Mia

“What? No!” I screeched, pounding on Christian’s back with my fists. “I sure as shit don’t quit! Nic, don’t listen to him. I’ll talk some sense into him.”

“I’m not the one who needs sense talked into them,” he growled as he gave me another smack on my ass. He didn’t even bother to slow his steps. He just kept storming through the hallway with Nic’s laughter ringing behind us.

“It’s a damn good thing he doesn’t seem to be taking you seriously,” I grumbled as we made it to the front foyer. “Or else I’d have to shove my foot so far up your—”

“Christian?” I heard Maria call out. That would be Maria...Christian’s mom.

“Let me down. Before she sees us like this,” I hissed.

He tightened his hold on me instead. “Let her. At least it will put to rest the bride hunt she and my Aunt Allegra were just plotting after they hounded me about being single.”

I suddenly felt light-headed, and it wasn’t because all of the blood had rushed to my head. It was the mixture of shock and pure jealousy that flooded my system at the thought of Christian with another woman. So instead of feeling embarrassed when Maria walked into the foyer and found me over her son’s shoulder, I tried to lift up and glare at her.

“Mamma mia!” she exclaimed in surprise.

“Yes, Mama. This is Mia,” Christian replied dryly.

Hearing my stuffy professor make a joke at such an inopportune time had me bursting into a fit of giggles.

“I’m sorry to say that we can’t stay for the rest of the party, Mama. Please give my apologies to Brandon.”

With that announcement, Christian swiveled on his heel and marched towards the front door.

“I’m going to stay late to help with clean-up,” Maria called out. “So I won’t be home for hours and hours.”

I slumped against Christian’s back in surprise. “I can’t believe your mom just said that.”

“I think you’ve just gotten my mama’s stamp of approval, love,” Christian chuckled as he carried me down the steps.

“Yeah, well...too bad you don’t have mine.”

“Liar,” he taunted softly.

I practically vibrated with frustration when he bent low and slung me gently into the back seat of a limousine. I scrambled onto my knees, but I wasn’t quick enough because he climbed in with me before I could lunge for the opposite door. Then someone shut his behind him, presumably the chauffeur who slid into the driver’s seat, sliding up the divider as he started the engine.

“Do you really think I’m going to meekly go to your mom’s house for those hours and hours that she mentioned? After you tossed me over your shoulder? Smacked my ass...twice? Tried to quit my job for me?” I hissed as he tried to tug me into his side.

Those dark eyes of his searched my face before a slight smile tugged at his lips. “You make an excellent point.”

My jaw practically dropped to the floor when he shifted forward to lower the divider and instructed the driver to take us to a nearby hotel instead. “You have a fuck of a lot of nerve if you think I was hinting that I’d prefer to go to a hotel with you instead of your mom’s empty house.”

He ignored my glare as he settled beside me, and his masculine scent wrapped around me. Damn, he smelled good. I breathed him in as he took my hand and grazed his fingertips over my palm. His touch was whisper-soft, but I felt it to my core. It turned that spark of chemistry between us into a flame as desire roared through my blood.

“You can’t go around making decisions for me. Especially not when it comes to family,” I warned him.

His eyes narrowed, and he tugged me across his lap. Then his mouth was on mine, and he was kissing me fiercely. I was still angry, but it didn’t lessen my response to his kiss. If anything, it magnified it.

“We’ll figure out the family stuff later, Mia. Of that, I have no doubt,” he whispered against my lips.

“We should talk about it now; before things go further. It will only hurt more if we—”

“Don’t,” he growled, gripping my hair in his fist and tilting my head back. “I will not sit here and listen to you while you try to convince me that there’s any other option besides moving forward with what’s building between us. You are mine, Mia. I may bend on other things, but never on that.”

“Christian,” I sighed, dropping my forehead against his when he released his hold on my hair. “How am I supposed to argue with you when you say stuff like that?”

“You aren’t,” he breathed. “You’re supposed to kiss me instead.”

My lips suddenly felt unbearably dry, and I licked them. Our mouths were close enough that I grazed his bottom lip, and he groaned. “Does that count?” I teased.

“Not even close, love. I need more.”

“After the stunt that you pulled back there, I shouldn’t let what you need matter.” I tried to be strong since I knew if I let him push me too far now, then he’d think he could boss me around later. But he was asking me to do something I wanted, too. So I threw caution to the wind and shoved my hands in his hair and kissed him the way we both wanted. I tugged on the silky strands, lightly scraping his skull with my nails.

He growled and deepened the kiss, stroking into my mouth. I loved the way we kissed. The slide of our tongues against each other. The feel of our bodies melded together. How both of our hearts raced as we panted for breath. It was as though we’d both go crazy if we didn’t stay like this forever. It turned me on wildly, and wiped any thought of discussion out of my brain.

I sucked on his tongue, mimicking what we’d both prefer to be doing if we weren’t in the back of a limousine. His hands tightened on my back and jerked me closer to his chest. I felt his hardness beneath me and my panties, which were already damp, became drenched.

“Fuck, Mia,” he groaned as he shoved my skirt higher. “I can feel how hot and wet you are.”

His fingers glided over my ass—the thin, silky material of my panties as the only barrier between us. With my knees on either side of his hips, I nibbled at his mouth and stroked my tongue along his. I distantly registered the slowing of the car, and then Christian gripped my waist and placed me on the seat next to him. He leaned back, his chest heaving and his eyes locked on mine as I slid my skirt back into place.

My skin felt ultra-sensitive. My breasts were full and tender, with pebbled nipples that begged for his touch. My clit was throbbing, and I slid my legs together to try and ease the ache. His gaze dropped to my thighs, and I whimpered when he reached down and stopped me from closing them.

“Come inside with me.”

I glanced out the window and saw that we’d pulled up in front of the hotel. I didn’t have long to make my decision because a valet stood outside the entrance, ready to open the door. My brain knew that my answer should be no, for so many different reasons. We’d only met today. I had a looming deadline for Nic. Christian had over-stepped in a major way when he’d carried me out of the party. But none of it seemed to matter; not when my heart and body urged me to say yes. And then he made it impossible to say no.

“Please, Mia. I need you to be mine.”

I placed my hand on top of his, and whispered, “Yes.”