Hell, I’m here for him, not her. He needs to not worry about my presence around his daughter and tell me what I need to know.
“You found me,” he clips out with sarcasm.
Looking into his pitch black eyes, I can see that he’s testing me and my tolerance for bull shit is about out.
“What’s the deal, Birch?” I ask continuing to fight the staring contest we’ve apparently started.
“You’re late, Hank. What’s the deal with that,” he spits back at me.
We stare back at one another for what feels like forever. I have no response; no excuse other than I really was late. the Cage may be my home away from home, but believe or not, I do have a life…a job that pays my bills. He knows this and has to understand.
A large hand waves in front of my face cutting off my stare. Blinking a few times, I look to my left where Gus stands with a look of confusion on his face.
“Gentlemen, whatever is going on here, let’s get back on track. Hank, you should have been here hours ago. Where were you?” Gus asks.
What the hell is this some sort of “gang up on Hank” intervention? I’m here every damn day, practically all day and now I’m getting shit for being a few hours late for training. Shit, I don’t even know what I’m supposed to be doing now that the guys said Gus isn’t training us anymore. Releasing a burst of air, I take a step back and toss my gym bag onto the floor.
“I got called into work last night, overslept and since I got here I’ve been trying to find Birch. I ran into Mike and Trenton who informed me you changed my trainer,” I respond, breathless with anger.
“the Cage doesn’t have set trainers, Hank. We work as a unit to fulfill the needs of our clients. You know this,” Gus says resting his hand on my shoulder.
Not the answer I wanted to hear, I attempt to shrug his hand off my body.
“What the hell are you talking about? You’ve been my trainer for years; you know and understand my limits. How can you say you’re not my trainer?”
“It is what it is, kid. Dan is a fine coach and will be sure to have you in shape for your first fight. Don’t get your panties in a bunch, it’s nothing personal,” Birch states still staring at me.
I look to him with hurt and defeat pouring from my soul. As long as I can remember, both Gus and Birch have been by my side, pushing me to be the best fighter here. Now out of nowhere, they’re changing things up and no one has mentioned a word to me ‘til now.
“Nothing personal?” I shout back. “Being a fighter is my fucking life, Birch, not something you can change up on me.”
“Hank, settle down,” Gus utters. “It’s just a change of your coach. Regardless of who trains you, you’ll still be unstoppable. Get your head back where it needs to be and not on the small stuff.”
“Whatever,” I mumble under my breath.
With his hand extended, Gus holds out a binder filled with paper.
“Here’s your new schedule, meal and training plans. Dan has been brought up to speed on your progress and what needs to be done over the next few months. Keep your mind focused and you won’t have anything to worry about.”
“You’re leaving the Cage?” I ask Gus.
“No, why would you ask that?” He asks, his brows scrunched.
“’Cause you’re removing three of your top fighters from your training…that’s why,” I respond taking the binder from his grasp.
“I’m still here, Hank; I’ll just be taking on a few other clients.”
“Are we expecting a stampede of people that I don’t know about?” I ask.
Gus shakes his head and laughs under his breath.
“No, Hank, but Taryn here has informed us that she wants to dive into the world of training. I want to focus my attention on some new blood.”
My eyes bulge out of my head, my jaw dropping to the floor.
“What?” I ask, my fist clenching next to my side.
Spinning on my heels, I pray my attention to the blonde bitch standing mere inches from me. The look on her face is of panic. Her hair has fallen across her face, her eyes now looking as if she’s about to burst into tears, and her lips pressed firmly together. Not only has she come back into town, moved into the Cage, but now she’s taking over my trainer.
A piece of me wants to comfort her for the attitude and ignorance I’ve always put her through, but then reality smacks me upside the head and I remember what all she’s taken from me.
Fuck this shit.
She’s destroying everything that means something to me. I’ve always distanced myself from her for a reason. Regardless if she’s constantly on my mind, I now have another reason to despise her.
Why do I think about her…do I want her…does she want me? Hell no, we don’t.
She’s just a typical female out to get the next man to pay her attention. Doesn’t she get enough of that from my boys?
Fucking hell, what is wrong with me?
She’s nothing but a spoiled prissy bitch…right?
For years we’ve never intentionally crossed paths; instead we’ve always been brought together through our connections.
Feeling so drawn to her is something I can’t stop, it’s unnerving and I want it to stop. Taryn is just a chick, one that now will be a part of my world in the foreseeable future. She needs to keep herself away from me and there won’t be a problem. If only she’d give into Mike and Trenton, the temptation of her smooth skin touching mine would be erased from my mind.
Fuck me; I need to focus on training. Positioning the binder under my arm, I reach down for my bag and head back out to the gym. A tough workout will help set my mind straight. I’ll just picture her face on the bag, on the opponent, and the target…that will help me overcome her.
My mind may be a jumbled mess because of a distraction, but if I choose to switch this desire into a target, I’ll have that much more to aim for.
I’m a fighter, a future champion; she will not come between me and my dreams.
Chapter 7
Looking to the round white clock on the locker room wall, it’s already eight thirty; my body and mind are spent. I’m a pile of mush that can’t think, I don’t know that I can even fathom a coherent thought…I’m exhausted.
