Knockout Love

by Susan V. Vaughn

  Maggie, however, had lived for years under her parents’ control. She’d wasted her life doing what they told her to do and repressed her own talents and dreams. Now Sean understood the reasons for her obsessive-compulsive ways. Being forced to deny herself, she had turned into a controlling, order-driven wreck. He felt bad for ever teasing her so carelessly. Maggie didn’t need another person to tear her down. She needed compassion and understanding. He had given her neither.

  On the other hand, she was a complete stranger and had shown him more kindness than his own lousy friends—who had carelessly dropped him off at the hospital and then left to chase their own dreams. He felt like a fool. Not only had he pushed Maggie into this road trip, then forced her to reveal her sad past, he had stolen her first orgasm from her. Instead of acting like a desire-crazed animal, he should have taken it slowly and with care. Instead he acted like an ass and treated her like some random chick. But Maggie was far from random. She was beautiful, intelligent, creative, and passionate. She was completely amazing, and he was completely unworthy to even sit in the same car.

  Sean glanced over at Maggie. Her emerald eyes focused on the road ahead as she absently chewed on her bottom lip. Her cheeks were still rosy from the tears he had forced out of her. Sean turned back toward his window, biting his own bottom lip. He didn’t know what to say, didn’t know how to make up for his behavior.

  Maggie thought her childhood was bad, but Sean knew his was worse. A worthless drunk raised him in poverty, and he’d spent his entire childhood either living in shelters or, more often than not, on the streets. That didn’t leave a lot of time for a decent education. So Sean mostly relied on his gut feelings, and the impulses to react based on them. That was why he knew so strongly something was upsetting Maggie with that little pad of hers. But now that he had impulsively wrung the reason out of her, he didn’t know the proper words to make it better. At times like these, he wished he could trade his street education in for a proper one.

  Maggie drove the car past the next exit, its sign reading One Mile to Orlando. They were getting close to the training center, and Sean had a feeling Maggie would leave him then. He wasn’t ready for that to happen, however, so he had to figure out those words, and fast.

  “Are you going to stay in Orlando, Maggie?” Sean turned to her and offered his most devastating smile—even as it stretched the new skin on his nose. Waiting until the last minute was exactly how he rolled. He was more charming under pressure.

  “I haven’t figured that out yet.” She gripped the wheel tighter in panic. Maggie might be changing her life, but old habits die hard. Sean could tell her OCD was begging for a plan.

  His smile broadened. He could use her panic to his advantage. “Why don’t you stay with me for a while?”

  “Where?” She glanced over at him and raised one brow. “The cardboard box outside the training center?”

  “Hey!” Sean chuckled, shaking his head. “I’ve got somewhere to stay, you know.”

  “Is that so?” Maggie raised her other brow suspiciously. “With what money?”

  “I don’t need money.” Sean leaned back in his chair, feeling cocky. “One of my wrestling buddies is loaded and has a two-bedroom condo near downtown Orlando, right off Lake Eola.”

  “Lucky him,” she responded, unimpressed.

  “No, lucky us.” Sean glanced over at her and winked. “He said I could stay in the spare room for a while. So that means we can share.”

  “Share?” Maggie wrinkled her nose. “With you?”

  “Don’t sound so disgusted,” Sean grumbled back. He didn’t like the revulsion on her face. It reminded him, once again, of how she was too good for him. “Bob is a low-key guy. We’ll have lots of privacy.”

  “You’ll have lots of privacy,” Maggie corrected, offering him a breezy smile. “I am dropping you off at the EWXN training center and more than likely heading straight back home.”

  “No, you’re not.” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. Sean knew he had no business telling her what to do, but the thought of Maggie on the road alone was not sitting well—not to mention that he did not want to let her go. But he wasn’t about to say that.

  “What do you mean ‘no, I’m not’?” Maggie looked over at him curiously. There was something in her eyes, something that told him maybe she wasn’t eager to leave his side, either. Sean latched on to that as if it were a lifeline.

