Mia Found (Starting Fires Book 3) (12 page)

My hands remained folded in my lap. Everything looked elegant and expensive and I was afraid I’d somehow break whatever I touched.

Paul sensed my apprehension and ordered for me. After the waiter left he leaned across the table. “Is this okay? We can leave if you want.”

“
Its fine,” I smiled. “I’m just not used to places like this and certainly not dressed for it.”

He disagreed with an amused shake of his head. “You’re beautiful,” he said and the honesty in his eyes made my heart flutter.

“
You’re handsome,” I countered.

He chuckled. “Doesn’t count if I say it first, remember?” I did remember. Our first meeting. A couch. A movie. Shy smiles and awkward touches.

His hand reached out for mine. I placed it in his and let his gentle caresses warm me. The look in his eyes was intoxicating. I’d seen it before, every time we’d met. Only this time, he wasn’t shying away. He wasn’t trying to hide it.

“
Why didn’t you ask for my number the night we met?” I asked. “I thought you wanted to. You did, didn’t you?” I hadn’t been reading him wrong. I knew I hadn’t.

His lip pulled up and he gave my hand a squeeze. “I did, but I thought you were too young,” he said. “And my ex, Marjorie, had just ended things. It didn’t feel right.”

Did he still think I was too young?

“
You know…” I smiled. “I’m still eight years younger than you. That hasn’t changed since then.”

“
Trust me, I know,” he said and pulled his hand from mine. My fingers stretched for him in an impulsive desperation. Once I realized, I pulled them back, curling them into my lap. Paul was studying the edge of his napkin and I took a breath. I’d known my age might still be a problem for him, but it was something I couldn’t help.

Paul was deep in thought and bit his lower lip. Unspoken thoughts and words tried to push out of his mouth, but he caught them. Needing him to explain this without my prodding, I remained silent.

Finally he took a deep breath, ready to open up. “There…there’s just something about you Mia. You look at me like…” He trailed off, deciding not to continue that thought. “I mean, before a few days ago, how many times had we even held a conversation lasting more than a few minutes?”

I shook my head, not knowing.

“
Exactly,” he continued. “I barely knew you, but couldn’t stop thinking of you. And then you were here or there, always stepping back into my life. I figure it’s time for me to stop worrying about other people. I need to follow what my heart wants.” He shrugged his shoulder, a soft, self-conscious movement, and reached for me again. Willingly, I put my hand in his. His eyes focused on our joined hands and he watched as his thumb rubbed circles along mine. “And my heart wants you.”

“
Good.” Unable to contain my happiness, I smiled. “Because mine wants you too.” His crooked grin landed on me and he awkwardly leaned across the table, stretching his neck to reach me.

I sat up and cradled his jaw, placing a soft, gentle kiss against his lips. It lasted longer than what was appropriate for such an upscale place, and we only broke apart when the waiter appeared with our food.

“
I’m sorry,” he said. “I can come back.”

“
No, no. It’s fine,” Paul said, sitting in his chair again.

We were quiet while we ate, both of us thinking. What his mind dwelled on remained an enigma, but mine…

Paul Macione—a shy, devoted, passionate man, who’d chosen me. Being seen with him, touching him, it made me feel special. So much was about to change for me. I’d be finished with school, and who knew what the rest of the summer held for us. I’d finally found a man who moved me, who motivated me, who made me passionate and eager.

Paul was different. He was romantic. I saw my spirit reflected back at me when we were together. He was deep and wise. How much could I learn from him?

When our food was finished, Paul placed his napkin on his plate and nodded his head towards the elegant dance floor. Two couples were already using it, and my face heated. It was directly in the middle of the restaurant and I hadn’t danced since my senior prom. Paul sensed my hesitancy and smiled.

Not letting me chicken out, he rose from his chair and extended a hand down to me. I took a breath and went with him. On the dance floor, with all eyes on us, my palms began to sweat. He pulled me against him and moved to the soft music the house band was playing.

I was stiff. Uncomfortable.

“
Just relax,” he whispered in my ear. “It’s only you and me out here.”

I looked into his deep, green eyes and felt my heart race. The truth of his words reached me. Here—with his hands on me, his eyes staring into mine—it
was
just us. No one else existed. It faded away and all I felt was Paul. The heat of him. The flexing of his muscles as he moved. His soft breaths leaving him. What kind of power did he have over me?

Our eyes locked and I was again mesmerized by how much he could say without speaking. If I tried, I couldn’t even pinpoint the exact attribute that drew me to him. It was just a feeling. A deep feeling. Having Paul look at me—searching, seeking—was unlike anything I’d felt before. I’d always wanted someone to delve in deep and try to find me. Paul would do that. He
was
doing that.

My fingers grazed his neck and I caught the miniscule shiver that went down his body. We moved closer, gently swaying. His hands pulled me in. Our mouths hovered over each other. “Take me home with you, Paul,” I whispered. I didn’t want to wait any longer. I didn’t care that this was still new. My heart wanted Paul. I’d never been surer of anything.

His eyes flared but he took a calming breath. “Not tonight, Pretty. Not yet.”

“
When?” I asked. I was on fire for him, needing to feel that closeness, that unity. It was almost like my first and only time hadn’t counted. When I gave myself to Paul, it would be pure and true—how it should have been originally. The anticipation was a sweet agony.

“
There’s no rush, remember?” he said, giving me affectionate rubs to lessen the sting of disappointment.

“
But I—”

“
I know,” he said. “I want to, too.” He rotated his hips against me so I could feel the hard length of him. My arousal spiked and I took a needy inhale.

