Cut to the Chase (17 page)

M
ia had been on the phone with two of Rose's children for the past thirty minutes and it didn't look like the conversation was ending anytime soon. Paul retrieved his overnight bag from the car and headed straight to the bathroom. He needed a shower…a long, cold shower.

Paul leafed through his bag and was thankful that he had packed an extra pair of boxer briefs and lounge pants for his trip to Philly. He set the items aside and entered the shower. Although the frigid water caused him to jolt, his erection stayed firm, undeterred by Paul's attempt to curb his desire. Annoyed, he adjusted the temperature and coaxed his body to relax.

But a shower wasn't going to do the trick. The only thing that would bring him satisfaction was Mia. And he had been so close. Just a second later, he would have tasted her again, felt her beautiful curves against him while he palmed her breasts. But the phone had cut him off at the knees and the harsh reality that life still pressed on cast a shadow over Mia's living room.

Paul stared down at his rock-solid cock and felt ashamed of himself for wanting her so badly. Her neighbor, a woman she had known all her life, had just died and all he could think about was touching Mia, making her body rise and fall with pleasure. He contemplated whether he should take his shaft in his hand and work it until he had nothing left, but he didn't feel right doing the deed in her bathroom, with her just outside the door. Paul quickly shampooed and was in the process of rinsing when he heard a knock at the door and then a voice. She was in the bathroom with him and he was in one of those glass-enclosed showers, the kind that offers no privacy whatsoever.

There was nowhere to hide…and he didn't want to.

“I brought you a towel and a washclo…” Mia said. Her eyes never made it to his, as she stared at his arousal. She was blushing, but Paul got the feeling that she wasn't embarrassed. She looked…turned on. “I'll just set them on the sink,” she said, whipping around.

Paul didn't move. He just stood there, silently daring her to turn and look at him once more. But she didn't. Instead, she wished him good night and left the bathroom. Seconds later, he heard her bedroom door close.

Mia fell into her bed and pulled the covers up around her. She couldn't get the picture out of her mind. Unabashed, Paul stood in her shower, dripping wet, his cock standing at full attention. She had never seen a man's member up close and personal before. Movies and erotic books didn't do the male anatomy justice, especially Paul's. His body was perfection and more than a little intimidating. She couldn't believe that a woman could accommodate such…size…girth. Mia had no experience, zilch, a bit fat zero in the sex department, but even she knew that Paul was well-endowed.

In an attempt to drown out the sound of the shower, which only made her think of him standing there naked…waiting, maybe…Mia switched on her iPod. The lineup of songs proved to be cruel, as if the throaty female singers and the sexy crooners were taunting her, tempting her to throw back her covers and join Paul beneath the cascading water. Again, her fear took hold and she remained in her bed. The moment they moved beyond a kiss, he would know. There would be no way to fake it or pretend that she possessed skills in the bedroom. Mia had never resented her inexperience until now. In college, she had been focused solely on her studies and the career she had always dreamed of. She remembered thinking that sex and relationships could wait. And then her mother was murdered, and all her energy shifted to finding the man who killed her and her father's reason to live. Her parents' deaths had left her numb…until now.

The only thing that could get her mind off of Paul and what she wasn't doing with him were the phone calls she had with Rose's children. That thought grounded her. Mia suddenly grew tired and surrendered to much-needed rest. She would need a recharge, considering that she had just offered to host a houseful of Rose's friends and family that coming weekend.

M
ia had set the alarm clock on her phone for six o'clock in the morning. There was much to do before Ian and his sisters arrived. Their flights were due in around dinnertime, and if she worked nonstop, it might just be possible to have the house cleaned and the fridge stocked. But as chaotic as the next few days would be, she knew that opening her home to Rose's family was the least she could do. Hannah, Jillian and Ian had been oversees when both of Mia's parents had died. Upon hearing the news, each of Rose's children had hopped on a plane and come to both funerals. Mia didn't want to know how difficult it was for Ian and his sisters to just drop everything and fly home.

Mia tiptoed to the bathroom as she didn't want to wake Paul. She showered quickly and dressed in beaten-up jean shorts and a tank, appropriate attire for the kind of work she was going to take on. Although Mia knew that the clock was ticking, she needed her morning caffeine as much as her next breath. As she crept toward the kitchen, she glanced over at the pullout couch and discovered that Paul was gone…and so was her dog. She walked over to the open front door just in time to see Paul bend down and pick up a pile of poop in a plastic baggie. The scene should have grossed her out, but for some reason she found it endearing as hell. “Come on, boy,” he said, gently tugging on the leash. “Let's go wake up your mom.”

