Beyond The Cage (12 page)

“A hundred?”

He wobbles his head side to side as if saying ‘give or take a few’.

“Oh, God!” I cry out in shock.

Diving onto the bed, I sink my face into the pillow.
A hundred? What the fuck? What am I, a hundred and one? A hundred and twenty? Am I just another on a long list of conquests?
He grabs my shoulder and flips me onto my back, climbing on top of me. I hide my face behind my hands, unable to look at him. He pulls my hands away but I turn my head to the side, avoiding his gaze. Taking my chin between his fingers, he gives me a little shake. When I open my eyes, his are telling me not to worry about it.

“How can I not? You have a hundred different women to compare me to.
At
least
a hundred, anyway,” I whine.

He shakes his head, increasing the pressure on my chin.

“What?”

His eyes meet mine, forcing me to stare back, then he shakes his head again.
What does that mean? That he’s not comparing me to the others?

“No comparisons?”

The answer to my question is a sound, heart-melting, panty-dropping—if I was wearing any—kiss.

***

“Oh, God. I’m gonna have to do the walk of shame at two in the afternoon.”

He smiles at me from across the Cayenne.

“Don’t gimme that smile. It’s all your fault…keeping me in bed all day.”

Reaching over, he takes my hand and kisses my knuckles.

“I’m not forgiving you that easily. You’ll just have to make it up to me tonight.”

His smile turns into a grin and he raises three fingers, giving me the ‘Scout’s Honor’ sign.

“You were a Scout?”

He replies with a nod, lacing his fingers through mine on top of the console.

“Mannie told me you were a Marine. I also saw the picture of you in your uniform.”

Another nod.

“Semper fi!”

He chuckles and shakes his head. It didn’t work, but I had to try.

“You’re no fun. You’re supposed to say ‘oorah!’.” Squeezing his fingers, I continue. “Let me guess…you were NJP’d for violence and given an OTHC discharge.”

I bite my lip to keep from laughing when he gives me a look of total shock. I bet he can’t believe I even know about non-judicial punishments and other than honorable conditions discharges.

“Am I right?” I ask.

He shakes his head.

“Darn! I was almost certain they kicked you out.”

He stares straight ahead and I think he may not realize I was joking. I squeeze his fingers again to get his attention then give him an apologetic smile.

“I’m kidding. I saw all your commendations. Honorable discharge?”

Nod.

“My father, too.”

He nods again in understanding.

“I think he’ll like you…other than the fact that you don’t talk, ’cause he’s a chatterbox like me.”

He seems a little taken aback by my comment.
What, he didn’t think I’d introduce him to my parents? And what about his family? Am I going to meet them?
I keep my mouth shut, though, remembering what happened the last time I asked about his family.

We pull into my complex and I wait for him to open my door. I smile mischievously at him when I step out.

“Carry me?” Without even blinking, he scoops me up and kicks the door closed. “Again, I was joking, but this works, too.”

Laying my head on his shoulder, I enjoy my ride. All too soon, we arrive at my door and he sets me on my feet. When I open it, he picks me up again.

“Ooh! My big, strong man,” I mock him.

In my bedroom, he places me on the bed. I watch him carefully as his hand glides up my leg. He knows I’m panty-less. Not that I mind, but I don’t have the time right now. Sure enough, his hand disappears under my dress. My entire body tingles as he travels up my inner thigh.

“I can’t. I’ll be late.”

Regardless of what my mouth is saying, my body inclines toward him. My hips rise off the bed and my arms curl around his neck, pulling him down to me.

“I shouldn’t…” I whisper against his lips.

He nods in agreement and runs his tongue along my teeth. Now, how in the world does that make me shiver? I gently bite down on his tongue before pulling it into my mouth. He stretches out on top of me and I feel my dress sliding up my thighs. By the time his fingers find my clit, I’m soaking wet.

“Okay…but make it quick.”

I grab the waist of his jeans, pulling on the button. Reaching into his back pocket, he comes up with a condom. As he quickly slides it on, I push his jeans and boxers down over his ass and bring my legs up, planting my heels on the bed.

“You sure are skilled at that,” I observe, trying not to think about the hundreds of women he’s practiced with.

One corner of his mouth curls up and he pushes forward, losing himself inside me.

