King (Maine Silver Foxes #1)

Chapter 6

M ia

Sammy’s voice echoed from downstairs. “I’m home!”

Mia and King pulled apart, both breathing heavily. King kept his arms around her waist, keeping her close. She felt her heart racing in her chest at the touch of his warm skin beneath her palm. She knew what the flutter in her belly was all about because wetness in her lower region followed. When had she snuck her hand inside his shirt? She halted the exploration of her palm against his defined abs, slightly embarrassed.

The satisfied smirk on King’s face revealed that he was aware of how much she had enjoyed his kiss. It was too late to feign indignation at his high-handedness.

“We’ll be down in a minute!” Mia called out, running her tongue along her swollen bottom lip. The look on King’s face was telling. She knew what arousal looked like, and his expression was intense and slightly primal. “You never answered my question,” Mia whispered, a hint of awkwardness in her voice.

King leaned in. “What question, sugar?” His lips brushed against her earlobe, sending a shiver down her spine.

“If you noticed any issues with the apartment.” she husked, moaning when he found a sensitive spot and began to suck like he had every right to do it.

King chuckled, pulled back slightly, and shook his head. “No, I don’t see a damned thing wrong. But I do see a problem with us not being able to fuck right now.”

He took a lot for granted, but his words and the sudden image of them doing just that caused Mia’s body to flush hotly, and she kissed him fiercely, letting all her pent-up desire explode between them. Nothing could happen right now, not with Sammy right downstairs, yet King picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling the heat of his body against her own. The length and size of his powerful erection throbbing against her locked a deep moan in her throat.

God. Was it too soon? Were things moving too fast? She hadn’t been divorced all that long. Should she be giving herself to the first man who showed interest, even if the interest had always been there between them, simmering beneath the surface? A secret she thought she’d go to her grave with?

As King stumbled towards the bed, she heard Sammy’s footsteps coming up the stairs. Frantically Mia pushed at his chest, barely taking note of his hard muscles as her feet fell back to the floor. They quickly separated and glanced toward the doorway, trying to act as naturally as possible while Mia’s heart pounded so loudly she was certain Sammy would be able to hear it.

“Hey, guys, how was your day?” Sammy asked with a smile, her eyes darting back and forth between them. If she suspected anything or thought it was strange that King was there, she didn’t say.

“It was good,” Mia replied, her heart still racing. And was her voice trembling?

When Sammy looked over at King, he nodded in agreement, his eyes still lingering on Mia with an intensity she could feel.

“Are you up here checking out the work that was done?”

“Among other things. Just getting to know Mia a little better.”

Mia tried to hide her surprise at his admission.

“Met her down at the site this morning when she was chasing after her dog.”

Mia sensed Sammy’s gaze returning to her, and she gave her a fake smile, remaining quiet.

“Hmmm.” That one sound was telling, and Mia knew she’d be getting the third degree later. “Well, I’m going to go freshen up before dinner. You’re staying, aren’t you, King? Mia made her famous chili and sweet cornbread.”

“Sure, I’ll stay. Don’t have anything else planned tonight.”

Sammy turned and headed back down the stairs.

As soon as they were sure that she was downstairs, King didn’t waste any time in pulling Mia back into his arms and resuming where they’d left off. Their lips collided once more, the passion between them building with each passing moment. Mia knew she should stop him, but she didn’t have the strength.

They fell onto the bed together, their bodies intertwined in a frenzy of lust and desire. Mia was shocked at her acceptance of King’s hands and mouth on her. Shocked even more when she realized that she’d never been with anyone who demanded and took like he did. Jerry had been a good lover when the mood struck him, but toward the end it had been more about instant gratification.

Mia let out a short gasp, reluctantly pulling away. “King! We have to stop,” she said urgently in a breathless voice. “Sammy will be waiting for us downstairs.”

“Do you know how badly I want to fuck you right now?” King murmured against her lips. As if to get his message across, he ground his hard-on into the vee between her legs, causing them both to shudder and groan. “This fucking shit doesn’t happen to me.” His gruff tone revealed that he wasn’t exactly happy about it.

Mia’s heart swelled at the rough intensity of his words, understanding where he was coming from. She felt the same way, the desire and longing for him to continue consuming every nuance of her being. But they couldn’t act on it at the moment, not with Sammy in the house. And they weren’t teenagers trying out sex for the first time, even though their hormones were raging.

She needed time to think. It wasn’t like her to be this impulsive.

“We’ll have plenty of time for that,” Mia whispered back, her eyes filled with a mixture of passion and restraint. She needed to make King understand. “I need time to process everything, King. I’ve never been with anyone other than my ex-husband, and as much as I’m attracted to you, I need more time to get comfortable with it.” What if it was just all about the sex?

Would she be okay with that?

King released a heavy breath and nodded supportively. He reined himself back. “Of course, sugar. I wouldn’t want to rush you into anything you’re not ready for.” His voice was low and husky. “Just know that it’s going to happen.”

His confidence was staggering and sexy as hell.

Mia’s heart swelled with emotion, grateful for his patience and understanding. “Thank you, King,” she said softly, her eyes meeting his. He looked like a man on the edge, arousal stamped strongly on his chiseled jaw.

“Are you guys coming down for dinner or what?” Sammy called up to them.

Mia took a deep breath, willing her breathing to return to normal. “We’ll be right down,” she called back, her voice a little shaky.

