Bad Professor (An Alpha Male Bad Boy Romance) (120 page)

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Fenton

I
woke up in the same suite I had at the MGM Grand before they kicked me out. I
half expected Kya to be curled up next to me. I held still for the onslaught of
nightclub memories. But it was different nightclub. The fight promotion party.
The memories rushed back.

Kya in a light
purple dress. It caught the light, changing colors. I had to force myself to
look away from her hundreds of times. Almost as many times as I saw the picture
of my opponent locking lips with her. I flung myself out of bed and stomped
into the main room.

"Good
morning. Breakfast shake on its way," Aldous announced. "Please tell
me you slept well. You don't look it."

"It's just
weird," I said. "Like déjà vu. The last few days could have been a
dream and here I am right back where I was."

Aldous handed me
the green shake. "So, would you change anything?"

"I'd skip
seeing Kev in that seventies low-cut shirt," I said. "A man as white
as him should not try to pull off a medallion."

"Yeah, that
gave me nightmares, too," Aldous said. He grimaced, but forced himself to
drink the same healthy concoction he made for me. "But, seriously, would
you have changed anything?"

"I know what
you're getting at. I'm not falling for it," I said. "I knew as soon
as your wife got here you'd be all hot to matchmake."

Aldous gave me his
best innocent look. "Me? Never. I just want to make sure you don't have
any regrets. It’s time to look forward, strategize. Visualize your fight, but
more importantly, visualize what's on the other side."

I sat down at the
glass dining table and choked down more of my shake. "Me staying in the
basement of your new Vegas house," I said.

"Tia would
kill me," Aldous said. "Try again."

I shut my eyes.
"Home base. Roots. Strength. Going out to fight and coming home to get
stronger."

"Perfect.
That's it. Think about that home base. What you need there. What there gives
you strength."

It was Kya. Copper
curls in the sunshine. Her green eyes crinkling at me from the next pillow.
"Alright, coach, good talk. Now, let me choke this down in peace."

Aldous sat down
across from me. "You know the more you share, the more solid the
visualization."

"Leave the
poor man alone, Aldy," Tia said. She leaned over and kissed her husband's
cheek. "He doesn't need to tell us the obvious."

"Thanks.
Wait, what's obvious? No, I don't want to know," I said.

Tia rolled her
eyes and smiled. "You know Kya is terrified to come to the fight. She's
got it in her head that she's there she'll distract you and make you
lose."

Aldous chuckled.
"I can speak from personal experience when I say that is possible. Though,
I'm so glad I got blood all over that accountant's white shirt. Best blood I
ever shed."

"I'm sure her
clients want her there," I said. "She'll be there. She should be there."

"That's what
I told her, but it had nothing to do with her clients," Tia said.
"She and I are planning to sit together. Low and close, but a few rows
back. You'll never notice."

That was good. Kya
would not be in my direct line of sight. If I kept my head up like I was
supposed to, I wouldn't see her. Maybe the top of her copper curls. If I looked
I could spot her green eyes. I shook myself and finished the shake.

"There, I
drank my super foods. I gotta check my messages," I said. I pushed away
from the table and took my phone out onto the patio.

The first message
was from Kev, as were the following three. He started off reminding me of MMA
contacts I had met. Kev was great at giving me the details in voicemail form so
I would not forget any important conversations.

Then, he veered
off course. He slurred a few words here and there. But mostly, his speech was
impeded by what I had seen was a sloppy grin. It had been permanent all night.

"It’s great,
I'm telling you, Fenton, it's great. Just relax, just go with it. Just be
yourself. What are all the other things those stupid chick flicks tell people?
You know when you feel it. I know you feel it. I've seen it on you. Remember
that, too," his message said.

The next one was
more of the same. A few reminders of MMA contacts, launching into another
soliloquy. "I mean, she saw right through me, man. She saw it was an act.
I didn't think I was acting, I was just being me, but when she saw through me,
I realized I'm someone else. I mean, I’m better. There's a better me, and Sandi
saw it. We just met. I know it’s crazy, but I know you get it. It's great, it's
really great."

