Mia lay on Edward’s bed, her legs spread, her arms above her head. She’d complied with everything he asked of her, keeping her arms above her head and her eyes closed tight. He wanted to devour her, but he wanted it to last.

Watching her tremble and shiver delighted him. His cock lurched forward each time she squirmed. He licked his lips and approached her, his eyes cascading up her long, slender legs to her perfectly manicured pussy. Her breasts heaved with each nervous breath she took, her lips trembling slightly.

He hovered over her, careful not to touch the bed. Her breathing softened. Did she think he was still next to her? Maybe she thought he’d left the room. He stood, silent, watching her.

She was patient. He reached over and very slowly picked up a book from his bedside table. He flung it into the hallway, watching her face as he did. When it hit the wall, Mia jerked her head in that direction, her eyes still closed. He smiled at her obedience to his wishes.

He went to the foot of the bed, grabbed her legs, dragged her to the edge of the bed, and covered her pussy with his mouth. Her gasp fueled him. He penetrated her with his tongue and formed small circles around her clitoris with his thumb, pressing his palm into her stomach. Her back arched, her feet dug into the side of the bed, and she moaned deliciously as he played on his playground. His body ached to be inside her, but he needed to push her back to the edge.

He was so in love with her, a woman who’d traveled over 1,600 miles just to make sure he was okay. He’d almost lost her, and now he had to make it count.

He climbed over her, pulling her back up on the bed, kissing her passionately. He covered her with his torso, slipping his raging cock into her with a slight push. She wrapped herself around him like a flower closing over a raindrop and rocked to his movement, their arousal building slowly together.

He pulled her arms around his neck, craving her touch while he fucked her. His body slid against hers. They crashed into each other with each thrust, beginning slow and ending fast and hard. He felt her body stiffen, her muscles tense around him, her orgasm screaming to get out.

He wanted to pull back and suffocate it back down so he could build it up again, but he was too far gone. He repeatedly slammed into her until his release exploded into her. He picked himself up and got on his knees, grabbed her hips, yanking her ass up off the bed and pushing inside her to absorb every twitch and contraction her muscles gave to him. She covered her face with her arms, yelps escaping her lips while her pleasure seized her and took over.

He withdrew himself and curled his body around hers. He pulled the side of the covers up over their bodies and caressed the side of her face. “I love you, Mia.”

He felt her smile, her curves snuggling into his side. “I love you, too. More than you can imagine.”

“I’m so sorry you are going through—”

“Don’t. Please? Don’t ruin this moment with reality. I don’t want any part of it. The only things that matter to me right now are you and my daughter.”

“Emily. She’s such a sweetie.”

“Yes, she is.”

He sensed trouble in her voice. She didn’t want to talk about reality, but he needed to know. He needed to help her. There was enough animosity and problems in her life. “There’s something wrong. Tell me what it is.” He pulled away from her and rolled her on her back. He searched her face for answers. “Mia. Is Emily okay?”

“Yes. She’s staying with my parents.”

“You’re worried about her.”

“I’m worried about a lot of things these days.”

He stroked her forehead. “Talk to me. Let me in.”

“I need to pick her up at the airport this afternoon. I should probably get myself together and go.”

“I’ll come with you if you don’t mind my company. I can have my plane ready in an hour. Take you wherever you need to go.”

She climbed off the bed and turned to him, a sad look stole her expression. She nodded. “LaGuardia. Her plane lands around three.” She turned away, disappearing into the bathroom.

The plane ride back was quiet. She needed to work things out in her mind before letting him in. He knew that, but her silence was driving him crazy. He couldn’t stand to see her hurting. He felt like he had been the reason for more than enough of her pain. He didn’t pry though. She’d come to him when she was ready. She fell asleep for a couple of hours, making his time stretch out even longer. When he heard the pilot’s voice over the speaker system, he was elated that the longest plane ride in his life was finally coming to an end.

“We will be starting our descent toward LaGuardia Airport and should be arriving just after two p.m. It is currently 54 degrees Fahrenheit and quite windy. I hope you enjoyed your flight, Mr. Donovan.”

Mia opened her sleepy eyes and looked around. “What time is it? How long was I asleep?” She looked out the window for the answer.

“A couple of hours. It’s about one-thirty. We should be landing in about half an hour.” He hesitated before asking the question. “Would you like for me to come with you to pick Emily up?” She didn’t look at him. She didn’t answer him. “I know you have your rules about not allowing men into her life, but she is the reason you went to the charity ball with me. Technically, we have already met, and I have to believe she likes me.”

“It isn’t about liking you. It’s about getting too attached if you aren’t going to be around.”

“Do you plan on putting me on the next plane out of here? If it’s up to me, you’re going to be stuck with me for a long time.”

Mia’s eyes twinkled, a smile threatening her lips. “Edward. I don’t even know what my future holds. I can’t make plans with you in it.”

“Why are you playing so hard to get?” He stood up and walked to her seat, kneeling before her and taking her hands. “You just flew 1,600 miles for me. I’m not going anywhere. I don’t care if I’m behind you in the unemployment line. I’ll follow you anywhere. I’m in love with you.” He cupped her face and pulled her toward him, his lips tender against hers.

“Okay. You can come with me.”

“Whew. Good.” He climbed up off his knees and walked back to his seat. “I thought I was going to have to make love to you again.”

