Love Resisted (The Real Love Series) (26 page)

The weight of fear that Mike had been holding on to over where this was going suddenly dropped from his shoulders. She said
was
. It was stupid of him to get excited about it, since her late husband was not someone that could physically come in and steal her away from him. But his memory could and apparently had. But she’d said Marc
was
her future. Mike knew it, everyone knew it, but Allie hadn’t completely come to terms with it before. Her uttering
was
finally moved Marc McNally into the past.

“And now?” he asked hesitantly, wanting her to say what he hoped for, but fearing that she wouldn’t at the same time.

“Now …” She pressed a kiss to his lips. “You’re my future.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-
NINE

ALLIE couldn’t believe what she was seeing as she stood among the sea of pink.
What a sight
. There was pink everywhere, and as a girl, she loved it. As a person who had recently been more involved in the support of breast cancer research, it was inspiring.

Mike’s family participated in the Race for a Cure event held in San Diego at the beginning of every November. Allie knew about it, but she had never been to one. It made her sad to think that she had never been a part of something so … amazing. It gave her chills. There were people in wheelchairs decked out in their pink gear, newborn babies in running strollers decorated with pink ribbons, and a boy walked by sporting a pink
mohawk. There were groups of people wearing tutus, some had on pink afro wigs. You named it and someone had it in pink.

But the most inspiring things she saw were the signs that people were wearing. Some said
I walk in celebration of …
, and some said
I walk in memory of ..
. It broke her heart to see the people who lost someone they loved, but then she was lifted back up when she caught sight of another person celebrating a survivor. Thinking about how Mike and Zane felt around all of them, she wondered how another’s loved one was lucky enough to survive when others’ weren’t. It was truly a combination of inspiration and heartbreak.

She was absorbing everything she could when Zane and Mike joined her in the crowd. It had been three weeks since Mike had been hurt, and the walk was going to be his first time partaking in any vigorous activity. She was glad that his accident didn’t get in the way of participating since he did it every year. Although, he would be walking, not running.

Zane handed her a number to pin to her shirt. She was in the twenty-two thousand range, and she was amazed to think there was at least that many people registered before her.

“Wow. That’s a high number. There are so many people here, I can’t take it all in,” she said to them as she began to fasten her number on, making sure not to cover the words on her shirt. Gillian had bought them matching ones that read:
I love all boobs
. She loved it. Zane had a
Save the Ta-tas!
one, and Mike’s said,
Boobs are Awesome
.

Once she had her number secure, she looked up to see Zane offering her another piece of paper. Taking it, she looked at it as he asked, “Will you wear one of these, too? For my mom.”

Tears filled her eyes as she read,
I walk in memory of Zane’s mom, Elizabeth Lawson
. She cleared her throat and pulled Zane into a hug, saddened for about the hundredth time already that day. Giving him a kiss on the cheek, she said, “I’d be honored to wear this for you. For her.”

When she pulled away, she quickly swiped at her tears, but then started laughing when Mike smacked the back of Zane’s head. “Way to go, Zane. You made her cry.”

“All I did was ask her to wear a piece of paper. How was I supposed to know that would happen?”

She laughed again as she leaned into Mike’s side and waited for the rest of their friends to find them.

MIKE usually ran in this event, mainly because he could. But this year, since he had friends there with his family, he decided to walk it. Together, the crowd of people he was coming to call family, walked through the streets of uptown San Diego, through Balboa Park, and even onto the closed section of freeway that ran along the perimeter of the San Diego Zoo. It was scenic route at best, even if you couldn’t get past all the costumes and signs that people carried. It was a community of people with a common goal; he’d venture to guess it would be difficult to find a person in that crowd who wasn’t humbled by it.

He walked hand in hand with Allie as she chatted with his sister, his mother, Gillian and Jake. Even Jason and Logan were there along with all the kids in their crew; he couldn’t help but think what a difference a year made. He had met Allie just about a year ago and had aimlessly pursued her for more than half of that time.