Mia marveled at the sight. Paul Whitley could simultaneously pull off sexy and cute like no other man. Mia opened the screen door and was almost taken out by one overly excited Lab. “Good morning, men,” she said. Paul's hair may have been disheveled from sleep and he was wearing lounge parents, but he screamed sex.

Not today. Those thoughts had to be locked away until further notice.

“Morning,” he said, running his fingers through his thick locks. God, he was hot!

“I'll make us some coffee,” she said, escaping into the kitchen.

Mia could hear Paul transforming the bed back into a couch and wondered if she had just foolishly assumed that he was even planning to stay long enough to want to have a cup of coffee with her. And why wouldn't he want to leave? He had a job, a life she assumed he wanted to get back to as soon as possible. Saving face, she reached for the travel mug in her cupboard and filled it generously. Mia was pouring in the cream when he rounded the corner. “Kicking me out?” he asked, eyeing the travel mug with a smile that could melt any female.

“Um…no. I just thought, well, you've been away for a few days and probably need to take care of some things, do some errands, maybe even go to work?” she said. She stirred his coffee then handed him the steaming mug.

“So what's on your agenda today?” he asked, completely ignoring her question.

She poured herself a cup and was preparing it to her liking when she said, “I'm picking up Rose's kids at the airport around five thirty tonight. But before that, well, let's just say that I have a few errands and chores of my own to complete.”

“Where should we begin?” he asked. He sipped his coffee and licked his lips.

Mia stared at him. We?

Coming to, she said, “As you can imagine, Hannah and Jillian are not taking their mother's passing well. Ian told me last night that Jillian seemed to be in a state of shock, as she was barely able to hold a conversation with him over the phone. He has no idea how she is going to make it through the funeral, let alone enter her childhood home again. That was right around the time I told him that they were more than welcome to stay here. I have the space, I just need to clear out a few rooms first.”

“That was very kind of you to offer,” he said. “How can I help?”

Mia shook her head. “You already took one for the team by babysitting me and sleeping on that lumpy pullout couch.”

Again he ignored her comment. “Why don't you give me a list of what you need at the store and I'll go pick it up. That'll give you some time to work around the house.” He set his empty mug on the kitchen counter and started for the living room. Mia looked around at her home and remembered how alive it once was, the warmth it generated. It no longer resembled the home where she had family dinners, where she had shared stories and discussed the day's events with her parents and Uncle Drew.

Mia wanted to tell Paul that she had it all under control, but who was she kidding? Her parents' room needed to be cleared out, Henry's room needed to be converted back into a human bedroom, bathrooms needed to be cleaned, the kitchen could use a wipe down and her fridge needed to be stocked. All before this evening. And it wasn't going to happen…unless she bit the bullet and accepted his assistance.

“You really don't have to do this…help me, I mean,” she said, walking into the living room.

Paul slung his bag over his shoulder. “You have put your life on hold to help my sister and have committed yourself to helping Rose's grieving family. I can't think of anyone more selfless,” he said, walking toward the bathroom. “I'll take a quick shower and then head out. Leave my list on the kitchen island.” He turned and smiled before disappearing into the bathroom.

Paul loathed shopping…for clothes, for food…just about everything. But as he checked off each item on Mia's list, his disdain for standing in lines and fighting over a parking space slowly faded. He had just left Home Depot when his cell phone rang. He looked down at the name on his cell and felt his stomach twitch. Paul knew he was behaving like some lovesick teenager, but he didn't care.

Mia was rattling off a few more must-haves before he had a chance to say hello. He logged the few items in his memory and went to Kohl's for a set of bath towels, washcloths, a shower curtain and a queen-sized bed-in-a-bag, whatever the hell that was. Instead of guessing and wasting time, he went right to a saleswoman and she directed him to each item. Twenty minutes later, he was back in the car and finally on his way back home to Mia.

Mia didn't hear Paul enter, a fact that truly disturbed him. He was just about to bring to her attention that anyone could have just walked in here, but the moment he saw her face, he knew that conversation could wait. Her hair had been pulled back, but due to the unremitting scrubbing of the bathroom floor, a few stray hairs had broken free and were delicately framing her face. She tried to blow an annoying lock from her face but it just fell back into the exact same spot. Crouched on her hands and knees, Mia looked beyond sexy, but he knew that right now wasn't the time to picture her doing something else while in that position, like allowing him to take her from behind. His cock moved, straining against the coarse denim of his jeans. Luckily, the ten thousand bags in his hands covered his mounting erection.