I was about to
hang up on voicemail, but the next message was from Kya. "I'm downstairs,
but I shouldn't be and I know that. So, I'm just calling to say I'm sorry. I
should have believed you. I think I do believe you. But, that's all that. I
really just want to say good luck. Wait, I know you don't believe in luck. I'm
the one that's lucky. I met you. So, there, I'm giving you that luck and no matter
what, I will see you after the fight. I… I…I can't wait to see you,
Fenton."

I sat up and held
the phone with both hands. The message started to replay when Dana Maria
appeared. She raised her eyebrows at me.

"Go ahead,
listen to it again. I liked it," my sister said.

"I'm not. I
have other messages," I said.

"Come on,
Fen, you'll do better if you say it," Dana Maria said.

"Say what?
That I care for her? What good is that going to do anyone, least of all
her?" I asked.

"I think it
will make all the difference to her." My sister sat down on the patio
chair across from me. "You can love someone. Why do you always think
you're like him? You're nothing like him."

"Dad? I've
gotta be. Everyone says I look just like him," I said.

"And, that's
as far as the similarities go. He thought love was about people admiring him.
He thought family was something to escape. He hated being needed and he was
never around. You were always there, you always loved Mom and me, and all you
ever wanted was for us to be together as a family. So, no, you are nothing like
him."

"I'm sorry I
let us drift apart." I caught my sister's hand.

"Drift apart?
Is that what you call sending a private investigator to find me?" Dana
Maria asked. "You know the girls at work still think Matt Smith, or
whatever his real name is, is my boyfriend?"

"Really?"
I asked. "He seems like a decent guy. I like that idea. Whoa, wait, are
you blushing? Have you gone out with him?"

"Maybe. We're
talking about you here."

"What's to
talk about? Kya is interesting. It'll never work. End of story," I said.

"It's already
working. You can't tell me you don't think she's different. You feel
differently about her than any other woman you've ever dated."

"Is that how
you feel about Matt Smith?" I asked.

Dana Maria's smile
faded as her thoughts wandered. Her face was serene and far away for a moment.
"You know, I always thought it would happen quietly. One day, the right
guy would just show up and be in my life. He wouldn't judge me, and he wouldn't
want to change me. He would just want to see me and we'd end up spending time
together. No big fireworks, no grand scenes or mountains of roses. Just someone
I want to be with who wants to be with me."

I did not hold my
breath. It just wasn't there. When it came back, I said. "I love that. I
love that for you."

Dana Maria patted
my cheek, hard. "And you, too, baby brother. I love that for you, too.
Except you had to go ahead and have the fireworks."

"No," I
said. "Think about it. Don't you think everything you just said is what
Kya's saying about Jackson McRay? They're the ones that fit together. He just
appeared in her life and he actually fits her life."

"Why would
you say that?" Dana Maria asked.

I flinched
thinking maybe her sisterly pat was going to turn into a slap. "Because I
heard her say it. I accidentally overheard Kya tell Sandi that Jackson McRay is
the man she is supposed to choose."

"What? That's
what you think?" Sandi asked.

"Is everyone
eavesdropping on me?" I asked. I stood up and faced everyone in the suite.

"The patio
doors are wide open, man," Kev said.

"You were
there, you heard the same thing," I reminded him.

"Well, I was
there, too, and I was actually the one that Kya was talking to, so let me set
you straight," Sandi said. She propped her tiny fists on her slim hips.
"Kya said that Jackson McRay is the one she is
supposed
to choose. But you are the one she desires."

"Oooh,"
Dana Maria said. She fanned herself. "Now tell me which one you'd rather
be."

"That doesn't
mean she's going to choose me," I said. "He's the better choice,
right?"

Dana Maria looked
ill. "Not from what I hear."

"Not from
what we've seen," Kev muttered.

I waved a hand to
cut him off. "What have you heard, Sis?"

"He's been
down to my club a few times, thankfully, not while I was on. At first, the
girls were all excited. They fought over him. You know, nice-looking rich guy
in suave clothes. They all thought he was Prince Charming."

