were one and the same. Two halves of a whole.
I didn’t know what bothered me the most. That I was keeping this thing between Josie and me a secret from my twin or that he was fighting the man who tried to take her from me. Either way, it wasn’t a good idea to lay it on him the day he was defending his title against the little fucker.
The arena was sold out tonight, the din bordering on unbearable as fans took their sets for the main event of the night—the middleweight title fight.
Josie was next to me, a vision in her tight jeans and silky blue shirt, standing tall in her favorite pair of shiny black high heels. I smiled from ear to ear as I remembered the look on her face that morning after I’d made her come in the shower. So fucking beautiful.
“What are you looking at me like that for?” she asked, trying unsuccessfully to hide her own smile.
“This is torture,” I murmured in her ear. “Being in public and not being able to touch you. Having to watch Linc fight that jackass. The list goes on…”
“Dean Hayes! Dean! Dean!”
Josie groaned as she nodded toward the shrill voice of a young male reporter who was fast approaching our position.
“I know what you mean,” she said, rolling her eyes.
I scowled as the reporter darted toward me, and I glanced back to Josie, an unspoken question in my eyes.
“Go for it,” she said. “They won’t leave you alone until you comment about the fight. Just don’t say something stupid about the thing.” She waved her hand around. “The black tie punching incident. Or…us.”
“I’m not that stupid,” I drawled, itching to pinch her on the ass. That one I’d just have to bank for later and turn it into a slap while my cock was in her. That would feel real nice. Josie hightailed it before she was roped into the interview, and I made a mental note to increase it to two.
The reporter almost smacked into me as I turned, his face flushed like he’d just run a marathon to get to me.
“Can I ask you a couple of questions?” he asked, his eyes flicking around watching for the competition.
“Yeah. But you’ve only got two minutes.”
“How are you feeling after your loss to Gabe O’Connell? It was the first KO of your career…”
Before he could say that’s gotta hurt, I narrowed my eyes and said, “I’m feeling fine. I just wish it was me in the octagon tonight and not my brother.”
“If O’Connell takes the middleweight title tonight, will you challenge him for it?”
“Yes. Without a doubt.”
“If O’Connell loses, will you challenge him anyway?”
“Yes. I’d like to have another crack at him. I’ve challenged the only fighter I’ve lost against and come back to win. O’Connell will be no different.”
“Would you like to make any comment concerning the incident at the Gala last weekend? Is there a rivalry outside of the octagon between you and Gabe O’Connell? Are you having a secret relationship with Josie Cunningham?”
I flinched and glanced around for Josie, but she was nowhere to be found. The crowd had swallowed her up, and I was on my own. Best to say nothing at all, rather than put my foot in it trying to do the right thing. Whatever that was.
“No comment,” I snapped and shoved the guy aside.
Spying Josie already in our assigned seats, I sat beside her and pressed my arm against hers, wishing I could throw it around her shoulders instead.
“I was a good boy,” I said, raking my gaze over the octagon as the announcer began to call the fight.
She glanced at me, her blonde hair shimmering under the bright lights of the arena. “He asked?”
“My fist, O’Connell’s face. Fully clothed. It’s a hot topic, Jo.” I snorted and turned my head so I could take her in. “He asked about you. By name.”
She began to pale and turned away. It sent the wrong message entirely, and I felt like throwing up myself.
“Does the thought of the world knowing we’re seeing each other make you that sick?” I whispered in her ear.
“No,” she hissed. “It’s just…”
We both straightened up as Violet appeared through the crowd and took her seat beside Josie. I threw Jo a warning glance, and she shrugged, shifting her attention back to the octagon where Lincoln was bouncing around in his corner.
The title fight was going to be three rounds of five minutes each. I wasn’t expecting it to