Knockout

  He seemed to hold a lot of weight at Knockout.

  It’s what kept her coming back. At first, she had been uncomfortable, but then she reminded herself that Jami was there to watch over her. Of course, she also had Miles and Victoria to lean on, but they weren’t always going to be there to provide a buffer.

  Thankfully, once the men connected her and Jami to one another, they backed off on all the leering and started acting like civilized human beings. She still caught them watching her sometimes, but she no longer felt like she had a spotlight shining on her everywhere she went.

  Now Jami on the other hand…

  Alyson soaped up her chest, her thoughts straying to the man that had captured her heart so very long ago. Right now, at that very moment, he was performing the same ritual as she was. He was standing under streams of hot water, his skin beading with moisture, soap bubbles cascading down all that hard muscle. He was naked. And wet. And only a few feet away.

  A shiver ran through her.

  If they weren’t in a public place with other people around, she would have made her move by now.

  Even without words, something in Jami called to her. She just wished she knew what that something was.

  Maybe it was how protective he was of her. Or the way he got all possessive if he thought some other guy had shown interest in her. Maybe it was the way he looked at her, held her, and touched her that kept her hooked like a fish on his line, but whatever it was, she was addicted. There wasn’t a thing she could do about her feelings for him. She couldn’t stop them from building. They were there, growing each day, and she wasn’t sure how much longer she could go without telling him how she felt.

  Yes, he knew she liked him, knew she cared, but he didn’t know how much. If he found out that she had fallen for him, how would he react? She reminded herself yet again that Jami wasn’t looking to settle down, but there was a part of her, however small, that no longer gave a damn.

  Was she willing to risk their friendship, everything they had built, to relieve the pressure building inside over three little words? Maybe. But not today.

  Cutting the water off, Alyson toweled off and got dressed quickly. She needed to escape the quiet, escape her thoughts. Her father had been right when he said that idle hands were the devil’s playground. If she stayed alone with her thoughts much longer, she was liable to do something stupid.

  Just like before, when Alyson exited the women’s locker room, she found Jami standing outside, waiting for her. Freshly showered with his damp hair raked back off his forehead, the air around him smelled of soap and potent masculinity. His arms hung limp at his sides, the tips of his fingers tucked in his front jeans pockets. Leaning against the cream painted cinder block, he balanced on one foot, the other propped against the wall. His head reclined back, highlighting the thick cords of muscle in his neck, and his dark eyes, slightly hooded, watched her with an intensity that made her shiver.

  Without a word, Jami pushed off the wall. Taking her hand in his, he led her past the front desk. A slight tilt of his head and a couple of raised fingers served as his goodnight to Don, his sparring partner, and the couple of other guys he worked with, and then they were out the door and heading for the parking lot located alongside the building.

  After helping her into her seat, Jami slid in behind the wheel. He held her hand in his lap all the way back to the apartment, occasionally casting dark looks her way. She wasn’t sure how to describe them, except to say that something in his eyes, the harsh lines of his cheekbones and jaw, felt almost…primal. No matter how hard she tried to deny it, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he could see right through to her thoughts. To her deepest, darkest, most closely guarded secrets.

  And that he felt the same way.

  Hope and desire bloomed larger than ever, and by the time they reached the front door, they were both ready to implode.

  TWENTY-SIX

  Thankfully, Victoria and Miles had already gone to bed by the time Ally and Jami arrived back at the apartment, which was a blessing, because he was craving a taste of Ally for far too long to wait. He closed the door with more control than he felt, and in one quick move, swept her off her feet.

  “Jami,” she protested weakly, “what are you doing? Put me down!”

  The harsh whisper and the smile on her face only quickened his pace. Moving silently past the closed bedroom door belonging to mother and child, Jami closed them in Alyson’s room and tossed her on the bed. “You’ve been driving me crazy all night.” Tugging his shirt from his waistband, Jami dragged the material over his head and cast it aside.

