Full Contact (Worth the Fight #2) (8 page)

“Wait here. I want to change,” Jessica said to Slade.

“You look great.”

Jessica looked down at her uniform and guffawed. “Give me a few minutes.” She walked toward the bathroom.

Ten minutes later, after brushing her teeth, applying some light makeup, and changing into a black cotton maxi dress with matching flats, she fluffed up her hair and walked out.

Slade whistled. “Don’t you clean up nicely.”

She nudged him playfully with her elbow. “Ready to go?”

He nodded, took her hand, and interlaced his fingers with hers—Slade, who she’d never seen hold any woman’s hand. She felt like doing another fist pump.
Hold it together, dummy.

As soon as they walked out of the Pier, he stopped and turned toward her. “Hi.”

She smiled. “Hi.”

“Mouth.”

He was so sweet, Jessica thought, yet so…imposing. She leaned forward and lightly kissed him, then pulled away.

“I’ve been waiting hours for that mouth of yours,” he told her. “You look so good, and I’m pretty sure you’re wearing something underneath that dress that’s going to drive me crazy later, so don’t fuck around with me. I want your mouth.”

He released her hand, placed his big hands on the sides of her chin, and brought his lips down on hers. Her eager mouth opened and her greedy tongue met his in a brain-numbing, panty-combusting kiss in the middle of the sidewalk right in front of where she worked.

When he released her, she practically swayed. He leaned down to look at her face. His blue eyes smoldered. They freakin’ smoldered. As she looked up at him, she finally understood why all the women in town pretty much dropped their panties when he so much as spoke to them. His blue eyes were absolutely hypnotic, and she was completely under his spell.

“So, what are you in the mood for, baby?”

“Um…”
More of your mouth on my body. Then I want to do the same to you. Goodness, that mouth, those eyes, those lips, that tongue. I need—

“
Jess? Dinner—what are you in the mood for?” He chuckled. Had she said that out loud? Or had he read her mind with his magical eyes?

“Anything’s fine with me. You pick.”
Please pick something fast. I want to get you home like now!
Her internal dialogue was really getting out of control.

“How about we grab a pizza and take it back to your place? Unless you want to go to—”

“No!” she yelled way too quickly. He laughed, and she took a deep breath. “Sorry. I mean, pizza at my house sounds great.”

Hand in hand, they walked around the corner to a pizza place, which happened to be her favorite. “Everything, right?” he asked. “That’s what you like?”

He’d brought her pizza a few times when she’d been unable to do much walking. It warmed her that he had remembered. She nodded with a big smile.

“Why are you smiling?”

“No reason.” She got on the tips of her toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Just happy, I guess.”

He pulled her close to his side as he ordered. While their pizza was being prepared, they went to a little grocery mart next door and bought cookies and ice cream. When the pizza was done, they added it to their other purchases and headed back to the parking lot.

“I’ll follow you.”

“Let’s go in my truck. I’ll bring you back for your car later,” he said. Her heart dropped. That meant one of two things: one, they weren’t going to have sex and he would take her to get her car after they ate their stupid pizza and stupid ice cream, or two, they would have sex and then he’d take her back to get her car, which meant he didn’t want to sleep over.

Just like he did with all the other girls.

Before she could get herself fully riled up, he added, “Tomorrow.”

Uncomprehending, she looked up at him.

“I’ll bring you back to get your car…tomorrow.”

She briefly contemplated playing a little hard to get, but really, she was ready to have sex with him right there in the middle of the parking space while he held a large pizza box in his hand. She smiled at the thought, but suddenly something else occurred to her that brought a frown to her face. Was that even normal behavior?

She was in the midst of this major internal debate when he spoke. “Okay, Jessica. What’s all the thinking about? Spit it out.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Jessica,” he said more sternly.

“Okay. So, I don’t want you to think I’m one of your sluts. Not that the women you sleep with are sluts, but you know what I mean. All you have to do is smile that perfect dimpled smile with perfect white teeth and dazzle them with those gorgeous cerulean eyes and they hop into bed with you. But God, Slade…I want you so freakin’ bad. I mean, I wore the lingerie and all, and I really hope you’ll like it.” It all came out in one long breath.

Slade looked at her with a small smile on his lips and his head tilted as if he was examining her.

“Baby, I have no fucking clue what you just said or what cerulean is. But I think the CliffsNotes version of it was something along the lines of you want to have sex with me.”

She nodded.

“And you don’t want me to think you’re easy.”

She nodded again.

“And you wore a thong?”

She nodded again.

