by Jaime Lewis
“Dude, what is with you tonight?” Ace snickered, then grabbed another handful of peanuts and shoved them into his mouth.
“He needs to get laid,” Potter said, leaning on his pool stick. “Oh, but she isn’t around, is she?”
Stitch shot Potter a look that told him to shut the fuck up. When Potter grinned, Stitch knew the giant got what he intended. And that got him riled up.
“What? Are you dating someone?” Ace questioned, looking confused. The team shared pretty much everything with one another. But he couldn’t very well tell Ace that the woman Potter was referring to was Ace’s baby sister. Stitch was pretty confident that wouldn’t bode well for him. And it was a huge problem because he not only was interested in Mia, but he was already in love with her. Ever since Christmas of last year, the two of them started talking more and really got to know each other. Even when she was back up in New York, they kept in contact. They both knew they were walking a slippery slope keeping their “friendship” a secret from Ace.
Stitch glanced back at Potter, who suddenly found something to entertain himself with so he wouldn’t have to endure Stitch’s death stare. Looking back at Ace, he waved him off.
“No. Potter’s just messing around.”
Just then, Alex made her entrance bouncing her way over to Ace. He opened his arms, and she walked right into them. That right there was what Stitch wanted. He wanted a woman who knew they were loved by their man, just like Alex knew that Ace would move heaven on earth for her.
“You okay?” Ace asked her. Stitch grinned, knowing Alex had a little too much to drink and was currently in her happy place, as she called it.
She scrunched her nose up at Ace. “Yeah, but you need to convince your sister to find a job here in Virginia Beach or close by.”
Ace chuckled and wrapped his arms around her. The man was so pussy whipped it was hilarious, but equally humbling to watch a man like Ace, who was fierce and commanding, not to mention so set in his ways as a SEAL, fall so hard for a woman. He couldn’t be any happier for his team leader and his best friend.
“Why’s that? She seems happy in New York.” Ace replied.
Oh, big brother. You are clearly mistaken, Stitch thought to himself. If Ace had been within an earshot of Mia during her last visit, he would have heard the somberness when she spoke about New York. Just because she didn’t come right out and say she was unhappy, didn’t mean she wasn’t. A person’s body language could give away many clues.
Alex wrinkled her nose up again and Ace’s intense expression softened a smidge, and Stitch thought it was hilarious.
“She would be happier here with all of us,” she said, pinning her gaze on Stitch, and Stitch squinted his eyes at her. He just shook his head when she grinned. He got her message loud and clear.
“You think so?” Ace asked, seeming utterly oblivious to Stitch and Alex's silent conversation, which was a good thing for Stitch.
“I know so because Tenley and I just talked to her.”
Ace furrowed his eyebrows. “I thought she was at that fancy event.”
“She is, but Tenley and I were bored since y’all wouldn’t let us watch our movie, so we called her to see how things were going.”
“And…?” Ace asked, raising an eyebrow.
Alex shrugged her shoulders. “She said it was okay, but that she had met a lot of people.”
“Yeah? What kind of people?” Ace asked with a questionable look. Stitch, from conversations with Ace, knew Ace worried about Mia living in New York by herself.
Stitch was curious too and stepped closer to hear.
“You know the types of people that hang out at those types of functions. Rich, some famous people, guys just looking for a good screw.”
Stitch felt his eyes widen, hearing the last part of Alex’s statement. Oh, she was so going to get an earful from him when he got her alone. She was intentionally baiting him into saying something in front of Ace. Well, she had another thing coming.
“Sweetheart…Are you trying to piss me off intentionally?” Ace asked and, thank god that Stitch wasn’t the only one feeling the urge to possibly take a trip to New York City and save Mia from the throng of men wanting to take her to their bed.
“No, I’m just giving you examples of why you should talk to her and convince her to move. Or maybe we all should,” She said with a smile, then snuggled against Ace’s chest. She turned her head in Stitch’s direction and winked. Potter saw her and chuckled. Stitch was glad that his predicament with Mia was this evening’s entertainment for some. While he had plans in place to talk to Mia this weekend, if Alex didn’t put a cork in her large mouth, he was going to have to have a discussion with Ace before Mia even arrived.
Potter changed the conversation putting the talk of Mia to rest.
“Alex, where is my wife?”
Stitch thought it was funny because it wasn’t like Tenley was hard to miss considering she was carrying around twins and looked ready to give birth any day. Not to mention the whining the woman did. Granted, Stitch never carried around a baby in his stomach, but Tenley took it to the extreme sometimes, and Stitch knew it was just to get Potter to do something.
Alex giggled, and it made Stitch snicker. At least she was a happy little drunk.
“She said she was tired, so I rolled her into a chair in the living room, and she fell asleep. She said for you to wake her up when you were ready to leave.”
“Great…that woman is impossible to wake up.”
“Oh, just wave one of those cinnamon rolls I made in front of her nose. I guarantee she’ll wake up.” Everyone laughed. Tenley had a bit of a sweet tooth lately. Her doctor had even told her she needed to watch her diet, which pissed her off because now, when Potter was home, he monitored everything she ate. Well, most of the time, that is. When she thought nobody was looking, she would sneak a few treats here and there, like the entire bag of jellybeans Stitch saw her take out of the room with her, but he wasn’t going to squeal on his friend.
