The Dirty Dozen: Damsel Edition

by Kay Maree

  She smiled to herself as she let the warm fragrant bubbles kiss her skin. As she touched her cheek, she remembered the feeling of his lips kissing her there when he was preparing to leave. Once again, from deep inside herself, she felt the urge which had driven her to place both her hands on his cheeks and kiss him hard on the lips. The action had taken her by surprise, just as much as it had surprised him, and they’d shared a small laugh when they pulled apart. It was a moment Mia was sure would stay with her for a long time to come. It also made her more interested to see Colton again to see if those sorts of moments would repeat themselves.

  Mia closed her eyes and took a few minutes to run her hands over her skin, feeling the touch of her fingertips and fooling herself into believing they were Colton’s fingers. It didn’t take long for her body to react to the fantasy, moving gently in the warm water and imagining him there with her. Usually her fantasies took a long time to excite her, but this time was different. Almost from the first moment, she’d been fully engaged in the feelings and sensations her mind was conjuring. She rode the wave for as long as she could hang on, then let herself fall into an orgasm which was unlike any she’d produced in the past. Maybe, just maybe, that sort of moment would repeat itself with Colton if things progressed with him… Mmm… Maybe.

  Chapter Four

  By the time Wednesday night’s dinner date rolled around, Mia had weathered the barrage of questions Meredith and Phoebe had hit her with each day. Mostly she waved them off, telling them she didn’t know enough about Colton to answer them, but there were some she didn’t mind answering. These were the ones about what she saw in him and where they were going for dinner. He was undeniable handsome, even her friends and to admit that, and he was taking her to one of her favourite restaurants overlooking the harbour for dinner. Of course, the girls wanted to know more, but there was nothing more to tell, at least not yet.

  Her parents were a different story though. There were questions going both ways between them, but mostly from Mia. After talking with Colton on the night of her party, she had a long list of things she’d never given any thought to before that she really wanted to know now. Until the night of her party, she’d been so self-absorbed she’d never been aware of what her father’s company actually did. All that had mattered was that there was an unending supply of money to finance the extravagant lifestyle she’d become accustomed to. Now she wondered, if her father was in a position to donate money to renovate homeless shelters around the region, what else was he doing that she’d been oblivious to. Suddenly, asking for a convertible sports car didn’t seem so very important after all, although she was still keen to learn to drive, it was no longer a priority in the same way it had been.

  Gina was keen for all the inside gossip about a developing relationship between Mia and Colton, which Mia was just as keen to deny, reminding her mother that they’d met for the first time on Saturday night and hadn’t seen each other since so there was no relationship to speak of. It seemed that her mother and her circle of friends had been watching Mia and Colton intently as they danced and chatted at the party and already had them all but married off. Mia was horrified, silently acknowledging that this was probably one of the reasons she’d never shown any interest in any of the eligible young men who were regularly presented as partner options to herself and her friends. Being the subject of this type of gossip wasn’t high on Mia’s list of life achievements. She’d much rather have had the older women discussing how beautiful she’d looked in her black beaded dress, or how exquisitely the venue had been decorated. Luckily, Gina was easily distracted with talk of her upcoming trip to Italy and questions about what she had left to pack. These questions sent her mother scampering back up to her room to unpack and repack her suitcase at least once a day, and gave Mia and her father an excuse to share a chuckle at her expense. These were also the moments when Mia could ask Antonio the questions about his business that she knew he wouldn’t answer in front of his wife.

  “In the early days, we bought cheap and neglected old homes and warehouses,” Antonio began the story of his business. “After some minor aesthetic repairs, we were able to resell them for a tidy profit. Each time we bought and sold a property we made sure to invest almost all the profit, only holding back what we needed for the next project we’d earmarked.”

  Mia listened carefully as her father explained how he and his group of friends had quickly built an empire which grew exponentially each time they closed a deal. Always, in the back of Antonio’s mind, was finding ways to help people who were struggling to survive in the community. The more money his group made, the further afield they were able to spread their help. When his original business partners decided to retire early, Antonio had continued doing all the things that had made their fortunes, involving various other investment partners depending on the type of property identified.

  “So, tell me about the shelter projects. How do they work?” Mia asked. “Colton told me that he and his father sometimes got on board with those.”

  “The work we do for the homeless shelters is very close to my heart, Mia. When your Salvatore grandparents arrived here, as a young couple holding a suitcase with a couple sets of clothes, some candlesticks and plates inside, and the equivalent of fifty dollars sewn into Grandma Angelina’s coat hem. If it wasn’t for a place like the ones we help now they would have been left on the streets and may not have survived.” As he relayed this story, Antonio became visibly emotional and Mia reached out and took his hand. “It was one of my proudest days when I took Mama to the reopening of the shelter she and Papa had stayed at while he looked for work to support them in those early days.”

  “She must have been very touched that you had done that.”

  “Oh yes, little Mia. She was quite overcome after we toured the renovated rooms and facilities and they announced the centre was being renamed in her honour.”

