Knockout Love

by Susan V. Vaughn

  “I know, because you threw your smart phone out the window,” Sean said, wagging his brows as if this amused him greatly. The smile on his face told her that he approved of her insane decision.

  Maggie ignored him and pulled the car toward the nearest exit. She was too hungry to go over that mistake again.

  “I wonder what tossing a perfectly good cell phone out the window did to someone like you,” Sean continued, as if commenting on the weather.

  “What do you mean ‘someone like me’?” Maggie raised her brows, feeling annoyed.

  “Oh, you know, controlling, rigid, obsessive-compulsive—”

  “That’s enough.” Maggie sliced him a look. She didn’t need any more judgment, especially from a man with a broken face. “One more word and you might just be forced to eat that seat belt after all.”

  “Got it.” Sean pretended to lock up his smiling mouth and then threw away the imaginary key.

  Maggie smiled again, realizing if she kept this up, her cheeks would likely begin to hurt. She wasn’t sure what about this wrestler amused her so much. He just had a way of tugging on all the right stings and annoying her in all the right ways. Or maybe she had actually snapped to the point where all she could do was smile like an idiot.

  She concentrated on pulling her car off the expressway and onto a dirt road. She was too hungry to care what might lie beyond this exit or if she was losing her mind. They were somewhere in Kentucky, in the middle of nowhere; this was going to be interesting. On the left was a dingy restaurant that looked like the kind of place you wouldn’t want to eat at. On the right was nothing but trees.

  “What do you think, beautiful?” Sean glanced over at Maggie with a goofy smile. “Do we risk the food here or search for a better stop?”

  “It looks cheap.” Maggie pulled her car toward the restaurant and purposefully smiled back. “So were eating here.”

  “Well, I guess it’s better than eating my seat belt.” He turned to her and winked.

  “I guess so.” She held his gaze but didn’t wink back. Maggie refused to give in to his charm.

  “You’re the boss. If you say we’re eating here, then we’re eating here.” Sean unbuckled his seat belt and gave her a salute. “Are you at least going to take off your winter coat and scarf first?”

  “Why would I?” Maggie glanced down at her perfectly buttoned pea coat—the coat she wore purposefully to hide her full chest from Sean’s view.

  “Because it’s nearly sixty degrees,” Sean responded, wagging his brows. “That’s bikini weather in Northern Kentucky.”

  “Cool.” Maggie turned the car off and rolled her eyes. “I think I’ll pass.”

  “Suit yourself, Frosty the Snowman.”

  “I will.” Maggie turned toward her door and smiled again. Her lips appeared unable to stop. After driving in silence with Sean for nearly five hours, it was definitely nice to hear his voice again—even if he was being annoying.

  Sean jumped out of the car and hurried over to her side. She was surprised he was able to do that, given all the support she’d had to give him all morning. Maggie had her theories about that, but then again, Sean was nothing if not spontaneous. He opened her car door and held out his hand. The gesture was a chivalrous one and caught her completely off guard. Maggie stupidly grabbed it, attempting to hide her enthusiasm. Her hand slipped into his as easily as if she were putting on a glove, and some serious explosive currents raced down her spine. For a moment they both just stopped and stared at their linked hands—hands that looked as though they belonged together. Judging by the dreamy expression on Sean’s face, he was feeling something between them too.

  Maggie held her breath, watching him raise his blue eyes from their hands to her face. In them she read intense longing. It made her knees weak. No man had ever looked at her this way—as if she were the only woman in the world—not even Trevor. She knew it was all part of Sean’s flirty games, just a way to get her to bed. Still, that one look made her feel unbelievably cherished.

  “You are so beautiful,” Sean said softly, rubbing tender circles on the back of her hand with his thumb.

  Maggie swallowed hard again as her heart pounded. It was criminal how much Sean was affecting her. More than likely he was getting away with it because she was hungry, tired, and had lost her mind. Still, she had no idea how to stop her sudden attraction to him or how to respond to his compliment.

  “Let’s go eat.” She dropped his hand and headed into the restaurant, desperate for a distraction.

