“Why?”
Frankie crossed his arms. “Did you or did you not sleep with another woman last night?”
“Uh, no. I was very much alone unless you count Sera. In fact I wasn’t even…”
Shit. Mia didn’t know Tristan didn’t sleep in his own room. She must’ve come in and seen Tara and assumed he’d slept with her.
Tristan leaned over the counter. “Listen, Frankie, my friend and his girl slept in my room last night. Mia must’ve seen her and thought she was with me. This has all been a complete misunderstanding. Where is Mia?”
Of all the times he’d been furious with Seth for his stupid antics, this took the cake. He should have thought through using Seth’s room. Why hadn’t he gone back to his? His chest tightened.
Of course, she overacted given her past. He didn’t blame her, but he had to find her and explain.
“You mean you didn’t sleep with anyone else?” Frankie looked skeptical.
“No. I would never do that to her. I love her.” The words were out of his mouth before he even realized it. It hit him hard, but right now he needed her to believe him, and that meant convincing Frankie. She trusted Frankie. Tristan would freak out about all these feelings and what they meant later.
Frankie gasped and then fanned his face. “Well, if that isn’t the sweetest thing I ever heard. She’s on her way back here. She was going to go home, but there is a nasty blizzard, and they canceled all the flights. I was sending her to the resort next door, but you can probably intercept her. Oh, hang on, I’ve got a phone call. Maybe she’s back now.”
Tristan wanted to snatch the phone out of Frankie’s hand, but he had to be patient. The things she must think of him now. He didn’t want to even imagine how her heart was breaking. He didn’t know how he’d show her that he loved her and wouldn’t hurt her, but he’d do it.
Frankie nodded. “We’ll get someone there right away. Don’t you worry. Send me your location.”
Frankie hung up the phone. “She’s stuck. I’ll send you her coordinates. Now go rescue her and be her knight in shining armor. But be careful. The roads are nasty.”
Tristan ran to his room, grabbed his keys, his coat, and a couple of blankets in case she was cold and raced out to his car.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Mia kept the car running, but the cold still crept in. At least she had her coat. Only a few cars were on the road, and they all passed her. She wondered how long she would have to wait. It’d been thirty minutes since she called Frankie. She was about ten minutes from the resort in good weather, but in a blizzard, who knew how long. It had started coming down harder now, and she couldn’t see much past her car.
A massive SUV passed, and she watched it in her rearview mirror. It did a careful U-turn and pulled up behind her. Finally.
Someone all bundled up approached the side of her car. She popped the door open and stared up at her rescuer.
Tristan.
What the hell had Frankie been thinking?
Tristan could be charming when he wanted to be, and he probably spun Frankie some sob story. Lies of course.
She didn’t want to go with him but couldn’t stay here. She had to accept his help or wait another three freaking hours.
He offered his hand, but she didn’t take it. She hopped out of the car into a foot of snow. The cold gripped the back of her calves, but she didn’t acknowledge it. She’d be in a bath soon enough. She just had to get through one short car ride.
She opened the trunk and grabbed one suitcase. “Can you get the other?” she asked without meeting his eyes.
“I can get both of them.”
She rolled her eyes and trudged to his SUV, snow seeping into her boots. He pulled out her other suitcase and closed the trunk.
He popped his hatch and put both suitcases in as she climbed into the passenger seat, freezing. He turned on the heated seats and handed her a couple blankets. It smelled like the woods, just like him. That only made her angrier.
“I figured you’d be cold. It’s not a long drive back, but this should make you more comfortable.”
“Thank you. Frankie booked me at the resort next door, and you can drop me off there.”
He shook his head. He was so obstinate.
She crossed her arms and wished he would get moving so she could get out of there. “Yes, you are. I’m not going to a place where I have to see your face every day.”
Tristan gulped. “Can you explain to me exactly what you saw?”
“Why, so you can figure out how to deny it?” What a joke.
“I think I know what happened, but I’d like to know your side first.”
“My side? You slept with another woman after proclaiming how much you needed me. Looks like if I’m not there for even a few hours, you’ll find someone else to fill the time. Boy am I glad I figured that out before I followed you to the Keys.”
“You were going to come?” His voice hitched up a couple of notches.
She looked out the window at the blinding white. “It doesn’t matter.”
Tristan reached out and tried to hold her hand. She jerked away, and he put both hands on the wheel. He stared straight out the window while driving. “It does matter though. Listen, I’m not sure what you saw, but last night after you and Vi left, Seth and David picked up a couple of girls from the bar. They brought them back to my room to party in the hot tub. I was tired and missing you, so I took Seth’s room for the night. He spent the night in my room. With that woman, apparently.”
Mia’s mind raced through his explanation. It made sense. But it could be a lie. One that Seth and that woman would probably go along with. Mia wasn’t sure what to think. Really, what mattered was if she believed him or not. She never actually saw him, so it could be true. But then again, it might not be.
