Takedown (12 page)

He had a week with her. He’d have plenty of time to fill in his deep-seated cravings.

*****

Blaze lazily stroked Megan’s hair. He’d been lying on his side on the bed for half an hour now, just watching her face, yet despite the exhaustion of practically fucking her the whole day, he couldn’t get himself to sleep.

This night marked the end of their one-week deal. He had this fear that if he fell asleep, she’d disappear out of his sight.

One week was quite a long time for him to spend with a woman. By this time, he should have gotten his fill and would not mind not seeing her again, but instead, he didn’t feel like he’d had enough. He wanted more time with her. More sex. More fun.

He drew a long breath. This was not like him at all. He himself could not understand what had happened to him. He was not ready to let her go just yet. If he could, he’d tie her hands and feet on this bed right now so she would forever stay by his side.

But he could not do that. It was not his nature to force a woman against her will. Women had always come to him at their own discretion, and he liked it more that way. It made him feel very much craved for without any effort on his part to lure them to him.

Megan, however, wanted to get away from him after this. He couldn’t fathom the thought of never seeing her face ever again. He’d miss her.

But he hoped that, just like him, she was not ready to let him go just yet. Give it a day or two, and she’d be running back to his arms once again, to beg him to give her another of those mind-blowing sex that she could not get enough with.

The thought made him smile and he closed his eyes. He breathed through the scent of her hair and felt peace surround him. He wouldn’t lose her. Not yet.

Chapter 15

Blaze cursed and he hurled his phone on the bed like pitching a baseball. The damn woman was not answering his calls. He’d called her more than a dozen times since he arrived here in New York three days ago, but she kept ignoring him.

The hell! Why should he have to call her anyway? It was not like him to be the one going after a woman. That fact alone was a blast on his ego, but he kept doing it anyway.

Their deal was clear. They would spend a week together and after that, it should be over. But it still was not over for him. That one week was the most blissful week of his life, and he was not ready to let it end yet… not just yet.

He grabbed his coat and headed for the elevator. It was nine in the evening, but the hotel bar should still be open.

There were only a handful of people left in the bar. He sat on a stool before the counter and asked for a scotch-based cocktail. While waiting, someone sat on the stool next to his.

At first he did not mind, until he caught a glance of the grinning Battledome CEO.

“Didn't expect to see me here?” Ryder teased.

Blaze sighed. Of all people that he could bump into, why this jerk. It occurred to him this Friday’s Fight Night was set at Madison Square Garden. That explained why Ryder was here, and he also knew why he chose to stay in this hotel. “Don't start with that again,” he warned.

“Start with what?” Ryder played dumb.

“Don't fuck with me. I know what you want.”

Ryder grinned. “Actually, I'm just going to tell you that the commissioners had decided Travis must defend his title this year. If you won't take the fight until the end of the month, and since the top three contenders are as chicken as you are, they will give Travis the privilege to choose his opponent for his next title defense.”

“That's interesting. Are they trying to pull a real life Rocky saga?”

“Something like that.”

“So who’s he going to choose?”

“Honestly, you're the first on his list.”

“Of course. I don't know why he's that obsessed to fight me.”

“You should be flattered. It means he cannot claim he's the best fighter there is, unless he beats you.”

“Tell him to cross out my name.”

“Oh, he already did, but the UFC commissioners intend to negotiate with you one last time. Actually, they told me about a package deal that you cannot refuse.”

“I cannot refuse, huh?”

“It's not yet official, but I was told the offer could go up to thirty five million dollars.”

“Cheap.”

“Blaze, didn't you hear?” Ryder asked. “It's thirty five million dollars in your purse, win or lose. Plus bonus and pay-per-view. This match could make you around sixty million dollars richer. It's the best deal one can ever get.”

“Ryder, you are paying me to come into the cage as a sacrificial goat for your blood-thirsty monster pet to kill. You're taking advantage of the rift between me and my brother.”

“You're not afraid of Travis, are you?” Ryder taunted. “Come on. Bryan's death was an accident.”

