Midwest Fighter (Kendall Family Book 2) (24 page)

I turn to James, pursing my lips in a pout. “It’s quite lovely, but you’re not going to give me any sort of hint what we’re doing here, are you?”

“The best part is yet to come,” he whispers, again sweeping me off my feet and whisking me up an open stairway leading to the second floor. He doesn’t set me down until we’re through a set of French doors inside a large bedroom and standing on a wide balcony with a phenomenal front-row seat to the Brooklyn Bridge.

The sight before me literally steals my breath away. It’s akin to the view I’ve come to adore while sitting in the cemetery beside the grave of the mystery woman. It reminds me of everything I love about living in the country’s best city. Not only that, but the balcony is cute as shit with well-tended potted plants and matching Adirondack chairs. It’s difficult not to fall hard and fast for the adorable little home as I picture what it would be like to wake at James’s side with the heart of the city just beyond our reach.

“Say the word and it’s ours,” James whispers behind me. It’s hard as hell to focus on the view when I’m merely focused on freeing the hard cock pressed to my back.

“Are you mad?” I whisper. “Something like this is nearly impossible to procure!”

“It belonged to Carrie’s grandmother. She hasn’t put it on the market yet.” His arms enclose around me, and his lips graze along my neckline. “I was offered a contract by Nolan’s MMA organization. They saw my fight with Freddie, and they want to pay me
big
money, little butterfly. Your dad is loaning us the downpayment until I have the cash in hand.”

“Sweetheart, that’s wonderful!” I spin to throw my arms around his neck and allow him to carefully lift me into the air, throwing myself a silent
cheers
when the motion doesn’t hurt enough to wince. Though it will be hell on my nerves to watch him fight over and over, I know it’s what he wants and he’s been working so hard to make happen. Since starting therapy, training has become a way for him to destress and he actually seems a bit lighter after his training with Nolan.

“But I still have a contract with Richard,” I realize.

“I already worked it out with that prick,” he rumbles, leaving me to believe their encounter led to an unpleasant row. “Nolan’s been helping me arrange everything while you were busy with therapy. Your things are packed and ready to go. ”

Oh, this man!
My
man! How can I ever get enough? The answer is never, and my randy body is ready to seal the deal. It’s been far too long since we’ve been able to scratch the ever present itch I feel when in his presence.

“What do you think?” Carrie asks, suddenly emerging from the bedroom.

“We’ll take it,” I declare, peering at her over James’s shoulder. “There’s an added bonus in it for you if you give us time to enjoy the view alone. Preferably right this moment.”

James is kissing me before I’ve heard Carrie’s answer. His hungry lips convey every last one of his emotions, mirroring my own. There was a time I was convinced our love was doomed and I’m unable to believe how far we’ve come—even in the literal sense. There was a time I didn’t believe the beastly protector would have room in his heart to care for someone outside of his family. I didn’t think the universe would allow us to have our happily ever after.

The way his lips travel across my jaw and down my neck, suckling at my skin like a starved man as his fingers meld into my hair, it seems safe to assume the poor man is just as eager to shag after all these weeks of holding back.

When I reach for the buckle on his trousers, he becomes still. “What are you doing?” he asks, his warm breath on my neck causing a party of shivers to sashay down to my lady-bits.

I hook one arm behind his neck and tug at his hair, forcing him to face me. “The doctor gave his blessing, therefore I believe it’s considered bad manners to resist your lover’s advances, no matter how noble you believe you’re being. If you don’t take care of me soon, I’ll be forced to replace you with a boyfriend of the battery-operated variety.”

Eyes wide, he reaches down to tug at my shorts, then my knickers. “You’re not replacing me with shit. I’ll always take care of you, little butterfly.
Always.”

It turns out to be another perk of the adorable little home that we’re out of sight of any neighbors when we both strip down to nothing with a speed that would put the most skilled of firefighters to shame. Again we’re drawn together for a kiss that’s so sweet and filled with compassion that it makes big, fat tears fill my eyes. With the feeling of his thick fingers brushing back and forth over my throbbing sweet spot before pressing deep inside of me, I tilt my head back to face the beautiful blue sky and release a noise that comes out sounding like a garbled cry. It’s been too damn long since he’s touched me this way.

“Babe?” he asks, always the great protector.

“That feels bloody marvelous,” I answer. “Don’t you
dare
stop.”

