“Text me,” Theo said quietly, meeting his eyes for a moment before he slipped off the stage, produced a pen from somewhere, and began signing every item that was shoved toward him.
Chapter Nine
Theo stared down at the menu in his hand, hungry enough to eat his own arm and trying to ignore the way Harbor’s foot was resting between his under the table. The café they’d found for lunch was busy for a Wednesday afternoon, and the staff had shoved three tables together to comfortably seat all the muscle packed around the table. Once they’d gotten away from the weigh-in crowd, Alex had gone to meet up with Pete for some sightseeing, and Theo had found a text on his phone inviting him to lunch. He’d assumed it would just be Harbor and himself, but discovered quickly he was getting the full Rourke treatment. Well, almost. Vidar, Rory, Dagen, and Ollie had all made the trip with Harbor, and from the sound of it, more were on the way.
“What time does mom’s flight get in?” Dagen asked, buttering a roll and handing half to Ollie. The sling Theo had seen him in back at the gym was gone, and the big man was moving like he was healing well.
“You aren’t going to butter me a roll?” Rory pouted before stealing the bread basket for his side of the table.
Vidar sighed and said, “Ten a.m. Friday. Magnus is coming with her. Rory, if you eat all those rolls…”
Rory huffed and passed the bread, elbowing Harbor in the process. “What are you going to get? Looks like they have a lot of veggie options.”
Harbor hummed noncommittally, his foot nudging Theo’s under the table.
“I like the sound of the chicken salad,” Ollie said from Theo’s left before stuffing his half of the roll in his mouth, whole.
“Veggie?” Theo asked before someone else had the chance to pipe up.
Harbor’s head lifted, blue eyes focused on him. “I’m a vegetarian.”
“You are?”
“Yeah?”
Theo pursed his lips. Granted they’d only known each other for a little over a month, but it shocked him that he didn’t know that about Harbor. It was surreal being with Harbor in person again. They’d spent so much time texting or posting pictures on Instagram secretly meant for the other, yet, they’d never shared a meal. He brushed his calf up the side of Harbor’s. “So, what are you going to get?”
“The falafel and the tomato basil soup. You?”
“Something with dead cow for sure.”
“Asshole.” Harbor laughed. “Speaking of, what’d you say to Matheson to set him off?”
As Harbor finished speaking, the server came by with their drinks and took everyone’s order. Thankfully, they left another basket of bread to help keep the pillagers under control. Theo hoped the distraction would be enough for Harbor to forget his question, but no such luck. He felt Harbor nudge him again, while he claimed a roll of his own.
“He said some shit, so I said some shit.” Theo shrugged. “It was nothing really. Guy is just pissed off because things didn’t play out his way when the title went up for grabs.”
Everyone nodded or grunted their agreement before Vidar leveled his stare on Theo from his place at the head of the table. “Watch your back with that one.”
“I always do.”
After lunch, Dagen and Ollie decided to walk the Vegas strip while Rory headed back to the hotel for a nap, and Vidar excused himself to take a call, saying he'd catch up with them later.
Instead of getting up immediately, Harbor shifted around the table to the seat beside Theo. "What's on your docket for the rest of the day?"
Theo glanced at the time on his phone. "I've got another sponsorship appearance and autograph signing in a couple hours, but until then..." He let his voice drop off, eyes dropping to Harbor's mouth.
"You eat your pineapple today?" Harbor smirked before climbing to his feet and leading them out of the restaurant.
The moment Theo's hotel room door closed behind them Harbor pushed Theo back against it and covered his mouth with his own. Theo's hands immediately slid around and up the back of Harbor's shirt branding the skin of his lower back. Goddamn. Harbor thought maybe he'd imagined it. This spark that flared to life, igniting the supernova burn washing through his body every fucking time Theo touched him, but it was there as all-consuming this time as the first.
He pulled back enough to rest their foreheads together, and Theo's hands crept lower, massaging the muscles of his ass. Harbor groaned.
"Miss me?" Theo laughed, kissing the corner of his mouth.
