Dennis liked to bet on mixed martial arts fights, and these fights were among the few places he didn’t seem to mind being seen with her. It was likely because his uncle—the mayor—disapproved of the sport, and so no one who frequented his circle would be there to see them. Dennis wasn’t exactly proud of showing off his bartender girlfriend. The only highlight of going to MMA bouts was that she’d often get to see Slade win one of his many matches.
Slade had been a regular at the Pier, where she worked. He would always sit at the bar, and between customers they’d talk. They had developed an innocent yet flirtatious relationship, which always ended with Slade saying, “Go out with me.” She would always respond with “I have a boyfriend.” And then he would say “That’s not a no” before giving her a big gleaming smile and a wink. This had gone on for months.
Jessica wasn’t opposed to going to the professional fights, but she tended not to accompany Dennis to the seedy underground brawls. These particular fights were overflowing with male testosterone and violence, and quite frankly, they scared her. There were no rules, no judges, and no time limits, and sometimes the fighters fought until one of them gave up—“tapped out,” as they said—or was knocked out. There was always a lot of blood. Suffice it to say that seeing Slade, a professional who fought in sanctioned MMA fights, locked in a cage with an apelike giant of a man was unexpected and terrifying.
All the other times Jessica had seen Slade fight, he’d always looked impervious. But this time, standing so close to King Kong, he seemed vulnerable.
Even so, Slade looked freaking phenomenal. His inky black hair was slicked and tied at the back. His gym shorts were the same shade of blue as his eyes. And the tattoo that had always mesmerized her—an intricate black tribal design that went the entire length of the right side of his body—was on full display. She was fairly certain the tattoo continued under those shorts, and for the first time she really wished she could see it all.
What had made the situation scarier was that the always very vocal Dennis was unusually quiet all night. She stood close behind Dennis, hemmed in by a crowd of rowdy men, and although she didn’t want to look, her eyes drifted to Slade. When the fight was about to begin, Slade somehow found her among the crowd and smiled at her. Luckily, it didn’t seem that Dennis had noticed.
The man Slade fought against was bigger than he was—quite the feat considering that Slade always fought in the heaviest weight category. Kong was scary big, muscles and veins bulging everywhere, and looked angry. Yet as he faced his opponent, Slade seemed calm and unruffled. That was one thing that had always surprised her about Slade: the big, brawny man never seemed perturbed. She was fairly certain he wasn’t being arrogant. He just seemed to know what he was capable of and therefore didn’t seem fazed by the humongous Neanderthal. For Christ’s sake, he had taken the time to smile at her! Concentrate! she had wanted to yell.
King Kong, who seemed to have gotten one too many steroid injections, pounced the moment the bell rang. Slade coolly moved to the side, and the punch Kong had thrown missed, causing him to lose his balance slightly. Slade used it to his advantage, executing a move that landed Kong on the floor with Slade’s forearm around his neck. The fight ended almost as quickly as it had begun, and Slade hadn’t even broken a sweat. Thank God it was fast, because when it was over, Jessica realized she had been holding her breath.
When her gaze drifted away from the cage, she was startled to see Dennis’s angry eyes inches from her face. Had Dennis been watching her the entire time she’d been staring at Slade?
Drunk and furious, he grabbed her by the forearm and maneuvered her out of the warehouse and back to his house. As soon as they were inside, he grabbed her arm, shook her, and called her a “disrespectful slut.”
That night she packed her stuff and left. He had manhandled her a few times before, but enough was enough. She wasn’t going to stay long enough for him to advance to beating her.
Over the next few days, he sent flowers and cards, apologizing repeatedly. She refused to forgive him.
The following weekend, she knew, Slade’s friend Jack would be fighting, and she really wanted to see Slade. So she went to the fight, and as soon as he saw her he asked her out, the way he always did. But this time she said yes. Little did she know Dennis was there and had heard their interaction.
