Chapter 10

ten

. . .

Demi

I’d been comingto the gym every night this week after work, training with Doug, who everyone called Pinky. Apparently, having the last name Pinkerton was a real pain in the ass for him as a boxer. He wanted to be called Doug, Slug ‘Em, or Pinkerton, but everyone called him Pinky.

I understood it because I hadn’t been able to pull off the nickname that I’d wanted either. Of course, Romeo told Pinky to call me Beans and said it was my boxing handle.

Romeo had come by the coffee shop the day after I’d given him the shakes I’d made for him and said he’d had two great workouts in a row after adding the drinks to his diet.

It felt good to put my degree to use.

I knew he was depleted just by the way he’d looked after his runs. His body would shut down on him if he couldn’t get the nutrients he needed.

“So, what’s a girl like you doing boxing in a gym on Valentine’s Day?” Pinky asked as I danced around him, holding my hands up defensively, waiting for him to swing at me.

“I could ask you the same thing, Casanova.”

I heard a low chuckle, and my eyes darted over to see Romeo watching me. He did that sometimes. Hell, he did it all the time. I did, too. I was always watching him through the window at the coffee shop when he’d come back from his run.

But I didn’t miss the way he’d passed me off to Pinky the minute I’d asked for a trainer. I knew Romeo trained people, but he clearly didn’t want to train me.

“I told you that I’ve got a girl. I’m taking her to dinner in an hour,” Pinky said, and he took the moment my gaze moved back to Romeo to jab at me.

I lunged forward because I’d prepared for it, and that was when he moved quickly, causing me to fall back against the ropes as he put his two hands on each side of me and caged me in.

“This is why you can’t get distracted in the ring, Beans. I have you cornered right here, and I could throw so many punches you wouldn’t be able to see them coming.”

But his words were jumbled, and I started breathing heavily at the feel of his body holding me in place.

Trapped.

Powerless.

I was frozen, and I couldn’t move as my breaths came faster, and everything went black.

When I opened my eyes, I was lying flat on the mat, which had my arms swinging up in panic, as both Pinky and Romeo hovered over me. Romeo was staring at me with concern, and he gently touched my shoulders and asked if I was all right. I pushed to sit up before moving to my feet as his arms helped steady me.

“Take a breath, Demi. You’re okay. You passed out.” The empathy in his gaze relaxed me in the strangest way.

Pinky was standing behind him, looking like he’d committed a crime. “I didn’t mean to scare you or hurt you, Beans.”

It was coming back to me. The way I’d felt trapped. But he hadn’t done anything wrong.

“It wasn’t your fault. I just got a little claustrophobic.”

“Have you fainted like that before?” Romeo asked as he helped me step out of the ring.

“No. It’s a newer problem, I guess.”

Pinky hurried over to the cooler and brought me over a bottle of water. “I’m really sorry about that. I was just giving you a hard time. I wanted you to know how easy it is to give your opponent an opening.”

“We won’t be teaching life lessons in the ring next time,” Romeo hissed at him, and Pinky looked wounded.

“It was not your fault. That was all on me. Now, go get your girl and take her out for Valentine’s Day. I’ll get out of your hair.” I took a swig of water and went to grab my purse, but Romeo stopped me. He gently placed a hand on my shoulder as if I were too fragile to touch now.

Although, the man avoided touching me at all costs anyway.

“Just sit here and finish your water. Pinky, you can take off. I’ll stay here with her.” He walked me over to the bench, and I dropped down like a rag doll. Wow, I really did freak myself out, I guess.

“All right, boss. I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon. We still good to spar tomorrow, Beans?”

“I wouldn’t miss it,” I said, wanting desperately to make him feel better.

This had nothing to do with Pinky and everything to do with me.

Everything to do with the reason that I was taking boxing lessons.

He waved and left the gym, leaving just me and Romeo in here now. I was usually the last one here with Pinky because I came after work.

I knew he had a date tonight, so I’d tried to get here a little early.

It was Valentine’s Day, after all.

“You don’t have to sit with me. I can drink water in my apartment. I’m sure you have plans tonight,” I said, because I was dying to know. I wondered if he had a girlfriend. I hadn’t seen him with anyone, but there were a lot of women hanging out at the gym now because Romeo had become a local celebrity due to all the press he was getting about his upcoming fight.

And I wanted to claw every single one of their eyes out, and that alone was mortifying. I had no claim over this man.

We weren’t even really friends.

