I am about to hang up before he shouts through the receiver. “I talked to Anne.”
I frown, my fist clenching on the desk as I push away from it. I don’t know what to make of it because it makes me mad that Mom would even be talking to him or that he would think it’s okay to contact her. I don’t know what is going on between them, just like I don’t know how they even got together in the first place. I realize I have to have a long conversation with her about it, no matter how uncomfortable it may be.
“I don’t care what you did, Deric.”
“Look, you’re my son. One day you’ll acknowledge that.”
“It took you twenty-four years to acknowledge me, so don’t hold your fucking breath.” I hang up before he can get my blood boiling anymore.
It irks me mad that this is even happening. No one has a perfect life, but I damn near did. Just before Dad died, things were good at work. I was happy, and the family was great, maybe even closer than ever. Everyone had figured out their plans, their roles, and whatnot. Then Dad dropped this bomb on me and keeled over from a heart attack twelve days later.
I can’t lie and say I don’t feel like I, and the truth behind me, killed my father. It had to be too much for him to bear. He already had hypertension, so this just made him blow a gasket or something.
Mom might just have broken his heart, and I’m not sure what to make of that right now, so I call her instead. My office is private, but I lock the door for good measure anyway.
“Alec,” Mom gasps like it is still a shock that I call every three days. “Hi.”
I feel her smile in her voice. “Hi, Mom. How are you?” I smile slightly. It’s good to hear her voice, it always is. Even at a time like this.
“I’m fine, honey. The kids just got back from the break, so I’m still trying to reel them in. But what about you? What did you do for Thanksgiving? We really missed you around here, even Grayson came home.”
I smile sadly. “I missed you guys, too. I um… went with a friend to meet her parents.” I scratch the back of my neck as I already feel it heating up.
“A friend? A girlfriend?” She giggles.
“Uh… yeah.”
She gasps more audibly. “Alec, you didn’t even tell me. Who is she? What is she like?”
I smile just at the thought of Mia. “She’s amazing, Mom. I really like her. But um, I’ll have to tell you about it a little later. I actually called for a reason, and I haven’t left the office yet.”
“Oh. Okay. Well, I want to meet her soon, honey.”
“I… I know.” I clear my throat as I grow more uncomfortable than before. “Deric called me.”
I let the line go silent and feel the gears churning in her head.
“I don’t know what this means, Mom. What he does want from me? Are you two… I don’t know, together?”
“No,” she rasps. “No, we are not together. He… he still lives in LA, and even if he didn’t, I would never want to be with him.”
“Then why is he acting like there’s something there? Why did he wait all these years to call me, and why did you two even end up… making me?” I laugh with no humor at all and rub my face in frustration. It just doesn’t make any sense. Everything is ganging up on me at once, and I’m surrounded at all corners.
Nothing can make me understand this. Nothing can make this any easier.
“Those are a lot of questions, honey…”
“Well, it’s twenty-four years of secrets to get through, so I can’t imagine it being fewer questions.”
Mom lets out a heavy breath, and I feel bad for even stressing her out. I can feel her wringing her neck out from here. She always does that when she’s nervous.
“I know. I… the whole thing happened such a long time ago, I can’t remember. And I don’t know why he’s calling you, honey. I guess he wants to try and have a relationship with you or something.”
I shove a bad taste from my mouth at the thought of ever having any sort of contact with him besides his unwarranted phone calls.
“I don’t want a relationship with him, Mom. He said he talked to you, too.”
“Um, yeah. He did.”
“About what?”
“Nothing in particular, honey. He just wanted to talk.”
“I don’t get it, Mom. I don’t get any of this.”
“I know. It’s a lot to dump on you all at once. Deric and I were never in a relationship, it wasn’t something that I ever just wanted to do.”
“Did he force you to?”
“No!” she shouts.
“Well, what do you mean you didn’t want to, then?”
“It was just a hard time. I just… your father and I have always been in a happy marriage, Alec. It was just me being confused and lonely. It was all me. I don’t know how to explain it, Alec.”
I heave a heavy sigh as I take in her words. The emotion in her voice is hard to place because I don’t know what she cares about the most—figuring out how to explain what happened or not having to explain it at all.
“Okay, Mom. I won’t bother you about it anymore. But the next time he calls you, tell him I don’t want him to try and contact me again.”
“I will. But…”
“I don’t want to know him, Mom. I’m not obligated to pay attention to some missing father.”
“I know you’re not, sweetie. I’ll tell him.” She clears her throat. “Well, tell me about this girl? I want to talk about something other than what your brothers have been boring me with.”
I smile softly, and gladly tell her everything about Mia Lane.
24
Mia
Haley doesn’t let me leave anything out. I hate talking about my parents, but I did it just to get to the good parts with Alec.
“You know you guys had the night.” She nudges me playfully after helping me water all the flowers in the shop.
“The what?” I frown at the water I got on my white sneakers. They matched my blue dress, otherwise I would never wear white to work.
“The night.” She rolls her eyes. Her makeup is even wilder than normal today but so is her outfit. “When you just sit and talk for hours and realize you’re like meant to be together.” She giggles, and I roll my eyes at her odd enthusiasm.
