Falling Fast (Falling Fast #1) (14 page)

He was still naked as they stepped outside, like a Greek god come from the sea. She took the sheet and laid it over the sofa, slipped out of her shirt, and drew him over. He pulled her close and leaned down to capture her mouth, the kiss growing from soft and sweet to ardent.

The sea breeze caressed her but was nothing compared with his hands skimming down her back and over the curve of her behind. She felt as free, naked on the deck, as she had skinny-dipping. But it had nothing to do with her nudity or being a little brazen. It had everything to do with Raleigh. He sparked her spirit, opened her to adventure.

He reached down between her legs, caressing her, getting her ready. She tilted her head back as he kissed down her jawline, to her ear, his tongue mimicking what he’d done to her just hours ago.

“Mmm, nice and ready now,” he whispered, nibbling on her earlobe, his fingers slipping inside her.

“So ready,” she said on a quick breath as those same fingers now teased her folds.

He swiped a crinkly packet from the arm of the sofa and tore it open with his teeth. Within seconds, he’d sheathed himself. He took her hand and sat on the couch, pulling her down with him. She straddled him, knees bent, and braced her hands on his shoulders. So hungry to have him inside her.

He let her take her time easing onto his shaft, feeling her body stretching to accommodate him. Pain and pleasure danced together briefly before pleasure took the lead. And not just pleasure but fulfillment.

When he was fully inside her, she closed her eyes and sank into the moment.

“You all right?” he asked, his hands coming to her waist.

“I’m exquisite.”

“Yes, you are.”

“Mmm” was all she could say, the only word she could manage through her tight throat. She started moving, driving him deeper, feeling him sliding in and out. She gripped his shoulders, steadying herself as a wave of emotions crashed over her.
Safe. Good. Right. Oh, so right.

He rocked his head back and closed his eyes, sinking into the rhythm with her. He guided her hips, then cupped her breasts. His thumbs stroking her nipples increased the sensation between her legs, deep in her core. He was taking his time, slowing down when his breathing became erratic. He’d always been a master of his body, knowing just how to extend their lovemaking. And when to speed up again. She’d become adept at reading his signals, matching his pace. In no hurry herself.

She hoped the breeze and the waves covered the sounds of their ragged breathing, their moans and soft gasps, as they moved into a faster rhythm again. When she felt the orgasm, the finish line, she thrust her hips harder, her fingernails digging into his shoulders as heat and pleasure suffused her.

She cried out as she came, still moving even as her body spun out of control. He jerked and groaned, grasping her and holding her close as his body went through the aftershocks. She could feel him pulsing deep inside her, matching her own throbbing. She buried her face in his neck and probably deafened him with her breath sawing in and out. His fingers curled into her hair as his own breathing filled her, as his heaving chest expanded against hers.

“Mine,” he whispered, or maybe he’d said her name. Still, that possessive word rippled through her.

“Yours,” she whispered back, wrapping her arms around him.

Her future spun in front of her, one fulfilling her career-wise and empty personally; the other fulfilling her body and soul. Staying here with Raleigh. She had officially spun out of control, and it was Raleigh who had caused it.

She leaned back to face him, even though he was all silvery shadows. “I know why it’s like this for me…why being with you is like flying. Because you make me feel alive. I’d never felt truly alive until I met you seven years ago. I haven’t felt this way since I left. And I know when I leave again it’ll go away.”

He stroked his hands up and down her sides. “I know how you feel. Racing was the only thing that made me feel alive until you.”

The emotion in his words tugged at her heart. She touched his face, felt the slight rasp of stubble. “Grandma saw something in our relationship. That’s why she left us the house, so we could explore this, us.”

“Did she say that in her letter?”

“Yes. I guess she fibbed in her will, about not trying to get us together. Mostly, her intent was for us to have the opportunity to see if we still felt the same. I’ll let you read her letter. And she’s right. Raleigh, I can’t lose you again. I understand, though, that you can’t leave Cody and Rose. They need you. And you probably need them, too. They’re your family, and that’s important.”

