“Limits?” Dylan asked calmly as he similarly hid his smile.
“Death?”
Dylan chuckled then. “No eye gouges or breaks. We still have to keep Abby safe.”
Ahmed gave a slight nod of his head as he held out his hand in a fist. Dylan bumped it with his fist and the fight was on.
Ahmed lunged forward and took Dylan to the ground. It was a smart move since Dylan was taller and it had been his weakness since he was a teenager. But that was ten years ago, and Ahmed had taught him better than to have a weakness.
“You know I love her, right?” Dylan said as he threw Ahmed off him and leapt to his feet. Ahmed was already on his feet as they circled each other, looking for their opening.
“You have since you were a teenager,” Ahmed said, surprising him.
“How?” Dylan took a right cross to the face. Dylan grunted and took a step back. His legs were longer than Ahmed’s reach. “Yes, I have.”
“Then why didn’t you do something about it then?”
“Who says I didn’t?”
That was Dylan’s opening, and he sent Ahmed flying backward into the padded wall with a kick to his midsection.
“Turned you down, huh?” Ahmed said as he coughed a little before standing up and giving him a taunting smirk. They circled each other once again, evaluating possible openings.
“Nope. I got her off her crush on Jackson.”
Dylan wanted to smile as he found his opening and took Ahmed down to the ground. But he wasn’t fast enough, Ahmed slammed his knee into Dylan’s gut and the advance was compromised. Dylan rolled away as Ahmed tried to slam his foot down onto him, but hit the mat instead. Dylan sprang up right in time to take an uppercut to the chin.
He saw stars. But he could fight blindfolded so he let his body take over. They were quiet for a moment as they traded hits and blocks before Ahmed got him by the throat.
“Jackson? He’s all wrong for her.”
“I know, right?” Dylan choked before windmilling his arms to break the hold.
“What about that guy she was with in Atlanta?” Ahmed asked a second before Dylan landed a hook to his face, sending his head snapping back.
“Sebastian Able,” Dylan muttered a second before Ahmed swept his legs out from under him, sending him crashing to the mat. “She told me they’re only friends now.”
“Now,” Ahmed grumbled as Dylan surged forward, wrapping his arms around Ahmed’s waist and shoving him into the wall. Dylan pressed his forearm against his opponent’s neck, pinning him to the wall. “I don’t like him.”
“I know. But I trust her.”
“It’s him I don’t trust,” Ahmed said as Dylan pressed, cutting off the air. “Looked him up.”
Ahmed smashed his knee into Dylan’s thigh, right above the knee—hard. Dylan hobbled back and took a deep breath as they both squared off again.
“And?”
“And I don’t know what to make of him. He’s friends with the president but obviously lives in the shadow of the law. He works with good and bad people and is equally comfortable in each world. And everything about him is held tightly to his chest. His security is top-notch, and we weren’t able to hack into his systems.”
Ahmed kicked, Dylan blocked, and then there was no more talking as they closed in on each other. Shots to the stomach, chest, and face were made and blocked as they fought, neither one of them giving up. Dylan didn’t go full contact, and he knew Ahmed didn’t either. But he had to win.
Ahmed moved to punch Dylan’s solar plexus, which would have dropped Dylan to the ground as he would struggle to breathe. Instead, Dylan slid to the outside of Ahmed, blocking the hit. Dylan now had his opening. He moved forward quickly and forcefully, straight at Ahmed, using his body to trap the other man’s arm between them. At the same time, Dylan grabbed Ahmed behind the neck and put his other hand behind Ahmed’s thigh. It was all one fluid motion as he pushed Ahmed’s neck down at the same time he lifted Ahmed’s leg, sending Ahmed cartwheeling to the ground.
Dylan fell on top of Ahmed’s back and in seconds had a solid headlock on Ahmed’s neck from behind. “If it matters, I don’t think Sebastian would hurt Abby. I actually got the impression she might be one of his few friends and he’d do anything he could to help her. Nothing compared to what I’d do for her, though.”
