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Caged Heart

By: Soft1017



Chapter One

"Hold on a sec...its meathead number three!" Selene said, handing Tony his cell phone.

Tony rolled his eyes and took the phone from her hand.

"Yea, hello? What's up man? Yea...she called you meathead number four." he laughed. "Yea, Dave and the crew. They've been blowin' up my cell all day. Alright man, see you in an hour then."

He hung up and stared at his cousin reading on the couch. He waited for her to look up at him.

"What?" she asked, seeing him in the corner of her eye.

"Can you please be nice?"

"Or else what? Meathead number one, two, and three will beat me up? I was only playing, relax!"

"Yea well Dominic's on his way here. He'll be here in an hour, so don't do that thing that you always do." he said, frowning.

"What thing?" she asked, giving him her pretty and innocent smile.

"You know what I mean. You always try to make them feel like they're dumb."

"No I do not!" she said defensively. "Just because I try to have an intelligent conversation with them when they come here doesn't mean I'm trying to make them look stupid. Is it so bad to talk about things other than the UFC and weight training? Geez! If they're all getting offended, then I'll just shut up!"

"Chill out 'Lene! I'm just sayin' Dominic's coming over for dinner. Just try not to kill him with your intelligence aight?"

"Ugh! Since I'm cooking everything ON MY OWN..." she emphasized. "... I should be allowed to talk... but whatever. Have it your way. I'll just sit there like a good little girl while the beefcakes talk about man-stuff."

He walked away, shaking his head and not caring to take the argument any further. The two were roommates and Selene constantly found herself being surrounded by his crew. Tony was a UFC fighter, and a very good one at that. He was becoming a rising star in the cage and his work was always spilling into Selene's personal space. She didn't mind meeting his friends or team though.

Her life was lonely since she was single and she secretly welcomed the presence of other men to their apartment. The only problem was that the guys Tony brought over usually went for the model types. Selene had more meat on her bones than they cared for. Even though she was a little overweight, she still had killer curves, a nice butt and a lovely pair of 40DD breasts. She also had the prettiest almond shaped eyes and beautiful mahogany skin. Unfortunately, that never impressed "Chocolate" Tony's friends. That's what the fan girls called him.

Tony was a very handsome man. He was a heavy weight fighter at 6ft tall and 235 lbs. and he had all the women begging for his attention. For most men, this probably would have been a huge distraction but he never wavered from his dedication to fighting. He worked very hard to get where he was and he wasn't going to let anyone or anything stop him. Selene admired this about him, even though she never said so out loud. Tony spent most of his early career fighting smaller bouts and it didn't take long for him to grab the attention of the UFC Organization.

For a year he fought in the Octagon and won 3 out of 4 fights; an impressive feat for someone with lesser experience. As a student of multiple disciplines, he spent most days of the week training and sparring. This left him with not much time to take care of his meals and other necessary daily activities. Selene recognized this and took it upon herself to do his laundry on some days, the grocery shopping and making dinner. The two were very close and had gotten along the most, out of all their other cousins. She didn't mind doing all these chores; she was rooting for him and wanted him to succeed.

Tonight Selene was to meet Dominic Jaidon for the first time. She'd heard about him through Tony but never met him. He and Tony fought 10 months prior and even though Dominic dominated and won the fight, there were no hard feelings. The two had become great friends and began sparring together ever since. Tony invited him over for the weekend to watch a game and Selene, not having any plans as usual, planned to observe them. The deal was that Tony would pay for all the groceries for the next two weeks, if she cooked for the weekend. She thought it was a pretty good deal considering how much she usually did for free and agreed.

Selene was a great cook and Tony probably wanted to impress Dominic. They were having steaks for dinner tonight, with rice pilaf and asparagus. She even made Tony's favorite Berry Cheesecake for desert. Maybe she would get some slack if she were to open her mouth tonight.

***

Selene decided to wash her hair before dinner. She planned to have a drink, eat and then go to bed right away. She didn't have the patience for another one of Tony's late night hangouts. Dominic was about to arrive and Tony was accusing her of hogging the shower again. She was too annoyed to fight back and cut her lovely hot shower short. She towel dried her damp, curly hair and got into a comfortable t-shirt and pajama shorts. Selene knew that she would probably have to get the door since Tony was still showering, and planted herself back on the couch, with her book in hand.

It didn't take long for the doorbell to ring and she dreaded the fact that she might have to entertain this man alone.

"Lene can you get the door?" Tony shouted from his room.

"Yea, yea, yea." she muttered under her breath.

Selene knew he would probably be very handsome, like all the men who came before him. She was right. Dominic was very close to Tony in form; the only difference being he was white and had a faux hawk hairstyle, when Tony was dark-skinned and bald. He had gorgeous green eyes and two piercings on his left ear. On his forehead was a tiny cut which was almost hidden by his jet black hair. He had probably just left training.

"Hi!"

He had a tiny mouth and when he smiled she noticed a dimple in the right corner of his mouth. He was absolutely gorgeous but she was prepared for that same let down. He wouldn't say anything interesting and even if he did, she would never have a chance with him. Still, she would be polite for Tony's sake.

"Hello."

"I'm Dominic... uh is Tony here?

"Yeah he's in the shower, come in." she said with a tiny smile.

"Thank you." and he trudged in with a black gym bag.

"I think he's getting dressed... you can put your bag in here." she said, leading him to their small guest room, located next to hers. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"Water, please."

"Alright, I'll be right back."

She turned away and headed for the kitchen, only to bump into Tony in the hallway.

"You being nice?"

"Nope! I called him a meathead to his face and told him he needs to read more." she muttered under her breath as she walked past, without giving him a second look.

It was about time for that drink. She couldn't take anymore annoyances. Selene poured herself a glass of wine and got Dominic a tall glass of iced water. She could hear them talking from the kitchen about the day's regimen. She sighed deeply and really took in the fact that he would be there for the next two days.

"It would be best to avoid them." she thought.

She was getting tired of the same old routine. It's not that she hated to hear about their training. Selene was getting into fitness herself. She just wanted to not deal with Tony's mouth tonight, but the chances of that would be slim. She took a large gulp of wine and proceeded back to the living room

"Hey, dinner's ready if you guys wanna eat." she said, handing Dominic the glass.

"Awww man, I'm starving!" Dominic grinned. "It smells good from here too."

"Yea man, we have our own personal chef tonight. She'll be serving us and everything." Tony said winking at Selene, as she shot him an angry look.

"In your dreams!" she said, turning away from them and heading for the dinner table.

The men followed her and sat down. She had her glass of wine handy and took another sip. She just wanted to eat and get out of there. Selene took into account what Tony said and he was probably right. Maybe when she spoke, there really was an air of superiority that drove men away from her. She made up her mind to not say very much to Dominic.

"Would you like some wine Dominic?" 

"Sure, thank you!" he said, and took his first bite of the steak.

"I'd like some too waitress!" Tony smirked.

She wanted to slap him upside his head but she let it go and served them. He would not have her acting un-ladylike tonight.

Selene sat down and began to eat quietly, not taking any interest in what they were talking about. Their conversations had to do with the usual: anticipation of their big upcoming fights, new coaches and of course, Tony's new chick for the week. Dominic looked like he was enjoying the dinner and she smiled to herself as she took a quick glance at him. He looked back at her and shot her a quick smile as Tony went on and on.

"You're a really good cook." he said, interrupting Tony. "You need to give this guy some lessons."

She smiled in response and waited for Tony's comeback... she knew he wouldn't keep his mouth shut.

"The only thing I need lessons for is kickin' some ass!" he said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"We know meathead!" she said, almost catching her tongue.

She didn't want Dominic to be reminded of what she had called him earlier.

"Oh yea, I'm meathead number three right?" he laughed, and gave her a gorgeous smile.

She didn't know what to do except laugh out of embarrassment.

"Selene over here thinks we're all idiots and don't read." Tony said with his mouth full.

"I never said that stupid! Keep talking and you're gonna choke on your food!"

"I read." Dominic said. "I saw you were reading "Just After Sunset" out there. I like Stephen King too."

"Well, I stand corrected. There are only three meatheads now!" she smiled and Dominic laughed in response.

The two went on with their usual conversation while they ate and Selene excused herself from the table. She'd had a smaller portion and was going to skip desert. The wine had gotten to her head and she wanted to lie down. She said goodnight and made her way to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Dominic had a good view of the hallway from the table and his eyes were stuck on her as she walked away.

***

Selene felt a little light headed. Perhaps she'd had too much to drink. She remembered her book in the living room and wanted to get it. She walked down the hallway and past the guest room. The door was slightly ajar and she took a little peek, but Dominic wasn't there. She could hear the shower running and assumed that's where he was since she could hear Tony in his room, on his cell phone.

"He's probably sweet talking some poor girl." she thought.

Selene went into the dark living room and tried to feel around the couch for the book. She couldn't find it but she searched some more in the dark, not wanting to hurt her eyes with the bright lights. It was nowhere to be found, so she just gave up and planned to find it in the morning. She couldn't see much as she made her way back through the hallway and her breasts suddenly squashed into something hard.

"Aaaah!" she gasped softly and grabbed her chest.

The fabric of her shirt now clung to her body, soaked from bumping into Dominic's wet torso.

"Oh I'm sorry. Are you alright?"

"Umm yea... I'm okay."

"Are you sure? I hit you kind of hard there."

She was a little disoriented, but she could still make out his wet and glistening body in the light coming from his room. She felt a little awkward and tried to get past him but he stood in her way.

"I'm fine, just a little tired."

"OK...well... good night then." he smiled.

"Goodnight." she said in a hushed tone as she walked away, covering her chest with her arms.

Selene had not only gotten her shirt wet but her panties were also drenched. She walked back to her room in shame for being turned on by someone she couldn't have. She took the wet shirt and bra off and decided to only wear a tank top and her panties to bed. The wine and most likely her recent encounter with Dominic had made her very horny and what else could she do, except grab her trusty dildo. It wasn't as good as the real thing, but it would suffice.

Selene got the toy out of the drawer and lay on the bed, with her legs wide open. Her nipples had gotten hard from touching his bare chest, and she reached for her left breast. She pulled the top away and lowered the purple jelly dildo down to her crotch. She was still wet through the cotton panties and moved the fabric aside with the jelly cock.

