Loving Vin (Barretti Security Series, #1) (12 page)

“Vin!” she cried out and he was able to see her reach for the top of the headboard to steady herself. It took only a few shallow thrusts and a couple of licks on her clit to have her sinking down on him and riding his mouth in search of relief. Her hips rocked wildly and he spread one palm over her ass to steady her as he sucked hard on the swollen bud that pulsed against the folds of her flesh.

It took less than a minute before her moans filtered through the silence of the room and another glance up showed that she was tugging at a nipple with one hand. He could tell she was close and when he pushed two fingers deep inside her, she shattered as her body convulsed uncontrollably. Wave after wave of pleasure rocked through her and his fingers were drenched with the proof of her release. He kept licking her all over long after her tremors subsided and when she finally shifted back enough to kiss him, he knew the only thing that would have been better than tasting their combined releases in her mouth would have been them mixing together deep within her body.

T
he interview with Detective Declan Hale had gone as smoothly as Vin had promised it would. The big, gruff man had scared the hell out of Mia when he’d entered the Barretti Security Group conference room and when Vin had left them alone, she’d instantly reverted to her old behavior of shutting down and keeping her mouth shut. But Declan had simply turned off the tape recorder and proceeded to chat with her about inconsequential things and had even told her that she reminded him of his younger sister. Stories of Sylvie Hale’s antics as a child had followed leaving Mia to wonder exactly what Declan could possibly see in common between the two of them. But then a look of pain had flashed through his eyes as he’d described how brave his sister had been even in her final days of battling leukemia. And when he declared that he saw that same strength in her, Mia actually believed him.

She’d expected an interrogation. What she got were some questions about her childhood and her father’s behavior. There’d been no recriminations or accusations. The whole thing had taken less than half an hour and then it was over and Vin was leading her back to her desk, telling her he’d take her home if she felt too overwhelmed to work. When she’d assured him she was okay, he’d kissed her sweetly before leaving her to go back to his own office.

“These look great, Mia,” Dom said as he handed her a folder. “Let’s go ahead and get them sent out,” he added.

Mia nodded. Things had been awkward between them the day after Dom had asked her if she wanted to come stay with him and Logan. It had been clear from his tone that he knew what was going on between her and Vin but she hadn’t been able to discern if he was more concerned for her welfare or his brother’s. He hadn’t pressured her or questioned what was happening though. He just told her the offer was open if she changed her mind and they hadn’t discussed it again in the past two weeks.

“Dom?” she called as he headed back to his office.

“Yeah?”

“I never...” she began awkwardly. “I never thanked you,” she said softly. “For everything you did for me.”

“Mia,” he started to say.

“You saved my life,” she whispered. “You know it and I know it.”

Dom returned to her desk and she was surprised when he pulled her gently to her feet and wrapped his arms around her. He didn’t even say anything and she was surprised to find herself sinking into his embrace. But when he did finally release her, he caught her off guard when he said, “Don’t let him push you away” in her ear before turning and going back into his office. The cryptic statement remained with her long after Vin came to collect her and they headed home.

***

“C
an’t sleep?” Vin heard from the doorway.

He glanced up to see Mia standing just inside his study door. She wore only one of his T-shirts which afforded him an excellent view of her supple thighs and long legs. He shook his head in response and wasn’t surprised when she hesitated to come any farther into the room. It had been like this for the past few weeks. In the bedroom they were as physically close as two people could get but as soon as they stepped outside that door they became virtual strangers. And he had only himself to blame. Keeping his distance emotionally had grown harder and harder the more time he spent with her so he’d started finding excuses to keep his physical distance as well. She’d finally stopped asking him to join her for dinner or watch a movie with her. He’d convinced himself it was the best thing for her but that was only a half-truth. As much as she needed to be able to move on when this was over, he’d need to be able to let her go.

