I don’t know why I showed up at the gym that day.  Well, scratch that, yes I do.  I couldn’t stop thinking about Declan and I was weak.  Instead of fighting my feelings for him I decided to give in to them.  I would have to deal with the fallout of us when I got back home.  But, while I was in Mexico?  I was going to have the time of my life.

 

I was waiting for Declan to shower and Zach came over to me to chat.

 

“Hey, Brielle. Tell me, what did you really think of Declan today?”

 

“Honestly, I was really surprised at how good he is. You seem to have done a great job showing him not only how to kick butt but also how to defend himself so that he doesn’t get hurt.  I’m actually kind of looking forward to the fight tomorrow and I feel a lot better about him being able to handle himself after seeing him today.”

 

Zach gave me a huge grin.  “That's a huge compliment, Brielle, thanks. Yeah, I do my best to make sure our guy doesn't get hurt. He’s a beast in the ring, you’ll see.”

 

Our guy?  It was weird to hear that but at the same time it felt really good. Was he my guy?  In my mind he was, at least while we were in Mexico.

 

The look on Zach's face turned serious and he glanced down at the ground before looking back up at me. "You know Declan would kill me if he knew I was saying this to you, but in all of the years I have known him, I have never seen him react to a girl the way he reacts to you. He really cares about you, Brielle, no bullshit.  It means a lot to him that you showed up here today and it means the world to him that you’re going to be at the fight tomorrow. Wait, you are going to be at the fight tomorrow, right?”

 

For a few seconds I was speechless because I totally did not expect for him to say what he said about Declan, but I wouldn’t miss the fight for anything.

 

“Yes, of course I am going to the fight. It’s not really my thing but I want to show my support, so I really hope he doesn’t get hurt tomorrow because I wouldn’t be able to handle it.”

 

“He'll be fine, he'll kick ass, and after the first five seconds of the fight you'll totally be put at ease, I promise.”

 

  Just then Declan came walking out and he looked playfully uneasy as he glanced back-and-forth between Zach and me.

 

“You better not be filling her head with crazy stuff, dude.”  He looked over at me and winked, “Brielle, don’t believe a word he says.”

 

Zach gave him a playful shove as he walked over to us. "This time, dude, you actually do want her to believe what I've said. I told her you’re going to kick ass in the ring tomorrow to help put her at ease.”

 

“Oh, that, well yeah, there’s no other result.”

 

  “All right you two, go enjoy dinner and Declan, I’ll be by later tonight.”

 

We stepped out into the warm Cabo San Lucas evening, the wind blowing through my hair, and I took a deep breath resisting the urge to pinch myself to see if it was real.  Was I really strolling along the streets of Cabo with sexy-ass Declan Ryan?

 

Declan casually slid his fingers through mine and I didn’t object.  “I don’t know what you had in mind, but there is a delicious restaurant just down the block,” he said.

 

"Everything I have had here tastes delicious so I'm sure the one you're recommending will be great."

 

"Okay, cool."

 

I looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "You seem pretty calm for someone who has a big fight tomorrow."

 

He gave me a sly smile.  "I don't really get nervous the night before fights anymore.  All of my adrenaline rushes through my veins the day of and that helps me stay focused and ready to win."

 

"Is this guy good that you're fighting tomorrow?"

 

"Yeah, he's pretty good." He looked at me with a devilish grin. "But he's not better than me."

 

I know he was trying to make light of the fight but I couldn't help but worry so I stopped and turned to look at him.

 

"Please be careful tomorrow. I am sick to my stomach thinking about you getting hurt."

 

He looked at me and gently held my face in his hands.

 

"Wow. If you would have told me a month ago that we would be standing in this beautiful place and you would be looking at me with worry in those gorgeous eyes, I would have said you were crazy." He gently smoothed my hair that the wind had picked up and gently blown across my cheeks.  "I really like where we are now, Brielle. How did we get here?"

 

“I’m not sure.  Timing was finally right, I guess.”

 

His eyes slowly perused my face.  “Yes, it was.”

 

When his lips touched mine a soft moan escaped my lips and my arms crawled up around his neck pulling him closer for a deeper kiss.  I was so happy and it all felt so perfect.

 

Declan pulled away after a minute, his breath coming in pants.

 

“We better stop because if we don’t, in a couple of minutes I won’t be able to stop and that can’t happen.  Not tonight, not right before a fight.”

 

My fingers touched my swollen lips as my eyes searched his and my voice was soft.  “Okay.”

 

He let out a frustrated groan.  “Don’t give me those eyes Brielle, please.  You’re killing me.”

 

I looked away.  “I’m sorry. I don’t want to do anything to screw up the fight tomorrow, so what do you say we go grab dinner and then call it a night?”

 

“Sounds perfect.”

 

We enjoyed a delicious meal, well I did, Declan was still on a strict diet, and then he walked me back to my room.  He told me that he would only be able to spend a few minutes with me after the fight and he would spend more time with me the day after the fight.  He was going to be totally focused before and he would have to be evaluated by a doctor to make sure he didn’t have any serious injuries after. Then he would take an ice bath and rest after the fight.  He said that was the formula for him being able to bounce back from his fights so quickly. 

 

We were both leaving that Sunday so the night after the fight, Saturday night, would be our last night together in our perfect and safe little Mexican bubble.  On Sunday we would have to deal with whatever was going to come of us being together in Mexico.  I thought about that as we were saying goodnight and I felt a little sad and scared that as soon as we got home it was all going to end.  I pushed that thought out of my mind and focused on the amazing kiss Declan planted on me.  As our tongues gently danced and he caressed my skin, nothing else in the world mattered.