How Much I Care (Miami Nights Book 2)

by Marie Force

  “I’m grateful for that every day, among many other things.”

  I know he means me and what I did for them. “Try the chicken. It’s even better than the lasagna.”

  “I’m not sure that’s possible.”

  “Trust me on this.”

  He cuts a bite of the chicken, and again with the moan.

  Jesus, Mary and Joseph. I can’t handle that moan. “Told ya. I think half my ass is accountable to the chicken Parm at Giordino’s.” And I can’t believe I said that out loud. Have some more wine, Maria.

  Austin chokes out a laugh. “Is that so?”

  I’m mortified. “Uh-huh.”

  “And you’re thinking you shouldn’t have said that, am I right?”

  “You’re right.”

  “If you ask me, your family’s chicken Parm has helped to build a rather spectacular ass.”

  Chapter 9

  MARIA

  I choke on the sip of wine that was halfway down when he said that.

  Austin pats me on the back. “You okay?”

  “Yeah, sorry.”

  “You’re so cute, you know that?”

  “When I’m blowing wine out my nose?”

  “All the time. It’s all I can do not to completely stare at you now that you’re sitting right next to me. So if I’m staring, let me know, and I’ll try not to. But I won’t try too hard.”

  “I’ll do that. If you promise to do the same.”

  His face lifts into a small smile. “Deal.”

  We eat in silence while I try to nurse my third glass of wine. Based on the ass comment, I’ve already got more than enough liquid courage on board. It wouldn’t take much for me to throw caution to the wind and forget why kissing this man is a very bad idea. I put down the wine and focus on eating, but that’s not easy, either, with my whole system in an Austin Jacobs-induced uproar.

  “You were right,” he says after polishing off most of the lasagna and a good portion of chicken.

  “About what?”

  “I’m ruined for any other Italian after this.”

  “Told ya.” I’m always so proud of how much people love the Cuban and Italian food at Giordino’s. “My aunt and uncle have worked so hard and made their restaurant into such an institution around here. Lots of famous people come in whenever they’re in town.”

  “Like who?”

  “Justin Bieber, Gloria Estefan, Taylor Swift, George Clooney, to name a few.”

  “No way. That’s awesome.”

  “You should bring your family in tomorrow night. They’ll love it.”

  “Isn’t it hard to get reservations?”

  “It can be, but I know people.” I lean in closer to him. “I can hook you up.”

  “I won’t say no to hooking up with you.”

  I sputter with laughter. “That’s not what I said.”

  “Can you blame a guy for trying?”

  “Yes, I can.” I try to hide my over-the-top reaction to everything he says and does. I’ve never been so attracted to a man in my life. Figures it would happen with someone who doesn’t live anywhere near me, not to mention he’s looking at moving even farther from me than he is now. It’s rather depressing, actually.

  “What’s wrong?”

  And that he sees me so clearly doesn’t help anything. I could be in a full-on rage for days and Scott wouldn’t even notice. I already know Austin wouldn’t let me get away with that. “Nothing’s wrong.”

  “Something is. I can tell by that little frown you do when you’re bothered or upset. I noticed it on FaceTime.”

  “You’re too much for me. That’s the problem.”

  He draws back as if I slapped him. “What do you mean?”

  “I keep telling myself I can’t do this. I can’t see you and talk to you and be with you, because of all the reasons we’ve already discussed.”

  “Do you want me to go?”

  “No, I don’t want you to go, and that’s also a problem.”

  “You’re going to have to help me out here,” he says, looking as confused as I feel.

  I push my barely touched plate aside and look down at my hands, trying to find the words I need to tell him how I feel. Since I can barely explain it to myself, that’s harder than it should be. “When I told you we couldn’t talk anymore, it wasn’t because I don’t like talking to you. I like it too much.”

  “I feel the same way.”

  “Being with you in person…”

  “Is amazing.”

