by M. S. Parker
I glanced at my cousin and shook my head. “I can’t even say we’re seeing each other now. We’re sleeping together. That’s it.” I pondered his question for a moment, then exhaled a long breath. “And hell, I have no idea what’s going to happen once I’m no longer needed as her bodyguard.”
It wasn’t something I wanted to think about either.
20
Mila
Normally, I enjoyed my weekends. Under normal circumstances, I might have been thinking about going out to a club or calling some friends about a movie.
Something.
But the only way I was going to a club or a movie would be if my bodyguard tagged along – and while I wouldn’t mind if it was Liam, Liam had been off yesterday and today.
His replacement was a stern-faced guy who made Liam look positively outgoing. He could be on duty for hours, and we’d barely speak five words to each other.
And there was no way I was going to think about going out or making plans with him along.
I spent that Saturday puttering around the house, taking care of errands and doing some online shopping. I was considering going to the pub on the next street over when somebody knocked at the door.
I didn’t even get out of the living room before my bodyguard intervened, holding up a hand in a familiar signal. I’ll deal with this, that hand said.
Annoyed, I went to peer out the window.
He gave me a dark look where he stood with his hand on the doorknob.
“You can open up,” I told him. “It’s my grandmother.”
That stern face of his didn’t soften even a little as he complied, opening the door for Millie to come inside.
She arrived in a cloud of Chanel No. 5, all smiles as she greeted my bodyguard then came bustling over toward me. We hugged each other, and she brushed my hair back from my face. “I take it that Liam is off today?” she asked, gesturing toward the man who’d taken his place back up by the door.
“Yes. He’s back on tomorrow.” Thank goodness. I didn’t look at the Grim Reaper who stood looming in the doorway. It wasn’t really his fault we hadn’t connected and that I all but counted the hours on the days when Liam wasn’t here. “Come on. I haven’t eaten lunch yet. I’ll make us something.”
“That sounds delightful.” She put her bag down and the two of us – the three of us – walked into the kitchen.
Millie’s eyes widened slightly as she turned to face me. “Do you ever have any privacy now?”
“Very little,” I said, annoyance showing in my voice.
It wasn’t as bad when Liam was there, and it wasn’t just because we were sleeping together either. Liam didn’t feel like he was a burr, rubbing at the tender, exposed skin.
Determined not to think about it and let it ruin my mood, I gestured for her to sit at the breakfast bar while I rummaged around for something to eat. “Sandwiches okay, Grandma?”
“Oh, yes. I’m not picky.”
We chatted as I got everything together and joined her at the bar. As we put our sandwiches together, Millie asked, “I don’t suppose your father has told you anything more about this threat against you, has he?”
“He’s not even sure there is a threat.” Rolling my eyes, I slathered some mustard on the bread and topped off my ham and swiss creation.
“He must have some reason to think there’s a threat to you. Otherwise…” Millie’s eyes strayed toward the silent man by the doorway.
“He worries too much.” I shook my head. “I don’t want to talk about it either. The more I do, the bitchier I get.”
Millie threw back her head and laughed. “I never would have thought you would bitch about having big, strong men hovering at your heels.”
I made a face at her.
That only amused her even more.
“You see what it’s like having somebody hover at your heels twenty-four seven.”
There was a knock at the door. Not in any hurry to disrupt my meal, I looked at my guard. He eyed me narrowly then turned to go see who it was.
“He’s a grumpy one, isn’t he?” Millie asked. “So unlike Liam.”
A smile bowed up her lips, and I tensed, not liking the look in her eyes.
“What are you getting at, Grandma?”
She waved a hand. “I’m not the one who got at anything. That would be you.” She pointed at me. “Or are you going to tell me the two of you haven’t been intimate?”
I glowered at her, watching the doorway nervously.
“Relax, I’m not going to say anything else,” she told me before taking a bite of her sandwich. “As long as he’s still doing his job by you, that’s all that matters.”
“So, you’re not…going to lecture me?”
“You’re a grown woman. He’s an attractive man.”
The guard returned, carrying a box and several envelopes with him. “It was your mail. You have a delivery.”
He put everything on the bar and returned to his station.
Millie glanced at the box.
“I’ve been doing some online shopping,” I told her. “Going stir crazy here and it keeps me sane.”
“You aren’t locked inside the house, darling. Go out, go have some fun. These boys can keep up with you.” A mischievous glint appeared in her eyes, but she said nothing else.
“I’m not going to a club with a bodyguard hovering at my shoulder.” I glanced over at Tall, Dark, and Broody and added, “He doesn’t exactly blend.”
Later, Millie and I sat in the sunroom. She sipped her iced tea before putting the glass down and looking at me, a rather serious expression on her face.
“There’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Is everything okay?” I asked. Although Grandma was active and fit, she was getting older. If something was wrong…
“You worry too much, darling,” Millie said with a sigh. “But no, nothing is wrong. I’ve just…well, I’ve decided it’s time to make some changes.”
