Adam, Enough Said (This Can't be Happening)

by LeeAnne, Lynda

  Jesus those women are nosey.

  And what are the odds that out of all the women I’ve been with, the one they saw me with was Mia?

  “Yeah, Ma, I was with a girl. I was dropping her off.”

  “Oh,” she said and then she got quiet for a minute to let that process. I heard the phone shift before she started again. “Ummm…Honey, why were you dropping her off at the women’s shelter?”

  The what?

  “I was dropping her off at a friend’s apart…” My sentence trailed off and heat filled my veins when I remembered watching Mia run across the street.

  I jerked upright on the couch.

  No.

  She’d lied? Why would she have lied?

  Shit!

  Had she only said she was staying with a friend because she was embarrassed? My heart started pounding harder and harder in my chest as the truth was sinking in. Son of a bitch, I was an idiot! And I’d been such an asshole to her.

  “Adam?” Mom said in my ear and I jumped off the couch.

  “Ma, you’re my heart, you know that, but I gotta go. I think I just did something really fucked up.”

  “Language!” she snapped.

  I groaned. “Sorry. I’ll call you when I get back, all right?” I asked as I snatched my keys off the counter and headed for the door.

  “Okay, but I want to meet her.”

  I sighed, closed the door behind me and jogged down the steps. “If I can convince her I’m not a total asshole, then you’ll meet her.”

  “Adam, you really need to watch your language. She’s going to think you’re an asshole if you talk to her with such foul language.”

  Yeah right. Ma was only saying that because she hadn’t heard Mia’s equally foul mouth.

  I snorted. “Ma, you just said ‘asshole’.”

  “I know, but I’m a mother, I can say whatever the hell I want.”

  I laughed as I made it to my truck, jumped inside, started it and reversed. “Ma, I’m driving now. I’ll call you later.”

  “Okay, Honey, be careful. I love you.”

  “You’re my heart, Ma.”

  “Bye, bye, Honey.”

  “Bye, Ma.”

  I flipped my phone shut.

  It took twenty agonizing minutes to get to the shelter, and by the time I walked in the front door, I was shaking with frustration.

  “Can I help you?” a lady, maybe early sixties, asked when she caught sight of me.

  “Yes, I’m looking for a girl that came in about three hours ago. Her name is Mia. Red hair, about this tall.” I held my hand up to my chest to describe Mia’s height. The lady’s eyebrows rose as a small smile played on her lips.

  “I’m pretty sure Mia isn’t a child,” she said through a chuckle as her eyes glanced at my hand. I dropped it.

  “Well, she’s little,” I muttered. “Do you know her?”

  The lady nodded and said, "I know her, but I'm sorry, I can't tell you if she's here or not. We're not allowed to give out information on any of the women staying here, if they're staying here."

  I closed my eyes and rubbed a hand over my head and down my face. I had to see her and I knew she was here.

  "Please don't make me wait here until she comes out, because I will. I know she's here, I dropped her off earlier. I just need to talk to her," I practically begged.

  The lady stared at me for what felt like an eternity, until, finally, she sighed, walked around the counter she'd been standing behind, and walked away without a word.

  I followed.

  We walked down a wide hallway, passed a few office doors and then a glass window. I looked inside and stopped dead in my tracks. There she was. Mia sitting in a room filled with other women, her arm was resting on the back of the chair next to her and her head was in her hand, eyes closed.

  My chest compressed painfully at the sight.

  “What’s she doing in there?” I demanded to know, and I couldn't hide the disgust in my tone. I was disgusted with myself for being such an immature asshole.

  The lady gasped and I faced her just as she spun around and breathed, "Oh my goodness you scared the bejesus out of me. You're not supposed to be back here."

  "I'm sorry, but what's she doing in there?" I repeated my question, this time in a mere whisper. I watched as the lady's expression grew soft and her body visibly calmed.

  “She’s waiting to see a social worker so she can get a room, but she probably won’t get one until tomorrow. She’ll have to sleep on one of the cots in the main room until then.”

  I closed my eyes, sickened by the image.

