The aroma hit me when I turned the corner for my house and lured me in when I parked. I also noticed she made her version of profiteroles, which had a salted caramel and chocolate filling along with the cream.
Better than the food though was her.
Her in those short shorts and her T-shirt tied in a knot under her breasts showing off her flat toned stomach and the amethyst gemstone of her belly button bar nestled in the center of her stomach.
She was heaven to me, and those clothes were part of the batch I’d grabbed from her house and hung in my wardrobe.
The woman had me hyped up on hope that I could sneakily move her in here with me. Every time I was at her place, I’d grab a handful of her stuff and shove it in my bag.
I picked her up the minute she floated over to me to give me a kiss.
“Eric, don’t you dare take me to that bedroom,” she chided.
“Fuck the bedroom. I was thinking you against the wall there would be perfect, or on the table.” I waved my hand over to the breakfast table as if I was showcasing it.
She laughed, and the sound seeped into me, reminding me of pure starlight again.
“You are terrible. I want you to eat well tonight.”
“Baby, that means I should eat you.”
She smacked my chest and pointed a perfectly manicured finger at me. “Eric Declan, you better eat this food. My mom and I went to the market earlier to get some of the ingredients. I put habanero chili in there. Do you know how hard it is to get the perfect flavor? It took us half an hour to find the perfect batch.”
I smiled down at her and touched the edge of her cheek. “All that work for me, baby?”
“Yes. Aren’t I the best girlfriend a guy could have?” she said proudly, not realizing what she’d said.
We were together, and as far as I was concerned, I was hers, and if anyone were to ask me, I’d tell them she was mine. This was just the first time she’d called herself my girlfriend.
“You’re supposed to say yes,” she added, pretending to frown.
“Yes,” I said quickly. “Yes, you definitely are that indeed, so I’ll be eating every last bit, then I’m going to ask my girlfriend to go on an adventure with me.”
Her eyes lit up. “What? Where are we going?”
Okay, this was good. It was very good. She was excited.
“Tijuana next weekend. Do you want to go? I was thinking we could stay in one of those beach houses over the sea.”
The conversation I thought we’d have about this was definitely more subtle than what she did next. She squealed with delight, jumped on me, and wrapped her legs around my waist.
“Eric, we’re going away? Tijuana? Oh my gosh, but oh my gosh, you have training. How can we go anywhere if you’re training?”
“We will find a way. I figured we could leave Friday night and be back here late on Sunday night, or Monday morning. Carpe diem, woman. This isn’t something we should worry about.”
“Hey, you said no more philosophies.” She pressed her forehead to mine.
“We can keep that one. Anyway, you weren’t doing it right.”
She giggled when I pressed my nose to hers.
“I love it. Let’s do it.”
“Good.”
Yes, it was good. If only we could keep on just like this.
It would be perfect.
Chapter 19
Mia
* * *
I never imagined that I could experience so much happiness.
Three months of true happiness and adventure with this man. It was also the first three months in the last 8 years that I hadn’t read my horoscope.
I was just me, or at least trying to be me. So no Madam Phoebe, no philosophies, no Cosmo guidance. Just me trying to be me like I promised Eric.
It was crazy, and I wasn’t sure if I was crazy by allowing myself to just… live.
That was what it all felt like.
Being with Eric felt like I was finally alive. Like I was living and breathing for the first time and what I’d done before was nothing.
Did that make sense?
If that made sense, then I really did have it all.
It was like I’d agreed to step on a speeding train that had a one-way ticket to ultimate pleasure and a forever of bliss, and I neither wanted to get off the train or get a return ticket to where I’d come from.
I lost myself in him, and by doing so, I found myself.
Me agreeing to be me and give him me helped me find myself, and soon I got sucked in, going through the motions of what was happening and allowing it to happen.
We got to Tijuana late, late Friday night and fell into bed in the gorgeous beach hut that would be our home for the weekend. It wasn’t until Saturday morning that the beauty of our surroundings hit me. The hut had a glass floor in the lounge area, and through it was a scenic view of a coral bed with multicolored fish swimming all around it, rippling through the gorgeous turquoise sea.
I could have spent the day watching just that, but Eric had better things in mind. We went exploring the beach and the sites to see. I’d never known how much I would enjoy doing that with him.
In the evening when we returned, he sat me down on the veranda of the hut and handed me a little gift. It was a notebook-sized gift wrapped in pink paper. I looked at him as he handed it to me and held it up.
“Eric, you never told me we were giving gifts. I didn’t get you anything,” I said, running my finger over his cheek as he crouched down in front of me.
“It’s a just because; those types of gifts don’t require a mutual exchange,” he answered, giving me a little wink.
“I can’t believe you bought me a present.” I kissed the top of his nose. “Thank you so much.”
“Hey, you better open it. What if you hate it?”
“I can’t hate a present that’s from you.” I chuckled and started undoing the wrapping. By the time I saw what it was, my hand stilled.