“It was not an accident,” Blaze gritted through his teeth. “Travis liked being called the world's most dangerous man, and he wanted to prove that by brutally beating his opponents without caring if he killed them in the process. If you weren't such a greedy pig, you should have sent him for treatment.”

Ryder laughed. “The court ruled it was an accident. Three doctors said Travis was normal.”

“And you actually believed those doctors?”

“They're professionals.”

“Professionals, my ass. How much did you pay them?”

Ryder sighed and shook his head. “Blaze Rockwood, you're a difficult one.”

“Not really, I just hate being used for business.”

Ryder finished his drink and stood up. “You have until the end of the month to think about it,” he said and left.

Blaze chuckled and reached for his drinks that the bartender had laid in front of him. They’d been giving him a month to decide since Bryan’s burial. Next time, they’d give him another month again. He wondered when would they give up on him.

*****

Megan peered at the name of the lawyer posted on the door. Alec McGuire? Shit. It sounded like her ex-boyfriend in high school—the star quarterback of the school's football team. She couldn't believe he was now a lawyer. Or was it a different man?

“Knock.” Candace nudged her elbow.

Megan stepped back. “You're the one who wants a lawyer, not me.”

With her brows drawn together, Candace threw Megan a questioning glance and knocked on the door. When nobody answered, Megan noticed a written note below the name of the lawyer.

“It says,
Come in. No need to knock
,” she said, pointing at the note.

“Oh, how stupid of me,” Candace said and pushed the door open.

They found a young man sitting at his desk, typing on his laptop.

“Good afternoon,” the lawyer said without bothering to look at them. “Sorry, I’m in the middle of something here. Please take a seat. I’ll be with you in a minute.”

Keeping her eyes at the lawyer, Megan followed her friend to the couch. His head was down, so she couldn’t get a good look at his face, but there were some striking resemblance with the Alec she knew.

“He’s too young for a lawyer, don’t you think so?” Candace whispered in her ear.

Megan thought so, too. But Candace did not need an experienced lawyer for a simple affidavit of loss. “So what? It’s not like he’ll be representing you in court.”

They stopped mumbling when the lawyer cleared his throat. They both looked at him. He just stood up and Megan finally got a whole picture of his face.

Her jaw dropped. She couldn’t be mistaken now. He was the Alec McGuire that she knew. Her ex-boyfriend. More mature and more handsome than the boy she remembered in her past.

“So what can I do for you?” he asked.

Candace stood up and extended her hand to him. “I’m Candace Johnson.”

“Alec McGuire,” he retorted and shook Candace’s hand. He happened to catch a glimpse of Megan and smiled.

Megan froze. When she thought he did not recognize her, he took a second look at her.

“Megan Riley?” he peered at her face.

She flushed and nodded.

Alec gasped in surprise. He walked around his desk and approached her. “My God. I never thought I'd see you again.”

“You know each other?” Candace asked.

Megan forced herself to stand up out of courtesy. “We're classmates in High School.”

“High School sweet hearts, actually,” Alec corrected.

Candace gasped. “Really? Were you that quarterback she told me about? The cheating bastard as she called it?”

Megan glared at Candace.

“What?” Candace asked. “That was ten years ago.”

Alec cleared his throat. His face was red with embarrassment. “Yes, I cheated on her, but since she broke up with me, there was never a day that I did not regret that...” He cleared his throat again and did not continue.

“Ooh,” Candace teased. “You married?”

“No.”

Candace placed a hand on Megan's shoulder. “She's single, too. I guess this encounter is fated.”

“Candace, will you stop,” Megan scolded her friend.

“Actually, I agree with Candace,” Alec said. “It's been a year since my girlfriend died and I think it's about time that I move on.”

Megan's lips parted. So he lost a loved one too?

“Oh, my God. You two have something in common,” Candace exclaimed and headed for the door. “I'll wait outside.”

Alec peered at Megan's face. “Something in common? Does she mean...”

She nodded. “He died seven months ago.”

“Oh, I'm sorry.”

She shook her head. “It's alright.”

