MY PROTECTOR: The Valves MC

by Kathryn Thomas

  “But I want you to.” The words are out of his mouth instantly, heedless of playing it cool. “My next fight, you’ll be there, right? It’s the fight for the state title.” He wishes he didn’t sound so needy, but he can’t pretend that it’s not how he feels. Having her this close to him is making his head spin—but in the best possible way. He would give anything to stay like this forever.

  Adriana looks at him uncertainly, biting her bottom lip in the way that drives him insane. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

  Grayson feels his stomach drop into his feet like a lead balloon. “Adrie, I’m sorry about the other night. If you give me a chance to explain—”

  “It doesn’t matter, Gray,” she interrupts him, taking a deep breath as if she’s steeling herself for what she’s about to say to him. “It was a mistake.” The words hit him harder than any of Kong’s punches had. “Let’s just forget about it and start over…as friends.” She looks at him with eyes full of hope.

  Grayson is floored. Out of all the things she could have said, this was the last thing he would have expected. He had expected her to chew him out over the way he treated her. He had expected her tell him that if he wanted to be with her then he was going to have to shape up, that she wasn’t willing to take any more of his shit. But…friends? That wasn’t the first word that popped into his head when he looked at her.

  “Friends?” He couldn’t help repeating it like an idiot. He doesn’t think he’s ever been friends with any women, apart from his sister, and she doesn’t count.

  “Yes, Grayson, friends. You’re familiar with the concept?” Adriana laughs, as she looks at him in mock despair before her expression turns serious again. “It’s what we should always have been. The…other stuff just got in the way.” She doesn’t look at him, as she starts tidying the components of the first aid kit away, but he can see that her hands are shaking a little.

  Grayson reaches out and settles his hand over hers, feeling the familiar pull inside of him at the contact. He’s hyper-aware of how still her body goes at his touch, like she doesn’t know what to do. “Is that really what you want?”

  He dips his head towards her, acting purely on instinct, not thinking about the consequences. He pulls her towards him as he zeroes in on her perfect rosebud lips, only inches away, desperate to lose himself in her kiss, in her.

  “Stop,” she whispers so quietly that Grayson isn’t sure that he’s heard right. “Stop.” The second time her intent is clear, and for good measure, she steps away from him, forcing him to drop his hands from her.

  He looks at her in confusion. He knows that she responds to him the same way that he does to her. He can tell from the desire in her eyes and the way her face is flushed that she wants him as much as he wants her. So why is she pulling away from him?

  “I can’t do this again, Gray.” Adriana’s voice is small but full of determination. It doesn’t brook any argument. “The first time things went south I just about managed to pull myself together. I’m not willing to go through that again. And after what happened the other night, you don’t have any right to ask me to.”

  The pain in her eyes makes Grayson’s heart literally hurt. He used to think that was such a cliché, but it turns out heartache is as real as it gets. He wants to envelop her in his arms and take that sadness away, the sadness that he’s caused. But he can’t. Would it always be this hard to be so close to her without being any closer?

  “What if I said that things would be different this time? That I would be different?” Grayson wonders absently how it was possible that taking down a two-hundred-twenty-pound guy in the ring seemed like easy pickings next to Adriana.

  She shakes her head, not a little sadly. “People don’t change, Gray. Besides, like Tommy said, the girls,”—she shudders, probably at the memory of Cassie draped around him—“they’re all part of the package. And I’m not sure that’s something I would ever be okay with.” She shrugs and smiles cheerlessly.

  “But it wouldn’t be like that.” Grayson stops before he digs himself an even deeper hole. He realizes that he doesn’t have a leg to stand on with Adriana, not after what she’d seen earlier in the dressing room. Words mean nothing. The only way he can prove to her that he can be what she needs him to be is to show her.

  “So…friends?” Adriana sticks her thumbs into the belt loops of her jeans, like she doesn’t know what to do with her hands.

  “Friends.” Grayson agrees. He doesn’t add, ‘for now.’ “So, will you come to the after-party?”

  Adriana shakes her head before he’s even finished the question. “I have an early shift at the hospital tomorrow. Besides, you don’t look like you should be going anywhere tonight except to bed!” She flushes deeply, as it occurs to her what she’s just said. “Alone,” she adds hurriedly, looking around awkwardly.

  Grayson raises an eyebrow at her, but doesn’t say anything about the slip. “I have to be there. The crew, the fans, they’ll expect me to make an appearance.” He shrugs; it is part of the life. This is what is expected of him.

  Adriana nods in understanding, chewing her bottom lip. “Well, have a good time. I guess I’ll see you around?” It’s more of a question than a confirmation, but she doesn’t wait for a response before she heads to the door.

  “Hey, Adrie.” Grayson’s voice stops her with her handle on the doorknob. “Thanks for taking care of me.” He gestures towards his hands and his swollen lip.

