by Shelly Davis
“Are you still planning on meeting your boyfriend in Miami?” Gage asked looking at Mia.
No, no, no … I didn’t want to have to spend an entire afternoon watching that anal-retentive prick try to get in Mia’s pants. Three minutes in the cocksucker’s presence and I knew he was no fuckin’ good. Why couldn’t women tell when a man was no good? Then they wondered why they could never find a good man. Maybe if they didn’t spend so much time with the losers …
“He’s not my boyfriend, Gage. But yeah, Grant’s gonna meet us there,” Mia explained. “He’s gotta work late tonight so he’s stayin’ in the city and flyin’ down on his own.”
“He seems to do that a lot,” I mumbled to myself. Mia snapped her eyes over toward me and looked like she had something to say, but she didn’t. She sat there, narrowing her eyes, letting me know she heard exactly what I said. It was true, I’d noticed over the past few weeks he was rarely around. He seemed to spend more time away than he did in Mooresville. More time away from the woman with whom he supposedly wanted.
Cade looked like he had something to say, but he wisely turned his attention to Gage and Mia. “We’ll meet at the airport at eight tomorrow morning. Our flight is at ten.”
“Can y’all pick me up?” Mia asked. “Bobby’s takin’ my car to Shady Falls for new tires and a tune-up tomorrow.”
“Jake and I got you,” Cade said instantly, looking at me as if in challenge. Cade knew something was going on between Mia and me. He could never understand why I wouldn’t forgive her, the thing was I think I did forgive her, I just didn’t want to admit it.
Mia looked to me before responding to Cade’s offer. “Thanks, Cade. I’ll be ready early. Come by whenever y’all are ready.”
The thought of Mia and Monique in the same space for an extended period of time didn’t sit well with me. If I knew Monique, she would say something I wouldn’t like. She always did.
Shortly after, our conversation broke up. Gage went home to his wife and Mia left moments later. Cade and I sat there in silence for a few moments, but then he spoke up.
“When are you gonna figure out your shit?” Leave it to Cade to get straight to the point. No sugarcoating anything.
I sat there and stared at him. I wasn’t about to get into this shit with him again. He just wanted to understand my issue with Mia, but at this point, I wasn’t sure anymore. I just knew I didn’t like what I felt when I was around her. Hell, I couldn’t even figure out why I still wanted her. She had a control over me a long time ago that almost crushed me, I wasn’t about to give that control back. I definitely didn’t want to admit she quite possibly still held some kind of control.
When I didn’t respond, Cade continued like he hadn’t even asked me a question. “You know, at some point you gotta decide to fight for her. She’s a good girl and she’s spendin’ time with an asshole.”
“How am I supposed to change who Mia decides to spend time with? We barely even talk. And there ain’t nothin’ to fight for, I mean nothin’ to her, so my opinion means nothin’.”
He shook his head. He was my twin brother, no one knew me better than Cade. Hell, there were times he knew what I was feeling before I even knew it. But this wasn’t one of those times.
“If that’s what you truly think, Jake, you’re more oblivious than I ever thought.”
***
The flight to Miami was surprisingly uneventful, in spite of Mia and Monique sitting next to each other. I was relieved that they barely talked. Even though everyone talked, I’d noticed Mia watching the interaction between Monique and me throughout the flight. I wondered what was going through her head. Could she be jealous?
“So Mia,” Monique spoke up, drawing my attention. “Tell me how you are connected to these two.” Monique smiled and gestured between my brother and me with her perfectly manicured fingers.
My eyes narrowed on her the moment she looked at me. Monique knew there was history. She also knew I was once in love with Mia. I had admitted it all to her in a drunken stupor not long after Mia contacted me to help her move to Mooresville.
“We grew up together,” Mia said quietly. She sat, wringing her hands together, her eyes darting around the interior of the plane.
“Y’all are just friends?” Monique pushed. “I can’t believe anyone could just be friends with these two for long.”
