Love Reality

by Nana Malone

  “Well, even more reason for you to go find out, Mama Mia. Take care of yourself for once. I mean, this is the first guy since David that makes you look alive. I have a car waiting downstairs. You’ll get in and get taken to the hotel. It’s all very James Bond. Just go see him and stop trying to control the outcome. Just enjoy. You might even have some fun.”

  Mia sighed. She could do that right? Relax and enjoy? Not over think it. She had a niggling feeling she was going to get hurt.

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Ryan had never had so much trouble writing an article in his life. That’s because you went and caught a case of feelings, dumb ass. Since Alana, he hadn’t let himself care about anyone. Until Mia. And right now, there was no taking it back. He leaned over the coffee table in the hotel room, staring at the blank screen. He’d hoped the change of scenery would help him write. He also hoped he’d be able to see Mia.

  This woman is fucking with your head.

  Too bad he couldn’t seem to stay away from her. It didn’t matter that she scared the shit out of him. It didn’t matter that she opened up a part of him he’d shut off for good. Staying away from Mia Donovan wasn’t an option.

  He should have known she’d be trouble the moment he met her. Nothing that beautiful came without strings attached. He cracked his neck and massaged the nape. He had to give Chris something. Granted, she already had his preliminary notes. She’d sent him an email outlining where she wanted him to dig deeper and ask more probing questions. Areas where she wanted him to expose Mia.

  Areas like why was she looking for love. Was her quest just the usual New York single woman who was afraid of being a crazy cat lady and dying alone, or was there a deeper issue there? She’d asked, “She’s adopted right? Dig deeper. She must have some feelings of abandonment that led her to do a show like this.”

  His stomach knotted. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. When had he become this? This guy who could expose someone else. Hell, dumbass, it’s called being a writer. He was supposed to make people feel for his subjects. He was supposed to expose the vulnerabilities that made them relatable.

  Difference in this case was Mia was already plenty relatable. Smart, and fun, and open. And with a zest for life that said she was unafraid of being rejected or of being hurt. No. That wasn’t true. She was afraid of getting hurt just like every other normal person he knew. It just didn’t cripple her. It didn’t stop her from trying or putting herself out there. She was brave.

  Damn it.

  He closed his laptop and checked his phone again. She hadn’t called, and it was nearing nine o’clock. Maybe Larissa hadn’t gotten the message to her? She’d given nothing away at the taping. And of course, since Jamie was watching, he’d had to pretend disinterest.

  There had to be another way around this. One that let him do his job with a tone that was truly his and still protect Mia. Pulling out his notes from the Love Reality file, he perused them again. All he had to do was find Victor. Maybe he’d be willing to go on the record about Jamie. It would only take one to corroborate his own account, and Chris would drop the Lonely Girl angle and back off of Mia.

  Too frustrated to focus, he scrubbed a hand over his face in an effort to wake himself up then forced himself to focus on Chris’s questions again.

  Lonely Girl, what makes her tick? She’s been serial dating through New York, offering a fresh perspective. What advice has Mia taken from her? Do you think she’s playing by Lonely Girl’s rules? Are you playing by Single Guy’s rules?

  Chris wanted her story, and he’d give it to her. But he’d do it his way. He wasn’t going to hurt Mia to do it.

  * * *

  Mia stood in front of Ryan’s hotel room door and raised her hand to knock. Her heart hammered at a thousand miles per hour, and her skin was hot and tingly. Knocking quietly, she waited for him with sawdust in her mouth.

  When he opened the door, relief washed over his face first, then something hotter, more focused, honing in on her. “Mia.”

  She didn’t even have a chance to respond because he dragged her into his body and enveloped her inside the warmth, tucking her against his muscles, wrapping himself around her. As always, his scent invaded her senses. Woodsy, clean, and crisp but heady and intoxicating. She inhaled deeply and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his hard pectorals. “Hi yourself.”

