Challenge: A Contemporary MMA Romance: Oni Fighters Book 3 (24 page)

His arms scooped under my knees in one smooth motion and pushed upwards, my knees coming to rest beside my chest. He plunged in, taking my breath away at the hot, full feeling. Not only had it been weeks since I’d had him inside me, this was different.

This was finally Seth in his entirety. Bare, exposed and mine.

Two smooth strokes later and all thoughts, regrets, and questions were buffeted back by the overwhelming sense of need and heat that he engulfed me with.

Every cell in my body was aching for him to take away the pain and longing he’d created.

Seth was overpowering in not only his physical size and presence but also the sheer intensity he could effortlessly drive me to experience. It was like being on a rollercoaster and a rocket ship all at the same time. One second, I was climbing, reaching, the next, my stomach dropped at the crest of passion only to raise up to experience it all over again. Each time, every time, he did it with consummate ease.

His thrusts became even harder, and I knew immediately what he was doing.

He was claiming me.

Reminding me I belonged to him. That he was up and ready to be the man in my life in every way again.

To own me, consume me.

A roar ripped from his throat and his whole body froze for a second before the unleashed power returned and he ploughed into me with everything he had.

He released the tight hold he had behind my knees and collapsed to his elbows. His chin rested between my breasts. I watched him take a deep, steadying breath and slowly raise his eyes.

“That’s the first time I’ve ever been bare in a woman, Soph. I’m so glad it was you I waited for, babe, and I sure as shit aren’t going to be wearing condoms again—ever.”

He said so much to me with those few words. I reached up and trailed my fingertips down his cheek. Everyday, Seth became more and more open to me. More and more mine. It was exactly what I’d been craving for months. All my wishes were coming true…

The problem was, the more open he became, I seemed to be reciprocating in retreating in equal measures of closure and secrecy.

I was fast becoming the person I’d been trying to coax him from being and I hated myself for it.

S
eth

“Soph. Take a breath, it’s fine.” I was struggling to understand why she was so damned anxious. I got that it was a big deal meeting the parents for the first time. I was almost thankful we were meeting hers rather than mine. Besides, I was pretty relaxed. Many times, Xander had said how well he got on with them. That gave me hope. I just needed my girl to relax and trust me. I could handle this. I wasn’t a complete dolt when it came to people.

Fuck, most people didn’t realise I could actually manage a boardroom or a field meeting equally well if I put my mind to it.

I reached over and took her hand in mine, before placing it on my thigh. I was back driving again. If I could perform like that in bed, I sure as shit could manage to drive an automatic car. Besides, it was high time I took back all my man cards.

At the rate I was improving, I figured I could line up and help out Xan in a couple of weeks. I wasn’t perfect but now the bone had healed, I was sure as shit pushing the rehab on the muscle and soft tissue and my body was responding. It was as much sheer will power as anything else.

She turned to me briefly. “Sorry, I’m just really nervous for some stupid reason.”

“Why?” I didn’t really understand. It wasn’t like they were crap parents like mine.

“Well, you’re meeting my mum and dad and I guess I didn’t expect it was going to be today.”

“So, what’s the big deal? It’s not like we had other plans, other than to stay in bed and give my hips a further workout.” I was pretty pleased with myself last night. I’d give that little performance a nine and I’d barely had any pain. Not bad, given I was a little out of practice. Tonight, I’d have her screaming my name and begging me for more. That, I really got a kick out of.

I loved it when she was so out of her mind with what I was doing to her she couldn’t string words together. When all she could manage to utter was my name.

“No, it’s just kind of sudden,” she protested.

“Well, you accepted the invitation. You could have always said we had something else on.”

“Well, I was kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place when Mum said she was doing a family roast and Eden and Xan were going as well.” At least having Xan there would break any awkwardness. “Besides, I’m surprised you’re so relaxed about this.”

I shrugged. “It was bound to happen sometime.”

She laughed. “So, should I expect to have to reciprocate? I kind of got the idea that you and your mother weren’t on speaking terms.”

“Nope, no reciprocation required in the family stakes. I think Rachel will call in later in the week, though. She’s nearly done with the latest dance gig in Tokyo. She said she’d call in once she’s had a chance to sleep.”

“Cool. I haven’t seen her in weeks.”

“Me either. She didn’t even manage to come and visit me in hospital.”

Sophia squeezed my leg sharply. “Hang on. Were you not the guy that said don’t bother because she only had a few hours between flights?”

I let out a sigh. “I hate it when you’re right.”

“I don’t think anybody likes being called on their short comings, truthfully.”

Yeah, that was certainly the case.

She stared out the window for a bit, and I wondered for about the millionth time whether she was okay. In the months we’d been hanging out before, never once did I ever get the vibe that something was wrong. Either being in a relationship created a whole knew level of awareness that was either real or imagined or there really was a problem.

