Safe with Me (With Me in Seattle 5)

“Shit!” Nate and Craig both squat beside me and take my hands in theirs, helping me up to a sitting position.

“You okay, sweetheart?” Nate asks.

I nod and drag air into my lungs. “Knocked the wind out of me.”

Nate steps back, but Craig smiles gently down at me and tucks my hair behind my ear and glides his knuckle down my jawline, sending goosebumps down my arms. “Nothing sexier than a sweaty woman,” he mutters.

“Sweaty women are not sexy,” I respond with a wrinkled nose, smiling up at him and then quickly glance guiltily around for Caleb.

“I think that’s enough for today,” Caleb announces as he bounds into the ring, his face tight with anger. He glares at Craig who immediately backs away and takes my hand in his, helping me to my feet. “Are you okay?” He asks me.

“I’m fine. I can keep going.”

“No, that’s enough for today.” He shakes Nate’s hand. “Thanks, man.”

“Anytime.”

“I want to play too!” Jules announces as she pulls herself into the ring. “C’mon, Bryn, I’ll spar with you.”

“No!” Both Nate and Caleb yell at once.

“She won’t hit me hard,” Jules mutters with a pout.

“I’m not hitting you at all. You’re pregnant for Godsake.” I shake my head at her and laugh. “You can go nine months without kicking ass, Jules.”

“Nine months.” Her eyes go wide before they land on Nate. “You’d better get ready for lots of verbal ass kickings if I can’t kick your ass in the ring.”

“Yeah, you scare me.” Nate smirks and pulls her into his arms.

“You’re sweaty,” Jules complains and tries to squirm away, but Nate holds strong.

“C’mere,” he mutters and buries his face in her neck, making her giggle.

“I’m out of here,” Caleb announces.

“Hold up,” Nate calls out and kisses Jules’ head before sauntering over to Caleb. “If you have time, I’d like some one-on-one time with you in the ring. You look like you could use something to take a swing at.”

I look up in surprise to see Caleb considering Nate’s invitation. He glances down at me with hot blue eyes and then back at Nate.

“Yeah, I’ve got time.”

“Don’t hurt him too much, ace,” Jules grins and kisses Nate’s cheek before taking my hand and leading me to the side of the ring.

“Have they done this before?” I ask her.

“I don’t know,” Jules shrugs. “I don’t think so, but Caleb comes to this gym when he’s in town, so they might have.”

“Helmets?” Nate asks.

Caleb shakes his head no and reaches over his shoulder, grips his t-shirt and pulls it over his head and tosses it my way.

“Damn,” I whisper at the sight of him. Every time I see his bare skin is like the first time.

A crowd has gathered around the ring to watch the two athletes go at each other. They circle each other, both the same height, broad-shouldered, but where Nate is dark, Caleb is fair.

It’s quite possibly illegal to have two amazingly hot men in the same ring together.

Suddenly, Nate leans in and jabs, and it’s on. For several minutes, they punch and deflect, kick and push and throw each other on the floor, only to bounce right back up.

Their faces are feral, eyes hot and trained on the other, and it’s the hottest damn thing I’ve ever seen in my life.

“They’re going to kill each other,” I mutter in awe.

“Maybe,” Jules nods. “Jesus, look at them!”

Nate takes a swing at Caleb’s face, but he grips Nate’s fist in his hands and twirls, picks him up on his back and slams him to the ground, his elbow in Nate’s throat.

Nate kicks out of the hold and they continue, heaving and sweating. Bleeding.

Nate has a trickle of blood coming from his nose, and Caleb is bleeding near his left eye.

And neither looks ready to stop.

Finally, after Nate kicks Caleb in the ribs and follows up with an elbow between his shoulder blades, Nate’s dad rings the bell.

I didn’t even notice that he was here.

“Enough!” Mr. McKenna yells out. “If you have more aggression to get out, take it up with a bag. Not each other.”

Nate and Caleb are both bent at the waist, panting and sweating, catching their breath. Jules and I are both holding ours.

“What the hell was that all about?” I ask.

“Testosterone?” Jules asks with a bewildered shrug. “It was kind of hot though.”

I nod in agreement and watch as Nate stands upright and approaches Caleb, shakes his hand and pulls him in for a man-hug. He talks low for a few moments and Caleb’s eyes narrow before he pulls back and nods, offers Nate a half-smile and pats him hard on the shoulder.

They both come down off the ring and smile at us.

“Feel better?” Jules asks.

“Yeah,” Nate shrugs and offers her a cocky smile. “I could have taken him down.”

“In your dreams, McKenna. I was going easy on you,” Caleb retorts and pushes his arms through his shirt and pulls it over his head.

Oh, don’t put the sweaty muscles away yet!

“We should go,” I murmur and smile at Caleb. He’s still a bit reserved and quiet, and I can’t figure out what’s wrong with him.

“We should go too,” Nate agrees and pulls Jules to him, knowing how sweaty and grimy he is.

“See you tomorrow night!” Jules waves at us, laughing and half-heartedly trying to fight Nate off.

Caleb leads me to the car, opens the door for me without saying a word and then climbs into the driver’s side. After driving for more than ten minutes in complete silence, I decide to clear the air.

“I didn’t flirt back,” I blurt out.

“What?” He asks, barely sparing me a glance.

“With Craig. He flirted with me, but I didn’t flirt back.” I cross my arms over my chest and look out the window, not paying any attention to the sights of downtown Seattle, or the rain as it rolls down the window in ribbons.

“I don’t give a shit about that guy,” Caleb mutters and turns down my street.

“Then what’s wrong?” I ask with a frown.

He swallows and glances at me, rubs his fingers over his lips and looks like he’s going to say something, but changes his mind.

“Nothing.”

He’s lying.