“I don’t want to lose you entirely.” The plea was in her eyes. “I’ll be nice to both you and Keira as long as you don’t take your friendship away. Please. That’s all I’m asking.”
“We were never friends to begin with.”
“Please,” she begged. “If I apologize to Keira, will you give me another chance?”
“I’ll never give you another chance,” I said firmly. “I can’t even stand to look at you.”
“Will you tolerate me? When I’m hanging out with the guys, will you not walk away?”
“I doubt they want to hang out with you anymore either, especially Scotty.”
She sighed in irritation. “Where’s your compassion? I said I was sorry and I wouldn’t interfere with your relationship anymore. I’m just asking you to tolerate me, not be my best friend.”
“Where was your compassion when I lost Keira for two months?”
She didn’t have a rebuttal for that. “Liam, come on.”
“I think you’re up to something.”
“I’m not,” she said with a sigh.
I couldn’t tell if she was telling the truth or not, but regardless of what happened, I would never trust her again. Nothing she said or did would change that fact, and I would never let Keira be around her either. She couldn’t fool me anymore.
Adrianna’s eyes coated with tears then they fell. Then she started to sob. “I made a mistake and I’m sorry, okay? What more do you want me to say?”
I hated it when girls cried…it wasn’t my thing. I stared at her, unsure what to do. Somehow, she made me feel like an ass. Her tears were scratching my eardrums, giving me a headache. “Okay. Fine. I’ll tolerate you.”
She sniffed then wiped her tears away. “Really?”
“But you owe my girlfriend an apology.”
“Of course.” She nodded then tried to fix her mascara.
“Let’s go.” I walked with her but kept five feet in between us. When I approached Keira’s classroom, I didn’t want Keira to get the wrong impression. We waited until the class was over and watched the students file out.
When I spotted Keira I stepped toward her. “Hey.”
A smile lit up her face. “Hi.”
Her admirer came out behind her. One glance at me and he took off in the opposite direction.
Good thinking.
She moved into my chest and hugged me, her face pressed against me. “What a nice surprise.”
“I missed you.”
She pulled away, a playful look in her eyes. “Or you just wanted Ryder to see you.”
“Or that.” She caught me.
Keira didn’t seem to mind. “Whatever the reason, I love seeing your face.”
Her words made me melt. I wasn’t sure how she did it. Every time a girl fed me lines, I thought they were cheesy and annoying. But with Keira, they came from the heart. And I fell for her all over again.
My hands moved to her hips, and I thought about the intense make out session we had. When my mind was in the gutter, I thought about doing things I shouldn’t. While I loved Keira, I wasn’t ready to give my entire self to her. I just wasn’t ready. But that didn’t mean I didn’t love kissing every inch of her body, tasting her skin and all her sweetness.
Keira spotted Adrianna just a few feet away. The smile left her face, and her eyes smoldered in hatred. “Can’t we catch a break?”
“Actually, she wants to apologize to you.”
She looked at me like I was crazy. “Adrianna?”
I shrugged. “That’s what she claims. Just let her apologize and let’s move on.”
“Why? Are you guys friends again?” The irritation was in her eyes. I knew she strongly disliked Adrianna. That feeling was mutual. “No. But she won’t leave me alone until I agree to tolerate her.”
“And what does that entail?” She didn’t like this one bit.
“I’m not sure. I guess not threatening her anymore.”
Keira shook her head. “I’d let everything go if her apology was sincere, but I’m having a hard time believing there is an ounce of remorse within her.”
“We share the same sentiments.”
She studied Adrianna and watched her approach us.
Adrianna looked Keira in the eye. “I know you hate me and I don’t blame you. And I certainly don’t think an apology is going to change that. That’s fine. But I am sorry for everything. I ripped you guys apart and that was wrong. I said unforgiving things that I shouldn’t have spoken of. I did a lot of mean things…I just want you to know I’m sorry and I won’t bother either one of you anymore.”
Keira didn’t seem convinced. “Apologizing to me won’t get you closer to Liam. He’s mine, and he’s off limits.”
I liked the sound of that.
“I respect your relationship with him. However, I hope to gain a friendship someday.”
“I’ll accept your apology once I believe your sincerity. Until then, don’t expect anything from me.” Keira was aggressive and territorial. She wouldn’t be played for a fool.
“I understand.” Adrianna stood there awkwardly before she turned away. “I guess I’ll see you around...”
Neither one of us said bye. I watched her go, waiting until she was out of earshot. When I turned back to Keira, the disdain was gone from her face. She looked at me like I was the only person in the world.
“Lunch?”
“Yeah.”
And just like that, Adrianna was forgotten.
Keira asked me to train her again. I didn’t mind. It was something I wanted for her. But I was timid around her. I’d seen her run from me so many times. I couldn’t bare it if she ran again. What if I raised a fist and she assumed the worst? What if she panicked? We’d come a long way and it would be shame to lose all that time.
She stood in her sports bra and shorts. I hated it when she wore this. It was so damn distracting. Her tits were outlined and her ass was round and tight. My thoughts strayed a few times, losing focus on the task.
