by L. P. Dover
“Claire, are you okay? What’s on your mind?”
I looked up just in time to see him release the towel from around his waist and use it to dry off his back and run it through his hair. It was hard to think or answer him with him standing there dripping wet and completely naked. He knew what he was doing, especially, when I looked up to see the smirk on his face.
“Are you going to answer me? What’s on your mind?” he repeated.
Leaning my head against the headboard, I smiled and turned my phone to him so he could see the picture. Melissa had snatched mine and Mason’s phones so she could take them, to show proof that he and I had a connection. Mason moved closer and sat down on the bed beside me, taking my phone.
“Oh wow,” he breathed in disbelief, eyes going wide. “I can’t believe you kept this picture of us after all this time. I figured you would’ve deleted it after I left.”
I snorted. “Trust me, I wanted to, but I couldn’t let it go.”
He placed my phone on the bedside table and reached over to grab his. “You know, it’s funny because I couldn’t let mine go either,” he admitted, showing me the same picture on his phone. Sighing, he looked at it again. “It was a reminder of what I lost.”
Gently, I took his phone and set it aside. “I’m not lost anymore, Mason. You found me, and even though that picture brings back bad memories it still had its good ones, too. I remember that night being one of the best nights of sex I’d ever had.”
“Really?” he asked incredulously. “How about we make tonight another one as well?”
Slowly, I pulled away the sheets that covered my body, and exposed the lacy red lingerie underneath before replying to him, “Aren’t you supposed to refrain from all kinds of sexual activity before a big fight? I could’ve sworn I’d heard that somewhere.”
Mason threw the sheets back further and climbed on top of me, separating my legs with his knee. “Yes, we’re supposed to, but not everyone goes by that. There’s no way in hell I’m going to let something like that keep me from making love to you tonight, especially now that I’ve seen you in that,” he said, gazing passionately up and down my body.
Inch by inch, he lowered his lips to my thigh and kissed his way up to my stomach, lifting my lingerie as he went. “The only thing that’s going to get me through all of this when you leave is the thought that no matter what happens I’ll be able to come home to you every day once I make it back. I’ll be able to touch you like this,” he murmured, caressing his thumbs across my peaked nipples, “and like this,” he continued, slowly trailing his fingers down my stomach. He pushed my thongs aside and slipped a finger inside the heat between my legs.
“Mason,” I breathed, gripping onto his arm as he moved it back and forth with his thrusts.
Arching my back, I gave into his touch, moaning in delight as he explored me with his fingers. All too soon, he pulled them out, leaving me breathless. Slowly, he slid my underwear down my legs. Using his tongue, he licked a path all the way up my leg to the inside of my thigh before sucking on the spot that ached to feel his touch. Nuzzling my clit with his nose, he kept his gaze on mine as he fucked me with his tongue. I was getting close to losing control and before I could hit that peak, Mason chuckled and left me hanging while continuing his torturous path up my body to my breasts.
“That’s not funny,” I growled. Mason smiled and bit one of my nipples teasingly through my top.
“Your orgasms tonight will all be with me inside you, Claire. Just like mine will all be with me inside you.”
He lifted my lingerie, exposing my bare flesh, and tossed it on the floor before wrapping his warm lips around my breast, making everything tighten and throb with need. Mason lifted his head and gazed down at me with his sensual green eyes. Pressing his hips against mine, he positioned himself between my legs, grazing his cock along my opening as he swiveled his hips in a slow circle.
“Claire,” he whispered.
Taking my face in his hands, he lowered his lips to mine and stayed there, breathing me in with just the gentlest of touches. When he pulled back, he caressed my cheeks with his thumbs and tenderly pushed inside me until he was all the way in.
“Other than touching you and seeing your beautiful face every day when I come back to you, do you want to know the main thing I look forward to the most?” he asked, groaning as he slid in and out of my body.
Panting, I bit my bottom lip and nodded. “Tell me,” I replied breathlessly.
