Ground & Pound (14 page)

Kane

Walking into the locker room, I toss my bag on the floor and turn to Emmy. “What’s wrong?”

She’s been acting weird ever since she walked into the gym. She’s skittish and keeps looking over her shoulder. Even Ozzy noticed it, which is saying a lot, but she brushed him off like it was nothing.

“It’s nothing. I’m just keyed up about your interview,” she says, not looking at me. 

I’m just about to turn away from her, when I notice a rip in her jeans. Looking closer, I see a bit of blood. “What the fuck happened to you?”

She looks down to her leg and shrugs. “I tripped over my own two feet when I was walking out of the house.”

I can’t help but shake my head at her. The woman is beautiful on stage, nothing but pure elegance. Off stage, she’s as clumsy as hell. “I’ll grab the first-aid kit and clean you up.”

She raises her leg just enough for me to see. “I already took care of it.”

I nod before placing a quick kiss on her lips. “Glad you’re here, babe.”

“I’m here almost every day,” she says as she places her purse on the bench. 

“You know what I mean.” I dig through my bag. Taking out a clean tee, I pull it over my head. “I hate these fucking interviews. For some
reason, I can fight in front of thousands of people, but talking to one man screws with my head. All it takes is one wrong word, and you’re fucked forever.”

Billy Myers, one of the most famous sportscasters in the world, is at the gym for an interview. It will run over and over again on UFC TV, along with my opponent’s interview. Both will be scrutinized and torn apart, to find the perfect sound bite. They will pit us against each other in every way possible.

“Don’t worry. You’ll do a great job,” Emmy says, walking to me. 

I shake my head, still thinking about what I should and shouldn’t say. “Before the last fight, I said something about Frankie’s ground game. It was just
a stupid comment. Next thing I knew, it was all over the world that I said Frankie’s ground game sucked and there was no way he could take me down. I hate that I even have to participate in this bullshit. Back in the day, it never used to be like this. Now, everyone is so concerned with social media and the press. I just want to fight.”

She shrugs, as if she doesn’t see the big deal. “Why does that matter? You beat him anyway.”

“Right off the bat, he had me on my ass. I won the fight, but all I saw after were pictures of him on top of me with the headline, ‘What do you think of his ground game now?’” Anger rises inside of me, because it was like I couldn’t even enjoy my victory. Those fuckers couldn’t let me have it because of one wrong comment.

She stares at me for a second, and there is something in her green eyes that tells me I should push her, ask her what is going on. Before I can, she comes over to me and rubs her body against mine. “I need you now.”

I look down and see the gleam in her eye. “Are trying to get my mind off the interview?”

She runs a hand over my already hardening cock and smiles. “Is it working?”

“Hell yeah,” I answer before gliding my lips over hers. 

Looking around the locker room, I’m hoping to find a place to lay her ass down. No way is my woman gonna lay on this nasty floor. No telling what these crazy fuckers have done in here. Plus, she isn’t some ring skank that gets banged on the locker room floor. She’s a queen.

Normally, I’d take her to the shower, but we don’t have time for that. Finally zeroing in on the bench, I walk backwards toward it, pulling her right along with me. I start unbuttoning my pants before sitting down on the cold metal. Reaching up, I run my hand up her leg. I undo her zipper and push her jeans down. She steps out of them, standing in front of me. My fingers grasp her panties, and I tug them to the ground. 

Smiling at her, I say, “You’re gonna have to ride me, baby.”

She gives me just enough time to get my cock out, before she’s straddling my lap. “I can do that. You know how much I love to drive.”

Grabbing her naked ass, my fingers dig in to her flesh. “Well, you’re in the driver’s seat. Show me what you can do.”

Leaning in to place her lips on mine, she kisses me deeply. Her tongue explores my mouth, while her hands find their way under my shirt. When we’re both panting for breath, she pulls back and smiles at me. “I’ll show you, babe.”

Her bare pussy slides against my cock, and all I can think about is pounding into her. That’s not going to work here. If this is what she wants, she’s going to have to give me what I need. “I want you to take me in and ride me hard.”

“You do?” she asks, working her pussy in a way that has my cock brushing her clit. She slowly rises, just enough to mount me, then sinks down on my cock.

“I love the way it feels, having your tight little cunt wrapped around me.” Every single time I get inside her, it’s better than the last. I swear my dick was made to fit her perfectly. 

Lifting my ass from the bench, I meet her thrust for thrust. She’s pounding down on top of me, taking me to the root each time, moaning out her pleasure. “You’re so deep.”

“There’s nothing better than being deep in you.” Grabbing the back of her hair, I pull her mouth to mine and take a taste. 

She sucks my bottom lip into her teeth and groans, “I need you to touch my clit. Please, play with it, Kane.”

Following her orders, my hand squeezes between our slick bodies to manipulate her clit. “Is that what you need?”

“Yes,” she moans out in pleasure. Her hips move faster, as her breathing becomes even more labored.

Using one hand to brace her hips, I slow her movements. Guiding her up and down my shaft, I try to prolong the inevitable. “You will not come until I tell you.”

