I thumped my chest in a sign of respect, and he lifted his non-injured arm to grasp my shoulder.
"Didn't think you belonged here yet, but I was wrong."
That was it. The following events were a jumble for me. They awarded me the belt, and Paulie held it up, parading it around the Octagon. I stood in the middle and Bo turned me like I was a marionette. I mumbled something into the microphone about how it was an honor to fight the Mauler and to be part of the organization. I managed to lift the belt one time on my own and thank the crowd for supporting the underdog. Realizing that I was about two seconds away from collapse, Paulie and Bo hustled me out of the ring and into the green room where a trainer and physician were present to greet us.
I grabbed Bo. "Get Grace."
He squeezed my hand and went off.
Grace
I SLUMPED BACK IN MY seat and leaned into Lana. We were both drained emotionally and physically from having watched the fight. I couldn't fathom what Noah was feeling.
"I think I'll go back to the training room now," I leaned over to whisper to Lana. After Noah's hand was raised in victory, I wanted to rush the metal cage and climb in with him, but I refrained. Noah and I were trying to keep a low profile for differing reasons. I didn't want to be the subject of Internet message board speculation, and Noah didn't want pictures of me spread around the web. He'd argued that a face could be photoshopped on top of a body and that he didn't want me out there as masturbatory material. His reasons were entirely valid.
But I was so anxious to see him and tell him how amazing I thought he was and how terrified for him and proud of him I was.
"How many of these fights can your heart take?" Lana joked. "I think I had about five heart attacks watching him. How can you be so serene during this?"
"I just believe it'll come out right, I guess." I shrugged, but I wasn't entirely unaffected during the fight. I could tell his energy was flagging in the third and fourth rounds and worried me that he didn't have enough resources left to fight it out in the fifth round. But I also knew that Noah drew inspiration off my belief in him, and I was determined that he'd always see my belief in his abilities first and foremost—even if I was dying of agony inside.
Ordinarily I'm no good at hiding my emotions. Lana has said that my face was more expressive than a vaudeville villain. And honestly, when I was watching Noah, I did believe that he would win each and every match. As long as I kept telling myself that, it was what showed on my face. The small nervous, scared, hurt part of my brain was shoved way in the back. I didn't want Noah to think that even for a moment I doubted he would succeed, and that meant repeating the maxim internally as well as verbally to anyone else who asked.
Lana looked at me pensively but just nodded.
Despite the long break between Noah's match and the headliner fight, many people lingered in the aisles, discussing how amazing the fight was and how Jackson had made his career with the Thanksgiving fight and then this one. They said they’d gotten their money’s worth out of this fight, and it seemed like no one cared about the headlining act. The big break allowed for the patrons to get refreshments and for the crew to prep the cage again and make sure all the bodily fluids Noah and Mauler had expelled were cleaned up. I shuddered at the thought of what that canvas had absorbed.
Noah had been comped four seats in the fifth row. Lana and I and Bo used those seats along with another guy that the boys had known in the Marines. A few others from his unit were here, flown out by Bo as a surprise. If Noah was up to it, we'd have a celebration party in our suite and then head for Tempe and Josh’s bowl game in the morning.
The crowd down on the floor where we were seated was mostly men, and mostly men in suits. There were a few women, and I thought I saw a couple of famous couples in the front row. Lana and I'd gotten more than one good look throughout the night. With our big hair and short dresses, I think we might have looked like we were high class escorts, but no guy dared say anything to us while Bo and Gray were there looking bad ass and formidable.
But now that they were gone, I could see a few of the men eyeing us and weighing how much we might've cost for the night. Too much for any of you to afford, I thought.
"Let's go," I said to Lana. She nodded and picked up her purse and we pushed past all the legs and torsos until we got to the end of the row. I saw Bo coming toward us, and he waved us forward. Noah was ready for us.
The guy in the last seat in the row didn't move his feet though. His legs were sprawled out, spread at the knees, and his hands were palm up in his lap. He had a shit-eating grin on his face. Lana gingerly stepped between his legs, all the while muttering a**hole under her breath. I was next, and because I felt like he was being a jerk, I didn't take care walking past him and instead dug the stiletto heel of my expensive shoes into the tip of his foot. He yelped and pushed me off, causing me to totter on my feet. "Cunt," he spat at me.
"Move next time," I suggested. I don't know why I was getting mouthy with him.
"Why should I move for some rent-a-date piece like you?"
"Honey, you couldn't afford me even if I was for sale." I turned to leave. Lana was rolling her eyes, and I saw Bo and Gray coming up right behind her looking none too happy.
"Anything wrong, Grace?" Bo called. I shook my head and started to walk down the aisle toward them when I felt myself get bumped again. Then a hand crept up the bottom of my skirt and touched my ass. I turned on the guy and before I could even think, I backhanded him across the face. The diamond engagement ring Noah had given me made a slice across his cheek that welled with blood.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow." I shook my hand. "That hurt."