Selene trailed it across her plump pussy lips and moaned from the sweet pleasure. She began to pluck at her nipples and grew wetter from their sensitivity. She quickly inserted the toy into her tight center, and it slid inside with a wet, sloshing sound. She closed her eyes and pretended that it was the man down the hall inside her. She wanted him to pin her down with his gorgeous muscular body and take her...fuck her with his hard cock. She moved her toy slowly at first and took in the full length of the 6 inch mold. Her hands began to move faster and faster, as she did her best to stifle her moaning.

She then uttered the words, "Mmm fuck me Dominic...fuck me baby."

Selene froze in place when she heard the door creak.

She looked up and realized that she hadn't properly shut the door. She could make out a dark silhouette peeping through the narrow opening. Selene realized that she was so distracted by bumping into Dominic that she hadn't made sure her door was completely closed. She didn't move and waited. The figure realized that they'd been found out and quickly moved away from the door. The person walked away and she heard the door to the guestroom close quietly. Selene pulled the dildo out of her and stood up. She felt a little dizzy and had to sit back down for a few seconds, to let it pass.

Had she imagined it? She wasn't sure but she sincerely hoped that it really was just her imagination. She walked up to the door, turned on the lights and looked out into the hallway. At the foot of her door was a little puddle of water. She slowly peeked out and saw a trail of wet footprints leading back to Dominic's room.

Chapter Two

Selene didn't sleep much that night. She was worried about facing Dominic the next day and thought that he would try to humiliate her in front of Tony. She knew what they were like; most of Tony's friends. They didn't like her very much because she didn't fit their standards. She was tired but didn't know what to do. She had to make them breakfast as part of the deal.

It was now 6am and she was wide awake. Like clockwork, she could hear Tony getting ready for his usual hour-long morning jog. He walked past and knocked on Dominic's door. She could hear them talking but couldn't make out what was being said. She decided to wait till after they were gone to start breakfast. She didn't want to run into them...at least not yet. Her plan was to keep to herself all day and not leave her room too much.

"If Dominic says something to Tony, so be it!" she thought. "Just another asshole in the pack!"

Of course she really didn't want to think about Dominic in such a way. Selene liked something about him, other than his appearance but she was prepared for trouble. She could now hear multiple footsteps going back and forth and couldn't tell who they belonged to. The door to the guest room closed and a few seconds later she heard them leaving out the front door. She waited a few minutes until all was silent.

***

Selene had an hour to get everything ready and that was more than enough time. Cooking was her specialty. She had already planned her little menu for breakfast: sausage links, a vegetable omelet, and blueberry pan-cakes. If she made enough to keep them full, they wouldn't bug her too much for the rest of the day.

The pancakes would be made first since the recipe was the most complicated out of the three. She spent the first half of the hour toiling away and made 15 large pancakes; enough to feed a huge family. To save a little time, she would work on the omelet and links at once. She got the links out of the fridge and dropped them into a skillet.

"This should make that dummy happy." she thought to herself, as the links were frying.

"Mmm that smells good!" a voice said behind her.

She was so startled, that she jumped and knocked the skillet over. It was none other than Dominic standing behind the counter, shirtless and smiling at her.

"Whoa careful!" he said and rushed over to the stove.

"You scared the crap out of me!"

"Sorry... didn't mean to." he laughed.

"It's... okay."

In her head she was really screaming, "What the hell is he doing here?"

"Did... didn't you go jogging with Tony?"

"Oh... I was really tired from yesterday's boxing and I told Tony I was gonna take it easy this weekend. I need a break. My whole body's sore." he said, touching his right shoulder.

"Oh...okay."

"I see the chef's at work early this morning. Need any help?"

"No I've got it. I'm almost done."

"Scared I'm gonna ruin breakfast?

"It's not that...I can manage."

"Well you have another skillet getting ready for something. I can watch the links and let you work on that." he said, staring at the empty frying pan.

"Well okay. Promise you won't let them burn?" 

"Promise!"

Selene was really panicking inside. She couldn't even look him in the eye. She moved away from the stove to give him room and walked to the fridge to get some eggs. Her hands were shaking so badly that she almost dropped one of them.

"Please, please, please don't bring last night up." she kept repeating in her head, over and over again.

He was concentrating on the semi thawed links and didn't look back at her. She laid the ingredients on the counter and started combining them. His back was turned to her and she kept glancing at him every few seconds. She took notice of a symmetrical tribal tattoo that ran down his spine. If one looked long enough they would probably see a resemblance to a spear. It was very beautiful work and it complemented his well-defined back. She wanted to touch it... amongst other things; however, now was not the time to start letting her thoughts run away. He was, after all, right in front of her.

"What are you making?" he asked and looked back at her.

"A veggie omelet... you don't mind peppers and mushrooms do you? Tony likes to load up his breakfast with vegetables."

"No, that sounds great actually. I haven't had a good home cooked meal in months."

"How come? Is training getting in the way?"

"Yeah, that and when I was with my ex she would cook for me but with my crazy schedule I don't have too much time for myself anymore."

"Yea, I understand. That's why I try to help Tony out. He can be an idiot sometimes but I know how hard he wants this. He didn't have any support from the rest of our family. They all thought he made a bad choice pursuing a fighting career."

"Oh yeah? Why is that?"

"Well I can't really answer for them. I'm sure they have their own reasons... but from my perspective it's tough watching someone you love taking a beat down. Not that I'm saying Tony can't handle himself in a fight, but it hurts my heart sometimes to watch him." she said sadly.

"So you do watch the fights?" he asked as he turned towards her and began placing the sizzling links on a serving tray.

"Sometimes... it's exciting watching them, but when it's Tony in there... I don't know..." she paused." It's tough."

He smiled at her as she looked down and continued mixing the thick batter.

"He's your family. Of course you care if he gets his ass beat." he laughed and she did as well.

"It's funny sometimes actually, especially when they're talkin' smack and displaying the manliness. I get a kick out of it...all that testosterone in the air!" 


Caged Heart



"Have you ever seen my fights?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

She frowned and thought about all the fights she had seen.

"No...I don't think I have. Yesterday was my first time seeing you...I think."

"Well you're gonna have to promise to watch my next fight." 

"Oh yeah?" she giggled. "When is it?"

"In two weeks. I'm flying out to Vegas."

"Who are you fighting?"

"Volchev." he said nonchalantly.

Her mouth dropped and she frowned at him.

"Volchev? That guy?"

She was hoping that she heard wrong but apparently Dominic was to fight the "Russian Bear." Volchev was a beast of a man who probably weighed over 250 lbs. and was well known for his hard knockout punches. The heavy weight class ranged from 206 lbs. to 265 lbs. and he was much bigger than Dominic. Most would assume Dominic to be clearly outmatched.

"How much do you weigh?" she said with a frown still on her face.

"215 give or take." he said with the most amused look on his face.

"That guy is freakin' huge!" she said out loud, with a hand covering her mouth.

She realized that her reaction implied that Dominic couldn't take the Russian on and she began to feel bad.

"Wait, that came out wrong...I didn't mean to..."

"It's ok." he laughed. "Are you worried about me?"

"Well... I'm sure you're a great fighter...it's just that, that guy is no joke. I've seen what his opponents look like after his fights and they're a mess." she said looking concerned.

She had actually forgotten about what happened the night before and was being her normal self.

"Well, did you know that I beat Tony? The first fight he lost was to me, and he's probably about 20 lbs. heavier. It's not always about the size of a fighter. Depending on their skills, anyone can have an advantage over a bigger fighter."

"That was you? I remember when he came home after that fight. He was really upset. I guess he was letting his winning streak get to his head."

"He's a great fighter and I really respect him. I know what it feels like to lose and then have to pick your-self back up again. It's a hard thing to do...and he's lucky that he had you in his corner." he said with a smile.

"Me? I don't even think I do much to encourage him. At first I made fun of him because it seemed his head was blowing up when he just kept winning. But I started to feel bad for him and gave him some space. I think he's gotten over it though and things are back to normal."

"He talks about you a lot you know...when we train together. I thought you were his girlfriend at first." he laughed.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you cook, you clean and do a lot of stuff that he can't do for himself... and you don't seem to make a big deal out of it."

"Yea well that moron would probably keel over if I wasn't here." she giggled.

"That's what I mean. He's lucky!"

"Well thanks, I appreciate it... after last night he..." and then it all came back to her.

Last night.

She was quiet for a minute as they stood across the counter. He had a smile on his face and she looked at him with guilty eyes. The front door slammed suddenly and Tony's heavy footsteps were coming towards the kitchen. She nervously chewed on her bottom lip and thanked the heavens that the awkward silence was broken.

"Somethin' smells good!" Tony said as he walked in with his sweats.

She quickly went to the empty skillet and poured the egg batter in slowly. Her heart felt like it was going to explode but she did a great job of pretending that nothing was wrong. Dominic went to the dinner table and sat down as Tony came approached the food. He exercised his disdain for manners and shoved a sausage link into his mouth.

"Damn that's good! I'll take some buttered toast and some black coffee waitress."

"Don't start Tony!" Selene answered in an annoyed tone.

"How you feelin' man?" he asked Dominic.

"I'm alright, still stiff in the shoulders though."

The two continued their talking but she was so immersed in her thoughts that she blocked it all out and stared at the bubbling omelet. She felt like an idiot who had just made a total fool of herself. After talking to Dominic, she didn't think he would really say anything to Tony, but things would still be awkward between them. All she could do was follow his lead and wait to see what he would do. It was an embarrassing moment for her and she wanted to get past it.

"Yo Lene! Earth to Lene!" Tony said, nudging her arm.

"Hmm? What?"

"You need to flip that over before it burns."

Selene, in her deep thoughts didn't realize that the omelet needed to be flipped over five minutes ago. She got herself together and took care of it.

Breakfast was the same as yesterday's dinner. She was quiet for the most part and let them talk. She wasn't a fan of eggs and only had three sausage links and one pancake. She tried not to look in Dominic's direction, even though he kept taking frequent glances at her. When she was done eating, she headed straight for her room and threw herself on the bed. She didn't know if the weekend could get any worse. For the whole day she remained in her room, only taking a few trips to the bathroom.

