Raw Deal (Larson Brothers #1)(86)

Mike turned his head to look down into Savannah’s eyes before answering. “Dan, this is Tommy’s sister, Savannah, standing by my side. I didn’t do this for me,” he said, pulling the belt from his waist. “This is for Tommy, who loved this sport, who would have fought on if the tables had been turned. He was a great competitor. I don’t doubt that he would have been standing here one day, because he wouldn’t have quit. It’s not myself, but Tommy’s memory that I care about honoring here tonight.”

With an encouraging grin, Mike handed Savannah the belt, while she stood slack-jawed, gazing down at its golden inscriptions uncomprehendingly. Her tears dripped on it. Oh, God, how her brother would have loved this!

When Mike’s arm looped around her upper thighs and he lifted her easily in the air to thunderous cheers, she seized the belt with both hands and hoisted it into the air over her head. This is a dream. There were so many people, so many cameras, so many reporters. For once, she didn’t care; she only hoped Rowan could see this. Mike slowly turned, showing her off to everyone, his free hand in the air waving to the fans. He smiled up at her.

For you, Tommy, she thought, laughing through her tears. I love you.





Chapter Twenty-Six


“Here. I think this served its purpose. You can have it back now.” Mike held out his closed fist to her and Savannah looked down at it, puzzled.

“What is it?” When she opened her hand to accept the contents of his, she gasped as he dropped her lost earring onto her palm. “Oh my God! You found it!”

It was dark inside the SUV taking them back to his hotel, but she saw his grin easily enough. “I hope you don’t mind me borrowing it.”

“You kept it with you all this time?”

He nodded, staring into her eyes. She didn’t know what to say. “My good-luck charm,” he said, keeping his voice low.

“I didn’t know if you still felt the same, I . . . I was so scared you didn’t.”

“I do. I always will.”

She grinned at him and, not knowing where the impulse came from, suddenly frowned down as she inspected the tiny piece of jewelry as she said loudly, “Hey, wait a minute. This is not my earring, Michael Larson.”

He didn’t miss a beat, shoving his hand into his pocket. “Oh, damn, my bad. Not that one. Here, let me see . . .”

She burst out laughing, unable to keep up the ruse in her giddiness to be near him again. Even their driver, privy to their conversation, chuckled. Mike laughed along with her until she fell against his side, exhausted and practically sore from the tension that had thrummed through her body all night. It was all gone now. But she could only imagine how he felt, his antics in the cage being the cause of all her tension. “You can keep it, you know,” she told him at last. “Or you can borrow it whenever you need luck. We can pierce your ear, then you can wear it.”

“Nah, that’s okay. I’ve got my luck right here.” He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead—soft, probably, to not disturb his cut lip too much.

“I’ve instituted a new rule since we’ve been apart,” she told him later as they plowed through the door into the bedroom of his suite, his hands on her hips, his mouth at her neck heedless of the cut.

It had taken ten forevers to get here. Postfight press conference. Photos. They’d rubbed him down, iced him, and patched him up. Now, finally, he and Savannah were free, but only because they’d practically shut the door on his still celebratory team. They had some celebrating of their own to do.

“Oh yeah?” he asked, nuzzling against her ear and sending shivers through her as he spoke. “What’s that?”

“I only f*ck heavyweight champions.”

“Then you’re in the right place, baby.”

“Mmm, indeed I am.”

“Thank God Meyers didn’t win.”

She recoiled in horror. “That wouldn’t have happened, I can assure you.” They paused by the bed and she gently caught his cheeks in her hands, pulling him back to observe all of his hurts. “Are you sure you’re up for this?”

“Darlin’, there is nothing better after a fight to work out the rest of the aggression.”

“I guess you speak from experience,” she said wryly, getting a laugh from him.

“A little. Sorry.”

Still she worried, keeping her kisses and touches gentle as she stripped off his shirt and he rid her of her pesky jeans and T-shirt. “You must be in pain,” she murmured, distressed as they fell back on the bed and he winced a bit.

“There’s only one pain I’m feeling right now.” He drew her hand down to where she could feel his fierce rigid length through his shorts. God, it had seemed like forever. “You’ve got the remedy for that.”

“Mmm.” Loving the silky slide of the fabric between their heated skin, she delighted herself for a moment in rubbing him through his shorts while his eyes closed and his head sank deeper into his pillow. When she slipped her hand into his waistband, he groaned in torment, his hand encircling her wrist though he exerted no force to stop her. Her wrist felt so delicate in his sizable grip; another flush of pleasure washed through her. His cock pulsed in the circle of her fingers.

“God, I won’t last long,” he ground out as she continued to stroke. “I haven’t touched it in a month.”