Note from the author: 18+ please
To fight and win means the control is his and only his. The last man standing proves it all. Never again will he be on the losing end of the blow, the one lying broken and bloody wanting to die.
Control. Dominance. Aggression. Competition. Each represent a means to survival, a necessity to stay alive, and to suppress the demons that lie inside; the very ones clawing and attempting to break free from the bar that holds them at bay. Every day is a struggle to stay away from the darkness and evil that lurks deep within. Those are the things that it takes to keep those secrets in the realm of his mind in which they belong, forever buried so far there is no chance to break through the barrier he’s built.
Haddox Hayes has spent the last nine years getting by. He’s worked hard to forget that bloodthirsty night he left behind. The monster that exists within his veins will never be released again if he keeps a clear mind, and free from the debris he knows triggers his instinct to kill. He knows what can happen if it’s unlocked from its cage.
Fuck that. It can go to Hell along with the bastard that is the cause of his eternal torment. Eighteen years paid his sin, and at the age of twenty-seven the guilt still resides in his very core.
There is only one place he sets the monster free, but restricted: the ring. Playing by his rules has kept it on a leash for nine years and he doesn’t intend to break his rules now. The rage, the anger, the buildup, it’s all turned out in the confinement of the ropes against another traitor.
Stay in control. That’s the only thing that keeps his urge to annihilate smothered. Dominate the mind and the memories it holds. Fight aggression with fucking aggression. Be the best there is and lay his ass on the ground before the favor can be returned. Compete to win and to survive, or else the evil that is trying to consume will take over and turn him into the one thing he can’t become. If he becomes that, it has to be paid by death, the most ultimate rule.
A blackened heart isn’t allowed to partake in something as pure as love. He embraces the sweet nectar that a woman holds, sampling a little at a time. Never has he taken the same woman to bed twice. The only way to ensure he doesn’t harm another. A Dom in the ring and a Dom in the bed, his only way to cope within.
Then there’s Piper…the girl that could cause his control to evanesce. Will she be his downfall or his reparation? The entertainment is in the fight. Fight for love, fight for light, fight for her, or end in flight.
A girl with a ban against love, allowing men to bed her to numb her mind from the one that left her behind. Can the girl that won’t submit and the man that requires control find paradise in each other?
To fight and win means the control is his and only his. The last man standing proves it all. Never again will he be on the losing end of the blow, the one lying broken and bloody wanting to die.
Control. Dominance. Aggression. Competition. Each represent a means to survival, a necessity to stay alive, and to suppress the demons that lie inside; the very ones clawing and attempting to break free from the bar that holds them at bay. Every day is a struggle to stay away from the darkness and evil that lurks deep within. Those are the things that it takes to keep those secrets in the realm of his mind in which they belong, forever buried so far there is no chance to break through the barrier he’s built.
Haddox Hayes has spent the last nine years getting by. He’s worked hard to forget that bloodthirsty night he left behind. The monster that exists within his veins will never be released again if he keeps a clear mind, and free from the debris he knows triggers his instinct to kill. He knows what can happen if it’s unlocked from its cage.
Fuck that. It can go to Hell along with the bastard that is the cause of his eternal torment. Eighteen years paid his sin, and at the age of twenty-seven the guilt still resides in his very core.
There is only one place he sets the monster free, but restricted: the ring. Playing by his rules has kept it on a leash for nine years and he doesn’t intend to break his rules now. The rage, the anger, the buildup, it’s all turned out in the confinement of the ropes against another traitor.
Stay in control. That’s the only thing that keeps his urge to annihilate smothered. Dominate the mind and the memories it holds. Fight aggression with fucking aggression. Be the best there is and lay his ass on the ground before the favor can be returned. Compete to win and to survive, or else the evil that is trying to consume will take over and turn him into the one thing he can’t become. If he becomes that, it has to be paid by death, the most ultimate rule.
A blackened heart isn’t allowed to partake in something as pure as love. He embraces the sweet nectar that a woman holds, sampling a little at a time. Never has he taken the same woman to bed twice. The only way to ensure he doesn’t harm another. A Dom in the ring and a Dom in the bed, his only way to cope within.
Then there’s Piper…the girl that could cause his control to evanesce. Will she be his downfall or his reparation? The entertainment is in the fight. Fight for love, fight for light, fight for her, or end in flight.
A girl with a ban against love, allowing men to bed her to numb her mind from the one that left her behind. Can the girl that won’t submit and the man that requires control find paradise in each other?
We finally get in the bar after standing in that long ass line. The music is bumping and there are bodies everywhere, grinding against each other. I let my body subtly sway to the music as I make my way to the bar in the back of the club.
The first thing I notice is the hot, shirtless bartender making drinks as I push through the never ending people surrounding it. The bar is always more crowded than any other spot in the building. I love this place. It's crawling with hot guys and they have the best music around, not to mention the staff is oozing sex appeal, because their uniform is jeans hanging low on the hips with the elastic brief band of underwear peeking out the top, spelling out the brand they represent.
