Impact (The Fight for Life #2)

by K. A. Sterritt

  “Okay. Juliette Elizabeth Salinger. I love you and whether we stay in the city or move out here, will you move in with me?”

  I couldn’t resist kissing her because I could never resist kissing my girl. When I pulled away, she was still grinning.

  “I love you too and yes, I’ll live with you, Leo…”

  “William. After my dad and grandfather.”

  She nodded. “Leo William Ashlar. I want to go to bed with you every night and wake up with you every morning. I want you to heat up tomato soup for me and I want to cook you dinner using the vegetables from our very own vegetable garden.” She looked at me with glistening eyes. “I want it all with you.”

  I closed the distance between us and kissed her hard on the mouth. The night sky darkened as we lost ourselves in that kiss because we had both said the words that had been like an elephant in the room since she’d returned from overseas. I needed her like I’d never needed anyone before. I wanted to bury myself so far inside her, I’d never find my way out. My heart and soul had belonged to her from the beginning. It was my mind that had needed to catch up.

  When we came up for air, she took a step back and unwrapped her cardigan. She pulled her top down, revealing the top of a very sexy-looking bra. She pulled it back up quickly and rewrapped herself in the damn cardigan.

  “I told you I had a surprise for you.” She winked and nearly killed me with a seductive smile.

  Without thinking, I scooped her up and threw her over my shoulder. Slamming my hand on the doorhandle, I opened the front door and stormed into the entry foyer with one thing on my mind and one thing only. I went for the closest door, the spare bedroom in the front right-hand corner of the house. I’d only ever been in that room a handful of times, but I knew there was a large bed in there covered in a cotton tarp.

  “Let me down, you caveman.” She squealed, batting my back while she made her demands.

  I flung her on the bed and she yelped as she landed softly on the mattress, a plume of dust rising up around her. “Well this is just like camping.” She giggled, coughing a little.

  Standing at the side of the bed and admiring her, I was too driven by the lust that her little sneak peek had sparked to worry about a little dust. “I need you naked, princess.”

  “We’re going to do this here?” She glanced around the room.

  I nodded, holding on to my senses with a tiny thread of will. Thankfully she started to pull at her clothes as I kicked off my boots. The curtains over both the windows were open and the soft moonlight made her glow. My beautiful girl was spectacular.

  Lust was overtaking me and I needed to have her immediately. I would take my time with her later, but she’d just said she loved me for the first time since returning home from overseas and formally agreed to live with me. Flashing her sexy bra tipped me right over the edge and I was on borrowed time. I reached behind my neck and grabbed the collar of my shirt, pulling it over my head in one quick movement. She had removed her cardigan and had pulled her hair tie out so her long hair hung loosely over her shoulders. She was a fucking vision and she still had most of her clothes on.

  I popped the button on my jeans and unzipped, eager to be completely rid of anything that would get between my skin and hers. My jeans pooled on the floor and I bent over to help wrench them the rest of the way off. When they caught up on one of my feet, I was irritated, extremely horny and in no way prepared for what I was about to see.

  I stood up, ready to help her finish stripping, but when my eyes landed on her, my mouth went dry and my heart felt like a jack hammer hard at work against my chest. I had to place my hand over it to make sure it didn’t burst through. Juliette was sexy in track pants and a t-shirt, she was sexy sitting on the couch reading her Kindle and chewing on her thumb. She was sexy behind the wheel of her car, pushing it to the limit with her mad driving skills, and she was sure as shit sexy in a boxing ring, glistening with sweat and determination. However, lying on the bed in front of me was a vision I would find hard to surpass in my wildest fantasies. Her eyes danced with excitement and her knowing grin ended me.

  Propped up on her elbows, she had laid herself out for me in some kind of leather lingerie with one leg bent. She was the sexiest fucking thing I’d seen in my life.

  “I was told it was inspired by a biker’s leather jacket.” She glanced down at herself encased in black leather triangles I couldn’t even begin to get my head around. “I thought you’d like it.”

