REDEMPTION

ABADBOYMMAFIGHTERROMANCE

TIALEWIS

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StadiumofLights:ASecondChanceRomance

DraftDay:ABWWMSportsRomance

Threat:ABloodRidersMC(Book1)

Reveal:ABloodRidersMC(Book2)

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TheHitman’sPossession:ABadBoyMafiaRomance(Book1)

TheHitman’sProperty:ABadBoyMafiaRomance(Book2)

TheHitman’sDuologySeriesBundle

DirtyHacker:AnAlphaBillionaireRomance

DirtyMoney:ADarkMafiaRomance

Misled:ABadBoyMafiaRomance

Zarak:ScifiAlienInvasionRomance(TheMatingGamesBook1)

A B O U T T H I S B O O K

Iwon'tstopuntilIhavemytitlebackandHannahCollin'sismine.

OwningChicago'sbestMMAgym,theWarriorZone,doesn'tcomparetothehighIgot

frombeinginsidetheoctagon—thelights,thescreamingfans,thewomen.Iusedtobe

thetopMMAfighteruntilanearfatalinjuryforcedmetoretireandstrippedmeofthat

title.Iwasconvincedlifewouldnevertasteassweetasitoncehad.

Untilher…

Whenfeisty,andirresistibleHannahCollins,ownerofSweetTreatsBakery,

unexpectedlywalksintomylife,sheturnsintoadistractionIdon'tneed.

Butsomethingaboutherforcesmetotakenotice,andIcouldn'tshakeher

mesmerizinggreeneyesandtemptingcurvesfrommymind.

I'mdeterminedtoregainmytitleasthebestcagefighterintheworld,andwillalso

convinceHannahthatshebelongstome...nomatterwhatittakes.

RedemptionsasteamyMMAfightercontemporaryromancenovel.It'sonly

recommendedforaudiences18+.Standalone.Nocheating.Nocliffhangers.HEA.

C H A P T E R O N E

A N T HO N Y

o,noyougottastaylightonyourfeet!You'restandingtooflatfooted."

Iwatchedastheyoungfighterattemptedtoadjusthisstance,wantingtothrowin

thetowelandfindanotherguywhoactuallyknewwhatthefuckhewasdoing.Trevor
had shown some promise in the cage in the beginning, but now I suspected he was
gettingtoocockyandasaresult,forgettingeverydamnthingItaughthim.Holdingup
mysparringglovesoncemore,Igrittedmyteeth."Again."

Trevorshookhisheadandresumedhisstance,comingatmeinaflurryofpunches

and kicks. I expertly blocked each one, feeling the rush of adrenaline at wanting to
throwthefightertothegroundandreallyshowhimwhatitwasliketobeinthecage
with a professional. His sparring was way too slow and in my mind, I calculated a
dozen holes he left open as he tried to be fast and furious instead of meticulous. His
footshotout,andItriedtoblockit,feelingthepaininmykneeimmediatelybeforeit
buckledandIwentdownonthemat.

"ShitRampage,I'msorry,"Trevorsaidashedroppedhisarms,movingtowardme.

"Ididn'tmeantokickyou,man."

Hereacheddowntohelpmeup,andIwavedhimoff."Getawayfromme."Iwas

pissedthatTrevorhadkickedme,thatmykneewasafuckingweakness.Me,Anthony
"The Rampage" Jones, one-time top MMA fighter in the fucking world couldn't even
sparwithanewbiewithoutgettinginjured.Ihatedmylife.

Trevoropenedhismouth,butadarklookfrommecausedhimtocloseitandwalk

away,openingthecageandexiting.Ilaidbackonthemat,thefamiliarsmellofsweat
and the smell of foam assaulting my senses. Hell. My busted-up knee throbbed from
thekick,andIknewIwasgoingtohavetoiceittonighttokeepitfromlookinglikea
baseballinthemorning.

Larry'sfaceloomedoverme,andIrubbedahandovermyface."What?"
"Youdoknowyouaretheonelayingonthemat,right?"heasked,anamusedlook

onhisface.

Igavehimthemiddlefinger."Justletmedieinpeaceandquiet."
He shook his head and extended his hand. "Come on, let's get some ice on that

knee."

Igrumbledbutallowedhimtohelpmeup,hoppingononefootwhilehehelpedme

outofthecageandtotheoffice,whereIcollapsedinachair.

"Anthony,youneedtostayoutofthatcage.Lettheotherguysdealwiththehandto

hand," Larry said as he grabbed an ice pack from the small fridge in the office and
handedittome.

I looked at the man who had trained me to fight in that cage, the man who had

made me bleed and hurt more than anyone else in this world and hated him at that
verymoment.Larryhadbeenmyrockduringmytrainingandmymatches,neveran
MMAfighterhimselfbutonewhohadstudiedthesportlongenoughtobeanexpert.It
was because of him that I had held the title in my division high over my head a few
years ago, with blood dripping from my mouth and a swollen eye. I had done the
impossibleandknockedoffthenumberonefighterintheworld.Andnow,nowIwas
sittinginthisdamnchair,withanicepackonmyknee.Man,howtableshadturned.
"Fuckyou."

Larry leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. "No thanks. You

aren'tmytype."

Ishookmyheadandplacedtheiceonmyknee,hissingasIfeltthecoldnessonmy

skin."Imissedhisfoot,that'sall.Thekid,he'snotready.Heleavestoomanyholesin
hisstances."

"See that's what you should be doing," Larry replied as I leaned back in the chair.

"Analyzingtheseguys,checkingoutthestats,findingtherightmatches.Youshouldn't
bephysicallyinthecage,Anthony.Youcan'tdoitanymore."

"Ican,"Ishotback,lookingupathim.Iwasn'tthewashed-upfighterthateveryone

thought I was. I could still hang. Trevor had gotten a lucky shot. "I'm going to fight
again."

Larrysnorted."Thehellyouare.Youarenotinshapetofightwiththeseguys,Tony.

It's a whole different world now. They'll slaughter you as soon as you get into that
cage."

"Icandoit,"Igrumbled.FightingwasallIhadeverknowninmylifebeforeIhad

met Larry. My old man had run an underground fighting ring, and when I was
fourteen, he put me in my first cage match. I got my ass kicked, but learned a very
importantlesson:Ihadtodefendmyself.Myoldmanwasn'tgoingto.Infact,hebeat
onmeasmuchasIgotbeatenonduringmymatches.Mymomhaddiedgivingbirth
to me, and I suspected he always blamed me for her death. Larry had found me one
nightwhenIwasseventeen,cockyandhotheadedwantingbloodtobespilled.

"Yougotrealtalent,"hesaidasIstrippedoffmygloves,tastingthebloodinmymouth

frommycutlip.Wewerebackinthemakeshiftlockerroomaftermywin,takingdowna
guytwicemysizeinrecordtime.Ihadseenthemanafewtimesatthematches,butthis
wasthefirsttimehehadreachedouttome.

"Thanks," I finally said, throwing the gloves in the bag on the bench. "What do you

want,anautographorsomething?"

Hechuckledandheldouthishand."LarryGrimes."
Surprised,Ishookhishand.LarryGrimes'namehadbeenfloatingaroundforyearsin

theundergroundmarket,amanwhohadspentyearsstudyingtheartofMMAfighting.
While most would say that he had no idea what he was doing since he technically was
neverafighter,hehadproducedseveralchampionsinhisday."Mr.Grimes,Ididn'tknow
itwasyou."

"You have some real talent," he repeated, narrowing his gaze. "Do you like fighting

undergroundson?"

"Ilikeitalright,"Ishrugged,releasinghishand.Itkeptmyoldmanoffmybackwith

allthemoneyIwasmakinghim,andIhadgainedsomerespectwiththosewhodoubted
me.

Heleanedin."Howwouldyouliketofightwiththebigboys?"
That was how this whole partnership had gotten started. I knew that Larry was

attemptingtolookoutforme,butIcouldtakecareofmyself.Fightingwasmylife.

Larrysighed."Tony,yougottheclub."
I thought about the club that a few of my MMA fighter friends and I started three

yearsago.TheWarriorZonewasrapidlygaininggroundasoneofthepremiertraining
facilitiesforupandcomingfighters.Themoneywasrollingin,butitwasn'tenough.I
wasfuckingboredwiththissideofthefightingworld.Iwantedtogetbackinthering.
"It'snotenough,"Igroundout,stretchingoutmyknee.Shit,ithurt."Igottagetbackin
thatcage,Larry.I'mdyingouthere."

Larrythrewuphishands,pointingtothekneethattookmeouttobeginwith."Do

youwanttoundoeverythingthatthemdoctorsdidtoyou?Doyou?Theytoldyouif
youfoughtagainyoucouldwindupwithapermanentlimp.Isthatwhatyouwant?"

Iglaredathim."Icandothis,Larry.Ihavetodothis."
Larryshookhisheadandwalkedout,bangingthedoorclosedbehindhim.Ithrew

the ice pack at the door, pissed that I was dealing with this again. Because of my
banged-up knee, I had been forced to retire at the top of my game, and while most
people would be ecstatic that they were able to do so, I hated it. At twenty-five, I
shouldn'thavebeenretiring.

With a heavy sigh, I pushed out of the chair and attempted to put weight on my

injuredleg,wincingasIfeltthepainshootupfrommyknee.Icouldworkthroughthis
pain. I had before. Larry wasn't a fighter nor had he ever been one, so he wouldn't
understandtheneedtogetbackintothecage,thecravingdeepdowninmygutthat
festereddayafterday.TherehadbeenatimethatIthoughtsparringwouldbeenough
tokeeptheneedatbay.Butitwasn't.Ineededtofindawaytogetbackintofighting.

My damn knee was the culprit. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I was at a

disadvantagewithmyknee,knowingitwasaneasytarget.Ifonlythatfighterhadn't
gotten in that hit and taken me down, the audible pop of the ligaments something I
wouldlivewithfortherestofmydays.Ithadbeendamnhumiliatingtobecarriedout
ofthecage,seeingthepityineveryone'seyesasthedoctorruledmeoutofthematch
andsubsequentmatchesafterward.Ihatedthatfeelingandhopedtoneverseeitagain.
Yet, Larry had given me that same look just minutes ago. He thought this was a
fruitless idea, one that was going to ultimately end it all for me. Well, I was going to
show him he was damn wrong on all accounts. I could do this. I needed to do this.
Fightingwaseverythingtome,myentireexistenceandifIcouldn'tgetbackintothat
cageprofessionally,thereweren'tmanyoptionsleftforme.

Igrabbedafewtowelsoutofthecubbyonthewayout,hobblingtowardthebackof

the gym where we had an ice bath for days like this. I needed to numb the pain so I
couldforgetforjustafewminutesthatIwasn'tawholefighter.

C H A P T E R T W O

HA N N A H

pipedthelastroseonthecakeandsteppedback,lookingatitwithacriticaleye.The

weddingcakewasgorgeous,Ihadtosaysomyself,athree-tierconfectionofpalepink
roses delicately attached to a thick layer of buttercream icing. Inside were a trio of
flavors,muchlikeaNeapolitanicecreamscoop.Theentirethinghadtakenmeagreat
deallongerthanIlikedtospendoncakes,butIwantedittobeperfect.Afterall,this
wasgoingtobeoneofthemostimportantdaysoftheirlives,andIdidn'twantabad
caketoruinit.

Laying down the piping bag, I stretched out my back, cramped from hours of

bendingover.Thebakerywasquietintheeveninghours,everyoneelsegoinghometo
their waiting family. Me, I would be heading to an empty apartment and leftover
Chineseinalittlewhile,onceIgotthiscakedoneandsafelyinthefridgeforpickupin
the morning. The bell above the door sounded, and I looked up, seeing my new
assistant,Lillian,stepthroughthedoor,herarmsfullofthesuppliesIsentheroutto
getearlier.Lillianwas,well,interestingwithherpinkhairandnosepiercing,butshe
wasahardworkerandsofarhadprovedtobeeverythingIhadneededinanassistant.
"Hey," she said, breathless as she dumped the supplies on the table. "I think I got
everything."

Ilookedoverherpile,noddinginagreement.Ihadaspecialrequestcaketomake

forabirthday,anditwasgoingtorequireagreatdealofblackicing."Thanks,itlooks
likeit'sallthere."

"Theweddingcakelooksgood,"Lilliansaidasshewalkedaroundthetabletolookat

itfromeveryangle."Iwishmyroseswouldturnoutasgoodasyours."

"I'vehadalotofpractice,"Ismiled,thinkingofallthepipedrosesIhaddoneduring

mytimeatculinaryschoolandinthelasttwoyearsthatIhadownedmyownbakery.
SweetTreatswasavisionthathadfinallycometofruitionwhenIhadfoundtheperfect
buildingwithacheaplease.NowIhadanicelittlebakeryfrontwhereIcoulddisplay
mycreations.AftertheyearIhad,Iwasverygratefulforthisbakery.Itkeptmesane
whenIthoughtIwouldfallapart.

"Heydidyouseethathottiewalkingoutofthegymearlier?Mygodhisarmswere

huge!"

Irolledmyeyesandpickedupthecake,carryingitcarefullytothefridge,whereit

wouldsituntiltomorrow.Lillianhadn'tgottenusedtothegymthatwasnextdoorand

theamountofmuscledmenthatcrossedourpatheveryday.Thegymhadbeenhere
whenImovedinandforawhileIhadkepttomyself.Butitwasn'tlongbeforebusiness
from next door had started to trickle in and let's just say it wasn't the normal gym
crowdthatcameoverforabite.TheseguyswereheavilytattooedandbasedonwhatI
couldseeoftheirbodies,prettycutmuscularly.Iwasn'tquitesurewhatkindofgym
the Warrior Zone was, but something told me they weren't just lifting weights over
there.Still,everyonethathadcomeinwasveryniceandpolitesoIcouldn'tcomplain.
"Why don't you just go over there and check them all out?" I asked as I took the
leftovercupcakesoutofthedisplaycaseandplacedtheminacontainerthatIwould
dropoffatthehomelessshelteronthewayhome.Ididn'tbelieveinthrowingperfectly
goodfoodaway.

Lillian pulled out another box and grabbed a few of the cupcakes. "Maybe you

shouldgoandcheckitout,Hannah.Youworktoomuch.Youneedasociallifeanda
boyfriend."

MyhandstilledasIpickeduponeofthecupcakes,thefamiliarfeelingoflossand

angercomingoverme.Ihadtriedsohardtonothaveitaffectmeanymore,butthe
mere mention of a boyfriend just brought it all back full force. I had been involved,
heavilyinvolvedwithamanthatIthoughtlovedmejustsixmonthsago,whereIhad
starteddreamingofmyownweddingcakeandhowIwasgoingtodecorateit.James
had been everything to me, this funny, handsome investment banker, who for some
reason had fallen in love with me, Hannah Collins, a slightly overweight baker who
lovedtotastehertreatsasmuchasshelovedtomakethem.IthadbeenJameswho
had helped me get a good loan with the bank to purchase this place and somewhere
alongtheway,Ihadfalleninlove.Apparently,hehadaswell,withmyformerassistant
andclosefriend,Jenna.WhileIwaslivinginmyownlittlecloudnineworldwhereall
wasrightandperfect,JamesandJennawerebangingeachothereverywhere,including
theniceapartmentwelivedintogether.TheshockoffindingthemtogetherafterJenna
hadcalledinsick,andIwasbringingherchickensouplikeanygoodfriendwoulddo,
had devastated me. Not only had I lost the love of my life, but my best friend in the
samebreath.Ofcourse,bothofthemhadapologizedlikecrazyandpromisedtonever
doanythinglikethatagain,butthedamagewasdone.Ihadmovedout,andafterabout
three months of peace, while I nursed my broken heart, James had started sniffing
aroundagain.Ihadnointentionsofgoingdownthatroad."IthinkIhaveenoughgoing
onrightnow,"Isaid,realizingLillianwaswaitingonaresponse."Idon'tneedanyother
distractions."

Lillianfilledherboxandsetitonthetable,tyingoneofmysignatureyellowribbons

aroundtheboxtokeepitclosed."Well,atleasttellmethatyouhavetalkedtothose
guys."

Ishookmyhead,finishingwithmyboxaswell."Ihaven'treally.Theymostlykeep

tothemselvesotherthantheoccasionalcupcakeorder.Infact,Ihaveonetodeliverto
themintwodays.Youcantakethemoverifyouwouldlike."

Lillian'ssmilegrewwider."Hellyes,I'lltakethem.Letmescopethemout."
Ilaughedandplacedmyboxontopofhers."Theyareallyours."Therewasnopart

ofmethatwantedtogetinvolvedwithanymanrightnow,friendorotherwise.James'
deceptionhelpedmerefocusonmybusiness,mylivelihood,somethingthatIhadlost

a bit with my relationship and the need to constantly make him happy. Now I could
reallytakethebakerytothenextlevel,andIalreadyhadsomeideasofhowtomake
thathappen.

"Well, I'm telling you I won't mind if one of them follows me back," Lillian was

saying as I closed the display case and turned off the lights in the front of the store,
lockingitdownforthenight."AndIwon'tbesendingthembackeither."

Ipulledofftheapronthatattemptedtoprotectmyclothesonadailybasisandhung

ituponthehooknexttothedoor,pickingupmypurseandtheboxes."Aslongasthey
arewillingtohelpoutinthebakery,theycanstay.Justmakesureyouseduceagood
one."

Lillian'slaughfollowedmeoutsideasIwalkedtomycar,openingthedoorbefore

puttingtheboxesinthebackseat.ShecouldhaveallofthemasfarasIwasconcerned.
Iwassodonewithmenandrelationshipsfornow.Theywerenothingbuttroubleand
noteveninagoodway.

My cell vibrated, and I picked it up as I walked to the driver's side of the car,

frowningasIsawJames'numberfillthescreen.ImmediatelyIhitignoreandstuffed
thephonebackinmypocket,knowingthathewasprobablygoingtoleavesomelong
assvoicemailsayinghowmuchheneededmeandthathewassorryforsleepingwith
Jenna. He did that quite regularly now, and after listening to the first few, I started
deleting them without even bothering to listen. There was nothing he could tell me
nowthatwouldmakemetakehimbackorevenwanttotakehimback.Heblamedthe
relationshiponJenna,butIdidn'tcarewhosefaultitwas.Itwasoveranddonewith,
andheneededtorealizethatIwasn'tgoingtocomeback,ever.Lilliansteppedoutof
thebakery,andIwatchedasshelockedthedoorbeforeclimbingintothecar,waving
atherasIdroveaway.Thebakerywaseverythingtomenow,andIplannedtomakeit
staythatway.

Myapartmentwasn'tfarfromthebakery,andIwasgladtonight.OnceIdroppedoff

thebakedgoodsattheshelter,Iwashomeinnotime.Grabbingmythings,Iwalkedto
the door and threw it open, walking into what had become my haven. Shutting the
door,IflippedonthelightsasIwalkedthrough,takingadeepbreath.Ithadbeenweird
atfirstlivingaloneagainafterallthetimeIhadspentwithJames,butIhadgradually
grown used to it over the last few months, allowed to do whatever I wanted to, eat
whenIwantedtoeatorspendallofmytimeatthebakerywithoutsomeoneconstantly
complainingIwastakingupalloftheirtime.Whiletheapartmentwasn'tasniceasthe
oneIhadsharedwithJames,itwasenoughforme.

Withasigh,Ifloppeddownonmycouch,pickingupmyphoneoncemoretofind

threemoretextmessagesfromJames.Atonetime,Ihadlovedhimtodistraction,him
my entire world. But the funny thing was, after we broke up, I realized he had been
toxicaswell.EverythingIdidwasnevergoodenoughforhim,andIhadn'tseenituntil
the blinders had been removed after our nasty breakup. I had never claimed to be
perfect,andhewasfarfromitaswellbutlikedtothinkhewas.NowIcouldn'teven
thinkofwhathadattractedmetohiminthefirstplace,butlovewasaficklething.I
wasjustgladitwasalloverwith,well,ifIcouldgethimtoleavemealone.

C H A P T E R T H R E E

A N T HO N Y

esatinthesecondstoryloungeabovethegymaroundalargetablethatweusedto

planoutthegym'snextmovesandeatonoccasion.Ileanedbackinthepaddedleather
chair,mykneestretchedoutinfrontofmewithjustatwingeofanacheaftertwodays.
Yesterdayhadbeenhell,buttodayIwasfeelingmorelikemyself.TomyleftsatTravis
'The Terrible' Kell, who had been an up and coming MMA fighter before he had
droppeditallanddisappearedfortwoyearswithoutaword.HeandIhadfoughtafew
bouts in our day. The first time he had resurfaced was when we were looking at
opening this place, walking into the bar that many of the fighters frequented and
plunked down twenty grand for his share. To my right Paul 'The Scorpion' Watts
lounged, his arms crossed over his chest. Paul's nickname came from the large
scorpion tat that graced his entire back and like me, had his career cut far too soon
fromaninjury.IthadbeenPaul'sideatoopenupthisjoint,keepinghimselfcloseto
theaction.AcrossthetablewasBenji'TheSleeper'Lomns,whoheldthetitleforputting
moreguysunconsciousinhiscareerthananyotherfighterinanydivision.Hewasthe
onlyonethatwasstillafightertothisday,whichwaswhyhewassportingayellowish
bruiseonhisfacefromhismostrecentboutafewnightsago.Hewasalsoourresident
marketingguy,whichwaspartofthereasonwewereheretoday.

"So I found another sponsor," he was saying, a grin appearing on his busted lips.

"Theexhibitionison."

I rubbed a hand over my face, holding my tongue on how much of a dumbass

decision this was. Paul had gotten a wild hair to hold an exhibition match for all the
guysthatwerecurrentlytrainingunderustoattempttoattractabiggeraudiencefor
notonlythembutforthegymitself.Wewereabletofindavenueandponyuphalfof
themoney,butweneededanothersponsortoshareinthecost.

"That'sgreat,"Travissaid,hisnormalbroodingstarenotchangingeventhoughhe

soundedexcited."Whoisit?"

Benji stretched his arms behind his head and leaned back. "You know that glove

supplierdowntown?He'swillingtogivethemoneyifalltheguysusehisproductsin
theirmatches.Ifigureditwasn'tabigdeal."

"Soundslikeit'sonthen,"Pauladded,reachingfortheboxinthemiddleofthetable.

"Anyonewantacupcake?Thesethingsareawesome."

Isighedloudly."Really?Arewereducedtoeatingcupcakesnow?"

"What crawled up your ass?" Benji asked as he accepted one of the beige iced

cupcakesfromPaul."Whatdoyouhaveagainstcupcakes?"

Ilookedattheguys,guysthathadthesamecommongoalasmeonceuponatime

and wondered if they every missed the sport, Benji excluded. He was still the lucky
fuckerwhogottofighteveryonceandawhile.Didtheynotdreamofthesport,wantto
feelthecrushoftheirfistintohumanskin?Idreamedaboutitnearlyeverynight."I
don'thaveanythingagainstcupcakes,"Igroundout."Doyounotmissthecage?"

Travis looked at me funny before running a hand through his hair, which was

abnormallyshoulderlengthinnature."Whatareyougettingat,Tony?"

"You know the smell of the game, the feel of the fight, don't you miss it at all? I

wouldgiveanythingtogetbackintothatcage."

Travis rolled his shoulders, moving his neck side to side with an audible pop with

eachmovement."Hellyeah,Imissit.Howcanyounotwhenit'syourlivelihoodforso
long?"

Paulpolishedoffhiscupcake,wipinghismouthwiththebackofhishand."Whydo

youthinkIopenedthisplace,Tony?"

"It'snotenough,"Ireiterated,slammingthepalmofmyhandonthetable.Theyall

lookedatmewarily,asifIhadlostmymind.MaybeIhad,butIwasgoingtolosemy
sanityifIdidn'tgetbackintothemixoffighting."Iwantbackinthecage."

Benjistaredatme,hiscupcakefrozenintheair."What?"
"I'mgettingbackinthecage,"Irepeated,thethrillofjustsayingitoutloudrunning

throughmyveins."I'llbepartoftheexhibition."

"Butyoucan't,"Travisstated,hiseyesdarkening."Yourknee."
Ipushedoutofthechair,angrythatwhenpeoplelookedatme,theysawonlymy

knee.Iwasmuchmorethanjustabumknee."Mykneeisfuckingfine,"Ishotback,
standingonbothlegsjusttoshowthemthatIwastellingthetruth."Ihavetofight.I
needtofight.Thisclub,beingthisclosetotheaction,it'sdrivingmecrazy.Alittlebitof
conditioningandIwillbereadyinamonth."

TheyalllookedatmebeforeBenjishookhishead,standing."Hellifyouwanttodo

itthatmuch,I'llsparwithyou,helpyoutrain."

"Thanks,"Isaidgrudgingly,noddingtowardthefighter.Benjiwascurrentlyinthe

circuit, which would be a big benefit to me and my training. He nodded in response
beforepushingthecupcakeboxtowardme."Noweatacupcake.Everyoneneedsone."

twaspasttenbeforeIshoulderedmybagandwalkedoutofthefrontofthegym,my

bodysoreinplacesIhadforgottenexisted.Benji,truetohisword,haddecidedtoday
wasasgoodadayasanytostartmytraining,andhehadworkedmeovergoodinthat
regard.Hewasfarmoretalentedthansomekidoffthestreet,andIspentmoreofmy
timeonmyback,tryingtofighthimoffthanIdidactuallyknockinghimonhisass.It
was a good start, but I had a long way to go. I was making the right decision getting
backinthecage.Iknewiteveniftheotherguysdidn'tthinkso.Ididn'twanttobethe
one sitting on the sidelines forever, wishing I had done it. If I broke my damn back
attemptingtomakeacomeback,wellatleastIwouldhavethatmemorytocarryme

throughtherestofmymiserablelife.

Ilockedthedoorwiththekeyandturnedtowardmycar,seeingawomanuphead,

herhandsfullofboxesassheattemptedtojugglethemtowardanothercar.Iwalked
towardherinstantly,feelingsorryforher."Hey,canIhelp?"

Shejerkedherheadinmydirection,hereyesregisteringinconcern,thensurprise.

"I,umsureyoucan.Here,canyouholdtheseforme?Ican'tseemtolocatemykeys."

Itooktheboxesfromher,thesmellofcupcakeswaftingupfromthem,reminding

meofthecupcakeIhadbeenforcedtotryearlierintheday.Ihadtoadmit,itwasa
damn good cupcake, but I wasn't much of a sweets eater and hadn't had a reason to
frequent the small bakery since she moved in. "You're the baker," I said as she
scrambledaroundinherlargebagforherkeys.

"Iam,"shesaid,hereyesonhertask."SweetTreatsisthename."
"Youmustbefeedinganarmytonight,"Imutteredasshefinallyfoundherkeysand

inserted them into the car door. She took the boxes from me and then straightened,
giving me my first look at the owner of the bakery. She was petite, with blonde-
streaked brown hair tied into a hasty knot at the nape of her neck. Her eyes were
green,herfaceroundedwithasmatteringoffrecklesacrossthebridgeofhernose.My
eyestraveleddowntoherbreasts,heyI'maguy,andfoundthemmorethanahandful,
withanicecurvetoherhipsroundingouttherestofher.Ihadn'tbeenthisclosetoa
womaninquitesometime,andIwaslikingwhatIwasseeing.Shewasfarfrommy
normaltype,butcouldeasilybecomemytypewithafewsweetwords.

"Youlikingwhatyouareseeing?"
Yeah,thosewordsweren'tsweetatall.Hervoicehadanexasperatedfeeltoit,like

shewaspissedIwastakinginthesights.Isnappedmyeyesbacktoherface,seeingthe
annoyanceinhereyesasshecaughtmeoglingher."Sorry,"Iofferedwithahintofa
grinonmyface.

"Well, thanks for helping," she answered, shutting the door and walking briskly to

thedriver'sdoor.Ithoughtaboutsayingsomethingelseoratleastgivingherabetter
apologybutdecidedtolethergo,waitinguntilshewassafelyinthecaranddrivingoff
before I turned toward my own car. Well, I never claimed I was some kind of suave
guy with smooth words or a quick grin that sent all the ladies into a tizzy. I was a
fighter,andthatwasallthatmatteredtome.

C H A P T E R F O U R

HA N N A H

o,nonotthatway.Youhavetocurvetheicingup,oritwillleavestreaks."

Lilliangavemeadirtylookbutresumedhericingjourney,followingmydirections.

Withthesummerseasonstarting,thereweremoreandmorerequestsforcakes,soI
feltlikeitwastimeformyassistanttostepupandstartpreparingherowncakes.She
lookedaboutasenthusedashavingtogiveupherfavoriteitem,butsofarIcouldsee
the promise in her. Without formal education, Lillian was proving to be a great
investment.Thedooropened,andIturnedaroundtoseeaguywithafadedbruiseon
his handsome face standing before the display case, his hands in his pockets. He was
tall and well built, with close-cropped hair and a nose that looked like it had been
brokenafewtimesinhislife.Iknewimmediatelythathehadcomefromthegymnext
doorandmythoughtsflashedbacktotwonightsagowhenoneofthemhadhelpedme
load the remaining cupcakes in the car. He had been a rough looking character, but
handsomeinasortofangryattheworldway.Hehadn'tscaredme,butthewayhehad
perusedmybodywithhiseyeshadlitanothertypeoffireundermethatIsorelydidn't
needrightnow.

Shakingoutofthosethoughts,Iputonasmile."CanIhelpyou?"
He turned and gave me a grin, enough to send my heart racing. "I don't think we

havemet,"hesaid,reachingoverthecasewithanoutstretchedhand.I'mBenji,oneof
theownersfromnextdoor."

Ishookit,feelinghisfirmgriponmyhand."HiBenji,I'mHannah.It'snicetomeet

my neighbor." I had met one of the other guys who apparently had a fondness for
cupcakes, for he came in every few days to grab a box. He was friendly as well, but
Lillian always took it upon herself to be readily available whenever he came in. I
wondered if she had a sixth sense or something for cute guys. "What can I help you
with?"

"Ineedacake,"Benjisaid."Forabirthday."
I pulled out the pad I kept behind the case and found a pencil, poised to take his

instructions."Sure,whendoyouneeditby?"

"Whyhellothere,"Lilliansaidasshecametostandbesideme,asmileonherface.I

sighedasIsawtheinterestonherface,wonderingifIwasabouttolosemyassistantto
thegym.Itwasquitecomicaltobeginwiththatagymwasrightnexttoabakeryfilled
withsweetsinthefirstplace."Whichoneareyou?"

IrolledmyeyesasBenjiintroducedhimselfoncemore,causingLilliantogiggleas

theyshookhands."Ididn'tknowthatthereweretwoprettygirlsrunningthisplace,"
BenjiremarkedashereleasedLillian'shand."OrIwouldhavecomeinsooner."Great,
asmoothtalker.RightupLillian'salley.Iwasn'tgoingtogethertoworktherestofthe
daynow.

"And we didn't know that there were such hotties just right next door," Lillian

replied,elbowingmeintheside."RightHannah?"

"He'sheretogetacakeLillian,"Isaidinstead,rubbingwhereshehadjustelbowed

me.Ididn'thavetimetoflirt.Ididn'twanttoflirt,nomatterhowcutethecustomer
was."Don'tyouhaveacaketoice?"

"Ohthat'sright,"Lilliananswered,shootingmealookthatclearlywasnotathank

youforremindingher.Ididn'tpayhertoflirt,Ipaidhertoice,andthatwaswhatshe
neededtobedoing."It'snicetomeetyou,Benji.Don'tbeastranger,okay?"

"Iwon't,"hesaid,givingherawink.Iwaiteduntilshehaddisappearedbackbehind

thewallbeforeturningbacktoBenji,mypencilready.UnlikeLillian,Iwasallbusiness.
"Nowwhendidyouneeditby?"

"Twodaysfromnow,"heanswered,leaningagainstthecase,hiseyesdriftingtoits

contents."It'soneoftheowner'sbirthdays,andwell,heneedssomesweetinhislife.I
takeityoucanmakethiscometrue."

Ithoughtabouttheguythathelpedmetheothernightandwonderedifhewasthe

onethatBenjicouldbetalkingabout.Itwouldn'tsurprisemeintheslightest.Thatguy
didlooklikeheneededsomethinginhislife,butIdoubtedacakewasgoingtohelp.
"Whatkindofcakewereyouthinkingabout?"

"Idon'tknow,"Benjisaidwithashrug."SomethingcoolIguess.Thesky'sthelimit.

Youhavefullrangeonthisone."

Iwrotedownsomethingcoolonmypad,athousandthoughtsrunningthroughmy

mind."Doeshehaveafavoriteflavor?"

Benjishruggedagain,andItriednottoappearfrustrated.Vanillaitwasthen.That

wasasafeflavor,alongwithbuttercreamicing.Itwasmygo-toflavorcombowhena
customer couldn't make up his mind, present company included. "Anything that this
guylikestodo?"

Benjichuckled,agrinappearingonhisface,alongwithaverycutedimple."Helikes

tofight."

I nearly dropped my pencil. "Fight?" What kind of place were they running next

door? I had never stepped foot inside before, but I had just assumed it was a regular
gym.Afterall,everyonethatcameoutoftheplacelookedasiftheylivedinagym.

"You know, martial arts fighting?" he asked, surprise filling his eyes. "You didn't

knowthat?"

Ishookmyhead.I'dneveraskedwhatwentonnextdoorandassumedthatthey

were just gym buffs, not fighters. Benji cleared his throat and gave me an apologetic
smile. "I can assure you that we are a bunch of teddy bears despite our rippling
muscles."

