Beat of the Heart (40 page)

By the time I got packed up and back into Pesh’s Jaguar, I was a nervous wreck. For most of the

time, Pesh had kept my mind occupied as we worked out a strategy for him to win the girl he was in

love with, and who I could tell was also in love with him but just being stubborn as hell. Sound

familiar?

As Pesh started rolling my suitcases onto the front porch, I gave a teary goodbye to Jack Sparrow.

“Don’t worry, Jack. Dee’s going to come feed you and take care of you.” He meowed in

acknowledgement before nudging his head against my face. When I started out the door, my nerves

began spinning in overdrive.

For the life of me, I don’t know why I thought it would be good to surprise AJ, rather than call him.

Showing up at his penthouse seemed so impulsive—the very thing he was trying to get me to do. I was

so set in my ways of needing everything to be by the book that I figured this would prove to him, in

more ways than one, that I could fit into his life. Of course, I couldn’t help worrying even though AJ

had given me the ultimatum, that when it finally came down to it, he would reject me. I’d pushed him

too far and for too long. He would have every right to tell me it was too late for us.

As we pulled up to his building, my stomach lurched, and I fought the urge to throw-up. “Are you

going to be okay?” Pesh asked.

“I hope so,” I murmured faintly.

“You’re awfully pale.”

“I’m fine.”

Pesh eyed me suspiciously one last time before turning off the car and hopping out. As I put my

wobbly feet onto the pavement, he grabbed my bags from the trunk. When he rolled them over to me,

he asked, “Do you want me to come inside and wait with you?”

His concern was endearing, but I knew it was time to get my big-girl panties on. “No, I’m fine. I

can do this.”

“Okay, if you’re sure.”

Slinging my purse on my arm, I wrapped my arms around Pesh’s broad chest. “I can never thank

you enough for this…for everything.”

“You don’t need to thank me. That’s what friends are for.”

After I pulled away, I kissed him on the cheek. “I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

Wagging my finger, I said, “If this Megan chick doesn’t wake up soon, I’m coming to Wellstar and

having a little talk with her.”

Pesh grinned. “Okay, I think I’ll let you.”

With one last squeeze, I started into the building. Once again I realized how stupid I had been with

this impulsive ambush. AJ had said he had errands. What if he wasn’t home? What if I had to sit in the

lobby for hours, like a crazy stalker, for him to get in?

I approached the front desk on shaky legs. “Um, can I get you to buzz AJ Resendiz’s penthouse

please?”

The woman eyed me suspiciously. “What’s your name?”

“Mia Martinelli.”

A look of recognition flashed on her face. “One moment.” She picked up the phone. “Yes, Mr.

Resendiz, it’s Elana at the front desk. Your guest is down here.”

My brows rose in surprise. Had he been expecting me? “He’ll be right down,” she replied, with a

snooty air in her voice.

“Thank you.” I hobbled over to the elevators to wait on AJ. My heartbeat thrummed wildly in my

chest, and I chewed on my bottom lip until I felt blood rush into my mouth. The moment the elevator

doors opened and I saw AJ, I couldn’t contain my emotions anymore, and I burst into tears. His brows

rose in surprise, and although I could tell he was fighting himself on whether to step forward for to

comfort me or not, he held back, gripping the bar on the back of the elevator wall. It was now or

never, even though we had a small audience in both the lobby and on the elevator with him.

“I’m so sorry for everything, AJ,” I said through my tears. “I’m so sorry for ruining things with us

by running all the time. I’m sorry I let my past with men dictate my future with you. I know you aren’t

Dev and you could never, ever be Jason. I’m sorry I let my insecurities about your past and who I

thought you were screw up the happiness we had. Most of all, I’m sorry I was a stupid fool and didn’t

run straight back into your open arms when you offered them to me. You’re a good man, and you’ll be

a great father to Bella.”

Once I finished, AJ stood there staring at me for what felt like an eternity. Oh fuck. He really had

changed his mind. Standing all rigid and tense, he looked pissed that I was ambushing him. The

people around us stood frozen, watching and waiting right along with me. Finally, he demanded,

“Does this little performance mean you’re coming to Mexico?”

“Yes, I really want to go. If you still want me,” I hiccupped.

A grin spread on his lips as he pushed off the wall of the elevator and stepped outside to meet me.

“I could never stop wanting you, amorcito mio. Even with all your damn stubbornness and freaky,

exaggerated shit that goes through your mind, all I want is you.”

I shook my head furiously. “But I don’t know why. You deserve so much better than me. Someone

who isn’t consumed by their past or can’t embrace your profession. I don’t know if I can ever prove

to you how good
you
are to
me
—how good you
are
for me.”

AJ cocked his head at me. “Are you done?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Because I want you to shut the fuck up so I can kiss you.”

Throwing myself into his arms, I wrapped my arms tight around his neck, drawing myself flush

against him. As he slid his arms around my waist, my lips sought out his. Applause echoed around us,

causing me to jerk away. As I stared wildly around the lobby, one woman asked, “Are they filming a

movie or something?”

AJ and I both laughed. “Come on. Let’s get you upstairs.” Glancing over my shoulder, he saw my

waiting suitcases. “You were really serious about coming, huh?”

“Yes, I was.”

“I’m glad,” he replied as he got my bags. Thankfully, we were alone on the elevator ride up to the

penthouse. But the moment the doors shut behind us, I had an elicit flashback to the last time I was in

this elevator with him. Heat flooded my cheeks, and I fought the urge to fan myself.

“Having a sexy flashback of us?” he questioned with a smirk.

