The Fight Club - Boxed Set

by Becca Jameson

  “Stay. I need to nap. I can’t keep my eyes open. Damn drugs…”

  “I’ll be right here. Me and the rest of your Fight Club. They’re all outside waiting to see you.”

  “They can see me later.” He lowered his arm, fading, but not releasing her. “Much later.”

  Katy watched as he fell asleep, his mouth going slack and his breathing evening out.

  She loved him. And he loved her. She couldn’t believe how much had happened so fast.

  But it was right. She knew in her heart she was his.

  Epilogue

  Six months later…

  “Take a deep breath.” Rafe wrapped his arm around Katy and led her over to the bar. As soon as he had her settled on a stool, he pulled the one next to her very close and sat facing her so that his legs straddled hers.

  “I’m so nervous.” She fidgeted with the hem of her dress between his legs, extremely aware of his proximity and hoping to use his calm to lower her own blood pressure. “I just want everything to be perfect.”

  “And it will be,” Rafe soothed. He set his hand on her thigh and squeezed.

  “What if we forgot something?”

  He smiled. “We haven’t forgotten anything. Once the best man arrived, the rehearsal went off without a hitch. Everyone knows their lines. You only have to remember two words.” He set his forehead against hers. “I do.”

  Katy shivered when he looked at her like that. He was right though, and now that the dinner portion of the evening was over, she didn’t have to entertain anyone any longer.

  Rafe glanced at the bartender. “Can I get two glasses of the house Chardonnay, please?” He turned back to Katy. “You’re not getting cold feet on me are you? I know we’ve only known each other six months, but I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

  She tipped her head to one side and narrowed her gaze at him. “Me too. I love you more now than ever. You’re my rock. Thank you for knowing just what I needed tonight.”

  “I could tell you were stressed. I didn’t want to just kiss you on the cheek and send you on your way with Jenna, even if she is the maid of honor.”

  Katy scrunched her face at the mention of her best friend. “Speaking of Jenna, did you see the way your friend Mason was looking at her? I thought he was going to drool. He’s such a perv. And she was eating it right up.”

  Rafe cringed also, shaking his head. “Yeah, I told him hands off, but he’s not the kind of man to listen to reason.”

  “Jenna doesn’t have a clue about what we do in our private lives. Hell, I’ve never even told her about The Fight Club at all. She’s way too innocent for anything like that.”

  He chuckled. “Are you sure about that? Mason wasn’t the only one ogling. Jenna’s jaw remained unhinged most of the evening also. Hell, you had to jerk her gaze from Mason at the altar.”

  Katy took a sip of the wine the bartender had deposited in front of her. She rolled her eyes. “Maybe we shouldn’t have let Mason drive her home.”

  Rafe squeezed her thigh and then danced his fingers higher up her leg until they rested precariously close to her pussy. “They’re grown adults. We both warned them off each other. That’s all we can do. The rest is up to them. Hell, no one in their right mind would have put you and I together initially, and look at us now.”

  “True.” She bit her lower lip between her teeth. “You’ve grown on me. I even kind of like you now.”

  His fingers tightened on her thigh and he reached the last few inches to swipe them across her sex on top of her dress. “You kinda like me, huh?” Then he reached under her dress and stroked his fingers directly through her folds. One eyebrow shot up as he slowly removed his hand.

  Katy held her breath. He’d turned her into a shivering ball of need. When he removed his hand and licked her wetness from his fingers, she glanced around. Had anyone seen? She turned her gaze to the bar and took another drink of her wine, a long swallow actually. Her thighs shook and her pussy begged for more.

  How did he always manage to scramble her brain like that?

  He finished sucking his fingers and gripped her chin to lift her gaze to his. “No panties?” He smiled, the shit-eating grin of a man who knew he’d won his own personal lottery.

  Katy shrugged. “Someone told me they were overrated once.”

  “Must have been a smart man. I like it.” He kissed her lips. “But if you were hoping to get lucky tonight, you’re going to be disappointed.”

  She gasped. That was exactly what she’d been hoping all evening, and yet they hadn’t had a single opportunity…yet.

