Disastrous: Cautious Part 3

"A storage unit don't sound like a bad idea, boss." Vinnie mentioned.

Lou shook his head. "No, too many people go in and out of storage units, and if a deal goes wrong, they'll hear gunshots. It's too risky."

"We do exchanges at three sometimes two in the morning; storage units are packed during the day. There's no way we'll b.u.mp into anyone." Vinnie argued.

"I f.u.c.kin' said 'no' and that's that. Anybody got a problem with that?" He looked around the room, and when no one responded, he went on, "Your job, Marky, is to come up with a new location for our exchanges by next week. Vinnie, you can help him with that, but no storage units. If you can find a warehouse outside of Boston that's been secluded for years, I'm in. Other than that, it will be here."

"You do understand this is a club, full of people six nights a week?" I clarified.

c.o.c.king his head, his stare hardened. "Exactly, six nights a week, Marky. Our exchange dates can easily be changed to Sundays." With that said, he and Gio were gone.

After the meeting with Lou and the men, I took care of a few issues regarding inventory at the Club and then headed home. By the time I got into bed, it was close to three in the morning. What a f.u.c.king night! Tossing and turning, I couldn't get comfortable and had trouble falling asleep. My mind drifted back and forth between the night before when Mia and I were standing in the pouring rain as I begged her to take me back, and a few hours before when I found out about all the s.h.i.+t I was going to have to deal with in trying to locate a new spot for Lou's exchanges.

I felt physically drained with all of the f.u.c.king stress between Mia and me, as well as the whole f.u.c.king Lou situation. I wished Mia was lying next to me so I could feel her warm soft skin, kiss her lips, and lose myself in those eyes. She made everything go away, even if it was for a few hours or just a couple of minutes. If it weren't so early in the morning, I would have called her just to hear her voice. Not able to control myself, I sent her a quick text telling her that I loved her, and to my surprise, she responded immediately.

Mia (2:58 a.m.): I love u too. Why r u still up?

Me (2:58 a.m.): Can't stop thinking of u. The real question is why r u still up?

Mia (2:59 a.m.): Can't stop thinking of u.

My phone rang, and it was her on the other line. "So I guess we're having the same issue, huh?" I asked.

"I guess so. Want to talk until we fall asleep? It's probably our best bet."

"Or, I could just go over there, and we can fall asleep together." I was hoping she'd say yes, because I'd jump in my car within seconds.

"Mmmh, as tempting as that sounds, I know you, Marcus, and your charming ways, so for now, as we live through our bet, no sleeping in the same room."

"d.a.m.n it, for a second there, I thought you would cave in."

She giggled. Yes, I could fall asleep to that sound! "You should know me better than that, Marcus. I never back down from a bet."

"Well, you should know me better too, because I will try everything in my power to force you to back down from your bet."

"We shall see. We'll see each other tomorrow, oh well, a few hours actually. We're still on for our date at noon?"

"Of course, we are. I promised my girl a good time."

As we talked through the early morning, I didn't remember falling asleep with the phone pressed between the pillow and my ear. As stressful and as long as my day had been, it didn't matter. None of it mattered because I was able to hear the sound of her voice, the sound of her breathing, and everything else at that moment just faded away.

CHAPTER FOUR.

MIA.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Reaching for my phone, I shut the alarm off. My head felt as if I was recovering from a hangover, but it was from lack of sleep. Yawning, I stretched a little longer than usual, tossed the covers off, and prepared for the day ahead.

Coffee. I needed coffee. Marcus was going to be there in a few hours, and I wanted to be well energized for the day he had planned for us. As curious as I was about what those plans were, I shoved the thoughts aside and settled on being surprised. After I entered the kitchen, I made a cup of Joe, grabbed a magazine, and nestled into a stool by the island. As I inhaled the freshly brewed coffee, my mind drifted through scenes from the last four months.

Marcus and I had been through a lot in our relations.h.i.+p. We'd been through more ups and downs than most couples. Despite everything, it all boiled down to the fact that, no matter what happened, I still loved him. Looking back, I realized that we could only grow from our experiences, which would hopefully make us stronger.

