**
Mitch was just walking back to his motorcycle when a storefront caught his eye. He paused, hesitated, then he walked in.
Cecilia Hooper glanced up from behind the counter and smiled when she saw the huge man standing there; he looked so out of place among the delicate vases of bright flowers, she almost laughed. His face was badly bruised and he was looking around scowling, obviously completely lost.
She approached him. “Hi.”
He turned an intense green gaze on her. “Hi.”
“Can I help you with something?”
Mitch had no idea what to ask for. The last woman he’d bought flowers for was his Mom for her birthday, and she always just asked for pink roses. He was way out of his comfort zone here.
“Uh. I want some flowers.”
Cecilia grinned. “OK, I guessed that part. Any specific kind of flower?”
He looked uncertain and she shook her head. So many men walked in to her shop with not the first clue what they were doing there; they were simply motivated by the insane desire to bring an offering to someone they cared about. Whatever they were unable to say, they hoped the flowers would speak for them. And more often than not, if the man got it right, then the flowers did exactly that. But first Cecilia had to know what was all locked up inside him, what he was struggling to express.
“Tell me about her.” Cecilia kept her voice soft. “The woman you’re here for.”
Startled, Mitch glanced at her.
“I can help,” she assured him. “Just tell me about her, who she is.”
He sighed. “Her name’s Reena. She’s… well, she’s a walking contradiction, I’m starting to realize. Sweet and soft, and looks like a damn fairy princess. But – but she’s had it rough, I think. Hard childhood and not a lot of love, I’m guessing. I think she’s strong. Tough. Angry. But still gentle and kind to everyone around her. Nurturing. She still believes in people.” He looked at Cecilia. “I don’t understand how she’s managed to hold on to that sweetness through it all, but she has. And that’s who she is.”
“She sounds amazing.”
“She is.” Mitch was happy to finally be able to say this aloud to someone, even if the person was a total stranger. “She really is.”
Cecilia glanced around. “OK. Well, how about these tiger lilies?”
“Which ones are they?”
“Here.” She held up a brilliant orange blossom and Mitch inhaled its heady perfume. “Beautiful and feminine, but strong. Even a bit fierce – they are named after tigers, after all. The perfect balance between tough and delicate, dangerous and gentle. Just like Reena.”
Mitch blinked.
How the fuck did this woman get it so right?
“Yeah,” he said softly. “Yeah, that’s the one. Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” Cecilia smiled. “My absolute pleasure.”
**
Reena was in her studio painting when she heard a gentle knock on the door. She turned down the music.
“Mitch? Come on in.”
He walked in carrying a large bunch of flowers and she stared at them.
“For you,” he said abruptly. “Tiger lilies.”
She took them from his hand. “Oh, God. They’re beautiful. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Why did you…”
“To say thanks for the introduction. Dean offered me a job.”
“Really? Mitch, that’s great.”
“Yeah. It’ll help.”
She inhaled the fragrance. “I love tiger lilies.”
“You do?”
“Yeah. The colors, the shape, even the name.”
Mitch was gazing down at her with a strange look on his face.
“What?” she asked. “Am I covered in paint?”
“Yeah.” He reached out and gently stroked her cheek. “All over your face.”
She looked down and blushed, saw the splashes of paint on her bare legs. “Yeah, I’m messy when I work.”
Mitch took his hand away and she missed his touch. “So, thanks again for your help, Reena.”
“You’re really helping Dean out. I know it’s a load off his mind to have someone to help at the parlour.”
“He said something about needing some flexibility with his time.”
Reena nodded. “His girlfriend Emma is sick. Really sick. He wants to spend some more time with her.”
Mitch paused. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. Cancer. Leukemia, I think.”
“Oh, God. That’s terrible.”
“I heard from Jim that Emma’s doing a lot better now, but she’s still in some pretty heavy treatment. I know Dean really wants to be around as much as possible.”
