Love Defined

by Kelli McCracken

  My curiosity sprang to life. “Why not?”

  Darius released his hold on me then straightened his back. He jiggled his leg and gripped the edge of the bench. “Dad knew Mom left me this house. They had a prenuptial, which protected it, so she left it to me in her will. He wanted me to sell it and split the profit with him.”

  His father sounded like an asshole, not that I had room to talk. My father had lied to me and set me up for failure. Darius and I had more things in common than I realized. “What did you tell him?”

  One brow rose as he looked at me again. “I told him to go to hell.”

  Good for him. He’d had the courage to stand up to his father. I needed to do the same, and in time, I would. Not today. Darius had finally opened up to me, and I had a feeling we were just getting started.

  “Listen to me, Darius.” I blocked his view of the beach in hopes that he would focus on me. “Just because your father lived his life in the fast lane doesn’t mean you have to follow in his footsteps.”

  “I already have, Mia. I’m a piece of shit. My mother would be so disappointed in me.”

  His lower lip trembled as he looked down, but I lifted his chin and forced him to look in my eyes. “Stop it. You’re not your father, and your mother loved you. She never expected you to be perfect.”

  He stared at me for the longest time, fighting to keep his face void of emotion. Then he glanced at the piano. “This was my mother’s. She’s the one who inspired my love of music. She always wanted the best for me, just like you.”

  I placed my hand on his shoulder until he faced me again. “It sounds like she was an amazing woman. I wish I could have met her.”

  “My mom would have loved you.” He reached up and caressed the back of my hand. He removed it from his shoulder, turned back around, then drew me between his legs. “When I’m around you, I want to be a better person, someone who would make my mom proud...and you too.”

  “Darius…” I struggled to speak. He had no idea how much his words affected me. So did his touch. Everything I held against him vanished. None of that was important. We were just a man and woman, fighting to make our way through the world. For so long, we’d been hiding our vulnerabilities. It was confusing and frightening to feel a connection to another human being. And that connection was one thing most people in this world were desperate to have. Darius and I were no different.

  When he tugged me closer, I placed my palm against his cheek. Then I leaned down to press my lips to his. There was no thinking about it. I craved his touch, the taste of his mouth, and the feel of his body.

  I refused to deny what I felt for him any longer, and the message came through loud and clear. He made it obvious the second he left the piano bench and pressed me against the wall.

  11

  ~Darius~

  The heat of Mia’s mouth, the swirl of her tongue, left my mind in a haze. At some point, I’d pulled her away from the wall and backed her toward my bedroom. Our lips never broke once. Desire fueled my need. I’d wanted to kiss her for so long, I’d given up on the possibility. To know it was happening now left every nerve in my body pulsing.

  Yet in some dark, recessed part of my soul, a voice screamed at me to stop. I couldn’t take this chance. There was too much at stake.

  I hated the thought of breaking our kiss, but I did. When she opened her eyes and looked at me, her confusion became evident. Silky-smooth skin teased my calloused fingertips as I caressed her face. She deserved to know why I’d pulled back.

  “I don’t want you to think that I’m feeding you some sad story just so you’ll pity me,” I said. “As much as I’d love to strip you down and savor every inch of your body, I can’t.”

  A line etched between her brows. “What’s wrong?”

  I gazed into her eyes, unsure of whether to tell her the truth. What other choice did I have? She’d see through any lie I told her.

  “When we first met, I wanted to fuck you just because I was attracted to you, but now…” I struggled to put what I felt into words. “You make me feel things other women haven’t, Mia. It scares the shit out of me.”

  She touched my cheek. “Why?”

  My stomach knotted, and I hadn’t even said the words yet. God, I was a mess.

  “No one can deny I’m a fuckup. If I screw things up with you… I can’t lose someone I care about again.” Great. I’d told her too much. Might as well tell her the rest. “I’ve, uh… I’ve fallen for you, Mia.”