Ilaughed,enjoyinghiscompany.Ihadbeenwrongabouthim."Sureyouare.So,

fighting,huh?IthinkIcoulddosomethingwiththat."

"Great thanks a lot," he said reaching for his wallet. "His name is Anthony. How

muchdoIoweyou?"

Ithoughtforamomentandthenwaveditoff."No,it'sonthehouse.Youguysbuy

enough cupcakes to keep me in business for years." It wasn't going to hurt to have a
bunchoffightersowingmeafavorortwo.

Herelaxed,givingmeawink."That'sawfullyniceofyouHannah.Wedolikeyour

cupcakes."

Itoreofftheslipandpinnedittotheboardofmyto-doordersfortheweek."Duly

noted.Youcanpickitupthatmorning.Thanksforcomingtomeforyourbusiness."

Benjisaidgoodbyeandwalkedoutoftheshop,causingmetoblowoutabreathin

return. That had to be at the top of the most interesting customers this week, not to
mention he was easy on the eyes. "Wow he was super-hot," Lillian remarked as she
came around the corner. "And nice. Who would have thought that they were next
door?"

"Whatwereyoudoing,spying?"Iasked,archingabrow.
She shrugged, not even disagreeing. "Alright, so I was listening in. I wonder what

the birthday boy looks like? Maybe he needs a present in the form of a blonde who
needstogetlaid.Thinkwecanmakeacakeformetojumpoutof?"

Ithoughtbacktotheguyfromtheothernight,thewayhehadlookedatmewith

nakedhungerinhiseyes.Hewasadangerousguyinmorewaysthanone.Thewaymy
bodyhadreactedtohisopenstarehadmademegohomeandtakeacoldshowerto
stave off whatever it had been. I couldn't get involved again. Still, I knew his name
now.Anthony.Thenamedidkindoffithim.

Withasigh,IshruggedoffanymorethoughtsofthatguyasIreachedformyphone

withtheintentionsofresearchingthisfightingthingthatwasgoingonnextdoor.My
text messaging alert popped up, displaying yet another text from James. Since I
wouldn'tanswerhisphonecalls,hewasnowstartingtotext,alot,havingsentatleast
tentoday.Ihadignoredthem,notevengivingthemacursoryglancebeforedeleting
them.Ididn'tknowwhatelseIcoulddotomakehimgoaway,andIcertainlywasn't
goingtoopenthatdooragain.IwasfinishedwithJames.Ijustwishedhecouldgetthe
clueandleavemealone.

"Hey,Hannahareyouokay?"
Ilookedup,realizingthatLillianwasstillstandingthere,aconcernedlookonher

face. I hadn't told her about James, not wanting to look at the past but focus on the
future. But with him still attempting to reconcile with me, it was harder than I had
anticipated. "Yes," I said hastily, tucking my phone back into my pocket with a quick
smile."I'mfine.JustabackorderthatIreallyneededtocomeintoday."

Shegavemealookthattoldmeshedidn'tbelievemebutdidn'tpressanyfurther

andItookofftowardmysmalloffice,intendingondoingsomeresearchforthisfighter
cake.Ididn'twanttosharethatkindofinformationwithanyone.Thatwaspartofmy
past,apastIwouldlovetoforget.Withaheavysigh,Isatdowninmychairandturned
towardthecomputer.Itwastimetofocusonthiscakeandknockingthesocksoffof
Anthonythefighter.

C H A P T E R F I V E

A N T HO N Y

climbed the steps to the lounge, wondering what this impromptu meeting could be

about.Benjihadkickedmyasstoday,butIwasgettingbetter,abletoanticipatesome
of his moves that he tried on me. I felt quicker, even if I didn't look it. Larry had
watchedfromoutsidethecage,lookingangrytheentiretime.Wehadn'tspokensince
thatdayintheoffice,andIknewhehatedthefactthatIwastrainingagain.Well,he
wouldjusthavetogetoverthefact.Iwasgoingtofight,andIwasgoingtowin.

Ipushedopenthedoortotheloungeandlookedatthescene,confusionsettingin.

"Whatthehellisthis?"

"Happybirthdayman,"Benjisaid,agrinonhisface.Thetablewaslitteredwithpizza

boxesfrommyfavoritepizzaplace,withanopencoolerofbeeronthefloornearthe
door.Therewasaboxonthetableaswell,withthebakeryfromnextdoor'semblem
onit,thetopstillclosed.Morefuckingcupcakes.Theyweretryingtokillme.

Alltheguyswerethere,liftingtheirbottlesasIwalkedintothelounge.Yeah,today

was my birthday. I hadn't celebrated it in years, too old to make a big deal out of
turninganotheryearolder.Butstill,itwasnicethattheyhadremembered."Thanks,"I
finallysaid,noddingtothepizza."Youreallyknowyourwaytoaguy'sstomach."

They all laughed and the pizza was passed around, the ooey gooey cheese perfect

afterthegruelingworkout.Whensomeonesatabeerinfrontofme,Ipaused,looking
attheambercoloredbottle. Ithadbeenat leastayearsinceI hadtakenadrink, my
mouth salivating at the thought of just taking a sip. After my knee surgery, I was far
down in the dumps. My career was pretty much over, the title stripped from me
becauseIcouldn'tdefenditanylongerandmygirlgone,notwantingtobearounda
guywhocouldn'tevengetitupbecauseIwassodepressed.Larrywasthere,ofcourse,
but even his company hadn't been enough. The pain was bad even with the small
amountofpainpillsIwasconsuming,soIturnedtoalcoholtonumbitall,mylife,the
pain,everything.FormonthsIhaddrunkmyselfintoastupor,wakingupinmyown
vomitandtryingtofigureouthowIsurvivedonlytohitthebottleagain.OnedayIhad
looked into the mirror and not recognized the dude that stared back at me. I looked
older,feltlikeshit,andhatedlookingatmyself.ItwasthenthatIrealizedIwasbeinga
dumbass. So, I had cleared the apartment of all alcohol and started going to the AA
meetings.NowIwassoberandnotwantingtofalloffofthatwagon.Ihadcometoofar
doso.

Ipushedthebottlebackandgrabbedawaterfromthefridgebehindme,sittingat

thetable.Ifanyonenoticed,theydidn'tsayanything,thetalkeverywherefromsports
tothefightthathadbeenonTVlastnight.Iatemypizzainsilence,apartofmeglad
thatIhadsuchagroupofguysaroundme.Theyallhadtheirownissues,justlikeIdid,
butwouldgivetheshirtsofftheirbacktohelpeachother.Iwasaluckyguytohave
friends like this. And I knew they would support me in my return to the cage, no
matterhowmuchtheythoughtIwasmakingamistake.ThoughIhadneverheardany
ofthemtalkaboutit,Iwassureeachoneofthemhadapieceofthemthatwantedtodo
thesame.Iwasjusttheguywhowaswillingtoputmylifeandmyhealthontheline.
"Morecupcakes?"Iasked,pointingtothebox.

Benjigrinned."Nope,wegotyousomethingextraspecial."
Ilookedatthebox."Whatisit?"
"Beatsus,"Paulsaidwithashrug."Wehaven'tlookedyet."
Ifrownedastheypushedtheboxtowardme.Ifitwasn'taloadofcupcakes,itmust

be a cake. I hadn't had a cake for my birthday, ever. My old man didn't believe in
birthdays,sayingtheywerejustanotherday.SowereChristmasandanyotherholiday
thatmightbringaboutapresent.Asaresult,Ineverrecognizedanyofthem,thinking
justashehad.Justanotherday,anothersaddayinmyexistence.

Notwantingtodisappointtheguyssincetheyhadgonethroughallofthistrouble

forme,Iopenedthebox.Shit.Itwasacake,afuckingawesomecakeatthat.

"What is it?" Travis asked as I stared at the cake, feeling all sorts of emotions

roamingthroughmybody.Forittobemyfirstcake,itsurewasgoingtobehardtotop
it.Thecakewasapairofsparringgloves,theicingdetailsointricatethattheylooked
likeIcouldjustpickthemupandputthemon.Therewasasmallemblemoneachone
wherethemaker'slogonormallywent,butinstead,shehadgottenthelogooftheclub
onthem,rightdowntotheswirlingtornadothatgracedthesignabovethegym.Across
theknuckleswerethewords'HappyBirthdayAnthony'inboldletters,anodtome.She
hadmadethisformewithoutevenknowingwhatkindofguyIwasandhadkilledit.

"Damn,"Benjisaidashelookedatthecakeovermyshoulder."Shekilledthatthing.

Ididn'tgiveheranydirectioneither."

"Wow,"TravisstatedasIpulledthecakeoutofthebox,notbelievingthatourlittle

bakernextdoorhaddonesuchabadassjob.Shewasreallymuchmorethancupcakes;
thatwasforsure."I'mthinkingI'vefoundmybaker."

"Youdon'tneedabaker,"Paulsaid,lookingatthecake."Butitisaprettysweetcake.

Ican'tbelieveshedidallthatworkandwouldn'tletyoupayforit,Benji."

Myheadsnappedup."Youdidn'tpayher?"
Benji shrugged. "I tried, trust me and had I known it was going to be this epic, I

would have shoved the money under the door. I still might. That took a ton of work
andeffort."

Icouldn'thelpbutagreemyself.Ithadtohavetakenalotoftimeforafreecake.

ThatsaidalotofhercharacterandIhadogledherrelentlesslylikeshewasjustanother
chick.Thefeelingdidn'tsitwellwithme.

"Idon'twanttoevencutintoit,"Benjiwassaying,pullingouthiscellphonetosnap

apicture."Thinkwecouldmemorializethissomehow?"

"Ithinkyoubettertakemorethanonepic,"Travislaughed,alreadypassingoutthe

plates."BecauseIwantapieceofthat."

Ipushedthecaketowardthem,athoughtchurninginmyhead.Ihadtogothank

herforthis.Shedidn'tknowhowmuchthiscake,myfirstcake,meanttome.

C H A P T E R S I X

HA N N A H

reyousureyouaregoingtobealright?Icanstayjustalittlewhilelonger?"

Iwipeddownmyworkislandwitharagandshookmyhead,shooingLilliantoward

thebackdoorwithmyhand."Go!Youhaveahotdatetogetreadyfor."

Lillian grinned and opened the door. "See you tomorrow! I'll have all the juicy

details."

Ilaughedassheshutthedoor,thinkingthatLillianwasfartoographicsometimes

withher'details'.Butshehadalife,andIdidn'tsoIcouldliveoffofherdetailsfornow.
Afterall,Iwasatabakeryateighto'clockonaFridaynight.Clearly,Ididn'thavealife.

Thedooropened,andIlookedup,hatingthatIforgottolockthedoor.Ihadalready

cleared out the case for the night. "I'm sorry," I said, walking around the corner. "I,
Whatareyoudoinghere?"

"Hannah,"Jamessaid,standingontheothersideofthedisplaycase."IknewIwould

findyouhere."

I crossed my arms over my chest, glaring at him. He was exactly as I had

remembered,withmoreclothesonthistime."Getout."

Hisgrinslippedandhisgazesharpened,hisarmshanginglooselyathissides."Come

on Hannah. We need to talk about what happened. You are ignoring my calls, my
texts."

"For good reason," I interrupted. "You slept with my assistant, James. There's

nothingmoretosaybetweenus."

"ButIloveyou,"hepleaded,hishandsomefacedroppingintoasadexpression."I

can'tlivewithoutyou."

I felt that familiar tug on my heart at his words, remembering the times I would

meltwhenhewouldsaythemtome.Ihadbelievedhim,heartandsoul,whenhehad
saidthemthefirsttime,picturingmyfuturewithJameswherewewouldliveinacute
little house and have a big backyard for our children. But those dreams had been
illusions,afragileglassballthathadbeenshatteredbyhisbetrayal.Ofcourse,Icould
saythatIwasluckytocatchhimbeforeImadeanythingfinal,suchasmarriageand
children,butithadn'thelpedthehurt.Nothingwould."Youshouldhavethoughtabout
thatbeforeyoudecidedtosleepwithJenna."

"Shemeansnothingtome,"hespatout,disgustonhisface."ItwasherfaultIlost

you anyway. She had been shaking her ass in front of me for months whenever you

weren'taround.Youcan'tblamemeforthat."

Ilaughedbecausehewasjustsimplyridiculousinhisthoughtprocess."Yes,Ican

James.You should have kept your dick in your pants in the first place. We are done,
through,overwith.Whatpartofthatcanyounotfigureout?"

Hetookastepforward,andIwasgladthatthedisplaycasewasbetweenus.James

hadneverhurtme,buthedidhaveatemperandmorethanonceIhadseenhimgooff
onotherpeople.Thatlookinhiseyestoldmehewasn'tgoingtojustgiveuponus,no
matterhowmuchIdesperatelyneededhimto."Please,"Isaid,loweringmyvoice."Go
andfindsomeonethatcanmakeyouhappy."

"You made me happy," he snapped, slamming a fist down on the display case. I

flinched,worryspreadingthroughmybonesnow.Iwantedhimout.Hewasmaking
meextremelynervous.

Thedooropenedsuddenly,andmyboxretrieverwalkedin,hiseyesshiftingfrom

left to right as he surveyed the scene. I could only imagine what he was seeing, the
paleness of my face, the anger that was showing on James. The anger in the air was
palpable, and I was embarrassed that anyone else was witnessing this. "Um, we are
closedforthenight,"Iforcedout,myvoiceshaking."Pleasecomebacktomorrow."

Insteadofwalkingout,thefightercrossedhisarmsoverhischest."No,Idon'tthink

I'mreadytoleaveyet."

Jamesturnedtowardhim,andIcamearoundthecounter,knowingthiswasabout

toblowup."Didn'tyouhearthelady?Shewantsyouout."

AnthonyrolledhisshouldersandsuddenlyIfeltconcernforJames.Hedidn'tknow

whohewasabouttomesswith."It'sfine,"Imurmured,lookingatAnthony."I'vegotit
undercontrol."

"Icouldhearyoubothoutside,"Anthonysaid,shiftinghisfocusonJames."Ithink

youbetterleave."

Jameslaughedharshlyandlookedbackatme."Areyousleepingwiththisfucker?"
OfallthethingsIwouldhaveanticipatedtocomeoutofhismouth,thatwasnotone

ofthem."What?"Iasked,surprised.

Hedidn'thaveachancetoanswer.Inoneswiftmoment,Anthonyhadhimjacked

upagainstthewall,effortlesslyholdinghimupafewinchesoffofthefloorwithone
fist."Youshouldn'tusethatlanguageinherpresence,"hesaidsoftly."AndIdon'tlike
beingcalledafucker."

Jamestriedtosaysomethingbutwasunable,grabbingatAnthony'shandashetried

tofreehimself.AsmuchasIwasgladthatJameshadfinallymetsomeonethatwasnot
goingtotakehisshit,Icouldn'thavehimkilledinmybakery."Please,"Isaid,touching
Anthony'sshoulder.Underhisshirt,Icouldfeelthesteelystrengthofhismuscles,the
trembleasheheldJamesagainstthewall."Lethimgo."

Helookedatme,andIfeltthebreathleavemybodyasItookintheangerinhis

beautifuleyes,notscaredbutsomethingelse,somethingIhadn'tfeltinalongtime.He
clenchedhisjawandloweredJamesbacktothefloor,turninghisattentionbacktomy
ex."Getout,"hesnarled."Anddon'tletmecatchyouherebotheringheragain."

Jamestookalookatme,andbythelookonhisface,Iknewthiswasfarfromover.

He was coming back. With a mutter, he walked out, leaving me with my savior, my
avenging dark angel. Or demon. I wasn't sure which one to classify him as. Anthony

blewoutabreathandranahandthroughhishairbeforelookingatme."I'msorry."

"No, no," I started immediately. He had gotten James out of here, and I couldn't

thankhimenough."Thankyouforer,talkingsomesenseintohim."

He chuckled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "I've never heard it called that, but

whateverfloatsyourboat."

Icrossedmyarmsovermychest,feelingexposednowthathehadseensomething

so personal. "Did you like your cake?" I asked, changing the subject. I had done
somethingveryspecialforhim,knowingthathewouldprobablyappreciatewhatwas
clearlyhislove.

His expression changed, and I was surprised to see him shut down so quickly.

"Yeah,"hefinallysaid,lookingdownattheground."Er,thanks.Iheardyoudidn'ttake
anypaymentforit."

Inoddedabsently."Well,youdidhelpmetheothernight.ItwastheleastIcould

do."

Anthonylookedup,andIsawtheswirlofemotionsinhiseyes,wonderingwhatwas

upwiththisguy.NowthatIhadaminutetolookathim,hewasallhardmuscleand
verylittlesoftness,hiseyesamixofblueandgraythatresembledstormclouds.There
wasasmallflamethatlickedoutfromunderthecollarofhist-shirtathisneck,buthis
armswerecoveredinathinlongsleevedshirt,soIwasunabletoseeanymoretats.

"Likewhatyousee?"
Ilookedbackathisface,thewrygrinthatwasonhislips."Turnaboutisfairplay,"I

said softly, giving him a cheeky smile. His grin widened for a moment, and I felt the
breathleavemybody,thinkingofhowhisentiredemeanorchangedwhenhesmiled
likethat.Ohboy."Yeah,"hefinallysaid,shovinghishandsinhispantpockets."Iguess
youareright."

I cleared my throat, my face feeling hot all of a sudden and looked away. "I um

thanksforallthat.Ihadalreadytoldhimtoleaveafewtimes."

"Hey, if he comes back, you come next door," he said, his voice barely above a

whisper."I'lltakecareofhim."

"I,thanks,"Isaid,figuringitneverhurttohavesomeoneonmysideforonce."For

everything."

"Thanksforthecake,"heanswered,walkingtowardthedoor."Lockthedoorbehind

me."

I hurried over to the door just as he was shutting it soundly, throwing the lock

beforeleaningagainstit,fanningmyfacewithmyhand.MyfightwithJameswasnow
replaced with the encounter with Anthony, making me wonder what his story was
about.Hehadshadowsinhiseyes,shadowsthathadmecurious,verycurious.Hewas
alsothefirstmanwhohadmademefeelasifIwasthemostimportantwomaninthe
room,makingmefeelthingsthatIhadthoughtdiedwithJames.Iwasinsomeserious
troublewiththisone.

C H A P T E R S E V E N

A N T HO N Y

lrightagain!No,youcan'tjabthatway.Hewilltakeoutyourlegs,andyouwillbe

onyourbackbeforeyouknowit."

Igrowledanddroppedbackintomystanceoncemore,wantingtopunchBenjiin

his smug face, without the helmet on. For the last two hours, he had told me
everythingIwasdoingwrong,tothepointwherelayingonthematwouldprobablybe
moreeffectivethanactuallytryingtomakeamoveonthefighter.

"That'senough."
I dropped my stance and looked up, seeing Larry climbing into the cage with a

frownonhisface."Giveusamoment,willyou?"HeaskedBenji,lookingoveratme.
Benjibowedout,andLarrystoodinfrontofme,lookingatmewithacriticaleye.Ihad
seen that look before, numerous times. "What?" I forced out, spitting out my mouth
guard.

"Youlooklikeshitinhere,"hesaid,crossinghisarmsoverhischest."Whyareyou

fightingsobad?"

"I'mnotintentionallytryingto,"Igroundout.Iwasn't.Hell,IthoughtIwasdoinga

decentjobofsparringwithBenjiuntilhestartedunloadingonme.

Larry looked at me a moment longer before shaking his head. "You are really

planningondoingthisaren'tyou?"

"Well, I'm not in here for my health," I shot back, rinsing out my mouth with my

waterbottle.Benjihadgottenmegoodearlier,andmymouthstilltastedofblood.

"Fine, alright," Larry exclaimed throwing up his hands in the air. "I'll help, but I

don'tthinkthisisagoodidea.Youcouldcrippleyourselfbygoingbackintothatcage."

"That'snotgoingtohappen,"Igrowled,throwingthebottlebackintothecornerof

thecage.Iwasgoingtocomeoutofthissmellinglikearoseandprovetoallofthem
thatIcouldstillfightandfightwell.

Larrysighed."Wellyou'readumbass,butIcan'tstandbyandwatchyoufightlikea

pussy.Comeon,let'sworkonyourjabs."

littlewhilelaterIwalkedoutofthegym,barelyforcingmylegstomovetowardthe

car. Every muscle in my body screamed for a tub full of warm water and a shot of

liquor,butIwasgoingtohavetosettleforacoolshowerandamugofcoffeeinstead.
Myapartmentdidn'tcomeequippedwithatub,andIwasn'tgoinganywherenearthe
bartoevenbetemptedintodrinking.Ilookedoverandsawthelightoninthebakery,
wondering what she was still doing here. Last night had been a fluke chance, but as
soonasIhadwalkedin,Iknewsomethingwasup.Whoeverthatguywas,hewasan
asshole,andhehadscaredtheshitoutofher,sohehadtogo.IjusthopedIhadscared
himoffenoughtoleaveheralone.Still,Ihadfoundmyselfenjoyinghercompanyafter
thefact,likingthatshecoulddishitoutasfastIcouldgiveittoher,andanotherlookat
herbodymademewanttogiveittohergood.Ididn'tknowwhatkindofpullshehad
on me, but she had been the first in quite a while. After Gina, I had sworn off all
women,unabletotakecareofmyselfmuchlessanotherperson.Butnow,Hannah,the
baker, had my engines revving something fierce and before I knew it, I was opening
thedoortothebakery,frowningasIfounditunlockeddespitethelatehour.Shereally
neededtobelockingthedoor.

Musicfilledtheair,someofthatnewpopmusicthatwaspopular,buttherewasno

sign of the baker behind the counter. Curious, I walked behind the display case and
aroundthecorner,findingherinfrontofthesteelisland,herhandsburiedinabowlas
shehummedalongtothemusic.Fromthisvantagepoint,Itookinhernicelyrounded
ass, the way she swayed her hips to the beat. Despite being a curvy girl, she was still
turningmeon.Itypicallydatedthecompletepolaropposite,modeltypeswhoseemed
to never eat unless forced to. Gina hated when I pointed out that she hadn't eaten,
complainingthatshehadtowatchherfiguretocontinuetobethecagecardgirlbefore
shewasbumped.ButHannah,clearlyshehadnoproblemseating.Notthatshewasfat.
Shewasn't,butmorecurvywithagenerousamountofhipsandbreastsforanymanto
enjoy.

A grin slid over my face as I thought about gripping those hips and pressing her

againstme,revelinginthefeelofawomanoncemore.MaybeIshouldexploregetting
involvedwithher,anoutlettomyfighting.Itwasn'thealthytohavethatbetheonly
thinginmylifeasmostfightersdid,someonetogohometoafterabout.Aflingwith
thebaker,theboyswouldlikeit.

Walking toward her, I tapped her on the shoulder. She spun around so fast that I

didn'thavetimetoreact,acloudofwhitestufffillingtheairasshedid.Istoodthere,
feelingthedriftsofwhitestufffallaroundme.

"Ohno,"shesaid,placingthebowlbackontheislandbeforegrabbingatowel."I'm

sosorry,Anthony.Youstartledme,andIwassiftingflour,andIamsosorry."

"It'sfine,"Iforcedout,gladthatitwasonlyflour.Shebrushedatmyshouldersand

uppertorsoasIshookoutmyhair,gladthatalltheotherguysweregoneforthenight
orelsetheywouldhaveafielddaywiththis."Ishouldhavesaidsomething."

Shelookedatmewithareluctantsmile,handingmethetoweltofinishtherestof

thejob."Iwasn'texpectinganyone."

"Yourdoorwasunlocked,"Isaid,brushingtherestoftheflourfrommyshirtbefore

handingitbacktoher."Youreallyshouldlockit."

"I know," she said, dropping the towel on the table behind her. "I get busy with

bakingandforgettodoitwhenLillianleaves."

Ilookedoverhershoulder."Whatareyoumaking?"

Sheblushedandsteppedaside,showingmethepansofcookiesthatwerewaitingto

bebaked.Theywereallshapedas,well,aspenises."Bacheloretteparty,"shesqueaked
out,clearlyembarrassed.

Ilaughed,mainlybecauseitwashilariousanyonewouldwantpeniscookies."Next

timejusttellmeit'snoneofmybusiness."

"You should have seen my first attempt," she said, a blush stealing across her

cheeks."I'm,ImeanIcan'tshapethemquiteright."

She looked gorgeous when she blushed, and I felt a jump in my own penis as a

result."Theylook,er,anatomicallycorrect."

Sheblushedagain,herfaceredthistimeasshecoveredupthetrays."Whyareyou

overhere,Anthony?"

"Isawthelight,"Isaidhonestly."FiguredIwouldstopby."
"WellI'msorryitgotyouabathofflour,"sheansweredwithalittlelaugh,turning

backtowardme.

"It'sfine,"Isaid."Actually,Iwantedtoaskyouout."Assoonasthewordswereout

ofmymouth,Iwantedtoforcethembackin.HadIreallyjustaskedherout?Whatthe
hellhadbroughtthaton?

"W-what?"sheasked,hereyeswideninginsurprise.
"Out,onadate,"Isaidthistime,knowingIwasdoingtherightthing.Hell,wewould

haveablasttogether."I'llevenspringfordinner."

Shetuckedastrayhairbehindherearandlookedaway."Idon'tknow."
"Comeon,"Iurged.Thecatwasoutofthebagnow.Iwasn'tgoingtolethersayno

nowthatIhadgoneoutonalimb."I'mnotabadsort."

Shelookedupatme."Ofcoursenot.You'reaniceguy."
Aniceguy.Iwasfarfromaniceguy.NiceandIdidn'tmixatall.
"Alright,"Hannahfinallysaid,givingmealittlesmile."Sure,itsoundslikefun."
"Youdon'tevenknowwhatwearegoingtodoyet,"Isaid.
Shelaughedandthesoundjumpstartedeverynerveinmybody.Herentirefacelit

upwhenshelaughed."Well,IguessIshouldaskbeforeIsaythat,huh?"

Igaveheraquickgrin."Youmightwantto.Idoownagym."
Hannah wrinkled her nose. "You're right. Your idea and my idea of fun might be

twodifferentthings."

I leaned forward until there wasn't much space between us. "I promise, it will be

fun.ComebythegymThursdaynight,andwewillgofromthere."

"I can't wait," she said softly. I walked out of the bakery that had become an

unbearably tiny space all of a sudden, my thoughts spinning in my head at what the
hellIwasgoingtodoforadate.Hannahwasn'tjustabartypegirl.Shewasdifferent
and deserved better than the dates I could put together normally. Not that I had put
anytogetherrecently.

Withagroan,Iwalkedtomycar.Iwasgoingtohavetoaskforhelp.Dammit.

C H A P T E R E I G H T

HA N N A H

o not that one. God do you not have anything that is sexy in your closet? We

shouldhaveraidedmine."

IlookedinthemirroratthedressIwaswearing,thinkingitwasquitepretty.Ihad

wornitatthelasteventJames,andIhadattended,theshimmeringfabricdrawinglight
and making me sparkle. Or at least that was what he had said. "You're right," I
answered,pullingitovermyheadandthrowingitonthefloor.Iwouldburnitlater.
"Butyourclosetwasdefinitelynotgoingtohelp.Whatareyou,likeasizetwo?"

Lillian stepped outside of my closet and stuck her tongue out. "Yeah right. You've

gotagreatbodyHannah,youjustneedtoknowhowtoshowitoff."

I turned back to the full-length mirror, frowning as I saw the slightly rounded

stomach from eating too many of my own creations, the way that my thighs didn't
achievethatperfectgapeveryonewastalkingabout.WhatwasAnthonyseeinginme?
Imeanhewasperfect,maybeabitrougharoundtheedges,butmadesexyandsinful
look good. We were the oddest match made in, well, I wasn't sure where this match
haddrummedupfrom."Ishouldcallthisoff."

Lillian grabbed a shimmery black top and hot red pants that I had never worn.

"What?Areyoucrazy?Anthonyishot!Whywouldn'tyouatleastgivehimoneshot?"

Isatonmybed,whichnowhadhalfofthecontentsofmyclosetonitafterLillian's

diggingaround."Idon'tknow.Idon'tthink,Imeanwearesodifferent."

Sheploppeddownnexttomewithasigh."Forgetthefactthatweareevenhaving

thisconversation.Anthonywantstotakeyouout.Youobviouslyhavenothingelseto
do.Youmightevenlikeit."

That was what I was scared of, liking the date and Anthony. Well, I kinda already

likedhimalittle.Ibelievedtherewasanotherwholeguyunderneathhisgruffexterior
andhadseenaglimpseofitmyselftheothernightwhenhehadjokedaroundabout
ourdate.Somethingtoldmehedidn'tdothatveryoften.Lookingoverattheclock,I
realized I had exactly one hour to make up my mind about this date. The nervous
jittersinmystomachtoldmenottodoit,thatIwasn'treadytogooutwithsomeone
rightnow,butmygoodcommonsensetoldmeotherwise.Iwasready.Ideservedto
moveonwithmylife.

Lillianstoodupandpickeduptheoutfitshehadjustpulledoutofthecloset."Here,"

shesaid,thrustingtheoutfitatme."You'regoingtowearthis,andyouaregoingtobe

fabuloustonight.Enjoyyourself.Youdeserveit."

Itooktheoutfitandeyeditcritically.Icouldgivethisoneshot.Whatwastheworst

thatcouldhappen?

nhourlaterIwalkedintothegymforthefirsttime,mypalmssweatingandfeeling

slightlynauseous.Ihadtoadmit,theoutfitwasfabulousandpairedwithacutepairof
heelsandmyfavoriteblackjacket,Ifeltprettyamazing.ThegymwasbiggerthanIhad
originallythought,withasmalldisplaycasenearthedoorthatshowedoffanicearray
of gloves and gym things for purchase. Beyond that, I could see a series of rings that
weresurroundedontheoutsidewithfencing.Inoneoftherings,Icouldseetwomen
fighting, and my curiosity got the better of me, walking around the display case and
towardthering.Ihadn'tbeeninaplacelikethisbefore.AsIapproachedthecage,Isaw
that one of the guys was Anthony and my heart stopped beating in my chest as I
watchedhimthrowafewpunchestowardtheotherguy.Hewasdancingaroundthe
ring,andforthefirsttime,Isawhimwithoutashirton,historsorippedandglistening
with sweat. As he turned around, I spied an elaborate tattoo on his back, like flames
lickingupfromhislowerbacktotheupperpartofhisneck,whichnowmadesenseof
theglimpseofatattooIhadseentheothernight.Iwasstrangelymesmerizedbythe
ink,neverbeenbraveenoughtogetonemyselfanddespitethatitwasabigtattoo,it
seemed to fit him pretty well. "No, you have to go for the legs!" the other fighter
shouted, jarring me out of my observation. "Remember the opening. He's gonna use
theopening."

"Iamfuckinggoingforthelegs,"Anthonysaid,droppinghisarms."Whatthehelldo

youthinkI'vebeendoingallthistime?"

Hispartnershookhishead."Idon'tknowwhereyourheadiscurrently,butit'snot

inthiscagerightnow."

Iswallowed,hopingthatIwasn'tthecauseofhislackofconcentration.Whatever

hewaspreparingfor,itmustbeserious.Hewasreallyafighter,notjustagymowner.
Strangely,Iwasn'tscaredattherealization.

Anthonyglancedmyway,andIsawhiseyeslightup."Hannah."
Theotherfighterturned,andIsawitwasBenji,theonewhohadcomeandordered

thecakeforAnthony."Hannah,whatareyoudoinghere?"

"She's here for me," Anthony growled, peeling off his gloves and handing them to

Benjiashewalkedpast.Itampeddowntheflutterofexcitementashestartedtoclimb
out of the cage, the look on his face purely primal. I had made the right choice in
comingtonight."H-hi,"Isaidashemadeitovertome,takinginhissweatybodyand
brighteyes."Ididn'tknowwewouldbefightingtonightorIwouldhavebroughtmy
gloves."

Hegavemeaslightgrin."Justgivemeafewminutestoshowerandchangeokay?I

losttrackoftime.Benjiherecankeepyoucompany."

"Suregoahead,"Ianswered."I'llberighthere."
He nodded and jogged to the back of the gym as Benji came over, wiping his face

andneckwithatowel."Soyou'regoingonadate?"

"I,yes,"Isaid,claspingmyhandsinfrontofme."Weare."
"Wow,"Benjireplied,chuggingsomewaterfromthebottlehehadinhisotherhand

beforehesatitonthebench."Ican'tbelieveheactuallyaskedyouout.Orwasitthe
otherwayaround?"

"Whatdoesthatmean?"Iasked,someofthoseearlierreservationscomingback.
My face must have said it all because Benji held up his hands. "No, don't get me

wrong.You'resmokinghot."Ifeltmycheeksburnathiswords,pleasingmemorethan
theyshouldhave."Ijusthadn'texpectedTonytojumpbackintothegame.He'shadit
rough,justbeeasyonhimokay?"

"I'mnot,ImeanIdon'tknowwhatyouaretalkingabout,"Istammered.
Benjigavemeatendersmile."You'llfigureitout.Tony,he'sgotalotofbaggage,but

he'sagoodguy.It'stimehe'sfoundhimselfsomeonegood."

