my breasts and caressing them gently.

  Kian unfastened my halter-top to reveal the black underwear I wore underneath, and then carefully moved the material aside. With a slight tilt of his head, he took my left breast into his mouth and sucked on the nipple until it was hard.

  My body trembled, and I wanted nothing more than to feel his naked skin against mine. He pulled away from the embrace and rose from the couch. I looked at him with wide, doe-like eyes, but he simply smirked, scooped me up into his arms, and then strode towards the open living room door. With me in his arms, he crossed the hallway in a few quick steps then led me to the bedroom, where he kicked the door open.

  My body buzzed with every step closer to the bed he took.

  He carried me confidently and lightly pushed me down onto the bed. Then, keeping his gaze directly fixed on mine, he began to slowly remove my clothing.

  As each garment fluttered to the ground, he stared at my body hungrily, only pausing to lavish more sensuous attention on each of my breasts, until I lay before him completely naked.

  With Kian watching me through lust-clouded eyes, heat pooled between my legs.

  He all but ripped his own clothes off, almost as if daring me to reach out and touch him, and I watched in awe as his perfectly sculptured body was revealed to me. The soft lighting of the dawn sun filtering through the curtains defined every toned muscle of his chest. My eyes wandered down to the array of tattoos on his forearms.

  Knowing full well the effect he was having on me, he stepped towards the bed and lowered himself onto me.

  I gasped as he entered me, and my legs involuntary wrapped around his waist as he buried himself inside me.

  His hands reached up and firmly clasped my wrists, pinning my arms above my head, his pace quickening. All I could do to stop myself from screaming out was bite down on my bottom lip. I felt the wave of passion cresting as he drove into me. My back arched up off the bed as he released his hold on my arms and forced my leg higher so he could penetrate me more deeply. My body ached with a feeling that was between pleasure and torture.

  My whole body quivered as each thrust pulled me closer to him. It was like a blissful assault I never wanted to end.

  Just when I thought I couldn’t take any more, I was tipped over the edge. Climax spread through my body, consuming every part of me and making my toes curl. A few minutes later, he joined me in release, and his full weight collapsed against me. With one smooth movement, he rolled to his side so his arm was draped over my stomach and his head was buried in my hair. Almost instantly, we both drifted off into a deep and contented sleep.

  CHAPTER TWO

  The bitch had to be lying. There was no fucking way she was telling the truth.

  “Bullshit,” I muttered, sliding my phone back into my gym bag. I sat hunched over on the locker room bench, my head in my hands. “It’s gotta be bullshit.”

  “Oi. Murphy. You all right, mate? You look like a ghost,” Browne said.

  “Yeah, it’s all good, mate. Think I winded myself is all.” Josh was a good guy, but he wouldn’t have a fucking clue about this. “Just gimme a minute and I’ll be sound.”

  A minute. An hour. Whatever. It didn’t matter. This wasn’t real. The phone call wasn’t real. I sure as hell knew the news wasn’t real.

  Things like that didn’t happen to me. Love ‘em. Leave ‘em. Maybe if she was good in the sack she’d get a phone call. Anything more just wasn’t my style.

  I hadn’t given Megan a second thought, apart from to notice how well she’d taken the brush off. I was glad I didn’t have to give her the usual spiel about how training left no time for relationships. The drawback to being famous was girls became obsessive, telling me they were willing to make it work, and if only I’d agree, they knew we’d make a great couple.

  Megan wasn’t like that, or so I’d thought until she’d called me. I figured she’d been thinking of me non-stop since the night we’d shagged.

  “Hey, is this Kian Murphy?” Her voice sounded shaky. Not like I remembered it.

  I knew I had to end things quickly before they got out of hand. “Listen, Meg, I had a really great time with you and all, but I just don’t think my schedule will allow me to see you right now.”

  She laughed, but it sounded forced, like she was afraid.

  “Actually, I wasn’t calling to ask you out again. I wouldn’t be calling at all if I didn’t have to.”

  Well, this is a first…

  More silence followed until curiosity got the better of me. “Then why are you calling?”

  “The thing is…” Her voice trembled then her sentence tumbled out of her mouth in one long breath. “I’m-pregnant-and-it’s-your-baby.”

  “What?” This was some sort of joke, right? Browne knew her mate. They’d set this up together to screw with me. “There’s gotta be a mistake.”

  “No, there isn’t. I took a test a couple of days ago, and would have called you sooner, but I’ve been trying to get my head around it. And before you ask, you’re the only person I’ve slept with in the last few months. There’s no mistake.”

  “Then the test is wrong.”

  She let out a bitter laugh. “Pregnancy tests don’t work like that. If it’s positive, you’re definitely pregnant. It’s only when the test is negative that there might be an error.”

  “Have you even been to the doctor yet? How can you know for sure?”

  “I don’t need to go to a doctor. I’m sure.”

  “I won’t accept it until you’ve seen a doctor.”

  “Fine. I’ll call you back later when I’ve been to my G.P,” she said, and then hung up.

  I looked up and saw the locker room was empty. Training would be starting soon. Davi Silva, our trainer, would cut me some slack, though. I was the Welterweight Champion, and every gym in the country wanted me. Silva couldn’t afford to piss me off.

  The more I thought about it, the more I realised it didn’t matter if Megan saw her doctor or not – she was pregnant. There’s no way she’d have called if she wasn’t sure. But was the baby really mine? She had no problem jumping int
o bed with me. What was stopping her shagging any other random guy she met? How did I know she hadn’t got pregnant by some loser and called me up because I was the better option? Hell, she could’ve been pregnant on the night we’d met and thought I’d be an easy mark.

  But Megan hadn’t seemed like the type to sleep with someone like me then sell her story to the local rag. If I’d thought that, I’d have stayed well away. After years of hooking up randomly in clubs, I could spot a gold digger from a mile away. Megan wasn’t like that. The baby was mine.

  I looked up to see Browne standing in the locker room doorway. “Silva wants you to break in the new guy.”

  “Gimme a minute.”

  I stalked down the hallway of the gym in a daze until I walked smack bang into the receptionist, Ruby.

  Fuck. She was the last person I wanted to see.

  “Hey, Kian. I was looking for you earlier.” She pouted and did that thing with her eyes I used to find sexy, but now made me want to scream. “I was wondering if you were coming out with everyone else tonight. It’d be nice if we spent some time together.”

  I clenched my fists to my sides. Ruby had been bugging me for the last two months. No matter how many times I told her what we had was a one-time thing, the woman just kept coming back for more.

  “Out of my way,” I said as I pushed past her and walked into the training room.

  Browne smirked and his eyes fell on Ruby, who looked at me with a scowl on her face.

  “She’s got it bad, man.”

  “Don’t start with me today, pretty boy.”

  “All right. Don’t get your knickers in a knot.”

  “Fuck off, smart arse.”

  Before we could carry on, Silva rushed over to see what the hold up was.

  I paced the floor as I waited for Browne to discuss his new training schedule with Sliva. When he was done, I said, “You wanted me to break the new guy in?”

  The new guy was Bill Bagley, former Middleweight Champion of a promotion up in Manchester, who’d moved to the Midlands because we were the best and he knew it. His first fight was in a month, and Silva wanted to whip him into shape for the main event.