17 Are You Mine?
ARE YOU MINE?
Mia
I ’m staring out the window of my hotel room, too excited to sleep anymore, watching the sun rise over the mountains of Montana, sipping my coffee. This is insane. I can’t believe I’m in another state after flying for the first time yesterday. Not only that, but I’m here with my boyfriend.
The only problem is that we’re in separate rooms, but he insisted, saying he wanted me to have my own space so I didn’t feel pressured. He must’ve missed the memo when I said I was ready. It’s time to be more persuasive. That’s my plan when we come back to the hotel tonight because I’m tired of waiting.
He ended up taking me home on my birthday two nights ago, worried what my mom would think if I stayed over. Which I think is funny, considering she knew we were taking this business trip together, but whatever. He’s trying to be considerate, and it’s sweet, but it’s also why I didn’t want him to know about my virgin status. I want the real Jackson, and after that first incredible night, I want him now.
In hindsight, going home did give me time to process everything. It’s certainly been eventful. Having Jackson go from the bosshole from hell to my knight in shining armor to my boyfriend is a lot to wrap my head around. But even my mom has noticed that I’m happier than I’ve been in a long time, and that speaks volumes considering the stress I’ve been under. The debt hanging over my head has been rough, although it does seem to be going smoother lately.
I did two online tournaments earlier this week, and they seem to be appeased by the money I’ve paid so far. We made an arrangement to put an envelope of cash behind the bushes for them to pick up. It’s been refreshing not to worry about them showing up with this new system. They didn’t text me about any tournaments this weekend, so I’m in the clear, and I didn’t have to leave my mom vulnerable by saying anything about being gone. It worked out perfectly. I still have a long way to go, but it’s manageable. Plus, Jackson has backed off trying to figure out what’s going on, and if I can maintain this steady pace of payback, I’ll be able to coast through. That’s what I’m telling myself anyway.
I’m nervous to meet his sister. We’re booked all day to view investment properties in the area. Jackson and I went over everything I found for each one on the flight last night. We were both spent by the time we made it to the hotel after busting our asses all day to prepare for our absence, so I guess I can’t be too upset that he just kissed me good night and sent me to my room.
I’m not sure if he wants Cici to know about us—I need to ask him before meeting her this morning. There was no time yesterday since we were so busy. But not too busy to keep him from touching me the entire way and stealing kisses whenever he leaned in to look at something. It feels natural, as if we’ve been together for months, not days.
Finally peeling myself from the window, I notice I have an hour until it’s time. Shoot, I’d better get going. My plan for tonight means extra prep time in the shower. I can’t wait to see his reaction at each stage of undress. First, when he gets my dress off to reveal my new lingerie and then when he sees what’ll be waiting underneath. I’m giddy just thinking about it.
Between that and the nerves around meeting his sister, I’m all sorts of flustered as I’m pulling my dress on. The butterflies in my stomach are flapping uncontrollably when there’s a knock on the door. Pausing at the full-length mirror to make sure everything is in place, I inhale one last deep breath before opening the door.
“Hey,” I say breathlessly before stopping in my tracks. He’s not alone.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he says before the firecracker beside him steals the show.
“Yay! I’m so happy you’re here. I’m Cici, Jackson’s way better sibling.” She steps in to hug me, then keeps on going. “I’m excited to hang out today and get to know each other. Although I feel like I know you already with all I’ve heard. Whereas you probably only know me as the selfish brat who left my brother to fend for himself, but don’t worry. I’ll change your mind by the end of the day, I promise.”
Whoa. She’s like the Energizer Bunny—so different from Jackson’s calm and collected demeanor, although, making promises must run in the family. She’s the epitome of perfection, with beautiful blonde hair and bright blue eyes, just like Jackson, and looks even more gorgeous in person than she does in the pictures adorning his walls. How did these two get so lucky in the gene pool? Come on, God, spread the love a little.
“Jesus, Cici, take a breath. Sorry, Mia. She came early because she’s the most impatient person on the planet—” He gives Cici a look of exasperation. “—and then she wouldn’t wait in the lobby. Sorry to bombard you.”
“No, it’s fine. Come in. I just need to grab my shoes and purse before we go. Cici, I’m excited to meet you too. Thank you for letting me crash your weekend.” I step back so they can enter. “And Jackson hasn’t said one bad thing about you.” I see him shake his head and smirk.
