Chapter 3

Colby was back to hyper puppy mode, following me around our room asking questions when he learned of my date. I love him like a brother, but he must get his energy from leeching it off of people around him. He can tire you out like a herd of kids in their terrible twos. I just told him that I needed to think so please wait and I'd tell him everything when we got back.

I dressed casually; blue tank and shorts with my hair down. Still running how I wanted to handle her through my head, I grabbed my shades and keys and headed out the door. One quick ride up the elevator had me at her door, and when she opened it, I had the sweetest surprise waiting on me. She was wearing a very form-fitting black tank and shorts with her yard of hair hanging loose and John Lennon-type shades resting low on her nose while she looked me over with a growing smile.

"You ready for me?" I asked her.

I won't ever forget this part – not ever. She narrowed her eyes like a hungry cat, nodded her head and said one word that almost made me lose it and pin her against the wall right there.

"Definitely."

I vaguely heard her say bye to a scowling Stephen before she pulled the door shut, and I felt a shiver run through her when I placed my hand in the small of her back to lead her down the hall. Ah, so I affected her body too! What a relief! I thought I was the only one suffering from teenager-on-a-first-date jitters.

The elevator doors opened, and of all people to run into, there was Colby and Jon. The latter had his headphones on, more than likely to tune out Colby, while the walking sugar rush pointed at us and laughed, saying we looked like twins. Probably the one thing he could have said that wouldn't irritate me at that moment. In fact, it made me smile thinking that we were somehow supposed to be mirror images of each other, that it would make it easier for us to find our mate if we looked alike.

I didn't hear another word of what was said during the ride down, engrossed in my thoughts while she chatted away with Colby. Jon continued to ignore everyone until we hit the lobby, slid his eyes to mine, quirked a quick smile and continued on with his day. Colby threw a "have a nice date…time" over his shoulder before he ran to catch up with Jon. And there was the main thing he could say that would irritate me at that moment. I sighed and lowered my head when I felt her eyes shift to me. I didn't want her to know I considered it a date!

"That was smooth." I clenched my eyes when I heard those words before she began to laugh. Damn it! Busted already and I never made it out of the gate. My eyes snapped open when I felt her hand on my arm. "You ready?" That came out soft, like silk caressing my ears.

I slid my arm back in her grasp and laced my fingers in hers. I could tell the move surprised her when her eyes followed my hand's path and flashed from our joined hands to my eyes. "Definitely." Strangely enough or maybe not considering how my brain functions when it comes to her, all I could think about while walking to the car was that her small but deceptively strong hand fit perfectly in mine.

Now remember I said I was a watcher? Well I knew my beauty was on the hunt for a man but not to keep. She was…for lack of a better word, I'll say in heat and wanting something very specific from me; and believe me, I would definitely satisfy those needs of hers without a second thought, but I wanted more than that and had to change her expectations of me.

So as I drove us to a strip mall, thoughts of how to accomplish that task kept running through my head. And sex! Lots and lots of sex thoughts mingled in with my plans which made things difficult. I adjusted awkwardly in the driver's seat, trying to pull the end of my tank over my tented shorts before I reached for her hand, laced our fingers again and settled them on the gear shift.

After I parked the car in a shaded spot, I came around to her side and helped her out, earning another soft smile. The inner animal was pleased that I was handling things with our bigger head so that we could ensure the continued presence of our mate. After all this time, I've gotten good at reading him even when he isn't screaming 'mine' into my head.

Another thing we have in common is that we aren't big talkers. We exchanged small talk over things we looked at in various stores. It wasn't like we didn't know anything about each other and the other little things that were unknown would be talked about and learned over time. No, I didn't use words that day but actions and touch to lead her where I wanted her.

Physical contact seemed to change our breathing patterns, but the little touches that I placed on her back to guide her, the gentle squeeze on her shoulder or taking her by her fingertips to draw her near to hear softly spoken words were the ones that were changing how her eyes took me in. I think the big one was when I pulled her body close into my side to avoid getting smacked by a shopper on his cell, not paying attention while he was walking and talking.

I admit it was an abrupt yank on her arm that pulled her hard into my chest and I was damn pissed that she almost was trampled by that fuckshit. I glared at him before lowering my stormy gaze to hers and the sight flicked an instant switch inside of me.

