Love Resisted (The Real Love Series)

by Codina, Melanie

  Mike replied, “No worries, good night, son.”

  After he heard Zane close his door, he turned his attention back to Allie. Smiling, he said, “So, my sexy little assassin, who caught who?”

  She gave him a questioning look, so he rephrased. “Did you catch him sneaking in? Or did he catch you sneaking out?”

  Allie ducked her head, blushing, and gave him an apologetic look. “Both, I guess. I’d come down the stairs to leave, but for some reason I couldn’t. He surprised me as I was looking at your pictures.” She motioned toward the shelves where she had apparently been looking. “Sorry for being nosey.”

  His gaze shifted to see what she had been looking at. He asked, “Sorry? For what? I have no problem with you being curious about me.”

  “I felt like I was doing something wrong, lurking around your house while you slept.”

  “I’m glad you were lurking. It means you really didn’t want to leave, and I really like that,” he said as he stood up, keeping her cradled in his arms. Making his way toward the stairs, he stopped at the light switch and she turned it off before they made their way back toward his bedroom.

  Closing the door behind them, he set her down on the floor next to the bed and began to undress her. She put her hands up, questioning, “What about Zane?”

  Mike snorted a laugh. “Allie, he’s eighteen years old and no longer barges into my bedroom.” Moving her hands out of the way, he removed her top.

  “Well, duh, I know that. It’s just … we can’t when he’s here. It was already awkward running into him when it was obvious why I was here.” She spoke in an urgent whisper, even though she let him remove her shorts as she said it. He made quick work of his own shorts before pulling her naked body flush with his.

  “Allie, it’s okay. First of all, my son is not an idiot, so yes, he knows why you were here in the middle of night.” She groaned and dropped her head to his chest as he continued, “Secondly, if you weren’t trying to sneak out in the middle of the night, you wouldn’t have run into him, therefore making you this uncomfortable.”

  “Of course you had to go there. Touché, Lawson, touché,” she said on a groan.

  He laughed as he moved her toward the bed. Lifting the sheet, he watched as she turned and crawled under it. The sight of her backside taunting him and assisted in the southbound blood flow. Grabbing a condom, he slipped it on before sliding under the sheet behind her.

  Pressing his body firmly against her back, he lifted her leg and slid his hard length against her. She sighed and angled her head back against his chest as he said, “And thirdly, I really don’t care what my son thinks, because we both know this is where you belong, Allie.”

  He quickly and deeply thrust inside her body, as if to prove his point. She let out a gasp before turning her head into the pillow as he proceeded to show her just how much she did belong there.

  ALLIE woke to an empty bed, which of course wasn’t unusual for her, but it wasn’t her empty bed. Pulling the sheet to cover her, she sat up and glanced around the room. She had been a little preoccupied last night both times she’d entered the room, so she hadn’t noticed the décor. It was a simple, masculine room, done in deep blues, browns, and tans. The sleigh-style bed was a beautiful mahogany with clean lines, and a thick blue comforter was bunched up against the footboard. The dresser and night tables both matched the bed. The walls were tan and trimmed with a rich chocolate color to match the carpeting. The room was shaded from the morning sun by dark wood blinds, topped off by curtains the same shade as the comforter. A chair with matching ottoman sat next to the window.

  The room was simple, clean, comfortable, and it was exactly what she would’ve envisioned for Mike. Wondering where he was, she turned to his pillow and saw a note to her. It read: Making breakfast, come down if you wake up … I’ve got coffee.

  Smiling, she climbed out of bed to throw her clothes on for a second time. After a quick visit to the bathroom, she made her way downstairs. The smell of coffee and ham hit her nose as soon as she stepped out of the bedroom, making her stomach growl. As she got closer to the kitchen, she could hear Mike talking with Zane, and she suddenly felt like she was intruding on their time. When she heard Zane mention the party he left the night before, she really felt like she should wait to walk in.

  Hovering in the front room, just outside the kitchen, she couldn’t seem to find the right time to make an entrance. Spotting her keys on the floor near the ottoman, she moved to pick them up when Mike came around the corner. “Good morning, beautiful lady.”