  He pulled her inside and kicked the door shut with his foot, but he didn’t let her go, instead tucking her head under his chin and holding her tight. “I’m so sorry I haven’t been able to call. But I didn’t know how much trouble you were in. I’m going to fix it thought, I swear.”

  She pulled back as far as he’d allow. “It’s okay. I think Riss enjoyed playing carrier pigeon. How bad was it for you?”

  He shrugged then rolled his shoulders. “She insinuated that if I didn’t stay away from you the network would come after you and they’d take your show away from you.” He shook his head. “It’s not in me to back down, but I wasn’t going to let them do that to you. Not when you’ve worked so hard. I didn’t want to take the risk that she’d follow through on her words.”

  He’d done that to protect her. The ice casing she’d placed around her heart began to thaw a little. He’d agreed to stay away from her to protect her. Who did that?

  “You didn’t need to do that for me, Ryan. She might be able to take my show, but it’s not the only one I’ve got, and let’s be honest. She needs me for the show. And the audience loves drama. Catching us at your apartment is pretty much ratings gold.”

  He studied her carefully. “You seem surprisingly okay with all of this.”

  Okay was the wrong word for it. “Not okay, exactly, but I see what Jamie has done to a show that I loved. I mean, I interned here all my years at college. I believed in it. In the three years and six seasons she’s had the show, she’s ruined it. If she takes my show away, that sucks, but I’ll live. Someone told me I have lots of good shows in me and I should stick to what I know best. So that’s what I’m going to do. I’m already working on a treatment for something starring my family.”

  “You’re obviously smart enough to do whatever you want. I’m just glad you’re figuring that out sooner rather than later. I’d have hated to see Jamie crush your spirit.”

  “It’s going to take more than that.”

  “Glad to hear it.” He angled his head toward the kitchen. “Do you want a glass of wine or something?”

  “No, thanks, I’m okay. But you go ahead.”

  She watched as he busied himself with a bottle of scotch and a glass. His tanned fingers were efficient as he retrieved ice from the ice bucket and clicked several into the glass. Mesmerized, her gaze stayed glued to him as he poured the amber liquid over the frosty white cubes. As the liquid hit, the ice immediately began to melt away the harder frostier edges.

  She was in real trouble if she found him pouring himself a drink sexy. “You look happy to see me.”

  “That’s because I am happy to see you.” He grabbed onto the counter with both hands. “Mia, all my carefully constructed rules and notes go out the window when I’m near you. When I’m with you, all I see is you. And that scares the shit out of me. When Jamie threatened you, all I wanted to do was tear her to pieces, but more importantly, I wanted to protect you. If it meant making her believe that I was playing by the rules, then so be it. But it didn’t mean I was actually going to stay away from you. I think we both know by now that’s impossible.”

  “Careful there, Ace, that sounds an awful lot like you like me.”

  His smirk was slow and sexy. And the wry twist of his lips made her want to nibble on his fuller bottom lip.

  “I do like you. When I’m with you, it’s not about getting the upper hand or making you want me or playing some game. I honestly just want to make you smile.” He licked his lips and cocked his head. “Do you know why I left it all behind? The money?”

  “No,” she whispered.

  “Everyone thinks they know, or could
at least discern, what happened by reading the tabloids. They think I went out of control and Dad cut me off, and as a result, Alana left me. But the truth is, after the accident, with my mom and grandfather gone, I was grieving. Then I found out they’d left me all that money. Mom had split her fortune between me and Reece, but Grandpa, he and I always shared a bond. I wasn’t expecting it at all. The old man always said he’d leave the cash to some wildlife preserve or something.”

  “How did that make your father and brother feel?”

  He scoffed. “Jealous. To be fair, Dad was jealous. Reece just felt caught in the middle. He was twenty-two and already in business school. And since he did as he was told for the most part, Dad’s favorite. But he always felt guilty about it. Maybe he felt like the money was my due or something.” He sighed and shook his head. “My girlfriend at the time, Alana, I thought we were in love. We were young. She came from the right home, and our parents were behind us being together. But that wasn’t love. When Mom was gone, Alana was supportive, but the moment I talked about leaving it all behind and making it on my own, she abandoned me. Apparently, I wasn’t nearly as appealing without the money.”

