Cut & Blow_Book Three

by Ashleigh Giannoccaro

  I head straight for the boxing section of the gym. Tucked away in the far corner it smells like blood and sweat, and a few of the serious fighters are here. They just ignore me.

  Illegal fighting is on the rise and it’s only fitting that the family have their fingers in that pie. I know that Rain is involved in running the fights. The money dropped off on Fridays at the salon is from the Thursday night fights. Rain’s bookies run the betting and his warehouses provide the venues for the fights. It’s good business.

  Deep bass beats from the ladies studio above us, vibrating through the ceiling, and I can hear the thud of their feet on the floor. I punch the bag harder, trying to drown out the annoying noise, working up a healthy sweat and expelling some of the anger niggling in my gut.

  I don’t know why I am so highly strung today, maybe it’s the fact that I can’t stop watching her videos, or that I want to murder the guy she’s screwing in them. But, it’s since her, since I saw her that way, and that fucking kiss – this is because of Viv and I need to stop it.

  “Want to spar?” one of the trainers asks, as he strolls past me.

  I don’t normally do this with anyone. I just punch my frustrations out and be done with it. The thought of pummeling a random gives me a smile.

  “Sure.” I catch the bag to prevent it from hitting him, and step around it to follow him to the ring.

  “You aren’t bad, you know,” he says, as we climb through the ropes and onto the sprung floor. “Why don’t you fight? I just see you here punching and pounding with no end game.”

  “I’m not into fighting.” Thwack. I connect his pad.

  “Could have fooled me.” He raises a brow and I want to smash his face in, but don’t.

  My shirt is soaked from the sweat pouring off me. I can smell the antibacterial cleaner as a boy mops up the floors around the raised ring. He stops to watch us for a minute.

  He’s young and probably dreams of being a fighter, but those hopes will be crushed soon enough. We all have innocent goals, then reality comes along to kick us in the kidneys.

  The trainer catches me off guard, landing a punch while I am distracted. “Pay attention, or you’ll get those nice, straight white teeth, knocked out.”

  I refocus on him. After a few more minutes of sparring I lower my arms. My fight is depleted. It’s gone, the crazy inside me is all done.

  “Thanks man, but I’m done for today.” I pull off my gloves.

  The tape beneath them is soaking wet and my knuckles physically hurt. I know that holding my scissors at work tomorrow will be a bitch.

  “Anytime, just shout and I’ll train with you.” He holds out a hand for me to shake.

  “I’m Romeo.” I introduce myself.

  “I know who you are,” he says with a smile. “I’m Isaiah.”

  “Like from the bible?”

  “My mother had higher hopes than this when she named me.” He motions to the ring surrounding us.

  I laugh as I duck through the ropes and jump down from the ring. The water from my bottle is like manna as I chug it down, then wipe perspiration from my face and neck before hitting the showers. Normally I would just go home, but I am disgusting today; the smell would stay in my car for months.

  The showers are a daunting place when everyone thinks you are gay, especially in a gym. But it’s quiet, so I breathe a sigh of relief and strip off my sweat soaked clothing, then wash myself in the tepid water. My tired and burning muscles are thankful that there is no hot water left while my body cools and relaxes in the spray.

  Wearing my new threads, I feel better than I have in days. I fix my hair in the misty mirror, shove my belongings into my bag, and head out. There’s bound to be someone coming in here soon and I’d rather avoid that at all costs.

  The smell of a hundred different deodorants is sticking in the musty air and I walk a little faster. Shoving the heavy, gray door open, I step into the stale air of the open gym and walk straight into her at full speed. With a devilish smile on her face and two cups in her hands, Viviana has me trapped and she knows it.

  “I brought you a smoothie. We need to talk. You can’t avoid me forever.”

  The last thing I want is to avoid you, Viviana. I want to do all manner of wicked things to you.

  “I’m in a hurry.” I maneuver around her.

  “I don’t care.” She steps back into my path, shoving the drink at my chest. “I would rather not do this in here.” She looks around and I see her friends coming from the studio, they are looking at us. “Please,” she says sweetly.

