Beyond The Cage (21 page)

Leaning in, he takes my lips in a tender kiss. He palms the back of my neck, massaging it as his kiss increases in intensity. What does that old song say? If you want to know if he loves you, it’s in his kiss? If I’m to judge from this one then I’d say he’s head over heels. Too bad I need the words.

He breaks our kiss, stroking my cheek with his thumb as he pulls away. His hooded eyes are wandering over my face, doing unspeakably wonderful things to my heart. There’s no doubt about it. He’s the one. Pulling his face to mine, I whisper in his ear, “Let’s go home.”

Truth is universal. Perception of truth is not. – Unknown

A gentle wind comes in from the Pacific Ocean, caressing my body as I stand on the balcony of our hotel room. The last four days being in California for The Ultimate Warrior competition, flash through my mind. Cameron breezed through the preliminaries and quarter-finals, heading into tonight’s semi-finals as the top seed. Whoever wins tonight goes on to fight in the finals on Saturday. One hundred men started, and now they’re down to four.

He’s been training non-stop so he hasn’t had much time for me. I wish Sparty was here to keep me company but we left him back in Evanston with Josie. Chels and Damon are here, too so she and I hang out whenever we can, but mostly I spend my days with Cameron in the gym. I’ve become pretty good at differentiating the styles he uses when fighting, my favorite being Capoeira. Between my own research and what his trainers have taught me, I’ve learned a lot. I tell you, my panties get wet when he does the aú giro sem mao. Then again, I get wet just thinking about him, so that doesn’t say much. The art incorporates acrobatics, music, and dance, so I guess this is the only way I’ll get to see him dance. He won’t do it in the club with his girlfriend, but he’ll do it in the cage with another dude. I told him as much, and he had quite a laughing fit at my expense. He and Damon have also become friends, and they’ve been in the gym together every day. After only a few weeks, I can already see the changes in Damon’s body. That, of course, has only made Chels hotter for him.

I look out over the ocean, watching as the sun slowly slips away, seemingly to the watery depths. I imagine that, standing here, I look like a heroine in a movie scene – hair blowing in the wind, my maxi dress billowing around my body. Closing my eyes, I envision my leading man walking up behind me, sliding his hands around my waist and pulling me close.

Holy shit!
I need to try this envisioning thing more often. I think of him and
voilà
…here he is! I lean in to him as he wraps his arms around my shoulders, letting my head loll back on his chest when he plants a gentle kiss on my neck. Taking a deep breath, I turn in his arms. We’ve only been together five months, but they’ve been the happiest of my life.

“Hi.”

He gives me a lazy smile and, as he leans in for a kiss, I slide my palms up his arms, to his nape. After a succession of soft kisses, he pulls back with a groan. He’s had fights every night, so that means there’s been no sex. It’s been hard,
really
hard, especially since we’ve been sleeping in the same bed. I suggested separate rooms, but he wouldn’t hear it.

“Hungry?”

I’ve also been getting my June Cleaver on, making him three squares a day. I have a feeling that’s the reason he got us a room with a full kitchen. I don’t mind, though; I enjoy taking care of him. He bites his bottom lip and his eyes tell me exactly what he’s hungry for.

“Don’t go starting what you know you can’t finish,” I warn him.

Clasping his hand in mine, I lead him inside. As we sit down to eat, there’s a knock at the door, and I know it’s Chels and Damon. They come over every night, and then we all leave for the arena.

“Hey, love birds,” Chels sings as she glides inside. “What’s for dinner, wifey?”

“You’re one to talk, Miss Tanner. You two would be joined at the hips if it wasn’t for us.”

“Ain’t nothing wrong with that.”

I roll my eyes as she smiles at Damon and playfully elbows him in the ribs. He kisses my cheek and joins Cameron at the table. We turn toward them and watch as Damon begins an animated but one-sided conversation.

“I think your man is stealing mine away from me,” Chels observes.

I wrap my arm around her shoulder with a giggle. “He doesn’t look unwilling to me.”

“That’s what’s bothering me.”

“Well…will it cheer you up to know that I made cookies?”

“I frickin’
love
you. He can have Damon. We’ll just grow old together then shrivel up and die.”