  “So you walked away?”

  “I put the money back in trust and made Reece the Trustee. He is good with money. Has my grandfather’s Midas touch. Dad was livid that I hadn’t made him the Trustee. I guess he spent years fighting it, trying to find a loophole to get control of the money.”

  “That’s horrible.”

  He shrugged. “I’ve given up trying to change my father. To him, I will be the perpetual screw-up who pissed away his life.”

  “So what are you going to do with all that money?”

  “I have no idea.”

  She opened her mouth then snapped it shut. It wasn’t really any of her business.

  He frowned. “What were you going to say?”

  She took the moment to filter her words properly. “It’s just that it can do a lot of good. Fair enough if you don’t want it, but you can really use it to do some good. Let it benefit someone. And I didn’t know him, but from what you’ve said about your grandfather, maybe he would have liked that.”

  He stared at her for several long moments then shook his head. “For a long time, I didn’t believe in people. That changed when I met you.

  “Ryan—”

  “No, don’t say anything.” He shook his head. “I started that column because I didn’t believe in relationships or marriage or in long-standing partnerships. I thought most of that stuff was just fleeting. But then you tell me about your life and your family, and I spend just one night with you, and I can see that it exists. You find out I have millions of dollars, and you tell me to do something good with it. You completely unnerve me. What happens now?”

  Blood rushed in her ears. “I have no idea.”

  “You don’t have to say anything.” He pushed away from the counter. “How about I start with what I’ve been dying to do since you knocked on the door?”

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Ryan’s heart raced as his gaze drifted to Mia’s mouth. He brought one hand up to cup her face, and she inhaled sharply. That little mewling sound she made was so fucking sexy. The first brush of his lips against hers had blood rushing in his skull as an inferno spread through his body. Everything about her turned him on, but he would never get tired of touching her skin. She was so satiny soft.

  She parted her lips, and his tongue dipped in and stroked hers. On a moan, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself flush against him. His cock hardened to steel, and he tried to remember to take his time. Which was hard enough without the sex-crazed devil on his shoulder chanting, now, now, now.

  Ryan slid a hand down her back, and pausing just above her ass, anchored her lower body to his. Pressing her heat along his thigh and his cock into her belly. With the other, he caressed her back then settled his fingers at the nape of her neck and massaged while his lips slid over hers, deepening the kiss. Sucking on her tongue, he did his best to draw her into him, knowing he would never get enough.

  With every slide of her tongue over his, his skin grew hot and tight and his cock throbbed painfully. When he dragged his lips from hers in an effort to gain back some equilibrium, she mumbled a protest. Everything about her made him feel like he was climbing out of his skin.

  Holy shit. He could feel the tenuous hold he had on his control slipping. He wanted her so bad. And not just for tonight. Certainly not for stolen moments. He gripped handfuls of her off-shoulder dress and tugged up, exposing her cinnamon skin.

  When he tossed the garment over his head, she mumbled, “Is this where I get my turn?”

  “Hmmm,” he whispered noncommittally. If she wrapped those lips around his cock again, he wouldn’t be able to stand, let alone make love to her again. “After I’ve had my turn, I promise.” Her bra went next. Then he slid her boy shorts down her slim legs.

  His hands slid up and explored every inch of soft, exposed skin. Cupping her ass¸ tracing fingertips over the small of her back. He ran his hands around her ribcage and over her breasts.

  He kissed her again as he tested the weight of her breasts and teased the pebbled tips with his thumbs.

  Mia dragged one of her hands from his hair and placed it over his. Guiding his hands, she showed him how to pluck, tug, and tease the taut tips. Heat spiked through him. Fuck, she was hot. So hot.

  Mia moaned into his mouth as he teased her other nipple. He swallowed the mewling sounds that slid from her throat.

