Page 14 of Falling for the Knockout

“I don’t know,” she said, “I guess I overheard Rocco and Luca joking around that the old ball and chain was keeping you from being able to go out with them to have some fun.”

“You mean last night when they were over?” he asked. She nodded and he pulled her into his arms.

“My hands are doughy,” she mumbled into his shirt.

“I don’t give a shit,” he insisted. “If you would have heard the other part of that conversation, I told them that you aren’t a ball and chain and that even if I could leave the house, I would rather be at home with you any night over hanging out with those two idiots. Then, I reminded them that I was prepping for my next fight, and I couldn’t have the type of fun that they were talking about anyway.”

“Oh,” she breathed into his neck. “You would really rather be home with me than out with your friends?”

“One hundred percent,” he admitted.

“You don’t have to say that, Tony,” she said, “and I’m sorry that I worried you. I promise to follow the rules from here on out.”

“I’m not saying it to make you comply with the rules, honey. I’m saying it because it’s the truth.” He tucked his finger under her chin and lifted her face to his. Tony sealed his lips over hers and she sighed into his mouth. Every time he kissed her felt like it was the first time, and Aurora wondered if that would ever change.

“If you decide that you don’t want to be stuck at home with me, you’ll let me know, right?” Aurora whispered.

“That’s never going to happen,” he insisted.

She covered his lips with her hand, “But if it does, you’ll tell me, right?” she asked again.

He pulled her hand from his mouth and nodded, “I promise honey,” he agreed. “But it’s not going to happen. I know that you might not be ready to hear this from me yet, but I care about you, Aurora.” She more than cared about Tony. She was falling in love with him, but there was no way that she’d tell him that now. No, she was going to keep that secret to herself.

“I care about you too,” she breathed, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He gently kissed her again, and she knew that if he ever tired of her, it would break her heart, but she loved Tony enough to let him go if it came to that.

Anthony

Tony woke to the sound of someone pounding on his front door and he grumbled about the guys wanting to spar too early in the damn morning. They had both left at around two in the morning, so why the hell would they already be back for another bout at six? The guys knew that Mondays were his and Aurora’s only day off. The bakery was closed on Monday—something he hoped to extend to Tuesdays too, but Aurora insisted that they needed to stay open six days a week, and for now, he’d let her win that argument.

He pulled on a pair of gym shorts, not bothering with a shirt, and ran down to answer the door before it woke up Aurora. “What the hell, guys,” he growled, pulling the door open. Instead of finding Rocco and Luca standing on the other side, he found Jonesy and he had to admit, the guy looked pretty chipper for it being only six in the morning. He wasn’t a morning person. Hell, that was an understatement. Jonesy was an ass in the morning, and dealing with him was something that Tony tried to avoid at all costs.

“Why are you standing on my doorstep at six in the morning, Jonesy?” Tony asked, wiping sleep from his eyes.

“You should ask me in,” Jonesy insisted. “I have news and you’re going to want to hear it.”

“Come on in,” Tony mumbled. He made his way back to the kitchen and turned on the coffee pot. If he was going to have to deal with Jonesy, he was going to need coffee.

“Does this news have anything to do with your odd, good mood?” Tony asked, pulling down two mugs.

“What are you talking about? I’m always in a good mood, Tony,” Jonesy insisted. He was so serious that Tony couldn’t help his laugh.

“Okay, whatever you need to believe, Jonesy. So, what’s this news that had you running over here to wake me up at six? You do know that Mondays are our only day to sleep in?”

“I know—don’t be such a baby. It’s not that early. Hell, it's practically lunchtime,” Jonesy teased. Aurora stepped into the kitchen wearing his T-shirt. She yawned and stretched, and it took everything in him not to walk across the room, pull her into his arms, and kiss her senseless. There was something about her in the early morning that did strange things to his libido.

“What’s with all the noise?” Aurora asked.

“Jonesy stopped by,” Tony said as in way of explanation.

“I can see that,” Aurora sassed. “Good morning, Jonesy,” she said.

“Morning,” Jonesy said, helping himself to coffee.

Aurora smiled and shook her head at him. “I’m just wondering why Jonesy is here so early on a Monday,” she said.

“Yeah, I’m trying to figure that out too,” Tony admitted.

“I have news,” Jonesy said.

---