Naked Choke (A Stepbrother MMA Romance) (2 page)

Chapter Two

My mom drags me along, and all too quickly, we're nearing
the three men. Duke turns around with a small smile, which is a rare sighting
on him.

"Caitlyn," he says with a nod. I smile back, knowing
he's not one for hugs. "This is my son Austen," he says, gesturing
slightly toward the blonde one who caught Maya's attention. I blush as he
reaches his hand toward me, glancing up at the muscles bulging out of his white
t-shirt.

"Pleasure to meet you, Caitlyn," he murmurs as our
palms touch.

"You too," I manage to blurt out.

"And this is Logan," he adds, tilting his head
toward his slightly shorter son. Logan knocks his hood off his head before
silently reaching his hand out, revealing a mop of dark, wavy brown hair. I
gulp as his dark brown eyes catch mine. He's just as good-looking as his
brother, but in a completely different way. Austen's face is light and open,
while his younger brother's has a brooding intensity to it. "Sorry we're
late," Duke adds, his eyes flicking toward Logan for a moment. Logan
shifts, and I understand immediately that he's the cause for their tardiness.

"Don't worry about it!" my mom exclaims and ushers
them in. Austen steps in next to me as we head back next to the lanes, while
Logan trails behind.

"The way my dad talked about you, I was picturing a
little kid. Maybe pigtails," he says quietly. I can see the other girls
from school eye the two brothers as we make our way through the guests.

"Oh, I haven't worn pigtails in over a month," I
reply with a smile.

"Really? I would have thought longer," he grins.

"This is my friend Maya," I introduce her, as we
reach the lane where I'd been playing.

"Yes, I'm Maya," she says breathlessly. "I
mean,
hi
."

"We just finished a game, if you guys want to
play," I suggest.

"Sure," Austen says. "I'm going to go grab a
drink. Anyone else want anything?"

"Diet coke," Maya chirps.

"No problem," he replies, and she almost swoons.
My mom and Duke lean over the scorecard, writing our names in. Logan
immediately takes a seat and pulls his hood back on, staring down at his phone.

I feel a hand grabbing my elbow and turn to see Stacy behind
me. "Hey Caitlyn, Happy Birthday," she says.

"Oh, thanks—"

"Are those guys your friends?"

"They're my mom's boyfriend's sons," I reply,
smelling vodka on her breath. Stacy and her friends are notorious for bringing
alcohol to every party. As long as none of them throw up anywhere though, it
should be fine.

"Ugh, you are so lucky. Introduce me?"

"Um, sure." Austen's over at the drink table, so I
turn to Logan, still engrossed in his phone. "Logan? This is my friend
Stacy."

"Hey," he replies, barely glancing up.

Unfazed, she slides into the seat next to him. "Oo, are
you watching a fight? Is that karate or something?"

"MMA."

"Who's winning?"

"Vega, by my count. But Akulov just threw a nasty
elbow."

"Right…" she says. She stands back up and gives me
a suggestive nod as Austen appears at my side.

"Oh. Austen, this is Stacy," I say obligingly.

"Nice to meet you," he says with a smile, then
turns to Maya. "Here you go."

"Thanks," she says with a giggle. I almost roll my
eyes at her. She is unable to act normally around hot guys.

"You want some of our drinks?" she asks Austen,
nodding toward her friends in another lane. "They've got a little extra
kick to them."

"I don't drink while I'm training," he replies,
bringing a cup of water to his lips. "Hey, Caitlyn, sorry we didn't get
you a present. The three of us are pretty hopeless when it comes gifts, but
maybe once we get to know you better we'll have a better idea…"

I smile. "Don't worry about it, honestly. So, what are
you training for? My mom said—"

"You look like an MMA fighter to me," Stacy cuts
in, as though she hadn't just gotten that information from Logan.

"That's right," he says, his eyes narrowing at her
slightly. "My dad trains Logan and me and a handful of other
fighters."

"Oh my god, that is so cool," Stacy gushes.
"I'd love for you to show me some moves sometime," she adds, and
lightly grazes her fingers against his bicep.

"My schedule is pretty packed," Austen says. Wow,
I've never seen a guy turn Stacy down. And neither has she, from the shocked
expression on her face. "'Scuse me, looks like I'm up," he adds,
setting his water down and grabbing one of the heaviest bowling balls.

With a huff, Stacy turns and heads back toward her friends,
while I watch Austen smoothly bring his arm back and send the ball spinning
down the lane. As he grabs another ball, I turn my attention to Logan. His upper
body is moving slightly, swaying and then making sudden small movements. I
think he's reacting to the fight he's watching as though he's the one in the
ring.

