TKO: Total Knock Out (TKO 1)

Soon, “Fall Into Me”, by Brantley Gilbert, begins playing and Garrett looks into my eyes and asks, “Dance with me?”

All I could do was nod yes. I wanted to be able to reminisce about this one day.

He led me toward the dance floor as he wrapped his arms around my waist and began swaying to the music; it felt like we were the only two people there. I rested my head against his chest, listening to his heart beat; it put everything inside me at ease. Everything in this moment ignites sparks throughout my body. It’s more than right, it’s perfect. With his arms around me, I know I am safe and loved. I know there’s not a single person on this earth that could tear us apart. I’m lost in him as the song continues to play. Am I lucky? Hell yeah. I would remember this moment forever. As the song ended, I knew there was nowhere I’d rather be but alone with him.

“Ready to get out of here, babe?”

“I never thought you’d ask.”

After that comment, we didn’t stick around too much longer. We sat in the truck making out like a couple of horny teenagers until the windows fogged up and someone knocked on the window telling us to get a room. His hands were all over me but we’d managed to keep our clothes on. Once we got back to the apartment, clothes began flying in every direction until we were naked in bed. As he made love to me, my whole body felt like it was in a different world.

Chapter 25

Garrett

It’s been two weeks since I asked Raegan to be my girlfriend. My apartment has been tainted with more female crap than Whitney had in here, but I have to be honest, I’m kind of digging the scented plugins

she’s placed in every room. The apartment smells nice, not that it stunk before or anything. I’ve always been a clean guy. I like to think of my couch as plain. It’s just something I sit on; but now there’s a faux fur blanket folded over the back and matching pillows on each side. The mantle holds several candle holders strategically placed around small picture frames.

Lance nearly had a heart attack when he came over since she’s moved in. He mentioned something about how my balls got cut off and she took over the apartment, but she glared at him and he shut up. I never thought meeting one woman could change my life. That she would accept me for who I am and love me unconditionally. That she would be the medicine I needed to keep going when I didn’t think I could. Raegan is my best friend and the only thing I think about. I have it bad for her, and I know it; she’s mine and I’d move Heaven and Earth to get her back if I ever lost her.

Raegan fell asleep two hours ago and for two hours I’ve been watching her sleep. I watch as her chest slowly rises and falls with every breath she takes. She softly snores and I see how peaceful she is. She tosses and turns to roll over and I pull her into my chest. My breathing becomes one with hers but I still can’t sleep. All I can think about is her.

I don’t want her fighting anymore. She doesn’t need to, she’s away from her dad, and he was the reason she started all this. I can take care of her and make sure she has everything she’s ever wanted. What I can’t figure out is how to bring it up without upsetting her. I finally have her where I have always wanted her and I’m scared to lose her. I’m not scared of anything except that. I could lose every fight for the rest of my life and not feel a thing, but to lose her would completely tear me apart. She’s turned my life around and made me want to be a better person. I don’t know what the future has in store for us but all I can hope is she’s there for the rest of my life. About thirty minutes later I finally fall asleep.

Later, I get out of bed and find Raegan fixing a cup of coffee in the kitchen. She grabs an extra cup, handing it to me. This woman is perfect. I kiss her on the forehead as I sit at the table. She stands up on her toes to pull two bowls out of the cabinet and pours some Lucky Charms in. As she slides the bowl to me, I grin.

“Thank you, baby. This looks delicious.”

She rolls her eyes as she pours the cereal into her own bowl. “I’m terrified to cook for you. I honestly have no clue if I even know how, and trust me, it’s probably best I don’t. I don’t want to burn your apartment building down.”

I almost laugh, but the look on her face is telling me she’s not lying. She can throw a punch but probably couldn’t scramble an egg to save her life. “Can you cook toast? That’s a start, babe.”

She glares at me and it takes everything in me to keep my mouth shut. “For your information, I have never burnt a piece of toast!”

“For the record, Raegan, I would eat dirt if that’s what you fixed for dinner.”

“Oh, how’d you know what we were having tonight?” She throws her head back laughing, but stops when her phone rings. She grabs her phone and groans. It slides across the table when she sets it down.

“Something wrong, babe?”

“Everything’s fine. My stepmom keeps blowing up my phone. I guarantee it has something to do with the truck incident two weeks ago.”

“Do you need to call her back?”

“Nah, it can wait until later.”

Once I finished my bowl of cereal, I held onto the cup of coffee, nursing it the same way Whitney did that morning she told me she was moving out.

“Hey, babe, can I ask you something?”

Once she brushes her hair behind her ear, she grabs my hand. “Of course.”

“It’s been two weeks. Now that you’re out of your Dad’s house, are you going to quit fighting? I know it’s probably none of my business and I don’t have a say, but I wish you would. I’m not asking you to quit coming to the gym but I just, I don’t want to see anything happen to you. I’d die if anything happened to you, Raegan.”

“I’m not quitting, Garrett.” She jerks her hand away from mine. “I like it ,okay? I’ve talked to Whitney; I know why you started fighting. Why haven’t you stopped?”

“Our parents died, Raegan.” The pain rose in my throat, making it difficult to say the words aloud. “They were run off the road by some idiot who had too much to drink. They ran into a tree and were killed instantly leaving their two kids behind. Howard saved our lives, giving us purpose. I’m a guy, it’s different.”