by M. Skye
Tyree didn’t want to turn and look at Mia because he knew she was probably damn near hysterical by now. Getting trapped in that elevator had to be one of the worst things that could happen to a claustrophobic person. Mia was deathly afraid of tight spaces and had been since they were children. Turning slowly, he found Mia balled up in the corner, and he walked over, reaching for her hand. She didn’t move; she wouldn’t even look at him. He dropped down in front of her and sat back, pulling her into his lap.
“We’re going to be fine, I promise you. I know you’re scared, but I need you to think about something, anything other than this. Think about anything other than where we are now.”
“Saint Lucia,” she whispered, and a smile crossed his lips.
He knew it was an amazing week for them, the week of their honeymoon, the first week of being man and wife. “Yeah, that was great, huh? We barely left the bed, but when we did, that last night was amazing. The sunset was beautiful, and you looked so damn good in that white two-piece.”
“When the waves hit the sand, it was the most refreshing feeling in the world; and when your arms wrapped around me, I felt safe.” She was now smiling.
“Why wouldn’t you feel safe? At the time, we had no problems, we had the world at our fingertips, and we were so in love.”
“We’re still in love. I never stopped, it never stops, but everything was so new. I was scared, afraid I wouldn’t be able to be the wife you deserved.”
“Why did you never tell me any of this?”
“Scared.” She shrugged. “How do you tell your new husband you’re not sure if you will be a good wife?”
“I wasn’t just your husband; I was your best friend. I still am. I would have understood because I was feeling the same things, only compounded by the secrets I felt I had to keep. I didn’t know how to tell you what was going on and how stressed I was, because I thought you were so happy.”
“I was happy. Being with you made everything so much better. It made my life have meaning. With everything that was going on with my parents, being with you was the only thing that made sense.”
“Being with you is the only thing that makes sense to me now. With all this confusion surrounding me, the only thing that is clear to me is you. I love you so much, and I know it’s wrong to jerk you around like this, but I just need for you to be safe. I just feel like being here isn’t where you can be safe. I wish I could just close my eyes and go back to that week where everything was new and we had the world at our fingertips.”
“I get that you’re worried, but I won’t just walk away. I can’t leave my family.”
He hadn’t caught it the first time, but now he knew what she meant back in the office. He was her family. He was the reason she wouldn’t leave. Tyree tried to keep his feelings from affecting the decisions he made, but he couldn’t hold back anymore. He lifted her chin and locked eyes with her. His lips found their way back to hers, and she placed her hands on his chest. He sank into the kiss until he thought about things and pulled back.
“Why? Why would you do this for me after the way I treated you?”
“Because you’re my everything. I promised not to walk away, and I wasn’t going to give up unless I knew you were okay. You hurt me; you hurt me so bad, but I figured it was how you felt when I left you. I never gave you a chance to win me back. I just ran like a coward.” Laying her head on his chest, she took a deep breath, and he held her tighter for what seemed like forever. He was sure this wasn’t what was best, but if his little act didn’t force her out of town, there was nothing more he could do except cling to her and hope that things would work out; they had to.
* * *
Waking up with a smile on her face, Mia reached out, pulling Tyree’s lips to hers. Standing up and pulling her with him, he ran his hands from her face to her neck and then moved in a slow manner all the way down her body. Goosebumps appeared with each new area he touched. His lips were on her neck, and his hands were doing the most amazing things. Her body was sensitized everywhere, and his skillful kisses were pushing her over the edge, and he wasn’t even inside her.
She couldn’t think straight, and when his fingers found their way under her skirt and past her panties, she felt herself sliding down the wall to push him farther inside her. She had to make herself ignore the fact that they were in an elevator with cameras probably watching them and she rolled her hips, pushing his fingers deeper, all the way to the knuckles. When he drew his fingers out and surged back in, she closed her eyes, trying to prolong her orgasm.
Tyree must have sensed her hesitation, and he pushed her farther up the wall, wrapping her legs around him; and then he tore at her shirt, ripping it into two pieces. She laughed at his impatience and then stopped when he reached behind her, undoing the clasp of her bra. She couldn’t help but feel cheated when she realized she was half naked, and he still had on all his clothes.
Unwrapping her legs, she pushed him back and moved his shirt off his shoulders and tugged at his tie, tossing it across the elevator. While she was doing all this, he was kissing her neck again, weakening her senses. She felt her legs shaking forcibly, and when he let her unzip his pants and push them down along with his boxers, he slid down on his knees, slinging one of her legs over his shoulder.
His warm breath tickled her center, and she just knew he was about to begin, but instead, he just sat there. Her body was tingling, and sweat was on her brow, and he was just sitting there. When she looked down to gauge his reaction, he was smiling; the teasing bastard was smiling. Just as she was about to slide her leg down, he leaned in, flicking his tongue over her sensitive flesh. She wanted to scream at him for keeping her waiting so long, but the way he was working her took over every instinct. The only thing she could do was moan his name while rolling her hips forward with each flick of his tongue.