Ahmed fought under the lock, but Dylan didn’t give him an inch. He had his win, and he’d do anything to hang onto it. Finally, Ahmed tapped Dylan’s forearm and Dylan let go, sending both of them falling to the mat as they took deep breaths.
“Just because I like you and you beat me doesn’t mean I approve of you dating Abby,” Ahmed said as he slowly got to his feet.
“I wouldn’t expect anything less right now. And I won’t accept anything but complete approval.” Dylan smiled as he stood up, too.
Ahmed grabbed a towel to wipe his face and tossed one to Dylan. “It had to be the one guy I liked,” Dylan heard Ahmed grumble so quietly he shouldn’t have been able to hear it.
“So, I should hold off calling you Pops?”
Ahmed flicked him off before tossing his shirt to him. “Don’t get too comfortable yet. Remember, you still have three objectives to complete before I think about giving you my approval.”
* * *
Abby had wanted to go into the basement, but her mother had gone so far as to order Jackson to prevent her if need be. Her mom had said it was something they’d needed to do, and her father probably wouldn’t kill him.
“I swear, all the dads are so unfair, thinking we girls don’t know how to pick a boyfriend and have to beat each other up to prove their worth,” Abby said as she tossed her napkin down. “Are you going to fight Kale’s girlfriend?”
Her mother was about to say no, when she stopped herself. “Well, I guess I am going to have to now. Because I agree with you. It’s a double standard that has to come to an end. I’ll talk to the other moms.” Her mom looked to Kale and shrugged. “Hope you bring home someone who can fight.”
Kale looked back and forth between them as if trying to figure out if they were joking or not. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah,” their mom said with a shrug. “Abby is right. She was tormented by your father’s overprotectiveness because she was the girl. She’s clearly more than capable of taking care of herself. In fact, I don’t believe you’ve ever beaten your sister. Yet, your father is downstairs going all warrior on her boyfriend.” Bridget turned to her and narrowed her eyes. “He is your official boyfriend, right? Your father better not be down there pissing me off for nothing.”
“Yes, he is my boyfriend,” Abby said out loud for the first time. And it wasn’t as satisfying as she thought it would feel. Because boyfriend wasn’t the right name to call him. Damn. Dylan put marriage into her mind and now that was all she could think about. It wasn’t as if they were strangers. She’d known him her whole life. They grew up side by side. She knew everything about him, and he’d kissed her in high school, and she’d lost her heart. Of course, she pretended she hadn’t because in her career there was no room for it. But now . . . now it was all she could think of.
As the door to the basement opened, Abby felt her eyes go wide. While there was no blood on their shirts, their pants told a different story and the swelling on their faces confirmed it. They’d gone hand-to-hand with no gloves. “What on earth?” Abby asked, looking at Dylan’s face as he sat down.
“Your dad was showing me some new moves. It was fun,” Dylan said, picking up his fork and taking a bite as if his chin weren’t red and his cheek swollen.
“Honey,” her mom said through clenched teeth, making it sound more like a threat than an endearment.
Her father set down his drink and smiled innocently. “And Dylan showed me this flip move that I have to add into our combat class. Thanks for showing that to me,” he said, turning to Dylan.
“Anytime.” Dylan took a bite of dinner and smiled at her mom. “Great dinner, Mrs. M.”
Abby looked at her mother and saw that she wasn’t the only one feeling as if they were in some weird alternate reality. In fact, everyone at the table was staring at the two of them as they ate and talked about Chet. What the hell had happened down there?
16
“We need to find our own place.”
Abby shot up from bed and almost head butted Dylan. Her room was pitch black and it was two in the morning. “What?”
“I should take you someplace else. That way I can do all the things I want to do with you without having to step over the trip wire your father set up and risk being killed if I’m caught in here.”
Abby smiled into the darkness. A new feeling washed over her—freedom to be happy. She didn’t have to hide who she was with Dylan and every moment together felt so right.
“Sit with me,” she said, sitting up against her headboard and patting the mattress.
