Chapter Fifteen
Ring light? Check.
Tripod height adjustment? Check.
MAC’s Soar lipstick in matte? Applied.
Lily adjusted the tilt of her phone, tracking the movements of Carter and AJ through the screen as they sparred in the Octagon.
Whether Kieran would admit it or not, Carter was one of the team’s best fighters.
He wove and dodged while AJ chased. It was a technique Lily had seen quite a bit when researching Kieran’s old fights.
Conserve energy. Strike when they slow down to breathe.
The heat of Kieran’s body rolled over her shoulders and surrounded her like an embrace.
If she closed her eyes, she could picture his touch—remember the warmth of his skin blazing against hers as he lavished her breasts with his tongue.
“What’s your surprise for today?”
Just his voice in her ear was enough to make her throat go dry. Never mind forgetting her ex. How was she going to get Kieran out of her system?
“You’ll find out in just a minute.”
Scrubbing her palms against her spandex shorts, Lily turned and found herself chest to chest with Kieran. A blush tickled her cheeks, but he took a half step back, releasing the breathless spell he always caught her in.
The space offered her a better look at him, and she clamped her hands together behind her back, hiding away those untamed pieces of herself. Left unchecked, she was likely to spread her hands over the span of his chest.
The gym uniform the guys wore consisted of black shorts and T-shirt or tank top with South Side MMA across the front.
But per Lily’s request that Kieran host a sparring match on her Live today, he was in his full MMA gear.
A black rash guard with red lettering stretched taut across his torso.
Black compression shorts, which she was certain had built-in protection for her favorite part of him, peeked out just a hair longer than his red fight shorts.
His feet were bare and his hands already wrapped and adorned with padded, fingerless gloves. Clutched in one hand was a mouth guard.
When she managed to shift her gaze up to his face, she found his attention centered on her lips.
Lily rolled the bottom one, delighting in the way Kieran’s jaw clenched and his Adam’s apple bobbed before his eyes flashed to hers.
“Your makeup looks nice.”
“Thank you.” Teaching herself to do her makeup and connect with her femininity had been one of the ways Lily bonded with her followers early on, right after she’d arrived in Chicago. “If you could round the guys up around the Octagon, I think we’re ready to go live.”
He gave her one last lingering look, going so far as to raise a brow at her choice of a push-up bra under her tank top instead of a sports bra, but he said nothing else. He sauntered toward his fighters.
She shot off a quick text to Nat, verifying her friend was ready to moderate the comments. With one last deep breath and after painting a smile on her face, she slid her finger over the button and started the stream.
“Hey, guys! Good afternoon.” She waved with one hand while playing with her ponytail with the other. One part bashful, one part flirty—a third, secret part completely insecure and convinced she’d make a fool of herself.
“Welcome to our Monday-evening men’s team fight class!
” She’d been teasing the Live all week and, based on how quickly the count of viewers ticked up, some must have been waiting on the gym’s channel for the stream to start.
“We’ll just give it a minute while the guys stretch and some more friends trickle in. ”
Hit It’s algorithm would push the Live out to her followers as well as folks who’d rarely interacted with her content but showed an interest in MMA.
She stepped closer to the tripod, speed-reading some of the comments as they scrolled up her screen.
@jollybaker420: Is Sebastián single?
Lily read the question with a laugh and shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. Seb’s pretty private, so I couldn’t even tell ya if he’s into girls, gays or theys. Good luck, though. He’s a cutie.”
@georgiarain66: Clout chasers. She and the coach are married.
“Humph.” She stuck her right hand on her hip and flashed the left one in front of the camera. “If we’re married, he owes me a ring. Someone tell Kieran I like rose gold, not yellow, and I hate diamonds. Emerald or moissanite is preferred.”
At least most of the comments were positive. Lots of “heys” and “hellos.” A few “good lucks” to the team.
@daBears2022: Who do you think will win the Local Legends fight?
“Kieran.” It wasn’t even a question, nor was there a sliver of doubt in her mind.
Lily knew next to nothing about MMA, and even less about how these tournaments worked, but she trusted Kieran—believed in him.
“Look at his stats. He was unstoppable. But in case you need more proof, I’ve set up our own little tournament for today. ”
She stepped back, giving room for her phone’s camera to take in the Octagon and the team milling about. Some of the guys waved with broad smiles on their faces. Others, like Kieran, stood as still as statues—arms crossed and expressions guarded.
