Brawler

by Charity Parkerson

  “I’m confused,” Remy said because it was true. “Are you hitting on me, digging for a scoop, or… what?” He knew he sounded every bit at a loss as he was, but it couldn’t be helped.

  “Well, like I said, The Sports Report pays for all my travel. If I want to keep enjoying that little benefit, I have to make it worth their while. But, yeah, I’m also totally hitting on you. I’d have to be a complete idiot not to at least try, right?”

  It wasn’t that Daniel was a bad-looking guy. In fact, Daniel was always styled to perfection and obviously kept in shape. He might even give Remy a run for his money in a beauty pageant, but that wasn’t what Remy wanted in a man.

  “There you are.”

  Remy startled as Aden appeared over Daniel’s shoulder. He’d been transfixed while trying to decide how to deal with the reporter suddenly declaring himself. Aden had gotten the drop on him. Now there was two of them, and Remy still didn’t know how to react.

  Daniel didn’t as much as flinch. His professional and practiced smile popped into place as he turned to greet the new arrival. “Aden. I was just asking Remy if you’d contacted him yet.”

  “Aye,” Aden said, sounding sexy as sin. “I appreciate your help locating him.” Aden’s gaze flickered in Remy’s direction and stayed. Remy’s mouth went dry. He knew, before Aden reached past Daniel and snagged his hand, what would happen next. Aden hauled him closer. Remy went without protest. Things were so different between them now. They were the way they should’ve been years ago. No secrets. No hiding. Remy didn’t hesitate meeting Aden halfway. When Aden lowered his head, Remy automatically went up onto his toes. Their lips met. Remy forgot where they were or who was watching. It was a quick kiss, but he couldn’t stop smiling when Aden pulled away. “I enjoyed my breakfast with Paper Pete this morning. Oh, and why the bloody hell are we burning horses in the desert tonight?”

  Remy threw his head back and roared with laughter. The way Aden asked the question—like he’d been scared to ask anyone else why they were performing some terrible voodoo ritual—had Remy swiping his eyes.

  “It’s an old Hong Kong tradition,” Daniel said, reminding Remy of his presence. “Normally, it takes place on New Year’s Day, but it’s only in fun.”

  Aden tucked Remy against his side and focused on Daniel. “I can’t imagine it’s fun for the horses.”

  Daniel’s smile was infectious. He didn’t seem the least bit put-off by the fact that Aden and Remy were obviously together. “They’re made of paper, so they don’t put up much of a fuss. It’s actually a pretty ingenious way to raise quite a bit of money. A huge crowd gathers in the desert for a massive bonfire. The horses are sold at two hundred dollars apiece. You decorate your horse with your wishes and throw it on the fire. The smoke carries your wish up to the gods. All the proceeds go to the local children’s hospital.”

  Aden nodded, looking thoughtful. “That’s much better than what I pictured. What brings you to town?”

  “Remy,” Daniel said, shocking the hell out of Remy. “I can’t get my fill of writing his story.”

  Remy’s gaze moved between the two men, expecting anything. He’d never been more confused. To his surprise, Aden smiled. “I told Remy you had a thing for him.”

  The desire to cover his heated cheeks rose in Remy. Neither man paid him any mind.

  Daniel winked. “Seems we both have impeccable taste.”

  “Aden.”

  At the sound of Drew calling his name, Aden waved in the man’s direction. His lips touched Remy’s temple. “Sorry, my heart. It’s time to earn my keep.”

  Remy nodded. “Talk to you later.”

  Aden dipped his chin in Daniel’s direction. “Daniel.”

  “Aden,” Daniel said with laughter lacing the word as Aden walked away. The second Aden was out of earshot, Daniel focused on Remy. “Hey, he didn’t call me a little bastard this time. Progress.”

  A snort of laughter escaped Remy before he could call it back. “Sorry,” he said quickly before Daniel could run away. “I should’ve told you we’re together before you asked me to dinner.”

  Daniel waved off the apology. “I’m too fascinated to be upset. There’s never been a name of any kind linked to Aden’s. I thought he was straight. Seriously. He’s so rough and tumble.” Daniel’s eyes flashed with humor. “Come to think of it, I may hate you a little at the moment. For real, I thought he was a monk or had traded his sex life soul for the ability to turn every fighter he trained into a star.” A gasp left Daniel as if an extraordinary thought occurred to him. “I want all the details.”

