me.”
She laughed. “You wish.” Then she snatched the wrap from Travis’s grip. “Let me.”
“Are you kidding me?” Tony scoffed. “Look at you.” He pointed to her green wrap dress and sky-high heels. “You know how to wrap a fighter’s hands?”
She winked at Slade before addressing Tony. “So, you ready?”
“Muñeca, I was born ready.”
Slade, who’d been standing next to them, spoke up. “Don’t be so cocky. Concentrate.”
“I’m not being cocky. It’s a fact.”
“Listen, we don’t know shit about the guy you’re fighting. Don’t underestimate a newcomer. There’s no video out for this guy. I don’t know what his weaknesses are. And I saw him at the weigh-in.”
“Oh, me too,” Francesca chimed in, licking her lips. “He’s fucking yummy.”
Tony groaned. “Yummy?”
Slade rolled his eyes. “He’s big, Tony. I mean, the dude’s fit. He looked focused and ready. I’m worried. This is a no-big-deal fight for you, but to this nobody, it’s the fight of his lifetime. He’s out for blood.”
“I’ve fought the biggest guys in MMA—here, in Japan, in Brazil. No newcomer in this shitty little town’s going to land a punch. I’ll bet my firstborn he’s down as soon as I land that first kick in the first round.” He got a knowing look on his face. “Better yet—let’s make a bet,” he said to Francesca. “If I knock him out in the first round, you’re going out with me to celebrate.”
“Fine. If you knock him out in the first round. But one drink only.”
“A drink that will end with more. I promise you that.” He waggled his eyebrows.
“Whatever,” she deadpanned.
They turned at the sound of a squeal behind him. “Oh my God, did you see that guy, Jacques? He’s humongous. Muscles on top of muscles.”
“Babe, stop checking out the competition,” Jack said to Chrissy.
“What’re you guys doing here?” Slade asked.
“Came to support WtF Academy and my brother, what else?” Chrissy said, kissing Slade on the cheek. “Did you see that Jacques guy?” she repeated to Francesca.
“I know, right? Yummy!” Francesca answered.
Tony let out a snort.
“Oh, is that who you’re going to fight, Tony?” Chrissy asked.
“Yes. The yummy guy,” Tony said, sounding irritated.
“Oh, well. His muscles really weren’t that big. Well, they were big, but not really like yours.” She reached for his bicep and squeezed. “Yours are—”
“Chris.” Jack closed his eyes, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. “Let go of Tony and stop talking about muscles and men and fighting in general.”
“I’m just trying to make it better.”
“Not working, Chris,” Slade said.
As Tony finished warming up, Slade quickly checked his phone, where he saw a text from Jessica wishing his team good luck. She was so sweet; she hadn’t been able to get the night off to come watch, but she’d worn a WtF Academy T-shirt to work. She was so supportive of his business and of the team.
It was strange, what he felt for her. It both scared and excited him. When she wasn’t around, he missed her. He wanted all her dreams to come true, and he would do everything in his power to make those dreams come true. She was funny as hell, beautiful, and simple. That was what did it for him—Jessica’s simplicity. She said what she felt; she didn’t beat around the bush. When she was angry, she told him without hesitation. When she was happy, she beamed. When she was turned on—damn, she made it known!
He quickly sent her a reply thanking her, then silenced his phone. He had almost told her how he felt the previous night, as they lay in bed together, but he’d been too nervous. First of all, he’d never said those words to a woman other than his sister. Second, she had just gotten out of a long-term abusive relationship, and he didn’t want to scare her off.
He forced all these thoughts out of his head. Right now he needed to concentrate on the man who was about to fight, not on the woman who drove him absolutely mad.
Unlike Cain’s modest entrance, Tony came out of the locker room to a loud techno song. He jumped up and down and waved to his fans. His shorts were black with sponsor logos all over.
Then out came his opponent. Jacques was easily three inches taller than Tony, who was six-one. But Tony, who was no novice and knew how to work the cameras and the crowd, gave his opponent a ferocious stare.
As soon as the first bell rang, Tony didn’t hesitate: he threw the first punch. Slade groaned. That