“Let’s do some weight training.” I grabbed a few dumbbells and set them down.
She stared at them for an instant then looked back at me. “I don’t want to do any weight training. I’m already thin and toned.”
“And you need to lift weights if you want to stay that way.”
“I want to learn how to fight, Liam.” The determination was in her eyes.
I showed her as much as I could without making it too intense. There was nothing left for me to teach her unless we sparred. That was the only way to learn how to fight, practice and repetition. “There’s nothing more I can teach you.”
She didn’t back down. “Let’s spar.”
“No.” The words came out of my mouth quicker than my brain decided to form them.
“Liam, I’m not scared of you. I know you would never hurt me. I can do this.”
Was she just saying this to prove herself to me? Did she mean it? “I can’t risk it…”
She took a deep breath then released the air from her lungs. “I’m ready. I’m okay with getting a few bruises. I’m okay with getting a little banged up. I want to train and be stronger. Do you have any idea how liberating it was to be hit on at a bar and not be scared?” I stared at her face while I listened to her. “Do you know how nice it felt to walk to my car and not feel afraid? A year ago, Scotty had to take me everywhere because I couldn’t even walk outside my front door without him next to me. I’m never going back to that. I want to be even stronger, to be fearless. Finn took so much away from me, but now I’m getting that all back.” I hated hearing his name. I hated it. “I refuse to be afraid. You told me I needed to be the stronger one in this relationship, at least for now. Help me get there.”
I was a little more convinced but not completely persuaded. “I’ll never hurt you, even if we spar. But this still makes me uncomfortable. I’m three times your size and almost two feet taller than you. You’re practically going up against a bear. You will be afraid, Keira.”
/> “Not with you.” She held my gaze, the emotion and strength shining through. “I couldn’t do this and feel safe with anyone else but you.”
My eyes softened at her words.
“He’s almost gone from my nightmares and my thoughts. You’ve chased most of him away, but I need to do the rest. Giving me the ability to defend myself will help me finish. Empowering me is the greatest resilience you could ever give me.”
How could I say no to those words? “I’m afraid I’ll lose you… If you walk away again, that’s it. And I’d rather avoid that at all costs.”
“I’m not going to walk away.” She stepped closer to me. “I would never risk losing you. But I know I can do this. Please.” She grabbed my hand and placed it over her heart. “Please.”
I hoped I wouldn’t regret this. “Okay.”
A slight smile stretched her lips and her eyes coated. Then she stood on her tiptoes and kissed me gently on the lips. “Thank you.”
“Just trust me,” I whispered.
“I do. I really do.”
We stood in the center of the mat. She faced me, wearing her gloves, and I stood across from her, shirtless. My heart was beating so fast I thought it might give out. I’d never been nervous for a fight, but Keira made me anxious. I couldn’t stand the sight of her sprinting up the stairs, tears splashing down her face. I couldn’t handle it.
Keira pulled her fists to her chest and tucked her chin. Her feet were planted apart and her shoulders were back.
She already looked like a pro.
I took my fighting stance and studied her face. There was no fear in her eyes. She watched my every move, waiting for me to strike. “If your opponent is bigger than you, let them strike first.”
She waited for me to attack.
I stepped toward her then aimed a punch at her face. I timed my blows so I would never hit her, just giving her the illusion that I would.
Keira failed to block it. I moved too fast for her to follow. My punch would have hit her square in the chin.
“You missed. Now I’m directly on you. You need to evade before I can hit you again. If I do, you’ll be down.” I pulled my hands to my face, ready to strike again. “Don’t waste your energy attacking me.”
She was naturally quick and agile, so she dodged out of my way and maneuvered back to the other side of the mat. She bounced on the balls of her feet, watching me.
I moved in again, aiming a blow to her stomach.
This time she blocked it. Her knee moved up, taking the punch that had no momentum.
“Good, “I said. “You’re learning.” Before I stepped back, she hit me square in the jaw with more force than I expected. I jerked back slightly.
She didn’t slow down. She moved across the mat, looking for another opening.
I dropped my hands, surprised by the jab she just made. A smile stretched my lips. “That’s my girl.” For the first time, I thought we could actually do this. I rushed her and grabbed her arm, pinning it behind her back. She thrust her head back to hit me in the face but I kept my head out of her reach. I held her tightly, not letting her go. “Don’t give up.”
She tried to kick my knee but I held her too far away.
“I’m not letting you go until you figure this out.” I tightened my hold on her.
She thrashed in my arms and tried to twist her arms but nothing she did worked. Then she did something I never expected. Using my body as an anchor, she flipped upside down until I was forced to release her or break my wrist.
Keira got to her feet then danced out of the way, sweat dripping down her forehead and her stomach.
Was this the same girl I met a year ago? When I just raised my hand to give her a high-five on the basketball court, she flinched and sprinted away, running to her cousin for help. She ran away from me dozens of times even though I proved time and time again that I would never hurt her. But now she was different. She was strong, fearless.
“You’re amazing.” It was the best choice of words I could fine.
