The Boxer (Modern Love Book 2)

by Piper Rayne

  I look up into those green eyes, filled with a hope I’m not sure lives within me anymore. No matter how badly I want to lie, I’d only be a hypocrite. “I do,” I admit for the first time out loud. Even myself.

  “Then that’s all we need.”

  “Lucas,” I sigh. Tears prick the corners of my eyes and I suck in a sharp breath to try to keep them from falling.

  He hangs his head for a second and then shifts his gaze to my father and back to me. He stands, his eyes losing the hope that filled them moments ago. Just like that he buttons up his jacket and walks away from me.

  “I’ll call you tomorrow, Bill.”

  He walks out of the conference room and I know without a doubt that my biggest regret is that I couldn’t give him the answer he wanted.

  28

  I’m pathetic. It’s been a week and a half and I’ve picked up my phone a half dozen times to call Lucas. Okay, maybe a hundred, but you get the gist. I cried for a day, ate ice cream for two, sulked for three, drowned in romantic comedies for four, but now I want him again. He’s like a drug, damn it, and he’s made me addicted to him. Probably used some voodoo shit on me in my sleep.

  My latest masochistic endeavor is Googling everything about him. Turns out when his parents divorced, he moved with his mom to Boston for high school. Attended Harvard and then came back to San Francisco for some reason and started boxing a few months after graduation. That’s all I’ve pieced together so far.

  A knock sounds on my door and I think to myself that I really should just give the girls a key because they’re here often enough. I stand and trudge slowly to open the door.

  Lennon barrels in with brown paper bags I’m assuming means I’m being gifted another vibrator. With Lucas’ help, I haven’t really needed one lately. I guess that ship has sailed.

  “At least you aren’t wearing those hideous clothes you were wearing after Chase.” Her nose scrunches.

  “More sex toys?” I ask dryly and follow her down the hall.

  She flutters her eyelashes. “Yes, but I have something so much better.” She throws a DVD on my breakfast bar.

  I pick it up. “Grease Two,” I say.

  She busies herself in my kitchen, grabbing drinks and popping popcorn in my microwave. When she’s done we go sit in my living room.

  “Where’s Whit?” I ask, crossing my legs on the couch, figuring I’ll deal with Lennon’s crap for a while. It’s better than being stuck in my own head.

  “She sends her love, but she’s working a story and doesn’t have time to deal with your pathetic ass.”

  “Pathetic ass?” I question and she places the bowl of popcorn between us and then sits on the other side.

  “You didn’t put the movie in. Fine,” she huffs. “I’ll do it.” She rises from her seat, puts in the DVD in my player and grabs the remote.

  “Can we go back to you calling me a pathetic ass?”

  “We could, you’ll get the meaning after we watch the movie. Now, be quiet and use those magna cum laude ears because this is the only way I can snap you out of this.”

  “What—”

  “Psst.” She places her hand in front of my face.

  “Fine. Whatever.”

  I think I really need to expand on my vocabulary soon because I am starting to sound like I should be hanging out at the mall, popping my bubblegum with Cat and her friends.

  The movie begins and my shoulders start moving back and forth. Lennon glares at me. I’m not sure why she picked this movie because musicals are definitely not her thing.

  I become engrossed in the movie as I push the memories of Lucas and I watching Grease together as far back in my mind as possible. I start to loathe Lennon for pulling this memory back to the surface until I realize he will not ruin my love of romantic movies.

  The credits roll and Lennon clicks the television off and I decide not to tell her that she ate the whole bowl of popcorn on her own.

  “So?” she asks and I raise my eyebrows.

  “So.” I clasp my hands together in my lap.

  “Have you seen the light?”

  “The light?” I ask, completely unfazed by the movie or whatever meaning she was trying to get me to extract. “Oh, you mean, if I don’t date a T-bird I might not be able to be a pink lady? Or that I shouldn’t judge others by their outward appearance?”

  “See, you do get it.” She points to me.

