Impact (The Fight for Life #2) (3 page)

I hesitated. Would he understand the truth? “I need this, Nick. I need your help.”

Nick groaned. “I don’t know, Leo. I don’t like this at all.”

“Please.” The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to do it, however crazy it was.

“This is insane, but it’s your body, not mine, so if you really want to do it, I’ll be there.” He shook his head. “I know you’re gonna do it either way.”

Releasing the breath I’d been holding, I relaxed a little.

“Thank you. I’ll text you the flight details when I have them.”

When I got to his door, I turned to shake his hand. “Thanks again, mate.”

“I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this, Leo.”

I patted him on the arm. “It’s gonna be fine. A good challenge. You are always telling me to push myself to the limit and then some.”

“This is definitely in the ‘then some’ category.”

“I know.”

When I got back to my car, I called Oliver, an old school friend. If anyone knew about losing weight fast, it was Oliver.

“I have to lose a lot of weight by Friday night weigh-in,” I said, skipping any small talk. “I need to know how to do it.”

“Jesus, Leo,” he replied. “Why would you want to do that? You have no weight to lose.”

“Can you tell me or not?” I rubbed my face with my free hand a little more forcefully than necessary and, again, wondered what the fuck I was doing.

Turned out Oliver knew exactly how to lose that kind of weight in five days. He was a jockey, and a jockey’s life revolved around weigh-ins. The information he shared filled me with dread and hope in equal measure. It was batshit fucking crazy, but I knew if there was any chance of making weight on Friday night, I would have to follow his regime to the letter, and the distraction was perfect.

Waking up face down on my bed at two in the morning was just one of the joys of jetlag. My body clock was still all over the place and my mind was close to melting down. I sat up and wiped the drool off my cheek and the sleep from my eyes. I must’ve been quite the picture of loveliness. I wasn’t going to get any answers lying in bed alone with my thoughts, so I decided to send Leo a text on the off chance he was awake. It actually didn’t matter to me why he hadn’t told me or why he had lied about his mother. The only thing that mattered was doing whatever it took to help him deal with it.

Are you awake?

I stared at my screen for several long minutes, willing a positive reply to appear.

I’m awake.

Energised, I quickly typed back.

I need to see you.

Nothing.

I sent him another text.
Can I come to you?

Eventually, he responded.
I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’m sorry.

I didn’t know whether I should push it or just leave him alone. My brain was still sleep deprived and foggy despite my desperation, so I decided on the former.

I’m not giving up on us.

I wanted him to know I was prepared to fight.

I’m in a bad place and you deserve more than this.

I replied quickly, suddenly angry at his words.

You don’t get to make that decision for me.

Exasperated, I threw my phone down on the bed and lay back on my pillows, covering my face with my hands. What was I doing? I needed to have this conversation in person, so I shot Leo another text.

I’m coming anyway.

I showered and dressed quickly. He’d told me he needed time, so I stood a very real chance of being rejected. But we were meant to be together, and nothing about his past was going to get in the way of our future. I was going to remind him of why we belonged together.

There was more traffic on the roads than I’d expected at that time, but I still got to his apartment in far less time than I would have during the day. It was almost three in the morning, my brain was awake but foggy, this guy had some serious baggage and there I was sitting alone in my car, staring at his apartment like some kind of stalker.
Fuck it.
Before I thought about it too much more, I took some deep breaths and got out of my car.

As I walked up the path, I stopped in my tracks. Leo was standing on the front step, shirtless.

“What took you so long?” he asked. “I thought you were a race car driver?” His handsome features were made more so by his sexy smirk.

Without any conscious thought, I found myself running towards him. When I got close, he started moving too. When he opened his arms for me, I launched myself at him, wrapping my legs around his lean waist. The moment of impact when my lips met his was exhilarating. It was like coming home, because I was his and I hoped he was my mine.

I kissed him all the way up the stairs and down the hallway, refusing to let him go. My tongue eagerly finding his, I knew I would never leave this man again. I loved him with all that I had, and regardless of his past, I was going to be his future.

