I know it may seem like I’m being awful, but I want to keep my anonymity a while longer before I let the cat out of the bag to Baker and his friends.
A little while later, the place is packed, and only a handful of seats are to be found in the place. The chatter of excited patrons fills the space, all of them anxious to watch my boyfriend fight. I’m both excited and nervous, and I’m not sure which one I feel more.
When a pudgy, bald man wearing an outfit I can only describe as golf course chic steps into the ring, the noise dies down. The referee follows behind him and hands him a microphone.
“Good evening, everyone. I want to thank you all for coming to my fiftieth birthday party. After the fight tonight, we’ll all head to the main house for dinner and drinks. Please enjoy round one of our festivities for the night.” The man hands the microphone to an awaiting server as he heads out of the ring.
“A fucking birthday party?” Milo growls. “Who the fuck can afford to put all of this on for personal entertainment?”
“A very rich one,” Miley retorts.
It’s then the lights flip off, and a spotlight shines on doors behind us. A song with a fast Latin beat pounds through the speakers. Unlike the last fight, there’s no betting going on—there’s no stats board—and it’s not nearly as serious. They don’t even announce the fighters' names.
A man with dark hair and olive skin makes his way down the aisle, and relief floods me. This man is not nearly as scary-looking as the last guy Baker fought, and I’m sure my man has a very good shot of winning this battle with minimal effort. He trains hard, and I know he’s ready for this.
Almost as soon as Baker’s opponent steps inside the ring, the DJ flips the song over to the one I’ve come to learn is Baker’s entrance song—the loud rap song screaming the lyrics saying “I’m a motherfucking beast.” The words echo around the room, and my eyes land on Baker as he struts down past me. His defined chest is on full display, every muscle flexing, preparing for battle. He’s an impeccable specimen of a man, and my heart thunders in my chest when I catch sight of his tight bicep, picturing the way it flexed when he was thrusting inside me. As If he knew what I was thinking, he winks at me as he passes by.
My God, I love that man.
Baker ducks under the red ropes and immediately begins bouncing on his toes, readying himself for the quick footwork that will be needed.
The referee steps into the center of the ring and motions for both men to join him. This is the part where he goes over the rules, but I can’t hear what he says over the chatter of the crowd. Baker nods his head in understanding as does his opponent before they touch fists and return to their respective corners.
Bright lights beam down, and the bell rings, causing both to come out in a fighting stance, circling to size each other up.
The Latin man goes on attack, coming at Baker with a series of quick jabs, but none of them connect. Baker moves side to side, toying with the guy as he dodges every punch the man sends his way. When the man swings, trying to land a haymaker blow, Baker ducks and then finally throws a punch of his own. Baker’s massive fist connects with the man’s jaw, and the guy goes down instantly.
A collective “Ohh” echoes through the building as Baker’s opponent falls onto the blue floor of the ring.
“Oh, my God!” I’m on my feet.
“Holy shit,” Milo crows. “One shot! He’s down with one shot.”
The ref stands over the man who is rolling over, attempting to get up, and counts. When the ref gets to ten, he waves his hands, signaling the other man cannot continue in the fight.
Baker stretches his arms over his head, victorious. I rush to the side of the ring with our friends trailing behind me to congratulate my man on his win. The grin on Baker’s face widens when he spots me as he slips through the ropes in order to jump down to the floor.
Sweat beads over every inch of him as I throw my arms around his neck, allowing him to pull me in for a tight hug. “You were amazing!”
“He certainly was,” a voice I’m very familiar with says behind me, causing me to gasp.
I spin around to find my father glaring at me in the arms of my boyfriend—a guy he has no idea is now a major part of my life.
“Oh, shit!” Milo’s eyes widen as he stares at my father. “You’re Phenomenal X, the wrestler! You’re a badass. I’ve seen all of your matches growing up.”
Dad nods, but doesn’t take his harden glare off me and Baker. “Sky? What are you doing here?”
My lips twist. “I could ask you the same thing, Dad.”
