Ignoring her question, I turned and grabbed her hand. "Come with me." I pulled her down the hall as she followed behind me, laughing. I raced to the kitchen and down the set of stairs that led into my wine cellar. "All right, pick a bottle, any bottle, but make it a good one."
She looked at me as if I were crazy, but then turned and looked at the wall full of wine, finally reaching up and pulling one out. She handed it to me, and I looked down at the label.
"This couldn't be more perfect!" I said, looking in her eyes. I knew she was questioning what the hell had gone on over the phone, but instead of asking she just smiled at me and went with it.
I pulled another bottle from the wall and tucked it under my arm. "For later." I winked at her.
Within an hour, we were halfway through the second bottle while watching the storm unfold on TV. Mia's foot was casually draped over my leg, just like old times.
"So, tell me, that call you had..."
"Yeah, that call. Let’s just say that call is part—no, that call is the entire reason why I am here."
She bit her lip, her eyes growing sad as she took another sip of wine. I could tell the alcohol was getting to her now because her eyes were bloodshot, and her cheeks carried a rosy hue.
"Bad?" she asked.
"You could say that. It's been a very stressful few months, to say the least. I've been helping with this huge merger that Chase is working on. The case is a disaster. Our clients think the company is holding back or lying about some information."
"Ah Chase. How is he?"
"Good, crazy as ever." I laughed.
She let out a little laugh that went straight to my cock, just like it used to do when we were younger.
"Oh and then my ex—oh my wonderful ex—decided to tell me one night that I'm nothing but a greedy bastard, so I broke up with her." I paused for a moment. "Well, that's not true. She broke up with me." I smiled at her and watched as she brought the wine glass to her lips, a smirk settling on them.
"A greedy bastard eh? I'm surprised someone would think that of you." She looked away from me, then cleared her throat. I knew exactly what she was referring to.
"All right, well, maybe when I was younger, but age changes people." I winked.
"Well something must have set her off. What did your boneheaded self do this time?"
She knew me well. Well enough to remember almost every breakup I had had.
"She got pissed off one night when I choose work over her. But really it wasn't like that. A client needed help. It was important, and I had to cancel our date. It wasn't the first time, but I always tried to choose her over work, and when I couldn't, I always made it up to her. She always said she understood, but for whatever reason, this time was different.
You know she told me that money meant more to me than she did. How ridiculous is that? At the time, she meant everything to me. She didn't understand I was only doing that to keep her happy, to be able to do the things that we both wanted to do, and to be able to go on the trips that she wanted to go on. It all takes money.
“You know what else took money? That two-carat diamond engagement ring I had custom ordered, that I was planning to surprise her with on our trip to Venice. All I can say is, it was a good thing I never gave it to her. When I had returned a couple nights later, after that argument, I found her riding another man in my bed."
Mia let out a little whistle. Perhaps I had divulged too much about the whole thing. I wasn't upset anymore, so I couldn't blame that. I was just angry now, and I feared that maybe I wasn't enough for any woman.
"I'm sorry to hear that, Bryce. No one should have to deal with that."
"It's okay. I was dealing with everything fine, until she wouldn't leave and started making me feel bad for asking her to. Then things started falling apart at work, and, well, here I am. Carter and Hunter had been watching it unfold, and when they figured I couldn't cope anymore, Carter decided to send me on a forced vacation!"
"Maybe it’s all for the better? The breakup, the vacation, everything. The universe works in mysterious ways." Mia placed her hand on mine and smiled at me, her eyes glassy from all the alcohol we had consumed.
"You’re probably right; it would never have worked anyways. I shouldn't have been so stupid. The writing was on the wall months and months ago."
We both sat there taking a moment to watch more of the storm on the television. It was coming down harder than before, and I was glad that we had this safe place to be.
When the silence became too uncomfortable to me, I sat forward and cleared my throat. "I want to make a toast," I announced.
