A Fighter's Love

by Lily Harlem

  But it wasn’t her place to either worry, or have an opinion. It was up to Jackson, and if he was with Dale, then it was Dale’s job to worry.

  But she would worry, nevertheless.

  She finished her coffee, then set to work on the marketing file. There were flyers to order, advertisements to place, and a feature for Metro to write. After half an hour the thumping music came on, telling her Billy had returned to the building.

  Silently she once again went over the conversation she was planning on having with him, and steeled herself for his arrival in the office.

  But he didn’t come in, and after filing the orders for flyers, she peered out of the window.

  Billy was standing by the ropes, alongside Michael. And in the ring were Jackson and Dale.

  She hadn’t noticed them all arriving. She must have been more involved in her tasks than she’d realized.

  Leaning up against the table, she nibbled her bottom lip, and admired the way Dale and Jackson were moving around each other in the light-footed dance she’d become used to seeing. Each wore headgear, a mouth shield and padded red gloves.

  Fuck, they’re hot.

  A tremor of lust went through her. The two men who’d taken her for drinks the evening before were the stuff of fantasies. Throw in the fact they were both practically naked, their muscles flexing and shifting beneath their flesh, and they became a fantasy sprinkled in chocolate and wrapped up in a wish.

  She pressed against the table harder and was surprised when the hard lip of the wood compressed her mound. Enjoying the sensation, she shifted a little and through her clothing it caught on her clit.

  With a gasp she glanced at the door. It was partly closed.

  She set her attention back on Jackson and Dale. Dale already had a sheen of sweat in the gutter of his spine and it glistened in the bright overhead lights as he circled Jackson.

  Jackson threw a head punch.

  Dale dodged it, just, and carried on skipping in a clockwise direction.

  Michael pointed and said something. Jackson shot out another punch which caught Dale’s cheek.

  Dale retaliated fast with an upper cut. Landed it.

  Jackson stepped back, got in a point with a low jab.

  They were both so good. Even without being an expert Jenny knew that. She twitched her hips from left to right, enjoying the dense sensation on her clitoris. What she really wanted to do was put her fingers down her knickers, and rub hard and fast. When had she last masturbated? She couldn’t remember. But to do it now, while watching Dale and Jackson sparring, that would be deliciously wicked.

  Billy moved around the ring gesturing and shouting orders, clearing her view farther. Dale threw a face punch at Jackson who ducked and sent one back.

  It caught Dale on the temple. He didn’t appear to notice, and sent another jab into the mix as he shielded his face from the second one Jackson was flying forward.

  Her heart rate sped up. Her internal muscles clenched and her breaths quickened. Thoughts of the two men putting all of that energy into fucking each other besieged her. Beautiful glistening bodies. Peak fitness. Total control. Consumed by desire.

  She bit harder on her lip and whimpered as she ground forward. The need for an orgasm was growing. She wanted more stimulation, more of everything.

  A loud, sharp noise to her right startled her and she hurriedly stepped away from the table.

  The small office window, behind the desk, had come off its latch and hit the frame.

  “Just as well,” she muttered, though frustration burned hotly through her veins. Dipping into her bag, she retrieved a bottle of water and took a few gulps. What the hell had she been going to do, get herself off, here? In Billy’s shitty office? Surely if her libido was returning she should celebrate with something a bit classier—a bottle of wine, mellow music, candlelight and a vibrator.

  Yep. Her vibe would have to do.

  As she sat, and peered out of the window at the sparring practice, she knew exactly whose names would be on her lips when she came. She’d picture them both, together, with her, all three of them. The way Stella had described her friend and her two lovers. There was nothing wrong with a little erotic dreaming after all.

  “There you are.” Billy strode into the room, again making her startle.

  “Billy.” She stood, an injection of adrenaline flooding her system. Her knees weakened and her heart rate kicked up a notch. “You made me jump.”

