Looking up at the door he swallowed hard as Fiona opened it, her face a mask of barely concealed irritation.
‘Someone to see you, Ben.’
Ben nodded, standing up as Mia walked straight past Fiona, throwing her a look as she sauntered into the room, all biker-babe beautiful in a short denim skirt and tight white T-shirt, her long dark hair hanging loose around her shoulders.
‘Can you hold all my calls, please?’ Ben asked, watching as Fiona’s expression stopped even trying to hide the indignation she was quite obviously feeling.
‘Of course. Anything else?’
‘No. That’s all. Thank you, Fiona.’
The door closed behind her, and Mia threw Ben an amused look. ‘She’s got it bad for you, brother.’
Ben laughed, more nervously than he’d intended, but this woman intimidated him in a way nobody else had ever done. In a way he couldn’t really explain. ‘Something you need to see me about?’ He quickly composed himself, switching swiftly back to professional mode.
‘Yeah. There is, actually.’
He looked at her. ‘Okay. Well… what is it?’
She joined him behind his desk, immediately ridding him of that comfortable barrier between them. ‘You been thinking any more about getting back on a bike?’
He couldn’t take his eyes off her, and he wanted to, he really did. He wanted to stop staring at her, stop whatever it was that was fast taking over his suddenly confused brain, because she was trouble he didn’t need. But she was also beginning to fascinate him in a way that terrified him.
‘Mia, I… If this isn’t about…’
She reached out and took hold of his tie, using it to pull him closer to her. ‘I haven’t slept properly since I last saw you,’ she whispered, letting go of the tie, her fingers running slowly down his chest and stomach, lingering there for a few, long seconds as her eyes bored deep into his. ‘I can’t get you out of my head, and I don’t know why, because you are so not my type…’
He gently pushed her away, walking out from behind the desk, over to the other side of the room. To what he considered to be a safe distance. ‘Whatever this is, Mia, it’s…’ It was what? Wrong? Yeah. On so many levels. Dangerous? More dangerous than he could possibly begin to imagine. Confusing? God, yes! Because where this had all come from he had no idea. Terrifying? Very much so. Because he hadn’t slept all that much either, since he’d last seen her. She was taking up way too much of his time, and not in the way she should be doing.
‘Ben?’
He turned around. She’d leaned back against the wall now, her hands in the pockets of her skirt, and all he could see was this beautiful, dangerous woman. A woman he was trying to rid of her violent biker husband. A woman who could bring the kind of trouble to his door that he really didn’t need. So he had to stop these sudden, ridiculous feelings he seemed to be developing, and take a huge step back. Before he got himself into something he could really regret.
‘I have nobody to turn to.’
‘That’s not true, Mia. And you know that. Charlie wouldn’t have sent you here if that was the case. You have Lexi, and Coby…’
‘They can’t give me what I really need.’
‘And I can?’
She smiled, and Ben felt as though someone had just dealt him the most excruciating punch to the stomach. It was something so physical, so real he almost doubled over with the pain.
‘Yeah. I think you can.’
‘Whatever it is you think I can give you, Mia, I can’t. I can’t.’
She fixed him with a look that made his whole world instantly shatter. And he knew he should just walk away, make her leave, tell her she wasn’t to come here again. But he couldn’t. He wasn’t going to do that. Instead, he walked over to her, stood right in front of her; almost gave her permission to ruin his life as he knew it, because that’s what getting involved with her would do – it would take his world, scrunch it up into a tight ball of mess and confusion, and leave him with nothing but a guilty conscience and a heap of regrets. But she was also making him feel something he hadn’t felt in a long time – free. For the past decade or so he’d almost stagnated. Letting go of his bike, leaving behind that other life he’d once led, it had turned him into someone he hadn’t ever wanted to be. But going back… He’d worked hard to leave the past behind. So going back there…
‘I can’t, Mia,’ he said quietly, placing a hand up against the wall beside her head. It was taking every ounce of what little strength he had left not to move in even closer. To touch her the way he wanted to touch her.
