The Fight Within (21 page)

“What do you want, Treasure?”

“I want the—”

“Let me get a cup of ya vanilla ice cream, and a root beer float, please.”

“You didn’t even let me answer!” she protested, rising on her tippy toes to her full height, as if to intimidate.

“You took too long,” he teased. As she stood there, he simply couldn’t resist wrapping both of his arms around her waist and resting his chin above her head. Once again, he felt her stiffen, then relax against him. Her ass brushed alongside his groin, stirring the monster in his pants, daring it to initiate a ‘meet and greet.’

Push your ass into me again… I like that…feels good.

“Sean?”

“Yeah?” he answered fast as she pulled him out of his sordid thoughts. “What’s up?” he spoke over the rumble of the crowd.

“You smell good.”

“You say that like you’re surprised…like I’d smell like garbage during a date.” He chuckled, messing with her a bit.

“I
didn’t
say it like I was surprised!” she protested, wiggling against him a bit as they watched their desserts being prepared.

“I know, I’m just kidding,” he replied softly. He turned her toward him and took hold of her chin, made her look him in the eye. They simply stared at one another, until the woman that had prepared their homemade edible pleasures handed him the float. Reluctantly, he released her and pulled the cash out of his pocket, handing it to the employee. “Where’s my cherry?” he asked as he surveyed the delectable root beer concoction.

“We’re out of cherries,” the young lady said matter-of-factly.

“I should get extra whipped cream then.” He laughed.

“Do you want extra whipped cream?” The lady smiled.

“Nah, just tryna mess with you a bit. Thanks though.” They turned and walked away and just then, he heard a delighted moan roll like an orgasmic purr right out of Treasure’s mouth.

“Do you wanna hotel room with your homemade vanilla ice cream?” He looked at her with a raised brow as he fought off a laugh. “You need some privacy, just the two of you?” he mocked as she closed her eyes and savored the sweet treat.

“Shut up.” She laughed before taking another bite. “I haven’t been here in over a year, and I don’t know why. This stuff is so damn good!”

They exited the place and walked side by side along a pathway as the sun began to set, streaking the dark blue sky with deep purple. In their silence, taciturn words were said, shared and declared. Their hearts appeared to draw closer, especially when he sucked the last bit of his float through the straw, tossed the remnants in a trashcan, and took her hand for a moment, forcing her to face him as he stopped walking.

She swallowed what was in her mouth, and simply looked up at him.

“What?” she questioned with a sweet smile.

“What’s a guy gotta do to get you exclusively, huh?”

A devious smile spread across her face.

“Sean, you don’t waste time, do you?”

“Nope. Like I told you, I wasted too much time in the past. Not doing it anymore. So, what gives?”

“You want to date me exclusively?”

“Yes, and there is another motivation.”

“And what’s that?”

“I don’t want you to fuck someone else.”

At this, she burst out laughing. “Your bluntness is a real disorder!”

He smirked, looked away, then back down at her.

“I’m serious. Normally, I wouldn’t try to tie anyone down at this point, but I really like what we got goin’ on here and I’m man enough to admit that you messing around with another guy right now would anger me.”

“Anger you?” Her brow rose in question.

“Yeah, I feel like, ya know…” He looked away, feeling a bit silly as he declared his feelings, but it needed to be said never the less. “This is my turn, my time. I took a risk, and I want to just let you know where I stand. So, you gonna give me a chance solo, or do I have other bastards to compete with? If so, just tell me, be real with me so I know what I’m up against.”

She smiled smugly, a smile he understood but slightly resented. He’d put his cards on the damn table, and now she realized she had the upper hand and she savored having a bit of control over his ass.

“I’m not dating anyone else right now, Sean.”

“Good. Let’s keep it that way.” He took her empty cup from her hand and tossed it in the trash. “That was good, right?” They held hands once more as the sky darkened, but the Manhattan skyline stretched out before them, magnificent and regal, illuminated so beautifully in the distance.

“It was delicious.”

“But your kisses are sweeter…” He stopped and grabbed her fast, making her gasp. Twisting her body to get her flush to him, he ran his palm down to her lower back and pressed her against him in a tight embrace. Before she could protest, he pressed his lips harshly against hers, delivering an urgent kiss and then another. Unable to resist, he slicked his tongue within her wet mouth, made the woman moan and melt against his frame as she wrapped her arms around his neck. When he’d finished with her and pulled away, he couldn’t help but notice the gleam in her dark brown eyes, and that was his undoing. He sealed her lips with one more kiss, a small, sweet peck, before turning away, taking her hand again, and walking along the pathway.