Watching me, he bit his lip as if in pain.

“
Please,” I whispered. We didn’t have to have sex, but my body ached to express itself with him. Anything, it would take anything.

The band’s song ended and he looked down at me. “Meet me at the car.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

ENERGY COURSED THROUGH MY body. Hot, sexual energy. I couldn’t remember feeling this desperate for someone before. While I waited for Paul, I ran my hands through my hair and then over my face, trying to calm down.

Over my shoulder, I heard Paul’s laughter and turned. He was walking out of the restaurant with a man and woman in tow. I squinted, not believing what I saw.

Marjorie. Rick. His brother and his fiancé. Paul’s ex. The one he kept pictures of. The one he bought a ring for. The one who devastated him when she left him for his brother. They were here. At this restaurant.

My arousal dissipated—apprehension and doubt taking its place.

“
Mia,” he said as they approached. “This is Rick, and uh, Marjorie.”

“
Hello,” I said, not offering my hand.

“
Hi,” Marjorie smiled, her arm draped through Rick’s. “We saw you two on the dance floor. Small world, huh?”

“
Yeah.” No. It wasn’t that small. This felt planned.

Rick eyed me from head to toe and I didn’t like the gleam hiding behind his polite smile. “Why haven’t I met you before?” he asked. “How long have you been dating?”

I started to answer, but Paul beat me to it. “We met last year,” he said, and despite how awkward and suspicious I felt, it was hard not to see how genuine his loving smile was. “But this is still new.” He came to me, putting an arm around my waist.

“
Are you coming to the wedding?” Marjorie asked. Her teeth were perfectly straight and way too white. Nearly blinding. Her neck was long and slender. Her collarbone pronounced and visible in her low cut dress. We looked nothing alike. Where she was tall, I was short. Her hair color. Eyes. Even skin tone. We were completely mismatched.

“
You haven’t RSVP'd,” she pressed when neither Paul nor I answered.

“
I guess…maybe,” Paul said. “I might be in Florida. They don’t give me much notice.”

“
Well, I hope you make it,” Rick said. “It’s what? Three? Four months away?”

“
Two,” Marjorie said, and I caught the hint of condescension in her smile.

“
We’ll see.” Paul shrugged.

“
All right,” Marjorie said. “It was nice meeting you.” She and Rick walked away and I realized I hadn’t spoken besides my cold
hello.

“
Weird, huh?” Paul said, pulling his keys out of his pocket.

When I knew they were out of earshot, I turned to him. “Did you know they would be here?” I asked, agitated.

“
No,” he said, his brow creasing. “I didn’t.”

I eyed him warily, not sure if I believed him. “Was this some game? Some show you were putting on to get back at them?” Suddenly, I felt used. Everything that happened tonight felt fake.

“
No,” he said again. “I didn’t. I promise. I come here all the time and have never seen them.”

When he reached for me, I took a step back. “Take me home,” I said. “I want to go home.”

“
Okay,” he said, trying to be agreeable. “I’ll take you.”

In his car, we didn’t speak and I had a sick pit growing in my stomach. Maybe Paul
was
like all the rest. After one thing. Looking for one thing. Ready to use me and cast me aside. Was I still a naïve, stupid girl?

This time he unbuckled his seatbelt when he parked his car, ready to walk up with me.

“
Wait,” I said. “This feels weird.
I
feel weird.”

“
Why? Because of them?” he asked, as if I was silly for feeling that way.

“
Yes, because of them!” I said, jerking the door open.

“
Wait,” he called after me. “Mia, wait!”

Ignoring him, I continued up the stairs. Their metal rattled and clanged as he raced to catch me but I refused look at him.

“
Mia,” he said. “
Mia
.”

My keys were in the lock when he wrapped his hand around my arm and turned me to face him. “Mia, what’s going on?” I was too confused to care about the distress in his eyes.

“
You knew they would be there tonight,” I accused. “You used me.”

Our neighbor came out of his apartment and squeezed by us on the landing, making this conversation even more awkward.

“
No, I didn’t,” Paul whispered. “I didn’t use you. I’d never use you.”

I huffed, not sure what to believe and opened my door. Fontenot and Fiona were arguing in the kitchen, stopping only when they noticed Paul follow me inside.

Fiona’s eyes lit up with calculated joy and she raced over to him. “Paul,” she crooned, giving him a big hug. She eyed Fontenot the entire time, trying to see if her over the top flirtation made him jealous.

But Fontenot didn’t care. He wasn’t even watching her. He was watching me. While Fiona tried desperately to bother her “boyfriend,” I mouthed
Did you tell her?
at him.

He lightly shook his head.

You should!

He only shrugged.

Not caring about anything else happening in that room, not even Fiona’s grabby hands all over Paul, I went to
my
room and shut the door.

Paul opened it two seconds later.

“
Fine,” he said when it was shut behind him. “I had a small suspicion they might be there. But I wasn’t sure.”

“
You
did
use me,” I said, throwing my purse in a corner. I couldn’t look at him anymore and wanted him to leave. “Say what you want to say and then go.”

“
Mia.” Paul said my name like a prayer, and I loved the way it sounded falling from his lips.
Mine,
it said.
My Mia.

“
No.” I wouldn’t let him sway me with soft declarations and his deep, pure eyes.

“
I’m sorry,” he said. “That was selfish of me. I admit, I brought you there because I hoped they’d see me with you and know how happy I am—that I’m over all the shit they put me through, that I don’t need either of them. That they can get married and have a million babies, and I won’t care.”