  “Don’t know why, it’s my place, isn’t it? Where else am I gonna be?”

  “Well yes, but I was concentrating.”

  “You confirmed the judges and ref yet, for the fight?”

  “Yes, I did that ages ago. I told you. There’s just tickets, health and safety and the bar to organize.”

  “Won’t take you long.”

  “No, it won’t.” She clasped her fingers together and glanced at the window that faced the gym.

  Both Jackson and Dale were resting at the ropes now, their gloved hands dangling over them. Dale was talking to Michael. Jackson was staring straight at her.

  We’ve got your back.

  Their words returned to her. And this was it. It was now or never. She had to start the conversation that had been on the tip of her tongue all day and percolating in her subconscious for months. There’d never be another chance to do it and have two big, tough, fighters in her corner.

  “Billy.” She cleared her throat. “We need to talk.”

  “What, now?” He gestured at the ring. “I’m a bit bloody busy in case you hadn’t noticed. Jackson hasn’t got long. Every practice counts.”

  “I’m aware of that, but it’s important.” She hesitated. “Very important.”

  He frowned and shoved his hands into his faded jeans pockets. “Well in that case you’d better get on with it.” He glanced at the clock, as though making a note of the time and how much of it she would take up.

  She pulled in a deep breath. “It’s about us, Billy.”

  “What about us?” The way he’d spoken implied he was already bored of the subject matter.

  “I know we’ve been together for years, and I like to think we were both there for each other in our times of need.” She paused and glanced out of the window again.

  Both Dale and Jackson were looking at her. Jackson’s eyebrows were pulled low. Dale was biting his bottom lip. Neither seemed to be paying any attention to what Michael was saying.

  They know what I’m doing. They must do.

  Having them there, so close, gave her the courage to say the words. “I don’t want to be in a relationship with you anymore. It’s over between us.”

  Billy’s mouth opened.

  “If you can even call it a relationship,” she said quickly. “We don’t go on dates, hang out anywhere other than here, and when did we last…?”

  “Jenny.” He frowned and held out his hands. “Where the fuck has this come from? It’s always been us. I told you, I’ll buy us a place in Spain, soon.”

  “No.” She shook her head. “No, you won’t.”

  “I will. I said it, didn’t I?” His eyes narrowed. “Just let me save up a bit more cash.”

  “But it’s not what I want, the house in Spain or you…I mean or us, to be boyfriend and girlfriend anymore. It’s not what I want.”

  “Why the fuck not?” Disbelief shot over his eyes. “What have I done?”

  She couldn’t answer that. The list was so long. But top of it was being an asshole, taking her for granted and thinking he could pull her around. But she kept that to herself. What was the point of stoking his temper any more than necessary?

  Again she glanced out of the window at Dale and Jackson.

  She was aware of Billy following her gaze.

  “You found another bloke, huh?”

  “No, nothing like that.” She shook her head, turned and reached for a file. “Please don’t think that, Billy, I would never cheat on you. That’s not the sort of woman I am.”

 
“Yeah, I guess not.” He huffed and ran his attention over her drab cardigan, plain black trousers and sensible shoes.

  She knew what he was thinking. No one but him would have her. Well, that might be the case now, but she was going to take a leaf from Stella’s book and spruce up. Stella kept saying they were due a shopping trip. A girls’ day out, with lunch somewhere fancy, she’d suggested. The first stage of Jenny’s plan was to get rid of Billy, and the second to start taking a bit more notice of herself.

  “I can’t believe it.” Billy ran his hand through his hair. It was dull blond and held a few greasy curls at the nape. “I told your father I’d look after you, you know, when he was on his last weeks. He’d turn in his grave at this.”

  Jenny didn’t much care if her father was doing cartwheels in his grave. And it was typical of Billy to go for such a low blow as a dead parent to try and get his own way.

  “But you must see it for yourself, Billy. We’re hardly crazy about each other. That was a long time ago. Now you just want me here, working for you.”