She said nothing for a long time, and neither did he. He had her, and that was all that mattered to him. He’d staked his claim, she complied, and now, it was time to put in the legwork to continue to explore one another, and build a foundation he could rest his love-struck heart upon…

‡

“Y
ou should’ve gotten
busted.” Treasure reclined on the bed and propped her feet up on a spare pillow, flexing her toes, taking in the moment of leisure. Stifling a yawn, she checked out the time on her alarm clock, but refused to tell the man goodbye. She’d been chatting it up with Sean for over an hour, and it shocked the hell out of her, because it felt like only ten minutes had come and gone. Once again, the natural born jester was at work. The man didn’t even have to try; he was just intuitively funny and fast with his wit and that made him even sexier and more stunning in her eyes. He had her laughing so badly, her stomach cramped to the point of discomfort. She was certain she’d feel as if she’d done a hundred crunches later in the day. Picking up her glass of wine, she sloshed it lazily, stared at the liquid for a moment, then set it back down, wishing to remain clear-headed and enjoy his crazy banter with full sobriety.

“No one saw me, I was invisible.”

“Oh, so you have super powers like that? You just turn clear in front of the whole damn world?” she quipped, slapping the bed as she rolled about and blew out air from a happy place deep within.

“I do. Garbage man by day, Invisi-Guy by night.”

“You should be robbing banks or something then.”

“Ms. Chambers, you struck me as a law-abiding citizen. I’m surprised at you.” He chuckled, real loose and easy like.

“I know!” She laughed a bit louder. “You’d think I’d be a better person than to lead you into a life of crime,” she joked. “Shame on me.”

“You’re
plenty
good enough. I only spend time with quality. I know good shit when I see it.”

“You think I’m good shit, huh?” She smiled weakly and crossed her ankles, the sheets beneath her feeling oh so good, but not as good as the deep man’s voice vibrating in her ear.

“You’re the
best
shit. I’d bet my fight money on that.”

“Your fight money, huh? We’ve not talked about your kickboxing much. I know it’s important to you… Maybe I’ll see you fight one day.”

“It is and you will.”

“Aren’t you afraid of getting hurt?”

“Treasure?”

“Yes?”

“You are
definitely
a mom.”

She burst out laughing and placed her arm behind her head, melting further into the pillow, disappearing into the bed, swallowed up.

“No, I’m not afraid of getting hurt, baby,” he said quietly, as if taking her by the hand and gently leading her down a flowery path. “It’s fun, it keeps me in shape, I blow off steam. And besides, I’m good at it.”

“Do you have a silly name? Like Hulk Hogan, The Rock, or something like that?”

“No way! Just Sean… Sean is the Shit Mahoney and S.O.S.—Sean offers Superiority.”

“Hell!” She burst out laughing again, prompting him to join in the fun. “That’s not true, that’s not your name.”

“Right, but when you read about my fights online you will see things like, ‘Mahoney takes no baloney’, ‘Sean the Irish Beast’, shit like that. I didn’t coin it, but people have said stuff like that, so it sticks.”

“That’s kinda neat though. Hmmm, very interesting.” She tapped her lower lip contemplatively, wondering what the man would look and move like in the ring…and between her legs. She hated how the thought of him pounding someone’s face in aroused sensual sensations in her gut, travelled to her kitty cat, and made the little tiger purr.

“Yeah, I’ve always been a fighter.” He paused and blew his nose. “Kickboxing is just a demonstration of what is in my heart. For me, it’s my art, you know? I think it altered my psyche, actually, makes me a better person.”

“What do you mean?”

“Like, I’ve been fighting since the day I was born, Treasure. According to my mom, I was premature…a tiny little thing.”

“Well, we have something else in common, Sean. I was premature, too.”

“And for me, you came right on time…”

She couldn’t help but smile wide into the phone.

You’re taking my heart away from me, man…taking it right out and making me want you…chase behind you…

“But yeah,” he continued, not waiting for a response from her. “I couldn’t breathe on my own when I was first born. I was in ICU, and the doctors didn’t think I’d make it but before they knew it, I was thriving, off the ventilators and picking up weight like nothing bad had happened at all. My lungs were strong, and my heart got stronger, too. That’s everything, you know? Can you take in air, live a bit, feel it, put your heart and soul into it? You’ve got a lot of soul, I like that about you, Treasure. You’re real grounded… I gotta lot of heart. When we’re together, we help each other have both. That’s why I never want to not be close to you since I met you. When I’m with you, I feel complete.”

He’s killing me…

No he isn’t, he’s reviving me, blowing life into my trust factor… Damn, he is so deep.

“I don’t take any shit off any fucking body,” he blurted suddenly, apparently having secret thoughts she wasn’t privy to.

“Don’t I know it.”

“I don’t hesitate to defend myself. Especially after everything I’ve been through but more importantly, I don’t pause to protect the people I love. I don’t flinch, think it over or hesitate. That can be a problem sometimes too I guess, but whatever. No matter who it is, if someone messes with my family or my friends, it’s on.”

She sat there for a while, rolling his words around inside of her head, considering how beautiful they were, how genuine they sounded, regardless of how ruthless. Her paranoia then got the best of her. Maybe the man was high, or these were simply drunk ramblings? No one would say such things under normal circumstances…such lovely things from such a masculine person…or would they?