Because This Is Forever (13 page)

Mia
finished packing his small lunch pack and handed it to him. She watched as her
son looped the wide strap over his slender shoulders. He looked very astute in
his pale yellow-collared shirt, which peaked through his thin brown, button-down
sweater.

Nate
finished his coffee and placed the mug in the sink. He, too, was smiling at
their son’s no-nonsense expression.

“Are
you sure about this?” Mia asked for the third time.

“Stop
worrying,” Nate told her. “My office is big enough for him to roam and keep
busy. The only damage he could possibly do is to a few spreadsheets.”

“That’s
what I’m worried about.”

“We’ll
be fine,” he said. “Now enjoy your day off. You deserve it.”

Mia nodded,
smiling. She certainly had her day filled. The package from Leah had come in and
she was eager to get back to picking out the right photos to bring to the
framers. Her sister had felt inclined to send all of their photo albums so Mia
had a busy day ahead of her. Since she had decided to keep this a surprise, she
had been forced to wait until Nate left for work each morning.

“Daddy,
come on,” Mikey said, making his way toward the door.

“Um,
excuse me, mister,” Mia called out. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

Mikey
paused then ran back to her, struggling to keep the lunch pack on his small shoulders.
She bent down and he gave her a quick kiss on the lips. “Bye, Mommy. I love
you.”

She
gave him another quick kiss. “I love you too, baby.”

He
ran to Nate and slipped his small hand into his. “Do you love Daddy too?”

Mia
froze.
Oh, Mikey, why would you ask me that?
Mia carefully kept her eyes on her son, avoiding Nate’s steady gaze. Their
son was quite oblivious to the tension between them.

“He
knows I do,” Mia said quietly. The silence that followed was thick.

“Come
on, Mikey,” Nate said quietly. “Let’s go.” When he turned to leave, Mikey stopped
him.

“Wait,
Daddy, you have to kiss Mommy goodbye too.”

Mia
shot Nate a startled glance. His shrugged and walked over to her, a wicked glint
in his eye. “I could use the practice,” he whispered.

Mia
held her breath as he drew near. Shaking her head slightly, she began
breathlessly, “You don’t have to—”

He
leaned down and silenced her with a feather light kiss on the corner of her lips.
It wasn’t the kiss she had been craving since their last kiss in the kitchen
but it still stole her breath.

“Bye beautiful,”
Nate whispered inches from her lips.

Mia stared
into his dark eyes, which reflected her flaming hunger. “Bye,” she breathed.

“Daddy,”
Mikey called out, penetrating through their cocoon of desire. “We’re gonna be
late for work.”

* * * *

“Rhodes
really screwed things up. There’s about fifty thousand dollars completely unaccounted
for in these reports.”

Nate
looked at the spreadsheet his chief-financial-officer, Drake Ross, had drafted
for him. They were trying to understand the extent of the damages Stephen Rhodes
had left behind and so far it was pretty wide. Drake and his team had studied
the reports, had redone the math, but the numbers were netting out to be the
same. There was no way it was a calculation error, which allowed for only two
scenarios. The money was either misplaced or taken. The latter left a simmering
rage in Nate’s gut but he didn’t let it show.

“Tracy
doesn’t know anything about this?” Nate asked mildly.

“Believe
me, I’ve gotten as much as I can out of her,” Drake said. “But she swears she’s
never handled the Bakersfield account and I believe her.”

Nate scowled.
It looks like MMC will have to eat the cost. He would be traveling to Seattle next
week and would have to smooth this over with their longtime client.

“Keep
looking into this,” Nate said. “It has to turn up somewhere.” For now, he would
keep his suspicions to himself. “In the meantime, the company will replace the
missing fifty grand but keep it quiet. I don’t want this coming out and making our
other clients nervous.”

Drake
agreed. “By the way, I’m switching around some of the teams and putting Janice Asher
on the Bakersfield’s account. She’s been here the longest, she’s smart and
likable. I think the client’s will be happy and comfortable with a fresh,
female face.”

Nate
grinned. “You don’t have to hard sell me. I like Janice. She just may be what
we need to patch-up this mess.”

“Do
you want her with you in Seattle next week?” Drake asked, coming to his feet.

Nate
shook his head. “I want my visit to look like nothing more than a courtesy stopover.
It’ll also give me a chance to talk to George first about these upcoming
account changes.”