  “I mean, you should stay for a week and then decide.” He smiled at her again and patted her hand.

  “Sean.” Maggie rolled her eyes. “I can’t stay with you.”

  “But you should.” He nodded, attempting to look reasonable and convincing. “Listen, I owe you big for driving me down here—”

  “And for feeding you,” she said with a smile of her own.

  “And for feeding me.”

  “And for taking care of you,” she added, her smile growing into something blinding.

  Sean rechecked his heart and smiled back. “Okay, I owe you big. So I’m thinking the best way to repay you is to give you a vacation of sorts.”

  “In a strange house with another strange wrestler like yourself?”

  “Bob is not strange, he’s a good guy.”

  “Oh, a good guy according to the craziest man I know.” Maggie smiled again. “I feel much better now.”

  “The point is, I know Bob. He won’t bother you.” He nodded confidently, as if this gesture alone would make her nod too. “You’ll have the place all to yourself while we train. You can sit by the lake, free to draw, relax, and plan your next step.”

  “And what about you?” Maggie asked, careful to concentrate on the traffic so their eyes wouldn’t meet.

  “What about me?”

  “You said Bob won’t bother me. Does that mean you won’t bother me, either?” She sounded eager—as if she wouldn’t mind him bothering her—and Sean knew he had convinced her. The woman had clearly grown fond of his peskiness, even if she wouldn’t admit it.

  “Only if you want me to,” Sean replied casually and then fought the need to smile, which would ruin everything. Maggie hesitated but didn’t say no.

  “I’ll think about it,” she finally responded after a minute. She sounded as if she actual would too, and that was good enough for Sean—for now.

  ***

  Maggie had meant to drive away as soon as she dropped Sean off at the EWXN training center. But instead she promised to tell him her plans after he talked to the people who ran the center. But instead of waiting in the parking lot, she decided to step out into the bright Florida sunshine and walk to the tourist strip across the street. Before she knew it, she was buying a bright yellow bikini, sunglasses, and some serious suntan lotion for her pale completion.

  Maggie crossed the street toward the EWXN training center, bags in hand, wondering what had happened—when exactly she’d decided to stay. It wasn’t a decision as much as realizing she had nowhere to go. She had changed her life—dropping a fiancé, a career, and her parents’ expectations all in a matter of a few days. She had picked up her art again and was now struggling to regain her feet. She couldn’t possibly go back to Indiana or to her parents in Michigan without some plan of action, and to do that she needed time to think.

  On top of that she couldn’t get Sean’s baby-blue eyes or his devilish smile out of her mind. She wasn’t finished exploring their physical relationship, not by a long shot. After that sizzling kiss earlier today, Maggie was completely hooked. She had a feeling their explorations in the bedroom could reignite her creativity. Already one release had brought back her art. What could another do?

  Maggie walked over to her car with her heart jumping in her chest. Not only were thoughts of touching Sean filling her with excitement, but the man himself was currently leaning against her car door, a bundle of wild flowers in his hands and a sexy smile on his face.

  “There you are, beautiful.” His smile increased, stretching the bruises on his face. “I
thought maybe you ran away on foot.”

  “Hardly.” Maggie smiled back and held up her bags. “I decided to shop for the warm weather.”

  “Warm weather,” Sean repeated, taking that in. “So you’re telling me I didn’t have to buy you these flowers to get you to stay?”

  “That’s right.” Maggie giggled and grabbed them out of his hands. They were coreopsis—Florida’s state wildflower—the kind that grew on the side of the road. And judging by the roots on the ones in her hands, that was exactly where Sean had gotten them. “You bought these, huh?”

  “More or less.” The sexy smile was back on his lips, and those blue eyes were back on her face, measuring her reaction. “I would do anything to make you stay a little longer.”

  “Why?” Maggie looked back at him, unfazed by his charm underneath all the flirting and deflection. Sean wanted her to stay longer, and she had no idea why. It couldn’t be the physical relationship. The man was sexy enough to get any woman he wanted to warm his bed. In fact, she thought he would have pushed her out of his life as fast as possible to get back to playing the field. Instead, he was pulling flowers out of the side of the road to bribe her stay. It made no sense.