"Oh yeah, to what?" She giggled.
"Here’s to breakups and canceled plans!"
We clinked our glasses together and drank back the remainder of the wine, Mia reaching for the bottle and topping us off.
I had stopped drinking an hour earlier, and now we were sitting watching an episode of The Big Bang Theory when I looked over at Mia. She was slouched down on the couch, almost asleep, the wine glass half-empty in her hand and almost falling to the floor.
I reached over and took the glass from her, placing it quietly on the table. I got up and sat next to her. "Mia?" I whispered. She didn't respond, so I placed my hand on her shoulder and rubbed her arm this time. "Mia?" I said a little louder.
"Hmmm?" she moaned, keeping her eyes closed.
"Come on, let’s get you to bed." I put my arm around her back and sat her up.
"What? Where are we going?"
"To bed. Come on."
She grabbed hold of my arm, and once she was up, she leaned into me. I placed my arm around her to keep her steady, allowing her to rest herself up against me. I shut the TV off and slowly walked her down to the bedroom, occasionally stopping so she could regain her balance. “Are you trying to take advantage of me?” She giggled between hiccups.
“No, just helping you to bed.” I had my arm fully around her waist guiding her into the bedroom. Once we were at the bedside, I pulled the blankets back and sat her down first before laying her down. I swung her legs up and placed them on the bed, pulling the covers over her.
"Don't go," she whimpered as she rolled onto her side and grabbed my hand. "Stay with me."
"Mia, you're dreaming. Get some rest. I'll be in the living room."
She didn't make another sound and eased the grip she had on my hand.
I was just about to the door when she called my name again. I stopped with my hand on the door handle.
"Bryce, please stay with me. I want you to kiss me, like you kissed her..."
Mia started to snore as I stood there looking over my shoulder at her.
"The universe works in mysterious ways, buttercup," I mumbled, repeating her words from earlier as I looked back at her.
I shut the hall light off and the overhead light in the bedroom and turned on the bedside light. I sat down and placed my head in my hands. There was no way she could have remembered that night. It had been a shitty end to the year that summer. I had finally confessed my feelings for Mia to her brother and asked for his permission to start seeing her, and he flipped on me and told me to do what was best for everyone and leave her alone.
I had done just that.
I stopped everything, including my friendship with Grant, only seeing him when we all went out as a group. We had all planned on going to that party that summer, and I had heard from Kate, Mia's best friend, that Mia was trying to convince Grant to bring her. I knew how persistent she could be, and so I showed up at the party. If all else failed, at least I would hang with the guys for the last time before I left for school.
I had arrived early and was a few beers in, when I was approached by another one of Mia's friends and told that Mia was waiting for me upstairs. I couldn't wait. I had seen Grant, so I knew she must be there.
I excused myself from the group and went in search of the girl I wanted so bad. I found my way up the stairs and wandered down the hall to the room I was told she would meet m
e in. When I walked in, the room was empty, but I heard her in the bathroom. She called out for me to close my eyes, so I did, and shortly after I felt her hands in mine, and then I felt her lips on mine, and when I opened my eyes, it was like the floor fell out from under me.
Mia was standing in the doorway, watching everything unfold before her eyes. I had kissed Kate, not Mia. I had been tricked. I could remember the look in Mia's eyes as she backed out of the doorway, running from me.
I had run after her, but when I saw her speaking with Grant, I decided I'd better let sleeping dogs lie. If she told him, I knew he would kill me.
I left the party shortly after Grant did to take Mia home. I had gone by their place the next day when no one was home. I wanted to talk to Mia and explain what had happened, but no one answered the door. I tried one more time before I left for school. I knew she was no longer speaking to Kate; Grant had told me they had had some falling out before he had left for school. Once again, there was no answer, and I had no choice but to head on my way out of town for school. It had really been a horrible way to end the summer, considering it could have turned out so different.
