“Am I ever going to find out why your nickname is Bear?” Liss asked as they stood outside the indoor arena. She gripped her ticket for the boxing match tightly in her sweaty hand. Tonight wasn’t just a fight between the new prodigy from Bear and Strike’s old boxing club and his American rival, but also the chance to spend time with the bodyguards recently recruited to Bodyguard Corp.

 

“Princess, it’s not as exciting as you think,” Bear said, his fingers playing with the laces at the back of her cocktail dress. Goosebumps covered her arms as they always did when he touched her. “You’re stunning in this, by the way, and the slit all the way up to your thigh is killing me. I know you’re nervous, but you look exceptional.”

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Liss’s chest flushed red enough for it to show above her sweetheart neckline. She shook her head. They lived together, worked together and she knew his bad habits inside and out, yet Bear still had the ability to melt her resolve with his words.

 

But she couldn’t relent now. She sashayed away from him up the steps, and he followed her closely. “I’m not talking to you until you tell me why you’re called Bear.” She looked over her shoulder, smirking as he tracked how her bum wiggled in the navy cocktail dress.

 

“Baby, why do you need to know?” His hands slid to her hips, and he held her against him. Her back flush to his chest. His lips brushed her neck, and she fought the temptation to lean into his touch.

 

She shook him off, turned, motioned for him to zip his lips and continued climbing a couple more steps. But her determination was already ebbing as his woody citrus scent filled her head and made her body ache.

 

He grabbed her hand, kissing her knuckles. “If you keep walking away from me, I’ll throw you over my shoulder again,” he growled in her ear.

 

She blushed at the memories. A cold breeze skittered over her skin as he pulled her through the arena door. “I’ll tell you tonight, okay? But if I do, then you have to give me something in return.”

 

Her lips quirked into a smile. She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek and whisper in his ear. “Who decides what this something is?”

 

Bear’s free hand ran circles on her upper thigh where the dress split. “I do, Liss,” he replied, his low voice vibrating through her. “And I’m going to make su–”

 

“Bear!” Strike bellowed, smacking him hard on his back. “I thought I saw you chasing after your woman. She’s always going to have the measure of you.”

 

Stike gave Liss a nod. “Liss, you look better than normal.”

 

“So you’re still grumpy and finding a way to cockblock me at every angle,” Liss replied, making Bear’s best friend and the other director of Bodyguard Corp chuckle. “You scrub up well.”

 

He shrugged.

 

“Are you looking forward to seeing Dolson in the boxing match?” Bear asked as they handed in their tickets. The three of them fell into step with each other. “I can’t believe our former boxing club finally has a prized fighter.”

 

“Me neither,” Strike agreed.

 

The men continued chatting as Liss stood on the edge of the area. Thousands of people filled the space. She’d previously attended white-collar boxing with Bear, but that was usually around tables and only involved a few rounds for charity. This looked serious.

 

“Lads,” Strike called out to the new bodyguards waiting near the back. Stal, one of the new bodyguards, was taller than most around him. He’d trimmed his beard, too. He’d been in the army with Strike. Like most of the bodyguards, he had an unspoken past and a nonsensical nickname that no one had explained. He was also the most grizzly man she’d met. He made Strike seem like a golden retriever in comparison. “You look as uncomfortable as fuck, Stal.”

 

“Well, it’s not like I joined a bodyguard team to dress like a penguin. I’m happier in a bloody war zone than this,” Stal replied. The guy was usually a man of few words.

 

“Not that we talk about where you three met,” Liss said with a nod and a tap to her nose referring to the special team Strike, Stal, and Cameron were in during their army days.

 

Cameron, or as the lads sometimes called him, Nails, enveloped her in a hug. Cameron was the brother of her half-cousin’s wife or something like that. The connections with her new family always confused her, and besides, Beatrice, his sister, was more like a close friend than a distant cousin’s wife. His green eyes twinkled. The guy knew how to wear a tux. The bespoke item fit him like a glove.

 

“Do I have to hug you too?” Stal asked. His Irish accent was dreamy, although his attitude was brusque and his face unimpressed.

 

“No, you really don’t,” Bear grumbled. “She’s our operations manager, not a cuddle bunny.”

 

“Stop getting jealous,” she teased. “Let's find our seats.”

