Break Me (Caged Hearts Book 2) (2 page)

Chapter 4

Jasper felt the pain before he’d even opened his eyes. The moment his mind released him from a dream, he was reminded of the agony currently overwhelming his wrung out body. Wincing, he forced his eyes open against the darkness and panted heavily as he labored to turn on his bedside light. His entire body was coated in a thin film of sweat.

“Crap,” Jasper gasped as he grabbed a nearby glass of water and popped a few more aspirin. He could feel his muscles burning in protest with every movement he made. Even the cool water that slid down the back of his throat stung his wounded mouth. His jaw throbbed from the time spent in the dentist’s chair the previous afternoon. He now boasted two new false teeth.

Massaging his jaw, Jasper sat up fully in bed. He knew from experience that he’d struggle to get back to sleep. He might as well get up and get a jump start on the day. Carl wanted him back at the gym as soon as possible.

“That last fight made you look weak,” he told Jasper tersely as they sat in the dimly lit changing room after the match.

“But I won,” Jasper protested wearily. Wasn’t that all that mattered? A victory was a victory no matter how narrow the margins around it.

“Yes, but you still look weak!” Carl insisted with a wag of his finger. He was pacing back and forth across the small room, the wrinkles in his face showing as he furrowed his brow thoughtfully.

“I’m not weak,” Jasper lowered his head and was forced to spit yet more blood into the bucket he was holding. Would his gums ever stop bleeding? His tongue inquisitively explored the new spaces in his mouth where his teeth had previously been.

“He knocked your teeth out!” Carl ceased pacing and straightened to stare angrily at Jasper. “On more than one occasion you could barely stand up!”

“I won,” Jasper growled, his voice low and menacing. He was in no mood to be chastised for a fight he’d managed to win.

“Barely!” Carl lamented, spreading his arms. “This will cost you dearly, Jasper. Mark my words! The world has seen how weak you are!”

“Then what do you suggest?” Jasper demanded, pausing to spit out yet more blood.

“We schedule another fight for next Friday. You train hard all week then come out guns blazing, show the world what a powerhouse you truly are.”

“Next Friday?” Jasper asked doubtfully. “Don’t you think I need more time to recover?”

“The longer you take, the weaker you look.”

With a sigh, Jasper lowered his head towards the bucket he was holding and spat again.

“I’ll arrange for you to get your teeth sorted tomorrow,” Carl noted as he reached for his phone and began expertly running his fingers across it as he made the necessary arrangements. “And I know a guy we can call about some enhancements.”

“No.” Jasper said the word so sharply that Carl ceased typing into his phone and stared wide eyed at his client.

“Either I do this clean, or I don’t do it at all.”

“Okay,” Carl nodded. “Your call.”

Alone in his apartment, Jasper did his best to ignore the pain which was searing through his body. Pain which even the aspirin he’d taken couldn’t touch. At least there were no broken bones. A quick x-ray at the hospital had proven that, but there was ample bruising and swelling all over his body. The kind faced nurse had suggested that he seek plenty of rest. He almost laughed in her face. How could he rest when his agent had lined up another big fight for him which was now less than a week away? If he rested now, he risked losing it all and he’d fought so hard to be where he was, not just in the ring.

“I’m fine,” Jasper told himself sternly as he held his hands against his back and grimaced as he staggered to his feet. He just needed to shower. The hot water would ease most of his aches. He flicked on lights as he went he headed towards his large, state of the art en suite bathroom. It boasted all the latest modern conveniences and sparkled thanks to the cleaner who came in on a daily basis.

It took him twice as long as normal to get in to the large cubicle. He had a waterfall shower which cascaded lovingly over his broken body. Jasper leaned against the tiled wall and shuddered gratefully as the warm water caressed his skin. It was helping. But as he stood there he thought of her. What would she say if she could see him now? She’d be mad at him; that was a given. She’d pout in that sexy way of hers and tell him to take better care of himself. And when she spoke to him like that, all he wanted to do was rip her clothes off and ravage her.

Jasper’s body felt unusually heavy as he stood in the shower. His head was spinning with thoughts of Kait. Why was he even thinking about her? She’d walked away from him; they were done. All he needed to do was walk into a bar with his biceps showing, and he’d pick up a new girl in a heartbeat. He could have someone in the shower with him with no effort at all.

Thinking about Kait hurt more than his injuries, throbbed more than his sore jaw. He was only equipped to handle one kind of pain at a time. His feelings over Kait would have to wait, and he knew there was only one way to overcome them; he needed to distract himself.

Chapter 5

Jasper didn’t make it in to the gym that day, but he did enjoy a thorough workout. He’d scrolled through his phone in the early hours and invited three buxom brunettes that he knew. They had to be brunette; if they were blonde, they’d only remind him of Kait, and the last thing he needed was another excuse to think about her.

By ten in the morning, the girls had arrived wearing skimpy clothes and flirtatious smiles. When Jasper opened the door to them, his heart pinched with doubt. He didn’t feel the swell of excitement he’d anticipated when he saw them. Instead, he felt disappointment gnawing at his stomach, disappointment that they weren’t Kait.

But Kait didn’t want him. He had to keep telling himself that. She’d walked away from him, told him goodbye. He needed to move on, to forget about her before he drove himself mad.

