Awakened (The Fighter Series Book 3)

by TC Matson

  “I’m off work, so talk,” she snaps before I can even say hello.

  “Come to my house and I’ll tell you everything.”

  “I’m sick of waiting and being left in the dark,” she huffs.

  “I’m not doing this over the phone.”

  “What the hell is up with you and the damn phone? Why can’t you ever talk?” she cries out with vexation.

  “It’s either my house or yours.”

  “Fine!” She hangs up on me.

  Fuck! I slap my steering wheel. All the women I could fuck with and I happen to find Kelsie, the douchebag’s wife. His remanence of a broken and burnt heart.

  Vexation is pumping my heart hard as Kelsie stomps past me when I open the door. She drops her purse to the couch and swings around to me, crossing her arms.

  “Talk.” She scowls.

  “Sit.”

  She blinks, but I don’t budge. She’ll need to sit for all this shit. Once her ass hits the couch, I start. “Nick’s worked on my car a time or two.”

  “You mean your truck?” she cuts in.

  “No, my car. He’s widely known. One of the best mechanics out there.”

  “He’s been a mechanic for as long as I can remember. What’s that got to do with you?” she snaps.

  “So you know about the racing scene?” I test, wondering exactly what she knows.

  Her head jerks back. “The what?”

  “Yeah, I figured he left that part out.” I sit across from her on my coffee table. “We used to be pretty tight, always hanging out. He’s one of three best known mechanics in the racing scene, and I’m one of the best racers. Kind of worked out pretty well.”

  “Are you serious right now?”

  I nod. “And as if it can’t get any more fucked up, I’m your blackmail poker chip.”

  “Explain.”

  “He continues to threaten you about infidelity, but no one knew he was married. Neither did I. That bastard fucked around.”

  “He’ll say it’s hearsay.” She twirls her finger. “I have no proof.”

  “What if it wasn’t hearsay and you do have proof?”

  She perks up a bit.

  I massage my forehead trying to figure out exactly how I want to put all this.

  “I’m growing wickedly impatient,” she says. “The longer you wait, the more my mind is building a case on you.”

  “Nick and I haven’t talked in a long while. About three years ago, I met this chick, Vanessa. Nothing serious, we just had some fun a time or two. Turns out, Nick had been with her for a month or so leading her on. She found out he was cheating on her and she was hell-bent on revenge. I was the lucky pick. I had no idea.”

  Kelsie covers her mouth. “I think I’m gonna puke.”

  I continue. “I was at a race, one of the biggest bets I’ve ever raced on. The night was normal. Nick came, hung out, worked on the car, and wished me luck before I went out. I lost my ass on that race. He set me up to lose. What I didn’t know was Nick knew. Vanessa’s squabbling mouth told him all about what she had done. I tried to explain I had no clue but he wasn’t hearing it. Point of the matter is that I’m your proof.”

  She’s chewing her thumbnail, staring past me. “So the guy I’m dating now, fucked some girl my then husband was fucking?” She face plants back to Earth, landing her desolate sights on me. “Tell me how I’m supposed to feel about this?”

  “It’s pretty fucked up.”

  “You didn’t know about me?” she asks.

  “If I had, I swear I would’ve dragged his ass to your doorstep.”

  “The ring didn’t give it away?”

  I tighten my lips with sympathy in my expression.

  “Of course he took it off.” She drops her head into her hands. “I’m such an idiot.”

  There’s that feeling in my chest again. My heart constricts and I feel like knocking Nick’s teeth out—worse than the night he confronted me with the bullshit about Vanessa.

  I place my hand on her knee. “He’s the idiot.”

  “No, you’ve made it pretty clear. I’m the idiot. He had a double life I had no clue about. I missed every sign there was. I was blinded by the shit he spread in my eyes.”

  “You worked on your marriage while he worked on lies to tell you. He was fighting the wrong fight. And now the only fight he’s trying to win is the one to control you. The little thread that’s left.”

  “He lost the control over me when I left.”