MMA fighters. I barely even know what that means. I can't
believe my mom didn't tell me more about Duke's sons. Not just the fact that
they're fighters, but that they're so ridiculously hot. Though I suppose that
would have been a bit strange for her to describe them that way. I look over to
see Duke whispering in her ear as she grins like a schoolgirl. I think she's
been a bit distracted, to say the least.

Austen heads back to me, having knocked down his final pin.
"So, you just graduated?"

I nod. "Last week."

"I'm sure everyone's asking you this, but any plans for
the fall?"

"I'm going to cosmetology school. My mom's a
hairdresser, maybe Duke told you, and the owner says they'll be a job waiting
for me when I finish." I say it as brightly as I can, though truthfully
I've been having trouble getting excited about it all. For the first time, I see
Logan look away from his phone and stare up at me for a moment. I shift
uncomfortably under his penetrating gaze until he looks back down.

"Oh, that's great. Hey, you're up," he adds,
nodding toward the scorecard. I sigh and pick out the lightest ball I see, and
then make my way to the center of the lane. I was fine with knocking down only
a few pins when it was just Maya and I, but now… I take a deep breath and try
to concentrate. I swing my arm back as straight as possible and let go of the
ball. It bounces slightly as it hits the wood, and I hold my breath as it
wobbles down the lane. I smile as six pins fall. Not great, but not
embarrassing either.

"Good one, Cat!" my mom calls out from her seat. I
take another ball, and manage to knock over two more pins. Austen greets me
with a smile as I step back down toward the seats. I feel his hand rest
momentarily on the small of my back and a thrill of pleasure runs through my
body as his thumb rubs against my thin t-shirt.

"Not bad," he says with a sly grin. I blush and
smile, forgetting how to speak. Thankfully, he turns to his brother.
"Logan. Logan! You're up."

Logan looks up, frowning, then reluctantly stands. He walks
quickly to the balls, picks up the nearest one, and with one smooth movement, he
rolls a clean strike. Without even a smile of celebration, he returns to his
seat and picks up the phone again.

"Sorry about my brother," Austen murmurs.
"He's unable to take a break."

"And you?"

"I think it's healthy to blow off some steam," he
says, meeting my gaze steadily. Is it my imagination, or was there something
extra under those words?

"MMA…is it dangerous?" I ask, sipping my diet
coke.

"Not as much as people think. When it first came on the
scene, people thought it was barbaric. But they eventually realized it's
actually a lot safer than boxing."

"But boxers, they wear pads, don't they?"

"Yeah, but they're hit again and again, and mostly in
the head. Causes a lot of brain damage. That’s why my dad stopped," he
adds, nodding to Duke. "He used to be a champion heavyweight, but he got
too many concussions. Still gets migraines and stuff from it. In boxing, you
get ten seconds to get back up, and then the pounding continues. In MMA, if a
fighter stops fighting back once, the fight is over. Plus, they don't always
end with a knockout. You can also tap out."

"Tap out?"

He grins. "Maybe it would just be easier to show you.
There's a semi-pro fight nearby in a couple weeks. Why don't you come with
me?" I almost spurt out the soda in my mouth. Is he asking me out on a
date?

"Um, sure, yeah," I stammer. "Could you just
excuse me for a second?" I hurriedly put down my cup and head for the
bathroom. I mean, Austen is the hottest guy I've ever met, though on the other
hand, his brother might be even…
Focus
. The point is, our parents are
dating. Isn't that going to be a little weird?

I stop at the door to the women's room and try the knob.
Locked. "One second!" someone calls from inside. I turn and lean
against the wall next to the door, nervously chewing the side of my lip. Should
I have turned Austen down?

A shadow blocks the light at the end of the short hallway
leading to the restrooms. I glance up to see Vince watching me.

"Hey Cat," he greets me. I smile uncomfortably.
"Cat" is a nickname that the people closest to me use sometimes,
whereas Vince and I have only ever exchanged a few words.

"Hey Vince," I greet him. "Oh, congrats on
Colorado," I add, not knowing what else to say.

"Thanks," he replies, walking toward me and
leaning one arm next to my head on the wall. I lean away slightly, not liking
how close he is to me, or the smell of cigarettes and whisky coming off him.
"Probably won't get a lot of playing time as a freshman, but whatever. You
really look a lot different this year. I mean before, you were kind of mousy,
but you're super-hot now."

"Um, thanks…" I reply. I think he actually meant
that as a compliment.