“I guess we did. But I thought you didn’t even like Alec.”
She waves me off. “I didn’t like what he was doing, but he seems fine now. And twice in one night? Jeez, you said he has how many brothers?” Haley wiggles her brows, and I shake my head at her.
“Don’t be crazy, Haley. Besides, they don’t live around here. Anyway, we did talk, and it only made me fall for him even more. I know it isn’t perfect or whatever but… I just want to be with him. I think he’s perfect in his own… brooding, broken way.” I shake my head to myself as I smile hearing how crazy I sound but just not caring.
“Aww, that’s sweet. I think you two are really good together, although I haven’t even met him yet,” she says pointedly.
“Well, maybe you can come over for dinner tonight. I was thinking I would make something.”
“Oh. Okay. If you think he’ll be okay with it…”
“Pfft. He… well, he’ll be weird at first because he does this thing where he doesn’t like people. But once he gets over it, he’ll be fine. Plus, it’s more my condo than his.”
Haley laughs. “How is that?”
I smirk. “I don’t know. I was there first.” I mock.
We finish up the shop duties and hang behind the register for the rest of the time we have. I close out the register and lock up, and she follows me home. I really do think to call Alec to let him know, but I forget between being so excited to see him.
And with that interview hanging in the back of my head, I don’t know what to do now. After our trip, I came back home to an interview invitation from a New York lab that I applied to. I didn’t expect anything to come of it when I went on the spree of sending out applications again. Especially not to a lab like that—s
o versed in research practices that they coined their own method which every other lab follows. Their work on bio sustainable agriculture is what caught my attention, and their need for a botanist skilled in research. I fit their quota to a tee, I just… well, I didn’t expect them to want me.
I didn’t tell Alec about it because I wasn’t sure I would even take it yet. I wasn’t sure I could manage leaving here. I mean, I kept wondering if he would come too or not want to change his whole life around again, so I left it alone. For now.
The interview went well, though, and they said they would get back to me. So, I have to wait and figure out how to tell him I might be leaving. I have wanted the job for so long that I can’t imagine turning it down. Not even for Alec.
But all of that fades from my mind when I pull up to the condo, Haley on my coattail.
“I haven’t been here in forever.” Haley shuts her door and skips up the walkway.
“Well, it’s the same.”
“Not really.” She gestures to Alec’s new car he got soon after we got back.
It seemed like another big step for him. So, it was completely appropriate for us to break it in.
I walk inside to the slight noise from the television and all the lights on. Alec is a little weird about stuff, and it makes me laugh. But he really, truly hates the dark and always turns the lights on no matter what time of day it is. He has a bunch of other cute little quirks like if he’s sleeping in my bed, he has to be on the right side. Or won’t drink water without lemon drops and collects beer bottle caps like they’re a dying art.
“Alec?” I call out before I round the corner.
He stands and smiles at me before noticing Haley.
“Um, this is my friend, Haley,” I explain. I’m kind of glad I didn’t tell her everything about him, like his brother being the performer, Brant, since she loves him so much.
Maybe once she warms up to him, I’ll tell her.
“Hi. Alec Wilde.” He shakes her hand and smiles softly before kissing me hello, not quite like he always does because of Haley being here, but still enough to make my toes curl and skin tingle.
“I’m making dinner. You hungry?” I go into the kitchen.
“Yeah, starved.”
Haley smirks at me, and I ignore her as I get stuff out to make stir-fry. It’s quick, so I don’t have to do much work.
“How was your day?” I ask Alec. He takes another Shiner and sits at the high counter. Haley ignores my protests and helps me chop the veggies.
“Annoying as hell. Yours?”
I grin. “Better than yours, I guess.” I partially lie. I may have just changed our whole life in an interview today. Our relationship. But I try not to think about it.
Suddenly, I realize it’s good that Haley came so that I can be distracted.
“So, what do you do, Alec?” Haley asks, despite knowing the answer already. But in a weird way, I’m flattered to have a friend looking out for me.
“I’m an engineer.”
“Hmm. So you’re smart, then?”
“I guess.”
Haley goes on like that all through dinner, and it is comical to watch. Alec does warm up to her eventually, and once she leaves, he isn’t opposed to her coming over again.
“Sorry I didn’t tell you before,” I tell him.
We just finished washing up stuff in the kitchen.
“No worries. She seems nice.” He grins down at me. I see something hiding behind his gaze, but I don’t think I want to ask him yet. We’re both keeping secrets now. What a good pair we are.
“You okay?” I ask anyway.
He dries the last plate and sets it down. “Yeah. Just tired.” He turns, and I face him. I wrap my arms around his waist and sink into a tight hug. His hold on me is warm and comforting, just wrapping me up in everything I want to disappear in.
He kisses the top of my head, and I tilt my face up to kiss him.
It’s soft and sweet at first, as always. Then it grows into more as he flicks his tongue against my lips, and I part them to let his tongue dance with mine. I feel his cock press through his slacks, and I clutch him through his dress shirt. I still can’t get over how good he looks in black slacks and a white dress shirt, but he just looks that good.
