by Force, Marie
“Oh my God,” Hunter muttered, glaring at their father. “You said they weren’t invited.”
“They weren’t,” Linc said.
“Hey,” Lucas said to Amanda. “I’m Lucas. This is my brother Landon. We don’t work here, but we’re very interested in the new product line.”
“Excellent,” Amanda said. “Have a seat and feel free to check out the products. I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.”
“We might need a private lesson later since we missed the beginning,” Landon said.
“I’d be happy to meet with you afterward,” Amanda said.
“That’s not happening.” Wade pointed his brothers to seats at the far end of the table. “Sit down and shut up. Don’t say a single word to her or anyone else.”
“We’re so misunderstood in this family,” Landon grumbled.
“You’re perfectly understood,” Will said, “which is why you weren’t invited to this meeting.”
“And you stink,” Hunter said, waving a hand in front of his face as he grimaced with disgust.
“We didn’t want to take the time to shower and maybe miss even more than we already did,” Lucas said. He picked up a large purple dildo and held it up for his twin’s inspection. “Not quite as big as me, but it’ll do in a pinch.”
“Mom!” Wade said. “Make it stop.”
“Boys,” Molly said, “behave or get out. I mean it.”
“We are behaving,” Landon said indignantly. “We’re just curious. That’s allowed in this company, isn’t it?”
Wade realized Mia was rocking with silent laughter. She laughed so hard that tears ran down her face. Her laughter made him smile, and he had to fight back the need to join her. His younger brothers were always ridiculous, but never more so than in a room full of sex toys. Wade loved to see her laugh.
“Amanda,” Linc said, “I apologize for my younger sons. We did what we could, but they came out this way. Please proceed.”
Despite the grime that covered them, Amanda seemed somewhat captivated by the younger Abbotts and kept glancing at them as she continued her presentation, which went into intricate detail about what each object was intended to do and how it worked. An hour later, Wade knew more about sex toys than he’d ever wanted to and could speak intelligently about them to the store’s employees, which had been the point of the dreaded meeting.
“Now, let me take any questions you have.”
The comment was met with silence.
Lucas and Landon raised their hands simultaneously.
“You two don’t get to ask questions,” Wade said. “You don’t actually work here.”
“No, but we represent the family in the community through our generous work as volunteer firefighters, and people are bound to ask us about the new product line,” Landon said in all seriousness.
Wade rolled his eyes.
“You want us to be able to answer questions, don’t you?” Lucas added.
“Actually, that’s about the last thing we want,” Wade said.
Hunter and Will nodded in agreement.
“Let them ask,” Charley said. “How bad can it be?”
The others looked at her in horror.
“Are you seriously asking that?” Wade asked.
“I was wondering if you’re available to give private demonstrations to customers who might want to know more about the line,” Landon asked.
Amanda’s composure seemed to desert her. “I, um…”
“You don’t have to answer that,” Lincoln said, glaring at Landon.
“I don’t mind,” she said. “We offer workshops to people looking for more information, and that’s part of the package. I look forward to the opportunity to speak one-on-one with people in the community about the product line and how it might benefit them.”
“I’m really interested in those workshops,” Lucas said solemnly.
“I’m going to have them killed,” Wade muttered.
Mia shook with laughter.
“I’ll make sure you’re notified when they’re being offered,” Amanda said.
Wade couldn’t tell if she was intrigued or horrified by them. Some women tended to go stupid in the head in their presence, which only made them more unmanageable.
The meeting wrapped up at the end of the second hour. Will and Hunter got up and left the second they could. Ella, Charley and Cameron thanked Amanda for the in-depth presentation and made a date to meet in the morning to plan the orientation of the sales team, which was Ella’s job.
Wade would help because the product line fell under his department, but Ella would head it up. Thank God. She had a gift for dealing with the lovely ladies who worked for them, and she’d know just how to handle their training.
Lucas and Landon lingered, clearly hoping for a private word with Amanda.
“Move along, gentlemen,” Wade said. “Show’s over.”
“We want to thank her personally,” Lucas said. “She did such a great job of explaining everything in terms we could easily understand.”
“Yeah, like ‘orgasm’ and ‘erection’ and ‘clitoris,’” Landon added. “Those are some of our most favorite words.”
“Don’t forget ‘prostate,’” Lucas said. “That’s the best word ever.”
“Leave her alone,” Wade said. “She’s just doing her job and doesn’t need to be harassed by you guys.”
“We’ve never harassed a woman in our lives,” Landon said. “We don’t have to.”
That was a fact and a big part of the reason they were such menaces. Women had fallen all over them from the time they were teenagers, and the attention had never abated.
Lucas pushed past Wade to speak to Amanda. “Could I interest you in dinner at the inn tonight?” he asked.
“That’s where I’m staying,” she said, appearing flustered.
“Perfect. I’ll come by around seven? And I promise to shower first.”
“Don’t mind if I join you,” Landon said.
