by Ash, Nikki
Once Cooper is done with his interviews, they all head out of the fighting ring back toward the room they came from. He whispers something into Bentley’s ear and Bentley’s head shoots up, looking around until he spots me. He smirks at me and nods his head. While they all head to the back Bentley stops right in front of us.
“Well God damn. If it isn’t the girl who got away.”
His grin gets wider as he looks me up and down clearly checking me out. Then he turns his head to Kayla and his face morphs from humorous to full on lust. Kayla never admitted to what happened between them, only that they had sex and moved on, but looking at his expression I swear he is reliving it all over again and I would bet there was more to them than just a wham-bam-thank you-ma’am.
“And her best friend. Never thought we would ever see you two again.”
I am still stuck on the girl who got away part that I don’t hear anything Kayla and Bentley are saying. The girl who got away? Could that mean he has thought about me? It doesn’t make any sense because he is the one who left that morning without leaving so much as a phone number.
I catch what must be the tail end of the conversation to hear Kayla tell Bentley we will be there. Be where? Where are we going? Oh! She must be referring to the after party. That would make sense since it is for the fighters and Cooper is apparently a fighter.
Bentley nods his head at Kayla and then at me, and walks away. This is too much to take in. To think if I wouldn’t have come tonight, I would have missed running into Cooper. This whole time we have been living in the same city! What are the odds?
* * * *
Cooper
Holy. Shit. My world feels like it has just been turned on its axis. No, more like picked up, shaken every which way, and flipped the hell all over the place. I have spent the last five years imagining what Liz would feel like beneath me again but I never thought it could become a reality.
I just won my fight. I should be focusing on the fact that I have ensured myself a spot for the title fight. I have worked my ass off to get here. Thinking about this girl is not going to help me get ready for this fight, that’s for damn sure. She would be nothing but a distraction if I let her in. Plus, I would never be able to devote the time to her that she deserves and where would that leave us? All I have to do is take a look at my drunken, cheating mother to remind myself what women are capable of when they don’t get enough attention. But damn, when I think about Liz and our short time together in Miami, it feels so different. It feels like the connection we shared could possibly mean more.
Out of nowhere a wet rag smacks me right in my face and I am brought back to the present.
“What the fuck was that for?” I look around to see who threw that shit at me.
“Get your fuckin’ head in the game, boy!”
“My head is in the game!” I shout back at my dad throwing the rag on the ground. “I just won my damn fight, didn’t I?”
“No, it’s not! I can hear that shit runnin’ through your head about that girl. I heard Kaden mention to Bentley that she’s here. You want a championship or do you want a piece of pussy?”
I just shake my head; there’s no point in arguing with him. I have learned the hard way to just let him say his peace and walk away. He is never going to change his way of thinking and he definitely doesn’t care what I think or how I feel.
“I asked you a fuckin’ question, son. You gonna answer or just stare at me?” And at this simple question I lose it. All the years of keeping it all in, it just comes spilling out.
“Of course, I want a championship! Haven’t I made it clear over the last five damn years that I have been working my ass off at the gym every goddamn day? Will anything ever be good enough for you? I am twenty-seven years old and other than having a very rare one-night stand or a drink with the guys, I have spent every waking moment at this gym! I get that mom cheated on you. I have listened to you tell me for the last fifteen years that women are no good. Ever think maybe she cheated because she couldn’t stand the way you treat her or your family? And that maybe not every woman is like mom? I have chosen this career over EVERYTHING!! What more do you want from me?”
He stares at me in silence like he is contemplating how to respond to my outburst. For a second I think that maybe he gets it but then he says, “I will ask you again. Do you want a championship or do you want that piece of pussy out there in the crowd? You can’t have both. If you want her then go—go after her but don’t bother showing up at the gym tomorrow.”
I can’t even respond. I just simply look at him and laugh humorlessly to myself while I walk away. It feels like for the first time I am seeing him in a whole different light. I have always known he doesn’t see me how a loving father should see his kid but I never realized how truly unhappy and bitter he is.
Eight
Cooper
I jump in the shower back at my house and get dressed. Normally I would shower at the arena but I left so quickly I forgot about needing to get ready for the after party. Bentley and Caleb are meeting me back here and then we are going to ride over to the Kaden’s for the party. I head downstairs to see Caleb and Bentley already in my living room waiting on me.
“Are Liz and Kayla coming to the party?”
Bentley is the first one to speak up. “Yeah, apparently, they are friends with Hayley, the chick that works as the on-site doctor at the gym. Hayley invited them to the fight and after party. When I went to go invite them, Kayla told me they were already planning to go. What are the odds, man?”
“Seriously, this whole situation is just so surreal. Get this shit, my dad told me if I go to the party tonight to see Liz, not to show up at the gym tomorrow. I am done with him running my life. I get I can’t be in a committed relationship. Between the fucked up crazy DNA running through me, and the insane hours I put in at the gym, I know it would never work, but I am not going to just not see her. I have thought about this girl for years. I am twenty-seven years old and he’s still trying to run my life.”