  “That’s what I do.” She shrugs like it’s no big deal, despite the fact that Grayson is desperately searching for a double meaning to her words.

  “You’re working tomorrow. What about the day after tomorrow? Do you want to come to training? We could hang out…as friends.” He cringes at his own desperation. Grayson Fletcher having to beg a woman to spend time with him…this was a first. However, he didn’t care. There was no doubt in his mind that he would do whatever he had to for Adriana. With the winnings from the fight tonight, Morrison would finally be off his back, and he could start again. He would be free, free to pursue Adriana, free to be with her, free to tell her everything that he’d been holding back all this time.

  The seconds tick by as Adriana thinks about his invitation, and he feels himself hold his breath. “Sure, that would be nice.” She smiles, and this time there’s no sadness there. It’s one of her smiles that feels like it’s just for him.

  Before he has a chance to respond, she’s slipped out the door, closing it quietly behind her. He stands there, staring after her dully, pushing down his desire to chase after her. She’d made what she wanted clear, and running after her would just prove what she already believes, that he can’t change, that he can’t be what she needs. This time he would prove to her that he can be whatever she needs.

  He takes a look around the room, and an envelope catches his eye. It’s not the envelope itself that’s caught his attention; it’s the handwriting on the front of it. It’s one that he recognizes all too well. With all the commotion in the dressing room, with the girls and then his one-to-one with Adriana, he hadn’t even noticed it until now.

  He stalks over and rips the envelope bearing his name open. As he reads the few words on the card inside he feels a chill go through him. This is exactly what West has been afraid of…that Morrison would go back on his word like the snake that he is.

  Congratulations on the fight. But we’re not through yet. The next one you throw.

  He re-reads the phrases again and again, but they still say the same thing.

  “Not this time,” he says to the note as if it were Morrison he was holding in his hands. “I’m done with you.” He screws up the note and throws it into the wastepaper basket. However, the uneasiness he’s feeling can’t be gotten rid of so easily.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  ADRIANA

  Not for the first time that morning Adriana wonders what she had been thinking when she’d agreed to come here. She’s standing outside of the gym that Grayson had directed h
er to, contemplating if it would look really bad if she just texted him with a bullshit excuse and left.

  “Adriana?” West’s voice calls from behind her.

  Busted. She plasters a smile on her face and turns around. “West, hey!”

  “You looking for Grayson?” The bald man looks at her with interest, clearly trying to gauge what the situation is between her and the man he thinks of as a son.

  “Yes, I mean no.” Adriana reminds herself that she’s a smart, professional woman and should be able to string a sentence together. “He invited me to training today, but I was just thinking that I should probably go. I don’t want to interrupt you guys.” She makes a move to head back towards her car, wincing at her lack of cool.

  “You’re not interrupting, little lady. The guys will work even harder, showing off in front of a pretty girl like you. Come on, I’ll show you around.” West doesn’t wait for her reply before he throws a muscular arm around her tiny shoulders and leads her through to the gym. The testosterone in the place is palpable. There are some young guys in the ring, ostensibly working on their footwork. They wolf-whistle her as she walks past, and she blushes like a teenager.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you—unless you want to try your luck with ‘The Punisher.’” West doesn’t even break stride as he throws out the threat, but Adriana steals a look at the boys and watches them pale. She has to stifle a laugh at the effect Grayson’s name has on them.

  There are some more men in the weights section, going to town on the punching bags and lifting heavy weights. Then, she sees the person whom she’s been seeing in her dreams virtually every night for ten years. He and Tommy are on the mats contorting themselves into what look like impossible positions.

  “They’re practicing submissions,” West explains quietly, motioning her over the bench to take a seat and watch the action unfold.

  Tommy catches sight of her and smiles broadly, taking his eyes off of his sparring partner which seems to be a pretty bad idea. Grayson kicks Tommy’s legs out from underneath him and applies pressure on Tommy’s neck with his shin. Adriana covers her mouth, wanting to shout out at Grayson not to hurt the other man before she remembers where she is. She’s in their world now, and they do this all the time. They don’t need her interfering.

  “That’ll teach you not to take your eye off of your opponent, Smiler!” West barks a laugh, ignoring the look that Tommy shoots him. “Grayson, your guest is here.” West nods towards Adriana, who is sitting as straight as a board on the bench.

  She can tell the exact moment that Grayson’s eyes land on her. Heat floods through her, and she feels like the sun has just come out. He jogs over to her; his muscular arms making her stomach do a little flip.

  “Hey, I didn’t realize you were here.” He’s breathing heavily, like he and Tommy have been at this for a while.

  “Hey, yeah West showed me around.” She gestures towards the coach who is busying Tommy with some slow-motion flip. “It’s pretty impressive.”

  “It’s not much, but it’s home.” Grayson laughs, and it’s one that reaches his eyes, a laugh that she gets the impression he doesn’t let most people see.