Even though the room was dim with the lights of the city below giving us a semblance of light, I could see the sheen of tears misting in his eyes. “The thing I look forward to the most is coming home to you every day and being able to look into your eyes and tell you that I love you. I’m going to tell you that every single day for the rest of my life.”
Tears began to stream down my face, but I chuckled through them. “I look forward to that, too, Mason. I love you so much.”
There was no rushing, no going fast as Mason and I made love. It wasn’t the usual heated and wild sex we’d been having; it was something different … something I felt all the way down to my soul. This was what love felt like and it was beautiful, it was what I’d been waiting for. Mason pressed his lips to mine and slowly caressed my tongue with his while thrusting deep and slow. His torturous pace only heightened my desire, so I locked my legs around his waist and held on while moving my hips against his.
Picking up his pace, Mason moaned and murmured in my ear, “Let it go, baby, so I can come inside you.”
His words were all it took to send me over the edge. Gripping his shoulders, my skin tingled and my toes curled as the longest and strongest orgasm I had ever felt exploded across my entire body. Mason’s body jerked as he filled me with his release, his cock pulsating. I loved the feel of him coming inside of me, and knowing that he felt the same level of ecstasy while still being connected to my body.
Mason smiled down at me without a single drop of sweat or heaving for air. Biting his lip, he leaned down and kissed me more firmly, lifting my back off the bed so my breasts were brought up straight to his lips.
“Are you ready for the real fun to begin?” he asked, licking a taut nipple. My body trembled and I could already feel myself tightening around his growing cock. “That’s right, baby. I see that you are ready. Going slow was my way of showing you how much I love you and that I will treat that love with tender hands. However, now … I will show you what my determination and loyalty to you feels like.”
Oh, wow, here we go. I could see it in his eyes it was going to be an interesting night.
He grinned as he pushed harder and faster between my legs. “Damn, you’re getting so wet for me. I take it you like me showing my emotions this way.”
“You have no idea,” I breathed, moaning with each thrust. “How many emotions are you going to show me?”
“There are too many to count, baby. Just bear with me because it’s going to be a long, emotional ride tonight. I want you to feel what I feel,” he murmured.
I do, and I always will.
Fight Night
The whole morning and afternoon Mason pretty much kept to himself and didn’t say a whole lot. I figured it was because tonight was the big fight and he needed to stay focused. However, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going on that he wasn’t telling me about. I left him alone, though, and let him do his thing. He didn’t go to the gym, but as I sat on the bed I watched him practice and warm up in the hotel room before it was time to leave. He loaded up on a plate of pasta and drank an energy drink to get him started while I ate my favorite dish of parmesan crusted chicken. We stayed up almost all night, but at least he slept in until late morning. I was worried it would affect his fighting, but he seemed to be going strong.
Before arriving at the club, Mason’s phone rang with an incoming call, and when I handed him his phone, I recognized the number as one from the hospital. For the past couple of days, Summer had been doing better and was
showing signs of improvement. I could only hope she was being discharged so she could go home to be with her family. Mason answered the call and I could hear the happiness in his voice as he spoke to her.
As soon as Mason hung up, he turned to me with a sad, but peaceful smile. “Summer’s being discharged right now, and since it’s late, her and her sister are going to stay the night before getting a flight back to the east coast. Austin’s body will be flown over as well so his family can have his funeral.”
“When are they doing that? Will you be able to go to it?” I asked sadly.
Mason shrugged. “I don’t know. Summer didn’t have the details, but I’m assuming it’ll be in the next three to four days. I’d like to go, but she said she understood if I wouldn’t be able to make it.”
“Well, at least she gets to go home and start the healing process. I can’t imagine the scars she’ll have over all of this,” I mentioned sadly.
Mason nodded, but stayed silent as we rode the rest of the way to the club. We pulled into the parking lot and the crowd was already backed up around the building. “Wow,” I breathed. “These people must really want to see you and Matt fight tonight.”
