Awakened (The Fighter Series Book 3) Read online

  “Would you like to do lunch?” she asks.

  Defense mechanism. Lunch is safer than dinner. No drinking equals sobriety, which keeps you composed and fully clothed. Lunch is more like an interview. If you pass, it can travel into the night. If compatibility isn’t there, the date ends and you continue your evening with no harm done. She’s a conscious little minx, and I’m certain she’s going to be a total workout to fuck. But if all goes well, I’ll have the rest of the night to try.

  “I can do that,” I tell her. “What time?”

  “Maybe around one?” she says timidly.

  “Can I call you closer to time and we’ll decide the finer details?”

  “That’s fine. We can do that. Listen, I’m at work. I need to hop off here.”

  “Talk to you soon,” I thrum and then hang up.

  I hate the awkwardness of hanging up. After twenty “byes” and “I’ll see you laters,” what more needs to be said? I prefer to just be done. If you had something else to say, you should’ve said it before you sounded as if you were done with the conversation.

  The moment the call ends, music begins to blares in my ears again. I save her number and shoot her a text.

  Me: I like knowing I’m on your mind.

  After the treadmill, I hit the bench and barbells for another hour to work on my chest and arms and then came home. I took a shower and dropped to the couch, flipping on the television, exhausted from the lack of sleep.

  The sound of my phone chirping, alerting me to a text, pulls me out of a deep sleep.

  The sun glares into the front windows almost below the tree line. Grabbing my phone, I check the time—six o’clock.

  “Fuck.” I grumble. I’ve slept the whole afternoon.

  I tap the text message and instantly I’m smirking like an idiot.

  Kelsie: You have been today.

  She replies to my text from earlier.

  Me: Only today?

  Kelsie: ;)

  Me: Let’s have dinner tonight?

  Kelsie: Weekend is better for me.

  Me: I’ll come to you with food in hand. Chinese?

  Kelsie: I’ve been on your mind huh?

  Me: You’re switching the subject.

  Kelsie: I’m curious.

  Me: Yeah. Actually, you have.

  Five minutes pass and I still haven’t gotten a response. I’m horribly impatient. I have been since I was younger and it’s only gotten worse. I’m tapping my fingers on my phone when I decide to hit her back up.

  Me: You just fell over with happiness right?

  Kelsie: You must be spying on me. HA.

  Me: Let me bring you some dinner.

  For fuck’s sake, I feel like I’m all but begging her.

  Suddenly, my phone rings and it’s her.

  “You know Chinese sounds amazing,” I tease, answering with flirtation.

  She giggles. “All this talk about food and you have me craving it. There’s a little Chinese place down the street. I’ll meet you there instead. Is that okay?

  “I didn’t think I was going to get you out of the house. Can I talk you into a different restaurant? Do you know where Amore is?”

  “Yeah. It’s in the next town, but isn’t that a bit much?”

  “It’s where I was going to take you Saturday. Why change the plans just because the time did?”

  There’s a long pause before she answers. “I can be there at seven thirty if that’s okay?”

  I lick my lips, proud to have triumphed. “That’s fine.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you then.”

  Waiting. It’s a grueling boredom full of anticipation, which inevitably makes time feel as if it decided to take a damn vacation. It’s difficult to tolerate when excitement presents itself.

  After hanging up and getting ready, I rushed to the restaurant to get a quiet table away from everyone. If I’m going to work my charm, I’d rather do it with her fully able to concentrate on me.

  I’m impatiently tapping my finger against the fork, creating my own jams, when she appears. Her hair is half up, the rest draping over her shoulders. She’s in an off-white shirt, jeans and tall boots that come up to her calves. She’s not dressed overly classy, but still extremely sexy, and I like it.

  “Hey,” she says timidly as I pull out her chair. “This place is beautiful,” she adds looking around.

  “Ever been here?”

  “I’ve driven past it if that counts,” she snorts.

  The waiter arrives, interrupting the beginning of our conversation to take our drink order. She’s short of breath with a shaky voice.

  “Do I make you that edgy?” I ask just as the waiter leaves the table.

  She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “Yeah. A little.”

  I rest my elbows on the table and lean closer. “Don’t be.”

  She smiles tenderly. “Easier said than done.”

  I glance over her again. “You look stunning.”

  “I thought the same about you.” She takes a deep breath. “I’m sorry. It’s been a while. Normally, I drown myself in work and forget about having a personal life.”

  “Working too much without any fun isn’t healthy, ya know?” I bounce my finger at her.

  The waiter comes back, placing our drinks down and asks for our order. She insists I order first to give her a few extra seconds to scan over the menu. Apparently, it was just enough time.

  “A Wednesday night first date feels weird,” she says and then takes a sip of her soda.

  “Means it will leave a lasting impression.”

  Her plump lips pull up. “You’re pretty smooth. Is that one of your lines you tell them all?”

  I furrow my brows. “Them?”

  She playfully rolls her eyes. “You were full of cheesy pickup lines the other night. I just figured there were more.”

  I cock a brow. “Want more cheesy pickup lines?”

  She chuckles shaking her head.

  There’s something about her…

  “What do you do for a living?” she asks.