A throat cleared behind them and Harbor tensed, spinning to face whoever was in the room, keeping Theo behind him.
"Sorry," the man said in a whisper, scratching the back of his dark head. He was tall, at least six-foot-five, Harbor guessed as the man's shirtless chest rippled with muscle making his dog tags slide in the valley between his pecs. "Thought it'd be better to interrupt sooner rather than later." As he spoke, he glanced back over his shoulder toward the beds in the room and Harbor realized where he'd seen this man before. He was the soldier in the video with Theo. This must be Alex.
Theo's hands grasped Harbor's waist as he slid out from between him and the door. Keeping his voice quiet, Theo stepped up to introduce them, addressing his friend first. "Alex, this is Harbor Rourke. Harbor, this is my best friend, Alex Slater."
Alex accepted Harbor's hand shake with a nod.
Theo quirked an eyebrow at his friend. "Getting that nap?"
Alex met his eyes, and Harbor couldn't tell for sure in the low light, but he thought he saw a blush rise on Alex's cheekbones. "Yeah. Since someone wouldn't let me sleep before the weigh-in." He pointed a significant look at Theo and Harbor’s gut tightened. Was Theo sleeping with Alex after all? “And Pete was pretty wiped after lunch with his buddy.” And who the hell was Pete?
Theo nodded like he understood before he yawned. “Take your nap, man. To be honest, some sleep sounds like a pretty great idea.”
Alex nodded, already backing away. “Yep. It’s nice to meet you, Harbor.”
Once Alex had slipped back into the darkened sleeping area leaving them standing by the door, Theo turned his gaze back to Harbor and his brow furrowed. “What’s wrong?”
Harbor licked his lips and considered bolting. This wasn’t a relationship, and he didn’t feel like he had the right to demand the answers to all the questions pinging around in his head. Theo’s brow pinched further, and he reached for Harbor’s hand, tugging him into the bathroom, flicking on the light switch, and shutting the door.
“Harbor.” Theo’s voice was quiet, but it was also a demand.
“Look, I know you said you’re just friends, and it’s not really my business…” Harbor’s jaw clenched, angry with himself for getting so worked up. He pulled in a breath and let it back out. “Are you sleeping with him? Or…anyone?”
“You mean other than you?” Theo’s dark eyes never left his.
Harbor nodded.
“No. I’m not.” Theo stepped closer, walking them backward until Harbor’s ass hit the edge of the vanity. “Are you?”
“No.” Harbor shook his head, chest tight and heart pounding in his ears. “And I don’t want to be.” He imagined that standing in the cage facing down his opponent in front of thousands of people wasn’t going to make him feel as vulnerable as the way Theo was looking at him did right now.
Theo blew out a breath, hands gripping the edge of the vanity on either side of Harbor's hips, caging him in. "Neither do I." He covered the short distance between their mouths and claimed Harbor's lips in a slow deliberate kiss. When things turned heated, Theo pulled back with a little chuckle. "Damn...As much as I'd love to test that pineapple theory right now, Alex and Pete would probably appreciate it if we didn't interrupt their nap again."
"Who's Pete?"
"Alex's boyfriend."
Harbor huffed at himself. "I probably should have put that together, but in my defense," he shifted his hips forward, grinding his erection against Theo's hip, "I'm pretty sure half m
y blood is in my dick right now."
Theo laughed and kissed Harbor again. "Come take a nap with me?"
"I can honestly say that would be a first for me."
Theo winked. "Don’t worry, I'll be gentle."
Chapter Ten
The roar of the crowd rushed over and through Harbor, pulsing like a livewire and mixing with the adrenaline running through his veins. He could hear Rory and Dagen shouting in response to his victory from just outside the cage as he jumped to his feet leaving his unconscious opponent on the mat. Just like they'd trained for, he'd shot for a takedown in the first round of the fight and used his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to apply a choke hold. His opponent attempted to fight through and break the hold, but lost consciousness before he could get free or tap out. The ref had stepped in, pulling Harbor off his downed opponent and ruling him the winner by TKO – a technical knockout.
