Where I Belong (Alabama Summer) (21 page)

I pull her face toward me. “No. You’ll never lose me. I told
you that nothing could ever take me away from you.” I brush my lips against
hers and taste her tears on my tongue. “Don’t cry. Not now. Be here with me,
Mia.”

She kisses me gently after wiping her tears away. “Make love
to me. Just like you did that first night.”

“You want me to be gentle?” I ask, snaking my arms around
her waist. She nods before sliding off my lap and lying out on my back seat,
legs spread. I shove my shorts and boxers down to mid-thigh before getting
between her legs. “Guide me in, baby.”

She smiles and reaches around me, pulling me straight into
her. I thrust my hips, slowly, letting her feel every inch of me as I brace
myself on my elbows. Her eyes flutter close and she arches against me, brushing
her chest against mine with a deep inhale. I can feel her heart knocking
against my chest, mimicking my beat. I kiss her jaw, her nose, her cheeks.
Every inch of her face is touched by my lips. She lets me worship her body like
it’s the first time. My hands caress every part of her, my lips sliding along
her skin. I commit her to memory. Her scent. Her taste. The way her body
shudders against mine. The feel of her right now, beneath me while I drag this
out, while I prolong this moment with her, this, fucking
this
is the
reason for my existence. With every breath I take, I take one for her.  

She moans loudly and grabs my face, pressing her lips
against mine. “I’m so close.” I move in her at the same pace. Not speeding up.
Not taking her the way she’s become accustomed to. “Oh God, Ben,” she says
against my lips, raking her nails down my back. “Please.”

“I know, angel. I’ve got you.” I slide my hand between us
and press my thumb against her clit. She answers with a whimpered cry and I get
her there. Right there with only a few strokes.

Her eyes open and she wraps her legs around me. “I don’t
want to come without you.” She barely gets her sentence out before her body
tightens around me. “Ben…”

I groan loudly and feel my orgasm burning up my spine. “Holy
shit.” I watch her lips part with a silent cry, eyes closing as the pleasure
builds, and push her knees back, needing to get deeper. My breath is stolen
from me as I go off inside her, driving into her to the point of exhaustion.
Giving her every piece of me. And even though I was tender and unhurried, it
rocks me with a blinding intensity. The kind I’ve only ever felt with Mia. I
collapse on top of her, resting my head on her chest. Her arms wrap around me
and hold me tighter. Closer. Never close enough. I can’t imagine loving her any
more than I do right now, but I know I will. Because every second I’m with her,
I fall harder. It’s how it’s always been between us. Even when I held myself
back. I loved her when she became my best friend. And given the chance, I’d
never change the way it happened. I’d never take back those weeks I suffered in
silence, wanting more than she was willing to give me. I’d give her that a
thousand times over if she needed it. A future with her was more than I’d ever
deserve.

And I’ll cherish her like the gift she is until I draw my
last breath.

Mia

“You know, before this whole thing started between the two
of you, you technically were mine for the summer,” Tessa says as she helps me
pack up my stuff in the bedroom I’ve occupied for the past two months. “I mean,
I don’t see the harm in you finishing out your time here with me and then
moving in with Ben
after
the summer’s over.”

“Because he’d be so quick to agree to that arrangement,” I
state with a soft chuckle. I knew there was no way in hell he’d go along with
me prolonging my move. It’s all he’s talked about for the past five days. I’m
actually surprised he’s given me this long. “And you act like I won’t be right
around the corner. You do realize I’m here permanently, right?”

She smiles over her shoulder as she grabs the clothes that
are hanging in the closet. “That’s not the point. I love that you two are
together but he’s a horrible sharer. He always has been.”

I take the clothes from her and pull them off the hangers.
“Have you talked to him?”

“Who?” I give her a knowing look and she rolls her eyes.
“Why would I talk to him? There’s nothing to talk about. It’s over.”

Her words are final, but I know Tessa. She’s hurting. She’ll
never admit it, but she misses him. “Isn’t tonight going to be weird? Seeing
him at the concert?”

She shrugs once before taking the hangers back to the
closet. “There’s going to be like five thousand people there. I can avoid him
in a crowd that size. Plus, I plan on getting shitfaced which is sure to help
with the situation.” She closes the closet door before dropping her forehead,
hitting the wood with a soft thud.

“Tessa…”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” She lifts her head and
turns toward me, her eyes giving away exactly what she’s feeling. “Okay?”

I nod. “Okay.”

We finish packing up my room in silence. I know when she’s ready
to talk about it, she’ll open up. And she knows that I’m here whenever that
time comes.

My aunt is taking care of selling my mom’s house for me,
allowing me to stay in Alabama during the process. Ben and I will be making a
trip to get the rest of my things soon, but to be perfectly honest, I have
everything I’ll ever need. I never imagined moving back to Ruxton, but now I
can’t imagine not living here. This was always my home. Wherever he was.