Mia let out a soft moan behind me and rolled onto her back. I let out a breath and pulled my shirt off over my head and threw it over on the chair. Leaving my house pants on, I kicked my feet up on the bed and lay back, placing both arms behind my head. I turned and looked at Mia, who was now sound asleep on her side, her hands placed under her head.
"I wished I had a chance to make up to you for that night," I whispered. "Perhaps this week will be my chance."
Chapter 8
Mia
I woke with a start to the sound of a phone ringing somewhere in the distance, the noise drilling into my head, and then I felt someone shove me. I was cold and uncovered, so I reached for the blankets, ignoring the noise, praying it would go away. I tried pulling a handful of the blankets I held, but nothing moved. Then I felt an annoying tap against my back again. I rolled over and looked through squinted eyes. I could see an outline of a form lying next to me.
"Mia, answer your damn phone," a husky, dry voice called out.
I blinked again and wiped my eyes. Bryce was sprawled out beside me. I quickly turned my head away, breathing hard. What the hell was he doing in bed beside me?
I took a second to compose myself and then peeked again, still ignoring the ringing phone. He lay there shirtless, one hand over his eyes, the other resting on his solid eight pack of abs. I glanced farther down to see his foot rested on top of my leg, and I could make out the outline of his semi-hard cock through his pajama pants. We were both clothed, which was a good thing, but what the hell had happened last night?
I bit my lip and closed my eyes, trying hard to remember. Gin and tonics at the airport, wine, wine, and way too much wine. The very last thing I remembered was turning the TV to an episode of The Big Bang Theory.
"Mia, hell, answer your cell phone, my head is pounding." Bryce murmured, pulling the pillow over his face.
I reached around in my purse until I finally found my cell phone. "Hello." I waited, but no one responded. "Hello?" I repeated, rubbing my tired, dry eyes. When no one answered me this time, I hung up and rolled onto my back, looking up at the ceiling. I rested my arm over my eyes, still worried about what had happened between us.
I felt the bed move and shifted my arm just enough to peek over at Bryce. He was sitting up on the edge of the bed, his back to me. The absence of clothing allowed me to see more of him. His back muscles flexed as he stretched. He stood up and turned to me, his low-slung house pants accentuating his abs and that deeply carved V I had always loved.
He cleared his throat, pulling me from my thoughts. I didn't need to wonder what it would be like to run my tongue across those abs. I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks. I really needed a distraction.
"Nothing happened, just so you know."
I felt a sense of relief and disappointment run through me at the same time, but to be honest, it would have been a shame to have spent a night with him and not remember it.
"You were really drunk, so I brought you in here and helped you to bed. I guess I must have dozed off. I'm going to hit the shower. We should get up and have some breakfast."
Lying on the bed, I watched after him as he wandered into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. I wished I was part of what was going on behind that closed door.
I opened my eyes and looked around the room. It was quiet and I could see light coming in through the sides of the drawn curtains. I must have fallen back asleep while Bryce was in the shower.
I glanced at the clock on the table. It was 11:00 a.m. I stretched and went to the window, pulling back the curtains to look out. The dark gray skies were still threatening snow after all that had fallen last night, but the snow-covered landscape was beautiful.
I dropped the curtain, shutting the brightness out, and wandered into the bathroom, wet a cloth, and ran it over my face. I stepped back into the room, debating getting dressed, but my aching body had other ideas, and since I was still tired, I went and crawled back into bed. I was just about asleep again when my cell phone rang.
I ran my hand over my face and reached out from under the covers to dig my hand into my bag. I wiped my eyes and looked at the screen. "Seriously?" I huffed. I dropped the phone onto the bed and let it go to voice mail. Tara should know better than to call me while I was on vacation.
I rolled onto my back, rested my arm on my forehead, and stared up at the ceiling. I had just closed my eyes when my phone vibrated.
"Why," I cried. "Why are you doing this to me, universe," I asked and grabbed for my phone again.