Sure, she had slipped through his hands a few times, but now, as he felt her hand securely in his, he felt humbled for another reason. Here they were, walking in memory of his late wife, together. Women like Allie just weren’t very common, and he thanked his lucky stars for finding her.

A tug on his hand brought him out of his silent reflection. Looking down at Allie, she asked, “You doing okay, babe? You got kind of quiet. Your head isn’t hurting you, is it?”

He threw his arm around her and pulled her into his side. She was the perfect height so it didn’t make walking a challenge. Leaning over, he kissed the top of her head. “My head doesn’t hurt at all, but thank you for worrying about me.”

She squeezed his waist in response as they continued walking in the crowd. “Thanks for walking with all of us this year. I know you’re a runner. Are you itching to take off around the block? ‘
Cause you shouldn’t, you know, what with the whole brain injury thing.”

He laughed. “Are you trying to justify me walking instead of running by bringing up my traumatic head wound? Because I still would’ve picked walking with all of you.”

She pinched his side. “That was very sweet, but don’t make me cry again.”

He pulled away from her fingers. “Ouch.” Laughing, he asked, “What was that for?”

“Don’t be dramatic, it was a pinch. Come on, you can take a bat to the head, but you whine about little fingers pinching you. Man-cards get revoked for that,” she said smugly.

Jason took that moment to enter the conversation. “Half-pint’s pinches are lethal. They leave a mark and everything.”

“That’s right, babe. You should listen to gigantor over there. Making me cry equals lethal pinch.”

Jason leaned in and said, “But you should know that her weak spot is a squeeze above either knee. She crumples like a house of cards.”

“Hey! You’re not supposed to share insider information like that. You just wait, Jason, when you bring a woman around me, I will make sure to return the favor,” Allie said with a smug nod.

Mike watched as Jason gave her threat some consideration. “Well, if I bring her around you, she must be worth keeping so that would mean she’d already know my weaknesses.”

Mike huffed a laugh and extended his fist for a bump. “Nice, man. There’s really not much she can say to that.”

“Ouch!” Mike said as Allie landed another pinch to his side. “That’s for taking his side.”

They all laughed and continued their walk. Mike knew, without a doubt, that this was the first time he had felt so … happy, while participating in this event. It was a welcome change.

ALLIE heard Mike turn off the shower as she pulled back the blankets and climbed on the bed. A few moments later, he walked out with a towel slung low on his hips as
he used another to rid his hair of excess moisture. It took him a few moments before he noticed she was naked and waiting for him, but she knew the moment that he did.

Dropping his arms down from his hair, she watched as he tossed the one towel in the direction of the bathroom. Two strides in her direction and he lost the one around his waist, too. She could see his erection grow, as he made his way onto the bed and crawled toward her. The look in his eyes was predatory, and she couldn’t control the shiver that slithered down her body.

He prowled closer, forcing her to lay back as he caged her in with his body. The heat and warmth of his freshly showered body forced a moan from her throat. Braced on his elbows, his face was a few inches from hers. “My beautiful, naked woman waiting for me in my bed … was that an invitation I saw in your eyes?”

She loved how he talked to her in bed. It wasn’t necessarily dirty talk, but he growled it in such a sexy voice, she definitely considered it foreplay. She licked her lips. “It wasn’t an invitation, but a demand.”

Her words apparently had the same arousing effect as his, because his lips slammed down against hers. His tongue had demands of its own as it pushed its way in to slide alongside hers. Dropping his full weight down onto her, one hand went to her breast, the other to her hair as he continued his assault on her lips. Sliding her hands around his waist, she used them to apply pressure before dragging her nails up his back to tangle in his hair.

She could tell he’d become even more aroused. He began rocking his hips, sliding his erection against her now overheated core. Tearing his head away from her lips, he dropped his face to her neck and proceeded to taste and tease every bit of skin he could make contact with his lips, tongue, and teeth. She was on the verge of combusting, and she needed to be able to touch more of him. Planting her foot on the mattress, she straightened the other one as she forced them to roll, allowing her to successfully take control on top. Smiling down at him, she sat up straight and ran her hands up her body. Pausing to cup her breasts before stretching her arms above her head, as she grinded herself against his erection.