  “Why does it matter?” he finally answered, his tone teasing.

  “Why are you deflecting?” Maggie narrowed her eyes, challenging him further. She didn’t understand Sean or his motives, but she needed to. Otherwise, there was no way she would spend another second with him, let alone a week, cute yellow bikini be damned!

  “I’m not deflecting,” Sean responded, shrugging. “I just don’t think it matters.”

  “Why wouldn’t it matter?”

  “Because we’ve got more exciting news to discuss.” Without waiting for a response, Sean pulled some keys out of his pocket and then pulled out what looked like a rolled-up T-shirt from the waist of his jeans. “First, this.” He handed her the T-shirt and smiled as if he had given her a pair of diamond earrings. Maggie couldn’t help but giggle as she unfolded the oversized black T-shirt, which had the EWXN training center logo across the front in bright yellow letters. “I start training tomorrow, and they gave me a T-shirt,” Sean said proudly. “I want you to have it.”

  “Gee, thanks.” Maggie folded it back up and placed it next to her bundle of wildflowers. Sean was full of presents this afternoon. Somehow, they meant more than the diamonds and expensive handbags Trevor used to give her, and she was helpless to erase the smile from her face.

  “I dedicated my whole life to get to this point. This T-shirt represents how far I’ve come.” Sean grabbed her free hand and brought it to his lips. “And thanks to your generosity, I got to Florida rested and fed. You are an amazing woman, Maggie. I can’t thank you enough.”

  Oh damn! Maggie was so touched she could barely breathe. Sean might not be rich, or a wizard with words, but everything he did or said was from the heart. The man had stolen some part of her over the last few days, and she wasn’t sure she would be able to get it back.

  “You’re welcome,” she finally responded, and even that sounded pathetic.

  “Now it’s time for me to tell you my second piece of exciting news.” Sean let go of her hand and shook the keys at her, looking excited. “My friend, Bob, just got called up on the road. So we get his lake house entirely to ourselves.”

  Maggie smiled. That was good news. A whole week on the lakeshore to draw and think—nobody to bother her, not even Sean when he was training. “That sounds like heaven.”

  “Right?” Sean’s smile broadened as he gestured her toward the car. “Let’s go check it out.”

  Maggie unlocked the car doors—pressing the Lock button only once, to prove she was serious about changing her life. Sean raised his brow at her, looking impressed. Maggie felt the crawling need to press it twice more, nervous at the prospect of staying at a lake house alone with Sean. There was no way she would have control there, so she needed control now. The need to press that damn lock was so urgent, she finally settled on pressing it one more time and then shrugged at Sean.

  “Hey, twice is better than three.” He winked and sat down in his seat.

  Maggie got into her own seat slowly, her mind still spinning with thoughts of the condo. Being alone with Sean, when he affected her like this, was probably not the best idea. But what could she do? She had already bought that cute yellow bikini.

  Maggie closed her car door and adjusted the mirrors. “Are you training every day, Sean?”

  “That’s right,” he responded with a yawn. “I will be gone early and back around dinner.”

  “Cool.” She let out a breath, realizing the arrangements wouldn’t be as bad as she thought. Sean would only be around for a few hours before she went to bed.

  “We’ll have a lot of time to spend together when I get back,” he added—as if reading her mind—and then placed a hand above her knee.

  “Is that so?” Maggie attempted to ignore the shivers of desire racing up her leg from his touch.

  “Yep,” he responded confidently, squeezing her knee. “There might be two bedrooms, but I promised Bob we would only use one.”

  “What?” Maggie looked over at him, attempting to keep her features straight. Sean only nodded with a sexy smile on his lips. She shook her head, turning away. “We’ll see about that.”

  Maggie wasn’t sure why she knew they were going to end up sharing a bed. Or why that knowledge made her press the Lock button again.

