by Lea Coll
“I deserve you.”
He turned me in his arms, his fingers gripping my hips, pulling me into his body. “You do. Believe in me. Believe in us.”
“I want to.” I looped my arms around his neck, leaning farther into him, reveling in his warmth, his hard body, wishing we were alone. I wanted more of last night.
His eyes darkened. “I’m going to do whatever it takes to convince you that what we have is real.”
I wanted to say it was working. I was standing on the edge of the cliff, looking down at the rocks, ready to jump, but I didn’t. I wanted him to show me how he felt. This time I was going to enjoy the journey. “Okay.”
He kissed me, my lips parting, letting him in until my body was begging for more. He gentled the kisses before finally pulling away. “I have to get him home. Make sure his homework’s done and he’s ready for the week.”
“Okay.” I sounded like a parrot, agreeing to whatever he was saying, letting him take the lead.
“I want to see you this week.”
His words traveled through my body leaving hope in its wake. “I’d like that.”
“I want to spend as much time together as we can.”
I smiled. I liked everything he was saying and doing since last night. I ignored any nagging thoughts about him being too good to be true. I pushed out any doubts until all that was left was us.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Mason
At work on Monday, my body felt light after the weekend with Mia, as I reviewed the details for the overnight mission. Cole Security provided long-term security to companies in high-risk areas, but we also did shorter missions. Sometimes a family hired us to find someone, a missing person, a kidnapped child. The government could only do so much for them.
I hadn’t thought a civilian job would feel as meaningful as my time in the Navy, but it did. What Cole Security Forces did was vital.
“Are you busy?” Mark stood in my doorway.
“I was reviewing the file.” As the pilot, I probably didn’t need to know everything, but Mark liked it if the whole team was aware of the situation. It was something I appreciated and respected.
“Good. I had something else I wanted to talk to you about.”
I tensed when he closed the door. Was this about the two times I’d taken off work for a family emergency? Was he going to ask more questions? Tell me it couldn’t happen again? I ran through several scenarios in my head, drafting potential responses. I was so focused, I nearly missed what he said.
Mark was seated across from me and staring at me as if I was supposed to answer him.
“I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“We’re hosting a get-together at my house this weekend. Feel free to bring your family or significant other. I’ll text you the address.”
This didn’t sound like an optional event. For so many years, social and work life mixed in the Navy, I’d wanted to keep my personal life separate from work in case Mark saw having a child as a detriment to me doing my job. “Family, sir?”
It was ingrained in me to speak with ‘sirs’ to a superior although Mark usually reminded me it wasn’t necessary here. “Any kids. You don’t talk much about your personal life—”
This was my opportunity to tell him the truth. If he knew about Everett and was okay with it, I’d feel better about taking off when he needed me. If Everett made the baseball team, I’d want to be at the games which started at four p.m. I’d want to take off if I was in town. “I do have a son.”
“Perfect. Bring your wife too.”
I cleared my throat, hoping this detail wouldn’t matter. “I’m not married.”
“You’re welcome to bring a significant other if you have one. I’d like to get to know you better. We’re a family here. Everyone has kids, so we understand family comes first.”
My brows raised. I’d made no effort to get to know my coworkers. I was so focused on keeping my head down, doing a good job, I hadn’t asked any personal questions. In the military, asking about loved ones could spark homesickness in some guys, so I’d gotten used to keeping things surface level.
“We’re one big family here, Mason, and you’re a part of that.” He stood to leave.
I felt an unexpected release of tension in my neck.
“I’ll text you the address. Saturday at four.”
“Sounds good.”
Mark left my office.
I stared blankly at my computer screen for a few minutes processing what just happened. I was so used to families coming last in the military, I hadn’t expected him to be okay with the fact that I had a son. For the first time since I started, I felt relief that I could handle working as a single parent.
Would there be other kids Everett’s age there? Should I invite Mia? He’d said we could bring a significant other and we’d said we were together just this past weekend. But we weren’t married or in a long-term committed relationship, maybe it was too soon. I thought of asking her, knowing she’d want to go. She loved to be part of things, included.
The thought of bringing her was attractive. She’d smooth over any rough edges. She’d help me fit in. She made everything better. Maybe I’d let her decide. She was at school, so I’d have to wait to talk to her tonight.
We’d finished the shelves in her living room, but she still wanted some in her bedroom. It was the perfect excuse to spend time with her and include Everett. He knew we were dating but I doubt he realized how serious I was about her. All I could hope was she felt the same way. That she wouldn’t get a different job, moving away next year. That she wouldn’t decide she didn’t like being second to Everett.
I had to find a way to make her realize that Everett might be my first priority, but her happiness was just as important.
I invited Mia over for dinner so we could discuss the days she’d be watching Everett for me. When I’d talked to Everett about it, he said he liked the idea of her staying versus him staying with his grandparents.
I was making tacos tonight. We’d made it so many times, Everett was able to make it on his own. It allowed me to think about how tonight would go. I wanted to ask Mia if she’d go to my work party with me. I saw the invitation as a deepening of our relationship. I didn’t want her to think that watching Everett or going with me to a work party was an obligation.
