Chapter Seven
Austin stood in the kitchen, talking to the police detective who’d arrived along with the uniformed officers when the alarm company hadn’t reached anyone at the house. According to the detective, someone had entered through the back door off the kitchen. They’d already done a sweep and the house was clear and safe. Whoever had broken in was gone. They’d shattered the window on the kitchen back door and unlocked it from the inside. The police had had a team come in and check the knob for prints. Everyone agreed the perp had probably worn gloves.
Obviously the alarm had scared them off but had it been before they’d taken anything? He’d done a quick walk through the house. No electronics, televisions, computers, or anything worth money appeared to have been stolen.
He ran a frustrated hand through his hair and glanced at Bailey and Mia from the window over the kitchen sink. Mia had taken her to the swing set to keep her away from the adult talk and chaos inside.
Austin had filled the police in on the custody issue he was having with his ex-wife, although breaking and entering didn’t strike him as her MO. She had nothing to gain and everything to lose by taking such an extreme step or persuading someone to help her.
Austin had a call in to his parents and they were on their way to pick up Bailey. He wanted her out of here for the night—or longer. He didn’t know what was going on but he didn’t like it and he didn’t want his daughter at risk.
“You’re sure I can let my daughter inside?” he asked the officer who was writing up a report.
“Yes. We checked closets, the basement, and every room in the house. We just have a man going through room by room to see if we missed anything.”
Austin opened the window, avoiding the broken glass on the door. “Mia!” he called and waved to her to bring Bailey inside. “Come in through the garage!”
She flashed him a thumbs-up gesture. A few seconds later, they joined him in the kitchen. “Can you take Bailey upstairs to pack? She’s going to have a sleepover at her grandparents’.” He ruffled his daughter’s hair.
Mia nodded in understanding.
“Really??” Bailey asked, obviously surprised.
“They miss you. Let’s call it a special occasion,” he said to her, forcing an easy smile he didn’t feel.
“Okay, Daddy.” She unhooked her backpack from her shoulders, where she’d slung it to come inside, and placed it on the kitchen table.
Austin caught sight of an unfamiliar manila envelope on the counter. “What’s this?”
“Oh my God.” The color drained from Mia’s face. “With all the excitement of what happened at school and then the break-in, I completely forgot! Shit.” She winced, glancing at Bailey. “I was subpoenaed to testify at a retrial for my old boss.”
“I thought he was in jail?” The hair on the back of Austin’s neck began to prickle uncomfortably.
“Apparently he got off on a technicality and it took the DA a while to find me since I moved out of state.”
“Mia, do you think he has anything to do with the guy who approached you at the supermarket? Or this?” He gestured to the still-broken glass by the back door.
“I… The supermarket definitely. Threats are something he’d do. A break-in?” She shook her head. “He’s done nothing like that in my past experience.”
“Detective?” A uniformed officer walked out from the hallway where Mia’s room was. “I found this on the bed in the extra room down here.” He held up a white paper with typing on it.
The detective accepted the sheet. “‘Mind your own business,’” he read out loud.
Austin shot Mia a knowing look. “Still so convinced?” he asked her.
“Oh my God. I’m sorry. I mean, I had no idea there even was a retrial until today. I’ll pack. I’ll go. I would never put you or Bailey in any danger. I’m so sorry.” She started for her room but Austin stopped her, grabbing her arm. “Whoa. Slow down. You’re not going anywhere.”
Panic had rushed through him at her words. She wasn’t leaving when she was in trouble. Guarding against it was his specialty and he’d already arranged for Bailey to be away from things for a while. School could wait. She was only six, after all. If she was going to turn to anyone, it would be him.
“But—”
“Please go help Bailey pack. I’ll fill the detective in on your situation and you can answer any questions when you’re finished. Okay?” He glanced at the other man, not wanting to step on toes.
“Fine. Make it quick,” he said to Mia, his gaze softening when he glanced at Bailey.
Austin began to explain Mia’s previous employer’s trial, conviction, and subsequent release, and while he was doing so, his parents arrived. It took a few minutes to calm his mother down and reassure her the break-in was under control and everyone was safe and would remain so.
Austin’s dad stepped up and ushered Bailey and his wife out of the house. Austin kissed his daughter good-bye and promised to video chat with her later. He and Mia finished up with the police, and they said they would let Austin know about anything new they found out.
Finally, the cops were gone, Bailey was safely with his parents, and Mia and Austin were alone.
