The Fight for Love (Contemporary Romance) (7 page)

***

After their date as they said their farewells out on the street Lucie didn’t get close enough to offer Cedric the chance to try and kiss her. Not that she suspected he would. It was clear to both of them that they weren’t what the other was looking for. But still they politely declared that they’d had a lovely time and would contact one another again. And then Cedric disappeared down the street and Lucie was left staring once again at Dalton’s almost bare image on the street bench. Biting down her lip she wondered how she was ever going to get over him when even on a date he was all she could think about. She wished there was a way she could remove his handsome image from all the billboards and benches in town. But that wouldn’t be enough. Her lips still tingled from his kiss, her heart still raced. She’d see Dalton everywhere she looked regardless of all the promotional posters. Disheartened, Lucie turned away from the restaurant and began heading back to her empty apartment.

It was more than the heavy weights he’d been lifting which made Dalton ache. He couldn’t stop thinking about his conversation with Lucie, about how he’d so brutally turned her away. The more he thought about it the more ridiculous he felt. Why should he have to choose between his career and his heart? Surely he could have both? Dalton was one of the greatest fighters in the world. Having a girlfriend wouldn’t change that.

Each night before he fell asleep he remembered how good it had felt to be with Lucie. It killed him to imagine her with someone else. A week had passed since he’d seen her. Was she already over him? He hoped not.

One night in the darkness, between hours spent tossing and turning, Dalton reached a decision. He would stop ignoring his heart and tell Lucie how he really felt. If she cared for him in the same way that he cared for her, she would honor his commitment to his career. Sitting up in bed Dalton reached for his phone and began to place an order. He just hoped that he wasn’t too late and that Lucie would still be willing to hear him out.

***

Lucie was still feeling blue following her unsuccessful date with Cedric as she entered her shabby apartment building. The evening was unseasonably cold and she shivered as she stepped inside. She had been hoping that the foyer would offer some warmth but it felt just as cold as outside which meant that the heating system in the building was acting up. Again.

“Great,” Lucie grumbled to herself as she ignored the broken elevator and headed straight for the stairwell. “Just great.”

The walk up the stairs to her floor warmed her up a little. Her key was already in her hand as she approached her apartment door but she stopped suddenly when she spotted something propped up outside the door against the wall. For a sudden panicked moment she wondered if she’d got off at the wrong floor. Tentatively she approached the door and checked the number on it. It was definitely her apartment. Then she glanced down at the delivery waiting for her.

A dozen red roses were gathered together in a bright bow. Slowly Lucie reached down and scooped them up in her arms. A small white card was within the bouquet on which her name had been neatly written. Lucie unlocked her apartment door and took the flowers inside with her.

Her first thought was that they must be from Cedric. He did seem like the kind of guy who’d send a girl a flowers after a first date. But how would he have known where to send them? Surely Deena wouldn’t have given him Lucie’s address? But then who else could they have been from? Unable to ignore her curiosity any longer Lucie put down the bouquet and plucked out the little white card. As she opened it her heart was racing.

The note written upon the card was succinct but sweet.

Lucie,

Please forgive me for being such an idiot. Let me make it up to you. Tomorrow night, dinner?

Dalton xxx

Lucie read the note again and again, struggling to let the words sink in. The flowers were from Dalton. He did care! Grinning like a Cheshire cat, Lucie regarded the roses with renewed admiration. They were long-stemmed and elegantly beautiful. Once she was done admiring them she gathered them together and placed them in the only vase which she owned. It was small and struggled to hold them all but when Lucie stepped back to admire her beautiful roses she felt her heart swell in her chest.

She was still smiling when she reached for her phone and sent Dalton a message to accept his invitation of a date.

***

“I’m glad you agreed to see me again,” Dalton said sincerely from across the table. He looked deliciously handsome in a crisp white shirt and dark denim jeans which fit him perfectly, hinting at his impressive physique.

Lucie had worn her favorite green dress which tied up at the back. But she still felt underdressed compared to the overly made-up women all around her. Especially the ones who kept stealing envious glances at her and Dalton. They were in one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city and Lucie felt decidedly uncomfortable.

“I wouldn’t have blamed you if you’d never wanted to see me again,” Dalton continued. He seemed oblivious to the countless pairs of eyes which were watching him across the restaurant. Either that or he was just used to that level of attention.

“I think that everyone deserves a second chance,” Lucie explained simply. “Besides, they were very beautiful roses.”

“Did you like them?” Dalton grinned.

“Yes,” Lucie nodded. They were easily the nicest flowers anyone had ever sent her. “They were lovely. Thank you.”

“Still, it wasn’t just the flowers I wanted to send. It was also my humble apology.”

Lucie felt relieved to hear him apologize so profusely. It made her think that perhaps the Dalton she’d met in the parking lot was the real Dalton after all. That he was the kind, noble man she hoped him to be.

“You look stunning,” Dalton gestured at her from across the table and Lucie blushed. She was worried that she looked plain and out of place. She’d straightened her hair and put on some makeup but her efforts paled compared to the pristine women around her, most of whom could barely smile thanks to all the Botox injected into their cheeks.

“Thanks,” Lucie blushed modestly. “But I feel pretty out of place here. Everyone looks so…”

“Fake?” Dalton offered cheekily.

