In Sickness and Health : BWWM Interracial Billionaire Romance

by Emily Rose

  “You’ve got a deal. Welcome aboard. I hope you take care of people better than you drive.” She reached out to shake his hand, her grip firm and steady in his.

  “When do I start?”

  “Tomorrow. And... don’t worry about your car. I want to make sure you have transportation.”

  Mia paled.

  “No, I couldn’t possibly let you do that, I’ll figure out something.”

  “No,” he replied, his tone bridging no conflict. “I’ve got this. Just... take good care of my sister. She’s all I have, and I’m trusting you.”

  Chapter 3

  Mia parked the brand-new car that had been delivered at her apartment the night of the interview. It was shiny and sleek and was way out of her price range, but Lawrence had insisted that she have a proper car to be able to do her job. It even had Bluetooth, which she’d never had in a car before.

  She made her way carefully to the address that had been provided to her and got out of the car, parking in the driveway. It was a huge brick house, with brass lions out front. Considering the prices of real estate in New York City, she knew it must have cost a pretty penny.

  Mia knocked on the door and waited. She had dressed casually in yoga pants and a blue T shirt since she anticipated a busy day. A woman with short gray hair in a black and white maid uniform answered the door.

  “Hi, I’m—”

  “I know who are,” the older lady interrupted, her voice gravelly and stern. “Come this way.”

  Mia obediently followed her into the house. Despite its vintage and charming outside appearance, it was decked out with all the new electronics. It was tastefully and minimally decorated in such a way that you could tell that everything in the house had a purpose.

  The maid led Mia up the stairs and knocked before opening a door at the top of the stairs. The first thing Mia saw when she entered the room was a large bed with a very small woman inside of it. She was hooked up to multiple monitors and had an oxygen tube in her nose.

  The maid nodded and left the room.

  “Hi, I’m Mia. You must be Lawrence’s sister.” Mia smiled kindly at her. The woman blinked and then smiled widely.

  “Hi Mia! I’m Gina. It’s nice to meet you. Now I know why my brother hired you, you’re just his type!” Her smile turned into a cheeky grin and she laughed, a beautiful and mirthful sound. Mia hadn’t expected someone so cheerful and pleasant after spending some time with Lawrence, but she was pleasantly surprised.

  Mia sat down on the armchair beside her bed. She pointed at the open book on the bed.

  “Charles Baudelaire?”

  “This life is a hospital room in which every patient wants to change beds,” Gina quoted, her tone serious. “He speaks to me.”

  Mia nodded and set to work. She began by running her daily tests and getting her ready for her bath. The girls chatted about all kinds of things while Mia tended to her, talking about everything from politics to the new Taylor Swift song. Gina was easy to get along with and easy to like and Mia found herself warming to her easily.

  It was nice to have a patient who wasn’t miserable and depressed about their situation. After the bath, Gina was exhausted and needed to sleep, so Mia left her room. She noticed there were three more doors in the hallway. She peeked around the corner to make sure the maid wasn’t around and decided to go check out the door at the end of the hallway, hoping to find a washroom.

  Instead, she found a beautiful, masculine-looking room. The bed was slate gray and all the dressers matched. A large wardrobe with clear glass was on one entire side of the room. She stepped into the room and looked around.

  Suddenly, she heard a deep cough from behind her. She turned around to see Lawrence standing behind her, an eyebrow cocked.

  “A bad driver and nosy. Not a good look, Mia.” His tone was light.

  “I didn’t know you lived here too,” Mia deflected.

  “I like to stay close to Gina, she gets lonely without the company and growing up, no matter what we did, we always ate dinner together as a family.”

  “I really like Gina,” Mia mused. “She seems so kind and intelligent and just totally unaffected by her illness.”

  He smiled fondly.

  “Yeah, she’s a trooper. I remember when our parents died and everyone was so serious, she was there at the funeral with me making jokes about our aunt’s ugly hat just to make me laugh. She’s an amazing person.” He stepped towards Mia. “I chatted with her for a minute before coming to find you and even though she was a little sleepy, it’s obvious she really likes you too. I wonder why that is.”

