Going the Distance (No Excuses Book 1) (10 page)

As ready as she was now. “More Trent,” she demanded.

The corners of his lips turned up. “Who said you deserve more?”

“I did.” She pulled him closer.

“I don’t know, babe. Tricking me into giving you an interview and all….”

She lifted her hips to grind against him. After everything he’d put her through, now he was making her beg?

“Well maybe The Punisher is washed up after all,” she goaded, knowing full well how to get to him.

The smile disappeared from his face in an instant. “You’re a rotten, little minx, aren’t you?”

Instead of answering him, she simply kissed him. He pulled out, lifted her off the counter and carried her through the kitchen and living room into his bedroom, where he dropped her onto the bed and positioned himself over her, leaning on his forearms for support.

“Spread your legs for me,” he ordered and she obeyed. He pushed inside without another word and thrust deep.

She closed her eyes and matched her rhythm to his, parting her lips to draw in breath.

“Open your eyes,” he told her.

She did and stared up into his dark blue gaze frowning down at her.

“Don’t ever say shit like that again.”

She couldn’t help but tease him by smiling in response and he thrust faster. A moan escaped her.

“Say what?” she asked innocently, wrapping her legs around him once more. “That you don’t have what it takes?”

He scowled at her and picked up his pace. She felt the pleasure building inside her and became impatient.

“You’re done, Punisher,” she got out between gasps. “Done.”

It was just what was needed to get him to thrust just the way she wanted it and she screamed out with pleasure. She dug her fingers into his shoulders until her body became limp and she sank relaxed into the bed. She looked lazily up at him and smiled.

“You’re a piece of work,” he said, biting her bottom lip playfully. She merely chuckled and let her arms drop to her sides.

“Now you’re gonna have to pay,” he warned and resumed thrusting into her slowly.

When her eyebrows shot up in surprise, he said, “We’re not done, babe.”

The words were thrilling and terrifying all at once as she braced herself for more pleasure that was starting to build inside her all over again.

By the time Trent was done with her, she conceded that he’d lived up to his nickname and more. She was sure she’d been spoiled forever.

***

Trent was staring up at the ceiling in the dark. Sam was sleeping peacefully beside him and he’d been listening to her even breathing forever. After he’d made her come again, she’d declared defeat.

He was as satisfied as she seemed to be, but sleep was the last thing on his mind. He couldn’t stop thoughts racing in and out of his head as though a box of explosives was going off.

Sam showing up at his door tonight had broken his willpower, no matter how much he’d been telling himself to stay away from her. Hell, how could he stop thinking of her when she kept invading his life left and right? He’d been both pissed and glad to see her at his doorstep earlier. And then he’d agreed to do the stupid interview under the only condition that would satisfy his need for her.

She’d felt so fucking good, he’d have vowed to do a million interviews for her if she’d let him do whatever he wanted to her every night going forward.

Their first time had always replayed itself in his head over and over again, to the point that he’d wondered if the actual details had happened or he’d just imagined them. So when she’d opened up to him again tonight, he thought he’d hit the jackpot. She’d been just as perfect as he remembered. Fuck, she was still perfect, cuddled up next to him, with her kissable lips even more pouty in her sleep, and her hair totally messy. He wanted nothing more than to sweep her into his arms and kiss her until the sun came up, but instead, he kept his distance and stared at her from his own pillow.

Just when he’d found a girl worth his time, his career was spiraling out of control. He felt like the butt of a sick joke.

He was addicted to her, he was sure of it. After their first time together, he’d been on the fence. He’d had a taste, like tasting an exotic fruit for the first time; not quite sure what to make of it until you’ve had a second bite. Well, he’d had that second bite and liked it. A fucking lot.

She stirred, making him think she was waking up, but she only pulled the covers up higher and buried her face in her pillow. He was sweating, but she was cocooned up like a damn caterpillar. He smiled and let his gaze run over her face.

Why couldn’t they have met before his last fight? Maybe things would have been different. Maybe he wouldn’t have lost.

Disgust washed over him at the lie.

So he probably still wouldn’t have been able to win, but it wouldn’t put this pressure on everything as it was now.

He wanted Sam badly, for more than just one night, however, Ramirez was right about Trent not thinking clearly ever since meeting her. His head was already fucked up since losing to Povetkin, but playing cat and mouse with her was turning his brain to mush. He couldn’t allow that to happen. He had to stop her from butting into his life when he had other priorities to consider.

Boxing was his life, always had been, and that was in jeopardy now. He had to focus his energy on making that right again. He owed it to Emmanuel and his team. More importantly, he owed it to himself.

After his parents died, he’d vowed to become someone great, someone whom they could be proud of. He’d kept that promise he made as a kid up until a few weeks ago, when he’d fallen from the top for the first time in his life. Yeah, it had been embarrassing to lose in front of his fans and the crowd of onlookers, but it had been even more disappointing to break his promise to his parents.

Now he had to work twice as hard to come back and show them once again what he was made of. Letting Sam disturb his life would only complicate things. He couldn’t train and try to win again while being distracted by her.

