Our lips touch and I’m instantly ignited again. As I suck her bottom lip between my teeth, her arms tighten around me, pulling her body closer to mine. Even after the gruesome workout I’ve had this morning, I’m sure I can find some spare energy for another round with her.
Just as I’m about to take her right here where we stand, she pulls back away from me. Her breathing is rapid, her chest quickly rising and falling, and her lips are red and slightly swollen from our passionate kiss. She’s no less affected than I am and that makes me want her even more.
“Luke, you have to eat, babe.”
“Always so worried about me,” I smirk. “I’m a big boy, ya know?”
“Oh yes, I definitely know. But I still have to take care of you.”
Some things will never change. One of those things is Andi’s need to take care of me, even though she’s very petite and I’m a former street fighter who’s training to be a professional boxer. It’s comical but she takes it very seriously, and she asks for so little from me that I can’t deny her this one thing.
“Whatever you say, Andi,” I concede, and she leads the way to the kitchen.
Once my plate is filled with the exact foods she knows my body needs, I dig in and suddenly realize how hungry I really am. After I devour everything in record time, I notice that Andi is chewing on her fingernail as she looks at me pensively.
“You want to tell me what’s going on now?” I ask pointedly.
Replacing her finger with her lip, she aggressively chews on it while apprehension fills her eyes. She knows me well enough to know nothing will change my love for her, so her anxiety is more than concerning to me. What topic would make her so nervous?
“You know I love you. Right?”
“Yes, I do.” Eyeing her suspiciously, I purposely remain silent and make her fill in the silence.
“And you know that there’s nothing that can change my love for you. Right?”
“Yes.”
“So, then you know you have nothing to be jealous over. Right?”
Jealous?
“Why would I be jealous, Andi?”
“Because I know you, and I know how you think, Luke. Even though we’ve been through enough together, your mind still goes to the worst possible scenario.”
“Worst possible scenario of what exactly?”
Sighing heavily, she takes my hand in hers, effectively sealing our connection. Clever little minx.
“You know I’ve been doing public service announcements with Travis, and we’ve recorded a couple of short promo songs to go with them,” she begins.
“Yes. And?”
“I’ve been asked to go on tour with his band early next year. Actually, it starts in mid-January and ends around the end of May. They offered me the spot of the first opening act. My show would be short, but I would go back onstage later with Sound Bar to sing a few songs with Travis. I’ve tentatively said I’d go.”
So, this is what all her questions about love and trusting her have been about. She’s been planning to go on tour with Travis Malone, the current reigning rock god who’s wanted by every woman in the country between the ages of puberty and death. She’s already had conversations with someone about this and has already agreed to go, without even talking to me about it first.
But then, I can’t really fault her for that since I’ve done the same damn thing. But, my situation is significantly different than hers. I won’t be touring with some other woman who is obviously infatuated with me like Travis is with Andi. She denies he is, but I can see it plain as day.
Actually, I initially assumed that Andi would come with me to Vegas since she’s been Mack’s right hand for the last several years. She’s helped several fighters, including me, with the techniques and training to make us the best boxers around. Mack’s friend won’t allow it, though, which gave me another reason for not telling her sooner. Knowing that she’s been making other plans behind my back with Travis Malone doesn’t sit well with me at all.
All these thoughts are running through my head as she sits waiting for a reaction and response from me. Honestly, I don’t know how to fucking react to this. Tell her she can’t do something she obviously loves? No, she’s not mine to command like that. Ask her not to go, to come with me instead? That would be selfish of me. Although, I don’t deny that I am selfish when it comes to her.
“Luke, say something,” she prompts.
“I don’t really know what to say, Andi.” I exhale a quick huff.
“Tell me what you’re thinking then. Let’s talk through it.”
