by Tia Siren
“Brad.”
“Mia,” he said, walking into the bathroom and doing a quick sweep before grabbing my suitcase and moving to the door. “Where are your shoes?”
“Brad, I’m not dressed,” I mumbled.
He looked me up and down. “You look dressed to me.”
“I’m not,” I said, waving a hand over my body. “I can’t go anywhere like this.”
He walked close to me and gave me a quick, soft kiss on the lips. “The woman I love would never turn down one of the nicest honeymoon suites on the strip.”
I gasped and looked up to gaze directly into his eyes. He wasn’t joking. I found myself at a complete loss for words even though there were about a million questions forming in my brain. I turned to look at the bed where I had kicked off my shoes before climbing into bed last night.
I walked over and slid the heels on, not caring how ridiculous the shoes looked with what I had on. My face was devoid of makeup and my hair probably resembled something of a beehive hit by a tornado. I walked to where he was standing at the door and questioned him again with my eyes. His only response was to grin.
He pulled open the door, gestured for me to walk out first, and then shut it behind us. Somewhere in the back of my stunned mind, I was glad it was really early. Most people would still be in bed, meaning no one would see me roaming the halls of the hotel looking like a bad hangover.
He pushed the button for the elevator, grinning like a fool the entire time. I looked up at him, watching him closely, wondering what the hell he was up to.
“I’m happy to see you, too,” he said with a smile.
I nodded. Words refused to form and pass my lips. I could only stare at him. I wondered if I was in a dream. Maybe I was actually still passed out on the bed in my hotel room. That would make sense. This was the kind of thing that happened in dreams.
I relaxed a little and decided to go along for the ride. I would wake up soon enough and start my day all over again.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Brad
The woman beside me was unnaturally quiet, and I was a little worried. She didn’t look well. I wasn’t sure if that was because of my surprise appearance or a late night. Regardless, I was quite proud of my ability to render her speechless. My plan to surprise her had worked. Hopefully, the rest of my plan would go as well. I slid the card key in the door, waited for the green light, and pushed it open.
I heard her gasp and looked down to see the reaction on her face. The room was gorgeous. It had taken some work to get it, but I was glad I had.
“Nice, huh?” I said with a smile. “Better than your original room.”
Her eyes were wide, and she nodded her head. She didn’t say a word. I realized she was still in shock and gently pushed her into the room before turning to grab our suitcases. The woman looked catatonic. I left her inside the door and dragged the suitcases into the separate bedroom. I smiled when I saw the huge bed sprinkled with rose petals. It was perfect. I put the bags in the closet before checking out the adjoining bathroom. The huge Jacuzzi tub was going to make Mia a happy woman.
“Wait until you see the bathroom,” I said, walking back to where I hoped she would be checking out the rest of the room.
When I went back into the living area, she was standing in the middle looking around the luxurious space. She still wasn’t talking. The woman couldn’t be all that surprised. I mean, she did tell me where she was going, and I had surprised her before. I kind of figured she would be expecting me. I hadn’t been entirely sure Helga wouldn’t tell her. I had hoped she wouldn’t and had begged her not to, but ultimately, I knew her loyalties were with Mia.
I walked closer to her and waved a hand in front of her face. “Mia, babe? You’re kind of freaking me out a little. Are you seriously hungover or what? Are you sick? Should I call a doctor?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Maybe a little hair of the dog will help you find your ability to speak again,” I said, walking to the bottle of champagne sitting in a bucket of ice.
I took in her appearance and realized she was looking a little green. I had gotten in late last night myself and been told there was a big fashion event happening in the hotel. Initially, I was going to surprise her by showing up to the party but changed my mind. I wanted my surprise to be a bit more private and a lot more special. I had decided to wait to make my grand entrance, expecting to be met with open arms and what I hoped would be a lot of sex.
I hadn’t wanted her to think I was crashing her party, so I gave her some space last night. Now I was thinking I should have shown up and taken care of her. Someone should have cut her off last night. I was instantly pissed at the people she was with for letting her get so drunk. In the back of my mind, I thanked my lucky stars some asshole hadn’t tried to take advantage of her. I wasn’t quite sure how I would have handled showing up to her hotel room early in the morning and finding another man in there with her. That could have gotten really ugly really fast.
“Mia?” I said, standing at the bar in the room and looking over the assortment of liquor. “Can I pour you a glass of champagne, or do you need something a little stronger? Shot of whiskey? Maybe you just need some water?”
She blinked several times before looking at the bottles and then the champagne. “No. I can’t.”
I shrugged a shoulder, deciding I was going to pour her one anyway when it hit me. I froze mid-reach for a bottle. Her reply was replaying in my head. It wasn’t right. I looked back at her and saw her standing there, still shell-shocked. I put down the champagne flute and walked toward her. My brain was in overdrive. I didn’t want to jump to conclusions.
“You can’t?” I asked, feeling as if I had been chewing on cotton. My mouth was so dry, I was barely able to get the words out.