“I need to put you down for a second, Jules,” Leo whispered against my mouth, our foreheads still touching. “I need to unlock the door.”

I slipped down his body, only too aware of the hard bulge straining the front of his navy track pants hanging deliciously low on his hips. I couldn’t resist rubbing my palm over it, revelling in the groan that escaped from his mouth. Chuckling, I danced past him into his apartment.

“Not so fast,” he said, grabbing my arm lightly and pulling me back to him.

I was only too happy to oblige as my body melted back into his embrace. He held either side of my face and his expression turned serious. “Are you sure about this, Jules? I lied to you and I’m a complete fuck-up.”

“Stop talking and kiss me.” I smiled for a millisecond before Leo’s mouth crashed down on mine again.

He swiftly lifted me into his arms and carried me to the bedroom, never once breaking our connection. I didn’t know if this was going to be slow and sensual or hard and fast. I honestly didn’t care either way as long as he stayed as close to me as physically possible.

“I want you so bad, Jules.” Leo groaned.

“Take me. I’m yours.”

Something in my words changed the air in the room. It went from lust filled to full-blown raging inferno in that split second. It would’ve been disconcerting having my clothes literally ripped from my body if I hadn’t been right there in the moment, ripping at his clothes with equal fervour. It was the reunion I’d dreamed about, and our desire had moved to a level impossible to describe. I felt his body move against mine. I felt his breath, hot against my neck. My back arched when his fingers grazed my bare breasts. When he thrust into me, it was fast and hard, yet measured and deliberate. Every touch breathed new life into our connection, and if I had died right there in his arms, I’d have been found with an indelible smile on my face.

I woke up a few hours later to the sound of the shower running. I glanced at the clock. It was six and I needed to get home to get ready for my first day back at work. I knew it was going to be a punishment, but it had been worth it to be with Leo.

He walked back into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, and I drank in the sight of him.

“Good morning, beautiful.”

“You’re up early.”

“I’ve been out for a run already.” Closing the distance between us in a few strides, he leaned over to kiss me. I closed my eyes briefly just to enjoy the fact Leo was right in front of me and we were together.

Leo’s stomach broke our kiss with a loud grumble and I opened my eyes. “I think it might be time for breakfast.”

He scrunched his nose up and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms. “I can’t.”

“What do you mean you can’t? What’s going on?”

“I have to lose a bit of weight by Friday. I’ve signed up to do a fight in Perth on Saturday night. Weigh-in is Friday night.”

“You mean a proper fight?”

He nodded. “A proper fight, but it’s a lower weight division.”

I was torn between the excitement of watching him in a boxing ring without the fear of the caged Muay Thai brutality, and confusion as to why he would sign up for this particular fight. “Why would you sign up for a lower weight division? You can’t possibly be fight ready by starving yourself.”

“I was approached by a fight promoter in Perth yesterday, and he wants me to fight his local guy, who happens to be a little lighter than me, next Saturday night.”

“Shit, Leo. Why are you doing this?” I sat up in bed and placed my hand on his arm.

He stood up, dropped his towel and started to get dressed. “I just need to get away for a bit.” I wasn’t sure if he was still addressing me or just voicing his thoughts. “I’ll be fine. My old boxing coach, Nick, is coming with me.”

I got out of bed and slid my arms around his waist, hugging him from behind and resting my cheek on his back. I could feel every muscle in his body begin to relax. For now, I couldn't worry about the fight. All of my focus was on getting the answers I'd come for. “It’s because of your mother, isn’t it? That’s the reason you signed up for this craziness.”

He turned to face me. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not stupid. You told me both your parents were dead. I just want to know why.”

His eyes darkened and I could feel his body stiffen. “It’s in the past where it belongs. I’m sorry I lied to you, but it’s as I told you. She is dead to me and I don’t want to talk about it.”

I shook my head and picked up my clothes, scattered around the room. I had to get going and I didn’t want to leave on a bad note.

“You’re leaving?”

“It’s my first day back at work today. I have to go home and get ready.”

