by TC Matson
And it isn’t long after I dry her off when room service knocks on the door.
“What do you normally do when Levi wins a fight?” Kelsie asks and then takes a bite of her steak.
I look to her across the little table. “Honestly?”
“I’m not going to like it, am I?” she asks with a goofy knowing smile.
I shake my head. “Probably not.”
She studies me for a moment and shrugs. “I guess it’s a win-win situation. He wins, you have fun, huh?”
I laugh. “Good way of thinking.”
“I didn’t like watching it.” She scrunches her face. “I felt sick. But I can see why you enjoy this so much.” She takes a sip of her water. “You’re an adrenaline junkie. You love the high, the frenzy of emotions. Add that with the passion you have for your best friend and the elation from the crowd, it’s a perfect concoction.”
“You make it sound like it’s a bad thing.”
“I didn’t mean to,” she snickers.
“It’s an intoxicating feeling for sure,” I admit.
Her eyes flick up from her food. “If you normally go party with Levi, I don’t want you to think since I’m here you can’t.”
I drop my fork and gently pull her from around the table and onto my lap. “Don’t.” I tell her. “I promise you I’m exactly where I want to be.”
“But I—”
I move a strand of her loose hair and look into her alluring hazel eyes. “You’re exactly where I want to be.” I place my hand on top of her baby bump and kiss her cheek. “Change can be a damn good thing sometimes.”
Chapter 34
I’m steam rolled with emotions. Overwhelmed with happiness and a sense of love I’ve never experienced in my life. It’s all surreal. Exhilaration exudes my pores. A sensual sensitivity. An indescribable attachment and completion.
I am mush.
I’m a fucking mess of sensitive emotions right now.
Kelsie did such a fantastic job. Her water broke at home and even though I’ve experienced hectic and chaotic situations with Levi, I lost my fucking mind scrambling around. Yeah, I’m man enough to admit that. I drove like a raging maniac to the hospital while she sat in the passenger side yelling at me that she was okay. Regardless, all I could picture was the baby deciding to see the world before we made it to the hospital.
Everything after we arrived was a blur—nurses, doctors, blue scrubs, gloves, a big motherfucking needle in her back, and her legs going up. I stood there and held her hand while she pushed. I was in awe of her strength.
And when I heard the baby’s cry…I almost fell to my knees.
The room is quiet with the lights dim. There isn’t any more hustle and bustle from the nurses and doctors. He fits perfect against my chest, swaddled in my arms. His skin is a soft I’ve never felt in my life. I blink back my tears, clenching my jaw for some added support while running my fingers across his cheek.
I peer up to a tired Kelsie. Her eyes are heavy from the hours of labor, but the corner of her lips are pulled up watching me. I glance to a misty-eyed Levi. I don’t have any words. There isn’t anything I can say to express what I’m feeling. There isn’t anything I can do to express my happiness.
I’m immersed in a tranquil pride.
I bend and place a soft kiss on my son’s forehead…
Zayne Jett Andrews…my boy. My son. A new reason. A purpose.
More from The Fighter Series
Blindsided (The Fighter Series #1)
Paige
He’s everything I’ve never wanted—an egotistical, womanizing MMA fighter. Yes, he’s easy on the eyes with a body to die for, blue eyes to fall into, and a smile that will make your heart skip beats. His smell is intoxicating, and he’s fun to be around. But I’m not interested in being another notch in his bedpost. I can’t lie and say I haven’t thought about what it would be like. I have. Unfortunately, I know a woman like me can’t make a man like him settle down.
Levi
Look at me. I’m everything she wants—a sexy MMA fighter who no one can resist. What? I can’t help they all want me. I know she fantasizes about my naked body on top of hers. Who doesn’t? But she has telltale signs—her glassy green eyes, her crimson red cheeks, and the sweat that glistens on her face—she wants me. I’ve never had to chase, you know, put effort into getting a girl in bed, but she is sending me on the longest treasure hunt I’ve ever experienced. Not even my smile can make her panties drop. But somehow, somewhere in the mix of chasing her, I’ve developed feelings. This cannot be happening.
UnExpected (The Fighter Series #2)
Paige
Turns out he was everything I ever wanted—charming, loving, and super sexy. But I knew being with Levi, the gorgeous MMA fighter every woman wanted, was going to be difficult. Especially since he’s so far away training a beautiful up-and-coming female fighter, teaching the very thing he thrives on. I just didn’t realize how damaging and strenuous this would be to our relationship. With so many twists and turns, unfortunately, we both got blindsided by the unexpected.
Levi
I’m everything she wants and surprisingly, she was everything I needed. Quickly she became my very existence—my heartbeat. Everything around me faded as she became clear in view. And just because I’m affectionate toward her doesn’t mean I’ve changed. Don’t confuse my being in love with weakness. I’m still pretty damn perfect. I knew distance was going to be hard, but hell, this is agonizing.
***UnExpected is a continuance of Blindsided (The Fighter Series Book #1), beginning right where book 1 left off. It’s highly recommended you read Blindsided first.***
Thank you for reading Awakened!
