by Mia Carson
“Yet here you are,” his dad continued, “my playboy son hitched to a woman who, according to your mother, makes you laugh. I think you landed the real deal here, son.”
Max’s hands itched to hold Mia, to hear her moan and cry out his name again. Thinking of her sent his emotions on a whirlwind of confusion and insanity he wasn’t sure he was ready to deal with yet. The hunger for her went beyond her body. He craved her smile, to feel that fire in her eyes he only managed to catch glimpses of. He was desperate to hear her laugh, a deep belly laugh that went on and on until her cheeks turned color and she clasped her sides. He shook his head to clear the dangerous images and met his dad’s curious eyes.
“Max, you coming?”
“Yeah, right behind you,” he said and trailed after his dad.
Female voices drifted towards him as he and Dennis walked to the dining room. Mia and Carrie both had glasses of wine in hand and dinner was on the table. “Ah, there you are,” Carrie said and dragged Dennis over. “Meet your new daughter-in-law, Mia.”
“Dennis,” he greeted as he took Mia’s hand. “Pleasure to meet the woman finally able to tame my son.”
Mia’s cheeks burned bright red as she laughed. “I’m not sure I tamed him, but maybe settled him down a bit?”
“Either way, I’m glad to finally meet you.”
“Dennis?” Carrie asked, sniffing the air.
“Yes, love of my life,” he replied as he took his seat at the head of the table.
“Why on earth do you reek of cigar smoke?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, woman,” Dennis said casually. “We were simply enjoying a nice pre-dinner conversation. Now then, shall we dig in?”
Carrie turned her glare to Max as he sat down beside Mia on the other side of the table. “Fine, but you know those things can kill your father, right?”
“He’s an adult,” Max reminded her. “Just like you are.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“Max, not at dinner,” Dennis said on a sigh. “Especially on Mia’s first night here. Let her think we’re a functioning, happy family for a few weeks before all the drama gets dragged out.”
He picked at the salad on his plate but nodded. “Sure, why not?”
“Good, because I have a question I’ve been dying to ask you both,” Carrie said, bouncing in her seat. Max shot his dad a worried look, but he shrugged. “Did you two elope because she’s pregnant?”
Mia sputtered on her mouthful of wine, quickly covering it with her napkin as Max glared at his mother. “Really? Is there a reason you couldn’t have said something over the phone about that? Jesus, Mom.”
“I’m curious,” she said stiffly. “You know I’ve always wanted a big wedding for one of my children, but you eloped behind my back. So, am I to take it there’s no future grandchild headed my way?”
Mia’s hand shook as she set her wine glass down, and Max quickly reached out to hold it, cutting her off as she opened her mouth. “No, Mia is not pregnant. We’re taking our time when it comes to kids, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t bring it up again so bluntly.”
Carrie’s eyes narrowed, but she dug into her salad. “Of course, dear, I’m very sorry.”
“We eloped because of me,” Mia said, startling Max. “I’m not a fan of big parties or weddings, so Max was kind enough to elope and save me from facing such an ordeal. I’m shy—really shy, actually.”
“Oh, come now, you don’t seem that shy to me,” Carrie said brightly. “You get along with Max just fine, and he’s the worst shy person I’ve ever seen.”
Max dropped his fork to his plate, but Mia’s hand landed on his. “He’s not so bad. A bit rough around the edges at first, but he’s a great guy, your son. You have no idea what he’s done for me.” Her eyes met his on her last words, and without thinking, he leaned in to give her a gentle kiss.
Carrie clapped her hands and swooned. “Now that, right there, that is love, don’t you think, Dennis? You two will be parents in no time, I can just feel it.”
Mia’s mouth fell away from Max’s quickly, and she set her napkin on the table. “Would you excuse me for a moment? I need to use the restroom.”
“Just down that hall, second door on your right,” Carrie informed her.