  The place was dark and gloomy. A long bar ran the length of the room, where a couple grizzly-looking men sat drinking. Stale smoke filled the air and made her gag. A few empty tables stood off to the side, confirming the place mostly served alcohol. Adding to the bar atmosphere was an old-school juke box blaring loud country music.

  Maggie cringed, shaking her head. This was not a place she wanted to stand in, let alone eat at. But after her moment with Sean in the parking lot, she needed to regroup and reset their boundaries. The loud atmosphere was just what they needed to forget what had happened. Not to mention, the place looked cheap.

  Maggie headed confidently into the restaurant and sat down at the first table she encountered. Sean sat down across from her, looking less enthused. “I have to admit, I didn’t think we would make it through the door,” he said.

  “Really.” Maggie pulled disinfectant wipes from her purse and began wiping their table. “Why is that?”

  Sean rolled his eyes and gestured around them. “Gee, I don’t know.”

  She ignored his teasing tone and concentrated on the cleaning process. The more she scrubbed, the more the table looked as though it needed to be scrubbed again. But Maggie supposed that was just the dingy type of place they were in. When everything at least smelled lemony fresh, she picked up her menu and perused her options, which included nothing that sounded appetizing. Despite her hunger, the stale taste of tobacco made her stomach turn.

  Maggie tossed the menu down with frustration, but when Sean gave her a knowing look, she smiled. “I’m going to get a burger.”

  “Good luck.” He raised his brows. “I think I’m going to wait for a better place to eat.”

  “On whose dime?” Maggie pushed her menu into his hands. “Just order something.”

  “Like what?” he asked with a sarcastic smile. “Fried fish eggs or hot-buttered tuna?”

  Maggie bit her bottom lip to keep from smiling. The menu was disgusting, but she had to make this diner work. She didn’t want to have to go back to the car now. She could still feel the electricity radiating between them. “What’s wrong, wrestler? I’m sure you’ve eaten worse on your travels.”

  “Not really.” He put a finger down his throat and pretended to gag.

  “I see.” Maggie sighed dramatically. “I didn’t realize you would be so prissy about a free meal.”

  “Hey!” Sean put his hand over his chest as if she wounded him. “I just want to keep my dinner down after starving for five hours.”

  “And whose fault is that?” Maggie asked with amusement.

  “I think you know who.” Sean winked at her knowingly and added, “Boss.”

  “Well, I’m glad you can finally admit I’m the boss. Now we can move forward.” Maggie patted his hand, winking back. “Don’t worry, you can make it up to me by ordering food here.”

  “Fine.” Sean sighed unhappily, picking up his menu. “But when we’re both sick from this garbage, don’t complain to me.”

  “I won’t.”

  The fat bartender took his time coming to take their table. When he finally did, she ordered her burger and at the last minute ordered a drink as well. Maggie figured the only way to keep down the food here was to be like the other people in the bar—heavily buzzed. Just enough alcohol to eat and still be able to drive after. She could manage that.

  After she got her drink, Sean began talking about wrestling. He started with the pinfalls and submission count-outs and then went
into the differences between faces and heels. He talked about training for endurance, and how entertainment wrestling matches were scripted. With each explanation, Sean showed how passionate he was about his career choice.

  Maggie listened, sipping her drink, thinking about her own career choice. There was nothing in nursing—from the patient care to the bedpans—that made her light up with passion. In fact, she hated nursing. Drawing was the only thing that had ever lit her up the way wrestling did Sean. And that was just a “doodling hobby,” as her mother would say. It made Maggie sad, and a bit jealous, of Sean’s zest for life.

  “Is there anything else I can get for you two?” the bartender interrupted in a gloomy voice, slapping plates of food on the table.

  “Ah, yeah.” Sean gestured to his plate, eyeballing it suspiciously. “Is this what I ordered?”

  Maggie unwrapped her napkin, attempting not to laugh. Sean had ordered a BLT sandwich, and the slop on his plate was the furthest thing from that.

  “Yes,” the bartender growled out and then placed his meaty hands on his hips in a challenge.

  Sean looked from the large bartender to his plate a couple of times before shaking his head. “Okay, well in that case, I’ll take a beer.”

