“I have an important d—”

“If you say dinner one more time, I swear to God I’m going to kick your ass.” His eyes open and the branches of honey in his irises brighten, making my insides light up, too. “You didn’t jump in the shower fully dressed to tell me you’re going to dinner, did you?”

He shakes his head and I step closer. As I graze against him, his shirt sticks to my wet body. “What’s it going to be, Seth? Dinner or dessert?”

I watch closely as he runs his tongue across his bottom lip, pondering what to do next and I pray he doesn’t choose to go out. I want him to stay right here with me. I wait patiently on the outside for him to say something—anything. He moves abruptly then, pulling his shirt off over his head.

“I’ll send Darryl to dinner. He can talk on my behalf.”

His shirt falls from his hand and hits the shower floor with a heavy slap. His hand finds my hip and I gasp as he tugs me against him.

“Are you sure you’re not too drunk?” he asks, brushing a wet strand of hair out of my face.

I hook my finger under his belt. “I could be sober or completely intoxicated and I’d still want you.”

Slowly—painfully—he lowers his mouth to mine. But before he touches, he grins devilishly. “Turn around, put your palms on the wall, and spread your legs.”

Excitement bubbles inside of me. I must’ve teased him too much. Seth is only controlling and demanding for sex for two reasons—one—we haven’t had sex in a while, or two; I’ve dangled myself in front of him for too long and he can no longer wait. Without any complaints from me, I turn around and do exactly as I’m told.

Chapter Four

Seth

One… Two… Three… Four… Five… Olivia catches her sexy, plump lip between her teeth. Dammit! One… Two… Three… Four… she bends to pick something off of the floor and I see right down her top. Those breasts… the same breasts I had pressed against the shower wall last night. I shake my head and start my count from the beginning. Fuck it. What’s the point? I’ve been counting my steps as I jog on the treadmill in order to distract myself from Olivia. When I work out I work myself up in more ways than one and I’m not about to have her in the shower room, not when Don is set to start his training after me. I was going to ask Olivia not to come to training this morning, but she bounced out of the bathroom looking all cute and shit in her tiny black shorts and loose pink tank top. She likes being here. She likes watching me and feeling like she’s a part of this. It’s nice. I like that it makes her happy and when she’s happy, I’m happy.

“Seth!” Darryl shouts from across the room, pulling me from my thoughts. I slow my treadmill down to a stroll and hit stop. I walk it out, until the belt stops moving.

“Cage, now,” he demands, and with a nod, I step off the treadmill.

I grab my towel and wipe off my face as Darryl nods to Jackson, who puts on his head gear and gloves and bounds up the stairs into the cage. I cross the gym, stepping over kettle bells and stray bags of sand. I take my gloves, ignoring the head gear as Darryl shakes his head, tossing the gear over his shoulder.

“You’re not going to get hit,” he sighs. “I get it.”

I playfully jab his shoulder and join Jackson in the cage. I shake my arms, loosening the muscles. Jackson is good—easily the hardest sparrer I have. I’ve always told him to join MMA, but he doesn’t fight anymore. He used to. It was our plan to be in the MMAC together, but after all of the shit with Amelia, he lost himself. According to him, he got in too many fights because of her and now the thought of fighting puts him on edge. These days, he helps me achieve my dream while abandoning his own.

“I’m not going to go easy on you, pretty boy.” Jackson laughs, bringing up his fists. “Play time is over.”

I laugh. Pretty boy? That’s awfully rich, coming from him. “Good. It’s about time you step up your training routine. I was starting to get bored.”

I peer at Olivia, who’s standing by Darryl’s side. They’re engaged in a conversation, her lips are pinched together and she shakes her head, pointing a finger at his chest. The clear determination on her face is sexy… I love it when she’s fierce and I hope she’s telling Darryl off for yesterday. If he has a problem with my training, he should come to me, not go through her. He always goes through her, putting her in tough situations.

