Cautious (Sequel to Disastrous) (18 page)

“No, if you don’t mind, I would like to talk with you,
privately.” He looked down and lightly shrugged. “If that’s okay with you?”

“Sure.” I scooted over so he could join me. He made his way over
and sank down beside me.

The swing lightly swayed in place as we sat there in an awkward
silence. After a few minutes, he finally cleared his throat. “It’s a nice
night.”

A tiny smile touched the corner of my lips at his attempt to make
small talk. It wasn’t easy for me either, so I just leaned back and admired the
breeze. “Yes, it is.”

There were a few additional minutes of silence before he blurted,
“I’m proud of you.”

Puzzled by the random statement, I tilted my chin and stared at
his profile. He bowed his head and took a deep breath. “You grew up to be a
very intelligent, independent, beautiful, and strong woman. I couldn’t be
happier.” He looked up at me then. “I know I can’t make up for the last
twenty-four years of your life, and it’s probably too late to build a
relationship, but I can at least try. I want to be a part of your life. The
last twenty-four years I’ve missed, but I don’t want to miss any more minutes
from here on out.”

My heart swelled at his testament. I wiped away the tears that
fell, and sniffing, I nodded slightly. “Okay” was all I could say; there was
nothing more than that. How could I not give him another chance? Everyone
deserved one, and maybe I was optimistic, but for so long I suffered being
alone, trying to be strong for myself. There was so much I had faced on my own at
such a young age. I didn’t want to push anyone away anymore. I had built a high
barrier and not allowed anyone in but a simple few. I took a chance with Marcus,
and I believed it was the best choice I’d ever made. I wanted to take more risks,
to find more chances for happiness, and most of all, to build a family.

The man before me locked his tear-filled eyes with mine as his
lip quivered. His body slightly shook as if he was trying to hold it all in,
and then he pulled me into a tight hug. “Thank you.” His voice cracked. “I
promise I won’t let you down.” He broke into soft sobs. My chest tightened at
his promise. I tried to hold back tears and dug my head into his neck. “I know
it was stupid, but your mother was so young . . .”

“No.” I mumbled into his chest. “Let’s leave it in the past.”
There was no reason to go back to it. I didn’t want an explanation, and I
didn’t care for one. All that mattered was that he was going to make up for it.

After our cries subsided, we pulled away from each other and sat
out on the porch for a very long time, talking and laughing about our likes and
dislikes—sports, school, and so much more. He was a man who was so comfortable to
talk to and so easy to love. He reminded me a bit of my father. It begged the
question as to why they didn’t get along, but I kept it to myself. All that
mattered was at that very moment we created a memory I was able to store away as
a keepsake of the time my grandfather and I swayed on a porch swing, laughing
and admiring the October late night stars. That was a beautiful night.

“Mia, are you ready to call it a night, sweetie?” Sara popped her
head out the door. “It’s late, and we have to head back to the hotel.” I looked
over at my grandfather. I was having such a good time with him, and I didn’t
want to leave so soon. He gave me a warm smile. “Go ahead, Mia. It’s past my
bedtime, anyway. I never survive past eight.” He let out a raspy laugh. “We’re
all having dinner tomorrow at a restaurant, so we’ll see each other then. Get
some rest.”

Smiling along with him, I pulled him into a hug, and then we
walked into the house so that I could give Kathy a tight hug as well and wish
her a good night.

We all drove back to the hotel in silence as I counted the
minutes before I could rejoin my grandparents and get to know them even better.

Marcus sensed my brighter mood as we entered the hotel room. He
slightly shook his head and smiled as he removed his clothing. “Your
grandparents were nice.” He flung his boots off.

“They were so cool, especially William.” We both stripped down to
our undies and climbed into bed. I snuggled into his arms. “I can’t believe I
actually have a family, Marcus. Is it wrong or cliché to actually have such
strong feelings for them, despite everything that’s happened?”

He ran his fingers up and down the side of my arm as he pressed
his lips on top of my head. “No, baby, it’s not. They’re your family no matter
what. That’s what’s most important. Even if you feel betrayed for what they’d
done in the past, you can only hope for the best in the future.”