  “What?”

  “You judged Lucas on his outward appearance.”

  “Um, no. I wouldn’t have gone home with him if that was the case, Len.” I pick the pieces of broken popcorn up off the couch and place them in the empty bowl.

  “So you didn’t get the point?” Lennon asks, stopping me from picking up her mess. She waits until I look up at her. “I get that Chase hurt you, and I tried not to punch him in the nuts for the sake of Cole, because I’m sure he wants to be an uncle someday, but don’t let him ruin what you have with Lucas.”

  When I see her so serious, tears well up in my eyes. “He’s no better than Chase.”

  She tilts her head to the side. “We both know that’s not true. Did he lie? He did, but just like Michael Carrington tried to hide who he was to get Stephanie’s attention. He did it because he wanted to be the man you want.”

  I shake my head. “You’re wrong. He omitted information. Very pertinent information.”

  “That he came from billions?”

  “That he comes from my family’s biggest competitor.”

  “Tahl.” She says my name so soft, one tear escapes my eye. “I know you love him. He did lie, but punish him by making him eat you out until you take your final breath. Or don’t give him any blow jobs for a year. You could even take away sex altogether, but I have to say that I think you’re really just punishing yourself there. My point is, don’t punish him by putting an end to what you two had. He needs a second chance and I think we both know that.”

  I shrug.

  “He’s made good, even on the family business front.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “The MSNBC. How else am I going to make sure my sex toy company is going to make a profit?”

  “They’re talking about the merger on MSNBC?” I ask and she nods.

  “Can I say I thought he filled out a pair of boxing shorts? Man, in a suit, the man is downright edible. You know how many ladies will be ready to claim him?”

  “They can have the liar.” I stand, unable to sit anymore.

  Lennon grabs my forearm and drags me back down to the couch. “Stop, Tahlia. Just stop.” Her voice is even more authoritative and it’s kind of Mommie Dearest scary. “Just stop focusing on the lying. Start looking at what you’re throwing away and ask yourself, are the reasons you want to really worth it?” She blows out a stream of air and looks up to the ceiling. “I know you aren’t this dense.”

  I sit there rethinking everything that happened with Lucas. “I do miss him,” I say, hating myself for the admission.

  “See. What do you miss?”

  “I miss having him next to me in bed.”

  “What else?” she asks, inching closer.

  “I miss the way he always held my hand or wrapped his arm around me. Like he was announcing to the world that I was his.”

  “He did have the alpha thing down pat. Anything else?”

  My mind wanders back to our time together. “The way I felt safe with him. Like nothing bad could happen to me.”

  “It’s safe to say he’d wrestle a hippopotamus for you.”

  I scrunch my eyebrows. “A hippopotamus?”

  “Figure of speech,” Lennon says, waving her hand to say, Let’s not get off track.

  “Not one I’ve ever heard of.”

  She cocks her hip. “I’ll have you know the hippo is the fiercest creature in Africa. Those suckers might look cute and cuddly, but their deadly. Little known fact. For real.” I just continue to stare at her. “Anyway, guess what all those things have in common?” She skim
s over her stupid analogy.

  “What?”

  “None of those things change whether his last name is Tavern or Cummings.” A soft know-it-all smile parts her lips and I hate to admit she’s right.

  “Even if I wanted him back, I saw the look in his eyes last week. He was done fighting.”

  “You’re wrong. He’s not even close to done fighting. He’s giving you space. Hoping you’ll figure it out for yourself. Go to him.” Lennon nudges me like I’m outside his door and too nervous to ring the doorbell.

  “I don’t even know where he’s living…”

  She tilts her head and her expression says that I’d better come up with a better excuse.

  “He could’ve moved to his family estate or a condo in the city.” Lennon doesn’t say a word and doesn’t move either. “So, he might be at his apartment.”

  She nods.

  “I could try there first?”

  She nods again.

  “Fine. I’m going.” I stand and she smacks my ass.

