by Lea Hart
***
“I don’t think I’ve ever tasted anything more delicious,” Bree commented before shoving a chip filled with guacamole into her mouth. When she was done chewing and swallowed, she carefully wiped her mouth. “Apparently, making a dream happen and having illicit sex makes me hungry.”
Throwing his head back, he let out a bark of laughter. “Seems so. Better fill up because I plan on a few more illicit things before the day is done.”
Pointing another chip at him, she asked, “Exactly what is illicit? I know what it means in the eyes of the law, but since we’re consenting adults…”
“Finish that thought,” he said as he scooted closer.
“Illicit is defined as something that is not permitted or unlawful. What we did this afternoon would be considered illicit only if Houston has public sex on the books. Which I’m pretty sure it does. But the door was locked despite us being in a public place. If you were a client, then I would argue that it wasn’t public at all. Which makes it not illicit. And kind of less exciting.”
“What kind of kink is my girl into?” he asked as he lifted her hand and ran his mouth over her knuckles.
“Not sure. Haven’t really had the chance to find out. I liked what we did this afternoon. It was spontaneous and a little dirty. I don’t think it was the idea of being discovered that turned me on, but the idea that I couldn’t wait.”
“It was hot as fuck.” When she laughed, he figured she wasn’t offended. Bree liked his dirty mouth. He’d figured that out the first night they were together. She’d probably never had a man like him in her life and she seemed to be enjoying it. The feelings that welled up in his chest earlier told him that he was in deep…a place he’d never been before. When he looked down at her and saw the delicate arch of her neck, he quietly groaned. Every part of her was alluring and he wanted her to himself.
“Thank you,” Bree said as she squeezed his hand.
“For what, honey?”
“For helping me realize a dream. I’ve never had anyone help me in that way and I really appreciate it.”
“Anytime,” he responded quietly. “All the time,” he added. Bree was the smartest, toughest woman he’d ever met, and to think he’d helped her with something important made him feel invincible. “What made you want to try it again?”
“Jealousy. I saw you and the other guys do it and you all made it look so easy. I was tired of being scared. Not being able to do it represented all the times I made a safe decision instead of flying into the unknown. I know it doesn’t make much sense, but that’s how it got twisted up in my mind.”
“I thought maybe it was a height thing for you, but it seems it was more about letting go and not being sure where you were going to land or even how.”
“It was a little bit of both. Having you next to me gave me the confidence I needed.”
“You saying that makes me incredibly happy.” The fact that he could give her anything at all was surprising. Their entrées were delivered and Bree dug into her food without hesitation. Which was something that he was getting used to.
As he started eating, he realized that he’d been right about her appetite for food being a good representation of her appetite for sex. So far, she’d proven herself to be an enthusiastic partner. He never would’ve guessed that she would be as open as she was to his ideas. The fact that they’d had sex in a storeroom told him they hadn’t gotten started yet on the adventures they could have together.
He’d been hungry for her since the moment he saw her, and time passing had only made him insatiable. And for the first time in his life, it wasn’t just about sex. He wanted to know what made her smile, what made her laugh, and what made her happy.
Glancing over, he knew one thing that made her happy—crispy chicken tacos. She’d inhaled two already. He lifted his fork and dove into his food. Bree wasn’t the only one who needed fuel because he had a couple of ideas he wanted to try when they got back to the hotel.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Monday, February 13th
Bree started going through her emails and noticed one from Matt. That was weird. Why would he send her something when they saw each other every day? Clicking on it, she noticed it had an attachment. She scanned the email quickly and laughed. All it said was, Get ready, honey, because nothing in going to come between us. She clicked the attachment and saw that it was his latest medical report. He was as healthy as a horse and clean as a whistle. Seems Matt was sincere about being intimate. As far as she knew, a man didn’t want to pour himself inside you unless he wanted something serious.
She sat back in her chair, spun it around, and stared out her window. They’d known each other for a little over a month and the last two weeks had shown her that she had a lot more in common with him than she ever did with Grayson. Despite their different backgrounds.
Matt was a lot of fun to be around, and there was an ease about their relationship that she was enjoying enormously. He was game for just about anything she suggested and that had included riding a bull last week in Houston. When she told him that she was visiting her client’s ranch, he had insisted on accompanying her. She allowed it because Raf was a huge MMA fan and she knew he would enjoy meeting Matt.
Turned out they all had a great time together and got to ride a sweet bull around the pasture. The enormous animal reminded her of one her favorite childhood stories, The Story of Ferdinand, a bull who was more prone to smelling flowers than bullfights. Matt had gotten on the bull, no questions asked, and so she did the same. He was good for her soul and her psyche because she was getting out of her own way and trying new things.
Turning her chair back around, she made a quick decision and picked up her phone. Before she could overthink it, she wrote a quick text to Matt, letting him know that she was looking forward to seeing him and having nothing between them. Hitting Send, she let out a big breath. “Please let this be a good thing and not something that I’m going to regret,” she whispered to herself. Her phone buzzed and she read his response. Can’t wait. There was no going back now.
