“Leave my son.”
“What does Alex want?”
“He wants to focus on his career.”
“Did he say that?”
“I know my son, Juliana. And you’re distracting him. I will not allow him to ruin his career over a girl,” he spoke harshly, accusing her. “Please leave him.”
Jules took a moment to gather her thoughts. She was furious now. At Alex, at his father, at the world.
“Consider it done, Mr. McKinnon,” Jules surprised herself by saying.
“I really appreciate it, Jules.”
Angry tears sprung to her eyes as he left. How can Alex let this happen? His father coming all the way to her work and acting like she’s a diversion in his son’s big dreams. Jules felt like hitting something, anything. She had her own career and problems. She didn’t need Alex to become one of them.
Jules didn’t pick up Alex’s calls or reply to his texts. At 6’o clock, she left her office and headed home. Her head was spinning and she needed sleep. At home, she reclined on her couch and picked up her phone to call her dad. Alex had left her six texts. Feeling a pang of guilt, she realized he needed an explanation.
Your dad visited me. He thinks you should focus on your training. We should take a break.
In less than a second, Alex replied.
I’m coming over.
Jules sighed. This was going to be a long night. She left the front door unlocked and headed to her room. She turned off the lights except for a soft yellow light on the top of her dresser, giving the room a dim glow, barely visible. She was standing at the dressing, brushing out her hair when the door to her bedroom burst open. Alex strode inside and walked towards her, pulling her in a sudden embrace.
“Jules,” he murmured into her hair. “I’m so sorry.”
Tears sprang to her eyes as she hugged him back. Alex’s father’s voice rang in her ears, telling her to stay away from Alex and to stop distracting him. Jules buried her face in Alex’s shirt; tears were now rolling down her cheeks. Alex hugged her tighter. He tried to move apart to see her face but Jules held him tighter, refusing to look at him.
“Jules,” he murmured again. “Look at me, love.”
Jules took a moment to compose herself before lifting her head. Alex put his hand under her chin, his thumb brushing her tears. “I spoke to him. Dropped by his place before I came here.” he said, his jaw tightening, anger seeping through his voice. “You will never have to see him again.”
“He’s your father.”
“I don’t care.”
“Why?” Jules whispered. “Why do you try so much, Alex? Your father, Carlotta; they all think we’re wrong to be together.”
“Because,” Alex said harshly. “I’m in love with you.”
Jules was quiet, taken aback by the confession. Alex still held her face, staring down at her. “I love you, Jules,” he repeated, more gently this time. “I love you and I don’t care what any of them say.”
Jules touched his face, staring up into his eyes. She searched his face but only found complete sincerely. Their lips met in a tender kiss. Jules thought Alex was trying to convey all the unsaid things between them through the kiss. He held her close again.
“I want to show you how much I care about you. Let me make love to you,” he whispered into her ear.
Jules felt her heartbeat rise. She had wanted to do this but had been afraid of it at the same time. Alex made her feel so many overwhelming emotions. She was afraid of how their lovemaking would be.
Kisses were exchanged between them. Pulling apart, their lips still brushed as their foreheads rested against each other’s. Jules traced down his stomach, her hand trembling as it caught hold of the bottom of his shirt. The shirt was peeled off. She traced the defined lines of his stomach, taking in his breathtaking features. He kissed her nose as her fingers trailed down his strong shoulder and toned arms. Jules crossed her arms over her stomach, finding the hem of her top. She pulled it up, struggling to remove it. She heard Alex laugh as his large hands helped her get rid of it. Shirtless, they closed the distance between them in a heated kiss. Jules felt him tug down the pajamas she had donned for the night. He helped her climb out of the clothing on the floor. Jules stumbled into him and Alex caught her effortlessly. Her red hair fell over her shoulders, concealing her black bra. Alex’s eyes were full of lust as he lovingly took in the curves of her body. Kissing her, he led her backwards towards the bed. Her hair sprawled as he laid her in the duvet. He knelt over her, leaving kisses across her cheeks.
