Brawler

by Charity Parkerson

  Their bedrooms were next to each other. He could hear Remy moving around next door. The desire to kick down the door and demand Remy take back his words and promise to be happy was crippling. Aden paced the floor, wanting to tear off his skin. The look on Remy’s face, after that douche at the gym had torn him down, sat in Aden’s gut. God, he missed getting high and not caring. Aden’s feet froze to the floor at the thought. That was how Remy had looked—exactly like Aden had felt every second of every day until finally turning to drugs for relief.

  This place; it was bad. There was too much pressure to be perfect and on top. The sound of the shower firing to life cut through Aden’s thoughts. He moved to the bathroom inside his room. Remy’s shower sounded ridiculously loud through the wall. The man he loved was right there—nude and just out of sight. Aden turned the knob, switching on his shower. He peeled off his clothes as steam filled the bathroom. The memory slammed into him without mercy.

  Beads of hot water trailed down Remy’s spine before caressing the curve of his ass. Aden’s mouth watered at the sight. He imagined the flavor of each drop. Anything that had touched Remy’s skin had to taste like the most expensive single malt. Without thought, Aden dropped to his knees and captured the beads on his tongue. He’d been right. They tasted amazing, but only made him want more. His teeth sank into Remy’s ass cheek. The moan filling the shower had Aden’s dick leaking. He never got enough of Remy. Aden bit the man again because he needed Remy’s moans like oxygen. Remy’s palms flattened on the shower wall, as if his knees weren’t enough to hold him.

  Chill bumps formed on Remy’s skin as Aden’s teeth scraped the man’s ass cheek. Oh, God. He loved that shit. Water sloshed over his hands as Aden swept them up Remy’s thighs, moving toward his prize. He knew Remy was hard for him, but he needed to feel the man’s erection sliding across his palm.

  “Aden.” The whisper of his name sounded like cannon fire to Aden’s over-sensitized senses.

  Aden encircled Remy’s cock before responding. “My heart.” His words sounded so guttural, they were close to demonic. He could scarcely breathe around his lust. His lips found the small of Remy’s back.

  Remy sucked in a hiss. “What are you doing to me?”

  “Worshipping you,” Aden answered without hesitation. If he could go without food or sleep, Aden would do this nonstop. Remy was that big of an infatuation for Aden. He urged Remy’s hips back, half wondering if he could drown like this. It would be the best way to go, bringing his man pleasure. Shifting positions, Aden spread Remy’s cheeks wide, exposing his gorgeous asshole. Remy was panting. It was music to Aden’s ears. He tongued the man’s hole, letting the noises Remy made guide him. Aden’s dick knew he was only minutes away from fucking this man who rocked his world. It twitched with joy and anticipation.

  “Fuck me, Aden. Quit teasing.”

  Tilting his head back, Aden let the hot water scald his face, hoping to wash away the memory. He’d never have those days back. The knowledge didn’t stop him from fucking his fist like it was Remy’s tight ass. Aden hadn’t been lying. Being with Remy went beyond the porn star level the man claimed. He’d ruined Aden for anyone else. More than anything, Aden missed the words Remy whispered against his skin as Aden buried himself inside Remy’s body. Praise. Love. Ridiculous stories about forever. It was all gone. Poised on the edge of orgasm, Aden froze, accepting his body’s screams of protest. He didn’t deserve to think of Remy as he orgasmed. Since he couldn’t stop thinking about Remy, there’d be no pleasure for him. Self-hatred lay down that path. Instead, Aden bit the inside of his cheek until he tasted blood, and washed his hair.

  *

  Lukewarm water washed over Remy’s skin. It had started out scalding. He’d stood under the stream with his forehead pressed against the shower wall for so long, cold water threatened to overtake him. He was cool with that. His body had gone numb the instant he’d heard Aden’s shower fire to life just on the other side of this wall. If he had a sledgehammer, they’d already be together. Thankfully, he didn’t and was saved from ruin.

