Chapter Nine
Mia decided to beat Austin to the kitchen early the next morning. She wanted to fuel him with coffee before his meeting with his ex-wife. She’d set her alarm knowing what time he usually came downstairs, but she hadn’t planned to find it so difficult to get out of bed. No sooner had she sat up than nausea swamped her and she lay back down until the wave passed, staring at the ceiling and praying to feel better.
She tried to sit up again, this time with more positive results. Nothing more fun than a stomach bug, she thought wryly, but she pushed on and managed to shower, feeling semi-okay once she’d dressed.
Her cell phone rang just as she was ready to go to the kitchen. She didn’t recognize the number but it had a New York area code. Her stomach churning even more now, she answered the call.
“Hello?”
“Mia? It’s Kate Collins, the Manhattan district attorney. I assume you received the summons to appear?”
“Oh, hi, yes. I did. I’m surprised you didn’t call me first.”
“I’m sorry about that. I was in court on a case and we had to get this moving. I’d like you to come to the city for some trial prep.”
Mia swallowed hard. “Sure. Whatever you need.”
“Great. I’ll be in touch with the day and time.”
“Thank you,” Mia said, and Kate uttered good-bye and disconnected the call.
Mia pinched the bridge of her nose and breathed in deep, holding back the nausea that wasn’t courtesy of the phone call.
She headed out to the kitchen and made herself a cup of tea, which worked to settle her queasy stomach, at least until she brewed coffee for Austin. She breathed in, smelled the aroma, and ran for the bathroom. She threw up the tea and not much else since her stomach was empty.
She brushed her teeth and washed her face, glancing in the mirror over the towel as she dried off. Ugh. Her face was pale, her eyes glassy. But she felt better again after losing what little was in her stomach, and she walked out to talk to Austin before he left.
She found he’d already poured himself a cup of coffee when she arrived, and this time, her stomach didn’t clench at the smell. “Good morning.”
“Morning.” He lifted the cup to his sexy mouth and took a sip. “You’re pale,” he said, meeting her gaze. “Are you okay?”
She blushed at the mess she looked like, but when you lived in the same house as someone, there wasn’t much you could do to disguise the bad days. “Yeah. I… um… I wasn’t feeling well earlier but I think I’m better now.”
He glanced at her with concern in his eyes. “Well, rest today. It’s not like Bailey is around to keep you hopping, so take advantage.”
She smiled. “I will.” She hesitated, wondering if she should apologize again for what had happened between them yesterday.
She had to learn to live in the same house with him even when Bailey wasn’t around. She couldn’t kiss him one minute and push him away the next, sending mixed signals because her body and heart wanted what her mind knew she couldn’t have.
She sighed and pushed that thought away. There were more pressing concerns going through her mind.
“Austin,” she said, knowing she had to tell him about her phone call. “The district attorney called me this morning. She wants me to come into the city for trial prep. I realize Bailey’s not home, so it shouldn’t be an issue, but I thought you should know.”
“Shit. I wish you didn’t have to deal with this again.”
She nodded. “Me, too. But I’ll just take the train—”
“No. I told you I’ll make sure you’re safe while you deal with this and I will.”
“Thank you. I’m truly grateful. I just… It’s not fair to you. Any of this. I know you want to bring Bailey home as soon as possible, especially once this situation with her mother is resolved, and thanks to me, you can’t.” She ran her hands up and down her arms over her sweatshirt, rubbing away the sudden chill.
His eyes warmed at the mention of his daughter and immediately squinted in displeasure at her follow-up conclusion. “Of course I want to bring her home but this is not your fault. Things happen. We deal with them.”
“We do, but this is my problem, not yours. And I don’t want to keep messing up your life. So I…” She swallowed past the words but they had to come out. “I could move out,” she offered, sick at the thought. But she’d do it for Austin’s sake. For Bailey’s.
“What?” he asked, obviously shocked.
She held up a hand, wanting him to listen before he decided. “It makes sense. Think about it. You could have your daughter home and not have to worry about my problems with my former employer. I’ll come back after his trial is over, or after I testify… that is, if you still want me.” She rushed out her thoughts, knowing it was what was best for Bailey. For Austin.
“No.”
She blinked at his abrupt tone. “But—”
“No buts.” He placed his mug down and strode over so he was looming over her, big and powerful and sexy. “First, I’m a bodyguard. A protector by nature. Do you really think I would send you out there knowing someone was willing to break into this house to send you a message?”
“I guess not,” she murmured, not the least bit taken aback by his harsh voice. She understood where his anger was directed and it wasn’t at her.
“That’s right. I’m going to protect you up until and through your testimony.”
Appreciation along with a shiver of awareness trickled through her at his determined tone and proclamation. “Thank you.”
He inclined his head, his darkened gaze boring into hers. “I’m not going to let anyone harm you.”