“Hands up,” Jackson orders, and I bring my attention back to the cage. I comply. I’m in the mood for sparring today—especially after the interview with Don yesterday. I glance at the large, steel clock. I have forty minutes until Don and his team comes through the doors. I want to be out of here before then. I figure the best way to keep him out of my head is to avoid him and his snarky comments until fight night.

I barely settle in my stance before Jackson throws his fists, letting them fly like never before. Most I manage to block, but a stray few connect with my sides. By the end of it, I feel bruised and I ache all over. As I rest my hands on my hips, Jackson pats my back. I zero in on the cut that splits his otherwise smooth lip. I even smirk at it.

“You did well.” He smiles and I shrug him off with a laugh.

“I did well? Check my times then come back with a decent compliment.”

Jackson chuckles and saunters over to speak with Darryl. As he opens the cage and leans out, Olivia squeezes her way in and bounces over to me.

“You are amazing!” she exclaims.

I extend an arm to her and she starts to take off my glove. “Now? Or last night?”

I watch her cheeks turn pink and she avoids my eyes, biting back a smile. “Stop.”

“You’re shy all of a sudden? You weren’t shy last night when you suc—”

“Seth!” she squeals, snapping forward and punching my stomach. I flinch with a laugh and step back, extending my arms to her. Her face turns a sexy, darker shade of pink and it spreads down her neck to her chest.

“What?” I laugh again. “It’s not like I’m shouting it at the top of my lungs.”

“Still!” she whispers harshly. “I don’t want anyone else to hear.”

Tormenting her is too much fun. It always has been. I love her reactions and the passion it brings out in her. Feeling rather playful, I say; “I don’t have to tell them anything. They stay in the same hotel, I’m sure they heard you for themselves.”

Olivia launches forward, abruptly swallowing the distance between us and I dip out of the way. She comes at me again and again, and I let her chase me around the cage. The floor rocks under my weight with every step I take, matching the same tempo as my chest. Soon the other side of the cage is within reach and at the last second, I side step and whip around, grabbing Olivia’s arm. She half squeals, half chokes on a startled laugh as I spin her and push her back against the cage. In my hands, her wrists are tiny and I squeeze them as I press them into wire, making her green eyes sparkle.

“Will you two knock it off?” Darryl shouts, but we ignore him, lost in our own little bubble.

“How do you move your large body so quickly?” she asks, giggling. She doesn’t care that I’m hot or sweaty. “Seth Marc: so awesome he even defies the laws of gravity.”

“It’s not without incredible skill, I’ll tell you that.”

She rolls her eyes. “Is this the part where you try and seduce me with your said skills?”

“I don’t have to try and do anything. I can say eleven words right now, and have you eating out of the palm of my hand.”

Her chest rises and falls against mine—a quick pant—one of my favorite movements of hers. I take it she’s accepted my challenge.

“Do you remember?” I ask, lowering my mouth to her ear. “What I did to you against a cage?”

Her breath is immediately warmer against the side of my neck and I feel the muscles in her wrists contract and relax. I even hear her swallow.

“I remember,” she whispers eventually, clearing her throat.

I pull back to look her in the eyes. Her lids are heavy, her lips incredibly moist and I smile triumphantly. “How’d I do?”

“I—I’m not fazed in the slightest,” she lies. I can feel her squeezing her thighs together. “I win.”

Liar. I tighten my grip on her wrists. “You’re lying.”

Her pink lips curl at the corners and she blinks her lids innocently. “How can you ever prove it?”

“Your words might be saying one thing, sweetheart, but your body is singing another.” I grin, glancing down at her chest. “The next time you want to lie about being turned on, don’t wear a thin sports bra. You’re nipples are cutting through it like it’s nothing.” She glances down and chokes on a laugh.

“Oh my God.” She looks back to me and her face is once again red. “My own body betrays me.”

