“My dumb ass did you a favor then,” Orlando shot back, sounding smug again, but before Leo could retort, he added something even more infuriating. “Wait. What is it about this chick that has you so twisted? When you first told me about the interview, you were weird about it. Then she texted you, and you got all tense and moody as fuck. Look at you now.”
Leo froze in place when he realized he was pacing a little too anxiously. He started up again a little slower, trying to be less obvious.
“She’s a kid,” Orlando said under his breath, more to himself than Leo.
“She’s a kid?” Orlando said louder as his and Leo’s eyes met and Orlando’s went wide. “Is it because—?”
“No,” Leo snapped as he stalked back inside the house.
“Is that why—?”
“It’s not,” Leo said, his insides turning when he glanced at his phone still on the counter and saw he had a text from Allison.
Orlando must’ve noticed Leo staring at his phone because he dropped his previous questions for a new one. “Did she respond?”
Leo grabbed the phone before his friend could even think about trying to get it. “Doesn’t matter. I’m done responding to her. and I’m done talking about this.”
He stalked into his bedroom and closed the door behind him. Tossing the phone on the bed without bothering to read it, he did some more infuriated pacing. “Fuck,” he muttered under his breath then shook his head.
He’d ignore her. That’s all there was too it. If she called or even texted again, he’d ignore her until she got the hint. Answering a few more of her questions via text he could’ve handled. But now his idiot friend had ruined even that. Leo had to end this now.
As if mocking him, his phone rang before he’d even finished his thought. Leo turned to the bed, refusing to move. Then he remembered it might be his probation officer. Muttering under his breath, he walked over to his bed and picked his phone up. As much as he hated to do it, he dropped it unanswered when he saw the name on the screen.
“God damn it, O,” he muttered as he walked to the door.
Locking the bedroom door so Orlando wouldn’t get any stupid ideas about answering his phone if it rang again, Leo stalked into his bathroom. He slammed the door shut because the phone was still ringing and the temptation to answer it was already festering.
“You’re not doing it,” he growled at the infuriated guy in the mirror.
With a nod, he started the shower then pulled off his shirt and stripped out of his shorts and briefs. This shouldn’t be so hard—
He froze when he glanced down at the irony of the wording of his thoughts. He’d been so angry and worked up he hadn’t realized even frustrated thoughts of her had gotten his cock worked up as well. Truth was, for as much as he kept telling himself she was a kid, after getting an upfront and personal look at her and speaking to her, he knew he was dealing with a much more mature woman than he first thought. She’d handled herself in a professional way, even when she practically snapped at him over the comment about her sister. Those womanly curves any hot-blooded man could appreciate were Leo’s weakness. His attempts to chastise himself about having such thoughts for a girl so much younger than he was were quickly squashed when he met up with Rodney after the interview. The guy had wanted to compare notes but not just about the interview. “Did you get a load of the rack under that blouse and the fuck-me-up-against-a-wall ass? Hell yeah, I’d fuck that ass in a heartbeat.”
The shameless pervert had even rubbed his dick down over his shorts, evidence that Leo wasn’t the only grown-ass man who could visualize such offensive things about this girl. It’d been as eye-opening as it’d been infuriating.
Taking a deep breath, Leo ignored the unwarranted annoyance. This shouldn’t be so difficult. Orlando was right about one thing. Allison was a reminder of a time in his life he’d tried desperately to forget for years. But it was more than that and Leo knew it. He had to steer clear of her. There were no two ways about it. Just as he’d been saying for years about all women, he was even more certain about Allison now. She had the very poison it’d take to reawaken the Beast that Leo had managed to sedate for so long.
Seven days. A whole fucking week since he’d stopped responding to her and Allison was still texting Leo. She stopped calling after the second time he didn’t bother to call or even text her back. He hadn’t responded to the call or any of her other texts. But one thing that was becoming very clear about this chick was she was persistent. Orlando was still insisting Leo call her and just be done with it.
“She’s a journalist,” Orlando reiterated as Leo muttered under his breath when he saw the latest text pop onto his screen. “That’s one notch above the bloodthirsty paparazzi. She won’t stop until she gets her story. Just call her already. I don’t see what the big deal is. Unless . . .”
“I’m not calling her,” Leo said before Orlando could continue. He opened the door to Orlando’s truck. “Thanks for the ride. This should be the last time I need you to get me here. Bones said my bike should be ready by tonight. Rodney’s dropping me off at his place to pick it up after work.”
“No worries. You’re on my way to the shop anyway. I can keep dropping you off as long as you need me to.”
With a grateful nod, Leo walked away. Truth was there’d been two days in the past week when he’d begun to think maybe Allison had given up because he’d gone the whole day without a single text. Leo would never admit it, but he knew his irritable mood had been because of that. Then the following day she’d sent another, and he’d been beyond relieved. It was the stupidest thing. He had no intention of returning her texts, but something about knowing she was that determined to speak to him added to his already out-of-place intrigue.
He couldn’t return her texts. This was what he’d been afraid of from day one. He could not let himself get sucked in. No matter what.
“Hey, stranger.”
