Then he plowed into me.
“Yes,” I cried again, taking every ounce of his throbbing shaft. I gripped the pillow above my head, submitting to each powerful thrust he gave me. He was swelling inside me. I knew the instant I felt myself tighten around him.
He pumped his hips as fast and hard as he could. My body bounced each time we collided. And just as he tightened his arms around me, his body froze.
He cursed under his breath. A guttural groan followed. Then I felt him filling me.
It took a moment for our breathing to slow. I lay underneath Ayden, focusing on the way his chest heaved against my back. When it finally eased, he kissed my shoulder and pulled out. Then I heard him sigh. He was content.
So was I.
Leaning on his side, he moved long enough for me to roll over before he wedged himself between my legs again. I thought he was going for round two, but he leaned his head against mine and relaxed.
“Mia?”
“Yes?”
When he eased back, he rubbed his nose with mine. “I want to ask you something, but I’m unsure if I should.”
“You can ask me anything, Ayden. Don’t be afraid to talk to me.”
“I’m not afraid to talk to you, but I am afraid of what your answer might be.”
Cupping his cheek, I stared at him. “You know how I feel about you. There’s nothing to fear.”
He peered toward the side of the bed then back to me. I wasn’t sure what was going through his mind. The longer I waited for him to look at me again, the more concerned I grew.
When I glanced in the same direction he was, I caught a glimpse of something sitting on the nightstand. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust on the object, but when I did, I saw what I appeared to be an opened jewelry box. By the time I realized what was inside, I glanced at Ayden before he uttered the most startling words.
“Will you marry me?”
Chapter 11
~Ayden~
Each time I looked at the ring on Mia’s finger, a huge grin covered my face. She was mine and would be forever. It may not be official yet, at least not on paper. In my heart, it was legitimate.
Asking her to marry me was one of the most challenging things I’d experienced. I’d never been so nervous, not even the first time we made love. Sex was physical. Marriage was emotional. It involved a serious commitment between two people.
Some may argue that Mia and I hadn’t known each other long enough to take this step. To me, it didn’t matter. I’d never felt this way about anyone. My feelings wouldn’t change no matter what we faced in the future. She was it for me.
At least Andi and Bentley had approved. Hearing my friend congratulate me caught me off guard. I figured once Bentley and I were alone he would give me shit for popping the question so soon. Nope. He congratulated me and said something about being my best man. Maybe he was still elated over the news of our album and excited about everything. Who knew?
Lost in my thoughts, I hadn’t noticed Mia looking my way. It wasn’t until she said my name that I snapped out of the daze I was in. Damn, she had a hold over me.
“Are you okay?”
“Never better.” I laced my fingers with hers and squeezed her hand gently. “What about you?”
Her lips curled upward. “I wish we had stayed the entire week in St. George instead of the weekend.”
I chuckled. “I couldn’t agree more. It would be nice to have you to myself for a week with no interruptions. At least we have our honeymoon ahead of us.”
“Oh, if I get my way, that will be a couple weeks long instead of one week.”
“I like the way you think.”
Mia was a lady in every way possible, but when it came to the bedroom, she could be a vixen. She drove me insane with want every second of every hour. I couldn’t wait to make her my wife. Maybe one day, we’d have a family too.
Hell, it may be sooner than I thought. I hadn’t taken any precautions the last few times we’d made love. She never mentioned being on birth control either.
Still, I wouldn’t worry about any of this. If she ended up pregnant, we’d just push up the wedding. I had no problem with it. I doubted she would either. Andi once told me how much Mia wanted a family. She wanted someone to take over Music Haven someday. To think it could be our kid . . .
“What’s got you grinning so big?”
I did my best to hide the smile she noticed. “Nothing. Just thinking about our future. I can’t wait to call you Mrs. McAllister.”
“Mia McAllister . . . I love it.”
As she admired her ring, Max approached us. He slid our drinks toward us then leaned his elbows on the counter. “When were you going to tell me?”
