Bucking Bear (Pounding Hearts #3) (4 page)

Fuck.

Carson has put something in me.

C
hase is sitting
next to me in the sauna as we let the heat sap the will to move out of us.

“How’s the training going?” he asks.

“Good. Still want to work on the floor plan I have for Wade but I feel good about what I have been doing. He isn’t a guy to go to the ground and mix it up. I want to push that fact home with him.”

“That sounds like a good strategy. What the fuck got into you during my motivational speech? You know it’s hard as shit to keep these kids from thinking we are all party hounds. Those TV shows sure as hell don’t help.”

My face splits open at the thought of that because we have all been there at one time in our lives as fighters. Now that the sport has really opened up to women as well as men it is becoming even more important to instill a sense of self-discipline. We can’t have them acting like little asses, the girls or the guys. Not with the reputation Chase is trying to build with this dojo, he is branding it as a fighting school.

“I met a girl last night.”

“And?” he questions.

I think of ignoring the question but just like Brett, Chase doesn’t allow me to be my usual quiet self. Sometimes I swear they are hell bent on making me as chatty as Brett is. That’s not me, I don’t like to talk all the time, it makes me feel odd for some reason.

“Met a friend of Brett’s girl. She looks like a Britney Spears clone, but is completely natural.”

He raises his eyebrows; he knows I have a thing for Spears.

“She does. Spent the night with her but didn’t do anything. She was a bit too tipsy for that.”

Nodding he says, “The other girl you mentioned?”

“She’s got this kick-ass daughter. Kid is smart, funny and way too wise.”

“That’s cool, man. Well, be careful, single mothers don’t need games.”

Nodding my head, I lean my head back against the wall and feel the sweat seeping out of me.

My fight is in a month and a half. Feels like an eternity from now. I want it to be tonight, but I don’t always get my way.

Wade, the Bass, Hampton is a striker. Wade hits hard, making a fucking thumping sound when he does it. That’s how he got his name.

He loves to stand up and throw fists with a guy. I can do that with the best of them, but I like being a ground and pounder too.

It’s fun to take it to the mat.

Putting a guy in a lock or hold then hearing them screaming out in pain is kind of sadistic but fuck it I love it.

Wade is going to be a tough fight, but not anything to worry about. It’s the fight after him, just one month later, that has me antsy. It’s between Marcellus Robinson and Nathaniel Baymont. Whoever wins their fight will be going against me in the fight for the belt.

I don’t like that short of a time to get a game plan going. I prefer time between fights to get ready and rested up, but what I would prefer don’t mean shit.

I
head
out of the gym with an empty belly and a very full head. I need to get something to eat and some time away from the gym. I want my mind to relax back into the free flow, least that’s what I call it when I am relaxed and able to think of things in an abstract way.

I still need a fucking game plan.

Slipping my Escalade into an empty spot at Thursday’s, I hop out with a small ball of nerves building in my stomach.

I want to see Grace again.

I should probably wait till tomorrow but fuck that shit. Absence may make the heart grow fonder but so does seeing her sweet ass and smile.

I smile down to the hostess that was there the last time all of us guys ate here. “Table for one please. Grace’s section?”

She stares at me for a moment and I am betting she is trying to figure out if I’m a threat to Grace or something. Yeah, I’m fucking big and scary looking.

“Um... Okay.” She walks me over to a booth, and I notice this time she doesn’t wiggle her hips like she did with Brett. Yeah, I am not that smooth kind of sexy, he just oozes that shit. I am the more lumber jack sexy I guess.

She takes my drink order and then disappears through the swinging doors connected to the kitchen.

Not even a minute later a beaming Grace comes through the doors, holding my diet coke. “Hey there, couldn’t even go a full day without seeing me?”

“No, not really.”

With a shake of my head, I reach for her hand and squeeze it. I count to three before letting go. I don’t want to get her into any trouble but I just had to touch her.

Fuck, I’m getting too fucking mushy already. What is she doing to me? And double fuck, with her standing so close all I really want to do is pull her into my lap.

She stares at my hand, her fingers twitching, and then her eyes lift to my face. Her voice is soft when she says, “I’m glad you came.”

