Bucking Bear (Pounding Hearts 3)

I blink up at Ethan. Did I hear him right? He wants me to give him a kiss? This is a first. I mean he’s not a bad looking guy, I’m sure any other girl would be happy to kiss him.

Just not this girl.

Even with his head shaved I can look at Ethan and admit that aesthetically he meets all the standards for being hot. He has high cheekbones, soft pink lips and gorgeous baby blue eyes. Honestly, I don’t know why I’ve never looked at him like he’s kissable. Our relationship is strictly platonic, well, at least it had been until now.

Maybe I’m reading too much into this...

But no, his face is coming down to me. Shit, he’s totally coming in for the kiss. I should probably do something.

I panic.

I turn my face and instead of giving Ethan a good luck kiss those soft lips of his brush across my cheek instead.

He pulls back and for a moment his eyes flash. He looks pissed. Then he looks away from me and that dazzling smile of his returns for the crowd.

“Go, Avery,” Ethan hisses.

Well, that leaves no doubt, I totally pissed him off.

“I’m sorry,” I apologize. “I was just…”

Ethan doesn’t let me finish, he quickly cuts me off. “Go,” he says loudly, loudly enough for the guys standing next to him to hear.

He turns away from me and for some reason it hurts.

Why, I wonder as I walk out of the room, do I feel like I’ve done something wrong?

Chase

This is my favorite part right now. The bell is about to ring any second and I get to do my job. I get to do what I am paid a very hefty sum to do. I get to punch someone, and not only is it legal but I am fully encouraged to hurt him as much as possible.

God, I fucking love my job.

“Fight!” Harry yells to us as his hand comes down to signal it’s time for the festivities to begin.

This is when the boys get separated from the men.

I have watched every taped fight Ethan has ever had. He loves to charge in headlong with fists flying. More than likely he does it to throw a fighter off his game and put him on the defense. I've done that myself a time or two. I will stand up against a guy who loves to bang it out or I will grapple a guy down to the mat when he is supposed to be one of the best. I like this style of fighting the most. Ethan has hard hands and has won most of his fights from quick knockouts or submissions. He hasn't had a fight last past the first round.

Ethan punches straight at me with what has to be in his mind knockout punches. He’s swinging for the fences here.

I dodge, take one on the arm and then just wrap myself around him. I use my weight as a counterbalance and pull him down fast with him getting partially on top of me.

It's usually not the best place for someone to be but I don't mind. My ground game, in my opinion, is far superior to his and I prove as much by throwing a couple of quick jabs to his face then I grab for his neck.

I'm not able to clench in tight enough before he pulls back and stands up. I’m much more exposed this way, lying like a turtle on my back. He kicks at the sides of my legs but doesn’t go for my head. That's a no-no, a big way to end the fight early with a disqualification.

After a little time passes where neither of us lands anything promising, Ethan takes a large quick step back and motions for me to get up.

The crowd howls with what sounds like bloodlust.

He paces just a bit, waiting for me to make up my mind. I jump up quickly and take a large step back. Slowly I work myself around the cage from him.

We’re nearing a minute on the clock.

I lunge in fast at him swinging with my left fist as I try to land a good punch on his chin. The punch grazes the side of his shoulder and hits him around the head and arm as he blocks himself.

I throw a right at the side of his body and hear an oomph that leads into another body shot.