“So, I suppose it's too soon for you to be going out on a date?”

She laughed. “Actually, I want to move on. It's hard to mourn for another half year over someone who's never coming back.”

He smiled, nodding. “Does that mean, it's alright with you if I ask you out for dinner?”

For a brief moment, she was dumbfounded. “No kidding?”

“I'm serious.”

She stroked the back of her neck. “I'm... not really sure about this.”

“You're not ready to move on?”

She found herself unable to say a word. Was he correct?

“Just a casual dinner. Let's talk about how life has been ever since we broke up. You know... as friends.”

She nodded, but still undecided. “I'm kind of busy right now. What about if I get your number so I can call you when I'm free?”

“Fair enough.”

*****

“So?” Candace asked as she stepped out of the door.

She leaned over her friend to whisper. “He invited me to dinner.”

Candace almost squealed. “Tonight?”

“No, I said I'll think about it.”

Disappointed, Candace’s thrilled smile instantly faded. “What's stopping you? I thought you're ready to move on?”

“I am. It's just...”

“What?”

It wasn't just about Bryan. It was because of Blaze. She may not admit it, but over the course of the week she had spent with him, she had given away a piece of her heart to him. But how could she tell this to her friend?

Candace grabbed her wrist. “Call him tonight. He's a good man. He's perfect for you.”

Megan nodded. “And if he cheated again?”

“Meg, you were still kids then. He admitted he made a mistake. Obviously, he wanted you back. Just give him another chance.”

Megan sighed and pointed at the door. “Go back inside. Your affidavit is waiting.”

Candace was about to push the door when she looked over her shoulders. “I’ll tell him you said yes.”

Before Megan could say anything, Candace shut the door in her face.

*****

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Megan waved at Alec before he drove his car away. She sighed and checked her watch. It was only half past eight in the evening, but she felt tired already.

She headed for her door and saw a shadow of a man on her porch. It was dark she could not see his face, but she knew that frame too well.

Her heart pounded.

Blaze’s conference in New York should be until Friday. So what was he doing here at Thursday night?

“You’re back,” she said as she approached him. She was honestly nervous, but she tried to hide it from him.

He was silent until she stood in front of him and peered at his face. The light from the quarter moon was enough for her to recognize him.

Blaze. No doubt about it.

“You alright?” she asked.

He stepped closer to her, intimidating her with his towering height and wide shoulder frame. “Is he your new boyfriend?” he asked in a low, soft voice that gave her the chills. She didn’t know why.

She had a feeling he must be jealous, but it was too dark to see what was in his eyes.

“My… ex boyfriend, actually,” she stammered. She hoped he had not noticed how nervous he had made her.

“You’ve gotten back with him?”

She was not sure what to say. “We… met by accident, and he invited me to dinner.”

He crossed his arms. “Is that why you never answered my calls?”

She stroked her forehead. She hated being interrogated like she had committed a crime. “Blaze, I am not obligated to explain to you everything about my private life.”

“Don’t I have the right to know?”

She sighed and turned her back from him. She picked up her keys and opened the door. She did not invite him in, but as she stepped inside and turned the lights on, he followed her all the way to the kitchen.

“We had a deal, didn’t we?” she asked, tapping the top of the dining table. “One week, and then it’s over. We both agreed, Now, what are you doing here?”

“That deal’s been cancelled the day before we parted. You said you didn’t like the week to end and I promised you it will not end in a week. You agreed to meet me again. Remember?”

She flushed. “I said that in the midst of passion. I didn’t mean it.”

“Really?” His tone was sarcastic. He stepped closer to her until she was trapped between the table and his large body. “You didn’t mean it, huh?”

His lips silenced her before she could utter a word. And just like the helpless woman she had always been in his presence, she didn’t try to resist his advances, not even when he inserted his hand underneath the low neckline of her dress and cupped her breast.

She inhaled through her nose and kissed him back, yielding her body closer to his.

“Now, tell me you don’t want this.” He pressed his erection against her belly, conveying to her his urgent need.