Beautiful Mistakes: Contemporary Romance Boxset Books 1-4

by Victoria Snow

  Before I knew it, our plates were emptied, collected and our check had been sitting on the table for nearly half an hour. As much as I didn’t want to, I knew that we both needed to get home and get some rest. We’d had a wild week and a little bit of recovery was in order. Goodness knew my shoulders and neck were aching from wielding double axes all day.

  But as I looked the woman over, I realized that I didn’t want her to go. I wanted her to stay with me forever, all contented and happy and provided for.

  …it wasn’t just a crush, was it?

  I’d been in pretty weak denial about it, Amber having fallen to the background of my thoughts after our three years apart. But now that she was right in front of me, living and breathing and looking so beautiful, I knew that my feelings were so much more than just the teenage unrequited feelings I’d been harboring for years.

  But she was never going to feel anything like that for me. I needed to make a decision. Was I alright with that? Was I alright with just sex and friendship? Or did I want more?

  And if I did want more would I be able to settle for never having it?

  “I think I should probably walk you to your car,” I said after another good twenty minutes of talking. It was getting close to the restaurant’s close time and I didn’t want to be an inconvenience.

  “Alright. Thank you for this dinner. It was nice. Like, really nice.”

  “I’m glad you liked it.”

  I stood, placing a hundred on the table as an apology for camping to the waitress, then offered my arm to Amber. While she was plenty muscled herself, tall and Amazonian, I still took pleasure in how much smaller her arms looked when they wrapped around mine.

  It really seemed like she was made for me. Strong and bountiful in all the right ways, but still feeding into the ego that I tried not to pay too much attention to. I tucked those thoughts away though, as I realized that I needed to think about some things before I kept going with this maybe friends with benefits thing we had going on between us.

  But as we walked out into the crisp, cool night, she just hugged closer to my body. “I don’t want this to end. It’s been so long since I just slowed down and relaxed.”

  “Since the wedding?” I asked with a crooked smile.

  “I wish. There wasn’t exactly a whole lot of relaxing done that weekend.”

  I grimaced. “Sorry about that.”

  But she just shrugged, and I could feel her soft form shift against me as she shrugged. “Hey, it takes two to tango. No need to apologize. Besides, I recall enjoying the first part very much.”

  For someone who prided herself of being snarky, she sure knew how to stoke my pride. “Oh, did you now?”

  “Uh, I thought that much would have been obvious.”

  “Perhaps, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to hear it.”

  “Point taken.” She grew quiet again as we walked across the lot and around the back. I realized that she hadn’t told me where she had parked, and I was just leading her towards my car on instinct. When I said as much, she just chuckled before a very particular look crossed her face.

  “You know what? I don’t think I’ve ever seen your car up close. Is it that big, blue hummer that I saw on set?”

  I nodded. “I like having leg and elbow room. But it’s nothing too impressive.”

  “Nah, I bet it is. Why don’t you show me it?”

  “Really? You want to see my car?”

  “Yeah. I’ve never seen one up close. Consider me curious.”

  I was a bit confused. From what I knew about Amber, she couldn’t care less about cars. But if she wanted to see the thing, I would give her whatever she wanted.

  “Alright, this way then.”

  I led her to the very back corner of the lot, by a line of thick trees and bushes. I usually tried to park as far away from buildings as possible, so no superfans would spot my vehicle and get creative. I hadn’t had any horrifying experience yet, but my agent and other fighters had been sure to inform me of all the dangers that came along with being a popular MMA fighter. From groupies, to mega-fans to people who hated me for going up against someone else. I wasn’t looking forward to that part, so I figured I might as well build good habits while I could.

  We reached my car and Amber walked around it, as if she was looking for something in particular. I just watched her, a bit mystified, until she reached the back-passenger door and pulled it open.

  “Huh, there’s lots of room back here.”

  “Yeah, I’ve passed out a couple times there after a really intense day at the gym.”

  “I’ll bet.” She clambered in a little and I tried not to stare at her perfect, heart shaped ass as she got settled. After a moment, she turned around to face me, seated with her legs dangling outside of the car.

  “But what’s this?” she asked, pointing to something I couldn’t see.

  “What’s what?”

  “This?”

  I stepped closer and leaned in, curious to what I was talking about. The next thing I knew, her hands wrapped around my collar and she was yanking me forwards.

  I didn’t fight her, letting her haul me inwards until her lips crashed into mine.

  “Come on, big guy,” she said, her eyes shining when we parted. “Let’s see just how much elbow room there is.”

  14

  Amber

  Mickey’s weight felt so good against me, heavy and sturdy and assuring. I knew that I couldn’t actually force him into the vehicle if he didn’t want me too, but he played along just like I had hoped he would.

  I certainly hadn’t been planning on whatever the hell that I was doing, but how could I resist? The way that he had been staring at me all meal, flitting between looking like he wanted to devour me, and shining with comforting familiarity that had grown far too foreign to me in the past few years, had built up a tension in my middle until I was practically aching for him.

  Something had changed in the week that we had shot together. I had gone from thinking of him as a good lay that got too complicated to… something else entirely.

