by Abby Niles
That’s what she was worried about.
“What do I need to do to keep things casual? It gets so confusing. No holding hands. No spending the night. Enjoy yourself. Don’t read too much into it—”
“Okay, I get it.” Delaney held up her hand, chuckling. “Look the only thing you can do is be honest with yourself. Some people aren’t cut out for casual. If the arrangement is no longer working for you…” Delaney trailed off, shrugging.
It wasn’t so much the situation didn’t work. Her conflicting thoughts were what confused her. A no-strings-attached agreement with a man she found insanely attractive was what she wanted. So why did it feel like something was missing?
…
“Great session,” Brody said, pulling off his protective headgear.
“You’re looking real good. Keep it up,” his sparring partner Matt said.
He’d been training with Mike and his crew for a little over a week now. It was amazing how differently he was treated here. Mike didn’t play favorites. If he was working with someone one-on-one, that person got his full attention. If the fighters were working with his crew, Mike would walk around overseeing each session with the co-trainers, stepping in when he needed to.
The man was brimming with superior knowledge. Brody had already learned a few new techniques.
He climbed out of the ring as Mike stepped out of his office.
“Brody!” When he glanced in his coach’s direction, Mike signaled for Brody to come over, and he made his way across the gym to stand in the doorway. Mike was back behind his desk.
“Close the door and have a seat.”
Short and blunt. Typical Mike, he was learning, but his stomach knotted for an instant. Had he done something wrong?
He was trying to prove himself to this man. So far, he hadn’t gotten anything from Mike on how bad or how good he was. All the man did was focus on weaknesses, and what to do to fix it.
He sat in the worn leather chair, bracing his elbows on his knees. “What’s up?”
Mike leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms behind his head. There was a clear sense of triumph oozing off the man. “I just got off the phone with Ethan.”
There was only one Ethan he could be talking about. Ethan Porter—the president of CMC.
Brody sat up a little straighter. “Yeah? For?”
“Jack Raster was injured in practice yesterday. He’s bowing out of your fight to recoup.”
It felt like he’d just received a huge blow to the gut. He wasn’t sure why Mike looked so goddamn pleased, either. Yeah, Brody wasn’t happy about who he’d been matched up with for his next appearance in the cage, but losing a fight completely sucked.
“What does that mean?” Brody asked.
“You ready to really prove yourself? Shut-up some naysayers?”
Unease shimmied through him. “How?”
“I’ve been in negotiation all morning with Ethan and Greg.”
At the mention of his former trainer, he stiffened. “Greg?”
Mike leaned forward. “Seems the moment Greg heard about Raster’s injury, he went to Ethan with a proposition. He wants you to put your money—or your fighting skills, as the case may be—where your mouth is. You against Randy Boss.”
A whirring sound entered his head as he digested the information. Fuck, he’d really pissed Greg off. The man was making a serious point. Brody either had to show up or shut up. Now he was getting the chance to beat the much talked about and highly anticipated up-and-comer, and it could either royally fuck his career or revive it.
“Brody?”
He started then swallowed. “That’s awesome.”
“There’s a stipulation, though, made by Greg.”
That wasn’t surprising. “And it is?”
“The fight has to be in two weeks.”
Brody pressed his lips together as he slowly nodded, taking in what Mike was telling him. With only two weeks to train, Brody wouldn’t be as prepared as he would have been if it was scheduled for the original date. He didn’t doubt for one minute that Greg was going to work the headlines on this matchup, either, making the pressure on him even worse. But this was his chance to shine.
“Sign it,” he instructed.
He just hoped he didn’t fall flat on his face.
…
Scarlett studied Brody across the table. Ever since he’d picked her up an hour ago to take her for a late lunch, he’d seemed distant. Trying to have a conversation with him had been like pulling teeth. “Everything okay?”
He glanced up from cutting into his chicken Marsala. “What?”
And that was the way things had been going all afternoon.
In body, he was here, but his mind was not—something she had dealt a lot with over the last few years. Inattention. Distraction. Feeling like she was alone even with her companion in the same room. It wasn’t fair to Brody, but she couldn’t stop the tightening in her chest or the thoughts that started bombarding her. Was he already growing bored with her? Though things had gone beyond great—at least for her—maybe they hadn’t for him.
He had texted her during the week, kept in contact, she reminded herself. On the other hand, he hadn’t called or tried to set up anything during the week. But that was their agreement. It was supposed to be casual. Yet, he wasn’t interacting with her now. Seemed like if he wanted to spend time with her in the same way she couldn’t wait to spend time with him, then he would be more involved than he was right now.
God, her mind was driving her insane.
“If you just want to call it a night after dinner, we can.” The words just spewed out of her mouth, driven by the thoughts that refused to shut up.
He blinked at her. “Why would I want to do that?”
The very blunt answer eased some of her tension. At least he hadn’t jumped at the out she was giving him. “I don’t know. You seem distracted tonight.”
He laid his fork down beside his plate. “I am distracted tonight, and I apologize for that. You should be getting my full attention.”
