How in the world would she get any sleep tonight? She responded quickly, but this should be the last one. He needed to go to bed, and she was serious when she said she didn’t want to be to blame for anything that might happen to him tomorrow due to his lack of sleep.
To: Sonny
From: Lila
Re: I can’t sleep!
You NEED to go to sleep and don’t tease me like that. I’m going to bed now and so should you. I look forward to chatting with you again tomorrow. Sweet dreams.
L
She sent it just as her sister walked into her room with her head in a towel and squinting because she wasn’t wearing her glasses. For once, Lila was glad for her sister’s bad eyesight because she’d been smiling so unlike her from ear to ear. She wasn’t ready to discuss this just yet. It still terrified her how fast and easily she was letting her walls down for this guy. If she told anyone, it would just make it more real. The way it stood now, if by chance she was being too hasty about this, too carelessly allowing herself to fall this fast, she might still be able to pretend it hadn’t been real.
“I heard they’re doing some kind of work-release program down at 5th Street. Is that true?”
Lila frowned. “I heard something about it too. Supposedly, they’re gonna be really stringent about who they let in. I personally don’t like it.”
“Why?”
“Because there are kids on the premises now. These are ex-cons we’re talking about.”
“That’s probably why they’re being so stringent, Lila, but everyone deserves a second chance.”
“I guess.” Lila smiled when she heard the ding on her phone, but she didn’t dare check it with Ali still in the room.
“You think maybe you can get me an interview with one of the owners? I think it’d make a good local news story. It might also help relieve any other locals feeling like you if I can get the specifics on just how stringent they’ll be.”
Remembering she still needed to talk to Gio about the possibility of getting back in the ring, she said she would. Ali was in her room a little while longer, telling Lila about the pompous editor of the paper at school. As much as it irritated her to hear about it, she was glad she’d made enough progress with her temper that her sister wasn’t afraid to share these kinds of things with her anymore as she was once.
“He’s just so arrogant.” Ali huffed. “But I’ll spare you the details. It’s not just me he’s like that with. He’s full of himself all around. Even the professor gets annoyed with him.”
“You don’t have to spare me anything, Ali.” Lila lifted her pinky for her sister to intertwine hers with. “Remember we can tell each other anything. I promise I won’t go down there and kick his ass.”
Ali laughed but put out her pinky, and they did their sister love thing. “I know, but it’s nothing big. The bad thing is he’s so damn good-looking. He just needs a paper bag to put over his personality.”
Lila laughed. “Where are your glasses?” she asked as her sister continued to squint.
“In the bathroom. I just need to make these lazy eyes work a few hours out of the day without those horrid bottle-cap glasses.”
Frowning, Lila hugged her sister. “We’ll get you contacts soon. I’m saving, I promise, because I may be getting another promotion.”
“Really?”
Lila wouldn’t dare mention fighting until it was a sure thing, but she nodded. “Yeah, some positions are opening up at the gym, and one of the owners mentioned it to me, so we’ll see.”
“Cool.” As usual, Ali smiled, big and proud. “But don’t worry about it if it doesn’t happen. I’m used to those stupid glasses. It’s no big deal.” She started out of the bedroom. “I’m getting cereal before I hit the hay. You want some?”
“No, I’m good. Thanks.”
The moment Ali was out of the room, Lila rushed to her phone still plugged to the charger and read the email from Sonny.
To: Lila
From: Sonny
Re: I can’t sleep!
At the risk of getting decked the next time I see you, I’ll just say, trust me, you’ll know when I’m teasing . . . and you’re gonna love it. Good night, beautiful. I’m three hours ahead of you, so expect to wake to emails. I’m sure I’ll wake thinking of you first thing.
S
How in the world was she supposed to sleep after reading that? But, thankfully, having been up since four that morning thinking of him, she knocked out quickly.
