The Cocky Cage Fighter Six Book Box Set

by Lane Hart

  “Grayson, why don’t you go on to the classroom to see if your friend Jacob is here again?” I suggest.

  “Okay,” he agrees with a smile before running off.

  “So, he likes the class so far?” Jude asks.

  “Yeah, I think so. Thank you. You and Nathan are great with the kids.”

  “They’re fun to work with, reminds me not to take my training so seriously, you know? To do it because I enjoy it, not to just win.”

  “That’s great,” I say honestly. My worst nightmare was that this place would be some insane, win at all costs, even cheating, Cobra Kai dojo like from Karate Kid. That was obviously an unnecessary worry on my part. Sure, the place is full of big, tough guys but they all seem nice enough.

  “So, how are things with you and Nate? Been breaking any more furniture?” Jude asks me with a grin.

  “Ah, no, we haven’t.”

  “Well, it’s good to see him dating. Maybe you can even get him back in the cage?”

  “What do you mean?” I ask, fishing for more information. Nathan told me he didn’t get in the cage but was mostly just a training partner. Hopefully Jude can fill in the blanks about that.

  “He hasn’t had a professional fight in over three years,” Jude explains. “Strange, right? I mean, his record was great, five and one, because he can remember all his opponents’ moves just by watching tapes of them. That gave him an advantage, one that I would love to have.”

  “So why did he quit? Injury?” I ask, glancing around to see if Nathan’s within earshot. I hate gossiping behind his back, but he doesn’t talk much about himself.

  “Not that I know of,” Jude replies, running his fingers through his hair in thought. “Actually, I think he gets freaked out by blood. You know, he travels to our teammates’ bouts, but he’s never in the stadium on fight night. If someone gets a brow cut or nosebleed in practice, he runs the other way –” Jude says and then pauses. “Shit, I shouldn’t be talking shit about him. Sorry, forget I said all that. He’s a good guy, and maybe fighting in the cage just isn’t for him anymore.”

  “Can’t say that’s not a relief,” I tell him honestly. “Well, I better get in there. You too.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he says with a grin before coming around the counter.

  “Ugh, don’t call me that. It makes me feel old,” I joke with him. On the way to the classroom, I sneak a glance over at Nathan’s office, wondering if I should stop in and say hi before they get started, but decide against it. I don’t want to come off as desperate, even if I am anxious to see him again. There’s also a hint of disappointment that he hasn’t asked for my phone number, but it’s not like I gave him many opportunities.

  I take my place with the other parents at the back of the room, and just a minute or two later, Nathan walks in. When his eyes search the room until they land on mine, the tension and worry I had built up over the past two days crumbles away. After taking me in from head to toe, he flashes me an easy, appreciative smile before the guys get to work.

  Today’s practice goes pretty much like Tuesday’s but with a different series of moves. The class is doing stretches when my phone rings in my hand.

  Patrick.

  I hit ignore, but he keeps calling, so eventually I step outside the class and out the front door of the gym to answer.

  “Patrick? Everything okay?” I ask. Austin and Patrick were best friends for years while serving together. Ever since Patrick was honorably discharged he’s been checking up on Grayson and me a few times a week, helping me out around the house whenever I need anything.

  “Hey, Alyssa. I couldn’t remember if little man said his class was at seven or eight. I was gonna try and make it…”

  “Sorry, Patrick. It was at seven, so now it’s wrapping up.”

  “Shit. Well, maybe I can hitch a ride with you two next week so I won’t miss it. Last time I talked to Grayson, he was so excited and wanted me to come see him.”

  “Yeah, he is. We can try and make a plan for next week,” I tell him. It’ll make Grayson happy to have his support, even if things may be a little…awkward with Patrick and me because of the way he’s been acting lately. Maybe I’m mistaken, but I’m starting to feel like he wants more from me.

  “Well, I better get back inside,” I tell Patrick. “I’ll call you later to make a plan, okay?”

  “Great, thanks, Alyssa. And let me know if you want me to bring over dinner one night this weekend or take you and Grayson out…”

  “Sure, thanks, Patrick,” I say before ending the call.