She wasn’t sure she was willing to risk her heart for a maybe.
“Look, Tristan, that might be true. But I’ve been through this before. I can’t take the chance that you might be lying to me. The fact is that I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to trust you, not with my past. Vi was right. I always like the pretty boys, and they always break my heart. You’re by far the best looking man I’ve ever been with, and I will always wonder how long it will be until you find something else worth pursuing. This was always going to end quickly. It’s probably better that it’s over now.”
Tristan gripped the steering wheel hard and didn’t look at her the rest of the way back, for which she was grateful. She had a harder time standing her ground when he was looking at her. He didn’t pull into the resort next door though and instead took her right to the entrance of theirs. She stared up at the building. What had once seemed so beautiful now looked too rich for her blood, and so was Tristan.
“Thank you for the ride. I appreciate it.” She would just find another way over there.
He nodded stiffly. She climbed out, and he grabbed her bags from the back. She reached for them.
“I got them,” he said, and she didn’t want to argue. They rode up the elevator in silence, and she let him bring her bags into her room. Then he left without a word. She found she was surprisingly okay. Her heart hurt a little, but she’d survive this. Maybe staying here wouldn’t be so bad.
She made herself a cup of coffee, got a book out of her suitcase, and grabbed a blanket. Before sitting down, she turned on the tree lights. She was nearly halfway through the book when her phone rang, and Vi’s name lit up the screen.
“Hey, you got back safe?” Mia asked.
“You are an idiot,” Vi said without hesitation.
“Excuse me.”
“Idiot.”
Mia stared at the gas flame in the fireplace. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“Why are you not in bed with Tristan?”
“Vi, he slept with another woman last night.”
“Are you sure? Because that’s not what I heard.”
Mia squirmed. Having Vi in the loop was different. “How did you kn
ow all of this?”
“Oh, honey, don’t you know, I’m friends with all of them now. Seth and that girl are all over Instagram. I actually used that picture to convince Josh that nothing happened. Anyways, so then Tristan called me up and asked what he could do to convince you that he’s in love with you and that you can trust him.”
Mia’s heart stuttered. “Wait. What did you just say?”
“Tristan called me. You know he had my number.”
“No. The other part. Did he really say he was in love with me?”
Vi chuckled. “Yes. I thought you knew that. Anyway, he explained what happened and that you didn’t believe him, but, girl, I have proof. Do you want me to send it to you?”
Mia’s heart sank. She pretty much had believed Tristan anyway, but she didn’t want to always wonder what if. She’d always be this way.
“Vi, I’m never going to be able to trust him 100%. It’s better this way.”
“I’m not going to let you grow into an old spinster.”
“What if he cheats on me at some point?”
“Let me ask you something. Let’s say you never see him again. Will you have regretted what happened this trip?”
“No.”
“So, let’s say it lasts another month, and then things fall apart, either because he cheated or because things just didn’t work out. Then what? Will you have wished it didn’t happen?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. I did with Jeremy, Steven, and Drew.”
“Did you really though? I mean Drew, obviously, but the others. Do you wish you’d never dated them?”
Mia thought for a moment. Maybe not. Maybe those relationships had shaped her. She did enjoy them while they lasted, and both men had supported her in other ways. But those relationships ended so horribly.
“I know I said to not get your heart involved, but you obviously have, so you might as well take advantage of it. You recovered from all of your past relationships and moved on. I know that things with Drew are awful, but 99% of men are not like that. Tristan’s a good guy, and he adores you. You need to get away from home for a while anyway. Go spend a couple months in the Keys with him and see how things go. We already know the worst-case scenario, right? He cheats on you and breaks your heart. That’s the worst. And the best, you’ve found the love of your life. Take the chance, sweetie.”
Mia let out a breath. “Why do you always have to make it seem so easy?”
“Because… I might have an ulterior motive.”
“I’m not letting you around Seth again.” She couldn’t believe her sister.
Vi laughed. “No, not that. I want to come back to Florida this summer, and I want a place to stay.”
“It might be over by then.”
“Yeah, probably not. I take back everything I said about him before. You should’ve heard him on the phone. It was a little pathetic actually. He’s totally head over heels for you.”
Mia took a deep breath. “Okay. Maybe I can do this. I can let myself be vulnerable.”
“Of course you can. I want pictures as proof you actually apologized.”
“What? You don’t believe me?”
“No, I don’t. Go now.”
Mia hung up the phone. She needed time to absorb this, so instead of rushing to his door, she sent him a text.
Does the invite to dinner tonight still stand? I have a dress that I need to wear.
Yes.
Okay. She had three hours to get used to the idea. To plan what she would say to him. How to tactfully ask if she could just move in with him for a few months. He had offered, but never seriously. Geesh, she felt like she was in high school again. She didn’t know how to do any of this.
She stretched and stood up. So much for finishing her book. She had her own story to write.
