The Boxer (Modern Love Book 2)
Page 21
“Lucas, you have a truck downstairs with boxes and furniture,” I remind him, my fingers pushing through his long strands.
“That was all for show. I hired movers.” Another button is undone from my shirt.
“What?” I scream and pry his lips off my neck.
“I’m kidding. It only takes me five minutes to ravish your body.” He bites his bottom lip and slides me to the edge of the counter.
“Why don’t we christen our new bedroom?”
He grabs my ass and I wrap my legs around his waist. “Our?” he asks as he walks us there.
“You don’t have to be shy. Go ahead and ask.” I smile and he lays me down on the floor.
“These are the rules. One dresser, half a bed, one sink, one chair, we have to share the shower and tub, half the closet. But you can do all the housework and cooking that you want.”
“Aw, really? You’re so sweet,” I say with a saccharine smile.
He nods then laughs. “Keep it coming.”
I smack his shoulder. “Ask me for real,” I say, my face growing serious as he eases his body over the top of mine.
He leans up and positions himself on his elbow. “Tahlia Santora, will you move in and complain about my dirty clothes on the floor, the crusted dishes in the dishwasher, and my shaving remnants in the sink?” I laugh and shake my head at him, waiting for the serious part to come. “All right. Come on.” He stands and holds his hand out for me, then plucks me up off the floor.
He stops me in the kitchen and hands me a small brown box. I open it up and inside there lies the key to his apartment.
“Tahlia, this is your key. I’d like you use it every day and night and I’d really love if it was the only house key on your key ring. But, if you feel it’s too soon, then keep it and use it whenever you want. Surprise me.” He smiles. “I’d love nothing more than to be here when you get home or vice versa. To have dinner ready for you or vice versa. I want to share every part of my life with you.”
I smile, holding the piece of metal in my palm.
“Put those movers on speed dial.” I throw myself into his arms and cast kisses all over his face. “They’ve got an apartment three floors down to pack up.” I place a chaste kiss on his lips and then draw back to look at him, my expression serious. “We share all responsibilities except I make the coffee.”
“Deal.” He nods and I hug him tight.
The next morning, we’re waiting outside the diner across from Lucas’ old apartment with Whitney and Cole.
“This is the place, huh?” Whitney asks, leaning her back on the glass wall, waiting to get in.
“This is it,” I answer and we all step forward as the line moves.
“What is it with us and lines?” Lucas’s hands wrap around my waist from behind me. He kisses my neck.
“I guess it gives us times to sneak kisses,” I respond, turning my head so he can plant one on my lips.
“Where’s Lennon?” Cole asks, probably surprised it’s only the four of us. She’s been our fifth wheel for months now.
“I’m not sure, but I think it’s something sketchy,” Whitney mentions. “She had the devil in her eyes today.”
“You should know, my lead investigative reporter friend.” I smile, which only spurs on her happiness about her recent promotion.
“Oh, Tahl told me. Congratulations, Whitney,” Lucas adds, his hands never leaving my body. Something I’ve become addicted to.
“Thanks.” She blushes and Cole bends over and kisses her temple, pulling her to his side. “You know, Lucas, you have a lot to celebrate, too.”
I stare up at Lucas, admiring him as his face morphs into the epitome of a man who has everything.
“Well, it’s been a long road and I’m going to miss boxing, but my body just doesn’t heal like it used to. Once everything is sorted out with the sausage company I’ll focus on the gym. I think I’d like to expand.”
When Lucas put boxing on hold and decided to work for Santora-Tavern Sausage and Meats, to say I was uneasy with it would be a severe understatement. We’re taking it one day at a time, but deep down I know he’s not Chase. He’ll be there for maybe a year and then move on to pursue his passion.
Finally, we’re seated and seconds later a cinnamon roll gets placed on our table and we all laugh.
“Are you going to flee now?” Whitney jokes.
“No. I’m not going to flee,” I bite out.
