Not that it mattered.
Fork in hand, I reached into the bag and pulled out the cheesecake first and opened the container.
The moment it touched my tongue, I was in heaven.
It tasted just like the one Drake had brought over.
An intoxicating rush of all things Drake swept through me, and with it, the realization that Drake was at the tip of all my thoughts and lurking within my most recent memories. He begged to be paid attention to, and he didn’t even know it. Shrugging him off seemed nearly impossible, and I excelled at forgetting men quickly, so what was different about this guy?
Simply because I couldn’t have him?
But as I continued savoring every bite, I became certain I was eating the same cheesecake, and it took everything I had not to send a casual text to Drake. To distract myself, I looked over at my painting and felt the intensity behind the mask daring me to do what I’d promised myself I wouldn’t do.
Taste the forbidden fruit.
As I swallowed the last bite of cheesecake, I wondered if Drake truly knew what he’d done for me that night.
He needed to know.
Before talking myself out of it, I snapped a photo of my painting and the empty container, where only a few crumbs remained, and texted both pictures over to him, along with the name of the deli I got it from.
Life wasn’t always black and white. People weren’t always good or bad. Regardless of what my brother thought Drake was into, I saw good in him that night and many other instances after.
I tapped my fingers impatiently and waited for a response. However, the longer my text went unanswered, the more I regretted my decision. What was it about this man that just kept pulling me in?
Seconds turned to minutes, and I found myself ignoring my sandwich and staring at my phone.
What did I expect? He was a complete gentleman, and I ignored his messages. He probably wrote me off and moved on.
I shrugged off the depressing thought and walked over to the note Drake had written.
You brought something to my world I’ve been missing for a long time. Hope and light. I will never let someone take that light away from you. Even if our time together is limited to nothing more than what is now, I’m a better man for knowing you. Call if you need anything–Day or Night. I’ll answer.
~Drake
Warmth rolled over my body as my mind flashed to Drake’s mouth—the softness of his lips, the sweetness, the tenderness behind each kiss as he held me in his arms, protected me. I really didn’t want to leave the city without tasting him again.
My phone vibrated in a delightful tease, and I nearly tumbled over myself to see his reply.
That would look incredible next to your other piece I acquired. I stopped at your place. I wasn’t kidding about not being able to get you out of my mind. You weren’t there.
My brows squeezed together. He was one of the phone buyers. I swallowed down the embarrassment and quickly replied.
Wow. Well, thank you. I wasn’t expecting to hear that. I actually moved above the deli. Being next to that street just wasn’t for me…
I wondered which of the paintings he purchased. I was about to ask just as someone knocked on my door. It was close to eleven, and my pulse spiked when I thought about who it might be on the other side of the door. Drake was the only logical explanation. The timing wasn’t, but I’d take him however I could get him.
My heart fluttered and my cheeks flushed at the thought of getting to see him. An insatiable need to be with Drake began forming in my belly, tightening as the craving grew, knowing he was on the other side of the door. None of the mixed-up feelings made sense. I fully understood how messed up I was for wanting to pursue him, but that was what made love complicated, not that I’d ever been in love, and I certainly wasn’t implying that here. This was pure and simple lust.
Lust that I was more than happy to indulge in just one time.
As I reached the peephole, another knock echoed into my small apartment. My emotions came crashing down around me as I saw who was on the other side of my door.
It wasn’t Drake.
My brother had sent Alex to spy on me.
I debated about opening the door, but seeing him was actually kind of nice. I didn’t want him to pick up on that, however, so I crossed my arms and glared at him. He was attractive. No doubt about it. But the pull just wasn’t there.
It never was there.
Not like it had been with Drake.
My eyes fell to a single red rose wrapped in tissue, and I glanced back up at Alex.
“Not from you, I suppose?”
He shook his head as I bent down to pick it up.
“What brings you here?” I asked flatly, already knowing the answer.
“I’m sure you can guess.” His brow arched, and he glanced behind me.
“No one is here, if that’s what you’re wondering. Luke didn’t need to send one of his troops. I’ll be going to Nantucket in less than two days. I’ll be fine until then.”
“Well, your moving into an entirely different apartment alarmed him enough to not believe whatever story you told him. It was a story, wasn’t it?” His gaze softened, and I nodded, unable to hide my smile. Alex could always read me.
“Partially,” I confessed.
Alex’s gaze landed on my neck, and his eyes widened in alarm.
“Did that asshole do that to you?”
“Which asshole?”
His gaze narrowed. “So it’s true. You’ve been seeing Drake.”
“I never said that.” My hand rested on my collarbone. There was no point in trying to hide the traces of bruises that remained. “And for the record, Drake’s not a complete asshole. He’s the one who made the man pay for all this.” I turned over my wrist.
Uneasiness settled in my chest as Alex shook his head in disappointment. He leaned against the doorframe. The good in Drake didn’t seem to matter. My brother had convinced all his men that Drake was complete scum.
“Why wouldn’t you get Luke involved? Why wouldn’t you call me?” he asked, his voice lowered.