She stirred and he turned to look at her once more. She smiled in her sleep and his heart felt like it was breaking into a million pieces. No other woman had made him curse his determination to win except for her. All the more reason to put her out of his life and move on to his next fight.

He kissed her forehead before throwing the covers aside and getting out of bed. It was either really late or really early, but that didn’t matter. He’d rather go for a run on the beach or go work out than continue to lay beside her soft, warm body. If he didn’t tear himself away now, he never would.

The next day, Sam felt giddy and excited and a little over the moon, something she didn’t remember ever feeling before. The reason was twofold. First, she’d managed to accomplish something no other person had done before, and that was to get an interview from Trent. And second, having been pleased as though she’d been the birthday girl at her own party, did result in putting a grin on her face for the entire world to see.

“What’s with that smirk?” her co-worker asked as Sam sat down at her desk, ready to get started on her article.

“What smirk?” she asked innocently, hoping her blush wasn’t noticeable.

“You, young lady, look like you either had the night of your life or won the lottery.”

Sam couldn’t help but laugh. “Very funny.”

“Uh huh,” Susan said, tapping a stack of papers against her desk. “I like how you’re not answering my question.”

“That’s because I have work to do. Very important work,” Sam said, pretending to read the notes in front of her.

“Important work? Since when do you have important work to do here?”

“Since I got an interview from Trent Page,” she announced proudly.

Susan lowered her head to give Sam a disbelieving look. “No way.”

“Yes way. I’m working on the article right now.”

“How did you manage to get him to talk?”

“That’s a secret,” Sam replied, not intending on going into details with anyone about her time with Trent. She wasn’t sure what to think of their time together, other than the fact that he made her toes curl with pleasure and managed to surprise her in a very positive way. He still was the macho guy she’d met in Vegas, but after getting to know him, she realized that there was a lot more to him than anyone knew. Well, maybe Emmanuel knew him best, but the public didn’t really know much about Trent. He’d made sure of that by not talking to anyone about himself. And then he’d opened up to her out of all people, and even though that had been her mission all along, frankly, she’d been stunned to have finally achieved her goal.

He had picked her to reveal aspects about himself that no one had the privilege of hearing before. Yes, she loved the sex with him, but she really felt special that he’d indulged her, gone along with her schemes, and agreed to the interview. All that after she’d humiliated him in front of an entire club full of people the night he’d lost his first fight. She didn’t want to read too much into his actions, but surely that meant something.

She got her notes out and stared at the transcribed interview. After waking up alone in his bed, she’d found him working out in his home gym. He’d seemed focused on his training, so she’d told him she had to get home but she’d call him later. He had walked her out and kissed her goodbye at the door. Once at home, she’d listened to the interview mortified, as if she had made a video tape of herself having sex and was watching it the next day. The recording was not something she could let anyone else hear, so she transcribed the interview at home and brought the notes to the office.

Now that she actually had everything in front of her, she didn’t know where to start. Writing an article about someone who had avoided the public for so long, despite being in the limelight due to his fights, was daunting. She wanted to give an accurate portrayal of Trent, the fighter, but also of Trent, the guy she had come to know. She owed that to his fans. Everyone knew that he was a great athlete, but people wanted to know what made him tick.

She looked over his answers to her interview questions and made minor notes on the pages. He’d been brief and hadn’t given away too much detail. In some cases, he hadn’t answered her question at all. She’d have to follow up with him on a couple of things just to wrap things up.

It was three o’clock in the afternoon now and he’d be on a break from sparring, if she remembered correctly. She dialed his number and waited.

The remaining questions and additional details could be discussed over the phone, if necessary, but she wasn’t sure if he wanted to give his answers in person instead. Either way was fine with her, as long as they tied up the loose ends as soon as possible. She had to turn in her article before her boss cornered her again.

His phone went to voicemail and she hung up frustrated. So maybe she could be a little patient, she told herself. It was the middle of the day, after all. He surely had stuff to do.

She set a reminder to call him again in a few hours, then turned her attention to the article. Once she put the first sentence on paper, the writing flowed and the pages seemed to just write themselves.

Satisfied that everything was going so well, she allowed herself to relax for the first time in a long time.

***

Trent had just finished a sparring session at the gym when Ramirez told him Sam was waiting outside. He groaned and pulled off his gloves, bracing himself for what was to come. It had been a couple of days since they’d slept together again, and she’d tried to reach him about some interview questions that needed followup. He’d basically blown her off, telling her at first that he was too busy, and then not even answering her calls. He knew it was a dick move, but he didn’t know how else to deal with her. He’d hoped that she’d leave him alone after getting her interview, but for some reason, she just seemed incapable of leaving his life, and it was driving him crazy. He already dreamed about her; he didn’t need to be seeing her during the day too. Now that their work had come to an end, he had to put her out of his mind and focus on what mattered again.

He was working out real hard and seemed to be doing better in the ring. It wasn’t a huge improvement, but every bit helped. And now she was back, cornering him at the gym. For fuck’s sake!

