“But what about Air Jordan? People still buy his stuff.” I ask. “And haven’t you ever seen Double Jeopardy?”
“You mean the show with all the questions?” He tilts his head.
I straighten my body. “No. Like the movie about how you can’t be tried twice for the same murder. Once you’re found innocent—you’re innocent.”
“Girl, it don’t work like that.” He flexes his arm.
“I’m pretty sure that movie is accurate.”
He presses the tip of my nose. “Now you be talkin’ crazy.”
“Tino, I think it’s time we find you a new set of lawyers. Nikki knows a few. She swears by the guy I told you about. You know. The one that has the girls sucking down shot glasses of soda. The nerdy guy.”
He nods.
“Like today.”
“Yo, I check it.”
“You promise you’ll set up an appointment? I feel like Sully is blackmailing you for money.”
Tino nods again. “You’re probably right. I’ve just not had anybody to bounce this off of. I’ve kept it in for so long I just sorta do what he tells me to do.”
“So is he cool with you losing your—you know?” I’m so pissed about Sully I don’t even want to go into detail about his virginity.
His smile widens across his entire face. “I ain’t so sure God is okay with that. Granny will have my hide.”
“Tino, I’m sorry, but you’re a grown man. And I’m not real religious. I guess I quit thinking about anything of a higher power that could still love me even after the decisions I’ve made in my life.” I reach up and touch the gold cross around his neck.
“Could you be?”
“Could I be what?”
“Religious.”
“Maybe?”
“Well, I’ve been thinking we should be taking Lucky every week. Granny had me going every week. It taught me how to respect things.”
Whoa. This is getting a little intense for two people in the backseat of a GTO. I wiggle myself on top of him.
“Mia, I ain’t playin’. I need you to be serious.” He pushes me back.
“Can’t we just be adults and have some grownup fun?” I squirm around his hand, grinding my hips into him.
He grabs at my waist to make me hold still.
“Why are you making this so complicated? We both know how we feel about each other,” I whine and tug at the strings of his sweats.
“I need you to marry me.”
My chin automatically pulls back. “Are you being serious right now?”
He nods.
“Like marry you, marry you?”
“Hell yeah,” he chuckles.
“So you’re going to make us wait?” I can’t believe he’s being this ridiculous. “Tino, I’m not a bad person because I want to be with you.”
He grabs my shoulders. “I ain’t saying you’re a bad person. I’m just the traditional type.”
“But, I need this.” My body is throbbing.
“You promise you’ll marry me?”
I smile and squeeze my eyes shut. “Yes!”
“Then hold still and let me take over,” he whispers into my ear, sending chills to all the right places. “Bashful, you are so beautiful. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You won’t,” I say, melting into his arms.
“Just tell me if anything hurts.”
I nod as his hand softly glides up my thigh and tugs at my bootie shorts. The movement makes a soft moan escape from my lips. There’s a hunger and gentleness there I wasn’t expecting.
“Mia, I love you.” He begins to plant a trail of kisses across my collarbone. “Girl, I’m gonna be so good to you.”
I close my eyes and lean my head back against the seat completely trusting him.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
I
slide a comb through Lucky’s hair, and straighten his tie, hoping not to wake his mother. He yawns so big I ain’t sure his little face can handle it. I can see so much of Mia in him it makes me smile. I’m hoping she won’t flip out that Nikki let me in this morning. It’s a damn good thing Mia had her stay the night again. I ain’t slept since yesterday and our little encounter in the back of the GTO.
“Where are we going?” Lucky asks with a groggy voice.
“I’m asking your mom to marry me, and then we’re going to church so I can talk to a guy about marrying your mom.” I go over the plans for about the tenth time. I leave out the confessing my sins part because the kid don’t need to know about that.
“And how come Mommy doesn’t know?” He grabs a toothbrush from the chrome cup on the counter.
“You make sure to scrub the ones in the back real good.” I grip the brush and help him get off the plaque.
As he spits in the sink I hear the door rattling to open.
“Tino?” Mia’s face is full of shock. “What are you doing here?”
My heart jumps.
She looks so damn sexy in the morning after a full night’s sleep. The soft bits of hair that cradle her face are so innocent from where they’ve fallen out of the bun on her head. She ain’t looked this beautiful since I walked her back to the guest house last night.
“Mommy, he’s asking you to marry him,” Lucky blurts.
“Yo, I thought we talked about this.” I grab his little body, hiding him behind my legs.
Mia raises her brows.
My palms start to sweat.
This ain’t what I had in mind.
I reach into the pocket of my suit pants and bend down to one knee.
Mia covers her mouth.
Tears begin to fill her eyes.
“Bashful, I wanted this to be so different, but I can’t think of a better place than all of us being together. I asked the kid and he’s okay with me being his dad so I guess now all I need is your answer. Will you marry me?”
I pop open the ring box.
She glances down and squints her eyes.
“Oh, no,” she gasps.
“No?”
“No—not no. It’s that I—I don’t like diamonds.”
My heart races.
I slam the box shut.
