Finally, I pulled up outside an expensive-looking brownstone, the sort of thing only millionaires could afford in San Francisco. That made sense, since I couldn’t imagine Cindy marrying anyone with less than a few million in the bank. She wasn’t a gold digger, not at all. She had her own money. Rather, she was attracted to power, and money brought power, at least according to people like her.
I knew better than that. Real power came from training your body, pushing it to its limits. Real power was mastering yourself and your opponents.
As I cut the bike’s engine and climbed off, three people emerged out onto the stoop. Instantly I recognized my mother and her stern expression. She was clearly pissed off that I was late and had ditched the car. My new stepfather looked pretty typical, like your classic old and white business CEO, not too fit but not flabby either. He had a warm smile on his face.
And finally, my gaze fell on her.
I had a brief moment of full-on shock as my eyes ran up and down her body.
It was her, my paradise bride. Alexa, the girl I hadn’t stopped dreaming about ever since I went to train in the jungle.
How was that fucking possible?
Everyone was looking at me, and so I had to get my shit together pretty fast. I took a deep breath and pulled off my helmet, ignoring the girl for the time being.
But she clearly recognized me, because she looked like she had seen a ghost as soon as my face was visible to her.
She remembered me, then. Not a surprise considering how hard I had made her body come over and over, but still. It had been a long time, and I did look different. I was harder, darker, and stronger than the last time I had seen her.
When I shook her hand, I knew she was on the verge of passing out. Cindy quickly ushered everyone inside to have lunch, and as we moved toward the kitchen, Alex hung back.
I stared at her body, at the familiar curves, but most of all at her angry expression.
The girl was fucking pissed, and I had no clue why.
Sure, I fucked her and left, but that wasn’t my fault. I didn’t tell her about the training because what was the point? It was a vacation fling, and we both knew it. It was an absolutely batshit crazy coincidence that our parents had gotten married, but that sort of shit happened all the time. It wasn’t like I knew anything about it.
Except she looked like she was about to have a fucking heart attack.
“You know,” she said loudly, “I’ve always wanted to see a motorcycle up close.”
The group stopped walking. “Honey, can’t that wait?” her dad said.
“Why don’t you two get everything ready while Cole here shows me his bike?”
I grinned at her. What a fucking flimsy excuse. “Sure thing. It’d be my pleasure,” I said, overly formal.
My mother scowled. “Okay,” she said. “Make it quick.”
I followed Alex back out the front door. As soon as it shut, she whirled on me like a demon, spitting rage and fire from her eyes.
“Where the fuck have you been?”
I stared at her, completely taken aback by her fury. I’d had plenty of chicks get pissed when I didn’t call them back the next day, but this was something different.
“Good to see you too, princess,” I said.
“Don’t give me that shit, you asshole.”
I laughed. Her anger was comical in its intensity. “Look, I’m sorry I didn’t call. You know how things are.”
“No, you idiot, you jerk, you, you—”
“Asshole?” I finished.
“Yes, asshole!”
I laughed, shaking my head at her. “I know being with me is an experience, but you seem a little too angry.”
“It’s not that, you idiot! Don’t you know?”
I cocked my head at her, confused. “Know what? I’ve been in the damn jungle for the last year.”
She took a deep breath. “The jungle?”
“Training. I’m a fighter, remember? I haven’t had Internet, email, phone calls, or pussy since I last saw you.”
She looked at me silently for a second, still clearly fuming but getting herself slowly under control. “So you don’t know?” she asked.
“Did you have my baby or something?”
She rolled her eyes. “God, no. Thankfully.”
“Please. You’d be honored to have my kids.”
“Listen to me,” she said seriously. “Remember that wedding ceremony?”
“Sure,” I said, getting nearer to her. She reacted the way I remembered, like being close to me was a fucking drug. And honestly, it felt the same damn way to me. All the memories were rushing back all over again, but there she was, right in front of me, still as fucking sexy as I remembered. “But I’m more interested in what happened after.”