His hands found her hips and helped guide her movements to his pace. Dropping back down, she placed her hands on either side of his head and let her long hair drop down around them. She continued rubbing herself along his length, as his hands circled her breasts, lifting them for him to taste. When his lips closed around her, he sucked hard. This shot a tingling sensation straight through her and her hips jerked in response.

Reaching down, she took him in hand and guided him into her body. He groaned, and she sighed as her heat engulfed him, his erection filling her completely. Together, they moved. His hands guided her hips as hers dug into his chest to stabilize her rise and fall over him. Their bodies knew each other well—they responded to each other. They mated.

Her pace faltered as the beginnings of her orgasm rolled over her. Sitting up, he wrapped his arms around her waist as he moved her body to his will, demanding she give him what he wanted. The friction of his pelvis against hers had her crying out his name as he continued to work himself in and out of her body. Taking everything she had to give, she held on to Mike, and rode the wave as his body tightened beneath hers.

Pulling her lips down to meet his, he slammed her body down on his one more time before he found his release. Still holding her tightly, he nuzzled his face into her neck and placed small open-mouthed kisses along the length of her it. She ran her hands through his hair, scoring his scalp with her nails the way he loved.

He sighed. “God, I love the way you feel in my arms.”

She smiled, still perched on top of him. “I love
being
in your arms.”

Rolling them, h
e landed on top of her. “Good, because I think I’m gonna keep you there as much as possible.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck, giggling. “Are you thinking I’m going to argue with you about that? Because I’m not.”

Giving her a serious look, he said, “No, I don’t think you’ll argue with me about that anymore. I’m hoping your resisting days are over.”

Slipping her hands to his face, she kissed his lips. “Thank you for not giving up on me, Mike Lawson.”

“Giving up on you was never an option, Allie Baxter,” he said with sincerity. Tears filled her eyes at his words. He pulled his head back. “Oh no, I see tears. I didn’t mean to make your eyes water again, please don’t pinch me,” he said in a mocking voice, making her laugh.

“Don’t be so dramatic,” she retorted, mockingly. “I’ll settle for another kiss as your punishment.”

“Is that more demands I hear?” he asked as he leaned forward and kissed her before he gently shifted his hips forward—a clear reminder that he was still inside her and gearing up for another round.

Lifting her legs to wrap around his waist, she said, “I have a list of them.”

Later that night, after having all of her demands met, she curled up against Mike and fell soundly asleep, knowing in her heart that the time had finally come for her to say goodbye to her husband.

CHAPTER THIRTY

MIKE awoke to soft lips pressed against his temple. Allie seemed to like kissing the scar that was still healing there, even though the staples were long gone now. “Wake up my handsome man.”

“As much as I love the way you wake me up, baby, I can think of other ways that I’d love just as much,” he said with a smirk, not even needing to open his eyes to know she was rolling hers. When she didn’t respond with a laugh or anything, he opened his eyes to see what was wrong. She was kneeling on the bed next to him, already dressed. The shy look on her face told him there was something on her mind, but he was momentarily grateful that whatever was going on didn’t seem to bare resemblance to the time she rushed out of his room.

“What’s up? Is there something wrong?” he asked hesitantly.

She shook her head as she chewed on her bottom lip. “I want to go somewhere today, and I was wondering if you’d come with me?”

Thinking it was strange for her to be shy over this, he sought to comfort her. Brushing her hair back and out of her face, he said, “Of course I can come with you. Did you want me to get dressed now?”

She nodded quietly. “Okay, just give me a minute to jump in the shower, and I’ll be right out. Do we have time for breakfast?”

“We can grab something while we’re out, if that’s okay.”

“Great,” he said as he stood from bed, kissing her on top of head before rushing to get showered. She didn’t seem upset, but there was something heavy hanging over her head.

When he got downstairs, she stood from the couch, gave him a shy smile and handed him his truck keys. “Can you drive?”