  Mickey’s thick, calloused hands found my hips and suddenly I was being shoved bodily backwards. I let out a yelp, my hands gripping the front seat and the back of the passenger’s bench to keep myself from losing my balance.

  But the large man still held me steady with one hand, the other closing the door as he slid the rest of the way in. He was right, the car was actually big enough for him, which was saying something considering he was taller than six feet and built like a Mac truck.

  He reached down between the seat and the door as if he was searching for something, before he apparently found it. He gave a small jerk, and the seat reclined ever so slightly, giving us even more room.

  Now that was what I was talking about.

  With the one hand that was already holding me steady, he reached over and pulled me into his lap where he yanked me down into a punishing kiss. I groaned into it, my body melting as he gave me everything I needed.

  It was all heat and fire and demand. It wrested control away from me, which I was oh-so-happy to give. In every aspect of my life I was always leading the way, always in charge. It was nice to have him take the reins, his body to tell me what he wanted me to do.

  Relief washed over me, a counterpoint to the fire burning in my middle. I could feel myself growing wet where I straddled him, but his grip kept me from rocking against his length like I so desperately wanted to.

  We made out intensely for goodness knew how long, and when he finally pulled away, I was breathing hard.

  “Damn,” I whispered to myself. I was never like this before. “What do you do to me?”

  “I could ask you the same thing,” he said. “I’m into a lot of things, but I didn’t think exhibitionism was ever one of them.”

  “There’s no one here,” I countered, dipping down towards his lips again but he evaded my kiss.

  “Someone could be. At any moment.” The thought thrilled me in a w
ay I didn’t expect, and my breath hitched. Of course, Mickey noticed it and he sat up a bit. “But I’m guessing you already thought of that.”

  “I didn’t, actually,” I admitted, wanting to whine at why he wasn’t inside me already. I felt strung out, like a junkie that had gone far too long without her next fix. “But I am now.”

  “Hmm, for some reason I don’t believe you.”

  I slapped at his shoulder, clicking my tongue. “Come on now, don’t be difficult.”

  “Difficult?” he countered, his eyes flashing with that same dominance that I’d seen several times before. “Oh, I can be difficult if that’s what you want, but this,” he eyes flashed and I felt a chill. “This isn’t even close to difficult.”

  “Oh really?”

  “Really.”

  “Then why aren’t you kissing me?”

  He leaned up for a moment and my view was so full of him that I could only stare. “Are you trying to tell me what to do, Amber?”

  His voice was low, a delicious warning and it made goosebumps appear along my arm. I loved it. Maybe it was weird, but I could feel my body responding to the dominance in his voice.

  “Maybe.”

  He shrugged and leaned back, a smirk spreading across his features. “Then by all means, take charge.”

  I blinked at him a moment, surprised by the turn in events. “Wait, what?”

  “You pulled me into here, you started this. If you want to finish it, go ahead.”

  I licked my lips uncertainly, my eyes traveling along his frame. The thought of telling such a large, powerful person what to do did make me feel a bit hazy in all the best ways. As much as I liked it when he just took over… maybe I wouldn’t mind leading?

  “Touch me.” I said, looking at him with all the heat that I was feeling in my belly. Geez, he always made me run so hot. How had I never noticed him in high school? He was so ridiculously delicious and witty and just generally fun to be around. I felt like all my senses were screaming out for him, demanding to be satiated by his touch.

  He placed one of his massive hands on my shoulder as if it were a dead fish, grinning wickedly at me. “Like this?”

  I huffed, feeling caught like I was somewhere right in the middle between amused and annoyed by whatever game he was playing. My body was screaming to be filled by him already, all thick and heated just like I knew he would be. Every second we were apart and fully clothed was physically painful. Like the worst kind of torture. “You know what I mean.”

  “No, I don’t think that I do.” He said, leaning forward again until his face was only a breath from mine. I caught the heady musk of him again and it nearly made me dizzy. God. He smelled so good. I wanted my tongue to glide along the muscles of his neck and travel down his form until I could only ever taste him. Until he was burned into all of my senses. “Why don’t you tell me?”

  Right. I was in charge. I could do this. I tried to ignore the drunken flutter of excitement at ordering him around. As much as I was an independent, take charge kind of person, this was completely different. A new sort of thrill. I knew at any moment he could tell me no; he was bigger than me, stronger than me. But he wouldn’t. He was indulging me like a giant would indulge a little fairy and for some reason I could feel that making my underwear damp.

  Who was I kidding? It was practically a lake down there.

  “Take off my shirt.” I said, sliding back enough so that he could get his hands between us. In one smooth motion, he had it up and over my head and thrown into the front seat. The cool air of the hummer prickled along my skin, making every sensation that much sharper. I could feel the power of his thighs below mine, supporting my weight as I straddled him. I wanted to settle further, to see if his length was insistently pushing at his pants like I hoped they were, but I wasn’t at the right angle.

  “Now here’s the hard part,” I gasped, feeling breathless and wound up and all sorts of exciting things.

  “Oh, it’s been hard since you pulled me in here.”

