Her brows rose as she took in my words. “I—”
My hands fell and I rested one on my hip. I closed my eyes and held the other hand out. “No, Mia. You don’t need to explain. I clearly misread the situation.” I let out a long sigh, looking anywhere but at her. “It’s just that I’ve never felt this way about anyone before, and I know you’re Harry’s sister, but…but I thought…” I groaned a laugh. “Well, I feel like an idiot.” Then I actually did laugh. I peeked up at her, speaking softly through my discomfiture. “I thought you were jealous tonight. It never occurred to me that you were just embarrassed to be seen with your hooker.”
We stood there, cautiously looking at one another, Mia wringing her hands together and me unable to speak. I had no idea how to fix this.
Just as I began to apologize, she spoke, whisper-soft, “I was jealous.”
My head snapped up. “What?” I was sure I hadn’t heard her right.
She looked down at her hands, speaking a little louder, “I was jealous.” She took a small step back and wrapped her arms around herself. “I hated her, because she was with you. And my date the other night?” She closed her eyes and breathed out a shaky, “I did that because I was falling for you.” Her smile trembled. “I had to get out before I was in too deep. I needed to forget about you, because…” her eyes shone bright, “because jealousy was killing me.”
Then it was my turn to stare.
Mia shrugged lightly. “I would’ve never asked you to leave your job. I never thought we even had a chance. I tried so hard to make out like it wasn’t a thing, but”—she blinked rapidly and a tear trailed her cheek—“it was killing me.”
My brow creased. “What are you…?” I took a step toward her, my eyes never leaving hers. “What are you saying?” Another step forward. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Her lip twitched and I rushed out, “Because if you’re saying what I think you’re saying, then you need to get over here right now or I’m coming after you, and when I catch you, I’m never letting you go.”
A second tear escaped, and she laughed and sobbed at the same time. Then she grinned at me and said something I would remember for the rest of my life. “Come and get me.”
It took three more steps for me to claim my girl…five minutes to hear her whisper she loved me…and a night of lovemaking to prove it.
And I knew it would take an eternity before I got my fill of Mia Bridgeton.
Chapter Forty-Three
Mia
I rolled my eyes at the doofus stealing all the blankets. “We are not doing this.”
Quinn sat up, his gloriously bare torso on display. “Why not? It’s a perfectly good and fair way to make a decision.”
I scoffed, pulling the sheets up to my chest as I sat up against the headboard. “I’m not doing this. It’s ridiculous.” He didn’t answer, just held out a fist and raised a brow. I shook my head vigorously.
He sighed long and low, lowering his fist. “I want to talk to Harry. You want to talk to Harry. Rock, paper, scissors is a completely legit way to handle this.” He added hastily, “You’re a girl; you don’t get it. There’s a code between friends. I never should’ve touched you, and now that I have, I should talk to him.” I opened my mouth to protest, but he held up a hand and rushed out, “But…I love you, and I love you enough to do this the fair way.” Out came the damn fist again.
Whenever he said those sneaky words, I was ready to rob a bank for him. I reached over to cup his cheek. “I love you, too.” I let my hand drop, wrapping my palm gently around his fist and bringing it to my chest. “He’s my brother, Quinn.”
His hazel eyes bore into mine as he uttered, “Mine, too.”
My heart stuttered. I was mentally terrified of approaching my brother. “He’s going to be mad,” I stated.
Quinn snorted. “Um…ya think?”
You know what? Maybe Quinn should talk to him.
Coward!
He smiled as I wore my indecision like a fluorescent pink headband. He leaned down, pressing a lingering kiss to my cheek, and I breathed him in. The scent of him calmed me. He kissed my cheek, over and over, before kissing my lips once, whisper-soft. “Let me talk to him.” I opened my eyes to find a cautious but sincere man looking back at me. “Please. Let me do this.”
Heart racing, I admitted quietly, “I’m scared.”
His hesitation told me he felt the same, but he covered with, “Everything’s going to be fine. I promise.”
I watched Quinn dress from my place on the bed. Silently, I wondered how this had all happened and, more importantly, how I managed to make a man like Matt Quinn fall in love with little ‘ole me.
A small stretched my lips and Quinn caught it. “Pervert,” he muttered under his breath, and I laughed.
He left with the promise to return in a couple of hours, and from the second he walked out the door, I waited with bated breath.
It was only four in the afternoon, but after my shower, I dressed straight into my pajamas. I told myself I wasn’t counting the two hours and thirty-five minutes Quinn had been gone. With every minute that passed, a sense of calm washed over me.
Harry had to understand. I knew once Quinn explained he’d accept that we loved each other and support us. This was Harry we were talking about. Harry was smart and rational, and he was my biggest fan. He would want me to be happy.
I’d just plaited my freshly washed hair when I heard shouting coming from the hall. I couldn’t make out exactly what was being said, but two men were yelling over the top of each other, and both of them sounded irate. My heart skipped a beat as I rushed to unlock my apartment door. I hadn’t realized by doing that I was inviting World War III into my living room.
The door slammed open and I managed to get out of the way just in time to watch my door handle make a hole in my wall.
Harry stomped into the room, looking furious. “Mia, what the fuck?”
I blinked, eyes wide. My heart beat harder than a staccato drumbeat. I took a step back.
Quinn came in a second after, glowering at my brother, a trickle of blood running down his nose and over his top lip. I took a step toward him, hand extended, and near shouted, “You’re bleeding.”
A hand clamped my wrist and pulled me back. I stumbled, but righted myself before I fell. Harry didn’t notice and spat, “Don’t you fucking touch her,” at the very same time Quinn’s eyes flashed and he hissed, “Get your fucking hands off her.”
I turned in time to see Harry threaten Quinn through narrowed brows, “I’m going to kick your ass.”
Quinn smiled viciously in response, licking at the blood on his lip. “You already tried and did a shitty job of it, buddy.” The use of the endearment ‘buddy’ came out as if he were anything but.
My voice shook. “What’s going on with you two?” I shook Harry’s hand off and stepped away from both of them, doing my best to steel my shaking voice. “What the hell?” But they ignored me.
“You’re not dating my sister,” Harry grated.
I jerked at his tone. It was one I’d never heard before.
Quinn growled, “Never asked your permission.”
Harry barked a laugh. “What a fucking joke you are.”
“You’d know. You always did have a way of saving me from myself,” Quinn stated honestly.
“Does anyone care about what I think?” I manage to say. But it was as futile as talking to a blender and a brick wall.
Harry’s face turned bright red. “You’re not good enough for her. You never were.”
Quinn’s face turned pained. He yelled back, “You think I don’t know that? Fuck!” He panted a distressed, “I love her.”
Harry threw back his head and laughed. And the sound of it shriveled my heart. It was cruel and punishing, and I’d never heard my brother be any of those things before. Quinn closed his eyes, wounded.