FIGHTER: An MMA Romance Novel (3 page)

"
B
aby
, don't go. Please. Don't go."

Not even the pleading of the sweetest woman in the world could get Jax to stay. Another t-shirt hit the edge of the hard shelled suitcase. It was carry-on sized; Jax didn't need all that much space. Apart from a change of clothes, his ring shorts, and money to spend, what more could a guy want? The UFL supplied the rest. Some said that rookie gigs didn't pay, but the travel expenses and food allowance were enough that Jax was grateful.

"Ma, it's okay." Four days in Brazil would go by quick, especially when he spent the majority of those days training. Tourism wasn't Jax's top priority. Discovering another country sounded like fun in theory, but he couldn't let the exotic place get to his head. This was no vacation. Business was business, but if he was lucky his competitor would forget it and he'd get a leg up. Not that he needed it. Luck only went so far. Talent. Skill. That’s how he would win his fight. "I got this in the bag. Aren't I doing you proud? I'm going to be just fine and you'll feel bad for worrying yourself so much, you'll see."

Reassurance did nothing to sooth his mother's fears. The woman folded her arms as she stood in the doorway, eyes set with worry. Wrinkles in the corners of her eyes looked permanently chiseled into her face, and the lines in her brow deepened. Jax never considered his mom to be a senior, but now her age peeped through. The silver that ran through her dark hair was no longer deniable. Before long, the woman who raised him would show her age plain as day.

"It's not worth it, baby. Whatever money you're making, isn't worth getting you hurt. Stay home. I'll work with you to find you a normal nine to five and you can make a good, honest living. Please. For me?"

Where was his mouth guard?
Jax glanced across the room, there wasn't a lot to look over. Twenty-seven years they'd lived there. The modest house was as close to the hospital as his mother could afford, and still they couldn't make ends meet. Jax hoped the trip would change that.

"I'm not gonna get hurt. Even if I don't win, I'll be okay. I'm a survivor, remember? I'm a fighter. No matter what, I'm gonna pull through."

Not in with his shorts. Not on top of the dresser.
Jax wracked his brain trying to think of the last place he put it. Usually the mouth guard sat in with his gym bag, but that had been emptied to get ready for his trip to Brazil.
Where could he have put it?

"You're a survivor, I know, but I don't want you to have to keep surviving. I didn't spend all those years caring for you in the hospital when you were little to have you wind up there as an adult with your head bashed in. You survived, you made it, and now it's time for you to thrive."

The words hit a tender place in his heart, and Jax stopped his search momentarily to give his mother his full attention. In a matter of steps, he'd closed the distance between them, and took the older woman's small hands in his large ones. He still remembered a time when it was reversed, and her adult hands gently held his as a child. Those hands had wiped away his tears and eased all his pain away. It hadn't been an easy childhood, but his mother had stood by his side despite the financial and emotional strain he'd caused. Hurting her was the last thing he wanted to do, but she needed to understand what he was going through.

"I
am
thriving. Ma, I promise you. I'm not doing this because I have to, I'm doing this because I want to. Whatever money or whatever fame that comes with it, that's just a bonus. What I really want is to show the world what I can do, that I'm not just some sick kid who's going to let life push him around."

There was hesitation in his mother's eyes, and she shook her head slowly, holding his hands with a firm grip as though afraid to let him go.

"It's not like that, Jax. There's nothing wrong with enjoying an easy life. You've got nothing to prove. Baby, you've already won. Whatever anyone else says doesn't matter. Just stay home and stay safe."

But no matter how she pleaded, Jax knew he would never be happy with himself if he didn't get out there and fight. The pay-per-view match in Brazil was waiting for him, and if he won that, there was no telling how far his career would go. A lot of eyes were already watching. His 3-0 wins were impressive for a rookie. Rookie. As if. Soon no one would call him that. Jax ‘the Ax’ was on his way to the top, and he wasn't afraid of chopping down anyone who got in the way. His mother's worries wouldn’t stop him from reaching the top, and once he got there, he had plans.