"To tell you the truth, I was pretty happy when Stacy
and me broke up, 'cause I've always wanted to do this." Suddenly he leans
down to kiss me. His lips are almost on mine before I even realize what's
happening.

"Oh, um, I don’t—" I mumble, leaning my head back
until it hits the wall. He stops for a moment and frowns down at me.

"Come on, Cat. I can have any girl I want, and I want
you," he replies, then leans back down. My body freezes up, and I feel
trapped.

"Well, not
any
girl." Vince stops and
glances toward the entrance to the hallway. Logan is standing there, his face
expressionless. "This girl, for example, doesn't seem to be interested."

"Who fucking asked you, bro?" Vince demands,
standing up and turning toward him. Logan takes a few steps forward as Vince
looks him up and down. Vince is built like an ox and has a couple inches on
Logan, and in his loose sweats, it's impossible to tell Logan's body type,
except that he's got broad shoulders.

"Just being a concerned citizen. How 'bout you return
to the party?" Logan suggests with a calm I find amazing to witness,
considering the size of the man in front of him.

"How 'bout you mind your own fucking business?"
Vince retorts, then reaches up with both hands to shove Logan in the chest. To
my surprise, Logan shakes his head as he stumbles back a step.

"I really wouldn't do that," he says in the same
even voice.

"You fucking pussy," Vince says, raising his arms
again. But this time, Logan grabs his arm and twists, and to my shock, Vince is
suddenly bent over backward with his right arm looped through one of Logan's.
"The fuck…" Vince begins, then lets out a sharp yelp as Logan does
something to his hand.

"Don't move. This is called an arm bar, though all you
really need to know is that I could break your arm in a second. Got it?"
Logan asks. Vince grunts, sweat forming on his brow. "There are two
lessons for you to learn here," Logan continues, as though he's in front
of a class. "One, when a woman says no, you should respect her decision.
And two, there is always someone who can kick your ass. Nod your head yes that
you understand." Vince obediently nods. "Good."

He releases Vince, who jumps away from him, his eyes wide.
Logan makes a slight move toward him, and Vince takes the hint. He gives Logan
a wide berth as he heads back out the hallway and toward the front doors of the
bowling alley. Logan looks back to make sure he left, then turns toward the
men's bathroom without even looking at me.

The door to the restroom is closing behind him before I
manage to squeak out, "Thanks!" It shuts behind him and I'm not even
sure he heard me. I stand in shock over what just happened. The door to the woman's
room opens and a middle-aged woman walks out.

"Sorry for the wait!" she says, shaking her hands
dry.

"No problem," I mumble. I look toward the party as
she walks down the hallway. No one's turned this way. It all happened so quickly
and quietly that no one even noticed.

Chapter Three

"Hey, you OK?" Maya asks me as I walk back over to
our lane.

"Um, yeah, I guess so," I reply, giving myself an
internal review. I mean, I did panic when Vince tried to make a move on me, but
Logan acted so quickly I feel like I almost imagined the whole thing. I look
over to see him sitting back in his chair, watching his phone again like
nothing happened. I stare at him for a moment. Should I say something in front
of everyone?

Maya nudges me. "Hey, weirdo, it's your turn."

"Right, sorry," I reply with a little shake of my
head. I bowl a four this time, and spot Austen smiling at me as I walk back.

"Guess your birthday luck's run out," he says with
a grin.

"Yeah, I think you might be right about that," I
respond drily. The rest of the afternoon passes by quickly, maybe because a
part of my brain feels like it's disconnected, off trying to analyze the day's
events. Before I know it, I'm blowing out the candles on the layer cake my mom
bought and the guests are waving goodbye.

Duke and his sons are among the first to leave. "Sorry,
gotta get back to the gym," he explains, before surprising me by leaning
in to give me a stiff hug. "See you soon."

"Yeah, thanks for coming," I reply. Austen gives me
a wave and a wink before heading out, but Logan doesn't even make eye contact.
I frown after them. What is that guy's deal? He steps in like some caped
crusader but he has the manners of a rude eight year-old. 

After everyone else leaves, Maya and I walk to the parking
lot by her car. My mom has some cleaning up to do inside, and she refuses to
let me help on my birthday.

Wasting no time, Maya grabs my arm as soon as we're outside.
"OK, so was it just my imagination, or was Austen completely flirting with
you?"

"Well, I think he actually asked me out on a
date," I confess.

Maya gasps. "Wait, you
think
?"

"He invited me to an MMA fight."

"No, that's great. That's what he
does
– which,
by the way, is so effing hot – and he wants you to know more about it. He wants
to share his life with you!"

"I don't know about that! Plus, he's Duke's son."