  Rafe shook his head. “It’s bad luck, or something. I know I read that in one of the wedding handbooks.”

  “That’s crazy. No one ever said that. You’re confusing it with seeing the bride before the wedding on the wedding day.”

  He glanced at his watch. “Then I rest my case. It’s way too close to midnight for me to ravage you the way I have in mind. I wouldn’t be able to do it justice. You’re hot, wet pussy is just going to have to wait until tomorrow night.”

  Katy stuck out her bottom lip and gave him a fake pout. “But you said I needed to relax. The best way to accomplish that is with sex.”

  Rafe smirked. “Nice try, baby. But not going to happen.” He nodded his head toward the bar. “Finish your wine and I’ll drive you home.”

  “The house is going to be so empty without you tonight. I’ve never slept there alone.”

  “You aren’t going to convince me to change my mind, Katy. But I love listening to you beg. Save some of that for later when it counts.” He kissed her cheek.

  “I’m being serious now. I’m not sure I can sleep alone after all these months. How can you be so calm about it?” Sure, she’d been trying to lure him into her web, but she wasn’t kidding about being nervous when it came to staying alone in the house.”

  He winked. “I’ve got you covered. The Fight Club is taking turns watching over you. You don’t think I’d leave my sweet bride alone all night without backup, do you?”

  Katy gasped. “Your friends are going to maintain some sort of surveillance in front of the house?” A tear formed in her eye. Those were true friends. She’d learned that quickly months ago. The Fight Club stuck together like brothers. But guarding the house on the eve of her wedding just to give her peace of mind was above and beyond.”

  “Yeah. Mason’s got first shift too. Hopefully that will keep him from dawdling with Jenna. After him, the other four guys will follow.”

  “I could have just had my parents stay at the house if I’d known you were going to so much trouble.”

  Rafe shook his head. “I knew that would be even more stressful for you. You’d spend all your time making sure everyone else was taken care of and not enough time worrying about Katy.” He tapped her nose.

  He was right. He knew her well.

  “Besides, I never asked the guys to do this. They organized it on their own. I think Rider spearheaded the arrangements.”

  He would. He was that thoughtful, and as a cop, he was all about safety.

  He looked at his watch again. “We have to go. It’s late. Tomorrow night at this time, you’ll be Mrs. Walker. And I don’t intend for us to do much sleeping after the wedding. So, you’d better get plenty of rest tonight, Ms. Marks.” He took her hand and helped her down from the stool.

  Katy wrapped her arms around him and lifted her face to his. “I don’t see that happening, but the sentiment is sweet. I can hardly sleep when I have to appear in court the next day. And that’s nothing compared to a wedding.”

  Rafe kissed her lips and then led her out of the restaurant. When he reached his truck, he pressed her into the side, straddled her legs, and pinned her with his arms on either side of her head. “I love you. Everything’s going to be perfect.” He kissed her gently.

  “I know. I love you too.”

  “I have a request.”

  “What’s that?” She smiled up at him. She’d
do anything for this man.

  “Leave the panties at home tomorrow night also.”

  “I’ll think about it, Mr. Walker.” She lifted onto her tiptoes and pulled his head down for a longer kiss. If he wouldn’t sleep with her tonight, she intended to at least give him a small taste of what he was giving up.

  Tomorrow would be soon enough. Tomorrow would be the first day of the rest of her life. Tomorrow would be perfect.

  Perv

  Chapter One

  “And on the other side of the octagon, we have Mason ‘The Bullfighter’ Simmons.” The announcer spoke, but Mason applied only a fraction of his concentration to the loud speaker. He bounced in his corner, waiting for the lull, the moment the bell would ring and he could begin the arduous task of taking out his opponent. At five eleven and one eighty-two, Reggie Tucker was a solid fighter, only an inch shorter than Mason and two pounds lighter.

  Mason had competed against him before, and he’d easily taken him down on a number of occasions. Today he hoped to construct a repeat performance, and quickly. He needed to get out of there and get cleaned up. As the best man in his friend’s wedding, he was expected to be at the rehearsal in an hour.