He walked up to her and grasped both hands in his. “Do you really think I’d let you go through this alone?”
“I think you’d put your daughter first and you should.”
“And I did. She’s safe with my parents. Now I’m going to take care of you.”
She met his gaze, gratitude and something more shining in their depths. “Thank you—”
He pulled her close, cutting her off by sealing his lips over hers. He kissed her hard, wanting her to understand that she was a priority, as much as he didn’t want to admit that to himself. He didn’t want anything to happen to her and not because being a protector was ingrained in his veins. No, it was because this was Mia and she’d gotten under his skin.
“What am I going to do?” she asked.
“You mean what are we going to do?” he corrected her. “First, I’m going to clean up the mess and board the window. We’ll spend the night here, and first thing tomorrow, we’ll get on the road.”
Her eyes opened wide. “Where are we going?”
“The papers say you don’t testify for another week or two. We have time. And I have a cabin upstate. We’re going to get away from everything for a few days while I think and formulate a plan to deal with both my ex-wife and your former employer.”
“Okay.”
“And Mia?”
“Yes?”
His gaze fell on hers. “I plan to pick up where we left off a month ago. I still want you.”
And he meant to have her. They’d have the opportunity to distract each other and forget about their problems… if only for a little while.
* * *
Mia had mixed feelings about going away with Austin. Of course, she was looking forward to being alone with him, and yes, excited awareness rippled through her veins, but she couldn’t forget the reason for this trip. It wasn’t just about sex; that was the bonus. This excursion was because someone was serious about preventing her from testifying. Serious enough to break into his house, and she felt guilty about bringing trouble to his doorstep and separating him from his daughter.
But after his earlier declaration, I still want you, she’d decided to leave her fear behind and savor the time they spent together. She wouldn’t overthink things and she definitely wouldn’t let herself dwell on the pesky feelings and emotions that could mess up the good thing she had going with him.
There were no heavy expectations and she told herself it worked for her. And it did, as long as she didn’t let herself think about all his finer qualities. Like his protectiveness when it came to his daughter and how he’d transferred it to Mia. He could have sent her packing when he realized she was bringing trouble to his doorstep. Instead he’d stepped up and taken charge of her safety. It was hard not to fall for a guy like that… but falling wasn’t an option. It wasn’t what they’d tacitly agreed to. An affair was all this was, all it could be.
And she intended to enjoy until the real world intruded once again.
She packed and met him out at the SUV parked on the driveway. He wore a pair of jeans and a cream-colored sweater, looking sexy with a pair of aviators covering his eyes.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Yes.” She gestured to the carry-on-sized suitcase she’d packed, trying to be practical and not overdo it with too many choices. It wasn’t like they were going out to fancy restaurants. They were staying in and she’d chosen accordingly.
He loaded the trunk with their bags and they got on the road. The trip passed in comfortable silence, the discussion mostly about music and other things they liked… and didn’t like.
They stopped at a grocery store not far from the cabin and she insisted on food she could prepare for them. Cooking relaxed her and she liked taking care of people. He’d gone on about the fireplace he loved at the cabin, and so she added some fun things to the grocery list, hoping he liked her idea later.
Throughout the morning, they were just two people enjoying each other’s company. Of course, that was on the surface. Right below was a simmering awareness that she couldn’t deny. He’d pushed up the arms of his sweater and her gaze settled on his muscular forearms with a sprinkling of dark hair. Those arms were sexy. The man himself was delicious and she wanted to get her hands on him again. They’d just had that one time together and nothing since except in her daydreams and at night when her subconscious took over and let her imagine him sneaking into her room and taking her hard and fast, slowly and sensually, and many other ways.
He’d made his intentions clear for their time away from the world. And she knew what she wanted, too.
She wanted him.
* * *
Austin loved the cabin. His parents had bought the place as a family getaway and it was his home away from home. He came up here sometimes to get a break from the stress of life. Bailey was too young to join him in the woods or to commune with nature but when his parents took her for the weekend, he’d come here and just… breathe.
He’d never brought a woman to the cabin before. Not before Bailey… and definitely not after. Mia was the first. She was a first in a lot of ways.
The first woman he felt protective over. The first he wanted to spend extended time with. And the first he couldn’t get out of his head. He’d tried to convince himself that it was for her safety only that he brought her away from their normal routine. But that didn’t explain why last night, when they’d said good night and gone to their own rooms, he’d been hard as nails and had to jerk himself off to thoughts of her before he could get to sleep.
