Awakened (The Fighter Series Book 3)

by TC Matson

  We’ve traveled the United States together as passengers in each other’s vehicles. I’ve watched as he’s climbed up the ladder becoming more and more unstoppable. I was and still am right beside him. We’ve grown as “brothers,” and co-workers. I mean, where else can you work for your best friend, party in different towns, meet all types of women, and have a damn good time doing it all?

  But since Paige has entered the picture, he’s calmed down. Don’t get your panties in a twist. I’m not upset about it. Matter of fact, I’m ecstatic he’s found someone who holds his heart and his interest. He’s crazy about Paige, and so am I. She’s the sister I’ve never had.

  Do I miss life in the party lane? Sometimes, but I’m adjusting to the quietness.

  Chapter 9

  Yesterday wasn’t very friendly to me—are Monday’s ever? It was even more evil to me since Adam has been the only thing on my mind. Every time I blink or close my eyes, flashes of our steamy moment, us wrapped together, are all I see and it sends a searing heat through my body. I want more of him. There’s an enigmatic lure to him.

  Although I was a nervous wreck, it all felt so…fantastically perfect. Before him, the only sex I experienced was a year prior and he didn’t give a damn about my needs—rushing to his own finish line. But Adam’s focus was on me, making sure I was taken care of, and it was the greatest experience, both physically and emotionally.

  Honestly, between my inexperience and my bashfulness, I thought I wouldn’t ever hear from him again. I took a leap of faith and texted him later Sunday evening, and to my surprise he said he wanted to see me again. I thought for sure he’d be gone, but instead, he’ll be at my house by seven tonight.

  Today, I’ve been cross-eyed from staring at the financial reports, baffled by the damn errors. My company paid high dollars to set in place a very easy but strategic computer program to make the accounting side easier and help eliminate very elementary errors, but they still manage to do it. Something that would take them two seconds to fix the moment they do it can take me several hours to scour and correct. Needless to say, it’s been a long day.

  I’ve only been home for five minutes when a knock on the door sends my heart ricocheting around in my chest. I know he warned me to keep my feelings out of it, but I can’t help the excitement. My breath escapes me when I pull open the door. I’ll never get bored with his appearance. He’s so damn sexy. He sports the bed-head look, as usual, with riveting and titillating brown eyes.

  He looks the length of my body and a ghost of a smile pulls at his lips. “You ready?”

  I look down to my light pink blouse, black pencil skirt, and black heels. “Is this okay? I haven’t had a chance to change.”

  He scrapes his bottom lip. “I need to get a job with you.”

  He holds out his hand and I take it, following him to his black Tahoe. He opens the door and I slide in watching him step back to his side.

  “I hope you want steak.” He hops in the driver seat. “I’m in the mood for it and there’s a kickass place a town over.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  He doesn’t initially say anything, leaving the truck quiet with awkward air surrounding us. I feel like I need to talk—you know, break the silence—but I have no clue what the hell to say. You’re totally hot or I’ve missed you might sound great in my mind, but not coming out of my mouth.

  “How was your day?” he finally breaks the silence.

  “It was good. A little busy. How about yours?”

  “Didn’t do much,” he says languidly.

  Great. We’re back at few words.

  “Lazy days are always good.” My words are strained to keep the uncomfortableness at bay.

  “Wasn’t lazy, just didn’t do much.”

  “Oh. Okay.”

  He chuckles. “We’ll get better at this.” He points between us. “The uncertainty of what to say. We’ll get better,” he repeats.

  “I just figured you weren’t a big talker,” I admit.

  “I’m not unless I’m on certain subjects.” He winks, pulling into the parking lot.

  The place is beautiful. Red linens drape over the tables with candles in clear, square vases as the center pieces. A brick fireplace is in the middle of the space making it feel elegantly cozy.

  A young lady, maybe early twenties, with shiny brown hair slicked into a tight ponytail smiles politely and takes our drink orders before rushing off.

  “You’ll love their steak,” Adam says scanning over the menu. “And they have the best broccoli.”

