Destroyed by the Bad Boy (8 page)

Chapter Eight

Cage

I fume silently as my brother flirts with the woman who’s stolen my heart. I can’t understand why he keeps pushing me toward her than snatching her up for himself. Fucking bastard. Besides, if Lily is off limits for me she should be off limits for every fighter, including Tripp. Hell, maybe she should be off limits for every other man in the universe. I fantasize briefly about stomping over there and carrying Lily away on my shoulder like a caveman.

“Cage,” Tripp says right beside my shoulder, startling me.

“I thought you were talking to Lily,” I say.

He shoves me. It’s not what I was expecting him to do and tilt sideways on my bar stool before I can catch myself. “What the fuck, man?”

“What’s wrong with you?” Tripp shouts, shoving me again. I’m ready for it this time, and I hold my ground.

“I’m not the one pushing people around,” I say.

“Why are you so goddamn stubborn?” Tripp rakes his hands through his hair. “Lily was the best pussy we’ve ever had and you’re just going to let her walk away?”

I shove Tripp so hard he staggers back a step. “Don’t you
ever
talk about Lily like that, do you hear me? She is not some lay you can go and brag about. She’s fierce, funny, and amazing. If I ever hear you talk about her like she’s nothing but a piece of ass, I will punch you so hard your head will come out of your ass.”

Tripp breaks into a grin. “No shit. Have you ever considered telling her that?”

I blink. Then blink again. “No.” What was Tripp doing?

Tripp sighs. “You care about her. Everyone in the gym knows you two are crazy about each other. The only ones blind to it are you and her.”

I shake my head. “No, it isn’t like that. For one, her dad definitely doesn’t know. He’d kill me.”

“He knows. Maybe you should try talking to him about it.”

My head is too light. Lily’s dad is going to kill me. “I can’t tell her how I feel. I’m a fighter. She wants nothing to do with me, for good reason. She’d be better off if I leave her alone.”

“Isn’t that her decision to make? Lily is a grown woman, and a smart one at that. She knows what’s best for her.”

Tripp is right. I’ve never given Lily a chance to tell me her side of things. I’ve been selfish and scared. I’m so scared of hurting Lily in the future that I’m hurting her in the present. If she wants to risk everything on a knuckle headed fighter like me, that’s her decision to make, not mine.

Tripp claps me on the back. “You might want to start with the part where you fucked her then walked out on her.”

Shame rushes through me. I did exactly what I just told Tripp not to do. I treated Lily like a one night stand. I acted like a total dick. “She’ll never take me back.”

“Try her.”

I take a deep breath and walk over to where Lily is sitting in her booth, watching me with wide eyes. “Lily…” I’m at a loss for words. I don’t know how to apologize for the huge mess I’ve made. “I’m sorry. I should have been there when you woke up. I was so afraid of not being good enough for you that I sabotaged our relationship from the start. Please, could you ever give me a chance? Maybe we could try doing a normal couple thing like going out for ice cream. And I can try to win over your dad. I’ll talk to him. I can be charming sometimes.”

Lily laughs. It’s the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard. “I’ve already talked to my dad. He’s fine with whatever I decide.”

“What did you decide?” I can barely breathe as I wait for her answer.

She studies her finger nails. “I don’t know. Last nights was one of the best nights of my life, but then you left me and that made me feel awful. It was like I didn’t mean anything to you.”

I grab her hands. “I was scared. I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anyone. If you give me a chance, I will spend the rest of my life proving to you how much you mean to me.”

Lily looks shyly into my eyes. She is so beautiful my heart squeezes. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Giddiness rushes over me. I feel like I’ve just won the whole fucking championship.

“Okay.” She tugs my hand to get me back on my feet as she stands up. “Let’s ditch this bar.”

“Okay.” I can’t stop grinning as she leads me out the door. I don’t need cheering crowds and spotlights. I’ve just won Lily, the greatest woman to ever walk the earth. I follow her all the way back to her place.

She giggles as she unlocks the door. It’s such a girlish thing to do I can’t help but kiss her cheek.

