The Fighter (The High Rise, Book 1)

by Harper Bentley

  The sullen look he gives me surprises me and he retorts, “Am I what?”

  Well, this has kind of fallen flat but I forge ahead. “Noble?”

  He snorts haughtily and faces the front not answering.

  Well, okay then.

  I now see the number board has only punched in my floor. “You’re on seventeen too?”

  He nods still facing the front not looking at me. “Mmhm.”

  We both face forward now, standing in silence for a moment and I wonder why he’s suddenly gone so cold. Weird. When the elevator reaches our floor, he sarcastically sweeps a hand out for me to get off first as he sneers.

  Wow. He turned asshole quickly. Most guys at least wait until I’ve turned them down for sex on the first date before they show their true prick colors. Jeez.

  I get out and in a last attempt to be nice, after taking a few steps I turn to say something to him and run right into him.

  “Oh, God, I’m sorry,” I say when I find myself smashed against him. He’s huge, at least six-four and with all those muscles I know he’s got to outweigh me by a hundred pounds. His hands have landed on my waist and I can’t say I’m completely sorry because it feels nice. I look up into his deep brown eyes that for some reason have gone hard and it throws me off balance because I can’t figure out what I’ve done to make him so mad. “I-I was just gonna say if you ever need to borrow a cup of sugar or something, I’m in 1712.” I nod my head toward my door.

  “I’ll think about the something, Laney.” He curls his lip up giving me a wicked leer then squeezes my waist before letting me go and I think I’m clueless right now. He’s been giving off negative vibes since I told him who I was and now he gives me a sexy look and suggestive squeeze. Very strange.

  I walk the few steps to my door getting out my keys then let out an “Oh!” when I see he’s stopped and is waiting to make sure I get inside safely. Or at least that’s what I hope he’s doing. I mean, for all I know he could be a burglar and when I unlock the door, he might barge right into my apartment, ransack the place then walk out with my TV. I hesitate for a moment, clutching the container of Mace on my keychain in my palm in case he makes a move to go inside and rob me. Hey, I have a very nice TV!

  As I stand there debating whether to open my door, I remember that I’m a pretty good judge of character after having worked with clients for going on three years and I’ve more often than not been able to peg the freaks. He didn’t give off a weirdo impression but I’m finding I’m not so sure about him now. That mood change really took me off guard.

  “I’m not gonna rob your place or anything,” he mutters narrowing his eyes at me again.

  “Oh! Well, that’s good…” I answer feeling my face get hot for his having read my mind. I put the key in the lock and turn it then after opening my door I glance back at him. “So, it was nice meeting you.”

  He does one of those guy head jerks before turning and heading down the hallway toward his own apartment.

  I have to confess I watch him go not regretting that decision even a little bit because he looks very good going. When he reaches his door, he turns and gives me what looks like an assessing glare, which makes me frown, before he disappears inside his apartment.

  Two

  I’m about to break my arm from patting myself on the back for not slamming my apartment door.

  I stalk down the hall toward my bedroom, pulling my shirt over my head tossing it onto the floor near the clothes hamper in the corner. Close enough. Inside the bathroom I turn on the shower then finish disrobing cussing under my breath the entire time.

  I thought I’d done my homework but I guess I skipped over this valuable piece of information:

  Laney Kyle.

  “Laney, fuckin’, Kyle,” I spit out as I step inside the shower.

  As I lather up, I think about why I’m even here.

  To say my kid brother’s a fuck-up would be putting it mildly. He might have the biggest heart there is but he got left holding the door when brains were being handed out.

  So I’m here to save his ass. Well, his, his wife’s and his newborn daughter’s. Six months ago, his wife Kamryn ran into some trouble. She was four months pregnant and bored, or that was her excuse anyway. She and a friend of hers started hitting the casinos. This friend, who’s married to an agent that manages several big-time actors, has money coming out her high-falutin’ wazoo. Kam and Aaron? Not so much.

