Holding Mia

by Terri Anne Browning

  “Baby.”

  Her lashes lifted just enough to peek at me. Fingers trembling, she combed them through my beard, and the action seemed to calm her a little. “It’s not fun to remember,” she finally said after a few minutes had passed. “I was a little girl, and my head sometimes blows up what happened. Distorts it and makes it scarier.”

  “No matter how big the monsters are, I will always slay them for you, firecracker,” I vowed.

  That earned me a tiny smile. “I believe you could take them all on.” She traced her index finger over my dimple, and I turned my head so I could kiss her hand. “I was taken from my parents. Not once, but twice. By the same person.” She shivered again, and I pulled her back down beside me, using my body heat to warm her. “The first time, it was my own fault. I didn’t know about the person tearing up my uncle Shane’s bus. I was too young, and I probably wouldn’t have understood even if someone had told me anyway. That night, I was being a brat because I wanted to see the end of the concert. My dad’s band was closing the show, and I just wanted to watch him sing for me.”

  I tucked her head into my shoulder, kissing the top of her head.

  “They told me I couldn’t go. It was late, and I was already grouchy. They left me on the bus with my baby brother and the nanny. But once everyone was sleeping, I snuck off.” Her breathing came faster, and she wrapped her arms around my middle, clinging to me. “I…I didn’t get far before Helena found me. The whole time she was running with me, all I could think was how mad Momma was going to be. How sad she would be if she never saw me again, and I struggled to get back.”

  “How did you get away?” I asked, my voice more choked than I realized.

  “My aunt Gabs. She’s not actually my aunt, but my friend Jordan’s. But she will always be one of the family after what she did for me.” Her voice steadied for a moment as she remembered the woman. “She saw Helena take me and followed us. I really don’t remember a lot of what followed, but Aunt Gabs grabbed me and ended up getting shot for helping. She…” She gulped. “She nearly died.”

  “But she’s okay now, right?” I tried to remind her.

  “Yes,” she agreed. “She’s fine now. But Helena got away that night, and she took us both months later. Us and my uncle Shane’s wife. With the help of Helena’s cousin, they locked us in a barn and set it on fire.”

  “This Helena bitch sounds psychotic,” I growled.

  “She was. All because she thought my uncle was in love with her.”

  “But why would she take you if she was after your uncle?” I asked, confused about the woman’s reasons.

  “She hated my mom. To repay some sort of debt she thought my mom owed her for keeping Uncle Shane from her, Helena decided taking me away from Momma was the best revenge. That’s what I was told, anyway.” Sighing heavily, she pushed her nose into my neck, inhaling slowly. “I don’t remember a lot of the second kidnapping. I was drugged, nearly overdosed from it, they gave me so much.”

  I clenched my eyes closed, realizing she could have been taken from this world long before I ever got the chance to even meet her, let alone hold her like I was right now.

  “My nightmares get out of hand sometimes. Like Helena turning into a dragon, trying to set the world on fire. The smell of smoke is an actual memory, so it only makes it more real.” Her fingers traced random patterns on my bare chest, soothing herself—and me in the process. Her touch calmed something inside me that hadn’t needed calming until she brushed her fingers over me.

  I kissed the top of her head. “I’ll slay any dragon you need me to, baby.”

  I felt her smile against me. “I can just see my Beast taking on the nightmare dragons that chase me.”

  “Your Beast?” I repeated, liking the sound of it a hell of a lot.

  “I mean…” She groaned. “Hell. That’s exactly what I meant.”

  “I hope so.” Kissing her forehead, I sat up on my elbow so I could look down at her. “I am your Beast. Don’t forget it.”

  Mia looked up at me through her lashes. “Are you sure about that? There’s not some Beast groupie coalition that will be after my head if I get to claim you?”

  “No, there probably is somewhere,” I half joked, because there were plenty of groupies who would be pissed as hell to find out I was taken. “But I think you could take them.”

  Laughing, she shoved at my chest. “Not funny. I’m serious, Barrick.”