The strokes of his fingers increase to a steady space, caressing me until I’m lit with delight. An explosion of pleasure rakes my body so hard and fast that I’m unable to hold back when I scream his name. Laughing in a bright, happy noise that I’ve been privileged to hear more often with each passing day, James holds a hand over my mouth before kissing the tender spot behind my jaw.

“The neighbors aren’t going to be ready for us,” he whispers. “Turn around. I want you to remember this moment every time you look at the city.”

My body’s still vibrating from the beautiful orgasm when I do as he says, carefully spreading my legs as far as the residual pain will allow. He enters me from behind, slow and gentle. The feeling is more divine than anything I’ve known, causing me to moan like one of those B-movie porn stars.

“Am I hurting you?” James asks among a stuttered breath.

“Stop worrying and let me enjoy this,” I beg, pushing my ass into him. Once he’s pushed all the way inside, I grasp the railing on the balcony and sigh dreamily. “My
god.
What could I have possibly done to deserve you?”

His finger tilts my chin back until I meet his beautiful brown eyes, overflowing with a tender look that can only be interpreted as eternal love. “You were the first person to believe in me.”

A half-baked image involving rainbows and chirping birds slips through my brain but then he rocks against me and erases months of sexual frustration, causing me to forget everything except for the fact that I love this man to bits. And I have the rest of my life to prove to him he’s worth more than he could possibly know.

A
s we near
the large concrete building surrounded by razor-wired fences and watch towers, my lungs threaten to cave in. If it weren’t for Sharlo’s hand firmly wrapped around mine, I’d likely pussy-out and start back for the rental. Then again, knowing I’m about to parade my beautiful girl in front of a bunch of low-life convicts creates a gnawing burn in my gut that makes me want to call it off anyway. In a long skirt and loose-fitting tank top it’s not like she’s purposely showing anything off—not that she would normally—but there’s no hiding her curves and she always looks sexy as shit in anything…or nothing.

“Remember what Doctor Gotz said, luv,” she tells me as we approach the gate. “This will be a monumental step toward healing.”

As if I need a reminder why we’re here. Ever since we boarded the plane for our visit to Blue River for the holiday, I’ve been busy telling myself Sharlo insisted I follow through with counseling before we talk marriage or try for another baby, so backing out isn’t an option. I’d swallow a ball of fucking fire if that’s what it took for her to agree to be my wife. That’d be a walk in the park compared to what we’re about to do.

Turning to face me, Sharlo grabs my shirt in her small fists. Her smile is supposed to be reassuring, but her lips tremble enough that I can tell she’s just as nervous. “Make it through this, and I’ll surprise you with one of those kinky contraptions you were eyeballing in Queens last weekend. Just don’t expect anything too outlandish. My bum was literally quaking with the sight of those rubber fists.”

If it weren’t for the acid coating my gut, I’d be laughing when I kiss her.

After checking in through the visitor’s entrance, we’re led to a sterile room with nothing other than a metal table and set of worn chairs. Sharlo sits by my side and draws patterns on the back of my hand, distracting me enough that I start to get hard when remembering how she attacked me in my childhood bedroom the night before, bringing all my teenage fantasies to life. Ever since she fully healed from the accident several months back, we’ve rekindled our insatiable appetites for sex. Some days she’s even hornier than I am, but even after a grueling day of training with Nolan, I’m unable to turn her down. Her body’s a drug that I have no plans of ever quitting.

“Here we go,” she whispers when the door swings open, gripping my arm tight with her little fingers as if to keep me from jumping up and losing my shit.

Digging my fingers into my thighs, I grind my teeth together. Uncle Orin shuffles in alongside a guard, looking ten years older than he appeared the last time I saw him at Dad’s funeral. His long face is pale and filled with deep wrinkles that make him nearly unrecognizable, and his sandy hair has turned stark white. The orange uniform and handcuffs almost look comical on his frail frame.

It’s almost impossible to believe this is the same man who taught me how to change the oil on a tractor. The same buddy of my Dad’s who could be found sitting next to his brother at the bar on any given Friday night. The same uncle who never missed one of my home football games.

His dark eyes flicker up to meet mine when he takes the seat across the table, and all at once I see Dad reflected in his image. The urge to get the fuck out of the room becomes paralyzing when I wet my lips and try forcing my lungs to function.

“Didn’t figure on seeing you ever again when you didn’t come to any of my hearings,” he mumbles. “Heard you moved to New York. What the hell kinda business does a farm boy have in a city that big?”

Sweat beads across my hairline as I stare into his ruthless gaze. Every breath I take sounds magnified. This is even harder than I had imagined. What do I say to the man that killed my dad? Glancing at Sharlo, I rub my sweaty palms on my knees.

