FIGHTER: An MMA Romance Novel (6 page)

A
fight wasn't like
any other live event. Nicole had been to her fair share of concerts and shows, but the energy didn't match. Not even the screams of devoted music fans were as charged as the noise that filled up the Centra Carioca. Nicole finally understood what the appeal of professional fighting was. The sport was brutal. Unscripted, there was no telling what might happen.

Tonight Rico the Razor, an old favorite, was fighting against a rookie she knew little about. Jax the Ax didn't look like anything special from his posters. A stereotypical muscular guy with short dark hair and piercing eyes glaring out. The poster was intimidating, but it said little about his personality. Fighters like that were a dime a dozen in the UFL, and Nicole was unimpressed — until she saw him step out onto the stage.

In front row seats she’d soak in every detail. The glint of his green shorts beneath the sharp overhead lights caught her eye. And once she looked, she couldn't look away. Jax was a typical fighter, cut, rugged, and built for damage, but something about how he held himself was rare. It set him apart. Confidence mixed with something she couldn't put her finger on, she thought. The way he held his shoulders, the way he set his jaw, and the look in his eyes… and something else. Nicole wanted to dig into him and figure it all out.

Sweat covered his chest and shone on his brow. His broad chest tantalized, each pectoral muscle solid, abs cut. His shorts sat low around his hips, showing off his six-pack and the thin inkling of a treasure trail. His right arm was covered from his shoulder to the back of his palm with tattoos. Another tattoo stretched across his collar bone with a script she wasn't able to read from a distance. He looked like trouble on the surface, but Nicole didn’t believe he was bad at heart. There was something in the way he held himself that spoke too much of hope. Jax hadn't given up on life just yet. The sight of him stirred something inside of her she couldn’t shake. It wasn't until Kade's hand crept through the darkness to her upper thigh that she remembered her hot billionaire boss.

"The rookie has an impressive winning streak," he told her, whispering into her ear. "So far he's undefeated, but he's only faced low ranking opponents. Rico will be his first taste of what the rest of his career will be like. Expect blood. Rico cuts when he hits.”

Kade was obviously confident that the fight would end in Rico's favor, but Nicole wasn't so sure. Maybe his magnetism was clouding her judgment, but she thought that Jax had a better chance than that. There was a drive inside of him that showed in how he held himself, an urge to succeed, that she didn't see in Rico as he entered the ring. The announcer's booming voice cut through the audience's wild cheers.

"
Tonight!
Live from the sold out Centra Carioca in Brazil!
Fighting
out of the blue corner! Standing at five feet and eleven inches and weighing in at 203 pounds! A rookie in the light-heavy weight division, introducing the challenger Jax 'the Ax' McCarthy!
Fighting
out of the red corner! Standing at six feet even and weighing in at 205 pounds! This man needs no introduction as the crowd favorite, Rico 'the Razor' Martine!"

The message repeated itself in Portuguese. Even without the introductions, the crowd was restless, pumped up, and ready for action. Violence was the only way to fill what they craved, and they would tear each other apart for the crowd's satisfaction. The thought was as barbaric as it was undeniably masculine. Kade was right — the best man would win.

"Fight!"

Then the bell rang. Conditioned by years of practice and previous fights, both fighters reacted instantaneously. From across the ring Rico shot forward, his speed surprising. Nicole had never followed professional fighting, but she'd expected fast punches with slow, jerky legwork. This was not the case. Rico moved with the grace of a dancer and the speed of a soccer player, but his speed was his downfall. He rushed Jax, taking him by surprise. The rookie threw his shoulder back and slammed his fist forward into Rico's jaw with the full weight of his body. Nicole sat forward in her chair, heart hammering. Not even Kade's wandering hand was enough to distract her from what was happening.

Rico stumbled, but stayed on his feet. Before he could recover, Jax was on him. Brutal hit after hit landed, until Jax brought his knee up into Rico's stomach and knocked the air out of him. Her pussy flooded with desire, and Nicole pressed her thighs together even as Kade's hand stroked and explored.
Would he feel how hot she was getting?
Nicole didn't want to risk it.

Weakened, the Razor hunched over, Jax connected one final hit with his jaw. The crowd favorite fell. Around her, the audience rose to their feet all at once, screaming. A knock out. Ten seconds in, and already a knock out. Rico hadn't landed a single punch.

"Shit." Kade's hand pulled back from her inner thigh and he pulled his phone from his pocket. The device was already going crazy with calls, texts, and other notifications. "That wasn’t supposed to happen. What the shit is going on?"

What had happened was that the best man had won. Nicole jumped to her feet and cheered. She was so excited, Jax's victory felt like her victory. Maybe he was a rookie, maybe he was a nobody, but he'd earned a new fan in her.