I throw my head back and laugh. “Come on. Let’s eat.”

After dinner, Cameron goes off to the bedroom like he usually does, to meditate for half an hour. When I walk in, he’s sitting at the edge of the bed, staring into space. I touch his cheek and he gazes up at me with a blank expression.

“Are you okay?”

He’s been training non-stop for weeks. He doesn’t show it, but I know this whole thing is taking a toll on him. Sitting on his lap, I curl my arms around his neck.

“Just two more.” I pull his head down to my breasts and slide my fingers through his hair. “Two more and it’ll all be over. And then…after you get some rest,”—I place my index finger under his chin and tip his face toward mine—“I’m going to take care of you in ways your physical therapist can’t.”

In one swift and efficient move, I’m on my back and he’s standing over me.

“Cameron…what are you doing?”

He tugs on the straps of my dress behind my neck and loosens the knot. I watch him with bated breath as he slowly peels the dress off, his gaze travelling down and locking on to my breasts. His eyes grow darker, and I draw in a sharp breath as he brushes his thumbs across my nipples.

“Please…don’t tease me.”

He flashes me a devilish smile and leans forward, expelling a slow breath on my nipple. Shivers rack my body. My back arches, sending the taut bud between his lips, and he pulls it into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it. His hand moves up my leg to the inside of my thigh, and I moan as his fingers hover over my pussy.
Oh, God. Yes!

He slides my dress up and over my hips, then drags my panties down. Grabbing my right leg, he throws it over his shoulder, and thrusts his finger inside me. I whimper, raising my hips to meet him. He lets out a low moan and leans in to my neck. As he inserts another finger, he bites into my shoulder. I snake my arms around his neck and hold him close. He moves his body to the rhythm of his fingers, his chest rubbing against my breasts. He doesn’t pull his fingers back, just keeps pushing, like he’s reaching for something just beyond his fingertips. When his thumb presses down on my clit, I whisper his name. He covers my lips with his and I moan into his mouth. My fingers slide into his hair, gently massaging his scalp as I move my hips, grinding on his fingers. That’s when he starts to move hard and fast, his fingers swimming in my wetness. His tongue probes my mouth, tasting every inch. He breaks the kiss and stares down at me as his fingers drive me to the point of insanity.

“Fuck…”

I grip his shoulders tightly as my entire body freezes. My muscles clench, clamping down on his fingers, my eyes snap shut and my back arches as I come, shaking beneath him. Slowly, he withdraws his fingers, and I feel my juices trickling down. He brings his wet fingers to my lips and I take them into my mouth, our gazes locked as I suck on them. With a smirk, he leans forward and kisses my forehead.

“Hmm…”

I needed that. I stretch like a cat, sit up, and watch as he moves to the dresser. He opens his drawer, removes a small, gift-wrapped box, then walks back to me. Taking my hand, he places the box in my palm.

Tugging the strings of the bow, I open it with a smile.
Ooh, perfume!
I remove the box, reading the label – “Mon Jasmin Noir L’Eau Exquise” by Bvlgari.

“Let me guess…the name just called out to you, huh?” I rip off the plastic, open the box, and take a sniff. It’s love at first smell. “Mm…I love it! Thank you. I’ll wear it tonight.”

I stand on my toes, kiss his cheek, and watch as he strolls off to the bathroom, a satisfied smile on his face.

***

In Cameron’s dressing room, I sit on his lap and watch the first of the two semi-final matches, between Mikhail Khruschev and Corey Mitchell. Corey’s good, but Mikhail is a beast. He’s 6ʹ4ʺ, two hundred and seventy pounds, and I’m convinced he’s on steroids. In all his previous fights, they’ve had to pull him off his opponents to stop him from killing them. From what Mannie’s told me, the competition is only for heavyweights, but the organizers created their own weight class. If, no…
when
Cameron wins his match, that’s who he’ll probably be facing. My stomach is in knots and I’m scared witless, but I can’t show it. It’s not that I’m not confident in my man, but this guy is
ruthless
and I know he’d do anything to win.