  Jumping, she turned to him and asked, “Why is it that you always catch me by surprise?”

  He smiled and walked toward her. He was wearing a pair of athletic shorts and a white undershirt, and had slightly rumpled hair. Downright edible, she thought. Wasting no time, he swept her into his arms and kissed her on the lips before saying, “Maybe I always catch you when you’re up to no good.”

  Sucking in a breath, she playfully hit him on the chest. “That’s not true. I was not up to no good. I noticed my keys on the floor and went to pick them up.” Lowering her voice, she added, “I didn’t want to intrude on your conversation with Zane.”

  “That was very considerate of you, but if it was a private conversation, we wouldn’t have had it when you were here,” he said with a kiss on her forehead and a pat on her rear. “Hope you’re a breakfast person.”

  Grabbing her hand, they made their way into the kitchen together. Zane had just finished putting a platter of food on the table when he looked up, smiling at them. “Good morning, Allie. Ready for a rematch?”

  Allie sat in the chair Mike had pulled out for her as she shook her head. “Nice try, kid. Car washed first.”

  Zane grumbled as he sat, “Worth a shot.”

  She let out a laugh and took in the spread of food on the table. There was an insane amount of food, including eggs, ham, bacon, hash browns, and cinnamon rolls. Reaching for a cinnamon roll, she asked, “Do you guys normally eat this much?”

  Mike shrugged. “I wasn’t sure what you preferred, so I made a variety.” Once she plated her roll, Mike and Zane proceeded to serve themselves.

  As they started eating, silence filled the room for a few moments. Noting the lack of coffee, she searched the counter space behind her for the much-needed beverage. Standing up to retrieve it for them, Mike stood to help her pull her chair out. “Are we missing something? Tell me what you need, and I can get it.”

  Allie smiled and patted his arm. “Sit down and eat. I was just going to grab the coffee. Where are the cups?”

  “Oh, sorry, not sure how we forgot to put that on the table,” Mike said as he glanced at his son.

  Zane put his hands up in defense. “Don’t look at me. You were in charge of coffee this morning. I think you were distracted by all the meat you were cooking.”

  Snorting a laugh, she said, “I like meat.”

  Zane, quick to respond, added, “That’s what she said.”

  She stopped and looked at Zane. He had a smirk on his face as he stared back at her. She extended her fist for a bump, a look of admiration on her face. “Nicely delivered. I walked right into that one.”

  “You sure did,” he agreed, voice full of humor.

  Making her way to the cupboard, she asked, “Zane, you want a cup, too?”

  “Yes please.”

  Mike made his way to the fridge for cream. They met back up at the table and he pulled her chair out again. The three of them resumed eating as talk of Allie’s epic beat down of Zane the night before, the procedure of how Allie preferred her car be washed, and other plans for the weekend filled the room.

  Mike’s hand found Allie’s bare thigh and gave a small squeeze before resting comfortably there. Allie looked over at him and smiled as her hand dropped on top of his. At the moment, Allie couldn’t help but think that trying, for Mike, wasn’t really all that hard.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  MIKE felt his stomach rumble, which was
only magnified by the pressure of Allie’s head against it. She giggled and turned her attention from the television up to him. “Are you trying to tell me something, Lawson?”

  “Apparently so. You hungry?” he asked.

  “I could eat; you got something in mind?” she asked as she rolled to her back, giving him her full attention. They had spent the weekend together and Mike still couldn’t believe she was trying. There had been little resistance on her part, and even though he wanted to do a victory dance, he was containing himself. He wasn’t overly cautious or anything, just acting like himself, but his concern was there. She had spent last night with him at his place again, and he wondered if she would again tonight. Of course, it was easier to convince her last night because Zane wasn’t home, but tonight, he would be. He was walking a fine line between coming on too strong and scaring her away, and giving her too much space where she could flee.

  Nodding, he said, “I’m in the mood for Italian. Ever been to Sanfillipo’s?”

  He watched as she thought about it, brow furrowed. “Don’t think so, any good?”

  “Let’s go, and you can check it out yourself. My family has been going there for decades so I’m a little biased.”