Staring at her computer, she realized that it was time to get back to work. She had a ton of emails to go through, and…what the hell was that? Leaning forward, she saw one from USADA. Getting communication from the national antidoping organization that oversaw the Olympics was never a good thing. They were now administering the Anti-Doping Program for the UFC, and she hoped it wasn’t bad news.
The UFC had transformed their drug testing policy last year and had told everyone that it was going to be the best anti-doping policy in all of professional sports. They had taken a big publicity hit in 2015 when several high-profile fighters tested positive for various substances. The fact that several title holders were part of that group made the company sit up and take notice. Basically, a fighter could be tested anywhere and anytime for any reason. It had been implemented last July and further changes were going into effect in April. Maybe this was the updated policy. Opening the email, she saw who it was from and felt like throwing up. Grayson Porter, her ex-fiancé.
Scanning his signature block, she realized that he was now the Legal Affairs Director for Emerging and Pro Sports. Which was going to put him directly in her world. She dealt with USADA all the time when results came back for their clients.
Rolling her neck, she tried not to believe that this was going to be a bad thing. They were both professionals and they could work together despite their past. Grayson was the one who’d broken it off, so she had no reason to believe that he wouldn’t behave.
She read the email and learned that he was doing nothing more than letting her know about his new position. He indicated that he would like to get together the next time he was in town and catch up.
No way was she breaking bread with him. They could deal with each other professionally and nothing more. Despite her revelation last week regarding her own culpability in their relationship failing, she had no need to pretend that they could be friends. Typing a response q
uickly, she congratulated him on his new position and left it at that. She hit Send and hoped like hell this was not going to be a problem for her or the company.
Kendra walked in and sat down. “Why are you frowning at your computer?”
“Just got an email from Grayson and he’s the new legal director over at USADA.”
“No kidding? That sucks.”
“Sure does. Let’s hope he plays nice and doesn’t decide to cause trouble for my brother or any of the fighters who are clients.”
“You think he’s forgiven Bruce for beating the shit out of him after he called off the wedding?”
“Bruce only hit him a couple of times; it was Bryce who did the most damage. And to answer your question…I have no idea.”
“A guy like Grayson doesn’t seem like the forgiving type. Let’s hope he values his new job more than getting even.”
“What did he expect to happen when he called off the engagement so close to the wedding?” Tapping her fingers against the desk, she shook her head. “My brothers spoke to him for a while before they started beating him up and I have no idea what was said. I’ve tried everything I can think of to get them to tell me, but so far neither of them has said a thing. They told me not to worry about it and then never said another word.”
“It had to be something awful for them both to lose control. They’re not the type of men to hit someone for no reason.”
“I agree. Someday they’re going to tell me and it will all make sense.”
“Let’s hope so.” Taking a candy out of the jar, Kendra unwrapped it and popped it into her mouth. “I came in here to let you know that your boyfriend or boy toy or whatever Matt is has asked me to look over his finances and give him my recommendations.”
“He’s not any of those things. He’s my lover. My very talented, sexy, hot, imaginative lover.” She saw Kendra’s hand go up and she decided not to say more.
“I do not need to hear about your amazing sex life.”
“Are you ever going to give my brother a chance or are you going to keep making up excuses? Your mama is in remission and I think you should celebrate by going out with Bruce.”
“She was cleared only last week. I’d like to take a breath before I make my next move.”
“I’m going to call Bruce and tell him to take you out to dinner. You need a night out and Bruce is the perfect one to go with. You’ve known him for ages and y’all get along like a house on fire. If it’s nothing more than friendship, then that’s fine. Just go and have a night off.”
“I’m not some pity case where you have to beg your brother to take me out. I have a lot of options and all I have to do is decide which one I want.”
“I know that. I just want to give my brother first shot at your heart. He’s had a crush on you for a couple of years and I want him to be happy just like I want you to be happy.”
“I think you should forget about becoming cupid and stick with the law,” Kendra replied quietly.
“Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day and I’m feeling romantic.”
“Spread those romantic feelings all over that man of yours and leave me be.” Kendra stood and straightened her dress. “I’m going back to work and make some money for our clients. Dealing with numbers is a lot easier than dealing with feelings.”
“That is the truth. That’s why I’m trying to keep whatever Matt and I have in the fling category and not the relationship category.”
“Whatever it is…looks good on you. I haven’t seen you this happy in a long time. Flings seem to agree with you, so keep flinging.”
“That’s the plan,” Bree responded. Her friend waved and then walked out of her office. Kendra was right. Flinging with Matt made her happy. Maybe it was because she was totally herself when she was around him. He didn’t seem interested in the polished, perfect version, so she let him see the messy, complicated version. Which by all accounts was what he wanted.
For the first time in her life, she didn’t need to define what was happening. It was fun hanging out with him, and when it wasn’t she would stop.
