T.K.O.: Total Knock Out Read online

  I really want to show this girl I’m not an asshole. Wait, what the hell am I thinking? Garrett Johnson is not an asshole but he also doesn’t care about what girls think of him unless it’s just for that split second before he makes them forget their own name. She seems so innocent and I guess that’s what has me torn up. Girls like her don’t end up in places like this unless it’s for a reason, and I am determined to find out what brought her here. I can’t imagine seeing her little body take a hit or get pinned down on that hard mat. I’d lose every match for the rest of my career just to make sure she was safe.

  Shit, I’m losing my mind over some girl I don’t even know. I decide it’s time to call it a day. I’m going to be the nice brother and help Whitney pack her stuff, so she and Howard don’t have much to do.

  Raegan is in the office when I walk in there to tell Howard I’m calling it an early day. The scowl on her face tells me she isn’t too thrilled to have me in the same room as her, but Her Majesty will just have to wait for a second longer before I’m gone.

  “Hey man, I’m heading out early. I’m going to help get some of Whitney’s things packed at the apartment.”

  Whitney jumps out of his lap and into my arms, and I kiss the head of the only woman who has a place in my heart. The one woman who will never break my heart.

  “You are the best brother ever! Don’t just throw shit in trash bags either. I have boxes under my bed.”

  “Well damn, you’ve been planning this haven’t you?”

  Howard lets out a small chuckle as he tells Raegan he’s going to help her get some techniques down as soon as I get my stubborn ass out his office. I wish I could be the one on the mat with Raegan, but I push the thought out of my head.

  Soon I’m out the door and sitting inside my Silverado wondering why I’m so intrigued by the girl who’s managed to punch me and pin me to the ground all within a few minutes.

  Chapter 4

  Raegan

  I never thought I could be sad and happy to see someone walk out a door. I know to stay away from Garrett, but when he leaves, I want to run outside and ask if he was leaving because of me. Of course he was, I practically assaulted the man. I didn’t mean to, and honestly I had no idea I could even do anything like that. But in my defense, he totally loved it. My intentions were never to be so damn mean, but when my guard is up, I just can’t help it.

  Once he’s gone I’m able to focus on what’s important, and that is training. Howard leads me over to the weight benches and I wonder just how well I can manage without looking like a total idiot. I’ve never lifted weights in my life so when he asks what I can bench, I raise an eyebrow and look sheepish.

  “Oh, Raegan, we’ve got some work to do.” Howard snickers before adjusting the weights for me. “Have a seat and lay back, see how this feels. I’m going to spot you, don’t worry.”

  “Is it that obvious I’ve never done this?” I feel my face flush. At least Garrett isn’t here to see this one.

  I place the gloves on my hands so the bar won’t be slippery, and lie back gripping the bar as if my very life depends on it.

  “Sweetheart, you don’t look any worse than Whitney did when she started here,” Howard assures me.

  That makes me feel a little better and as I lift the bar, praying to God I don’t drop it on my chest. I can feel my muscles working and I just know I’m going to hurt later. After a few repetitions, he brings me to the mats where he teaches me how to block hits. Once or twice he got a lick in, but I always retaliate.

  We practice without gloves for a few rounds and then he hands me a pair to put on. I’ve never worn anything like this, and he has to help me tug them on. Punching with the gloves is a whole different feeling; confidence flows through me as we begin sparring and when I bring him to the ground, he just looks up and grins.

  “I definitely know I’m not going to regret this, Raegan. You’ve got it.”

  Whitney walks up and throws her arm around me. “Fucking nice, Raegan. I wish I could help you train but I can’t since I’m carrying a baby. Howard’s the best though. Taught us everything we know, huh, babe?”

  Howard leans down and kisses her forehead grinning. “Sure did.”

  I must be doing decent because he pairs me up with Lance as he goes to spar with Jack. I remove the gloves, my poor hands relieved to be able to breathe again. Lance grins without hesitation as he shakes my hand again. At least everyone here is friendly. He stares rather cunningly the more we stand there, and I can only imagine the crazy thoughts that are floating through his head. With what Garrett said earlier, I wouldn’t be too shocked to hear anything else.

