“Special?” I don’t appreciate the smirk on his face. “Don’t you think he makes all his women feel that way?”

“He doesn’t have women,” I fire back. “There’s only me.”

He shakes his head and sighs. “When he breaks your heart, Princess, you can come to me.” He leans in, but I move further away to keep him from actually touching me. “I don’t mind X’s sloppy seconds. He’s got great taste in whores.”

Before I can stop myself, I smack Rex across the face with as much power as I can muster. “Screw you. Don’t ever call me that.”

He grins as he rubs his face, completely unfazed by my actions.

I turn on my heel and storm away from him, refusing to stand there and listen to any more of his ridiculous attempts to get under my skin. A few feet away, I spot Xavier coming down the hallway toward me.

I run to him and throw my arms around him, willing myself not to cry.

He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls back to gaze at my face. “Everything okay?”

I shake my head. “I just smacked Rex across the face for calling me one of your ‘whores.’”

Xavier’s eyes darken. “Where is he?”

I grip his arms, attempting to hold him in place. I shouldn’t have told him, and had it not been for him catching me while I was still heated over the situation, I probably would’ve opted to tell him later, when Rex wasn’t around.

“Let it go, Xavier. I handled it.”

He shakes his head. “The fucker has it coming.”

He steps back, peeling me off of him in the process, and heads in the direction I just came from. I trail behind him, but his legs are so damn long it takes me twice as many steps to keep up.

Rex is still leaning against the wall in the same spot he was in when I left him, only now he’s talking on his cell phone. Xavier doesn’t say a word as he charges Rex and grabs him by the shirt, pulling him away from the wall and then slamming him back, causing Rex to let out a grunt. Rex’s phone falls to the concrete floor and shatters next to his feet.

Rex laughs darkly. “Do it, knock yourself out of your title shot—for the second time tonight.”

“That’s not what this is about,” Xavier growls.

Rex’s eyes flick over to me and then back to Xavier. “Her? She’s what’s got you so riled? This isn’t like you, X. That pussy must be something else.”

My mouth drops open, and my heart pounds against my ribs. Rex has no clue what he’s asking for.

Xavier rolls his fingers tighter into Rex’s shirt as he draws his fist back. Rex’s eyes widen as the growl emanating from Xavier’s throat echoes down the hall. Before Xavier can deliver the blow, Freddy comes up behind him and hooks his arms under Xavier’s, halting him from swinging, and yanks back.

“Don’t do it, X. He’s not worth it, bro. Settle it in the ring,” Freddy says trying to calm Xavier down. “Pull your shit together. Think about your fucking job.”

Xavier’s chest moves rapidly as he sucks in air through flared nostrils, his murderous stare fixed on Rex.

Rex shoves himself off the wall and pulls at his shirt casually, adjusting it back into place. “Yes, X, we’ll settle this in the ring. I’ve already had a chat with the writers. They’re going to make it happen. Save all that rage to give the fans a good show, yeah?”

“I don’t give a fuck about the about the show,” Xavier growls while fighting against Freddy’s hold.

“Then do us all a favor and quit. You know I’m the rightful champ.”

“You’re fucking delusional,” Xavier retorts.

“You’re the one who can’t see the big picture around here, friend. Throwing everything you’ve worked for away on a piece of ass…that’s delusional.” Rex laughs as he turns and stalks down the hallway, not giving Xavier any chance to reply this time.

Xavier fights even harder against Freddy, attempting to go free so he can go after Rex, but Freddy doesn’t loosen his grip. “Chill the fuck out or I’m not letting go.”

I take in the nearly seven-foot man who, even with arms the size of most people’s thighs, is struggling to keep Xavier still. There’s no way I would’ve been able to break up a fight between those two. I’m glad he came along when he did.

Xavier closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. “All right. I’m good.”

“You sure?”

Xavier holds his hands up in surrender. “Yes.”

Freddy slowly releases Xavier and then stands, blocking the hallway in the direction Rex retreated while Xavier readjusts his shirt.

Freddy points his gaze at me. “Get him out of here before he does something he will regret. This company isn’t big on second chances.”

I take Xavier’s hand, and his eyes soften a bit when he glances down at me.

