Page 110 of Give Me Love

I search his face. “Okay.”

He sits up and quickly flips me over. “Okay then,” he replies, lifting my T-shirt and leaning down to get under it. I laugh as he kisses my breast, but then his hand ventures down and he quickly slips two fingers inside. My breath catches, and I moan as he moves them.

He pulls out of the shirt and looks at me. “Now let me make you come.” He goes deeper, and I put my hands on his shoulders, arching my back as he makes me see stars. Bryce is a one-way street with no turnarounds. I’ve got no choice but to continue forward, and as long as we keep our promise, we’ll be okay.

I hope.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Bryce

I watch her sleep for a bit before deciding to climb out of bed. It’s early still and I’m groggy from being up all night, but I need to let go of some steam and I know throwing some punches will do the trick. There’s a small-time gym around the corner that I like to go to. It’s private, and a few MMA guys practice there.

I slide my jogging pants on and a white T-shirt before brushing my teeth and rinsing my face off.

I slip my socks and Nikes on, then grab my snapback that’s hanging on the kitchen chair before opening a drawer on the island in search of a piece of paper and a pen. Finding some local restaurant menu, I pick a blank spot and leave Kathrine a note.

Went to the gym. Make yourself at home. What’s mine is yours.

I look down the loft at her sleeping frame. The sheet dips with her curves, and her hair is all over the place.

She’s beautiful.

Every once in a while, my mind reminds me of why I never do relationships.

Remember what can happen, Bryce.

It’s a rabbit hole.

But that’s happening little by little every time I’m around her. She’s crawled inside my skin.

She’s crawled inside…

I look down at the note, and without thought I draw a fucking heart.

Bryce

Morning fog cocoons the city and wraps its stickiness around me. I stretch my arms up and jog in place, throwing slow jabs into the air before bending down and stretching my back and legs. This is my favorite time of the day. Not a lot of people are up yet.

The sun hardly gives us light, and the air is better. I pop my neck before starting my jog the short distance to the gym, getting my heart rate up.

My mind is on that girl in my bed. Thinking about touching her and kissing her, thinking about not telling her the complete truth. I can’t tell her what I do just yet. It’s too dangerous. There are a lot of bad men who come into my place.

I guess I’m one of them.

I don’t want her asking too many questions. I don’t want her around that. My mind goes back to last night’s bullshit with some dumbass who was cheating at a table. Anger sweeps through my veins like it sometimes does, and I open the door to the gym and walk by the receptionist.

“Good morning, Bryce,” she says with a smile.

I nod and make my way to the back. A few fighters are going at it in the cage and some are on the mats. The owner/trainer coaches the ones in the cage as I head to the locker room.

I lift my chin at a few guys who are going into the steam room. “Fucking cut day,” one grumbles.

The other one pats him on the back. “We’re almost there, buddy. Only a few more pounds to go.”

I walk on to my locker and grab my gloves. Taking a seat on the bench, I slide my phone from my pocket and put my earbuds into my ears. Johnny Cash’s “God’s Gonna Cut You Down” rings in my ears as I put my hands through my gloves before resting my elbows on my knees, looking down at the floor for a moment to get my mind right.

I think about last night and how good it felt to jerk that cheating motherfucker up. I think about what K said about her stepdad and I see red. I think about my mom and how she refuses to choose a better road. My blood starts simmering and causes me to jump up on my feet. I box the air, breathing steady as I do.

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