“You’ve been giving this some thought,” he said, surprise in his voice.

“The more I’m around you, the more I realize why I fell in love with you in the first place. That it was truly love and not teenage romance. And, if you love me, too, we should be together. But giving up your family isn’t a price I’m willing to let you pay.”

“Giving up your job isn’t, either. You have so much to offer burn victims. But living apart would be too hard.”

“There’s a burn center in Gainesville, four hours away. Yeah, I was doing some looking online. Maybe there’s a compromise, living close enough to Chambliss that we could visit often. That’s, of course, if…you feel the same.”

“God, Mia, yes. But I don’t want to hold you back. And I have a record. You’d be married to an ex-con.”

Married. He was talking about being married. “I don’t care about that. We’ll deal. After everything we’ve been through, that’s nothing.” But…there was something. “Raleigh, if we’re talking about a future together, there are things you need to know. I could have health issues because of the drugs and treatment I had to go through for the cancer.”

He didn’t even blink. “Anyone can have issues. We never know what will crop up.”

She could only allow herself a quick breath of relief. “There’s more. Because of my chemo…I’m not sure I can get pregnant. They didn’t think about that back then, preserving eggs, that kind of thing. I’d like kids someday, but I may not be able to have them.”

He stroked his finger down her cheek. “I’m not worried about that.”

“You should be. Having a baby might mean getting a donor egg, going through in vitro. Or we’d have to adopt. Yes, I’ve thought about this, too. It’s always been the cloud hanging over my future, but it’s never mattered as much as it does now.”

He kissed her, soft and sweet. “We’ll handle it, babe. As you said, we’ll deal, whatever happens.”

She wanted to cry at his easy acceptance of something she’d always seen as huge. “You’re sure?”

“I’ve never lied to you. But you’re forgetting one—actually, two—important things.”

“My parents.” She had forgotten about them, at least in the moment. “I’ll deal with them, too. I would never give you up just to keep peace.”

“But, as you pointed out, family is important. And they don’t just think I’m not good enough for you; they hate me. I will forever be the reason you suffered so much. They suffered, too. I don’t want to cause any more suffering. Or dissension. For you or them.”

“When they see how happy I am, they’ll accept you. And being with you makes me very, very happy.”

Still intimately connected, he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. “Mmm, me, too.”

She could hear his reticence, though. At hurting her, causing trouble. “Let’s just sit with this for now. We can ease my parents into the idea of…us.”

Us
. The word vibrated through her. She knew they had hurdles ahead of them. His guilt, and his belief that he wasn’t the right man for her, were the biggest, in her mind. And the fact that he hadn’t seen her face without the cover makeup or her naked body in the light. What if he was repulsed by her? Then committed to her out of pity or responsibility for causing those scars?

Tomorrow she would show him. One more hurdle down. Several to go.

Raleigh woke at first light, instantly aware of the warm, soft body curled into his. Mia was here. Real. He closed his eyes, a rush of emotion engulfing him. He didn’t deserve her, but he wanted to believe his life could go right for a change. Because he wasn’t sure he could let her go, either.

She stirred, cuddling closer and sighing. She looked like an angel, her thick lashes brushing the tops of her cheeks, her mouth lush and tempting. They had awakened sometime in the night and made love again, lost in a semi-dream state. His body still wasn’t satisfied, yearning for more of her.

She had gone to sleep with her heavy foundation. He would hold her to her promise of showing him her naked face. Not for him but for her. Was she afraid he’d find her ugly? Reject her? He needed to prove that none of her scars mattered, and that entailed his actually seeing them. All of them. Unfortunately, because they were plastered up against each other, he still couldn’t see her body.

