Bad Boy's Honor: An MMA Bad Boy Romance by Jessica Ashe Page A

barely spoken the entire session. This would be a long month, but an uncomfortable silence was better than me getting too close to the boss’ daughter.
    I’d expected her to be one of those women who didn’t like to work up a sweat, even when working out, but to her credit, she’d gone at it from the first second and now she was drenched from head to toe.
    Her wet hair clung to her sticky face, cheeks red from exhaustion, as she drank greedily from her water bottle as she tried to replace some of the fluids she’d lost through sweat.  
    I picked up the equipment from the floor, and started shoving it into the nearby storage cupboards, when Nora spoke to me for the first time.  
    “I don’t know how you manage it,” she said in one quick outpouring of breath.  
    “You’ll get fitter after a few more sessions,” I replied, without looking up at her. I didn’t want her to start being nice now. That would just make this even harder.
    “I don’t mean that. It’s the pain. My hands hurt just from punching those pads. I can’t even imagine what it’s like to take punch after punch to the face and body.”
    “You get used to that as well,” I replied.
    “How?”
    I shrugged. I turned around and saw her staring at me intently. Women didn’t usually want to hear all the gory details, but if anyone could handle it, the daughter of Duke Nott could. Besides, she must have seen her fair share of violence working in that bar.
    “Okay, maybe you don’t get used to it,” I admitted. “But it’s a job.”
    “There must be easier ways to earn a living. Ways that don’t involve risking your life every time you step into the ring.”  
    “No one has died,” I replied. “Recently. Anyway, it’s not that easy for someone like me to find a normal job.”
    “Why?” Nora asked, before answering her own question. “Oh, the conviction.”  
    “Yeah. It’s weird, but some employers get a bit funny about employing an attempted murderer.”  
    “I know.” Nora caught my raised eyebrow and general look of disbelief. “My mother was a defense attorney. In her spare time, she used to run a charity that helped convicts get back on their feet.”
    “She must have been a busy lady.”  
    “Yeah, she was,” Nora said. “Keeping people out of jail and helping them when they got out, all while building up a nice little nest egg for me to spend once she’d died.”
    I cringed and felt uneasy with guilt. It was an emotion I knew only too well.
    “Sorry about that,” I said softly. “I shouldn’t have said that about you.”  
    Nora smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m only playing with you. I really don’t care.”
    I nodded, relieved to have got the apology over and done with. I didn’t apologize often, and it wasn’t something I wanted to make a habit of.  
    Nora stood up but stumbled slightly again, either from a head rush or just because her legs were too exhausted to support her weight.  
    “You should eat something,” I said. “Protein is good after a workout. Carbs too.”  
    “Isn’t that for building muscle mass?” Nora asked.
    “Yes, but a bit of muscle wouldn’t do you any harm.”
    “Okay, as long as I don’t start looking like you. I don’t think it would suit me. No offense.”
    “None taken.”  
    Nora grabbed her bag and headed for the exit. I hadn’t even realized I’d been watching her leave until she turned and caught me looking at her.  
    “Did you do it?” she asked.
    “Do what?”
    “You know, the attempted murder.”
    “I pleaded guilty,” I replied. That much Duke had probably already told her. If not, she’d be able to find out easily enough.
    “That’s not really answering the question.”
    “If I answered, would you believe me?”  
    She paused for a moment and then shook her head. “I wouldn’t know if you were lying or telling the truth.”
    “Then there’s not much point in me answering, is there?”
    “I guess not.” She smiled.