“I do mind.” Lucas glared at his twin. “I asked first.”
“Fine. I’ll ask second. Tomorrow night? Same time?”
“I, um…”
“You don’t have to say yes to either of them if you don’t want to,” Wade said.
“No, that’s okay,” she said. “Sounds fun. I’ll see you tonight and you tomorrow night.”
“Excellent,” Lucas said, smirking at Wade. “See you then, Amanda.”
“I was going to suggest we need a date of our own tonight, since we’ve never actually been on one,” Mia whispered to Wade. “Now I know where I want to go.”
“That’s a very good idea,” he said, “in more ways than one.” And he wished he’d thought of it. They’d known each other almost two years but had never been on an official date. Tonight, they would rectify that. “Let’s go home.”
“Now?”
“Right now.” He rarely took time off or left early, and if there was any day to claim some time for himself, it was two days after he got married. “I didn’t get to work out this morning, and I’m feeling the need to stretch.”
“Me, too. Maybe we can work out together?”
“I’d love to.” He took her hand to lead her from the conference room, releasing it only so he could duck into his office to grab his coat.
Ella followed him in. “Everything okay?” she asked, keeping her voice down.
“Yeah, we talked. It’s all good. I’m going home.”
“Oh. You are?”
“Yep. I just got married, and I don’t want to be here.”
“Okay, then. Have a nice evening.”
“You do the same.” Wade returned to reception, where Mia was talking to Emma. “Ready?”
“If you are.”
Hunter came out of his office, holding papers in his hand. “Hey, Mia, before you go, could I have a word?”
“Sure.”
Wade wanted to ask his brother what kind of word he needed to have with his wife. But he didn’
t ask. Instead, he waited patiently for her to take care of whatever Hunter had to ask her.
She came out a minute later and smiled at him. “Ready?”
“What’s up with Hunter?”
“He just needed to confirm my Social Security number. It’s all set.”
Wade put his arm around her and told Emma he was leaving for the day.
“Have a good one,” she said.
He squeezed Mia’s shoulder. “Oh, I plan to.”
Chapter 20
“There is no end of craving. Hence contentment alone is the best way to happiness.”
—Swami Sivananda
Hunter stared at his computer screen, not sure what to do with the info staring back at him. The Social Security number Mia had given him belonged to a woman who’d died in 1972. There was no record of the number having ever belonged to her.
What the hell did he do now?
As a matter of course, he ran background checks on every new employee, beginning by validating their Social Security number. He was almost afraid to continue the process. Rubbing at the stubble on his jaw, wondering if he should quit now or keep going.
Hunter Abbott didn’t cut corners when it came to overseeing his family’s business interests. He was methodical and thorough. He didn’t make exceptions—ever. But this was his brother’s wife.
He shut down his computer, stood and grabbed his coat. “Be back in a few,” he said to Emma on his way by the reception desk.
“Got it,” she said.
She’d been a great addition to their team, but he still missed seeing Mary every day. According to Cameron, her dad and Mary were having the time of their lives traveling together. Mary deserved the grand adventure of her romance with Patrick. She was a great person.
Everyone deserved a chance to be happy, which was what had him so torn about the information he’d uncovered about Mia.
Wade was clearly crazy about her, had been for quite some time, according to Hannah. It didn’t surprise Hunter that he’d never caught a hint of Wade’s affection for Mia. His brother kept to himself, always had, even when they’d all lived at home.
Hunter remembered when Wade had claimed the oversized closet and turned it into a bedroom, so he wouldn’t have to share a room with Colton anymore. That was typical Wade—while the rest of them zigged, Wade zagged. He was self-contained, didn’t feel the need to share his every thought with others.
Hunter had never been self-contained. He’d shared almost every thought he’d ever had with his twin, Hannah. Now his thoughts were divided between those he shared with Hannah and those he shared with his wife, Megan.
Crossing Elm Street, he made a beeline for the diner, eager to see his wife and talk it out with her. She’d know what he should do—and he could trust her to keep the matter confidential.
Her eyes lit up with delight at the sight of him. Would he ever get tired of being received that way by her? No, never. For the longest time, he’d nursed a secret crush on her while she’d pined for Will. Those days seemed like a long time ago now that they were married and trying—as hard as they possibly could—to get her pregnant.
He couldn’t wait to see her round and glowing. Taking a seat at the counter, he leaned in to accept a kiss from her.
She rested her hand on his face. “What’s the matter?”
It didn’t surprise him that she could tell he had something on his mind. They were so in tune with each other that he could tell, just by looking at her, when something was troubling her—and he loved that. Looking around to make sure they wouldn’t be overheard, he said, “Mia applied for a job with the company.”
“That’s cool. That means she’s sticking around, right?”
“Yeah.”
“So, what’s the problem?”
“I do background checks on every new employee—no exceptions.”
Her face fell with dismay. “Oh no…”
“Her SSN is a fake.”
