6
BRIAN
Several minutes later, my anger was under control as I entered the state-of-the-art gym to grunts and a sight to behold.
Grace Hart was sparring with Duke in the ring while a redhead watched from the sidelines in quiet fascination.
I couldn’t blame Red for fixating on the duo in the ring—my body was having a good old time watching Grace. Her sports bra hugged her nice tits, thigh-high leggings accentuated her defined muscle tone, and the hummingbird tattooed on her neck only added to her beauty. She was looking badass as she threw jabs at Duke.
A frenzy of butterflies was going wild inside my stomach. The same damn feeling every time I laid eyes on her. Duke would have my balls on a platter if he knew I was thinking of his baby sister naked at this very moment.
“It’s going to take me forever to be as good as you, Grace,” Red said from her chair along the wall.
Grace’s movements were sharp, precise, and as fluid as a cat stalking its prey. Each jab was delivered with a calculatedforce as she danced gracefully on the balls of her feet, her focus unbroken and fierce.
Duke bobbed one way then the other before he held up his gloved hand. “Grace, let’s take five.” He flicked his head in my direction.
She regarded me with a brilliant smile, as if she had been waiting forever to see me. “Brian, why don’t you take Duke’s place? He’s been going easy on me for some reason.”
Duke narrowed his eyes at her. “Easy? You’re out of shape, sis.”
I didn’t agree with him. Then again, when it came to working out, he was a drill sergeant and expected perfection.
“Plus, the last time Brian was in a ring, I kicked his ass.” He flashed me a grin.
I threw him the finger. “Care to test out that theory?”
He and I were the same height and muscular but not to the point that we looked like we lived on steroids, and even though I was broader in the chest, he was a better fighter. But I could give anyone a run for their money.
Grace sized me up as she removed her gloves. Then she looked at Red. “Andie, do you remember Brian?”
“Is he the guy you?—”
“He was at Thanksgiving dinner two years ago,” Grace interrupted as she shook her head at Andie.
“Oh, yeah. But I was leaving as he came in.”
I got the feeling that Grace had talked a lot about me to her friend. Interesting, to say the least.
Duke coyly eyed his sister and her friend before he strode my way, wiping the sweat from his face with the towel in his hand. “It’s great to see you.” After we exchanged a quick bro hug, he said, “I have a last-minute appointment with a contractor. He’s coming in to fix the showers in the men’s locker room. Can we meet for a drink tonight?”
“Is that why no one is in the gym today?”
“I closed for the day. It might be late tonight for that drink after I put Emma to bed.”
“How is your darling daughter?”
Shock had reverberated through his family and me when Duke fell for an ATF agent. Fallyn Williams was one lady no one wanted to fuck with. But the two were the perfect match. I was envious of him. As of late, my daughter had been encouraging me to put myself out there. While I had no trouble attracting the opposite sex, I only wanted one woman.
Duke’s smile was blinding. “Emma is growing, learning new words every day, and loves trains. Fallyn’s dad bought her a train set.”
“Not dolls?”
“My niece is going to be a tomboy.” Grace sashayed toward us.
The closer she got, the more my jaw dropped. “Do you want to tell me who gave you black eyes? I’ll rough him up for you.”
Duke pushed out a loud groan. “Too late.”