  She studied my face, not saying a word. The harder she stared at me, the more I worried I’d said too much. Maybe the powers that be had decided it was my time to get screwed over. I’d pegged Mia for an all-or-nothing type of girl, but perhaps she just wanted a short fling.

  I continued to torture myself with negative thoughts until she swept the hair from my face and leaned her forehead against mine. “Trust me, Darius, I understand. There’s a reason I’m here with you. Do you know why?”

  She waited for me to respond, but all I did was shrug.

  “Every time I’ve thought about walking away from you, I can’t. Something keeps pulling me back. I think…” She laughed halfheartedly. “No. It’s not a thought. It’s a fact. I’m falling for you too.”

  “Doesn’t it scare you?”

  She nodded. “It terrifies me, but at the same time, I'm willing to take the risk. You don’t show many people your heart, but I see it, Darius. You have a lot of love to give.”

  “Because of you.” I leaned in and gave her a tender kiss. It was tempting to take it further, but I eased back instead. “You’re the one who found my heart–awakened it–made it feel again. Do you even realize the power you have over me? You could tear my world apart.”

  She shook her head and pressed into me. “I won’t.”

  There was no way she could guarantee that, but I decided I didn’t care. When she pulled me back into a kiss, she found no resistance. Quite the opposite.

  We moved about my bedroom, ridding our bodies of every article of clothing. I eased back long enough to admire the way her bra straps fell from her shoulders, down her arms. With one flick of my fingers, I had it unfastened and falling to the floor. A perfect set of tits greeted me, and I welcomed them with my mouth.

  I scraped my teeth over her nipples, licking both equally. Mia fisted my hair the instant I drew one into my mouth. She arched her back and moaned in response.

  Goosebumps raised on her skin when I ran my hands down her hips, hooking her panties with my thumbs. I tugged them to the floor, then she stepped out of them. She watched me shuck my sweats and toss them behind me. Then I drew her back into my arms.

  Though I didn’t want to rush this, I needed to be next to her, holding her close.

  Touching and kissing her eased an ache deep in my soul that hadn’t been touched in many years. For the first time in a long time, someone understood me.

  Lifting her off the ground, I held her close. She wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs encircled my waist. She weighed next to nothing. I could spin her, flip her, fold her body between mine and the mattress with little effort. And as stupid as it sounded, part of me feared I would break her.

  Dark locks spread over the mattress as I lay her across it. I remained between her toned thighs. My cock grew thick and full, the pressure behind the tip, maddening.

  The urge I had to drive myself inside her sweet little pussy intensified, but I managed to resist. I wanted to savor every second of our time together. There was no rush.

  Mia didn’t seem to agree. Her hands lowered to my ass and she pulled me against her. Instead of sliding inside her delicate folds, I reached into the nightstand, grabbed a condom, and slid it on. Then I teased her clit with the head of my dick. A throaty moan left her mouth, and it made my cock twitch.

  “Mia,” I whispered her name. “Are you sure this is what you want?

  “Yes,” she answered, “Make love to me, Darius.”

  Her wet warmth beckoned me forward. I presse
d against her slit but didn’t enter. She was gazing up at me with those beautiful eyes. All I could do was stare into them and lose myself in the moment.

  Mia Brooks wanted me as much as I wanted her. There was no more running from what I felt. I was where I needed to be, and I couldn’t imagine being with anyone else. She was my future.

  When she lifted her hips to mine, I thrust into her, sinking to her core. Her pussy tightened around my shaft, increasing the pressure. Fuck. I was going to blow my load five seconds into this.

  Some legend I was. I’d never been this sensitive inside a woman. What the hell was happening to me?

  My muscles locked up and I held myself deep. Every nerve inside of my body ached with desire. There was so much unbelievable pressure in my dick, I swore I’d be known as a two-pump chump when this was over. How could I make love to her the way she deserved if I couldn’t keep my shit together?

  Damn, she wrecked me.

