Earning Her Love

by Hazel Gower

  “That explains why I’m hungry. I eat dinner with Zane at six, and at the hospital they brought our meals at five-thirty. We missed lunch too.” She threw his jeans in his direction.

  Putting on his jeans, he gathered his other clothes. Once he was dressed, he helped her get dressed and find the items she wanted to take with her.

  “I’m going to buy us some takeout food. What do you feel like?” he asked. “We pass quite a few options on the way from your house.”

  “Macdonald. I think this Macca’s should be better than our first.”

  Alex winked at her as he flung her now packed backpack over his shoulder. “Yeah, this time you won’t have to pretend you’re not watching me.”

  “Ha, I was not.”

  Alex opened her apartment door and she hobbled to him. He closed the door, making sure it was locked, then leaned down and picked her up, cradling her in his arms and laying her crutches across her. She smiled up at him, and he could see how happy she was.

  He was right, it took them a good half an hour to get dressed and finish getting what she needed from her place, before they sat in his car on their way to get food and go back to his house.

  Chapter 4

  Mia hadn’t stayed in the guest bedroom Alex had assigned her. When they got home she had every intention of eating, then maybe watching a movie or reading, but Alex was just so sexy. Mia had never gotten to enjoy her sexuality, and being with Alex was not only amazing, it was exhilarating. She told herself to have fun for once. Alex was old enough that he wasn’t scared of responsibility, and she was on the pill and a consenting adult. If Zane was around she knew she wouldn’t be acting so reckless.

  Mia tested her feelings as she opened her eyes and stared at Alex’s muscular chest. Did she regret what she’d done with him? No. He made her feel so many things, like lust, passion, and pleasure, but right now none was regret. Since meeting him he’d treated her with respect and care. He was amazing with her son, and even knowing him for such a short time she knew he would do anything for her. That wasn’t all though. He made her feel beautiful. She got tingles and her stomach was full of butterflies just from just being close to him. It was more than she could ever hope to feel for a man.

  “Morning, sweetheart.” His deep, rumbly voice was so sexy.

  Easing away from him, she wiggled up to her pillow. “Morning. Do you want the bathroom, or can I take it first?”

  “You can use my ensuite. I’ll use the one down the hall.” He sat up, and Mia felt heat rise on her cheeks as her gaze went straight to his abs and over to his tattooed arms. He was a masterpiece, and with so many tats she would never picture him for a cop. “I’ll be right back. I’m just going to get one of the large bags for your leg and the tape.”

  He got off the bed naked, and she couldn’t help the giggle that escaped as his arse flashed her. Wow, he was perfect everywhere. Mia hadn’t known she was an arse woman, but damn, Alex had buns of steel. He didn’t seem to care that he was buck arse naked as he left the room.

  Moving up to a sitting position and using her cast leg with its heaviness, she swung it around and shuffled her other leg to meet it, then slid to the edge of the bed, ready for Alex. He came in with the items and knelt before her like some knight as he placed the waterproof bag over her cast and used the tape to seal it on. Standing, he picked her up and carried her to the bathroom, sitting her on the toilet seat. He set the shower up and then helped her in. One of her hands gripped the soap holder and her other held his arm as she got her balance.

  “Do you need me to stay?”

  She bit her lips to hold her laughter in, he sounded so serious.

  “I’ll go get your toiletry bag and a towel, but when I get back I can help.” He raised his eyebrow, and she couldn’t hold it in and cracked up laughing.

  “Oh, I have no doubt you could help, but I think I can handle showering myself. I’ll yell if I need you.”

  He smirked, nodded, and placed her hand on the wall to help balance her. “Be right back.”

  He left and this time she didn’t feel as bad when she focused on his arse. When he was out of sight, she dunked herself under the water, enjoying the warmth on muscles she didn’t even know could ache, but it was a good ache because it reminded her of the wild night she’d had. Alex was insatiable.

  When they’d arrived back at his house, he’d carried her up the stairs, and when he went up the second flight and didn’t even get winded, she’d kissed him and he’d changed direction and placed her on the bed in the end bedroom. She’d caught a glimpse of the room when he sat her down before taking her mouth again, and she knew he’d taken her to his room, because his clothes were on the floor and his watch and change sat on the bedside table. Alex made love to her and then later in the night awoken her to fuck her.

