A Fighter's Desire

by L. P. Dover

  My chest ached. I longed to say that I returned his feelings, but I couldn’t. He saw the truth in my gaze, and when I tried to reach for him again, he jerked away. “And that right there is my answer. Goodnight, Gabby,” he stated, his eyes showing just how much I’d hurt him.

  Turning on his heel, he stalked off into the night and disappeared without a backwards glance. I was an idiot. So many girls would kill to have someone like him, but it wasn’t enough for me. With tears streaming down my face, I stood there for I don’t know how long until finally Ashleigh took me in her arms and calmed me down with her soothing words.

  “He’ll get over it, Gabby. I know it hurts knowing he’s in pain, but this is Bradley we’re talking about. Just give him his space.”

  I held on to her tightly, wiping away my tears so they wouldn’t stain her dress. “This ruins everything,” I cried. “You, Colin, Bradley, and I always do everything together. It won’t be like that anymore.”

  Ashleigh rubbed her hands down my back and nodded. “True, but it was bound to happen at some point.”

  “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” I mumbled halfheartedly.

  “So I’m assuming this means you aren’t going to the tournament, huh?”

  “I doubt it,” I replied. “Bradley isn’t going to want me there.”

  Ashleigh patted me on the back and let me go, her gaze alit with humor. What the hell was so funny? “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” she said, and began marching back toward the banquet hall. “I guess maybe because I know where the tournament is going to be held.”

  Quickly, I followed alongside her, back into the hall, where everyone gazed on curiously. “Where?” I asked low.

  Smirking, Ashleigh slyly nudged me in the side. “It’s going to be in Las Vegas, baby. Are you sure you don’t want to go?”

  She winked at me before strolling over to join Colin, who stood talking to some guys on the team. Out of all of the places the tournament could be held, it had to be Vegas. Tyler was in Vegas.

  It was a sign … I was going.

  ONCE THE WEEKEND was over, Bradley kept his distance. He hadn’t even spoken to me when he stopped by so Colin could say good-bye to Ashleigh before they left for Vegas. The team was basically spending the whole week there. Meanwhile, Ashleigh and I needed to stay behind for an important test in our Environmental Microbiology class.

  It was Wednesday afternoon, and the test was over, so we were ready to go. My heart hadn’t beaten so hard in my life as it did while we waited to board our plane.

  In just a couple of hours I would be in Vegas … and so would Tyler. I knew where to find him, but I didn’t want to do it on my own. To get to him I needed help, and I knew exactly who to call. While Ashleigh was in the bathroom, I decided to make my call, hoping I had enough time before she came out.

  Quickly, I dialed Ryley’s number and waited on him to answer. When he did, I breathed a sigh of relief. “Ryley, hey, how are you?”

  “Doing good, babe. Just sitting here looking at a hot ass chick in a pair of really short shorts.”

  I rolled my eyes and scoffed, not rising to the bait. “That’s nice, but I need your help. Do you have a fight in Vegas this weekend?”

  “I sure do. Why?”

  “Great, because—”

  Before I could ask for his help, he interrupted me, “Are you sure you don’t want to know more about the girl in the short shorts?”

  “Ryley, really? I need your help and I don’t have much time! Please, shut up and listen.”

  “She also has on this really cute green T-shirt with a peace sign on it.”

  Immediately, I froze and my breath hitched in my throat. Looking down at my clothes, I realized he was talking about … me. Abruptly, I lifted my gaze and searched around.

  There he was with his brother, walking toward me and smirking as he ran his hands through his hair. Instantly, I gasped. He’d dyed it! No longer was it the same golden blond as his twin brother, but a dark brown, almost like mine.

  “Oh my God, you colored your hair! And please tell me you’re not on this flight,” I called out nervously, hanging up my phone.

  Ryley smiled, lifting me up in his arms and swinging me around. “That’s what it looks like, baby. We’re going to Vegas early to have some fun. The hair was a last minute thing, but I think I look good with it.”

  I ran my hands through it and chuckled. “You always look good.”

  “So what the hell are you doing here by yourself?”