  My phone rings and I pull it from my pocket.

  I laugh loudly. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. It’s Nick.”

  “Answer it,” she tells me nodding toward it.

  No good can come from this…

  I walk to the middle of the living room and shove my other hand in my pocket while I reluctantly—seriously reluctantly—answer the phone. “Ah, douchebag. What’s the occasion?” I answer.

  “What the fuck are you doing hanging around Kelsie?”

  “When did you get married? And why wasn’t I invited to the wedding?”

  “Seriously, dude, you put one hand on her, I’ll make sure—”

  “Watch your threats, Nick. You know I don’t play well with them,” I warn.

  “Do you know how badly I wanted to knock your teeth down your throat when I saw you today?”

  “Probably about the same as I wanted to yours. Why are you calling me?”

  “You keep your mouth shut. She doesn’t know anything,” he says.

  A menacing laugh vibrates my chest. “Because I owe you what? Besides, how do you know she doesn’t already?”

  “I’ve made sure of it.”

  “Sounds like you’ve been a busy man. You have many people fooled about who you are.”

  “It’s not like that. I was in the game before Kelsie. I fell in love with her but still had to keep the reputation up.”

  “Why the fuck are you telling me this? I don’t give a shit about your twisted little secrets.”

  “You’re no damn better than me!” he shouts.

  “That’s where you’re wrong. When committed, I’m committed. Single and having fun is all fair game. Don’t place me in the same shit hole you’re in.”

  “Don’t let me catch you with her.”

  “She told you I’m with Emily.”

  “You’re forgetting I’ve spent eight years with her. I know when she’s lying.”

  “I’m surprised you paid any attention. Did you learn this on your own or while you were busy fucking someone else?”

  “Fuck you, Adam.”

  “No thanks.”

  He hangs up.

  Kelsie is blanched, tears pooling up in the corner of her eyes as she stares at me. Mentally, I wince knowing what the whole day has unveiled for her.

  “You alright?” I ask softly.

  “Considering I’ve found out in a day what I missed in all eight years, sure.”

  Sure—the word that ties with “nothing” in the woman’s language. Resembling the same meaning that makes any man need a hazmat suit to get away from the shit storm ready to explode.

  “I’ve got to head back to North Carolina this weekend. Come with me and let’s skip out early.”

  “I think I want to go home and soak in the bath. I need some time to absorb all this insanity.”

  I pull her up and into my chest, wrapping my arms around her waist. “Come with me, Kelsie,” I whisper against her lips. “I’ll get a room with a Jacuzzi, heart shaped tub…you name it, I’ll try.”

  “You’re too sweet. But—”

  “Won’t accept that. You’re coming whether it’s just the weekend or we leave now.”

  Her brows knit together forming lines across her forehead. She isn’t mad, more exhaustedly confused. She’s not the only one. I found out the chick I’m dating has ties to a bastard I can’t stand. He knows how she tastes, how she feels, how…

  “What if during all the time together, we find out we don’t like each other?”

>   “It’ll make us or break us. Either way, at least we know the sex is great.”

  She laughs and slaps my arm. “Is that all you think about?”

  “With you? You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

  You’re no damn better than me… continues to run through my mind as I gather up my bags. This is where Nick is dead fucking wrong. Marriage is sacred and more than just a piece of paper claiming two people as one. You might think that’s surprising coming from me, considering my run with women, but again, I’ve not been tied to any of them. They know where I stand, just as I’ve told Kelsie. I don’t play games. I make the rules. I enjoy the fun of having different woman. They all have their different features. I’m about fucking their minds out, not fucking their minds over.

  Unlike Nick, I find it revolting that he led Kelsie on for so many years. She wasted part of her life dedicating it to the undedicated.

  I should walk away from all the drama. This whole situation isn’t my style, but for some fucked up reason, I have all these thoughts about Kelsie, and they make me nervous. They’re awakening feelings and becoming all too real.