Her head starts to shake back and forth. “I can’t wait. I need to come. Please.”

Bracing my feet against the concrete floor, I power up into her soaked pussy. Pulling her down at the same time, I bottom out and let out a groan. “You will wait for me.”

In and out, each thrust brings me closer. Pushing up, I pull her down to me at the same time. She matches my rhythm, meeting me with each stroke. “Hurry, baby.”

My balls start to tighten, and a tingle hits my spine. “Now, Emmy.”

“Yes,” she shouts as her pussy clenches me, forcing my own release. I follow it with a grunt, my eyes sliding shut.

Her upper body falls against mine, and she lets out a satisfied sigh as she slides her lips over my neck. “Thanks, honey.”

Tightening my arms around her, I let out a chuckle. “Anything for you.”

Before she can say anything else, a loud knock hits the door. “Get your asses out here. They’re ready for you.”

Emmy jerks back, nearly falling off my lap. “You can’t go out there looking like we just had sex.”

“Yeah, I can,” I say, lifting her from my lap. I zip my jeans and reach up to straighten my shirt, not even bothering to run a hand through my hair. “Come on, Em.”

“Oh, no. I’m not going out there,” she says, pulling her jeans back up. Reaching up, she does her best to fix her just-fucked hair. “I don’t want to be on TV. This is your thing, not mine. I’m not ready for this.”

Laughing, I grab her hand and just walk out the door. Leading her to the stage, I lean down and give her a kiss. “You don’t have to go on, just stay here and watch. I need to know you’re near.”

“I can do that,” she whispers, looking a little stunned by how many people are standing around. I remember the same feeling my first time, completely shocked that all of these people were here to see me.

Leaning down to give her one more quick kiss, I head across the stage. Sitting down in the chair across from Billy, I slouch back and smile. “Hey, man.”

“Hello, Kane.” He gives me a chin lift, followed by a chuckle. “You look awful confident for a man who will be facing off with the Heavyweight champion in just two days.”

I feel anything but confident at this moment. I know beating Nico will be difficult as hell. This is going to be a hard fight, win or lose. There’s no way I’m telling him that, though. “Why shouldn’t I be? Nico’s reign is coming to an end, and I’m gonna be the man to make that happen.”

“Nico Tunik has held the belt for nearly two years. He’s defended it five times, never having a bout last past the third round. What makes you think you’re the man who can finally take it away from him?” His disbelief in my abilities is starting to piss me off.

“He’s always had reach advantage on his side, but I have four inches on him. His goal is always to come in and take his opponent down to the ground, but that’s gonna be harder to do with me. He’s gonna have to change his whole game,” I reply honestly. I’ll be damned if I spend the whole fight lying under him.

Changing the subject, he asks the question I knew was coming. “Do you think the fact that he helped train you will be to his advantage or yours?”

Taking in a deep breath, I pick my words carefully. “It will be an advantage and disadvantage to both of us. We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. We’ll use those things against the other.” I still have mixed feelings about fighting Nico. Wanting to take down the man who helped you become the fighter you are is harder than I ever thought it would be.

“So...” he starts, a smart ass grin on his face. “The real answer is a non-answer.”

“The real answer is, I’m gonna take everything he taught me and knock his ass out.” My voice is hard, my irritation with Billy growing more with each question.

Again, he chuckles. “Okay, at least you’re honest. Let’s move on to something else. Every time I look at social media, I see how the girls are talking about their recent heartbreak. Tell me, is it true? Are you officially off the market?”

Unable to resist, I look behind me to where Emmy is standing near the curtain. Even from this distance, I can see the blush staining her cheeks. “Come here, baby.”

Her eyes go large, and she starts to shake her head. She mouths the word no, but I’ll have none of that. Standing up, I crook my finger at her. “Get your hot little ass over here now.”

The embarrassment fades from her face, only to be replaced with anger. I watch as she blows out a frustrated breath and then struts over to me. “Yes, master.”

Billy lets out a full blown laugh this time, motioning for us to sit down. I take my seat, pulling her down in my lap. “Yeah, I’m taken.”

He looks at Emmy, taking in everything that is mine, and a flash of lust fills his eyes. “So, you’re the girl every single woman in the free world is hating right now.”

“They would feel sorry for me, if they knew what he was really like,” she states, still pissed from being told what to do.

Grabbing her head, I turn her mouth toward mine. Sweeping my lips over hers, I give her a little taste of my tongue. “You know you love me.”

She jerks my hand away then turns to look back at Billy. Her mouth is set in a straight line, obviously angry. Still, she doesn’t deny my words. 

My eyes move to Billy, and I smile. “She loves me.”

Emmy

Kane pushes the shopping cart to the cash register, grabbing a candy bar and tossing it inside. “Do you want one?”

“What I want is to go home,” I grumble, following behind him. 

His eyes cut to mine, and he shoots me a cocky smile. “Got a little attitude today?”

“Today was supposed to be my day off. I planned on doing my nails and catching up on
Game of Thrones
. Instead, I ended up running all over Vegas with your mom, trying to find a rug to match her new couch. We went to nine different stores before she decided to go back and get one she saw at the first place we stopped.”