“Wait, wait.” She gets the door opened and pulls me inside. She shuts it by shoving me against it and kissing me with more passion than I’ve ever felt in my life. I melt into her, every atom in my being screaming for this amazing woman. Our kissing gets hotter and our tongues dance together in her mouth. She tastes incredible, like peppermint and woman.

I cup her tight ass and wonder how our clothes haven’t melted off yet.

“I want you,” Lily whispers against my ear. “And only you.”

I’m hard as hell as she begins tearing my clothes off. She moans as she runs her hands over my abs. “I used to count these as I watched you,” she admits.

I laugh. “I love you.” I didn’t think it through before I said it, but now it’s out and it’s too late. But it’s true, so why would I take it back? I watch her, waiting.

She smiles up at me. “Cage Garrett says he loves me. If I could high five myself right now, I would.”

“Does that mean…”

“Yeah, Cage.” She kisses me. “I love you.”

I feel like I’m made out of air. I’m so high on this emotion I could take on anyone right now. I run my hands over her sides. “I love everything about your body,” I say.

“I know.” She grins.

“Just clarifying.” I pull her dress up over her head. She’s not wearing anything underneath it. I stare. “You went out in public like that?”

“I was hoping you’d notice.” She’s wearing nothing but heels now and she’s so hot it’s a wonder the carpet hasn’t caught fire.

I take in her body with my hands then lift her up, so she can wrap her legs around my waist. “Where’d my clothes go?” I ask between kisses. I can’t even remember her taking off my pants.

“You talk too much for a man about to get incredibly lucky.”

“Luckiest man in the world.”

She lowers herself onto my cock. She gasps as she takes in the full length of me. She’s as tight as I remember, only this is even better because she’s all mine.

“You’re-so-strong,” she gasps as I hold her up so she can pump me for all she’s worth. “I’ve never had a boyfriend who could do this before.”

“Get used to it, babe.”

I give up on talking after that. She’s too good, too hot, too wet. I feel like I’m going crazy and finding who I really am, all at once. I scream her name as I orgasm.

She tosses her head back and yells something incoherent as she follows me into bliss.

I finally set her back down on her own feet and she leans against me, panting. “I don’t think I can get used to this,” she says.

“I told you. I’m going to spend every day proving to you how I feel about you. Even if I have to do it again and again and again…”

Epilogue

Cage

When Lily told me I needed to do more boyfriend things, that last thing I was expecting was rollerblades. I’m deadly on my bare feet, but I totter uncertainly on the thin pieces of plastic and wheels.

“Where did you even find a roller rink?” I ask as I keep a firm grip on the wall.

Lily grins at me. “I have ways.”

We’ve been dating for a year, and it’s still fantastic. Every time I look at her I see everything I want in the world. I just never expected roller blading to be one of those things.

She grabs my hands and pulls me out into the ring. She supports me as I find my feet, and then we’re racing in circles together, laughing hysterically like sugar high children.

If she can support my fighting career, then the least I can do is support her by being more boyfriend-ish. In this past year she’s taught me that it’s okay to hold her hand in public and take her out to movies and ice cream. I’ve never had a girlfriend before, but now I feel stupid on having missed out on this for so long. I should have asked her out the first time I saw her instead of fleeing my feelings like a coward.

I lose my footing for a moment and my heart thuds in my chest. Lily pulls me along with a smile. “I’ve got you!” she shouts.

“Yeah. You’ve got me.” This sweet, saucy girl owns me, and I’m man enough to admit it. She’s my everything, and I love that I’m hers. I knew I would support her through everything, her brother’s slow recovery, her confusion over what happened in my room that night with my brother, and even her dad’s reaction to her dating a fighter. I love her, plain and simple, and no obstacle too great. I’m keeping this girl forever.

And ever.

About the Author

Madison Collins is the author of romantic short stories such as
Caged
,
Stranded with My Stepbrother
. She enjoys the occasional stiff cocktail, and watching romantic comedies. Most days you can find her curled up with a good book. She currently resides in New Jersey.