  Maggie giggled and ordered herself a second drink for backup. She and Sean appeared to be finally on the same page.

  When the bartender left, Sean grabbed ahold of her hand with desperation. “We need to find some real food and fast. I just ordered a drink, and I don’t even drink.”

  “Stop being so dramatic.” She looked down at her burned burger and soggy bun and fought the need to gag. “The food doesn’t even look that bad.”

  “The food doesn’t even look that bad,” Sean repeated, looking as disgusted as a man with a broken face could look. “I was thinking maybe we should throw ten bucks on the table and run for it.”

  Maggie shook her head disagreeably. “This food is definitely not worth ten dollars.”

  “Always the cheapskate!” Sean laughed and squeezed her hand. The bartender came back with their drinks and their bill. He appeared to be on to Sean’s scheme to run for it.

  They ate fast, mostly pushing their food around their plate and laughing. The drinks were doing a number on Maggie’s head, especially on her empty stomach—not to mention she was normally a lightweight. On top of that, she had to drink Sean’s beer too. The man defiantly didn’t drink, and she refused to waste a dime.

  Maggie wasn’t sure if it was the stress of the day, or Sean’s constant gagging noises while he ate. Either way, she found herself cracking up in hysterical laughter. The fact the bartender seemed to be watching them made the whole situation even more comical.

  When they finally paid the bill and left, Maggie found herself holding on to Sean’s arm for support and enjoying his company. They were like criminals running from the restaurant, searching for a getaway. Outside, it was already dark, but the moonlight seemed to increase her intoxicated state.

  Maggie shielded her eyes, hiccupping loudly. “It’s so bright!”

  “The moon is too bright?” Sean laughed, pulling her into his chest to shield her eyes.

  Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him with a tipsy smile. “It’s not too bright for you?”

  “No, I’m Superman.”

  “Superman?” Maggie giggled again drunkenly, ending in another hiccup. “Superman would have been able to drink his own drink and not require me to do it for him. It’s your fault I’m this drunk.”

  “Is that so?” Sean responded with another smile. “It had nothing to do with the fact you ordered another two drinks on top of that, and had nothing in your stomach.”

  She looked up at him again and smiled. “Oops.”

  “No kidding, oops.” He cupped her face in his hands and looked into her eyes. “Lucky for you, you’re a pretty cute drunk.”

  “Thank you,” she responded, the world spinning around her. For a moment she felt as though she was dreaming. The air felt thick and heavy. Sean’s hands were like magic on her face. His sexy lips inched closer to hers. Then suddenly he was kissing her softly, sending spirals of electricity racing down her spine.

  Maggie sighed, standing on her tiptoes, pressing her body closer. She felt his white bandage scratch at her nose.

  “Ouch!” Sean jumped back and readjusted the bandage on his face. “Easy, girl.”

  And just like that, the spell was broken. Suddenly Maggie realized she had just kissed a man she barely knew, with a broken face, and some parts more broken than others.

  “Sorry.” She pressed a hand to her swollen lips—still tingling from Sean’s touch.

  “Don’t be sorry.” He made up the distance between them—smiling—his eyes hooded, predatory. “Just take it slow, let my face adjust.”

  “What?” Maggie took a breath, attempting to steady herself on her feet. She could no longer decipher what was real and what was a dream. She couldn’t have possibly gotten drunk and kissed a strange man only hours after ending her engagement. That wasn’t Maggie—Maggie was smart, predictable, self-contained. Yet here she was in a strange parking lot, kissing a strange man, and driving him to a strange place.

  “Why am I acting this way?” Maggie sighed drunkenly.

  Sean grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips. “What way, beautiful?”

  Sean kissed it, and Maggie could no longer speak. In the moonlight, with his dazzling blue eyes and sexy smile, part of her was sure she needed to kiss him again. The other part wanted to run away screaming for the hills. Only it was too hard to know which part she was supposed to listen to. So instead, she stumbled toward the car, pulling him with her. “Come on, Sean. We need to find some real food. I can’t think when I’m this drunk.”