Both Mia and I glanced at each other. Then I noticed him gawking at her finger. I tapped the ring a second later, drawing her attention to it.
“Oh,” she enunciated the word as she admired her ring. “You’re the third person to know, or at least, the third person we’ve told.”
“That’s amazing news, guys. Congratulations.” Max hugged Mia then shook my hand. “You’re a lucky guy, Ayden. Don’t ever forget it.”
“Trust me. I won’t.”
I drew her into my arms and kissed her. It felt good to be open about our relationship now that she wasn’t managing the band. I still wanted her to, as did the guys, but I wouldn’t pressure her. As long as she was part of my life, I was happy.
“Look at you two celebrating like the cute couple you aren’t.” The sarcastic tone of Izzy’s voice jarred me. Like a snap of the finger, my mood went from elated to pissed. What the hell did my ex-girlfriend want this time? I’m sure it was just to torture us with her presence. She had impeccable timing.
Unable to bring myself to look Izzy’s way, I eased back from Mia and observed the bar. “It’s none of your business, Izzy. Go pester someone else for a change.”
“Oh don’t worry. I won’t take up too much of your time . . . Yet.”
She was toying with me. I didn’t want to take the bait, but it was the only thing that would get rid of her. That, or grab Mia by the hand and walk away. I was sure she wouldn’t mind heading to her suite and calling it a night. We’d teased each other about something similar moments ago.
“What do you want, Izzy?” Mia made the decision for me. She placed her hand on my shoulder and peered at her sister. “Come on. You have our attention now. Say what you need and then leave.”
“You’re not getting rid of . . . Wait a second.” Izzy pointed at Mia. “What the hell is that?”
Mia scanned her body. “You’ll have to be more specific.”
This time, Izzy grabbed Mia’s hand. She pointed to the engagement ring I’d given Mia a couple of nights ago. “This. Is this . . .?”
“Yes, Izzy. Ayden and I are engaged.”
Cold eyes darted my way. “Isn’t that your grandmother’s ring?”
Clearing my throat, I straightened my back and prepared for the shitstorm I knew she would cause. “Yeah, it is. My grandmother told me I would know when I’d met the right one. When I did, she wanted me to pass on the family heirloom.”
“I remember you showing it to me. You have no idea how long I waited for you to put it on my finger.”
The thought grated my nerves. I gritted my teeth, doing my best not to let Izzy’s words affect me. In the end, I lost the battle.
“Why would I put it on your finger? My grandmother wants me to give it to the person I want to spend my life with. You never came close.”
It was a dig. I knew that going in, but it had to be said. I wouldn’t sugarcoat this conversation to protect my ex’s feelings. She never did anything to protect mine. God knows she hurt me plenty.
Not anymore.
“We’re trying to enjoy our evening. Would you mind leaving us alone?”
For a moment, I thought she would walk away. She turned her body toward the opposite direction. Before she took her first step, she grabbed something out of her back pocket and f
aced Mia and me again.
“Oh, I almost forgot to show you this.”
I didn’t want to accept the paper she was trying to hand me. Whatever it was, I wanted no part in it. Anything to do with her meant trouble. I’d been in enough. No more. It was time to enjoy my life.
When I did nothing but observe her outstretched hand, she shook the paper. “My arm is getting tired.”
“Then put it down. I don’t know what that is, and I don’t care to find out. Just leave us alone, Izzy.”
Mia snatched the paper out of her hand. “If I look at it, will you leave?”
“I don’t think I’ll be the one leaving.”
Her words sent a chill up my spine. I turned in time to see Mia unfold the paper. Her eyes scanned over it from top to bottom. Then her nostrils flared.
“Is this real?”
“Of course. My name is at the top.”
When Mia faced me, pain filled her eyes. Her reaction was the reason I wouldn’t take the paper from Izzy. She was up to no good.
“Don’t let her fuck with you. I’m sure whatever that paper says is a lie.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Izzy taunted. “It’s kind of hard to fake something like this.”
