by Lea Hart
“Sounds good.” Rolling his neck around, he let out a breath. “Guess that covers it. I should go and talk to Kendra.” They both stood and shook hands. “Appreciate everything you’re doing. I made the right choice in signing with you guys.”
Jeff laughed and walked him to the door. “I know you came over because of Bree and I’m glad it’s working out. Whatever is happening between the two of you has put a smile on her face. It’s a nice change.”
“I plan on making sure the smile stays there,” he replied with certainty.
“Good. She deserves some happiness after what that asshole pulled last year.”
Matt nodded in agreement and then walked toward Kendra’s office. If Bree’s friends noticed her happiness, then he must be doing something right.
As he passed Bree’s office, he noticed that her door was open and she was alone. He decided to live on the edge and see how mad she was. Stepping inside, he cleared his throat. “Hey, honey. You decide what you want to eat?”
“I’m not hungry. I’m pissed off and need to go to my brother’s gym so I can beat the shit out of something.”
“Okay…you can hit me if you want. I know I overstepped earlier, so I deserve whatever you want to dish out.”
Her shoulders slumped and she let out a long breath. “It’s not just you. It’s a combination of things.”
“Seeing that guy sitting close to you and checking out your ass made me half-crazy. I couldn’t help but let him know what was going on.”
“Logan sits close to me so I can read through his contract with him. He has a processing delay and doesn’t always understand what he’s signing. We go over everything slowly so he knows what he’s getting into. As for the ass-checking-out…it’s just the way he is. It has nothing to do with me.”
“But he wanted a hug.”
Crossing her arms and her legs, she scrunched her eyebrows together. “He’s a big teddy bear and doesn’t have a lot of people in his life. His mom passed away last year and his dad was never part of his life. He’s a little lonely and he doesn’t always know what’s appropriate. I’m trying to guide him in the right direction.”
Matt ran his hands through his hair and felt like an ass. “Sorry, honey. I got a little crazy.”
“Yeah, I got that.”
“You can hit me extra hard tonight.”
“Don’t worry. I plan on it.”
“I’ll be done in about half an hour. Does that work for you?”
“Yes.”
He thought about giving her a kiss but decided to give her some space. He’d been an ass and he should give her as much time as he could for her to forget. Looking at her face, he realized that thirty minutes wasn’t going to be nearly enough.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Monday Evening
Bree stepped out of her car and watched Matt walk toward her. He had his bag slung over his shoulder and a gift-wrapped box that had a giant pink bow on top. What in the world was he up to?
“Are you bringing my brother a present?”
“No, it’s your Valentine’s present, and I’m giving it to you today so you can enjoy it.”
“Thank you, Matt. You didn’t have to get me anything.” Looking at his confident smile made her realize how lucky she was. What she saw is what she got. The man didn’t have any hidden agendas and right now that was worth everything.
“I didn’t go to Stanford, but that doesn’t mean I’m not smart enough to know that you get your girl a present on Valentine’s Day.” He handed her the box and then gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“Should I open it here or should we go inside?”
“Open it here because I want a nice big smooch and I don’t think you’ll do it in front of your brother.”
Pulling his arm until he bent down, she gave him a quick one. “I’ll give you a little one to start.” Not a man to let an opportunity go to waste, he pressed their mouths together and smooched her good and hard. And it was the perfect antidote to her day because it made every little annoyance disappear. After he released her lips, she smiled against his mouth. “Better not be doing any more of that because I can’t drag you into supply closets in my brother’s gym.”
“Yeah, probably a good idea. The last thing I need is your brother’s fist in my face.” Stepping back, he shoved his hands into his jeans pockets. “Open your present and tell me what you think.”
She set the box on the hood of her car, untied the big pink ribbon, and then lifted off the top. Pulling the tissue paper away, she saw a set of pink boxing gloves. They were embossed with the words Dream Girl. Covering her mouth, she felt like she was going to cry. “Matt, these are perfect.”
“From the moment, I saw you, I thought of you as my dream girl.” Looking down, he ran his thumb along her jaw and then shook his head. “I’m probably going to give you plenty of opportunities to be pissed, so having your own gloves seemed like a good idea.”
“I can’t imagine wanting to hit you on a regular basis, but I can imagine wanting to kiss you.”
“A little bit of boxing is a good way to get your frustration out, and I’m offering myself up as your sparring partner. Whatever comes along, know that you can count on me to help you work it out.”
She set the box down and then wrapped her arms around his waist. “That is the best offer anyone has ever made me.” Laying her head against his chest and hearing his heartbeat let her know that Matt Hall was no fling. She wasn’t sure what he was and what they might be, and she decided that she didn’t need to know.
For the first time in her life, she was going to take it day by day and see what happened. “I have your present at home, so you’re going to have to wait until tomorrow.” He wasn’t the only one who knew the importance of the holiday and she hoped he liked what she had done.
“Let’s go in so you can try out those gloves.” Stepping away, he picked up his bag and waited for her to pull hers out and then stash the box inside her car. With the gloves in one hand, she took his in the other. “Is your brother expecting us?” he asked.