It was a little book called:
* * *
Daily Quotes from Shakespeare and Others
“I thought you might like it.” Eric smiled. “I gathered the best quotes from your favorite plays and poems and turned it into a daily inspiration book. You like that stuff.”
Now my heart stilled too.
I looked at the book in my hand, then to him, and it was like my eyes were opened for the first time.
The feeling of being alive since I’d been with him had just been a taste. What surged through me now came straight from my heart as it stopped to take note of the beautiful man before me who’d truly surprised me.
The man I’d labelled a jock and part of the loathsome creatures I called athletes.
I’d had a taste of this feeling before, and it was as I’d watched him standing on the stage at the auction.
What a fool I was to not see what was right in front of me, and what a bigger fool was I to think I could stop myself from falling for him. Stop myself from falling before it was too late.
The truth was, I was always late, right from that first hello. Right from the day when he’d pulled up next to me and my broken-down car.
I’d fallen starting then, and that was why I hadn’t been able to forget him.
“God… that’s the longest you’ve gone without talking. Does that mean you hate it?” He actually looked worried.
I shook my head. “No, this is the best present I’ve ever been given. You just surprised me.” I leaned in closer and kissed him.
“I surprised you?” he breathed, sounding surprised himself.
I nodded, brushing my nose against his. He smiled and smoothed his hand to the back of my head, bringing me closer to his lips for a deep kiss that spoke of promises I wanted forever.
All that time I’d fought my feelings for him, I was only depriving myself. And… all these months I’d been with him, I definitely gave him myself, but there was a little part of me that was hidden away deep inside my soul. It rose from inside me now and u
nlocked my heart completely.
I’d never been with anyone who’d made me feel like this, or who’d worked so hard to be with me. I’d never been with anyone who’d listened to what I loved and valued me the way he had.
The kiss turned hungry the way it always did, and with it came that wild need of each other that drove me insane.
I just managed to set the book down before he picked me up and carried me to bed.
Straight to bed where he made love to me over and over again.
Made love…
I recognized it for what it was. I’d heard people say you just knew, and I thought it was crazy talk. Now that I’d experienced it for myself, I knew it was true.
It played on my mind well into the night. He held me in his arms, and we lay in silence enjoying being skin to skin against each other. I rested my head against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart as I allowed myself to fall deeper.
Deeper and deeper in love with him.
We’d been silent for at least an hour, awake in the bed lit only by the subtle moonlight. But I had one thing to say to him that he should definitely know.
“I love you,” I breathed, piercing the silence, and as the words left my lips, his heartbeat sped up against my ear.
He shuffled, twisting so the he could look at me, and I eased myself up onto my elbows.
“What did you just say to me?” Shock was evident on his handsome face.
“I love you,” I repeated.
His lips parted, and he looked me over like he was still trying to process what I’d said. When he did, he held my face and fixed his gaze on me as if he had something very important to say to me too.
“I love you too, Mia. I do.”
That was the very best thing I’d ever heard.
* * *
“Please make sure his lordship is on his way here,” Abby said, holding up her hand.
We’d just stepped inside the club, and the music enveloped us with its smooth, sexy melody.
“Abby, yes, he said he was.” I laughed, swaying to the beat. Eric had messaged about an hour ago to let me know he’d be leaving home soon.
I’d even showed her the message, but oh no, Miss Abby had to triple-check because the last time we’d agreed to go on a double date, we’d ended up bailing on them, but we did it through some mad trickery. Eric pretended to have a flat tire, and I pretended to go to his rescue, as if I could do anything about a flat tire.
“Good, Gilly is on his way too,” she bubbled. “So, no tricks. I’ll see straight through the bullshit like last time.”
Oh, she sure did and didn’t hesitate to bitch at me after for pulling a stunt that she was all too good at.
“I hear you. No tricks.” I shook my head.
When Abby and Gilly first got together, the two had made up every excuse under the sun as to why they couldn’t be anywhere else besides with each other. She’d hardly come into work, and then, when they had Zack, he just added to their list of excuses. God knew how many times I’d heard the baby was sick so she couldn’t hang out with us today.
I made the mistake of going around to their house the first time she pulled the stunt. I’d actually believed my poor nephew was sick. I came bearing gifts only to catch Abby and Gilly kissing naked in their pool. They’d gotten a babysitter for Zack.
I’d been following the same train of excuses and worse in the last three weeks since Tijuana. As the training season had gotten more involved and I noticed I hardly saw Eric during the days, I made sure I spent every second I could with him. That meant I was hardly home.
Today was the first in weeks. It was Sunday night, and it was supposed to be chilled. Abby had dragged me out earlier for a sister pampering day, and here we were. She claimed it was me who didn’t spend enough time with her. She was probably a little right.
I had the perfect idea for tonight to fix that and made sure I got alone time with Eric.
