Page 15 of Further To Fall

I couldn’t help the rumbling laugh that escaped my throat. “I told you not to trust so easily—” My words were cut off by a wave of water Carter sent splashing into my open mouth. The fit of choking coughs was immediate.

When I regained composure, my eyes narrowed on Carter. Her hands were covering her mouth, but her eyes danced with silent laughter. “I’m so sorry,” she said, her words muffled by the fingers still covering her lips.

“You are going to pay for that, Firecracker.”

Carter let out a yelp and made a break for the opposite end of the pool, but I was too quick for her. My fingers latched onto her ankle, and I pulled. Grabbing her around the waist, I yanked her back flush against my front. “Now, are you going apologize like a good girl?”

“Never!” Carter couldn’t contain her laughter, and each echo sent vibrations through my body, ending at my dick. Before she had a chance to feel my body’s reaction to her, I sent her flying through the air toward the opposite end of the pool. I needed to stop touching her. Maybe I just needed to get laid, it had been a couple of weeks. I could hit a bar for a quick fix after I left Liam’s tonight. Whatever the solution was, it wasn’t the green-eyed goddess emerging from the water at the other end of the pool. I needed to get a grip and fast.

Later in the day,as the sun danced low in the sky, Liam and I kept an eye on the meat grilling while Ford and the girls sat around the firepit sipping cocktails. “I’m really glad you and Carter ironed things out,” Liam said as he flipped a steak. “It would’ve really sucked to have two of my best friends always at each other’s throats.”

I swallowed thickly at the reminder of what an ass I’d been to Carter. “She’s a great girl. I admit it, I was totally wrong about her.”

“Can you say that one again? I’m not quite sure I heard you correctly.”

I gave a half-hearted jab to Liam’s shoulder. “Yeah, yeah. You were right. I was wrong.” I had never been more wrong about someone in my life.

“I feel like that should at least earn me a bottle of my favorite whiskey.”

“Your favorite whiskey is too rich for my blood, rock star.”

“Not for long, man. Those prizes are getting larger and larger. You’ll be one of the Ultimate Fighting League’s top dogs before you know it.”

“I hope so. I really fucking hope so.” It was true that I was winning bigger and bigger paydays, but I wanted top billing with the UFL. I wanted to claim the world heavyweight title so badly I could taste it. I was getting closer, paving the road with my sweat and blood. It was worth every drop. I just had to stay focused, and that meant ignoring the delicious temptation sitting twelve feet away.

7

Carter

My lungs were burning with the fire of a thousand blazing suns. Almost two months of running, and it hardly felt any easier than the first night Austin had forced my poor, pitifully sore muscles into a jog after our training session. I’m sure one of the reasons the running didn’t feel any easier was that Austin had recently decided he needed to add hills into our regime. Hills that felt like Mount Kilimanjaro to my out-of-shape self.

“Stop,” I pleaded, placing a hand on Austin’s forearm. I was too exhausted to even relish the feel of his taut muscles. “I. Need. A. Minute,” I said, gasping for breath between each word.

“All right, let’s walk for a bit.”

Even walking was difficult at first, but eventually it no longer felt like the air I was breathing into my lungs had barbs attached to it, and my heart rate began to slow. Finally, I was able to take in my surroundings again. Gravel crunched under our feet as we made our way up the graded road.

Turning my head to the side, I could see Austin silhouetted against a sun that was low in the sky. He was breathtaking. Cut jaw, strong neck, broad shoulders leading to muscled pecs, and a tapered waist. Not to mention a butt I’d seen old ladies drool over.

Austin’s eyes slid from the path ahead to me. “See something you like, Firecracker?”

I fought the heat that I knew was rising to my cheeks. “Just taking in the view. It’s beautiful up here.”

He shook his head with a grin. “That it is. So, how were your little hellions today?”

My lips pulled into a smile. “They were awesome. Well, most of them were anyway. We’re working on a creative writing project where they write about an adventure they’d like to go on with one of their heroes. Some of the stuff they’ve come up with is pretty hilarious. I’m going to help them make their own books with covers and everything.”

Austin’s face was gentle now, with heat in his eyes that had a mirroring warmth growing in my chest. “Those kids are lucky to have you.”

I ducked my head at his kind words. “Thanks. They’ve definitely wormed their way into my heart.” They had also taken over my life. Getting up at 5:30 a.m. every weekday meant no more late-night hang sessions at Liam’s beach house. But he was busy recording a new album anyway, so I hardly saw him anymore. The person I saw more than anyone was Austin.

“What was it that made you want to become a teacher?”

I hummed as I thought about how to answer. “I was a total nerd growing up. I got made fun of a lot because I liked to follow the rules, and my nose was always in a book. I had this teacher in the second grade, Mrs. Barea, who saw what was happening with the other kids.”

A small smile pulled at my lips at the bittersweet memory. “Mrs. Barea intervened when she could, but more importantly, she spent a lot of time with me. Encouraging me. Letting me know that it was okay to be different, it was a blessing to be unique, and that I should never follow the crowd just to avoid kids saying mean things.”

I kicked at one of the rocks in the road, feeling just a hint of embarrassment about sharing my dorky past. “I’ve carried her words with me all these years, and I still make it a point to visit her every time I’m home. I just hope I can make a difference in one child’s life the way she did in mine.”

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