“I’m so glad it went well,” Enya says as the applause tapers off. “I might see if I can catch Cami and then head home for bed. I’m beat.”
“Me too.”
She gives me a skeptical look, like she expects me to be out partying into the wee hours of the morning. But although I’ve done my fair share of that in the past, I haven’t been with anyone since she transferred to our gym a few months ago. I knew as soon as I met her I’d be celibate until I figured out how to make a move. I don’t want her to see me with anyone else, nor give her reason to wonder if I’m capable of being faithful. With her, I’d be in, one hundred percent. Even if I haven’t told her that yet.
Her phone buzzes. She checks it and scowls.
“What’s up?” Tony asks from her other side.
“Ugh.” She makes a face. “My family are threatening to set me up on a blind date for my sister’s wedding. They think there’s something wrong with me because I’m single.”
“There’s nothing wrong with you,” I snap.
Tony smirks, and I curse myself for being so obvious. I’m pretty sure the guys all know how I feel about Enya. The only one who doesn’t is her.
“Thanks.” She smiles, but her expression is weary. I want to hug her better, but I don’t think she’d welcome it. “I only hope they choose better this time.”
“Wait.” I hold up a finger. “They’ve set you up on a blind date before?”
She nods. “Last year. When I went home for my birthday. He was a nice guy, but we had absolutely nothing in common.”
When she’d first mentioned the blind date, I’d halfway thought she was joking, but she’s serious. My insides knot together. I can’t sit back and watch her be set up with someone else. Not if there’s even the faintest chance they might hit it off. Which means I need to do something and do it soon.
I only hope she doesn’t break my heart.
BONUS EPILOGUE
Leo - Six months later
I dodge a blow thrown by a man who’s both my opponent and teammate—Gabe “The Mind Reader” Mendoza. Even though this is technically an exhibition fight to raise money for charity, and there will be no winner, I’m a little skittish because he knocked me out when we fought for the Ruby Knuckles championship. I’d rather not run the risk of history repeating. Fortunately, Gabe is as experienced as I am and he knows his own power, which means that while he’s not being gentle as a kitten, he’s not going to do any real damage either. I trust him, and he trusts me. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a little friendly competition between us.
I circle around and test his defenses, looking for an opportunity to strike. He quickly lifts his foot as though he’s about to kick, but I don’t react. He’s good at faking action and then taking advantage of his opponent’s reaction. That’s how I ended up getting dropped last time. I push kick him in the stomach and the audience roars. It isn’t a big hit, but it’s better than nothing. He beckons with his gloved hand and I crook an eyebrow. I’m not running into any of his traps.
But then Seth yells at us to move. The crowd wants action. I explode forward and take Gabe to the ground. We roll, battling for dominance, until the timer ends the round. We stand and bump gloves, then retreat to our respective sides of the cage. Neither of us have our usual people in the corner today. Enya is standing in mine and Devon is covering Gabe because Seth didn’t want it to look like he was playing favorites.
“You’re doing good,” Enya says as Tony rests an ice pack on my upper back. “But you’re holding back too much. The audience wants more bang for their buck. Got it?”
I nod.
Someone passes Enya a water bottle, and she gestures for me to open my mouth so she can squirt it in. I swallow, feeling water run down my chin. Just as I’m about to refocus on Enya, I catch sight of a flash of color and groan.Fucking hell. It’s Camile, circling the cage in a tiny denim skirt and a corset-style top I’ve seen among her latest series of designs. My gaze lingers on her, and she catches my eye and gives me a saucy smile. She puts a little shimmy in her hips as she passes by, and my mouth feels dry again despite the water.
Fuck. Every lucky asshole here can see her shapely legs and the shadow between her beautiful tits. Not to mention the other curves of her unreasonably curvy body. Who’s responsible for this? I’m going to bloody their nose for real once I get out of the cage.
I narrow my eyes at Enya. “Did you know about that?”
She shakes her head. “You think I would have gone along with it if I did? I love her to bits, but she’s a distraction.”
Maybe. But she’s the sexiest fucking distraction I’ve ever seen.
A bell signals for the seconds to get out of the cage. Enya hops out and Tony removes the ice from my back, then I step into the center with Gabe. He jerks his forehead toward the gate Camile just exited through and winks. The bastard. He wouldn’t like it if Sydney were the one parading around in next to nothing.
“Good promotion for her designs,” he calls around his mouth guard. “Plus, she thought that seeing her might motivate you to kick my ass.”
I scowl but don’t respond as the action starts again. The next few minutes pass in a blur of fists, feet, and throws. I have renewed vigor and Gabe seems to be enjoying the change of pace. By the time we finish, I’m dripping sweat.
“You just wait,” I say as I tear out my mouth guard. “Next time, it’ll be your girl getting lusted over by hundreds of random men.”
His expression darkens, but then he shakes his head. “No, I don’t think so. Yours has a clothing line. Mine doesn’t. Sorry, but you’ll have to get used to it.”
