The Fighting Series (Books 1-5)

by Nikki Ash

  “Chelsea, I’m going to call you a cab so you can go home.” When she doesn’t answer me, I look up and find her passed the fuck out in my bed. It’s late and I’m tired, so I decide to let her sleep it off. I’ll just take her home in the morning once she’s coherent. I grab a blanket from my bed and lay across the futon I have in my room. I sure as hell am not going to sleep in the bed with her. I don’t need to give her any more reason to think she has a chance with me.

  I wake up with a kink in my neck and for a second wonder why the hell I’m sleeping on my futon, when I remember what happened last night. I take a second to stretch when I hear screaming coming from the living room. I look at my bed and it’s empty. Oh shit! I haul ass out to the living room to find Chelsea is in my fucking shirt, going toe-to-toe with Kayla. Then I look around and see Liz, who looks like she’s trying to be pissed, but is also attempting to hold in her laughter. And of course the scene wouldn’t be complete without Bella mimicking Kayla’s stance with her hands on her hips.

  “Okay, I can explain.” All three and half women look over at me and I put my hands up, metaphorically waving a white flag while praying they don’t all team up and kill me.

  The first one to speak is Bella. “Bentley, your friend is wearing no shorts, and Mommy says it’s rude to not be dressed when you have company over. You should tell your friend to put on some more clothes.” She scrunches her nose up, and if I wasn’t scared for my life right now, I would laugh at her cuteness.

  Liz snorts and Kayla shoots me a death glare. Chelsea looks like the sight of a child revolts her. What was I ever thinking when I decided to go out with her? I don’t like to waste my time with women I don’t see a future with.

  Before I can explain the situation, Chelsea lets out a sound of disgust and retreats to my bedroom.

  “Let me explain,” I say again to the women left standing in the living room.

  Liz speaks up this time. “There’s no need to explain. This is your apartment. I’m just thankful for you letting us stay here.” Damn, Cooper is one lucky guy. He better get his shit straight before he loses her for good.

  “Excuse me? No, Liz! It is not okay…” Kayla begins to yell, but Liz cuts her off.

  “Can we please continue this later? I really need to get Bella to school.”

  Kayla and I both nod, and I get the hell out of there before Kayla finds something to stab me with.

  After I drop Chelsea off at her place and make it clear to her we are over, I head over to the gym. Cooper sent everyone a text requesting a meeting.

  Once we all gather, he announces that his father left him the training facilities in the will so he’s officially the new owner. I’m extremely happy for him. He deserves it.

  After telling him congratulations, Caleb and I head to the ring to get a workout in. I’m going to be fighting in less than two months and now that Cooper’s shitty dad isn’t breathing down my throat, I find myself wanting to win. With Cooper’s name on the line, I want to make him proud.

  “Holy shit, man! I haven’t seen you fight like that in years!” Caleb is bending over panting like a little bitch after I just whooped his ass.

  I smile widely and laugh. I have to admit, it feels good to give it my all again.

  “So, what’s up with you and Kayla?” he asks as we head to the juice bar to get a drink.

  “I don’t know. She comes from a home where they apparently don’t believe in love. I just don’t get it. What mom tells her daughter that love isn’t real and to never marry because of it?”

  “Not every family is perfect like yours, Bent. And to be honest, maybe you’re dodging a bullet. In my experience, women are fake as hell and just want one thing from a man. Money.”

  Caleb looks sad when he says this and it’s probably the most he’s ever said about relationships.

  “From your experience?” I ask, trying to get him to continue, but he shuts down.

  “Doesn’t even matter. I like Kayla. She’s a cool chick, but I don’t trust any women. Let’s practice.”

  I spend the rest of the afternoon working out, then shower at the gym, and when I can’t put off the inevitable anymore, I head home.

  It’s almost ten o’clock when I arrive, so I’m hoping everybody will be asleep. I open the door quietly and attempt to tip toe to my room. No such luck.