  “Oh, Dad, I’d like to visit that centre one day,” Mia remarked, already making a mental note to make it happen.

  “I’ll take you one day soon, honey,” Her father assured her. “Now that you’ve shown an interest in the family business, I’m going to enjoy showing you what we do and explaining why we do it.”

  “I’d really like that… I don’t understand why I’d never wondered about any of this until now.”

  “Not to worry, Mia, the past is past. Let’s work on the future for our family and our business together.”

  “I’m on board with whatever you think I can do to help out, although I’m not sure how what I learned at school will help.”

  “You’ll do just fine with a little guidance. And besides, you’ll have plenty of time to learn the ropes before I think about retiring.”

  “That’s a relief,” Mia chuckled as she replied. “I’m going to need all the help you can give me.”

  “We can talk more about all this when your mother and I return from Italy next month. She’s been looking forward to this trip for so long, and she’s so excited, you really shouldn’t tease her about what she’s got packed, no matter how amusing it is to watch her go into a panic.” Mia and her father had a good laugh as they remembered the last time Gina had raced upstairs to check if she’d packed her favourite slippers for when they were in their hotel room.

  “Now that I have you here, there’s something else I want to talk to you about, Mia.” The way her father’s voice became suddenly serious had Mia concerned as to what was on his mind. “Your mother mentioned to me that you had you heart set on learning to drive and getting a little red sportscar.”

  “Well, I had spoken to her about that the other day, but I’m reconsidering those plans at the moment.”

  “In what way?” Antonio shifted in his chair and gave Mia his full attention.

  “Although I’m still keen to learn to drive, I’m shelving the plans for a car,” Mia explained.

  “Why’s that?”

  “Well, in light of learning about the good works our
family does in the community, I feel there are much better ways to spend a large amount of money than on a flashy new car. Besides, if I’m honest, I think the sexy little convertible might be more than I can handle as a first car.” Mia was a little embarrassed to admit that she’d overestimated what she’d be able to handle.

  “I’m actually pleased that you came to that decision on your own, Mia. I was a little worried when your mother mentioned that car idea. I am okay with you learning to drive though, as long as Duncan is doing the teaching. I know that he’s an excellent driver and that you’ll listen to him.”

  Mia launched herself into her father’s arms, relieved that they’d reached an agreement without either of them needing to give up any ground. Maybe doing business with her father would be easier than she’d initially feared.

  As Mia stood back up, her father caught one of her hands lightly in his. “There’s one other thing I want to talk to you about while you’re here, Mia.”

  “Yes?” she answered. “What’s on your mind, Dad?”

  “Your date this evening… Colton is a bright young man, from a good family, and I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful night.” Her father seemed quite excited for what was essentially her first real date.

  “I’m sure I’ll have a great night, Dad. We just clicked the other night at my party… it was like nobody else was there… I couldn’t believe it.”

  “That’s a good sign, Mia. Just promise me that you won’t move too fast, no matter how wonderful things seem.”

  “Dad… really? We’re not going to have that sort of talk, are we?” Mia was almost horrified.

  “Oh, heavens, no. I just don’t want to come home from Italy and find that you’re already engaged or something like that.” Her father laughed.

  “I’m confident I can promise that won’t happen, Dad,” Mia assured him.

  “In that case, I think we can go and check on your mother and her slippers.” Antonio kept holding Mia’s hand as they went upstairs to join Gina in the master bedroom. After helping her to repack and seal her suitcase, they had a coffee together before Mia started getting ready for her date with Colton.

  Chapter Five

  Mia’s first date with Colton was every bit as magical as she’d dreamed it would be. When he’d come up to the front door to collect her, her heart had stuttered a little at the sight of him. Watching him interact with her parents gave her a warm feeling and for a brief moment she could imagine them welcoming him into their family if things worked out between them. But this was a first date, it wasn’t like they’d been going out for months or even years. She’d have to be careful to keep those sorts of thoughts under control so she didn’t get carried away by them.

  Their dinner was delicious and was paired with some exquisite wine. There was even a small dancefloor which they took advantage of for as long as they music played and the restaurant stayed open. Every part of the night was perfect and felt like they’d been doing this all their adult lives. The conversation between them flowed easily and on many topics, and every time they touched each other it felt like they were reconnecting with another part of themselves. Mia had trouble understanding how they’d managed to avoid meeting each other even though their families had been in the same social circle for years and their fathers had been doing business together for even longer. They talked at length about that and finally decided that neither of them would have been ready to entertain the notion of dating until she’d reached twenty-one and if they’d been in constant contact before now, they wouldn’t have really noticed each other… at least, not like they did last Saturday night.

  When they were nearly to her family’s home, Colton pulled into a parking spot at a vantage point which looked out over the harbour. They stood at the front of the car with Colton’s arm resting around her shoulders, admiring the sparkling reflection of the night’s lights on the water, and enjoying the cool breeze on their faces and a comfortable silence. Without either of them making a conscious decision to do so, Mia turned slightly until she was facing him and he looked down into her face.