While Potter went to fetch Tenley, Stitch thought it was a good time for him to call it a night as well. Especially the way Alex’s mouth had been running tonight. It was better to quit while he was still ahead.
He pulled Alex into a big hug and whispered in her ear. “You are such a little shit.”
She giggled and pulled back. “But you love me.” She kissed his cheek.
He did love Alex like a sister, and always would. Stitch, Alex, Frost, and Tenley had been the best of friends since they all met in the first grade. After high school, they had all gone their separate ways, and now, years later, they were back together. In a way, it was just like old times, except they were all wiser and more responsible.
He reached over and shook Ace’s hand. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
Ace nodded. “Remember, if we get through our training simulation tomorrow and Wednesday with no hiccups, we won’t have to report in on Thursday unless we’re needed.”
“Yes, sir.” As he walked out to his Jeep, he pulled up the picture of Mia that Alex had texted him. She took his breath away with her beauty. He shot a quick text off her.
“You looked beautiful tonight. Be safe, Mia.”
Chapter Four
Mia stood off to the side in the room and tried to stifle a yawn as she looked around the decorated ballroom. It seemed that the later it got, the more the crowd grew. She was tired, and her feet were starting to ache. Wearing four-inch heels for the last five hours would do that if the person wasn’t accustomed to wearing them. From her perspective, she had met everyone she had anticipated meeting, along with other prominent people. She knew Elijah was well-liked, but she hadn’t realized exactly how popular of a man he was until she witnessed how everyone flocked to him, vying for his attention—especially the ladies. She had been on the receiving end of some harsh glares from some of the women. However, Elijah showed them no interest except for a polite hello as he escorted her around the room, making introductions. Women like the
m were the reason she avoided social gatherings like this. She wasn’t interested in competing for the prettiest gown or hairstyle or even the best looking man on her arm.
She had locked gazes with Terek a few more times throughout the evening, but she dismissed him. His attitude toward her still nagged her. His appearance made her question his relationship with Elijah, because Elijah didn’t seem like the type of person Terek would hang out with. The Terek she knew was more uptight, probably brought on by his military background. He was a skilled military operative, just like her brother. The only difference was that he served in the Army. She would never have imagined him attending a function like this.
Her phone vibrated again, and she shook her head, knowing it had to be Alex and Tenley again. She pulled the phone out of her clutch and took a quick peek. A smile spread across her face seeing it was Stitch. As she read his message, warmth spread through her body. With both of their work schedules the last few months, it had been challenging to find time to talk. She missed his voice, his laughter; hell, she just missed him.
She thought back to her last visit. It had been right after Irish’s fiancé, Bailey was kidnapped, shot in her lower belly, and nearly died. Irish served on the SEAL team with Stitch and her brother. It had been a really difficult time for everyone, wondering if Bailey would recover from her injuries.
Add in Mia’s stress dealing with her residency, prepping and sitting for the North American Veterinary Licensing Exam, along with job hunting; she had been a little moody during that timeframe. She thought she had hidden her struggles, but Stitch had seen right through her façade, and one night he had pulled her to the side and questioned her. She tried to play it off as if everything was fine, but when he gave her that stern look of his, she knew she was busted and ended up spilling everything to him. They had sat alone outside on the patio talking for almost an hour, and somehow, he managed to ease the uncertainties facing her. Before they went back inside, he took her hand and placed a key to his cabin in her palm, telling her he bought the cabin so he had a place to escape the stress and worries of life, especially after returning home from a mission. He told her she was welcome to use it any time she wanted. Now that everything was falling into place, she had been considering taking him up on his generous offer. Especially now that Elijah had informed her last week that he was planning on cutting back his hours at the clinic, which meant more responsibilities were falling on to her.
She had to remind herself not to get too worked up about it, considering he paid her an impressive salary, especially for someone fresh in their career. However, if you don’t have time to enjoy those benefits, then there seems to be no point of slaving yourself. She would talk to Stitch this week and see if he would mind if she used the cabin for a weekend in December before Christmas. Who knew, maybe after her conversation with him over the Thanksgiving holiday, he would perhaps join her for a romantic weekend in the mountains. Stitch may be a hardass Navy SEAL, but from her interactions with him over the last year, she’d bet her life that he was a true romantic under all that armor.
She typed a quick reply, thanking him and telling him she was looking forward to seeing him this weekend. As she pressed send, a large body pressed up against her back, startling her. She looked over her shoulder and gasped, seeing Elijah there.
“You disappeared on me again.” He teased, whispering the words in her ear. His mouth was so close to her ear; she swore she felt his lips brush against her skin as he spoke.
She stared at him for a moment. He stood just shy of six feet, physically fit, with a thick head of dark wavy brown hair, and dark eyes; he was most women’s idea of a perfect man. The women at the clinic all drooled over him when he would come to work straight from the gym, still wearing his workout clothes. She’d admit, he did look amazing in his tux this evening, and he chose not to shave, so the five o’clock shadow on his cheeks made him look that much sexier.
