by Ana Layne
“You ready, man? Don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts.” He smirks.
“No, I’m not having second thoughts. I’m ready. Let’s do this.” I lock my truck behind me as we walk toward the front door.
There are already a few vehicles sitting in the parking lot and I wonder just how many people train here. Most of these people are probably well-trained, and I know I’m going to look like a dumbass in front of everyone. Austin becomes the center of attention when the two guys from the bar last night notice him. They’re all shirtless. I guess that’s how they train.
“Hey, man, glad you could make it.” The blond guy standing before me is covered in as many tattoos as Austin has. “I’m Lance.” He turns to introduce himself to me.
“Ruston.” I nod.
“I’m Garrett, since this ass-hat doesn’t want to introduce anyone else.” I can’t help but laugh at the guy standing in front of me. They are both sweaty as if they’ve been here for hours. Maybe we should have been here sooner.
“Nice to meet you guys.” They all smirk and stare at me. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that, but what else are you supposed to tell someone when you first meet them?
“Come on, I’ll introduce you to Howard. He runs this place and will make sure you get set up.” Lance leads the way to an office on the left side of the building.
I follow reluctantly, still second guessing myself. No way in hell was I going to tell Austin that I wasn’t certain about this. I’d never hear the end of that shit. A broad shouldered man with blond hair sits at a desk playing on his phone. He looks up as we walk in and clears his throat.
“Hey, Howard, these are the guys I told you about from last night.” Lance beams as if he just won the lottery.
“Come on in, guys, we can talk. Lance, go find something to do. Why don’t you and Garrett go play Ring Around the Rosie, since all you wanna do is play around today,” Howard jokes. Lance grabs at his chest, pretending his feelings are hurt, and Garrett just rolls his eyes.
“Don’t make me tell my sister you’ve been mean to me,” Garrett retorts.
“Hell no. Ever since Whitney found out she’s pregnant again, she’s been on the warpath. I guess I’ll need to put a ring on her finger soon.”
Lance throws his hand up in true Beyonce style and waves it around. Oh my God, Austin has is joining a damn circus. A laugh escapes my throat and everyone turns to stare at me. “I’m sorry, that was just pretty funny.”
“Welcome to Lou’s, then.” Howard laughs. “We’re a big family. This is what we do besides the extensive training. Everyone here is at the top of their game and we pride ourselves on that. If you think you have what it takes to be part of this family, then we welcome you with open arms.”
I see Austin beaming from the corner of my eye. This shit is practically what he was made for. “I’m definitely interested, sir,” he says. “I have to be honest with you, I just moved here and mainly it was to get away from the path I was heading down. I was fighting for all the wrong reasons and I really think with training, I could be an asset to your gym. This just may be the purpose I need in my life.”
I gawk at Austin like he’s insane. He spoke as if he was in a job interview and his life depended on it. Howard focuses on him, though, probably replaying every word over and over again.
“What is your name again?” he asks Austin.
“Austin Moran.”
“Austin, you’ve fought before, but mainly street fighting?”
“Yes, sir. I had a few months of formal training, however, before I moved here.”
“I’m going to tell you right now, and this is the only time I’ll say this because if it happens, you’re out of my gym. I do not allow street fighting of any kind. The only fighting you do is inside the ring. Ask Lance, he’s been through it and he’ll tell you he learned his lesson. The fighting we do here requires intensive training, and it is hard work. You will have to dedicate yourself to learning and training every day. Understand?”
“I understand,” Austin replies.
“What is your name, son?” Howard turns his attention to me.
“Ruston McGregor. Austin is my cousin. He just moved in with me.”
“Nice to meet you, Ruston. What brings you here besides Austin being your cousin?” Howard asks.
“Well, to be quite frank, sir, I’m not sure this was something I would have ever considered until Austin told me about it. I’d like to give it a try.”
“Family is good. Garrett’s sister Whitney used to train here, before we had our first kid. They were able to get along, so I’m assuming you two can do the same thing?”
Austin and I both nod. Howard pulls a stack of papers from his desk and hands them over to us. “Take these home and fill them out. You can bring them back tomorrow and we can get started. Sound good?”
“Yes, sir,” we both reply in unison. Howard stands to shake our hands before we exit the office.
Lance and Garrett are standing barefoot on the mats that cover the floor. They are sparring, throwing hit after hit at each other. They’re completely focused and it’s like they weren’t even joking with one another just moments earlier. Before we walk outside, the last thing I see is Garrett take Lance down to the mat with a thud. Austin is tickled twenty shades of pink and I’m second guessing myself even more than I was before. How the fuck will this help me get Tamilyn back into my arms? I’ll never know.
***
I’m lying in my bed feeling completely sorry for myself. Austin is in the shower getting ready for whatever he’s going to do with Tamilyn. I can’t believe I set myself up for this shit. It’s time to be a man and get what the fuck I want. I want Tamilyn more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life.
I grab my phone and text her, knowing she’s probably getting ready too, but I don’t care.
You sure you want to go out with him? We could always go see a movie or something.
You are jealous. I knew it Ruston, why didn’t you say something? It’s not like I can just back out last minute.
Why can’t you?