  My grin disappeared, and I cupped her beautiful face. “I’ve never been more serious in my life. I want to be yours. But more than anything, I want you to be mine.”

  Those big green eyes I always felt like I could happily drown in darkened. “I think I already am,” she whispered.

  Skimming my nose over hers, I felt her inhale deeply. “I want you to know, not just think, firecracker.” Touching my lips to the corner of her mouth, I forced myself to keep the contact short so I didn’t scare her off. “Because I already know I’m yours.”

  “Barrick—”

  But the sound of my phone had her mouth snapping shut, and we both frowned at where it lay on the nightstand beside my bed. This early, it could only be one person, and I clenched my jaw to keep from cursing my stepfather’s name.

  Sitting up, I snatched it, and sure enough, it was him. “Why don’t you go get some coffee while I take this, baby? Braxton is already up by now and probably has breakfast started.”

  Hurt flashed in her green eyes before she could mask it, and she quickly got to her feet. Pulling on a thin robe over her pajamas, she didn’t even give me another glance as she slammed the door behind her.

  Fuck.

  Raking a hand through my hair, I lifted the phone to my ear. “Yeah?” I snarled at him.

  “Just calling for an update,” was all he said, and not for the first time since May, I wanted to put my fist through his face.

  “There’s nothing to update. Everything is quiet on my end,” I assured him between clenched teeth.

  “Good. Good. That’s what I like to hear. And she still doesn’t know?”

  My stomach churned, and I leaned forward, breathing deep. “No,” I muttered in a quieter voice. “She doesn’t have a clue.”

  Chapter 10

  Mia

  Angrily, I texted Lyla, asking her when she was going to be back at our dorm. Not that it mattered. I was leaving this morning, regardless.

  Classes had only been in session for a week, and instead of finding myself, all I’d found was a guy who seemed to like to play games with my head—and, apparently, my heart. One minute he’s talking about wanting to be together, telling me he’s mine and he hopes I know I’m his too.

  The next, he’s getting a call he doesn’t want me to be around for. Which only leads me to conclude it was some girl to whom he’d already fed the whole “I’m your Beast” bullshit.

  Walking into the kitchen, I found Braxton at the stove with a spatula in hand, flipping pancakes while the bacon lay freshly fried on a paper towel to drain all the excess grease. The smell of the food and strong coffee already made had a little of my hurt and anger fading, but not enough to change my mind that I was leaving.

  Turning from the stove, he gave me a warm smile. “Morning, sunshine,” he greeted. “Hungry?”

  “Starving,” I admitted as I snatched a crispy piece of bacon off the paper towel and stuffed it into my mouth. Groaning, I closed my eyes, savoring the flavor on my tongue.

  But it made me miss my family. If I were home with Daddy right then, he would have been doing exactly what Braxton was. He’d be wearing his “I Rocked Breakfast” apron Momma had gotten him for Christmas a million years before but that he still loved. Jagger would be whining about being up too early on a Saturday but still stuffing his face full of bacon and eggs while he waited impatiently for the pancakes to be done. And Momma would be enjoying her day off while she put everything on slow-mo and sipped her coffee.

  “Uh oh,” Braxton m
uttered, looking at me like I was more dangerous than a bomb about to explode. “What’s wrong?”

  I ducked my head and poured myself a mug of coffee. “Nothing’s wrong.”

  “Why don’t I believe you?” he asked in a voice so gentle, I felt tears burn my eyes.

  My phone pinged with an incoming text, and I distracted myself by reading it rather than answering him.

  Lyla: Sorry I abandoned you last night. I never even should have gone to that damn party. Spent the night at my brother’s place. Will be back around noon. xo

  Putting my phone back in the pocket of my robe, I took a sip of my coffee before forcing a smile for Braxton, who was watching me like I might detonate at any second. “Can I give you a hand with anything?” I offered.

  “No, I’ve got this.” He flipped the pancake in the pan without taking his eyes off me. “But you can tell me what’s wrong. Did you and Barrick have a fight?”

  “Nope,” I assured him, popping the “p.” “No fighting.”