  Drawing in a deep breath, I focused on the pleasure I wanted to provide her, not what I’d receive. I kissed my way across her cheek, over the curve of her jaw, down her neck. Her pulse thumped against my lips when I planted a kiss and nipped her skin.

  Mia took advantage of my thick cock, the way it was buried inside her, hitting that sensitive spot in the center of her core. Each time she circled her hips, her movements grew frantic.

  I gripped her shoulders and slowly drew out to the tip. Another thrust sent me back to her core. She cried out my name, and I loved the urgency in her voice, the way she begged me to drive faster—deeper. The harder I pounded her tight little slit, the more she wriggled against me.

  Our bodies moved together in perfect rhythm. Each time I thrusted into her, she raised her hips and took every inch I generously gave her. Yet, the moans leaving her mouth became louder. It wouldn’t be long before her orgasm peaked.

  Focusing on the ball of nerves at her apex, I rolled my hips faster, increasing the friction between us. Mia gazed up at me with half a smile. She pressed her palm to my cheek just before her eyes fluttered shut. I knew what was next, and the mere thought had me slamming into her.

  Everything around me stilled. It was like the world went into slow motion. The only thing that mattered was the way Mia’s face pinched. Her pussy clenched my cock as the wetness sheathing me increased. The cries leaving her mouth hit a higher note and pierced the air. But all I felt was complete and utter satisfaction.

  “Oh, God,” she whimpered. “I’m going to come.”

  Her heels dug into my ass, pinning my body to hers. She gripped my biceps, shuddering. Then Mia came.

  Each time I pumped my hips, it was to prolong her orgasm. I loved the way her pussy contracted around my cock, squeezing and releasing it. My nerve endings sizzled. Every coherent thought I had disappeared, and the purest ecstasy overcame me. I couldn’t hold back. I tried. God, did I try, but there was no controlling it.

  When the pressure became too much, I buried my face against her neck and grunted. Everything exploded. My cock. My head. My heart.

  As my seed released, I hovered above her. Not one inch of her face escaped my lips. I kissed her everywhere.

  Several minutes passed before I could move. Once the last of me spilled inside Mia, I rolled onto the bed then tucked her in the crook of my arm. She fit perfectly.

  The moment was beautiful, perfect, and everything I’d imagined it to be. Just the sight of her head lying on my shoulder did more for me than any sold-out concert. When she released a content sigh, my life felt complete.

  If the way Mia nuzzled against me was any indication of how she felt, I knew it was the same way I was feeling. Still, I worried about how her family would react if they knew we were together. If her father, Shane, expected her to fail at managing me, his opinion of me wasn’t high.

  Tough shit for him. Shane Brooks could kiss my ass. There was no way in hell I was losing Mia now that she was mine.

  ~Mia~

  I was never one for lying in bed this early in the evening, but this was a special occasion. The warmth radiating from the body next to me was a reminder of how different it was. So did the smile on Darius’s face.

  Since the moment I pressed my cheek on his shoulder, he hadn’t stopped touching me. Each caress had my heart soaring higher. I wished he would let this side of him shine through more often. The soft side of him made my heart melt. This was the man I wanted the rest of the world to see, and if I had my way, they would know soon enough.

  Darius laced his fingers with mine and raised our hands. Our palms pressed together like we were communicating telepathically. He stared at them with the most intense expression. A few seconds later, he looked at me. “I think I’m still in shock.”

  “From what?”

  “Us.” He glanced at our hands again. “If someone had told me that you and I would confess our true feelings and make love in my house, I would have told them they were insane. Now here we are.”

  “It’s not something I expected to happen, either. Believe me. I denied what I felt for you from day one. I focused too much on the negative stories I’d heard instead of getting to know you, and that’s my mistake.”

  He cupped my cheek. “You’re not the only person who misjudged someone. I did too. I thought you were some spoiled little rich girl trying to make her mark on the world. Then I got to see the kind, compassionate woman you are. You’re not like anyone I’ve ever met, Mia.”

