Undisputed (25 page)

“Paperwork for what?” I ask.

“Fuck if I know. I haven’t read it. I don’t even know where the hell it is.”

“Probably in that mountain of mail on your counter that’s driving me crazy,” I quip.

He grins huge. “Hopefully in the garbage. Where it belongs. My parents are assholes.”

My eyebrows pop up in surprise.

“I just mean they’ve always been hard on me. I’m the only child, the only heir to their wealth, and I’ve never lived up to their expectations. Made good grades in school, but not good enough. Got in too many fights. They hated Tripp and Rebecca, said I was hanging with the wrong crowd.”

“Why do they hate them?”

“Probably because the Tolers don’t have as much money as they do. Or maybe it’s because they’re happily married. Who the hell knows.”

“Your parents are divorced?” I ask.

With a quick shake of his head, he barks a humorless laugh. “Nope. Still married. Just hate each other’s guts.”

“Why?” I whisper.

His face hardens. “Dad has more mistresses than he does underwear. Mom allows it.”

I snap my head back in shock. “Why would she allow that?”

He pops a shoulder. “Never bothered to ask. She just throws herself into charities.”

“Oh. Well, that sounds nice.”

“It’s not” he bites out roughly.

“Uhm, you did say
charity
, right? How is that not a good thing?”

“Because she’s a snob. She doesn’t do charity work out of the kindness of her heart or because she wants to make the world a better place. It’s a fucking competition with her other rich friends to see who can be the best at feeding the homeless.” With an arm at my back, he flips us to our sides. Propping himself up on an elbow, he cradles his head in his palm and looks down at me. “My mother would cut her own hand off if she ever had to touch a homeless person. They’ve spent my entire life either riding my ass because I wasn’t good enough or completely ignoring me. Whenever Dad got caught with another pair of panties that didn’t belong to my mom, she wallowed in self-pity and forgot I even existed.”

I frown at him. My heart aches for what he missed out on. His childhood was a far cry from the one I grew up with. He may have had the money, but I had the family who loved me. Something that I quickly realize still rings true even as adults.

His parents are still alive, but I’m the lucky one.

“What did you mean when you said you’re still doing that fighting thing?” I prod.

“Oh, they think that cage-fighting is barbaric. Beneath us. They’re ashamed of me and embarrassed that this is the career I’ve chosen. Not that they think it’s a career. It’s just a hobby or some sort of rebellious phase I’ve been going through for the last
eight fucking years
.”

“But that doesn’t make sense. You’re good at it. And it’s earned you a lot of money. It’s not like you’re fighting in the streets for pocket change,” I insist.

“Sidney, my parents come from money. The money I’ve made fighting is nothing compared to what they’ve got. They don’t understand why I refuse to work for my father and make three times what I make now. My parents own Nottingham Industries.”

My mouth falls open as I blurt out, “Nottingham Industries? Holy shit, Breccan. Now,
I
don’t understand. Why would you want to get beat up when you could be working for the largest textile company in the world?”

I probably sound like his parents, but I can’t comprehend what he just told me. NI is a household name and has revolutionized the way fabrics are made.

“Because fighting is what I’m good at!” he declares.

Surprised, I inch away from him, but he pulls me back and softens his voice.

“It’s the one thing I’ve ever done right. I’ve never lost a fight, Sid. It’s not just luck or practice. It’s talent. The one talent I have. I’m not meant to sit behind a fucking desk in a suit all day. I was born to be a fighter.” His chest heaves.

I place my hand over his heart and feel it racing. In an effort to calm him, I place a gentle kiss on his cheek.

He looks down at me and says, “You know what I used to love the most?”

I shake my head.

“The fame.” He stares into space. “It was such a fucking rush, you know, being recognized while walking down the street. Guys telling me how much they worshipped me.” He glances back at me and winces as he admits, “The women throwing themselves at me.”

I roll my eyes. I can only imagine the lines of women waiting for their turn with Breccan Carlisle. Hell, the time we first met at the bar, I was one of them. But that was before I got to know the man. His kind heart. His gentle hands. The innocence hiding beneath the raw, masculine exterior.

My cheeks heat when I realize he’s all mine.

“The fame was my high, Sid. All of it. I didn’t think I’d ever get tired of it.” Sighing, he rolls us yet again and shifts me back onto his chest.

I stay silent, hoping he’ll continue. After a few moments, I’m rewarded for my patience.

“In the beginning, I was so strict. My training regimen, my diet, everything. I refused to let anything stop me from being the best. I had a lot to prove, you know? This kid from a privileged family wanted to start fighting. The pros laughed at me. No one took me seriously. Then I met Mark.” His lips turn up in a smile. “Mark was at the top of his game. Then, one night, he was out with a buddy, and the asshole held up a gas station. Mark went down with him for armed robbery. Spent ten years in prison. After that, no one took him seriously, either. I don’t believe in fate, but if I did, that’s what I would say meeting him was.”

He shakes his head. “Anyway. In the beginning, I was dedicated. Then I got my first win. And the high from that first victory just pushed me to work even harder. Then I won again and again. Then I got a title shot and easily claimed that belt as mine. There wasn’t a motherfucker in the world I couldn’t beat. All the haters shut up real quick. It was my fists that silenced them.” He smirks, proud of his accomplishments.

I grin at him.

It doesn’t matter that I wasn’t around for his rise to the top; I’m proud of him too.