  While dinner might sound innocent, I know what he’ll think if I accept – that it’s a date, when it’s not.

  As I walk back inside the gym, a pretty blonde woman that looks similar to the one I saw outside the building the other night is leading Nathan by the hand to his office.

  "Come try out your new desk," she says before the two disappear into the room.

  I stand awestruck, wondering if there’s more to that little scene or if I’m overreacting. Standing frozen in that same spot, waiting for the two to come back out, is where Grayson finds me.

  "Hey, Mom. Today we learned round kicks? You wanna see it?”

  “Sure,” I tell him and watch as his leg shoots out and pivots around.

  “That’s very cool,” I say while ruffling his hair.

  “Do you think I could get one of those bags to kick and maybe gloves and a sweatshirt?” he asks.

  “Maybe,” I say distractedly with one last glance at Nathan’s office before I usher Grayson out the door.

  After we’re buckled up, I still can’t forget seeing Nathan with that girl. I’m pretty sure she had come from the classroom…

  “Hey, Grayson, was there a young, blonde woman in your class today?” I ask.

  “Who? Sadie?” he asks. “She’s Coach’s girlfriend.”

  His girlfriend?

  Holy shit.

  And that name, it’s the one that showed up on his phone Saturday night before he was suddenly ready to get back to the gym. Did he think I wouldn’t find out? Is that why he first turned down my offer for a date? God, he really had me fooled. I feel so stupid for thinking there was a connection between us when the whole time there was nothing but his deceit and my own.

  Once Grayson and I get home, I send Candice a text message telling her to do what she wants with the article. I’m done trying to protect him, thinking he was an actual rare, good guy.

  Chapter Ten

  Alyssa

  Saturday night around nine there's a knock on my front door. I'm used to living on my own with Grayson by now, but I still hate dealing with this sort of thing – unexpected visitors without a man in the house.

  Pulse in my throat, I creep over to the door and look out the peephole.

  Nathan!

  What the hell does he want? I look over my shoulder; and since Grayson's reading in his room, I crack it open to tell him to get lost.

  “What are you doing here?" I snap, barely above a whisper. I try to ignore how damn good he looks in jeans and a white tee stretched across his defined chest. I quickly remember that I'm standing here in my ratty penguin pajama top and shorts.

  "Hey, I wanted to see you. I've been calling the number on Grayson’s paperwork since you left class Thursday without saying goodbye. Why didn't you answer?"

  Oh, what a jerk!

  “I know your secret,” I tell him. And even with just the light shining from the living room, I can tell that his face reddens to the degree of a fire truck at the same time his jaw falls open. “Shouldn't you be with your girlfriend tonight instead of wasting time on my doorstep?" I ask.

  He blinks at me a few times before his mouth shuts and forehead wrinkles. "Girlfriend?" he repeats.

  "The blonde girl? What was her name? Oh yeah, Sadie."

  "Sadie?" the jerk asks with a slow smile stretching across his face.

  "Yeah, and I don't really think it's funny, not after you kissed me Saturday night and Sun
day."

  The asshole only smiles wider. "Oh, kitten, are you jealous?" he asks, and then he actually freaking laughs.

  "Bye, Nathan," I say as I try to close the door on his smug face, but his hand wedges in to stop it.

  "Alyssa, I promise you I don't have a girlfriend. And Sadie is Jude's girlfriend. The two are, like, so disgustingly in love that you can't be around them without wanting to gag. Here, you can call and ask her if you want." He offers me his phone while I try to process everything he just said. Not his girlfriend but Jude's. The other fighter. Grayson said she was his coach's girlfriend, only he didn't say which coach.

  "Oh," I mutter in understanding, certain my nose is about to glow from embarrassment.

  "So can I come in now?" he asks, looking over my shoulder into the house.

  "I still don't think that's a good idea,” I tell him.

  "Right," he replies, his broad shoulders actually slumping like he's disappointed. Yeah, and I know a young guy like him only wants one thing from a woman at nine o'clock on a Saturday night.

  "I'm not gonna sleep with you," I tell him, hands braced on my hips.

