Senn (A Cocky Cage Fighter Novel Book 5) (4 page)

Senn

“Fucking ow!” I screech when another seashell or piece of gravel stabs the bottom of my foot. I should’ve gone back to get shoes. When Lynn, Linc’s mom, told me there weren’t any crackers of any kind in the house, I just started for the store around the corner from the beach house without thinking. I do have a fiver and some change in my cargo shorts pocket, which I assume will be enough to cover the cost of a box of saltines. Or Ritz. Does Abby have a preference? If I had thought to grab my phone, I could call the house. Oh well.

Walking into the beach shop, I finally find the right aisle and grab the first box I see. Of course, since I’m in a hurry to get back to the house and stop the horrendous morning sickness Abby’s enduring, the one check-out line is a mile long.

Huffing out a breath in frustration, I wait not so patiently for my turn. The unfortunate image of Abby naked and retching with blood pouring from her nose might be branded on my brain. I realize that today is probably not the first time she’s had morning sickness, and it’s my fucking fault she has to deal with all this shit. Yes, we were both participants in the conception; but if I had just abstained, listened to my head telling me not to fuck my best friend’s ex-girlfriend, she wouldn’t have to hug toilets. And what’s with the nosebleeds, twice in a few hours? Is that another pregnancy symptom? I’ll have to Google it later. Fuck, I’ll have to add it to the long list of Googling I need to do, like,
“How not to suck as a father”
and
“How do you change a baby’s diaper?”
and even
“How the fuck do you hold a baby without breaking them?”
 

I have to admit that hearing Abby say the baby craves one of my favorite foods in the world was pretty cool. That’s probably the moment when the last shred of doubt I had about the paternity went flying out the window. Of course I still want to do a DNA test because I’m not a complete idiot, but I already know how it will turn out.

Finally, I’m next in line. The punk rock cashier with purple hair shorter than mine and a nose ring gives me my total for one box of crackers. Six dollars and seventy-five cents. What the fuck? The markup along the coast, mooching off tourists, is unbelievable, but, hey, I guess it’s tough to make a living where you only have customers a few months out of the year.

I pull out my five dollar bill and start counting change. There’s only four quarters. Half a mil in my bank account and I don’t have enough cash on me for crackers. It’s enough to cause flashbacks of my childhood, ones where I was trying to buy bread or peanut butter from the smoke-filled convenience store near our trailer park with a handful of pennies because I couldn’t count. Even if I could, I wouldn’t have been able to scrape together enough for any of the shit I usually tried to buy. Hell, it wasn’t even embarrassing when I was that young and hungry. By the time I got old enough to know shame, I was so smooth I could just steal food instead of have to beg for it. Guilt might be a stronger emotion, but at least you get to keep that shit to yourself.

While I stand here stuck in the past, the clerk eyes my bare chest all the way down to the waistband of my shorts. Then, she reaches in her pocket and puts three more quarters on my pile.

“Thank you,” I say in relief since I won’t have to make a trip back to the house for my wallet and waste more time. “They’re for my pregnant girlfriend, who’s at this very second puking her guts out across the street.”

Girlfriend? Did I seriously just say that word? I’ve never had a girlfriend in my entire life. Subconsciously I’m sure my brain just thought it sounded better than “baby mama.”  That has to be it.

Taking my plastic bag from the counter with an offer of congrats from the punk rock clerk, I head out the door and wait for traffic to clear, so I can cross the street. When I see a red BMW come flying by from the direction of the beach house, I know I’m too late.

Abby just left.

Fuck.

I walk across the pavement and then through the sandy path scattered with seashells that feel more like glass to get back to my empty room at the house. The unmade bed and smell of sex in the air is all that’s left of the night of amazing sex. What a shame, because it was so incredible there should’ve been some sort of way to remember it like, I dunno, a photo, video or t-shirt with the date that says, “
Best fucks of my life
.” 

Looking down on the floor filled with my dirty clothes, my eyes land on the light blue satin garter trimmed in white lace. I bend down and pick it up just as Nate comes up behind me and says, “Hey, man, sorry about earlier.”

I stuff the garter into the pocket of my shorts before I turn around to face him.

“If I had known she was –”

“Don’t fucking say it.” I hold a hand up to warn him. Knowing he saw her that way, naked and so vulnerable, nearly caused me to choke him out.

“I was just checking on her after I heard someone throwing up,” he says, shoving his hands into his jean pockets.

“Yeah, I know,” I reply on an exhale before I go over and sink down onto the edge of the mattress, tossing the plastic bag next to me. “And I went to get her crackers, but she’s gone.”

“She’s pregnant?” he asks.