When night fell, Tony let her know that they were going to go out to eat. Selene was relieved. She didn't want to be around Dominic because she was falling for the guy, even though she had no chance with him. She was happy to have them out of the house and decided to have that long hot shower which was denied to her the night before.

She got into the bathtub and took out her favorite lavender vanilla body wash. She poured the creamy soap all over her hair, her voluptuous breasts, her thighs and her back. This was one of her favorite past times next to sex...or masturbation and she took her sweet time lathering her body. She felt refreshed when she got out and the past events didn't bother her so much, for the time being.

The bathroom door was parallel to the guest room and as she walked out, she stood in the hallway for a moment staring at Dominic's closed door. She was sure that he wasn't in the apartment this time and wanted to go into the room. She tiptoed out of the hallway and slowly opened the door to the guest room. The scent of his cologne was in the air and she got turned on once again. She walked in and closed the door behind her.

He kept the room neat and his black gym bag lay on the floor. She looked into it and pulled out his white t-shirt. It carried his scent and she held it close to her body to inhale the sweet odor. Selene knew that she shouldn't invade his privacy but she had never felt an attraction to any man like this before. She was starting to accept that Dominic knew she liked him and if he didn't feel the same, then that would be fine. She had dealt with rejection before and could do it again. For now, she knew that he was single and not an asshole...so far. That was enough to turn her on.

Selene took her towel off and got on to the bed. She covered her bare breasts with the t-shirt and lay back on the pillows. Her hair was wet but she figured by the time he got back, the sheets and pillows would be dry.

Dominic's over-sized shirt caressed her naked body as she rolled around on the cool sheets and inhaled his scent. Selene wanted to fantasize about him but instead, she thought about the night before. She wondered why he stood there watching her for so long. She wanted to think that in those circumstances, any man would've probably watched but she didn't have the greatest body and couldn't imagine any good reason for him to watch. He was a well-known UFC fighter and probably had gorgeous women falling at his feet all the time. She couldn't compare to them.

"Maybe it's because he heard his name and found it funny." she thought.

It was embarrassing, yet she smiled to herself as she thought about how silly she had been that night and how silly she was being right now.

"I'm so bad!" she thought. "Imagine if he found me like this."

She wanted to stay a little longer but they had been gone for a while and it would not be a good thing if she got caught. Tony would never let her live it down and as for Dominic; he would probably think she was a weird freak. She folded his shirt and returned it to the gym bag. When she got up, there was a tiny damp circle on one of the pillows but it wasn't very noticeable and would be dry by the time he came back. Everything looked normal as she took a last look around and walked out the door.

***

Tony and Dominic returned an hour later in good spirits. They were laughing loudly and Selene was under the suspicion that they'd had a few drinks while they were out. She was happy about this because normally, Tony didn't drink since it affected his performance.

Selene was happy to see him cut loose for once. She also felt that she might be more comfortable around them now since Tony would be too tipsy to bother her. She could hear them in the kitchen and she walked out to meet them. They were both dressed handsomely with button up shirts and slacks; they looked like models.

"Hey!" she said, smiling at them from the entrance to the kitchen. "You guys look happy!"

"We had a couple of drinks at the bar and this playa right here got a couple of numbers." he said, eyeballing Dominic.

"Oh...what'd y'all drink?" she asked, sounding a little disappointed.

"Just some shots of tequila... nuthin' major."

"Tony! And you guys drove?" she scolded.

"We're good baby girl... still in one piece!" Tony chuckled.

"That's not cool!"

"Sorry Mom!"

She threw her arms up and was ready to walk away from them, when Dominic stopped her.

"Hold on a minute. I got you something."

Selene looked at him doubtfully. He reached into a big, gold-foil gift bag rested on the counter and pulled out a clear glass case with 2 dozen white chocolate covered strawberries and a bottle of pink champagne. She stared at Dominic's gift for a moment, not really believing that it was for her.

"This is for me?"

"Yea, Tony said you liked white chocolate... so to thank you for dinner and breakfast I got these for you."

"Wow, you didn't have to do that." she said, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Aww ain't that sweet?" Tony smirked.

"Well you deserve a lot more than this for putting up with that fool over there." he laughed and gestured towards Tony.

"Yea whatever... I'm goin' to bed, I'm tired y'all. Night man, don't let her bore you with her smart talk!"

"Yup... see you in the morning.'" Dominic chuckled as Selene sighed and rolled her eyes.

Tony walked away and left the two, face to face.

"That was really nice of you. I'm not used to getting presents." she smiled bashfully.

"Oh don't worry about it... I figured Tony never even thought about giving you anything."

"Well, he offered to pay for my groceries for the next two weeks, so that is something."

"I guess it is." he smiled. "I'll be right back...gonna get undressed."

"Oh...Okay...aren't you tired?"

"Not really. Tony had more to drink than I did. Just gonna get comfortable. Don't move okay." and he walked away towards the guest room.

She thought to tell him that she had to go to bed but she didn't feel threatened by him anymore. He had gotten her a gift and the least she could do was keep him company.

Selene got out two tiny plates from the cupboard and placed two strawberries on each. She didn't want to enjoy her gift alone, especially because he had been so thoughtful. He returned wearing the white shirt that she had played with earlier and she smiled to herself as she grabbed two crystal champagne glasses.

"You don't mind a little dessert do you? I didn't want to eat them alone."

"No, not at all... I wasn't expecting you to share them though." he laughed.

"I'm not mean...despite what your buddies or Tony tell you about me."

"No one's ever said anything bad about you... and if they did, they'd have to answer to me."

"My knight in shining armor!" she replied sarcastically and poured the champagne into the glasses.

"Yup, that's me!"

"You don't mind having a glass with me do you? I know that you drank earlier."

"I don't mind, as long as you don't take advantage of me." and he winked at her.

She didn't have a comeback for that and laughed quietly as she felt her whole face turning red.

Selene quickly took her first sip of the champagne and it was delicious.

"So, what did you do tonight?" 

"Oh nothing exciting... just read a little and relaxed." she said, resting her chin on her hand.

"Didn't you want to come out with us? I was thinking of asking you..."

"I wouldn't want to spoil the men's night out. Besides you guys seemed to have a good time. I might've ruined it."

"I doubt that, nothing special happened." he said taking a slow sip and licking his lips.

Selene wanted to reach out and touch his wet lips. They looked so soft and inviting; begging to be kissed. Her thoughts remained on doing just that as she bit into the cold strawberry.

"How are they?

"They're really good, thank you again." she said as she chewed on the soft fruit. "You haven't even tried them yet!"

"I was waiting on you to test them out first." he laughed. "Oh by the way, I have your book. I hadn't read that one yet and wanted to take a quick look at it."

"Oh, do you wanna borrow it? I usually read two books at a time. Weird I know!"

"Are you sure? When I leave I'm gonna need something to pass the time on my flights... and I was thinking of buying one of his books."

"You can take it with you. It's an anthology of his newer stories, so you probably won't get bored for a while."

"That's awesome, thanks. I'll take good care of it."

"Hey...I know I probably shouldn't ask you such a stupid question...but aren't you nervous about the fight?

"Nah. It's just another fight; I've had plenty before it. You are worried about me aren't you?" he asked looking a little happy.

"Well... yes I am. I mean, like I said before, watching someone you care ab... I mean I wouldn't want to see one of Tony's friends get hurt."

She had done it again and was mortified. How was she going to escape that one?

"Well, we can be friends can't we?"

"Oh yea... sure." she said bashfully.

"Don't worry so much. I'll be okay. I've been around for a long time and I know what to expect. Volchev's a good fighter but everyone has a weakness. I just need to stay focused that's all."

Selene looked at him with sad eyes. It was hard enough to watch Tony getting punched and kicked when he fought, now she would have to watch Dominic go through the same thing. She didn't want to see him hurt even though he had been through it a million times before.

"Hey... don't look like that."

"Oh I'm sorry... I was just thinking." she said quietly.

"Tell you what... when I win, we're gonna celebrate with more strawberries and champagne." he smiled.

She laughed at how confident he was and took comfort in that thought.

"Is that a promise?"

"I'll do one better, dinner with strawberries and champagne..." he smiled "... and no Tony to get in the way."

"Alright." she said nonchalantly, even though she wanted to scream for joy.

It seemed she had landed a proper date with Dominic.

"So I guess I won't be seeing you for the next couple of weeks, right?"

"Well... yea. I've got new Tae Kwon Do and Jiu Jitsu coaches and they're very strict. This is the last time I'll get to kick back before the fight. After the fight I'll get some time off to recuperate."

It was almost 1a.m. and she was starting to feel sleepy. The two had talked for a good while and the champagne had relaxed her even more. She could tell that he was just as tired and suggested that he get some sleep.

"Are you trying to get rid of me Selene?"

"Dominic you're tired. Go to sleep dude!" she laughed.

"What are you gonna go do?" he asked sleepily, running his fingers through his dark hair.

"Probably the same...I haven't been sleeping much lately." she said, hoping he wouldn't ask why.

"Okay well... yea you should catch up on your sleep. I've got the dishes. You can head in."

"No come on, go to bed. You look much more tired than I do. I got it. I'll see you in the morning."

"But..."

"I've got it! Go!" she demanded, pointing to his room.

"Okay, okay... well goodnight."

"Goodnight." she laughed and proceeded to wash the dishes.

He smiled and left her alone.

Selene knew that she probably shouldn't get her hopes up for the planned date. He could easily find someone better in between that time. He was nice enough not to embarrass her about what he caught her doing and she was happy about that. She finished the dishes and walked into the empty hallway. He was in the shower now and she stopped at the bathroom door for a few seconds, wishing that she could join him. She knew it would never happen but it couldn't hurt to dream. It was time to get to bed and this time, she made sure that her door was properly closed.

Chapter Three

The two men twisted and locked in a dangerous embrace on the blood splattered floor of the Octagon.

Their bodies glistened with sweat, as the fierce warriors attacked each other with the only weapons they possessed; their fists. Tony was out of breath and his face was badly bruised as Dominic held him down. His arms were clenched tightly around Tony's neck and face, blocking off the air passageways.

Tony's face was flushed as he desperately held on to consciousness, all the while trying to pry Dominic's hands off his face. The cheering of the crowd was deafening as they witnessed the highly anticipated fight and all were on their feet. Tony was weakening and tapped on Dominic's forearm, signaling his submission to the referee. Dominic was the winner and he sprang to his feet, arm raised in salute to the energized fans.