  “Not true.” He stepped up to her, fast, in two long strides. “That’s not true at all.”

  She backed up.

  He held up his palms. “This is about yesterday, when Jackson decided to start beating his chest like a damn gorilla, isn’t it? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to grab you like that.”

  “No, it has nothing to do with that.” She gripped the file to her chest. Squeezing it so tight her fingers ached.

  “He’s not interested in you, you know.” Billy wrinkled his nose.

  “Who?”

  “Jackson. I hear he has a very glam chick tucked up in bed waiting for him each night. She’s a model or something. Damn hot with big tits and long legs.”

  Jenny pressed her lips together. A glamorous woman was not who Jackson had in his bed. He preferred the man standing next to him in the ring. But his secret was safe with her. She’d keep it until her dying day.

  “What we had was good,” Billy said, pressing his hand on her shoulder and stroking his thumb over her collarbone. “Real good, and it will be again when I get the gym sorted.”

  She swallowed. It had been a long time since he’d touched her like that. She didn’t like it. “No. There’s nothing left to salvage.”

  “There has to be.” He leaned in closer. “Please, Jen, please.”

  The whine in his voice reminded her of nails down a blackboard. It was all she could do not to shudder.

  She shook her head. “I’m sorry. But no.”

  Stay strong. Stay strong.

  “You won’t even give me a second chance?”

  “Why would you want one, Billy? How can you be happy with the non-state of our relationship?”

  A shadow loomed in the doorway.

  It was Dale. His broad shoulders filled the frame and he’d removed his sparring gloves.

  She caught his eye then set her attention on Billy again. “It’s over. Accept it.”

  “But—”

  “No.”

  “But what about this lot?” Billy gestured to the messy desk. “I don’t know where to fucking start with it all, you know that.”

  Jenny tipped her chin. “You need to hire a secretary, just a day or two a week depending on what else is going on.”

  “I can’t just fucking magic up a secretary.”

  “I’ll place an advert for you.”

  He shook his head, as if the conversation wasn’t really sinking in. Jenny pushed away a kernel of sympathy for him. He was no longer the young man she’d fallen for, given her virginity to. Billy Benton had grown into a self-centered, obnoxious individual. Perhaps it was because of what life had thrown at him. Maybe he would have always turned out that way.

  “What I will do,” she said, “is finish off the marketing for the Jackson v Grinder fight and sort out the bar and health and safety. I’ll also come in and update the website, so tickets can be bought online.”

  “You can do that?”

  “Sure.” She sighed. “But then, that’s it, Billy. I’ve got a full time job that’s pretty intense, and it’s all I can cope with.” She gestured down at herself. “Trying to do all this stuff at the gym is the reason I look so fucking shit.”

  She didn’t know where the last bit had come from. Was it because Dale’s presence had made her braver or was she finally seeing the big picture?

  Billy clenched his jaw. If he’d said she didn’t look shit, that she was beautiful to him, perhaps she wouldn’t have wanted to punch him quite as much as she did. But he stayed silent, his eyes brimming with annoyance. Not sadness or regret, just majorly pissed off he’d lost his free personal assistant.

  Well it was tough. His loss was her gain, and her gain was getting her life back.

  Chapter Six

  Billy turned. When he saw Dale standing in the doorway, he hesitated for a moment before striding toward him.

  Dale moved to let him past, then returned to the doorway. He raised his hands and gripped the top of the frame, elongating his torso and exposing his pale underarm hair. “You okay?”

  “Yes. I think so.” She tried not to stare at his body, and forced herself to focus on his face.

  “He took it better than expected.”

  Jenny thought about it for a moment. “I suppose he did. I thought his temper would flare but he seemed to accept it.” She shrugged. “Though I suppose he couldn’t really argue about the state of our relationship. It’s been over for a long time.”

  Dale smiled. “And you were the one who had the courage to end it. I’m proud of you.”