Shit, it’s only my first day.
Emotionally I feel as though my heart was ripped out, stomped on, and then tossed out with the trash. I knew that eventually I’d cross paths with Hank again. I just didn’t think the situation would turn out like it did. When I looked up and saw he was standing before me, my body went numb. I couldn’t help but to stare back at him. Those deep, dark eyes put me under a spell and I couldn’t look away. It wasn’t like some romantic novel where I expected us to run into each other’s arm, no, that’s not us at all. Just the static between us, the same tension that’s always been there, flowed between the two of us. That was until Daddy stepped in and announced his authority within the room.
Once Hank knew that I was the reason Gus was no longer training with him, everything changed. The look in Hank’s eyes was one that I never wanted to see again, it hurt too much to see him look at me that way. He was enraged that I was here; I can’t imagine the thoughts that were filtering through his mind. I’ve always known he’s disliked me, why I’m not sure. But now…now he hates me with everything he has.
After he left Marta’s office, I was embarrassed, afraid that I made the wrong the decision telling Daddy I wanted to train. All I needed was to show my father that I could do it, be one of the guys that could make him proud. I know that Daddy loves me and is happy I’m home, I just want more.
Mentally, my brain has been worked to its limits. Marta showed me just about every tracking and accounting report possible, just in case she went into labor early. My mind was spinning as she continued to flip through pages of reports and demonstrate the method to her madness that keeps the Cage’s accounts running so smoothly.
The girl still has a few weeks ‘til her due date; I didn’t see the need to overload my
mind...but whatever. At least now I know how to efficiently run the books for Daddy, it’s the least I can do. I’ve gone to college for four long years. I’ve learned the ins and outs of the accounting world, now it’s time to put my parent’s hard earned money to good use. Hell, if it kills me, I’ll be the best damn accountant in the state of New York.
Physically it’s like someone ripped off my limbs, ran them over with a dump truck and attempted to attach them back on with dull surgical equipment. Gus didn’t hold back at all, he worked me down, right to the point I thought I was going to throw up all over myself. He could see the look of desperation on my face, yet he continued to push me past my limits.
For as long as I can remember, Gus and Daddy watched the guys work their asses off at the Cage. Each man that walked through the doors with a mission, they made it happen. Now, I want to be the one they can look back on and say, “I remember when you first started, look how far you’ve come.”
As I stand here, in my clean yoga pants and hoodie, my legs continue to shake. Staring at my reflection in the locker room mirror, my long blonde hair is wet hanging past my shoulders and my dark brown eyes are trimmed in red. I was hoping a hot shower would help ease away the aches of my muscles, no such luck. Stepping away from the mirrors, I reach down to grab my bag and head home. A good night’s sleep will hopefully leave me feeling refreshed and ready for another grueling day tomorrow.
With my left hand I flip off the light switch, opening the locker room door with my right. The gym is quiet since it’s after hours, not a soul to be heard. As I make my way through the open space, I notice a shadow lurking along the back hallway.
My feet stop in their tracks and I try to remember if Gus said he was heading out for the night or staying back to wait for me…I’m so tired I can’t remember.
Who else could possibly still be here?
Everyone left and Daddy locked up just as Gus and I were finishing our cool down on the treadmills. With a ping of fear racing through my veins, I take a step forward. Maybe it was my imagination playing tricks on me, hell it’s been a long day, anything is possible.
I toss the thoughts of the shadow to the back of my mind and continue making my way through the warehouse. As I turn the corner to head down the dark hallway leading to the back parking lot, an image jolts out of Daddy’s office.
“Aaaahhhhh,” I scream dropping my bag and clutching my chest.
The body turns toward me and flips on the light switch to Daddy’s office, illuminating a small section of the hallway. The light peering through the door shines behind his back and I can finally make out who it is….Hank.
“What the fuck, Taryn, you scared the shit out of me. I thought everyone was gone for the night.”
Standing with my feet glued to the concrete floor, I attempt to catch my breath. My chest is heaving, my heart pounding, and my mind a cloudy fog.
“Hank, no one was here…or so I thought,” I reply breathlessly.
“Well, you apparently thought wrong,” he barks back at me.
Why the hell does he have to be such a prick? He just scared the shit out of me. He could at least show a little compassion while I’m having a minor heart attack standing in front of him.
“Look…ugh, whatever. I was just leaving for the night. Why are you even here, Hank? Shouldn’t you be out pissing off the world or something?”
Taking a step closer to me, my breath hitches as his scent consumes my senses.
“I’m not an asshole to everyone, Taryn, regardless of what you think.”
He could have fooled me; he’s been an arrogant dick to me practically my entire life.
“So why are you here, you obviously didn’t come back to train.”
“Nope,” he replies popping the “p” sound with his lips. “I lost my cell and thought maybe it was here.”
Oh his lips, I can’t help but now stare at them….gahh, Taryn focus, pull your shit together.
Bending down I pick up my bag and take a few steps forward to pass him. As I’m about to, he sticks out his arm to stop me.
My head tilts up and I meet his gaze.
