Page 38

All was well in my world. Poppy and I had Mia back, and she was safe. A week later, we were back to our regular programming as if nothing had happened. Of course, I took precautions with a bit of extra security, but for the most part, things were quiet.

I took up the mug of coffee Mia handed to me and was about to take a sip, but I noticed her staring at me and froze. Glancing at her, I asked, “Is something on your mind, Mia?”

Her cheeks turned champagne pink, and her eyelashes fluttered down.

“Are you thinking about this morning, by any chance?” I raised my eyebrows. “If you are, we can go back to bed and experiment some more…”

This morning had been very erotic and invigorating. Mia’s flexibility was intriguing, and I might have fallen more in love with her. Her blush deepened, and I couldn’t hold back my laugh.

“You are insatiable.” She sighed. “And no, I wasn’t thinking about sex.”

“Pity,” I hummed and took my first sip of coffee. We’d been waking up extra early the last few days to have a little quiet time together before the chatty, energizer bunny woke up. “Why were you practically boring holes into the side of my face?”

She sighed and eased onto the chair beside mine. “I want to ask you something, but I’m afraid to.”

My eyebrows dipped. “I thought we established that you never have to be afraid to ask me anything.”

“Alright, it’s not that I’m afraid to ask. I’m more afraid of the answer.”

My eyes narrowed on her. “Ask me.”

She chomped on her lower lips for a moment as she regarded me with a hint of wariness. “It’s about Logan…”

“I see.”

“I know how you handled the bookie.”

“Mm-hmm.” That asshole was still behind bars. I was feeling extra petty when I saw how many times he knocked on Mia’s door in that security footage. The images were enough to show how afraid she was of him and how he hounded her existence. I commissioned the best hacker I knew who enjoyed putting away criminals to help me get him off the street. Alex had been all too happy to help. With our combined connections, that man had been dealt with, and he’d never bother anyone again.

“But you never told me what you did to Logan.”

I studied her closely, noting the fear in her eyes. “Mia, what do you think I did to him?”

She pursed her lips and averted her gaze. “Well… Lincoln said you attacked the bookie.”

“He wouldn’t tell me where he was meeting you after we intercepted him. At the time, I had no problem beating the information out of him.”

“Oh my God,” she groaned.

I shrugged. I had no regrets.

Mia glanced at my right hand. The bruises were mostly faded. “You punched a hole in the wall.”

“I lost my cool for a moment. Where are you going with this?”

She gulped. “You wore this devious smirk when you got back from your meeting with Logan.”

I lifted an eyebrow. He’d dared to call Mia again. I knew the only way to get rid of him was to let him know he’d no longer be dealing with her but with me. I found out where he was staying and waited for him. The look on his face when he stepped into his motel room and found me waiting for him was priceless. He’d broken into Mia’s apartment to search for cash—the prick—so I violated his space.

Fair is fair.

“Our chat was interesting,” I said. Logan had quivered like a leaf the entire time, and it amused me.

“And what did you do after you talked to him?” Mia asked. “He seems to have fallen off the face of the earth.”

“What are you implying?”

She inhaled deeply. “Michael, is Logan still alive?”

My jaw slackened. What the fuck? Amusement rolled through me, but I kept a straight face. Leaning back, I folded my arms. “Why? Would you mourn him if he wasn’t? Because that would make me incredibly jealous.”

“ Michael… You didn’t…”

I couldn’t contain my laughter.

Her shoulders relaxed, and she sucked her teeth. “I can’t believe you’d mess with me like that.”

“I couldn’t help it. My girlfriend just accused me of being a gangster.”

“I wasn’t accusing you. It’s just… I’ve learned that you can get pretty unhinged in the name of protecting me, and I couldn’t stand it if you felt you had to do anything crazy. I love you, Michael, and I’d never want you to ruin your life like that.”

“Mia, I’ve lost my cool a few times, but I’m not insane or reckless. Logan is fine. I might have given him the impression that I’d murder him, but it was all in good fun.”

She gave me a look of reprimand, but then a tiny smirk played on her lips. “I’m glad you had your fun.”

The spineless weasel had almost shit himself, and it was hilarious. He’d really thought I was going to do him in. I doubt Mia will ever hear from him again. Plus, he’d soon find out that the man who trapped him in a never-ending money pit had been dealt with.