On the way in, he cups my cheek and kisses me before whispering, “Not that you know about, anyway,” loud enough for Cici to hear.
“I heard that.”
“Good,” he states.
“You love me, and you know it,” she quips.
“Love and like are two different things.”
“Ugh, you’re such an oaf. I hope Mia knows what she’s getting into.”
“Getting into or already in?” Jackson says with a raised brow.
Okay, so I’ve gathered that she knows about us. He’s being very open about touching me, not to mention the kiss.
“Potayto, potahto. See what a pain in the ass he is, Mia?”
I’m laughing at their hysterical banter. They’re a force to be reckoned with. “Not sure if he told you, but I only knew him as a pain in the ass until a week ago. He’s working his way up the ladder,” I reply.
She laughs. “Hmmm, what a strategy. Maybe I should try that. Hell, maybe we should coin the method and make millions coaching people on it.”
“If anyone could do it, you could.” His respect for his sister is evident. Their jesting is fun, but he obviously adores her.
“All right, I forgive you. Now, let’s get going. We’re due at our first stop soon. It’s going to be a long day,” Cici says, propelling me into motion.
And right she was. We spent all morning going from location to location fast enough to make my head spin. We’re only halfway through the day, and I’m already experiencing information overload. It’s fun looking at the different units, but with all the technical information associated with investment properties, I’m ready for a break. Luckily, she scheduled lunch, because not only am I spent but starving, only now remembering that I was too nervous to eat anything this morning.
We end up at a restaurant in the middle of town, a busy lunch spot tucked inside their mall, which I’m surprised they even have for a city this size. Bozeman is so different from San Diego that I feel like I’m in another country. We have skyscrapers, and they have mountains. The tallest building in their downtown—one street, I might add—isn’t even half as tall as ours. And they have pine trees instead of palm trees. The air smells fresher, and the people are extremely friendly. It’s like they have happy drops in the water here.
“So, what do you guys think of Bozeman so far?” Cici asks, practically reading my thoughts. I can tell by her enthusiasm that she loves it here. Or maybe she’s just always enthusiastic.
“It’s—” Jackson and I both start to answer at the same time. We laugh, and he leans in to kiss me, telling me to go first.
“Oh my God, you guys are adorable.” Cici says.
I can feel the heat in my cheeks. I’ve discovered that Jackson isn’t shy about PDA. He doesn’t get carried away, but he has no problem touching or kissing me in front of anyone. Admittedly, I sort of dig it.
“It’s way different than San Diego, that’s for sure. I don’t know if I could get used to it, but it’s charming. I think I like my palm trees too much,” I tell Cici.
“I do miss the foliage from back home. It’s sad not having all the fruit trees around. But how cool is it to be surrounded by Christmas trees all year?”
I laugh, “That’s one way to look at it.”
“What about you, Jackson? Besides the amazing investment opportunities there are, what do you think about the city itself?” She’s pushing him hard to purchase something here. I think she misses her brother more than she admits. I wonder why she moved away.
“City might be an exaggeration. Like Mia said, it’s charming, and I can see why they call it the Big Sky State. Being surrounded by mountains is cool, but I couldn’t live without the ocean. There’s something about the salty air that just resonates with me. I’d miss that. It suits you, though, and that’s what matters. I’m glad you’re happy here.”
Christ almighty, I already liked the guy way more than I should, but seeing him with his sister, I’m practically in love with him. It’s surprising how strongly my feelings have grown in such a short amount of time. Although, looking back over the last couple months—not at our interactions, but who Jackson was otherwise—I can see how my feelings morphed so quickly. He’s proven himself a man of integrity. Someone who’s kind and considerate to his staff. I need to remind myself of this when I start panicking about falling for him because what should be happening versus what is happening scares the daylights out of me.
Jackson
Cici dropped us off to get ready for dinner once we finished the longest day of property showings in history. After ravaging Mia in the hallway outside her door, she asked for space to get ready —alone. She insisted on needing extra time, saying it would be worth it, which had me agreeing to leave her.
The day couldn’t have gone better. My sister and Mia hit it off, bonding by giving me enough crap to bring my ego down a few notches. I love it. Cici is the most important person in my life, and it may be considered too soon, but Mia is right up there with her, so having them get along means the world to me.