  The need to know in Daniel’s voice had Remy swiping his eyes and dying with laughter. “No fucking way am I giving you any specifics so you can print them and make a buck.”

  “I would never,” Daniel said, sounding offended. “Okay, I would, but not this time. I need to know there’s hope for love in this world. Did you see each other again and hit things off?” Daniel waved his arms wildly. “Oh my god, are you reunited lovers? Is he the one?”

  “Yes.”

  Daniel laughed. “Yes to which one?”

  An evil-sounding chuckle escaped Remy. For a moment, he wondered if he was mean enough to not answer. In the end, he couldn’t deny the situation to anyone. “Yes. He’s the one.”

  *

  Aden spent the day switching between shaking hands, taking pictures, and watching Remy with Daniel. The two spent the entire day together. Several times, jealousy tried sneaking its way in, but Remy was smiling. The man had smiled the whole time. Soon Aden would head home. He couldn’t stay here. Aden could already feel the pressure of this lifestyle choking him. At least a dozen times, he’d caught himself on the verge of hyperventilation. Aden wouldn’t make it six months in this town before he’d be back to his old ways. That wasn’t an option. He’d rather see Remy with someone else than trap the man with an addict again.

  Daniel wasn’t horrible. He had a good job. Most likely, he could work from anywhere. If he was dating Remy, he’d make Remy look good in the media. They’d be the perfect couple. Aden rubbed a spot in the center of his chest where an unexpected ache hit. He could survive knowing Remy was with someone else as long as Remy was happy. Really. He could. Aden tore his gaze away from the pair. He didn’t need to convince himself of everything today. After all, Aden had the rest of his life—alone—to come to terms with some things.

  “Let’s drop your rental at the hotel and take my car to the bonfire.”

  Aden glanced over in surprise when Remy appeared at his side. He’d been watching the man so intently all day, he couldn’t believe Remy had gotten the drop on him. “Sounds good. Is it time to leave already?”

  Remy’s arms slipped around Aden’s waist as he tucked himself beneath Aden’s arm. “Yeah. If we want to make it out there on time and drop off your car, we’ll have to head out.”

  Aden didn’t need to be told twice. It didn’t occur to him to look for Daniel until after they headed for the door. He didn’t see the man anywhere. “What about the little bastard reporter?”

  A low chuckle rumbled from Remy’s chest. Aden loved that sound. “He’s going with Drew and Drew’s wife, Aubree. He likes keeping Aubree entertained while Drew does the hosting thing. No doubt his willingness to stick with Aubree is the reason he keeps getting invited back.”

  “How very jaded you sounded right then,” Aden said with a laugh.

  “If the designer shoe fits,” Remy muttered under his breath. Aden caught every word. Before Aden could comment, Remy continued. “It’s nothing against Daniel. We all have our strengths. His is people. Everyone likes him and tells him things. They know he’ll print every word but keep talking anyway. It’s a gift. Anyhow,” Remy said, obviously set on changing the subject as they hit the parking lot. “Since you weren’t there when they were selling the paper horses for the event, I bought two. They’re pretty big. I thought while I decorate one side of one, you could decorate one side of the other, and then we can switch. One
can be our wishes for other people, and one can be our wishes for ourselves. What do you think?”

  Aden thought Remy looked excited by the idea, and that was enough for him. “I think those are some expensive horses. You should let me pay you back.”

  Remy waved off his words. “Bringing up money with me is ridiculous. Get going. I’ll meet you at the hotel.”

  Aden took a step back. It was stupid. They were headed to the same place and would be together again in five minutes, but he didn’t want to walk away. “Maybe I should leave my car here and get it tomorrow. You know, so we’re not late.” Remy’s gorgeous smile had Aden closing the gap between them again. Without thought, he covered Remy’s mouth with his. Their tongues met. The tension eased from Aden’s shoulders.

  “You’re right,” Remy said against his lips. “Get in the car.”