King reluctantly let her go and left the bed, his eyes following her as she headed toward the door. Mia turned around and gave him a small smile, silently promising that they would continue where they’d left off soon. Once she was sure she wasn’t making a mistake.

Mia could feel her heart still pounding in her chest. She had never felt this way before, so consumed by an instant, overwhelming desire for someone. But she knew that King was different, and it wasn’t as if she hadn’t thought about him and what being with him might be like over the years. Everyone had that “what if” someone from their past.

King gave her a reassuring smile, and they both made their way down the stairs and into the kitchen. Sammy was standing at the crockpot, stirring the chili.

“This looks so good!” Sammy said, not turning around. “Sit down, you two,” she said, motioning to the table. “I’ll serve since Mia cooked.”

Mia and King sat, their eyes locked on each other. They couldn’t help but steal glances, their desire still smoldering just beneath the surface. Sammy spooned out three bowls of chili and brought them and a package of shredded cheese over to the table. Next, she brought the pan of cornbread over, setting it down on a trivet to keep from burning the table.

“Is that sweet cornbread out of a box?” King wanted to know, eyeing the pan of yellow, buttered goodness. Sammy had already cut it into neat squares.

“Blasphemy!” Mia gasped sharply, clutching her heart. She laughed after that.

“Mia makes it from scratch, just like her chili.” Sammy sat between them. “So, did you two know each other before today?” It came out as a casual question as she reached for a piece of bread.

Since she hadn’t addressed her question to either of them in particular, Mia explained, “We’ve seen each other in passing on and off through the years whenever I’d come home, but we’d never really connected until today.”

“Hmmm.”

There was her tell. That single sound warned Mia of so much. Sammy had questions to back up her suspicions. Once King was gone, she wouldn’t hold back.

Mia smiled. King winked. Sammy put a spoonful of chili into her mouth. It suddenly seemed that silence was the best course while they ate. They dug in, and other than an occasional compliment, the only sound was that of spoons hitting the side of their ceramic bowls. Mia’s mind kept wandering back to King, to the way he had touched her, the way he had kissed her and made her feel.

He’d awoken the lonely, unsatisfied woman inside her. No, that wasn’t right. He’d promised to satisfy that woman.

Once they’d finished eating, King rose from his seat, indicating that he had to go. “Dinner was delicious,” he said, meeting Mia’s eyes. “I hate to eat and run, but I have an early day tomorrow.”

Mia was disappointed that the evening was coming to an end, but it might be for the best, at least for now. “I’m glad you enjoyed it,” she replied, rising to her feet.

She trailed behind him as they walked to the door, her thoughts already drifting away from him and towards other things less intense. She doubted she would see him again anytime soon, but that didn’t bother her. It would give her time to think.

King leaned down and brushed his lips against her cheek, sending shivers down her spine. “Until next time,” he whispered at the door. The dark, predatory look in his eyes mesmerized her as he leaned in and whispered into her ear. “Next time I won’t be stopping.”

Oh, my!

Mia watched King go with a smile on her face and something unexplainable in her heart, but it was the warning in her brain she heeded the most. She knew she needed time, but she also knew she wanted him, more than anything she had ever wanted before.

As Sammy cleared the dishes, Mia sat at the table lost in thought, thankful that Sammy was silent. She needed to figure out her feelings for King, to decide whether or not she was ready for a new relationship. But she also knew that she couldn’t resist him forever. The passion between them was too strong. She was almost worried about what their next encounter would bring.

Was it too soon to be thinking about being with another man? For some reason, the question she’d always put to her kids when they thought they had to have something bad came to mind. “Do you want it, or do you need it she would ask. They would stop and think about their answers. And that clarified her situation with King.

She knew without a doubt that she wanted him.

She took a deep breath and made a decision. She would talk to him, tell him how she felt, and see where it led. It was time to take a chance, to let go of her fears and embrace the unknown. She deserved that. Smiling to herself, she felt a sense of excitement wash over her.

“So, why do I get the impression that I interrupted something between you and King when I got home?” Sammy turned on the dishwasher and then pivoted to face Mia, leaning against the counter at her back.

Mia chuckled softly and met her eyes. “I’ve been waiting for you to say something.”

Patience wasn’t one of Sammy’s strong points. “Well?”

Mia shrugged. “What do you think you interrupted?”

A slight frown drew Sammy’s brows together as she took a moment to think about her answer. She released a heavy sigh and said, “If I take into consideration the fact that you were red-faced and panting through swollen lips, and King’s expression looked positively wild, and he had an erection only a blind person could miss, I’d say you two were making out.”

Mia’s mouth dropped open. Sammy had noticed all that? Damn! Heat crawled up her neck and into her cheeks, and her gaze shifted away from her cousin in embarrassment.

“Don’t even think about downplaying it. I’m not stupid.” Sammy walked to the table and sat. The grin on her face went from ear to ear. “Now spill.”

A sigh of resignation escaped Mia, and she quickly went into what had transpired between her and King since that morning. She left out the full details of what they’d been doing when Sammy had come home, admitting only that they were attracted to each other and had exchanged words and one kiss. She had to explain the swollen lips, right?

The raising of one brow told Mia that Sammy was slightly skeptical over her inadequate explanation. They sat staring at each other for a few minutes before Precious, thank God, came over for attention. Sammy loved Precious. She reached down to give her what she wanted, and Mia relaxed in her chair, thankful for the temporary distraction.

Whatever was going to happen between her and King, it would happen.