  “Fuck it. Fine. Let’s go talk,” I growl in a low tone, because I can see two of the guys that were working out with Isaiah eyeballing us.

  The way she looks in her tight leggings and a bra doesn’t help matters. I’m not calling that a top. It’s a bra with a zip at the front. Her smug expression says ‘I win’ as we walk to the doors, her ass wiggling in front of me. I am itching to smack it, hard.

  The sun is blinding when we emerge from indoors and I screw up my eyes until they focus.

  “We can chat in your car,” she says, looking back at me over her shoulder.

  I sip on the green mush she handed me, and gag. God, people take their health shit too far. Tossing it into the trash can on the sidewalk, I pull my keys out and walk to my vehicle. She looks upset that I tossed the drink, but there is no way I am drinking it.

  “Fine, get in.” I open the passenger door like a gentleman, even though I’m not feeling chivalrous at all. As soon as I climb in and shut the door, I am aware of her smell. She doesn’t stink of gym sweat, she smells of peaches and soap, sweet and light.

  Turning to her without starting the engine, I ask, “What do you want to talk about, Viv?”

  “Why are you avoiding me? Chelsey had to do my hair and it wasn’t the same. You’ve missed two of my appointments.”

  “Because I’ve seen you naked.” I turn the key in the ignition. “Also, your brother scares the shit out of me. I am pretty sure that everyone witnessed us leaving the gym together, now he’ll call a mechanic to take care of me. I’m one more problem he doesn’t need.”

  “Did you tell anyone? You can’t tell, please.”

  “I am not telling anyone … They’ll slaughter me for watching it after gouging out my eyes, and I know we’ll never find the key to wherever they lock you up. Viv, what were you thinking?”

  “It’s fun.” She shrugs, and sips her smoothie. “I like the thrill of it, the attention. You know, no one sees me in my real life, this is just, I don’t know, it feels good and I enjoy it.” I still haven’t driven out of the parking lot. I just look at her while the car idles. She has got to be joking. “It’s just a show, you know. We are just acting.”

  “It doesn’t look like acting when he is slamming his dick into you. Why are we talking about this, Viv? I don’t care what you do, who you do, or why. I am not telling on you and Chelsey will just have to cut your hair.”

  Deciding I am not going anywhere with her, I turn the car off again. My hands grip the steering wheel and I imagine pulling that silly little zip down to expose her pierced nipples. Grinding my teeth, I stare out of the windshield and mentally tell my dick ‘down boy’, over and over.

  “Right now you look like you care, and I am almost certain that you cared when you kissed me.” Fuck her. She’s teasing and trying to push my buttons, and it’s working. “I like this look on you, pastel really isn’t your color. You should wear those jeans more often. Your ass looks hot in them.”

  Giving her a death glare, I turn in my seat to look her in those sassy eyes. “Viv, what are you doing?”

  “Right now?” She gets that devilish smile again. “Wondering why you act gay, when I can see the hard-on through your jeans and you can’t take your eyes off my tits.”

  “Get out,” I growl. “Now, Viviana. Get out of my car. I don’t play games with children.”

  “Why? You don’t want people to know you’re straight? I don’t want peop
le to know I like to fuck on camera.”

  “Get out!” I yell, and I am sure anyone who is nearby heard it too.

  But she doesn’t leave, instead she pulls the zip on her top down, one tooth at a time. Slowly. The sound of it pulling open is soft but deafening. I focus on her face, resisting the temptation she is placing in front of me. “Viviana, get out of my car.” The words are exhaled, not even spoken.

  “You like watching me. I know you have been voyeuring, Romi, so watch.”

  “People can see you!”

  “I like being seen, that’s why I do it.” The bottom of the zipper slides loose and her top pops open, her breasts on display. The bright sunshine highlights the barbells in her perfect nipples.

  “Cover yourself up, Viv. I don’t plan on getting murdered today.”

