Free 12 Rounds by Lauren Hammond

reluctantly close my eyes.
    The silence in the room is deafening. I strain to hear any movement Melissa might be making. But I can't hear anything. I don't remember if she was wearing any perfume or if her body was giving off any kind of odor because the smell wasn't distinct enough. My body stiffens when I feel Melissa's presence behind me. In a nanosecond, she's on me, wrapping both of her arms around the core of my chest. At that moment I panic. My neck, her hands are too close to my neck. In my mind I'm envisioning the hands I always envision. The calloused, manly hands. “No!” I shriek. “No!”
    Before I can control my emotions I start screaming. My whole body is shaking and Melissa spins me around, her fingers digging into my shoulders. I bury my face in my hands, trying with all of my might to keep my tears from falling. My chest vibrates and my breaths are coming out short and raspy. Melissa shakes me gently. “Hadley. Hadley, calm down. It's all right.” Her voice is soft and soothing, but I'm still shaken up. I can't get the image of the hands out of my mind.
    “I'm sorry,” I mumble. “I'm sorry. I thought... It felt too real. It felt too real.”
    Melissa smooths back a strand of my hair and I drop my hands at my sides, finally able to control my breathing. I feel like I not only let Melissa down, but I let myself down. “Why don't you sit out of class today, Hadley. I'll have Lara fill you in on what we go over.” Melissa shoots a look at Lara. “Is that okay with you, Lara?”
    “Fine by me,” she says.
    “Go have a seat in the waiting room, Hadley. I'll come talk to you after the class is over.”
    “Okay,” I say softly and walk toward the door, ears filled with the whispering voices of the other women in the class. Then ashamed and embarrassed, I make my exit.

 
    Chapter Nine
    ~Sean~
    I never forget a face.
    Ma used to tell me it was a gift that I have a photographic memory, but there are times, times like a few minutes ago, where I think it’s a curse.
    Not that I’d ever forget her face anyway.
    You never forget the face of the person’s life you saved.
    And she’s here…
    She just randomly shows up where I train. That can’t be a coincidence, right?
    I take a breather from knocking the shit out of my sparring partner and walk over to the back left corner of the ring. There was a tall brunette who was eye-fucking me earlier and she’s still next to the ring. She notices that I’m going for my water bottle and beats me to it, handing it to me with a wide toothed grin. “Hi there.” She has a light, airy voice and my eyes immediately zone in on her boobs. Hey, I’m a man. What do you expect? This girls’ jugs are massive. Each one the size of a grapefruit.
    Super perky.
    Tan.
    And most likely fake.
    I squirt water all over my over heated face, drink some, then stretch my arms out across the rope. I smirk at her, tilting my chin up. “What’s up?” My eyes sweep over her heart-shaped face. She’s hot. Symmetrical features. Nice light blue eyes. Then they drop to her stomach. Her toned stomach. But she’s got an hourglass shape. Which I like. Very much.
    She glances around me at my sparring partner and puts on a pouty face. “You didn’t hurt him too bad did you?”
    “Nah,” I say with a cocky chuckle. “He’ll recover.” But I’d hate to see what Avery Mullins looks like when I’m through with him though.
    The girl bats her eye lashes and me and chews on her lower lip. “So what do you do for fun?”
    My eyes burn into hers. “Lots of things.” I like to keep it short and simple with the broads I meet. I’m careful not to let them see the real me. Or let them know about some of the things I’ve done.
    The girl smirks at me seductively, a sensual gleam in her eye. “Like what?”
    She wants me to elaborate, but I don’t. I’d like to tell her, you are what I’d do for fun, but my thoughts are interrupted when Joe comes up behind me and whacks me in the back