by Simone Grey
She’s dressed in a dark purple cocktail dress that cuts off right above the knees. The thin straps put her breast on display. I haven’t been able to take my eyes off her. I’m sure Mya or Imani talked her into this dress, and I couldn’t be more grateful. She’s wearing her hair up and has her glasses on today.
“Was the blindfold really necessary?” she asks as I maneuver her into position so she can get the full view of the room.
“Yes, now hush and let me woo you.”
“Yes sir,” she sasses and damn if my dick doesn’t jump. It’s been two days since she gave me the best damn blow job of my life and I’ve been in a perpetual state of hardness. It’s getting ridiculous and honestly, I don’t know how much longer I can hold off.
Of course, the sight of her ass in this dress is not helping. At all. I attempt to shake those thoughts off.
“Okay are you ready?”
“Yes,” she says the excitement clear in her voice.
I carefully remove the blindfold. She gaps covering her hand with her mouth as she takes in the room.
I reserved the back room at Tempest, the restaurant Liam took over ownership of from our dad. There are lit candles and rose petals throughout the entire room and a table set for two. I’ve never done something like this for a woman before so I’m a little nervous about what she’ll think. Like maybe I went a little overboard and she’ll think it’s cheesy as fuck.
Fuck maybe I should have toned it down a little. What the hell is wrong with me? I’ve never acted this way over a woman before. But then again this isn’t just any woman.
This is Mia. My Mia. And I’ll make a fool out of myself every damn day for the rest of our lives if it means making her happy.
“What do you think?” I ask.
She turns to me and the smile on her face brings me relief.
“It’s beautiful. I can’t believe you went through all this for me,” she says looking up at me.
I get that familiar gut punch when she stares up at me like that.
“You should know by now I’d do anything for you, baby girl.” She stands on her tip toes and I bend down meeting her halfway for a kiss. Her tongue traces the seam of my lips and I groan as I open for her. My arms tighten around her waist as I pull her more firmly against me.
She hums in the back of throat as our kiss grows hotter and wetter.
I don’t know how long we stand there kissing but images of me fucking her up against the dinner table are starting to play over and over in my mind.
“Ahem.”
Mia shrieks and jumps away from me. Her cheeks are flushed, and her eyes have that glazed look I’ve become familiar with after we kiss.
I look over my shoulder to see Gavin and Natalie standing there. Nat at least has the decency to look guilty, Gavin on the other hand looks like he’s trying not to laugh.
“Are we interrupting something?” Gavin says with that stupid smirk on his face.
My eyes narrow on him. He knows damn well he was interrupting. My dick is deflating thankfully, the sight of my brother and sister in law killing it.
“Have you ever heard of knocking?”
Gavin opens his mouth, I’m sure to say something smart but Natalie touches his arm and speaks over him. “We’re sorry. We didn’t mean to, um, interrupt. We just came to say hi, but we can come back later.”
I say, “Great see ya,” at the same time Mia says, “No, it’s okay. I’m sorry you, um had to see that…” she trails off awkwardly. The blush staining her cheeks is prominent. It’s cute.
Natalie steps forward and gives Mia a hug. “It’s good to see you. love that dress! Oh, I meant to tell you I just finished Tempting Fate and I loved it!”
Mia’s face lights up, like it always does when people start talking about books. “Really?” she says.
Natalie nods vigorously, smoothing a hand over her chef’s jacket. “Yes! I’m so glad you and Ava put me on to romance novels, I can’t seem to get enough!”
“You should try books by…” they launch into an animated conversation and I watch Mia fascinated by her. Everything she seems to do fascinate me.
“I see you didn’t fuck it up,” Gavin says coming to stand next to me.
“No, I didn’t fuck it up.”
He slaps a hand on my back. “Good, I’m happy for you bro. You deserve it and it’s obvious that Mia makes you happy.”
My throat tightens unexpectedly at the comments. Mia does make me happy. Happier than I’ve ever been in my life. I never understood how Gavin, or my father or Liam could want to be tied down to one woman for the rest of their lives.
When Gavin met Natalie, he was barely twenty-two, yet he knew almost instantly that she was the woman for him. Liam was a bit older when he met Ava but I have no doubts that if they’d met earlier in life, he would have been ready to settle down and probably wouldn’t have gone through everything he did with Victoria.
I wish I’d noticed my feelings for Mia earlier. I know we’re only twenty-five, but it feels like we’ve already wasted so much time. Time we could have been together as a couple. I guess it’s better late than never because I have no intentions of letting go.
She’s mine and once I convince her fully of that things will be good.
“Thanks brother.”
Gavin and Natalie stay for a few more minutes to chat before they have to get back to the kitchen. Soon one of the waiters is coming to take our orders. Once we’ve ordered Mia sits back in her chair gazing around at the rose petals.
“The last time we were here was for...”
“Liam’s birthday,” I finish the sentence for her.
A smile graces her face. “That was a fun night. I’m so happy he found Ava. They’re sweet together.”
“Yeah, she’s good for him. Mellows him out when he needs it. Kind of like you do me.”
She arches a brow at me. “Oh, I mellow you out do I?”