  Rafe should have been fighting today also. They both represented their local gym. How had a simple wedding rehearsal slowed the man down? He was pussy-whipped. Mason smiled to himself, his mouth contorting oddly behind the guard he wore for protection.

  Somehow he seriously doubted Katy, Rafe’s fiancée, would have found the idea of her hubby-to-be fighting the night before his wedding quite as humorous.

  Mason cocked his head to one side and then the other. He wiped his brow of sweat with his forearm. It was late October, but Vegas didn’t know her seasons well. As warm as it was today, it might as well have been the dead of summer.

  He threw a few practice punches in the air as the announcer droned on about his accomplishments. “…middleweight champion…” Mason rarely lost. He didn’t have it in him to give up. And that mental state was what made him one of the best amateur fighters in the area. Mind over body, he repeated to himself. His mantra. His go-to phrase before a competition.

  A bell sounded, and Mason lurched forward. His competitor furrowed his brow as he circled the ring, bouncing on the balls of his feet, assessing whether or not he thought he could take Mason down this time. Not today, Reggie. Sorry.

  Mason hooked left and then swung around in a circle to apply a firm kick to the man’s head. Reggie staggered back a few steps but shook his head to clear his fog and lurched forward, frustration written across his face.

  It was never a good idea to move too quickly. The man needed a moment to regroup. He’d let his frustration get the best of him. In an easy sweep of his leg, Mason flattened Reggie to the ground. In seconds he was on top of his opponent, grappling for a submission hold. If he was lucky, he’d attain the quickest takedown of his career and be out of there in no time.

  But Reggie had other ideas. In a burst of energy, the man bucked his chest and punched Mason in his right eye. A moment of blindness followed the blow, and Mason held on to his opponent with all his strength, waiting for the dizzy sensation to pass before he released his hold. Letting go too soon would give Reggie the upper hand and leave Mason floundering.

  Recognizing his need for retreat, Mason leaped off his opponent and bounced to a standing position. Reggie followed, bounding off the ground in an instant.

  The match evened out for several minutes as Mason failed to get the upper hand. He threw several jabs, but Reggie managed to block him every time. His opponent was all about elbows today and landed a blow to Mason’s gut that made him suck for oxygen before he regained his control.

  When the first bell rang, Mason turned for his corner and refused to sit. His cornerman held out a towel and wiped Mason’s face, heedless of Mason’s continued bouncing. Hell, Byron knew him well. He’d been his cornerman many times. “You okay?” Byron asked.

  Mason ignored him. The man always asked. Mason never paid him any attention. Unless he was down on the ground, he was good to go. And only on a rare occasion was Mason taken down.

  The bell rang again. An entire minute was very short when a man was trying to catch his breath.

  Reggie came forward more aggressively this time. His cockiness increased since he hadn’t been beaten in the first round. Reggie struck from the left, his arm flying toward Mason’s head. Mason managed to duck at the last second and swept his leg out while Reggie was off balance. Reggie went down hard, Mason piling on top of him to grapple for a dominant position. Sweat coated both their chests, and Mason’s fingers slipped against Reggie’s skin. Mason silently cursed the cumbersome gloves, wishing for a moment he could grab the other man’s wrist and subdue him.

  Mason spun right, forcing Reggie to lose his sense of direction. Mason moved in for the win, clinching his opponent around the neck in a chokehold and wrapping his leg across Reggie’s body.

  The announcer hopped around above them while Mason waited for Reggie to tap out. He knew the moment the referee would concede Reggie had been defeated once again. The bell sounded, and Mason released his opponent. He jumped to his feet and lifted his arms in victory.

  Damn. Katy was going to kill him if he didn’t get his ass cleaned up and to the church before the rehearsal started. But man, he hadn’t been able to pass up this fight. He loved this sport more than anything. Women and their plans for dresses and tuxedoes came second.

  »»•««

  Jenna Mathews stared at the gaudy bouquet made out of bows as her best friend of eight years attempted to fluff it up and make it presentable. Somehow the group of ribbons had gotten smashed in the trunk on the way over.