At the same time, I never wanted to take what she had to offer for granted. She was special and worthy of being appreciated.
By the time she rang the doorbell, I was nervous. Adrenaline before flying always made me slightly jittery, but not nervous. If I let nerves take over, I wouldn’t be able to concentrate.
When I opened the door, Mia stood there in a winter coat and jeans, a smile on her face. She was happy to see me. I pulled her inside, closing the door against the chilly night air. We embraced in the foyer. “Thank you for coming.”
“Of course. I want to spend time with you.” Her words washed over me, giving me the confidence to ask.
I meant to work up to asking her, but I couldn’t wait to hear her answer. “My work is having a get-together at my boss’s house this weekend. Would you like to come?”
“I’d love to.” Mia pulled away to shrug her jacket off.
“Really?” I took her jacket from her hand, hooking it behind her, next to Everett’s jacket. My thoughts were a little jumbled from her easy acceptance.
“Yeah. Of course. Why, don’t you want me to come?’ She paused, her eyes uncertain.
“No. I do. I wasn’t sure if you’d think it was too much too soon.”
“We’re in a relationship. If you want me to be there than I’d love to go.”
Relief coursed through my system. “You’re too good for me, Mia.”
“No. I’m not. We’re right for each other.” Our eyes met, I lowered my lips to hers in a soft and sweet kiss. I couldn’t believe this was my life. Everett, Mia, work. Everything was good—too good.
Mia pulled away first. “I smell tacos.”
&nbs
p; I shrugged. “It’s taco Tuesday. Tacos are easy and something Everett can make on his own. He’s browned the meat.”
Mia followed me into the kitchen. “It smells great, Everett.”
“Thanks.” His voice was quiet, but I could tell he was proud she’d said something. He spooned taco meat into hard shells.
“When do you leave?” Mia asked as I moved the bowls of toppings to the table.
“Tomorrow morning and I’ll be back Thursday evening. Are you sure you’re okay with staying over?”
“Of course. I want to help.”
I sat at the table as Everett placed my platter in front of me. “I was thinking you could come here after school and eat dinner. Everett’s pretty self-sufficient, so he should be fine other than making sure he eats and gets to school on Thursday.”
“Sounds good. Are there any rules I should know about?”
“No video games until after homework and chores are done. During the week, chores are picking up his room and helping with dinner and dishes.”
Everett rolled his eyes.
Mia
I couldn’t help but be impressed with the progress Mason made since he’d been home. Everett was doing better in school. He helped with dinner and with prompting he’d clean up the dishes afterward. He was a good kid. Maybe a little lost for a while, but with a strong male figure in his life, he’d be okay.
I wanted to tell Mason I was proud of him, but it would have to wait until after Everett went to his room for the night.
We talked about baseball tryouts and how Everett felt about it. Baseball was a good focus for him.
When we’d eaten, Everett cleared the dishes before excusing himself to finish his homework. We were alone.
“You want to move to the family room?” Mason asked.
“Sure.” I sat on the couch, Stark jumping up to lay down next to me. Mason shooed Stark off the couch before taking Stark’s spot.
“I can’t thank you enough for watching Everett tomorrow.”
“Of course. It’s no big deal. Like you said, he’s self-sufficient. I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
“I don’t want you to think that you have to watch him or that it’s a requirement of our relationship.”
“I don’t feel that way.” Despite my past, I didn’t feel like he was using me. The fact that he was conscious of me feeling that way, went a long way to ease any doubts.
“It means a lot to me.”
The fact he admitted his feelings so easily made me feel special. “Then that’s what matters. Everett is important to you, so he’s important to me.”
“I need to thank the baseball coach for encouraging Everett to try out for the team. It’s given him something positive to focus on and hopefully gets him away from any troublemakers at school.”
“It’s amazing what a little encouragement from a teacher can do.”
“Did a teacher make an impression on you as a kid? For me, I was always in trouble, so I can’t say I experienced that.”
“Not really. I pretended I was fine. I’d moved to a new school when my parents died so not many people knew. Sometimes I felt like there was this voice inside screaming for someone to notice, but no one ever did. Not that anyone would know if I didn’t tell them. I guess that’s why I try harder with the quiet kids. It’s hard for them to talk. They’ve been told not to, or they’re embarrassed, afraid.”
Mason pulled me into his chest. “I’m so lucky to have you. You’re beautiful, caring, and sweet. Your aunt and uncle are the ones losing out. They don’t appreciate you.”
I closed my eyes, reveling in the way he saw me as this amazing person who deserved love. He was almost too good to be true. I opened my eyes, tilting my head back to see his face. My heart was full of emotion that came all too easily for me, love. I wouldn’t say it yet though. The second I said I loved someone, the relationship ended. I never wanted this thing with Mason to end.
I closed the distance between us, kissing him, pouring everything I felt into that kiss, hoping he’d think it was passion, not love. I pulled away slightly, my fingers brushing his chin. “Is this a good idea with Everett here?”
“We should wait until he’s asleep.” His eyes were dark with lust, his voice laced with regret.