  When he set me down, I bit my lip and looked over his shoulder where Ashleigh had frozen mid-step. Ryley noticed my hesitation and turned around, chuckling halfheartedly when he saw her.

  “Yep, just my luck. I should’ve known I’d run into her again.”

  “Not me,” Camden scoffed. “I think I’ll just go wait by myself.” He smiled at me and tapped my chin. “It’s good to see you, Gabby. I’ll talk to you later when a certain someone else isn’t around.”

  Camden waltzed off, not even acknowledging Ashleigh when she approached warily. “Ryley,” she breathed. “It’s good to see you. I like what you did to your hair.”

  “Thanks,” he replied. “Where’s your boyfriend?”

  Hearing the disdain in Ryley’s voice, she flinched. “He’s in Vegas already. Our team made it to the championship, so Gabby and I wanted to go watch the tournament … or at least I am. I think Gabriella has other plans, though.”

  Lifting his brows, Ryley peered down at me curiously. “And what other kinds of plans would that be, babe? You have to be careful around Vegas.”

  Before I could comment, the lady at the counter made the announcement that it was time to board. I wanted to talk to Ryley and get his help, but it looked like I would have to do it later.

  “All right, well, it looks like we have to board now,” he said quickly; I could tell he wanted to get away from Ashleigh. “I would say for you to switch seats with Camden so we could talk, but I don’t think him sitting with Ashleigh is such a good idea.”

  “That’s an understatement,” she mumbled under her breath.

  “Can I call you sometime tonight?” I asked as we started for the terminal. “Where are you staying?”

  “We’re at the Bellagio. You?”

  Ashleigh groaned and closed her eyes. It was where we were staying, too. “Same here,” I told him. “I’ll come to your room tonight. I really do need your guidance this weekend.”

  Ryley put his arm around me and smiled, making sure Ashleigh heard him when he said, “Anything for you, babe, just as long as you hang out with us this weekend and not those pansy ass baseball players.”

  Tilting my lips toward his ear, I quietly whispered so that Ashleigh couldn’t hear, “Don’t worry. That’s been the plan all along.”

  Before we got on the plane, he gave me a fist bump and kissed me on the cheek. “That’s my girl. Don’t worry, we’ll have us some fun. I won’t let you get into any trouble.”

  Little did he know that trouble was exactly what I wanted.

  It didn’t take long to arrive in Vegas considering it was only a little over an hour flight. Colin was there waiting for us, wearing a pair of khaki shorts and a green Oakley T-shirt, his platinum blond hair in messy spikes. I half expected Bradley to be there with him since they were always together, but to my surprise, he wasn’t. I guess he’d been serious when he said he didn’t want to be around me until I gave him some answers.

  “Colin is going to be so pissed,” Ashleigh grumbled in my ear.

  When Colin spotted us, Ryley and Camden were trailing just behind. The look on his face when he noticed the twins was beyond loathing; the tension almost unbearable. I knew it had to be hard on Ashleigh to be around both guys, especially since it’d been a little less than a month since she left Ryley for Colin.

  “Guys, I think it might be a good idea if we split up,” I said, glancing at them over my shoulder.

  Ryley chuckled w
hile Camden shook his head in annoyance. “All right, babe, we’ll leave. I know when we’re not wanted. I’ll see you at the hotel.”

  He glared at Colin and winked at Ashleigh before strolling through the exit and out of sight. With his lips set in a firm line, Colin reached out and took Ashleigh’s bag from her so he could carry it.

  “Does somebody want to tell me what the fuck they’re doing here?” he asked, settling his glare on me.

  Ashleigh sighed and linked her arm through his. “They have a fight this weekend in Vegas. It just so happens that they ended up on the same flight.”

  “And they’re staying at our hotel, too? Somehow I don’t think that’s a coincidence.”

  This time they both glared at me, which pissed me off. I knew what they were thinking, and I would never intentionally put them in that kind of situation. “Are you serious? I would never do that to you two. I had no clue they were going to stay at the Bellagio.”

  Ashleigh’s gaze softened and I knew it was because she believed me … almost. Colin, however, still remained skeptical. “Well, whatever the circumstances I want them to stay the hell away from Ashleigh. Hopefully, Bradley won’t find out. He already thinks they’re the cause of the problems between you two.”

