There was nothing he could offer her that Kade couldn't give her. Besides, Jax wasn't that kind of guy. Some men fought over women like property, but Nicole wasn’t an object. If she was with Kade, it was for a reason. He wasn't about to try to change her mind.
The next half hour before boarding went by slow, and the layover even slower than that. Jax was left alone with his thoughts. As skilled as he was in the ring, the true battle raged on inside of him. More dangerous than any match-up, memories of Nicole wouldn’t leave him alone. No matter how many knock outs he bagged, nothing would save him from Kade if he couldn't shake Nicole from his mind. But Jax wasn't sure he was strong enough to do it.
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Chapter 11
Kade
K ade ignored his phone for the weekend and buried himself in a different kind of work, but when he scrolled through his messages on the flight back, he was pleasantly surprised with the fight's hype. Not all the sponsors were happy that a rookie with no back story had taken Rico down, but some saw the benefit of it. A newcomer meant new advertising opportunities. New hype meant renewed interest. If the right steps were taken, this would pad Kade's bank account as much as it would Jax's. Once the sponsors understood how much money they could make off Jax, they’d come around. Until then, there were other matters to attend to.
Matters like Nicole.
Seated beside him, dressed in one of the outfits he'd picked out for her, she looked mouth-watering. Full breasts plump and lifted so high they almost spilled from the top of her shirt, round ass planted on the seat beside his, there was a lot for Kade to soak in. That weekend he'd discovered just how much of a freak between the sheets she was, he couldn't wait to make her his perfect toy. A woman with brains was harder to break than one who relied on looks alone, but Kade was persistent. Finally, Karen wouldn't be his only office slut. Maybe, just maybe, once Nicole was eating out of his palm, he’d get the two of them to play nice while he watched.
"What time are we supposed to show up at the office tomorrow?" Nicole asked. It was Monday afternoon, and they were scheduled to land in another hour. Suki kept their drinks topped off, and Kade indulged himself. The buzz brightened his mood and made her stupid questions tolerable.
"Tomorrow is a regular work day," he said, tone even, perhaps a little chipper. Sometimes, Kade surprised himself with how well he played his role. " rest of today after we land is yours. I suggest getting some sleep. I don’t think you got much in Brazil."
Drink in one hand, the other stroking Nicole's thigh, Kade felt like he had it all. Since the fight, Nicole's mood had sunk. The sparkle in her eyes disappeared, and although she'd given herself to him willingly, he couldn't help but feel as though something was wrong. Whatever her problem was, Kade wanted to sort it out before it became an issue.
"I'd like you to be at my party Friday," he said. "All of the fighters on the Brazilian card will be there. The event sold out, and the pay-per-view numbers were through the roof; everyone deserves to be rewarded."
Nicole's eyes caught his before dropping again. What was going on in that pretty head of hers? After everything they'd done that weekend, it couldn't be regret. A woman that sinful couldn't be capable of such emotions.
"Another event to record?" she asked. The lack of life in her tone upset him. After the weekend he'd just given her, Nicole had nothing to be upset about. Kade fired off a text message to Suki as he spoke, ordering her to fix Nicole something strong to take her mind off of matters.
"The first hour or so will be plenty of time to get that stuff out of the way. I don't expect you to be caught up in work all night. In fact," Kade's hand squeezed her thigh for emphasis, "I don't want it to be all about work. I don't think I'm done welcoming you to the UFL yet. If you get your shots out of the way early into