Mia’s mouth dropped open. “I’ll remember that.”

He burst out laughing. “Darlin’, you know I would do anything for you.”

“I do now.” Her smile beamed, and her eyes danced once again.

The airport was crowded, but once they got to the proper gate, it wasn’t long before Emily came into view. She carried a small suitcase in one hand and a backpack over her shoulder, a teddy bear dangling from her other hand. As soon as she made eye contact with Mia, she picked up her pace and ran the rest of the way until she was in her mother’s arms.

Edward just hoped he had a fighting chance to hold a piece of her heart as well. He stood back until they reunited properly. “Hello, Emily.” He stepped forward, his hand stretched out toward her. “It’s so nice to see you again.”

She smiled wide when she saw him, putting her little hand in his. “Hello, Edward.” Her tiny voice sounded so proper, and it made him chuckle. “Mommy, you really like him.”

“I think I do. Yes. Is that okay?”

“That’s more than okay. I like him too.”

Edward knelt before her. “How about some frozen yogurt?”

“Frozen yogurt? Can we, Mommy?”

“Of course. It sounds perfect.”

“I know the best spot.”

He led them out of the airport to a waiting town car, and they were whisked away to indulge in the best frozen yogurt New York City could offer. They walked to a nearby park and watched as Emily ran and played. Walking along the path around the playground, Mia fed her arm into his. “Thank you for this. It’s so nice to see her happy. I love when she smiles.”

“It’s infectious, that’s for sure.” He nudged her with his side. “You okay?”

“I will be. A lot has happened this past couple of weeks.”

“I’m a good listener.”

“I’m sorry I’ve been so distant, and I’m sorry I blamed you.” She lowered her head and bit her lip.

“Mia. Don’t do this. You’re beating yourself up over something you can’t control. You are trying to protect your family, your business. I get it. I would’ve done the same. And you are right, nothing looked good for me when presented with the documents. I wouldn’t have believed myself either.”

“There’s more.”

“Involving my brother, I’m sure.”

“He threatened me.”

Edward felt his anger grab hold of him. “What did he say?”

“He told me that if I didn’t work with him and give him control of my company,” she took a big breath, “he was going to take everything, including Emily.”

“Well, he might have some leverage on your company, but he has nothing on your daughter.” When he saw Mia look away from him and turn toward where Emily was playing, something bit at him. “Mia?”

“He has more pull than you think.”

He pulled her to him but didn’t dare ask what that might be.

“He’s Emily’s father.”

Edward felt a hole in the middle of his soul. It grew bigger and bigger as the seconds ticked by. His mouth went dry, and his hands felt clammy.

“Please, say something.” She had terror in her eyes, but he couldn’t force one syllable from his mouth. “It was a long time ago. I tried to tell you a few times, but I was afraid. I didn’t even think he knew, but he does. And he’s using it against me.”

“Are you sure it’s him?”

She nodded. “I was young, stupid, thought he might have cared about me. He did everything right until he got what he wanted. Then, he never contacted me again. I felt used. I knew I never wanted to feel that way again. After Emily was born, I made it a priority to make my life strong and successful. I wanted to be the best mother I could, regardless of what had happened.” Mia looked at Edward. “Say something, please?”

“How long has he known?” Edward’s words were rigid, unfeeling.

“Not long. A year, maybe?”

“But you’ve known from the beginning.”

“He was the only one I was with at the time.”

“And that is why you invested in Donovan Tech. It makes sense.”

“I didn’t plan on that. I love my company. When Emily was little, she used to watch me get ready in the morning. She loved it when I let her wear my make-up. As she got older, I saw how important it was to her as a child. The bond between mom and daughter. I wanted to create that for others. I thought about what make-up meant to girls and women of all ages. That’s how MWSA Cosmetics was created. I wanted to start a company that catered to all people, not just women. After I finally finished my business degree, I knew I had to make it count. I did my research, built my company with Steven’s help, and began a college fund for Emily, retirement fund for me, you know.

“When MWSA was having trouble, I needed to invest in something safe. If worst came to worst, Emily would at least have her father to support her. Well, until I realized he’s a bigger monster now than when I first met him. I’d decided against telling him or getting him involved in her life. I guess I left enough of a paper trail that linked him to Emily.”

“How coincidental that I fell in love with the same woman.”

Mia bowed her head, not knowing what to say to that.

“Mia, I’m not blaming you. I’m just trying to make sense of it all. It’s a lot to take in.”

“I know.”

He took her hand and kissed her palm. “You would trust him with your daughter?”

“Not now. But at the time, I wanted to ensure her financial wellbeing if anything were to happen to me. My family still struggles today. Plus, they aren’t going to be around forever.”

“How did you intend to execute such a plan?”

“I have everything in a will. If anything were to happen to me, Steven would take care of her, and Jack would be financially obligated to pay her way through college, in case her college fund wasn’t enough. I doubt he would fight for custody. He doesn’t seem the type to be bothered.”

“He’s threatening now.”

“Only to get to me. He’s using her as a playing card against me.”

“Did anyone in my family know about Emily?”

“No, not that I know of.”

“He must have gotten hold of the will. Maybe that is how he found out.”

“That’s impossible. I have it locked away. No one knows where it is, except for my attorney and me.”

“How did he find out, then?”

“Honestly? I have no idea.”

“I have a plan.”