Taking another sip of my coffee, I glanced over the mug and saw Megan walking out of Jeremy's room. I knew she'd slept in his room the night before, but it was her appearance that had me in shock. Her long, light brown hair was tousled with the I-just-got-f.u.c.ked-look and the t-s.h.i.+rt she wore wasn't hers. Megan stood frozen when she took note of me. The both of us stared with puzzled expressions on our faces. Slowly I placed the mug on top of the granite counter, raised a brow, and cleared my throat. "Why are you wearing Jeremy's s.h.i.+rt?"

Megan's lips curved into a mischievous grin as she placed a hand on her hip. "Well, if you must know, we started by making out. Then . . ." She ran her hands up the side of her curves with a slight s.h.i.+mmy to her shoulders.

She stopped her show at the wave of my hand. "No, please spare me the details. I don't want specifics. I want to know what's going on between the two of you. Are you guys dating?"

Megan laughed, shook her head, and opened the fridge to pull out a carton of orange juice. "Don't be ridiculous. We're just f.u.c.kin'." She stated nonchalantly while pouring herself a drink.

"Ah, just f.u.c.kin', yeah, that clears it up. How long has this been happening? Last night you didn't seem to be interested. Meg, you know Jeremy has never been in a committed relations.h.i.+p. I don't want you to get attached and then-"

"Please, Mia, we're just having fun; that's all it is. Last night I didn't want you get the wrong impression. I wanted to tell you first, instead of you finding out like this. I know what Jeremy is about. I'm a big girl. I can handle it."

"Okay, but you're my cousin. He's my best friend and roommate. The last thing I want is to be stuck between two hurt people that I care for dearly."

"Don't worry. You won't." She s.n.a.t.c.hed the magazine, sat on a stool across from me, and began flipping through pages. "So, want do some shopping today?" She asked, still looking at this week's fas.h.i.+on section. Her quick change of the subject told me that the topic of her and Jeremy was off limits. "I need to find an outfit for this weekend. Ooh, these shoes are cute!" She pointed at a pair of royal blue peep-toe heels.

"I can't." Standing, I padded toward the sink and dumped out the rest of my coffee. "I have a date."

"With?"

Turning, I leaned against the sink and crossed my arms with a smile. "Marcus. He'll be picking me up soon."

She flashed a huge grin. "Good. I'm glad you're working things out. Honestly if it were me, I would've forgiven him the first night he slept in the hallway. Poor guy-you made him sleep four nights out there." She shook her head while continuing to flip through the magazine.

"Megan, I had valid reasons for not giving in too soon." Thinking back on it, my stomach turned when the image of Marcus and Boston Barbie at Club21 played through my head. Then I thought of all the females he may have slept with during our separation.

"So where are you guys going?" Megan's voice broke my thoughts.

Smiling, I uncrossed my arms and made my way toward the bedroom. "Don't know. It's a surprise. Want to help me pick out an outfit?"

With that, Megan jumped off the stool and followed me down the hall. She loved going through my closet.

For the next couple of hours, I tried on a few outfits as we talked. She filled me in on how she and Jeremy began sleeping with each other. It started a couple of weeks ago with innocent flirting, which led to full-blown crazy s.e.x, as she described. She lit up every time she mentioned his name, which had worried me. Even though she said there was nothing more, I was afraid Megan would get attached and Jeremy would end up hurting her. I'd kill him if he did.

Standing in front of the mirror, I twirled around to examine my outfit. Since it was chilly out, I settled on a cream cashmere sweater dress, a pair of caramel colored knee-length wedge boots, and a matching thin belt. "You look hot! You are so getting laid tonight." I laughed once and let Megan in on the entire bet issue. "No you didn't!" She squealed.

I nodded as I began to apply my makeup. "Yes, I know it's going to be hard." Marcus was so hard to resist, and, G.o.d, the way he touched me and the way his lips felt on mine, I just knew it was going to be difficult to push him away.