  “What? No, that’s not true,” I admitted truthfully. “Ryley and Camden have nothing to do with what’s going on with me.”

  Colin shrugged and started toward the door. “Either way, Gabby, that’s how he feels. Just be careful being around the twins, okay? Don’t let Bradley see you with them. He’s already wound tight enough as it is.”

  Regretfully, I nodded and kept walking alongside them. Knowing Ryley and Camden, they were going to make sure they were seen. There was no way I could keep Bradley from finding out they were at the same hotel. I just hoped he wouldn’t start a fight with them.

  Good luck with that.

  ONCE WE GOT to the hotel and settled in, I called Ryley so that I could get his room number. It just so happened they were on the same floor as me. Thankfully, when I reserved my room at the Bellagio I made sure to get put on a separate level from Ashleigh and Colin, as well as Bradley. I didn’t want them asking questions if they saw me leaving.

  When I knocked on the door, Ryley answered it wearing only a pair of boxers and a smirk on his face. “Can you not keep your clothes on?” I asked incredulously. “You knew I was coming down here.”

  “Yeah, well, I wanted to relax and I can’t do that wearing them.”

  Rolling my eyes, I walked past him into the room and looked around; no Camden. “Where’s your brother?”

  Ryley shut the door, and when I sat down on the California king-sized bed, he sprawled out beside me and turned off the TV. “He has his own room, Gabby. That way we can fuck whoever we want this weekend and not have to worry about invading the other’s space.”

  “Nice,” I remarked sarcastically. “I swear I thought you were going to change your ways.”

  “Nope, not right now. I’m having too much fun. You should try it some time.”

  Smiling from ear to ear, I laid back on the bed and winked at him. “And that is exactly what I’m going to do.”

  “With me?” he asked, waggling his eyebrows playfully. He started to put his arms around my waist, but stopped suddenly. “Or are you talking about a certain other fighter who’s a little taller than me, has whitish blond hair, and lives in Vegas?”

  “Is it that obvious?”

  “Kind of,” he replied, “but that’s only because I saw you two dancing together at my party a few weeks ago. I thought for sure you’d hook up.”

  “Believe me, I wanted to, but of course my brother got in the way. Do you have plans to see him this weekend? I mean, other than at the arena this Saturday.”

  A mischievous smiled splayed across his face. “Actually, I do. You know Friday night is Tyler’s birthday, right?”

  “No,” I shrieked, sitting up, eyes wide in excitement. “I had no idea. Is there going to be a party or something?”

  Biting his lip, Ryley winked. “Oh, there’s going to be more than just a party. I’m the one organizing it.”

  Just then, I knew I was in trouble. “Oh, hell. Knowing you, I bet you’ll have the whole place crawling with call girls.”

  “You know me too well, babe.”

  Incredulously, I smacked him in the arm. “So you are having a party like that? What the fuck, Ryley? Now what am I going to do? I can’t compete.”

  He put his arms around me and chuckled. “Relax, Gabby, I can change it up a bit. A lot of the guys are getting together for the party, so I wanted all of them to have a little bit of fun. I had something special planned for Tyler, but if you’re up for it, I can use you instead.”

  By the gleam in his blue eyes I knew it was going to be something drastic. “What do I have to do?” I asked.

  Ryley let me go and got off the bed so he could slide on his jeans and T-shirt. “Why don’t you come with me and I’ll show you. Then we’ll see if you have what it takes.”

  I could only imagine what he was going to want me to do, but I knew I could handle it … whatever it was. Holding out his hand, I grasped it firmly and let him pull me up.

  “All right, Ryley, you’re on. Let’s go.”

  After we left his room and started down the hall toward the elevator, he bumped me in the side and smiled. “Afterwards, we’ll go to Tyler’s gym. I know just what to do.” Pursing his lips, he glanced up and down my body at my denim shorts and green T-shirt. “But first, we need to get you something else to wear.”

  I definitely liked the sound of his plan already.