“Fuck…”

I don’t know what it is, but every time always feels like the first time – new and wonderful. He moves to the edge of the bed, roughly dragging me along.
Oh, yeah!
He places one foot on the floor, his other knee on the bed, and throws my leg over his shoulder. I guess he took my warning to heart, because his movements are fast and furious.
Holy shit!
I feel like the man is trying to drill a hole up to my brain! I cry out, grabbing the sheets. He stops, but only to pull the straps of my dress down to free my breasts. Grabbing two handfuls, he resumes his drilling. I force my eyes open and look up at him. His eyes are wild, sweat rolling down his forehead. He glances up and our eyes meet. Slowing down, he leans forward and kisses me. With a whimper, I place my hands on his shoulders as his tongue slides past my lips. He moves inside me – slow, deep strokes that send my blood speeding through my veins. I rake my hand through his hair as he moves down to my neck.

“Cameron…”

He moans and pulls away, staring into my eyes as his thumb circles my clit. I close my eyes and arch my back, moaning and whimpering from the pleasure he’s giving me. That tingling sensation zings through my body and I grab my pillow, biting into it as I come, muffling my scream. He moves faster then, slamming into me before going deep with one final thrust. Tossing the pillow aside, I smile up at him. He leans down and licks my nipple, making me shudder.

“I
really
have to go,” I say before he convinces me to stay in bed with him.

He kisses my forehead softly and pulls out of me. I jump up and head to the bathroom for a quick shower. When I walk back into my room, he’s lying in bed looking all kinds of delicious.

“I’m having an overwhelming urge to jump back into bed with you, so you need to go.”

With a boyish grin, he hops out of bed as I move around the room, gathering my things.

“Will I see you tonight?”

I look over at him as I put on my panties. He answers with a nod. “You coming over or you want me to come to the warehouse?”

He raises a brow at me.

“Yes, I have officially dubbed it ‘the warehouse’. Deal with it.”

He chuckles and points to me, indicating I should meet him at his place.

“Okay. Gimme kiss.” I close my eyes and he plants a chaste one on my lips. “One more.” He does it again, but I still want more. “One more.” Again, not enough. “I mean it this time…last one.”

He cradles my face and covers my lips, giving me a slow, sweet, seductive kiss. His lips caress mine, making me quiver. The feelings he stirs in my body are unfathomable. I don’t understand. Reluctantly, I break our kiss.

“Go…now.”

He strokes my cheek then walks away. As I watch him leave, I know I’m in trouble. Big trouble.

There are two rules for being successful in Martial Arts. Rule 1: Never tell others everything you know. – Unknown

As I walk through Victoria’s Secret, I get a sudden craving for a juicy, greasy burger. Checking the date, the reason becomes clear. I’ve been so out of it these last couple of weeks, I haven’t even thought about my period. It also explains the extra friskiness and the sensitive nipples. I’ve been blaming Cameron for both. I smile at the thought of him. However, my smile fades when it hits me that I’ll have to go a whole week without sex. Not just sex…sex with
him
.
Well, I still have two days left, so I better make use of them.
I examine the barely-there, mesh and fishnet cut-out teddy and smile. I can’t wait to see his face when I unleash this baby on him. I need to hurry. Chelsea’s coming back today, so I better make good on my cookie promise. Leaving Vicky’s, I head straight to the supermarket.

Back home, I get down to cookie-making business. A knock at the door startles me when I’m removing them from the oven. I open it and my heart jumps when I see Cameron standing there.

“I thought you were training, mister?” I lean in for a kiss but stop short when I hear a soft whine. “What was that?”

I regard him suspiciously and realize he has one hand behind his back. “What are you hiding?” I try to peek behind him.

With a smile, he slowly reveals his surprise. I gasp, staring down in shock and excitement at the cutest little puppy I’ve ever seen.

“Cameron, he’s gorgeous!”

I wrap him up in my arms and walk to the couch. Cameron follows, lugging two huge bags.

“What kinda dog is he?”

He reaches into his pocket and hands me an envelope before he sits next to me. I pull the document out and read it aloud.

“Norwegian Elkhound…eight weeks old.”

He is absolutely gorgeous – white and fluffy, and he looks like a wolf pup.

“Thank you, baby,” I say as I lean over and kiss his cheek.

He responds with a smile and pets the puppy.

“Hmm…what are we gonna call you? What do you think, Daddy?”

He shrugs.

“He looks like a warrior…just like you. I think I’ll call him…Spartacus.”

A key in the lock draws my attention and I turn to see Chels walking in. I jump up from the couch with a squeal and head in her direction.

