I shouldn’t have spoken. I should’ve just enjoyed the moment she was giving me and let her direct what was happening. Her eyes shoot open, tears filling them instantly but she doesn’t look sad. She looks enraged. And I don’t know if it’s because of how blunt I was with her just now or if she is remembering some ass**le thing I did to her years ago. Hell, she could be angry at herself for letting her body take over and actually enjoying being in my company. But I don’t have time to ask before she pushes against me with the same hands that were just holding on to me like she needed my contact. I’m frozen in place as she begins frantically swimming toward the pier.

“Mia! Hold up a second.” I start swimming faster than I ever have, wanting, no needing to get to her before she gets to that pier. I want her alone, especially if she is upset. But she beats me to it and I get to the ladder as she places her feet on the wooden planks.

“Nice choke, Benjamin,” Luke jokes as I get up on the pier. “Were you trying to break your back?”

“Fuck off.” I move closer to Mia but Tessa once again puts her tiny body in between me and what I want. “Move or I’ll toss you into the water.”

She pokes my chest with her finger aggressively. “Once again, you’re upsetting my best friend.” She leans closer to me. “What the f**k is wrong with you?” she sharply whispers her question and I know it’s because she’s secretly pulling for me. My eyes register that no one’s heard her but me.

“I didn’t mean to.” I look down at her and then over her head. “Mia, come on. How long are you going to be pissed at me for shit I did when I was a kid? That’s not fair.”

Her head snaps in my direction and I want to jump right in the water myself with the look she is melting me with. “Not fair? You wanna know what’s not fair, Ben?” She steps behind Tessa, bringing us face to face. Mia towers over my sister as well so it’s as if Tessa isn’t even between us. “It wasn’t fair the last time I came here when you told me that I couldn’t try the rope swing because I would probably snap the branch it was tied to. It wasn’t fair the time before that when you begged me to keep my shirt on because I would blind you if you saw me in my bathing suit.” Her eyes well up and I want more than anything to shove Tessa off the pier and wrap my arms around Mia. “It wasn’t fair when you…” she bites her lip to stop the tremors and turns, her shoulders beginning to shake with her cries. Reed comes up and wraps his arm around her shoulder, doing the consoling that I should be doing.

“Baby, please don’t cry. I was the biggest ass**le back then.” I step sideways to bypass Tessa, but she moves with me like a shadow. I meet Mia’s eyes as she finally turns to look at me. “I hate that I said those things to you. I f**king hate how much I’ve hurt you. I’m so sorry, baby.” I grab Tessa and shove her into Luke and she goes willingly with a slight grunt. “Please, just hear me out.”

Mia shakes her head as she moves behind Reed, allowing him to put himself between us. He blocks Mia entirely and the protective vibe he’s giving off blinds me with an overwhelming urge to knock his ass out. “I think you’ve said enough, Ben. Why don’t you just leave her alone.”

I step closer to him and he surprisingly doesn’t step back. “Back the f**k off before I beat the shit out of you.” I mean every word of my threat. He is out of his f**king mind if he thinks I’ll let him move in on my girl.

Luke grabs my shoulders and pulls me back. “Easy, bro. You need to calm the f**k down. Nobody needs to threaten anybody.”

“Jesus, Ben,” Tessa shrieks, wrapping her hand around my elbow. “Don’t threaten Reed. He didn’t do anything.”

“She’s mine, Reed,” I declare, loud enough so that there’s no disputing what I’ve just said. Loud enough so that everyone at Rocky Point is now aware who Mia belongs to. Everyone on the pier reacts to my words with the biggest eyes I’ve ever seen.

“Excuse me?” Mia wipes her face and steps in front of me. “I am not yours.”

I shrug Luke off my back. “Yes, you are. You just aren’t willing to admit it yet.” I move toward the edge of the pier and look over my shoulder at her. She isn’t crying anymore, the expression on her face has shifted into something I can’t decipher. And I see that familiar struggle in her eyes. The way she tries to ignore how I can make her feel. And that resistance is my f**king motivation to keep pressing her. To keep pushing her to where I need her to be. Without giving her a chance to argue with me any further, I dive into the water and begin swimming toward the drop off.

Mia is mine. And I don’t care if it takes weeks for her to realize it. Not only am I a greedy bastard when it comes to her, but I’m also determined as hell. I’ll do anything for her forgiveness, hell, I’ll do anything for her. I see my future with her and I’ll stop at nothing to get her there with me.

Chapter Six

Mia

I stare up into his eyes as he enters me, so slowly that it is almost unbearable. I want him to take me right now, to use my body for his pleasure and I don’t want him to be gentle about it. Reaching down, I grab his ass and urge him deeper, harder. But he ignores my request and shakes his head, resting his hand on my cheek.

“No,” he says, his word a breathy pant as he drives into me. “If you want me fast and hard, baby, you’re going to have to give me what I want.”