  "You think that's why I'm here?" he asks, and I shrug in response as if it’s obvious. "Okay, honestly, yes, I do want to sleep with you. What straight man wouldn't? But that doesn't mean it has to happen tonight or anytime soon. Not if you don't want it to. No pressure."

  I bite my bottom lip while I consider letting him come inside. God, he’s adorable, even more so now that I know he doesn’t have a girlfriend. And I really liked kissing him. But I still don't want Grayson to see him. "Can you come back in half an hour? After I put Grayson to bed?"

  "Yes," Nathan says right away. "I'll just wait in my truck, and you can turn on the porch light to let me know, okay?"

  "Okay," I agree, and he gives me this enormous smile like I just told him we're going to Disney World.

  "Okay, see you in a few," he says before crossing the lawn back to his truck that's sitting at the dark curb.

  Do other men have backsides as nice as his? I've never noticed before if they do. Nathan's ass looks squeezable in his jeans, and the way his wide shoulders narrow to a slender waist is really freaking sexy. I had no idea I could get turned on by a man's back.

  After shutting the door, I make a beeline to the bathroom where I vigorously brush my teeth and hair, swipe deodorant under each armpit and quickly apply a little foundation and eye makeup so that I don't look so pale. Since he's seen my pajamas, it's too late to change those; but I do put on a bra and spray some Victoria's Secret spritzer on.

  Feeling more presentable, I walk down the hall to Grayson's room and take a peek inside. He's lying on his back in bed, holding a sci-fi novel in the air above him.

  "Hey, buddy. You about ready to turn in?" I ask, which is when the guilt assaults me. I'm tucking my son in so that I can let a man come inside the house. The only man, other than Patrick, who's been here this late at night since Austin was killed.

  Grayson yawns and sets his book down on his nightstand. "Yeah, I'm rather drowsy."

  "Do you need to go to the bathroom first? Have you brushed your teeth?" I ask.

  "Yes and yes, mother," he answers before sliding underneath his Star Wars comforter. I make sure he's covered up and kiss his forehead.

  "Goodnight, sleep tight. Love you," I say before turning off the light.

  "Goodnight. I love you, too," he replies.

  After shutting his door, I walk through the living room and kitchen, tidying up before eventually opening the front door and turning on the porch light. It only takes Nathan a minute to get out and walk up the sidewalk.

  "Hey again," he says with a smile and a kiss on my cheek.

  "Hey."

  I let him go ahead of me through the foyer and into the living room where the TV is quietly showing a chick flick. It's on a commercial now, but I'm pretty sure it's The Notebook playing.

  Nate takes a seat in the middle of the couch, and I wonder if it was a deliberate move. Now I have to either sit on the loveseat or right next to him. While I debate the seating arrangement, he glances around the room at the boxes of Star Wars Legos and pictures on the wall. Of the ones of Austin and me, the few of Grayson and Austin, mostly when he was a baby.

  "So, can I get you anything to drink? Or eat?"

  "No, I'm fine," he says softly.

  I finally make the decision to sit beside him because I do want to be close. I want to smell his wonderful woodsy scent and feel his warmth.

  "Whatcha watchin'?" he asks.

  "Girly movie, but we can change it."

  "How about we watch it until it goes off, then switch over to college football?"

  "Football?" I ask. “I think I saw there were IFC fights on tonight.” Okay, so I’ve been doing some research on the sport too.

  "That’s okay. I know you’re not a big fan of fighting."

  "Football then," I agree. We watch quietly for several minutes while the tension grows between us. His body heat seems to raise my own body temperature. Nathan smells incredibly delicious, making my mouth water. From my peripheral vision, I see his legs spread wide, his thigh almost touching mine that I have curled underneath me. When his big, warm palm slides over and strokes up my bare leg, I nearly combust.

  It's been years since I've been with a man, and I was a shy, inexperienced virgin before Austin. Those first few months...we were inseparable, and I spent a lot of time in his bed. I would sneak out of the house or skip school every chance I got to be with him. We were young and passionate, madly in love with each other and couldn't get enough. Until he got me pregnant and everything went to hell. After that, he went into the Marines, and we only saw each other during the too brief visits when he was on leave. I hate to admit that we grew apart. Maybe I was mentally distancing myself from Austin because I knew there was a chance he wouldn't come back one of these times, and I was right. Losing him was still hard. Is hard. Especially when I think about how Grayson never got to know his father, and now he never will.