He bit his bottom lip but said nothing.

I got dressed in silence, feeling his gaze on me the whole time. When I was done, I met his eyes. “You’re going to have to trust me at some point if this is going to work, Leo.”

“I do trust you, but this is a deal breaker for me. I don’t talk about it. That is how I cope. If you can’t live with that…”

“If I can’t live with that, what?”

He ran his hands through his hair. “I’ll call you later, okay?”

“You’re a hypocrite. You know that?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You told me once that life isn’t something you throw away because it gets too hard. You told me your instinct is to fight.” I cocked my head to the side. “I don’t see you fighting for anything. Give me a call when you’re ready to fight for us.”

I kissed him on the cheek and walked out.

Five minutes after getting to work, it felt as if I’d never been away. Heath welcomed me back by dumping a pile of paperwork on my desk.

“Hey, Jules.” I looked up from my desk to see Nicole, one of the other desk assistants, standing there clutching a bunch of folders.

“Hey, Nicole.” I smiled.

“Welcome back. I’m dying to hear about your trip.”

“It was incredible. Bit tough being back, to be honest.”

“I bet.” She smiled.

Nicole was stunning and so incredibly lovely, it was almost unbearable. She was half Fijian, giving her an exotic look with flawless olive skin and pale blue-green eyes I couldn’t help but stare at. Every straight man in the building lusted after her and was no doubt waiting for her to break up with her long-term boyfriend.

“I’ve taken on Sia’s advisers, so my workload just doubled. I’m surprised you didn’t stay over there with her.”

I swivelled my chair around and crossed my legs. “I came back for family reasons. My mum hasn’t been well.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. Is she okay now?” God, she was so nice.

“She is,” I lied. Nicole didn’t need to know about my mother’s deep-seated and possibly unfixable issues.

“Oh hey. Did you hear your ex lost his job? He was a pretty big deal over there, so the rumour mill kicked in.”

“Richard?”

She scrunched up her nose. “Yep. Word is he got the sack, but they agreed to let him say he resigned if he left quietly.”

I blew out a breath. I hadn’t seen that arsehole in months, and running into him at work—or anywhere, for that matter—was not on my agenda. The fact my father had no idea about all that sordid business with him and my mother weighed heavily on me, and I knew I had to find a way to tell him. Every time I spoke to him, I touched on the subject, but he quickly cut me off. It felt like he simply didn’t want to know, but it wasn’t right that he had been kept in the dark. “I honestly don’t give a crap what he does.”

She shrugged. “Do you want to grab lunch today?” she asked.

“Love to.”

She smiled. “See you later, then.”

I yawned regularly, and by lunchtime, I was glad to get some fresh air to wake me up a bit.

“Where do you want to go?” Nicole asked when the lifts opened on ground level.

“McQuillens on Little Bourke?” I suggested. “They make a killer tomato soup.”

The second we stepped out through the revolving glass doors onto the footpath, I froze at the sound of a familiar voice calling my name. I found myself a few feet away from Leo’s mother. Despite her relaxed and carefree demeanour, something about her made me uneasy.

“Can you just excuse me a second, Nic.” I raised one finger.

Nicole glanced at Gwendolyn and then me, completely oblivious to my fury. She just shrugged her shoulders then pulled her phone out, probably to check Facebook.

“Hi, Gwendolyn,” I said through gritted teeth when I got closer. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, I was…”

“Don’t tell me you were in the neighbourhood,” I said sardonically.

She smiled. “I thought I would see if you’d changed your mind about lunch.” She stared at her shoes as she shifted her weight from one to the other. “I was just hoping for a bit of company, really.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, not wanting to make a scene in the middle of a busy footpath with my friend standing five feet away. “I told you yesterday it wasn’t going to happen.”

“I know.” The lines in her face deepened and she dropped her shoulders. “I’m not trying to make trouble for you, I swear.”

I felt like a complete bitch, but this was out of order. “I’m sorry, but I already have lunch plans.” I glanced at Nicole, who was tapping away on her phone.