  “Then why do you have this look on your face that makes my chest hurt, Mia?” he demanded, getting angry that I wasn’t confiding in him. “Talk to me. Maybe I can help.”

  I placed my mug on the counter and crossed my arms over my chest. “Okay, fine. Tell me something, Brax. Do all guys get off on playing games with a girl? They say one thing, then as soon as they get a call, they turn into someone else. Is that how it goes with the entire male population, or is that just Barrick?”

  Dark eyes narrowed. “Who called him this early?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. Some hookup, I’m sure.”

  He snorted. “Yeah, doubtful. Barrick doesn’t give out his number to hookups. I think there are maybe three women in the entire world who have his number, and you’re one of them. Lyla and his mom are the other two, if you’re wondering.”

  That took some of the steam out of my sails. “But why else would he not want me around when he got a call?”

  “Because my stepdad is a dick, and I didn’t want you to hear us arguing,” Barrick’s deep voice answered for him, making me snap my head up as he entered the kitchen. He’d thrown on a T-shirt to go with his sweat pants and pulled his hair back into a ponytail. My mouth dried up just looking at him.

  Walking over to me, he touched his lips to the center of my forehead. I twisted my hands in his T-shirt, holding on for dear life. There was something powerful in his forehead kisses that made me weak in the knees and stole my breath. “I just wanted you out of the line of fire.”

  Sighing, I leaned into him, letting the rest of my hurt fade when he pushed my hair off my shoulder and kissed my neck. “All that stuff you were saying earlier? That wasn’t just…?”

  “I meant it,” he vowed at my ear. “Every word.”

  Realizing I’d jumped to conclusions and only hurt myself, I wrapped my arms around his waist. Pressed up against him, I could feel exactly how much I affected him, and it was just as powerful as my reaction to him whenever he was close. All he had to do was smile, flashing his wicked dimple at me, and I was turned on.

  Braxton cleared his throat loudly. “Just reminding you I’m still here,” he said, amusement lacing his voice. “And breakfast is getting cold.”

  Kissing my forehead one more time, Barrick picked up my mug of coffee and took a swallow. “You want eggs, baby?”

  I glanced at all the food already laid out. “I’m not really an egg person. This is plenty.”

  The three of us sat at the kitchen table, eating breakfast. It was only after I was clearing away the dishes, promising to wash up since Braxton had done all the cooking, that I remembered Sasha.

  “Does Sasha not get free rein of the house?” I asked as I rinsed Barrick’s plate.

  “She does, but she was still sleeping earlier, so I let her stay in bed,” Braxton said as he picked up the extra bacon from the counter. “I’m getting ready to take her for a walk. You two be good while I’m gone,” he called over his shoulder as he took the bacon and walked to his room.

  No sooner was his cousin out the door than Barrick was wrapping his arms around me from behind, his teeth nipping at my shoulder. “Let’s finish these up and then take a shower.”

  I pressed my hips back into his lower body. “Together?”

  His cock flexed against me. “If you’re up for that,” he breathed at my ear. “But it’s cool if you’re not. I’m not going to rush you. We have all the time in the world.”

  I turned in his arms, pressing up against him as close as I could. “Maybe I just want to see every inch of you.”

  “Yeah?” That damn dimple winked at me, and it only made me wetter. “I think I can arrange that.” He cupped my ass in his hands, lifting me onto the counter, but when I thought he would kiss me—finally kiss me—he stepped back. “Sit tight. Let me clean up this mess, and then I’ll make that happen, baby.”

  “I can do the dishes, Barrick. I’m not helpless.”

  He started loading plates into the dishwasher. “Didn’t say you couldn’t. Just that you’re not going to.”

  “But I want to help,” I grumbled.

  He kissed my shoulder as he grabbed the last plate beside me. “That pout is doing things to me, Mia. Put it away.”

  The pout turned into a sassy grin. “What’s it do to you?”

  “It makes me want to suck on that plump bottom lip until you’re begging me to suck on your nipples,” he growled, stepping between my legs and pulling me to the edge of the counter. I wrapped my legs around his waist, locking my body against his. “And that only makes me wonder how good your pussy tastes.”