I could not keep
still and started pacing. "So, what made them change their minds?"

"He'd tell
them all the people he knew, hint at all the ways he could get them fired or
worse, then he was all hands. The bouncers were on him right away, but some of
the girls were too afraid to call them. He thought he could do whatever he
wanted."

"I'm going to
kill him," I said.

"No, don't
worry about it," Dana Maria said. "The girls aren't stupid. Word's
spread and no one is going near him. Jackson McRay is his own STD as far as the
women of Las Vegas are concerned."

"Ugh, it’s
always the all-American handsome ones that are the misogynists," Sandi
said.

"Don't worry,
honey, that's not me," Kev said. "Well, except for the handsome
part." He turned to me. "Guess we don't have to worry about people
not believing us anymore. Turns out lots of people know what a slime ball
Jackson McRay is."

"Except
Kya," I said.

I charged for the
door. Kev stepped in front of me. "Forget about Jackson McRay. I'll leak
the story. We'll get some of Dana Maria's girls to speak out. He'll be ruined.
You don't need to go down with him."

"I'm not
going to fight him. I'm not going anywhere near Jackson," I said.

"You have to
report to the arena in an hour. You're not going anywhere," Kev said.

"Fenton,
forget about it. It’s just a distraction," Dana Maria said.

"Move, Kev.
You know I have to see her," I said.

Kev nodded and
stepped aside. "Tell Kya we'll see her at the fight."

CHAPTER FORTY

Kya

"
Hello
, beautiful. Aren't you going to invite
me in?" Jackson asked. His bright white teeth flashed when he smiled.

Jackson was hard
to resist. His tan skin, his warm brown eyes, the square jaw, he was the
picture of the perfect man. He was also tall with broad shoulders. His biceps
were well defined, his stomach flat and hard. He was stronger and more
intimidating than his pastel shirts and friendly smile suggested.

I felt a cold
chill despite his warm smile. "Actually, I would, but I'm just on my way
out. I'd love if you wanted to walk me out," I said.

"I know, I
know, the big title fight. I suppose you do have to go support your other
client. Don't worry, you still have plenty of time," Jackson said.
"Why not enjoy the view from your suite one more time? I mean, your boss
wouldn't want it to go to waste while he's paying for it, would he?"

"I'm sorry,
really," I said. "I promised some friends I would meet them
early."

"Your friends
will understand. Just tell them I wouldn't take no for an answer," he
said. He stepped forward and put a wide hand on the suite door. "Come on,
nothing wrong with us spending a little time together."

"Fine, let's
go have a drink out by the pool. It’s one of my favorite spots. Where we first
met for the second time." I tried to laugh, but it got caught in my
throat. I almost choked.

He pushed hard
against the door and stepped past me. If I stood my ground, he would have just
shoved me aside. So instead, I shuffled back and had to welcome him inside. It
suddenly seemed important not to upset him. Jackson smiled and there was still
warmth in his brown eyes, but there was a sharpness, an impatience to him that
put me on edge.

"I brought
you a bottle of champagne. I knew you'd finally be alone, what with your other
client off getting ready for his big moment. I think we should celebrate."

"Celebrate
what?" I asked. The suite was isolated. There were no other guests on the
floor that day. I did not like to think about how the soundproofing had already
been tested by loud parties.

Jackson reached in
his pocket and pulled out a manila envelope. "Here's the signed contract.
Our business is finalized and that means we can put it aside. Now that it's
done, we don't have to be so businesslike, either. We don't have to celebrate
as colleagues – I don't want to be just your colleague."

"This is
wonderful. I'll call my boss right away and tell him the good news. Like you
said, get all the business out of the way," I said. I gripped the phone
hard to stop my hand from trembling.

Jackson shook his
head and reached for my phone. "Don't you think your boss would be really
upset if you didn't close this deal? I mean, you'd have unhappy clients, and
from what I've heard, the power tool people are longstanding clients of your
boss. They'd all be unhappy if you messed this up somehow."

"And, how
would I mess it up?" I asked. "I know things have been a little crazy
here in Las Vegas, but the contract is sound and you have no objections. So,
what is the problem?"

