Blindsided (The Fighter Series Book 1) (20 page)

“Get it, baby,” he hisses sucking in short ragged breaths.

His experienced fingers quicken against my clit, his strokes become wild, my body quivers and my hips drive fiercely backward. I erupt, cursing and moaning into the tile, unable to control the spasm taking over. He grabs my hips and mercilessly slams into me, pressing me farther into the wall.

“Fuck, Paige,” he gasps in blissful agony.

He drops his forehead to my back as we stand paired at the hips panting. I’ve never felt so fulfilled, so happy, so erotic in my life. Only having sexual partners I can count on one hand, this is going to be a journey I can’t wait to be exposed to. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous, but if it’s anything like the past twenty-four hours, I’ll get the hell over it.

“I’m sorry if I hurt you.” He kisses my back.

“Pleasure hurt,” I admit.

He chuckles and turns me to face him. There’s something in his eyes—a warmth, a tenderness. It’s an affection that scurries butterflies along my skin. “I’m glad you’re here,” he whispers.

Water runs over his head, streams falling down his forehead, over his eyes, weaving down his cheeks. I softly glide my fingers from his cheeks and continue to follow the streams of water across his chest and down to the bumps of his abs.

“This one is new.” I trace the tattooed line on the left side of his chest. “What’s it mean?” I glance up to him.

He pulls my hand to his lips and places a kiss on it. “A conversation for another day. Someone had me wrapped up and I didn’t eat dinner. I’m starving. Wash up and let’s eat.”

He winks and steps out of the shower allowing me a peek at his backside. Even his ass is chiseled muscle.

Chapter 24

People are packed into the building and screaming with excitement. This fight is extremely important to Levi. It’s the semifinals, the fight before the championship, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. Anxiety is chewing a hole through my stomach, crawling up my spine and causing my leg to bounce as I wait to go see him.

The preliminaries were impressive and thank God there wasn’t too much blood. Most of the guys were smaller, more wiry, making the rounds quick with one knockout and the rest with submissions. These men have something to prove. Just like Levi, they’re pushing to get to the top and their fights demonstrate it.

The arena is full of beautiful, half-dressed women, most of them toned with bolt-on boobs. Not all the men are as built as the ones I saw at the last fight. Some are good looking, and some not so much.

Adam is beaming while watching the fights with me. Levi didn’t want me to sit alone, so needless to say, my guard dog has been at my side the whole time.

He pulls his phone from his pocket then stands. “Come on. Levi’s ready for us.”

He grabs my elbow and weaves us through the mobs of people then down a hallway to the second door on the left. He doesn’t knock when he pushes the door open stepping in with me in tow.

This time the room is full of energy. It’s in the air, pulling at my skin and causing my muscles to tighten. Levi is shadow boxing in the mirror with Harvey watching him intently when Levi’s eyes meet mine. He scrapes his teeth over his bottom lip and flashes a wicked grin. My heart skips a few beats.

He saunters toward me with a glow in his eyes. He seems more energetic, peppier than normal. “Hey,” he whispers in my ear wrapping his arms around my shoulders.

I’m set back at the public display of affection. Hell, I don’t know what to do. I want to hug him, wrap my arms around his neck and give him a good luck kiss, but instead, my thoughtless body stands rigid.

“Hey. You nervous?” I almost roll my eyes at the dimwitted question that just exited my mouth.

The room fills with his menacing laugh. He kisses my forehead and bounces back on the balls of his feet. “Are you kidding me? I’m on top of the fucking world today. In-fucking-destructible.”

My lips pull tight seeing him ecstatic about us. A wild tremor ripples an earthquake through me. I’m freaking falling for another bad boy. I swore to myself after Wesley I’d never do it again, but here I am, watching the most delectable creature lasso me in by the heart. There’s something about Levi, something that tells me I can trust him, that he adores me just as I do him. It’s indescribable.

“You’re gonna watch me?”

“Eh…do I have a choice?” I shrug half joking.

His eyes sharpen as he steps to me. “Eh? You’re supposed to say yes. Yes, Levi, because I can’t stand taking my eyes off your sexy body. Yes because I enjoy watching you in action. Yes because you’re a sexy god and a sex god.”

I laugh. “You’re so damn full of yourself.”

A ghost of a smile appears. “You did this to me.” He traces my lips with soft, almost phantom kisses.

Hot flashes zip across my skin, spiraling down my spine and melting my panties.

“Is this your way of begging me?” I sigh, forgetting I’m in a room full of men.

He nods, but doesn’t stop his torturous kisses. Across my lips, over my cheek, and down my jawline. Holy friggin’ hell. “Levi…” I murmur then shake my head grounding myself back to earth. “I hate watching it. It makes me anxious seeing you out there. I–” I drop my gaze embarrassed I’m about to admit some of the feelings I possess for him. “I hate to see you get hurt.”

He pulls my face to his, locking those lethal royal blues with mine. The corners of his lips have quirked up, and I can see the gears turning in that mind of his. “Solid and stable. I’ll see you out there.”

I don’t disagree and concur with a kiss. I refuse to argue with him right before a big fight. How selfish would that be of me to take his focus and place it on me?

“Hey, douche, get a room!” Adam yells jokingly.