And even then, he’d dreamed of someone coming after her. He planned to make sure he was between Mia and any shot her ex-employer took at her. It’d just better not be a literal one.
Mia took the spare bedroom in the cabin and he let her. She didn’t need to know she’d be sleeping in his bed until she passed out there from sexual exertion.
After a delicious steak dinner, he helped clean up and she shooed him out of the kitchen, claiming she had a surprise.
He threw another log on the fire. It was cooler upstate and the temperatures were low for late October. Being here wasn’t the same without the warmth and flickering flames. And this particular day, a fire was romantic.
Another first. Giving a shit about impressing a woman. Especially one he kept telling himself was just a fling until he got her out of his system.
“Ready?” Mia called as she walked out of the kitchen, a tray in her hands.
He rubbed his hands on his jeans and stood. “What’s the surprise?” he asked.
“S’mores. When you told me this place had a fireplace, I couldn’t resist.” She put the tray down on the large ottoman across from the sofa. “Marshmallows, Hershey chocolate bars, and graham crackers. And…”
She picked up a roasting stick in her hand. “Skewers so we can toast the marshmallows.” She looked pleased with herself. And with a white sweater falling over and baring one shoulder, she made an extremely irresistible picture.
“Well, then, let’s do it.”
She clapped her hands together and they each took a marshmallow and put it on a skewer.
“Did you get the chance to do this when you were a kid?” Or had she learned as an adult?
He used to go camping with his dad and he hoped she had some good experiences that indicated normalcy in her childhood.
“I did.”
He used the poker to pull open the covering to the flame.
“I had a nice family that taught us to roast marshmallows in a fireplace. Honestly, foster care wasn’t all bad.”
“I’m glad.”
They sat side by side, turning their sticks and roasting their marshmallows.
“So how do you like yours?” she asked. “I prefer them just a little toasty.” She pulled hers out earlier than he did and made the s’mores sandwich.
“I like them well done.”
“Eew.” She bit into her treat and moaned, the sound going straight to his cock. “I love the gooey center.” The marshmallow was messy, getting on her cheeks and her lips. Laughing, she licked at her fingers.
He wanted in on that taste. He glanced at his marshmallow, took it out of the flame, and laid it on a plate on the tray she’d brought in.
“C’mere,” he said in a gruff voice.
Her laughter died down and she inched her way over to him on her knees. He grabbed her wrist and held it up, straightening her fingers, then sliding the one with the marshmallow goo into his mouth.
He licked, sucked, then grazed her finger, pulling the sticky substance off her skin and into his mouth. “Mmm. I think I want more.”
“Go ahead,” she said in a husky voice.
He cupped the back of her neck in his hand and pulled her close, gliding his lips over her sticky ones, nibbling on the flesh with his teeth. She gripped his shoulders, her nails digging through his sweater. He devoured her, tasting the combined sweetness of the marshmallow and Mia combined.
Between the heated need swamping her and the warmth from the fireplace, he was beginning to sweat. He broke the kiss. Reaching down, he pulled his sweater off and tossed it aside.
Taking a cue from him, she did the same, leaving her in a sexy bra he had a hunch she’d chosen because they were coming here to be alone. And he appreciated the effort.
He cupped both breasts in his hands and groaned at the feel of their delicious weight in his hands. He brushed her nipples with his thumbs, toying with the distended peaks until she moaned, arching into his touch.
She slid her fingers to the waistband of his jeans, undoing the button and gliding the zipper down and over the swell of his cock. Any thoughts he had of remaining in control fled at her touch and he let her have her way. Lord knew he’d dreamed of this moment many fucking times over the last few months.
He helped her remove his jeans and kicked them aside, his boxer briefs along with them, leaving his aching cock straining and waiting for her to take charge. She didn’t hesitate, wrapping her smaller hand around his shaft.
“Stand up,” she said.
He had no problem doing as she instructed. Kneeling, she edged closer, pumped her hand down his cock once, twice, before wrapping her lips over him.
He groaned, sliding his fingers into her hair. He massaged her scalp, promising himself he’d hold on and not fuck her mouth the way he desperately wanted to. This was her show and he intended to let her run it, no matter how much his body demanded otherwise.