The fact that he owned up to it immediately, and didn’t try to convince her she was being oversensitive, surprised her. She wasn’t used to a man owing up to his failures or apologizing for it. All it made her want to do was help in some way. “Something bothering you?”
“Nah. Just thinking about my game plan, and I shouldn’t be bringing work in our time together.”
So he was upset over work. She hated the relief she felt; she didn’t want anything to be bugging him, but at least it wasn’t her. “Did something happen today?”
“My opponent got hurt, and I was scheduled for a new fight.”
This had happened before, back when Brody was around a lot. An unexpected fight change was a lot of hard work for him, since he would have been training to go up against a specific person. “Is he a totally different fighter than who you’d been matched with?”
He inhaled. “Yeah. Big time. It’s a big fight for me. I have to win it.”
Brody had never worried about an opponent he was going up against. At least, not that she knew of. “Why is this one so important?”
“Because I ran off at the mouth, pissed off Greg, and now I have to prove myself.”
“Greg? Your coach?”
“Ex-coach.”
When had Brody left Greg’s? It bothered her that he hadn’t shared that with her. But you’re not dating, girl. Conversations about his day at work weren’t her privilege. Why did she hate that? “Who are you training with?”
“Mike.”
“What happened with Greg?”
“Long story, but the gist is he sided with the articles that came out after my last fight.”
“What articles?”
A patient smile graced his lips. “The ones saying I was at the end of my career.”
She gasped in outrage. “You’re not at the end of your career!”
“As much as I love the vote of confidence, Scarlett, the articles had a point.
I haven’t been advancing for the last couple of years. I’ve been stagnating.”
She didn’t like the defeated way Brody sounded right now. It reminded her a lot of where she’d been before she’d left Ryan. One amazing night with Brody and he’d helped her extinguish some of her self-doubt. Not all, but it was a step in the right direction. Now it was her turn to boost his self-confidence.
“Do you know what I see when I look at you, Brody Minton?”
“What?”
“A man who doesn’t give up, who stands up for what he believes in, and never settles for anything less than what he deserves. I have no doubt that you’ll go into that cage and show everyone that a couple of flawed fights mean nothing. You’re still a damn great cage fighter.” She reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “Don’t let the haters get into your head. Once you do, it’s hard to get them out. Trust me, I know. You have to believe in yourself. No one else’s opinion matters.”
But his gaze had dropped from hers and was latched on their hands. She hadn’t even thought about the gesture, she’d just done it. Had she crossed some line? Clearing her throat, she slowly slid her hand off his and back to her side of the table. She hated this. She didn’t know how to do an adult relationship. She knew it meant no intimacy—handholding, kissing, etc.—but she questioned everything she did outside the bedroom. At least in there, she seemed to be doing a pretty good job.
“Thank you, Scarlett. I needed to hear that. Because you’re right. I let the opinions of others get to me.”
“If it’s any consolation, I believe in you. Always have. Always will.”
Their gazes connected, and Brody’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “You’re an amazing woman. Any man is going to be damn lucky to have you standing in his corner.”
“I’m standing in yours.”
Brody shook his head, blowing out a harsh breath, breaking the intimate moment they’d just shared. And there was no other word for what had just transpired between them. She’d spoken to him like a partner would. Building him up. Supporting him. And it felt right. Natural.
“How are things going your way?” he asked as he picked his up fork and continued eating, as if nothing weird just happened.
How did Brody feel about the unexpected intimacy? Other than flat out asking him and making things awkward, she wouldn’t know. Right now, she was okay with that. She needed to figure out what it meant to her, first.
“Enjoying summer break. It’s giving me time to get my life organized before school starts back. I’m going to stay with Delaney for a while and…I filed for divorce. Once Ryan signs it, too, it’ll be finalized within thirty-one days.”
He didn’t respond, just chewed his food, a far-away look to his eyes. Was he lost in his fight again?
“And you’ll officially be a single woman.” He stabbed a piece a chicken a little too hard with his fork and then shoved it into his mouth.
No. It wasn’t the fight bothering him this time. She got the distinct impression that he didn’t like the idea of her being single, which didn’t make any sense.
Instead of dwelling on it, she changed the subject again. “So, what’re we doing today?”
Whatever had been going on in his mind vanished as he sent her a smile and a wink. “It’s a big surprise.”
A surprise. So, even though he wasn’t really talking to her during the week, he was arranging surprises for her. A giddy, happy feeling warmed her chest.
…
“Oh my God!” Scarlett all but squealed. “It’s Deadpool. Take a picture, Brody!”
The grin on his face hurt as she raced from his side and all but tackled the man dressed up as her all-time favorite superhero. The woman had not stopped posing with the cosplayers since she’d walked into the convention. Rick Grimes, Iron Man, and Thor were only a few she’d stopped to take a photo with.
He snapped a picture of the two of them, then Scarlett returned to his side, full of bouncing energy. His plan was working. The last time they’d gone out, he’d focused on the sex part. Today was about having fun together and showing her there was more between them than just an attraction.
One way to make sure that happened was to bring in the love they both had for geek shit. His was comic books. Hers were superhero movies, The Walking Dead, Doctor Who, and an assortment of other shows.