Tony was sprawled out on the floor. The medical examiner and corner-men got him to his feet and made sure that he was alright to move. Dominic came around, gave him a hug and congratulated him on a great fight. It was Tony's first loss and he had a disappointed look on his face. Still, he clapped along with the crowd as the announcer officially declared Dominic the UFC Heavyweight champion.

Even though Dominic was out of breath, he looked extremely happy and seemed like he could go another three rounds. He thanked his fans, his team and Tony for being a great opponent as he applied a little pressure to his bloody lip. Selene clapped and jumped up and down on her bed as she watched the re-run of the fight in her room.

She missed the fight and wanted to see what Dominic was capable of. Of course she felt bad for Tony as she watched him in Dominic's strong grip. However, there was something extremely arousing about watching Dominic's muscular body partially naked on the blue floor of the cage. She was also impressed by his humility. It can be easy for fighters to fall victim to arrogance.

Dominic's next fight was in two nights. She was still a little worried about what he was about to face but her confidence in him was growing after she saw his agility and strength on display. She didn't want Tony to know that she was watching this fight because he would have probably taken offense. That loss was a huge blow to his ego and it took him a while to spring back from it.

She never saw Dominic again after he gave her the gift. She'd overslept and by the time she awoke the next morning, both he and Tony were gone. She wished she could have seen him one last time. The disappointment of not finding him in the apartment the next day was equal to heartbreak.

She was looking forward to saying goodbye and wishing him good luck. He had to focus on his training now and would become a recluse before the fight. It was most likely that he was in Vegas by now and preparing for the days ahead. Tony had gone with him as part of his supporting team and Selene was left alone in the apartment. She loved solitude but after getting to know Dominic, she yearned for his company.




Caged Heart



This was dangerous for her and she knew it. Fame can corrupt people and every fighter, no matter how strong can fall prey to the temptations of the spotlight. Thinking of him was not something she took pride in. She was still on defense because of her past disappointments with men and she wanted to get rid of her crush. He seemed to like her and she was aware of it but anything or anyone could steal his attention away from her in a heartbeat. It would be a great struggle for her and she hoped that she wouldn't emerge with a bruised ego.

Her thoughts were all dismissed by a sudden monotone ringtone. She quickly fished through the bed sheets for her hidden phone.

"It's probably Tony." she thought as she held it up to see the number.

She didn't recognize the number and ignored it. The ringing stopped and she got up to turn the TV off. It was late and she was bored. There was nothing to do except go to bed. She turned off the lights and lay on the cool bed, only to hear her phone ringing again. She began to wonder if something had happened to Tony and one of his peers was calling to let her know. She quickly grabbed the phone and answered the call hoping it wasn't any bad news.

"Hello?"

"Hi... Selene?"

"Yeah...who's this?" she asked in a concerned voice.

"It's Dominic."

"Oh hi... Is something wrong with Tony?"

"No, no he's passed out and in bed right now."

She was relieved and also happy to hear Dominic's voice. She hadn't spoken to him since their last night together.

"You're a worry wart aren't you?" 

"I can't help it. How are you? Everything alright?"

"Yeah, the fights coming up and I'm ready for it." he said confidently.

She shook her head and laughed even though she knew he had good reason to feel that way.

"Cool, I wanted to wish you good luck but you were gone when I woke up."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I wanted to say goodbye to you too, but I had to go."

"Listen, I meant to tell you this before... but about all that meat-head stuff I said, I didn't mean it. I just have a stupid sense of humor, and I didn't know if you took that personally. Tony and I always poke fun at each other and sometimes I guess I get a little carried away."

He laughed at her admission and she waited for his response.

"You don't need to apologize, I can take a joke. It's no fun being serious all the time."

"OK... so umm how's Vegas?

"It's great! I ran into a lot of fans and they can't wait for the fight. I'm really pumped."

"Cool! Well I'll be rooting for you."

"Still worried?"

"No... well not as much as I was before. Don't tell Tony but I just finished watching your fight with him. I was impressed!" 

"Nice. Well don't worry, I'll be careful Moon goddess."

"What? Did you just say Moon goddess?"

"Yup...your name comes from the Greek moon goddess, Selene."

"Oh... wow I didn't know that." she laughed.

"Yup, so I feel lucky to meet you before the fight. I have a good luck charm now."

She was flattered that he would say something so sweet and felt even worse that she had reinforced the stereotype of fighters being meat-heads. She didn't deserve such a beautiful compliment.

"Oh I don't know if you should call me that. I don't deserve it for what I said."

"Relax ...I say you're my good luck charm and that's that! Besides, you wouldn't want me going in there without my good luck charm would you? If I lost, it would be your fault and I don't think you would want that on your conscience Miss!"

"Okay, Okay fine." she laughed. "Thank you Dominic."

"Thank you!"

He paused for a minute, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't. She was also at a loss for words. She wanted to tell him how badly she missed him, even though they just met. Two weeks went by without a word from him and he never left her thoughts.

"Hey...Selene, we've been avoiding this for a while but..." and she knew where this was going.

He was about to bring up that night, and she wanted to hang up. She was frightened and didn't know what to expect. After all, she wouldn't be able to deny what she had done. A cold chill went through her entire body as she waited.

"... I'm sorry that I spied on you. I came to your door to ask you about the book and to make sure you were okay after I hit you. Your door was open and I was about to knock when I uh... heard you... and then you said my name."

She wanted to cry. Never had she been so embarrassed in all her life. She honestly thought that he wouldn't bring it up because it was a sensitive issue, but she was wrong.

"I just wanted to tell you that I was sorry. I know you're probably embarrassed about it and I hate to think of you feeling like that."

"No I'm sorry, umm... the wine got to my head and..." she didn't know what else to say.

"Oh so you usually do that when you're tipsy?" he asked, very amused.

"N-no I...uh..." she stammered.

"Well don't feel bad. I thought you were really sexy."

"You did?"

"Yea, I thought it was really hot. I didn't want you to stop... but then I hit your door by accident and I think I scared you. I thought you would be upset with me and I left right away. I was expecting you to curse me out the next morning but you didn't."

"I'm not like that... I usually give people the impression that I'm a tough bitch because of all the things I've had to deal with growing up... but I'm really the opposite. I was scared you would think badly of me and say something to Tony."

"Hey, I would never hurt you like that. It will be our little secret okay?"

"A-alright."

"Do you still want to go out to dinner with me? If you don't feel comfortable being around me it's okay. I should've asked you this a long time ago but I didn't know how to bring all this up."

"I'm glad you brought it up. I guess there was never any running away from it." she said feeling a little more relaxed.

"Yea... I wanted to get it off my chest and I really want to take you out. You don't seem like you get out much and you deserve a break."

"Yea, I guess I do."

"Alright then! As soon as I get back we're going to have some fun."

"Alright Dominic..." she laughed. "... and thanks for being so nice about all this."

"No problem. I gotta get some sleep. Is it okay if I call you tomorrow night?"

"Yea sure, that would be nice." 

"Okay well have a good night Moon goddess. I'll talk to you soon."

"Alright Dominic, goodnight." she laughed.

That went well. She hadn't expected him to be understanding and she felt like she could let her guard down a little. She drifted off to sleep with thoughts of him on her mind.

***

That night Selene had a terrible nightmare. In the dream she was in a dark hallway, standing outside of a door, watching Dominic masturbate. She was turned on by the site of him stroking himself under the thin covers and she was about to walk in when she saw a moving shadow on the side wall. She stopped in her tracks when she saw a very fit and petite blonde woman with huge firm breasts standing over him.

She was topless, with only a thong on and she jumped on top of Dominic. The two began making out and groped each other while Selene watched in secret. Selene wanted to turn away but she couldn't move... and then they looked back at her, knowing she was there and laughed. She woke up feeling sick to her stomach. Maybe this was some kind of warning not to get involved with him.

This ominous feeling stayed with her all day and she couldn't shake it off. She still wanted Dominic to win the fight but knew how many women would be vying for his attention if he won. It had been the same with Tony. There was nothing else to do but accept this fact. She was grateful for having spent time with him before he left and she would try her hardest to let him go. He didn't call her back that night and she expected this. It was the night before the fight and Dominic's time would be consumed with interviews, conferences and photo shoots. She could only wait to see him fight.

Chapter Four

The time had finally come.

Selene, as well as millions of fans were about to see a battle between two great fighters. Volchev was the first to come out. He had on a black silk boxing robe and a grimace on his face as he walked towards the Octagon. He was only 32 years old but his rigid face and wide jaw made him look a lot older, probably due to his extensive weight training. When he disrobed, his tanned, muscular chest and arms appeared intimidating to say the least.

Volchev looked like he could take on a whole army and this made Selene nervous. Her heart sunk as she envisioned Dominic bloody, bruised and not being able to withstand the impact of Volchev's punches. She began to bite her nails as Vochev and his entourage entered the cage.

The lights suddenly dimmed and bright flashes of green, blue and purple theatrical lights blazed overhead. Dominic was on his way out.

The crowd got to their feet and cheered loudly as the cameras followed him out. There he was; her man. She couldn't help smiling and clapping. She felt proud of him for coming out with such energy. He was a crowd favorite and the cheering never stopped as he approached the cage. He did by no means look like a wimp or nervous. Dominic looked ready to take on anyone and her confidence in him came to life once more.

Before entering the cage, it was customary for the fighters to remove all articles of clothing except for their boxing trunks. Dominic quickly disposed of his shirt and sweatpants, exposing his gorgeous muscular body to the world. She hadn't noticed at first, but Tony was part of his entourage and stood right by his side. Dominic gave him a hug, as well as his coach and the rest of his team before he approached the cut-men. They proceeded to pat his body down and then applied Vaseline to his face. Dominic put on his mouth guard and was now ready to fight.

Volchev stared him down as he entered the cage but Dominic never wavered. He ran a lap around the cage and flexed his arms and legs as he waited for the referee to commence the fight. Selene watched as the referee called both men together, cited the rules and motioned for the fight to start. The crowd cheered on as the two fighters danced in the ring. Volchev was the first to receive a blow to the face but he caught Dominic fast and held him down. He beat down furiously on Dominic's head, blow after blow, attempting to knock him out. Dominic hung in there and twisted his body around Volchev, who hovered over him. With a quick and fluid move, he sprang up on Volchev's back and locked his arm around the giant's neck. It was a move similar to the one he used to beat Tony, only this time he was on Volchev's back.