  Chapter 18

  I took Adam up on his offer, and we left shortly after the mass of information was divulged. What the heck? Why not? After the amazing turn of events, I decided maybe getting away would be the best bet.

  I’m nervous that embarking on a vacation this early in the relationship will be risky. We’ll be around each other so much, getting to know one another in various aspects. I mean, we’ll either like it or want to kill each other by the end. And the latter will make for an awkward ride home. Adam, of course, is quite confident it all will end well.

  Adam may be a man of few words, but that’s until you get him on a subject he thoroughly enjoys. Come to find out, he truly loves the thrill of racing. He didn’t bring up anything about Nick while telling me all about the racing scene, but the more hyped up he got talking about it, the faster he drove zipping past cars on the dark curvy interstate. Not only does he love racing, but being beside his best friend as he journeys through the adventures of his fighting is pretty damn important to Adam. As he described some of Levi’s fights and the things he’s done, the car seemed to move faster and faster.

  I all but kissed the hotel floor when we arrived.

  By the time we got here last night, it was late and I wanted nothing more than a hot shower and sleep. I don’t know how he did it, but he managed to book us a suite. Yes, a freaking suite and it’s huge! It reminds me of a tiny apartment fitted with a king sized bed, a small kitchenette, and a gorgeous bathroom with a fantastic tub. Just as he promised.

  He was pretty tentative to me once there. He ran a bath for me and granted me complete silence while I soaked, even though I urged that he could come in. And instead of gifting me a fabulous romp in the sheets after I got out, he pulled the white, super soft and fluffy comforter back and turned off all the lights except for the bedside lamp. The idiot offered to sleep on the couch and I laughed.

  He may be rough and tough and jagged along the edges but there’s a gentle, more tender side of him that’s gold plated sugar. I would have never guessed the shit talking, macho-player man with the large puffed out chest I met in the club could turn into something so spectacular.

  I stretch, feeling an empty bed, and it makes me open my eyes. The covers are crinkled and cold where he slept.

  “Morning,” he grunts stepping into the room with two coffee mugs.

  I reach grabbing it. “Morning. How’d you sleep?

  “Good.” He slinks down in the chair sitting in the corner and holds his cup to his mouth. He despises mornings.

  Throughout the night, I woke up too many times to count with everything running through my mind. I won’t tell him, but watching him sleep calmed me, providing me with some solace. He slept on his back with one hand behind his head and the other across his stomach—the way I know he fell asleep staring at the ceiling. He had a lot on his mind too.

  We’ve sat in the quiet for fifteen minutes while he grumps in the corner, and I watch the breeze blow the trees in the distance out the window.

  Is fifteen minutes long enough for him to snap out of his morning haze? Hope so.

  I set my coffee down on the table beside the bed and make my way to Mr. Grumpy Pants, kneeling between his legs. My fingers trace over the edges of his chest muscles and I glance up.

  His eyes are still crabby.

  I drag my tongue from his belly button to his V at his hips and gently give it a kiss. Moving from there, I pull his waistband slightly down, and trace along the top of his pelvis.

  I glance up again.

  His eyes are glazing over.

  I tug his shorts down and lap my tongue up the bottom side of his thick dick.

  I look up again.

  He’s got a smirk and his eyes have glazed over with desire.

  I take all I can, sucking and gliding, stroking with my hand what my mouth can’t handle. I’ve been bobbing up and down for a minute or so when I feel a twitch at the head of his dick. He hisses and then grips my hair, pulling me to his lips.

  His kiss is hard while hands wildly rip off my shirt. He pries his mouth off mine and turns me around by my hips, tugging my shorts down.

  I let out an embarrassing little squeal when he sinks his teeth into my right ass cheek. He leans back and pulls me down onto his dick. I’m facing away from him, my back to his chest. I’ve never been in this position and I think he knows it.

  I hold onto the tops of his legs and bounce, filling myself with him. Up until this point, there have been no words, no sounds, nothing coming from him, but all of a sudden he growls. He grabs a handful of my hair and pulls, driving fiercely into me. My back is arched, fingers digging into his legs as he slams upward. A full sensation burns the walls of my sex every time he thrusts into me. It hurts. It feels good. It’s overwhelming.

