He drops onto the couch beside me with a smile that has those damn dimples coming out. “You worried about me, Red?”
I answer with narrowed eyes.
Chuckling, he drops his head back to the couch. “I probably will soon. Actually?—”
I straighten in my seat, eager for every bit of Nico that I can get.
“The fight I have coming up, it’s technically the last fight on my contract.”
“So you really could retire soon.” Then the rest of his sentence registers and I frown. “Wait… you have a fight coming up? Since when?!”
“Since two months ago. The fight is next week.”
I gape at him. “You have afightnext week? And you didn’t tell me that?”
He shrugs, not meeting my eyes. “I kind of liked not having this part of my life be about fighting.”
I soften at that. I can understand wanting to compartmentalize things.
Ever-so-subtly, I slide my hand closer so I’m touching his arm. The contact seems to release tension in both of us.
“I like being your escape,” I say quietly. “But…shouldn’t you be training around the clock for it or something? I’m surprised your coach lets you take days off to go to jazz clubs.”
Nico winces. “Yeah, that wouldn’t normally be the recommended rest day. But I’m not drinking or partying, and Idoneed one day every week when I don’t have to train three times. So I’m telling myself it’s fine.” He huffs a laugh. “Although if I end up getting my ass handed to me, just do me a favor and leave out theI told you so.”
“I would never.” Then, more carefully, I ask, “You won’t, though. Right?”
He looks at me in surprise. “What, get my ass handed to me? No. I’m going to win.” He lifts my hand to his lips and sweetly presses a kiss to the back of it. Then, in a careful tone matching my own, he says, “You should come to the fight.”
For a moment, I only blink. I don’t know why I never considered seeing Nico outside of a date setting. It would be…new.
And yet, I feel giddy at the idea of watching Nico in his element.
“Would you really want me there?” I ask.
His head shoots up, his eyebrows lifting as his gaze locks onto mine. “Are you serious? Of courseI want you there.” When he sees me contemplating the invite, his lips curl with a grin. “Red, if I haven’t made it disgustingly obvious that I want you in my life, I’m clearly doing something wrong here. Yes, I want you at my fight.Ifyou want to be there.”
I nibble on my bottom lip as I mull it over. “Would I be in the crowd, or with you?”
He shrugs and twirls a strand of my hair around one finger. “Wherever you want to be.”
“I don’t think I’d like being in the crowd,” I say quietly.
“Then you can stay in the dressing room and watch from there. Matter of fact, I could even have Alexander stay with you. He barely says two words, so you wouldn’t have to worry about talking to him.”
A small smile tugs at my lips. “Lucas is the talker, right?”
Nico snorts. “Lucas would make you wish you were in the cage with me just to get away from his incessant questions.” When I giggle, his whole face lights up. “It’s at the Garden, so right there in your backyard.”
I’m surprised to realize how much I’m considering this.
“Can I give you a maybe? Let me just think about it a little.”
Nico grows serious as he nods. “Of course. I’ll leave a ticket for you at Will Call either way, and you can make the decision on your own.” But then uncertainty flashes across his face.
“What is it?” I ask.
“I need to put your legal name down if I leave you a ticket,” he says, sounding hesitant. “Since they check IDs.”