IwantedtotellhimthatIhadthesamerealization.Maybethiswasagoodmatch

despite the physical appearances. It sounded like we had similar issues as of late and
therewasnodoubtinmymindthathewasagoodguy.Iwasmoreconcernedabout
losingmyselftoanotherguythatIthoughtwasgreatinthebeginning,onlytofindout
thatitwasn'ttruefartoolateintheprocess.Notonlythat,butAnthonywasafighter,
anotherconcernformetobeworriedabouthissafetyinthatcage."Doeshestillfight?"
Iaskedsoftly.

"He'sstartingback,"Benjirepliedwithachuckle."Theassholedoesn'tknowwhento

stop."

Iopenedmymouthtospeak,butAnthonychosethatmomenttoreappear,dressed

inapairoflow-slungjeansandadressshirtwiththesleevesrolledbacktohiselbows
toshowoffhisstrongforearms.Hiseyeswerealittlebluertonight,mainlybecauseof
his blue shirt, and his hair was slicked back on his head, still wet from his shower.
"Sorry,"hesaidasheapproachedus."ItrustthatBenjiwasagentleman?"

"Only because I am sweaty," Benji said, giving me a wink. "Good to see you,

Hannah."

"Youtoo,"Iansweredashewalkedtowardtheback.IlookedatAnthonyandgave

himalittlesmile."Well?DoIneedtogogetmyglovesnow?"

Helaughed,lookingmoreateasethanIhadeverseenhim."No,Idon'tthinkyou

willneedglovesfordinner.Youready?"

Inodded,andhemotionedformetoleadthewayoutofthegymandintothenight,

whereacoolbreezewasmakingitfarcolderthanitshouldbeforthistimeofyear."I'm
overhere,"hesaid,pointingtothesleekblueAudiparkednearthegym.Itriedtohide
mysurpriseasIwalkedovertothepassengersideandallowedhimtoopenthedoor,
climbingintotheblackleatherinterior.Businessmustbereallygood.HereIwasriding
around in a four-door sedan, paid off and reliable, and he was riding around in a car
thatprobablycostmorethanmyapartment.

Anthonyslidintothedriver'sseatandpulledawayfromthecurb."So,Ihopeyou

likeseafood."

"I love seafood," I answered. I really did, though tonight I doubted I would be

wearing a plastic bib and cracking open crab legs. Those tended to get messy really
quickly.

"Good,"heansweredashepulledintotraffic."Whatkindofquestionsdoyouhave?"

"What?"Iaskedlookingoverathim.
A grin tugged at his mouth as he stared straight ahead, shifting the gears as we

movedalong."Aboutthegymandthecage.Mostpeoplehavetonsofquestionswhen
theyfirstgetaglimpseoftheplace.Iassumeyouarenodifferent."

Ilaughed."Youarecorrect.Ihadnoideathat'swhatwentoninthere.Itwasquitea

surprise.Howlonghaveyoubeenfighting?"

"Allmylife,"heansweredasheturnedintoaparkinglot."Ican'trememberatime

whenIdidn'thavesomeformoffightinggoingon."

I thought about that as he pulled into the parking spot and climbed out, coming

aroundtoopenthedoorformeandhelpmeoutofthecar.Ourhandstouchedbriefly,
andIfeltthesizzleofheatcreepupmyarmasaresult,spreadingacrossmychestand
upmyneck.Oh,my.Ilookeduptoseethatwewereatapopularseafoodrestaurant
that was fairly new to the area, where reservations were impossible to get, and the
priceswereridiculouslyhigh.Forsomeonewhodidn'tdomuchdating,Anthonysure
waspullingoutallthestops.

We walked in, and Anthony gave them his name before we were seated a small

intimatetablenearthewindows,wherethewaterwasvisibleinthedimlighting."Have
youbeenherebefore?"Iaskedasthewaiterhandedusourmenusandpouredsome
water.

Heshookhishead."Idon'tgettoplaceslikethismuch.I'matakeoutkindofguy."
Ididn'twanttotellhimthatIwaskindofthesame.SinceJamesandIhadbroken

up,itwasrarethatIactuallywentouttoeat,preferringtoescapethewholetablefor
one thing and eat in the comfort of my own apartment. I picked up the menu and
swallowedagainsttheprices.Whoreallychargedtwentybucksforagardensalad?

"Wouldyoucareforsomewinetonight?"thewaitersuddenlyasked,appearingout

ofnowhere.

"Nothanks,"Anthonysaidimmediately,wavinghimaway."Godtheywilldriveyou

crazy."

Ismirkedandlaiddownthemenu."Solet'smakethemwaitthen."Helaughedand

puthismenudownaswell,hiseyestwinklinginthecandlelight."You'resucharebel."

"Notsomuch,"Ismiled,thinkinghowsexyhewaswhenhesmiled.Andbyholyhe

wassexy."Sothefightingyouweredoing?Isitthatcagestuff?"

Hechuckled,shakinghishead."I'veneverhearditcalledstuff,butyesitismixed

martialartsfighting.Wedofightincages."

"Interesting," I said, meaning it. I had done some reading when I was researching

hiscakeandlearnedthatitwasprettypopular."Sodoyougetlikeseriouslyhurtinthis
fighting?"

Ashadowcrossedoverhisface,andIknewimmediatelyIhadtouchedanerve,a

badone."Yeahyoucangethurt.It'spartofthejob.Youlearntorollwiththepunches."

Iletitdropwiththat.ItwasclearIhadtouchedonasubjecthedidn'tcaretotalk

about,andthelastthingIwantedtodowasmakethisdategobad.

"Areyoureadywithyourorders?"
Ilookeduptoseethewaiterhoveringagain,anxiouslyholdinghispenabovethe

pad."Umsorry,Ihaven'tdecidedyet."

Hefrowned,obviouslynottooexcitedtohearthat."Whenmightyoubeready?"

"When she is damn good and ready," Anthony replied in a low voice. "You know

what?Actually,Ithinkwehavechangedourminds."Tomysurprise,herosefromthe
chair,thewaiterstumblingbackasherealizedhowbigAnthonyhadsuddenlybecome.
Hereachedoutahandtome,laughterinhiseyesandItookit,feelingthatsparkyet
againasheclaspedhishandovermine."Thanksfornothing,"hesaidtothewaiteras
wewalkedaway.

Iheldmylaughteruntilwewereoutoftheplaceandinthecar,thegigglesescaping

throughmytightlysealedlips."Well,Ihavetosay,Ithinkyouscaredtheshitoutof
him."

"Hejustwouldn'tstophovering,"Anthonysaidashegunnedtheengineandlooked

overatme."Ihaveabetterthoughtinmind.Yougame?"

"I'mallyours,"Isaid,instantlyregrettingthewords.Hiseyesflared,andIfeltthe

swirlofheatstartingtobuildinthepitofmystomach.Thatslowgrinstartedonhislips,
andIswallowedhard,forcingmyselftocalmdown.Goodlord,Iwasgoingtomeltinto
thisdamnleatherseatifhekeptonwithjustthatsmolderinglook."Good,"hefinally
said,turningbacktogettingusoutofhere.

Ileanedbackontheheadrest,wonderingwhyhehadtosmellsogood,looksosexy,

andliterallygetmegoingwithadamnlook.Anthony,thefighterwasserioustrouble
andIwasscaredofwhatImightdo,whatIwantedtodo.

Hetookusovertotheseediersideoftown,pullinginfrontofanondescriptbuilding

that gave no indication of what I was about to walk into. "Should I be concerned?" I
asked,archingabrow.

Hechuckledandputthecarinpark."Darlingyouaresaferwithmethanwithagun

tiedtoyourlovelyhipthere."

He called my hip lovely. I was thinking way too much into his words. I wasn't

desperate for company, was I? Anthony climbed out of the car, and I took in a deep
breath. I needed to keep myself together. He opened the door, and I climbed out,
warming as he took my hand in his. "I know this date has been somewhat
unconventional,"hesaid,lookingatme."ButIhavetoadmit;I'mhavingfun."

"Me too," I answered, squeezing his hand. After all, this was much better than a

nightonthecouch,watchingthosesappymoviesandeatingChinesetakeout.Anthony
didn't let go of my hand, instead leading me toward a door and pushing it open. I
stepped inside with him right behind me, so close that I could feel the warmth of his
breathonthebackofmyneck.Beforemewasasimplebar,withafewtablesscattered
around.Therewerepooltablesneartheback,andthemusicwasbeingprovidedbya
cover band in the far left corner, where much of the crowd was gathered. The
bartenderlookedupandgaveusasmile,wavingusover."Rampage,longtime."

"Rampage?" I asked as Anthony nudged me toward to the bar, where two stools

wereunoccupied.

"It'smyfightname,"herepliedasIslidontothebarstool."Weallhavethem."
It was then I noticed the multitude of pictures on the wall around the bar, all

depictingafighterinthecage,somewithsignaturesontheglass."Anyofthoseyours?"
IaskedasAnthonyslidonthestoolnexttome.

Thebartenderchuckled."Ofcoursethere'soneforRampage.Youaresittingnextto

theone-timechampionoftheworld."

"Enough,Jim,"Anthonysaid."Gettheladyabeerwillyou?"
"AndyouRampage?"Jimasked,eyeinghim."Abeer?"
"Acupofcoffee,"heanswered."Andsomeofthosewingsyousayyouarefamous

for."

"Yougotit,"Jimsaidbeforedisappearingbehindadoor.
IturnedtowardAnthony."Rampage?"
Hechuckled,lookingdownathishands."Iwasyoungandtryingtoprovemyself.

WentintoacagelikeIwasonfireanddamnneargotmyasskicked.Theotherdude
saidthatIwaslikearampageinsomeinterviewandthenamestuck."

"Well it could be worse I guess," I said, trying to keep the conversation light. "He

couldhavecalledyouapussyorsomething."

Anthony looked up and gave me that grin once more. "You're right, it could be

worse."

Jim returned with the beer and the coffee, giving me a quick grin. "Watch out for

thisguy.He'sasmoothtalker."

Anthonyshookhishead."Don'tlistentohim.Helikestotalk."
"Talkyes,butitkeepsyoucomingbackformore,"helaughed,disappearingthrough

the swinging door. I took a sip of my beer and watched as Anthony took a sip of his
coffee without adding any cream or sugar. He caught me looking at him and set the
mugdowngentlyonthescarredbartop."What?"

"Ijustneverseenanyonedrinkcoffeeinabarbefore,"Isaidgently.Hesighedand

ranahandthroughhishair.Ihadjustmadehimuncomfortableagain."Youdon'thave
tosayanything,"Iaddedquickly.Itwasn'tmyplacetoknowhispersonalbusiness.

"Igaveupdrinkingoverayearago,"hefinallysaid,lookingdownatthemug,his

expressionpensive.

"Good for you," I said as Jim reappeared with two baskets of wings. "Hey Jim, I'll

takeoneofthosecoffeesplease."

JimlookedatmelikeIwascrazy,buthetookthebeerandpouredacupofcoffee,

slidingthesugartowardme.Igavehimagratefulsmileanddumpedsomesugarinto
thecup,stirringitwiththeprovidedspoon.

"Youdidn'thavetodothat."
IlookedupandgaveAnthonyasmile."Yes,Idid."Iwasn'tgoingtodrinkinfrontof

arecoveringalcoholicoratleastthatwaswhatIwasperceivinghewassaying.Whyhe
hadbroughtmetoabarwasbeyondme,butIcouldsupporthisdecision.

C H A P T E R N I N E

A N T HO N Y

hehadorderedcoffee.Of all the thingsthat would have mademe like her more, I

hadn'texpectedtherushoftendernesswhenshehadaskedJimtogetheracupaswell.
The coffee was horrible, but she had enjoyed it and the wings like they were back at
thatexpensiveassrestaurant.Itwasn'tthedateIhadhopedfor,butHannahseemedto
behavingablast,andthatwasallthatmattered.Ididn'tknowwhyIhadbroughther
tothebar,theplaceIhadspentagreatdealofmytimeaftermykneeinjury.Jimwas
anoldfighter,oneofthefirstintheworldofcagefightingandIenjoyedmytimehere,
though my visits had been infrequent over the last year. Still, I was glad I had come
tonightandbroughtHannah.

Wewalkedoutofthebartogether,andIhelpedherintothecar,feelinglightonmy

feetforthefirsttimeinforever.IhadalsodonetherightthingbyaskingHannahout
tonight.

"Well," she said as I pulled away from the curb and headed back toward the gym

wherehercarwasparked."ThosehadtobethebestwingsIhaveeverhad."

"I'm glad you didn't tell Jim that," I chuckled. "His head would be too big to fit

throughthedoorthen."

Shelaughed,andIfeltpartsofmewarmtoherlaughter.OfthemanythingsIliked

aboutHannah,herlaughwasoneofmyfavorites.Ginahadrarelylaughed,oritwasso
unmemorable I couldn't remember that she had. "I'll send over some cookies then,"
shefinallysaid."Inthanks."

Igrinned,mainlybecauseIcouldn'twipethedamnthingoffofmyfacearoundher

asIpulledthecarbehindhersandshutofftheengine,notwantingtoendthenight.I
had enjoyed her company. Hannah cleared her throat, and I wondered what move I
shouldmake.Ididn'twanttoturnherofftome,buthell,Iwantedtokissher,tasteher.
My body wanted me to do a hell of a lot more, but I wasn't going to push it with
Hannah.Iwantedtotakethisslow,savorthistimewithherandseewhereittookus.

Instead, I reached over and touched her arm, getting her to look at me. "I really

enjoyedtonight."

"I did as well," she said, her lips parting. I stared at them, my pulse thrumming. I

could kiss her, just once to see what it would be like. One kiss wasn't going to hurt
anything.Withoutthinkinganylonger,Ileanedoverandpressedmylipsagainsthers,
my hand sliding just under her jaw line and caressing the sensitive skin there. She

gasped against my lips, and I swept in, tasting her for the first time. Damn sparks
exploded behind my eyelids as her smell swirled around my senses, her lips moving
against mine, her tongue touching mine. Hannah, the baker, was an excellent kisser,
andIcouldn'thelpbutwonderwhatelseshedidwell.

No,Ididn'twanttopushthistonight.Thoughmydamnbodywasonfiretocarry

thisfurther,Icouldn't.Imean,Icould,butIdidn'twantto.Ididn'twantthistobea
night of good sex and then fizzle out. It had been a long time since I had even
considered dating, or fucking, any woman and I didn't want to screw this up.
Reluctantly, I ended the kiss, feeling too damn happy looking into Hannah's passion
hazedeyes.

She blushed and looked away, the interior temperature of the car at least ten

degreeshotter."I,um,doyouwanttocomeupformorecoffee?"

HervoiceshookasshesaiditandIwantedto,hellIwantedtobadly.ButIcouldn't.

"Thanks,butI'llpasstonight."

Iwatchedashershouldersslumpalittleandfeltlikethebiggestass.ShethoughtI

didn't want to spend time with her. Well, I would be rectifying that immediately.
"There'safightinafewdays.Youwannago?"

Shelookedup,surprised."Afight?"
Ishrugged."Ithoughtyoumightwanttoseewhatthehypewasallabout.Itwon't

bemeinthecage,butit'ssupposedtobeadamngoodone."Actually,Iwasgoingto
scoutoutmycompetitionformyownmatch,butIwasn'tgoingtotellherthat.Iwasn't
sureyethowshewasgoingtoreacttomegettingbackinthecage.

She looked at me and grinned. "Okay, I will but only if you go to a baking

competition with me. There's one at the convention center next weekend and Lillian
wasgoingtogo,butshehasahotdate,soIamstuckwithanextraticket."

Abakingcompetition.Theguyswouldhaveafuckingfielddayiftheyfoundout,but

Hannah was looking at me with such hope in her eyes that I couldn't say no. "Um,
sure."

"Great,"shesaid,givingmeawinningsmilethatmademefeellikeIhadjustwona

million dollars. "I'll see you then, Anthony. Thank you for a very interesting date
tonight."

"No,thankyou,"Isaidassheclimbedoutofthecarandshutthedoor,watchingas

shewalkedovertohercarandgavemealittlewavebeforesheclimbedin.Ofallthe
things that used to give me pleasure at the end of the day, this simple date with an
extraordinarywomanhadgivenmethemostpleasureIhadfeltinmymiserablelifein
quiteawhile.

Igunnedtheengineandpulledawayfromthecurb,headingtowardmyapartment,

thinking about the last time I had this kind of high. It had been right after my
championshipwin,aftermyhandhadbeenhelduphighinthecageandhandedthe
beltthatIhadbeencravingallofmylife.Ginahadbeenthere,huggingandkissingall
over me, Larry not looking quite as old and hugging everyone in sight. Everyone
wanted a piece of me that night and weeks afterward, the interviews and articles
coming in abundance. At that time, I had thought my life was perfect, nothing could
havebeenbetter.Nowlookingbackatthattime,Iwanteditback.Iwantedtofeelthat
thrillofexcitementflowthroughmyveins.IwantedtofeelthatreliefofknowingIstill

hadit,thatIcouldstillhangwiththebigboys.Iwantedtoseetheappreciativeglances
myway.AbouttheonlythingIwantedtochangewasthewomanthatwouldbeatmy
side that night. I wanted the woman that had surprised the hell out of me tonight
besidemeatmyfight.Thethoughtbothexcitedandscaredthehelloutofme.

Turningintotheparkinggarage,Iparkedthecarandwalkeduptomyapartment,

needing the extra time to clear my head. The gym had done us all good in terms of
funds,whereIwasabletoaffordaprettydecentapartmentinasecurebuildingonthe
'good'sideoftown.ButitwastheviewIlovedthemost,theChicagoskylinetwinkling
for miles around from my living room view. It was far more than I would have
expectedbackintheday,livinginthatsmalldumpofahousethathadtheleakyroof
and rodents that would steal your food if you weren't watching carefully. Even if I
neversetfootbackinsidethecage,Icouldaffordtostayinthisplacefortherestofmy
life. It was home, though I had never questioned what home should look like until
tonight,whilewasspendingtimewithHannah.Shecouldeasilymakeamanquestion
hisprioritiesinlifeandwhathewasmissingouton.

Withasigh,Iwalkedovertothefridgeandpulledoutabottleofwater,takingafew

sips from it to quench my thirst. Something told me that my baker was going to be
trouble.

C H A P T E R T E N

HA N N A H

hoa,thatwastheweirdestdateever,butatleastyougottokisshim.Howwashe

bytheway?"

IlookedatLillian,stirringmymargaritawithmystraw,agrinonmyface."Agirl

neverkissesandtells."Wewereatoneofthebarsnearthebakery,catchingupaftera
longdayofmakingazillioncupcakesforalocalschoolwhowantedtosurpriseallof
theirstudentswithone.NowIhadyellowsmileycupcakesallovermybakeryinboxes
waitingtobepickedupinthemorning,andwehopednevertoseethatmuchyellow
icing again. My fingers were still stained with yellow even after numerous washings
today.

"Unlessherfriendisdesperateforsomeactionandnoseyashell,"Lillianremarked,

settlingbackinherchair."Goahead,hewasawful,wasn'the?Aguyassexyasheis,
hastohavesomethingwrongwithhim."

I shook my head, looking down so she couldn't see the faint blush on my cheeks.

TherewasnothingaboutAnthonythatwasbad,nothingwhatsoever.Actually,Icould
appreciatethefactthatthemanhadflawsandwaswillingtosharethem.WhileIwas
withJames,heneverdidanythingwrongaccordingtohim,norwasthereanypartof
himthatwasflawed.IthadmademefeellessofapersonknowingthatIwasdatinga
perfectmanwhocouldseeallofmyflawsandneverfailedtopointthemouttomeas
heuncoveredthem.

ButwithAnthony,Ifeltbeautiful.Hisheatedlooks,thewayhehadkissedmethat

hadcurledmytoes,Icouldn'thelpbutfeelasifhereallywantedme,flawsandall.

"So,sinceyouwon'tkissandtell,"Lilliancontinued."Atleasttellmeyouaregoing

toseehimagain."

"I am," I answered, taking a long draw of my drink. "He's taking me to one of his

fights."

"Wow,really?"Lillianresponded."YouthinkIcantagalong?"
Ilaughedandsignaledforthecheck,wantingtogetbacktothebakerytodoonelast

checkbeforegoinghome.ThatandIhadhopedtopopintothegymtoseeifAnthony
was there just to tell him how much I had enjoyed our date. Okay, maybe I was just
goingtouseitasanexcusetoseehimagainandmakesurethatIhadn'tdreamedup
theentiredate.Imean,itwasstillashocktomethatIhadwentoutwithhiminthe
firstplace,kissedhimlikeIwasrunningoutofair,anddreamedabouthisflameson

hisbacklastnight.Whatwasagirltodoanyway?

"Hannah."
IturnedandsawJamesbaringdownonus,hisfaceflushed."Whatareyoudoing

here,James?"Iasked.

"Iwenttothebakery,andyouweren'tthere,"hesaid,likeIshouldhavebeenthere

waitingonhim."Wehavetotalk."

"James,Idon'toweyouanything,"Isaidasthewaitressbroughtmethetab."AndI

certainly don't like the fact that you are constantly bothering me. We are done,
through,finished."

"I'mnotgivingup,"hebuttedin,hiseyesflaringwithanger.
"Well,youshould,"Lillianinterruptedwitharollofhereyes."Geezman,giveitup

willyou?"

"Whothehellareyou?"heasked,givingheralookofdisgust.
"Leaveheralone,"Isaid."Andleavemealone."
James'sfaceturnedredasheleanedin,hisvoicelow."Youdon'twanttocrossme,

Hannah.Giveupthisfoolishnessandcomeback,whereyoubelong."

I felt the tears start to threaten my eyes as I turned away, giving him my back. I

heardhimstalkoffbeforeIdrewashakybreath.Hewasn'tgoingtogiveupandgive
meanypeace.Ididn'tknowhowfarhewasgoingtogoanditscaredme.

"Whowasthat?"Lillianasked.Isighed,wishingJameswouldjustletitgo.Hewas

stillruiningmylife,evenafterwehadbrokenup."He'smyex.Hecheatedonme,andI
brokeupwithhimafewmonthsback.Hejustcan'tletgo."

"You need to call the cops, get a restraining order, something," Lillian remarked

softly a moment later as I struggled with my composure. "He sounds dangerous,
Hannah."

"He won't hurt me," I stated, throwing some bills on the table, ready to get out of

here.ItwasbadthatIdidn'tevenbelievemywordsanymore.Jameshadclearlylost
hismind."I'llseeyouinthemorning."

"Doyouwantmetowalkyoutothebakery?"LillianaskedasIturnedtogo."Ihave

myTaseronme."

I laughed and gave her a grateful smile. "It's only a half a block. I'm fine Lil, see

you."

"Bye,"shesaid.Iwalkedoutofthebaranddownthestreet,keepingmyeyesopen

foranysignofJameslurkingintheshadows.Ihatedhavingtolookovermyshoulder
forhim.Whycouldn'thejustleavemealone?Didn'thewanttomoveonwithhislife,
as well? Why would he want to attempt to get back with someone who didn't want
him?

Turningthecorner,Ispiedthegymandthebakeryupahead,mymoodlightening

as I approached the buildings. It was just past nine pm, so the lights inside the gym
werestillablaze.WasAnthonyinthere?AftermyruninwithJames,Iwantedtosee
himnowmorethanever.

As I approached the gym, Benji stepped out, grinning as he saw me coming down

thesidewalk."Hey,Hannah."

"Hey,Benji,"Isaid,stoppinginfrontofthegym."How'slifetreatingyou?"
"Prettygood,"hesaid,crossinghisarmsoverhischest."SoyouandAnthonyhuh?

Themancameinwithagrinonhisfacethismorning.FirsttimeinalongwhileI've
seenhimsmilelikethat."

Iblushed,hopingthatIwasthereasonforhissmile.Hewasforminethismorning.

"Maybehehadareallygoodcupofcoffee."

Benjilaughed."Youaresomethingelse,Hannah.Hell,IwishedIwouldhaveasked

yououtfirst."

"I,thanks,Ithink,"Isaid,flatteredthatIhadanotherhotfighterpantingaroundme.

ButIonlyhadeyesforonerightnow."IsAnthonyinside?"

Benji's expression changed, and I wondered what it could be about. "Yeah, he's

inside.HeyHannah,willyoudosomethingforme?"

IfelttheworrystarttosetinasIlookedathim,seeingtheworryonhisface."Sure,

whatisit?"

Benji looked at me, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "Listen, take care

withTonyokay?Hehasn't haditsoeasy thelastfewmonths,and Ifeellikeyou are
goodforhim.Don'tgiveuponhimtoosoon."

I felt my heart slide deep into my chest, knowing partly what Benji was talking

about.Anthonywasvulnerable,butsowasI."Don'tworry,I'mnotouttohurthim."

"Idon'tthinkyouare,"hesaid,walkingaway."Haveagoodnight,Hannah."
"Yeah,youtoo,"Isaid,swallowinghardbeforewalkingintothegym.Itwasempty

save one lone man standing in the cage, throwing punches and kicks at a set of pads
that had been tied to a pole, the smack of his kicks and hits echoing in the empty
building. Careful not to disturb him, I sat down on the bench outside of the cage and
just watched, marveling the way his muscles rippled with each move. Anthony was
truly a weapon, someone that I should be scared of. But I wasn't. The way that he
moved,itwaslikeart,hisskinglisteninginthedimlight.Idon'tknowhowlongIsat
therebeforehenoticedme,asmilecurvingonhislips."Hey,you."

"Hey," I said softly, rising to walk over to the cage. "Sorry. I didn't want to bother

you."

He leaned against the cage, his arm resting above him. "You would never bother

me,Hannah.What'sup?"

"Nothing,"Isaidwithasigh."Justthesameoldstuff.Whyareyoustillhere?"
He flexed, his rippling abs taking my breath away. "I have to keep up with my

girlishfigure."

Ilaughed,gladthatIhadcomeinhereafterall."MaybeIshouldgetintherewith

youthen."

His eyes darkened. "There's nothing wrong with your figure Hannah, but if you

want,Icangiveyousomepointers."

FiguringImightneeditinthefutureifJamescontinuedtobotherme,Ikickedoff

my shoes and walked over to the door, letting him open it before I walked into the
cage."It'ssofterthanIimagined,"IsaidasIwalkedonthemats.

"It'snotanysofterwhenyoufallonit,"hechuckled,leaningovertobrushhislips

overmine."Sorry,Ihadtodothat."

Iblushed,thinkinghowIwouldliketothrowhimdownonthismatandhavemy

way with him the way my body had just reacted to the simple kiss. Reaching out, I
touchedoneofhisgloves."Ididdoagoodjobonyourcakethen."

Heflippedhisgloveoverandgraspedmyhandlightly,lookingdownatit."CanItell

youasecret?"

"Sure,"Isaidsoftly,wonderingwhathecouldwanttotellme.
"Thatwasmyfirstbirthdaycake."
Shocked,Ilookedathim,myheartwrenchinginmychest.Hisfirstbirthdaycake?

What about when he was a child, when every child should have the experience of a
birthdaycelebration?NowIunderstoodwhatBenjiwastryingtotellme.Anthonyhad
experienced a hard life of some sort. "I-I'm glad it was one of mine then," I finally
forcedout,tearscloggingmythroat.Helookedupandgavemeaquickgrin."Metoo."

HelookedawayandclearedhisthroatasIstruggledtomaintainmycomposure.My

heart went out to him, the overwhelming need to make everything right in his life
eatingawayatme.Anthonyneededsomeonetocareforhim,andIwantedtobethat
person. "So," I finally said, trying to lighten the mood. "You gonna teach me to kick
yourass?"

Hechuckledandmotionedformetofollowhimtothepadshehadsetup,stripping

offhisglovesintheprocess."Waitrighthere."

Iwatchedasheexitedthecageandcamebackamomentlaterwithasetofgloves,

pinkincolor."Here,"hesaid,reachingforoneofmyhands."Letmehelpyougetthese
on."

Anthony worked the gloves over my hands, the padding on my knuckles feeling

heavy on them as he told me to flex them. "It takes some getting used to," he said,
steppingback."ButIcan'thaveyoubreakingyourknuckles."

"Thatwouldbeamajorjobhazard,"Ianswered,ballingmyfistsupandthrowinga

punchatthepad."Ouch!"Ithurtlikethedickens,myknucklesstingingeventhough
thepaddingwasthere.

Herescuedmyhand,agrinonhisface."Slowdowntherebaker."
"Isthatmycagenamenow?"Iteasedashesteppedbehindme,hishandsslidingup

myarms.

Hepressedakissonmyneckunexpectedly,asizzleofheatslidingdownmybody.I

wasacutelyawareofhisbodypressedupagainstmine,hisarmsaroundmetoguide
my own arms into the punching motion. Screw the lesson now, I was in Anthony's
armsandlovingeverymomentofit."Youhavetobefluidwithyourmovements,"he
said softly as his hands gripped my forearms and moved my arms. "Like you are
punchingthroughwater.Slowandeasy."

I allowed myself to lean against him as his hands slid up my arms and onto my

shoulders,massagingthebackofmynecklightly."Mmmm,"Isighed,closingmyeyes,
thelessonnowallbutforgotten."Thatfeelswonderful."

"I'm glad you stopped by tonight," he said near my ear, his warm breath causing

goosebumpstopopoutovermyskin."Youknow,Ithoughtaboutyouallday."

"A-allday?"Istammeredashishandsroamedovermyshoulders.
"Allday,"herepeated."Yousurearen'tlearningawholelotrightnow,Hannah."
Oh, I was learning a great deal, how he could literally drive me into a whirlwind

withjustafewbreathywordsandatouch.IwasinsomeserioustroublewithAnthony.
Hespunmearoundandhishandsframedmyfacebeforehislipsdescendedonmine,
hiskisshotandheavy.Igaspedasthefirelickedupmylegsandsettledintothecenter,

flinging my arms around his neck to pull him as close as I could. I felt crazy hot,
worriedthatImightliterallyexplodewithheatashistonguedidthedangeroustango
withmine.

Anthony tore his lips from mine and stepped back, running a hand over his head,

hisbreathingharsh.Istruggledtocatchmybreathaswell,wonderinghowonearthI
hadn'tcombustedonthespotfromhiskiss.Dearlord,thiswasturningouttobemuch
morethanIhadanticipated."I'msorry,"hesaidafteramoment."Ididn'tmeantokiss
youlikethat."

IwantedtotellhimthatIhadenjoyedeverylivingmomentofthathotkiss,buthe

looked extremely embarrassed and mad at himself for doing it, so I held my tongue
aboutthat.Strippingoffthegloves,Iwalkedovertohimanddroppedtheminhishand,
my breath stilling my chest as I looked at the heat dancing in his eyes. We would be
goodtogetherinbed,noexcellenttogether.Therewasnodoubtaboutthat.Reaching
uponmytoes,Ilightlykissedhischeek,tastingthesaltinessofhisskinonmylips."I'll
seeyoulater."

Hesaidnothing,hisbodystillasastatueasIwalkedtowardthecageopening,taking

thefirststepoutbeforeIheardhiswords."Why?"

Itwasthewayhehadsaidit,muchlikethewayhehadtoldmeaboutthebirthday

cake.Therewasahintofunderlyingdesperation,likehecouldn'tbelievethatIwould
beseeinghimlater.Imean,hewashot,andweclearlyhadchemistry,whywouldn'tI?
UnwrappingeverylayerofAnthonywasgoingtobeagreatthing.Iturnedbacktolook
athim,givinghimasassysmile."Becauseyouaresexyashellwithoutashirt."

His eyes widened before he burst into laughter, his laughter following me all the

wayoutofthegym.Itwasnowmymissiontohavehimlaughmoreoften.Anthony
thefighterwasn'tgoingtoevenknowwhathithim.

C H A P T E R E L E V E N

A N T HO N Y

hat'sit.Hititharder.Watchforthesweep.Damnman,yougotit."

IgrinnedasIwipedthesweatoutofmyeyes,lovingthelookofastonishmenton

Benji's face as he bent over, his hands on his knees. Larry was nearby, a look of
approval on his face at the improvement I had made on my moves, all of that extra
timeinthecageworkingonmyconditioningnowpayingoff.

"Damnman,"hesaidagain,suckingwindthroughhismouth."Iswear,Ithinkyou

arefasterthanmetoday."

"Should have laid off of those cupcakes," I mentioned, stripping off my gloves,

feeling damn near invincible. Part of it was because I had pushed myself to the
breaking point last night after Hannah had left, taking out my frustrations on the
punchingbaguntilIcouldn'tfeelmyhandsanymore.Shewastoogoodforme,making
mefeelthingsthatIhadn'tfeltsinceGina.No,Idon'tthinkIhadfeltthemwithGina.
Hereasycomebacks,thewaythatIfounditeasytolaughwheneverIwasaroundher,
shewasturningmylifeupsidedown,andIwasn'tsosureIhatedthatfact.EvennowI
longedtoseeher,knowingthatshewasrightnextdoordamnnearkillingme.

"Heyifyourgirlfriendwasn'tsofuckingtalented,Iwouldn'tbeputtingontheextra

pounds,"Benjiremarked,strippingoffhisglovesandtakingalongdrinkofhiswater.

I shot him the middle finger as we exited the cage, not because he had called

Hannahmygirl.Iwasstartingtowarmtotheideathatwecouldbegoodtogether.Hell,
Icouldn'tevenlookatthecagethesamewaywithoutpicturingherthereandthathot
fuckingkissweshared.NowwiththisfightloomingandHannahinmylife,Ifeltthat
turning of the tide, everything starting to fall into place in my life. I was actually
lookingforwardtogettingupinthemorning.

Larrysteppedinmypath,hiseyesonmine."How'sthatknee?Inoticeditbucklein

oneofyourmoves."

