Ria continued, “I forgive you.” With those simple words, Ria saw the change in his eyes. It was as if his final burden had been lifted from both of them, and they could start fresh again.
They sat and talked for several hours before Nicholas got to his feet.
“I need to go and let you get some sleep.”
“You can stay.”
“No. This time, I’m going to do it right. Want to go out to dinner tomorrow night, Ms. Sloan?” He held out his hand to her.
Ria laughed, taking it in hers. “I would like that very much, Mr. Brooks.”
Ria knew it was time both of them let the past go to start a new future.
* * *
“Take him down!” Ria screamed at Nicholas.
In the next moment, Nicholas was able to get his opponent face down on the mat.
Ria was attending Nicholas’s fight, and she was completely amped up. She had attended some of his training sessions and had a better understanding of what he was supposed to do in the cage, but from what she had seen so far, it wasn’t going as planned.
He had a busted eye and a bloody nose. His opponent had gotten several good shots in. However, at that very moment, Nicholas had the upper hand. He was administering a series of punches to the side of his opponent’s head as he straddled his back, preventing the man from being able to escape.
“That’s it, baby! Don’t let him up!” she screamed again.
“Hey, lady, quit jumping up and down. I keep missing all the good stuff,” she heard a man yell from behind her.
“That’s not my problem. Buy a different seat next time!” she yelled back without turning to look. She wasn’t going to take her eyes off the fight. She didn’t want to miss a thing.
She heard laughter next to her and quickly looked over at Melanie and Zane, who were both laughing at her.
She shook her head. She knew she was acting like a crazy person. She had gone from not being able to watch a whole fight to a crazed, bloodthirsty fan who lived and breathed it. Emiliano was right; being forced to watch the fights in the pit had made this seem like a cake walk. She didn’t think Nicholas would agree, though, wincing when the other fighter connected an uppercut to his jaw. Fortunately, Nicholas knew what to do.
She watched him gain a hold on his opponent’s arm. She had watched him practice that move and knew, if the man didn’t submit, he would be leaving with a broken wrist.
When she saw the ref stop the fight, she and the rest of the crowd roared.
“He won! He won!” she yelled to Melanie and Zane.
Melanie screamed back, “I know!”
Ria giggled, and Melanie laughed with her as they watched Nicholas being called the winner by submission. She would never get used to him getting hurt, but his love for the sport outweighed her concerns.
They made their way down to the cage as Nicholas exited. His father was there first, giving Nicholas a hug. From what she knew, his father enjoyed having bragging rights over his son. As she watched, there seemed to be a genuine affection between the two men, as well.
When they approached the men, she heard Melanie say hello to both Nicholas and their father.
“Melanie, I think you can use that last move when you fight,” their father said with excitement.
Ria smiled at the interaction between father and daughter. She knew there had been a huge rift between the two, yet they had finally talked through their issues, and now Melanie and Rex were rebuilding their relationship.
She saw Zane and Nicholas smile at one another as they watched Melanie and Rex discuss some of the moves Nicholas had used during the fight.
“Okay! We can work on my techniques later!” Melanie exclaimed.
She turned to her brother. “Great job, big bro!”
“Thanks, Mel,” he replied and then turned to Ria.
“That was amazing. I’m so happy for you,” Ria said to him and reached up to kiss him, trying to avoid some of the blood on his face.
Nicholas laughed as he wiped his face off. “He caught me by surprise a few times,” he said as he looked at the bloody rag.
“You did great,” Ria said with pride.
He had been impressive tonight, and she looked forward to rewarding him for a job well done later. She had teased him with a few pictures before the fight, telling him, if he won, she would give him a special reward afterward. He didn’t know it, but she had fixed a special dinner before she had left her apartment. All she had to do when they got there was light the candles.
His eyes narrowed as he looked at her. “I had an incentive.”
She blushed bright red, hoping no one else noticed. Nicholas did and laughed while the others looked on in curiosity.
He pulled her to him and spoke softly in her ear. “Have you looked at your phone?”
Ria shook her head as she dug her phone out of her purse. Her mouth dropped open when she saw the picture he had sent her.
“Did an emergency come up?” Melanie asked.
“No, but there is about to. You need to call nine one one because I’m going to kill your brother.”
“She doesn’t mean it, sis. I’ll see you guys later. Ria’s promised me some hot sex if I won tonight.” He put his arm around her, leading her struggling body away.
“I am going to kill you. I can’t believe you just told them that!”
Nicholas shrugged, unconcerned.
“And that picture. You showed your face! You’re not supposed to show your face.”
“Baby, if that picture gets out to the media, it’ll make me a star.”
Ria looked down at the phone still in her hand. She had to agree with him.
They drove back to her apartment in record time. The dinner she had cooked had to wait because Nicholas rushed her into the bedroom.
“Wait, I fixed us a romantic dinner.”
“You want romance? Give me five minutes, and you’ll be seeing stars,” he said, tearing his clothes off.
Ria laughed at his confidence then gave a small scream as he tumbled her to the bed.
Unsnapping her shorts, he started sliding them and her panties off to toss them on the floor. He gazed down in appreciation at the sight between her legs.