She turns to my uncle, stabbing her pointer finger in his direction. “Listen here,
Orin Kendall
. This beautiful, tortured soul sitting beside me is the love of my life, and we’re here in an attempt to get on with our future and start a family—one that
you robbed
of a wonderful, caring grandfather. You will sit there with your mouth
shut
and listen to what your nephew has to say about the vile thing you did to him and the rest of your family. If you say
one word
other than you’re sorry, I swear to you I’ll use my father’s connections to make your already pathetic existence in this facility a living hell. Trust me when I say you
don’t
want to find out the twisted fuckery someone like me is capable of bringing into your life. Nod if you understand me.”

Uncle Orin seems to have a hard time swallowing when he bobs his head several times. The beefy guard behind him bites down on his lips before clearing his throat like he’s trying to hide a bout of laughter.

“Go ahead, sweetheart,” Sharlo prods in a whisper, turning to squeeze my hand underneath the table. “The sooner you get this over with, the sooner it will be done and we can get the hell out of this nightmare. Think of it as ripping a band-aid off a rather disgusting, festering wound.”

Remembering the plans I have for her as soon as we’re out of here, I squeeze her hand back and nod. When my eyes draw back up to Uncle Orin, my heart thumps hard enough to make me lightheaded. Using Sharlo’s meditation techniques that I once thought were bullshit, I take a deep breath and focus on the deep crease between my uncle’s eyes. Other than with Sharlo, I’ve never been good at expressing my feelings, so I tell myself the words are more for her benefit than my uncle’s.

“When I found Dad that night…left to bleed out on his bedroom floor…I vowed that I’d kill whatever low-life scum did that to him. Now that I’m sitting here, seeing you for the pathetic piece of shit you really are, I don’t feel the urge to hurt you like I always thought I would. You’re not the same man I spent my summers working for as a kid, bailing hay and walking beans. You’re not the uncle who gave me toy tractors for Christmas or danced with my mom at the surprise wedding anniversary party you and Aunt Jackie threw them before Mom got sick.

“Greed changed you. You and Dad…you were doing better than you ever dreamed you’d make farming, but it was never enough, was it? Money became a priority over your family. It’s what drove Aunt Jackie away. It’s what made you kill your own goddamned brother. All because you were trying to cheat the government out of even more money with those bullshit conservation reports. I don’t hate you because that’d be a waste of energy. But I do feel sorry for you. The rest of us will never get over losing Dad, but at least we have the chance to go on with our lives and find a way to be happy. While you rot in this place, you’ll be forced to dwell on the decisions you made that brought you here. I hope the memories of what you did to my dad keep you awake at night.”

Suddenly I’m struck with a need to puke. Saying the words that have been weighing heavily on my mind since he was found guilty several months back took more out of me than I could’ve expected. Unable to say anything more, I shoot to my feet but don’t look away from the old man hunched across front of me, crying inside his pale hands. I’m surprised the fucker has any feelings left to be hurt.

“Right then,” Sharlo says quietly, standing at my side. “Enjoy wallowing in a lifetime of regret over the pain you’ve caused your family.”

Leaving the prison goes by in a fucked-up blur. I’m still sweaty and shaky from confronting Uncle Orin when we get inside the car. I can’t say how I actually make it back toward Blue River when my mind is anywhere other than on the road.

Truth be told, before we head to my cousin Levi’s lake home where we’ll spend the remainder of the day with my siblings and watch fireworks, I’m eager as shit to get Sharlo alone. Especially the way she’s playing with my hand from the passenger’s seat as she sings along with the radio, stopping every now and then to kiss my hand or arm. She knows me well enough not to say anything. She knows I’ll speak when I’m ready. After living together for over a year, we know each other even better than we know ourselves.

Can’t say I feel any better now that I’ve ticked off the final box on Sharlo’s list of demands, but as we get closer to the pit, the corners of my mouth lift with a smirk. Even though our time together has been filled with more pain and loss than I thought I’d know in a lifetime, I’ve never been as happy as I am in this moment.

“Know where you are yet?” I ask her as we head down the gravel driveway.

“I believe so,” Sharlo comments, sitting taller to get a better look. “Isn’t this the place where you once got me intoxicated on cheap wine all the while pretending you didn’t want to shag the hell out of me?”

“You bought the wine,” I remind her with a chuckle, “and there was no pretending on my part. I spent half the night trying to hide a hard-on.”