Dylan slid into the bed and reached around her, pulling her to rest against his bare chest. Her legs rubbed against a pair of athletic pants and she let a sad sigh escape.
“I’m sorry. Should I be naked?” Dylan teased as he ran his hand slowly down her back.
“I wouldn’t complain.” Abby smiled into his chest.
“Yes, but I know someone who would,” Dylan said before resting his head on hers. “However, that doesn’t mean I’m not thinking about it. But, I wanted to do something I’ve never done before.”
“What’s that?” Abby asked, and she admitted, a little nervously. She knew Dylan, and there was very little left on his crazy things to do list.
“I want to hold you all night.”
“Mmm,” Abby said, snuggling in closer to him. Her hand rested on the dips and curves of his abdominal muscles as she closed her eyes and inhaled. She loved the smell of him. It reminded her of the woods at the back of the farm. “We could go to the cabin. We’d be alone there.”
“Let’s get Chet taken care of first, and then I’ll steal you away to do the rest of the things on my never-been-done-before list.” Dylan’s hand cupped her bottom and gave a gentle squeeze before letting go and resting on her hip.
Abby moved her hand up his abdomen to his chest. She ran her fingers over the dusting of black hair there before placing her hand over his heart. A heart she hoped one day would love her as she was finally opening hers to him. Abby felt weak admitting it, but they needed to be honest with each other, and if he didn’t feel the same, it was better to know now. “Ever since you first kissed me and every time after. Every touch, every glance, I feel it in my soul. Do you feel it, too?”
Dylan kissed the top of her head. “I feel it every time we’re together. I tried to ignore it. I tried to scratch the itch. I tried to blame my job. I tried everything I could think of to move on, but there’s no moving on from it.”
Abby looked up at him. In the dark she could barely make out the outline of his face as she leaned up and placed a kiss on his jaw. “Then let’s give in to it.”
Dylan groaned as her hand slide down his chest and under his waistband. “Abby, you’re making this hard on me.”
She smiled against his chest. That was the plan. Especially when she felt him suck in a breath of air on a low groan as his head fell back against the headboard.
“Abby.” He whispered her name and she felt her whole body catch fire. It touched her to the core as he lifted his head and found her lips in the darkness.
Soon all Abby could hear were their quiet pants as they gave into their desires. He didn’t make love to her, but when Abby finally fell asleep curled up in his arms, she was sated physically, but also in her heart. Dylan had whispered words of respect and caring to her that had her heart cresting right along with her body.
* * *
“Abby?”
Dylan’s eyes popped open at the same time Abby shot upright, almost knocking him out with her head. They had fallen asleep after a very satisfying night of talking and, well, not talking.
“Are you up yet?” her dad asked.
“One moment, Dad!” Abby called as they watched in horror as the doorknob began to turn. “Get out!” Abby hissed.
“Out where? Just let it happen. He probably won’t kill me. Maybe.”
Abby pointed to the window and Dylan inwardly groaned. Abby was on the second story above the back patio. He really didn’t want to fall onto brick pavers.
“Please,” Abby pleaded and Dylan knew he couldn’t say no to her.
“You owe me a date for this. A public one.”
“Deal, just get out now.” Abby hissed as she reached for her bra.
“Did you say something, honey?”
“No, Dad!” Abby shouted. “Just getting dressed. I’ll be ready in just a second.”
Dylan lifted up the window and looked down at the patio table and umbrella right below him. “I’m not dropping. Just let me in the second he leaves.”
Abby practically shoved him out the window. As Dylan lowered himself off the windowsill, he saw Abby pull on some stretchy black pants and her Keeneston High School sweatshirt. She looked over at him, her eyes wide and wild, and yanked the curtains closed as he dangled from the windowsill by his fingertips.
Dylan heard Ahmed enter the bedroom as he and Abby started to talk about breakfast. He thought he was safe until he heard the barking. Dylan looked over his shoulder to find Nemi standing in the yard barking right at him. Her little body stood at attention as she barked before her tail began to wag. Then she went in a tight spin before looking up at him and giving another bark. Spin, bark, spin, bark.