“The picture didn’t do it justice.”
She ran her hand over her now clean-shaven pussy.
“Cogerme,” she purred, feeling naughty at telling him to fuck her.
“I don’t suppose you want to tell me what you just said?”
“Te amo, mi Nicholas.” She held out her arms to him. She would tell him another night she loved him. Tonight, it was still a secret she kept to herself.
Nicholas laid down on the bed, pulling her over him.
He wasted no time in curling one hand around the back of her head as he pulled her down for a kiss. Her legs straddled him and held him tightly as their kisses deepened. Their passion for one another had been held at bay while they had spent time learning more about each other.
She rubbed her breasts against his hard chest.
“God, I’ve missed you.”
Ria could only nod in agreement as his tongue slid back between her lips, playing with her tongue and sucking on it, inflaming her desire.
He slid over and positioned their bodies to where they were both on their sides, facing one another. He then pulled one of her legs over his body and slid one hand between her legs. He continued kissing her as his fingers stroked her lips. Ria could feel the blood rushing to her pussy as he first tugged then started running his fingertip across her clit. She whimpered as the desire spiked inside of her.
Taking his finger, he slid it between her open lips, causing Ria to jerk from the sensation.
“Dios,” she moaned as he slid his finger in and out of her.
She ground her body against his finger and felt the loss when he pulled it out, but that feeling quickly disappeared when she felt the tip of his penis.
He wasted no time in thrusting himself fully inside her, making her gasp at
the sensation. He wrapped his hand around her ass as he fucked her while Ria curled her leg around his thigh.
He slowed down briefly as he rolled onto his back, keeping his dick inside of her as he settled her on top. Ria dropped her head back as the full length of him filled her. He grasped both of her hips and started pushing her body back and forth on his dick. Once Ria started doing it herself, he took her breasts in his hands as she ground her body against his.
He rolled one of her nipples between his fingertips and slid his other hand up to her neck, lightly holding it while keeping Ria sitting straight up as he tugged on her nipple.
The excitement in her rose with the pressure on her neck, and she started lifting up and down on his dick as he held her up. As she adjusted to his length, she started slamming down harder as he met each one of her thrusts.
As he sat up, she wrapped her legs around him. He encircled her with his arms, pulling her tightly against him, kissing her fiercely.
Ria slowly rocked back and forth, both enjoying the slower pace, as he kissed down her jawline and her neck. He reached for one of her nipples with his mouth, and she held her breast so he could latch on to it with his teeth. When he tugged on her nipple, she wrapped her legs around him tighter.
It didn’t take long for the excitement and passion to build them back into a frenzy as Ria started moving faster on his dick. He growled and turned them around so she was on her back with him above her.
He easily slid back into her.
“Fuck, that feels good,”
“You should be a gymnast, not a fighter,” Ria moaned.
He laughed as he started slowly then increased his pace until she was panting and whimpering at the same time.
“Wait until I give you one of my massages.”
“A man of many talents.”
“There might be a thing or two I haven’t shown you yet.”
He flipped her over onto her stomach driving his cock into her with enough force to shake the bed.
“I need to come,” she cried, urging him to go harder.
He quickly complied, bringing them both to orgasms that had them spiraling over the edge.
When he pulled away, Ria couldn’t move.
“Are you all right?” he laughingly asked.
“No more pictures for you.”
Epilogue
Ria lay on the blanket, admiring the sky, thinking it was the same color as Nicholas’s eyes.
“Oh God,” Melanie complained, pulling another chicken leg out of the picnic basket.
Ria was embarrassed. She hadn’t realized she had spoken the thought out loud.
“I could use a little of that,” Zane complained.
“What, the blind adoration or the chicken leg?” Melanie asked.
“Both,” he said, expertly catching the chicken leg she threw at him.
“Get over it!”
Ria sat up on the blanket next to Nicholas, reaching inside the picnic basket for herself.
“Thank your mother for making lunch for us. It’s delicious.” Nicholas complimented.
“I will. She dropped some off to your father at the gym. He’s gained ten pounds since she’s learned to drive. She said, since she wanted to practice her driving by taking Nicholas lunch, that it’s rude not to bring some for him.”
“Maybe he’ll give her something in return,” Nicholas commented on the burgeoning attraction between their parents.
“That’s gross. Shut up, Nick.” Melanie threatened her brother with the half-eaten drumstick.
Ria smacked his hand. “Estupido. Mi Madre solo esta siendo amable!” Her mother’s attempt at friendship with Nicholas and his father had warmed Ria’s heart.
“Let him have it,” Melanie cheered her on.
“You understood me?”
“Yes.” She tilted her head to the side. “You said, your mother just wants to be friends, I think. You do realize Nicholas and I grew up in a multiethnic gym. I could swear in three different languages before I was six.”
“Can Nicholas speak Spanish?” Ria stiffened, her jaw clenching as she stared at Nicholas’s carefully bland face while his eyes danced in amusement.
“Ah… yeah!” Melanie shouted.
“Nicholas!” She fell on him, beating him with her fists.
