Caged (Mastered 4)

“Nice try, grasshopper. But that answer is too obvious.”

“What? That was the perfect answer.”

Knox chuckled. “I’ll break it down for you. She asked if I’d been skiing in a place that had hot springs. So I put together that she wanted a weekend away with me in Steamboat Springs.”

“You figured that out from just those few hints?”

“Yep. She acted like I was the most intuitive guy in the world for reading her mind.”

“I am so fucked.”

“Not if you listen. That’s the whole point. If Molly says something like she gets cold at night and wishes she had a quilt like her grandma made, check the area events for a quilt show, because that’s what she’s hinting at.”

Deacon stared at Knox like he’d never seen him before.

“What?”

“Dude,” he said in awe. “You are like the woman whisperer.”

“Nice shot, dickhead. Just trying to be helpful.”

“I’m serious. That is a hard-core skill. Teach me.”

“First one is free, my friend. Then you’re on your own.” Knox gave him a contemplating look. “But I could impart more advice if you agree help me out Friday night.”

“Help you do what?” Deacon asked suspiciously.

“Hang shelves in Nuri’s room. The kid’s toy collection is out of hand.”

“Sure. I can do that.”

“Cool. As long as you’re here, what’s this I heard that Terrel and Ito got into it in the training room?”

Deacon bit back a smart-ass remark about Knox turning into a gossipy housewife—sometimes he forgot the big dude with the higher belt rank could whip his ass. “Ito’s daughter, Simone, has been fucking Terrel on the sly. And Daddy ain’t happy about the color of skin that’s been all over his baby girl.”

Knox looked shocked. “How can that be? Ito is Japanese. He’s pissed off that his mixed-race daughter is sleeping with a mixed-race guy?”

Deacon could see where Knox would take issue with that since his wife—and now his daughter—were both of mixed race. “I know, man. It’s fucked-up. But Ito cornered Terrel and knocked him out before Maddox could intervene. Blue wasn’t happy when Sensei only put Ito on probation.”

“Why isn’t Shihan Beck handling it? That’s his job.”

“He tried to handle it. I don’t gotta tell you, Ito can be a condescending prick.”

“I don’t remember there being this much drama when I was Shihan,” Knox said.

“There wasn’t. We were too understaffed to bitch at each other because we couldn’t afford to piss off one of the teachers and take a chance they’d quit. Now, between the dojo and the MMA program, there are a dozen new people.”

Knox kept lightly rubbing on the baby’s back, but the kid didn’t stir. “Do you miss teaching?”

“Kickboxing, yeah. Jujitsu?” He shrugged. “Some days. But it’s a relief to focus on just one thing.”

“Will getting involved with Molly screw with your focus when you’re both in the dojo? You had problems with that when she was working with Fisher in the training room.”

“I have to prove to Maddox she’s not a distraction. Besides, it’s not like she’ll be working with Fish-dick anymore. And I won’t be fucking her in the dojo either.”

Knox didn’t say a word. But his smirk said everything.

“It never bothered you when I caught you and Shi-Shi sneaking out of the damn supply closet? Ronin and Amery weren’t any better, slipping into the Crow’s Nest for a quickie. They couldn’t keep their clothes on until they got to the penthouse?” He shook his head. “You all are the reason it won’t happen there for us.”

“Guess we’ll see how that plays out, huh?”

Deacon looked at the clock and stood. “I gotta get. Uh, thanks for . . .”

“Being a friend?” Knox supplied. Then the jackass started singing the theme song from Friends and woke up his baby.

Served him right.

CHAPTER SIX

MOLLY had a dozen things on her mind when she walked into Hardwick Designs Tuesday morning.

Presley jumped her first thing. “What the ever-lovin’ fuck, Molly? You and Deacon? Seriously? Everything you ranted about Saturday night just vanished when he showed up yesterday looking hot and horny?”

“What? No.”

“So you just tripped and fell onto his mouth when you were chewing his ass?” Her gaze zoomed to Molly’s neck. “You suck at hiding hickeys.”

“Because I haven’t any practice at it.” Molly sent a quick glance to Amery’s closed office door. “We’ll talk about it later.”