Ilostallofmygoodfeelings,myeyesnarrowing."Fuckoff,mykneeisbetterthan

ever."

Larrydidn'tbudge,crossinghisarmsoverhischest."YeahandI'mSantaClaus.Tell

meanotherlie."

"I'mnotlying,"Igroundout,hatingthefactthatIcouldn'thideanythingfrommy

trainer.Hekneweverymoveandhowmybodywasgoingtodothatmove,howitwas
going to react to a punch or kick better than I knew my own self at times. Yeah, my

kneewasbotheringme,alot.IhatedIhadthatweakness,butIhadgottenreallygood
athidingthepainfromBenjisohewouldn'tcapitalizeonit.Ijusthadtohideitfrom
my opponent and needed to see him fight in person to understand his weakness. All
fightershadone,andanygoodfighterstudiedtheiropponenttofindthem.Thatwas
part of the reason I was going to the fight. The other was just to spend time with
HannahinanareaIwasfamiliarwith.Thebakingcompetition,hellIwouldbelikea
bullinachinashop,buttherewasnotonepartofmethatwantedtodisappointherand
renegeonmegoing.

Larryshookhishead."Youaregoingtore-injureitandwherewillthatleaveyou?

Youwon'tevenbeabletosparinthecageanymore,Tony!Whatpartofthatdon'tyou
understand?"

"I'mgoingtobefine.Havealittlefaithinme,Larry."
Larrychuckled,hisexpressionstilldark."Faith.Faithisn'tgoingtogetyouthrough

this fight, Tony. Common sense and a bit of luck maybe, which currently you have
neither of. Rethink this thing. Don't ruin your life because you feel like you have to
proveyourself."

Iopenedmymouthtorespondbutaglimpseofhoneybrownhaircaughtmyeye,

andalloftheangrywordsdiedinmythroat.ArguingwithLarrycouldwait.Hannah
was here. Brushing past Larry, I walked over to the front of the gym, where Hannah
wasalreadybeingcrowdedbyTravisandBenji,theirshit-eatinggrinspissingmeoff.

"So you baked these for us?" Travis was saying, as Hannah held onto the box, her

eyes bright with excitement. "Please tell me they're your cupcakes. I've gained five
poundsaloneoffofthosecupcakes."

"They're cookies, sorry," she said, handing him the box. "I overbaked on an order

andfiguredyouguyswouldlikethem."

"Cookies,"Benjisaid,givingheranothersmile."Darling,theycanberockscovered

infrosting,andwewilleatthem.Especiallywhenyoumakethem."

Hannahblushed,andIfeltthewhitehotheatfillmybody.Damnshewasgorgeous

when she blushed. She was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt despite the chilliness of the
day, a smear of flour on her cheek and her hair pulled into a high ponytail. To
everyone else she probably was just another girl but to me, she was fucking
everything.WhenTravisreachedouttotouchhercheek,presumablytowipeoffthe
flour,Inearlylostit,ballingmyhandsintofistssoIwouldn'tdeckhimasIwalkedover
tothegroup.

"Anthony," she breathed, her eyes connecting with mine, heat dancing in her

depths. I inwardly grinned, feeling like the luckiest man on the damn planet as I
reachedoutandslappedTravis'shandaway,wipingtheflouroffmyself.Noonewas
goingtotouchherbutme.Ihadbeentheluckybastardtofindher,andIwasn'tinto
sharing.

"Hannahwhatareyoudoinghere?"Iforcedout,eyeingTravis.Insteadofgivingme

thedarklookIexpected,hechuckledandshookhishead,holdinguphishand.

"Shebroughtcookies,"Benjisupplied,givingmeaweirdasslook.Yeah,Iprobably

wasshockingthehelloutofthemwithmyreaction,butthiswasHannah.Andshewas
offlimits.

"I,um,Ibakedextra,"sheadded,tuckingastrayhairbehindherear."Ithoughtthe

guyswouldlikethem."

"Hellyeah,anyleftoversyoucansendourway,"Benjireplied,givingherawinkas

hesnatchedtheboxfromTravis."I'lljustgoputtheseinthebreakroom."

IwaiteduntilthetwoclownshadleftbeforeIblewoutabreath,urgingmyselfto

calm down. These guys were my best friends, the guys that I could call on if I ever
neededsomeonetohavemyback.Despitetheirflirtingandteasing,theyweren'toutto
takeHannahfromme."Thanksforbringingthemover,"Isaid,givingheralittlegrin.
"Wearegoingtoloseourreputationforbeingbadassfightersifyoucontinuetoplyus
withsweets."

She gave me a grin, stepping close. I could smell the sugary sweet scent of the

bakery on her, thinking that any other smell was going to be weird from now on. I
hated sweets, but smelling them on Hannah made me want to lick her from head to
toe.MycocktwitchedandItampeditdown,prayingtowhoeverwaslisteningabove
thatshecouldn'tseetheoutlineofmyhard-onthroughmyshorts."How'swork?"she
askedsoftly.

"It'sgood,"Ianswered,reachingouttotouchhercheekbriefly.Herbreathcaught,

andIfoughttheurgetokissthehelloutofherrightinthemiddleofthegym."Though,
Imuchprefermypartnerfromlastnight."

"Theonethatkickedyourass?"sheaskedinnocently,laughterinherexpression.
Shehadnoidea.Shehadkickedmyassinmorewaysthanone."I'lltakethatany

day."

Hannahsteppedbackandgavemeawink."Maybewecanhavearematchsoon."
Ihadeveryintentionofhavingarematchwithher,butmorealongthelinesofher

inmybed,naked,realsoon."Maybe,"Ifinallysaid."Butthistime,Iwillwin."

Shelaughedandsteppedtothedoor."Maybe.Seeyoulater,Anthony."
I watched her go, my blood drumming in my veins to go follow her. This

relationshipwasstartingtobecomeanobsession,unabletokeepmyhandstomyself
whenevershewasaround.

"Dude,youhaveitrealbad."
IturnedandgaveTravisastaredown."What?"
"The baker," he added, rolling his eyes. "Come on dude, just admit it. She's gotten

underyourskin.NotthatIblameyou.Sheishot."

I moved so fast that I didn't even realize what I was doing, jacking him up on the

wallwithmyhandclenchedinhistanktop."Handsoff,"Igrowled,myheadpulsating
withtheneedtopunchhimintooblivion."She'sfuckingmine."

Travisdidn'tevenstruggleagainstmygrip,laughinginstead."Theonlyreasonyou

arestillstandingisbecauseIdon'twanttobetheonethatinjuresyourightbeforeyour
match and because you are so damn ridiculously in love dude. So, if you can let me
down,wewillpretendthisneverhappened."

I let him down, not understanding the loss of control I had just experienced.

Dammit,Ihaditbad.

"Don't worry," Travis said, clapping me on the back, still laughing. "She's good for

youman.Alltheguysthinkso.Enjoyitanddon'tdoanythingstupidtoblowthisorall
betsareoffthen.We'dallbeluckytofindawomanlikeHannah."

Iwatchedashewalkedover,runningahandovermyface,feelingtheangerdrain

out of my body. I had not felt this way when I was with Gina. So what was the
difference?WhywasIbeingsopossessivewithHannah?

C H A P T E R T W E L V E

HA N N A H

henextnight…

I was a lucky woman. I watched as Anthony climbed out of the car, my heart

thuddinginmychestandwell,hell,mypantieswerealreadywetwithanticipationof
whattonightmightbring.Tobeonthesafeside,Iworesomesexyones,abitnervous
butmoreexcitedthananything.Anthonywasdressedinapairofsinfuljeansandat-
shirtthathuggedhisfittorsolikeitwaspaintedon,hisstrongforearmsgivingmechills
as I imagined them wrapped around me. Oh god. James had never affected me this
way.Iwastornbetweenjumpinghisbonesassoonashereachedthedoororstripping
off my clothes and running around naked to fan this flame deep inside that only
Anthonycouldcause.Forthefirsttimeinmyadultlife,Iwasfinewithcasualsex,as
longasitwaswithhim.

The doorbell rang, and I hurried to the door, breathless as I gave myself one last

lookover.TonightIhaddressedwithoutLillian'shelp,slidingintoapairofblackjeans
thatmademybuttlookawesomeandastrappytopthatclungtomyowntorsoabit
morethanIcaredforitto.Butitwasgoingtobecoveredupwithajacket,soIreally
didn'tcaretonight.Withmyhairdownandcuteanklebootsonmyfeet,IfeltlikeIwas
readyforanything.Ijusthopedthiswasappropriateforthisfighttonight.

Takingadeepbreath,Iopenedthedoor."Hey."
"Hey,"hesaid,givingmeaslowonceoverthathadchillsshimmyingupmyspine.

"Youready?"

Inodded,grabbingmykeysoffoftheentrytablebeforeclosingthedoorbehindme,

tuckingthemintothewristletIhaddecidedtocarrytonight.AnthonystoppedmeasI
started down the stairs, leaning forward to brush his lips over mine. "Sorry," he said
withaslightgrin."Ican'thelpmyself.Youlookfuckingfantastictonight,Hannah."

Iblushed,mainlybecauseIknewifItriedtosaysomething,itwouldn'tcomeout

right.Anthonymademefeellikethemostbeautifulwomanontheplanetwithjusta
few words. No one had ever done that. Not to mention he was looking at me like he
coulddevourme.Nowthatwasworthinvestigating.

InsteadIreachedoutandpulledhimbacktowardme,mylipssearchingouthis.He

growled,andhishandwentintomyhair,anglingmyheadjustrightbeforehistongue
sweptinandallwaslost.ScrewtheperfectlipsIhaddonetonightorthefactthathe
was messing up my hair. His other hand gripped my hip, and he pulled me close,

feelingtheneedthatwasclearlythereashepressedhisbodyintomine.Weweregoing
tobegoodtogether,damngood.

Heendedthekiss,restinghisforeheadagainstmineashecaughthisbreathwhileI

tried to figure out how to move on rubbery legs. That and how I could entice him to
skipthiswholefightthingandjustcomeinside.Weweren'tgoingtofindthisheatat
anyfight."Youkillme,"hefinallyforcedout,hishandmassagingthebackofmyhead
lightly."IsworeIwasgoingtokeepmyhandsoffofyou,yethereweare."

"What'swrongwiththat?"Iaskedsoftly,puzzledthathewouldthinkthathehadto

dosuchathing.

Hedrewinaraggedbreathandmovedawaydownthestairs,causingmetofeelthe

coldnessimmediatelyfloataroundmybodyattheremovalofhishands.Well.Either
Anthonywasfightingsomethingcrazy,orIwasreadinghimallwrong,andIdoubtedit
wasthat.Sowhatwasit?

Well,Iwasn'tgivingup.IwantedAnthony,badly.
Helookedup,andIgavehimasmile,walkingdownthestairslikewehadn'tshared

thehottestkissonearthjustminutesago.Likeagentleman,heopenedthecardoor,
andIslidin,takinginabreathasheslidintothedriver'sseatandwewereoff,thespicy
scentofhiscolognefillingtheinterior."Sothisfight,"Isaidafterafewmoments."What
shouldIexpect?"

Agrinslidontohisfaceashestaredstraightahead."Alotofwrestlingontheground

probably.Thesetwoguysaregoodatthetakedownsandliketousethemalot."

"Alotofhalf-nakedmenwrestlingontheground,gotit,"Iteased.
Anthony laughed and reached over, clasping my hand in his and interlacing our

fingerstogether."Exactly.There'sanotherreasonwearegoingtonight,though."

"Oh,aretheregoingtobewomendoingitaswell?"
"No,"hechuckled,histhumbrubbingcirclesonthebackofmyhand."Oneofthe

guys,well,I'mgoingtofighthiminafewweeks."

Isaidnothing,mybloodfreezinginmybody.SureIknewhewasafighter,orhad

beenafighterinhispast,butIthoughthewasdone.Athousandquestionsranthrough
mymind,aswellasworryforAnthony.Ihadseenthepicturesofwhatcouldhappen,
heardinthenewsoffightersdroppingdeadbecauseofaconcussiontheysustainedin
theringorthecage.Thatcouldn'thappentoAnthony.

"Hey,youokay?"
I looked over and realized we were in a parking lot, Anthony looking at me with

someconcern."Um,yeahI'mfine."

"Great,let'sgo,"hesaid,givingmyhandasqueezebeforeopeningthedoor.Ididthe

same,steppingoutandnotfeelingasexcitedasIwasbeforeIfoundoutthatAnthony
was going back into the cage. Nevertheless, I followed him to the building, where he
extractedtwoticketsfromhisbackpocketandhandeditovertothemanstandingat
thedoor.

"LiketheRampageneedstickets,"themanreplied,givingAnthonyawidesmile."I

hearyou'regettingbackintoit.It'saboutdamntime."

"Thanks," Anthony replied, reaching for my hand. We walked down a narrow hall

untiltheroomopenedupandtherewerepeopleeverywhere,withalargeblackcagein
the middle of the room. Anthony's hand tightened on mine as we stopped near the

cage, the glee on his face, unlike anything I had ever seen before. It was then that I
realized that Anthony lived for this fighting, much like I lived for my bakery. Except
unlessIblewupthebakeryorpoisonedmyself,Iwasprettysafeinmyprofession.But
Anthony,ohno,Ididn'tthinkIcoulddothis.

Anthony led me over to our seats before we were stopped by a short guy in a

ridiculous purple suit. "Rampage. I heard you were coming tonight. Scoping out the
competition?"

"Youknowit,"Anthonysaid,shakinghishand."Goodtoseeyou,Tim."
"Youtoo,"Timrepliedwithawidesmile."Butit'suselessforyoutobescopingout

myguy.He'sgoingtokickyourassandquickly.Wehaveachampionshiptogoafter."

IfeltAnthony'shandtightenonmine,thateasygrinstillonhisfacebutthetension

evidentinhisbody."Don'tworry.Hewon'tbestandingforlong."

Tim looked at him before busting out into laughter, clapping Anthony on his

shoulder."Sameol'Rampage!Gladtoseeyouhaven'tlostyoursenseofhumor.Enjoy
thefight.We'llseeeachothersoon."

IwatchedasTimwalkedoff,whistlingbeforeAnthonydrewinabreathandpointed

me to my seat, plopping down in his while rubbing a hand over his face. I didn't say
anything,allowinghimthemomenttogatherhimself.Afteramoment,helookedupat
me."Sorry.Weareathirstylotinthisbusiness."

"Hey, I understand," I said with a shrug. "You've never been to a baking

competition.Theytendtogetquitebloodthirstythemselves."

Hechuckled,andIfeltsomeofthetensioneaseoffofhim."Areyoureallygetting

backintothatthing?"Iaskedsoftly.

"Yeah,"hesaid,hislipsflatteningintoaline."Ihaveto.Fightingismylife,Hannah.

It'sallIknowandthistimeawayfromithasbeenhell.Thegym,it'snotenough."

Itriedtorelate,thinkingthatifIcouldn'tbakeorcreateeverydayIprobablywould

go crazy as well. Everyone had their own idea of happiness and mine was creating
beautiful cakes and other sweet things to bring a smile to my customer's face. But
Anthony.Hechosetoavoidgettinghisfacepunchedin.Itjustwasn'tthesame.Plus,
now I was worried why he got out of it, to begin with. Was he risking his life getting
backintothatcage?

The seats started to fill, and our attention was shifted toward the cage, the lights

dimmingandloudmusicblastingfromthespeakers."That'smyopponent,"heshouted
intomyearasthecrowderupted.Iwatchedasayoungfighterclimbedintothecage,
bouncingaroundandthrowingafewpunchesintheair."JoseFernado,numberthree
fighterinthelightweightdivision.He'sonthefasttracktobecomingchampion."

"Andyouaregoingtofighthim?"Ishoutedbackastheopponentwalkedouttothe

samecheers.ImeanAnthonywasingreatshape,buttherewassomethingaboutthe
waythisguybouncedaroundthecagethatworriedme.CouldAnthonydothat?

Thereweresomeannouncementsbeforethefightstarted,bothfightersfeelingout

each other with a few jabs or kicks. Anthony's hand left mine, and his arm snaked
aroundmywaist,pullingmeascloseasthearmrestwouldallow,hislipsbrushingmy
earandcausingmetoshiverinwardly."Iam,andIamgoingtokickhisass.Don'tyou
worry.Seehisweakness?"

I looked at the fighters as they danced around the cage, not really touching each

otheratall."No,Idon't."

Anthony'sbreathtickledthefinehairsaroundmyearasheleanedcloser."It'shis

legs."Hesoundedexcited,andItriedtofollow,notreallynoticinganythingparticular
aboutJose'slegsotherthantheywereprettyrippedinmyopinion."Hekeepsthemtoo
far apart," Anthony continued. "Any smart fighter would step in between them and
takehimdown."

"You might want to keep that in mind when you are fighting him," I answered.

Anthonychuckledandsqueezedmywaist."Yousoundworried."

"Iamworried,"Ifoundmyselfsayingasthefightersstartedtolandsomepunches

andkicksoneachother.Mymouthwasdry,myheartwashammeringinmyearsasI
watched, my stomach slightly queasy as I tried to picture Anthony in the cage, being
taken down to the mat, his face pressed against the other guy's knee or elbow. No, I
didn'tlikethisatallwhenAnthonywasinvolved.

"Don'tbe.Icantakecareofmyself."
IletthatcommentgoastheactioninthecagereallystartedtoheatuporatleastI

thoughtitwasbytheroarofthecrowd.Hell,Ihadnoideawhatwasgoingonandnot
quitesureifIlikeditnowthatIknewAnthonywasgoingbackintothecage.

Justwhenitlookedliketheotherguy'sarmwasabouttosnapunderpressure,Jose

wasabletogetthewin,therefereeholdinguphisarmsinvictoryasthecrowdwent
crazy.Thankgoditwasover.ThecrowdstartedtodispersewhenAnthonylookedover
atme."Well,whatdidyouthink?"

Ididn'twanttooffendhimorletonthatIwassuperconcernedwithhimdoingthis.

Itwasn'tmyplacetobeworried,right?"Um,itwasdifferent."

"I'lltakeit,"hesaidaswestarteddownthestairsandoutintothecrowdedhall."It

takessomegettingusedto."

"Rampage!"
Anthony turned around to find a man jogging toward him, looking more like a

collegekidthananythingelse."Trent."

TrentreachedusandshookAnthony'shand,agrinonhisface."Rampage.Iheard

somegoodnewstheotherday.Areyoureallygettingbackintothecage?"

"Iam,"AnthonygrinnedasIstoodcloseby."Lessthanamonth."
"That's great, man. You were one of the best," Trent answered. "Let me piece

togetherastoryforyou.Whydon'tyoucometoNewYorknextweek?Trip'sonme."

Anthony turned toward me. "Trent this is Hannah. Hannah, this is Trent. He runs

theonlyMMAmagazineavailable."

"Nicetomeetyou,Hannah,"Trentsaid,shakingmyhand."Haveyoueverbeento

NewYork?"

Ishookmyheadno.IthadalwaysbeenadreamofminetogototheBigApple,butI

couldn'taffordtobeawayfromthebakery,andallofmyfundshadsunkintomaking
mybusinessasuccess.Therewasrarelyenoughtimetovacation.

"ThereTony.HannahneedstocometoNewYork,andyouarethepersontotake

her,"Trentsaidwithasatisfiedsmile."Don'tturnmedown."

Anthonyrubbedahandoverhishair."I'llthinkaboutit."
Trent said goodbye, and we walked out of the building toward the car before

Anthonyspunmearoundbygrabbingmyarm."Well?"

"Well,what?"
"DoyouwanttogotoNewYork?"heasked,tuckingastrayhairbehindmyear.
Washeserious?NewYork?Withhim?Thiswasaseriousstepinourrelationshipor

whateverwehadgoingonhere."You'rejokingright?"Iaskedsoftly.Therewasnoway
hewantedtotakeme.

Anthony'sexpressionchanged."Whywouldyouaskthat,Hannah?I'mnotjoking.I

wantyoutocometoNewYorkwithme."

I wrapped my arms around his neck, excitement building. "I, yes I will go to New

Yorkwithyou."IjusthopedthatLilliancouldwatchthebakeryforadayortwo.OnceI
toldherwhyIhadnodoubtthatshewould.

Hegrinnedandbrushedhislipsovermine.IwasgoingtoNewYorkwithAnthony.

Ohgod,Iwasgoingonanovernighttripwithmyhotashellfighter.

C H A P T E R T H I R T E E N

A N T HO N Y

pulledthecaruptoHannah'sapartmentbuilding,mynervessittingongo.Afterthe

fighttonight,Icouldn'twaittogetbackinthecageandblowJoseup,figuringoutsome
of his weaknesses that would give me the advantage. I knew Jose and knew that he
would be studying my old tapes, noting that my knee was going to be my biggest
weakness.IwouldhavetoprotectitthebestIcouldifIwantedtowinthatmatch.

AndthenthewholeconversationwithTrent.Thatwascompletelyunexpected,but

withmyarticle,Icouldpromotethegym,giveitthenationalattentionitsorelyneeded.
This was the perfect way to do that, and Trent was a standup guy in his writing. He
wouldn'tscrewmeover.No,thiswasnotonlygoingtothrustthisfightinthelimelight,
butalsothegymandthethoughtofbothweretoogoodtopassdown.

"Well, I guess I will see you tomorrow," Hannah was saying as I threw the car in

parkandleftitrunning,turningtowardher.AndHannahwasgoingwithme.Thatwas
enoughtosendmeovertheedge.IwasgoingtohaveHannahtomyself,withoutthe
bakeryorthegymhangingoverourheadsforatleastanight.Thetemptationwastoo
great.Trentwouldhookusup,treatuslikeroyaltyandIcouldn'twaittoshowHannah
NewYork.

Ireachedoutandtouchedhercheekwithmyfingers."Thankyouforgoingwithme

tonight."

"You'rewelcome,"shesmiled."Itwas,um,fun."
Iexplodedintolaughter."Yeahright,butthanksforgoinganyway.I'llmakeitupto

youinNewYork."

"Ican'tbelievewearegoing,"shesaid,excitementevidentinhervoice.
"WewillleaveonMonday,"Itoldher.Mondaywasjusttwodaysaway.Ihadtotell

theguys,andshehadtotakecareofthebakery.

"Ibetterstartpacking,"sheteasedasmyhandcuppedthebackofherneck.
"Just bring you," I answered, reaching over to kiss her lips. She sighed, and I

deepened my kiss, growling as she delved her fingers into my hair, her lips eagerly
seeking out mine. I kissed her with all the pent-up sexual frustration I was suddenly
carrying around, knowing that New York was going to be a game changer in our
relationship. I had no intentions of getting two rooms, and I suspected Hannah
probably already knew that. Hell, I thought she wanted it, given the way she was
kissingmerightnow.

ReluctantlyIpulledaway,restingmyforeheadagainsthers."Wewillfinishthisin

NewYork."

"F-finishwhat?"shebreathed,herhandslikeadeathgriponmyneck.
Ipulledawaytolookintohereyes,givingheragrin."This,whateveritisbetween

us. If you don't want that, tell me now." I wasn't playing games, I wasn't going to
pretendthatIdidn'twanther.IwantedtobeupfrontandtruthfulwithherofwhatI
wantedtodoonthistripandwasn'tgoingtosettleforanythingelse.

Hannahswallowedhard."Iwantwhateveryou'reoffering."
"Good,"Ianswered.
Shereleasedmeandreachedforthedoorhandle,lookingbackatmewithagleam

inhereyes."Butfirst,youhavetogotothecompetitiontomorrow."

heNextDay…

I walked into the convention center with an excited Hannah on my arm, telling

myselfIwasdoingthisforagoodcause.Shehadbeenagoodsportatgoingtothefight
last night with me, and I had already promised to go to the competition with her so
hereIwas,feelinglikeIwaslosingmymanhoodwitheverystep.

Ihadtoadmit,theentireplacewascrawlingwithpeople,rowsuponrowsofbaked

goodsforpeopletooohandahhover.Fromthemostelaboratecakestothesmallest
cookie,everythingwasupforjudging."Sowhat'sthepointofthisthing?"Iaskedaswe
walkedthroughacandyarchway,myhandinhers.

"Just like your championships, we have ours," she responded. "Plus these are the

perfect places to see new baking ideas and bakeware from all around the world.
Besides,whowouldn'twanttocompeteforonehundredthousand?"

A 100k? Hell, that was more than some fights paid out. "Why aren't you

participating?"

Shegavealittlelaugh."You'rejokingright?"
Ispunheraround,takingherintomyarmsinthemidstofthecrowd."So,didyou

notmakemybirthdaycake?AmIdatingthewrongbaker?"

"No," she breathed, something lighting in her eyes. "It's just, this is a national

competition.WhatIdo,well,it'snotevenclosetosomeofthis."

"Butyoucoulddoit,"Ianswered,wonderingwhatmadeherthinkshedidn'tbelong

withthisgroupofyahoos.Shedidfuckingexcellentwork.

"I-I could," she stammered, surprise on her face. "Do you really think I'm good

enoughforacompetition?"

Ipulledherclose."Babe,youwouldwipethefloorwiththeseasswipes."
She laughed and my heart lurched in my chest as she hugged me tight. "Maybe I

willcompetenextyearthen."

Ihuggedherback,wonderingwhohaddestroyedherinthepast.Wasitthatasshole

thatIcaughtinthebakerythatnight?Hadhetornherdowntowhereshedidn'tthink
she was good enough? Suddenly I wanted to punch his fucking face in. He didn't
deserveher.Hell,Ididn'teither,butforsomereason,Iwastheluckybastardwhohad
herrightnow.Myarmstightenedaroundher.Iwasn'tgoingtolethergo,notwithouta

fight.Shewasthebestdamnthingthathadhappenedtomeinalongtime.

Shepulledback,hercheeksflushedasshegrabbedmyhand."Comeon,let'sgotest

somefrosting."

"Testfrosting?"IaskedasIallowedhertopullmealong.Iwasn'tabigsweetseater,

thoughIdidenjoyagoodchocolatechipcookieeverynowandagain.Hannahpulled
meovertoaboothwhereawomanwasdippingagoldcoloredfrostinginsmallcups,
handingonetoHannahwithasmile."It'speach,"shesaidasHannahdippedherfinger
inandheldituptomymouth.Igrinned.Soshewantedmetotastethefrostingthat
way?Takingherfinger,Iswirledmytonguearoundit,takingmysweettimesuckingit
offofherfingerandwatchingashercheekspinkenoncemore.Therewereotherareas
Iwouldliketohavefrostingonher.

Shepulledherfingeroutofmymouthandclearedherthroat."H-howwasit?"
"Perfect,"Isaid,myeyesonher.Thesweettasteofthefrostingbarelyregisteredto

measIwatchedherbreathcatch.WeweregoingtohavethebestfuckingtimeinNew
York.Ijusthadtoholdoutthatlong.

C H A P T E R F O U R T E E N

HA N N A H

reyousureyouaregoingtobeokayherebyyourself?Icancancelthistripyou

know."

Lillian looked at me like I had lost my damn mind. "You're crazy. That's the only

nicewordIcanthinkofrightnow."

Isighedandproppedmyelbowsuponthecounter."I'msorry.Ijust,amImaking

therightdecision?"AnthonywaseverythingandmorethatIcouldhavehopedtofind
inagreatguy,evenifhehadhisbaggage.Heck,Ihadmyownbaggage.Butthiswasa
hugestepinthisbuddingrelationshipandwhatifafterhesleptwithme,hewasdone?
It would be heartbreak all over again. I didn't think he was that type of guy, but that
naggingfeelingwasstillinthebackofmymind.

Lillianwalkedovertothedisplaycase,asofteningexpressiononherface."Listen.I

knowyouarescaredaboutthistrip,butAnthony,heseemslikeadecentguy.Ithink
it's time for you to let loose and enjoy yourself, Hannah. You've worked hard, and
everygirlneedsalittlefun."

Shewasright,ofcourse,butIdidn'twanttotellherthat.ItwaswaypasttimethatI

focused on myself and not the bakery, which was doing just fine by the way. After
James, I had thrown myself into my work, never wanting to go through that
heartbreakeveragain,yethereIwas,abouttoputmyselfouttherewithAnthony.My
body heated just thinking about him, my nerves tingling with anticipation. I couldn't
believethathewantedmetogoonthistripwithhim,tobeginwith,andIhadpacked
enoughclothestolastamonth,notknowingexactlywhatIwouldbeexpectedtodoor
where we would go on this overnight trip. My sexiest underthings were also packed,
afterIhadknockedthedustoffofthem.NowIhadtojustwaitandsee.

The door opened, and the object of my thoughts stepped through, pulling off his

sunglassesintheprocess.MyheartstutteredinmychestasItookhimin,wearingmy
favoriteoutfitofhiscustomaryjeansanddressshirt,lookinglikeamillionsexybucks.
"Hey,"hesaid,givingmeagrin."Youready?"

"Don't worry about me," Lillian said, slapping the case. "I'll make sure the bakery

doesn'tburndown,orIgetkidnappedbyabusfullofrandomhotguys."

"Thanks,Lillian,"Isaid,blowingherakiss."I'llseeyoutomorrownight."
"Yeah,yeah,"shesaidwiththewaveofherhand."Goonkids,havefun.Bringme

backsomethingcool."

I picked up my small carry-on and joined Anthony outside, where his car was

waitingatthecurb.Hetookmycarry-onandthrewitinthetrunkasIclimbedinthe
car,nervous,andwehadn'tevengottenthereyet.

Heclimbedinandpulledawayfromthecurb,hishandreachingovertocaressmy

knee lightly through my jeans. "What's the one thing you would want to do in New
York?"

"That's a loaded question," I laughed as he followed the road to the interstate. "I

meanI'veneverbeen.Whatwouldyourecommend?"

Anthonyshrugged."Youknow,I'vebeenafewtimes.Neverreallydidanytouristy

thingsthere."

"Oh,"Isaidashetooktheexitfortheairport."Well,wedon'thavetodoanythingat

allthere.Iknowthisisabusinesstripforyou."

Hesaidnothingashepassedtheterminalforcommercialairlinesandheadedtothe

privatejetsectionoftheairport."Arewenotgoingonaplane?"Iteasedasheparked
thecarandcutofftheengine.

Anthonylookedoveratme."WearegoingonTrent'sjet.Nocoachforus."
Oh,mygod.Thiswaslikesomedreamcometrue.Anthonygotourluggageoutof

the trunk, a duffel bag for him, and led me to the small building, where we were
greetedbyawomanwhotookourthingsandledusoutontothetarmac.Agleaming
jet sat waiting for us, along with the pilot. "Welcome aboard," he said, shaking our
handsatthestairs."Weshouldhaveashort,smoothflighttoday."

"Thanks,"Isaid,takinginabreathasIwalkedupthestairsandintothejet.Itwas

everything that you would see on TV, all leather and wood, the perfect picture of
money. I chose the chair near the window as Anthony said a few words to the pilot
before he sat across from me, dropping his jacket in the chair beside him. "This is
amazing,"Isaidasthedoorwasclosedandtheplanestarted."I'veneverflowninone
ofthesebefore."

"Thenyouareinforatreat,"hereplied."It'sthebestwaytofly."
Isettledback,andbeforeIknewit,wewereintheclouds.Anthonyrosefromhis

seatandgrabbedthebottleofchampagnethatwaschillinginthebucketonthetable,
pouringmeaglass.Inoticedhegrabbedabottleofwateroffthebarafterhandingmea
glass,holdingitupinatoast."Toyourfirsttimeinthebigapple,"hesaid,clinkingmy
glass against his bottle. I took a sip, then a bigger one, my nerves now at a fevered
pitch,feelingthebubblesslidedownmythroat.Anthonysathisbottleasideandleaned
down, bracing himself on my armrests. "I need to kiss you," he said, his voice gruff.
"CanIkissyou,Hannah?"

Didhereallyhavetoask?Imeanhecouldkissmewheneverhewanted.Ianswered

himwithajerkynodandhismouthcurvedintoagrin,sendingmynervesscattering.
His lips descended on mine, and I moaned into his mouth as his tongue swept in,
tangling with mine. A swirl of need and want spun in my stomach, wanting to touch
himbutscaredthatImightnotbeabletostop.Hepulledbackandlookedatme,the
needinhiseyesscaringmejustalittle."Closeyoureyes,Hannah."

"W-what?" I asked, my hands gripping the armrests so tight that I thought I was

goingtoripthemfromtheirhinges.

"Trustme.Closeyoureyes."

Iheldmybreathandclosedmyeyes,wonderingwhatwasgoingtohappenwhenI

did.Oddly,Iwasn'tscared,butmoreexcitedthananything.Somethinggoodwasgoing
tohappen.Eitherthat,orthiswasturningintoaJamesBondmovie,andAnthonywas
about to jump out of the plane, leaving me wallowing in my own wetness. When his
hands touched my shoulders, I jumped, earning a chuckle from him. "Easy," he said
nearmyear."I'mnotgoingtohurtyou,Hannah."

Iknewthat,butjustthethoughtofwhathewasgoingtodowasnearlydrivingme

over the edge. His lips touched the side of my neck, and I sighed, his hands moving
downmyarmsanddownmyjean-coveredthighs,hisfingerslightlybrushingovermy
kneesbeforemassagingmycalves.Thenhishandsleftme,andIstuckoutmylower
lip,keepingmyeyesclosedashehadrequested.Ihopedtherewasmore.

He didn't disappoint. His hands were suddenly under my shirt, caressing the soft

skinofmystomachandheighteningmyawarenessoncemore."Isthisokay?"heasked
nearmyear."BecauseIwillstop."

