Now Open Your Eyes (Stay With Me series Book 3)

by Nicole Fiorina

  I pushed the gear into park. “Listen, you can’t just show up wherever I am and expect me to drop everything like I just did. Life doesn’t work like that. You don’t just get what you want.”

  “I’m fully aware.”

  “I don’t think you are.” I leaned back into the seat just as a man in his twenties came through the front door. He walked down the steps, twirling a set of keys around his finger, wearing a pair of athletic shorts and a tank top. “Who’s that?”

  “Samuel, my perverted stepbrother,” she said through a sigh. “Thanks for the ride.”

  When I arrived back home, I walked through the front door to the sound of dishes clanking in the kitchen and the aroma of a home-cooked meal flooding my senses. The record player in the living room was going, soft tones of an acoustic guitar. I emptied my pockets on my way, dropping my keys, phone, and wallet over the coffee table before I’d reached the kitchen. Mia was still in her little black romper, barefoot, pulling a casserole dish from the oven. My shoulder rested against the archway into the kitchen, and my eyes rested on her. Mia’s hips swayed as she waved a rag over the steam coming from the dish to the beat of the song.

  She cooked. Mia Rose cooked, and I was bloody impressed. Since we moved in, we’d managed to survive on takeout. She gathered her hair into one hand and pulled it off her shoulders, admiring her work. Her head tilted, and I watched from behind with a smug smile as her palm rested on her hip, leaning into it.

  “Marry me,” I whispered from behind.

  Mia jumped and spun around. Her hand slammed against her chest as she let out a breath when our eyes locked. A smile emerged from the fear, and she shook her head. “I’m already marrying you, you idiot.”

  I grabbed her hips, lifted her in the air, and set her over the counter. “I’m asking for the life after this one,” I leaned between her legs, and her arms hung off my shoulders, “because I’ll always choose you. Above all else, I’ll choose you in every lifetime.”

  Mia narrowed her eyes. “Do you feel guilty about something?”

  “Yes, I shouldn’t have left you.”

  “I’m a big girl, Ollie. I can handle another girl having a crush on you.” My palms dragged up her smooth thighs until they dipped under the thin fabric of her romper. “I cooked,” she added in a scattered breath.

  “I see that.” My fingers curled into her flesh beneath the thin bottoms, and I discovered she wasn’t wearing any knickers. “What’s the occasion?”

  “We have company coming over in a little bit.”

  “It smells good, love.” I fisted the center of the cotton shorts between her legs and pulled it up into a tight rope against her slit. Her eyelids grew heavy, and I looked down and moved the flimsy material to the side to see her bare, smooth center. The way her enticing sex moved when my eyes were on them made my knees go weak. I wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with my mouth on her. “How much time do I have?” We’d christened every room in the house aside from the kitchen.

  “I don’t know,” she struggled to say, her legs closing on me. “Twenty minutes.”

  I wrapped my fingers around Mia’s ankles and lifted her feet to the edge of the counter, then pushed my hands down the insides of her thighs as I leaned between her spread legs. “Uh-uh, I got twenty minutes.” And I wanted to spend every last one of them watching her orgasm.

  The track on the record player changed, and I kissed along her neck, my slow hands skimming beneath the thin romper at her sides, finding her naked breasts. Mia’s hands fell off my shoulder as she rolled her head to the side, and my thumbs grazed over her nipples. Her pulse beat like a drum against the tip of my tongue, provoking me and making me high.

  “Baby,” I whispered, a sucker for her, and my hands drifted south to the space between her legs. With both of my hands having a firm grip over her arse, I massaged her pussy with my thumbs, pressing against her tight hole and her clit. Mia shuddered, and my nose brushed her ear before my lips caught hers possessively before we both took off.

  “Oh. My. God,” she said slowly, breaking our kiss, and her head fell back. I couldn’t keep up, my eyes darting back and forth to her lovely face and what my hands were doing to her. “I’ll marry you again and again and again …”

  A smile stretched across my lips, walking on air and a little off kilter with the fate of her undoing in the palm of my hands. She was beautiful, and I didn’t know this high could dance with her—a ballet. A heavenly bandwidth. With two fingers, I spread her pussy lips apart and instantly fell under a spell over her pink center and little round clit. My eyes soaked her up, every hum, every flutter of her lashes, and every fucking movement of her hips.

