Unstoppable (Forehead Kisses #4) (9 page)

He caught the look. “What? If you thought you were already the best you wouldn’t be coming to me, right?”

He had a point. “And you trained Liam?”

He laughed. “Trained him? That guy was a born fighter. I didn’t have to do much on my part.”

“We’ll see about that.”

He smirked. “Cocky, much?”

“I can be just as strong as him.”

He shook his head. “Let me save you some time. You’ll never defeat him. He’s undefeated for a reason.”

“I’ll prove you wrong.”

“Whatever. As long as you pay me I don’t care what you prove.”

I was starting to snap. “Are you a jackass to everybody? Or just the people paying your rent?”

He clapped his hands. “Now I know what your boiling point is. For what its worth, it’s pretty high.”

He was playing me?

“If you want to win, you need to control your emotions and channel them in the right way. That extra energy can be converted to adrenaline. And size doesn’t matter. Movement and strength do.”

I relaxed slightly.  “Let’s get started.”

“Right to the point, huh? Remember, diet is just as important as exercise. If you’re eating McDonald’s everyday, this is all a waste..”

I took off my shirt. “Do I look like I eat McDonald’s every day?”

“Cocky again…”

Tate began training me, pushing me to new limits. I thought I was strong and quick, but I was quickly realizing just how weak I was. I had a long way to go, and I was glad I had a trainer that worked with the best.

We did weight exercises, agility movement, and sparring. Tate was older but never lost his speed and quickness. Like a snake, he could snap at me like I was a meal.

By the end of the two-hour session, I was exhausted.

“So, why do you want to be in the ring?” Tate asked while I pulled on my shoes.

“I have a lot of anger.”

“Anger that derives from where?”

Should I tell him?”

“I’m your trainer and your therapist. They are the same.”

I didn’t see the point in hiding it. “My parents passed away a few years ago.”

He nodded. “How?”

“A horrific accident…they were burned alive.”

“Then why are you angry? No one is to blame for it.”

But there was someone. “I wasn’t home…”

He looked at me sadly. “Survivor’s guilt.”

“The firefighters aren’t sure what caused it but…I was the last person to use the stove.”

“Don’t blame yourself, Scotty. You have no way of knowing if it was you. Just let it go.”

“And my cousin…was abused. She’s okay now but…I guess I’m still upset about it.”

He grabbed my shoulder and patted me gently. “Fighting might be perfect for you after all.” He stood up then put the equipment away. “I expect to see you here every day, even Sunday.”

“But football is on Sundays.”

He gave me a stern look. “During training, football doesn’t exist.”

I groaned, not looking forward to this.

When I went to class the next day, I was nervous to see Livia. Should I sit next to her? Should I act like she doesn’t exist? What does she want me to do? I wish I could read her mind.

I walked inside and immediately noticed her. She was wearing yellow shorts, and the color contrasted perfectly against her tan skin. They were thin and long, kissable.

Why did she have to wear shorts?

Against my better judgment, I moved to the seat beside her.

She looked at me, her face unreadable.

I pulled out my notebook and got my pen ready.

“Hi,” she said.

“Hey. How was your night?

“Good. How about yours?”

“It was okay. I had training so I’m a bit tired.”

She eyed my arms. “You look bigger.”

“Thanks. I’ve been working out like an Olympian and have been eating like a fat person.”

She chuckled.

Damn, I loved hearing that.

“Well, whatever you’re doing is working.”

“Thanks.” I was glad she noticed my body. I certainly noticed hers.

“Did you want to work on our project today?” she asked quietly.

“Sure.”

“Okay.”

The professor walked in then began the lecture. I was trying to focus but my eyes kept glancing at her perfect legs. She wore white sandals and her toes were painted pink. She had the cutest feet in the world. I never cared for feet or even looked at them, but I noticed hers. They were perfect, with a noticeable arch and delicately filed nails.

“You have cute feet,” I whispered.

Shit, did I just say that out loud? Fuck…

She turned to me, surprise in her eyes. “Thanks…”

Now she thought I was a weirdo, which I was.

When the class ended, she put her stuff in her bag then stood up. “I guess I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah.” I didn’t want to leave her side. I wanted to be with her all the time.

“Bye.” She turned around and walked away, leaving me cold.

I got to the library first and sat in the corner. My body was sore and I was exhausted. I was glad I quit my job. There was no way I’d be able to do both. Even if the fighting career didn’t work out, I had my savings to rely on. And I didn’t pay rent at the house anyway so I didn’t have a lot of expenses.

Livia rounded the corner then approached the table.

My heart pumped in my chest, making time slow down. She walked with such grace, like an Egyptian queen. Her back was straight and she kept her shoulders back, making her chest more prominent. She reminded me of a crane, so graceful and pure.

I’d never had thoughts like this about a girl. I just compared her to a crane…what the hell was wrong with me?

“Hi.” She placed her bag on the table.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Hey.”

She sat down then crossed her legs. “Where did we leave off...?”

“I think on page 226.” I wasn’t sure if that was even right. My mind was in the gutter.

“Okay.” She highlighted a few sentences and kept her head down.

I snuck glances at her whenever I could.

For the next hour, we worked on the project. The longer we worked together, the more I realized how genuinely smart she was. It took me several minutes to understand a concept, but she understood things immediately. Even complex problems were easy for her to solve. Her intelligence rivaled mine. Actually, she put it to shame. She was artistic but analytical, a perfect mix. And she was beautiful. What are the odds of that? She must have guys crawling all over her all the time. No wonder why she just wanted to be left alone.