She smiled but chose to ignore the “disappeared” comment. It wasn’t like she had been ordered to stand by his side all night. She was grateful for the invite, but she sensed things were getting a little weird between them.
“I had a wonderful time. Thank you again for the invite.” His large hands traveled down her bare arms to her hips, where they rested. The move was intimate and made her uncomfortable and unsure of what his intentions were. In the last few weeks, there had been a slight change in his attentiveness towards her in the office. But after tonight with his blatant flirting, she was beginning to think that Elijah may be interested in her more than just a colleague. She wasn’t about to venture down that path. Most women would call her crazy, but he just didn’t do anything for her.
A waiter appeared with a champagne tray, and she used that opportunity to step out of his firm hold. Taking a glass from the tray, she thanked the waiter before swallowing about half the glass in one gulp. She had been careful to limit her drinks. This was only her third and final for the evening. Elijah never took his eye off her. There was a gleam in his gaze, and she recognized it. It was the same look guys at a bar or club would give her before they’d try and charm their way into her pants. She wasn’t an easy lay and had even punched a guy for insisting she was.
“There wasn’t a man in the room that couldn’t take his eyes off you.”
She lowered her eyes, wishing the floor would swallow her up. She drank the remaining champagne in her glass. She wasn’t sure how to respond to his comment. Maybe it was the alcohol, but she smiled and looked up at him.
“I could say the same for you. There were quite a few women who appeared put off that you ignored them.”
His eyes grew darker, and he licked his bottom lip.
“That is because I only had eyes for one woman in the room.” His gaze was intense. He had a fire in his pupils, and she knew he was speaking about her. It put her on edge. She swallowed hard and wished someone would use this exact time to interrupt them.
She noticed he looked at his watch again. It was the third time in the last couple of minutes.
Elijah glanced at his watch again.
“Is there somewhere you need to be?” She asked, hoping to change the atmosphere surrounding them.
His lips twitched. “I do need to head out. I have a client meeting me at the office.”
She nodded her head, but then his words registered.
“You’re meeting a client this late?” She asked him, now rather curious who he was seeing at this time of the night.
“He’s been a client since I opened the practice and has a new litter of puppies that were born prematurely. Two of the pups have some issues, and I’d feel better if it were me who saw them instead of the emergency clinic.
She immediately became concerned for the pups. “Do you need any help?” She asked, setting the champagne glass down on the table next to her.
He smiled down at her. “This is why you are my favorite. So eager to lend a hand. Thank you for the offer, but I can handle this one alone. I’d rather you stay and enjoy yourself.”
If he was leaving, she wasn’t going to be too far behind. She shrugged her shoulders. If he wanted to go into work this late, more power to him. She should be thankful he said no.
“Just remember I offered.” She told him in a teasing way.
He reached out and took her hand, pulling her closer to him. The move caught her off guard, causing her to fall against his chest. He kept one hand on her waist while the other hand slowly slid down her bare back, stopping just above her ass. She swallowed hard, and her breathing increased. Her face was against his chest. He pulled back slightly, and when she looked up, his dark eyes were focused on her. Slowly he lowered his head and kissed her cheek, letting his lips linger against her skin. She was stunned by his actions and afraid to move as one slight shift to the right, and his lips would meet hers.
“I wish I didn’t have to leave,” He whispered, but she didn’t know how to respond. Before she could think of a reply, he gave her hip one last squeeze and st
epped back. “As soon as I get to the office, I’ll send the car back to take you home.”
She took a step backward, putting more distance between them. She felt frazzled.
“Don’t worry about the car. I don’t mind catching a cab.”
“Nonsense. I brought you tonight, and I have to see that you make it home safely. I’ll see you tomorrow morning at the office.”
She nodded her head, and he smiled again before turning and walking toward the exit. As soon as he was out of sight, she let out a big gasp of air. What in the hell just happened? She was trying to process everything when someone behind her spoke.
“Mia?”
When she turned, she smiled from ear-to-ear. She needed to see a friendly face right now.
“Dr. Vineberg. I was wondering if I was going to see you this evening.” Mia looked toward his wife standing next to him, and she stepped forward to hug her. “Mrs. Vineberg, it’s so nice to see you. How have you been?”
The grey-haired lady gave her a warm smile. “Mia, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Estelle?” Estelle leaned in and hugged her. “How have you been, dear?”
Mia adored the Vinebergs. She had done an internship in Dr. Vineberg’s clinic during her last year in school. Dr. Vineberg had offered her a position at his clinic, but it was too far of a commute. She had heard a rumor that he was looking at retirement and considering selling his clinic. It was a shame because he was a rare breed of veterinarians. He was old school going so far as to do house calls still. That was precisely what she wanted to be. She wanted to be that doctor who everyone trusted their animal with. In the few months she’d been working for Elijah, she had already made a name for herself. But she didn’t see herself there long-term. She wanted to work alongside and learn from someone who was hands-on and a team player. That was definitely not Elijah. He was a nice guy, treated his staff well, but his work ethic sucked. He was either late or never even made it into the office, which was why she’d seen an uptick in her workload.