Her phone buzzed and she checked the screen. Why in the world was Grayson calling her? She hit the Ignore icon and flipped the phone over. If he needed to speak with her about a client, then he was going to have to follow protocol and send a letter or email. It’s not as though they needed to catch up. That was for damn sure.
***
Matt walked down the hall at Excel Sports Management and wondered if Bree was going to be happy to see him. He hadn’t told her he was coming into the city after they’d texted, so she was going to be surprised and, he hoped, happy. Jeff had asked him to come by to discuss some offers that had come in. A title fight wasn’t going to happen for a couple of months, according to the guys at the UFC. So, it made sense to take advantage of as many opportunities as he could before he had to commit to a fight camp.
Bree’s door was closed, so he knocked and then waited thirty seconds before he opened it. As he stepped in, he noticed a big man sitting at a small conference table with Bree. As far as he could tell, the guy was too damn close to his girl. “Hi, honey.” The dirty look he got from the guy told him that he didn’t like the interruption. Tough shit.
Bree stood, straightened her dress, and gave him a warm smile. When she stepped toward him, the asshole in the chair checked out her ass. Opening his arms, Matt pulled her in and hugged her. When she wrapped her arms around him, he tightened his hold. Take that, asshole, he thought.
“Do you have a meeting with Kendra or Jeff today?” she asked as she released him.
“Both. Jeff wants to go over some offers and Kendra is going to give me her plan.”
Turning toward the man in the chair, she introduced them. “Matt, this is Logan, and he’s the new defensive end the Miami Sharks just signed.”
Deciding to play nice, Matt threw out his hand. He knew Bree would be pissed if he embarrassed her by laying claim to her at work. She had no problem when they were alone, but he knew it wouldn’t fly at the office. Which he had to respect. “Congratulations.”
When the guy stood, Matt saw that he had about two inches of height on him and fifty pounds. Which made him the perfect size for his job. “Thanks,” he responded gruffly. He looked over at Bree and held open his arms. “I didn’t get my hug when I came in. Can I have it now?”
Matt was about to say something, but Bree gave him a warning look. He remained silent and watched Bree walk back to her seat.
“Logan, remember what we said about appropriate physical contact?”
“Yeah, but he got a hug and he’s a client.”
“I’m her boyfriend,” Matt said without thinking. When Bree’s eyes flew up to his, he knew she was going to give him hell. Which was fine as far as he was concerned, if it kept Logan’s hands in check. The idea that some guy thought he could touch her sent a hot river of anger through his chest. Bree was his and no man had the right to get anywhere near her.
Logan let out a huff and slapped his hand on his knee. “Why didn’t you say that to start with?” He held up his hands and smiled. “I get that.”
Matt gave him a nod and then crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ll come get you after I’m done with my meetings,” he told Bree. “Think about where you want to eat tonight.” He shook Logan’s hand before he left. The daggers that Bree was staring into his back were totally worth it. At least he didn’t have to worry about Logan getting any ideas. One guy down, millions to go.
***
Matt looked at Jeff across the desk and tried not laugh. “Are you serious? They want me to model?”
Jeff sat back and crossed his leg over his knee. “Absolutely. It’s the same agency that Alan Jouban signed with and they’re the ones responsible for jump-starting Channing Tatum’s career. They want you to come to New York and have some test shots done.”
“I’m a fighter, a skater, and a surfer…not a model.”
“Maybe it’s something you want to add to your resume. The
folks in New York were impressed with your Adidas ad. We also have Carl’s Jr. making a nice offer as well as Monster.”
“I guess I have to think about the modeling thing. If you like the offers from the other two, then I’m good with it.”
“Okay, I’ll keep you updated as discussions progress. I have a meeting with the UFC in Vegas next week. I expect them to have some names for your next fight.”
“It will be interesting to see who they have in mind. I’m hoping they give me a shot at Galvan. The guy has been trash-talking for almost a year and I can’t wait to set him right in the cage. Bet his big mouth won’t work so well when I have him in a rear naked choke.”
“The guy wants a fight and if him running his mouth gets him one, then he’s succeeded. Just remember not to comment publicly.”
“I know, but the guy makes it hard.” Running his hand through his hair, he asked, “You think the modeling thing is serious?”
“Yeah, they want that pretty boy face of yours. Most fighters look like crap after a couple of years, so the fact that you’ve kept your all-American good looks is going to give you some great opportunities.”
“I should try it, then. I have about five more years in the cage if I’m lucky, and I need to try as many things as I can.”
“You have any idea what you want to do once you’re through fighting?”
“No. I like the clinics we did for the kids last week. Maybe something with young fighters.”
“Bruce has put together a great facility. Maybe that’s something you want to try.”
“I’d have to find a great partner if I went down that road. My interest is in working with people, not ordering towels and paying bills.”
“We’ve put athletes together with people who run the business of the gym. If you decide that’s something you want to pursue, let me know.”