She read it quickly, hoping it was him saying he wouldn’t be making it after all.

I’m outside. Can you take a break anytime soon?

She didn’t want to cut her conversation with Felix short. In spite of the fact that she knew she couldn’t agree to get into anything with him she knew would only end in heartbreak, she did want to be clear about one thing. She wasn’t worried about him thinking that she wasn’t physically attracted to him because, Jesus, he had to know there was no possibility of that. But she wanted him to know it wasn’t personal. He’d been nothing but a gentleman to her thus far, but as much as she’d like to give into the fantasy and allow her body to enjoy even one night in his arms, she just couldn’t. This was all about her fear of getting hurt and had nothing to do with her judging his lifestyle. She just needed to get rid of Grayson so she could talk freely.

For once, luck was on her side. Because her dad had told her he didn’t think it a good idea for her to drive with her tire so low, she’d hitched a ride that morning with Carmen. If Grayson looked for her car in the parking lot, he wouldn’t find it.

I’m not at the gym anymore. I had to leave early.

She slipped her phone back in her pocket the moment she hit send and glanced back up at Felix’s inquiring eyes. “Sorry, that was my boss from Starbucks.”

Felix nodded then took a deep breath. “I was just saying that I was hoping maybe you and I can have dinner sometime or catch a show. You . . .” He paused then smiled again. That smile was definitely going to do her in. Her heart was swelling by the moment, and it was already begging her to just hear him out. “You do something to me that”—he shook his head—“I can’t even begin to explain.”

As hard as she was trying, she couldn’t help smiling, and his eyes going directly to her lips as they did so often only made her insides go crazier. The buzzing of her phone in her pocket didn’t even matter now.

“Felix,” she started, even as her heart begged her not to. “That’s very sweet, and I think I know what you mean about not being able to explain the feeling . . . but you and I . . . I can’t.” She shook her head, reminding herself to be strong. “I just can’t. I mean I couldn’t . . .”

The continuous vibrating in her pocket was distracting her. Frustrated, she stopped to pull the phone out of her pocket so she could set it to silent instead. She set it to silent after seeing she had several texts from Grayson. Without opening any, she saw the beginning of the first one.

Why are you lying??

Just as she began to slip it back into her pocket, she remembered Grayson had said that he had no respect for Felix, that Felix was nothing but an obnoxious spoiled idiot squandering all his money on booze, drugs, and women, that a guy like Felix had no respect for women, and if he ever tried to take advantage of Ella, boxing champ or not, Grayson would have no qualms about getting in his face and telling him off.

She pulled the phone out of her pocket, suddenly panicked, and looked around. She clicked quickly on the three texts from Grayson and read them in order.

Why are you lying??

I know that’s his BMW. I ran the plates before I even texted you. Is that you sitting in the car with him? What are you doing!

Answer me, Ella, unless you want me to come over there. You know I will.

With her heart at her throat, suddenly she jerked her head around just in time to see the squad car pull up behind Felix’s car, blocking them in. Felix turned too. Grayson had actually turned on the lights on his squad car as if he were pulling someone over or making an arrest.

“Is that—?”

Ella opened her door and jumped out of Felix’s car before Felix could finish. Grayson was still in the squad car, talking into the two-way radio when she rushed to the passenger window. “What are you doing?” she demanded.

Felix was out of his car now too. “What’s going on?”

“I told you what I’d do, Ella.” Grayson said, glaring at Felix.

“Is there a problem?” Felix asked, his expression going as hard as Grayson’s, and took a few steps closer to the squad car.

“Don’t you dare,” Ella said, her eyes pleading with Grayson.

Grayson said something else into the two-way radio, asking someone to stand by in case he needed backup. They began to turn heads from a few people in the parking lot. Ella looked around meeting Felix’s questioning eyes, but how could she possibly explain without things getting ugly? Grayson was being ridiculous, and all she could think of was how mortified she’d be if he did anything stupid like bait Felix into an argument or even a fight just so he could arrest him.

“Get in the car,” Grayson said, motioning to the front seat of the squad car.

Ella turned to Felix, whose eyebrows pinched now, as her mind raced to think of how best to handle this. She could try running back into the gym, but she knew Grayson wouldn’t just leave, and she wasn’t about to leave him out here with Felix whose arched brows already indicated he was getting pissed.

Grayson opened the driver’s side door, prompting Ella to open the passenger side. “Stay in the car,” she said to Grayson as she slid into the passenger seat. “I have to go” was all she said in Felix’s general direction but couldn’t even bring herself to look him in the eyes.

She hadn’t even closed her door all the way when the car zoomed off. “What is your problem?” she demanded, suddenly feeling enraged. “How dare you just show up and do something like that!”