 

“Are you going to stop staring at her boobs at any point tonight?” Strike mumbled to Bear as Cameron led them down the aisle of the arena.

 

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The commentator announced the first fighter to the roars of a baying crowd. The “kid” – Dalson – from Bear and Strike’s former boxing club looked more machine than boy as he swaggered to the ring to the tune of Shut Up by Stormzy.

 

His team flanked him as he gnashed his teeth. He held his arms aloft like he was already a winner. His shiny blue dressing gown was pulled off his shoulders, revealing his tattooed body. The power in his muscles left her breathless. It wasn’t that she was attracted to him, but stunned by how built he was.

 

Bear shouted for his guy with the volume of a professional Taylor Swift fan as he toyed with the laces on the back of her dress. Liss glanced between him and the ring bathed in white. The eerie blue lights above the spectators gave it an otherworld feel as the boxer’s muscles rippled under the glare.

 

In the gap before the next boxer was announced, she stood on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear, “Was Bear your boxing nickname?”

 

He gave her a smirk, shook his head and mouthed, “Later, princess”.

 

Next came the American fighter, Jackson, to Firestarter by the Prodigy. His eyes flittered around the room, less confident than his opponent.

 

Bear dipped and put his hand on Liss’s waist as he shouted in her ear. “What would your walk-on song be, baby?” The heat of his hand had an instant impact through her satin dress. As she attempted to consider different songs, his hand slid lower to the top of the slit of her dress, the tips of his fingers brushing her skin.

 

She nibbled at her finger as heat bloomed between her thighs. The way Bear slyly kissed her neck as he waited for her answer made her smoulder.

 

 “Timber by Keisha,” she exclaimed as his lips brushed her neck again.

 

“Sounds about right. Hopefully, I’ll be going down by the end of the night,” he growled before turning his attention to the ring and sitting.

 

She sat too while rolling her eyes at his quip, but the words hit their mark, the vision of him on his knees in front of her penetrating her concentration.

 

The energy in the room was infectious, and as the fighters squared up to each other, she found herself cheering Dalson’s name with the rest of her group.

 

As the bell sounded, Jackson rushed at Dolson. He landed a couple of punches, but then Dolson started a dance. He bobbed and weaved, all while moving the action in an anticlockwise direction. It was a dance orchestrated to learn his opponent’s weak points and tricks. Dolson tried a half-hearted punch, but Jackson blocked it instantly. With each second that passed, the tension rose in the room a little higher.

 

Liss sneaked a look at Bear, who gave her a wink and a sneaky grin before turning his attention back to the action.

 

Out of the corner of her eye, Strike leant forward, but his face barely moved. There was a reason why even his parents called him a robot. Although since his parents said he had to clear out their old house, he'd been grumpier than usual. Bear said it had something to do with a girl called Millie, but try as she might, Liss couldn’t get his secrets out.

 

“Baby, watch the fight. You’ll never see anything like this again.” With one finger, he stroked a line down her spine, over the laces and teasing each inch of skin between them. He reached the edge of material that started just above the curve of her ass. “You look good enough to eat tonight. Absolutely fucking sexy.”

 

The bell sounded for the end of the round. Sweat dripped from Dolson’s face as one of his team splashed water on him. His coach was mouthing something, and he nodded along. His body shook as he attempted to drag oxygen into his lungs.

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Soon, they were back up and edging around each other for the second round.

 

Jackson landed several punches, but Dalson shrugged them off and continued dancing.

 

“He’s wearing him out,” Bear explained.

 

The shouts from the audience reverberated around the arena. The passion of the fight slowly infiltrated Liss’s body. The bodyguards had fake boxed in the house she shared with Bear before, but this was something else.

 

Bear leaned in closer. Liss breathed him as she contemplated what he might want her to do to learn his name. Arousal tickled her pussy, and a groan rose in her throat. “You watch how he goes anticlockwise? It makes it harder for his opponent to get in a punch.”

 

Liss nodded, although her focus was entirely on Bear and how fuckable he looked in his tux.

 

Jackson continued to jab, but his punches were more erratic than at the start. His guard was dropping, his breathing heavy. There was still brutality in the fight. Dalson’s bicep tattoo drew her eyes. It was the same Boxing Club logo that Bear had on his arm, the one she loved to kiss on drunken nights out before licking and sucking his skin, working down his hairy chest to his groin.

