Page 73 of The Naughty List
He palms the side of my face and my eyes fall closed as I savor his touch. I’ve missed it even more than I realized.
“Do you want me to call this off?”
I open my eyes and look into his. “Do you want to call it off?”
He shakes his head. “No. I don’t. But that’s not the point. I should’ve talked to you. I should’ve been honest about my feelings. The truth is, I was fucking terrified. Training and agreeing to take this fight was a cake walk compared to staying and dealing with what was happening between us. So I bailed. And I will regret that every day for the rest of my life.”
My mind struggles to process his words. “So, wait. You’re more scared of me than of that huge guy out there that wants to beat your beautiful face in?”
The right side of his mouth lifts. “I’m more scared of you, and of losing you, than anything in this entire world.”
“Why?” My voice comes out a whisper but he hears me.
He places his forehead against mine. “Because I have never needed anyone the way I need you. Because I’ve never fallen asleep thinking about someone and woke up thinking about her and had thoughts in the middle of the day I couldn’t wait to tell her. Everything is better with you. Everything has been better since you.”
I can’t contain the grin spreading across my face. “I need you too, Jonah.” He takes my chin in his hand and part of me needs his kiss like I need oxygen.
“You are what’s good in my life, Hollis. You’re what’s good in me.”
His eyes are soft when he leans in to place his lips on mine. But I hold a finger up between us, effectively blocking him.
“It’s not midnight yet.”
He blanches visibly at the rejection and I feel bad. “Say what now?”
“It’s New Year’s Eve.” I give him a mischievous grin. “I want my kiss at midnight, Jonah. I want you to go out there, fight for us, for the kids at the home, and kick that guy’s ass. Then I want you, bruised, bleeding, sweaty, whatever, to kiss me at midnight.”
He huffs out a loud breath. “You’re really going to make me wait?”
I nod. “I need insurance. You need motivation to not take too many hits to the face. Kiss me at midnight and I will come home with you tonight and kiss all your boo-boos. All night long. Win or lose.”
He doesn’t hesitate this time.
“Deal.”
* * *
“I thinkI’m going to throw up,” I tell Addi and my brother once I make it to my seat.
Inside I’m still a swirling cyclone of messy emotions. Mikey raced us here through crazy traffic, then Jonah poured his heart out, now he’s in the cage in front of me about to brawl with a guy nearly twice his size.
“Please don’t,” Addi says. “This is a televised event and everyone we know is watching.”
Tony and Dad are watching with most of the neighborhood at the bar. Mom says she’s not watching at home, but we all know she is.
Jonah glances at me from his corner of the octagon and grins. At least, I think he grins. It’s hard to tell with the mouthpiece he has in.
“Midnight,” I mouth at him, pointing dramatically to my watch.
His eyes gleam under the lights.
“So the talk went well then?” Addi comments.
I nod, keeping my eyes on Jonah.
“But have you completed the list yet?”
“Uh, we’re getting there.” I jerk my chin toward my brother. “Mikey broke the law several times on the way here.”