A fan with a career like hers could do wonders for him. Nicole told herself to be impartial, that no matter who was up to be promoted she had to do a fair job, but the connection she felt to Jax was undeniable. It felt so strange that they'd never spoken, that he didn't even know she existed, and yet she was eager to help him in any way she could. It wasn't just that he was drop dead sexy, it wasn't just his raw power that woke wild urges inside of her, it was something more.

As medics rushed into the ring to tend to Rico, the referee lifted Jax's fist up sky high, Nicole turned to face Kade. The billionaire was buried in his phone, thumbs tapping messages furiously as he attempted to deal with the online fallout about the knockout. There hadn't been a ten second KO in the UFL for years. Those ten seconds just set Jax up for a much more interesting career, and she knew it.

"I'm going to go get some footage."

"Of course," Kade mumbled. Nicole wasn't sure if he'd heard her or not. With the camera on her phone, Nicole took footage of the ringside view and of Jax just as he let out his roar of victory. His wild nature inside woke her arousal. Successful, intelligent, charismatic men like Kade Holland were their own brand of attractive. But no woman could deny the passion in a man like Jax. Shot captured, she ended the video footage and made for the back doors before the rest of the crowd stood. The men and women who'd come to watch were still losing their minds, Jax's stage presence helping them along. By the time she emerged in the quiet hallways outside the arena, Nicole's ears were ringing.

The door she was looking for was tucked around by the back entrance into the arena, right near some of the worst seats the place offered. A security guard, just as ripped as the fighters he protected, waited outside with crossed arms. When Nicole approached, he fixed her with a glare.

"Umm, excuse me," Nicole murmured she returned his hostility with a shy smile, "I'm staff. With Kade Holland.” She flashed her UFL ID pass, “Can I come in?"

"Kade Holland," the man mumbled, his accent thick and musical. Without another word he stepped aside from the door, and Nicole bowed her head in gratitude and entered. The room behind the door wasn't what she was expecting. Nicole came across rows of lockers and benches. The tile floor was wet in places, drains set to catch water. Steam rolled from an open doorway at the back of the room, and she smelled sweat and soap on the air.

This wasn't backstage at all — it was the locker room.

"Hello?" she called out. Water ran in the distance, but apart from that, the room was silent. No one replied. For now, the room was deserted. It was the perfect time to take pictures to really give the folks at home a sense of what went on behind the scenes at a UFL fight. Nicole got to snapping.

As she moved down the aisles of lockers, she came across one that hung open. A quick look inside revealed equipment. A gym bag, its zipper open, that contained rumpled street clothes. A pair of shoes. Binding tape and some kind of padding. A mouth guard. And then, a pair of emerald green shorts caught her eye. The color was distinct, a telltale. Everything in the locker belonged to Jax, tonight's winner. Nicole raised her phone and snapped pictures. The spread was poetic — a look into the life of an upcoming star. As she repositioned her phone to take another shot, a voice startled her.

"They told me there'd be fans, but I never thought my equipment would get its own paparazzi."

Nicole jumped and turned in the direction of the sound. Not six feet away was Jax. Now it was water, not sweat, that beaded on his chest and gleamed beneath the overhead fluorescents. His short hair was saturated, drops fattened along his jaw to drip down to his feet. Feet wearing nothing more than flip flops. Flip flops that led to bare legs. Legs that led to a single white towel covering… Nicole swallowed hard.

Her eyes flicked up to his, and his blue eyes skewered her to the spot. Although he was face to face with a woman while wearing nothing but a towel, there was no nervous glint in Jax's eyes. He looked just as confident as he did in the ring. Nicole tried to get her thoughts straight. Just looking at him had her tongue tied.

"I didn't realize you were in here. Sorry. Um, I'll delete the pictures if you want me to."

His laugh was lighthearted and uninhibited. He wasn't as gruff as he appeared.

"I don’t think my equipment is feeling camera shy. Feel free to um, do whatever it is you do with pictures of sweaty clothes. On second thought, is that some kind of fetish? If it is, my answer might change."

It was Nicole's turn to laugh. She slid her phone back into the clutch she carried and shook her head, beaming. Even next to naked, pumped from a fight, Jax was an approachable soul. Beyond the underlying physical attraction, Nicole felt an easy connection with him, as though she’d known him for years. He was something special.

"No, no fetish, I swear!” She waved her hands like she was surrendering. In a way, she knew she was. “I’m Nicole Washington, the new social media production manager. I thought I’d try to get some behind the scenes shots for our fan pages. After your fight tonight, I think the webpage will be flooded. It’s not every day you see a 10 second knockout."