“Let’s go do the paddle boats, Zane,” Melanie said, laughing. They left, holding hands while Nicholas tried to dodge Ria.
“What didn’t you want me to know…” he asked, rolling over to pin her underneath him, “that you begged me to fuck you harder or told me that I’m your Nicholas after declaring your love?”
He suddenly grew serious. “Te amo.”
“You love me, too?” Her eyes widened.
“Si.”
Enjoy an excerpt from Jamie Begley’s book
Cash’s Fight (The Last Riders, #5)
Prologue
Cash raised his beer to his lips while pulling the woman next to him closer, notching his cock against her ass. Her indrawn breath had him hardening behind the zipper of his jeans.
“Let’s go back to my place, Cash.”
A frustrated groan rumbled from his chest. “Give me a minute. I need to take care of a piece of business first. Then we can leave,” he promised.
Reva leaned her head back against his chest. “All right, but hurry.”
“I will,” he assured the woman who had come into the bar to pick someone to scratch the itch she was obviously wanting taken care of.
Moving away from her luscious ass, he walked from the counter, going to the back of the bar. Pulling out a chair, he took a seat at the table.
“Sorry to interrupt your fun.”
“You didn’t. I just put it on hold for a few minutes,” Cash stated, looking across the table at Stud, the president of the Destructors. “What did you need to talk to me about?”
Stud didn’t waste time getting to the point of the meeting. “Three weeks ago, we noticed a new biker club taking up residence in Jamestown. I left several of my men in charge of the Destructors and everything’s been cool, except a couple of small confrontations have taken place between the two clubs. Since I’m the president of the Destructors, I’m thinking they’re about to challenge me for power of Jamestown. We both know that shithole of a town isn’t worth fighting for unless you’re running drugs; it’s the only back road route to Tennessee and Virginia from Kentucky.”
Cash listened, taking another drink of his beer.
“We don’t run drugs, so I’m not interested, but what does piss me off is they think they can just push me out of the way.”
Cash didn’t think anyone was stupid enough to believe they could push Stud.
“What do you need me to do?”
“For now, can you find out what you can about them and what the fuck they are up to? I’ll decide what to do after I have the information I need. Sex Piston will kick my ass if another club takes over her town, and those crazy friends of hers might try to become involved.”
There is no might about it, Cash thought.
“I’ll check into them in the morning then get back to you as soon as I have something. Any names?”
“Not many, no. One that keeps coming up is Scorpion; another is Vaughn.”
“That should be enough to start with. Anything else?”
“That’s it. Tell Viper I appreciate his help.” Viper, the president of The Last Riders, had developed a tentative friendship with Stud. It was one in which each benefited when help was needed.
“Will do.” Cash stood to his feet, his mind returning to the woman he had left alone at the bar.
“Seems like someone already moved in on your action.”
Cash glanced back at the bar as Reva stood, flirting with Tate Porter.
“Yes, it does. Too bad for him I’m taking her back.”
“Good luck.” Stud’s amusement was apparent as he observed Cash’s tight-lipped reaction. Cash didn’t turn his attention from Reva as Stud left the bar; instead, he swa
llowed down his anger, determined not to let Tate Porter ruin his night.
Walking back to the bar, he came to stand behind Reva. “Ready to go?”
The provocative brunette looked over her shoulder at him.
Fuck. That wasn’t the first time Cash had seen the same expression on a woman’s face; she wanted to pit the two men against each other. Cash had been in this position too many times to become involved in a fight over a woman.
Cutting his loss, he was about to turn away when Tate’s voice had him pausing.
“Smart move, Cash. Run while you have the chance,” Tate goaded.
“I’m not running; I just don’t feel like whipping your ass over a cunt I can have next week.”
Reva’s angry gasp was ignored as Tate straightened from the bar.
“You couldn’t whip my ass with six of those pussies you ride with helping you.”
Cash’s anger rose, his desire to avoid a fight slipping away. “The problem with you and your brothers, Tate, is you brag more than you can actually accomplish with that small dick of yours.”
As Tate turned red at Cash’s comment, Cash grinned, waiting for the fist to come his way. Surprisingly, Tate only grinned back.
“At least it’ll be my dick in her tonight,” he said, pulling Reva against him.
Cash gritted his teeth, moving away from the bar. His one consolation was Reva didn’t look happy at his withdrawal.
Going outside the bar, he saw Greer sitting on the tailgate of his truck with one of the local women. Cash caught a brief glance at her as he drew nearer. Damn, tonight just wasn’t going to be his night.
His slight hope of passing by unnoticed died quickly when the woman turned her head and saw him, a loud squeal passing her lips. “Cash!”
She jumped off the tailgate, throwing herself into his arms, which he kept to his sides. She wound her arms around his neck, her breath strong with the odor of alcohol and whatever she had eaten for dinner, repulsing him. He jerked his head back as far as he could, trying to unsuccessfully move away from her tight grasp.
“Why didn’t you call? If I’d have known you were going to be here, I would have met you.”
“I was meeting a friend, Diane.”
Stand of Redemption Page 20