“Is it Big Bobby’s?” His eyes twinkled.
“Yes! At least we have the same taste in food.”
“We have a lot more than that, baby.” He swept his mouth across hers.
She pulled away. “I’m still sore at you. Let me freshen up. Give me about fifteen minutes or so.”
“Okay.” His gaze lingered on her face, and there was such tenderness in those blue eyes that she almost wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
“All right then.” She turned around and rifled through her locker until she couldn’t hear his footsteps anymore. With the gym bag clenched in her hand, she went over to the shower area. Mia went to the sink and cupped her hands under the faucet then splashed cool water over her face. Taking her towel from the bag, she patted her skin. I really lost it. What the fuck was that all about? Finn. I’m so worried about him. I have to help him. Get him a good attorney. As much as she didn’t want to admit it to herself, Army’s words had hurt and disappointed her because she really liked him … too much, although she had no intention of telling him that. She was too terrified of falling for him. I’m supposed to be strong and independent, not fearful and teary-eyed. What is it with this guy?
After Mia had taken a quick shower, swiped a coat of sparkling plum gloss on her lips, and slipped into her black denim skirt and multi-colored knit top, she pulled on her ankle boots, grabbed her purse and gym bag, and left the locker room. Scanning the main area, she saw Army by the weights. The muscles of his butt flexed under the fabric of his tight jeans as he bent over and picked up one of the dumbbells. The sight made her breath catch in her throat as she imagined what he’d look like naked, hovering over her as he roughly pinned her arms above her. When Army’s gaze locked on Mia’s, her heart gave a sharp thump, and as he threw her a devastating smile, she felt her insides melting. She licked her lips then started walking toward him when a voice called out her name. Casting a sidelong glance to the left, she froze as panic threw a few punches to her gut. What the hell is Noe doing here? She darted her gaze back to Army and saw him glaring at Noe as he approached her.
“You look great, Mia,” Noe said as his gaze swept over her then lingered on her breasts.
She folded her arms across her chest. “Thanks. So, what are you doing here?”
“I was in the area so I stopped by to say hi. Let me give you a hug.” He put his arms around her and gave her a light squeeze. “You smell fucking good too,” he said in a low voice.
She stepped back, her arms still folded. “I … uh … have—”
“Plans,” Army said behind her, his voice hard. He came over and looped his arm around her shoulder and pressed her close. Mia leaned into him and saw the angry sparks in Noe’s eyes. The two men stood staring at each other, nostrils flaring like two bulls ready to charge.
Glancing at Army, she gestured to Noe. “Noe is a friend of my brother’s. He’s in town on business.” Army grunted. She turned to Noe. “And this is Army.” Noe hissed. “And this”—she swept her arm around—“is where I train. Army’s brother is a fighter. He’s being looked at very seriously by the recruits to go pro. I know he’ll make it. You should see him fight—he’s awesome,” she prattled as the two men kept their staring match going.
“You heading out?” Goliath asked as he came over, his eyes darting between her, Army, and Noe.
“I am.” She pointed at Noe. “This is a friend of my brother’s. He just stopped by to say hi.” Goliath extended his hand, and Noe hesitated before taking it. “Goliath owns Champion, and he’s a three-title heavyweight winner.” That seemed to pique both Noe and Army’s attention, and they turned away from each other.
“I didn’t know that, dude. Impressive as fuck,” Army said.
“That’s quite a legacy. Do you still fight?” Noe asked.
“Nope. Retired and opened this training center. The wife’s glad.”
Happy that the crackling tension between the two men had been temporarily broken, she tugged Army’s hand. “We better get going,” she said softly.
Noe glanced at her, but he seemed intrigued by Goliath, and the fact that the owner was even talking to her brother’s friend was huge and showed her how much Goliath cared about her. Goliath was a man of very few words, and when it came to his past fighting days, he rarely spoke about it.
“I’ll call you,” Noe said, looking down at her hand in Army’s. “And I’ll see you on Sunday.”