  “Yes.” I force myself to look at him, and what I see coming from him is everything I could ever want in one sweet, sexy package. I’m drawn to him by something more powerful than anything I’ve ever felt, and my resistance crumbles like a sandcastle taken down by an incoming tide.

  He raises his hand to cup my face as he stares at me intently. “I heard what you said when you called it off while I was in Detroit. Hell, I even agreed with you that it was the right thing to do. But ever since then, I’ve felt like complete and absolute crap because I can’t talk to you anymore. I kept asking myself how I could feel so bad about losing something I’d never had in the first place. But what I realized is I’ve had more with you in emails and phone calls and FaceTime chats than I’ve ever had with anyone else, and all I want is more of that. More of you.”

  Now, you tell me how I’m supposed to remember all the reasons this is a bad idea when the hottest, sweetest guy I’ve ever met is saying those words to me. I can’t resist him, and in the second before I do something that can’t be undone, I recall what Carmen said: If this guy is “the one,” Mari, do whatever it takes to make it work.

  In what will surely go down as the most perfect moment of my entire life, we both lean in at the same instant, our lips coming together in a needy, hungry kiss unlike any other first kiss in the history of first kisses. There’s nothing awkward or fumbling about it. Like everything with him, it’s utter perfection.

  Without missing a beat in the best kiss ever, he puts his arms around me, compels me to stand and brings me in tight against his muscular body. He makes no effort to hide the fact that he’s hard for me, which only makes me want him more. Is that even possible? I wind my arms around his neck and moan when he rubs his tongue against mine. All thoughts of self-preservation are gone. I don’t care about anything other than more of this, more of him. Even though I’m one hundred percent certain this is still a bad idea, I don’t care anymore.

  “Tell me to stop,” he says.

  For all I know, days, weeks and years have passed since we started kissing. I’ve lost track of everything that isn’t him. I can barely form thoughts, let alone words. And stop is the last word on my mind.

  He leans his forehead against mine, his breathing uneven and his face flushed.

  I love that he seems as undone as I feel after the best first kiss ever.

  “You’re not telling me to stop.”

  “You noticed that, huh?”

  “Mmm. I told myself this wasn’t going to happen when I came here.”

  “I told myself the same thing.”

  “Is lying to ourselves a bad thing?”

  “Not if it feels this good.”

  “Maria?”

  “Yes, Austin?”

  “I want to kiss you some more.”

  “I want that, too.”

  “You’re supposed to say no and tell me to go and remind me of all the reasons why we’re not doing this.”

  “I can’t remember any of those reasons.” I move my hands from his shoulders and slide them down his arms to take hold of his hands. Giving him a gentle pull, I walk backward toward my bedroom.

  “Where’re you taking me?”

  “Somewhere more comfortable.”

  “You should be kicking me out.”

  “Believe me, I know.”

  “I’m really glad you’re not.”

  “I am, too.” I release my hold on his hands and remove my shoes before stretching out on my bed and inviting him to joi
n me.

  He kicks off his shoes and stretches out next to me, turning on his side to face me. “Hi.”

  “How’s it going?”

  “Best first date of my whole life.”

  “Mine, too. Except this wasn’t supposed to be a date, remember?”

  “I remember everything.” He twirls a length of my curly hair around his finger. “Except I can’t seem to remember why this is a bad idea.”

  “Me, either. I can’t recall a single reason.”

  I love his smile, the groove that appears in his cheek and the way his eyes sparkle with silent laughter. “That’s not what you said a couple of weeks ago.”

  “I know, but that was then, and now… Now, I just don’t care. From the first time you ever contacted me, I’ve felt a connection to you that goes so far beyond me donating to Everly. I can’t explain it.”

  He continues to play with my hair. “I’ve felt more connected to you than I have to almost anyone I’ve ever known. I’d ask myself how that was possible when we’d never met, but it’s the truth. And now that I’ve met you…”

  “What?”

