Page 54 of Last Round

“Is it wrong that, that only turns me on more?” I tilt my head to the side, giving him access to my neck. Killian doesn’t miss my invitation; his tongue glides up the length of my throat, back to my earlobe, where he proceeds to nibble. “Fuck, Killian, I’m so wet. If you don’t touch me, I think I might explode.”

His hand travels down to the waistband of my jeans. My heart threatens to burst from my chest as my pulse quickens, then stops dead. Killian’s touch disappears as he takes a step in the wrong direction. “We should get back to work.”

I turn around. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No, you’re perfect, Molly.” He presses a soft kiss to the top of my head before he walks away, only to pause at the door. “Think about what you want to grab for dinner tonight on the way home.”

Nerves

Killian

“Youlookbeautiful,”Icompliment Molly.

“Thank you.” She smiles. But it lacks its usual glow. Ever since our heated moment in the supply closet the other night, things have been strained. I’ve been left kicking my own ass because it’s my fault and I know how to fix it—but the solution is terrifying.

“Are people hyped about the fight?” I ask her. She’s already back to focusing on her phone, her fingers typing away.

“Definitely. We’re being flooded by posts rooting Luke on.” At least the fight appears to be a safe topic of conversation. “Wow, this place is insane,” Molly says as I navigate the congested downtown traffic.

“Lucky me, we have VIP parking,” I say, turning into the special garage attached to the venue. The electronic pass on my car activates the lift and grants us entry.

“Fancy,” she comments.

“You ain’t seen nothing yet. Wait here.” I park the car, exit, and rush to open her door. “My lady.” I reach for her hand like a gentleman.

“Sir.” Thankfully she plays along. Her heels clack on the cement as she steps out.

I hook her arm with mine and guide us to the entrance where a security guard greets us. “Mr. Murphy.”

“How’ve you been, Lou?” I shake his hand.

“You know me, can’t complain.”

“I haven’t seen you at K.O.’s for a bit?”

“The missus, she has me on that keto diet.” He pats his stomach. “Down twenty pounds.”

“And looking good. You should come to the gym then, show these kids age is nothing but a number.”

“I’d like that.” He opens the door and waves us in. “Have a good evening.”

“You too.”

The moment we step over the threshold into the building, the awkward tension between Molly and me vanishes as she grabs my arm tightly. Her eyes are wide as she observes the chaos, the people in the halls buzzing with excitement.

“I’m guessing you haven’t been behind the scenes in a while, have you?”

Molly attended most of the local fights—and when she was older, the out-of-state ones too—as long as they didn’t interfere with school. I assumed she’d be comfortable in this element. Maybe I was wrong? Back then, I was so busy getting ready I never noticed if she got overwhelmed by crowds.

“I went to a few when I was in New York,” she says, her eyes dropping to her feet.

I stop, lifting her chin to look at me. “Molly, you don’t need to be here if you don’t want to be. I can take you home.”

She sucks her ruby lip between her teeth and shakes her head. “I’m okay. Sorry.” She smiles but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “Thank you though.” She leans up on her tippy-toes and presses a kiss to my cheek. “Shit,” she whispers as she wipes my face. “Sorry, I forgot I was wearing lipstick.”

“Leave it. I like you branding me.” That darkness in her gaze brightens and it feels like the stress from the past couple of days vanishes.

As we make our way to Luke’s room, I’m stopped by several people. Many of them I know from being involved in the circuit for so long; others are fans with backstage passes who want a selfie. Molly appears comfortable as she smiles and shakes hands. Business cards ready, she helps promote the gym when appropriate. I never got to see her work professionally in public relations—even since starting with our gym, it’s only been social media. Seeing how personable she is with everyone, it makes me wonder why she’d quit such a prestigious firm and come home. Not that I’m not glad she did.

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