Shadowboxer (Tapped Out 1)

She was worth the world.

I opened my eyes again and retraced her steps, finally catching up with her when she was almost to her building. She moved fast, and too many people still wandered around even at this late hour. Gotta love New York.

She turned to go up her walk when she stopped, momentarily going still. Then she picked up her pace, obviously hoping to shake me off.

And like the puppy—or another double consonant word—I’d become, I followed her into her building.

Outside her door, she bowed her head, her body drooping from obvious exhaustion. The last of my anger drained away as if it had never existed.

Succumbing to instinct, I cupped her shoulders and pressed a kiss to the back of her neck. She’d braided her hair again and tossed the tail over one shoulder. I left my lips against that patch of bare skin above her jacket collar while I searched for the words to make this right.

“I didn’t mean what I said. I’m sorry.” I shut my eyes. “You’re worth everything. Let me show you, Mia.” My voice was deep and husky, the plea it held clear. I couldn’t even pretend not to care anymore.

She had me against the mat, both shoulders down. Her knee to my throat.

“You know we shouldn’t do this.” Her voice sagged, breaking at the end.

“I know.”

She blew out a long breath. “Then why are you here?”

My fingers tightened around her shoulders. For as long as I could hold on, I would. “Because I can’t stay away.”

Again she made that soft hum in her throat, the one that made me want to burrow into her and never leave. Then she fitted her key into the lock and pushed open the door to madness.

Music played from the old-fashioned boom box on the coffee table, though maybe music was an optimistic label for the sounds erupting from the speakers. Carly and Kizzy sat on either side of the table, about two inches from the noise, a circle of playing cards fanned out between them.

“Hit me, bitch.” Kizzy grabbed her beer.

Carly dealt cards with a flick of her wrist. Then she lifted a matching beer to her lips, only to have it plucked out of her hand by Mia before it made contact with her mouth.

“Hey,” she protested as Mia marched it over to the sink. “That’s almost full.”

“Not anymore it’s not.” Mia poured the beer down the drain. “You are not permitted to drink until you turn twenty-one. Do you understand me, Carly Ann?”

Carly rolled her eyes and took a quick drink off Kizzy’s beer while Mia’s back was turned. “Yes, Mom.”

Mia stiffened before her head dropped between her shoulders again. That was twice in five minutes I’d seen her in that pose and I didn’t like it. She wasn’t the type to let fatigue slow her down. And she was fighting someone twice her size tomorrow?

Jesus.

I’d taken a step toward her when she whirled around and threw back her shoulders. She walked over and turned off the music, then propped a hand on her hip.

“I’m not your mother, but you will respect me while you’re under my roof. If you can’t do that, then maybe we need to rethink the plan for our living arrangements.”

Carly frowned and lowered her gaze. “I respect you. I’m sorry.”

“Damn.” Kizzy shook her head. “Can you be my mommy too? I wasn’t even that well-behaved in kindergarten.”

Mia cut Kizzy a sharp look, then did a doubletake. Guess she hadn’t noticed her before, though how anyone could miss that room-dominating, wild-haired blonde I’d never know. Mia’s gaze shot to me and back again as she lifted to her thumb to her mouth. Must be gnawing on her nail again. “What are you doing here?”

“Hanging with your sis. She’s a fun chick.” Kizzy leaned forward to clink bottles then paused with hers in the air. “Jeez, Car, get a chocolate milk or something so we can toast proper.”

Carly scrambled to her feet as Kizzy dug a hair tie out of her suitcase-sized purse. She got approximately half her hair in the ponytail then gave up and started drinking again.

I sprawled in the single armchair, wincing a little at the spring jabbing into my ass. Thankfully Mia didn’t notice. She was too busy directing all her attention at Kizzy.

“Yeah, okay, but how did you know Carly was staying with me?”