He put the pizza box on the hood of the car and cupped her face in both hands, forcing her to look up at him. “Okay, first of all, I’d never think you’re a slut. Never. Second, I think you’re sexy even without the shit you just talked about, although, not gonna lie, I really want to see that thong. But the point is, I thought you were sexy when you were lounging around my house in old T-shirts and sweatpants nursing broken ribs. You don’t need to do anything other than be yourself for me to think you’re sexy. Also, you’re so not easy, Jessica. The only thing I didn’t do to get you to agree to go out with me was get on my hands and knees and beg—which was next on my agenda if you’d said no to me again. I think in and of itself that might be the definition of
not
being easy. And lastly, I want you too. Real bad. Okay?”

Her head still between his hands, she nodded.

“Come on. All this talk about thongs is making me lose my mind.” He grabbed the pizza and her hand and pulled her to his big black Ford F-150.

“By the way, it’s blue. Cerulean is blue,” she said as he drove.

“So why not just say blue?”

“Because it’s more than blue. It’s…cerulean.”

“You’re cute.” He pinched her nose with his free hand. The other remained on the wheel.

“Well, I could’ve said cobalt, sapphire, indigo—”

“Or blue.”

“No. They’re not just blue. They’re the most beautiful blue.”

He smiled his best smile, the one that made her heart flutter.

Once inside her house, Jessica threw her purse on the counter, reached up, and pulled his head down so she could meet his lips.

“Wait.” He drew away and held her at arm’s length. “I want you. I really do. More than you know.” He looked down at the bulge in his pants. “Trust me.” He let out a breath. “But what’s the hurry? I don’t want you to do anything you’ll regret. Let’s take it slow. Let’s have dinner first.”

Jessica stomped toward the kitchen, grabbed a glass, poured water, took a gulp, and slammed the glass down on the counter, hard. She then softly banged her head against the refrigerator. “God. What is wrong with me? I just want—argh! Does it even exist?” Just then she heard a small noise and turned her head to see an amused Slade standing by the door, arms crossed.

“Does what exist?”

“You know, that hot, crazed, lusty, passionate, uninhibited, merciless sex I read about all the time. When you’re so needy for each other you can’t make it to the bedroom. Clothes ripped. Sex on the floor, against the wall, on a table. I want that. Just…just…I want sex, damn it. No thinking, no regrets. Just sex. I don’t want to take it slow. Slow sucks! Sex with Dennis was predictable and boring. I’m tired of predictable and boring!” she yelled to the heavens.

Slade took two long steps toward her and swiftly drew her toward him with one large hand. “Haven’t you ever been fucked, Jessica?” His voice was lower than usual, the deep sapphire of his eyes predatory. She could see a vein in his neck throb. Unconsciously her tongue slipped out of her mouth and moistened her lips.

“I—I’m sorry, what?” she gulped.

“I asked you,” he repeated, his tone serious, “if you’ve ever been fucked.”

She gulped again. “No. I’ve only had sex with two other people, and I don’t think that was fucking. I don’t think that was anything, really.”

“Mouth.”

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Mouth. I want your mouth.”

She stretched up to meet his lips, and once their lips touched, she knew sex would never be the same again. Of this she was sure, and they hadn’t even started yet.

The next thing she knew, he’d placed his hands on the top straps of her dress and pulled it down off her shoulders. The material fell to the floor, revealing her lace undergarments. She was completely turned on but nervous that she might be in over her head. Even though she’d wanted this so bad, the man had serious experience, and she had only had boring, predictable sex. She wasn’t sure if she should jump his bones or take off running.

Slade unclasped her bra and threw it over her shoulder. Then he turned her away from him, leaned her over the kitchen counter, and exhaled. “Damn…that ass is going to be the death of me.”

Sliding a finger up and down the material of the thong, he bent down and kissed first one ass cheek, then the other. “You have the best fucking ass I’ve ever seen. Never stop doing yoga. Ever!” Her panties never stood a chance. He ripped them off and turned her around to face him again. She now stood completely bare in her kitchen.

He reached into his pocket and threw his keys and wallet on the counter. Then he took out some condoms and dropped them unceremoniously next to her before he began to undress. As he slid his jeans down his long legs, she gripped his shirt and pulled, sending buttons flying all over the kitchen floor. He growled, cupped her face in his hands, and pulled her into him for a kiss. There was nothing soft about that kiss. It was urgent and sensual, and it conveyed the same need they were both feeling. When he finally released her, they were both panting.

“Turn around, lady. I hope you’re ready, because I’m going to fuck you right now. Your first fuck ever, and it’s goin’ to be me inside of you, right here. I tried to be a gentleman, but I can’t anymore. You win. Turn around and give me that perfect ass of yours.”