“I am going to say this for the millionth damn time, Coop. The shit your parents put each other through and continue to put you through has nothing to do with you. You are just the collateral damage. You deserve to be happy. You don’t realize it now but one day you are going to wake up and wish you would have went after more than just a title. I’m not saying you shouldn’t work hard but find a balance and let someone in. Just because your parents are both unhappy doesn’t mean you have to be as well. Fuck both of them.”
“Bentley, I get you come from a home with two loving parents and all, so you honestly believe what you are saying. But you and I aren’t the same. You are ok with where you stand in your career. You fight and enjoy it but you don’t care whether you win or lose. On top of that, cheating isn’t in your DNA. I am already set up to fail in any relationship, and that’s without adding my fighting to the mix.”
He slowly shakes his head with a sad smile that tells me this conversation clearly isn’t going anywhere so he’s giving up. And it’s for the best because yeah, Bentley is one of my best friends but the truth of the matter is we come from two completely different worlds.
I look at Caleb to see if he’s got anything to add and he just shrugs. That’s one of the things I like about Caleb. He doesn’t throw in his input. He does his thing and let’s everyone else do theirs. I grab my keys from the bowl near the garage and we head out in my SUV.
The entire ride none of us says a word. I know for me I have a lot to think about. Liz is going to be there tonight, and judging by the way she looked at me, I think she might have missed me as much as I missed her. But is it right to be with her again knowing I can’t give her anything more? Maybe if I explain it to her, she will accept me the way I am. I know it is wrong to ask this from her and I know she deserves more but I am a greedy fucking bastard and I want her.
We pull up to Kaden’s house and can hear the music thumping from the road. He has some nice ass neighbors to ignore all this, th
at’s for damn sure. If I so much as sneeze too loudly in my community, somebody is all over me hitting me up with fines and citations. I have thought about moving to somewhere with more land but I don’t really see the point. It’s just me and most likely will always be just me.
For about four years when we all lived in Colorado, Kaden, Bentley, and I were roommates while Caleb was living elsewhere. When we all moved out here to Vegas, Kaden and I decided to get our own places, and Bentley and Caleb decided to rent an apartment together. I am actually shocked Caleb agreed because while he is one of my best friends, he is definitely more of a loner. Nobody really knows much about his life except that when he fights it’s like he is chasing off some demons.
I moved into a four-bedroom townhouse in a gated community only a couple miles from the gym while Kaden decided to move a little further out of the city and into a more rural area where the houses are a bit more spread out, which is why the parties always end up taking place at his house.
I park my vehicle along the road but away a little bit so I don’t get blocked in, in case I want to leave early. Walking around back to where the bonfire is going, I immediately start looking for Liz. I look over at Bentley and I can swear he’s looking for Kayla as well.
After we left Miami I asked him about her and he said she was a cool chick but she wasn’t the girlfriend type. When I asked him what he meant by that he just shook his head and changed the subject.
There are people scattered everywhere. I walk around the fire pit, over by the patio, and around the side of the house, getting stopped every five seconds by another person congratulating me on my win. I don’t want to be rude so I force a smile and say thanks but try to keep moving along to find her.
When I don’t see Liz anywhere outside, I head inside to look for her. Generally, Kaden tries to keep the party outside. He even has people use the bathroom in the guesthouse near the pool instead of in his house. I am hoping he has made an exception for her because if she isn’t inside that means she might not be here. The thought of not seeing her again makes me feel ill. How did a girl I only spent thirty hours with manage to turn me into such a damn pussy?
I get inside and go straight to the living room and that is when I spot her. She is sitting on the couch with Kayla and Kaden. I watch her for a second as she throws her head back in laughter, her thick head of curls flying around her face as she continues to laugh with abandon and all I can think is that I want to be the one to make her laugh like that. C’mon Coop, get that shit out of your head.
I make my way over to her and it’s like she can sense me getting closer. Her back goes straighter and she stops laughing. Maybe she hasn’t missed me after all. But then I crack a smile and watch her face completely light up and I know she feels something of what I’m feeling.
She stands up from the couch and brushes down her dress. It reminds me of the dress she wore that night at the club. I take a minute to check her out and notice that time has been good to her. Her looks have matured. While she still has the same beautiful curly hair and amazing tan, her face appears to be less girlish and more woman, her body is still curvy but again womanlier. She’s filled out more in all the right places. Don’t get me wrong, she isn’t by any means fat. She’s still fucking perfect. It’s just that something is different about her.
Realizing I am checking her out, she begins to blush the most adorable shade of pink while covering her front by wrapping her arms around her stomach. I close the distance between us and pull her into me for a kiss. She must be shocked by my actions because I feel her tense up as I wrap my arms around her waist and seek entrance into her mouth with my tongue.
She finally gives in and gives me access, and in this moment, it feels like all is right in the world. I want this reunion to be soft and sweet but the moment she exhales into my mouth and I can feel her relax into my arms, I can’t hold back. I attack her mouth with mine, nipping at her bottom lip and then the top one. I move my tongue back into her mouth to taste her.
