“Oh, honey,” Margie said. “You know between you and me, we can fix anything. Just tell me what we’re dealing with and we’ll go from there.” Without further urging, he poured out the whole sordid mess and watched Margie flinch a few times before he was finished. She shook her head before dropping it onto the desk. He heard her blow out a breath before saying, “Shit, when you screw up, you don’t do it halfway. Geez, didn’t I warn you about Ashley? Where is she hiding out, by the way?”
Seth snorted. “Apparently, I even turned her off that night. She took off afterward and I haven’t heard from her since. I guess I’m too big of an ass for her.”
“Probably,” Margie agreed. “All right, let’s start at the beginning. Have you called Mia to apologize?”
When he shook his head no, he felt a paperclip bounce off his cheek. “Hey,” he protested, “I was in denial. People in denial don’t apologize.”
“Well, you’ve pulled your head out of your ass now, so that should be our first step. Give her a call and tell her you messed up. If she gives you long enough before slamming the phone down, try to explain.”
Seth gave her a disgusted look. “You’re really filling me with confidence here.”
With an exasperated snort, Margie said, “Honey, this would have been easier if you had just called her fat. I could have worked with that. You had a naked woman in your lap after you had strongly led Mia to believe you were waiting for her. You are going to have to do something that you aren’t used to doing: grovel.” Before he could answer, she added, “And I mean the lick-the-dirt kind. Now I’m going back to my desk and you are going to call her. Do you have her number?”
Rolling his eyes, he said, “Of course, I’m not completely incompetent.” He knew by the look on her face that she was dying to challenge that statement, but wisely, she continued on out the door. Before he could talk himself out of it, he pulled Mia’s cell number up in his contacts and clicked to connect the call. He was secretly relieved when it went straight to voicemail. He left her a message to call him and ended the call.
When Margie stuck her head in the door four hours later, he shook his head in disgust. After another five calls, Mia had neither answered nor called him back. He had already looked up the number for Danvers and was fixing to call there when Margie said, “She’s not at work, either. I . . . um . . . took the liberty of calling there and they said she’s on vacation this week. Her home number is unlisted and despite a considerable amount of charm on my part, they wouldn’t give me that number.”
Seth really wasn’t surprised that Margie had taken it upon herself to track Mia down. She never could resist a challenge and Mia was giving them both that. But, still, he was hanging onto the hope that she would return his call sometime before the day was over.
***
Mia had just finished emailing Hank and Nikki to let them know that her cell phone was dead and that she had left her charger at her condominium. They were really the only two people who would possibly try to reach her this week. She had planned to go home today, but with the surprising turn of events with her mother, she was curious enough to stay for a few more days. It wasn’t that their relationship had completely changed overnight, but they were trying. She had always thought she was just fine without the usual parental affection, but now that it was being offered, she found herself soaking it up, unable to get enough. Her mother was actually funny and just a tiny bit irreverent, which was completely shocking. She was still smiling when she rounded the corner to find her mother in a heated conversation on her phone. “Listen here, you had your chance, and you screwed up big time. You had better come up with something more impressive than a phone call if you want to fix this. I expected better from you. Don’t disappoint me again!” With those words, the phone call was ended without a goodbye.
“Mom?”
Her mother whirled around, surprise obvious on her face. “Oh, darling, I didn’t hear you.”
“Is everything okay?” Mia asked.
Her mother took a moment, choosing her words carefully. “Yes. It’s nothing really. Your father can just be so . . . thoughtless sometimes. Sometimes a man needs a good challenge so that he can rise to the occasion. I have no doubt that he will figure out a way to get back into my good graces. Now, how about we grab some lunch and spend the day on the beach?”
Mia could only shake her head at her mother’s lightning change of mood. Her poor father didn’t stand a chance against her. Whatever he had done, she hoped he was smart enough to make amends because it didn’t sound like something that flowers would take care of.
***
Seth threw his phone across his office in disgust. Margie had given him Mia’s mother’s number and he had just attempted to reach out to her for help. He gave Margie an incredulous look, saying, “She fucking told me off and hung up on me!”
