“I’ve been sweating.” I warn him.

He chuckles. “That’s okay, the best things in life happen when your sweating.”

I turn my body toward him, pressing it slightly against his naked chest. My fingers trail up and down his sides, tracing all of his muscular bumps. His hand rests on my hip and I become ravenously hungry for his touch. I kiss him, slowly at first and then I slip my tongue into his mouth. I groan in protest as he pulls away from me. “I want you to come to Concord with me.”

I fall back onto my pillow. “Seth, I already said no.”

“That was before you almost knocked out a girl in a club.”

My fist aches as he speaks. I still can’t believe I did that. That’s not me at all. “Just because I punched someone doesn’t mean I want to be the poster boy for MMA. I should have helped her up... or apologized or something.”

He laughs once and pulls me closer. “Yeah because that would have helped the situation.”

“I’m surprised you even noticed what was happening with me. The blonde you were sitting with seemed pretty adamant at getting your attention.”

He shrugs. “The blonde was mediocre at best. My attention was on you, all night.”

I feel heat climb into my cheeks. The thought of someone like Seth wanting me the way he does is exciting.

“Your dad is coming.” Seth says, changing the subject back to his fight in Concord.

“I don’t ca—shit.” Dad has high blood pressure. I can’t let him go by himself, what if something happens? “Can you tell Dad he can’t go to Concord with you?”

Seth pushes himself up on his elbows. “What? No, I can’t tell him that. Poor guy will be devastated.”

I sigh, pulling Seth back down. “He has high blood pressure and I’m a little worried about him.”

“You could come and keep an eye on him.”

“Look at you manipulating the situation to get what you want.” I exhale. “Fine. I’ll go.”

Seth crushes me to him, squeezing so hard my ribs begin to ache. “Thank you.”

Now that I’ve caved for him, I’m done talking. I want to be physical. I can feel my insides pulsating with need and I curl my fingers under the hem to his shorts. I tug on them slightly, letting him know exactly what I want. Instantly, I feel him go hard and stab into me. Hot desire burns through me, but Seth seems more reserved. He takes my hands from his shorts while groaning. “I can’t.”

I’m taken aback. “You can’t?”

“I have a fight coming up and I don’t usually have sex before a fight. It helps my levels.”

“We had sex yesterday. I don’t think one day is going to make a difference.”

“I know, yesterday I completely forgot. I was too turned on and you were so sure and...” He exhales. “Darryl would kill me if he found out.”

“You have to inform him about your sexual adventures?”

“Close to fights, yeah. I don’t agree that sex changes the way I fight, but until I make it to pro, he wants me to be committed to the way he does things. Sadly, it was a hell of a lot easier before I met you.”

“Well, that sucks.” I pout.

His hands skim over my breasts, making me shudder before he traps his hands under his pillow. “You have no idea.”

Since sex isn’t on the menu, I shift my position and press my back against Seth’s chest. I close my eyes, ignoring the need that pulses between my thighs. It seems I have to wait. If he hadn’t teased me all night with his touching and his kissing I’d be fine right now. My eyelids become heavy and as sleep is about to take me, I distinctly hear moaning. Seth and I rise up at the same time, straining our ears to hear if it’s coming from the lounge room or next door. Through the thin plaster, I hear Jackson groan Selena’s name and her moan in response. OH MY GOD! My poor couch! I don’t think they realize how loud they’re being.

Thump.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Thump.

The thumping and the moaning goes on for ages, preventing me from falling asleep. After twenty minutes Seth managed to fall asleep. He seems used to the off-putting noises. Not me. I lie awake until the sun barely seeps around the edges of the curtain. Hours. I’m certain they fucked for hours and now they’re both satisfied and sleeping it off. Meanwhile, I’m still awake, still sexually frustrated and I leave for Concord tonight.

Great.

