by Blair Grey
I shrugged. “This is going to sound stupid, but I guess I feel like maybe it hasn’t been long enough. Like I should have given it more time before I came back to check on him?”
Mia laughed. “Aww, you’re afraid to admit that you missed him?”
I gave her a sheepish grin. “I don’t want to be this overbearing…you know. That’s not the kind of guy that I am. I’m glad that Landon is happy out here. We’ve chatted over the phone a couple times, and as far as I know, he’s in a super good place. Would I love for him to come back home? You bet. But I’m not here to drag him back there, or else I would have dragged him back weeks ago.”
Mia smiled and shook her head. “You’re a really good brother, you know that?” she asked.
I raised an eyebrow at her. “Like you have anything to compare it to,” I said. She shrugged and looked away, and I remembered that family was a touchy subject for her. Fortunately, our food arrived, and the crisis was averted.
Afterward, I scrolled through the messages on my phone. “Uh, weird,” I said, rereading the one from Ray.
“What’s up?” Mia asked.
“Apparently, he’s renting out the house that he bought down here, the one that Landon and I stayed in last time. So he’s put us up in a hotel instead.”
“Huh,” Mia said. “Well, at least he’s got a reservation for us already. I don’t know what I’d do if we had to look for a place tonight. I’m exhausted.”
“Me too,” I said, even though I was sure we’d both find the energy for a little something more when we got to the place we were staying. We had only fooled around a little the previous night, as the motel that we’d been staying at had been slightly less than inspiring. But I was feeling the effects of that fooling around now, given that we’d been close to each other since early yesterday morning and still hadn’t gotten off. You could probably pound nails with my pecker right now. I couldn’t wait to sink it inside of her waiting chasm.
“Hopefully the place isn’t too far away?” Mia asked.
I did a quick search on my phone. “It’s actually right around the corner,” I said in pleased surprise.
“Ray’s the best,” Mia said, grinning at me.
“Definitely,” I said, even though I was still a little miffed at how he could have forgotten that he was renting the place out.
We paid the bill and drove to the hotel. “Jesus this place is fancy,” Mia muttered under her breath as we walked in the front entrance. She looked all around at the crystal chandeliers and the long white couches. “Are we still in Florida?”
I cracked a smile. “I think so, but you could have fooled me,” I said. “You want to hang tight here with the luggage and I’ll go get the room key?”
“Sure,” Mia said, flopping down inelegantly on one of the couches despite the disapproving look of the doorman.
“Don’t fall asleep there before I get back,” I said, winking down at her.
“I’ll try not to,” Mia said around a huge yawn.
I headed to the desk and found out that not only had Ray booked us in this swanky hotel, but he had booked us into the penthouse suite. “Oh, for the love of God,” I muttered under my breath. This was great and all, but I couldn’t help feeling that Ray was playing matchmaker, or that he thought he was anyway. And on top of that, I had packed one spare set of clothes, and I was currently wearing the same outfit that I’d driven from New Mexico in. I felt out of place.
But there was no sense complaining about it now. The place was booked and paid for, and I’d have to be an idiot not to want to stay here. Besides, I wanted to see what Mia looked like when she was spoiled with spa days and luxurious bathrobes. Hey, maybe there would even be a Jacuzzi in our room.
This might not be so bad after all.
We headed up to the suite, and I was surprised at how long it took for the elevator to reach it. “This place is huge,” Mia said, shaking her head. “And we’re all the way at the top? Really?”
“Penthouse suite,” I told her. “Ray went overboard.”
Mia stifled a giggle. “Does he think we’re on our honeymoon or something?”
“Probably.” I sighed. “Sorry about that.”
“I think it’s sweet,” Mia said. “He clearly wants to make sure that you’re happy.”
I grabbed her hip and pulled her close to me, nuzzling just below her earlobe. “I’d be perfectly happy if it was just you and me, anywhere in the world,” I told her.
“Even if it was in that weird motel we were in last night?” Mia teased.
