Protected by the HERO (49 page)

“Stay away from me,” I said quickly as I picked my purse up from the floor and turned running out of the office.

“Mia!” I heard him call after me but I didn’t want to hear it, any of it, I just needed to get out of there.

I ran down the hallway and made my way back to the party which was still very much alive and seemed to have more people than before. I made my way through all of the people, pushing through as I wiped the tears from my cheeks.

A hand suddenly grabbed me in which I quickly slapped away. I turned and it was Susan Rose with a look of worry on her beautiful face.

“What’s wrong? Talk to me,” she said as clutched my arm and attempted to pull me aside.

“I have to go, I’m sorry,” I said quickly as I released the hold she had on my arm and made my way outside. I hurried down the stairs and asked the valet to bring my car around quickly.

I walked over to the driver side once my car had come to a stop. As I climbed into my car, I saw through the passenger’s side window that Derek was standing at the bottom of the stairs. His eyes pleaded with me to take a moment to talk to him, but I couldn’t do it. This wasn’t going to work for me. I couldn’t be with someone who right off the bat was attempting to hide something from me. I tore my eyes away from his frame and turned to the road.

I drove off and didn’t look behind me.

*****

I resented the loud chirping that woke me the next morning. I grunted and pulled the covers over my body to block the light. I wasn’t ready to get up and deal with what had occurred at Susan’s engagement party.

“Oh shoot,” I muffled into my mattress as I remembered I ran out on Susan’s party without even telling her why. I crawled out of bed and started the hunt for my phone. I sat on the floor and gathered my purse into my lap and attempted to locate the device. When I did, I realized it had died sometime during the night.

Last night was an emotional blur. Derek Hunt, my tall, dark, and mysterious man was perhaps a little too dark and mysterious for my taste. For reasons unknown to me, Derek knew who I was but was hesitant to tell me how or why he knew me.

I sighed. The emotions of last night were getting to me. I had given myself to the man intimately and this is how it turned out.

I plugged the phone in to the wall outlet and pressed the button to reactivate it. I figure there would just be a million messages from Susan who was probably trying to piece together what happened, detective style. Waiting for my phone to warm up, my suspicions were right on as messages and voice mails exploded in my notifications. Most of them from Susan Rose.

I couldn’t decide whether to call her so I got up and cleaned myself up. In the emotional madness of last night, I only managed to take off my shoes before passing out on my bed. I went to the bathroom and started a hot bath for myself. I placed my phone next to the tub so I could sort through the messages while I soaked.

I stripped off my dress and allowed it to pool at my feet. I stepped into the hot bath carefully and sunk myself all the way into the water, letting the hot liquid relax my body. After a moment, I took a deep breath and grabbed my phone and began reading the messages.

“What happened to you?”

“Why aren’t you answering???”

“MIA! What’s wrong!?”

“Derek is upset too! What is going on?”

I sighed and tossed my phone on the rug near the bath. I sunk into the water and stared at the tiled wall. Derek should be upset. That’s what he deserves for trying to be all mysterious. I decided I would not think about the whole ordeal anymore and completely erase Derek Hunt from my memory.

I took an hour in the bath before I was ready to get out. As I did, my phone rang from the floor. I assumed it was Susan Rose. I felt bad at that point for ignoring her. She was just trying to be a good friend, so it was only right I explained to her what happened. When I picked up the phone from the floor, I peeped at the caller I.D and immediately noticed it was not a number I recognized. Maybe she was calling from a car phone? I shrugged and picked up the call.

“Susan? Look I’m sorry I’ll explain—”

“Mia.” A male voice came through from the other line causing me to stop talking. It was him.

“How did you get my number?” I said slowly while I wrapped a towel around my damp body and planted myself on the edge of the tub.

“Susan gave it to me. Look, about last night that was not how I wanted to tell you, especially after what we did. It was not the time or place. Are you free now?”

I hated that he was so calm, while I sat here fuming all over again. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to see him; once again torn between rationality and my curiosity.

“Mia?” he asked as I sat there in silence.

“Yes I’m free,” I finally answered.

“I’ll text you the address to the restaurant I am in.”

“Fine.”

With that I ended the call. I stared at the phone.

I would finally be getting some answers.

*****

I found myself at a modest looking brick building; it had a mom and pop feel to it.

I walked through the entrance. I was greeted by a middle-aged woman who brightly smiled at me, improving my mood just a bit. I gave her my name and informed her I was meeting a man here. Without missing a beat she knew who I was and who I was here to see. With a menu in hand she led me towards the back of the restaurant.

I was brought to an intimate corner separated from the busiest part of the restaurant. Tucked away in the corner was a round table with a booth-like chair semi-circling it. In the middle sat the man who had brought an exhausting amount of emotions out of me in the last twenty-four hours.

When he saw me, he patted the spot next to him urging me to sit. I rolled my eyes and slid into the spot but kept my distance from him. The hostess of the restaurant placed down my menu and informed me she would get a glass of water for me. I thanked her with a smile and immediately picked up the menu.

“You’re buying.” I said nonchalantly as I scanned the menu items. I heard a small chuckle from him, he then took the menu from my hand and turned serious.

“I’m here to answer your questions Mia, so ask,” he said before taking a sip from the glass in front of him. I wondered if he was as nervous as I was.

I took a deep breath and faced him properly.

“How do you know me?”

“You know me too, Mia. I’m a little hurt you could forget me so easily,” he said. I raised an eyebrow, the irritation rising steadily.