  Darius lowered our hands and pressed mine to his chest. He covered the back with his palm and turned so that our noses almost touched. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Of course,” I answered.

  “I know you’re next in line to run Music Haven, and I imagine it will be hectic. Do you ever plan to get married and have a family?”

  “Absolutely,” I smiled. “In fact, my children will inherit Music Haven someday. The legacy must continue.”

  When he grew silent, I leaned in and kissed him. It was short and sweet, but enough to pacify my need to feel his lips on mine.

  “What about you?” I eased back to look at him. “You told me how you’ve always wanted kids. Does that mean you to plan to have a family and perform around the world?”

  “That’s my goal. Do you think I can have the best of both worlds, or am I being selfish?”

  “I don’t think it’s selfish to want kids, Darius.” I swiped a strand of hair from his face. “I know plenty of musicians with families, and they manage fine. They’re happy.”

  He brought my hand to his lips and kissed it softly. “This dream I’m chasing won’t mean anything without a family.”

  “I feel the same way. As much as I love what I do, I want a life outside of it. Being a mother is a dream of mine. Maybe it’s because I lost mine at a young age.”

  “I can relate.” His eyes lowered to the space between us. He seemed to struggle with what he wanted to say, and before I could ask what was troubling him, my phone rang.

  “What lousy timing for a call.” I glanced around the room, to the pile of clothes lying on the floor. My phone stuck halfway out of my jean’s pocket.

  “You better answer it. It might be something important. Besides, I’m not going anywhere.”

  My heart leaped at his words. I nodded and slipped out of the bed to retrieve it. As soon as I saw the caller ID, I froze.

  “It’s my father,” I announced.

  I stared at the phone, debating on whether to answer. It could be an emergency. My grandfather wasn’t getting any younger. Like it or not, I needed to take the call.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, princess. I didn’t catch you in the middle of something, did I?”

  If he only knew…

  “No, Dad. I can talk. What’s up?”

  “Nothing important. I never heard back from you about the band you called about. Did you get them to sign a contract? Are they willing to come to Music Haven?”

  Shit...

  I met Darius’s intense gaze. This wasn’t a good ti
me to have this conversation. Yet I didn’t know how to get out of it.

  “You didn’t hear back from me because I never talked to the band. I couldn’t.”

  The line went silent. I thought maybe I’d lost our connection until I heard him clear his throat. “What happened?”

  “Nothing, Dad. You just assumed I was giving up my job as Rebel Stone’s manager. Then, you went on to confess how you set me up for something you thought I would fail. Do you know how bad that hurt?”

  “Mia—”

  “Don’t,” I snapped. “Most parents encourage their kids to do better and be successful. Not you.”

  I looked away from Darius the instant tears stung my eyes. We were having the perfect moment before my dad called and screwed up everything. I refused to let it ruin our time together.

  “Mia.” My dad’s voice took on a lighter tone. “It’s not like that. I’m just trying to protect you. This world is a lot crueler than you think.”

  This was about Mom. It always was. Had my grandparents not stepped in to take care of me after she died, my father would have sheltered me from everything. It stopped today.

  “You’re not the only person who lost Mom. I did too, but I haven’t let it change me. I don’t need your protection, Dad, and I don’t need you to manage my life. Let me figure things out on my own.”

  Silence filled the line for several seconds. I glanced at the screen, making sure we were still connected before placing it back to my ear.

  A second later, Dad exhaled. “What if I told you that your grandfather and I have reconsidered representing Rebel Stone?”

  My eyes flitted back to Darius. He waited for me to return to the bed, but I didn’t miss the concern burning in his eyes. Could he sense my conversation was about him?

  Damn my father. I hoped like hell he was lying. I would never forgive him for the betrayal otherwise.

  “I’m calling your bluff, Dad. You forget Grandad trained me from a child to take his place. This isn’t something he would do.”