Paisley smiles wryly.
“I guess you’re right. It’s still hard though because diet and fitness culture is so all-consuming these days! But it’s fine. I love food and I love eating and cooking too, so it’ll all work out.”
I grin.
“Yes, it will honey, and we love seeing our woman eat too. It’s terrible when ladies purposefully starve themselves, and for what? To fit into the latest fashion? That sounds crazy to us because as athletes, what’s more important is how your body performs, as opposed to how it looks.”
Paisley throws us a grateful grin.
“Thanks Torment and Talon. I really appreciate your positive outlook. It’s refreshing,” she says in a gentle tone.
I slip an arm around her waist before pressing a kiss to her temple.
“No problem, honey. Anytime.”
Torment kisses her other cheek.
“Of course, baby. Now how about that next shot?”
Paisley giggles and disentangles herself before taking aim with her club. Then, her ball zooms down the green and disappears like a flash into the maw of a gaping plastic dragon.
“How about that?” she cheers. “Hole in one! Yay!”
“Congratulations, sweetheart,” I say. “Great job.”
She laughs again while moving to the side so that we can take our shots. But then her expression becomes curious.
“So how did you two get into MMA fighting? I was actually supposed to be stalking both of you that day at the gym, but only Talon showed up,” she admits.
“You work for a magazine,” I say with a grin. “Don’t you know the answer already?”
Paisley laughs. “Well, I only know the tabloid version.”
My brother answers. “The real version is similar, actually, and this is one thing the tabloids didn’t get completely wrong. We started training in high school and by the time we were seventeen, our coach, Troy Collins, had us participating in informal neighborhood fights. It wasn’t illegal but it wasn’t totally legit either because there probably was some underground betting going on. Nonetheless, it gave us a taste of the lifestyle, and the second we turned eighteen, Coach Collins put us in legitimate training programs. We’ve been fighting professionally ever since.”
Paisley nods.
“Wow, that’s impressive. Do you guys ever get nervous before a match?”
I shake my head. “Not really. We’re damn good fighters, and sure, we lose on occasion, but that only makes us train harder for next time. It’s all in the preparation honey. Work hard, play hard. That’s our motto.”
Paisley nods but she’s still curious.
“But what about safety? Isn’t MMA fighting dangerous?”
Torment shrugs. “I guess so, but there are worse things like serving a combat tour or disarming explosives. Besides, we enjoy the danger and when you’re in the ring, danger is the last thing you’re thinking about. Of course, if you’re good, you don’t have to worry so much,” he adds with a cocky grin.
Paisley bites her lip with a troubled expression on her face. It’s cute that she’s nervous for us, but she shouldn’t be. Torment and I have made it this far because we’re talented and rarely suffer anything other than minor scrapes and bruises.
“Actually, do you want to attend a fight?” I invite casually. “We have one tomorrow. It’s just an exhibition match, but you’ll be able see for yourself what it’s like.”
“I don’t know if I can handle it!” she exclaims, her brown eyes wide.
“It’ll be fun,” my brother grins. “Promise.”
Paisley bites her lip and nods then.
“Maybe. I’m supposed to hang out with my roommate Diana tomorrow night, but would it be okay to bring a friend? If so, I’ll see if she wants to come with me. Maybe she’s interested, and it could be eye-opening for both of us. Diana knows about us, by the way.”
I grin.
“Sure, totally bring a friend. But what does your roomie think about our threesome?”
Paisley titters.
“To be honest, she’s totally into it,” our girl says. “Besides, Diana’s not exactly so innocent herself. She’s up to some shenanigans herself with a much older man. Emphasis on much,” she adds devilishly. “Like grandpa-level.”
My brother lets out a shout of laughter.
“Good for her. But even if you guys don’t end up coming, you should come to the big event at Madison Square Garden in a few months. We’re fighting our rivals, Ossie Rae Jamison and Mac Needstrom. Those fuckers are tough, and it’s going to be quite the match-up.”
The curvy brunette smiles and shakes her head.
“Unfortunately, those names mean nothing to me.”
I chuckle. “That’s fine. It’ll be a big fight, and that’s all you need to know. You should definitely come. We’ll get you tickets.”
Paisley grins. “Okay, sounds great. I’ll be there.”
We’re on the tenth hole now and the score is tied. It’s Paisley’s turn and she tosses her ball on the green turf before bending over slightly at the hips. I stare at her plump ass as she prepares for her shot, and then she swings and shoots. Holy shit! There are a few obstacles, but the ball glides around them and lands with a thunk in the plastic cup.