She did as she was told, turning around and leaning over the counter again so that her ass was up in the air. Even though this was exactly what she had asked for, the butterflies in her stomach were going crazy. They were actually going to have sex, and now that it was finally going to happen, she was anxious. She heard the condom wrapper rip. A second later his fingers were inside her, unrelenting, and all worry flew out the window, because all she could do at the moment was feel.

“Slade! Oh…”

“You’re so ready,” he croaked just before she felt the tip of his cock kiss her entrance. “Home run, babe.”

“Yes! Fourth base time.” She wiggled her ass side to side, giving him permission to take her, and he did. It wasn’t slow. It wasn’t gentle. It was rough and hard and so damn hot, she almost exploded when he filled her. His hands kneaded her ass cheeks as he thrust forward. Her face was plastered against the granite countertop as she pushed back against him. His movements quickly became frantic as his hands went to her hips and he pounded into her.

She normally hated losing control like this, but with Slade it was amazing and she didn’t mind. In fact, giving in to the sheer pleasure was worth giving him all the control.

“Slade! Slade!”

“Come for me, Jessica.” At that demand her insides clenched and she began to shake as she fell into a wonderfully intense orgasm. He kissed the back of her shoulders and neck. “You’re so fuckin’ beautiful. This isn’t the way I wanted our first time to go, but fuuuck…,” he groaned as his grip around her hips tightened.

Her back to his front, she turned her head so that his mouth could find hers. And then she kissed him for all she was worth. The moment her tongue licked his lips, his body stiffened, and when she nipped his tongue, she knew it was over for him too.

Once his breathing evened, he pulled out slowly and threw the condom away. He kissed her temple, then swept her up in his arms.

“You’re so incredible, Jessica.” He kissed her again. “That was a grand slam.” He kissed her forehead this time.

“I don’t know what that means, but it sounds good to me,” she answered lazily, feeling like Jell-O. Had he not been holding her, she surely would have melted down to the floor.

He carried her to her room and gently laid her on her bed, kissed her, then said, “I’ll be back in a minute.”

Seriously, best sex ever. She may have wanted to fuck, but that hadn’t been fucking. Even rough and dirty, it wasn’t fucking, because it was with Jessica. He returned to the bed with the box of pizza and two beers. They sat side by side, his legs stretched out, the pizza box over his thighs. He handed her a slice, then grabbed another and took a bite out of his. He twisted off the cap of one beer, took a long pull, and handed the bottle to her. When they’d finished that bottle, he opened the second.

“Ice cream’s melted,” he said.

She pouted briefly, then smiled the most beautiful smile he’d seen to date. “But we still have cookies.” And that was the moment he realized that Jessica was truly something special. He adored her and needed more of her in his life. She was such an optimistic person. She said what she felt, whether she was feeling silly, angry, or happy; right now, all it would take to make her happy was a chocolate chip cookie. If she was to suddenly walk out of his life, he’d…he didn’t know what he’d do. She’d stormed into his life, stirred up parts of him that would never be the same again. And suddenly he was scared shitless.

He swallowed hastily, unable to get rid of the lump in his throat. “Yeah, there’s cookies. Finished with the pizza? I’ll bring you some cookies.”

“I can do that. Stay. I’ll be back.” She stood, still naked, grabbed the empty beer bottles and pizza box, and left the room. He looked around. Her house was modest, nothing grand, but neither was his. The first time he’d gone to her house, he’d been expecting some sort of weird Zen-like place, since she was so into yoga. But it wasn’t what he thought it’d be. It was warm and homey, no incense or Buddha statues anywhere in sight.

When she’d been staying in his house recovering from her injuries, she had mentioned that she lived day to day, pinching pennies. He didn’t want that for his woman. He wanted her to be happy. He didn’t want her working at a bar unless that was what
she
wanted. Suddenly making Jessica happy seemed paramount.

When she returned Slade was still stretched out on her bed. She straddled him, laid the box of chocolate chip cookies on his chest, then ripped the box open and fed them both cookies.

“Jess? I know you’re going to think this is fast, but I was thinking…I think…If you want—but no pressure—why don’t you move in with me?”

She stopped in mid-bite, crumbs falling all over his chest. “Whoa! What?”

“You can save on rent, work fewer hours, and do something else that makes you happy. What do you have to lose? Besides, I liked when you were living with me.”

She didn’t speak for a while, and his heart started to pound. He must’ve scared the shit out of her, he thought.
Bad move, Martin!