“I’m sorry I hit on you before,” I blurted.

She froze then gave me a confused look. “What do you mean?”

The words came out of my mouth before I really thought about what I said. Now it was too late. I couldn’t take it back. “It’s just…you’re so beautiful and smart. You must get hit on all the time. Guys look at you and holler at you like a piece of meat. It must get old and I apologize for ever making you feel that way.” I meant what I said. In the short amount of time I’d known her, I become quite fond of her. The last thing I wanted to do was make her uncomfortable. I looked at her like she was just another girl to hit my sheets, but now I saw her in a new light. I respected her, adored her.

“Thanks…I appreciate that.”

I went back to my task and kept my gaze averted. We worked in companionable silence until it was five o’ clock.

“I should go,” she said.

“Me too. I’m starving.”

“What’s new?” she teased.

I smiled. She actually made a joke. She was warming up to me even more. I’ve never been friends with a girl without having sex, but I was quickly realizing how much I liked it.

She put her bag over her shoulder and we walked out of the library.

“Can I walk you to your car?” I asked.

“No, it’s okay. I’ll manage.”

“I really don’t mind.”

She stared at me with new eyes. It was a look she’d never given me before.

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing…you can walk me.”

I studied her face. “What were you thinking?”

She gripped the strap of her bag while she walked beside me. There was a foot between us, but that was the shortest distance we’d ever done. “No one has ever opened the door for me or walked me to my car before.”

That surprised me. So she only dated jerks? No wonder why she was turned off from dating. “Well, I’m a gentleman so you can expect me to do it every time.”

“Do you do it for all girls?”

No, definitely not.
“Just girls I respect.”

Her eyes softened then she looked away. She looked at the ground below her feet as she kept walking.

When we arrived at the parking lot, she walked until she reached a blue Jeep.

“This is yours?” I asked.

“Yeah.”

“I like it.”

“Thanks.” She got her keys out and unlocked the door.

I stepped in and opened it for her.

She gave me a smile before she got inside and shut the door. I stood back and waited for her to leave.

She started the engine then rolled down the window.

I stepped closer to her so I could hear her words.

“Are you doing anything tonight?”

My heart raced in my chest. “No.” Even if I had plans, I’d cancel them.

“I have an art show tonight and I need a date. I usually go alone but…it would be nice to have a friend there.”

I was shocked she asked me. Even if she wanted me there as just a friend, I’d take it over nothing. “I would love to go.”

“It’s black tie and it’s last minute. I understand if you can’t make it.”

“No, I’ll be there. What time should I pick you up?”

“Seven.”

“I’ll see you then.”

She gave me a smile. “Thanks.” She rolled up the window and drove away.

When she was out of range I smiled then walked to my car, a skip in my step.

CHAPTER NINE

Livia

I don’t know what I was thinking. I was staring at Scotty when the idea came into my head. The more I got to know him, the more I liked him. And when he apologized to me, understanding how irritating it must be to be treated like a piece of meat, a few of my walls came down. Maybe he was just feeding me a line, tricking me so he could get closer to me, but it seemed unlikely. There was so much emotion in his eyes, remorse. I found it hard to believe that he would ever hurt me intentionally.

It was nice to have a guy friend that I wasn’t scared to be around. Just because something horrific happened to me didn’t mean I should punish every male I met because of it. Scotty seemed sensitive and caring. Even though he was an aspiring fighter, he wouldn’t hurt a fly.

I tried on a few dresses, trying to figure out what to wear. I never dressed up and I never tried to look nice. I was always doing the opposite, trying to stay off everyone’s radar. But since this was my showcase, I had to look nice. I even did my make up and hardly recognized myself in the mirror. I wore a backless charcoal gray dress with black pumps. It was skin-tight and made me feel self-conscious. I knew I was skinny, but my curves were noticeable at every angle. I wasn’t used to being on display like this. I tried not to think about it.

At seven o’ clock sharp, Scotty knocked on my door.

I checked my appearance in the mirror one more time before I answered it.

Scotty’s eyes widened and his mouth parted slightly when he saw me. His eyes roamed over my body, looking at the tightness of the dress and the way it fit me. He looked at my feet in my heels then looked back up to my eyes. He did all of this within a second but I caught everything. He cleared his throat then opened his mouth to speak. When nothing came out, he cleared it again. “You look…wow.”

I felt the heat move into my face. I was blushing. I knew I was. Damn. “Thanks.”

He was wearing a black suit with a gray tie. Ironically, it matched my dress perfectly. His shoulders were broad and strong. His buttoned shirt fit tight against his chest, and it was loose around his stomach. He was a good-looking guy, but now all his features were highlighted. Everyone would take a look at the two of us and wonder how I got his attention. He was handsome in an obvious way, and I knew every girl noticed his body. “You look handsome.”

“Thanks.” He flattened his tie then put his hand in his pocket. He looked at me again then quickly averted his gaze.

I knew he was trying to not make me uncomfortable. And I appreciated it. “I’m just going to grab my purse.”

“Okay.”

I grabbed my clutch off the counter then walked back outside. I didn’t mean to be rude by not inviting him in, but I didn’t feel comfortable being alone with him in my house—or anyone for that matter.