Andre and she were destined to fail. He had no grace for liars—even by omission. And she was keeping the greatest secret of all. No, Mia didn’t get a happily-ever-after. She had bigger priorities and a promise to fulfill. She’d thought it before, but this time there would be no slipups, no visits to her house under the pretense of helping set up for a party, or bringing takeout. She needed to stop spending time with Andre. It was literally a case of life or death.
27
Andre
Ten days. It had been ten strenuous days since he’d been with Mia. It wasn’t even just the sex he missed, but her presence and conversation. She had stopped running in the morning. She’d turned him away day after day. The distance between them was widening. His chest ached, like a weight had settled on top of it, getting heavier by the day.
Something was wrong. He ran a hand over his head and let out a frustrated sigh. What could it be?
Panic stole his breath. Could Mia be pregnant? Did she think he’d be angry? Was she not going to keep it? Maybe she didn’t need space, but she was just waiting for him to tell her he wanted more. God, he’d been blind. He needed to tell her. The thought of having to live life without her made him sick.
Shit, he loved her!
He’d thought he knew what love was, but he’d been wrong. Nothing compared to how he felt about Mia.
Pressing down on the gas, he sped home from work. Her studio was almost done, Tom was back to work, and everything was right on track. It was time he and Mia were too.
He pulled into her driveway, next to a gray Mercedes with California plates. He walked over to Mia’s with a treat from Remy’s café. When he got to the door, he took a deep breath and knocked. Soft steps padded towards him before her silhouette came into view. She opened it and his heart raced. Mia’s eyes flashed to his, seeming hesitant. Her hair was pulled back into a sloppy bun, and she had bags under her eyes. She looked exhausted.
“Hey, are you okay?” he asked.
Mia nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.” She didn’t budge from the door.
Ask me in.
“I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”
She sighed and rubbed her hand over her face. “I have a headache, so maybe some other time.”
“Okay. Sure. Do you need anything?”
Her eyes flashed with some unnamed emotion before she looked away, squeezing the flesh between her eyes over her nose. “I’m good.”
Andre held out the bag of pastries. “For when you feel better.”
The corner of her lip quirked just the tiniest bit before it was gone so fast he wondered if he’d imagined it.
“Thank you, for everything.”
Why did it feel like she meant a lot more than scones? “See you later.”
“Bye,” she said before closing the door.
He turned around and walked over to his house, the weight still bearing down on his shoulders. He needed a shower. He ran up the stairs and to his room where he tore off his clothes.
Movement from the window caught his attention. Pulling back the curtain, he could see more clearly. A dark-haired man sat on Mia’s back porch right next to her. Adrenaline pumped through his veins. His fists clenched. Was she sleeping with him? No. She wouldn’t be with someone else. They’d agreed to be exclusive. A whisper of doubt crept into his mind. Would she lie to him? Was this Mia’s way of saying it was over?
Fuck.
He went to the bathroom and switched the shower on. Stepping into the water, he didn’t even bother to wait until it was warm. Mia wouldn’t betray him like that. But what is that guy doing there if she has a headache? She was from California, so maybe he was just a friend visiting. So, why wouldn’t she say that?
After giving himself a quick scrub, he shut it off. He dried and hurriedly pulled on a shirt and a clean pair of jeans, not bothering with boxers. Slipping a pair of sliders on, he walked back to Mia’s, unsure of what he would be walking into. But he needed some answers.
He knocked and waited.
Mia opened the door just enough to peek her head out. “Andre?”
“I know you said you were busy, but I need to talk to you about something. Can I come in?”
She hesitated, looking over her shoulder and then back to him while biting her lip. She still doesn’t fully trust me. What could he do to help her? He’d shown her the most scarred pieces of himself, laying it all bare. Why couldn’t she do the same?
“Sure.” She opened the door the rest of the way and he walked in, catching sight of not one, but two people.
“Andre, this is my best friend Carmen Lopez, and Mateo,” Mia introduced.