An audible gasp escapes Baker behind me while his hands tighten on my hips, but before he can say anything, Dad answers me.
“I came here to watch Baker in action. There’s been a buzz about him, and Tension Wrestling is interested in offering him a tryout in our company. We’re always looking for star athletes who want to convert to a different form of sports entertainment.” Dad levels his stare on me. “Now, I’ve told you why I’m here, explain yourself.”
I lift my chin. “Baker and I…we’re together.”
I’ve never had a boyfriend before, and admitting I have one now isn’t something I was expecting to do today. Dad has always been overprotective, and I can tell he’s doing his best not to lose his shit on me right now.
Dad’s icy blue eyes zero in on Baker’s hands, where they are still planted firmly on me. “I don’t like this. A guy who makes a living fighting in these small-time events. He’s not right for you.”
Both Milo and Miley’s faces both go white, exhibiting the fear I feel also.
Baker stiffens behind me. “With all due respect, sir, you don’t know me.”
“I know your kind plenty. Hell, son, I was your kind. You’ve got anger, which is why you like to fight, and that works for the profession you’re choosing. But my daughter…a life with a fighter isn’t something I will allow for her.”
“Who she chooses to be with isn’t up to you,” Baker fires back, and my heart pounds.
This isn’t how I pictured introducing Baker to my family at all. It’s the furthest thing from my imagination, actually. I need my father to like Baker. His opinion means a lot to me, but he’s got Baker pegged all wrong, and I refuse to allow him to treat him like he’s a degenerate who isn’t worthy of my attention.
“Dad, stop,” I say, trying to break the tension. “Whatever you’re thinking about Baker, you’ve got it all wrong. He’s a fantastic guy, and one of the hardest workers I’ve ever met. He’s balancing all of this, plus school. Don’t condemn him before you’ve even gotten to know him.” My lips pull into a tight line. “Give him a chance.”
My father is a tough man to read when it comes to his emotions. He’s typically in control of everything around him, but this—my life—it’s up to me to make calls on who I want to be with and that’s Baker.
Dad remains stone-faced for a long minute before he finally says, “I think it’s best if you come home with me tonight. You’re not driving back to Columbus—it’s late.”
“We have hotel reservations, actually,” I inform him.
Dad’s eyes narrow. “The two of you are not staying in the same room. I won’t allow it.”
“Dad—”
“No, Sky. It’s. Not. Happening.” His words are slow and deliberate. Something he reserves for when he’s severely pissed off.
“You don’t get to make that decision. I’m not a little girl anymore and can make my own choices.” I surprise myself because this is the first time I’ve ever stood up to my father. I fold my arms across my chest. “I’m going with my friends, and you’ll have to deal with it.”
Baker steps beside me, standing his ground firmly. Both men stare into each other’s eyes, neither of them the type to back down from a fight. Baker takes my hand in his and glares at my father.
Rage lights a fire in my father’s eyes, and I know it’s not really in his nature to hold back, but I’m not any old stranger he can unleash on. He li
cks the inside corner of his mouth and shakes his head. “You’re making a mistake. In time, you’ll see, and don’t be surprised when I remind you I warned you about him.”
He doesn’t say anything else. He turns and stalks out of the gym, heading in the same direction as the rest of the people attending this party.
“Holy fuck,” Milo mutters next to us. “I thought he was going to pound your ass, Baker. That’s one man you don’t want to fuck with. Dude’s an animal.” Milo shakes his head. “I can’t believe Phenomenal X is your dad, Sky. Baker, did you know?”
Baker shakes his head, and I instantly feel guilty. “No. I had no idea. A little warning would’ve been nice, but now I get why you were so cool about our house rule about talking about parents. Maybe it’s time we revoke all of our rules. No more secrets.”
“Yeah. I think that’s a good idea.” I sigh. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about who my dad is. People treat me differently when they find out.”
His plump lips pull down into a sad smile. “You’re preaching to the choir about that, gorgeous.”
