Loving Vin (Barretti Security Series, #1) (11 page)

She’d told him exactly what he needed to hear so why the hell didn’t he feel more relieved?

***

“H
i, Vin,” the young woman said with a bright smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Hi sweetheart, how are you?” Mia heard Vin ask as his eyes passed briefly over the woman’s baby bump. A strange look swept over his features but it quickly disappeared when he reached out to shake hands with the large man standing behind the woman.

Mia clenched her hands together as the woman glanced her way. The last time she’d seen Riley Sinclair, the woman had been out cold on the floor of her father’s shed.

“Mia, this is Riley Maddox,” Vin said as he came to stand next to her, his hand coming to rest on the small of her back.

“Hi, Mia,” Riley said as she ignored the hand Mia managed to extend and dragged her into a huge hug.

“Hi,” she managed to squeak out.

“And this is Gabe,” Vin said. To her shock, the big man also hugged her though he must have sensed her discomfort because he kept it very brief. They were a startlingly good looking couple and the second Gabe released her, he was seeking out his wife’s hand. Even when they both took turns greeting Bane and Briego, they continued to hold onto one another. Envy went through Mia at the sight and she wondered if she’d ever find someone she was so connected to that maintaining a physical connection became as natural an occurrence as breathing or eating. She couldn’t help but glance at Vin who also happened to be watching her. But she refused to read too much into the look because she’d caught him doing a lot of that in the past three days since she’d told him what they had was enough.

He’d been like a man possessed ever since. She’d lost track of the dozens of times and ways they’d had sex. And she hadn’t spent a night in her room since. But as much as she’d like to believe he kept her close because he couldn’t bear to be apart from her, the logical part of her brain reminded her that he was desperate to put an end to the crazy chemistry between them. He always made sure to wring every ounce of pleasure from her body that he could, but it always seemed like there was a wall between them. Even when he held her afterwards, it was like he wasn’t there. As close as they were physically, they were miles apart emotionally. And as she fell for him a little more every day, he seemed to withdraw more and more.

“Mia, you want to show Riley the animals?” Vin asked as his fingers pressed more firmly into her back. She realized he was trying to jar her from the thoughts she’d been getting lost in so she nodded. Something knotted in her throat when she saw Gabe lean down to brush a kiss over his wife’s lips as he settled his big hand on her belly. Vin’s hand tensed on her back and then withdrew entirely. She forced herself to step away from him and waited for Riley to follow her up the stairs.

“Asshole!” Percy shrieked as soon as they stepped into the room and Riley laughed as she walked up to the bird and held out her arm.

“He looks so good, Mia,” Riley said as Percy finally settled himself on her arm and she carried him over to the bed so she could sit on it.

Mia let the kittens out of the dog crate and watched them run over to Riley’s feet to investigate her.

“Oh wow, they’ve gotten so big,” Riley mused. “Did you name them yet?” she asked.

“No,” Mia admitted. “I was afraid it would be harder to let them go if I named them.”

Riley nodded in understanding. “I’ve been there,” she said. “Poor Gabe has to follow me around with a box of tissues every time the new family of one my fosters comes to pick them up. He keeps reminding me that it means I’ll be able to help another one out, but it’s still hard.”

The young woman spoke in soft words to Percy as she petted him and then carefully put him back on his perch before getting on the floor to play with the kittens. It felt awkward to be around this woman who’d been so terribly abused by Mia’s father.

“How’s Georgie doing?” Riley asked as she climbed to her feet.

“Good. He’s out back,” Mia said as she helped Riley collect the kittens and put them back in the crate. As they made their way to the backyard, Riley chatted happily about the animals she was fostering herself and within minutes they were both sitting on the grass watching Briego follow Georgie around the yard.

“Logan said Vin nearly had a heart attack when he saw Georgie running around the backyard that first day,” Riley said with a chuckle.

Mia found herself smiling. She’d caught Vin petting the pig more than once when he thought she wasn’t looking. It took several long beats before she realized Riley was watching her with open curiosity. The knowing look in the other woman’s eyes had Mia scrambling for a safe topic of conversation.

