She was prevented from having to answer herself when Marguerite asked, “What you mean to say is that you haven’t met anyone who made you want to drop your panties, so why bother, right?”
“Do you ever filter what you say?” She shook her head, her cheeks hot.
“Why should I? Besides, you know I’m right. And I think that fighter out there does a little something for you, doesn’t he?”
Alice looked at her and sighed. “Maybe, but what difference does that make? I have to pretend to be my father while he’s here.”
Marguerite made a clucking sound. “I know. Maybe after he leaves you should take a few weeks up in the city and go to a few clubs. I could have Nick take you around…”
“We’ll see.” Alice chuckled. “Right now, I need to focus on getting through the next few weeks.” The last thing she wanted to do was go up to Portland and have Marguerite’s nephew drag her from club to club. The man was a ladies’ man in the extreme, and Alice knew from past experience that she would feel like a third wheel just trying to keep up with him.
“So, you need to keep your distance from him. Let Tavvy do all of the interaction with him for now.”
Alice nodded her head in agreement. “Yeah. That sounds like the best plan.” Glancing at the clock, she sighed. “They’ll be up for lunch soon. I’m going to go see how Dad’s doing before the therapist arrives. Come get me after they leave.”
“Will do. I’ll bring you some lunch when I bring in your daddy’s.”
“Thanks, Marguerite. We’re going to get through this.” For Dad’s sake, I hope we can.
Chapter 9
“Alice, this isn’t going to work. I can’t keep up with the kid. He’s too quick for me and you know it.” Tavvy sat across from her in the office, his brow furrowed with concern. After trying to keep up with Bryant using hand pads and some light foot movement, Tavvy was exhausted and the truth had become more than obvious.
“I know. I saw him this afternoon.” Alice said.
“I asked him when his sparring partner was due to arrive, and he said he’s been delayed and won’t be able to get here until next week.”
Alice nodded. “That’s bad.”
“What are we going to do? I could probably toss a few of the boys from town into the ring with him, but you know they’ll only end up getting hurt.”
Alice nodded and glanced down at the desk where the bill from the hospital lay. “I can’t afford to send him home! I just can’t, Tavvy.” And I can’t afford for one of the local kids to get injured, either. That would definitely put a damper on things around here.
Tavvy was silent for a moment while he weighed their options. “Then you need to come clean with him and get in the ring and start training him yourself until his partner arrives.”
Alice shook her head vigorously. “You know I can’t do that! What if he sued us or something?” It would be fun to see if I could keep up with him though.
“You know you could do it, Ally. I saw your fights in your junior year and you could keep up with him.”
“But—”
Tavvy’s voice brought her back to the present. “Alice, we don’t have any other options. If the sparring partner isn’t showing until next week, you have to do something else. I watched those tapes and he needs our help, but he’s running out of time. And you know it.”
Alice sighed and tossed the pen she had been chewing on to the desk. “Tell me something I don’t already know! I just finished watching Macken’s last fight. If Bryant doesn’t learn a few new tricks, he’s going to get hurt. Macken’s fists are lethal—when he’s on his feet and on the ground—he’s unbelievably good!”
“You could show Bryant a few things that would give him an edge. I know it and you know it. And he really needs what we can offer him, but verbal instruction isn’t going to cut it. This is the right thing to do. Tell him the truth and give him the option to stay or leave.”
“I’ll think about it, Tavvy.” Seeing the skeptical look on his face, she smiled. “I promise. I’ll think about it and give you an answer in the morning.”
Tavvy left the office, wondering if the morning would see their undoing, or if a miracle would rise out of this mess.
Alice sat in the office for several more hours before heading up to bed, no closer to a solution than she’d been before. As she drifted off to sleep, her worry about how to continue training the fighter while maintaining her secret gave way to thoughts about the man himself.