Mia stood and walked quickly away from the dining room. Max saw her start to duck into the bathroom but decide against it and dart into the kitchen. There was a back door that led to the gardens. Hating his mother for opening her mouth, he excused himself to go check on her. Carrie tried to call him back, but Dennis scolded her for being so damn nosy.
“I just want to know what’s going on between them,” she hissed in a whisper as Max walked away. “Eloping is so very odd.”
“It’s not like our time, Carrie. Leave them be and stop harassing the poor girl about grandchildren.”
Max grumbled under his breath as he followed Mia.
Mia hugged her arms around her body at the chilly night air, but she had to get out of that stuffy dining room. The fresh air brushed across her face, and she closed her eyes, breathing it in. She knew his mother would be the type of woman to push about children, she just knew it, and somewhere along the line, they would have to tell the truth about the whole situation. Carrie would hate Mia and Max would resent her, and the next few years with him would be miserable. He would change, just like Keith had, and she would repeat the horrible cycle all over again. It was inevitable. She would never be free of this life, never.
Tears seeped from her eyes, sending shivers through her body as they chilled on her face. The door opened behind her, and she swiped them away quickly with her sleeve. “I’ll be back inside in a minute,” she said without turning.
“Mia, it’s freezing out here,” Max said as he hung his heavy leather coat around her shoulders, bundling her in its warmth. “What are you doing?”
She grabbed the jacket tighter around her, inhaling his scent, but it did little to soother her fears. “Sorry, I just had to get out of there for a minute, clear my head.”
“You don’t have to worry about my mother,” he said and walked over to the bench, sitting down hard. “She’s been after grandkids since I turned twenty-one, so it’s nothing new. I hate that she had to bring it up like this, though.”
“But eventually, I’ll have to tell her I can’t,” Mia whispered, and with one sharp look from him, the rest of the words tumbled out in a rush. By the time she’d reached the part about him turning into Keith, Max was on his feet and wrapping her in his arms, he rested his chin on her head as tears streamed down her face. “I’m sorry, I know you don’t like crying.”
“What did I tell you about apologizing?” he reminded her. “And who the fuck is Keith?”
Mia stilled and tried to break away from him, but Max caught her arms. The set of his jaw told her he wanted answers, and she wasn’t going to get back inside without giving him at least something. “Keith was my boyfriend,” she whispered.
“The one who abused you?”
Rage roared up inside her, not at Max but at the man who had done this to her. Both men, Keith and her dad. “Yes, but he wasn’t the only one.”
He growled. “Fucking piece of shit. Where is he so I can rip his head off?”
“Just let it go. I got away, thanks to you, and that’s all there is to it.”
“You said he wasn’t the only one. Mia, who else are you running from?”
“Not here,” she hissed and stared over her shoulder towards the house. “Please, I can’t… I can’t get into my past right now, okay? I said I would be your loving wife, but I can’t do that in front of your family if we drag all this out right now. Please?”
He stepped back and ran a hand over his face. “Fine, but we’re not going to bed tonight until you come clean about everything.”
“Promise,” she assured him. “I should’ve told you before.”
“I already knew,” he admitted.
“You what?” She shook her he
ad, thinking about everything she’d told him in the few days they were together. “I never said anything.”
“You didn’t have to. The flinching, the way you hang your head when I raise my voice, or how you apologize for everything and that flicker of fear that appears in your eyes…” He blew out an aggravated breath. “I knew the second you stormed out of that pub and fainted on the damn sidewalk that you were running from someone, and I couldn’t let you face that alone.”
Mia’s heart warmed. “So you decided marrying me would be the best way to keep me safe?” she asked, her lips curling into a smile.
“It’s worked so far, hasn’t it? Come on, let’s get back inside before Mommie Dearest comes out to find us and brings up babies again.” Mia turned to go, but he caught her hand and ran his thumb gently down her cheek. “And for the record, don’t ever assume anything about you and me. I could never resent you for simply being who you are.”
