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  I looked around and said, “I’m not sure this is the best place to be with the champion. You might have a flashback or something and want to defend your title.”

  He used his body to press me up against the side of it and said, “That’s why I brought you here. I wanted to teach you a few moves.”

  “Wow, I’m honored.”

  “You should be,” he said, “I am the champion after all.”

  I twisted out of his grip and lifted my leg, tapping him on the butt with it. “Take that, “champion.”

  “Oh that’s how you want it to be, huh?” he said with a grin. “Put those fists up; let’s see what you’ve got.” I put them up and he put up his and we danced around, throwing fake punches at each other until he finally grabbed my arm as I threw one and pulled me up against his chest. With his mouth inches from mine he said, “Admit that I’m the champion.”

  I giggled and said, “Do I get rewarded for being a good girl if I do?”

  He moved his hips slightly and I felt his erection press up against my stomach. “I was hoping more for the bad girl,” he said before he brought his lips crashing down onto mine.

  When we came up for air I told him, “You were amazing yesterday, just in case I forgot to tell you.”

  “I’ve been inspired lately,” he said. He wrapped his arms around me and held me tightly before leaning down and kissing me passionately once more. I ran my tongue across his full, sexy lips and when I got to the split in the corner he winced.

  “Damn! I’m sorry, I forgot.”

  “It’s a beautiful kind of pain,” he said. He put his lips on mine again and as his tongue slipped back into my mouth; his hands ran down my back and cupped my ass. He squeezed and massaged it as his tongue explored all the caverns of my mouth. He began to move it in and out, slowly and as he did, I sucked on it. I felt him moan against my lips and he used his hands on my cheeks to pull my pelvis in tightly against his. I could feel his erection straining to get out and I couldn’t wait to set it free.

  I slid my hands up inside the back of his t-shirt and ran my fingernails gently up his back as I slid his shirt off. My body was tingling with excitement as I felt his hot skin pressed up against me. I kissed his chest and ran my tongue across the smooth hard muscle while my fingers continued to explore the muscles across his back and shoulders. I felt his hands on my skin underneath my shirt and my breasts spilled out against my shirt as he undid my bra.

  He pulled it all off of me in one swoop and then pulled me back up against him. I shuddered when I felt my hard nipples against his hot skin. He brought his hands up and cupped my breasts while he slid his tongue back into my mouth. He began kneading them and rolling and pinching my nipples. I moaned into him and while he pinched and pulled on my nipples I moved my hands down and unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans. I broke our kiss and pushed them down, taking his boxers with them. He slid a condom out of his pocket before I had them out of his reach. When I got them down as far as his lower calves he slipped out of his shoes and stepped out of them. The entire time, he had my breasts still held firmly in his hands.

  I stood back up and took his hard cock in my hand. As I stroked it gently he leaned down and put his mouth back against my ear and said, “Having sex with a smokin’ hot babe in the octagon has always been a fantasy of mine.”

  “Hmm, well then by all means, let’s take care of that fantasy right now.” I let my hand run down his shaft and between his legs, squeezing his balls gently. Then remembering his ribs I slid my hand gently up his side and said, “Are you sure you’re ready?”

  “Oh baby, I’ve never been more ready.” His voice was deep and husky and his cock was jerking against me. I wasn’t going to argue with any of that. I slid down to my knees on the mat underneath us and looking up into his eyes I caught the head of his cock between my lips and I heard him take in a sharp breath as I began to suck on it gently. I let him slide in a little deeper each time before letting it slide back out and starting over. I had my hand wrapped around the base of it and I continued to squeeze and stroke and massage his balls as I sucked, eventually taking it all it until the head of his engorged cock was throbbing in the back of my throat. He moaned loudly and wrapped his hands up in my hair. He started moving his hips more urgently, guiding my mouth with his hands in my hair as he did. I licked and sucked as he pumped his hips until he let out one last loud groan and in one swift motion he pulled me back up to my feet. He kissed me again and then taking my hand, he led me over to the corner of the cage. He kissed me again as he unbuttoned my jeans and then he slid his lips down and let them find one of my swollen nipples as he pushed them and my panties down. When he got them down as far as he could reach, I wiggled out of them so that he didn’t have to stop what he was doing. After I stepped out of them he moved his mouth over to the other one and used his tongue to lick and rub and press against it. I felt the wetness begin to ooze slowly down between my thighs. I suddenly felt his fingers stroking the tops of my thighs, playing softly in the silky wetness there. He brushed his hand softly against my pussy as he did, causing me to bite down on my own lip to keep from crying out.

  He pressed me up against the cold metal support beam and I did let out a little cry of surprise. “Sorry,” he said with another sexy grin.

  “Don’t be,” I told him. “I’m so fucking turned on right now.”

  I felt him still smiling as he covered my mouth with his and let his fingers move up from my thighs and stroke the outer lips of my pussy. “Mmm! You’re so wet, baby.”