She reached out, using his tie to once more pull him towards her, and this time he didn’t resist. ‘I need an escape, Ben.’
He closed his eyes, resting his forehead against hers, that last ounce of strength finally seeping out of him. She was too vulnerable for this, although, he was never going to tell her that. He guessed being called vulnerable was something she wouldn’t take too kindly to, but that was exactly what she was. And that’s why he should be stopping this, now. One reason why he should be stopping this. The others – there were too many to count. ‘Mia… please, don’t…’
Her lips touching his caused that almost ghostly punch to his stomach to happen again, and he pulled away. A sudden fear had replaced those urges she’d stirred up inside of him, and he let that fear take over. He had to. It was the only thing that could save him from this. From her. From something he didn’t think either of them needed.
‘You really should go,’ he said, turning away, pushing a hand through his hair. If he looked at her he’d give in. He knew that. So he had to stand his ground here. The confusion was too great; too many crazy emotions were clouding his judgement, and this could hurt both of them – whatever this was. He just knew it was all happening way too fast.
‘Take me.’
He stood still, her words echoing around his messed-up head. Words he didn’t want to hear, but she’d given him no choice.
‘You should go,’ he repeated, keeping his voice steady, resisting that urge to look at her. Because he knew what would happen if he did.
‘Take me.’
Her voice was cutting into him like the sharpest of knives. It was making him feel things he didn’t want to feel – things he hadn’t felt for a long time. He’d thrown himself into his work, left no room, no time for anything or anyone else. And he regretted that now. Because all of a sudden he’d never felt so lonely. Could Mia Rose be the one to help him change that?
Slowly turning around, he watched as she stepped out of her panties, kicking them across the floor. What the hell was he supposed to do now? She was offering herself to him, and he wanted her, Jesus! He wanted her. But he should leave her alone. For so many reasons, he shouldn’t even be thinking about going anywhere near her. He really shouldn’t. ‘Mia, I… This is wrong.’ He’d said the words out loud. But that’s all they were – words. Wrong or not, he knew exactly what was going to happen next.
‘It’s sex, Ben. Just sex.’
He raised his gaze, his eyes locking with hers. There was no such thing as just sex as far as this situation was concerned.
‘You don’t need this, Mia.’
‘You have no idea what I need.’
‘You don’t need this.’ He broke the stare, looking down at her long, tanned legs, her knee-high boots, and all he could think about was what lay beneath the hem of that skirt. An erection he hadn’t wanted but couldn’t stop had become painful now, pushing against the material of his pants, desperate to get close to that heaven she was offering him. Or was it really a form of hell? Because that’s where he was going if he let this happen. ‘You should walk out of here, right now, Mia. And I should make you do that, because this – this is crazy.’
‘Welcome to my life.’
He moved closer, watching as she pulled a condom from the back pocket of her skirt. She’d come prepared for this? Jesus! Come on, Ben! Are you really that naïve?
Taking the condom from her he
ripped open the foil packet, his eyes fixed on hers. ‘You realize I could be signing my own death warrant here.’ So much for willpower. He’d just proved how weak he could really be, when pushed. And she was pushing him.
She smiled, a smile that punched him hard again; twisted his insides up into a knot of fear and excitement. But he liked it. It had been a long while since he’d felt anything even verging on excitement. Fuck the fear. He’d handle that when he had to. And there spoke a man who was thinking with his dick.
Sliding a hand around the back of his neck she pulled him down for a kiss so deep he wasn’t sure he’d ever re-surface. Wasn’t sure he even wanted to. The taste of her was heady – a mix of cigarettes and beer; her musky perfume overwhelming. He was hooked, pulled into something he shouldn’t be anywhere near, but he was being dragged under. And he was putting up no kind of fight.