  Mia was one satisfied woman. She didn’t even know she could orgasm as much as she had. She closed her eyes and dunked her head under the water.

  “I have everything here. I’m sitting the towel on the bathroom vanity.”

  Opening her eyes, she looked at Alex. He smiled and handed her the toiletry bag.

  “Thanks. Give me a good fifteen. I want to wash my hair, and then can you come back and help me?”

  “Sure.” He leaned in and kissed her, and Mia hoped that they worked out, because so far she was really enjoying having a boyfriend.

  * * * *

  Alex had never walked into his parents’ house with a woman. Not that his mother hadn’t asked him to bring a girlfriend, he just never had, but Mia was different. He knew even if they weren’t there to pick her son up, he’d still be bringing her around to meet his parents.

  “Mum, we’re here,” he yelled as he slammed the door.

  “Muuummmyyy!” A hurricane of blond hair and energy came running toward them, and before he had a chance to knock his target over Alex grabbed him.

  “Hey, buddy.” He held Zane as he wiggled in his arms, eager to get to his mum. “Remember yesterday before I dropped you off at Grandma and Grandpa’s, that I told you when your mum gets home we have to be super careful with her?”

  Zane nodded, but Alex had a feeling he didn’t understand.

  “Hey, baby. Mummy missed you so much, but Mummy has ouches, so you have to be very careful. Can you be super careful?”

  Zane nodded. “Uh-huh, but guess what?”

  Mia chuckled. “What, baby?”

  “Isa got a room here now. It has trucks on the wall, and Uncles Owens said he’d take me if you said yes to see some real trucks. How cool, Mum. Hey. You’ll says yes. I just knows you will.” Zane’s big eyes widened, and Alex walked slowly toward to the lounge room so Mia could sit down. “Yous knows what one of the bestest thing is, Mum? I gots a Skylander bedspread.” He was so excited he was practically screaming.

  Alex glanced at Mia, and her smile and light in her eyes as she stared at her son was breathtaking. She was gorgeous. “Baby, you’ve been super spoiled.”

  Alex couldn’t help but chuckle when Zane nodded. “Yeah, I have. Grandma and Grandpa have beens real good. I love them.”

  Tears slipped down Mia’s cheeks, and she sniffled.

  “Zane, how about we go get your mummy the cookies we baked her while Alex helps your mum get settled?” His mother took Zane from his arms. He hadn’t even heard her walk down the hall, because he was so focused on Mia. Alex loved his parents and knew how lucky he was to have them. He knew his parents would come to love Mia just like they did Lana, Chad’s wife.

  * * * *

  Mia was so overwhelmed. Her life right now felt like a dream. If it was, she never wanted to wake up. This amazing family had taken her and Zane in and treated them as if they were their own. They’d made a room for her son and looked after him as if he was their flesh and blood. The light in her son’s eyes as he spoke of Alex’s parents as Grandma and Grandpa was blinding. Zane was so happy. He was usually an easy going, happy little boy, but the joy and happiness she’d just seen in his eyes was
like nothing she’d ever seen before. It filled her heart to almost bursting, and Mia knew she could never repay the Douglases for their kindness and all they had given her. Nothing had been this perfect ever.

  “I don’t know how I’m ever going to repay you and your family,” she sobbed.

  “Hey, no crying.” Alex gathered her to him on the sofa, embracing her in a hug that had her melting against him. “You don’t need to repay me or our family. We haven’t done anything special.”

  “Ha. Yes, you have. Without you and your family I don’t know what I would have done these last couple of weeks.” Pushing against Alex’s chest, she eased back and stared up at him. “You have all been like guardian angels to me. And you, Alex, have been more of a father to Zane than any other man in his life. Thank you. I know thank you is nowhere near enough for what you and your family have done for me and my son, but I’ll say it to you every day if it’ll help.”