“I’m tired and I just want to go home. Whatever you came back here for, get it and get out. Daddy already locked up so make sure you punch in the security code before you see yourself out.”
With trembling hands, I lift my arms to move his blockade out of my way…but I can’t. He’s too strong and fighting my push with probably no muscles at all.
“You’re something else, Taryn. You waltz your prissy ass into my gym, take over my trainer and now your barking orders at me. Seriously, what the fuck is your problem?”
My mouth drops to the floor, my problem. Is he kidding me right now?
“What are you talking about? I’ve never given you any reason to think there was a problem. You’ve been a jerk to me my entire life. No matter what I do, it’s always wrong or not good enough for the champion Hank. I’m tired of feeling like I need to walk on egg shells around you. How is it that your best friend and brother can be such good friends and then there’s you…a complete and utter asshole.”
Silence fills the space between us. He says nothing as we continue to stare at one another. I watch as he swallows hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing against the skin of his throat. I can’t help but lick my lips as my eyes gaze from his lips to his eyes. Reaching for my bag, he removes it from my hands and pushes me up against the cool concrete wall.
“Taryn, you’ve been nothing but a tease to Mike and Trenton for as long as I can remember. Even as little kids, they worshipped the ground you walked on. Why the hell would I want to put myself in that equation?”
“But I…,” he stops me by pushing his body closer into mine.
He raises his hands and plants them along side of my head, pressing me into the wall, and boxing me in between the cool surface and his warmth. I can feel the heat of his energy pushing through the fabric of his clothes onto mine. My heart is racing so fast I can feel the thumps beating through my chest.
“You wanna know why I’ve been a dick to you all these years, Taryn? You really want to know why…I’ll fucking tell you.”
I swallow hard as a lump begins to rise in my throat and I nod, looking up to him.
“It should come as no surprise to you that two men are deeply in love with you. They’ve been that way for years. I’ve always wanted what they had, but I couldn’t bear to be in that situation. One night after the three of you went to Coney Island, Trenton came home a mess. I’m thinking you guys were only like ten, hell maybe even twelve. He was devastated because Mike told him he wanted to ask you out. Fucking hell, Taryn, you made both of them fall in love with you as kids. Slowly you were ripping out their hearts. I saw the pain and desperation in my brother’s eyes and swore I would never get involved in your little love triangle. For the past ten or more years, I’ve pushed you away, out of my thoughts, and trained my mind to hate you. It was the only way I knew to get through it.”
He pauses for a moment, closing his eyes so tightly.
I don’t know what to say, what to think. I had no idea he felt that way.
“Why didn’t you ever tell me, all this time you’ve hated me and I never knew why,” I whisper.
“Well now you know…happy?”
Removing his arms from the wall behind my head, he takes a step away from me. I’m no longer caged in by his body. I’m free to walk away, but I don’t want to. All this time I thought I hurt him in some way, made him hate me for something I didn’t know I did. But instead, he was shielding his heart from getting hurt in honor of his brother.
I can’t help myself; he’s all I’ve ever thought about. He’s the one man that has haunted my dreams and made my reality a living hell. I need to do this, just once and see if anything sparks.
Taking a step forward, my body is flush against his. With fear of the unknown coursing through me, I step up on my tip toes, wrapping both hands around his head pulling him down to me. He doesn’t resist, ins
tead he pushes me back up against the wall and crashes his lips against mine. The world around me begins to spin with his scent, the feel of his body against mine and his tongue pushing past my lips into my mouth.
My knees go weak and my head starts to whirl in a mixture of emotions as our tongues tangle together as one. His taste is like nothing I’ve ever imagined. Our hands are roaming one another’s bodies as our moans echo through the hallway. I’ve wanted this moment to happen for so long, it was just a dream I never thought would become a possibility.
Breathless we both pull away and stare into each other’s eyes. I was hoping for a spark to ignite, but what I got was a Fourth of July fireworks show.
Whatever just happened…I know what I want.
I want more.
I want Hank.
Chapter 8
Staring down into her eyes, I don’t know what the hell just happened. I feel so guilty for kissing her, yet I have a raging hard on now pressed against her leg.
She’s fucking Taryn for crying out loud. She’s off limits and what just happened can never happen again, but damn it if I don’t want to do it again.
Her lips against mine were like a dream. We felt so in sync¸ even if only for a short while. The passion satisfying the void between us, the pent up frustrations we’ve dealt with all this time…finally, after all these years, she filled the need I’ve felt for her.
Taryn’s lust for air is still heavy, her chest pressing against my body with each breath. My mind is telling me to take a step back while my body is telling me to take her now. Confusion rushes through me and I don’t know what to do. Her eyes are staring back at mine as we stand here in silence. I fear that if I wait a second longer, I’ll be crashing my lips against hers again.
She tasted amazing and the way her tongue swept into my mouth and against my tongue, it was a feeling I’ve never experienced. The way her hands roamed my body, I didn’t want her to stop…am I wrong for feeling this way?
All this time I’ve hidden my feelings for the one woman I could never have. Now, at this very second, she’s trapped between the wall and my body. My erection growing harder by the minute. If I don’t stop this now, I don’t know what will happen.