Holiday Menage Boxed Set, Volume 1 (Books 1-3)

by Lolita Lopez

  “Do you think I don’t know that, Frank?” Lexi exploded, her sudden rage shocking him. “Life isn’t black and white, Frank. I’ve wrestled with this every day since our fight in your office. I know where my lines in the sand are drawn and this is one of them. I won’t let him go there alone. If he got hurt,” she closed her eyes and gulped down the emotion seeming to choke her, “I would never forgive myself if he was alone.”

  Frank shared her fear. Still, his anger got the better of him. “Then go to Atlantic City but don’t expect me to join you.”

  “Don’t worry. I didn’t. That would require you to admit you were wrong.”

  Frank reeled at her bitterness. “Is that what you think? That I’m too obstinate?”

  “Is there any other reason you’re willing to risk losing Tom over this?” She countered. “Yes, Frank, I agree that Tom should have, at the very least, considered dropping out of the tournament for us, but we forced him into a corner and he snapped back like a wounded puppy. We played the wrong hand, Frank. We,” she smacked her chest and then pointed at him, “fucked this one up.”

  Frank gritted his teeth. He didn’t want to hash this out with her. He had a bad feeling it wasn’t going to end well. He’d already lost Tom and was desperate to hold onto her. “You’re right, Lexi. We fucked up.”

  She narrowed her gaze. “Don’t patronize me, Frank.”

  “I’m not.”

  “You are!” She let loose a disgusted sound. “You know what gets me, Frank?”

  He hesitated, certain he wasn’t going to like what she had to say. “No.”

  “Do you remember what you said to me on the couch that morning, when you showed me the CTE papers?”

  He didn’t and shook his head.

  “You told me we’d fight like hell to help Tom see the light. Well, we sure did that, didn’t we?” She lowered her gaze and let her shoulders drop. “What about fighting like hell for Tom? Why aren’t we doing that?”

  Frank watched her as they shared an uneasy silence. There was so much he wanted to say but didn’t even know where to begin. “I think I should go.”

  She had tears in her eyes when she finally lifted her head. “Yeah,” she agreed. “I think that’s a good idea.” She roughly swiped away the wetness on her cheeks. “I’ll walk you out.”

  “You don’t have to,” he quickly said, sure he couldn’t stand it.

  “I want to,” she replied and tried to join him.

  He put up his hands to stop her. “I’d prefer you didn’t. I’ll call you later.”

  She looked surprised by his request but didn’t respond. He beat a hasty retreat and crossed the perfectly manicured lawn to the patio. Inside the house, he made a beeline for the master bedroom. He found three large canvas totes filled with his neatly folded clothes, toiletries and shoes. There were other bags propped up in the corner of the room. He took a peek and noticed familiar bits of Tom’s clothing, his preferred ratty tees and black shorts.

  Unable to help himself, he stole one of the dirty shirts and held it close to his nose. He inhaled Tom’s familiar scent, the smell he’d missed so much around their place and the gym these last two weeks. A wave of sadness engulfed him. Lexi’s words spun round and round in his head. Everything she said made sense yet he couldn’t find the courage to make things right. If he caved on this, what would be next? What risky, dangerous thing would he have to stand by and watch Tom do next week or next year?

  No, it had to be this way. Tom needed to realize Frank was serious.

  Frank stuffed the shirt into one of his bags and left Lexi’s house. He heard her in the kitchen but didn’t dare go in to speak with her. He didn’t have the strength to face her again. Out in his car, he tossed the bags in the front passenger seat, revved the engine and backed out of her driveway. He had to get away from here, had to clear his mind.

  He was less than a mile from Lexi’s place when his phone rang. It wasn’t either of the ring tones he’d assigned to the people he loved most so he felt safe answering. He used the built-in Bluetooth connection in his car to answer, keeping his hands on the wheel. “Hello?”

  “Mr. Morello, this is Stacey. I’m sorry to call so late this evening but we’ve had an offer on the house. Tomorrow’s a holiday so I wanted to get it to you tonight.”