  He didn’t wait for Remy to change his mind. Aden circled the car and climbed into the passenger seat the moment Remy unlocked the doors. Once they were on the road, Remy reached over and linked his fingers through Aden’s before bringing Aden’s hand to his mouth. Remy kept his gaze locked on the road. His lips remained pressed to Aden’s hand. Silence engulfed them. It seemed fitting somehow they should enjoy this moment of peace—like it was owed to them.

  Since they were the first to leave, they were also the first to arrive. Only the crew who’d been hired to set up the event was there. Neither of them moved from the car. With the vehicle running, saving them from the heat outside, and the radio playing softly, they sat side by side. They toyed with each other’s fingers, weaving a spell.

  “I know I fucked things up,” Aden said, incapable of holding his tongue a second longer. “But you were the one for me.”

  Remy looked over and their gazes met. The man’s mouth lifted in one corner in a sad smile. “If we never see each other again after my match, I need you to know, you’ve been the one for me too.”

  The claim hit Aden’s soul. He loved this man, and Aden couldn’t live with knowing he’d said the words to Gunnar and not Remy. So he let the words fall between them. “I won’t be searching for another. It’s not that I’m punishing myself or any such nonsense. I just don’t want anyone else.”

  Remy nodded but didn’t respond. More cars arrived, breaking the spell.

  “I guess we should get out,” Aden suggested.

  Once again, Remy nodded. Neither of them moved. “Thank you,” Remy said before Aden could be the first one to exit the car, as he’d thought to do.

  “For what?”

  “Loving me,” Remy said, sounding confident in that belief. “Maybe we failed in the most spectacular way, but you also loved me in the most beautiful display.” With a shake of his head and while still smiling, Remy climbed from the car. Aden did too because his body was on auto-pilot and following Remy’s lead. His mind remained locked on Remy’s words. He was right. Maybe they’d failed, but goddamn it, they’d been feckin’ beautiful.

  *

  People didn’t trickle into the burning of the horses. Most everyone left No Rival at the same time and poured into the desert at the same rate. Once people started showing up, things moved quickly. Being the first to arrive meant they got their horses first. Aden decorated one while Remy worked on the other. When they switched, Remy peeked. There was no stopping himself. The instant Aden handed over his horse, Remy flipped it over and checked out Aden’s drawing.

  His first reaction was to snort. Neither of them needed to quit their day job. It didn’t matter if Aden’s doodling made sense, because he’d added cliff notes. All of Remy’s personalities stared back at him. Crossfit Chad, Paper Pete, and Chef Charlie. Aden had written their names beneath each stick figure. Each one was smiling. Remy would know. Aden had drawn an arrow to each of their faces with the same note. “Notice the smile? I wish it was permanent.”

  Remy took a deep breath and swallowed past the lump in his throat. When he glanced up, he found Aden watching him. The man’s expression matched the way Remy felt. No one else would ever want as much for them as they wanted for each other. Remy knew exactly what he’d wish for Aden.

  First, he drew a house with a sun and waves. Next came two stick figures holding hands. He gave one of the stick figures glorious hair because that was important. Finally, he drew a big red heart on each figure’s chest. He gave each heart stitches. Otherwise, they’d never mend. With his illustration complete, Remy looked Aden’s way. He was finished too.

  “Which one do you want to toss on the fire?”

  “That one,” Aden said, pointing at the horse Remy was holding and making Remy breathe a sigh of relief. He was dying to see what else Aden had drawn but didn’t want to ask. The instant they swapped horses, Remy inspected Aden’s second wish. It was exactly the same as the first.

  Remy froze. “You were supposed to wish for something for yourself.”

  “I did,” Aden argued, sounding unconcerned. “There’s nothing I want more than to see you happy.” He held Remy’s drawing up, flashing it Remy’s way. “Is this supposed to be us?”

  Remy eyed the picture he’d just drawn. Two men. Both with broken hearts on the mend and one with perfect hair. It wasn’t as if Remy could deny the likeness. “I should’ve given you awesome hair too, or clown feet.”

  “Are we in Key Largo?”

  Remy eyed the house next to the waves. “Personally, I would’ve asked about the clown feet, but yeah, I suppose we are.”

  Aden didn’t crack a smile. “Is this what you want?”