"So? I mean, hello? You're not related to the guy. Ugh,
I wish an older guy would ask me out. I'm so tired of these high school
guys."

"Tell me about it," I murmur. I'm about to let her
in on what happened with Vince, but my mom walks out with a bag of presents in
one hand and the remnants of the cake in the other.

"All set!" she calls out happily. "Did you
enjoy yourself, Cat?"

"Yes, it was great, Mom," I assure her.

"Bye, Joanne!" Maya says with a wave to my mom.
"Thanks for the party! And Happy Birthday, Cat!"

"Bye, sweetie!" my mom calls back as Maya gets in
her car. She places the cake on the roof of the car as she unlocks it, then
slides it in the back seat along with the presents. "So you really had a
good time, right?" she asks as we buckle up.

"Yes, mom, really," I assure her. No point in
telling her about Vince. It would just upset her.

"And you liked Austen and Logan?" she asks as we
pull out of the parking lot.

"Yes, though… I don't know. They weren't exactly what I
was expecting."

"What were you expecting?"

"Honestly? That they wouldn't be that
good-looking!" I reply with a laugh.

"Oh, I guess they are lookers, huh? I only have eyes for
Duke these days, I guess. He says that Austen is a great fighter, might even
make it into some big fighting group or something."

"That's great," I reply, thinking that Logan's
moves didn't look too shabby either.

"The reason I was asking was, well…" she drifts
off, eyeing me nervously as we stop at a light.

"What?" I ask her apprehensively. I've never seen
this expression on her face before.

"Duke and I… we're moving in together," she says
in one rushed gulp of air.

"Oh... Oh!" I exclaim, dumbfounded. My mom hasn't
had a relationship in so long that I don't really know how to react to news
like this. "Wait… so does that mean that I…?"

"Yes, that's right. I mean, obviously it wouldn't make
sense for us to keep the apartment just for you, so it would mean that you'd be
moving, too. We'll sublet the apartment for the summer while we give the whole
cohabitating thing a shot."

"Uh-huh," I mumble, my breath starting to feel
uneven. "And Duke's sons, where do they live?" I ask, praying for an
answer I know I'm probably not going to get.

"They live with him. It makes sense, while they're
training. I mean, they train five or six hours a day, it's a real profession,
so it's tough to make money at another job."

"Right, yes, of course." So many thoughts and
questions are running through my head that I'm having trouble keeping track of
them all.
How many bathrooms does this house have? Do the doors lock? Can I
live in some sort of unattached shed in the backyard so that I don't have to
live under the same roof as two of the hottest guys I've ever seen?

"You sure you're OK with this, honey?" my mom asks
worriedly.

"Yes, mmhm, definitely," I reply brightly, my
people-pleasing personality winning out over my concerns.

"Oh, yay! I'm so excited. I think it's going to be such
a fun time, I really do. And after a few months, if we feel like it's not
working out, well then, that's that. Duke hasn't been in a relationship in a
long time either, just like me, so we're both feeling our way blindly, if you
know what I mean."

"He hasn't dated much since his divorce?"

"No. He was really devastated when Fiona left. Don't
tell him I told you this, of course, but she left when it became clear he
couldn't box anymore. That was when she showed her true colors. She only wanted
the spotlight, to be with a champion, and she had no trouble spending their
money. Last he heard, she was hooked up with some pro baseball player."

"That's awful."

"He had a hard time trusting anyone after that. Really
threw himself into learning to be the best coach he could be. You know they
used to call him "Big Rig" back when he boxed? You know, Duke
Riggins, and because he's so big—"

"Yeah, no, I get it. Logan looks more like his mother,
I guess. I mean, Duke and Austen have the blue eyes and blonder hair."

"Oh, I guess I never really thought about it. But he
must. Duke doesn't have any pictures of her around or anything. I don't think
he wants to think about her."

"Mm," I murmur, looking out the window. Well, I
guess that date with Austen is probably off now. I can't really picture us
leaving for it with our parents looking out the window after us, and then
eating breakfast together the next morning. But that's really the least of it.
I had an idea of my summer planned out in my head: get a part-time job, hang
with Maya, relax after four years spent with my head stuck in textbooks. Of
course, it might not be just the summer. What if Duke and my mom get married? I
wonder how soon I'll be able to afford my own apartment.

"I know it's a lot," my mom murmurs after an extended
silence.

"No, it's OK. I'm just trying to wrap my brain around
the whole thing," I say with a feeble laugh.

"Well, just remember: you and me, OK? We're a team.
That always comes first."

"I know, Mom. I know."