  The sound of sniffling to her left had Mia glancing over to see Alex’s mother, Catharine, standing there with tears rolling down her cheeks. “Oh, sweetie, you have nothing to thank us for. Zane is a blessing, and you are a welcome new member to our family. There is no need to thank us.” Catharine walked further into the lounge room and came over, leaned down, and hugged Mia tight. After a good couple minutes or so Catharine patted her back and eased away, standing. “Enough crying now, love. Let’s go into the kitchen to eat some of these cookies your son helped me make, and then he can show you his room.” Catharine winked at her. “I wouldn’t worry about the room too much. It’s Alex’s old room. He wasn’t using it.”

  “You’re amazing. Thank you so much.” Mia smiled at Catharine and fell instantly in love with her.

  Alex shuffled to the edge of the couch, and Mia reached over for her crutches only to squeal when Alex’s arms hooked under her and he grunted and stood, cradling her in his arms.

  “Hey, put me down.” Mia whacked his chest. Catharine laughed. “You’re going to hurt yourself. Put me down, Alex.”

  His arms gripped her tighter, and he shook his head. “No. Never.”

  * * * *

  They’d spent the rest of the day at his parents’ house, and even ended up having dinner there. Zane slept in his car seat, and Mia sat with her head resting against the window of the car with her eyes closed as he drove into his garage. He parked and wasn’t surprised when he stopped the car that Mia didn’t wake. She’d had a big couple of days, and what they’d done last night and this morning had probably worn her out too.

  Slipping out of the car, he shut the door and went over and unlocked the door to the house, getting the doorstop and wedging it in to keep it open. He then went to the back passenger door to get Zane out. He carefully undid the seat belt and gently lifted the sleeping child into his arms. He took Zane straight to his room, placing him on his bed, taking his shoes off and tucking him in under the covers.

  “Goodnight, little buddy. Sweet dreams, my boy.” He kissed his forehead and left to fetch his mother.

  Mia was still in the same position as when he’d left. Slowly, he opened her passenger door, careful of her leaning on it, and gathered her against him so he could carry her inside. As he hooked his arms under her she moaned and turned in toward him. Smiling, he held her close as he eased away, mindful of her cast leg.

  Alex took her up the steps to the bedrooms, pausing at the top step and debating about where he should put her. He wanted her in his bed with him, like she’d been last night, but Alex knew with her son now there she might not agree. Going to the guest room, he paused at the threshold and gazed down at the beautiful woman in his arms. She looked so content, so peaceful. A small smile graced her lips and she sighed, snuggling her head against him. Damn, so much for good intentions; he couldn’t sleep without her. They were together now. Zane would have to get used to them together. Alex wanted Mia with him. They were both adults, she could sleep with him.

  Backing out of the guest room, he went to his bedroom and laid Mia gently on the bed. He undid her shoe and she groaned and mumbled nonsense about not wanting to move and to let her sleep just a little more as he undressed her and put one of his shirts on her. She didn’t wake, and when they were done she burrowed under the covers.

  Alex chuckled as he stripped himself down to his boxers. Mia was a deep sleeper. He bet a bomb could go off and she wouldn’t wake. Slipping into bed, he smiled as Mia inched closer to him, her arms snaking out to hold onto him. Happy, he closed his eyes, content in knowing he’d made the right choice in not only being with her, but bringing her into his bed. They would deal with Zane if he had any questions, because there was no way he was giving this up.

  * * * *

  Mia could hear whispering near her.

  “I know you want to wake Mummy, but your mum needs sleep. Remember I told you about her needing rest so she can get better again and play with you?”

  “Aha, I so remembers. I love my mummy, ands I want her better so she can play with me again.”

  Mia kept her eyes closed a little longer just to listen to Alex and Zane. Her lips curled up in the corners as she smiled, listening to them.

  “Good, buddy. How about we get up and make her a special breakfast?”

  Zane squealed with joy, and Alex shushed him and groaned, “Quiet, bud.”

  Mia couldn’t help the chuckle that slipped free. They sounded so cute. Slowly, she opened her eyes with a smile on her face. But what she saw had that smile turning into a frown. Why was she in Alex’s bedroom? Gazing up and to her left, she saw her son sitting on Alex’s bare chest. What the hell?

  Curious even more so now, she stretched her arm under the cover, checking to see if Alex was underneath, and her fingers met with bare skin. “Why am I here? Why are you here?” she blurted.

