Takedown (Fight Factory Book 1)

by Lea Hart

  Scott ran his hand through his hair again and shook his head. “Can’t. I have to run the gauntlet with the press and then sit through the ceremony, so I’m going to wait until the after party.”

  “Makes sense.” Matt sat in a chair across from him and wondered why a guy like him couldn’t find a regular date to go with him.

  “Thanks for letting Bree go out tonight. I know if I was in your position, I wouldn’t be half as cool.”

  Read his mind. Maybe there was more to Scott than met the eye. “I don’t let Bree do anything. She’s her own boss and I count myself lucky that she spends any time around me at all.”

  “Ain’t that the way?” Scott answered. Leaning back, he crossed his leg over his knee. “I broke my girl’s heart in college. Didn’t know it at the time, but that’s what I did.” Running his hand over his jaw, he sighed. “I had no idea what I had until it was too late. I had people coming at me right and left senior year and I didn’t know which way was up and which way was down. In all that craziness, I let go of the best thing that ever happened to me. That was six years ago, and I can still remember the look on her face when I told her I wanted to end it. I was a fucking idiot. It might take me another six years to convince her to take me back, but I’m not giving up. Tracy is eventually going to see that we are meant to be together.”

  “Have you told her how you feel?” Matt asked. The fact that he was having a discussion about feelings within the first three minutes of meeting a man told him how much Bree had affected him in the short time they’d been together.

  “Didn’t have a chance yet. My buddy Chase coaches at a small private high school outside Miami. I was helping out one day at practice and guess who walks across the field?” Scott leaned forward and grinned. “Tracy! She teaches English and is the coach of the girls’ tennis team. I had no idea she even lived in Florida. The last I heard, she was married and happy. Turns out her best friend, Ivy, lied to me. Which I was pissed about until I figured out why. Ivy had a front row seat to Tracy’s broken heart and she probably figured that I shouldn’t be anywhere near her.”

  “So, what happened when she saw you?” Matt asked. This was like a reality show. He was sucked in.

  “Stupid sophomore kid threw a wild ball and beaned her in the head. She ended up with a mild concussion. I took her to the hospital and she ended up being okay, but not okay enough to consider going out to dinner with me.” Straightening his pant leg, he shrugged. “That was six months ago, and I vowed the moment the season ended, I was going to do everything I could to win her heart back. Monday marks the beginning of my campaign.”

  “Good luck, man.”

  “Going to need it. Everything I’ve done hasn’t impressed her yet, but I’m not giving up hope. I just haven’t come up with the winning play yet, but I will.”

  Matt needed to do the same thing. Bree didn’t seem all that interested in seeing what they had, and the sooner he changed her mind, the better. He had his own campaign to come up with if he hoped to have a real chance.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Sunday, February 5th

  Bree walked out of the bathroom and studied the sleeping man in her bed. Her one attempt at a one-and-done had failed miserably. She had no idea what number they were on, but he didn’t seem to be in any hurry to leave. When he’d showed up last night at the after party to “pick her up,” she had been shocked. It was a bold move and one he shouldn’t have gotten away with. But he did, and she placed the blame squarely on his smile. And his love of geeky science shows. And his sexy moves. Hell, there was a lot about him that she found hard to resist.

  The moment she saw him walking toward her in his suit and combed hair, she was pretty much putty in his hands. Which unfortunately was evident when he smooched her hard in front of everyone in attendance. It wasn’t a polite kiss, either. It was meant to show her and anyone else who cared to look that he owned her. Which, of course, wasn’t true.

  When had she become so easy? Tying her robe, she walked out of the room and closed the doors quietly. She stepped into the kitchenette and knew the exact moment she had become so easy…it was after her third orgasm in the shower, or was it her fourth? She hadn’t had that many orgasms in three hours…ever. All that boring sex she’d had in no way prepared her for the mind-twisting power of multiple orgasms. And she was well and truly twisted.

  As she made a pot of coffee, her mind filled with visions of what she and Matt had done in the early hours of the morning. The man was known for his stamina and patience in the cage, and it turned out he had it in the bedroom as well. He also knew some interesting wrestling positions that had driven her insane.

  When the coffee was ready, she poured herself a cup and then went over to collapse on the sofa. She took a sip of coffee and started to lift her feet but stopped. There were some interesting twinges happening in her legs and she knew it wasn’t because of the yoga class she’d taken yesterday.

  Matt had held her open as he plundered her, and she hoped like hell he might want to do it again…soon. Turned out being plundered by a man was damn enjoyable. Laughing to herself, she realized she enjoyed every minute of his piggy caveman ways. Maybe that’s what she’d been craving all along.

  She was a strong, smart woman who kicked ass more often than not. After all, that’s what a lawyer did by definition, and she enjoyed the hell out of it. But she didn’t enjoy being that in her personal life.

  Her college boyfriend had been polite and well behaved in bed, as had Grayson. Seemed polite and well behaved wasn’t what turned her on.

  Evidently, she liked alphaholes. That’s what Kendra called men who were unapologetically alpha. Gawd…it was so sad that ended up being her type. Or at least the type that got her motor running.

