Chapter Ten
Sierra
W e lay on my couch for a while, his hands tracing lazy patterns along the curve of my back and waist, memorizing me. My own fingers explored the muscular ridges of his chest and arms. It was romantic, perfect, being half-naked and sticky in the aftermath of the best orgasm of my life.
“You should rest on the plane,” I offered eventually, the practical part of my brain resurfacing. “So you're rested for your fight.”
Connor's arms tightened around me. “I'll sleep when I win.” Confidence and tenderness radiated from his every pore. “Until then, I'm exactly where I want to be.”
I hummed against his skin, feeling braver than I ever had before. “My beast,” I whispered, referencing our earlier conversation. His hand found my chin, tilting my face up to meet his gaze. The intensity I found there made my breath catch.
“And you're mine," he said firmly. “My sweet girl. Mine to protect. Mine to pleasure. All mine.” The possessiveness in his voice felt like coming home, like the ending to a story I'd been waiting for my entire life.
I nodded gently and was rewarded with a kiss that was so tender it made my eyes sting with unexpected tears.
Whatever this was between us, this crazy, impossible connection, it was stronger than anything I'd ever known. As Connor held me against his chest, I realized that for the first time in my life, my anxiety had quieted completely. In the arms of this man, I'd found peace.
I woke slowly, the weight of Connor’s arm draped across my waist, locking me to the couch. The room was dim, the soft afternoon light warming the bed. His breathing was steady, deep, and hypnotic, but mine was anything but.
My pulse fluttered like a trapped bird compared to before my nap, my thoughts already spiraling into a whirlwind of anxious whispers as I debated asking the question I had in mind.
He stirred before I could untangle myself from his hold, his grip tightening on my naked waist as he pulled me closer.
“You’re awake,” he murmured, his voice raspy and rough with sleep. His lips kissed my temple, lingering as if he couldn’t bear to let me go. “Stay.”
“I—” My voice cracked, betraying the knot of nerves that felt stuck in my throat. “You have to leave soon.”
His eyes opened slowly, dark and heavy-lidded as they locked onto mine.
“Not yet.”
The way he said it made time feel irrelevant, like he could bend it to his will if it meant keeping me here.
I swallowed hard, my fingers twisting in my shorts in an attempt to work up the courage. “Connor…” My voice was a squeaky whisper. “Can I come see you off?”
I watched for his reaction, afraid he would realize the nobody he was sleeping with right now. His gaze sharpened instantly, the sleepiness replaced by something far more intense. “You want to come? ”
I nodded quickly before I lost my nerve, but my stomach churned with a nauseating mix of anticipation and apprehension. What if he didn’t want to be seen in public with me? What if this was just…? What if it wasn’t serious to him?
I immediately calmed down when his lips curved into a slow smile that sent heat rushing to my cheeks. “Sweet girl.”
He sat up effortlessly, pulling me into his lap. His hands framed my face, thumbs brushing over my cheeks as he kissed me, soft at first, then deeper. His hands slid down my neck and shoulders to cup my breasts possessively. When he pulled back, his forehead rested against mine.
“You’re perfect.”
The drive to the airport was quiet except for the hum of the Audi’s engine and the fact that I was fully aware of his hand resting possessively above my knee.
My heart raced with every mile closer we got, the weight of what I’d just agreed to sinking in like ice water. Meeting his coach? Seeing his friends? The three massive men who lived and breathed boxing? The thought alone made my palms sweat.
Connor seemed attuned to every flicker of anxiety that crossed my face.
“Breathe, sweet girl.” His thumb pressed into the pulse at my wrist, and at every red light, he turned to kiss me.
On my temple, on my knuckles, even on the tip of my nose, until I was too distracted and flustered by him to dwell on my nerves.
By the time we arrived at the private wing of the airport, I felt like I’d been wound too tight for too long. The hangar loomed ahead like some kind of fortress, its dark glass walls reflecting the overcast sky.
Connor rounded the car before I could unbuckle myself, pulling open my door and helping me out with one large arm wrapped around my waist.
Some people in suits hurried out to grab his stuff while his own hand slid under the sweater I threw on, splaying across the sweaty small of my back. The warmth of his palm helped me relax.
“Stay close.”
As if I’d leave his side.
The moment we stepped inside, I felt like every eye in the room was on us, or more specifically, on me.
I recognized Jax as his low whistle cut through the air. “Well, look who decided to grace us with her presence. Thought Killer here would keep her locked up.”
