Alyson held up her hand. “It’s fine. I’m the one who brought you here, remember?” Handing him five dollars, she and Victoria stood aside while they waited for Miles to return.
“I really appreciate what you’re doing for us,” Victoria said for the hundredth time since they came to stay with her. “But I don’t want you to feel like you have to spend money on us.”
“I don’t feel that way. I wanted to bring you guys here. It wouldn’t be fun if I came alone anyway,” Alyson reasoned. And it wouldn’t. Who went to a fair alone?
“Stop trying to make it sound like we’re doing you a favor,” Victoria complained. “We moved into your house. We’re the ones costing you money and taking away your privacy.” Alyson tried to wave her off, but Victoria wasn’t hearing it. “When I find a job, I’m going to start paying you back.”
Appalled, Alyson gave her a look that clearly asked if the woman was out of her mind. “You will do no such thing. I wanted to help, and I am. I don’t want repayment.”
“But it’s got to be costing you a fortune. How can I stand back and let you pay for two people that are basically strangers?”
Taking her by the shoulders, Alyson turned her so she could look her in the eyes as she spoke. “Victoria, if you want to pay me back, then do it by getting your life together and by getting you and Miles someplace safe.”
Victoria’s eyes misted over and she grabbed Alyson up into a strong hug. “I’m so thankful to have you.”
Closing her eyes, Alyson savored the moment, feeling great and confident in her decision to help them.
“Is this one of those kumbaya moments? Because I can come back.”
Alyson and Victoria shook with laughter as they drew back. Miles stood there with a handful of cotton candy in his hand. “Ready?” Alyson asked, feeling the lightness that accompanied being happy, but that feeling evaporated as she caught the look of alarm on Victoria’s face.
“Oh, my God. Miles, we need to go, now!” Grabbing his shirtsleeve, she began tugging at him. With his eyes wide, Miles went without question, leaving Alyson struggling to keep up.
Rushing behind them, she cast a look around. Searching for what could have spooked them, all she could see was face after face, none of which she recognized. “What’s going on?”
“My husband, he’s here,” Victoria said breathlessly. “How did he find us?”
He was here? Stopping in her tracks, Alyson looked behind them, determined to confront the monster that had hurt them, but she saw nothing. No one was pursuing them. Turning, she was prepared to tell them this, only to find them swallowed up by the crowd.
Darting her gaze, she began wending her way through the milling bodies as she headed in the direction of home, assuming that was where they would go. Feeling her phone buzz in her pocket, she pulled it out to answer it.
“Hello? Hello?” she shouted. She didn’t hear anything, but it was almost impossible to hear anything over all the noise going on around her. More concerned with catching up with Victoria and Miles, she quickly gave up. She was so preoccupied with her mission, that she wasn’t focused on her surroundings as much as she should be, so she never saw the brick wall coming.
Stumbling back, Alyson looked up into a gorgeous set of warm brownish green eyes. “Sorry about that. I didn’t see you,” he apologized in a voice that was even deeper and rougher than Jami’s.
Alyson looked him over, her eyes snagging on all the good points. He was thick everywhere with broad shoulders, flat stomach, and long legs all fit into a basic pair of light wash blue jeans and a white V-neck cotton t-shirt. As good as his body looked, it was his face that really caught her attention. He had the rugged woodsman look down. Big, expressive hazel eyes surrounded by a row of thick, dark lashes were offset by high cheekbones and a wise jaw covered in a well-grown and maintained beard. The connecting mustache drew her eyes to thick, kissable lips that reminded her that she hadn’t been kissed in almost a week, and she smiled at the man, spiting Jami as she did.
If he could drop her without blinking an eye, then so could she.
“It’s okay,” she said, smiling up at him. “I wasn’t really looking where I was going.”
“Ah, a rebel.” He smiled, and Alyson couldn’t help smiling back.
Dropping her gaze, she felt the heat begin to creep up her chest. “Not exactly. I was looking for my friends.”