“I can understand that.”
Reena glanced at her watch. “I was just about to take a break. I’ll put these in water while I’m at it.”
In the kitchen, Mitch leaned against the counter and watched her run water in to a vase and arrange the flowers. She smiled as she set them on the living room coffee table, and he smiled too. She just had no fucking idea how sexy she was, did she? She was barefoot and wearing jean shorts and a large white button-down shirt, she was covered in splotches of paint, and all he wanted to do was pick her up and take her to his bed.
She turned and walked across the kitchen to him. Without any warning at all, she wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Thanks for the flowers,” she said. “I love them.”
Automatically, helplessly, his arms surrounded her, pulling her against him. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, relishing having her right where he’d wanted her for so long, from the first moment he saw her. Small and fragile against his strength and muscle, and she just felt so good there. He didn’t think he’d be able to let her go, and he waited for her to move away.
Reena was shocked at what she’d just done. She hadn’t planned on hugging Mitch, hadn’t expected him to respond so fully. And now here she was, her arms around that hard back, his gorgeous chest against her cheek, his large hands resting lightly on her hip and hair. He felt as good as she’d imagined; no, he felt better. She stood there in his arms, fighting with herself to step back, step away. But he felt too wonderful, and so she stayed right where she was.
At last, after about a dozen heartbeats, she pulled back, reluctantly. Reena felt her face flush again and looked down at the floor to avoid those incredible eyes.
“Thanks again for the flowers,” she murmured. “I’d better get back to work.”
Mitch didn’t say a word as she left the kitchen. He just watched her go, almost breathless with desire. Those few seconds were the closest thing to heaven he’d ever found, and he gripped the counter to keep himself from running after her, spinning her around, kissing her.
Reena shut the studio door quietly, then picked up her cell phone and asked Simon to come over to the apartment the next night, while Mitch was training one-on-one with Adam. She knew now that she had to break it off with Simon. She should have done it weeks ago, but she just hadn’t faced the truth of her feelings for Mitch. That brief, hard hug in the kitchen had shown her everything she needed to know, and so she had to let Simon go. Once she did, she’d try with Mitch… just see where things might end up.
Chapter Five
Nick fought to stay in control, but Mia insisted on making that difficult. Impossible, even.
She had wrapped her legs around his hips, wanting to be as close and tight as possible. Her whole body was fused to his, those amazing curves gyrating and grinding on his cock. Her quivering told him that she was incredibly close to climax, and he pulled out again, thrust in again. Again. Again. He kissed her and she moaned against his mouth.
“Nick,” she breathed. “Nick… I want to come. Please, I can’t wait…”
At her words, he snapped. He buried his face in her neck, let go of all control, and just rammed himself in to her sweet warmth. Her wet¸ hot lower lips squeezed him with each plunge, and he felt his orgas
m approach, hard and fast.
“I’m so close, babe.” He nipped her delicate throat. “So close… come with me.”
Helpless to resist, Mia’s pussy started to pulse, the spasms fuller and deeper with his every thrust. She threw her head back on the pillow and arched her back as her body shattered against him, under him. Her cries of ecstasy pushed him over the edger, hard, and he slammed in to her one final time before releasing inside her. His cock extended, reached, then exploded and Nick could only close his eyes and hold her to him as he shook, panting her name.
They lay together, breathless and sinking back in to their own bodies. Nick ran his trembling fingers through her long hair and kissed her. She smiled at him, a sated and sexy little grin, and his heart flipped in his chest at her sweetness and beauty.
“My God, Mia. I love making love with you… I love making you come.”
She blushed.
He grinned. “And I love making you blush.”
She laughed. “Well, we certainly do enough blush-worthy things.”
“That we do, babe.”
They kissed again, softly, gently.
He pulled out of her with a sigh. He covered her up with the sheet and then swung his legs to the floor. He went in to the bathroom and when he came back to the bed, he pulled her against him.