Mia’s eyes snapped to Monique. “What do you mean?” she asked nervously.
Monique smiled. “Don’t get me wrong. We’re all just friends now. But it wasn’t always that way.” Monique winked at Mia, signaling her exact meaning.
“Enough, Monique,” I barked quietly.
Without apology, Monique smiled at me. I knew what she was up to. She thought she had some kind of insider information. She thought she knew something and she was going to try to push an issue that was none of her goddamned business. I would have to try to keep the two of them away from each other as much as possible.
Through the entire flight, Monique talked with my friends and family. She could talk to just about anyone, and she did. Monique had no problem relating to people. I guessed that was the reason she was good at her job. Monique also observed interactions. She could read people quickly. She was a brilliant woman, but she was far too interested in getting involved in other people’s business.
Along with keeping an eye on Monique, I managed to constantly compare her and Mia. Monique was gorgeous and intelligent. She was confident and had a presence about her that made her undeniably sexy. But she couldn’t stop me from thinking about Mia.
Every time I tried to focus my attention on other women, Mia always found her way back into my thoughts. Always Mia. She was always so close, invading my memories, tainting my time with others, but she seemed so far out of reach.
“Where the hell are you right now?” Cade asked, jarring me out of my thoughts.
FUCK! What the hell am I doing to myself? My blood rushed through my body, the growing tightness in my shorts would be noticeable if I didn’t get my thoughts away from Mia.
With a knowing laugh, he quietly taunted me. “Dude, you’re starin’ at Mia like you’re about to throw her over your shoulder and take her home. But nothin’s goin’ on there, right?”
“Fuck you, Cade.” But I knew he was right. I wanted her, and it was time to get what I wanted.
Chapter Twelve
Mia
“There you are Mia,” Grant said smiling. I climbed out of the back of the SUV we’d rented and plastered a smile on my face. I hoped like hell it was real enough. The only reason he was there was because he practically begged me to bring him along. He wasn’t even a racing fan, but he insisted he needed to spend time with me this weekend. I was supposed to be happy to see Grant, but all I saw was Jake, standing by the driver’s door with his back toward me, ridged and still. Jake didn’t turn around or acknowledge Grant at all. His frame looked severe as he stood and waited for Cade to round the front of the SUV. Everyone was gathering everything they’d need for a day at the races.
Grant, ignoring everyone, came up, wrapped his arm around my waist, and pulled me into a hug. I tried my best to return his affection, but I couldn’t. There was nothing there. No spark. No excitement. My heart didn’t leap, I felt no fireworks, or fluttering nervousness. Not like I felt with … No, I needed to stop comparing them. I couldn’t have Jake, he didn’t want me. Hell, he’d never want me, especially if he had Monique. I could never compete with her.
“Hi,” I smiled as Grant held me close. “Have you been waitin’ long?”
“No, got here just a bit ago. How was your flight?” he asked.
Cade and Jake turned our direction and Grant started shooting daggers out of the corner of his eye toward Jake. “You traveled with him?” Grant glowered, his tone short and angry.
“Who?” I asked innocently, like I hadn’t noticed how his entire demeanor changed. Grant apparently didn’t like Jake. His grip on my waist tightened, but he didn’t respond. His scowl only
intensified and he pulled me into him possessively as Jake and Cade approached. I pushed back, hard on his chest, trying to release his hold. He needed to understand that he didn’t own me. We weren’t even dating.
He glared down at me before he turned his eyes and stared at both men with such an intense hatred it almost frightened me. These men were my friends, I certainly wasn’t letting Grant get in the middle of that.
After some struggling, I pulled away from Grant and turned to frown at him. “Jake and Cade? They’re my friends. We’ve known each other since we were kids. What’s the problem?”
He pulled his hard glare away from the two blonde men approaching. Grant looked down at me again, a condescending look in his eyes. “You’re my woman.”