As Slade and Jessica were walking toward Slade’s bike, Dennis came up from behind and pushed him. It had caught Slade off guard, and before he had a chance to recover, Dennis had grabbed Jessica and pulled her toward his car, his fingers biting into her skin. Slade lunged at Dennis in an effort to protect her. Jessica yelled at Dennis to stop, but instead Dennis pulled his arm back to strike her. Slade intercepted him with a punch.
That was the night that Slade had gotten arrested, which incidentally was the reason Chrissy had come back to Tarpon Springs after eleven years. And that night, after much begging and pleading, Jessica had stupidly gone back to Dennis, and so she’d never gone on that date with Slade. It was the stupidest decision she had ever made, because had she not gotten back together with him, she never would have found herself hospitalized months later as a result of the final beating by Dennis.
—
But now things were different. She thought of how Slade had sauntered into her life and changed it—changed her.
With a smile, she reached for her phone and sent him a text.
Jessica: What exactly does 2nd base entail? Need to make sure I handled my bases correctly.
She lay back on her pillow and looked up at the ceiling, a big silly grin lighting up her face, as she waited for his response.
Slade: Over-the-shirt action.
Jessica: What about 3rd base?
Slade: Under-the-shirt action.
Jessica: Okay, 3rd date, you get 3rd base. Wait! What’s 4th base?
Slade: There isn’t a 4th base, babe. It’s called home. As in home run.
Jessica: I think you’re wrong. You missed a base. How about mouth action? You know, oral?
There was no response for a few minutes.
Slade: We can squeeze that into 3rd base.
Jessica: So, when’s the next date?
Slade: You ready for 3rd base?
Jessica: Hell yeah!
Slade: Be there in twenty minutes.
Jessica: No! Gotta go to work.
Slade: I’m in the middle of training a guy right this very moment. Priorities, Jessica, priorities.
Jessica laughed at the screen.
Jessica: So you were just going to abandon that poor guy and come over here?
Slade: For third base? Fuck yeah.
Jessica: How about you pick me up at 7?
Slade: Me and my painful hard-on will see you in 12 hours. I hope you know it’s hurting. Bad.
Jessica: Poor thing. I’ll make it up to you…both.
Slade: Gotta go. The guys are staring at me.
Jessica: Bye. XO
—
At five o’clock that afternoon, her phone rang. It was Slade. “Hey, beautiful, change of plans. I have some news. Can you come over to my sister’s house when you get off work?”
“Sure. See ya later,” she said.
After her shift at the bar ended, Jessica rushed home and changed her clothes. As she walked out of her house, again she found a small bunch of sunflowers. Careful not to handle them too much, she grabbed them and tossed them into a nearby trash can. She felt guilty throwing away perfectly nice flowers, but her neighbor still hadn’t returned from her trip, and if she kept them in her house, she’d be wheezing in a few hours.
When Jessica arrived, she saw unfamiliar cars parked at Jack and Chrissy’s home. As soon as she climbed out of her car, she smelled the heavenly scent of BBQ. Slade had the door open before she had a chance to knock. His sexy smile was bright.
“Wow. You look happy.”
“I have news.” He reached for her hand. “So, you know how Mauricio’s been sick and there were rumors he’s retiring?” Jessica
nodded. “Well, the rumors were true, and he asked me if I wanted to be part owner of the Academy. His daughter, Francesca, is moving back here from Brazil, and she needs help running the gym. So…” He took a deep breath. “I’m going to buy half the gym.”
“Oh, Slade, wow! That’s so perfect. It’s your dream come true: you’ll be the owner of an MMA gym. And what’s better than owning the one you’re always in?”
“Exactly. I knew you’d understand.” He pulled her close and planted a big smooch on her lips, which caused her to laugh out loud. “Come on, let’s go in. The guys are here.” He took her hand in his and led her inside.
Slade made all the introductions, although she knew many of the guys already because they tended to hang out at the Pier. Chrissy was the first one to say hello, hugging her tightly. She was followed by Jack, Cain, and Travis, who was called Texas by his friends. Then a beautiful, statuesque redhead turned toward her. It was Mauricio Silva’s daughter, Francesca—Slade’s business partner.