“Can you imagine the gene pool your kids are going to luck out with?” Milo says out of nowhere in an almost dreamy tone.
Miley smacks Milo’s shoulder. “Can you please be serious? Now is not the time to go all fan girl.”
“What?” he says, defensively. “Their kids will be top-notch athletes. I call dibs on being their agent.”
Baker bends down and plants a kiss on my lips. “We’re talking more about this. Let me go get cleaned up, and we’ll head to the hotel.”
“Okay. Sounds good. Please hurry though because I want to get out of here before Dad rethinks dragging me out of here and forcing me to go home to Detroit with him.”
Baker rushes off, and I knot my fingers together. Dad and I typically have a pretty great relationship, but now I feel like everything is about to change between us.
29
Baker
The ride to the hotel is quiet. Most of us are processing what in the hell happened after the fight. I, for one, am shocked as fuck. It made me realize there’s so much I don’t know about the woman I love. Finding out her dad is Phenomenal X doesn’t change my feelings for her. Who her father is has no bearings on who she is as a person or what she stands for. I know that better than anyone. Having a famous father isn’t easy, and believe me, I would love to hide the fact my father is Morris fucking Finnegan. So I understand why she didn’t tell me at first, but I figure we’re in the part of our relationship where we should know each other's secrets. It hurts she didn’t trust me enough to tell me the truth.
Once I’m parked, we all grab our bags from the trunk and head inside to check in.
“So, are we sharing a room?” Milo asks Miley since she made arrangements for us and then waggles his eyebrows.
“Ha. You wish.” She laughs. “I have my own room, and you have yours. Of course the two lovebirds have one to themselves.”
I take Sky’s hand in mine and lead her inside. A frown is etched on her face, and it worries me. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything to her father. Maybe she’s pissed and felt it wasn’t my place to speak for her. I didn’t do it to defend me. I could give a fuck less what X thinks of me, but I didn’t like the tone he was using with her. No one, and I mean no one, will treat Sky with one ounce of unkindness while I’m around—whether he’s her father or not—I won’t allow it.
When we’re settled in our room, Sky sighs and then turns to face me. “I’m sorry about what happened at the fight. My father can be...overprotective, but he means well. I’m sorry about the things he said about you. It was unfair of him to judge your character when he doesn’t know you at all.”
I raise my eyebrows. “You don’t owe me an apology for anything. If anything, I’m the one who owes you one.”
Her eyebrows tug together in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“What your dad said about me not being worthy of you is true.”
“Baker—”
I hold my hand up to stop her, wanting to continue. “My life…it’s fucked up, and he was right about the rage inside me. It does fuel me to fight, but it doesn’t mean I’m not going to try to become what you need—what you deserve.”
She takes a step closer to me and then wraps her fingers around the nape of my neck. “I fell in love with you—the way you are. If you want to make a change within yourself, do it because you want to, not because you think it’s what I want.”
I tug her against me and press my lips to her. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” she echoes.
“Is there anything else I need to know about you? Because I don’t want any secrets between us. Relationships need to be based on trust.”
She shakes her head. “There’s nothing else about me I’ve been keeping from you. Telling people about who my father is…well, it’s not something I like to do. You saw how Milo went nuts over him. My father was a lot of guys’ my age idols growing up. He was like Superman. People tend to only be nice to me because of who my father is, and it gets old. I want people to like me for me, you know.”
I nod. “I know exactly what you mean, gorgeous. I’ve lived in my father’s shadow my entire life, and it’s exhausting. I don’t blame you for hiding it, but I wish you would’ve trusted me enough to tell me.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I promise, from here on out, no more secrets.”
I kiss her again. “I promise, too.”
She sighs and leans her forehead against my chest. I slide my index finger under her chin and force her to look up at me. “What is it?”
“My father isn’t going to let what happened tonight go so easily. The number-one rule he set for me when he got me the apartment off campus was no guys allowed. Period.” She licks her lips. “I’ve been breaking that rule since the minute I asked you to move in with me, and now that he knows you’re my boyfriend, it’s only going to be a matter of time before he figures out we’ve been living together.”
