by KL Donn
When they’d first met, she’d been prickly as hell, too. When she’d come apart in his arms, she was open, honest. She had wanted him then, and Levi needed to get that back.
Hayes wasn’t sleeping. She heard him whispering to her, telling her things she didn’t think he’d want her to know just yet. She felt when he’d grabbed her hand in his. The urge to pull back was strong, but she needed to know what his game was.
When he’d simply held her hand, it showed her, without doing a damn thing, that he was invested in them. She’d nearly cracked and opened her eyes.
The ride to wherever he was taking her was quiet and long, and slightly painful when he’d hit a bump, but she felt him slow down, and that spoke far more than anything he could have said to her.
She felt the car park, and soon, his hand was brushing through her unruly hair. His whispered, “Hayes, sugar, wake up,” had her beaming inside. She loved the way he called her sugar.
She slowly blinked her eyes open, immediately meeting his beautiful blue gaze—the color of a clear blue sky. She could get lost in him.
“Hey.” He smiled, making that damn dimple appear again. Her body was drawn to him as he ran a finger down her cheek in a sweet caress.
“Hi.” She smiled back, unable to help herself. He was making it incredibly hard to remain mad at him.
“I’ll help you out.” Levi exited the car before Hayes could even think to protest. When he opened her door, she struggled to get out until he wrapped one of her arms around his shoulder and lifted her effortlessly.
They walked quietly into the building, Levi assisting her the entire way. Sweat assaulted her nostrils as soon as he had the door open.
“Holy crap.” She groaned.
He laughed. “Not the best, huh.”
“I think I’ll take my chances with my knee.” She went to turn, and he picked her up completely off the ground. “This habit of yours needs to stop.” She crossed her arms in protest.
He laughed again. “I kind of like you this way.”
Her glare had him nearly in hysterics.
The first thing she noticed as they walked through the main doors was all the men. Bulked up, muscle-bound men. No women anywhere. When Levi had said he was taking her to a gym, she’d pictured an actual gym.
“There are only men here,” she whispered in his ear, not clueless to the way he tensed.
“I know,” he growled. Clearly not happy about it.
“Knuckles!” She heard a man call out.
“Fuck,” Levi groaned under his breath.
“Who’s Knuckles?” she asked him.
A hand on Levi’s shoulder had them spinning around as a shorter man with a round belly and bald head said, “Glad you showed up today, Knuckles!” Even though she was basically right in his face, he didn’t even spare her a glance, and she immediately disliked the man.
“You’re Knuckles?” She turned to Levi, and he smirked. “Makes sense, I guess,” she murmured thinking of the way he fought on the weekend.
“Cam’s waiting in the ring for you,” the other man told Levi, still not acknowledging her.
“Casper!” Levi growled in a way that made her jump, his voice pure venom. “This is Hayes. I’m working with her today.” His words left no room for argument.
“Hey,” she squeaked when Casper shot her a scathing look.
“You need to be training.”
“Maybe I should go,” she whispered, trying to break free of his iron hold.
“That’s a good idea,” Casper told her. His tone no less welcoming than before.
Another man, a bit bigger than Levi, joined them with an easy smile on his face. “Hey, Levi,” he greeted, trying to break the tension. “This your girl?”
Levi beat her to the answer. “It is. You mind helping her set up some ice while I talk to Casper and find JJ.” Obviously not a question, Levi slowly lowered her to the ground, kissing her ear as he whispered, “I’ll be right there.”
“JJ took a last minute trip with his girl.” Cam informed Levi.
“Shit. Thanks man.”
Once the new guy had a firm grip on her, Levi and Casper walked into an office, and the slamming door made her flinch. “Don’t worry about them. Casper has been a pain in Levi’s ass since the day they met.”
“I should really go,” she said again. Attempting to turn around, her knee twisted and buckled under her. “Son of a donkey biscuit,” she muttered.
“I got you, girl,” the man said. “Name’s Cam, by the way. And there’s no way I’m letting you leave. Knuckles would slaughter me.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Cam.” She had no choice but to follow him to a bench near the back. A huge ice chest laid right next to it. As soon as she was sitting, he opened it, pulling out a bag of ice and setting it on her knee.
“How’s that feel?” His question followed the cool burn as it penetrated her muscles.
“Good.”
“You need me, I’ll be right over there.” He pointed towards a punching bag a few feet away.
Hayes watched as he walked over to the bag and began beating on it. The sheer force with which he hit had the guy that was holding it constantly stepping back and sometimes lifting him right off his feet.
Yelling could be heard from the office where Levi and Casper had disappeared, and she briefly wondered if she’d be able to hobble her way out of the gym unnoticed, so she didn’t cause further problems for Levi. She shouldn’t have let him bring her; going home would have been best. Neither of them needed the distraction of the other or the temptation of what could have been. No matter how much she wanted him to be real.
“I can’t fucking believe you brought her here!” Casper yelled at Levi as soon as the door was shut behind him.
“Let’s get one thing very fucking clear, Casper. You need me, not the other way around. If I want Hayes here, she’ll fucking be here.” His voice was low, deadly as he spoke. Not wanting Hayes to think her being there was a bad thing.