  My sex clenched at the mental picture he was painting, and I rocked against him. “Damn it, Barrick. That’s all I’m going to think about every time I pout now.”

  “Good.”

  Reluctantly, I dropped my legs. “Hurry up,” I ordered. “I really need a shower now.”

  The moment he pushed the start button on the dishwasher, he lifted me off the counter and tossed me over his shoulder. Giggling, I slapped at his hard ass as he sprinted through the house to his bedroom.

  Dropping me on the edge of the bed, he made quick work of my robe with his fingers before he started tugging on my pajama bottoms. I lifted my hips to help him, only to land on my back as he spread my thighs wide and dropped to his knees between them.

  I didn’t have time to be embarrassed before his mouth was latching on to my clit and sucking with a firm, steady pressure that had white light flashing behind my closed lids. “Oh gods,” I moaned, thrusting my fingers into his hair, pulling half of it from his ponytail. His beard tickled against my inner thighs, making more wetness gush from me. “Don’t stop,” I pleaded.

  “You taste so fucking good,” he growled against me, his tongue licking lower to taste my core. “That’s it, baby. Ride my face.”

  “Barrick,” I gasped, already close to the edge. “I… I…”

  “Let go, Mia,” he commanded. “Let me taste your come, baby.”

  A million stars exploded inside me, and I heard myself crying out his name as my entire body shook with my release. Two minutes. That was all it took, and I was a puddle of boneless, mindless goo for him to do whatever he wanted with.

  And I didn’t even care.

  Breathing hard, I looked down at him. The sight of his hair brushing against my thighs, his dark eyes glued to me as he watched and licked me through the aftershocks, was the most erotic thing I’d ever seen in my life.

  After kissing the insides of my thighs, he lifted his head, licking his lips, but his facial hair still glistened with my wetness. “I didn’t mean to rush that, but I really needed to taste you.”

  “Nothing was rushed,” I assured him, still panting. “I loved what you did. I’ve never done…that before.”

  He thrust a finger into my core, making me gasp in renewed pleasure. “But you have done other things?”

  “I’ve had sex before,” I admitted. �
�But only once.”

  Something dark passed over his face. Jealousy. “His name.”

  “Not happening, Beast.”

  His finger curled inside me, hitting a spot that had my inner walls clenching around him. “Did he make you come?”

  “Yes,” I admitted, because I didn’t want to lie to him. “But…”

  “But?” he gritted out, his finger thrusting into me harder, trying to own my body. But I was fairly sure he already had complete possession of every part of me.

  “Not as good as you just did. There was no spark. No passion. It was a mistake, one I regretted as soon as it happened.” My hips started thrusting all on their own, seeking more of the pleasure Barrick was so ready to give. “He could never make me ache with just a look. Not like you do.”

  Some of the darkness left his face. “He didn’t make you feel this good?” I shook my head. “He couldn’t make you come this hard?” Another shake. “You don’t want him?”

  “I never did. It was right after I hurt my knee again. My dancing future as I knew was over, and I just needed…”

  “To feel something other than despair?”

  “Yeah,” I whispered.

  Slowly, he pulled his finger from me and lifted it to his mouth, sucking my taste off his digit while his intense gaze held me captive. Grasping my hips in both his hands, he pulled me off the bed and then beneath him on the floor. Leaning over me with his weight on his forearms, he pressed his lower body into me a little at a time. Dear gods, but there was a lot of him. He was huge, and I could feel every inch of him, including the swollen, thick head of his cock.

  “No one else will ever touch you, Mia. If they do, I’ll kill them. Do you understand me?”

  That growly, possessive note in his voice only turned me on that much more, and I spread my thighs wider, giving him full access to every part of me. “I only want you.”

  “Are you on the pill?” His fingers spread the lips of my sex again, his thumb playing with my clit.

  “Since I was sixteen to regulate my periods.” Because of all the strenuous workouts I’d subjected my body to over the years for dance, my periods had been all kinds of crazy until Momma had taken me to the doctor and put me on the pill.