  As far as I was concerned, Mia wasn’t going to be seeing this place again, much less sleeping on a fuckin' cot.

  Mia Dayes

  “Mia Dayes,” I heard my name called out and I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking four hours was the quickest I’d ever been called. I sat up and saw Mrs. Hutchins standing in the doorway, so I stood up, grabbed my suitcases and headed toward her.

  I smiled. “Well that was fast.”

  She smiled back. “Sorry, Mia, it’s not for a room. There’s actually someone here to see you.”

  I frowned. I hadn’t been able to get hold of Eric, so nobody knew where I was. I walked out of the doorway, turned the corner and saw him.

  I froze.

  I was tired, I was hungry, and the way he was looking at me made me want to cry.

  He came back.

  He looked beautiful standing there, tall and broad, handsome and masculine, his green eyes glowing with knowledge and curiosity…maybe even pity, but he still took my breath away. His stance owned the room, and his body radiated strength and control. I was positive he’d charmed Mrs. Hutchins off her feet.

  However, he’d hurt me. He’d kissed me and then said it was a mistake. I’d already known I’d never had a chance with someone like him, but he’d jumped to conclusions about me, about Eric, and he’d hurt me.

  And I was so damn tired of being hurt.

  I walked to him and sat my suitcases at my feet. You couldn’t let your possessions out of your sight in a place like this or else they’d disappear.

  “What are you doing here, Adam?” I asked softly as I looked up at him.

  “I want you to come home with me,” he said softly.

  My brows met, I opened my mouth, closed it, opened it and closed it again before whispering, “What?”

  “You heard me, Mia. Had I known I’d dropped you off at a shelter, I would've come sooner. In fact, I never would have let you out of the goddamn truck.”

  I raised a brow at the bold statement. “Well, I seem to remember you practically kicking me out of your truck.” I shrugged and his expression changed from frustration to fury.

  “You told me you were staying with another guy. It pissed me off,” he admitted.

  “No!” I said sarcastically. “I’m not stupid, Adam. If you would have let me speak while we were having this conversation earlier, I would have told you that Eric is my best friend… my gay best friend. We grew up together in the system and he’s like my big brother.”

  “But you still lied about staying with him and I didn’t like it...I was jealous,” he muttered the last part and my eyes widened. He was jealous?

  “Why would you be jealous? You don’t even know me,” I whispered.

  “I don’t know, Freckles.” He sighed. “I’ve been asking myself that same question.”

  We both stood there staring at each other, saying nothing.

  Stalemate.

  Then, Adam took a step toward me and I inhaled a sharp breath. He lifted his hands and framed my face, letting his thumbs caress my cheeks.

  “What do you want from me?” I asked on an exhale.

  “Stay with me,” he rumbled low and deep. “I won’t touch you unless you want me to --”

  “You’re touching me now,” I pointed out and he grinned. I rolled my eyes and sighed. He was trouble with a capitol T, font size one hundred, italicized, bolded and underlined.<
br />
  “Okay, after this. If you stay with me, I won’t touch you unless you ask me to. I’m starting the academy tomorrow and won’t be home during most of the day. I’m not sure what your schedule at the university is, and I know you said you work, so you can stay at my place as long as you need to. I’ll give you a key so you can come and go as you please. If you find an apartment later and want to move out, that’s up to you, but at least stay with me in the meantime.”

  “I don’t need pity, Adam. I manage well on my own,” I said, not feeling insulted, nor trying to insult him, just stating a fact.

  “It’s not fuckin’ pity, Mia. I like you and I’m asking you to stay with me,” he growled.

  It was pity and I knew it, but oddly, he made me feel wanted. The offer sounded better than I could have imagined, but I also knew it wasn’t going to be that easy. Honestly, I couldn’t even believe I was considering it.

  I didn’t know him, but I had nothing to lose…except my virginity, but I wasn’t easy and he’d already been with Missy, which meant he liked his women easy. So, he’d be dating…would he bring women home with him? Would I be able to handle it if he did?

  My heart sank at the thought.