Mannie motions to Cameron and I slip off his lap, allowing him to stand. While he goes through his warm-up routine, I watch the two figures on the screen. It’s the second round, and Corey is getting his ass handed to him. Mikhail is relentless. He slams Corey to the mat and gives him a series of kicks to the stomach. Corey curls up into the fetal position while Mikhail struts around the cage like a peacock. Circling back to Corey, he picks him up and pushes him against the cage, face first. The camera zooms in on his face, which is a mass of blood, gashes, and lumps. His eyes are swollen shut. I grimace at the sight. The camera angle changes and shows Mikhail bending Corey’s arm behind his back. I hold my breath because I know he’s going to break it. The officials start scrambling for the cage, but it’s too late. The bone gives way and Corey cries out in anguish.

“Oh, my God!”

I stare at the screen and watch as Corey’s bludgeoned face wrenches in agony. Cameron approaches, watching the screen and clenching his jaw in anger. Taking my hand, he pulls me to my feet and into his arms.

“You’re next, Jackson!” Mikhail shouts into the camera.

I can’t speak. All I can think about is that Cameron will be in the cage with that…that
monster
. I shudder at the thought, holding on to him tightly, and pressing my cheek to his chest.

“Don’t worry. He’s fought the bastard already…and won,” Mannie says. “Knocked him out in the second round. Krushchev might be nasty, but K.O.’s the better fighter.”

I raise my face toward his. I love him so much…I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to him. He strokes my cheek and gives me a smile meant to reassure. It doesn’t work. I don’t want to let him go, but Mannie announces that it’s time.

“Wait!” I call after him.

Running to him, I grab his neck and pull him down to me, pressing my lips to his in a not-so-gentle kiss. He returns it, cradling my face in his large hands. Breaking away too soon, he rests his forehead on mine.

“Be careful.”

After one last kiss on my cheek, he turns away.

As I watch his retreating back, Jared touches my arm. “Let’s go.”

I allow him to lead me into the arena and to my seat, where Chels and Damon are waiting.

She takes one look at me and curls her arm around my shoulders.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m scared,” I admit.

“Oh, honey…he’ll be fine. You’ll see.”

I know. But this isn’t the fight I’m worried about. The lights go out and the screaming begins. It’s time. The screen above the entrance flashes scenes from Cameron’s previous matches in the competition. He doesn’t do his usual routine, instead walking purposefully down the ramp. The lights come on and I catch the expression on his face. I thought he looked menacing that first night, but it’s nothing compared to this. He’s downright scary. When he enters the cage, he circles it like a predator…my lion, stalking his prey once more. He looks so at home up there…comfortable. I need to remember this is what he does. This is why he trains every day. He’s the best, right? Yes. He is.

Watching him, I don’t even realize his opponent has entered the arena until he approaches Cameron. Jason Wong. He’s pretty good, too…and a clean fighter. The bell goes off and they walk toward each other.
Ugh!
I can’t watch! I cover my face with my hands and listen. I hear blows landing and the crowd cheering. Chels is cheering next to me, so at least I know he’s not the one getting hit. The noise of the crowd hits a fever pitch and Chels grabs my arm. The bell goes off.

“Come on!” she yells.

She pulls my hands from my face and I peek at the cage. Jason is out cold on the mat and Cameron is standing over him. This means…Mikhail. I feel sick. He walks out of the cage and someone in the crowd hands him a piece of paper. He motions to the camera man to come closer, shoving the paper into the lens. It’s a picture of Mikhail. Cameron stares into the camera and rips the picture in half, then proceeds to drop the pieces on the floor and stomp on them. The crowd goes off again, chanting his name.
Great. Way to poke the hornet’s nest, Cameron
. I need to stop.
Have a little confidence in your man, Jasmine!
My man…who happens to have tomorrow off. I know the perfect way to get my mind off the impending match. I slip my arm through Jared’s, and the four of us make our way back to Cameron’s room.

Pushing the door, I step inside, barely containing my excitement. “Daddy –”

I stop in my tracks at the scene before me. The chit. Not only is she in here with him, but she’s sitting on his lap. Half naked. Her dress is bundled around her waist, exposing her huge, fake tits. What’s worse is that his hand was an inch away from said tits. If I had walked in a few seconds later…