“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, making Jules blush. She sighed as he left delicate kisses all over her body. His hands skimmed over her, resting at her breasts. Her head rolled to the side as he cupped them, squeezing gently. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly now. He was kneeling besides her, leaving tender touches. She whimpered as his hands ran down her inner thigh. Before she knew it, his strong hands were on her ankles, bending her knees, pinning her feet to the bed. His mouth hovered over the front of her underwear as he puffed out purposefully. Hot breath seeped through the thin material, making her moan. Jules knew what was coming next and tried to move but his hands still held her feet down.
“It’s alright,” she heard his soothing voice. She breathed deeply, at his mercy. He released an ankle, his fingers hooking her underwear to the side. His tongue delved into her, making her whimper his name and writher with pleasure. His hand was back on her ankle so the only way she could move was by lifting her hips. She lifted her lower half, desperate for more contact. Alex laughed, clearly amused at her tortured state. Jules would have been annoyed if she wasn’t overwhelmed by his actions. His tongue licked her aching core. Her hands desperately fisted the duvet, trying to cling on to something. Her eyes closed, her neck arching back as her hands blindly travelled down, searching for his soft black hair. Her fingers wound around his hair, holding him there as he made her moan again and again. Moments later, he pulled away, leaving Jules limp and helpless. If she wasn’t lying on the bed, she might have collapsed by now.
Jules wasn’t new to sex but she had never experience such intense and intimate touches. Most men just seemed to want rough sex. Alex just wanted to please her. He lay next to her; his hands easily lifted her by the hips, laying her on him. Her back pressed into his chest, her eyes on the ceiling. He brought her hair to one side of her neck, gently palming her breasts in the process. His legs pried apart hers and suddenly, his fingers were hooked into her underwear again. With one arm encircled around her waist, holding her in place, Jules was unable to do anything as she felt his long index finger nudge into her. She clutched his strong bicep as he pumped his finger in and out of her. Her back grinded into his crotch, and she felt a groan vibrate through him beneath her. She had never been touched so intimately. She attempted to roll off, unable to handle the tremors of pleasure washing over her body but he held her in place. Her head rolled back on his shoulder in defeat. His fingers were withdrawn and this time, he attempted to enter her with two. Her heels dug into his jean clad legs as he pumped his fingers in and out.
“Does that feel good?” he asked. She nodded, unable to reply. His fingers touched a point she didn’t know existed, making her cry out his name. Slowly, he withdrew his fingers, allowing her to roll off him. She wasn’t able to do much except lay there, breathing heavily. Her back was turned to him. Alex got rid of his jeans before unhooking her bra and peeling off her underwear. He lay next to her. “You okay?” he asked as Jules turned to face him. “Yeah,” she breathed, smiling. His fingers brushed her nipples, eliciting a sigh. They were both on their sides, facing each other.
“I’m not usually into foreplay,” he told her, a teasing smile on his lips. She caught the hand that was on her breasts in order to be able to give a coherent reply. “But I just want to make you feel good.” He sounded so earnest, his brown eyes searching her green ones for approval.
“It felt amazing,” Jules confirmed. “But it’s not fair I’m completely naked a
nd you’re not.” She sat up, her fingers finding the hem of his boxers as she pulled them down. Jules had frequently commented on how big he was but this time, the doubt in her eyes was real. Jules was extremely small. Seeing the doubt in her eyes, he pulled her down and flipped over so he was lying on her. She could feel a budge pressing into her. “Don’t worry,” he mumbled against her neck. “I’ll be gentle.” He sucked her nipples making her moan again. She held his head in place as he bit down. She cried out, her fingers clutching his hair. He hovered over her, readying himself at her entrance.
“You ready?” he asked. Jules nodded, heart beating wildly. He brushed his tip over her a few times before beginning to enter her. They both quickly became aware of the difficulty. He was large and Jules would be stretched to her limits. Their fingers became intertwined as he pushed himself in, all the way. Whimpers left her parted lips as she tried to adjust to his huge size. He held extremely still, giving her time to adjust. He buried his face in her neck and she could feel him tremble with the effort of staying still.