“Let’s get out of here.”

As I pull him toward the exit, he doesn’t resist me like I expect. Outside, there is a driver standing by the open door of an awaiting car. Fans scream from the other side of the fence the moment they catch a glimpse of Xavier, and he waves without smiling before following behind me into the vehicle.

He’s quiet on the way back to the hotel. I keep glancing in his direction, but his face remains unreadable. I imagine he’s trying to decompress after all that, so I sit silently at his side and reach over and take his hand. I want him to know I’m here for him no matter what.

His blue eyes cut in my direction as he threads his fingers through mine.

I turn and stare out the window and replay the action of what just went down. Freddy’s words reverberate in my skull. I know Xavier was trying to defend me against Rex, but he has to stop trying to fight every guy who bothers me. It’s not worth putting his career in jeopardy.

Finally we make it to the hotel and Xavier wastes no time getting us up to our room. The bed is freshly made, erasing the crumpled of sheets we’d left after sleeping together last night.

I sit on the edge of the bed. “You’re going to have to stop doing that, you know.”

Xavier shoves his hair away from his face. “Doing what?”

“Defending me every time some jerk says something to me. Fighting them all isn’t worth putting your career on the line for.”

“Anna, when it comes to you, nothing else matters. No one will speak to you like that and get away with it. It’s not going to happen.”

I reach out and take his hand. “Don’t you see, that’s exactly what Rex wants. He wants you to lose your head. He’s threatened by you and would like nothing better than to see you destroy things yourself.”

I tug on his hand, and he resists for a moment before he finally sits down next to me. The mattress sinks under his weight.

“You’re right. That’s why he interfered tonight. In our pre-show meeting the writers informed us all that I would be winning the belt, and then I would have to give Rex a shot at winning it.”

I nod. Everything begins to make since. “He’d rather go up against Brian than you?”

“Yeah. Which is crazy because Brian is a strong motherfucker.”

I lay my other hand on top of his. “But he’s nowhere near as intimidating as you.”

His mouth pulls up into a cheeky grin. “You think I’m intimidating?”

I smile. “Have you seen you? You make grown men shake in their boots with one look.”

Xavier pushes a lock of hair back behind my ear. “That’s funny.”

I tilt my head. “Why?”

He stares into my eyes. “I don’t feel very threatening when a five-foot-five girl scares the shit out of me.”

“M—me? I scare you?” I stumble over my words while trying to figure that one out.

His finger traces my jaw and his lips follow along the same path with feathery kisses. “Mmhmm. I’ve never felt this way about a woman before.”

I close my eyes and lean my head back as he licks the sensitive skin below my ear. “And how do you feel about me?”

I know I shouldn’t press him, but I’m curious and want to hear him say he’s beginning to feel something just like I am. I want what’s growing inside my heart for him validated.

“You’re special to me, Anna, and I want to keep you forever,” he whispers.

Every muscle in my body trembles with need for him. Him admitting he feels something is a start. We’ve gone from him not wanting a real relationship, to wanting to make what’s happening between us last forever. Right now, that’s enough.

I stare into his eyes. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Promises like that are what worry me.” He presses his lips to mine. “Someday you might. When you see what I’m capable of, you’ll leave, and never look back.”

I shake my head. “Nothing will change how I feel about you.”

He leans his forehead against mine. “Promise?”

“Yes,” I whisper.

He crushes his lips against mine and works his hand underneath my shirt. His eyes are hooded with desire and there’s no mistaking what’s on his mind.

“We have to use a rubber this time. We’ve been cutting it too close with me pulling out. That doesn’t always work.”

I sigh and twirl a lock of his hair around my finger. “True, but I read online there’s only a few days a month a woman can actually get pregnant, and that’s shortly after her period. I’m due for mine in a few days, so I think we’re safe.”

He kisses my neck. “I want you to know that I don’t bareback with other women.”

I tilt my head. “Bareback?”

“Fuck raw—sex without a condom,” he clarifies. “I’ve only ever done that with you. I wasn’t expecting that first time to happen, and once I was in the moment all I wanted was to feel you. I wanted you wrapped around me with nothing between us. I know it’s stupid, but coming on you was my way of marking you.”