“Your father—”

“Is dead,” I said, cutting him off. But I was confused as to how my deceased father could be involved in this. He died when I was young; even so I knew that when he was alive he was obsessed with money rather than his family. Mom never talked about it much, but the gist of it was that he lost a lot of it in bad investments, which was why we never ended up with any of it.

“Yes. Now listen. My father’s business makes billions now, but that was not always the case. He didn’t start it up by himself. Your father was involved as well.”

I leaned back in the chair and crossed my arms looking ahead in thought.

“So that is how you and I know each other?” I asked, trying to fill in the blanks.

“Yes from childhood.”

I could not believe that the two of us were childhood friends. I had no recollection of his face or even his name.

“You are wondering why you don’t remember me.” Derek spoke as if he was reading my mind.

“Yeah,” I admitted as I sipped the water that had been placed in front of me. I took a large gulp trying to soothe my throat, which had quickly become dry during the conversation.

“As I recall, immediately after your father died, you and your mother moved. I could imagine the experience would be traumatic for a child so you probably forgot about everything associated with this city. Which is why I was surprised to find that you had moved back.”

I moved back exactly one year ago, I felt that I had been ready to come back.

“So when you saw me in the bar was the first time you had seen me since our childhood?”

“Yes,” he said, smiling.

I leaned towards the table and looked away from him. It felt true, what he was telling me. It would also explain why it felt so right to be with him. I looked back at him and nodded in acceptance of what was told to me.

“That explains a lot of things,” I said finishing my water. I still could not place him. My recollection of those days was patchy.

“I loved you back then. That’s why after so many years your face was never erased from my mind.”

I blushed instantly at his words, and looked downward.

“Mia look at me,” he said as he reached over and cupped my cheek. I gazed up into his eyes. Slowly, a memory came back to me from long ago, of a boy with dark hair and hazel eyes.

My heart skipped a beat. I wanted to ask him why he didn’t just tell me when I asked him the night before, why he let me storm out. But I think I already knew the answer.

Different words came to my lips.

“Let’s get out of here.”

*****

Somehow we ended up at Derek’s penthouse suite, which of course put my apartment to shame. I walked in removing my shoes as I looked around at the interiors and furnishings. It was decorated very nicely, with an appropriate number of art paintings on the wall.

I turned to find that he was standing behind me.

“Nice place,” I said pretending to be unimpressed.

“Unimpressed?” he said with a chuckle. There he went, infiltrating my mind again.

“No, no, very impressive,” I said clasping my hands behind my back strolling the massive space. I suddenly felt hands snake around my waist pulling my back to his chest.

“Wait till you see the bedroom,” he whispered into my ear. Chills to run up and down my spine.

I’m sure I would have found the bedroom impressive as well had I not found myself on my back on the firm bed staring at the ceiling. Derek climbed on top of me and began to kiss and nip at my heated skin. As he traveled down he began to unbutton my blouse and swiftly removed my skirt and panties.

I lay panting as his lips brushed past my neck, my collarbone, and kissing the space between my breasts. He fondled one breast in his hand while his mouth occupied the other. I moaned his name as my legs wrapped him bringing him closer to me.

He released my nipple and continued down my body with his kisses. I felt him plant himself on his knees. He grabbed my legs, placing them on his shoulders and pulling me to the edge of the bed. His tongue was immediately on me causing me to arch my back and grab his head. His tongue expertly trailed my opening, licking up and down ending with a hard flick of his tongue on my clit. I moaned out, my thighs gripping his head as he tortured me with his tongue.

I held myself on my elbows to watch him drive me crazy. His hazel eyes looked back at me without stopping his tongue tricks, and I lost it. I fell back on the mattress and came fast and hard, my hips jerking and my thighs clamped around his head.

I panted trying to regain my breath; he didn’t allow me that luxury. In a few short moments he was suddenly on top of me wrapping my legs around his waist.

“You’re not allowed to get tired yet,” he said in a low tone. I felt him pressed against me. I whimpered, still sensitive from my orgasm. He crashed his lips into mine and with a swift thrust of his hips was fully inside of me. I moaned as I enveloped his size. I bit my bottom lip as his thrusts, slow and deliberate, aimed for that spot. I moaned his name over and over.

His teeth dug into my neck as his thrusts were short apart and rougher. He was close. My nails dug into his back and my legs wrapped tighter around him.

“Come for me,” I moaned into his ear. The comment alone warranted a low, drawn out groan as he held me close and came with a shudder.

We both lay there panting for a moment trying to regain the feeling in our bodies. He eventually rolled off of me but took me with him causing me to lie on his chest.

I made circles with my finger on his chest. My eyes rose to look at him, but I kept silent.

“What is it Mia?” he asked in that familiar, after sex, tone.

“I was just wondering why you don’t have a girlfriend or anything,” I said quietly.

“It is hard to find someone who sees me for who I am, and not for my money,” he said. He looked to me with a smile. “I also think I was holding out for you.”

I looked down trying to hide the smile that tugged at the corner of my lips.

“It’s cute how you’re embarrassed when I say those things,” he said with a small chuckle, his eyes closing.

I didn’t respond, and let him rest. Once I felt his chest steadily rise and fall I gently climbed off of him. I grabbed his t-shirt and placed the large garment over my naked body. I gently opened the door to the balcony and allowed the outside air to fill my lungs.

This all felt too good to be true, to re-unite with a boy from my childhood who had loved me.
Loved me?
I thought about those words. Could we really be together?