This one, in particular, is yummy. His torso is chiseled to perfection and covered in tattoos placed perfectly against his skin. He's definitely worth a second look. I want to nibble on that lip ring in the corner of his mouth. As I study each line of muscle, I find myself wondering if Haddox's body looks like this.
What the hell, Piper?
Hot bartender notices me ogling him and walks over with a smirk, leaning forward on his forearms against the top of the bar in front of me. "What can I get you, beautiful?" His eyes rake down my body as if he's already undressing me with his eyes.
I smile. This one's in the bag. "Well, how about Pineapple and Vodka, light on the pineapple," I say in my most flirtatious voice as I sit on the stool next to me that just became free. "Start me a tab," I ask, biting my lip.
"Anything for you, gorgeous," he says and reaches down for a glass, preparing to mix my concoction. Moments later, he sets it before me, smiling. "What you doing later?"
"I don't know. Why don't you tell me," I say seductively as I press the rim of the glass to my mouth.
The bartender looks over my head and starts to back away from the bar. "Sorry, man, I didn't know she was taken. No disrespect."
Pussy. I don't need you anyway if you can't even ask my relationship status to the one person that knows. Me!
I feel like banging my head against the bar. I'm going to need to be intoxicated for this. I press my lips to the glass and drain the contents. Goose bumps start to form as I can feel breathing on the side of my neck. I don't need to look to know who it is. "I thought I had until midnight," he barks outside my ear.
Put on your game face, Piper.
I need more alcohol and fast. I choose to ignore the sexy as shit control freak next to me. Where is Alyvia when I need her? She was only supposed to have been going to the restroom, but knowing her she's already in the middle of the dance floor, covered in sweat. The girl doesn't even need alcohol. She usually sips beer, but comes for the music.
The Rumple Minze from earlier is calling out to me. "Rumple Minze, two shots," I call out to the female bartender as she passes.
The girl is badass. Not even a minute and the shots are patiently waiting for me to consume them. "What can I get for you, sweetie," she asks, but her line of vision is directly beside me. It doesn't even seem to faze her that she is staring at the sexiest man alive. Hard-core is what that means, because even girls in the coffee shop had their eyes glued to him.
"Same as usual, Britt." She smiles at the sound of her name.
Wait a minute. Hold up...they know each other? I come to this bar frequently and I've never seen him until the fashion show.
She grabs a bottle from the tub of ice, twists off the cap, and sits the bottle of Bud Light down in front of him. "My mistake, babe. How you been? Same ole broody Haddox, I'm guessing?"
"Something like that," he replies, saying nothing more.
"And as vague as usual too. Maybe we can catch up once the bar slows down. Enjoy your night," she winks and glances over at me.
I consume one shot, followed by the other. My nerves are going haywire. The alcohol is finally coursing through my veins, leaving me in a more relaxed state of mind, though not much.
He spins me around on the stool until I'm facing him. He's so close to my face that I reflexively lean against the edge of the bar. "Are you going to answer my question," he asks, placing his free hand on my other thigh, now holding me in place.
He starts to rub my inner thighs with his thumbs and my muscles are flexing down below. How can I concentrate on anything he's saying if he's going to do that? He roughly pulls me to the edge so that he can align his body between my legs. It's really a good thing that I'm not modest, because my dress is hiked up. If his body wasn’t pressed to mine, I would be flashing everyone.
In my hesitation he speaks again. "I don't like to be toyed with, Piper, nor do I like to be kept waiting."
A growl sounds within his throat and he clamps down on my thighs, jerking me closer to him. His cock is bulging through his jeans, aligned between my legs. Fuck, does it feel marvelous. He grinds me against him, his body flush with mine, and his lips just outside my ear. "Does this answer your question?" His voice sounds angry. "Do you want to know how hard you make me? Huh? Do you want to know how much you push the limits of my control? Well, get ready baby, because tonight you're all mine."
I can't think of anything but how much I want this. I don't think I've wanted anything this much in a really long time, possibly ever. Something about him takes me out of my head, allowing me to escape into someplace else. I can't explain it, because I don't understand it myself. I feel like such a whore right now, but I don't care. I'm never like this; given the fact that what happened last night did, but that's also more reason I want to. I want to rid my body of the toxins it holds. I don't want anything left behind of Cole tainting me.
"Okay," I state in a breathy voice. "Where?"
"My place. Meet me outside and don't tell Alyvia where you're going. I'm not dealing with her shit tonight."
He reaches down and adjusts himself, separating us. The distance makes me feel naked. I instantly hop off the stool, attempting to fix my dress. I look around, but no one is paying us any attention. They are too worried about getting laid themselves; the beauty of a bar. "Give me ten minutes?"
He nods and takes a step back before halting. "Oh and Piper?" I look at him, waiting on what he has to say. "I'll give you what you want, but just remember darkness and light can't coincide. You have to pick a side. Don't say I didn't warn you..."
