Her Son's Hero. Vicki Essex

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      “I’ve got issues, Dom.”

      Serious baggage, she thought. “And Sean is my number one priority, and always will be. It would never work out between us.”

      He stared hard at Fiona. “Are you saying you don’t think I’d be a good role model?”

      “No.” Yes…maybe. The question wasn’t whether he’d be good for Sean, but how Dom’s presence would affect her relationship with her son. Sean needed to know his mother was as strong and tough as any man, and that she’d never let their lives be dictated by another walking ego with muscles. She’d never let herself be intimidated by a man again. She amended quietly, “It’s complicated.”

      “Maybe.” His blue eyes connected with hers again and she saw something new in them. His face relaxed into a smile—sure, confident. “Maybe not.”

      Dear Reader,

      I’m so proud to join the Harlequin Superromance family with my first book, Her Son’s Hero.

      This book was born out of my great respect for mixed martial artists and the controversial sport that has exploded in popularity over the past few years. As I read about the lives, dedication, sacrifices and victories of these talented athletes, it became clear they were real romance-worthy heroes. Some of them are a little rough around the edges, but most are good men with a great passion for what they do…plus they have fantastic bodies. It’s kind of hard not to fall in love!

      Fiona MacAvery would agree. When pro MMA fighter Dominic Payette comes to town, she thinks he’s just a meatheaded testosterone-fueled brawler. But as he teaches her young son karate-do and shows them both how to face their fears, he’ll prove to them exactly what kind of man he is.

      I’d love to hear your thoughts about this book, MMA or anything else that’s on your mind. Email me at [email protected].

      Happy reading,

      Vicki Essex

      Her Son’s Hero

      Vicki Essex

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      Vicki Essex lives on a space colony with her husband, space cat, robot dog butler and a fleet of red spaceships…in her imagination. In reality, she lives in Toronto—New York City’s comely Canadian cousin. As much as she likes to punch things, she doesn’t like being punched back, so will likely never face an opponent in an MMA cage. She loves to hear from readers. Visit her website at www.vickiessex.com, email her at [email protected] and find her on Twitter @VickiEssex.

      This book wouldn’t have existed without

       Denise Ing, Fiona Kwong and

       Georges “Rush” St-Pierre.

      I would never have started writing without

       the ATLA fans at fanfiction.net.

       Mike and Bryan, thanks for letting me cut

       my teeth in your world.

      Thanks to Mom and Dad,

       who let me stay up past midnight when I

       was a teen so I could keep writing.

      Thanks to Victoria Curran,

       my editor and writing oracle.

      Thank you to everyone at

       the Toronto Romance Writers, the best RWA

       chapter ever!

      Thanks to everyone at Harlequin Enterprises,

       especially the guys and gals

       in proofreading and production.

      And for my husband, who indulged me,

       consoled me, brainstormed and problem-solved

       with me, and cooked and cleaned for me—

      there aren’t enough words in the universe, not

       even made-up ones. Luboo!

      For John, with all my heart, always.

      CONTENTS

      CHAPTER ONE

      CHAPTER TWO

      CHAPTER THREE

      CHAPTER FOUR

      CHAPTER FIVE

      CHAPTER SIX

      CHAPTER SEVEN

      CHAPTER EIGHT

      CHAPTER NINE

      CHAPTER TEN

      CHAPTER ELEVEN

      CHAPTER TWELVE

      CHAPTER THIRTEEN

      CHAPTER FOURTEEN

      CHAPTER FIFTEEN

      CHAPTER SIXTEEN

      CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

      CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

      CHAPTER NINETEEN

      CHAPTER TWENTY

      CHAPTER ONE

      “SEAN, SEAN, spawn of the con!”

      Dominic Payette turned and watched from the porch as five jeering boys pounded down the sidewalk in front of his house, chasing a scrawny, sandy-haired boy. With his bulging backpack weighing him down, the kid didn’t stand a chance. The pack leader, a big guy with ruddy cheeks and shocking red hair, grabbed the bag and yanked the kid to a stop.

      Dom set down the box he was carrying.

      “You ignoring me, con?” The big guy shoved the whelp hard. The other boys circled, penning the kid in. “Think you’re better than us, little rich boy?”

      “Leave me alone.”

      “Or what? You gonna tell your mommy?” Another shove. “Gimme your money, rich boy.”

      “I don’t have any. You took it all at lunch!”

      Dom gripped the banister hard. He had to give the kid a chance to defend himself. He knew from all those years of being picked on that bruises healed quickly, but pride took much longer. Maybe it was tough love, but those were his rules.

      He could see the tense line of the boy’s bony shoulders, the wildness in his eyes. The kid mumbled something, head bowed in resignation.

      His tormentor’s lip lifted in a snarl. “Take his bag.”

      The gang seized the boy by his sticklike arms while the redhead punched him in the gut. The kid doubled over, and his backpack was yanked off him.

      But the bully didn’t stop there. He kicked him in the chest. Hard.

      Dom leaped over the railing off his porch, outraged by the redhead’s viciousness and complete lack of honor. He had the kid outmatched and outnumbered—it was hardly a fair fight.

      In a few long strides, Dom was on top of the pack, wading into them like a lion into a pile of field mice. The boys froze and stared up at him wide-eyed.

      Dom knew he could be scary looking when he wanted to be. Five feet ten inches of solid muscle honed from years of mixed martial arts training, a shorn scalp and the fading bruises along the underside of his jaw would intimidate anyone. He glowered down at the boys. “You guys got a problem?”

      The bully whirled around to face him. He went so pale even his freckles disappeared. “Let’s go! C’mon!”

      The kids scattered, huge eyes still fixed on Dom. They dropped the backpack as they raced away.

      “Are