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  “Good, but move this hip faster.” Joshua slapped her left butt cheek.

  Kiki jumped at the action. She was starting to feel uncomfortable. “Hey now!” she scolded playfully.

  “Do it,” Joshua said, seemingly ignoring her.

  Kiki followed the orders, going full pace this time, paying attention to the pivot in her feet and the strength in her arms as she was mindful of where her fists were going.

  “Yess...” Joshua said, getting his mouth close to her ear. “Good girl.” The words were a hush.

  “All right.” Kiki tried to wiggle out of his hold. “I think I got it. Put on the mitts so I can try it with the pads.” But he didn’t release her. “Joshua,” she called, trying to get this attention.

  “When were you going to tell me about you and Wade?”

  Kiki’s heart sunk. Was that what he was sulking about earlier, that she hadn’t told him about Wade? She twisted around, taking a back step out of his hold just in time to see the weepy look on his face. She hadn’t thought to tell him about Wade; it never came up, and it was still fairly new. Kiki also hadn’t considered how Joshua would take the news. Why he would be upset she wasn’t entirely sure, but she had a good idea. He had to be worried that Wade was going to hurt her, like everyone else was. Joshua had been around the gym for a couple of years, so surely, he’d heard of Wade’s reputation.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. It’s really new. But don’t worry, we are taking it very slow.” Kiki smiled at a wide-eyed Joshua. “Oh, don’t be mad at me.” Kiki gave a goofy plea, hoping to lighten the situation.

  “That’s…uh…I’m not mad… I just…I thought…” Joshua stumbled on his words.

  “Don’t worry. I know all about his player reputation, and I’m going to protect myself as much as possible, but I want to see where it goes. You’re one of my best friends, please say you’ll support me on this.”

  Joshua’s eyes softened as he pulled her into a big hug, his arms wrapping around her tiny frame, engulfing her. “I could never be mad at you, Kiki. I just want you to be happy.”

  “Thank you. I am happy.”

  “And I make you happy too, don’t I?” Joshua asked, almost nuzzling into her hair.

  Kiki pulled out of the embrace, confused and stunned by the question. “Of course you make me happy. We wouldn’t be friends if you made me sad. That’s just silly!” Kiki shook her head. “Now let’s get back to training, so we can go get something to eat. I’m hungry!”

  Kiki sighed inwardly when Joshua nodded, not saying a word, only picking up the mitts to face her. She had to have been reading this wrong. Joshua knew that they were only friends, and he’d never tried to make a pass at her, at least from what she could tell. She was racking her brain to try and figure out why he would be so hurt that she didn’t come to him with this news right away. Then again, Leena gave her a bit of a hard time too for not telling her. Maybe this was just friendship etiquette that Kiki wasn’t aware of.

  “Let’s go, Kiki! You gotta work for that lunch!” Joshua teased.

  “Yeah! Let’s go!” Kiki said with enthusiasm. Joshua had seemed to recover, and the anticipation of the fight started to buzz around her, getting her blood pumping and endorphins moving. Kiki was becoming addicted to this feeling, and loving it!

  Chapter 7

  Wade knocked on Kiki’s door, shifting his weight from one foot to the other while he waited. It was a moment before he heard rustling from the other side, and a sweet voice called out, “Just a second.” When another clanging sound echoed from the apartment, he smirked. Maybe this was why Kiki had offered to pick him up, so she could finish getting ready. Like hell that was going to happen. He couldn’t help but grin at the thought of Kiki nervously rushing around, putting on the finishing touches to her outfit or makeup. He liked to think the effort was for him, and not the dinner with her parents.

  While meeting her parents didn’t make him anxious per se, it must have made Kiki. She’d sent him three text in the last couple of days offering easy outs. By the third message he was tempted to take it, because it crossed his mind that she might have regretted inviting him. But it was Wade’s curiosity that kept him from taking the out. He was excited to see Kiki in a different element. Families in general, fascinated him. He’d been such a different person, his real person, at home, not everyone had that relationship though. That’s what he wanted to find out, to understand more of who this woman was. So far Kiki had been exactly the same in person as she was over the phone. It should have been reassuring, but the seed that he might hurt her had already been planted, and seeing just how genuine Kiki was only made it grow.