Chapter Twelve

It’s well past eleven p.m. when I wake up. Seth is still sleeping soundly beside me and I don’t move, instead I watch him for a little while. My white sheets are rolled down to his hips, exposing all of his muscles and his tattoos. I’ve never wanted a tattoo. They’ve always seemed so... dirty to me, but they compliment Seth. His face is free of any extreme emotion, he looks so peaceful and I want to touch his beautiful face, but don’t. I’d hate to wake him.

I can feel my bladder tighten inside me. I really need to pee, but there’s no way I’m leaving this room by myself. I don’t want to see Jackson and Selena all tangled together in a big ball of recent sex on my couch. Squeezing my legs together, I reach under my bed and pull out my laptop. I power it on and soon I’m staring at the wallpaper of Blade and I. I really need to change it… and I do. I change it to a picture of a kitten trying to eat a huge ball of wool. It’s cute.

I switched on my laptop so I can keep writing my short story, but the need to pee is too strong and I can’t think about anything else. I close the lid and slide it back under my bed. I’m going to have to be brave and leave my room. I pull Seth’s shirt over my bare skin and my feet abandon the warm carpet as I step onto the cold wood floor. On my tip toes, I slowly make my way to the toilet. I keep my eyes in front of me at all times, not daring to let them wander toward the lounge room. After I pee, I feel a million pounds lighter and when I enter my room Seth’s adorable sleepy face blinks at me.

“Do you know what time it is?” He points at my white alarm clock.

“Yeah... we overslept.”

He runs his large hands over his face and then through his hair. “Darryl is going to kill me. I missed training.”

I hear a large thud come from the lounge room and then heavy footsteps. Jackson runs into our room, buttoning his jeans. “Shit, Seth!”

“I know.” Seth groans, swinging his legs off the edge of the bed and grabbing his jeans. He pulls his phone out of the back pocket and curses under his breath. He puts it to his ear.

“Yeah, Darryl— I know. Yes. Alright.”

He drops his phone to the floor and falls backward on the bed.

“What’d he say?” Jackson asks, raking his fingers through his hair.

“Management is pissed and I have to do double tonight before we leave for Concord.”

“Easy enough.” Jackson shrugs and I frown.

Easy enough for who? Seth will be the one doing all the work.

“Hey, I’m starving, you guys wanna’ grab some breakfast?”

“Yeah, give us a few minutes.”

Jackson leaves the room and closes the door behind him.

“I’m sorry.” I say, even though going out wasn’t my idea. At all.

“It’s not your fault.” He replies, pulling himself up to a sitting position. His eyes rake me in his t-shirt and he tugs on the base of it, drawing me closer. “You look good in my shirt.”

I smile as he spins me, pushing me down on my back. His hands caress my hip and then move up to my breasts, lifting the shirt as he goes. His mouth claims me and his tongue glides against my lips. I open my mouth to him and he touches me and tastes me with his tongue. Soon, his mouth falls from mine as he becomes distracted by the sight of my breasts. He takes my nipple in his mouth and I shudder at the feeling.

“Seth...” I moan breathlessly.

“Mm?”

“I thought you can’t?”

His lips release my nipple to kiss me all over my chest. He makes a light trail down the center of my body, stopping at my belly button. “I can’t, but you can.”

My hands push through his hair, and I let his soft strands glide between my fingertips. Seth looks up at me, smiling his smile and making my stomach clench. His eyes are still locked with mine as he reaches out with his tongue, running the warm edge of it along my panty line. I shiver and he grins as both his hands caress each side of my thigh before hooking under the hem of the fabric of my underwear and pulling them off me. I tense as his hand slides down my leg, and then curls around my knee. My breath catches in my throat as he lifts my leg, laying it over his shoulder. His chocolate eyes darken and remain on my face.

“Relax.” He growls between my thighs.

A thick finger slides between my moist folds and I moan as quietly as I can. His fingers push into me and curl up, forcing air from my lungs. He lowers his mouth and as soon as his tongue touches my center... I’m lost.

