Page 30 of 4th Degree

“Just the mats and heavy bags,” I confirm. “They need to be done between night classes ending and the morning classes starting, so it’s up to you if you’d rather clean them after class or come in during the day. Not sure what your schedule is like.”

“I’ll do them after class,” she says immediately. “I have class and work during the day, so it would be hard to come in then. Unless it’s at like 4 a.m.”

4 a.m.? Jesus, how busy is this girl?

“After class, then,” I agree with a nod. “So, any night that you’re here to train, just stay after and spray down the mats and heavy bags. In exchange, I’ll zero out your membership fee.”

Back is the hesitation in her eyes, her teeth once again chewing on her lip. She’s the poster child for not wanting to ask for help.

But I can see when the urge to train wins out, because she lets out a heavy breath. “I really do hope this isn’t you doing me a favor, but”—she glances up at me from under her eyelashes, and the look is full of appreciation—”thank you for doing it. I’m really glad I’ll get to stay here.”

Because of training? The people? Fuck, what does that mean?

I swallow thickly. “Me too, Skylar,” I say in a rough voice.

She sends me one last tremulous smile before adjusting the strap on her shoulder. “I guess I’m too late for class now, but I’ll stretch out on the mat while I wait for Muay Thai to start.”

“Don’t worry about being late. I’ll tell Max you’re jumping in now. Just go get changed.”

She frowns at that. “But you hate when people are late.”

“I do. But this was important, and the whole point of it was to get you more mat time. So that’s what we’re doing.” I pause, my lip curling with an errant thought. “You can make it up by doing thirty burpees and thirty shrimps across the mat after class is over. Should take you the fifteen minutes that you just missed.”

Before she turns away to leave and get ready, a smile spreads across her face as she purrs, “Yes, sir.”

And when blood rushes to my cock at the sound of those two words on her lips, two words that I hear multiple times every day, I realize…

Yeah, she’s nothing like my other students.

12

SKYLAR

“Well, you’re in a good mood today,” my coworker comments as we lock the restaurant door behind the last customer.

I try for a nonchalant shrug, but my smile sneaks through anyway. “It’s been a good week.”

She moves toward the register to start the process of balancing. After a moment, she lets out a long whistle.

“No kidding. Whatever it is you’re doing to the customers this week, don’t stop. You made almost double your usual tips tonight.”

“Really?” I squeak, stepping up behind her to look at the numbers myself. “I didn’t do anything, I just…smiled more, I guess.” She looks over her shoulder at me with a raised eyebrow, and I shrug again. “Like I said, it’s been a good week. Being happy makes it easier to smile at the assholes.”

She laughs loudly at that. “You got that right. Well, whatever’s making you happy, I hope it keeps up. We’re eating good tonight.”

I was already in a great mood, but hearing I made extra money puts an extra pep in my step as we clean up.

Looking back, this week has been an emotional rollercoaster. It was only a few days ago that I got the email from the Bursar’s office. From feeling like the weight of the world was about to crush me, to now being afloat financially and able to keep the things that make me happy and making extra money is the biggest relief.

As I start to sweep up, my thoughts trail back to the conversation that made it all happen. The person who made it all happen.

Dominic didn’t need to offer me that deal. He can say it’s not charity all he wants, but we both know he doesn’t need me to clean the gym. He was probably fine doing it on his own—or at the very least, he could’ve gotten a much cheaper deal by having one of the fighters do it as a way to give back to the gym.

Usually when I’m offered help, I decline it because it comes with a look of pity. I’ve worked too goddamn hard in my life to have any of my successes fueled by that.

And yet…I barely hesitated when Dominic made his offer.

He looked genuinely upset when I told him I had to quit. I’m sure people quit all the time, so it shouldn’t have been a big deal. I don’t understand why he immediately tried to find alternatives for me.

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