Chapter 1
MIA
“Mia? Mia?!” The shrill, panicked voice of my assistant, Monica, catches my attention through the Bluetooth speakers of my white Mercedes.
“What? I’m trying to pay attention to the road,” I tell her, hoping not to sound exasperated.
I’m not exactly sure where I’m going as I peer through my windshield, attempting to find my way.
My knuckles are almost white as my death grip tightens on the steering wheel—which is saying a lot, considering I’m Black with a golden-honey skin tone.
I hate not knowing where I’m going, but that can’t be helped.
My Nana always comes to Atlanta to see me, and it’s been forever since I’ve visited her small, quiet hometown of Maple Ridge, Georgia.
But here I am, searching high and low for her while trying my damnedest to remember my way around.
“Mia, what do you want me to tell everyone? I just don’t understand what’s going on. What happened today?” Monica sighs in frustration, not hiding her dissatisfaction with the shit show I left in her hands this morning.
My life flashed before my eyes; that’s what happened today.
There I was, having a caramel latte in the breakroom with Celeste, the woman I’ve been modeling my career after.
She’s the only other director of color within the company and, like myself, one of the few female leaders.
We’ve both worked our asses off to prove we’re just as competent as our male counterparts, and that we’re not just diversity hires that help make the company look good.
One minute, we’re chatting about our nonexistent weekend plans. Then, the next thing I know, Celeste tells me how the new promotion she’s been killing herself to get cost her, her marriage. So now, she’s tied up in an expensive divorce with a douchebag, soon-to-be ex-husband.
Suddenly, I saw myself in the proverbial mirror as I stared at Celeste.
And the vision that flashed in my head scared the shit out of me.
I imagined myself ten years down the road as a miserable, forty-something divorcée of a cheating spouse with no kids.
Just a sad, up-and-coming professional with a high-paying job at a big, fancy consulting firm in Atlanta. A ton of success and all alone.
I want a real life, damn it! I don’t wanna end up like Celeste!
“I’m sorry, Mon, but I had to get outta there. I’ll explain everything later. Can you cancel all my appointments for the next two weeks, and I’ll call you on Monday?”
“On Monday?!” She’s almost screaming at me right now, and rightfully so, considering it's about lunchtime on Friday. I walked out on my job two hours ago, which I’ve never done before. Hell, I don’t even take vacations and haven’t requested a single day off in almost a year.
“Right now, I’ve gotta find my Nana. So, unless you know where I can find a seventy-four-year-old Alfre Woodard lookalike cruising around in an old Buick, I better start paying attention to these roads. I’ll call you… Oh, fuck! Is that a cop?”
“What? Mia? What’s happening?” Monica screeches at me through the speaker.
“Fuck, I’m being pulled over. I think I was speeding.
Shit!” I maneuver my car to the side of the road and thunk my head on the steering wheel.
Fuck my life. When I finally lift my gaze to my side mirror and watch as the officer steps out of his vehicle, my attention immediately goes to the tight denim covering his well-defined crotch. “Look at his cock…”
“Why are you looking at his cock, Mia?” Shit, I forgot about Monica.
“Mon, I gotta go. I’ll call you Monday!”
Disconnecting my Bluetooth, I hurry to roll down my window. I turn my head just in time to come face-to-face with the object of my fascination and can’t help but swallow loudly.
Wow, look at the size of that thing!
I allow my gaze to slowly travel up the officer’s muscular, jean-clad thighs and his tight abs—covered in a fitted black t-shirt with Maple Ridge Police Department printed across the front.
My teeth sink into my lower lip as I take in the glorious view of this mountain of a man.
He’s well over six feet tall with a towering physique and perfectly tousled, dark-chocolate, movie-star hair.
His model good looks include glittering ocean-blue eyes, a chiseled jaw with two sexy dimples framing full, luscious lips, and a panty-melting smile.
I know that smile. And it belongs to the man I’ve wanted for years.
“You should really turn down the volume on your stereo, Mia. I’m pretty sure half the neighborhood knows you were looking at my junk.”