“Yep.”

“And it’s yours?”

“Yep.” I stare up at the lighthouse painting on the wall and grind my teeth together, waiting for holier-than-thou Nate to lay into me about what a jackass I am.

“You actually care about her,” he says.

“What the hell?” I ask, looking back over him now standing against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest.

“You were ready to decapitate me for seeing her naked, and you obviously broke your one-night stand rule.”

“She was sick, and…and pregnant. I didn’t want anyone perving on her,” I argue.

“And you really think I was perving on her?” he asks.

“No,” I admit, because Nate’s not an asshole and wouldn’t screw over his friend, unlike me.

“You know, you don’t have to feel guilty about being with her. Linc’s married, so he’s not gonna mind. She was the one from that night back in what, March, right? When I had to come pick you up early the next morning?”

“How did you know?” I ask.

“Because when we were eating breakfast in the diner, you looked like you’d been run over by a big ass
what the fuck did I just do
truck, but you weren’t hungover. I’m guessing you were completely sober that night, and you knew full well what you were doing.”

“It was only supposed to be that one night,” I say in my defense.

“Right,” he says followed by a chuckle. “Is that why I was always able to pin your ass to the mat whenever Abby was in the gym?”

“I was worried she would tell Linc…”

“No,” he says. “I’m talking about when she came in to see him
before
that morning I picked you up.”  

“Oh,” I mutter as I try to think back. Nate is a helluva a grappler, three time national champion in college. But with my thirty pound weight advantage, he usually can’t beat me. Usually. Except for the days I was distracted by a petite girl in tight jeans and tall boots, her full tits falling out her top.

“If you ask me, I think you’re happy you knocked her up,” he says offhandedly with a shrug.

“What the fuck?” I exclaim. “I never wanted to have kids. I used a condom –”

“That’s not what I mean,” he interrupts. “I didn’t say you
meant
to get her pregnant, just that now that she is, you’ve got an excuse to keep seeing her and the permission from Linc you thought you needed. She can be more than a one-night stand because you have an obligation to be with her, right?”

“I got her pregnant, so shouldn’t I be the one to take care of them?” I reply. 

“Then why the fuck are you still here?” he asks with a grin.

Abby

Exhausted beyond belief, I’ve just settled into my comfy sofa when there’s a knock on my apartment door. Since I haven’t ordered any food yet, I have a good idea who it is.

Having showered after the five-hour drive home from the beach, I’m not too much of a mess other than my eyes being a little redder than normal. Good thing I have lots of cucumbers in the fridge to put on them to try and reduce the puffiness later.

Pulling open the door, I come face-to-face with sparkling baby blue eyes and dirty blond hair sticking out from underneath a backward orange Clemson baseball cap.

“Hey, Luke,” I say, not having to force the smile on my face. I’m really happy to see him. It means I won’t be alone. He’s super sweet and is well aware that this is all temporary. I’ve been honest with him about everything, even the fact that he reminds me of Linc. In exchange, he’s been up front with me about that fact that he wants us to get naked. Also, and most importantly, unlike Senn, he’s safe. I don’t have to worry about him screwing around with other women or breaking my heart.

“Hey, beautiful,” Luke says with a stunning smile, opening his arms for me to step into them for a hug. “How you doing? How was the wedding? Linc didn’t come to his senses before the
I dos
?”

Snaking my arms around his trim waist, I laugh into his neck since he’s only half a foot taller than me. “I’m okay, and Linc’s now a happily married man.”

“Sorry, not sorry,” he says with a kiss to the top of my head. “That means you’re still here and single.”

“Right,” I say with a shake of my head as I pull away to let him step inside the apartment. This is what I like about Luke. He’s so laid back and fun to be around. He always knows what to say or do to cheer me up.

“Did you see Senn?” he asks, following me to the sofa.

“Uh-huh.” I nod in the affirmative, sinking down onto the plush cushions with my legs curled up under me.

“And? Was he an asshole like usual?” he asks, flopping down next to me with an arm around my shoulders, pulling me against his chest. I willingly go, grasping the front of his black, cotton
Havoc
tee and closing my eyes to drink in his clean scent. I’m such a bitch for wishing he smelled like the sandalwood I washed off earlier in the shower. Rubbing a palm down his stomach, I feel his abs through the soft material to try and stop those idiotic thoughts.

“Yes and no,” I answer in response to his question about Senn’s behavior. Senn, well, he sends more mixed signals than Helen Keller directing traffic.

“He was actually decent?” Luke asks, both eyebrows shooting up in amazement. Senn and Luke train at the same gym, so they know each other, not well, but it’s a small facility. “So did he go all Darth Vader and finally accept responsibility for being a father and shit?”