  Aaron had just started working for me. He’d been fuckin’ around with other shit while I kept telling him that as a project manager over construction sites, I could give him something steady. But he didn’t want to listen. Thought he had to make it on his own. So while he was nickel and diming it, Kam was blowing pretty much everything he brought in trying to keep up with her friend, unbeknownst to Aaron, of course. So when he went to make the rent payment there was nothing there. He threw a fit, Kam cried and he left. Came to me, told me he needed help, I hooked him up with a job gave him an advance and things with them seemed to be going well.

  Except while Aaron was working for me, Kam hooked up with her friend and hit the casinos again. To hide it from him, this time she found a loan shark who spotted her the cash which she thought could be paid off without Aaron ever finding out. Bad decision. Bad fucking decision. Because by the time Aaron knew what’d happened, he was in deep shit.

  Kam had borrowed “only a thousand bucks” not having any idea what she was getting herself and her family into. When she’d finally confessed what she’d done, four months later and right as she went into labor, they were in debt for over fifty grand, the terms of her borrowing being that the money would triple every month it wasn’t paid back plus twenty-five percent interest.

  Since our dad raised us to be proud assholes, Aaron was embarrassed about their situation and told no one, taking it upon himself to try to pay off the debt himself. He ended up making a deal with the loan shark, who just so happens to be one Edward Kyle, superintendent of The Estates and who also operates an underground fighting ring in the basement of the apartment building. He told Aaron if he’d fight for him every weekend, he’d knock off five-hundred each month along with moving the interest down to fifteen percent, but Kyle would keep all gains from the fights. He also informed him he was to throw the fights if instructed to do so, to which Aaron agreed.

  So after making the deal, my kid brother starts showing up to the sites, face beat all to hell, ribs sore, hardly able to move on a couple of occasions and tells me he and some friends joined a gym and were fighting, it wasn’t any big deal, he just needed it as an outlet. I understood since I was a bit of a shit in high school which carried over to college, so to get that extra anger and energy out, I’d joined an MMA club which meant I got to beat the shit out of other guys for the fun of it. It’d been great. So Aaron having a new baby and all, along with trying to manage their finances, it just made sense.

  So we’re going along, baby Isabelle is doing great, going on two months old, things seem to be fine until I get a call in the middle of the night from Kam to get to the hospital, Aaron’s in bad shape, he has a collapsed lung and multiple internal injuries. I’d been mid-coitus with Jessica, a woman I’d been seeing off and on the past couple months, only answering my phone the third time it rang. After getting the news about Aaron, I’d left Jessica in my bed and sped to Cedars-Sinai only to find my brother in a medically-induced coma with a breathing tube hooked up to a goddamned ventilator.

  I’d found Kam and when she’d told me what he’d been doing, I’d let her have it. That didn’t go over well with her dad but I didn’t give a flying fuck. My brother could’ve died. The doctors had kept him in the coma for two days, telling my parents and me the good news was he didn’t need surgery for his lung but that they were monitoring his spleen.

  Christ.

  When he’d come out of it, when he was finally able to talk, he’d given me more details. As much as I wanted to wring his neck, I’d wanted him and his family safe more,
so I told him I’d take care of it by taking his place in the ring. Yeah, I could’ve paid off his debt (digging into some annuities and shit or selling my cabin on Big Bear Lake) but I wanted to check out what he’d gotten himself into. I also felt it wouldn’t hurt getting to beat the shit out of someone while I was at it.

  And now a new piece of the puzzle has been added, wrapped in a fucking sensuous as hell five-foot-five auburn-haired beauty. What’s worse is there’s a pull between us, like our bodies know we’re destined to collide. I’ve never had this feeling before, being drawn to someone so forcefully and it’s pissing me off.

  I roughly scrub the shampoo into my scalp reminding myself that this chick is just one more complication I need to take down.

  I frown when I think of her shaking her gorgeous ass as she waited for the doors to open while also singing way off key. Then our talk in the elevator which was entirely unconventional with her telling me she knew I was a player and basically blurting that she thinks I’m an asshole. And then there were the earbuds. I can’t help but huff out a laugh at how ridiculous she looked removing nonexistent buds. Did she think that shit was cute?

