Page 8 of Back in Black

“What is it?” Gillian accepted the flyer he handed to her. She read it quickly, then let out an exasperated breath. “My job just got harder, didn’t it?”

Brett barely heard her. He and the petite blonde had locked gazes. She was small enough that she’d barely reach his chin. Not exactly a good physical fit, but the lower parts of him didn’t seem to care.

He smiled and gave her a nod.

Color rushed to her face and she jerked around, giving him her back as she talked to a redhead. Brett didn’t mind the snub because it afforded him a quick survey of her hips in the slim, faded jeans.

Cute. Real cute.

Gillian elbowed him. “Really, Brett. Men aresoeasy.”

Drawn back to her, he laughed and took her arm, urging her across the street. He’d come back and talk to the blonde after he saw Gillian safely to her car. “And you think women aren’t?”

“Not in the same way, no.”

“Amen to differences.”

Gillian smiled, too. “It doesn’t bother you that she’s protesting your sport? What did the flyer call it? Human cockfighting?”

“She doesn’t understand it, that’s all. No big deal.” A lot of folks were misguided about the level of dedication it took to compete in MMA fighting. It wasn’t just one discipline of fighting but a complex, complementary set of combat techniques including boxing, kickboxing, martial arts, grappling, and wrestling.

He sure as hell wouldn’t let a feminine fear of the sport keep him from pursuing a woman who interested him.

“You plan to explain it to her?”

“Why would I?” They reached Gillian’s sporty RX8, and Brett waited for her to unlock the door.

“You don’t feel defensive about it?”

He shook his head. “Everyone has a right to his or her opinion. Doesn’t matter to me.”

“Well.” She slid into her seat. “You show admirable restraint. If it was me—”

“You’d be bristling, I know.” He braced a hand against the roof of the car and leaned down toward her. Grinning, he said, “I saw you get all miffed about a supposed insult to those groupies trying to get a free pass at Drew.”

She lifted her chin. “It was an insult.”

“The comment about their implants? Just a fact, nothing more.” He tapped the roof of the car and stepped back. “Man has a right to his preferences.”

She peered across the street toward the protesters. “Such as a preference for that one?”

Brett looked, too. She was short and slim in a very sweet package. “Yeah.”

Gillian laughed as she shook her head. “Good luck, then. But you know, as soon as she finds out that you’re a fighter, you’ll be at a disadvantage.”

Probably. “If she doesn’t ask, I won’t tell her.” Brett closed her door. “Drive safe, now.”

Still smiling, Gillian started her car and drove away.

Heading back over to the cluster of women, Brett saw the little blonde take note of his approach. Visibly flustered, she made herself busy real fast.

The act didn’t deter Brett; at least now he knew that she was aware of him, too.

He’d always been partial to little gals, and this one, with the mulish set to her mouth and her determined air, especially intrigued him.

Rather than scare her off by being too direct, he asked the group, “You ladies enjoying the night air?”

Almost as one they turned to look at him and went mute. A few twittered. One smiled at him. And another said in a low, throaty tone, “Well, hello, there.”

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