didn’t give him a chance to say anything.
With a hard whap to his ass, she walked on by and sashayed down the hall to the back.
Gage stood there, the sting of her swat ramping up his temper...and something else. Staring after her, he suffered the sizzling clench of emotions that always surfaced whenever Harper got close—which, since he’d returned home with his injury, had been rare.
He’d known her for years—grown up with her, in fact—and had always enjoyed her. Her wit. Her conversation. Her knowledge of mixed martial arts competition.
Her cute bod.
They’d recently taken their friendship to the next level, dating, spending more private time together. He’d enjoyed the closeness...
But he’d yet to enjoy her naked.
Time and circumstances had conspired against him on that one. Just when things had been heating up with Harper, just when it seemed she was ready to say “yes” instead of “not yet,” he’d been offered the fight on the main card in Japan. He’d fought with the SBC before. He wasn’t a newbie.
But always in the prelims, never on the highly publicized, more important main card. Never with such an anticipated event.
In a whirlwind, he’d gone off to a different camp to train with Cannon, getting swept up in the publicity and interviews that went with a main card bout...
Until, just a few lousy days ago— so fucking close— he’d miscalculated in practice and sustained a deep cut from his sparring partner’s elbow.
A cut very near his eye that required fifteen stitches.
It made him sick to think of how quickly he’d been pronounced medically ineligible. Before he’d even caught his breath the SBC had picked his replacement.
That lucky bastard was now in Japan, ready to compete.
And Gage was left in Ohio. Instead of fighting for recognition, he fought his demons— and got tweaked by Harper.
He went after her, calling down the empty hallway, “I am not pathetic.”
From inside a storage room, he heard her loud “Ha!” of disagreement.
Needing a target for his turbulent emotions and deciding Harper was perfect—in every way—he strode into the room.
And promptly froze.
Bent at the waist, Harper had her sexy ass in the air while she pulled disposable cups off the bottom shelf.
His heart skipped a beat. Damn, she was so hot. Except for bad timing, he’d be more familiar with that particular, very perfect part of her anatomy.
Not sleeping with her was yet another missed opportunity, one that plagued him more now that he didn’t have the draining distraction of an upcoming fight. His heart started punching a little too hard. Anger at his circumstances began to morph into red-hot lust as he considered the possibilities.
But then, whenever he thought of Harper, lust was the least confusing of his emotions.
Now that he was home, he’d hoped to pick up where they’d left off. Only Harper had antagonism mixed with her other, more welcoming signals, so he had to proceed with caution.
“What are you doing?” he asked, because that sounded better than saying, “Damn, girl, I love your ass.”
Still in that tantalizing position, she peeked back at him, her brown hair swinging around her face, her enormous blue eyes direct. With her head down that way, blood rushed to her face and made her freckles more noticeable.
There were nights he couldn’t sleep for wondering about all the places she might have freckles. Many times he’d imagined stripping those clothes off her, piece by piece, so he could investigate all her more secret places.
Like him, she was a conservative dresser. Despite working at a secondhand boutique clothing store she always looked casual and comfortable. Her jeans and T-shirts gave an overview of sweet curves, but he’d love to get lost in the details if he could ever get her naked.
She straightened with two big boxes in her hands. “Armie had small juice containers out for the kids, but of course adults are going to want something different to
With a hard whap to his ass, she walked on by and sashayed down the hall to the back.
Gage stood there, the sting of her swat ramping up his temper...and something else. Staring after her, he suffered the sizzling clench of emotions that always surfaced whenever Harper got close—which, since he’d returned home with his injury, had been rare.
He’d known her for years—grown up with her, in fact—and had always enjoyed her. Her wit. Her conversation. Her knowledge of mixed martial arts competition.
Her cute bod.
They’d recently taken their friendship to the next level, dating, spending more private time together. He’d enjoyed the closeness...
But he’d yet to enjoy her naked.
Time and circumstances had conspired against him on that one. Just when things had been heating up with Harper, just when it seemed she was ready to say “yes” instead of “not yet,” he’d been offered the fight on the main card in Japan. He’d fought with the SBC before. He wasn’t a newbie.
But always in the prelims, never on the highly publicized, more important main card. Never with such an anticipated event.
In a whirlwind, he’d gone off to a different camp to train with Cannon, getting swept up in the publicity and interviews that went with a main card bout...
Until, just a few lousy days ago— so fucking close— he’d miscalculated in practice and sustained a deep cut from his sparring partner’s elbow.
A cut very near his eye that required fifteen stitches.
It made him sick to think of how quickly he’d been pronounced medically ineligible. Before he’d even caught his breath the SBC had picked his replacement.
That lucky bastard was now in Japan, ready to compete.
And Gage was left in Ohio. Instead of fighting for recognition, he fought his demons— and got tweaked by Harper.
He went after her, calling down the empty hallway, “I am not pathetic.”
From inside a storage room, he heard her loud “Ha!” of disagreement.
Needing a target for his turbulent emotions and deciding Harper was perfect—in every way—he strode into the room.
And promptly froze.
Bent at the waist, Harper had her sexy ass in the air while she pulled disposable cups off the bottom shelf.
His heart skipped a beat. Damn, she was so hot. Except for bad timing, he’d be more familiar with that particular, very perfect part of her anatomy.
Not sleeping with her was yet another missed opportunity, one that plagued him more now that he didn’t have the draining distraction of an upcoming fight. His heart started punching a little too hard. Anger at his circumstances began to morph into red-hot lust as he considered the possibilities.
But then, whenever he thought of Harper, lust was the least confusing of his emotions.
Now that he was home, he’d hoped to pick up where they’d left off. Only Harper had antagonism mixed with her other, more welcoming signals, so he had to proceed with caution.
“What are you doing?” he asked, because that sounded better than saying, “Damn, girl, I love your ass.”
Still in that tantalizing position, she peeked back at him, her brown hair swinging around her face, her enormous blue eyes direct. With her head down that way, blood rushed to her face and made her freckles more noticeable.
There were nights he couldn’t sleep for wondering about all the places she might have freckles. Many times he’d imagined stripping those clothes off her, piece by piece, so he could investigate all her more secret places.
Like him, she was a conservative dresser. Despite working at a secondhand boutique clothing store she always looked casual and comfortable. Her jeans and T-shirts gave an overview of sweet curves, but he’d love to get lost in the details if he could ever get her naked.
She straightened with two big boxes in her hands. “Armie had small juice containers out for the kids, but of course adults are going to want something different to
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