The crowd was ecstatic, and the announcers were predicting that Volchev would be in a lot of trouble if he couldn't break out of Dominic's grip. The "Russian Bear's" face was now beet red as he failed to escape the choke hold and slowly fell to his knees. The referee ended the fight at that very second, naming Dominic the winner after 2 minutes and 45 seconds on the clock. After only one round, Dominic defeated a man that no one thought he could take down. Everyone was on their feet; the announcers, judges, the crowd, Tony and even Selene at home. There was an eruption of cheering and applause as Dominic ran around the ring, victorious. Tony rushed into the cage and lifted him up to the crowd. It was a great moment, and she wanted to cry because she had never seen Tony so happy.

Her two favorite men were together enjoying this great victory. One of the announcers entered the ring and congratulated Dominic on his win. He was thoroughly impressed at how Dominic executed his last move and wanted to do a replay for the fans to see. Dominic was still humble, even though Volchev looked very bitter on the sidelines. He was out of breath yet praised Volchev for his strength. He also took the time to thank his coaches and team, his parents for supporting him, Tony, the fans and as she listened she also heard him say "Thanks Lene!"

Words could not express how she felt. What woman wouldn't be happy after hearing someone publicly thank them in that moment? Her heart melted as he smiled and waved at the camera. She wished she could have been there with him. In all reality she knew that Dominic's reputation would grow after he won and didn't feel sad about it anymore. She was honored to be acknowledged after the fight and just wanted him to be happy. Selene wanted him as hers but falling for someone like Dominic would come with much insecurity on her part. It would take some time to get over but if he never reached out to her again, she would be okay with it.

**

Almost a week passed before Selene heard from Tony again. She knew that he would try to take advantage of his trip to Sin City and didn't expect any word from him for a while. He contacted her six days later and sounded extremely happy from his hotel room.

"Lene! What up, what up!"

"Heeeey! How you doin?"

"Havin' the time of my life!"

"I'm sure you are." she giggled.

"You miss me huh? Being all alone in the house?"

"Not even! I'm having a good time all by myself!"

"Yea, whatever."

"How's Dominic doing? Is he okay?"

"Yea your baby's doin' good. He sprained his wrist and his eye was all swollen but it's goin' down."

"Aww man I hope he'll be alright...I saw the fight...you guys looked so happy in the cage." she smiled but then paused. "Did you just say my baby?"

"Yup, your baby! Come on Lene I'm not stupid. You think I didn't know that he wanted that booty?" he laughed.

"You're so...shut up Tony!"

"He can't talk too much, so he wanted me to call you to tell you sorry for not callin' back. He's been crazy busy and tryin' to get some rest before we come back."

"He told you that we talked?"

"Who d' you think gave him the number dummy? He had it since he gave you the strawberries. He asked me if you had a man and I told him no one's tapped that booty in years!" he laughed

"You asshole!" she said angrily.

"You're welcome! Anyway I gotta go, got some fine honeys over here."

"Wait, when are you coming back?"

"In four days. I'll call ya back tonight."

"I doubt that!" she muttered.

"Chill, can't a playa have some fun in Vegas? I'll talk to you later aight?"

"OK Tony, be careful." she sighed.

"Later!"

A few things were made clear to her during that call. She found out that Dominic had really meant to get back to her but couldn't. She didn't know that Tony was aware of his interest in her, which meant that Dominic's gift was really a romantic gesture.

Her mind fell upon the box of strawberries and remaining champagne. Selene thought that she should finish them. She had only gone to sleep after the fight. Tony and Dominic probably already had their little celebration and she should have her own.

Selene proceeded to the kitchen. It was one of those really quiet nights. Her empty apartment felt a little creepy. Most of the other tenants were probably out for the weekend because there was not a sound coming from anywhere in the building. It was eerily silent. She was lonely and hated not having Tony around. She smiled as she thought of their last conversation and hoped that he really was having the time of his life.

There was no need for formalities now. She ate one of the strawberries straight from the glass box and it brought back memories of the last night she spent with Dominic. If only he knew of her thoughts and how bold she had been to enter his temporary room. She had probably done it because it was in her home, her territory and she felt safe somehow. She laughed out loud as she thought of all the dumb things she had done because of this man.

She was suddenly startled as she heard the sound of the doorbell. She wasn't expecting anyone and it definitely couldn't be the landlord at this hour. She waited, thinking that someone probably made a mistake, but it rang again. She licked the chocolate off her fingers and made her way to the front door. Her phone was going off in the bedroom but she went for the door instead. She unlocked the door and slowly opened it, anticipating some kind of prank or troublemaker. It was Dominic.

"Goodnight Moon Goddess!" he said with a huge smile.

"Dominic? What are you doing here?"

"I told you as soon as I got back we're gonna have some fun!"

He was carrying a few large boxes and a gift bag. She offered to help him and led him to the kitchen counter.

"So is Tony here with you?"

"Naaa... I came on my own. I was supposed to leave in four days with him, but I decided to come home early."

"How long have you been back?"

"For two days now... I wanted to see my mom and dad."

"So...Tony knew that you were gone?" she asked suspiciously.

"Yup, I know he called you today..." he laughed "... but don't get mad at him. It was supposed to be a surprise. "

"That's so like Tony. Always trying to pull one over my head."

"I'm not fully healed so I brought dinner and desert to you."

If only he knew that she was looking at him as if he were dessert. He was dressed in an expensive black Armani suit and she recognized the musky scent of his cologne at once.

"Dominic, you didn't have to do all that. What happened to recuperating?"

"Come on Selene, give me a break I wanted to see you... plus I got all this great Italian food."

She laughed. It was obvious that Tony had given him tips about the things she liked. She loved the moron for doing this for her.

"Tony gave away all my secrets huh?"

"Not all, there's still some I'd like to find out for myself."

"Well, we shall see!" she said bravely.

She was starting to feel more comfortable around him and was happy that she wouldn't be alone tonight. They sat next to each other around the dinner table enjoying the pasta that he brought over. He had also gotten a bottle of white wine and Tiramisu for desert. She was impressed and didn't hold back with the portions. He had taken his time to do this for her and it would only be right to enjoy his second gift.

"Thank you for doing this Dominic. I feel like I really haven't done anything to deserve this treatment."

" Really? Even though you do all these things for Tony?"

"Well, honestly, everything I do has been part of my normal routine since I was a kid. I grew up in a large family and I was the eldest... so I was almost second mom to my cousins. I don't really look at everything I do as hard work. I do it out of love for Tony."

"Oh, I completely understand. He doesn't even have to say the words out loud, but I can tell he cares a lot about you. You're probably wondering how I got your number right?"

"Yeah I did at first."

"Well he gave it to me. I asked him if you had a boyfriend and he stopped everything he was doing and gave me this serious look. He told me that you're the only real and true family he has and if I hurt you, he would fuck me up!"

She couldn't hold in her laughter.

"Let me get this straight. You won your last fight with him... and he threatened to fuck you up if you hurt me?"

"Yea...and honestly I really believe that he would be able to do it too. When a man wants to protect someone he loves he'll give it his all." he chuckled.

"Well that was really sweet of Tony. I never see that side of him."

"Guys don't usually let women see that side but you mean a lot to him... so I promised him that I wouldn't fuck up." he laughed.

"Well you better not!" she joked.

The two continued enjoying their dinner and had a great conversation about Dominic's fight. She was really interested in knowing what he felt like at every moment; namely, when he was being beaten down by Volchev. She expressed to him how upset she had been when she saw him on the cage floor.

"I was afraid for you."

"Selene, I told you I'd be alright. It's not all about muscle. It's about your willpower and focus. I could have lost that fight easily; I won't say that I was completely in control, because anything could happen. I just had to act upon every opportunity I got... plus I had my good luck charm watching." he smiled.




Caged Heart



"I wish I could've done more to support you." she said bashfully as she looked into his emerald eyes.

"I knew you were watching. That was more than enough."

"Are you trying to sweet talk me?"

"Is it working?"

"Unfortunately."

"Yes!" he said enthusiastically making her laugh even more.

Selene loved that he had such a great sense of humor. She had been afraid of him but things were changing. The whole bottle of wine was now gone and the two were almost finished with their main courses. Selene was tired but she would have stayed up with him for the next two days if he asked her to. She still saw evidence of the fight on his face. The area under his eye was a slightly darker pigment than the rest of his skin. She wanted him to stay but knew that he deserved some rest. He had gone out of his way to impress her and she couldn't ask for anything more.

"You look exhausted."

"I am, just a little bit but I'm glad I took the chance to come here."

"I'm glad you did too. I had a lot of fun." she smiled.

"Do you mind if I come back tomorrow night?"

"Tomorrow? Really? Don't you think you should take a rest and..."

"I never got to have desert." and his eyes fell to her full breasts.

She noticed that he was staring at her body and was a little shocked. She craved him yet didn't expect him to be so direct.

"Umm... well okay." she said clearing her throat.

"I have a dinner date with my dad, so I won't be able to get here till after ten. Is that alright?"

"Yea sure, I'll be awake." she said and she felt a slow trickling between her legs.

She walked him to the door and thanked him again for dinner. After he left, she sank to the floor. She would have given herself to him at that very moment. He looked at her breasts hungrily as if he wanted to take her right then and there but he held back. The question was...would he be able to hold back tomorrow night?

***

Selene was caught off guard the night before. She hadn't expected Dominic to appear but this time she would be prepared and dress to impress, or at least try. Selene wanted to go with an elegant look tonight, to reward him for being a gentleman. She straightened her hair and put on a sexy low-cut burgundy dress which hugged her body in all the right places. She didn't know what would happen when he came over but just in case, she would be prepared.

She hadn't touched the Tiramisu and would wait for Dominic to arrive. He mentioned not having his desert the night before but she knew that he didn't mean the cake. She was wet for him even now but she would follow his lead, not wanting to seem too eager. He arrived an hour later than expected and apologized to her for the long wait.