Handsome, oh, yes. Blond hair, grey-blue eyes, and a body that belonged on a statue. Bulging biceps that she could imagine embracing her. Six-pack abs that may as well have been made of a material that drew her like a magnet. Hard thighs. Strength. The way his body moved in the gym. She could move with him, alright.
It was a long time before sleep finally claimed her, and then only after she quit fighting herself. Make love, not war, she thought, and gave into her lust, using her hands and her imagination to release some of her pent-up energies in a way that was becoming all too familiar. Marguerite’s words echoed in her head as she drifted into a light sleep. What you need is the real thing. You need to find a man to take care of you instead! Mmmm, Alice thought. I need a man. One with sun-bleached blond hair and blue eyes that remind me of a winter sky.
Chapter 10
Alice awoke the next morning, a sense of anticipation thrumming through her at seeing Bryant again. She had spent a restless night and finally, at around three in the morning, she’d come up with a plan she thought she might be able to pull off.
Let’s hope it works.
It was Saturday. The local kids would be arriving to participate in the morning training regimen.
Dressing for her morning run, she put on her normal clothing consisting of tight black yoga pants, a bright pink sports bra, and a thin black jacket. Instead of a skullcap, she pulled her hair up into a ponytail and placed a band around her forehead to help absorb the sweat and keep her hair from flying loose.
Feeling more like herself, she skipped down the stairs and entered the kitchen with a smile. Marguerite and Tavvy were already there, and she grinned at the shocked looks on their faces when they saw her.
“Alice? Girl, what are you doing dressed like that? Bryant’s going to be coming through that door any minute!” Marguerite came toward her, unfolding the dish towel in her hand as if she could shield Alice from sight with just that little piece of cloth.
Alice chuckled and moved around her. “I know. I’ve come up with a solution…” Hearing the front door open, she stopped. Turning to face the doorway Bryant would be coming through, she murmured to both of them, “Follow my lead. No matter what I say.”
***
Bryant entered the main cabin, hoping he’d get a chance to speak with Anders before training began. He was sore from yesterday’s workout, but at the same time, the light sparring workout the day before had been far below his expectations.
It had become obvious that Tavvy didn’t have the physical attributes needed to push Bryant to the next level. Having seen no one else wandering around the compound after the kids left, and with Zac further delayed, Bryant was curious as to how his training was supposed to proceed.
The last thing he expected to see when he entered the kitchen was an angel dressed in black and looking like she just stepped off the pages of a fitness magazine. She was about the same height as Mr. Anders, maybe pushing 5’7” if she was lucky, with luxurious auburn hair and brilliant green eyes.
Her shining hair was confined in a high ponytail, and her eyes sparkled at him even as she sipped from a cup of coffee. Her alabaster skin was smooth and he let his eyes take in her features, dwelling on the sight of her lips. Her bottom lip was full, and their slight upturn had him raising his eyes back to hers. Trouble, he thought. And vowed to keep his distance. But then he glanced back at her. She’s amused. Why?
“Good morning,” she murmured over the rim of her cup. Her stare never left his face.
Warnin
g bells nagged at him that he was here to train, not look at girls. But he stepped further into the room and glanced at Tavvy and Marguerite. They both had shocked looks on their faces and Tavvy seemed nervous. Great, even they know I should be focused on training.
“Good morning. I don’t believe we’ve met,” he said, turning his attention back to the girl. He approached her slowly, watching her with his eyes never leaving hers. Bryant couldn’t have pulled himself away for anything.
She smiled at him and shook her head. “No, I don’t believe we have met. I’m Alice, Terry’s daughter. He’s not feeling very well and he thought maybe I could help with your conditioning for a few days.”
Anders wants me to train with his daughter? Where did she come from? Was she here yesterday? Why didn’t I see her? Bryant kept from snorting in laughter at the thought of this slight woman helping him train for his upcoming fight. Shit! One hit from me and she’ll be sprawled across the mats. What in the hell was her father thinking!