I grumbled a few curse words under my breath before asking, “Like what?”
“A pregnancy.”
Somewhere deep down inside of me, I knew what Izzy was doing. I’d played her games too many times not to see through her bullshit. She wanted to get a response from me, and the longer I kept my cool, the more I noticed her fidgeting.
When I glanced at the paper Mia was holding, I realized it was a letter from the local health department. It was a generic letter made out to whomever it may concern, but everything after the salutation made my stomach twist.
Further down the letter, there was confirmation that a urine test came back positive and Izzy was pregnant. I flicked the corner of the paper and shook my head. “Wow. Which poor bastard did you trick into doing this? I feel sorry for him.”
“I didn’t trick anyone into anything. This child was created from a passionate night of make-up sex. Congratulations, Ayden. You’re going to be a daddy.”
Fire filled my face. It wasn’t from embarrassment but from anger. I should have seen this coming the morning I found her in my bed. This was a setup. It was too obvious.
“Nice try, Izzy, but I’m calling your bluff. You may be pregnant, but it isn’t mine. We never slept together.”
“You keep saying that for Mia’s benefit, but deep down you know the truth. Like it or not, we slept together the night my sister left.”
“No. We. Didn’t.”
“I guess you were too drunk to remember, even though you said you weren’t. I believed your lies when you said you still loved me. Now you’ve knocked me up and are claiming it isn’t your baby. What an asshole.”
“You’re a liar, Izzy. Stop trying to fuck with my life.”
Mia tugged my arm and pointed to the paper again. “Ayden, based on their calculations, the date of conception is the night I left.”
“So? That doesn’t prove anything. She could have slept with anyone around that time. It doesn’t mean the baby is mine.”
“I know, but—”
“You said you believed me when I told you I didn’t sleep with her.”
Raising my voice caused Mia’s lips to tremble. “I do believe you.”
Guilt twisted inside me for taking my anger with Izzy out on Mia. I was sick of Izzy trying to wedge herself between us. This couldn’t keep happening. I refused to allow it.
“I’m sorry, Mia. I didn’t mean to yell at you.”
“It’s okay. I know your upset.”
Yeah, I was, but it didn’t give me the right to be a jerk to her. I was fighting to protect our relationship not throw it away. Izzy knew this stunt would cause a problem.
“What’s going on?” Bentley’s gruff voice distracted me from responding. He and Andi joined us as both glared in Izzy’s direction.
“Izzy’s pulling another one of her stunts. I think this is the most far-fetched lie she’s created.”
Handing him the paper, he scanned over the letter as Andi did the same. I knew what part they’d reached when their mouth’s opened.
“Unbelievable,” Bentley snorted. “I assume she’s saying you’re the father?”
Nodding, I shifted my gaze back to Izzy. “You can’t stand the thought of me finding happiness with someone besides you. Get over yourself.”
“This isn’t about you and me. This is about our baby. I wanted you to know about it, and the fact that I plan to keep it.”
“I hope you do. Once that baby is born, we’ll have a paternity test done. Then we’ll see who is lying and who is telling the truth.”
I grabbed Mia’s hand, scooted off the stool, and walked toward the entrance. It was time to get away from this madness. Mia had grown quiet, but at least she didn’t bolt this time. That provided me with a smidgen of relief.
Still, I knew we had much to talk about when we got back to the condo. I had to reassure her that Izzy was screwing with us. She said she believed me, but my gut said she was holding everything in. If nothing else happened tonight, I had to convince her of one thing. I wasn’t giving up on us.
The golf cart ride back to the condo was spent in silence. I knew Mia was analyzing everything about this situation. We’d promised each other not to jump to conclusions if someone caused problems. Neither of us wanted a repeat of what happened months ago.
Once we arrived at the condo, Mia parked the cart and pulled the key. I waited near the front of the vehicle until she joined me, and to my surprise, she laced her fingers with mine. We held hands, still not saying a word as we entered the condo and made our way to her suite.