As I park near the same spot I had that fateful night, she looks at me with both eyebrows raised to her hairline. “Lucky for me it’s not possible to detect a lady boner because I sprung one for you the moment I walked into that shed and saw you sparring with your mate.”

“Lady boner?”
I repeat, shaking my head. A laughing fit hits me hard and fast until my eyes water and my stomach muscles clench tight as the deep sound vibrates against my chest. Shit, I can’t remember ever laughing this hard, though there have been plenty of carefree moments like this since Sharlo came into my life.

Looking over at the beautiful, sweet woman at my side that smells like vanilla, tastes like heaven, and always knows how to make me laugh, I’m struck with just how fucking lucky I am to have her as mine. Without her in my life, I don’t know how I would’ve made it past Dad’s death. I’d still be angry at the world and stuck on the farm, following someone else’s dream. Whatever decisions or fate brought us together, I’ll always be thankful. I love this woman with all my heart and can’t wait for us to start the rest of forever together.

W
atching
my love laugh until he’s heaving for breaths is one of the
best
visuals in the world, only second to watching him fall apart with pleasure. In recent months, my James has become a different person of sorts, though every now and then his surly side will return for an encore. Can’t say I mind it so much when the beast is unleashed in the bedroom. Besides, if I wanted someone soft I would’ve given the lesbian thing a go at the university when given the chance.

Once James is able to collect himself, he wipes at his eyes before grabbing a bag from the back seat and motioning for me to follow him out of the car. “I want to show you something,” he says, all at once back in a somber mood.

This “pit” of his grandfather’s has taken on a transformation of its own since our last visit. Vivid colors surround us from the grass to a set of cherry blossom trees and the blue sky reflected on the small pond. It’s a beautiful, warm summer day and the birds are as noisy as shit as they float about between the tall oak trees. As much as I fancy the excitement of our home in Brooklyn, this certainly has its own charm. I can
almost
picture us living—

Strike that. I seem to have some kind of animal dung stuck to the bottom of my sandal.

“Bloody savages,” I mutter to myself, stopping to search for a stick to wipe it away.

All at once I’m hoisted into the air and thrown over James’s very thick shoulder as he marches toward the water. “You were taking too long,” he teases over my cries of protest.

“Perhaps next time you can warn me to wear the proper footwear before we go traipsing through god’s country.”

Merely chuckling in response, he continues on. Moments later I’m gently set on my feet and he’s kissing me in a desperate way that reminds me of that lovely night we finally gave into our desires in this very spot all those months ago. Lost in the fresh smells of the great outdoors and my man, I hum happily and lose my fingers inside his thick hair, ready to pull him down into the tall grass.

Drawing back, he shakes his head and laughs again. Nothing could be sexier than my man with ruffled hair and puffy lips unless, of course, he wasn’t wearing a lick of clothing.

“You’re insatiable,” he tells me.

“It’s not
my
fault. Have you ever taken the time to actually
look
at your reflection?”

“Close your eyes,” he whispers, lacing his fingers with mine.

“Only if you promise to be naked once I open them again.”

“Shar,”
he teases in a mock-angry tone.

Huffing in mock-hurt, I close my eyes and a moment later he’s kissing each of my lids.

“Keep them closed.”

“So
demanding
.”

I feel him move away from me. I hear the sounds of a zipper and the crinkling of plastic as I stand in utter darkness, waiting for whatever surprise will make my temporary discomfort worthwhile. Soon a tart citrus scent penetrates the air as James tells me to hold out my hands.

Doing as he says, I click my tongue. “Keep in mind whatever you’re about to do could bite you in the arse later tonight when it comes down to you or my vibrating companion.”

“I’m confident you’ll choose me,” he whispers, his lips temptingly close to my ear. They brush across my cheek before he pulls away and places a cold, light object in each of my hands. “Stand still.”

Several minutes pass as I wait for him to end this ridiculous game. When that doesn’t happen, I blow out a loud breath through my nose and shift my weight. “Are you still there, or am I to expect a YouTube video of my humiliation to go viral?”

“A little bit longer, baby. You can do it.”

His voice comes from far enough away that I begin to grow more suspicious than paranoid. I’m ready to blurt the secret I’ve been holding on to for the past week when he finally utters the words I’ve been waiting to hear.

“You can open them now, little butterfly.”

The first thing I see is his beautiful face, lit with a giant smile that makes my chest burn with love. Whatever has made him so pleased with himself has me wetter than a cheap T-shirt clinging to a slag at a frat party.