I took a step back. He had to be out of his mind. We weren’t even dating and in the months since we met, we barely saw each other because of his schedule. “You can’t be serious,” I said, my voice displaying my disbelief. “I’m not your woman,” I snapped.
“You are my woman. And I’m dead serious, Mia. You have no business hangin’ around other men. Especially those men.”
I was confused. “Look, Grant. I like you. You’re nice enough, but I don’t belong to anyone.” The old fire I used to have started bubbling up inside. This was how it used to be, when Jake had my back. I was never afraid to stand up for myself and speak my mind. It felt good. “Look, we’re not dating. And I’m not gonna stop talkin’ to people I’ve known my whole life just because you say so.”
“You don’t go anywhere alone with other men. You understand me?”
It was like he didn’t hear a damn thing I said. He just repeated his command and expected me to blindly obey. He had to be out of his mind. Then Jake’s deep, rumbling voice sent my heart racing.
“You don’t own her.” Jake’s snarling voice was low as he stepped up and glared down at Grant. “You can’t tell her what to do.” Jake, Cade, and Monique now stood in front of us. Jake looked furious. Monique had a smirk on her face, and I didn’t understand what she could possibly be gloating about.
Surprised that Jake was intervening on my behalf, I just froze. I knew nothing good was going to come from a confrontation, but I was powerless to stop it.
“Why don’t you mind your own goddamn business?” Grant grumbled.
Jake took a step forward, jaw clenched and fists bunched, his face was contorted in an anger I hadn’t seen in him for a long time. The fury was palpable as it rolled off him and settled around us all. My gut clenched, terrified that Grant would say something more that would make Jake break the fragile control he had over himself.
Cade moved in next to his brother, ready to dive in the middle of what would most likely be a one-sided fight.
Snapping myself out of my stupor, I kept my eyes on Jake, but touched Grant’s arm to get his attention. His skin was clammy and his arm trembled, probably from fear. “Please don’t,” I said, more to Jake than Grant. Then turning my attention to Grant I said, “Come-on, let’s go find the private box.”
“Yeah, okay,” Grant mumbled. I mouthed an apology to Jake and Cade turned, Grant followed without another word.
I weaved my way through patrons to the private elevators that Julius described. A concierge stood outside the door, checking passes and giving directions.
“Passes please,” the older man said with a congenial smile.
I handed him the passes and waited as he scanned them and looked them over. “Y’all are guests of Mr. Fuller. Glad to meet you. Y’all are gonna to take the elevator to the top level. Turn right as you leave the elevator. You’ll find The Pit Lounge. His mother and sister have already arrived.”
Taking the passes back from the older gentleman, I smiled. “Thank you so much, Sir. Have a nice day.”
We entered the elevator and the moment we were inside, Grant yanked his hand from mine. He approached and cornered me in the small elevator. “Don’t ever tell me what to do again. I’m not some lackey you can just push around.”
Placing my hands on his chest, I pushed him back a little and glared. “Fine, next time I’ll let you deal with Jake on your own. You’re lucky he didn’t do anything.” I made myself stand a little taller. That old spark of confidence I felt in the parking lot was now burning brighter. I was done being intimidated by him. I wasn’t going to take his shit anymore. “Whether you like it or not, if you intend on hangin’ around me, you better get used to my friends. I ain’t givin’ them up for no one. We ain’t even datin’, Grant.”
He pushed back into my space and stared down at me with anger and heat in his gaze. He always tried to intimidate and bully me to get what he wanted. I never realized it before, but I was starting to see it more often.
“You think you can talk to me like that? I don’t like the way he looks and talks to you. And I definitely don’t like the way you look or talk to him.” He snarled. Reaching his hand out, he grabbed the back of my hair in his grasp and held tight. The bite of my hair pulling away from my scalp made me flinch, but I wasn’t about to let him think he could manhandle me. “You’ll shut your damn mouth and do what I tell you. When you’re with me, you’ll do as I say.”