  WHEN RYLEY SAID he wanted me to go somewhere with him, I had no clue he meant to a strip club. What was even more surprising was what I had to do when I got there. I was put in a scrap of cloth—which barely covered my nipples—and for the past two hours had been shown how to dance provocatively on stage.

  The owner was a middle-aged woman named Siren with a body to die for, but her skin was weathered from too many years in the sun. She was a nice woman, and extremely talented in pole dancing. I tried to do it, too, but I wasn’t very good at it.

  Dancing, however, was something I was already good at.

  “I can’t believe I just did that,” I exclaimed as I got into Ryley’s car. He’d rented a black Chevy Tahoe for the weekend, which was much better than taking a cab.

  “Yeah, me neither,” he grumbled, fumbling with the waist band of jeans. “I’ve never gotten so fucking hard in my life. My balls are going to ache like a bitch for the rest of the day.”

  “Really? It was that good, huh?”

  “You have no idea. You were hot as hell on that stage. All I can say is that Tyler’s one lucky son of a bitch.”

  Ryley knew the owner of the strip club, and had called in a favor. It was exhilarating and fun as hell, even though it was a little awkward with him sitting there watching me. However, I think I’d proven to him that I had what it took.

  “So, basically I’m going to be dancing for him at his party. I get to do it privately, right?” I asked curiously. I really didn’t want to dance in front of a room full of fighters. Not to mention someone would definitely recognize me as being Matt Reynolds’ sister, even if I did wear a disguise.

  “Oh yeah, you can do it privately. Although, I have to say I’d love to see you dance like that again. Maybe one day you’ll give me a private show?”

  Rolling my eyes, I chuckled and shook my head. “Not going to happen, sweetheart. You got your one and only show today.”

  “Well, fuck.”

  Pityingly, I patted him on the leg and frowned. “You’ll get over it, I’m sure. What else are these girls allowed to do to you guys? I can touch him, can’t I?”

  “Yep, you can touch him, fuck him, and do anything you want. The only problem we’re going to have is that he’ll recognize you. I know he wants you, but he’s loyal. If he sees you he’ll stop.”

  That was true. No matter how hard I
seduced him, I had no clue if he’d balk and let me have him or if he’d push me away. “What do you suggest we do? Blindfold him after I dance for him?”

  Grinning, Ryley nodded his head. “That is exactly what we’ll do. I’ll tell him he has to put on the blindfold after you get done. I know it might not be the way you wanted to have him, but at least you’ll get what you want. It’ll be our secret.”

  In a way it was deceiving him, but what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him, right? He’d actually be enjoying it, and so would I. “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, right?”

  “You’re damn right.”

  Ryley and I stopped at a sporting goods store so I could pick out some workout clothes before we got to Tyler’s gym. I had some packed, but he didn’t want me wearing yoga pants. He wanted me in really short, tight workout shorts and a tank top. Of course, he decided to go bare-chested, wearing a pair of navy and white shorts that looked amazing with his tanned body.

  “If he doesn’t get hard up for you after watching you work out then I swear the guy’s got some serious problems. I would be all over you in a heartbeat,” Ryley admitted honestly.

  When we pulled up to the gym, my nerves were shot. I hadn’t seen Tyler since we kissed, and I had no idea how he was going to react seeing me again … especially with Ryley. “Are you sure this is a good idea?” I asked. “What if you piss him off?”

  Ryley scoffed and parked the car. “Oh, I’m almost positive we’ll piss him off, but that’ll be a good thing. It’ll mean he wants you.” He opened the door and got out, waiting on me to join him. When I didn’t follow suit, he rolled his eyes, marching around to my side of the car and opened the door. “Come on, Gabby.”

  Taking a deep breath, I licked my dry lips and stepped out. “Okay, fine, but what if someone in there recognizes me and goes to my brother?”

  Ryley shrugged, obviously not concerned. “I don’t know, but it’s your choice, princess. Sooner or later, Matt needs to realize that you’re not a little girl anymore. You’re about to graduate college for fuck’s sake. I think you’re old enough to make your own choices. And he can’t get mad at me; I’m just a good friend helping you get what you want.”