He threw his gloves on the desk by the front entrance and stepped out. The late afternoon sun cast an orange shadow on everything and Sam was a glowing vision that stole his breath away. She was more stunning each time he saw her.

“Hey,” he said, feeling his insides clench at the icy look she gave him. So much for that afternoon glow.

“Hi,” she replied, walking up to him.

He stared at her in silence, not sure what to say. She, in turn, stared back, obviously expecting something. After a few awkward seconds, she inhaled deeply and adjusted the strap of her purse on her shoulder.

“Did you get my messages?”

“Yeah. I’ve been busy.”

She looked like she doubted that very much. “I’m trying to finish my article and am missing a couple of answers. All I need is a few of minutes to wrap this up.”

He looked at a motorcycle passing by. “I told you, babe, I’m busy. We started this new routine and I can’t be messing around with reporters anymore.”

The moment the words left his mouth, he could see a small transformation happening on her face, nothing drastic, but he noticed it nevertheless. A slight change in the green of her eyes, the raising of her eyebrows, a barely noticeable drooping of the corners of her mouth.

He licked his lips, trying to ignore the bitter taste in his mouth.

“So you don’t have a couple of minutes to spare?” she asked, holding on to her purse strap so tightly, he could see her knuckles turn white.

“Not anytime soon.”

Just then, some girls he knew made their way across the parking lot toward the gym.

“Hey Trent,” they called out in unison.

He raised his hand and smiled at them. “Hey girls.”

Sam turned to scrutinize the group. They were a stark contrast to her, showing off tits, ass, legs and arms in skimpy outfits that left little to the imagination. Their hair was an unnatural shade of platinum blonde, their faces were made up like they were entering a beauty contest, and their skin glowed orange from something other than the sun.

Funny that he’d never noticed those details before, but then again, he couldn’t have cared less about the women who’d thrown themselves at him. And then he’d met the one girl who didn’t stroke his ego and didn’t give a rat’s ass about impressing him, and he’d never been the same again.

“Is it quitting time yet?” one of the girls asked, walking past him with a flirty smile.

“Almost,” he answered, making it a point to check out her ass.

“Well, hurry up, gorgeous, so we don’t have to wait too long,” another one said, grazing his pecs with her finger as she walked past him into the gym.

The third girl kissed his cheek and gave him a dazzling smile before disappearing into the building. When he locked eyes with Sam again, he felt like she’d slapped him all over again.

“I guess you have time for more important things,” she said, her cheeks turning a flaming red.

He wanted to tell her that he didn’t give a shit about those girls, but it was pointless. He’d been trying to cut her loose and this was his opportunity.

He shrugged nonchalant and crossed his arms. “What can I say? Duty calls. Congratulations, by the way, on getting the one and only interview from me, babe.“

She snorted and shot him an annoyed look. “You know what, Trent? It’s fucking sports, not rocket science or warfare or curing cancer. You fight and you have fans all over the world who would give anything to know more about you. Get over yourself already and talk to those who look up to you.”

The fact that she was cursing was starling enough, but then, to hear her say that, was even more of a surprise.

She turned and started walking away, then stopped and walked back to him once more.

“Do you even know why I took you to meet Hank and Adele, or why we went ice skating?”

He shook his head. He still didn’t have the slightest clue and had completely forgotten to ask her.

“Since you didn’t have grandparents growing up, I took you to Hank and Adele’s for dinner,” she said, looking him square in the eyes. “They’re the nicest people I know and I thought you’d enjoy meeting them. I knew that your parents passed away when you were young, so I figured you probably missed out on lots of kids activities, that’s why I took you ice skating. And because you’ve been doing nothing but banging chicks for who knows how long, I took you on an actual date.” She darted a look in the direction of the gym door and shook her head.

“I gave you a glimpse into the life you missed out on, Trent, but I don’t know why I bothered. I was right the first time we met. You really are an asshole.”

He thought he’d been stunned before, but now he really didn’t know what to say. She stared up at him with hardened eyes and he wondered how he could have been such an ass.

“With each day and night we spent together, I got to know and like you more. You restored my faith in humanity again, but what the fuck do I know?” she said so quietly, he had to strain to hear. He lowered his arms, not sure what to do.

She pressed her lips together, nodded as if coming to some sort of decision, and turned to go.

“Sam, wait!” He ran after her.

She didn’t and only stopped when he grabbed her arm to spin her around.

“What?” she snapped at him.

He frowned and let out a loud sigh. “Look, I don’t know how to do this. I’m no good for you. You deserve someone who can take care of you.”

She gave a mirthless laugh. “Take care of me? I grew up in a house run by junkies, Trent. From the time I learned how to read, my parents were getting high. We had dealers coming in and out of the house, harassing me and making me hide in whatever corners I could hide in. I don’t need you to take care of me. I can take care of myself.”

He stared at her in shock.

“Go back to your fan club, Punisher. That’s where you’re really needed.”

She snatched her arm out of his grip, unlocked her car and got in. He stood on the sidewalk and watched her speed off without another glance at him.