Trapped Between Heaven and Hell

by M. Skye

  “I thought you liked Jake.”

  “Correction: I tolerate Jake. I never liked him. I have something against a man who would link himself to a woman in a state as fragile as Mia was. She was barely over what happened to Janelle and Helen, and she was confused about Tyree. He should have stayed his distance.”

  “Look, maybe he was wrong for stepping in and making it anything more than friendship, but Mia is a grown woman. She had a choice in the matter.”

  “She wasn’t thinking clearly. What if you were Tyree? Wouldn’t you want to kill Jake? He was only trying to protect her, and this is what he got.”

  “Are you done?” he smirked.

  “Hell no. I’m just getting warmed up, smart ass. I should knock you out for letting it happen.”

  “Whoa, hold up now. You know I don’t get into Mia’s sex life. You may not like Jake, but he was there when Tyree wasn’t. I like Tyree, but they were going through something. She thought he was something he wasn’t, and it was up to her to figure out what she wanted. I feel it will only make them stronger.”

  “Yeah, well, you’re lucky my plan worked. The next option was going to be to kill Renee. I already had my funeral dress picked out.”

  “Cassie, you’re absolutely psychotic. I swear you get more extreme every day.”

  “You just better never get on my bad side, sweet cheeks.” She leaned in and kissed his cheek, running her hand through his hair. “Anyways, I have to go. I’m taking Kyan to the zoo today to give mommy and daddy some adult time. They have been playing the happy little family, but I know they need some alone time.”

  “Didn’t want to hear that, but that’s nice of you. Have fun.”

  “I will. He’s my favorite little guy, even though he won’t go shopping with me.”

  “Maybe someone will have a girl you can steal next time.” He laughed.

  “Yeah, maybe,” she huffed, spinning out of the room.

  Rick shook his head, thinking about how ridiculous his wife was. She was very passionate about her family, and he was secretly envious of her ability to always say exactly what was on her mind. He only wished he could be as vocal as she. Maybe if he had been, his family wouldn’t be in shambles.

  Trying to dismiss the thoughts racing through his head, Rick picked up his phone, deciding to make a call he swore never to make again. He had to know what the motivation was for this sudden interest in the company after three years of absence. He needed answers only one person could give.

  The phone rang twice, and then he heard the voice that made his blood boil. “Rick.”

  “Richmond.”

  “You may not like me, boy, but you will show me respect and address me as your father. To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?”

  “I just want to know what in the hell you’re doing interfering with the company. Why would you do this after everything you’ve cost us? Wasn’t Mom enough? We’re just trying to fix a mess you created.”

  “You have no idea what it is to lose someone you love with all your heart, but you will if you try to stop me. Stay out of this, boy. Stay out of Livingston. You and your sister.”

  “I try to have a civil conversation with you, and you threaten Mia and me? You are one twisted old bastard who is going to get everything he deserves. I hope you know that.” Rick slammed the phone down so hard his screen cracked. He didn’t know why after all this time he still let Richmond get to him. All of his threats were empty, and he was going to do whatever it took to make sure he paid for all the pain they suffered. Richmond was going down.

  Chapter Twenty

  “Bye, baby. Be a good boy for Aunt Cassie.” Mia kissed Kyan on the cheek, and he gave her a goofy grin, wiping it off.

  “Mama, I’m not a baby. I’m seven.”

  “You’re my only child, so you’re still my baby.” Her smirk was unchallengeable, or so she thought.

  “Well, maybe you should have another baby. Just not a girl. We already have Meelah, and all she does is play with dolls.” He turned to face Cassandra. “Aunt Cassie, maybe you can take Meelah shopping.”

  Mia could tell the idea hadn’t registered, but Cassandra was definitely on board. “Maybe tomorrow. Today, I have a zoo date with the most handsome nephew alive.”

  “You and Mama are silly.” He laughed, hugging Mia’s neck, and then whispered in her ear, “Be nice to Daddy while I’m gone. I don’t want him to forget he lives here now.”

