Page 42 of Between the Ropes

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We finish up in the ring, drenched in sweat, adrenaline still pumping through my veins. Travis throws a towel over his shoulder, grinning at me like he always does after a good sparring session. Natalie stands nearby, smiling, her eyes full of pride. Knowing she’s watching me, that she actually wanted to see me in action tonight, fuels something deep inside me. It made me push harder.

Together, the three of us head back to the locker room. We’re flying out to Florida first thing in the morning, and the thought of being back home with her at my place has me feeling... I don’t even know. It’s big. Everything with her is big.

As we make our way up the ramp, toward the curtain, I’m already thinking about tomorrow, about her being in my house, sleeping in my bed every night for the next week. But as soon as we hit the top of the ramp, all that good energy vanishes.

Kyle "The Killer" Jenkins is waiting, his tank of a bodyguard, Lester, standing behind him like some mute giant. I don’t like either of them. Never have. But what sets me off is the smirk on Kyle’s face, followed by the low, sleazy whistle he lets out when he spots Natalie behind me.

“Damn, Pierce,” he sneers, his voice dripping with disrespect. “You always did know how to pick ‘em.” His hand snakes over to graze Natalie’s shoulder.

That’s it. I’m done.

Before I know what’s happening, I’m on him, slamming Kyle into the wall so hard the steel rattles. Lester takes a step forward, but one look at me and he knows better than to get involved. My fist is already cocked back, ready to deliver a blow that’ll shatter every last one of Kyle’s teeth.

“Say that again,” I growl, my voice low, dangerous. My pulse pounds in my ears, hot blood coursing through me. All I see is red. All I know is that if anyone touches Natalie, if anyone even so much as disrespects her, they’re fucking dead. I’ll kill anyone who even tries.

But then I feel Travis’s hand on my arm, pulling me back just before I let loose. “Ryan, man, stop,” he says firmly, his voice steady but urgent. “He’s not worth it.”

I don’t want to listen. I don’t want to calm down. But Travis keeps talking, his grip tight on my arm. “Don’t let him get under your skin. That’s what he does. You’ve worked too hard for this title shot. Don’t risk everything for a piece of shit like him.”

Kyle’s still smirking, but I know what Travis is saying is true. I can’t risk it. Not for this asshole. But my blood is still boiling, my body tense with the need to hurt him. To teach him a lesson.

Natalie’s hand suddenly slips into mine, soft and steady, pulling me away from the edge. I look over at her, her eyes wide, watching all of this unfold. She’s never seen me like this—never seen me lose control. I’ve always been the guy who holdsit together, who keeps calm no matter what. But tonight, that all went out the window.

I lower my fist and step back, shaking off Travis’s hand. “You’re lucky,” I spit at Kyle, my voice cold as ice. “Touch her again, even look at her, and I’ll fucking bury you.”

Kyle doesn’t respond, but I don’t need him to. I’ve made my point.

Natalie squeezes my hand, her touch calming me, grounding me in a way nothing else can. “Come on,” she says softly, leading me toward the locker room. “Let’s get out of here.”

I follow her, still seething, my muscles tight with pent-up aggression. Once we’re in the locker room, I rip off my shirt and head straight for the shower, the cold tile under my feet doing nothing to cool the fire raging inside me.

The water beats down on my back, and slowly, slowly, the heat starts to fade. I’m still pissed, still on edge, but the adrenaline is beginning to wear off. When I finally step out, towel slung low around my waist, I find Natalie waiting for me, concern written all over her face.

“I’m sorry,” I say, running a hand through my damp hair. “I shouldn’t have let him get to me like that.”

She shakes her head, walking over to me, her eyes soft. “Don’t be sorry. You were just protecting me.”

Her words soothe me, but the tension in my body hasn’t fully left. I sit on the edge of the bench, trying to shake off the rest of the anger still clinging to me.

But then she’s on her knees in front of me, her hands sliding up my thighs, her eyes full of something that makes my cock instantly hard. Without a word, she pulls my towel away, my erection springing free, and before I can even react, she wraps her lips around the head of my cock, her warm mouth taking me in inch by inch.

“Fuck, baby,” I groan, my head falling back as she sucks me deeper. “You look so fucking good with my cock in your mouth.”

Her eyes flick up to meet mine, and it takes everything in me not to come right then and there. The sight of her, on her knees, her lips stretched around me, her mouth working me so perfectly—it’s enough to drive any man insane.

“You take my cock so well,” I growl, my hands tangling in her hair, guiding her, controlling the pace. She moans around me, and the vibration shoots straight through me, making my whole body tense with need. I watch as her tongue swirls around the head, her hand pumping what she can’t fit in her mouth. It’s too much, too good. I can’t hold back.

“Natalie, fuck—” My voice is strained, and I’m losing it, teetering on the edge.

She looks up at me, her eyes glazed with lust, her lips slick and swollen from sucking me, and that’s it. I can’t take it anymore. I thrust deeper, and she takes me all, her throat tightening around me as I groan out her name.

“Fuck, you’re mine. All mine,” I growl as I explode into her mouth, the pleasure hitting me so hard I can barely think.

She pulls back, wiping her lips with the back of her hand, a satisfied smile playing on her face as I collapse back against the bench, completely spent.

She’s mine. Every last inch of her.

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