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He reuy who’s already shifted his interest back to his date Seth nods his head, says his goodbyes to the rest of the table, and I shoulder the blame for our sudden departure

We stroll past table after table, unable to avoid the congratulations on the rematch, and when the door is only a few feet away, Darryl and Jackson slip in front of us

"Not now, Darryl," Seth growls through clenched teeth

"I’ve called your lawyers; they’re going to--"

Seth pushes past the me behind him "Cancel them"

"Cancel them?" Jackson questions "Seth, you-"

Seth snaps around and I take a quick defensive step back--untilat the elbow, but he doesn’t let o A few passersbybefore them "I can’t back out now He announced it--in front of everyone I will fucking destroy Don and everyone else the MMAC throws at lances for a few seconds before Darryl retrieves his phone froain, letting go ofan arm around my waist He pulls me away from Darryl and Jackson and we head outside

We don’t say a word to each other, but he keeps h corridors and in elevators--all the way to the hotel rooo to unlock the door and he pushes it open My heart hammers in o inside and be alone with hiht

"Please go inside," he e of his nose

His voice isn’t harsh or co--he seems sad--broken I step inside and I don’t look back I tap as fast as my heels will let me upstairs and into the shower When I come out all fresh and revived, dressed in sweat pants and a tank top, I go back downstairs The lights are dias becoeI hesitate on the last step when I see Seth sitting on the couch with his head in his hands His back is to ht Sing my uncertainty, I push off the last step and ed over to theAs I draw nearer to hiht catches all of the droplets of water on the surface of his skin He used the shower downstairs to avoid me and what I have to say about the rematch with Don I’m not hurt He needs space and I respect that

Before I step around the arm of the couch, I hesitate, and out of pure nervousness, I clear my throat He lifts his head froo…" I esturing for h He slides across the couch tomy back firs and ht on top of ether in a slow rhythht pinks and yellows outside reflect in his dark eyes "Yes"

"You can go to the gym--you don’t have to stay with ht I proposed to my wife, I don’t want to re for now…the rest can wait until toers over his shoulders and down his arertips As ht and et how happy ere tonight before Matthew Somers and the mention of Don Russell destroyed it Seth asked me to marry him and I said yes…I said yes

"We can just lie here in silence and appreciate each other’s coh

Seth rests his head ondown the boulevard His thu pulses of pleasurable energy through ers move smoothly over his shoulder, up his neck, and into his hair I can feel hiscale, but I don’t want hier and poisoning himself with stress from the inside out

I flex my hips and Seth lifts hiest "I can see the news headline now; Fighter Falls Asleep and Crushes Fiancée Under the Weight of his Body"

With a heart-stopping chuckle, we shift positions and Seth lies flat on his back with his hands tucked underneath his head Whoa If I had a dollar for every perfect muscle I see in his upper body alone I’d be rich--or Seth would be rich…because I’d pay his over his hips and unasha every bulance at his enuine sht and happy I run the paler looking at his face I focus on relaxing hiht I can feel his intense eyes onme as I continue to caress him