There
was also the Leadership Summit he had to attend in San Diego. It suddenly
dawned on him that he would be spending the better part of a week out on the
west coast. That was a long time to spend away from Mia and Mikey. He instantly
resented signing up for the trip. Had he known they would be coming into his
life, he would have shared the responsibility of attending the summit with one
of his executives.

“Would
it help if I went with you?” Drake offered.

“No,
enjoy the time with your family.” Nate said, aware he was only offering out of
professional courtesy. His wife was pregnant with their third child and Drake made
it a point to limit his business travel, which Nate understood.

Drake
glanced behind him to where Mikey sat drawing on one of the large presentation
pads. “I see you’ve kept a family of your own tucked away,” Drake expressed mildly.
“If I had known you were bringing the little guy, I would have brought Caleb
with me.”

Nate
shrugged. “Maybe next time,” he offered noncommittally. Drake hadn’t been the
first to inquire about Mikey, but it still annoyed Nate to have to explain his
four-year-old son’s sudden presence. The fact that he had no pictures of Mikey
around the office made the stares and whispers even more frequent. It was
probably for the best though. This way he could appease the curious spectators now
before the company picnic.

“In
August, we’re throwing a birthday party for Caleb,” Drake said. “Maybe you can
bring Mikey.”

“I’ll
talk to Mia about it,” Nate said.

Drake
nodded, not pressing the issue.

It
wasn’t that Nate didn’t trust Drake but as a new father, he wanted to be
careful who he exposed his son to. He knew he was being overprotective but he
couldn’t help it. It was simply an innate reaction to protect the person that was
literally a part of him.

The
month was fast coming to an end, which only made Nate more aware of the
increasingly short time he had left with Mikey. His father’s words the night
before echoed in his head. He even had the card for the family attorney his
father had slipped him.

The
last thing he wanted was to turn things ugly between him and Mia, but then he
also didn’t want Mikey to just be a temporary fixture in his life. In the short
time they’d been together, he’d grown accustomed to his easy smiles, infectious
giggles, and wild stories. When he got home from work each night, he looked
forward to the time they spent together and valued every moment.

Just
as much as he savored Mia’s touch each morning.

She was
driving him deliciously insane with her soft touch but he wouldn’t—he
couldn’t—stop her. Those morning caresses were the only thing he had going for
him where she was concerned, and the only time she would come near him.

It was
late in the afternoon when he and Mikey finally left the office. It was a
bright, sunny day so Nate decided to take him to the Navy Pier. He couldn’t
remember the last time he’d ever ridden on a Ferris wheel, but it had been fun
to witness his son’s enthusiasm each time they rolled higher. He let Mikey go
on as many of the age-appropriate rides as he could, while he watched on the
sidelines.

Afterward,
Mikey wouldn’t leave until they picked up something from every food and candy
cart they passed.

“Mommy’s
not gonna be happy with you eating all this junk,” Nate warned when they
stopped at a cart selling roasted caramelized almonds.

“Please,
Daddy,” Mikey begged, pouting.

Nate
laughed at the somber look on his son’s already sticky face. “All right, but
don’t tell Mommy,” Nate said as he handed him the small bag of warm almonds.

“I
won’t!” Mikey exclaimed, digging into the bag.

Nate
shook his head. “I need to stop encouraging you,” he muttered, laughing.

They
found a table where they could rest for a while and eat their hoard of junk
food. They crowded the small table with their sweet roasted almonds, a clear
bag of pink and blue cotton candy, a hot dog with only relish and cheese sauce,
and a supersized soft pretzel with more cheese dip.

“Did
you have fun at work today,” Nate asked, digging into the bag of almonds. His
taste buds were immediately assaulted by the syrupy sweetness. If it was this
sweet for his adult tongue, what about Mikey’s? He suddenly questioned the
wisdom of his purchase, but Mikey seemed to like them and after a while, Nate grew
accustomed to the flavor.

Mikey
nodded enthusiastically. “Work was fun.”

Nathan
smiled. He was glad it had been for one of them. Though he had long ago come to
terms with his position at MMC and, on occasion, enjoyed running the company of
over two hundred, but corporate business wasn’t the path he would have chosen
for himself if he could do it all again. He certainly wouldn’t strong-arm Mikey
into the business as his father had done. He wanted his son to grow into his
own man, choose his own path.

 
Out of curiosity, Nate asked him, “Do you know
what you want to be when you grow up, Mikey?”

He
nodded again.

“What?”
Nate prompted.

