Fighting for Love

by L. P. Dover

  No, I didn’t go shopping without her. I hardly had time to shop, so I took the easy way out and ordered a bunch of new clothes online. Victoria’s Secret had some of the cutest and sexiest clothes in their catalogs and I was shocked that a lot of people didn’t realize they had stuff other than bras, lingerie, and underwear. I’d get a new catalog in every few weeks and I couldn’t help but buy something; I was addicted to their stuff.

  “Lexi, you know very well that I don’t go shopping alone, not unless you or Jace are with me. I ordered them all online,” I said.

  Speaking of Jace, I hadn’t seen him since I got home. He left kind of mad yesterday and the last thing I wanted was for there to be tension between us when all he tried to do was protect me. While Lexi sorted through the dresses on my bed, I made sure to snag the one I wanted to wear before she had the chance to see it. It was a gray and black lacy dress with a square neckline and see through black lace sleeves. It was kind of short, reaching about mid-thigh, but it was going to look gorgeous with my jewel strapped high heels. Getting all dressed up wasn’t exactly my favorite thing to do, but since we were going to Bay Ridge Restaurant and to a party, I figured I had no choice.

  Once I got through putting on my makeup and drying my hair, Lexi came in wearing my sleeveless, navy blue corset dress with my phone in her hand. She even had her blonde hair in waves down her back, when earlier she had it pulled up into a messy bun. It was much prettier down, maybe it was because I hardly ever saw it like that.

  “It’s Matt,” she told me, but then she covered the phone and whispered, “He sounds kind of upset about something.”

  She handed me the phone and immediately I answered it, “Matt, is everything okay?”

  He sighed, his voice sounding much deeper over the phone when he spoke, “Yeah, I guess so. I just wanted to give you a heads up just in case.”

  I didn’t like the sound of that. “Tell me,” I demanded nervously.

  “I had a run in with another fighter today and it wasn’t good. If you see a guy with bleached-out white, spiky hair and two different colored eyes stay away from him. Even if he seems like a nice guy … stay away,” he warned me.

  “You didn’t do anything stupid, did you?”

  He paused for a second and then huffed, “No, Shelby, I didn’t.”

  Whew … thank goodness. The last thing he needed was to get kicked out of competing. That would make for an interesting magazine article.

  “Okay, well then should I be worried? Why would he come near me?” I asked. If the altercation was between them, what did I have to do with it?

  I could sense Matt’s hesitance over the phone, especially by the awkward moments of silence. “Angel,” he pleaded. “I don’t want to go into detail with what happened, but this guy will do anything to screw with me. He plays dirty, and knows that by getting to you it will get to me. I’m not saying he’s going to mess with you, but I don’t want to underestimate him.”

  Just the thought of someone coming after me to mess with Matt pissed me off. What kind of man could actually call himself a man by doing that mess? It was a cheap shot, and only a coward would result to that. I honestly wasn’t worried about it because if that guy did approach me I’d be more than happy to tell him to fuck off.

  “Shelby, you still there? The silence is killing me,” he said, his voice laced with worry. Before I could speak, he started again, “I know when you came back to me that you didn’t anticipate having to deal with this shit along with my past. If you want to walk I wouldn’t blame you. I don’t want to see you suffer because of me—”

  “Matt, stop,” I gasped.

  The last thing I wanted was for him to think I was going to walk away again. I learned from my mistake ten years ago that you don’t do that when things get tough or complicated. Walking away was never going to be an option again … ever.

  Releasing a heavy sigh, I leaned against the bathroom wall and closed my eyes. “Matt, I’m not going to walk away. I promised that I wouldn’t and I don’t plan on ever doing it, even if this guy tries to cause problems. I’m not worried about him and neither should you. I’ll be okay.”

  “Shelby, it’s about time to go, babe,” Lexi called out. “The guys will be here in about five minutes.”

  Really? Already?

  “All right, angel, I just heard Lexi calling for you. I know you have to go,” he murmured. “I just want to make sure we’re okay.”