"You're so going to break this bet. Come on, Marcus is hot! And not to mention you guys haven't slept with each other in what, a month?"

"It was three weeks, until last night." I turned and stared at her wide-eyed expression. I bit my bottom lip and blocked the pillow she tossed at me.

"See! You are not going to be able to resist him. Heck, I wouldn't." I arched a brow at her. Shrugging, she continued, "I mean can you blame a girl? But, of course, he's off limits for me."

"For anyone, he's off limits." I was never the jealous type, but with Marcus, I was horrible. The thought of his hands touching someone else,or his lips kissing another woman-I shuddered at the image. Shaking the nasty thoughts out my mind, I twirled around. "So what do you think?"

Waving her fingers, she purred, "Fab, darling, just fab."

After I swung the door open, I studied the gorgeous man standing in front of me. Marcus, with a crooked grin, showed off the adorable dimple I loved so much. His dark hair still damp from a fresh shower and his powerful, luxurious scent weakened my knees. Yeah, it was going to be hard not to jump his bones. I continued to admire him, until I took note of his wardrobe. He was dressed down in jeans, a black t-s.h.i.+rt, boots, and a jacket. "Should I change?" I felt overdressed beside him.

Marcus' smile widened. "No, you look perfect, beautiful as always." He reached in and kissed my forehead.

"Are you sure, Marcus? I would only be a minute to change into jeans and a top."

Grabbing my arm, he tugged me out the door. "No, come on. We have a long day ahead of us."

After fastening my seatbelt, I turned to face him in the driver's seat. "Where are we going?"

"I told you it's a surprise."

"I know. I'm just excited about the whole dating thing. It's kind of s.e.xy."

Marcus let out a low raspy laugh, leaning in to me. His stare traced from my eyes toward my lips. "Is it now? Will it be s.e.xy enough for you to-"

"Don't count on it, DeLuca." He burst into a full belly laugh. I missed that sound. He quickly kissed my lips and then pulled out of the parking spot. Sighing with contentment, I slumped back onto the headrest and studied his features as he drove.

"Are you hungry?" He asked.

"Actually, I am."

"Okay, we'll have lunch first, and then we'll have fun." He winked at me and then focused on the road. My stomach fluttered. I felt like a teenage girl on her first date with the most popular boy in school. I knew it was a cliche thought, but it was my cliche moment. I thought every female was ent.i.tled to at least one.

After thirty minutes, we pulled into a parking lot in the north end of downtown. It was also the neighborhood where Marcus lived: Back Bay on Commonwealth Avenue. His home was absolutely beautiful with the entire original historic structure and a few modern touches.

We exited the vehicle and strolled down the strip hand in hand, pa.s.sing by a few restaurants and bars. We settled for a laid-back bar and grill. Marcus ordered a beer, and I ordered a martini as we waited for our meals.

"I'm sure it's too early for me to drink."

"By all means, Mia, please drink as much as you like. Besides, you get h.o.r.n.y when you're drunk." He winked.

With a dramatic gasp, I slapped my hand against my chest. "Are you saying that you would take advantage of me while drunk?"

"Yes, I most definitely would." Letting out a laugh, he shook his head. "Nah, I'm kidding."

"No, you're not."

"Alright, maybe a little." We both burst out laughing.

After we ate our lunch, we decided to go for a long walk before he took me to the surprise spot. It was a little chilly out, but still a beautiful afternoon. We continued to joke around, flirt, and laugh. It was fun and nice to have that innocent moment for a change. No thoughts of all the issues we needed to work on crossed my mind. I wanted that moment to last forever. I loved seeing Marcus like that. It was the side of him that made me fall in love with him in the first place.

Marcus came to a complete halt, causing me to jerk in his arm. I studied him suspiciously. "Are you okay?" I asked.

"We're here." His lips spread into a boyish grin.

Bunching my brows together, I looked around us. We were in front of Lucky Strikes. "Your big surprise is a bowling alley?"

He nodded.