I squeezed my eyes shut and tightened my arms around him. I knew
deep down that what Marcus had just said was more of a realization for him than
a speech for me. We lay in bed the rest of the night that way, until we both
drifted into a deep sleep.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

MARCUS

At noon that Saturday, Mia and I had a quiet breakfast
at one of the hotel restaurants. Afterwards, we walked around the city before
heading back to the hotel. As I waited for her to finish with her shower, I sat
on a chair in the living area of our suite. When we first arrived three days
ago, I was distraught, and although I felt more at ease by now, I’d almost forgotten
that it was the day that marked fifteen years since my father passed.

Fifteen long fucking years.

All the memories I’d had of him were good, not one bad memory.
And even though each day since his death I had grown sturdier, I asked myself, “How
different would my life have been if he was still alive?” I didn’t blame him
for how my life had turned out. As he told me once, if I wasn’t happy with my
life, I alone had to do something to change it. I couldn’t wait around and
expect it all to work out. But that was a difficult saying for me to put into
practice, when I had no fucking clue how to change it.

The person that I wanted my life to be better for had just padded
her way out of the bathroom. Just out of the shower, she dropped her towel,
revealing the soft skin of her naked body. Bending over to grab a bra from on
top of the bed, she slowly tilted her head and looked over at me. A smile
formed along her lips as she caught me watching her. She straightened her
posture and, with confidence, walked in my direction.

My earlier thoughts vanished as pleasure rushed through me with
each stride she took. When Mia reached me, she leaned down and pressed her
hands along the armrest of the chair. Mia gently stretched her neck, and with
her lips, she grazed my jawline. “You like what you see?” she whispered. The
warmth of her breath along my skin aroused me.

“I do.” I drew my fingers along the soft skin of her torso.

She brought her head around, and her eyes filled with desire and
burned into mine. “Well, what are you going to do about it?” She then grabbed
the hem of my t-shirt, pulled it over my head, and tossed it to the ground.
“Better yet, the question should be, ‘What am I going to do about it?’”

I cocked my head aside and flashed a grin. “Tell me. What are you
going to do?”

A playful smile formed along her lips, “Well, for starters, you’re
too covered up. I need to get these jeans off of you.” Her fingers danced along
my belt buckle. Unhooking it, she pulled it from the hoops of the jeans, and
threw it along the floor beside my shirt.

Mia stood up and crossed her arms under her rounded breasts. I
sucked in air, pleased and completely turned on with her playfulness. Her eyes
traced down to my jeans. She then raised a hand toward her face and tapped a
finger along her chin as if she were thinking. She gently shook her head. “See,
that’s a problem. What I need is hidden under those jeans.” Her eyes flashed
back to mine. “They’re getting in the way of what I want.” I leaned back in the
chair as I felt myself grow underneath the denim fabric. Fuck. She managed to
do that every time: even a simple word spoken by her gave me a fucking hard on.

Mia reached over and began to remove my jeans and briefs. She
tossed my shoes off along the way. Excitement and craving washed through her
eyes as she caught sight of my full-blown erection. Without hesitation, she
straddled me, both of her legs on the outside of mine, not yet allowing me to
fill her. She rested her forearms along my chest as her fingers dug in the back
of my hair. “Have you decided what you’re going to do?” I asked my voice
hoarse.

With a sparkle in her green eyes, her lips curled into a devilish
grin. “Oh, I have a few things in mind.” She raised her hips and slowly sank
down on me. My head settled back into the wingback chair at our joining. There
was no greater feeling than when I was with her. She was always ready for me—wet
and sleek as she glided up and down my cock. Her lips parted with a gasp, her
body trembled, and her nipples hardened as she continued to ride me. She was a
beautiful sight.

I gripped her hips and thrust her up and down in a faster motion.
Mia’s breathing became unsteady. She tightened her walls around my cock, and I
groaned at how fucking good it felt. Her nipples peaked in yearning, and I
leaned in, sucking on her breast. A moan escaped her, inciting her to move
faster. My tongue twirled around, and I tugged on her nipple. Mia began to
pant; she gripped my jaw, shoved my head back, and crushed her lips against
mine.