  And the line that normally baits them in. “I’m a personal assistant for an MMA fighter.”

  “Hmmm…sounds interesting. Does that involve a lot of traveling?” she says and then wraps her luscious lips around the straw again.

  I watch her take a pull from her drink, mesmerized at the thought of how badly I’d like to taste them. I blink, removing my head from the fantasy fog.

  “When he’s fighting, yes.”

  “And who is this ‘he’ you speak of?”

  “Levi Stiles.”

  Baited…and hooked…

  “Never heard of him.” She shrugs. “I don’t watch the stuff. I’ve never really enjoyed watching two men brutally beat the hell out of each other.”

  And sinking ship…

  There are perks working with Levi. Women normally fall all over themselves when they find out what I do. They think of it as an exciting job, which it is, but not in the way they see it. It’s not as glamorous as most people think. And though most women are only interested in the money, I’m interested in the women the sport attracts.

  “That’s the best part,” I say.

  She scrunches her face. “Not for me. I don’t see the fun in it. My ex—” Her words fumble and eyes flash wide. “Boyfriend,” she says quickly, “was enthralled with all of that.”

  “Judging by the reaction, this ex-boyfriend had an impact.”

  “No.” Her tone is now very hard and stern. “He’s in the past for a reason. Enough about him. Do you live close to here?”

  Great. The ex has damaged her. Burnt her to a crisp only to ruin it for everyone else in the path. And making it a tremendous and tedious task to fuck.

  “Yeah. About five minutes down the street. What do you do for work?” I ask trying to keep the conversation on her.

  Before she answers, the waiter arrives with our food. He smiles politely and asks if everything looks good before leaving for his other tables.


  Kelsie inhales the aroma and peers back up at me. “This looks fantastic.” She smiles unrolling her silverware and placing her napkin in her lap. “To answer your question, with a job like yours, I’m sure you’ll find mine pathetically boring.”

  “Try me.”

  She tilts her head to the side. “I’m an assistant accountant for a large electrical company.”

  I study her for a moment.

  She laughs. “Told you. Not as interesting as yours.”

  “You’re serious?”

  “What else did you expect?”

  “I’ve been to many clubs and I don’t usually see too many professional women in there,” I say.

  “Tell me…” She folds her hands resting her elbows on the edge of the table with annoyance imbedded into her expression. “What exactly do professionals look like? Are we supposed to have a name tag or something? Don’t discredit a woman because she enjoys having fun. If you didn’t know I had a great job, how can you tell someone else does?”

  I place my elbows on the table and narrow my eyes. “Don’t put many words in my mouth. I didn’t mean it as it sounded.” I lean back in my chair relaxing my hardened expression. “I like you. You’re a gorgeous, intelligent smartass.”

  She smiles widely. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  “What made you want to become an accountant?” I ask and then take a bite of my grilled chicken pasta.

  “I’ve had a love for numbers since I was a child. When I was sixteen, I had a small waitressing job. I was real close to the owner who also was the evening manager. One night I watched him balance out everything and was completely fascinated by it. I knew right then I wanted to become an accountant. I was able to take college classes while in high school to help me get further ahead, faster.” She chuckles. “I sound like a nerd, don’t I?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Maybe one day I’ll own my own accounting firm, but for now, I’m content. What about you? How did you become a PA for…what was his name again?”

  I grin, thrilled she’s actually forgotten his name. While having perks, basking in the shadows of Levi can sometimes be exasperating.

  “Levi,” I remind her. “And he and I have been friends for many years. It only seemed natural to work beside him.”

  “That has to be nice to work for your friend.”

  “Can be,” I say.

  “Hopefully he isn’t strict and an asshole.”

  I chuckle. “He’s a fighter. His temper can strike at any time.”

  “Not with you though, right?” she asks genuinely concerned.

  “Close as we are, we’ve had our moments.”

  “I work with Emily and she only brightens my day,” she tells me.

  “You work with. I work for. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Couldn’t ask for a better boss.”

  “That’s good. Sounds fun.” She focuses back to her food.

  “What made you call me?” I ask smirking.

  She flicks her eyes to me and her cheeks brighten. “You asked me to?” She asks her statement slowly.

  I laugh. “You call everyone back who asks you to?”

  “You’re putting me on the spot. Unfair. Please tell me you’re not that narcissistic.”

  Past her initial nervousness, she’s pretty confident and it’s something that piques more of my interest in her. I grin. “I was merely asking because it took you so long to call me.”

  “I had other things to do.”

  “You’re being standoffish again,” I tell her. “Although it looks fantastic on you, you’re coming off as a bitch. Come back to Kelsie, please. I like her.”

  Her eyes widen. “I-I’m sorry.” She sighs pinching the bridge of her nose.

  “You’re protective of yourself. I get it. Just relax.”

  She pleads with apologetic eyes. “I’m really sorry. It’s been over a year since I’ve been on a date.”

  “I’m assuming by choice?”

  Her head bounces with uncertainty. “Give or take some, yes.”

  “And why? As beautiful as you are, you should have them lining up.”

  Stroke her ego. What woman doesn’t like hearing the truth?

