Mason entwined his fingers with hers and led her over to his Camaro. Like the gentleman he always was, he opened the door and helped her inside before jogging around to the driver’s seat.
He smiled at her. “Be ready for some action.”
Whatever that means…
Twenty minutes later, Jenna found herself staring out the window at a small arena. The signs on the front of the venue indicated there was a fight tonight. What the hell?
Mason parked the car and circled around to retrieve her.
They approached from the back and entered under the arena, surprising her. Why not the front door? A man larger than Mason stood at the basement entrance. He nodded at Mason and waved them through.
“You brought me to some sort of fight? Um, Mason, I’m not really into boxing. I don’t know anything about it.” At least give it a try, Jenna. If it means that much to him, you might as well show him you’re a flexible woman.
Why on earth he felt he needed to show her he liked to watch fights, she had no idea. What man didn’t? That was hardly a drawback in a relationship. Not that she had a relationship with him.
Mason held her hand as he wandered down a long hall and finally pushed through a door.
The next thing she knew, he was opening a locker in the small room, and he sat on the bench to pull off his shoes.
“Mason?”
“Hang on.” He grinned. “You’ll catch on in a minute.”
“I thought you brought me here to watch a boxing match.” She cocked her waist and set her palms on her hips.
“MMA, baby. Not boxing. Close, though.”
“What’s MMA?”
“Mixed Martial Arts. You’ll see.”
“Why are you undressing? Do you work here?” She watched as he shed his clothes until he stood in only his white briefs. And holy shit, his chest was more impressive than what her imagination had created. His pecs were enormous and firm. There was no hair on his chest, but a line began above his belly button and disappeared beneath his briefs.
But that was nothing. The sexiest part was the band tattooed around his biceps, a black geometric design that drew her gaze to examine it while he wasn’t looking. She’d never been fond of tattoos, but something about that one on that man…
Katy tried to swallow, but her mouth was too dry.
And then he pulled a silky pair of red shorts from the locker and stepped into them. “I’m the contender.” He grinned at her as he tied the string at the top and tucked the laces inside. Next he removed a pair of gloves from the locker and shut the door.
Jenna stood stunned. Her mouth hung open, but no words came to mind.
A door behind Mason opened, and another man stepped into the room. “Ready, Mason?” He eyed Jenna briefly and then held up his clipboard. “You have about fifteen minutes until you’re on.”
“Byron, this is Jenna. Jenna, Byron. He’s my cornerman. Byron, will you show Jenna where to sit?”
“Sure. No problem.” Byron opened the door behind him once again and held it for her.
Jenna eyed Mason for a moment and then followed Byron without saying a word. The door shut behind her with a click, separating her from Mason and the testosterone-filled locker room.
The man she followed exuded hardly less male energy, however. He was almost as big as Mason with broad shoulders, a slender waist, and thick legs that filled his jeans to bulging.
Why wasn’t she attracted to Byron instead of Mason? What was the difference? Byron didn’t seem nearly as high-handed as the man she kept drooling over. His body was just as sexy. Ugh.
You can handle this. She thought back to when he’d first arrived at her apartment. His face. Right. Of course. And he’d had a shadow of a shiner at the wedding too.
Byron led her through a series of halls and up a few flights of stairs. As they moved through all the twists and turns, it occurred to her she’d never be able to retrace her steps. She hoped she wouldn’t be required to.
The noise of the crowd filtered into her as they got closer. Finally, Byron opened a door and she was blasted with screams and shouts, making her jump back a step.
“Right through here, ma’am.” Byron held the door and nodded into the arena. “I’ll show you where the wives and girlfriends sit.”
Wives and girlfriends? Is that what I am? Hardly.
Jenna took a seat where Byron indicated and tried to keep her legs from shaking as she steadied them with her palms on her knees. She glanced at the fenced area in front of her and cringed back into her chair. She was so close she could see the sweat and blood dripping off the man in the corner. Only a few feet and a fence separated her from his bruised and beaten body.
The woman in the seat next to her must have been his girlfriend because she stood suddenly when a bell sounded and began to jump and shout. “Come on, Brody. You’ve got this.” She cupped her hands over her mouth as she spoke.