  Rolling my eyes, I chuckled and said, “Yes, we’re perfectly fine. I’ll call you tonight when I get home, unless I need you to rescue me from the party. Do you have plans for the evening?”

  “Actually,” he began, “I’m going to stay home tonight, but if you really need me I’ll be there in a heartbeat. Tomorrow, I have to get up early to train, but then after that I’m free. So …”

  “So, you’ll be free to come over?” I asked, sounding hopeful. Since my boss said I could work from home for the week I was going to take full advantage.

  His answer came in the form of a slow, deep chuckle. The sound alone made my clit throb in anticipation. It made me really regret my decision to go on the date instead of being with him.

  “I’ll see you later, angel. Be careful tonight.”

  “I will,” I replied. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

  We hung up, and as soon as I turned toward the bathroom door, Lexi was there tapping her foot up and down. “Hurry up, they’re here,” she scolded impatiently.

  After running a flat iron through my hair and twisting it into waves, all I had to do was put on my shoes and I’d be ready to go. By the time we waltzed into the kitchen, Caleb and Will were sitting at the bar laughing about something. Will was in a pair of black dress pants and a nice blue polo shirt with his shortly cropped auburn hair freshly trimmed. He never liked it long to where he’d have to style it like Caleb’s hair. Caleb’s was gelled in that messy way I liked, and he was dressed in a pair of khaki pants and a dark blue thin sweater. I dreaded having to tell him I couldn’t see him anymore.

  When Caleb peered over at me his eyes went wide and he smiled. “Wow, you look amazing,” he marveled. As soon as he got up from the bar stool to approach me, Jace came in through the front door and grinned from ear to ear when he spotted me and Lexi.

  “Whoa, you two are looking hot tonight. What’s the occasion?”

  Lexi squealed and rushed over to him just as he shut the front door and hugged him around the neck. “Oh, Jace, I’ve missed you. I don’t ever see you anymore. Why don’t you come with us tonight? We’re going out to eat and then we’re going to a party at Hayley’s.”

  “Yeah, why don’t you join us?” I asked, trying not to sound overly enthusiastic. “I’m sure the guys wouldn’t mind.” It would be so much better if he joined us. That way if things didn’t go well once I talked to Caleb, I’d have a way home instead of calling Matt to pick me up.

  Jace shook both of the guys’ hands, but then faltered a little bit when he got to Caleb. Narrowing his eyes, he tilted his head as if he recognized him. “Your name is Caleb?” he asked.

  Caleb nodded. “Yep, Caleb Rhinehardt. Have I met you before?”

  Pursing his lips, Jace shook his head and then smiled. “No, I don’t think so. You just looked a little familiar, but I don’t recognize your name.”

  Lexi snapped her fingers impatiently, grabbing everyone’s attention. “Hey, we need to go, guys … like now,” she demanded. “We’ll miss our reservation if we don’t.”

  Lexi and Will walked outside leaving me, Caleb, and Jace standing awkwardly in the kitchen. “All right, I guess we better go,” I said to Caleb. He nodded at Jace and put his hand at the small of my back, steering me toward the door.

  Before I could walk out, Jace stopped me when he called out my name, his voice uncertain. “Shels, can I talk to you for a minute?”

  Caleb stopped and glanced at us both. “I’ll wait outside for you,” he said.

  Once he shut the door, Jace came up to me and
blew out a heavy sigh. “Look, I’m sorry about what I said and did. I didn’t mean to cause problems. Since you’re going out with Caleb tonight, I’m assuming things didn’t work out so well with Matt?”

  Sheepishly, I bit my lip and confessed, “No, it’s quite the opposite. I didn’t want to end things with Caleb over the phone, so I’m going to tell him tonight. Why did you give him that weird look? Do you know who he is?”

  Furrowing his brows, he pursed his lips for a second and shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. I can’t pinpoint where I’ve seen him before, but he does look familiar. Just be careful tonight. Sometimes it’s smarter to do things over the phone.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to come with us then?” I asked. “Hayley’s going as well. You’d get to see her.” I was starting to feel a little hesitant about going, and if he was there I wouldn’t be so worried. Caleb didn’t strike me as the type of guy to go off the deep end, but sometimes you never knew.