I pressed my head back into his grasp, causing his grip to loosen, and then yanked away quickly, forcing him to lose his hold on my hair. With my momentum, I placed my hands flat on his chest and pushed, hard. It was enough to give me a little space.
“If you think I’m gonna let you put your hands on me and push me around, you’re outta your mind. Now you need to back the hell off me, or I’ll see you escorted outta here for harassment.”
Shock and surprise crossed his face, then a slow smile stretched across his mouth. He stepped back and seemed to look at me differently. His eyes raked over my jean-clad legs and racing T-shirt. “You’re sexy as hell when you’re pissed!” He caught my arm and yanked me into him. Wrapping his arms around my body, he clasped my ass in his hands and lifted me off the ground, about to pin me to the wall when the doors finally opened. A hunger burned in his eyes as he slowly lowered me to the ground. I could feel the hardened length of him pressed against my stomach as my feet touched the ground. My skin crawled at the thought of his hands on me and I knew I could never be with Grant, not ever.
***
The atmosphere at the track was infectious. Just being there around the excitement made me want to stand up and cheer. The deep rumble of the race cars and earsplitting cheers erupting from the crowd were all consuming. The first time Jake took me to a real race at the dirt track in our town, I was hooked. Everything about being there – the excitement, the cheers, and the roar of the cars racing around the track – was intoxicating. We went every weekend when we were kids. Jake and Cade would take turns racing while Toni took care of the cars.
Remembering everything good I had when I was younger made it even harder to be happy with my life now. I was excited to be around my friends at a race, though. It was fun to sit with Margie, Char, and all of the guys while we watched Julius race to a fourth place finish, but there were so many things about the day that were also annoying. The way Grant hovered made me nuts. I knew I needed to cut this off, but it didn’t seem like the right time or place. I’d have a talk with him. I’d send him on his way, but not here. Not like this.
So instead, I dealt with the way he was always there, close behind. Even when I accompanied a very pregnant Char to the bathroom, he was waiting outside when we exited. He interrupted every conversation I had with Gage, Cade, Jake, and even Gage’s brother-in-law, Roy. If Jake came within five feet of where I was, Grant grabbed my hand or tried pulling me into his lap. It was like he was laying claim or something.
“What’s his problem?” Margie asked once when Grant went to get a drink. “He’s way over possessive. Is he always like this?”
“I don’t know,” I said, honestly. “I mean he’s always too clingy, but I can’t take this anymore.”
Margie glanced around before she locked eyes with me once more. Probably
seeing who was within ear-shot. The guys were outside on the deck watching the race and Grant was over talking to the bartender. He constantly flirted with other women right in front of me. I should care, but I didn’t.
Char sat with us, she didn’t know everyone, but she had sat back most of the day and observed everyone and their interactions. She probably had a clearer opinion about this group than me. Taking her cue from Margie, Char looked around too before she leaned in, creating our own little huddle.
“Look, Mia,” Margie started, “I know we usually only hang out when Toni’s around, but we’re friends, right?”
“Yeah.” I nodded immediately. “Of course we are.” I didn’t have many around Mooresville, so I was happy Margie considered us friends.
“Good, because I only say this because we’re friends. That guy’s no good. He’s controlling and insecure. That’s a bad combination.” Margie looked to Char for backup. None of us knew each other well, but these two were acting like they’d known me forever. It was nice, but also kinda weird.
“I have to agree, Mia,” Char said, her deep southern accent was even stronger than mine. Char was striking, her reddish bronze skin and dark eyes were beautiful against her poker-straight, glossy almost blue/black hair. “He follows with his eyes every time you get up and move. If one of the guys even comes near you, he’s up and in your space. But right now, he’s over there talkin’ to the barely legal bartender.”
“He’s the type that would turn into a stalker,” Margie said. They both sat quietly while took in what they said. I knew they were right, so I confided in them.
“Truth is,” I whispered. “I intended on cuttin’ this off a while ago, but he managed to get himself invited somehow.”