“Eat shit,” Levi replies flipping him off. His expression shifts and there’s a mischievous devil peering back at me. “I have a surprise for you back at your seat.”

My brows furrow. “And that is?”

“For you to find out when you get there. I’ll see you after the fight.” He places a quick peck on my nose and springs back, hopping from foot to foot keeping his muscles warm.

Unfortunately, I’m alone pushing my way back through the busy crowd to get to my seat, but as I start ending the aisle, a very excited face nods at me.

I run to him wrapping my arms around Blain’s neck. “How’d you get here? When did you? Why didn’t you tell me?” I blabber.

He chuckles. “Levi pulled some major fucking strings. Booked me on the first flight here and got me a hotel room.” He rubs the back of his neck grinning like an idiot. “So you and Levi?”

I bite my lip and pull my shoulders up high. “Yeah.”

He kisses the top of my head. “It’s about damn time. He’s crazy over you.”

“Isn’t that against bro code?”

“I tell it like I see it.” He shoves my shoulder. “Dude, these seats are insane.”

Just at the right time, as if they knew the sensitivity of the conversation, the lights go out and people go absolutely nuts screaming. It’s a weird feeling to be in the dark with thousands of people, with the energy surging in the air. It makes all the hair on my body stand up.

Flashing lights swirl across the crowd as Bassow steps into the aisle making his way to the cage. He pauses to get checked by the ref then rushes into the octagon, jumping and pulling his knees up. Pounding his chest, he roars before settling into his spot with all his trainers behind the black metal fence.

This time when the lights go out, the roar from the audience is ear splitting. Blue lights burst through the darkness, bouncing from the floor to the ceiling. Sirens blare from the speakers starting Levi’s intro song, then the lyrics start…I smirk.
Shithead.

A white light jolts to the entrance as Levi strolls out in a hoodie with his head down, focusing and bringing himself into the moment. The pit of my stomach is a ball of excitement and nervousness, anticipation and exultation. I’m a pretzel of emotions, frozen in place watching him with my fist to my mouth.

He is checked in and then jogs around, passing Bassow, whose look is to kill. Levi pays him no attention, ignoring him completely, and then heads to his area. Harvey, Adam, and Perry are all behind him, hyping him up when he turns and finds me. All I can do is give him a slight smile when he motions for me to watch. What do I do? Tell him no? Shake my head while he’s standing in the ring ready for one of his biggest fights? Hell no.

Blain squeezes my shoulders and flashes a reassuring smile, but it doesn’t help my nerves much. I’m an evil mixture of being worried sick and being proud as hell. I feel like I’m going to throw up.

As the referee announces the fighters, and has them meet in the middle, they both flare determination and confidence as he barks the repetitious rules. Once he’s explained them, he backs the men up to their corners.

“Let’s fight!” thunders from the ref and the fighters come to the middle as the arena goes wild. The men circle each other like wolves then Bassow steps in and strikes with a right jab then throws another. Levi dodges and leaps back bouncing on the balls of his feet. Bassow fires punches into Levi’s impenetrable guard, right, left, right. Levi tenses, weaving back and forth protecting his face, then steps in and slams an uppercut into Bassow’s chin. He’s out. Done. Arms out to the side as he drops to the mat.

Levi stands back as the ref quickly jumps in between the men and calls the fight in less than two minutes. The crowd erupts. Blain and I are on our feet. Levi bellows toward the ceiling, fist in the air, and then turns to me smiling with his mouth guard still in. I beam back clapping and jumping for him overwhelmed with jubilation.

Levi, The Leveler, Stiles…that’s my boyfriend. Yeah…I still can’t believe it myself.

Chapter 25

“One hell of a way to send a message to the champ!” Adam slaps my back.

Paige’s confession about it being too painful to watch inspired me to pull everything I had, every fucking ounce of strength I possessed to end it quickly. I know Bassow is a tough competitor. I know more than anything that was one fucking lucky ass punch, but it got the job done. I don’t want Paige to watch in dread. I have to work with her on that. Eventually, I’ll have an opponent that will have me heaving so much effort to finish the round, one that will bust me open and make me shed blood. It’s inevitable.

“Found the quickest way to my six-month vacation,” I boast.

The only fight left is the championship then a well-deserved contract into the big dogs. The fuckers that don’t play around, fighting to keep their titles and reputations. That’s my drive. But right now, I’m focused on getting a shower so I can wrap my arms around my girl for a celebratory hug and kiss.

“So we staying in the Hill?” Adam asks as I step out of the shower room.

He’s got the gist of what went down with Paige last night, so he knows I’m staying there to figure out what the hell this feeling is that she gives me.

“Yeah, man,” I tell him pulling my shirt over my head.

“Looks like your celebration starts now,” he nods toward the door.

The angel I’ve chased for months walks through the room blushing. She’s so shy and it drives me mad. I think she’s forgotten the strength she has, the one that dominates her life. That too, I’ll have to work on.

“Indestructible, huh?” she says. Ah, she caught that.

I cup her face. “We’re going to have to work on you. Some fights will get rough, and I enjoy the hell out of it.” I lean closer to her keeping my words between us. “You made me indestructible when you moaned my name last night.”