I’m a lucky bastard to have received a chance at redemption after treating Mia so badly. She didn’t have to give me the time of day after my behavior, but the fact that she did speaks volumes about the kind of person she is. Mia is good through and through. She can hold her own yet be vulnerable enough to let someone in. That someone being me.
I’m anxious to get her alone tonight. I’m already addicted, and after the fantastic night at my place, I’m more than prepared to take things further—as in, I will be balls deep inside of her before tomorrow morning… multiple times. She’s made it clear she’s ready, and I don’t plan to hold back any longer. Besides, my dick has been protesting my decision to wait for long enough.
Ever since her revelation, my conscience has been kicking in, giving me hell for corrupting her. I’m not exactly the most vanilla guy out there when it comes to sex. Not that I’m outrageous, but I’ve definitely become more intense since a particular night a year ago.
I alluded that I’d been in the position of walking in on someone, but I didn’t elaborate that I watched the entire fucking scene—literally. I’m not sure what compelled me at the time, but looking back, part of me was intrigued, all of me was turned on, and fuck if it didn’t end up being the hottest experience I’d had.
After, I started looking for the next high, you could say. Some of the credit goes to Sebastian, who was the star performer along with his fiancé Lily, and the shit he spewed during their encounter. I wasn’t much for talking during sex before, but fuck, now I can’t get enough, and the dirtier the better.
Judging by the other night, I’d say Mia is on board. But that doesn’t stop me from debating with myself over whether she should be with someone who ruins her right out of the gate. Unfortunately, my inner selfish bastard is winning the argument.
That’s where my thoughts are as I knock on Mia’s door to get her for dinner. This time, we’re meeting Cici in the lobby since I made it clear when she dropped us off that we would see her there, knowing I wanted a taste of Mia before we left. And when the door opens, I couldn’t be happier with that decision, as my jaw drops at the vision before me.
“Holy hell, could you be any sexier?”
She smiles with the familiar blush adorning her cheeks. She’s wearing a black skintight dress that stops just below her ass, with a tie behind her neck, holding the top up with no bra underneath. Such easy access, and if we weren’t due downstairs, I’d already be untying it.
“Your sister is fricking gorgeous, and I’ll be next to her, so I pulled out all the stops. And since this is technically our first dinner out together, I wanted to make an impression.” She moves aside for me to enter.
“Impression made. And my sister has nothing on you, sweetheart.”
“Right… now I know you’re full of crap. But I appreciate the compliment.”
I push the door closed and cage her up against it. “You are gorgeous, Mia. Why do you think I’m constantly touching you in public? I want every man out there to know you’re mine. Got it?”
“Uh-huh,” she says breathlessly.
“Good. How about the part where I said you’re mine? Are you mine?” I lift my knee and spread her legs, rubbing it against her pussy.
“Yes. I’m all yours.”
Fuck it. I take her mouth hard and fast and pull the tie holding her dress in one second flat. I want her like I’ve never wanted anyone before. I’m a goner. I grab both breasts, one hand on each, kneading and squeezing. I fucking love these things. We’re both grasping at each other, taking what we can, and are seconds from tearing at clothes when my phone dings, drawing us from the haze. I straighten up and take a deep breath to calm down and attempt to get myself under control.
“You should check that while I make sure I’m still presentable,” Mia says, referring to my phone. When she tries slinging away, I stop her by bringing my mouth to her nipple, sucking it in. She mewls and arches into me for more. I’m just reaching between her legs to feel her heat when my phone dings again, making me pause and come up for air.
“Dammit. When we get back tonight, Mia, nothing will stop me.” She brings her dress up and holds it there as I take a step back and let her around me.
“Is that a promise?” she asks seductively, then closes the bathroom door. Good idea, or I might have been tempted to follow.
I pull my phone out to see two texts from Cici: one, that she’s here, and two, on her way to my room. A second later, there’s a knock at the door. Son of a bitch. She seriously cannot follow directions. I open the door to her hand still up in the air.
“I texted that I was on my way up. I figured you’d be here when you didn’t answer your door,” she says as she barges into the room.
“You could’ve followed my instructions and met us in the lobby.” I scold.
“Yeah, right. We’d have never left.” Cici rolls her eyes.
“Alright… sorry I took so long. Are we ready to go?” Mia says, coming out of the bathroom as if she’s been in there the whole time getting ready.
“Who’s ready to have some fun?” Cici asks, rubbing her hands together.