The tone in his voice pained me, but I tried to shrug it away. “I’m hoping to move past it as best I can and—”
“Why not make him pay?” Alex asked, straightening up from the door.
See, this was where things always got complicated. My brother believed in justice, but it was his own form of justice, and his men readily agreed.
“Drake took care of it,” I answered. “Besides, I don’t even know who the guy is.”
“There’s always a way to find out. Get a roster of attendees, find some social media pics, and you pick out the guy.” He licked his lips. “Done deal.”
Alex was only trying to help, and it wasn’t his fault he was standing at my doorstep. I motioned for him to come inside.
“You want half of a sandwich?” I asked, gesturing to the kitchen. I heard his footsteps behind me.
“I’m not trying to invade your space,” Alex said, letting out a deep breath. It was like he was relieved to really see I was alone.
“I know, and I actually like having you here. You’re not why I’m annoyed. I really don’t understand why Luke can’t turn things off.” I turned around and smiled, watching Alex check out the sandwich.
“If you were my sister, I wouldn’t let you out of my sight either.” He ripped a paper towel from the dispenser and slid his half of the sandwich on it.
“So how long are you in the city?” My brow arched as I watched Alex. He seemed on edge with the question, which told me too long.
“The duration. My instructions are to get you to Nantucket and get you back.”
“And then?” I questioned, feeling the heat of anger rising.
“I escort you back to California on his plane.”
“Curse the day he ever bought that thing.” I groaned. “I knew I never should have mentioned it.”
Alex took a bite of the sandwich at the exact moment my phone buzzed. I
reached for it and saw a text come over from Drake, but I didn’t read it.
“Who’s texting so late?”
“Just a friend, Alex. Believe it or not, I do have those.” I grinned wryly.
Alex laughed and took another bite of the sandwich. I knew I could count him as one of them, or I’d never get away with saying it.
“So where are you staying?” I asked, refusing to look at the text from Drake.
“The hotel across the street.”
“How handy. Did you request a view of my apartment, by chance?” I teased.
“You know that’s precisely what I did.”
“You can have the other half of the sandwich if you want. I had an entire slice of cheesecake, which was the equivalent of two.”
“You sure?” he asked, taking a look at my latest work. His eyes narrowed on the piece, as if he were putting together the pieces from that night. Was it that obvious? He knew I’d been at the masquerade ball. Maybe I was being that transparent with my work.
“Positive.” I wandered into the family room and over to the window. The street had settled down in the last hour, but I noticed a car parked in the clearly marked No Parking zone and my heart skipped a beat. It looked exactly like Drake’s car.
I spun around and glanced at Alex.
“You look like you saw a ghost.” Alex’s stride was so quick, he reached me before I had a chance to answer. “I don’t see anything.” He was stretching his neck like a giraffe as he made an effort to stare out the window.
“Probably because there’s nothing to see.” I walked over to my painting and waited for Alex to turn his attention away from the street.
“Were you expecting company?” Alex asked, his head cocked slightly.
“Well, I certainly wasn’t expecting you, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
The moment Drake’s knuckles hit the door, my heart squeezed and I felt lightheaded. This wasn’t going to go well.
Chapter Fourteen
Drake
I was never one to ignore a coincidence. After all, coincidence was often the world’s way of dropping a bomb on life’s plans. If we were astute enough to catch it, we could either divert disaster or allow a dream to transpire. That was how my brother, Blake, got into the MLS. One coincidence led to another, and now, he was a rising star in the soccer world, with women fawning all over him. His dream came true.
I would not ignore this gift of coincidence with Mia living above the deli where I bought our cheesecake.
I took in a deep breath, surprised by the roll of my stomach over seeing this girl again.
Maybe that was the problem. Mia wasn’t just a girl. She was a self-assured, confident woman who happened to be the most beautiful goddess I’d ever encountered.
I let out a deep breath and stared at her apartment door.
I’d tried to give Mia space. When I found out she left the other apartment, I didn’t go pounding on doors and demanding answers.
I didn’t look her up.
I stayed away.
Not getting a text back from her was answer enough.
Until it wasn’t.
Getting a message tonight that she lived down the street from my apartment was more than I could handle. Granted, she didn’t know she’d moved so close to me, but I wasn’t going to play the waiting game any longer.
I needed to see her.
So here I stood, close to midnight, knocking on Mia’s door, hoping she’d answer, and I could finally do to her what I’d been dreaming of since Sunday.
What I didn’t expect was to hear a man’s heavy footsteps on the other side of the door.
“Can I help you?” the man nearly growled.
Apparently, she hadn’t looked at her texts.
“Out of the way, Alex.” Mia’s voice was even spicier than I remembered, and I’d done a lot of remembering since Saturday. There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t imagine tasting every square inch of her.
I cleared my throat.
But then it hit me.
Alex.
She murmured his name in her sleep. Was it her brother? Was he going to think I was just showing up for a booty call and want to lay me out on the floor?
I heard the locks twist open, and my chest tightened.
