by Vanessa Vale
“Please. Reed’s company is boring.”
He may have been trying to get a smile from me, but it didn’t work. I pushed the End button, and the machine stopped. I gripped the bar to steady myself.
I stepped down, ran my hand over my sweaty face and followed Gray over to where Reed stood, his ice blue gaze focused squarely on me. He was so handsome, and I couldn’t believe he wanted me. He was well aware how fucked up I was, and yet he wasn’t running away. No, he was a fighter. I saw it in the rugged hands, the broad shoulders, the powerful jaw. Yet, I knew what was beneath that. I felt as if he’d shared more with me over the phone than he had with perhaps anyone else. Maybe even Gray.
I wanted to run to him, hope he opened his arms for me, and let him hold me. To hope he never let me go. God, he was so hard to fight. I wanted him, needed him, even after only being with him for a short time. We’d talked, texted and sexted while I was gone, but together in the same room? Less than two hours, perhaps. Still, I knew I wanted more too.
But it wasn’t to be. I felt pretty confident that five-thirty was too early for either those guys from the airport or for Cam to mess with me, but that didn’t mean when they had their coffee they wouldn’t. We stopped in front of Reed, and he looked me over with a quiet intensity that made me want to squirm, Gray remaining silent beside him. Reed just gripped the hem of his long-sleeved fleece, pulled it over his head and handed it to me.
It was the second time he’d seen to my comfort when going outside, and I took it, worked it on. It was still warm from his body, and it smelled like him. I resisted the urge to grab the collar and pull it up and over my nose, to breathe him in. Just like last time, he silently rolled up the sleeves. His gaze shifted from his task to meet mine. I’d all but forgotten Gray was there when he walked toward the doors that led to the parking lot.
Reed slipped off his hat, placed it on my head himself. Seemingly satisfied, he picked up his earbuds which now dangled from the neck of his t-shirt, settled them in place. He wasn’t talking to me. I didn’t blame him, but with the music in his ears, he wasn’t able, or ready, to hear anything I had to say.
We went outside, Reed holding the door for me. I took a deep breath of the cold air, let it out. It felt good on my heated skin, but I was happy for the hat and fleece. I flicked a glance up at him. He was watching me still, but there could’ve been a whole ocean between us instead of two feet.
“Okay with our usual three miles?” Gray asked, blowing into his curled-up fingers.
“Sure,” I replied. My legs were loose, limber, and I was far from done.
“Give us a few minutes to warm up, then set the pace. We need to work off some pie.”
At the mention of Christmas dinner, I glanced at Reed again, but he was scanning the parking lot.
Gray started running. I tucked my earbuds in and joined him. Reed came up on my other side, so I was flanked by both of them as we turned onto the sidewalk. I followed Gray when he turned corners, very aware of Reed beside me, but only picked up the pace when he signaled me to do so. It was only then that I got into my usual groove, turned my mind off and forgot about Reed. Forgot about everything, the steady beat of the music in my ears helping me keep pace. The men kept up as we ran, ending back up at the gym as the sky had a hint of color to it. Instead of going inside, I walked in a circle in the lot, continuing to move. I was winded, but not done. No, the pace, the fresh air, and especially Reed beside me, only had me itching to keep going. The three miles only proved that even off the treadmill, I couldn’t outrun my problems.
When Gray said something to me, I plucked my earbuds out. “You’re not done, are you?”
His skin was a ruddy red from the cold, from the workout, his dark whiskers a strong contrast. He was breathing hard, but not sucking wind.
“I’ll just go back to the treadmill,” I said, looking up at the sky.
He held up his hand. “Wait.”
I watched as he went into the gym.
Reed stood, hands on hips, a few feet away. Earbuds dangled from his collar. I could hear his ragged breathing, see the sweat on his T-shirt. He’d said he didn’t like to run, and it was obvious the pace was faster than he was used to. I couldn’t last three minutes in a round with a fighter. No way. He looked quite a bit like when I’d first met him. Sweaty and tired from a workout. Then, he’d scared me, and I’d wanted to get away from him as fast as I could. Now, I wasn’t afraid of him. I wanted him with an ache that made me put a hand to my chest.
