I’m lost.

This woman is wrecking me.

I don’t trust anyone but being with Hannah is how most people must feel with their families; like it’s home. No stress. Like they won’t betray you.

I feel like I could trust her.

She’s too fucking good for me but I want her.

It’d be selfish.

I’d be putting her in front of the cameras every time I climbed in the cage.

When she talks about her family, she doesn’t know it, but she needs them. Loves them like crazy. Even when she complained about her twin brothers being such pains in the ass when she was younger, I could see it in her eyes that she’d die for them.

I’ve never had that.

Never known anyone who would die for me, except maybe my grandma.

Don’t have a clue what being a brother would feel like.

My guess is, it’s like having the best friend in the world, who even when they gave you shit you’d still have their back because they’re your blood.

Gritting my teeth at the impending doom of saying goodbye to her, I sift through the summer dresses in one of the hotel shops. This pink one would look great on her, but I have a feeling she’d prefer this black one. More elegant, less girly.

As I run my hand down, I find a long slit up the side. “Nice,” I mutter at how sexy it’ll be on her curves.

“Can I help you?” an attractive brunette asks, strolling toward me with a nametag that reads, Lita. She’s got a similar build to my girl. Lucky me.

“What size are you, Lita?”

“I’d be a small except for these,” she smiles, eyes flirtatious as she points to her rack.

Uninterested I finger through the size tags and mutter, “So, a medium then.”

“Yes.”

“Great.” I hand the dress to her. “Put this on my room.”

Bending down to grab some pretty sandals I turn them over and toss them back into place, resuming my search for a size nine. “And these.”

She takes the shoes and strolls back to the small desk that houses a small computer, her hips moving with extra swing.

“What’s your room number?”

The way she said that, it’s a tone I’ve heard before. I’ve traveled enough cities to know she’d be open to joining me in my room if I just said the word.

“My girl and I are staying in 1111,” I answer, so she knows I’m taken. Why am I buying this shit otherwise? What’s she even thinking? This is for my mother?

Lita’s smile doesn’t change.

Hell, maybe I misread her.

Maybe she’s born with that come-fuck-me look.

Who knows? Who cares.

As she folds the dress to slide it in a bag, she says, “I saw your fight last night.” Her dark eyelashes float up. “You were incredible. And that was Hannah Cocker who cheered you on, wasn’t it?” My mouth goes lax. “Are these for her?”

“You know what? Just give me that. I don’t want it wrinklin’ up.” I snatch the dress from her fingers before snatching up the shoes, too.

As I stride out she calls after me, “I was going to suggest I could join you guys.”

Throwing her a look over my shoulder I mutter, “Jeezus. No fuckin’ way.”

So Hannah wasn’t kidding around. She really does have to be careful. Can’t believe that chick just called her out like being with us would be a celebrity gangbang for her journal.

Fuckin’ gross.

Making my way toward the elevators I shoot an irritated look toward the front desk and see Senator Justin Cocker talking to hotel personnel. My footsteps slow, because that can’t be a coincidence. He looks pissed underneath that smile.

I crane my ear to hear what he’s saying.

“Which room is Tobias Kyrkos staying in?”

What the fuck?

Oh hell, the fight was televised, wasn’t it? Her father must have seen her holding up that card, shouting at me to win. He must have put together that she was more than just a fan, and now he’s come to rescue her from the big bad me.

Motherfucker.

Now what?

Making my way through tourists to jab the elevator call button, all my muscles are in knots.

I wanted more time.

This ain’t fair.

I’ll tell her he’s comin’ and ask her to stay with me, let me hang out with her and her cousins anyway, even if he thinks I’m a bad influence.

Of course he’s come to save her.

I know who I am. She’s way out of my league.

And yeah, she’s a grown woman, but the way she spoke about him, there’s no way she’ll choose me over him.

No fuckin’ way.

And if I have to admit it, I wouldn’t want her to.

What I wouldn’t give for a dad.

Muttering, “Shit!” under my breath I shake my head as the clock keeps ticking toward our ending.

I’ve gotta beat him to my room because that guy looks like he could talk anyone into anything, and that female clerk was all goo goo gah gah for him, just like Lita was for me.

He’ll have my room number in seconds.

On the eleventh floor I break into a run and bang on the door, trying to find my fuckin’ key. I know I grabbed it. Where the hell did I put it?

Hannah opens the door with a towel around her dewy body, hair dripping and smelling of sweetness. Shit, he’s gonna hate that.

She looks at the dress and her eyes go wide. “Oh my God, let me see!”

Handing it to her I hurriedly close the door. “Babe.”

“Something wrong?”

“Your dad’s comin’ up.”

She backs up like I’ve hit her, eyes wide. “What? How? You saw him?”

I nod and she drops the towel, her body glorious as she hastily steps into the long sundress and pulls the straps over her shoulders, scooting it all into place, totally distracted by my news.

“Maybe he’s in town for business,” she mutters, trying to understand. “Maybe this has nothing to do with me!”

“He was asking for my room.”

“What?!” she cries out in horror, backing into the wall. “How does he know where I am?”

God, this is killing me.

My time with her is precious.

I know she’s going to go with him.

He’s her fucking savior.

I read the news.

I know what happened.

The guy’s a damn hero.

He earned his power over her love.

Me she just met.

She’ll forget about me in time.

But I’ll never lose the memory of her.

“My guess is he saw the fight. Or someone did, and then they told him. He must’ve flown in today.”

“Emma!” she whispers, eyes sharpening. “Sofia told her and then she told him!”

“Babe, not possible.” My eyes dart to the clock on the dresser as I point to it. “Sofia’s driving her here to Boca right now! Your dad flew here already, and that means it’s gotta be from the fight. If he saw it he knows you and I have something goin’ on. Sofia didn’t have time to tell Emma shit.”

The door bangs. “Hannah! You in there?! Let me in!”

Hannah’s lips go white. “Oh Tobias.”

“Babe,” I whisper, pulling her to me for a kiss. She crushes her lips to mine with desperation as her dad calls through the door again.

“Hannah! Open the door!”

She and I rip apart and I grab the door handle.

“Wait!” she whispers, slipping on the sandals so she’ll appear more dressed. Like it matters. The bed behind us is evidence of what we’ve been doing.