  I looked up, my gaze slamming into hers.

  And I licked my lips before my mouth wrapped her pussy.

  Dragging my tongue up and down from her entrance to her clit, Mia’s legs shook. I knew the password to her moans, and my mouth worked her like a French kiss until she fisted my hair, and her sounds escaped. Our first time in the kitchen with her clenched core pounding against my tongue, she quickly came.

  My girl moved like rain against me, my tongue against her hole, tasting her particular taste I craved as my free hand pulled my cock out and stroked it. I was already rock hard for her.

  When I came up, Mia grabbed my face and ran her tongue up my chin and over my lips. She liked the way she tasted as much as I did.

  The tip of my cock pressed against her entrance, her pussy still contracting from her climax, and I slowly inched inside her, gripping her thighs to keep them down and steady. My gaze drowned in the way we connected. It was a beautiful thing.

  “Ollie,” she moaned, grabbing my face desperately. I kissed her palm, the blood rushing to one area as her walls squeezed my cock, stroking me as much as I was stroking her. “I can’t handle it.”

  “Ride it out, love.” She was still rolling in the ecstasy, and I moved my thumb back over her clit to keep her there. “This is all for you.” I lifted my gaze to see the way she unraveled with every deep thrust, lovely lips parted, a blush crawling over her heated skin, eyes heavy on mine. Seeing the way she lost herself with me, I couldn’t help my orgasm building, and my palms slammed on the shelving behind her to hold myself back as my intense grinds turned into a pounding.

  My grip turned frantic, and suddenly, the shelf ripped from the fucking wall.

  Pausing mid-thrust, the entire shelving unit collapsed, dishes falling and crashing to our tiled floor. I snapped my head to Mia with wide eyes, and she looked back at me the same way. “Fuck it. Keep going,” she whimpered, and grabbed the back of my neck and pulled my mouth to hers.

  Our kiss turned needy, my fingers dug into her thighs, and it only took a few more hard and deep hits until Mia came again, her frantic climax draining my own.

  Her head dropped into the crook of my neck, both our breathing shallow and harsh.

  “What just happened?” Mia asked into my neck.

  I chuckled. “I think we’d died and gone to heaven, love.”

  “I never want to leave,” she admitted, pulling away. Her eyes bounced back and forth between mine.

  “Then, we won’t. We’ll live here forever, yeah? To hell with this mess.”

  A lazy smile appeared over her flushed face. “Nice try, but you’re cleaning it up.”

  Cora was a bright young girl, keeping us laughing through dinner. I was sure the pot roast Mia had made with cabbage and potatoes was terrific, but unfortunately ruined. In a matter of ten minutes, I’d driven to the closest restaurant to pick up food as Mia frantically cleaned. And when I’d returned, we transferred the food into another casserole dish that had survived our havoc. Mrs. Morrigan complimented on how delicious the food was, and I winked over at Mia. “It was my first time cooking. I’m surprised I didn’t burn the house down,” Mia said through a small laugh.

  “Pretty close to it,” I mumbled, chuckling behind the rim of my wine glass.

  “Well, after you rem
odel the kitchen, you’ll never want to leave it. It’s going to be beautiful,” Mrs. Morrigan pointed out before spooning another forkful of the roast.

  We took the bottle of wine into the garden, and Mrs. Morrigan and I sat over our rocking chairs as Mia convinced Cora to help her pick a bundle for the kitchen. The weather had been kind to us over the last few days, only mid-day showers sprinkling under the sun. Mia carried a tin pail as Cora picked a cluster of pale pink roses, setting them inside.

  “Mia’s so good with her,” Mrs. Morrigan mentioned with her gaze and smile pointed at the two girls amongst the flowers. Mrs. Morrigan’s hair was black like her daughter’s, but cut short and spiked up the back. A light wind picked up, and she pulled a thick knitted scarf over her bony shoulders as she shivered. “She’s got a good heart, Oliver. Don’t let that one go.”