I wanted to tell him I’d lied, that I wanted to be with him. It wasn’t over. I didn’t know how it could be over, but he’d never believe me now.
“Run with Carter and Paul.” Gray’s words had me turning my head. Two guys I’d never met before were coming out the door after Gray, but I didn’t work out in the mornings. They were lean and muscular, clearly fit and spent plenty of time at the gym.
“Hi,” I said.
One gave a hand lift as a wave, the other nodded.
“They’re two of my guys and need your quick pace. Do the same loop. You remember it?”
I nodded, tugged Reed’s hat down on my head.
Gray stepped back. “Good. See you in… twenty-two minutes or so.”
Carter and Paul looked at Gray as if he were joking about the just-over seven-minute mile, but when he slapped one of them on the back—I wasn’t sure which was which—they eyed me with suspicion.
“If you need another three miles, I’ll have two more guys run with you.”
“It’ll be light by then, I’ll be fine.” They’d done enough already.
Reed crossed his arms over his chest as if settling in for an argument, but Gray responded. “No. I’d like it if you had company. Besides, my guys need the harder workout.”
I glanced between all four men. None spoke up, most noticeably Reed. His expression hadn’t changed once in the past half hour, but I had a feeling he wanted to herd me back inside. Paul and Carter seemed to be waiting for orders from Gray, tall sentries flanking him. I felt like I had a bodyguard rotation, but there was nothing I could do about it. All four of them were big, solid, and the way I knew they could fight, no one was going to lay a hand on me.
But seeing Reed made me ready to run more, to try to block out everything, including him. I turned and started out of the lot, the new guys hot on my heels. If they needed a push, I’d give them one. Besides, the only way I was going to feel better was if I felt nothing at all.
19
REED
“I can’t join tonight. My legs are killing me,” I told Seth, who ran the BJJ class. He was in his white gi and black belt, standing just outside the door to the room. It was wall to wall mats since the class was completely on the ground, unless he was teaching takedowns. And then, there was no fucking way I could get up and down for an hour.
“Heard you had a ruthless trainer.” He wasn’t talking about Gray because he wouldn’t have grinned. The ass-kicking Harper had handed to a bunch of us this morning had made its way around the gym. Seth was about five years older than me, was some kind of tech nerd and knew his shit when it came to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He wasn’t a fighter and had no interest in MMA, although I knew he participated in BJJ specific competitions.
When I thought of Harper, I didn’t think ruthless, but the pace she’d set on our three-mile run was faster than I liked. Hell, I’d hated every minute of it after the first block. But I’d had no intention of leaving her side. The only perk behind the twenty-some minutes of pure lung torture was that I’d gotten to watch her body, see the way her leg muscles flexed and pulsed as they pumped out the distance. Her chin had been up, her arms at her sides, she’d been in the zone, something like I got into once I stepped into the ring. Nothing was going to stop her or slow her down.
By the time we’d turned back into the parking lot in front of the building, I was all but ready to collapse. I wanted to stay with her, to be near her and figure out what the fuck was going on with her, but there was n
o way I could have made it another three miles at her pace. But she hadn’t been done. Winded, yes, but she had the determination and drive as if she were only in round two of a five round match. Gray had seen it and, thankfully, forced Paul and Carter to run with her next.
Yeah, they’d been as finished as me when they’d returned. The sun had been up then, and Gray’d had Tom and Drew ready to do a third lap although they hadn’t been as eager seeing the four of us on our return. But they’d have gone because everyone did what Gray said, and it proved all of us had shit for endurance.
“She showed us,” I admitted.
“You did, what? Your usual?”
“Three miles.”
A student came up, shook Seth’s hand and went in to stretch before class started.