Mason snorted. “Matt’s one of the best fighters out there. I’m sure most of them are here for him.” It was the longest set of words he’d spoken to me all day, and I could hear the doubt in his voice. The last thing I wanted was for him to get psyched out. He was an amazing fighter and even though I didn’t know who Matt Reynolds was, I knew Mason would be able to take him down.
Reaching over, I squeezed the hand he had fisted in his lap. “Either way, Mason, you’re going to do great. I have complete and utter faith in you,” I assured him. “You can do this.”
We bypassed all of the people in line; a lot of the women waiting hooted and hollered at Mason, wishing him good luck, while some screamed for him to fuck them. As soon as we got inside we went straight to the hidden staircase to go up to Jake’s office.
“All for Matt, huh?” I teased sarcastically. “Did you always have women calling after you like that?”
Sighing, he said, “Sometimes, but that was a long time ago. You have nothing to worry about.” Taking my hand, I followed him the rest of the way up the steps. I know I had nothing to worry about, but it would take some getting used to if I had to be around women fawning over him all the time.
Mason wanted me with him while he changed into his fighter shorts and taped his hands; he didn’t want me alone. He also wanted to ask Jake if he wouldn’t mind sitting with me and making sure I wasn’t by myself while he fought.
Once we reached the top of the steps, the door to Jake’s office was open so we went right in to find him at his desk. Lifting his head, he smiled and motioned for us to sit on the plush, leather couch in front of him.
“Hey, kitten,” he said to me, then to Mason he asked, “Are you ready for the fight? We’re going to have a full house tonight.”
“Yes, I saw that already,” he responded. “I’m ready, though.”
Jake got to his feet and came around the desk. “All right, you two, I’m going to go downstairs and get me a drink before the fight. You have twenty minutes until you need to be down there, Mason.”
Mason nodded. “I understand. We’ll be down there soon. However, I do have a simple request.”
Jake leaned against his desk, furrowing his brows. “What do you need from me, son?”
Mason glanced over at me quickly before looking up at Jake. “Would you mind staying with Claire during the fight? It’s not safe for her to be alone right now.”
Crossing his arms over his chest, his eyes went wide, panicked. “What do you mean it’s not safe? Why would Claire not be safe here?”
This time it was me who answered, “Jake, it’s a long story, and I’ll tell you once we get seated for the fight. The main thing right now is that I not be alone. I was attacked by Chase Benfield the other day and Mason’s afraid that something else might happen to me.”
Jake’s face turned bright red, the muscles in his jaw clenching as he reached behind him to grab the phone on his desk. He dialed a couple of numbers, and as soon as a voice spoke out on the other end, Jake snapped into the phone, “If you see Chase Benfield anywhere near my premises I want him gone immediately! Do you understand? I don’t care what you have to do, but I don’t want that fucker anywhere near my front doors.”
He slammed the phone down and rubbed his temples before eyeing me. “Why am I the last one to find out anything? I want you to tell me everything. I should’ve known he would be trouble.”
“That’s not even the half of it, Jake,” I informed him warily. “So do you mind sitting with me? I’m sure Tyler wouldn’t mind either.”
“Kitten, you don’t even have to ask. I’ll wait for you both down there.” He patted me on the shoulder as he walked by and closed the door on his way out.
Mason got to his feet and changed out of his jeans and shirt into his fighter shorts with the eagle on the side. He started to tape up his hands, but stopped when I approached him and ran my fingers over the eagle tattoo on his arm.
“Mason, I can tell when something’s eating away at someone. I know you’re keeping something from me and I trust that you’re making the right decision by doing so. Whatever it is, just know that I stand behind you no matter what. I don’t want to see you lose this fight because you’re worried about something. Clear your mind and focus only on doing your best and being the best fighter you can be. There’s nothing else you need to worry about. That all will still be there after you fight.”