 

“Do you think Dolson can win?” she asked.

 

“Without a doubt. It won’t go to the wire. He’ll punch him out within a couple of rounds.”

 

The animalistic nature of the fight, combined with the need she always had around Bear, forced a charge that spurred her into action. She reached for Bear’s hand and placed it on her upper thigh.

 

He gripped her thigh before grunting. “Have I told you how much I fucking love this slit in your dress?”

 

“Once or twice,” she stuttered as his hand slid higher.

 

Dolson landed a right hook to Jackson’s jaw, and the crowd screamed in delight. Sweat splashed from the fighter’s bodies.

 

“Fuck,” Bear exclaimed as his fingers brushed her pussy. “Commando, princess?”

 

He briefly thumbed her clit as the bell sounded, announcing the end of the round. Bear stared into her eyes as he brought the pad of his thumb to his mouth and sucked it. “You taste so fucking good.”

 

The bell sounded at the start of the third round. Where Jackson was struggling, Dolson was excelling. His tactics had paid off, and he’d thumped his opponent within seconds.

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The action continued, with several rounds of fighting, mesmerising the crowd, including Liss.

 

Soon, she was lost in her need for her man and thinking about how quickly they could get home and naked. Bear’s grunts and shouts reminded her that although he could be gentle with her, he could still bend her over the edge of the bed and take her until all she could do was grip the sheets and feel his cock pounding her deep.

 

“Something distracting you?” Bear’s fingers continued circling her clit. It was so public and dirty. Her heart rate accelerated, and she was tempted to retie her hair from its bun to give her hands something to do.

 

In the ring, Jackson backed away and attempted ducks and sways, but Dolson continued to latch onto his movements and stalked him around the ring. He was throwing punches and planning his moves.

 

“I bet this is the last round, baby,” Bear added.

 

A wall of noise filled the arena. The spectators were like tribes hollering for their warriors to end each other.

 

Dolson backed Jackson against the ropes. A fire filled his eyes as he threw punches to the head and body. Jackson got away as the crowd yelled and shrieked. Time was ticking in the seventh round as the volume of the arena rose like a tidal wave.

 

The fighter's skin glistened under the lights.

 

 “Come on, Dolson,” Bear shouted. The passion in his voice inflamed her need. A heat raged throughout her body.

 

Dolson gave Jackson a hook to the jaw as the crowd screamed his name. Jackson fell to his knees, and the referee counted to ten. The crowd whistled and screamed as the loser wept. Dolson’s team ran at him. He showed all his teeth as he smiled into the crowd before winking at the woman who’d shouted the loudest. He was sweaty, and his eye was swollen, but he was so damn smug, too—the smile of a conqueror.

 

Liss sucked in air. “Fuck that was hot.”

 

Bear’s smile was filthy, and his eyes sparkled as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against him. As waves of desire covered her skin, Liss grabbed the lapels of his suit jacket, bunching the material before kissing him hard on the mouth.

 

As crowds cheered Dolson’s name, Bear grabbed Liss’s hand and pulled her out of the arena. She didn’t need to touch herself to know she was soaking wet.

 

As they moved around the back of the building, Bear tried a couple of doors. At each point, she willed the rooms to be unlocked. Finally, they came to a door at the end of the corridor, which led to a small meeting room. She barely had time to take in the stark and minimal furnishings before Bear thrust her against the door as it slammed shut. He pushed apart the dress at the split. The cool air of the room hit her naked pussy immediately. It was a brief reprise from the heat that had been burning between her legs during the fight. She’d have never believed that watching two men try and destroy each other could be such a turn-on.

 

Bear threw off his jacket and tossed it somewhere in the room before he reached for her hands and briefly pinned them above her and against the door. His kisses were frenzied and wanting.

 

Suddenly, he let go of her wrists. His hands were everywhere, her thighs, her hips and against her pussy. He pulled down the straps of her dress as he thrust one and then two fingers inside her. His mouth covered her nipple, biting and pulling at it while his fingers pushed deep inside her. Often his lovemaking was soft and gentle, and she adored those moments just as much as she loved ones like tonight, that were fierce fucks inspired by everything around them.