She licked over the head, dipping her tongue along the slit and then around the rim. He shuddered and gripped her hair tighter, tugging and silently asking her to move. She picked up a rhythm that had him rocking his hips in time to the laps of her tongue as she pulled him deeper into her mouth.
One hand on his thigh, she moved the other to cup his balls and he nearly came right then. Instead he managed to breathe through the desire to come and let her continue to give him the best damned blow job he’d ever had. Not because of technique but because she put her mind to the task and was wholly focused on him.
Attuned to his moans and thrust of his hips, she kept her licks and the glide, pull, and suck of her lips in time with his need. His body was hers to command and she did, pumping her hand up and down his shaft as his cock glided along her tongue to the back of her throat.
His balls drew up tight, his head swirled, lost to her ministrations and talented tongue. And then she swallowed around him, and it set off an intense climax the likes of which he’d never felt before. She continued to suck and milk him, swallowing all he gave her, not stopping until he’d finished.
She sat back, a satisfied smile on her lips, and he grinned, easing down beside her.
“Looking pretty pleased with yourself.”
She laughed. “I got the result I wanted.”
“Now it’s my turn to get the result I want.” He grasped her hips and pulled her toward him, undressing her as quickly as she’d done to him.
Her jeans landed on top of his and he took in her naked body, the sight of her bringing his cock back to life. She amazed him with her ability to arouse him again so quickly.
With her naked body his to play with, he picked her up and carried her in front of the fire, laying her down on the fuzzy rug there. He stretched out beside her, gazing into her eyes, which were hazy with desire and studying him intently.
“I don’t know what it is you do to me, but you twist me up inside,” he muttered, and before she could reply, he covered her body with his, kissing her hard and fast so she would lose herself in him.
Because he’d sure as fuck lost himself in her.
* * *
Mia’s head was spinning and her body was on fire. Taking Austin in her mouth and making him lose control had been a heady feeling, one that caused her entire being to unravel along with him. Her arousal was at its peak, her sex empty and needy. And when he slid himself on top of her, grinding his ever-hardening erection into her, she nearly came right then.
She gripped his bare ass and arched her hips upward, seeking harder contact, more friction, a faster movement of her sex against his cock. He didn’t disappoint her, either. He ground himself into her, pumping his hips until the sensations swamping her became too much.
“Austin!” She cried out his name as she shattered, an orgasm that was spectacular and yet left her pulsing and empty.
He pulled on her hair and she met his gaze. “I’m going to get a condom.”
She nodded and barely had time to catch her breath before he was back.
He stood over her, powerful and hard, as he rolled the condom over himself before kneeling down before her.
“Now I’m going to make you feel good,” he promised, notching himself between her thighs, pushing his cock through her swollen folds, gently at first, then thrusting hard and deep.
She sucked in a shallow breath. The feel of him stretching her was incredible. He’d braced his hands on either side of her head and his gaze was hot on hers as he began to move, sliding himself in and out of her in long, languid strokes.
She wrapped her legs around his lower back, crossing her ankles behind him. The movement joined them even more tightly together and he groaned, his big body shaking with need as he gathered rhythm and began a steady, punishing thrusting that had her seeing stars. The best kind of stars, the ones that glowed and sent her body soaring higher.
She rocked her hips against him as he continued to drive into her, shifting his hips and hitting the right spot inside her. She dug her nails into his back and moaned, a keening, wailing sound she didn’t recognize but knew came from her.
“Oh, God.”
“No, Austin. Say it,” he said, pulling out and pausing.
“Austin!” His name on her lips triggered something primal inside him and he plunged into her over and over again, triggering her orgasm almost immediately. “Oh, God, I feel you.”
He groaned and took her harder, her inner walls contracting around him, causing the most exquisite sensations to sweep over her.
His rhythmic thrusts continued until he expelled a harsh breath and came hard, his hips grinding into her over and over until he collapsed, his big body covering hers.
He pulled himself together quickly, rolling to the side because he obviously knew he was crushing her. “Be right back.”
He disappeared and returned quickly, kneeling down and scooping her into his arms.
“Where are we going?” she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“To bed so I can rest up and do this all over again.” He headed not for the small bedroom she’d chosen for her own but the big master one on the other side of the single-story cabin.
They fell into bed, a tangle of limbs, and passed out, until she woke to the most delicious feeling of his mouth on her sex, licking her awake and into an almost immediate unexpected orgasm. And after she’d come down from that one, he was inside her again, turning her upside down with his skill and attention and essentially ruining her for all other men.