She gave me a playful look. “You won’t be saying that when I kick your ass, Liam Hayes, the former best fighter in California.”
“Former?” I asked with a smile.
“Yep. Because I’m the new champion.” She rushed me then got a punch to my stomach. When I blocked it, she faked to my left then landed a punch on the right side of my face. I felt blood form from my mouth, but I didn’t feel the pain. All I felt was joy.
I wiped the blood away then tackled her to the ground. I pinned her hands above her head and kept her frame down with my weight. “I’d like to see you get out of this.”
She smiled up at me. “Maybe I don’t want to get up from this…”
That made my spine shiver. “Really?”
She leaned her head up and pressed her lips to mine despite the blood in my mouth. My body reacted to hers immediately. My hands released hers and I grabbed her hips, massaging her while I deepened the kiss.
Suddenly, she rolled me over and pinned me down. “Tricked ya.”
I smiled. “Sneaky.”
“Now you’re all mine.”
“What are you going to do to me?”
She gripped my hands and pinned them against the mat. Then she leaned over me, her hair falling over one shoulder. “This.” She pressed her mouth to mine and our heated kisses continued. The training session was abandoned.
But neither one of us cared.
“Did you get my email?” Theresa asked from across the table.
“Yeah. I made the corrections to the paper.” I tossed it to her.
She flipped through the pages, looking at the red ink. “Cool.”
We were almost finished with our business ethics project. I was looking forward to the end of the semester, especially since I wouldn’t be coming back. I didn’t like school and fighting was far more interesting. My career wouldn’t last as long, but if I saved my money and invested it, I’d be fine.
She sipped her coffee then returned it to the table. “How’s it going with that girl?”
“What girl?”
“The one you’re hung up on.”
I smirked. “She and I are back together…for the most part.”
A smile lit up her face. “That’s great. I’m happy for you.”
She seemed sincere. “Thanks.”
“She’s cute.”
“Do you know her?”
“No, but I’ve seen her around. But what do you mean by ‘the most part’?”
I shrugged. “We just have some problems we’re working through…but I think we’ll be fine.”
“Is she okay with me being over here?”
“It seems so.”
“Well, that’s good.” She made some notes on her computer then stared at the screen.
Theresa was a pretty girl with noticeable curves. She was the type that didn’t stay single long. “Are you seeing anyone?”
She sighed. “No, not right now.”
“Oh.”
“I just want to be single for a while. I’ve had a bad history with crappy boyfriends.”
“On behalf of my sex, I apologize.”
She shook her head. “No. You’re nothing but a gentleman and nothing like them. Don’t apologize.”
I hadn’t been very nice to her, and sometimes I was purposely rude. “Thanks.”
“So, are you going to fight full time? You’re really good.”
I nodded. “This is my last semester at school.”
“Cool. I wish you luck.”
“Thanks.”
We worked for the next few hours and perfected our paper and presentation. I didn’t like Theresa at first but she was caring and smart, not like most girls I knew. I actually saw her as a friend. “I’m sorry I was rude to you before.”
She gave me a quizzical look. “When have you ever been rude to me?”
Tons of times. She was obviously used to being treated like shit. And that made me sad. “I just wasn’t very friendly.”
“Me too.” I wanted to invite Keira to dinner. We hadn’t been on an actual date in a long time. And I wanted her to sleep over. The best nights of rest I got were when my body was wrapped around hers, anchoring her to me.
I walked her to the door then opened it.
Keira was standing on the other side, a plastic bag of take-out in her hands.
Why did she always show up when Theresa was here?
Theresa glanced between us. “Well, goodnight. I’ll see you later.” She walked passed Keira and headed to her car.
I knew this didn’t make me look good. I stared at Keira, waiting for her to react.
She didn’t. Her face was stoic and unreadable.
I waited for her to ask why Theresa was here, to make assumptions.
She never asked. “I got Chinese if you’re hungry…”
“I’m starving.” I grabbed her hip and pulled her to me, kissing her hard on the mouth. “But not for food.”
She melted into me, dropping the bag on the ground.
I pulled her so hard to my chest I thought I might pop her. I released my hold then pulled my lips away, not wanting to get too hot too quickly. My need for her was consuming me. The other night, I had a vivid sex dream about her. It was both sensual and erotic. I woke up in wet boxers. Not having sex was increasing my drive.
Her cheeks were flushed when she pulled away, the redness tinting her face. Her eyes smoldered in unbridled desire. She was just as desperate for me as I was for her. “How was your day?”
“It was okay.” I grabbed the bag and walked inside.
“I hope orange chicken is okay.”
“I’ll eat anything, baby.”
Her eyes softened at the use of the tender nickname. I started to blurt it more often the longer we spent time together. My mind naturally claimed her, treating her just the way I did before. I was falling fast for her, feeling my heart recover from the pain she caused me. I felt like she really trusted me, that we wouldn’t mess this up again.
We moved to the table then pulled out the Styrofoam boxes. I scarfed the food down because I was starving. I hadn’t eaten anything since lunch. Keira picked at her mixed veggies, eating very little.
Uncrushable (Forehead Kisses #3) Page 8