  “Oh, well, look who it is? Sneaking any more whores into your room tonight so Bella can wake up and see them half naked? Maybe this time you can give her your boxers to wear to go along with your shirt.”

  There is so much shit I could say, but I’m a man and I’m not stupid, so I decide to just beg for forgiveness. “I’m sorry. It’s not what you were thinking. You know I’ve been texting you every day asking you to give me a chance. Do you really think I would bring some woman home and sleep with her while you are here?”

  For a second her face softens, but then it hardens into a stoic expression and she no longer shows any emotion. And I know that infamous wall is going up. “I don’t give a shit who you bring home. I don’t want you. What we had was a one-time thing. I’m not your soulmate or your forever. So just give it a rest. We both know you just wanted in my pants again, and when I wouldn’t give it up, you found someone who would. The only problem is you got caught.”

  “You know what, Kayla? I’ve tried so damn hard, but you just won’t listen. She was drunk and needed somewhere to stay and I let her sleep on my bed while I took the futon. It was late and I forgot about Bella being here. If I would have remembered I would have made sure she was gone before she woke up. I didn’t do this to hurt you.”

  Suddenly the door opens and Cooper comes walking in, assessing the situation.

  “What’s going on?”

  Of course, Kayla is the first to respond. “Oh, you know. Bentley thought it would be okay to bring some whore around here last night and when she went to leave after he was done with her, she walked out half naked and Bella saw!”

  Oh my God! This woman is not going to give it a rest. She doesn’t listen to a damn word I say. The next words I say rush out—and immediately I wish I could take them back.

  “Look, I said I was sorry fifty damn times! Liz is being understanding about this. Why can’t you be? I forgot there is a child here. You act like I purposely brought her here and told her to walk out of my room half naked knowing Bella was out here. Damn it, woman! We both know you’re just mad because you said you wanted nothing to do with me, so I went out and found someone who does!”

  Yep, I just fucking lied and it is going to totally come back to bite me in the dick later. But, fuck! That woman could test the patience of a damn saint.

  Kayla lets out a huff in frustration. She honestly looks like her head is about to explode. Luckily, Liz walks down the hall at this moment and joins us, and then Cooper decides to alleviate the situation.

  “Kayla, I have a job opening at the training facility…”

  Is this guy serious right now? I don’t even know what the hell else he’s saying because all I can imagine right now is chopping his head off and stringing it on a light pole. If I have to work with this woman every damn day I might kill her or myself.

  “…you girls can stay with me. I have three extra rooms and I promise I won’t bring any other women home.” Well, isn’t he the smart one? I’ll have to pat him on the back later for using my shitty situation to his advantage.

  Then Kayla shocks the shit out of everyone. “Actually, I think all of us would be too much. How about Liz and Bella stay with you, that way you can spend time with Bella, and I can stay here. It’s just temporary. I can handle the whorehouse.”

  Fucking woman. Of course she has to add that in. However, I must give her credit. She’s totally taking one for the team right now, and by team, I mean team Cooper and Liz, because she isn’t batting for my team. Although, her staying here means I’ll have more time to convince her to let down that cement wall and maybe even get her to thaw out her icy heart.

  “I a
gree with Kayla. It’s a good idea.”

  And it’s settled, tomorrow Liz and Bella will be moving in with Cooper, and Kayla will be staying here. Now, I just need to formulate a plan to convince her that love is real.

  Five

  Bentley

  Me: Dinner tonight… you and me.

  Kayla: NO

  Me: Please… just one dinner.

  Kayla: Still no.

  Me: What time will you be home?

  Kayla: None of your business

  Jesus, this chick is clearly not going to make this easy. It’s been a few days since Liz and Bella moved out, and Kayla is still insisting on giving me the silent treatment.

  “What’s up?” Caleb comes out of his room dressed in jeans and a shirt with the club logo on it that he works for. He must be heading out to work.