  The door pulled open abruptly to a smiling, flushed Kiki. “Thanks for waiting.”

  “Sure.” Wade shrugged, placing a kiss on Kiki’s cheek. “You look amazing. Are you ready?”

  “Yes.” Kiki rewarded him with a shy smile as she stepped out of the apartment, locking the door.

  “So?” Wade asked.

  Kiki scrunched her eyebrows. “So, what?”

  “How do I look? Is this acceptable for a parent-meeting dinner?” Wade held out his arms as he did a little twirl, teasing Kiki with his question.

  When she eyed him up and down, considering the question, he regretted asking.

  “You couldn’t have worn a tie?” Kiki said with a soft pout.

  Wade opened his mouth but he had nothing. What the hell?

  “Just kidding!” Kiki pushed her tiny hand against his chest. “You look perfect. Very handsome.”

  “Not cool!” Wade said, sweeping Kiki into his arms.

  Letting out a little gasp, Kiki’s eyes widened as she looked up at him. Taking his chance, planting his lips on hers, he was rewarded. He had gone in for a gentle kiss, but when she pushed up on her toes, wrapping her arms around his neck, he took everything she gave. His hands wandered over her lean figure covered in soft fabric, desperate to know what the skin underneath felt like, what her perfect ass looked like covered in lace panties, how their bodies would look joined together. He pulled Kiki closer to his body, knowing his hard erection pressed against her as it ached for release.

  Kiki twisted out of his kiss. With his hands still firmly wrapped around her, he nuzzled into the crook of her neck, continuing his kisses.

  “Waaade…stop…” Kiki giggled, twisting playfully in his arms.

  “Nuh-uh,” Wade mumbled as he made his way up her neck, nibbling on her ear.

  “Wade, please.”

  Her soft request more serious, Wade backed up, resting his forehead on hers, eyes closed.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Wade opened his eyes at the ridiculous apology, staring down into her soft, dark eyes.

  “For what? Me trying to press my luck? You have nothing to be sorry for.”

  “I just don’t want you to think I’m leading you on.” Kiki looked away as she continued. “I’ve been called a tease.”

  Wade scoffed. He could see how some arrogant asshole might have said that; there were a lot of them out there, he was even friends with a few. Not that he was a saint, but thanks to his mother, he knew better than to treat a woman like that. Anything less than a gentleman was unacceptable in the Kerney household. Sure, he had been disappointed, and maybe even a little bit now, but it wasn’t because of Kiki’s doing.

  “Whoever said that was a fucking asshole. Never apologize for drawing the line.” Wade placed his hand under her chin, lifting it so her eyes met his. “I think I know where I stand with you, and I’m good with that. But to be clear, I do hope we move in that direction when you’re ready. You see the effect you have on me, but I’d really like to know if I have the same on you?”

  A blush rolled over her cheeks as she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “Far more than you know.”

  * * * *

  The ride to Kiki’s parents’ house wasn’t long, although it was very quiet, painstakingly. Kiki was introspective, and with every glance over at her he could see
the wheels in her head spinning.

  Opening Kiki’s door for her, he offered his hand and let her lead him up the walk to the picturesque home nuzzled in the suburbs. His heart beat hard in his chest and his mouth dried a bit as the nerves started to get to him. He was meeting a friend’s parents, but she was more than that, wasn’t she? What had she already told them? Shit! He cursed himself for not asking Kiki more questions before getting there. How he should act, or what they knew about him already. Fuck. Pull it together, man.

  Kiki gave his hand a gentle squeeze as they reached the door. Opening it, she guided him inside the house.

  “Shoes off.” She smiled. “You can put them right there.” She pointed to a shoe rack in the entryway.

  He slipped out of his shoes and followed Kiki.

  “こんにちは,” she called as they made their way from the foyer.

