Chapter Eleven
Wyatt hated to admit it, but he couldn’t figure Mia out. He knew she was attracted to him. There had been sparks between them for a long time, even if they hadn’t ever acted on them. And since she’d come to Marietta the attraction between them had only grown stronger. But something was holding her back and he wasn’t sure whether it had anything to do with their night together or was about something else entirely.
He knew she’d enjoyed that night. Her response had been pure wildfire. No way could she have faked that. Nor was there any reason why she would have. So what exactly was the problem? Did she think he was a player? Did she think he only wanted to bed her again and then be done with it? If that was what she thought she couldn’t be more wrong.
He might not know exactly what he wanted but he knew he wanted Mia and not just for a quick roll in the sheets.
They didn’t talk much on the way home, but it was a contented silence. He held Mia’s hand, minus gloves, and thought about how to make her admit that they wanted the same thing. Each other.
He let them into the mudroom where they hung up their coats and took off their boots. He noticed Mia was having trouble standing up to remove her boots, so he made her sit on the bench, then unzipped and took off each one.
“Do you want a drink? Or something to eat?”
“No, that hot chocolate hit the spot.”
They walked upstairs and stopped outside her door. She didn’t say anything, but opened the door and pulled him inside, shutting the door and turning around with her back to it to face him. He put his hands on either side of her face, looked into her eyes, deep, forest green and full of emotion. He kissed her, taking his time, drawing her out until her lips softened, parted and invited him inside.
“Do you know what you do to me? I want you, Mia, and I think you want me.”
“I’m not sure you do. I think you’re still looking for something to take away the pain.”
“How can I convince you that she—what happened with her—is irrelevant to me?”
“You were hurting. You wanted comfort. Who’s more comforting than a woman you consider more a friend than a lover?”
He dropped his hands and stepped back. “That’s bullshit. What’s more, you know it.”
“No, it’s not, Wyatt. What we had that night was rebound sex.”
“No, it wasn’t.” Maybe it had started that way, but that wasn’t the way it ended. “Why do you think it was? This isn’t the first time you’ve said it.”
“Gee, let me think. You were drunk—”
“Drinking, not drunk.”
She waved that away. “You’d just been in a fight over a woman who lied to you from the get-go. You found out a baby you’d already started to love wasn’t yours. Yeah, I’d say it was classic rebound sex.”
“No, it wasn’t. Goddamn it, how can I make you believe me? What do I have to do?”
“Then it was comfort sex. Either way, you didn’t want me so much as you wanted to forget.”
“Why did I come to you then? If all I wanted was a warm body, I could have found that in a lot of places. But I came to you.” He pulled her close to him. “I knew it was you, Mia. Every moment of that night, I knew I was with you. I wanted to be with you.” She gazed at him and he could see the doubt in her eyes. “I wanted you then. I want you now, Mia.” And then he kissed her.
And though she responded, he felt her resistance.
“If you’re so sure it was rebound sex for me, what was it for you, Mia? Was it pity sex?”
“God, no, how can you ask me that? I would never—that wasn’t what it was.”
He moved closer, backing her against the wall. “Good. Because that’s one thing I couldn’t take.”
“You know that wasn’t it.”
“What was it then?” He put his hand in her hair, pushed it aside and kissed her neck. “Tell me, Mia.”
“I... I wanted you.”
“And now? What do you want now?” He boosted her up and she wrapped her legs around him, put her arms around his neck. His cock was getting harder every moment, her sex rubbing against him, making him ache, making him feel like he’d die if he didn’t get inside her.
“I want you, Wyatt.”
He kissed her hard and deep. Then carried her out of her room to his, shedding clothes along the way. Once inside, he let her slide down his body slowly, groaning at the pleasure-pain. He pulled her sweater off over her head. She unbuttoned his flannel shirt and pushed it down his arms, then tugged on his T-shirt. He yanked it off, then watched as she took off her turtleneck. And lay bare yet another layer.
“How many layers?” he asked hoarsely.
“You told me to dress warmly,” she said with a mischievous smile. “Why don’t you find out?”
He found bare skin beneath the third layer. Her bra was peach, a little darker than her skin, low-cut with her creamy breasts rising out of it. He unhooked it and she let it fall. He remembered her breasts, smooth, beautiful, just the right size for his hands, his mouth. With dusky rose nipples pebbling and begging for him to taste.
Bending her backwards over his arm, he nuzzled the underside of her breast, then latched on to the nipple, swirling his tongue around it then sucking it into his mouth.
“Oh, God.” Her hands were in his hair, clutching him to her, groaning when he kissed his way across her skin to her other nipple.
He let her up, started unfastening her jeans. “How many layers down here?”
“Just two... Unless you want to count my panties.”
“Panties definitely count. It’s one more layer to get rid of.” While he wrestled her out of her clothes, her hands were on his jeans, unbuttoning, unzipping, then pushing her hand inside his boxers to stroke him.
God, he nearly came in her hand. Both of them naked now, he pushed her back on the bed. Knowing if he landed between her legs, with her open to him, so soft and tempting, he wouldn’t last long enough to put on a condom, he lay down beside her and slipped his hand between her legs. He thrust a finger inside her and she bucked, bucked again when he added his thumb to play with her clit.
She reached for him saying, “Kiss me.”
“Don’t worry, I will.” Their tongues met, tangled, desperate for more.
Leaving her mouth he kissed his way down her body until he reached her hot, wet, open center. Clamping his mouth over her, he sucked until she came, screaming.
He licked and kissed his way up her body. Her eyes were open, smoky with desire. “Still a screamer,” he said softly.
“Only with you.”
He’d thought he couldn’t get any harder. He’d been wrong. “Yeah?”
“Yes. I want you inside me.”
