Fierce by L.G. Kelso
Series: Whatever It Takes #1
Publication date: April 3rd, 2018
Synopsis (according to Goodreads):
Three years ago, Tori beat the wrong man. Her MMA training partner, nursing a bruised ego, snapped--shattering her trust and confidence.
Now, she's putting herself through college, avoiding all things fight related, and keeping her fists to herself. That is, until her uncle's failing health draws her back to his gym and her old pounding grounds. With her demons still haunting the cage, she's determined to keep up the wall she's so carefully constructed between the past and present.
Until pro-fighter Max Estrada saunters into her life.
The temptation to go glove-to-glove with the sexy Columbian is too much, drawing her back into the world of MMA--a world where her ex-partner reigns as current Middleweight Champion. The secret they share is a liability to his career, and he'll do anything to keep her quiet. If she wants her old life back, and a future with the fighter she's fallen for, she'll have to do more than just survive. With her life on the ropes, she'll have to face her past and fight like she's never fought before.
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Excerpt
Max opened the door. Sporting low-rising pajama pants--and no shirt--along with ruffled hair, he looked as if I had woke him up.
"Tori?" Rubbing his eyes, he stepped to the side, giving me space to come in.
He lived in a studio. The address I had found on his gym paperwork. I was gaining creeper points, for sure. The studio was clean, incredibly clean. And practically empty, save for two stools near a built-in kitchen bar, and a dresser, a bed, and small sofa.
No TV. There were, however, piles of books near the sofa. Piles which still managed to look relatively organized considering they were piles.
"I need a new bookcase. My last one broke," he said, noting my stare. "Tori--"
I cut him off.
With my lips.
I had caught him off guard, but a moment later, his mouth moved with mine.
He kicked the front door closed, keeping his hands cupping my jaw, his fingers twining into my hair. My hands found the back of his neck.
We moved as if we had done this forever. Perhaps it was because we were used to dancing in other ways; that we were used to being in physically intimate space with one another even if it hadn't been romantic.
His tongue sought mine as his body pressed against me. His sense of urgency was starting to meet mine.
Until he pulled away.
"Tori," he breathed my name against my mouth. My body curved in response, wanting to get closer to him. "Tori," he said again, this time pulling his mouth away from mine. "I've been worried. What happened? Why haven't you been answering my calls?" He stepped back enough to stare in my eyes as his thumb trailed my lower lip.
The tingling heat that started in my lips radiated down my jaw, my neck, my spine, causing a wave of chills to prick my skin.
I closed the space between us, kissing him again. My fingers dug into his shoulders, the muscles tensing under my skin. He groaned. I leaned my hips into him. Another groan, and this time, he moved forward, until my back hit the wall.
His hands roamed my side, over my shirt. His fingers were there, so close, but the shirt between our skin was too much.
"Max," I said, breathless.
"Yes?"
"I need you to touch me." I pressed my hand against his stomach, his abs flexing at the touch. Trailing my fingers down lower and lower, I leaned into him, my lips brushing his ear. "Max, touch me. Please."
I needed to touch him; I needed him to touch me. That was what I needed.
"Tori?" Rubbing his eyes, he stepped to the side, giving me space to come in.
He lived in a studio. The address I had found on his gym paperwork. I was gaining creeper points, for sure. The studio was clean, incredibly clean. And practically empty, save for two stools near a built-in kitchen bar, and a dresser, a bed, and small sofa.
No TV. There were, however, piles of books near the sofa. Piles which still managed to look relatively organized considering they were piles.
"I need a new bookcase. My last one broke," he said, noting my stare. "Tori--"
I cut him off.
With my lips.
I had caught him off guard, but a moment later, his mouth moved with mine.
He kicked the front door closed, keeping his hands cupping my jaw, his fingers twining into my hair. My hands found the back of his neck.
We moved as if we had done this forever. Perhaps it was because we were used to dancing in other ways; that we were used to being in physically intimate space with one another even if it hadn't been romantic.
His tongue sought mine as his body pressed against me. His sense of urgency was starting to meet mine.
Until he pulled away.
"Tori," he breathed my name against my mouth. My body curved in response, wanting to get closer to him. "Tori," he said again, this time pulling his mouth away from mine. "I've been worried. What happened? Why haven't you been answering my calls?" He stepped back enough to stare in my eyes as his thumb trailed my lower lip.
The tingling heat that started in my lips radiated down my jaw, my neck, my spine, causing a wave of chills to prick my skin.
I closed the space between us, kissing him again. My fingers dug into his shoulders, the muscles tensing under my skin. He groaned. I leaned my hips into him. Another groan, and this time, he moved forward, until my back hit the wall.
His hands roamed my side, over my shirt. His fingers were there, so close, but the shirt between our skin was too much.
"Max," I said, breathless.
"Yes?"
"I need you to touch me." I pressed my hand against his stomach, his abs flexing at the touch. Trailing my fingers down lower and lower, I leaned into him, my lips brushing his ear. "Max, touch me. Please."
I needed to touch him; I needed him to touch me. That was what I needed.
About the Author:
L.G. Kelso writes authentic sports fiction about characters falling in love with combat sports and also each other. She's a fan of anything that bashes gender stereotypes, and she can be found in her MMA gym when not writing.
Visit her website at http://www.lgkelso.com for more information about her and upcoming projects, including another book in the Whatever It Takes universe.
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