

_* * * *_

_A Fighter's Desire_

_Part Two_

_A Gloves Off Novel_

Copyright © 2014 by L.P. Dover

Cover design by Regina Wamba

Edited by Melissa Ringsted

**Smashwords Edition**

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products, bands, and/or restaurants referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

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Table of Contents

Title Page

Note from the Author

Part Two: Gabriella and Tyler

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Other Books by L.P. Dover

Hello, lovely readers! I wanted to give you a heads up that A Fighter's Desire Parts One and Two are introductory novellas so that you can be introduced to the Gloves Off characters. They need to be read in order and definitely before each main book in the series. Also, just to give you a fair warning there are no happy endings yet, but you will get the satisfaction you crave soon. I love my fighters and I want them to have their happily ever afters more than anything. In their main books they will have their chance to be happy.

The GLOVES OFF series order

A FIGHTER'S DESIRE -PART ONE

A FIGHTER'S DESIRE - PART TWO

TYLER'S UNDOING (Gloves Off, #1)

RYLEY'S REVENGE (Gloves Off, #2)

WINTER KISS (A Gloves Off Novella)

PAXTON'S PROMISE (Gloves Off, #3)

CAMDEN'S REDEMPTION (Gloves Off, #4)

KYLE'S RETURN (Gloves Off, #5)

"HEY, GABBY!" ASHLEIGH shouted, banging on my bedroom door. "I need your help lacing up my dress."

"Why can't your boyfriend do it?" I hollered back, quickly running my flat iron over a small section of my midnight-colored hair.

"Are you serious? He'll ruin it! Besides, he doesn't even know how to. Please, will you do it for me?"

Huffing, I set my flat iron down and marched to the door. _She better not bitch at me if I make us late._ When I opened the door, Ashleigh stood there, looking beautiful and perfect with her chocolate-colored hair pulled into a classy updo, while trying desperately to keep her black and white ball gown from falling down.

Why she had to pick a dress that weighed so much was beyond me. Although, it _was_ going to be interesting to watch her climb into Colin's truck.

Shaking my head, I chuckled and waved her in, "Come on. I don't think I could trust a guy to lace me up, either ... especially Colin. However, if the guys bitch about us being late I'm totally blaming you."

We needed to leave for the celebration banquet with Colin and Bradley, and we were almost out of time. Our college baseball team had made it to the championship, so everyone was getting together to celebrate, get the details on where the tournament would be, and so forth. It was a fancy type of thing the team liked to do every year, and they always planned it even before we advanced.

Yes, our team was that good ... we _knew_ we would make it. We always did, especially with Colin as our star pitcher and Bradley as our best homerun hitter. It was their last tournament before graduation. Soon they'd be off in the major leagues and becoming famous.

Once Ashleigh shut the door, I motioned for her to turn around. "All right, let me get you done so I can finish up my hair."

"Thank you," she breathed. "Make sure to do it tight so it doesn't fall down."

Rolling my eyes, I took her by the shoulders and turned her around. The laces were made out of thick, black satin that she had run through the top loops, but none through the bottoms. _This is going to take forever._

Starting from the top, I worked my way down, looping them through and tightening them as I went. Even though they took longer to put on, it was easier buying dresses with lace up backs because you could tighten it to your body.

Pulling the laces tighter, I winked at Ashleigh's reflection in the mirror. "Don't worry, I'm doing them tight. If you and Colin want to get naked quick, it's not going to happen. It'll take time getting this thing off of you."

"Ha-ha, I think we'll be okay. We like the tension and the buildup anyway. It makes for some great sex."

_I wonder if it was like that with her and Ryley._

"So," I began, "how's everything going with you and Colin? I know he wasn't too happy when he found out about you and Ryley. Has he gotten over that yet?"

Halfheartedly, she shrugged. "Yeah, I think so. We don't talk about it much anymore. I guess if you don't talk about it, it's like it never happened."

A few more minutes ticked by and I was almost done with her laces when she cleared her throat and turned her head, gazing at me with a sheepish expression on her face. It killed her, knowing that she broke Ryley's heart, even if he was too stubborn to admit it.

"How is he by the way? I know you've talked to him."

Just a short month ago, I thought Ryley had decided to wise up and put his bad boy ways aside for her. It just so happened that he did for a while, but when she left him for Colin he reverted back to his usual self.

_Unfortunately_ , _I actually think he got worse._

I couldn't blame Ashleigh for his sudden change back into a player, but I had hoped she would be the one to tame him. He was better than what he portrayed himself to be.

Colin, however, was a good guy. He and Ashleigh were great together, and I knew they were happy. My heart ached for Ryley.

Sighing, I said, "He's fine, Ash. I know it hurt him when you left, but he's dealing with it the only way he knows how. It also doesn't help that Camden's right along with him, pushing his buttons."

"Yeah," Ashleigh murmured regretfully. "Camden's a real piece of work. I miss talking to Ryley, but I wouldn't give up Colin for anything. He's coming home with me over Christmas, you know. Bradley told me the other day that he asked you to join his family, but you haven't given him an answer yet."

_It's because I don't have one._

Instead of responding to the Bradley statement, I tied up the last of her laces and smacked her ass. "Okay, you're done, babe. Now get out of here so I can finish getting ready."

Turning around, she lifted her brows and crossed her arms at her chest. "Why aren't you answering me? Is there something going on with you and Bradley that you're not telling me about?"

There _was_ something going on, but it wasn't with Bradley. He was amazing and I loved hanging out with him, but he wasn't what I wanted ... at least not yet. He wanted commitment, to be solely with me, but I wasn't ready for that step. The thought scared me, so I'd reluctantly been pushing him away.

Other than being his date for the banquet--which was probably a mistake--I'd been keeping my distance, hoping that my feelings of wanting a certain fighter would change. Unfortunately, they hadn't; they'd only gotten worse.

"Gabby?" she warned. "I'm not leaving this room until you tell me."

Groaning, I turned away from her and waltzed back to my mirror so I could finish flat ironing my hair. "Okay, fine. I've been a little preoccupied, and it hasn't been with thoughts of Bradley. If you must know, the night we went to Ryley and Camden's house for the party, something happened and I can't stop thinking about it."

She furrowed her brows, but then her eyes went wide, mouth gaping open. "Oh my God ... Tyler. Something happened between you and Tyler, didn't it?"

"Shh ..." I hissed, waving my hands in the air. "Bradley will hear you."

She pointed at me, narrowing her eyes, and then put her hands on her hips. "I knew something was up between you two. I could see it. What happened? Did you guys hook up?"

"No, not like that," I explained. "All we did was kiss, but I'm telling you ... I didn't want to stop, and neither did he. When things started moving further that's when he pulled away and said he couldn't."

I'd wanted to kill him in that moment.

"Wow," Ashleigh gasped in disbelief. "I never thought _he'd_ be the one to stop. What are you going to do with Bradley? That guy is like seriously in love with you."

Sighing, I averted my gaze and put on my lip gloss, before sheepishly running my hands down the silky fabric of my red evening gown. My heart hurt when I thought about Bradley and his feelings for me. The guilt weighed me down every time I looked at him.

"I know he is, and I really like him, but I can't get Tyler out of my mind. I've wanted him for so long, and now that I know he wants me too, it's all I can think about. I don't know what to do."

Ashleigh shrugged and reached for the handle of my door. "There's not really much you can do, Gabby. Tyler's in Las Vegas and you're here. You know it wouldn't work. Besides, aren't you forbidden to date your brother's friends?"

Growling low, I rolled my eyes and gritted my teeth. "And that's the reason why Tyler stopped when he did. He doesn't want to piss off Matt."

"Well, it sounds a little too complicated to me, Gabby. We always want what we can't have. I suggest you move on and forget about him."

_She didn't have any room to talk._

Before she could open the door, I stopped her with my next words, making her back stiffen. "Don't you think that's easier said than done? If I remember correctly, you had a hell of a time concentrating after the twins wanted you. It was almost like a thirst you couldn't quench until you had them, or in your case, Ryley. That's how it is with Tyler, Ash. One time is all I want, or I'm always going to wonder ... what if, you know?"

Glancing at me over her shoulder, she sighed. "I know what you mean, Gabby. If that's the way you feel, then there's only one thing you can do."

Smiling, she winked at me and walked out, shutting the door behind her. I knew what I had to do, but how the hell was I going to do it?

IT WAS SATURDAY night and the second round had just ended. The crowd roared for me to end it, and once the bell rang I was going to give them what they wanted. My opponent, Corey Aiken, was holding on for as long as he could, but I knew he wouldn't last. One more hit and he'd be flat on his back.

"All right, son, let's end this," my father, and fighting coach, thundered. "You can do it."

_Ding ... ding ... ding._

My father was my biggest supporter, and sometimes--from a distance--people thought my father was me. We were both around six foot four with blond, almost white hair. His was actually white, mine was just really blond. Even with him pushing sixty he was still muscular and built like the fighter he used to be; he could still kick ass at his age.

Snarling, Corey stood from his corner, bleeding from the cut above his right eye. Boy did he look like he wanted to kill me. His eyes were too narrow and angry; his head was perfectly shaved down to the scalp and slicked with what I assumed to be petroleum jelly. That shit didn't work because each hit I punched him, my fists followed through.

In return to his snarl, I grinned and strolled to the middle of the ring, waiting on him to attack _me_ this time. He got in a few hits in round one, making my left cheek swollen and bruised, but it definitely didn't look like his face ... all red, swollen, and bloody.

"Come on, motherfucker," he hissed, pumping his fists together. "You haven't seen anything yet." I ducked as he swung hard and missed, stumbling because he threw himself off balance. I couldn't help but chuckle.

"You think that's funny?" His gaze was hard and murderous as he glared at me, his chest rising and falling with his angry breaths.

In reply, I shrugged, a grin on my face. Newbie fighters were so predictable. They liked to talk shit and stir the pot while in the ring, which in return only got their asses kicked. The guys who usually had to talk themselves up were the biggest pussies I knew.

Corey was bigger than me, but he was slow and heavy on his feet. I didn't have that problem, so I figured it was about time I showed him that ... to end it.

Not wasting any more time, I spun around and roundhouse kicked him in the jaw, feeling the crack of his bones on my foot. I had the split second of watching his eyes go wide before his head snapped to the side. He was definitely in his rightful place now ... falling to the floor like the worthless cocksucker he was.

When he hit the mat, the crowd screamed, but before they could announce me the victor, I leaned over his body and chuckled, making sure to keep my voice low. "Talking shit will get you nowhere, rookie. It only makes you look like a spineless pussy. Although, I have to admit watching you land on your face was fucking hilarious."

Slowly, Corey got to his feet and spit on the mat, blood trailing down his chin. "Fuck you, Rushing," he hissed. "Just wait till next time."

The announcer joined us in the ring and took both of us by the wrists. "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you tonight's winner ... TYLER 'THE TERROR' RUUUSSSHIIINNNNGGGG!"

The second the announcer lifted my arm, my father and agent both rushed into the ring, smiling in victory. The screaming crowd cheered for me, hollering my name, and it was music to my ears. For once I was the one they wanted, not like before when I was a nobody.

This time was different ... I had the power, the money, and the fame. I could get anything I wanted, anything I desired. It was all there for the taking, and I fucking loved it.

"You did great, son," my father marveled, slapping me on the back. "I'm proud of you."

"So am I," my agent shouted triumphantly. "We have to go out and celebrate. You down for it?" His grin was wide, mischievous. I could tell he was ready for some fun; his dark hair was gelled and his expensive suit was perfectly in place. The ladies loved him in the suits. It didn't matter what I wore; they came to me no matter what.

Todd Winfield was my agent, and his ideas of fun consisted of pleasures even I couldn't deny. I knew exactly where he wanted to go, since each time I won a fight, he had a tradition he wanted to uphold. It wasn't like he didn't get anything out of the deal ... he made sure to have his fun as well.

My father chuckled, knowing very well what we had planned, and slapped Todd on the shoulder. "You two will be celebrating without me tonight, so have fun. Don't get too rowdy, we have an early flight back to Vegas in the morning. Besides, I don't think Tyler's mother would appreciate your ideas of fun, Todd."

"That's for damn sure," I laughed. "She'd kick your ass."

My father nodded. "True, but when you settle down with a woman, you won't be able to do it either. You might as well enjoy your freedom now."

"Which is why I don't plan on settling down any time soon," I assured him. "I don't want to have to deal with that shit."

I was twenty-seven years old and not about to let anyone tell me what I could and couldn't do. My freedom was too important to me.

"Suit yourself, son," my father remarked humorously. "I think I'm going to head back to the hotel while you two go out and celebrate. Don't get into any trouble."

He patted me on the back before exiting the ring. Todd and I went in the opposite direction, toward the dressing rooms. I needed to change before heading back to the hotel to shower and get ready.

"What time do you want to meet in the hotel lobby?" Todd asked. "Two hours?"

"Yeah, that'll do."

However, when we got to my room, standing outside were two girls ... a red-haired beauty with blue eyes, wearing a skimpy green tank top, and the other a blonde goddess with green eyes in a barely there pink bikini top. Both were in denim shorts that rode high up their thighs, exposing legs tanned by the Texas sun. They appeared so smooth, and I knew they would look even better wrapped around my waist.

In their eyes, I could see what they wanted ... and I sure as hell was going to give it to them.

"Actually, Todd," I said with a grin. "Make it three hours. I have a couple of things I need to do first."

He glanced at the girls, smiled, and then clapped me on the back. "I knew you wouldn't be able to resist. Don't get too worn out, we still have lots to do tonight."

"Oh, I'll be ready," I assured him. "Don't worry about me."

I had enough strength to fuck ten girls and not get winded. One thing about fighting was that afterwards there was so much energy pumping through my veins, I could stay high off of it for hours. It was an adrenaline rush. My dick was getting hard just thinking about it.

Todd turned on his heel as I opened my door, the two girls following behind me. "So what do I owe the pleasure of your company tonight?"

Stalking closer, the red-haired girl licked her lips and ran a long fingernail down my chest before pressing her tits against me. I could see and feel her hardened nipples through her shirt. I wanted to taste them so fucking bad.

"We wanted to see if there was anything we could do for you tonight ... maybe something to relax you after your hard fight."

Her hand slipped down my shorts and she moaned as soon as she took my dick in her hands; I was already hard and ready. Her hands were soft, but I wanted her to go harder. "I think that's a great start, sweetheart," I said. "What else can you do for me?"

She lowered my shorts to the floor and pushed me back toward the couch, spreading my legs when I sat down. "Oh, I can do a lot more than that." Getting on her knees, she glanced up at me and smiled before closing her lips over the tip of my cock; her mouth was warm and slick as she swirled her tongue up and down.

"How do you like that?" she asked.

I grabbed a handful of her hair and held on tight. "It feels so fucking good. Don't stop."

While the redhead sucked me off, the blonde-haired girl took off her pink bikini top and shorts, and stood there completely naked. Biting her lip, she pinched her nipples and moaned as she watched her friend suck my dick.

She moved over to the couch and laid down beside me, spreading her legs wide; her flesh swollen with the need to be touched. Her pussy was wet and glistening, and I wanted to touch her, but she beat me to it. When she started pleasuring herself by rubbing her clit, I knew I wasn't going to last long.

Groaning, I watched her intently; the way she bit her lip, her chest moving up and down with her ragged breaths. _Holy fuck, I was about to blow my load._

She pushed her fingers inside of herself and arched her back, moaning my name over and over while her tits perked up in the air. I closed my eyes and growled, tightening my hold on red's hair. "I'm close, baby."

I didn't know her name and I didn't care to know. Most of the girls I'd fucked were just one night stands that didn't mean shit to me the next morning. It was part of the rules ... no names other than mine.

"I want to taste you, Tyler," she moaned, sucking harder.

Some girls liked to swallow and some didn't, but if she wanted to taste me I'd be more than happy to give her what she wanted. Holding her down on my cock, I finished in her mouth and watched as she swallowed it all, and licked the head of my dick when more came out.

Off to my side, blondie finished herself off as well and screamed out her pleasure just as red licked off the last drop. She moaned, gazing up at me with heat filled eyes.

Slowly, she got to her feet and seductively took off her clothes. Joining her friend on the couch, she ran her hands enticingly down her body and bit her lip. She kept her gaze on me when she leaned down and started sucking on her friend's tits.

It was so fucking hot my cock ached just watching.

"Do you like what you see?" she asked, sneaking a glance at my hard cock.

"What do you think?"

"Then sit back and enjoy the show. We'll take care of you tonight."

I had no doubt about that. Lounging back on the couch, I watched them touch and pleasure each other until I couldn't take anymore; I wanted to be a part of the game. They beckoned me closer, and I knew they wanted me as much as I wanted them.

Fucking two girls at once was one of my favorite pastimes. There was nothing hotter than watching them fuck each other, and then getting the pleasure of fucking them both afterwards.

It didn't look like I'd be meeting my agent in time for happy hour tonight ... but honestly, I didn't give a shit. I was in heaven.

"ARE YOU HAVING fun?" Bradley asked, watching me pick at my food.

He was dressed in a dark blue button down shirt with a pair of khaki pants, and his caramel-colored hair was in messy spikes. I could see in his eyes that he was losing his patience with me and I couldn't blame him.

Over the past month, I had kissed his lips and been in his arms plenty of times, but there was just something missing. He was sexy as hell and I was attracted to him, except I craved someone else.

_Unfortunately, we always want what we can't have._ Why did life have to be so cruel?

Smiling, I grabbed his hand and squeezed. "Yes, I'm having fun. I've just had a lot on my mind recently."

He scoffed and threw his hands in the air angrily. "You've been preoccupied for the past month, Gabriella. Did I do something to piss you off? I thought things were going great with us until you started hanging out with your other friends."

Those other friends meant my fighters.

"Did you hook up with one of them at that party and not tell me? I mean, I need something to go on here. I don't like being strung along, not knowing where the fuck I'm at with you."

"Hey guys," Ashleigh cut in, breathless from dancing, and took a seat at the table. "What are you two talking about?"

Bradley turned his head, clenching his jaw tight, and of course I was at a loss for words, staring at her cluelessly. Without saying anything, Ashleigh bit her lip and focused her attention on the glass of water in front of her. What I was doing to Bradley had to stop; it was hurting him.

Getting to my feet, I slowly walked around the table and stood in front of him, holding out my hand. "Will you dance with me?" I asked softly.

At first I thought he was going to ignore me or turn me down, but he huffed and took my hand, getting to his feet. I pulled him to the center of the dance floor, put his hands on my waist, and wrapped my arms around his neck, hoping I could change his mood around.

"What do you want from me, Bradley?" I inquired gently.

His caramel gaze lifted to mine. "I thought that was obvious, Gabby. I want _you_. What more do I have to say or do for you to understand that?"

"What about when we graduate?" I countered. "Won't you be moving back to Georgia? How would it work with us being on opposites sides of the country? Not to mention you'll be playing pro baseball and traveling all over the States."

He clenched his jaw again and shrugged. "I don't know. I hadn't exactly thought that far ahead. I didn't want to miss having this time with you over something that's not going to happen for another nine months."

"Yeah, but--"

Bradley scoffed, letting go of my waist and stepping back, putting that ever so cold distance between us. "Look, I'm done with the excuses, Gabby. If you don't want to be with me, you need to tell me the truth. Otherwise, if you're going to play hot and cold, I'd rather you just left me the fuck alone."

Eyes wide, I stood there stunned and completely speechless as he stormed out the door. Other than the music blaring over the speakers, everyone's conversations had come to a halt. My palms began to sweat, and it felt like I was in one of those dreams where you're up in front of the classroom completely naked.

Ashleigh glared at me and nodded toward the door, wanting me to go after him. I had no idea what I was going to say, but I sucked up the embarrassment and rushed toward the door. He was just outside, standing in front of the large water fountain; his body was tense and his back to me.

"Bradley?"

He stiffened when I called out his name, and even more so when I approached him, slowly wrapping my arms around his waist from behind. "Please don't do this," I pleaded. "I don't want to ruin our friendship. You mean too much to me."

