Free The Ballerina & The Fighter (Book 1) by Ursula Sinclair

dick.
“Yes, I’m here for a fight.”
    “Wow, where is it going to
be? I’d love to go and see it if I can. When is it?”
    “The twenty-sixth of next
month.” I could not believe I gave her even that detail. Didn’t matter, she
wouldn’t be attending.
    It was her turn to sigh. “I
have a performance that day. It’s a matinee show.”
    “That’s too bad.” I wasn’t
going to tell her, the odds were good her show would be over by the time the
fight started.
    “Maybe next time. So are you
in town until the fight?”
    I might be in town longer
than that. “Yes and maybe a little longer, I’m moving back to the States, at
least for awhile.”
    The look of joy that covered
her face had me smiling in reply. I was living in a fantasy land. No matter
where I resided I had to keep my distance, but that was for later. Tonight was
for us.
    “That’s fantastic.”
    The waiter came over and
asked us if we wanted dessert. I glanced at Ivy. I didn’t want anything, just
to be with her, but it was her call.
    She shook her head. “Can we
get out of here and just walk a bit?”
    “That works for me.” I paid
the bill and then holding her hand we left and walked down Broadway, joining
the throng of foot traffic.
    “Thank you for dinner and for
inviting me.” She placed the hand I didn’t already hold on my arm.
    “You’re welcome.”
    “I love to walk as much as I
can,” she said.
    I shrugged. “Then let’s.”
    I can’t remember the last
time I just ambled aimlessly down a crowded sidewalk. We even stopped and
shared a hot cinnamon pretzel I bought off a street truck. We explored a couple
of tourist trap stores and talked, enjoying the night and each other’s company.
About an hour later I knew we were no longer alone in a sea of strangers. I’d
been getting weird vibes, and I trusted my instincts. Someone was following us,
probably following me. In the crowd, it was difficult for me to tell who it
was. Perhaps it was time to take Ivy home. God I didn’t want to, I wanted to
take her home with me. If I was being followed, and it was possible the Triad
wanted to keep an eye on me, so the less anyone knew about Ivy and how much she
meant to me the better. “It’s getting late,” I said.
    She smiled. “Is it past your
bedtime?”
    I laughed. God I don’t
remember the last time I’d laughed a full on belly laugh like that. Triumphs
and successes had been a part of my life, even some joy, but happiness,
laughter like this. Not for years. “Something like that,” I told her.
    I stopped, stepped over to
the curb and flagged down a cab. It pulled up and I opened the door. Ivy got in
and I bent down, I hadn’t planned on kissing her yet I found myself taking her
face in my hands and covering her mouth with mine. Her touch punched me to my soul.
Her lips parted and I needed no further invitation. Shit! Her taste was both familiar, yet different. The sound of the
cab driver saying he started the meter had me pulling back. “I’ll call you
tomorrow.”
    “Promise,” she whispered.
    “Breakfast.”
    She nodded. “See you then.”
    I stepped back from the cab
and shut the door. I wanted to stand there and watch the taxi drive out of
sight but didn’t dare. I didn’t want my shadow to think the girl meant anything
more to me than ass. I turned and walked down another block, at first I was
going to just go home, but then thought better of it. The less I made about
being out with this girl the less likely she’d come under the radar of the ones
following me. I suspected it was a member of the Triad. Joe warned me this might
happen, and I’d have to be careful. I took a cab over to a club one of the
other fighters had been talking about, paid my fee and went in. After I got a
beer at the bar, I took a long drink of it. I felt eyes on me, but these
weren’t the guy who’d been following me. I looked toward the end of the bar and
it was a redhead and her blonde friend checking me out. I had a part to