Fighting for Love by L.P. Dover Page B

Shelby was the reason I strived so hard to succeed, and when she left it was the anger and determination to prove everyone wrong that pushed me over the edge. I didn’t want to blame her for my choices in life, or for all the women I had sex with, but it was so hard not to. If she’d stayed, none of those things would’ve happened.
    By the time I arrived at her house to pick her up for the photo shoot I was thirty minutes early, which was unusual for me. I was notorious for being late, except I didn’t want to waste another moment that could be spent with her. Gazing up at the three story Victorian structure, I couldn’t help but smile. It was exactly what I imagined her living in. Before, she always talked about us moving to San Francisco and I should’ve known she’d one day find her way there.
    The outer door was unlocked when I tried it, so I opened it and moved into the entryway where another set of doors stood. After pressing the doorbell and hearing it ring, I stepped back and waited on Shelby to answer. Imagine my surprise when it wasn’t her that came to the door. It was her friend Jace, wearing only a pair of royal blue running shorts and an impatient scowl.
    What the fuck?
    Opening the door wide, he stepped aside and grumbled, “Shelby’s not ready yet, but she told me to let you in when you got here. I’m Jace, by the way.”
    “Matt,” I said, strolling past him into what looked like the living room. Off to the left was the kitchen, and I couldn’t help but notice that the furniture was too masculine to be something Shelby would pick out. Surely they don’t live together, I thought to myself. Or do they?
    “Do you live here, too?” I asked in disbelief.
    With a resentful expression on his face, Jace shut the door and walked past me indignantly. What the hell was his problem? Settling down on the sofa, he leaned over to tie his running shoes and glared up at me. “Shelby and I have been living together for about nine years now. During that time she’s told me all about the famous bad boy, Matt Reynolds. Frankly, I think she deserves better.”
    “Are you kidding me? What’s your problem?” I hissed, clenching my hands into tight fists. I was two seconds away from messing up that pretty boy face of his.
    Getting to his feet, he stalked over to me, narrowing his eyes. He was just as tall as I was, and it was obvious he had just as much muscle … only leaner. However, he wasn’t a fighter. Leaning closer, he whispered low, and I was pretty sure it was so Shelby couldn’t hear him.
    “She’s my friend and I care about her. The night she overheard you fucking those girls after the fight almost broke her. I don’t want to see her get hurt like that again. Being the friend that I am, I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt. Shelby obviously still cares about you, but it wasn’t you who was there for her when—”
    “Jace,” Shelby shouted, cutting off his sentence.
    Over his shoulder, I could see Shelby, who stood in the doorway to what I assumed was her bedroom, her arms defiantly crossed at her chest. “That’s enough. Thank you for wanting to look out for me, but I know what I’m doing,” she warned.
    Jace held his hands in the air and backed away. “Okay, I’m done. I said what I needed to say here, and last night to you,” he remarked, still staring at me. He grabbed a set of keys and a bottle of water off of the white marble kitchen counter before turning to acknowledge Shelby. “I’m going out for a run. I won’t be home tonight, so call me if you need anything.”
    Shelby nodded and watched him walk out the door before sliding her gaze to mine. Dressed in what looked like pajamas, a small pink tank top and matching shorts, her nipples poked through the thin fabric of her top and immediately I could feel the blood rushing south.
    Damn, she’s so fucking hot.
    “You’re early,” she said brightly, trying to lighten the mood. “Oh, and please forgive Jace for