  He knew that one, kohn-nee-chee-wah. He felt like an idiot, he should have expected that she would speak Japanese with her family. He wondered how much English they spoke. Entering the living room, her parents stood, Kiki giving them each a hug before returning to Wade’s side.

  “お父さん, お母さん, I’d like to introduce you to Wade Kerney,” Kiki said with a wave of her hand in his direction. “Wade, I’d like to introduce you to my parents, Haru and Sayana Matsuda.”

  “It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Matsuda,” Wade said, extending his hand to meet Kiki’s father’s for a shake. “Thank you for having me over tonight.”

  “It’s our pleasure,” Kiki’s mother said with a soft smile. “Come in, please. May I get you something to drink?”

  “That would be nice. I’ll have whatever Kiki’s having,” Wade said as he followed them to a formal living room.

  Kiki’s mother headed for what he assumed was the kitchen, leaving the three of them still standing, with a small amount of awkwardness floating in the air.

  “You and Kiki...” Mr. Matsuda cleared his throat. “You work together, is that right?”

  And there it is… “Not exactly. She works at the gym that my sister and I own together. I’ve just recently moved back to the area and will be working at the gym more.”

  “Are you a fighter?” The blank expression on her father’s face showed that he was less than enthused with the idea.

  Wade bit back the grin threatening to erupt. Kiki’s father was a straight shooter. He didn’t seem at all impressed that his daughter worked at a gym, let alone the idea that she might be fraternizing with a fighter.

  “No, sir, I’m not. I have less than a year left before completing my chiropractic degree, and then I plan to work in-house at the gym. That’s why I moved back, I got accepted at graduate school here.”

  “Well now, I like the sound of that. A motivated man. Come have a seat and tell me more about yourself.” Her father’s stance relaxed. Stepping backward, he took a seat in a leather recliner.

  Kiki guided Wade to the large sofa adjacent to the recliner. He noticed how she kept her distance on the couch and her posture stiff. He wondered if this was how she acted at home, or if it had to do with her father’s impending interrogation. Wade hadn’t been fazed by it. He’d met dads before. Besides, he knew he couldn’t control if someone liked him or not. All he could do was put his best foot forward and hope for the best. And tonight, he really hoped for the best. The more Wade thought about Kiki, even now in this moment, he realized that he wanted to be worthy of her, and he wanted her parents to see that too.

  “Tell me, what are your intentions with my daughter?”

  “お父さん!” Kiki shrieked. “Wade, I’m terribly sorry.” She turned to him with horror in her eyes.

  Well, there it is. Wade had hoped this question wouldn’t come up at all, or at the very least not until after dinner. “It’s okay. I don’t mind. What do you mean exactly, sir?” Wade asked politely. He wasn’t going to give anything away for free.

  “Well, you two are what, just friends?” the man asked, now pushed forward on his chair, eager to hear the response.

  “I think boyfriend would be more accurate.” Sure, yes. He was.

  In this moment, he felt like a fool for holding back on something so trivial as a title. He’d agreed to not sleep with other women, and lately other women held no appeal. A boyfriend title wasn’t a forever lock down. Whatever was going to happen would still happen, title or no.

  “Oh, see, Kiki, you didn’t mention that part when you asked to have him over.” He cocked his head at his daughter smugly.

  Wade watched as Kiki tried to recover from his words, snapping her mouth closed, shaking her head. It was the moment of truth. Would she deny it, would she play it off as if Wade was teasing, or was she in?

  “お父さん, I didn’t think it mattered?” Kiki said, finally finding words.

  “Of course it matters.”

  “Sir, did you hear that your daughter was promoted to manager at the gym?” Wade asked, changing the subject.

  “Honey, that’s wonderful!” Kiki’s mother said, walking in with a platter full of drinks. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

  “Oh, well. It just happened,” Kiki said nervously, clearly not liking the attention on her.

  He found that odd. She was shy, but when she had received the promotion she was so over-the-top excited that she’d called him. It was obvious that she loved her parents, but maybe her home wasn’t a sanctuary like his had been.