  Mia shifted, looking away from him.

  “I shouldn’t have come in here, I’m sorry.” She started to head for the door. He put his hand on her arm, gently.

  “No, wait. It’s okay. Just, thank you so much for doing this for me. It means the world to me, honestly.” They were so close, and she could smell his aftershave and feel the heat of his body. She looked up at him, her eyes dark and hooded.

  “No, thank you... for the opportunity.” Her voice was low, all the emotions and stress of the last few days catching up with her. Slowly, gently, he placed one finger under her chin.

  “You look so sweet, you know. I’ve honestly been wondering if you taste as sweet as you look.” Mia’s eyes widened. He leaned down and kissed her softly, his mouth gentle on hers. The kiss took Mia by surprise. She closed her eyes and sank into it. He tasted like caramel candies and smelled like sandalwood. His body was firm against hers and despite herself, she placed her hands on his stomach, feeling the ridges of hard muscle beneath his dress shirt.

  He placed a hand on the back of her head, pulling her against him and deepening the kiss. A slight groan escaped his lips as her soft body pressed against his. His hand moved to her throat, tracing the line down to her collarbone and trailing farther down to her breast, before cupping it in his hand. It was firm and round beneath his hand and the soft material of her shirt.

  She pulled away from the kiss, her dark eyes studying him.

  “Should... should we be doing this? You’re my boss, after all.” He placed a finger on her lips, shushing her. He leaned over to kiss the long curve between her neck and shoulder, gently sinking his teeth into her skin. She sighed, running her hands through his thick, dark curls. He picked her up in one swift motion and carried her over to his bed.

  He placed her on his lap, wrapping one arm around her and sliding one hand up her shirt, grazing the soft skin of her stomach as she shivered with need. She kissed him deeply, her tongue hungry for the taste of him.

  At that moment, Lawrence yanked himself back, eyes wide at the door behind her. Mia turned her head to see the gray-haired maid glaring disapprovingly at them.

  “Sir, Gina’s dinner is ready. Thought you would like to know.” The last word dripped with intention, letting him know he’d been found out. He cleared his throat and Mia awkwardly disentangled herself from his embrace. Oops, she smiled to herself. She couldn’t believe that she’d gotten caught up in something with her boss, but she knew it absolutely would not be happening again.

  Chapter 4

  Mia arrived back at her apartment late in the evening. A month had passed since her encounter with Lawrence and things were going on as normal. She arrived home exhausted late in the evenings, and mostly just went straight to bed. Lately though, she’d been dreaming of him. His actual relationship with her had remained strictly professional, even cold.

  Mia heated up some leftover lasagna and fed Charlie some kibble, scratching him between his ears. She changed into more comfortable clothing and plopped down on the couch, flicking on the TV. She put on some British comedy for background noise and snuggled up under a blanket.

  At that moment, her phone lit up. It was Lawrence.

  “Hey, I have a question for you, and I don’t want you to say no.” Intrigued, Mia responded with a question mark. Seconds later, her phone buzzed again.

  “King Pharmaceuticals is hav
ing a Christmas party. I want you to come with me. Not as a date, I just want to introduce you to some people who might be able to help you reach your goals.”

  Mia smiled. A Christmas party wasn’t really her thing, but she’d be able to do some networking and get to spend some time with Lawrence. Game on.

  She texted him back.

  “Sounds fun. Text me the details.”

  It was December 12th and the city was covered in a light fluffy coating of snow. There was a knock at Mia’s door. She came to it, wrapped in a bathrobe with her hair in curlers. A delivery man was standing there with a large box.

  “Oh, hi. I didn’t order anything.” She looked at him in confusion.

  “Miss, are you Mia Jefferson?” Mia nodded. “Then it’s for you, Merry Christmas!”