  “I’m game,” Allie said as she began to sit up from the couch. Reaching out for her, he wrapped his arm around her waist and dragged her onto his lap. She let out a squeal and instinctively wrapped her arm around his neck.

  He smirked. “On second thought, I’d prefer to keep you right here instead.” Leaning in to press a kiss to her lips, she smiled at him.

  “Are you trying to withhold food? You can’t dangle the promise of Italian food in front a girl and then take it back. I don’t care how cute you are, I like food.”

  He laughed. “So you’re admitting you think I’m cute.”

  “Oh, don’t act like you don’t know that smug smile of yours seems to have powers. Now feed me,” she replied, poking him in the side.

  Sighing, he stood with her in his arms and set her gently on her feet. “Okay, I’ll feed you. But you should know that I am only letting go of you because it would be difficult to drive otherwise.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind. Is what I’m wearing okay?” she asked as she moved her hands down her clothing to right them after lounging on the couch with him. He took in her black Bermuda shorts and tank top, thinking how adorable she was and he nodded but then reconsidered. “You might want to get a jacket, I wouldn’t want you to get cold.”

  Allie’s responding smile was electric. “I’ll be right back then.” She grabbed her keys and phone off his table. He watched her leave and fought the need to follow her, realizing how nervous he was when she was out of his sight. Now that he’d seen her relaxed and comfortable with him, he didn’t want it to go away. Moving about his place to lock up, he had just changed his shirt and come back downstairs when she returned.

  She had slipped on a thin black hoodie and had obviously freshened up. The shiny texture of her lips made him want to kiss it right off of her. Walking up to her, he slipped his wallet and phone into his pocket and grabbed his keys. Grabbing her hand, he lifted it to his lips for a kiss before saying, “Now let’s feed you.”

  Sanfillipo’s was a family-run restaurant that Mike had been coming to since he was in high school. Growing up, and then into his adult years, any combination of his family members could be found there more than once a week. The atmosphere was warm and inviting in typical Italian restaurant style. There were red-checkered tablecloths, the walls boasted pictures of Italy, bottles of wine could be found decorating the spaces between sections, and there was even the customary candle glowing on the tables.

  The front of the restaurant had windows that ran the length of the tables, allowing diners to sit and watch people walk by. It was located in a section of La Mesa that would be considered its “downtown” and was lined with smaller non-commercial shops and restaurants. There were events that took place on that stretch of road that drew great crowds all year round, from car shows during the summer, to Oktoberfest in the fall, and even a Christmas holiday one. The fact that the trolley ran right through the area drew bigger crowds.

  Opening the door, Mike showed Allie in and was enveloped in the mouthwatering scent of food he had been enjoying for years. After warm greetings from the staff, they were promptly shown to a window table where Mike pulled a seat out for Allie. Once they were seated, Allie picked up a menu and asked, “So what’s good here? Should I be letting you order for me?”

  He smiled at the thought. “Do you like pasta or do you prefer pizza?”

  “Can I have pasta covered pizza?” she asked with grin.

  He huffed a laugh. “That’s an interesting thought, but no, I’ve never seen a pasta covered pizza on their menu before. How ‘bout we get a pizza and full order of pasta to share?”

  Allie closed her menu, and setting it on the table, she said, “So long as there’s pepperoni on the pizza and no anchovies anywhere, I’m game.”

  “Deal,” he said as the waiter approached and took their order.

  ALLIE and Mike had just placed their order and received their drinks when a woman appeared at the end of their table. Looking up from where she had just put her drink back down, she met a set of blue eyes, which strongly resembled Mike’s, smiling down at her. Mike must have been doing something on his phone, because it took him a few extra moments before he noticed the woman, who was clearly related to him.

  “Oh, hey Paige,” Mike said as he got up to greet her. “What are you doing here?”

  Paige hugged Mike back and smiled at him. “Same as you, getting dinner.”

  When Paige and Mike separated, she looked back at Allie and said, “You must be Allie. Hi, I’m Paige, Mike’s sister.”