“A
police officer like Auntie,” Mikey declared over a mouthful of crunchy almonds.
“And a doctor.”

Nate was
stunned. Not by Mikey wanting to be both a doctor and a cop. He wouldn’t be
surprised if his son went on to actually pursue both. But what four-year-old boy
knew they wanted to be a doctor?

“Why
a doctor?” Nate asked.

“So I
can save Mommy when she gets sick,” he said, his expression growing solemn.

His
words gave Nate chills. Had something happened to Mia? “What’s wrong with Mommy?”
Nate asked, trying to keep the sharpness from his tone.

Mikey
looked down at the table and shrugged. “If Mommy gets sick like Grammy, she’ll
go to heaven.” He looked up at him then, his eyes big and filled with tears. “I
don’t want Mommy to go to heaven.”

Nate
pulled his son onto his lap. “Don’t worry,” Nate said gruffly, giving him a
tight squeeze. “Mommy’s not going anywhere. I won’t let her.”

Nate
vaguely recalled the illness Mia had told him her mother had been diagnosed
with. It was some sort of lung disease but he hadn’t known it was life threatening.
She had said her mother had received treatment for it and had left it at that.
Now he felt like an ass for not even asking about her mother. He had only
spoken to Yvette Trent once or twice but wished he had gotten a chance to know
the woman who had reared such an amazing lady. Now she was gone. Mia had been
close to her mother and she must be hurting deeply from the loss.

Eventually
they made their way out of the pier but not without one more stop.

“Oh, Daddy,
can we?
Please.
”

Nate
looked at the older Asian man gesturing wildly to them, then at the array of
paints. He was going to regret this but the excitement and joy on Mikey’s face was
his deciding factor.

Nate shook
his head, laughing, and sat down on the small wooden stool.

Chapter
Twelve

When
Nate and Mikey walked into the apartment, Mia glanced up and her warm greeting fell
from her lips. The two characters that approached her had her bursting into
laughter.

“What
in the world…” Mia couldn’t stop laughing to make out her son’s animated story.
Looking at Nate’s painted face had her convulsing into wild giggles every time.
What possessed him to get his face painted like a bunny rabbit, she would never
know. He looked both adorable and ridiculous with his painted rabbit teeth,
rosy cheeks, and whiskers. Whereas their son looked utterly distinguished with
his mustache and beard. His pirate persona was complete with a painted
eye-patch and bandana.

Once
Mia could catch her breath, she reached for her phone. “I have to take a
picture.” Mia managed to snap a few pictures with her phone before Nate began
to advance on her.

“Mikey,”
Nate said, “I think Mommy could use a little face paint to.”

“Yeah!”
Mikey exclaimed then turned back to Nate. “But we don’t have any.”

Nate’s
eyes glittered. “Then we’ll just have to give her some of ours.”

Mia
shrieked as they trapped her on the sofa and rained down kisses on her cheeks,
forehead, and lips. Her struggles were weakened by her uncontrollable laughter and
when they finally pulled away, both their faces were a smeared mess. Nate’s
face was a kaleidoscope of colors. She couldn’t help but laugh again. Mia could
only imagine what hers looked like.

“Now that
you guys have ruined me, how do I look?” Mia kept her gaze on Nate when she
asked.

He
smiled impishly. “I think we missed a spot,” he whispered. “Here.” He leaned
down and kissed her on her neck. Mia couldn’t stop the shiver that coursed
through her. Nate noticed it too. His eyes sparkled. “And here.”

He
leaned down but this time his kiss landed fully on her lips. He lingered there
for a moment. Mia literally melted from the soft contact. Nate took advantage of
her weakened state by deepening the kiss. Her belly clenched and she placed a
trembling hand on his shoulder. Not to push him away, but to draw him near.

“Daddy,
stop kissing Mommy,” Mikey interrupted, tugging at Nate. “You promised we would
play treasure hunt.”

Frustration
and want overwhelmed her as Nate pulled away. His smoldering eyes mirrored her
own disappointment.
This is getting bad.

“Treasure
hunt?” she asked with a quivering smile.

Nate
shrugged, smiling back. “It was his idea. The story is I’m a stranded bunny,
turned sidekick, he found lost at sea. Now that I’m his trusty right hand,
we’re off to find some treasure.” Nate leaned closer and said in a low voice so
only she could hear. “But I’ve already found mine.”

Mia
read the meaning in his dark gaze. Her face heated and she smiled. “And will
you help your pirate-captain find his?”

