“I know so.” She secured the tape on my right hand and stood up. “You're fighting like you've got something to prove. Not to the crowd or the promoters or anyone else. To yourself. That's the best kind of fight to have.”
“Thanks, Mara.”
“Don't thank me yet. Thank me after you win.” She grabbed my shoulders and squeezed. “Now listen to me. When you get in that ring, you forget everything else. You forget the crowd. You forget the judges. You forget whatever's waiting for you outsidethese walls. All that exists is you and him and the space between you. Understand?”
“I understand.”
“Good.” She pulled me into a quick hug that was over before I could fully process it. “You've got this, Declan. I believe in you. Now go out there and prove me right.”
The door opened before I could respond. Troy walked in carrying a bottle of water and the calm focus he wore before violence. He stopped when he saw Mara.
“Sorry. Should I come back?”
“No. I'm leaving.” Mara grabbed her jacket and moved toward the door. She paused when she reached Troy and smiled at him. “Keep him calm. He gets in his head too much before fights.”
“I'll do my best.”
“That's all anyone can ask.” She looked back at me one more time. “Ten minutes, Declan. Make them count.”
She left. The door closed behind her with a soft click that felt louder than it should have.
Troy crossed to where I sat and set the water bottle down beside me. “She's good at this.”
“She's been doing it for years.” I stood and tested my wrapped hands. The tape felt good and solid. “You didn't have to come back here.”
“I wanted to see you before the fight.” He stepped closer, close enough that I could smell his cologne mixed with the leather jacket he wore. “Wanted to make sure you knew I'm here.”
“I know.”
“And Declan?” His hand found my jaw and tilted my face up. “You're going to win this. You're going to walk out of that ring with the title and then we're going to celebrate properly.”
“You sound confident.”
“I am confident. I've seen you fight.” His thumb traced my cheekbone. “You're the best fighter I know. And tonight you're going to prove it to everyone else.”
I kissed him hard and fast, tasting the certainty in his words and the faith he had in me that I didn't quite have in myself yet.
When I pulled back, his eyes were dark and hungry in a way that made my cock stir despite the fact that I had a title fight in less than ten minutes.
But then Troy dropped to his knees in front of me, and every thought about the fight evaporated.
“What are you doing?” My voice came out rougher than I intended.
“Giving you good luck.” His hands went to my shorts, fingers hooking in the waistband. “You got a problem with that?”
I should have said yes. Should have told him we didn't have time, that someone could walk in, that I needed to stay focused. But the words died in my throat when he pulled my shorts and underwear down in one smooth motion, letting my half-hard cock spring free.
“Fuck, Troy.” I braced one hand against the locker behind me. “We don't have time for this.”
“Then I'll make it quick.” He wrapped his hand around my cock, stroking me to full hardness with practiced efficiency. “Besides, you fight better when you're relaxed. And I can't think of a better way to relax you than this.”
His mouth closed around the head of my cock before I could respond, hot and wet and perfect. I groaned, my free hand going to his hair automatically, fingers threading through the dark strands.
He took me deeper, working his way down my length with single-minded focus. His tongue pressed flat against the underside of my cock, creating friction that made my hips jerk forward involuntarily. He didn't gag, didn't pull back, just took itand kept going until his nose was pressed against my pelvis and I could feel the back of his throat.
“God, your mouth.” I tightened my grip in his hair, not pulling, just holding on while he worked me over. “You're so fucking good at this.”
He pulled off with an obscene pop, spit connecting his lips to my cock in a way that made my balls draw up tight. “You taste good, Daddy. Like sweat and want and everything I've been craving.”