  “Finally!” Sean chuckled and guided her toward the passenger side of the car. “Now you’re making sense.”

  “Am I?”

  “Sure.” Sean opened the car door and helped her in, then held out his hand. “Keys, my lady.”

  “Wait, what?” Maggie looked back at him incredulously—even as the world spun, even as she was already sitting in the passenger seat. “You’re not driving my car.”

  “Sure I am.” Sean nodded, still holding out his hand expectantly. “You’re too drunk.”

  “And your face is too broken.” Maggie shook her head and mumbled under her breath, “Plus, you’ll move my seat settings.”

  “Oh no! Not your precious seat settings.” Sean laughed hysterically, making her frown.

  “Well, it’s true.”

  “I know, I know.” Sean wiped his eyes and crouched next to her seat. He held out his hand and offered a friendly smile. “I promise not to move your seat settings, and I’ll even press the Lock button three times if you want.”

  “I don’t want you to do that.” Maggie rolled her eyes, feeling her defenses weakening.

  “Sure you do.” Sean smiled again. “But I think it’s cute.”

  “I’m not trying to be cute.”

  “I know. That’s why it’s cute,” Sean responded easily, then held out his hand. “Now give me the keys so I can go find us some food.” He raised his brows. “The sooner we get there, the sooner you can sober up and take back control.”

  “Fine.” Maggie sighed with defeat and pulled her keys from her pocket. “But definitely don’t change the seat settings.”

  “Got it.” Sean grabbed her keys and pressed the Lock button three times. “See?”

  She rolled her eyes again and shut the door in his face. It was time to sober up, and fast. Sean’s flirty behavior was getting out of control, and she needed her brain back to put him in check. For some reason, her tipsy side only wanted to kiss that silly smile off his face.

  CHAPTER 6

  Sean listened to the thunder roll outside his window. For a moment he thought it was his stomach. He hadn’t eaten anything since lunch. The water at dinner had long burned away to nothing, its only effect drowsiness.
He almost wished her could have drunk that beer. But how could he, knowing what alcohol could do to a man, how it made his father a monster?

  He watched as a large strike of lightning flashed in the distance. It was close to midnight, and the sky was pitch-black, the moon hiding behind some thick clouds. It was definitely about to storm. He’d seen the threatening clouds forming for the last hour, ever since they crossed over the Georgia state line.

  Sean would have stopped by now, had it not been for Maggie. She had fallen asleep the second they pulled out of the bar parking lot after dinner. The effects of alcohol, and minimal food, had taken their toll on her. She could barely make it to her seat before closing her eyes. Maggie even forgot she was holding his hand and had fallen out of consciousness gripping it warmly.

  He glanced over at her sleeping form and squeezed her hand. He had driven five straight hours without stopping; he didn’t want to wake her—not when she looked so peaceful. Thick, dark lashes resting on flushed cheeks, full, pink lips upturned and slightly pouty in sleep. She looked like an angel, and Sean wasn’t sure what this angel was doing to him. For some reason he couldn’t get Maggie out of his mind. Her rigidly controlled life appeared to be a veil to protect the passionate woman underneath. He’d felt it for that brief second he held her in his arms and kissed her soft lips. It was as if she had come alive under his touch, and the instant, swirling desire had almost brought him to his knees. If it wasn’t for his damn broken nose, he would have taken her right there and then.

  Sean tightened his grip on her hand as thunder rumbled in the distance. The woman was doing a number on him. He hadn’t even thought about the reason they were heading to Florida since the trip began. He wasn’t sure how he was going to be able to train with his broken nose, or how long it would take for his injuries to heal. Instead he’d spent his time obsessing over Maggie and ways to break her rigid shell completely open.

  He knew he was wrong to think of ways to do this. Already the effects of his teasing had seemed to exhaust her. She’d had a long day—broken up with her fiancé, argued with her parents, drunk herself into a stupor. Sean needed to back off and have some compassion. So he didn’t disturb her sleep. But he had yet to let go of her hand—some part of him needed to hold on. Even though driving with one hand for five hours on an empty stomach was starting to take its toll.