I ground against her, knowing she could feel my growing bulge. “Even there,” I said. “I need you badly right now.”
I heard Mia’s sharp intake of breath, but just then, we finally reached our floor and spilled out of the elevator into the penthouse. “Just look at that view,” Mia said, wandering over to the windows.
“I’d like to fuck you up against those windows,” I told her. “But maybe tomorrow. Tonight, I’d rather be in a bed.”
I was already looking around the room with thoughts like that in mind. The couches, up against the windows, there were so many places that I wanted to take her. I took a peek into the bathroom, and sure enough, we had a Jacuzzi. And I could only imagine what the bedroom must look like.
I came back into the living room, saying a silent thanks to Ray in the back of my head. I felt a little overwhelmed being here with Mia when our whole not-relationship was so new to both of us. But I definitely wasn’t complaining about a sexy week away.
“So, I guess we should get down to it,” Mia said, as matter-of-factly as if she were discussing the weather. But I could see the molten heat in the look that she threw over her shoulder at me. She was just as keyed up as I was. Good.
She gave the view one last look and then turned to me, a smile on her face as she slowly stripped out of her clothes, letting them fall in a pile on the floor. Then she paused. “Do you think they’re going to judge me if I don’t pick them up and put them away?” she asked.
I laughed as I stripped out of my own clothes. “They’d better not be coming in here while we’re in the middle of things,” I told her. “We can pick up in the morning. Right now, I just want you in bed.”
She grinned at me and headed into the bedroom of the suite. The bed was absolutely enormous, and as we fell down onto it, it was soft too.
“You know, we could just go to sleep,” I said.
“Don’t you even think about it,” Mia said immediately, a warning note in her voice. She wrapped her fingers around the back of my neck and pulled me into a desperate kiss, rolling on top of me so that she could grind her body against mine, using me however she needed.
20
Mia
Even though I was exhausted from the long drive, and even though I knew that Braxton must be even more exhausted than I was, I knew that there was no way either of us was going to be able to sleep that night if we didn’t have sex first. We’d played around some the previous night, Braxton finger-fucking me until the person next door started banging his fist against the wall in complaint against my noise.
I couldn’t help it; Braxton just made me want to scream with how badly I needed him. Even if he was just playing with me, using his fingers. He knew exactly what to do to drive me wild. No matter how I bit my lip or flattened my palm against my mouth, I couldn’t seem to quiet my moans.
Tonight, I didn’t need to worry about that, though. We were in the penthouse, and judging by the fact that I couldn’t hear a single sound from outside this room, I had to assume that they couldn’t hear me either. I could be as loud as I wanted.
Which was good, because I was already practically sobbing with need right from the get-go, right from the point where Braxton rolled us over and dragged his thumbs across my nipples, making them stand taut against my dusky skin. My back arched, pushing my chest out toward him, and he grinned as he closed his mouth around one of those nipples, biting and sucking at my sensitive skin.
“Please,” I begged. I couldn’t stand to be teased tonight. I needed more. I was already desperately wet and ready for him. He had to realize that.
Sure enough, I could tell from the gleam in his eye that he knew exactly what he was doing to me. But he still wanted to toy with me. Asshole, I thought fondly. One of these days, I was going to be the one toying with him. But not tonight. No, tonight, I was content enough to sit back and let him run his hands and mouth all over my body, even if I was nearly delirious with the need for more.
Finally, he lined himself up at my entrance and slipped inside of me, and I was glad to hear him groan as well and see the way his head fell back, his eyes squeezed shut. For all his teasing, he was just as close as I was. But he kept a slow and even pace with his hips, each time pulling nearly all the way out before easing back in. It was slick and wet and hot, but there just wasn’t quite enough stimulation to send me over the edge.
At least, not until he pressed his fingers to the nub at the apex of my folds, dragging against the sensitive skin there. I jerked at his touch, almost as though I’d been electrocuted. My legs fell farther open as I begged him for more.
