Snorting, Stack said, “I think it was his last dating duo that put an ass-whooping on him.” With deliberate provocation, he asked Armie, “You tell Cannon about the lady’s whip?”
“Whip?”
Armie rolled his eyes. “I already told you that was just a prop.”
Cannon turned from Armie to Stack. “Let’s hear it.”
“The night of your fight we had a party here to watch. Armie left with a couple of women who seemed more into each other than him.”
“Appearances are obviously deceiving,” Armie said with smug satisfaction.
“The one chick had a whip in her belt.” Stack grinned hugely. “Kinky.”
“Only seems kinky the first time,” Armie told him, totally deadpan.
Cannon turned back to Armie. “The two you mentioned?”
“Yeah, so? They liked it enough they returned for an encore.”
“You didn’t tell me about the whip.”
“Because it didn’t mean anything. It was like... I don’t know. Jewelry or something.”
Stack laughed. “Says the man who’s now beat all to hell and back.”
Cannon narrowed his eyes. “He says four guys did that to him.”
Damn it! “Big mouth. Did I say to announce it?” Armie didn’t need his private business spread around.
Stack whistled low. “No shit? Well, hell, man, if we’re retaliating, count me in.”
“There you go,” Cannon offered.
“Four against three? Since when do we gang up on idiots? It’d be a slaughter, and none of us wants that, so forget it.” Searching out Yvette with his gaze, Armie found her in the back, fingers laced together, attention rapt as she listened to Denver explaining something to her. The kids, ranging in age from ten to sixteen, studied her wide-eyed. “Enough about me. What’s wrong with you?”
As Cannon stared at her, he started breathing deeper. “Nothing.”
“Yeah, right.” It was all Armie could do not to laugh. “You look like you’re going to jump her bones any second.”
To Armie’s surprise, Cannon growled, locked his hands together behind his neck and paced off toward the reception desk.
Wow. Armie and Stack shared a look.
Knowing Stack was on his way out, Armie said, “I got it.”
“Go easy on him.”
“That’s not what he needs.” After Stack nodded and left, Armie went after Cannon. “That bad, huh?”
“Fucking unreal.”
Seeing how his friend vibrated with constrained menace, he commiserated. “You did without before the fight, didn’t you?”
Cannon didn’t have to answer. Armie knew how obsessed he got when prepping for a fight, especially the past few weeks. Despite the urban legend of athletes abstaining, most of the guys he knew never turned down sex. Hell, propositioned by the right woman, he’d be knocking boots the night before, using sex to shake off the jitters that came with a big fight.
But not Cannon. He was too damn selective from the get-go, and when in training he got downright picky. He turned away far more women than he laid.
In that, they were total opposites. It took a very rare woman for Armie to deny himself.
It took an even rarer woman for him to want to defend her honor. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Rather than go down that road and maybe tweak Cannon’s interest again, Armie distracted him. “Thinking that way almost cost Gage the girl.”
“Harper?”
“Yeah.” Everyone knew the two of them were an item—though God knew Gage had nearly screwed it up. Armie grinned, remembering. “They were here the night of the fights, too, but they were so busy dancing around each other they missed more than they saw.” He leaned in, eyebrows bobbing. “Gage dragged her off to the office and they didn’t emerge until after your fight had ended. Harper had the look of a well-laid lady, and she agreed to move in with him, so Gage must’ve made us proud.”
Cannon eased up enough to smile. “Good for them.”
“Yeah,” Armie agreed, but added, “if you’re into that whole commitment thing.”
“They are.”
He agreed again. “Speaking of commitment...” He focused on Yvette. “I think Denver’s going to show her a move.”
Cannon jerked around so fast, Armie almost got hit with an elbow.
Apparently uncaring that sweat covered Denver’s chest, Yvette allowed him to maneuver her into a standing rear naked choke. He put one arm under her chin with his hand on his opposite arm above his elbow, his other hand at the back of her head—in the right position to apply pressure.
Yvette automatically wrapped her hands over the beefy forearm around her neck. “Wow,” Armie said, “I can’t believe she’s—”
Snarling, Cannon strode off.
“Damn.” Seeing the set of Cannon’s shoulders, Armie chased after him.
When he reached his side, he said, “You know you’re going to make an ass of yourself, right?”
Cannon kept walking without replying.
“Might make an ass of her, too.”
He turned on Armie so fast, Armie stepped back.
“Just saying.” He held up his hands. “Denver won’t hurt her—you know that. No reason to go all King Kong and shit.”
At that precise moment, they both heard Yvette laughing. They looked up to see Denver sprawled dramatically on the ground while Yvette held his fingers twisted.