Bruiser: A Lonely Housewife Embarks on a Passionate Affair with an Alpha Male MMA Fighter Read Free

Brandon nodded, and watched her make for the door.
    But before she left, he reached out and grabbed her wrist.
    Ava was wrenched to a halt.
    Nervously, she turned and looked up into Brandon’s wide, brown eyes.
    “Mrs. Cassidy,” he stammered. “ Ava . Just so you know… I don’t do stuff like that.” His cheeks burned red. “I’m not, like… You know – hitting on all the moms, or anything.”
    “It’s okay, Brandon,” Ava said. “Forget about it. I’ll see you for kickboxing tomorrow, okay?”
    Brandon nodded: “Okay.”
    And with a deep breath, Ava left.
    “I promise,” Brandon repeated, calling after her. “I’m not the weird kid who hits on all the cute moms.”
    But by then she’d climbed into her Buick and gunned the engine, already peeling out of the parking lot.
    Brandon watched her go with a sigh.
    Idiot , he told himself. What had he done ?
    It wasn’t that hitting on Ava had been a bad idea. She was cute, and curvy. Kind of like somebody had got a full-length picture of Monica Bellucci and squished the aspect ratio. He thought she was adorable.
    But she was married. And even if she wasn’t, he already had more than enough to worry himself in that regard.
    And, as if reading his mind, Brandon’s phone buzzed.
    He picked it up, and looked at the message on screen.
     
    MIA
    Hey, honey. Thinking of you. XXX
     
    Brandon closed his eyes, and sighed.
    That was exactly the sort of trouble he was thinking about.

Chapter Seven
     
    Ava
     
    Ava tore through the darkness in her Buick Enclave, hands trembling as the gripped the wheel.
    How could she have been so fucking stupid?
    Her heart was pounding in her chest. Her mouth was dry. She had butterflies churning in her stomach.
    She also felt a throb between her legs.
    Goddammit , she swore at herself. That was her kid’s karate instructor ! He was ten years younger than her ! She shook her head in horror. What must he think of her? Some old broad hitting on him.
    Although, Ava told herself, technically he was the one who’d tried to kiss her .
    And she’d said ‘no.’
    So, no harm done, right?
    Right?
    Within minutes, Ava was pulling into the driveway of her townhouse. She cut the engine of the Buick, and sat in the darkness for a moment or two, taking deep breaths.
    Looking in through the window, it was clear the lights were off.
    Clark was probably in bed. He had to be up in a few hours, so she could hardly blame him.
    And this way, at least, she didn’t have to confront him with the rosy glow of guilt on her cheeks.
    Throwing open the car door, Ava crept inside.
    The house was cool and dark as she let the front door click shut behind her. The only light came from the rows of comic book figurines, on display above the fireplace. Figures like Batman and Captain America stood frozen in place, with eyes or insignia lit by powerful little LED bulbs.
    Her husband’s collection. Both impressive, and a little embarrassing.
    With a sigh, Ava threw her bag off her shoulder, and slithered out of her coat. Then she did what she always did when she got home late – the rounds.
    First it was up to the kid’s room, to check on on Lex and Harley. The opened the doors and peered in, to see her son and daughter each sleeping peacefully, bathed in the glow of their DC Super Friends night lights.
    Then she opened the door to her bedroom, and peered in.
    A bush of reddish hair was all that Ava could see of Clark. He was snoring softly, a great, big lump under the blankets.
    She sighed.
    Right now, half of her wanted to crawl into bed with him. To wrap her arms around his big, round belly and snuggle into his broad back and fall asleep next to the man she called her ‘teddy bear.’
    But she felt antsy .
    Tense.
    But, more than that, she felt .
    For the last five years, Ava had been a stay at home mom, balancing diapers and vacuuming. Sometimes her only adult interaction was when the mail man came.
    Now Lex was old enough to go to karate, she’d had the