“Somewhere between that first title fight and my last one, though, something inside me shifted. I’ve always been a cocky bastard, but I started to believe I was invincible. I stopped being as religious about my nutrition. I didn’t give it my all when I was in the gym. I started going out more, drinking more, wanting more.” He sighs. “Winning wasn’t enough anymore. It wasn’t giving me the same euphoric feeling. I still loved to fight, but it wasn’t as satisfying as it had once been. I thought maybe I needed more friends. More money. More
something
.” The arm around my shoulders flexes. “Then I met Connor. Here’s this kid who’s
dying
and all he wants to do is play Xbox with me. Did he ever tell you I tried to give him my watch?”

I shake my head at him, too afraid that, if I speak, he’ll stop. I’ve learned more about Breccan in the last few minutes than I have in the last few months. I don’t want him to quit opening up to me now.

“Yeah. He said he liked it, so I tried to hand it to him. He didn’t want it. I couldn’t believe it. Most of the people I meet are begging for something, but not him. And then you came down those stairs. Well, fell down them.”

I give his shoulder a shove.

He smiles. “Your clumsiness was so cute. And you didn’t immediately try to seduce me. Hell, you brushed me off and then left. You were a breath of fresh air. It was after we went skydiving that it dawned on me.” Then he’s quiet for a minute.

I can’t stand it any longer. “What dawned on you?” I whisper.

“I didn’t
need
more
. I just needed
you
.” He runs his fingers through my hair.

Leaning my head in to his palm, I let my eyes close. My throat is thick with emotion when I say, “I need you too, Breccan.” They aren’t the words I wanted to say, but they’re true.

“No, you don’t, Sidney. You’re strong and smart. Sexy and sweet. You don’t need
anyone
. But I’m gonna be a selfish bastard and stick around for as long as you’ll have me.”

“That’s gonna be a long time,” I mumble, nuzzling into his neck.

“I’m not opposed to forever,” he breathes, still running his fingers through my hair.

Despite my best efforts, I can’t force my eyelids to open again. I snuggle deeper into his side, promising myself that I’ll just rest for a few minutes.

A
gentle shake of my shoulder wakes me, and I bolt upright.

“What time is it?” I mumble, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

Breccan’s hair is wet, and he’s dressed in a T-shirt and sweat pants. Looking around his room, I’m shocked that it’s light out.

“Gah! How long did I sleep?’

He lets out a low chuckle before shocking me further. “All night. It’s eight thirty. In the morning,” he adds.

“Shit!” I jump out of the bed and scramble to find my phone. “I should have checked in on Connor and Abby before now. Where’s my purse?” I’m still frantically searching for my stuff when Breccan puts his hands on my shoulders.

“Hey. Calm down. I just talked to Abby. Connor’s fine. Abby’s fine. Everyone’s fine.”

My shoulders relax.

“See, the world doesn’t fall apart just because you got some much-needed sleep.” A lopsided grin appears on his face. He picks a mug up from the nightstand.

My eyes light up. “Please, God, let that be coffee,” I nearly cry.

He thrusts the steaming cup in my hands and I inhale deeply.

“It is coffee. Praise Jesus.” I smile at him and then take a long sip. “Ah. So good.” I take another sip and then look back up at him. “Thank you. I know I needed the sleep, but I should still call her. How long have you been up?” I run my free hand through his wet hair. I’m sure his intentions were good, but I would have gladly forgone an hour of sleep to take a shower with him.

Breccan leans down and kisses me deeply. Morning breath be damned. My legs turn to jelly, and I have to grab his arms to keep from landing on the floor. He continues to kiss me, his tongue dancing with mine, but makes no attempt to take it any further.

Pressing my body flush with his, I roll my hips, but he shakes his head. I voice my displeasure with a restless groan as he pulls away. Poking out my bottom lip, I bat my eyelashes at him, which elicits a bark of laughter, but nothing else.

We stare at each other for several seconds before he tells me, “Oh, don’t look at me like that. I’m gonna take you up on that offer. But just not right now. We have plans.”

Shaking my head, I protest, “Oh, no, I can’t. I’ve gotta get back to the hospital. I need—”

He puts a hand up. “We’re going to the hospital.”

Relieved, I open my mouth to speak, but he gets there first.

“To drop breakfast off. Then we’re coming back here. To Netflix and chill.” A wicked grin crosses his face.

I narrow my eyes at him. “You’re kidding, right?”

He grins.

“I know what that means now. I looked it up,” I tell him.

The grin disappears, and he blinks at me. “What do you mean?”

Rolling my eyes, I say, “Oh yeah. You don’t
remember
.” I feign irritation. “You tried that line on me. At the club. I didn’t know what it meant then, but I
do
now.”

Groaning, he scrubs a hand down his face. “Shiiiiiiit,” he drawls. “I’m such a dick. Sorry.”

Laughing, I wave at him. “Whatever. You were cute. Even if you did try every cheesy pickup line in existence.” I throw up quotations. “‘Netflix and chill’ sounds great, but seriously, I should stay with Connor.”

The thought of staying locked in with Breccan for a few days sounds amazing, and I begin fantasizing about all the different ways to show him just how much I need him. I’m envisioning all the showers we could take together when I hear him call my name.

He’s waving a hand in front of my face. “Earth to Sidney. Where’d ya go?”

I blush and glance away. “Nowhere. Sorry. Did you say something?”

His brow creases, but he says, “Abby told me that you would insist on staying. She also told me that she wanted you to get some rest. Plus, she wants to spend some time with Connor. So we’re stopping at the Waffle Shack to get red velvet waffles for Connor. Then we’re coming back here. Don’t argue with me. Just go take a shower.” He gives me a pat on my butt.