"I see." She wiped her hands on her napkin and looked down at them.
"If you don't want to go, it’s okay. I will just make up something." I shrugged, taking a sip of my coke.
"It's not that, Bryce. I want to go. I’m just surprised it took you this long to ask me. That’s all." She shrugged, picking up another chip.
"It's not because I didn't want to. I guess I was afraid of the answer I might get."
"Why? Did you think I would say no?"
I shrugged. I wasn't exactly sure what I thought she would say. "I guess I thought you might say no." I swallowed.
She looked at me, the light dancing in her eyes, and shook her head. "I don't think I could ever utter those words to you," she whispered.
Chapter 17
Mia
I fiddled with my hair in the bathroom mirror. I never understood why it was that when you had somewhere important to go there was always one strand of hair that just wouldn’t co-operate.
I took my round brush, trying to get it to curl the way I wanted it to, and finally giving up, I tucked it behind my ear. I checked my makeup, making sure that it looked perfect. I walked out of the bathroom and picked my favorite pair of jeans up off the bed, slid them on, and checked my ass out in the full-length mirror. Then I threw on a black top and gave myself a onceover, finally completing the outfit with my knee-high black boots. I gave myself another onceover in the mirror, letting out a breath to calm my nerves.
I was heading down the hall to the living room when I heard a knock on the door. I glanced at my watch: quarter to five. I grabbed my purse and keys from the table and my jacket and headed to the door, pulling it open to see Bryce standing on the porch.
He was dressed in blue jeans with a black sweater that hugged him in all the right places, his three-quarter length jacket hanging open. His eyes ran over me, taking in all my curves.
"Hey, gorgeous, you ready to go?" he asked, holding his hand out for me to take.
"Yep. Let me grab my jacket. Give me the rundown again of who will all be there."
He helped me with my coat, and we left the house, locking the door on the way out.
"All right, so, Carter and Hope and their kids, Kendall, Mackenzie, and Carl. Then there is Hunter and Autumn and their daughters, Kaylee and Paige. Then Chase. I don't know who he is dating today. Most of the time he shows up alone. Mom may be there. Hunter wasn't sure if she was coming or not. She normally plays bridge with her ladies club tonight."
I let out a breath and fiddled with the strap on my purse as Bryce drove us over to Carter’s place. I kept seeing Bryce watching me out of the corner of my eye. Finally, he reached over and placed his hand on top of mine to stop me.
"Are you nervous?" He chuckled.
"Maybe." I shrugged. "It’s been a long time since I have seen everyone."
"It will be good for you. And you have already seen Hunter, so it’s like you have been reacquainted with two of us."
The car ride wasn't nearly as long as I had hoped for when Bryce pulled into the driveway of a two-story home. The gardens were perfectly landscaped, not a thing out of place. He shut the engine off.
"You ready?"
I searched around frantically in the front seat, looking over my shoulder into the back seat.
"Mia, what are you looking for?"
"We can't go in. The cookies I baked for dessert aren't here. I must have left them on the counter at home."
"It's fine. Hope would kill you if you brought anything, and so would Autumn. I brought wine. You can give it to them. Sound good?" he said, rubbing the back of my hand, trying to calm me down.
I nodded. I had just shut the car door when the front door opened and four girls came bounding down the front steps screaming, "Uncle Bryce!" They all shouted, running around and crashing into him. He took a second and gave each one of them a huge hug. They were all talking, telling him something different or wanting him to look at this or that, and he acknowledged them all, never missing a beat.
I didn't know how he kept up. Then, just like that, they were gone, running back to the house screaming for their parents.
"Sorry about that. They get a little crazy." Bryce laughed, coming around to my side of the car. He held out the bottles of wine he had picked up and gave them to me. "Ready."
I let out the breath I was holding once again, and we walked up to the front of the house. I could already hear everyone inside, talking and laughing. The kids were screaming. It was overwhelming, considering I didn't come from a large family to start with.
"We're here," Bryce announced, stepping inside and removing his shoes, and I followed, slipping my boots off and tucking them neatly into the corner.
