“Excuse me?”
Glancing around, I spot one of the ring girls—a petite Hispanic woman in a belly-baring crop top, who must have approached from behind. “Yeah?”
The girl—who looks to be all of twenty—leans closer, her dark eyes sparking with interest. “Is he your boyfriend?” She nods toward Devon.
“Uh, no.”
A furrow forms between her brows. “Fuck buddy?”
“Again, no.” Where is she going with this?
My bewilderment must show on my face because she smiles and explains, “I don’t want to step on any toes, but he’s hot as hell and it was cool of him to stand up for you like that.” She blinks, her false eyelashes making her eyes seem even bigger. “Does he have a girlfriend?”
I sigh. “As far as I know, he’s a free agent.”
“Perfect, thanks!” She wiggles her fingers in a little wave and sashays across the floor. I watch her go, frustration tearing me up inside. When she settles her dainty hand on Devon’s arm and beams at him, I want to rip her off him and stuff her in a coat closet, however nice she might be. Why does it bother me so much when he returns her smile? And why didn’t I lie and say he was taken?
Gah! Life is so damn complicated. All I want is to do the sport I love somewhere away from my ex. I don’t want to be enchanted by a cheeky grin and killer body all wrapped up in a playful package. I didn’t ask for this. But when the ring girl throws her head back, laughing, and I have the urge to pull her silky hair, there’s no denying it either. I want Devon for myself.
“You did the right thing.”
My gaze snaps to the woman who’s approached while I was glaring across the bar.
She offers a hand. “Lynn Nicholson. Nice to meet you.”
“Harley Isles,” I reply. “You too.”
“Related to Seth?” she asks.
“He’s my brother. Or half-brother, technically.”
She chuckles. “You were an oops baby, huh?”
The question puts me on the defensive. “What makes you say that?”
“You’re much younger than him.”
“I might be older than I look.”
She raises a brow. “Twenty bucks says you’re not a day past thirty.”
“You’d be right,” I concede. “What did you mean about me doing the right thing?”
Lynn runs a hand through short hair that’s streaked with gray. Her fists are both wrapped, which means she’s fighting tonight. “Letting that cutie go after your man. Men only complicate things. Trust me, you’re better off avoiding them if you want a good career in the industry.”
“He’s not ‘my man’.” I roll my eyes at how old-fashioned and ridiculous those words sound coming out of my mouth. “He can be with whomever he wants.”
“Uh-huh.” Her tone is skeptical. “We both know he could be your man if that’s what you wanted.” She smirks. “He had that look about him, so don’t even try to deny it, sweet-cheeks.”
I grumble, but don’t belabor the point. “You know all about men, do you?”
She holds three fingers up. “Three weddings, three divorces. I know more than you can possibly imagine.” She rolls her eyes. “More than I ever wanted to.”
Curiosity gets the better of me. She looks like she’s been on the fight scene for years. She must be in her forties at least. How has she found time for three marriages?
“What did you learn?”
She holds up one finger. “Men cheat.” She raises a second finger. “They can’t handle a woman who knows her own mind.” A final finger. “At the end of the day, they’ll let you down.”