“When are you due?” Mia asked as she glanced at Riley’s stomach.

“Four months. Though it feels like forty sometimes,” she said.

“Difficult pregnancy?”

Riley shook her head. “No, not really. It’s just that Gabe and I are so excited. This all turned out to be such an amazing surprise, especially considering how rough everything was before we found out...”

Riley paled and looked at Mia in horror. Mia did the math in her head and then slowly nodded.

“Before my father...” she whispered.

“Mia, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring it up.”

The silence between them suddenly felt heavy and awkward. Mia wrapped her arms around her bent legs and studied the water.

“I didn’t know,” Mia finally said. “I mean, I knew he wasn’t a good man but I didn’t know he was a monster,” she clarified.

“No one blames you, Mia,” Riley said. “You saved my life. Our lives,” the young woman said as she rested a hand on her stomach.

“If I’d tried harder-”

Riley shook her head and Mia flinched at the feel of Riley’s hand closing over one of hers.

“If you’d waited five more minutes to make your escape or you hadn’t come into that shed...” Riley said. “I don’t care about ‘if’. I care that my baby and I are still here. I care that Eli got to go home to his mom. And I care that you had the courage to pick up that pipe and do what needed to be done.”

Mia managed a nod and was surprised when Riley didn’t release her. Instead she pulled Mia’s hand to her stomach and positioned it on a certain spot. There was the faintest of movements beneath her fingers.

“Is that-” Mia asked.

Riley smiled and nodded. “I think she’s gonna be a boxer like her dad,” Riley mused.

“You know it’s a girl?”

“Yeah. We just found out a week ago.”

“Congratulations,” Mia said and finally removed her hand when the fluttering stopped.

Their conversation turned to everything from baby names to the list of rules Gabe was already coming up with to protect his daughter from the evil that was teenage boys. It wasn’t until almost an hour later when Vin called them in for lunch that Mia realized they hadn’t even talked about Riley’s job as a vet tech yet. Their conversation had somehow turned into something fun and casual and...easy. It was almost like they were friends.

***

“H
ow was it today?” Mia heard Vin ask as his fingers stroked up and down her arm.

“Good, I think. I liked her a lot.”

“Did you talk about the vet tech stuff?”

Mia nodded against him. It felt so strange to be talking with him like this. Usually sex was followed by either more sex or sleep.

“She said I could come and watch her work some time.”

“That’s great. Gabe says there are only a few reporters still hanging out at the clinic try to ask Riley questions – they’ll probably give up within a couple of weeks.”

Mia turned herself so that she was laying across Vin’s chest, her arms folded beneath her. A thrill went through her when he tucked her hair behind her ear. It was such a small but intimate move. Damn, it was getting harder and harder to separate her emotions from everything this man did to her.

“I think I need to talk to the press.”

His hand stilled on her upper back where it had traveled after stroking over her hair.

“If that’s what you want.”

“I want normal but they’re not ever going to let me have that. Not if I don’t tell my side. Probably not even then,” she said softly. “But I can’t keep hoping things will just magically change on their own. And I don’t want to hide out for the rest of my life either.”

Did Vin actually tense beneath her? If he had, it was gone almost as quickly and he said, “You’ll need to meet with the police first. They still technically need your official statement. Dom’s former brother-in-law, Declan, is the lead detective on the case so it won’t be bad.”

“Okay,” she responded. She unfolded her arms and let her fingers trail along his chest and over his shoulders. It was her first real opportunity to explore him and she had every intention of taking advantage.

“What is this?” she asked as her fingers brushed over a small, round scar.

“Bullet wound,” Vin muttered and she didn’t miss the husky tone in his voice. He was clearly enjoying her exploration.

“When?” was all she asked as she pressed her lips against it.

“Iraq. About seven years ago.”

“You were in the army?”

“Navy. I joined after Ren left for Basic Training. I became a SEAL but a bullet to the arm ended my career. Nerve damage,” he clarified.

