by Loren, Celia
A Stepbrother MMA Romance
By Celia Loren
Copyright © 2015 Hearts Collective
All rights reserved. This document may not be reproduced in any way without the expressed written consent of the author. The ideas, characters, and situations presented in this story are strictly fictional, and any unintentional likeness to real people or real situations is completely coincidental.
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NAKED CHOKE
A Stepbrother MMA Romance
By Celia Loren
CONTENTS
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter One
I let my hand dangle out of our old Taurus's window, feeling the warm June breeze on my hand. The harsh Colorado winter has finally given way to warm, dry temperatures, and I can even see greenery starting to bloom on the distant mountains. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot my mom eyeing me wistfully.
"On my eighteenth birthday, I was already pregnant with you," she says with a shake of her head.
"That a suggestion?" I tease her as I check my hair in the side view mirror.
"Oh, god, no," she laughs. "I mean…you know what I mean. You're the best thing that ever happened to me, but I had no idea what I was doing. Though maybe if things had gone differently, I never would have met Duke. So you never know."
She stops at a light and I take the opportunity to poke her playfully in the arm. "You should see your face right now."
"What?"
"You're blushing!"
"Am not!" she protests. A lot of people mistake my mom and I for sisters because she had me so young and we have the same pale skin, silky black hair, and green eyes. And she's always happy to play along. "He is great, though, isn't he?"
"Yes, for the millionth time." I was initially intimidated by Duke Riggens' size and gruffness, but it didn't take long for me to see that he genuinely cared about my mom.
"So where is this place again?" I ask. It's my birthday party, but I've always been content to hand the decision-making over to my mom. It makes her happy, and she's had enough rough times in her life. There have been times when I think I should be more assertive, but it's just easier not to rock the boat.
"It's right there on the corner, see? It's a really retro-feeling bowling alley. Don't worry, I checked it out. Half of the place is rented out just for us. And everything's already set up."
"OK. And what are Duke's sons names again?"
"Austen is the older one, and Logan is the younger one."
"And they both work at his gym?"
"No – I mean, they work out there," she says distractedly as she turns into the bowling alley's parking lot. "Oh, there's Maya!"
I smile and wave at my best friend as she gets out of her car, her olive skin glowing in the sun. She runs over as my mom pulls into a space, then wraps her arms around me in a big hug. I had a late growth spurt this year and grew another inch, so now at 5'7'' I feel like I tower over my petite friend.
"Caitlyn! Happy Birthday!" she squeals.
"Thanks," I reply. "People are coming right?" I add worriedly.
"Of course!" she assures me. "Everyone's back from the lake and wherever else and wants to hang out, plus everyone loves you."
We just graduated from high school last week, so everyone separated into their various cliques to blow off steam and celebrate in their own way. Maya and I were always a team of two, just drifting around the various groups as we pleased. Neither of us ever cared about being popular, so it worked for us. But I'd still like my party to actually have people in attendance.
The three of us walk into the bowling alley together, and my mom's right. It's got a cute, vintage feel to it, and the manager heads over to escort us to the reserved area. A couple of my mom's friends from the salon where she works drift in, and then a few of the kids from school, and soon a couple dozen people are spread out over the lanes.
"Told you," Maya says with a nudge as I return to the chairs after knocking down a dismal five pins. "Look, even Stacy and all of them came."
I look toward the door in surprise. I knew Maya spread the word about the party, but I didn't honestly expect the most popular kids from school to show up.
"Oh, that was nice of them."
"I bet it's because Vince has a crush on you."
"What? Seriously?" I ask, turning to her in shock.
"Yeah, that's what I heard." I glance over to the hulking football player, and he is indeed looking at me.
"I thought he and Stacy were together."
"Ugh, don't you pay attention? They broke up like two months ago. Well? Are you going to go talk to him?"
"Mm, he was in my English class last year, and he fell asleep a lot. And snored."
"Oh," Maya replies, disappointed.
"Besides, isn't he playing college ball next year? I'm sure he'll do just fine on campus," I add with a smile.
"Forget him," Maya says suddenly, looking toward the door. "Who is that?" I follow her gaze to a tall, gorgeous man walking in.
"No idea," I murmur, though I wish I did. I frown as I see Duke walk in behind him, and the man turns to say something over his shoulder. Duke is followed by another man in baggy sweats, with his gray hoodie pulled up and obscuring his face. "Wait…"
"Caitlyn! Come meet Duke's kids," my mom says as she hurries over and grabs my arm. I stand up and trail behind her.
"Those aren't kids…" I murmur quietly as I feel my heartbeat quicken, and my stomach tighten.
Chapter Two
My mom drags me along, and all too quickly, we're nearing the three men. Duke turns around with a small smile, which is a rare sighting on him.