“Of course. Where to, my lady?” he asked as she bowed and motioned toward the door. She snorted a laugh, which he was happy about since he would’ve worried if she hadn’t responded.

Once outside, she took his hand. “Can we grab a coffee and maybe a muffin on our way? The drive isn’t long, but it’s not short either.”

Mike was intrigued. He wasn’t sure where she wanted to go, but if her somber mood was any indication, he was glad she was bringing him along. After a stop to fill up the truck, then a quick stop for coffee, they were heading toward the freeway. Before the light changed, he said, “Okay baby, you know I love a good mystery, but you gotta tell me which freeway to take.”

He glanced in her direction, but she was staring at her coffee cup. “Head north on I-5 until we pass Camp Pendleton.”

Mike thought he wouldn’t have been more surprised if he’d woken up with his head shaved. He knew exactly where she wanted to go, and he was humbled that she wanted him to go with her. Reaching across the bench seat, he took her hand in his as the light turned green. “You got it, sweetheart.”

The drive would take them close to an hour, give or take, based on traffic. The first half of the ride Allie was quiet. She seemed to be nervous, or maybe just deep in thought, but he wasn’t going to interrupt whatever was going on in her head. This was a big step, and even bigger for her to bring someone else. Mike passed the time by enjoying the drive, listening to the radio, acting as normal as he could for her. When they got within fifteen miles of Camp Pendleton, he looked over to see her body taut with tension.

His hand on her knee surprised her, and she flinched before looking to him. “Sorry.”

“No problem, sweetheart. You sure about this? We could stop somewhere for breakfast, maybe find a place on the ocean with a view,” he offered.

She smiled at him and shook her head as she unbuckled her seatbelt. Sliding over, she secured herself in the middle one next to him. “Thanks, but I need to do this.”

He slipped his arm around her shoulders and her hand went to his thigh. He loved how perfectly she fit next to him. “I agree, it’s something you need to do. But if it becomes too much right now, it can be done later. We can come back.”

“Nope, today is the day,” she said with conviction and a squeeze of his thigh. It made him smile. Pushing through the last leg of the trip, since the rest area, known as Vista Point, where Marc crashed was only accessible from the Southbound side, they had to drive North past it by a few miles. At the first possible exit, Mike made the turn that would bring them onto the
Southbound lanes, and their destination.

Being one step closer had her squeezing his leg harder, and he could feel the anxiety radiating off her. He wanted to take her away from the source of her stress, away from the place that held her pain, but he knew he couldn’t. Support was all he could give. When they came around the last curve before the rest area came into view, he looked next to him and asked, “Are we stopping?”

She nodded vigorously, never taking her eyes off the road in front of them. When Mike slowed the truck down and began to take the exit ramp, he heard her breath hitch. There was nothing he could do but take it slowly and let this play out for her. Once they rounded the sharp curve of the exit, he pulled into the first possible parking spot that could accommodate his truck. Throwing it in park, he quickly turned and threw his arm back around her. “Allie?”

ALLIE could feel the burn in her chest reminding her that she was still holding her breath. Slowly, she let it out and opened her eyes. Mike was staring at her, concern etched on his face.
Oh, how I love this man
, she thought to herself. Lifting her hand to touch his face, she gave him a half smile, and a nod. “I’m fine.”

He raised his eyebrows at her in question, but she only nodded again in reassurance. And it was true, she
was
fine. It wasn’t her first time visiting the spot, but it was her first time coming with Mike. For some reason, she had a sudden of moment fear as he drove on that small stretch of road where she lost Marc, like it was going to take him, too. It was ridiculous, but the thought still nearly knocked the wind out of her.

The concern was still clearly visible on his face, so she gave him a full smile. “You want to hear something crazy?”

“From you? Always,” he said with smirk. It helped her relax more when he did that.

“When we were pulling off the freeway, I panicked at the thought of losing you, too. It was like I thought the road was going to just take you right from my hands.” Shaking her head, she kissed him on the lips. “Crazy, I know, but it was there, and I didn’t like it at all.”

