Royce snorted silently. How could a man leave a defenseless woman in a shitty neighborhood like this? He was willing to show Kyle the error of his ways, and from the way Jessy’s dad sounded, he was, too. There would be no need to involve lawyers.
“Good for you, Jessy,” Blake spoke up from the backseat. “Did he try something?”
“Turns out Kyle is not so nice after all. But my knuckles hurt now.” Her voice wasn’t showing how angry and upset she was, but when she looked at Blake he could see the emotions showing in her eyes. That was one of the things Royce admired about her. She was always calm no matter the situation.
“You probably twisted your hand a bit when you threw the punch, Jess,” Sam advised her from the backseat. He was sitting next to Blake.
Royce sat there, listening to Sam and Blake give her advice on the proper way to throw a punch and he looked out the window, staying silent. Before his fight with her, he would have teased her and added his own remarks. If you could call it a fight. She never yelled at him or called him names like he expected. His ex-girlfriend would have caused a major scene for all to hear. Jessy had given him a murderous look, tilted her chin up proudly, and walked off like a regal queen. Now he was consumed with remorse for his lousy behavior. She had every right to be furious with him. They may not have verbally committed to a relationship, but he had spent the night making love to her. He liked Jessy and he knew she wasn’t an easy lay like the groupies that just wanted bragging rights of sleeping with someone famous. Relationships were not something he ever wanted to do again. Not after the last one blew up in his face. Maybe he just wanted to believe that Jessy knew he had no intention of settling down so he could silence his conscience. He told himself she was just as casual with her feelings as he was. Deep inside he knew it wasn’t true but he never let the knowledge reach his brain.
Sam shook his blond head and spoke up from the backseat. “I told you that dude was too pretty to be trusted, Jessy. He was too fake.”
“I should’ve listened to you, Sam. Next time I will,” Jessy informed him with a tired sigh. “I actually wore heels and a dress for that creep. What a waste of a good outfit.”
Blake looked at his watch, then over at Jessy with a smile. He had dark good looks and a charming smile that attracted a lot of the women. His muscular build didn’t hurt either. “Nah. It’s not even eleven yet, Jess. Let’s me, you, and Sam hit the clubs for a while. You look too hot to go home.”
“Yeah, we’ll protect you if any creeps want to hit on you.” Sam grinned, cracking his knuckles loudly.
“Thanks guys, but I’ve had enough excitement for one night.” She sounded tired and Royce couldn’t help but wonder if she was having trouble sleeping, too. Every time he closed his eyes he saw her shocked face devoid of any color and eyes full of pain. He didn’t need the silent glare of the guys in the gym to make him feel guilty. He felt that all by himself. He stayed quiet because when he finally got her to speak to him, he didn’t want an audience. Everyone had seen them flirting with each other. He couldn’t even deny that it was all one sided, because he flirted right back with her. It had been lighthearted and fun. Or so he thought until she walked into a party, seeing him with someone else. Everyone had witnessed her pain and anger. She gave him such a wounded look and walked back out. Most women would have thrown a scene, but not Jessy. She walked out of the party and her silence said more than yelling would have. He knew in that moment that this was no lighthearted flirtation, like he thought.
Royce wanted to be the one to take her out, but he knew she would give him a flat no. Her black dress was draped lovingly over her curvy, sexy body. She was slender and tall but she had curves in all the right places. Her chocolate-brown hair was hanging loose down her back. Before their falling-out he would not have hesitated to let her know how gorgeous she was. He thought it would be better to remain silent for now.
Soon they were back at the gym and parking in the alleyway by the back entrance. The parking lot was well lit. Blake and Sam went inside the gym, talking about going to a club to let off some steam.
“Are you sure I don’t need to hunt this Kyle down?” her father wanted to know as they slowly walked to the door of the gym. He asked the question casually, but Royce could see the anger lingering in his boss’s eyes.
Jessy shrugged, not giving out any real information. “I took care of it, Dad. I learned my lesson and I will not be going out with Kyle again.”
“Can I talk to you, Jessy?” Royce asked, feeling nervous. He usually only felt this unsettled before a fight. He felt relieved when she agreed. Jared gave him a warning glance before going inside the gym, leaving them alone. The parking lot was empty but there was a wooden bench by the back door. He led her to the bench so they could sit and clear the air.