“You seriously okay?”

She turned and hit me with a smile that seemed a little too forced, a little too big. “Just don’t mention any of that fainting stuff to Mum. She’s prone to panicking about things like that. I’ve got it under control and I don’t want her worrying.”

I kind of figured that was the stuff that most mum’s wanted to know but whatever. It was her mum. God knew my mum couldn’t give a flying fuck about me and that was just the way I’d come to like it.

As long as she stayed in her little world and didn’t fuck with mine, I was happy.

I pulled up against the curb in front of Sophia’s parents’ place and killed the engine. Sophia was out of my new SUV before I had the chance to move around to help her. Helping girls out of my car wasn’t exactly something I’d often practiced in the past, however, I kind of felt like I wanted to do it for Sophia now. In for a penny, in for a pound.

A few seconds later, I was out and had hit the remote to lock it. She was waiting for me on the front path. I moved in close and put my arm around her shoulders, and dropped a kiss to her temple.

“Let’s do this,” I said a little more confidently than I was perhaps feeling. This was the first time I could ever recall meeting the parents.

Sophia opened the door and I swapped the arm I had around her shoulders for her hand to allow us to move through the doorway.

“Anyone home?” she called.

“Out the back,” someone called from the deep.

She moved through the lounge room and down the hall to the kitchen area. Whatever was cooking smelled damned good. The kitchen and dining area were combined in a largish room. There were glass sliding doors leading out to an outdoor area.

I could see Xan, Eden, and Tori sitting out around a large table. There were a couple as well that had to be Sophia’s mum and dad.

Sophia slid the door open and a woman a little shorter than her stood and wrapped her in a hug. From what I could see, she was blonde and still quite attractive in that middle aged way. Her figure was still trim without being fake or overdone. Soph then moved to her father and gave him a hug as well. Her dad was the long, lanky type and was similar in height to me, although I carried a lot more bulk.

“Good to see you, darling,” her mum was saying.

Then, they all seemed to turn and look to me at once. I caught Xan’s grin over Sophia’s mother’s shoulder.

“Seth, this is my mum and dad, Carol and Noel Sommers. Mum and Dad, my boyfriend, Seth Harris.”

Her dad immediately stuck out a hand for me to shake and I reciprocated. He had a firm grip without being stupid or cocky about it. I hesitated for a second with her mum, not quite knowing whether to take her hand of give her a hug. Carol solved that problem for me by wrapping her arms around me and giving me a little pat on the back.

“Lovely to meet you, Seth.” She stepped back.

“Likewise, Mr. and Mrs. Sommers.”

Sophia’s father’s burst out laughing. “Oh, we don’t stand on ceremony around here, mate. It’s Carol and Noel.”

I gave them an appreciative smile. “Thanks.”

Xander, Eden, and Tori called greetings to us and Soph and I returned them.

“So, how are you feeling now? Sophia told us a little about your accident, it sounded awful.” Carol was guiding me to a seat at the table. Sophia took the one beside me and everyone resumed their places.

“Yeah, certainly slowed me up for a bit and I’m not going to win any awards for being a good patient but I’m definitely through the worst of it and on the mend. In fact, I’m driving today for the first time.”

“You look like you’re moving okay as well,” Xander noted from across the table. Nothing much got past him.

“Yeah, I reckon I might start being of use to you in a couple of weeks.”

He nodded and looked pleased. “No rush, man. I can manage until you’re ready. Always good to have you back though.”

“It’s good to be up and around. I don’t do so well when I’m laid up.”

“I don’t think anyone ever is, Seth,” Noel agreed. “I had a hernia surgery a few years back. Nothing worse than not being able to get up and around.”

“Yep, you’re spot on, I hate being helpless. Although, Soph’s been amazing at looking after me both in the hospital and since I’ve gotten home.”

“She’s a good kid,” her dad agreed.

“Dad…” she moaned.

“Well, it’s true.”

“So, tell us a bit about you Seth,” Carol prompted. “You obviously do martial arts as well, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right. I train with Xan and Dane. The girls as well. I’ve done a few pro-fights in the past. Lately, I’ve just been helping out Xander and Dane with the preps. They always seem to need a sparring partner.”

Xander nodded. “Seth’s a hell of a big unit and a great fighter, particularly at Brazilian Ju-Jitsu. He’s certainly handy to have around.”

Sophia’s parents nodded in understanding.

“You looking to fight some more?” her father asked.

“Nope. I think my pro days are done. I enjoy the preps but I’m not that keen on all the pain they entail. I’ll happily leave that to Xan. Besides, I’m not really sure exactly what, if any, limitations my injury will have longer term. I may never physically get back to that level.”