"‘Bout fucking time, you shithead," Chase said, getting up from his seat and smacking Bryce on the back.
"Chase, your language," a very pretty and very pregnant brunette scolded.
"Sorry, Autumn. I forgot about little ears." He chuckled and went back to take his seat.
"I'm Autumn," she said, coming right over to me. "Hope is in the kitchen. You must be Mia." She wrapped her arms around me and hugged me. "It's so nice to meet you."
"We brought some wine," I said, handing her the two bottles.
"Oh, what I wouldn't give for a drink right now," she whispered more to me than anyone else. "After the baby comes, look out." She laughed.
"I heard that." Hunter laughed, coming in behind Autumn and resting his hands on her sides. "Good to see you again, Mia," he said, placing a kiss on his wife’s neck. "Soon enough, baby, soon enough, you'll get to have a drink. At least, I hope anyways. I have been cut off until this little one arrives." Hunter winked at me and continued into the dining room.
Autumn rolled her eyes at me. "He sneaks into the office every night and has a glass of scotch. He thinks I don't know, but I do."
I couldn't help but let out a laugh. Autumn took the bottles and disappeared into the kitchen. Bryce placed his hands on my hips and guided me into the dining room. He went around to what must have been his usual seat and pulled the chair that was beside his out and waited for me to take a seat.
"How is that brother of yours?" Chase asked once we were both seated.
"He's good. He’s married to a woman named June. They met in medical school, and they have two kids: a boy, Thomas, and a girl, Jennifer," I answered.
"Do you see them much? He moved out west, didn't he?"
"Yes, Sacramento. He works at the Shriners Hospital for Children." To be honest, I hadn't a clue what my brother really did at the hospital. All I knew was that his hours were long, and he was normally always busy.
"Ah, you must be Mia."
I turned my head to see a beautiful blonde woman coming toward me carrying a dish of something that smelled yummy. She placed the dish on the table, and then came around and hugged me.
"I'm Hope, Carter's wife. Welcome to our home. We are thrilled to have you join us tonight."
I hugged her back, swallowing hard. "Thank you so much for inviting me."
"Well, when Autumn heard the excitement in Bryce's voice when he spoke of you, we knew we had to."
I glanced over to Bryce, the hint of pink in his cheeks telling me that was the truth. He had been talking about me. A warm feeling settled in the pit of my stomach.
"All right, sis. That’s enough. Let’s get on with dinner," Bryce said, clearing his throat.
I sat back down. This was almost too much for me. I looked to Bryce for help, and when his eyes met mine, he winked and mouthed, “You’re doing great,” and placed his hand on my thigh, giving it a squeeze of reassurance. Then he joined in the conversations with his brothers as if that hadn't even happened.
I was quiet throughout dinner. Everyone was talking amongst themselves. Hunter and Carter tended to the girls and helped them all with their dinner so that Hope and Autumn could eat in peace. It was so nice to see families working together; it was something I had never had. This brought me back to when Grant and I were kids a
nd would join the Malones for family dinner. We were always made to feel welcome and as if we were part of their family.
Hope and Autumn busied themselves cleaning up the table after everyone had eaten. I went to help by grabbing two of the dinner plates, but Hope stopped me.
"No way, Mia. First meal here. You are our guest, and I won't have you help with anything, so you sit down. Next time will be different," she said, smiling and reaching for the plates I had piled together.
Chase had excused himself to take a phone call, and Hunter and Carter were busy with the other kids for a second. I leaned into Bryce's shoulder.
"You okay?" he whispered.
I looked at him and saw the happiness dancing in his eyes. I nodded. He placed his arm around the back of my chair and kissed me on the cheek when he was sure no one was looking.
Soon we were all seated back at the table, a slice of chocolate cake sitting in front of each of us and a steaming hot cup of coffee to go with it. The kids were off playing in the living room. Next thing I knew, Kendall and Kaylee were standing beside Bryce, holding a picture from one of their coloring books in their little hands.