“Hey, that was fast,” she said, finally looking up at him.

“It's been three hours,” he said, peering down at her. At that level, he had an unobstructed view of her breasts and the perfect valley between.

She didn't seem to notice his split-second moment of weakness, because she said, “Thanks for helping me out. I really couldn't do this without you.”

He wanted to take her in his arms and tell her, show her, the power she had over him, but the clock continued to move incessantly forward. “Not a problem. I'm going to put the food away and then I'll help you in here,” he said.

“Not a chance. There's no way in hell I'll allow you to clean my bathroom. I'm just finishing up, anyway.”

“All right. What's next, then?” he asked.

She hesitated, signaling that she may have left the most challenging task for last. “My parents' room.” The tone of her voice was solemn and full of regret. He didn't know if she wanted him there while she emptied the room her parents had shared as husband and wife, but as he turned and walked toward the kitchen, he heard her say, “I think…I think I need you to help me with that room…if you don't mind?”

He was overwhelmed that she would ask him to join her in such a difficult task. He remembered when he and Erin had tackled that same challenge. It definitely took an emotional toll on a person. But what had sent his mind reeling was her choice of words. She
needed
him with her, even if it was just to help her clean out a couple of closets.

“I'll be right in,” he said, holding up the bags in his hands. She nodded and then diverted her attention to the floor for a few more swipes with the scrub brush.

M
ia stared at what was once her parents' room and was overcome with emotion. With the exception of her parents' wedding picture and the wooden crucifix hanging on the wall and the matching furniture, nothing from her childhood remained. Paul had remained silent as did she while they folded her parents' clothes and gently laid them in the plastic storage bins he had purchased at Home Depot. It was as if he knew that this was one of the hardest things she had ever had to do in her life. And though he didn't speak, she cherished his presence, knowing it would be impossible to store away her memories without him next to her.

With the new bedding and sweet-smelling flowers placed about, the bedroom looked fresh and alive. Mia had avoided the ungodly chore of not only cleaning out the room, but entering it, for far too long. She looked at what she would now consider her guest bedroom and reached for Paul's hand.

“I didn't think I would ever be able to do this,” she said, looking at her surroundings. She felt his large hand envelop hers.

“No one should have to do this alone. Erin and I had each other when we were faced with the same daunting task.”

“Does time heal all wounds, Paul? Like everyone says?”

He squeezed her hand and then brought her fingers to his lips. It wasn't sexual, but beautifully tender. “Time can dull the pain, but it never heals over completely. Family and good friends can help you with what lingers about.” His words hit her like a ton of bricks. She shared his outlook, the way grief should truly be perceived.

They stared at each other until the gaze was broken by a whimper in the room next door. Paul released her hand and walked in the direction of the pathetic sound. Henry was lying on the hardwood floor where his doggy bed had once been. He was clearly out of sorts and missing the bed while it finished drying on the clothesline outside. “I've spoiled him,” she said.

“Maybe just a little,” Paul said. Henry wagged his tail at the sound of Paul's voice.

Suddenly, that feeling set in. The one where you know you are forgetting something, but for the life of you, that something remains a mystery, frustratingly out of reach. And then Paul asked the question that brought that “something” to the forefront.

“Does Henry get overwhelmed with a houseful of people?”

Mia had thought about that, but that was several hours ago while she was in the middle of three things at once. Would her immature, very needy and attention-craving Lab be able to behave himself this weekend while she entertained people who would clearly not be in the mood to tolerate barking or relentless licking? Not a chance.

“I meant to call the kennel, but forgot.” Mia looked at her watch. “If I leave now, I might be able to make it before they close. Hopefully, they're not booked up.” Mia went to retrieve her keys and purse from the kitchen counter.

Paul followed her and then reached for Henry's leash. “I wouldn't mind watching him. He can come home with me…spend some time in my man cave.”

Mia had already burdened him enough. Now, she was going to strap him with her dog for the next few days? No way.

“Um…he's a bit much. You've witnessed his need for attention. He is insatiable.” She smiled at him, but her lighthearted grin faded as Paul clearly looked hurt.

“The days ahead are going to be hectic enough. Please let me take Henry off your hands. He'll keep me company, while you're…here.”

How could she say no to that? Why would she? And, yet another question: Could he get any cuter, any sexier than he was at that moment? Most likely, yes. And she couldn't wait to experience that.

She blushed, feeling every sixteen-year-old emotion at once. He knew exactly what to say, when to pause, when to gaze into her eyes and search her soul. Unable to answer in words, she nodded.