Can’t was not won’t. There was a huge difference in her choice of words. If she didn’t want a drink, she would have said she didn’t want one, or no thank you. Instead, she said she couldn’t have one. She was a grown woman. She could do as she pleased. I was afraid to acknowledge what her word choice meant. I stood in front of her, my heart racing as I used one finger to gently lift her chin, making her look at me.
“You can’t?” I asked again.
She shook her head. “No, I can’t.”
I gulped down the lump in my throat. “Why can’t you have a drink, Mia?” I asked, holding my breath as I waited for her reply.
She looked up at me, staring at me as if she could see right into my soul. “I don’t think it would be good for the baby.”
My world tilted as the words sank in. She had said it so matter-of-factly, I almost didn’t believe the words. I was convinced my brain had substituted baby for belly. She couldn’t be. She would have told me. I knew how much she wanted a baby and how excited she must be to be pregnant.
I reached a hand out to her flat belly. “The baby?” I croaked out. “It’s not good for the baby?” I repeated the words, clarifying what she had said.
She nodded her head. “Yes, I’m pregnant. Drinking alcohol wouldn’t be good for the baby. Plus, I’m dealing with some morning sickness and don’t even want to think about drinking.”
Grinning, I barely stopped myself from hooting with glee. I had gotten her pregnant. I felt virile, like a real man. I had done something amazing. I could feel my chest puffing up with pride. When I met her eyes again, she was glaring at me.
“What’s wrong? You’re not happy about this? We’re pregnant, Mia!”
“I’m pregnant.”
It felt as if ice water had been dumped over my head. “It’s mine,” I stated, not asked.
I knew it was mine. Mia was not the type to sleep around, and she had told me it had been a while since she’d slept with anyone else. I knew she wouldn’t cheat on me, even if we hadn’t been officially together. In my mind, we had been.
With that realization, a new slew of emotions cascaded over me. “It’s mine and you didn’t tell me you were pregnant!
What the fuck?”
She flinched at my sudden change in demeanor. “Excuse me?” she said, her own temper clearly rising. “I don’t have to tell you anything.”
“I know that’s my baby. Don’t try to tell me otherwise. And if you do say that, I’m going to be kicking some serious ass,” I said, glaring at her. “I know you didn’t cheat on me.”
“Of course it’s yours, you ass! I didn’t cheat on you because we aren’t together!”
“Yes, we are! Were you even going to tell me?” I shouted.
“Don’t you dare yell at me!” she yelled back.
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm. I couldn’t yell at the mother of my child. I did not want the first memory my child had of me to be me yelling at its mother.
“How long have you known?” I asked, feeling betrayed by her secrecy.
She shrugged a shoulder and refused to look at me.
“How long, Mia?”
“A week or two,” she mumbled.
I felt as if I had been kicked in the stomach. “What the hell? You knew and you didn’t tell me? You’ve been dodging my calls and ignoring my texts up until a couple days ago. You weren’t going to tell me, were you?”
“I was going to tell you. It wasn’t like it was going to change anything. I was just waiting until the right time. I didn’t want to tell you in case I miscarried.”
“Miscarried?” I asked, suddenly terrified.
“I’m not saying I’m going to, but it happens. I just didn’t want to go through all this if we didn’t have to. Besides, me being pregnant doesn’t change anything between us. We are at an impasse.”
“It changes everything!”
She shook her head. “Not for me it doesn’t. I don’t want to get married because of a stupid pact, and I definitely don’t want to get married just because I’m pregnant.”
I took a few deep breaths. This was my fault. I hadn’t told her how I felt and had nearly lost her and the child I had created with her. I vowed right then and there to be better at telling her how I felt.
I took a step toward her. She looked up at me, weariness on her face. “Brad,” she whispered.
“Shh,” I told her, reaching out one hand to stroke her cheek.
She shook her head. “It can’t be about sex alone. I want more.”
I nodded my head, bent down, and picked her up. She looked at me with resignation on her face as I carried her into the bedroom and laid her on top of the huge four-poster bed. She watched as I pulled her leggings down before moving to pull her shirt over her head.
“Why do you want me to marry you? What are you looking for?” I asked, staring down at her gorgeous body.
“I want love, Brad. I don’t want convenience. I want a marriage built on love. A family made from love. A pact isn’t going to give us what we’re both looking for,” she said softly.
I could hear the sadness in her voice. It hurt me to see her in pain. “Okay.”
She shook her head. “No, you don’t understand. I don’t want you to marry me because you feel obligated. I want you to marry me because you love me.”
I smiled. “Okay.”
“What?” she asked.
I stripped off my shirt, anxious to have her. She moved to cover herself.
“Don’t,” I ordered, grabbing her hand from between her legs. I wanted to look at her, all of her, even the most intimate places. I had seen it all before, but it was like I was seeing her with a fresh set of eyes. She was my woman. She was the mother of my child and my future wife. Hopefully, the wife thing wasn’t that far in our future.
I reached for my belt, ready to strip down and bury myself deep inside her. The look on her face made me stop. She looked worried, scared, and even a little angry.
“Mia?”
She sighed. “Brad, I’m not denying we have great sex. I like sex with you. It is amazing. It just isn’t enough for me.”
I smirked. “Baby, I know it’s enough for you.”