She leaned into his hand, believing every word he said. If only they could leave and disappear in his penthouse, or better yet, move across the country. Her worries over Keith would disappear forever if she was far enough away from the man who haunted her dreams. Max marrying her was a big enough risk on his part, and asking him to do much more was out of the question.
“I think you need another glass of wine,” he commented.
“To get through this night with you, I’m going to need more than a glass.”
The only person she’d ever told everything to was Gina, and even then, she had left out details of her life with her dad and mom. Some things were not meant to be shared. With Max, though, everything would spill out with one look from him. There was no hiding the truth of how horrible her life had been, not from those damn blue eyes that did more than steal her breath away. Eyes that sucked her in so deep, she would never be free of this man.
8
Mia curled up on the couch later that night, a glass of whiskey in her hands, as Max sat at the opposite end, hunched forward expectantly. She sipped the amber liquid several more times before she thought she might be able to get through her story without breaking down completely. In all the years she’d dealt with this torment, she never lost control of her emotions, never broke down into the million pieces she wanted to every second of every day. Now that she was safe, there was no telling what would happen.
“I thought it was normal,” she started quietly. “For parents to argue the way mine did. Dad was a drunk, couldn’t hold a steady job, and blamed Mom and me for everything that went wrong.” She took another gulp and tapped her nails on the glass. “He blamed Mom for giving him a useless daughter instead of a son he could be proud of.”
Max grunted, but she’d made him promise before she started he would save his rage for after she finished telling the story. His hands curled into fists on his knees, but he kept his word and his lips remained firmly shut.
“The first time I saw him hit her, I was six… or seven? It’s blurry, but I know I was young. I remember the yelling, the way she would walk around the house with her head down, tears in her eyes all the time. I remember the fear.” She licked her lips, and she was no longer sitting in the penthouse but in their dirty, rundown living room. “Dad would barely get in the door before he would start in on her and me.”
He would sit in his easy chair in the corner and her gaze shifted to that end of the living room, imagining him there. He’d yell for her mom, and if she took too long, he’d smack her arm to start with, then work his way up to her face. She cringed as the memory of the slaps echoed through her mind.
“Mom told me that was how it was with men. They were in control and all a woman could do was smile and do her best to please him,” she snapped bitterly.
Max held his face in his hands, his eyes darkening with each word that left her mouth.
Mia grinned bitterly as she recalled the lesson her mom had given her on sex. “She told me when I was in high school that sex was painful, always painful. It was best to just lay there and let it happen and eventually, it would be over. All that mattered was keeping the man happy. We were second-class citizens in our house, hence why I never learned to drive.”
“But you got out,” he stated firmly. “Didn’t you, for a time?”
“I thought I did,” she whispered. “I went to school—local, of course—but had no money and no way to escape. By the time Dad kicked the bucket, Mom wasn’t far behind, and then I was alone. Keith came along a few weeks after I buried her and rescued me.” The bourbon rolled in her stomach, and she set the glass down hard on the table. “I told him my sap story and he said he would take care of me. Fucking lying bastard.”
She sagged against the couch, remembering the strange look in his eyes the night she’d cried and told him the truth about her life growing up and why she couldn’t have kids. Back then, she assumed it was a look of hatred for her dad, but now, she knew he was simply latching onto the ideal woman he could control. Just like his dad had taught him to do. The one time she had met the man, she saw the controlling nature in his eyes. She should’ve known then Keith would be the same way.
“My dad only hit me once,” she muttered. “He kicked the shit out of my stomach when I tried to stop him from beating Mom. I was terrified he’d kill her, so I never told anyone. I learned a few years later that the chances of me having a baby were less than one percent.”
Her eyes stinging with tears, she leapt off the couch and paced angrily around the living room. Max stayed put, but his body was strained, and Mia assumed he was struggling not to run after her. When she reached the windows, she rested her arm against them and laid her forehead on that.