“I told you if you wanted pussy, I’d get you some. You don’t need the distraction of some little girl while preparing for our chance at the big leagues.”
He had to hold his temper before he killed the little man. “You’re missing the big picture here, Casper. It’s my chance, not yours. If I want to toss it away for some girl, I fucking will. Lucky for me, she’s not just some girl, she’s my girl. And so help me fucking God, if you insult her, make her uncomfortable, or feel like she’s not welcome in this gym, my life, or at my fights, we are done.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” he shouted, throwing his arms in the air, much the same way Nox had done earlier in the day.
“Not even in the least.”
“The guys will eat her alive.” He tried a new tactic.
“You don’t know her. What she’s capable of. She’ll be running circles around them in no time.” She may be injured, but Levi had the feeling that with the right workout and some healing, she’d have the guys on their knees by the time she was done.
“Don’t lose focus, Levi.” Casper pointed at him before walking out.
Shaking his head, Levi followed him and walked to the back where Cam had placed her. Ice on her knee, phone in her hand, body tense. He knew she was ready to bolt. That wasn’t happening until he convinced her to give them a chance.
“Everything okay?” she asked when he was closer to her.
“Dandy.” He grinned, knowing full-well she was a sucker for his dimple.
“I should probably go,” she said again.
“She keeps saying that!” Cam called from the bag he was beating up.
“You’re staying, sugar.” Levi’s command was firm.
Rolling her eyes at them, she tossed the melted ice in the trash behind her and stood, asking, “What are we doing?”
He smiled wide. “Massage, first.” Getting his hands on her would be a pleasure. She rolled her eyes, but he saw the small smile. It was a victory he would gladly take. “Thi
s way.” He swept an arm out in front of him, pointing towards the masseuse lounge.
“Oh boy,” she muttered under her breath as he helped her along.
Once inside the small room, he knew his next request would be met with resistance. “You’ll have to take your pants off.”
The glare she levelled him with should have had him buried six feet under and not given him a growing erection he couldn’t do anything about. Turning, he grabbed a sheet from the small cupboard behind the door.
“Wrap this around your waist,” he instructed, not wanting her to think him massaging her leg was anything but to help her. Once she did as he’d asked, he knelt in front of her, taking one sneaker off at a time. “I’m gonna pull your sweats down now, then I’ll help you up on the table.” Her glare didn’t disappear.
The feel of her silky skin against his knuckles as he pulled her pants down had a groan attempting to break free from his chest. He had to keep swallowing to prevent it from emerging. He took longer than necessary so he could compose himself before standing.
“You done?” Her impatient huff had him looking up.
Her eyes glowed with a matching desire. She liked the feel of his hands brushing her skin. “Yeah,” he said softly, standing in front of her.
Internally, he was cursing. Things weren’t supposed to turn sexual, but he couldn’t help it. The woman had a hold on him. Gripping her hips, she froze as he stepped towards her, his head lowering. It was as though a spell had them trapped in a bubble, and he couldn’t help kissing her soft lips. So soft and lush. The feel of her mouth under his was a sensation unlike anything he’d ever experienced. He didn’t deepen it, just held them close together until she sighed.
That fucking sigh.
The beast was unleashed, and his hands tightened while his teeth nipped her lower lip, sucking it into his mouth. When her hands tentatively touched his chest, the groan he’d tried stifling burst forth.
Her whispered, “Levi,” came out sounding scared and had him pulling back.
“Fuck,” he groaned, “I’m sorry, sugar.” His hands had flexed on her hips before he lifted her onto the table gently.
She was quiet, her gaze scrutinizing, as he positioned her legs the way he needed them, still covered while he grabbed a heating oil JJ used on him when he was in pain. As he turned back around, her stare was fixed on the ceiling, and her body was tense. He figured it was because of their shared kiss. As soon as he pulled the sheet back from her leg and saw the scarring, he couldn’t hide the shock from his face.
She shouldn’t have let him kiss her. Why do you keep setting yourself up, Hayes? The question ran through her mind at warp speed as Levi turned back around.
Much as she loved the feel of him against her body, she knew things would change once he saw her mangled leg. The deep scarring and distorted skin surrounding her knee, thigh, and hip were a shock for sure. It wasn’t something she could hide. It was the reason she always wore pants and never shorts. Not just to cover up the ugliness from other people, but so when she looked down, she wasn’t constantly reminded of the day her life ended.
Hayes tried not to watch him as he unveiled her skin, but she caught the look. The one everyone had when they saw her damage.
Disgust quickly followed by pity.
“Jesus, sugar,” he murmured, unable to look away. His hands slowly made their way onto her skin, and she wanted to cry. Not because the touch hurt, but because she wished it wasn’t with pity. She wanted him touching her with lust in his gaze, need firing his soul.
“What the hell happened, Hayes?” His question was filled with pain for her.
“There was an accident,” was all she could muster.
A hand on her chest, the same way he’d done that first night, had their eyes clashing. Hers full of pain and regret. His full of pity and shock.
