Page 128 of Always You

“I know.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter. Laurie, or whatever other supermodel that might pop into your life. You have to tell me about it. I can’t be your friend if I’m in the dark all the time.”

“What are you suggesting?” I tilt my head at her.

“Every other Friday, we call and catch up.”

Less than I was aiming for, but I’ll take anything she’ll give me. “Can I call you on fight night?”

Surprise washes over her face. “You’d rather start your fight night with me than your girlfriend?”

“She is not my girlfriend,” I rebuke like a smartass. “But yes, I want to call you before I get into that cage. It’s a ritual. I can’t do it with anyone else but you. Bad luck and all.”

“You’re one fight removed from being the welterweight champion. You clearly can do without a little luck.”

I grab her chin, my fingers possessively spreading over her cheek as I bring my lips close to hers. “I can do without it. But I don’twantto.”

Her reply is barely audible. “Okay.”

“SoI can call you?” I let go of her face and a ghost of a smile lands in the corner of her pouty lips.

“Is your favorite ice cream flavor clementine vanilla?”

“Right.” I chuckle at her defiant stance, adoring how cute she looks as she pulls a face at me. “Okay, babe. Every other Friday.”

She offers me her hand, and I incredulously shake my head at her silliness before I take it, shaking it in agreement.

“Deal,” she quips, a pleased smile on her face.

“Deal.”

49

Picking up a bottle of scotch to put it back on the glass shelf behind the bar, I hear my phone ring. I glance at the screen, and a smile appears on my face as I pick it up.

“You ready, champion?”

“I’m not there yet,” Hunter huffs through the phone.

I can hear the tension in his body, etching through his voice while I imagine him standing in front of the mirror, looking at his reflection as he tries to get his head in the right space.

“Yet. You will be in an hour.” I grab a bottle of tequila from the shelf, pouring myself a shot, figuring I deserve one to calm my nerves on fight night. Even though we weren’t talking for a while, I never missed a fight, always keeping my gaze locked with the screen until he would finally release the tension in my body by knocking out his opponent.

But today is a whole different level.

My nerves have been rolling through my stomach the entire day, knowing this is his most important fight so far. The final fight to take that belt home and claim that champion title.

“You don’t know that.”

“Yeah, I do, Hunter. You’ve been working for this for ages. You got this. The only question is, how long are you going to make him believe he can actually beat you?” I bring the glass to my lips, throwing the contents down my throat, making a sour face as I put a lemon wedge in my mouth.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” He chuckles, his tension slowly shimmering away as he slips into that flirtatious mood he’ll probably never get rid of.

I smile, loving how I’m still able to loosen him up, the tequila making its way down my body in a scorching way.

“Oh, come on. You’re not really going to make me suffer like that, are you?”

“Why not?”

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