King (Maine Silver Foxes #1)

Chapter 13

M ia

When Mia entered the house and heard Sammy moaning from the living room, all thoughts of calling King were lost. She rushed over to her cousin, who was lying beneath a blanket on the sofa. What had happened between the time they’d spoken on the phone earlier to now? Sammy hadn’t sounded sick then.

Mia’s brows furrowed with concern. “What happened? Are you ill?”

Sammy, her knees bent, uncovered herself so Mia could see the heating pad on her lower abdomen. Realization dawned immediately in Mia’s mind. “Oh, God, are your periods still that bad?”

Sammy nodded. “Only the first couple of days, but this heating pad helps with the cramps.” She released a sigh. “It hit right after Ben left.”

“Have you taken something for the pain?”

Sammy attempted a laugh and then winced when a cramp hit her. “Yup. After twenty years of this, I’ve learned what works.” She moaned again. “I think I know what labor feels like.”

Mia doubted it and chuckled. She sat on the edge of the sofa. “Do you need anything? A drink? Some food?”

“No, I’m good for now.” Sammy studied Mia, managing a smile. “You look happy. Tell me all about your night.”

Mia blushed, knowing that Sammy would want all the details, but only offered, “It was great.” Then she turned the tables on Sammy. “Tell me about yours.”

“It was great,” Sammy said, mirroring Mia’s short reply.

They exchanged smiles. “Okay, I’ll go first.” Mia moved into a more comfortable position on the couch, grabbing one of the throw pillows to her when she was settled. She recounted the events of the night before, leaving out some of the more explicit details while Sammy listened intently, her eyes wide with excitement. She ended by saying, “King’s stamina was, um, off the charts. And he was a very thorough and considerate lover.” She shuddered with the memory of it.

Sammy chuckled. “He was that good, huh?”

Mia nodded. “Did you and Ben...?”

Sammy’s cheeks colored instantly as she nibbled on her bottom lip.

Mia raised a brow while she remained silent. “I shared, Cuz.” Sammy finally gave a subtle nod. Mia sighed loudly. “Words,” she said simply.

Sammy rolled her eyes. “You know it’s been a long time for me. And I suddenly feel like we’re back to being kids, when we used to run to the bedroom and share secrets.”

Mia had a flashback of them doing exactly that and smiled. She recognized that Sammy was uncomfortable discussing what had gone on between her and Ben, but them spending the night together was big, and Mia was happy for her. She’d been alone for so long.

After a while Sammy admitted, “It was really nice. Ben knew I was uncomfortable, and he took his time. He was gentle and...” She paused with indecision. “It was so good, Mia. Afterwards we talked for hours before we fell asleep.”

“I’m so happy for you, honey. When are you going to see each other again?”

“Well, there’s work on Monday. But he’s invited me to spend next weekend with him at a rental on the coast.” The sudden frown between her eyes revealed that she had another cramp. When her hand moved beneath the blanket, Mia knew she was probably turning up the heat on the heating pad.

“I’m happy for both of us,” Sammy said enthusiastically, burrowing further into the cushions of the couch. She looked as if she could easily fall asleep.

“I just hope it wasn’t a one-time thing.”

“I don’t think King is like that,” Sammy assured her with a relaxed smile.

Mia didn’t know Ben very well, but the day they’d spent together she gotten the impression that he was a good man. And she remembered the way he looked at Sammy, as if he adored her. “I don’t think Ben is either.”

Without warning, there was a knock at the door, which prompted Precious to begin barking. Mia laughed at the delayed reaction of her dog. By the sound of it, she was upstairs in her bed. “I’ll see who it is.”

Sammy made no attempt to leave the couch as Mia set the pillow she’d been hugging aside and got to her feet. The front door was solid, so Mia wasn’t able to see who was there until she opened it. She was caught unaware to see Sheila standing there, and she froze for a second. What did she want? Judging from her less than pleasant expression, it wasn’t a friendly visit.

“We need to talk,” Sheila practically snapped. She stepped back, and it was clear to Mia that the other woman expected her to come outside.

