by Regina Cole
“Hey,” Mia said, pressing her hand against his cheek. She turned his face so he was forced to look into her eyes. “You made a mistake. It happens. You can’t just let it eat you up, and that’s what you’ve been doing for the last few days. Trent and the other guys will forgive you.”
He closed his eyes. “I can’t ask them to.”
“You don’t have to. They will.” She pulled his face to hers, and their kiss was slow, languid, full of something but more than passion. They’d made love so many times over the past several days that their bodies did more than lust. They felt. And now Mia wanted to know what. She pulled back slightly, breaking their kiss, but she never stopped touching his face. They were so close, their mouths only inches apart.
Inches too far, but she needed that space, just for this moment.
“I…” She stopped, the words swelling in her throat. Maybe too soon. Change it up, something else. “Garrett. I think something is…well, I care a lot about you.”
The corner of his lips turned up. “Really? Is that why you hogged all the covers last night?”
“Shut up, asshole, I’m trying to be serious here.” She whispered the words without venom. “I care about you.”
The wicker beneath them creaked as Garrett turned toward her. His eyes were serious now. “I know. Sorry, I…” He glanced away, as if he couldn’t bear to look into her eyes while he said the words. “I care about you too.”
Mia looked straight ahead. The words lay between them, heavy and real and imbued with meaning that she didn’t quite understand. His fingers laced through hers, his large hand warm against her palm. The leaves of the large water oak nearest the deck waved in the early fall breeze, that kiss of cool promising that fall was just around the corner. Sunlight danced in front of them, and Mia wondered if she stretched out their entwined hands, would the light would cover them too.
They stayed that way, hand in hand, for a long time. Not saying anything more, because nothing more needed to be said. Just sitting and watching the trees sway.
When a cloud passed over the sun and the trees fell into shadow, Garrett gently released her hand and stood.
“I should call Trent. You okay here?”
“Actually,” Mia stood too, after checking to make sure her toenail polish was definitely dry. It was. “I need to check on something. Do you mind if I use your computer?”
“No, that’s fine.” Garrett led her to the little office off the back hallway. He powered up his MacBook and typed the login information. “It’s good to go.”
“Thanks.” Mia glanced up at him, wondering why she felt so shy all of a sudden. It wasn’t like her to feel this way, small and delicate and really kind of exposed. He pressed a gentle kiss across her lips then left the room.
“What the hell, girl?” Mia whispered to herself as she sat in the black office chair. The leather rubbed against legs left bare by her short shorts. As she typed the URL for her banking website, she looked around his office.
It was clean, tasteful, like everything else in his house. The desk was made of cherry or mahogany, some kind of dark wood. Books lined a heavy shelf behind her and natural light poured in from the long bank of windows. A silver picture frame caught her eye, and she picked it up from its home on the third shelf of the bookcase.
It was a woman, eyes shut as she bent double in laughter, long blonde hair flying around her like a cloud. Mia’s thumb rubbed over the glass.
“Priscilla.”
The answer was spoken aloud, even though she hadn’t meant to. Carefully, a deep sense of worry nagging in her gut, she put the picture back. She didn’t expect Garrett to ever feel about her the same way he’d felt about the woman he’d lost, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t be jealous of the dead woman’s place in Garrett’s heart.
Mia snorted. What a prize she was.
She typed in her login credentials. This wouldn’t take a minute, she just wanted to check and make sure—
“Shit.”
The number was still the same in the little block labeled “balance”. Wincing, she checked her recent history.
Nope, no direct deposit from Drama Tattoo. Her last paycheck, and she’d been stiffed.
She should be panicking. She should be calling Jules to demand her last paycheck. Instead, she was going to do what she’d done for the past week. Ignore her own problems and be with Garrett.
Clicking the “close” button at the top corner of the window, Mia sighed. She’d have to face reality at some point. She needed a job, and her apartment couldn’t stay empty forever. Being here with Garrett was amazing, but it wasn’t sustainable. She glanced at Priscilla’s picture.
“You don’t know how good you had it.”
As Garrett left Mia in the office, he wondered what the fuck was up with his goddamn head.
His steps echoed down the hallway. Why he’d put on his boots this morning, he wasn’t sure. It wasn’t as if Trent had called him with anything in the past few days.
In the kitchen, Garrett yanked open a cabinet door and pulled out a glass. He ran some water from the filtered tap at the sink and took a healthy swig. Staring out across his front lawn and into the private woods beyond, he considered the situation.
Normally he’d never have consented to let the guys come up with alternatives on their own. They were good, but none of them had the experience with this stuff that he did. So why had he laid down and taken this particular punishment?
Garrett narrowed his brows as his fingers tightened around the glass. The guilt, for one. And Mia, for the other.
God, the past few days with her had been incredible. She was adventurous, responsive, fiery, funny. Something about her drove him crazy and simultaneously drew him toward her. Like she was a blazing forest fire and he was a brainless moth. Or she was a magnet and his entire body was shiny like the Tin Man. It had been incredible, infuriating and wonderful, all at the same time.
Draining the last of the water, Garrett placed the glass in the sink. But enough was enough. He couldn’t hide here with Mia, especially considering what he’d told her this morning.