"See, that's what I don't understand. You say that shit, but you never show it." Unclasping my arms, he stepped away again, leaving me to myself. "Until you figure out what you want, Gabby, I need you to keep your distance. I'm tired of trying and not getting anything in return."

My chest ached. I longed to say that I returned his feelings, but I couldn't. He saw the truth in my gaze, and when I tried to reach for him again, he jerked away. "And that right there is my answer. Goodnight, Gabby," he stated, his eyes showing just how much I'd hurt him.

Turning on his heel, he stalked off into the night and disappeared without a backwards glance. I was an idiot. So many girls would kill to have someone like him, but it wasn't enough for me. With tears streaming down my face, I stood there for I don't know how long until finally Ashleigh took me in her arms and calmed me down with her soothing words.

"He'll get over it, Gabby. I know it hurts knowing he's in pain, but this is Bradley we're talking about. Just give him his space."

I held on to her tightly, wiping away my tears so they wouldn't stain her dress. "This ruins everything," I cried. "You, Colin, Bradley, and I always do everything together. It won't be like that anymore."

Ashleigh rubbed her hands down my back and nodded. "True, but it was bound to happen at some point."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," I mumbled halfheartedly.

"So I'm assuming this means you aren't going to the tournament, huh?"

"I doubt it," I replied. "Bradley isn't going to want me there."

Ashleigh patted me on the back and let me go, her gaze alit with humor. _What the hell was so funny?_ "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Oh, I don't know," she said, and began marching back toward the banquet hall. "I guess maybe because I know where the tournament is going to be held."

Quickly, I followed alongside her, back into the hall, where everyone gazed on curiously. "Where?" I asked low.

Smirking, Ashleigh slyly nudged me in the side. "It's going to be in Las Vegas, baby. Are you sure you don't want to go?"

She winked at me before strolling over to join Colin, who stood talking to some guys on the team. Out of all of the places the tournament could be held, it had to be Vegas. Tyler was in Vegas.

It was a sign ... I was going.

ONCE THE WEEKEND was over, Bradley kept his distance. He hadn't even spoken to me when he stopped by so Colin could say good-bye to Ashleigh before they left for Vegas. The team was basically spending the whole week there. Meanwhile, Ashleigh and I needed to stay behind for an important test in our Environmental Microbiology class.

It was Wednesday afternoon, and the test was over, so we were ready to go. My heart hadn't beaten so hard in my life as it did while we waited to board our plane.

In just a couple of hours I would be in Vegas ... and so would Tyler. I knew where to find him, but I didn't want to do it on my own. To get to him I needed help, and I knew exactly who to call. While Ashleigh was in the bathroom, I decided to make my call, hoping I had enough time before she came out.

Quickly, I dialed Ryley's number and waited on him to answer. When he did, I breathed a sigh of relief. "Ryley, hey, how are you?"

"Doing good, babe. Just sitting here looking at a hot ass chick in a pair of _really_ short shorts."

I rolled my eyes and scoffed, not rising to the bait. "That's nice, but I need your help. Do you have a fight in Vegas this weekend?"

"I sure do. Why?"

"Great, because--"

Before I could ask for his help, he interrupted me, "Are you sure you don't want to know more about the girl in the short shorts?"

"Ryley, really? I need your help and I don't have much time! Please, shut up and listen."

"She also has on this really cute green T-shirt with a peace sign on it."

Immediately, I froze and my breath hitched in my throat. Looking down at my clothes, I realized he was talking about ... me. Abruptly, I lifted my gaze and searched around.

There he was with his brother, walking toward me and smirking as he ran his hands through his hair. Instantly, I gasped. He'd dyed it! No longer was it the same golden blond as his twin brother, but a dark brown, almost like mine.

"Oh my God, you colored your hair! And please tell me you're not on this flight," I called out nervously, hanging up my phone.

Ryley smiled, lifting me up in his arms and swinging me around. "That's what it looks like, baby. We're going to Vegas early to have some fun. The hair was a last minute thing, but I think I look good with it."

I ran my hands through it and chuckled. "You always look good."

"So what the hell are you doing here by yourself?"

When he set me down, I bit my lip and looked over his shoulder where Ashleigh had frozen mid-step. Ryley noticed my hesitation and turned around, chuckling halfheartedly when he saw her.

"Yep, just my luck. I should've known I'd run into her again."

"Not me," Camden scoffed. "I think I'll just go wait by myself." He smiled at me and tapped my chin. "It's good to see you, Gabby. I'll talk to you later when a certain someone else isn't around."

Camden waltzed off, not even acknowledging Ashleigh when she approached warily. "Ryley," she breathed. "It's good to see you. I like what you did to your hair."

"Thanks," he replied. "Where's your boyfriend?"

Hearing the disdain in Ryley's voice, she flinched. "He's in Vegas already. Our team made it to the championship, so Gabby and I wanted to go watch the tournament ... or at least I am. I think Gabriella has other plans, though."

Lifting his brows, Ryley peered down at me curiously. "And what other kinds of plans would that be, babe? You have to be careful around Vegas."

Before I could comment, the lady at the counter made the announcement that it was time to board. I wanted to talk to Ryley and get his help, but it looked like I would have to do it later.

"All right, well, it looks like we have to board now," he said quickly; I could tell he wanted to get away from Ashleigh. "I would say for you to switch seats with Camden so we could talk, but I don't think him sitting with Ashleigh is such a good idea."

"That's an understatement," she mumbled under her breath.

"Can I call you sometime tonight?" I asked as we started for the terminal. "Where are you staying?"

"We're at the Bellagio. You?"

Ashleigh groaned and closed her eyes. It was where we were staying, too. "Same here," I told him. "I'll come to your room tonight. I really do need your guidance this weekend."

Ryley put his arm around me and smiled, making sure Ashleigh heard him when he said, "Anything for you, babe, just as long as you hang out with us this weekend and not those pansy ass baseball players."

Tilting my lips toward his ear, I quietly whispered so that Ashleigh couldn't hear, "Don't worry. That's been the plan all along."

Before we got on the plane, he gave me a fist bump and kissed me on the cheek. "That's my girl. Don't worry, we'll have us some fun. I won't let you get into any trouble."

Little did he know that trouble was exactly what I wanted.

It didn't take long to arrive in Vegas considering it was only a little over an hour flight. Colin was there waiting for us, wearing a pair of khaki shorts and a green Oakley T-shirt, his platinum blond hair in messy spikes. I half expected Bradley to be there with him since they were always together, but to my surprise, he wasn't. I guess he'd been serious when he said he didn't want to be around me until I gave him some answers.

"Colin is going to be so pissed," Ashleigh grumbled in my ear.

When Colin spotted us, Ryley and Camden were trailing just behind. The look on his face when he noticed the twins was beyond loathing; the tension almost unbearable. I knew it had to be hard on Ashleigh to be around both guys, especially since it'd been a little less than a month since she left Ryley for Colin.

"Guys, I think it might be a good idea if we split up," I said, glancing at them over my shoulder.

Ryley chuckled while Camden shook his head in annoyance. "All right, babe, we'll leave. I know when we're not wanted. I'll see you at the hotel."

He glared at Colin and winked at Ashleigh before strolling through the exit and out of sight. With his lips set in a firm line, Colin reached out and took Ashleigh's bag from her so he could carry it.

"Does somebody want to tell me what the fuck they're doing here?" he asked, settling his glare on me.

Ashleigh sighed and linked her arm through his. "They have a fight this weekend in Vegas. It just so happens that they ended up on the same flight."

"And they're staying at our hotel, too? Somehow I don't think that's a coincidence."

This time they both glared at me, which pissed me off. I knew what they were thinking, and I would never intentionally put them in that kind of situation. "Are you serious? I would never do that to you two. I had no clue they were going to stay at the Bellagio."

Ashleigh's gaze softened and I knew it was because she believed me ... almost. Colin, however, still remained skeptical. "Well, whatever the circumstances I want them to stay the hell away from Ashleigh. Hopefully, Bradley won't find out. He already thinks they're the cause of the problems between you two."

"What? No, that's not true," I admitted truthfully. "Ryley and Camden have nothing to do with what's going on with me."

Colin shrugged and started toward the door. "Either way, Gabby, that's how he feels. Just be careful being around the twins, okay? Don't let Bradley see you with them. He's already wound tight enough as it is."

Regretfully, I nodded and kept walking alongside them. Knowing Ryley and Camden, they were going to make sure they were seen. There was no way I could keep Bradley from finding out they were at the same hotel. I just hoped he wouldn't start a fight with them.

_Good luck with that._

ONCE WE GOT to the hotel and settled in, I called Ryley so that I could get his room number. It just so happened they were on the same floor as me. Thankfully, when I reserved my room at the Bellagio I made sure to get put on a separate level from Ashleigh and Colin, as well as Bradley. I didn't want them asking questions if they saw me leaving.

When I knocked on the door, Ryley answered it wearing only a pair of boxers and a smirk on his face. "Can you not keep your clothes on?" I asked incredulously. "You knew I was coming down here."

"Yeah, well, I wanted to relax and I can't do that wearing them."

Rolling my eyes, I walked past him into the room and looked around; no Camden. "Where's your brother?"

Ryley shut the door, and when I sat down on the California king-sized bed, he sprawled out beside me and turned off the TV. "He has his own room, Gabby. That way we can fuck whoever we want this weekend and not have to worry about invading the other's space."

"Nice," I remarked sarcastically. "I swear I thought you were going to change your ways."

"Nope, not right now. I'm having too much fun. You should try it some time."

Smiling from ear to ear, I laid back on the bed and winked at him. "And that is exactly what I'm going to do."

"With me?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows playfully. He started to put his arms around my waist, but stopped suddenly. "Or are you talking about a certain other fighter who's a little taller than me, has whitish blond hair, and lives in Vegas?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"Kind of," he replied, "but that's only because I saw you two dancing together at my party a few weeks ago. I thought for sure you'd hook up."

"Believe me, I wanted to, but of course my brother got in the way. Do you have plans to see him this weekend? I mean, other than at the arena this Saturday."

A mischievous smiled splayed across his face. "Actually, I do. You know Friday night is Tyler's birthday, right?"

"No," I shrieked, sitting up, eyes wide in excitement. "I had no idea. Is there going to be a party or something?"

Biting his lip, Ryley winked. "Oh, there's going to be more than just a party. I'm the one organizing it."

Just then, I knew I was in trouble. "Oh, hell. Knowing you, I bet you'll have the whole place crawling with call girls."

"You know me too well, babe."

Incredulously, I smacked him in the arm. "So you _are_ having a party like that? What the fuck, Ryley? Now what am I going to do? I can't compete."

He put his arms around me and chuckled. "Relax, Gabby, I can change it up a bit. A lot of the guys are getting together for the party, so I wanted _all_ of them to have a little bit of fun. I had something special planned for Tyler, but if you're up for it, I can use _you_ instead."

By the gleam in his blue eyes I knew it was going to be something drastic. "What do I have to do?" I asked.

Ryley let me go and got off the bed so he could slide on his jeans and T-shirt. "Why don't you come with me and I'll show you. Then we'll see if you have what it takes."

I could only imagine what he was going to want me to do, but I knew I could handle it ... whatever it was. Holding out his hand, I grasped it firmly and let him pull me up.

"All right, Ryley, you're on. Let's go."

After we left his room and started down the hall toward the elevator, he bumped me in the side and smiled. "Afterwards, we'll go to Tyler's gym. I know just what to do." Pursing his lips, he glanced up and down my body at my denim shorts and green T-shirt. "But first, we need to get you something else to wear."

I definitely liked the sound of his plan already.

WHEN RYLEY SAID he wanted me to go somewhere with him, I had no clue he meant to a strip club. What was even more surprising was what I had to do when I got there. I was put in a scrap of cloth--which barely covered my nipples--and for the past two hours had been shown how to dance provocatively on stage.

The owner was a middle-aged woman named Siren with a body to die for, but her skin was weathered from too many years in the sun. She was a nice woman, and extremely talented in pole dancing. I tried to do it, too, but I wasn't very good at it.

Dancing, however, was something I was already good at.

"I can't believe I just did that," I exclaimed as I got into Ryley's car. He'd rented a black Chevy Tahoe for the weekend, which was much better than taking a cab.

"Yeah, me neither," he grumbled, fumbling with the waist band of jeans. "I've never gotten so fucking hard in my life. My balls are going to ache like a bitch for the rest of the day."

"Really? It was that good, huh?"

"You have no idea. You were hot as hell on that stage. All I can say is that Tyler's one lucky son of a bitch."

Ryley knew the owner of the strip club, and had called in a favor. It was exhilarating and fun as hell, even though it was a little awkward with him sitting there watching me. However, I think I'd proven to him that I had what it took.

"So, basically I'm going to be dancing for him at his party. I get to do it privately, right?" I asked curiously. I really didn't want to dance in front of a room full of fighters. Not to mention someone would definitely recognize me as being Matt Reynolds' sister, even if I did wear a disguise.

"Oh yeah, you can do it privately. Although, I have to say I'd love to see you dance like that again. Maybe one day you'll give me a private show?"

Rolling my eyes, I chuckled and shook my head. "Not going to happen, sweetheart. You got your one and only show today."

"Well, fuck."

Pityingly, I patted him on the leg and frowned. "You'll get over it, I'm sure. What else are these girls allowed to do to you guys? I can touch him, can't I?"

"Yep, you can touch him, fuck him, and do anything you want. The only problem we're going to have is that he'll recognize you. I know he wants you, but he's loyal. If he sees you he'll stop."

That was true. No matter how hard I seduced him, I had no clue if he'd balk and let me have him or if he'd push me away. "What do you suggest we do? Blindfold him after I dance for him?"

Grinning, Ryley nodded his head. "That is exactly what we'll do. I'll tell him he has to put on the blindfold after you get done. I know it might not be the way you wanted to have him, but at least you'll get what you want. It'll be our secret."

In a way it was deceiving him, but what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him, right? He'd actually be enjoying it, and so would I. "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, right?"

"You're damn right."

Ryley and I stopped at a sporting goods store so I could pick out some workout clothes before we got to Tyler's gym. I had some packed, but he didn't want me wearing yoga pants. He wanted me in really short, tight workout shorts and a tank top. Of course, he decided to go bare-chested, wearing a pair of navy and white shorts that looked amazing with his tanned body.

"If he doesn't get hard up for you after watching you work out then I swear the guy's got some serious problems. I would be all over you in a heartbeat," Ryley admitted honestly.

When we pulled up to the gym, my nerves were shot. I hadn't seen Tyler since we kissed, and I had no idea how he was going to react seeing me again ... especially with Ryley. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" I asked. "What if you piss him off?"

Ryley scoffed and parked the car. "Oh, I'm almost positive we'll piss him off, but that'll be a good thing. It'll mean he wants you." He opened the door and got out, waiting on me to join him. When I didn't follow suit, he rolled his eyes, marching around to my side of the car and opened the door. "Come on, Gabby."

Taking a deep breath, I licked my dry lips and stepped out. "Okay, fine, but what if someone in there recognizes me and goes to my brother?"

Ryley shrugged, obviously not concerned. "I don't know, but it's your choice, princess. Sooner or later, Matt needs to realize that you're not a little girl anymore. You're about to graduate college for fuck's sake. I think you're old enough to make your own choices. And he can't get mad at me; I'm just a good friend helping you get what you want."

He started toward the door and I followed, holding my head high. He was right; it was my decision, and if someone went to my brother then I'd just tell him how it was. I could make my own decisions and I didn't need anyone's approval.

Opening the door, Ryley ushered me inside and immediately heads turned our way, especially the females. I didn't see Tyler around anywhere, but I did see Cole Bennett, whose eyes went wide the moment he saw us. Setting his weights down, he approached us with a huge smile on his face.

"Well, well, isn't this a surprise. What are you doing here, girl? And with Ryley no less," he asked, scooping me up in his bare arms. He was drenched in sweat, but I didn't mind as he twirled me around, making me laugh.

"I'm here for a baseball tournament and I thought I would squeeze in some time to watch you guys fight this weekend," I replied as he set me down. "Being with Ryley was just a bonus."

"Well, I'm glad you're here. Are you coming to Tyler's birthday party Friday night?"

Even though I _was_ going to be there, I had to say no. "No, I'll be busy Friday," I lied. "But hopefully I'll be able to hang out with you guys on Saturday."

"You do that. I'm sure Tyler will be glad to see you, though. He should be back in just a few. He's in charge while his father's out of town."

"Thanks, man," Ryley said, putting his arm around my shoulder. "We'll catch up to you both later. Right now, I need to get this girl warmed up."

Cole chuckled and started off toward the weight bench. "Have fun. You're lucky her brother isn't here right now, or he'd rip that arm away from your body."

Groaning, I trudged toward the treadmills since no one was on them. It was like I was a disease everyone needed to stay away from. "This sucks ass," I grumbled, glaring at Ryley. "You have no idea what it's like for me, being around you guys and having to hear that every single time."

"I'm not too worried about it, babe. Your brother can think what he wants. I know your limits and I don't cross them; that's what makes you my only female friend."

Steering me away from the treadmills, he led me over to the mats on the floor and pointed. "All right, being on the treadmill isn't going to get Tyler's attention. I need you to get down on the floor."

With my hands on my hips, I asked, "And what exactly are we going to be doing on the floor?"

"If Tyler's going to be back soon he needs to see us in a compromising position. Besides, you asked for my help right? Just do what I say."

"Fine, I'll get down on the floor."

When I sat down with my butt on the ground, Ryley shook his head. "No, no ... I need you on all fours, sweetheart. Turn around."

Rolling my eyes, I did as he said and got on all fours while he came up behind me. "Ryley, you are such an ass! You know that, right?" I joked. "I feel like an idiot."

"You won't be feeling like that for long because your boy just walked in the door. Try to look comfortable with me touching you."

My heart started to race and I quickly glanced back at him. "What do I do?"

He placed his hand on my low back, right above my ass, and the other on my thigh. "Lift your leg and hold it straight out. I want you to bend it back and push it out again. Do that about ten times," he instructed.

His hand smoothed up and down my leg each time I pulled it in and thrust it back out. Keeping my gaze to the floor, I did my exercises until someone stopped in front of me. I knew it was Tyler by the dragon tattoo circling around his calf. Ryley smoothed his hand up my thigh and smacked my ass, before getting to his feet. It took all I had not to laugh.

"What's up, dude? You ready for the party Friday night?"

Lifting my head, I watched Tyler's jaw tense before reaching out and shaking Ryley's hand. "Yeah, man, I'm ready. It'll be a fun night."

I got to my feet and Tyler immediately shifted his glare to me. "What are you doing here, Gabby?" he asked, sneaking a quick glance over at Ryley.

" _I_ wanted her to come," Ryley answered for me. "She's going to hang out with me and my brother this weekend." Then to me, he put his hand on the small of my back and leaned down, whispering in my ear so that Tyler couldn't hear, "I'm going to get us something to drink while you deal with loverboy. I'll be back."

Tyler's jaw tightened again, but he nodded at Ryley when he walked past. As soon as Ryley was out of earshot, Tyler took my hand and hurriedly led me to the back room, shutting the door behind us.

"What the hell are you doing with him?" he growled low.

Nonchalantly, I shrugged my shoulders and put my hands on my hips. "Why does it matter, Tyler? Ryley and I are friends and we're hanging out. What's the big deal?"

His gray gaze was stony and hard, penetrating, as he caged me against the wall; it was cold against my heated skin. "The big deal is that I don't like him touching you like that, and I know your brother wouldn't like it either."

"I don't think it's any of your concern," I said matter-of-factly. "You made it perfectly clear a few weeks ago that you didn't want me."

"I never said that," he hissed. "I only said that it wouldn't work. I'm not what you need, Gabriella."

"No, but you're what I want."

_There, I said it._

He trailed his gaze from my eyes down to my lips, and slowly moved closer. "You don't know what you're saying. Whether you want me or not, nothing can ever happen between us. Do you not know what kind of guy I am?"

"I do," I murmured heatedly, "but I think you fail to realize what kind of woman I am. When I want something, I get it ... no matter the consequences."

In that moment, I didn't care if he would push me away or not. I closed the distance, pressed my lips firmly to his, and wrapped my arms tightly around his neck. He stiffened at first, but then roughly cupped my face in his palms and returned the kiss, pushing my lips open with his tongue.