  “What’s on your mind, Lance?” If he has some sexist comment to make, I hope he’ll just get it over with.

  “Don’t take this the wrong way and knock me on my ass, but Garrett is gonna shit when he hears I got to spar with you. He’d practically give his left nut to be near you.”

  “What the hell? He just met me, Lance, he doesn’t know me.” I cut him a dirty look, gaping. Seriously?

  Lance immediately gets into stance when Howard clears his throat, and I’m left to shove aside the irritating thoughts that plague me about Garrett, the way he looked at me earlier, the way he makes me feel. Fun time is over, but I’m so unfocused because of what Lance just said.

  “You didn’t answer me a second ago,” I snap before he can get in the first swing. “What the hell were you talking about?”

  “Look, Raegan, I saw the way he looked at you. He was drooling like a love sick puppy. He won’t admit it but I know that guy like the back of this damn glove on my hand. By the way, these are my favorite gloves.” His wink almost throws me off and I have to do my best to ignore his comments.

  Bam, one hit blocked and I swing at him only to get knocked on my ass. I wince at the sharp pain hitting my ribs, but push through it. Lance reaches down and I grip his glove in mine to pull myself up. “You distracted me. I could have had you.”

  “That’s your first mistake, sweetheart.” When he sees my puzzled expression, he adds, “You let yourself get distracted. Garrett doesn’t date, by the way, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

  “Who the hell said I was thinking that?” I didn’t want anyone to pick up on my attraction to him, but Lance must have good radar.

  “Darling, no one is blind here. We all see it,” Lance warns. “Even though this is your first day, we see it.”

  I mumble under my breath, vowing he won’t get another hit in. After I pin him to the ground, I smirk with satisfaction. He gives me a big sweaty hug when he stands and we flop back on the mat.

  Howard and Jack are lifting weights, and I head toward them when Whitney stops me. She looks so perky and excited I can’t turn away from her. “You seem to be doing pretty well for your first day. Oh, and please don’t mind my brother. He can be an ass but he means well.”

  All I can do is smile and pray I don’t look goofy. Garrett is an ass, but sexy and—

  Shut up, Raegan. That’s not why I’m here.

  “I’m used to that kinda crap, it’s okay. You don’t have to apologize for him,” I tell her.

  “I like you, Raegan, you’re spunky like me. We could be good friends. Want to come back to the apartment and order a pizza? Have a little gal time? Garrett may be there but he never sticks around when I have company so you don’t have to worry about him.”

  I think it over for a moment before saying, “I think that’ll be all right, but hang on a second.”

  She grins, brushing her hair away from her face and her eyes shine with excitement, as if she really means what she’s saying about wanting to be friends. I’m not used to this kind of thing. But it’s a chance to see Garrett. Oh, and pizza of course. I’m starving, especially after sparring. Dad didn’t buy any food this week so we’re down to a few cans of tuna, some ravioli, green beans, and a few frozen dinners. Those frozen dinners are never appetizing; my stomach turns just thinking about them.

  Dad will most l
ikely be pissed when I don’t come home right away so I text him and let him know I’ll be home later. He responds almost immediately:

  Have a good time. See you when you get home.

  I hope I don’t see him when I get home, but I keep that thought to myself.

  Then I turn to Whitney. “Sounds like it’s on. I’ll be there.”

  She starts jumping and clapping as she runs to tell Howard she’s leaving. He waves to me and I head to my truck. Maybe, just maybe, walking in there today was a good decision. I’m in need of good decisions right now. I need a way out, and I think this is it.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I notice a familiar vehicle. I cringe when I realize it’s James and Adryian and they just pulled up. He gets out and opens the door for her like a gentleman. He always was the perfect gentleman. She just couldn’t wait to make her move, and he didn’t seem to mind, which pisses me off even more. I can see their fingers intertwine which makes me want to gag. When she reaches up for a kiss, I fight back tears.