He'd barely had time to throw up his arms in his elation when Dagen's shoulder caught him in the hips, and he was hoisted up and paraded around the ring. He raised a hand to the cheering crowd and blew a kiss when he caught sight of his mom and Ollie jumping up and down in front of their seats in the section reserved for fighters’ families. The atmosphere in the arena was nothing short of electric. Dropping him back to his feet, Dagen pulled him into a brutal hug.
"Congratulations, brother!"
Rory was next to squeeze him, yelling happily in his ear, not caring that Harbor was coated in sweat. "Bloody right! That's how you kick ass!"
And finally, Vidar and Magnus stepped into the cage. Magnus immediately stepped into hug him as Rory backed away. "Great job, brother."
"Thanks," he panted, still out of breath from the fight. He met Vidar's eyes and was granted one of his rare smiles before his eldest brother reached out and pulled him into a solid hug, one hand gripping the back of his neck.
"Proud of you," Vidar said, stepping back. "Now go get your hand raised."
Harbor barely contained the burn in his eyes as the swelling in his chest threatened to overwhelm him at his brother’s words. He'd really done it.
The referee motioned him over to the middle of the cage, but Harbor paused at the look dejection coming off his opponent. Harrison had his chin held high, but the disappointment etched into the lines of his face was impossible to hide. Instead of stopping on the referee's empty side, Harbor went to the younger man and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him into a hug.
"I know this sucks for you, but it's a hell of thing to be here already." He pulled back to meet his eyes. "Keep training and you're going to have an amazing career."
"Thanks, man. Congratulations."
Harbor nodded and moved to the other side of the cage so the referee could grasp his wrist. The announcer's voice rang over the din of the crowd. "Winning this contest at three minutes and twenty-seven seconds in the first round by TKO, Harbor "the Viking" Rourke!"
Lifting Harbor's arm into the air, the ref spun them in a slow circle so they faced each side of the cage before stopping back in their original position. Seeing all the faces of his family and those extended members that he loved just the same filled Harbor with joy, but there was one more he wanted to see.
After he muddled his way through the post-fight interview, he stepped out of the cage and accepted the shirt, shoes, and Rourke MMA ball cap his brothers were waiting to hand him. He immediately turned the cap backward and stuck it on his head.
Magnus laughed. “You look like a dude-bro when you do that.”
Nothing in the world could wipe the smile off Harbor’s face so he laughed, too. “What the hell is a dude-bro?”
Dagen shook his head, eyes pointed heavenward. “Never mind. I’m so fucking proud of you, man.” One of his brother’s large hands gripped his shoulder. “Now, you better get your ass over there and hug Mom or she’s going to scale the divider.”
Harbor glanced up from where he was still slipping on his shoes to find his mom and Ollie bouncing in place beyond the waist high dividing walls that kept the audience separate from the staging area. He grinned and hopped up, striding over to wrap his arms around his mom. She squeezed him back just as hard.
“I’m so proud of you, sweetie!” Her voice came out warbly, and Harbor leaned back to look at her face.
“Don’t cry, Mom,” he said, wiping at her cheeks before realizing his fingerless fight gloves were still on his hands. “I need to head back to the dressing room and get these gloves and wraps off, but I’ll come back out and watch the rest of the fights with you.”
“Oh good. Does Theo fight next?”
Harbor nodded, gut clenching up at Theo’s name. After their nap two days ago, they’d texted and eaten together a couple times, but between their own schedules, Theo’s extra appearances for his fitness brand, and constantly being surrounded by either family or fans, they hadn’t had much time to spend together. Harbor didn’t know what was normal in situations like this, but he wanted to be there for Theo now, to see him before he got in the cage with Matheson.
“He does. I’m going to go find him before it’s time.”
His mom smiled. “Wish him luck for me, ok? Tell him we’re all rooting for him, and don’t forget you promised to introduce me.”
