Chapter 5
Chapter Five
ZACK
What the fuck was that? Mia was a total mystery that I still hadn’t figured out, but that was a first. Tough and guarded for sure.
Messy drunk and throwing herself at guys?
No. At least not that I had seen at the bar the dozen other times we’d all gone out together.
Something was off. And all I wanted was to throw her over my shoulder, take her somewhere private, and make her tell me what the hell was going on.
But she could barely tolerate me most of the time, so I had no notion that would work. I couldn’t even tease her properly like I usually did, because everything about her tonight screamed volatile.
“Alright dude, listen.” Miles looked over at me. “We’re not sixteen again. Just say the word and I back off.”
I gritted my teeth. “I thought you said you don’t make a habit of taking drunk girls home?” I suddenly was thrown back to that fight over Savannah. Grown men now or not, if he thought I planned to let him walk out of here with Mia, he better be ready to fight me.
“I don’t. But I can make sure she gets home okay.” Miles shook his head with a disbelieving chuckle. “However, based off the same look I recognize from that day I told you I slept with Savannah, I’m assuming you’re into her.”
I shook my head. “It’s not like that.”
“Bullshit.” Miles punched me in the arm. “Don’t do that again. You like her, make sure she knows it. Because I know you, and I’m willing to step aside, but someone else might not be.”
Heat radiated up my neck and into my face as I looked around the table at the shocked faces of our friends. Well, except for Adam. He didn’t seem surprised at all. Cocky fucker.
“I should go check on her.” Lyla hopped off her stool and walked toward the bathrooms.
Damn it. She didn’t seem happy. I considered Lyla a friend, as well as part of the crew. The last thing I wanted to do was damage that by blurring lines with her best friend.
“It’s not my business,” Miles finished the last of his beer. “But that girl is looking for something specific tonight, and it isn’t a hug from her bestie.” He slid off his stool. “I’m going to go. Unless you want me to drive her home.”
Fuck me. I had no right to tell him anything other than it wasn’t up to me. But those weren’t the words that came out of my mouth. “I got it.”
Miles gave me a clipped nod and said his goodbyes before leaving.
Adam crossed his arms, staring at me, questioning what the fuck I was planning to do.
I didn’t have that answer yet, so I pushed away from the table and walked toward the back.
The girls were already headed my way, and I passed Lyla, grabbing Mia’s hand and pulling her back down the narrow hallway, turning to face her.
“What is it, Zack?” She slammed her hands on her hips. “Miles is waiting for me.”
I shook my head. “He left.”
Her face fell but she quickly pulled her shoulders back and poked her finger into my chest. “Did you scare him off? I don’t need some overprotective brother coming to my rescue.”
I reached up, gripping her hand and spinning us so her back pressed against the wall.
A zap of electricity, impossible to ignore, surged up my arm from our touch.
Bracing one hand next to her, I caged her in as heat radiated between us and my heart rate took off at a sprint.
I couldn’t stop my gaze from locking onto her mouth when it fell open in a perfect O, and my pants got snug as the urge to kiss her shot through me.
That wasn’t what she needed from me right now, but no way was I letting her think my intention was some misguided brotherly protectiveness.
“Trust me when I say there’s no overprotective brother here.” The way it tumbled out with a growl surprised me. Why did she bring out such intensity in me? I searched her face. The pain, and something more sinister, stared back at me. “I can drive you home.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You gonna come in too? Fuck me until I forget my name?”
My cock jumped, obviously loving that idea. “Is that what you want?” I prodded, inching in a little closer. “To forget?”
“Yes.” I almost didn’t hear the single word that was barely a whisper.
I reached up, tucking a stray piece of almost black hair behind her ear. “Aren’t you tired of always being so tough?”
For just a moment I saw a crack in her armor, but just as quickly, it fell back into place. I was sure she was about to slap me, but what she actually did shocked me even more. Her delicate fingers latched onto the collar of my henley, and she yanked me down toward her, sealing our lips together.
Blood pounded through my system as we each fought for control. I latched one hand onto her hip, cupping the back of her head with the other. She nipped at my bottom lip and I almost lost it.
But suddenly she pushed hard at my chest, sending me stumbling back into the other wall.
“Definitely more fun when you don’t talk.” She ran two shaky fingers over her lips, turned, and swayed just a bit, taking a few steadying steps before looking back at me over her shoulder. “You coming?”
Jesus. Maybe I needed to ask Adam and Lyla to drive her home. Because now that I’d gotten a taste, I was slightly concerned I wouldn’t be able to tell her no.
I nodded and followed her back to the table. Just like the golden retriever everyone always accused me of being.
She grabbed her purse and glanced at me. I was just a means to an end. A body she wanted to get lost in. That was all she wanted. Tomorrow, when she wasn’t drunk, she’d go back to hating me. And that almost made me sad. Because Mia wanting something from me made me happier than when I riled her up.
“I’m going to take her home,” I announced with what I hoped was confidence in my tone.
Adam shot me a look that had overprotective brother written all over it. I sent one back that said I wouldn’t cross that line.
“You sure you don’t want us to drive you home?” Lyla asked.