  Remy shrugged. Their discussion was getting too real, and Aden didn’t look happy. “It’s what I want for you.”

  “But not for you, right?” Aden asked, sounding angry.

  Before he could stop himself, Remy snatched the horse from Aden’s hands and tossed both paper ponies on the fire. He didn’t bother watching them burn. Without a word or looking Aden’s way, he headed for the car. Remy’s sudden shit mood wasn’t Aden’s fault. He’d been a fucked up mess for a while. Part of Remy wanted to scream “yes.” Yes, he wanted that beautiful life on the beach with Aden. But he was scared shitless to give up everything he’d worked so hard to achieve for a man who might not stay clean or faithful. There were so many things he wanted to yell at the top of his lungs. If he ever started, he might not stop.

  Aden overcame him at the car. Remy knew, in truth, Aden had probably waited until they were out of sight before pulling Remy back against his chest and engulfing Remy in his embrace.

  “Come find me,” Aden said, sounding sure and steady. “When you’re ready, come home to me. I wasn’t talking out my ass earlier. For the rest of my life, it’ll be you. If you can ever forgive me, I’ll be in the house on the beach, waiting.”

  He fucking meant it. Every word. Remy could hear it in Aden’s voice. He didn’t know if he should melt into Aden’s touch or stomp the man’s toes. How dare Aden give up the rest of his life to loving Remy? Remy’s shoulders fell. Why couldn’t Remy say the words that would bridge the gap between them?

  “It’s okay,” Aden said quietly against Remy’s neck. Aden’s soothed his fears as if he could read Remy’s mind. “Stop worrying over my feelings.” He gently turned Remy in his arms until their gazes met. Aden inspected Remy’s face and a small smile touched Aden’s lips. His fingertips skimmed Remy’s cheek. “Damn,” Aden breathed. “I owe you so much. You are the most amazing person. Why didn’t I tell you that every single day?”

  A smile that surprised even him stretched Remy’s lips. “You did. Every single day. You told me I was beautiful and brightened the world. Thousands of times you said I was better than everyone and made a point of grabbing my butt every day. I always knew I was wanted.”

  Aden’s hands slid down Remy’s back. His expression turned wicked as he grabbed two handfuls of Remy’s ass. “So… the windows of your car are tinted pretty dark.”

  “I like my privacy,” Remy said. His desire grew.

  “My guess is—I could get inside you and no one would
see.”

  “Probably,” Remy said, but they’d done a lot of hiding and sneaking around during their time together. They didn’t need to do that now. “But if we leave right now, we could be home in less than fifteen minutes. Then I’d be free to do some freaky shit to you.”

  “Isn’t it my turn to be the deviant? It’s been a long time since I did that thing with my tongue. You know how I—”

  Remy pulled out of Aden’s hold. “Get in the car, darling. You’re in for a long night.” He meant it too. Remy’s dick was already begging for Aden’s attention and fifteen minutes sounded like a long time. He needed to get this man alone before he climbed Aden like a tree and fucked him like a monkey for all the world to see. God knew, with Daniel there, it would likely end up as front-page news.

  Chapter 7

  A warm weight shifted at Aden’s back. The corners of his mouth tugged, attempting to pull his lips into a smile before his eyes opened. Hoping he wouldn’t wake Remy, Aden rolled over. The first sight of Remy, sleeping peacefully at Aden’s side, caused the air to race from his lungs. Every time he thought he fully grasped all he’d lost, another moment came, reminding him there was more.

  After moving closer, Aden draped his arm over Remy. As he’d done countless times in the past, Remy automatically snuggled into Aden’s hold. Aden’s throat tightened. This was his final day. His last morning. Remy would do his pre-fight weigh-ins, countless interviews, and pace the floor. After Remy’s fight tonight, Aden would fly home. Chances were good, he wouldn’t even get to see Remy when the match ended. There’d be a ton of reporters expecting a press conference and the crowd would rush him off to some after party event. This was it for them. Aden held on for as long as he could. He knew the exact moment Remy woke. When the man didn’t move away, Aden counted it as a victory. For a long time, they held each other in silence. In truth, there wasn’t much left to say. Aden had given his best. Now Remy would see him again or he wouldn’t.