A smirk tugs at the corners of my lips. “Yeah you’re like the ying to my yang.”
Mia stares at me for a moment before she burst out laughing. “I can’t believe you just said that.”
I can’t help but laugh “What was wrong with that?”
She opens her mouth to reply when the door swings open again. Gavin steps into the room.
I sigh “Another interruption?”
He doesn’t crack a smile. In fact, I’ve never seen him look so serious. My hackles immediately rise.
“We have a situation,” he says.
I get up from my seat.
“What’s wrong?”
He runs a hand through his hair. “It’s Lincoln. Simon just called me and told me that he’s at Temptation and he’s wasted. He doesn’t feel right putting him in a cab. He can’t leave the club, Liam and Ava have already left heading back to Paris, and Nat and I can’t leave the kitchen. I know you’re on a date but…”
“I’m on it” I look over at Mia to ask if she’s okay with this but she’s already standing up from her chair.
That’s my girl.
Gavin sighs in relief. “Thanks man. The last thing he needs is anymore bad press after that last incident.”
He just transferred to a Chicago based fire department after everything that happened in Los Angeles. Ever since that fire that tragically killed a family, he hasn’t been the same. I thought he’d hit rock bottom when he broke up with his high school sweetheart Rosalie, but I was wrong. It’s gotten worse and worse over the course of the past several months.
He refuses to talk to us about it.
He refuses to see a therapist.
It’s gotten way past the point of no return. To say everybody in the family is worried sick about him would be an understatement.
“We’re out,” I say putting my hand on the small of Mia’s back as we head for the door.
“Alright, I’ll call Simon back and tell him you’re on your way,” Gavin says
I close Mia into my car before jogging around the front of it.
&nb
sp; She looks over at me with worried eyes. “I hope he’s okay.”
“Me too.”
In no time at all we’ve reached Temptation. Mia’s hand grips mine as we push through the front door. Thankfully there aren’t any paparazzi camped outside. The place is packed per usual, but I have no problem spotting Arielle near the bar.
“Hey,” she says, and I can see the concern in her eyes. “They’re upstairs in Simon’s office.”
I pull Mia behind me up to Simon’s office. I knock swiftly and Simon opens the door a second later.
He’s dressed in his usual t-shirt and jeans. The same concern is brimming in his eyes.
“He’s over there,” he says pointing to the couch where Lincoln is sprawled out. His t-shirt is rumbled, and one tattooed arm is thrown over his face and the other rests across his stomach.
“Thanks for calling man, I appreciate it.”
“Of course. I’m just glad I saw him before he did something crazy.” Simon says running a hand through his hair. He and Liam have been best friends since for years. He’s more like family at this point.
“Do you need help getting him to the car?” Simon asks.
“I can fucking walk,” Lincoln grumbles getting up from the couch.
He stumbles slightly before righting himself. My jaw clenches as I get a whiff of the alcohol on him.
“Let’s go,” I say to Lincoln before turning back to Simon. I stick my hand out and he clasps it. “Thanks again man.”
Taking Mia’s hand in mine, we manage to get back to my car with no problems.
However, by the time we make it to Lincoln’s place he’s halfway passed out. I heft his arm over my shoulder and guide him into his apartment building.
Mia holds the door open for us.
Thankfully his place is on the first floor. She inserts his key into the lock and holds the door open as I get him inside. As she flicks on lights the state of the place brings me up short.
He just moved in a few weeks ago and the place is already a pig sty. Empty beer bottles litter the counter. The sink is full of dishes. A pizza box lays on the floor near the overflowing trash.
My jaw clenches tight, anger at myself and Lincoln warring inside of me.
Anger at myself for not seeing how bad he’s gotten and anger at him for not reaching out and leaning on us, his brothers during this time. I drag him over to the couch and he falls back his head lulling to the side. He’s out like a light.
“I’ll, um start cleaning things up, if you want to get him back to his room,” Mia says.
“You don’t have to do that baby girl.”
She looks up at me. “It’s fine. Family helps family, right?”
My chest tightens “Right,” I say gruffly.
Her small hand slides into mine and she squeezes it before letting go.
“Go help your brother. I’ll be fine in here.”
I press a kiss to the top of her head, breathing in her scent.
I go to the couch and throw Lincoln’s arm over my shoulder again before hefting him up and dragging him down the hall to his room. Once we’re inside I flip on the light and dump him on the bed. He groans and rolls onto his side. One eye opens and he peeks at me.
“Do you have to be so fucking rough?” he grumbles.
“Maybe I wouldn’t have to be rough if you hadn’t gotten drunk as shit and I didn’t have to cut my date with Mia short to drag your ass home,” I snap.
He opens his eyes to glare at me. His glare would send most grow men running. Not me I just glare back.
“We’re checking you in to rehab.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Yes, we are.”
“No. The fuck. You’re not. I’m fine, I just need to sleep it off.”
My anger snaps. “Do you hear your fucking self? You are the farthest thing from fine I’ve ever seen. Your withering away before my eyes, man. I don’t know what happened that day with the fire or with Rosalie.”