“How far did she end up doing?” he asked.
“Twelve miles, maybe.” Once she was done, she all but dashed for the stairs to her apartment, and I’d seen nothing of her since. I had no idea where her car was, but I’d been in the gym all day—either training with Gray or working with my own clients—and hadn’t seen her come back out.
Seth just smiled and shook his head in a combination of wonder and insanity over her skills. I shifted, my legs aching. I had to wonder if her legs were as rubbery as mine and if she needed those muscles rubbed. My dick twitched. I had to shut that shit down.
She’d made it more than clear the night before that she was done with me, that she didn’t want more. She hadn’t been thrilled about it; the look on her face said she was tormented. While it should’ve made me feel better, she felt as shitty about this as I did, it didn’t. I wanted her to be happy. Preferably with me. Something was up, and I was going to give her space. Although she said she was moving to the UK. No, she was running to the UK. I just had to find out why before she did.
“Hey, Reed.” I turned around to see Jack from the front desk coming my way. “You wanted me to let you know if that car was out there again.”
I looked over his shoulder and toward the lot. I was too far away to see anything, but the cars parked directly in front of the building. I’d barely slept the night before, I’d all but sprinted three miles beside the woman I wanted but couldn’t have and now this. I’d played it straight, played it cool until now. Yeah, I’d left them alone before, but I wanted to rip their heads off. I couldn’t handle this shit with Harper and keep my head on straight for the fight, especially if the opponent was trying to dick around. Harper was more of a head game than any shit Dominguez could toss my way.
Gray rapped on the glass of his office window, redirecting my attention.
He was on the phone and gesturing me his way, but I waved him off and stalked right outside. There they were.
Same car, same assholes from the other day. When I approached this time, the driver rolled down his window. I put my forearm on the roof of the car, leaned close.
“What the fuck does Dominguez want?” I asked. I didn’t have time for this, for them. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Gray standing by the hood, a few others from the gym, too.
The guy frowned then smiled. Yeah, the stupid-ass gold tooth. “Who the fuck is Dominguez?”
I reached in, grabbed him by the collar of his coat and pulled him partway through the open window. Without a seat belt on, it was easy to do.
“Hey man, what the fuck?”
Carter moved to stand by the passenger door, keeping the other guy from getting out.
“The fight’s in a few weeks. I’d say it’s square. Legit even. What do you want from me?”
I tightened my fist, tugged him further, so I was all but breathing on him.
“I don’t want anything from you,” he spat out. “Shit, why would I fuck with a fighter? I’m here for the girl.”
My brain shut down for a second. Girl?
“Who?”
I saw Gray tense, which was practically impossible since he never offered anybody any kind of tell.
“The girl. The professor.”
My blood should’ve run cold at what he’d said, but instead it ran hot. This feeling, the seeing-red rage, it had been a long time since I’d felt this way, since I was a teenager. Since I’d murdered my father. I wanted this asshole dead for even thinking about Harper.
Curling my arm, I pulled him through the window even more until he was wedged. “Talk. Now. I’ve killed before, and I will fucking do it again.”
His eyes bugged out, and his face was turning an off-putting shade of purple. “My boss wants her,” he gasped.
“Why?”
“Her brother.”
“He should go after her brother then.” I had no idea what the fuck he was talking about. All I knew was that there was no way they were getting their hands on her. Taking her to their boss? Fuck, no.
He shook his head, tried to wriggle to get more comfortable, but his arms were pinned at his sides inside the window opening. “She has what they both want. They tried, two years ago.”
I let go, stepped back. For a second, the guy hung in the window, but then began to shimmy back into his seat. Turning to Gray, I watched as Thor came around me, reached in and grabbed the keys from the ignition.
“That was Quake Baker on the horn. Had some info for you.” He tilted his head toward the guys in the car. “Asshole’s telling the truth. They tried for her before.”