"What do you want, girls?" Autumn asked, taking a sip of her herbal tea.
They held the picture above Bryce's head—a picture of cupid. "It's almost Valentine’s Day. Cupid came to visit. You have to kiss the girl next to you," they sang as Bryce looked above his head.
He wrapped his arms around the girls and kissed them on their cheeks. "Noooooo..." they squealed. "You have to kiss her," they sang, pointing to me.
I could feel my cheeks getting warm as Bryce looked to me. "What will happen if I don't?" he asked.
"No more kissing ever," Kaylee sang out.
"It’s true,” Autumn said, winking at the girls.
Bryce looked over at me. "You heard them. Can’t have that happen." He winked and leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. I could feel everyone looking at us, the heat in my cheeks making me feel as if I were on fire.
"Nooooooo!” the girls shouted. “Like Mommy and Daddy!" Kaylee shouted.
Hunter let out a laugh. "Yeah, Bryce, that was pretty weak. Don't force me to show you up." He laughed, winking at me.
Bryce turned back to me and placed his hand on my cheek, pulling me into him. His lips met mine, and I felt his tongue sweep through my mouth. The kiss was interrupted by a bunch of cheering little girls. Bryce slowly pulled away from me. I could tell he wanted more just from the look in his eyes. I wanted more, too, the throbbing at my center letting me know that loud and clear. The girls quickly moved on to Chase holding the picture above his head.
"All right, girls, that’s enough now. Go and play," Hope said to the pair of them.
Their little faces turned into pouts as they wandered into what must have been the living room.
"Thank God, you saved me," Chase said, wiping his brow. "I have no one to kiss. I can't lose that for the rest of my life."
We all laughed.
"You have more practice than the three of us combined." Hunter chuckled.
"You're lucky they left because it would have been your wife I kissed," Chase said, winking at Autumn and laughing. "She'd have left your sorry ass in a heartbeat once I got hold of her."
The table erupted into laughter.
The evening continued, and before I knew it, Bryce had looked down at his watch. I glanced over to see it was almost 10 p.m. The girls had finally settled down—Hunter had put a movie on for them in the other room—and we were just sitting around talking. It was as if I had always been a part of this family.
"What do you say we get going?" Bryce said, leaning in to me.
I nodded. I didn't want the night to end, but at the same time, I knew everyone was tired. Chase had left two hours earlier after he had gotten a call from what Bryce was sure was his next lay and had so expressed that to the dinner table.
"Guys, I think we are going to head out," Bryce announced, standing up and pulling my chair out for me.
Hunter and Carter looked to their brother, knowing smiles on their faces. "We know what that means," Hunter said. "Going to get yourself a little action."
Autumn reached over and smacked him on the shoulder. "Enough," she gritted out, smiling at him.
"What? What did I say?" he asked, playing innocent.
"Let’s go before my brother has us doing the nasty on the dining room table here," Bryce said, placing his hand on the small of my back and guiding me to the door.
We said our good-byes, and I thanked Hope and Carter for having me at dinner tonight. We walked to the car, Bryce coming around my side to open the door for me. His hand on the handle, I turned into him and met his lips. He slowly let go of the car door, pinning me up against the car and wrapping his arms around me to grip my ass and pull me closer. We must have stood there for five minutes, Bryce kissing down my neck, before he finally whispered in my ear, "Your place or mine?"
Chapter 18
Mia
We decided to go to Bryce's place. After all, it was closer. We stepped into the elevator, and as soon as the doors had closed, he pushed me up against the wall, undoing two of the buttons on my shirt, kissing the tops of my breasts as they spilled out of my bra. I let out a moan as his lips danced over them and up to my neck.
The ding of the elevator stopped us. He pulled me out of the elevator, and we quickly walked down the hall to his condo door. Pushing me up against the wall while fishing in his pocket for his keys, he continued to kiss me, sucking my bottom lip into his mouth.
Finally, he pulled his keys out and fiddled around, trying to get the key in the lock.
"You never had this problem before," I moaned.