For the situation to be what it was—them trapped in an elevator and uncertain about their shared future—he took his time, giving her what only he could: complete ecstasy. His tongue was driving her into oblivion, and she clutched his head tighter as he delivered the final thrusts that made her leg tighten around his neck. She could feel his smile as he lapped up all her juices.
Moving her leg down lazily, she wanted to give him equal treatment before she allowed him to enter her, half because she wanted to please him, and half because she didn’t feel like she had enough energy to perform at her normal level. He had literally sucked the life right out of her.
Before she could take her place on the floor, he grabbed her legs, pushing her back against the wall, and he pushed himself deep inside her. Her insides quivered, and he thrust deeper, taking her legs in his arms. Even though her body was exhausted, she found the strength to roll her hips forward, taking him farther inside her, and he let out an excited moan. Feeling his grip tighten on her thighs, she reached up to massage her breasts. Seeing her actions made him go crazy.
Knocking her hands away with his head, he leaned in, taking possession of her right nipple, licking at first and then gently nipping. Her moans got louder, and he pushed faster, gripping her tighter, increasing the suction on her breast before switching over to the other one. She didn’t know where she was for a minute. She thought she was trapped somewhere between heaven and hell. Being with him was pure heaven, but when they were done, she would be back in hell, without him.
Tyree was still flicking his tongue over her breasts and thrusting into her, making her body overheat, and she whispered his name, drawing his attention back to her face. He planted his lips over hers, and she could taste herself on his mouth. His tongue greedily searched her mouth and mated with her tongue, taking her breath away before he pulled back to lock eyes with her. Her body tensed as she felt her orgasm approaching and then, without warning, he lowered her legs, withdrawing from her body.
Mia looked at him in confusion and closed her eyes, hoping he wasn’t playing another cruel trick on her. When he grabbed her hips twirling her around, slapping her hands against
the elevator wall, she gasped as he plunged back inside her. She could tell he felt her shock, and he leaned in, placing his head on her shoulder, kissing the one spot on her neck that made her crazy. Lacing his fingers with hers, he proceeded to take her over the edge. She was ready to let go until she felt her head being pulled back and he whispered exactly what she hoped he would say when this all began.
“Kitten, I love you. I want to be with you.”
“I—”
“Shh, don’t say anything. Just let me have this moment, and when we get out of here don’t forget that. I have some things I need to do, and I know it’s going to be hard, but just remember that it’s you. I need you to be patient with me. I need you to love me because I love you so much. I know I haven’t shown you anything that should make you believe me, but there is a reason for all this.”
She knew there was a reason. She had been analyzing everything since the day he left her, and nothing added up. The night before he broke things off, he kept rambling about one last night, and he had her mind racing. She also kept replaying the way he looked when he saw Jake in her bed; his actions weren’t those of a man who didn’t care. They were the actions of a man in love, and she knew him better than he thought she did. She knew when he was hiding something. Whatever it was had to be explosive for him to have acted the way he did.
He never stopped pounding into her during the whole speech, and before she could voice a response, she felt herself gasping for air. Her lungs felt heavy, and her chest was heaving. She couldn’t think rationally, and with his last thrust, she braced her hands against the wall and began to shake. Her body spasmed, and he wrapped a protective arm around her waist. When her walls clamped down on him, he released inside her, still holding her in place.
Looking around the elevator, Tyree sat back, pulling Mia down onto his lap and she laid her head against his neck. He ran his hand up and down her arm and, out of nowhere, she began to laugh. He looked at her questioningly, and she placed her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.
“What’s so funny, babe?”
“You ripped my damn shirt. Now I have nothing to wear out of here, nothing but my bra.”
Sitting her up and reaching over for his own shirt, he wrapped it around her and slid his hands down to button it up. She stood in front of him and twirled around. The shirt was two sizes too big and it swallowed her, but the way he was looking at her in it was adorable. Smiling at her, he reached his hand out, and she came willingly. Once she was straddling him, he took the bottom of the shirt, tucking it inside her skirt. “Now, you look beautiful.” Sweeping her hair to the side, he began to kiss her neck, and she slammed her hands down on his shoulders.
“Stop, baby. If you keep, uh, doing that, you might as well take this right back off.” She tugged at the shirt, and he started to pull it out when they heard Melvin’s voice on the speaker.
“You guys, the repairmen are here and, guess what, it was just a switch they needed to flip, and now we’re back. The door should be opening in just a few minutes.”
Tyree looked at Mia and lifted her off his lap and rushed to throw his boxers and pants back on. Mia stood in the corner laughing but, when the reality hit her, she stopped and looked at him. He was amazing, everything she ever wanted but, after this, she would lose him. He was no longer hers when they stepped off this elevator. She was standing back silently when the door opened, and he turned back reaching his hand out for her. “You coming, kitten?”
Mesmerized by his dazzling smile, she nodded and placed her hand in his. His lips instantly found a place on her forehead, and he tugged her out. He spun her around in his arms, and he pinned her against the wall, kissing her hard. Her eyes fluttered, and he ran his hand down her cheek, leaning his forehead to hers. “Wait for me. Tonight, just head home, pack you a bag, and wait for me.”