  Mia felt her heart getting heavy. She never knew how much this meant to him. Thinking of how unhappy he must have been when they were living in Paris almost brought tears to her eyes. “You like it here, don’t you?”

  “Yes.” He nodded. “I like us being here with Daddy. We both have fun with him.”

  “Well, you don’t have to worry anymore. I think we are staying right here with Daddy. You don’t have to miss him anymore. Okay?”

  “Really?” His tone was bubbling with excitement. “We don’t have to go back?”

  “No.”

  “Thank you, Mama.”

  “You don’t have to thank me. Just be a good boy for Aunt Cassie.”

  He hugged her again and ran toward the door. “I will. I love you, Mama.”

  “I love you too.”

  Mia watched as Kyan bounced out of the house talking Cassandra’s ear off, and then she turned to head to the bedroom. Tyree was in bed asleep, and she climbed in, pushing the covers aside. They had been staying together every night and, with Renee still out of town, they were able to block out everything. Even if it was just for a short period of time, things were perfect.

  She ran her hand down his chest. He still didn’t stir, and she wanted him awake if they were going to enjoy the time alone. It was the middle of the day, and he was still asleep. They had gotten up earlier and had breakfast, and he retreated to the bedroom, saying he was still tired out from the night before. They had taken Kyan swimming and sat out by the pool for hours before heading back to the house for dinner. Cassandra and Rick joined them, and Cassandra presented the zoo trip.

  Kissing her way down Tyree’s chest, Mia giggled when she saw his lips curving into a smile. Either he was having a good dream, or he knew what she was doing because she would have had to be blind to miss his obvious excitement. Running her hands down to grip him, she felt him shift his hips to give her better access. Raking her nails up and down his shaft, she felt him shiver, but his eyes remained closed.

  “I see I’m going to have to pull out the big guns,” she said as she brought her head closer to him.

  Stroking him gently and then adding her tongue to the mix, Mia felt herself getting excited. After a few strokes, she removed her hands completely, letting her tongue do all the work. Sliding her hands up his chest, she found a stopping point up near his shoulders and continued to swirl her tongue around him, surprising herself with how much she was enjoying her little idea.

  Tyree thought he was in a glorious dream and decided to keep his eyes closed. He didn’t want to wake up and end this sensation that felt so real. Surely Mia couldn’t be doing this to him. She had never explored those waters before, and for her to be this great at it would be too good to be true. He knew it had to be his imagination and, against his own instincts, he decided to open his eyes.

  Tyree slowly peeled his eyes apart only to realize the sensation was still there. Even in a dream, she left a lasting impression. His legs were weighed down, and feeling his hips bucking involuntarily, he pulled the covers back to reveal the reason why. She was excellent, every bit as amazing as he described earlier.

  Mia had every bit of his arousal working for her. Her tongue was swirling around him, and every time she took more of him in, she toyed with his testicles tickling and licking all at the same time. Tyree couldn’t help the moan that escaped his lips, and he found his way to the back of her head, sliding his fingers down to rest on her scalp. She took that as a request to go harder and increased her sucking technique.

  Tyree felt the room spi
nning as he gripped her hair, closing his eyes once again, trying to regain some stability. He needed to gather himself before he lost all control. Running his hands through her hair, he was just about at his breaking point and let out a deep moan.

  “Mia, uh, when, uh, did you start enjoying this? God, it feels so good.”

  “You like?” she asked, even though it was more of a statement.

  “I love. You just keep surprising me, kitten. I’ve missed you.”

  “I missed you too, baby,” she breathed in between strokes. “I missed you like crazy, and I made a decision today. One I think you’ll like.”

  Tyree couldn’t think straight, and he knew this was her objective. She always knew how to distract him before dropping big news in his lap. She had to be gearing up for something major.

  “What is it, kitten? You know I can’t say no to you when you’re doing things like this. You’re too damn persuasive.”

  Mia tilted her head to the side and ran her tongue up and down his shaft, causing him to shake beneath her. His grip tightened on her hair, and she pushed him all the way into her mouth. He could feel himself hitting the back of her throat, but she didn’t gag; she just dug her nails into his chest.

