Addicted: Sin City Gym, #2

By Ember-Raine Winters

Pete has had a run of bad luck with the press and finding himself in some precarious situations. As one of the top MMA fighters, reporters love to dig up whatever dirt they can on him. When an incident with some known prostitutes gets him into hot water with his coach, he finds himself in group therapy sessions for sex addicts.

Brandy is a sex therapist with a deep dark secret. She's a virgin. She's done a pretty amazing job of staying away from Pete after their fake relationship at Christmas. That is until she walks into her group therapy session and sees Pete sitting there. She shouldn't want him. She knows it will never work but she can't help being drawn to him.

With her past coming back to haunt her at every turn and her secret still festering between them, can Brandy and Pete find their happily ever after?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ember-Raine Winters
• Release date: Apr 23, 2019
• ISBN: 9781386032748

Book preview

Addicted Sin City Gym 2

Ember-Raine Winters

Addicted Sin City Gym 2

Copyright © 2019 Ember-Raine Winters

Cover Design: Heather Bryant

Editor: Dark Raven Edits

Formatter: Ember-Raine Winters

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information and retrieval system without express written permission from the Author/Publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty-One

Chapter Forty-two

Epilogue

Acknowledgements

I have the best family in the world! They put up with my crap and are super supportive. Especially, my mom and sister. They are the best!

My DAT girls, you know who you are. Thank you so much for always being there for me during this crazy journey. I will always love you! (Even when you send me questionable pictures of Justin Beiber.)

All of the amazing Indie Authors and bloggers I have met in our wonderful little indie world! I freaking FLOVE you! You have made the last year one of the best and I can’t wait for the next!

My beta girls, I wouldn’t have been able to do this without you.

Last, but not least my editor, Randie Creamer. [e-mail] I couldn’t do this without you! Thank you so much!

Dedication

For  Megan

Chapter One

Pete

Sweat dripped into my eyes as I circled my opponent. The roar of the Las Vegas crowd barely registered in the background. He came in for a left hook and I dodged out of the way quickly putting my arm around his neck and securing it with my other arm. I held him there until I felt his hand slap wildly against me as I cut off his airway as soon as the ref came over and grabbed for my arm, I let go and let him lift my arm up in victory.

I celebrated that last win but on the inside it was hollow. I wished Brandy was there to share it with me. It had been three months since our little Christmas almost fling, and she’d made it her mission to stay as far away from me as possible. The whole thing was one giant misunderstanding, but she wouldn’t listen. She took off and left me taking a piece of me with her.

It pissed me off even more that I was sitting here supposed to be celebrating my title win and all I could think about was her. I needed a release. After the interviews with all the major sports networks, I got in the hired car and had the driver take me home. I couldn’t use a driver for what I had planned. My skin itched as I sat in the back of the black town car. I needed to go out. I wasn’t supposed to drive, but I was crawling out of my own skin.

Once I got home, I showered and dressed in record time before I called an Uber. I still didn’t drive after what happened. I let people think it was because my license was taken away, but it wasn’t. I physically couldn’t drive unless it was an emergency.

Hours later, I was standing at one of the high stakes craps tables with a blond on one arm and a brunette on the other. Neither were as gorgeous as my girl. My girl? Ha. She wasn’t my girl. The whole relationship had been fake, but we somehow fooled everyone including myself. The only one who wasn’t fooled was Brandy. I guess she couldn’t be fooled. Or let herself be fooled by me. The last bombshell she dropped on me still made me cringe a little bit. How had such a sexy beautiful woman gone through twenty-eight years of life and never had sex? I thought about the way she reacted to me that first night and wanted to kick my own ass. Something wasn’t right with her, but that wasn’t my problem. She was done with me. Plain and simple. I may as well get out of my head and enjoy the beautiful women on my arms.

I finished my roll and led the girls out to my car. I wasn’t drinking, not because I was training but because I had my car and no license. I was ridin’ dirty.

Where are we going? the blond asked.

I have a spot down the strip a little ways, I smirked.

Wait, we need to discuss payment first. The smirk died on my lips and I looked at the women in horror.

Payment? I asked like an idiot. I don’t pay for sex. Look at me. Does it look like I need to?

Both women looked me up and down with lust filled eyes. The brunette licked her lips before shaking her head back and forth. Didn’t think so.

My arms were still around them so when a cop pulled up in front of us, I groaned, loudly. What the actual fuck did I get myself into?

Deedee and Chloe. What do we have here? the officer said as he got out of the car.

We were just discussing where to go next, the blond smiled as she attempted to pull me away.

You’re Pete Collins. I thought you had a fight tonight. The officer looked at me with sort of stunned admiration.

I did. I won. Inside I was screaming with my need to flee.