  Alyson’s wet, pink tongue poked out to run across her lips as she took him in. His dick kicked against the zipper at the hungry look in her eyes. Women stared at him all the time, but the way Alyson watched him, studying every inch of his body in reverence, sent goose bumps skittering across his skin.

  He hadn’t experienced that reaction with another woman before. He was intent on seducing Alyson, but somehow she had turned the tables and was seducing him. And hadn’t that been her plan all along?

  The most endearing thing about that was that she didn’t even seem to realize what she was doing. It just came naturally to her.

  Climbing onto the bed, Jami crawled over her, forcing her to recline back against the pillows. She swallowed tightly, almost as if she were afraid of what would come next. Jami loved that about her. She was beautiful and smart and confident, but when it came to him, she lost some of that nerve. Every time he caught that wide-eyed look, he wanted to scoop her up and ravish her.

  Lifting her shirt, Jami exposed her soft lower belly and bent to kiss it. He circled his tongue around her half-moon shaped belly button, then worked his way up her torso until he had her shirt bunched just below her chin.

  “Let’s take this off. I want to see all of you,” he told her.

  Helping her out of her shirt, he quickly dispensed the rest of her clothes onto the floor, leaving her in her delicate pink silk bra and matching underwear. He wanted to feel all of her against him, skin to skin, in the worst way.

  Once he settled against her, Jami took a moment to look at her. “Your eyes have blue in them,” he said, studying them. At first glance, one might think they were a standard green, but up close, they came alive with thin strands of darker green starting at the outer edges stemming from a ring of midnight blue, and working their way to a pale green toward the middle. They were the least ordinary eyes he had ever peered into.

  Alyson smiled shyly. Her fingertips stroked lightly down his sides, raising another flurry of goose bumps in their wake. “They’re just green, nothing more. I get them from my mom.” Her expression turned sad, and Jami could almost see the instant she began to retreat into herself.

  Sliding his fingers through her hair, he cradled her head in his hands and tilted it back until she met his eyes. “I love your eyes. Did you know they’re the windows to your soul?” She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and shook her head. “They are, and I’ve never seen a more beautiful soul than yours.”

  “Jami…” Alyson sighed deeply. “You shouldn’t say things like that.” She looked away, pulling a puzzled frown from him.

  “Why not? It’s the truth.”

  She gave him a pained look. Feeling the weight of her unspoken words grip his chest, Jami froze. “Because when you say those things, it makes me love you more.”

  Jami laughed. “And that’s a bad thing?” He took her lips with a brief kiss. “I love you, too.”

  She still didn’t look appeased, and that only made him worry more. “But not the same way I do.” Flattening her palms against his chest, she tried to push him off her, but Jami held steady. They were going to talk about this. He wasn’t going to let her run away.

  What she said and how she said it began to click together, like pieces of a puzzle, and Jami felt time slow as the bead of knowledge settled in his brain. His heart pounding against his ribcage, Jami asked, “Are you saying that you
love me love me?” His thoughts were beginning to spin. Half of his mind was shouting in protest. He wasn’t ready for a serious relationship, wasn’t ready to care about someone else, wasn’t ready to be tied down, wasn’t ready to love. And the other half…was curiously blank.

  Alyson turned her head away, squeezed her eyes shut, then before he could blink, she whipped her head back and pinned him with the determined gleam in her eyes. This close, there was no escape. Brave girl. “Yes, Jami, I love you love you.”

  She struggled to sit up, and this time Jami let her. Lifting away, he sat back on his haunches and stared at her as she scrambled back against the headboard. “I told you I wasn’t looking for anything permanent. I thought you were okay with that.”

  With her arms crossed over her chest, she glared at him, but he could see that she was hurt more than she was angry, and it made his stomach twist. What the hell? Why couldn’t he seem to maintain boundaries with this woman?

  “I thought I could, too, but feelings like this don’t just disappear.”