Unzipping himself, he almost breathed a sigh of relief as his aching dick was set free, a long, low moan taking over as she took the condom from him, slipping it carefully over his throbbing hard-on. Her fingers traced the length of him, running slowly up and down until he could take no more. The pain was too much.
Sliding his hands up under her skirt he let out another low groan as his fingers touched her smooth, soft skin, his thumb gently stroking her inner thigh in a slow, circular motion, moving up. Moving inwards. She was wet, and so ready for him.
Resting his forehead against hers he closed his eyes, his thumb slowly spreading that wetness around, easing out of her the tiniest of moans that only caused his dick to react accordingly. Cupping her bottom he carefully lifted her up, and as she wrapped her legs around his hips he pushed into her, her body pulling him in, swallowing him up. And he couldn’t stop a low growl of pleasure from escaping.
The urge to thrust was indescribable. He wanted to pound into her so hard, take her so fast, because already he could feel his endgame beginning. It was going to be over way too soon, but maybe that was for the best. He’d fuck her, she’d take from him whatever it was she needed, then they could both move on. So he let the thrusts speed up; rocked her body back so hard he could hear the sound of her hitting the wall. But her moans only turned him on even more; caused him to push even harder. And she was pushing back just as roughly, her finger nails digging into his shoulders, pulling at his shirt, her breath warm against his neck as she breathed heavily, her gasps ragged and fast.
And as that final rush hit him head-on, he felt himself spill out inside her, his body jerking with the force of an orgasm the like of which he hadn’t experienced in way too long; a mixture of relief and pain and a realization that he’d just done something stupid and dangerous. Something he really could live to regret. And he didn’t fucking care.
He held on to her as she reached down, the vibration of her fingers rubbing against herself almost sending Ben’s dick on a repeat mission. So as soon as she’d climaxed he pulled out, gently lowering her down as he eased off the condom, tossing it into the bin by his desk.
‘You are one hot ride, lawyer man,’ Mia breathed, leaning back against the wall, a satisfied smile on her face.
Ben looked at her. She seemed in no hurry to pull her skirt back down, her legs slightly apart, every beautiful, shaved inch of her on show and he couldn’t move his eyes away. He couldn’t fight the need to touch her again, reaching out to slide a hand between her legs.
‘You really have to go,’ he murmured, pushing up against her, his eyes burning into hers as he fought the urge to slide his fingers inside her.
‘Yeah, well, you’ve served your purpose now, haven’t you?’
He let out a low laugh, his thumb gently stroking her cheek, running lightly over the scar just above it. He didn’t know exactly what that bastard of a husband had done to her, but he knew she hadn’t deserved any of it. ‘Glad I could be of some use. After all, that’s what Charlie’s paying me for.’
She smiled again, and it really did change the entire look of her face. She tried to adopt a hard outer image, Ben had already gathered that. But he could see a much softer woman beneath that exterior. A woman, he guessed, she didn’t let out all that often.
‘I should tell Charlie just how good for the club you really are,’ she whispered, her mouth almost touching his, and he just wanted to kiss the life out of her. All fucking day.
‘I think the less Charlie – the less anyone knows about this, the better. Don’t you?’
She took hold of his hand, her fingers tightening around his, and he hadn’t realized just how much he’d missed something as simple as holding another person’s hand until she’d held his. ‘It’ll stay our secret. Okay?’
‘Okay.’ He pulled his hand from between her legs and backed away slowly. It was time to let normality return, before Fiona began to think something was wrong. He really didn’t need her barging in here. ‘You… you really should go now, Mia.’
She crouched down to pick up her discarded panties, slipping them back on in a way that made Ben’s dick stand to attention all over again. Jesus Christ, what the hell was this? And then she looked at him, those coal-black eyes of hers almost sparkling. And he felt like a confused teenager being faced with the high school Prom Queen, not really knowing whether she was messing with him or not.
‘Thank you.’ She walked over to him, reaching out to touch his rough chin, running her fingers over the stubble that covered it before she leaned forward, kissing him gently. ‘For releasing something inside of me I never thought I’d feel again.’