  “Oh.” Frank couldn’t believe they’d had an offer so fast. They’d only had the house on the market for a couple of days. “I guess you were right about the price and emphasizing the school district.”

  “It’s a hot area for parents hoping to move their children into the best schools in this area.”

  “Apparently,” Frank agreed as he steered into a parking lot to finish the call. “Let me grab something to write with,” he muttered and glanced around the interior of his car for a pen and some paper. A pen was easy enough to find but paper eluded him. He caught sight of something white in one of the bags Lexi had packed. Figuring it was some business paperwork he’d brought home with him, he snatched it up. It turned out to be an envelope but he didn’t much care. He hastily scribbled down the offer including the purchase price, some carpet issues the owners wanted addressed, their desire to keep the gym equipment and their closing cost demands. Stacey gave him an upper range of what she thought the buyers were willing to pay so he jotted that down too. “It’s going to take me a day or so to get back to you. Tom is in Atlantic City at a tournament.”

  “I’ll let the buyer’s agent know. Just get back to me as soon as possible,” she asked. “They seemed a bit skittish. Best to snatch up these buyers while you can.”

  “I’ll take that into consideration.”

  The call ended and Frank dropped the pen into one of the cup holders. He stared at the numbers and did the math. He wasn’t happy with the purchase price. If they wanted to replace the hardwood in the bedrooms with carpet and keep the gym equipment, they were going to have to come up some. He glanced at his phone sitting in the other cup holder and considered calling Tom. Would he even answer? Frank doubted it.

  He sent a quick text with the particulars and let the phone fall back into the cup holder. His gaze fell on the envelope. Curious, he turned it over and found his name written in Lexi’s loopy scrawl. Even before he lifted the flap, he knew what he’d find. He drew his finger over his plane ticket. She’d tucked in a printout of the hotel suite reservation, too.

  Eyes closed, he leaned back against the headrest. What the hell was he going to do? If he went, he risked making a hypocrite of himself and condoning Tom’s actions. If he stayed, he risked losing them both forever. Tom and Lexi would probably reaffirm their love for one another and cut him out of the picture. When they first began their relationship, he never would have even considered that possibility, but after pushing Tom away, he figured he’d probably pushed Lexi right into his waiting arms. He’d be the one left alone and miserable.

  The words he’d tossed at Tom came back to bite him in the ass. What had he said? The fact you think there’s even a choice tells me all I need to know.

  It became crystal clear to him then. There was no choice to be made. He loved Tom and he loved Lexi. For better or worse, right? In sickness and in health? It was time to be a man about this. It was time to be the man they both needed.

  Chapter Five

  Tom sat on the bench in his locker room and fidgeted. His first fight had gone easily. One good whack and the guy dropped in the first thirty seconds of the match. This second match would be a bit harder but he wasn’t too worried. Still, he was rocked with pre-fight jitters. It wasn’t anxiety or fear. He knew he was going to win. Of that, there was no doubt. Some people would call that arrogance. He preferred to think of it as confidence. He’d trained hard. He’d prepared his body and his mind. He would win this. End of story.

  Still, all that adrenaline pounding through his system didn’t help during the wait for his second match to begin. Warming up and going through his drills, he’d burned off a little of it but definitely not enough. Once he got in
the cage, that adrenaline spike would help him defeat his opponent, butt right now it was a royal pain in his ass.

  Stretching his neck, Tom tried to marshal his thoughts. Focus. He needed to focus. That wouldn’t be easy. He’d be a stone cold liar if he said he wasn’t hoping to see Lexi or Frank in their reserved seats. It was a pipe dream and one that was going to rattle the hell out of him when it didn’t come true but he couldn’t stop it. Like the stupid, naïve child of his youth, Tom wanted love and acceptance. He thought he’d found it with Lexi and Frank but it had become quite clear to him that wasn’t the case. They only wanted him if he fit into a certain box. They weren’t ready to take him as he was.

  A commotion outside his locker room drew his attention. Jacko had popped out to find out how close they were adhering to the posted schedule. Benson, Tom’s cutman, glanced up from the bag of supplies that he was rechecking for the hundredth time.