Chapter 8
The next several days were much like the first day after meeting Sonny. She’d wake, smiling big when she saw his emails, then walk around on a cloud the rest of the day, sneaking in responses to the emails he sent her all day. Then they’d chat at night on FaceTime, until Friday when she got out of the shower in the evening after a long day at work because she’d trained.
She’d spoken to Gio a few days prior, and, of course, he was all for trying again. As nervous as it’d made her, she’d started training at the beginning of the week, and it made her even more nervous that she was liking it. Though she made Gio promise her he wouldn’t get the other guys involved until she was sure she’d be going through with this. She wouldn’t be telling anyone about it until then too. Not Ali. Not even Sonny.
Expecting to settle down into a FaceTime chat with Sonny, she got a text from him instead.
Where are you?
Lila checked the time, wondering if maybe he hadn’t sent it in error. It’d been sent just ten minutes prior. But it wasn’t seven yet, their usual FaceTime “date” time, so he couldn’t be wondering why she wasn’t online yet. Still in her bathrobe, she responded, letting him know she was home, and waited. Not a minute later, she got another text.
Can I see you?
That confused her. Was he talking about FaceTime? It made her heart speed up, thinking he might mean in person, but he’d already explained he’d be on the road for weeks. So, she responded, telling him she could log on earlier since Ali wouldn’t be home tonight. She was spending the night at Jenny’s. They were still trying to crack the case at her college, but she’d promised she wouldn’t be chasing any trouble, just doing lots of research online. Her phone beeped again, and as usual, Lila’s heart and belly did what was the norm now when he sent her anything.
So, you’re alone?
Not sure if she should be alarmed or excited, she responded that she was, and his response was to ask if he could see her again. This time she responded, asking him where? Then her doorbell rang.
“No way,” she whispered, glancing up and toward the front room.
Feeling her heart nearly pummel through her chest, she didn’t even care that she was still in her bathrobe, wore no makeup, and her hair was wet. She rushed out to the front door and peeked out the front peep hole. It was him.
In. All. His. Fucking. Glory.
He stood just outside her door, holding flowers, looking more handsome and even bigger than she remembered. Lila did something she never thought she’d do for as long as she lived. She squealed like a school girl. Muffling the unexpected and ridiculous sound coming from her mouth, she opened the door. The moment it flew open, she was in his arms and then kissing him as ravenously as he kissed her.
He felt, smelled, and tasted as amazing as she remembered. “Oh, my God,” she said breathlessly when they finally came up for air and remembered she was still completely naked under her bathrobe.
They moved into her apartment and closed the door; then he spun her around against her front door. Despite her body being on fire already just like the night she first made out with this man, she was mindful that, technically, she still didn’t know this man all that well. She’d just let a guy she’d known under a week into her apartment where he could have his way with her if he pleased, and there’d be no one to stop him. But, Jesus, not even she’d be willing to.
In spite of how unbelievable it felt to be in his arms again, a part of her couldn’t help but feel nervous. Since when was she this girl? It’d b
een just over a week since she’d met him, and here she was falling all over herself for him. But then there was no denying what he did to her. His mouth devoured hers with the same desperate desire and enthusiasm she was feeling. “Why?” She shook her head, pulling back to look in his eyes. “How are you here?”
“I’m passing through,” he said even as his big hands ran up and down the outside of her robe, feeling her up, and God damn it, she allowed it again. Every nerve ending in her body was alive and begging her to encourage more. “I have to be in San Diego tomorrow morning,” he explained breathlessly as he licked her lips. “My flight should’ve gone straight there tonight, but I got a connecter just to stop here for a couple of hours because I had to see you.”
He sucked her lips then moved down her chin and neck. What the hell was she doing? If she let him open her robe, she’d be his. There was no way she’d have the will to put a stop to this. She wanted him so bad at that moment.
“I have thirty minutes, babe,” he said, moving down her neck, and she let him open the top part of her robe.