The look on her face told me that was not what she meant, and she didn’t find my comment funny at all. She made a move to wiggle away from me. Her arm snaked out as she reached for the blanket.
“No,” I said in a voice that left no room for arguing.
She dropped the blanket.
“The woman I love doesn’t hide herself from me.”
She stared into my eyes, and I saw the moment the words hit home. It had certainly took long enough. She moved her hand away from her breast, looking at me with such love, I nearly came in my pants. I ripped my belt off and shucked my pants.
“That’s better,” I said with a grin before climbing on the bed beside her.
I was going to tell her and show her in every way I knew how. I wanted her to know I loved her with every fiber of my being. Actions spoke louder than words. I was about ready to prove that old saying true.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Mia
Did he actually just say what I thought he said? I couldn’t have heard him right. Then I remembered what he had said when he showed up at the hotel room door. He loved me? The man had an odd way of saying things. In fact, he didn’t actually come right out and say the three little words. He bandied them about in conversation.
I opened my mouth to ask him. Instead of words leaving my mouth, his tongue filled it as his hand ran up my nude body. I would have to ask him later. For now, I wanted to enjoy what he was doing to my body.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispered as he ran a trail of kisses over my jawbone. “I want you so bad.”
“Have me,” I murmured.
“I’m going to. I’m going to have you in every way.”
He stopped kissing and rose over me, looking down at me. “Are you feeling okay though? I mean, is this okay?”
I smiled and nodded, feeling emboldened. “I’m feeling horny and wet if that’s what you’re asking. Don’t hold back. My body is primed and ready. We can do what we normally would,” I assured him.
His mouth slammed into mine with a ravenous kiss. I could barely breathe as he pressed his mouth to my lips, shoving his tongue deep into my mouth. My hands went to his back, my nails digging into the skin. I could feel his erection pressing against my thigh. I moaned low in my throat and tried to move under him. I wanted him inside me.
“Slow down,” he murmured against my cheek. “I want to enjoy every minute of this.”
I whimpered. “I need you.”
“I know, baby. I know.”
His mouth moved to suckle my breasts with such tenderness, I wanted to weep. My hands moved down his back, raking a trail across his skin as I moved to his ass. I squeezed hard, digging my nails in, demanding more.
He got the message. “You want me inside you?” he growled.
“Yes!”
“I don’t know if you’re ready,” he whispered, running one finger up my slit.
I was soaked, drenched with need. “I’m ready.”
“I don’t know,” he said, running his finger around my hole but not pushing in.
I whimpered. “Please.”
“Please what, Mia? What do you want?”
“I want you.”
“You want me to do what?” he asked, still circling my pussy and softly running his finger up and down my clit.
“Fuck me.”
“Ask nicely.”
I groaned as his fingers spread my lips wide. Air brushed over my exposed center, making me wild with need.
“Fuck me!” I shouted, feeling desperate.
“Uh-huh. You didn’t ask,” he said, kissing my neck and then firmly sucking the sensitive skin while holding my lips wide.
My pussy contracted, waiting to be filled.
“Oh God,” I moaned, feeling the stirrings of what I knew was only the first climax he would give me. “Please fuck me?”
A single finger shoved inside me. My pussy exploded around it, welcoming the invasion. I bucked and writhed on the bed while his finger moved in and out. His mo
uth was moving over my neck, sucking and biting little bits of skin.
He rolled to his back, reaching for me to move me on top of him. I leaned down and kissed him as I straddled his thighs, ready to impale myself on his hard dick. His hands moved to my hips, easing me down slowly over his cock.
I sat up and looked down at him. His eyes were squeezed close and his jaw was clenched as I slowly lowered my pussy over his dick, taking him in one inch at a time.
“Fuck!” he managed to get out between his gritted teeth.
I rotated my hips, taking him a little deeper. Being completely filled by the man I loved was turning me on more than I had ever been.
“Don’t move,” he ordered. “Don’t fucking move.”
I stayed where I was, watching him drag in deep breaths. His cock was vibrating inside me with each breath. He moved back a couple inches on the bed, driving into me and striking a nerve deep within my pussy.
I gasped as the sensation slammed into me. “Oh!”
He watched me and jerked up again.
“Oh God,” I moaned, feeling my toes curl.
“You like that?” he asked.
I nodded my head before letting it drop back. My hair brushed over my back, and I realized it had somehow come out of the bun. I put my hands in my hair and shook it out.
“Oh, shit,” he groaned. “God damn you’re so fucking hot. Do it again!”
I rolled my head back and forth while holding my hair up and away from my neck.
He jerked up, a slight motion with his hips. “Ride me,” he ordered.
My hands dropped to his chest, my fingers running over his nipples and squeezing as I rocked back and forth in a slow, steady motion.
“Harder!”
I rocked forward before forcefully impaling myself on his dick.
“More!”
My body sprang into action, riding him hard and fast. I felt as if I were on a bucking bronco when he started bouncing on the bed below me, his thrusts hitting high. I pinched his nipples and pulled. He shouted out something incoherent. I couldn’t hear anything but the blood rushing through my ears as I rode out the longest orgasm of my life.