CHAPTER TWELVE
ERIC
Sweat drips into my eyes and down my nose as I throw a few more jabs. The harder I can punch, the better. When I don’t know how to deal with the shit in my head, I just beat the fuck out of something until it all makes sense again.
It’s also very handy when I feel the urge to strangle a client. Half my boxing gym is lawyers. Most stressful job in the country, you know.
Geoff winces behind the bag he’s holding. Good. I throw a few more solid hits and watch him jiggle and huff on the other side. He’s trying to be a good sport, pretend he can hang with the big boys when he definitely can’t.
This is the best possible scenario for today. Beat the fuck out of the bag to try to figure out why I can’t get Kate out of my head.
Nothing went to plan. As soon as I saw her, some alien took over my body and all sense of reason fled through the fucking window. I just needed compromising pictures. I didn’t need to follow her up to the room.
I wanted to, no doubt. Instead of keeping a cool head, remaining as distant from that shit as the moon is from the sun, I was buried in her. I lost myself in her body.
It was goddamn unacceptable. No one woman should get to me like this, ever.
“There he is.” Paxton tightens his gloves and throws a light punch at my shoulder. “There’s Casanova.”
“Fuck off.” I throw the hardest punch yet and Geoff stumbles back. “Don’t you have some skirts in County to chase?”
“Oh-ho!” Paxton plasters a shit-eating grin on his face. “Did I hit a nerve?”
“You can’t hit shit.”
“He’s a little on edge.” Geoff chimes in. I glare at him and he holds the bag. “Probably because he found a girl he likes.”
“Jesus Christ, Dr. Phil.” I throw my arms back to keep from punching him in the face. “Your job is to hold the goddamn bag, not attempt to discern my mood. In case we all fucking forgot, I’m currently at the beck and call of some goddamn asshole with too much money who makes my life a living hell on the daily. I’d like to burn some steam.”
“No, you’re right.” Paxton nods, sounding every bit like the dick he is. “You’re definitely beating the shit out of that bag because McArthur sucks balls. Or, clit, really. But you forgot who was your trusty cameraman out there, bro.”
I glare at him and go back to the bag.
“I’m just saying. We’ve done a half-dozen of those stings over the past few years and never before have I seen you so heart-eyed.”
“Did you just say heart-eyed?” Geoff scoffs. I pause to stare at him, to make sure it was really him who said it. “What? It’s stupid.”
“We’ll make a man of you yet.” I nudge his shoulder with my glove. “Kate is a difficult nut to crack, hombre. I did what I had to do.”
“I’m sure you did.” Paxton humps the bag next to me. “Was it good? Tell me it was good. Tell me she has a golden pussy. In my dreams, it sparkles like that strapless dress she wore to the Oscars last year.”
“Wouldn’t know. I have some decency, Jesus.”
“Bullshit. Bullshit! I bet you did her good and can’t stop thinking about it. I’ve known you for a decade, fucker. You can’t pull the wool over my eyes.”
I wipe the sweat from my forehead on my arm and shove my glove into his chest. “Got something to say, Pax?”
“Oh, shit. You’re hooked on this broad.”
“I will annihilate you in the ring. Don’t think I won’t.”
“Is that what you really want?” Paxton still has the stupid grin on his face. He rolls his shoulders and hops from foot to foot. “Come on, pretty boy. Think you can hit me while you’re all up McArthur’s slut’s vag?”
Anger surges through me, hot and raw. Anger at Paxton. Anger at David. Anger at myself. I turn on a heel and go for the ring without another word. Two scrawny guys are dancing around, but I throw an elbow at one and they clear out quick. I’m not sure what exactly is steering this fury, but I know I’m going to kick Paxton’s ass for it.
“Talk it out, bro.” Paxton taunts me and throws a punch I easily duck. “Do you need a manicure while we are at it?”
“Only if your sister sucks my dick afterwards.” I throw an uppercut and he blocks it.
“That was real creative. High-class insult, Stevens. I’m embarrassed for you.” Another punch thrown. This time he hits my jaw, but not hard enough to send me back. “She must really have you twisted.”
We dance around the ring, throwing punches and shit talking. The most unnerving part is somewhere in there, Paxton is speaking a truth I don’t want to hear. That night in Kate’s hotel room was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. It wasn’t just fucking a client’s woman. I collect weeping wives like timepieces. I’ve just never felt something during it.
When she was under me, arms clasped around my neck, staring at me like I was the answer to some need she’d never had fulfilled, I got hit in the chest with an emotion I hadn’t felt in years. This is the kind of shit I swore off my first year in the courtroom because I saw how relationships ended.
I saw how people dissolved and fell apart and hated each other. I saw massive fortunes dumped into the accounts of adulterers and cheaters. I saw careers end. That shit’s not for me.
But all I wanted to do, tangled up with her, was stay there. I didn’t want to leave. I didn’t want her to go. I wanted that night to stretch on. I wanted to watch her walk out to the balcony, wrapped in white linens, over and over. I wanted to feed her grapes for breakfast and fuck her some more.
It is goddamn unacceptable. I need to sweat out whatever the hell is brewing in my veins because I’ve got a job to do. She can’t be the end of everything.
“Come on, Eric.” Paxton taunts again. He nails me in the jaw, hard. “Why are you so off your game? What happened with that girl?”
“I don’t know.” I grit my teeth and land a few good ones on Paxton. “You can let it go now.”
“I’m your best boy. I don’t let things go.”
“You’re my best boy because you let things go, Pax.”
“False. I’m your Jiminy goddamn Cricket. And I’m here to tell you to get your dick out of that girl and focus on your job.” He launches after me, endless punches flying my way. “Otherwise, you’re going to watch your whole damn career crash and burn.”
This, more than anything, fans the flames tearing through my veins, and my jaw sets into a hard line. I’m not going to lose anything because of this woman, not matter how badly I want her.
“Get your shit together.”
I turn, deadly calm, and land a full knockout blow to Paxton. He stumbles backwards and falls on his back. I lean over him.
“Eric Stevens always has his shit together.”
I leave him in the ring.