"I'm so sorry Selene. I had a few drinks with my dad and stayed out a little longer than I expected... but uh, wow you look great! I didn't expect you to dress up." he said as he admired her curves.

He was also wearing a suit tonight: navy blue with pinstripes and a tie.

"Well you came here yesterday all dressed up and I had pajamas on. I couldn't let you out-dress me twice."

"I'd just gotten out of a meeting but I'm not complaining. You look beautiful!" he said as he walked in.

"Thank you... and you look really handsome." she said sweetly.

They walked into the living room and sat down. She had a chilled bottle of wine waiting on the coffee table and served him a glass.

"So how was your night?

"It was great. My dad and I hadn't spent any time together in months."

"The life of a fighter huh?"

"Yea, but I could have been worse off. I was a bad kid. I was in a gang and everything."

"Really?"

"Yea, my dad saw where I was headed and took me to a boxing ring. He made me fight off my aggression in there instead of on the streets... and the rest is history!" he said as he finished his glass of wine.

"You guys must be really close. Wish I had that kind of relationship with my dad... but he left my mom."

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright, life went on without him." she smiled as she leaned forward and poured him another glass of wine.

Selene looked gorgeous in the dress and Dominic couldn't help looking at her soft lips and voluptuous breasts. They seemed ready to spill out of the front. She had on the lavender vanilla fragrance which matched her body wash and the scent was very familiar to him.

"You smell really nice." he said, as he sipped the wine. "Kind of reminds me of this scent on my sheets the last night I was here."

She almost spat up the wine as he gave her a most suspicious look.

"It's really funny, because one of my shirts caught the same scent and I don't remember my stuff ever smelling like that before." he said with laughing eyes.

"Oh... really?" and she cleared her throat.

"Yea, I really like it though." he said as he shifted closer to her and sniffed her neck.

Selene felt a chill go through her entire body as the tip of his nose touched the skin on her neck. Her nipples were instantly hard and she had a tiny accident in her lace panties as well. He drew back and took another sip of wine.

"You're not gonna admit it huh?"

"Admit what?" she asked softly, not being able to hear her own voice over the loud thumping of her heartbeat.

"Do I scare you that much Selene?"

"Scare me? Why do you say that?"

"I think you're too scared to tell me that you were in my bed and you probably put my shirt on while I was gone. Did you wish I was in bed with you?"

She was too shocked to answer him and took a deep breath as he continued.

"If my shirt had that same perfume, that means you were probably topless... or naked. Did you play with yourself while I was gone?"

Her face felt like it was on fire, yet her hands felt clammy and as cold as ice. Once again all she could do was look at him with guilty eyes.

"Alright... I admit it. Sorry... I shouldn't have invaded your privacy. I don't know what came over me."

He laughed at her and she frowned, not thinking it was very funny.

"Well that was easier than I thought! I didn't really think you would admit it."

He had such a beautiful smile. Selene wanted to jump on top of him and kiss his lips but once again it wasn't the best time to have these kinds of thoughts.

"I'm really embarrassed over here and you're laughing at me." she said shamefully.

"Don't worry about it. I probably would have done the same thing if I was in your shoes."

"Yea ...right." she laughed.

She remembered the Tiramisu thawing out on the kitchen counter and got up from the couch.

"I almost forgot...I was waiting for you to get here and I have the Tiramisu on the counter."

He got up, followed her to the kitchen and quickly caught her by the waist. He held her close to his body and pinned her against the counter.

"The only thing I want is you Selene." he whispered as he nuzzled her neck.

"Dominic ..." she gasped.

"Shhh, you want me... don't you Lene? I couldn't wait to be here with you. That's why I left early." and he planted his lips on her neck.

She had always wanted to be held like this but never thought it would actually happen. He turned her body around and kissed her lips passionately, as he pressed his body into hers against the counter. She didn't resist him and let him take control. Dominic placed his strong legs in between her wet crotch and lifted her, elevating her body onto the kitchen counter. He opened her legs and lifted her short dress as she sat on top of the counter, still locked in a deep kiss with him.

"I've wanted to taste you for a long time... I'm gonna make you throw all your toys out babe." he smiled.

"You're still trying to embarrass me." she giggled, even though she was extremely turned on.

"No...I just had no idea I could turn someone on that much." he laughed.

She laughed bashfully and slapped her palm to her cheek. She had never been in such a vulnerable position with a man. He slowly let her go and pulled up one of the chairs between her legs. He took his jacket off and loosened his tie as he sat down.

"I want my desert now." he said smiling at her.

He pulled the lace thong she wore aside and licked the plump lips.

"Mmm." she moaned.

"You taste as sweet as I knew you would... and you have such a pretty pussy." he whispered as his tongue darted against the smooth flesh.

Selene's hands balled up into fists as his tongue parted her pussy lips and entered her wet folds. His thumbs stroked the insides of her soft thighs as his tongue dug deeper and deeper. She couldn't stop shivering when he found her clit. The hard suction of his mouth caused waves of heat to rush to the soles of her feet.

"Mmm. God that feels so good Dominic!" she gasped and cupped her breasts.

Her nipples were harder than ever and she pinched them through the dress, as her other hand combed through Dominic's dark hair. Her fingers caressed his head as he lapped at the wetness gushing out of her.

He let go of her thighs and his hands moved up to the sides of her rib cage to clutch her heavy breasts. More juices trickled out of her pussy as his strong hands gently squeezed the soft orbs. She was hyperventilating now and threw her head back as the pleasure overtook her. Selene suddenly grabbed his left hand from under her breast and lifted it to her nipple, forcing him to touch her there.

Dominic lifted his head from her inner thighs and stood up. His mouth and chin were slick with her juices but he wasn't going to stop there. He pulled her breast free from the cotton fabric and lowered his head to lick her dark areola. She gasped as he twirled his tongue around it slowly, teasing her and moaning himself as if he was enjoying the sweetest treat.

His mouth enclosed around the hard bud and he sucked and pulled on it hard with his hot mouth. She bit her bottom lip hard and moaned as he suckled her. She loved all of this but it was her turn to please him now. She gently pushed him away, but he didn't want to let go of her. His tongue still reached for her nipple as he fell back.

"Hey... what's wrong? Why did you stop me?" he asked as if disappointed.

"It's my turn, come with me." and she hopped off the counter and led him to her room.

Selene closed the door behind her and pushed Dominic back on the bed.

"Ooh somebody's getting feisty!"

"You love teasing me don't you?" she said, as she slowly pulled the dress down to her shoulders.

Dominic lay back on her pillows as he watched her climb out of the tight dress and underwear. He had fantasized about this moment ever since he became an accidental voyeur. She undid his belt and zipper and pulled his pants down, while he kicked his shoes off.

He sat up, took off his tie and shirt, and threw them aside on the floor. His body was even more beautiful in person and she ran her fingers over his smooth chest and abdomen. He only had his boxers on now, and she could make out a huge bulge in the center. She was still a little nervous and hesitated to pull his organ out. He seemed to notice and sat up.

"Hey, are you alright Selene?" 

"Yea I'm fine."

"I went too fast for you didn't I?"

They were going very fast but she had wanted him just as badly. The blame didn't only lie with him.

He pulled her to him and kissed her soft lips.

"We don't have to do anything tonight if you don't want to Selene... I got my desert tonight and that was good enough for me." he said smiling. "Do I still scare you?"

"Well... just a little... I don't know what's wrong with me."

"You think I'm going to hurt you... that's what's wrong with you."

"Well... you're so famous and... I do want you; I just never thought that you would seriously like me back."

"Oh I get it... I think hanging around Tony so much made you think that we're all players right?"

"Well yea... I guess."

"Ok well ...I'll get dressed and go home. I really didn't want to give you that impression Selene."

With that, he got up from the bed but was surprised to feel her hand tugging on his arm.

"No wait! Don't go. I don't want to be alone."

"Selene... I won't ever leave you alone." he said turning to her.

"I want you to stay."

He smiled warmly and reached for her face. He kissed her mouth once more, slowly and deeply this time.

"I didn't want you to go to bed with your cold toys again. I wanted to be here with you... in your bed, holding you tight. When I saw you that night I had to hold myself back... I wanted you so bad ... and you said my name. I was so surprised that I hit your door. I wanted to go in there and make love to you. Maybe... if Tony wasn't there I would've gone in but I respect you both and I'm not looking for a one night stand."

"Dominic... I want to believe you but..."

"I know you're scared ...but tell me this... if I left right now would you use your toys again? You got so wet for me and I don't want you to give all that away to something plastic. I'm here with you right now. Don't you want to feel me?" he said while kissing her neck softly between his words. "...inside you? ...filling you up?"

"Mmm...yes." 

"I'll show you Selene... won't need those toys ever again!

Dominic got up from the bed, pulled his boxers down and showed her what was going to replace the dildo in her drawer. This man had a thick 9 inch monster on him, which sprung up hard and erect for Selene. She was surprised by the sheer size of it and he smiled as he moved on top of her.

"Don't worry Lene, I won't hurt you." he said softly.

"...and what if I wanted you to hurt me?" she asked daringly.

He laughed at her reply and his tongue went for her nipples again.

"I'll give you anything you want baby... just ask!"

"Mmm just don't stop... please don't ever stop." she gasped as he licked her nipples, moving from one to the other while his fingers reached for her wet center.

"God you're so wet... tell me what you want me to do baby." he whispered.

She sat up smiling and said " I want you to lie back, it's still my turn."

He obeyed her and lay flat on his back. Selene crouched over and took his thick cock into her hands, admiring the full length of it. None of her toys could ever compare and she hoped that she really wouldn't need them anymore. She had never had anyone so big but she would try her best to pleasure him. She placed her tongue over the tip and lightly tapped it. She heard him gasp softly and continued licking in circles. His skin tasted sweet and she continued lapping around the tip like a kitten.

"Oh...God!" he said in a gasp.

Selene didn't know if she could take all of him into her mouth but she was about to try. She opened her mouth over the head and sucked him in. Her tongue twirled around the pink cock as she moved her mouth up and down slowly, caressing every vein with the silky underside of her tongue.

Her movement quickened and she sucked hard taking more than half of his cock into her mouth. He was gasping in short breaths now as her mouth tightened around him .She was drawing out his pre-cum slowly but she didn't want him coming yet. She pulled up and let go of his cock with a loud 'Pop'.

