Fighting Strong (10 page)

Chapter Nine
Three weeks later

Mia opened a second bottle of wine and went back in to her bright, open living room. All the girls held their glasses up to be refilled and she made the rounds.

“So,” she said, sitting back down in her favourite armchair. “What do we drink to this time?”

“I know!” Reena said. “To Katie wearing pink!”

They all looked over at Katie and she blushed. “Shut up.”

“To Katie wearing pink,” Maggie agreed. “You look great, by the way. Who’d have ever thought it?”

“You do,” Mia said. “You know that, right?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I do, actually.” Katie raised her glass. “So – to me wearing pink.”

They all drank and grinned at her.

“When did you buy a pink shirt, anyway?” Maggie said.

“I didn’t. Adam did.”

“Did he?” Mia said.

“Yeah. He said it brought out my – my rosebud lips and the color on my perfect cheekbones.” She blushed some more and took a sip of wine.

They all studied her, wanting to ask more about Adam but a bit worried to push too much. Katie was happy, though, that much was clear and according to Nick, Adam was too.

“He’s a nice guy,” Reena said. “You – you aren’t scared of being with, right?”

“No.” Katie shook her head. “He’s amazing. Patient and gentle. I feel good with him.”

“No more panic attacks? No more nightmares?” Mia asked softly.

“No.”

They nodded.

Katie glanced at her watch and stood up. “Actually, guys, I have to get going. I have to be up early tomorrow.”

“Why?” Maggie said. “It’s a holiday Friday. Nothing’s open.”

Katie put on her coat and belted the waist. “I have to meet Adam at the gym tomorrow. It’s closed, so it’s a good time to take some new photos.” She put on her hat. “I want to work with the early morning sunlight.”

“Ha!” Reena exclaimed. “So you
are
going to take pictures in better light! It’s like you’re saying he was right for all those months.”

Katie paused. “Yeah, he was right that they were too dark. But he wasn’t right about the light.”

“It wasn’t the light that was the problem?” Mia asked, perplexed.

Katie opened the door. “Nope.” She winked. “It wasn’t the light at all. Goodnight.”

They all looked at each other.

“Any idea what she was talking about?” Maggie said.

Reena and Mia shrugged.

“No,” Mia said. “Not a clue.”

**

The next morning at just before eight o’clock, Adam pulled up to The Rock Fighting Club. Katie was already there, he saw, and he hurried to unlock the door.

“Hey,” he said. “You’re early.”

“Yeah.” She smiled up at him, her eyes glowing. “So are you.”

He opened the door and ushered her in to the warmth. Once they were inside, he turned and kissed her.

“Good morning,” he said against her mouth.

“Good morning.”

They stared at each other, loving the heat they saw there. For the previous three weeks, they had spent almost every night together, sometimes at Adam’s place, sometimes at Katie’s. They had done pretty much everything it was possible to do… except full-on sex. They took their time, exploring each other’s bodies, finding out what they liked. They also discovered what made Katie tense or nervous: Adam had become an expert on what to avoid for fear of triggering her, and he knew the warning signs of an approaching panic attack. As time passed, though, she relaxed more and panicked less. She hadn’t had an attack or nightmare in almost two weeks.

“OK,” Adam said. “Where do you want me?”

She blinked. He grinned at her.

“For the pictures,” he clarified.

“Oh, right.” She pulled herself together. “Over here.”

She led him past the reception desk and in to the open training area, past the normally-bustling boxing ring and sparring mats, past the equipment and weights. She stopped at the window and peeled off her coat. He got undressed and stood there in just his loose red pants, his amazing chest bare. She licked her lips and tried to focus.

“What do I do?” he asked.

“Just move,” she said and raised the camera. “I’ll direct you in a few minutes.”

“OK.”

She snapped again and again, looking at him through the lens, admiring his strength and fluidity of movement. After about ten minutes, she stopped.

“OK,” she said. “Now over here.”

They went over to the pull-up bar near the exposed brick wall and she pointed at it. “Turn your back to me and pull yourself up and down a few times. Slowly, OK?”

“Sure.” He reached up with his massive arms and lifted himself. He chinned the bar, lowered his frame down. Up again, down again. And again.

She felt her body heating up as she took the pictures, watching his muscles slide under his smooth skin. A sheen of sweat made him glow and glisten and she longed to run her tongue over him. His tattoos rippled and his ass was perfect in those pants. He made it look so easy; it was obvious that his upper body strength was more than enough to lift his two-hundred-thirty-pound frame with no effort at all.

“That’s good,” she said. Her voice was constricted.

He heard it and he dropped down on to his bare feet and turned around. “You OK?”

“Yeah.”

He came closer and she gasped as her lower lips pulsed.

“Katie?”

“Adam…”

He saw her desire and his own flared right away. He reached for her and she fell in to his arms, pressing herself against that broad chest. He lowered his face to hers and kissed her, hard. She responded immediately, opening her mouth against his, inviting his tongue.