Nate
smiled crookedly. “I’m actually going to hide some quarters around the
apartment to keep him busy while I wash this stuff off.”

Mia’s
laugh quickly turned into a pout. “Aww, but you look so pretty in pink.”

* * * *

Mia
sat in the living room waiting for Nate to join her. First he had to put Mikey to
bed. Their son had finally come down from his sugar high only to develop a severe
stomachache. He had purged most of the junk food he’d eaten and since Nate had
looked satisfyingly contrite when Mikey had gotten sick, she hadn’t berated him
too much about the junk food eating spree they’d indulged in.

Mia
had simply left it up to Nate to care for their son. “You broke him,” she’d
said. “You fix him.” This was just another lesson for Nate. Learning to say
no
.

He
eventually emerged and fell into the seat beside her. His strong, handsome
face, which had once been covered with paint, was now replaced with deep weariness.

“I
hope you learned your lesson,” Mia said, watching as he leaned his head back on
the sofa and closed his eyes.

“Yeah,”
he said adamantly. “We’re never going to that place again.”

Mia snorted.
“Your son recognizes easy prey, and you, Mr. Rabbit, are easy prey. But don’t
worry. In time you’ll learn to say no whenever he gives you
the look
.”

Nate
grunted. He looked as if he was about to fall asleep right there and Mia couldn’t
have that. Not before she showed him part one of her surprise.

“Nate.”

He
grunted again.

“I
have something I want to show you,” she whispered.

He
opened one eye and looked at her curiously.

She
handed him the soft, padded binder. He stared down at it but didn’t reach for
it. “What is it?”

“A
box of cigars,” she said exasperated then laughed. “Here,” she said, thrusting it
at him again. “Just open it.”

Nate
took the pale blue satin book from her hand and read the embossed print on the
front cover.
Michael Nathaniel Trent.
He swung his gaze toward her and Mia smiled up at him, though she suddenly felt
shy.

“It’s
Mikey’s baby book,” she whispered. “I thought you’d like to see him, you know,
from the beginning,” she added when he continued to stare at her.

Nate
looked back down at the book and ran his fingers over the design. He slowly
opened it. The first photo he lingered on was of her at thirty-two weeks. He
stared down at it intently then his lips quirked up in a small smile. She
hadn’t taken many pictures during her pregnancy, not feeling at all attractive
or tolerant of the camera. This was one of the few photos she had taken that
showed her with her round, extended belly. In the photo, she was modeling a black
T-shirt Leah had bought for her that read,
Hot
Mama Comin’ Through.
The bottom of her
round belly peeked through the snug tee.

The
next one was of a pale, pruney Mikey wrapped in the hospital’s plain white baby
garments. Beside the photo were his foot and hand prints. When he moved on to
the photo behind that one, Mia held her breath. Every time she saw it, she
relived that moment. It was a Polaroid photo of Mikey, only days old, in a neonatal
ventilator. Nate stared at the photo for a while then turned to her with a look
of such stark confusion and pain on his face, she had to turn away.

“He
developed a mild brain infection after the delivery,” she explained, looking
down at her hands. “He was in that ventilator for six days but thankfully nothing
serious developed from it.” She smiled gently. “As you can see, he’s as happy and
healthy as can be.”

Nate looked
back down at the photo. “He’s tiny.”

Mia
laughed softly. “He was actually nine pounds there. Too big for me to deliver
naturally.”

He
frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I
had a Caesarean.” At his blank look, she added. “A C-section.”

“I
know what it is,” he replied hoarsely then glanced down her middle. “Was it…are
you okay?”

She
smiled gently, touched by his concern. “Yeah. I’m all healed and recovered.”

He
continued to flip through the book, making small comments and asking questions.
Mia held herself rigid beside him, answering every one. Her hands clenched together
tight as sadness and regret came over her. He had missed out on so much in the
beginning because of her, because she hadn’t given him a choice in the matter.
The book wouldn’t make up for that but she hoped it could be a start.

“You
look beautiful,” he said quietly, staring intently at a photo of her cradling a
six-month-old Mikey while she breast-fed him. She wasn’t sure if Nate had meant
to say the words out loud but she blushed anyway.

He
didn’t speak again as he flipped through the rest of the book, his lips
occasionally quirking up at the many silly and spontaneous pictures they had
captured of Mikey. He got to the end of the book then looked over at her. The expression
on his face brought tears to her eyes.