I worked my mouth, finally deciding that a nod of my head was enough. He

chuckled,andhishandsincheduphigher,untiltheycoveredthelacydetailofmybra
that I, fortunately, had decided to wear this morning. He hadn't seen it yet, but I
doubtedthatitwasn'tgoingtobelongbeforehedid.Whenhisthumbsgrazedovermy
suddenly erect nipples, I moaned, unable to keep it in. It had been so long since
someonetouchedmelikethat.

Iheardhissharpintakeofbreathandthecoolairwassuddenlytouchingmyupper

bodyasIfeltmyshirtpulledovermyhead.Well,ifIhadanyreservationsofAnthony
seeingmeinthebrightlight,thosefearswerenowjustadistantmemory.

"Fuckinggorgeous."
MyearsperkedupasIheardhissoftwords,ablushspreadingthroughoutmybody.

HethoughtIwasgorgeousstill?WhathadIdonerightinmylifetodeservethisguy?
Hishandscoveredmybreastsagain,andIfeltmybonesstarttomeltunderhistouch,
bitingmyliptokeepfromopeningmyeyes.Ididn'twanthimtostop.

Histhumbsonmynipplewerereplacedbythewarmthofhismouth,causingmeto

nearlyjumpoffofthechairashewetthelace.Ohgod.Myhandsleftthearmrestsand
delvedintohishair,myeyesstillshutasIheldhisheadthere,theelectricityshooting
straighttomygroin.Yes.ThiswaswhatIwanted,whatIneeded.

Histonguelavishedtheothernipple,andIfelthishandstarttoworkatthebutton

onmyjeans,halfthinkingIshouldstophim.Buthadn'theaskedmebeforeifthiswas
whatIwasreadyfor?Hadn'tItoldhimyes?WhyinhellwasIattemptingtostopthis
hotguywhoclearlywantedinmypants?

Hishandslippedintomyloosenedwaistband,andIfoughttheurgetosuckin.After

all,hewasalreadyseeingmewithoutmyshirton.Imean,therewererollsthere.His
fingers delved into my panties, and I bit back a cry as he found my already wet,
hardenedclit.

"Hell,yes,"hesaid,hisfingerapplyingpressuretotheswollennub."You'resowet

forme."

Imadeasound,pressingagainsthisfingertourgehimon.Ineededthis,withhim.

Hecaughtonandhisfingerstartedaslow,torturouscircle,flickingagainstit."Areyou
goingtocomeforme,Hannah?"

"Y-yes,"Ibreathed,feelingthebuildoftheorgasminmylowerhalf.Thereleasewas

soclose.

HegrowledandcoveredmymouthwithhisasIletgo,moaningintohismouthas

my body shook with the force of the orgasm. I went limp as he tore away from my
mouth,openingmyeyestoseehisstaringbackatme,darkstormycloudsfullofheat.
Here I was, half naked and panting in front of the hottest guy I had ever had the
privilegetodate,andhewaslookingatmelikehecoulddevourme."I.um."

"Nowords,"hegrowled,fallingintothechairinfrontofme,rubbinghishandover

hisface.

Ilookedathim,thebulgeinthefrontofhisjeansveryevidentandwonderedwhat

wasstoppinghimfromtakingmehereandnow,joiningthefrequentflyerclubwithout
adoubt.Hadallofthisjustbeensomewonderfuldreamandnowrealitywascrashing
down?HadIdisgustedhim?Allofasudden,Inolongerwantedtobelikethisinfront
ofhim.Grabbingmyshirt,Isliditon,myfaceburningwithembarrassment.

Anthony'shandlandedonmyarmasIstartedtogetup,forcingmetolookathim.

Helookedpissed."No.It'snotwhatyouthink."

With a squeak, I found myself falling against him, landing in his lap with my legs

danglingoverthearmrest.Hisstrongarmstrappedmethere,hisfacelookingdownat
mine."No,"hesaidagain,hiseyesdarkerthanever."Iwantyou,Hannah.Hell,Icould
takeyouatleastahalfadozentimesonthisfloorrightnow."

Igulped,feelingtheneedundermyrearend."Whyaren'tyou?"
"Because,"hesaidharshly."Youdeservebetterthanthis."
Hiswordsflooredme.Deservedbetterthanwhat?Havinghotsexwithhim?Hislips

found my jaw line, nipping at the sensitive skin there. "I want you in a bed," he said
softly,hisbreathhotonmyface."Nakedandscreamingoutmynameoverandover
again."

Well,thatcouldn'thavebeenputanyclearer.Ireachedupandcaressedhischeek,

feelingtheroughstubbleagainstmypalm."SoyouaresayingIwouldbetooloudin
theplane."

He choked on his laughter, pulling me tight against his chest. I grinned, all of the

worrydisappearingfrommythoughts.Hedidwantmeafterall.Iwouldgladlytakea
rompinthisplane,butthelureofhiswordsfortonightmademewanttowait.Ilaid
myheadonhischest,feelingthestrongheartbeatunderthepalmofmyhandthatwas
restingthere.Anthonywasfullofsurprises,andIdidn'twanttostopfindingthemout,
ever.

C H A P T E R F I F T E E N

A N T HO N Y

he was killing me. We walked hand in hand into the lobby of the hotel, glad that

Trent had put me up in a nice one at least, so I could see the complete happiness on
Hannah'sfaceasshetookitallin.Afterthehotmomentontheplane,mynerveswere
onedge,theneedtogopunchoutthissexualfrustrationbuildinginsideofme.Ihad
comesoclosetolosingitontheplane,takingheragainsttheseatasIpoundedaway,
butIhadheldbackandnearlylostHannahintheprocess.Didshenotknowhowmuch
Ifuckingwantedher,neededher?Iwastryingtobeagentlemanaboutthis,tryingto
makethistheperfectexperienceforher,butwitheveryheatedlookshegaveme,allI
couldthinkaboutwasfindingthedarkestcornerandtakingherrightthenandthere.

"Thisisamazing,"shebreathedasIcollectedthekeyfromthefrontdesk.Igrinned,

allowingheramomenttolookaroundtheFourSeason'slobby.Itwasprettyfucking
impressive,thoughIhadalreadyseenitatimeortwo.Backinthegooddays,whenI
wasahotcommodity,Ihadstayedinplaceslikethis,takingthemforgrantedbecauseI
wasstupidtothinkthatitwasnevergoingtoend,thatIwasnevergoingtobeonthe
bottom again, clawing my way back to the top. Yet here I was, with a bum knee and
attemptingtodojustthat.Iwasn'thappywithjustsettling.Iwanteditallback."Come
on,"Ifinallysaid."Let'sgoup."

She gave me a smile as we walked to the elevators, taking it to one of the higher

floorsofthehotel,openingthedoortothesuitesoHannahcouldwalkin.Trenthadn't
disappointed.Theroomhadagreatviewoftheskylineaswellasabigkingsizedbed
thatIknewwewouldenjoylater.ForHannah'sfirsttimeinthecity,shewasgoingto
haveagreatfuckingmemory.

"Wow," she breathed, walking over to the wall of glass that overlooked the city.

"Thisis,wow."

Tell me about it. Seeing her stand before the window, her face full of excitement

damn near took my breath away. "We'll see some of the city on the way to the
interview,"Ifinallyforcedout.

Hannahturnedaround."Iwanttofreshenupfirst."
I looked at her, thinking there was nothing she needed to do but hey, who could

understandwomensometimes?"Yougotsometime,goahead."

She grabbed her bag and walked to the bathroom, shutting the door before I

exhaledabreath,myhandshakingslightly.Damn,Icouldreallygoforadrinkright

now to calm my nerves. Part of them had to do with the interview, unsure of what
questions were going to be asked of me, but the other was attempting to make this
night Hannah's best memory. It was far too much pressure to be dealing with right
now.

crackedmyknucklesnervouslyasHannahandIenteredtheofficespace,seeingthe

other covers of the magazines lining the walls. There was a time, years ago, I had
stepped into this office and posed for a cover, feeling on top of the world. Now I was
makingmycomeback,andmyfeelingsweredifferent.Iwasfuckingnervous.

Hannahtookmyhandinhersandgaveitalittlesqueeze,causingmetolookoverat

her."You'regoingtodojustfine,"shewhisperedaswewalkeduptothedeskwherea
receptionistwassitting."You'reRampageremember?"

Igaveherawinkandreleasedherhand,notwantinghertofeelthenervoustension

thatwasinsideofme.Ihatedthisfeeling,thefeelingfardifferentthanthenervousness
Igotbeforeamatch.ThatIcouldhandle,this,wellIfeltill.

The receptionist waved us on back, and we stepped through a door into a large

room, where a white backdrop was already set up for the photo shoot that would
follow,thephotographeranglingthelightingtogetthebestshot.IwasgladIhaddone
some reps before leaving the hotel, wanting my body to be in top shape for this
interview.Iwantednoweaknesses,noreasonforpeopletodoubtme.

"Tony!Gladyoucouldmakeit!"
IlookeduptoseeTrentbearingdownonus,agrinonhisface."Dude,Ihavethe

bestfuckingnews.Youaregoingtobecoveragain."

"Cover?"Iasked,surprised.
Henodded,lookingovermyshoulderatHannah."HeyHannah,I'mgladyouwere

abletotalkhimintocomingupforthis."

"You're welcome," she replied, coming to stand beside me. "Thank you for having

me."

Trentgaveheragrin,slappingmeontheback."Readytogetstarted,Rampage?"
"Hell yes," I said, though I didn't feel it. Trent led me over to the wardrobe

department before walking away to tend to Hannah. I watched as she grinned at
something he said, feeling that heat race through my body and not because I was
fucking excited. I was jealous and rightly so, knowing that the lure of Trent's money
wasenoughforanywomantotakeaninterestinhim.AndHannah,damnshecould
turnsomeheadstonightdressedinapairofblackpantsandawhiteshirtthatshowed
off a great deal of cleavage, though she did have a blazer type jacket over the shirt.
Trent'seyeskeptstrayingtoherchest,andIwantedtotearhiseyesoutoftheirsockets.

"Sheyourgirlfriend?"
"What?"Iasked,lookingatthewomanbeforemewhowouldprepmefortheshoot.
Shelaughed,herelectricbluehairshininginthebrightlight."Dude,it'swrittenall

overyourface.She'spretty."

Icouldn'thelpbutagree.Hannahwasfuckinggorgeous."Comeonloverboy,"the

womansaid,tuggingonmyjacket."Timetomakeyouprettyaswell."

Iallowedhertostripme,comfortablewalkingaroundinmyskivviesconsideringI

worethosetightshortswhenIfoughtandslidintoapairofflamingredshorts.Alittle
gelinmyhairandIwasdone,walkingbarefootinfrontofthecamera.

"Damn man, you are ripped," Trent said, walking over next to the camera as I

followedthephotographer'sinstructionsonthedifferentposes.Underhoodedeyes,I
sawHannahinthedistance,hereyesonmybodyasIturnedaround.Ihadseenher
nearlynaked,andithaddamnnearkilledmetostopmyselffromtakingheronthat
plane. She had curves in all the right places and my hands itched to touch her body
tonight,allofit.

Thephotographerhadmeturnafewdifferentwaysbeforesheconsideredtheshoot

doneandIwasallowedtoputmyclothesbackon,walkingovertothestoolsthatwere
set up near a bar, clearly there to make the situation comfortable. "Want a drink?"
TrentaskedasIsatdown,claspingmyhandstogetherinfrontofme."Wegotalittlebit
ofeverythinghere."

"Nah,thanks,"Ishruggeditoffashesatbeforeme,ataperecorderbetweenus."I'm

good."

Henoddedandflippedtherecorderon."SoRampage,whatmadeyouwanttoget

backinthecage?"

Iclearedmythroat."It'sinmyblood.AtnopointwasIdonewiththecage."
Henodded."Somewouldsaythatyouarewashedup,thatyourkneeisgoingtobe

pickedapartbyJoseinyourmatchinafewweeks."

"I'm in the best shape of my life," I fired back, attempting to keep my cool. I was

usedtothequestions,buttheystillburned."Mykneeisnotgoingtobeanissue."

Trentnodded,clearlyenjoyingmyattitude."Sowhatisgoingtobeyourplanafter

thisfight?"

ThiswastheonequestionIdidn'tknowhowtoanswer.Ihadnofuckingideawhat

my plans were after this fight, assuming I made it through the fight. I could talk shit
with the guys constantly about the fight, but I knew there was always that chance of
notcomingthroughitaliveorhowIenteredthecage.Itwaslikethatforeveryfight.
"Well, there's the gym," I started out, wanting to give it props on a national stage.
"We'vedoneprettywellwithit."

Trentgavemeagrin."Don'tworry,I'lldropalineortwoaboutthegym.Itwillbea

hotcommodityonceItellthemwhoisrunningthejoint."

"Thanks,"Isaid,feelingalittlemoreatease."Ireallydon'tknowmanwhat'snext.I

wanttofightaslongasIhumanlycan.Fightingismylife."

"Andwhat about your personallife?" Trent pressed on."Is there someone in your

lifecurrently?"

I looked over at Hannah, who was flipping through one of the magazines not far

fromus."Yeah,there'ssomeone,andshe'sprettyspecial."

C H A P T E R S I X T E E N

HA N N A H

eclimbed out of the cab, and I pulled my jacket tighter around me, surprised at

howcoldNewYorkcouldgetatnight.Byallaccounts,Anthony'sinterviewandphoto
shoothadgoneprettywell,especiallythepartwhereIcouldoglehisbodyandnotfeel
like some weird stalker. He really had a great body, the tattoos adding an element of
dangertohishandsomeprofileandIdoubtedIwouldevergettiredofseeinghimin
thoselittlehotpantshehadonearlier.Myhearthaddoneapitterpatterbyjustlooking
athim.

"Comeon,"hewassayingdraggingmetowardacarriageparkedidlyonthesideof

thestreet.ItwasthenthatIrealizedwewereatCentralParkandhewastakingmeona
carriageride.Oh,my.Thedrivergreetedusandhelpedusupinthecarriage,Anthony
tuckinghisarmaroundmyshouldersaswesetoffonaslowpaceinoneofthegreatest
citiesintheworld."Thisis,Idon'tknowhowtoeventhankyou,"Isaidsoftly,takingin
thesightsofthecityatnight."Butthankyou."

"You'rewelcome,"hesaidsoftly."Thankyouforcomingwithme.Iconfess,it'snice

tohavesomeoneherethistime."

I leaned my head against his shoulder, taking in the spicy scent of his cologne. I

shouldn'tfeelthiswayaboutthisman,butslowlyhewasstealingmyheart."I'mgladto
bethatperson."

He didn't answer, and I enjoyed the moment, listening to the steady clop of the

horses' hooves as they made their way around the park. His fingers were lightly
caressingmyshoulder,sendingelectricitydownmyspineasIthoughtaboutwhatwas
goingtohappentonight.Iwasn'tgoingtolie;Iwasnervousaboutbeinginvolvedina
sexual relationship with Anthony. After James, I hadn't anticipated finding anyone,
much less my sexy as hell fighter who could get my blood racing through my veins
withaquickgrin.

The carriage ride was over all too quickly, and Anthony helped me out, his hands

grazingmyhipsashesteadiedme.Ilookedintohiseyesandsawtheheat,theneed
and felt my own body respond in kind. "Ready for food?" he asked softly, smoothing
thehairawayfrommyface.

One simple touch and I could care less about food. I wanted something else,

somethingstandingrightinfrontofme."Iwantsomethingelse."

Hiseyesflaredinsurprise,butitwasn'thardtofigureoutwhatIwastalkingabout.

Without a word, he grabbed my hand and hailed a taxi, climbing in and giving the
directionstothehotel.Ifelttheexcitementallthewaytomytoesaswespedthrough
thestreetsofNewYork,mybodytinglingwithanticipation.Iwasreadyforthis.

The trip back to the hotel took no time at all, and we walked through the lobby,

finding a free elevator before Anthony jabbed the door closed, his body pressing into
mine,hishandsgoingoneithersideofmyhead."Youdon'thavetodothis,"heground
out,hishardbodypressingintomineandcausingmystomachtofliprelentlessly."I'm
alltalk."

Ireachedupandcuppedhischeekwithmyhand."Ihopenot."
He grinned and leaned in, brushing his lips against mine. "Alright then. You are

minetonight."

Ishiveredasthedoorsopenedandhebackedoff,leadingmeoutoftheelevatorand

down the hall, barely getting the door opened before he was attacking me with his
mouth,pressingmeagainstthenowclosedhoteldoorandwedgingakneebetweenmy
thighs. I gasped as his hands touched my breasts, finding my erect nipples and
tweaking them lightly, his tongue delving into my mouth and playing a dangerous
tangowithmytongue.Myhandsfoundhisshouldersandthendowntothehemofhis
shirt,tuggingonituntilhebrokethekissandpulleditoverhishead,steppingback.I
shruggedoutofmyjacketandpulledmyshirtovermyhead,figuringifheweregoing
tobebarechested,Iwouldbeaswell."CanItouchyou?"Iasked.

Anthonynodded,andIreachedoutwithatremblinghandandlaiditoverhisheart,

feeling the rapid thump under my hand. If I didn't know any better, I would have
thoughthewasjustasnervousasIwasbutIthrewoutthatidea.Therewasnowaya
manlikehimcouldbenervousaboutsex,especiallywithme.Myotherhandtouched
his shoulder and felt the steely muscle there, tracing down his arm and feeling his
musclesflexundermytouch.Idroppedmyhandsandwalkedaroundtoseehisback,
wherehistattooswerenowpredominantlydisplayed."Tellmeaboutthetats."

"Iwasonfire,"hesaidquietlyasItracedthedarkflamewithmyfingerlightly."My

careerhadjusttakenoff,andIwantedtomemorializeit."Hechuckled."Iwentabittoo
big."

I traced the flame from his neck all the way to his lower back, trying to picture

Anthonylayingthereandsufferingthroughhoursoftattoos.Iwasawimp,hatingany
sort of pain so I couldn't imagine the pain as the needle had gone over his shoulder
blade or the sensitive skin on his ribcage. "I like it," I said, pressing a soft kiss on his
shoulderbladerightinthedarkspot."Itsuitsyou."Hedidn'trespondasIwalkedback
aroundtofacehim,seeingtheinscrutablelookonhisface."I'mnotonfireanylonger,"
hesaid,paincrossinghisexpression."Thisismylasthurrah,mylastchancetomakeit
backintothecage."

I reached up and touched his face lightly with my fingers, my heart going out to

him."There'smoretoyouthanjustfightingyouknow."

"Like what?" he asked. I shrugged as I trailed a finger down the front of his chest,

caressinghisabdomen."Likeyouareagoodkisser."

Anthony chuckled and grabbed my fingers, bringing them up to his lips. I sucked

my breath in as he inserted one into his mouth, his tongue swirling around the tip.
"Onlygood?"

"G-great,"Istammered,mynervesscattering.Hewinkedandtrailedmyhandover

hischestoncemore.Icouldseetheheatsimmeringinhiseyesandfeltthatsamelow
burninmystomachaswell."Whatelsedoyouwanttoknow?"heaskedsoftlyashis
handslandedonmywaist,hiswarmfingersonmybareskin.

"Later,"Iforcedout.Iwasdonetalking.Hegrinnedandslidhishandsdowntomy

pants,pushingatthewaistband."Off.Iwanttoseeyou,Hannah."

"Turnaboutisfairplay,"Isaid,eyeinghispantsaswell.Webothremovedourpants,

my breath coming out in shallow pants as I took a good long look at him. The bulge
againsthistightboxerswasunmistakable,andIswallowed.Goodlord.Ithadn'tbeen
thatlong,butAnthonywasmakingitallseemlikethefirsttime.

"Likewhatyousee?"
MyeyesflewuptoAnthony'sface,takinginhisgrin."W-what?"
He chuckled and closed the gap between us, taking my face in his hands, his

beautiful eyes a stormy gray. "I want you, Hannah, probably more than I have ever
wantedanyonebefore,butIwillbegentle."

Iflushed."I'mnot,ImeanI'vegotexperience."Ihadn'tbeenavirgininalongtime.
His smile was tender as he kissed me gently. "But you've never been with me

before."

Myheartliterallymeltedinmychest.Heneverceasedtoamazeme.Hislipswere

gentleonmineashishandsreachedbehindmeandundidtheclaspofmybra,working
itdownmyarmsuntilitjoinedtherestofourclothingonthefloor.Whenhishands
cuppedmybarebreasts,Igaspedattheshockofhishandsonmyskin,graspingathis
shoulders to keep myself upright. His hands roamed down my body, and I felt my
kneesstarttoweaken,hislipsleavingmineandtrailingdownmyneck,nibblingand
teasingthesensitiveskinthere.Iwasonfire,everywhere.

Anthonygruntedandwalkedusbacktothebed,wherehepushedmelightlydown

on the bed until I was spread over the comforter, his body covering mine, the bulge
now nestled nicely against my already wet center. His lips were everywhere, at my
breasts, sucking on one nipple before attacking the other, his hands sliding down my
bodywhileIwrithedagainsthistouch.

One hand made its way between us, grazing my wet lacy panties. "You're already

wet,"hesaidagainstmychest,histonguelavishingmynipple."Iwonderhowwetyou
canget."

Icouldn'tspeak,hisvoicevelvetysmooth.Hisfingerslippedinsidethewaistbandof

myunderwearandtouchedmyswollennub,causingmetofallapart,mycriesfilling
theair.Great.Ihadfallenapartwithjustameretouch.

Anthonynippedatmybreastbeforeslidingmyunderweardownmylegs,throwing

themontheflooras well,thenfallingonto thebednexttome. Ilookedoverto find
himwatchingmewiththosepiercingeyesofhis."I'msorry,"Iforcedout.

"Forwhat?"heasked,hiseyesnarrowing.Ibitmylipandfeltthedullblushcreep

ontomycheeks."Forwell,youknow."Ihadn'teverdoneitthatfastbefore,noteven
whenIpleasuredmyself.

He chuckled, pulling me until I was straddling him. "Babe, I don't care. As long as

youenjoyedit,that'sallthatmatters.Wehaveallnight."

Myhandslandedonhischest,roamingoverhissmoothskinlightly.Wedidhaveall

night,andthebestwasyettocome."Touchme,"hegroanedasIgrazedhisabswith
mynails."Fuckthatfeelsgood."

Feelingembolden,Iletmyhanddriftdown,rockingbackuntilIhadenoughroom

togriphimlightlyinmyhand.Hewasrockhardthroughthefabric,andIfeltmyself
getevenwetteratthepossibilityofwhatwastohappentonight.Suddenly,Iwantedto
seehim,allofhim.WithsomeworkIclimbedoffofhimandgavehisunderwearatug,
watchingashiscocksprangoutandatattentionwhenIgotthemoffofhismuscular
legs.Oh,my.

Iwantedhim.Icouldfeelitinmybones,nothingaboutthisnotmakingsensenor

feelingwrongbyanymeans."Doyouhaveacondom?"Iaskedsoftly.

Heleanedup,hiseyesglitteringwithheat."Backpocket."
Ireachedoverforhispantsandfoundthecondom,tearingopenthefoilpacketand

takingoutthesmallroundrubber.WithtremblinghandsIrolleditonhiscock,feeling
theheatemanatingfromhisbody.Thiswasgoingtobegood.

AssoonasIgotiton,hepushedmeonthebedandroseaboveme,sweatdottinghis

forehead."Thisisgoingtobequick."

"Makeitcount,"Ianswered,graspingathiships.Hegavemeaquickgrinandslidin,

stretching and filling me until he couldn't go any further. My body quivered around
him, gasping as the sensation of him being inside of me scattered any remaining
worriesIhad."Fuck,"Anthonybreathed,hisarmsstrainingunderhisweight.

Iechoedhissentimentinmyheadashepulledoutandeasedbackin,causingmeto

archagainsthim.Icouldfeelthepressurestartingtobuild,mynerveslikeatautstring
readytobreakatanymoment.WhenAnthonypickedupthepace,Iwaslost,mycries
filling the room as I grasped at his shoulders, urging him on. He wrapped my legs
aroundhiswaistandpulledmetotheedgeofthebed,givinghimmoreleverageashe
rammed into me, his fingers digging into my hips. "Yes," he said, the sound of our
bodiesslammingtogetherfillingtheroom."Comeforme,Hannah."

IbitmylipasIfellapartagain,starsexplodingbehindmyeyelidsbeforeIfelthim

stiffenthenshoutashefollowedbehindme.ForamomentIcouldonlyconcentrateon
breathing,thesmellofsexfillingtheair.Itmighthavebeenshort,butnodoubtvastly
differentfromanyothersexIhadexperiencedinmyadulthood.

Anthonyremovedhimselffromme,andIturnedmyheadtowatchhimwalktothe

bathroom,mylipscurvingintoasmileasItookinhissexyass.God,hewasgorgeous,
and I was one lucky girl at the moment. I didn't know where this relationship was
going,butithaddefinitelyjustshiftedtothenexttier.

C H A P T E R S E V E N T E E N

A N T HO N Y

lay in the bed, Hannah at my side, feeling fucking great for the first time in a long

while.Ithadbeenhourssincethefirsttimewehaddonethedeed,andIhadtakenher
twoothertimesbeforeshehadfallenintoanexhaustedsleep.Fornow,Iwasgoingto
lethersleep,thoughmybodywantedtohaveheryetagainbeforethesuncameup.I
was exhausted myself, yet I couldn't close my eyes, my body too keyed up to even
thinkaboutsleeping.Usually,whenIhadthisproblem,Iwouldgoworkout,pushing
myselfuntilIfinallycollapsedintosleep,butIdidn'twanttoleavethebed.Notwith
Hannahsnoozingnexttome.Herbodypresseduptomejustfeltsoright,something
aboutittuggingatmyheartmorethanIhadanticipateditto.Ididn'tunderstandhow
Hannahhadaffectedmeso,afterall,shewasjustachickthatIbarelyknew,butshe
had, and I was scared shitless at the thought of opening up to someone else only to
havethemdumpmeintheend.Ginahadn'twastedanytimeoncemycareerwasover.
Butshehadn'tbeentheonlyone.Suddenlyallofmysupposedfriendsweregonenow
thatthelimelightwasgone,dustinthewind.Mylifehadchangedinaninstant,mycell
nolongerringingwithpromoterswantingamatchwithmeorthemediawantingtheir
interviews.IhadallbutbeenforgottenwiththeexceptionofLarryandtheguys.

ButnowIwasonthecuspofbecomingmainstreamagain.IhadHannahatmyside,

thearticleboundtodrivesomeattentionmywayaswellasthegym.IhadLarryinmy
corner even though he wasn't so keen on the idea. So why was this apprehension
buildingwithinme,makingmeconcernedeventhoughIfeltfuckingfine?WhydidI
feellikeeverythingcouldbepulledoutundermeatamoment'snotice?

Hannahshiftedatmyside,andIpulledhercloser,strokingherbareshoulderwith

myfingers.Icouldfuckingdothis.Thiswasapieceofcake.

woDaysLater…

"Manlookatyou!Thisissodope,Tony.Youdon'tknowhowfuckingproudIamto

havethishanginginthegym.Membershipwentupovernightduetothisspread."

IgrinnedasItookalookatthecoveroncemore,nowframedthankstoBenjiand

theguys,takingitsplacebytherestofthecoverswehadalldoneovertheyearsfor
various publications. I had to admit, I looked badass on that cover, my arms crossed

over my chest and my body looking ripped against the white backdrop. On the page
withtheactualarticle,thephotographerhadcapturedmysideprofileinafightstance,
anotherpictureofmedoingpushupswhilelookingatthecamera.Iwasbadassinall
the photos. The article itself had been great, Trent doing a good job highlighting the
upcomingfightandthegymashehadpromised.Allinall,ithadbeentherightthingto
doandnownotonlywasIprofitingfromit,thegymwasaswell.AlreadytodayIhad
gotten three phone calls for interviews and one for a sponsorship. I was on fucking
cloudnine.

Benji slapped me on the back before walking out of the door, turning at the last

moment."Seeyouatthebar?"

Inoddedandflexedmymuscles,earningalaughfromhimashewalkedout.Now

thatthearticlewasout,theguyswantedtotakemeouttothebartocelebrate.Ihad
invitedHannahalongaswell,readytoseeher.WehadbeenbusysinceourtriptoNew
YorkandafterIhaddroppedheroffatherapartmentthatnextday,Ihadn'tseenher
since.Myhandswereitchingtotouchher,tokissherlipsandhell,justseeher.Shehad
gottenundermyskin,andIcouldn'tgetenough.

Flipping off the lights, I walked out to my car, throwing my bag in the backseat

beforeclimbinginanddrivingoff,pastthedarkbakerytowardthebar.Nodoubtthe
guyswouldwanttobuyshotstonighttocelebrate,andthoughIknewIcouldhandle
oneshot,Ididn'twantthetemptationtoturnintosomethingmore.OneofthethingsI
hadlearnedearlyonwashoweasyitwastofallbackintotheoldwayofdoingthings
andwithoutkeepingvigilantofthepitfalls,Icouldeasilytakeabackslide.Now,though,
Ihadtoomuchtolose.

I pulled up at the bar and climbed out of the car, taking a deep breath before

walkingintothejoint.

"Thereheisfolks!Getyourautographsnow!"
I laughed as Jim pushed his copy of the magazine toward me with a sharpie,

scribblingmynameonthecoverbeforepushingitbacktowardhim."Goodtoseeyou
too,man."

Jimleanedin,hiseyessparklingwithlaughter."Dude,I'mproudofyou."
I nodded as he gave me a wink and straightened, taking the magazine with him

wherehewouldframeitandhangitonhisdamnwalllikeashrine.Itfeltgoodtobe
thatpersonagain.

"Come on, let me buy you a drink," Paul said, his eyes already glazed over as he

slunghisarmaroundmyshoulder."Weneedtotoast."

"I'm good, man," I said immediately as he pulled me toward the bar. "Training

remember?"

Paul's eyes focused on my face, a frown appearing. "When has that ever stopped

you?"

"Since I told him no alcohol," Benji cut in, giving me a slight nod. "Between the

alcoholandthesweets,Tonyisslowasfuckinthecagelately."

Paullaughedandslappedmeontheback."Fineman,fine.Butarewetalkingabout

thebakerorthebaker'ssweets?"

IrolledmyshouldersandgavePaulagrin,notlettinghiscommentgettome.Itwas

farmorethanthebaker'ssweetsthathadmepantingafterherthesedays."Haveyou

seenHannahyet?"

"Notyet,"Benjisuppliedwithawink."Butshewillbehere,Tony."
Inodded.Iknewshewasgoingtobehere,Ijustwantedhertohurryup.
"Tony."
Atfirst,IthoughtIwasdreamingorwakingupfromanightmare.Iwasn'tsureof

whichone.Ihadn'theardthatvoiceinoverayear,thedayshewalkedoutthelasttime
wehadtalked.Turningaround,Icrossedmyarmsovermychest."Gina."

ShewasjustasIremembered,thoughshehadputsomekindofblondestreaksin

herhair.Thosesameblueeyesstaredbackatme,theeyesIthoughtIlovedandloved
meback.NowIwishedIhadn'twastedallthattimeonherandourrelationship.She
wasdressedtokilltonight,tightleatherpantsandatubetopdespitethecoldweather
outside,herslimbodyonfulldisplay.AtonetimeIhadenjoyedherbody,butnowI
muchpreferredHannah'scurvestoGina'sreed-thinbody."You'relookinggood,Tony,"
shesaidsoftly,touchingmyforearm."Ihearyou'regettingbackinthecage."

"Iam,"Ianswered,wonderingwherethehellshehadbeenoverthislastyear.No

doubtonthearmofsomeotherfighterwouldbemyguess.Ginawaslikeme,shehad
grownuparoundthesport,bothherfatherandherbrotherinvolvedinsomekindof
fighting.ItwaswhereIhadmether,andIfigureditwouldbewhereshewoulddieas
well. It was just in our blood, though lately some of the conversations I had been
having with the guys and with Hannah made me wonder if I really was going to be
aroundthesportforthatlong."IgotJoseattheendofthemonth."

"That's good," she said, giving me a catlike smile. "I'm happy for you. You as a

fighter,thatiswhereyoushouldbe.YouwerealwaysbetterthanthebestTony.That's
whatIlikeaboutyou."

Shewastryingtostrokemyego.Icouldtellitimmediately.Narrowingmygaze,I

steeledmyselfagainstherwords.Afterall,theywerejustwords.Ifshewereanything
likeHannah,IwouldbeabletoseethetruthwrittenalloverherfacebutGina'ssmile
didn'treachhereyes,andIwonderedifiteverhad."What'sthisaboutGina?"

Gina took a step forward, her red-tipped fingernail trailing down the center of my

chest."IwasjustthinkinghowgoodweweretogetherTony.Andwewerefuckinggood
together, remember? That bed, we used to burn those sheets up." She chuckled,
dropping her finger and tilting her head, a slight smile on her lips. "I miss you. Don't
youmissme?"

Itwasonthetipofmytonguetotellhertofuckoff.Shehadn'tbeenthereforme

whenIneededherthemost,andnowthatIwasontopoftheworldoncemore,she
wantedbackin.Iwasn'tstupid.Butdespitetheneedtogetridofher,therewasasmall
pieceofmyheartthatshebelongedin.ShehadbeenthefirstgirlIhadloved,thefirst
girl that had seen me as me and not Rampage. Gina and I, we had some good times
together, but good times weren't enough to keep the relationship going. "Gina, I," I
started.