  “Shower first though. Get pretty.”

  “Um, shouldn’t he want to see me even if I’m not dolled up?”

  “I’ll drive you.” She follows me into my bedroom. “The silence thing worked the most, right? I should keep my mouth shut more often.”

  I roll my eyes and smile even though she can’t see me. Appearances can be deceiving. Who would have thought that much wisdom, love and concern would be wrapped up in the crazy, impulsive package that is Lennon?

  I thought about all the different ways this could go down in the shower. Again, I put my life on the line by letting Lennon drive me. She weaves in and out of traffic like we’re on the movie set of Days of Thunder and she’s Tom Cruise.

  “Lennon, this isn’t the way,” I tell her when she bypasses the exit to his place.

  “Yeah, I know where he is.”

  “Where?” I ask, glancing over at her.

  “You need to work on your investigative skills.” She winks and taps her head with her pointer finger.

  “Keep two hands on the wheel, please.”

  She does a salute and I physically take her hand and place it back on the steering wheel. Her foot presses harder on the accelerator and now we’re really flying down the road.

  “What’s the rush?”

  “We can’t miss him.”

  “Where?” I ask, desperate to know what she does.

  She glances over at me. “He’s boxing.”

  “So? You don’t have to put our lives in danger. We’ll catch him.” She cringes and I know there’s more. “What?”

  “He’s signing with a promoter who’ll move him overseas for a year.”

  “What?” I screech.

  “He said he couldn’t stand to be in the same city as you. The thought of running into you with another guy would shred him to pieces. His words, not mine.” She gives me a tense smile and glances back at the road.

  A hot rush of heat runs through my veins and I suddenly feel nauseated. “What about the merger? The company? Hurry, Lennon,” I tell her and she nods her head a few times.

  The unicorn van screeches to a halt in front of the white tents and the entire crowd is congregated around one ring, which means he’s fighting. I throw the door open, jump over the short fence and push my way through the masses of people.

  “Just go, I’ll catch up,” Lennon screams out but from the swearing going on behind me, I’m fairly sure she’s right on my heels, pushing strangers and stepping on their feet.

  I finally get to the front of the crowd. The fight has already started, but Lucas isn’t in the ring. Turning, I push my way out of the crowd and run toward the table with the brothers. The three are sitting there, drinking quietly, looking at my approach like I’m a crazy person.

  “Where’s Lucas?” I yell and Sammie cocks his head back. Todd and Derek stare straight ahead.

  “He’s out,” Sammie answers and my heart constricts like someone is squeezing it.

  “No.” I fall into the chair, my forehead banging on the table with limp arms at my sides. I feel the tears before the first one puddles on the table. Then another one and another. I’m so stupid and stubborn and stupid. How did I let him slip through my fingers?

  An arm wraps around my shoulders and Lennon sits next to me, telling me it’s going to be okay in my ear.

  “I ruined my chance,” I mumble.

  “Come on. Let’s go home.” Lennon waits for me to stand and then holds my crumbling body to hers. She helps me to her van and I’m about to climb in when a deep voice rings behind me.

  “Can we talk?”

  Lennon turns around faster than me, with a look of awe in her eyes. Lucas stands there and the pain inside intensifies knowing I’m too late.

  “I’ll talk to you in a bit,” she says, giving Lucas a quick hug before rounding the hood of the car.

  I step away and he leads me down the sidewalk to the spot where he did that first night.

  “Kiss and make up,” Lennon screams out her window before her tires squeal on the pavement and she and her unicorn van bolt out of the lot.

  Lucas chuckles. I really hope this ends well. Otherwise, I’ll be bumming a ride home with Sammie.

  “Did you lose?” I ask, staring down at my feet shuffling back and forth.

  “I didn’t fight.”

  I look up. “Because you’re leaving with the promoter. When do you fly out?” I tip my head to wipe the tears from my cheeks as discreetly as possible.

  “What?” he asks, his forehead scrunched. “What promoter?”

