This disruption came in the form of a five-foot-six, brown skinned, mole at the top right corner of her mouth, pain in the ass. The very same one I’d just been silently thanking myself for leaving back in Southern California.
“What. The. Hell?” I managed to get out through gritted teeth.
“Surprise,” she announced, pushing right through me and entering my hotel room.
“I don’t do surprises,” I blurted out, seething and turning to her after slamming the door shut.
“You look pissed,” Syd surmised.
“Do I?”
“Let me explain,” she insisted, holding her hands up in front of her.
I growled at the image in my mind of taking both of those hands in one of mine and slamming them up against the door as I pressed my body against hers.
“I know you didn’t want me to come. I promise, I won’t intrude on your time with your family. But I—”
“Brother.”
“What?”
“Time with my brother. Not my family. There’s a difference.”
Her forehead wrinkled in confusion and son of a bitch, I found that attractive too.
“Okay… well, either way, I won’t butt in on your time with your brother. You have my word. But I think it’s important that I be here. The training phase you’re entering is getting more complicated and not having anyone with you, even for the next few days, to make sure you’re doing everything correctly, could be detrimental.”
I listened as she went on about how vital her presence was to my training. I held off on telling her that in Williamsport, I had access to one of the top MMA fighters the last decade had ever seen. That also included his trainer. Why I held back was the ultimate question.
Because you want her here.
My brain shouted at me, daring me to deny it.
“You’re not staying in here,” I demanded, the only thing I could think of to say.
“No.” She shook her head. “Of course not. My room is actually down the hall. Again, like I said, I’m not here to crowd your style or anything. Your brother’s opening his business and I respect that. I’m just here to help guide your training. That’s it.”
I squinted at her, trying to figure out her angle. As I did, my phone buzzed with a text message.
Are you here yet?
It was from Jacob. I quickly typed out a response, letting him know I was at the hotel and what my room number was.
“That must be your brother. I’ll leave you to it.”
I didn’t say anything as I glanced up from my phone to watch Syd roll her suitcase in the direction of my door, opening it, and seeing herself out. As soon as the door closed behind her the entire room felt bereft. As if, in the short three minutes she’d been in here, she’d breathed life into it. Into me. That was the bullshit I couldn’t stand the most about being around her.
The emptiness in the pit of my stomach when she wasn’t around.
That heady spark of energy I only felt while fighting, jumping out of a plane, racing down a long stretch of highway or, on occasion, fucking, Syd brought on by her mere presence. How the hell was I supposed to counter that?
“Fuck,” I cursed before moving to the bedroom to unpack the few items of clothing I’d brought. I’d also brought with me a jump rope and a few bands to do some muscle activation as a way to loosen up after my flight.
Minutes after I changed into a pair of shorts to workout in, Jacob sent me a text informing me he’d be over around six to pick me up for dinner at his home. The house he’d moved into with his wife a few months ago. I’d started to decline the invitation because that was always my inclination, but I reminded myself I was there to watch my brother open his business. It was my job to be there and celebrate him and Grace. I’d showed up to watch him get married months ago, and now to the opening of their business.
Shaking my head, I began jumping rope out on the balcony of the spacious hotel room I’d made sure to reserve.
Although there was a gym on the fifth floor, I chose not to utilize it yet. This was a shakeout workout. Something to get the blood circulating. Not really a training session. And of fucking course, when my thoughts went to training, they strayed to the woman who’d had the unmitigated gall to follow me to Williamsport and reserve a room a few doors down from mine.