The strides that Mia had made in the weeks since he’d come home that night to find her standing in the doorway of his guest room flanked by his dogs was remarkable. Not only was she doing well physically, her confidence was quickly gaining ground as well. She no longer tried to hide the scars on her neck, nor did she touch them when she was nervous like she had in the beginning. The tentative friendship she’d begun with Riley had continued to grow and he’d caught them more than once laughing over something as they shared lunch in the break room at the office on the days Riley wasn’t working. Mia had even warmed up to Dom and he often found himself battling the envy that went through him whenever Mia laughed at something Dom said to her. Things were progressing exactly as they should be and he fucking hated it.

“Is there anything I can do to be enough for you, Vin?”

Vin snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at her sharply. What the hell was she talking about?

“You are enough,” he automatically said. “More than enough.”

Mia wrapped her arms around herself. “Then why won’t you talk to me?”

He was going to say that he did talk to her but they both knew it wasn’t true so he didn’t bother.

Mia finally nodded when he didn’t respond and then took a few steps back before saying, “Would you call the reporter tomorrow?”

She didn’t wait for an answer before turning and leaving. And he wasn’t surprised to find his bed empty when he finally forced himself to go back to his room a couple of hours later.

***

“Y
ou sure you don’t want come?” Dom asked him for the third time as they waited for Mia to come downstairs.

Hell yes he wanted to come. In fact, he didn’t want Mia doing this at all. An interview with Declan was one thing but sitting down with a reporter who wouldn’t hesitate to rip her to shreds if she sensed any sign of weakness on Mia’s part was entirely another.

“We’ve been over this, Dom,” he snapped in frustration. “Any link to me and the one safe place she has goes away,” he muttered.

“Damn it, Vin,” Dom argued. “She’s needs
you
there, not me.”

Vin’s whole body tightened with anger at his brother telling him something he already knew but before he could unload all his frustrations on Dom, he heard footsteps and glanced up to see Mia working her way down the stairs. She was wearing the simple pale blue dress she’d ordered online earlier in the week – the one she’d charged to his account only after he’d agreed to accept the wad of cash she handed him to pay for it. It was their first real fight but she’d dug in her heels and told him if he didn’t take the money she’d wear the hated yellow dress. The only other times they had spoken since the night she had returned to her own room was the next day when he confirmed that he’d had Dom set up the interview with the reporter and then later in the day when Mia had asked him to put all the doors back on the hinges in her room. She was effectively shutting him out and he couldn’t stop it.

“You look beautiful,” he heard Dom say and he wanted to slug him just for being there. And when Mia gave his brother a tentative smile, Vin actually felt himself clenching his fists.

“I’ll text you when we leave the hotel,” Dom said as he opened the door. Vin managed a nod. The reporter had agreed to an off-camera interview at a local hotel. The plan was for Dom to take Mia to his place afterwards in case they were followed. The parking garage in Dom’s building offered the privacy and security they needed for Mia to transfer to Vin’s waiting SUV.

He should say something to Mia – wish her luck at least. But he couldn’t trust himself to speak so he said nothing and Mia spared him only a quick glance as she walked out of the house. Dom’s echoing look of disappointment as he left had Vin slamming the door shut.

As the hours passed, he tried to keep busy with work but he was too on edge and he ended up at Dom’s place nearly an hour ahead of their scheduled meet time. He texted Dom on several occasions but it wasn’t until he saw Logan head out of the elevator leading from his and Dom’s penthouse apartment and walk towards his car that he knew his brother had had enough of his harassment.

“Hey,” Logan said as he climbed into the passenger seat. “Dom says, and I’m quoting here, ‘Tell him to stop fucking texting me and get his sorry ass down here.’ I’m hoping Dom was right when he said you wouldn’t kill the messenger.”

“Did he say how it was going at least?” Vin asked.

“I guess they got a late start,” Logan responded.

That got Vin’s attention. “Why? Was Mia upset? Did that reporter say something to her?”

Logan put his hands up. “I don’t know the details.”

“Fuck,” Vin snarled as he slapped his hand against the steering wheel.

“Why didn’t you go, Vin?” Logan suddenly asked. “And don’t bother with that shit about the reporter not seeing you. I don’t buy that. Neither does Dom, by the way.”