Great. After their run-in the evening before, Mia could just imagine what the other woman had to say. She stepped outside and closed the door behind her, facing Sheila. She tried to school her expression to remain welcoming, but it was hard to do when Sheila looked like a woman getting ready to blow. “About?”

Sheila huffed as if it should be obvious. “My ex, of course. Why else would I be here?” She crossed her arms. “Maybe King didn’t tell you this, but we’ve decided to work things out. We have history. We have a daughter and a grandchild. We realize we jumped the gun on getting a divorce.”

Mia felt her heart drop but remained quiet. She wasn’t quite ready to believe Sheila. She didn’t want to believe her. She wanted to believe that King wasn’t the kind of man to string a woman along just to get her in his bed. She wanted to believe that he was a decent man. The silence stretched between them.

“Nothing to say?” Sheila asked with a raised brow and a smug attitude.

Mia released her breath. She didn’t really want to get into it with Sheila because she looked like she was eager for a fight. “I’m thinking.”

Sheila snorted. “About what? What’s to think about? You’re the other woman—"

Mia cut her off. “I’m thinking about why I spent the night with a man who wants to get back with his ex-wife.”

Sheila laughed scornfully. “I know you spent the night in our bed. King fucks any eager woman he can get his hands on. You made it easy for him. You’re not special. It’s a challenge to him. He can’t help himself.”

Mia listened to Sheila, feeling a mix of emotions. She hated the doubt that was trying to creep in, and the anger at the possibility that she’d been used by King. She was angry at him for deceiving her, but she was also deeply disappointed that something that had felt so real was a lie. She felt sick inside and fought back tears. How had she misread the situation so badly?

Well, things had developed quickly between them.

Mia wondered why Sheila would want him back. She didn’t look like the kind of woman who would tolerate infidelity. “So, you’re here to warn me to stay away from King?”

“I’m here to tell you that King is mine, and he’s always been mine. So don’t get your hopes up about him wanting anything meaningful or long term with you. He strays. It’s something I’ve learned to live with.” Sheila shrugged. “But he always comes back to me.”

So why had they divorced in the first place? Mia wanted to ask, but it was none of her business. If Sheila was okay with King’s infidelity, who was she to try and make sense of it? The concept wasn’t as far-fetched as some people might think. Jerry had a wealthy friend who’d kept a mistress on the side. His wife had been willing to turn a blind eye because she lived an affluent lifestyle and wanted to keep it.

Mia suddenly felt guilty and ashamed for falling so easily into King’s bed. She felt beyond angry and hurt. “So what you’re saying is that King is a cheat and a liar? And you’re just willing to forgive him?

“I love him.” Powerful words that explained everything. “And he loves me.” There was a slight pause before she added in a hardened tone that conveyed her true feelings, “Even while he’s fucking someone else in our bed.”

It was a bold comment that sounded a little desperate to Mia, as if Sheila was trying to convince herself of that. But love was a powerful emotion, and like Sheila had said earlier, she and King had history. Mia sucked in a deep breath and released it. She was suddenly over it. She needed time to think.

“Thank you for setting me straight.” She turned and went back inside before Sheila could say anything else and stood for a minute with her back against the door. She needed to pull herself together before she could face Sammy. So many emotions were running through her. She listened to Sheila’s car start outside, and then the crunch of gravel beneath her tires as she drove away.

The burning in Mia’s eyes warned her that tears were coming. She was not going to cry over that man! But it didn’t stop the feeling of embarrassment that washed over her. If what Sheila had said was true, she’d been played. She was a fool.

Deciding that she’d wasted enough time, she went back inside to find Sammy napping. Thank goodness. It would give her time with her own thoughts.

Later, when Sammy woke up, the two of them spent the rest of the day lounging on the sofa, watching movies, and eating pizza. Mia was happy to spend time with her cousin, but her thoughts kept drifting back to King.

As the day wore on and the evening approached, Mia grew increasingly restless. She should call King and confront him, but she knew she needed to wait a little longer, until she had calmed down enough to have an adult conversation with him.

Finally, as bedtime approached, and after she took Precious out one last time, Mia climbed the stairs to her room, knowing that she probably wouldn’t get much sleep.