“Keith was fine—the perfect boyfriend—for a few months, but he changed. He realized I was a virgin and it flipped a switch. Everything was about my image after that, being pure, and I was on a short leash.” She fought the urge to be sick as the insults he’d flung at her flew through her mind, one after the other. “I dropped out of school because of him. I believed it when he told me I couldn’t make it. That no one would ever respect me. To make it worse, he cheated on me whenever he could. He thought he was so smart, but I’m not an idiot. I smelled it when I came home.”
In the reflection of the glass, she saw Max stand, grinding his teeth as he stalked towards her. “And the other night was the first night you were able to leave?”
Her shoulders fell and she closed her eyes. “The first time I was brave enough to even try. I was terrified all the time that he would break his rule, that he wouldn’t wait for me to be ready for him… that he would just… that he…”
Sobs wracked her body, and Max was at her side in a second and lead her back to the couch. Being with him wasn’t even close to how it felt with Keith. With Max, she knew she was safe without a doubt in her mind. His touch was strong but comforting. There was no controlling in it, no drive to break her down or make her fall. He was there for her, running one hand down her back as he whispered soothing noises in her ear.
“You sure I can’t hunt him down and rip his head off?” he tried again.
“I’m sure, as much as I’d enjoy the sight,” she mumbled, wiping her face on her sleeves. “When Carl told me he was there for Keith, I thought that was it. I’d be back in that house and I’d never see the light of day again. I thought I would die and no one would notice.”
Max held her chin and the raw want in his eyes reached deep into her soul. “I would.”
“You didn’t even know me then.”
“No, but I think I was supposed to.” He shrugged one massive shoulder and graced her with a rare grin. “I’ve no fucking idea why, love, but there it is.”
Mia leaned back in his arms, wishing she could read what rushed through his mind. What was he trying to tell her? They weren’t supposed to be in this relationship except to get her away from her ex and so he could get his parents off his back, but whatever grew between them was definitely not in the contract they’d signed at the wedding. Lust, that was all it could be
—lust and her clinging to the only man who gave her the affection she’d lived without for so long. Sitting cradled in his lap, she realized how small she was compared to him, and at the same time, how perfectly she fit against his body, just like when they lay together on his bed.
His touch had the power to erase all her bad memories of Keith. Her arms snaked around his neck as she settled against his lap, shifting her legs so she straddled him. “Mia,” he whispered hoarsely.
“What?” She kissed his cheek and trailed her lips over his neck. His hands gripped her hips, and she felt his erection pressing between her legs. She paused for a moment, worried about what she was doing, but she wanted to ensure she wasn’t the only one receiving pleasure in this arrangement.
“Mia, wait,” he grunted and pulled her arms carefully down from around his neck, holding them against his chest. He breathed deeply out his nose. “I don’t want you to do something you might regret in the morning.”
“But after everything you said?”
“I still want to. Don’t think I don’t dream about you panting for more breath beneath me as I thrust into you, but after everything you’ve been through, I’m not rushing you into anything.” He kissed each hand in turn before he stood. “When you’re really ready, then you can come to me and I’ll be there, love.”
He tilted his head in a goodnight salute, and with his hands shoved into his pockets, he stalked down the hall to his bedroom. Mia curled her feet up under herself again and relaxed against the back of the couch. He’d read her exactly right and she hung her head, realizing what she had almost done to herself. She wanted Max, but she wasn’t even close to ready, not yet.
Pacing around his bedroom increased his thoughts rather than exhausting them. Around one in the morning, Max peeked into Mia’s room, content to see her sleeping soundly, and then ducked out of the penthouse to go to the gym. Donning his gloves, he attacked the punching bag with a fury as he ran through everything Mia had told him. With each strike, he imagined punching her dad, Keith, and anyone else who’d hurt her in her life. Now he truly understood the reasoning behind chopping her hair off, or why she flinched and hung her head so much. Running off and doing something stupid started to look like a good idea the more he attacked the punching bag, yelling his anger until he sagged against it, drenched in sweat and gasping for air.