Page 66 of Falcon

It’s true. I do feel a sanctuary with him. He makes me want to face my demons head on and battle them until they are dust in the wind.

The hopeless romantic in me wants the same for him in return.

“I do. I know it’s crazy and I know we really just met, but I feel this spark when we are together, and I’m a selfish man who doesn’t want to give that up yet.”

“I feel it too,” I admit.

“Good.” He places a kiss to my forehead. “Let’s finish your shopping then go have some lunch. I’ll tell you all you want to know about my injuries.”

We unpack my groceries in relative silence, except for the occasional question from him about where I keep certain things. We move around each other easily, comfortably, which is something I can’t help but notice.

There is no awkwardness, no tension…nothing except calm.

I close the fridge after sliding the milk into the shelf on the door and turn to lean my back against it. “That’s by far my least favorite errand.”

“Grocery shopping?” he asks.

“No. Putting the groceries away. I hate it almost as much as I hate laundry. Actually, that’s not true. I’d rather gouge my eyes out than fold clothes,” I say with a giggle.

“That was very…graphic.” He chuckles with wide eyes.

“But it got my point across, didn’t it?”

“Very much so.”

“Mission accomplished.” I push off the fridge and step toward the table. “Okay, lunch. What are you feeling?”

“I’m in the South. Feed me Southern food. What more could I ask for?”

A smile spreads over my face. “I know just the place.”

Falcon

“You have some sauce on your face,” I tell her, as I sink my teeth into the most delicious barbeque ribs I’ve ever had in my life.

“Where?” she asks, licking her lips in the most adorable way, which is only amplified by the fact that there is a smear of sauce dotting the tip of her nose. She wipes a napkin across her mouth. “Did I get it?”

“Not quite.” I reach across the table and slide my thumb over her skin, taking the sauce with me. I don’t even hesitate before putting my thumb into my mouth and sucking the sweet and spicy sauce away.

I can see her body shiver afterward, and I’d be lying if I said that fact doesn’t make the caveman inside of me beat his chest. Honestly, I have to physically stop myself from tossing her over my shoulder and carrying her off to the nearest private area.

She must feel it too, because she shifts a bit in her seat, clears her throat then changes the subject. “So, want to talk about what happened with Nora?” She takes another bite of her food and waits for my answer.

I lean back in the booth and release a heavy breath. “When I started fighting, it was on the underground circuit. Back alleyways, parking lots in the middle of the night, warehouses, stuff like that. Fights aren’t nearly as regulated there as they are in the professional circuit. I wasn’t good at first, obviously. I took some blows to the head. Broke some bones. Had some back and shoulder trouble. Spine trouble. When I got picked up by my agent, and eventually signed with the WFC, I was able to get treatment and help with any residual shit that my early days caused.”

“And now? Is it coming back to bite you in the ass?”

“You could say that. I’ve been having migraines. Bad ones, actually, and my doctor seems to think it’s related to my profession. One too many bumps to the head. His words.”

“What does he think could happen if you keep fighting?” She looks at me, really looks at me. She’s interested in what I have to say and has genuine concern in her eyes, but it’s different. Her eyes aren’t full of expectation. She isn’t going to tell me to stop. She isn’t going to guilt me. She just wants to listen.

Not like my sponsors, who wonder if they’ll be looking for a new fighter to wear their fucking logo on their trunks.

“He’s worried it could cause problems down the line. Memory loss, mood swings, and if I get hit hard enough, there could be trouble with my spine.” I rattle the things off quickly, as if they mean nothing and are nothing.

“Jesus.” She reaches over and places her hand on mine. “That sounds terrifying.”

I slide my thumb along hers softly, enjoying the feeling of her skin on mine.

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