Where I Belong

“Nope.” I turn to Tessa who is scooping up Nolan as the nurse utters something under her breath while leaving the room. “You got him?”

“Yup. Go to her. But please be careful. I’ve suffered enough stress today.”

I give Nolan a kiss before I sprint out of the room and down the long hallway to the stairwell. I’m out the door and running toward my truck that thankfully, Luke had made sure would be here for me when I was released. But it didn’t matter. I’d f*cking steal a car at this point to get to her. As soon as the bars register on Tessa’s phone, indicating the reception, I dial Mia’s number.

“Hey, I’m still like an hour and a half out. This traffic is ridiculous! Does nobody work anymore?”

I start up my truck and pull away from the hospital, the sound of her voice sending an ache throughout my entire body. “Baby,” I whisper, my voice a strained plea. I hear her soft gasp and then her staggered breathing fills my ear.

“Ben,” she says through a soft cry. My name on her lips blankets the pain I’m feeling right now. The pain that I’ve felt for the past several hours. Hope and pure need flood my senses and I push my foot down on the gas pedal until it touches the floor. “Oh God, babe. I’m so happy to hear your voice. I was so worried.”

“Angel, where are you? I’m getting on 215 right now.”

“I’m on Route 7. Why don’t you just wait there for me? We might pass each other.”

I laugh slightly, my first laugh since yesterday. “There’s no way I’ll let you pass me, baby. Just keep driving to me and I’ll find you.”

She pauses for a beat and I can almost see her fidgeting through the phone. “Ben, I have to say it. I can’t go another second without saying it to you.”

Christ, I needed to say it too. But not like this. Not f*cking yet. “Don’t say it, Mia. I want to be looking into your eyes when I say it to you. And then you can say it back. Okay? Just hang on for me.”

She sniffles several times. “Okay. But you better say it the second you see me or I’m saying it first. I’ve waited long enough for you, Benjamin Kelly. Don’t make me wait anymore.”

I shake my free hand out of the fist that is beginning to permanently set in. Knowing Mia is this close to me feels like having an itch I can’t scratch. “No more waiting, baby. I promise you that.”

“Good.” She pauses and a muted grunt fills the phone. “Shit, babe. My phone’s about to die. I should get off here in case we completely miss each other and I need to call you. I’m actually betting on that happening.”

“Don’t doubt me, Mia. I’d find you anywhere.” The possessive hunger in my blood yearns to prove her wrong on this one. She won’t need that phone again. I’m drawn to her like a f*cking honing missile.

She laughs slightly. “Yeah, you better.”

**

I knew I’d run into her on Route 7 somewhere. It was the longest stretch of highway that connected Alabama and Georgia. I was only looking out for one vehicle across the grass covered median that separated east and west bound. And as soon as that cherry red jeep comes into my line of sight, I feel like someone plugs me into an outlet. My entire body stiffens in anticipation as I cross the three lanes and drive my truck across the median. My back end fishtails several times given the speed I take it at but it doesn’t slow me down. I drive toward the direction of the traffic, still in the median, and the red jeep darts off the highway in between cars and skids to a halt in the grass.

Christ, baby. If you got into an accident right now…

I slam on my emergency brake and jump out of my truck, leaving it on. She swings her legs out of the jeep and hops down, steadying herself before taking off running in my direction.

Mia. Mia. Mia.

She slams against my chest, a whimpered moan escaping both of us as I cradle her to me. The pain she’s causing against my welts is ignored. I can’t let her go. Not yet. But I do ease her away from me and take a hold of her delicate face with both my hands. She looks at me with desperation. To hold me. To talk to me. To f*cking hear what I’ve kept from her. And I don’t make her wait.

“I love you. I can’t remember a moment when I didn’t love you. I’m so sorry that I wasn’t there for you when you needed me, but that’ll never happen again. I can’t be without you, angel. Please tell me you’ll stay with me.” I drop my forehead to hers and close my eyes. The magnitude of my love for her is crippling. “I can’t say goodbye to you.”

Her hands grab my wrists with a gentle squeeze. “I love you too. And you’ll never have to say goodbye to me. It was always supposed to be you in the bar that night, Ben. You were always meant to be my first, and my last. I can’t imagine giving myself to anyone but you. Not now. Not ever.” I open my eyes when I feel the tears falling down my face. She reaches up and wipes them away. “This is where I belong. Wherever you are. Always.”

Her declaration has me struggling to stay upright. My knees feel weak enough to drop me. But she has me. She wraps her arms around my waist and places her head against my chest. I bury my face in her hair. “We’ll come back for your car. I’m not driving home in separate vehicles when I’ve been without you for this long.”

She giggles against me, her face turning up and knocking me out with that smile. “It hasn’t even been a whole day.”

“Felt like a whole year. Come on.”

I move her along the grass and help her up into my truck after securing her vehicle. There’s no space between us, not anymore. And there never will be again. She’s against my side the entire drive home. Her head against my shoulder and my hand in her lap with both of hers holding on to me. I let her scent fill my lungs, feeling it calm me like a damn drug. Pain killers? No. I won’t need any pain killers. She has me completely relaxed, every muscle in my body loose, until I feel her lips press against my neck.

She squirms against me, wiggling my hand down so it settles between her legs. “Remember when you were so close to pulling over and taking me in your truck?” Her breath heats the skin below my ear, sending a jolt straight to my cock. “I want that. Right now.” And then her hand is pressing on my massive erection, the one that is threatening to rip through my zipper.

I hiss through a moan and she works me through my shorts. “You want me to throw you in the back and f*ck you on the side of the road?” I feel her nod against me as her teeth scrap against my ear. “F*ck. How wet are you right now?”

“Very.” She grabs my hand and slips it under her dress, pressing my fingers against her panties. My cock becomes painfully hard at the feel of her arousal and she moans when I press a finger against her *. “Ben, please,” she pants, digging her nails into my wrist as I twist my hand. I slide underneath her panties and dip one finger into her. Her head falls back onto the seat with a shuddering gasp.

“Jesus Christ. Hold on, angel.” She protests with a whimper as I slip my finger out of her and pop it in my mouth. I pull off on a back road that breaks into a secluded wooded area, parking my truck between the trees. I turn the truck off and unbuckle my seatbelt as she does the same. “Climb over the seat and take that dress off. I want you naked and ready for me.” She complies with a gleeful chuckle, giving me a gorgeous view of her ass as she crawls into the back.