  “Sounds like you’ve made my mind up,” I jest, trying to loosen both of us up.

  He peers up from the menu and grins. “Easy as that?”

  “Pretty much,” I chirp. “I’m not hard to please.”

  “You’re beautiful when you’re being pleased.”

  I can feel the heat on my chest and I’m praying it hasn’t made it to my cheeks. “You should see it from my angle.” I don’t stutter, stepping across the imaginary shit-talking line.

  He sits back in his chair keeping his eyes on me as the waitress brings our drinks and takes our food order. He continues to gaze with a devilish smirk as I order exactly what he said to try. My skin is buzzing with a thrill, one that’s wrapping around my side and digging deeply into my back.

  Even after the waitress leaves, his eyes hold me prisoner. They’re intensely mesmerizing. I’m scared to look away, afraid they’ll express whatever it is running through his mind and I’ll miss it. It’s a suffocating thrill.

  And when he pulls his drink to his lips to take a sip, he still doesn’t let go.

  “Someone stole the stars in the sky and put them in your eyes,” he says straight faced.

  But he doesn’t hold it long after I begin laughing.

  I press my hand against my chest. “Aw, cheesy lines. I’ve missed them.”

  “You’re so beautiful you give the sun a reason to shine.”

  This time it wasn’t with a stoic expression. He’s amused at my reaction and continues to feed it.

  “Have you been rehearsing these?” I’m sincerely curious how he keeps coming up with them.

  He shakes his head with his lips quirked up, denying me an answer. He knows my wheels are turning.

  “You’re not going to tell me, are you?”

  He winks.

  Although, playful, he’s acting stranger than usual. Normally, I can get him to talk a little bit, but tonight there’s something else going on. Of course, it’s tugging at my insecurity. He isn’t mine and more than likely I’m sharing him with others, which makes me wonder if they are on his mind. The thought alone makes me want to vomit.

  I reach for my red wine and take a sip from it, but I don’t immediately swallow it, hoping to wash the nasty taste from my tongue that my mind just planted on it.

  “Do you always overthink things?”

  I flinch, glancing back to him. “Do what?”

  “Whatever you were just thinking went somewhere deep and dark.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  One of his brows lowers. “Sometimes the greatest secrets lie in plain sight.”

  “I’ve never been good with riddles.”

  He chuckles and opens his mouth to say something but quickly shuts it just as the waitress places our food in front of us.

  Immediately, the divine aroma of the steak hits me and I’m all but drooling as I cut my first bite.

  “Was I right?” Adam asks as I’m in mid-delirium from the succulent taste.

  “Oh my god, this is good,” I moan.

  Satisfied at my answer, he starts into his own meal, cutting at his steak and gathering a bite.

  He hasn’t said much and isn’t really holding a conversation, which starts a war with my thoughts. I try staying positive, but they shoot back with every negative thought a person can think up. Our dinner date was nearly silent even after our food was gone.

  The whole ride home, he resumes the quietness and con
tinuously peers at me from the corner of his eye. Something is resting on his mind and honestly, it’s eating at me and causing my brain to backfire. The vibe he’s giving off isn’t bad, but it’s more just the feeling of being preoccupied.

  I exit his truck and start up my sidewalk when he slides his hand over mine stepping in beside me. All this feels impeccable and always leaves me reeling for more of his simplest touches.

  He pauses as I step in.

  “You’re more than welcome to come in,” I tell him throwing my thumb over my shoulder.

  He shakes his head and then grabs me, pulling me against his body. Cupping my head, each hand on the sides of my face, he kisses me slow and long.

  The thing is—his kisses tend to steal my breath. They make something in my chest swell and my body ache for him. Just as I start to run my hand up his chest, he pulls back, taking a slow inhale.

  “Good night, Kelsie.”

  The intoxication from his kiss immediately melts away. I study him for a moment. His jaw is squared up, his breath a little shaky, but his eyes…they hold uncertainty. He seems to be unsure of what he’s doing, losing a battle with his own thoughts. Not the normal confident Adam I’ve come to know.