“How ‘bout we try this again. Mia, will you marry me and have the ring you pick out?” I laugh.
“Yes!” She bounces her head up and down before jumping into my arms. “A million times yes!”
“Well, isn’t this just peachy.” Nikki pokes her head in the doorway. “A proposal in the bathroom.”
“You get out of here,” Mia nips. “This is my moment and your bad attitude isn’t going to ruin it.”
Nikki laughs all the way back down the hallway.
Lucky wiggles his way between us to hug his mom.
“Can I tell her where we’re going?” he asks.
“You bet.” I nod.
“We’re going to Disneyland after we go to Vegas,” he shrieks.
“What?” Mia whips her eyes directly at me.
I let out a huff. “You ain’t supposed to tell her that part.”
“But church is boring,” Lucky complains.
“Well, you better get used to it because it’s on the schedule every week from now until you die. Your mom already backs me up on that.” I think of the conversation we had after that perfect moment—the one with such a connection the world stopped. And to have her want me. Really want me like no other woman has wanted me before. I pull at the collar of my shirt. “Is it getting hot in here?” I open the door a little wider.
“Tino, you really want to do something like this today?” Mia flattens her smile. “I thought you had important appointments planned.”
“I already rescheduled. I sent them a few pics you drew on the whiteboard and asked if I could have a few more days with my design team to come up with some major changes to the women’s clothing line.”
“Are you serious?” she asks before I even have time to know how I’m feeling.
“As a heart attack.” I reach up and press my hand over my heart just to
make sure I’m not jinxing myself. “Baby, I got everything taken care of. This is gonna be the knockout of the century. I got friends in Vegas. You’re getting a first class wedding at my favorite spot in the Venetian. I just need you to call the hotel and tell them the colors and kinds of flowers you want. And we got about two hours before my jet wants to take off. So we gotta hurry.”
“Oh, my hell…I guess I’m getting married today.” Mia begins to bounce on the tips of her toes. “I don’t even have a dress.”
I grab her hand, leading us to her bedroom. Dang, she has this place put together. Her clothes are perfectly color coordinated in the closet.
“We need to make a quick stop at my church. I got some confessing I need to do before we head to Vegas.” I tickle her sides. “Can you wear a dress in here to the church? And don’t forget those heels you always got on to make those legs look like a slice of heaven,” I say, and flip through a few of my favorites she has hanging up. “I’ve got an entire team set up at the Venetian to get you in a wedding dress of your choice. I want everything to be exactly the way you want it.”
She bites at her bottom lip. “Can Nikki come? I—I just really want her to do my hair.”
I wink. “Of course Nikki is coming.”
“I heard that,” Nikki shouts from the front room. “And I’m not doing your hair. Ask Isabella.”
“Why would I ask Isabella? She’s not going to be able to make it. They’re probably off in some foreign country.”
“Um, she’s at Tino’s place with Reef.” Nikki makes a gagging noise. “He has his hands all over her pregnant belly.”
Yeah, I kinda thought that was strange. The guy can’t get enough of that unborn baby. It’s gotta be that man bun he’s wearing. Maybe the elastic is pulling his hair so tight it’s cutting off circulation to the brain. He can’t do a damn thing without feeling that baby in his woman’s belly.
“Nikki, don’t be such a brat. You’re doing my hair. You know I only like the way you braid it to pull it off the side of my face.” Mia yanks a few hangers down with the dresses I like on them. “Just because you don’t believe in a marriage license to make a couple happy doesn’t mean that I don’t believe in that.”
I smile at the two of them bantering and check to see if Lucky is nearby before tugging at her nightshirt, sneaking my hands under it to feel her soft skin.
“Stop,” she giggles.
“Just a little.” I pull her into me. “I ain’t had any since yesterday.”
“You’re so neglected,” her voice coos before she kisses my lips, sending fire down my legs.
I am one happy man. I squeeze her waist and brush the hair off her neck before I bite down. She shudders.
“Damn, you’re good at being a woman.” I suck at her skin. It’s taking everything I got not to rip this thin little cotton shirt off her. I just need a little more of what she gave me yesterday. This woman has my mind controlled and throbbing.
“Tino, I’m not giving you any until tonight when we’re alone.”
Damn. It’s gonna be a long ass day.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
T
he door shuts to the guesthouse with Tino heading back to the big house, Lucas in hand.
I turn and stare at Nikki, and then I look at Isabella.
Her lower lip is trembling as she holds a tissue in her hand.
“Don’t do this,” I scold her. “I don’t want this day to be a cry fest.”
“Mia, I’m just so happy,” she replies.
Nikki rolls her eyes. “If you ask me—”
“Nobody asked you,” Isabella interrupts, and grabs Nikki’s arm.
The pissed off expression on Nikki’s face is priceless. I wander over to the couch and flop down. My back hits the soft cushions, and my legs kick towards the ceiling.
“I’m getting married!” I scream.
“We know.” Nikki wanders to the kitchen and makes herself an espresso from the generic machine on the counter.
“And he’s a great guy!” I shout, not bothering to let her dumpy attitude ruin my moment.