He slowly turned to look at the shell-shaped clock on the outside wall. Damn, he needed to get going. Peter was putting a rush on all the jobs scheduled for the next month, just in case. Raleigh had told him his evenings were spoken for, unwilling to lose any time with Mia. Could he hope that he might have more? Weeks, months, years?

Her eyes fluttered open, and her face broke into a smile. “Not a dream,” she murmured.

He kissed her forehead, smiling at the fact that she’d felt the same as he had. “It is a dream, in a way. Unfortunately, I have to head to work soon. We should probably go inside, anyway, just in case someone from down the road comes by. The deck might be private on the sides, but we’re in full view of anyone who might decide to walk the beach.”

She glanced down at the sheet covering them. “Think we can walk together in this thing?”

If he said he wanted it, that would leave her naked. Totally visible to his eyes. But he couldn’t, in the name of chivalry, do that. “You take it.” He wrapped it around her shoulders, catching a glimpse of the scarred skin there. “It’s barely light.”

“Bare. I get it, ha-ha.”

“That was pun-intentional.” He reluctantly left the warmth of her body and walked into the house, turning to find her watching him with an appreciative grin. She rolled her eyes and flopped backward, as though she’d fainted.

God, he loved that woman.

The sound of a gasp behind him had him spinning around—and finding her parents standing just inside the front door.

Despite the horror on her face, Mia’s mother’s gaze kept dropping down over his, uh, very naked body. Her father just looked about ten ways pissed.

Great. So much for easing them in. There was no help for his modesty, so he took a moment to open the back door, where Mia was standing swathed in the sheet. “Your parents are here.”

“That’s not funny—you’re not kidding, are you?”

He gave her a forced smile. “Wish I was.” Then he turned to the pair still standing agape near the door. “Excuse me.”
While I slip into something more uncomfortable.
Then again, nothing could be more uncomfortable than that moment.

He heard their footsteps crossing the room as he ducked into the bedroom to retrieve his clothes. And Mia’s shorts. At least she had a shirt out on the deck. The harsh whispers from the living room were unintelligible as he quickly dressed and returned to stand by her side.

“I knew we shouldn’t have left you here,” her mother hissed. “You have no sense where that boy is concerned. None!”

Mia’s mouth was a tight crease, her crossed arms bunching up the T-shirt. “He’s not a boy; he’s a man.”

“Yes, I saw that,” Mrs. Wentworth murmured, her neck flushing bright red.

“And
I’m
a grown woman,” Mia continued, her eyes moving to Raleigh as he discreetly handed her the shorts. Luckily, the shirt fell to mid-thigh, and Mia simply dropped the shorts to the floor. “Loving Raleigh makes a lot of sense.”

Her father grunted. “The punk who caused you no end of pain. Who left you scarred for life.”

Raleigh wanted to punch her father for mentioning her scars, but he held back. Let Mia handle her parents. He sure as hell didn’t want to cause more problems for her.

“Raleigh didn’t leave me scarred. The jerk who caused the crash did. Raleigh saved my life at his own risk. And he’s not a punk, Father. He’s been supporting himself since he was
fifteen years old
. Working his ass off, saving money—”

“As a grease monkey,” her father interrupted.

Raleigh bristled at the moniker, but Mia came right back with “As an in-demand high-performance-car mechanic. People bring their cars to him from all over, because he’s good.” Her gaze slid to him, and he wondered if she could read how her defense gripped his heart.

Her mother’s eyes widened, and she tugged on her husband’s sleeve. “She said ‘loving.’
Loving
Raleigh.”

“Which just proves that you have no sense when it comes to that…young man.” Her father visibly held in some other word.

“You’re living in a fantasy,” Mrs. Wentworth said. “Trying to recapture a time that’s gone. Lost.”

“I thought I was.” Mia slid her arm around Raleigh’s. “But all the good things he is, the reasons I fell for him when I was seventeen, are still inside him. He’s smart and kind and gentle. He respects me. And he’s never once pushed me to do something I wasn’t comfortable with. Including riding in his car that night. Or…anything else we’ve done. Is that why you came down? To do some kind of intervention?”