  “Me staying with you might mess up your playboy status,” I informed him. “Will you at least warn me before you bring a woman home with you?”

  His eyes narrowed dangerously and he growled, “I wouldn’t do that to you while you’re in my place.”

  I didn’t let my flinch show. He wouldn’t do anything while I was there, but he would when I wasn’t?

  I hoped not. I kinda liked him, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up.

  “If I agree, will you at least promise to warn me?”

  It was his turn to roll his eyes. “I promise.”

  “And I’ll give you some money for rent,” I added and his hands fell away to his sides.

  “No. No money.”

  “I won’t go with you unless I can give you money.”

  He shook his head. “I won’t take your money.”

  I nodded, bent down and picked up my suitcases.

  “Fine!” he barked as I turned, and a tight grasp around my upper arm pulled me to a stop. I looked at my arm and then slowly up at Adam’s face. I gave his hand another pointed look indicating with my eyes that I’d break every single one of his fingers if he didn’t let me go.

  “You have got to be the most infuriating woman I’ve ever met,” he muttered, sighed and let go of my arm to take the suitcases from me. “Give me whatever money you want if it’ll make you feel better, but I won’t use it. If you leave, I’ll just give it back.”

  “It’s when I leave, not if, and I won’t let you give it back.”

  “Mia, just be quiet so we can get the hell out of here,” Adam snapped.

  “Don’t tell me to be quiet and don’t ever grab me again, or I’ll drown your little swimmers with my foot,” I snapped back.

  He was so fast I never saw him coming.

  He dropped one suitcase, bent at the waist, rammed his elbow into my stomach and picked me up over his shoulder all while still holding the other suitcase.

  “Oh my God!” I screamed as he spun around. He bent at the knees and my head hovered over the suitcase he just dropped.

  “Mia, Baby, do me a favor and pick up your suitcase please. My hands are full of a whole lotta crazy at the moment.”

  I gasped before shouting, “You’re the crazy one!”

  He ignored me.

  “Mrs. Hutchins, ma’am, would you mind opening the door for me? It seems Mia is no longer in need of that room,” Adam said to the shelter secretary, who I hadn’t realized was even in the room. I had to blow the hair out of my face so I could see, and I saw right away that her gaze was locked on us, her face filled with adoration.

  Oh no.

  “I knew you sweet talked her!” I shouted at Adam before addressing the secretary. “Don’t do it, Mrs. Hutchins!”

  She smiled sweetly at me as she walked around the front desk and headed for the front door. “I’d pick up my suitcase if I were you, Sweetie. Somehow, I don’t think he’ll have a problem leaving it behind,” she said.

  I gaped at her.

  “Unbelievable,” I hissed as I grabbed my suitcase, with one hand because the other hand held Adam’s shirt in a death grip. He walked out the front door with a kind, “Thank you,” to Mrs. Hutchins and I lifted my head to glare at her.

  Her smile grew bigger.

  Why weren’t my silent threats working?

  “You better not drop me or I’ll kick your gigantic ass,” I growled and Adam had the audacity to laugh as he walked down the sidewalk.

  “As my mother would say...Language! And to think she thought you’d be shocked by my foul mouth.”

  “Oh my God! You told your mother about me?”

  “Nope, one of her nosey friends saw me dropping you off. Ma called wanting to know why I brought a woman to the women’s shelter...small world.”

  “Yeah, small world,” I mocked him.

  “Mia, Mia, Mia…I always get what I want. You should just give up and give in now.”

  “Like hell!”

  Chapter Eleven

  Six Weeks Later

  Adam Bryant

  Like hell indeed.

  She was doing this shit on purpose. Had to be. There was no other explanation.

  She was wearing a scrap of black material that clung to her in all the right places and barely covered her ass. The front was cut into a U, and hung so low that I could throw a penny between her breast and they'd catch it. Of course, in that dress, I'd give her all the fuckin' money in my checking account, but that was beside the point.

  If she bent over, her girls would fall out.

  On her feet, she wore black, shiny high heels that gave her about four inches, making her at least five-seven...still tiny. Her wavy red hair was wild, her lips were a few shades darker than usual, and her eyes were highlighted with makeup.