“Thanks
for this,” he whispered, his eyes both humbled and appreciative. Mia turned
away, nodding.

He
put the book down and placed his hand under her chin, turning her back to face him.
“I only wish I had been there with you,” he said gently.

She
couldn’t stop the tear that slid down her cheek.

He
caught it with his thumb, his gaze piercing into her. “Why the tears?”

“Because,”
she sobbed, “I wish you had been there too.”

Pain and
guilt flashed in his eyes. He leaned down and brushed his lips across her
eyelids. “I promise, next time I will be.”

What did he mean?
However, Mia didn’t have time to register
his words. He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck as his lips moved
down her cheek then trailed down to her lips. At the slight parting of her lips,
he deepened the kiss, forcing her lips further apart with the soft pressure of
his. Mia placed her hand on his rough cheek and leaned into him, wanting his
touch, his warmth.

The tightening
in her belly became unbearable and she couldn’t help the soft moan that escaped
her. His gentle assault was wreaking havoc on her body, her senses, and she
couldn’t stop it.

She
didn’t want to.

Before
she knew it, his tender kiss turned fiery, all-consuming. He slanted his lips
over hers, their tongues engaged in a dance familiar only to them. He slid one
hand down the length of her and underneath her cami. Her nipples beaded in
anticipation as his rough, warm palm moved beneath the thin material and
brushed against her soft skin.

She
let out a low, sharp moan as he cupped and squeezed her aching breast. She leaned
into his hand, eager for his touch. His thumb brushed over the swollen bud and
she clutched fistfuls of his shirt as pain and pleasure coursed through her. Only
he knew what her body wanted.

Their
ragged breathing broke the deep silence in the room as liquid heat pooled between
her legs. He tore his lips from hers, trailing his lips across her cheek. His
hand continued its gentle kneading and rubbing.

“Tell
me now if you don’t want this,” he whispered thickly.

Mia was
too far gone to turn back now. She wanted him too badly, needed him too much.

She answered
him by placing a soft kiss on the side of his neck. He started this fire, now
she needed him to soothe her burn. She lightly licked the spot she’d kiss and he
shuddered, his control snapping. Reaching under her skirt, he stripped off her
panties and tossed them aside. Mia grabbed at his shoulders as he lifted her
over him.

“Nate,
wait,” she whispered fervently, straddling him. “What about—”

“I
can’t wait,” he said hoarsely, freeing himself from underneath her skirt. “I’ve
waited too long already.”

Her
skirt bunched around her hips and the heat of his hard, smooth shaft brushed
against her inner thigh. It had been so long that her inner muscles clenched and
pulsed in anticipation.

“Put
me inside,” he instructed thickly.

Mia hesitated
for only a heartbeat then grabbed his hot, hard length as he gripped her hips and
lifted her up. He guided her down and his blunt tip brushed against her soft,
wet opening. They both shuddered at the sensation. She sank down onto him,
feeling the incredible stretch as he pushed inside her. She couldn’t stop the
soft gasps that escaped her lips. She eased down inch by inch, the sensation so
electrifying her whole body shuddered. Nate let out a harsh growl then forced
her down, impaling her deeply. She cried out as the sweet burn pierced inside
her.

“You
okay?” he rasped into her ear, as he gripped the soft curves of her hips.

She nodded,
her head tucked in the crook of his neck. She remained still, savoring the full
sensation of him inside her again. She was adjusting to him and she was
fascinated by her body’s automatic softening and stretching around his hard
shaft.

Nate
held himself rigid beneath her then let out a sound that was part growl, part laugh.
“Okay, baby, just move when you’re ready.” He was rock hard and fighting for
self-control. Even with his sharp need, he was letting her set the pace.

At that
moment, she fell a little bit more in love with him.

She eventually
began to move, slowly rocking against him, wrenching deep groans from both of
them.

He
captured her lips for a deep kiss then pulled down her cami and brought his
warm mouth over her hard, aching nipple. The fire inside her became an inferno and
she began to move urgently above him.

Soft
gasps and moans tore from her as he licked, sucked, and teased her swollen
flesh. She gripped his hair and held him to her tender breasts. She trembled and
shivered around him, like a leaf caught in a storm, with no control over her
quivering limbs. She rode him, rocking and gyrating above him until the
sensations became too intense, too agonizing for her to continue. Completion was
near but she was wound too tight to take herself over the edge.