 

Her moans were guttural enough to hurt her throat. She ground against his fingers, wanting him deeper inside her. His finger hooked, and he pressed at her g-spot. She writhed against him, holding onto the lapels of his jacket as his rough hands touched and rubbed her.

 

“I want your cock,” she demanded as he continued to pump his fingers repeatedly.

 

His tongue swiped a bead of sweat from her upper lip. She fisted his trousers and pulled down his zipper. A button flew somewhere, but his thick erection was her only goal. His hands reached under her arse, and he lifted her. A heel slid off as she attempted to wrap her legs around him. The laughter at her tongue was obliterated when his cock penetrated her in one move and without warning.

 

She buckled against the door, and he lifted and pinned her once more. Liss grabbed his shoulders for stability as he pulled back before filling her again.

 

She bunched his now damp shirt. His legs started to wobble, and she pushed against him as he thrust into her. His head leaned into the crook of her neck as he pounded harder, bringing her closer to climax.

 

“I’m nearly there, baby,” Bear moaned loudly.

 

She gripped his shirt tighter. “Then fuck me like you mean it,” she demanded.

 

“Keep talking, princess. I love it when you’re filthy.”

 

“I love how deep your cock is inside me. Everyone else sees me as this good girl princess, but to you, I’m just a starving needy woman desperate for you and your dick. Chambers, when we get home, I want you to bend me over the bonnet of your car and make me scream.”

 

He breathed heavily in time with his thrusts, and she panted in response. His moans were loud, but she could hear the crowd shouting for their hero. Even if someone caught them, it wouldn’t stop them; nothing could when they were like this.

 

He bit her neck, forcing her over the edge quicker than she expected. Her body shook, and she cried out as he continued to pound her.

 

A muffled “I’m coming” was his warning.

 

She slid down his body, and on shaky legs, he pulled her onto his lap as he sat on the floor, gasping for air. 

 

He held her against his chest, and she smiled at her effect on him. His gaze was full of adoration as he held her face between his hands and kissed her hard. They stayed like this for minutes, desperately trying to get their bearings.

 

“Are you ready for the truth?” he eventually asked as she rested her cheek against his. “Why I’m called Bear?”

 

She blinked rapidly; he’d nearly fucked the memory out of her. “Yeah.”

 

“Okay, but it’s not as exciting as you think. Ma, Strike’s mum, used to make me the most amazing chocolate chip cookies, as you know.”

 

Liss nodded. Strike’s mum always had a batch of them waiting for her when they visited.

 

“And sometimes I’d get really annoying and ask her fifteen times if they were ready, and she’d always say “Bear with me”.”

 

“So that’s it?” She shrugged her shoulders.

 

He kissed her knuckles. “Almost. When Strike left the family and disappeared to the army, I found Ma crying. She was so sad that her boy had mysteriously run off without telling her that I hugged her and told her that I’d bring him back in whatever way I could. And then I said, because she said it so many times to me, “Bear with me.” She replied, “Okay, Bear, you’re with me,” and so I became Bear.”

 

“Oh,” Liss replied, stilling. “So it’s not because you look grizzly when angry or a boxing thing. It’s because you’re so fucking sweet.”

 

Bear smiled and brushed his lips against hers. “I’m all right, Liss.”

 

Suddenly, he righted her so that she could stand. “But I have something to ask you. I would do it in a big fanfare on holiday or in the most romantic setting I could find. But my favourite moments with you involve at least one of us sitting on the floor somewhere random. I once told you that I thought I was falling in love with you on the floor of a corridor of the royal palace. So now, on a scratchy carpet in a random meeting room of an arena, I have an essential question.”

 

He got on his knee and pulled out a ring.

 

Liss stared at his movements as if they were in slow motion.

 

“I keep this on me because, based on our past, anything could happen.” He opened the ring box and held it aloft. “So, baby, the love of my life and the woman who always makes me feel like I’m home, will you marry me?”

 

She swiped at the sudden onslaught of tears and gulped away the lump in her throat as she uttered the only word she could manage. “Yes.”

 

He pulled her against him and cradled her face between his hands as he kissed her happy tears away. “It’s you and me forever, princess. I can’t wait to call you my wife.”

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Thank you for reading the extra epilogue of Regally Binding.

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You can find more of my books here

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