Chapter Twenty-Three
Brock knew Mia was standing silently in the short hallway between the small cabin’s master bedroom and kitchen, listening as he and Tucker discussed Joseph Moreno’s recent disappearance. Her bare feet had been nearly but not completely silent on the wood plank floor. Smiling to himself, he was grateful she still hadn’t figure out how difficult it was to sneak up on former SEALs.
They’d managed to keep her isolated in their cabin for the past several days, claiming she needed time to recover, but that was coming to an end today. Tobi and her entourage could only be held off for so long, so he and Tucker had finally agreed to a late afternoon picnic before the club opened. Whether or not they played at the club depended on how Mia and Tuck felt after dealing with a group who could be overwhelming on their best day.
Tucker cleared his throat and gave a quick nod toward the hall, letting Brock know he was also aware of Mia’s presence. Without making a sound, Brock rose from where he was seated and padded silently to the back of the kitchen. Shaking his head, Tucker kept talking while Brock stepped into the back of the hall behind Mia.
“Cam assured me they’d be at the picnic tonight, evidently he has a gift for our sleeping sub.”
Brock snaked one arm around Mia’s torso from behind in a move so quick, he knew she hadn’t had time to react. He pressed his other hand flat over her chest to ensure she didn’t make any movements that might tear open her incisions. The stitches were removed yesterday, but the tissues were still tender, and he’d seen his fellow soldiers rupture newly healed incisions when they’d done too much, too soon.
Her startled scream brought Tucker around the corner, and Brock smiled at his brother’s worried expression. Whispering over the sensitive shell of her ear, Brock felt her body relax for a fraction of a second before stiffening for an entirely different reason.
“Eavesdropping isn’t necessary, baby. We won’t keep secrets from you when the information involves your safety. Your breakfast is in the warmer, but before you eat, let’s chat about what you’re wearing.”
“Kodak, are you wearing something under this shirt? I thought we’d made our dislike of panties crystal clear.” The corners of Tucker’s lips twitched in amusement despite the sharp tone of his voice.
Brock almost laughed when she lifted her chin in defiance before answering.
“I have on panties. You can’t expect me to eat without panties. It’s undignified and unsanitary.”
“Unsanitary? We’ve both had our tongues buried so deep in your pussy, we could feel your vaginal walls contracting as you came. We lapped up your sweet cream as it pulsed over the sensitive taste buds—and you think we’re concerned about sanitation? No, sweet cheeks, we want to be able to play with you while we eat. And since you didn’t bother to follow directions, you’re going to eat without the shirt as well.”
Brock felt her stiffen in his arms and laughed softly as he bent down to kiss the side of her neck. “Consequences, baby. Actions have consequences. Ordinarily, you’d be over one of our knees, but your body isn’t recovered enough for that yet.” Tucker wouldn’t be able to hold her securely yet, and there wasn’t a chance in hell he’d let Brock have all the fun.
Tucker led Mia into the kitchen, and Brock readjusted himself. Just being near her made his cock stand up and pay attention. Having her deliciously curved ass pressed against his crotch had not only drained most of the blood from his brain to his raging hard-on, it had also made him fantasize about marching her right back down the hall and not letting her out of bed until she agreed to stay with them. Since Mia’s father had been a U.S. citizen, there were no immigration hurdles for her to overcome—something they’d been relieved to learn.
Brock smiled when he finally rounded the corner into the kitchen and found Mia sitting beautifully bare, sipping orange juice. Tucker had adjusted her legs, so her feet were hooked around the legs of her chair, opening her pretty pink pussy to their view. One of the first things he’d noticed when he moved to Prairie Winds was the Wests penchant for glass tables. It had seemed at odds with the western décor, but it hadn’t taken him long to figure out why the two men preferred the more modern tables.
The first time Brock had eaten dinner at the main house, he’d struggled to keep up with the conversation surrounding him because his friends had provided plenty of distractions. He’d been sitting across from Gracie and watching Micah and Jax bring her to orgasm during dessert had almost made Brock come in his damned pants—something he hadn’t done since he was a teenager. He’d have known what the men were doing to their sweet sub without the front row seat but adding the visual component had certainly made his first dinner memorable.
Tucker was seated on Mia’s right, and Brock took the seat on her other side. He’d always preferred sitting across from his dates during meals, but it was going to be different with Mia. The closer they could keep her, the easier it would be to show her how perfect they’d be together. It had taken everything in him to keep from hiding her backpack when Cam returned it to her at the hospital. He’d never cared when a woman said she was leaving—hell, he’d usually been the one to walk away, but with Mia, everything was different.
“Are there any leads in Joseph Moreno’s disappearance?” Mia whispered the question without taking her eyes off her plate, and after what they’d discovered on her laptop, Brock wasn’t surprised.
“Were you going to turn him in, Kodak?” Tucker had been furious when he’d read her notes. She hadn’t gathered enough information to go to the authorities prior to being whisked out of Colombia, but there had been enough to convince the team of the man’s guilt.