  Even though it was fucking cute.

  I rinse my hair and continue washing myself picturing that ass of hers in those damned Nike race shorts.

  Just thinking about her smoking hot body has me hard but I move the washrag down ignoring that shit as I lather up my balls which I know have gotten tighter with my arousal. Goddamn it.

  I tell myself my body’s only reacting this way because it’s been almost a month since I’ve gotten laid. I’ve been so busy managing the building of the pain in the ass dance club that’s gone in across the street that I’ve neglected my needs. Yeah. That’s all this is. As I continue running the cloth over myself, I can’t help imagining that perfectly-shaped mouth of hers wrapped around my cock.

  Fuck it.

  I drop the cloth to the floor and wrap my hand around my length stroking slowly, closing my eyes and picturing her firm, round ass in those shorts. I now see her naked here with me, her hand moving up and down my dick, those luscious breasts of hers swaying with each glide of her hand, the firm peaks of her nipples just begging me to suck on them, maybe tease them a little with my teeth.

  Putting my hand out in front of me against the tile, I groan as I pump my other hand faster, envisioning her with her back against the wall, her legs wrapped around me as her tight, wet pussy takes all of me, every thrust making her gasp in a breath. When she moans my name imploring me to fuck her harder, I lose it, shooting my seed powerfully against the wall then upon opening my eyes let out a deep growl at the fact that she’s not really here.

  “Fuck!” I hiss, angry at myself for using her, the enemy, as my fantasy.

  I’ve had plenty of women and any one of them could’ve played the starring role but for some godforsaken reason it was her green eyes that I saw, pleading with me to fuck her faster, harder as she took me deep.

  Jesus.

  I wash off then get out of the shower irritated with myself for not being more focused on what I have to do.

  Three

  “Do I come across as a bitch?” I ask Dani when I call her at lunch.

  “Not normally. Why?”

  “Because HTG and I rode the elevator up together and at first he was nice but after I introduced myself he suddenly got all weird like he was mad at me or something.” I don’t tell her about the magnetism or whatever it was between us. That’s something that I’ll totally be ignoring.

  “Maybe he has an ex named Laney. Remember that guy I met last year who, when he said his name was Dwight, I froze up?”

  “Oh, yeah. I didn’t think about that.” I frown. Huh. “I kind of miss Dwight,” I divulge.

  “Stop,” she snaps.

  “Sorry,” I reply feeling guilty for what just slipped out.

  Dani and Dwight had broken up last year after having dated for almost two years. He’d cheated on her with someone in his office and it had gotten ugly. But he’d been funny and had been a nice guy (except for that one major misstep) and I kind of missed the goof.

  “You know he cheated on me,” she needlessly reminds me.

  “Yeah, I know. Again, sorry.”

  “It’s okay. But it’s awesome that you got to meet HTG!”

  “Uh huh,” I reply dubiously thinking “awesome” wouldn’t quite be the word I’d use for it. “Oh, his name is Heath Noble.”

  “That’s a cool name.”

  “I guess,” I semi-agree scrunching up my nose which makes me wince since it’s still hurting from earlier. And, yeah, it might be a cool name but I’m not so sure I’d say the same of the man himself.

  “I’ve gotta go to Sephora. Chastity said I can buy that eye liner I like and put it on her account! How amazing is that?”

  “Pretty amazing! That’s really nice of her,” I state.

  “Well, she said it’s a payback for last week when she yelled at me for not reminding her about a meeting with a casting director and producer for a soap opera. I didn’t even know about it! Anyway, the eye liner will absolutely make up for it.”

  “I hope so. I hate that she yelled at you, though.”

  “Wasn’t the first time and won’t be the last. But it’s mostly good so I’m not complaining too much.”

  “You sure you’re good working for someone like that?” This is probably the thousandth time I’ve asked her this.

  “Yes, Lane,” she says not bothering to keep the mild annoyance out of her voice. “I love my job. It’s exciting. I get to meet actors and directors. If I ever stop loving it, I’ll get out.”