  “I want more.” He reaches for me, and I go willingly because I want the same thing.

  I wouldn’t have thought it possible to top that first kiss, but the second, third and fourth ones get progressively hotter, sexier and needier. My world is reduced to this room, his lips and tongue and the tight press of his body against mine. I can’t get enough, and even knowing this road could be paved with ruin, I simply don’t care.

  AUSTIN

  Her kisses destroy the resolve I brought with me when I came to her house. I was determined to keep things platonic, like she wanted, and to go on with my life after having met the woman who saved my daughter’s life. Even if I knew that would be one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, I was willing to do it for her. But then I kissed her, and all bets were off. After the way we connected through words, it’s no wonder our physical connection is so hot.

  I want her so much, but not just like this. I want her in every way I can have her, and after being so badly burned by Kasey, I honestly thought I’d never want that with anyone again. But Maria has been different from the first time I ever talked to her through anonymous emails when I barely knew her. How else to explain why I couldn’t wait for the one-year mark when we could finally talk freely?

  Only when I need to breathe more than I need to kiss her do I shift my interest to her neck, leaving kisses all the way down to the deep neckline of the sexy-as-fuck shirt she’s wearing. “You’re still not telling me to stop.”

  “What’s that? Can’t hear you.”

  Laughing at her witty reply, I kiss the plump slopes of her full breasts while working a hand under the hem of her top.

  Her fingers slide through my hair, sending a shiver of need straight to my balls. Christ have mercy, I’m on fire for her. “Tell me what you want.”

  “I want you. I’ve wanted you from the first time you emailed me, before I even knew your name.”

  Her direct response is a refreshing change of pace. “I want the same thing.”

  I feel her hand on my chest and look down to see that she’s unbuttoning my shirt. “I, uh, I’m kinda unprepared for this.”

  She offers me a smile that manages to be sexy and shy at the same time, a combination I didn’t know I loved until her. “I’m not.”

  Okay, then, so this is going to happen, and… Ugh. “I can’t.” I place my hand on top of hers. “But it’s not because I don’t want to.” I look down at her and try to find the words I need to share something with her that I’ve never told anyone. “I didn’t bring condoms because I didn’t want you to think I was planning something like this. I wasn’t.”

  “Neither was I. But I have them.”

  “Which is awesome, but the thing is… When I was with Kasey…” God, there’s no way to say this without making it seem like I don’t trust Maria, when that’s not the case at all. And Kasey is the last freaking thing I want to talk about right now, but I have rules for these things thanks to her, rules I can’t break no matter how much I might want to with Maria.

  She massages my back with a gentle touch that makes me want to wallow in her sweetness. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

  “I think she might’ve messed with the condoms, and that’s where Everly came from.”

  “Oh God, Austin. Really?”

  I give a short nod, and my whole body goes tense the way it does any time I think about that time in my life. “I’ve never said that out loud to anyone before.”

  “I promise no one will ever hear it from me.”

  I believe her, and I already trust her more than I’ve ever trusted any woman I dated. “We passed it off as an oops to everyone else, but I was always careful. I didn’t make those sorts of mistakes. I already knew that things with Kasey were tentative at best, and there was no way I was looking to have a child with her. So imagine my surprise when she tells me she’s pregnant.”

  “It must’ve been shocking.”

  “It was. I know it takes two to make a baby, and I have no regrets about having Ev. But there’s always been something kind of fishy about how it happened, especially since she was the one who bought the condoms. Ever since then, the only condoms I use are the ones I buy. Which is a shit thing to say to you, because it makes it seem like I don’t trust you, when that isn’t the case at all.”

  “I get it. I’d feel the same way if I were you.”

  I appreciate that she understands, even if I’m disappointed. “I’m sorry.”

  “I appreciate that you came here intending to honor my wishes.”

  “I did. I swear I did. Even if I wanted to kiss you from the first second I walked in the door.”