“Yes, but things in Colombia aren’t the same as they are here. There is so much corruption there.” Brock wasn’t entirely convinced she was right, but he wasn’t going to argue the current political climate of either country. “My grandfather trusts him, I’d say he probably counts him as a friend. What Joseph is doing is wrong, and I have to find a way to tell my grandfather.” Her eyes went glassy with tears, and she bit her lip to stop it from trembling.
Tucker pulled her onto his lap with his good arm and held her close as Brock brushed his hand in slow strokes from her wrist to her shoulder. Mia’s tanned skin felt like warm silk beneath his hands. The scent of sweet hibiscus floated around him as her skin warmed. Hell, he was never going to be able to walk through a botanical garden again without getting a hard-on. He didn’t vary the pace, keeping the movements smooth to help slow her breathing, which had accelerated so much, he’d wondered if she was going to hyperventilate.
“Sweetheart, Joseph Moreno isn’t going to be a problem for you or your grandfather ever again.” Brock was thrilled to finally be able to give her some good news. “General Moreno had an accident while caving.” She tipped her head in confusion, the adorable action had him fighting a grin. One of the newbies on the team had gone caving in Mia’s home country a few years ago. When Sam McCall had given the team the go-ahead to take out the man, the team hadn’t wasted any time making sure his body would never be found.
Once they’d confirmed Mia’s suspicions, no one felt any guilt about ending his human trafficking days. Moreno and his merry band of deviants wouldn’t ever hurt another child. Granted, they’d only eliminated one cell in a huge network, but if it saved one child, it was worth it. It might not be a huge dent in the problem, but to the kids who had been returned to their families, it meant everything. When they’d finished explaining everything to her, Mia flashed them a smile that lit up the entire room.
“That’s poetic justice because the man was terrified of caves. I overheard him talking to my grandfather one time about some of his men who were into it. He was convinced they’d never be seen again.”
“Well,” Tucker grinned and drawled, “sweet cheeks, seems that might have been more of a prophecy than you realized.”
Brock felt some of the tension drain from his own muscles as he watched the interplay between his brother and the woman who’d started wiggling herself into his heart before they even met. Watching Mia from a distance in Colombia had been as frustrating as it had been fascinating. Damn, even the way she frowned at her laptop late into the night when she’d been editing photos had turned him on.
He could hardly wait to see her reaction to Cam’s surprise this evening. Sending up a silent prayer she’d see it as a sign and agree to stay with them, he lifted her from Tucker’s lap and nodded down the hall.
“Go get dressed, baby. We’re going shopping.” When she frowned, he gave her bare ass a solid swat. “That wasn’t a request, sweetheart.” She shot him a look that earned her a couple of swats later, but for now, they needed to get her a pretty dress for this evening.
Kent West had chuckled when he’d recommended the store in Austin.
“They have a great selection of edgy clothing that’s just this side of club wear. Their sales staff is helpful, but they’ll know when to leave you alone in the dressing room. Those changing rooms are large enough for three people, and they’re soundproof, too.”
For the first time in as long as he could remember, Brock was looking forward to shopping with a woman. And if anyone told his little terror of a sister, he’d have to shoot them because there was no way he was shopping with Nell.
*
“I swear they are worse than shopping with my grandmother,” Mia blinked back tears of frustration and slipped another damned dress over her head, “and she wrote the book on picky… God rest her soul.” She wasn’t speaking ill of the dead, she really wasn’t. It was just a fact her sweet grandmother always seemed to think you needed to try on everything available in your size and a couple of others before making a choice. Mia was more of a pull it off the rack and hold it up in front of you shopper. If it looked like it might be just a bit baggy, it was perfect… or at least good enough.
She stepped out of the enormous dressing room and sighed when she came face to face with the most patient salesclerk in the world. The woman hadn’t batted an eye as Brock and Tucker rejected dress after dress for petty reasons that had Mia ready to push them off the top floor of the department store.
One of the things she’d always enjoyed when traveling was seeing the tall buildings. Historically, Colombia had too many earthquakes and too few advancements in engineering for buildings to be over three or four stories. That had been changing for the past couple of decades according to her grandfather, but the sheer number of skyscrapers in foreign cities still fascinated her.
Pulling her thoughts back to the present, she smiled at her mind’s meandering and once again, thought about shoving them off the roof if they rejected another dress. Stepping in front of the triple mirrors, Mia could see Brock and Tucker shoot to their feet. They’d been slouched in the chairs where they’d been waiting for most of the past hour, but the moment they saw her, they’d both risen and stalked toward her. Tucker’s low whistle made her smile despite her earlier homicidal thoughts.
“Fuck me, Kodak. You look amazing.”
“We’ll take this one and the shoes, in addition to the other things we’ve already picked out.”