His lips were warm, his hands rough as they grazed across my cheeks. Just one time with him would be all I needed. I knew he didn't want the attachment or the commitment--neither did I--but I wanted to be with him for the short amount of time I had.

When a knock came at the door, I abruptly pulled back.

"Gabby, you in there?" Ryley called out, sounding concerned.

"Yeah, I'll be out in just one second," I responded quickly.

Breathing hard, I stepped out of Tyler's reach and started for the door, much to his dismay. "Why are you here, Gabriella?"

Keeping my back to him, I paused with my hand on the knob, and blew out a heavy sigh. "I told you. When I want something, I get it. I wanted to see you."

"You're walking a dangerous line, Gabriella. I don't do relationships, and I don't plan on starting ... even if it is with you."

I glanced at him over my shoulder. "Well, then I guess it's a good thing I don't want one with you either. Look, Tyler, I'm only here for the weekend. If you want to see me again you know how to find me. No strings, just you and me."

On that note, I opened the door and stepped out ... only to see Ryley's clear blue gaze alit with humor. "Did you wear him down?" he asked slyly.

Taking his arm, I rolled my eyes and walked with him toward the front entrance. "No, not yet, but I made it clear what I wanted. Now all I have to do is wait and see if he wants me back."

"If he doesn't, he's a fool, but I know he does. You should've seen his face when he saw me touching your ass. I was afraid he was going to fight me right there."

"And would you have fought for me?" I asked.

We walked outside and he opened the car door for me so I could slide in. "You're damn right I would have; you're worth the fight. Although, I would've expected compensation for it if I got my ass beat."

"Well, I guess it's a good thing you two didn't fight. I can only imagine what you would've wanted in return."

He winked in reply as he started up the car and pulled out of the parking lot. Tyler knew my phone number, but as I held my phone in my hands and gazed down at it, I wondered if he'd even bother. If he didn't call, I would probably have to rethink my plans on seducing him at his party, but if he did I was going to make sure he enjoyed every minute of my night with him.

Until then, all I could do was wait.

THE NIGHT WENT by with no word from Tyler, but Ashleigh did send a text message saying one of the tournament games were starting at noon. Bradley hadn't bothered to call me, either, which made my heart hurt. The last thing I wanted was to cause him pain.

As I was putting on a pair of my shorts, a knock sounded on the door. It was ten-thirty in the morning, and my heart secretly wished it was Tyler, but I knew that was being a little too optimistic.

However, when I opened the door, I was completely surprised.

"Tyler," I gasped, "what are you doing here?"

Looking casually sexy in a pair of jeans and a tight red T-shirt, he stalked past me and into my room. "I came here to see you. Where's Ryley at?" he asked.

"Uh ... he's in _his_ room. We're not together if that's what you're asking."

Quickly, he glanced around my room before settling his gaze on mine. "I'm glad to hear that. Look, I gave what you said some thought last night and I came to a conclusion," he began.

His face was a stony mask, so I had no idea if what he was going to say was good or bad. It just so happened that another knock sounded at the door as he was about to speak. Talk about not so perfect timing. Exasperated, I looked at Tyler and then over to the door where someone else waited behind it.

"Gabby, it's me," Bradley called. "Everyone's ready to go."

It was the first time he'd spoken to me, and it just so happened that he picked the time when Tyler was in my room to do it. "Who's Bradley?" Tyler asked low.

"He's one of my friends. Ashleigh and I are here for the baseball tournament."

"Ah, I see. So you weren't here just to see me. I get it," he teased.

"Actually I _am_ here for just you. The tournament made a perfect excuse for me to come here and see you without anyone realizing it."

"Gabby," Bradley called out again. "Please, open the door."

"Don't you need to answer it?" Tyler inquired curiously.

I sighed and hung my head. "I do, but the last thing I need is for Bradley to see you. Things are already complicated as it is."

"Is he your boyfriend?"

"No," I said, gazing up at him, "but he has a strong loathing for fighters right now. Trust me, I don't want him starting something with you."

Tyler huffed and slowly backed away. "Fine, I'll stay out of sight just to spare you the trouble."

Breathing a sigh of relief, I mouthed the words 'thank you' to him before he backed into the separate bedroom. After he was out of sight, I rushed to the door and opened it, only to find Bradley standing there with his arms crossed at the chest, jaw clenched. He was in his green and white baseball uniform, his green hat hanging low above his eyes.

"Are you okay? What took you so long?"

"I'm sorry, I had to hurry and put on my clothes. Is everyone ready to leave or something?"

He nodded. "Yeah, they wanted me to get you. You don't have to come and watch me, you know."

His gaze was stony, guarded; he was closing me off and I didn't like it. "I want to come, Bradley. I like watching you and Colin play."

I thought by telling him that it would bring a smile to his face, except all he did was purse his lips and stare at me. "All right, well everyone's downstairs if you're ready. I'll wait for you down there."

I wasn't used to seeing him without a smile on his face. I didn't like it, and would do anything to see him smile again, even if that meant sacrificing a night with Tyler.

"I'll be right down," I stated, hoping to get some kind of reaction from him other than clipped sentences. However, that wasn't going to happen. Nodding once, he turned around and started off down the hall.

Sighing, I leaned against the door frame and watched him disappear around the corner. "Poor guy," Tyler taunted sarcastically. "He has it bad for you, doesn't he?"

"Kind of," I replied, closing the door. "We started going out for a while, but I never let it get too serious. It's not fair to string him along when we both want different things."

Tyler sauntered up to me and rested his shoulder against the wall, crossing his arms. "And what exactly do you want that he doesn't?" he asked, staring at me with those stormy gray eyes of his.

"He wants something serious. As much as I care about him as a friend, I just don't see myself being with him like that."

Moving closer, he lightly grazed the strap of my blue tank top with his fingers and let them slide down my bare arm. "And what about Ryley? What's up with him being all over you yesterday?"

I bit my lip and smiled triumphantly. "That was just to see if we could get a rise out of you." Looking down at his jeans, I said, "And I'd have to say it worked."

With his hand around my waist, he pulled me in tight against his body and groaned, letting his cock push into my stomach. "You know this will have to be a onetime thing, Gabriella. Your brother will kill me if he finds out."

"Then I guess we need to make sure he doesn't," I murmured before closing the distance.

His lips were warm and hard as he pressed them firmly to mine, tangling his fingers in my hair to hold me to him. He smelled like clean soap and cologne mixed with the heady scent of pure alpha male. It was intoxicating, and all I wanted to do was breathe him in for hours, but I knew I couldn't. It was time for me to go.

Reluctantly, I pulled away, breathing hard while my clit begged me for a release. I wanted him to touch me, to give in to the desire I knew we'd both held back for so long.

_Soon_ , I thought.

"I have to go," I said, touching my throbbing lips. "They're all waiting for me downstairs."

"I know. What are you doing tonight? Are you going to be with your friends?"

I nodded. "For a little while, but afterwards I'll be free. Do you have something in mind?"

"Well, I know I'll be closing the gym tonight since my father's gone. If you want to meet me there, I'm sure we can figure out something to do."

"I'll be there," I promised, opening the door and grinning. We walked together down the hall to the elevator and both stepped in. "When we get to the lobby, we can't let anyone see us together, especially my friends."

Tyler chuckled. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I know how to be discreet. We've played this game for a while now, haven't we?"

I smiled and bumped him in the side with my shoulder. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Once the elevator doors closed, he took up one side while I went to the other, wishing like crazy that we could stop the elevator and finish what we'd started. However, the elevator stopped and the doors opened, only to have another fighter waltz inside.

_Is everyone staying at the Bellagio this weekend?_

Unfortunately, it wasn't just anyone; it was Kyle Andrews, an evil excuse for a human being. He was a Heavyweight fighter who'd almost destroyed my brother's life, along with countless others. His hair was the same dark blond as before and his eyes were still creepy ... they were different colors.

One was so dark it looked almost black, and the other a dull green color; it was very unnerving. The black-haired girl he walked in with was unnerving as well. She had a blue gaze as hard as a rock, and was dressed in a pair of shorts and tank top that barely covered her body. It figured Kyle would be with something like that.

Kyle was a sick individual who liked to play games, and it just so happened that he'd picked my brother to mess with some time ago. Thankfully, in the end my brother kicked his ass, but it still didn't change the fact that Kyle needed to be put down.

He once laced another fighter's drink with some kind of drug so that he'd fail the mandatory drug test the next day. No one could prove that Kyle did it, but everyone knew it. That one deceptive act ruined a fighter's chance at victory, and to this day he still hadn't been awarded the opportunity to come back.

_When he does come back, I hope he goes straight for Kyle's throat._

Kyle got a good look at Tyler, and when he realized who we were, the tension in the elevator became so thick I could barely breathe. "Ah, Tyler Rushing," he chimed. "What a pleasure, like always."

Tyler scoffed, "I wish I could say the same."

Chuckling, Kyle turned his gaze toward me along with his psycho looking girlfriend. My teeth were clamped together tightly because I knew saying something to him would only cause more problems. My brother would kill me if I started it, but he stared at me like he wanted to devour me, and it only made me angrier.

"I know who you are," he marveled. "I thought I recognized your," he looked down at my breasts, licking his lips, and then back up to my eyes, "face," he finished. "You're Matt Reynolds' sister, aren't you?"

"Yeah, and you're a worthless cocksucker," I snapped.

Tyler shook his head and his jaw clenched as Kyle shifted positions with his girl so he could stand beside of me. "Feisty, aren't we? I like that in a woman. So how's your brother doing?" he asked.

Turning my body away, I huffed and closed my eyes, trying my best to keep my mouth shut. His arm brushed against mine and I cringed, the heat rushing to my cheeks as I gritted my teeth. I moved over to get more distance, but he only closed it and ran his fingers down my arm.

Everything my brother taught me about fighting kicked into gear and I immediately grabbed his wrist and twisted, catching him off guard and pushing him back. He was a big guy, so I didn't get much distance, but at least he knew I wasn't to be messed with.

His girlfriend, however, pushed me against the elevator wall and lifted her fist. Instantly, Tyler caught her hand before she could swing. Little did he know I was a trained fighter and could kick _her_ ass.

"Don't ever touch me again," I growled, glaring angrily at Kyle and his bitch.

Pulling the girl away by her arm, Tyler pushed her to the side so he could stand protectively in front of me; I didn't need a protector, but it was kind of sexy. Guffawing, Kyle stood up to Tyler's height and winked down at me. "Damn girl, I didn't take you as someone to have a set of balls on you."

"What can I say," I hissed, "my brother taught me well."

Tyler moved over, which cut off Kyle's view of me. "You need to stop talking to her, cocksucker, before I kick your ass."

"And don't you wish you could," Kyle retorted. "It's a shame we don't fight this weekend. I've wanted to get in the ring with you for a long time now."

"Then what's stopping you? Meet me tonight at my gym and we'll see what you got. Unless you want to be a pussy and back out ..."

"You're on, motherfucker," Kyle snarled angrily. "I'll be there."

The door to the elevator opened, but the guys still stood there staring each other down. In the lobby, Ashleigh could see me and her eyes went wide; she knew what was going on. Thankfully, she ushered Colin and Bradley toward the entrance door of the hotel so they wouldn't see me.

"Until tonight," Kyle spat, putting his arm around the girl.

As soon as they walked out, I took a deep breath and huffed. "Oh my God, I wanted to kill him. Now I feel like I need to take a shower, though. I don't like him touching me."

Taking my hand, Tyler pulled me out of the elevator and over to the side, making Ashleigh halt a few steps away. "Trust me, I wanted to kill him, too. I've never been so fucking pissed in my life," he stated, tilting my chin. "I knew he would be in town, but I didn't think we'd actually run into him here."

"So what are you going to do? Are you really going to fight him?"

"Fuck yeah, I am. Do you mind pushing off our night together a little longer so I can kick his ass?"

A slow smile spread across my lips. "You don't even have to ask. This is definitely a fight I'm not going to miss."

Tyler kissed me gently, but then tugged on my bottom lip with his teeth. "Then I'll see you tonight, baby."

Turning on his heel, he said hello to Ashleigh before walking off and out of the hotel. Thankfully, the guys didn't seem to notice him. Ashleigh's eyes were huge when she ran up to me and grabbed my hands. "Holy hell, what just happened? That was Kyle Andrews in there with you, wasn't it?"

Knowing we needed to get a move on, I nodded my head and started toward the door. "Yes, it was. Oh my God, I seriously felt like I could kill him. When he touched me, everything moved in slow motion after that."

She gasped, "Wow, what did Tyler do?"

"Well," I explained, "it looks like there's going to be a fight tonight. I have to be there."

Sighing, she looked at her boyfriend and Bradley just outside of the hotel, and then back to me. "Then I'll come, too. I can't let you go there by yourself."

"No, you're not. I'm not going to let you do that. Ryley and Camden are most likely going to be there, and the last thing I want is for Colin to hate me for dragging you into this. I'll get a ride with Ryley. Besides, I don't want Bradley finding out."

Shaking her head, Ashleigh smiled and linked her arm with mine. "I have to admit, you have one of the most exciting lives of anyone I know. You once told me you lived vicariously through me, but I'm starting to think it's the other way around."

"What can I say? There's never a dull moment around my fighters. They keep you on your toes."

"That they do," she sighed.

"COME ON, COLIN, strike 'em out!" I yelled as we approached the ninth inning. We were in the lead with only one more out to get before the victory would be ours. Bradley was ever so vigilant at first base, but when his eyes landed on mine they hardened.

"What am I going to do, Ash? He's so pissed at me right now."

"I know," she sighed. "I talked to him this morning. Honestly, I have no room to say anything since I basically fell for Ryley when I was already in love with Colin. Your situation is different since you're not in love with either one. You're in lust with one, but care about the other."

She had a point. If I could just combine the two men it would be perfect.

"I'm attracted to Bradley and I could see myself having some real fun with him if you know what I mean, but it doesn't go any deeper than that. If he could keep it casual, I'd be fine. However, I know he wants more. I don't want that kind of relationship right now. I will later on, but I don't want to get attached to him, or anyone, when I know we're about to graduate and move on with our lives."

"Then you need to tell him," she stated wholeheartedly. "Maybe he'll be open to something more casual. Have you even discussed this with him?"

I shook my head, keeping my gaze on Bradley. "No, not exactly."

"Well, then tonight before you leave for the fight, talk to him and get it all sorted out. I don't like seeing you two at odds. I miss our foursome."

_I do, too._

"All right, I'll talk to him tonight before I go."

Satisfied, Ashleigh bumped me in the shoulder and concentrated on the game. When Colin threw the ball, it was like a white blur speeding down the field. The batter struck out, which meant we only needed one more strike before the game would be over.

Colin removed his hat and took a deep breath, swiping his sweaty forehead on the sleeve of his jersey. In his hand, he twirled the ball in his glove and leaned over, making sure to keep his gaze on the catcher.

The second he nodded his head, I knew he had the play in his mind on exactly how he was going to throw the ball and how hard he was going to throw it. I'd watched him and Bradley play so much I knew their routines.

"Oh, it's over now," I whispered. "He's going to throw his curve ball, isn't he?"

Ashleigh bit her lip and nodded, her gaze alit with excitement. "Yes, and let's hope it works."

Everything moved in slow motion as Colin threw the ball and the batter swung ...

_Strike three!_

The crowd went wild, including me and Ashleigh, who stood up on the bleachers and screamed. All of the CSU players rushed out onto the field and threw Colin on their shoulders, parading him around the field. Ashleigh ran out there as well, joining in the festivities while I stood back and watched, knowing Bradley didn't want me out there.

Instead, I walked down the bleachers and to the parking lot so I could wait by the car. I didn't know how long they would be, so I pulled out my phone and scrolled through Facebook to catch up on everyone's posts.

My brother's wife had posted a sonogram picture of the baby with the title 'Any day now' on it. She was nine months pregnant and due at any moment. I was going to be an aunt soon and couldn't wait. Next, I had a friend who ...

"What are you doing all the way out here?" Bradley asked, catching me off guard. I fumbled with my phone and almost dropped it, but he caught it with his quick reflexes. "I thought you would be out there celebrating with us."

"I would've, but I didn't think you wanted me there. I didn't want to ruin it for you," I murmured sadly as I took my phone from him.

Sighing, Bradley leaned up against the car and bumped me in the shoulder. "I know I've been a dick to you, but you could never ruin this win for me. How about we go out and celebrate ... as friends?"

"You mean it?" I asked, glancing up at him.

He put his arm around me and I instantly held on tight, smiling as I laid my head on his chest. It felt good to have him back, even if it was temporary or just the heat of the moment. Opening the car door, we slid in back and waited for the others. However, I was afraid to speak for fear the spell would be broken.

Leaning down, he wrapped his warm hand around the back of my head and pulled me closer so he could kiss my cheek. "You mean a lot to me, Gabby. I would rather have you in my life as friends than not at all. Just tell me one thing ..."

"What do you want to know?" I asked, whispering.

He paused for a second, and released a heavy sigh. "Is there someone else? Is that the reason why you're pulling away from me?"

Looking up into his wary, caramel gaze, I swallowed hard and bit back the tears. Unfortunately, it was no use. "It's complicated, Bradley. There are a few reasons why I'm hesitant to be with you. I know you want something serious, which is something I can't give you right now. We're about to graduate and you'll be going off to play pro baseball, traveling all over the country. It would never work."

"You don't know that," he countered.

"No, I don't, but it scares me. If I let myself, I know I could fall in love with you. You're the kind of guy a girl dreams of finding one day."

Rubbing his thumb under my eyes to wipe away the tears, he smiled and kissed me gently on the lips. "Then maybe one day I'll be able to prove to you that it could work. Please, promise me that whenever you decide what you want, you'll think about coming back to me. I miss you, Gabby."

"I miss you, too."

Maybe one day there would be hope for us ... it just wasn't the right time.

After showering and changing clothes, we all went out to eat at the Aquaknox restaurant and had a few drinks. It was just like old times; we laughed, talked, and had a great time. I hoped it would stay like that, but I knew once the adrenaline from their win wore off, Bradley would probably be pissed again.

When we arrived back at the hotel, we rode the elevator together, but Colin and Ashleigh got off on their floor, leaving me and Bradley alone. In silence, we got off on my floor and walked down to my room, but I knew I couldn't let him stay.

"Are you sure you don't want to hang out tonight? We could watch a movie," Bradley suggested, leaning casually against the wall outside of my door.

Shaking my head, I yawned and leaned up against the wall, too. "I'll fall asleep if you turn on a movie. I think I'm just going to get ready for bed. I'll see you in the morning, though."

Disappointed, he leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. "Okay. If you need me, just give me a call and I'll come up."

"Thanks," I whispered.

He turned to walk away, looking back at me once before disappearing around the corner and out of my sight. I knew I didn't have long to get ready, so I rushed inside my room to the bathroom. However, I didn't even get there before a knock sounded on my door.

It had to be Ryley coming to get me.

As soon as I opened the door, Ryley barged in with a smirk on his face. "I see you had a date tonight. I'm jealous," he teased.

"Spying, are we?"

"I'm two doors down, Gabby. It's a good thing I looked through the peephole before opening the door. I'm sure your friend would've been thrilled to see me."

"Yeah, I don't think so." I shut the door behind him and went straight to the bedroom so I could freshen up. "Anyway, it wasn't a date. We're just friends, or at least trying to be. Where's Camden?"

Ryley followed me and sat down on the bed. "He said he had better things to do, which basically means he'll be in his room fucking all night."

"That's nice," I noted sarcastically. "Do you not ever worry about diseases and stuff like that?"

"That's why we wear condoms, Gabby. The only girl I've ever fucked without one was Ashleigh when we were in my pool. Now I know not to ever do that shit again."

"Were you really starting to care about her?"

I watched his reflection in the mirror as he turned his head and sighed. "Yeah, I guess. I've never cared about anyone before, so I don't really know."

Knowing it made him uncomfortable to talk about Ashleigh, I cleared my throat and didn't say another word about her. "Men and women can't be just friends," he said. "You and I are, but if you ever wanted me to fuck you I'd be all up for it. I actually respect you, so I don't push it."