  “You are?” It was a long time since anyone had said anything like that to her.

  “Sure.” He released the frame and stepped into the room. “Taking control back, facing up to what’s in your heart and soul and acting on it, it’s a big step.”

  “You sound like you’re talking from experience.”

  He tipped his head and studied her. “Maybe.”

  “Life in general or a relationship?”

  He smiled, just a little. “Both.”

  “Dale, get out here,” Michael called from the gym.

  He sighed. “Better do as I’m told and go let Jackson beat me up again.” He laughed. “The guy’s too hot to handle.”

  “He is.” She glanced out of the window at Jackson who was practicing upper cuts in the center of the ring. His shoulders were hunched, his arms moving at lightning speed, and his biceps balled tight. “Very hot.”

  Dale grinned and seemed to struggle to tear his gaze away from Jackson. “I’ll catch you later, but if you need me, if Billy decides to be an arsehole, you know where we are.”

  “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

  He directed his grin at her and headed out of the office.

  Jenny sat at the desk and brought up the gym’s website domain on the computer so she could work on the ticket sales. She had to admit, the whole break-up conversation had been easier than expected. Oh, she’d known Billy would whine and moan, but she’d also anticipated a whole load of shouting, some snarky, cutting comments and maybe even a few items getting hurled across the room.

  Perhaps he’d seen reason. There was nothing left between them of value. And now as soon as the Jackson v Grinder fight was over, she’d not only be free of Billy but also the gym.

  Dale and Jackson were sparring again, the music thudded, several other members had gathered to watch. She’d miss the gym. It had been part of her life for so long. And although she hadn’t enjoyed the work, or the way Billy had been with her during these last stages of their relationship, she liked everyone who hung out.

  Two people in particular.

  But after the big fight, she wouldn’t see either of them again. There’d be no reason to.

  The thought of not having Dale or Jackson in her life created a twisting feeling in her chest. It wasn’t pleasant at all. She realized she’d come to look forward to Dale’s easy smiles, and Jackson’s brooding, intense ways. Not to
mention resting her eyes on their graceful, strong bodies, as she was doing now, which was the most pleasant part of her evening.

  Maybe she could still drop by, from time to time, say hi to Michael and then Dale and Jackson. There were a few other blokes who were always friendly, but scowled when they saw how Billy spoke to her. Maybe she should date one of them? It was a good sign if they were irritated by Billy. Must mean they were decent men.

  What she really wanted, though, was to date Dale or Jackson. Well obviously not them, they weren’t into dating girls. But a Dale or Jackson lookalike who wasn’t gay.

  Finding that suddenly felt like looking for a needle in a haystack.

  She sighed and set to work on updating the website, adding images and pay information. The sooner tickets started selling—and they would, fast—the better.

  It was a complicated page to create and took a couple of hours. By the time she’d finished the music had gone off, signaling Billy had left the building, and the sky had darkened.

  But the website was active for receiving sales, and that was one of the main things she’d wanted to achieve. Standing, she stretched out her spine, yawned, then reached for her bag. It was time to go home and grab a few hours’ rest before it all started again.

  The gym was quiet. Only Michael sat in the corner, and he appeared to be dozing. She glanced at the time. It was gone ten. No wonder she was hungry.

  Rather than disturb Michael, she walked quietly past him and let herself outside. The evening had a chill in the air, and the security light over the entrance wasn’t on for some reason.

  She shivered and stepped onto the deserted pathway. The sooner she was home the better.

  A black cab appeared in the distance, its yellow light shining from the roof. Making a sudden decision to avoid the Tube and just get home she put out her hand and waved.

  But the driver didn’t see her and drove past, his attention on the road ahead.

  “What am I? Invisible,” she muttered, clicking her tongue on the top of her mouth. She headed for the station. It was creepy with so few people about and the heavy clouds in the sky stole any light the moon might have provided.