"Caitlyn," he says with a nod. I smile back, knowing he's not one for hugs. "This
is my son Austen," he says, gesturing slightly toward the blonde one who caught Maya's attention. I blush as he reaches his hand toward me, glancing up at the muscles bulging out of his white t-shirt.
"Pleasure to meet you, Caitlyn," he murmurs as our palms touch.
"You too," I manage to blurt out.
"And this is Logan," he adds, tilting his head toward his slightly shorter son. Logan knocks his hood off his head before silently reaching his hand out, revealing a mop of dark, wavy brown hair. I gulp as his dark brown eyes catch mine. He's just as good-looking as his brother, but in a completely different way. Austen's face is light and open, while his younger brother's has a brooding intensity to it. "Sorry we're late," Duke adds, his eyes flicking toward Logan for a moment. Logan shifts, and I understand immediately that he's the cause for their tardiness.
"Don't worry about it!" my mom exclaims and ushers them in. Austen steps in next to me as we head back next to the lanes, while Logan trails behind.
"The way my dad talked about you, I was picturing a little kid. Maybe pigtails," he says quietly. I can see the other girls from school eye the two brothers as we make our way through the guests.
"Oh, I haven't worn pigtails in over a month," I reply with a smile.
"Really? I would have thought longer," he grins.
"This is my friend Maya," I introduce her, as we reach the lane where I'd been playing.
"Yes, I'm Maya," she says breathlessly. "I mean, hi."
"We just finished a game, if you guys want to play," I suggest.
"Sure," Austen says. "I'm going to go grab a drink. Anyone else want anything?"
"Diet coke," Maya chirps.
"No problem," he replies, and she almost swoons. My mom and Duke lean over the scorecard, writing our names in. Logan immediately takes a seat and pulls his hood back on, staring down at his phone.
I feel a hand grabbing my elbow and turn to see Stacy behind me. "Hey Caitlyn, Happy Birthday," she says.
"Oh, thanks—"
"Are those guys your friends?"
"They're my mom's boyfriend's sons," I reply, smelling vodka on her breath. Stacy and her friends are notorious for bringing alcohol to every party. As long as none of them throw up anywhere though, it should be fine.
"Ugh, you are so lucky. Introduce me?"
"Um, sure." Austen's over at the drink table, so I turn to Logan, still engrossed in his phone. "Logan? This is my friend Stacy."
"Hey," he replies, barely glancing up.
Unfazed, she slides into the seat next to him. "Oo, are you watching a fight? Is that karate or something?"
"MMA."
"Who's winning?"
"Vega, by my count. But Akulov just threw a nasty elbow."
"Right…" she says. She stands back up and gives me a suggestive nod as Austen appears at my side.
"Oh. Austen, this is Stacy," I say obligingly.
"Nice to meet you," he says with a smile, then turns to Maya. "Here you go."
"Thanks," she says with a giggle. I almost roll my eyes at her. She is unable to act normally around hot guys.
"You want some of our drinks?" she asks Austen, nodding toward her friends in another lane. "They've got a little extra kick to them."
"I don't drink while I'm training," he replies, bringing a cup of water to his lips. "Hey, Caitlyn, sorry we didn't get you a present. The three of us are pretty hopeless when it comes gifts, but maybe once we get to know you better we'll have a better idea…"
I smile. "Don't worry about it, honestly. So, what are you training for? My mom said—"
"You look like an MMA fighter to me," Stacy cuts in, as though she hadn't just gotten that information from Logan.
"That's right," he says, his eyes narrowing at her slightly. "My dad trains Logan and me and a handful of other fighters."
"Oh my god, that is so cool," Stacy gushes. "I'd love for you to show me some moves sometime," she adds, and lightly grazes her fingers against his bicep.
"My schedule is pretty packed," Austen says. Wow, I've never seen a guy turn Stacy down. And neither has she, from the shocked expression on her face. "'Scuse me, looks like I'm up," he adds, setting his water down and grabbing one of the heaviest bowling balls.
With a huff, Stacy turns and heads back toward her friends, while I watch Austen smoothly bring his arm back and send the ball spinning down the lane. As he grabs another ball, I turn my attention to Logan. His upper body is moving slightly, swaying and then making sudden small movements. I think he's reacting to the fight he's watching as though he's the one in the ring.
MMA fighters. I barely even know what that means. I can't believe my mom didn't tell me more about Duke's sons. Not just the fact that they're fighters, but that they're so ridiculously hot. Though I suppose that would have been a bit strange for her to describe them that way. I look over to see Duke whispering in her ear as she grins like a schoolgirl. I think she's been a bit distracted, to say the least.
Austen heads back to me, having knocked down his final pin. "So, you just graduated?"