  “Promise me again.”

  I hear her sigh because I’ve made her promise a thousand times too. “Promise. ‘Kay! Gotta go! Oh! Maybe you should do an apartment check for Heath so you can, you know, get to know him better,” she teases.

  I laugh humorlessly. “Nah. I’m good. Have fun at Sephora!”

  “I will! Love you! Bye!”

  I work in Kyle Properties’ main office building which is in the Kyle Tower near the Century Plaza Towers, about two miles from The Estates.

  Today was like any other day with me calling people to schedule viewings and then going on three already-scheduled ones. When I got back to the office I had some spare time and instead of using it wisely, I ended up daydreaming about Heath—how good it’d felt when his hands were on my waist… how hot he’d looked with his shirt off… how hot he’d looked with his shirt on… how big his hands were which told me that something else on him must be big too—

  “Earth to Laney,” Diane calls and laughs when I snap out of my reverie. “He must be something else. I called your name five times.”

  I feel my face flush and answer, “No, no. I was just thinking about the movie Dani and I watched last night.”

  “Was it a porno ‘cause the look you had on your face was definitely rated X.” She laughs again which annoys me because it always sounds fake. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her let loose with a truly genuine laugh and it makes me sad for her. She stands in front of my desk wearing her perfect business suit with her perfectly coiffed hair and her perfectly done makeup at six o’clock in the evening. I’ve never met anyone so uptight in my life. Jeez.

  “Ha. Yeah. That’s funny. Well, I’ve gotta get a ride,” I tell her grabbing my phone and pulling up my Uber app to request a car. I like most everyone I work with but Diane’s sneaky and has stolen clients from me, so I’m not too fired up to get buddy-buddy with her.

  “Goodnight!” she says before sashaying out the door.

  “’Night,” I mutter collecting my things getting ready to leave.

  Tonight since I feel like making my dump pan of veggies and turkey sausage on a cookie sheet for dinner, I have the driver drop me off at the small market down the street from my apartment.

  Inside, after grabbing a cart, I have to stop and admire the small display of potted flowers set up at the front. Dani’s always rolling her e
yes at me for buying plants and flowers because my green thumb is more like brown. Believe me, I’ve conducted many a funeral at the garbage disposal for the fallen foliage, but they’re always so beautiful in the store I can’t resist, and I end up placing a sweet little grouping of dahlias and gerbera daisies in my cart. Maybe they’ll last long enough for me to put on the patio and brighten it up a bit since spring is almost here.

  I’m heading to the organic vegetables section when I’m sidetracked yet again by another display, but this one is much more dangerous than the flowers.

  Cupcakes. Yum.

  And holy crap, there are a ton of them in several varieties of flavors in six-packs and by the dozen. I spend way too long deciding which I’ll buy, but finally end up with a half dozen German chocolate because I know Dani likes them too and I won’t end up eating them all. But I figure I’ve worked hard the past three days to merit one… or three. Just as I go to put them in the cart, I hear a deep voice behind me.

  “Those’ll make you fat. And in that skirt, you can’t afford much more.”

  I turn to see none other than Mr. Charm himself, Heath Noble.

  Looking up at him, I announce, “This is where I tell you to mind your own business.” I mean, what the hell? Everyone knows men aren’t supposed to talk about a woman’s weight, especially to that woman! “And pencil skirts are supposed to be tight!” I scowl then make a show of putting the container of cupcakes into my basket before snapping, “Also, I don’t plan on eating them all.”

  He raises an eyebrow and snorts before shrugging and heading toward the veggies.

  I narrow my eyes as I watch him walk away in jeans that sit low on his hips, black work boots and a white t-shirt under a black zippered hoodie. Then there are his broad shoulders, narrow waist and tight butt. Ergh.

  Because I can’t leave well enough alone, and for some reason it bothers me that he doesn’t like me, I catch up to him at the potatoes and ask, “Are you saying you think I’m fat?” Not that his opinion matters but I’m going to let him know it doesn’t. Uh huh. That’s exactly what I’m doing.