"And I appreciate that," I chuckled.

My phone buzzed in my back pocket, and when I pulled it out to look at it, I saw a text from Tyler.

**Tyler:** Ryley's coming to get you. I'll see you soon.

**Me:** He's already here. Leaving now.

"Oh yeah, Tyler sent me to get you. He didn't want you coming alone since Kyle 'The Cocksucker' Andrews is in our fucking hotel. I can't believe he messed with you today."

I snarled, "Tell me about it. The bitch with him tried to punch me, too."

"That doesn't surprise me. Her name is Jaden Eller. She's one of our female UFC fighters and the biggest cunt you'll ever meet. I guess it's fitting that she chose Kyle to fuck around with."

"I see," I said, smiling on the inside. If that bitch only knew that I could fight. "Are you ready to go?"

"After you, sweetheart."

Grabbing my gym bag, I made sure everything was in there that I would need. Ryley looked questioningly at me, but I waved him off and started for the door. If anything happened I knew I would be ready.

"IS TYLER'S FATHER going to approve of holding a fight in their gym this late at night?" I asked curiously on our way there. I'd met Steven Rushing before, and he didn't take me as the kind of man who would approve of this kind of fight.

Sheepishly, Ryley shrugged his shoulders and bit his lip. "Actually, his father doesn't know. He's out of town with Tyler's mother for a couple of weeks. He'll be so fucking pissed if he finds out."

"Let's just hope he doesn't."

When we pulled up in the parking lot, it was so packed I didn't even know if we'd find a parking space. "You know your brother's going to find out that you're here. There's no way you can be around this many people in our circle and he not find out. I told him a while back that he needed to loosen up on you or you'd rebel."

"You did? Well, then I guess it's time to take a stand."

Luckily, Ryley found a parking space that wasn't too far away, so I took a deep breath before grabbing my bag and following him down the sidewalk to the gym. Not only was there a line to get in, but there were even bouncers at the door holding the people off.

I gasped, "Oh my God, this is insane. How will we get in?"

Ryley snorted incredulously, and put his arm around my shoulders. "Seriously, Gabby. I can't believe you'd even ask that. You're probably the first person written on that list."

We walked past everyone waiting in the line, heading straight up to the door, which two guys dressed in all black opened for us. "He's in the back waiting on you two," the long haired one said, smiling down at me.

He had to be at least six foot four with shoulder-length, light brown hair and green eyes. His T-shirt said 'The Labyrinth' on it, and I knew it was the fancy, high end club that my brother used to fight at, and also where Tyler worked as a bouncer. The owner held MMA fights every single weekend, and that was how Tyler got noticed. I'd never been to the club, but I'd always wanted to go there.

"Is everything ready for the party tomorrow?" Ryley asked the bouncer.

The guy smiled and they fist bumped. "You know it. It's going to be fucking awesome."

Ryley put his hand on the small of my back and ushered me inside; there was hardly any standing room. Tyler should've charged admittance.

"Where's the party at tomorrow night? I don't think you ever told me."

Pulling me closer so we wouldn't get separated, Ryley leaned over and replied, "It's going to be at The Labyrinth. Have you ever been there?"

"No, but I've always wanted to."

"Oh, you'll like it. Your brother is a legend there. That's where I first met him."

I liked knowing my brother had worked his way from the bottom to the top. Our father had left us when I was just a baby, and ever since then Matt had worked every single day of his life to help our mother with the bills.

I owed him so much; without him I would've never gone to college or had the things I do now. Even though he was my older brother, he was kind of like my father in that aspect, too. I couldn't remember our father, so for my whole life it'd always been just Matt ... which was probably why he was so protective of me.

In the gym was an area where a ring was set up, just like in an arena. There--standing by it with a whole group of rogue-looking fighters--was Kyle with the same girl from earlier. He was obviously ready to fight; his hands were wrapped up in his red gloves, and he had his red and black fighting shorts on. When he saw me, he winked and licked his lips.

In return, I flipped him off and kept walking. Even though the room was loud and crowded, I could still hear his evil laugh vibrating off of the walls.

"Just keep walking, Gabby," Ryley commanded.

He led me to a separate room, where Tyler, Cole, and a couple of other fighters were. Tyler was ready, dressed in his white and black fighting shorts with his black handwraps already on his fists. Luckily, he didn't look pissed off, but I knew that was because he was about to go out there and kick Kyle's ass.

Tyler smirked when he saw me, and nodded for me to follow him, most likely to get away from everyone's prying ears. When he ushered me to the back room, he locked the door and smiled.

"I can't believe you're doing this," I said. "I wish I was the one getting to kick his ass."

Tucking my hair behind my ear with his fingers, he trailed them softly over my cheek to my lips. "As sexy as it would be to see you in the ring beating the hell out of him, this is something I want to do. I've wanted a chance to take him on ever since he fucked with your brother."

"I know the feeling," I murmured.

"So, listen, there's a party tomorrow night at The Labyrinth. I'm sure you've heard Ryley talk about it?"

"Yeah, he mentioned it," I said. "Happy Birthday, by the way. I'm sure it'll be fun."

Taking my hands, he pulled them up and around his neck, and slid his own down my arms to my waist. "I want you to be there with me."

I was going to be, but he didn't know that.

"I don't know if I can," I lied. "But I'll definitely try to make it."

"What happened to only having the weekend? I thought you wanted to be with me."

"I do, but I think you're going to be too busy to know I'm there. Ryley told me what he has planned."

Tyler furrowed his brows. "What do you mean?"

"Uh ... let's just say that you and your friends are going to be well taken care of. You're definitely not going to need me tomorrow night."

Even though I knew it _was_ going to be me with him tomorrow night, it still kind of sucked knowing that if I wasn't there it would've been someone else. That was the life of a fighter, though, and I was aware of that ... even if I didn't exactly like it.

My brother never told me stories of his trysts, but I knew he had a lot of them. Now that he'd settled down with someone, he regretted every single one of them. All it takes is that one person to make you want to change.

Tyler sighed, pulling me in tighter. "See, I told you, Gabby. You don't know what you're getting into with me. This is my life, and I love it the way it is. If we're going to do this, we can't let feelings get in the way. Can you do that?"

_I hope so._

Looking up into his serious gray gaze, I smiled and kissed him, making sure to suck his bottom lip before stepping back. "You have nothing to worry about with me. I'm not going to fall in love with you."

"Good, because I don't want to hurt you."

"Hey," Ryley called out, knocking on the door, "it's time."

We both glanced at the door, and then back to each other. "It looks like we have to go," I said. "Are you ready?"

"You better believe it. Let's go."

ONCE TYLER WALKED out and climbed into the ring, Ryley and I took our places with our friends. Everyone in the gym cheered and whistled while Tyler and Kyle circled around each other, facing off. Cole entered the ring next and stood in the center, raising his hands for everyone to be quiet.

"All right, everyone, thanks for coming. Tonight isn't going to be your usual fight. Instead, there are no rules. This was agreed upon by both fighters." Looking at both of them, he nodded, and slowly backed up toward the cage door. "Fighters, you may begin!"

In that moment, it was as if the whole room immediately buzzed with way too much energy. It was like a shock wave that traveled from my fingers all the way down to my toes, making me shiver. Tyler threw a hard right hook to Kyle's face, making his head snap to the side, but then Kyle roared and landed one right back on Tyler's cheek.

Sometimes it sucked being a woman, not allowed to handle situations with my fists like men could. For the most part, my brother had turned me into a decent fighter, but I wouldn't really know since I hadn't put my skills to use on another person without holding back.

Punch after punch, both Kyle and Tyler were equally amazing in the ring and never once stopped to take a break. "Are they not going to do rounds?" I asked Ryley.

He shook his head. "No, they're not. This is basically a street fight in a ring, sweetheart. You don't see people taking breaks out on the street, right?"

"No, you don't, but I figured they would want them."

"Not these two."

A few shouts came from behind me, and out of nowhere, I was pushed into the side of the ring; my shoulder throbbing like hell when I took the hit.

"What the hell?" I growled, turning around.

After that it was like everyone and everything froze, even Tyler and Kyle. No one made a move other than Ryley, who came to my side, shielding me.

"You need to back up," he shouted as Jaden Eller approached with an evil sneer on her face.

"What for? I'm just having a little bit of fun."

Moving to the side and out of Ryley's protection, I glared at her and snapped, "What's your problem?"

She laughed and took another step closer. "Oh, let me see ... you are. Everyone around here thinks that you and your brother are like UFC fucking royalty. I'm sick of it."

"Just because you have a problem with my brother doesn't mean you can be a psycho bitch and take it out on me. Are you mad because he turned you down or something? That seems to be the growing trend with a lot of people I've met these days."

The crowd started to laugh, which only infuriated Jaden more, her face turning red with rage. "Fuck you, bitch. You don't know what you're talking about."

She stood there seething, and I knew then that I had hit the nail on the head by the look in her eyes. My brother had broken a lot of hearts, and I knew I shouldn't provoke her, but I wasn't going to be pushed around ... even if she was a fighter. I was one, too.

"Don't I? I can see it in your face. He turned you down, and now you're left with nothing other Kyle Andrews. Kind of sad if you ask me."

After that, everything moved in slow motion. She lunged straight for me, and I knew she was going to strike even before her body moved; I could see it and feel the tension in the air. When her fist swung, I ducked underneath it and swiftly lifted up, landing an uppercut to her jaw. Eyes wide, she fell back on her ass, speechless ... at least for a few seconds.

Kyle and Tyler both jumped out of the ring and down to us; Kyle going straight to Jaden, and Tyler joining me. The whole room was silent as everyone stared at me, their mouths gaping open.

"All right, that's enough," Tyler thundered at Kyle. "If you can't keep your bitch on a leash, you need to get the fuck out of here. The fight's between me and you ... not them."

"Why don't you let the girls fight?" someone yelled.

Another person agreed, followed by everyone in the crowd hooting in encouragement. "Yeah, I want to see them fight!"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Tyler snapped, glaring at them all. "You're talking about a trained UFC fighter against a girl who doesn't fight."

"It looks like she can fight to me," Kyle remarked, gazing up and down my body, licking his lips. "In fact, I don't think I've seen any of our female fighters move like she did."

Jaden snarled and glared at me. "I'm down for it. That is, if you're not a scared little bitch," she taunted angrily.

When the crowd turned their hungry gazes my way, Tyler took me by the arm. He was about to lead me to the back when I stopped, sliding out of his hold.

"Tyler, wait. I can't walk away from this."

"Gabby, I'm not going to let you fight her," he hissed so only I could hear. "Your brother will kill me, along with everyone else if you get hurt. You're not doing it."

"Let her do it," Ryley challenged. "It's her choice, not ours. Matt will just have to get the hell over it. He can't control everything she does."

Tyler closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. "I think you're missing the point, Ryley. Gabby can't fight against a trained MMA fighter; she could seriously get hurt."

"Maybe you underestimate her. I say let her do it."

When Tyler gazed down at me, I looked up at him and smiled. "I know you're worried, but trust me, I know what I'm doing."

"So are we doing this?" Kyle shouted above the crowd.

I stepped around Tyler and glared at both Kyle and Jaden. "Yes," I answered with a confident smirk. "I'm ready."

In the gym bag I'd brought, I had my handwraps and gloves, along with a change of clothes. I had fifteen minutes to get ready, so I excused myself to the back room and put on my short, black workout shorts with a red tank top. As soon as my hands were wrapped and gloved I'd be ready to go.

Tonight began my road to freedom. My brother was most definitely going to find out and I knew he would be pissed, but it was my time to break free. I was proud of who I'd become, even if I was poor for most of my life.

It took a lot of hard work to get where I was and I wanted everyone to see it, to know that I could fight for what I believed in, even if it meant using my fists. I wasn't weak, nor was I afraid. It was time everyone knew they didn't have to shelter me.

Lifting my head high, I opened the door to the back room and slowly made my way to the ring, where Jaden was waiting on me. Stunned, Tyler and Ryley both stared at me with wide eyes, their mouths gaping open.

"Where did you get the gloves?" Tyler asked curiously, lifting my hands. "And how did you learn how to wrap them?"

I winked. "Watch and see."

Walking past him, I climbed up into the ring and kept my gaze on Jaden, ignoring the sounds of everyone around us. All that existed was me and her; I had to block everything else out. She was going down.

"WHAT THE HELL does she think she's doing?" I grumbled, watching Gabriella circle the ring. She had good form as far as stance, but she didn't know the first thing about fighting.

"She'll be fine," Ryley countered. "She looks hot as fuck up there."

"Yeah, well maybe not so much when she gets her head bashed in. Or have you forgotten how ruthless of a cunt Jaden is?"

Ryley shook his head and laughed, and all I wanted to do was punch the shit out of him. How could he not see that Gabriella fighting was a complete and utter disaster? He wasn't going to be the one her brother came after first ... I was. After Cole made his announcement, he smiled at Gabriella and wished her good luck before giving them the shout out to start.

_Holy fuck, here we go._

Immediately, Jaden went on the rampage and straight for Gabriella, swinging her fists. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see the first hit, but the sound of it was bone crunching. "Shit," I hissed, turning around. "We need to stop this."

Ryley burst out laughing and elbowed me in the side. "Dude, what are you talking about? You seriously need to watch this."

"No thanks. I'll just see the damage when it's done. How the fuck are we going to deal with her brother after this? He trusts us."

"I know he trusts us, but I also think he'll be proud of her, too. She moves just like him up there. She's kicking major ass."

"Wait, what?" I mumbled, turning around. I was expecting to see Gabriella covered in blood, already flat on the mat, but that wasn't what I saw at all.

She had a smile on her face, moving gracefully in the ring and dodging every single punch Jaden threw her way. Jaden, on the other hand, looked disheveled and worn out; her face was blood red and her left eye swollen shut.

It wasn't Gabriella who had gotten hit ... it was Jaden. Gabriella glanced down at me and winked before sweeping Jaden off of her feet, making her fall down to the mat. She was amazing; I was getting hard just watching her.

They grappled on the mat until Gabriella caught her in an armbar and started to pull. Pain was etched all over Jaden's face, but she wasn't tapping out. Her pride could easily ruin her; I'd seen it with so many fighters. It was hard to tap out when you wanted to keep going, but I'd been beaten so many times I knew when to accept defeat. This season, however, I was undefeated.

"Tap out, Jaden," Gabriella said through clenched teeth. "I don't want to break your arm."

"Fuck you," Jaden spat. "I knew you were a scared little bitch."

"Really? You're going to say that to me when you're at _my_ mercy?"

With a smile on his face, Kyle watched Gabriella with too much heat in his eyes, too much interest. I didn't like it.

"Get your girl to tap out," I growled. "She's not going to be able to compete with a broken arm."

Kyle shrugged and brushed me off. "I don't give a shit about that. I'm enjoying watching Gabriella fight with her own conscience on if she should do it or not. I know she wants to."

Gabriella heard every single word he said and snarled in disgust. She abruptly let Jaden go and pushed her away, getting to her feet while Jaden stumbled to the edge of the ring, holding her arm.

"I may have wanted to break her arm," Gabriella snapped, catching her breath, "but I didn't because I'm not like you." Then to Jaden she said, "I don't intentionally hurt people to get off on it, but if you so much as mess with me again it won't be just your arm I break."

Jaden stumbled out of the ring, and Kyle--with his disappointed glare--didn't even help her out. _What a fucking douche bag_. When they started toward the door, Gabriella beamed and hopped out of the ring, landing straight in front of me.

"So what did you think?" she asked.

"You were amazing. Matt never told me he was training you."

"That's because I told him not to. It wasn't something I wanted everyone knowing. Now what we need to do is go out and have some fun. I feel so freaking good right now."

I had never seen her so happy or full of life. I knew it was because of the adrenaline coursing through her veins. Fighting was a rush, and it was one of the best feelings I'd ever felt in my life. It was a drug.

"Why don't you go and change clothes? Then we can get out of here. I'll take you to my place."

Biting her lip, she nodded and turned around, sashaying her hips as she walked away. My dick twitched in my shorts, and I knew if I joined her in that room I wouldn't be able to hold off. She would be mine.

"Actually, the celebrating is going to have to wait," Ryley cut in with a disgruntled look on his face. In his hand, he typed away on his phone, and then put it away angrily.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I know you two want to celebrate doing your thing tonight, but I need Gabriella to come with me. I'll explain later."

"Please tell me you're joking."

"Believe me, I'm not ... trust me."

Exasperated, I shook my head and huffed, "Fine, but you owe me for this."

She'd already said she wouldn't be at my party, which left Saturday as my only night with her.

"Oh, don't worry," Ryley chimed with a sly smile. "I have the perfect birthday present that will make up for everything. Don't you worry."

_Yeah, but that didn't involve the woman I wanted_ , I almost said.

About that time, Gabriella came out of the back room looking pissed and glaring at Ryley. "I just got a text from Bradley," she thundered. "Care to explain what's going on?"

"I will on the way. Are you ready to go?"

Gabriella huffed and turned to me. "I'm so sorry. I'll call you tomorrow to wish you a happy birthday. I hope you have a good time at your party."

"It won't be the same without you there," I told her, tapping her chin playfully so she'd think I wasn't pissed about her leaving. "And give my not so kind regards to _Bradley_."

"Trust me, there won't be any kind thoughts to any of the guys tonight." She glared at Ryley before turning back to me. "Anyway, I know you'll have fun. I'm pretty sure you'll forget about me after you get your birthday present from _him_ ," she stated, pointing to Ryley.

She obviously didn't care if I fucked around with other girls because I knew that was what Ryley had planned. What pissed me off, was that I knew I would care if she went off and slept with another guy this weekend before being with me; like Bradley for instance.

There was more to their relationship then what she let on. Nonetheless, Gabriella was the only girl I couldn't have and that made me want her even more. One way or another, I was going to have her ... and no one was going to stand in my way.

AS SOON AS we got in the car, I slammed the door and went off. "What happened, Ryley? Why are Camden, Bradley, and Colin in jail? All I got was a text asking if I could come pick them up."

"Well ..." he began, glancing sheepishly over at me, "Camden thought it would be a good idea to rub it in Colin's face that he had messed around with Ashleigh."

"Oh my God," I gasped. "Why would he do that?"

He scoffed incredulously, "Really? You're going to ask that? This is Camden we're talking about."

"Where was Ashleigh during all of this?"

Ryley shrugged. "She wasn't there. That's why they wanted you."

I threw my hands in the air. "Great. Why am I the one who always has to deal with this shit?"

Ryley reached for my hand and squeezed. "It's because you're the only one who can think rationally and still see the good in people when they do something wrong. Any normal person would run away from me, but you always have my back when I get into trouble."

"It's because you're redeemable," I murmured. "I know there's more to you than what you let on. I have hope, hope that everyone has the chance to rise up to be more than what they are."

"You remind me so much of your brother when you say stuff like that. He's the same way, the same mentality. It's easy to see why everyone's so envious of you two."

That took me by surprise.

"I thought Jaden was just talking shit when she said that. Matt and I came from nothing. I don't see why anyone would be jealous of us. If anything, it would be the opposite way around."

Ryley shrugged. "Maybe that's why you attract so many people. You're grounded and you have heart. It's hard to find that in people these days."

"Thanks," I said, squeezing his hand back. "You're not so bad yourself."

Finally, we pulled into the station parking lot and parked. I sat there taking a deep breath, hoping Camden didn't screw everything up. I didn't want to have to answer Colin's questions without Ashleigh there, but I knew I probably needed to clear the air before he went back to her.

"I'm really not looking forward to this," I grumbled as we got out of the car and walked into the station.

"Me neither."

When we got up to the desk, there was a middle-aged lady in her uniform with short, bright red hair, and a sour expression on her face. "Um ... hi, I'm Gabriella Reynolds. I'm here to pick up Colin Parker and Bradley Thompson."

"And I'm here to pick up Camden Jameson," Ryley finished.

The woman behind the desk pursed her lips and fiddled through the files on her desk. "Ah, yes, the guys responsible for the bar fight. Thankfully, no one was hurt. There was some destruction of property, which Mr. Jameson was ready and willing to pay for. Other than that, and a few bruises, they're all free to go."