We’d stay here for an hour, two hours max, and then disappear when the time was right. Abby and Gilly had a way of getting wrapped up in each other, and no matter who was with them, it was like it was just the two of them. They’d been like that before they got together and just got better at it as time went on.
All Eric and I had to do was wait for the moment we noticed them drifting and then leave.
Chances were, they wouldn’t even notice us gone.
I couldn’t believe this was me planning to break away from my sister and her husband with my boyfriend.
Me with a guy I could call my boyfriend.
In my head I’d been calling myself his girlfriend but not really thinking about what it meant.
That I’d found one actual guy I wanted to be with and weeks ago told him I loved him. Since then, I’d been waking up to him telling me he loved me, and it was the last thing I heard when I fell asleep at night.
It was like permanently walking on air.
I followed Abby over to the balcony and looked to the bar on the ground floor below us. I looked around for Eric even though we were half an hour early. I just hoped he’d be here as it’d been a while now since he’d texted.
Seeing him sooner rather than later was always a plus.
And, there he was.
He was standing next to the booth by the bar. Just the sight of him made my heart leap with excitement, and I moved to go to him.
I took one step, then stopped in my tracks when a woman with jet black hair threw her arms around him from behind and started laughing. He stepped backwards, and she floated around to face him. Him and Tiffany Van Den Hough.
As he moved, I could see it was her. She was talking to him, and not just talking to him; she was running her finger over his chest and smiling up in his face.
“Hello, skank central.” Abby gushed when she saw them and rolled her eyes. “Tiffany never fails to disappoint with her trashy dress sense.”
Skank central was the perfect term I’d give her too in that barely-there silver dress that just about covered her body. The thing was, she could have been wearing a gown that covered her from head to toe, and I’d still hate that she was running her fingers all over Eric’s chest and he wasn’t stopping her. In her heels she reached the top of his chin, and she looked ready to snare him in her trap.
“Come on, let’s go. You should rescue him before they dig their claws into his neck,” Abby added, tugging on my arm, but I didn’t move.
“I—"
My voice snapped away in my throat, and my mouth dropped when Tiffany reached into her purse and pulled out a thong. I watched in horror as she pushed said thong into his shirt pocket.
“What the fuck?” Abby hissed.
I couldn’t talk. I was too stunned, then more stunned when he took her hand and led her into the shadows. The dark-haired woman followed, and the bubble I’d floated in for the last three months popped.
It popped, and all the fears I’d previously had came rushing back in on me. It all came back, and suddenly the memory of Eric at parties in the past filled my mind. Him with various women. Always. That time I saw him going off with two on his arm was the most memorable because of the all-powerful, holier-than-thou look on his face. I didn’t see his face just now, but that wasn’t the point. Where was he going with them?
Why didn’t he just… not talk to them?
Abby looked at me, lips parted, eyes wide.
I opened my mouth to talk, to say something, anything rational that would explain what I just saw, but I couldn’t think of anything. Anything that could explain what we both just saw.
Eric with a woman like Tiffany shoving her panties in his pocket. Eric with the woman who’d battled with me at the auction.
I wasn’t used to feeling jealous. I’d never had to before. Nor had I ever come across a situation like this where I had to question the guy I was with or feel any way… inferior.
This was something I had no power over. None, except to not be a part of it.
“Mia.” Abby tapped my
shoulder. “Are you okay? I’m sure it was probably nothing. You know what Tiffany is like.”
“I’m just gonna go home.” I nodded. “I just…” The words trailed off.
I couldn’t talk. My fears came flying back on me a hundredfold, and it was worse now because I’d dropped my shield and exposed my heart to love.
Chapter 20
Mia
* * *
“Mia, please. Trust me. You should talk to him first,” Abby said, coming over to me with a glass of water.
Being the trustworthy sister she was, she’d decided to come back with me to make sure I was okay. Of course I was not, with the myriad of things sailing through my mind.
I’d come straight home and sought refuge on the sofa in the sitting room.
I was in here hugging the stupid fluffy pink cushion to my chest as if it could keep my heart from combusting.
I looked at Abby and wondered what it was she wanted me to say to Eric.
“Abby, if you were me, what would you think? We got there half an hour early. He wasn’t expecting us early.”
“But he was expecting us,” she pointed out and sat next to me. “And, Mia, come on. Tiffany and that other halfwit have nothing on you. He wouldn’t be so stupid as to work so hard to be with you and then screw up.”
I’d told her everything, and yes, logically, I could make myself believe what she was telling me. It made sense. It did, except the part that didn’t make sense was the thong and him going to wherever with the two women.
Half an hour was plenty of time to get up to whatever badness I knew he was capable of.
My phone buzzed again, and I ignored it.
It was him calling. He’d called twice before, but the craziness that flowed through my mind conjured up him sleeping with both women, and I just couldn’t bring myself to talk to him.
Auction Time: Bad Boy Bachelors of Orange County BK3 Page 14