  She took the box from him after signing and closed the door behind him. She carefully set the box down on the sofa and took the top off. There was a mess of tissue paper inside and once she had moved it aside, Mia saw the most breathtaking gown she had ever seen.

  It was gold chiffon, with little crystals sewn all over the bodice. It was absolutely gorgeous and sparkled in the dim lighting of her apartment. Tucked into the corner was a note.

  I thought you needed a little sparkle for tonight. Can’t wait to see you.

  She picked the dress up out of the box, marveling at the weight of it. Mia was going to chastise him for such an expensive gift, but she was running late, and his limo would be arriving soon. She rushed to take the curlers out of her hair and to finish her makeup and then slipped into the dress.

  Mia stopped to take a look at herself in her full-length mirror and her heart stopped. She looked stunning, not just like a nurse who was waiting for her big break in the field of her dreams, but like someone who really belonged in a world like the one Lawrence was from.

  Mia threw her coat on over her the dress and headed downstairs. A long, sleek black limo was waiting outside. Lawrence stepped out, looking cut and handsome in a three-piece black suit and opened the door for her.

  “I’m glad you could come tonight.” His voice caught in his throat as he took her in—the golden dress, her hair curled and cascading down her back in dark waves. His hand brushed her lower back as she climbed into the back of the limo.

  After the car had taken off to the ball, they sat in silence in the back seat. Looking to break the ice, Mia perked up.

  “Well, this is a lot different than the last time we were in the backseat of a car together.” Her tone was light and playful, and Lawrence couldn’t help but smile, the tightness leaving his jaw.

  “I wanted to talk about what happened... with us...” he started.

  “No, don’t ruin this,” Mia retorted. “It is what it is, we’ll just move on. No worries at all!”

  She smiled at him but inside her stomach was fluttering. That wasn’t really what she wanted to say. She wanted to tell him that she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him, that he was in her dreams every night. But that was inappropriate, and she just couldn’t bring herself to put the words out there.

  They arrived at the ball. The outside of the museum where the party was being held was stunning. There were two giant Christmas trees decorated in silver balls and tinsel, big thick garlands surrounding them. The air was crisp and cold and a light sprinkling of snow had started in the dark sky. It was like something out of a romance novel, except this was real life.

  She got out of the car and met up with Lawrence on the other side. He placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled down at her.

  “Are you ready?” She nodded at him and they headed up the stairs together.

  The inside of the museum was even more breathtaking, all golds and greens and reds. The lights were low and a hundred people in suits and ballgowns milled around. Tiny lights twinkled all over the room and a grand buffet was set up in one corner of the room.

  “Want a drink?” Lawrence asked her. She smiled at him.

  “Please, thank you.”

  He nodded and headed off in search of the bar. Mia wandered around by herself, checking out the art mounted on the walls. Moments later, she felt his hand on her back.

  “This one’s beautiful, isn’t it?” He handed her a glass of champagne.

  “It really is. My dad used to take me to the museum all the time when I was a kid. I loved how quiet it was.” Her voice trailed off as the painful memory of her dad clouded over her happy mood. Lawrence reached for her hand, squeezing it.

  “My parents died too. They were shot by a mugger when I was just a kid. My sister and I were home with Gail, our maid. Our whole lives got flipped upside down. I get it.” He didn’t let go of her hand and looked intently at her.

  Feeling uncomfortable with the seriousness of the conversation, she downed the champagne in one chug and excused herself. She found the bar and ordered three shots, just to loosen up and relax. The bartender raised an eyebrow at her but didn’t say anything, pouring the high-quality tequila into shot glasses.

  She downed them back to back and began to feel a fuzzy pleasantness. This, this was better. She could focus on having fun now. She didn’t know what to do about Lawrence. He ran so hot and cold all the time. One minute he was ignoring her and the next he was telling her sob stories about his dead parents. She didn’t want to feel sorry for him, she just wanted her job.

  Guilt started to set in a moment later when she realized that he’d opened up to her about something so private to him and she’d just abandoned him. She set off to find him but then felt a hand on her arm.

