Fighting for Love (10 page)

“Tyler, you’re up,” Ryan shouted.

Once Tyler got in the ring, Shelby’s whole mood shifted and she lit up, smiling and laughing at whatever Tyler was saying to her. Their pictures were playful and fun, and I couldn’t help but laugh. Tyler was a good guy and he worked hard. Hopefully, he would get the break he needed to get his name out there.

“Matt, come on up,” Ryan called out.

When I got in the ring, Shelby strolled up to me, her demeanor changing from playful to sinful as she turned around and rested her back against my chest. Taking my arms, she wrapped one around her stomach and the other to where my hand rested low on the dip between her hip and thigh.

“Hold me tight,” she whispered huskily. “We’re going to spice things up a bit.” That was one thing she didn’t have to tell me twice.

My grip tightened and she moaned when I pushed my rock hard cock against her ass. “Like that,” I growled low in her ear.

“Yes,” she breathed. “Just like that.”

Then the camera lights flashed.

AFTER THE PHOTO SHOOT WAS
over, Ryan asked Shelby if she wanted to model with the guys again when the time came. I stood there silently repeating,
Please say no, please say no
. Politely, Shelby refused, but said she’d had a wonderful time. I was thankful for that because it was hard enough watching her do it the first time, much less a second.

After the photo shoot, we came back to my prepping room and she watched me warm up and tape my hands. Usually, I’d listen to music and shut everyone out, but I couldn’t do that with her around. I didn’t want to.

“Is this what you normally do when you get ready for a fight?” Shelby asked, making a few notes in her notebook. “I know you as a person, but as far as your training and fighting I don’t have a clue. It’s actually pretty interesting.”

“Yeah, this is mostly what I do,” I told her, “but I also listen to music when I warm up to get me pumped. I’m naturally driven and ready to fight, so it doesn’t take much to get me ready to go.”

“What sorts of music do you like to listen to beforehand?” she asked. “I know ten years ago your favorites were Usher and OutKast. Surely, things have changed since then.”

“Hey, I still listen to their CD’s every once in a while, but before fights I like to listen to Avenged Sevenfold or Five Finger Death Punch. We should go to one of their concerts sometime. I think you’d like them.” We had a rule when we were in high school that whoever drove had control of the radio. Needless to say, I mainly drove because I hated having to listen to her music; she loved boy bands.

“You have five minutes before you need to walk,” Garrett announced, poking his head in through the door. “You also have someone out here who wants to see you.”

Shelby pursed her lips but kept her eyes downcast and hand flying across the page as she wrote. I knew what she was thinking because it was the same thought going through my mind. Girls would come to my room before and after the fights offering to do anything I wanted. It was fun for a time, but for the past few months I hadn’t let anyone in my room at all.

“Who is it?” I questioned skeptically.

Garrett smiled, opening the door wide. The last person I expected to walk through that door was the one who did … Mason Bradley, the one fighter during my training that I looked up to. He was honorable and one of the toughest men I knew. He was also a good friend, and one to Tyler as well, so it shouldn’t have shocked me that he’d come watch us fight each other. If he hadn’t taken this coming season off, he’d be the one I had to defend my Heavyweight title against.

“Holy shit,” I announced, “if it isn’t Mason ‘The Eagle’ Bradley. I didn’t know you were coming.” Holding out my hand, he grasped it tight and chuckled.

“Hey, I didn’t want to miss this fight. I’m all for any chance I get to see Tyler’s ass get kicked. He used to fuck with me all the time about Claire. You’re lucky you don’t have to deal with that.”

Claire was his wife and
I
even gave him shit about her from time to time, flirting with her and such just for fun. Tyler, however, took things to a much different level. Shelby closed her notebook and got to her feet with a smile on her face; she was what I needed.

“Actually,” Shelby began, extending her hand to Mason, “I think Matt’s a victim of Tyler’s antics as well. I’m Shelby, an old friend of Matt’s.”