She believed him.
He reached for her, then obviously thought better of it and shoved one hand into his pocket. With the other, he reached for his coffee mug and took a final sip of his coffee.
It hurt, she thought, his pulling back, but reminded herself she had made the decision first. Not him. She was the one who couldn’t handle casual and not get her heart hurt. So if he was following her lead, who was she to argue?
“Along those lines, while I’m gone, I have someone outside watching the house. After the break-in, I didn’t want you home alone.”
She nodded. “Thank you. I’m grateful.” And overwhelmed by the lengths he’d go to in order to keep her safe.
“I should get going,” he said, glancing away. “I don’t want to be late for this meeting with Kayla. The sooner I get her out of our lives for good, the better.”
Mia nodded. “Can I get you a travel mug to take with you?” she offered.
“That would be great. I could use some more caffeinated fortification.”
She pulled a mug from the cabinet and drew a deep breath as she poured the coffee, doing her best not to over-inhale and upset her stomach again. She felt better, but in a fragile, it’s-still-there sort of way.
She closed the mug with the cover and handed it to him, careful to avoid their fingers touching.
“Thank you. Listen, I need to ask you something,” he said. “I have to go to a party this weekend at my boss’s house.”
“That’s nice,” she murmured.
“And I don’t want you home alone. Not after someone broke in with the alarm set. Plus, the party is to celebrate Summer Michelle and my pal Ben’s return to the States after a short European tour and I know how much you’d love to meet her. Being that she’s your favorite pop star.” He winked at the reminder of their walk in the woods and the get-to-know-you questions that they’d indulged in.
She remembered in detail… how small her hand felt in his, how warm and sensual his skin was wrapped around her palm. Just like how hot and strong his naked body felt when it came down over hers. She trembled and shook her head in an attempt to dislodge the thoughts that had no place in her mind right now.
“The point is,” he went on, oblivious to the turn her mind had taken, “I want you to come with me to Dan’s.”
“Dan?” she asked stupidly, still lost in being with Austin in all the ways she’d pushed away.
He wrinkled his brows, obviously confused. “Dan, my boss. You’ve heard his name before.”
“Yes. Of course. Sorry. I’m still a little queasy,” she said, blaming her stomach for her frazzled behavior.
This time he did reach out and lift her chin with his hand. “Are you okay?” he asked, seriously worried as he looked into her eyes.
She did her best not to get lost in his. “Yes. I think I might have picked up a stomach virus or something. I’ll rest today. And as for your party… I’ll go with you,” she said.
She wished she was going as his date but again it all came down to choices. And what she could and couldn’t live with. Besides, who knew, even if they were together, if he’d have taken her as anything more than a means to keep her safe. Or to allow her to meet her favorite pop star.
* * *
Austin drank from the travel mug Mia had made him, trying his best to focus on the road, but he had so much on his mind, not the least of which was his ex, who he was meeting with, hopefully for the final time, and Mia, who he’d left home not feeling well and dealing with trial shit that should have been in her past.
He was so used to her being perky and happy that seeing her sick had thrown him. With her pale coloring and glassy, big green eyes, he’d wanted to pick her up and carry her to bed. He’d wanted to take care of her in the most primal, elemental way.
Which made no sense to him. He took care of his daughter. Women were secondary. Or had been until Mia.
He gripped the steering wheel harder and forced himself to concentrate on how he planned to handle Kayla, which meant he was prepared when he walked into the diner and caught sight of her sitting alone at a table, drinking a cup of coffee like she didn’t have anything to worry about except collecting her paycheck.
He strode over and settled into a seat, facing his duplicitous, smug-looking ex-wife, who sat drumming her fingertips on the table. She wore a satisfied smile on her face and a tight dress, though she had to know he was immune to anything she had or tried to offer.
“I’m so glad you called,” she practically purred. “I knew you’d come around to my way of thinking.”
He forced a smile. “I decided it was time we talk terms.”
He could see the dollar signs in her eyes and the pleasure he was about to get magnified tenfold.
“So.” She trailed her fingers across the table until she curled her hand around his. “What are you willing to give me?”
He jerked his hand away. There were things he would not allow her to do and touching him was high on the list. “You know, I should be grateful to you, Kayla. Sounds crazy, I know, but poking holes in that condom gave me my greatest gift.”
He thought of the little girl who looked more like him than her mother, with her toothless grin and happy laugh, and everything inside him eased.
Kayla nodded, a satisfied grin forming on her heavily colored lips. “I’m glad you can see the upside in this situation. I have to say I’m surprised you’re being so generous with the compliments.”
Yes, he thought, he was buttering her up and setting her up for the fall. And damned if he wasn’t enjoying every minute. “So you see, there really isn’t much I wouldn’t do in order to keep my daughter with me and… safe from you.”
She frowned at that. “I’m hardly a monster.”