He turns and walks in the direction of the exit. I'm not exactly sure what he meant by that, but I don't care. Sometimes, I feel like I don't fit in trying to be this girl that I am from day to day. Maybe I'm living a lie. When choosing either sinner or saint, I'm definitely not a saint, but I strive to be a decent person. Perhaps the darkness is where I belong.
I may not know many things about Haddox Hayes, but I know one thing: You can't force someone in a place they aren't already willing to go. Something is pulling me to him, making me want to explore whatever he has to offer. It's just a hunch, but I get a feeling, I'd choose darkness with him every time.
"Never let anyone tell you that true love doesn’t exist, because it does. The world may be leaving romance behind, but it can still live in our hearts if we let it. To lose romance would be one of the greatest tragedies. Keep it alive. If it dies the world will be a darker place." - Yours truly
I found books when I was going through a hard time in life. They became my means of escape when things got bad. I realized quickly how much I loved to take a backseat to someone else's life and watch the journey unfold. That began my journey with books in November of 2012. I constantly had a book open on my Kindle app. Never in a million years would I have imagined myself as a writer, because I never thought I was creative enough. I'm living proof that things will fall into place when they're meant to be. People will make their way into our lives when we don't expect it, setting the path for what we are meant to do. Never give up on people. Never stop taking a chance on others. Someone took a chance on trusting me with her work when she didn't know me from a stranger on the street and gave me the opportunity of a lifetime as our relationship progressed, which led me to editing and writing as well. This is my dream I never knew I had. As soon as I sat down and gave writing a shot, it was like the floodgates opened. Now, I am lost in a world of fiction in my head, new characters constantly screaming for their stories to be told. Continue to dream and to go for them. No one ever found happiness by sitting on the sidelines. Sometimes we have to take risks and put ourselves out there. Thank you for all of your support, and may there be many books to come. XOXO- C
Review By Juls
*** I Love Story Time was given an ARC in exchange
for an honest review ***
4 Stars!!
Let me just start off by saying.....this was a long book!!! LOL... I don't think I have taken that long to finish one book in awhile!! I usually am able to finish a book withing 1-2 days, this one however, took me about 4!!! With that being said.... I do understand why it took me that long. The story was written with so much detail. The details of Haddox's life while he was growing up just broke my heart. I just can't imagine being a little child and knowing that the one person who should love and care for you, is the one person to show you so much hate and abuse. The parts in the story that gave glimpses of Haddox's childhood made me cry. Those scenes were hard to read. He went through so much while growing up in that situation; despite that, he was still able to be there to help his childhood best friend, Breanna, get through her own nightmare. I'm glad that they had each other to get through all the darkness at such a young age.
After Haddox is finally able to get himself and Breanna away from the people that hurt them, he grew up to be a professional fighter. Haddox has so much anger inside of him because of his past, so inside the ring is the one place that he can unleash the beast when he needs that release. Haddox doesn't do love. Therefore, he will never do a relationship. He sleeps with women when he wants, where he wants, and never more then once. He also doesn't have many friends. The one friend that he does have is his friend, Alyvia. I love Alyvia. Haddox and Alyvia have always been friends and over the years grew into the best of friends. She is so funny and feisty. Their relationship is more like sister and brother. He goes to her when he needs advice and she's not afraid to tell him like it is...she even gives him a slap when he needs it!! Little did he know that Alyvia would introduce him to her roommate, the one person that would change his life forever...Piper.
From the minute they meet, Haddox and Piper's chemistry is off the charts. Haddox promised Alyvia that he wouldn't sleep with Piper because she is her roommate/friend and is dealing with her own past and she doesn't need another guy to hurt her heart more than it already is. Although Haddox tries, he just can't stay away from Piper; he is drawn to her. He soon realizes that having her once, will not be enough and he wants more with her. Haddox has never wanted more from any girl, until now. Little by little, Haddox realizes that he's not the only one with a broken past. The more he finds out about Piper, the more he wants to be the man to put her broken parts back together. He knows that being with Piper gives him hope, and he doesn't want to let that go...
"Maybe it's a coincidence and I was tired of living in a world of gray, or maybe I needed my polar opposite that was just as broken and numb to help revive me, but either way I want more, Piper. I'm welcoming the beat, because for the first time I'm starting to feel alive.
I enjoyed reading about Haddox and Piper's relationship. They are both what the other needed to be complete. They do go through some rough spots along the road, but who doesn't? I loved everything about them. They were perfect for each other, and brought the best out in one another. Together they made a beautiful life. There were so many parts throughout this story that brought tears to my eyes, but there were also parts that made me smile and laugh. I really liked Haddox, Piper, and Alyvia's characters. Alyvia said some of the funniest things! I would love to have a story about her!
So...if you would like to read about an MMA fighter with an alpha male personality, you may want to pick this one up! There's nothing like alpha males with dirty mouths that take pleasure in beating someones ass!! That's just so hot!!! LOL.
~Juls
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