Author: Molly McAdams

“No, everyone was still in the kitchen, I just happened to be standing there with Konrad when they walked by.”

I nodded and tried to be happy about that. “Can you get the key to his room please?”

“Harper, you can't just hide when someone tries to embarrass you.”

“Breanna. Please. I can't face Brandon right now.”

“Why not?”

“Did you not just hear everything your brother said? How could I after that? He'll probably start calling me PG like the rest of them.” I looked at her like this should be obvious.

“I don't know him well, but from what I have seen this week and what you've said I would bet he isn't like the rest of them. He's seriously pissed at Chase for embarrassing you. I had to talk him down from going after him and coming to your rescue. I figured you'd want to talk to me first.”

“Thanks Bree, you're a good friend. And I'll talk to him, but later. Can you please go get the key, I really just want to be alone right now.”

She shut the door behind her, but a few seconds later I heard her voice coming back towards the bathroom. “She doesn't want to see you right now, just give her some time.”

I could tell it was Brandon by how deep the voice was, but I couldn't make out what he was saying to her.

“Because she's humiliated! She'll come around though...No, if you want to blame someone, you can blame me. I'm the one who told everyone the first day she met them...Look, Chase is an ass, but you're going to embarrass her more if you confront him. He'll make sure of it, so drop it.”

I didn't hear anything else for a few minutes until Bree came back with the key. She checked the hall before leading me to Chase's room.

“My first two parties ever, and I hide out for most of them.”

“Well I don't exactly blame you for this time. But I wish you would talk to Brandon. He doesn't understand why you're avoiding him.”

I laughed humorlessly and grabbed a pair of pajama shorts and racer back tank top from my bag. “Thanks for talking to him for me. I think I'm just going to go to bed.”

“Really? It's only eleven.”

“Yeah, we got up early; I'll stay up later tomorrow, kay?”

I grabbed my mouthwash, toothbrush, paste and clothes and ran back to the bathroom. Before shutting the door, I turned to Bree, “Thanks again Bree. If you see Brandon again tonight, will you please tell him I'll see him tomorrow?”

She frowned but nodded. After I was make-up free and clean, I put on my pajamas and climbed into the bed. I don't know how long I'd been in there, but it wasn't long before Chase came barging in.

“Can't you just leave me alone?” I groaned and rolled over to face him.

“Once again Princess, you're in my room.”

“Fine, then I'll go.” I tried to make my way around him but he planted his hands on my shoulders holding me in place. “Chase let me go!”

“Not until you talk to me.”

I couldn't even throw my hands out in exasperation, “We have nothing to talk about!”

“I'm sorry I hurt you but I was just so damn mad!”

“Do you know how immature you sound right now? You decided to hurt me because you were mad?! What did I ever do to you Chase? And why do I always end up with your hands on me? Let. Me. Go.”

“Because you won't stop and talk to me for five minutes!”

“Then you should understand that I don't want to talk to you.” He still didn't let me go, “Answer me! What did I do to make you mad?”

His face was suddenly directly in front of mine and he gripped even harder, making me gasp from the sudden pain; it felt like his thumbs were digging into the sockets. “Nothing! You did nothing, I'm not mad at you!” The scent of vodka was pouring out of his mouth, I'm pretty sure I could get drunk just from his breath.

“Seriously, you're hurting me! Get off me and leave me alone!” I didn’t feel threatened yet, but I instinctively went through different moves I’d been taught in case I started to.

The door swung open and Brandon rushed in, followed closely by Bree and a few others. “What the hell, Chase?!” He roared and stomped towards us.

Brandon's fist connected with Chase's face seconds after his hands left me. I shrieked and jumped back as he fell to the ground.

“Keep your hands off her!” Brandon took a step towards me and pulled me close, cupping my face in his hands. “Was he hurting you?”

I just stared at him and put a hand over his reassuringly. I didn’t need a guy coming to my rescue, but damn if Brandon punching him hadn’t just turned me on.

“Come on, let's get you out of this room.” He led me towards the door, stopping at Bree. “Bree I'm sorry –”

She held up a hand to stop him, “Don't. He deserved that one.” She smiled at us before glaring at her brother, still on the floor. Brandon must've hit him hard. “Can you make sure Harper has a bed to sleep in tonight? I don't want him near her.”

“Of course.”