Turning his head, he looked around as though he might find them for her. “Would you like help finding them?”
With his height, she didn’t doubt that he could, but she had a feeling that they were probably already back at the apartment and since she hadn’t given them a key, she knew they would be waiting for her. “No, that’s okay. I think I know where they went, but thanks anyway.”
“Well, at least let me walk with you. It’s not safe for beautiful young women to walk around alone at night.”
Biting her lip, Alyson pondered what to do. She knew he was right, but she didn’t know him. Letting him see where she lived wasn’t an option, but she didn’t want to be rude either. He seemed nice. “Oh, no, that’s okay. I don’t live far.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure,” she said, flipping her hand in the air. “Thank you for offering, though.”
“No problem.” He gave her a strange look, as if he wanted to say more, but he didn’t, and Alyson really needed to go.
Waving goodbye, Alyson turned to leave. As she walked away, she couldn’t shake the feeling of someone watching her, and when she glanced over her shoulder, her eyes locked with the man. He stood there, the crowd folding around him like waves breaking against rock, as he watched her leave.
Feeling a little unnerved, Alyson rushed home to find Victoria and Miles waiting outside the apartment door for her. “Where did you guys go?” she asked, perturbed, even though she was relieved to find them safe.
“I’m sorry we took off like that. I saw Tony and I couldn’t risk him seeing us.” Victoria gave her a look, pleading for her understanding.
It was good for her that Alyson was who she was. “I understand,” she assured her. “But next time, hold my hand or something. These short legs are not conducive to a successful last minute escape plan.”
“Deal,” Victoria laughed as Alyson opened the door to let them inside.
NINETEEN
The man with the bald head and stern, assessing eyes was watching his every move closely. Jami looked away, listening to his iPod to try and get into the right mindset while he held out his hand for Don to wrap it.
He had thrown himself into his training this last week, determined to be ready for the fight that would happen in less than an hour. He hadn’t meant to get so distracted, but when he got focused, there wasn’t much that could shake him.
He hadn’t spoken to Alyson since the weekend. She probably thought that he had forgotten about her, but that was impossible. You can’t forget part of yourself. What he should have told her about him before was that when he got into the zone, he needed someone to help break him out of it. Instead, she had backed off.
The distance between them was driving him nuts. No matter how much focus he had, it had begun to take a toll on him in the gym. He wasn’t getting enough sleep, and Don was kicking his ass in the gym eight hours a day. By Friday, Don was sick of seeing him drag ass and fuck up in the ring. Mike pinned him so many times it was difficult to stand up, and Don had had enough.
“Get the fuck out of my gym, go find your girl, and get your shit straight, or don’t bother showing up tomorrow. I won’t have you embarrassing yourself or me in that ring, got it?”
The scolding had left him torn between kicking Coach’s old ass and thanking him. Even though he didn’t want to be the one to have to make contact first, he also couldn’t stay away any longer. It was eating at him knowing that he had likely hurt Alyson, and he was man enough to admit when he was in the wrong.
It wasn’t her fault that he had a short fuse, or that she was born dr
op dead gorgeous and every man with a pulse looked at her as if he wanted to devour her. That was something he couldn’t hold against her. He could be mad at her for staying away, though. Why hadn’t she come after him? Instead, she just walked away.
In his defense, he knew that she was stubborn, but he hadn’t realized how stubborn until now. She had stayed away by her own choosing without even getting an explanation from him first. She was proving to be just as stubborn, if not more so, than him, because he was the one who finally broke and texted her last night.
Are you mad at me?
Why would I be mad? It’s not like you dropped me off and never spoke to me again.
I’m speaking to you now.
I can finally rest easy.
I wasn’t trying to ignore you. I’ve been training.
Good for you.
Don’t be a brat. I’m sorry. Forgive me.
No. And don’t call me a brat. Jerk.
Forgive me. :(
No.
Please? :( :(
No.
Ok. Then come to the fight tomorrow night.
Sorry, you know I hate violence.