  “This feels pretty damn good, doesn’t it?” Colton asked her in a low voice.

  “Ah-ha… It sure does,” Mia agreed.

  “Would you mind if I kissed you now?”

  “I was wondering if you were going to ask, or if I was going to help myself,” Mia answered in a cheeky tone just before their lips met.

  The kiss deepened almost immediately and their hands and arms were around each other as though they were holding on for dear life. Neither of them thought about breaking the connection until Mia’s back came in contact with the hood of Colton’s car. The sudden feel of hot metal against her nearly bare skin made her freeze in his arms for a moment, effectively bringing the moment to an end. As he helped her stand, she let a light chuckle pass her lips.

  “This reminds me of the one warning my father gave me about tonight.”

  “Your father warned you about going out with me?” Colton was shocked.

  “I think it may have been a warning against myself, actually.” Mia ran her fingers over her lips as she thought for a moment. “He warned me about moving too fast.”

  “You’re kidding… aren’t you?” Colton was even more shocked than he had been a minute ago.

  “That was my reaction, too, but what he meant was that he didn’t want to get home next month from their trip and find that we were already engaged, or something like that.”

  “Sheesh. That must have been an awkward moment for you.”

  “Yes, it was, but luckily he knows I wouldn’t be able to take a step like that without him and my mother here to share the moment with me.”

  “Good to know.” Colton pulled her into his arms and held her for a few moments before speaking again. “Would you like to go home now? It’s getting pretty late.”

  “That would be nice… You know they’re probably waiting up for me, don’t you?” Mia asked.

  “In that case, I’d better walk you to the front door and not just drop you in the driveway.”

  “Don’t you dare do that. I’d have to think about going out with you again if you did.”

  “Lucky for me, and for you, I’m too much of a gentleman to just toss you out and drive off. I’m already looking forward to another kiss on the doorstep.”

  “If you’re very lucky, you might just get one.”

  They held hands during the short drive to her house, and after pulling up at the front door he helped her out of the car and held her hand again as they walked up the stairs. Before she opened the door, she turned and rested her back against the door jamb. He stepped up close to her and gently placed his lips against hers. This was a very gentle kiss, but still managed to steal her breath away and left her gripping onto his shirtfront by the time it ended. Before he turned to leave, they made plans to talk in the morning. That was as far as either of them could think through the haze they’d just created.

  After waving him off, Mia virtually floated up the stairs and into her bed. She had a very real feeling that she was falling for Colton Webb and there was nothing she wanted to do to stop it… she just hoped that he was feeling the same way about her.

  *****

  The next few days were spent with her parents, spending as much time as possible doing simple things together like going out for coffee or watching movies together. Although Antonio and Gina travelled often, they always missed each other when they were away, so these days were a way of keeping that feeling at bay for as long as possible. Mia also felt an obligation to spend some time with Phoebe and Meredith, so they squeezed in a game of tennis on Friday morning, followed by a quick lunch at the club.

  Duncan drove Mia and her parents to the airport early on Sunday morning, and brought her home again after their flight departed. Her father had given his permission for Duncan to begin teaching her to drive while they were away and they were both keen to get started on that as soon as possible. On the drive
home they’d chatted about plans to spend some time each morning on her skills, starting out with the basics in the driveway and working up actually driving on the road when she was ready.

  Colton had been busy with work commitments, so they hadn’t gone out again during that first week, but they’d kept in contact by text messages or late-night phone calls until the following weekend. She gave him daily updates on her progress with Duncan, and was only a little wounded when he laughed at her exploits at avoiding wheelie bins and rose bushes. He joked about needing notice of when she was going to be out on the roads, but admitted that once she had a better feel for what she was doing he’d let her drive him around too. That promise made her all the more determined to get control of the nerves that assaulted her each time she got behind the wheel of the Mercedes.

  After another dinner date on that next Saturday night, Mia invited Colton inside to have coffee instead of simply waving goodbye. One coffee turned into two, and two coffees turned into dancing to some slow music on the stereo in the family room, and that turned into making out on the sofa. Before either of them knew it, the sky was beginning to lighten, the sun was peeking over the horizon, and it was time for Maria to start work in the kitchen. What could have been a very awkward situation when she let herself in through the backdoor was saved because Mia and Colton were still fully dressed in their evening clothes and it was obvious that nothing more than dancing and kissing had been happening. Maria quickly recovered from her shock and made them a beautiful breakfast of bacon, eggs, toast, and more coffee, then disappeared into the house to do whatever else it was she had on her list of jobs to do.

  As Mia opened the front door to let Colton out, they were met by the sight of a police car in the driveway behind Colton’s car and two police officers stepping onto the bottom step. This was the first time Mia had come face to face with members of the police force and she was confused as to why they would be coming to her front door. Somehow, from the looks on their faces, Colton gleaned that something was very wrong, and as he stopped beside her he put his arm securely around her waist.