Page 5 of Whiskey Sour
His blue stare is mesmerizing, so intense, and I love it. Instead of answering my question, he uses his free hand to seize my jaw and tip my head up. “Kiss me.”
I do so without a single complaint. Running my tongue across his bottom lip, I tease him a little. It’s not weird; Cassius and I are these types of friends. Some friends like to hug, and we like to make out every now and then. It’s healthy, even.
He groans against my mouth, but then bites down roughly on my bottom lip, forcing my jaw to drop in a gasp. Fucking his tongue into me, he squeezes my wrists and yanks them farther up the door. I arch my back and let him consume me, finding that everything else seems to fade away at his rough touch. I don’t know if he’s doing that on purpose, knowing I needed a break from everything, and giving me what I need.
He really is the greatest friend anyone could ask for.
After a minute or so, he pulls back, gasping for breath as he buries his head in the crook of my neck. “I have to go. Rhys needs me to grab something before my shift.”
“Okay,” I whine. Wiggling my hands out of his hold, I wrap my arms around his back. I hate it when he’s gone. “I’ll miss you. Maybe I’ll come in tonight and hang out by the stage?”
He chuckles against my neck and presses a kiss right behind my ear. “Sounds like a plan, sunshine.”
When he pulls away, I can’t help but place a quick kiss on the tip of his nose. “I love you very much, Cassy.”
Smiling softly, he nods and brushes his thumb against the corner of my mouth. “I love you too.”
I tug my bottom lip between my teeth and raise my eyebrows. “Forever?”
“And always,” he finishes. He takes a shaky breath and pushes off me. “I really need to go.”
I nod as we exit the bathroom. I don’t let him out of my sight, though. Going with him to his room, I chill naked as he gets dressed. I ask him question after question about what Rhys needs him to get, about what his set tonight will be, about whether he wants me to bring him food on his break. I fill in the space with nothing but conversation, even though I grow more and more scared as the seconds tick by.
I even follow him to the door, pouting when he insists for the fifth time that he has to go. He kisses me again, just a little butterfly kiss, and leaves.
Leaves me alone.
I hate being alone.
CHAPTER TWO
Cassius
It’sthe first hit that brings the rush.
As I stagger back, colliding with the chain-link fence behind me, I fight the urge to snap my hands down to my sides. Sure, it hurt, but these rich elitist fucks don’t punch too hard. Just hard enough to convince themselves they’re badass, even if they’re paying to be a part of a fight they think they’re guaranteed to win. A thousand bucks here and there to find somebody willing to fight and lose is nothing to them.
The guy has his back to me now, pumping up the crowd of his friends with too much confidence, believing it’ll only take one hit to knock me out of the running for the top prize tonight. That’s not happening. One way or the other, no matter how many of these stereotypical, adrenaline-chasing douches I have to go through, I’m walking away with the couple grand on the line.
Participating in underground fighting rings might not be my first choice of supplemental income, but I’m doing this for Skylar. Life has taught me that it’s unpredictable. Things happen and change. Sure, we have nice jobs now that pay us more than we need, but what happens if that goes away? No. I can’t accept that uncertainty, so I’m building a nest egg for Skylar and me in case the worst happens. I’ve only been doing this for a coupleof months, but I already have a nice little savings account filled with cash.
Because, whether it’s beginner’s luck or pure skill, I don’t lose.
My blood runs hot just thinking about something happening to my sunshine. He’s been through so much already—we both have—and I just want to guarantee us a good life. I don’t like lying to him about why I occasionally come home with bruises and cuts, but I guess you couldtechnicallycall this a boxing gym?
Yeah, probably not.
But it’s been enough to appease him. Either way, he’s usually too busy with his new boyfriend of the month to pry. I grit my teeth as I think about it. Johnny who tried to trick Skylar into a threesome, Larry who refused to be seen with him in public, and Ricky who loved to humiliate and demean him. I count them all as the worst possible people to walk the planet.
With that thought, I surge forward and put my entire weight behind my fist, punching this guy in the back, and sending him sprawling to the floor. He tries to turn, but I have him where I want him. Just need him to stay still for five seconds and I win Fight Night. He squirms and tries to buck me off, and while he may be bigger, I’ve been fighting my entire life. After this, I can go home.
To Skylar.
My jaw twitches, and my momentary distraction has Douche Canoe #1 rolling out from underneath me. He tries to stand, but I’m too quick for him. I grab his ankle and yank him back, causing his chin to hit the ground with a disgusting crunch.
Once again, I try to keep him still, but it’s hard to deny how my blood soars at the upcoming victory. The rush, the thrill, the feeling of control… My mind spirals to places it shouldn’t, wild and raw with pure adrenaline.
“I thought he was the one.”