  In a way, it made sense. She needed to balance what she did during the day with what happened in her bedroom. Being in charge all the time was exhausting, and it was a relief to leave her pleasure in the very capable hands of a man who knew what to do. God bless him, Matt knew exactly what to do.

  And to be fair, Matt wasn’t an alphahole or asshole. In fact, he was the exact opposite. He had a successful career that he’d worked at for ten years, family he was close to, and lots of good friends. You didn’t have those things if you treated people poorly.

  “Bree…come back to bed,” Matt yelled.

  “No way. You come out and have some coffee.”

  “I’ll make it worth your while if you come and crawl back under the covers with me.”

  “I’m sore and I don’t plan on getting anywhere near you or that bed.”

  “Let me put my head between your legs. That won’t make you sore. That’ll just make you scream my name.”

  “Coffee is ready.” When she heard him grumble, she laughed. No way was she going back in there. He might start out sweet and soft, but that’s not where it would end. Her leg would be up around her ears and he would be stealing brain cells with every magnificent thrust of his body. She shook her head, then drank her coffee. “No way,” she muttered to herself.

  ***

  “Why are you all covered up?” Matt asked as he walked into the room. “We haven’t had Super Bowl sex yet.”

  “And we won’t be,” she answered as she crossed her legs and tucked her robe around her legs.

  He walked into the kitchenette, filled a cup, and grumbled to himself. “That just seems un-American.”

  “What time are you leaving for the game?”

  Collapsing next to her, he lifted her legs and draped them over his. He gave her a frown and then drank his coffee. “It’s a good thing I have a healthy ego. Otherwise, your not-so-subtle attempts to get rid of me might hurt my feelings.”

  “If only that were true,” she responded. Patting his arm, she gave him a sweet smile. “You’re Teflon and anything I say just bounces off.”

  Slinging his arm over her shoulder, he pulled her closer. “That’s not true. Turns out your words affect me a great deal. It’s never happened be
fore and I’m not sure what to do about it.” When he glanced over, he noticed that she looked surprised. “Quit trying to get rid of me. It’s not going to work.”

  “Fine.”

  “See, that wasn’t so hard. Think of all the energy you’re going to save by accepting what is. No need to waste it on something that’s never going to happen.”

  “My silence is not my agreement.”

  He kissed her head and laughed. “Never thought it was. I figure you’re just retrenching and coming up with a counterattack. Don’t worry, honey. I’ll be ready.”

  “Says you.”

  “Room service or should we go down for breakfast? I’m hungry and need to refuel because keeping you sexually satisfied takes a lot of energy.” When she smacked him on the arm, he grinned.

  “Room service,” Bree answered.

  “Okay, I’ll order us up some food and then get in the shower, unless you want to go first.”

  “You can go first because I’m not going to the game today. I’ll watch it here and catch up on work.”

  Leaning back, he shook his head. “You can’t miss the Super Bowl.”

  “I was planning on going for only half the game, and since I didn’t get any work done yesterday, I have to catch up today. I have meetings all day tomorrow and I need to be ready.”

  “My surprise visit screwed up your schedule, didn’t it?”

  “In the best possible way. We don’t have any clients playing today, so I don’t have to go.”

  “Most people don’t say that when they have tickets to the game. I’d ask you if you want me to hang out with you, but I know the answer.”

  “Go and have fun with the guys. I’ll catch up with you when I get back into town next week.”

  “I’m here all week and I figured we could have our evenings together.” He noticed her frown out of the corner of his eye and decided to ignore it. “Where’s that room service menu?”

  “I have no idea,” she said quietly.

  Probably wasn’t the only thing she had no idea about. He knew he was coming on strong and he didn’t really care. For the first time in his life, he was going to fight for the girl. And what a fight it was going to be, by the looks of it. Leaning over, he went through a stack of magazines on the table and discovered the room service menu. “How about I order a couple of things and we can share?”

  “Sure, why not?”

  The faint smile she threw him was pretty pathetic, so he decided to quit asking her questions. He read the menu quickly and then picked up the phone and ordered. “Was Scott disappointed when he didn’t win last night?” Seemed they needed a change of subject until she got used to the idea that they were going to be hanging out together.

  “He didn’t expect to win. He’s already received the award twice before. He said it was time for someone else to be honored for his efforts.”

  “How did you end up signing him to your company? Seems a guy like him would go with CAA or another big-name agency.”

  “My friend from college recommended our company. Ronnie has a wealth management business in Florida and Scott is one of her clients. He’s also become good friends with her husband, Chase Bedford.”

  “The same Chase Bedford who was named MVP and won the Super Bowl a couple of times?”

  “Yes. He and Ronnie have been married for around two years and have a set of twins. When Scott was complaining about his representation, Ronnie suggested he speak with us. Spencer and I flew out to Miami to meet with him and we all hit it off. Truth is, he went with us because of Ronnie’s strong recommendation. He trusts her, so he trusts us.”

  “Those college ties have turned out to be valuable,” he said before draining his coffee cup.

  “Sure have. We ended up proving ourselves when we renegotiated his contract. We got more than half guaranteed, which is the key to any NFL contract.”