I open the door and hold it for the ladies to exit, giving Mia a pinch on her ass and whispering in her ear, “that was more than a promise.”
The restaurant Cici takes us to is hip and trendier than I expected. It’s obviously a hotspot, with the who’s who of Bozeman in the house. My sister seems to know the whole town, as evidenced by being stopped more than once on the way to our table.
Once seated, I order a bottle of wine with three glasses, but the waiter asks to see Mia’s driver’s license. I forgot how young my new girlfriend is—she’s not old enough to drink. I’m about to backtrack, but before I get the chance, she digs in her purse and pulls it out. Okay then. My eyebrows go up in question as soon as he leaves.
“Never heard of a fake ID? Didn’t we already have this conversation about you behaving like an old man?”
Cici starts cracking up. “Oh my God, Mia, I love you. Please marry my brother so we can be sisters ’cause my best friend slot is taken.”
“Ha, ha. I’m not that old. You just didn’t strike me as the type to have one.”
“Playing in poker tournaments didn’t give it away, huh?” Mia quips.
“That’s a pretty smart mouth. Does it need to be taken care of?” I wag my eyebrows in jest.
At that, she turns bright red, probably thinking about how I handled it last time. It’s certainly what I’m thinking about.
“Okay, you two, behave yourselves,” Cici says.
“So, why did you leave San Diego, and what brought you to Bozeman?” Mia asks her, changing the subject.
“It was just time. My best friend, who happened to be my roommate, moved in with her boyfriend, so there was that. But I’d also decided I didn’t want to work for my parents and thought it would be easier not to if I lived somewhere else. There were some other things going on, and I guess I just needed a change. I went with Bozeman because it was still on the western side of the states, not too far away, and had heard it was booming. I figured if it didn’t work out, then moving back was the worst that could happen.” Cici shrugs at her last statement.
The waiter returns with the wine, giving me a moment to let that sink in. It was more information than I’d ever gotten from Cici about why she left, and it all came pouring out with one question from Mia. There’s something so genuine about her that it makes a person want to open up. I’m not the only one to see it.
“So, since it worked out, do you think you’ll stay for good or return to San Diego eventually?” Mia prompts.
“I’m not sure long term, but I do like it here. Real estate is going well, and I’ve made some good friends. But I’d be lying if I said I never missed home and the people I left behind, like Lily and Jackson. I guess we’ll just have to see what the future holds. How about you? I heard you graduated from high school early. What’s next?” she asks Mia, directing the attention away from herself.
“With a full-ride scholarship to SDSU, I’ll start there in the fall for accounting. Cindy comes back in July, so I’m not sure what I’ll do over the summer. I’ll probably find another job to keep me busy.” Mia responds and takes a sip of wine.
“Mia, you can stay on with us until you start school,” I interject immediately. I don’t want her going anywhere.
We’re interrupted to give our orders, but when the waiter leaves, Mia addresses my comment.
“Jackson, you won’t need me when Cindy gets back. And anyway, it might be easier to find something near campus while everyone is still gone for the summer.” She shrugs like it’s no big deal. But it is a big deal because… I will still need her. I don’t think I’ll ever stop needing her.
The rest of the dinner went well, with all of us getting to know each other better. Although my sister and I grew up together, it’s different now that she moved away to start a new life for herself. It was also convenient to learn more about Mia with someone else asking the questions. All in all, this trip couldn’t have worked out better.
I’d still like to dig deeper into what’s going on with Mia, but I decided not to while we’re here and to focus on developing whatever this is between us instead.
I’m done signing the bill, and we’re about to head out when some guy stops at our table. He’s trying to convince Cici to go out for drinks since it’s Friday night. Mia and I look at each other, and I’m pretty sure we’re on the same page.
“Cici, why don’t you go ahead? Mia and I can catch an Uber back to the hotel. It’s been a long couple of days for us.” Mia looks at Cici and nods in agreement.
“Are you sure?” Cici asks.
“I’m positive. Go have fun, and we’ll see you in the morning.” I stand up, prompting them to follow.
Cici comes over and hugs me. “Thanks, Jackson. You’re the best. Love you.”
“Love you too. Stay out of trouble.”
Cici and Mia say their goodbyes, and I’m leading Mia out the door at last. I’m beyond ready to get her alone and, finally, into my bed.