“And keep your hands to yourself.” She said sternly, complete with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes ma'am.” He squeezed me gently once before pulling me through the crowd gathered in the doorway and hall. Once we were in his dark room he turned to face me and cupped my cheeks once again. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I'm fine. He wasn't doing anything other than trying to talk to me.”

“He doesn't need to force you to speak with him, or to stay in the room with him. He should have let you go the first time you asked him.”

“The first time?”

He sighed, “We heard everything Harper.”

I groaned and let my head sink into his chest, silently thanking the dark for hiding my blush, “Awesome. I'm starting to think I'm just not meant to come to this house.”

“Maybe just when Chase is here.” He laughed when I playfully slapped his stomach. “I'll protect you.”

“I noticed that. I think you knocked him out.”

“Trust me, I didn't. I only hit him hard enough to make him think twice before touching you again.” He released me so he could look at my face, or attempt to anyway, it was really dark in his room, “Did that bother you?”

“No, just surprised me. I wasn't expecting it.”

“I'm sorry, it was hard walking in on you two for the second time tonight and hearing you tell him to let you go.”

If I had punched him, I wouldn't have stopped with one. And here he was apologizing for standing up for me. I wrapped my hands around his neck pulling his face to mine, pausing just before our lips touched, “Don't be sorry.” I pressed my lips softly to his twice, before resting my forehead against his.

“I shouldn't have done that in front of you.”

I smiled into the darkness, I understand he didn't know that my entire body was warming over what just happened, but I wasn't about to tell him that either. “You're sure you didn't knock him out though?”

Brandon's rich laugh surrounded me and I sighed at the warmth it carried, “I do this for a living Harper, I’m positive I didn’t hit him that hard.”

“Uh, what? You do what?”

“I fight, didn't Bree tell you that?”

That was a big negative, I'm pretty sure I would have remembered something like that. “Um, no. What do you mean you fight for a living? Fight how?”

“MMA, it's mostly underground fights though. Every now and then I'll do local tournaments, but I prefer the Underground. Less rules, better pay.”

Suddenly his size was a little more intimidating. He was tall, muscled and seriously rugged. But I had thought he looked like an underwear model, or an Abercrombie and Fitch model. “Huh.” I replied lamely.

“That bothers you.” He deadpanned.

I shook my head. Nope, still definitely turned on, even more so now. Was that weird? “How long have you done that?”

“Started going to a gym and training after my dad died, just to let everything out. It wasn't until I ran into Brad and Chase in a gym here my Freshman year that I started on the Underground.”

“They fight too?” How had Bree failed to mention all this?

“Not really, mostly just train at the gym. They've done a few fights, but I haven't seen Brad fight since maybe middle of last year, Chase around the same time.”

“Huh.” I repeated. Man I was all kinds of brilliant tonight.

Brandon's face was guarded while he tried to understand my thoughts.

“That's kind of creepy, but kind of hot. Can I see you fight?”

He smiled widely. “If you want, I'm sure there's another one coming up in a few days.”

“You don't know when it is?”

“Nope, I get a call an hour before it's supposed to happen. Other people start finding out about it after, that way there isn't enough buzz to attract unwanted attention.”

“Unwanted...like cops?”

“You're quick,” He whispered against my neck and I shivered from his warm breath against my skin, “Are you ready to go to sleep?”

Not really, but I nodded anyway. “Where are you going to sleep?”

“I'll sleep on the floor.” He kissed my nose and swept me into his arms like I weighed nothing at all.

“Holy crap!”

He laughed and pulled the comforter back on his bed before lowering me into it.

“You do realize I could have done that myself?” I said a little breathlessly.

“Yeah, but where's the fun in that?” He kissed a trail from my collarbone to right behind my ear, “I'll be back in a few minutes.”

I heard some drawers open and shut before he left, and though I tried to calm myself enough to fall asleep, I was still wide awake when the door opened about five minutes later revealing Brandon in nothing but a pair of work out shorts. And dear Lord that boy had an amazing body. My eyes were traveling up his torso and I thought I saw something on his chest, but before I could look close enough, the door shut and the room was dark again. He grabbed a pillow from the bed and dropped to the floor. After a few more minutes I realized there was no way I was going to fall asleep knowing he was down there. He had to be uncomfortable, and he didn't even have a blanket.