“Not at all. The pregnancy hormones give me hot flashes,” I lied.

AJ laughed. “Bullshit, Mia.”

I rolled my eyes. “Okay, fine. Yes, I was thinking about us.”

He eased closer to me. At the gleam in his eyes, I backed away from him as far as I could until I

bumped against the elevator wall. “Don’t even think about it,” I warned.

“Let me guess, you think when we get upstairs we should be talking and doing more repairing of

our ‘broken relationship’?”

I bobbed my head wildly up and down. “Yes, we have a lot to talk about.”

“True. But all I want to do is fuck you senseless.”

I laughed at his honesty. “I would’ve figured as much.”

He closed the gap between us like a hunter stalking its prey. “The question is do you want to fuck

me senseless?”

I sighed. “Wanting you physically has never been an issue for me, AJ,” I answered honestly.

“It’s just the emotional part, huh?”

“Yes. But I’m working on that. I promise,” I whispered.

The elevator dinged our arrival at his penthouse. After AJ took out his card, he pinned me with a

stare. “So you
do
want me to fuck you senseless?”

I licked my lips. “Yes, more than anything.”

“Good.” AJ motioned for me to go on inside. After I stepped into the foyer, he followed me inside

with my bags. He didn’t even stop in the living room. Instead, he continued rolling them down the

hall, and I simply trailed along behind him. Once we got inside the bedroom, he closed the door

behind us. I eyed him, waiting to see what his next move would be. I was pretty sure it involved

getting me naked and flat on my back.

After he abandoned my luggage, he sat down on the bed and crooked his finger at me. With a smile,

I walked slowly across the bedroom towards him. “I know in the elevator you said you wanted to

fuck me senseless, but I was wondering if we could meet in the middle.”

“What does that mean?” he asked.

I wedged myself between his thighs before bringing my arms around his neck. I ran my fingers

through the jet black strands of his hair before leaning over to kiss him gently. His warm mouth

opened, and I darted my tongue out to dance along his. When he groaned into my mouth, I felt moisture

pooling between my thighs. “I’ve missed you,” I murmured against his lips.

“I’ve missed you, too,” he replied, his hands sliding around to cup the cheeks of my ass.

I eased back to stare into his eyes that were already hooded with desire. “Will you make love to

me, AJ?”

A lazy smile slunk on his face. “Of course I will. You know, you’re the first woman I’ve ever

given up control for.”

I sucked his bottom lip into my mouth before flicking my tongue over it. My teeth grazed it lightly

before I pulled away. “I feel honored—I truly do.”

AJ’s fingers left my ass and went to the hem of my sweater. Rising up off the bed, he lifted it over

my head. After he undid my pants, I slid them down my thighs. I tried shaking off the ghosts of the past

as I stood before him in only my bra and panties. Of course this time, I really did have more weight

not only in my stomach, but in my breasts, hips and thighs.

AJ’s gaze left mine to trail down to my extended belly for a moment before reaching out to brush

his fingers over my bump. It tickled a bit, and I shivered. “So I guess we’re having a mutt, huh?” he

questioned.

My eyes widened before I smacked his arm. “Don’t you dare call Bella a mutt!”

AJ laughed. “I just meant she’s going to be mixed, that’s all. A bit of Mexican and a bit of

Sicilian.”

I cocked my brows at him. “Mixed sounds way better than mutt.”

“She’ll be multilingual for sure.”

“That’s true.”

AJ slid back on the bed and crossed his legs Indian style before grasping my hips. He pulled me

over to where I rose up to straddle his lap. He pushed us back further on the bed. Staring intently at

my mouth, he brought his hand up to brush his thumb over my lips. “Come se dice en Italiano?”

“Labbra.”

“Mmm, they’re labios in Spanish.”

My index finger came to circle his mouth. “And this?”

“Boca,” he replied before his tongue darted out to lick my finger.

“It’s the same in Italian, except we Sicilians say vucca, too.”

His brows quirked up. “We’re not so different, are we?”

“No, we’re not.”

AJ’s hands slid slowly down my neck, pausing for his fingers to tease along my clavicle before

they dipped down and cupped my breasts. “And these?” he questioned with a squeeze.

“Seni.”

A smile slunk on his lips. “Another one we have in common. But their senos in Spanish. Or

pechos.” He tugged on the straps of my bra and pulled down the cups to expose my breasts. “And

these?” His fingers tweaked my hardening nipples.

I sucked in a breath before replying, “Capezzolos.”

“En Español son pezónes.”

“I see.” He leaned over to suck one of my nipples into his mouth. His tongue flicked at the pebbled

bud, and my hands went to rake through his hair. “Mmm, la bocca mi fa bagnato.”

“En Ingles por favor,” he replied, before he blew air across my puckering nipple.

“Your mouth makes me wet.” `

“I’m glad to hear that. Cause you’re making me hard as a fucking rock.

“So what is this called then?” I asked, as I cupped the bulge in his boxers.

“Maestro de tu universo,” he murmured against my breast.

Gripping his hair with one hand, I jerked his head up to meet my gaze. “I don’t think so,

egomaniac.”

AJ grinned. “Fine. It’s a pene or verga.”

“Same in Italiano…it can also be cazzo in Sicilian.”

“I know it wants to be in
this
,” he said, cupping me between my thighs over my panties.

I giggled. “That would be a vagina…or for you since you’re crude, it would be pussy, and that’s

figa.”

“Cueva en español.” As his fingers slipped inside to rub over the wetness he’d caused, he

murmured, “Tu coño me vuelve loco.”

“I have a crazy pussy?” I teased breathlessly.