  “Goodnight,” I mutter.

  His eyes are latched onto mine while I shut the door, and once it clicks shut, I drop my forehead to it. What the hell was that all about?

  It’s not too long after and there’s a soft tap on it. I lurch it open. Quickly, his arms wrap around my waist, hoisting me off the floor. He kicks the door shut, twists me, and slams my back against it. His face is just before me, chest heaving as his breath splashes across my cheeks. His dilated gaze flicks between my lips and eyes.

  “What’s with you?” he asks gravelly.

  “What do you mean?” I return breathlessly.

  He reclaims my lips and this time it’s more frantic. My legs are wrapped tightly around his waist as he pulls my shirt over my head and unfastens my bra, releasing my aching breasts. He tugs my legs, pushing them down, and turns me against the cold wooden door.

  “I want you,” he whispers huskily against my ear, dragging his bottom lip against it.

  A hot shiver runs the length of my body. He hums, hiking my skirt up and pushing my legs farther apart. His grip is hard, digging his fingers into my skin every place he touches. My body is at his mercy, begging him to do as he pleases. Moving my thong to the side, his fingers trace through the slickness. I suck in air as he presses into me.

  Gently, he bites on my neck and shoulders, shoving his fingers deeper. Pleasurable anticipation sweeps through me.

  “Don’t move,” he growls.

  My heart skips a few beats from excitement when I hear his zipper lower and the sound of the condom wrapper crinkling behind me. He glides his dick over the curve of my ass and lowers himself between my legs.

  I cry out trying to dig my nails into the wood when he jams into me with one hard and solid thrust. He places my palms on the door, holding them and pumping harder into me. His mouth is against my ear. His breath is jagged and with every thrust, he grunts.

  Clenching both hands with one, he reaches around and begins circling my clit. Oh. My. God. Electricity threads through my limbs causing every nerve to crossfire. Sweet flashes of heat jolt me and I arch begging for every inch he can give me. He drives hard, lifting me off the ground and burying himself to the deepest place I can stand.

  But then…he stops. It’s gone.

  He twists me around and picks me up. His eyes are heavy, lustful slits, his mouth slightly gaped and breathless. He moves us to the kitchen counter and slides back into me, pulling my legs over his shoulders. Filling me and emptying me over and over.

  He traces his thumb over my clit, and instantly my body reacts. Everything tenses and with just a few circles, my orgasm storms through me.

  “Ah!” I scream, suddenly jolted by the wave of pleasure.

  Using my legs as leverage, he slams into me. I lift, arching my back, and position my hips where he hits rock bottom—the phenomenally great pain.

  “Fuck yes,” he groans ramming into me. “Hold my neck,” he tells me and I do.

  As he carries us down the hall, he lifts me and drops me heavily onto his dick, his large arms doing so with ease. My comforter is cold as he lays me on it, but it’s a short-lived sensation as he pushes my legs into my chest and plunges.

  I’m still reeling from the orgasm moments before when my body lines up and readies for another.

  “Ah…” I mewl, clenching the sheets.

  His thrusts become jerky, losing their rhythm and he growls toward the ceiling, spilling himself into me. Several more pushes and he drops to my side, draping his arm across my stomach.

  “Sensational,” he breathes out.

  I wipe my sweaty bangs from my face and close my eyes, completely sated. “I’ve never had that,” I mumble.

  “What?” He nuzzles into my cheek.

  “Any of it.”

  He moans a soft laugh and the room falls silent.

  Chapter 10

  “Oh shit!” I screech, lunging out of the bed. The sun is warming a path between the blades of my blinds as daylight enters.

  Adam lurches up into a ready-to-fight sitting position.

  “I’m late for work!” I’m in a sheer panic.