  All she needed was some gel and a white guitar.

  I looked around the room. Surely, Robert Palmer was going to jump out singing “Addicted to Love”. He just had to, because this was either a dream, or my worst fuckin' nightmare.

  And her dumbass best friend, Eric, had the nerve to call the thing she was wearing a dress!

  “Bellissimo!” Eric had said as he kissed the air when Mia walked out of my…no, her bedroom. Fucker wasn’t even Spanish…or Italian…or whatever the fuck.

  There was nothing to the damn thing!

  And how I got wrangled into playing designated driver for her, Eric, and his boyfriend Kenny, I’d never fuckin’ know. They weren’t even of age, but Eric and Kenny had devised some sort of plan to get drinks in the place. I’d make sure they were okay, but I wasn’t worried about them. Mia, on the other hand, wasn’t touching a drop of alcohol.

  Scratch that, I knew how I got wrangled into this. It was those big green doe-eyes. One look and I’d give her whatever she wanted. Plus, there was no way in hell I was letting her go out, looking like she did, without me there to protect her. Eric was big, but not half as big as me. He cared, but I cared more.

  Clubs. I hated ‘em. They were nothing but drama and I didn’t dance, which was exactly why I never went. Bars, I was down, but never clubs.

  And now I had this shit to deal with…Mia…dressed to kill…probably me.

  “What the fuck are you wearing?” Her beaming smile fell away and her eyes traveled from Eric to me.

  “Excuse me?” she asked in shock.

  “Clothes, Mia. I know you own some - hell, they take up half my room - so why aren’t you wearing any?”

  She glanced at Eric again, who was shaking his head at me, but I didn’t give a shit. She belonged to me, not him.

  Well, she hadn’t been mine fully yet, but…

  Semantics.

  “What’s your problem, Adam?”

  “That thing you’re wearing is my problem, Mia.”

  She gla
nced down at herself. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”

  You’re making my dick throb. I’m probably gonna have to kick someone’s ass tonight and I’m gonna try really hard to fuck you later... that’s what.

  “Nothing, Love,” Eric said. “You look absolutely stunning! Trust me. Count the number of men that tell you the exact same thing tonight and let me know the total when we get back.” He faced me and narrowed his eyes. “Isn’t that right, cop dude?”

  “Hell no,” I growled. “Nobody’s gonna get close enough to talk to her.”

  Eric shook his head and sighed. “Adam, I get it, I really do, but you suck at compliments. And why, oh why, do I find that whole growly thing so hot?” Eric said to the room, and as a whole, we rolled our eyes, even Kenny.

  “She gets into any trouble tonight, it’s your ass,” I warned.

  “When she doesn’t get into any trouble tonight, because you’re going to be all over her like peanut butter to jelly, you can kiss mine. I’ll even bend over,” Eric retorted.

  “Uh, hello! I’m in the fucking room,” Mia shouted.

  “Language, Freckles!” I shouted back in outrage and then I looked at her. Looked. At. Her. “Actually…you know what? Keep saying ‘Fuck’ in that dress, but only around me,” I decided and she let out an annoyed huff.

  Two hours later, I was no happier than when we left the apartment.

  I’d wanted to spend time with Mia tonight. I’d known it was going to be hard with the cock-blocking duo around, but being in a loud club made it near impossible. I’d been working and studying so hard for the academy, and she’s been so busy with school and her part-time job, we hadn’t really had to have the talk like I wanted.

  Hell, my mom probably knew Mia better than I did. They even talked on the fuckin’ phone like best girlfriends. They even had plans for lunch and a movie and I was fuckin’ jealous.

  Of my Mom!

  I really needed a drink.

  Six weeks.

  She'd been living with me for six weeks. At week two, she found an apartment, but I wouldn't let her take it and threatened to lock all her clothes up in my truck if she tried to leave. At week three, she tried to leave, but failed again. At week four, she gave me money for her portion of the rent and I took it. I didn't even count it, just put it in my dresser and told her where it was if she needed it.