AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her lashes fluttered, and the softness in her gaze when she looked my way had my heart tripping all over itself. She tugged it on in a fluid motion, and my knees grew a little weak at the sight of her in my Knockout hoodie.
“Looks good on you.” My voice came out hoarser than planned.
“Thanks.” The lip bite and the way she peered up at me from beneath those long lashes was the sexiest thing I’d seen. The hoodie didn’t hide her curves in the slightest, and those muscular legs were still on clear display, showing off thighs I wanted wrapped around me. Or hell, I’d love to ride against her thigh until I came.
At every alley we passed, I peered in the darkness—in an area like this, vigilance was key—but my gaze gravitated back to Ames every time.
“I know we’re not talking about the past.” Ames raised her hand. “But one question.”
My shoulders tensed, even though the more we hung out, the more I was tempted to slice myself open. The desire to know what was going on with my family was near-unbearable, but finding out would only hurt me.
Her eyes twinkled. “Do you still collect X-Men comics?”
Relief almost punched the breath from my chest, along with respect that Ames hadn’t pushed me. That alone made me want to trust her because she had every reason to demand answers.
“You got me.” The grin rising to my lips hurt a little, the muscles rusty. “I’m current with the comics, and my collection is out of control, though I’m impressed you remembered.”
She gave a helpless little shrug. “I remembered everything.”
The gravity of her tone combined with the casual vulnerability had me stumbling, but I righted myself. The idea she’d had a crush on me for this long was equal parts mind-blowing and humbling. Not like I felt I deserved the attention, but hell—I was only human.
Amelia Johnson was such a bad idea on so many fronts—a client, a decade younger, and my sister’s best friend—yet I couldn’t keep myself from pursuing her.
“That’s my place,” she said, pointing to one of the rowhomes that got divided into apartments. She hesitated, so different from her confident approach from earlier.
Fuck it.
“Want to show me around?” I asked, my voice escaping in a low rasp.
Her eyes flared, and she licked her pretty pink lips until they were glossy. We came to a stop outside of her stoop.
Ames crooked her finger at me and delivered a perfect “fuck me” look. “Come on inside.”
Chapter Nine
Ames
Iwas flat out obsessed.
A week had passed since Sam had fucked me in the shower at Knockout, and then we’d had sex in my apartment, barely reaching my bed. Half hanging off, we’d stripped down and ground against each other’s thighs until we came, which then required another shower after the mess we’d made. I had a fight this weekend, so training was getting more intense, but we’d still found corners at the gym to make out in and the occasional night when she landed in my bed again.
Preteen me would’ve died and gone to heaven if she knew that someday I’d be hooking up with Sam. But whatever this was between us didn’t feel fast and dirty. No, she texted me every day, checked in on me, and didn’t hesitate to sleep over either. Waking up beside her was next-level bliss.
I tugged on my sneakers, getting ready for my jog. Despite what Sam said, evening was fine for a run with how bustling this part of the city was. And I planned on hitting up the Rail Park to get my cardio on. I’d take any extra edge back in the ring because I was facing off against one of my former trainer’s fighters. Which meant Chaz would be there, showing his ugly mug. And more than anything, I wanted to win this fight to claim a little karma for myself.
Keys and wallet in the pocket of my running pants, Mace in the other, and I was ready to go. The second I stepped outside, cool shadows slipped over my skin with a velvet quality I always associated with night. I hopped down the steps, my body humming with readiness to expel that energy. I could think of at least a dozen ways I’d prefer to burn it—all of them involving Sam—but I hadn’t checked when she finished work today.
Didn’t want to appear needy as hell, even though I was. As much as I tried to stay cool and detached and remind myself we never promised anything, internally, I was throwing a fucking glow stick rave.
No point in waiting around. I did a few quick stretches on my stoop and launched into a run toward the Rail Park. The wind whistled in my ear as I passed alleys and streets, my senses on high alert as always. The streetlights overhead cast their sallow beams onto the pavement, and a steady stream of cars rolled through. This area was a hotspot with plenty of bars, concerts at Union Transfer, and nightclubs. If I were the exciting type, like Allie had wanted, I’d be exploring all those options instead of going for a run to get my cardio quota in.
However, the fights exhilarated me like nothing else, and most fighters had a limited shot at glory. I was willing to put in the work for a win, to climb the ranks, and that didn’t seem worth tossing aside for a few drinks at a too-loud dance club.
My body sank into the rhythm of the run, one of my favorite forms of cardio. I wasn’t a long-distance runner, but I loved the burst of energy and the way I all but soared across the asphalt, needing to dodge the occasional pedestrian.
Time melted away as I raced along the sidewalk, the tall buildings on either side of me blurring. Like this, I could shut off the stream of worries percolating through my system and bask in the bliss of motion. I drew in deep breaths of the city, all metal, stone, and exhaust fumes, which imprinted in my mind as hope.
A month into starting over and I was not only in great shape for my next fight, but I was also hooking up with the girl of my dreams.