“Chels!”

After a too-tight embrace, she looks down at Spartacus with raised brows. “And who is this?”

“Look…we had a baby. His name is Spartacus.”

“Hey, Cameron.” She waves as she peeks over my shoulder.

He gives her a smile and a small salute as we join him on the couch.

“He’s adorable, Jas…but…the results are in. Cameron, you are
not
the father.”

I double over in laughter at her Maury impression.

“You’re right. Must be that Norwegian guy I’ve been seeing.”

We both give him mischievous grins but he’s gone mysteriously grim, clenching his jaw.

“Come on, Spartacus.” Chels takes him from my arms. “Come help Auntie Chels put her stuff away.”

I mouth a ‘thank you’ to her as she leaves the room, then straddle him and wrap my arms around his neck.

“Why are you so jealous? You should know we were just joking.”

He takes a deep breath and stares into my eyes.

“Don’t you know?”
That I love you?

His brows draw together in confusion.

“I wouldn’t do that. Trust me.” I place my palm on his cheek, stroking it with my thumb. “Besides…I don’t have the time or energy for someone else, Mr. Insatiable.”

“Have you two made up yet?” Chels asks impatiently as she re-enters. “I think your baby’s hungry…and so am I.”

I climb down from his lap and take Spartacus from Chels.

“Poor baby! Daddy didn’t feed you?” I ask, scratching his neck.

Cameron reaches into one of the bags and removes two bowls, puppy chow, and milk replacer. While he’s taking care of that, I search the bags. He thought of everything. There’s a crate, collar, leash, grooming brush, treats, toys, potty trainer, and a little doggie bed. Spartacus and I are all set.

When Cameron returns, he sets Spartacus up in a corner, laying down old newspaper before setting down the bowls. While the puppy is eating, he sets up the crate, placing the toys inside. I watch him, thinking about him as a father. I can imagine him doing things like this for his children – building doll or tree houses. I think I was right; he’ll be a great dad if he ever decides he wants to be one.

Chelsea plops down next to me with a bowl full of cookies, dragging me out of my thoughts.

“I see you found the cookies.”

“I’ve been thinking about them all week!” she mumbles around a mouthful.

“How are Mom and Dad?”

“They’re great. They want us to visit for Independence Day.”

“We can do that.”

“So…you two are, like…official now?” she whispers as she leans in.

I answer with a wide grin and an enthusiastic nod.

“Aren’t you glad I dragged you to that match now?”

“I’m forever in your debt, Chelsea Tanner.”

“A lifetime supply of these cookies should make us even.”

“Deal.”

Feeling his stare, I glance over at Cameron. I think he’s ready to leave.

“Okay,” I acknowledge him.

“What?” Chels asks in confusion.

“Oh, not you, Chels.”

She looks over at me like I’m crazy. With a soft chuckle, I walk him to the door.

“See you later.”

Reaching into his pocket, he peels off a few bills and hands them to me.

“What’s this for?”

He jerks his head toward Spartacus.
Oh
.

“Child support?” I smile and stuff the money into my pocket. He drops a kiss on my forehead and then he’s gone.

“Well, well, well…look at you, Carter,” Chels pipes up behind me.

I rejoin her on the couch and lay my head on her shoulder. “I know.”

“You love him.”

“My heart really, really likes him,” I reply with a sigh.

“I’m happy for you, Jas. You deserve to be happy after what that son of a bitch did to you.”

“Chels…he’s leagues away from Jamal. There’s so much more to him than anyone knows, like, he was a Marine.”

“Your dad will like that.”

“He graduated summa cum laude from Northwestern…degree in Mechanical Engineering.”

“Mom’s gonna
love
that.”

“And
you’ll
love that he knows about a hundred different types of martial arts.”

“Really?”

If I didn’t have her full attention before, I have it now.

“Really. From what I can tell, he’s holding back big time. Oh, he gave me tickets for his fight tomorrow.”

“That’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout!”

“I knew you’d like that.”

Spartacus wanders over and gazes up at me with his little wolf eyes. I pick him up, sitting him on my lap.

“Do you need me to babysit tonight?”

“Chels, you don’t have to –”

“Go be with your man. Spartacus and I will watch a movie or something.”

“You’re the best. You know that?”

“Hey, we’re two of a kind,” she says with a smug grin.

“Yeah,” I giggle. “Peas in a pod.”

