“Is it always like this?” she asked quietly, her lips only a few centimeters from his chest. She hoped it was; she wanted this. She wanted him, and all of him. She had spent weeks trying not to have any sort of romantic feelings for this man, but that notion was completely gone now. She was starting a new chapter in her life, and she wanted him in it.

“What do you mean?”

“Being with you—it’s different. Not like before.” The high of a few moments before slowly declined as fears crept through her. If things were so amazing, she was terrified that they could only get worse. Her experience told her that a handsome face could easily hide things.

“Clare, I told you, we are different together. Tá mé leatsa. Tá tú mianach. I am yours. You are mine.”

Chapter 12

“You guys know there is a motel, like right around the corner?” Kane’s deep voice jolted Rory.

Flickering his eyes open, snarling at the bright light while pain shot up through his leg, Rory stared up into his brother’s face.

“What in the hell are you doing here, Kane?”

“Meeting you for training, idiot.”

“Oh, my God, hide me,” a soft voice moaned next to Rory, and he felt a warm body wriggle, a face push into the crook of his arm. Turning, he realized it was Clare and that they were smack dab in the middle of the main cage at an empty Legends.

And it was morning.

A very bright morning.

“Hi, Clare, good hiding job. He has giant arms, yet somehow I still spotted you! Is this yours?”

Clare peeked out from behind Rory, pulling the blanket tightly around her frame. Kane was holding up a light blouse, dangling it off one finger. Rory swiped it from him and handed it to Clare. She wiggled it on quickly, and he was sure that the crimson on her face might now be a permanent fixture.

“You guys better get this cleaned up. Pops will be in soon. I don’t even know what he would say to this. Oh, and Quinn dropped off Ace—he’s in the office,” Kane called over his shoulder as he strode away from them, out of the cage.

“Is he gone?” Clare peeked her head up over Rory’s shoulder so he could see her squarely.

Pushing himself up onto his elbows, he turned toward her and admired her petite figure curled up in the blanket beside him. Her blond hair was tumbling down her back in waves and her eyes shone bright green under the morning light. He wanted to take a picture of her like this, so he would never forget how beautiful she was. He grinned at the thought, knowing he sounded ridiculous.

“What are you smiling at?” She narrowed her eyes at him as she carefully wiggled on her jeans to finish getting dressed, still holding the blanket over her.

“You’re beautiful, Clare.”

She blushed an even deeper red against her previously pale, ivory skin, then pushed herself up onto her feet. He quickly followed, easily pulling his clothes on, unembarrassed. He started packing things away, pausing to notice the stiffness and spasms of pain in his leg. He kept a straight face and didn’t show it.

They didn’t say anything as they tidied up and folded the blanket, just snuck smiles and peeks at each other. Once everything was tucked neatly into the picnic basket Rory was now carrying, they exited the cage and he helped her down onto the ground.

Rory grabbed Clare’s arm and pulled her toward him, still enjoying the silence of the empty gym. “I’ve got to go get changed to train my brother.”

“Yeah? What are you waiting for then?” The way the corner of her eyes crinkled when she smiled at him made him want never to stop staring at her.

“It’s tomorrow.”

“So?”

“I promised to kiss you tomorrow, mhuirnín.” He lowered his voice, attempting to sound slightly threatening, but unable to keep the smile off his face.

“Did you? Hmm, I don’t recall.”

“Clare—” he started to argue, but she cut him off by tossing her arms around his neck and kissing him squarely on the lips. It was fast, it was soft. It was gentle, and it was deep. But it was over before he could even register all of that, leaving him gaping at her as he watched her walk away and leave the gym.

His brother called to him. “Rory! Come on! Only a week until the fight!”

Grunting, Rory stormed over to the front desk and hid the basket underneath. Ace greeted him, eagerly wagging his tail. Rory petted him and took him outside for a minute or two before heading back into the locker rooms to change and meet Kane, who had now taken up practicing on one of the bags while he waited.

Rory didn’t have time to think about everything that had just happened with Clare, or what it meant. The moment he entered the ring, leaving Ace on the sidelines, he could hear the anxiety in Kane’s voice, reminding him of how nervous he had been before his first big fight. He owed it to his brother to give him everything he knew.

If he couldn’t be the best anymore, at least the best would still be a Kavanagh.

“I’m ready to go full scale, Rory. Don’t hold back,” Kane told him as he stepped into the cage, making Rory wish he had been able to take some pills that morning for his knee. He had to keep reminding himself that those days were over; he was refusing to rely on medication anymore.

“Tomorrow. Let’s firm up your suppressions today.”

“We did that the last few days. I need something new, I can’t do triangle chokes all day today,” Kane argued, but Rory didn’t care and ignored his protests as he got into his stance. He wasn’t known for caving to his trainee’s wants, which Kane knew.

“Fine, but just for the morning workout. Can we switch it up this afternoon?” Kane gave in, sulking slightly.

“If you can successfully put me in a rear naked choke, we will go full on later.”

“You’re on!”

The two were instantly on each other, blows and blocks going every direction. Kane had vastly improved over their weeks of training, but his techniques were still sloppy. Rory could see he had the power, but the executions weren’t perfect. That was a mistake that he wasn’t going to let his brother make.

Rory knew he had been sloppy in his last fight against Santiago. He had let his ego tell him that his strength was enough, and so he hadn’t focused on techniques as keenly as he should have. He had paid a high price for that mistake, and he was dead set on keeping Kane from paying the same.

—

A few hours later, the men were drenched in sweat and heading to the locker room for a quick wipe-down and change before they took a couple hours off for lunch, planning to train again that afternoon. Rory had been impressed with Kane’s progress that morning, and they both were eager to continue the prep for Friday night’s fight.

“Rory, bro, what did I walk in on this morning?” Kane pulled a fresh shirt out of a locker and tossed his dirty one into his gym bag.

“What are you talking about?”

“With Clare. Since when do you have one-night stands at the gym, or with someone we know? I haven’t met a girl you’ve been with since that one chick from college.” Kane pulled his shirt over his head.

“Clare’s not a one-night stand. Don’t talk about her like that.”

“Oh, yeah? Playboy Rory is thinking of letting a sweet young thing tie him down?” Kane headed toward the exit.

Rory took two long strides across the locker room toward his brother. With one swift move, he grabbed Kane’s shoulder and pushed him back against the locker wall. With his eyes narrowed and his arm lying flat across Kane’s collarbone, Rory pinned him there carefully.

The move wasn’t completely frightening, just forceful.

“I said don’t talk about Clare that way.” He spoke sternly, with purpose, glaring into Kane’s surprised eyes.