Alpha Fighter by Ava Ashley

scans the front row all around. When he finds me, he locks eyes with me for a second and then gives me a little wink.
    I pretty much swoon right out of my seat, but I feel amazing. Here is this perfect ideal of a man and, despite the fact that he has countless beautiful women with their boobs out throwing themselves at him, dying for the chance to be his next one night stand, he's ignoring them all. He's ignoring them all but he looks for me to send me a smile.
    He's the exact opposite of Nate. He's everything that I want.
    I don't feel the expected jealousy, because I know Cooper doesn't give a damn about the other women. Seeing how much they want him, and how they're throwing themselves into the aisles and towards the ring just for the chance to get closer to him, and maybe to feel a drop of his sweat as he pounds the crap out of his opponent, makes me more into him. He's everyone's dream man and he's paying attention to me.
    I don't feel scared for Cooper, either, because even though his opponent probably has thirty pounds on him, Cooper is all muscle and he knows how to work that muscle. He's all man up there, a perfectly trained, perfectly oiled fighting machine in a playgirl body. His opponent is good, but there's never a moment that it's unclear who's winning. Cooper fights like a hero.
    Sitting there, looking up at this man who could maybe, just maybe, be mine, is an amazing feeling. The screams of the crowd fade to silence around me as I just watch Cooper and daydream of the us that could be.

Chapter Twenty-Seven
    Cooper
    J ust having Savannah in the crowd, watching me fight, makes me feel like I can do anything. Tonight's fight was actually against one of my more well-matched opponents and I generally take a bit of a beating from him, even though I end up winning every time, because he's still good enough to get some punches in. Tonight, he can't touch me.
    I'm floating on air, jabbing left, leg slam right, utterly destroying him. I can feel no pain, I can do no wrong. With Savannah there watching me, I'm invincible. I hear her cheer when my opponent, Slayer, starts going down and it makes me hit faster and fight harder. I'm fighting for my girl.
    It isn't until after the match is over and Slayer is lying on the floor in defeat that I realize what I was thinking. I wasn't thinking that I need to win this and be a man for Savannah. I was thinking I need to do it for my girl. I've only been in love once before and it was a dumb enough decision and a painful enough experience that I decided that I'm never doing that shit again. After Sarah, I told myself that I was done. I told myself that I was never letting a woman make a mockery of me again. I stuck to my promise to myself for years, never going beyond casual fucking.
    And then one day this mysterious beauty with a secret past and more tightly-locked emotional baggage than there are secrets in the whole Navy combined comes walking into my apartment with a sassy smile and a devil-may-care confidence, and I start to forget myself. Slowly but steadily, and without even trying, the girl has worn down all my defenses. And here I am now, thinking of a girl I haven't even fucked—haven't even seen naked—as 'my girl.'
    "What are you thinking about, lover boy?" Vlad whips a towel in my direction as I enter the locker room.
    "What makes you think I'm thinking about a girl, man?" I ask.
    "That doofy smile." Vlad laughs and smirks at me. "You did good out there. Maybe a decent woman in your life is what you need right now. I won't hold you up. I know you want to go see your girl."
    I don't correct him. I like the way that sounds. My girl.
    I take a fast shower and Savannah is already waiting for me, just outside of the locker room, when I come out.
    "How did you like it?" I ask.
    "You were amazing!" Her cheeks are even rosier than usual with excitement, not makeup, and she's so cute I can't decide if I'd rather fuck her or just admire her.
    Okay, I want to fuck her. But I'm