A knock on the door made her jump. It was probably Frankie checking on her. She owed him a massive tip after this whole trip was over.
She flung the door open, but Tristan stood there, Sera at his feet. She nudged Mia’s hand with her nose. His face was gaunt and worried, though he was still sexy as hell.
“Sera needed to see you.”
Mia stared at him for a long moment. She loved this man. She wasn’t sure when and how it happened, but it did, and nothing could change that now. She’d just have to live with the consequences and constant worry about whether or not he was being faithful.
“I’ll bring her back before dinner.” She wasn’t letting him in yet. She couldn’t.
She stepped back to let Sera come in, but Tristan followed. Mia wasn’t ready for this, but she didn’t know how to tell him to go away. Especially because she didn’t really want him to go away.
She moved as far away from him as possible, but he still followed her.
“You know, you can’t just call my sister every time we get in a fight.”
He grinned and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her into him. She didn’t even bother to fight. This was a lost cause.
“It worked. So I can guarantee you that I will be calling your sister every time we get in fight, and I don’t know how to fix it.”
Mia squeezed her eyes shut. “Fine. But I can’t always promise it will work.”
He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. We’ll work it out, one way or another.”
She ran her hands along his chest. “We should talk about the future.”
“What about it?” he asked.
“Well, I live in Iowa, and you live in Florida. We need to have clear boundaries. How are we going to do the long distance thing?”
“Long-distance relationships suck. Here let me show you something.”
He pulled away and scrolled down on his phone. He showed her a picture of an apartment.
“What’s that?”
“An apartment I rented in Waterloo just until June. I couldn’t find anything in Janesville. But you get out of school in June, right? I was kinda hoping we could go to Florida for the summer.”
Mia blinked at him. He’d already gone and rented an apartment in Waterloo. Holy flip, he was serious.
“But I’m on leave from work and I don’t know how long. It might be indefinite. Maybe Florida will be a better place. Except, I didn’t rent a place. Maybe you can help me find something. I’d need a job though…”
He placed his finger over her lips. “Stop. Right there. I have plenty of room. In fact, I only use about a quarter of my closet, the rest is yours. And we can find you a job if you want, but I can take care of you if you don’t. I love you, and I want you by my side.”
Mia’s heart skipped a beat. Maybe this was for real. Maybe Tristan would be the one to restore her faith in the male species. She’d have several months on a gorgeous beach to heal. “I love you, too. I’m scared, and I’m fragile, but you’re worth taking a chance on.”
He leaned down and just before his lips covered hers, he said, “Merry Christmas. I have no idea how I’m gonna top this one.”
Mia laughed. “I can’t wait to see you try.”
He gave her his crooked grin, and then his lips met hers.
This truly was a Christmas to remember.
Acknowledgments
The past several months have brought so much wonderful change into my life and I owe it all to God, my family and my incredible readers.
Thanks go to my family first—I’m an empty nester now and I miss my kids more than I can say. Thank you, Xandi and AJ for being amazing. Thank you Will for being a constant support and following me with my crazy dreams. Thanks go to Mom and Matt for helping us out when we needed it most. Thanks to my sister Tiffany for being such a huge fan and help on the books.
To my editors and proofreaders—Kelley, Suzi, and Brittany thank you for your amazing insights and talents. I don’t know what I would without you.
A big thanks to Mayhem Cover Design for the work on this cover. I think it’s my favorite of the Omega Mu Alpha books.
Virginia—I know we talk about this all the time, but can you believ
e where we are. I wouldn’t be here without you. Love you!!!!
As always, I would be nothing without my fans, and especially my superfans. Huge shout out to the following—Gwen Smith-Leak, Stephanie Pittser, Laurie Murray, Linda Longo, Sandra Singleton, Andi Taylor, Andrea Hubler, Zoe Cannon, Mandy, Leslee Lusk, Alie Morgan, Darcy Whitaker, Denise Austin, Brianna Snowball, Gina Johnson, Beverly Laude, Hanife Ormerod, Shelby White, Kelly Tress, Dawn Foster, Samantha Murphy, Donna Wolz, Jai Henson, Jennifer McIntosh, Christine Stokes, Cathy Brown, Shirley Foster, Amber Christiansen, Eurice Diaz, Mary Martin, Astrid Rudloff, Linda Saunders, Faydra Fuller, Kate Schoenherr.
Also by Kimberly Loth
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The Thorn Chronicles (Young Adult Paranormal)
Kissed: www.kimberlyloth.com/kissed
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The Thorn Chronicles Boxed Set
The Dragon Kings (Young Adult Paranormal)
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The Dragon Kings Boxed Set
Omega Mu Alpha Brothers (Sweet Romance Series)
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Omega Mu Alpha Brothers Boxed Set Books 1-4
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Prince of the Moon: www.kimberlyloth.com/moon
Christmas and Commitment (Omega Mu Alpha Brothers Book 6) Page 15