Army’s fingers tightened around hers in a vise-like grip, and she bumped against his arm. “You’re crushing my hand,” she whispered.
“Sorry,” he mumbled, easing up.
When they got to the parking lot, Army walked with her to the car.
“I thought we’d take our own cars.”
“I came with Taylor,” he said, putting his hand on the door handle.
“That works then. I can’t wait to get to the restaurant—I’m beyond starved.” She slid inside and turned on the ignition.
“Who’s the asshole?” Army pulled the seatbelt and fastened it behind him.
“Noe? He’s one of my brother’s best friends. He’s been part of our family for years. Noe’s like a cousin.”
“He doesn’t think that.”
“He’s fine. I haven’t seen him in quite a while. Like I said, he’s Vic’s friend. They go back since grade school.” Her fingers curled around the steering wheel, and she turned on the radio.
Army reached over and turned the volume down. “Are you seeing him?”
“Ugh … I just told you he’s passing through. Anyway, you and I are only on our second date.”
“I just wanna know if I got competition.” He settled back. “Not that it matters.”
“You don’t, but the way you acted earlier, I’m not sure if I want to hang out with you anymore.”
Army leaned over and kissed her gently on the cheek. “You want to. You’re pissed at me, and I get it. I was a fuckin’ prick.”
“No argument from me.” She turned left into the parking lot of Big Bobby’s Burgers. As they walked hand in hand toward the entrance, Army stopped and yanked her to him and gave her a hard kiss.
“Don’t stay mad at me for too long, babe.” He pulled away then grasped her hand again, and they walked inside the eatery.
The hostess sat them at a booth and handed them two menus, then walked away. Army put his down and sank into the black leather cushion behind him, his gaze fixed on her.
“Do you already know what you want?” Mia asked.
“A double bacon cheeseburger with barbecue sauce and jalapeños.”
“Is that what you always order?”
“Since I was a kid—only back then it was a single not a double. You look beautiful.”
She glanced up and met his intense gaze, then looked back down at the selections. “Flattery will get you some points, but I’m still not feeling all warm and fuzzy yet.”
“Did you last night?”
“Yeah. I guess that’s why the way you acted surprised … no … disappointed me. I just don’t know why—”
“Do you want something to drink?” The waitress gave Army a toothy grin.
He gestured to Mia. “Take her order first.”
The woman looked startled as if just realizing that someone other than Army was at the table. She turned to Mia, the smile replaced by a dour expression. “What do you want?”
“A Diet Coke.”
The waitress looked over at Army and smiled. “Let me guess—a shot of whiskey or a good stout.”
Army laughed. “A double Jack.”
Smiling like she was on a damn toothpaste commercial, her dark curls swayed as she shook her head. “I knew it. You definitely look like a Jack man—rugged and tough.”
“Why don’t you take our dinner order too?” Mia asked.
Without looking at her, the waitress patted Army’s hand. “Is that what you want me to do?”
“That’s what I want you to do,” she replied. Army’s lips twit
ched as if he were trying to suppress a smile, and if Mia wasn’t so hungry, she’d have taken off right then and there. He thinks I’m jealous because the waitress is flirting with him. I’m so not. What irked her was the way the twenty-something-year-old woman ignored her. Why do so many women diss each other when a man is around?
“Take my date’s order,” Army said.
Mia snapped her gaze to him. Didn’t expect that. She thought for sure he’d play along with the server because that’s what ego driven men did, right?
“So, what’ll you have?” The woman acted like it was an enormous amount of work to take her order.
“The mushroom-Swiss burger—medium—and a salad instead of fries. Please bring me oil and vinegar for the dressing.”
“What would you like?” she asked Army as another toothy smile spread over her lips.
The woman walked away after taking his order, and Army earned bonus points for not looking at her butt in her short uniform dress. He smiled at Mia and took her hand in his and kissed the tips of each one of her fingers as his gaze bored into hers.
Shivers sparked along her spine, and she willed herself to focus on finding out why he’d been such an ass to her at the gym. She gently pulled her hand away and returned his intense stare.