  “Kiss me and I’ll close it,” she teases, licking her lips, and placing her cup down on my dash.

  She rakes her fingernails down her chest, playing with herself and taunting me. All the frustration I punched out minutes ago is back.

  “I am not kissing you, Viv. Cover up and cut this shit out.”

  She moans a low sound while she tugs at the silver jewelry, and all my self-control is lost. This time I lean over and crush her into the front seat.

  My hands move hers away so I can touch the cool metal in her hot flesh while I devour her, taste her. Our mouths siege battle, my body at war with my common sense, and the lust I experienced watching her videos comes out of me with ferocity.

  When she tries to touch me, I grip her thin wrists in my hand and stop her. Just one touch and I will jizz in my pants like a thirteen-year-old drooling at a centerfold.

  A noise outside brings me back to harsh reality and I stop, releasing her, I sit back in my seat trying to catch my breath. I didn’t imagine what I felt the last time. It wasn’t the wine. It was her.

  “Fuck me,” she whispers, panting beside me.

  Her lipstick is smeared all over her face, her hair is a mess, and her breasts are on display for the whole world to see. When I look out the window on her side of the car, I see Isaiah shaking his head, walking away, and I curse at myself.

  “Get out, Viv,” I order, hanging my head, disappointed at my lack of self-control.

  “Are you fucking kidding me?”

  She sounds wounded, but I need to think and I can’t do so with her boobs in front of me.

  “Please Viv, we can’t do this. I am not into this sort of public display thing, and you clearly are.” She closes the zipper on her excuse for a top, grabs her drink, and slips out my car.

  “Romeo …” She leans down, looking me in the eye. She is pissed. Her skin is red and her eyes have venom in them. “This isn’t over. I have a way of getting what I want, and I want you.” The door slams shut so hard that the car shakes.

  I rest my head on the steering wheel, waiting to catch my breath before I attempt to operate this vehicle.

  Six

  Hazelnut Brown

  VIVIANA:

  After filming, I made another appointment to see Romi.

  I need to know if it is him that has me twisted up inside, because something has fucked up a good thing and I need to either get over it or tell Calvin I am out. After our last session I think they may not be too happy with that option.

  Romi is avoiding me, I fucking know it. Chelsey has had to do my hair a few times now because he’s evading me at every turn.

  I happen to spot him boxing with Isaiah when I arrive at the gym for Pilates. I didn’t imagine him as a boxer. In fact, until our kiss I hadn’t imagined him as anything but a hairdresser. He was, until that point, one of the girls.

  Watching him from up here I miss the call for class. The door shuts on Pilates so I just stand and observe him, sweat making his shirt stick in all the right places. His shoulders ripple with every hit and his hair hangs in his face. Soft shorts hang loosely on his hips, the veins in his calves are a road map to pleasure. He punches at the pads like he wants to kill someone; the energy coming from him is dark and angry.

  My desire to workout is gone, instead I watch him dance and duck in the ring.

  When he hits the showers, I make a dash downstairs to the juice bar, ordering two smoothies to go. I am not going to let him ignore me any longer. He does things to me, and anything – or one – that makes my belly flip like he just did, is something I want.

  Perched on a stool at the gym juice bar I decide that my new thrill will be him, and if he is gay I will make it really hard for him to not reconsider his preferences.

  Oh. My… well my everything is clenching with horniness and anger. Who the fuck kisses a girl like that and then kicks her out of the car? What the ever-loving fuck is wrong with that man?

  I’m incensed by his rejection, but so turned on that I want to hump the Pilates ball that I am now balanced on. There is a hardness in my stomach, like everything is pulled tight and I can feel my blood pressure going up instead of down; my jaw is already sore from the way I have it clamped closed. Guys don’t usually do that, do they? I mean, surely he should have felt me up or at least tried to get lucky?

  Stretched to my limit I finish the class. I missed the one with all my friends earlier but managed to get into this one with the older housewives and soccer moms. At least I don’t need to make small talk, because I might actually bite someone’s head off if they spoke to me right now. I am sweating, not from the workout but from the utter frustration at what happened.