Dom’s lover sure had come a long way since the day they’d met. Vin had been waiting in Dom’s apartment after an extended trip to the Middle East when Dom and Logan returned from a weekend away together and they’d been mid-embrace before he’d made them aware of his presence. Vin had no idea that his brother was bisexual so seeing him with a man had come as quite a surprise. His first impression of Logan had been that he was too quiet and meek for someone as naturally assertive as Dom but it hadn’t taken long before he altered his opinion. The man had a gentle soul but was fiercely protective of the people he loved, especially Dom.

Vin finally sighed. “I don’t have an answer for you, Logan. At least not a good one.”

Logan seemed to consider his words. “You remember the day we met?”

“I remember you and my brother were about to-”

“All right,” Logan interrupted and Vin fought back a smile. “I heard you talking to him. You remember what you told him?”

Vin remembered but he kept his mouth shut since he knew where this was going.

“You said not everyone gets one chance, let alone two. What if she’s your chance, Vin?”

“The problem is I’m not in love with her, Logan.”

Vin kept his eyes focused straight out the car’s windshield but he could still feel Logan’s eyes on him.

“Anyone ever tell you you’re a terrible liar?” Logan said with a huff before he got out of the car and headed back towards the elevator. Vin wanted to laugh at the irony of Logan’s question because Mia had told him exactly that. Apparently the only one he was fooling anymore at this point was himself.

***

“N
o.”

Vin bit back a curse at Mia’s latest response as she climbed the stairs. So far all he’d gotten was a “fine” when he asked how the interview went, another “fine” when he asked if the reporter was nice and now a “no” when he asked her if she was hungry.

He knew he should leave well enough alone but between Logan calling him on his bullshit and his brother’s nonstop looks of disappointment, Vin was done. He trudged up the stairs and threw open the door to her room. At least she hadn’t locked it because it would have been a pain in the ass to kick in. But his relief was short-lived at the sight of the ridiculous garbage bag sitting on her bed.

“Asshole!”

Vin ignored the outraged bird and focused his attention on Mia who came out of the closet with an armload of clothes. She didn’t even slow down when she saw him.

“You said what we had was enough,” he heard himself saying.

“It was. It’s not anymore.”

“You know why I couldn’t be there today.”

“Yeah, I know exactly why,” she muttered. “Same reason you haven’t talked to me in weeks, same reason you don’t look at me when you fuck me.”

He wasn’t sure what bothered him more – that she used that word to describe what had happened between them or the fact that she’d noticed.

“I look at you,” he said lamely.

Mia laughed. “Your eyes may have been open but you weren’t looking at me.”

She disappeared into the closet again and came out with a few more clothes.

“Fine, you want to go, I’ll give you a ride in the morning.”

“Dom will be here in a little while. He’s going to go borrow Gabe’s truck. Percy’s cage will fit in the back and Georgie can ride in the cab. Everybody else will fit into Logan’s SUV.”

What the fuck?

Anger flooded through him. “So you and Dom just made all these plans this afternoon?”

“I made plans. Dom agreed to help me. That’s what friends do for each other,” she bit out. She pulled a few sheets of paper from her nightstand and held them up for him to see before tossing them on the bed.

“Receipts for the clothes,” she said as she began tying the garbage bag closed. “Dom’s agreed to take the cost out of my next paycheck. He’ll give you the cash when he gets here.”

“I don’t want his fucking money!” Vin snarled.

“My money,” she countered before grabbing the bag off the bed and pushing past him. He hated how calm and unaffected she was while he felt like he was coming apart at the seams.

“So that’s it?” he shouted as he followed her down the stairs. “You’re just walking away?”

Mia didn’t answer and he grabbed her arm when she reached for the door handle. His intent had been to stop her forward movement but his touched seemed to push her over whatever precipice she’d been dangling on because she came at him swinging. The first punch caught him along the jaw while the second one glanced off his cheek. He managed to catch her hand before it connected again but it wasn’t enough to subdue her and she struggled wildly in his hold.