His eyes snap open, the warning in them clear, I press on. “And I won’t pretend to understand what you’ve been going through, but I will not let you kill yourself. You’re drowning in your own misery and it’s not going down on my watch. If Liam, Gavin, Grayson or Gabe knew how bad you’d gotten I know they’d agree with me.”
I sit down in the chair next to his bed. “Now here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to sleep off this hangover and then tomorrow we’re going to look into getting you some help. You got me?’”
His jaw is clenched tight and I know it’s taking everything in him not to lash out at me, but I don’t give a damn.
He nods once.
“Good.” I turn to leave the room before I really do hit him when his voice stops me.
“Rosalie’s in town.”
I turn back to him, shock reverberating through me.
“What?” I say sure that I didn’t hear him correctly.
“Rosalie’s back in town. I went to the diner to grab something to eat and I saw her in there and she wasn’t alone. She was with some fucking loser.”
He looks me in the eye, and I see past the drunkenness and straight to the pain. He and Rosalie were inseparable through high school and college. When she got a nursing position in California, Lincoln didn’t hesitate to apply for a firefighting position there. They were happy, he was getting ready to propose when shit hit the fan. I don’t know exactly what happened, because he’s never really talked about it, but I know it wasn’t good. Last I heard she was still in Cali, so it’s shocking to hear she’s back in Chicago now.
I step back into the room and sit down in the chair next to his bed.
“Did you talk to her,” I ask quietly.
Lincoln shakes his head then winces as if in pain.
“Nah, I knew if I went over their I’d lose it. I went to the bar across the street and had a few drinks before going over to Temptation.”
I sigh. “Maybe you should try talking to her. After you sober up.” I add.
Lincoln laughs but it holds no humor. “I’m the last person she wants to talk to. I fucked up Levi.”
“I’m sure you can fix it, man. I almost fucked up with Mia and she forgave me. Whatever you did you just have to work to make it right. Rosalie’s a sweet girl I’m sure she’ll forgive you.”
Lincoln looks at me again and something akin to hope fills his eyes. “You think so.”
“Yeah,” I say nodding. “But you’ve got to get yourself together. The first step is sleeping off this hangover.”
Lincoln’s quiet for a moment. “You’re right.”
“Of course, I am,” I smirk.
“If I wasn’t so hungover, I’d kick your ass.”
“In your dreams man. Get some rest. We’ll stick around for a little while.”
He shifts on the bed and just as I’m closing the door behind me, he calls my name.
“Yeah?” I say sticking my head back in the door.
“Thanks man.” He says it so quietly I almost don’t hear him.
“You’ve got it.”
I close the door and then lean heavily against the wall beside it.
His behavior makes a little more since now. Rosalie is the love of his life; I can’t even begin to imagine what I would do if I lost Mia.
Just then my phone goes off in my pocket. I pull it out to see Grayson’s number flashing across the screen.
“Hey.”
“Hey, is everything okay with Lincoln?” he asks.
Grayson is a college professor at the Lunbar University in New York. Although this thing just happened, I’m not surprised that he knows about it already. News tends to travel fast in our family. Especially when one of us is going through something.
“Yeah, I got him back to his place. He should be able to sleep it off. I told him he needs to go to counseling.”
Grayson sighs. “We should have made him see a therapist after that incident with those two women.”
“Yeah I think so too.”
“Do you know what triggered this drinking binge.”
“Yep he ran into Rosalie, out with another guy.”
“Oh shit.”
We’re all aware of Lincoln’s history with Rosalie.
“My thoughts exactly.”
“Well I’m glad he’s at least safe. I’ll call him again tomorrow.”
“Alright.” We say our goodbyes just as I step into the kitchen. Mia looks up and smiles at me. And her smile causes that shift in my chest.
My phone starts ringing again
This time Sarah’s name is flashing across the screen no doubt wanting to know what’s up with Lincoln. I take a seat at the now clean counter. I field calls from my mom and dad, Gabe and Liam updating them on what’s going on.
By the time I get off the phone I’m tired as fuck.
“Is he okay?” Mia says coming to stand in front of me. I pull her into my arms needing to hold her.
“Yeah, he’ll be alright. I think he needs to see a therapist though.” I rest my chin on top of her head.
She grips the back of my shirt in her hands as she hugs me tight.
“That’s good.”
“Thank you for being cool about this. I know it ruined our date.”
She shrugs in my arms. “It’s okay. Besides, I got to spent time with you and that’s all that really matters.”
This girl. The urge to tell her I love her is so strong, yet I hold back. I want things to be perfect when I finally tell her.
“I need to stay for a while and make sure he doesn’t wake up and choke on his own bile or something. I can drop you off at home and then come back.”
“I can stay. It doesn’t make sense for you to take me all the way home and then come back.” She grabs my hand and I follow her over to the couch.
“We can watch a movie.”
And that’s exactly what we do, we curl up on the couch and watch Hitch until Mia falls asleep in my arms.
Chapter Ten
MIA
“I cannot believe I let you too talk me into this.”
“It’ll be fine. Come on,” Mya says.
Her arm is linked with mine on one side and Imani’s is linked with mine on the other as they drag me into the store. Not just any store. It’s a lingerie store.