I had three text messages and four emails all from Tara. I swallowed hard and read the emails, finding that she had a whole list of reports that Mark needed for Monday morning.
I quickly messaged her back asking if it could wait. Then I reminded her that I was on my first vacation in fifteen years and threw my phone back down on the bed. Within seconds, I felt the phone vibrate on top of the blankets and one simple word appeared on the screen. According to Mark the answer was “no.”
I could already feel the stress seeping back into my body at her response, but I tried to shake it off. He wasn't getting them.
Wandering into the bathroom, I quickly showered, brushed my teeth, then flung my hair up into a wet ponytail because, well, I could, and then I dressed in a loose-fitting pair of jeans and T-shirt. I was glad I had packed a couple of warm things to wear. Grabbing my gray sweatshirt and my laptop, I made my way to the kitchen. It never mattered how much I didn't want to do anything for work, they always won, even now, because I could already feel the guilt of not doing it pour in.
I smelled the freshly brewed coffee the minute I emerged from the bedroom and followed that aroma to the kitchen. I rounded the corner, expecting to find Bryce, but instead I found plates of food spread across the island in the center of the kitchen. There was a little of everything, most of it having gone cold now, but nothing a microwave couldn't fix. Eggs, bacon, fresh fruit, dry cereal, pancakes, and oatmeal, everything looked great.
"Well, good morning. As you can see, breakfast awaits. Help yourself to anything you want. You may need to warm some of it up in the microwave. Also, there is yogurt in the fridge in case you want any, and fresh coffee. Would you like a mug?" I heard Bryce's deep voice behind me.
I shook my head in a yes motion and slowly walked into the kitchen, placing my laptop on the counter. I sat down at the island, opened my computer, and logged in. Bryce set the cup of coffee beside me, looking between me and the laptop.
"Is there Wi-Fi here?" I asked, taking a sip of the hot coffee.
"There is. Here." He came around to stand behind me, wrapping his arms around me, and quickly typed in the password and hit save. "There are plates right here when you are ready." Without another word, he pushed off the counter and left the kitchen.
The smell of pancakes and bacon made my stomach growl. I
normally didn't have time to eat breakfast, unless I grabbed it from the coffee shop around the corner from the office—when I wasn't running late. I quickly fixed myself a plate of fruit, bacon, and pancakes and set it beside me while I logged into my remote office.
I had just popped a piece of bacon into my mouth and started working on the first report when Bryce entered the kitchen wearing running shoes and low-slung workout shorts, a green towel slung over his strong bare shoulder.
I looked up from my computer, slowly chewing. The first thing I noticed was his clear blue eyes. They stood out against his deeply tanned skin. His defined chest held a light sheen of sweat, and as my eyes traveled lower, I swore I could see the outline of his cock.
He looked down at the mess of papers I had scattered all over the counter and back up to me. "What you got going on here?"
I quickly piled the papers and took a sip of my coffee. "Nothing."
"Doesn't look like nothing to me. Looks like you might be doing work?"
"Nope," I said, taking a drink of my coffee.
"You're on vacation! It's time to shut things down." He picked up the papers I’d just piled, taking a strawberry from my plate and popping it into his mouth while winking at me. "Am I going to have to take these away from you?" he teased.
I let out a breath and smiled. Those blue eyes peered into mine, and a sexy smile was plastered on his face.
"No, and I know I shouldn't be working. It’s just they are relentless, you know?"
"I get it." He stuck his tongue out at me, and I let out a little giggle. "All right, you have thirty minutes, then you are going to put this away. Then you should join me for a workout."
I took the paper from his hand. "All right. Go work out. I'm going to finish my breakfast."
Bryce smiled. "I'll be in here. Just going to do my run first. I know you aren't much of a runner."
"I'll be along shortly." I smiled and let out a laugh. "But you should know I'm not much of anything when it comes to physical activity."
His to Hold (The Malone Brother Book 3) Page 5