I’d almost lost my head, forgetting his son lived here. How could I be so careless? Every time I got close to someone, I lost my head. I told myself to slow down, take it easy, until I was able to focus on the movie Mason chose on TV.
At ten, Mason turned off the TV. “Will you stay for a while?”
“Sure.” My heart beat faster at the heat I saw in his eyes. We hadn’t been alone since Saturday night. The separation, the waiting, the anticipation made everything better.
“I’ll check on Everett.”
I followed him upstairs, waiting while he softly knocked on Everett’s door, opening it a crack before closing it.
“He’s asleep,” he said, before taking my hand and leading me to his room. I scanned the room taking in the dark wood furniture.
He gestured to the door off the master. “There’s the restroom if you need it.”
I hurried inside, desperate for a second to myself. I needed to look in the mirror to talk myself down from the fantasy that had blown up in my head, of me living with him, helping him with Everett, being the person that held the family together. I splashed water on my face, toweling it off, before looking at the woman reflected in the mirror. My eyes were filled with emotion, my cheeks pink from scrubbing, my lashes wet with water.
This was a pivotal moment. One more night with Mason and I knew my heart would be gone for him. There’d be no turning back. He was different from my exes, but in the end, was he the same?
I could go home, keep our relationship light and easy, or I could go in his bedroom and show him how I felt, give him my heart, and hope he’d cherish and protect it. The desire for him overruled everything. I’d always be the girl hoping for more.
I opened the bathroom door.
“Is everything okay?” He leaned against the headboard, wearing soft-looking athletic pants, a black T-shirt, holding a paperback in his hands, making him infinitely more attractive.
I crawled on the bed, a smile playing on my lips. “You read?”
“There’s not much else to do on the carrier.”
“What are you reading?” I curled up next to him, my feet tucked under me.
He unfolded the book to show me the cover. It was a detective book.
“Is it good?”
He placed the book on the nightstand, turning to me, his fingers tugging my hair. “It pales in comparison to having you in my bed.”
The familiar touch of his fingers in my hair and his sweet words sent a twinge to my heart. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” he said softly before kissing me until we were right back where we’d been on his couch, my hips straddled him, his fingers gripped my hips, pulling me tighter to him. My traitorous hips rocking down on his hard cock.
His lips broke from mine, his finger pressed to my lips. “Can you be quiet?”
I nodded, not daring to speak. The idea of having to be quiet making me wetter.
“We’ll see I guess.” He flipped me so that I was on my back with him kneeling between my legs. He shifted my T-shirt higher, exposing my stomach. He placed kisses on my bare skin, his breath skating across my skin, his elbows on the bed, bracing my hips. I lifted my hips encouraging him to move lower.
He lifted my shirt higher, his fingers caressing the sides of my breasts as he continued to rain kisses over my skin, my shirt pushed above my bra. He reached under me, unclasping my bra, baring my breasts to him, my nipples hard pebbles.
Something about tonight felt different than the other night. His touches were slower, more reverent as if he was savoring every second.
“Mason.” His name was a soft plea on my lips, a request for more. My nipples puckered under his gaze.
My eyes closed when his lips circled my nipples, suc
king, grazing them with his teeth, heat pooling in my core. I needed him inside me. He moved to my other nipple, my eyes opened, tracking his movements, my fingers tangling in his hair, keeping him close to me. I never wanted him to stop.
He sat back on his heels, pulling his shirt over his head. Then he was off the bed, tugging his pants and briefs down until he was naked, his cock jutting out. I licked my lips. His hands joined mine when I lifted my hips to shove my pants down.
“You’re beautiful Mia. Inside and out.”
Had anything sounded more beautiful than those words coming from his lips. “You are too.”
He laughed lightly before settling over me, his forearms on the bed, his cock teasing my entrance. He kissed me, his cock sliding between my folds making it difficult to concentrate on anything. The voice in my head chanting, I love you, I love you, I love you.
I was slippery and wet, his cock sliding easily back and forth, need building inside of me, need for him. “I need you inside me.”
He broke away for a second to grab a condom from his nightstand drawer, quickly rolling it down his cock before he was over me again. His eyes looking down at me as he braced himself. His cock teased my entrance before he slowly slipped inside, filling me with him. I lifted my hips, encouraging him to move. His scent surrounded me, his biceps bulged with the effort to hold himself back, his eyes sharp with desire.
“Harder, Mason.” He’d been soft and sweet with me. I needed him hard and fast. Fucking, not making love if I wanted to slow my fall for him.
He shifted back on his heels, lifting my ass in his hands for a better angle. I reached back to grab a slat on his headboard as he thrust harder meeting my hips with each flick of his hips. Moans ripped from my throat before I remembered I should be quiet. I bit my lip to stop it.
The orgasm built inside, harder and quicker than last time, threatening to crash over me before I was ready for it. His name poured out of me the same time as the feeling washed over me, leaving me breathless, sated.
He pulled out, shifting so that I was on my side and he was behind me, sliding inside, somehow going deeper in this position. I whimpered as need built inside again. His hand pressed on my stomach with each slow lazy thrust, his lips on my neck, my shoulder, my back.