I nod and we just stare at each other. Fuck, she is just beautiful.

Then my stomach rumbles loudly and she beams at me. “Let me take your order and then I’ll take my break while you eat. That sound okay?”

I nod my head in agreement, I like the idea of eating with her. “Yeah.”

Looking down at the menu I quickly order two large burgers and an order of fries.

Writing it down, she walks back to the kitchen and I can’t help but watch that sexy ass move the entire time.

DeeDee, the hostess, walks by me while I am watching and just giggles.

She must know I’m safe now.

T
his morning was so crazy
, by the time I’m getting dressed for my evening shift at Thursdays, I almost wonder if it was all a dream. Did all of that really happen? Or was it all just my crazy imagination?

I wish the crap Carson tried to pull was just my imagination—seriously what is up with him? He’s turned into a complete asshole since he moved back. I honestly don’t know what the hell I’m going to do about him. I don’t like the way he treated me, grabbing me by the arm, especially in front of Hope.

And I definitely don’t like the way Hope tells me he treats her during his weekend. He’s definitely a jerk, but we’re stuck with him unless he does something horrendous because of our custody agreement.

This morning was hands down one of the worse mornings I’ve had in a long time but I wouldn’t trade the time I spent with Max for anything in the world. It was so wonderful it was surreal. I still can’t believe he wants to see me again. It’s crazy. He’s hot, built, and loaded. Not to mention he’s good with kids, which just trumps the rest. It’s enough to make anyone’s ovaries explode.

Mine definitely feel like they’ve awoken from a long hibernation.

A guy like him could have any hot ring girl he wanted, and I know from seeing it firsthand. I’ve been to Night of Fights, I’ve watched Mandy walk with the other girls, and I’ve partied with them.

I’ve got nothing on those girls.

They’re tall and beautiful, with big breasts and tiny flat stomachs. I’m petite and curvy, and have a few stretch marks across my not-so-flat stomach. Yet, there’s definitely interest there on his part, I know it. Before he dropped Hope and me off, he set me up as a contact in his phone and vice versa.

It’s been so long since a guy was interested in me I don’t even know how to deal with it. I feel so excited and nervous it’s silly. It’s almost like being in high school again.

I dial up my best friend, Mandy, before I head out the door for work, but the phone just rings and rings without an answer. Seriously needing someone to talk to, I dial her again. Since she came back from California, it’s not like her to go so long without talking to me.

This time when I get to voicemail I leave a message telling her to, “Call me, it’s urgent!”

When I get to Thursdays the place is packed. Dinner rush on a weekend keeps me from reliving this morning all over again in my head. I’m so busy, by the time the rush dies down I’m ready to collapse.

All I want to do is finish the last couple of hours of my shift and hit my bed.

But when DeeDee tells me there’s a guy that asked for my section specifically, I know it’s Max. Seeing him there, really there, unable to wait until our date tomorrow gives me the second wind I needed.

Max hangs around another hour or so before leaving. I almost wish he would have stuck around until my shift ended but it’s probably best he didn’t. Keeping my hands off of him while I was working was trying, to say the least. If he would have met me outside after I clocked out?

Yeah, I would have jumped him in the parking lot and had my way with him.

Exhausted, I head straight home from work and pull off my work clothes before falling into bed. I may be too tired to bother with pajamas but I’m just awake enough to fall asleep thinking about him.

When I wake up in the morning I had such lovely, steamy dreams all I want to do is stay in bed.

Hope is poking me in the side though, whining, “Mommy, I’m hungry. I want pancakes again.”

Pancakes, mmm
. I groan and roll over.

Hope pokes me in my back.

“Mommy, wake up. I want pancakes, like the ones we had with Bear.”

Bear, mmm.

“Mommy!”

“Okay, okay,” I grumble. “I’m getting up.”

Dragging my butt out of bed, I head straight for the kitchen and cook Hope up some pancakes and bacon for Sunday breakfast. My parents wake up, joining us at the table and I whip up another batch for them before finally making it to the bathroom.

One look in the mirror and I’m scared silly by my reflection. That is so not going to work for tonight. I’m going to have to do some heavy duty primping.

“Grace? Are you okay, honey?” My mom calls out. She must have heard my startled squeak.

