She nods and takes a shaky breath. “Yeah, you’re
right. Sorry.” She manages a sad smile. “You want to try any of
this on? Might as well since we’re in here.”
I study the pile of lace and satin at my feet. Maybe
one of those will be the pair to finally break Jonah’s iron
restraint. “I’ll just get them all.”
~*~
Jonah
I’m pulling swordfish out of the fridge to throw on
the grill for dinner. Raven says she can’t eat anything that isn’t
microwavable at her place. Since she’s been staying with me, I cook
almost every night. With my strict training diet, eating out is
next to impossible.
Raven’s recent text said she was on her way, and I
want to get dinner going so she can eat when she gets here. I shake
my head, contemplating what in the hell has gotten into me. I told
myself I’d had enough of taking care of people when I moved out of
my mom’s house. Nothing will shove you into a lifestyle of partying
and irresponsibility like becoming a man at twelve. When I moved
out at eighteen and came to Vegas, I was like a big kid in an adult
candy store.
The sound of my phone bumps me from my thoughts. I
check the caller ID.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Hey, Joey, how are you?”
Rolling my eyes at her nickname for me, I wonder why
she didn’t just name me Joey. “I’m really good. How about you?”
“I’m great. Just got back from spending time with
Beth and the boys. They’re getting so big.”
I rub my forehead, reminding myself to call my
little sister Beth. She lives in Phoenix with her husband Rick and
twin boys. Things have been so hectic I haven’t stayed in
touch.
“Yeah, I need to make a trip out for a visit. I’ll
do that after the fight.”
“Oh, that would be great. She’d love to see you.
What have you been up to lately?”
“Just training, getting ready for the fight. I’ve
been working on the Impala I bought last year. I found a great
mechanic who’s been coming over every day helping me take it apart,
clean it up.”
I feel guilty keeping Raven a secret from my mom.
She’s not some dirty indulgence or a passing good time. Even though
I’ve never talked to my mom about the recreational girls in my
past, with Raven, things are different.
“Mom, I want to tell you I met someone. It’s the
mechanic who’s helping me with my car. Things are getting serious
between us, and I thought you should know.”
Silence.
“Mom?”
I check to make sure our call didn’t get dropped.
Nope, still connected.
“Mom, you still there?”
She clears her throat. “Yes, Joey, I’m here.”
Why is she acting so weird? I know I’ve never had a
serious girlfriend before, but I thought she would be off the wall
about my finally settling down.
“What’s wrong? I thought you’d be excited about my
being in a serious relationship.”
“Oh, honey, I’m very happy for you. It’s just . . .
I guess I thought . . . Well, it’s just a shock, that’s all. I
always thought you liked girls.”
My eyes bug out of my head and I choke. I cough to
clear my voice. “What? Of course, I like girls. Wait, Mom, Raven
is
a girl! Shit, you thought I was telling you I was dating
a guy? Fuck me.”
“First of all, Joey, you watch your mouth. Second,
what was I supposed to think? You told me you were dating your
mechanic!”
I laugh so hard that it brings tears to my eyes.
“No. Raven is very much female.” My laughter calms.
“You’ll meet her when you come out for the fight. She’s been
staying with me, so I guess that will give you guys a chance to get
to know each other.”
“Oh, honey, that would be wonderful. I can’t
wait.”
“Shit, Ma! You thought I was gay! Fuckin’ hell.”
“Jonah Ryan Slade, you watch that mouth!”
After giving her the details I’ve arranged for her
flight, I finish up with my mom and go back to preparing dinner.
While pulling out some vegetables to grill, I hear the front door
open.
“Baby! I’m in here,” I yell from the kitchen.
The soft beat of her Converse against the tile floor
has me smiling. Her chest presses into my back as her arms wrap
around my waist.
“Hey,” she says softly into my back, and bringing on
an even bigger smile.
I turn around and wrap my arms around her, placing a
wet kiss against my spot over the tattoo on her neck. The pear
scent of her hair, combined with the sweet taste of her skin, is a
heady mixture. I trail kisses along her jaw then pull at her lips
with mine. After a little coaxing, she tilts her head, always
eager, but making me work for it. Perfect. My tongue explores,
gliding against the roof of her mouth and her teeth. Sucking on her
lips, I slowly pull back. We lock eyes, panting and hungry, giving
our blood a chance to cool.
