Page 9 of Back in Black

The redhead, in a protective gesture, stepped in front of the blonde who interested him.

Brett grinned. He’d always enjoyed female attention, and now was no exception. “Hello back atcha.”

The blonde stepped out from behind the redhead and huffed. “Excuse me, but we’re trying to work here.”

“So I see.” He held up the flyer. “Got a protest planned, do you?”

She planted her hands on her hips and tipped her head back to stare up at him. “Do you care?”

“Nope.” Roger’s Rodeo had more than adequate security. If the women got too rowdy, they’d be shown the door. “Just curious.”

The smiling female sidled up close to him. “Audrey organized us tonight just to hand out the flyers. But we do hope to stage a protest soon. Would you like to join us?”

“Well, now, I don’t know.” He glanced back at the blonde. “You’re Audrey?”

She hesitated, but finally nodded. “Yes. Audrey Porter.” She held out a hand.

Brett engulfed it in his own. Small, soft, with short, clean nails. “Nice to meet you, Audrey. I’m Brett Bullman.” He watched her face for any signs of recognition, but saw none. Huh. So Audrey protested the sport without knowing the competitors. Interesting. Not that he was a headliner . . . yet. But he soon would be, especially after he signed with the SBC and won his first fight there.

He smiled at her. “You’re the one in charge?”

As if seeking courage, she glanced around at the other women. “Yes.”

He held on to her hand. “Did you plan to go inside to hand out the flyers, too, or just out here?”

“God, no,” the redhead rushed to say. “We wouldn’t go in there.” She looked as though the idea horrified her. “Fighters hang out in there.”

She saidfighterswith the same disdain she’d give to demons. Brett smothered a grin and nodded. “Yes, ma’am, they do indeed.”

“It could be dangerous,” she insisted. “They really are brutal specimens.”

“They can be.” In a fight, a mixed martial arts fighter could take as well as give major punishment. “I have a solution. How about you ladies wait out here, and I’ll escort Audrey inside so she can hand out more flyers? You’ll be double-tagging the customers. What do you say?”

“Absolutely not!” the redhead said.

Audrey sputtered. “No, I couldn’t . . .”

But the other women supported his cause with enthusiastic encouragement.

Ignoring the nays, Brett nodded. “Great. Give us twenty minutes.” Teasingly, he said to the disgruntled and surly redhead, “You can hold down the fort until I return Audrey, can’t you?”

“Of course, but there’s no way Audrey will—”

“It’s okay, Millie,” Audrey assured her friend.

Then she handed Brett her stack of flyers. “I’m only going in if you give a flyer toeveryonein there.”

“I’ll do my best.” Tugging Audrey in his wake, Brett got her away from the clinging Millie and just inside the lobby of the bar, near the coat check. Suddenly she dug in.

Over his shoulder, he saw her wide eyes as she looked beyond him into the crowded, dark, noisy bar. Music blared, strobe lights flickered, and people laughed. Roger’s Rodeo had great atmosphere, but Audrey looked like he wanted her to enter a brothel.

To be heard, he moved closer to her. “Something wrong, Audrey?”

Her slender fingers contracted on his before she pulled her hand away. She twisted her hands together. Swallowing, she glanced up at him. “I have a confession.”

Damn, but Brett wanted to kiss her. Bad. Right here, right now. He could give her all kinds of things to confess.

Instead, he leaned one shoulder on the wall in a deceptively casual stance. “Yeah? What’s that?”

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