“For anyone who didn’t know.” Lily projected her voice so the Live as well as the team could hear her.
“Today, June 22, is National Kissing Day. And I thought to celebrate, I’d make the guys an offer: Anyone who can last longer than two minutes in the ring with Coach Sullivan will earn a kiss from me. Right here. On camera.”
“Oh, fuck yeah!” Carter called out, and several of the guys chuckled and clapped hands as excitement washed over them.
It wasn’t even just about kissing her. It was the chance to prove themselves against their coach in front of their followers.
Pride was easily manipulated.
“What if I win?” Kieran leaned against the cage, arms extended above his head and flexed in an unholy distraction.
Lily tilted her chin up in a challenge. “You really think you can beat all of them?”
“Oh, Princess.” A smirk twitched at the corner of his mouth. “I know I can.”
“Damn, Coach,” Billy laughed. “Glad to see you believe in us.”
Kieran shrugged and took his place in the back right corner of the ring. “I do believe in you, but right now, I’m fighting for Lily. I don’t intend to lose.”
Butterflies scattered in her belly, and Lily sucked in a breath, calming her blush.
It’s all for the camera. Because yes, they were looking for clout.
For interest in the gym and the tournament.
For memberships and sponsorships. If the chemistry between Kieran and herself brought in revenue, he’d play along.
Billy joined Kieran inside the Octagon first, and while Lily couldn’t even begin to name all the techniques used in MMA, it seemed Kieran was enjoying the fight well enough.
He glided around the ring, knees bent and movements fluid.
He owned the space around him—from the walls of the cage to the air in his lungs. He was all confidence. All power.
Before the clock hit ninety seconds, he had Billy twisted in a submission hold.
“Tap out,” Kieran growled.
Though pained, Billy laughed through clenched teeth. “I only gotta hold on half a minute.”
“Tap out now, or I’ll dislocate your shoulder.” Giving weight to his threat, Kieran wrenched Billy’s pinned arm, hovering on bending it out of position.
“Fuck! Okay!” He tapped his fingers against the mat.
Kieran sprang away, all smiles and holding out a hand to help Billy up. “Good round, man.”
While they waited for the next opponent, Lily wiggled her eyebrows at the camera and checked the feed.
@itsbritneybitch2005: “I’m fighting for Lily.” Oh, my godddddd. Someone tell #thatgymguy I’m submissive and breedable.
Lily couldn’t hold back her strangled shriek of laughter. “Hey, Coach!”
“Yeah.” Kieran’s voice was strained, and she glanced back. He was already mid-grapple with Steven.
“Britney, looks like she’s about twenty-one, says she’d like to have your babies.”
Kieran had Steven twisted, all bent up between his legs. He raised one brow at Lily, as if to say, What the fuck?
Steven tapped out, and Kieran rocked back on his heels. “Can you tell her I’m a little busy?”
The fights continued. Submission hold after submission hold. Kieran didn’t need to hurt his fighters. He used his overpowering strength to bend them to his will. The control, as well as the restraint, was hot as hell.
Lily rolled her bottom lip between her teeth, never taking her eyes off him.
Terror had raced through her every time Vovik raised his fists. Could it be different with Kieran? If she asked him to toss her to the ground and take her, would he exert the same control he used with his fighters? If she asked him to stop, would he spring away?
It was easy to imagine. Her fantasies had only become more vibrant since they’d begun spending extra time together.
And God, did she have a vivid imagination. She could feel the weight of Kieran’s fingers in her hair—the heat of his hand around her throat. The purr of his voice in her ear, promising to give her anything she’d like.
“Hey, Lily!”
Carter’s voice shook her from her fantasy. She swallowed hard and blinked, focusing on the blond fighter. He leaned in the entrance of the Octagon with a grin stretched across his face.
“Get that kiss ready, baby. I’ll be there in two minutes.”
She smiled but cut her gaze to Kieran. The look on his face was dark—calculating. He swiped at his mouth with his forearm, and Lily cringed.
Someone must have landed a hit while she was spaced out. Blood smeared from a cut in his lip.
While Kieran had been through several fights, Carter was fresh. Had he waited till the end on purpose, knowing Kieran would be winded?
If he had, Lily had to give him some credit. Carter was smart.
But the moment the timer started, Kieran exploded. Gone was the jovial coach giving his fighters half a chance. He descended on Carter in a fury of blows. Punches and kicks that crowded Carter until all he could do was defend.