“I wasn’t worried, ’cause you’d hit back.”

“I learned from the very best.”

“And I left you to your own devices because I thought you’d rather fend for yourself than have me set up a shopping and lunch date with Julianne.”

“I oughta blow you for that sweet consideration.”

Deacon took her hands in his. “I wish I could say I’m not busy right now, but we need to talk.”

Molly’s eyes turned wary.

“There’s a JFW dinner and cocktail thing tonight at the country club. It’ll be boring as fuck. But I have to go.”

“Do I have to go?”

He sighed. “No. But because I’m a selfish bastard, I’d like it if you came along with me. You’ll be left to your own devices a lot tonight, so I’d understand if you skipped it.”

“How long do we have to stay?”

“I don’t know.”

“What else?”

Deacon hesitated and decided to just come right out with it. “Maddox called again.”

An even warier look darkened her eyes. “It must be a pretty important issue for him to interrupt your family time.”

Family time. He snorted. “This last-minute fight with Watson concerns him.”

“It concerns me too, because I didn’t know you were planning on fighting again so soon.” She paused. “Have you spoken to Riggins about the physical demands of back-to-back bouts? Especially since Ronin had concussion issues last year?”

It was so fucking weird, talking to her about this stuff, because he never discussed his health and career issues with anyone. It’d always been easier to keep his own counsel on everything. “Riggins said since Needham didn’t put a mark on me I’m in better-than-average shape to fight again.”

“So why the call from Maddox? He doesn’t want you to fight now?”

“Maddox knows what’s at stake. He knows I have to fight. He wants to send me to training camp here in Texas with a trainer named Vasquez, who coached Watson up until last year. If there’s anyone who can give me an edge on how to beat Watson, it’s his former trainer.”

“When would you go?”

Deacon framed her face in his hands. “That’s the thing. I wouldn’t go back to Denver with you. I’d go to Laredo.”

“Until the fight?”

“Would you have a problem with that?”

He watched her struggle with how to answer. “Just that I’ll miss you.”

“You could come with me.”

“Since I’ve been jet-setting to LA and Texas, I think you’ve forgotten I have a job. We’re gearing up to start three new major campaigns. I keep expecting my phone to ring when Amery actually looks at the schedule.”

“This is the sucky part of life with a fighter, Molly. There will be times—”

She pressed her lips to his. “I know. I just didn’t think it’d be this soon.”

“Let’s go upstairs. Sounds like I left you wanting this morning. I have an hour, two positions, and three orgasms to make up for.”

•   •   •

MOLLY didn’t like that Deacon had sprung another surprise on her.

Within a few minutes of their arrival at Barclay Country Club, Bing had whisked his son off, leaving her in a banquet room with strangers. Deacon’s mother hadn’t come over to say hello, even when she knew Molly wouldn’t know anyone.

People looked at her curiously but didn’t offer a smile in greeting.

Fuck it. She smiled at them anyway.

The finger-food buffet didn’t look appetizing, so she opted to drink her dinner. At the bar, she ordered a shot of tequila and downed it. Then she ordered a rum and Diet Coke. Drink in hand, she looked around the space, trying not to feel like the unpopular girl in the junior high lunchroom, desperate for a place to sit.

Face it. Life is like that. No matter how old you get.

Thankfully, the room had windows. So Molly was able to focus her attention outward, as if she’d never seen such an impressive expanse of green for a golf course.

Her thoughts bounced all over the place, but they always returned to her man. How he was faring since he hated this kind of social situation.

You sure he hates it? He seemed pretty damn comfortable with it.

No. Molly knew he’d rather be anywhere than here.

A feeling she was very familiar with. Especially right now.

After an hour passed, she wondered if Deacon would notice her absence if she hailed a cab and returned to the hotel.

Tempting to try it.

Needing a change of scenery, Molly slipped out the serving staff’s door. But she kept her cell phone in hand, in case she had to fake taking an important call.