“You’re healing okay, though?” Carol asked, the concern evident in her voice.

“Sure, I’m doing great and the doctors are happy.”

“Actually, they’d be a lot happier if he didn’t push himself so much,” Soph put in and gave me a long sideways glance.

“The bone’s healed, it’s just getting the muscle and soft tissues back to full strength.”

“This shouldn’t come as a surprise to you, Soph. You know what he’s like. He’s the go hard or go home type,” Xander reminded Sophia.

“So, what do you do now that you’re not fighting? Surely you’re not retired?” Noel asked. It was starting to feel a little like the Spanish Inquisition but I guess that was to be expected.

“Seth’s a geologist. I’m sure I told you that,” Sophia put in and gave her father a look that said,
“dad back off.”

“You out of work? I thought mining was going down the tubes at the moment.”

“Some aspects are certainly in the doldrums—coal, in particular. That’s not what I do. I do a lot of specific exploration and project work for the mining companies. I’ve been reasonably successful at picking mineral deposits. For a few years, I was pretty well stuck out there on the fields. Now I’ve got to the stage, I can pick and choose what I do. I also have an interest in a mine that’s about to start, shares are rising, so I’m not unhappy about that.”

I saw her father nod and look impressed. I wasn’t trying to brag. They were asking the questions and I was answering.

We talked for few more minutes before Carol announced she needed to get the meal on the table. Sophia, Tori, and Eden all followed her in to help.

“Right, now that they’re inside, I wanted to talk to you two guys,” Noel announced. “I know Soph’s training to do some fight. I have to say I’m terrified. That’s my baby girl who’s lining up to get in the cage. What do you two have to say for yourselves?”

I looked across the table and Xander nodded once solemnly.

“Noel, Sophia is going to be fine. She’s an exceptional fighter and has the killer instinct needed to get the job done. I’m confident she’ll be just fine. I wouldn’t be letting her do it otherwise.”

Noel turned to me. “How do you feel about it?”

How did I feel about her fighting? I was in two minds, there was a big part of me that didn’t want her to risk getting hurt. There was also another part just as large that wanted her to have the opportunity to do and achieve what she wanted. I just wasn’t one hundred percent sure she wanted to do it. I was still concerned she was fighting because she thought she had to because Xander, Dane, and myself had.

“Noel, it’s up to her one hundred percent. If she wants to fight, I will support her. If she doesn’t want to fight, I won’t push her to.” I doubted I could answer fairer than that.

Noel was silent for a long moment. “Well, if she insists, then I’m trusting you two to make sure my baby girl doesn’t get hurt.”

“It’s a fight, Noel. There’s always a chance, but you have my word I will prepare her the best I know how,” Xander assured him then looked to me as if including me in his declaration.

“Can’t ask for more Xan,” I confirmed.

Finally, Noel nodded as the girls began to bring the food out.

Dinner was a lively gathering of great food and light fun chat. I was pleasantly surprised how easy I found it to fit in and how much I was actually enjoying myself. It was so different to the stilted, tense meals that I’d experienced with my mother and stepfather on the rare occasions I was actually allowed at the table. I could barely remember a meal with my real father.

Sometimes, I wondered if my memories of him were, in fact, fabricated fantasies that I’d concocted to make myself feel better. For once, I didn’t feel envious of what someone else had. Maybe it was because I actually felt welcome and part of it.

We’d all finished the succulent roast lamb and veggies, when Carol asked, “Sophia did you decide to make a claim against that man you used to work for?”

“Yeah, I did. I went through it all with the solicitor and he said I definitely had a case. He’s drawn up the papers and John will be receiving them in a couple of days, I’d think.”

“Good for you,” Eden said, nodding her head in appreciation. “He deserves to pay for what he did. You should have brought a sexual harassment case against him as well as wrongful dismissal and incorrect severance entitlements.”

I sensed, rather than saw, Sophia tense beside me and a look passed between them. “I thought about it Edie. When I went through it all with Stuart, he said it would be difficult to prove because I hadn’t done or said anything before. I decided I had enough on my plate without adding more to it.”

If I wasn’t mistaken, there was a strange vibe between the two of them today. Maybe I was imagining it? After all, most of my experience of the two of them in the same room together, was limited to Onigashima. Which was very much a different environment to here.

“So, how’s the new business coming?” Noel asked her.

“Good, Dad. I should be ready to open early next month. I’m just waiting on some licences to be approved and some paperwork to come back. In the interim, I’m getting everything prepared and ready. I’m creating a target list of properties for listing and the same with potential clients.”

He nodded at her but it wasn’t hard to see he was worried that she didn’t have a “regular” job.

Xander looked up. “Well, add us to the list of potential clients. We’re in the market for a couple of properties. I think Dane and Arianne are in a similar position now that her inheritance has come through.”