“Shayla Tanner to see Zack Grayson in room 869.” I smile at the desk clerk at the Devonian Palace Hotel. “He’s expecting me.”
If she recognizes me from the other night, she gives no sign when she dials his number. But then, I don’t blame her. I’ve just come from the ballet studio after a fun three hours teaching little girls the basics of ballet. My hair is up in a tidy bun, and I’m wearing a pink sweater over my dance leotard and a light gray skirt with a pair of pink flats. No grunge in sight. I also have a huge smile plastered on my face because Zack is back.
“Please go on up,” she says, putting down the phone.
My heart pounds with excitement as I ride the elevator to the top floor, my happiness diminishing only slightly when I have to knock on Zack’s door. If he was coming to see me after being away, I’d be in the hallway to meet him.
I know something is wrong as soon as he opens the door. Instead of softness and smiles, his face is taut and hard. Still, I wrap my arms around him and give him a hug. “I’m so glad you’re back.”
My excitement deflates like a burst balloon when he stiffens in my arms. I let him go and make my way into his suite, decorated in rich cream and brown, with shiny brass accents and a sitting area beside a wall of windows, with a separate bedroom off to the side.
“What’s wrong?”
Zack closes the door and walks over to the window, stares out at the city in the fading light.
“Zack?”
“Was there something you forgot to tell me?” he says mildly, but I can hear the undercurrent of tension in his voice.
Bang, bang, bang goes my heart as I mentally run through any secrets that I might have kept. “About what?”
“About Damian.”
Puzzled, I frown. “What about Damian?”
“He says you made the story up about him pushing you down the stairs. He said you had a concussion that caused memory loss, and you suffered a reality break because of the trauma of him deciding to leave you.”
I don’t know whether I should laugh at the absurdity of that statement or scowl because Zack has clearly done what I asked him not to do and hunted down my ex. I choose the scowl.
“You went after him.”
Zack shrugs. “Of course I did. What kind of man would I be if I didn’t?”
“A man with a girlfriend, which is not going to be you, because that was my fight.”
“Your fight?” He turns, scrubs his hand through his hair. “I thought you didn’t want me to go after him because you were scared he would find you.”
“Do I look scared?” My hands find my hips, and I narrow my eyes and glare.
Zack’s lips twitch at the corners. “You look angry and not very interested in taking off your clothes and welcoming me home.”
“Damn right,” I mutter. “I can’t believe you went after him. And I can’t believe he’s still peddling those lies. Do you think the police didn’t consider that possibility before they charged him with attempted murder and assault? He’s delusional.”
“I agree. He’s also beating his new wife, who doesn’t look older than twenty-five. Did he hurt you before the night he pushed you down the stairs?” His body tenses like he’s waiting for a blow.
“No.” I close the distance between us, drawn by his obvious agitation. This is what’s bothering him. He thinks Damian beat me even before that awful night. “Can you imagine what the company would have done if I showed up at the studio covered in bruises, especially when we were on tour? You know pretty much everything is on display.”
“What did he do?” Still, he doesn’t touch me.
“Nothing at first. And then when he started to get worried about his career and I started making friends my age and spending time away from him, he started drinking. He shouted a lot when he was drunk and said a lot of unkind things, especially when I told him I was interested in modern dance. When he started pushing me around, I decided to leave. His behavior was escalating, and I could see where that would lead. I just never expected it to happen so fast.”
He lets out a long, low, ragged breath and strokes my cheek. “He says I broke you.”
“You did. But it just made me a stronger, more resilient version of myself. I never opened myself up to him the way I did with you, because I wasn’t going to let anyone hurt me again. Emotionally or physically.”
He draws me close, presses a tender kiss to my head. “What about now?”
“Now, I think I could let my guard down, but only for you.”
He wraps his arms around me and holds me tight. “You should thank me for leaving you in Glenwood. If I hadn’t made you strong—”
“Don’t push it,” I mumble against his chest. “You’re already in the doghouse for going after him in the first place. Is he still alive?”
Zack laughs. “I didn’t touch him, but I may have caught up with his wife on her way home and told her what happened to you. She didn’t know the full story. I don’t think she’s going to stick around for long.”
“You didn’t hit him?” I almost don’t believe him. The Zack I know has a jealous streak a mile wide. Only a few weeks ago, he was bouncing Doctor Death around the ring and going all possessive alpha with Reg. What’s changed?
“There wasn’t much I could do to him that he hadn’t already done to himself. He’s fallen so far, he’ll never get up. He feels no shame about what he did and accepts no responsibility. He recognized me, and I think he wanted to set me up, but I didn’t take the bait. I was in control, Shay. There was nothing I have ever wanted more than to see that bastard suffer, but I couldn’t take the risk of losing you again.”
I get a warm, tingly feeling all over, and I look up and smile. “I suddenly feel like taking off my clothes.”
Zack gives a contented rumble and slides his warm hands under my shirt. “I want you naked every time I come home.”
My heart sinks the tiniest bit. “You have to go away again?”
“One more trip. Three countries. Three weeks. Then I’m done.” He unhooks my bra and pushes my shirt and bra over my breasts. “I have a lot of training to do if I want to defend my title next year.” He leans down and draws my nipple into his warm mouth.
“Wait.” I tug his head away. “What did you say?”
Zack gives my nipple a long, languid lick. “I’m going to fight again. I told Kip this morning.”
Slayer back in the cage. The MMA world will go crazy.
My heart pounds a frantic beat, and I hold his face between my hands. “Where are you going to train?”
A slow smile spreads across his face. “Redemption.”