  Dragging his lips from hers, Ryan trailed open-mouthed kisses along her jawline then the column of her throat. She even tasted sweet like honey, like she’d soaked in the stuff. It made his head spin.

  He placed feather-light kisses over her collarbone, and Mia’s hands were in his hair again. She tried to guide him to her breast, but he delayed.

  Impatient, she moaned. “Ryan, please.”

  He smiled against her petal-soft skin as he kissed lower. He hovered just above her right nipple and blew, and she shivered. When he wrapped his lips over the taut tip, they both moaned low and deep. She arched her back to give him better access. He drew the tip deeper into his mouth and suckled her, needing to consume every inch of her. When he drew back, she called out.

  “No. Don’t stop.”

  He smiled to himself as he oh-so-gently scraped her nipple with his teeth. Mia’s body bucked in his arms, and she held tight onto him, holding his head to her breast. But he wasn’t ready to stop playing. Trailing kisses along her stomach, he stopped at her belly button to dip his tongue inside, tasting her sweet flesh.

  He kissed lower still. “Open your legs for me, Mia.”

  She gripped the counter and complied.

  “A little wider. Yeah, that’s it. Like that.”

  She was so gorgeous and so wet for him. He loved it. Loved how she felt. Tracing his knuckles across her downy curls, he teased apart the lips of her sex. “Do you like this, baby?”

  Her reply was a whispered, “Y-yes.”

  Kissing her softly, just above her mound, he used his thumbs to separate the slick flesh, and she whimpered. Her scent was intoxicating. So uniquely Mia. He could stay like this forever and pay homage to her beauty. Leaning forward, he lapped at her folds with his tongue. Firm, lazy licks from her cleft to her clitoris, and she shook. With one hand, he guided hers to his shoulders so she could use him for support.

  When his tongue reached her moist entrance again, he dipped it inside, working it in as far as it would go. He lapped up her juices as he gently fucked her with his tongue. Showing her what his cock was so desperate to do to her.

  It didn’t take long before she began to quake. Even with his tongue, he could feel the tiny tremors. He could feel the inner walls of her pussy as they contracted around his tongue, trying to trap him inside and keep him there. While she came, he kept up the steady rhythm of his licks, continuing to work her until she came again.

  Ryan ached, his cock throbb
ing with a persistent silent demand. But he didn’t care. This was about Mia. If he had to wait a million years to come, he would.

  Kissing his way back up her body, he paused to tease a nipple with his teeth.

  Mia gasped and arched her back. “Oh, God, Ryan I don’t think I can take any more. I…this is…”

  He wrapped his lips around her nipple, and she stopped protesting just long enough to moan. Languidly, she wrapped her arms around his neck.

  He wanted to see if he could get just one more orgasm from her. Just one. Then he’d stop being greedy.

  His teeth scraped her nipple again as he slid a finger into her. She was so hot and wet for him. Mia took his finger and arched her back, rocking her hips into his hand.

  “That’s it, baby,” he muttered against her flesh. “Let me feel how much you want me.” He withdrew the one and slid in two.

  Mia whimpered. God, she was so ready.

  “Ryan, I need you inside me.”

  He squeezed his eyes shut as his body screamed with the need for release. He needed to come. “I am inside you,” he ground out.

  “No—”

  He interrupted her by hooking his fingers inside her and teasing her G-spot.

  “Ryan, I want you to make love to me.”

  “That’s what we’re doing, Mi.”

  He knew what she wanted. But she’d have to wait. He was enjoying her too much. He wanted to leave no inch of her unexplored before he sank into her. Once he had his dick inside her, there’d be no exploration, no taking his time.

  Ryan slid his index and middle finger into her slippery channel again while he continued to suckle her and felt the telltale quake and quiver he’d come to recognize as her impending orgasm.

  He laved her nipple again, and with his thumb, he circled her clitoris. Once. Twice. And again, and again. The orgasm that rocked through her was enough to make her go limp and bring him to his knees as her body trapped his questing digits inside her.