"I understand," I said. "Thank you."

They were probably going to get a few more bruises after I was done with them.

Picking up the phone, she told the person on the other line who she needed. About five minutes later, all three guys walked up to the front, pissed off and glowering at each other. It was definitely going to be an interesting ride back to the hotel; I most definitely needed to call a cab.

Camden looked smug as always, but this time he had a swollen left eye. Instead of acknowledging him, I kept my gaze on Bradley and Colin, my arms crossed at the chest. They'd ruined a perfectly good night for me.

Bradley had a busted lip, but other than that he looked fine; however, he wouldn't look at me, which I found to be odd. Colin, on the other hand, had a busted right eye and bruised cheek, but at least he seemed appreciative.

"Thanks for coming, Gabby."

"It was no problem, but it might've been a better idea if you'd called Ashleigh. Surely it wasn't that bad, was it?"

Bradley scoffed and immediately glared over at Camden, who pretended to be bored. Huffing, I turned to Camden and snapped, "What did you say to them?"

His lip turned up in a mischievous smirk. "I was just having a little fun. I didn't realize they would be so sensitive. I mean, the stuff about Ashleigh was just a joke, but I didn't realize that cocksucker over there was going to lose his shit when he saw you fighting. Speaking of which, you were fucking hot up there."

_Oh my God! He knows!_

Bradley growled low and lunged, but Colin caught him in time and held him back, pushing him toward the door. "Dude, we're in the police station for fuck's sake. Don't be a moron!"

Ryley pushed Camden to the door while I followed them out, my stomach in knots. Now Bradley knew that I'd lied when I told him I wanted to stay in and go to bed. What's worse was that I had never told him I knew how to fight, or even let him know how close to that world I was. He was angry at me, and now we were back at square one.

When we got outside, I called for a cab knowing very well there was no way I could be confined in a car with all four of them. "Are you sure you don't want me to take you guys back?" Ryley asked.

"No, the last thing we need is another fight on our hands. There's been too many tonight."

Ryley and Camden sauntered off toward the Chevy Tahoe; meanwhile me, Colin, and Bradley stood outside of the station, waiting on our cab. I had been caught in a lie and I honestly had no idea what to say or how to make him understand. _This time I really screwed up._

Both guys sat down on the curb in silence, looking at anything but me. "Again, thank you for coming to get us," Colin remarked appreciatively.

"You're welcome," I answered, taking a seat in between them. "Why isn't Ashleigh with you?"

"She wasn't feeling good and said she wanted to stay behind."

Bradley growled, "Yeah, kind of like someone else I know. Oh, but wait, you lied, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but at least I'm here to get you out," I snapped. "Look, I'm sorry I lied to you, but I didn't know what else to do. I knew you wouldn't understand."

Colin stood and pointed to the cab that pulled into the parking lot. "I'm going to go wait in the cab. I'll leave you two to talk it out here."

When Colin got into the car and out of earshot, Bradley turned his angry caramel gaze my way. "How do you know I wouldn't understand? You have all of these preconceived notions in your head, but in reality you have no clue."

"No clue?" I scoffed. "You and Colin _hate_ my friends. It was kind of hard to tell you that I was choosing to hang out with them over you. I didn't want to--"

"Didn't want to what? Hurt my feelings?"

Sighing, I closed my eyes and nodded reluctantly. His mocking tone was answer enough; I only wanted to protect him.

"All I needed was the truth, Gabriella. I care enough about you to embrace that part of your life. If I wasn't so pissed that you lied to me, I might've enjoyed watching you in the ring, but you didn't give me that chance."

He got to his feet and I followed suit, wanting desperately for him to look at me, but he wouldn't. My chest hurt knowing that this was the final blow; he wouldn't take anymore after this and I didn't blame him. I just wished he knew how much I hated not being able to be with him the way he wanted to be.

"Tomorrow morning I'm flying back to Los Angeles."

Wide-eyed, I gasped. "Why are you leaving so soon? We're not supposed to go back until Sunday."

He shrugged and finally looked down at me, his gaze guarded and hard as stone. "Yeah, well, I don't exactly feel like celebrating with someone who only wishes she was doing something else. I obviously don't fit into your world."

"So this is it? This is how it's going to end with us?"

Walking over to the cab, he went to the other side and opened the door, glaring at me. "I don't see it any other way, Gabriella. It's how it has to be."

As much as I wanted to deny it and save what we had, he was most likely right. Maybe it was for the best.

**Me:** Happy Birthday, Tyler

**Tyler:** Thanks, baby. Are you sure you can't come to the party tonight?

**Me:** I have plans, I'm sorry. :/ I'll see you at the fight tomorrow night, though.

"Are you sure you don't want to go back with us today?" Ashleigh asked as we sat eating our breakfast. I'd ordered an egg and cheese omelet with green peppers, while she had a plate full of French toast and strawberries.

Not only was Bradley going back to Los Angeles, but Colin and Ashleigh had decided to go back, too. "No, I think I'm going to stay here and watch the guys fight tomorrow night. I might as well since I'm here," I replied nonchalantly.

"Okay, but you better stay out of trouble. No fights. It's bad enough the guys got into one, and with Camden no less," Ashleigh thundered, sipping her orange juice. "And then you with that girl. I heard the video was pretty awesome."

"Oh, it has to be. You'd be proud of me, I kicked her ass."

She was asleep by the time Colin snuck into their room, but he'd woken her up and told her the truth so she wouldn't wake up and see the bruises on his face. It was definitely a smart move on his part.

"I'm sorry your night got cut short with having to go to the station," Ashleigh murmured.

"Oh, it's okay," I replied, waving her off. "Colin said you weren't feeling well, so they called me. They didn't want to bother you while you were sleeping."

Clearing her throat, she reached for her orange juice and took another sip. "I guess it's a good thing because there's no way I could've picked them up last night. I think I got food poisoning. I had a craving for cookie dough, so Colin and I went to the store and picked some up. It didn't settle well with me, so I told the guys just to go on and celebrate."

"Ugh ... I hate food poisoning. Are you sure you're not pregnant?" I teased, taking a bite of my omelet.

Keeping her head down, she clenched her jaw and closed her eyes. The bite of omelet I had just taken felt like a brick as it traveled down my throat. "Oh my God," I whispered, feeling sick to my stomach.

A tear slid down her cheek and I immediately rushed over, knelt beside her, and grasped her hands. "Are you?" I asked. "Please tell me it's Colin's. The last thing you need is for the baby to be Ryley's."

Even though we were almost out of college, Colin would be a great father ... responsible. I loved Ryley to death, but he wasn't ready to be a father, not in the least. What's even worse was that just last night I remembered Ryley telling me about how he had sex with her one time without a condom.

I had no clue if she'd done that with Colin yet or not. For months I'd told her to get back on the pill, but she said they made her nauseous. They made _me_ a little moody, but there was no way I was going to stop taking them.

This whole trip was just like a Jerry Springer show and now it had just gotten even more scandalous. I had the girl fight, the secret lover, and now she was the one who needed the baby's daddy test.

"I don't know," she cried. "I'm a week late. I haven't even taken a test."

"Why not? Don't you want to know? This is serious, Ashleigh. The guys need to know if you're pregnant."

She wiped away her tears and lifted her head, her face going pale as she stared over my shoulder. Quickly, I turned to look. There behind me was none other than Ryley, his face just as pale as Ashleigh's.

"Holy shit, you have got to be kidding me?" I gasped incredulously. "Talk about not so perfect timing ... again."

Ryley froze in place, staring at Ashleigh and her at him. That was not the way he needed to find out, but there was no changing it now.

"Ryley, hey," I murmured soothingly, getting to my feet. I took his hand and guided him to the table; he looked like he was in shock. "You need to sit down, okay? I know this is a lot to take in."

He didn't even acknowledge me, but kept his gaze on Ashleigh. "We need to get you a test," he ordered, "like now. Were you even going to tell me?"

Ashleigh covered her face and sobbed. "I don't know. It's all happening so fast. I'm just a week late, that's it. I may not even be pregnant."

"But you could be," he snapped worriedly, "and with _my_ child."

Ashleigh scoffed, "And what if it is yours, huh? What exactly would you do with a baby?"

Ryley swallowed hard and sat there, completely silent, unsure. Rolling her eyes, Ashleigh shook her head and flung her hands in the air. "And that's what I thought."

"All right you two, there's no reason to snap at each other," I hissed. Then, turning to Ashleigh, I grabbed her hand and squeezed. "Why don't you go to my room while Ryley and I get you a test? That way we can find out what's going on."

Lips trembling, she stood on shaky legs, but Ryley jumped up and steadied her. "What about Colin? I have to tell him," she cried.

"Right now, the last thing you need is Ryley and Colin in the same room tearing each other apart while you pee on a stick. Let's take the test and go from there. Now go to my room and relax until we get back ... and make sure you drink lots of water."

Ryley let her go, and watched her walk away with a pained expression on his face. "What the fuck am I going to do, Gabby? I'm not good enough to be a father."

Placing my hands on his cheeks, I tilted his face down so he'd look at me. However, he averted his gaze. "Don't do that, Ryley. I need you to look at me." When he finally turned those wary blue eyes to mine, I continued, "This isn't the end of the world. We don't even know if she's pregnant, and if she is it could easily be Colin's."

"It doesn't matter, Gabby. We'd still have to wait the nine months before we could find out. In the meantime, our lives would be hell."

"We all have to live with our choices, Ryley, and sometimes they come with consequences. Even in the heat of the moment you have to be responsible. Remember that next time."

"Believe me, it'll never happen again."

After quickly buying a box of pregnancy tests at the nearest store, we went back to my room. There, we found Ashleigh on my bed, curled into a ball and sniffling. Her face, nose, and eyes were all blood red; she looked horrible. After handing her the bag, she opened it up and pulled out the box.

"Just go in there and pee on it," I told her. "When you get done, leave it on the counter and I'll go look."

She nodded, and quickly glanced at Ryley before sliding off the bed and going to the bathroom. Ryley looked even paler than before as he sat down on the bed, resting his head in his hands.

"It'll be okay," I murmured gently, rubbing his back as I sat down beside of him. "I'm here for you, you know that."

"I know, Gabby, but I'm such a fuck up. I'll never be as good of a father as mine was."

"When it's time, you'll learn. I promise."

My heart pounded in my chest while waiting on Ashleigh to come out of the bathroom. When the handle turned and she emerged, she nodded at me and walked out. "It's done. The pamphlet said to look in two minutes."

She took a seat beside Ryley, and surprisingly enough he put his arm around her and held her close. As I looked into the bathroom at the pregnancy test lying on the counter, I couldn't help but think that whatever showed up on that test would change the lives of so many people.

I took a step toward it ... then another. I couldn't see the results yet, and I was almost afraid to look, knowing that I was going to be the one to witness the outcome first. Another step, and then another. I was almost there.

Leaning over the counter, I glanced at myself in the mirror and took a deep breath before slowly letting my gaze wander down to the test. Eyes wide and heart racing, I briefly stared down at it before picking it up.

I had the answer.

"WHAT DOES IT say?" Ashleigh gasped, jumping to her feet.

Taking a deep breath, I held out the test and smiled as Ashleigh snatched it out of my hand. "It's negative ... you're not pregnant," I squealed excitedly.

Both breathing a sigh of relief, Ashleigh cried tears of joy and threw her arms around me. "Thank God," she whispered into my ear. "I'm not ready to be a mother."

"I know, but if you _were_ pregnant you would've gotten through it. You're probably just stressed out, and you know how stress can prolong your monthly."

"Okay," Ryley chimed, heading for the door. "As much as I want to stay here and listen to you talk about stress and monthly cycles, I have some celebrating to do."

Ryley started to open the door, but Ashleigh rushed over and shut it. "Wait, don't go yet. We need to talk," she said, glancing at both of us.

Furrowing my brows, I sat down on the couch in the living room, waiting.

"Do you think we can keep this between us?" she asked sheepishly. "I'm all for being honest and speaking the truth, but the last thing Colin needs right now is to know about this. I'm not pregnant, and since I'm not I don't see the need in telling him about it."

Ryley sighed and glanced over at me, winking. "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, right?"

"Right," I replied, rolling my eyes. "I'm not going to say anything, Ash. Your secret is safe with me."

Satisfied with our answers, Ashleigh released a heavy sigh and opened the door. "Our flight leaves early in the morning, Gabby. Be careful this weekend, and I'll see you back at school."

She nodded at Ryley before walking out and shutting the door behind her.

"You know what this means, don't you?" he asked.

Smiling, I shook my head and propped my feet up on the table. "No, what does it mean?"

"It means, babe, that I am going to get drunk tonight and count my blessings. You have no idea how fucking scared I was."

"Oh, I know you were because I could see it," I informed him.

"Just make sure you're ready tonight. I'll pick you up at seven o'clock. That should give us time to get to the club and get your sexy ass ready. Are you sure you can do this?"

"Please ... I am so ready."

"ARE YOU READY for tonight?" Cole asked as he drove us to The Labyrinth. It was my twenty-eighth birthday and I planned on getting wild and drunk. I knew what Ryley had planned for tonight, and I needed a shit load of alcohol in my system to get my mind off of Gabriella.

When we pulled up, the whole parking lot was packed. For years I'd worked at The Labyrinth as a bouncer, and even to this day I still did it from time to time, but it wasn't often. With my fighting schedule, it'd gotten to the point where it was conflicting. The owner, Jake Montgomery, was who made my dreams of becoming a professional fighter a reality, along with my father, who'd trained me.

Parking the car, Cole winked and opened his door. "All right, man, it's time to go. Everyone's waiting on you."

As soon as we walked in the door, there were shouts of 'Happy Birthday' from this way and that. They were all people I knew, mainly people I worked with at the club, or my UFC crowd. Ryley saw me and brought over two double shots of Patron from the bar, handing me one. "Happy Birthday, cocksucker. Drink up!"

I downed the shot of tequila and handed him the glass. "I need another one."

After following him to the bar, he chuckled and poured me another one, as well as himself. "Damn, you're starting off strong. Don't get too wasted, or you won't be able to enjoy the present I have for you."

"I'll be fine," I said. "Believe me, I'll get it up."

"Yeah, well, you're going to want to get it up for this chick. She's fucking hot." He passed me another shot and tossed his back, gazing at me in amusement. "I made sure she had condoms because I don't think you want what happened to me today."

"What happened?" I asked, letting the smooth burn of the tequila slide down my throat. I was already feeling good.

Ryley set his glass down and sighed. "I found out tonight that Gabriella's friend, Ashleigh--the one I fucked around with--was possibly pregnant."

"Are you fucking kidding me? Why didn't you use a condom, dumb ass?"

He shrugged. "We had sex once without one. We were in my pool and it just happened. Trust me, I'm not going to ever do that shit again. I don't get scared over anything, but that had me fucking terrified."

I knew not to be that stupid ... ever.

"I'm glad it worked out for you, man," I said. "You as a father would not be a good thing."

Sighing, Ryley poured another shot and took it. "I know what you mean."

"Well, if it isn't the birthday boy," Jake called, slapping me on the back.

Chuckling, I turned around and took his outstretched hand. He was dressed in a blue button down shirt and black dress pants, his salt and pepper hair slicked back off of his face. When I first met him, I never thought he'd be as reserved as he was since he owned this type of bar, but he was.

"Thanks, boss. I appreciate you letting us use the club for my party."

"Anything for you, son." He looked down at my empty glass and lifted a brow. "You know not to get too wasted, right? It may be your birthday, but you have a fight tomorrow. Your dad would be busting your ass right now if he were here."

"Oh, lighten up, old man," Ryley teased with a wink. "This is Tyler we're talking about. He's not exactly a lightweight like some of the other guys we know."

"That's for damn sure," Cole mumbled, nudging me in the side. "You could put even the best of drinkers to shame."

Guffawing, Jake shook his head. "Either way, he needs to be careful. I don't want Steven bitching at me when he gets back into town and finds out his son lost the fight because of a hangover."

With a smile, I slid him my glass and said, "All right, I'm done."

He took my glass, lifting his brows skeptically. "Okay, but I'm keeping my eye on you. Have fun tonight and stay out of trouble. I hope you enjoy your birthday present."

Before walking away, he patted me on the shoulder and winked, and shook Ryley and Cole's hands. Jake was a middle-aged man with lines on his face from years of stress. He lost his wife to cancer a few years back and ever since then he'd put his heart and soul into the club. He was more like a second father to me; I owed him so much.

As soon as he was out of sight, Ryley poured me another tumbler of tequila and slid it to me. Winking, he said, "Just one more. I won't tell."

I tossed it back; it felt good.

I debated on texting Gabriella to see if there was a chance she'd make it, but decided against it. I already had doubts about tonight, and talking to her would only make it worse.

"All right, man, you about ready for your present?" Ryley asked.

"You know it," I lied. "Take me there." I knew what it was going to entail, but all I could think about was Gabriella and having her legs wrapped around me ... not some call girl's.

Ryley started off toward the back where several of the VIP rooms were. When he opened the door to the last one, it was dark except for a stage that was lit up with black lights and a ceiling to floor pole. A large couch was set up at the end of the stage, and I knew the sole purpose of that couch was for fucking.

"You are going to sit here," Ryley commanded, pointing to the couch. "And after she dances for you, she has suggested that you put on the blindfold." Draped over the armrest of the couch was a red piece of silk.

"Why do I need to be blindfolded?"

Ryley shrugged. "It's what she wanted. Trust me, after you watch her dance, you'll be more than happy to do it."

"How do you know? Have you watched her before?"

"Oh yeah," he marveled. "She's amazing. However, if you don't want her I'll be more than happy to take her off your hands."

The mischievous gleam in his eyes had me questioning him. What was he up to?

"Well, if you want her so bad, why don't you take my place? I think I'll pass for the night," I said. "I don't know if I'm really in the mood for this." Something was up and I wanted to know what it was.

I started for the door, but he rushed over and stood in my way. "You can't leave. It'll ruin everything. Trust me, you're not going to want to miss this. It's a _onetime_ deal, if you know what I mean." He winked at me and opened the door. "She's not going to be in town long."

Right then, I knew what he was trying to tell me. It was Gabriella. "It's her, isn't it?" I questioned.

He nodded and slapped me on the shoulder. "Yep, so don't miss this chance. However, if you're still not in the mood, I'll take your place."

"Like hell you will," I hissed, pushing him out the door. Before he could go, something else came to mind ... just a few minutes ago he said he watched her dance. That meant ...

"Ryley, when you say you watched her dance, how is that possible?"

He waggled his brows while biting his lip. "Wouldn't you like to know," he teased. "Believe me, it wasn't easy watching her and keeping pure thoughts in my mind. You better treat her right."

My dick twitched in my pants just thinking about her. "Go get her," I said. "I'll be ready."

Shutting the door, I locked it and took a seat on the couch. There was another entrance to the back she could come through, and after a few short moments, the door opened and she sauntered in. She was wearing a blonde wig, but I would know her body anywhere. She wasn't fooling anyone.

Let the game begin ...

I PUT ON a blonde wig to cover my dark hair and made sure to walk with confidence when I entered the room. My attire consisted of a silver bikini-style top that barely covered my nipples, along with silver g-string bottoms.

Ryley's eyes about popped out of his head when he came to get me, and he mumbled the whole way to Tyler's room about how it was unfair that I wasn't dancing for him. It was funny hearing him complain.

The room was lit only by a black light, which made the silver in my outfit glow on my tanned skin. Taking my place on the stage, I waited for the music to play, knowing what I had to do when it began.

It was time; my song started to play ... "Bump N' Grind" by R. Kelly.

Moving my body to the rhythm of the music, I made sure to show him how limber I was as I danced across the stage, making sure to touch myself as provocatively as I could. The pole was definitely fun playing around with, but I wasn't exactly trained in how to use it.

Tyler sat on the couch and watched me with hungry eyes, his cock straining against his jeans. I was disappointed because in all reality, he wasn't looking at me like that, he was looking at a stripper. He didn't know it was me; therefore, what we did tonight wasn't because of me, but of his own desires of women.