  His eyebrows pulled together. “You mean you had these feelings before we hooked up?”

  She gave him a duh stare. “I’ve been in love with you since we were kids. Since the first time you kissed me. I thought it went away, just like you did, but I guess I was wrong. So shoot me.”

  All Jami could do was blink. He hadn’t realized. And now…Now it was as if a whole new world had been opened to him. The past rewritten. She’d been in love with him? All this time? How could he not know? “I…don’t know what to say,” he admitted. What could he say? Not I love you, too, because even though he did, it wasn’t the same. Was it? How would he know? No one had ever given him love before. No one had ever taught him how to give it, either. He had nothing to refer to. Alyson had been his only constant when they were kids, but then he left, got a life, moved on. It wasn’t until he ran into her again that he realized he had been missing anything in the first place. Yes, she made him feel good. Yes, she gave him a sense of purpose. Yes, she was his best friend, his confidant, and now his lover, but was he in love with her? He couldn’t answer that. Not with his head swimming like it was.

  His continued silence must have spoken for him because Alyson looked more pissed off than ever. “Don’t worry about it. You don’t have to say anything. I didn’t tell you that because I expected you to say it back. I just thought you should know, and I understand if this changes things. If you want to leave, I won’t stop you.”

  Leave? Who said anything about leaving? Leaning forward, Jami grasped her ankle and dragged her forward. Her eyes shot open wide as she lost her center of balance and her arms splayed out to catch herself. When she was all laid out, he stretched out over her again. “You think you can scare me off with a couple of words?” He shook his head. “Not likely, babe. I may not be ready to return them, but I do know I’m not ready to go anywhere.” The confusion registering on her face was so cute, he kissed her. Long, sweet, and slow, until he felt her muscles begin to relax and her hands lifted to sift her fingers through his hair. Drawing away, Jami held her gaze, softer now that he’d banked some of that fire. “Don’t ever be afraid to tell me anything.”

  “But you said—”

  “I know what I said, and I meant it. I’m not ready to get serious, with anyone, but that doesn’t mean I won’t change my mind later. I’m just saying not right now.” Taking a deep breath, he stroked his knuckles over the soft slope of her jawline. “Besides, I’m not done with you yet.” And he didn’t know if he would ever be done with her. He wasn’t kidding when he said he might change his mind down the road. It was a foggy path with no clear destination, which meant anything was possible. All he knew right now was that he had plans for Alyson.

  “I want to be clear,” he continued. “Even though I’m not ready to commit to anyone, I’m not a player. I never have more than one woman at a time, and I don’t cheat. As long as you’re with me, I’m with you. That’s about as big a commitment as I can give you right now.”

  “I think I can live with that.” Grinning, Alyson gripped his shoulders and welcomed him into her warm embrace with a soft, succulent kiss that turned his insides out. With the glide of her tongue against his, she undid all of his ties, all of his worries, his confusion, and his excuses. If he wasn’t careful, he would end up asking her to be his girl, making a complete liar out of him.

  Before he could do anything stupid, Jami threw himself into the kiss. His hands coasted over her soft curves, feeling the fine tremors of pleasure rolling through her limbs. Slipping his hand between their bodies, he caressed her through the outside of her panties, feeling how wet she already was for him, the heat pouring from her body. All for him.

  His kiss grew stronger, more demanding as she grew bolder. Her fingers found the button on his pants and tore it open. With a sharp tug, the zipper slid down. Grasping the denim, Ally peeled back the waistband and began shoving his pants down his thighs. When she could no longer reach, her feet took over and worked them the rest of the way down.

  Jami kicked one leg free and could barely restrain the small chuckle. “I have to say, I’m enjoying your enthusiasm,” he said, tilting his head as she suckled his throat. His hips thrust forward as a zing of pleasure raced through his veins. Ally moaned and the sound set him off again.

  She was like a live wire in his arms. So responsive, even to the smallest sensation.