“Is that your way of asking if I’m going out for Valentine’s Day?”

His voice was so sexy; it was difficult to breathe around him sometimes. His dark gaze did something to me every time it locked with mine.

“No. Why would I care what you do for Valentine’s Day? I just didn’t want to hold you up.”

“What about you? Don’t you have plans tonight? Let me guess, you’re probably dating some rich dude who wears polo shirts and drives a small-dick sports car.”

I tried not to smile, but I couldn’t help it. “Wrong. But is that your way of asking if I’m going out for Valentine’s Day?”

“It is.” His voice was hard. Firm.

Did it just get hot in here? I took another gulp of water. Sometimes it felt like he was flirting with me, and other times it felt like he couldn’t stand the sight of me.

My heart raced at the way he’d just admitted that he wanted to know.

“Let me guess, you’re asking for a friend?” I smirked.

His tongue dipped out and moved slowly back and forth across his bottom lip, and I squeezed my thighs together, shifting the slightest bit before letting out a breath.

I was so freaking frustrated.

Romeo Knight was wreaking havoc on my hormones.

“Well, Beefcake called dibs on you. So, I’ve got to make sure no one snags his girl when he isn’t looking.”

My head fell back in laughter because Cutler Heart was the cutest kid I’d ever met. I knew Nash had a son, but I’d been away at school for a few years, and I’d never met him.

“I wouldn’t dream of cheating on Beefcake. I know a good thing when I’ve got it.”

“I bet you do. So, how about you tell me why you fainted?” His eyes darkened as he studied me.

“I told you that I’m a little claustrophobic.”

“Don’t bullshit me, Demi. I know fear when I see it. I was already jumping in the ring right before you dropped. I saw the look on your face. Pinky just isn’t good at reading signals. But you were fucking scared. Terrified is probably more fitting.”

I looked away. How the hell did he see all that while I was several feet away from him?

“You’re misreading the situation.”

“I don’t think so. Why won’t you just tell me?”

“Tell you what?”

“Who did this to you? Who made you feel like you need to protect yourself? Is it your brother?”

That pissed me off. Yes, he had every right to suspect it was Slade. Sure, he was a drug addict who’d robbed me, but he’d never lay a hand on me. “Of course, you think it’s Slade.”

“He’s the most likely suspect.”

“I told you before that I’m not afraid of my brother. He’d never hurt me.”

“He could have hurt you when he broke into your place. If memory serves, the glass cut your hand,” he said, his gaze dropping to my hand as he reached for it, settling it in his large hand. He turned it over to inspect my palm and traced his finger over the long cut that was still healing.

I sighed and leaned back against the bench, not pulling my hand away. I liked the way he held it. The way he seemed to want to protect me. I didn’t let my guard down easily, but for whatever reason, I trusted Romeo Knight. He hadn’t told anyone about my brother, as far as I knew.

“I’m not taking boxing lessons because I’m afraid of Slade,” I whispered.

“But you’re afraid of someone?”

“I’m not afraid of anyone, but I’m aware that there are people who are stronger than me, and I want to be prepared for them.”

“Are you preparing for someone you know? Someone who’s scared you before?”

I wanted to push to my feet and walk out the door because I didn’t want to talk about this. But the way his fingers were stroking the inside of my palm was so soothing, I had no desire to move at the moment. Even if the conversation was heavy.

“Fine. Yes. I’ve been in a situation that I don’t want to be in again.”

His gaze softened. His wavy dark hair was tussled on his head, his sharp jaw peppered in just a bit of scruff, and his eyes felt like they were looking straight into my soul.

“Is the person who put you in that situation here in town?”

My teeth sank into my bottom lip, and I smiled. “What are you going to do, Romeo? Beat up anyone who scares me?”

“Yes. I’d be fine with that. It would be good for my training anyway.”

God, he is gorgeous.

“He’s not here in town. And he won’t be. Let’s just say, he’s not allowed within one hundred yards of me. But no one knows this, aside from my father, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

“Your father knows someone scared you, and the guy is still breathing?” he asked, his jaw clenching as he thought about it.

“Not everyone handles everything with violence. He’s the son of a powerful man. It would be—complicated for my family if anyone found out.”

“Did he put his fucking hands on you?” His words were so fueled with anger that chills ran down my back.

“He tried, but he failed. He would not be breathing or walking if he’d done that.” I’d wondered a million times what would have happened if I hadn’t gotten out of there when I did.

His eyes searched mine. “Well, he did something to you.”

