“Funny.” Leaning in, he kissed my forehead. He knew it would normally shut me up because his forehead kisses always took my breath away. But I was too upset to let him distract me.
“I’m serious. You’re acting so mysterious about whatever it is you’re doing, and it’s starting to make me wonder what the hell you’re really up to.”
“I’ll go with her,” Braxton quickly offered from the back seat, trying to put a stop to the argument that was about to blow up. “Who wouldn’t want to go on a private jet with some rock legend and two hot girls?”
“Yeah,” I muttered, clasping my hands together in my lap and looking straight ahead out the windshield. “Who could possibly turn that down?”
Barrick, that was who.
Nevaeh and her grandfather were going to be stopping to pick me up on their way to New York City. Cole Steel, the biggest legend the rock world had ever seen, was hosting me and any friends I wanted to bring with his eldest granddaughter for the entire weekend.
And apparently, my boyfriend had better things to do.
Chapter 13
Barrick
There was already a huge private jet waiting on the tarmac when security waved me forward. Driving up almost to the steps of the massive thing, I glanced over at Mia, who’d been quiet the entire drive.
She was pissed at me.
I was pissed at me too, but there was nothing I could do about that. Not yet. And if I didn’t want to lose her—which I fucking didn’t—I couldn’t tell her a damn thing about this meeting I was going to after I put her on that jet.
“Will you at least tell me if it’s dangerous or not?” she finally whispered.
Unbuckling my seat belt and hers, I grabbed her and pulled her onto my lap. Her ass hit the steering wheel as she straddled me, and like it always did whenever she touched me in any way, my body instantly responded. Those big green eyes I loved more than life filled with hunger, and it took everything inside me not to unfasten my jeans and tear her leggings away so I could sink balls deep into her tight heat.
“It’s not dangerous, I swear. This is just a meeting. If it weren’t important, I would be walking on to that plane with you right now. I hate that we’re going to be away from each other until Sunday. It’s killing me. But I have to do this.”
For a single heartbeat, her chin trembled and my sanity began to claw at the inside of my skull. But then her face cleared, and she nodded. “Just be careful.” Reaching for the door handle, she opened it and climbed out.
From the back seat, Braxton took that as his cue, and he got out with her. Opening the rear, he pulled out both their cases, and I hit the steering wheel. I owed Braxton a hell of a lot, especially for covering for me this weekend so Mia wouldn’t miss out on her time with her cousin and she wouldn’t be around for this meeting.
If she got so much as a hint of what this meeting was really about, she would leave me. I wouldn’t let that happen, though.
Falling in love with Mia wasn’t part of the plan. I was risking a hell of a lot because of it, but I was in too deep to care what the client said at this point. There was no fucking way I was letting her go, and I didn’t care who I had to take on to make sure I didn’t lose her.
Mia started toward the stairs, but I couldn’t let her leave without one more kiss. Jumping out, I jogged after her. “Firecracker,” I called and she turned.
Seeing the pain in those big eyes of hers, I nearly fell to my knees at her feet. Instead, I wrapped my arms around her tiny waist and lifted her up until our mouths melded together.
She kissed me back hungrily, her fingers thrusting into my hair as my tongue took possession of her mouth. I tried to put everything I felt for her into that kiss, silently promising her all the things I knew I could never speak aloud.
When I drew back enough to let her breathe, I pressed my forehead to hers. “Have fun. Don’t do anything reckless. Listen to Braxton. And most important…” I breathed in deeply, taking her scent inside me. “Miss me.”
“Idiot,” she muttered with a laugh, shaking her head at me. “I already miss you.”
“Mia!”
She squealed and jumped out of my arms. “I gotta go. See you Sunday!” she called as she ran up the stairs and threw her arms around the beautiful girl standing at the top waiting for her.
Laughing, they hugged like they hadn’t seen each other in years. “About time you got here!” Nevaeh Stevenson scolded with a grin.
“Hey, hooch. I had to work.” Linking her arm through her cousin’s, Mia paused at the door and blew me a kiss before entering the jet.
Braxton was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. Both cases still in his hands, he had his eyes glued to where both girls had just disappeared. I walked over to him. “Thanks for this,” I told him for the hundredth time since he’d offered to go with Mia to New York. “I owe you one.”
“Yeah, you fucking do,” he snarled, turning on me like a caged animal. “This shit is getting old. I’m tired of lying and hiding everything from her. Deal with it so we don’t have to sneak around.”