  “I wanted that, too,” she says with a reassuring smile. “And there’s lots of other stuff we can do that doesn’t require condoms. If you want to, that is…”

  “Uh, yeah, I want to.”

  Laughing at my hasty reply, Maria goes back to what she was doing, unbuttoning my shirt and pushing it off my shoulders.

  I help her by removing it and tossing it aside. Then I tug on her top. “Fair is fair.”

  Without hesitation, she sits up and removes her shirt, revealing a sexy black bra that barely contains spectacular breasts.

  When she reclines on the pillow, I cup her cheek, running my thumb over the softest skin I’ve ever felt. “I’ll never forget the first time I saw your face in that picture you sent me. I thought you were stunning, and now… Now I know that’s not a big enough word. You’re beautiful.”

  She reaches for me, and we come together in a frenzy of lips and tongues and hands moving over bare skin.

  Her touch sets me on fire.

  We kiss for hours, or so it seems. I have no idea what time it is, and I couldn’t care less. The team has curfew on game nights, but with three games remaining in the season, no one is enforcing it. Just as well, because I’d take the fine before I’d leave her right when things are getting even more interesting.

  “I want to touch you everywhere,” I whisper against her lips.

  “I want you to.”

  With every kiss and stroke of her tongue against mine, I fall deeper into this thing with her. Soon I won’t be able to find my way out, and that’s completely fine with me. I release the front clasp of her bra and feast my eyes on full, gorgeous breasts with sweet pink nipples that require my immediate attention. I look down at her face, flushed with color, as I cup her breasts and run my thumbs over the tight tips. “You’re still not telling me to stop.”

  “What? Still can’t hear you.”

  I love this woman. I know it’s ridiculous to feel that way about someone I just met in person a couple of hours ago, but I loved her before I ever knew her name. And everything I’ve learned about her since we were able to communicate freely has only added to the huge feeling I have for her. This, however, has nothing to do with the amazing gift she gave my daughter and everything to do with w
hat she’s come to mean to me separate from that.

  Dipping my head, I take her left nipple into my mouth and tug gently. As I move from one side to the other, I could spend days right here and never get bored. She’s so sweet and responsive and sexy. So fucking sexy, I almost can’t bear it.

  This night will go down as one of the best of my entire life, and all we did was kiss and touch and hold each other until we finally fell asleep sometime long after midnight. I have no idea what time it is when I wake up with her in my arms, her breasts pressed against my chest and her hair wild on the pillow. I check my watch and see that it’s nine o’clock. I’ve missed curfew by nine hours. Ask me if I care.

  I kiss her forehead.

  She stirs, and the heat of her body against my hard cock is a torturous reminder of how badly I want her.

  “I have to go.”

  “I’ll take you to the hotel.”

  “I can get a car.”

  “No need. I don’t mind. Just give me a minute to get ready.”

  When I release her, I notice how she covers her bare breasts with her arm as she gets out of bed and ducks into the bathroom wearing only the underwear we both ended up in when our jeans came off. We were in silent agreement that if we went any further, we wouldn’t stop.

  I sit up, run my fingers through my hair and reach for my jeans and shirt, both of which are on the floor where they landed last night.

  I want to ask her—what now? What happens after the best night ever? I’m afraid to ask, because I don’t want to hear her say this was a one-time thing that can’t happen again.

  She comes out of the bathroom wearing a robe. “I left you a new toothbrush if you want it.”

  “I want it. Thank you.” I take my turn in the bathroom, hoping I’m giving her enough time to get dressed. As I splash cold water on my face and brush my teeth, I’m full of questions. My plan is to take this day a minute at a time and follow her lead.

  When I emerge from the bathroom, she’s dressed in leggings that hug her sexy ass and a tank that showcases her gorgeous breasts. I wish I had time to coax her back into bed, but I don’t. I need to get my ass back to the hotel before someone figures out that I never came back last night.