I nod. "Last week."
"I'm sure everyone's asking you this, but any plans for the fall?"
"I'm going to cosmetology school. My mom's a hairdresser, maybe Duke told you, and the owner says they'll be a job waiting for me when I finish." I say it as brightly as I can, though truthfully I've been having trouble getting excited about it all. For the first time, I see Logan look away from his phone and stare up at me for a moment. I shift uncomfortably under his penetrating gaze until he looks back down.
"Oh, that's great. Hey, you're up," he adds, nodding toward the scorecard. I sigh and pick out the lightest ball I see, and then make my way to the center of the lane. I was fine with knocking down only a few pins when it was just Maya and I, but now… I take a deep breath and try to concentrate. I swing my arm back as straight as possible and let go of the ball. It bounces slightly as it hits the wood, and I hold my breath as it wobbles down the lane. I smile as six pins fall. Not great, but not embarrassing either.
"Good one, Cat!" my mom calls out from her seat. I take another ball, and manage to knock over two more pins. Austen greets me with a smile as I step back down toward the seats. I feel his hand rest momentarily on the small of my back and a thrill of pleasure runs through my body as his thumb rubs against my thin t-shirt.
"Not bad," he says with a sly grin. I blush and smile, forgetting how to speak. Thankfully, he turns to his brother. "Logan. Logan! You're up."
Logan looks up, frowning, then reluctantly stands. He walks quickly to the balls, picks up the nearest one, and with one smooth movement, he rolls a clean strike. Without even a smile of celebration, he returns to his seat and picks up the phone again.
"Sorry about my brother," Austen murmurs. "He's unable to take a break."
"And you?"
"I think it's healthy to blow off some steam," he says, meeting my gaze steadily. Is it my imagination, or was there something extra under those words?
"MMA…is it dangerous?" I ask, sipping my diet coke.
"Not as much as people think. When it first came on the scene, people thought it was barbaric. But they eventually realized it's actually a lot safer than boxing."
"But boxers, they wear pads, don't they?"
"Yeah, but they're hit again and again, and mostly in the head. Causes a lot of brain damage. That’s why my dad stopped," he adds, nodding to Duke. "He used to be a champion heavyweight, but he got too many concussions. Still gets migraines and stuff from it. In boxing, you get ten seconds to get back up, and then the pounding continues. In MMA, if a fighter stops fighting back once, the fight is over. Plus, they don't always end with a knockout. You can also tap out."
"Tap out?"
He grins. "Maybe it would just be easier to show you. There's a semi-pro fight nearby in a couple weeks. Why don't you come with me?" I almost spurt out the soda in my mouth. Is he asking me out on a date?
"Um, sure, yeah," I stammer. "Could you just excuse me for a
second?" I hurriedly put down my cup and head for the bathroom. I mean, Austen is the hottest guy I've ever met, though on the other hand, his brother might be even… Focus. The point is, our parents are dating. Isn't that going to be a little weird?
I stop at the door to the women's room and try the knob. Locked. "One second!" someone calls from inside. I turn and lean against the wall next to the door, nervously chewing the side of my lip. Should I have turned Austen down?
A shadow blocks the light at the end of the short hallway leading to the restrooms. I glance up to see Vince watching me.
"Hey Cat," he greets me. I smile uncomfortably. "Cat" is a nickname that the people closest to me use sometimes, whereas Vince and I have only ever exchanged a few words.
"Hey Vince," I greet him. "Oh, congrats on Colorado," I add, not knowing what else to say.
"Thanks," he replies, walking toward me and leaning one arm next to my head on the wall. I lean away slightly, not liking how close he is to me, or the smell of cigarettes and whisky coming off him. "Probably won't get a lot of playing time as a freshman, but whatever. You really look a lot different this year. I mean before, you were kind of mousy, but you're super-hot now."
"Um, thanks…" I reply. I think he actually meant that as a compliment.
"To tell you the truth, I was pretty happy when Stacy and me broke up, 'cause I've always wanted to do this." Suddenly he leans down to kiss me. His lips are almost on mine before I even realize what's happening.
"Oh, um, I don’t—" I mumble, leaning my head back until it hits the wall. He stops for a moment and frowns down at me.
"Come on, Cat. I can have any girl I want, and I want you," he replies, then leans back down. My body freezes up, and I feel trapped.
"Well, not any girl." Vince stops and glances toward the entrance to the hallway. Logan is standing there, his face expressionless. "This girl, for example, doesn't seem to be interested."
"Who fucking asked you, bro?" Vince demands, standing up and turning toward him. Logan takes a few steps forward as Vince looks him up and down. Vince is built like an ox and has a couple inches on Logan, and in his loose sweats, it's impossible to tell Logan's body type, except that he's got broad shoulders.