“Are you going to tell me now why you acted like a jerk at the gym?”
“Let me get some Jack in me.” The familiar roguish smile flashed across his face as he winked at her, sending a tingle of arousal along her spine, prickling in her breasts.
The waitress put a glass in front of Mia while her eyes fixed on Army. “Here you go. I put an extra shot in it for you.” She placed her purple-tipped finger to her lips. “It’s our secret.”
“Thanks,” Army said, lifting the tumbler to his lips.
The woman lingered for a couple of seconds, but when Army’s attention never wavered from Mia, she turned and walked away.
Mia watched as his full lips hugged the rim of the glass and his throat vibrated as the whiskey slid down it. He’s too damn sexy. He’s messing me up. I’m still pissed at him. “Well? You got some whiskey in you.”
“Patience isn’t one of your strong points outside of the ring.” Another few swigs then he put his hands over hers. “I took shit out on you tonight. I already told you I was an asshole.”
“But you told me you were mad at yourself. What are you mad about? Me?”
“Yes … and no. Shit. I don’t talk about my feelings, so this is hard.”
“I understand, but it’s important for me to know why you’re mad at me.”
“Not at you. I’m pissed about liking you. So I guess I said all that to punish you for getting to me. Aw shit … I don’t know.” He picked up his glass with one hand while the other remained on top of hers, then he threw back the rest of the drink.
“I get what you’re saying. I kinda feel the same way—mad because I like you. I’m just not passive-aggressive like you are. Is this fucked up, or what?”
“I guess so. I’ve never liked a chick in the way I like you.”
“You mean as a friend.”
“I don’t see you as a fuckin’ friend. I like you. A lot.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I wanna keep seeing you.”
Excitement simmered under her skin as she trembled. “I want to keep seeing you too.”
He gave her a chin lift.
“But no more antics like you pulled tonight. We can talk about things if something’s bothering you, but don’t take it out on me.”
“I get it—give respect in order to get it. I’m down with that. Respect is everything. It’s the code. The way to live.”
“And trust is important too.”
Army’s jaw hardened. “Trust is earned, and it comes from actions—not words.”
“I agree. I think we both have some issues with it based on our pasts.”
His eyes narrowed. “I don’t have any issues with it other than it doesn’t mean shit to most people.”
His mother. “Yeah. Most people are not dependable.” My mother. Christ we both have mommy issues.
“That’s why earning trust is important and actions are key.”
“I’ve learned to depend on one person only—me.”
“That’s good, but you need someone to have your back. You know to fight and stand by you no matter what. I’ve got my brothers and can depend on them to fight or give up their life for me as I would for them without a second thought. Citizens just don’t fuckin’ get it.”
“A mushroom-Swiss burger, a salad—dressing on the side,” a waiter said, putting the plate in front of Mia. He put the other burger in front of Army, asked if they wanted anything else, then promised to return to fill the water glasses.
“This looks so good,” Mia gushed as she cut her burger in half.
“They have the best damn fries. Try one.”
Army held one up and she smiled and leaned forward. His lips pressed against hers, leaving the salty taste of the fry in her mouth. He winked at her, kissed her again and then fed it to her. “Good?” His intense gaze deepened, and she could feel the level of sexual tension between them begin to rise.
Mia’s tongue skimmed around her lips while she watched him. “Very good,” she said softly while sitting back.
“I’m so fuckin’ hungry,” his voice sounded thick as he held her gaze, and she knew he didn’t mean for the fries and burger.
Mia’s breath caught as Army stood up slightly and placed his hand behind her head, pulling him toward his waiting lips. The kiss was tender and languid; he tasted of salt and whiskey and smelled spicy and earthy.
The clink of ice cubes drew their attention to their meals, and Army sat back down. The waiter filled their glasses, then dashed away.
Mia’s body hummed, missing Army’s lips, his taste … his heat. She looked down at her burger and wondered if she could eat it with all the somersaults going on in her stomach.
