the small of her back and lead her to a ringside seat. In front of her
was a square boxing ring, surrounded by a chain-link fence. An extraordinarily
thin woman stood inside the ring, wearing a red string bikini. Male
chauvinism at its best. Melina rolled her eyes.
“I’d give my right
nut to see you wearing that,” Garrett whispered in her ear.
Melina laughed.
“Your right nut is exactly what it would cost you, too.”
“Just one nut? I
think a lady like you is definitely worth two,” a new voice said near her.
Melina shuddered.
Like an invisible force drawing her, she turned and found a pair of hazel eyes
that stared straight into her soul.
S he was gorgeous.
Not in the usual
hot body and pretty face kind of way, either.
No.
Gorgeous .
In a tight dress
that showcased an amazing set of curves—made to fit a man’s hands—and full lips
set into a natural pout as she stared at Mac, she caught him. Sexy. Confident.
Womanly. The brief glimpses of her profile that he had managed to get over the
last hour hadn’t been nearly enough to do her justice.
Beautiful women
didn’t trip Mac up. He’d seen more than enough of those pretty faces over the
years, and taken his taste of a few along the way, but this woman was something
else entirely. Dark-caramel skin, russet eyes, and wavy, black hair that was long
enough to wrap his fists in and pull.
Shit.
He wondered if she
would like that.
She had a
take-no-bullshit demeanor that he’d heard her grace her companion with more
than once throughout the night. Mac was willing to bet she was the kind of
woman who enjoyed fucking men over, but had yet to meet the one she didn’t, or better
yet, couldn’t.
The man who could
trip her up.
Like she was
finally coming to her senses, the woman blinked and smiled slightly. “I beg
your pardon?”
The man at her
side wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in close. Mac didn’t miss
the disgusted shudder the woman tried to suppress.
Right then, he
knew.
This woman was an
escort. High-priced, guessing by the man’s appearance and attitude mixed in
with hers, not to mention where they were. These underground fights didn’t let
the fucking dregs in, after all. It was common for the very wealthy men and
women who attended the events to bring along someone other than their spouse.
Like a hired date.
The woman looked
Mac over again. For the most part, he would have called her glance dismissive,
except she lingered far too long on the way his suit hugged his frame and the
collar of his dress shirt that was opened at the top two buttons.
“Two nuts, huh?”
the woman asked.
“Oh, you’re
certainly worth two,” Mac replied. “But I think you’d have a lot more fun with
a man who wasn’t willing to give them up just to get a taste. You know, the
kind of man that makes it worth your while to show it off.”
The man at her
side sneered. “Hey—”
Mac held up a
hand, silencing the guy instantly. “I’m not talking to you.”
He knew better
than to piss off patrons at the Ferro fights. Frankly, Mac knew better than to
be at the underground fights, which were organized and run by a rival New York
Cosa Nostra family. La famiglia was all about loyalty, after all, and
playing fun with another family’s business was a dangerous game.
Mac needed the
money, so he signed up for a fight.
“Melina,” the guy
murmured in the woman’s ear, “let’s go find a better view of the cage, yes?”
Melina .
He tried her name
in his mouth silently, liking the way it felt. Escort or not, Mac wanted to
know this woman. Especially when she flicked him with a look that screamed
disinterest on the surface but burned with curiosity all the same.
Mac loved a good
challenge. He made a mental note to find this Melina again after the fight, if
he was able, and her date didn’t sneak her off early.
The guy openly
glared at Mac.
Sorry to ruin your
evening, cafone.
“Mac, my boy,
you’re up next! You’ve got