Page 91 of Broken King

“Cade leftfor the arena an hour ago, and I’m still trying to decide what to wear.” I hold my black empire-waist dress up in front of the mirror again. “Seriously, Amelia. How did you always look so cute when you were pregnant with Maddox? I feel like a beached whale.”

My sister stares back at me through FaceTime. “You don’t look like a beached whale yet, Scarlet. That’ll come in a few more months. Now, which one is more comfortable? The black or the green?”

“The green. But it isn’t as dressy.” I pick the green maxi dress up from the bed and hold it in front of the mirror. It crisscrosses over my chest with contrasting piping, cap sleeves, and a ruffle at the bottom. It’s also the color of Cade’s eyes.

“That one, Scar. Definitely the green. Put it on, and let me see.” She waits patiently while I slip it on and fluff my hair. “Yup. That one. It’s perfect.”

I slide my slightly swollen feet into my favorite pair of heeled espadrilles and grab my purse. “Thanks, Amelia. I owe you one.”

Laughter flutters through the iPad. “Oh, yeah. It was really rough helping you pick something to wear out of your dream closet. Be careful in those heels, Scarlet. You’re seven months pregnant. Your balance isn’t what it used to be.”

“Blasphemy. I’ll have you know I plan on walking into the delivery room in heels.” A quick look at the time, and I realize I’m already running behind. “Damn. I’ve got to go, Amelia.”

“Have fun. I can’t wait to hear all about it.” The iPad moves, and I’m able to see my sister sitting on the floor of her living room, surrounded by squishy blocks.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come? I’m sure I could find you a ticket.”

My nephew army crawls toward her on chubby little arms and legs. “Nope. I’m good here with the little man. But say hi to my husband for me.”

A pudgy hand moves toward the camera before the call cuts off.

I guess it’s time to go.

It’s not a long drive from my condo to the arena in South Philly, and traffic is light for a Saturday night in the city, so I somehow manage to make it to the event on time. Once I get to the door, security whisks me to what they’re using as the backstage area tonight. A handful of fighters and their teams are scattered throughout the large room. Everyone is in their own camp. This may be an exhibition, but judging by the unsmiling faces back here, they’re still taking this seriously.

You can taste the testosterone in the air.

After a moment, I spot Cade and the guys from Crucible in the far back corner. And oh, my... my man is breathtaking. His black grappling shorts stretch across his muscular thighs. His chest is bronzed from the summer sun. Every sinewy indent and hard-earned muscle is on full display, and I have to fight the urge to run my hands over his chest. I’ve seen Cade fight on television, but never in person. If I had, I might have kickstarted our new relationship years ago. How anyone could possibly resist all that is beyond me.

When he runs his black-gloved hand through his dirty blonde hair and smiles at me, my body goes up in flames.

Desire courses through my veins.

Pregnancy hormones are no joke.

I swear I used to be someone who would never have even considered PDA. Now I have to take a moment to compose myself, so everyone doesn’t know I’m remembering the way Cade made me come on his face last night.

When did I turn into this person?

Instead of dwelling, I navigate the crowded room and join the Crucible corner.

Cade’s hands immediately lift to my face and my baby bump, cradling both as his lips brush gently over mine. “Hi, duchess.”

I glance around at the guys surrounding us, who are now whistling as if they’ve never seen a chaste kiss before. Pulling back slightly, I greet them all with my middle finger raised, then turn my attention back to Cade. “It looks like you’ve got a great turnout. The arena is packed. You ready for your big fight?”

“You worried about me, Scarlet?” Cocky green eyes sparkle back at me.

I lean in and brush my lips over his ear. “Of course not. I just want to know how long it’s going to take you to finish this so you can take me home. Your sister is keeping Brynlee tonight. We have the house to ourselves.”

Imogen clears her throat. “Um, you know I’ll still be there, right?”

I guess I wasn’t as quiet as I thought. “You might want to sleep with headphones on then.”

“Oh, come on. Just go to your place instead of his. Eww.” Imogen sticks her tongue out and fakes a gag.

I wrap my arms around Cade’s shoulders and squeeze him as I kiss his cheek. “Kick some ass tonight, Saint.” I don’t wait for the heckles I know are coming from the peanut gallery and quickly walk away without looking back.

As I walk down the aisle, looking for my family occupying the row closest to the cage, Hudson stands in the middle of the octagon with a mic in his hand, going over tonight’s rules with the audience and letting them know all the ways they can help make a difference. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the merchandise, silent auction, and donations are being distributed between a few different local veteran’s charities.

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