"I can't do that, and you know it." Their eyes locked, and in them he could tell his mother had accepted defeat. It killed him to see her that sad, but there was no work around. Fighting was his passion, his future, his ticket up and out, and when he hit it big, she'd be the first to benefit from it. A big house in a nice part of the neighborhood was his first priority. He’d pay her back for all she'd done for him. After that, well, Jax wasn't too sure. He'd figure it out along the way.

"I'm going to worry myself sick," she told him, dropping her hands from his. "What day is the fight? What channel? I need to know if you get hurt."

"What you need to do is promise me you won’t turn on the TV at all. I’ll call you right after and let you know I'm okay, okay? The TV will just make it seem like it's way worse than it is."

No matter how hard he got knocked around, Jack knew he’d win. The earnings from the last three matches had padded his pockets enough that he could hire on a coach, and a nutritionist. Already he was seeing improvements. Every day he trained hard, put his all into it, and in return he was getting stronger, faster, and smarter. The money went quick, but it was well spent. With his new diet, eating all the right stuff to promote muscle and wellness instead of the junk he was used to, Jax felt like nothing could take him down.

His sock drawer. Of course.
Jax stepped back into the room and pulled the drawer open, rifling through a pile of socks to come up with the mouth guard. It was all he needed. He tossed it into his bag.

"You know," his mother said, "as much as I hate the idea of what you're doing, I'm so proud of you. There was a time when you were little when I was afraid you'd never be able to live the kind of life you wanted. Now here you are. My skinny little boy grew into a handsome man who's not afraid to chase his dreams. I couldn't ask for a better son.”

As Jax stooped to close his bag, he couldn't help but grin. Even though she didn't want this kind of life for him, she supported his choices.
He couldn't have asked for a better mother.

"I gotta get going, as much as I wanna stick around." Jax clasped the case closed and hefted it by the handle. "I’ve gotta be at the airport two hours early, and you know I can't wait to get going so I can wait six hours on my layover."

The sarcasm brought a smile to his mother's lips, and she seemed to relax a little.

"Promise you'll call when the fight is over."

"Only if you promise you won't watch it," he shot back. When she nodded, Jax moved to her side and kissed her on the cheek. At just under six feet, he towered over her. The shrimp of a kid she'd raised was long gone. The man who'd taken his place would look after her no matter what.

"I'll even give you a call when I land, then," Jax promised. "I'll be back before you know it."

One of these days he'd be a big enough name that they'd book him the first class direct flights, but for now he had to suck it up and travel coach. Fame awaited, all he had to do was reach out and grasp it.

T
he new girl
— Nicole — was late. Kade looked down at the platinum watch on his wrist and sank down further against the padded bench of the limousine. The watch was worth more than most men made in a year, and certainly more valuable than any woman he had ever entertained in the back of his limo. It was worth more than Nicole would ever be. To the average guy, five minutes meant little. To Kade, five minutes was money wasted loitering. There were more lucrative ways to spend five minutes than to sit there waiting for a piece of ass, no matter how tasty.

At last, she appeared. The apartment building, she walked out of was run down, an off-the-strip unit that needed to be brought into the twenty-first century, but the woman who stepped out from it was far from unsatisfactory. When he told Nicole he’d be taking her out that Friday night to welcome her to the UFL, he'd told her to dress for a night on the town. She did not disappoint. The dress she wore fell to her mid-thigh, the black skirt hugging her curves from her legs to her hips to the slender length of her torso, only cutting off right beneath the bust where it was met with a maroon top piece. The deep plunge of the halter top's V exposed the sides of her generous rounded breasts. Jewelry was not needed — Nicole's tits stole the show. Kade found himself craving to squeeze them as she moaned and cried for more.
Would she be a screamer?
He hoped so.

Nicole stepped onto the sidewalk and looked down the street as though she didn't see the thirty-foot luxury vehicle idling before her eyes. Kade supposed he couldn't blame her. From the outside, the stretch limousine was no different than any other on the Vegas strip. Tinted windows concealed the vehicle's insides from nosy onlookers. The engine was quiet, the shocks and brakes fresh. Kade paid to keep the car well maintained, as he did the rest of his belongings. The only object he didn't care to overly invest in was women. With endless beautiful women all offering the same service, he saw little point. Pussy was disposable, and he was looking forward to breaking in his newest toy until he got bored.