Mia opened the door, and her smiling face greeted me. She looked so damn cute. She was dressed in paint-splattered overalls, and her long hair was in two buns on top of her head. It was a far cry from the stiletto-wearing woman I’d come to know. I liked this version better. My gaze darted to the man standing behind her, frowning.
I saw the bulge and knew he was packing.
“Come in,” Mia said, her eyes sparkling.
“I’m not interrupting?”
“Oh, God, no.” Mia pulled me into the apartment, nearly knocking over the man next to her. “He was just about to leave.”
Alex’s jaw twitched, and I knew I’d definitely interrupted something. Rather than make waves with the family right off the bat, I stopped in front of the guy and took in a deep breath. Doing something I’d never done before, introduce myself to a woman’s family, I stuck out my hand and waited for him to accept it.
“Are you Mia’s brother?” I asked.
He refused to shake my hand, and I forced down the first nip of anger.
“He’s a friend of my brother,” Mia said, glaring at him while talking to me. “And he was about to leave.”
“Over my dead body,” Alex muttered.
I felt the curl of my lip and looked down at the floor to occupy myself while I contemplated my next move.
“Anyway, please tell my brother my new place is great and I can’t wait to see him.”
“Why don’t you FaceTime him now?” Alex said, smirking. “I’m sure he’d love to hear that from you, see the place, meet your new friend.”
“Not necessary. I’m sure he’s sleeping.” Mia looked like she was getting aggravated, but it wasn’t my place to step in.
“I know he would enjoy being woken up for this.”
I glanced at Mia and back at Alex. These two had definitely shared something at one point. Alex’s eyes connected with mine, and I knew he’d had more of Mia than I ever had. The thought was unpleasant, but I smiled.
“Listen, Mia, I can come back another time,” I assured her.
“No, absolutely not. Alex was just about to leave.” Mia took Alex’s hand in hers, and I was certain I saw him wince. It was hard to hold in the chuckle, but I managed.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Mia gave him a hug.
She whispered something to him, but from the direction she stood, I couldn’t read her lips.
Alex flashed a death stare in my direction before turning around and closing the door behind him.
The moment her friend left, she spun around and folded her arms on her chest. She was definitely hard to read as her eyes studied me with nothing more than a lifted brow. She had a streak of blue paint along her cheek, which made her look even more adorable in this state.
“I don’t give most men a first chance, so why should I give you a second?” Her brow arched, and the fire behind her eyes made my entire core tighten.
A smile ran over my lips, and I shook my head.
“You probably shouldn’t.”
Her gaze dropped to my lips before lifting back to mine, and I knew she was fighting the same feelings that were rolling through my blood. Ever since our kiss, I couldn’t get this woman out of my mind.
“This doesn’t make sense, you know.” She bit her lip, and I could barely rip my eyes from her mouth when she continued talking. I wanted to take her in my arms and kiss every part of her. “I’m going back to California in a couple of weeks. I don’t have room for a relationship. There’s absolutely no point in getting involved.”
I nodded, feeling my chest expand with a mix of emotions I rarely felt . . . hope, joy, disappointment, and an intense longing to have something I never wanted before meeting Mia.
�
��But you haven’t answered my question.” She unfolded her arms, hiding a smile. “Why should I give you a second chance? You bailed on me, and I’m not exactly the kind of girl you can treat as a doormat.”
“I’d never in a million years think that you were.” I took a step forward, and she twisted her lips into a contemplative pout . . . or was it a scowl?
My pulse was pounding a million miles an hour. To be this close to Mia and possibly have to walk out her door without one more kiss, because of my brother’s mess, was infuriating.
“You’re close to your brother,” I said matter-of-factly. “Well, I’m close with all of mine, and one of them got into something he shouldn’t have that night I was at your apartment. He needed my help, and I wasn’t going to leave him stranded. He had a job to do Sunday that he was in no condition to do, so I had to fill in for him.”
Intrigue flashed through her eyes along with a dash of relief.
“The joy of a family business,” I added. “So you can forgive me and give me a second chance, or you can send me packing. Your call. I might not like your decision, but I’ll certainly respect it.”
“Is your brother okay?” she asked, her tone softened, and I realized her voice held real concern.
She caught me off-guard. I let out a deep breath. Just hearing that question undid all the stress from the week. I never had anyone who wasn’t on the payroll asking about my life or my family unless it somehow benefited them. So many people always had their hands out, begging for a way to get ahead. We’d learned early on in our family to only trust each other because no one else gave a damn.
“Actually, he’s not doing very well at all.” Saying the words felt so good. It was a release I didn’t know I needed. Her expression softened more.
“Is he sick?” she asked, moving toward me.
I shook my head, unsure of how much to say. By the time she reached me, I wanted to tell her everything. She slid her hand along my arm, and my entire body reacted to her with an intensity I’d never experienced.
Mia: A Standalone Romantic Suspense: A Luke Fletcher and V Mafia Crossover Novel (Luke Fletcher Series Book 4) Page 9