  “Like it?” I croaked and had to swallow for a little lubrication on my dry throat. My gaze roamed further down her body and my wet dream was officially complete. “Did you think there was any chance I would want to resist you?” I asked with one knee on the bed. “You would be irresistable in a hessian sack, but this….” I prowled my way up the bed to get closer to my prize. When I reached her, I enjoyed a closer look at the lingerie designed to give men heart attacks. “This is the sexiest damn sight, Jules.” I grazed my fingers up her legs then lazily explored the rest of her incredible body.

  “I wanted to blow your mind.”

  “Mission accomplished.” I couldn’t take any more talking when what I wanted to do was rip the leather from her body and devour her.

  So, that’s what I did, except that getting her out of the leather contraption wasn’t as easy as I’d hoped. After far too long pulling, yanking, unclipping, I sat back and threw my hands in the air. “Well, fuck.” I huffed. “You’d have to be Houdini to get out of this.”

  She threw her head back against the canvas and laughed. I was unamused and my balls were turning bluer by the second. “I’m sorry,” she spluttered, propping herself up on her elbows and casting her gaze down her body, which was now trussed up like a Christmas ham. She was still chuckling, but thankfully started deftly slipping her body from the lingerie.

  “This didn’t go quite as planned,” she said when she was finally naked. “Maybe I’ll go for something a little simpler next time. The lady at the shop—”

  I thrust into her and she gasped, ceasing whatever she had been about to say.

  “No more talking, baby.” I was officially ready to take her and claim her as mine.

  When our bodies were sated and our breathing returned to normal, it dawned on me that it was fucking freezing. “Jules,” I whispered, holding her close to my body.

  “Yeah,” she whispered back, nuzzling her nose into my neck.

  “I think we should resume this position in the tent.”

  She nodded, pulling herself up and redressing. I did the same, noticing the leather contraption was left on the bed. I picked it up and twirled it on my finger. “Nice surprise, babe.”

  Her smug smile made me laugh as we headed back outside. When I closed the front door, I remembered why we’d been out there in the first place rather than heading straight to the tent.

  Possibly having the same thought, she glanced around the front garden and up to the deserted road. “It’s so quiet.” For some reason, she whispered.

  “It’s just you and me, Jules.”

  She looked into my eyes, lit up by her beautiful smile. “Always.”

  ***

  I woke the next morning with Jules safely cocooned into the crook of my arm. I didn’t think I’d ever slept so soundly in my whole life.

  Out of the blue, I felt Jules’s body shaking against mine. I was pretty sure she was trying not to laugh. “What’s so funny?” I asked, tightening my arm around her.

  She propped herself up on my chest. “Nothing.” She smiled and kissed me.

  I pushed her back gently. “Tell me what was so funny.”

  She scrunched up her nose. “I already told you that sometimes I get an uncontrollable urge to laugh when I’m either really happy or really scared.”

  “You really laugh when you’re scared?”

  I nodded. “Yep. It’s weird and often quite inappropriate.”

  “So were you happy or scared just now?”

  Her blue eyes brightened. �
�I’ve never been so happy in my whole life. I guess there’s still a little fear associated with it, but I’m really starting to believe in our happy ever after.”

  “Believe it, baby.” I kissed her, pushed her on her back and quickly made her forget what we had just been talking about.

  When we emerged from the tent a while later, Jules stretched her arms above her head and yawned. “God, I love it here.”

  “So you’re not having doubts about moving out here with me, then?” I asked.

  “I can’t wait,” she said, wrapping her arms around my waist. “What’s our plan?”

  Still holding her close to me, I glanced around the garden, across the fields and up to the house. I felt an overwhelming sense of calm that I had shared my tightly guarded memories with Jules. “You have to see out your notice at work so I’m thinking we make the permanent move after that. What will you do with your apartment?”

  “I’ve already talked to my father about giving it back to him. I know it’s in my name and I can do with it as I please, but it symbolises who I was, not who I am or who I want to be.” She pulled back a little and met my gaze.