Margie winced in sympathy. “I guess Mia told her what happened then.”
“You think?” he grumbled. “The way Mia spoke of her led me to believe that they didn’t have a close relationship.”
“Maybe she emailed her,” Margie added helpfully. When he gave her a nasty look, she held up her hands in surrender before saying, “Alright, that was a bad joke. I do have something that will make you happy, though.” She dangled a piece of paper from her fingertips. “I have Mia’s home address.”
He stood up and grabbed it from her hand. When he started for the door, she yelled, “You have a conference call with Ash and Dylan in an hour.”
“I’ll call Ash on my way and cancel it.” Without waiting for a reply, he took off out the door and to his car. Hopefully, this was what her mother had meant about doing better than a phone call.
***
Days had gone by and he was back in his car stalking Mia’s home. He wasn’t sure when his need to apologize had turned into desperation to make things up to her, regardless of the cost. Once he had finally admitted to himself that he wanted her, the floodgates had truly opened. His pride was definitely taking a beating from his brothers. His pursuit of Mia had Ash laughing his ass off every time they talked. He had suggested that when Seth finally located Mia, he spank her ass and show her who was in charge. He was pretty sure Ash wasn’t joking. He knew enough about his brother’s lifestyle to know that spankings were the norm for him. He didn’t think Mia would be receptive to it, either. He had called her mother countless times and the damned woman hadn’t answered or returned any of his calls. He had even found her address and attempted a drive-by, but was turned away at the security gate of the exclusive community. He continued to leave messages on Mia’s phone to no avail. It was Sunday evening. Surely, she would come home tonight. Didn’t she have to return to work tomorrow? He finally gave up at midnight and drove home to catch a few hours of sleep. Tomorrow he would go to Danvers and see if she showed up for work.
Chapter Thirteen
“Welcome back, kid.” Mia looked up as she stepped from her car smiling as Hank walked toward her.
“Hey, boss-man, you miss me?”
“Hell, yeah,” he laughed. “I got stuck with all of the shit I usually put off on you.” Then studying her face a little longer than usual, he asked, “How you doing? Everything . . . better with you?”
Hank didn’t know all of the particulars, but he did know that something had happened with Seth. His concern for her was obvious and she was touched by it. “I’m fine, ready to get back to work.” She wanted to laugh at how relieved he looked when she didn’t elaborate. She knew how uncomfortable he was discussing “lady problems.” He didn’t want to hear that she was still a heartsick fool over Seth Jackson, a man she barely knew, or that she hadn’t washed her dress yet from their night together because it still had the faint scent of his cologne clinging to the fabric.
“Good deal then. We have some installations to schedule so I’ll tag you when I have everything ready to go over.” They parted ways in the hallwa
y and she spent the morning catching up on emails and returning calls. When her phone rang around lunchtime, she assumed it was Hank. He usually liked to grab a sandwich while they worked on scheduling. “You ready to roll?” she joked.
“I was born ready to roll,” replied an unfamiliar female voice.
“Oh, excuse me, I thought you were a man . . . er . . . I mean Hank.”
A feminine chuckled filled the line. “Yeah, I get that a lot. This is Suzy Merimon. I work . . .”
“Oh,” Mia gasped, “I know who you are. I freaking love you! Oh my God, please forget I said that. Um . . . what can I help you with, Mrs. Merimon?”
“I like you. I knew I would. We have the same taste in shoes, after all, and shoes never lie. Could you possibly meet me in the outdoor seating area? I have a . . . situation that I need your help with.”
As she rushed from her desk to the elevator, Mia belatedly realized that she hadn’t answered Suzy; she had simply rushed off, eager to finally talk to her idol, regardless of the reason. Cool your jets! Never once did she question why Suzy would want to meet her outside. Once she’d made it to the arrangement of chairs and benches under the outdoor pergola, she looked around for Suzy’s red hair. When a hand settled on the small of her back, she jerked around, nearly fainting when she saw Seth. “What the . . . ”
“Mia, I apologize for bothering you at work, but I needed to ask you something. Have you moved?”
