Page 69 of Fighter's Secret

We sit together for another few moments before Seth, Jase, and Gabe rejoin us. This time, I nod to Seth, letting him know we’re all go. I have to win this next fight, because my future happiness might depend upon it. I say “might” because there’s a good chance she’d say yes regardless of whether I win, but where she’s concerned, I’d prefer for it to be a sure thing.

I warm up, and then Gabe takes me through some drills.

When Seth wraps my hands, I lower my voice so I can speak to him without anyone overhearing. “You’re sure you’re cool with this?”

“Yeah,” he answers gruffly. “You’re already my brother, Dev. Might as well make it official.”

My heart warms but I resist the urge to hug him. He may not be as surly as he used to be, but I doubt he wants me emoting all over him either.

“Thanks, big man.”

Shortly after, we head into the stadium again. Harley follows behind, then trails off to sit in the seats reserved for our gym in the front row. I’m facing off against a guy who’s relatively new to the States, having come from kickboxing in the Netherlands. He’s a scary dude, with more tats than clear skin, but I’m buoyant, and it shows in my performance. Whatever he throws, he can’t knock me down. The fight goes right up until the last buzzer. As the umpire stands between us, a whole flock of butterflies stir up my stomach. Did I do enough? Or was I too distracted?

I try to concentrate on the announcer’s voice, but all I hear is gibberish. When the umpire raises my hand, I understand that I won. Which means Harley owes me a “yes.” The blood is rushing in my ears as the same hulking man who gave Harley a belt brings one to me. He’s the promoter for this event. The money behind it. He says something, and I watch his lips move but can’t hear anything past the rushing in my ears so I nod and offer him a fist to bump.

Then I spot Seth approaching from the side, his arm around Harley, whose forehead is wrinkled in confusion. They stop in front of me, and Seth reaches into his pocket and hands me a small velvet box. Suddenly, everything crystallizes in startling clarity. The audience murmurs in the background, craning their necks to see what’s going on. Harley’s breath hitches as I drop to one knee.

“I love you.” My voice rings so loud in the hush that I feel like I’m yelling into a speakerphone. “Before I ask you this next question, do you remember the deal we made?”

Understanding dawns, and she nods, and raises a hand to her mouth. “Yes,” she whispers, and someone in the distance laughs.

“Not yet, Harls.”

Popping the box open, I show her the ring. It’s simple white gold, with a single diamond set in the top. Elegant, but not flashy, because she isn’t a flashy kind of girl. I swallow, my heart thudding harder than it was five minutes ago, when I was literally engaged in the fight of my career.

“The day I met you, I thought you looked like a warrior princess. I’ve learned since that there’s so much more to you than that, but you’re still the queen of my heart.” I moisten my lips, hoping like hell she can see all of the emotions I hold for her reflected in my eyes. “Will you marry me, and make it official?”

“Yes,” she cries, and reaches down to clasp my free hand and yank me to my feet. The moment she releases me, I curl my arm around her back and draw her in for a kiss. She tastes of something minty. Of warm afternoons in the gym and long evenings snuggled on the sofa. Of tangled sheets and muted sighs. But most of all, she tastes like the future.

She draws away, smiling at me. Radiant. “I love you.”

With trembling fingers, I take the ring from the box and hold it up for her to slide her finger into. It’s a perfect fit, just like us. The crowd erupts. Forget the fights, this is the loudest they’ve been all night. For us, and our kickass fairy-tale ending.

“I love you too,” I reply softly, just for her. “What say we get out of here and celebrate?”

“That sounds perfect.”

I have the urge to sweep her into my arms and carry her out, but my princess doesn’t need that. She walks on her own two legs, by my side, of her own volition.

God, I love her. She’s my Xena. My muay thai royal.

And I couldn’t be happier. Our hands tighten around each other, and we exchange smiles. I know, justknow, that this is my forever.

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