Page 75 of 4th Degree

“No?” I ask on an exhale, dropping my leg back down. “Then why?”

A heavy breath bursts out of him as he slides his hands down to my hips and drops his face into my neck. “Because you’ve been adorable all night and there’s no way I was letting you go without a goodnight kiss.” I feel his lips press a kiss to the place where my neck and shoulders meet, making me shiver. “But you’re too tempting for just one sweet kiss. I can’t help myself with you.”

My lips curve into a smile, and my arms tighten around him.

I miss the heat of his body as soon as he straightens. “I meant what I said, though,” he says, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “I liked spending time with you that had nothing to do with fighting. I’d like to do it more often.”

“You’d rather go to a high school basketball game than fuck me against a heavy bag?” I ask with a chuckle.

It’s an automatic deflection. Because including Dominic in my life for a night is one thing, but making it a regular thing, and potentially making this relationship more serious, makes me nervous.

Dominic sees right through me. He doesn’t laugh, just brushes a thumb over my cheek and says, “I’d love anything that got me time with you.”

And then he kisses me again, and suddenly I’m not over-thinking anything.

26

SKYLAR

“TIME! Let’s bow out of class and then you can roll.”

Silently, the entire jiu-jitsu class lines up on the mat and waits for Dominic to dismiss us. The second he does, everyone rushes for their water on the sidelines.

The cold water sliding down my throat is a relief after that grueling class. And yet, I can’t wait to get back on the mat for some live rounds. I’ve been working hard on my jiu-jitsu in preparation for the tournament, and it’s been fun trying to implement the skills I’ve been learning.

But right before I get back on the mat, I glance at my phone and notice a text from my boss at the restaurant. Frowning, I swipe to open the notification. I never get texts from my boss.

Boss: Hey Skylar. Sorry for the last-minute text, but I don’t need you for your shift tonight. The owner just hired his daughter so I might need to take you off a few shifts to make room for her.

My stomach drops through the floor.

“Skylar?” comes Dominic’s voice from beside me. “What’s wrong?”

In a daze, my face turns up toward his. He looks worried.

I turn back to my phone, as defeat settles heavily on my shoulders.

“My shift tonight got canceled,” I say, no emotion in my voice. “Maybe a lot of shifts.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I see his hands twitch before he shoves them in his pockets.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” he says quietly.

“I needed that shift,” I say, desperation now bleeding into my tone. “The bills from Mom’s fall have started coming in, so even one shift lost is—” My voice cracks, and I can’t finish the thought.

I can never catch a break. Nothing I do is ever good enough, and I’m just so tired.

“I’m sorry, Skylar.” I feel him stepping closer and can only nod miserably in response.

“What are you going to do?”

I let out a dejected breath as I stare at the mat. “Start looking for another job, I guess. I don’t know, it sounds like this might not be the only shift I lose. I probably shouldn’t stick around for open mat right now.” My shoulders drop, and I let my phone fall from my hand into my gym bag.

“When was the last time you took a break?” Dominic asks. “Like, really took a break from your responsibilities.”

I turn toward him, my brow furrowing. “Uh, being here is my break.”

“Okay…but that’s three times a week for maybe two hours. When was the last time you took a break from your life entirely?”

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