Crossing her arms over her chest, she seemed to pay no attention to the fact that the action served to accentuate her breasts. He tried not to notice, too.
She swapped a look with Tavvy and stood. “I’m going to be running with you this morning. I’ll be over at the gym stretching when you’re done with breakfast. Come over whenever you’re ready.”She turned to Marguerite. “Thanks for the coffee. I’ll see you a little later.” Glancing at Tavvy, she gave him a smile. “I’ll make sure the kids get warmed up, don’t worry.”
Bryant let his eyes trail her out the door, his glance straying to her. A gorgeous, very nicely packaged butt it was. Her legs seemed longer because of what she was wearing, and he found himself having all sorts of thoughts that had nothing at all to do with training or running, and everything to do with seeing those same long legs wrapped around his hips. God, I’ve got to get control of my thoughts. Anders would kick me off his property faster than I could blink if he knew what I was thinking about his daughter. Daughter? Who even knew he had a kid?
Then her last comments registered and he turned to Tavvy. “Kids?”
Tavvy nodded before setting his coffee cup down on the table. “Some of the local kids that have aspirations for careers in MMA come up here on the weekends during the school year and train with us. School started two weeks ago, so this is their second weekend up here.”
“I’m supposed to train with a bunch of kids? I could have done that back home, with the advantage of having Beck and Mason to spar with!” He shook his head and poured himself a cup of coffee. He grabbed a banana and headed for the training gym. If things didn’t go better today, he’d leave first thing the next morning. He didn’t need the distraction of Anders’ daughter. So he’d give them one more day to live up to their reputation. Otherwise, he was out of here.
Chapter 11
Bryant entered the training gym, his eyes immediately seeking out Alice. He shook his head. He needed to be one hundred percent on his training. Get it together, Bry! Three months. Less than that now.
He saw Alice standing on the open mat surrounded by three teenage boys, all pushing six feet in height. They already had well-defined muscles speaking of many hours training in a gym. The two young ladies with them her appeared much younger, and as their high-pitched voices reached his ears, he confirmed his suspicion. Definitely much younger.
Some young girls also stood around. He decided immediately that he’d need to steer clear of them. They were watching him as if he was the very last piece of richly buttercream-iced devil’s food cake on the buffet table, and the boys were looking at him as if they couldn’t wait for a chance to prove themselves. This is not what I need right now!
Bryant crossed the training mats and made his way over to the group, listening in to their conversation. The boys had seen Bryant yesterday and after telling them his name, they had been full of questions.
“Is that him?” Chelsea whispered loudly as Bryant joined them.
Alice nodded and turned to look at Bryant. “Guys, this is Bryant Burton. Bryant, this is Steve, Jimmy, Mark, Chelsea, and Sara.” Alice headed for the back door of the gym. “Alright, guys. We’re doing the lake run this morning. Toss your water bottles in the Gator and Tavvy’ll meet us down there.”
Bryant stepped around the teens, coming to stand at Alice’s side. He turned to ask a question and got bushwhacked by the way the sun was shining on her hair. It was a mixture of browns and reds and golds …
“Did you have a question?” Alice asked, with a puzzled look on her face.
“Uh…sorry. Um, what is the lake run?” Bryant asked, blushing at having been caught staring at her. Way to go, Bry!
Alice laughed at the wary look on his face. “I heard you ran yesterday. You kept up okay, right?”
That’s one way of saying I chased your father the entire way! “I held my own.”
Alice smothered a laugh. “I’m sure you did fine. This morning just take it easy and if you need to take a rest, don’t be afraid to flag Tavvy down and ride with him part of the way. These kids have all been doing this route with me and my dad for years.”
Bryant raised his eyebrows, somewhat surprised by her inference. “Are you suggesting I can’t keep up with a bunch of teenagers and you?”
Alice cocked her hip and tossed her ponytail over her shoulder, stepping out into the morning sunlight. “I’m not suggesting anything.” She saw the kids were already standing next to the Gator, looking back at her expectantly. “Ready?”