His hands glide down my waist leaving a fire in his wake before he reaches my ass and squeezes. I yelp and reach up onto my toes as I drive into the kiss. He then cups my face and lifts me up onto the counter, and I don’t care that the water stains my dress. I waste no time as I work his shirt and tie away, my bare hands exploring every ripple of his chest to the dip of his ab muscles and deep ridge of his Adonis belt. He groans when I cup him through his pants, and I part my legs. His height is perfect at this position at the counter. I don’t have any more apprehension in me, all my experience lies with him, and I’m perfectly okay with that.
“Mia, I thought about you all fucking day.” His lips graze over my neck, and he suckles my skin making me moan in response.
I gasp when he pulls my dress back in one motion, no doubt ripping some of the buttons. His fingers graze over the lace of my bra, and his lips follow. He takes off my bra and works on my nipples in turn, sucking and pinching them to hardened nubs. My fingers coil in his hair as I lean back onto the counter, my sex clenching and dripping with each hot, passing second.
“Me, too,” I whisper.
“I can never stop thinking about you.” He crouches down to take off my panties. “I’m fucking obsessed with you.” He places wet kisses all over my thigh and stomach before kissing me again and gliding two fingers inside me.
I moan into his mouth, my body already reacting to him. It doesn’t take much since I am always so keyed-up for him. I hold back shudders as his palm presses onto my clit, and I feel the desire driving up again.
“Alec… oh God,” I whimper. My orgasm is already rolling in taking me from the inside out.
“You’re so fucking gorgeous when you come.” Alec breathes against my ear, his gruff voice sealing my climax as I fall hard and fast. But I somehow still end up wanting more.
He quickly takes his pants down, pulls his cock out and points it at my entrance. He shimmies me down the counter, and I watch his hard, deep tan flesh disappear inside of me. It is so… erotic and dirty to watch, but I still do. It feels so good between us that I surrender to the undeniable feeling that takes hold of me.
I slide my hands up his back and grasp his strong shoulders as he pumps into me. He holds my ass steady as he fucks me hard and fast right on the kitchen counter. So hard that my small breasts find a way to sway between us.
His mouth is everywhere on me leaving no part of me untouched by then. When he tilts me back to toy with my nipples, I nearly lose it, and I am already so close again.
“Mia… fuck,” he growls and kisses me hard, his tongue swirling around mine as we breathe each other in.
I wrap myself around him as tightly as I can and everywhere that I can. I surrender to the hard avalanche of my orgasm as it blinds me. It makes me see actual stars, and I can hardly stand it.
I can only cry out, moaning and calling his name like it’s the only thing I know. I damn near feel like I lose my mind. The pleasure is so sudden and overbearing it makes me shiver, and my eyes loll back into my head as another small one follows with him thrusting deeper and not leaving until all of him is emptied inside of me.
His cock twitches inside of me, he holds me tight as he catches his breath, and kisses me before releasing me. I bite my lip and look at him through lidded eyes as he grins.
“That was… something.” I giggle. Alec is always passionate when we have sex. It’s just never been out of the blue like that. Never been that urgent I-have-to-have-you-right-here-on-the -counter urgent. But I’m not complaining.
“Yeah.” He grins and tucks himself in his pants, and I toss on his shirt.
He licks his lips as he looks me over, his eyes bulging a little. I feel like I look a mess, but he obviously doesn’t.
“What?” I eventually ask.
He pins me under his heated gaze, and I swallow audibly.
“Nothing. We’re going to bed.”
25
Alec
We continue for what seems like all night. This raw passion that I’ve never felt before—the urge to have her, or I feel like I might die—it’s unnerving but somehow the best thing I’ve ever felt.
She sleeps next to me in my bed. Sometimes we end up in each other’s bedroom and separate for each of our days in the morning. I don’t want to get up and go to work, but I have to. I kiss her soft cheek as she sleeps, and she stirs slightly when I get up. She grasps me softly as I pull away, and it’s almost enough to make me come right back.
I get dressed in khakis instead of slacks and a respectable black sweater. Mia is still in bed when I finish. I go over to her, pushing back her mussed-up hair to see her gorgeous face. Her lips are parted as she breathes deep in her sleep, and I look over her soft body on my dark sheets not much covering her shoulders and back. Since I know she doesn’t have to wake up for a while, I just leave her a note saying I’ll take her out to dinner tonight instead of letting her cook. I’m only good with frozen dinners, and we need more variety than that.
After coffee and a protein bar, I’m at my desk sifting through emails and revisions to my designs. The work keeps me busy. It keeps me from thinking about Mia and Deric and telling her about him. I want to tell her everything. I want to give her all of me, but not until I accept all of me, first.
Everything besides that is eerily perfect. Living with Mia, being with her… I knew the drop would come at some point, so when my brother, Holden, calls, I feel the drop coming.
“Hey,” I answer.
“Hey, Alec.” And it isn’t his usual up-on-the-mountain tone of voice he always has.
“What is it? Is Mom okay?”
“Yeah, yeah. Mom is fine. Um, look, we have a problem, bro.”
I keep from rolling my eyes as I push away from my desk and rub my forehead as if it will stop the impending headache.
Wilde About Alec Page 15