  “Nothing, man. Just trying to convince Kayla to go to dinner with me, but of course she isn’t having it.”

  He chuckles at my situation… fucker. “So, bring dinner to her. Pick up food and wait for her to get home, and then make her sit with you and eat.”

  Hmm… Not a bad idea.

  He pats me on the shoulder as he walks out. Caleb isn’t a man of many words but when he does speak he makes it count. I also noticed him and Kayla have been getting closer. He never hangs out with women so maybe whatever they’ve both been through has helped him to open up and trust her.

  I run out to the store to pick up sushi, some flowers, and candles. If I’m going to bring the dinner to Kayla, I’m going to go all out. I may only have one shot to convince her to give us a chance.

  I get home and set it all up. Flowers and candles are spread all over the living room, the food is set out, and now I just have to hope she comes home soon.

  As luck—or fate—might have it, Kayla comes strolling through the door not even fifteen minutes later. She closes the door and then stops in her tracks, glancing around the room. After assessing the situation, she looks like she’s ready to bolt.

  “Please, just one dinner. I got your favorite. California rolls, shrimp tempura, and fried rice, and for dessert, I got mango mocha ice cream.”

  I hold my breath praying she’ll give me a little bit. Standing here right now reminds me of Will Smith in the movie Hitch.

  ‘One dance, one look, one kiss, that’s all we get… Just one shot to make the difference between happily-ever-after, and oh-he’s-just-some-guy-I went-to-something-with.’

  This is my one shot. Five years ago, we were younger and she had been recently hurt, but now this is our moment. If I can just get her to see this could be the beginning of our story, we could have that happily-ever-after.

  I’m staring at Kayla as she closes her eyes. It’s as if she’s afraid to see what’s right in front of her, but luck is on my side today because when she opens her eyes, she bites down on her bottom lip and nods slightly. She clearly afraid and I need to handle her with care.

  I give her a small encouraging smile and pull her chair out for her. She has a seat and I push it in. I pour us both a glass of white wine to go with our sushi.

  “How was your day?” I ask, trying to start up conversation without scaring her away.

  “It was good. I started at the gym today. I didn’t see you there. Cooper was showing me around and I met a bunch of the guys. I think I’m going to like it there. Everybody seems really nice.”

  “That’s good. I was in the weight room and ring for most of the day. I saw you but wanted to give you some space.”

  “How is your training going? Are you ready for the upcoming fight?”

  I roll my neck and shoulders, remembering the weight training I did today. Getting ready for this fight is putting a lot of strain on my muscles.

  “Up until now I haven’t taken fighting as seriously as I should so my body is in shock. I know I have a natural talent for fighting because when I fight and try, I win, but the issue is my motivation for it. Unlike a lot of these guys I don’t have to win so I do it because I love it.”

  She nods, showing me she’s listening.

  “When I moved here to support Cooper, I think being away from my parents and being around his dad pushed me away, but lately I’ve been feeling that motivation again. Problem is, my body isn’t exactly feeling the same way.”

  We continue to talk while we eat and the conversation flows smoothly. It probably helps that she has several glasses of wine, which appears to loosen her up.

  “So, you moved here to go to college?” I ask, hoping she’ll open up a little.

  “Yeah, when we left you guys in Miami, we came here for college. Liz found out she was pregnant and we could’ve moved back home, but made the decision to stay here instead.”

  “I’m glad you stayed. I hate that it took this long for us all to cross paths again, but if you would’ve moved back it probably never would have happened.”

  She blushes slightly and shakes her head a little before going back to eating.

  Once we’re done and have eaten dessert I pour us one last glass of wine and move them to the coffee table in the living room.

  “Sorry, I’m sore. I need the comfort of my couch.”

  She laughs and joins me in the living room. I expect her to sit next to me but instead she pushes me forward and sits behind me, pushing me onto the ground.

  “I wouldn’t exactly call the floor comfortable,” I joke.