I know I sound desperate, but I’m praying she can read between the lines.
What is it you want from me Rus?
I sigh as I get ready to type my answer. I’m not sure what she’s going to say but I need to say it. I should have said this in person a long time ago.
I want you Tamilyn.
If you hadn’t kissed me last night, I may not believe you. I’ve already made plans though Rus, and you showed no real interest in me until your cousin came to town.
My reply is hurried and honest.
I have been, you just weren’t seeing it.
We need to talk about this later; I’ve got to finish getting ready.
I don’t text her back. The conversation ends on that note. I’m disappointed that I couldn’t just be a man, and tell her last night. Sure, I could stick my tongue down her throat but I couldn’t just say, Tam, I want you. I’m terrified that after what I’ve just told her she may not look at me the same again. If I ruined our friendship, I’ll live, but I admit I don’t want to know what that may be like.
Austin comes walking out of the bathroom smelling clean and looking sharp. His cologne fills the air and in the back of my mind, all I can hope is that she thinks it smells terrible. “Well, I’m out. What are you up to tonight?”
“I may drink a few beers and see if anything good is on TV.”
“Well, if we end up at the bar or something, I can call you.”
“Nah, it’s okay. Y’all have a good time.”
He raises his eyebrow in suspicion. I know he doesn’t believe me, but to be honest, I really am going to drink a few beers. I probably won’t be watching TV. Instead, I’ll be devising a plan. He grabs his keys and waves as he walks out the door. I lock the door behind him and walk straight to the refrigerator. I pop the top on one beer and nearly down it in one gulp. Cheers to a lonely night.
Chapter 6
Tamilyn
Austin and I are sitting in a booth at a local Italian restaurant. I’m on my second glass of wine and he’s had nothing to drink but water. This works for my main rule. I never get in the car with anyone who’s even had a sip of liquor. We just placed our order and he looks at me.
“I didn’t expect to meet someone so beautiful my first day in town.” He grins.
“Oh, please, you knew me when you were younger. I haven’t changed that much.”
“I beg to differ. So you know, I’m not the kind of guy to go on dates.”
I nearly choke on my wine. “Oh shit, sorry. Must have gone down the wrong hole.” I didn’t know this was supposed to be a date. I thought he just wanted to hang out. “What kind of guy are you, exactly?”
“Not the nice kind. I don’t do the dinner stuff usually…or ever.”
“Well, that sucks. You don’t know what you’re missing.” I really need to stop drinking soon because the filter on my mouth just doesn’t know when to stop.
“I may be figuring it out.”
“Why did you move back here, anyway? I heard you were getting in trouble.”
He gulps and adjusts himself in his seat. “I beat the shit out of a guy, put him in the hospital. He kept running his mouth and I was tired of hearing it so we met in an alley and went after it. People had money on that shit and I ended up in jail. My parents decided they’d had enough so they called and had me sent here. I’m glad they did, though. It was time for me to really get my shit together.”
My eyes widen. I knew he was getting in trouble fighting but I didn’t know it was this bad. Hell, I don’t even know if Ruston knows it’s this bad. “Well, I’m glad you’re out of there. This isn’t a bad place to be and living with Ruston will help you.”
“I think so. I’m glad I found that gym. I had found one similar back home but they said enough was enough. I think fighting that way will be a good way to help me.”
“Oh, yeah, how did that go today?” I finish my second glass of wine and when the waiter passes, I ask for a third.
“We got a stack of papers to fill out and tomorrow all the fun starts. What do you do, by the way?”
“I own a little photography business. If it can be captured on a camera, I do it.” I beam. I love talking about my work but he changes the subject as the waiter sets our food on the table.
“I’m starved.” He digs in and I just continue to drink my wine.
I have to admit, he’s good looking. I knew that last night, but for some reason tonight all I see is Ruston. Perhaps it’s because of the conversation we had before Austin came to pick me up. I know this isn’t fair to Austin. I set my wine glass down and take a bite of my alfredo. It’s delicious and practically melts in my mouth. The plate is large, and there’s no way I can finish the whole thing now so I will have to ask for a to-go container when we leave.
We talk throughout dinner and the waiter brings the check. Within minutes of paying, we stand to leave. I stop for a second, wondering why I kept drinking like I had no sense. I was classy about it at least. I didn’t let anyone inside the restaurant know I was drunk. Austin asks if I want to go grab a drink from Joe’s. He mentioned he was thirsty himself, and I politely reminded him of my rule. I yawn and tell him maybe we should call it a night.
He looks a little sad but he begins driving back to my apartment. He gives me a soft kiss on the cheek before I unbuckle my seatbelt. I reach for my to-go box and thank him again for dinner.
“Can I see you again tomorrow evening?” he asks.
I turn to face him, wondering where the harm could be in this. It wasn’t as if it would hurt anything to see him again. He seems like a really good guy. He just had a crappy past. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
He waits politely until I get inside the door and I watch out my window as he drives away. He was so sweet and I like him, but I need to clear my mind.