“I was going to say elaborately dressed,” Lucie said diplomatically.

“I come here for the food, not the clientele,” Dalton explained.

And when their meals did arrive it was easy to see what he meant. Not only did the food taste divine but it was also exquisitely presented, looking like a piece of art and almost too good to eat.

Lucie savored every bite as she looked out of the window beside her which offered an impressive vista of the rain-soaked city. When it rained the city seemed to magically shimmer and sparkle.

She was so excited to be out with Dalton. Just looking at him made her heart race.

“What made you get into fighting?” she asked, remembering the question she’d stored up for him while she’d been out with Cedric.

“I’m not sure I’ve ever really been out of it,” Dalton mused, drinking from his glass of water. He didn’t drink alcohol, at least not during the peak of training, and the next fight he had coming up was a really important one. “Where I grew up, you either threw a punch or took one. I chose the former.”

“It sounds…brutal,” Lucie offered sympathetically.

“It was,” Dalton nodded thoughtfully. “It was also a long time ago and I try not to dwell on the past.”

“You’re certainly a long way from where you grew up,” Lucie said kindly.

“Not far enough,” Dalton glanced past her, out the window. “On a clear day you can see over to the projects,” he explained.

“When I catch a glimpse of it out of my apartment windows it’s like a reminder that no matter how far I go, or how high I climb, it’s still there, waiting if I slip up and have to return.”

“Well, from what I saw the other night you’re in no danger of returning to where you grew up.”

Dalton’s eyes widened in confusion and Lucie reddened as she realized what he must have thought she was referring to.

“The fight!” she insisted quickly. “You were a real powerhouse in the ring. I pity any man who has to go up against you.”

“Thanks,” Dalton smiled, though she thought he looked a little disappointed but maybe she’d just imagined that.

“What attracted you to the world of journalism?” he asked before placing a forkful of steak into his mouth.

“I like to write,” Lucie admitted. “One day my dream is to become a published author.”

“Well, you’re on the right path if you’re writing every day,” Dalton nodded as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.

“You don’t think it’s too big a dream to chase?” Lucie wondered, remembering what Cedric had said about her desire to be a writer.

“No dream is too big to chase,” Dalton told her sincerely, his eyebrows drawing together. “The bigger the dream the more work required to achieve it, that’s all.”

“Exactly,” Lucie agreed, starting to feel breathless. Dalton understood her. He valued her dreams. And he looked impossibly sexy in his shirt and jeans. Lucie was starting to mentally undress him as they sat at the table. She hoped that it wouldn’t be long before they left the restaurant and were finally alone.

***

An hour later Lucie got her wish as they arrived back at her apartment. She was already unbuttoning Dalton’s shirt as she kicked open the door. He was showering her in hot, passionate kisses which made her entire body tingle with delight.

Pulling Dalton into her apartment she kissed him deeply, letting her tongue glide against his. He tasted amazing. They were still hungrily kissing one another as they made their way into her bedroom. Lucie’s heart was racing as they finally crashed down on her bed. The same bed she’d wanted to invite Dalton into after they’d shared their first kiss.

He was kissing her shoulders and easing down the straps of her dress.

“Dalton,” Lucie purred his name and assisted him in undressing her. She dropped the garment to the ground as Dalton reached for her panties and began sliding them down her legs. Lucie groaned in eager anticipation. This was what she’d been fantasizing about since she’d first met Dalton.

He scooped her up in his powerful arms and repositioned her upon the bed so that her head was on the soft pillows. Then he began to kiss a line down from her neck, towards her breasts and then her belly button. Lucie could feel the excited tension building up inside her. Dalton’s hands were running up and down her slender legs, savoring every curve.

“Oh, Dalton,” she gasped his name again as his hot tongue pressed against her clitoris. The room around her exploded in a medley of fireworks as she raised her hips and climaxed against him several times.

“You’re amazing,” Lucie declared breathlessly as Dalton curled up beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

“So are you,” he whispered directly into her ear. They spooned as he entered her. Lucie loved the feel of his six-pack pressed up against her. His entire body was so smooth, so powerful. She was again amazed at what an attentive lover he was. He cared just as much about her pleasure as his own.

When they finally uncurled from one another they were both exhausted. Lucie tried to fight back the lure of sleep. She wanted to enjoy Dalton’s company more. She wanted to stay up talking to him until the darkness outside turned grey. But as she lay beside him, listening to the steady rise and fall of his breath, she felt her eyelids grow heavy and she was unable to fight the fatigue within her.

Curling up next to him Lucie let herself fall into a deep, dreamless sleep. Outside rain pattered against the glass of her window and a distant siren squealed. But Lucie heard none of this. She was blissfully exhausted and content in the arms of the man she was certain she was falling in love with. Everything about their date had been perfect. From the flowers, to the apology, the meal and their time in bed together. Dalton was what Lucie had always wanted. He couldn’t have meant what he’d said to her in the gym. There had to be space in his life for both her and his career. But she was too tired to discuss how it would all work. That was a conversation which could wait until morning.

Dreamily Lucie rolled to the other side of the bed and pulled the cotton bed sheets up over her
.
She could still distantly feel the warmth of Dalton’s body as she began to drift off to sleep, her own perfect Adonis sleeping soundly beside her. For the first time in a long time Lucie felt happy and content.