Finally looking up at him, he abruptly pulled me into his arms and held me tight. I laid my head on his bare chest and breathed him in while he laid his soft, warm lips on my forehead. “How did you get so wise?” he asked teasingly.
I laughed. “I don’t know. I just felt like you needed those words of encouragement. You haven’t spoken to me much today and it had me worried.”
Grabbing my shoulders, he pulled me away from him and took my face in his hands. “I’ve had a lot on my mind today and I’ll admit I’ve been worried sick about your safety. If I had my way you would already be back in California right now. I’m only letting you be here because you wanted to be. I’m not going to make your choices for you.”
He kissed me on the lips and lingered there, placing his forehead to mine. “Thank you, though. I needed those words of encouragement, by the way. It definitely helped,” he murmured sweetly.
“You’re welcome, but now you need to finish taping your hands. I’m ready to watch you kick ass.”
Mason chuckled and resumed to tape his hands while I watched. Please let him win.
Jake was by the bar drinking a tumbler of whiskey when we got downstairs. When he spotted me and Mason he held out a glass of wine. I graciously took it, gulping it down. I needed it to get through the fight.
“Are we ready to go in there?” Jake asked, lifting a brow at Mason.
Mason nodded, keeping his face blank and devoid of any emotion. It was different seeing him like that, but I knew he was getting his mind right for the fight. It was actually kind of sexy seeing the tough, alpha male side of him.
I must’ve been smiling like an idiot because Jake chuckled under his breath and snapped his fingers in front of my face. “Are you done staring at him now? We have to go,” he announced with a wink of his eye.
Grabbing his glass of whiskey and a bottle of wine for me, Jake set off toward the arena while Mason and I followed. Mason put his arm around my waist, and leaned down to whisper in my ear, “While I’m in the cage, stay where I can see you. Don’t go wandering off by yourself, okay?”
“Don’t worry about me, Mason, I’ll be fine. I’m not going to go anywhere by myself. Anyway, you need to keep your mind on the fight … not me. This is about you and showing people what you can do and what you’re made of. I know you can do this.”
When we got into the arena, Mason pulled me aside and crushed his lips to mine,
claiming me with his tongue. The people around us whistled and made some inappropriate comments, but Mason didn’t care. Lifting me in his arms, he held me tight and before putting me down, he whispered gruffly in my ear, “Thank you for having faith in me. I love you.”
“And I love you. Now go!”
Setting me on my feet, he walked me over to Jake and ran off to the back of the arena where the announcer was getting primped for the camera, along with Tyler and his dad. Jake nudged my arm with his elbow and pointed toward the ring.
“All right, kitten, let’s go get our seats. I’m assuming Tyler and Stephen are going to be Mason’s entourage tonight?”
With a smile on my face, I watched as Tyler and his dad gave Mason a pep talk and helped him warm up. “It looks like it,” I said. “The three make a great team.”
“Tyler and Stephen are good people. They’ve worked hard for what they have. Mason should consider hiring them if he wants to keep fighting,” he pointed out.
“You know, he hasn’t really talked about his fighting much. I don’t even know what he’s going to do.”
It made me wonder what Mason’s plan was going to be after everything finally came to an end. He said he was going to take time off from the force, except now that he had a chance to pursue his fighting again, would he? I don’t think he even knows what he wants to do. Either way, I supported him no matter what he wanted to do in life. If it was his dream then I wanted him to live it. Twenty-seven was too old to try and get into dancing professionally. I missed my chance years ago, but if one of us could live out their dream then he needed to go for it.
“We have one minute, kitten. This is going to be one hell of a fight,” Jake exclaimed.
People kept pouring in through the doors and the seats were already packed with none to spare except the one beside me. The front row seats around the cage were only for people Jake approved such as the professional UFC fighters and all the people associated with them. There were camera crews all around getting the cameras ready to host the fight live since Matt Reynolds was the highlight.