  “What did he say?” I asked.

  “He appreciated the rationale behind my offer, but said it would make him happy if I kept it as a nest egg for my future.” She cocked her head. “I am going to be an unemployed bum in a few weeks so I guess I shouldn’t be too self-righteous.”

  “You’ll work out what you want to do and I’ll back you up one hundred percent.” I kissed her nose. “Come on. I’ll make you a coffee.”

  We spent the day pottering around the farm discussing what we needed to get done before we moved in.

  “Are you ready to head back to the city?” I asked as the light started to fade.

  She scrunched up her nose. “Not really, but I guess we should.”

  “Do you miss the cage?” she asked, seemingly out of the blue when we were packing up the Jeep.

  I stopped what I was doing and turned to face her. “Where did that come from?”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “I’ve been thinking about it a bit lately.”

  “Why?” I asked, hesitantly. I really needed to tell her about the fight I’d agreed to.

  “I’m just concerned you gave it up for the wrong reasons.”

  “Look, Jules.” I took a step towards her. “Before you start telling me I’m some big martyr, you should know I’ve agreed to go back into the cage at the next fight night.” I studied her face for any negative reaction. “They are short a few fighters.”

  “You don’t want me to come, do you?” She shook her head, appearing resigned.

  I closed my hand around her forearms. “I really don’t.”

  She stared into my eyes and gave me a beautiful smile. I wondered why I’d been so nervous about telling her when she was being so understanding until she spoke. “I’ll think about it and get back to you.” She pulled her arms from me and patted my cheek with the palm of her hand. The little smart arse winked at me.

  “You’re not coming, Jules.”

  “Zip it, caveman.” She raised her eyebrows and smirked. “I’m a big girl with my own avenues for getting a ticket and I love watching you in the cage.”

  Fuck! “Babe. Please. The last time you went, you were attacked and I won’t be able to concentrate if you’re in the crowd.”

  “I get it, but you have to relax. The guy who attacked me wasn’t just a random guy and all that stuff with my mother is over.”

  “I will never stop wanting to protect you, babe.” I cupped her face in my hands. “I know you are independent and strong, but you’re mine and we’ve been through a lot. I’m not going to apologise for being over protective.”

  She sighed. “Fine.” She then rolled her eyes so I knew she wasn’t thrilled about her concession.

  On the drive home, I called my mother on the hands free and informed her I’d give her the money in a couple of weeks. I had some investments I could sell, but would also need a win at fight night.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Juliette

  The next few weeks flew by, and before I knew it, my last day at Donoghue’s working for Heath had arrived. Knowing I was leaving a safe and secure job without a solid plan on top of Leo going back into the cage tonight had sent my anxiety levels through the roof. I wasn’t in a great mood when I arrived at work, but had to put on a happy face for my well-wishing colleagues. I’d had my replacement sitting with me for last week—an arrogant yet mildly amusing British backpacker. I knew I wasn’t leaving Heath in safe hands, but I’d done the best I could.

  After market closed for the day, everyone assembled around my desk. I hated being the centre of attention and could feel my cheeks heating when Heath cleared his throat. I really hadn’t been expecting speeches, and I desperately hoped I wouldn’t be expected to say anything.

  “What can I say about the best desk assistant I’ve ever had?” I looked up at him and smiled. He never complimented my work, but I knew I was good at my job and he never complained, which was probably as good as a compliment for someone like Heath. He went on for a good five minutes about my work ethic and attention to detail, and I was burning up by the end. “You have big boots to fill,” he said, looking at my replacement. Poor Mark had no idea what he was in for come Monday when I wasn’t there to put out his fires. “Thank you, Juliette. It’s been a pleasure working with you and I’ll miss you.” After a round of applause, Heath piped up again and shocked everyone. “First round of drinks at the Z Bar are on me.”