***

The waiter brings our breakfast and he looks at us strangely because it’s twelve thirty in the afternoon. Selena and Jackson ordered an eggs Benedict plate each and I ordered muesli, yogurt and mixed berries. Breakfast has always seemed to be a fruity/dairy thing for me. Seth’s huge plate of steak, salad and hard-boiled eggs is set down on the table and I turn my nose up at it. How anyone can eat meat before one p.m. is beyond me.

“Your skin looks amazing, Olivia. You’re glowing. Are you using those creams I got you?”

I quickly shovel blueberries and muesli into my mouth to buy myself some time. I haven’t told Selena that Seth and I have had sex. A little blueberry juice drops onto my caramel sweater. Damn it. I glance at Seth who watches me from under his brow, smiling that fucking smile. Of course he’ll gladly take the credit for my glow. I fight back my own nervous smile and swallow my food.

“No, I’m not using those creams. I just feel good.”

Her green eyes flick between Seth and I and then they widen. Shit. She’s put two and two together and she’s going to kick my ass. Seth isn’t even trying to hide it. He sits before me in the shirt he licked me in and it’s rumpled and he doesn’t care—not in the slightest. I can feel heat climb into my cheeks and I drop my gaze back down to my breakfast. I really don’t want to talk about my sex life over breakfast—or lunch, technically.

“Hey, Olivia.” Blade’s voice makes me turn around in my chair.

Oh joy.

I shade my eyes from the sun. “Blade?”

I’m unnerved when my gaze falls onto his chest and I see we’re wearing the same colored sweater. What are the odds?

“Can I talk to you for a minute?” He asks, glancing down at my sweater and smirking.

“We’re having breakfast.” Selena protests while pulling on my wrist.

“I can see that.” He deadpans. “It’ll only take a second, I promise.”

I look back at the table. Seth’s eyes are narrowed in on Blade, Selena is glaring at me and Jackson is happily eating his food, ignoring everything that’s going on around him. I slide my chair back and Blade’s arm hooks around mine as he directs me away from the table. When he’s sure we’re out of ear shot, he speaks.

“I spoke to your dad. Are you really going to Concord?”

I nod. “Yeah, we leave today.”

“Olly, I don’t think—”

“Please tell me you didn’t track me down to beg me not to leave town with Seth. It’s only two nights.”

He raises his palms at me in surrender. “I didn’t track you down. I ran into you by chance, I swear. Anyway, that’s not why I want to talk to you.”

I fold my arms over my chest. “Then what do you want?”

He holds a little red box out in front of him. I stare at it, but I don’t take it from his hands. “What the hell is that?”

“Open it.”

“I’m not opening it.”

He exhales and grabs my hand. He puts the velvet box inside it and steps away from me.

“Open it when I’m not around then.” He pulls me into a hug and I stiffen under him. Seth is probably fuming right about now. Without another word Blade walks away from me, crosses the road and climbs into his white car. I drag my gaze from Blade’s car to the table. Every single one of their eyes is on me and the little red box in my hand. My sneakers scuff against the concrete as I slowly make my way back to the table.

“What the fuck is that?” Selena asks oh-so elegantly.

“I don’t know I haven’t opened it.” I drop into my chair.

“So open it.” She demands.

“I really don’t want to. I’m going to put it in his mailbox later. He wouldn’t take it back.”

“I think I know what it is.” Selena mutters. “Manipulative prick.”

I nod. I do too… it’s a ring. Months ago, I told Blade I thought I’d be engaged or married by now—maybe even pregnant. He laughed at me and told me I was way too young for that. I told Selena about it that very same day.

I have no idea what to think about the ring. He didn’t specifically say it’s for marriage or whatever. Even if it was, that option is so far removed with him it’s not even funny. I don’t want to date him let alone marry him. I finally look at Seth. He’s leaning to the side in his chair, rubbing a finger along his bottom lip—clearly in thought.

“It doesn’t matter what it is.” I say to Selena. “I don’t want it.”

I shove the box into my handbag and continue to eat my breakfast.

“Burn that sweater when you get home.” Jackson laughs, shoving toast into his mouth.