“Slade, I have feelings for you I can honestly say I’ve never had for anyone else. And, I think you are the sweetest man I’ve ever met. But the last relationship I had…well, you know how that ended up. I jumped into it without giving it much thought. You and I, we’ve just started this thing between us, and I couldn’t be happier. But I want to do this right, and I think moving in together after a few dates isn’t a good idea. Especially since you’ve never really been a relationship kind of guy. I don’t want to smother you.”

“You wouldn’t,” he put in, but she put her hand over his mouth.

“I wouldn’t want you to feel smothered,” she went on. “I like where we are and what we’re building. All in, right?” He nodded. “Then give me a chance to get my life back in order, so that I can be as good to you as you are to me. You’re right, I don’t want to work at the Pier forever. I want things. I have dreams, and with you by my side, cheering me on, I think those dreams can one day become real. So I’m not saying no to your proposition; I’m saying not yet.”

“Fair enough. I can live with that.” He sat up and kissed her. “So, can I ask you about those dreams?”

She hesitated before speaking. “I’d like to one day open a yoga studio.”

“That’s it? You can totally do that, Jessica. I can help. Let’s look at spaces this weekend.”

She laughed. “You’re crazy, Slade. I don’t have the financial ability to do that yet. I will someday—I’ve been saving. I’m going to make it happen. I just need a little time. But thanks for the support, baby.” He smiled. He liked the “baby” endearment from her. It didn’t sound insipid. And it turned him on.

“So…not that I don’t want to hear more about your dreams, but I’m dying to ask,” Slade said as he flipped them around so she now lay on her back with him on top. “You wanted to be fucked. How was it?”

“It was soooo good. I think you’ve ruined me for every other man…forever.”

His face hardened. He didn’t want to think of his Jessica doing anything with any other man. This woman not only made him lose his mind with wanting to protect her but also made him crazy with jealousy. “Lady, I want to be your last…so you better get used to that.”

Her eyes welled up with tears, and she whispered, “All in.”

“Now you’re getting it, baby.” Then he began to kiss her. This time it was a tender caress between two people who were more than lovers. Her fingers didn’t dig into his skin but moved slowly up and down his back. His hand stroked her face before moving down to her neck.

“Are we fucking again?” she asked eagerly.

“I’ve brought out the bad language in you, I see.” She rolled her eyes, but he continued. “I’m going to tell you a little secret, baby. What we did earlier wasn’t fucking. With you, it’s never going to be fucking. We made love. Even if it wasn’t slow, it was still making love. But now I’m going to do what I should have done if you hadn’t been so eager and challenging. I’m going to take you slow and soft, and then when we’re done, I’m going to do it again. At some point during the night, while I hold you, my cock’s going to slip inside of you, and I’m going to take you again. By the time the sun comes up, you’re going to know what it is to be so sated you won’t be able to move. And, that, lady, is a promise.”

Her mouth opened in shock, but before she was able to say anything, his mouth was on her lips. And then Slade made good on his promise.

Parts of Jessica’s body that she hadn’t previously known existed ached deliciously. She was being cocooned by a warm, hard body, which she now realized snored. Not the loud and annoying kind of snore, but the kind of snore that…Well, it was sort of annoying.

Jessica turned to face him. His arms tightened, bringing her too close to be able to focus on his face, so she gently pulled back a little. She smiled when she saw her rough and tough macho man looking so peaceful. His features were relaxed, making him look younger.

A barely intelligible mumble came out of him: “You’re staring.” His eyes remained closed.

“I am.”

He opened one blue eye, smiled, and closed it again.

“You snore,” Jessica said.

“So do you.”

Her eyes widened, and her mouth opened. She reached behind him, snatched up a pillow, and smacked him on the head with it. “I do not snore!”

He laughed again, his eyes still closed. “You don’t snore. But you do talk in your sleep.”

That was true. She’d been told that before.

“Well, at least it’s soft, delicate mumbling instead of an annoyingly loud bear-like snore.”

He lazily opened one eye. “Annoying? You slept like a baby. Didn’t seem to bother you.”

“That’s because I was exhausted from all your…uh, sexing. I fell right into a coma.”

“I can work with that.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll just exhaust you every night and you won’t notice my annoying snore.”

“Hmm.” She placed a finger by her mouth as if she was thinking. “I think I could live with that plan.”

“Good. Sexing you into exhaustion. Great plan. Glad I thought of it.” He reached for her and pulled her close to him, his bare chest against her bare back.

“So, tell me what’s going on with the Academy.”

“Well, Francesca and I are going to invest money into it and get it renovated. It needs some major work and new equipment. It was part of the deal we made to get this new fighter that Francesca was able to scout, Antonio Marino.”