  “Do you want me?” he asked as his fingers found the clasp on her bra. The clips opened with a flick and he tore it away, freeing her breasts to his greedy eyes. She had the best breasts. Round, firm, and small enough to fit in his hands.

  “I want you. I want you so much.” She gasped as he took one breast between his lips and sucked. Her fingers dove into his hair, holding him to her, and Jami shuddered from the sensation. He’d been in a woman’s embrace too many times to count, but not like this. None of them ever made him feel cared for or wanted as much as Alyson did.

  Reaching back, he shoved the jeans still bunched at his ankle over his foot. Once freed, he plucked a condom from the back pocket, and then tossed the pants onto the floor. With a devilish grin, Jami tore the foil with his teeth and gave Alyson a wink.

  Braced on one forearm, he worked her underwear down until she was completely bare to him. Slipping his arm under her back, he lifted her, crushing her to his chest. His mouth devoured her lips as he positioned himself between her thighs. Her nails dug into his back in anticipation, and as he breached her entrance, her inner walls clutching him, enveloping him in its hot, moist heat, she released a long, low moan.

  Ally called out, preaching God’s name as he moved inside of her. It brought a smile to his face and inexplicable pleasure to the rest of him that he could draw that kind of reaction from her. Sweat began to form on their skin, making their bodies slippery. His front glided across hers, creating a whole new sensation as her nipples abraded his chest, and her silken thighs slid over his hips.

  He felt her reaching her climax, her fingers and heels digging into the muscles in his back, and he pushed harder, picking up the tempo until he pounded into her. The sound of their flesh slapping together pushed him higher, too, and Jami buried his head in the side of her neck to muffle his moans as he came. It took a few more pumps for Ally to finally plunge over the edge, but when she did, Jami was there, covering her mouth with his, absorbing her shouts of ecstasy into his lungs. His thrusts slowed to a steady, rhythmic pace, and Jami moaned with every pulsating hug of Ally’s body around his.

  When he finally managed to lift his head, he found himself looking into Ally’s heavy-lidded eyes. Picking at a couple strands of hair matted to her cheeks, he brushed his hands over her cheeks and cupped her face. “Tell me again,” he requested with his voice barely above a whisper. He just wanted to hear it, to see it in her eyes when she said it. No one had ever done that.

  “I love you.”

  His chest tightened, his lungs constricted. She hadn’t hesitated. Just said it, as if i
t was a knee-jerk reaction. And her eyes reflected the truth of her statement. She loved him. He could see it, feel it, hear it. People said it all the time. They loved him because he fought well, won matches. Won them bets. Gave good sex. But no one, not in his entire life, had ever told him they loved him because they meant it. They simply loved the idea of him.

  Ally believed her words. Made him want to believe them, too.

  The feeling knotting in his stomach was one that couldn’t be described. It felt like the bottom of his world was dropping out from under him, but he felt more grounded than ever.

  Jami traced his finger over her lips. Pretty, pouty, decidedly kissable lips. The words were on the tip of his tongue. I love you. Just say it. What’s the big deal? They’re just words. Say it.

  But he couldn’t.

  “My next fight is this weekend. It’s the qualifying match. Will you come?”

  A sly smile tipped her lips. “I thought I already did.” He nipped her chin and she laughed. Slowly, as her smile abated, her cheeks flushed with color. She must have realized what she’d said. Again, he couldn’t get over how adorable she was when she got embarrassed. He just couldn’t figure out why she did. They’d known each other for so long. He would have thought she’d be comfortable around him by now. “You know I’ll be.”

  Too easy. She hadn’t even tried to get out of it. His eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You’re not even going to plead your case?”

  Touching his face, she sank her teeth into her bottom lip. When she released it, it shined. Unable to resist the allure, Jami dipped his head and sucked her lip into his mouth, releasing it with a pop. “I promised I would be there, so I’ll be there. But you might want to get that bucket ready.” She smiled ruefully.