"You cunt!" he swore and jumped to his feet. Bo was there before the guy could say one more word, and seconds later, Gray and a host of others were towering around us. The guy sat down abruptly. Bo had one hand on the attacker's chest and one hand on me. I wasn't entirely convinced that Bo was protecting me from the suited guy—he may have been protecting the suited guy from me.
"Let me see your hand," Bo commanded. I held it out and he grimaced at the swelling.
"No wonder you guys wear gloves," I joked. He poked me. "Ouch."
“Aggressive enough for you?” I smirked at Lana, who smirked right back.
“You’re teaching me things!” she laughed. Bo hustled the two of us out of the crowd while the security dragged the suited guy away.
BO DRAGGED ME DOWN THE hall and shoved me inside the locker room before I could get into another brawl. I barely had time to look around before Noah had pulled me into his arms. His mouth was fastened on mine before I could draw another breath. Who needed air? I had Noah Jackson. As his lips moved ravenously against mine, thoughts of air and jerks in suits and even the fight were replaced with images of Noah taking me right here and now. I started climbing him like a tree.
When I felt him wince against me, the fight scene came back, and I immediately drew away. “Your face, Noah!” He tried to dodge my hands and come in for another kiss, but I wouldn’t let him. “Stop. Let me look at you.”
He stood there for a moment while I took an inventory of his injuries. A big cut across his eye had been glued together. There were bruises on both cheeks and his nose looked a little crooked on the end. He’d showered off the sweat and blood, but I could see bruises on his chest and stomach. I traced one finger over the dips of his ridged abdomen, stopping at the top of his towel, and he sucked in a breath.
“Oh no, did I hurt you?” I snatched my hand away, but Noah pulled it back against him.
“Baby, I’m so high on adrenaline right now, I can’t feel pain anywhere except right here.” He patted the tented towel. “I need you so bad.” He scooped me against him, rucking up my skirt around my waist. Neither of us cared that we were likely ruining the delicate fabric, nor did we care when tiny pings sounded as sequins hit the floor, torn away by the rough caress of his hands. He carried me to a table barely stable enough to hold a paper cup and rested my butt on top of it.
“Gotta have you,” he growled, his large, bruised hands fumbled with my panties. His fingers were swollen. I grabbed one of them and led him over to the lone bench in the room.
“If you want this, let me lead this one time,” I said softly. Noah nodded eagerly. He sat down, and the action caused the towel to fall from his waist. His erection jutted up, red and engorged. I swallowed thickly at the thought of him inside me. Pulling down my panties, I laid them next to him.
Noah picked them up and pressed them to his face, inhaling the scent of me. Another time I would’ve been embarrassed, but right now, it turned me on. Every action he exerted showed me how much he wanted me. It was my turn now to show him how beloved he was.
Pushing my dress up to my waist, I climbed on top of Noah, placing a knee on either side of his hips. Before I could make the luscious descent onto his erection, Noah paused me with a hand around my waist. “You hot enough?” He slid a hand between my legs to test readiness. Shuddering, I gripped his shoulders as he stroked me lightly.
“Y-y-es,” I choked out.
“Just checking.” He sounded smug, but then I didn’t I care what he was thinking because he cupped my butt with one hand and carefully lowered me onto him. We both groaned, the sound echoing in the empty room.
Noah pulled down the fabric of my bodice and my bra until one ripe, swollen nipple popped out. He bent down and latched on, sucking as much of my breast and nipple into his mouth. His unoccupied hand was busy lifting out the other breast until the scoop neck of my dress was shoved as far down as possible and both br**sts were exposed, pressed together by the constraints of the fabric.
“God f**king damn, look at this,” Noah said worshipfully. He pressed his face into the deep valley between my br**sts and then began tonguing them all over, the tops, the v, and the n**ples.
His hands moved to my h*ps and started lifting me up and down on his hard member. He swiveled his h*ps slightly, pushing me up and then releasing me to slide down. I clenched him tightly so that I could feel every ridge and pulsing vein. The motion made Noah grit his teeth in an effort to not come.
Everything else from the uncomfortable bumps on the terry cloth towel to the hard wooden bench faded away as I lost myself in the sensation of Noah’s touches all over my body. I took up the stroking motion, and he rubbed his swollen hands across my back, up to my shoulders, and down around my butt.
One hand crept to the front, and his thumb found my clit. A cry of intense pleasure rang out before I could stop it. Not wanting everyone and their cousin to hear us, I bit down on the fleshy pad of my hand, riding him faster and harder. His grunts and the sounds of our flesh meeting each other were mingled with the creaking of the wooden bench.
“You’re everything to me, Grace,” Noah moaned against my neck. I was too far gone to say anything. With his thick, stiff dick rubbing against the front walls of my vag**a and his thumb pressing against my clit, I shot off like a rocket, muffling my cries in my own hand. His own orgasm released right after mine, and I felt the hot jets of come coating me, which caused my own muscles to clamp down on him once more. He muffled the cries of his own satisfaction in my neck.