  “Look, lady, you’re not going in there. I don’t care who you are. This area is for fighters only. Now go take those fine tits of yours back into the cheap seats where they belong.”

  “Excuse me? Let me tell you something. You talk to me like that again, and me and these fine tits of mine will knock you flat on your ass, mister.”

  Tom’s eyes widened at the unexpected sound of Lexi’s voice. He hopped to his feet and raced across the locker room. He flung open the door to find Lexi stabbing her finger into the guard’s chest and laying into him about disrespecting her. The second she spotted him in the doorway, she stopped shouting at the guard and grinned at him. “Tom.”

  “Lexi.” He held out his taped and gloved hand. She wrapped her fingers around the bulky mitt and allowed him to pull her inside. When she was behind him, he took a menacing step toward the guard. “Talk to my girlfriend like that again and I’ll be the one who knocks you flat on your ass. Got it?”

  Face red with embarrassment, the guard nodded. Tom fixed him with a warning glare before heading back inside the locker room. Lexi leaned against the far wall, her hands trapped between her back and the concrete blocks. She eyed him with a mixture of what looked to be relief and lust. “I won’t stay long.”

  “You can if you want.” Please, he wanted to beg. Please stay.

  “I know you’re about to go on,” she explained. “I tried to get here for the first round but everything went pear-shaped. My flight was delayed and then there was an issue with my luggage.” She gestured to the sexy fucking dress she now wore, the black and pink fabric hugging her lush curves and highlighting her beauty. “I found this in the hotel boutique.”

  He raked his gaze over her delicious form. He was seized by the desire to lift her up and take her right there against the wall. If Benson hadn’t been hiding just around the corner he probably would have tried. “You look amazing, sugar. Just fucking fantastic.”

  She grinned. “I wanted to make you proud. No one wants the frumpy girlfriend in the front row, right?”

  “I don’t think that was ever a risk,” he replied softly. Very slowly, he approached her. It took every ounce of his willpower not to scoop her up and kiss her silly. Instead, he followed her lead and kept his hands out of the way. “I didn’t think you’d come.”

  “I couldn’t stay away, Tom. Everything that went down in the office means nothing to me. This,” she gestured between them, “this is real. This is what I want. I love you, Tom. I love you so much it hurts to be separated from you. I don’t want to do this anymore. If it means I have to sit in those seats and watch you beat the crap out of some poor bastard, then so be it.”

  “I’m going to win.”

  She smiled. “Yes, I know you will.”

  He let her words sink in and warm him. “I love you, Lexi.”

  She started to take a step forward but hesitated. “May I kiss you?”

  He laughed and opened his arms. “I’d be pissed if you didn’t.”

  “It won’t mess with your fight? I debated even coming here but I worried you wouldn’t see me out there.” She took a tiny step toward him. “I needed you to know I’m here supporting you.”

  “Lexi, come here.” He didn’t dare make a move toward her. He was sure he’d lose control and ravish her against the wall if he did. He held his breath as she moved so close he could feel her body heat. That smell he loved so much drifted up to his nose. He inhaled deeply, letting the scent relax him.

  She lifted on tiptoe and gently pressed her lips to his. He growled then, unable to take the chaste kiss, and claimed her mouth in a punishing kiss. She clutched at his shoulders as he plundered her mouth. God, he wanted her so badly. His body began to ache and he put a stop to their kiss.

  Forehead to forehead, they breathed hard and held tight to one another. Tom never wanted to let her go. “Will I see you after?”

  She nodded. “I’m in your hotel but I’ve got the penthouse suite a few floors up.”

  He snorted with amusement, not at all surprised she’d gotten the best suite in the whole damn town. She reached up and wiped away the lipstick clinging to his mouth. “Red’s not a good look on you,” she teased.

  “I doubt it would scare my opponent either.”

  “Oh, I don’t know. I’d be pretty freaked out if a big, juicy muscle man wearing lipstick came at me.”

  Tom laughed at the vision she inspired. “Maybe that can be my Halloween costume. I’ll scare the shit out of the kids in your neighborhood.”

  “Yes, you will.” Lexi lifted his fingertip to her mouth and kissed each one. “Give ‘em hell, Tom.”