“I think so, yeah.”

“Wow. Didn’t know he had it in him.”

“Me either,” I agree, but I’m ready to change the subject. “So what did you do this weekend?”

“Missed you,” he says, nuzzling my neck. “Trained. Ran a lot. Missed you.”

“You already said that one,” I point out. Why can’t all guys be like Luke, open and upfront without all the bullshit games?

“Oh, did I?” he asks before pulling me up onto his lap so that I’m straddling his waist. When he leans forward to capture my lips with his, I suddenly feel like a guilty whore. Luke was thinking about me while I was fucking someone else.

“I slept with Senn,” I tell him. He keeps kissing me.

“Yeah, I know,” he says, palming my bump that seems to get bigger each day.

“Last night,” I clarify. “Twice.”

“Okay,” he replies. Tossing his hat out of the way, he grabs for the back of my head without even a pause, and then his tongue is tangling with mine.

Pulling back to break the kiss, I repeat, “Okay?” 

“Does that mean I can’t keep kissing you? Because you fucked him? Are you and him together?” he asks, blue eyes soft and understanding.

“No. I just…I wasn’t sure…Are you…?”

“Fucking other girls? No,” he answers without even blinking. “And you know I won’t.”

“But that’s not very fair,” I point out, tugging on the front of his shirt.

He chuckles sadly. “Life isn’t fucking fair. And you and I know that better than most. I like being with you…for however long we have. I get that there might be an expiration date, but I’m trying to be optimistic and not think about that shit. The glass has unlimited refills or whatever.” He kisses my cheek and then my jaw, brushing his scruffy, unshaved chin over the soft skin. “You have enough to worry about, so don’t waste time worrying about me, all right?”

“You sure?” I ask. This incredible man must have flaws, but I have yet to find a single one.

Luke slouches down lower on the sofa, just enough that I shift forward to feel his steel length bulging up from between my spread thighs. “Would you feel less guilty if I only think with my cock like Senn from now on?” he asks. His hands circle my waist, holding me down when he thrusts his hips up into me a few teasing times, making me laugh. “Abby, I know you two have shit to work through. You’re having his baby. So whatever happens, happens. But I’m not going anywhere unless you tell me to. Even when you don’t feel like being touched, I’ll still be here for you.”

I try to hold them back, but a stupid tear slips down my cheek. Luke quickly wipes it away. “Can I kiss you now?” he asks, and I nod since I don’t want to think anymore. Being with Senn last night was a fluke. I was just depressed about Linc getting married, and Senn was just horny like always. Nothing more. If he gave a shit about me, I wouldn’t have been a one-night stand all those months ago.

Relaxing into Luke’s arms, I lose myself in our kiss that pauses long enough for his shirt to lift over his head and then my
Shake Your Coconut
s pajama tank top to come off, leaving me naked from the waist up.

“I missed you, girls,” Luke says, making me laugh when he cups the flopsy twins, one in each hand, before he lowers his mouth to kiss them both in greeting. His admiration of my breasts has me thinking of what Senn said about my vagina. Another laugh bubbles up out of me.

“What?” he asks, squeezing the girls together and licking a path down my cleavage.

“Senn proclaimed his love to my pussy last night,” I tell him. Luke and I seriously tell each other everything. I guess that sort of makes him my best friend who I like to make out with.

“Aw,” Luke grumbles. “He’s a lucky man. I’m halfway to loving your pussy, and my cock and tongue haven’t even been in it yet.” Shoving his hand down the front of my cotton pajama shorts and panties, he watches my face as his fingers stroke my pussy. “I love having my fingers in your pussy.” I gasp and sit up on my knees when he hits the spot. The one that sends pleasurable tingles all through my body.

Holding onto his muscular shoulders, I tremble through my release before slumping against his smooth chest, completely spent. “Mmm,” I sigh in contentment, right when there’s a knock on the door.

“You order food?” Luke asks.

“Not yet,” I reply.

“Then let me get it,” he says. Lifting my fat ass off of him like I’m light as a feather, he sits me on the sofa cushion beside him. When he stands up, his spine straightens and shoulders square to make him seem even bigger. It’s cute when he’s in protector mode. The random thought that he’ll make a great father someday crosses my mind.

Since the sofa is against the wall facing the door, I quickly pull on my shirt, so I don’t flash whoever it is. It’s Sunday, which means it’s probably religious nuts coming to tell me what a dirty little sinner I am. Tell me something I don’t know.