Laughing, I poke my head out the door. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just had a little scare.”

My mom gives me a confused frown. “Oh, okay, honey.”

Sometimes looking at her is like looking in a mirror that shows twenty years in the future. Hope may get her looks from me, but I got them from my mom. In fact, my mom looks so good for her age sometimes when she’s out with Hope without me people mistake her for Hope’s mother.

Her confusion only makes me laugh some more. Returning to the table, I walk behind her chair and drop down to give her a quick hug.

“You’re in an awfully good mood this morning,” she remarks with a great big smile when I pull away.

She still loves my hugs.

My dad grunts in agreement before pushing another forkful of pancakes into his mouth.

I know most people my age would feel embarrassed or put out living with their parents, but honestly my parents are so awesome I don’t mind it. They’ve always been there for me, and I truly appreciate all the help they’re providing me, so in return I help out around the house as much as I can.

I’m not a lazy freeloader. Both my parents still work full-time, 9-5 jobs, and I don’t expect them to raise my daughter just because I still live with them. So while they provide the roof over our heads, I pay for a portion of the bills and groceries. The last thing I want to do is put a financial burden on them.

And now that Carson is finally paying child support, I could afford to move Hope and I into a place of our own, but when I suggested that idea to my parents they quickly dismissed it. Why move into our own place just for the sake of appearances? So instead of moving out and paying a mortgage or rent, I’ve set up a college fund for Hope. Any money that’s left over at the end of the month goes straight into her college fund, so I never have to worry about her not being able to afford to go like I did.

Leaning over the table, I snatch a piece of bacon off of my father’s plate and almost get my hand forked in the process. He waves his fork menacingly at me but otherwise his eyes are sparkling.

Taking a bite of the bacon, I chew and swallow it down before asking as casually as I can manage. “Do you mind watching Hope for me tonight? A friend asked me to go see that new
007
movie with them.”

“Mandy wants to see
James Bond
?” My father asks incredulously before stuffing more pancake into his mouth.

“No, not Mandy…” I cough and pick up my glass of orange juice, taking a huge gulp from it.

“Oh,” my mom says, her lips pulling into a grin as she and my father share a knowing look. “A friend, eh?”

They both look at me and even though I’m a grown woman who’s allowed to date without their permission, I’m blushing. I’m just not used to asking them to watch her so I can go on a date with a guy.

Like I said earlier, the options have been few and the pickings have been slim. Most guys just aren’t worth the effort I’d have to devote to them. Seriously, the last guy I went on a date with told me straight up that his friends had advised him against it but he thought I was so hot in my profile picture he’d be willing to put up with my daughter.

I ended the date by telling him he wasn’t worth her putting up with him.

“Your friend wouldn’t happen to be called Bear? Would he?” My father asks and I nearly choke on my next gulp of juice.

“Hope already spilled the beans last night when I was working, didn’t she?” I ask, wiping the juice off my chin.

They both nod and I sigh. When there’s a four-year-old girl around, good luck keeping a secret.

“Yeah, his friends call him Bear, but his name is Max. And…” I chew on my lip for a moment before I admit, “I think I really like him.”

My mom nods as if she’s satisfied with my answer. “Yeah, go out and have some fun. You deserve it, honey. Watching Hope won’t be a problem for us.”

My father goes back to his pancakes, the entire matter settled to him.

“Thank you,” I smile and jump up from the table.

I need to start getting ready. There’s only seven hours until Bear is stopping by to pick me up, and after what I glimpsed in the mirror earlier, I’m going to need all of it.

Yawning, I roll over in the bed. My arm is still searching for the warm spot it had the night before. Now that side of the bed is cold and empty… not that I let her get that far away from me when she was here. I kept that perfect body right next to me. Like seriously perfect… small and curvy, rounded in all the right places. Even the faint stretch marks etched onto her stomach were sexy as fuck.

Shit. Now my cock that was still sleeping is hard as a fucking rock.

It’s been a good while since I had a good release of all the come building up inside my balls, and I can tell when I let it all out it’s going to be a fuck ton. Grace has me so damn aroused and hard right now I can barely think of much beyond what it will feel like when I slam into her with my hard fucking cock.

