“Yeah, right. And you just happened to wear a fuck-me top? I don’t think so.” Casey linked her arm through Clare’s and directed her through the crowd until they were on the opposite side of the cage, up near the front.

“Clare.” Her eyes locked with Rory’s the moment that she emerged in front. His voice was low. There was an almost imperceptible hitch in his breathing as his eyes traveled across her, her own breath catching as she felt her skin heat under his gaze.

“Hi.” She attempted to keep her eyes locked with his, but was acutely aware of the fact that he was shirtless at the moment.

“I didn’t expect to see you tonight.” The gleam in his eyes told her that her subtle peeks at his abs were not going unnoticed. She didn’t completely mind, since he was clearly doing the same, making her glad that she had chosen the risqué blouse.

“I invited her,” Casey chimed in, “so be nice. I’ll be right back. I’m going to go find Kane. He’s up next.”

The moment Casey left them, Rory’s eyes pierced through her and his hooded expression made her entire body vibrate. He closed the gap between them and hooked an arm around her back, pressing her against him. She tried to concentrate on anything but his warm, bare skin against hers.

“I’m glad you’re here.” His words came out in a hoarse whisper as he leaned close to her ear to be heard over the crowd around them.

“At least someone invited me,” she teased, leaning in to him.

“First rule in sparring, babe: Only throw punches in the ring.” Rory gave her a wicked grin, one eyebrow raised.

“Oh, I know,” she said confidently. “I’ve been training in Casey’s class, and not to brag, but I’m pretty awesome.”

“Are you now? I’d like to see it.” She loved that his eyelids grew heavy and hooded again at the thought.

“Maybe,” she teased, staying noncommittal. “I’m thinking of hiring a trainer to help me one-on-one.”

“You’re what? Where? Legends?” Rory’s expression shifted from intrigued to something darker, although she wasn’t exactly sure what or why.

“Yeah, so?”

“Who are you hiring?”

“I don’t know. I hadn’t put much thought into it. Maybe your brother will help me.” Rory’s entire body stiffened and his arm tightened around her waist, leaving no room to breathe between them.

“Clare, you’re not training with anyone but me. There is no way in hell I’m letting another man have his hands all over you.” His voice was so deep she could feel it in his chest where her hand was resting.

“Rory,” she started to protest, “I didn’t mean anything by it. I’ve just heard that he’s one of the best out there now.”

“Why learn from one of the best when you can learn from his teacher? Be here Monday before your shift and we can start.”

“You can’t tell me what to do.” Clare felt a smile threatening to take over her expression, which would completely ruin the mock anger she was trying to portray.

“We’ll see.”

She didn’t have a chance to protest before someone called Rory’s name, announcing that it was his turn in the cage. He released her and turned his attention to the caller. She felt unsteady on her feet after the exchange between them, but wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to regain her poise.

What had she just agreed to? Although “agreed” was putting it mildly. She had just allowed Rory to boss her around, something she had moved across the country to get away from. She frowned as she thought about this, while watching Rory step into the cage and pull on his gear.

“Why do you look like someone just shit in your cornflakes?” Casey popped up beside her, analyzing her expression.

Clare said nothing, but Casey followed her gaze to where Rory was standing.

“Ah, so Rory is the cornflake shitter?” Casey ribbed.

“It’s fine, it’s nothing,” Clare reassured Casey, as the announcer started the fight, introducing the once-famous fighter to an outpouring of applause.

“Girl, let me give you a word of advice. These boys are like my brothers. I love them to death, but the Kavanagh men are not known for their sensitivity. Aunt Dee is a strong woman; she demands the best from each one of them.” Casey spoke closely to her so as to be heard over the crowd.

“I remember—she is very sweet, but definitely knows how to take charge of a room.”

“Exactly, and that’s what each of these boneheaded alpha men need: a woman to bring out the best in them,” Casey concluded, raising her eyebrows as her eyes met Clare’s.

“I’m not, I mean, Rory is just—” Clare became flustered at the implication, choking on her words before Casey silenced her with a wave of her hand.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re single. I remember,” Casey mocked, making Clare blush. Luckily the attention quickly shifted from her to the cage as the fight began.

Clare pitied Rory’s opponent, who was clearly a novice and nervous as hell. The two went a few rounds, grappling and throwing blows. Rory was wearing down his opponent. He wasn’t just knocking him out, which she had no doubt that he could do. Instead, he was almost training the rookie, letting him get a feel for the cage and work through some of his nerves. By the third round, the fight seemed more level and Rory pressed “play” on his unmatched talent, taking his opponent down in a single move.

The crowd cheered and Clare exhaled loudly, surprising herself when she realized that she had been holding her breath. She hadn’t noticed, but somehow her entire body had turned tense and on edge as she watched Rory attempting to circumvent potential harm.

Rory peered out from the cage, searching for something until his eyes finally landed on her. She felt her cheeks flush as his eyes blazed through her. She smiled and gave him a silly thumbs-up sign to congratulate him on the win. He just winked in response and then turned his focus back to the announcer as he was placed into his second match of the evening.

—

Later that night, Rory pulled his tired body out of the locker room and headed toward the front lobby of Legends. His eyes were scanning the gym for Clare as people were filtering out after the meet had ended. He finally spotted her leaning against the counter, having a lively discussion with Casey.

He straightened his stance as he walked over, pretending the pain in his leg wasn’t radiating throughout his entire body. He had just taken a few pills, but they had yet to stave off the throbbing he felt.

“I’m headed out, Case.” Rory nodded to his cousin, then rested his eyes on Clare, who had pushed herself off the counter when she saw him coming.

“See you tomorrow.” Casey nodded back before being distracted by members coming up to the desk.

Clare stepped over to Rory, traveling with him toward the front door. He held it open for her, watching her pass him with no attempt to hide his wandering eyes.

“You know, I’m fully capable of walking myself home,” he told her.

“I don’t know—in your weakened state?” She flashed him a mischievous grin, eyeing the bruises on his face. The cold air swept around them and he shrugged his jacket off to drape over her shoulders. She was wearing a very thin shirt, which he greatly appreciated, but which made it that much easier to see her shivering.

“Harsh.” He chuckled, reaching out to grab her hand as she smiled thankfully at him and pulled the jacket tighter around herself.

Squeezing her fingers between his, he rubbed his thumb against her soft skin as she leaned in to him. He took the motion as an invitation and pulled her closer to his side, before turning to face her and press her chest into his. Leaning down, he peppered her lips with small kisses, making sure to leave no spot untouched.

He had been wanting to do that all night, but with the fights and the crowd, he hadn’t felt like he could. Now they had a moment of privacy, and he wanted to take full advantage of it. Although, in truth, it had become increasingly difficult over the last week to refrain from escalating things.