“No.” Shaking her head in confusion, she asked, “What are you doing here? I was supposed to be meeting someone.”
He gave her a sheepish look before admitting, “Yeah, Suzy. She recognized me when I was asking the front desk for your floor. She politely pulled me out here and asked me if I was ‘out of my damned mind. ’ I’m not sure what that means, but she assured me that you wouldn’t want to have this conversation in your office for everyone to eavesdrop on.” Dragging a hand through his hair, he added, “Shit, that woman is scary, isn’t she?”
Mia felt her heart race as she looked at him. God, he was a beautiful man. Hold onto your hormones, remember what happened. “I’ve got to get back to work.” As she turned to go, he grabbed her arm.
“Mia, wait.” She whirled back around, trying to channel all of the anger she had felt that night, but instead it was mostly just hurt now. “Please let me explain and apologize to you for what happened.”
“That’s not necessary,” she said quietly.
“Yes, it is. Please . . . just give me five minutes.” When she didn’t object, he took a deep breath and continued. “The woman you saw that night was Ashley. We dated when we were in school and have had casual . . . meetings randomly since then. I know you must think this is bullshit, but I never intended for things to go that far with her. We didn’t have sex, nor would we have. She left right after you did. I was intrigued by you. I still am. I had every intention of seeing where whatever this is between us would lead. You’re a beautiful, funny, intelligent, sexy woman and even though we haven’t known each other long, I’m completely captivated by everything about you. I’m sorry it took me a while pull my head out of my ass, as Margie says, and tell you how I feel. I’m so damn sorry for hurting you, baby.”
Mia shut her eyes and moisture gathered there. What she wouldn’t have given to hear that from him before that night. “I believe you,” she whispered, “but it’s too late. We had sex and I was hopeful that there was more between us. I just . . . can’t do it again.” Forcing a smile she was far from feeling, she continued, “Other than that one, er . . . issue . . . I really enjoyed our time together. We are just too different for anything more.”
He picked up a bouquet of wildflowers and a bag from the bench behind him that she hadn’t even noticed and said, “These reminded me of you. Don’t say no again. Take the day and think about it. I’ll call you tomorrow.” Before she could say anything further, he gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek and was gone.
She forced herself to go back to her office instead of running to her car and following him like she wanted to. It was over. Hell, it had never really even started. Just because he looked and smelled as good as ever wasn’t a reason to open herself to more heartache. She sat the flowers and the bag on the table behind her desk and buried herself in work for the rest of the day.
When someone knocked on her door late that afternoon, she almost fainted when Suzy stuck her head inside. “Mind if I come in for a minute?” She knew she looked like a fool with her mouth hanging open. Suzy settled in the seat across from the desk and said, “I’m sorry about doing that to you this morning. I recognized Seth from the restaurant. When I heard him ask for you, I pulled him to the side to be . . . nosy. The poor guy looked like he had it bad. He told me that he had screwed up and was here to talk to you about it so I suggested he do it somewhere a little more private. He wasn’t sure that you would come down if you knew it was him, so I sort of left that part out.”
Mia smiled, liking Suzy even more than she had imagined. “It’s okay. He apologized and that’s the end of the story.”
Looking at her curiously, Suzy asked, “So, you don’t plan to see him again?”
Shaking her head, Mia said, “No. I think I need to move on. We never really knew each other.”
Suzy gave her a shrewd look before standing. “Just make sure that’s what you want.” As she was leaving, she said, “Let’s do lunch soon.” With those words, she was gone and Mia was smiling despite Seth weighing heavily on her mind. It wasn’t every day you got a lunch invitation from your idol.