_Stop thinking about it like that, Gabby. You knew what you were getting in to._

Yes, I knew what I was getting in to, but I honestly thought that he wanted me as much as I wanted him. It didn't matter, though. Once the night was over, I would have experienced the desire of my fighter and quenched my thirst for him. It was what I came to Vegas to do ... to be with him for one time and one time only. My mind was saying that, but my heart didn't want it like it.

Once the song ended, I slowly made my way down the stage as Tyler tied the red blindfold around his head, hiding his eyes just like Ryley instructed him to do. I was told not to talk to him just in case he recognized my voice, so I kept quiet when I straddled his lap and wrapped my arms around his neck.

Slowly, I leaned down and kissed his neck, trailing my tongue up to his ear and savoring the salty essence of his skin. He tasted so good. He shivered slightly and groaned when I bit down on his lobe, sucking it as I rocked my hips against his hard cock.

His hands immediately found my hips, and he gripped them tightly before sliding them up my sides to my breasts. Instantly ripping away the silver top, he pinched my nipples, rolling them in his fingertips.

I couldn't stay silent after that, so I moaned and tilted my head back. It felt incredible to have his hands on me ... finally. I just wished he knew it was me. "Lean back, baby," he growled.

After doing as he said, he moved forward so that he could take my nipple into his mouth and suck ... hard. He bit down and sucked, bit down and sucked, over and over until I thought I would lose control. Unfortunately, I wasn't supposed to lose control, I was supposed to make him.

Pulling my breasts away from Tyler's tantalizing mouth, I fumbled with the waist band of his jeans and undid them. Instead, I slid off of his lap and tugged his jeans and boxers down, exposing his long, thick cock that laid heavy against his stomach.

His shirt came off next, but before going down between his legs, I trailed my tongue across his rock hard abs until I got to the head of his cock. The head glistened with moisture, so I flicked my tongue across it and swallowed the saltiness down.

"That feels so good," he groaned.

Hearing his strangled cry made the insides of my thighs dripping wet, throbbing for more. I wanted to climb back into his lap and take him because I knew I didn't have that much time before people wanted to see the birthday boy again. If I had my way, I would have sex with him the entire night ... but all I had was an hour to have my fun with him.

Ryley had left me a couple of condoms beside the couch, so I opened one up and slid it down on to Tyler's body, watching him bite his lip the entire time. When I straddled his waist again, he stopped me from sliding down by holding me up.

"Not yet, baby."

Ever so gently, he rubbed his thumb over my clit. I gasped as he inserted a finger inside of me, and then another. My legs grew weak and shaky, but he held me up with his other arm while thrusting into me with his fingers.

"You are so wet," he murmured heatedly. "I think you're ready now."

_I've been ready_ , I wanted to say.

His grip on my waist loosened and he slid his fingers out, only to bring them to his lips and suck them off. It was so erotically hot that I almost had an orgasm just listening to him moan as he tasted me on his fingers.

Slowly, I lowered myself on to his body and took him inch by inch until he was completely inside, filling me. It hurt at first, but the pain was actually pleasurable.

Tyler wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer so that my body was flush with his, my breasts sliding against his chest. He leaned his head down and kissed my neck all the way up my cheek to my lips.

I gave in when he forced his tongue inside and held the back of my head so that I couldn't pull away. I didn't want to, but in the back of my mind it was all a façade. He didn't know he was with me and he didn't care. Having sex with women was what he did on a regular basis. It was all a game, just like it was for Ryley and Camden.

I thought I wouldn't care about that ... but I did. I didn't want to be another one night stand who didn't mean anything. Even if I didn't want a relationship with him, I still didn't want to be forgotten. Now I knew what Ashleigh meant when she gave the twins a hard time about not being just a one night stand. She wanted to matter to them, just like I wanted to matter to Tyler.

"You are so tight," Tyler whispered in my ear. "I love it."

Closing my eyes, I rode him hard, trying not to cry as my decision to do what I was doing hung like a ball of regret over my head. It still felt amazing having him inside of me, and I wanted to enjoy it, but I couldn't. Too many things were going through my mind. As I looked at him, biting his lip and smiling unknowingly at a girl he couldn't see, my heart shattered.

I couldn't stay any longer.

Swallowing hard, I quickly lifted off his lap and ran toward the back door, grabbing my robe as I rushed past. I looked back only once, but I disappeared out of sight before Tyler could even see me. I had to get out of there ... and fast.

I DIDN'T KNOW what the fuck had happened! One minute Gabriella was on top of me, riding me hard, and the next she bolted out of the door before I could even get the damn blindfold off.

"Gabriella!"

Completely naked, I rushed to the door and grabbed the handle ... but it wouldn't turn. "Goddammit!" I shouted. "Gabriella, stop!"

The door was thick; one I couldn't break down even if I tried. Jake had it made so that it could keep people out if someone needed protection. On the other side of the door, there was a private hallway that led to various rooms, and also to an emergency exit.

_Fuck!_

As fast as I could, I ran over to my clothes, peeled off my condom, and got dressed. I couldn't let her get away without knowing what was wrong. Once everything was in place, I slammed open the door and ran out, only to come face to face with smiling faces and people wishing me a happy birthday.

This was not what the fuck I needed right now.

My heart pounded relentlessly; all I could think about was what happened to make Gabriella want to leave me like that. Also, Vegas wasn't the type of place for her to run around by herself at night. I had to find her.

The second Ryley saw me he knew something was wrong and followed me out the door. So many people were hollering at me and asking where I was going, but I ignored them. Once we were away from the crowd and outside, I frantically turned to Ryley.

"We need to find Gabriella! I don't know where she went," I shouted, fisting my hands in my hair.

"What do you mean you don't know where she is? What did you do?"

I threw my hands up in the air. "How the fuck should I know. One minute she's on top of me and we're having a good time, and the next she's running out of the room. The fucking door locked when I tried to go after her."

"Shit," Ryley hissed, pulling out his phone. "And you didn't say anything to piss her off?"

"No," I answered, completely baffled.

Ryley dialed Gabriella's number, and when she didn't answer, I decided to try. However, it didn't surprise me when it went straight to voicemail. "We need to go to the hotel. That's the only place I can think of that she'll go."

"Dude, I can't drive," Ryley admitted reluctantly. "I've had way too much to drink."

I held out my hand. "Then give me your keys. After what happened I'm more than sober enough."

Ryley sighed, reaching into his pocket and held out his keys. "Fine. You drive and I'll keep calling and texting her. She'll answer eventually ... I hope."

We got in the car and I sped out of the parking lot, straight for the Bellagio. Ryley had no luck getting in touch with her, and the longer she went without speaking to me, the more anxious and angrier I became. Why the fuck would she leave me like that?

It took all of ten minutes to get to the hotel, and as soon as we did, I parked the Chevy Tahoe at the entrance and threw the keys at the valet. Ryley and I both ran inside--straight to the elevators--repeatedly pushing the button for her floor. It felt like a fucking eternity for the elevator to take us up.

"What if she's not there?" Ryley asked.

"Then we go to her friends," I barked. "Surely she'd go to one of them if something was wrong."

When the elevator opened to her floor, I sprinted down the hall and came to a complete stop in front of her room, banging on her door as loud as I could. "Gabby, it's me, open up. We need to talk. I need to know what I did to make you run off like that."

A few seconds passed, and ... nothing. I knocked again.

"Gabriella, open the door!"

Again, nothing.

"All right, I'm texting Ashleigh," Ryley thundered, pulling out his phone. "She'll know what to do."

About five minutes after he texted her, she charged around the corner. "What's going on?" she snapped. "What do you mean you can't find her?"

Ryley sighed. "She left the party and we don't know where she could've gone. If she's inside of her room she's not answering the door."

Ashleigh turned to me with narrowed eyes. "What did you do to her? There had to be a reason she would take off."

I didn't know what to say; I was just as clueless as everyone else. "I didn't do anything wrong, Ashleigh. Or at least I don't think I did."

Closing her eyes, she put her hands on her hips and hung her head. "I swear, I never thought that getting mixed up with you guys would cause so much damn drama." She lifted her head and huffed, glaring at both me and Ryley. "I'm going downstairs to get a key to her room. I'll be right back."

Turning on her heel, she mumbled the whole way down the hall about how much of a pain in the ass we were. She reminded me so much of Gabriella.

"She's a pistol," I mentioned to Ryley.

Watching her go, he nodded and chuckled. "You got that right. She's not an easy one to handle."

A few minutes later, Ashleigh came back with a key card in her hand. "Guys, if you don't mind I'm going in there first. I don't know why she's ignoring you, but I'm sure there's a reason. I don't want you invading her personal space. If she wants to see you then you'll see her, if not then you're shit out of luck."

I was going to see her no matter what anyone said.

Sliding the key card into the door, Ashleigh turned the handle and slowly opened the door. I looked over her shoulder, but it was dark.

_Please let her be in there_.

THE DOOR TO the room opened and I blinked back my tears when the owner of The Labyrinth, Jake Montgomery, slipped inside with a cup of hot tea in his hands. I had heard so many good things about the illustrious club owner; if it wasn't for him my brother--and so many other fighters--wouldn't have gotten where they were today.

He was a good looking man with salt and peppered hair, dressed to perfection in his black slacks and crisp, blue button down shirt. He had the air of a wealthy businessman, and never in a million years would you think he was a club owner. Everyone loved him, and I could totally understand why.

After I ran out of the room, crying my eyes out, I collided with Jake. He immediately escorted me straight up to his office, which was where I'd been ever since. No one knew I was there and I wanted it to stay that way.

When he asked if he could get me anything, I settled for a cup of green tea because I didn't think a pint of Ben & Jerry's was going to be stocked in the club.

"Thank you," I murmured, reaching for the steaming mug. "I appreciate you doing this for me."

Sitting down beside me on the couch, he sighed. "Yeah, well, you kind of scared me after you ran into me in the hallway. Tyler didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No," I exclaimed, wide-eyed. "He didn't do anything wrong and he didn't hurt me. It was my choice to do what I did, and in the end it was a stupid decision. I guess my heart was more invested in it than his was."

Jake frowned and nodded his head. "I see it all of the time, Gabriella. Tyler is one of those guys that all of the women love. He's changed in the past few months, though. I still love him like a son, but he's now getting the attention he's craved for so long. I knew it would go to his head."

"I thought I would be different," I whispered, staring into my cup of tea. "At first, what I was doing didn't bother me, but suddenly it hit me. He didn't know it was me, and he didn't care. I was just a girl that meant nothing to him, one he would forget the next day. We're supposed to spend tomorrow night together, but I don't think I can after tonight."

Jake sighed and patted my leg. "I understand, sweetheart. Look, I'm going to go downstairs and wrap this party up. Do you want me to take you back to your hotel?"

"I don't want to go back yet," I replied, shaking my head. "Is there any way I can stay here for the night?"

The couch was actually kind of comfortable, and I knew if I went back, Ryley would definitely find me. I wasn't ready to tell him what had happened.

"You are more than welcome to hang out here, Gabriella. I was actually planning on staying through the night to get some paperwork done. You can always help me if you want."

"I will be more than happy to," I remarked wholeheartedly. "Just tell me what to do."

I would do anything to get my mind off of Tyler.

Several hours later, I could barely keep my eyes open. Even after drinking a couple of energy drinks I was still barely holding it together. I caught Jake laughing at me several times when I'd nod off in the middle of reading through the stacks of paperwork.

"It's seven o'clock in the morning, Gabriella. I appreciate all of the work you've done for me, but you need to go back to your hotel and get some sleep."

Yawning, I stretched my arms over my head and sat back in the chair. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm going to catch a flight home for this afternoon. I'm sure my brother's been calling me nonstop after watching my fight with Jaden." Jake's grin grew wider when I looked over at him. "Let me guess, you watched it, too?"

"Hey, what can I say? I love my fights. Actually, the other day I was thinking about bringing in female fighters to compete. Do you think that's something you'd be interested in?"

"Wow," I gasped, wide-eyed, "I never actually thought that it could be a possibility. Fighting Jaden was the first time I've ever fought against another female."

Jake's mouth gaped open in surprise. "That is amazing then. I never would've thought that. Either way, if you decide you want to fight I'm sure I can get you a rematch with Ms. Eller."

I chuckled. "Oh yeah, she hates me. I'm sure she'll be all for it."

Getting to his feet, Jake straightened up the papers on his desk and reached down to fetch one of his cards. He held it out to me and I took it, excited that I'd been offered a chance to show the world what I could do, but also bummed because I knew my brother wouldn't approve.

"Here's my number if you're ever in town again. Keep fighting, and one of these days, if you wish it, I'm sure you'll be just as well-known as your brother. He could definitely get you in the door with the UFC."

_Is that really something I want?_ I wondered.

The idea of fighting professionally was exciting, but I never thought it could be a reality. After Jake helped me out of my chair, I followed him out the door and down the steps to the front door of the club.

"Thanks, Jake. I'll have to think about everything and let you know. I need to see how my brother feels about it first."

"I don't think he'll have a problem with it. He's the one who's been training you, right?"

He had a point. "Yes," I agreed.

"Then all you have to do is ask him. It's as simple as that."

Once out in the parking lot, the only car left was a white Maserati Granturismo convertible. Opening the door, Jake ushered me inside, so I slid in onto the cool tan, leather seat.

It wasn't exactly simple asking my brother questions, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to try.

JAKE DROPPED ME off at the hotel, but instead of going to my room, I walked straight through the lobby to the conservatory, wanting to breathe in the sweet smell of the flowers. There was something about nature that always calmed me down, especially the ocean, which was why I was studying Marine Biology. However, in the back of my mind I had another passion ... fighting.

Would I be able to do both? Ashleigh was going to work at both of her career choices; working a job in Marine Biology, and the other at her family's hotel in Aspen. Surely I could do it, too, right?

There were so many questions, and I didn't have the answers to any of them.

Thankfully, it was still early in the morning so there weren't that many people walking about. One of the benches was free, so I sat down and pulled out my phone. I was afraid to turn it on because I knew there would be a ton of messages on there, but I did it anyway.

Of course, I was right ... it immediately started buzzing with text messages and voicemails. There were some from Ryley, Ashleigh, my brother, and of course Tyler. After I ran out on him, I was pretty sure Ryley told him that it was me and not just some random whore he was fucking. I should've known my feelings would get in the way.

I didn't want to talk to any of them, but if I didn't call my brother back he'd hop on the first plane to Vegas. Knowing my luck, he was already on his way. I dialed his number and waited on him to answer ... thankfully, he did.

"It's about time you called back. You must've been too busy celebrating," he chimed.

Okay, he didn't sound pissed. That was good.

"Hey," I replied back skeptically. "What would I be celebrating?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe the fact that you kicked Jaden's ass. You were amazing, Gabby. I'll admit, though, I was pissed when I saw that you were in Vegas, but after watching you fight, I couldn't begin to tell you how proud I was. Especially when you let Jaden go without breaking her arm. I know that had to be hard to do."

"You have no idea," I mumbled.

"But the question is ... why are you there? And why were Kyle and Tyler fighting? I saw their fight before it switched to you and Jaden."

Sighing, I rubbed my tired eyes and yawned. Damn, I was so sleepy. "I was here for a baseball tournament, but then I ran into Ryley and Camden. I thought I would hang out with them and go to the fights. Now, Kyle on the other hand is a whole different story. I ran into him in the elevator and words were exchanged. That's how the fight with him got started. Tyler stood up for me and challenged him to a fight."

My brother hated Kyle with every fiber of his being. The last thing I wanted was to tell him that Kyle messed with me; it would only fuel the fire more.

"Don't worry, Tyler and I handled it," I said quickly. "As you could see in the video, Jaden was the one who shoved me first. I had to let her know I couldn't be pushed around."

"I don't blame you, Gabby. In fact, I'm really proud of you for fighting by the rules. Listen, there's something I wanted to tell you. I tried calling you last night, but you never answered."

"What is it?" I asked.

"Your nephew was born last night, sis. I called because I wanted you to come to the hospital and meet him. He has a powerful set of lungs on him. I think he gets it from his mother, though."

He laughed and I could hear his wife, Shelby, in the background scolding him.

"Oh my God," I cried. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there. I bet you were going crazy, weren't you?"

"You have no idea. I've never felt so helpless in my life. Shelby did great, and she's doing much better now. We're going home tomorrow."

"That's great! I promise I'll come see you as soon as I get home. I'm getting a flight back sometime today. I don't think Vegas is all it's cracked up to be. I'll see you soon, though."

"Wait, there's more," he added quickly. "I thought maybe you could tell Tyler this while you're out there."

Immediately, I stiffened and it felt like a huge lump had taken root in my throat. "I don't know if I'm going to see him again," I murmured honestly. I didn't want to see him again.

"Well, it's something he'll find out tonight at the fight anyway, but I thought he would like to know beforehand." He paused for a second, and in the background I could hear the baby crying. I wished I was there to hold him.

"I'm retiring, Gabby," he told me. "I'm not going to fight anymore."

I gasped and held my breath. Did I hear him right?

"Oh my God, are you serious? Why are you doing that?"

I could hear the smile in his voice and the sound of my nephew's coo in the phone; he was holding him. Suddenly, I knew why he was giving it up. Our father was never around and left us when we were younger, but Matt wanted to be different ... to be there.

"I don't want to be gone all of the time, Gabby. My family is important to me and I don't want to miss a single second of it."

If anyone understood that, it was me.

"Also, the reason I wanted you to talk to Tyler was because now that I'm retiring, the Heavyweight title will be up for grabs. He'll have a chance to get it without having to beat me. I'm sure he'll be happy about that."

_His dreams of being a Heavyweight champion will finally come true._ I wanted to tell him so badly, but I couldn't; I was leaving and not going back.

"Oh, wow. You know he's going to be pissed that he doesn't get to fight you for it. He's been dying to beat you in the ring."

Matt chuckled. "I know, but he'll most likely be up against Kyle for it. Surely, he'd rather fight him than me. Besides, I think I might go into the coaching business. Do you know of any fighters who needs a coach?"

I scoffed. "I'm sure every fighter out there would get rid of their coach just to have you. I wouldn't worry about that."

"I was talking about _you_ , Gabby. Are you interested? My sponsor called me last night and asked if I knew of any good female fighters. They're looking for a fresh face and I think you have it."

"I ... I don't know what to say," I stuttered. "This isn't a joke, is it?"

"No, it's no joke. I tell you what, why don't you think on it and let me know. Ryley told me to loosen up on you, so I'm trying to do that and let you do your own thing. I could see the passion in your eyes when you fought Jaden, and I honestly think you have what it takes. You've always wanted to follow after your big brother, right?"

"You know it," I said, smiling. "Okay, let me think everything through and I'll let you know. I'm just ready to get home."

"All right, baby girl. Call me when you get back into town."

As soon as we said our good-byes and I hung up the phone, the incessant beeping of unread texts chirped its annoying sound over and over. All I wanted to do was go to sleep for a few hours and then go home. There was no way I could function any longer.

Slowly, I stood on my feet and took one last look at the gardens before trudging to the elevators. My eyes started to burn and my teeth felt like they had sweaters on them; I was sure I looked disgusting with my makeup all smeared and my dark hair in a messy ponytail.

A shower would be good, but I was afraid I'd slip and bust my head wide open. The last thing I wanted was for the maid to find me naked and knocked out in the shower.

Thankfully, on the way up to my floor I didn't see anyone that I knew and went straight to my room. Breathing a sigh of relief, I slid the key card in and opened the door, locking it behind me. Just a couple of hours of sleep and I'd be good to go. That was all I needed.

Yawning, I walked to the bedroom with my eyes half closed and fell on to the mattress, burying my face in the fluffy pillows. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and curled into the blankets, but a familiar smell caught my nose.

A sound came from the bathroom, making my body jerk, but I was too tired to even open my eyes. It was probably just the beginning stages of a dream, but what did I smell?

A warm hand gently brushed across my cheek, bringing with it that familiar smell. I was dreaming. I felt the touch again, only this time it was down my arm, making my skin break out into chills.

_This was no dream_.

My eyes burst open, but since they were burning and blurry, I couldn't tell who the figure was lying beside of me. I reacted instantly and screamed, but a hand came down over my mouth ... silencing me.