Their hands were everywhere, tugging at Katie’s clothes, pulling everything down and off. In less than a minute, they were both naked, straining against each other.

Adam lifted her high in to the air. “Hold on to the bar, baby.”

Startled, she reached up and grasped the metal, her back against the wall. He stepped right under her, wrapped her legs around his neck and shoulders. His hands gripped her rounded ass and pulled her pussy right up against his mouth. She gasped and arched her back.

Adam felt her incredible need. “I’m not going to make you wait, sweetheart.”

“Please,” she whispered. “Please.”

With a groan, he put his mouth on her clit and sucked, pulled, nipped at it. His tongue stroked her lips, up and down, lapping her juices greedily, loving the taste of her arousal. He buried his face between her thighs, wanting to stay between her slick, warm folds forever.

Katie held on to the bar for dear life, her whole body shaking helplessly as Adam plunged his tongue inside her again and again. He wasn’t slow or controlled at all, and she responded to his passion. In a matter of seconds, she felt every nerve in her body tingling and jumping and her pussy started pulsating against his lips.

Adam felt her orgasm begin and he pressed her bud between her lips in the way that she liked, gently mouthing kisses on it as it swelled and expanded. She cried out then, and he knew the wave was washing over her. He waited a heartbeat, then two, and when her thighs clenched around his head, he took her whole clit in to his mouth and sucked.

Katie screamed as her climax ripped through her. She clutched the bar over her head and just rode the force of the orgasm as it went on and on. His mouth was perfect and all she could feel was Adam under her, in her, on her. As the spasms slowed down and she gave a low moan, he moved his hands to her back, supporting her body as she sagged on to the wall, her strength gone.

“Easy, baby,” he said. “I’ve got you.”

Katie dropped her arms and legs and slid down in to his waiting arms. He lowered her gently to the floor then held her close, stroking her hair as she panted his name. Her legs trembled beneath her and he smiled.

“Maybe you need to lie down?” he said.

She nodded.

He pulled her down to the training mat and she stretched her whole body against his, loving his hardness against her soft curves. She took a deep breath.

“Adam, that was amazing…”

“Yeah?”

“Oh, yeah.” She raised her head. “I want more.”

He raised his eyebrows. “You want to go back up there? Because I have no problem with that whatsoever.”

“No.” She rolled over and reached for her purse. “I want
more
.”

Adam stared at the box of condoms in her hand. Her leg was absolutely fine and they had talked about taking the next step. He knew her body much better now and he knew what to avoid doing, but he hadn’t forgotten that blank, empty look in her eyes.

“Are you sure, Katie?
Really
sure?”

“Completely.”

“OK,” he said. “But you’re in control.”

He put on the condom and then laid down on his back, his hands at his side, palms flat on the floor. She looked down at him and she smiled.

“I can do whatever I want to you?” she said.

His breath caught. “Yep.”

“Huh.” She ran her hand over his chest, blazing a trail of fire down his body. She skimmed over his stomach and around his cock. “I can do that?”

“Uh-huh.”

She kissed him now, her lips and tongue following the path her hand had just taken. When she nipped his inner thigh gently, he gasped. His whole body tightened up and she grinned at him, her dark eyes sparkling.

Katie crawled on top of his massive frame and he forced himself to keep his hands on the mat. She straddled him, her hot pussy slick on his skin and she slowly moved down his body. He closed his eyes as she took him in her hand and started to run the tip of his cock against her sex.

“Can I do this?”

He nodded.

She inserted him just inside her entrance. “This?”

“Oh, God. Yes.”

Katie rose up on her knees and started to lower herself on him, one agonizing inch at a time. He couldn’t stop himself from touching her now, and his hands came up to clutch her thighs. She smiled down at him and paused.

“More?” she said.

“Yes.” His voice was guttural. “More. Baby, everything.”

She leaned forward, her hands braced on his chest, and in one quick movement, she slid down the length of his cock, taking him inside her fully. He cried out and his hips involuntarily bucked beneath her, driving deep inside her, lifting Katie’s body off the ground. She gave a small scream.

“Oh, God, Katie. I’m sorry.” He took a deep breath. “I didn’t mean to do that.”

“I liked it,” she said. “No, I
loved
it. Do it again.”

He began to move inside of her, working his way in and out, building a rhythm that they both liked. She rolled her hips, meeting his thrusts, her head thrown back and her breath coming faster. He watched her face as her pleasure rose, and he fought to hold back his orgasm until she came again.

With every stroke, he pushed deeper in to her, the heat and tightness making him want more. She gave a cry, then another, and he knew he had found that sweet place inside of her body, the one that made her tense up in the best way possible. Sure enough, her body clenched and released around him, her pussy walls rippling and flickering. He reached up and pulled her to his mouth for a kiss.

“Come for me again, Katie,” he whispered against her lips. “I want to feel it all around me, on every inch of me.”

She gasped as his thrusts got faster, stronger. As his orgasm approached, he started shaking from the effort to hold on, to wait for her. The thought that this fiercely strong and gentle man was so close to coming inside her set her off and she came hard, in a blinding flash of light.