He flipped us around so that I was on top, riding him, giving him better access to that special bundle of nerves. I gasped as I took him deeper than I had ever taken him before. With each thrust, his tip hit against something inside of me, something that made my pulse zing with heat.
I knew I was going to spill embarrassingly quickly, but then again, we were here for more than one night. Did it matter if tonight went by quickly? We could wake up and do this all over again tomorrow. And again and again. That said, I wanted this to last. I wanted it to never end; I wanted to stay here in this dizzying spiral of lust for all of eternity.
Or that’s what I thought, anyway, until we both climaxed.
I cried out his name, my fingers twisting with his against the sheets as I shattered apart in a thunderous orgasm. I fell against him, his throbbing hardness still buried inside of me. His hands stroked my back and sides, his lips pressed against me. But it took a long time before I was aware of any of that.
No, where I was, there was just heat, passion, pleasure, explosion, fulfillment. Satiety. A bone-deep satiety that bore me down into the bed, making me feel as though I might already be asleep. Somewhere above me, I could hear Braxton chuckle. “That good, huh?” he asked.
I made a wordless noise of response, rubbing my cheek against his chest. Slowly, I came back into myself. I smiled up at him, feeling totally contented.
“You look like the cat that’s gotten the cream,” Braxton said.
“That’s about how I feel,” I told him. “God. I could get used to this.”
Braxton grinned and kissed the tip of my nose. Then, he maneuvered us so that we were beneath the sheets, my head resting on his chest again. “Yeah, definitely no complaints. Ray’s outdone himself this time, but I guess I’m not going to fight him on it.”
Suddenly, I remembered what I had promised myself. That as soon as we reached Florida, I would tell Braxton the whole truth. Why Ray had sent me away for the week until things had calmed down.
Darren. I needed to tell him about Darren.
“Hey, are you okay?” Braxton asked, and I could hear the concern in his voice. I knew he must have felt the way I had tensed up. Because I always tensed up thinking about my ex. Even before my window had been broken.
I didn’t want to talk about that right now, though. I didn’t want to get Braxton all riled up. I wanted to relax and enjoy this. Enjoy Florida and enjoy the penthouse suite. I had a feeling that Ray was already taking care of Darren in one way or another. No point in making Braxton angry when there was nothing he could do about it.
We could at least save that conversation for the next morning. When it was properly light. After we’d gone for another couple rounds of mind-blowing sex, maybe?
I smiled, forcing myself to relax. “Just had one of those thoughts,” I told him. “Couldn’t remember if I had locked the front door when we left the other day.” I felt bad lying to him, but I’d tell him all about Darren soon enough.
Braxton laughed, sounding totally relaxed and at ease, and I was selfishly glad that I hadn’t ruined his afterglow with talks about my ex and broken windows. I wanted to keep him like this for as long as I could. “Well, if you did forget to lock it, it’s too late now,” he said, sounding sleepy. “But if you remember it tomorrow, I’ll shoot Ray a message asking him to swing by and check.”
“Mm, sounds good. And make sure you thank him for all of this,” I said, gesturing aimlessly toward the room.
“Yeah, for sure,” Braxton said around a yawn.
It wasn’t long before we drifted off to sleep. But unfortunately, my dreams were anything but contented. I kept seeing Darren again and again, and each time, he did something worse, until he wasn’t just breaking my car windows, he was holding a gun pointed at my head.
The thing was, I knew Darren would never actually do that. But my subconscious seemed to think it might actually happen that way. And even though I was hundreds of miles away from him in Florida, nestled in Braxton’s safe, warm embrace, I slept restlessly that night, unable to keep from tossing and turning.
21
Braxton
As I slowly woke up on Thursday morning, I groggily reached across the bed for Mia, wanting nothing more than to pull her closer. It wasn’t even about sex, although my morning wood was definitely there between my legs. But no, in my half-asleep state, I just wanted to nuzzle into the back of her neck, press a soft kiss or two to her skin, and enjoy the time that we had together here in this beautiful penthouse suite.
