His smile splits into an all-out grin. “Like what?”
Like a fucking god. A god who’s had his mouth between my legs. Who fucks like an animal and eats pussy like it might be his last damn meal.
I scowl. “Shut up.”
“Hey, D! That your girlfriend?” Decker’s teenage fighters emerge from the changerooms, gym bags slung over their shoulders.
“Mind your business, Davis,” he yells back.
“She know I got the drop on you last week?” the kid says.
Decker rolls his eyes. “Keep chirping and I’ll double your suicides tomorrow night.”
The boys mutter to each other, then explode into laughter, and Decker reels around. “What’s that?”
“Don’t worry about it.” Davis shoots me a wink, then the two wander towards the exit.
“I don’t take shit from someone whose momma still packs his lunch,” Decker says. “And keep your eyes off my girl, kid. Or I’ll have you eating the mat next time we square off.”
Davis waves him off, and then they’re gone, pushing through the door leading into the parking lot.
“Fucking kid,” Decker mutters as he yanks a clean shirt from his bag. “Mouthy as all hell.” He drags the fabric over his head.“And hedid notget the drop on me. I practically had my back to him when the little shit took me down.”
I bite down on my smile.
“What?” he asks.
“Your girl?”
He blinks, holds my stare for a beat, and then shrugs. “Relax, Grace. I’m not asking you to go steady with me or anything. I just don’t want a bunch of hormone-fueled teenagers eye-fucking you when they should be focused on their fight.”
I huff a laugh. “All right, then.”
He throws me a look. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I’m not… looking at you like anything. You’re just different here, is all.” A good different. Relaxed. Untroubled. Happy, even. I clear my throat. “When Miller told me where to find you, I didn’t expect you to be hanging out with kids.”
“Yeah, well, those kids are here rather than causing trouble like the rest of the degenerates in this town. Least I can do is show up for them. And I owe the old man who owns this place a few favours. Donating my time is how I’m paying him back.”
“It’s a nice thing to do. That’s all I’m saying.”
“I can be nice when I feel like it.” He steps closer to me, a playful little smile curving up the side of his face. “You said something about yelling?”
“You arrested my brother.”
“So?”
“That’s all you have to say?”
“Jack walked up to me andslappedme. That’s assault,” he says, tone turning serious. “There’s no other way that could have ended, especially with all those people around. You know that. So why is this even a conversation?”
My shoulders sag. Fine. Fair point. One minute Jack was being nauseatingly sweet to Triss, all smiles, murmuring in herear, the next, he was sauntering up to a fully uniformed Officer Decker and throwing hands. I don’t know what the hell my brother was thinking. But Jack’s in jail. I can’t exactly go yell athim. So…
I sigh. “Because?—”
“Either you’re looking for a reason to be pissed off,” he says, taking another step forward, “or you needed an excuse to hunt me down so I could dothat thing with my tongueyou love so much. If we’re gonna fight, I’d much prefer we do it while you’re naked.”
I fold my arms across my chest and lift my chin. “Not gonna happen.”