  “You do that to me,” I told him in a breathless voice. I felt him shift his body and he kissed me hard and passionately as his fingers magically rolled the condom over his sweet cock. Then suddenly his wet fingers were back on one of my breasts and the head of his cock was pressing against my wet opening. He pinched my nipple with his thumb and forefinger and pulled his head back so he could look into my eyes as he thrust himself all the way inside of me. I cried out again, this time in pleasure and not surprise. I clung tightly to his shoulders and arched my back as he pumped in and out of me. He was still twisting and pulling on my nipples and it all felt so good that I actually began to feel dizzy. My fingernails were digging into his broad shoulders and my lips found his neck and sucked the supple flesh there in between my teeth.

  “Oh fuck baby! You feel so good,” he growled. He was moving fast, thrusting hard, and slamming his body into mine. I wondered about the pain but I was so consumed with pleasure and he seemed to be in the same place that I was, that I assumed the adrenaline and endorphins were taking care of it for him. Every nerve ending in my body was screaming out with pleasure each time his hips slammed into mine, pressing me up against the corner of the cage as he drove into me and we both took what we needed from each other.

  I could feel myself nearing the edge. I clutched him tighter and moved my own hips faster as I told him, “Oh god, Paul. I’m coming baby! Oh fuck!” I groaned out loudly as my pussy muscles clenched down on his hard cock and the orgasm claimed me. I shook against him, clenching and unclenching and feeling my juice spill out over him. His cock became more slippery with each thrust until at last I felt him beginning to grow and swell and he began to plunge in even harder and deeper until he let out one long growl that sounded like it came from some kind of primal center deep inside of him.

  I was still coming in aftershocks and he kept moving, as his cock emptied out, twisting and pulsating inside of me sending live shocks of electricity shooting through my veins.

  ”Fuck, Jessie!” He leaned his body into mine, pressing me further against the cage. He was still slowly moving his hips, gently moving his cock in and out of me as we both took our time coming down from our high. “You’re amazing.” he breathed out just before his cock slipped out of me.

  “Mmm, you are,” I said. I giggled then.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked. He had his forehead pressed to mine and I could feel the warmth of his breath. I loved it.

  “I w
as just thinking, “I fucked a champion.”

  He laughed, “You fucked him good too baby. Mmm! So good.” He slid his tongue out and ran it across my lips and said, “Guess what?”

  “What?” I asked, finally feeling like my breath was finally under control.

  “I found the cure for my pain…sex with you…the cure-all.”

  “I’m so glad I could help,” I said.

  He pulled his head back and looked at me seriously then as he said, “You know I won a lot of money the other night?”

  “Yeah,” I said. I knew a lot of money was involved, but I had no idea how much “a lot” was in this case.

  “I want to take you somewhere. I want us to go on a vacation together. You get to pick where…anywhere you want to go.”

  “Well, not anywhere…”

  He cupped my chin in his hand and tilted my face up towards his as he said, “Yes baby, anywhere. I brought so much drama into your life and instead of running the other way you faced it like a champ and helped me through it. I want to pay you back for all of that…so anywhere baby.”

  Still joking…kind of, I said, “I have always wanted to go to Barcelona.”

  “Then Barcelona it is,” he said. He kissed me again and the truth of the matter is I didn’t care if we ever went any further than right where we were at.

  CHAPTER SIX

  SIX WEEKS LATER

  I stood looking out across the lively city of Barcelona. Even after the sun went down, there was still plenty for people to do. The weather was gorgeous and the atmosphere romantic and couples strolled hand and hand along the sidewalks that wound between the beautifully designed and built ancient buildings. I couldn’t remember ever being so content with my life and so at peace in my heart. I leaned against the wrought iron barrier at the top of the beautiful city and let my mind wander back to how I ended up here.

  For several weeks after Paul won his title he was a really busy man. He was invited to do interviews and photo shoots and endorsements for pro sports shops and brand name boxing and cage-fighting equipment. I stayed busy too, I was getting more and more clients of my own at the gym and I also picked my mother up from the rehab and helped her get set up in her new apartment. She was doing so well and I was so proud of her. She thanked me profusely for helping her out and promised me she was going to pay me back for everything and for the first time in my life, I believed that she really meant it. I got her a little place about a block from my own apartment. It was in a good neighborhood and there was a park nearby where she could take a walk every day and feed the ducks if she wanted to. She had already begun applying for jobs with the help of the staff at the rehab and she had a few interviews set up.

  Marie and I had gotten close and we tried to get together for lunch a couple of times a week. She and Justin were getting pretty hot and heavy and Paul was doing okay with it. Maybe it was because he’d been too busy to worry, but I think he was really starting to like Justin. I was convinced that Marie had finally found a man who would treat her and her son the way they deserved to be treated. Marie found a job in a lawyer’s office, working as a receptionist and Victor was enrolled in a new school and making new friends. He was adjusting to his mom having a boyfriend and he seemed to really like Justin.

  I came home from work one day in early September and found a huge bouquet of red and pink roses on the doorstep. The card attached to them said, “Para mi corazón,” I wasn’t fluent in Spanish, but I knew enough to know that meant “For my Heart.” I let myself into the apartment with a smile on my face. Once I closed the door behind me I went to sit the vase of beautiful roses on the table in the foyer. I found an envelope lying there with my name on it and something else written in Spanish. It said, “Puesta de sol en Barcelona?” That one I had to look up. It meant “Sunset in Barcelona?” I suddenly couldn’t stop smiling. I slid open the envelope and inside were two airline tickets and boarding passes for a flight to Barcelona leaving the following week. There was another note inside. This one was in English and it said, “You better get your passport in order.” When Paul got home that day he got very lucky. Then that night, he got lucky again and in the morning luckier still.