He just cocks his brow at me, so I go on. “Then you call and tell me Nico is coming for dinner, so I spent an hour putting lasagna together. Now, I’m out getting stuff to make salad because you didn’t tell me earlier that you wanted it, so yeah, I’ve got an attitude.”

“Is that all?” he asks as he starts to unload the shopping cart. 

“If that’s not enough, I’m sure I can come up with another reason,” I say, shooting daggers at him. 

I’m pissed as hell right now. It’s not because of his mom’s crazy rug search or coming to the grocery store. Nope, it’s all because Kane is a complete douche. When he called earlier, he told me to make dinner for Nico. He didn’t ask, didn’t say please. No, the asshole told me to do it. Then, he put in an order for lasagna, right before hanging up. Oh, let’s not forget the fact that the dickhead didn’t even have the courtesy of saying please or thank you.   

Kane chuckles before leaning over and kissing the edge of my lips. “I’ll make your problems all go away, as soon as we get in bed later tonight.”

Losing my patience completely, I blurt out, “You may think you have a magic dick, but it isn’t the cure for all my troubles.”

I hear a snort and turn in time to see the man behind us shake his head. Realizing we have an audience, I cross my arms and wait for Kane to pay for our groceries. We are quiet as we exit the store, but I can hear Kane’s chuckle. 

Finally, I can’t hold back any longer. “All you had to do was ask.”

He stops walking and looks at me. “What?”

“If you want something, ask. Don’t order me around. I may be your girlfriend, but I’m not your slave.” I try to keep my voice from cracking. I’m mad as hell, but a part of me is hurt and I don’t want him to see that.

He stares at me for a bit, a look of confusion on his face. “I have no damn idea what you’re talking about.”

“When you called, you didn’t ask me to make dinner for Nico. You ordered me like I was your maid or something,” I say, finally telling him why I’m so pissed. 

“Let me get this straight. You’re this pissed off because I called and told you Nico was coming for dinner?” he asks as he continues walking to the truck. 

“Couldn’t you have asked if it was all right?” I answer his question with one of my own. 

He shrugs before opening the door and tossing the grocery bags in. “I didn’t know I had to ask permission to have a friend come by. I figured I gave up that shit when I moved out of Mom’s house.”

For just a second, his words break through my anger. Then, I remember him telling me what to cook. “You don’t have to ask permission, but what if I didn’t want to make lasagna.”

He shuts the truck door and turns to me. “Well, I’m guessing Nico would have eaten whatever the hell you put on the table.”

Ugh, does he have to be so damn sensible. “What if I didn’t want to cook?”

Now, I’m grasping at straws. I don’t want to accept that I overreacted. I’ve cooked nearly every night since we moved in together. It’s something I love to do, something my mom taught me. The only time I don’t cook is on the rare occasion that Kane doesn’t have to train, so he takes me out. 

“We could’ve ordered pizzas,” he says, running a hand through his dark locks. “I’m not seeing the problem here.”

I’m just about to admit there isn’t a problem, and that my real issue is with the fact that I don’t want to spend the night sitting across the table from the man Kane will be fighting soon, but I stop when I hear someone shout out, “Sunshine.”

Kane and I both turn to look at a middle-aged man rushing toward us. It takes a second before I realize who he is. He’s one of the regulars at the club, one of Jason’s buddies. He was always a nice enough guy, but him calling Jason a friend was enough to make me cringe at the sight of him.

He’s out of breath by the time he reaches us. “I’ve missed you.” His eyes scan my body, and my skin prickles.

I take a step back, not wanting him anywhere near me. Kane grabs my arm and forces me behind him, then plants the flat of his hand against the man’s chest. “You need to back the fuck up.”

The guy looks from me to Kane. “But, that’s Sunshine. She works at…”

Kane cuts him off with a shake of his head. “Not anymore. Now, like I said, back the fuck off.”

“I need… umm, I need to talk to her a minute.” He stumbles over his words, not meeting Kane’s eyes.

Kane pushes him, causing him to nearly fall on his ass. “No, you don’t.”

The man takes a step back and says, “I’m sorry,” before rushing back across the parking lot. 

As soon as he’s away, Kane turns to look at me. His eyes are full of anger as he asks, “Does that shit happen a lot?”

“Not anymore,” I say with a shake of my head. “It did before I quit working at the club, but that’s the first time since I left.”

He looks back to where the man is getting in his car and shakes his head. “If it happens again, let me know.”

“What are you gonna do about it? It’s not like I can erase my past. I’ll always be Sunshine to some of those men who watched me dance. There will always be people who knew me when I was her. If you couldn’t accept my past and all, then we should have never started this,” I tell him, wishing like hell I could change my past. I would do anything to not be known as the girl who took her clothes off for a quick buck. Things don’t just disappear because you want them to; the choices you make stay with you forever.

He places his hands on my cheeks, forcing me to look in his eyes. “I wouldn’t want to change anything about you, not a damn thing.”

At least that makes one of us.