I drop one of her wrists to cup her breast, making her entire body tighten. I let my thumb flick over her concealed nipple and her breath hitches. The smile fades from her face as her eyes lock onto mine. I know the look—the look of pure animalistic desire. Here we are, doing the same thing that started the epic three hour long fuck session last night. Only here I can’t take her from behind, or on her back, or let her sit on top of me. My options are limited… I hate when my options are limited.

“They’re loyal to me because I treat them well.” I say with a subtle smirk.

Olivia leans off of the cage, bringing her mouth closer. She kisses me—she presses her lips gently against mine—and my entire being stills. No thoughts float through my head, no muscles tense and my stomach doesn’t grumble, all I hear is the steady pound of my heartbeat. Then, her phone rings and all of my previous disturbances come flooding back to me. Training, Don, and food—all of it seems to matter now that her lips aren’t on me. I release her and let her fish through the pocket of her shorts for her phone. She pulls it out, taps the screen, and brings it to her ear.

“Hello? Hi, Maddi…”

I fold my arms and watch Olivia’s expression for any hint on exactly why my sister is calling her.

“You ask him,” she says. “You know how your brother is.”

Olivia hands me her phone, but I don’t take it. “What does she want?” I ask.

She pushes the phone into my hands. “Talk to her and you’ll find out.”

With a heavy exhale, I take the phone and bring it to my ear. “Yeah?”

“Seth!” She greets me with exaggerated happiness. Something is definitely up. “How’s training going?”

“Fine.”

The line goes quiet and after a few seconds, I hear her click her tongue. “Oookay,” She draws out awkwardly. “Listen, Kye is playing at this bar—”

“No.”

“You don’t even know what I’m going to say.”

I shake my head. “Not say, ask. You’re going to ask if I want to come and watch your boyfriend play at a bar. My answer is no.”

Surely she had to know that before she asked me. She knows how I feel about Kye. I don’t like him and I never have. He’s a smartass punk in a band who bangs my little sister.

“He looks up to you, you know. The least you can do is pretend to care.”

He looks up to me? No. He’s scared of me because I’ll kick the shit out of him if he hurts my sister. I could’ve told her that… instead, I keep my mouth shut. Telling Maddi she shouldn’t be with Kye only makes her want him more.

Maddi exhales. “Please, Seth. It would mean a lot to me if you came.”

“Do you ever sleep?” I ask, raking my fingers through my hair. She giggles as I peer at Olivia.

Seriously, though. Maddi is out and about twenty-four seven, I swear. She always has something going on.

“This is Vegas, Seth. There is no sleep for the wicked.”

Olivia excitedly chews on her index fingernail, waiting for my answer. It seems she wants to go—God knows why—she’s still hung over from last night. I made breakfast for her and she almost vomited over the kitchen bench. She raises her eyebrows and I exhale. I’m going to say yes. Dammit. I know I am… I can’t deny Olivia anything.

I exhale. “Where is it?”

She stifles a squeal. “It’s at The Cage—the official bar of the MMAC.”

I roll my eyes. “Gee, I wonder whose name he dropped to get that gig?”

“I got it for them… and your name helped a little, thank you.”

I blow air from my cheeks, shaking my head. “Time?”

“Eighty-thirty.”

“We’ll come, but only for an hour. You know I don’t think that band of his has any talent.”

Olivia angles her head and her long, chocolate hair falls further over her shoulder. She thinks I’m being unfair, but she’ll see. Kye’s band sucks. Now that I think about it, I don’t even know their name.

“Thanks, bro!”

…and she hangs up.

I hand Olivia her phone back and she slips it into her pocket. I plant my hands on my hips as she steps closer and circles her arms around my neck. It doesn’t take long for me to cave and wrap mine around her waist.

“You’re a good brother,” Olivia tells me, pulling my forehead down to meet hers. “Maddi loves you.”

“And I love her, but I have no idea why she keeps seeing that asshole.”

“I’m sure he’s not that bad,” she insists, kissing me on the mouth. “You’re just being protective of your sister.”