Mia lay on his broad chest, running her fingers over his strong collarbone. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” He touched her cheek. “So much.”
She stretched a bit. “You’ve been busy lately, huh? Lots of work in the evenings.”
“Yeah.” He ran his hands over her back. “Simon and Mitch are worth it, believe me. Amazing fighters, Mia.”
“Hey,” she said and sat up a bit. “Did you know that Simon and Reena are dating?”
“They’re what?” Nick froze. “Dating? Since when?”
“Oh, I’m not sure. A couple of months now. Simon never said anything?”
“No. Not one word.”
Something in his tone made Mia look up at him. “What?”
He was silent, debating telling her.
“Nick? You’re scaring me.”
“Sorry, honey. I just – I’m not very happy about Reena being with him.”
“Why not?”
Nick was quiet for a few seconds and Mia waited. Over the almost-eight months of their relationship, she had come to trust his instincts about people completely. It was, after all, those instincts that had tipped him off when a guy in the bar where Nick worked had drugged Mia and dragged her to his car. And he’d been right about Wendy. If Nick was getting a bad feeling from Simon, Mia was willing to go along with it. No questions asked.
“Simon Yates is an amazing fighter,” Nick said slowly. “And he’s great for The Rock – he’s bringing in new members and helping us to attract attention. But as a person? I just don’t like or trust the guy. He’s… he’s always looking to use people.”
“Use them how?”
He shrugged. “However he can to get ahead, or get an advantage. Simon has no time for anyone who can’t benefit Simon directly and immediately.”
“But what can Reena do for him?” Mia sat up and shook back her hair. “She’s not in the kickboxing world at all. No money, no sponsorships, no contacts… she can’t give him anything.”
Nick was silent again.
“Nick? Nick, what are you thinking?”
“Mitch.”
Mia paused. “Yeah? What about Mitch?”
“I’m not sure. Something… something is going on between Mitch and Reena. He’s interested in her, I know, even if he hasn’t said so or done anything about it.”
“He is?”
“Yeah. God, Mia. Adam told me that Katie and Reena came to the gym a few weeks ago, and he swears that Mitch almost dissolved in to a puddle on the mat.”
“Really?” Mia made a mental note to tell Reena first thing in the morning that the object of her interest was almost certainly also keen. “So what’s this got to do with Simon?”
“He was there. He’s a smart guy, a guy who’s always looking for some fucking angle to play, and no way he’d have missed any of it. I’d bet anything that Simon got her number that very day.”
“You think he would have asked in front of Mitch?”
“Uh-huh. Fucking with his head, you know? Staking a claim on someone that he knows Mitch is in to.”
“But why?”
Nick shook his head. “Mitch Corrigan is one hell of a kickboxer, angel. Better than Simon, to be honest with you, and with more practice and training, the sky’s the limit for him, even though he’s pushing thirty. Whatever Simon has, Mitch has more of it, and you’d better believe Simon knows that. Screwing with your biggest competitor’s mental state is nothing new. Maybe flaunting Reena in front of Mitch is Simon’s way of throwing Mitch off his game. Maybe he’s trying to make his home life with Reena all tense and weird. Maybe he wants to screw her down the hall from Mitch and rub his face in it. Who knows, babe. All I do know is that I have to talk to Reena tomorrow. Warn her off.”
“Well, she’s not serious about him.”
“She said so?”
Mia nodded. “Yeah. She said she’s not feeling it with Simon. She wanted to give it a bit more time, but she really wants to break it off, I think. Whatever game he’s playing, she’s not falling for it, Nick.”
His massive shoulders relaxed. “Thank God. You think maybe she’s getting better at spotting the bad people out there?”
“I don’t know.” Mia lay down again. “It’s not easy, sometimes. Especially when the bad people are so damn skilled at making themselves look good.”