I shrug. “So what if he does? I’ll take care of you.”
“I can’t ask you to do that. You have enough on your plate. There’s no way I can ask you to help me pay rent.”
“You don’t have to ask. I want to take care of you. I’ll take on more fights, work two jobs, whatever it takes to make sure you have everything you need, with or without your father’s help. Hell, we can even take on another roommate because we share one room now.” I brush a lock of her dark hair off her face. “Things will work out. I’ll see to it. Trust me.”
“Okay.” She leans into my hand. “All that matters is we’re together.”
I stare into her eyes as I cup her beautiful face. “I’m not going anywhere.”
I press my lips to hers, and her lips part, allowing my tongue entrance inside. My hands roam to the hem of her shirt, and I quickly pull it over her head, desperate to feel her skin on mine. It doesn’t take long for her to understand exactly what I want from her.
Sky
Thanksgiving is around the corner, and now that the cat is out of the bag about Baker being my boyfriend, Mom has all but demanded I bring him home for the holiday. Dad wasted no time telling my mother about what went down at Baker’s fight, and she called me straight away. Mom was a little more receptive to the idea of me having a boyfriend. She asked me a million questions about him and made me promise I would try really hard to convince Baker to come home with me.
It’s been almost two weeks since I saw my father, and I’ve been on pins and needles waiting for the ball to drop with a surprise visit to campus to inspect the apartment.
I chew on my lip as I walk across campus with Miley, and she notices the worry on my face. “Are you still freaking out over your dad?”
I nod. “I can’t help it. Things were going so well before he found out about Baker and me, and now he won’t speak to me. It’s Mom who calls to check in on me all the time now. I feel like he hates me.”
“He doesn’t hate you
. Cut the man some slack. It’s probably a really hard pill to swallow finding out your precious little baby lost her flower.” She bumps her shoulder into mine and then giggles. “He’ll come around. Baker’s a great guy and treats you like a princess, and in time, your dad will understand why you love Baker. Give it some time.”
I nod. “I hope you’re right.”
She grabs my hand and tugs me toward the coffee shop. “Come on. Let’s go get our caffeine fix, and you can tell me all about the progress you’ve made on that new romance novel you’ve been working on. I love brainstorming plots with you.”
I smile and follow her. She always knows just what to say to brighten my mood and get my mind off depressing topics.
We’re in the middle of our second cup of java when Simon’s name pops up on my caller ID on my cell, along with his picture. I tilt my head as I study the screen because he’s been so busy training to become a wrestler like our father, I rarely hear from him.
“Ohhh,” Miley coos. “Your hot brother is calling. You better answer it.”
I grimace. “Ew. My brother isn’t hot.”
“He totally is. You don’t see it because you’re his sister.” She shrugs. “I wouldn’t kick him out of bed.”
I stick my tongue out at her as I answer. “What’s up?”
“Hey. Dad asked me to call you,” he says over the receiver.
Great. Now it’s confirmed Dad’s pissed at me because he won’t even call me. “This is crazy. Why can’t he call me himself?”
“Forget about all that bullshit with Dad being pissed you have a boyfriend for now. There’s something important I have to tell you,” Simon snaps at me.
I sit up straight in my seat. It’s unlike Simon to get grumpy with me, so now he has my attention. “What’s wrong?”
He releases a ragged breath into the receiver. “It’s Aunt Dee…she’s been in a car accident. She’s…She’s gone, Sky.”
My mouth falls open, and tears fall from my eyes on their own accord. Great-Aunt Dee has been like a grandmother to me. When my mom moved from Portland to Detroit, she stayed with Aunt Dee and my mom’s cousin Quinn until she and Dad got together. We’re a tight-knit family, and this news is devastating.
Rebellious and Reckless: College Sports Romance Stand-Alone (Campus Hotshots Book 1): Campus Hotshots Page 17