  Before he can notice my truck, I hurry and jump in. I clutch Mom’s picture, trying to keep myself together, but this gets harder by the minute. Then I realize I have no idea where Garrett and Whitney live. Fuck my life. I get out and meet her by the door. She rattles off directions, but when I look confused, she tells me to follow her instead.

  Their apartment is a few blocks from the gym. I have no idea how I couldn’t figure this out from her directions, but seeing James really threw me. There is a security gate, and everything about it screams safe. Flowers line the immaculate iron gate and once we are inside the complex, there are trees and bushes on almost every corner. The landscaping is perfect; not one blade of grass stands higher than another. I park beside her and see a dark gray Silverado on the other side that I presume to be Garrett’s. I hope he’s in his room because I just don’t think I’m ready to see him again, especially not after what Lance told me just earlier. Could he possibly like me? But Lance said he doesn’t date. I’m not ready to date, either and I feel horrible even looking at another guy. Yeah, I hope he’s planning on leaving.

  As she unlocks the apartment door I suck in a deep breath as I enter their home. For just the two of them, they keep a tidy apartment. It is comforting. Everything from the vase on the cherry wood table to the pictures on the cream colored wall, to the worn couch in the living room. A couch people actually sit on. No one has ever really sat on our couch.

  Whitney tosses her keys on the counter, wasting no time hollering at her brother. “Garrett, order some pizza, will ya?”

  “Sure thing,” he calls as he comes down the hall. “You want the usual, I can—”

  He stops the minute he sees me standing in his living room and his eyes light up. I roll my eyes and that only makes him smirk more. What if he doesn’t want to talk to me and is just being an arrogant ass? For all I know he could be leading me on. That’s what guys like him do. I won’t be that girl. My stomach is twisting in more knots than should be possible.

  I feel vulnerable as he watches me trying to hide how nervous I am, as I wipe my sweaty palms on my shorts. He moves closer and leans in to where I can smell his freshly showered body.

  Oh Mylanta…

  My gaze roams over the small spots on his chest he didn’t finish drying through his shirt and I can see the beads of water hanging from his hair. “Do I make you nervous, Raegan?”

  The way he says my name makes me want to evaporate into thin air. Silently, I thank myself for not being stubborn and coming here tonight. But it’s way too soon to be swooning over someone. Or is it?

  So, instead of letting my attraction show, I retort, “No, you make me want to punch you in the face again.”

  He leans in closer, placing his finger on his cheek tempting me. Those plump lips of his are sticking out just right and part of me wonders what they taste like.

  “Baby, I’d let you punch me any day.” He’s still smirking, and I raise my hand to knock that cockiness away, but then he grabs my hand enveloping it in his. Our fingers don’t intertwine, but they don’t need to for my body to react to the jolts of electricity that are shooting through from this simple touch. I notice how well my hand fits right there; it’s almost too perfect.

  I jerk my hand away and try to turn before he can see me blushing. It’s too late; the warmth spreads from my head down to my toes. My body trembles, my core heats, my body responds in ways I haven’t felt in so long—all because of his touch.

  Lucky for me, Whitney turns her attention back toward us and Garrett takes a few steps back. What is going on in his mind? Would he have leaned in closer and tried to kiss me if she hadn’t turned around? Not knowing is driving me insane. Because dammit, I just may have kissed him.

  “We need a little more than the usual Garrett, I invited Raegan for dinner,” Whitney announces as she makes her way toward us.

  “Sounds fun. I think I’ll hang around tonight.” He winks and I feel my knees almost buckle underneath me. What happened to Garrett doesn’t stick around when there’s company? Not that I’m complaining or anything, but I’m having a hard time getting my body back under control.

  Garrett gets on his phone to order the pizza. Within a few seconds, the order is placed and he disappears for a bit. My heart sinks; I feel like such a loser.

  “So, Raegan, do you think you’ll like it at the gym?” Whitney asks after chugging almost an entire bottle of water.

  “Um, I think so. It’s new to me. I mean, I take kickboxing classes but I know this is different. I don’t want to look stupid.”