  "Alyssa?" Nate asks, pulling me back to the present. When I glance over, he leans forward and quickly brushes his lips over mine before retreating. "Thanks for letting me stay."

  "Thanks for coming over," I tell him honestly. "I'm sorry if this is awkward, but this is the first time..."

  "It's not awkward," he replies. "You just make me nervous."

  I laugh before I remember I need to be quiet. "I make you nervous?" I ask.

  "Yeah. You're beautiful and smart, and you don't put up with any shit. I'm afraid I'll do something to mess things up with you."

  He's so sincere. I can hear it in his voice and see it in his green eyes. He's serious about wanting to date me, and I feel the same way. Pushing aside the guilt of my ulterior motive, I stretch forward and kiss him back, hesitantly at first before our tongues meet and tangle. The warm ache in my lower body grows stronger with each passing second, but eventually I pull away, both of us breathless. Nathan wraps his arm around my back and holds me against him as our eyes go back to the television.

  My thoughts stay on that kiss and how much I want more. How my body craves more from him. He makes me feel reckless, and that's something I can't afford to be. So I don’t kiss him again as the movie goes off and we change the channel to watch Clemson and Carolina’s championship game.

  “So you’re a big football fan?” I ask.

  “Not usually, but I went to Carolina, and a, um, friend of mine was a big Clemson fan.”

  “Oh.”

  During the silence, I try to think of what to say, and only one thing is nagging me. Tomorrow’s Sunday and Candice is set on printing up the article. When I was angry at him, thinking he had lied to me and had a girlfriend, I had told her to go for it. In just hours, Nathan’s face will be hot off the presses. So, now is my chance to warn him by telling the truth. Sheesh. Where to start?

  “Odd question,” I start. “You know, I thought I recognized your name, Nathan Lewis from the paper last w
eek.”

  His body visibly tenses, and he keeps his eyes on the flat screen. “Huh? Common name, I guess,” he replies.

  “Oh. So, you weren’t the one at that bar who jumped the gunman to save everyone?” I ask.

  “Definitely not,” he answers, barking out a laugh. “I was at a much tamer memorial service for a friend, but I heard about that, though. Crazy that there are nuts like that out there in the world, right?”

  Oh my God.

  It wasn’t him. Unless he’s lying. But why in the world would he lie to me about something like that?

  Shit. I need to call Candice. Thankfully, Nathan gets to his feet and stretches his arms over his head. The move causes the bottom of his white tee to rise, showing a teasing hint of washboard abs and a reddish gold trail that leads down into his jeans. If there were an alarm that corresponds with my arousal, it would definitely be blaring right now; but, unfortunately, I have an article to cancel.

  “So, it’s getting late. I guess I better go,” Nathan thankfully says before I have to.

  “Oh, okay,” I say and follow him to the door.

  Before I have time to comprehend his intention, my back is plastered against the wall while Nathan kisses me silly. His hard body presses into mine, flattening me in an incredible way. I moan into his mouth when I feel his erection, proof that he wants me as much as I want him. There are several seconds where I actually debate asking him to stay and calling Candice from the bathroom. But the thought of letting another man in my and Austin’s bed quickly douses those flames. I turn my head to stop the kiss instead of pushing him off of me. Nathan pulls away and looks down at me for several silent seconds before opening the door.

  “’Night, Alyssa,” he says.

  “Goodnight,” I reply before watching him leave and locking the door.

  An instant later and I’m on my phone, calling Candice before his taillights leave the window.

  “Hello?” she answers.

  “Cancel the article!” I tell her.

  “What? No way.”

  “You have to. You’ve got the wrong guy. I asked Nathan, and he said he was at a memorial service.” I tell her as I sit down at the kitchen table with my laptop. Thankfully, I leave it on all the time, so I type in memorial service in Cary and last week’s date, November twenty-eighth, into the search engine to see if there are any results. Sure enough, there was a Facebook event.