  “If you would’ve given me a second, I would’ve introduced you,” Mike grumbled as he took his seat again.

  Allie extended her hand to shake Paige’s. “Yes, I’m Allie. Nice to meet you Paige.”

  “Nice to meet you, too. I hate to seem rude, but I better go grab a table before my husband and daughter make it inside. As soon as she sees Mike, I won’t be able to keep her away, and your dinner will quickly go from quiet conversation to the Hannah show,” Paige said with a look of exhaustion and Allie couldn’t help but smile. She was about to tell Paige she knew exactly what that was like when a squeal and a flash of brown curls darted past them and landed directly in Mike’s arms.

  “Uncle Mike! I didn’t know you were coming, too. Where is Zane? Does he still have my balloons?” Allie assumed this was Hannah as she watched the little girl unleash a multitude of questions on Mike as she proceeded to climb into the seat next to him. “I brought my crayons, but I want to play with a dough ball, too. Will you help me make a pretend pizza? Mommy says we can’t eat it, but I like to make it anyways.”

  Allie couldn’t help but smile at the ball of energy that just made herself at home squished right up next to Mike. He just smiled down at the little girl and attempted, unsuccessfully, to get a word in. Hannah stopped to take a breath and was about to launch into another stream of words when she spotted Allie. “Who are you? Do you like to color? I brought my crayons with me. Hey, you have purple hair!”

  Allie didn’t have a second to respond before the little one got out of her seat and began to separate the chunk of purple hair from the rest of Allie’s hair. Paige and Mike both tried to rein Hannah in as a man joined Paige at the end of the table. Allie put up her hand to stop their forward movement toward Hannah.

  Allie said, “Hi Hannah, my name’s Allie. I’m a friend of your uncle’s, I love to color, and yes, I have purple hair.”

  Hannah had gone quiet as she stroked the strands of purple hair and said, “Wow … it’s so pretty. I wish I had purple hair, too.” Allie thought the sound of reverence in the little one’s voice was adorable. Looking up to Mike, she could see that they were all watching as Hannah admired Allie’s hair. He smiled and said, “Well if I would’ve know that purpl
e hair was all that was needed to quiet down Hannah Banana, I would’ve dyed my hair years ago.”

  Paige snorted and said, “Tell me about it.” Reaching down to her daughter, she pulled her away from Allie’s hair. “Baby, it’s not nice to pet other people’s hair. Please apologize to Allie.”

  Allie chimed in, “Really, it’s fine. She’s adorable.”

  Hannah smiled up at Allie and then climbed into the chair next to her as she declared, “I’m sitting next to you instead of Uncle Mike.” Then she reached across the table and grabbed the purse she had left there, and proceeded to pull out her crayons, settling in for the evening.

  When Allie glanced back up, she introduced herself to Paige’s husband, Brett, before turning back to color with Hannah. With a smile in his voice, Mike said, “Looks like it’s a table for five now.”

  Paige placed her hand on Allie’s shoulder and asked, “Are you sure? She can be quite demanding.”

  Allie just laughed and said, “Mike and I spent most of last week entertaining my nephews. I am certain that I would enjoy some kid time with a little estrogen in it.” Pausing, she shrugged and continued, “Besides, she loves my hair, so she clearly has great taste.”

  Paige smiled and Mike added with a wink, “Clearly.” Then everyone went about making room around the table for five. Additional food was ordered and Allie spent the next hour coloring and doing cute girlie stuff with Hannah.

  MIKE knew immediately that his sister approved of Allie. How could she not? They say that children are a great judge of character, and if Hannah’s instant taking to Allie wasn’t a good indicator, nothing was. Over the course of the evening, Mike watched as Hannah wrapped Allie around her little finger.

  He had seen her with her nephews and had marveled with how close they were to her, especially since she would do all of the boy stuff with them. She had no problem playing tackle football, she knew all the videogames, and they respected her. Now seeing her attentiveness to his niece, it further emphasized how great she was with kids, and it made him wonder why she wasn’t a mother. Of course, losing Marc was a key reason for that, but he wondered if it was by choice that they hadn’t had kids, or just that they ran out of time.