Shiori touched his face. “At that point in time we knew what we both needed. I have no idea what you need now.”

“I need you.”

“How?”

“With no pressure. Can we just be in the same space today without any of this hanging over us? If we end up wanting to bang each other’s brains out, I’ll hand you the reins. But for everything else? I get to choose what we do on this rainy day.”

“Okay.” She looked down at her feet.

Knox tipped her face up, forcing her attention. “First thing I want today?”

“What?”

“To see your fight injuries.” She tried to jerk out of his hold, but he held firm. “Not kidding. Strip off the T-shirt.”

Ten arguments danced on the tip of her tongue, but she bit them all back. Then she lifted her arms above her head and looked at Knox. If he wanted her shirt off so bad, he could take it off.

He eased the fabric over her head.

So she stood in front of him naked, except for her panties. She kept her eyes closed as his rough-tipped fingers mapped every bruise, welt, and cut. Front and back. When he finally finished, he wrapped a blanket around her nakedness and pulled her into a hug. He didn’t say I tried to tell you, or I’m sorry. He just held her like a precious, fragile thing.

That’s when she finally admitted to herself that she loved him.

*   *   *

RONIN and Amery were expected to return home soon—not that her brother had called anyone to share his exact plans. The e-mail he’d sent Knox that said they were staying in Hawaii before they returned to Denver had no specific dates.

The week after her extreme fuckup with Knox had been wrought with challenges. Not for Knox—her screwup had put more people on Team Knox.

Fee had been so pissed off that Shiori worried she’d take a swing at her.

Blue looked at her suspiciously.

Maddox steered clear of her.

Deacon growled and snarled, which she hoped meant he was coming around.

Katie . . . well, she’d been a welcome surprise. She’d gotten teary-eyed when she’d talked about watching the fight. But she said she understood why Shiori had gotten in the ring. Katie didn’t like men telling her that she couldn’t—or shouldn’t—do something either. Then she’d gone off on a tangent about her childhood dog, Pixie, that had nothing to do with anything they’d been discussing, but the story had made Shiori laugh so hard she’d cried. And when the tears became real tears, Katie had just handed her tissue after issue and told her to get it all out.

But things had gotten back to normal for her and Knox. It’d taken a few days. It’d taken a small whipping after Knox kept testing her boundaries. But she would’ve been disappointed if he hadn’t tried to use her fuckup to his advantage. Holding firm with him had proved she could, and after that his trust issues weren’t an issue.

So today was a good day. Clear blue skies. Temperate breeze. Sun shining. No wonder Colorado had so many outdoor enthusiasts—the weather was gorgeous.

She had to run a few errands before heading to the dojo. She waited outside her apartment high-rise, going over her to-do list on her phone, when a black Town Car pulled up. When Tom exited the driver’s side, she smiled with relief. She liked him, despite Knox’s claim that Tom eyed her like a juicy slab of steak.

Tom grinned at her and opened the rear door. “Morning. Lovely day, isn’t it?”

“Yes, I was just thinking the same thing. Made me wish I could just walk where I needed to go today.”

His gaze dropped to her feet. “I wouldn’t recommend it in those shoes.”

The shoes were impractical—Dolce & Gabbana black lace pumps with rhinestone flowers on the toes and four-inch heels—but she had a ridiculous love for them. Right before she climbed into the back, she noticed a dark stain in the middle of the seat.

“Problem?” Tom asked.

“Looks like someone spilled coffee or something else in here.”

Tom leaned inside for a better look. When he straightened up, fury blazed in his eyes. “I apologize. Evidently this car didn’t get cleaned last night. I can call for them to bring us a different car—”

“Not necessary. I’ll just sit on the other side.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“I’ll at least cover it up so you don’t have to look at it.”

Shiori skirted the back end of the car and climbed in, happy that she’d seen the stain before she sat on it in her white linen pants.