  “It’s nice of you to help our daughter move up the ladder, Wade. She has far too many skills to be stuck as a receptionist forever.” Mr. Matsuda gave Kiki a pointed look.

  Yep, those kinds of parents. Wade bit back, he wasn’t going to cause a scene, but he didn’t care for the way that Kiki’s father was talking so poorly about her.

  “Oh, no sir. I had nothing to do with it. I’ve just got back into town recently. She did this all by herself. Just like you said, someone noticed that she had far too many skills to be stuck as our receptionist.”

  Her father cleared his throat as he sat back in his chair, his eyes never leaving Wade’s; challenging him to back down. But Wade had only stated a fact; maybe not as tactfully as he could have, but that was too bad. As much as he might want to play nice for Kiki’s sake, what kind of man would he be if he didn’t stand up for his girl? Even if it was to her parents. They needed to know that he was strong enough to take care of her.

  “Here, Wade.” Kiki’s mom stepped in between the staring contest, handing him a drink. “I hope iced tea is okay?”

  “It’s perfect, Mrs. Matsuda. Thank you.” Wade took the glass.

  Wade felt Kiki’s side of the couch sag as she exhaled with what he assumed was relief. And right there he knew he needed to cool it. He might want to prove something, but he didn’t want to hurt Kiki in the process.

  Chapter 8

  “Huh?” Wade asked, missing what Kiki had said. He’d been too busy inside his own head, thinking over what transpired at dinner. Since it had ended he’d been on auto-pilot; driving her home, helping her out of her car, and walking her to her door without realizing what was going on.

  “Do you want to come in for a drink?”

  This is new. “Sure.” Wade nodded.

  Kiki shut the door, slipping her shoes off, and he followed suit.

  The apartment was tiny, but very much Kiki, organized to perfection, beautifully decorated, but not overstated. A girl’s apartment for sure. It was barely a one bedroom, from what he could tell. Following her in led straight to the living room with no entryway. The living room, kitchen, and dining room blended together as one. There were two doors off the other side of the apartment, which he assumed to be the bedroom and bathroom.

  “What you said at my parents’ house, about us…” Kiki paused, a quiet nervousness in her tone. “...about you being my boyfriend, did you mean that?”

  Wade shouldn’t have been offended by the question, but he was. He did spring it on her without warning, but did she really think he was that guy? He
was baffled at the thought of the type of men she’d dated in the past. From calling her a tease to lying to her. Wade let out a heavy sigh before taking a seat at her small kitchen table. He needed to compose this thoughts, making sure whatever he said next couldn’t be misconstrued.

  “Kiki, I’d never say something I don’t truly mean. Actually, that’s not true, I might tell you your cooking is great, even if it isn’t,” Wade joked, “but something this serious, that’s not me. And maybe we hadn’t discussed it, but in the moment, I realized that’s what we are. You’re more than just a girl I’m seeing. Right?”

  “Once you put a label on this, on us, we can’t go back,” Kiki said solemnly.

  “I think I’m ready to put a big fat label on this. What do you think, are you okay with that?”

  He hoped she thought the same thing. He’d assumed it, with the way she’d asked him to not see other women. When the extreme smile pulled across her face he knew she felt the same. She played everything so close to the chest that he wasn’t always sure where he stood, but every so often he got a glimpse.

  “Yes!” A now enthused Kiki walked over to him, sitting on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. The way she looked in his eyes sealed the deal. He knew he’d made the right decision taking this step forward.

  It’d been a long time since he’d deemed someone his girlfriend. It wasn’t so manly to admit that you’d let a woman close enough to break you, but one woman had, and since then he’d been hesitant. But when Kiki’s soft lips brushed against his, and the way she always looked at him, like he could do no wrong, made him feel powerful.

  Wade cradled Kiki’s face, brushing his hands into her hair as he held the sensual kiss.

  “So, are you going to let me stay?”

  “Stay? The night?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I hadn’t thought about it.” Kiki’s surprised expression startled him.

  “Which part haven’t you thought about exactly?” Wade asked as he brushed his thumb over her pouty bottom lip.