We play with Sparty for a while, then I hurry over to Little Sisters. When I return, Chelsea and I have dinner and catch up. Afterward, I shower and slip on my new, ultra-sexy lingerie. Standing in front of my full-length mirror, I inspect my reflection from all angles. Definitely worth every penny. It’s reminiscent of a monokini. Triangular scraps of mesh sit atop my breasts, joined to the ruffled bikini bottom by a rectangular strip of mesh with a cut-out center, leaving my sides bare.

“Holy fuck, Carter!” Chels exclaims from the doorway.

I turn to her with a smile. “What do you think?”

“I think I just became a lesbian.”

Throwing my head back, I laugh at her comment. “I hope he likes it as much as you do.”

“If he doesn’t then there’s something seriously wrong with him. Shit, I’d fuck you.”

I smile down at Spartacus, who’s looking quite relaxed in her arms. “What do you think, Sparty?”

He points his little nose to the ceiling and gives a small bark.

“See?” Chels says. “Even he likes it. That man of yours is in for a real treat.”

“Trust me, sweetie. I’m the one in for the treat.”

“Oh, shit. Get enough for the both of us, girl.”

“Yeah.” I roll my eyes. “I’ll never get enough for you, nympho.”

I grab my pumps and a button-front, cotton dress from the closet then stuff underwear and an extra outfit into my big purse.

“I can’t help it if I have a healthy sexual appetite,” she says in a haughty tone.

“Yeah…
healthy
,” I add with a giggle.

“Very.”

I stand before her, feeling bad for leaving her here with Spartacus. “Well…I’m off. Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“We’ll be fine.
Go
.”

“
Okay
.”

I scratch Sparty’s head and flash Chels a smile before I leave, then send Cameron a text to let him know I’m on my way.

When I pull up to the warehouse, he’s already outside waiting for me, leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets. He walks over, opens my door, and helps me out.

“Hi.”

He blesses me with a gorgeous smile, laces his fingers through mine, and leads me inside.

“Are you done training for tonight?”

He nods, smacks my ass, and sends me up the stairs before him.
Oh, really now?
He wants to play?
I walk up the stairs as slowly as possible, putting an extra swing in my hips. When I look back, his eyes are glued to my ass. I stop at the top, and he pushes against me. Hmm…my performance got a standing ovation.
Yummy
. Pulling away from him, I open the door and step inside. His TV is on, paused on a fight. I drop my purse on the couch and turn to him.

“
You
haven’t kissed me all day.”

He licks his lips, catching the bottom one between his teeth, and moves toward me. His eyes roam seductively over my body, making my skin tingle from the anticipation. Sliding his palm to the small of my back, he pulls me close. I stare into his eyes, breathing heavily as he lowers his head.
God, why is he so hot?
He releases his lip and inclines his head to the side, pressing his lips to mine. I place my hands on his chest, fisting them in his T-shirt as his lips set me off like a pack of firecrackers.

I moan, leaning in to him. His kiss is slow and gentle. When his tongue slides between my lips, I wrap my arms around his neck. I need more. I need his naked body on mine. Reaching for the hem of his shirt, I try to pull it up. He breaks the kiss and takes an abrupt step back, raking his hand through his hair as he turns his back to me.

“What’s wrong?” I move around him and place my hands at his sides. “Cameron?”

What the hell is wrong now?
Grabbing my shoulders, he turns me around and points to the TV.

“A fight?”

He walks to the couch and picks up a DVD case, handing it to me –
The Best of Chico Madden
.

“The guy you’re fighting tomorrow?”

He nods.

“So…this is about your fight then…”

I stare into his eyes, racking my brain as he watches me with a desperate expression.
Okay…his fight…no sex… Oh, no. It can’t be!

“Don’t tell me you’re one of those ‘no sex the night before’ –”

The look in his eyes tells me I’m right. I don’t even finish my sentence.

“Cameron…” I whine. “I’ve been looking forward to this
all
day.” His eyes offer an apology. “I don’t want an apology. I want
you
.”

I take a step toward him and he takes one back.
My, how the tables have turned
. I’m not having it. 

“Are you sure I can’t tempt you?” I ask with a seductive smile.

As I slowly undo my top button, he shoots me a warning glare. I move to the second button.

“I went to Vicky’s today. Wanna see
my
secret?”

He watches me, his expression slowly changing to one of curiosity. My smile gets bigger as he takes a step forward. By the time I’m on the fourth button, he’s right in front of me. He grasps my wrists, halting my progress.