“That’s where I want to be. Where I’m going to be.” He grabbed a condom from the bedside table drawer and Mia snatched it out of his hand.
“Let me.”
She took her sweet time rolling it down, torturing him with slow strokes. He looked at her face and her smile was wicked and knowing. The minute she was done, he wedged himself between her legs and drove home. She was tight, God, she was so tight. As he began long, slow thrusts her body relaxed, opening to him. He kissed her mouth and she made small, needy sounds that drove him mad. Her legs tightened around him and he plunged into her a last time, exploding in a rush unlike anything he’d experienced before.
Except for that first night with her.
Mia lay with her head on Wyatt’s chest, one of his arms around her, and the other gently stroking her arm. Utterly, totally satiated. Why had she ever thought she could resist him? She should have known that once Wyatt put his mind to it, she’d wind up in bed with him. In fact, she was surprised she’d resisted him as long as she had.
The sex had been great. Not a surprise since it had also been mind-blowing last time under less than ideal circumstances.
But incendiary sex wasn’t the problem. She was in love with him. That was the problem.
Oh, hell, it wasn’t as if she hadn’t loved him for years. Literally, years. And now she had him. Even if only for a little while, Wyatt was hers and she meant to enjoy him. Now, before it all blows up in your face.
“Deep thoughts?” Wyatt asked.
She raised her head and looked at him. God, he was pretty. A manly kind of pretty. His blond hair fell over his forehead, messy from her hands running through it. Golden stubble shadowed his jaw. He watched her out of those eyes the color of the clear sky in winter, almost painfully, beautifully blue. A slight smile tugged at his mouth. A mouth that could impart more pleasure than she’d ever imagined.
“Not really,” she answered. “What about you?”
His smile widened. “I’m lucky to have a coherent thought in my head. Much less deep thoughts.”
She laughed and propped herself up on his chest. “That’s good to know.” She ran a finger over his lips. “Should I go back to my room?”
“No. Not unless you want to.”
“I don’t.” She kissed his lips, taking her time, darting her tongue inside his mouth until he groaned, put his hand on the back of her head and took the kiss deeper. Hotter. She pulled back, slid her hand down his chest and kept going. “You can’t—”
She found him hard and ready. “Oh. I guess you can.”
“You bet I can,” he said, making her laugh. He rolled on a condom and pulled her on top of him. “I love seeing you like this.”
“Like what?”
“Naked and on top of me.”
“Funny thing,” she said as she sank down on him. “I love it too.”
Who the hell is banging on my door? Wyatt wondered a split second before the bedroom door opened.
“Wyatt! What the hell are you doing, you lazy bastard? I need—” Dylan walked in, stopping in mid-sentence when he saw Mia in Wyatt’s bed. “Oops.”
“What the hell are you doing?” Wyatt asked, sitting up. “Get out, Dylan.”
“Sorry.” He didn’t look particularly sorry. He looked amused, and if Wyatt wasn’t mistaken, appreciative.
Mia had sunk down in the bed, pulling the sheets up to her chin, so thankfully there wasn’t a lot of her to see. Now, anyway. He wasn’t real sure about when Dylan had first walked in. Whatever, that didn’t mean he’d put up with his brother ogling her.
“Do you want me to break your face?” Wyatt snarled. “Get out, now.”
“Didn’t know you were occupied. But since you’re awake I need—”
Wyatt threw back the covers and started toward the door, naked. Having experience with Wyatt’s fist in the past, Dylan knew his moves. They might not have fought since they were a lot younger, but that didn’t mean Dylan had forgotten Wyatt had a mean right hook.
“We’ll talk later,” Dylan said, leaving and hastily shutting the door behind him.
“Damn. Remind me to lock my door from now on.”
Mia was sitting up in bed, pulling on her sweater, and having a hard time of it because she was laughing so hard. “Oh, my God, did you see his face when you got up? I didn’t know he could move that fast.”
“Only when he needs to. Sorry about that. My brother’s an idiot.”
“No harm done. Would you really have punched him?”
He came back to bed and sat on it. “Damn straight I would have. Now, where were we? I’m positive it didn’t involve you getting dressed.”
“I’m helping Honey and Glory with some wedding stuff. I didn’t realize it was so late.” She grabbed her jeans and put them on, gathering up the rest of her clothes while she talked. “Besides, I think Dylan needs your help.”
“Dylan is a royal pain in the ass.” Resigned, he pulled on his boxers and jeans.
“Wyatt? Do you mind me helping Honey and Glory?”
Puzzled, he asked, “Why would I mind?”
“The wedding? All these preparations for a wedding. That doesn’t bother you?”
He pulled a T-shirt over his head before answering. “You mean because of Loretta?”
“Yes.”
He took the extra clothes from her and tossed them on the bed. Put his arms around her and smiled down into her face. “No, I don’t mind. Sean and Honey deserve to be happy. If you want to hang with Honey and Glory and do wedding stuff, have at it.” She seemed unconvinced, so he continued. “I was never in love with Loretta. You know why I was marrying her. Because of the baby I thought was mine. Love wasn’t part of it.”
“But you asked me here because of your brothers’ wedding and baby. Because both those things are hard for you, after what happened. And now here I am, deep into wedding preparations.”
“The wedding doesn’t bother me. Being played for a sucker bothers the hell out of me. I bought her lies, didn’t even think to question her.”
“You’re not a sucker.”
“Yeah, I was. But I don’t plan on doing it again.” That was something he didn’t have to worry about with Mia. She’d always been straight with him. Even when he wished she wouldn’t be.
“Since you’ve been here I’ve hardly thought about any of it.” He kissed her, a long, slow, glide of lips and tongues. “I’ve been way too busy thinking about you.”