Page 69 of Fight for Forever
I rest my cheek against his chest and breathe in the scent of him.
“Are you tired?”
“A little. It’s been a long day.”
“Let’s head back to the hotel then, yeah?”
I agree. It’s going to be tough as hell tonight. Joey looks like a tasty snack in his black pants and shirt and I don’t get to take advantage of him. Sex the night before a fight is an even bigger no go than in the month leading up to it. It’s okay though, just lying next to him is all I need.
Back at our hotel, Joey seems a little antsy. He keeps looking at his watch and as we wait for the elevator, his foot is tapping against the ground.
Maybe he is nervous about the fight, and just doesn’t want to admit it. A nice massage might take his mind off it. That might lead to something we can’t do.
I never used to be this insatiable before I met him.
Joey is staring up at the floor numbers as the lift rises. It’s super-fast and quiet. Yet, the closer we get to our floor, the more anxious he seems.
“Are you alright?” I ask.
“Yeah,” he blinks. “I’m good. Just thinking about tomorrow.”
“Everything will be fine, Joey,” I squeeze his hand. “You got this.”
He smiles, but it’s strained. I feel uneasy as we step out of the elevator and head to our room. His whole body is tense, and his eyes keep darting to me. It’s like there is something he wants to say to me but doesn’t know how to broach it.
Joey has no problem talking to me about anything. So what is wrong with him?
When we get to the door, he takes a few tries to get the keycard into the reader. Is he ill? Oh God, what if something is wrong?
“Joey? Are you sure you’re okay?”
The door swings open behind me. When he doesn’t answer, I decide it will be best to get him into the room where we can talk. I take two steps inside and freeze.
The lights never came on when the door opened like they have been, but there is a soft glow coming from inside. It takes a moment for me to understand what I’m seeing. There are candles lighting the room.
As I take another couple of steps, my feet brush against something on the floor and I look down, trying to figure out what is going on.
Joey comes inside and closes the door. I feel him behind me as I look down and realize what I’m standing on.
Flower petals. My eyes widen as Joey places his hand on the small of my back and guides me further into the suite.
“What is this?” I ask, looking around. There are more flowers, more candles, and a bucket with champagne. “Joey?”
When I turn around, Joey steps right into me, sweeping my hair back with one hand, the other is behind his back.
“What are you?... What is?”
He grins at me. “Why don’t you let me do the talking for a minute, Kitten?”
I swallow, my throat feels tight. He can’t be doing what I think he’s doing, right?
“Megan,” he taps the end of my nose playfully. “Just be here with me.”
Okay, I can do that. I gulp, but nod.
“Meg,” his voice wavers, his smile is nervous. “From the first moment I saw you, I said to myself, I need to know this girl. Standing there in my gym, looking beautiful, vulnerable and a little scared, but I could see beyond that. You were so strong. So fucking brave, Meg. You didn’t realize it, not then.
"I’ve seen you blossom, grow and change. I watched you from afar because I never thought a woman like you could fall for a guy like me. For a man who fights for a living.”