"What problem?" he asked, kissing my neck.
"Getting it in," I whispered into his ear.
"Believe me, in a few minutes I won't."
I heard the key slide into the lock, and he opened the door, pulling me inside and locking it behind us. I could feel the tension building in me at the thought of feeling him inside of me again, this time without the influence of alcohol. We kicked our shoes off and dropped our jackets in a pile at our feet.
He pushed me up against the wall and took my mouth, running his tongue across mine, his hands coasting over my body. I felt him grip the bottom of my shirt and his fingers danced over my skin, sending shivers through my body as he lifted my shirt over my head and let it drop at our feet.
He ran his thumbs over my bra, my nipples getting instantly hard at his touch that sent a hard pulse right to my center. I closed my eyes, allowing my other senses to feel his touch. I watched as he pulled his sweater up over his head, exposing his chest to me, and I ran my hands over his abs. Once he dropped his shirt to the floor, he grabbed me and pulled me against him.
He hoisted me up and wrapped my legs around his waist as he carried me down a hallway while he continued to consume my mouth. Next thing I knew, he had dropped me down onto his bed and stood over me, looking down on me. His lust-filled eyes swept over my body, his hand reaching down and flicking the front clasp of my bra open. He bent down and licked my left nipple, taking it between his teeth and gently biting it. I arched my back up off the bed, begging for him to do it again as he stood back up and once again looked down on me.
He reached down and gripped his cock through his jeans, and then quickly flicked the button open on his pants and let them drop to the floor, the buckle of his belt making a loud noise.
He stood over me, one hand on his thick, raging cock. I couldn't help but keep my eyes focused on his raging erection, thinking about what it would be like to take him in my hands, in my mouth, in my—
Before I could do anything, both of his hands were on my hips, his fingers tracing along the waist of my jeans, teasing me. He undid the button of my jeans and reached underneath me, and with one swift rough pull, he ripped them off me, along with my panties. He looked down at me longingly and placed one hand on each side of my head, bracing himself as he leaned over and teased my lips
, first with his lips and then with his tongue.
Every part of this kiss was different—the way it felt, the way it made me feel, and the way it made my body hum. I couldn't recall ever being kissed like that before, and I felt a surge of wetness and hot, heavy throbbing at my center.
He grabbed my legs, bending them, so I was open to him. He held himself with one arm still bent over me, while his other hand found my center, and his fingers danced over my clit, stroking me with just the right amount of pressure.
"I'm a very selfless lover, Mia, and I will always make sure you are fully satisfied before you ever even think of touching me or pleasuring me," he said, almost moaning.
His eyes were hooded now, desire running through them. He dropped to his knees and pulled me closer to the edge of the bed and buried his face between my legs. I sat up on my elbows to watch him, but as soon as his tongue connected with me, my head dropped back, and I gripped handfuls of the blanket that was beneath me. I tried hard to stifle the moans he was causing, but I failed, and I began to scream his name out with every flick of his tongue against my clit.
With every stroke of his cock he took me higher and higher. As I moaned out my pleasure, he continued running his thumb rhythmically over my swollen and sensitive clit, gently coaxing my third orgasm of the night from my tired body. He kept going, burying himself deeper and deeper inside of me, my screams getting louder and louder, until he collapsed on top of me, emptying himself into the condom. Breathing hard, he rolled off me and collapsed onto the sheets beside me.
I felt the bed move and felt the absence of Bryce. I didn't have the strength to move. I could barely open my eyes and look around the room. We had spent the night in and out of sleep, and every once in a while, I would feel him wrap his arm around my waist and grind his hard cock into me, which would begin another bout of sex, this last one lasting almost forty minutes. The sun was just beginning to come up, casting a soft glow throughout the bedroom. I could see the blankets and sheets were somewhere on the floor and I giggled to myself. I hadn't been with a man like him before. Most of them were passed out after the first five minutes, never to wake until the sun was long up, leaving me to take care of myself.
His to Hold (The Malone Brother Book 3) Page 11