She looks past my arm at the fish. “Mmm, is that
swordfish?” Her voice carries a different kind of hunger.
“Yeah, you ready to eat?”
“Mm-hmm.”
I grab an iced tea for her, and we head out to light
the grill. We settle ourselves at the bar. It’s getting warmer, but
the outdoor misting system and ceiling fans make the temperature
perfect for eating outside.
“How was shopping?” I grab myself a Muscle Milk from
the outdoor cooler.
“Good. How was your day?”
I pop the top off my drink, take a swing, and lean a
hip on the bar. “Infinitely better if those bags I heard you drop
at the door are pink.”
“How did you know?” She sips her tea that I’ve
sweetened and added lemon to, just like she likes it. “Mmm.” She
takes another sip.
“Babe, if you keep this up, you’re going to have to
take on a sponsor. And I’d like to be the first to volunteer.”
“I only buy the stuff that’s on sale.” She sets down
her drink and traces patterns into the condensation on the glass.
“I know I don’t make much now, but I will. I have a plan.”
Why am I not surprised? I take a few steps to the
barstool next to her and drop down. “What’s your plan?”
She shrugs and drops her eyes to her lap. Her
delicate hands knot together, something I notice she does before
she opens up about something personal, so I wait patiently.
“Guy said when he retires he’s handing ownership of
the shop to me. He has no children of his own, and he knows I love
the garage.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow.” I lean back and prop my feet on the bar.
She fixes me with a glare, but the shadow of a smile
plays on her lips. “Wow? Is it that hard to believe?”
“Not a lot of women dream of owning their own auto
body shop.”
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed,” her shoulders
slump and she picks at her nails, “I’m not like most women.”
“No, baby, you certainly are not.”
She peers up at me from beneath her eyelashes. “It
would be nice to own a business, make my own hours. If I’m ever
lucky enough to get married and have kids, it’ll make things
easier.” Her cheeks turn pink and she hides behind her tea.
My mind conjures up images of Raven, her belly
swollen with a baby. And like the flicker of an old home movie,
pictures flash of her cradling a dark-haired infant. Scattered
visions of dark pigtails, training wheels, and ballet recitals
manifest behind my eyes.
“Holy shit.” I grind my fists into my eye sockets,
rubbing out the fantasy. That has never happened to me before.
Never.
“You okay?”
I shake it off, pull it together, and attempt to
hide the full-fledged freak out that’s bubbling to the surface.
“Yeah, fine. Just a-a weird headache or
s-something.”
I’m fucking stuttering!
Time for evasive maneuvers. I breathe deep, and fix
my eyes on hers. The concern in her face dissolves into an easy
smile. I smile back, making sure it’s bright enough to expose both
dimples. It’s a desperate move, but it works. She licks her full
lips, slowly rubbing them together in anticipation of what’s
coming. As I’m leaning in, happy to give her what she wants, the
muffled sound of her phone fills the air.
“Whoops, sorry.” She grabs her phone from her
pocket. Glancing down at the caller ID, her eyebrows scrunch and
mouth goes tight.
“Who is it?”
“I don’t know. I don’t recognize the number.”
“Answer it, baby.”
She nods and hits the answer button before pressing
the phone to her ear.
“Hello.” Her pleasant smile quickly fades. Her body
shoots ramrod straight, and the color drains from her face.
Jonah
What the hell?
Blood pumps in my ears, and a
mild buzz starts at the base of my neck.
“I’m fine.” She’s being polite to the mystery
caller, but her voice is completely void of its usual spunk.
Alarms fire in my head.
Her eyes snap up to mine and widen a fraction. “Meet
with you tomorrow?”
I’m up from my barstool and standing at her side.
Less than a foot away, I’m able to make out the voice coming
through her phone. I can’t hear exact words, but the low mumbles
are undoubtedly male.
Fuck.
“Um . . . I don’t know. I mean, why now?” She looks
at her lap and rubs her forehead with her free hand.
The man on the phone mumbles on, and she worries her
bottom lip. Her eyes hit mine, and a tiny spark of my Raven is
back. “Okay, see you then.”
She hangs up the phone and stares at it in her hand
as if she doesn’t know how it got there. Then she looks up at
me.