Ferociously, she sucked and tangled her tongue with mine. The
minty taste of the toothpaste, the scent of her body soap, and the way my cock
felt inside of her as she slammed her hips down into mine drove me
in-fucking-sane. I gripped the back of her hair and pulled her in, needing and
wanting her closer. She moaned as our tongues crushed against one another. My
other hand continued to grip her hip, forcing her deeper as she slammed down
with each descent. She cried out, and I groaned as she tugged at my hair.

A deeper craving coursed through me: I lifted her from the chair
and slammed her back against the carpet floor. Kneeling between her legs, I
lifted her hips from the ground and pounded inside of her. She whimpered, as
she arched her back, tightened her eyes shut, and gripped my wrists. Digging
her nails into my flesh, she cried out my name. Her body jerked beneath me as she
released the building pressure. The pleasure in her expression as she came
ignited me, causing me to pound into her harder over and over again. Her
breasts bounced as I continued to nail her. The sound of our hips slamming
against each other, her continued cry of my name, all of it took me over the
edge, and I couldn’t take it anymore. I fucking exploded deep and hard within
her. “Fuck.” I groaned beneath my breath.

I collapsed beside her. Both of us tried to catch our breath as
we stared at the ceiling. Mia let out an exhausted and pleasurable laugh,
causing me to do so as well. After we calmed and our heartbeats settled, she
laid her head on top of my chest. I traced my fingers up and down her spine as
she sighed in contentment.

With all that had been going on, I knew I had to tell her what
happened and the reason I’d been acting the way I was. It wasn’t fair to keep
her in the dark. Mia didn’t push the issue, allowing me to deal with the
problem on my own, but I knew she wanted in, to know more. I loved that about
her—how she was so passionate about me that she wanted to be a part of my
struggles, stress, and pain.

As a guy, it was hard to express my feelings, not because I
couldn’t, but because it was more of a way to show strength, to show that I
could handle it on my own. Sometimes it was difficult to deal with all the
bullshit. I would use liquor as a way to escape or cope. I was trying to fight
against it, to control it in another way.

Mia was my other way. When she was around, there was nothing else.
There was no bullshit, no issues, no lies,
nothing
. In an awkward way,
it was as if we were similar; we both needed each other to fill the emptiness
we both had. I understood it and she did as well. It was why we meshed so well.

Mia lifted her head to look at me. “What are you thinking?” She
asked in a low tone. I reached up and cupped my hand under her chin. My stare
dropped from her eyes and followed as I began tracing my thumb along her soft
plump lips. “I’m sorry if I’ve been acting awkward or off lately. It’s just that
I’ve been going through some things, and I’m not sure how to—”

“Marcus, I need to tell you something.” Mia cleared her throat.

Puzzled by her instant change in demeanor, I tugged at her chin
and brought her eyes back to mine. “What is it?” At that moment I was concerned
by the look in her eyes. She seemed to be struggling with whatever she wanted
to say. “What is it, Mia?” I asked again, that time my tone a bit stern.

Nodding as if she knew she had to say it, she let out a shaky
breath and continued, “I know why you’ve been distant.” She paused and stared
as my eyebrows kneaded in confusion. “I know about your mother.”

I blinked. “W-what?” I untangled from her and jerked up to sit.
What the fuck did she mean she knew about my mother? Had she known all along?

“Marcus, hear me out, okay?” Mia stood along with me and followed
me into the bedroom. Her eyes followed my every move as I pulled on my briefs
and then glanced over at her.

“You knew? For how long, Mia?”

She reached for a t-shirt and tossed it on. Then she sat down on
the bed, staring at me, her eyes pleading with me to understand. I couldn’t
understand at that moment because I was upset. Pissed. Fucking irate. I widened
my eyes for her to go on. “A few weeks ago, your mother came to me and confided
her secret. She begged me not to say anything.” Mia bowed her head and focused
on her fidgeting fingers. “I wanted to tell you. Many times I almost did, but
it wasn’t my secret to tell.”

That was un-fucking-believable. My stare hardened as I waited for
her to continue, but she didn’t. “So, you’re telling me that for the past few
days you’ve known what I’ve been dealing with?”