"GABBY, STOP FIGHTING, it's me!" Tyler snapped, holding me down.

He let me go and I angrily rolled off the bed, rubbing my eyes with the palms of my hands; he was still blurry when I tried to look at him.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I hissed. "You need to leave."

Getting to his feet, he stalked over to me and held me firm with his hands, squeezing my upper arms. "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me where you were last night."

He was dressed in the same jeans and green polo shirt from the night before ... the night he spent having sex with someone he didn't know, not even her name. Yes, it was me, but the point was that he chose to live his life like that, with no regrets.

Feeling the anger boil beneath my skin, I glared down at his hands on my arms and then up to him. "You need to let me go now," I demanded. "I don't want to be anywhere near you right now."

Letting me go, he furrowed his brows and shook his head. "I don't understand. I thought this was what you wanted. You wanted a weekend with me and you have it. What more can I do?"

"It was a mistake, Tyler. I can't do it and just brush it off like it doesn't mean anything. You've changed and I saw that last night. You guys will seriously just fuck anything that comes your way, won't you?"

I tried to walk away, but he grabbed me by the arm and abruptly turned me around. "What the hell are you talking about? I was with _you_ last night until you up and ran away from me. I thought we were having fun."

"I was until I realized what I was doing," I spat. "I thought it would be fun to trick you, but then it all came crashing down on me. If Ryley didn't put me in the other girl's place, you would've been fucking her instead of me, and then turned right around and fucked me tonight. And it didn't faze you one bit to screw someone else the night before being with me, did it?"

Letting me go, he sat down on my bed and ran his hands through his platinum blond hair.

"See, you can't even answer the question! You don't care, just like all of the other guys. All I wanted was to be something more, even if it was just for the weekend, but you couldn't do that. I have to say I don't like what you've become. You're not the same Tyler I met a year ago."

Turning on my heel, I stormed toward the door. If he wouldn't leave, I was going to. Before I could walk out, Tyler stopped me with his next words.

"I knew it was you, Gabriella."

When I turned around, his gaze was more serious than I'd ever seen. He approached me warily and continued, "I'm going to say this again ... I knew it was you. At the party, when it was time to go into the room, I told Ryley I wasn't interested and that he could take my place. I didn't want to be with anyone else this weekend, Gabriella. I wanted you, and if I had to wait until tonight to have you, I was going to do that."

My heart pounded in my chest, and even harder the closer he got to me. I could barely breathe, especially when his hand lifted to cup my cheek. He knew it was me the whole time. _Damn Ryley for not telling me._

"Tyler," I whispered, closing my eyes. "I'm so sorry. I feel like such an idiot now. I thought you didn't know. I tried not to let my feelings get in the way, but they did."

He brushed the hair away from my face and bent down to kiss my lips. "And I tried not to let mine get in the way, but it didn't work. I thought I could get drunk and pretend it was you I was fucking last night, but when the time came I couldn't do it. You have no idea how hard it was to keep that blindfold on when all I wanted was to look at you while we fucked. I was tempted to do it, but I thought last night was how you wanted it. I didn't want to ruin the fantasy for you."

Lifting both of his hands to my face, he rubbed my cheeks with his thumbs and smiled. "Now that we have all of that cleared up, how about we finish what we started?" he asked, smirking mischievously.

My body was tired and sore from staying up all night, and even he looked worn out and exhausted. "I would love to, but I stayed up all night with Jake working on bills for the club. I'm running on zero sleep."

His eyes went wide. "You mean you never left the club?" When I shook my head, he groaned. "I can't believe I didn't think about looking for you inside of the club. I assumed you left, which is why Ryley and I came back to the hotel. I've been waiting for you in here ever since."

"How did you get in?"

"Ryley called Ashleigh and she got a key for your room. I didn't want to leave until I knew you got back safely."

The bed looked extremely comfortable as I stood there staring at it. "Did you sleep at all? You have a fight tonight, Tyler. You need to get your rest."

Taking my hand, he led me over to the bed and slowly removed my clothes. "Oh, I know I do, and that's why I'm going to sleep here with you."

With a lazy smirk on his face, he unbuttoned his jeans and let them fall to the floor. As he stepped out of them, he took off his shirt and threw it down before lifting me up in his arms and setting me on the bed.

"As much as I want to take you right here and now, I know we both need our rest for the night. Besides, you look like you're about to pass out."

Yawning, I cuddled up in the covers while he held me close; his arm across my stomach and his body to my back. "I am, but I have so much to tell you," I murmured softly. The warmth of his body spread through every inch of my body and I sighed, drifting quickly into the dream world.

"You can tell me all about it when you wake up. I'll be right here."

_And boy, was he going to like what I had to say._

ABOUT SEVEN HOURS later, I awoke to Tyler's hard cock digging into my ass. By the sound of his deep breathing, he had to be asleep, so I rubbed up against him to see if it would rile him up.

"You are one evil woman," he grumbled heatedly. "I was wondering how long it would take you to wake up with my dick pressing into you."

"So you've been awake?"

"Yeah, for the past hour or so. I wanted to give you as much time as I could before we needed to leave for the arena."

"How much time do we have?" I asked, reaching behind me to massage his cock.

He groaned and rocked his hips. "Not enough time for that, baby. I wanted you well rested for tonight. Why don't you go take your shower and get dressed? I'll run home and get everything I need, since I wasn't planning on staying here as long as I have."

"Fine," I huffed halfheartedly. "I'll see you in a little bit. Hurry back, though, because I really do have some good news for you."

Tilting my chin his way, he kissed me gently, but then opened my mouth further with his tongue, tasting me. "I'll be back as fast as I can, and when I do I want you dressed and ready to go. Make sure you wear a skirt ... I want to taste more than just your lips when I get back."

I was already wet just thinking about it. Smiling, I handed him one of the room keys that was on the dresser. "Then go. I'll be ready when you get here."

_Hopefully he hurried because my body ached just thinking about it._

While Tyler was gone, I took a shower and got ready. Finally, I called Ashleigh and Ryley to let them know I was okay. Apparently, Tyler had already contacted Ryley and told him I had made it back. In turn, Ryley had called Ashleigh to let her know. My friends were safely back in California while I was spending one more night in Sin City.

Only one more night and it would all be over.

It had only been forty-five minutes when the door to my hotel room opened and Tyler entered, dressed in a pair of jeans and a white, short-sleeved polo shirt with his blond hair in messy spikes.

As he shut the door, I watched his tanned, tattooed arms flex with the movement and instantly grew wet between my legs. There was something about a man's arms that turned me on, especially the thought of them being wrapped around my body.

When he noticed me staring, he bit his lip and raked his gaze down my body. I did as he'd said and put on a denim skirt with a sleeveless green top and wedge sandals. He seemed to like it, and even more so when he lifted me underneath my thighs and spread my legs around his waist.

"We don't have much time, but there's no way in hell I can go to this fight without tasting you. I only got a small sample of you last night and I need more."

His hands trailed down the backs of my thighs, and when he felt my thongs, he pushed them to the side and thumbed my clit. "Mmm ... it looks like someone's ready for me."

After he set me down on the bed, I spread my legs wide so that he could see just how wet I was for him. "What exactly are you going to do with me?" I asked, looking over at the clock. "We don't have much time."

Winking at me, he climbed on to the bed and separated my legs a little wider. "No, but we have enough."

Slowly, he entered me with one of his long, lithe fingers and pushed all the way in while he rubbed my clit with his thumb. I moaned and arched my back, crying out when he inserted another finger, spreading me wider. Already I was getting close.

"You're building up fast, baby," he teased. "I can feel you tightening around me."

I closed my eyes and nodded. "I'm so close."

His deep chuckle vibrated through my body, and even more so when he slid off the bed and settled himself between my legs. He breathed me in, and as his warm breath blew across my clit, I tightened even more, especially when his wet tongue plunged deep inside of me.

"Tyler," I groaned. "Oh my God, that feels so good."

Over and over, he licked and sucked me until I couldn't take anymore. The deeper his tongue went, the harder and faster my release started to unfold. Tyler knew I was close, and before I could let go, he held on to my thighs and buried himself against me, watching me with those heated gray eyes of his as I gave in to my pleasure.

"Tyler," I cried, rocking my hips with my release.

Breathing hard, I laid there as he licked me one last time, tasting my desire. While I shivered from the aftershocks, Tyler chuckled and helped me sit up. "Now how did that feel?"

Closing my eyes, I put my hand over my heart; it was beating out of control. "It felt so freaking amazing."

His cock was straining underneath his jeans, but before I could touch him he grabbed my hands and helped me off of the bed. "Oh, don't worry about me, sweetheart. As soon as I get done kicking Paxton Emerson's ass I'm going to take you back to my house and fuck all night long."

And again my heart started beating faster. If he didn't stop, I wasn't going to make it the rest of the night. My underwear was drenched, and the orgasm he'd just given me hadn't begun to touch the level of need I had for him. Never in my life had I wanted to be with someone so badly that I couldn't think of anything else.

Tyler was the kind of man you dreamt and fantasized about; the type of man most women never found. The only problem with him was that he couldn't be kept. I planned on savoring the last night with him and making it last for as long as I could. Because after tomorrow, I'd never have him again ... ever. After we both cleaned up it was time to go.

"What time does your flight leave tomorrow?" he asked.

"At eleven, why?"

Taking my hand, he pulled me out of the bedroom, toward the door. "I just want to make sure I get you there in time. I can bring you here in the morning to get your stuff. Right now we need to go so you can tell me the good news."

We started for the elevators, and as soon as we got inside, I wrapped my arms around his neck and smiled up at him. Even though it was kind of sad that my brother wouldn't be fighting anymore, I knew it would be exciting for Tyler.

Tyler snaked his arms around my waist and lifted me up, kissing me gently on the lips. "Tell me what you know, Gabriella."

Smirking, I said, "What would you say if by the end of the season you could be the new Heavyweight champion?"

Furrowing his brows, he set me down and pursed his lips. "I'd say that would be fucking awesome, but to do that I'd have to beat your brother. We both know he's better than me."

"Yeah, well, he's kind of better than everyone. He called me this morning and told me he's retiring." Tyler's eyes went wide in disbelief, making me chuckle; he'd wanted the title for so long. Holding his face in my hands, I nodded and laughed again when all he did was stare at me in shock. "That means, my dear friend, _you_ will be competing for the title. This is your chance."

The elevator had stopped, and of course, I was too wrapped up in telling Tyler the good news to even care who stepped on. Unfortunately, I should've cared because it was Kyle's obnoxious voice that spoke out behind us.

"Well, well, I never thought I'd see the day when ole Reynolds gave up the spotlight. It's a shame really because I would've rather kicked his ass and won the title back instead of it getting handed to me."

I couldn't see him over Tyler's shoulder, but when Tyler stepped out of the way, I noticed Jaden stood right beside Kyle with a bitchy smirk on her face. _Do these people never learn?_ Not to mention my experience in elevators had completely sucked ass since I arrived in Las Vegas. _Next time I'll take the stairs._

"It's not getting handed to you," I snapped, glaring at both of them. "And just so you know, the Reynolds name isn't going to be out of the spotlight."

Jaden snarled, but a mischievous smile spread across Kyle's face. "Ah, so the baby sister is going to try her hand at the real deal, huh?"

"That's right," I hissed, "and my brother's going to coach me." I glanced over at Jaden and grinned. "It looks like you'll be seeing me again soon."

Thankfully, the elevator doors opened before the tension got out of control. Jaden narrowed her gaze and growled before storming off, but of course Kyle had to have the last words. Licking his lips, he raked his eyes down my body and stepped closer. Tyler blocked his approach, but it didn't stop Kyle from looking over Tyler's shoulder at me.

"When you get tired of this one, you know where to find me," he mentioned slyly. "A woman like you needs a man who can keep up with her."

"No thanks," I spat. "I'll pass."

Winking, he shrugged and started off the elevator. "Suit yourself. You'll come begging to me soon enough." He then turned to Tyler. "Good luck in the ring tonight."

By the time we got off the elevator, Tyler was so angry his hands were shaking. "So help me, I can't wait to get that fucker into the ring."

"I know what you mean. I'm sure Jaden is feeling the same way about me. Maybe next time I'll just break her arm and be done with it."

In the parking lot, Tyler led me over to his metallic blue Ford Raptor and helped me in. Before shutting the door, he stared at me, his gaze curious. "Are you really going to start fighting, or did you just say all of that to get a rise out of them?"

"Why? Do you not think I'd be a good fighter?"

"No, it's not that. I think you'd be fucking amazing, not to mention hot as hell in the ring."

"Then what is it?" I asked.

Nonchalantly, he shrugged and put his hand on my thigh. "I don't know ... I guess it's because people can change in this sport. You're perfect the way you are and I'd hate to see you turn into something that you're not."

"Like you," I countered. "Being a little hypocritical aren't we? I seem to remember you being a lot different, too."

"Yeah, but we're not talking about me. I don't give a fuck about things because I honestly don't care, but with you ... I do. I don't want to see you get dragged down the wrong path."

He said he didn't give a fuck, but I could see in his eyes that he did. _He's not completely lost._ One day he'd find his way just like my brother had and he'd change back into the Tyler I once knew. Luckily, my brother would keep me on the right path no matter what happens.

"Tyler, you don't have to worry about me. Nothing is set in stone yet. Right now you need to concentrate on your fight and know that one day you'll be the new Heavyweight champion. Focus on that."

Sighing, he grinned halfheartedly and shut the door. Whatever I decided to do in life, I knew I wasn't going to change. I knew who I was and where I came from ... I would stay true to that.

"TYLER! TYLER! TYLER!"

The crowd cheered for him as he made his way down to the ring. Everyone loved him, especially the women, who reached out to touch him. Tyler loved it, too; I could see it in the smirk on his face. There was no telling how many hearts he'd broken over the past year, but I was pretty sure it was a lot.

"Uh-oh," Ryley chimed, nudging me in the side. "I've seen that look before, baby girl."

I rolled my eyes and nudged him back. "Tyler and I have known each other for a while now, Ryley. It's kind of hard to consider him just a fuck buddy. Don't worry, though, I know where we stand in all of this."

"Okay, just making sure. I'm almost positive we're booked on the same flight back, so if you need to cry on my shoulder tomorrow morning, you can." He winked and put his arm around my shoulders. "I promise I won't tell anyone."

Lifting up on my toes, I chuckled and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you, Ryley. I honestly don't know what I would do without you."

Ryley squeezed me tight, pulling me in closer, and kissed the top of my head. "Same to you, baby girl."

"Congratulations on your win tonight. You did amazing! If you and your brother keep winning, you'll be fighting each other for the title."

_Ding ... ding ... ding._

The fight was on.

Ryley kept his gaze on Tyler and Paxton in the ring, circling each other before the attack. "That's what I'm not looking forward to, Gabby. If we have to fight each other, I know that whoever wins, the other will get angry. We already have enough tension between us as it is."

Ryley didn't have to say it, but I knew it was Camden's jealousy he was referring to. Ryley was easier going when it came to his brother, but Camden had a severe jealous streak, an anger inside of him that I could sense every time he was near.

I knew where it all stemmed from, but I had hoped that over time, the death of his father would weigh less on him. I could only hope that maybe with more time he would let the pain go.

I knew Ryley was worried about his brother, even if he didn't admit to it.

"He'll come around, Ryley. It may take a few years, but one day he'll realize that being angry all of the time isn't a way to live."

When all Ryley did was shrug, I knew the conversation about his brother was over. It hurt for him to think about that past, so I didn't want to push it. Instead, I focused on Tyler and his fight.

Paxton Emerson was a little taller than Tyler--by maybe two inches--with full sleeve tattoos on both arms. Tyler had tattoos as well, but they only went across his back and shoulders, and slightly down his arms. Paxton, however, was covered in them.

Everyone called him Pax, especially his best friend who happened to be Kyle Andrews. I'd always thought Paxton was cute with his sea green eyes, dark hair, and amazingly tanned body, but when I found out he was friends with Kyle it immediately changed my whole perception of him. When he saw me in the crowd, his lips tilted up in a small smile and he winked. In return, I flipped him off, making him laugh.

Ryley leaned over and whispered in my ear, "Is there something you need to tell me? What's going on with you and Pax?"

"Ugh ... nothing worth talking about."

Tyler noticed the interaction between me and Pax, too. Growling, he swung his fists faster and harder than I'd ever seen. Paxton went down like a giant tree and Tyler pounced, taking his fight to the floor and putting Paxton into a rear naked choke hold. What that hold does is stops the blood flow to the brain, which causes the person to pass out. With Paxton already being semi-knocked out, it didn't take long for him to drift off.

_Ding ... ding ... ding._

The fight was over.

Tyler arrogantly strutted around the ring as Paxton got slowly to his feet. Tyler hissed something at him, and Paxton's gaze immediately found mine. Oh hell, what did he say?

Gritting his teeth, Paxton glared at Tyler and looked at me one more time before going to his corner, keeping his head held high. It was a shame he chose to side with Kyle. When I met him at Ryley's party a month ago he was actually nice, but it was probably just one of Kyle's schemes to get close to me. Either way, it didn't matter. I had to stay away from anyone that was associated with that cocksucker, Kyle.

"All right, Gabby, I'm heading out," Ryley said excitedly. "There's a party tonight and I don't want to be late. I didn't exactly get to celebrate last night, so I need to make up for lost time."

"And I feel terrible about that. I should've called you to let you know I was okay." After I ran away, I didn't even think that he would be as worried as he had been. "So go and have fun! I'll see you in the morning."

"You too, Gabby." He smiled at me and winked, waltzing off and flirting with a couple of the ring girls before disappearing into the crowd.

"And the winner by TKO is ... TYLER 'THE TERROR' RUUSSHHHIIINNNNGG!"

Clapping my hands, I screamed and whistled for Tyler when his arm was lifted in victory. He looked down at me and smiled before hopping out of the ring and coming to my side, his body glistening in sweat. "It's time to go, sweetheart. I hope you're ready for this."

Oh, I was.

"Hey, Ty, we on for the night?" his agent asked, joining us. I'd met him before at one of the other fights; his name was Todd Winfield. He was older, probably in his early thirties, dressed in a black MMA Pride T-shirt and jeans, his black hair gelled in messy spikes.

Tyler shook his head. "Not tonight, man. I made other plans."

Lifting his brows, Todd quickly glanced in my direction then back to Tyler. "Um ... okay, but it's your funeral. I hope you know what you're getting in to."

I scoffed, but Tyler pinched me discreetly in the side and shook his head for me to be quiet. "It's not like that," Tyler promised. "I seriously do have other plans. Next weekend I'm all yours though."

Todd breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God. The last thing you need is to go head to head with her brother."

"Don't worry, that's not going to happen," he assured him.

Satisfied with the answer, Todd slapped Tyler on the back and strolled out of the arena with his phone plastered to his ear. I could only imagine what they were going to do if I wasn't around ... I definitely didn't want to know that was for sure.

WHEN WE GOT to Tyler's room, he quickly threw on one of his black and red sponsor T-shirts and led me out to the parking lot so we could be on our way. He was still sweaty from the fight, but I thought it was sexy.

It didn't take long to get to his house, and my eyes went wide when we pulled into the driveway. He used to live in a small apartment, but now he was in a large Victorian-style home with white stone columns in the front. He'd come a long way in the past year.

"So what's the deal with you and Pax?" he asked.

When he turned to look at me, I shrugged. "Nothing, really. We met at Ryley's party when I left you and Ashleigh to go get drinks. He was pretty cool until I found out he was friends with Kyle."

His fingers tightened on the wheel and his jaw clenched. "And that's it?"

"Pretty much. I haven't spoken to him since then. Although, I do want to know what you said to him in the ring. After the fight was over I saw you ... what did you say?"

Instead of answering me, he opened his car door and slid out. I did the same and followed him up to the front of his house. Once he unlocked the door and stepped inside, he flipped on the light switch and the house came to life.

"Tyler, are you going to answer me?" I asked.

Setting down his keys, he sighed and faced me. "Okay, I told him to stay the fuck away from you, Gabby. You may think he's nice, but if he's friends with that motherfucker Kyle you know they're only going to mess with you."

