Epilogue
Jamie: Ready for action? I'll be oiled up and waiting.
Ethan: Is this a booty call?
Jamie: Come to the gym and find out.
Ethan
I step out of the elevator and cross eagerly to our private gym, hoping I’m going to find what Jamie’s text message promised.
The gym is usually brightly lit, but tonight the overhead lights are off, and the room is only lit by some dim lights in the corners. I spot the wrestling mat rolled out in the center of the room, and my pulse kicks up.
A figure emerges from the shadows. Long, muscular legs. Gleaming, oiled skin. A red bikini that makes my mouth go dry. And a black mask covering the upper half of her face.
"Who are you, mysterious masked stranger?” I drawl, shrugging off my suit jacket.
Jamie puts her hands on her hips, and even with the mask hiding half her expression, I can tell she's fighting a smile. “I’m the woman who’s about to kick your ass. Ready to lose to me, Ethan ‘Killer’ Kane?”
I start unbuttoning my shirt. "Lose? I don't think so. I've been training.”
“Oh, I’m going to pin you,” she promises. “And make you tap out so hard.”
My breath hitches with anticipation. “Give it your best shot.”
My shirt follows my jacket to the floor. Then my pants. When I'm down to just my boxer briefs, I step onto the mat.
“I expect a better fight than last time,” Jamie warns. She circles me, predatory grace in every step.
"Last time?" I pretend to be confused, playing along. "Have we met before, mysterious stranger?”
Her laugh is low, dangerous. "Let's see if you remember this.”
She lunges.
I'm ready for the move and dodge her first attack. I actually manage to grab her arm, but she's too quick. She twists, using my momentum against me, and suddenly I'm flying through the air.
I land hard on my back, the mat cushioning the impact. Before I can move, she's on top of me, straddling my hips, pinning my wrists above my head.
"That all you got?" she taunts.
I buck my hips, trying to throw her off, but she just tightens her thighs around me. The pressure, the slide of her oiled skin against mine, the way she's looking down at me with that fierce, dominant energy…it's all doing things to me. Things she can definitely feel, given how she's positioned.
“Ready to tap out?” Her smirk widens, but her eyes are hazy, and I can tell she’s as turned on as I am.
"You fight dirty," I growl.
“Always.” She shifts, grinding down on me, and my breath catches. “Do you admit defeat?”
She leans down, pressing a firm kiss to my lips. The familiar taste of her, the softness of her mouth contrasting with the strength in her body—it drives me wild. While she's distracted, I slide my hands up her sides, loving the way she shivers at my touch.
"Actually," I murmur against her lips, "this is exactly where I want to be."
She laughs, but I use her momentary distraction to flip us, pinning her beneath me. Her eyes widen behind the mask.
"Not fair!"
I capture her protest with my mouth, kissing her deeply. She melts into it, her body softening under mine, and suddenly we're not playing anymore. My hands slide over her skin, mapping familiar curves, and her fingers dig into my shoulders, pulling me closer.
When we finally break apart, we're both breathing hard.
"You've definitely improved," she says, voice husky.
I grin. "I had a good teacher. You might have heard of her? She’s Jamie ‘Knockout’ Jennings.”
“Oh yeah. She’s the best." Jamie yanks me down for another kiss, her lips parting beneath mine, inviting me in.
Her hands are in my hair again, tugging, her nails scraping lightly against my scalp.
The sensation sends an electric charge down my spine, straight to my cock, which is straining against my boxer briefs.
I slide my hands under her bikini, palms skimming the smooth, oiled skin of her back.
She told me that when she fights, she tapes her bikini in place.
But she's not wearing tape now, and it's easy to slide the fabric of her top to the side, freeing her breasts.
They spill into my hands, heavy and warm, her nipples pebbling under my touch.
She moans as I lick a path from her collarbone down to her breast, catching a nipple between my teeth.
She's covered with coconut oil, and the taste mingles with the salt of her skin, tangy in my mouth.
I tease her, swirling my tongue around the hardened peak before moving to the other, lavishing it with the same attention.
Her hips are moving now, writhing against me, seeking friction. I can feel the heat of her through the thin fabric of my boxer briefs, and it's driving me wild. I want to be inside her, to feel her clench around me as she comes.
I reach down, hooking my fingers into the waistband of her bikini pants. She lifts her hips, helping me slide them down her legs. I can't help but pause, admiring the muscles flexing in her abs, the strength in her thighs. She's a fucking warrior goddess, and she's all mine.
She kicks the bikini bottoms off over her boots, and then her hands are at my waist, tugging at my boxer briefs. I lift up, helping her pull them down. My cock springs free, brushing against her thigh, and we both groan at the contact.
She surges, as though to get on top of me, to take control, but I flip her instead.
She lands face down on the rubber mat, a surprised yelp escaping her lips, quickly followed by a low chuckle.
I'm on top of her, using my weight to hold her down.