After loading my stuff into my Jeep so that I can take it straight
to Ben’s after the concert, Tessa and I head over to the field. Ben somehow
managed to snag tickets to see Luke Bryan. Lawn seats, which allows us to park
in the field overlooking the stage and sit in our vehicles while we enjoy the
music. I spot Ben’s truck after weaving in and out of the crowd and park next
to it, watching as he jumps out of the bed and walks over to my door.

“Hey, baby. You all packed up?” He opens my door for me and
I hop out, waving to Reed who Tessa is making her way toward.

I take his hand and let him lead me to the back of his
truck. “Yup. Everything’s in the Jeep. Your sister’s not too happy about it.”

He stifles a laugh as he drops the tailgate down. “Like that
would stop me from moving you in with me. Here. Up you go.”

I climb up into the back of his truck, spotting the pillows
and the blankets spread out for us. I turn to him with a wistful smile. “Am I
getting lucky during this concert?”

He wraps his arms around my waist and kisses my bare
shoulder. “I’m always prepared, angel. My girl seems to be a bit insatiable
lately.”

“You’re like a dirty little boy scout,” I add, hearing
Tessa’s laugh get louder behind me. I turn in Ben’s arms and spot her walking
over toward us with Reed.

“Hey. I’m really glad you guys worked your shit out. You
sucked as friends,” Reed says through a teasing smile.

I flip him off over Ben’s shoulder and he throws his head
back with a laugh. Just as Tessa opens her mouth to speak, another truck pulls
up alongside Ben’s and catches her attention. “Oh perfect. He couldn’t have
gotten lost on the way here?”

Ben’s chest shakes with laughter against my back as his
hands splay across my abdomen. “We’ve been here a thousand times. I doubt he’d
get lost.”

Tessa’s body goes rigid suddenly and I turn my head to see
why. Luke isn’t the only one emerging from his truck. A tall, leggy blonde is
at his side as he joins the group, stopping just a few feet short of Tessa and
Reed.

He shifts his gaze from Tessa to Ben and myself. “Guys, this
is Brandie. Brandie this is… everyone.” She waves her delicate hand, the one
that isn’t currently roaming freely over his chest. Luke wraps his arm around
her waist. “We’re going to head closer to the stage. We’ll catch up with you
guys later.”

As he walks away with little Miss Handsy, Tessa slams the
tailgate of the truck up and startles the three of us. “Well, she seems lovely.
He’s really scraping the bottom of the barrel now, isn’t he?”

Reed shrugs once. “I don’t know. She’s pretty hot.”

She glares at him and he steps back a bit. “Yeah, she’s
really got that street corner look down. And could her name be any more
whorish?”

“You’d think that if her name was Mary,” Ben says. “Stop
being jealous, Tessa. You broke up with him.”

She waves him off and grabs Reed’s hand. “Whatever. Let’s go
get several hundred beers. You guys want any?” she directs toward us, her face
still tense with bitterness.

“I’m good,” I say, looking back at Ben who is situating the
pillows and spreading the blanket out.

“Me too,” he adds.

Tessa and Reed disappear into the crowd. I turn around just
in time to see Ben reach through his back window and pull out a picture frame.
He smiles at me and sits down on the blanket with his back against a pillow. He
reaches for me with his free hand. “Come here, angel.”

“Whatcha got there?”

He pats the spot between his legs and I sit with my back
against his chest, drooping my arms over his legs. He places the frame in my
lap. “Don’t cry,” he whispers against my ear.

I tilt the frame up and look at the drawing. Three figures,
undoubtedly drawn by Nolan, depicting our family. My family. He even labeled me
as Pwincess Mia Mommy. And the tears come instantly. I can’t help it. “Your
artistic skills are horrendous.” I reach up and wipe underneath my eyes as he
laughs against me. “God, he is the sweetest, isn’t he? Can we hang it up at
your house?”

“Our house,” he corrects me. He presses his mouth to my hair
again. “Don’t cry, baby.”

I open my mouth to tell him I can’t not cry at seeing our
first family drawing but he wipes every word from my vocabulary when he places
a small box in my lap. You know, the kind of box that
every
girl
recognizes. I gasp softly, holding the frame tightly against my chest while my
eyes stay glued to the box.

His steady hands open it. “Do you know how much I love you?”

I nod and clutch the frame harder, feeling the tears well up
in my eyes. I blink them away and focus on the ring that he’s holding between
his fingers. “As much as I love you,” I choke out.

“No, angel. No one has ever loved anyone as much as I love
you. I got you beat there, I’m afraid.” He motions for my hand and I place it
in his, allowing him to slip the ring on my finger. “You’re my best friend,
Mia. I want you every day, for the rest of my life. I will always cherish every
moment you give me. Marry me, baby.”

I’m nodding and whispering “yes” before he even finishes.
And then he’s turning me and cradling me against his chest, worshipping me with
kisses all over my face. “Thank you,” I say against his lips.

I feel them curl up into a smile. “For what?”

I kiss along his jaw up to his ear. “For being at the bar
that night. For being the guy that you are. For giving me Nolan.” I pull back
and cradle his face in my hands. “Can we have more babies?”