“What…like a haircut?”
She laughed. “Heavens, no. I’m talking about Pleasure Island, Mila.”
I went still, eying her.
“You know that I’ve always planned to leave the island and the resort to you.”
“Yes.” I nodded, uncertain where she was going with this.
“I’ve decided I don’t want to wait any longer.” She held out a hand, and I took it, letting her tug me closer. “I’m ready to slow down and retire. I want to turn over ownership of the island and the resort to you…now.”
I gaped at her. “Now?”
“Yes.” She squeezed my hand, then got to her feet, moving around the sunroom with a restlessness that was unlike her. “It’s time for you, sweetheart. I’ve had a good long run with it, but as I said…I’m ready to slow down.”
“Are you sure there’s nothing wrong with you?”
Millie laughed. “I’m just getting older, darling, and I want to…relax. And just enjoy my time. But the resort will need somebody to take over, and you know I want it to be you.”
My head was spinning.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“If you’re not ready to say yes, then will you at least think about it?” Millie came back to me and once more, she took my hand.
I squeezed her fingers. “Of course, I’ll think about it.”
The question was…would I be able to think about anything else?
21
Liam
Liam
I took my place at Mila’s door after the night guy and I greeted each other, and he gave his report.
The report was pretty simple.
Everything was quiet, and Mila was still in bed.
The thought of joining her was strong, but I resisted the urge as I did a walk-through of the house.
Nothing seemed out of place.
I was starting to believe Mila when she insisted her father was overreacting.
I came back into the main entryway just as Mila descended the ste
ps.
She looked at me with a sleepy smile and hit me hard on the chest. She had on a robe, and her hair was tousled. She was absolutely beautiful.
“You in the mood for some coffee?” she asked as she came the rest of the way down.
I opened my mouth to accept, but instead, I heard myself saying, “I’m in the mood for you.” I closed the distance between us and slid my arms around her waist.
She blinked at me, her smile widening. “Who needs coffee?”
I took her hand, and we retreated back up the steps. In her room, I reached for her first, grabbing the belt of her robe and freeing it. I wasn’t surprised to find her naked under the material. Skimming my hands up her sides, I cupped her breasts as I lowered my mouth to hers.
I no longer doubted that I could touch her, please her. She’d shown me that I was more than capable of it – that we both pleased each other. I didn’t know if it would be like this with another woman, but I couldn’t really even consider it. Every time the thought occurred to me, I cut it off simply because the thought of touching somebody other than Mila didn’t appeal to me. At all.
Touching her, though…
I went to my knees in front of her, pressing a kiss to her belly, then going lower.
She spread her thighs at my urging, and I held her hips before pressing my mouth to her cunt. She gasped and moved her hips toward me beseechingly. I licked her, and she made a hungry little moan in her throat. She was salty and sweet against my tongue, and the taste of her only made me want more.
I hoarded every gasp, every sigh, the way she cupped the back of my head and urged me on. And when I made her come, I felt about ten feet tall.
Rising, I urged her back onto the bed before stripping out of my coat and shirt. I grabbed a condom from the nightstand and climbed onto the wide four-poster bed.
She reached for the buckle of my pants and freed it, her eyes wicked as she slid her hand inside and cupped me.
“This is so much better than coffee,” she teased.
I’d come to enjoy her teasing, but I wasn’t in the mood for anything other than having her impaled on my cock. Slanting my mouth over hers, I bore her down onto the bed.
I tore open the condom and rolled it down my flesh, flicking a look at her as she lay there waiting for me. She slid her tongue out, her gaze locked on my dick, and it pulsed in response.
Stretching out over her, I rolled onto my back and urged her upright. I loved watching her straddle me, and she knew it. She arched her back and rocked against me, letting me feel the heat that had gathered between her thighs.
“Stop teasing,” I said, gripping her hips and lifting her up.
“But that’s part of the fun.” She slid her hands up and cupped her breasts, rolling her nipples as she continued to roll her hips.
I tightened my hands. “Now, Mila.”
“So bossy.” She gave me a mock pout but shifted around, then reached down, holding my cock steady as she took me inside.
I groaned as she closed over me, hot and hungry and tight.
Her hazel eyes locked with mine as she swayed forward and planted her hands on my shoulders.
Her breasts swung gently as she started to move, her nipples puckered and hard.
It was one hell of a sight, and I enjoyed it every time I saw it.
“I want your hands on me,” Mila said.
I squeezed her hips, my fingers curving into her ass. I was learning to play with her, and instead of doing as she clearly wanted, I used my hands to slow her rhythm, squeezing tighter. “My hands are on you,” I told her.
“Not like that.” Her lashes drooped over her eyes.
“Show me what you mean then.”
Her smile widened, and she slid her hands up to cup her breasts, lifting them, plumping them together.
My mouth watered just watching her.
“You know what I mean. I want you to touch me, Liam,” she insisted.
Who was I to say no to that?
