Page 19 of Regards, Mia

“Reality is a bitch,” Lacey says. “That’s why I read.”

We all tap our glasses to that and sip thoughtfully. My mind wanders to Jay, where it’s been traveling ever since I met him. “Are you still training at that boxing gym?” I ask Thatcher.

“Yeah. Why? You gonna come take one of my self-defense classes?”

“I should be the teacher of that class,” I say, taking a sip of wine. “You know I have a black belt in Brazilian Jui Jitsu.”

“Yes, we know, Mia.” Gabi tosses an almond into her mouth. “And you were first in your class in college. Captain of the archery team.”

“Not everyone has an archery team,” Lacey points out.

“I’m just saying, I don’t need to take self defense.”

“Maybe you should come show the other students a thing or two?” Thatcher suggests. “You can be my assistant.”

I rise from the sofa, suddenly restless. “How well do youknow the owner?” I ask, an image of Jay shirtless flashes in my mind, and I’m instantly hot.

“Jay?” Thatcher strokes his stubbled chin. “He’s a good guy. A little stand-offish, but what do you expect from a champion?”

“He’s a champion?” I rest my hip on the back of the sofa, leaning in.

“Heavy weight and Cruiser weight. He held both titles in his mid-twenties.”

He’s a champion. No wonder he radiates raw power and grace.

“He has a record?” I ask, bracing myself for the details.

Thatcher nods. “He did time.”

I lean closer, starved for the details I didn’t dare ask. “For what?”

Thatcher raises a brow. “Why all of the sudden interest in Jay? How do you even know him? Can’t imagine you two running in the same circles.”

“We don’t.”

Gabi gives me a look only a mom could pull off. “Spill,” she says.

I shove a carrot stick into my mouth, pretending to focus on chewing.

“If she doesn’t want to tell us she had sex with a guy calledThe Savage,she doesn’t have to.” Lacey pats my back in sympathy, but the gleam in her tells a different, more curious story.

The doorbell rings, and I hurry to answer it, glad to have some distance between me and the conversation. Sloane has arrived, bearing the wine I asked for, which makes me think of Jay and our evening together. When we kissed, I tasted the sweetness of black cherries and pomegranate on his lips, felt the scrape of his soft beard, and hungered for more.

But as Sloane barrels in with her abundance of peppy energy, the conversation takes a turn toward books. Any chance I have of pumping Thatcher for information about Jay is lost. And it’s a good thing, since I’m supposed to be forgetting all about him.

I shouldn’t be wondering about what he’s doing tonight. If he’s thinking of me, even better, touching himself in my honor.

I’m guilty of letting him occupy more space in my thoughts than he should. I’ve never even considered dating a man who has been to jail, but Jay is… He’s so tempting. And I still want to lick those tattoos.

CHAPTER 8

Consider an Upgrade

I’m a fighter, not an accountant. I close the spreadsheet and rub my eyes. None of this makes sense to me, but it’s unavoidable. I have to order towels, pay my employees, and make sure everyone is getting their dues in on time.

I’m pulled in a dozen different directions on a daily basis, and managing everything sometimes feels like I might rip apart.

The kids’ team, Champion’s Corner, is losing money hand over fist. The fees are on a sliding scale, and right now there are more scholarship kids than paying kids. If I don’t attract some kids who can afford to pay the full tuition, the program will go under.

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