Carmen stepped forward and reached out her hand. Andre shook it.
“It’s nice to meet you. Are you the man working on Mia’s studio?” Carmen’s question was like a tiny arrow piercing his heart.
So, she hadn’t told her best friend about him.
“Yeah. And we’re neighbors.” And I love her.
“Oh, wow. This is a small town.” Carmen laughed.
Andre’s gaze turned to the tall tanned man in the room, nodding. Mateo studied him, looking back and forth between him and Mia. Was he jealous? Mateo moved across the room before taking Mia’s hand in his and pulling her into a hug, eyeing him warily. Mia glanced at Andre, offering him a friendly smile as if trying to reassure him.
Had they ever been more than friends?
Andre’s fists clenched as his veins burned with jealousy.
Mateo spoke in Spanish as Mia nodded. Andre picked up the words tomorrow, beautiful, and love. Each word was a fucking nail in his coffin. It took everything in him not to snap and unload all his anger onto the guy with his arms wrapped around Andre’s woman. Mia was his. Wasn’t she?
Carmen cleared her throat, and Andre turned to her. A small knowing smile played at the corner of her mouth.
“I think it’s time we go, brother. Let’s leave Mia and her guest. We should get back to the inn. We’ll see you tomorrow to tour the studio. Mamá will be getting in at noon and we’ll be right over from the airport.”
Mateo released Mia. “Walk me out?”
Mia glanced to Andre before she nodded. “I’ll be right back, Dre.”
Andre’s eyes remained glued to Mia as she hugged her friends goodbye, leaving a peck on both of their mouths. His knuckles turned white as he watched the exchange between Mia and Mateo.
Mia waved as they drove away before she turned back to the house. She shut the door.
His self-control snapped. “You ever fuck him?”
Mia’s glare shot daggers at him, her own anger shining through what looked like fear. “No. We’re just friends. He’s like a brother to me,” she answered, honesty flashing in her eyes. “He’s like a brother,” she repeated, as if trying to tell him something. “But you have no right to ask me. I really don’t have time for your jealousy because I’m not yours and I’m exhausted.” She sighed, sitting on the couch. Mia pressed her temples.
He sat next to her, tenderly lifting her face to look at him. “What if I want you to be?”
Mia’s eyes watered. Her pulse pounded against his palm.
“Mia, I lo—”
Mia’s mouth crashed onto his. He groaned from the sudden contact. Her spicy taste cast a spell on him. She guided him to stand and took his hand.
“Mia—”
“Sshhh. No talking. I just need you.” Mia pulled his hand and led him up to her bedroom.
He held her face again and kissed her. She sucked, nipped, and caressed his mouth.
I love you. If she wouldn’t let him say it, he’d show her with his body.
Slowly, he removed her clothing piece by piece. Her breathing quickened as she reached to strip him as well. Her hands glided across his body, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. He picked her up, her legs wrapping around him. Her pussy was hot against his waist.
Andre laid her on the bed, climbing over her as he used his mouth to leave a trail of soft sensual kisses down he
r neck, between her breasts. One hand brushed over her thigh as he sucked her dark nipple into his mouth. She gasped as his hand slid between her legs. She was already wet—ready for him.
She explored his body as he nudged two fingers inside her core. Her legs squeezed around his arm. He moved his mouth to her belly, scratching his beard on her soft responsive skin. She shivered. Andre pressed her knees wider apart before hooking them over his shoulders. He slowly licked her clit as his hands moved in and out of her. She hissed and whimpered, writhing on the bed. Bucking her hips, she cried for more. But he wasn’t done devouring her. She tasted so good. He lapped and wiggled his tongue as her legs shook around him. He hummed his approval and she arched her back, lifting off the bed. Sucking her clit into his mouth, he fucked her harder with his fingers, curling them to hit the G-spot. Her inner walls clenched around him as she cried out with her orgasm.
