Page 69 of His Greatest Muse

I suck back a laugh. “My face is fine. She was lucky with that one. And no. I said everything I wanted to in the ring.”

“How has it been working with Hunter Ramirez? Were you aware of the success of his career when you hired him?” another man asks, shouting from the swarm of reporters, not bothering to introduce himself.

“Hunter has been incredibly amazing to have as both a trainer and manager. His experience just adds to his ability to help me grow,” I answer. Speaking of this trainer of mine, where is he? He was supposed to be here already. Eyes drifting to the door, I squint past the bodies and watch the door open.

Noah steps inside and searches the room, body tense, discomfort flaring in his gaze. I fight back the urge to run to him and take some of the discomfort away. He’s never liked crowds, never been able to relax around strangers. I’ve always been the one to help with that. To guide him through these situations. He’d never ask me to do that for me, but he’s never had to.

Finally, our eyes catch across the room. He pauses for a brief second before picking up his pace. The reporters turn to gape at him as he cuts through toward me. We’ve never hidden our friendship from the media, but it’s not often they get an opportunity like this where they can have access to the both of us together in a media-friendly environment. Luckily for us, these reporters work for sports centres, not online gossip sites or music pages. That should help minimize the damage tonight.

If Noah’s realized what’s going to happen now, he doesn’t let on. Instead, he comes to my side like that’s the only place he wants to be and presses a subtle yet possessive hand on my lower back, toying with the band of my shorts. I lock my muscles to keep from shivering.

Having him here with me right now means more than I imagined it would. He has another sold-out show to play tonight and should be at rehearsal right now, but instead of risking the chance of missing my fight, he moved up his rehearsal to earlier today. It ruined everyone’s schedules, but there was no changing his mind. For the millionth time in my life, I’m left wondering how I got lucky enough to have this man in my life.

“Hi,” I say softly, quiet enough I hope the recorders in front of us won’t be able to hear. The media’s attention is so focused on the two of us that if a bomb went off outside, I doubt they would be able to tell.

He curls his fingers in my shorts, subtly tugging me closer until our hips meet, and then mutters, “Hey.”

A collective sense of interest and desperation for a good story travels through the faces around the room. One by one, they begin to realize what a rare chance they’ve just been gifted. Lingering adrenaline still thrashes through me, but that doesn’t stop my nerves from beginning to swell.

The pretty reporter in front of me blinks her wide, blue eyes and pulls herself together before everyone else. Her grip grows the slightest bit shaky on her recorder as she swerves off her predetermined course.

“Noah Hutton, did you watch the fight tonight?” she asks.

I bite my tongue to avoid giggling at the question. Noah hesitates with an answer, and I know that if I looked at him right now, I would find him biting his own tongue to avoid telling her something sarcastic.

“Yes,” he replies instead.

The reporter grins. “Did you come for Tinsley?”

Those fingers gripping my shorts tighten, tugging them until the front part of the band digs into my belly. “Yes.”

“Are you going to make it to your concert tonight? You wouldn’t let yourself miss it, right?” This from another man, one who hasn’t spoken yet.

Noah finds him in an instant, his dark eyes pinning him in place. “We’ll make it.”

We. Not I.

“How are you liking Seattle? It’s got to remind you of home,” the same man pushes.

Noah grows even stiffer. “You’re here to talk to Tinsley. Not me. Do that, yeah?”

I hear what he doesn’t say.Mind your fucking business.

“Actually, I think that’s enough for tonight.” It’s Hunter’s voice.

I didn’t see him before, but as he moves to stand on my other side, the reporters take a respectful step back, appearing to not want to crowd him. Annoyance sparks in my chest at that. Why does Hunter deserve the space, but I don’t?

“Thanks for coming to talk to Tinsley, but we’re done now. You can talk to her when she wins her next fight,” he tells them, appearing so damn confident in front of everyone. One day, I’ll be the same. But until then, I’m grateful to have him to keep them away when it becomes too much.

A few of them grumble their frustration, but they slowly begin to exit the room, the security guards hot on their tails. Despite the lack of gossip they got tonight, there’s a story waiting to be written from what theydidget from us. It won’t be the first time I’ve been in the tabloids with Noah, but in the past, it’s always been him in the spotlight. This time, I will be.

“You should have waited for me before starting, Tinsley,” Hunter scolds, facing me with his arms crossed.

I lift a brow and replicate his stance. “Maybe you should have told me that, then. Or at least been here before they started letting themselves into the locker room. Don’t make me unhappy with you when I was just feeling grateful.”

He backs off a little. “Point made.”

“Great, because I’m too exhausted to argue with anyone tonight. All I want is to take a shower and get out of here.”

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