The voice. The unexpected vision before him. In a snug workout outfit that hugged every curve of her body no less. But more than anything those eyes. If Leo didn’t know any better, they were challenging him but to what? It was all so breathtaking Leo hadn’t even realized it until it was too late.
He was smiling.
Their eyes locked, and he tried backpedaling his once again baffling reaction to her by wiping the fucking smile off his face. He’d been irritated by her text just a few minutes ago, and now he was smiling like an idiot?
“I take it you’ve been busy?”
The question didn’t carry the same enthusiasm her greeting had. Leo knew it had everything to do with his changing mood and what she was trying to suggest over the more likely reality: why he really hadn’t responded to any of her texts and calls—because he’d been ignoring her.
Good. It was better than her knowing the truth. “Yeah, I have actually.”
Why?
Why was he incapable of just cutting the cord? Why couldn’t he be the dick he normally would be and tell her he hadn’t been busy. He just hadn’t felt the slightest inclination to return her calls. He was no longer interested in continuing the interview. He was no longer interested in satisfying her in any way.
Because those last three statements were absolute bullshit and he knew it. He started walking toward the area where he’d be doing his training as Allison walked alongside him. “I figured as much. I’m not trying to be pushy, but since you did say you were looking forward to chatting that night—”
“Texting,” Leo said before she could finish the thought. “It’s better if we do this over texting. That night I did actually get busy, but I think texting is still the best way to go about this.”
“Oh.” She sounded a little deflated, but Leo refused to continue looking in those eyes.
He stared straight ahead. “I’ll start responding to some of the questions you’ve sent me tonight.”
Really? Just like that? He’d gone from being adamant about ever communicating with her again to agreeing to respond
to her texts so easily? Fucking hell, it was happening again. Maybe he should just get this over with already the way Orlando kept insisting. Leo still had forty-five minutes before he had to report to his training. He always made sure he got here this early just to be on the safe side.
“Okay, well—”
“Actually.” He turned to her and instantly regretted it because, God damn it, he was certain of it now.
Every time he got another good look at her this close, it became clearer and clearer that he needed to stay away from her. Or rather he needed to make sure she stayed away from him. She was staring at him now, waiting for him to finish revealing why he’d interrupted her.
Leo glanced around. There were plenty of empty tables at the juice bar, so he turned back to Allison, determined to end this today. “I have a few minutes before I have to start my training. If you want, we can do this now.” He motioned over to the tables.
“Oh,” she said, lifting her small duffle and unzipping it. “That’d be great. I just . . .” She smiled so sweetly Leo had to look away. “I really don’t mean to be so aggressive. It’s just that my editor’s really been on me about finishing this and well . . .” She paused as they reached a table and took seats across from each other. She pulled her notebook out of her bag. “It’s been a challenge so far to impress him with anything, so now that I actually have a chance to, I’m determined not to blow this.”
Leo stared at her, taking in what she’d just explained as he was once again caught in her engaging eyes. But he didn’t comment. He just nodded, and in the next moment, their eyes locked. Just as he’d suspected and she’d confirmed during that first interview, behind those innocent and sweet eyes there was so much more to this young woman. Leo wasn’t just being paranoid or overly cautious about this. This could be disastrous. He’d fought the temptation of answering her calls or responding to any of her texts tooth and nail, and now here he was, not a minute into this conversation already sucked in. As much as he wanted to glare at her—silently send a warning that he was not the kind of guy she wanted to use said determination on—he couldn’t.
Eyes like hers weren’t meant to be glared at. Not by Leo or anyone else who’d dare to do so in his presence. Oh yeah. He’d been here before. Doing anything else but getting sucked into her eyes was an impossibility he’d never understand. Not then. Not now.
“Okay,” she finally said after the long silent moment, shaking her head in what Leo imagined was her attempt to snap out of the insane trance.
Clearing her throat, she brought a hand to her chest then cleared it again.
“You need something to drink? Water?” Leo asked, standing up because he needed to.
She brought her fist to her mouth, still clearing her throat. “Maybe.”
“I’m getting a Red Bull.” Leo took off the weight-lifting gloves he’d put on in the truck and dropped them on the table. “You want one too or just a water?”
“Red Bull sounds good.” She reached in her backpack and pulled out what looked like a coin purse. “Here—”
Already shaking his head, Leo turned toward the counter. “I got it.”
Once he reached the counter, Leo took a long deep breath as he waited for the attendant. Thankfully, she asked him to give her a minute while she finished unpacking some energy bars from a box. Leo nodded, needing the minute—maybe more—before he went back to sitting across from Allison. Glancing around, he did a double take when from his peripheral vision he saw Allison had company at the table now. A guy he’d seen around the gym plenty of times sat across from her. Possibly a trainer. He was smiling big—too big.
“Thanks for waiting.” The girl behind the counter pulled Leo’s attention away from Allison.
Focusing on the girl’s eyes, he did what up until just recently he usually had to force. Now was no different. He smiled. “I’ll take two Red Bulls.” The girl smiled back, but despite what might be considered an attractive shade of hazel eyes, they had nothing on what Allison’s eyes did to him.
