Page 16 of Bear
“Gotta protect things. If you’ve ever taken a full-impact groin hit, you’d know why.” Bear shoots me a grin before knocking his knuckles against the hard cup. “Can’t feel a thing.”
I bite the corner of my lip, watching as he pulls on another pair of shorts over what he’s already got on. Tight shorts. Damn. There’s hardly anything left to the imagination. My mouth waters.
“Help me wrap my hands?” Bear’s question is aimed at Mason. “I hated not having you here to do it last week.” He walks over and takes a seat at the same table where he’d dropped his bag.
“Aw, Bear.” Mason smirks. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying, big guy?”
“Shut up, Mason, and get them wrapped.”
Mason’s grin at Bear’s barked command—it’s something that I haven’t seen often, and to be honest, the pureness of it is shocking. He crosses to where Bear sits and quietly begins the process of securing his hands for him. It’s obvious from the ease with which Mason goes about the task that this is a long-standing tradition between them.
They’re midway through the second hand—we’re already hearing the screams and shouts from the first fight in progress—when there’s another knock on the door. I lurch upright, my heart jumping into my throat.Oh, shit.
NINE
LENNON
Duke’s gazedarts to Bear and Mason, and they both shake their heads. “Over there, Lennon.” He points toward a small bathroom in the corner of the room, but immediately cringes realizing what he’s asking of me. “Fuck. Shit. Um. You can leave the door open. You shouldn’t be visible from the doorway.”
“Okay.” I suck in a breath and launch myself across the room. Once I’m sequestered in the bathroom area—I stand right at the doorway because it’s a small, small room—Duke strides over to the door.
“Who is it?” he barks.
“It’s just me. I wanted to wish Bear good luck.”
Meis the owner ofa decidedly feminine voice. My hackles go up, and I can’t logically explain why, except—
I hear the door open, then Duke’s voice. “Hey, Morgan. Um, Bear is kinda in the zone right now. Not taking visitors.”
I lean forward to catch a glimpse of who the hell he’s talking to. This Morgan girl stands in the hall right outside the room, big boobs stuffed into a tiny sports bra and rocking a pair of stretchy shorts covered in sequins. She’s curvy and gorgeous. And much to my dismay, my jaw tightens and my hands clench into fists. The other thing I notice? This girl’s eyes, complete with sparkly eyeshadow that matches her shorts, are positively glued on Bear.
“Oh, come on, can’t I say hi? I’m his lucky charm.” She gives Duke a beguiling flutter of her eyelashes.
I stiffen, my lungs seizing up, which doesn’t really matter because I’m mortified to find I’m holding my breath. My eyes flick to Bear where Mason is finishing up with his second hand.
He finally glances up and offers this girl a reluctant wave with the hand that’s already wrapped.
The small smile she’d been wearing goes megawatt at his perusal, her entire face lighting up with it. “Good luck, Bear!” She subtly shifts, showing herself off to her best advantage. They obviously know each other. “I’ll be here after the fight to help you cool down.” She tosses him a little wink.
He smiles back with those same lips that were on mine not twenty minutes ago. He looks at her with eyes that I could have sworn only saw me. I take a step back as an uncomfortable, sick feeling slithers its way through me.Jealousy.This chick is straight-up pissing me off, and I don’t know why because odds are very good that she has no clue I exist or what Bear and I have been up to this week. Fuck, am I the other woman?
I edge forward again so I can take a better look at her. She’s got long red hair—what is it with these guys and redheads?—that falls in beautiful waves over her shoulders, a smattering of freckles over her pert little nose, and pretty brown eyes. Eyes she only has for Bear. I swallow hard.
Or maybe I’m feeling this way because Bear is currently ignoring the fact that I’m standing here listening to his, what? Girlfriend? Ex? Ringside chick? Or by her own words, his fuckinggood luck charmgo on about how she’s going to take care of him after the fight? Is she insinuating what I think she is? Because fuck that.
Ignoring our interloper for a moment, Bear checks in with Mason. “How much time do I have?”
Duke glances over his shoulder at me, and our eyes connect. I’m waiting for him to say something smart, something he knows will sting if he lets it loose. Something that will tell Morgan I’m here. And being made to fucking hide myself. No fucking thank you. But all I see in his eyes is a warning. Don’t fucking do it.
Ignoring his advice, I step out of the bathroom and into view of the girl at the door, my brow arched and a sassy smile on my lips. “Hi.” I cock my head to the side and watch the smile fall from Morgan’s face. “Have we met?”
Her mouth opens, then closes again with a snap that I’m surprised doesn’t rattle her teeth. “Who are you?”
I laugh. “Me? I’m the upgrade, bitch.”
She looks flabbergasted. “Wait, what? Bear?”
His gaze meets mine, his golden eyes alight with curiosity.