Shaking her hand, Mason lifted a brow, smirking. “An old friend, huh? I think I need to hear more.”

“She’s also Paige Monroe,” I told him. “She writes for
Physique
magazine. She was supposed to write an article either on me or you, but since your lame ass isn’t fighting this season I was picked. So, I guess I owe you a thanks.”

Mason grinned. “Well, you’re welcome. You deserve the spot anyway.” He then turned to Shelby. “I’ve actually read all of your articles. My wife, Claire, loves the magazine, so we get it every month. She’s going to be pissed when I tell her I met you. I guess next month I’ll be seeing this ugly guy’s face in it,” he said, pointing over at me.

The door to the room opened again and Garrett stuck his head back in. “It’s time to go,” he warned.

Shelby rushed and packed up her things before smiling over at me from across the room. “Good luck tonight, Matt. Make sure you win,” she chimed, winking one of her golden brown eyes at me. Before she could walk past me and out the door, I grabbed her arm and pulled her to me. Cutting off her gasp, I kissed her long and hard, tasting the sweetness of her lips that always reminded me of strawberries. She ate them constantly; chocolate covered ones being her favorite.

When I let her go, her eyes slowly opened and she moaned. “That was my good luck kiss,” I told her. “I couldn’t let you leave without giving me one.”

Her lips tilted up into a lazy grin. “It was my pleasure.”

Mason chuckled and slapped me on the arm. “Do you want me to walk her out there? It’s the least I can do since you always sit with Claire. Besides, I’m starting to think I need to bow down to her for taming the wild beast. It’s like you’re a whole new you.”

That’s how I felt when Shelby was around … different.

After they left, I followed Garrett down the corridor to the entrance where I’d walk out to the ring. Ever since Shelby came back into my life, I wanted to be a better person. If Mason could see that I was changing I could only hope she could see it, too.

SEATED AND READY FOR THE
FIGHT, Mason switched places with the guy to my left so he could sit beside me. Mason Bradley was a celebrity among the MMA world for his undercover work last summer. There were UFC fighters showing up dead in Las Vegas, and he was the one who figured it all out. I was determined to write an article on him some day.

The lights overhead started to dim and the crowd began to scream, knowing it was time for the fighters to come out. The announcer called for Tyler and immediately he came strutting out with his fists pumping in the air. He had his blond hair pulled back into a low ponytail, and was wearing a pair of white and black shorts with black gloves. When he smiled at the crowd the ladies went crazy, screaming obscene things that I would never attempt to say out loud in public. Tyler loved it, and as soon as he did his turn around the ring it was time for Matt to come out.

“All right, the time has come to announce our next fighter,” the announcer shouted. “We all know him as the charming, UFC bad boy and Heavyweight title champion. So, gentlemen, keep a hold of your ladies because this guy has been known to steal them away. I give you, MATT ‘THE DESTROYER’ REEEYYNNNOOLLLLDDSSSS!!!!”

The lights beamed brighter and the screams grew louder as Matt came into view, strolling down the walkway. The ladies were going crazy around him, trying to touch him as he walked past, except he kept his eyes on the ring and kept moving. Before, he used to slow down and let the women touch him and sometimes even kiss him.
I wonder if he’s just doing that because I’m here, or if he really doesn’t want them to touch him.

When he got into the ring he searched around the arena until his gaze landed on me. At that moment it was just me and him, two people brought back together by some unknown force to give us a second opportunity; to give us a chance at redemption. Most people rolled their eyes at the talk of soulmates, that it was a myth or fairy tale. I, on the other hand, believed in such a miracle. Never once had I felt whole or complete without him in my life. The void, the ache in my chest was no longer there, tormenting me. However, I still harbored the guilt for my terrible decision to leave.

Was it selfish of me to keep my secrets? Yes, it was, but I couldn’t let go just yet.