Grinning, Harbor dropped a kiss on her cheek. “Yes, ma’am.” After a quick hug from Ollie, he spun around and took off for the tunnel that led back to the dressing rooms and Theo.
Theo watched Harbor step out of the cage from just inside the tunnel that fed into the arena from the network of hallways and rooms in its bowels. Bouncing lightly from foot to foot, he let the pounding rhythm of a song from his pre-fight playlist filter in through his ears and spill down into his blood, pumping energy and readiness into every fiber of his body. He kept to the shadows, wanting to observe. Alex was several feet behind him, giving him some space, and Theo imagined, grappling with the same awe that he was feeling.
He was here. His professional fight debut. Years of training, of sweat and blood, had led him to this moment. There was no room for regret. No place for the chasm that threatened to open as he watched Harbor hug a woman Theo was sure was his mom. He smiled ruefully to himself. No matter the time or distance, that dull ache where his family should have been never really went away. He was grateful for Alex and Angie. Thankful for all he had, but what would it be like to have the soul-deep knowledge that there was someone who loved you unconditionally?
With a shake of his head, Theo drew in a deep breath and banished those thoughts. They’d be playing his fight song in a matter of minutes, and he couldn’t afford to be thinking about anything other than the man that would be standing across the cage from him and what he’d have to do to make sure it was his own hand raised at the end.
Harbor looked up then, saying something over his shoulder to Rory and the rest before heading in Theo’s direction. As soon as he was close enough to realize someone was standing there, Harbor stopped short, then rushed forward pushing them farther back from the opening of the tunnel and grasping Theo around the waist. He wrapped his arms around Harbor’s shoulders and let the other man hold him as tightly as he wanted for a moment before stepping back.
“You kicked ass out there, Blondie.”
“Thanks, Theodore.” Harbor’s grin was sharp, but his eyes sparked with want, skating over Theo’s face to catch on his mouth. Theo felt it like a caress and sucked in a breath.
“You cannot be looking at me like that right now,” he whispered, keeping their bodies close together, but not too close.
Harbor sobered, blue eyes going hard and assessing in a heartbeat. “Are you ready? Who’s in your corner?”
“Alex.”
“Just Alex? You can have two people.” Harbor’s brow furrowed.
Theo opened his mouth to say there wasn’t anyone else, but Harbor cut him off.
“Let me be in your corner.”
Theo had to swallow before he could speak. “Can you do that? Since you’re fighting?”
Thi
s time it was Vidar who spoke up, he and Rory closing the distance from where they’d stopped short a minute ago. “He can. Fighters out of the same camps corner for each other all the time even if they’re both on the card that night.” Vidar’s eyes moved to his brother. “You’ll need to lose the wraps and let the doctor clear you, but there’s time.”
Alex stepped up beside Vidar and held out a lanyard with an ID badge attached declaring the wearer a Theo Smith cornerman. Harbor’s hand lifted, but he paused, eyes coming back to Theo’s. The moment felt heavy, stretched full with things neither of them would dare say, but that simmered and fizzed in the air between them all the same.
“I’d be honored to have you in my corner,” Theo finally found his voice.
Harbor pulled in a breath, a smile lifting one corner of his mouth as he took the lanyard from Alex and dropped it around his neck. “I’ll be right back. Don’t go kicking any ass without me.”
Chapter Eleven
The moment the bell rang signaling the end of the first round of Theo’s fight, Harbor rushed into the cage with Alex, water bottle and ice pack clenched in his fists. To put it bluntly, Theo had gotten pummeled for five minutes straight, and Harbor had never realized how helpless a feeling it was to be on the outside of the cage looking in. He’d still been young when Vidar had his one and only professional fight. He remembered being scared for Vidar then, but also confident that no one could take down his big brother.
It was a different animal standing by while Theo took the brunt of Matheson’s rage. Theo gasped, leaning back against the cage while Harbor handed him the water bottle and pressed the ice pack against the back of his neck. Already, Harbor could see bruises forming on Theo’s torso and scrapes on his arms and legs. He gritted his teeth.
Open Wounds: The Boxed Set Page 17