  Her face scrunches. “I’ve been focusing on my career.”

  That sounds like a liquid lie pouring from her lips. I bet it’s because of the ex-douche she stumbled on earlier.

  “Sometimes that’s more important.” I decide to ease up on her.

  When she smiles, genuinely smiles, her eyes light up and the contentment spreads all over her face. She glows and it’s beautiful.

  What the fuck did I just say?

  After bluntly telling her she was beginning to be a bitch, her whole demeanor changed. She lightened up, smiled and laughed more, and settled into her own skin. Our conversation stayed pretty light, not divulging into anything too serious. She talked about Sarah and Emily. Of course, I spoke mainly about Levi since I spend the majority of my time with him.

  Her hand is in mine as we exit the restaurant and head to her car. “Had a good time tonight.” I open the car door for her.

  “Me too. Thank you for this.” Her voice shakes again.

  “I’ll call you,” I tell her, shoving my hands in my pockets.

  I’m apprehensive about giving her a kiss goodnight. Don’t fucking ask me why either. I have no clue. Any other time, I’d make sure to leave her with my taste on her lips.

  “That would be nice.” She pauses for a beat but then gets into her car.

  I watch her drive off, her taillights dimming into the night and fading into the rest of the lights around. She’s a different breed of girl—career driven, focused, mature, and intelligent. There’s a spark between us. An attraction I know we both feel. I can’t explain it, but it’s interesting. She has me thirsting to know more. I don’t particularly like this feeling.

  Chapter 4

  Typically, Fridays always drag by and this one is no damn different. I swear I’ve been at my desk trying to balance this sheet for days. I don’t understand how it can get so out of whack with all the technology we have today. I understand transposing numbers, but this…this is way more than a simple typo.

  My date with Adam two days ago went pretty well. I was a wreck at first, but then everything fell into place. Our conversation didn’t feel forced and there’s an allurement. Definitely some attraction between us. He’s very good looking with brown eyes that lighten toward the middle and hold a bit of mystery. His body is hard and sculpted. But I get the impression he’s a ladies’ man—suave with his words. I’m quite certain I’ve wiggled my way into his web of deception.

  But to be honest, I like it. It’s adding a sense of excitement, a sense of worth to my life. I’m sure this will go nowhere, but I want to have fun while we head to the ending.

  There’s a knock on my door and Emily comes strutting in wearing a yellow dress, loosely fitting against her curves, and sits in the chair in front of my desk.

  “How’d the last minute date go? I would’ve asked yesterday, but the joy of this job is getting buried under meetings I had no clue about.”

  I raise a shoulder. “It was fun.”

  “Will there be another one?” She bites her thumbnail.

  “He didn’t ask. Just said he’d call me.”

  “And has he?”

  I shake my head.

  “He will,” she says.

  I tap my pencil to my lips. “And how would you know this?”

  “Because you’re hot, he’s hot, therefore hot sex will be involved and no man can resist hot sex.”

  I throw my head back and laugh at her response.

  “The more you give, the more you’ll get,” she adds.

  “You realize you sound like a total slut?”

  “Don’t let the way I talk confuse you. Although, I enjoy sex, they have to work for it.”

  “Yeah. Button, zipper, tug.” I crack up.

  She cackles. “Althoug
h there might be a slight truth to that, I’m going to deny it.” She stands to leave.

  “You know I don’t judge. As long as your safe doing it, I don’t care. You’re a grown woman.”

  “I’m always safe,” she says.

  As she’s walking toward the exit, my phone chirps and stops her dead in her tracks. She pivots on her heel, her face lit up. “You going to leave him hanging?”

  I roll my eyes picking up my phone. “How could you possibly know it’s him?”

  I glance at the display.

  Emily laughs. “Judging by that goofy looking smile, I was right?”

  I peer up at her. “Yeah.”

  “What’s it say?”

  “He wants to do lunch.”

  “Are you going to take him up on the offer?”

  “I’m buried under too much today. I don’t have time,” I say.

  “You’re going to die alone with that attitude.” She bounces her finger at me. “You keep using work and Nick as a crutch to not do a thing. Don’t let them stop you from living your life. You deserve happiness.”

  Those were her last words before shutting the door behind her.

  Adam: Want to do lunch?

  I’ve stared at the text for at least a minute. My heart is a deafening drum, making all types of racket in my chest. I take a long, deep breath.

  Me: Thanks but I’m really busy today. Fridays are always a handful.

  Adam: Never too busy to take a few minutes to smile.

  Me: You’re full of sweet lines.

  Adam: Thought you liked my cheesy ones?

  Me: I don’t know which one I like the most.

  Adam: I’ll mix them together. Your smile is the reason the sun rises.

  Me: That’s almost better than roses.

  Adam: Do you like surprises?

  Me: Depends.

  Adam: On?

  Me: What they—

  There’s another knock on my door, stopping me from finishing my text, and Emily sticks her head in.

  “So are you going or not?” she asks.

  “Nosey.”

  She shrugs. “I’ve been called worse.”

  “I’m pretty busy.” I remind her again.

  She smiles widely. “Have it your way.”