“What it is it, Royce? It’s been a long night.” He didn’t like this quiet version of Jessy. When he had first met her, he loved her effervescent smile. It had been contagious and refreshing. Her green eyes usually sparkled with such zest. That was all missing now.
Royce looked at her under the light. Outwardly she looked small and fragile, but inside she had a spine of steel. She looked lost and vulnerable, a side he was sure no one but her dad had ever seen. Jessy used a bright smile and keen sense of humor as a barrier against anyone getting to close to her. She pretended not to care about a lot of things but he sensed she felt things deeply. He had been so captivated by her sensual look and bubbly personality, he had never taken the time to try to understand her.
“I know you’re tired, but you avoid me and won’t let me apologize.” He wasn’t above pleading. “It’s been six weeks and you won’t let me explain. Even a condemned man gets a last word.”
Her eyes narrowed with anger, but that was better than the hurt he had been seeing lately. “What
is there to say, Royce? I got the message loud and clear. I was stupid to think that just because you fucked me it meant something to you.”
He winced at her harsh words. Jessy only cursed when she was really angry and that was rare. While her dad had a temper that could be ignited easily, Jessy was calm and easygoing.
“You could have just been honest with me instead of letting me walk in on you with that slut.” Her voice was low but he would have felt better if she had yelled at him and called him names. Instead she sat there looking like an angel who just had her wings broken, and the guilty feeling expanded in his chest, making it ache. It settled in like indigestion.
“She was the one all over me.” He knew he sounded like a broken record. He just didn’t understand his own motives, so how could he explain them to her? He could admit to himself that he had strong feelings for Jessy and it scared him deeply. He didn’t want to be vulnerable. Caring and loving meant you were vulnerable to being hurt. As an ex-fighter he would rather hurt physically than emotionally. He had no idea what possessed him to let that blonde woman flirt with him and sit on his lap. He couldn’t even remember her name or face. It had been a stupid effort to prove to himself that Jessy was not embedded in his heart. He had tried going the serious-relationship route once and his pride had gotten torn to shreds. It was not something he ever wanted to do again. He had decided putting down ties was not for him. No matter how tempted he was by the beautiful woman sitting next to him.
Chapter 3
Jessy looked up into the dark, sexy eyes of Royce “King” Sanders. He was stood six two and she barely reached his shoulder. He kept his brown hair cut really short. His shoulders were wide and muscular and his stomach was tight and flat. She had watched him spar shirtless many times over the last year.
She could still remember the moment they met as if it was yesterday. She had taken one look at the dangerous-looking man who had walked into her dad’s gym and had felt an instant case of lust. Then she got to know him better and found she really liked his company. He sometimes got quiet and moody, but when she cheered him up, she felt his smile all the way down to her soul.
She knew Royce’s professional story before she met him. He had risen to the top of the MMA game and won several belts. A severe injury to his back forced him to retire sooner than he planned. Even though she was surrounded by handsome fighters on a daily basis, she was instantly attracted to Royce. At thirty-four he was more mature than all the young twenty-something men her age. She had tried flirting with him, but at first he never did more than smile and practically pat her on the head. It had been frustrating but she hadn’t given up hope.
She had started being more open and bold in her flirting and he started responding. He finally admitted he felt the same desire but he thought mixing business with pleasure was a bad idea. Jessy had spent the better part of the year making him see that taking a chance with her would be worth it.
Finally, one night he asked her to have dinner with him. She had been so excited. After dinner they had a few quiet drinks and went dancing. Royce had kissed her right there on the dance floor and she had practically melted at his feet like hot wax. When he asked her to go home with him, she had quickly agreed, thinking he was ready to start a relationship.
Royce lived in an apartment above the gym. He had taken her up the stairs and into his apartment. They hadn’t bothered talking much and that had probably been a mistake. But when Royce had stripped her of her clothes all words and thoughts went out the window. They had stood in his living room, and once she viewed his naked, hard muscular body she had been speechless, and talking was the last thing she wanted to do. Making love with him had been as explosive as she knew it would be. They had burned the sheets up like a blazing inferno. But like any fire, it burned itself out quickly, a little too quickly.