"So," Reign says, cutting into his steak. "Everything set for tomorrow?"
Ben nods beside me. "Should be. Venue's ready. Promoters confirmed the final arrangements this afternoon."
"What about Koda?"
"Stuck at the Denver airport." Ben's jaw tightens slightly. "His flight got cancelled. He's rebooked on the first one out tomorrow morning, but it's going to be tight."
"He'll make it."
"He always does."
I'm just about to ask who Koda is when I feel Ben's hand land on my thigh under the table.
My brain short-circuits again.
His palm is warm and heavy through the fabric of my dress. His fingers curl around the inside of my leg, not moving, just resting there possessively. Like he has every right to touch me whenever he wants.
I grip my fork so hard my knuckles turn white.
He's still talking to Reign about the fight, but his thumb is tracing a slow circle on my thigh, and I've completely lost the thread of the conversation.
No one has ever touched me like this. The boys I dated in college asked permission before holding my hand. They second-guessed every move, every gesture, until the awkwardness became suffocating.
Ben doesn't ask permission. Ben takes.
And even though it's crazy, I sort of like it.
I like the weight of his hand on my leg. I like the way he's carrying on a conversation like this is perfectly normal whilesecretly setting my nerve endings on fire. I like the way he glanced at me when his hand first landed, just a quick flick of his eyes to gauge my reaction, and then smiled slightly when I didn't pull away.
He's testing me. Pushing my boundaries. Seeing how much I can handle.
The answer, apparently, is not much. Because I'm about two seconds away from climbing into his lap in front of his entire family.
I take another gulp of water.
"You're being rude," Audrey says to Ben, a teasing lilt in her voice. "Tilly has no idea who you're talking about."
Ben glances at me, and something warm flickers in his expression.
"Koda's my coach," he explains. "He turned me from a street fighter into a champion." His thumb traces another slow circle on my thigh. "His wife Charlotte is a hairdresser. Their daughter Elaine just turned eighteen months."
"She's adorable," Audrey adds. "You'll love her."
"You'll meet them tomorrow," Ben says.
I nearly choke on my water. "I will?"
"At the fight." He says it like it's already been settled. "You can sit with Charlotte in the VIP suite."
Across the table, Reign is smirking into his wine glass. Audrey isn't even trying to hide her grin.
We met twelve hours ago. Twelve hours. And he's already folding me into his life like I've always been there.
"Oh," I say, still processing. "Um, okay. That sounds... yeah. That sounds good."
His fingers squeeze my thigh approvingly.
Audrey catches my eye across the table and smiles. It’s a knowing smile, warm but tinged with something else.Anticipation, maybe. Like she’s watching a story unfold and already knows the ending.