I turn to lock my door when there’s a soft knock on the other side. My first thought is Austin. Did he park and come back to see me one more time? I glance through the peephole and my eyes widen when I see it’s Ruston. He’s staring at the ground and my heart fucking flutters. What a damn betrayal. I open the door and watch as his gaze moves from the ground to my eyes.
“Ruston, what are you doing here?”
“I had to see you, Tamilyn. I should have said everything to you in person, not in that text message. I need you to know what you really mean to me.” His lips come crashing down on mine and my whole world turns foggy. His kiss melts against my lips and I’m putty in his hands. I break the kiss, not really wanting to, but we’re just standing in the doorway. I step back, letting him inside before I lock the door behind us.
“You’ve been drinking, haven’t you?” I raise my eyebrow.
“Since Austin left to take you out, yes.”
“Do you know how long I’ve waited to hear you say something like you did tonight, Ruston? And you wait until your cousin comes around, then you get jealous and decide you want to come out with this? That’s not fair to me.” I cross my arms over my chest and lean against my kitchen counter. I move from the counter and grab the half bottle of wine out of my refrigerator. The cork pops out with ease and I tilt the bottle back. Once I’ve got a taste of my poison, I set it on the counter and cross my arms once more.
“Nothing is fair, Tammy Lou. Not a fucking thing is fair. I should have taken you to dinner tonight. It should have been me. I love you, and when you tell me you love me, do you mean it like I do? Yeah, I’m jealous. I’m fucking jealous down to my core but I didn’t want you to know that. You’re a grown woman and you can do what you want. I just needed you to hear how I really feel about you.”
“We’re both so screwed up, you know that? We’ve both apparently felt this way for a while and we never had the guts to say anything. Does this ruin things? Tell me that, because you’re all I have and I won’t lose you.”
“You won’t lose me, Tam, because I will never let you go.”
“There’s one problem. I like Austin. I had a good time tonight.”
“Don’t fucking kill me, Tamilyn, please? Let me show you I can be the guy for you. You know me, you don’t know him.”
“I’ve liked you for so long. I’m just scared, okay? I can admit that.”
He steps closer, cornering me against the counter. The beer on his breath invades my space and leaves me thirsty for a taste. He slides the wine bottle out of the way and places a hand on each side of me. “You know you never have to be scared around me,” he whispers as he kisses me again. My arms wrap around his neck as the kiss deepens. My heart is pounding, and he’s so close, I swear I can feel his heartbeat too. His erection digs into my thigh and a moan escapes my mouth. We’ve never ever messed around like this. Hell, we’ve never even kissed before last night and suddenly I want every part of him.
I really hope he doesn’t think I’m a virgin, because I’m not. He doesn’t know that Jess and I went to a party a few years back, and I let some macho football player deflower me. Not my best moment in life and I regret who I had sex with that night. With a gorgeous body like his, I’m sure he’s hiding his own secrets, but I don’t care.
He fumbles with my shirt and lifts it up. I raise my arms, giving him access to remove it. My pink lace bra is all that’s covering the top of my body. It’s almost like wearing a bathing suit top in front of him so I’m not embarrassed at all, but with the flick of his wrist, he unfastens the bra and it falls to the floor. My breasts are bare to him and I can feel them rising and falling with every breath I take.
“So fucking beautiful,” he murmurs as he lowers his mouth to one of my nipples. I moan as he pulls it into his mouth. My panties don’t stand a fucking chance; they’re already wet and my body is laced with desire.
My hand moves down to his jeans and I grab hold of a belt loop and pull him closer. He reaches down into my jeans and teases my clit through my panties. Oh dear God, I’m coming undone and he hasn’t done anything. We’
ve crossed a major line and even if we were to stop now, it’d be way too late.
He withdraws and gazes at me. “I’ve wanted you for so long, Tam.”
“Me too,” I admit, out of breath. He picks me up and I shriek as he carries me toward my bedroom. He peppers me with kisses as he lays me on the bed and trails a line of kisses from my mouth to my navel. When he removes my jeans, I hold my breath. I can’t say that my decision making is all screwed up because of drinking. Even though I’m drunk, things have never been clearer. This is what I’ve been wanting—for Ruston to tell me how he feels, and tonight I’m getting double. He’s told me and now he’s going to show me.
He stops once my jeans are off but leaves my pink panties on. “Tam, I’m sorry. I’m rushing this. I didn’t think this through. I’m so sorry.”
“Stop, Ruston, don’t be sorry. I want this as much as you do.”
His phone goes off in his pocket and he pulls it out to see who it is. “Fuck,” he mutters.
“It’s Austin, isn’t it?” I hate to bring up his name right now because it’s making me feel like the shitty person I am.
“Yeah. He’s wondering where I am.”
“What are you going to tell him?” I’m curious to know just what he plans to say.
“The truth. That I’m with a beautiful woman and I may not be coming home.” He kisses my lips and then types his answer.
Guilt washes over me and I wonder how I can feel guilty when I’ve just met Austin and we’ve only gone to dinner once. Ruston tosses the phone onto the floor and kicks his jeans off. His underwear slides off along with them and I stare in amazement at the size of his cock. You think you know your best friend, and then you see what you’d been missing. All I can manage to do is lick my lips and grasp my bed sheets between my fingers.