And if he kept smiling at her like that, Rico wouldn’t be the only KO he bagged that day. The handsome curl of Jax's lips and the glint of the teeth beneath had her forgetting how to breathe.

"Well, thanks." He lifted a hand and rubbed at the back of his head, grinning. The towel remained tucked at his waist, but Nicole found herself willing it to fall. Jax was stunning, and she wanted to see every inch of him. "I didn't know there were pretty girls working with the UFL. So far, I've only seen men in suits and other fighters."

Did he really think she was pretty? Nicole felt like she was back in high school, loitering by her crush's locker.

"I just started. I didn't realize I'd get to go behind the scenes like this and come face to face with men as handsome as you."

Jax laughed, easygoing as ever.

The laugh, the smile... Nicole's heart was in her throat, she struggled to pull herself together.

"I don’t know about
handsome
, but you’re one hell of a fighter." Kade's smooth voice cut through their conversation and brought Nicole back to reality. The billionaire wrapped his arm around her shoulder, drawing her to his side. Jax took a small step back. "Congratulations on your knock out win, Mr. McCarthy. You shocked us all."

Jax's eyes flicked between Nicole and Kade, and Nicole could see him making connections. Respectfully he bowed his head, still dripping.

"Thank you, Mr. Holland, sir. That means a lot to me."

"Good. I’m having a little celebration at my estate when we all get back to the U.S. The whole card will be there. I'll email you the details."

A moment passed where Jax was lost for words. In the end, he nodded his head.

"Yeah, yeah, of course, Mr. Holland. That sounds great. Real great. Thanks."

With Kade in the room, the connection was gone. Nicole tried to look into Jax's pale blues once more, but he avoided her gaze.

"If you have the footage and shots you need, let's go take advantage of Brazil, Ms. Washington. The weekend will disappear before we know it."

And before she knew it, Nicole was being led from the locker room and back towards the lobby. In a final glance over her shoulder she saw Jax watching them as they left. When he saw her look back, he dipped his head and turned to face the lockers. With any luck it wouldn't be the last time they met.

"
M
a
, can you hear me?"

The static on Jax's phone cut out for a second, then cleared in time for him to hear the last half of his mother's reply.

"—me again, Jax. Do you understand?"

The stern cut to her tone had him laughing. Scolding didn't work so well when he was thousands of miles away and in a different country.

"Ma, you cut out. I found some reception here at the airport. I'm heading home now. I'm scheduled to arrive tomorrow around two in the afternoon, so I should be home before three. As soon as I land I'll give you another call, okay?"

"I heard about the fight. I couldn’t help it, it’s all over the internet. You knocked that guy out in ten seconds?"

"Yeah Ma," Jax settled onto one of the seats near his gate, eyeballing the digital display with the time. The plane wasn't scheduled to board for another half hour, but that wasn't the worst of his waiting. The ten-hour layover after this flight would drive him to near insanity.

"You did great, Jax. You did. I just keep thinking though, what if you were on the other side? The one being knocked out?"

Always the worrier. Jax shook his head silently, glad she couldn't see the grin on his face.

"It couldn’t happen, Ma. No one trains like me or takes it as serious as I do. If someone had tries, I’ll take ‘em down. Simple as that."

His mother’s silence spoke volumes. He knew she would never fully support a job where he could get seriously hurt. But he also knew she was proud of him. Finally, she hummed a sigh, and Jax could picture her shaking her head in resignation. From the time he was little, Jax caused her problems. It was only natural he'd still give her grey hairs as an adult.

"You're missing the point, baby."

"Nah, I'm just willfully ignoring it."

The hard shell suitcase he'd brought stood at his feet, sealed. It was small enough to stow in an overhead, and Jax was glad he hadn't wasted time checking bags. The weekend in Brazil seemed to end quicker than his fight had. It was his first time out of the country. Hell, almost his first time out of state, and he wished he could experience more of what the world had to offer.

After he won the belt and the money that went with it, that wouldn't be a problem anymore.

"Jax McCarthy, you're enough to drive a woman crazy. Did you know that?"

"So you've told me, Ma."

The static returned, distorting the call. Jax waited for it to pass, but when it didn't, he decided to wrap things up before he wracked his phone bill up too high.

"You're breaking up and I don't wanna pay for too much roaming, Ma. Love you and I'll be home tomorrow. See you soon."

Jax ended the call and slipped the phone back into the pocket of his loose jeans. A woman was watching him from a few benches over, and he could tell from the way she ate him up with her eyes that she was interested. What Jax had heard about Brazilian women was true —
they were gorgeous.
As beautiful as she was, Jax wasn’t interested. Relationships weren’t his priority, not when he already had so much on his plate to worry about. A girl to look after was just an unnecessary distraction from his training.