Cared for her. Huh. That really didn’t cover it. He couldn’t get enough of her. On more than one occasion he’d caught himself daydreaming about the places he’d like to take her when this business with Ford was done. That was a little bit more than “cared”.
Garrett grimaced as he stalked toward the living room where he’d left his cell. He had to get out of this headspace. Ford was out there, and Priscilla needed justice. Or, if he was honest with himself, he had more guilt to absolve.
If he wanted to move forward with his life—and for the moment, he was pretty certain he did—he had to finish this chapter. It wouldn’t be pretty, but then again, until recently, nothing in his life was.
Garrett put one hand on his hip as he tapped Trent’s number. His friend answered on the third ring.
“Hey, Garrett.”
“T.” Garrett moved in front of the window. “Haven’t heard from you in a while. Wanted to check and see how things are going.”
Trent’s voice was a little stiff, cagey. “Fine, actually. Just fine. Reg has done some great hacking, and I think we’ve got enough information that we don’t need Floyd. We’ve found some replacement leads. Quentin’s contact has a direct link with one of them.”
“Great.” Despite the positive news, a feeling of tightness was blooming across Garrett’s chest. He rubbed at it subconsciously, his eyes tracking across the woods. “I can be there in just a few minutes. We can go over—”
“Garrett, it’s not going to happen like that.”
Garrett narrowed his brows. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that the guys and I have been talking and…” Garrett could almost see Trent’s apologetic but unrelenting expression. “I don’t think you’re in the right position to handle this right now.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Garrett stalked across the room, nervous energy firing in his blood. “Y
ou think I’m just going to sit here and let you guys put yourselves in danger?”
“You’re going to have to. We’re not sharing any information. You put yourself in danger, Garrett. If they’d caught you, don’t you think you’d be dead right now? And if you were, what if Quentin went looking for you? We all could have been jeopardized, and everything we’ve worked for in the last three years would have fallen down the drain.”
Garrett stopped his frantic pacing and sank onto the suede couch. God help him, Trent was right. It hadn’t just been a thoughtless stunt. It had nearly cost them everything.
“I’m not saying forever, I’m saying a few more days to get your head on straight. Lord knows we need your help, but right now I’m still not convinced you’re thinking clearly.”
Self-anger was so easy to misdirect, and Garrett had had enough of feeling like this.
“Listen, Trent. I have always trusted you, never doubted you. And now you think you can just freeze me out?” Before Garrett knew what was happening, his voice had escalated to a yell. “I built this goddamn team! This is, and always has been, my mission. I’ve needed your help, and god knows it’s been critical, but you’re forgetting one simple thing.”
Garrett gripped the phone so hard his knuckles cracked.
“Ford’s life is mine. There’s only so much you can do without me.”
Trent went silent for a moment. Movement in the doorway drew Garrett’s glance. Mia stood there, her brow furrowed in concern and her arms crossed over her middle.
“You’ve got to get your head on straight first, man. You’re not pissed at me and you know it. It was stupid, yeah. But until you get over it, we can’t move forward.”
The line went dead. Garrett dropped the phone onto the couch and stood.
Anger pounded through Garrett’s veins like a drug. He felt like punching the goddamn wall.
“Garrett?” Mia stepped into the living room. “Are you okay?”
“No. Trent’s icing me out.”
“He’s right, you know. You’ve got to get over what happened. And your team is good. Let them handle it for a while. Or don’t you trust them?”
“Of course I do! I wouldn’t let them help me if I didn’t think they could handle it! What do you think I am, an idiot?”
“Sometimes, yeah. I do. You’re a big, handsome, testosterone-addled idiot.” She marched closer and stabbed a finger into his stomach. “And if you get yourself killed because of this, I will never forgive you.”
He glared at her. She glared back, never dropping her finger from where it was pressing into him. Slowly, Garrett raised his hand and pulled it away, lacing his fingers through hers as he did.
“I should beat you.”
“You’d never get away with it.”
“I would, because you’d like it. You haven’t used that safe word once yet.”
“I haven’t needed to.”
He bent and kissed her, wondering what in the hell was going through his head. And hers. And what the hell he was going to do about it.
Because right now, he didn’t have a blessed clue.
Chapter Fifteen
A few days later, Mia woke late and poured herself a cup of coffee. Blowing on the steaming brew to cool it, she stared out Garrett’s kitchen window.
Rain. Again. She could have sworn she was in Georgia, not Great Britain. But the way the drops were falling, it was tough to tell.
Garrett’s voice rumbled low from the other room, and Mia smiled as she took another hot sip of strong coffee. Third phone call in less than twenty-four hours. He and Trent seemed to be talking civilly now. Good thing too. She’d thought she would have to knock both their heads together before they could play nice in the sandbox again.
A trilling ring echoed through the kitchen and Mia padded toward the source. Her purse lay on one of the dining room chairs, and her cell was buzzing and ringing its little heart out.
“Hello?”
“May I speak with Mia Bartholomew?” The voice was brusquely familiar. Mia’s grip tightened on the phone.