“Oh God, Hunter. What do you do about that?”
“I have no idea. That’s why I’m over here. I’m hiding.”
“Be right back.” She went to refill coffees and rang up two customers before returning to him. “You have to tell Wade.”
Groaning, he dropped his head into his hands. “Don’t want to.”
“You have to.”
“I know, but he’ll be mad with me.”
“It’s not your fault that she gave you a fake SSN.”
“No, but he’ll accuse me of being suspicious for checking it.”
“You just said you do that for everyone, no exceptions.”
“Yeah, but—”
“No buts. You checked up on her as an employee, not as his wife, and that’s what you found. He can’t fault you for that.”
“I hate this for him. He’s so happy with her.”
“I know. They were in for lunch, and he never stopped smiling. I can’t believe he’s the same Wade.”
“Maybe there’s a good reason for the fake number.”
“Maybe.”
But what good reason could there possibly be? “I very rarely hate my job, but I do right now.”
“Will you tell your dad?”
“No. I’m only going to tell Wade and take my lead from him. I don’t want this to blow up into an Abbott-family scandal. Not that my dad would tell people, but you know what I mean.”
“I do, and I think that’s wise. Will you call him now?”
“No, she’s with him. I’ll talk to him alone in the morning. That’s soon enough to ruin everything for him.” He groaned. “And here I thought the sex-toy demonstration would be the low point of my day.”
“I’m sorry you have to deal with this.” She smoothed her fingers through his hair. “Guess what?”
“What?”
“Look at me.”
He raised his head and smiled. “Nothing I’d rather look at.”
“I’m late,” she whispered.
“For what?”
She raised her brows. “And people say you’re so smart.”
Suddenly, her meaning dawned on him. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
“I’m only saying I’m late.”
“How soon can we find out?”
“Soon.”
“I can’t wait that long.”
“Yes, you can. I’ll keep you very busy so you barely think about it.”
“Busy how exactly?” he asked, feeling like a little boy on Christmas. He often felt that way since she came into his life and made every day feel like Christmas.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“Yes, I would. I really, really would.”
Laughing, Megan said, “Go back to work so you can go home sooner. I’ll tell you all about it when you get there.”
Reaching for her, he laid a hot kiss on her before bolting out the door to go finish his workday. He had much better things to do these days than linger at work any longer than necessary. As always, talking out his problems with her made him feel better.
It would kill him to break this news to Wade, but he’d do it because that was his job as the CFO and human-resources director. And then he’d help Wade figure out what to do next because that was his job as Wade’s big brother.
Wade and Mia arrived home, and the first thing they did was change their clothes and roll out yoga mats for a relaxing, invigorating workout that she insisted on leading him through. He tried to keep his tongue in his mouth while watching her bend and stretch and arch her elegant neck. When she bent over into downward-facing dog, he lost his patience and molded his body to hers.
“Um, excuse me, Mr. Abbott, but it’s not appropriate to touch the yoga instructor in such a familiar way.”
“It’s very appropriate when the yoga instructor is your wife.”
She giggled and pushed her ass into his abdomen. “We’re not finished.”
“Do you know how crazy you made me that first day, watching your body move? I swear I was hard fr
om the first second I laid eyes on you.” Holding the pose, he slid his hands around her and cupped her breasts, dragging his thumbs over hard nipples.
“Is that right?”
“Uh-huh. It took every ounce of self-control I could find to keep my hands to myself that day and every time I saw you afterward.”
“Every woman at that retreat was talking about the hot guy with the long hair.”
“Are you mad that I cut my hair? You can tell me the truth.”
“God, no. You’re even hotter with short hair, if that’s possible.”
“Stand with me.” He guided her into an upright position and took her hands to stretch her arms into a sun salutation. They moved together through a variety of poses, their bodies pressed together. No words were needed as they went from one to the other, each seeming to sense the other’s next move. The feeling of harmony between them moved him profoundly.
“Savasana,” he whispered, bringing her down on top of him for the corpse pose that was supposed to be relaxing at the end. With her on top of him, it was anything but relaxing.
She moved ever so slightly so his erection was pressed between her ass cheeks.
Wade groaned and ran his hands over the front of her, from hips to breasts. “Best yoga practice ever.”
“Mmm, for sure. Can we do that every day?”
He wrapped his arms around her, his breathing and heartbeat in time with hers. “Yeah, baby. We can do that every day.”
“You’re supposed to be relaxing.” She flexed her glutes and drew a deep groan from him.
“I’m never going to relax if you do that.”
“Do what?” She flexed again. “This?”
“Mia,” he said, half laughing and half groaning.
“Yes, dear?”
He slid his hands from her breasts to her abdomen and below, drawing a gasp from her when his fingers pressed against the heat between her legs. “You’re supposed to be relaxing.”
“Relaxing is overrated.”
“I’m glad you agree.” He turned them so she was facedown on the mat and drew her yoga pants and panties down to her thighs.
“Wade…”