“You can move,” she whispered. He lifted his head, his lips covering hers in a passionate kiss as he withdrew and rolled back again. Her hands gripped the back of his neck, fingers tangling into his hair. He was still going slow. Her left leg was lifted to curve around his back, small moans escaping her lips.
“Is this alright?” he asked, taking his cues from her.
Jules nodded. Her back curved as the friction increased. Her nails dug into his back.
“You smell really nice,” Alex said. Jules smiled at his sweet compliment. She had a feeling that talking was his way of controlling his movements in order not to hurt her.
“Thank you, Al,” Jules replied, small gasps separating each word.
“I’ve never gone this slow before,” he said. “I like it.”
Jules moaned his name as he increased his pace. Her eyes closed shut at a particularly heavier thrust.
“Sorry,” he gushed, bringing down his lips to kiss her.
“It’s alright. It felt good,” Jules breathed.
He hit a sensitive spot that had pleasure bursting through her body. Her head rolled back, crying out loud.
“There?” he asked. She lifted her hips in answer to his question, unable to speak. She cried as he continuously met that point, making her tremble and shake. His head buried in her neck. She heard him curse and bite at her neck as the intensity of his pace increased. Her legs wrapped around his thigh as he thrust into her again and again.
A shattering orgasm overtook her. Jules wasn’t aware of anything except the man on top of her, making her feel emotions she didn’t know she was capable of feeling.
Hours later, they both still lay in bed, awake and talking. Conversations weaved from music to football to hiking. They talked about everything and anything. Jules was surprised at the turn of events. From being extremely angry at him, she had ended up making love to him, slow and passionate.
Right before she drifted off, Jules gave him a gentle kiss.
“I love you too, Alex,” she mumbled before falling asleep in his arms.
Chapter 15 – Alex
With the Manchester Championship only two weeks away, Alex was spending every waking moment training. Donna was alternating between her own training and the training of her students. Alex had refused to talk to his father until he apologized to Jules. His father didn’t think it necessary, insisting it was for his better future. With the championship approaching, Alex didn’t have a choice but to bury their differences in order to work together to improve the club’s ranking. The company sponsoring Alex had sent him an extra plane ticket, saying he can bring along a friend. Alex had asked Jules to come with him but she declined. She said it was because she can’t get days off from work but Alex suspected she didn’t want to be around his father lest he blame her again. He hadn’t insisted.
Jules had flown to San Diego this weekend to visit her father and brother, making it three days since Alex had seen her. That was the longest they had gone without seeing each other since their first meeting. Alex longed to be with her again, to hold her in his arms and kiss her. He thought back to the night a couple of days ago when they had made love in Jules’ bedroom. It was Alex’s first experience of slow and passionate sex. He had to struggle to control his rough instincts that he was used to during sex. Other girls had openly encouraged his rough side. With Jules, he wanted something special. She was his weaknesses and he couldn’t bear to hurt her.
Two days later, when the state rankings came in, JnM MMA Academy’s rankings had dropped from 1st to 2nd. Alex’s heart sank as he read the reason cited below:
Absence of lead fighter from the local championship
The club ranked 1st had all the same statistics as JnM MMA Academy except it’s lead fighter showed up to the local tournament of the season. Alex felt a pang of guilt; JnM has been ranked no. 1 for the past 20 years. His father had put his whole life in building this club. It was his life’s work.
As expected, his father was furious. “These are just the state rankings,” he said, angrily when Alex visited him. “Wait till the country rankings come out tomorrow. Alexander, if you want to ruin your own future, that is fine with me. But this club is all I’ve worked for my whole life. If not for your future, please focus on your training, for my career.”
“I am focusing, father,” Alex said, frustrated. “It was one tournament. Just one.”