Her body trembled as he returned to slow, savoring licks, not wasting a drop of her essence while she came down from her climax.
Mia greedily reached for him. He sat, pulling his fingers from inside her before he licked them clean.
Her dark eyes filled with lust. Her lips were still swollen from his kiss. A rosy hue coated her cheeks as she swiped her tousled hair behind her ear. Mia pounced on top of him, sending him to his back as she took his hard cock in her hands, moving them up and down. He groaned and clenched his jaw. There was nothing hotter than his cock in Mia’s palms.
Mia lowered her head, sucking him into her mouth. Shit. He’d been wrong. This was the absolute sexiest image—now burned into his memory. Her swollen lips suctioned up and down his shaft, slowly, torturously. Half-lidded dark eyes stared at him with raw need. He hissed as she took him all the way in, his spine tingling with his impending release. He was gonna come if she didn’t stop.
“Mia.”
She kept on, her head bobbing, using her tongue to lick the tip before sucking it back into her mouth like a hoover.
Flashes filled his vision as he pulled away from her. “Stop.”
She looked at him, questions painting her beautiful face.
“I want to come inside you,” he groaned.
“Then take me.”
He opened the side drawer and pulled out a condom, but her hand darted out. “You don’t need it—unless you want one.”
He studied her for a moment. Is it because she’s already pregnant? Or is it because she trusts me? Either way, he wanted nothing more than to be bare with Mia again.
He dropped the foil packet back into the drawer and climbed on top of her. Their gazes locked as he positioned his cock at her entrance. “Are you ready?”
She nodded and dug her heels into his ass.
Andre thrust inside hard and fast as she sucked in a gasp. He waited until she acclimated before he started moving within her. She closed her eyes, turning her head away.
“Open your eyes. Look at me,” he commanded.
She did as tears escaped from the corners of them.
Worry creased his brow. “Are you okay? Do you need me to stop?”
She shook her head. “No. Don’t stop. It’s because it’s so good.”
The dam in his chest overflowed—the love he had for this woman spilling out of him as he rocked her back and forth, making love to her body and soul.
Their gazes locked. He brought her to the brink of pleasure again. He cried out as she tensed around him with her own orgasm. Each nerve ending in his body was alive with euphoria. She had claimed him, every inch, and awakened parts of him he hadn’t known existed. And this beautiful creature belonged with him.
The aftershocks vibrated through her before she relaxed beneath him. Reluctantly, he pulled out of her and lay beside her. Tucking her against his chest, he embraced her as she rested her head on him. A few minutes of silence passed as he stroked her hair. The rise and fall of her chest evened out.
“I love you,” Andre whispered.
His only answer was her slow deep breaths of sleep.
28
Mia
Mia blinked her eyes open. Predawn light filtered in through the window. A heavy arm wrapped around her naked waist and her sensitive parts ached. She’d been too weak and given in. Again.
Her eyes burned and she squinted them closed. Andre had said he wanted more. Pain sliced through her heart. The need to create distance between this man she craved and her duty warred inside her. One more minute. She’d relish his embrace just a little longer before she faced reality.
Find happiness, mija. But above all else, survive. Her mother’s words echoed in her mind. She had to keep her promise to her mother, even if that meant giving up the only thing that made her feel alive.
She carefully maneuvered out from under him. Padding her bare feet over to her dresser, she pulled out the first pair of skinny jeans and blouse she found and shut herself in the bathroom. Mia hurriedly brushed her teeth, got dressed, and threw her hair into a ponytail before sneaking out to her car. She was being a coward, but she couldn’t face him today.
Her whole body ached as she drove off towards her friends at the inn. Mia’s stomach knotted and flipped the farther away she drove from the man who had captured her heart despite her best efforts.
Later that afternoon, Mia went to the studio. She could finally breathe again. Whatever discomfort she’d woken up with had begun to lessen. The building smelled of paint and fresh-cut wood, but the lobby was finished. A large custom-built reception desk stood off to the right. She walked through, room by room. Her office was also complete, the walls a sage green with white trim.