“Oh, Allie. That’s not crazy at all. How do you think I feel? You have breasts,” he said in a joking manner, like that should be a surprise to her.

She smiled. “Glad you noticed, babe.”

“Oh, I noticed all right. But my point is, I look at your beautiful body, and I get crazy excited over it, and then sometimes, I touch your breasts and I have to wonder … is this breast going to try and take you away, too?”

“Oh, Mike …” she said as she closed her eyes and touched her forehead to his. “What a pair we make.”

He leaned in and pressed his lips gently against hers. “The way I see it, we’re a perfect match.”

“I like the way you see it.” She smiled again, marveling at how easy it felt to be there with him.

After a few silent moments, she asked, “Do you want to get out with me?”

“I didn’t come all this way for you to make me stay in the car, you know,” he joked as he jumped out and rounded the front of the truck as she opened her door. Stepping down, she took his hand and they walked to the edge of the sidewalk. It stretched along the length of the rest area and faced the ocean. There was no way to get close to the beach; it was only visible in the distance.

Glancing to the left, she could see the area where she knew Marc had gone off the road. Years ago, when she had first come there, she marveled at how such a short drop-off could’ve taken him. But, the human body was fragile and that was all it took. Looking back out at the ocean, she slipped her arm around Mike’s waist and he wrapped his around her shoulders. Together, they stared out at the ocean.

The sun was breaking through the marine layer of clouds that were pulling back. There was a chill to the wind as it rolled across the space, but it was a nice day out. It was a nice day to say goodbye. Still enjoying the view, she asked, “Do you ever wonder if Elizabeth were to appear in front of you what she would say?”

Mike chuckled next to her. “You know, I used to always think about what I would say to her. Like if I had only moments to tell her something, what should I pick?” He laughed again. “I don’t know that I ever wondered what
she
would tell me.”

“Did you ever pick the one thing that you wanted her to know?” Allie asked, her curiosity peaked.

“Yeah, I did. I decided that if I could only tell her one thing, it would be that Zane was doing fine.” He looked down at her and gave her a half smile. “It’s the one thing I would want to know if the tables were reversed.”

Tears pricked her eyes as she looked into his. “I think you’re right. A mother would definitely want to know that.”

A smirk graced his handsome face. “Now, if she were the one that got to say something, or ask, I’m sure it would be something along the lines of ‘Are you taking your vitamins?’ and ‘How are my plants?’” He laughed as he brought his gaze back to the ocean. Allie giggled, too.

They were silent for a little while when Mike asked, “What do you think Marc would say if he were to appear right in front of you?”

Allie shook her head, “Oh, he’d probably say something along the lines of ‘What the hell is wrong with you?’ or ‘Did you seriously think I would be okay with that?’” She paused and let out a sigh. “He would probably be so irritated with me.”

“Why would he be irritated with you?”

“Oh, for a few reasons … starting with locking his Camaro up in storage, for moving away from the family when he made it possible for me to stay. For acting so selfish and hiding behind my grief. There are so many things he would’ve called me out on if he could have.”

Mike chuckled. “He sounds like a great guy.”

She smiled through the tears that welled in her eyes, like they always did when she thought of him like that. “He really was.”

After another few quiet moments, he asked, “What about what
you
would tell him?”

She nodded before
leaning her head on his shoulder. “You know, for the longest time I thought that if I got to tell him something, I would tell him how angry I was at him for trying to drive home when he was tired like that. Especially since I know he only did it because I whined on the phone that night about having to wait until morning to see him. Then, for a while, all I could think to tell him was that I missed him.”

“And now?” Mike asked.

Turning to look up at Mike, she smiled. “Now? What would I say to Marc if he were to appear in front of me and I could pick something to tell him?”

Holding her gaze, he nodded. She tiptoed up and pressed her lips against his. After a moment, she pulled back, looked him in the eye, and said, “I would say, Marc, I’d like you to meet Mike Lawson, the man I love.”