  So now I’m sitting here on the balcony of the five star Hotel Claris in downtown Barcelona and I’m pinching myself to make sure it’s all real.

  “What are you doing?” I looked up to see Paul standing in between the French doors of our suite and the balcony that attached to it. He was wearing one of the fluffy, white robes they left for the guests and I was wearing the other. We’d made it in time to watch the Sunset. After watching it we were both feeling so romantic that we had to try out the giant, fluffy bed. Paul took his shower first afterwards while I sat out on the balcony and had a glass of wine.

  “I was pinching myself,” I told him.

  He laughed and came over and put his strong hands on my shoulders. “Are you making sure you’re awake and not dreaming?”

  “Exactly,” I told him. “Sometimes it’s all so surreal.”

  He leaned down and kissed the side of my face. “I can understand that. But this is real. Get used to it. One of my goals is to make sure you have to pinch yourself on a daily basis to ensure that it’s all real. I don’t ever want to stop surprising you.”

  I reached up and put the palm of my hand on the side of his face. “I love you, Paul. You know that I don’t need all of this. I was in love with you when you lived in an abandoned gym.”

  “I know,” he said. “I love you too.” He sat down next to me. I wanted it to be like this forever. I wanted to believe that someday we would get married and have children and grow old together. I know it was still soon to talk about it, so I hadn’t brought it up. It was maybe too soon to think about it, but that, I couldn’t help. The only problem was that there were still two questions that poke at my brain sometimes…two things I needed to ask Paul to explain.

  “Can I ask you a question, babe? Two questions, actually?”

  “Sure, anything,” he said.

  “Well, I’ve been wondering since that night we went to look for my mom at the church…how was it that the pastor knew you by name?”

  He hesitated and for a second I felt a flutter of doubt. I chastised myself for it. Paul had given me no reason to do anything but trust him. He finally said, “I dated a girl who had a problem with drugs. I took her there for her meetings sometimes and for a while I volunteered at the church…when I had the time.”

  “I thought that you said you never really had a serious relationship.” I didn’t want to sound like I was accusing him of things, but I really needed to understand. Surely a man wouldn’t take a woman he barely knew for drug treatment.

  “That’s the truth. I have never had an actual relationship until now. I only went out with her once, but I was stupid and let things get complicated.”

  “Yet you decided to help her with her drug problem…after only one date?” I guess that’s the part that didn’t really make sense.

  He sighed. “I went out with her one night. We saw a movie and had dinner. When I took her home she invited me in. I should have said no, but I didn’t so I have no excuses. We had sex and I also agreed to do it knowing I didn’t have any more condoms. She got pregnant. I hadn’t seen her in a couple of months when she called and told me. I knew that I had to step up and be a father, but I had no desire to be a husband…or even a live in boyfriend to this girl. I gave her money and I told her I would come and see her often…I didn’t know yet about her drug problem, but I figured it out pretty fast. I went over one time when she was about five months along and I found her and some guy sitting on the front porch of her apartment, smoking meth. I freaked out and I physically removed the guy from her front porch and I tried to make her go to the hospital and have the baby checked out. She said that if she did that and she tested positive for meth…social services would come and take the baby as soon as he was born.”

  “He?” I asked.

  He looked sad and he ha
d to swallow hard as he said, “Yeah, it was a boy. I was getting used to the idea of having a baby. Marie and I had decorated the extra room in my apartment for him and I was already trying to think of names…I couldn’t stand the thought of someone taking him and putting him in a foster home….I didn’t make her go to the hospital that day. Maybe if I had things would have turned out differently. Then again, maybe not. Either way I will always regret that for the rest of my life.”

  “She didn’t stop using?”

  “I thought she had. She told me she had. Since I didn’t live with her, it was hard for me to know the truth. I should have looked closer…I should have let her come and live with me…that was what she wanted. I should have put the safety and well-being of my child above all else.” He paused there and looked as if he was hoping I’d let it go. We were in too deep now. I had to know who I was sleeping with.

  “What happened?” I finally asked.

  “I forced her to go into treatment,” he said.

  “You forced her?”

  “I threatened to stop paying her bills and I told her that I would take the baby from her when he was born and not let her see him. I was a dick about it and just thinking about it makes me hate myself all over again, so yeah I would call it forced…or maybe even bullied.”

  “It’s a common mistake,” I told him. “We think we can “fix them” but the problem is they have to be willing to do the work. When you love someone that’s hurting themselves…It’s almost impossible to just sit back and watch it happen.”

  “I didn’t love her, Jessie. I’ve never been in love before, until you. I loved my baby and this woman, his mother was a means to that end.”

  I took his hand and I cringed at the tears that welled in his eyes as I said, “What happened to him, Paul?” I knew this would be the harder part for him to talk about.