Page 76 of Between the Ropes

My vision blurs, my hips jerking forward as pleasure rips through me like a supernova. “Natalie, baby—” I try to warn her, try to pull back, but she just grips my thighs, holding me in place.

And then I’mgone.

A growl tears from my throat as I come, pulsing hot and deep into her mouth. She takes it all, every last drop, swallowing greedily before licking her lips, looking up at me with a smug little smile.

I breathe hard, staring down at her, completely wrecked. “Fuck, baby.”

She wipes the corner of her mouth with her thumb, smirking up at me. “Was that good for you,Champ?”

I let out a rough laugh, shaking my head. “You have no idea.”

Before she can say another word, I grab her, lifting her off the floor with ease and tossing her onto the bed. She squeals, landing against the sheets, wide-eyed and breathless.

I crawl over her, my championship belt still slung low around my hips, the cool metal brushing against her bare thigh.

Her lips part, her breath hitching. “So, what happens now?”

I smirk, pinning her wrists above her head. My mouth grazes her ear as I whisper—

“Now?I make sure you never forget who this title belongs to.”

The rest of the night is a blur of tangled sheets, desperate moans, whispered confessions, and slow, aching pleasure. We don’t stop. I don’t want to stop.

Because this isn’t just sex. This is more.So much more.

She’s mine. And I’m hers.

By the time the sun starts creeping through the windows, she’s curled against me, her fingers tracing lazy patterns over my chest. I kiss the top of her head, my arms tightening around her.

Everything I’ve fought for, everything I’ve sacrificed, has led me here. To this moment. Toher.

I finally have it all.

The championship. The career. The woman I love.

And for the first time in my life, I know with absolute certainty—

Nothing can take this away from me.

Nothing.

Epilogue

The ocean stretches wide and endless before us, the waves rolling gently onto the shore, their steady rhythm grounding me. The night air is warm, thick with salt and something else—anticipation. I can feel it vibrating in my bones, rattling through me in a way I’ve never experienced before. Not in a wrestling ring, not in front of a screaming crowd. This is different. This is bigger than any match I’ve ever fought.

Natalie leans against my side, wrapped in my hoodie, her bare legs stretched out in front of her on the tailgate of my truck. The sleeves of the hoodie are too long, covering most of her hands, and she pulls them over her fingers, holding onto the fabric like a safety blanket. She’s staring out at the water, her profile soft under the glow of the moon, completely unaware that in a few seconds, I’m going to change both of our lives forever.

I swallow hard, my pulse hammering in my ears.

I’ve taken chair shots to the head. I’ve fought men twice my size. I’ve bled, sweat, broken bones for this career. And none of that—not a single match, not a single moment—has ever made me as nervous as I am right now.

Because this isn’t scripted. This isn’t planned. This is real.

I shift, reaching into the pocket of my jeans, my fingers wrapping around the small velvet box like a lifeline.

She sighs, a peaceful little sound, and tilts her head up at me. Those aqua-blue eyes—fuck, they kill me. “You’re quiet,” she says, nudging me with her knee. “What are you thinking about?”

I let out a breathless laugh. You. Always you.

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