“Who was that?” My voice is calm, but not in a way
that provides comfort.
She places the phone on the bar like it’s made of
glass. “That was Dominick.”
Adrenaline rocks my body. My muscles tense. The buzz
in my head intensifies with every hammer of my heart.
“He wants to meet with me tomorrow at ten a.m.”
“No fucking way.”
She pins me with a glare. “Why not?”
How can she ask me that? I told her she needed to
stay away from that guy.
“Because I said so.” I annunciate every word slowly
to avoid roaring in her face, but she still flinches.
“I told him I’d go. I’m going.” She says it with
such conviction I can’t decide if I want to shake her or kiss
her.
“Fine. I’m going with you.” This woman is
infuriating. Why can’t she just do what I say? I pinch the bridge
of my nose and close my eyes, trying to numb the all-consuming buzz
that makes me want to rip Dominick Morretti apart.
“No, he said I have to come alone.”
My eyes shoot open before they narrow in anger.
“What! Why? Who says that unless they’re up to something?” I don’t
mean to yell, but my fight or flight reaction is kicking in and
flight is
not
in my vocabulary. “What the fuck, Raven? I
told you I don’t want you anywhere near that guy, and you promised
you’d stay away from him!”
“I know, I promised but—”
“But what? Do you have any idea what this guy’s
like? Word around town says he’s got his hands in everything, not
just prostitution. He’s been questioned for murder, drugs, weapons.
Shit, Raven, he’s only walking free because he’s got his money so
far up law enforcements ass I’m surprised they don’t shit
gold.”
“Please, stop.” She whispers to her lap.
“Stop! Stop what? Your psycho dad calls and wants to
meet with you
alone,
and you want me to sit here on my
fucking hands and do nothing? God, Raven! This guy’s a criminal.” I
pace the around the bar to burn off some aggression. The last thing
I want to do is scare her, but fuck. “If you think I’m going to let
you meet that dickhead alone, you’re crazy.”
She sniffs and wipes her eyes.
Ah, crap.
I
breathe in and out of my nose and count to ten. My heart rate slows
enough that it’s no longer throbbing in my ears as I wrangle my
wild impulses.
“Baby, I’m sorry.” I smooth her hair behind her ear.
“I didn’t mean to scare you. I just lost it for a second.”
She wipes the tears from her cheek. “You don’t
understand.”
Closing the space between us, I pull her chin up to
look in her eyes. “Explain it to me.”
“Ever since I was a kid, I’d dreamed that one day he
would come along and ask for me. Even after I found out what he
was, I still wanted him.” Her eyes look away, but I don’t release
her chin. “I still wanted a dad.”
Her words shoot through my rage, straight to my
heart. I wouldn’t give up the twelve years I had with my dad for
anything. And as painful as it was to lose him, I had a dad who
loved me. Raven’s never felt that.
Who am I to say that Dominick’s intentions aren’t
good? Maybe he does want a relationship with Raven. I’d bet my
balls that’s not true, but if I don’t allow her to find out for
herself, if I stand between her and the possibility, she’ll never
forgive me.
I brush my thumb along her lower lip, feeling it
quiver beneath my touch. “Okay, baby. I get it.”
Her eyes smile through her tears and she kisses my
thumb.
With a tug, she’s up from her barstool. I wrap my
arms around her waist. She locks her hands behind my neck, holding
me to her.
“You’ll call me when you get there.” I’m so close to
her mouth, I can smell the sweet tea on her breath.
“Yes.” Her answer is breathy and full of need.
My girl.
Always so responsive.
She puts pressure on my neck to bring me to her, but
I’m not finished.
“And you’ll call me when you’re finished.” I slide
my hands down to her ass, drawing her hips closer.
“Mm-hmm.” Her answer comes out on a moan.
“Not when you get in your car, not when you get
home, but when you’re walking away, you call me.” I tighten my hold
to make sure she understands. I’m not fucking around.
“Yes, Jonah, I’ll do anything. Just kiss me,
please.”
“That’s more like it.”
I drop a soft kiss against her lips. She pushes up
on her tiptoes, pressing hard against me searching for my lips, but
I hold back. She whines adorably, and I reward her by feathering
another kiss on her lips.