Page 104 of Crazy In Love
Her beautiful eyes flicker with humor. “In my apartment. Together. Me in a pretty dress, and you in an exceptionally dapper suit. Whispering sweet words and kinda meaning them. I’m also dreading going out there.” She drags her lip between her teeth. “Into the real world. Which is weird, since I’m the one who usually needs larger spaces and packed rooms.”
I wrinkle my nose in exaggerated disdain. “Can’t relate.”
“And then, once this is done…” Her eyes dim just a little, from sweet delight to something sadder. “Once today is over, we’re on the countdown to my flight.”
“Can you extend your leave and stay a little longer?”
She exhales a soft, smiling breath. “My flight is already booked, and my boss is expecting me back in the office a week from Monday.”
“So soon.” I hate that it hurts. I hate that she hates Plainview so much. Fuck, I hate that I can’t find a way out of this without breaking one of us. “We’re gonna hang out the whole time, right? From now until you’re on that plane.”
“I have a week.” She drags her thumbnail beneath my lips, cleaning away her lipstick. “I intend to spend every single minute of it with you. And with Alana and the kids. I refuse to waste any of it.”
“Sleep at my house every night?” I kiss her again.Fuck the lipstick. “Or I’ll sleep here. I don’t even care if we sleep at the gym or in the back of my truck. But I care that I’m wherever you are.”
“You gotta bank those hours,” she teases. “Not to sound arrogant or anything, but I noticed your ability to sleep a full eight hours when we share a bed.”
Don’t I fucking know it.
“I wonder if the curse is broken,” she ponders. “Maybe you’ll be able to sleep now, even after I’m gone.”
Doubt it. The curse is mine to carry from now until I’m dead. Or until I find a Fox I get to keep.
“Listen…” Why does my heart pound so damn hard? Why does telling her the truth feel like I’m about to ruin a perfectly good day?Because guys like me don’t get to keep women like her.And yet, I can’t let go of my hope completely. To do so would be akin to drowning… and letting it happen. “Later, when the party stuff is winding down…”
She searches my eyes. Curious. Sweet. “Mmm?”
“I wanted to talk to you about something. It’s kind of important.”
“Oh…kay.” Her brows furrow with concern. “You wanna talk about it right now?”
“Nah.” I empty my lungs, my exhale pushing strands of her hair back. “This is Alana’s day. And Hazel’s.”
“And Franky’s, too.”
I chuckle. “Bet hehatesit. Wearing an uncomfortable outfit, and shoes that are kinda tight and stiff. The tie will irritate his neck, and his hair will feel weird, because Alana probably smooshed gel in it to keep it neat.”
Amused, she touches the top of my hair;gelled. “I promise, Alana’s aware of the sacrifices Franky’s making today. She’ll know how hard he’s working, and how desperately he wants to escape to where no one can see him.” She steps onto her toes and presses a gentle kiss to the very corner of my lips. “People who love people, know and appreciate their efforts.” Lowering again, she drops her hand and twines our fingers together. “Ready to go?”
“Yep.” I pull her away from the wall and clear enough space to open the door, then leading her onto the stairs, I keep her hand in mine all the way to the bottom. All the way across the shop. To the door. And then across the threshold.
But as soon as we step outside and onto the public sidewalk, she tugs her hand free, smiling to soften the blow of her rejection, then she tucks her purse under her arm and holds her dress off the ground instead. “Time to go. You’re in charge of whispering everyone’s names in my ear, too. There’s no way in hell I’ll know who they are.”
“Bold of you to assume I know them.” I lead her around my truck and hold the door for her to climb in, then I close it again and jog to my side. “I’ve probably even met most of them. But assuming I listened when they told me their name is presumptuous of you.”
She giggles, setting her purse on the chair under her thigh as she pulls her seatbelt on. “We’ll figure it out. I have faith in us.”
“Holy shit! That’s Bobby freakin’ Kincaid!” Fox bounces on my left, trembling with feral fangirl energy as the former world fucking champion, a legend amongst the fight world, approaches the front door of the gym with a bombshell blonde on his arm. “You don’t even have to tell me his name,” she whisper-hisses. “He was on the front cover ofeverymagazine oneverynewsstand I walked past foryears. Hi. Hello.” She extends her hand, squeaking when he shakes it. “Welcome to the Love & War gym.”
“Thanks for having us.” The dude is only in his forties. Top end, but still. He hung up his gloves a while ago, which means he no longer competes for the belt, but his gym is as alive and pumping as ours. His workout regime, as consistent and brutal as ever.
He’s considered old in the fight world. But in therealworld, where we are right now, he’s fit, jacked, and not to be trifled with.
He releases Fox’s hand and draws his wife forward. Word on the street is, even after all these years, a handful of kids, and a grandkid or two on theway, he’sstillobsessed with her. “We were honored to receive an invitation,” he murmurs. “Surprised,” he adds with a playful smirk. “But pleased.”
“We’re honored you accepted.” Fox fangirls for Kit Kincaid, too. Bobby isn’t the only fighter in his marital bed. “I won’t lie. When Cliff told me who he’d invited, I might’ve wet my pants a little.”
“Cliff?” Confused, Bobby glances around. “Who the hell is Cliff?”