  A thin, wiry-looking man with watery blue eyes and pale eyebrows was standing there, looking expectantly at her.

  “Excuse me,” Mia said. “Do I know you?”

  The man smiled wryly. “No, I don’t think you do. But I know you. You work for Mr. King, right?” He extended a pale, limp-looking hand. “I’m Craig. And you’re Mia.”

  She looked at him in surprise, wondering how he already knew her name. As if reading her thoughts, he grinned wider. “I’m the head of Cellular Biology. You’re supposed to be joining us next year, right? As head of department?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know about head of department. I thought I’d be starting at the bottom.”

  Craig stared down at her, his face now flat-looking. “Well, now you know. I hope you’re happy.” He turned on his heel and strode off, leaving her dazed, confused and a little drunk. Lawrence came up behind her, resting the palm of his hand on her shoulder.

  “I see you’ve met Craig. Interesting guy, huh? A little intense for me.”

  She whipped around. “What did he mean by ‘head of department’?” Mia cried out. Lawrence looked surprised by her outburst.

  “I figured it would give you the most leverage to reach your dreams, so I put through the paperwork. I thought you’d be happy...” He looked unsure of himself.

  “Happy? I don’t want your handouts; I just want to work my job and prove myself. I don’t need your money paving the way to my career, I can do this on my own.” Her face was livid, and a flush was rising to her cheeks.

  “I didn’t want to upset you, I just thought I’d do you a favor. I guess I was wrong.” He looked embarrassed. “Look, can we just have a good night? I hope you can forgive me.”

  Mia stared at him, weighing her options. She could storm out and make a scene or just try to enjoy the evening with him. Seeing him lit up by the Christmas lights, looking gorgeous in his suit, she knew she never really had a choice.

  “I need a drink. Or three.” She sighed. He nodded.

  “I can make that happen. One minute.” He smiled at her devilishly and walked over to the bar. He spoke to the bartender and came back a moment later, a bottle of whiskey in his hand. He gestured to a back door.

  “Come with me, I want to show you something.” She followed him through the crowd and out the back door. When they got outside, it was still lightly snowing. They were in what would have been a beautiful garden in the summer b
ut was a winter wonderland now in December. There were fir trees surrounding it and it had been decorated with garlands and lights.

  He handed her the bottle of whiskey and she took a swig out of it. It burned like fire in the back of her throat and within moments, she didn’t even notice that it was cold out. He took the bottle from her and took a big gulp out of it.

  “I’ve been thinking of you,” Lawrence confessed, his face serious. “I know it seemed like I didn’t care after the day I kissed you, but I honestly can’t think of anything else. I’ve been dreaming of you and I have to kiss you again.”

  Her eyes darkened when he said that. It was exactly what she wanted to hear but she didn’t know what to think. Before she had a moment to think further, his mouth was on hers. She melted into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. His firm body pressed against hers and she could feel his hands on the small of her back. The snow was falling harder now, dampening her curls against the top of her head and leaving tiny drops of coldness on the heat of their skin.

  Their kiss deepened and it felt like time had stopped. He broke away from the kiss, his face feverish.

  “Come home with me tonight. Bring the whiskey. I can’t stay away from you anymore.” His voice cracked as he spoke, and she could hear the need. She brushed her lips along his jaw.

  “I need you,” Mia whispered into his ear. He grabbed her hand and led her back through the party. People looked at them as they worked their way through the crowd, damp and with snow in their hair. People would be talking—but at that moment, neither of them cared.

  The limo was waiting outside for them and they got into the back. The doors had barely closed before they were on each other. Hands fumbling, with whispered sweet nothings and lips on lips, the fire raged in the back seat of the car. The whiskey bottle ran low and everything blurred into their tangled limbs.

  They arrived at his house and stumbled out of the car; hands clasped tightly together. They moved up the stairs and into the bedroom, Lawrence hushing Mia’s giggles.