“Where are we—”
He kissed her again, stopping her question. “Just pack. I’ll be there in an hour. I love you.”
“I love you too.” She walked back into the elevator.
“You sure about going back in there?”
“Yeah, I’m all right; and besides”—she nodded toward Miguel and Melvin standing behind them—“I’m starting to think we didn’t really get stuck. Seems more like a setup to me.”
As Mia stepped into the elevator, Tyree turned to look at his brother and Melvin, and she could hear him yelling before the door closed. “Repairmen my ass. You trapped us in there? Miguel, you know Mia is claustrophobic. She almost freaked out.”
“I’m sure you found a way to calm her down. By the way, where’s your shirt?”
“None of your damn business, but I need to talk to you. Meet me in the parking lot in ten minutes.” As they joked around, she blew him a kiss as the doors closed. She knew things were still a mess, but at least now she knew he still wanted her. She wanted him too.
Mia walked out to her car on cloud nine. She had her cell phone out ready to call Whitney and let them know she was going to be gone for a while. She had just dialed the number and heard it begin to ring when a car pulled into the parking lot, and she almost walked in front of it. When she jumped back, she saw the door swing open, and she contemplated running until she saw a familiar face emerge. Her cell phone was quickly forgotten when she saw Rock step out.
She smiled in relief and walked over, chuckling gently. “You almost gave me a heart attack. What are you doing here?”
“The boss sent me. I have some business here.”
“Well, Tyree and Miguel are upstairs with Melvin if you want to run up.”
When Rock stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, she felt a nervous feeling wash over her. At that point, she stuffed her cell phone in the waistband of her skirt without him noticing. She wasn’t sure why she was so nervous, but she was. True, she had known Rock for a while, and he had never touched her in a way that made her feel threatened, but tonight was different. She felt like she was in danger and she tried to step back. When his grip tightened, she winced in pain, and he pulled her toward the door, pushing her inside. Every instinct in her said to scream, but her words were muted. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
After she was inside, Rock jumped in, slamming the door behind him. When Mia scanned the car, she saw who was inside and gasped loudly.
“Hello, Mia.” He laughed sinisterly.
“John.” She gripped her purse tighter.
Nodding, he told Rock to snatch the purse. “You won’t need that where we’re going. You should have just stayed away, young lady. I never wanted it to result in this, but you gave me no choice. Now, you have to be eliminated.”
Mia looked out the window, taking one last glance as they sped off. She only wished she had seen her son one last time because something was telling her this was it. The look on John’s face was not one of a person who was joking. He was going to kill her, and she couldn’t understand why. She knew things were bad between them, but she never knew they were this bad. She studied his face and searched it for the right answers and, just like that, it clicked in her head.
“It was you. You turned him in. Only someone who was there would know all the details. You knew because you helped him. So, which one of you was it who killed Janelle? Did he make the call or was it you?”
“You think you have it all figured out, do you, little girl? Well, let me tell you, you have no clue what’s going on here, and you have no clue what you’ve done. My son was going to be great. He was going to be the best before you came around, and now he can’t think straight because of chasing you around the world. He needs to get back on track, and the only way he will do that is with you gone.”
“You can’t kill me. You won’t get away with it,” she hissed.
“I will because it won’t be me. You will die today, but it won’t be at my hands. You will have dear old Dad to thank for that.”
Mia noticed his sinister expression and looked away defeated. She was afraid now, and with Rock
sitting beside her she also felt betrayed. Rock was supposed to be someone she could trust, and now he was just the man leading her to her execution. She wished she could see Tyree one last time. She wished she had said the things he needed to know if this was the end. Now they really were over. She was going to die at his father’s hands.
Chapter Thirty-two
Tyree tossed on a shirt he had in his office and rushed out, trying to meet Miguel in the parking lot. He had made up his mind that he was going to grab Mia and meet up with Jackson and Milan to get Kyan, and they were going to take the trip he had originally planned. He knew that, before he left, he needed to fill his brother in and then he needed to let Renee know he was leaving. He knew he should feel like an ass for leaving her pregnant, but he couldn’t stay with her just because she was. He would try his best to be present for her appointments, they would talk and discuss custody after the baby was born, and he was prepared to support her financially, but he couldn’t stay with her, not when his heart belonged to Mia.
Everything was going to be okay, he convinced himself. He already knew what his siblings’ views were on the matter, and his mother would be thrilled. He hadn’t seen her in a few days, but he knew she would be happy for him. She never liked Renee, and she loved Mia like her own.
The transition would be smooth, and he had already decided to let Renee keep the house they were living in for her and the baby until they could come up with a custody arrangement. He didn’t want to toss her out because he knew she didn’t have much, and he just knew it wasn’t right. He only hoped she would give him custody and not put up too much of a fight. It was wishful thinking that, he knew, was never going to happen. He knew once Renee found out it was going to be like World War III.
Stepping out of his office, he saw Miguel coming out, and he nodded to the elevator, smiling while remembering his time in there.
“Why are you grinning?” Miguel asked.
“Nothing. How did you know to trap us in here? I mean, do you have ESP or something?”
