A Fighter's Desire (Gloves Off 0.5 & 0.6)(12)

There sat Ryley with a smug smile on his face, all bare-chested and glistening in sweat, a white towel wrapped around his shoulders and a bottle of water in his hands. He raked his clear blue eyes up and down my body and I froze, hating that he had that affect on me.

“What the hell?” I snapped. “Where’s Gabriella?”

Picking up his phone, he waved it in the air and sat it back down. “Oh, she’s not here. She’s getting ready to watch her brother fight, but she did give me your number when I asked her for it. Surely you don’t mind, right?”

I crossed my arms at the chest and glared at him. “Actually, I do mind. I don’t do well with tricks, Mr. Jameson. If you wanted to talk to me you should’ve approached me like a normal person instead of being all stalkerish. It’s kind of creepy.”

In a way, it was actually kind of hot, but I wasn’t going to tell him that.

Taken aback, Ryley opened his mouth to speak and then shut it, only to open it again. “Wow, I must say I haven’t had anyone ever say that to me. Most women like my tactics.” Slowly, he got up from the couch and stalked toward me, his gaze curious and heated.

“What do you want?” I asked, taking a step away.

He set his bottle of water down on the small table beside the couch, along with the towel wrapped around his neck, before turning his blue gaze in my direction. “I wanted to see if you would be my date tonight for the party. I figured I would snag you up before Gabriella showed you off to everyone. I don’t want someone else getting to you first.”

“Really? That’s what you called me in here for?” I asked incredulously. He started to take a step forward and I instantly moved back, swallowing hard. “Sorry, but I’m taken.”

When my back hit the wall, I gritted my teeth and took short, shallow breaths as he continued to move closer. My heart pounded relentlessly, especially when he hovered over me and leaned down toward my ear, breathing me in. His bare skin grazed against my chest, making me shiver, and even more so when he moaned in approval, his warm breath tickling my ear. My eyes fluttered shut and I bit my lip to keep myself from moaning in return.

“I don’t like it when people are dishonest with me, Ashleigh. Gabriella already told me you were single and I know she wouldn’t lie to me.”

My eyes snapped open. I am so going to kill her.

“You don’t even know me,” I challenged. “Why do you want me to be your date? You saw me for one second when you were up in the ring. I could be the biggest bitch in the world for all you know.”

“That could be true. If you want the honest truth,” he said, gazing down my body, “I saw you in that red dress and all I could think about was how hot it would be to f*ck you in it.”

Holding in my gasp, I tightened my legs together to keep my clit from throbbing out of control. It pissed me off that my body responded to him, but it could also be because he was so close; brushing his heated body against mine, and smelling so amazingly delicious. The wild side of me wanted to tell him to take me right then and there, but the logical side wanted to slap the shit out of him.

“Do you honestly get women by saying stuff like that?” I asked dryly, without a hint of a smile.

His grin grew wider. “Most of the time. So what do you say? Do you want to be my date for the night … the whole night?”

Yes, my mind screamed at me.

“No,” I snapped, making his smug smile disappear. “I’m not one of your little groupies, Ryley, and I sure as hell am not going to beg for your attention like what you’re used to. You need to find someone else. I’m not interested.”

You just lied again, I scolded myself.

Turning on my heel, I headed for the door and opened it, only to be stopped by a hand grasping my arm and the door shutting quickly in front of me. “Don’t you see? I don’t want anyone else. I saw you and you are what I want.”

Laughing, I turned around and yanked my arm out of his hold. “Tell that to someone who’ll believe you, Ryley. I don’t fall that easily, especially for someone who hasn’t had to work for a woman. You’ll have to do much better than that.”

Or else I’m not going to play the game.





BY THE TIME I got back to Gabriella, the fights were over and she was talking to her brother. He had the same dark hair and green eyes as her; however, he was huge, nothing but pure muscle with tattoos all over his body. Definitely an extremely good looking guy, but he was taken by one of the most reputable journalists in all of the country. She was definitely a lucky woman.

“Hey, Ashleigh, what’s up?” he asked as I approached.

While I stood there seething, Gabriella had the gall to look innocent. “Oh, nothing much really, just had a run in with Ryley. It appears your sister has a knack for playing tricks.”

Matt sighed and shook his head, pinning a lethal glare at his sister. “Gabby, you know better than to set her up with him. All he wants is a good time and that’s it.”

“Well, what makes you think that Ashleigh doesn’t want the same thing?” she countered defiantly, her hands on her hips. “Women can use men just as easily as men use them. Besides, the twins need to learn a lesson about humility and Ashleigh is the best candidate. I have full confidence that she’ll put them in their place, or at least one of them.”