The guys in the car were forgotten. I glanced up at Harper’s apartment on the second floor. I bolted toward the building, practically ripped the door off the hinges as I entered the lobby. I tugged my key pass from around my neck, slapped it against the sensor on the wall then took the steps two at a time. Banging on Harper’s door didn’t bring results.
“Harper!”
I waited, tried to catch my breath. Remembered what she’d said to me in this spot the day before.
It would be best if we ended it now.
She hadn’t said she wanted to end it. She’d said it was for the best. I’d been too angry to process her words.
I banged some more. “Open the door, princess. I know you’re in there.”
Nothing.
“I know about your brother.” I didn’t, but I had to hope he was the reason she’d shut me out. The reason she was scared.
I was about to knock again when I heard the lock snick.
The door opened, and I didn’t give her a chance to shut me out again. I took a step toward her, picked her up without slowing and carried her across the room.
“Reed!” she cried.
I wasn’t putting her down. No fucking way. I breathed her in her scent. Some kind of fruity shampoo and pure Harper. I felt her lean muscles, her lush curves.
I glanced around. “There’s no place to sit,” I said, frustrated.
“I haven’t unpacked.”
That was obvious and only prompted me to what she’d said. She was leaving, taking the job in the UK. Why should she unpack?
“Why is it so dark in here?” I asked, going to the light switch on the wall.
“Don’t!” she said, her body tense. She grabbed my wrist before I could touch it.
I stilled, looked down at her. Saw the panic in her eyes. Felt the anger coursing through me. “You don’t want them to know you’re here, do you?”
She shook her head. Bit her lip.
Jaw clenched, I spun about, carried her out of her apartment. The door had never closed behind me.
“I can walk!”
I ignored her, tugging it shut with one hand as I carried her to mine, then set her down long enough to unlock it. Carrying her to my chair, I sat down, settling her on my lap. With one arm about her waist and her head tucked beneath my chin, I just held her.
And breathed.
“Reed.”
“Give me a minute,” I said, shutting my eyes.
This. This was what I’d been wanting. No, needing. Ever since she’d cried in my lap last week, I wanted her right back here in my arms. She was safe. I didn’t want to talk. I just wanted to hold her, kiss her, hell
, sink into her sweet pussy. But no. I had to know what was going on before we could move forward. While she’d opened up to me, there was a shit ton of stuff left unsaid.
I sighed, felt her warmth seep into me. “Tell me about the guys in the car.”
She stiffened but didn’t move. “They’re here?” she whispered.
I pushed her away from me only enough so I could tilt my head down, meet her eyes. “Now? Yeah. Several other times.” She glanced away, and I gently turned her chin back, so she had to look at me. “Who are they?”
“I… I don’t want to talk about it.”
I looked between her eyes, saw the fear, the anguish. I wanted to take that away.
“Don’t?”
“Can’t.”
I brushed my thumb over the little indent in her chin. “Why?”
She sighed, lifted her hand to cup my jaw. It was the first time she’d touched me, initiated the contact because she wanted to. She was studying me as I had her. “I don’t want you hurt.”
She doesn’t want me—
Something broke in me then. I’d been trying to stay two steps ahead of my past for years. First the military then training with Gray. I fought and fought to escape what I’d done, what I’d become. In and out of the ring. I’d done all that because I wanted to be better than the boy my parents had done shit to raise. I’d even thought I’d done a damn good job of breaking away from it all.
But now? Harper’s words changed it all. She didn’t want to hurt me. If she knew my past, knew what I was capable of, she’d know that was impossible. I could take care of myself. I had my whole life. But now I wanted to be the man she saw.
Somehow, Harper recognized something in me that I didn’t. That no one else did. And that made me want to prove she wasn’t wrong, that I really was the guy she saw. There was nothing on earth that would stop me from kissing her. My mouth met hers, and for a second, she was stunned. So was I. It was better than I imagined, that kept me awake at night. Her lips were so soft, just the feel of them against mine had me groaning. I cupped the back of her head, held her there, gently. Reverently.