"Gina,wowit'sbeenahotminute."Benjiappearedatmyside,adrinkinhishandas

helookedatthetwoofus."You'relookingashotasever.It'sgoodtoseeyou,Gina."

"Youtoo,Benji,"shesaid,givinghimawidesmile."TonyandIwerejustcatching

up."

"Wereyounow,"Benjiaskedlookingatme.Igavehimashrug,hopingtohellhe

knewmebetterthanthat."WellIhatetobreakupthisreunionbutHannahjustwalked
in,andIknowshewillbelookingforyou,Tony.Justwantedtogiveyouaheadsup."

IlookedoverGina'sshouldertoseeHannahstandingatthebar,aconfusedlookon

her face as she was looking directly at Gina and me. Dammit. I didn't need her to be
thinkingthatway.Ididn'twantGina.Iwantedher.

Ginamusthaveputtwoandtwotogetherforshereachedoverandkissedmesoftly

onthecheek,herperfumeassaultingmynostrils."Don'tbeastranger,Tony,"shesaid,
givingBenjialittlewavebeforewaltzingoff,thatgrinonherfacetellingmeshehad
donewhatshehadsetouttodo.Dammit.Whyhadshejustcomerightbackintomy
lifewheneverythingwasgoingsodamnwell?"I'mindeepshit."

Benjilaughed."WellIwasn'tgoingtosayit,butyeahyoumightwanttogomakeit

uptoher.I'veseenthoselooksbefore,andthatisonethatyoudon'twanttosee,man."

IshothimadarklookasIwalkedovertoHannah,feelingnervousandwantingto

punchsomething,hard."Heyyou.I'mgladtoseeyou."

C H A P T E R E I G H T E E N

HA N N A H

wanted to turn around and walk out, pretend I hadn't seen that exchange with

Anthony and that woman just a second ago. It was pretty clear to me that they had
history together, but it hadn't escaped my notice that he had looked vaguely
uncomfortableintheexchange.Thatmeantsomethingatleast.Still,Icouldn'tcompete
withtherailthinwoman,withherperfecthairandkilleroutfitthathadeverguyinthe
roomfollowingheraroundwhileIsmelledlikeflourandwasprettycertainIhadsome
inmyhairaswell.Ishouldn'task,butmypridewasn'tgoingtoletmejustignoreit.He
lookednervous,likehehadbeencaughtdoingsomethingheshouldn'tbedoing,and
every alarm went off in my head that that woman wasn't just any woman. She had
beensomeonespecialinhislife,howspecial,Ididn'tknow."Whowasthat,Anthony?"

Hiseyesdarkened,andheranahandthroughhisstillwethair,hiswordscoming

outinagrowl."Hannah,don'tgothere."

Icrossedmyarmsovermychest,mytraitorousbodydyingforhimtotouchme.I

hadn't seen him a few days since New York, busy getting ready for a massive sweets
partythathadliterallytakenupeverywakingmomentofmylifeupuntilnow.Benji
hadcomebythebakeryandaskedmetocometonight,andwhileIneededtofinisha
fewthingsinthebakery,Ihadputthemasideonlytowalkinandseesomewomanall
overmyman.Awomanhewasrefusingtotellmeabout."Don'ttellmenottogothere,
Anthony.Wouldyoulikeformetoleavethen?"Iwasexhausted,andthelastthingI
wantedtobedoingwasfightingwithhimtonight,oversomewoman.Iwasfarbeyond
thatatthispointinmylife.

Somethingshiftedinhiseyesandhedroppedhisstonyexpression,somethingvery

vulnerableinhiseyes."No,pleasedon'tleave.I,hell,I'vemissedyousodamnmuch."

His words tugged at my heart, and I dropped some of my anger at the bleak

expression on his face. I had missed him too, terribly. "Congratulations on the
magazinecover."

Afaintflushcoveredhischeeks."Thanks.Thearticlewasreallygood."
Inodded,thoughthepicturesweremyfavorite.LillianandIhaddrooledoverthem

earlier,remindingmehowluckyIwastohavesomeonelikehiminmylife.Ihadalso
beenprettyshockedtoreadhisresponseabouthavingsomeoneinhislife,hopingthat
I was the person he was talking about and not just some phony answer to keep his
privatelifeprivate.ItwashardnottobelikethisafterthenightwehadsharedinNew

York,learningeachother'sbodieswitheverytouch,everykiss."Itwas,"Iechoedashe
reachedforme,sighingashisarmswrappedaroundme.Justlikethat,Imeltedagainst
hishardbody,allowinghimtotenderlykissmeonthelips."Youtastelikesugar,"he
saidsoftly,givingmeasmile.

"That'sabaker'sscent,"Ijoked,stiflingayawn.God,Iwastiredallofasudden,my

bodyfeelinglikeitweighedthreetimesmorethanitdid.

His eyes narrowed as he looked at me, concern all over his face. "When's the last

timeyouactuallyslept,Hannah?"

"Oh,Isleptafewhourslastnight,"Ilied,thinkingafewwasmoreliketwobutwho

hadbeencountinganyway."Ihavethishugepartycomingup,andit'stakingmealot
oftimegettingreadyforit."Besides,itwasgoingtoputthebakeryonthemapifIcould
pullthisoff.ItwasthebigtimethatIhadhopedfor,theonethatIhadbeenwaitingon.
Iwasgoingtobelosingalotmoresleepifthispartywasasuccess.

"Youneedsleep,"hesaid,releasingme."Comeon.I'mtakingyoutomyplace."
"Y-yourplace?"Iechoedashegrabbedmyhand.Ihadneverbeentohisplace.Well,

hehadn'treallybeentomineeithersothiswasahugestepinthisrelationship.WasI
readytogotohisplace?IwasdyingwithcuriositytoseewhatkindofpersonAnthony
wasoutsideofthemanIhadalreadyfalleninlovewith.

He pulled Benji aside and said a few words to him before pulling me out the door

andtowardhiscar."Areyousureyoudon'twanttostay?"Iaskedaswereachedhis
car,feelingbadthathewasleavingsosoon."Afterall,it'syourparty."

"Theycanpartywithoutme,"hestated,openingthedoor."Getin."
Isighedandclimbedin,leaningmyheadontheseat.Iwastired,feelingasifIcould

sleep for weeks. Anthony climbed in and gunned the engine, pulling away from the
curb."Whenisthelasttimeyouate?"heaskedsoftlyashemaneuveredthecardown
thestreet.

Ilaughed."Don'tworry.Ihaven'tforgoneanyfoodtoday."LillianandIhadworked

throughlunch,butwehadmanagedtosnagafewsandwichesfromthelocaldeliinthe
process."I'mfine,Anthony."

Heslowedatthelight,lookingoveratme."You'renotfine.Icanseeitalloveryour

face,Hannah."

Ilookedathim,seeingtheconcernonhisface.Hecouldbeextremelysweetwhen

hewantedtobe,butIstillwantedtoknowaboutthechickthatwasalloverhimjusta
fewminutesago.Allofthissweetnesswasn'terasingtheobviouslookthathadpassed
betweenthem."Areyougoingtotellmewhoshewas?"

Hesighed,movingthecarforward."Hannah."
"No,don'tdothattome,"Isaid,reachingovertotouchhisknee."I'mnotmad,andI

amnotjealous."Afterall,Iwasthewomanthatwasheadingtohisplace,thewoman
hewastryingtotakecareof,nother."Comeon,justtellme."

"Fine," he forced out, covering my hand with his. I was surprised to feel a slight

trembleinhistouchandbecameimmediatelyonedgeaboutwhathewasgoingtosay.
"She's my ex. We were together two years before she left me right after, after my
injury."

"Your knee," I said. Hey, I had looked him up after all. The internet was crawling

witharticlesabouthisinjury.

Henodded,hisjawtight."Yeah,myknee.Shebailedonmenotlongafterward."
"I'msorry,"Isaidimmediatelyasheslowedinfrontofalargeapartmentbuilding,

movingthecaruparampandintoagarage.Whatabitch.Whenheprobablyneeded
herthemost,sheupanddisappeared.Iwantedtotearherheadoffofhershoulders.

Anthony maneuvered the car into a parking lot and shut off the engine, his hand

squeezingminebrieflybeforereleasingitwithasigh."Itwasawhileago,Hannah.She
meansnothingtomeanymore."

He might not like her anymore, but it was clear on her face that she wanted him

back.Iwasawoman,Iknewthatlook.

"Come on," Anthony finally said, climbing out of the car. I followed him, and

togetherwewalkedtotheelevator,thedoorsslidingopennearlyimmediatelyassoon
as he touched the button. I marveled at the sleek elevator as he pressed a floor and
thenleanedbackagainstthewall,hishandsinhispockets."YoudoknowIamtelling
youthetruthright?"heaskedsoftlyastheelevatorstartedtomove.

Iswallowed,lookingawayfromhimasIgatheredmythoughts.IwouldbelyingifI

didn't say I was a bit nervous about being with him or him not finding me exciting
anymore. It was normal to feel those things when no future had been established or
wordsofaffectionspoken.Ihadbeenthroughallofthisbefore,butwhenIthoughtI
couldguardmyheartbetterthistimearound,Iwaslosingthebattlequickly,ifIhadn't
lost it to him already. I thought I loved James. I was in love with Anthony and was
desperatelyafraidthatthiswasallgoingtoendsoon."Hey,"hewassayingasthedoors
openedandwewalkedout."Talktome."

"I'mscared,"Iblurtedoutashestoppedinfrontofadoor,hiskeysuspendedinhis

hand. He looked at me, and I crossed my arms over my chest, hating this feeling. I
wanted to take the words back, but it was the truth. I was scared to death. He could
crushmeifheeverturnedhisbackonme.Thefeelings,theywerewaytoostrong,too
emotional.

Anthony'shandtouchedmyarm,andIlookeduptoseehimlookingatme,atender

expressiononhisface."I'mfuckingscared,too,"hesaidsoftly,hiseyessearchingmine.
"Itwouldbetooeasyifweweren'tscared."

I nodded, forcing the tears back that were threatening my eyes. He was right. I

wouldbemoreworriedifIweren'tscared.Hetuggedonmyarmandpulledmeinto
hisapartment,shuttingthedoorbehindus."Welcometomyplace."

I walked down the hall and gasped as I saw the city skyline reflecting back at me

throughthefloortoceilingwindowsalonghislivingroom,theviewoneofthebestI
had ever seen. "This is breathtaking," I said, taking in his modern furniture and
expensive electronics. It was clearly a bachelor pad now, any traces of any former
women gone from the place. I wasn't going to go there with him. Whatever had
happenedpriortomewasnotmybusiness.

"Waituntilyouseethebedroom,"hejokedasIwalkedovertohiskitchen,noting

thetopofthelineappliancesandgranitecountertops.Fightingwasclearlyverygoodto
him and his bank account. I could cook up a storm in this kitchen. "Your kitchen is
amazing,"Isaid,runningahandoverhisgasrangestovewithdoubleovens.

Anthonychuckled."I'veneverhadawomantellmethatbeforeorlookatmethe

wayyouarelookingatmystove."

I laughed and turned around, giving him a quirky smile. "If you want brownie

points,justgivemeanykitchengadget,andIwillbeyoursforever."

Somethingcrossedhisexpression,andIbitmylip,wishingIhadn'tjustallowedthe

wordstospilloutofmylips.Ireallyneededafiltersometimes."I'llhavetoremember
that,"hefinallyanswered,pointingtothefridge."Doyouwantanythingtodrink?Eat?I
thinkthere'ssomefoodinthere."

I shook my head, hiding a yawn behind my hand. Man, I was really tired. "I just

wanttogotobedactually."

"This way then," he said, pointing down another hall. I walked down the hall and

into a massive master bedroom, with the same view of the living room. Gorgeous.
Anthony came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me
against his hard body before pressing his lips to the side of my neck. "This thing
betweenus,"hesaidsoftlyasIstaredoutovertheskyline."It'snothinglikeIhaveever
hadbefore,Hannah."

Hiswordstouchedmyachingheartandstolemybreathaway.Hewaspreachingto

thechoirrightnow.ThefeelingsIfeltforhim,well,justlikeIhadsaidearlier.Iwas
scaredtodeath."Meneither,"Iwhispered.

He nibbled at my neck, electricity coursing down my body before he turned me

around,lockingmeintohisstrongembrace."Thisisgoodright?"heasked.

Iplacedmyownarmsaroundhiswaist."Thisisgood."
Anthonygavemeatendersmileandreleasedme,pushingmetowardhisbed."Up,

wearegoingtotakealongnap."

Ikickedoffmyshoes,notbotheringtotakeoffmyclothesasIclimbedontohisbed,

sleep calling me from every pore in my body. Plopping down on a pillow, I turned
towardhim,watchingashepulledhisshirtoverhishead,hismagnificentbodycoming
into view. I had licked and kissed every inch of that body, but still, the sight of him
shirtless sent me into a tizzy. "You don't have to join me," I said as he kicked off his
shoesandclimbedinnexttome,reachingforme."I'mperfectlycapableofsleeping."

"I want to just hold you," he answered as I rested my head against his chest, his

handinmyhair.Myhandrestedlightlyonhisstomach,thewarmthofhisskinunder
myfingers."Talktome,"Imumbled,mylidssuddenlyextremelyheavy.

"Aboutwhat?"heasked,hisvoicerumblinginhischest.
"Idon'tcare,"Ianswered."UsuallywhenIcan'tsleepIquoterecipes."
Anthonylaughed."Well,Iwon'tbequotingthat."
Iyawned."Anything.Putmetosleep."
Hisarmtightenedaroundmeashestartedrecitingwhatsoundedliketypesoffight

movesandIcouldn'thelpbutsmileasIdriftedofftosleep.Ilovedthisman,nodoubt
aboutit.

C H A P T E R N I N E T E E N

A N T HO N Y

ab! No Jab dammit, not punch. You gotta catch him under the ribcage, or he is
goingtotakeyoudown."

I bit down on my mouthpiece as I reset, my anger starting to build at myself. For

hours I had been practicing in the cage, well past the time that I liked to leave, even
forced to text Hannah and call off our dinner date tonight due to the extra practice I
wasneeding.Benjilookedexhaustedandhell,Ifeltexhausted.Mykneewashurting
likeabitch,andIknewitwasn'tgoingtotakejustanicebathtogettheswellingtogo
downtonight.ItwasprobablybetteroffthatIhadcalledoffthedatetonight.Iwould
wanttodoextracurricularactivitiesthatmykneewouldn'tbeabletotake.

"Enough,"Benjiannounced,pullingouthismouthpieceindisgust,flingingitagainst

thecage."Damn,Tonyyoucanbarelywalkaround."

"I'mfine,"Isaidgrittingagainstthepainwitheachstep.No,itwasgoingtotakea

hellofalotmorethananicebathtonighttogetthispaintogoaway.Ididn'tneedthis
now.Notthisclosetothematch.

Benji pulled off his gloves. "Well, I'm not. Go home, get Hannah to give you a

massage. Hell, send her to my house if you don't want her to give you one. I could
reallyusesomerelief."

Istrippedoffoneofmyglovesandthrewitathimasheexitedthecage,hislaughter

echoing throughout the empty gym. I was beat, but the days were ticking down
quickly,andIwasnowherenearwhereIwantedtobewithmyknee.IfIcouldn'tlasta
fewroundsinthecagewithBenji,Josewasgoingtoeatmealive.

"Tony."
Okay,nowIwashearingthings.Walkingovertotheedgeofthecage,IfrownedasI

sawGina'soutlineattheedgeofthestairs,atentativesmileonherface."Whatthefuck
doyouwant?"ShehadnearlyruinedwhatIhadgoingonwithHannahafewdaysago,
andIneverwantedtoseeheragain."Getout."

"Harsh,"shewinced,hersmileturningintoafrown."Hey,I'mjustheretoapologize

fortheothernight.Canwetalkforamoment?Please,Tony?"

Isighedandpulledoffmyotherglove,exitingthecage.Shewalkedovertooneof

thebenchesandstraddledit,lookingmorelikethegirlIhadmetallthoseyearsago,
her hair pulled up in a ponytail and dressed down tonight in a t-shirt and jeans. The
nightIhadmetGinashehadcometoseethematch,theonlygirlinthebuildingthat

had come to get my autograph after I had lost the match. Even with a split lip and
swollen eye I kept her attention and from then on, we were damn near inseparable.
Untilmyinjury.Thenshewasgonelikemycareer,leavingmenothingbutmemories
thatIchosetoforget.IwasmakingbettermemorieswithHannah,awomanthatcould
veryeasilybemyfuture.

Istraddledthebenchaswell,towelingoffwiththetowelasIflexedmykneeback

andforth,tryingtoeasethepain."Whatdoyouwanttosay?"

"I'm sorry," she blurted out, her eyes watering. "I know I am probably the last

personyouwanttoseeafterwhatIdidtoyouafteryourinjury,butIjust,Ican'thelp
butthinkofthegoodtimeswhenIseeyou.Iwaswrongtoleaveyoulikethat,Tony.
Youweregoodtome,andIfuckeditallup."

"Yeah,wellIneededyou,Gina,"Iforcedout,theoldwoundsreopeningasIthought

about that day she left. "I was suffering and needed your help. You left me when I
neededyouthemost.Ithoughtyoufuckinglovedme,Gina."

Shelookedaway,atearrollingdownhercheek.DamnIcouldn'tdealwiththetears.

Inevercould."I'msorry,thatwasharsh."

"No,"shesaid,wipingawaythetearsasshelookedatme,awobblysmileonherlips.

"IwasscaredTony.Ididn'tknowhowtohelpyou.Youworriedme,youscaredthehell
outofmewithyourdrinking."

Icouldn'tdisagreethere.Iwasanalcoholic,throughandthrough.Itwasn'tallher

faultthatshehadleft.Ihaddrivenherawayaswellwithmydrinking."Ididn'tknow
how to help myself," I admitted, giving her a half smile. "But I got it all figured out
now."Iknewhowtogetthroughthispainthatwasinmyknee,howtomoveonfroma
darkspotinmylife.Ineverwantedtogothatrouteagain.

She smiled back. "So who's the girl from the article? Is she the girl at the bar the

othernight?"

I grinned as I thought about Hannah and how she had slept in my bed the other

night. It had been the best fucking sleep for both of us. The scene in the shower the
nextmorninghadbeenhotaswell."Yeah,that'sher."

"Wow,"Ginasaid,apeculiarexpressiononherface."Idon'tthinkyoueverlooked

likethataboutme.She'saveryluckygirltohaveyoulikethat."

IknewIhadn't.WhileGinahadbeenamajorpartofmylife,Hannahwasworming

herwayintomyheart,takingrootthere.Ididn'twanthertoletgo."I'mtheluckyone."

"Well, at least I know what my chances are," Gina replied with a shrug as she

reachedonthesideofthebenchandbroughtoutabottle,twoshotglassesjoiningit.It
wasmyfavoritewhiskey,theonethathadbeenmyfriendforquiteawhileuntilIhad
gottensmartandsoberedup.ImmediatelyIheldupmyhandasshecrackedopenthe
bottle."Nothanks."

"Awcomeon,"shesaidasshepouredtoglassesfull."It'sjustashot,foroldtimes'

sake.Oneshotisn'tgoingtosendyouspiralingbackward."

Istaredatthesmallglass,mykneethrobbingsomethingpainful.Itwouldbeeasyto

taketheshotandnumbthispain,butIwouldbestartingalloveragain,fallingoffthe
wagon.Iwasn'tgoingtogothere.Notwithher,notever."Goon,butI'mgood."

Gina laughed, her finger rubbing the rim of the glass. "You've really changed,

haven'tyou,Tony?It'sgoodthatyouhave.Ican'tsaythatIamnotsurprised.Afterall,

yourantoyourownbeat.Itrulyhopeshe'sgoodtoyou,Tony.Ihopeshe'severything
Icouldn'tbe."

"Aw,Gina,"Isaid,hearingthehurtinhervoice."YouandI,weweregoodtogether

for a while. Don't think we weren't. I-I had some strong feelings for you back in the
day."

Shelaughed,hervoiceharshtomyears."Backintheday.That'sallwewilleverbe,

isn'tit?"

Inodded,mythroatworking.Ginawasmypast,butHannahwasmyfuture.WhenI

sawtearsinhereyes,Isighedandpickeduptheglass.Icouldtakeonesipforoldtime's
sake.Shepickedupherglassandclinkedthemtogether,leaningovertopressherlips
tominebeforeIknewwhatshewasdoing.ImmediatelyIpushedherback,dragging
thebackofmyhandovermylipsindisgust.Ginareachedforme,herfingersgrabbing
mebytheshouldersandpressingakissonmyneck."Ineedyou,Tony,"shebreathed,
herfingersclawingatmyskin.Ifinallygotherawayfromme,standingabruptlyand
nearlyfallingthefloorasmykneebuckledunderme.Theglassclatteredtothefloor,
thesmellofwhiskeyfillingtheairasIstaredatmyex."Whatthehell,Gina?"

Thefrontdoorclinkedclosed,andIlookedovertoseeHannahstandingthere,abag

fromthedeliaroundthecornerinherhands."Sorry,Ididn'tmeantointerrupt,"she
saidtightly,droppingthebagonthecounterbeforewalkingbackout.Thelookonher
facecausedmyhearttogrowcoldasthedoorshuthardbehindher.Fuck.Ofallthe
thingsthatcouldhappen.IgaveGinaadarklookasIsetoffafterHannah."Getthehell
out," I said walking toward the door, my heart racing in my chest. Pushing the door
open, I stepped outside, the cold air hitting the sweat on my body as I spied Hannah
walking back to the bakery. Ignoring the pain in my knee, I hurried to catch her,
placing my hand on her shoulder and turning her around. "Hannah, fuck, it wasn't
whatyouthought."

HereyeswereglimmeringwithtearsasshelookedatmeandIfeltlikeshehadjust

suckerpunchedmeinthechest.No,Iwouldhaveratherherdothatthanfeelthepain
inmychestrightnow.Itwasn'tjustthatIsawtears,Isawdevastationinhereyes,andI
had caused it. She shrugged off my touch, crossing her arms over her chest with no
warmthinherexpression.Ididn'tlikeherlikethis."Itwasn't?Ibelieveitwaspretty
cleartomewhatwasgoingonthere."

"Notitwasn't,"Igroundout,pissedatmyselfforallowingGinatogetundermyskin

likethat.Ishouldhaveseenthatcomingamileaway."Iwasn'tdrinkingdammit."

"You think that's why I am like this?" she countered, surprise filling her eyes. "I

couldcarelessifyouweredrinkingornotAnthony.You'reoldenoughtohaveadrink
whenyouwant."Shegaveoutaharshlaugh,andIwinced,knowingIhadscrewedthis
upbadly."Youwerekissingawomanyoutoldmedidn'tmattertoyou.Herfuckingred
lipstickisalloveryourlips,Anthony.Tellmethatyouweren'tdoingit,andbygod,I
willknockyouflatonyourasswhereyoustand."

Iwipedmymouthwiththebackofmyhand,feelingslightlyill.Shelookedpissed,

butwhatbotheredmewasthehurtinhereyes.Ihadhurther.Itwasthelastfucking
thingIeverwantedtodo."Hannah,please,"Itried."Justletmeexplain."

Sheheldupherhand,abrokenlaughescapingherlipsandIfelttheentireworldfall

away."Listen,thiswasfun,andallbutclearlyneitheroneofuswasreadyforthistobe

serious.Thanksforthefuntimes,Anthony.Goodluckwithyourfight.Don'teverthink
aboutsteppingfootinmybakeryagain,alright?Let'snotmakethisouttobemorethan
itreallyis."

Istoodthereinthecoldassheturnedaway,watchingasshewalkedintothebakery

and disappeared from my sight. Dammit to hell. This was more than what she could
imagineforme.Itwasn'tsomeflybynightrelationshipwewereexploring,thiswas,
hell,thiswasforever.FurybuiltupinsideasIstalkedbacktothegym,knowingIhad
to give her some time. I couldn't lose her, not now. The match might be big, but
Hannahwasbiggerintermsofmyfuture.Afterherstaytheothernight,Ihadalready
contemplatedaskinghertomovein.Iwantedheraroundconstantly,notjustwhenwe
couldgettogether.Iwantedhertobethereatnight,tolayinmybedandtalkabout
whateverwefeltwasanimportanttopicthatnight.Iwantedtoseeherusemykitchen
andwhipupherdelicacies,asmileonherfaceasshedidso.Hell,IwantedHannahin
mylife,period.NowIhadgoneandfuckedup.

Throwingopenthedoor,IwasgladtoseeGinahadtakenmyadviceandgottenthe

hellout.Good.Idon'tknowwhatIwouldhavedoneifshewasstillhere.Shehadjust
potentially ruined my future. The bottle was still there, the shot glasses still on the
benchwhereshehadleftthemandIpickedoneofthemup,throwingitbackwithout
another thought. The liquid burned a path down to my gut, the fire like an old
comfortingfriend.IhadpotentiallylosttheonewomanIwantedtospendtherestof
mylifewithoversomethingthatIshouldhaveseencomingamileaway.Ginahatedto
fuckingloseandbyallaccounts,shehadjustwonthefuckinglottery."Dammit,"Isaid,
grabbing the bottle and taking a swig, wanting the pain in my chest to disappear. My
kneewasnolongertheproblem.Itwasmydamnheartthathadjustbeenrippedoutof
mychest.

uck,Tony.Openyoureyes."

IwincedasIopenedmyeyestoBenji'suglymug,theangeronhisfacemakingit

evenuglier.Myheadwaspoundinglikeasonofabitch,myneckhurtingfromtheodd
angleIwaslaying.ItwasthenIrealizedIwaslayingonthecouchintheofficeupstairs
andnotinmybed."Whatthehell?"

"What the hell?" Benji asked, laughing harshly. "Are you really asking me that?

Whatthehellareyoudoinghereandwhatareyoudoingdrinkingagain?"

I sat up, the room tilting slightly as I did so, the nausea rolling up in my throat

beforeIforceditbackdown.

Benji crouched down to my level, concern on his face. "What the hell happened,

Tony?"

Igroanedandwipedahandovermyface.Imighthavedrunkmyselfintopassing

out,butIwasn'tgoingtoforgetthehurtinHannah'seyesanytimesoon.Ihadtothink
ofawaytogethertolistentomeandsoon."Ginacameby."

"Damn," Benji swore, holding up the now empty bottle like a noose tightening

aroundmyneck."Pleasetellmeyoudidn'tfuckher."

"What? No," I said darkly, eyeing the bottle. Had I really drank the entire thing?

"HannahcameandcaughtGinatryingtokissme.Itriedtoexplain,butshewouldn't
listen."Myentirechestfeltlikesomeonehadpuncheditrepeatedly,hurtingwayworse
thanmykneedidpresently."IfuckingscrewedupBenji.I'velostHannah,andIdon't
knowhowtofixthis.Iloveher."

Benjistoodandshookhishead,sympathyonhisface."Yeahyoudid.Itoldyouto

watchoutforGina,butshewasalwaysyourweakspot."

I nodded, the nausea returning with the simple task. I should have known Gina

wasn'tplayingtheothernight.Shehatedtobealoserandnowbecauseofher,Ihad
lostHannahandhadafuckinghangover.LosingHannahhurtahellofalotworseat
themoment.Ifeltlikeapartofmewasmissing,worriedthatImightnoteverseeher
smilingfaceagainorholdheragainstmeatnight.IwasworriedthatIhadbrokenher
heartandnoamountofbeggingwasgoingtohelpthatheal."WhatamIgoingtodo?"

"First,"Benjisaid,throwingthebottleinthetrash."Youaregoingtogotakealong,

cold shower and change your clothes. Then you are going to buy the biggest damn
bunchofflowersandtakethemovertothebakery,Tony.Flowersalwaysdothetrick."

Ishookmyhead."Youdidn'tseethelookinhereyes,Benji.Ithinkherexcheated

onher.Flowersisn'tgoingtofixthis."

"ThenIsuggestyoufindsomethingthatwill,"hestated,walkingtothedoor."Weall

like Hannah, and when word gets out, Jose won't be the only one you have to worry
about. The other guys are going to kick your ass and then you are going to have to
standbyandwatchusalltrytowinherover.Hannahisoneinamillionmyfriendand
youbettergetherback,orsomeoneelsewilltakeyourspot."

I watched him leave, thinking I needed someone to do that now. I had really

screweduponthisone.Icouldn'tloseHannah.

C H A P T E R T W E N T Y

HA N N A H

ee?Wasn'titnicetocelebrateafterallthathardwork?"

I stared at my drink, not feeling particularly like celebrating at all. Sure we had

completed the job and even earned a bonus for all of our hard work, but even the
thoughtofoursuccessbringingonmorelucrativeorderscouldn'traisemyspirits.Ifelt
likeIhadlostmybestfriend.IthadbeendayssinceIhadseenAnthony,sinceIhad
caughthimkissinghisexandnearlydrinking,thoughIcouldn'tsmellitonhimwhen
hehadtriedtoexplainhimself.Iwashurt,allofthosefeelingsoffindingoutthatJames
hadcheatedonmecomingbackfullforce,remindingmehowIcouldn'ttrustanyman.
Regardlessofwhoinitiatedit,thetrusthadbeenbroken,andIdidn'tknowifIwanted
togodownthatpathagain.Buttheacheinmychesthadn'tlessenedsincethatnight,
and I could clearly confirm that I had been in love with Anthony. The thought was
sobering."Yeah,it'sgreat."

Lillianlaughed."OkaythatwassoconvincingInearlyfelloutofmychair."
Ilookedupather,givingherarealsmile."I'msorry.Iamhorriblecompanyaren't

I?"

She held up her fingers. "Just a little bit, but I can't do anything about a broken

heart,buttellyoutodrinkmore.Atleastitwillnumbthepain."

Itwouldbutonlyforalittlewhile.TomorrowIwouldwakeupandthepainwould

bethere.Iwasn'tjustgoingtobrushAnthonyoffandmoveon.Thisonewasgoingto
takesometimetogetover.

"Hey,Hannah.Lillian."
WebothlookeduptoseeBenjistandingatourtable,afreshbruisearoundhiseye.

"Whathappened?"Iasked,pointingtohiseye.

He blushed, looking unbelievably cute in the process. "Oh, I got clocked during a

round.Ithappens.CanIsitforamoment?"

"Um,sure,"Isaid,gesturingtotheemptychair."Haveaseat."
"I'mgoingtogetsomemoredrinks,"Lillianannounced,givingBenjiawink."What

canIgetyou,handsome?"

"Abeer,"hesaid."Thanks."
Shenoddedtowardmeandwalkedthroughthecrowd,leavingmealonewithhim.I

clearedmythroat,leaningforward."So,whatdoesAnthonywantmetoknow?"

Benji chuckled. "Darling if Anthony even knew I was here, he would kill me. He

didn'tsendme;Ipromiseyouthoughweallwanttosendhimsomewhereverydark
andhotatthemoment."

Ilookedathim,aflushcreepinguponmycheeks."I'msorry.Iknowyouareclose

and just assumed he would send reinforcements." Actually, I was a little hurt that he
hadn'ttriedtocontactmeatall.HadIreadhimallwrong?Didhenotcare?

"Don'tbe,"hegrinned."IlikeyouHannah,andifIknewtherewasevenoneiotaof

gettingyoutolikemeasmuchasyoulikeTony,Iwouldtakeachance."

"Um,thanks,"Isaid,embarrassednow."Whyareyouhere?"
He crossed his arms over his chest, a dark expression coming over his face. "I

wantedtotellyouastoryaboutTony,ifyou'reuptoit."

Just thinking about him made my chest hurt and I hoped that Lillian came back

withthosedrinkssoon.MaybeIwoulddrinkhimawaytonight."Sure,fireaway."

"It'sabouthisinjury,"Benjisaidsoftly."Iwastherethenighthewashurt.I'venever

seensuchabrokenmanbeforeinmylife,butwhentheytookhimbacktothelocker
room,Icouldseethedesperationinhiseyes.Heknewhiscareerwasallbutover.Do
youknowGinanevercamebackthere,notonce?Heaskedaboutheronthewaytothe
hospital,butIthinkheknew."

IfeltthetearsspringtomyeyesasIthoughthowaloneandscaredhemusthave

beenwithoutsomeonetheretocomforthim."Whathappened?"

"Itwasaluckykick,"Benjisuppliedtiredly."Couldhappentoanyofus.Tonywasat

the top of his career, one more fight and he would be fighting for the undisputed
championship.Thekidhewasfightingwasn'teveninhisleague,butTonywantedto
givehimashot,sayingeveryonehadtostartsomewhere.Larryeventriedtotalkhim
outofit,buthewasdeadsetongivingthiskidachance."

I couldn't help but smile, thinking how different Anthony must have been back

then.ThemanIhadfalleninlovewithheldatouchofbitternessinhim,presumably
forhisshortcareer.

"He was a mess after surgery," Benji continued, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Alcoholwashisonlyvice,unfortunately.Heworkedhardtogetoutofthathole."

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked softly, trying to stave my heart against the

tendernessIwasfeelingforAnthony.

Benjileanedin,hiseyessearchingmine."BecauseIbelievehelovesyou,Hannah."
Mybreathcaughtinmythroat.Anthonylovedme?No,thatwasn'tpossible.
"Whatthefuckisgoingonhere?"
Startled,Ilookeduptoseethemaninquestionbreathingoverus,hisfaceredwith

anger.Despitemyangertowardhim,hewasdevastatinglyhandsome,hishairstillwet
fromthegymshower.HehadlostalittleweightsinceIhadseenhimlast,theshadows
underhiseyestellingmehewasn'tsleeping.Heneededhissleepforhisfight."Tony,"
Benjistarted,aneasysmileonhisface."IwasjusttalkingtoHannahhere."