She's strong enough that she could easily throw me off, but she doesn't. It's a sign of how much she trusts me that lets me hold her down, lets me take the lead.
First I pull her mask off. Then I push my knee between her legs and spread her thighs. She's slick with arousal, her folds glistening in the dim light. I position myself at her entrance, my cock nudging against her. She pushes back against me, trying to take me in, but I hold back, teasing us both.
"Ethan," she growls, her voice muffled by the mat. "Don't you dare?—"
I cut her off with a sharp thrust, burying myself inside her to the hilt. She cries out, her back arching, her fingers clutching at the mat. I still for a moment, letting her adjust to the intrusion, savoring the tight, wet heat of her surrounding me.
Then I start to move.
Each stroke is slow at first, deliberate.
I wind one hand into her hair, tugging it gently.
My mouth is on her shoulder, nipping and kissing.
I can feel every inch of her, the way her body sucks me back in every time I pull out.
Her moans fill the room, echoing off the walls, and the sound of our bodies slapping together is erotic as hell.
“Mine,” I growl aloud, my voice harsh and mindless. “You’re mine.”
I reach beneath her, sliding my hand between her body and the soft rubber mat, finding her clit with my fingers. Her reaction is instantaneous. She bucks against me, her muscles clenching around my cock. I circle the sensitive bundle of nerves, matching the rhythm of my thrusts.
When her orgasm hits her, she bucks again and cries out, her entire body trembling, her inner walls pulsing around me.
It's too much—the feel of her coming undone, the sight of her losing control—and I follow her over the edge, my own release barreling through me with an intensity that leaves me breathless.
We collapse onto the mat, a tangle of limbs and sweat and satisfaction. I roll off her, pulling her into my arms, her back to my chest. Her skin is still slick with oil, and I press a kiss to her shoulder, tasting the remnants of our exertion.
"God, I love you," I murmur, my voice hoarse.
She turns her head, capturing my lips in a languid, satisfied kiss. "I love you too," she says, her eyes sparkling with a mixture of happiness and exhaustion.
We lie there in silence, catching our breath, our hearts gradually slowing to a normal rhythm.
The gym is quiet around us, the world outside momentarily forgotten.
There's nothing but the two of us, the scent of sex and coconut oil hanging heavy in the air.
I trail my fingers up and down her spine, enjoying the way she practically purrs at the touch.
After a while, Jamie shifts in my arms, turning to face me. She traces the line of my jaw with her fingertip, her touch gentle, almost reverent. "You know," she says, a playful glint in her eye, “I’m pretty sure I won that match.”
"Okay.” I press a kiss to her temple. "You won."
She props herself up on an elbow and narrows her eyes at me. "Really? Just like that?"
"Just like that." I brush her hair back from her face, smiling. "Actually, I'm glad you won. It means I get to propose to a champion."
She goes very still. "Wait. What?"
I ease her off me so I can stand up, then I fish my boxer briefs off the floor and pull them on. I need underwear for this moment. Going to where my pants landed, I fish in the pocket. When I pull out the small velvet box, her eyes go wide.
"Ethan..." She gets to her feet. “What are you doing.”
Turning back to her, I drop onto one knee.
I open the box to reveal the ring. It’s a black diamond set in platinum, unique and striking, just like her.
"Jamie, I love you more than words can say. Will you marry—Oof!”
The grunt is me hitting the mat as she tackles me. She lands on me, kissing me with such fierce joy that I almost drop the ring. When she finally pulls back, her eyes are suspiciously bright.
“I can’t believe you proposed while I’m naked,” she says, voice thick.
I laugh, pulling myself off the floor so I can slide the ring onto her finger. “You didn't let me finish the proposal.”
"Yes! I’m saying yes!” She kisses me again, softer this time. "The answer's yes.” Her eyes gleam. “And if we set the wedding for next year, maybe Mom will be well enough to come.”
“Let’s hope so,” I say.
With a team of professionals now dedicated to her mother’s care, she seems to be getting better.
At least she’s accepted the help and has been living in the care center for several months, so Jamie’s tentatively hopeful.
And watching her reconnect with her mother has been one of the best parts of the last few months.
That, and all the sex.
I pull Jamie closer, savoring the weight of her in my arms. "I love you, Knockout.”
"I love you too, Killer. But we’re going to tell everyone that I was fully dressed when the proposal happened, okay?”
“Okay. On one condition.” I run my fingers over her bare breast, enjoying the way my touch makes her shiver.
“Hmm?” she asks, her eyes going deliciously hazy again.
“You have to stay naked while we go upstairs and celebrate our engagement in bed. I’m ready for round two, and this time I’m pretty sure I could win.”
She pretends to think about it. “Will there be chocolate for afterward?”
“Always.”
She grins, grabbing my hand and pulling me up. “Then what are we waiting for?”
“Good thing I know the way to your heart.” I put my arms around her.
She gives me a serious look. “Ethan. You are my heart.”