“I’m sure.” Mia sent Lyla a sly smile before looking over at me with fire in her eyes. “Zack will take good care of me,” she purred.
Oh for the love of God. “Let’s go.” I placed a hand on the small of her back and led her out of the bar, steering her down the sidewalk toward my jeep.
She spent the quick ten-minute drive to her apartment with her head reclined back on the headrest and her eyes closed, while every scenario of how this could go played over and over in my head. How did I make sure she got safely into her apartment without actually having to go inside?
I pulled into a space in front of her building, and for a minute, I thought she might have passed out. But she groaned and her arms tightened around her middle.
Please don’t throw up in my jeep.
I climbed out and quickly made my way around the vehicle. Before I got to her door, it swung open and she clambered out, running over to the curb and bending at the waist. I came up next to her, holding her hair back as she emptied the contents of her stomach.
When she was finally done, something like a choked sob slipped from her. “We’re not having sex tonight, are we?”
I huffed out a chuckle. “No.”
With a defeated sigh she whispered, “That sucks.”
I laughed and she stood up, glaring at me over her shoulder.
“I agree,” I said quickly. “Totally sucks.” I kept my face as straight as possible, making sure not to rile her up.
Her shoulders fell, her entire body sagging like the weight of the world was pushing her down. I stepped forward and pulled her into my chest, wrapping my arms around her back. And the dam broke.
She sobbed. Hot, messy tears that soaked the front of my shirt. I held her until she quieted, slowly pulled back and cupped her face in my hands, wiping her tears with my thumbs.
“Feel better?”
“Your cock would feel better.”
Jesus. But I couldn’t help but smile. “Are you usually this direct? Or is it the alcohol.”
She shrugged. “Prolly a bit of both.”
“Alright, Raven.” I let my hands skate over her bare shoulders where her sweater hung off and down her arms.
She huffed but I quickly cut her off.
“It’s a compliment, Mia.” I brushed my fingers back up and over her bare shoulders, watching her visibly shudder from my touch. Fuck. Why did that excite me so much? “The name means intelligence and mystery. Tough but wise. Survives storms and brings help, in the biblical sense.”
She searched my face. “Why?”
I shrugged. “It’s the things I see when I look at you.”
“No. Why are you being so nice to me?”
“Because tonight you need someone to help you hold all that strength you possess together.” I smirked. “Don’t worry. Tomorrow, I’ll go back to riling you up and teasing you, and you’ll be back to hating me. And all will be right with the world.”
She giggled and let her forehead fall forward to rest on my chest. “I’m tired.”
“Let’s get you inside.”
With an arm around her back, I helped her to her apartment and took the key from her, opening the door.
“My purse.” She kicked off her shoes and stumbled over to the sofa, lying down. “It’s still in your jeep.”
“Okay, I’ll go grab it.” I left the door ajar and went back to retrieve her purse.
None of this had gone like I’d expected.
But maybe that was a good thing. Because Mia offering me things I’d only ever fantasized about would have been hard to turn down.
And after holding her while she cried, I wasn’t sure she would have taken no for an answer.
She could be tenacious, that was for sure.
When I returned, she was asleep, small snores coming from her. Grabbing the blanket from the back of the couch, I covered her with it. Then I pulled out my phone and snapped a quick picture before starting up a new text thread with Adam and Logan.
Me: *picture of Mia asleep*
Me: Got her home. Safe and sound. No lines crossed.
Logan: But you wanted to. Admit it. Miles was right.
Me: She’s fucking gorgeous. Of course I want to. Who wouldn’t?
Me: Doesn’t mean I’m going to do anything about it.
Adam: Lyla would never forgive you if you broke her friend’s heart.
Me: I know.
Before now, I wasn’t sure she had the ability to have a broken heart.
It never seemed like a penetrable thing.
But after I held her while she cried, it was obvious that the fortress she had built over the years was beginning to break down.
My bet was on the emotional turmoil her job was causing.
But that was just a guess. None of us did these jobs without scars to show for it.
I put my phone away and left her purse on the coffee table with her keys before checking on her once more. I locked up behind me and headed to my jeep.
On the drive home, I found myself replaying parts of the night on a loop in my head.
The torment I noticed in her eyes more than once, especially when I gave her the news about the boy from the icy pond.
Pain and shock in her expression that gave way to almost collapsing on the floor in what I clocked as relief.
At the time, I chalked it up to her being drunk.
But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was likely a feeling of intense relief that he wasn’t dead.
Like I said, the calls involving kids stuck harder.
I brought a hand to my mouth as I remembered the way her lips felt against mine. How she tried to fight me for control. The way she felt vulnerable and soft in my arms as she cried. That was the moment that made me consider the things Miles said to me.
Was he right about being interested in her? There were so many things about Mia that I found attractive. That pulled me in. But then I was constantly reminded of how closed off she was. Guarded. Not to mention she seemed to hate me.
I was twenty-nine. At this point I wanted someone to build a life with. Someone who was emotionally available.
And I didn’t think that was Mia Carpenter.
Ready for the rest of Zack’s story? Find it here.