Mia Found (Starting Fires Book 3) (36 page)

My head bowed. This was what his life was like without me. Friends were walking in and out of the house, calling his name, making jokes. I had no place here.

A shattering of glass broke my negative thoughts and I looked up to see Paul rushing off the gazebo. His smile stretched wide, his eyes shining.

“
Mia?” Before I had time to say a word, he was on me, lifting me into the air. “You little liar,” Paul laughed. His strong arms hugged me as tight as they could before setting me on the ground. Then his hands were all over me, cradling my head, rubbing my back, squeezing my arms. “What are you doing here?” he asked, pulling back to look at me.

“
I’m sorry. I was trying to surprise you. I didn’t think about you having company.”

Paul smiled, grinning from ear to ear. “Don’t be sorry. This is the best thing that could have happened tonight.” His fingers came to my neck, giving it a gentle caress. “How are you more beautiful than the last time I saw you?”

My cheeks heated and my smile rose then fell as my emotions came to the surface. “I miss you,” I said, falling into him and hugging him around the waist. My head buried in his chest and I took a great inhale. “Everything is awful without you and I’m miserable.”

His hands came to the base of my head and I sighed when his lips touched my hair. “I miss you, too,” he whispered. “How long do I have you?”

“
Nearly a week.”

His chuckled warmed me. “You knew you were going to do this didn’t you? When you told me not to visit?”

I nodded.

“
You’re a sneak,” he said, lifting me into the air and wrapping my legs around his waist. “Do you know how upset I was?”

His smile was good-natured so I didn’t feel too guilty. “It happened fast. I had to be close by for something.”

“
For what?”

“
A job interview,” I whispered and his eyes lit up. I shook my head. “It didn’t go well.”

“
Have faith, Pretty. Some of the worst interviews I ever had ended up landing jobs.”

With those simple words, I instantly felt better. My hands cradled his jaw and our lips finally met in a soft, sweet kiss. I pulled away and nuzzled his nose with mine.

“
Who’s this?” someone said and I tensed. Seeing and touching Paul had made everything else fade away and I’d completely forgotten we had an audience.

Paul placed me back on the ground, and put an arm around my waist. “
This
is Mia,” he said.

“
Oh, yeah,” the guy said, offering his hand. “I’m Garrett. Paul and I work together. He’s told me so much about you.”

Smiling, I shook his hand, but wished Paul would have told me more about him. I felt at a disadvantage.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Liza picking up the broken glass and seeing it brought me more glee than it should have. The scowl on her face brought me more.

Paul paraded me around his house, introducing me to everyone he knew and I realized that my fears were unfounded. I might not know these people, but they knew me. I had a place.

I’ve seen your picture on his desk.

Paul tells me you’re an artist!

So this is the Mia I’ve heard so much about!

When Ferdinand saw me, he barreled into my legs. “You’re still huge!” I said, giving him a big hug. “I missed you boy.” Ferdinand still didn’t realize he was a large dog and kept trying to jump up to get my attention. “I see you. I see you,” I said, laughing.

“
I play him videos of you sometimes,” Paul said. “He misses your voice.”

My head jerked back. “What videos?”

Paul looked embarrassed. “Oh, you know…videos.”

I furrowed my brow, not remembering ever making videos with him.

“
The, uh, the last week I lived there, I might have recorded you without your knowledge.”

I smacked his arm. “Doing what?”

“
Ouch.” Paul laughed, rubbing the spot I’d hit. “I don’t know. You’re on the phone with your mother in one. In another you’re sitting on my couch talking to Ferdinand. And
maybe
one of you singing to yourself in the kitchen.”

“
That is so embarrassing.”

“
Oh, please,” he said. “I watch them when I miss you. So be mad if you want, but I’m glad I did it.”

I fell deeper in love with him in that moment. Even though we were apart, I was in his life. One of my paintings hung on his wall and there was a big 8x10 of us sitting on his nightstand. He even watched videos of me when he missed me.

“
I love you,” I whispered, pulling on his shirt and dragging him to me.

“
I love you, too,” he said.

A few hours later, everyone began leaving. Liza, who had avoided me all night, approached to say goodbye.

“
Glad you could make it, Mia. Hope you have fun while you’re here.” She smiled, but I could see the malice in it. “How long are you visiting anyway?”

“
Well, I’ll probably leave next Thursday. I need to get back home for work.”

“
Fun!” she said. Why did it feel like she was being sarcastic?

Paul was too busy telling someone else goodbye to notice. A sweet smile graced her mouth when she reached him and she stretched onto her tiptoes, giving him a tight hug. “I had fun tonight,” she said. “And don’t worry about the wine glass. I’ll buy us some new ones.” She winked and my fist clenched.

“
Don’t trouble yourself,” Paul said, walking her to the door. “I’ve got plenty of others.”

“
I forgot,” she laughed. “You’re quite the little wino now.”

“
Please.” Paul rolled his eyes, but still smiled and I realized they were friends.

Liza grinned. “You so are! But all right, I won’t tell Mia all your secrets. Talk to you tomorrow,” she said and left.