Her right hand clung to the back of my tank while her left rested over my heart. Her eyes focused on my chest before slowly traveling up to stare into me. She had traces of vulnerability, fear and; dare I say, submissiveness within those onyx depths.

My inner animal roared his need to possess this creature and I stood right beside him, nodding my head in agreement.

Time was quickly running out on us before we had to return for a show, but there was no way I was taking her back before we ate lunch. This was a date after all. At least in my head, it was a date and I was going to do it right. We sat at an outdoor table (yep, there was no sign of that line in the sand now!) and quietly chatted about work, our families, hobbies, and I shouldn't be surprised but my short stint in the NFL. My beauty was a sports freak and not just a little but damn well familiar with the ins and outs of football! I had to be the luckiest man alive to land a hottie that works in my business and loves sports!

Okay, I hadn't landed her yet, but she was enticed by the bait and not just the "bait" because I don't do catch and release. Not with her. I had it in my head that I would give her just "that" if that is all she ended up wanting but damn it, I was going to do everything I could to prove that I was worth more than that and more importantly, that she was too.

I lost the "who has more scars" battle once I spotted one on her collarbone and asked how she got it. We compared ours; told the stories behind them and I learned she was pretty busted up from a reckless youth.

Talking sports and eating took up every last minute of freedom we had before we ended up rushing back to the hotel to get ready for the show. I walked her to her suite (that ever-present hand in the small of her back) before she turned to me and thanked me for the day. I couldn't help myself, I leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead, smiling to myself when I felt another shiver run through her body. "The pleasure was all mine."

The show sucked on so many levels! That night Stephen's feud with Mark Henry took a drastic turn, and he ended up walking away covered in horrible red welts from a belt beating. To say Lex was upset would be an understatement. I could track her down by the sound of her deep voice resonating off the backstage walls if I didn't know where she already was. And the mouth on that woman! Holy shit! Some of the words she yelled at trainers, management, creative and anyone that dared enter her field of vision would make a sailor blush like a virgin on their wedding night.

Yes, I mixed the metaphors because it was that bad!

I did get to see that temper I mentioned before though and how she transformed into that lioness defending her cub. It was impressive…and fucking hot! I stood against the wall in the trainers' locker room and watched with a surge of manly pride as this little hellion scared off huge ass men, sending them scampering from the room when she said she'd take care of her boy herself. Stephen, the silly shit that he is, just grinned at them while she all but beat them out the door.

Her eyes darted to mine, and I wondered for a moment if I was going to be sent packing as well, but the anger bled out of her gaze, and I knew I was safe. "Hi, babe," she whispered before she turned to attend to Stephen.

"Hi, gorgeous," I answered back with a hidden smile since the Irishman was arching an eyebrow at me. "How are you doing, man?" I asked him to deflect that look before it went to crazy eyes again.

It worked. He said he'd be fine after he got some TLC from his lovely nurse. I had a feeling he meant that as a dig at me to see how I'd react, but he never got the chance to find out when it turned against him in the form of his angry and now very emotional nurse. She was crying, her hand shaking as she cleaned up his back, trying to keep her voice hard as she chewed him out for letting them do this to him. He took a rash of shit from this tiny crying woman before he reached back, grabbed her wrist and pulled her to stand between his legs.

"I'm fine, luv," he whispered, clearly disturbed by how badly she was shaking. "Don't cry, luv, you know I can't handle it when you cry. It breaks me heart." His Irish accent comes rising to the surface when he's emotional, and she clearly pulled it out with her sobs.

They exchanged more words that I couldn't hear before she helped him to his feet. He was tired to the bone, and no matter how hard he tried to hide it from her, he was hurting. It came across in neon lights when he leaned heavily on her for support. "Hey, babe?" I started forward, taking his other arm to shift some of his weight off of her. "How about I help him to the showers and we'll meet you in his locker room to head back to the hotel together?" She glanced up from under the oppressive weight of just one of his arms, nodded her head and mouthed "thank you" to me before we made our way down the hall.

We took their car back to the hotel with me behind the wheel and the two of them in the backseat. I watched them as often as I could in the rearview mirror, not to spy on their unique relationship but to see how she acted with people she truly loved. He was leaning forward, trying to keep his abraded back from contacting the seat before she finally just laced her fingers in his wet hair and pulled him to her. He shifted slightly sideways on the seat, facing her, and leaned his big shoulder into her small one, using her as a cushion to keep him away from the leather seat. He rested his forehead against the side of her face, sighing heavily while she ran her fingers through his hair.