  Tyree’s legs jerked from the bed, and he whispered into the air, “Mia, whatever you want, it’s yours. Yes, to everything. Tell me what you want.”

  Mia gave him a sweet grin, stopping her actions briefly. “I just want you to know that Kyan and I won’t be going back to Paris. I was thinking we could stay here, in this house with you. Move in with us, baby.”

  Tyree sat up slowly, pulling her into his lap. Moving his hands to her hips, sliding her panties down, he leaned into her neck kissing, sucking, licking until she whimpered against his ear. He could feel her wetness pressing against him, and he dug his fingers deep inside, watching as she arched her back, pressing her breasts against his mouth.

  Stroking her, Tyree lost himself in the wild panting and clawing at his back. He loved it. He loved her. She was his in every way, and he couldn’t wait to hear her scream his name. As he licked, sucked, and caressed her nipples into a rock-hard state that was driving her into oblivion, he slid her back, positioning himself to enter her and thrust inside, causing his own heart to race.

  Tyree moved her hair and kissed his way from her ear to her neck, and then to her breasts. Mia had her arms locked around his neck, and she pulled his mouth up for a decadent kiss. He was inebriated as he took her body to an all-new high. Tyree grabbed her hips and moved her against him, rubbing her into her first orgasm.

  “Baby.” She dropped her head to his neck that was glistening from the sweat beads. “You didn’t say anything about my offer.”

  Tyree pushed himself farther inside her and reached back to lock her legs behind his waist. He grabbed her face and brought her lips to his, kissing her senselessly before voicing a response.

  “Just like you, I know how to use my body to make you cave. I’m sorry, but I can’t live here with you. There are too many memories in this house.”

  Mia looked as if the air left her lungs. Her eyes fluttered, but not in the good way they did before. He saw the tears beginning to form in her eyes, but he knew she refused to let them fall. Seeing all this, Tyree stopped pounding into her and cupped his hands around her face.

  “Kitten, just because I don’t want to live here doesn’t mean I don’t want to be with you. I just want a fresh start for us, and for that to happen, we need to leave the past behind. We need a new place, one neither of us has any past demons to go along with.”

  “You want to give up our homes? Where will we stay?”

  “Anywhere, everywhere. We can pack the kid up and travel until our new house is ready. We will pick one out and have movers take care of the rest.”

  “Tyree.” She put her hands on the bed behind her and leaned back. He didn’t need her to say anything else. When her eyes rolled back in her head, he knew she was on board.

  Tyree pulled her legs until they hit the headboard and he put his hands back around her waist. Buried deep inside her, he rolled her body into his, completely drowning in the pleasure that surrounded them. Mia was wheezing and short of breath after several minutes of his sweet attack. Once he was sure she was on the brink, he flipped her over, finding a place between her thighs.

  Placing her feet around his calves, Mia positioned her hands on his waist, pushing him deeper. Tyree felt like he was approaching his climax with all the intensity clouding the room. When Mia’s moans grew louder, he became more intense, and her moans were transformed into full-out screams.

  The bed was rattling against the wall as Tyree pushed her to the limit. She was digging her nails into his skin, leaving marks wherever they landed. Mia’s screams floated throughout the house as the door to the bedroom creaked open. Mia was the first to see it, and she pushed her hands against Tyree, who misunderstood and pushed himself deeper, hitting all the right spots, causing both of them to orgasm. Looking down at her, he saw she was desperately trying to hold back the scream and push him back all at the same time.

  “Kitten, what are you doing? I was hitting it so good just then. We could have gone for another round.”

  “We have visitors,” she whispered, trying to cover herself. Standing frozen in the doorway was the one person Mia had been anxious to see: her beautiful cousin, Milan. After a few awkward moments, she backed out of the room, retreating to the den.

  Laughing, Tyree tossed Mia’s clothes over and began to throw his on. He loved the mortified look on her face and couldn’t hide his amusement. He knew Mia wasn’t taking it as easy as he was.

  “I’m glad you’re amused with the fact that my cousin walked in on you screwing my brains out.”