"Wereyoufuckinghittingonher?"
"What?"Benjiasked,standing."Nah,manyougotitallwrong."
I watched as Anthony charged Benji with a growl, pushing him against the wall

hard.Ascreamwentupinthesmallbar,andIrealizeditwasfromme,jumpingoffof
thestoolasBenjihitAnthonyhardinthejaw,sendinghimstumblingback."Stopit!"I
shoutedatthembothasAnthonyshookoffthepunchandhitBenjiinthestomachwith

his shoulder. Someone pushed past me, and I stepped back as a few guys tore them
apart,Benji'sfaceredwithangerashepushedagainsttheguythatwasattemptingto
holdhimback."Whatisyourproblemman?Iwouldneverdosomethinglikethat!"

Anthonyshookofftheguythatwasattemptingtoholdhimback,grabbingmyarm.

"Comeon,"hesaidangrily,attemptingtopullmetowardthedoor."Weareleaving."

Ishookoffhisgrip,myhandsonmyhipsasIstaredathim.Therewasacutonhis

head, and his jaw was starting to bruise. I wanted to hit him again. "I'm not going
anywherewithyou."

Hiseyesflashedangrily."Weneedtotalk."
Isteppedoutofhisreach."Youneedtogetagripandgetaclue.Iamfinishedwith

you,Anthony."

Heopenedhismouth,butIsteppedaroundhim,pushinghimhardandnotlooking

backasthetearsstartedtoforminmyeyes.HowcouldIhaveeverseensomethingin
him?

Lillian caught up with me around the corner, my body heaving with sobs as she

gatheredmeintoherarms,huggingmetight."Aw,Hannah,Iamsosorry."

"I can't do this," I sobbed, clutching her tightly. "I love him, but I can't deal with

that."

"Shh,it'sgoingtobeokay,"shesaid,rubbingmybacklightly.Isqueezedmyeyes

shut,willingitalltogoaway,thatBenjihadneverwalkedinandaskedforthatdamn
cake to begin with. It had set off a chain of action that none of us could ever have
anticipated.

C H A P T E R T W E N T Y - O N E

A N T HO N Y

ou'reafuckingidiot."

Igroanedandputmypillowovermyhead,blockingouttheangrywordsthatBenji

wasspoutingandjustwishedIwoulddie.Ifeltlikeit,myheadpoundingincessantly
andmystomachrollingwitheverymovement."Goaway."

"ThehellIwill,"hesaidrippingthepillowawayfrommesoIcouldseehisangry

face."You'reluckyIdon'tbeatyourassrighthereandnow."

Itookonelookathisfaceandcouldn'thelpbutchuckleinresponse."Whatthehell

happenedtoyou?"Hisjawwasnowtwodifferentcolors,hisnoseswollenandhiseyes
black."Youlooklikeyoulostafight."

Hecombedthroughhishairwithhisfingersashecollapsedinthechairnexttomy

bed,hisexpressionstormy."Youdon'trememberdoyou?"

I was immediately on high alert, spying the numerous empty bottles on my

nightstand.Shit.WhathadIdone?

"Don'tworry,ifyoudon'tremember,someoneputitontheinternetthismorning,"

Benji said, throwing me his phone. "Congratulations. You are all over the news this
morning."

IhitplayandwincedasIrealizedIhaddonethattoBenji,myheartstutteringinmy

chestasIrealizedHannahhadalsobeenthere,witnessingtheentirething.Thelookon
her face made me sick to my stomach, and I barely found the trash can before the
contentsofmystomachcameout.

BenjiwaiteduntilIwasfinishedbeforeretrievinghisphone,crossinghisarmsover

his chest. "You know, they are talking about calling off the fight. Larry is so pissed at
you,hecanbarelygethiswordsout."

Isatuponthebed,wipingahandovermyfaceasItriedtothinkofhowIcouldbe

so fucking stupid. Not only had I succeed in driving Hannah further away, but my
matchwasnowinjeopardy."Whyareyouevenheretalkingtome?"

"BecauseforsomereasonIlikebeingyourfriend,"hesuppliedwithashrug."AndI

thinkyouneedhelp."

Thatwasanunderstatement.Ineededalotofhelp."Howpissedisshe?"
Benji'sfacechanged,andIfeltmyheartdropintomystomach."Sheprettymuch

told you that she never wanted to see you again and then left the bar. I would say it
doesn'tlookgoodforyou."

I swore, my heart dropping to my fucking feet. I had really screwed up this time.

There was no way in hell Hannah was going to take me back with me acting like a
jealousmaniacallthetime."DudeI'msorry.Youknow,I'madumbass."

"That's putting it lightly," Benji chuckled, shaking his head. "But I know it's the

alcohol. I hope this is it, Tony. You can't backslide. You got too much going for you
rightnow,includingHannah."

I looked at the bottles on the nightstand, wanting to hurl them out of the room. I

hatedmyselfforslidingbackward,fallingintothetrapthatseemedtoalwayslingerjust
belowthesurface.Ihadbeatitonce,andIcoulddosoagain,ahellofaloteasierthis
time."I'mdone."

"Good," Benji said, standing. "I would suggest you get over this hangover and

schedule a press conference ASAP to help this blow over before the sponsors start to
backout.I'llgoonrecordandsaythatIinstigatedit."

"Benji,"Isaidashestartedtowardthedoor,appreciationforhimfloodingmyveins.

Benji had really come through for me more than once, this being one time I knew
wouldbehardtorepay."Thanks,man."

Hegavemeawinkasheopenedthedoor."Don'tletmedownthistimeokay?"
IwaiteduntilthedoorshutbeforeIattemptedtostand,theroomspinningwildlyas

aresult.Ihadreallyfuckedupthistime.IneededtotryandseeHannah,apologizeand
grovel if I had to. I clearly hadn't helped the other situation by showing my ass last
night.

nHourLater…

I walked into the bakery, my stomach churning at the sweet smells of the baked

goods,thealcoholnotquiteoutofmysystemyet.Ihadshoweredandchangedclothes,
calledLarryandmadeastatementoverthephonetooneofthenumerousreporters
thathadlefttheirnumber,hopingbytheendofthedaythatitwouldblowover.The
matchwasonlytwoweeksaway,andIcouldn'taffordtohaveasetbacknow.Imight
notgetanotherchanceatfighting.

"CanIhelp,ohit'syou."
IlookeduptoseeLillianglaringatme."Hey,Lillian."
"Don'theyme,"shesaid,steppingfrombehindthedisplaycounter."Godyouarean

idiotifyouthoughtthatwasawaytogetHannahback."

Iclearedmythroat."YeahwellIwasn'tinmyrightmind,andI'vecometobegher

forgiveness." Right mind didn't even start to explain it, but I wasn't going there ever
again.Iwasdonewiththealcohol,donewithattemptingtoruinmylifeoverandover
again.Ihadafuture,andshewassomewhereinthisplace,nodoubtcursingmyname.
Icouldn'tlivewithouther.

Sheputherhandsonherhips,glaringatme."Wellshe'snothererightnow,andif

shewere,Iwouldn'teventellheryouwereouthere."

"Come on Lillian," I tried, hoping my expression showed her my remorse. I knew

she was one of Hannah's closest friends, but I didn't really care to tell her how I was
feelinginsideatthemoment.Hell,Ididn'tknowhowIwasfeelingatthemoment.My

emotionswereraging,thehangovercompoundingontheheartachethatIhadcaused
HannahandthephysicalpainIhadcausedBenji.Iwasn'tveryproudofmyselfright
now."Ireallyneedtotalktoher,toexplain."

Liliangavemealook,crossingherarmsoverherchest.Shestilldidn'tbelieveme.

Great. This was getting better by the moment. "Can I give you an ounce of advice?
Hannah'slastassholecheatedonherwithherbestfriend.Whenshesawyouandyour
exthatday,youwereputinthesameboatashewas.Plushe'sbeenbotheringthehell
outofherlately,andI'mscaredhe'sgoingtobeviolentoneday.I'mnottellingthisto
you for you to go all boyfriend and kick his ass, I want you to see how you are no
differentthanwhatshe'sdealingwith."

I felt a white hot heat shoot through my body at the thought of someone

threatening Hannah, knowing Lillian was right and wrong. Sure I hadn't been the
greatestthelastfewdays,butIwasnotherex.Iwasfarfromthatasshole.Ijusthadto
havethechancetoproveittoheralloveragain.ThenIwoulddealwiththatassholeto
ensure that he never bothered her again. "Thanks, Lillian. If he comes around again,
youcomegetme."

She gave me a slight nod to my relief. "What are you going to do to get Hannah

back?"

Irubbedahandovermyface."Idon'tknow."Thatwasthemilliondollarquestion,

andifIknewamilliondollarswasgoingtowork,Iwouldsignoverthechecktoday.
ButitwasgoingtotakeahellofalotmorethanjustmoneytowinHannahbackover.

Lillianrolledhereyes,exasperatedbymyanswer."Dude,justtellheryouloveher

andthatyouwillspendtherestofyourlifemakingituptoher.Girlslovethatkindof
stuff,trustme."

Istaredather,anotherwhirlwindofemotionsassaultingmyheart.IlovedHannah.

IfuckinglovedHannah.Shewasmyworld,theveryairIbreathed.Howhadthisall
fallenapartsoquickly?"Don'ttellherIwashere,"Isaidquickly,aplanforminginmy
mind.Ihadtogetsomehelponthisone.

"Okay,"Lilliansaid,clearlyconfusedatwhatIwaswanting."Butdon'twaittoolong

asshole."

"Thanks,Lillian,"Isaid,pushingthedooropenandwalkingbackintothecold.Ihad

toprovemylovetoher,toshowherIwasn'tlikeherex.

C H A P T E R T W E N T Y - T W O

HA N N A H

omeonwithme,Hannah.Youshouldn'tbeherebyyourself."

IshookmyheadasIputtherestofthecookiesaway,givingLillianatendersmile.

"I'llbefinehereLil.Iwon'tstaytoolate,Ipromise."

Lillianshookherownheadasshedonnedhercoat,concernetchedonherface."Do

youhaveyourcellonyou?"

I reached into my pocket and showed her my cell that I kept in the apron. "See?

Righthere.Iwillseeyoutomorrow."

"Call me when you get home," she said on her way out. I watched her leave and

thenturnedbacktothedisplaycase,aheavyweightsettlingonmyshouldersasIwent
through the motions. Lillian was worried about me, and while I appreciated the
gesture,IhadtodecideonwhatIwasgoingtodoaboutme.IthadbeendayssinceI
hadseenAnthony,thoughallIhadtodowasturnontheTVandseehisfaceinsome
interview.Fromafar,helookedlikethecockyfighterIhadgottentoknowoverthelast
month, but upon a closer look, I could see the shadows under his eyes, the way his
kneeshookincessantlyduringtheinterviews.Ifhewasanythinglikeme,heprobably
wasn'tsleepingverywelleither.

Shaking off any thoughts of Anthony, I finished with the case and pulled out the

glasscleaner,walkingovertothefrontofthecase,sprayingitliberallyalloverthecase.
Thedooropened,andIturned,frozeninmyspotasJamesstrolledthrough."Getout,"I
saidimmediately,reachingforthecellinmyapronpocket.

He was on me in an instant, grabbing my arms and pinning them to my sides. I

could smell the alcohol on his breath and was scared, never seeing James like this
before."OhHannah,"heslurred,hishandstighteningonmyarms."ItoldyouIwasn't
goingtoletyougo."

"James,"Isaid,wincingagainstthepressureonmyarms."Please,letmego.You're

hurtingme."

"Youhurtme,"hefiredback,hiseyesflashingwithanger."Youleftme."
"I'msorry,"Itriedashebackedmeupagainstthewall,slammingmyheadagainst

thebrickfaçade.IsawstarsbrieflyasJamesleanedin,hislipstouchingmine."Iloved
youHannah,andyouleftmeforwho?Anassholewhocan'tkeephisshittogether?I
gaveyoueverything!"

My head cleared, and I brought my knee up, catching him hard between the legs.

James howled but released me, giving me a chance to attempt to escape before he
caughtupwithme,knockingmehardtothefloor.Ifeltthepainradiateupmyarmas
hetwisteditunnaturallybehindmyback,thecrackcausingmetocryoutinpain."I
amgoingtoshowyouwhatyouaremissing,"hesaidclosetomyearasIstruggledto
gethimoffofme.Hepressedakneeintomyback,andIsobbedagainstthefloor,the
coldtileagainstmycheek."Please,"IcriedasIheardhimfumblewithhisbeltbuckle.
"Don'tdothisJames."

"Whatthefuck?Getoffofher!"
Jameswasgoneinaninstant,andIflippedover,cradlingmyarmtomychestasI

sawanangryLillianhittingJameswithourbroom,forcinghimoutthedoorbeforeshe
threwthelock,hurryingovertome."Ohgod,Hannah!Iknewsomethingwaswrong
tonight.Areyouokay?Didhebreakyourarm?"

I winced as she touched it, looking down to see the wrist turning an ugly blue

already."Idon'tknow."

"Hangon,"Lilliansaid,findingthecellthathadfallentothefloor.Ilaiddownonthe

tile,myheadspinningfrombeingthrownupagainstthewall,wonderinghowIcould
have ever loved anyone like James. If Lillian hadn't gotten her, he would have, dear
godhewasgoingtorapeme.

"Thepoliceareontheirway,"shesaid,leaningoverme,tearsinhereyes."I'mso

sorry,Hannah."

"It's not your fault," I said, biting against the pain that was now starting to spread

throughoutmybody.Ihurteverywhere.Theceilingblackedoutaboveme,andIfell
intothesuckingblackhole.

Anthony

threwoffmyglovesandwalkedtothecounter,pissedbecauseIhadsplitmysecond

pairinaweek.Whereverweweregettingthem,theysucked.Aflashoflightscaught
myeye,andIwalkedtothedoortoseewhatitwas.Probablyanotherspeeder.They
wereconstantlyonthisroad.Someonewasgoingtogetkilledoneday.

WhenIsawthepoliceandafiretruckparkedinfrontofthebakery,myheartfroze

in my throat, pushing open the door and breaking out in a near run as I saw Lillian
standing outside, her face in her hands. An ambulance stood nearby, the doors flung
open,butnostretcherinsightandInearlylostit."Whathappened?"

She looked up at me, her cheeks stained with tears. "Oh god, Anthony. It was

horrible."

"WhereisHannah?"Iforcedout,mythroatclosinginasathousandthoughtsraced

through my head. Had she been injured? Had something exploded? The building
wasn'tonfire,andLillianlookedfinerightnow."FuckLillian!Talktome."

Lilliansniffed,herfacefullofdevastationasshewipedhereyes."Jameswashere.

H-he would have killed her if I hadn't come back. I told her he was going to do
somethingandshewouldn'tlistentome."

That was all I needed to hear. I pushed past the police at the door, going pale as I

sawHannahonthestretcher,herfacewhitewiththeexceptionofthebruisesthatwere
startingtoformonherfaceandupperarms.Onearmwasinasling,andIclenchedmy
fistsasIapproached,mynervesnearabreakingpoint.Shecouldn'tseemethisangry.
Itwouldscarethehelloutofher,buttherewasonepersonthatwouldfeelmywrath
whenIgotmyhandsonhimagain.Theassholewasasgoodasdead.

"Hannah,"Isaidgently,reachinghersideandshootingtheEMTalookdaringhimto

makemeleave.Hehelduphishandsandbackedoff,givingmethespaceIneeded.

Hannahopenedhereyes,andIfeltmychesttightenasIsawthetearsinhereyes.

"Hey,beautiful."

"Oh,Anthony,"shesaidbrokenly,tearsleakingoutofhereyesandcatchinginher

hair."Itriedtostophim."

Mythroatworking,Ilaidahandgentlyonherforehead,strokingitwithmyfingers.

Her words nearly broke me in two. No longer. I wasn't going to ever leave her again
whethershelikeditornot.Iwouldfuckingsleeponherfloor,butIwasn'tgoingtobe
awayfromheragain."Hey,don'tworryaboutitrightnow.I'lltakecareofthat,don't
youworry."

She gave me a faint smile, her eyes fluttering against my touch. I looked up,

alarmedandtheEMTgavemeasympatheticlook."She'sgotaconcussion.She'sbeen
inandoutsincewegothere.We'reheadingtothehospitalnow."

"I want to go with her," I said, daring them to say anything different. Neither of

themdidandIwalkedoutwiththestretcher,myeyescatchingLillian'sonthewayout.
"GonextdoorandgetBenji.Tellhimtomeetmeatthehospital."

Shenodded,andIwaiteduntiltheyloadedherintheambulance,beforeIclimbed

inafterher,takingaseatonthebenchnexttostretcher,whitehotfuryraginginside.I
wanted to kill this asshole, punch something really hard, take this pain away from
Hannahandhelpherforgetthiseverhappened.Sheshouldhaveneverbeenleftalone,
heshouldhaveneverbeenallowedtotouchher.

Hereyesflutteredopen,andIgaveheratendersmiledespitemyanger."Hey,we

aregoingtothehospitalokay?"

She reached out with her good hand, and I took it, clasping it gently, afraid I was

goingtohurther."Pleasedon'tleaveme."

I heard the desperation in her voice and felt tears clog my throat. God, I couldn't

deal with this. "Never," I forced out, giving her hand a squeeze as I brushed my lips
overherforeheadlightly."Never."

"Good,"shewhispered,closinghereyesoncemore.Iblewoutabreath,pentuprage

simmeringjustbelowthesurface.Iwasn'tgoingtoleaveheragain.

The ride to the hospital was short, and they forced me to go to the waiting room,

whereIpacedbackandforth,nodoubtlookinglikeamadmantotherestofthecrowd
intheroom.Benjifoundmeashorttimelater,hisfacedrawnandpale."Howisshe?"

Iwalkedhimoutside,unabletokeepittogether."She'sfuckinginjured.Thatasshole

nearlykilledher,Benji."

Benjireachedforme,andIgrabbedathim,theangerandmadnessthatweremy

feelingsforHannahnearlyboilingover."She'sgoingtobefine,"hesaid,releasingme.
"Hannah'satoughgirl."

Ilookedathim,thrustingahandthroughmyhair."Ican'tdealwiththis."Icouldn't

handle her being hurt, scaring the shit out of me at the sight of her lying on that
stretcher.Shewasnotsupposedtobetheonegettingtheshitkickedoutofthem.That
wasmyjob,nothers."He'sadeadman."

Benjiputhishandonmychest,understandinginhiseyes."Iknowyouwanttodo

something. I do, too. Hell, all the guys would probably line up to take their shot, but
Hannahneedsyourightnow.Youcan'tberunningout,makingupyourownjustice.
Whatgoodwouldyoubetoherifyouwereinjail?"

"He hurt her," I said through clenched teeth, balling my fists up. "He broke her

fuckingwrist,Benji.Youshouldseethebruisesheleft."

Benji's throat worked as he dropped his hand, anger filling his eyes as well. "Then

wewillmakesureheneverseesthelightofdayagain,alright?"

Inodded,myeyesonthewaitingroomjustinside.Benjiwasright.Hannahneeded

merightnow,andIwasgoingtobethereforher.Whatevershewanted,whatevershe
needed,Iwasgoingtomakeithappen.

Itwasn'thardtofindthefucker.WiththehelpofafriendthatIhadintheDMV,we

locatedHannah'sex'sapartmentinlessthananhour.Iclimbedoutofthecar,cracking
myknucklesandpicturingHannah'spalefaceinmymind,wantingtokillthebastard
butknewIwouldn't."Hey,"BenjistoppedmeasIapproachedthebuilding."Listen,we
areheretoteachhimalesson,notkillthebastardevenifit'swhathedeserves."

"Iknow,"Isaid,drawinginabreath."It'sgonnabehard.Hescaredtheshitoutof

Hannah,Benji.Hedeservesahellofalotmore."

Benjinodded,hismouthsetinafirmline."Iknowman,Iknow."
Igavehimajerkynodasweclimbedthestepstotheapartment,locatingtheuniton

the second floor. Benji knocked as I tried to maintain my composure, my heart in
turmoil.Hannahhadn'tdeservedwhathehaddonetoher.

Thedooropened,andIrushedhim,tacklinghimtothefloorbeforehehadachance

tofightback,landingonegoodpunchathisnoseandsatisfiedwhenhisnosecrunched
undermyfist.

"Shit!"thefuckercriedoutasBenjishutthedoorandIgrabbedhisarm,bendingit

anunnaturalangleuntilhecriedout."Itoldyoutoleaveherthehellalone,"Iseethed
asIlookeddownintohiswide-eyesstare."Whydidn'tyoulisten?"

"You'rebreakingmyarm!"hesaidinstead,bloodstartingtopouroutofhisnose.
Ileanedin."That'swhattheplanis."
Hetriedtogetaway,butIsnappedhisarm,throwingtheuselesslimbonhisbodyas

I stood, raking my hair back on my head. He looked up at me, and I gave him the
middle finger. "Stay the fuck away from my girl, you hear me? Try to press charges,
andIwillbringtheentiregymwithmenexttime,yougotit?"

Whenhedidn'tanswerIkickedhislegshard,satisfactionflowingthroughmybones

asheletoutayellinreturn,holdinguphisgoodarm."Yeah,okay,Igotit."

Benji grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back, my blood coursing through my

body."Isuggestyouleavetown,"Iaddedaswewalkedaway."Forever."

Igotaroarofpaininresponse,butthatwasenough.Idoubtedwewouldbeseeing

himagain.

C H A P T E R T W E N T Y - T H R E E

HA N N A H

hankyou,Hannah.Youhavegivenusmorethanenoughtoputhimbehindbars

whenwefindhim.Hisapartmentwasamess,andtous,Ibelievehe'sskippedtown.
Don'tworry,wewillfindhim"

Ismiledatthekinddetectiveashesnappedhisbookclosedandhandedmehiscard,

promising to be in touch. I would be glad when they had caught James and that he
wouldn'tgetawaywithwhathedidtome,notbelievingthathehadthecapacitytodo
this to anyone. I had a concussion and a cracked bone in my wrist, but the detective
had said I was one of the lucky ones. Another night in the hospital and I would be
turned loose, but I no longer feared James. Actually, I dared him to come after me
again.ThistimehewouldfindadifferentHannahwaitingonhim.

Thedooropened,andIwatchedasAnthonywalkedin,carryingalargebouquetof

flowers."Fromtheguys,"hesaid,settingthemonthetablenearthebed."Andtheyall
want you to come to the gym once you're feeling better, so they can give you some
pointers."

"Imightjusttakethemuponthatoffer,"Ijokedashesatinthechairjustvacatedby

the detective. He looked horrible, a thick growth on his lower jaw, purple shadows
underhiseyes.

Heclearedhisthroat,rubbinghispalmsonhisjeans."Howdoyoufeel?"
"WellIwon'tbewhippingupfrostinganytimesoon,"Isaid,holdingupmywrapped

wrist."ButIfeelprettygoodconsidering.ThedoctorsaidIcouldleaveinthemorning."

"Good,good,"heanswered,lookingeverywherebutatme.
IknewIwasasight,thebruisesmoreprominentthanevertoday,butasmallpiece

ofmewantedtoseehiseyes,seethosestormydepths."How'straininggoing?"Iasked,
pickingatthecovers."Thefightissoonright?"

Hefinallyturnedhisgazetomine,andIwastakenabackbythewealthofemotions

thatwereinhisdepths."Hannah,Iamsofuckingsorryaboutthis,"hesaid."Ishould
haveprotectedyoumore."

Igavealittlelaugh."YouandLillianarebothattemptingtomakethisyourfault.It's

not.IdatedJames,Ishruggedoffhisactions.Itwasmyfault,butIpromiseyou,Iwon't
allowittohappenagain."Ihadlearnedmylessonthehardway.

Hereachedoverandstrokedmycheekwiththebackofhisfinger."Still.Idon'tlike

seeingyoulikethis."

I reached up with my good hand and took his hand in mine, rubbing my thumb

overthebackofhisscarredknuckles,hardenedfromhisyearsoffighting."Iknowyou
didn'tdoanythingwithyourex,Anthony."

Heslidhishandfrommineandstoodabruptly,astonyexpressiononhisface."I,

thatwasallmyfault,Hannah.Ishouldhaveneverallowedhertogetfuckingcloseto
meandIwasadumbassforfallingoffthewagon.I'mnotthatdecentguyyoupaintme
tobe.Iamafighterwithflawsthataretoomanytoname,andyoucoulddoahellofa
lotbetterthanme."

Mymouthdroppedopenashewalkedoutoftheroom,wonderingwhattheheck

hadjusthappened.Iwasinthemidstofapologizingtohim,yetheblewmeofflikehe
hadalreadymadeuphismindaboutourrelationship.Hadhejustbrokenupwithme?
"Well,"Imuttered,layingbackonthepillow,myemotionsbarelyincheck.Hewasn't
goingtogetridofmethateasily.IlovedhimandwouldbedamnedifIdidn'tatleast
getthechancetotellhim.

WeekLater…

"Areyoureallyjustgoingtostareatthosepasses?"
IlookedupandgaveLillianatiredsmile,throwingthepassesonthedesk."Iwas

kindofhopingtheywouldcatchfirewithmyspecialsuperpower."

She laughed and put the cookies in the oven, setting the timer so they wouldn't

burn. It had been a week since I had been released from the hospital, everything
clearedupexceptmywrist,whichwasinacastandwouldbeoutofcommissionfora
monthatleast.Icoulddosomethingswithmyotherhand,butIleftmostofthebaking
toLillian.Shedidn'tknowit,butIwasgoingtoaskhertogointoapartnershipwithme
andbecomeaco-ownerassoonasIcouldgetthepaperworkdone.Shehadmorethan
provedtobeagoodfriend,andIwantedtorewardher."SowhatdoyouthinkIshould
do?"

Lillianleanedagainstthewallandcrossedherarmsoverherchest."Well,Iknow

youlovehim,andhewouldwantyoutheretonight,brokenwristandall."

I sighed. Tonight was the big match, the match that would define Anthony's

comeback. I hadn't seen nor heard from him since the day he had walked out of my
hospitalroom,prettymuchtellingmehewasn'tgoodenoughtobewithme,andIhad
beentoochickentoapproachhimatthegym,wantingtowaituntilmybruiseshadall
butdisappearedandIwasfeelingmorelikemyself.Actually,itwasallaliethatIfed
myselfforthelastweek.Iwaskindofhopinghewouldcometohissensesandwalk
throughthatbakerydoor,professinghislovelikesomeromanticcomedywithahappy
ending.

But the only fighter that had come through that door was Benji, carrying the two

passes on lanyards earlier today. "Tony would want you to have these," he had said,
handing them to me. "His pride won't carry his ass over here to give them to you
himself,andIapologizeforthat.He'sbeingstubborn,thinkinghe'snotgoodenough.
Trustme,heis."

"Iknow,"Ihadsaid,takingthepasses.Anthonywasmorethangoodenoughforme.

Ilovedhim,flawsandallandifIwantedafuturewithhim,Iwasgoingtohavetotell
him.Hewasn'tcominglikesomeknightinshiningarmor.

"I'm scared Lil," I finally said, grabbing the passes once more. "What if he doesn't

want to be with me?" Could I stand the rejection? What if he won this match tonight
andwantedtocontinuehisfightingcareer?CouldIstandbyandwatchhimdothat?

"Heythat'spartoflife,"Lilliansaid,asoftsmileonhisface."It'stimetoputthefears

asideHannahandmoveon.Anthonylovesyou,evenifheistoostubborntotellyou.
Areyouwillingtolethimgo?"

"No," I said, pushing off the chair, the passes in my good hand. "I need for you to

drivemethere."

Lilliangrabbedherkeys."Onestepaheadofyou.Comeon,let'sgogetyourboy."
Thedrivetotheconventioncenterdidn'ttakelong,Lillianlettingmeoutatthedoor

soIcouldgetinbeforethematchstarted.Theplacewaspacked,thehypeofthematch
clearlyeverythingAnthonywouldhavehopedforittobe.Islidthepassovermyhead
asIwalkedthroughtheline,findingthewaytothelockerroomwithrelativeease.The
roomswereclearlymarked,andIfinallyfoundAnthony's,reachingtoopenthedoor
when it swung open, and an older man stepped out, his eyes widening when he saw
me, shutting the door hard. "What are you doing here? You shouldn't be back here
rightnow."

"IneedtoseeAnthony,"Istarted."I'mHannah."
The older man crossed his arms over his chest and eyed me, clear distrust on his

face."Iknowwhoyouare.Hell,hecan'tstoptalkingaboutyouwhenhe'snottraining."

Myheartwarmedatthethought."Thenyouhavetoletmeseehim."Ineededtotell

himhowIfeltincasesomethingbadhappenedinthatcage.Iwantedhimtoknowthat
I loved him going into his match and would support him no matter what happened
tonight.

He shook his head. "See, you are part of the problem. The damn boy can't think

straightthesedays.Iseeitinhismoves.He'sgoingtogethisasskickedtonight,andthe
lastthingIneedisyoucloudinghismindanymorethanyoualreadyhave."

Icrossedmyownarmsovermychest,givinghimalook."Areyouserious?He'snot

goingtogethisasskickedtonight.Heknowswhatheisdoing,andIhaveeveryfaithin
himthathe'sgoingtocomeoutawinner."

"Damn women," he muttered, throwing up his hands. "Why should I let you in

there,huh?Areyougonnayellathimforleavingyou?"

"No," I swallowed. "I am going to tell him that I love him very much and I am so

proudofhimnomattertheoutcometonight,whichiswhatyoushouldbetellinghim
aswell.Ittakesalotofgutstodowhatheisdoing."

Hiseyeswidenedandhelostsomeofhisangerinhisface."YouloveTony?"
"Verymuch,"Ireplied,givinghimaconfidentsmile."CanIseehimnow,please?"
Helookedatmecarefully,aslightgrinslidingoverhislipsashestuckouthishand.

"Wellnow,Iguessyoucan.Larry'sthename.Ilovethatboylikehewasmyown,so
don'tbreakhisheartandwewillgetalongjustfine."

"Hannah,"Irepeated,shakinghishand."Andyoudon'thavetoworryaboutthat."
Henoddedandpushedthedooropen."Yougotfiveminutes.Makeitcount."
"Thank you," I said, entering the locker room. Anthony's back was to me,

headphones on his ears as he sat on the wooden bench, the tension in his shoulders
evident.Iimaginedhefeltliketheworldwasonhisshouldersandmyheartwentout
tohim,wantingtocomforthim.Ifhelosttonight,Ididn'tknowwhathewasgoingto
do.Itwasclearheenjoyedfighting,butcouldhebehappywithjustme?CouldIfillthat
voidforhim?

Careful not to disturb him, I walked around the bench and knelt down in front of

him,layingmyhandonhisknee.Hiseyesopenedandsurpriseflaredintheirdepths,
removinghisheadphoneswithhisglove-coveredhand."Hannah."

C H A P T E R T W E N T Y - F O U R

A N T HO N Y

hewashere.HannahwaskneelinginfrontofmeandIstillcouldn'tbelieveit.Damn

shewasbeautiful,hereyessearchingmine,thebruisesnearlygonefromherdelicate
skin,thoughtheshadowsunderhereyesstillhadmeconcerned."Whatareyoudoing
here?"Iasked,myvoicecomingoutharsh.

She held up her VIP pass, one that I had given Benji in a fit of desperation, telling

himtogiveittoherbeforeIchangedmymind.Partofmewasgladthatshehadcome,
my nerves on edge about the fight I was about to have that would define my future
career. But part of me didn't want her here in case something went wrong, in case I
couldn't win. I didn't want her to be disappointed in me. "I figured I would put this
thingtogooduse,"shewassaying,droppingthepass."Howareyouholdingup?"

Irolledmyshoulders,mykneejumpingunderhertouch.HowdidIfeel?Slightlyill

andlikeIhadtakenashotofadrenaline,mystomachinknots."Likeshit."

"I'm sorry," she said, her fingers caressing my knee. Hell. One simple touch and I

hadaragingbonerinthetightestdamnshortsknowntoman.Notexactlythebesttime
tohaveahardon."WhatcanIdotohelp?"

I stood, mainly because I had to adjust myself and will down the hard-on at the

sametime,shakingoutmyarmstokeepthemloose.Iwastornbetweentellingherto
leaveandbegginghertostay,notsurewhichonewasgoodforthemoment.Thelast
weekwithoutherhadbeenhellonearth,knowingshewasnextdooratthebakerybut
myprideunwillingtobudge,tellingmyselfoverandoveragainIwasnotgoodenough
to have her in my life. I hadn't even been able to protect her, falling back on my old
viceswhensheneededmethemost.Whatifsomethingworsehadhappened,likeshe
hadwoundupdead?WhatifIhadbeendrunkoffmyassthatnightandunabletobe
thereforheratthehospital?Icouldn'tdealwiththefactofHannahgettinghurtagain.I
hadghoststhatwouldnotletmegoandIwasadangertoher."Whyareyouhere?"I
askedsoftly,walkingaroundthelockerroom."Whydidyoucometonight,Hannah?"I
couldn'tlookather,notwhenIwantedtowrapherupinmyarmsandneverletgo.