  “I’m lucky to have you on my side and working on my behalf. I can’t wait to see what you’re going to come up with the next time I’m offered a fight.”

  “I’m not going to be working on your contracts. Nicole will be.”

  “Is that because of our relationship?”

  “Yes. We slept together, which means that I shouldn’t represent you.”

  “Ever?”

  “Yes. The law is pretty clear on fiduciary responsibility, and California is considering making the law more stringent. I cannot have relations with you while I’m representing you.”

  “That’s fine. I’d rather have you in my arms than in an office negotiating on my behalf.” Leaning over, he kissed her. When she pretended she wasn’t interested, he kissed her again and waited until she gave in. When she did, he turned up the heat and slicked his tongue inside her mouth, letting her know that he was never going to accept anything less. Seemed the sooner she figured that out the better.

  ***

  Matt sat across from Bree at the small table in her suite and watched her eat. Something was going on because she was taking mouse bites and eating slowly. The few times they’d eaten together, she had inhaled her food. And by all rights, she should have been starving, because they’d burned a ton of calories. “Everything okay, honey?”

  Lifting her face, she gave him a small smile and then nodded. “How was the dinner last night?”

  “Great, had a good time. Talked to your brother for a while and he’s probably going to call you before the game today.”

  She dropped her fork on the plate and groaned. “That’s the last thing I wanted to hear. I don’t want my brother up in my business.”

  He took her hand and shook his head. “Bruce and I are good friends and I had to tell him what’s going on with us. He’d be pissed if I didn’t. No way am I risking our friendship by not being up-front.”

  “You always tell him who you’re sleeping with?” She scooted back from the table and picked up her glass of juice. Looking at him over the rim, she twisted her mouth into disapproval. “I’m in for a big ol’ lecture and I think you should have to sit with me when it happens. It’s only fair.”

  “I’ll sit with you. He already gave me a long one last night, so hearing another one isn’t going to be a big deal. Bruce let me know in no uncertain terms what would happen to me if I so much as made you frown. I can listen to him talk for as long as he needs to. Doesn’t change my plans.” He went back to his meal and realized she was going to fight him at every turn. Seemed she wasn’t kidding when she kept saying she didn’t want a relationship. The fact that he’d said those words pretty regularly for the last ten years should have made hearing them a lot more comfortable. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. In fact, it was the exact opposite.

  Karma…sucked. All the times he’d looked into a woman’s disappointed face after he said he wasn’t into anything serious came back to him as he looked at Bree. He knew what it felt like to be sitting on her side of the table, and now he knew what it felt like to be on the other. He didn’t like either one and wished they were on the same page about what to do next.

  As far as he could tell, she was done and he was just getting started. Which meant he had to come up with a new strategy. “Want to do something fun tomorrow after your meetings? Maybe we can find something touristy to do, like the space center or something?”

  “Don’t you have a promotional event and clinics?”

  “I should be done by early afternoon.” He lifted his fruit bowl and picked out the strawberries. “Maybe you like fish. They have an aquarium here.”

  “Why are you picking out the strawberries? They’re the best fruit in any bowl.” Leaning over, she picked one up and popped it into her mouth.

  “I’m allergic and I don’t want to swell up and get a rash.”

  “Guess that works out for me because they’re my favorite.” She scooped up the rest and put them on her plate. “I’m not sure what time I’ll be done tomorrow. I have a meeting with Enterprise on an endorsement deal for one of the bull riders we represent, and then I have to meet wit
h executives from PBR.”

  “What is PBR?”

  “Professional Bull Rider. It’s the governing body of the sport. They are run by the same company that now owns the UFC. They’re fairly easy to deal with and the meetings are usually painless.”

  “All right, guess we’ll just wait and see how it works out.”

  “Why are you interested in spending time with me? It doesn’t make any sense.”

  He stood, went around the table, and held out his hand. “Come back to bed and I’ll show you why.” He waited for her to put her hand in his, and when she did, he knew it was the first step in a thousand. Maybe all they had right now was their intense physical connection, but who knew what it could become? He’d heard it took twenty-one days to break a habit. Maybe it took twenty-one days to make one. And that’s what he was going to do—make sure he became Bree’s habit.

  ***

  Bree watched the door close and let out a breath of relief. Finally, a moment alone. Glancing at her watch, she realized it had been twenty-four hours since Matt had shown up at her door. It was going to take another forty-eight for her to process what happened.

  Sex…that’s what had happened. Dirty, mind-blowing, soul-twisting sex. Which was years past due as far as she could tell. There was just one little complication and that seemed to be Matt’s interest in making it more.

  How was it she managed to find the only MMA fighter who wanted more than a one-night fling? The reputation she’d heard about for weeks definitely didn’t suggest that was a possibility. Laying her head back against the couch, she let out a silent scream.

  What in the world was she going to do now? Call Kendra. That’s what she was going to do. Her best friend was level-headed and always had great advice, and that’s exactly what she needed. She dug through her briefcase, pulled out her iPad, and called Kendra on FaceTime.

  The moment the call was connected and she saw her friend’s face, she felt better. “Hey, Kendra. How are you doing?” When Kendra leaned forward and snickered, Bree wondered what had made her laugh.