  “No, I honestly don’t want to go. No offense, but I’ve never really liked Hayley. That girl has tried to get me to fuck her probably over a hundred times now. For some reason she thinks she can sway me back to women. If any woman was going to lure me back it definitely wouldn’t be her.”

  “Really?” I asked in disbelief. I had no clue Hayley had tried coming on to him before. “Why didn’t you tell me she was doing that to you?”

  “I don’t know,” he said, “I guess I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. However, there will be a big deal if you don’t get your ass outside before Lexi comes in here and drags you out. All I wanted was to apologize before you left.”

  Folding me in his arms, he kissed my forehead before pushing me toward the door. “Get out of here and good luck with telling Caleb you’re getting back together with your ex. Call me if you need me to come get you. I’ll just wait for you in the car so I don’t have to go into Hayley’s house.”

  “Thank you for the encouragement,” I said dryly, opening the door. The sooner I left to go on the date, the sooner it would be over and I could get home.

  WILL DROVE US TO BAY Ridge Restaurant in his new metallic pearl Lexus LFA, or rather he sped us there so we could make our reservation. Hayley and her boyfriend, Josh, were already inside sitting at the table when we got there.

  “Hey, guys,” Hayley announced with a wave of her hand.

  Standing from the table, she walked over to give Lexi and me a hug. She and Lexi looked very similar as far as the long blonde hair and heart shaped facial structure, but Hayley was almost a head taller than her older sister, which made her only about an inch taller than me. Her silver colored dress with its high neckline and form fitting material looked absolutely stunning on her long, lean frame. She would have been the perfect model.

  Caleb pulled out my chair and we both sat along with everyone else. Josh nodded at him and smiled at me from across the table so I gave him a little wave. He never talked much, but I was sure Hayley did enough talking for the both of them. His light brown hair was shaved close to his head, and above his left eyebrow was a jagged scar. It wasn’t bad, but I remembered hearing about a nasty fall he took a few years back after a rock climbing incident. Scar or not, he was a very handsome man.

  Caleb leaned over, placing his hand on my thigh, and whispered in my ear, “You really look beautiful. Do you mind if we sneak away from the party tonight so we can talk?”

  Taking a sip of my water, I nodded and kept my gaze on the group. “Sure,” I answered nervously. My nerves were shot, and I felt terrible that I was spending a nice dinner with him only to tell him I couldn’t see him anymore.

  Through most of the dinner he kept touching me in little ways; it was sweet gestures, but it also made me extremely uncomfortable. Once everyone was finished with dinner I had hoped we could leave, but Lexi pulled out her camera and wanted to take photos. I didn’t even know she’d brought it with her.

  She took some of Hayley and Josh all snuggled together, and when it came time for me and Caleb, I silently groaned. Caleb leaned over, so naturally I moved closer and smiled.

  “Aww … you two are so cute,” Hayley chimed. “Hey, Lexi, get one of them kissing. I’m happy with my matchmaking skills and I need to document.” With a big smile on her face, she nodded expectantly at us and waved her hands for us to get going while Lexi glared helplessly at me, not knowing what to do.

  “Come on, love. Just kiss me like you did on the beach,” Caleb suggested teasingly.

  Yeah, those kisses weren’t exactly appropriate. Caleb turned my chin his way and smirked before placing his lips on mine, pushing my lips open with his tongue. With his hand on the back of my neck, he pulled me in closer. Hurry up and get the picture Lexi!

  As soon as the camera flashed, Lexi said quickly, “Okay, I got it.”

  Chuckling, Caleb winked at me when he let my chin go and released his hold on my neck. My only thought at that moment was what Matt would think if he ever saw that picture. I had to make sure Lexi didn’t develop it, and if she did, I needed to destroy it.

  WHEN WE ARRIVED AT HAYLEY’S house for the party there were already a line of cars on both sides of the street. “Holy shit, how many people did she invite?” I asked, gasping as the number of cars kept multiplying.

  In the front seat, Lexi’s mouth hung wide open. “Your guess is as good as mine. I haven’t ever been to one of her parties before.”