“I suppose we can agree to disagree on that.”
“Excuse me,” a waitress said, coming up to the table with a pot of coffee in hand. “Can I get you something to drink before you order?” she asked. “A refill?” She glanced at Kayla, who had arrived first.
“No thank you,” he told her. “Actually I won’t be ordering.”
“I’ll take a refill,” Kayla said, completely at ease with whatever was coming next.
Just the way he wanted her.
The waitress topped off her cup and Kayla added her milk and Splenda, and Austin gave her all the time she needed. “So where were we?” she finally asked.
“Disagreeing on how to describe your personality, but that’s neither here nor there.”
“I agree. Last time you gave me a hundred grand. This time—”
“You’re not getting a penny.”
She slammed her hand down, rattling the table and splattering her coffee over the top of the cup. “How do you figure? Because I know you don’t want to end up in front of a judge.”
He smiled, his first genuine one since sitting down across from her. “Actually that’s exactly what I want. Because like I told you, there is very little I won’t do to protect my daughter. Starting with hiring a private investigator to look into your life, and it’s very interesting what he discovered.”
Kayla stared at him in disbelief. “I doubt there’s anything that could prevent me from getting custody.” But a tic had formed at the corner of her eye and she attempted to cover up her nerves with a shake of her dark hair over her shoulders.
He rested his arms on the table. “Think again. I’ve got photographs of your live-in boyfriend, Paul Milian, dealing drugs from your apartment. Video, too. Oh, and guess who happened to be standing right there when the transaction took place?”
Her mouth opened wide before she pursed her lips in feigned annoyance. “I know nothing about that. Paul’s business is of no concern to me. You know I can get any judge to—”
“To throw your custody suit out when he finds out you’re living with a drug dealer,” Austin said. “Nice area you’re living in, by the way. I guess you’re that hard up for cash. Or maybe you have a habit of your own you need to support and that’s why you’re trying to blackmail me for money? Either way, you’re finished.”
Kayla’s eyes narrowed and he could see the calculations going on in her brain. “Oh, you know better than that. I don’t give up that easily.” But her hands were shaking and he hadn’t even told her the best part.
“As we speak, the police are searching your apartment with a valid warrant. If your boyfriend is there, I can guarantee you he’s been arrested.”
Now real fear replaced the smug look of earlier. “I need to go.”
Austin glanced over and nodded at the men seated at a nearby table. Then he leaned back in his seat and let them do their jobs.
They rose from their chairs and walked over. “Kayla Gibson?” the taller man asked, pulling out a badge from his jacket pocket.
His ex swallowed hard. “Yes.”
“I’m Officer Suarez and this is my partner, Officer Harrison. We’ll need you to come downtown for questioning.” The officers had given Austin the professional courtesy of wrapping up his blackmail issue with his ex-wife before stepping in.
The color drained from her face. “Whatever you want, it has to be a mistake.”
“We can assure you it’s not,” Officer Suarez said. “Drugs were found in your apartment this morning. Now you can come with us quietly or we can make this harder.” He parted his jacket, revealing handcuffs he’d obviously be more than happy to use.
With any luck, an arrest was imminent based on the findings in her apartment.
“Good-bye, Kayla. I can guarantee you no judge is going to find you to be a qualified parent now.”
“I hate you,” she spat at him.
“The feeling is mutual. Now go along with the officers like a good girl.” He waved good-bye and leaned back in his seat, satisfaction along with a deep sadness filling him.
Because no matter what, at the end of the day, Kayla was his daughter’s mother and that was a sad thing for his little girl. But he intended to make damned sure she had a wonderful life and lacked for nothing. He just couldn’t make up for her not having a mom.
He drove directly home, anticipating sharing the news with Mia that the custody issue was over. Nobody would share his excitement like she would. But when he let himself into the house, it was too quiet. The door to her room was open and she wasn’t in there, so he headed for the kitchen and family room.
“Mia?” he called out.
“In here.”
He walked toward the sound of her voice and found her on the couch.
“Hey.” He leaned down beside her, clasping her clammy hand in his. “What’s wrong?”
“I came into the kitchen to make something to eat and I got so nauseous. I had to lie down. I guess I fell asleep.” She tried to push herself to a sitting position but he held her back.
“Don’t. I’m going to take you to bed. Then, if you’re hungry, I’ll make you something to eat.”
Her eyelids fluttered. It was obviously a struggle for her to keep them open. “I don’t want to be a burden.”
This woman, he thought with a shake of his head. As if she could ever be a problem.
“Shh.” He brushed her hair off her face before picking her up and lifting her into his arms. He headed through the kitchen, but instead of going toward her room, he turned to go up the stairs.
“Where are we going?” she asked drowsily.
“Somewhere you can rest… and I can keep an eye on you.”