“I didn’t give her the parting gift this morning.” Lucas continues the joke and I narrow my eyes at all of them.
Cole raises his hands. “Hey, I didn’t say anything.”
I point to him. “You are my only friend at this table.”
Whitney slides the cinnamon roll over to her and forks off a huge bite.
“Whit?” Cole questions.
She doesn’t even wait to chew and swallow. “I’ve waited months for them to share this place with me. I’ve earned first dibs.” She forks another piece, swallowing. “Oh, my God, this is so good. You get second, babe.” She holds it in front of his mouth and he opens.
Lucas raises his hand for the waitress and a minute later she drops off another one to our table.
“Lucas, these are amazing.” Whitney takes another forkful as Cole’s eyes glaze over into a sugar coma.
“Thanks, Lucas. I’m going to have to drive down here all the time now,” he says.
“No worries, Cole. Lucas will join you.” Whitney and I laugh, each digging into our cinnamon rolls.
Both our phones ding at the same time and it’s a text from Lennon.
Lennon: HELP! SOS.
Whitney and I look at one another as the two guys talk about baseball or some other sport that I don’t follow.
Me: Calm down. What is it?
Lennon: You’re never going to believe this.
Whitney: What?
Lennon: Seriously, I thought I could handle anything, but
Me: What?
Whitney: What?
Lennon’s text appears on our phones and we both look at one another.
“Oh. My. God,” I say and the phone drops from my hands.
“Holy shit,” Whitney seconds.
The two guys look over and our phones chime again.
Lennon: See!!! I’m fucked!
Want Lennon’s story?
CLICK HERE for The Banker
Did you miss Whitney and Cole’s story in The Bartender?
Don’t fret, CLICK HERE.
About the Author
Piper Rayne, or Piper and Rayne, whichever you prefer because we’re not one author, we’re two. Yep, you get two established authors for the price of one. You might be wondering if you know us? Maybe you’ll read our books and figure it out. Maybe you won’t. Does it really matter?
We aren’t trying to stamp ourselves with a top-secret label. We wanted to write without apology. We wanted to not be pigeon holed into a specific outline. We wanted to give readers a story without them assuming how the story will flow. Everyone has their favorite authors, right? And when you pick up their books, you expect something from them. Whether it’s an alpha male, heavy angst, a happily ever after, there’s something you are absolutely certain the book will contain. Heck, we’re readers, too, we get it.
What can we tell you about ourselves? We both have kindle’s full of one-clickable books. We're both married to husbands who drive us to drink. We're both chauffeurs to our kids. Most of all, we love hot heroes and quirky heroines that make us laugh, and we hope you do, too.
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Piper Rayne
Acknowledgments
Thank you times a million!
Thank you for betting on the underdog and loving The Bartender, so much, that you carried through to The Boxer. We are grateful to all the bloggers and readers who have reached out to us and shared their love of the characters we adore. We cannot thank all our f
aithful unicorns enough!
This is kind of like a DITTO to The Bartender, but what can we say, our team worked out so great the first time around, why change. We could not have written this book, or enticed you to one-click it without the following people. Every Piper Rayne team member has contributed to making The Boxer the great read it is.
Djordje Grbic, our Cover Designer
RJ Locksley, our Editor
Behind the Writer, our Proof Reader
Linda Russell, our PR from Sassy Savvy Fabulous
Give Me Books, our promotional company
Blogs, who carved out scheduling time to promote us and/or read and review the book
IndieSage PR - Our Web Designer
Michelle New - Our graphic gal
Type A Formatting - Formatting the paperback
And, of course …
we can’t forget …
because without our other half, there’d be no book…
Piper (from Rayne) - for doing half the work.
Rayne (from Piper) - for doing half the work.
Thank you again for all the support on our new venture! It means the world to us.
xoxo
Piper & Rayne
Also by Piper Rayne
The Modern Love World
The Bartender
The Boxer (Coming 3.1.17)
The Banker (Coming 4.6.17)