At last, she approached the limo. Kade adjusted his posture from the undignified slouch he'd been in to something far more professional. Respectable. No matter what he thought, every woman had to feel she was unique. Nicole would see his best side until he had her under his thumb, after that all bets were off. Some women stayed, lured in by the possibility the rich bad boy just might fall in love. Some left. Nicole, he thought, would probably stick around.

The back door opened, and Nicole climbed in. From the way she awkwardly hunched, eyes wide as she took in the interior, Kade knew she'd never traveled in luxury before. The outside of the car might look like every other limo on the strip, but the inside didn’t. Kade's had been custom built to his specifications. Across from his long bench seat was a bar. An assortment of alcohol, from low percentage champagnes to scorching rums, filled the closed glass cabinets. A string of cool white LED lights lit up the glass cabinets and made them shine like crystal. Upscale, of course. Kade never bothered with anything he deemed beneath him. At least, never for long.

"How is it that every time I see you, you look more stunning than the last?"

Nicole set her gaze on him, unable to hide the content expression on her face. Most women were easy to play, and those that weren't, weren't worth having.

"I hope what I'm wearing is okay. You were a little vague, and to be honest, I've never been out to celebrate with my boss before. If you need me to dress more conservatively, I can change."

That was the last thing Kade wanted. With a slow shake of his head he comforted her, and patted the bench beside him, inviting her over. That little dress hugged her in all the right ways. From the way the top barely held in her black tits to the way her juicy thighs looked, she was perfect.
A body like that had to be just as beautiful beneath her clothes
, he wagered.
Perky breasts. Small, hard nipples. A pretty pussy.
Kade felt himself stirring, but the way he had his ankle propped up on his knee hid the bulge beneath his fly well. From where he sat and where she stood, he could just make out a hint of the ass he'd been ogling since Nicole started at the office. Hugged as it was by her dress, Kade couldn't get enough.
When he got the chance, he was going to ride that ass raw.

"No need. I think you look stunning. A well-dressed man is only an accessory to a dazzling woman, and tonight I consider myself lucky to be the one seen at your side."

With a small flourish, Nicole sat beside him. While it was clear she was not used to being in a limo, there was no doubt she was well versed in attracting a man's attention. The little nuances to the way she moved, and how she set her eyes, led Kade to believe she was flirting back, albeit in a subtle manner.

"Thank you. Just the thought of being out with a man as powerful in our industry as you are, is way more than I ever dreamed of, and well, I mean, thank you."

The limo pulled away from the curb and started down the street. There was still a distance to go, and Kade would not be kept waiting. He turned his gaze from Nicole to the bar across from them, taking a quick stock of his inventory. While her gratitude was touching, he was not about to start out-complimenting her. There was only so thick he could lay it on before compliments no longer seemed genuine, and Kade's words were near saturation. It was time to get her thinking of other things.

"Can I offer you a drink? Some champagne, maybe, to celebrate your new position within the organization?"

Alcohol was an easy ticket to success. The way Nicole's eyes lit up made the gesture all the more valuable.

"What do you have?" Nicole asked.

"A rare, sweet vintage as light as water. Would you like a glass?”

She curled her hands on her lap timidly, tilting her head in a way that showed off her best angles from his vantage point. Whether women did it as an instinct to show their interest, or whether it was a learned behavior, Kade didn’t know. What he did know was that Nicole was falling under his spell. With any luck, she wouldn't take that much longer to bag. As beautiful as she was, if she didn't bite soon he’d move on. There were women willing to put out for less.

"I'd love to."

Kade reached forward to retrieve the bottle of champagne. The label was imprinted with gold leaf, delicate and expensive. Pale foam tumbled from the top and down the sides, washing over his hand to drip to the floor. Kade paid it no attention. Instead, he directed the conversation as he selected two flutes from inside the bar's side compartment.

"Tell me about where life has taken you. I couldn't help but notice that you moved here after completing your degree, it seems. What other globe-trotting have you done?"

Kade tilted the first flute onto its side and paired its lip with the opening of the bottle of champagne, pouring carefully. Although the limo was now in motion, there were few jolting disturbances. Even so, Kade wanted to look as refined and sophisticated as he could. Beyond good looks, money and class proved time and time again to be an aphrodisiac. Nicole needed the extra push.