He brings my hand up to his lips and kisses the back of it.
“Can we start right now?”

And then I’m on my back, his body covering mine. I laugh
against him as he brushes my hair away from my face. “We’re in the middle of a
field.”

“Don’t care. Nobody can see us anyway. Look how high up we
are.”

“Yes, but I’ve been told I’m rather noisy,” I tease as he
kisses my neck. He grunts once and nips at my sensitive skin there. “I love
you.”

“Love you.”

“I want lots of babies.”

His head comes up and he smiles widely. “Lots.”

He shifts his weight and lays his head on the pillow,
pulling me so I’m lying against his chest. And we stay like that long after
Tessa and Reed return. Long after the concert starts and ends. Until we’re the
only vehicle left in the field. He makes love to me under the stars, his
tenderness breaking into a wild frenzy when we both need it. It’s perfect. And
I’m right where I belong.

Where I always will be.

Ben

Mia: Meet me at our
spot.

I stare down at my phone, reading the text message for the
second time.
Our spot. What spot?
As far as I’m concerned, every spot
I’ve taken Mia to has become our spot. And we’ve racked up a lot of spots over
the past four months. I go to reread her text again when my phone beeps.

Mia: The bar, Ben.

I shake my head with a laugh.

Me: I would’ve
figured it out. What have I told you about doubting me?

Mia: Just hurry up
before one of the other men in here takes me home.

Me: Mia…

Mia: Kidding. Hurry
though.

I’m in the parking lot within ten minutes, pulling up next
to her jeep. It’s about as crowded as it was the night Mia became mine, but I
spot her on that same stool she occupied all those months ago. I don’t go to
her though. Instead, I go to the side of the bar where she can’t see me and
watch her without her knowing. She’s tapping the bar anxiously with her
fingers, looking over her shoulder every few seconds toward the door. Her hair
is down and she’s wearing a shirt that has my eyes going from her chest to her
face and back again. I motion for the bartender.

“Can you send one of those purple drinks to that girl right
there for me?”

He nods and gets to work on her drink while she pulls her
phone out with a scowl. My phone beeps.

Mia: I mentioned
today, right?

Me: You’re so
fucking beautiful. Do you know that?

Just as my message goes through, the bartender sits the
drink down in front of her. She smiles at him, looking at the drink and then
glancing at her phone. Her eyes immediately find mine across the bar and I make
my way to her. My hand brushes along her back and I claim my spot.

“You looked thirsty from where I was standing. Thought I’d
help you out,” I say with a smile.

She places her one hand on my knee. “I need to talk to you
about something.”

I tilt my head and push her drink closer to her. “And what
is that?”

“We need to move the wedding up.” She grabs the straw
between her fingers and dunks it in and out of her drink.

“Why? I thought you wanted a summer wedding? I mean, I’m all
for stealing you away right now and making you my wife, but you seemed pretty
dead set on the date.”

She smiles and pushes her drink away, motioning for the
bartender. He stops in front of us and gives me a friendly nod before looking
at her. “I’m sorry. Can you make this nonalcoholic? I can’t drink this.”

“Sure thing,” he says, taking her glass away.

She hits me with a smile and grabs my hand, laying it across
her stomach. “Ben.”

“Hmm?” I’m still trying to piece together why she suddenly
doesn’t want the drink that she so eagerly consumed our first go around. It
takes me a minute to focus on my hand. My eyes meet hers and she smiles. And
then it clicks. “Baby, are you pregnant?” The hope in my voice dominates over
the sudden anxiousness that begins to brew in my gut.

“I really don’t want to be the size of a house when I’m
walking down the aisle to you. So, I was thinking maybe a spring wedding
instead? I’d be five months by then.”

“Angel.” I’m on my knees in the middle of the bar, pressing
my face against her stomach. “Please tell me I’m not hearing you wrong.”

She giggles against me and turns my face up. “You’re not
hearing me wrong. Nolan’s going to be a big brother.”

My senses are flooded with a need to protect this woman and
my baby that she’s carrying. “We need to get out of here.”

“Why? This is our spot.”

I shake my head and stand, grabbing some money out of my
wallet and paying for the drink she won’t be consuming. “There’s people
smoking. And it’s really loud.”

She laughs and puts her hand in mine, allowing me to lead
her outside. “Babe, I don’t think the noise level in here is going to hurt the
baby. He’s barely the size of a peanut right now.”

I stop in the middle of the parking lot, spinning around.
“He?”

She smiles up at me and places her hands on my chest. “Just
a gut feeling I have. It’s too early to tell.” I wrap my arms around her,
staring down at the woman that I’ll give my life for. “You’re going to put me
in a bubble for the next nine months, aren’t you?”

I kiss her forehead, pulling her against my chest. “I’ll do
whatever’s necessary,” I say. And she doesn’t argue with me. She allows me to
hold her right where we stood that night. Before I knew she’d change my life.
Before I knew I was holding the woman I was going to marry.

My future. My forever.

All mine.