Thirty minutes? This was torture, but at the same time, the voice in her head was screaming this was for the best and Lila somehow found the strength to bring a hand between them even as his mouth moved downward and took her nipple in his mouth.
Jesus Christ!
“Tell me to stop,” he said breathlessly even as he continued to suck, “if this is too much. I swear I was just hoping to see you for a few minutes.”
Lila had to dig deep to find every single ounce of strength in her not to wrap her legs around him and beg him to fuck her, right there against the door.
“Don’t stop,” she said breathlessly, loving his hands and mouth on her breasts. It almost hurt to add the next part, but she had to. “But we can’t do more.”
It was in that instant that he moved to her other breast and her robe fell open entirely.
“Fucking hell!” He groaned, bringing his hand behind her even as he continued to suck her tits and both hands grabbed her naked ass. “I swear to you, Lila,” he said against her breasts, “this was not what I had in mind when I thought I’d stop by between flights.” Just as Lila began to feel ashamed over her reaction to him, he added, “But fuck if I’m not glad I did now. Already this stop is so much better than I envisioned it all day when I decided I’d surprise you. I won’t stop thinking about this until I see you again.”
Her entire naked body was exposed to him now, and he did nothing but suck her breasts and squeeze her ass. Marcelo would’ve totally begged if not demanded more. Hell, most men would. Yet as hard as she could feel Sonny was against his pants, he didn’t push for any further.
It was frenzied. It was wild. It was such a fucking turn on. It was beyond any torture Lila could imagine not to do anymore, and still when the time came, he ended it, as much as her entire body burned for more.
“I gotta go.” His words were pained. “My plane leaves in just a half hour, but I had to stop and see you.” His hands moved up from her body to her face and cupped it. “Lila.” He shook his head, staring into her eyes. “What the fuck?”
She laughed, only because she knew exactly what he was feeling and didn’t know how to explain it either. Yet it scared the hell out of her. He hugged her tight, and she loved feeling his hard body against hers, knowing it was still completely exposed and shamefully, if he wanted it, she’d be more than willing. Hell, she was so close—too close—to giving into the temptation and begging him to stay.
“Tomorrow,” he said, kissing her again and trailing his fingers down her naked body and stopping just inches away from her hot, wet, and already throbbing need. “Tomorrow night will you show me online what might someday be mine?” He stopped and gazed in her eyes with a cautious expression. “Please?”
“Yes!” God, she’d never felt so weak. She was this close to showing him now. “Yes, I will.”
Moving her feet off something she’d been stepping on, it was only then that she realized the flowers he’d brought for her were smashed beneath their feet. “The flowers!” She looked down. “Oh, my God, they were so beautiful. “She glanced up again when he cupped her face. “And I’ve never had anyone bring me flowers.”
His face brightened. “Really? So, I’m your first?”
Lila nodded, drowning in his eyes and not wanting to pull her naked body away from him. “Yeah, you’re my first.”
At least in the sending flowers department he was. “Good to know, baby girl.” He sucked her tongue. His lips then went back down to her breasts, making her feel like a puddle as he pulled away. “I hate to go, but I have to, or I won’t make it on time to my good friends’ kids’ Baptism tomorrow. And I’m the godfather; otherwise, so help me God, I’d stay here all night and suck parts of you that would still keep me from doing more than you’re allowing. But trust me, I’ll still die a happy man if my life ended after this.”
Lila smiled, even if she did hate that he had to leave. It was her only opportunity to pretend she wouldn’t let him take her right then and there. “You’ll email me first thing in the morning?” she asked even as she shamelessly quivered from the sensation of his lips on her lips. “Even with the Baptism going on?”
He finished suckling then came up and kissed her so long and deep it made her even wetter. “Baby!” he said breathlessly as he pulled away from her lips, “I’ll email you during the ceremony. You’re all I’ll be thinking about anyway.”