  I glance back to where Lennon was parked. “She said you were signing with a promoter and had to go overseas.”

  He smiles and rocks back on his heels, shaking his head. “No.”

  “She said you told her that you couldn’t stay in the same city as me. That if you saw me with another guy it’d shred you to pieces.” Fucking Lennon.

  He steps closer, the heat of his body warming mine. He cups the side of my face, his thumb whisking the tears away. “True, but I’m not sure I could ever stand to be very far away from you.”

  My shoulders fall and I close my eyes. Another tear escapes. “I’m sorry,” I mumble.

  “I didn’t catch that,” he says, and I stare up at him with tear-filled eyes.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Again? I must’ve been hit too many times in the ear.”

  I punch him lightly in the stomach.

  “I love you.”

  A full-wattage smile consumes his entire face. Oh, boy, I’ve never seen this particular smile, but I know I want to see more of it. My stomach flutters at the way he’s looking at me.

  Lucas wraps his arms around me and picks me up so that my feet dangle above the ground. “You’re positive you want to bet on me? I’m not the underdog this time.” He releases his grip and I slide down his hard body until my feet hit the concrete.

  “This time I think I’ll go for the sure thing.” I slide my hand behind his neck and pull him down to my mouth.

  Epilogue

  “Two bedrooms?” I ask. “Who’s sleeping in the other room?”

  Lucas has put his boxing gym on hold and has decided to work for Santora-Tavern Sausage and Meats until the merger is complete. He has no plans to stick around but he wants to be sure the company is in good hands so we have something worth leaving our kids one day. Cue the swooning, right?

  “A roommate.” He drops a box onto the kitchen counter and I wait for more information before I go ballistic.

  “Roommate?”

  “You didn’t think I could afford this place on my own, did you?” he asks, unfazed as he unpacks glasses and dishes.

  “Yes. I did.” I move to the guest room. Vacant. I open up the closet. Nothing.

  Two hands wrap around my waist and I swivel around between them to look into his eyes.

  “You’re joking?”

  He chuckles, his head rearing back. “Yes, I’m joking. I was thinking maybe you’d wan
t to keep some of your stuff here.”

  “In the second bedroom?” I ask, glancing around.

  “If that’s what you prefer?” He kisses my forehead, releases me and walks back into the kitchen.

  “You’re allowing me to have a dresser in the second bedroom?” I clarify. Since he only lives three floors up from me, I’m unsure of the point.

  Yes, he has decided to not only move to the building where I live, but one-upped me by view and square footage.

  He’s a jackass, but he’s my jackass.

  “Yeah,” he says and moves to the fridge and cracks open a beer.

  “So, tell me.” I climb up on the counter and he eases between my legs. I steal the beer from his hands, downing a swig. “Do you pay to be able to go to that speakeasy?” I ask. It’s one of the questions that keeps popping up in my head about the time when we were first together.

  “I do, yeah.”

  “Who is Benny?” I ask and he takes the beer to his lips, tilting it back.

  “My employee.” A smile crosses his lips and I shove him in the chest. He pretends to lose his footing, but comes back to me, dropping the beer on the counter, his hands finding my hips.

  “I swear, so many lies,” I say, not really upset about the issue. “Makes sense why the waiter was so nervous now.” I nod.

  “Poor guy. It was his first night and Benny told him who I was.” Lucas shakes his head as though he’s getting a real kick out of the kid’s reaction. “In my defense though, Benny is one of my best childhood friends.”

  “So, tell me the whole story again,” I say and he blows out a breath because I’ve asked him no fewer than ten times to take me through the time he left his house to now. How he made his money, how he paid for the gym, why boxing and why he’s willing to put it on hold.

  He kisses my nose. “You have a lifetime to ask me questions and if you knew everything about me right now, what excitement would there be in the future? So, my little OCD preparer, calm down and enjoy our ride.” His fingers move to my shirt, unbuttoning the top button.