About the author
TC Matson loves to let her characters voices be heard. With a head full of stories, she puts her keyboard through a beating daily. Regularly, she visits the solidity of her writing cave, whether it be on the couch, at her desk, or in the corner hiding from her five-year-old.
She’s an avid reader and is known to devour books within hours. As a romance junkie, Matson sets her sights to try to find stories that are relatable and real. She’s not a fan of vampires, fairies, or any other out of this world fiction. And understanding that love isn’t always instant and full of flowers…her writing mirrors it. She isn’t afraid to push the envelope and touch the bases of uncomfortable situations.
Matson resides in the peaceful Piedmont area of North Carolina, where she stays hopped up on caffeine and chasing children. She has a relatively normal life managing her home, or as she calls it, her loony bin. Chaos is indefinite and a sense of humor is absolutely a must.
Connect with TC Matson
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TC’s Hot Reads!
Harper Bentley’s The Fighter
When I find out the hard-bodied, tattooed god from the gym lives down the hall from me you’d think I’d be thrilled, right? Um, how about not.
Heath Noble, construction project manager, MMA fighter and resident hottie, seemed charming at first. But after introducing myself, it was all goodbye Mr. Nice Guy, hello Sir Jerkface. I don’t know what his problem is but guys who look like him are usually jackholes anyway, so I’m out.
Except he won’t let me be out.
Now I'm sure he's hitting on me and I'm as confused as ever. But I know people and I'm not fooled. I've got to find out what his game is before the line between my suspicion and my attraction to him becomes blurred and I do something stupid like fall for him. Because I’ve done stupid before and I’ve only ended up getting hurt.
~~
The minute I find out who Laney Kyle is I want her to pay for what the Kyles have put my family through. I'm only here to get my brother out from under the Kyle's hold by fighting in an underground ring run by her family. And if I can take all the Kyles down while I'm at it, well, so much the better.
/> But I have to be smooth. And believe me, I’m all about being smooth. Or so I thought.
She’s got me so tangled up I’m not sure what I’m doing anymore. And by the time I realize she’s an innocent bystander, I know I’ve lost her. Now I’m going to get her back. But she’s not giving me the chance.
Two people plus one apartment building equals one big messy situation.
And love, as usual, will just make everything messier.
Welcome to the High Rise where tenants get a new lease on love...
Vanessa Booke’s Bound to You Series
Arrogant, brooding, domineering, possessive, dangerously handsome, and a playboy. These are all of the characteristics on Rebecca Gellar’s Run-Like-Hell list for men, but she’s about to meet the man who’s the epitome of these and more…
After breaking off her engagement with Hollywood actor Miles Storm, Rebecca is ready for a change of scenery in her life and in her bed. So when the opportunity to work for StoneHaven Publishing, one of New York City’s most respectable publishing empires presents itself, Rebecca doesn’t hesitate moving to the Big Apple.
Convinced she can show the owner of StoneHaven Publishing that she has the "right stuff,” Rebecca agrees to a six month trial as the personal assistant to the owner’s playboy son, Nicholas StoneHaven. This is her big chance. If she can just get through these six months without strangling Nicholas with his Armani tie, she'll be okay – easier said than done. Nicholas is the last person Rebecca thought she’d find herself pining for, especially when he hits every category under her list.
Get ready for a battle of the sexes…
*This novel includes all three volumes combined.
R.K. Lilley Breaking Him (Dante & Scarlett Series)
From internationally bestselling author R.K. Lilley comes a scorching new series with melt-the-pages tension and all-consuming angst. It’s love, it’s war and it’s Scarlett and Dante’s story.
Scarlett
It was the kind of relationship where I invested more than I had to spare. I gave it everything. And so when it failed, I lost myself. It changed me. He changed me. I went down with the ship. My soul, burnt embers in the aftermath. The fire of him ravaged it all. He burned me. Broke me. Scarlett had always dreamed big. She was headed straight for Hollywood. Destined for silver screen greatness. But in her wildest dreams she never imagined she’d be broke and single at twenty-eight, doling drinks at thirty-five thousand feet. She was a glorified waitress in the skies. It had been years since she’d seen him. But one day, there he sat, gazing intently at her, ready to set everything ablaze once more. Dante wanted her. Again. Sure, she’d play along…but this time, it was his turn. She was breaking him. After all, love is war.
Anne Mercier The Way Back To Me
She was perky, fun, and full of life—everything I hated about girls and their bullshit exterior. People called her bubbly; I called her “fake-as-hell.”
The edgy, dark, lonely girl in front of me was not the Olivia Brennan I knew from high school—far from it, actually. I knew the story—the whole town knew the story, we witnessed it all. It happened in the blink of an eye and the girl we knew was gone.
But I refuse to watch it anymore—I can’t stand it. I’m going to fix it—fix her. It’s time I showed Olivia Brennan her way back…
Back to the girl she used to be.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Copyright
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
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