He dangled the
signed contract high in the air. "I don't know. I'd like to say I'm a
satisfied client. I'd like to think you've taken care of me."

"Is there
something you want me to change? Let's go down to the hotel's business center
and we can review the contract while we get my boss on a conference call,"
I said.

I headed for the
door, but Jackson caught my arm and turned me around. "So professional, so
polished. It’s very attractive. I like a woman who likes to get things done.
Tie everything up in a pretty bow. That's why I can see a future with you, Kya.
You know how to make everything look and sound so perfect."

"Thanks,"
I said. It was hard to tell what Jackson was thinking. Maybe I was overreacting.
Maybe I was just nervous because of Fenton's fight. All I knew was that my skin
was crawling, and I did not want to be alone with him. "Well, if
everything is fine with the contract, then I demand you let me take you out to
celebrate. My boss would be mad if I made you settle for a quick drink in my
suite. Especially one that you brought yourself."

Jackson held on to
my arm, shook his head and smiled. "No, I think it’s my choice. I've made
you happy by signing the contract, and now it’s your turn to make me
happy." He set the champagne down on the coffee table and drew me towards
the master bedroom.

My jaw dropped,
but I could not force a sound out. I wrenched my arm free, unable to pretend
anymore. "What exactly are you suggesting?"

"I'm suggesting,
no, demanding as you said, that you stop teasing me and give me what we both
want," he said.

"This is not
what I want. I want you to leave," I said.

Jackson's smile
disappeared. "Don't be like that, Kya, don't think you get something for
nothing. You've got my business, the commission, and you've got me. Now, how
about a kiss? Just a little kiss, to start."

"No. To
start? Do you hear yourself? What do you think you're doing? I don't trade
contracts for sexual favors, and I'm disgusted that you think that."

"Disgusted?
I'm disgusted at the way you tease me. Do you really think you can get away
with that? I know you want me. I'm practically bachelor of the goddamn year.
So, when I say I want a kiss, the least you can do is give me a kiss."

"Is that what
you asked Sienna for? When you cornered her at the golf luncheon? And to think
I believed you," I said.

I backed away
around the coffee table and tried to aim for the door. Jackson lunged and
grabbed for my arm, but I twisted away at the last second. He stumbled and
slammed his shin against the glass coffee table. I saw his face turn crimson
before I turned and ran.

He made it to the
door one step behind me and slammed his hands on either side of my head. He
pounded them on the door a second time, for terrifying effect. I cringed
against the door and felt panic cloud my thinking.

His breath was on
my neck, but I forced myself to stop and think. Then, I ducked down and ran for
my discarded phone. I scooped it up, but it was no comfort. Jackson had turned
it off before he set it aside, and I had been pressing frantically at a blank
screen. I turned it on and faced him.

His cheerful
chuckle froze the blood in my veins. "And who exactly are you going to
call? Your boss is thousands of miles away and will be more annoyed that you
are compromising the deal than he will be concerned about your sudden chastity.
Your big bad fighter is already at the arena. And, face it, whoever you call is
not going to believe you, anyway."

"I'm calling
the police," I said.

Jackson lunged at
me again, and he knocked my shoulder as I turned. I stumbled off balance and
saved myself on the edge of the couch. He was right behind me, his hands
clamping around my waist. I started to pummel his chest with my fists, but all
he did was chuckle again.

That is, until the
front door of the suite splintered open. Fenton charged through the broken door
and headed straight for Jackson.

Jackson backed off
with his hands up, palms open. "Now, look what a mess you're gonna make
poor Kya clean up. I'm telling you, he's no good for you."

"Fenton, I'm
so glad you're here. I'm so sorry," I stopped when he waved me into
silence. Jackson still stood between us, and Fenton was concentrating on his
opponent.

"This is
ridiculous and you know it," Jackson said. "What, are you really
going to waste your chance at the title standing around here trying to accuse
me of something that will never in a million years stick?"

"You're not
above the law," Fenton said.