  Will parked as close to her house as he could get, but we still had about a quarter mile walk up the street. The entire time, Caleb had his arm around my waist and kept it there even when we got inside of the house. Hayley and Josh already had the wine, liquor, and beer ready in the kitchen, and there had to be at least fifty people in that room alone.

  “Do you want a drink?” Caleb asked, pressing me tighter against him.

  “Yes, that would be great,” I replied. “Do you mind getting me a glass of wine?”

  It would at least get me out of his hold for a while until I got the chance to give him the bad news. He was the first good guy I’d come to meet in years, and I felt terrible that I’d wasted his time. Caleb took off and Will followed him once he gave Lexi a soft kiss on her cheek.

  “Are you drinking tonight?” I asked her.

  She shook her head. “No, I told Will I would drive us back so he could drink. When are you going to talk to Caleb? You need to do it soon before he really starts making moves on you, Shels. He wants something tonight and it isn’t just a kiss he’s after.”

  Groaning, I hung my head and sighed. “Speaking of kisses,” I added. “Do you mind …”

  “Getting rid of the picture I took tonight,” she finished for me. Laughing, she squeezed my arm and put her head on my shoulder. “Honey, I already knew to do that. I’m your best friend and I’ll always have your back.”

  “Thank you,” I said, just as Will and Caleb came back carrying our drinks.

  Caleb placed his hand on my lower back and leaned closer. “Come with me,” he whispered in my ear.

  Taking my hand, he led me out of the kitchen, but not before I saw Lexi mouth the words ‘good luck’ to me as I continued out of the room. I’m definitely going to need it, I thought to myself.

  Caleb started for the stairs and my gut clenched with each step we took, my instincts telling me to stop while I was ahead. “All right, Hayley said when we got to the top of the steps for us to take a left and it’s the first room on the right,” he said when we reached the second floor.

  We followed Hayley’s directions until we came to the right door. Opening the door, Caleb turned on the light to reveal a moderately sized room with a queen-sized bed and a separate sitting space. The walls were painted a medium shade of taupe to match the two-toned bedspread and the rug at the foot of the bed. The dressers and headboard were made out of dark cherry wood, giving the room a dark and seductive feel; however, I wasn’t feeling any of that at the moment.

  Against my better judgment, I took my first step into the room and r
egretted it the moment Caleb shut the door and locked it. “So what did you say you wanted to talk about?” I asked, putting my full glass of wine on the dresser.

  With a gleam in his green eyes, Caleb bit his lip and stalked forward, stopping right in front of me so he could trace a finger along my bare collarbone. “Oh, let’s see … I figured we could talk about us, and maybe explore other possibilities on taking a step further.”

  “Caleb, I—” I tried to say, but he cut off my words by crushing his lips to mine and wrapping his strong arms around my waist, pulling me in tight against him. I tried to wriggle out of his hold, but it was too constricting. His frame towered over mine and he was too strong.

  “Caleb, please,” I begged, but he either didn’t hear me or didn’t listen. He kept kissing me with punishing force while moving me back toward the bed. It was then my heart started to race and I began to feel the panic.

  Oh, God, what is he going to do?

  Crushing me into the mattress, he rubbed his cock up and down my thigh, kissing his way down my neck to the tops of my breasts. “I need you, love,” he growled. “I know you feel the connection, too.”

  Bucking and pushing against him, he finally stopped and looked down at me, his gaze heated with anticipation. With a growl of my own, I glared up at him. “No, Caleb, not like this. This isn’t what I want.”

  He scoffed and shook his head, staring down at me with an evil leer splayed across his lips. “But Matt Reynolds is what you want, right?”

  Immediately, my heart stopped and I could feel the blood rush out of my face. How does he know about Matt? Once Caleb slid off of me, I jumped off the bed as fast as I could and backed away while he casually adjusted his pants like nothing happened.

  “How do you know about Matt?” I demanded angrily. Knowing I needed to get out of there, I pulled out my phone and typed a frantic text to Jace. This was the last place Matt needed to be.