“Aren’t you gonna eat?” he asked, picking up his mammoth burger and positioning it near his mouth.
“Yeah.” She picked up her fork and speared a tomato then popped it into her mouth.
“I wish we had burgers like this in Alina. I try to come here when I’m in town. I usually bring my dad.”
“It sounds like you’re close to him.”
“Sorta. I respect him for raising us after my mom skipped out. We don’t see eye to eye on a lot of things. Taylor and Asher lived up to his expectations. When Taylor goes pro, my dad’s gonna throw the biggest damn party.”
“Does your other brother live in Durango still?”
“Yeah. He’s hitched and has a son—Joshua.” Army laughed and a wistful look glazed his eyes. “He’s about nine months old, and he cracks me up.”
“I bet you spoil the hell out of your nephew.”
“I do.” He took another big bite.
Mia watched the muscles in his jaws and wondered whether they’d moved the same way if he was eating her out. “Oh,” she moaned, immediately embarrassed.
“Thinking about something dirty? I hope it involved me.”
Dammit! “Not at all. I was rubbing my calf with my boot. It feels good.”
The corner of his lip twitched as he looked at her, desire burning in his gaze. “That’s the story you’re going with?”
All of a sudden, her mouth went dry and she lowered her lids and grabbed the water glass. After several gulps, she cleared her throat. “Is your married brother older than you?”
He guffawed and shook his head. “I’m the oldest. Asher’s two years younger, and Taylor’s five.”
He’s twenty-nine … Three years older than me.
“What about you? What’s your family’s deal?”
“Totally fucked up. Unlike yours, everyone but me has been to jail.”
Army picked up the napkin and wiped his mouth. “Shit happens. I’ve been arrested a few times.”
“For what?” With her throat parched and mind spinning, her voice was barely audibl
e.
“Fighting. Mostly bar stuff.”
“Have you ever been to prison?” Her body stiffened.
“Nah. Just misdemeanor bullshit, so it was all county time.”
“My younger brother’s been arrested for armed robbery—five of them.”
Army gave a low whistle. “That’s fuckin’ tough. Is he in Colorado?”
“Arizona. I’m trying to get family members to help out with either his bond or retaining a decent attorney.”
“Put your money with the lawyer. He needs to get a good deal and not end up rotting away in the pen. How’re your parents taking it?”
“My dad left after Finn was born—he’s the one in trouble, and my mom’s biggest worry is which guy she’ll bring home after a night of clubbing.” Army’s eyes widened. “Yeah … I have a totally dysfunctional family. My mom had my oldest brother, Vic, when she was only fourteen, then Tucker came along two years later, and me when she was eighteen. By that point my dad blew, but he came back and gave my mother Finn as a going away present. I also have a half-brother, Dean, who’s fourteen and following in my other brothers’ footsteps. He just got out of juvie.”
“Is his dad in the picture?”
“Nope. I mean, I get that my mom had us all too young and never had a chance to be a teenager, but she should’ve waited to sow her fucking wild oats until we all grew up. I was the cook, the laundress, the babysitter, the tutor—the fucking everything, and my mom still yelled and blamed me and my brothers for ruining her life.”
Army slid out from the booth and came over to Mia’s side and sat next to her, then he wrapped his arm around her. “You had it bad, babe.” He kissed the top of her head and sighed loudly. “Why the fuck do people have kids if they don’t want to be parents? Those are the ones who should be in prison for fuckin’ up their kids’ lives.”
Mia settled back into him, loving the way the heat of his body warmed her. “I don’t want you to feel sorry for me. It made me stronger, and it taught me to depend on me. I decided I had to get out, or I’d be trapped forever.”
“You did real good for yourself.”
“Thanks. I did.”
He put two fingers under her chin, lifting her head up to meet his lips. Mia moaned as Army’s tongue slipped inside her mouth and tangled with her own. She curled her arm around his neck, then raked her fingers through his hair as she pulled him down closer. A low, sexy grunt filled her ears, and it drove her wild.
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