"No, but I
know an awful lot of people that create the law, uphold it, and defend it. Face
it, someone like me is untouchable, especially for someone like you,"
Jackson said.

"Not with
witnesses," I said.

"Just you? Of
course you're going to take your lover's side. It will never hold up. It looks
like you two banded together to con me into this endorsement deal,"
Jackson tossed the signed contract on the coffee table.

"I know you
did something to Sienna. Fenton and his manager saw it," I said.

"Again, a
conspiracy," he said.

"Then, what
about all those dancers at my sister's club?" Fenton asked. "You
really didn't think they would talk to each other, band together against a
threat? You're banned, the word is out, and they will have no problem making
statements against you."

"No one is
going to believe that bunch of whores," Jackson said.

Fenton lunged for
him, his first kick landed on the side of Jackson's knee. Jackson cried out in
pain but stood his ground and tossed a series of wild punches at Fenton.

The air fled my
lungs. Fenton was going to get hurt before his title fight, and it would be all
my fault. He was going to lose the title because of me. I could not let it
happen.

Neither man saw me
as they locked together, each determined to see the other bleed. I jumped over
the white couch and grabbed the bottle of champagne Jackson had brought in. I
stood up on the white cushions and waited for an opening.

Fenton slammed an
upper cut into Jackson’s gut and I knew the next punch in the combination was a
right hook to his cheek. Fenton could not afford to bruise or possibly break
his knuckles on Jackson's face. So, I raised the champagne bottle high in the
air and swung it down as hard I could.

There was a
sickening thud, and Jackson crumbled. Fenton froze, his clouded blue eyes
confused. Then, he blinked and saw me.

"Please tell
me he's not dead," I said.

Fenton leaned down
to check Jackson's pulse. "Not dead, not even fractured. Too bad."

He stood up, and I
launched myself from the couch into his arms. "Thank you, thank you. I
can't believe you came. I'm so sorry. Oh, Fenton, I never would have forgiven
myself if you had gotten hurt. Oh my God, the fight! You have to go."

Fenton held me,
his hand smoothing down my hair. "Shh, it's fine. You took him out in the
first round. We have plenty of time. Are you okay?"

I felt my body
shaking but the strength of his arms soon dispelled it. "I'm fine. You
came for me. Wait, why did you come here?"

His lips curled
into a smile inches from mine. "I came to see you. I wanted to make sure
you were safe. Dana Maria told me about Jackson, and after what I saw with
Sienna, I was worried."

"Oh," I
said. I loosened my hold on his neck. "Thank you."

Fenton shook his
head and laughed. He brushed a soft kiss across my lips. "I came for you.
Turns out you were right. You said in your message last night that you had good
luck. Well, I want some of it. Hell, I want you."

 
"You can have all my good luck. I don't
believe in it anymore. I just believe in you."
 

Click here to continue to my next book.

Get Each of My Newly
Released Books for 99 Cents By Clicking Here

Click
here to get my book Swipe for free

GAMED
BOX SET

By
Claire Adams

This
book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are
products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not
to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual
events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

Copyright
© 2015 Claire Adams

PART 1

CHAPTER
ONE

Quinn

His
face on the magazine
cover kept eclipsing my textbook. I recognized him from high school, junior
high school actually, and the thrill of seeing him again was more exciting than
gross anatomy. I tried to tell myself it was the magazine that was grabbing my
attention. I had obsessed over the new hit multi-player online game
Dark Flag
since it came out. Owen Redd
was rising to dominance as the game's first clan leader. He was a star in the
gamer community.

And
my sister's boyfriend
, I reminded myself.

I never understood
how he put up with Sienna. She had wanted to change him from the moment they
met. My perfect sister, with her stellar G.P.A. and her driving ambition to be
a surgeon, wanted her boyfriend to be more than a gamer. I always suspected she
started dating him as a challenge. Sienna was always trying to improve,
perfect, and control the world around her. Owen struck me as another project
she took on – change the school's most popular rebel into the prom king. She
kept a framed picture of their prom court on the desk in her dorm. Owen's crown
was crooked, but he and Sienna were still together.