“Yes, I called him earlier and let him know that I was going to be stopping by. He may not be here because he had some shopping to do.”
“What kind of shopping?” Matt asked as they walked toward the entrance of the gym.
“Valentine’s shopping. I encouraged him to make dinner for Kendra and I think he’s going to follow my advice.”
“Are you playing cupid between your best friend and brother?”
“Not really.” As he opened the door and she walked through, she realized that wasn’t totally honest. “Maybe a little. I think they like one another and the timing has never been right until now. Kendra’s mom is in remission and I think my girl needs a little fun. I’m hoping my brother can help her with that.”
“Sounds like cupid to me.”
“More like a helper.” They stopped at the front desk and Bree introduced Matt to the gym manager and asked about her brother.
“He headed out about thirty minutes ago,” Gino informed them. “Your mom gave him a shopping list and menu and I imagine it’s going to take him a while to get everything he needs.”
“Why doesn’t he take her out?” Matt asked.
“Going out on Valentine’s Day isn’t any fun,” Bree said. “The restaurants are packed and everything is twice as expensive. Having someone make dinner for you is so much more romantic.”
“And the bedroom’s closer,” Gino added.
Bree let out a laugh. “Always a bonus.”
Crossing his arms, Matt shook his head. “Does that mean I should cancel our reservations for tomorrow?”
Turning, Bree looked up at his face and felt foolish. “Were you planning on taking me out?”
“Absolutely.”
Gino snorted from behind the desk. “The guy didn’t become a world champion by being an idiot. Of course he’s romancing you.”
“Thanks, Gino, for pointing that out. Now I feel much better,” Matt replie
d dryly.
“Glad I could help.” Knocking the desk with his knuckles, Gino grinned. “Go on back and show him all the moves I taught you.”
“All right.” Bree took Matt’s hand and led him toward the locker rooms.
“Why did Gino train you and not your brother?” Matt asked.
“Because Bruce and I would end up wrestling like when we were kids. He was never allowed to do more than tickle me and that’s still stuck in his brain. The same thing is true for my younger brother. They always told me to call them and they would take care of whoever was bothering me.”
“So, what do you do when you come here?”
“Sometimes I’ll work out with Gino or just do the heavy bag. I’ve found hitting something hard has helped with my sanity over the last year.”
Slinging his arm over her shoulder, he laughed. “I was a rough kid growing up and would get into a confrontation with anyone who got in my way. I think wrestling in high school and then jiujitsu helped me find a way to deal with all that aggression and testosterone. Hitting something hard definitely helps keeps things in perspective.”
“You come off as relaxed and totally chill, and if I hadn’t ever seen one of your fights I might find it hard to believe that you have that inside you.”
“My behavior this afternoon with Logan didn’t give you an indication that I’m not relaxed when it comes to you?”
“Now that you mention it…yes. I did have a clue. Poor Logan was worried that he’d offended me.”
“Tell him not to look at your ass and sit so close and no one will be offended.”
Bree elbowed him and took her bag off his shoulder. “There is that caveman I’ve come to adore.”
“As long as you adore me.” He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. “I’ll wait here for you and then we can work the heavy bag.”
“Okay.” Spinning around, she pushed open the door to the women’s locker room and wondered what she was in for. Whatever it was, she was looking forward to it. For the first time in over a year, she could feel her heart beating with happiness. It felt like a rebirth because she knew that someone loving her badly wasn’t going to define who she was. Love no longer seemed like an awful thing that hurt. Whatever Matt was making her feel told her that not only was there light at the end of the tunnel, but a damn fireworks show.
As she changed, she felt the happy bubble popping and an angry one blowing up as she remembered the conversation with Grayson. She had finally answered his fifth phone call and regretted it immensely.
All his breeding and education was noticeably absent when he’d blasted her with a torrent of anger. Which she assumed was a result of the altercation with her brothers. Clearly, he hadn’t gotten over what had happened and was bent on revenge. Unfortunately, his new position was going to give him a nice platform to exact his vengeance and she was going to have to do everything she could to make sure he didn’t succeed.
Rubbing her head, she tried to let the anger slip away. She’d wasted far too much time and energy on the man and the last thing she wanted to do was squander another second. There was an amazing man waiting for her out in the gym and she wanted to focus on that and nothing else. Which meant she was going to hit the bag as hard as she could until all she had left was happy thoughts. Really happy thoughts.
***
Matt shot the shit with Gino while he waited for Bree to get changed. Any observer might assume they were old friends catching up, but they would be wrong. Gino was interrogating him like his life depended on it. The guy seemed as interested in his intentions with Bree as Bruce was. Which didn’t worry him a bit because his plans for Bree were totally legit. Like, life-altering legit. Not that he was going to tell anyone.
When Bree walked toward them, he felt a hitch in the beat of his heart, which told him that Bree could very well alter his life. Not in a million years would he have guessed that a lawyer from Alabama was who he was supposed to end up with, but that’s how life worked.
As far as he could tell, there was an invisible thread connecting them. Right now, it might be a bit tangled, but that didn’t mean a thing.