The brunettes were eager to ease Jasper of his troubles. They cooed over him as they rubbed his aching shoulders and whispered dirty words into his ear. When they finally made it into the bedroom, Jasper began to doubt if he’d be able to perform. His body ached so badly he was certain it wouldn’t be able to handle all of the women. It was strange because when he was with Kait he was able to forget about all his aches and pains. Yet in the company of the trio of current beauties, he remained acutely aware of it at all times.

“Come on Jasper,” the most curvaceous of the girls purred at him as she knelt upon his bed and removed her tight fitting top with a swift flourish. The sight of her ample, exposed breasts made something stir in Jasper. But the moment he became aroused, he instantly thought of Kait. He closed his eyes in frustration.

“Tell us what we should do,” another girl delivered the words into his ear and then cheekily slid her tongue against him. Jasper groaned. Why wasn’t this working? Usually he’d have bedded all three of them by now.

Desperate, he asked the girls to pleasure one another. He hoped that seeing such an erotic sight would help him break free of Kait’s grip on him, and for a blissful hour it did. Jasper was able to lose himself in the girls at his apartment. Their bodies came together in a writhing mass upon his bed as they took it in turns to pleasure him. It was euphoric yet… empty. No matter how hard Jasper tried, how many positions he eagerly attempted despite his aching body, he couldn’t reach complete satisfaction. The girls giggled and fawned over him, but he knew their attention couldn’t last forever. Eventually he decided to just fake it. Something he’d never had to do in his entire life.

Panting convincingly, he collapsed against his soft pillows as the girls gathered around him, resting their heads upon his chest. One raised a finger and drew it towards one of his scars.

“Don’t touch that,” Jasper barked at her, the words carrying more venom than he’d intended. Burned, the girl retrieved her hand and settled back against his chest. Jasper lay there and listened to their breathing slow as they all fell asleep. Outside, the day was turning to darkness once more as night approached. Regret crept into the room. It was so silent and subtle that Jasper didn’t realize it was there until it was gathered menacingly around his throat, making him struggle to breathe. What had he done? He didn’t want these girls. As beautiful as they were, they didn’t make his heart race the way Kait did. When he connected with her, it was more than sex. It was something Jasper hadn’t experienced before, and it had certainly ruined him. He’d spent the day living out every man’s fantasy, and yet it hadn’t been enough. What if it was never enough again?

The sound of a distant door opening made Jasper tense. Was it his cleaner? Surely not; she wasn’t supposed to work weekends. He also didn’t want her to find him in bed with his bevvy of beauties. His cleaner was a little old lady with an old fashioned constitution. He risked her having a heart attack if she saw all their gathered naked limbs fused into one collective mass.

“Girls,” Jasper addressed the sleeping beauties who grumbled but did not stir. “Girls, we need to move,” he insisted. “Someone is here.”

His guests were too relaxed and worn out to move. They nuzzled affectionately against him as they drifted off to sleep.

“Damn it,” Jasper moaned to himself. Whoever had let themselves into his apartment would surely be looking for him and would inevitably find their way into his bedroom. As if on cue, the door creaked open, and Jasper held his breath.

Carl peered into the dimly lit bedroom. His expression was stern, but the moment he saw the naked women draped over Jasper, his features softened into a cheeky smile.

“Oh, sorry to disturb you,” he noted as he pushed open the door and entered the room. Jasper frowned. If he was so sorry, why didn’t he just back the hell out of there?

“I just came by to check on you since you weren’t at the gym today.”

Jasper rolled his eyes. Was this how it was now? If he dared to take one day off from the gym, then Carl would be over to check up on him.

“I can see that you’re busy,” Carl’s eyes hungrily roved over the exposed breasts and buttocks surrounding Jasper. One of the girls had opened her eyes and giggled coyly at the attention.

“Can we talk later?” Jasper asked with a sigh.

“Yes, of course,” Carl nodded. “I’ll wait for you in the kitchen.”

Jasper closed his eyes and groaned in frustration. By later, he had meant another day, not in a few minutes, but he knew from experience that Carl wouldn’t leave until he was satisfied that they’d sufficiently talked out whatever was bothering him. Jasper wanted to let him stew for a while. He pressed back his head and attempted to doze for a while. As much as it would be nice to annoy Carl, he desperately needed the rest.

Chapter 6

Kait felt groggy from lack of sleep. Moving numbly through her apartment, she turned on the kettle and opened the blinds to let in the dim rays of early morning sunlight. Her last waking thought had been of Jasper, and then she’d spent most of the night dreaming about him. She knew that she was being ridiculous, that she was caught up on a guy who didn’t even really want her. After all, Jasper was already seriously involved with someone: his career.

Listening to the kettle grumble as it boiled the water inside, Kait considered what to do. She knew she couldn’t go on like this. Her heart ached from the pain of pining over Jasper. She needed to set herself free and stop emotionally torturing herself.

By the time the kettle beeped to signify that its contents were sufficiently boiled, Kait had reached a decision. Clutching a fresh mug of coffee, she headed back into her bedroom and grabbed her phone. Unlocking it, she saw with a grimace that it was still on an internet page filled with images of Jasper. He looked powerful and handsome in all of them, but with a determined swipe of her finger the images were gone.

Knotting her eyebrows together, Kait began writing the message she needed to send. She hoped it would ultimately help release her from Jasper’s spell. She confirmed the message and sent it without giving herself the time to reconsider what she was doing. Then she downed the rest of her coffee and climbed into the shower.