  Remy wasn’t completely insane. He recognized what he really wanted was the past. If he owned a giant eraser, one that could wipe away every mistake standing between them, Remy would tear down this wall. Otherwise, there was nothing but pain and loss. The problem was—since seeing Aden again—he didn’t feel it anymore. The love was back, eating away at his brain. Now all he knew was sheer fucking terror. Aden would never understand what it had been like for him—getting that call. The one saying Aden wasn’t expected to live. The fury; it had been bigger than anything he’d ever faced. Aden had fucked everything they were and then tried leaving this world permanently. The man had been halfway around the world, clinging to life, and Remy wanted to kill him for it.

  Now he just felt… robbed—of his life, his anger, but most of all, of the happily-ever-after he was supposed to get with Aden. At some point, one even Remy couldn’t define, the pain had broken him.

  Remy shut down the water because he couldn’t stand himself a second longer. Because he was an ass, Remy moved like a sloth through his routine of getting ready for a night on the town. The end result was pretty fucking fantastic, if Remy said so himself. He went in search of Aden. When Remy found him, his heart dropped to his stomach. He realized the truth. Looking like a billion bucks might’ve won Remy the battle, but Aden won the war.

  Asleep on his stomach and wearing nothing more than his boxer briefs, Aden was the definition of temptation. Aden’s entire adult life had been spent inside a gym. His body showed it in every line. He was a hard mountain with deep valleys. Remy wanted to lick every inch. His lips went numb with desire. He forced his feet to stay put right inside the bedroom doorway, ensuring he wouldn’t accidentally pounce.

  “You really are getting old if I’ve worn you out already.”

  Aden’s head popped up at Remy’s statement. His face was sleep-swollen and his hair stood on end. Remy bit his bottom lip to keep from smiling. Aden rolled onto his back, giving Remy an eyeful of impressive package. He was thankful he’d already been biting his lip. It kept his moan from slipping out.

  Aden scrubbed his hands over his face. “Sorry about that.”

  Remy shook his head. “It’s my fault. I forgot about the time difference. It’s later for you. Plus, you’ve had a big day.”

  As if realizing he was near to being nude, Aden snagged his jeans and sat up. “Love the shoes,” Aden said as he came to his feet and shoved one leg inside his jeans.

  Remy dropped his gaze to the silver sneakers that sparkled when the light hit them just right. “Shiny things make me happy,” Remy said, glancing back up in time to catch him doing the jeans shimmy. All those squats made jeans almost impossible to wear. He had to pry them over his massive thighs, but then they were too big in the waist. They sagged, showing off the sexy obliques. Seriously, Remy didn’t stand a chance. He nearly whimpered as Aden pulled a black T-shirt on, covering up his abs. It wasn’t fair. Remy had spent over an hour getting ready, trying for perfection. Aden woke up, tossed on some clothes, and voila—sexy god.

  “You never said what we’re doing,” Aden said, reminding Remy to get his head back in the game.

  “This is Vegas. The world is our oyster.”

  Aden scowled.

  Remy chuckled. “Seriously, how many times have you been here?”

  “For matches? Hundreds.”

  “But how many nights on the town have you enjoyed?” Remy asked.

  “I don’t find its wares enjoyable.”

  Remy smoothed his hands down his shirt. “That was before I became part of the wares,” Remy reminded him.

  “Was that an offer to partake?” Aden asked, his voice sounding husky.

  Without thought, Remy winked. “Nope. I’m also not taking you on the town,” he said with a laugh. “There’s a casino downstairs. We’re going gambling.”

  “All right,” Aden said, stomping into a worn out looking pair of work boots witho
ut tying them.

  Remy shook his head as he took in the full picture. Aden’s black tight-fit V-neck T-shirt strained against the muscles in Aden’s chest and arms. The legs of his jeans balled up at the tops of the work boots that had seen some stuff—probably the eighties. The man obviously had no intention of brushing his hair. Damned if Aden wasn’t the hottest man Remy had ever seen.

  “What?” Aden asked—clueless.

  Since “I want to fuck you” wasn’t a reasonable answer given the current climate, Remy shook his head again. “Nothing.”