That made her laugh against his lips. He kissed her deep again then pulled away and gazed in her eyes with that strange but almost annoyed expression. “How the hell am I supposed to get through the next few weeks with this on my mind?”
Lila’s heart pounded, her mind still struggling to understand her unbelievable reaction to seeing him tonight. “Surprise me again?”
Sonny smiled, nodding as he cradled her face sweetly, then kissed her again softly, tenderly, and oh so deeply Lila felt her heart swell, until he finally pulled away with an agonized groan. Then he was gone.
She stood there, her back against the door, still breathless and very tingly—so tingly she was tempted to alleviate the tortured state Sonny had left her in. But she didn’t. Instead, she closed her eyes, smiling and trying to push away the sudden fear in her heart. As much as she’d been trying to deny it all week, that it was way too soon to be falling for him the way she could feel herself falling, after tonight, there was no way she could possibly deny it.
Lila was no saint, but she knew there was no way she would’ve ever allowed a guy to do so much this soon—see her completely naked and suck her breasts—unless she’d been utterly crazy about him. She could argue all she wanted that, technically, she didn’t let him do more, but she knew damn well the only reason for that was that he couldn’t stay longer. She’d been so ready to let him, and it scared the life out of her.
Sonny had kept his promise that weekend about emailing and calling every chance he could. Unfortunately, she’d yet to keep her promise to him about showing her what he’d asked. She just hadn’t had a moment when she was someplace she could do it in private. Doing it at work was out of the question, and Ali had been home all week at the same time Lila had.
She was actually glad Sonny hadn’t been pushing for it. In fact, she’d been the one to bring it up each time that she wasn’t alone, and he knew what that meant.
A few other things had changed since, after the night of his visit, this had suddenly become very real. Ali knew about him now. As much as Lila had tried to make less of it than it really was, Sonny had sent her flowers several times now. There was no hiding the fact that she was pretty much in a relationship. Ali was excited for her. But the reality of this now was still a bit overwhelming.
Their emails, texts, and even FaceTime conversations had taken on a more sexual tone after that first quick stop he’d made at her place. In a matter of just a few weeks, her life seemed to be spiraling with changes. She’d since agreed to train again and had been doing so for we
eks now; although she still wasn’t telling anyone about that yet.
So far, it’d been just that, nothing but training on the bags and her footwork. The weeks had flown with a couple of more surprise visits Sonny had made that had all been as quick and dirty as the first. If they’d been even slightly longer, she would’ve given him much more than just the heavy petting and letting him have his way with her breasts. It still scared her almost breathless to think she was this close to being in an all-out sexual relationship with a man she now knew she was crazy about.
Then it happened. Just like his surprise visits, it was fast and dirty, yet at the same time as thrilling as it was terrifying. After getting off the phone with Ali, who’d called to let her know she was going to be a little late, Lila got ready.
She answered Sonny’s FaceTime call, wearing her robe—and nothing else. He seemed surprised at first; then it appeared to dawn on him. “What’s under the robe?”
Lila’s heart thundered, but she could already feel how instantly wet she’d gotten just thinking about what she was about to do. “Nothing,” she said, feeling her face warm.
Sonny sat up straighter on the sofa. Sinking her teeth onto her bottom lip, she started to undo the tie on her robe because she knew she was pressed for time. Lila had moved her nightstand a bit so she could position her laptop on it while she sat on the edge of her bed.
“My sister and her friend had a taco truck craving, so she called to say she’d be a little late,” Lila explained, still unable to believe she was doing this.
But then this was what Sonny had been doing to her since day one, bringing out the side of her she hadn’t even been aware existed. “She’s only stopping to grab something to eat; then she’s taking Jen back to her place and heading home. So, she won’t be too long. I don’t have too much time, sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Sonny said quickly, his eyes already taking her in completely. “Just make it fast.”
As she let the robe open slowly, Sonny groaned. “Swear to God you’re gonna make me jump on a fucking plane right now.”