“I know that, but how?” He let the question hang as he began massaging her thigh lightly. Not so much pressure that it hurt, but enough that she knew after a little while her muscles would relax and unknot.
It was hard for her to talk about the accident, what it did to her and her family. Her dreams slipping down the drain like melting snow.
The quiet surrounding them had her spilling her guts, nevertheless, shocking as it may be. “I’ve been a runner since I was little. I wanted to compete in the Olympics. Gold was always in my eyes for as long as I could remember.” She paused to take a breath and close her eyelids. “I used to run everywhere. Always wanting to practice, to work for it. To the grocery store, my friend’s house, school, and back. The distance wasn’t important so much as my feet pounding the pavement, my heart beating wildly, or calmly, in my chest. Pushing myself a little bit harder than the day before.”
“Impressive,” he murmured as his hands moved down to her knee.
She flinched when he got to the ligaments that were hurting most. “Harder. Faster. Stronger.” Her words were whispered. “It was my motto. I lived and breathed by those three words.”
“It’s a good motto,” he said, his low tone soothing her. His understanding made her continue.
“There was this road that wound uphill and down, with bigger peaks all around. You really had to pay attention when you were driving on it. I didn’t normally take that route to school. My parents had wanted me on the open roads where people could see me, just in case, yanno?” He nodded at her question. “I didn’t listen. I don’t know why. There was something in the air, and for some reason, I felt like I had something to prove. It added an extra two miles to my run to school, and I knew I could do it no problem.” She paused to take a breath. “I didn’t take into account stupid frat boys out for a damn joy ride.”
A tear rolled down her cheek as she remembered the sounds and feelings of that fateful morning. “It’s okay, sugar.” Levi wiped the tear away.
She smiled wanly at him. “They took everything from me. My hopes, my dreams. Everything I worked for. They took it, and I have nothing left.”
She couldn’t hold back the sobs as they wracked her body. It was the first time she’d openly admitted that to anyone. It hurt her heart, her mind. Her soul ached to have her life back. To be the real Hayes Morrison again.
The struggle to not take Hayes home and hold her for as long as she needed was nearly more than Levi could handle. Her pain was so palpable he felt it to his bones. Hearing the story of her dreams crushing down around her in the blink of an eye was every athlete’s worst nightmare.
“Come here.” He offered, pulling her into his arms. Her fragile body shook with her sobs. He didn’t like it one bit.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured after a while, pushing away from him.
“Nothing to be sorry for,” he told her meaning it.
She’d barely started living when her world imploded.
“I should go.” He didn’t like it, but he knew she was feeling vulnerable.
Helping Hayes down from the table and getting her pants on without flashing him proved difficult when all he wanted to do was strip her bare and hold her. Having the flesh on flesh contact would show her that she wasn’t alone in the world. That she had him now.
“How’s that knee?” he asked as she slowly limped out of the room without his help.
Looking over her shoulder at him, she smiled. “It feels better, Levi. Thank you.”
He gave her a partial grin back. “I’m glad. Tomorrow we’ll work on movement.”
“Tomorrow?” She was visibly shocked he was bringing her back.
“Yeah, sugar. Maybe JJ will be back, I didn’t know he was on vacation.” He didn’t say more and was thankful when she didn’t either.
“Heya, kid, how you feeling?” Cam asked Hayes as she walked past him.
Her blush was sweet as she realized he was talking to her, his gaze fixed on her knee. “Uh, it’s moveable.”
“Good. See ya tomorrow, kid!” She practically skittered away as Cam grabbed Levi’s arm. “Tank and Cory will be here tomorrow. Watch yoursel
f.” Taking the warning seriously, he nodded his head and followed after Hayes as she limped through the gym.
Tank was customarily a good guy, but an eternal flirt, and unless she had a ring on her finger, he wouldn’t stop until someone put him in his place. Levi hoped he didn’t have to do that; he liked the big guy.
Cory was a different story. He and Levi had been at each other’s throats since Levi started fighting. They’d gotten into more brawls while sparring than they should have. Casper almost refused to put the two of them in the ring together because they’d tear each other apart, and not in a way a fighter should.
He didn’t know what the problem was, only that Cory had a deep-seated hatred for him ever since the first time he walked into the gym. They’d spoken barely two words to each other when Cory tried to rip him apart on the mat. That didn’t work, so he’d done his best to antagonize Levi at every opportunity. Tomorrow might just push Levi past his limits if he gets out of hand with Hayes.
“You coming back, Levi?” Casper asked as he walked past the man’s office.
“Yup, back in an hour, man.” He left before he could be scolded about bringing Hayes around. The man wouldn’t stop.
Hayes was waiting outside for Levi, searching the streets. Probably trying to figure out where they were. “You alright?” he asked, placing a hand on the small of her back, guiding her to his car.
“Fine.” She answered absently. While buckling her in, she spoke. “Where are we?”
“North side of town.”
“I’ve never been here,” she said as he closed the door.
Dropping into the driver’s seat, he told her, “Not much out here but old warehouses and a couple trucking businesses.” They were quiet again during the drive home. The silence wasn’t strained, it just was. He found he enjoyed that she didn’t feel the need to fill it in with small talk.