  My heart rattled inside my chest. Finally, someone could see Mia the way I saw her, and I glanced back over at Mia, whose hair was pulled high on her head, her neck and defined collarbone exposed against the sleeveless dress she’d changed into. “I’d never dream of it.”

  My phone pinged, and I dipped my fingers into the pocket of my black jeans and opened up the message.

  Dex: Be at my place tonight @ 11.

  I typed a text back: Busy.

  Dex: You can bring Mia. I’d love to meet her.

  My jaw flexed. I quickly sent another text: You have jokes.

  A picture came through. It was Mia wearing destroyed loose denim, a crop top, and her face hiding behind a pair of aviators with a market bag hanging from her arm as she crossed the street. It had to be taken just last week, which meant Dex had eyes on her, and my vision blurred from unfathomable rage.

  Dex: I’ll see you tonight.

  I’d left the car running on the curb and jumped out, running toward Adrian and James, who were both covered in blood. James came up and threw another fist across his jaw by the time I’d reached them, and I pushed myself between the two and smashed my palms against James’s chest to hold him back. “What’s wrong with you, mate? Cool off!”

  I turned back to see Adrian swiping his fingers under his nose, regaining his balance.

  “He came at me!” James shouted, pointing the finger at Adrian.

  Blood soaked both of their shirts, and there was too much for it to come from either one of them. I pulled my hands back and took a step off to the side, my heart pounding hard inside my chest. “What happened?”

  “It was a deal gone wrong,” Adrian frantically explained, gripping the back of his neck with both hands. “Reggi, man. He’s gone. And it’s all your fucking fault.” He launched at James again.

  I jumped to intercept and gripped Adrian’s shoulders, I couldn’t hear anything aside from my anger and the heavy thumps inside my chest. “No, no, no. Tell me it isn’t what I’m thinking.” I fisted his blood-stained shirt and smashed my forehead to his. “Tell me he’s not dead.”

  “He’s dead,” James confirmed from behind me, and I pushed off Adrian and ran my hands through my hair over and over, shaking my head. “I didn’t know. We were dealing with the fucking BOGs. They got one over us.”

  “You set it up!” Adrian shouted. “Admit it, James. You’re jumping ship.”

  “It isn’t like that, man. It wasn’t supposed to go down like that.”

  My arms flew up at my sides. “You’re scared, yeah? Dex is taking off, and you’re scared he’s not bringing you along.” James had gotten nervous, made moves with the enemy for a place to go once Ghost was dead, and the Links would be nothing but a heap of rusty and brittle metal. “You’re out.”

  “You can’t push me out,” James laughed. “It’s not your call to make.”

  Without thinking, I grabbed Adrian’s gun from around his back, knowing it was tucked into his waistband, and cocked it before pointing it at James. “It’s my fucking call. You’re done.” James couldn’t be trusted anymore. James had gripped loyalty in his fist and crumbled it as soon as he made that deal with the BOGs. I cared too much about Adrian to watch him fall to ash at the hands of fear. I’d known desperation, and how far some of us would be willing to go. I couldn’t take the chance. “Run along, James. And if I ever fucking see you again, I won’t hesitate.”

  James’ eyes bounced back and forth between the two of us before he swiped his jacket off the lawn. “Watch your back, A.” He lifted his chin, taking a step back. “At least I know I’ll be protected when the Links fall.”

  Then James shook his head, turned, and walked away from us.

  Adrian and I entered the home, and Dex was posted in the kitchen, counting money with a blunt between his lips. He held up a finger before licking it and sifting through the filthy heap of dosh, then pounded the stack over the counter and wrapped a band around it. “Take a look at the pictures and tell me what you think.” He slid his phone across the counter.

  One of his men died tonight, and Dex’s calm behavior only fed the fury burning inside me. I snatched the phone from the counter, and my gaze scattered over numerous naked photos of Leigh. My finger scrolled through the shots, one right after the other of her lying over a pink comforter in a princess-style bed, breasts out, and a finger between her teeth. The last one was her on all fours, and her head turned back with a frown. “Who took these?”

