Page 29

“Oh hey, gym girl,” one of the fighters calls out.
I peek up and recognize him as one of the fighters that was in the boxing ring this morning. Was that only this morning? Because it seems like a hell of a lot has happened since then. First, there was the argument at the gym and realizing what my brother was threatening them with. Then, the whole day with Cole, learning who he is as a person now and how the brother I know is still in there. He’s just deep, deep down.
“Never mind her. Get back to work,” Jax snaps.
The dude does as he says, immediately getting back to fight mode as he punches the air, exhaling in short breaths as he does so.
We move into another small, square room, and Finn places my bags against the wall. One desk sits in the center, but the walls and floors are otherwise bare. “This is our office at the Ring,” Finn tells me.
I glance around, noting the muted tan walls and plank flooring. It still smells new, like paint and some other smell, so it’s obvious they hardly use this area.
“I’m going back out to make sure everyone’s head is on straight. Make sure she’s...arranged,” Jax demands as he leaves the room.
I sneer at the door. “Wow. Your brother really doesn’t like me.”
“He just doesn’t like being pulled into gang shit,” Finn offers. “It’s not personal. I promise you. He didn’t like Kyla at first either.”
At least I recognize that name now. “You must have been good friends if they got my brother to give you a pass on your businesses. He doesn’t seem like the person to do that.”
“We were great friends,” he says with a small smile. “Jax will probably still tell you that he doesn’t like them, but he’s full of it.”
The room starts to close in, and I feel our proximity and the fact that we’re alone once again. “Where are they now?”
He flicks a piece of lint off the lower half of his shirt. “They got the hell out of the Heights, which is what they should’ve done. I hope they never come back.”
The sadness in his voice is apparent even though he’s trying to brush it off. I understand that sentiment though. Just because we know something is good for us doesn’t mean it’s painless.
Damn. My heart goes out to him. Everything about this guy screams perfect. He always seems so positive.
To drive my thoughts home, he perks up right afterward. “I’ll give you the room so you can change.”
I bite down on my lip, making a split-second decision. It probably doesn’t help that Jaz’s words are still in my ear. She’s not a good influence. Good friends rarely are. “Oh, no need.” I grab the hem of my shirt and peel it over my head. I discard it on the floor, chest hammering now that I’m standing in front of Finn in my bra. A quick check confirms that luckily I’m not wearing something I wouldn’t want to be caught dead in, so I heave a silent sigh of relief. I probably should have thought of that before I whipped my shirt off, but I tend to act first, then ask questions.
Smirking at his wide gaze, I twist on my heel to get my bag. With my ass in the air, I hear his intake of breath. “Jesus, Leenie.”
12
Well, that’s a good sign.
I take my time looking through both bags, searching for the perfect shirt. Something acceptable for being out on a Saturday night, and yeah, maybe something that will turn Finn’s head a bunch of times.
When he moves closer, the heat from his body clings to my own like a fiery presence. Mirroring me, he bends to search through my bag, pulling out a scarlet red tank with a plunging neckline. He holds it up then shifts his gaze to me. “How’s this one?”
His blue eyes with amber flecks brand my irises as he passes the shirt over. I straighten, holding the fabric to my chest and wondering if I can get away with wearing this shirt with the bra I have on. Before I make the decision, he moves closer, the tips of his shoes nearly touching mine. “You did that on purpose.”
It isn’t a question, it’s a statement. He damn well knows I did, just like I walked up to him yesterday with laser focus. “When I see something I like, I go after it.”
He reaches out, fingering the flimsy material of the shirt between us. “And I appreciate that,” he says gruffly. “I like a woman who knows what she wants.”
His voice undoes me. Drawn like magnets, I step closer, the shirt just lying over my chest, kept there by my hand around my waist. My knuckles brush against his abdomen, and his jaw ticks.
“Here,” he offers, reaching for the clothing he chose. He grabs the hem and carefully pulls it over my head...dressing me.
Well, damn, that’s not where I envisioned this going. It’s supposed to be the other way around. I’d normally go hide after a rejection but as I slip my hands through the arm holes and he lowers the fabric, covering me, his fingers brush against my sides then settle on my hips. He tightens his grip possessively, releasing a moment later. “Leenie...”
He closes his eyes, and I know a rebuff when I’m about to hear one. I pull myself out of his orbit and step back, making his hands fall to his sides. I clear my throat, looking away. Searching for something to say, I grasp at the first thing that comes to mind. “Sorry about all this, anyway.” I try to infuse some pep into my voice but fail miserably. “Cole’s too overprotective. When he was gone, he forgot what it was like to have a sister, and now he’s going overboard.”
Finn shakes his head. “He’s not going overboard.”