When my hand hit the other side of the bed, though, I realized that Mia wasn’t there anymore. The sheets were still warm; she hadn’t gotten up long ago. But she wasn’t there now.
I frowned and opened my eyes, wondering where she’d disappeared to. A smile curved across my lips as I spotted her in the bathroom wearing nothing but a T-shirt as she scrubbed at her face. I didn’t know what got me most: the way her hair—free of its ponytail for once—fell in long waves down her back, or the way her legs went up and up and up until they met the hemline of the shirt, the round curve of her ass barely peeking out beneath it.
I propped myself up on my elbow, just watching her, wondering if she could feel my gaze on her.
It would have been nice to wake up next to her, sure. But I didn’t mind this either. Mia looked over at me, smiling when she saw me watching her. “See something you like?” she asked teasingly.
And the truth was, I really did. She was so effortlessly attractive, both inside and out. She wasn’t just some bimbo from the bar. She was smart, and she was funny, and I liked that she and I seemed to have very similar senses of humor. She was gorgeous, but she didn’t act like she needed validation on that. She was just comfortable in her own skin. Confident. I liked that.
To be honest, I was starting to realize I might be developing feelings for her. Not that I’d ever act on them, but I could feel them there in the pit of my stomach. Right alongside lust, there was a certain fondness that I felt for her. I guess I had started noticing it when I’d first thought she might be in danger, when I had seen the busted window, and again when Ray said that he was sending her out of town for a few days. I’d never felt protective of someone before.
Which was doubly stupid, because I knew that Mia would much rather protect herself than have me try to step in and save her. She very much was not a damsel in distress.
Anyway, no sense dwelling on the feelings that I had for her. She had made it very clear that she wasn’t looking for a relationship with me, not now and not in the future either. Besides, I didn’t know the first thing about having a relationship with someone. I would undoubtedly screw things up, and then we wouldn’t have this easy friendship or the benefits that came along with it. I didn’t like to think about losing that.
“Come here,” I said to Mia, beckoning her over toward the bed.
She came, a soft smile on her face. I caught her arm and pulled her down into a kiss.
She laughed as we broke apart, settling next to me on the bed, her fingers playing with my hair. “What’s the plan for today?” she asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. No plan,” I told her. “Why?”
She grinned wickedly. “Because if you keep kissing me like that, I don’t think we’re ever going to make it out of bed today.”
I laughed as well, pushing myself so that I was sitting upright next to her. “Fair point,” I agreed. “And as much as I like the idea of that, I was thinking that maybe I’d go see Landon.”
“That’s probably a good idea,” Mia said, nodding at me. “Where’s he living at the moment if Ray’s house is being rented out?”
“My bet is that he’s been shacking up with Anne,” I said. “But he’s vice president of the local Red Eyes chapter, and from the sounds of it, that’s been keeping him pretty busy even though they don’t have to deal with the Mambas anymore. They were the rival club that Landon and I came here to get rid of.” I shrugged. “So he’s probably at the clubhouse. Or if not, Neil will be there, he’s the local club president, and he’ll be able to tell me where Landon is. Hopefully.”
“Or,” Mia suggested, looking amused, “you could just call your brother and ask where he is.”
“That might ruin the surprise, though,” I said. “And I’m all about the surprises.”
“I’ll have to remember that,” Mia said, her eyes twinkling. She snuggled in next to me, plucking the binder off the bedside table. “For now, what do you say to ordering some breakfast in bed?”
“Mm, that sounds wonderful. Especially if it includes that country-fried steak and biscuits,” I said, tapping a finger on one of the pictures.
“Ooh, that does look good,” Mia agreed, scanning the menu as well. She phoned in our order and then turned toward me, kissing me hard, her hand slipping down below the sheets to play with my member. We got so caught up in the kissing that we nearly missed the knocking on the door.