Page 18 of Liquids

“I understand, and I’m good with that. I appreciate you being upfront.”

His eyes roam over my face and drift down, and my lips curl up as he groans and rubs his face.

“I’m too bruised for sex,” he says, and I laugh, pushing myself up and climbing over him. His eyes heat as he studies me.

“You managed fine last night.”

“I was pumped full of drugs.”

“Well, you’re going to have to lie nice and quiet like and not move and let me do all the work.”

A large hand comes up and cups my breast, thumb rubbing over my nipple which hardens instantly, and he closes his eyes. “Don’t know if I can do that.”

“Do you have a choice?”

“Not really, getting that asshole out of here nearly finished me off.”

“Did you ice all this?” I drift my hand over his bruises.

“Does a freezing-cold shower count?”

“Not really.”

“Angelo told me you were doing the medical shit there, at the fight.”

That makes me laugh. “The doc all but forced me to take over from him when he had to take that guy from the first fight to the hospital. I have no idea what happened to him.”

“He’s badly beat up, but I’ve heard he’s okay.”

“Yeah, and what about you? You were out for the count and …”

“They took me to the hospital, too. I came to in the truck.”

“Do you fight a lot?”

“Given it up, babe, but Angelo offered me three large for last night. Even more, if I lost.”

“Three thousand bucks! And what do you mean, more if you lost?”

“Throwing a fight. But I never throw fights, and Angelo knows that, too. He doesn’t argue, but they like things where they can predict the outcome. People like to see me fight because they understand it’s real and I don’t lose unless I’m beaten fair and square.”

“But you lost last night?”

“Yeah,” he laughs. “Angelo thinks I threw it, so he’s given me a wedge of extra cash. They made a fuckin’ fortune off all the betting on me, and there are people in town who ain’t very happy because I lost them a lot of money. Everyone’s clamoring for a rematch, not that I’m interested in fighting that bastard again. I could take him, though.”

“That’s an amazing amount of cash, Rig.”

“Yeah, it is. Gonna use it for a down payment on a house when I get enough together.”

“Here?”

He laughs. “Here? No. I’m here because my ma’s here. I can’t live with her because she’s a pain in my ass and we drive each other up the wall, but the trailer costs me next to nothing and I can keep an eye on things. She lives on fucking useless farmland, and my dad died when I was young, so she needs the help, financial and otherwise. Gonna buy a place somewhere warm with a beach. Been my dream for fucking ages.”

I can see that for him, and who wouldn’t want to escape this godawful town in the backend of nowhere?

His big warm hand rubs up and down my back. “What’s your dream?”

I laugh. “I learned a long time ago not to have dreams. They never turn out quite like you hope they will. Life is never that sweet.”