Her parents traded a look that confirmed that was exactly why they’d come.

Mrs. Wentworth gestured toward the two of them. “I should have stayed. I should have—”

“No, you shouldn’t have.”

“It’s our job to protect you.”

“I’m twenty-four. I’m not that sickly girl anymore. Or the burned one. I appreciate all that you’ve done, but I need to be a grown-up now. I need to make my own decisions, and if they’re mistakes, they’re my mistakes.”

Her mother was about to argue that point. Did they still see Mia as their needy child?

“You’re naïve, honey,” her mother said in a soothing voice. “You’ve only been in love twice.”

“Once. I liked the man I met in the survivors’ group, but I’ve only been in love with Raleigh.”

Raleigh slid his arm around her shoulders. “I love your daughter. Even through all those years we were apart, I never stopped. I promise to keep her safe, to cherish her, and to help her make the best decisions for her future.”

“Then let her go,” Mr. Wentworth bit out. “That’s the best decision for her future. What can you offer her? No college education, a prison record.”

“I can offer her my love and devotion. And I can be a good provider. People respect my work and trust me with their cars. All I ask is that you trust me with your daughter.”

“A car is far different than a person,” her father said.

“I didn’t mean to imply otherwise. I’m just saying that people find me trustworthy. And, for some of my clients, their car
is
their baby.”

“Look what happened the last time her well-being was in your care.”

Zing.
An arrow to his chest. “Point made. But I’m not that same young man anymore. I don’t race. And Mia isn’t an innocent seventeen-year-old.”

“Thanks to you,” her mother growled.

Another
zing
. Raleigh turned to Mia and murmured, “I’m not helping.” If anything, he was making things worse. He planted a kiss on her forehead. “I have to get to work. Unless you want me to stay?”

“I’ll be fine, go.”

“Call me later.” He turned to see her father watching the exchange with an odd expression.

He drove to the garage, planning to finish up his morning routine there. He hadn’t wanted to leave Mia to deal with her parents, but it was probably better if he wasn’t there.

Would they persuade her to break it off with him? She’d always had a strong spirit. She’d gone against their wishes all those years ago.
But look where that got her.

They did have some good points, and Raleigh knew they were only looking out for their daughter’s best interests. Truth be told, he wasn’t sure he
was
in her best interest. Would love and devotion be enough?

The morning dragged on, and Raleigh was grateful for the mindfulness of his work. Find the mystery rattle in the engine. Diagnose a computer glitch. Start a transmission job. At lunch, he checked his phone and found a text message from Mia:
Call me.

His chest tightened. Had they swayed her? He walked outside into the sunshine and called, his throat going drier with every ring.

Finally she answered, sounding breathless when she said, “Hey. I was up on a step stool in the linen closet.”

“How did things go this morning?”

She blew out a long breath. “I wish I’d been crawling around inside an engine with you. I am so sorry they showed up like that. You must have been…I don’t know. Embarrassed. Shocked.”

“Yeah, a little.” Ha. Understatement of the year. “Think they wanted to catch us in the act?”

“My mother did leave a message about them coming down last night. We were, uh, a bit busy at the time. She said they were coming to see how the house was progressing and if I needed any help. Oh, and they wanted to spend a little time with me. Not sure I buy that. Thanks for sticking around as long as you did. I’m sure that was awkward piled on top of embarrassed, with a side helping of mortified.”

“I wasn’t going to slink away. Sorry I had to head out.”

“No, that was perfect. It showed them that you’re responsible. You have a job.”

“Did anything get resolved with them?”
Like us?