  There was no hope. Jenna laughed and reached to straighten out at least the top layer so it wouldn’t topple out of Katy’s hands as she stood at the altar. “Who came up with this idea, anyway?”

  Katy turned toward her and smiled. “I think it was you.”

  “No. I mean originally. Why would anyone think this was a cute way to walk through the rehearsal?” Jenna had been the one to make the arrangement. It was common practice for the maid of honor. Plus Jenna was the most likely candidate since she also owned the floral shop that was doing all the flowers for Katy’s big day tomorrow.

  Ribbons and bows were Jenna’s specialty and aptly the name of her store.

  With a smile still on her face, Jenna hugged Katy around the shoulders and then stepped back into her place as the minister declared they would begin.

  They were running late. They had been waiting on the best man to arrive. He must have slipped into his spot while Jenna had been fixing the bouquet.

  She lifted her face as the minister started speaking and glanced across at the line of men opposite her on the steps.

  Her breath caught in her lungs.

  She hadn’t met the best man. The other two groomsmen arrived earlier, and she’d been introduced, but not this man. Mason Simmons. She knew his name. Katy spoke of him occasionally. He and Katy’s fiancé, Rafe, had gone to college together. Aside from that, Jenna knew nothing about him.

  Except he was ripped. Now she knew that too. The man stood at least six feet tall. Muscles bulged from his chest and arms, a fact she knew all too well since he wasn’t wearing a suit and tie like the other groomsmen.

  Nope. Mason Simmons wore a maroon T-shirt tight enough to show off all his assets. It wasn’t a cheap T-shirt. It was a designer label of some sort that somehow made it appear to be almost acceptable for the event. The khaki pants helped also. He didn’t appear to be a slob at all. In fact, he looked delicious. His pants were ironed and creased to perfection, and his shirt had been pressed also, settling against his chest in smooth lines.

  Jenna scanned him again from the bottom up, swallowing when she realized she hadn’t bothered to breathe since she’d laid eyes on him. When she reached his face, she nearly died. He stared straight at her, his eyes lifted, and there was a slight smirk on his lips. As if he�
�d spoken out loud, she could clearly hear him say, “You like?”

  Damn. Jenna’s face heated, and she jerked her gaze toward the front. The preacher droned on about where everyone would be standing when the service started. Jenna’s ears rang with embarrassment. She couldn’t concentrate on anything coming from the minister’s mouth.

  Her only thoughts were, God that man is hot and Holy hell, he caught me ogling him. Her brain flipped back and forth between the two until she felt dizzy.

  A quick glance back at Mr. Sexy showed he hadn’t moved a millimeter. He still stared at her. Perhaps his eyes were a bit more narrowed, but that was it.

  And man, his face. Chiseled to perfection, his dark tan made his blue eyes bluer and his dark hair darker. What there was of it. He kept it very short, almost bald, though the shadow was there to indicate he could grow it out if he wanted. And he hadn’t shaved his face in several days, either. The growth was sexy.

  He belonged on the cover of…well, any magazine on the planet. His right eye, the one she couldn’t see as well, seemed to be tinged darker as though someone had punched him in the face before he entered the church. Maybe she imagined it.

  “Jenna?” Katy’s whispered voice made Jenna jerk her gaze toward her friend. She flushed deeper, feeling intense heat spread down her chest and arms. Great. Now she would be splotchy. Her pale skin always looked so fantastic when she was embarrassed…or aroused.

  God, no. Definitely not aroused. Embarrassed yes. But no way could some man get her all hot and horny by entering the room. She was way too straitlaced for anything of the sort.

  Jenna glanced down at the expanse of her chest above the maroon, low-cut, fitted, smart dress she wore and almost groaned. So attractive, Jenna. Nice.

  Katy shoved the bouquet of ribbons at her and mumbled under her breath. “Earth to Jen, are you there?”

  Jenna swallowed through her suddenly very dry mouth and scrunched her face sheepishly at Katy. “Sorry.” She grabbed the bouquet. Apparently it was time for the bride to pass it off and move on with the practice ceremony.