**
Simon stared at Reena, utterly shocked at what the little bitch was saying to him. She was breaking it off with him? Did she have any fucking idea how lucky she was that he’d even spent time with her? And if this all ended with her, how the fuck was he going to mess with Mitch’s head now?
Goddamn her. Who the fuck does she think she is? She’s going to ruin everything!
Reena glanced up at Simon and was totally taken aback at the look on his face. He didn’t look upset or hurt – he looked angry. No, furious. A stab of fear went through her chest and she moved away from him on the sofa, started to stand up to put some more distance between them.
He reached out and grabbed her wrist and she winced. “Where do you think you’re going? We’re not done.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I’ve been fucking listening to your pathetic ass for almost two months now, and you’ve never spread your legs for me. I think I deserve a reward for putting up with your boring blathering, don’t you?”
She stared at him, suddenly terrified. “Simon, let me go…”
In a movement so casual that it almost seemed lazy, he backhanded her and she flew backwards, landing hard on the floor. Her arm hit the vase on the coffee table as she fell, scattering glass and tiger lilies everywhere. Then he was on top of her, his bulk pressing on her so heavily that she couldn’t breathe.
“Simon! Simon, please stop!”
“No fucking way, bitch.” His hands were on her shirt, ripping it open. He pinched her nipples and she cried out in pain. “Stay still. It won’t take long.”
“No! No, stop…”
He closed his hand and made a fist and hit her again, harder this time, and she felt her eye start to swell right away. She pushed against him, but it was useless: he was heavy and strong and had all the advantage. Reena struggled under him, trying to pull his hair.
“Goddamn you,” he grunted. “Lie still.”
“No, no…”
The next few punches were so hard, Reena saw stars. The pain in her cheek took her breath away and she turned her head, trying to suck in some air. Dimly, she felt his hands between her legs, tugging at her jeans zipper.
Oh, my God.
The knowledge of what he was trying to do hit her full-on suddenly, and she started to fight again. Her hand hit
against a wine glass on the floor and she grappled for it. Her fingers closed around its stem and she brought it down on the back of his head with all her strength. He shouted a curse, and hit her in the mouth. Reena felt her lip split open, both tasted and felt the warm blood start to run.
“You’ll be so sorry you did that, you goddamned bitch. So fucking sorry.”
Reena couldn’t believe it when his hands closed around her throat, squeezing and shaking. Her own hands came up to pull his away and she dug her nails in to his skin. He smashed the back of her head down on the floor, and her grip faltered. His large hands closed in tighter now, and the room started to go black as she tried desperately to suck in air and failed.
Her hands fell away from his and landed next to her head. Her eyes closed and she started to lose consciousness. Then some part of her brain kicked in, some deep and dark need to keep fighting and live, and she realized that she was touching the base of the cast-iron candle holder. Forcing her eyes open one last time, she grasped the bottom of it as hard as she could and pulled at it with all her remaining strength. It came crashing down and she thrust it at the same time, aiming for Simon’s blond curls.
The sharp edges cut right through the back of Simon’s head and he gasped as the pain hit him. He rolled off Reena, got on his knees, totally disbelieving at what had happened. She pulled in a breath, then another, forced her body over on to her stomach, then up on her elbows. Coughing, she crawled away from him and managed to get to her feet. She turned to look at him, ready to bolt out the front door if he was standing up again.
He was in bad shape, she saw. His face was pale and his hands were on the back of his head, trying to stop the bleeding. Their eyes met and she grabbed one half of the broken candle holder, brandishing it in front of her.
“You fucking cunt,” he said softly. “This is not anywhere near over. You hear me?”
“Get out,” she said, her throat burning and raw. “Get the fuck out.”
He stumbled as he left and slammed the door behind him. She rushed over and locked it, then walked to the kitchen on wobbling legs. She needed a glass of water. After she drank it, she stood there, gripping the counter with both hands, staring at nothing. Time stopped, thought stopped. Everything just stood still.
Fighting Love Page 6