…

Senn

When Abby’s apartment door opens, I sure as fuck wasn’t expecting to see Luke Campbell, one of
Havoc
’s rookie fighters, standing shirtless on the other side. Had she moved over the last few months? And, wow, I’ve never noticed it before now, but Luke looks just like a younger version of Linc…

The fucker’s eyes widen in surprise a second before he smirks at me. That’s when I realize
exactly
what’s going on.

Abby’s fucking him.

“Senn!” Luke exclaims in greeting, and then glances over his shoulder into the apartment before his humor-filled eyes come back to mine. “What’s up?”

So, there are two ways I can handle this --- the mature way or the hotheaded fighter way. Since I’m gonna be a father soon, I’ll
try
the mature way.
Try
being the keyword.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I ask, and realize how stupid the question is as soon as the words leave my mouth. The plastic bag in my left hand crunches when my fist grips it tighter.

“What does it look like I’m doing here?” he replies, grinning even bigger when he reaches down to adjust his cock through his black nylon shorts.

My right fist plows into his jaw before my brain even knows that my arm made a unilateral decision to knock the smile off of his face.

I hear Abby’s shriek before I spot her coming off the couch. She quickly kneels down next to the snoozing boy on the floor. Her face is flushed and hair is in a braid but with pieces loose like she just got fucked. It was only this morning when she woke up in
my bed
the same way!

Based on the gentle, familiar way she touches the douche’s cheek and hair, I’m starting to think this isn’t the first time he’s been over to her house. Not sure why I’m surprised. I may be a dickwhore, but she’s a slut. The only difference is that now she’s slutting around with my baby inside of her!

“Luke? Oh God, are you okay?” she asks frantically.

When he blinks his eyes open and his hand comes up to stroke his sore jaw, I feel a tiny bit of relief knowing he probably hasn’t sustained permanent brain damage from my hit. I wanted to teach him a lesson, not murder him. Anger is still pulsing through my veins, though, so we may not be finished yet.

“What the fuck, Abby?” I ask. “Are you babysitting for his mommy to get some practice? Tell me you haven’t been fucking a boy!”

“He’s nineteen!” She stands up to shout at me. “And why did you hit him? It’s none of your business who I fuck!”

It’s hard to focus on her words after I get distracted by her coconuts. No really. There are giant coconuts on her shirt placed perfectly over her luscious titties.

“Stop staring at my coconuts when I’m talking to you!” she yells.

“They’re nice coconuts,” the asshole mumbles from behind her. She shoots a glare in his direction that softens when she offers a hand to help him to his feet. Pussy.

“This,” I say, gesturing between the two of them when I finally remember my argument, “
is
my business when I was just fucking you bareback last night!”

My goal had been to not only make a valid point but to incite the asshole. Fucker doesn’t even have the audacity to look surprised by my admission that Abby and I slept together.

“I’m practically a virgin since I’ve only been with another virgin,” Luke proudly proclaims. I’m pleased by the fact that he has to put a hand on the wall to hold himself steady. “Shouldn’t
you
be the one we worry about getting STDs from?” he asks.

I lunge for him; but as soon as Abby steps in front of me, I lower my clenched fists and don’t move forward another inch. God forbid I hurt her or the baby.

“I need to get you some ice,” Abby says when she sees the swelling on his face. She turns and walks back into the apartment with him on her heels. And since she didn’t dismiss me, I follow them and shut the door because I want answers. In the foyer, I pause a moment to acknowledge the dent in the wall that’s responsible for changing my life. If we’d made it to the bedroom and fucked missionary or doggy style, would Abby have gotten pregnant? Too late to change it now.

Moving farther into the living room and little eating area, I sit the bag of crackers from the beach store on the table as I look around.

“This place is too small for a baby,” I declare. My living room is bigger than the entire apartment. After growing up in a tin can, I bought the biggest, most spacious house I could comfortably afford several years ago. Do I need a big ass house? No, but I’ll be damned if I live in a cramped trailer again. 

“There’s plenty of room here,” Abby says without looking up from the sink where she’s filling a plastic sandwich bag with ice.

“Have you bought any baby shit yet?” I ask since I’m surprised when I don’t see anything. Some sort of look passes between Abby over her shoulder and Luke on the sofa. I really don’t fucking like it.

“Not yet. It’s bad luck to buy anything before the second trimester,” she eventually answers, like I know what the fuck a trimester is.

Walking back through to the living room, Abby climbs up beside Luke, sitting on her knees to hold the bag over his cheek. She may have bitch tendencies, but I actually think she’ll be a pretty good mother. I mean, she can’t be worse than mine. No one can be that bad at caring, nurturing, or otherwise giving a shit about their child.