Ahmed’s voice grew louder as, at the same time, Dylan heard sound of the patio door beneath him opening. Suddenly the curtains were flung apart and he could see the top of Ahmed’s head in the window. There was a gasp from below and then the sound of the patio door closing.
“Ahmed! Abby! Let’s go. I’m hungry,” Bridget yelled from the first floor.
Dylan’s fingertips were growing tired. He was afraid Ahmed would open the window at any second, but he held on because Abby had wanted him to. And it would be worth a public date, even if he fell and broke his leg.
“Ahmed, now!”
Ahmed’s head disappeared from sight and a second later the window was thrown open. “I just forgot something. I’ll be right there.” Abby looked down at him and motioned for him to get inside. “Stop hanging around. We’re leaving for breakfast at the café.”
Dylan pulled himself up and inside her room. “And I have a date to plan.” He winked as he sauntered by her.
The café was packed. Abby didn’t expect anything less than a full house. Not when there was a chance they’d get to shoot someone. When her group walked in, the place erupted in shouts of “good morning.” It was home. Warmth, love, and acceptance filled her. Abby looked up at Dylan and reached for his hand. It felt natural to be here with him, surrounded by their friends and family.
He was scanning the room, but she could already tell him it was clear. The second she took his hand and he wrapped his fingers around hers, the café went deathly silent. All eyes shot to their intertwined hands and then to Ahmed who stood behind them.
No one moved. No one breathed. All that could be heard was the sizzle of bacon from the kitchen. Suddenly Dylan’s mom stood up with baby Cricket in her arms. “We have room at our table,” she said as she rushed forward and literally shoved Cricket into Ahmed’s arms.
Cricket gurgled with pleasure as her little hand wrapped around Ahmed’s finger. “There,” Abby heard Tammy whisper to Dylan. “He probably won’t shoot you if he has a baby in his arms.”
However, since the entire café wasn’t even breathing, everyone heard the whisper. And they heard the sharp intake of breath as Tammy saw the bruises on Dylan. Tammy grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him down. “What happened to you?”
“Nothing. Just a little friendly sparring.”
Tammy whipped around, grabbed Cricket, and handed her to Kale who stood petrified as Cricket squirmed
in his outstretched arms.
“What do I do with it?” he asked his mom as he held the baby at arm’s length.
Tammy stood at five-foot-nothing, but Abby took a step back at the wild look in her sprite like eyes. Tammy marched up to Ahmed, looked up at him, turned, grabbed a chair, and pulled it over. She climbed up on the chair so she was slightly taller than Ahmed and glared down at him.
She placed her hands on her hips and brought her face close to Ahmed’s so that their noses were just a breath away from each other before taking her finger and jabbing it in Ahmed’s chest. “You would be lucky to have my son in your family. And, bless your heart, if you touch one more hair on his head I will rip you apart.”
“Mom,” Dylan said under his breath. “I’ve got this.”
“Don’t you mom me, young man,” Tammy said without ever taking her eyes off Ahmed.
“Yes, ma’am,” Dylan said, ducking his head as he squeezed Abby’s hand. “Tell me when this embarrassing scene is over.”
Tammy poked Ahmed again. “Do we understand each other?”
Abby saw her father swallow hard, and she didn’t know if it was out of fear or if he was trying not to laugh. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Hmph,” Tammy snorted as she climbed back down from her chair and took Cricket from a frozen-in-shock Kale. “There’s my good girl. Did you scare Kale? Yes, you did,” she baby talked as she took her seat back at her table.
“Guys, do you want to sit with me?”
Abby looked over as Wyatt stood and motioned them to sit with him. His table was covered in papers and his laptop as he began to clean it, making room for them.
The door opened again and a group of Dylan’s cousins rushed in. “What did we miss?” Riley asked as she and her twin sister, Reagan, hurried inside.
“Dylan and Abby are finally together and Aunt Tammy threatened to rip Ahmed apart if he touched Dylan,” Wyatt told the group as they huddled around them.
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