Free Let It Shine by Alyssa Cole Page B

onto the cracked pavement, walking on tiptoe so her ivory pumps didn’t get caught in any cracks. Ivan knelt and rummaged under a tire that was strewn in the grass, producing a key he then used to open the door.
    “Are you supposed to be here?” Sofie asked. “I’m fine with breaking the law for a good cause, but a quiet breakfast isn’t one of.”
    “Jack knows I come here when I need alone time.” Ivan walked in, and she followed behind him. The enticing smell of breakfast was replaced by the smell of old sweat and leather, a combination that wasn’t as bad as she’d imagined.
    “Is this where you bring all the girls who are too dark to share a pop with at the five and dime?” Sofie asked as she sat in the folding chair Ivan directed her toward. She didn’t mean for it to come out sounding like that—annoyed and accusatory—but she was risking a lot by trusting him enough to blindly follow him into the morning. If she was just another conquest, she deserved to know.
    He dropped into the seat next to her and had the nerve to grin. “Would it make you jealous if I said yes?” he asked, handing her a warm paper cup of coffee. When she quirked a brow, he shook his head. “This gym is like my place of worship. I’ve been coming here since I was twelve, and I've probably spent more time here than anywhere else. If I bring a woman here, black or white, it’s serious.” He took a sip of coffee and pinned her with that intense gaze. “You’re the first.”
    Sofie ignored the deeper meaning of his words and the way she wanted them to be true. But they couldn’t be true, could they? “Ivan, there are a pair of crusty gym socks under my seat. This hardly rates as a first date, let alone a serious one.”
    For the first time since they’d reconnected, he pulled his gaze away from her in embarrassment. Regret stabbed at her that she’d been the one to make him feel foolish—she knew well enough what that felt like.
    She fiddled with the edge of her coffee cup. “I didn’t mean that. I’m glad to be here, crusty socks and all. Just…don’t you think you’re moving too fast?”
    Ivan gave a short laugh and shook his head. “Let me give you a tour of the place.” He was his usual playful and flirtatious self as he showed her around, even though Sofie could tell something was on his mind. He pointed out awards he and other boxers at the gym had won, showed her pictures of him sweaty and bloodied after victories. It was one thing to know Ivan was a fighter, but to see it…
    He even moved differently in the gym, like a predator that struts through its own territory and knows no fear. And he had reason for his pride. He walked her through his daily workout, and when he gave a brief demonstration of how to use the heavy bag, Sofie felt warmth that had nothing to do with the coffee she gulped rush through her body.
    “Your…stamina is impressive,” she said.
    He grinned at her, and Sofie wondered just how it was possible for a man’s mouth to be so enticing.
    “I’ve been training since I was twelve, Sof. I’m the reigning champ for the region, so yeah, I’ve got good stamina.” For a moment she wondered what had driven him to this violent sport, and then it clicked. Ivan had been weak, and now he was strong. That horrible moment from their past hadn’t only affected her, it seemed. She wondered if he thought about that day as often as she did, but she refused to ruin the morning with that sadness.
    “Reigning champ? You should really mention these things earlier when you’re trying to get a girl to go steady with you,” she teased.
    He walked toward the ring and mounted the raised platform with ease. Once inside, he struck a Mr. Universe pose. “Well, I’m defending the title next weekend, if you want to see me fight.”
    The thought both thrilled and frightened her. What would it mean if she said yes? Would it mean she was his girl? How would people react if when he looked out into the crowd,