So that's what love looks like? The big man looked to be instantly soothed from her comforting embrace and touches to his hair. He closed his eyes and forgot about the pain he was in while he received the TLC we all needed from time to time in this profession. When we arrived at the hotel, I extended my hand to help her from the car before I assisted the big man from the back seat. Between the two of us, we got to their door fairly quick, and I was left with a "thank you for all your help, Joseph" before she shouldered all his weight and kicked the door shut behind her.

You'd think I'd be offended or hurt a bit, wouldn't you? But no, I knew she was having a hard time holding in her emotions and wasn't completely comfortable letting them go in front of me. Stephen taking that kind of a beating on the company's say so really rattled every one of her feelings, and it was about to overwhelm her. I lingered just long enough to hear the dam burst.

"If you ever do this to me again, I will beat your ass black and blue myself! You thick-headed motherfucker! This job isn't worth this, Stephen! Don't do it again!" All of those were just a string that came out one right after the other, and I couldn't help but stifle a laugh when I heard Stephen chuckle. "What the fuck is so funny? Now I'm stuck taking care of your ass when I have better things to do!" That got my attention! I was wondering if maybe, possibly I was the "better thing to do" but the thought faded when I heard her break down into tears again. "Look at your beautiful skin. Don't do this to me again, Irish. I just can't…" And her voice disappeared behind a wave of heart-wrenching sobs. "Don't cry, luv. Come here. I'm sorry, luv, so sorry." I heard Stephen tell her as I walked off and left him to heal her pains now.

It never really occurred to me the things she had suffered while she watched her friends and loved ones get injured on the job or just how badly she might despise this business that took all but one of her brothers from her. She had to hate it…but she stayed for us. She kept coming back for us. And I feel compelled to remind you that I said she was a strong woman in a male-dominated company.

Jon was hanging out with Colby in our room when I finally made my way in. Sugar Rush instantly jumped to attention and was about to let loose the string of never-ending questions about our date when I held up a hand to stop him. I went to the bathroom to change, hearing them mumble among themselves before I came out and reclined back on my bed to focus on the TV.

"So?" I slid my eyes to the left when I heard Jon asking the leading question that I figured would come from Colby. He had a shit-eating grin in place and wagged his eyebrows at me. Between his face and Sugar Rush bouncing next to him, I could not stop the laugh that erupted from my chest. They looked so fucking stupid! If only people knew how different they were from the characters they portray in the ring. Okay, maybe not Jon…

I caved and gave them the details of our date and even told them what I knew she wanted out of me and how I wanted to change her expectations. Colby listened like a kid being read a bedtime story while Jon chewed the inside of his cheek. When I was done relaying everything that happened, everything I had tried then and planned for later and the close of the evening with what I saw and overheard between her and Stephen, I finally had to snap at Jon for shifting around and making his usual faces during my talk. "What? What the fuck is up your ass, Jon?"

"I told you, you had to be careful with that one, bro." I went to open my mouth and he cut me off. "And you are clearly committed to the cause! I am not suggesting that you aren't, but she carries a lot of pain, a fuckload of baggage."

I told him what I thought I discovered along those lines when she broke down over Stephen and how much pain she must have been through when she lost her brothers and her friends got hurt, but Jon shook his head no.

"That isn't the end of it, man. I specifically pumped my mentor, her ex to discover her whereabouts for you and didn't feel the slightest bit of guilt over it because the man treated her like shit after they broke up. He's practically stalked her since then just to keep her on the hook, and as much as I idolize the man, his treatment of her is bullshit. I'm not even going into the crap the Boy Scout did to her in the guise of friendship, so I just want to be damn clear that you stick to your script! If you think there is a chance that you'll deviate from that after you get her interested in more and end up leaving her broken, we'll all be in for a world of shit from the roster because while I'll be pissed with you too, I wouldn't leave your back unguarded even if you have it coming." I was shocked into silence as Jon continued his unusually emotional rant while he rose from the bed to walk to the door. "Make no mistake, Joe, when all is said and done with the others, I'll fucking kick your ass myself." And then he left with a slam of the door as his exclamation point.

"Damn," Colby and I managed to say in perfect sync.