His room, to be exact, but he didn’t want to give her something to argue about by telling her. And since her eyes were already closed, he didn’t think she’d object right now.
* * *
Mia woke up slowly. Her head hurt because her stomach was empty but she didn’t think she was nauseous anymore. But she was warm. Very warm and she became aware of the hard, hot male body aligned with hers.
Austin.
Her heart began beating too fast in her chest as she realized he lay up against her, his body wrapped around hers, his arm draped around her waist, pulling her close. Her body thrummed with awareness.
She opened her eyes, looked around, and realized this wasn’t her room. It was his. She swallowed hard. She remembered feeling sick after a trip to the kitchen and lying down on the sofa. Then he came home, found her, and carried her to her bed.
The sweet man. The sweet, sexy, protective man. He was going to kill her with his kindness and caring while she was supposed to be guarding her heart against his potent appeal.
She wondered if she could roll out from beneath his weight and slip away without waking him. No sooner had she shifted than he groaned, the sound reverberating through her.
“What time is it?” he asked, not letting go of her.
She blinked and glanced at the clock on his nightstand. “Four,” she said. She’d slept the day away. “Umm … why am I in your bed? With your arm around me?”
Instead of releasing her, he hugged her tighter. “You’re in my bed because I wanted to be able to keep an eye on you if you needed anything. And as for the other, I fell asleep and it just happened.”
She noticed he didn’t apologize for it, either. “Thank you.” But this was not a position she needed to be in and she pushed herself to a sitting position, forcing him to release his hold.
He stretched and sat up beside her, running a hand over his messed hair, which, damn him, gave him a hot, just-had-sex kind of appearance. While no doubt she looked like death warmed over.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, his tone worried.
She took a minute to catalogue how she felt now that she was upright. A little underlying queasiness. Damn. She’d hoped she really was all better.
“Not perfect but better,” she admitted. “But I should go.”
“No, you should let me get you food. You passed out before eating. Did you have anything earlier?” he asked, giving her a knowing glance.
“No.” She bit down on her lower lip. “But I can take care of it myself.”
He shook his head. “That would be a no. I don’t want to worry about you fainting or getting nauseous again, so sit tight and I’ll be back with toast.” He rolled out of bed.
She was grateful to see he was still dressed and she wore her sweats and a tee shirt. She still desired him too much, wanted him too badly to have any kind of temptation adding to this situation.
He headed downstairs and she tossed herself back against the pillows. “What are you doing?” she asked herself.
She was letting him take care of her… and enjoying knowing that he cared. She was torturing herself with what she couldn’t have. While he was gone, she went into his bathroom, a nice-sized room with a Jacuzzi tub, a shower with extra spray jets, and a neutral-colored décor. It suited him.
She took care of business and washed her face, brushing her teeth with toothpaste and her finger before rinsing. She felt cleaner, at least, and marginally better. Heading back to bed, she settled in to wait.
He returned a short time later with toast and jelly along with a cup of tea, placing both on the nightstand.
“Thank you.” She picked up the cup and took a sip, finding the tea sugared, just the way she liked it.
Her heart warmed at the fact that he noticed. Why was he such a contradiction? A man who didn’t want commitment on one hand, taking such good care of her and even noticing things no one else in her life had ever paid attention to before?
“So how did things go with Kayla?” she asked, refusing to dwell on what she couldn’t change.
“It went just as I intended. She won’t be an issue for me or Bailey anymore.” But despite the good news, his smile held a hint of sadness as did his tone.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’ll tell you if you eat.” He gestured to the toast on the nightstand.
She couldn’t help but smile at his insistence. “Fine.” She picked up a piece of toast and took a bite. The sweetness from the jelly satisfied a craving she hadn’t known she had. But Austin clearly had.
“Well?” She tipped her head, indicating it was his turn to talk.
He breathed out a long breath. “When all was said and done, I was thrilled I got what I wanted and Kayla won’t be trying to take my daughter from me anymore.”
“But?” Because something was obviously on his mind.
His lips lifted at her obviously correct conclusion. “But I couldn’t help but feel bad when the cops took her away. I don’t like her but this is my kid’s mother. I’ll have to explain things to Bailey when she’s older and it’s going to hurt her.”
Mia placed the toast back on the plate. “Hey. You tried your best to make the marriage work. You didn’t tell her not to be a caring parent.” She didn’t use the word abusive, although that’s what her actions had been. “You only pushed when you had no other choice to protect your daughter.” She wanted him to see the facts and not feel guilty that he’d acted against Bailey’s mom.
“You’re right.” He ran a hand through his hair. “It doesn’t make me feel any better, but thank you. I did need the reminder.”
“Because you’re a good man.”
His lips curled in a warm smile. Then he tipped his head again. “Now keep eating.”
She rolled her eyes, picked up the toast, and finished both pieces, feeling much better once she followed that up with the warm tea.