“This is so awesome! I’ve always wanted to come to one of these conventions.”
He was glad he was the man who’d brought her to her first con. Hopefully it wouldn’t be the last. This one was small. The big one, Dragon*Con, was in a few months. She’d shit herself over that event.
Brody glanced at the time on his phone. They had just a few minutes to get to her big surprise. She was going to fucking flip. He pulled the ticket he’d spent seventy dollars on out of the back pocket of his jeans.
“We need to go in there.” He pointed to a large ballroom filled with people waiting in long lines for photo ops with their favorite stars. As he handed the ticket to the attendee, who pointed them to the correct line, Scarlett’s eyes got huge.
“Are you serious?” she whispered. “Norman Reedus?” She spun on him, a manic look in her eyes. “I’m going to touch Norman Reedus?”
He didn’t know about all that, now. “I paid for a picture, Scarlett. Not for you to maul him.”
She cupped her hands to her mouth, her body vibrating with her excitement. He grinned again. He loved making her this happy.
Then she exploded toward him, launching into his arms, and smashed her mouth to his, repeating, “Thank you,” against his lips. The kiss was so unexpected, he stiffened for a second before he tugged her closer. Instantly, she melted against his chest, then her body went rigid and she jerked back.
Staring up at him, she grimaced and twisted her fingers together in obvious agitation. “I’m sorry. That was inappropriate.”
Those goddamn boundaries again. He hated the limitations of their arrangement.
“Don’t ever apologize for kissing me, Scarlett.”
Biting her bottom lip, she nodded then turned to face the front of the line. Tension radiated from her body.
He’d succeeded in one thing. She hadn’t just thanked him with a quick hug, like she used to do. No, she’d thrown herself at him and kissed him.
That was a move in the right direction. But the weirdness between them concerned him. Things had been going great. Now, he had to bring the fun back.
Fifteen minutes later, she was bouncing beside him again. Wearing a dark pair of sunglasses, Norman Reedus stood right in front of them, taking a picture with another fan.
“Oh my God,” she repeated. “I’m next. Oh my God.”
He grinned. Yeah, things had gotten a little tense, but he would go through that awkwardness all over again to see her like this.
The fan walked off, and Scarlett bolted forward, starry eyes on her favorite TV hero. She went to stand beside him, and Reedus slipped his arm around her shoulder…and she giggled. That giggle got an outright laugh from him. She was so giddy she could barely contain herself.
The moment was over fast. The picture was taken, Reedus said something to her, and Scarlett started walking toward Brody, dazed.
As she reached his side, she mumbled, “Norman Reedus touched me.”
Again, he laughed, and not giving damn about what their relationship was or was not, he tugged her to his side as he steered them out of the conference room.
She tilted her head up toward him. “You’re totally getting fucked tonight.”
His mouth went dry. “Promise?”
“Oh, yeah. I’m jumping your ass as soon as we get back to my place.”
Then she pulled away, putting distance between them. He wanted to tug her back, but she was making a lot clear. Apologizing for the kiss, making sure they kept the appropriate distance when they hung out, pulling her hand away from his over dinner—she wanted to keep things like they had agreed upon.
“Your place? What about Delaney?” he
asked, trying to focus on something other than what he wanted.
“She’s out for the night with a few friends. There’s some kind of music event going on at Centennial Olympic Park.” She laughed softly. “Music and that park. She’s in hog heaven right now.”
“The music I get, but the park throws me some. Why is she in hog heaven at the park?” he asked.
“It’s one of her favorite places to relax and take what she calls her down-time pictures. At least three times a week, she eats her lunch out there and snaps photos for her portfolio.”
“That’s cool.”
“I don’t think anything is going to top meeting Norman Reedus. You ready to get out of here?”
A grin sprang to his lips. “Oh, yeah. I’m more than ready.”
…
The moment Scarlett opened the door to her place, she spun around grabbed Brody by the T-shirt and yanked him inside. Throwing her arms around his neck, she latched her mouth onto his. As his tongue sailed past her lips, and he walked her backward toward the couch, she groaned.
Maybe she was being a little too eager, but with them like this, tugging off each other’s shirts, kissing as if they’d never kiss again, there was no questioning herself. No hesitation. No doubt.
And she’d wanted to kiss—really kiss—Brody all afternoon. She was mentally exhausted from fighting the impulse.
She ripped her mouth away from his and fumbled with the button of his jeans, feeling rejuvenated. She was ready to have him. Right here in the living room. And he seemed just as impatient as he worked on her shorts.
As her button released, she pushed them and her panties over her hips and let them fall to the floor. A deep rattle of approval vibrated out of Brody as he grabbed the condom out of his wallet then did the same with his jeans and boxer briefs. One quick flick to the back of her bra, and they stood in her living room naked, panting and sexually charged.
Her eyes roamed over him, feasting on the gorgeous display of muscles and the proud cock that made him all man. Desire heated her insides as she dropped to her knees before him, took him into her hand, and lowered her head.
She wanted a taste. A small, quick taste. It was something new that Brody brought to life inside her.