Cool air greeted my skin as I strolled inside. The door clicked closed. The lock engaged. Then Mia was standing in front of me. Her mouth parted as if she was going to speak, but nothing came out.
Pulling her close, I kissed the top of her head and breathed in her sweet scent. “I’m sorry for what—”
“Don’t.” She covered my mouth. When I stopped speaking, she lowered her hand and buried her face into my chest.
“Mia, we have to talk about this.”
“No, we don’t. I don’t want to think about this. I want to go back to earlier when it was just you, me, and this precious ring.”
When she eased away from my chest, her face scrunched. Tears welled in her eyes as she played with the band on her finger, sliding it back and forth as the diamond twinkled under the lights.
A sinking sensation grew in my gut. It spread over my body until it felt as though I weighed a ton. Right now, Izzy’s stunt was paying off. Her lies had gotten the best of Mia and caused doubt to creep into her mind.
Tipping her chin higher, I waited for her eyes to meet mine. “Mia, it’s still just you and me. That hasn’t changed.”
“But my sister is pregnant.”
“It’s not mine.”
She chewed on her bottom lip and avoided looking at me. I couldn’t read her thoughts, but I knew a million things were rolling through her mind. Some of it wasn’t good.
“Ayden, I believe you when you say that you didn’t sleep with her. But what if you were drunk enough to black-out?” She shook her head when I tried to argue. “Listen to me. I get that you’ve never been so drunk you’ve blacked out, but it can happen. You were in terrible shape that night and not yourself. What if you don’t remember sleeping with her?”
Her words crushed me, but I didn’t react. I processed each one. She was right. There was a slim chance that I did drink enough to black out. If that were the case, it was possible I’d had sex with Izzy. Still, as much as I despised her, I couldn’t imagine myself stooping to that level.
“Your sister disgusts me. Drunk or not, there’s no way I would sleep with her. I don’t care what she claims. That baby isn’t mine. Hell, for all we know, she had someone piss for her. I don’
t believe she’s pregnant, and I won’t until I see proof.” The words no sooner came out than I had an epiphany. “What about the resident doctor, Chris Edison? He could run another test, couldn’t he?”
She nodded. “Chris has a sonogram machine too. One of the local ob-gyn doctors comes in twice a week to see our female staff. Chris knows how to use the machine. If Izzy is pregnant, he will be able to see it on the sonogram.”
Perfect. It’s exactly what I needed to hear. Izzy wasn’t going to torment Mia and me for the next few months. I was out to prove once and for all that she was lying.
“Let’s put an end to this madness before it begins.”
Mia’s face scrunched again. “What do you mean?”
“If Izzy wants anyone to take her seriously, she has to prove she’s actually pregnant. That stupid letter she gave us doesn’t prove shit. I say we go find Izzy and tell her to have a sonogram. At least we’ll know if she’s lying.”
Mia glanced at the clock. “You want to do this tonight?”
“Yes. I’m guessing Izzy will refuse to have one done because she’s not really pregnant. She’s lying in hopes of causing us to break up again.”
Massaging her forehead, Mia released a sigh. “Even if she agrees to have the sonogram, it won’t prove the baby is yours. We’ll have to wait for a paternity test.”
“That’s fine with me.”
Her hand fell to her side as she scoffed. “Ayden, Izzy will cause nothing but strife for us the entire time she’s pregnant. Do you want to go through that?”
“We have no other choice. I’m not going to lose you again.”
“And what if the baby is yours?”
I stuttered for an answer. This whole time I was figuring out a way to prove my innocence. What if I was wrong and I had drunk too much to remember sleeping with her? I refused to believe it was possible. Yet something else was, and that thought concerned me the most.
Was it possible that Izzy had managed to get my dick hard enough to screw me while I was passed out?
Love Damaged: Rock-N-Roll Heiress Book 2 Page 12