Within minutes Jessica observed that Francesca’s perfect red nails kept touching Slade. Every time she opened her mouth to say something, one of her hands touched him as well. And he didn’t do anything to stop her. Jessica’s body was tense, and her jaw was so tight her teeth were grinding. Then, to add insult to injury, Ms. Perfection kept calling him honey.
“So, how long have you been working at the Pier, darlin’?” Travis asked, distracting her momentarily. Jessica gratefully turned her attention to the sweet and very hot cowboy, who instantly made her feel comfortable.
“Oh, two years or so.” She took a sip of the soda Chrissy had served her. “How long have you known Slade?”
“I moved to town about ten years ago from Amarillo, Texas, and I started training at WtF a year later. So I’ve known him nine years. And, of course, you know my twin sister, Jamie Lynn, from work.”
“How about you, Cain?” Jessica asked, turning her attention to the hot Viking.
Cain was not as sweet as Travis. “Four years” was his brusque reply.
Jessica’s eyebrows drew together. Seeing her reaction, Travis placed a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t mind him. We call him Chatty, ’cause the dude just doesn’t know when to stop yapping.”
Cain rolled his eyes. “Dick.” His tone sounded harsh, but he said it with a slight grin.
The guys’ teasing made her smile, but before she had a chance to reply, she heard a loud laugh from behind her. She turned to see the redheaded viper’s hand on Slade’s forearm and a grin on Slade’s face as they shared a joke. Truthfully, they looked like they belonged together: a perfectly beautiful couple.
Francesca’s hand remained on Slade’s arm, and Jessica’s blood pressure skyrocketed. She excused herself to Travis and Cain and walked over to Slade.
“…but I love these shoes,” Francesca was saying as she leaned on Slade while looking down at her stilettos.
“They’re sexy, but—” Slade began.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Jessica said smoothly to Slade, completely ignoring Francesca. “Wanted to let you know I was leaving.”
Slade turned to her, loosening Francesca’s grip in the process. “Really? You just got here.”
“Yeah. I’m tired.” She knew she was being curt, but she couldn’t seem to control it.
“Okay.” Slade turned to Francesca. “Be right back, Frances.”
Frances?
Arghh. Now she was even more irritated. She didn’t say a word during the short walk to her car, and he didn’t say much either. He gave her a swift kiss on the cheek before she got in her car and drove off. He seemed too keyed up to notice how uncomfortable she was with the situation.
The rest of the evening and most of her restless night, Jessica clung to her anger. By the next afternoon, she was ready to explode. She felt jittery, and an unexpected knock on her front door only made her heart race more. She stomped over to open it.
“You should really look before opening the door.”
“What are you doing here, Slade?”
“Your dick of an ex-boyfriend is out on bail. God knows where he is. I’d prefer that you’d look or ask who it is at the door.”
“Fine, I’ll make sure to look first. Is that why you came over? To scold me?” She held the door open with one hand, while the other blocked his entrance.
“What’s your problem? You’re not going to let me in?”
“Can’t. Gotta go to work.”
“I’ll take you.”
“Working late. No need.”
“I’m pumped full of energy from working out. I’ll hang out. Play some pool, have some drinks. I’ll drive you home after work.”
“Fine,” Jessica huffed. She turned, grabbed her purse and keys, and closed her door.
Slade reached for her hand, but she stepped away. “What the fuck?” he asked.
“Nothing. Just forget it,” she said. Slade shrugged and opened the car door for her. They drove to the Pier with the music blaring and very little conversation. He seemed so happy, she felt guilty being so annoyed at him. At Francesca.
The Pier was busier than ever, and Jessica barely had time to take notice of Slade. An hour before the end of her shift, she noticed him sitting at a high-top with Cain and Travis. She was feeling a little stupid for letting jealousy get the best of her. She realized she was being immature—Slade had done nothing but show her how much he liked her. She grabbed three beers as a peace offering and made her way to the high-top. Less than a foot away from the table, a blond woman who had just walked into the Pier a minute ago stomped toward Jessica, grabbed one of the beers, and poured it over Slade’s head.