“Jules?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh.” Mia set her coffee on the table. Ugh, this wasn’t going to be fun. “What’s going on?”
“I was calling to talk about the job. Your job.”
“I don’t have one anymore.”
“You do if you want it.”
Mia gave a stunned laugh. “You’re kidding.”
An exasperated breath blew through the phone. “No, I’m serious. Matt’s been doing the piercing, and he’s fucked up on like three people. I’m getting complaints and I’m going to get sued if I don’t get someone back in here soon. So are you coming back or what?”
She actually thought about it for a minute. Well, more like five seconds. “Nope, I’m good. Thanks for the offer though.”
“You can’t seriously be turning me down. I’m telling you that I forgive you for missing the convention. I’m desperate here, otherwise I wouldn’t be calling you, of all people.” Mia ground her teeth together as Jules continued. “There’s no way you’ve already found another job. You need me as bad as I need a piercer. Admit it.”
“I’m doing just fine without you and your drama. You never even gave me a chance to explain, you stiffed me for my last paycheck, and now you just expect me to waltz back in there and fix your problems? I’m sorry, but that’s not going to happen. You’ll have to find someone else.”
Garrett cleared his throat and Mia instantly cut the call. He arched a brow at her. “Everything okay?”
“Of course.” Mia shoved the phone back into her purse and grabbed her coffee cup. “Just a quick business discussion, nothing to worry about. How’s Trent?”
He didn’t look like he was buying it. He stepped toward her, a serious expression on his face. “Listen, I know you lost your job, and that’s pretty much my fault. If you need help, I—”
She slammed the coffee cup down and threw herself at him, locking her arms around his neck and kissing him as if her life depended on it. Not because she felt particularly passionate at the moment, or even gratitude for his generous offer.
It was to shut him up.
She didn’t want to talk about Jules’ offer, or what she was going to do for money when her savings ran out. She wanted to be with Garrett and forget all this was happening.
And bless the man, he sure as hell didn’t mind responding.
He gripped her ass and brought her hips tight against his. That delicious, thick cock between his legs pressed into her belly, already hungry for her. She rubbed her stiffened nipples against him.
His tongue made long, hungry sweeps between her lips, dancing with hers, tasting her. He smelled so good, fresh from a recent shower, all soap and light cologne, his skin still holding a whisper of dampness. She rubbed against him greedily, her problems all but forgotten as his hands delved beneath the boxer shorts she’d liberated from his dresser drawer.
His fingertips dug into the flesh of her ass, and her core dampened as his index finger dipped into the cleft. She was torn, wanting to push her hips forward to be closer to his groin but needing to press back, let his hands explore her ass. It was a delicious conundrum, that was for sure.
He lifted his head and smiled down at her.
“Come with me.”
Hand in hand, they made their way to the living room. Mia had thought their destination was the bedroom beyond, but Garrett stopped at the low couch.
He pulled her down with him, jerking the shirt over her head. His followed, then his pants and her boxers. Naked, Mia all but purred as Garrett’s touch roamed all over her flesh.
She couldn’t help but laugh at herself. Now she was completely unashamed of her body in front of Garrett. It was hard to even remember any embarrassment. He’d spent so much time worshipping her curves, the parts of her she’d thought were flawed, ugly, that the way she’d felt before and the reality of now seemed to be on completely separate planets. No part of her was off-l
imits to him. They’d played, he’d teased, she’d submitted more than she’d thought was possible. But still she wanted more.
She was falling in love with Garrett, and she couldn’t be happier with the descent.
“Straddle me,” he ordered between kisses, and she complied. A knee on either side of his hips, she stared straight into his eyes. Skin-on-skin with him was so delicious, so tempting, that her pussy wept. She rose to bring his blunt head to her entrance, but he stopped her.
“Not yet.” At her raised height, her breasts were at his eye level and he took full advantage. Sucking a tip into his mouth, he began a deep, sensuous torture with lips and tongue. Mia gasped, looking at the ceiling and arching her back to give him greater access. His hands spanned her ass, squeezing, kneading, massaging as he sucked. Licking from one breast across to the other, he drew the second nipple into his mouth.
Mia’s hand crawled between them, rubbing across the ring at her clit, gathering some of her wet desire, then down farther, her slick fingers gripping his cock. She pumped him up and down, in time with his sucking kisses.
She cried out as his teeth clamped gently on her painfully erect nipple. Her clit throbbed, her pussy ached, begging her to sink down on his hot, thick cock.
But he stopped her once again as she tried to poise him at her entrance.
“No, I’ve got something else in mind.”
She wanted to scream in frustration, but she knew better. Garrett had the best ideas when it came to this.
She trusted him, god help her.
This sofa was just the right height for what he had in mind. Mia was almost growling in sexual frustration. He knew what she wanted, and she was going to get it, but it had to be on his terms.
This time. Maybe sometime soon, she could have things her way.
“Turn around.” He smacked her ass lightly and she moaned. “Quick.”
She pushed to her feet then slowly turned, lifting her hair off her neck as she did so. Garrett fisted his cock as he watched her move. Her curves drove him crazy. She was soft all over, and she fit against his hardness so perfectly.