Isabella rushes next to me and grabs my hands, bouncing on her feet. We squeal like little girls. Her belly bounces like Jell-O. She’s the perfect gift on a day like this. I can’t thank Tino enough for bringing the only people I want most to my wedding.
“You guys, I’ve got to call the Venetian.” I sit up and scan the room for my phone.
“Make sure you tell them six-hundred guests.” Nikki blows on the rim of her cup, cradling the mug in her hands.
“Are you kidding?” My stomach drops. That’s totally not my style. He knows that. My face suddenly tightens. “Who is he inviting?”
“She’s teasing,” Isabella assures. “Don’t listen to Ms. Anti-Marriage today. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.” Isabella reaches down in her pocket to pull out her phone. She musters a flat smile as she stares at the screen. “Duty calls.”
I nod; totally understanding Reef likes her all to himself on his days off.
She wanders out the door looking like she isn’t pregnant from the backside.
“If she wears a bikini to the pool, I’m going to be sick.” Nikki takes another sip.
“Well, you’re in luck. We don’t have time for swimming today,” I respond fast enough that she can’t go off on how pregnant Isabella is with the triplets, and go into the fertility crap again. Why can’t she believe Reef’s the kind of guy that gives his woman three kids at time? I take a deep breath and relax that I won’t have to be pregnant again. Ever.
“So what are we doing with hair?” Nikki sets her cup on the coffee table and grabs my dirty hair.
“Should I get in the shower?” I panic.
“The dirtier the better.” Nikki pulls the elastic from my head. “Nothing holds with clean hair. I’ve got some dry shampoo in my purse if we need it.” She inspects my scalp.
I nuzzle into her touch as she sits down on the couch next to me. “Nikki, thank you.”
“For what?” She stops running her fingers through my hair.
“For always being the one I can count on.” I feel a lump forming in my throat. I want to tell her thanks for always being the mother I’ve never had, but I can’t get the words to come out over the pain I’m trying to swallow.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” She drops my hair and moves over to her purse. Her way of avoiding things that feel different than she allows herself to feel.
“What am I going to do if Sully comes?” I change the subject for both of us.
She whips around to meet my gaze. “I didn’t tell you?”
I shake my head.
“Oh, my hell. I totally forgot.” She grabs her phone. “Mia, I need you to call my lawyer friend. I’ve had him working on Tino’s case since you told me.”
“What?” I blurt, wondering if she really is the mother I’ve never had.
“He needs you to give him some information so he can properly take care of Tino. Sully is a jackass—”
“I know.” I interrupt. I can’t stand the idea of his blackmail crap ruining our wedding day.
Nikki stares at me like she’s reading my thoughts. “Mia, he’s in jail. And the guy is most likely going to spend the rest of his life in federal prison.”
My eyes widen.
“Tino’s not the first guy he’s blackmailed. He’s in a ton of trouble.”
I settle into the couch and let her finish with her story, loving every detail. Today is just about to be the best day of my life. All because of family. I couldn’t be a luckier girl if I wanted to be.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“M
ommy, who’s Granny?” Lucas pulls at the lace of Mia’s wedding dress.
“She’s Tino’s grandma.” She pats his head.
“Is she my grandma?” he asks.
“I—” Mia pauses.
“Yes, little man, she’s your Granny.” I interrupt.
“I like Granny,” he says with his mouth ful
l of licorice.
I take Mia’s hand, leading her out of the perfect room at the Venetian where we’ve just made the biggest promises of our lives. My leg brushes against an ivory and white flower arrangement. She prefers the simple things. Neutrals are her favorite colors she told the guy over the phone in order to get this room so perfect. And how can a guy argue with that. I ain’t ever thought about a wedding day until now, but this seems pretty damn good.
“You sure you wanted matching bands?” I squeeze her left fingers, “I could get you a real nice stone.”
She looks down. “Oh, I love it. Now you just need to come up with a personal engraving for the inside of my band.”
I stare at the rings on our fingers and kind of like the idea of them being the same. But that ain’t nothing compared to the words she had put on mine.
You’ll always be my champion.
I feel a lump rising in the back of my throat. I cough so it won’t take over and make my eyes do funny things, and then I swallow as hard as I can. Nobody has ever made me feel as special as Bashful. I think God might’ve forgiven me by now. I like to think that with the special gift of Mia he placed in my life.
Nikki and Isabella toss huge handfuls of rice at us when we start to walk past. Isabella has the devil’s grin on her face. I shake my head in pure joy. I can only imagine what went on in their house growing up. I’m betting my girl, Mia, could hold her own. Reef juts his chin at me. The guy’s a pretty damn cool guy. I had him all wrong. I’m actually excited to go to a few Laker’s games after we get back. I might even have Mia put in one of those pot roasts so we could invite them over for dinner. Probably means we’ll have to get more furniture. I’ll let the wife take care of that.
“Ah, my beautiful Mia,” Granny sighs. “I just knew you were the one for him that day you came for lunch.”
Pretty Woman: Mia (The Billionaire Bachelor Series Book 2) Page 11