Her hands come up to my head and tighten around my short hair. God, I have missed this woman. I run my hands down her back and over her perfect ass to her thighs, grabbing ahold of the back of them and lifting her up. She can feel it happening and she immediately wraps her legs around my waist, locking her ankles together.
She pulls her head back and looks into my eyes smiling, and in this moment, I know I would do anything to keep that smile on her face. I can vaguely hear our friends in the background chuckling and somebody says to get a room. I can’t help but laugh at that. This girl could easily become my entire world.
“Kaden, guestroom?” I can’t stop looking into her beautiful brown eyes as I ask him for permission to get this girl alone.
“Yeah, yeah,” he replies through laughter.
Not taking my eyes off Liz, I walk her down the hallway and kick open the guestroom door. Once inside, I make my way to the bed and sit down on the edge with her still wrapped around me.
“Baby girl, do you have any idea how often I have thought about you over these past five years? How many times I wished I had gotten your number? Too many times to count.”
She smiles brightly. “I feel the same way, Cooper… or is it Liam? Or Rage? I thought Cooper was your damn name! What the hell do I call you?”
I chuckle at that. “Baby, you can call me any name you want as long as you are naked and in my arms.” I wink at her and she throws her head back laughing. I could never get tired of hearing this girl laugh.
I bring my lips to hers again and kiss her. It starts out soft and slow. I feel her tongue touching mine and I can smell the vanilla shampoo. It’s the same smell from five years ago. She continues to kiss me back and then begins to move her body closer, like she is trying to climb up me. It is then I realize she is tightening her thighs and trying to grind herself against me for relief. My girl wants this as much as I do.
Without stopping the kiss, I grab ahold of her thighs and flip us over so she is lying under me. Continuing to kiss, it gets harder and more forceful. I take one of my hands and move it down her side to the bottom of the dress and roughly lift it up. When I get it to right above her panty line, she puts her hand over mine to stop me from going any further. I still my movements wondering if I read this all wrong.
* * * *
Liz
A few minutes earlier…
I am sitting in the living room of Kaden’s home talking to Kaden and Kayla. Hayley is around here somewhere chatting with everyone she knows since she works with a lot of these people. I am not really paying attention to the conversation because I am too busy looking around for Cooper. I hear Kayla tell Kaden that he needs to introduce her to some of his hot UFC friends because sharing is caring and I can’t help but laugh at my crazy best friend.
I feel him before I even see him. When I look over he is standing ten feet away from me just staring. I don’t know what to do so I stand up and look at him. I can feel him checking me out and it makes me uncomfortable. Not because it’s him who’s checking me out but because I know my body isn’t the same as it was five years ago. I worked hard to get back in shape after I had Bella but I am not delusional about my post-baby body. My breasts got larger during the pregnancy and never went back to my original size. My stomach is much softer now and there’s a permanent little pooch from the emergency caesarean I had to have when Bella’s heart rate decreased during labor.
Luckily, he can’t see the stretch marks that, if after four years haven’t completely faded, will probably never fade. Thinking about all the hot women who were chanting his name today, begging him to marry them, and wanting the chance to sleep with him, I can’t imagine why in the world he would want me now. Instinctively I wrap my arms around my stomach like that is going to hide anything. Before I can say anything, Cooper is right in front of me, his lips on mine.
At first I am in shock but when I feel the way his lips move against mine, I can’t help but give in to him. It just feels right. After a few sec
onds, he lifts me up into his arms and I wrap my ankles around the back of him. Words might be being spoken but I can’t hear a damn thing that is being said. The only thing I can focus on are Cooper’s hands on my ass and the delicious smell of his cologne invading my nostrils and hitting me right between my legs.
The next thing I know, we are moving down the hallway and into a bedroom. Cooper sits down on the bed with me still in his arms and tells me he has thought about me often and regrets not getting my number. Hearing this from him sends my heart soaring. It gives me hope that when I tell him about our daughter, he will be accepting of her. Not a day has gone by that I haven’t thought about this man. I know I haven’t spent enough time with him but when I am with him it feels like all the pieces of the puzzle are put together.
I tell him I have thought about him as well and make a joke about not knowing what the hell name to call him since he has so many. He laughs at me and then tells me I can call him whatever I want as long as I am naked and in his arms.
Watching him go from the intense fighter in the ring to this sweet, funny guy makes me laugh out loud. I love the many sides to Cooper. He graces me with the most beautiful smile before we go back to kissing. The need between my legs is getting so intense I can’t help but try to relieve some of the tension by rubbing up against him. Jesus, I’m like a damn dog in heat! He must realize what I am trying to do because he flips us both over and pins my body under his.
While continuing to kiss me, Cooper moves his hand down my body and grabs the material of my dress to pull it up. Once it makes it almost to my stomach, I remember that if he looks at my stomach he will see the scar from my cesarean as well as my stretch marks. As much as I know I need to tell him about Bella, I just want a few minutes for whatever is happening to be just about Cooper and me. Once he finds out about our daughter everything will change.