"Oh fuck!" he cried out as he looked down at her.

He was surprised that Selene even attempted to go down on him and even more so because she was so good. If she hadn't stopped he would have definitely came in her mouth.

"You don't want me to stop do you?" she said in a provocative voice.

He couldn't answer her at first and had to swallow before he found his voice again. "Damn... that was so good!"

Selene took that as a "no" and took him into her mouth again but only sucked on the tip this time. She flicked her tongue against the tiny hole, as more of his fluids seeped out. She stroked his stomach with one hand and he continued to gasp through his teeth. She loved pleasing him and grew wetter knowing that he was enjoying the feel of her mouth. She took in more of him as her head dipped lower and sucked harder than before, while trying to maintain a quick speed.

Selene loved it. She had never done this for anyone before but she would do it for him, over and over again. Only for him. She suddenly felt his hands on the sides of her face and he gently pulled her up.

"I didn't wanna stop yet Dominic." she pouted.

"You're driving me crazy, baby... but I need to be inside you right now. There's no way in hell I'm gonna let you put that thing inside you again. I belong inside of you!"

He quickly got up and pinned her down on the mattress. Her fantasy was about to come true. He opened her legs and rubbed his cock on her pussy lips. It was hot to the touch and as hard as ever. He wet the tip with her juices and pressed it on her clit, making her gasp with pleasure.

"Don't make me wait Dominic. I want you to fuck me now!"

"I don't wanna hurt you baby."

"I don't care Dominic, just give it to me please." she whimpered as she took a hold of his cock and directed it to her tight center.

He didn't hesitate and entered her in an instant, sliding in the full length.

She had never felt anything so deep and the shock was so intense, that a few droplets of liquid squirted out of her and onto his lower torso. He was splitting her apart but she didn't want him to stop. It was painful but Selene still found immense pleasure from the deep strokes. 

"Harder baby please, don't stop! It's all yours!" she shrieked.

"Yea? It's all mine baby? Tell me again!" he said as his cock dug deeper into her.

"It's all yours baby! Nobody else can have it!"

His thrusts went so deep this time that she felt like she was going to pass out. Her whole body shook violently and her nails dug into his arm as he moved inside her.

"Cum for me baby... come on Lene, cum for me...Aaaah shit."

"Im gonna...oh fuuuuuck!" she said as she squirted again and came all over him. He let go at the same time and pulled out of her, releasing his cum all over her pussy lips. Dominic collapsed, sweaty and out of breath on top of Selene. Neither one could move for the moment as they tried to catch their breath.

"Selene?"

"Yea?"

"I don't wanna go home... can I sleep here with you?"

Chapter Five

"Mmmm ... I'm so wet Dominic." Selene moaned.

Dominic was between her legs again. They spent the night together and she woke up with his tongue deep inside her.

"Good morning beautiful."

Selene didn't have time to answer him because he went straight back to work, sucking and nibbling at her lower lips. Dominic moved his tongue in a circular motion slowly around her clit. He was lapping and sucking hard, almost making it sore from the constant stimulation.

She couldn't control herself. Her body was trembling and she was dripping all over her sheets and his face. He inserted his finger into her tight hole, which was still tender from his deep penetration the night before.

Selene didn't care that it still hurt. She was with him and didn't want him to let her go. He sucked harder on her clit and held his face tightly against her pussy, sucking up all her juices and then wetting her up again with his saliva. She couldn't take his teasing and began rubbing her clit to bring herself to satisfaction but he grabbed her hands away and held them to the sides.

"No baby...no touching!" 

"But, but I can't take it... I wanna cum right now." she whimpered.

"You're gonna cum when I'm deep inside you babe, don't worry." he smiled and went back to tasting her pussy.

Selene struggled against the strong hands that pinned her down but she couldn't break free. His tongue continued to worm inside her. She began squirming and was almost on the verge of weeping. It felt too good and she wanted some kind of release, but he wouldn't give it to her. She moved her pelvis against his face as he fucked her center with his tongue.

She wanted to touch her tender nipples but her hands were still pinned down. He gently bit her pussy lips and the surprise and pleasure from the bite made her come, washing his tongue with her creamy juices.




Caged Heart



"Mmm... that was just the beginning Lene." he said as he lapped up every drop.

Dominic loosened his tight grip on her hands but kept licking away. She was motionless now and felt sleepy. He caught her off guard again as he pressed his tongue hard against her clit, reawakening the pleasure she felt a few seconds before.

"Dominic, Dominic I-I can't." she gasped.

"You can't what baby? You can't cum again? Yes you can... I'm gonna make you cum on top of my dick."

He rose up and sat next to her. She was too weak to move but he pulled her up on her knees.

"Get on top of me Lene... I want you to sit on it."

"I don't know if I can... my legs are weak."

"I've got you beautiful. Just get on top of me and I'll do the rest."

Selene found her strength and positioned herself over his reclined body. He grabbed her and crushed her mouth to his. She could taste her juices on his tongue and she moaned as his fingers rubbed her clit.

"You want me inside you, don't you baby?" he asked as he sucked on her bottom lip.

"Yes baby, give it to me again." she gasped softly.

He grabbed her soft buttocks and pushed her down slowly on the hot tip of his cock. She moaned softly as she felt him stretching her pussy. Dominic pulled her up and eased her down again; he didn't want to cause her too much pain after going so hard the night before. Her arms were wrapped around his neck tightly as she held onto him for support.

Selene's breasts were against his face and his tongue reached out for them and flicked at the hard buds as he lowered her pussy onto his cock. He pushed her deeper on himself this time and her wet insides felt incredible. He moaned and bit her nipple as he moved her back and forth over his cock.

She was opening up more for him and her wetness was dripping all over his shaft. The pain was going away and all she felt now was an intense longing to have him go deeper. She planted her knees onto the mattress and began riding him in long stokes.

"Fuck baby, you feel so good!" he said as he dropped his head against the pillow.

"Do you want me to go faster Dominic?"

"Oh God, yea baby, ride me harder!"

She obeyed and took all of him into her. Dominic grabbed her breasts again and pulled on her nipples with his teeth as she rode him. She was sweating all over and her straight hair had gone back to being curly from the heat and sweat. He grabbed her ass suddenly and pushed her down hard on his cock. They both screamed out and she stopped moving from the shock of it. He lifted her and began bucking inside her as she sat on top of him.

She was losing her voice from all the screaming. Never had anyone given her so much passion and she loved it as he took her. His hand was still clutching her breast as he fucked her from below and he licked her nipple as her breasts jiggled in front of him. She was holding on to him tighter now; her strength was no match for his and she was getting weaker as she felt her orgasm building up.

"Lene can I cum inside you?" he asked in short breaths.

"Yeah, I'm safe."

"Are you sure babe?"

"Give it all to me baby... I wanna feel every drop inside me!"

"God I've wanted to hear you say that so bad... you want it baby?"

"Yes Dominic! Yes!" she moaned as her orgasm reached its peak.

His hand squeezed the soft flesh on her back as he came inside her; his sensitive touch making her orgasm even more delicious. He fell back on the pillow and she rested on his chest, still holding him inside of her body. Selene could feel him pulsing inside of her and it was as if they had become one; only one heart beating between their two bodies. He slowly stroked her back as she lay on top of him but the serenity was broken by the loud buzzing of his vibrating cell phone.

"Wanna get that?" Selene asked.

He was annoyed by the sudden disruption and didn't make a move. He didn't want to be separated from her and ignored the call. Not a word passed between them as they reveled in their beautiful moment together. The buzzing stopped, but began again a few seconds later. He groaned with displeasure and knew that he would probably have to get it now.

"Go ahead and get that Dominic... I'll just take a shower in the meantime." she said as she released him.

"Can I join you?"

"Sure, I'll be waiting!" she giggled as she exited the room.

"I'll be right there babe!" he said, reaching for his phone.

Selene hadn't felt this good in a long time. She was sore and could barely walk straight, but the physical pain she felt could never put a damper on her spirits. Dominic was here with her and he had given her his undivided attention. Her last few hours with him had more than made up for his weeks of absence.

She wondered what Tony would say if he knew about their night together. She did owe him for bringing Dominic into her life and she knew that he would be happy for her.

"What was that fool doing right now?" she thought.

He was probably still asleep in his hotel room, hung over and snoring like a bear. She laughed at the thought. He had never returned her phone call and she planned to call him as soon as she and Dominic had breakfast.

As she lathered her body, her thoughts fell on Dominic again. She missed him already and he was taking too long to join her. She knew that the call he received may have been an urgent one and he might still be talking to whoever was on the line. Maybe it was Tony. She quickly washed her body off and stepped out of the shower, eager to see his face again.

***

Dominic sat on the edge of the bed with his boxers on and he stared at the floor, with his cell phone in hand. He looked very deep in thought and was startled by Selene's sudden appearance. He looked up at her and his eyes were bloodshot.

"Hey, are you alright? Is something wrong?"

"Selene... uh..." he paused and looked down at the cell in his hand.

She walked over and sat next to him, placing her hand through his disheveled hair.

"What is it Dominic?"

"I'm sorry Lene... if I hadn't left Vegas early, this never would have happened... I'm so sorry!" he said as tears welled up in his reddened eyes.

"Dominic... what ...wouldn't have happened? Why are you crying?"

A cold chill ran down her spine. She knew whatever he was about to reveal was something terrible. If it had her champion in tears, then it couldn't be something good. A thought sparked in her mind as she processed what he just said. It had to be about Tony.

"Tony... he... got into a fight... and uh."

He was struggling to get the words out and it only made her more nervous. She almost didn't want to hear the rest of it.

"What happened to Tony?"

"He got into a fight with Volchev... and they beat him up pretty badly... and ...and... he's gone Lene... he's..."

"Tell me this is a joke...Dominic please... Dominic...please?"

"Lene I'm sorry... if I was there he would still be..." he choked.

Selene was having trouble breathing now. She couldn't and didn't want to believe Dominic's words. Her heart was breaking as she looked into his eyes. They told her that all of it was in fact true. Tony was gone.

All of this was happening too fast. She stood up and backed away from him, as the hot tears ran down her face. She couldn't speak, let alone breathe and her vision was getting fuzzy.

"Selene! Babe?"