  Without warning, Aden snagged Remy by the back of the neck and claimed his mouth. The kiss was hard and hot. It was searching and finding all Remy’s hottest fantasies. By the time Aden pulled away, Remy was struggling for air and gripping Aden’s shirt like he’d melt to the floor without it.

  “Do you remember yet?”

  Remy blinked, not understanding the question. “What?”

  It was Aden’s turn to shake his head. “Nothing.” When he stepped back, disappointment washed over Remy, nearly knocking him off his feet. He needed to hear Aden’s thoughts. Whatever he wanted Remy to remember, Remy wanted it too. Since Aden was headed for the door, Remy had no other choice but to let it go for now.

  * * *

  Remy blew a hundred dollars on slots in a matter of minutes. He didn’t care. It was all in fun, and truly, he wanted to get back to being with Aden, who’d chosen a different level of slots. Remy never went higher than the penny machines. Aden had plopped down at the first quarter machine he came to and hadn’t budged. With his limit met on spending for the night, Remy claimed the empty seat next to Aden, pulling it as close to Aden’s side as possible before sitting.

  “That was fun.”

  Aden glanced over. “Done already?”

  Remy shrugged. “It’s more fun to watch anyhow. How’s it going?”

  “Losing my arse,” Aden said on a chuckle. He glanced over as he made the claim and his eyes shone with good humor. The green irises were so fucking gorgeous, Remy forgot where they were for a moment.

  “Never fear, I’m here now. I’m your lucky charm, remember?”

  “That you are,” Aden agreed without missing a beat.

  Aden lost another dollar.

  Reaching over, Remy touched the screen with the tip of his finger. “There you go. You’ll win now.”

  The pressure of Aden’s thigh increased against Remy’s leg. Remy dropped his gaze. Aden’s arm rested on his thigh. Without thought, Remy set his fingers on Aden’s forearm. Aden immediately turned his arm over, palm up, as if waiting for Remy to take his hand. Remy’s gaze locked on the deep and jagged scar running from Aden’s palm to the bend of his arm. His throat swelled as he automatically traced the line with his fingertips before linking his fingers through Aden’s. When he looked back up, Aden was watching him. Neither of them said a word. Sometimes, there weren’t any. Other times, there were too many. Remy wasn’t sure any longer which case applied to them. He’d gotten by believing he had nothing left to say to this man who’d destroyed him. Now, with their palms pressed together, he wasn’t so sure.

  “Remy—”

  Remy looked away. “You’re winning.” Even to him, his voice sounded broken.

  Aden glanced at the screen. “What the feck? How did that happen?” Aden was five hundred dollars up.

  “Cash out before you start losing again.”

  Aden hit the button to print off the receipt for his winnings. “I’m thinking I should give this to you, since I was losing before you came along.”

  “Keep it,” Remy said, coming to his feet. “You’ll need it to buy me dinner at the crazy-expensive buffet they have here.”

  “You’re on.”

  After finding a machine, and cashing out his ticket, they hit the restaurant. Remy picked at his food while listening to Aden tell a story about a brutal interview he’d sat through with Daniel Long before coming to Vegas.

  “He’ll probably eat me alive when it releases,” Aden finished with a flourish. “That little bastard has never liked me.”

  A smile tugged at the corners of Remy’s mouth. “Probably because you always refer to him as a ‘little bastard.’”

  Aden shrugged. “There’s that. Mostly, though, it’s because he’s always had his eye on you, but you ignore him.”

  Remy huffed. “You’re always thinking people have their eye on me when they don’t. I’m a unique flavor. Just because it’s one you love doesn’t mean everyone does.”

  He swore Aden’s eyes darkened. “Aye. I do love you.” He smiled, taking away the heaviness of his statement. “But, in this case, one has nothing to do with the other. It’s not hard to spot people’s lustful stares. I know that look well. It’s the way I’ve been looking at you since you moonwalked into my life. And you’re not wearing your eyeliner again. What’s up with that?”

  Remy fiddled with the napkin next to his plate. “I told you, people don’t accept me here.”

  Aden looked around at the freak show happening around them. “Are you feckin’ kidding me?”

  “It’s hard to explain,” Remy said, feeling defensive.

