Mason:Inked Reapers MC(76)

"Basically, yeah."



"Well, basically isn't verbatim. I seemed to remember them saying that you should get it checked out, not that you must."



"Aren't they the same thing?"



"What do you think a doctor will say?" Carl turned to face his client as  the car they were in pulled out of the car park and headed back towards  town. "He'll tell you to stay off it for weeks, maybe months. That  means no training at all. You'd miss fights. After the way you left this  latest fight, it would mean you could kiss your career goodbye."



Jasper shivered at the thought of losing his career so quickly.



"So what do you suggest? I can barely walk."



"Well," Carl stroked his chin thoughtfully. "For now we just dose you up  on pain meds. We get you through your next four fights which brings you  to the end of the season. Then we take stock of your knee, and if need  be, we get it replaced."



A knee replacement. That was a big surgery. Jasper's eyes widened at the  prospect. It seemed a dangerous thing to do when he might avoid surgery  if he just rested now.



"Fighting has always been about taking risks in and out of the ring, you  know that," Carl told him flatly. "It's on you, Jasper. We could go the  hospital now, but I guarantee you'll never fight in a championship  match again."



Jasper chewed the side of his mouth as he deliberated. He currently felt  only discomfort in his knee not pain thanks to his pain meds.



"So where to?" Carl prompted. "Home or the hospital?"



Jasper took a deep breath.



"Home."



"Good lad," Carl smiled and reached over to tap his shoulder in  approval. "We'll get you through these next few fights, just you wait  and see. You'll end the season a champion."



"Yeah."



"And no more distractions," Carl said sternly. "I don't care what that  blonde girl is to you, I don't want her showing up backstage again.  Understood?"



"Yeah," Jasper sighed, "understood."





Chapter 61



Kait had fought the urge to call Jasper. As much as she wanted to, she  knew that the ball was now in his court. If he wanted to see her, he  knew where he could find her. But what if he never came round? What if  they were now done? Kait knew she couldn't think like that. Jasper was  just lashing out at her because he was hurt about what had happened in  the ring during his latest fight. They were okay as a couple … weren't  they?



When someone finally knocked at her door the following evening, Kait  literally jumped up from the sofa with delight. But she took her time  answering, not wanting Jasper to know how eagerly she had been awaiting  his visit. As she'd expected, when she unlocked the latch, she found him  standing in her doorway looking sheepish.



"Hey." He had the decency to look deep into her eyes rather than avoid  her gaze. Kait felt a rush of heat burn through her as their eyes  connected.



"Look, Kait, about yesterday." She moved aside so that he could enter  the apartment. It pained her to see him hobble in awkwardly on his bad  leg. She glanced down at it and saw that it was covered by a support  bandage beneath his gym shorts. She hoped Jasper had been sensible  enough to go to the hospital and have someone take a look at it.



She wanted to tell him how angry he'd made her. How he should have been  thankful that she'd come to support him at his match. But now he was in  her apartment, now she could smell his sweat mixed with his designer  cologne, her thoughts became a blur, and she couldn't think. When he  reached for her, she didn't resist.



They crashed together in a passionate wave of kisses as arms eagerly  felt every inch of one another's body. Kait groaned as his tongue  pressed up against hers. They found their way into her bathroom, and  Jasper soon had her back pressed up against the tiled walls. He pulled  off her jeans, and the cool surface was cold against her bare skin. But  Kait didn't care. Her body was already on fire.



Jasper came close and kissed her neck. Kait held him close, savoring the sensation.

                       
       
           



       

"I missed you," he nuzzled the words into her ear.



"I missed you too," she told him breathlessly.



For the next hour, they were locked together in the bathroom. The mirror  became steamed up with the heat from their intensity. When they  eventually parted, Kait was breathing hard. She looked over at Jasper,  wanting to take him all in, but to her surprise, he was quickly pulling  his shorts back on.



"What are you doing?" she demanded sternly. She had hoped that perhaps  they could enjoy a bath or shower together, spend the evening unwinding  in front of a movie and even indulge in a takeaway pizza like they used  to do.



"I need to be heading back," Jasper told her flippantly as he left the  bathroom. Kait stormed after him, not caring that she was still  completely naked. She did however reach for a towel by the door before  she powered through it which she now protectively wrapped around  herself. Moments ago, she'd been in euphoria to be naked with Jasper.  Now, she didn't want his eyes to see her bare flesh. He'd once again  changed in an instant and let her down. But this would be the last time.  She knew that.



"You're not going anywhere!" She shouted at him. Jasper had already been  headed towards the door, and he stopped and slowly turned around.



"I can't stay here," he told her apologetically. "I'm not even supposed to be here."



"What?" Kait snapped incredulously.



Jasper massaged the back of his neck and looked awkward.



"I'm meant to be focusing on my training right now," he admitted. "You  saw how badly I took a beating out there. I can't let that happen again.  My agent, he fears that being in a relationship knocks me off my game."



"Well it's none of his business!"



"Look, Kait-"



"I am done with you treating me like I don't matter to you. You come  round here, and we have amazing sex, and then you leave. Do you have any  idea how that makes me feel, Jasper? I don't feel like I'm loved by  some amazing guy; I just feel used."



Kait tilted her head back to avoid crying and bit her lip. She'd wanted  to be wrong about Jasper. She'd wanted to believe that they could be a  genuine couple, that they could be happy together. But nothing was  changing. She was still coming a very distant second to his career, and  she knew it wasn't a position she could remain in long term.



"What do you want from me?" Jasper roared the words at her. "I came here  to see you even though I shouldn't. You know how things are for me. I  told you!"



He was so angry that the veins on his neck were protruding. Kait folded  her arms across her chest and tried to hold her ground. She didn't want  to fight, but she felt like he was giving her no choice. All she'd  wanted was for him to stay and spend the evening with her, and somehow  it had escalated in to a full blown argument.



"I want us to be together!" Kait admitted. "Not just part time, but properly!"



"I can't do that!" Jasper threw his hands up in dismay. "You knew what you were getting into with me."



Kait was crying now. This wasn't the response she'd been hoping for.  Jasper wasn't speaking with regret and telling her he wished things were  different. He was telling her that things were as they'd always been  and weren't going to change. Did he not wish they could be together  more?



"But I want more!" Kait declared as her tears exploded down her cheeks.  "I want to lie in your arms and fall asleep against your chest. I want  all of you, Jasper, not just the little bit that you can spare."



She saw his shoulders tense. She hoped he was about to come and take her in his strong arms, but his expression remained hard.



"If you don't want to do this anymore, then fine," he told her quietly.



"That's not what I'm saying!" Kait implored desperately.



"If you can't handle what we have, then let's call it quits."



Jasper was being cruel. His eyes were glazed over and distant, the way  they were when he was in the ring. This wasn't like him. This wasn't the  man who had saved her from those thugs in the car park.



"Jasper - " but it was too late. Jasper powered towards the front door  and slammed it behind him as he left. Shaken, Kait dropped to her knees,  gazing helplessly at the space where he had just been.





Chapter 62



Even though it was late, Jasper didn't go home. Rage was powering  through his body, and he knew he had to release it somewhere. Luckily  his gym was open twenty four hours a day. It was unusually quiet as he  stalked through towards the boxing ring at the back. He didn't need  someone to spar with; he just needed a punching bag.