  I was taken aback by his speech. Leaving was absolutely the right thing for me, but I would miss this place. I might’ve fallen into the job, but I’d picked myself up, worked hard and earned the respect of a man who didn’t dish it out lightly.

  “Drinks time,” Nicole said, linking arms with me. “I’m totally gutted you’re leaving.”

  “Thanks, but I’m really happy.” I bumped shoulders with her. “Feels like the fresh start I really need.”

  “Come on ladies,” Evan said, ushering us towards the lifts. “Let’s send Juliette off in style.”

  As we left the building, we were laughing at the punchline of Evan’s last joke. Nicole was right in front of me and I wasn’t prepared for her to stop dead in her tracks, so I bumped into her back and nearly lost my footing. I was about to ask why she’d stopped when I glanced up and saw Leo moving towards me with a concerned look on his face.

  “Are you okay, babe?” he asked as I pushed my foot back into my heel and smoothed down my skirt. Leo kissed me lightly on the lips and put his arm around my shoulders.

  “Holy hotness,” Nicole whispered.

  “This is my boyfriend, Leo.” I waved my hand between them. “Leo, meet Nicole and Evan.”

  Leo shook hands with both of them and Nicole looked at me and mouthed the word ‘wow’.

  I chuckled, completely understanding her reaction to my man. “I didn’t know you were coming,” I said, smiling. “I thought you’d be getting ready for the fight.”

  “We’ll see you guys there,” Nicole said, waving. “Really nice to meet you, Leo.” She glanced at me and winked.

  “You too,” Leo replied. “I won’t be able to come in, but I’ll drop Jules there soon.”

  He turned his attention back to me when Nicole and Evan left. “I wanted to see you before I headed out. How are you feeling now you’re a free agent?”

  I considered his question for a moment before answering honestly. “I’m actually really, genuinely happy.”

  Leo dropped another kiss on my lips. “That’s awesome, Jules. I wish I didn’t have to leave you now, but I really should get going. I’m meeting Dam out there.” He pulled me in for a hug and I wrapped my arms around him.

  I pulled back and met his gaze. “It’s okay. Thank you for coming into the city to see me.”

  He held the Jeep’s passenger side door open for me and I climbed in. I watched him jog around the front and climb into the driver�
�s seat. Before he turned the ignition on, he sat back against his seat and turned to face me, chewing his bottom lip. “My mother called me this afternoon and asked if I’d meet her out at the farmhouse tonight. I told her I couldn’t because I have a fight, but I’d meet her there tomorrow afternoon.”

  “What does she want now?” I asked, confused. Leo had managed to come up with the money she wanted without needing the fight prize money by selling his investments. He’d arranged a bank transfer earlier this week. We’d thought that was the end of Gwendolyn, but clearly not.

  “It’s the other reason I wanted to see you. I think she’s going to tell me who killed my father.”

  “Seriously?” I propped my leg up on the seat and leaned my back against the door so I could give him my full attention. “What did she say?”

  “She said she’d received the money and was prepared to give me what I wanted in return. She knew what I wanted was closure.”

  I leaned forward. “Do you trust her?”

  “No, but I’ll hear her out.” He shrugged. “What have I got to lose? She could’ve just disappeared with the money.”

  “Why the farmhouse?”

  “I asked her the same thing and she simply said she wanted a little closure herself.”

  Something didn’t feel right to me and I could tell Leo was feeling the same. “Do you want me to come with you?”

  He shook his head. “This is something I want to do alone. I’ll talk to you about it again in the morning though.”

  I shook my head. “Shit, Leo.”

  He leaned over the centre console and kissed me. “It’s all going to be okay, Jules.”

  Leo dropped me off at the bar and promised he’d be home as soon as he could and in one piece. I stood on the footpath outside the Z bar and watched his Jeep disappear around the corner hoping tomorrow would bring us a big step closer to our happy ever after.

  True to his word, Heath shouted a couple of rounds at the bar and I even managed to relax. Little did I know, within twenty-four hours, I would be faced with the possibility I’d lost Leo forever.