The sound of the bell brought me back and Matt made sure to smile at me before he went head to head with Tyler. “He’s a good guy, you know?” Mason noted. His eyes were on the fight, but he continued to speak, “I think he just lost his way for a while, especially with coming from nothing and then having everything. I was the same way. It gets to your head.”

He had a point, and in a way it made me wonder if our separation saved us. If I would’ve stayed and Matt screwed up then that damage would most likely have been irreparable. It still hurt to know that he’d been with an uncountable amount of women, but unfortunately, our life paths are paved in mistakes.

“What made you want to change?” I asked him. “When do you realize that money and screwing numerous women aren’t what’s important in life?”

Mason’s lips tilted up in a sad smile before he looked over at me. “I left the sport to take care of my mother. She died a couple of years afterwards, but it made me grow up. That’s when I became a cop and put fighting aside. Claire knows of my past and what I was like. I was afraid she wouldn’t trust me if I came back to the sport, but I haven’t given her a reason not to. I love her too much to fuck up what we have.”

“I see,” I murmured.

Round one was over, but Matt and Tyler were still pumped and ready to go. They grinned at each other from across the ring and I couldn’t help but laugh. It was hard to fathom that even though they were friends they could still hit and pummel each other for sport. Matt was good at it and he loved it. At least he found something in life he loved doing.

Ding, ding, ding.
The bell rang for round two. Only one more round to go.

“So, Shelby, let me get this straight. I can only assume by your question that you’re wondering if Matt is going to stay the infamous bad boy who fucks every woman that spreads her legs. Is that what you really wanted to ask me?”

“O–oh w–wow,” I stammered, clearing my throat. “Yeah, that was pretty much what I wanted to ask, but I was trying to figure out how to be tactful about it.”

He chuckled. “Well, I don’t do tactful. I usually just come right out and say the shit that’s on my mind. To answer your question, though, yes. He will most likely stay MMA’s bad boy until it comes time for him to retire. Even I couldn’t take that title away from him, and I was worse than him.”

Mason averted his gaze back to the ring and smiled when Matt took Tyler to the mat. “Uh-oh, the fight’s almost over. Tyler doesn’t do so well on the mat. His strength is in his punches. Anyway, to answer the other part, no, he’s not going to fuck every woman he gets his hands on and he hasn’t for a really long time. When we became friends and he started spending time with me and my wife, she must have said something to him that made him rethink what he was doing. So for the past six months or so he hasn’t let any women in his room after the fights. He’s been trying to change.”

Really?
Oh, please let Mason be right.

Hearing Mason’s words gave me hope. That hope intensified when out of nowhere I was scooped into Matt’s sweaty yet strong arms with his mouth pressed hard to mine. The crowd hooted and hollered, whistling as Matt claimed me for his own in front of thousands among thousands of people. Everything about him was scorching to the touch; even his lips felt like they were on fire, the heat trailing through every vein in my body.

“Matt,” I gasped. “What are you doing?”

Still in his arms, he gazed down at me with his passionate, heat-filled green eyes. “I just won the fight, angel, and now it’s time to claim my prize. I hope you’re ready for this.”

I was more than ready.

THE DECISION TO GO TO
Matt’s house was a mutual agreement. After changing into a pair of jeans and plain white T-shirt, we were out of the arena as fast as we could go. With the way Jace handled Matt this morning I didn’t want to take the chance on him being there, even if he’d said he wasn’t going to be. While on the way to his house in Santa Rosa, I had a couple of text messages come in from Caleb.

Caleb: Just letting you know I was thinking about you. Don’t forget about tomorrow night. It looks like the majority wants to go to Bay Ridge. I’ll pick you up at 6 and then after dinner there’s a party at Hayley’s.

Caleb: Is everything okay? You haven’t called or texted.

Quickly, I texted him back.

Me: Yes, everything’s fine. Just been busy. I’ll see you tomorrow.

The distress must’ve shown on my face because Matt lifted a curious brow and asked, “Are you all right?”