She logged off her computer and reached behind her to grab her handbag. When her fingers instead pulled up the bag that Seth had given her, she grimaced. God, she was sure it contained breakfast and she had left it sitting all day long. She peered inside out of curiosity and gasped at the contents. She jumped up and locked her door before emptying the bag onto her desk. Her shock finally wore off and she started laughing as she studied the contents: a pair of handcuffs, a black silk blindfold, and two small clips that she thought were nipple clamps. OH, MY! Seth had just proven her wrong. He might not know every detail about her, but he damn sure knew what turned her on. She threw everything back in the bag and had never been more grateful for the black thong she was wearing. Tonight she would return to the scene of the crime and face her fears. If Seth was as smart as she thought he was, he would be ready and waiting.
***
Seth paced the foyer of his penthouse looking at his watch again. Shit, why had he listened to his brother? Ash had assured him that to win Mia over, he had to appeal to her needs as a woman. Needs that she might not even be aware of having. Well, the flowers, which had been his idea, hadn’t brought her around so he had lost nothing by leaving her the bag. He liked to fuck hard, but he had never dabbled much in bondage. Where was she? He paced for another thirty minutes and had almost given up when he heard the chime of the arriving elevator. If Margie walked through that door, he would have to fire her because seeing him standing there in nothing but a black tie would be the end of their working relationship. He shuddered in relief when Mia stepped off wearing a long, dark jacket with black stiletto heels. His cock jumped to attention when she dropped her jacket to the floor leaving her in tiny, black panties with the handcuffs hanging off one wrist, the blindfold sitting around her neck, and, shit, her strawberry nipples held erect by the nipple clamps. “Fuck me,” he breathed.
“Oh, I intend to,” she purred. He had her pushed up against the foyer wall in the blink of an eye. “This doesn’t mean we’re dating.”
He ran a hand down her back, squeezing her ass. “Baby, if this is your idea of not dating, I’m freaking fine with it. Let’s not date about five times tonight.” Her giggle quickly turned into a moan when he removed one of the nipple clamps. He replaced it with his mouth and her body thrashed as the circulation returned to the area of her nipple. He lightly squeezed her other breast, causing the clamp to tighten. M
ia moaned from the exquisite sensation of pleasure mixed with light undertones of pain. He felt his cock grow even harder and his desire greater. What had started as a gamble instigated by his brother to get Mia’s attention was fast turning into the hottest experience of his life. He slid his hand from her breast and trailed it down her arm until he reached the dangling handcuffs. He was intrigued with the possibilities they offered and quickly looked around for the perfect place to position Mia’s delectable body. When he spotted the wrought-iron stairway, he knew he had found the perfect place. Her eyes widened as she caught onto what he had in mind. He paused to give her time to call a halt if she wasn’t comfortable with the idea. Instead of balking though she stepped forward and held her wrists out, placing her trust in him. He pulled a cuff through the railing and snapped it around her other wrist. He then pulled the blindfold up, completely covering her eyes. “Okay?” he asked softly.
She wiggled her pert behind against him. “God, yes. Touch me, Seth.” She didn’t need to ask twice. He settled his body flush against hers. He was thankful for the added height that her heels gave her as his cock nudged against her rear. He felt the breath hitch in her chest and her heart race as he nudged her feet apart, opening her body to his seeking hand. With his front still pressed to her back, he reached around and stroked her closely cropped mound before slipping into her slick folds. She was so hot and wet that he wanted nothing more than to bury himself to the hilt without further delay. He settled for rubbing his cock in the fold of her ass while sinking one finger inside of her and circling her clit with his thumb. Her body jerked against his and he could feel her tighten and quiver as he added another finger to her tight passage. He quickened his pace and she rode his hand, seeming desperate for the sweet relief that he offered. As he felt her get close to the edge, he picked up the nipple clamp that he had placed on the stairs and attached it to the breast he had removed it from earlier. The sudden bite into her sensitive peak pushed her over the edge. “Ohhh, ahhh, Seth!”He couldn’t wait any longer. He grabbed the pants he had discarded earlier, pulling a condom from his billfold. Yeah, it might be juvenile but most men lived by the Boy Scout rule of always be prepared. He quickly sheathed himself and braced Mia’s hands against the lower side of the stairway, bending her further.