  CHAPTER 10

  Sean had made it to Florida and gained an opportunity to train at the EWXN center. The swelling in his face had gone down, and it hurt a tiny bit less. This should have been the best day of his life. Instead, he was obsessing over Maggie’s reaction to his flowers and his shirt. He knew the gifts were a laugh compared to the things her ex-fiancé must have given her. He remembered the diamond on her engagement ring. It was so massive and shiny, it deserved its own area code. Growing up with doctors for parents, she must be used to having the best of everything, which reminded Sean, once again, of how unworthy he was to be in her presence. It made him mad.

  Sean had never really cared that he’d had a difficult childhood. It had not only forced him to be stronger and work harder, but it built character. But after meeting Maggie, he wished he had more money to impress her with, or more of an education to blow her away with his intelligence. The woman made him feel just plain inadequate. He knew he intrigued her, but only in the sense that someone would find a clown amusing and entertaining, and he didn’t like that feeling. It was foolish, but he wanted her to look at him as if he were the best man on earth.

  On the way to Bob’s condo, he berated himself for allowing her to pay for their gas and food, and for every other mistake he’d made on their road trip. He felt like a complete failure as a man. But one day he would make it big in the EWXN, and then he would pay her back every dime and then some. He would do whatever it took to make her think he was more than some foolish, poor wrestler.

  Maggie pulled into the driveway of Bob’s condo on the lake, and Sean hurried out to open her car door. I will start impressing her now, he thought. He would blow her away with his charm and sex appeal and then sweep her off her feet with the money when it started pouring in. He had no idea why this was so important or why his life goals had suddenly readjusted, just that once he got an idea in his head, it was impossible to get out.

  “My lady.” Sean held out his hand to Maggie and smiled chivalrously. She took it absently, her eyes focused on the large, brick condo, with its private access to the lake.

  “Wow, this place is amazing.” Maggie smiled the way a woman does when she sees something rich and shiny. “How can Bob afford all this?” She didn’t say “on a wrestler’s salary,” but Sean knew that was what she meant.

  He let go of her hand and grumbled as he walked to the door. “I’ll have something twice as nice one day.”

  Maggie didn’t seem to hear him as her attention went immediately back to the car. “Hold on a sec, I
need to—”

  “I know, I know, press the Lock button three times.” Sean rolled his eyes, then cursed himself for taking his feelings of inadequacy out on her.

  “Not that.” Maggie seemed oblivious to his irritation as she pulled open her car door. “I just need to grab my flowers.” She pulled out the bundle of wildflowers he had given her and placed them to her nose, taking a deep breath. “I want to put them in water.”

  “Oh.” Sean couldn’t stop his goofy smile, so he turned back to the condo door to hide it. Every time he thought he had Maggie pegged, she threw him for a loop. Her love for his pathetic gift made him want to kiss her long and hard.

  Sean opened the door to the condo, and Maggie walked in, flowers in hand. “Wow, it gets better inside.” She skipped around the condo’s main room with its vaulted ceilings and hardwood floors. The generous kitchen had shiny, stainless-steal appliances and a great view of the lake. Bob had a lot of money, and it showed. Sean suddenly itched to punch his friend’s perfectly handsome face.

  Bob was a good friend, and despite their opposite upbringings, he and Sean had hit it off instantly. Sean knew all this yet still felt irrationally angry walking into his friend’s perfect home. Bob was everything Maggie would desire in a man—money, looks, not to mention he was extremely tidy. Sean was just lucky Bob wasn’t here to show off his pretty-boy face and rich-boy charm. Just the thought of his friend walking in and sweeping Maggie off her feet made him want to scream. Sean rubbed his muddy shoes on the spotless wood floor, making himself feel a bit better.

  “Don’t do that,” Maggie cried out, running to the kitchen and grabbing the broom. “You’re tracking in dirt.”

  “This place needs dirt.” Sean stomped harder, proving his point. He was acting like a complete lunatic and felt like one too.