When they nodded, she turned to look at Bryant and motioned with her hands for him to follow along. “Let’s go,” she called out, already in motion.
Alice started out at a nice easy pace, wanting to give anyone who hadn’t warmed up properly a chance to do so during the first few miles of their run. The route they took to the lake and back the long way was a twelve-mile jaunt, twice what she normally ran every day, but at least once a week she tried to push herself, just to prove she could.
Bryant found himself behind the other runners and pushed himself to pick up his pace until he was running shoulder-to-shoulder with Alice. If the teenagers hadn’t been along, he would have no problem following behind her, but the sight of her tight ass was causing his body to respond—a definite deterrent to his ability to maintain his running pace. He had a feeling he was going to need every ounce of wits and energy he could muster, if the gleam in her eye was anything to go by.
“So, how long of a run is this?” he asked, trying to steady his breathing.
Alice glanced at him. “Do you really want to know?”
“Sure.”
“Twelve.”
“Minutes?”
“Miles.”
Shit! “What! I mean, that’s quite a distance for those kids. Isn’t it?”
Alice laughed. “Hey Steve, care to tell Bryant what you and Sara did over spring break last year?”
“We ran our first marathon. It was great!”
Bryant looked over his shoulder at the beaming youth. “A marathon. Impressive. How old are these kids?”
“The boys are nineteen. They graduated high school last year and they’re all taking classes at the community college in the next town over. I should probably warn you that they all aspire to fight in the MMA. The girls are still in high school. Chelsea’s a freshman, and Sara’s a junior.”
“Traditional martial arts?” Bryant asked, having lots of experience in that venue himself.
“Yeah. You did pretty well in that realm as well.”
“Been checking up on me?” Bryant asked, not sure what to think about that. Should he be flattered? He hoped so, actually—but he didn’t know.
“I check up on every fighter who comes up here. There are some real egos in the MMA world, lots of fighters seem to have a talent for being world-class jerks. I.. We try to avoid them.”
“You sound like you’re talking from experience.” Bryant saw Alice’s chin drop out of the corner of his eye.
“Well, we try and kee
p them away from the camp. For the kids.”
“I can see where that would be problematic. You helped train these kids?”
“Partly. I just finished up at university, so I’ve only been around on breaks and such. But I enjoy working with them whenever I get the chance, you know? They help me keep my own skills up.”
Bryant was starting to hit his stride, and as they headed down the first hill, he found it easy to match her faster speed. “Did you ever compete?” he asked, liking their conversation so far. He was enjoying the distraction of talking Alice. That helped keep his mind off the muscles in his legs that were starting to protest a second day of such torture.
“For a while.” Alice took a deep breath. “I decided it wasn’t for me after a pretty nasty match at nationals.”
Chapter 12
“We’re not all assholes, you know?”
“Yeah. I’m starting to see that.” Alice glanced at him. Had Bryant sensed that it wasn’t the issue of fighting that made her cautious? She’d been burned more by fighters, not by her own fights. And Scott had been the worst of them. She’d once thought he was everything—and then she’d learned better. But she had to thank him. Scott had taught her to keep remember a fighter might have a great body but that didn’t make him a great person. She was off fighters. Forever. Forcing a smile she changed her course slightly to avoid a large rock that was jutting up in the middle of the trail.
She could feel Bryant’s eyes on her. Up ahead she could also see the hint of a lake appearing through the trees, and it wasn’t any too soon. Her legs were feeling like they were made of jelly and she could hear Bryant’s breathing, ragged and shallow.
He sucked in a few deep breaths and asked, “Is…that...the lake?”
Alice glanced over at Bryant and smiled. “Take a few deep breaths and hold them for a five-count. We’re about half a mile from the lake and when we get there we’ll take a small break.”
MMA Fighter's Fierce Temptation (The Burton Brothers Series Book 1) Page 4
