TKO: Total Knock Out (TKO 1)

“No,” I choked. I didn’t come this far to stop. “I want to tell you this. I owe you this much.”

He takes his free hand and gently wipes the tears from my eyes. His touch is soft, yet electric causing my body to heat. I want to kiss him and thank him but I can’t get distracted.

I tell him how I never knew my mother, and how

Dad’s drinking got worse and he grew violent. I don’t leave out a single detail—except the fact I think he’s gorgeous. His ego doesn’t need to get any larger than it already is. It was hard to look into his eyes, to see the pain there. When I get to the part about the black eye, he looks more pissed than ever as I explain that’s why I avoided the gym. When he learns I was in jail last night because of my Dad, Garrett is practically seething.

I draw in a deep breath. “And you…you’ve been an ass, but you’ve also been incredibly sweet to me…and all you wanted to do was help. I’m so sorry I shut you out, Garrett. I didn’t regret a single minute of that first night with you and I’m even sorrier I avoided you. I never wanted to do that, but I didn’t see any other way around it. I couldn’t let anyone see me like that, especially you. For some reason, I care what you think about me. But now you know everything…and I get it if you don’t want to talk to me again.” I hang my head, trying to hold back more tears.

I can’t even look him in the eye. I sob quietly, wondering whether this was a good idea or not. He isn’t speaking, and that scares me. My fears are becoming reality. He wants nothing to do with me, I know it. I want to find the strength to stand and walk out with what little dignity I have left, but Garrett cups my chin and slowly raises my head. Again, he wipes the tears away.

“Open your eyes, Raegan, please.”

I do ask he asks, taking in his chiseled face. His eyelashes are wet with unshed tears and his lips tremble. I seem to be pretty good at upsetting people.

“I’m so sorry, Garrett.”

“Stop. I wish you’d told me before now, but I’m not even close to mad at you.”

“You’re not? Do you think any less of me?” I was waiting for him to tell me I had way too many issues, that he couldn’t deal with it.

He squeezed my hand before pulling me closer. I could feel his breath on my lips and suddenly my heart rate sped up. “I can’t stand not being near you. I’m not going anywhere, I want to be with you. I’m in love with you, Raegan.”

“W-w-what did you say?”

He kisses me, I gasp, and he says it again, planting more kisses on my lips. If this is a dream, I don’t want to wake up.

“Do you mean that, Garrett? Don’t say it if you don’t mean it.”

“I do,” he whispers before laughing. “I can’t believe you busted the windshield out of your own truck.”

I grinned, leaning forward, letting our foreheads rest together. “I can’t believe it either. You must think I’m crazy.”

“Well, you’re lucky, I like crazy.”

I crushed my lips against his, finally speaking the words out loud I’ve been wanting to say for so long. “I love you too, Garrett.”

Chapter 23

Garrett

I’m finished. My life is never going to be the same. Ever. Again. Everything about Raegan made sense as she explained her story. Her dad needs help; no father should ever put their hands on their child like that. She’s stronger than she knows. And I admire the hell out of her for that. She’s beautiful and I’m hooked on her.

This wasn’t the way I imagined telling her I loved her but it just came out. The moment felt right. And here we are, inches apart both breathing heavily after that last kiss.

“I’m pretty sure I loved you the first time I saw you. I knew I wanted to change because of you. I didn’t want to be that person anymore,” I admit.

“I don’t know how I ever avoided you, Garrett. Every time got harder and harder.” The look on her face shows me just how much she means what she’s saying. She looks so damn innocent and sweet.

“None of that matters anymore, baby. You don’t have to run, I’m here and I love you more than anything.”

I cup her face with my hands and pull her in crushing our mouths together. She parts her lips just enough for my tongue to intertwine with hers. She leans into me, melting her chest against mine. Holy shit, my breath hitches as our flesh collides. She reaches under my shirt and runs her hands all the way up my chest and then down again. All the blood in my body rushes south and she can definitely tell. As much as I wanted her to touch me, I didn’t let her. “Not out here,” I whisper. No way, not our first time. Any other time, I’d definitely go for it, but I want our first time together to be special and not just on the couch.

I scoop her into my arms as she wraps her legs around my waist; we fit together as if we were meant to. As I carry her to my bedroom, I silently thank the heavens above for placing this beautiful woman in my arms. I run into an end table, knocking down one of Whitney’s favorite lamps—shit. She shouldn’t have left it here. The sound of the base of the lamp shattering scared her, which I thought was too damn cute. Raegan just giggled as we entered the bedroom. I’ve never brought a woman here; she would be the first and the last. If this didn’t work with her, I was going to shatter like that lamp and I’d never be fixed again. Gently, I sat her on the bed. Before I could help her, she raised her shirt over her head, tossing it onto the floor.

The devilish grin she gave sent me straight to seventh heaven. I watched as her chest began to rise and fall with every breath she took. The lime green bra she’s wearing is sexy, but it’s got to go. She must have read my mind because she beat me to it. Damn, I love this girl.

I shower her neck with kisses and move south to those gorgeous peaks that stand at alert just for me. She moans as I pulled them into my mouth one by one. Her back arches once or twice; she wants me as bad as I want her. Confirmation was made as I removed her jeans and felt the outside of her panties. Shit, this was already way better than any bar lay I’ve ever had.