  She can feel the butterflies in her stomach fluttering like crazy. How did she think she was going to be able to be friends with this man when his very presence turned her inside out with desire?

  “Anyone give you any trouble?” Grayson’s eyes darken, as he looks around at the other men behind her. “We don’t get a lot of women in here, turns some of them a little…basic.” He looks almost apologetic, and Adriana tries to put out of her mind how nice it feels to know that he cares what she thinks and that he wants to look after her and make sure that she’s okay.

  “They were on their best behavior then.” She has no intention of telling Grayson about the wolf-whistles, not after what she had just seen him do to Tommy.

  Adriana watches as West takes Tommy through the move again. Grayson notices her interest in what’s going on. “You want a turn?” He raises an eyebrow at her, as he nods towards the mats.

  Adriana’s breath quickens. “I don’t think I’m really made for doing that. I’m about as coordinated as a seasick donkey! Besides I’m pretty sure I’m not strong enough to flip any of you guys; so, unless you have a small child hiding somewhere round here, I think I should just stay on the bench.” She’s rambling, but it’s the effect that Grayson has on her; she becomes all hot and bothered—as Willow would say—and unable to behave like a rational human being.

  “Well, that’s the beauty of this move, you don’t need to be stronger than the person you’re flipping. Come on, give it a try. Besides, you can’t trick me, I know your dad taught you how to box; you can’t be that uncoordinated.” Grayson gives her a look that tells her he’s not taking no for an answer. She thinks how well he and Willow would get along, both as stubborn as mules.

  “She’s beautiful, and she can box! Get her over here!” West’s voice rings out in the gym, making it clear that their private exchange hadn’t been all that private.

  As Adriana looks around, she sees that West’s outburst has caught the attention of pretty much every guy in the place, and now they are all looking at her expectantly. If there was one thing that Adriana can’t back down from, it is a challenge.

  “Lead the way, Punisher.” She smirks at Grayson before following him out onto the mats. She notices that the other guys aren’t wearing shoes, and she toes off her sneakers, realizing how inappropriately dressed she is. Denim shorts and a tank top aren’t exactly workout gear.

  “Hey Adriana, good to see you again.” Tommy beams at her, looking between her and Grayson. “So are you two…?” He leaves the question hanging, and Adriana can feel herself blushing like a virgin.

  “We’re hanging out, Tommy. We’re friends.” The look that Grayson gives him seems to speak volumes.

  “Right, friends, that’s cool.” Tommy nods in understanding, but he can’t help but look confused. The idea of women and men being friends clearly hadn’t reached the MMA ring yet. “So how’s your friend, Willow?”

  “Nice segway.” Grayson shakes his head at the younger man in amusement.

  “She’s good.” Adriana doesn’t give anything else away. She knows from Willow that Tommy had made the rounds at the after-party and spent time with pretty much every woman there before getting to her. Adriana figures that if he’s really interested, then he’s going to have to work for her friend.

  “Cool, cool.” Tommy nods, rocking up and down on his toes.

  “Shit or get off the pot, Tommo!” West slaps him on the back.

  Adriana laughs at West’s romantic way of putting things. However, seeing the embarrassment plain on Tommy’s face, she decides to throw him a bone. “Do you want her number?”

  He looks at her gratefully, and she thinks how young he looks when he’s not trying to give the impression of being a baller.

  “Can we get on with training now that we’ve sorted out your love life, Tommy?” West taps his foot impatiently. “Grayson, show Adriana the flip and let’s get moving.”

  Grayson gets into position in the center of the mat. “I’m going to show you the move slowed down, alright? I won’t actually flip you though, don’t be scared.” Adriana nods quickly, feeling her pulse quicken as Grayson takes hold of her shoulders and leans her over his hip so that she’s off-balance and almost falling to the ground. He rights her again and repeats the move a couple more times.

  It’s an effort for her to concentrate on the instructions he’s giving her when all she wants is to let him hold her. Wake up, Adrie, she tells herself. You’re the one who said you wanted to be friends just because you couldn’t let go of him. You’ve gotten yourself into this mess.

  “I think I’ve got it.” She looks up at him and realizes that she’s breathless. She wishes that she didn’t feel like her heart was pumping out of her rib cage.

  “Try it out on Tommy.” Grayson nods behind her.

  T
ommy is lighter than Grayson…there’s no way around that. Adriana bristles a little at the intimation that she won’t be able to flip Grayson. “What’s up, Gray? You scared?” She lifts her chin, throwing a cool look at him.

  “Ooh, I like her!” Tommy’s enthusiastic voice boosts her confidence.

  “Sounds like the lady’s thrown the challenge out there, Gray.” West’s tone is goading, and Adriana wonders how these men ever get anything done when they’re so busy winding each other up.

  “You sure about this?” Grayson dips his head down a little so that only she can hear his whisper. His face is only inches from hers, and she has to actually stop herself from leaning into him like she so desperately wants.