  In a mad dash, I sprint to my bathroom to brush my teeth and hair. Afterward, I bolt to the closet, rummaging to find something decent to wear. I grab a pair of slacks and a blue button up blouse, darting back to the bathroom to finish getting ready. I look like sex. I probably reek like sex. But there’s no way I can squeeze in a shower and be at work in time for my meeting.

  I’m applying eyeliner when Adam enters, fully dressed and looking quite edible. His hair is, of course, already styled with his bed-head look. He reaches past me, grabs my mouth wash and swishes.

  “I have a meeting in an hour,” I tell him. “I was supposed to finish getting everything ready for it last night.”

  He spits and then kisses me on the cheek looking into my eyes through the mirror. “You weren’t complaining about much last night.” He winks and strides back into the bedroom.

  He’s right. Work was the furthest thing from my mind. Hell, air wasn’t important to me. And after it was all said and done, I slept. And I mean slept. I haven’t slept that great in many years. Just his presence put me at ease.

  I finish with the best hasty attempt to clean and ready myself and then bolt down the hallway, hopping on one foot trying to put my other heel on.

  Adam’s standing at the door with a twisted smirk and my purse in his hand.

  I stretch to my toes and kiss him. “Thank you.

  He returns with the softest, most sensual kiss and pulls back gazing. “You smell like me.” He smirks pulling open the door. “I’ll call you later.”

  I bolt into the elevator, wildly tapping the number four like it’s really going to do a damn thing to hurry it up. Scrambling through my office door, I drop everything on my desk and flop to my chair. I feel like I’ve run a marathon.

  I dial Emily’s extension.

  “Hey, girl,” she answers.

  “Do you have a few minutes to spare? I’m desperate.”

  “Be there in a sec,” she says before hanging up.

  And she wasn’t lying because it isn’t too long when she enters.

  I look up to her wide-eyed. “I over slept. I have a meeting in twenty minutes and I’m not quite ready. I need all the Darlington and Elliot files with their analyzation, balance, and auditing sheets. Dave is going to fucking kill me.” I sigh.

  Emily grabs the Elliot file and starts flipping through its pages. “Dave’s interested in these companies?”

  I shrug. “And I have no idea why.”

  “A good night?” she asks innocently.

  Adam. His scent. Our sweat. Our moans. I smile a little goofily. “Yeah, you can say that.”

  “Adam again?” She taps several sheets on my desk
to straighten them and hands them to me. “I don’t know what he’s doing, but I hope he keeps doing it. You’ve been floating since you’ve met him and I like the look.”

  “I like the feeling too,” I admit.

  “Make sure you keep your heart unattached from your vagina,” she snorts.

  My computer dings, alerting me to my meeting. “There’s no feelings attached. This is all lust. I’ve never had anything like it, so I’m infatuated with it. It’s a high. A rush. A fantastic frigging rush. It will pass.” I stand and grab the files and a pen. “Thanks. I’ve got to go.”

  Dave did the majority of the talking with Mr. Darlington and Mr. Elliot. I was there merely for “insurance.” If he stumbled on anything accounting, I was there to help him out. The two electrical companies are wanting us to partner with them, buy out fifty-one percent of the struggling company, stamp our name on them, and move forward. If Dave and Gary, the owners of the company, decide to do so, I pray they hire another accountant. I’ll be in deep ocean waters for weeks if they want me to straighten it all out.

  Dave did great and ended up not needing me at all, which was wonderful since my thoughts were anywhere but there. No matter how many times I tried focusing on everyone’s words, Adam continuously flashed behind my eyes. I didn’t hear half of anything being said as I reminisced about the past few times he and I were together.

  Could Emily be right? Am I starting to feel more for him than lust?

  I enjoy spending time with him. He makes me laugh. And I thoroughly relish our sex. I’ve never had such amazing, such satisfying romps in the sheets. In the past, it felt more like a “duty” than a want—a must do. But with Adam, I crave to feel him. A sexy creature like him interested in the inexperienced girl…it’s flattering.

  I’m set aback when I push open my office door. A small bouquet of brightly colored carnations sits on my desk with a brown paper bag beside them.