For once I wished that I cussed. A few colorful names for her came to mind.
She
wouldn’t tell
me
any of his secrets? Who did she think she was?

“
What’s with the frown?” Paul asked.

“
She makes me feel about
this
big,” I said, holding my thumb and forefinger a centimeter apart. “It’s like she’s challenging me or something.”

Paul laughed. “Challenging you to what?”

“
I don’t know.” I huffed and walked to the kitchen. Needing something to occupy my hands I began loading his dishwasher and realized that he
did
have a lot of wine glasses. The entire top rack was full. I was staring at them while Paul leaned against the counter opposite me.

“
Something wrong?” he asked.

“
Why
do
you have so many of them?”

“
Wine glasses?”

I nodded.

Paul shrugged and came up behind me, placing his hands on my hips. “Some were gifts,” he said. “Some I bought. There aren’t many yards like mine in this area. It’s big and has the gazebo. People like it. I’ve become this entertainer of sorts.”

“
Oh.” I was happy that he’d made friends, but it made my life seem boring and lonely. Besides, I’d always assumed he didn’t have time for a social life. He certainly hadn’t been spending his time calling me. “I guess–I, um, I guess I didn’t realize you had so much free time. You know…because I hardly ever get to talk to you.”

“
I don’t get a lot, baby,” he said, brushing my hair over my shoulder to kiss my neck. “A night or two a month and you’re usually working. Trust me, I’d much rather be talking to you than entertaining coworkers.”

“
But I don’t work late on the weeknights, and you haven’t been home on the weekends.”

Paul sighed, placing his forehead against my neck. “It’s only once or twice a month—if even that. What’s this really about?”

I turned and let his arms come around me. They pulled me in close as I looked into his green eyes. While I thought about it, my fingers toyed with his hair.

“
My life back home is so boring,” I said. “I hardly do anything. It’s selfish, but I kinda wish yours was boring, too.”

He gave me a lop-sided grin and put his forehead against mine. “That’s not so selfish, Pretty. Some nights I drive myself crazy thinking about you being at that bar until 2 a.m. You’re beautiful, any man can see it, and I know they hit on you.”

“
Not so much.”

He chuckled. “Not so much, huh? I doubt that.” Paul grabbed my waist and sat me on the bar. “Our lives are going to reconvene one day,” he said. “We won’t have to live separately. As soon as my contract is up, I’m coming back to you and we can go wherever you want.”

“
Promise?”

“
I promise,” he said, giving me a chaste kiss.

When he pulled away, I grabbed his shirt collar and brought him back, taking the kiss that was owed to me. His posture instantly changed, sensing the desire in me. It had been too long since we’d been in the same space and I needed to feel like his again.

Our tongues connected and he dragged me to the edge of the counter, hiking my dress. His hands felt familiar and foreign at the same time. My body had nearly forgotten what it felt like to have him hold me and it warmed under his purposeful squeezes.

His heavy breaths sent tingles down my spine and my hands went to his pants, making quick work of the buckle. The slacks hung on his hips as I pulled him out, finding him hard and ready. After only a few slow pumps, Paul broke the kiss, cursing against my mouth.

“
I want you,” I whispered.

Paul made a thick, gruff sound in his throat and stood straighter, spreading my legs. One of his fingers pushed into my panties, testing my readiness and I whimpered.

He’d been watching his fingers, but cut his eyes to mine and gave a pleased grin. I’d never seen a sexier sight. His slacks still on his waist. His shirt still tucked into them. Only one part of him was naked and my mouth watered as I watched it move towards me.

He held my panties to the side and slowly pushed into me. The invasion burned and I hissed as the shivers of ecstasy ran through me. When he buried himself, my head fell back.

Paul leaned over me, pumping his hips, his mouth trailing hot kisses down my throat. “I can’t stand being apart from you,” he said and squeezed my clothed breast. Feeling it, wanting it to be skin to skin, gave me a firm desire to be naked.

Our eyes locked as he pulled back and I maneuvered my body to pull the dress over my head. I tossed it and my bra across the room and grabbed his hand, bringing it back to my breast. He watched me with hooded eyes before lifting me off the counter and carrying me to his room.

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

PAUL AND I MADE love through the night. For long hours he’d taken me, unable to stop. His thirst had been unquenchable. The next morning, I sighed and cuddled into the pillow, remembering the hungry look in his eyes. A girl could become addicted to that stare. Deep. Intense. Looking straight into my soul.

I expected him to roll over and wrap an arm around me, but paused, realizing his side of the bed was empty.

“
Paul?” I called.

The answer was a shuffling of feet in the hallway and the big beast Ferdinand barreling through the door. He jumped onto the bed and rolled all over me, whining with enthusiasm.

“
Hey boy!” I said, ruffling his fur. “Where have you been?”

Paul stood in the doorway, dressed and showered. He seemed content to take in the scene before him. Ferdinand licked my face and I giggled, pushing him away. “Stop, you big goof. I don’t need to smell like doggy breath.”

Paul sat on the bed with us and we rubbed Ferdinand’s head. “What do you want to do today?” he asked.