"I can take care of myself, Tyler," I explained, narrowing my gaze. "You should know that by now."

"I do. I just want you to be careful. It's bad enough watching Ryley all over you, the last thing I want is to see another guy try to move in."

In that moment, I couldn't help it ... I laughed. I laughed so hard that I doubled over and snorted. "What the hell is so funny?" he asked, furrowing his brows.

Tears streamed down my cheeks and I wiped them away with the backs of my hands. "You are," I chuckled. "You're jealous! I love it."

It proved that he at least cared a little.

Tyler narrowed his heated gaze and stalked toward me, cracking his knuckles one by one. "So you think me being jealous is funny?"

Licking my lips, I smiled and nodded my head while taking a few steps back. "Why yes, I do think it's funny. It shows that you care. That's all I wanted."

The fighter in me knew he was going to attack any moment. I could see the tenseness in his muscles, the way his posture stiffened, and knew he was about to spring forward.

"Do you want to know what _I_ want?" he asked gruffly, raking his gaze down my body.

"I already know what you want, but first ... you have to catch me." I couldn't let him get me that easily.

His gaze darkened and his body grew hard, excited for the chase. "Well then, let the game begin."

The chase was on.

I had no idea where I was going, but I took off for the stairs and jumped over the couch on my way there. Spending years jumping hurdles in track definitely paid off. Tyler was quick, but he was a big guy and could only move so fast as I weaved around the staircase and started up the stairs.

Taking them four at a time, I turned the corner and disappeared into one of the bedrooms. I quickly laid on the floor beside the bed, trying hard not to laugh as I watched his feet walk past the room and down the hallway.

I stayed on the floor for a few more seconds until I heard him move further away. Carefully and quietly, I got to my feet and tiptoed to the door, listening to him rummaging around in another room a few doors down.

As fast as I could, I took off down the stairs.

"I don't think so, sweetheart," he called from behind.

I laughed, knowing he wouldn't catch me since he was still upstairs. However, as soon as I took off to the back door I heard a loud thud behind me. A muscular set of arms grasped me around the waist and pulled me to the floor, making us roll around. Breathing hard, Tyler pinned me beneath his body, his legs straddling my waist and his hands restraining my wrists, a smirk on his face.

"Since when did you think you could get away from me?" he asked slyly.

"How did you get down here so fast?" The only way he could've gotten to me was if he jumped over the banister from the second floor. What the hell?

Eyes wide, I looked up at the second floor, and then back to him. "Did you really jump down from up there? You could've broken your legs!"

Nonchalantly, he shrugged and shook his head. "I've done it plenty of times. I couldn't let you get away, now could I?"

"Maybe for a little while," I teased. "The chase is kind of fun, don't you think?"

His gray gaze grew smolderingly dark, and I could feel the hum of excitement from the thrill of the chase. He liked it just as much as I liked being stalked and pursued. "It _is_ fun, baby, but ..."

Spreading my legs with his knee, he thrust his hips against mine, making the bulge in his pants press achingly against my clit. "But what?" I asked breathlessly.

He let go of my wrists and slid his fingers down my neck, the side of my breast, my stomach, and then past my skirt to in between my legs. Only a pair of thongs separated me from the warmth of his hand.

"I've wanted you for so long, prolonging it by making me chase you will only make things worse. I haven't been able to think of anything else."

Before he could slip his fingers inside of me, I stopped him with a hand on his wrist. "Then tell me that you care. I don't want to be like all of the other girls. I want to know that I'm the only one on your mind."

"You know you are, Gabriella. With the others I don't want to know their names or who they are. With you it's different. I'll admit I don't like it when other guys look at you or touch you, but it doesn't change the fact that after today we go our separate ways. Nothing will come of this."

"What about when our paths cross again?" I asked slyly, biting my lip. "Will you just pretend that nothing ever happened?"

"I didn't say that. This doesn't necessarily have to end. We are entitled to our secrets, aren't we?"

Letting his wrist go, I nodded and spread my legs wider. "Yes, we are," I whispered. "So if I come back to Vegas, we'll do this again? You'll spend the weekend with me?"

Leaning down, he bit my bottom lip with his teeth and sucked at the same time he thrust his fingers inside of me. I moaned and arched my back, wishing his hands could be all over my body. I craved his touch, trembled for it.

" _If_ you come back to Vegas and you want me," he growled low, "you'll be mine and only mine." He kissed his way down my neck and over my breasts, biting them through the fabric of my shirt. "It'll be our secret. I just need to make sure you want to come back."

He didn't have to worry about that. He could fuck me on the floor and I'd always come back, but that wasn't what he had in mind. Slowly, he slid his fingers out, scooped me up with his arms underneath my legs, and stood. I held him tight around the neck and nuzzled my nose against his skin, breathing him in. For so long I'd dreamt about getting close to him ... and now I had him.

I just needed the courage to leave him in the morning.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

Chuckling, he started up the stairs and held me tighter, splaying his hands across my heated skin. "I'm not going to fuck you on the floor, Gabriella. As bad as I want you, I have a little more decency than that."

"How many women have you fucked in your bed, might I ask?"

"None," he answered honestly. "If I don't want to know the names of the women I fuck, the last thing I want is to invite them into my house."

At least he was honest. "Oh wow, so you _are_ worse than the twins. I didn't believe it when Ryley told me."

"Yeah, well, he was probably trying to warn you away from me. If we were smart, we wouldn't be doing this," he admitted regretfully.

That may be true, but I didn't want to think about the consequences. All I wanted was the moment.

Once we were upstairs, he carried me down the hallway until he got to the last door on the right. Even if I couldn't see inside just yet, I knew it was his bedroom by the smell of his cologne. I was half expecting his room to have MMA posters on the walls, his bed unmade, and clothes scattered across the floor. Instead, there was none of that.

Tyler set me down on the perfectly made bed and walked out of the room without telling me where he was going. His room was dark, with only the glow from the moon peeking into the window beside his king-sized bed. The walls were darkly painted, not black, but maybe a dark gray color with contrasting black and white paintings on the walls. It was so unlike what I'd imagined his room to look like.

"Why do you look shocked?" Tyler asked as he strolled back into his room. In his hands he had three large candles, and he set one on each dresser before lighting them, casting the room in a soft, amber glow.

"I don't know. I guess because I didn't expect you to be like this," I confessed.

I loved candlelight, the way it made everything sensual and soft. My fighter wasn't soft or sensual on the outside, but knowing he had that side of him hidden beneath his hard and rough exterior regretfully made me fall for him even more.

He was definitely making sure I wanted to come back. In a way, it would've been better if he'd fucked me on the floor because then that's all I'd expect; just raw and primal fun ... not the illusion of something more.

After he lit the last candle, he lifted his shirt over his head and let it fall to the floor, keeping his gaze on mine. "I'm not like this, Gabriella. This is only for you. After you leave tomorrow I'm going right back to the way I was. The world isn't going to stop for us. You and I both know that you deserve something better."

Climbing on to the bed, he crawled over to me and towered over my body. "Are you sure you want to come back to me again?" he asked, sliding his hand up my shirt.

"I don't know yet. The night's not over, but we'll see," I teased, biting my lip.

Chuckling, he lifted my shirt over my head and tossed it on the floor, his eyes turning dark as he grazed them over my bare flesh. His skin was scorching hot as he trailed his hands over my breasts, down to my stomach, and then back up, massaging me.

My breasts weren't large by any means, but they fit perfectly in his hands as he squeezed them and rolled my nipples. Each time he pinched a nipple, the tremor from it went straight down to my clit; I could seriously get off by him doing just that.

With one hand, he reached behind my back, unclasped my bra, and gently lowered the straps down each shoulder, exposing my breasts when he tossed it onto the floor. The second his head lowered, I knew I was going to lose it. It didn't help that he spread my legs wider so his hips could brush up against me, making my clit ache even more from the feel of his hard cock thrusting achingly close.

Once his lips closed over my nipple, my orgasm began it's slow, torturous escalation as each pull of his mouth moved me an inch closer. He rocked his hips harder, sucking and biting at the same time until I cried out, screaming his name.

"Oh my God, Tyler."

I wrapped my legs around his waist and thrust my hips against his, making my orgasm come to life. Tyler groaned as I rode wave after wave of my release, moaning in pure ecstasy until it subsided. Breathing hard with my eyes closed, his deep chuckle brought me back.

"You are so fucking sexy when you're getting off," he murmured heatedly.

"What about you? I haven't had the pleasure of bringing you to that point yet."

"All in good time, baby."

Unbuttoning my skirt, he pulled it down my body--along with my thongs--and then sat back so he could lower his shorts and boxers. I'm not going to lie, my eyes went a little wide at the sight of him, large and thick between his legs. My clit trembled and I could already feel the wetness between them getting damper. Holy shit, I wanted him to fuck me so damn bad.

Licking his lips, he climbed back on top of me and lowered his lips to mine. I opened willingly and let him taste me, enjoying the feel of his lips on mine and the way he moaned deep in his chest. The tip of his cock grazed my opening and I instantly tightened, nervous yet excited to feel him inside of me. Instead of pushing in, he pulled away from my lips and gazed down at me, seriously.

"Are you on anything as far as birth control?"

Breathing heavily, I nodded my head. "Yes, I'm on the pill."

Relief washed over his face, and I was pretty sure it was because Ryley told him about the baby scare. He rubbed his cock up and down my clit, and entered me ... just an inch. I wanted him to go further, but he stopped, gauging my reaction. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

"Yes," I breathed, wrapping my legs around his waist. "Make love to me, Tyler. Even if it's just an illusion, that's what I want."

He kept his gaze on mine as he entered me, and I hissed slightly from the pain, but it slowly started to fade with his gentle strokes. "Are you okay?"

"Oh yes," I answered breathlessly. "I'm more than okay. Don't stop."

"I don't plan on it, sweetheart."

He thrust a little bit harder now that I was acclimated to him, and lifted his hands to my face, holding me in place as he kissed me hard and deep. We were connected in more ways than one, and for the moment it was enough; he was mine and I was his.

When his lips found my nipples, there was no way I could hold back; the tension once again started to build. Tyler chuckled and sucked harder. "I love that I can suck on your tits and it'll get you off."

I trembled and tightened around him. I was so close. "It's my weakness," I whispered hoarsely.

Groaning, he thrust harder and clamped down, burying his teeth in my skin as he traced his tongue across my swollen peak. I could feel him pulse and throb in between my legs, getting closer to his release as well. I wanted to hold off for as long as I could and relish in the excitement of the buildup, but it was coming too fast. There was no going slow with him.

"Tyler," I pleaded, fisting my hands in his soft, blond hair. "I can't hold off any longer."

"Neither can I," he growled. "I'm going to come so fucking hard in you."

He pumped a few more times, and the sound of his primal yet satisfied groans sent me over the edge. Gripping my hair in his fists, he held me firm as my orgasm heightened, and while I trembled around him, he released inside of me ... filling me.

Breathing hard, he lifted up on his elbows and gazed down at me with a smirk on his face. "Holy fuck, that felt amazing."

"Yeah, you weren't so bad yourself," I teased, winking slyly.

Tyler brushed the hair off of my face and kissed me gently on the lips. "Do you want to take a shower with me?"

He was still inside of me, and I knew once he pulled out there would be a mess. "Yes," I answered, nodding my head. "I'd like that."

Carefully, Tyler rolled off the bed and waltzed into his bathroom, turning the light on. It momentarily blinded me, but it gave me the best view of his glistening, tanned body in the light. He was perfect, his body the epitome of sexual desires and fantasies.

"Are you coming, baby?" he asked, peering over at me with an amused expression on his face.

Quickly, I jumped up from the bed and joined him in the bathroom. "Sorry, I was kind of distracted. It's not easy being in the same room as you and not get flustered by all of that," I said, waving my hand up and down his body.

"The same goes for you, Gabriella. You have no idea how many of the fighters get hard every time you come around."

"Really?" I gasped.

Opening the shower door, he took my hand and helped me inside. "Yes, really. It pissed me off every time one of them would say something about you."

Smiling, I tilted my head back into the hot, steamy water and let it cascade over my body, cleansing me. "I wonder if they'll still think that way if I start fighting," I said curiously. "I'm a feminine girl, but you know I have a wild, violent streak. I just don't want people to look at me differently."

Tyler grabbed the soap and lathered me up, starting on my shoulders and working his way down. "If anything, you're going to drive the guys even more insane. Watching you fight Jaden and the way your body moved was fucking torture. You were hot up there."

Once he was done washing me, I took the soap from him and started to return the favor. "So you'll still find me sexy, huh?"

When I got down to his legs, I bent down on my knees and watched his cock twitch the instant I touched him. "What do you think, Gabriella?"

Biting my lip, I finished washing his legs and let the steamy water wash all of the soap away. His cock slowly grew with each second that passed, and even though I was a little sore from before, I knew it wasn't enough. I wanted to feel the pain, to go home and have the ache between my legs for days after I left. I didn't know how long it would be before I saw him again, but I knew I wanted to have the memories for as long as I could.

Still on my knees, I wrapped my hands around his cock and lowered my lips to the tip. Tyler fell back against the wall and groaned, instantly going hard in my mouth. Up and down, I pumped his cock and sucked as hard as I could from the head on down his length. I couldn't fit all of him in my mouth, but I took him as deep as I could go, earning a strangled cry.

With both hands, he grabbed fistfuls of my hair and held on tight as I licked and sucked him off, enjoying the way he trembled. I wanted to finish him off that way, but he lifted me up by the arms and slammed me into the shower wall, closing his lips on to mine.

It was raw, primal ... and hard. Everything about him was wild and hard. I didn't know how else to explain it. You could look at him and tell he was an animal, an alpha. He takes what he wants, when he wants it, and doesn't ask permission.

He wanted me, and he was taking me. I most definitely wasn't complaining.

Turning me around, he lifted me by the hips and I cried out when he slammed his cock inside of me. "Holy fuck, you're so damn tight," he rasped.

He reached around and grabbed one of my breasts, hard, and with the other hand he lowered it to my clit, torturing me in fast circles. I had never had sex in the shower, and he was fulfilling one of my most erotic dreams. Sliding against the wall and having him behind me, penetrating me deep in that primal alpha way was mind-blowingly hot.

Before my orgasm could reach its apex, Tyler pulled out and turned me around, lifting me up on his cock again. This time we faced each other, his gaze dark and full of need. He held me hard against the wall and pushed so deep inside of me that I cried out in pleasurable pain.

Lowering his lips to my neck, he kissed his way down to my collarbone and bit me hard as I clenched around him and let my orgasm explode from the inside out. "Fuck," he growled, holding me tighter.

He thrust inside of me a couple more times until I could feel his release pouring inside of me with its warmth. Everything about him was powerful, even the level of intensity in his orgasms. If I weren't on the pill, one time with him would definitely be a baby making experience.

Grinning from ear to ear, Tyler lifted me up off of his cock and set me down before grabbing the soap. Here we go again ...

ONCE OUR SHOWER escapade was over, I was exhausted and ready to pass out. Even Tyler looked dreamy eyed as we laid in his bed, facing each other. I made circles in the palm of his hand as I listened to the sound of his breaths, my heart aching because in just a few short hours I would be leaving ... our time being nothing but a memory.

"You know you can't live your life like a playboy forever, Tyler," I murmured softly.

He chuckled. "No, but I can certainly try."

"One of these days you're going to find someone that'll have you doubting everything. My brother changed his ways and now look at him. He's young, he's a new father, and he has a wife that he would give up anything for."

"Yeah, but not all of us find that kind of love, Gabriella. Some people aren't that lucky."

His eyes were getting heavy, so I leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips. It was the last time I'd see those stormy gray eyes ... at least for the time being.

"You're right," I whispered, smoothing my hand down his cheek, "but we can always hope."

I watched him drift off to sleep and I laid there for a couple of hours, enjoying the feel of his arms around me. A couple of times, he woke up and smiled lazily at me before falling back under, but once I knew he was completely passed out, I slipped out of bed and quietly put my clothes back on. Ryley was going to kill me, but I didn't want to take a cab in the early morning hours by myself; he owed me anyway.

**Me:** Ryley, please come pick me up at Tyler's house.

I put my phone on vibrate so it wouldn't wake up Tyler. About five minutes later, he replied back.

**Ryley:** Everything okay?

**Me:** Yes, it's fine. We had a good night. I just want to leave before things get hard.

**Ryley:** Oh hell, baby girl. I know what that means. I'll be there in fifteen.

**Me:** Thank you. <3

Fifteen minutes ... perfect. It gave me enough time to write my letter and get going.

Over at Tyler's computer desk, I sat down and grabbed a piece of paper out of his printer and a pen from inside the drawer. I didn't want to leave him in the middle of the night, but the longer I stayed with him, the more I felt like I would jeopardize my already aching heart. Taking a deep breath, I held the pen over the paper and wrote my good-bye.

Coming October 2014
Acknowledgments

AS ALWAYS, I have to thank my husband for being patient with me when I'm in my writing zone. Sometimes the house is left untouched, and we have to eat out a lot, but it's hard to concentrate on that when the stories keep coming and demand to be put on paper. I love what I do and he knows that.

To my editor, Melissa Ringsted--Thank you for your patience as well, especially when I rewrite blurbs a gazillion times and I have to get you to edit them all. I cringe every time I send you a message and ask if you can read through another one because I had a story change. You know I appreciate it!

To my PA, Kim Walker--As always, I wouldn't know what to do without you. You are more than just a personal assistant ... you're my friend. This past year has been amazing having you by my side.

To my publicist, Danielle Sanchez, and to the owner of Inkslinger PR, K.P. Simmon--I am so glad you both welcomed me into the Inkslinger family. I feel honored to be a part of such an amazing group. Thank you for all that you do.

To my readers--None of this would be possible without you. You all are my rockstars!
About the Author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author L. P. Dover is a southern belle living in North Carolina with her husband and two beautiful girls. Before she began her literary journey she worked in periodontics, enjoying the wonderment of dental surgeries.

She loves to write, but she also loves to play golf, go on mountain hikes and white-water rafting, and has a passion for singing. Her two youngest fans expect a concert each and every night before bedtime, usually Christmas carols.

Dover has written countless novels in several different genres, including a children's book with her youngest daughter, but her favorite to write is romantic suspense. However, she has found a new passion in romantic comedy, especially involving sexy golfers. Who knew the sport could be so dirty and fun to write about.

You can find L.P. Dover at:

www.lpdover.com

Amazon

Facebook/L.P. Dover

Facebook Group/Dover's Darlings

Goodreads

Twitter

Bookbub
OTHER BOOKS BY L.P. DOVER

**BREAKAWAY SERIES**

Hard Stick

Blocked

Playmaker

Off the Ice

**FOREVER FAE SERIES**

Forever Fae

Betrayals of Spring

Summer of Frost

Reign of Ice

**SECOND CHANCES SERIES**

Love's Second Chance

Trusting You

Meant for Me

Fighting for Me

Intercepting Love

Catching Summer

Defending Hayden

Last Chance

Intended for Bristol

**GLOVES OFF SERIES**

A Fighter's Desire: Part One

A Fighter's Desire: Part Two

Tyler's Undoing

Ryley's Revenge

Winter Kiss: Ryley & Ashley [A Gloves Off Novella]

Paxton's Promise

Camden's Redemption

Kyle's Return

**ARMED & DANGEROUS SERIES**

No Limit

Roped In

High-Sided

Hidden Betrayals (Coming Soon)

**CIRCLE OF JUSTICE SERIES**

Trigger

Target

Aim

In the Crossfire (Coming Soon)

**SOCIETY X SERIES**

Dark Room

Viewing Room

Play Room

**R0YAL SHIFTERS SERIES**

Turn of the Moon

Resisting the Moon

Rise of the Moon (Coming Soon)

**A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS SERIES**

It Must've Been the Mistletoe

**STANDALONE TITLES**

Love, Lies, and Deception

Anonymous

Going for the Hole

**CHILDREN'S BOOKS - MOONLIGHT AND ALEENA SERIES**

Moonlight and Aleena: A Tale of Two Friends

Moonlight and Aleena: Journey to the Snowy Forest (Coming Soon)

***