He leaned against the heavy bag and winked when she stood toe-to-toe with him. The sounds of the gym disappeared as her scent surrounded him. It was imprinted on his brain, and if he had to describe it, he’d probably say happiness, light, and laughter. That’s what Bree had come to represent in his life. Despite the frown on her face. “What’s up?”
“I need to hit something really hard so I don’t lose my ever lovin’ mind.”
“Okay…you want to tell me what happened today?”
“My ex-fiancé is now working with USADA and is their new legal director for emerging and pro sports. He emailed me today and let me know about his new job. I sent back a polite note and figured we’d cross paths if one of my clients failed the drug testing.”
“So, the asshole is in charge of the new UFC drug testing program and he’s rubbing your nose in it?”
“Yes!” Holding up one hand, she shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I just want to hit something and envision Grayson’s pinhead.” Holding up a glove, she spoke. “Let’s see if these fit.”
“Okay.” He slipped one glove on her hand and secured the Velcro, then did the same thing for her other hand. Tilting his head in the direction of the bag, he said. “You know it’s not just a heavy bag. It’s a therapist, psychiatrist, and holistic healer, all rolled into a glorious hundred-pound bag of leather and canvas.”
“That’s what I’m counting on.” Curling her hands, she checked to make sure she had enough flexibility. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a pill today. For some reason, I’m having a hard time letting it roll off my shoulders.”
“I’m not interested in some happy bullshit version of you.” Lifting her chin with one finger, he gave her a smile. “Give me everything, so I know I can do the same. I don’t need some polite fake thing. I have enough people trying to do that. Whatever we’re going to be…let us not be that.” Framing her face with his hands, he grinned. “Ready?”
“Yes… Thank you, Matt.”
“For what?”
“For being you. You make me happy and there was a time when I wasn’t sure I had it in me.”
“Back at you.” He stepped around the bag and raised an eyebrow. “Show me what you got, woman.”
She rolled her neck around and bounced on her feet a couple of times before she started throwing punches. “It’s been a while.”
He watched her throw a few and noticed she had good form. Which made sense considering who’d trained her. Gino was a tough coach and he would never let her get away with anything less. She started with twenty reps of straight punches, alternating hands with her hips turned. After she was done, she did a series of left hooks and then right hooks. By the time she was done, she was sweating and breathing hard. “Nice.” He lifted the water bottle and squirted some water into her mouth. “How do you feel?”
“Fine.” She snapped her gloves together and rolled her neck again.
Throwing a punch, she started her second set.
Matt held the bag and watched her face. It was a mixture of fury and sadness. When she was halfway through her set, there was less fury and more sadness. When she started her left hook reps, she was breathing hard and he knew it wasn’t from exertion. It was from all the feelings welling up. Tears started to stream down her face and she continued to work the bag with more ferocity than he thought she was capable of. Sometimes that’s what happened. He’d seen it more than once in his years in the gym. Only men didn’t cry. They yelled like wounded animals.
Working the bag was one of the best ways to work out emotions. The shit had to come out one way or another, and when it did it was never civilized. He continued to hold the bag as Bree hit it with tears streaming down her face. When a particularly loud sob escaped, he stepped around the bag and caught her in his arms.
Lifting her, he stepped over to the wall, slid down,
and held her tightly as she cried in his arms. Glancing up, he made sure that no one was looking their way. He figured Bree would hate anyone seeing her this way. Gliding his hands up and down her back, he murmured nonsense against her hair and rocked her back and forth. Whatever was happening was probably long past due.
They sat there for a long time while she let everything out, and he realized he wasn’t bothered by her tears but worried that whatever was causing them had to do with her and Grayson. Which pissed him the hell off. The idea of that man having a place in her heart or mind made him ten kinds of crazy.
When he’d spoken to Bruce back in Houston, he’d found out the guy was a grade A asshole. Apparently, when Bryce and Bruce had gone to confront him after the broken engagement, he spilled his guts. And what ugly guts they were. The guy was into all kinds of weird shit and Bree had no idea. The fact that the wedding hadn’t gone off was the biggest blessing of her life.
Apparently, having a SEAL and an MMA heavyweight champion ask the hard questions made a man confess. Grayson wasn’t what he appeared to be and it was by God’s good grace that she escaped the disaster that would’ve been her marriage. The guy had confessed to all kinds of predilections that Bree would want no part of, and Bruce had told Matt that he meant to keep that information away from Bree for as long as he could. Matt wasn’t sure if he agreed, but it wasn’t up to him to decide.
Gino walked past and lifted his hands in question, and Matt waved him off. The last thing Bree needed was having a lot of questions asked. Best thing he could do was get her out of here and take her home because whatever was happening wasn’t going to be explained inside her brother’s gym.
Pushing her hair off her face, he saw the sprinkle of freckles that covered her nose. Why that was so appealing to him he couldn’t say. “Honey, I’m going to take you home and get you fed.”
When her head moved back and forth, he figured she was telling him she wasn’t ready. “Do you want me to take you to your house?”