When Jace Stevens smiles at you, the whole world tilts on its axis. Or maybe that’s just because he knows I was eyeing his goods. Either way, my stomach flips, and heat fills my cheeks.
“So… You heard what I said, then?” I give him an awkward smile as I wish a trap door would suddenly open beneath my car and drop me through it.
“Yeah, honey. I heard every word.” He winks at me, and I’m positive I’ve just orgasmed on my front seat. “But I’m flattered.”
“Why’s that?”
“You know I’ve had a crush on you since we were kids, but I didn't think you noticed me. So, it’s nice to know you see me now.”
“You, um… You had a crush on me?” I point to myself as my eyebrows shoot up in an incredulous expression.
He leans down to peer inside the car and get a better look at me.
“Of course, I did. I remember when you’d come to visit your grandmother.
You’d never get to stay long, but I was always intrigued by the beautiful girl with soft black curls, light sienna-colored skin, and dazzling hazel eyes.
The same ones you inherited from Miss Hattie. ”
He stares at me, and I get lost in the varying shades of blue that encompass his gorgeous eyes. They’re mesmerizing. It takes me a second, but I’m finally able to regain my ability to speak.
“Nana. I’m here looking for my Nana.”
His smile broadens. “Is that why you’re speeding through town like your car’s on fire?”
“I couldn’t have been going that fast. What’s the limit anyway? Fifty-five?”
He chuckles and shakes his head. “Sweetheart, this ain’t Atlanta. It’s Thirty-five.”
“Oh shit! Are you giving me a ticket?” My brow wrinkles as I peer up at him, nervously biting the corner of my mouth.
“You know, honey, I really should.” He laughs as he reaches for a pad of paper in his back pocket, like he’s about to write me an actual citation.
“Jace Stevens, you’re serious? I haven’t seen you in forever. Don’t you think a warning would be fair?”
He rubs his chin with his pen as if he’s considering it, and I notice the movement causes his bicep to bulge, the black fabric of his shirt pulling taut across his sun-kissed skin. I can’t take my eyes off the delicious veins cascading along his sinewy forearm. Damn, time sure has been good to him.
“I’ll tell you what. You’re looking for Miss Hattie, right?”
“Yes, I need to find her. It’s kinda urgent. That’s why I was speeding,” I reply sheepishly.
“I see.” He taps his perfect pink lips with his pen, drawing attention to his mouth. Does he have any idea what he’s doing to me? “Alright, lead-foot. I need to get your NASCAR-driving ass off my streets, and you need to get to Miss Hattie. You’re in luck because I know exactly where she is.”
“You do?”
He opens my car door and reaches across to unbuckle my seat belt. The fresh ocean scent of his cologne envelops my senses, and I want to bury my face in his skin and breathe him in for days.
“Did you just sniff me?”
My eyes widen at the horror of being caught. “No, no, I didn’t.” He cocks an eyebrow in disbelief as the corner of his mouth lifts in a smirk. “Uh, what are you doing anyway?”
He offers me his hand and helps me out of my vehicle. “You’re riding with me, Dale Earnhardt. I don’t trust you not to speed.”
I roll my eyes at him. “Where are we going? Are you sure my car is safe here?” I glance towards my Mercedes. I wouldn’t dare leave my baby parked on the side of the road back home in Atlanta.
He laces our fingers together, and shockingly, it feels like the most natural thing in the world. As he leads me to his cruiser, he says, “Honey, this is a small town. It’ll be fine right where it is.”
“Okay, then where are we going?”
“I guess you’ve forgotten our claim to fame?
It's the last Friday in May.” He looks at me like he’s waiting for me to catch on, but I have no idea what he’s talking about.
He shakes his head and smiles. “You gotta come around more often, girl. It's the world’s largest fish fry. The whole town’s there, including Miss Hattie.
” I shrug because I have no clue what he’s talking about.
“Well then, you’re in for a special treat if this is your first Maple Ridge fish fry. C’mon. I’ll show you around.”
As long as I get to be with Jace Stevens, he can show me anything he wants.