“You do know it’s Valentine’s Day, right? This is not what I want to be talking about right now.”

He raised a brow, and I realized the way it sounded.

“Not that I think this is a date. Oh my gosh. No.” I covered my face with my free hand; my other hand was still resting in his large palm. “I just meant that this is a little heavy for gym talk.”

He nodded. “Sometimes talking about things helps.”

“Fine. You want to know what happened? Tell me why you’re so hot and cold with me. Why do you seem to hate my family so much? That’s how this works,” I said, motioning my hand between us.

“This? What is this?”

“Well, I’m making you protein shakes to help with your training. You’re providing me with boxing lessons and sitting on a bench with me on Valentine’s Day. I’d say this makes us friends.”

“I’ve never been friends with a woman. And I don’t know that I could be friends with you, if I’m being honest.”

It felt like a slap in the face. Like he still had this weird hatred for me. I tugged my hand away and pushed to my feet.

“Fine. Then let’s call this done.” I stormed toward the door, and he caught my wrist. It didn’t scare me when Romeo touched me. I whipped around, my chest slamming into his.

“I didn’t mean it the way you think I did,” he said, his gaze searching mine.

“You’ve had this anger toward me since the first day you walked into the coffee shop. That’s exactly how you meant it,” I huffed.

He remained completely calm. “I said I didn’t think I could be friends with you because that’s not the way I think about you.”

I cleared my throat. “How, exactly, do you think about me? As your enemy?”

He sighed like he was completely frustrated that I was making him spell it out for me. “Most of the time, I think about you naked. I think about the way you’d taste. The way you’d respond when I touched you. The way your lips would feel against mine. The way you’d look when you came for me.”

Hello, Romeo Knight.

The Golden Boy had entered the arena.

And I…

Was.

Here for it.

My breaths were coming fast now.

“So, why don’t you kiss me and find out?” I whispered.

“Because I don’t take things that aren’t mine, Demi.”

So earnest and proud.

“Your morals are exhausting,” I groaned.

He barked out a laugh that echoed around the large gym with the high ceilings and cement floors.

Don’t ask me how, but standing in this cold space where most of the people who worked out here smelled like dirty socks and were covered in sweat still somehow managed to be the most romantic moment I’d ever experienced.

Because I felt a connection to him that was foreign to me.

Something I’d never felt before.

And just hearing that he was struggling the same way that I was, made me want him even more.

“I’ve never been accused of being too moral. Don’t give me credit that I don’t deserve.”

“Heaven forbid anyone give you undeserving praise, Romeo. I have a hunch that you don’t take praise easily.”

His eyes settled on my mouth. “Maybe I’m just good at giving praise to the few people that I like.”

Please. Give it to me right now.

“You like me, don’t you, Golden Boy?”

He nodded. “Liking you is one thing. Acting on it is another.”

“Because you hate my family?” I rolled my eyes. “This is so ridiculous.”

“We’re from two different worlds, Demi. I doubt your parents would appreciate you hooking up with Keith Knight’s kid.”

“My parents don’t tell me who to date.”

“You can’t even tell your parents that your brother is in town, and he’s their son. You wouldn’t be able to sell this to them, and you know it. I think you’ve got a lot of answers, but I don’t think you’re thinking it out.”

“And I think you’ve got a lot of excuses,” I said. The urge to kiss him was so strong that it was painful. My hands fisted in his T-shirt.

“I just speak the truth.” His thumb stroked across my bottom lip.

“Tell me why you hate them so much,” I whispered.

“Tell me who scared you so badly that you just fainted in the ring.”

I raised a brow. “So, when I tell you that, you’ll tell me what I want to know?”

“Something like that.”

But I wasn’t ready to tell anyone else the details about what had happened with Ronny. What if Romeo told his friends? My father would never forgive me if word got out about his business partner’s son.

“And if I don’t tell you?” I asked.

“Well, then, it looks like I’m having dinner with my first female friend. I’m starving. Friends eat together, right?” He smirked.

“They do. But it’s Valentine’s Day, so I don’t think we’ll have any luck going anywhere, aside from The Golden Goose Diner.”

“Sounds like we’re having grilled cheese and tomato soup, Beans. I’m sure this will go down as the best Valentine’s Day you’ve ever had.” His voice was all tease.

But I couldn’t think of a Valentine’s Day that could even compete with this one.

I didn’t know what was happening between me and Romeo, but I liked it.

I liked it a lot.