Ropes and ropes of my come filling her up….

Fuck.

Climbing out of bed, I head for the shower and glance at the clock. I’m supposed to pick Grace up at six so I’ve got about five hours to blow. That sucks. I need it to be six
now
. How many more times can I beat off?

Fuck, when in doubt I might as well hit the dojo for some working out. It’s my off day but I’ve just got to get some of this aggression out.

I
hung
around the gym for about three hours, but didn’t get much done beyond annoying Chase and Brett. We played king of the ring and I got to see how far I could make Brett fly—that was a lot of fun.

I make it home at about four and from there I shower and take my time picking out something to wear. Nothing flashy. Slipping on the black polo and khaki shorts, I step into my shoes and head out the door.

I am seriously ready for this date, and my cock is threatening to tent my shorts in anticipation…

And that’s probably not the impression I need to make on her parents if they open the door.

Fuck, that is weird as hell to think about as I drive over to her house. Since I have been out on my own at nineteen I have been picking up most of my women at their own homes. Picking up a woman at her parents’ house is odd, but doesn’t really matter I guess. She had some shitty luck with fucking Carson.

Shit happens to good people and from what I can tell she is a good person.

I pull up into their driveway and hop out of the SUV. I am about fifteen minutes early but that’s as late as I am willing to be. I need to see her
now
.

Knocking on the door, I hear a high-pitched squeal of laughter. The door is opened by an older woman who could easily pass for Grace’s older sister.

“Hi, you must be Max—” she starts before the door flies open further with Hope darting out the door.

Hope jumps up into the air and slaps her hand against mine.

“Bear!” she gives me another five and then runs back into the house.

“Hope, you little sugar pill!” her grandmother chides as the girl runs away giggling.

Smiling, I nod my head, “She is a bundle of energy that’s for sure.” I extend my hand to the woman saying, “Yes, ma’am, I’m Max.”

Taking my hand in hers, she gives me a firm handshake. “Abigail. Come in please before the little stinker decides to run rampant on us.”

I follow her in and she leads me to the living room as a man stands up from the recliner he was relaxing in.

“Hello there,” he says and then takes my hand in a firm handshake. “I’m Bob. It’s good to meet you though with the way Hope talks about you I feel like I already have.”

I smile at the little girl and say, “Yeah, I can imagine. She is a wealth of information and questions.”

Grace comes around the corner of doorway and I catch her staring at me with an open mouth.

Quickly shaking her head, she smiles. “Hi, Max. Let me get my purse and we can go.”

Nodding my head, I make small talk with her parents as Grace disappears. She is back quickly, and with a tight hug and kiss for Hope we are on our way.

Heading out to the theater, the traffic is pretty light, the parking even better since we are coming so early in the evening. Walking to her side of the vehicle, I open her door for her and take her hand in mine.

She looks up at me with a smile.

Damn. I didn’t think it was possible but she’s even more beautiful right now.

Heading into the theater, I buy our two tickets for the movie and we grab a couple of drinks. Heading into the screening area, I walk us all the way up the stairs to the very top row.

“Sorry about going up so high, but as tall as I am I feel bad if someone has to sit behind me and miss something on the screen.”

Shaking her head, she says, “No problem. I like sitting back here too. It lets me people watch when they come in, and I don’t have to worry about someone putting their feet on the back of my seat.”

The trailers start up and I can’t seem to focus on them. Her small hand is in mine, her fingers laced between my fingers. They are as soft as silk and feel fucking amazing. She moves her fingers a little just as I get my focus back on the screen.

I glance down at her face and she is looking up at me.

The theater goes dark and I notice there aren’t too many people here.

I lean over and press my lips against hers. She gasps for a moment before pushing hers hard back against mine. My hand slips from hers, my fingers falling to her thigh. She wore a blue sundress for tonight and it is showing off those beautiful legs.

My fingers make slow, circular motions as I rub them from her knee to the hem of her dress. My hand eventually finds the soft space between her thighs.

There’s a hitch in her breath as I stroke her inner thigh and her hand wraps around my arm as it reaches her damp panties. I lightly stroke her pussy lips through her panties for a couple of minutes, the wetness growing and growing.