  “Good to know,” I leaned back a little further. “Take off my leggings.” I raised my eyebrows at him, sure this would be quite the challenge. But then suddenly one of his hands gripped my hip and the other pushed firmly but gently against my sternum, until I was flat on the middle console between the two front seats.

  It was so sudden that I let out a surprised cry, but Mickey didn’t even seem to notice. His fingers curled into the top of my leggings and yanked them right from my body before drawing me back up and into his lap.

  Holy shit. He really was strong. Not that I had forgotten, but it was always thrilling to see a firsthand example. And by thrilling, I meant my body was throbbing even more than before. “Now my bra.” I continued, my voice more of a pant than actual words.

  “Whatever you want.”

  That stupid, perfect smirk was still on his face as he reached behind me to undo the clasp of the garment. With a practiced ease for someone who seemed so earnest, he pulled it up over my head and threw it into the back of the car.

  “Now kiss me already.” I demanded.

  The look in his eyes was absolutely indescribable and flames rose ever higher within me, scorching a line from my center to my brain. Leaning forward, he slowly, reverently, pressed his lips to the swell of my right breast. I sighed, my hands returning to his shoulders as tenderly pressed his lips to dozens of little spots. Never any of the places I wanted, but for once I didn’t mind the slow burn. It made me ache in ways I didn’t think were possible, longing for something just beyond the horizon.

  And then his rough tongue flicked over a sensitive coral bud and his blunt teeth ever so lightly grazed them immediately after. Electricity ran down my spine and my thighs clenched on either side of the man before her.

  “Like that?” He breathed into my skin.

  “Yes,” I whispered, pushing myself forward for more. It was amazing how easily this man turned me into a glutton, always seeking fulfillment, always seeking satiation but keeping it just out of my reach. Was this what it was like to let go, to fly high with euphoria and never touch down? Or was I just drunk on never having to worry about hiding myself? About pretending to be anything less than what I was?

  I didn’t know, and I supposed it didn’t matter, because then his mouth was moving to give the other side equal treatment while a hand came up to roll the still-damp nipple between his fingertips.

  It was too much. But it was never enough. My hips rolled against him without restraint. I was sure that I was absolutely ruining the underwear I was wearing, but I didn’t care. I didn’t care about anything really that was outside of Mickey and all that he could do to me.

  Somehow, when he touched me, all I felt was the fantasy. There was no responsibility, no stunt company, not even that stupid producer who had insulted my weight. There was only the energy between Mickey and I, the safe haven we made for each other where there were no walls. No pretentions. Just flesh on flesh.

  I let him work me over, building up the tension in me, making my breath come in short pants, before I bade him to stop. He did, face flushed and looking like he could devour me if I let him.

  Which was exactly what I planned to do.

  “Put your hands on the roof.” I said, letting my voice drop to its lowest register.

  And he did. I could tell from his heated smile that he thought he was so good at the game, but I was going to show him exactly what it meant to play dirty.

  “Don’t move.” I ordered, sliding backwards just a hair.

  “Whatever you say,” was his assured response.

  My hands finally moved from his shoulders, sliding down his chest until they reached his belt. There, my fingers lazily traced the metal edges, circling the generic pattern there. I could feel his hips tensing, trying to subtly urge me to hurry. But there wasn’t a single ounce of hurry in me. Not a drop. Despite my body clamoring to be filled by him, I still wanted to tease him. To draw out all the whines that I could. To savor every expression and
sound knowing that I had done that to someone like him.

  “Remember, I said not to move.”

  “You’re enjoying this too much.”

  “Aww, upset now that you have to play by your own rules?” I leaned forward, allowing my palm to rest against the bulge in his jeans and my lips to hover just above his. He could have easily pushed up and claimed my mouth in a punishing kiss, but he stayed put just as he should. The power he was handing over to me was truly intoxicating, and I resolved to reward him really, really well for every drop of it he relinquished.

  “Maybe a little.” He whispered, voice growing hoarser by the second. “But you’re a good person. You wouldn’t get off on torturing an innocent man, would you?”

  I fluttered my eyelashes at him. “Now what on Earth makes you think that?”

  He groaned, but I relished it, removing the press of my hand against him and went back to tracing his belt buckle. I kept on with that just long enough to be mean, before finally pulling his zipper down.

  He was sweating, and I paused to gently dab it from his forehead. The smile he gave me was rueful; he knew that I was doing it more as a way to tease him further rather than provide any sort of comfort. But still, there was only so much taunting I could do before tottering over the edge into straight frustration, so I reached into his boxers and pulled him out.

  He was clearly straining for me, veins throbbing and tip blushing purple. I gripped him with authority, shuttling up and down his length to smear him with the liquid already beading at his tip. To see his body wanting me too intensely stole my breath away, and I gave a few more pumps than I intended to.

  He gasped and thrust upwards into my hand, which made me draw back entirely.

  “What?” He panted in such total confusion that it was almost adorable.

  “I said no moving.” I answered, smirk about my lips.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “Not even one bit.”

  “You’re evil.” He hissed, hands now pressing into the car roof above us like it was his last lifeline.