Her hands fell away as I lifted mine to replace them and she shivered in satisfaction, still swaying in that slow, lazy rhythm.
I trailed one hand down her torso, then lower, watching her face as I found her clit with my thumb.
She bit her lower lip as I started to stroke.
I knew her rhythm now, knew the pressure she liked, when and how. I knew how to make her breathing hitch and how to make her sigh.
I knew how to make her come too, and I worked her until she started to move on me faster, her breaths coming in ragged pants.
I held my orgasm back as she worked herself over the edge. I lay there, letting her use me until she came with a hard, gasping cry.
As she collapsed against my chest, I threaded my fingers through her hair and tugged her head up.
She smiled.
I covered that smile with my mouth as I rolled us over, settling on my knees between her thighs. “We’re not done,” I said against her lips.
Her snug muscles tightened around my cock, and she arched under me. “I like the sound of that.”
Mila finally did get her coffee, and I accepted a cup from her as well, sipping it as I did a circuit around the house.
I came back into the kitchen as she was cracking eggs into a skillet. “I’m making breakfast,” she said.
I’d had a bagel on my way over.
“You can eat some if you want,” she added. “There will be enough.”
Sharing meals wasn’t exactly forbidden by the company, but I doubted they were highly recommended either.
But Mila watched me with expectant eyes so I nodded. “Sounds good.”
She was proving to be harder and harder to say no to.
And what could breakfast hurt anyway?
She made bacon and eggs and served me up a plate before fixing her own. As she sat down across from me, she said, “I don’t want to stay inside all day today.”
“Okay.” Picking up a piece of bacon, I waited.
“I want to go out. Maybe do some shopping. And I’m craving pizza.” Her eyes lit on mine. “Do you like pizza, Liam?”
“Who doesn’t?”
“Then it’s a date.” She grinned at me, then focused on her food.
Keeping up with Mila as she shopped proved to be a little more chaotic than I thought it would be.
I kept myself on alert, but every few minutes, she was asking what I thought about this item or that. Then we ended up in a boutique, and she started passing dresses for me to hold. “You’re buying all of these?”
“No…well, maybe. But I doubt all of them will suit me.” She winked. “I’ve got to try them on first.”
As we moved over to the dressing room, she said, “You must not spend a lot of time shopping with women.”
I shook my head.
“And to think I’m going to break you in on that too.” She swayed toward me, but I held myself back.
What we did inside her house was one thing. Out here in public was another.
She must have realized what was going through my mind because she huffed out a breath. “You’re so stuffy sometimes. How many times do I have to tell you to lighten up?”
“I guess a few more.” As she ducked into a fitting room, I positioned myself at the door and skimmed the interior of the store.
She popped out a minute later, wearing a slinky black dress that barely covered her ass. “What do you think?”
“It’s…nice.”
Mila rolled her eyes. “Can’t you do better than that?”
I wanted to grab the skirt and peel it away from her butt, palm that firm curve in my hand. But I couldn’t exactly do it here.
She must have read something in my eyes because she huffed out a laugh and fanned herself. “Okay, I’ll take that as a little better than nice.”
She slid back into the dressing room, and I closed my eyes for a brief moment.
I had to stay on track.
Hours later, we sat at the breakfast nook.
We’d spent mos
t of the afternoon out shopping, and I could definitely say she’d broken me in. After three more clothing stops, Mila had accumulated four bags, and she walked along carrying two, while I carried the other two.
“I’m still getting a pizza,” she said to me as we swung around the corner of the street that butted up against hers.
I’d noticed the pizza joint when we’d left her house, located on the corner of the curb. “Will that work?”
“That was my plan all along,” she informed me.
Not long after, we sat down to eat at the breakfast bar, the steaming pie filling the air with the scents of cheese, sauce, and pepperoni.
I’d already become addicted to New York style pizza and was demolishing my second slice when I noticed that Mila was only picking at hers.
She’d been oddly quiet that day, even with the shopping trip. She’d only teased me a little, and now, I couldn’t help but wonder if something was bothering her.
I wanted to ask, but it seemed to step outside the lines we’d established for this relationship.
It was a sexual one, nothing else.
Besides, Mila wasn’t shy. If there was something on her mind that she wanted to talk about, then she’d just up and tell me.
“You feel like watching a movie with me?” Mila asked, looking at me as she finally picked up her slice, half-folding it before taking a bite.
“If you want to watch a movie, that’s fine.” I offered a small smile. “I’m here all day.”
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t mean me watch it while you stand at the door. Watch it with me. Relax a little.”
I could have pointed out that I was plenty relaxed, but I stayed quiet.
I was still on the job and needed to keep that in mind.
“My replacement will be here in about an hour,” I reminded her.
She made a face. “So, we can watch the movie then. You can stay a little longer, can’t you?”
I frowned. “If I do that, my work will find out, and they’ll want to know what’s going on.”
She heaved out a heavy breath and took another bite of her pizza.