  “Trust me, you look anything but stupid. Just hang in there; this was just your first day and your kickboxing will make this seem a little easier.”

  When someone knocks at the door, Garrett comes running by out of nowhere to open it for the pizza guy. He barrels into my arm nearly knocks my balance off. Without any hesitation he turns, grabbing my arm to steady me. “I’m sorry, Raegan, you okay?”

  My face turns a crimson red as I try to stammer out a response. He flashes a grin that could have melted a stick of butter and for that split second it felt like we were the only two in the room. I swear the look in his eyes is different this time, there’s something behind them begging to be noticed. The knock on the door repeats and just like that, we’re out of the moment. Bummer.

  As much as I want to eat like a lady, I can’t help but stuff the piece of pepperoni pizza in my mouth. It tastes so freaking delicious. The cheese is hot but not hot enough to burn. Garrett and Whitney joke around the whole time. She admits she’s going to miss him when she moves out. Watching their relationship is interesting, makes me wonder what it’s like to have a sibling. Their closeness is so endearing. I help Whitney pick up the mess and she pulls out some leftover cheesecake from the refrigerator. I’m already stuffed but who can resist a piece of strawberry cheesecake?

  “This isn’t anything special, I promise.” Garrett whispers loud enough so Whitney can hear him. “It’s from a box. Whitney is no Betty Crocker.”

  “Screw you, Garrett,” Whitney retorts. “It’s good and you know it. You ate half the damn thing the first night.” She hands me a piece. He reaches for his own piece but she eyeballs him, clearly irritated . “Get your own piece, since you don’t appreciate me.”

  “Whatever. You know I appreciate the hell out of you.” He smirks as Whitney lightens up.

  Garrett grins again, mesmerizing me. He knows exactly what he’s doing. He leans forward and I can feel him taking over my space. My heart is pounding, oh my God, I’m dying here. I close my eyes, trying to focus on anything to get my breathing back where it should be. I want him to grab my hand again, anything to feel his touch. I open my eyes just in time to see him with my fork in his hand as he brings a piece of the cheesecake up to his gorgeous mouth.

  “Thanks for the bite, Raegan,” he whispers.

  “You could have just asked, asshole.” I smack his hand; I swear I will punch him again if I have to.

  “Now,
where’s the fun in that?”

  I look to Whitney for help, but she’s on her phone.

  Garrett turns on the TV and Grease is playing on VH1. He tries to hurry and change it but Whitney and I complain enough so he leaves it on. He owes me anyway for leading me on. Every time they break into song in the movie, I can see him shifting uncomfortably and then boring holes into us. He’s acting like he had no idea this was a musical. He has to. Everyone has seen Grease at least once in their life. Whitney bursts out laughing. He mumbles something and pretends to look elsewhere. Deep down, I bet he wanted to sing along to “Summer Nights”, I mean who doesn’t want to break out into their best John Travolta voice? But his body seems to relax when I begin to hum. I can’t help it, I love when Rizzo sings, “There Are Worse Things I Could Do”. I’ve always loved this movie; Nancy and I used to watch it all the time which reminds me I need to call her soon.

  I can see Garrett watching me out the corner of my eye. He’s grinning, but it’s not cocky. His lips curl up almost reaching his piercing blue eyes. Whitney doesn’t sit by him like I hoped she would; he is right beside me. I left room so he doesn’t get any ideas but he inches his hand closer so it rubs against my thigh and I feel my skin tingle. I never look at him but slide a little farther away. For every inch I slide away, he follows with his hand, driving me absolutely insane. I keep reminding myself he doesn’t date; he’s just leading me on.

  When the movie ends, I look at the time on my phone, it’s not late but I don’t need Dad being in some sort of fit of rage when I come home past a time he wanted. Getting off the couch proves to be a chore. My limbs are starting to feel sore from exerting myself today. I sat too long and now I am paying for it.

  I hug Whitney and thank her for the invite. This sure as hell beats sitting at home.

  “I can’t get a hug like Whitney?” Garrett asks when I head for the door. That smile is back and as much as I want to slap it off his face, I’m just too hypnotized by it.