“I’m going to need you to stop worrying about Logan now,” I said.

“Okay.” She stood up and cupped my face to give me a peck on the cheek. “You’re my hero.”

I grinned, feeling a surge of warmth from her words. “Your hero, huh?” I grabbed her hand before she could pull away and gently tugged her back to me. “Then how about a real kiss for saving the day?”

She laughed softly and leaned in. Our lips met in a slow, sweet dance. As always, the heat intensified, and I explored her mouth with more fervor. I couldn’t get enough of her. If we didn’t have limited time before we heard tiny footsteps running to the kitchen, I’d take her right here on the counter. I reined in my raging libido and rested my forehead against hers. The chaos of the last few weeks seemed like a distant memory now that Mia was safe in my arms, where she belonged.

Eight months later

I gathered Mia in my arms, and she instantly snuggled closer. Smiling into her hair, I inhaled deeply, taking in the floral scent of her shampoo… I wanted to take in all of her. It was late. I’d just returned from a business trip—I didn’t take as many anymore because I wanted to be close to my girls.

Coming home to my woman and my kid was everything. My life almost felt complete. Mia was completely mine in the romantic scenes, but I wanted to make things more official. However, I wasn’t sure how she felt about marriage. She was only twenty-two. That might be the furthest thing from her mind. I was itching to ask.

“Mia?”

“Hmm?” The drowsy murmur made me feel guilty. She must be exhausted. She’d had a long day with classes, and then she’d waited up for me. Plus, she’d insisted on not hiring a nanny to help out with Poppy. Mia created her schedule around Poppy and took care of her as if she were her own. My heart was on the verge of bursting with sheer gratitude for the way she loved my daughter.

“How’s school going?” I asked.

“I’m just getting started, but I love it so far.”

“Good.” She’d decided to pursue a career in child psychology, which I thought was fitting. She was a natural with kids. “How do you feel about marriage at your age, with school and everything?”

After a beat of silence, she shuffled to sit up and then the light switched on. Mia gazed at me with raised eyebrows. “You want to discuss my take on marriage at one a.m.?”

I shrugged and gave her a sheepish look. “It’s on my mind, and I can’t sleep.”

She blinked. “Okay… Well, maybe plenty of people my age aren’t considering marriage, but I’m different.” Her cheeks flushed. “Don’t laugh, but I’ve been planning my wedding to Prince Charming since I was a teen gushing over my grandparent’s wedding photos.”

I nodded. “Interesting…”

“It is?”

“Yes…” I rolled out of bed and went into the closet, where I had the ring hidden for months. I’d been wondering about the appropriate time to pop the question… or if Mia would be interested. I had gotten my answer.

The confused lines that twisted her expression vanished when she saw the little box. I walked around to her side of the bed and dropped to one knee.

“Holy shit,” she whispered. “Yes! I do! Wait, I jumped the gun. I mean, I’ll marry you… but you haven’t even asked yet.” Her blush intensified. “Oh God… I’m sorry…”

Amusement flooded me, and I had to bite back my smile. She was ever delightful. “Well, I’m relieved to already know the answer, but I’ll go ahead and ask, anyway.” She groaned and covered her face. Chuckling, I took her left hand and carried it down. “Mia, I’m sure you know how much I love you—your chaos and all.”

She laughed.

“I wasn’t looking for love when I hooked up with my Blind Connection . ”

She pursed her lips at the mention of the ridiculous dating app that brought us together. Although, maybe it wasn’t so silly since I was currently proposing to my Blind Connection. I owed Lincoln big for talking me into using the app.

“But I found it, and I’m grateful. You’ve made me happier than I could have ever imagined and spending the rest of my life with you seems right.” I slipped the ring onto the special finger. “Marry me…” My lips twisted wryly at the command. “I mean… please .”

She sniggered and murmured something about bossy men. “I will, Michael. I’m so happy right now I could burst.”

Sliding back into bed, I kissed her forehead. “We can wait for as long as you need. I just wanted you to know where I see us in the future.”

“I don’t want to wait too long,” she said, settling into my arms. “I’m sure I want to marry you.”

Our eyes locked, and the smile she gave me lit up my entire life. Now , I felt complete.

The End.