“One very important tournament,” his father corrected. “Our sponsors are extremely angry. There has even been talk of shifting their alliance to Houston’s Academy which was ranked no. 1.”
“What?” Alex said, unable to believe it. “Our sponsors have been with us for years. They can’t just-”
“They can and they might,” his father continued. “And that’s not it. Your own rankings have dropped too.”
“They haven’t,” Alex said, refusing to believe it.
His father held out a printed piece of paper. “They don’t come out till tomorrow. I got an early peak at them. Special favor from one of my friends.”
Alex took the paper warily. From no. 2, his ranking has fallen to no. 4. He pushed the paper away, thrusting it back into his father’s hand. Sitting down, he buried his head in his hands, trying to get his thoughts together. Being ranked no. 4 would mean his opponent for the Manchester Championship had changed. Fighters are matched according to rank and Alex had been training keeping in mind that he will be fighting the fighter ranked no. 1, Stefan Mosby. Not only will he have to alter his training with the tournament barely 2 weeks away, he will also have to face the shame of letting JnM Academy down; this would be the first time there would be no fighter from JnM in the highest two ranks. He will have to work extra hard in the tournament to win gold. He shook his head.
“Sorry, father,” Alex begun. “Please tell me what to do. How can I fix this?”
“You can’t fix the rankings. But you can work harder for the tournament. A few alterations here and there and some clever techniques can still get you and our club back on track. Provided that you win the Manchester Championship.”
Alex nodded.
“And Alexander, no distractions for the next two weeks.”
“Jules-” Alex begun but his father cut across him.
“I don’t want to hear of that girl. Stop being a child. This is about your career. I know you don’t see it right now because you are foolish but it is having an effect on your career. I’m sure you don’t see it and Juliana doesn’t see it either and I don’t blame you two. You’re both young. But as your father, I see what you’re doing wrong. And I beg you, don’t make this mistake. Take a break from her until your career is secure.”
Alex formed a retort in his head but fell silent. For the first time, he implored himself to at least think about what his father said. He remembered times when he was younger and sometimes, ignored his father’s advices. He had always come to regret it later.
He simply nodded, told his
father he will do as he says, in order to put him at peace and left. Alone, he proceeded to the ice skating rink. He didn’t know how he ended up there but somehow, he did. The rink was almost empty today, with a few skaters here and there. It was late, almost midnight. Jules had been right about how beautiful it looked at night. The lights wound through the trees had lit up to give a soft, magical glow to the rink. The multi colors reflected off the smooth ice, creating shiny patterns. He thought back to the day he visited it with Jules. It had been their second date, though they did not know it then. Jules had talked about her mother that day. She had looked so sad that Alex had wanted to reach out to her to comfort her. But it was too soon and he had to leave it at a simple touch on her cheeks.
He sat at the café alone, sipping coffee. The past three months of his life had been all about Jules. Maybe his father was right; maybe he had become distracted. His rankings had never dropped below 2nd before. And the guilt he felt at being the reason for his father’s club’s rank dropping knew no bounds. It was his own fault. He chose to stay with Jules that day. It wasn’t fair to her. He should have asked Sam or another friend of Jules to stay with her. He should have called a nurse to take care of her. He should have showed up for the tournament.
Maybe he hadn’t been able to handle a girl as amazing as Jules. He had wanted to be around her all the time. And it wasn’t fair because his father blamed her for his distraction.
For the first time in Alex’s life, he had put someone before his career and it had had a profound impact on him already. Was Jules worth neglecting his career for? He instantly knew the answer. Jules was worth it and more. But he could also not bear to let anything come between his goals.
Jules filled his mind. Her plump pink lips on his. Her red hair flying in the wind. Her contagious laughter. Her green eyes wide with anxiously as she told him about a bad day at work. Her proud smile when she did well at work. Her ruthless punches when she trained with him. And her kisses. The gentle ones and the rough ones, the teasing ones and the angry ones. She was an amazing kisser.
Romance: Pummel Me: A Boxing Romance Page 4