  She ignores me, so I stay seated on the floor. And then a second later he hands begin to massage my neck and shoulder muscles.

  “Holy shit woman, are you trying to kill me?” I say, groaning in pain.

  “Physical therapists don’t massage for pleasure. We massage to help loosen up the trouble areas. No pain, no gain.”

  She continues to massage my upper areas, and after a few minutes I can feel my muscles loosening, and it feels good. I think I let out a couple small moans because she chuckles behind me.

  “What are you laughing at? This shit feels good.”

  She moves her hands over my shoulders and over my pecks and I shiver. Suddenly this massage feels a little less medical and a little more sexual. She rubs my pecks up and down and then I feel her breath against my ear.

  Before I can turn around she’s laying kisses on the side of my neck. My dick stands at attention, realizing where this is going. I mentally tell it to stand down. I’m not about to have another one-night stand with this woman. I want it all.

  “Kayla, what are you doing?” Probably a dumb question to ask, but I don’t know how else to word it.

  “I thought it was obvious…”

  I swivel around to face her. Her legs are spread from giving me a massage, so I kneel between her thighs. Like this we’re almost at eye-level.

  “I know what you’re doing. What I mean to ask is where is this going?”

  “Um, again, I thought that was obvious.”

  Okay, I’m going to have to explain myself better.

  “Kayla, when I’m with a woman my intentions are to get to know her in hope that something more will come about. I don’t sleep around just to sleep around. If we get together I don’t want it to just be a one-night thing. I want more. I meant what I said to you five years ago. I believe in love, and I believe you are my forever.”

  She removes her hands from my body and frowns. I know this isn’t going to be good. I grab ahold of her tiny hands and hold them in mine, not wanting our connection to be lost.

  “Bentley, you know I don’t believe in love or forever, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun. What we had all those years ago was hot and we can have that again.”

  I know my dick is going to disown me for this, but…

  “No, when we hooked up I felt something.” I stop to give her a kiss on her lips. They’re so soft, especially when she pouts like she’s doing right now. “I still feel something and I think you do, too. I think you’re too scared to admit it because you were hurt. The next time we’re together physically it will be because you’re giving us
a real chance.” I give her another soft kiss on her lips and then stand.

  “Are you seriously going to walk away from having sex with me over some bullshit obsession with love?”

  “I’m not walking away and I don’t think it’s bullshit nor is it an obsession. I believe that you and I could have something real. It would be fucking magical. I care about you and respect you too much to just have sex with you for fun. What we did back in Miami shouldn’t have happened. We should have gotten to know each other more first.”

  I walk over to the entertainment center and glance back at her. She looks pissed, but once I turn on the music from my iPod, her anger morphs into confusion.

  “Dance with me,” I ask, taking her hands in mine.

  She doesn’t answer, but she doesn’t pull away either. I wrap her up in my arms and begin to sway to lyrics that couldn’t be more fitting. Having Kayla in my arms feels like home. I could spend the rest of my life dancing with this woman and be completely content.

  After a few minutes, I whisper the lyrics to certain parts of Brad Paisley’s Perfect Storm in her ear. It’s about a man loving a woman so much, it hurts. She’s his perfect storm. Kayla doesn’t say anything, but she puts her head on my chest and lets me sing to her. When the song ends, I tilt my head to meet hers, and holding her chin, I slip my tongue into her mouth for just a second, just long enough to taste her. Then I kiss her with a little more force before pulling back.

  “Good night, Kayla.”

  I don’t turn back to see her facial expression and she doesn’t say a word. I don’t know if I’m doing the right thing here, but I would rather give up the for-now if it means I can have the forever.

  I’m in bed, flipping through the channels, when there’s a light knock on my door.

  “Come in.”

  Kayla walks into the room and closes the door behind her.

  “Can I lay with you?” she asks nervously.

  I’m not sure where she’s going with this, but I can’t say no to her. I’m not sure why, but I get the feeling it took a lot for her to come here.