He slid an arm around her waist, reluctant to let her go now, despite him telling her she should leave. Which she should. No matter what was going on inside his fucked-up head, this wasn’t the time or the place for any of this. ‘Are you okay?’
She smiled, her beautiful face showing no signs of any hardness as her hand slid around the back of his neck, stroking it so lightly it brought his skin out in goose bumps. ‘I am now. Thanks to you.’
‘Mia, I… I’m still not sure this was such a good idea.’
‘Well, we can hardly take it back now, can we?’
He let out a sigh of resignation. She was right on that score.
‘Look, lawyer man, it was sex. It was just sex, okay? And I think we both needed that, somehow. Don’t you?’
He wasn’t sure he could argue with that. ‘Just sex, huh?’
‘I walk out of here, we go back to the way it was before.’
He could only hope it was that easy.
Seven
‘You’re looking happier.’ Shane stubbed his cigarette out on the wall behind him before tossing it down at his feet.
‘Yeah, well, I guess I just needed a bit of time out,’ Mia said, sitting down on one of the tables outside the clubhouse. She’d taken a long walk after leaving Ben’s office. Took a bit of time to familiarize herself with her new surroundings, get to know the town she now had to start calling home. And it seemed a friendly enough place. The few people she’d met so far had been nothing but polite and kind to her. And because of that – because of what had happened with Ben, something she didn’t for one second regret – her mood had lightened somewhat. And for the first time since she’d arrived here in Paradise she began to feel like things really could be okay. All she had to do was put the effort in.
‘Head needed clearing, huh?’
She looked up at Shane. ‘Something like that.’
‘Hey! You gonna work with us here, darlin’?’ Coby’s deep, booming voice cut across the otherwise quiet yard and, shielding her eyes from the late-afternoon sun, Mia watched as he approached from the other side of the compound, looking more than a little aggravated. Shane just raised an eyebrow before disappearing into the clubhouse.
‘Something wrong?’ Mia asked, looking straight at the still-slightly imposing Scotsman. Yeah. He might be heading for fifty now but there was something about him that Mia found intriguing. And quite hot, for an older man. Lexi was one lucky lady.
‘You keep wandering off, sweetheart. And tha
t’s giving me a headache.’
She put her hands behind her, leaning back, her eyes still fixed on Coby. ‘I wasn’t aware I was under some kind of house arrest.’
‘You’re not, darlin’, but right now we need to make sure your safety is paramount, you understand?’
‘Is my safety under threat?’
‘Don’t push me, Mia. I’ve enough to deal with without you trying my patience.’
‘I’m not trying anything, Coby. I’m just taking a bit of time to get used to my new surroundings. Surely I’m allowed to do that. I mean, this is gonna be my home now, isn’t it? Or is there something you’re not telling me.’
‘You leave this compound, you tell someone, you got that?’
She couldn’t help laughing. Was he kidding her? ‘You’re serious?’
‘Aye, I’m fucking serious, darlin’.’
She watched as he walked away, unable to believe she’d just heard that. Pulling her phone out of her pocket she quickly searched for Charlie’s number, tapping her foot on the bench below her as she waited for him to answer.
‘Jesus, Mia, time difference, sweetheart.’
‘What the fuck’s going on, Charlie?’
‘What…? For Christ’s sake, it’s after fucking midnight here and you’re calling me to have a frigging go?’
‘I have to punch in and out of the fucking compound now, do I?’
‘What the hell are you talking about?’
‘Coby’s just told me that if I want to leave the compound then I have to let someone know. Why? So they can keep tabs on me?’
‘Yes, so they can keep tabs on you. You do remember why you’re there, don’t you?’
‘You told me I was safe here, Charlie. So, if I’m safe, why do I need babysitters?’
‘We’re just being over-cautious, kiddo, that’s all. Until things settle down.’
Retribution (The Lone Riders MC Series Book 2) Page 5
