MIA STIRS BESIDE ME, slowly climbing out of sleep. A warm smile curves her lips when her crisp green eyes meet mine.
She cups a hand over her mouth. “Morning.”
I raise a brow and pull it away. “Don’t hide from me, Kitten.”
She turns her chin into the pillow and groans. “Morning breath.”
I climb over her, caging her in with my arms, and drop my weight, sinking her into the mattress. She laughs and tries to squirm out from under me, but I catch both of her hands and suck on her bottom lip.
She freezes, then melts when I stroke my tongue inside her mouth. It’s a gentle, tender kiss. Nothing like the hurried need from last night. I’m savoring every sip of her.
She nips my bottom lip, and I pull back, matching her smile with my own.
“I can’t breathe.” she groans, and I roll onto my back, pulling her with me so that she is still tucked in my arm. “Better?”
“Mmhmm.” She scans the empty bed, then raises a brow at me.
“He went to get coffee.”
I don’t want to tell her that when River woke up this morning, he took one look at her, and the muscle in his jaw ticked as he stroked her hair behind her ear. He watched her for several minutes, not knowing I was watching him. He looked almost tortured, like somehow he had exactly what he wanted and everything he didn’t.
“I could get used to this,” River says from the doorway. He steps into the room, closing the door behind him, and leans against the wall with the tray of coffees in his hands. He looks so relaxed, black t-shirt, with low-slung shorts and his perfectly styled hair a mess from her fingers running through it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him like this.
River’s eyes follow her legs dangling over my waist, and they darken as they trace the smooth skin leading to the center of her thighs.
He smirks as he brings his coffee to his lips and says, “You better get up. Everybody’s waiting for you.”
“Oh my God.” Mia stiffens and pushes up on her palms, flying off the bed.
My lips curve, and I smile as I watch her frantically run through the room, searching through her suitcase to grab something to wear. She throws on this adorable pink sundress but doesn’t even think to put anything else underneath it. I drop my feet to the floor, grabbing behind her knees and leading her toward me. She tries to wiggle away, but I run my palm from her calf up the back of her thigh and grasp her ass. “How about you dress like this every day?”
“I’ll remember that when I get home.” She bats my hands away, ignoring my growl, and heads toward the door, smiling up at River as he passes her a coffee.
Her cheeks flush pink as she takes him in, and he watches her with intense eyes.
“Morning,” she says.
“Morning, Love.” River cups the back of her neck and tugs her up on her toes, placing a kiss between her brows. “You better hurry. The girls are asking about you.”
My gaze trails Mia as she rushes out the door before meeting River’s hot gaze. His eyes dart away, and he studies the scenery out the back windows.
I’m sitting on the bed with my feet planted on the floor, completely naked, and something feels off. River must think so, too, because he clears his throat and nods toward the door before heading out.
I lick my lips, which still taste like Mia, and pull on shorts and a loose white T-shirt before following them out.
By the time I get to the lobby, everybody’s there—Jax and Sidney, Piper and Lucas, and Misty and Shana. Their luggage is stacked in piles at the front door, waiting for the bellmen to take them to their car.
I watch Mia talk with Piper. She’s all smiles and warm and happy. A gentle hum vibrates my chest. It’s such a stark contrast from how she looked a few days ago. The delicate skin under her eyes had been tinged purple from lack of sleep, and she had a nervous skittishness about her. All of that’s replaced with a bright easiness. She practically cackles at something Sidney and Piper say, and it tightens something in my chest.
“So, you want to talk about it?” Jax grins at me as he grips my shoulder and gives it a squeeze.
“Talk about what?” I raise a brow, not ready to talk about this weekend. Not ready to assess how much I fucked up.
“Don’t look at me like that. You know this was all a part of Sidney and Piper’s plan, right?”
I give him a side-eye look. “You told me you had nothing to do with this.” I huff out a laugh, pinch my nose, and look toward the sky. “I’m not sure if I should thank you or punch you.”
Jax’s brows pull down in the middle as he looks at me with concern. “It’s just the weekend?”
“Yeah.” He’s right—it’s just a weekend, but it’s not what I want. It’s not what I ever wanted.
“So how did you convince her to stay an extra day?” Jax smirks
I can feel heat climbing my neck. “A lady never kisses and tells.”
Jax laughs before his gaze turns serious. “She looks better, you know. Whatever you guys are doing, it’s helping.”
A mixture of pride and dread fills my chest because it is working. I can see it in the way she smiles with her whole face. In the way she stands straighter and how relaxed she is when she talks to Sidney and hugs her goodbye. I want to make her feel like this all the time. I want to be the one that she depends on. That’s what makes this being the last day so hard.
I pat Jax’s back. “Just take care of her. I know you and Sidney already do, but look out for her for me. Alright? Make sure she’s okay.”
Jax nods, looking way too serious. “I’ve got her.”
Mia walks up to us, giving Jax a warm hug, and then stands to my side.
He looks back and forth between us and grins. “So tell me, Mia, what convinced you to stay another night?”
She rolls her eyes, her cheeks a pretty hue of pink. “I’ll see you at home, Jaxy.”
He laughs at the sound of Piper’s childhood nickname and rubs his knuckles against the top of her head.
The pinch of jealousy surprises me, not because I think he’s hitting on her; anybody with eyes can see he is a goner for Sidney. It’s his easiness with her, the familiarness. The fact that I know after tomorrow, she’ll be gone from my life again, and she’ll still be in his. I swallow hard and grab the back of my neck. I’m being an asshole.
“See you at home.” Jax shoves her shoulder lightly. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
I wrap my arms around her middle, pulling her back to my chest. I rest my chin on her head as we watch them leave.
River comes up to us and tilts his head as he takes us in. “We got to hit the gym, but I scheduled you a massage for the afternoon.”
She makes an almost squeal-like sound of excitement, then clears her throat. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“No, I didn’t have to do that, but I wanted to.”
We walk her to the spa, and I kiss her temple before she leaves. I glance up at River, suddenly furious he’s making me work out and miss out on time with her.
He smirks. “Trust me, she needs a break for what I have planned later.”