“Asshole! I’m still waiting for that call. I can’t believe I did that—thing! I thought you were different.” She slammed the bottle down and walked away.
Jessica stood with the other two beers in her hand, her mouth wide open. Then Cain threw his head back and laughed loudly. Travis followed.
“I was bringing you a beer,” she said. “But I see your groupie already gave it to you.” Jessica slammed the beers on the table, causing some of the liquid to spill over, and slid one to Travis and one to Cain.
Slade, who was wiping his face with a napkin, remarkably calm, replied, “I thought it was a harem.”
“Ugh!” Jessica grunted before turning on her heel and going back to the bar. She was pouring drinks a little too forcefully when Slade walked up to her.
“What’s going on with you today? First you leave Chrissy’s house with some bullshit excuse about being tired and now you’re attacking the beer mugs. Why are you all pissy?”
She slammed another glass on the counter. “I’m not pissy,” she said through gritted teeth.
“Yeah, that’s complete bullshit. You should know one thing about me, Jess. I fucking hate drama. I hate bullshit. Just fucking tell me. You pissed about something? Spit it the fuck out. Don’t say you’re cool or fine when you obviously have something to say. So say it.” He put both palms on the counter.
“You know…it’s just…I…uh.” She let out a breath. “Ugh! I don’t want to be just another notch on your belt. I don’t want to feel like an idiot. And, I’m mad at myself for even admitting that.”
Slade’s eyes narrowed at first, as if deep in thought. Then, ever so slowly, the corners of his lips rose to a full, mouth-watering smile. He turned and walked over to Patsy, the owner, said something that made Patsy smile, and then he gave her a kiss on the cheek. Then he walked back to where Jessica was wiping down the bar, took her hand, and said, “Follow me. You’re on break.”
“Break? Slade, we’re swamped.”
“You’re on break, darlin’,” Patsy yelled from the other side. Jessica let out a deep breath and walked over to Slade.
“What—”
Slade took her hand and led her out of the Pier toward her car. He leaned against it and pulled her to him. His head came down to her neck and he began to kiss her softly. Jessica tried to pull away, but he tightened his hold.
“Thought you never got jealous.”
Jessica whipped her head back in order to look at his face, which was sporting a huge grin. “Jealous? Please. I am not jealous.”
“You are.”
“Slade. Please. I have to go back to work, and you’re still dripping beer from your hair.”
“I think I haven’t made things clear to you yet. I want you to listen.” He nuzzled her neck, placing featherlight kisses in that sweet spot that made her want to concede to any request he could possibly make. The vibration of his voice against her skin made her erupt into goose bumps. His grip was tight around her waist.
“Everything is perfectly clear, Slade. No need to explain.” Her voice came out hoarse.
“I don’t have a harem. I don’t have groupies. I’m not a virgin, but neither are you. The past is the past and I won’t make excuses for it. I don’t like drama, Jessica. I won’t stand for it. I want peace in my life.”
Jessica snorted, tapping his beer-dampened hair. “Yeah, drama free. Peace.”
“I never lied to any woman I’ve slept with. I don’t normally do relationships. I have fun. They knew that. The problem with women is that every one of them thinks she is going to be the one who changes me. That is a delusion they made up, and certainly not something I led them to believe.”
“So this is the part when you tell me about all the fun you want to have with me?” She tried to push back, but he wouldn’t loosen his grip.
“No, baby. This is the part when I tell you that with you, little Miss Drama Queen, I don’t just want to have fun. Why do you think I’ve been chasing you all this time? Just for some tail? No. I want more. To be honest, I don’t know how much more. I’ve never really done…this.” He drew back slightly and gestured to the space between them. “But I can promise you, if I tell you I want something more with you, I’m not going to be with other women while I’m with you.”
Her stomach did backflips. “How about Francesca?”
“What about her?”
“She’s not part of your harem?”
“Seriously, you’re starting to piss me off. There’s no harem. There’s only crazy-ass women.” He reached for her nose and pinched it. “You’re kinda starting to fit that category, babe. Stop being crazy.”
Full Contact (Worth the Fight #2) Page 5