Good deal. I’m gonna give you a piece of advice. Those women are known prostitutes. I’d go on home without them if I were you. He leaned in close as he spoke. I didn’t need to be told twice. I dropped my arms and took a giant step back.

Yes, sir, thank you. I shook the man’s hand and left the two disgruntled prostitutes behind. The last thing I needed was anyone to find out about that.

**

I woke up the next morning in a daze. There was a pounding in my head that I quickly realized I wasn’t imagining. Darren, my coach must have been in a mood if I could hear his thumping fist against my door from the second floor. Dragging my tired ass out of bed, I made my way to the front door and flung it open. Darren was standing there with his fist raised and a murderous look on his face. What the hell did you do last night? Why is it that every time you end up in the rags it’s for something sexual? I don’t know what’s worse, the prostitutes or the damn fuzzy reindeer, he growled.

What the hell are you talking about? I yawned. I was still groggy from sleep and getting yelled at that early in the morning was not my idea of a good time.

You after the fight last night with two known prostitutes, he yelled at me. Shit. Someone saw me. I groaned internally. You’re lucky I don’t suspend you.

Wait, what? Suspend me? Why would you do that? I didn’t go anywhere with them. As soon as that cop confirmed what I’d just started suspecting, I went home, alone. What the hell? I didn’t deserve to get suspended because I picked up a couple of women at the casino. How was I supposed to know they were hookers?

Like I said, He shot me a shut the hell up look. I should suspend you, but all the damn rags are talking about your sex addiction and it gave me an idea. I know someone that does group therapy sessions for sex addicts. Be at this address tomorrow at two. He handed me a piece of paper with an address on it and I deflated. I wasn’t addicted to sex. I liked sex, a lot, but I wasn’t an addict.

This is ridiculous, Darren. I’m not addicted to sex, I huffed angrily, but took the paper anyway. If this is what I had to do to keep my job, I’d do it. MMA was my life.

It doesn’t matter if you are, but if you don’t do this program, I’m gonna have to cut you loose. You have been involved in one sex scandal after another. It’s starting to become a problem. You will do this or you will find a new career.

Darren didn’t have one problem lying down the law with me. I guess I’m going to group therapy. I shook my head in defeat.

Chapter Two

Brandy

I woke up in a cold sweat just like I did most mornings since Christmas. It was hard to think that someone who’d been in my life for only two short weeks could leave such a lasting impression on my subconscious. Looking over at the alarm clock I saw the numbers flashing red and cursed. The power must have gone out in the middle of the night. Grabbing aimlessly for my phone on the nightstand I hit it to unlock it and jumped from the bed. It was late and there was no way with the way traffic was I would be able to get to my first appointment on time. I called my patient letting him know that I was running a little late and hopped in the shower. My body still tingled from the dream but I did my best to shut it down and showered in record time.

There were a couple of reporters outside my door when I came out of the apartment. I was a little shocked. I had no idea why they would be waiting for me, but the second they saw me they swarmed. What do you think about Pete’s latest scandal?

Is it hard to see him with a prostitute after all this time? That question made me pause.

What? It wasn’t exactly my finest moment. One of them thrust their magazine in my hand and I gasped. The headline was awful. MMA Superstar is a Super Slut.

How the hell did this happen? I knew he was a manwhore but this was ridiculous. That man didn’t need to pay for sex. Anyone who’d ever looked at him knew that. Pete Collins is no longer any of my concern. He can do who and what he wants, I said in a haughty tone that I hoped they bought. I most definitely didn’t believe them. Any time he was mentioned it made my heart ache. That was the reason, I’d steered clear of any of Delia’s work events. Seeing him would hurt too much.

I made my way around the crowd that’d formed. They continued to yell out questions but I just kept walking. I had no idea why they thought my reaction mattered. I was nobody just the girl he fake dated for two weeks several months before. My opinion didn’t matter.

I got in my car with a sigh of relief and started the engine before pulling out of the parking lot. I couldn’t get away fast enough.

**

The rest of the day went by uneventfully until it was time for my group session. Delia was ranting on about something I was barely paying attention to. I heard baby Jack in the background cooing softly. Are you even listening? she huffed. Why can’t he meet women on Tinder like a normal horndog. He has to pick up hookers in casinos. Delia was losing her mind, and I was already late.

I’m sorry, Dee, but I have to go. I’m late. It wasn’t a lie, but she probably thought it was since I conveniently changed the subject or made up excuses to get off the phone any time Pete’s name came up.

Okay. Call me after group. I thought I heard something sly in that tone but I shook it off. I shouldn’t have. I should have kept her on the phone until she spilled the beans because that would have saved me the shock of walking into my group session and seeing the very person I’d been doing my best to avoid for months sitting there looking at me with wide eyes. What the actual fuck is happening?

My head shook back and forth of its own volition as I backed out of the room. A couple of my regular patients were looking at