"Totellyou,tosay,Iloveyou,Anthony."
Her words were like a shot to the gut. Had I heard her right? She loved me? She

shouldhateme,neverwanttoseemeagain.Ihadembarrassedher,givenhermultiple
reasons to write me off in the last month we had been together. My good times had
beenovershadowedbythebadones,andIwasn'tproudofthethingsIhaddoneasof

late."Youcan'tloveme,"Iforcedout,mychestachingwitheachword.

Shelaughed,andIfeltherhandonmyshoulder,forcingmetoturnaroundtoface

her."SonowyouaregoingtotellmehowIshouldfeelaboutyou?First,youtellmeI
don'tdeserveyou,which,bytheway,shouldbemycallandnotyours,thenyoutell
meIcan'tloveyou?Ibegtodiffer."

Isearchedhereyes,seeingabitofangerbutmostlytendernessinthemandfeltmy

resolvestarttoweaken."I'mnotgoodforyou."

She reached up and cupped my cheek with her hand, the softness of her palm on

my skin sending my nerves scattering. "Anthony, whatever would make you believe
that?Soyouhavesomeskeletonsinyourcloset.Wealldo.Theyonlymakemelove
youmore."

Iclosedmyeyes,thinkingofallthingsshecouldtellmetonight,Ihadn'tanticipated

this.Hannahlovedme.Thishadtobeafuckingdream.Myheartracinginmychest,I
openedmyeyestothewomanwhohadturnedmylifeupsidedownandwasgivingme
herheart,ifIchosetotakeit."CanIaskyouonequestion?"

Shelookedstartled."Um,sure."
Isuckedinabreath."IfIlosetonight.IfIgetmyasskickedorwalkoutoftherewith

somehorrendousinjury,willyoustillfeelthesame?"Ineededtoknow.Ihaddonethis
oncebeforeandgotburned.Icouldn'ttakeanother.

Shesmiled,atendersmilethattookmybreathaway."Ofcourse.Thisfightingthing,

it'snotwhatIloveaboutyou,Anthony.Ilovethemanthatisstandingbeforeme,who
hastaughtmethatthereishopeforthefuture.Iloveyou."

I reached for her and pulled her against me, holding her tightly in my arms as a

wealthofemotionbuiltupinside."Idon'tdeserveyou."

"No,youdon't,"shelaughed,huggingmeback."ButIdon'tdeserveyoueithersowe

areeven."

Ilaughedandpressedakissintoherhair,feelingsomeoftheworryandstressease

inmychest."Iloveyou,too."

Shepulledback,tearsinhereyes."W-what?"
Igaveheratendersmile,wipingtheescapingtearawaywithmythumb."Didyou

reallythinkIwasgoingtoletyoubetheonlyonetosayit?"

"Ijust,Ididn'tknow,"sheanswered.
"I fucking love you," I said again, my voice full of emotion. "There's not a minute

that goes by that I don't think about you, Hannah. I can't even begin to tell you how
muchyoumeantome."

Shegavemeawaterysmile,andIkissedherforehead,knowingthatifIkissedher

lips,Iwouldbelatetothematch.Withgreatreluctance,Ireleasedher,givingherhand
asqueeze."Wewillfinishthislater."

"Yes,"shebreathed."Afteryoukickthisguy'sass.IamproudofyouAnthony,no

matterwhathappens."

IgaveherawinkasLarrycamethroughthedoor."It'stime."

he entrance music was blaring on the speakers, the crowd at a fevered pitch as I

entered, but I barely heard it. My mind was swirling with every move I had to
rememberaboutJose,remembertoprotectmykneeandnotlethimtakemedown.
Butthatwasn'tallIwasthinkingabout.Iwasalreadyplanningtheafterparty,pityor
celebration,withHannah,thewomanwhoforsomereasonhadchosentoloveme.Me.
Itwasstillfuckingunbelievable.

Larry tapped me on the shoulder, and I began to walk toward the cage, punching

and showing off for the crowd, which was what was expected of me to do. The cage
loomed before me, and for a moment, it stole my breath away, the feeling of
uncertaintyneverreallygoingawaynomatterhowmanytimesIhadmadethissame
trek.ThedifferencethistimewasthatIfoundmyselfnolongercaringaboutwhatthe
outcomewasgoingtobetonight.UpuntilthismomentIhadwantedtowin,neededto
wintoproveapoint.Butnow,Ionlyhadtoprovemyselftothewomanthatwassitting
inthefrontrow,herheartinhereyes.

ShegavemeatinynodasIpassedherandforamomentIcontemplatedkissingthe

helloutofherinfrontofeveryone,decidingatthelastmomentnottodoso.Shewas
allIwanted,allIneeded.Theguyswereright.Wehadmovedonfromthiseraofour
lives,enjoyingthelimelight,butitwastimetoturnitovertotheyoungergeneration,
helpbuildtheirskillstobecomethebestdamnfighterstheycouldbe.Myinjuryhadn't
definedmeandthismatchwouldn'teither.

But I still had to fight. This revelation wasn't going to stop me from at least

completingthismatchtonight.Iwasgoingtogiveitmyall,andoncethelightswere
downandthepeopleallgonehomeforthenight,Iwasgoingtocurlupinmybedwith
Hannahandplanourfuturetogether.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" the announcer said as I stepped into the cage. "Tonight's

maineventfeaturestwoofthebestfightersinthelightweightdivision!Inthiscorner,
wearing blue shorts and carrying a record of eight knockouts and two losses, Jose
Fernado!"

I looked at Jose through hooded eyes, seeing that he was in pretty decent shape

tonight.Thekidwasgoingplaces.

"Andinthiscorner,withalifetimerecordtwentysubmissions,aformerlightweight

championandnumberonecontenderintheworld,andthelongestrunningrecordof
consecutivewinsinoneseason,wearingtheredtrunks,Anthony,Rampage,Jones!"

Ithrewafewpunchesforgoodmeasure,feelingtheworryandexcitementcometo

aheadasIrealizedthatallofthehardtrainingwasnowgoingtocometofruition.Iwas
goingtoseeifIcouldstillhangwiththebestintheworld.

I walked to the center of the cage and listened to the referee as he went over the

rules, touching gloves with Jose before walking back to my corner, where Larry and
Benjiwereontheplatform."YoucandothisRampage,"Larrysaidasheinsertedmy
mouthpiece for me. "Remember his stance. That's his weakness. If you can capitalize
onit,youaregoingtokickhisasstonight."

"Keep yourself low, but not too low," Benji added, rubbing my shoulders. "And no

matter what, there's a big ass party back at the gym when you're done here, so don't
taketoolong."

Igavehimawinkandturnedaround,slammingmyglovestogether.Iwasreadyfor

this.Ihadtrainedforthis.

Thebellrang,andIstarteddancingaround,tappinggloveswithJoseaswefelteach

otherout.Hewasfast,andIknewthatifhegotaroundmylegsandtookmedown,I
wasgoingtostruggle.Hisfirstkickconnectedwithmyupperthigh,butIwasableto
braceforitandcatchhimupsidetheheadwithmylefthook,scootingawaybeforehe
coulddoanymoredamage.Headvancedandwentforarighthook,mylegcomingup
tocatchtheholehehadleftbythrowingthepunch,mycalfcollidingwiththesideof
hisface.Ifelttheimpactvibrateallthewayupmyleg,mykneequiveringinresponse
asIlandedonit.Thebellsounded,andIsteppedback,mybodyjackedatwhatIhad
accomplished in just five minutes. Jose was bleeding from his cheek where I had
landedmyfirstpunch,andIonlyfelttheonekicktomythigh.Allinall,itwasagood
firstround.

"Goodjob,goodjob,"Larrysaid,squirtingwaterintomymouthsoIcouldrinseit

out."Youdidwell."

Ididn'tsayanything,justspittingoutthewaterandwaitingforthemtocallthenext

round.Ifeltfuckingfantastic.

C H A P T E R T W E N T Y - F I V E

HA N N A H

fter round one, I thought that Anthony was going to breeze through this match

withoutascratchonhim.Thenroundtwohappened.Iheldmybreathandsqueezed
the heck out of Lillian's hand as he took a punch to the face, splitting open his cheek
beforetheotherguygotaluckyshotwithhisleg,nearlyknockingAnthonyoffofhis
feet. When the bell finally sounded signaling the end of round two, Anthony was a
bloodymess,andIwasreadytothrowinthetowel.

"I can't take this," I groaned, falling back into my seat. Lillian extricated her hand

from mine and joined me in her seat. "Well you know the longest fight lasted ninety
minutes."

"Great,"Imuttered,lookingupatthecageasLarrytendedtoAnthony'scut."Only

eightymoreminutestogo."Whatthrilldidtheyseeindoingthis?

"He's fine, look," Lillian said. I watched as Anthony stood on his own two feet,

shaking off whatever pain he was experiencing. Truthfully, other than the cut on his
face he looked no worse for wear, but I could only imagine what type of pain was
coursing through his body. The other fighter had attempted to attack his bad knee,
gettinginonegoodkickbeforethebellhadsoundedandnowIwasworriedthathehad
donesomedamagetoit.

The bell sounded, and I got to my feet, praying that this would be over soon.

Anthony dodged what looked like a finishing blow and swept the guy off of his feet,
gettinghimonthegroundwithhishandtrappedagainsthischest.IbitmylipasIsaw
thestrainonAnthony'sfacetoholdhiminthathold,thetensionthathewasputtingon
the other guy's arm had to be hurting them both, his legs wrapped around the other
guy'sbody."He'sgonnatap,"IheardLilliansayastheotherfighterstartedtosquirm
againstthepressure,clearlylookingforawayout.Thenithappened.Hetappedout.

The referee rushed in to break up the hold as I threw myself at Lillian, screaming

alongwiththerestofthecrowd.Anthonyhaddoneit.Hehadbeattheoddsandwon
thematchagainstsomeonethatnooneexpectedhimtobeat."Hedidit!"Lillianyelled,
huggingmebackhardaswedancedatourseats."Ohgod,thatwasexciting.Ican'twait
toseethenextone!"

I hoped there wasn't another one. Anthony got to his feet, and I watched as both

BenjiandLarryattackedhim,hoistinghimupintheairasthecrowdwentcrazy.My
heart was overflowing with love and happiness for him, so glad that he had proven

himselfto,well,himself.Everyoneelsehadalreadybelievedinhim.

"And your winner is, Rampage Anthony Jones!" the announcer said, holding up

Anthony'sarmbeforethetwofightersembraced.Iwaitedwithbatedbreathasthecage
dooropenedandAnthonyclimbedout,hisfacelookingasifithadbeenthroughameat
grinderbuttome,hewasaliveandwellandperhapswasthesexiestmanontheplanet
atthemoment.Hiseyesfoundme,andIgavehimathumb'sup,hopingthathecould
seehowproudIwasofhimallovermyface.Benjihurriedoverandhelpedmeover
therailing,followingbehindthecrewthatwaswithAnthonyaswemadeourwayback
tothelockerroom,thecrowd'scheersfollowingbehindus.

"Hedidit,"Benjiwassaying,hisarmwrappedaroundmineasweenteredthelocker

room."Thefuckerdidit."

Ilaughedasweturnedthecorner,stoppingasLarryhelduphishand."Heneedsa

moment."

Anthonywasnowhereinsight,butItotallyunderstood.Itwasalotofreliefhehad

just experienced, not to mention the harshness of the match itself. "Is he okay?" I
asked,moreconcernedabouthiswellbeingatthemoment."

Larrynodded."He'sfine.Hell,he'shadalotworsefightsthanthat.Mightnotbeable

toclimboutofthebedtomorrow,buthe'llbeokay."

Anthony rounded the corner, pressing a towel up against his cheek and I felt my

heartlurchatthesightofhishandsomeface,hiseyesredandnotfromthefightitself.
Helookedoveratus,givingusahalfsmilethoughhislipwasnearlysplitintwo."Well,
howbadwasit?"

"Dude you killed it," Benji answered, walking over to embrace his friend. "I'm so

fuckingproudofyou.Youprovedeveryonewrong,includingme.Beforeyouknowit,
youwillbeatthetopofthegameagain."

"Yeah,well,"Anthonystarted,swallowinghard."I'mdone."
"Done?" Larry echoed, surprise filling his face. "Why the hell did you go through

withthematchtonightjusttoquitalloveragain?"

"ToprovethatIcoulddoit,"heanswered,lookingoveratme."Andnowit'sdone.

Besides,Ihaveotherthingsinmindtooccupymytime."

Benjichuckledandslappedhimonthebackbeforewinkingatme."Well,Ican'tsay

Idon'tblameyou.I'mgonnagetovertothegymandstartthepartyup.You'recoming
right?"

"We'llbethere,"Isaid,myeyesonAnthony.
"Hell,"Larrymuttered,throwingthetowelhewasholdingonthebench."Ineeda

drink."

Thetwomenwalkedout,andIwaiteduntilthedoorclosedbeforeIwalkedoverto

Anthony,takinginhisinjuries."Howdoyoureallyfeel?"

"LikeI'vebeenrunover,"headmitted,dabbingatthecut."Myfacefeelslikeithas

beendrugovertheasphaltandmykneeisfuckingkillingme.Youwillbeabletodraw
amapwithmybruisesinthemorning."

"Soundslikefun,"Iteased,scaredtotouchhim.I'dneverseenhimafterafight,still

jackeduponthehighofwinningbutlookedlikedeathwarmedover."WhatcanIdo?"

Hegavemeagrin."Youcankissmeforstarters."
I wrinkled my nose, looking at his busted lip. "How about a kiss on your good

cheek?"

"I'lltakeit,"hesaidsoftly.Ileanedoverandkissedhimgentlyonhischeek,tasting

thesaltinessofhisskinonmylips."Congrats.Youwereprettyawesomeinthere.Iam
soproudofyou."

"Ifuckingloveyousodamnmuch,"heanswered,hishandreachinguptoentangle

inmyhair."Doyouknowthat?"

My heart stuttered in my chest as I looked into his stormy gray eyes, feeling the

emotionradiatingoffofhim."Yeah,Ido."

fterawell-deservedshowerandchange,AnthonyandIdroveovertothepartyat

thegym,walkinginhandinhandtothecheerofallofhisfriendsgatheredinthespace
upstairs.Iclutchedathishandashewascongratulatedoverandover,scaredthatifI
lethimgo,Iwouldwakeupfromthisdream.

"Tothechamp!"Benjisaid,liftinghisbeerintheair."Wearesoproudofyou,Tony.

I'mgladtoseethatallofmyhardworkdidn'tgotowaste."

Anthonygrinnedandliftedhiswaterbottle."No,itdidn't.Thanksforallyourhelp."
The group cheered as they took their drinks before Anthony pulled me out of the

room and down the hall. "Where are we going?" I asked as he opened a door and
tuggedmeintotheroom,shuttingitsoundlybehindhim.

"Iwantsometimealonewithyou,"heanswered,hiswolfishgrincausingpartsof

metomeltintothefloor.

"B-butthisisyourparty,"Istammered,pressingupagainstadeskasheadvancedon

me."Theywillknowwearegone."

"I don't care," he said, reaching me, his arms on either side of me, locking me

betweenthedeskandhishardbody."It'snoteverydayIfallinlovewithawomanand
winamatch.Letmebaskinthisgloryjustalittlelonger."

"Anthony,"Isaidsoftly,myexpressionsoftening.
Hegavemeasoftsmile,leaningdowntopressakissagainstmyforehead."Asmuch

asIhatethis,Iwon'tbeabletokissproperlyfordays."Hethenputoneofhishandson
mybreast,squeezingitgentlythroughmyclothes."Butthere'snothingwrongwithmy
hands."

"N-no,"Ianswered,mybreathleavingmybody."Thereisn't."
"Aslongasweareonthesamepage,"hesaid,hishandsnakingundermyshirtand

finding my bra covered breasts. I hissed as he squeezed my nipple gently, a warm
sensationflowingthroughmeathistouch."Iwantyou,"hebreathedintomyear,his
breathticklingtheloosehairthere."CanIhaveyou,Hannah?"

"Yes," I breathed as his hand wandered down my stomach and undid my jeans,

slidingthezipperdown."Takeme,Anthony."

His hands gripped my waist, and he lowered me to the floor, his body covering

mine. "It's hard not to kiss you, Hannah," he said, his hands working on getting my
jeansoffofmyhips."Iwanttokissyoualloveryourfuckingbody."

AllIcouldgetoutwasagruntashisfingersbrushedovermypanties,archinginto

histouch.Ineededhimtotouchme.Ineededhimtoloveme.

Hegrowled,andIfelthisfingerhookmypantiesandpushthemaside,touchingme.

"You'resofuckingwet,"hesaid,hisfingerflickingovertheswollennub.Icriedout,not
caringifanyoneheardme.OnetouchandInearlycameundone.Heappliedpressure,
andIlostit,sobbingastheorgasmcrashedoverme.IwasvaguelyawareofAnthony
workingathisownjeans,shovingthemdown."Gorgeous,"hesaid.Ilookeduptosee
himstaringatme,hiscockinhishandashestrokedit.Normally,Iwouldhaveblushed
atthescene,buttheheat,theneedwastoomuch."Ineedyou,"Isaid.

"I need you, too," he answered, reaching for his jeans and extracting a condom.

"AndIamgoingtohaveyou."

Hesliditonandthenslidintome,fillingmetothecore."Yes,"Ihissed,grabbingat

hisshouldersandhopingthatIwasn'thurtinghim.

Hegruntedandstartedaslowrhythmwithhiships,thepressurebuildinginsideasI

writhedunderneathhim,wantingmore."Tellme,"hesaid,hisvoicebreathlessashe
roseoverme,drivingintome."Tellme."

Iknewwhathewanted."Iloveyou,"Isaid,pantingastheorgasmovertookme."I

loveyou."

Hegrowledandincreasedthespeed,causingmetofallapartbeforehestiffened,a

hoarseshoutfollowing.

Ilaythere,thescratchycarpetatmyback,myfingersstillclutchinghisshouldersas

I tried to figure out what had just happened. Of all things that he should have been
doingtonight,thisprobablywasn'toneofthem.

"Fuck," he said, extricating himself from me and standing on his legs, wobbling

someashetriedtoremovetheusedcondom."I'mnotgoingtobeabletowalkfora
week."

Ipulledupmyjeans,feelingstrangelysatedasIsatup,combingmyfingersthrough

myhairasAnthonypulledonhispantsbeforelookingatme."ButIcanstillfuckyou
foraweek,maybelonger."

Ilaughed."Isurehopeso."
Hereacheddownwithhishandandhelpedmeup,pullingmetightagainsthim.I

restedmyheadonhischest,feelingthesteadyrhythmofhisheartundermycheek.
"Areyoureallydone?"

Hesighed."Theguyswereright.Idon'tneedtofightanymore.Someofthathasto

dowithmeetingyou.MyfutureisgoinginadirectionIneverthoughtIwouldseeit
go."

I leaned back, searching his eyes. "Is it a way you want it to go?" The last thing I

wantedtodowasholdhimback.

Hishandfoundmyhairandhesmiledtenderly."Yeah,thisistheonlywayIwantto

go."

E P I L O G U E

A N T HO N Y

FewWeeksLater…

Iwatchedtheyoungerfighterdancearoundthecage,wonderingifhewasgoingto

remember anything I had taught him yesterday. He was a cocky bastard, reminding
mesomuchofhowIwaswhenIfirststartedandIwonderedifthiswassomekindof
fatehavingitslastlaugh.

"Whatdoyouthink?"Benjiaskedashecametostandnexttome."Thinkyoucan

whiphimintoshape?"

Iwatchedashesparredwithanotheryoungfighter."Yeah,Ithinkhehaspotential.

Hasamouthonhim,butthatcanbeeasilyfixed."

"Good,"Benjisaid,crossinghisarmsoverhischest."How'sHannah?"
Igrinnedthen."She'sfine."Shehadbeenthismorning,whenIhadleftherwitha

catlikesmileonherfacelayinginmybed,complainingabouthowsheneverwantedto
move again. The last few weeks with Hannah had been fucking unbelievable, and I
couldn't believe that I had nearly given it all up because I was dumbass. I loved that
womantodistraction,mydamnchesttighteningeverymorningwhenIwokeupand
sawherlyingnexttome.Iwasoneluckybastard.

"Iheardshemovedin."
"Damnchattymenaroundhere,"Isaid,thoughthegrinwasstillonmyface."Yeah.

Shemovedin,andIdon'tanticipateherevermovingout."

Benjichuckled,slappingmeontheback."Sonoregrets?"
I shook my head. I had no regrets, not with Hannah, not with giving up the cage.

Aftermywin,Ihadnumerouscallsfrompromoters,wantingtoputmeinmorefights,
butIhadturnedthemalldown.Iwasdonewithmyfightingdays,contentwithloving
Hannahandmentoringyoungguyslikethefightersinthering."Yougotthis?Ineedto
getHannah."

"Yeah,goon,"Benjisaid,turninghisattentiontothecage."Haveagoodnight."
I gave him a wave and walked out of the gym, turning my steps next door to the

bakery.Pushingopenthedoor,Iwalkedintothefamiliarsmellsofcookiesandicing,
the smells I had gotten accustomed to since it came home every night on Hannah.
LilliangavemealookasIwalkedbehindthedisplaycase,pointingtotheoffice."She's
on the phone ordering some more damn pink fondant. I told her we could do white,
butno,shewantspink.Whatdidyoudotoher?"

"Nothing,"Iansweredwithawink,walkingtotheofficewhereshewasjusthanging

up.ForamomentIjustadmiredher,wonderingwhatIhaddoneinmylifetobeso
luckytohavesomeonelikeher.Shelookedupandgavemeatiredsmile.Hey."

"Hey,beautiful,"Isaid,myhandsinmypockets."Youreadytogo?"
She nodded and grabbed her purse, clasping her hand in mine as we walked past

Lillian."Thefondantwillbehereinthemorning,Lil."

"I told you just to use white," Lillian fired back with a wave. "Good night, enjoy

yourselves.Seeyouinthemorning."

WewalkedoutintothecoldairbeforeIspunheraroundintomyarms,brushing

mylipsoverhers.

"Anthony!" she squealed, her hands clutching at my shoulders. "Someone is in a

goodmoodtonight."

"I'malwaysinagoodmood,"Isaid.Shegavemealookasshewrappedherarms

aroundmyneck."I'mwithyou,aren'tI?"

Sheleanedinandkissedmeonthelips."Yoursweetwordswillonlygetyousofar

Rampage.I'mlearningallofyourtricks,onebyone."

"Istillhavesomeupmysleeve,"Isaidagainstherlips."Marryme,Hannah."
Shedrewback,hereyeswidewithsurprise."W-what?"
I swallowed hard, knowing that we hadn't been together all that long, but I was

makingtherightmoves.Icouldn'tlivewithouther.Ididn'twanttolivewithouther.
"Marryme,makethisofficial."

Hermouthworkedbutnowordscameout,andIstartedtobeconcerned.MaybeI

was pushing her too much. I should have waited, but the thought had been floating
aroundinmybrainforawhilenow.Shewastheone,therewasnodoubtaboutit."I
don'tknowwhattosay,"shefinallysaid,tearsglitteringinhereyes."Areyousure?"

"Iwouldn'thaveaskedyouifIwasn'tsure,"Itoldher,myheartconstrictinginmy

chest."Marryme,Hannah.BecomeMrs.Rampage."

She laughed and threw herself at me, her arms wrapped tightly around my neck.

"Yes,yesIwillmarryyou."

ThepressureinmychesteasedasIpressedakissonherhead,exhaling.Thankgod.

ForamomentthereIthoughtshewasgoingtosayno."Idon'thavearingyet."

She pulled back again, her eyes wet with tears. "I don't care. I can't believe this is

happening."

I leaned down and kissed her tenderly, my heart about to bust out of my chest.

"We'llgopickoneouttomorrow."Ihadn'tplannedtodoittonight,butthetimingwas
right.

"Okay,"sheanswered."Wow.Mrs.Rampage.Itdoeshaveaniceringtoit."
Ilaughedbecauseshedidthattomealot."See?That'soneofthemanyreasonsI

wanttomarryyouandtakeyououtofthedatingpool."

Sheleanedintome,giggling."Yousureknowhowtosweet-talkawoman,Anthony."
IgrinnedasIwrappedmyarmsaroundher,holdinghertenderlyagainstme.Ofall

thethingsIthoughtIwouldbedoing,proposingtoawomanwhoforsomeunknown
reasonhaddecidedtolovemewasnotoneofthem.Mylifehadchanged,mypriorities
hadchanged,allforthebest.Hannahwasthebestpartofmenow,notmyfighting,not
mybumkneeoreventhegymanymore.Hannahhadsavedmefromadarkplace,and

Iwouldspendtherestofmylifethankingherfordoingjustthat.

"So,"Hannahwassayingasshereleasedmeandputherhandonherhip."Doesthis

meanIhavetomakemyownweddingcake?"

Ilaughedandgrabbedherhand,dragginghertothecar."No,wewillgetLillianand

theguystomakeit."

S N E A K P E A K : R E V I V E D : W A R R I O R Z O N E F I G H T E R S B O O K 2

T RA V IS

walkedthroughthequietgym,marvelingathowloudthisthingcouldbeduringthe

daybutdeadsilentatnight.Thesmellofrubberandsweatstillhungheavilyintheair,
andIwonderedifIneededtogettheentireplacecleanedagain.TheZonewasmylife,
theonlylifeIhadleftnowthatIhadturnedmybackonfighting.WhenIhadfoundout
about some of the guys starting up a gym, I had plunked down my part in cash,
wantingin.Itwasachancetostillbeconnectedtothesportwithoutactuallyfighting,
aswellasaplaceformetostartover.Ineededachancetostartover.

"Trav.Whatareyoustilldoinghere?"
IlookedovertoseeBenjiwalkingtowardme,alreadydressedinhisstreetclothes.

"Wehaveanengagementpartytomaketonight."

IthoughtaboutTonyandHannah,thebakerfromnextdoorandhowtheyhadjust

gottenengagedaweekprior.IwashappyforTony.Hehadreallyfoundsomethingin
Hannah, and all of us would be happy as hell to have a woman like her, present
companyexcluded.Ineverwantedtogodownthatpathagain."I'mnotgoing."

"What?"Benjiasked."Butyougotta.It'sTonyandHannah.Everyoneismeetingup

atJim's."

I shook my head. I wasn't the partying type anymore. "Go on. Maybe I'll stop in

later."

Benjilookedatmethenshrugged,clearlynottoofuckingworriedaboutgettingme

totheparty."Seeyoulaterthen."

"See you," I said, rubbing a hand over my face. I was tired, though these days I

rarelysleptanyway.Thenightmareswereenoughformetoonlycatchafewhoursof
sleepbeforeIwasdueatthegym,whereIwasmainlyinchargeofthebooks.Itwasa
safeprofession.

Ilookedupatthecage,thefamiliarfeelingsofanticipationandadrenalinecoming

backinmymind.TherewasatimeinmylifethatIfuckinglovedclimbinginthatcage,
beatingtheshitoutoftheotherguyandgettingmyhandraisedhighintheair.Ihad
grownupfighting,takingineverymoveIcouldfindtomakemyselfnearlyinvincible.
Butthatwasallinthepast,anothertime,anotherTravis.NowIstruggledtogetintothe
cagewithoutthrowingup.

Withasigh,Iwalkedpastthecageandshutofftherestofthelights,lockingthedoor

behind me as I stepped into the biting cold of the wind. The weather was turning

freezingasscold,thewinterfastapproaching.Itwouldmeanmoretimeatthegymfor
thosewhoweretryingtogetintothecutsforthefirstoftheyear,andwhileweweren't
hurtingforbusinessatall,Ididn'tknowhowmanynewclientswecouldtakeon.Allof
ushadourhandsfullasitwasandBenjiwouldhavetodropoffthefirstoftheyearto
starttrainingforthetitle.Thatmeanthisclientswouldbesplitbetweentherestofus
and I doubted Tony would be doing much of anything that didn't involve Hannah. I
wouldhavetosuckitupandstepintothecagesoon,ortheguyswouldstartwondering
whatthehellwaswrongwithme.Iwasn'treadytotellanyonewhereIhadbeenover
thelasttwoyearsorwhy.Thatwasmyfuckingbusiness,notanyoneelse's.

IroundedthecornerandspiedJim'sbarhalfwaydowntheblock,thenondescript

buildinghometopastandcurrentfightersofalltypes.Theguyslikedtogocongregate
down there because Jim was a fighter in his day and a damn good one. After
retirement,hehadopenedthebarandcateredtofightersofallkinds.Normally,Iliked
togointhereandshootthebreezewithhim,buttonightIwasn'tfeelingit.Tonight,I
wantedtogohomeandcrash,waitforthenightmarestotakeover.Iturnedawayfrom
the bar and headed up the block, my hands in my pockets to keep my fingers from
falling off. The cold weather was when my body ached the worst, as all fighters
struggled with, the pain in my hands nearly unbearable. No amount of warmth was
goingtoeasetheache,massagingthemtheonlywaytogetthekinksoutofthem.Ihad
foundithardtoholdthepenciltodayasIworkedonthebooks,myhandscramping
more than they were normally. Nothing on me was normal anymore. My nose had
been broken more times than I cared to admit, every part of my body displaying a
bruiseorcutatsomepartofmylife.Iwastheoldestoutoftheguys,theonewhohad
foughtthelongestbeforemysuddendeparture.Hell,IhadfoughtTonyatimeortwo
andeachtimehehadkickedmyass.

"No, no, no! I hate you. This is not a love-hate relationship. This is a hate-hate

relationship."

Ilookedupthestreettoseeawomankickingatirewithherboot,herhandsonher

hipsasshestaredatit.Snowwasstartingtofalllightly,nodoubtcoveringthestreets
beforethenightwasover.Icontemplatedturningtheotherway,notreallywantingto
engageinanyconversationtonight,especiallynotwithawoman.ButIcouldn'tleave
herstrandedeither.Thatwouldn'tberight.Shit.Iwasreallystuckbetweenarockand
ahardplacewiththisone.

Gritting my teeth, I walked over to the woman, who was giving the tire a death

stare."CanIhelp?"

She turned, and I felt sucker punched, her bright blue eyes reminding me of the

bluewaterIhadwitnessedinBelize,herfaceslightlyroundedunderthehoodofher
coat."Yes,"shesaid,herbreathcausingacloud."Icouldreallyuseyourhelp."

Ishookoutofmythoughtsandkneltdownatthetire,seeingthatitwasflat."Looks

likeyouhaveaflat."

"No shit, Sherlock," she stated, annoyance in her voice. "Do you know how to

changeatire?"

I rose and looked at her, wondering who peed in her cereal this morning. "I do

knowhowtochangeatire.Thequestionis,doyouhaveallofthetoolstodoitwith?"

Shebitherlip."Idon'tknow.I'veneverchangedonebefore."

Isighedinwardly,holdingoutmyhand."Givemeyourkeys."Ihadchangedatire

ortwoinmylife.Thisonewouldbeapieceofcake.

Sheshookherhead,andIwasalarmedtoseetearsinhereyes."Idon'thavethem."
"Youdon'thavekeystoyourcar,"Irepeated,thinkingthiswasgettingweirderby

themoment.

She sighed, and I noticed that she was wearing pants with rubber ducks on them,

tuckedintoherboots.Whatthehellwasgoingonhere?"ListenIdon'thavekeystothe
car.I,it'snotmine."

Okay,thishadjustgottentoofuckingweirdforme.Idroppedmyhandandrubbed

itovermyface."Um,wellIguessIwillbeleavingthen."

Shegrabbedmyarm,herfingersclenchingintoittightly.Ishookheroffinstantly,

hatingwhenpeopletouchedme."Please,"shesaid,hereyeswateryasshelookedupat
me."Ineedhelp.I'mintrouble."

Thatwasanunderstatement.

T H A N K Y O U

Iwanttotakethetimetothankyouforreadingmydebutnovel,Redemption.Ialso

wanttothankmyauthorfriends,coverdesigners,editors,bookbloggers,ARCstreet

team,myfamilyandmycat.Withoutallofyou,thiswouldn'tbepossible.I'mtruly

gratefultolivemydreamcareerasanauthor,andIhavesomanymorestoriesto

sharewithallofyou!Makesureyousignupformy

newsletter

tostaypostedwithmy

latestnews!

Thankyouagain,

Tia

B O O K S B Y T I A L E W I S

DrawPlay:ASportsRomance

StadiumofLights:ASecondChanceRomance

DraftDay:ABWWMSportsRomance

Threat:ABloodRidersMC(Book1)

Reveal:ABloodRidersMC(Book2)

Creed:ABloodRidersMC(Book3)

TheHitman’sPossession:ABadBoyMafiaRomance(Book1)

TheHitman’sProperty:ABadBoyMafiaRomance(Book2)

TheHitman’sDuologySeriesBundle

DirtyHacker:AnAlphaBillionaireRomance

DirtyMoney:ADarkMafiaRomance

Misled:ABadBoyMafiaRomance

Zarak:ScifiAlienInvasionRomance(TheMatingGamesBook1)

SignupforTiaLewis’VIPe-maillisttoreceivenewreleases,excerpts,sales,and

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A B O U T T H E A U T H O R

TiaLewisisanauthoroferoticanddarkeroticromance.Sheenjoyswritingaboutstrong,possessive,dominant

heroesandsassy,smartheroines.Hercharactersrangefromhot,dominantbikers,billionaires,topowerful

gangsters,andallkindsofbadboysinbetween.Youcanfindhercooking,reading,ortravelingwhenshe’snot

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Document Outline

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Epilogue
Sneak Peak: Revived: Warrior Zone Fighters Book 2

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