Mia coasted her hands down his arms until she found the second bullet wound she was looking for.

“Do you miss it?” she asked.

“Sometimes,” he admitted. “I’ve never been much for paperwork so I try to get out and meet with clients face to face whenever I can. I was also always fascinated by the use of dogs in the military so I decided to learn more about training them and started incorporating that service into our company.”

Mia glanced over at the two dark shadows that were lying on the floor next to the bed. “They made me feel so safe,” she murmured as she raised her eyes back up to Vin. “That first night after Dom dropped me off,” she clarified. “I couldn’t bring myself to sleep in the bedroom because I hadn’t been able to find a screwdriver to get the doors off the hinges so I slept in the living room. They never left my side. I think it was the first time in a really long time that I slept for more than a few hours at a time.”

“I’m glad, Mia,” Vin remarked. “I don’t ever want you to be afraid again,” he added and then he dragged her up for a kiss. She let him kiss her thoroughly before she pulled back and began working her way down his chest. His stiff length pressed against her belly and when she reached between their bodies to close her hand around it, Vin moaned. She gave him several gentle tugs as she continued to shift lower and when she was settled between his legs, she glanced up at him. It was too dark to make out the look in his eyes but she could feel the tension in the muscles beneath the hand she had resting on his thigh. His breathing had hitched up several notches and every time she caressed his thickening erection, his hips pushed up slightly.

She didn’t ask permission before leaning down to tentatively lick her tongue over the thick head. Vin sucked in a breath at the contact so she did it again. The salty, musky flavor was strange at first but she found herself wanting more as she traced the ridge of his crown and then followed a heavy vein down to his base. She let her fingers twine through the wiry hair along his groin and then circled them around his cock and held the throbbing length steady as she slowly sucked him into her mouth.

***

I
t took every ounce of control Vin had not to shove his hips up so that more of his dick disappeared into the lush mouth that had just closed over him. Mia’s inexperience was clear in the careful way she handled him, as if she was afraid she would hurt him, but every caress, every lick was shredding away at the iron hold he had on his body’s need to take more of what she was offering.

He needed to fucking see her.

Witt that thought in mind, Vin fumbled around for the light on his nightstand and when light flooded the room, his dick popped out of Mia’s mouth as she lifted her eyes in surprise.

“Need to see,” he managed to grate out and held his breath, hoping to God his move hadn’t put an end to her newfound curiosity.

A sigh escaped his lips as she once again pulled him into her heat. He felt her tongue curl around his shaft for a moment and then thankfully she drew him in even deeper. She added the slightest bit of suction as she lifted her mouth and Vin groaned at the pressure. It took her a few more strokes before she found her rhythm and began sucking him harder. His own body couldn’t stand the strain anymore and his hips lifted of their own accord, pushing his cock farther in until she gagged. He tried to apologize but Mia suddenly took him in again, her throat relaxing as she tried to work him past her gag reflex. When he tried to pull back out so she wouldn’t force it, Mia grabbed his base and began sucking him in earnest. He gave up the fight and submitted to her.

The heat and pressure on his cock soon became too much. “Mia, I’m close,” he warned. But his words did nothing to slow her down. In fact, they had the opposite effect and when her eyes lifted to meet his as she continued to consume him, Vin bit back a curse. She was so fucking beautiful. And he’d done nothing to deserve everything she gave him – had been giving him since the night she pressed herself between him and his desk.

Vin shouted as his orgasm slammed into him. He managed to keep his eyes on Mia as she tried to swallow the endless ropes of release that shot out of his body but the sight of some of it escaping her mouth was too much and he reached down and dragged her up his body. Tasting his own come wasn’t something he’d ever been keen on but his flavor mixed with the sweetness of her mouth was a heady experience. But he needed more and so did she if the moisture collecting on his abdomen was any sign. His hands closed over her hips and he dragged her up and forward as he shifted his own body farther down the bed.

“Vin?” she asked in startled confusion as her knees finally settled on each side of his head. He gave her no warning at all except to wrap his hands around her thighs just before he thrust his tongue into her body.