“Taking in the view, officer,” Luke said, arms folded across his chest as he leaned against his car, legs crossed at the ankles.
“Well, this is private property.” The officer turned to the far right and shined his flashlight in the distance. When I followed the direction of his action, I noticed the sign that read ‘No Trespassers.’
“Didn’t see it.”
“We were just leaving, officer,” I quickly said before Luke could get too defensive. “Come on, Luke,” I said.
He glanced back at me before he started for the driver’s seat. I was already buckling up my seatbelt by the time he closed the door.
The officer waited for us to pull out of the spot we were in and start down the road before following us out.
After a few minutes of silence, Luke began laughing.
“What?”
“If he’d been thirty minutes earlier, he would’ve caught you with your pants down.”
I slapped his shoulder. “I wasn’t the only one with my pants around my ankles, jackass.”
He laughed louder before snagging a hold of my hand and pressing a kiss to the back of my palm.
“Thanks for these six weeks, Syd.”
I grinned. “Hang on.” I pulled my hand free and retrieved my phone from my pocket to open the notes app.
“What’re you doing?”
“Writing down today’s date and time. You just thanked me. Who knows when the hell that’ll happen again?”
He cut me a side-eye. “Yeah, you definitely need to write that shit down. Don’t bank on it happening again.”
I smirked.
“Don’t forget you still owe me three more on-demand blow jobs. Don’t think I forgot. Maybe I’ll drop in at your office and have you give me at least one of ‘em while I sit at your desk.”
“Shut up.” I laughed.
He tugged my hand again, pulling it into his lap as we drove. The past six weeks were desperately needed for Luke’s training, but they’d also shifted something deeper between us.
Chapter 23
Press Conference
Syd
I shut down my computer for the day, grabbing my handbag and tablet and locked up my office for the night. Walking to the garage where my car was parked, I pulled out my phone and texted Luke to let him know I was on my way.
Trivial as it might’ve been, I was excited to stand in Luke’s corner as he did his first press conference with me as his trainer. Luke wasn’t particularly thrilled at the idea of welcoming all the cameras and reporters into his gym, but he recognized the necessity of it. Correction, once Lenny had made it clear that doing at least one press conference was required for him to receive any sort of payout for this fight, he reluctantly agreed to do it.
On my way over, I made the decision to tell Luke the truth. Not before the press conference but the following night after the date I planned for us. I’d lay my cards out on the table and let the chips fall where they may. I expected his initial reaction to be anger but given the trust we had built, I hoped he’d understand why I didn’t share with him my connection to Banks from the beginning.
“What took you so damn long?” Luke grumbled as soon as I stepped inside the gym.
“Calm down. It’s only a few cameras and some harmless reporters.”
“I am fucking calm. When the hell are they leaving?” He asked, turning to face the front of the gym.
The reporters were setting up their cameras and recorders in front of the tables and chairs where Luke and his opponent Manuel Rodriguez would sit.