  “We were celebrating, babe; and if she hadn’t come in, I would still be putting it down.” Grabbing her hips, he pulled her to him. “If you don’t hurry and get dressed, I’m going to put you up against this wall and finish the job.”

  “I would love it if my favorite cousin weren’t downstairs waiting for me to do the walk of shame. You complained about doing it the other day with no audience; now my cousin, her new husband, and her little girl are here to see me.”

  “She didn’t see much of you, babe.” He snickered. “It was my ass in the air.”

  “You’re so crazy.” She ran a hand down his neck and rested it at the base. “Let’s not keep them waiting. I’m ready to talk to Milan and meet the new man. I’ve heard great things.”

  “Me too.”

  After getting dressed, Mia stepped away, walking toward the door, and she looked back at Tyree. She was stunned by how much she loved the man in front of her. When she turned to him with a brilliant smile, he walked over and linked their hands. Pulling her down the hallway, he wrapped his arms around her waist, steering her into the den.

  “Well, hello, you.” Milan looked up from talking to her daughter to look at Tyree. “You’re the last person I expected to find here.”

  Mia walked around the corner and ran to the woman sitting at her bar. “Milan, I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow. I missed you so much.”

  “Well, when I got your text it sounded urgent. I juggled some things around, and here I am. Come here and meet some people.” Milan pulled the man from behind her and revealed a smiling baby girl in his arms. “My husband, Jackson, and my pretty girl, Sydney.”

  Milan was Mia’s cousin on her mother’s side. She had been living in Los Angeles for the past year or so and hadn’t been home for almost the same reasons as Mia, trying to escape the past. Milan’s mother was Helen’s sister, and the girls were raised practically as sisters along with Janelle. Milan was one of the few people who understood what it was like to grow up with parents like hers. Milan’s mother, Evelyn, was just as horrible as Richmond, if not more.

  “I’m so happy you’re here!” Mia squealed like a teenager. “We were just getting up from a late nap.”

  “Yeah, I heard a little sample of that nap.” Mi
lan blushed. “I thought you were having a bad dream or something so I came in. I saw more than I meant to.”

  Mia laughed, reaching back to grab Tyree’s hand. Tyree sat there with a mindless smile and squeezed her hand tighter. He kissed the side of her head before looking over to Milan. “Little Millie, it’s been a long time, girl. I see you’re doing well, and this baby is adorable. She looks like you.”

  “She’s my little twin.” She smiled lovingly. “I have to admit, I’m surprised to see you here, but I’m glad.” She chuckled.

  Mia looked around to the handsome man standing beside her cousin, and she extended a hand for him to shake. “I’ve heard so much about you, Jackson, and I want to personally thank you for all you’ve done for my cousin. She is lucky to have a man like you.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” he supplied, shaking her hand.

  “Jackson, this is Tyree, my—”

  “Her boyfriend, ex-husband, baby daddy, whatever you want to call him,” Milan offered, obviously trying to bring some humor into the situation.

  “Thanks, Mills.” Tyree looked half amused and half embarrassed. “Thanks for airing our sordid past.”

  Jackson just laughed and reached his hand out for Tyree to shake. “Hey, I don’t judge, but Milan tells me you guys all grew up together. I bet you have some pretty good stories about her.”

  Milan threw her hand out to Jackson’s chest, stopping him in his tracks. “Babe, we have things to unpack. How about you take Ty and bring them in?”

  “You trying to get rid of me, love?”

  “Yes.” She flashed him a sweet smile. “I need to catch up with Mia. Give me my pretty girl.”

  “Here you go.” He handed Sydney over. “Don’t get into any trouble while I’m outside.”

  “Go.” She pushed him toward the door. “Get to know Tyree. I have a feeling you guys will be good friends.”

  Tyree walked out the door. Jackson followed him, giving Milan a brief look, and then he disappeared out the door.

  Hearing the door close, Mia turned to see Milan beaming. “Millie, you look so good.” She ran a hand over Milan’s. “Not like the last time. I am so proud of you for getting rid of Adrian. He was toxic.”