And yet, no matter how much he told himself that, he couldn't shake the image of Nicole's face from his mind.

Pretty dark eyes with long lashes. Full lips painted the perfect color of red to compliment her skin tone. A cute nose. But it wasn't how attractive she was that had hooked him, it was something more. Jax could still hear the sound of her laugh and see how she lit up when she looked at him. Their time together had been brief, but she made him feel something. It was enough that he was still thinking about her now, even a day later.

What would life be like her?
He’d never found the time or the right girl to really settle down with. Sure, he’d had plenty of sex and a couple quickie relationships, but no girl had captured his eye for long, let alone his heart. If he was going to divide his attention from his career, he wanted it to be for a girl who was worth it. A girl who wanted a real relationship, not just a few fun nights. What he wouldn't give to have a girl as beautiful as Nicole Washington to call his.

"Um, ah, excuse me." Jax stirred from his daydreams when someone touched his arm. It was the woman from a few benches over. The low cut tank top she wore revealed the curve of her breasts, but Jax didn't let his eyes wander. Instead, he set his pale blues on her green eyes.

"Yes?"

"You are Jax, correct? Um, him?" The woman turned the screen of her phone towards him. Upon it was a web version of his fight poster. Jax met his own eyes and studied the contours of his face.

"Yeah, sure looks like me, doesn't it?" The humor was lost in translation, and she tightened her plump lips and tilted her head in confusion. Jax didn’t mean to put her on the spot, he felt bad about it. "What I mean is, yes, that's me. Jax the Ax McCarthy."

A smile brightened her face, and all discomfort slipped away. One manicured nail pointed at his image on the phone's screen.

"Fight very good. Very ah, strong. Famous. Will you put name?" The phone before his nose was replaced with her upturned hand, thin wrist on display. Jax sat back in his seat, confused.

"Put name?" he asked. It was his turn to be confused.

"Yes. Yes, put name," she insisted, pointing at her wrist. From the purse clutched beneath her arm, she withdrew a permanent marker. Jax's brow furrowed, then he understood.

"Oh, you mean an autograph? I'm not that famous. Not yet. But I'm not going to deny a fan."

Jax accepted the marker and popped the cap, then doodled a quick JM on her wrist. It wasn't as pretty as some of the signatures he'd seen, but it would do.

"Thank you," she said, then handed him her boarding pass. "This too."

For real?
Jax laughed in spite of himself, placing the ticket on the seat beside him and signing it the same way he'd signed her wrist. His mother had mentioned that the internet was swarming with videos of his win, but he hadn't thought much of it.
Just how recognizable had he become?

"I give many thanks," she said as he returned the ticket, then winked and blew him a kiss. "I will cheer for you. Good luck."

A very attractive woman was making eyes at him, and all Jax could think of was how nice it'd be to hear those same words from Nicole. It was crazy. They'd just met, and he knew nothing about her. Well, nothing she hadn't told him in the few minutes they'd talked. He knew she did social media for the UFL. He knew she liked to take pictures of gym clothes. And he knew that she was already Kade Holland's girl. Jax's expression drew a touch more somber.

"Thanks. Take care."

Every fighter in the UFL knew Kade Holland's name. Hell, billions of MMA fans knew it too. The man could make or break a fighter’s career, he was to be treated with great amounts of respect. The encounter in the locker room was the first time he'd talked to Kade, and Jax wished it had been under different circumstances. As polite as Kade had been, there was ownership in the way he'd drawn Nicole against his chest. If Jax knew any better, he wouldn't have messed with the boss' girl, but Nicole didn’t say anything. All he could hope was that it wouldn't mess up his chance at the big leagues. With this last win under his belt, the future was as limitless as Kade Holland would allow it to be. For now, Jax was determined to set his sights further than ever before and go for it. With any luck, he could butter Kade up at the party he was hosting. It was probably a good idea even if the billionaire wasn't upset Jax had been flirting with his girl.

And maybe Nicole will be there too.

Jax sank back against the bench and pushed the thought from his mind. Nicole was beautiful. And she was off limits.
What woman wanted a man who had to fight, for a living anyway?
Especially one used to Kade's cash. There was nothing he could offer her that Kade couldn't give her. Besides, Jax wasn't that kind of guy. Some men fought over women like property, but Nicole wasn’t an object. If she was with Kade, it was for a reason. He wasn't about to try to change her mind.

The next half hour before boarding went by slow, and the layover even slower than that. Jax was left alone with his thoughts. As skilled as he was in the ring, the true battle raged on inside of him. More dangerous than any match-up, memories of Nicole wouldn’t leave him alone. No matter how many knock outs he bagged, nothing would save him from Kade if he couldn't shake Nicole from his mind. But Jax wasn't sure he was strong enough to do it.