Turning around, she headed to the main studio that was almost finished. Tears sprung to her eyes. This was all really happening. Her studio was nearly complete, but with the weight of everything else, the joy she should have felt was diminished. She wiped the tears away.
Why can’t I have both love and security? Could it be possible to be happy and safe? Would Andre forgive her for what she’d kept from him? She’d have to tell him everything. If he would listen to her, surely he’d understand why this issue wasn’t so black and white. She sniffled, straightening her back. Uncertainty spun through her. She’d never shared all her secrets with anyone before. Could she do it?
I have to. Because I love him.
“Mia.”
She jumped and spun around. Andre stood in the doorway, taking up all the oxygen in the room.
Mia forced her lungs to pull in a ragged breath, barely getting enough for a whisper. “What are you doing here?”
He stepped closer, the ache in her body returning with his proximity. There was no use fighting it—she’d just have to accept that she’d always want what she couldn’t have.
“I got worried after I woke to an empty bed. I searched everywhere for you.”
“I had to meet my friends. They’re leaving tomorrow, but their parents are flying in to see my studio. They should be arriving any minute actually.” And I didn’t want to face you.
Andre reached out, taking hold of her shoulders. “We didn’t get to finish our conversation.”
“Andre—”
“Tell me what’s wrong.”
“It’s nothing.” She waved her hand.
“I need you to be honest with me about something.”
She stiffened, her gaze locking with his. Did he know?
“Are you pregnant?”
“What?” She frowned. “No! You think I would keep something like that from you?”
“I know I haven’t been the most approachable about this whole situation. We got off on the wrong foot and kinda got stuck there for a while. But that changes now. Mia, I love you.” He moved his hands to cup her face as a tremble rocked her body. Tears sprang to her eyes.
“I want to wake up to you in my bed every morning. Or, I can stay over at your place.” He smiled. “What I feel for you doesn’t compare to anything I’ve ever experienced in my life.”
His eyes shone with affection and it was all directed at her
. This man loved her. She never thought in a million years she’d fall for someone, and yet, he’d captured her heart so completely. She loved Andre too. But would he still after learning the truth? Could she tell him everything?
Andre’s hold didn’t waver. He was worth the risk. No matter what she had to do. This was what her parents had had, and she’d do whatever she needed to hold on to Andre and this once-in-a-lifetime love.
“Mia?” Carmen’s voice drifted in through the lobby.
Mia smiled and kissed Andre. “I love you too.” But there’s so much you don’t know.
“Mia?” Carmen repeated, poking her head inside the studio. “Oh. There you are. Mamá—”
“There she is!” Mamá Lopez said as she burst in the room past Carmen. Jose and Mateo followed behind her. Andre dropped his arms.
Lucia stumbled forward, Jose reaching out to steady his wife’s arm. Mateo gave Mia a sympathetic shrug.
Mamá Lopez grabbed Mia and pulled her into a hug. The smell of vodka burned Mia’s nose. A worried knot formed in the pit of her stomach.
“I feared I might never see you again, mija. I thought for sure the plane would crash,” Lucia said, releasing her.
“The flight attendant thought vodka was a good idea to help calm her down,” Jose explained.
“But they didn’t take into account Mamá had already had a few drinks before boarding,” Carmen added, motioning to her mother.
“Look at you! You’re too thin. I need to make you some good food, get sssome meat on those bonesss,” Lucia slurred. Oh, God. Mamá Lucia needs some coffee and food—stat.
“I promise I’ve been eating well. I’m just so happy you all could come and see my new studio. Andre here is one of the contractors of the remodel.” Mia glanced up at him. He was meeting, for all intents and purposes, the only family she had, drunk or not.
“Andre, this is Lucia and Jose Lopez. They’re like my aunt and uncle,” Mia explained.
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