Come. For me. Livy will be there.
……..
Is that a yes?
IDK. Maybe.
I want you there. Say yes.
I’ll think about it.
I’ll take that as a yes.
I don’t like you right now.
I really like you right now.
……..
:)
Sitting on the hard wooden bench, Jami could hardly keep his eyes off the door. The venue tonight was more packed than he had ever seen it, and the rumor mill was buzzing about his new position among the heavyweights. Would he be able to win? Was he big enough? Questions he had asked himself more times than he could count, but he wasn’t dwelling on them. Instead, he was preoccupied with one question above all others: Would Alyson show up?
“She’ll be here, man,” Spence reassured him, forcing him to break away from his thoughts.
Beside him, Ally’s friend, Liv, picked her head up from Spence’s shoulder and looked at him. “I texted her when we left tonight, and she said she was getting ready. She’s bringing Miles.”
Jami couldn’t deny the relief he felt to hear that she would be here. He had never had anyone other than Spence, Coach, and the rest of their crew there for him, watching him fight. Having Ally there now…it felt necessary. He wanted her to see him, to see what he could do, how good he was. He wanted to be able to look out into the crowd and see her face when he won.
He just hoped she got here soon, because he was itching to see her. He needed to touch her, just once, before he entered the ring.
“I heard you had a run-in with the Fist after I left last weekend,” Spencer said, distracting him.
“Yeah, where’d you hear that?” Don finished taping his hands and helping him into his gloves, and Jami stood. He pounded his fists together, and then held them out for the judge to give them a cursory inspection.
“Good luck tonight,” he told him, then walked out.
Drawing his arm across his chest, Jami stretched his triceps.
“I overheard one of this men talking about it earlier. They said you almost shit a brick because you caught Ally checking him out.”
Jami’s eyes snapped up. “That never fucking happened.”
“I know.” Spencer held his palms up. “You don’t have to tell me that. You’d have to be a moron not to recognize that the girl only has eyes for you.”
Jami frowned, not sure that he liked anything that was coming from his friend’s mouth at the moment. “We’re—”
“Yeah, right, just friends,” Spencer said, giving him a droll look. “I forgot. Anyway, I heard that after the Fist takes you out, he plans on taking her out, if you know what I mean.” His brows wiggled suggestively, and Jami saw red.
If that asshole even so much as looked at her, he would break his face. Actually, he was going to break his face anyway, but now he was going to take pleasure doing it. He was going to make an art project out of the guy.
“Don’t let it get to you,” Don said from behind him. “They’re just words. They’re trying to get you riled up so you mess up. Don’t let them get inside your head.”
Hopping on the balls of his feet, Jami tried to shake off some of the tension in his shoulders. “I’m not. Besides, Alyson is coming to see me fight, not him.”
“Actually,” Liv said hesitantly, her voice high and squeaky. “Alyson told me she wasn’t sure how long she was going to stay. She doesn’t really like fighting.”
He didn’t need her to tell him that. He knew that she didn’t like fighting, never had, never would, but he thought that her coming here meant that she had accepted what he did and was going to support him.
“Hey.”
Looking up, Jami forgot that he was angry the moment he laid eyes on Alyson’s sweet face peeking through the doorway. “Hey,” he grunted, barely able to get the single word past his constricted throat.
Pushing the door open, she stepped inside and stole his breath away. “The parking lot is crazy,” she said with a nervous laugh. “I wasn’t sure if we would make it in time. I hope you don’t mind, but I brought Miles. He wanted to see you in action.”
She was wearing a sleeveless red dress that exposed the tops of her breasts. A black belt accentuated her slim figure and narrow waist. Below that, the material floated out from her hips and ended mid-thigh, giving a perfect view of her silky, tanned, and toned legs. The black high heels with the peep toes she wore made his pants grow tighter as she entered the room and they clicked against the cement.
“Dude, I know you said you were a fighter, but you really look like a fighter now!”