  Zane giggled. “Silly Mummy. Mummies and daddies are supposed to sleep in the same bed.”

  Sitting up, Mia stared at her son, wondering where he’d heard that. She didn’t have to wait long as he continued.

  “Guess what else Olivia told me?” Olivia was Alex’s niece.

  “Er, um…I don’t know, baby.”

  “She said if girls kiss boys that’s how babies are made.” Zane giggled. “I told her that’s wrong cos I kiss you all the time.” He rolled his eyes. “So she went and asked her daddy and came back and told me that yous gotta sleep like mummies and daddies in the same bed, and I have to sleep over at Grandpa and Grandma lots. Olivia said she’s always staying at Grandma and Grandpa’s, so she gunna have lots of brothers and sisters.”

  Mia bit her lip to keep from laughing.

  “Are you gunna kiss Alex and make a baby? I like Grandpa and Grandma. So I can stay at their house lots. I wanna brother. Can I have one? Pleasssee.” His little lips trembled as he pouted and begged.

  Mia’s face felt hot, and she knew she was probably bright red. Embarrassed beyond belief, and momentarily stunned silent, Mia avoided looking at Alex. Oh God, her kid had no filter. Closing her eyes, she wished the ground would open up and she could sink down and it would close again.

  She heard a chuckle, soft at first, but then it got louder until it turned into a full-blown laugh. Opening her eyes, she glared at Alex, who was in hysterics. “This is all your fault,” she mumbled.

  With that he laughed harder. He shook his head and between chuckles said, “Buddy, it takes a little more than that.”

  Zane’s happy little smile vanished and he deflated. “Oh, well, what yous got to do then? Cos I really wanna brother.”

  Ha, that shut Alex up. He stopped laughing instantly, his eyes going wide as if he just realized what he’d done. Mia smirked as Alex gave her a pleading stare.

  “Baby, what Olivia said is sort of true.”

  “It is?” Zane started smiling again.

  “Ah, yeah. You have to kiss, and mummies and daddies have to sleep, but er…well…” Mia was about to say you have to love someone, but she knew firsthand that you didn’t. She didn’t love Zane’s father,
and she hadn’t been married to him either, so she couldn’t say that. Unable to think of what else to say without telling him things he was way too young for, Mia added the only other thing she could think of. “You’ve got to hug a lot too, and other things that I’ll tell you about when you’re an adult.”

  Zane nodded. “Okay. Well, yous can do that? Yous are adults.”

  Crap, this wasn’t going at all well. Looking at Alex, Mia mouthed A little help? She figured since it was his niece telling Zane things and Zane finding Alex in bed with her, that had probably started this idea in her son’s head.

  “Your mum needs to get better first.”

  Mia was shocked when not only did this seem to work, but that Alex had basically just told Zane that when she got better she and Alex would try for a baby.

  Zane nodded and climbed off the bed. “Let’s make Mummy breakfast.”

  “Sure, buddy.” Alex winked at her and followed her son as he ran out of the room. He stopped at the entry. “Sorry. I’ll learn.”

  Mia knew what he meant; he shouldn’t have told her son there was more. “It’s okay. Kids are sponges. They soak up everything anyone tells them or they hear.”

  Alex nodded. “Yeah, I’m learning that. I maybe should have put you in the spare room. I was being selfish and wanted you with me.”

  Mia wasn’t sure how she felt about Alex placing her in his room and not the spare one. They had slept together the night before, but Zane hadn’t been around. Zane had never seen her sleep in any bed other than her own, let alone sleep with a man. “This has to be what you want. I like you, Alex, but I don’t want Zane to get confused if you don’t want us as a package.”

  Alex smiled at her. “I know. I want this.” He left and Mia let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

  * * * *

  Alex had gone over to help his brother Owen move into his new house. Beth sat next to Mia, and Landon and Zane sat on the floor before them playing Skylanders on the Xbox that Alex had hooked up to his big, flat screen TV. Zane was in heaven. He thought the huge TV hooked up to the Xbox was the coolest thing in the world. Alex hadn’t wanted to help his brother as he had to be back at work on Monday and he wanted to spend his last two days with Mia and Zane, but she felt bad because he’d given up so much time to be with them already.