Worth The Fight (Hard To Love Book 1)
Page 25
I pull him into the cage with me, if this is the last championship I ever win I'm going to make the most of it, let Bryce live it with me. I accept the belt from the chairperson, lifting it up to the crowd. It doesn’t take long until there are cheers and cries, people applauding my win. With a smile on my face I turn to claim Bryce’s lips, I’ve spent too much time without him and I can’t stop kissing him. I need to get out of here so it can be just the two of us and not hundreds of people.
****
I'm lying in bed, my limbs tangled with Bryce’s and I couldn’t be fucking happier. We’d barely made it in the front door when I tackled him to the ground, showing with my body how much I’d really missed him. Somewhere in between our second and third orgasms we found our way in here, but not before I got rug burns on my ass and knees. Totally fucking worth it.
“You know we still have a lot of things to work out. And I have a job that I need to catch a flight for … about three hours ago.” He laughs as he speaks, but I can tell he's worried about where we go from here. I don’t know what we will do, or how the fighting world will take my coming out, but as long as I have Bryce I am more than prepared for what they throw at me.
“You need to quit that job. There’s no fucking way you are leaving, even if I have to tie you to the bed.” I kiss his head and feel him lick my nipple. I didn’t think it would be possible for my dick to get hard after everything we’ve done tonight, but just like always after some attention from Bryce, it’s as solid as a diamond.
“I need a job, Zeke. I need to be able to pay my way. I also have my Visa to worry about, if I'm not working I need to leave.” Holy shit, I can’t believe he thinks he's getting to leave. Maybe I should let him in on my secret.
“What the fuck are you on about, babe? You have a job, you own a gym.” I watch as his head slowly lifts from my chest until he's looking into my eyes.
“What are you talking about?” He looks so adorable when he’s confused. I had a long time to work out what I was going to do after I won this fight. There were a lot of roads I could have taken, lots of management and endorsement offers, but somewhere along the way my dreams have changed. Now I just want to be happy, and the only way that can happen is if this guy stays in my arms forever.
“Well, you see, it’s like this. Coach has wanted to retire for a while now, personally I don’t think he's old enough for that shit, but his wife has been incredibly ill, and he wants to spend what time he has left with her. I didn’t want my gym to fall into the wrong hands, so I bought it. And if it belongs to me, then it belongs to you. I want you to help me run it. If the fighting world is ready for their number one to be gay, then I will need a coach. Know anyone who would be interested?” His eyes open widely and he looks a little like a goldfish as he tries to find something to say.
“But … I can’t.” I lean up and gently kiss his lips before pulling him until he's lying on top of me.
“Yeah, you can. I thought I bought it on a whim, but I think maybe, deep down, I did it because I knew I was coming after you. I knew I couldn’t let you get away. I want you with me, Bryce. Every minute of every single day will not be enough time with you. It took me a while but I can see it all so clearly now, you are my everything.” Tears fill his eyes and I start to worry that I've made a mistake again, said something wrong.
“I love you, Zeke. God, I will never get bored saying that, and you never stop surprising me.” I wipe the tear from his cheek and smile like a lunatic, but I don’t care. Seeing the man I love in my arms and happy, has made me feel complete for the first time in my life. Growing up and being constantly told that my feelings were wrong and that I needed to find the right woman had messed with my head. I had spent my life feeling like I was locked inside a skin that wasn’t my own and that I was lying to myself. I didn’t know what I felt that until I met Bryce. He was the one who unlocked my heart and showed me that what I felt was the most amazing and natural thing in the world. This man currently lying in my arms is everything to me and I will live my whole life knowing that when it came to the biggest fight of my life, I won. I have his heart, and he was more than worth the fight.
The End
Epilogue
Trey
I down another glass of Scotch and motion for the waiter to come over so I can order another. I've been sitting here for what feels like five days now but I'm pretty sure it’s only been a few hours. I don’t even know why I came here, it’s not my usual hangout but I needed something different. Sitting with a glass of wine while listening to fellow lawyers talking about cases just wasn’t going to settle my mind tonight. I needed to get drunk and that’s how I ended up here. I’ve heard of the bar before, but since it’s known for its half-naked dancing men, it’s not really a place I would bring clients or prospective dates.
With the thought of dating I throw back another Scotch, thankful that I ordered a few the last time the waiter came over. I sit back in the seat, letting the flashing lights distract me from what’s going on in my mind. I can’t believe that I didn’t know that Bryce had cheated on me, I thought I was an expert in spotting that shit by now. Fuck. Why can’t I find someone who doesn’t lie to me? I don’t know what it is about me that screams ‘Tell me whatever you want, I’ll believe it all’. I'm a fucking lawyer for fuck’s sake, I'm meant to be able to spot liars a mile off, I pride myself on it. I have a reputation that is known around all the big firms, people know that they’ll lose if they come up against me. But apparently when I stick my cock in someone I lose all rationality and I’m unable to see what’s right in front of my face. I really thought I had something with Bryce, he was everything I look for in a guy. That first day I saw him I thought I was going to trip over my tongue. He was perfection like I’d never seen before. Tight perfect muscles, eyes that held so much passion, and lips that I wanted to spend a lifetime getting to know. I should have known there was someone out there that already had his heart, a guy like that can’t be single. Especially when you add his rocking body to the equation and the fact that he was a really nice guy, he thought of others and was genuine. Well he was if you don’t count the fact that he cheated on me. I knew there was something between him and that guy in Fighting Fit, the way looked at each other was just too intense to be innocent. If I'm being honest, I don’t blame Bryce for wanting the other guy. He was a beast, one that I would have loved to try and tame myself, but apparently he had his sights set on my man. Fuck.