Other things? What other things? Mia didn’t understand what Brock was talking about, but one look told her he hadn’t been talking to her. The sweet attendant smiled and nodded in understanding before turning away from them.
Brock’s gaze locked with hers in the mirror and the sinister smile that spread over his face might have alarmed her if she hadn’t been able to read the heat in his eyes.
“Baby, this dress only needs one thing to improve it.”
Blinking her eyes several times as she tried to make sense of his words, she finally broke free from his intense stare to look down at the pretty cornflower blue sundress and wondered what he could possibly think was missing because it already seemed awfully skimpy to her.
“Let’s go.” Brock wrapped his enormous hand around her upper arm and moved through the door of the dressing room. Before she could turn around to look for Tucker, she heard the door of the dressing room close and the lock engage.
Brock and Tucker stood in similar poses, feet spread shoulder width apart, arms crossed over their massive chests, their eyes blazing with heat.
“Take off the dress, baby.”
“I thought you liked it?” She could hear the trembling in her own voice, but she wasn’t able to calm her nervous reaction. She’d been worrying all day they were simply being polite and making certain she had clothes for the return trip home.
“I do like it. That’s why I want you to remove it because if I do, it’s going to be in tatters around those pretty fuck-me sandals. Now, take it off.” When her eyes filled with tears he frowned.
Her hands were shaking so violently, no matter how hard she tried, Mia couldn’t get her trembling fingers to grasp the zipper pull at the side of the form-fitting dress.
“You still want me?”
*
Tucker’s fingers had closed over Mia’s, stilling hers because he was worried she was going to tear the fabric. Gently pushing her fingers aside, he’d almost finished unzipping her dress when he heard her question. Tucker was shocked, and it was clear by Brock’s expression, he was equally stunned. Tucker grasped the wrist closest to him and pressed her palm over his straining erection.
“Oh, sweet cheeks, I defiantly still want you.”
The glare Brock gave him made Tucker chuckle. Christ Almighty, did his brother really think he was that dim? I probably don’t want to know the answer to that question. Lifting the warm hand caressing his engorged cock to his lips, he pressed a lingering kiss to her palm.
“Don’t ever think our interest in you was tied to the mission.”
Brock grasped her other hand and pulled her close.
“You are intelligent, talented, sweet, and loyal. I can assure you, our interest in you hasn’t diminished because it appears you’re safe.”
“Not only are we grateful you are safe,” Tucker chuckled, “we’re also damned relieved we can focus on convincing you to stay rather than spending all our time worrying about every fucking creak and moan the cabin makes all damned night. I’m looking forward to sleeping a little more soundly now that I’m not worried about the boogeyman sneaking in and carrying you off into the night.”
Mia giggled at his ridiculous comments as he’d hoped she would, but she quickly sobered, and Tucker leaned forward to where she stood in the circle of Brock’s arms. Caressing the side of her face, he sucked in a breath as a tidal wave of emotion swept over him. Mia’s dark eyes and sweet floral scent were a siren’s call he couldn’t resist. Her dark eyes were filled with such a wide range of emotions, he could almost feel the way they swirled inside her. He saw confidence warring with fear as trust battled doubt, but it was the hope and love that drew him like a moth to a flame.
Last night when the three of them had been cuddling on their soft sofa while watching old movies and munching on popcorn, Tucker had found a sense of peace he’d never dreamed possible. When they’d offered to take Mia out on the town, she’d politely asked if they’d mind spending the evening at home.
Tucker had been such a fool marrying a woman he’d known was more interested in partying than building a family together. His pride had overridden his usual level head, and he’d mistaken lust for love. And he’d been an even bigger fool for trying to build a wall around his heart to cover up his mistake.
Looking into Mia’s gorgeous blue eyes, Tucker saw the future he thought he’d lost and thanked the Universe for giving him another chance and showing him what he’d been missing.
“You’re a gift I don’t deserve, sweet cheeks.”
He watched as her eyes filled with tears she valiantly held back as she shook her head.
“I don’t want to hear you say you are unworthy because it’s not true. My grandmother always reminded me I shouldn’t measure my worth by another’s scale, and I don’t think I truly understood what she meant until now. You can’t blame yourself for another person’s mistakes, and you shouldn’t feel unworthy because she failed to appreciate what an amazing person you are.”
Tucker pressed a kiss to her plump lips and smiled. “Thank you, sweet cheeks. You are a treasure—an overdressed treasure.”
He and Brock stepped back in a well-coordinated moved that might well have appeared choreographed to anyone watching.
“Strip, baby. We’re going to play a bit before we wrap this shopping trip up and head home.”
The slight tremor of Mia’s fingers as she slipped the thin straps of the sundress from her shoulders was the only indication Mia was nervous about the order Brock had given her. Tucker held out his hand and she didn’t hesitate to place the garment in his outstretched hand.
“You are temptation personified, sweetheart,” Tucker agreed, and now that he’d admitted how much she meant to him, he had no intention of letting her go.