It was maddening, so he kept his eyes on the juice girl even as she walked away, focusing on her ass. She was youthful-looking enough. Early to mid-twenties at least. Still, she didn’t look nearly as off-puttingly young as Allison should to Leo.
“We’re out of Red Bull at the moment.” The girl walked back from the fridge, holding two cans of something else. “Our delivery today is late. But we have these. They’re pretty good.”
Leo glanced down at the cans she set down on the counter then at her nametag and made note of it. Paulina. “Are they flavored?”
“Not really. But they don’t taste much different from Red Bull. Biggest difference . . .”
The giggling behind him distracted Leo momentarily. Then the guy chuckled, and instantly Leo was focusing on what the guy was saying and not a word of what Paulina said.
“. . . I’m serious,” the guy said. “I literally have to wrestle it off him to wash it now. It’s like his security blanket. You have to get me another.”
“I can do that,” Allison chirped.
Leo’s eyes went from the cans on the counter to Paulina, who was looking at him as if she’d just asked him something. “I’m sorry, say again?”
“Do you still want them?”
“Yeah.” He nodded, feeling stupid as he pulled out his wallet and opened it.
He paid then took another deep breath before turning around. Seeing how comfy the guy had made himself in front of Allison was more annoying than it should have been, and Leo knew this. Rolling his neck, he reminded himself he had no business feeling anything when it came to someone getting chummy with this girl. Never mind that Leo’s duffle bag was sitting in the chair next to the guy and his gloves were right under the guy’s nose. A clear sign that Allison wasn’t sitting alone.
He arrived at the table just as the guy reached across the table and touched the charm hanging on her necklace. Leo placed the energy drink in front of Allison and opened it for her.
“You’re in my seat,” he said, opening his own drink.
The guy’s head jerked up, took one look at Leo, and was on his feet immediately. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize—”
“No, that’s okay,” Allison said too quickly. “I’m just doing a quick interview before my workout.”
The guy nodded, offering a friendly smile to Leo. The most Leo could do was refrain from glaring, but a smile wasn’t happening. It’d been one thing for the guy to take his seat and chat away with her. But it was a whole fucking other thing to be putting his hands anywhere near someone who may or may not be his girl. Instead of smiling back, Leo was barely able to muster a nod before taking his seat across from Allison.
“I’ll see you in a few,” Allison said.
The guy didn’t smile quite as big as he had earlier. Glancing at Leo one last time then at Allison again, he nodded, smiling nervously now with a weak wave. “Yeah, I’ll see you later.”
“He’s my trainer,” Allison explained, glancing down at her energy drink, “for my CrossFit training.” She glanced back up at Leo curiously. “They didn’t have Red Bull?”
Leo shook his head. “They’re out, but she said it’s pretty much the same thing.”
Allison studied the can a little more before looking up at him again. “Energy drinks tend to make me jittery, and Red Bull is the only one I’ve ever had, but I guess if it’s the same thing . . .”
She shrugged, taking a sip of it. Leo took a sip of his own, glancing away to avoid being witness to any possible lip licking.
“The first day really kicked my butt,” she said as Leo turned back and was instantly drawn back into those eyes. “Nestor worked me out so hard I was aching for days. But as much as I hate it during, I love how I feel after.”
Again, Leo stared at her without comment, just as he had when she explained about her determination to impress her editor. “I haven’t decided if I’ll be doing this long term,” he said.
Allison’s brows pinched in confusion fr
om his comment, and it nearly had Leo smiling again. “It was one of the questions you texted me. I only have a half hour now, so I thought I’d move it along.”
“Oh.” She sat up straighter, taking another sip of her drink, then cleared her throat again. “Yeah, sorry.”
“I don’t have much family either,” he said, remembering one of her other questions. “So, there’s no one really to approve or disapprove of my being a boxer.”
“No wife or kids,” she asked then cleared her throat—again—before glancing down at her notebook to write something down and added, “No girlfriend?”
“No wife. No kids. No fucking way.”
The last comment had her looking up. Her expression was a strange one. The brow lifted, but to his surprise, there was a twinkle in her eyes. “Are you aware you do that?”
“Do what?” he asked, confused.
“I noticed it the first time I interviewed you, and you’ve been doing it today again. It’s like a subconscious habit.” Her eyes brightened, and that alone had his heart rate accelerating. “You start to smile but then almost instantly. . .” She snapped her fingers. “It morphs into an almost angry glare.”
He shook his head, scrambling to decide whether he should smile or glare. She’d just called him on it. Clearly, just as he had with her, she’d been paying close attention to all his expressions, even the ones he kept letting slip. “Hadn’t noticed,” he said, settling on a deadpan expression.
With a tilt of her head, she smiled again, making it impossible to hide the twitch at the corner of his own lips. Especially now that he knew she was watching so closely.
“Is it a jail thing?” Her expressive eyes went even wider. “I’ve heard you’re not supposed to look people directly in the eyes and keep your emotions to yourself?”
Never in his life had he avoided looking someone straight in the eyes out of fear. At least not until very recently. Only he knew that wasn’t the kind of fear she was talking about. Before he could retort, she added something else that had him reeling.