Heat rose across my face. I peered up at Connor, wondering what that meant when his arm tightened around my waist. His voice was a lethal growl. “Keep talking. See what happens in Vegas.”
Adrian, who I remembered from the signing, appeared beside Jax with a huge grin.
He held out a croissant like it was some kind of peace offering and winked at me before biting into another with exaggerated flair. “Ignore him, bee. He’s just jealous Killer here didn’t send him a sexy selfie.”
Before I could comment, Connor grabbed a grapefruit from a nearby bowl and lobbed it at Adrian with enough force to kill.
The staff called for boarding.
The jet cabin smelled faintly of leather and coffee, a luxurious cocoon that only heightened my awareness of how out of place I was here. It was unbelievably sleek, all beige and browns fitted to perfection.
Before I could sit, Connor was dragging me sideways into his lap, something he seemed to be doing often. His thigh muscles flexed under me as he reached over and snagged a glazed pastry from the fancy snack cart.
“Hungry?” he asked softly against my ear. It sent shivers down my spine.
I shook my head quickly, even though I hadn’t eaten since breakfast; food seemed impossible when anxiety had tied itself into knots in my stomach .
“Just this.” He held the sugar morsel to my lips until I took a small bite out of sheer obedience rather than hunger. His thumb swiped over my lips to clean the glaze before he brought it to his own lips. The following smirk he gave me was lethal.
The coach slumped into the seat across from us, his tablet clattering as he eyed me like I was a particularly complex fight strategy. I felt my cheeks heat, given our position.
“So, she’s what’s got you skipping warmups? Don’t break her heart, Graves.”
Connor’s laugh was a rumble of warmth against my neck. “Never, old man.” His breath warmed my temple, his voice dropping to a velvet threat. “She’s not the one who’ll need patching up.”
Jax stopped by, eyeing us with an approving gaze. “Relax, bee. I'll personally fuck him up?—”
The next pastry Connor hurled had hit Jax right against his nose, and Adrian nearly choked on his drink. “Should've signed you for baseball, man!”
I bit my lip to stifle a laugh, the sound becoming a gasp when Connor’s hand slid under my sweater again. His calloused palm slowly skated up my ribcage, his thumb brushing the underside of my breast through my bra.
“Something funny, sweet girl?”
I shook my head, eyes darting to the coach, who was engrossed in his phone, and then to my lap, biting my lip.
“Nervous?” he asked as if seeing the cracks in the armor that only he could see.
“A little,” I admitted, picking at a thread on my sleeve. “They’re... a lot.”
His nose brushed my temple, and he inhaled deeply as if he could steal the scent of my conditioner. “They’re idiots. But they’ll take care of anyone who looks at you wrong.” The possessiveness in his voice comforted me.
When the pilot announced takeoff, Connor stood with me cradled against his chest, ignoring Adrian’s waggling eyebrows. He carried me down the jet stairs like a baby, his grip tightening when the wind whipped my hair across his face.
The older woman waiting by the bulletproof-looking black SUV had kind eyes and a security badge that read LOUISE. Connor set me on my feet but kept his hands locked on my hips, his lips against the top of my head.
“Straight home. No stops.”
Louise rolled her eyes. “I’ve been babysitting your reckless ass since you were sixteen. I can handle your girl.” My cheeks flushed at the ‘your girl’.
He kissed me like we had hours instead of seconds, deep and devouring, his fingers tangling into my hair to hold me captive. When he pulled back, his forehead rested against mine.
“Text me when you’re home. Every step.”
The SUV’s heated seats couldn’t compete with the heat of his stare through the tinted window. Louise chuckled as we pulled away, offering me some fancy water.
“Don’t worry, honey. That boy’s been tracking my speed since we left the hangar.”
My fingers fumbled with the water cap. “He’s what?”
Her laugh echoed through the car. “Oh, you’re perfect for him.”
My phone buzzed for the fourteenth time:
Connor
Try the Alaskan water.
Louise is taking 16 St. It’s faster.
I stared at the screen, equal parts exasperated and fluttery. The man was literally mid-flight in the sky, and he’d still somehow known I was eyeing the water.
His final texts came as I curled up on my couch at home, cuddled with the black hoodie I had mysteriously found on my counter.
Connor
Door locked?
Sierra
Yes, bossy pants.
Connor
Good.
I miss your taste.
Think about me touching you.
Wear the hoodie I left you.
I left Toffee food in your fridge.
When I checked the fridge, there were three containers of fresh organic meat cuts for cats.