Adam felt her whole body quake and he gave in to his own release. He lifted her right off the floor, plunging one last time, reaching for the very heart of her. All he felt was the sweetness of making love to this incredible woman; he was consumed by her. She looked down and watched his face contort with ecstasy as he expanded inside her, then exploded. He groaned and gripped her hips, holding her on his throbbing cock until every burst had been wrenched out of him.

Adam exhaled and opened his eyes. She was staring down at him, her eyes full of tears. Right away, he propped himself up on his elbows, his huge chest heaving.

“Katie?” He touched her face. “You OK?”

She nodded. Tears slid down her cheeks.

He sat up all the way and wrapped both arms around her. “Hey, now. Tell me the truth. Are you here with me?”

“Yes.”

“Say my name, sweetheart.”

“Adam.” She kissed him. “Adam.”

“OK.” He pulled back a bit and looked in to her eyes. They were bright and loving, and he saw that she was there, totally present and aware. She hadn’t gone back to that dark place of her childhood this time.

Katie gave a shaky sigh. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m really OK. I promise. I just – it’s never been like that for me before.”

“Yeah, for me either.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

He lay back again, bringing her down with him. Slowly, he rolled her to one side, still inside her, and she curled her leg around his body, trying to keep him close for as long as possible. They gazed at each other and kissed, gently.

“Hey,” she whispered. “Have you got a date for the photo exhibition next week?”

“Yeah.” He ran his hands over her back. “My girlfriend. She’s brilliant and brave and beautiful.”

“She sounds pretty great.”

“She is.” His eyes held hers. “She’s amazing.”

Chapter Ten

Katie looked around the gallery nervously. Everyone was wandering around with glasses of wine, staring at her photos, making comments. She knew that some people loved them, some people hated them, and most people fell somewhere in between. She took a deep breath and tried to remember that she was happy with her work, that she wouldn’t change anything even if she could.

A large hand touched her lower back and she turned, relieved. “Adam.”

“Hey, baby,” he said. “Sorry I’m late. It was impossible to find anywhere to park.”

“That’s OK.” She took him in, looking him up and down. “Wow. You look great.”

He smiled at her and her heart did a back flip in her chest. He was wearing a snug pair of black dress pants and a crisp white dress shirt. The top buttons were undone, his strong collarbone visible and his tattoos peeking out. Her breath caught.

He lowered his mouth to her ear. “And you look delectable.”

She flushed bright red. “Really?”

“Oh, yeah.” He admired her long, lean figure in the tight dress. “You look gorgeous in purple. I think that’s your color.”

“Thanks.”

He accepted a glass of wine from a passing waiter. “So, how’s it going here?”

“Good, I think.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. A few sales already.”

“Which ones?”

“Come on. I’ll show you.”

They walked around the large room slowly, and Adam looked at the almost life-sized black-and-white photos. The men in them were athletes, strong and muscled, and Katie had made them look like Greek gods. When they got to the one of Nick, Adam stopped, stunned. His friend looked like he was literally flying through their air, his leg extended, the curve of every muscle visible.

“My God, Katie. This is incredible. I think it’s my favorite.”

Her eyes were warm. “But you haven’t seen yours yet.”

He looked around. “Hey, yeah. Where’s the one of me?”

She took his hand. “This way.”

They went back to the entrance of the gallery and she pointed. “There.”

He blinked. The picture of him was the biggest one in the exhibition, and it was the only one hanging from the ceiling and not from a wall. And there was something else.

“Katie,” he said softly. “It’s in color.”

“Yes.”

“But I thought you only worked in black-and-white.”

She shrugged. “You’re different.”

Adam looked at the photo again and felt tears in his eyes. She saw them and moved closer to him, leaning in to his strength and heat. He held her, his lips in her hair, still staring at the photo.

“So,” Katie said. “What do you think of it, really?”

He shifted his gaze down to her beautiful face. “I think I was right about how to make the photo perfect.”

“What do you mean?”

“About it being too dark and needing to be reshot.” He grinned. “You fought me on it for almost four months, but the picture needed more light.”

“You think?”

“Yep. It’s all about the light.”

“What about the color?”

He studied it again. “Huh. Maybe you’re right, actually.”

“No,
you
are, but only partly. It needed light and color… and one more thing to be perfect.”

“Yeah?”

“Uh-huh.”

“OK.” Adam brushed her dark hair back off her forehead. “What was that?”

“An emotional connection between me and the subject.”

Adam felt a huge wave move through his chest. “And you think you have one?”

Her eyes were bright. “I
know
I do.”

He took her face in his hands, not caring even a little bit that they were in a packed gallery or that people were impatient to talk to Katie. He kissed her, his tongue licking her lips gently, probing her, simulating what he wanted to do with their lower bodies.

He pulled back no more than inch and whispered in to her mouth, “I love you, baby.”

And she whispered back – without even one tremor of hesitation or fear – “I love you, too.”