"Um . . . thanks?" I didn't know what else to say. My handsome, top notch lawyer/mobster boyfriend took me bowling as a surprise date. I was at a loss for words, and not in a good way.

"Trust me. You'll love it." Grabbing my elbow, he dragged me into the building.

After we rented our lane and grabbed our bowling shoes and some alcoholic beverages, we made our way toward lane number eight. I couldn't believe we were going to bowl. Still in shock by it all, I tossed off my boots and laced up the bowling shoes. I was in a freaking dress for Christ's sake! I was sure I looked ridiculous. I stood and stared down as I rocked in the blue-and-red bowling shoes. My eyes darted to Marcus at the sound of him chuckling. "What?" I asked.

"You look adorable."

Suspiciously, I flashed him another glare and grabbed my martini. I sipped on my drink as he entered our names onto the screen. The last time I went bowling was probably a few years ago with some college friends in undergrad. No, it was with an ex-boyfriend, the one who'd cheated on me with my roommate. Good times!

Marcus was up first. He searched for a bowling ball. Once he found the perfect one, he turned and winked at me. "Babe, don't be discouraged if you don't win. It's a learning process; you'll get better with each try." I c.o.c.ked a brow at him. He laughed at my expression and then turned around, slowly walking toward the edge of the lane. Straightening his position, he took a deep breath. He took the game seriously, I could see. Marcus gently stretched his arm back with the bowling ball in hand and then tossed it down the lane. It gently rolled down the smoothly waxed wooden surface. His aim was a little too far to the right, so by the time the ball hit the pins, only three went down. He tried again and missed completely as the ball rolled into the left side gutter.

"My fingers were stuck."

"Yeah, sure they were." After downing my drink, I went and searched for the perfect bowling ball. I settled for a nine-pound orange one. Walking toward the edge of the lane, I straightened my position and scooted lightly toward the right. Staring down the lane, I focused on the first pin. Keeping steady, I swung my arm back and tossed the ball down the lane with no hesitation. All I could hear was the sound of the ball rolling along the wooden surface at a rapid speed until it collided with the middle pin. My eyes and mouth spread wide open when all ten pins were knocked down. Strike! Turning, I ran toward Marcus, who was just as shocked as I was, and jumped into his arms. "Oh my G.o.d, I got a strike on my first try!" I squealed.

"That's awesome." He laughed.

The next few rounds, I continued with my strikes. I was on a high, beating Marcus. He was failing miserably. I found it hilarious that he came up with a ludicrous excuse every time he missed the pins or didn't bowl a strike. The more I drank my martinis, the looser I got and the better my aim was getting.

It was beginning to get crowded in the bowling alley. Groups of people chatted and sang along to the loud music playing. The lights were dimmed as colorful strobe lights flicked through the s.p.a.ce. I was actually having a really great time.

It was Marcus's turn again, so I decided to help him out. I walked up behind him, and he must have sensed I was near, because he looked over his shoulder. "Here, let me help you." Placing my hand behind his, I straightened the ball in his hand. "You want to have a straight angle."

"Mia?" He arched a brow.

"Shh, listen, don't be discouraged if you don't win. It's a learning process. You'll get better with each try." I threw his words back at him then innocently batted my lashes.

Laughing, he shook his head. "I'm not sure if I should kiss you or kill you."

Looking aside, I raised a finger toward my chin. "Mmmh. Decisions, decisions. I would prefer the kissing." I nodded and looked back at him.

His eyes brightened as his smile widened. Tossing the ball in his hand down the lane, without bothering to see if it hit any of the pins, he turned to face me. He picked me up in his arms. My legs wrapped around his waist as he kissed me eagerly. He bit on my lip playfully, forcing me to laugh.

He slightly pulled away from our kiss, allowing me to rest my forehead against his. The humor in his eyes was gone. "What would I do without you, Mia?"

Tightening my arms around his neck, I pulled him in closer to me, our lips mere inches away. "You'll never have to find out because I'll always be here, Marcus. I'll always be yours."