Jami blinked, seeing Miles for the first time. “Hey, man.” He looked down at himself. He was wearing his standard white board shorts with a pair of black spandex underneath, and his regulation shirt. “Yep, I guess I do. So, I hear you want to see your first fight?”
Miles’ face split into an open smile. “Hell yes! I mean, heck yes,” he corrected himself, glancing apologetically at Ally. “This is so cool. I bet you aren’t even scared, are you?”
“Nope, I’ve been kicking…butt for a long time.” Ally hid her smile at his careful choice of words. He winked and she looked away, creating a small pit in his gut.
“Wow, awesome.”
“You said it.” After directing Miles to sit with Spencer and Liv and instructing him to stay with them at all times so he would know when to come out and where to sit so he could watch the fight, Jami turned his attention on Alyson, who had remained on the peripherals of the conversation long enough.
“You look incredible,” he told her. Taking one of her hands in both of his he drew her closer, silently begging her not to pull away. She didn’t. His focus dropped to her full bottom lip as her tongue slipped out to swipe across it, and then her teeth bit down and it slowly slipped free. Plump and shining, Jami wanted to kiss her badly, but he held back.
“Thanks. You, uh, look good.” Her cheeks flushed pink, making Jami smile. “When are you up?”
“Fifteen minutes,” Don told them, checking his watch. “Make ‘em count.”
“I’m glad you made it. I wasn’t sure if you would,” Jami confessed.
Her expression pinched. “I almost didn’t, but Miles wanted to come…Anyway, I’m here so it doesn’t matter.”
Bringing a hand up, Jami ran his fingertips over her peach-colored cheek. Her skin was so smooth, so soft and supple, enticing his every sense. “It matters to me,” he told her roughly as his hand slipped behind her head, and he threaded his fingers through her long hair. “I want to see you out there in the front row. I want you to watch me.”
Ally huffed teasingly and rolled her eyes. “You just want to hear me shouting your name along with all the other women.”
“That, too.” Jami grinned as he lowered his head and pressed his forehead to hers.
“I meant what I said. I’m sorry I didn’t call. I got busy, but believe me when I tell you that you were never far from my thoughts.”
“I can vouch for that,” Spencer spoke up eagerly. “This guy was a total mess this week. Coach finally got sick of his ass and booted him from the ring yesterday. Isn’t that right, Coach?”
From the back of the room where he stood sorting the items in his tool box, Don saluted them.
“See, what did I tell ya?”
Blocking them all out, Jami pulled Alyson to the side, so they could have a moment of privacy. “So, are you going to watch me?”
Pulling her head back, she looked up at him with indecision in her eyes. “Jami…I don’t know. I don’t know if I can do that again.”
Incensed, Jami worked to reign in his control. “You told me you would always bet on me.”
“And I am,” she protested as lines formed across her forehead. “Just because I don’t watch it, it doesn’t mean I’m not here for you.”
The thunderous sound of the fans outside shook the walls, as the announcer took to the ring for the next round. “You’re up, Son.” Don clapped him on the shoulder as he walked past and opened the door to let the noise pour in. Silently, Jami’s burly guard friends moved into place, waiting for him.
Troupes of people filtered down the hallway past the room, some peeking in as they walked by, whispering excitedly as they caught a glimpse of him standing there. “I don’t want to fight with you right now,” Jami told her, watching her intently.
“I’m not trying to fight with you.”
“Time to go,” Don said, growing impatient.
“I need to see you out there,” Jami told her, gripping her hair tight in his fist. “Please.” He didn’t wait for her answer. Dipping his head, he took her mouth with his, kissing her hard and fast, slipping his tongue past her lips to taste her. Releasing her, he spun around and walked to the door. “Make sure she finds her seat,” he barked to Spencer, as he plowed through the door and didn’t look back.
***
Alyson was floored. Jami had just kissed the life out of her and then walked out the door. She didn’t know what to say or how to react. He wanted her to sit out in the arena and watch up close as he punched someone in the face.