  My body solidifies and my climax begins tugging every nerve in my body. He quickly stands pulling himself out of me. Emptiness aches from me. I was so close to the edge and he stopped.

  He lays me over the end of the bed and impales me again. I gasp, jerking away at the force behind it. He slaps my ass and grips my shoulder and then halts all movement.

  “Your pussy’s throbbing for me, Kelsie.”

  And he’s not lying. I can feel the muscles contracting and releasing as everything starts creeping up. He drags his dick in and out, slow and long thrusts. The pressure is unreal, and I swear a thunderbolt slams against me.

  Savage pulses scream into my limbs. The world shakes under me. I belt out a loud moan, and he drives harder and faster, pushing me to my tiptoes with each slam. I’m stringing along inaudible words, my mind a searing white, while I grip the sheets. Whatever he’s hitting, whatever he’s doing…it’s causing a wild riptide.

  Just as I slow, he slides out of me and leans to my ear. “Let’s go shower,” he says with a low chuckle.

  He reaches in and starts the water, tugging me under it and pressing me against the wall. The water is cold, instantly stealing my breath. He grasps my chin, pushing it up into the water and takes to my neck.

  He bends, lining himself back up and just when the head of him enters, grasps the back of my thighs and hoists me up. He plunges into me pressing my back against the wall. Our skin is slick from the water, my legs barely able to hold on from the weakness my orgasm left me.

  “You’re fucking beautiful,” he pants.

  He moves into me a few more thrusts and then growls my name, shaking and releasing himself.

  He drops my legs and rests his forehead to mine. “Damn. Who the hell needs coffee after that?”

  We’re drying off when there’s a knock on the door. Adam rushes to put his shorts on and kisses my cheek before exiting the room.

  “Why aren’t you at the gym?” Adam asks the person at the door.

  “Question is, you’re in town. Why didn’t you come to the gym?” the most profound, velvety voic
e echoes off the walls.

  “Busy,” Adam says. “Besides, I’m early anyway. Wasn’t supposed to be here ‘til Friday.”

  “Precisely. Running from something?”

  “Quite the opposite, dickhead. How’d you know I was here?”

  “Let’s just say word travels quickly.”

  I hurry to get dressed, throwing on a yellow spaghetti strap tank top with a pair of shorts and make a beeline into the bathroom to throw on some foundation. I run my fingers through my wet hair…screw it. That’s good enough.

  I crack open the bedroom door and immediately both men’s eyes cut to me. I pause.

  The man on the couch is large—very, very, large. And wickedly good looking. His jet black hair is styled into a faux hawk. His square jaw is strong and defined. He’s got tattoos down both big powerful arms. And staring at me with intensity are the brightest blue eyes I’ve ever seen. They drop the length of my body. The corners of his lips pull up and he smiles…intimidatingly.

  Mentally, I beat the hell out of myself for forgetting my coffee mug. I could’ve made a break for the kitchen, but my mind is gone.

  “Come here. I’ll introduce you,” Adam says and I do, walking right up beside the tan recliner. “This is Levi,” he tells me. “This is Kelsie.”

  Levi’s eyes bore into me, but not in a threatening way. He looks confidently confused.

  I stick my hand out. “It’s nice to meet you. Adam’s told me a lot about you.”

  His hand engulfs mine. “So you’re the girl taking up my boy’s time?” he chuckles. “It’s nice to finally put a face to the name.”

  “Likewise.” I smile timidly.

  “If you don’t have any other plans, get dressed. Let’s grab something to eat,” Levi says to Adam.

  He said something about food…

  I opted to ride in the back of Levi’s BMW to let the guys catch up, and boy, did they do some talking. Fighting. It was the main subject all the way until we parked outside of a little restaurant.

  “Hey, baby.” I’m assuming this is his girlfriend, Paige, since they just kissed.