  “To the pope, maybe,” Aden argued. “But you’re talking to me.”

  Remy shrugged. “When I’m alone or have only a few small errands to run, I’m okay to be me. If I’m at No Rival for the day or out for the night, I don’t like rocking the boat. I don’t want to make people stare any more than they already do.”

  The way Aden shook his head, as if disappointed, made the muscles in Remy’s stomach clench. “It’s a damn good thing I showed up, then,” Aden said, tossing some money on the table for a tip. “Let’s go.”

  Since Aden was using his “I’m in charge here” tone, Remy knew the rest of the night was out of his hands. “Where are we going?”

  “To put a stop to this bullshit. I want my Remy back.”

  Remy tried to work up an ounce of guilt over the trill of excitement running through him. He shouldn’t be this happy about anything to do with Aden. Yet he couldn’t stop smiling as he followed in Aden’s long stride toward the concierge desk. Aden spoke to the man working in quiet tones, refusing to let Remy take part. With whatever information he sought acquired, Aden snagged Remy’s hand and headed for the door.

  “Should I grab my car keys?”

  Aden tossed a wink Remy’s way. “Nope. You’re not hiding in your car and you’re not hiding me. Everything we need is within walking distance and you’ll hold my hand on the way there. Understood?”

  Remy tried for a solemn nod, but his stupid grin wouldn’t abate. He’d missed the way Aden took over his life, making everything okay. For two blocks, Remy held Aden’s hand and the pride… fuck. He’d forgotten how proud he’d been when this man was his. When they were training, Remy teased and flirted, but he’d kept their secret, because he didn’t want Aden to get in trouble. Outside the gym, when they’d gone out of town for competitions, this had been their life. People stared, but not because they expected Remy would do something stupid. Aden was that goddamn sexy. He walked like a man you wanted to watch walk. He had swagger. His head was always held high and his shoulders thrown back. The way his hips moved… wow.

  As quickly as the pride hit, so too did the memories. When he’d learned about Aden’s night with Boston, Remy had felt like all these proud moments were lies. Every time he’d felt special, because Aden wanted him above all others—bullshit. That had been anger and pain talking; now he remembered it all. Aden was an amazing person. Before he could change his mind, Remy pulled Aden to a stop. When Aden looked over, eyebrows raised in question, Remy let the confession fly before he changed his mind.

  “I didn’t sleep with Boston. Gunnar didn’t see what he thought he saw.”

  The dimple below Aden’s eye made an appearance. “I know. I never doubted you.”

  Remy didn’t miss the truth resonating in Aden’s voice. He honestly hadn’t believed Remy capable of sleeping with Boston behind
Gunnar’s back. Remy gave a sharp nod. “Okay, then.” Even though he didn’t know why, it felt like a win.

  *

  When they reached the department store, the concierge had suggested, Remy looked at Aden with open curiosity. Aden didn’t give in. As they neared the cosmetics counter, Remy’s steps slowed. Aden dug in his heels, refusing to slow. A woman wearing a black smock smiled brightly at their approach.

  “Can I help you find something?”

  Aden nodded and pulled Remy past him before shoving him toward the woman. “My heart needs a makeover to brighten his day.”

  Proving the man at the hotel had deserved the big tip Aden had given him for his services, the woman clapped her hands and bounced in place. Her excitement was catching as she eyed Remy. “Fantastic. Between your gorgeous eyes and bone structure, I cannot wait. Do you have any thoughts on what you’d like?”

  Remy’s expression was priceless. “Um…”

  Aden found an empty chair and planted his ass, expecting a long wait. “He needs something bright and flashy to match his wild heart.”

  “I don’t want to look like a two-dollar whore,” Remy said, sounding horrified and making Aden laugh.

  The woman urged Remy to sit on the empty stool by the counter but looked to Aden in answer. “I think you’re the one with the best ideas here. What do you think?”

  Aden shrugged. “I don’t care. My only job is to mess it up later,” he said, not bothering to keep the sexual tint from his voice.

  Her musical laughter let him know she wasn’t bothered. She glanced Remy’s way and snorted. “I see I won’t need to use any blush. You have that covered.”