“We’re at a stalemate. They think I’m crazy, and I think they’re stubborn and intrusive. But, you know, I realized I’ve never seen them be…well, in love. They don’t share a touch or a hug, and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen them kiss except when my father goes out of town on a business trip. Then it’s a peck. So they can’t possibly understand what we feel. I think they’re hoping that once I’m away from you I’ll come to my senses. That was after I assured them that, no, I wasn’t going to throw that job away. I made a commitment. I just didn’t mention that I’ll be applying for another one soon.”

Raleigh was torn. He didn’t want her to have a short term of employment on her record. But she was right; he couldn’t leave Cody. Raleigh was his only real father figure.

“I am still applying for another job, aren’t I?” she asked. “My parents didn’t change your mind?”

“No. Never. Sorry, didn’t mean to go silent. I just don’t like that you’re giving up your dream job so soon after you landed it.”

“Some things are more important than a job, Raleigh. Like people. You. Cody. Even Rose, whom I like, by the way.”

Raleigh plucked a weed from the ground and spun it between his finger and thumb. “She likes you, too.”

“She said that?”

“Yes. And that you were good people.”

“Aw.” She grew silent for a moment. “We’ll make this work.”

His fingers tightened on his phone. Hope. And the fear of losing it. “Yes, we will.”

“I love you, Raleigh. I keep wanting to say it, but it’s so new.” She laughed. “And I don’t want to inundate you. Or scare you off.”

“There’s nothing you could do or show me that would scare me off. I love you, too.” Saying those words felt foreign to him, too. He’d never heard them growing up. A couple of the gals he’d dated had said it, but he knew they hadn’t meant it. He’d never said it back.

“My parents are staying at a hotel tonight and leaving in the morning. They want to have dinner with me. With us.”

He cringed at the thought, and at losing time with Mia alone. They didn’t have much of it left before she had to leave. “Did they actually say ‘us’?”

“I said ‘us.’ That’s a new word, too.
Us
. They’re going to have to accept it. I know if they spend time with you they’ll see what I see.”

He leaned against the building, tossing the mangled weed. The heat from the sun-warmed metal eased the tension in his back. “And what’s that?”

“That you’re honorable and good and sweet and respectful. Of course, they won’t see the sexy-as-sin side of you that I see.”

He wouldn’t mention how her mother had taken in an eyeful. Instead, he let Mia’s words fill his soul with warmth. “I hope they see what you do.” He hoped he actually possessed what she saw.

“They will, baby. They will. Come home after work. We’ll have a little time before we meet them at Riccardo’s.”

That made him smile. “Are we going to clean out the pantry again?”

“Mmm, you bet.”

He kept that smile through the afternoon.

Peter came out near closing time. “Hey, since you don’t got one of those race cars waiting around, how ‘bout you finish Mrs. Watkins’s car tonight?”

“No can do. I have to get the cottage ready before the real-estate agent comes tomorrow.” He’d forgotten to tell Mia about that.

“I think it has more to do with Mia than it does with that house,” Peter groused, but with a smile.

“You may be right.”

“So maybe this garage selling is a good thing. Frees you up.”

If it made his boss feel better, Raleigh would agree. “Go ahead and accept the offer. From what the Realtor said, even if we get an offer on the cottage next week it could take a month or more to actually close. I’m all right with it,” he assured Peter. “Like you said, it frees me up.”

The man looked relieved. “Good.” He clapped Raleigh’s shoulder. “I wish you the best, I really do. You deserve it.”

Did he? Mia thought so. Obviously, Peter had seen the good in Raleigh, too. “Thanks. For everything.”

“All right, I’m outta here before we get all sappy. Have a good night.”

Mike popped his head out from beneath the car he’d been working on. “What are you going to do, Raleigh? I was hoping you’d open your own place. Maybe hire me.”

“I will, if it works out that way. I’m wide open right now.”

Free, as Mia had said. Scary and exciting at once. They closed up the garage and headed out. Raleigh glanced at the old building as he pulled away. He’d miss it, miss Peter. But the possibility of having Mia in his life was beyond any negatives.