  I am going to become his worst nightmare, and biggest temptation. I will be everywhere until he cannot ignore me, not even if he tries. Challenge accepted, Romeo.

  When I leave the gym, I look to see if his car is here, but he has already left. Horny and irritated, I text Calvin.

  Want to film later today?

  6pm? Make sure you are actually in the mood this time.

  See you at 6.

  I delete the ‘flipping the bird’ emoji before I send the reply, and go home to shower and make myself look camera ready. I don’t have time for a trip to the salon so I will have to DIY it today.

  After a lengthy and hot shower, I am still climbing the walls I am so horny. I am tempted to just get myself off, but then it wouldn’t make Romi jealous and I want him to go out of his mind like I am. Tonight’s video won’t be shared with the world, no, just with him.

  I rub myself with lotion and pull my hair up into a loose ponytail, then apply just the right amount of makeup for the camera.

  With nothing but a cute, blue, wrap-around dress on, I drive to the loft. The butterflies in my stomach have turned into crows flapping about, and my thighs are squeezed tight with need. The dress brushes against my nipples making them peak, and every part of me is buzzing when I knock on the heavy door at the top of the dingy stairs. It squeals on its hinges when Calvin pulls it open with a smile on his face.

  “Hello beautiful, are you feeling more yourself?” He kisses my cheek, then my exposed collarbone; his hand softly runs down my side.

  “I’m feeling much better,” I answer, as he guides me in with a firm hand on my back.

  Glancing around, I don’t see Jacki here. All her equipment is set up and there are three cameras around the room, but she isn’t here obsessively checking them. “Where is Jack’s?” I ask, listening for water. Maybe she’s in the shower?

  “She’s out of town for a film festival this week. It’s just you and me. She’s watching though. I set up a video chat with her.” He points to the laptop balanced on the concrete counter near the kitchen. “Is that okay?”

  He nuzzles my neck with soft kisses and bites. It feels so good that without thinking about it I just nod. My breath’s heavy with the desire to be touched, to come completely undone and just think about nothing else for a while.

  Calvin pulls at the string that keeps my dress closed, loosening it so the material falls away from the front of my body. The loft is cool, and the soft lighting makes him look as if he is glowing.

  Lifting my
chin, he kisses me, but it feels different without her here. It’s quiet and I can hear him breathing heavily, instead of her. His fingertips brush over my skin, tracing lines, connecting the dots from one spot to the other, making me wet with need and hungry for more.

  This isn’t an emotional connection for me, it’s physical, and I think that’s why I crave it so much. The high I get from sex is like a drug. When I crave it nothing else will do.

  “Hmmm.” I grab his ass and pull him closer, wanting more. I close my eyes and for a second imagine it’s an olive-skinned Romi touching me and not the beautiful blonde Calvin.

  He smells like soap and woody aftershave.

  I tune out the cameras, the person in front of me, everything except for the way my body feels under his touch. My skin tingles with goosebumps when his lips seal around my nipple; his teeth pull at my piercing and my head lolls back.

  When he moves his mouth to my other breast my knees begin to shake, and my whole body shivers.

  “You are in a better mood, aren’t you,” Calvin says, taking my hands and leading me over to the big bed covered with a white fitted sheet and some pillows.

  Sitting, he pulls me onto him and shoves the dress off me, letting it fall to the floor. As I straddle his lap he pulls off my shoes and throws them. Something breaks when it is hit by a flying stiletto, but before I can look over my shoulder to see what it was he reclines back, pulling me with him and in for a wild kiss.

  The button of his faded jeans digs into me, biting at my skin. I shove myself backwards while sitting on top of Calvin, his smile playful when I pop the offensive button open and slide the zipper down. I can’t get his jeans off while I am sitting like this, so I stand over him, naked and completely exposed to him.

  “Take those off,” I command.

  He grabs me by the hips, flipping me off him and onto the bed so he can discard his clothes. He is more fun tonight than usual.