"He can't be Dominic...he can't! How?"

"I'm sorry Selene... if I had stayed, it would've never happened!"

Her heart was beating faster now and she felt nauseous as she landed against the hard wall. Slowly everything was fading into black and she sunk to her knees. She was losing consciousness. The last thing she heard was Dominic's footsteps rushing towards her.

"Selene!"

***

Selene's days had become much darker ever since her passionate night with Dominic. She was in her own personal hell. Dominic left for Vegas soon after he found out the bad news and she was left alone once again. She blamed herself for his death. She had distanced herself from everyone, even Dominic because she felt guilty. It's not that she even blamed him. Her mother had taken it upon herself to let Selene know that if she hadn't supported Tony's endeavors, he would still be alive today.

Two days after she found out about Tony's death, her mother came to the apartment. Selene was weak and didn't want to deal with anyone, let alone family. They were emotionally abusive to both her and Tony when they were growing up. Never an encouraging word was said to her or Tony.

In their family tradition, if the children didn't strive to be what the parents wanted, there would be hell to pay. Tony had gone the route of a professional fighter and not his mother, or his aunts were pleased with his decision. Barely any fathers or uncles were present in her family. Selene was the only one who believed in him. Now that he was gone because of an incident related to his career, she knew that she would receive all the blame.

Linda, her mother was the last person she expected a visit from...but she should have known better. Her mother had a stern look on her face as she came in. There was no sadness or remorse. All Selene saw was anger; but that wasn't unusual.

"Oh...hi mom."

Linda didn't reply and walked in past her, as she stared down the apartment. It was judgment time.

"So this is where y'all lived together?" Linda snorted with her thick Caribbean accent.

"Yeah...umm..."

"You see? We told y'all. Tony went and got himself killed and for what? A stupid television show!"

"Mommy please, not right now. If you came to rub it in my face, I get it. Y'all are all gonna blame me."

"You children have no respect for yuh elders. You think we all stupid and don't know better than y'all. Just disrespectful! All uh y'all!"

"Mommy please I know... I'm sorry. If I knew he would be..."

"Don't you know how yuh auntie's feelin' right now? She can't even talk! She don't eat, she don't sleep!" Linda said with a distasteful look.

Selene couldn't hold back her tears. She had known all this would eventually come, but not so soon. Not when her poor cousin had only been gone for two days. She didn't have any reliable friends and she didn't feel comfortable turning to her family. It was their habit to be intolerable. At that moment she wished that she could have taken Tony's place.

It was true that she encouraged him. Between the two of them, she felt that he had a much more promising future. She hadn't been the gorgeous or popular one; that was Tony. He had all the charisma and confidence. In Selene's eyes, there was no comparison. He had a positive and rewarding life, while she could barely maintain her own.

"Well I want to know what yuh gonna do now!"

Selene didn't answer.

"The funerals next week Friday, so I guess we'll see you there. What you doing now? Where you workin'? You gon' be able to afford this place without Tony's help?"

"Mommy not now, ok? Sorry but I feel sick." and she did.

She was feeling nauseous and faint again.

"Alright, well... I'll call yuh before the funeral."

Selene walked her out and there were no goodbyes or kind words from her mother.

"Bye Mom." she said as she closed the front door.

Tears were still streaming down her face and all she wanted was Dominic. Besides Tony, he was the only positive person she ever got close to. She had avoided his last two calls because she didn't know what to say to him. He had done his best to make her feel better but to no avail.

His kind words were drowned in a sea of angry and hurtful messages from her aunts and mother. She didn't hear much from her siblings or cousins. They probably also supported Tony, however backlash and anger from the family was something they would want to avoid at this time. She didn't blame them because everyone knew what to expect from her mother and aunts. Her phone began ringing and she already knew who it was. Dominic.

"Hello?"

"Hey babe. Are you okay?"

"No Dominic, I'm not... I'm just tired. Everyone's getting on my case and I just want to be alone right now."

"Selene I know how you feel but you don't have to go through this alone. I miss you so much. I wish I was with you right now."

She couldn't answer him because she was sobbing and her words wouldn't come out. She wanted him there with her, but she felt like she didn't deserve anyone's sympathy.

"Baby, I'm here... if you want me to leave you alone I will...but... I miss you so much. I know we haven't spent that much time together but I couldn't stop thinking about you since we first met. I know it's my fault and I'm sorry. If I had been there..." 

"Dominic, stop, it's not your fault... I miss you too... and I want to be with you but all this is really difficult for me. I have to take responsibility for my actions... and my mom..."

"Your actions?"

"I encouraged Tony to be a fighter. If I hadn't done that, he would probably be alive today."

"Selene... you aren't to blame for any of this!"

"I don't think that's true... I have to go...um I don't feel so good. Can I talk to you later?"

"Babe... well alright... if you need me... I'm here. Don't push me away okay? Please Selene?"

"I'm sorry Dominic, I just need to get myself together and I'm honestly not feeling good."

"Well alright, I'll call you in a few hours okay?"

"Okay, I'm sorry."

"Lene don't say sorry... I'm here for you. I'll talk to you later. Just be careful ok? If you need something, anything... just call me."

"Ok...I...bye Dominic."

"Bye Lene."

Selene rushed to the bathroom to throw up. She wanted to die. Dominic was the only thing keeping her afloat and even that was barely working now. She didn't know how she would manage the next few weeks. She was becoming best friends with the bottle again because it was the only thing that could keep her calm.

All her troubles were a dream when she drank. She would be whisked away into fantasies of a better life where she wouldn't have to deal with depression. Even if it lasted temporarily, she thought it would keep her together for a while.

***

Dominic hadn't been with her physically since their night together but he gave his all to make sure that she was alright. Even though he was now in Vegas, he called her every time he got a moment to himself. He also took care of all the funeral arrangements, as well as dealing with the media. This tragedy had attracted lots of attention and everyone wanted to know why and how it happened. It was revealed that Volchev was irate about his loss.

His jealousy of Dominic was evident and he spent the next few days after the fight, drinking heavily and rampaging all over the city. He came across Tony at a nightclub and began insulting both he and Dominic. Tony was known for being a tough guy, but he chose to ignore Volchev and his entourage, who were also present.

The "Russian Bear" hated being ignored and flew into a rage when Tony began laughing at him. He flung a bottle of vodka at Tony, which broke into pieces at his feet. Tony was not going to let that go. The two got into a huge brawl. Volchev subdued Tony and smashed his face into the broken glass on the club floor.

The huge shards of glass pierced Tony's cheek and neck, causing him to bleed out. His carotid artery and internal jugular vein were severed and Tony died within the next few minutes on the floor. The police apprehended Volchev and another of his men who was seen kicking Tony in the sides, even while he lay motionless on the floor. Everyone was stricken with grief and confusion. Tony had been a very popular fighter and great things were expected of him. His fans had especially been looking forward to his upcoming fight.

It was to take place a month after Dominic's fight, but no one would ever get to see it now. Dominic managed to be strong during this whole ordeal and planned a memorial for him. Everything was taken care of so that Selene and her family wouldn't be burdened. Selene was more than grateful and knew she couldn't have gone through any of this without him. She would have to put on a brave face for the days ahead. Her struggles were just about to begin.

Chapter Six

The crystalline shards from the broken bottles formed a tiny sparkling mountain in the base of her sink as she discarded their poisonous contents. Selene broke every bottle of wine and vodka in storage in the kitchen sink. She did this out of anger and frustration, as well as for the more underlying reason. She was having a fight against her destructive self. No one knew of the pain she had gone through in the past...except for Tony. He had seen her inner demons and accepted her still. 

Selene was a bit of an alcoholic. Anytime she felt stressed out or anxious, the alcohol would temporarily take the pain away. The root of all this was from the way she was treated by her mother while growing up. She was made to feel ashamed of everything she was; dark-skinned and over-weight. 

The hierarchy of her family were all light-skinned and slender, while the down trodden usually were the dark-skinned other half. She hated herself because of the skin she was born into. She was made to feel like a reject by almost everyone, even her own mother. Tony was the only one who embraced her, despite her so called shortcomings.

Still, that tiny bit of support was never enough to quell the pain. However, Dominic had changed everything and before Tony's death she began to have more confidence in herself. Now everything had gone to hell and she was slowly falling apart. She forced herself to rid the apartment of all the liquor in storage, even though she craved another drink. She had to think of Dominic...and the baby.

She was too sick to attend the funeral and only one of her cousins showed up to check on her. Isha was worried and knew that something was completely amiss when Selene was absent. Isha wouldn't terrorize her like the rest of the family and even though she was one of the favored women in her family, she felt pity for Selene. If it were not for the distance between their home states, they probably would have been very close. She found Selene in a horrible state when she entered the apartment. She was all alone and crying.

"Selene, are you okay?"

"I'm pregnant Isha... I don't know what to do. I feel really sick and I can't talk to anyone else about this. I don't know what Dominic will say... I was on the pill but I don't know why it didn't work."

"Whoa, whoa wait... you're talking about Dominic? He got you pregnant?" Isha said in the most surprised tone.

"Don't tell my mom please... I can't deal with anyone else coming over here to yell at me." Selene pleaded.

"Are you sure you're pregnant?"

"Yea... I've been throwing up a lot and I thought it was because of Tony... but I took a test and I found out last night."

"It's just one thing after another huh? Don't worry Lene you'll be alright. I'm here."

"What's with all the broken glass in the sink?"

"I got rid of all the alcohol when I found out... I...need to stop!"

"Yea babe... I know how Auntie treated you led you to all this but it needs to end... and not only because you're pregnant. That shit's never been good for you."

Isha did all she could to help her feel better but to no avail. The person Selene really wanted was Dominic. It's not that she didn't appreciate Isha's help. She wanted to get everything over with and tell him that she was pregnant. However, she didn't feel ready to face him yet and ignored his calls. For the meantime Isha stayed with her but she eventually had to fly back home. She couldn't be someone that Selene could rely on to be there all the time.

Selene remained indoors and didn't go out at all. She didn't know if she would ever come out of this slump. She avoided anyone who rang her doorbell for the whole week. She was afraid that her mother would come around again, ready to criticize her. Isha still called to check up on her, while also trying to get her to face her fears. Selene knew that she couldn't run away forever but she wasn't prepared to be so brave.