  He nodded and smiled down at her. She backed away slowly and skirted around him. She flashed him a quick grin and wink before disappearing from the locker room. A few seconds later, Jacko popped back into the room. He had a smile on his face. “I take it that was a good sign?”

  Tom nodded but didn’t elaborate. As much as he loved seeing Lexi, it was time to concentrate. Losing focus in the cage was dangerous. He refused to let himself even think about why Frank wasn’t with her. That could wait until later. Right now, he only had time for thoughts about the upcoming match. His mind reeled with the tapes he’d watched of his various possible opponents. These kinds of tournaments were tricky. Other than the first match, it was impossible to know who he’d be fighting and when. Thankfully, Jacko had studied the fighters even harder than he had. Jacko started to talk strategy, reminding him of the other fighter’s weaknesses and strengths.

  “It’s time.” One of the production assistants shoved his head in the door and waved his clipboard.

  Tom followed Jacko out of the locker room. Benson flanked them, his heavy gym bag stuffed with supplies weighing him down. Tom rolled his shoulders and hopped up and down a few times. The roar of the crowd grew louder and louder as they proceeded down the brightly lit corridor. His heart started to beat a little faster. His opponent’s intro music started but Tom tuned it out. He focused on his breathing and the whoosh of blood pounding against his ear drums as his blood pressure skyrocketed.

  Jacko glanced over his shoulder and gave Tom a nod. He realized his music was playing. Fully aware he was expected to work the sold-out crowd, Tom lifted both hands overhead as he exited the tunnel and walked down the narrow aisle. The female fans tried to grab and touch him, but the hired muscle shouldered them back, shielding him from their groping hands. In the past, he’d actually enjoyed the feel-ups but now it felt wrong. There was only one woman in the world who had the right to put her hands on him and she was sitting in the third row from the front.

  Not that he was going to look at her, though. Tom knew if he met Lexi’s worried gaze, he’d fracture his focus. Instead, he kept his eyes fixed on the cage and the opponent dancing in one corner. When they reached the cage, Benson wiped him down one last time and popped in his mouth guard. Jacko shouted over the crowd and forced Tom to look at him as he gave some last minute pointers. Tom nodded and climbed into the cage.

  He hopped from foot to foot, swung his arms and sized up his opponent. The kid h
ad a competitive record but he was a hothead and a sloppy fighter. Tom had two ways to win this one. He’d either wear the kid out by forcing him to go all five rounds or just land one good punch and knock him the fuck out like the last guy. The latter was his preference. He’d be fighting twice tomorrow night and needed to conserve his energy.

  The referee called them over for the usual dirty fighting warning. Tom caught the other guy’s gaze and held it. The fighter broke the stare and nailed his gaze to the floor. Tom laughed around the mouth guard stretching his lips. The kid was scared shitless.

  This fight? Piece of cake.

  *

  Lexi interlaced her fingers and squeezed them together. Her legs were shaking as she watched Tom climb into that scary looking cage. She’d gotten to her seat in time to watch the last round of the previous fight. What she’d witnessed had been so brutal. The more blood that spilled, the louder the crowd cheered. They’d sent in a crew to mop up the carnage when it was all over. It was so medieval and barbaric. She supposed that was the appeal. Deep down inside, people just loved violence. These men knocking the hell out of one another for big paydays fed that dark desire.

  Though she understood very little about fighting, Lexi tried to size up Tom’s opponent. They were close to the same height and weight. The guy was probably closer to her age than Tom’s. He had well-defined muscles and one really lame-ass tattoo but lacked the hardened look Tom so effortlessly exuded. Of course, Tom was a legitimate warrior. He’d actually been a real hero before this foray into fighting for money. His opponent? He looked like every other frat guy she’d ever known, just without a beer belly and the three-day stubble.

  Warily, she watched the two men stand toe-to-toe in front of the referee. She could have sworn Tom laughed right in the other guy’s face. That would be just like him. He had the strangest sense of humor. Lord only knew what had made him laugh. They tapped hands and moved back to their corners of the cage.