  “Hell if I know. They’re good, right? I’m sending them over to my contact to confirm the appointment. She’s perfect.” He grabbed his phone from my clenched fist and admired her picture, smoke spilling from between his lips and over the screen. “Too bad we need her innocent for the exchange, the virgin’s pussy is gonna make me a lot of money.” His finger ran over the screen, and I looked up to see the sick bloke smile.

  “We’re not actually doing an exchange,” I reminded him. “I’m killing Ghost before I hand her over.”

  “Yeah, right.” Dex clicked off the phone when the screen turned black and pocketed it.

  “Dex …” I hissed. “What exactly is the plan?” There was something he wasn’t telling me, and I didn’t like walking into this appointment blind.

  “For right now, it’s a need to know basis.” He took another long drag of the blunt before holding it out in front of me between two fingers. “Don’t fuck this up, Oliver. You have one shot at this.”

  Baby Lehman arrived two weeks late on August 7th, and I’d fallen asleep in Ollie’s lap as we waited in the waiting area for Summer to deliver him. There had been complications, and Summer was rushed into the operating room for an unplanned C-Section, but after a grueling sixteen hours, Ollie and I stood over the bed as Summer cradled her son.

  “Do you want to hold him?” Summer asked, looking up at me through tired but joyous blue eyes.

  “Oh, no. I couldn’t.” I’d never held a baby before, and I’d always destroyed everything my hands came across. “Trust me. You don’t want me to hold your child.”

  “Here,” Ollie spoke up, taking little Turner from Summer’s arms. The baby was tiny, tucking flawlessly inside his strong arms. Turner gripped his finger, big new eyes staring up at him, and the sight brought a ping in my chest. Ollie turned to face me. “It’s okay, love.” I caved to the pressure and held out my arms, and Ollie sank the baby inside. “See?” he moved my hair off my shoulder and over my back. “You were made for this.”

  Speechless, I brushed over Turner’s soft arm with my pointer finger. “You guys made this,” I whispered in amazement. “It’s true. Love really does breathe life into this world.”

  “It’s true. Couples who are always together end up talking like each other.” Travis laughed, and I carefully rested Turner back into Summer’s arms.

  Hand in hand, Ollie and I walked back to the car after saying our goodbyes to the new family of three. He opened the car door for me, and I settled into the passenger seat, quickly wiping away tears that had fallen. It could have easily been from the lack of sleep over the last forty-eight hours since Summer first started having contractions, and maybe exhaustion was getting t
he better of me. But if I was honest with myself, it had been the way Ollie’s eyes lit up at Turner and knowing I’d never be able to give him that.

  “Mia, you’re crying.” Ollie turned in the car before starting the engine and took my hand. “Why are you crying? What’s wrong?”

  I rubbed my eyes, then shook hair away from my face before taking a deep breath. “I think I’m just really tired.”

  “Oh, no. Don’t hide from me, tell me what’s going on.” His hand hit the nape of my neck, and he gave it a gentle squeeze before it trailed down my back. “Is it the baby?”

  “Would you be happy if it was just us? For the rest of our lives, just you and me, no babies?” The conversation had always come so easily for us. We’d talked about our future, what we both wanted, and made jokes and deals about how many I’d owe him, but never thought I would be unable to give him one.

  “Are you changing your mind, Mia? You don’t want kids with me?”

  I looked over at him, and his face was frozen, lips parted, eyes unblinking as he waited for the punch to the gut. “I do, I just can’t,” I wiped another slipped tear, “I can’t have kids, Ollie. I haven’t been on birth control since we left Dolor, and it’s not like we tried, but we never prevented it either. And it’s not like you want one right now, we’re still young, you’ll be twenty-three this November, we’re hardly in a place—”

  “Mia,” Ollie interrupted. “You’re rambling. I can’t understand. What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying this is my punishment for everything I’ve done,” for the morbid thoughts that go through my head, “I know it. I can’t get pregnant, Ollie.”

  Ollie turned his head, his thoughts consuming him, and I wanted to hear what they had to say. I wanted inside his head, but then I didn’t. I was terrified. “You’re sure?” he asked, and there were only a few times I’d heard his voice so clipped and distant.

  More tears trembled at the corners of my eyes, and when I nodded, they fell without permission. “I’m sorry.”