I'm happy when see the waiter approach and I don’t even wait for him to put the drinks on the table and grab one straight from the tray before drinking it in one gulp and placing it back on the tray. I sit back and let my mind empty as I look around the room, finally taking in the place. I had tried to get a table towards the back of the room but it was already so busy when I arrived that I had to sit close to the stage. Most of the dancers are dressed in costumes such as sexy sailors, policemen or soldiers. They look good and I can see that their skin is all oiled up, but I don’t think I'm in the mood for anything like this tonight. Maybe it would have been better if I had gone to a quieter place. But I didn’t want to be recognized by anyone, talking wasn’t high on my to do list tonight.
The room goes dark around me and I notice the dancers leave the stage and podiums. Obviously something is about to happen as the seats in front of the stage are quickly filled. I turn my seat a little, interested in what’s about to happen. A light appears towards the back of the stage as Candy Shop by 50 Cent starts to play. The crowd starts going crazy and it takes me about four seconds to realize why everyone flocked to their seats when the most beautiful man I've ever seen appears on the stage in just a pair of shorts. He’s tall, but it’s hard to tell how tall from my seat, and his body is lean with the definition of someone who spends a lot of time swimming. It isn’t a gym body like Bryce’s, this guy is less bulky and a whole lot sexier. When he starts moving to the music it takes everything I have to keep breathing. The fluidity of his movements are making me hard as I
think about how good he would be in bed. He grinds against the floor and I want to jump up there and see what he feels like. He works his way along the front of the stage letting the men in the audience slip money under the waistband of his shorts. He is the first dancer of the night who hasn’t stripped completely, and he seems to be more popular than the rest. Maybe it’s the pull of the unknown that keeps men slipping dollars into his shorts, maybe they’re hoping to touch something other than his tight, toned stomach. He works his way towards me and I can’t look away, my heart racing as he gets closer to me. I'm finding it harder and harder to breathe as I watch him dance and before I know it, he's standing in front of me. His eyes widen when they land on me and he has a look of surprise on his face which I don’t understand. I get up from my seat, grabbing my wallet from my back pocket as I stand. I take my time, anticipating the touch of his skin. He drops to his knees as I walk to the edge of the stage, bringing his body close to mine. My eyes don’t leave his as I tuck a hundred into the waistband of his shorts, a deep groan emanates from me as I rub my hand over his stomach. He's all hardness and warmth, and I want nothing more than to bite him. His breath falters as he moves away from me, his eyes leaving mine only when the song ends and he walks backstage. As soon as he disappears through the curtains, I let out the breath that’s stuck in my throat. I have no fucking idea what just happened, but I'm hoping he keeps the business card I tucked inside the money, because I want to see that guy again.
Coming soon…
Acknowledgements
For anyone who has read my other books, you will know that this book has stepped away from anything else I’ve written. Deciding to listen to the male voices in my head, leading me to this genre was a scary step but I’m glad I did it. I hope that you, as readers, feel I've done the genre justice and that my men led you on a story that you enjoyed! I love reading m/m stories, they have been a passion of mine for so long. The voices in my head led me down this path, telling me their story that sometimes had me laughing and sometimes making my heart break.
There were a few people who stood out when it came to helping with this book, and here’s the soppy bit to say thanks.
My husband Stuart: As always you were the most important person when it came to making this book possible. You took over at home and dealt with the constant tapping of keys in your ear. You couldn’t really help with the investigating with this book, but you totally accepted when I was ‘researching’. I just want you to know…I love you!
Ellie: Again…you took my garbled words and made a story out of them. I know this one must have been a labour of love…and yes I know…clauses!!!!
Claire: No matter what time I messaged you, you were there to read words and be my sounding board. You told me when it sounded crap, and also when you thought that the words were sizzling. Thank you for being there all the time!!
My betas: Vickie, Laura, Rae and Elisia…thank you for reading this before it even hit my editor, for looking past the typos and missing words to let me know what you thought of the story. You don’t know how much it meant when I doubted everything.
Nicola Haken: What can I say? You kinda made this happen. You made a flippant comment one day we were talking, I can’t even remember what it was but it planted a seed. That seed grew into two loud voices in my head that couldn’t be ignored anymore. Thank you for making me grab the bull by the horns and write the story that was there. I promise the next book is coming, and your boy will be fine.
Mike Elcock: Thank you for keeping me right in the whole world of MMA. Your input helped more than you will know, making this story feel real to me.
To everyone who has read this book, who has pimped me or just simply shared a photo. Thank you for everything you do.
Other information
The Into The series:
Into the Deep ~ Rocco and Makenzie’s story is available now
Into the Dark ~ Mason and Niamh’s story is available now
Into The Fire ~ Noah and Madison’s story out now
Leaving Marks series:
Leaving His Mark ~ Out now
Leaving Her Mark ~ Out now
Clay ~ Coming summer 2016
Hard To Love series:
Worth The Fight ~ Out now
Make Me Trust ~ Coming early 2016
This Isn’t Me ~ Coming 2016
Standalone Novels:
The Call ~ Coming Spring 2016
Trying To Find Home ~ Coming Late 2016
Falling For Joe ~ Coming late 2016
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