Royce had never seen Jared so angry and he was sure his face was red with embarrassment. Not even his dad had ever dared to lecture him.
He sat there watching Jessy as she moved from machine to machine with the two men. She kept up with them and he admired her tenacity. Her shorts were a little too short for his comfort. They showed off her long, tanned legs and curvy ass. Her tank top was tight and he could see her flat stomach every time she lifted her arms up. He remembered her small butterfly tattoo on her hipbone and how he had kissed it softly. He felt his body tighten with desire. He squirmed on the bench, glad he wore loose gym shorts and not tight jeans that would let his erection show.
Jared was right. He may not like being told what to do, but if he wasn’t planning on entering another relationship he had to keep things with Jessy businesslike. He was thirty-four years old but he never wanted to put down roots or be stuck with one woman forever. That seemed like a nightmare to him. His parents had done nothing but scream and argue until they finally went their separate ways. He had been fourteen but he had been so glad when the fighting had finally stopped. He thought divorce was the best invention ever. As he got older he had never seen a relationship that stayed happy for long. Sometimes two people suffered in the relationship for whatever reason but he never saw a happily ever after. That was just a lie someone made up for the fairytales. He allowed Trina to talk him into making a commitment to her but he knew he would never marry her. Their relationship had been exhausting emotionally. She accused him of cheating on her constantly when it turned out she was the one cheating on him.
Then he met Jessy, a petite firecracker of a woman, with chocolate-colored hair and emerald-green eyes. Her sassy smile had hit him square in the gut. He liked her and not just sexually. He enjoyed her company and her outgoing personality, but did he really want forever?
No one deserved to have their emotions played with. Why was he so desperate to get her to forgive him? Did he want to make a commitment to one woman? Before, he would not have hesitated to say hell no. Now he felt confused and unsure. Until he knew what he wanted he had to stay away from her and keep things businesslike. He didn’t like the idea much because they had spent so much of their time together, but it wasn’t fair to give her hope until he understood his own mixed-up emotions. He got up and went to get Jared’s approval on Adam’s schedule. But not before taking one last look at Jessy and wishing he were a better man. The kind she deserved.
Chapter 6
Since both Royce and her dad approved the schedule for Adam, Jessy spent the next week immersed in her work. She finally sat down with the new guy, Jackson. He was only twenty-two but he had a lot of ambition and she thought he would do well. In her spare time she worked out with Blake or Sam. It helped her feel tired enough to sleep at night.
Royce was being friendly but professional toward her. She assumed this meant he really did want to keep things nonromantic between them. It hurt but she hid her hurt feelings and treated him just as politely. Miss Manners would be proud.
Today she had dressed up, since Adam had a radio-station interview. He was new at fighting in the circuit. He wanted Jessy to accompany him and she jumped at the opportunity to get away from the gym for a while. She wore a short navy-blue skirt with a silky white blouse. She clipped her hair up and out of the way. It was hot today. But it always hot in Los Angeles, especially in the summer months.
“Honey, Adam is ready to go,” her dad said, knocking on her door and opening it a little.
She stood up and grabbed her bottle of water and purse. Her throat still felt raw despite all the over-the-counter cough medicines she had bought at the pharmacy.
“Okay, Dad. I’m ready.” Her voice came out scratchy. Her dad walked down the long hallway with her. She knew he was dying to ask her about what happened with Royce. Maybe in time she would confide in him. Right now it still hurt and she wouldn’t be able to hide her tears from him.
“You sure you feel okay? I can have Royce go with Adam instead.” She felt tempted to say yes but she assured her dad she could handle it. Sitting at home doing nothing gave her too much time to dwell on sad subjects.
Jessy linked her arm through her dad’s. “It’s just a simple cold, Dad. It’ll pass.”
“It’s my job to worry about you, honey,” he said gruffly, and Jessy gave him an affectionate smile.
Adam was waiting in the front for her. He looked nervous walking back and forth with his hands in his jeans. He wore a light-gray Camp Daniel T-shirt and jeans. He smiled with relief when he saw Jessy. He reminded her of a surfer boy with his shaggy blond hair and tanned skin. “I’m so glad you’re coming with me, Jessy. I hate having to speak publically.”
Out of all the fighters on her dad’s team, Adam was the one who shied away from publicity. Where Sam and Blake reveled in it, Adam tried to keep in the background.
Jessy hooked her arm with his and used his stage name in an effort to make him smile. “Come on, Mad Dog Miller. You’ll do great. If you want to be famous you’re going to have to get used to being the center of attention.”
Adam relaxed a little and they went outside. He looked at her small
sports car with horror. “We’ll take my truck, Jessy. Your car is too tiny. That’s a girl car.” He led her to his shiny silver pickup truck.
“I fit in my car just fine.” She laughed, following behind him.
“Sure, because you’re so tiny. Hey maybe we should call you Tiny. All the fighters have nicknames, why not you?” he joked, and she punched his arm. She loved his easygoing manner. Adam was a talented fighter but most of the ones she knew used the sport to get all the anger out of their system over bad things in their life. They channeled that emotion and it fueled their determination in the ring to reach the top. Adam seemed mellow and easygoing. She wondered what fueled him up when he got in the ring.
Adam laughed and started the truck. The mufflers made a loud noise and he grinned with joy. Typical male, she thought, shaking her head with amusement. “What’s the deal with guys and loud vehicles?”
“It’s a dude thing,” he joked, putting some shades over his eyes. “Makes us look cool with the chicks.”
“Oh brother,” she muttered, putting her seat belt on.
They arrived at the radio station on time despite the heavy traffic they had encountered. L.A. had traffic no matter what time of day it was. They were shown to a small sound booth surrounded by a thick wall of glass. It was filled with complicated-looking equipment. The radio deejay was a young pretty woman in her early twenties and Jessy saw Adam’s eyes widen with amazement. The girl was blonde and cute and Jessy thought she looked more like a cheerleader than a radio deejay.
“Hi, you must be Mad Dog Miller. I’m Destiny. I’ll be doing the interview.” She held out her hand and Adam shook it gently. “Hope you don’t mind.”
Adam gave her a charming smile and Jessy knew he was smitten and he would do just fine. He forgot all about his dislike of speaking publically and was now focused on getting Destiny’s attention. “Why would I complain because a beautiful woman wants to interview me?”
Destiny chuckled happily, her smile growing wider. “Oh you’re a charmer, huh? Lots of guys think a woman knows nothing about these fights, but I’ve been a big fan since I was a kid. I have followed the circuit for years. I hear a lot of good things about you.”
Jessy sat down on the small black couch lined against the wall. She knew Adam was fine in Destiny’s capable hands. They went into the sound booth, where a technician explained all the equipment and gave Adam some headphones. Jessy took the time to lean her head back against the wall and close her eyes. She could hear the interview from the speakers and Adam seemed to be his usual charming self. There was not even a hint of nervousness in his voice.