"Oh, I haven't really been anywhere all that impressive," Nicole admitted. "Not yet, anyway. I’d love to visit Europe one day, and I want to go to a resort in Mexico or the Caribbean, but that’s a long ways away for me. Career comes first. When I was younger I visited New York City for a weekend, and after I turned eighteen my friends and I would drive up to spend the weekend in Canada whenever we had enough money to go. Did you know the drinking age there is eighteen? Sometimes I think about how different the rest of the world operates, even the places that are closest to us, and get this out of body feeling. But, um, yeah. That's about as exciting as it's been for me."

"I see." Kade handed a glass to Nicole. With a smile and a pleased look she accepted the flute, but waited for him to finish pouring his own before she raised it to her lips. "So you've never been to Brazil?"

The question was so casual; Nicole didn't think anything of it. She'd taken to twisting the flute slowly before her, watching as the crystals in its stem and base twinkled.

"No. Nevada is the furthest south I've been."

Pale, bubbling liquid filled the second flute. Kade secured the champagne back in the cabinet and sat back with smooth elegance upon the leather padded bench. Nicole, beautiful and enchanted with the luxury around her.
It was the way he liked it.

"Well, that's too bad. South America is a beautiful country, but I have a soft spot for Brazil in particular. That country is something you never forget. I like to go back from time to time, just to remind myself how vast the world really is."

At his side, Nicole bobbed her head in mute agreement. Of course she didn't know. She would soon. Kade touched his bottom lip to the glass and sipped at the sweet liquid within his cup. Once he took a sip, Nicole did as well. Manners. How rare. Kade hoped those manners wouldn't keep her from hopping in his bed. If she was a waste of his time, he'd be pissed.

The only consolation would be the women in Brazil. Beautiful, curvy, and insatiable, he knew women like that would do
anything
in bed. If Nicole was a bust, he was going to need several of them to take her place.
Bubble butts all in a row, waiting for him to ram
... Kade shifted on the bench. His eyes shot to Nicole, and as he took her in, he knew he had nothing to worry about. From where she sat she was eating him up, undressing him with her eyes. The champagne hadn't gotten to her head that quickly; her desire was genuine.

"Can you remind me where we're going?" Nicole asked. Like clockwork, the limo took a corner and started up the private drive. Kade cast a quick glance out the window to confirm their location. Uniform green lawn, a rarity in the Nevada heat, stretched out before them. The water bills were outrageous, but Kade prided himself in having the greenest grass in all of Las Vegas. Well, just outside of it. The landing strip needed space

"You've caught me," he said, then sipped at his champagne. "You'll have to excuse me — around the office, I have a reputation of spoiling my employees with the things that I love, but to me, work is pleasure."

"I don't follow, I'm sorry," Nicole said uneasily. Taking his lead, she glanced behind them and out the window to look across the green grass. Through the heavily tinted window, it was impossible to appreciate the rich color.

In the distance, Kade's jet appeared on the horizon. Sleek and comfortable. The jet had been prepped for takeoff this morning, clearances already called in. Now the machine was being prepped for departure. A cleanup and maintenance crew dotted the landscape around it, making sure everything was in order.

"That jet you see is mine," Kade explained. He sipped at his champagne before he continued. "It's our private ride to Brazil, where a UFL organized fight is slated to take place tonight. You'll be on the job for a few hours when the fight is taking place, getting footage and seeing to other details, but the rest of the weekend is yours to have some fun."

The way her jaw slackened and her eyes grew wide put the last of his fears to rest. There would be no need for Brazilian women to warm his bed that weekend. Kade had Nicole right where he wanted her.

"We're going to Brazil?" Nicole asked. The question irked him, but Kade did not let the frustration show on his face.

"We're going to Brazil," he confirmed. "First class, all expenses paid. The UFL takes care of its own, Nicole. Welcome to the best job of your life."

Every woman had a dirty streak, some more easily exposed than others. From the way her eyes ate him up following his big surprise, Kade felt it wouldn't be too much longer before he saw just how broad Nicole's was.
What woman didn't dream of joining the mile-high club with a hot billionaire?
It was Kade's sincere hope he never found out the answer.