Temporary Bliss (Love By Chance Book 3) Read online

  I wasn’t exactly the “meet the parents” type of guy.

  Mika took his damn sweet time coming over, but when I opened the door to let him in, it was obvious why. His arms were filled with grocery bags stuffed full of food. He shot me a dazzling smile and ducked beneath my arm, making a beeline for the kitchen.

  “Sorry I’m late. I stopped at Little Infinities after work and met Joriah. He’s awesome. I can’t wait for him to start on my ink.” He wiggled his butt like a happy puppy, then dumped the groceries on the table and started unbagging them.

  “Then, of course, I had to make a pit stop at the store because I’ve been so wrapped up in a certain someone that I forgot I promised Ma I’d bake her favorite cookies. I figured I’d kill two birds with one stone and make them tonight while I’m here.” He paused and brushed blond bangs out of his eyes. “Hopefully that’s okay?”

  I found myself smiling at his animated chatter. What was it about this guy that tickled me? He was so damn enthusiastic, his happiness was almost contagious. “I mean, sure, but I can’t cook my way out of a paper bag.”

  “Luckily for us, I practically grew up in the kitchen. Ma taught me everything she knows and I’m almost as good as her. Almost.” He gestured to the bags of flour and sugar on the table. “I love baking especially. Good, messy fun with a sweet reward at the end. Yum.”

  “Sounds like a plan. I can measure shit and be helpful,” I said. “I’m capable of that much, at least.”

  “Oh, don’t worry. I’ll put you to work. If you wanna get lucky tonight, you’re gonna have to earn it.” His grin was devious. He stalked over to me and walked two fingers up the center of my chest, then leaned in to steal a too-innocent kiss. Tease.

  Not satisfied with that, I grabbed the back of his neck and drew him in for another and by the time we broke apart, he was flushed. “Nice try, Gideon, but you aren’t getting out of baking that easily. Chop-chop!”

  We made a total mess of the kitchen. I was constantly tripping over my own feet to stay out of his way, but I had to admit, it was kind of fun. When the cookies finally went into the oven, Mika hopped up onto the kitchen counter and hooked his legs together at the ankles. I stared. He was adorable. There was flour all over his shirt and a smudge of caramel on the tip of his nose, just begging me to go over there and lick it off.

  “I’m really glad you told me about Little Infinities,” he said. “I’m already in love with Joriah’s art. The tatts I’m getting are gonna look so bomb in his fluffy style. I’m pumped.”

  “What are you getting?”

  “After much deliberation, I finally decided on a couple of watercolor pieces, a wolf and a doe. In case you hadn’t noticed, I don’t really conform to gender norms.”

  “Oh, trust me, I noticed the day you stripped down to that lacy pink number.” I chuckled.

  “Hush. I like to be pretty, okay? Anyway, the doe is to symbolize my more feminine side and the wolf, my masculine side. I’ve been planning them for over a year, but I never really had a concrete idea until now. My friend’s designing the art. He’s already sent me the sketches and they’re gorgeous. Here.”

  He dug his phone out of his pocket and scrolled through his gallery until he came to a picture of two side-by-side sketches done in an artistic but scribbly style. Where the wolf had his teeth bared and looked ready to take on the world, the doe was gracefully prancing out of harm’s way. I could totally see Joriah’s talent lending itself well to what Mika wanted. “They’re nice. Definitely you. Where are you getting them?”

  Mika rolled up the sleeves of his hoodie and held out his hands, his wrists facing up to showcase the thin scars that barred all the way up to his inner elbows. “Here.”

  I’d noticed them before, but never felt like it was any of my business. Not to mention I didn’t want to ruin the mood, but now I was curious. “Been meaning to ask about that. You cut?” I brushed my thumb gently over the rippled flesh. If it bothered Mika, it didn’t show.

  He shrugged. “I haven’t in years, but yeah, I used to. I was bullied a lot in school and spent most of my childhood confused about myself. Then after my dad died, it sort of spiraled out of control. I was mourning and in pain, and no one seemed to understand me or even wanted to try, and I… I just needed an escape from the pain.”

  For some reason, the rawness in his voice sent a pang through the center of my chest. “Like… Suicidal?”

  Mika looked down at his hands and laced his fingers together in his lap. “Yeah. I almost jumped off a building when I was seventeen, but Saint talked me down and I got help. I was angry at him for a long time, but I’m glad he did it.” He unwrapped a caramel and popped it into his mouth with a smile. “So I’m covering the scars with his art, as a reminder to celebrate the beauty of life—and it is beautiful.”

  “So are you,” I murmured.

  Mika laughed, but his cheeks dusted pink. “I know, loverboy. You aren’t too bad yourself. Now come a little closer, said the spider to the fly…” He crooked a finger and spread his legs. An invitation if I ever saw one. I settled between them and captured his mouth in a sweet, caramel-coated kiss. That sweetness soon turned spicy when Mika tugged at my hair and wrapped his legs around my waist.

  I pinned him against the countertop and took what I wanted from him. His whimpers made my dick throb. I ground myself against him and swallowed his moans—at least until the timer on the stove started screeching, sending us both fumbling to get the cookies out of the oven before they burned.

  I yanked them out with a couple of hot pads and put the pan on the stovetop to cool. “Good enough for now,” I announced, then before Mika could argue, I dropped to my knees in front of him. I popped the button on his jeans and tugged them down around his ankles, then proceeded to blow him right there in the kitchen. Mika squealed my name, but all I could think about was getting him off and the taste of him on my tongue.

  It was weird, but I was gonna miss this.

  9

  Mika

  I woke up nestled in Gideon’s arms. The man was fast asleep and looked so at peace. His dusty hair was tousled from sleep and sweat, and the golden curls of his facial hair gleamed almost red in the sunlight that streaked through the gap in the curtains.

  With a strong jaw and high cheekbones and that wicked smile, he was gorgeous. Something to be admired. Hell, he could’ve been a hero in a storybook, though I got the feeling that he wasn’t about that life. Maybe the fiendish-but-handsome rogue who swooped in and stole the hero’s heart?

  I wouldn’t forget this week.

  Although I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to this warm, snuggly feeling quite yet, if we didn’t get a move on, we’d be late for lunch and then I’d get nagged at. Good old Ma.

  “Hey, wake up, Sleeping Beauty.” I nudged him. When he grunted and tried to roll over, I climbed on top of him. My fingers dug into his ribs in a never-ending tickle till he was shouting and laughing. I bounced on his side. “We have time for sex before our shower, if you’re interested,” I teased. “But you gotta wake up. Like, now.”

  That woke him up. Typical man. I loved it. We’d gone at it like bunnies all week and I was pretty sure that Gideon had ruined me for the next man that came along. Wrapped up in each other, we got off together and then went for round two in the shower. By the time we were done and dressed, my body was thrumming pleasantly. I couldn’t stop smiling.

  “You clean up nice,” I said when Gideon came strolling into the kitchen wearing a pair of nice black slacks and a button-up dress shirt. It was a good thing he didn’t add a tie to the fray, otherwise I’d have to jump his bones again. Ties were my weakness. A well-dressed man in a suit and tie? Be still my heart.

  He pulled up short in the doorway and touched his freshly-shaven face. “Yeah? Thanks.”

  “Nervous? You’re kind of jumpy, Gideon.”

  “A little,” he admitted, which surprised me. At my questioning look, he bunched his shoulders up around his ears. “I don’t really d
o the whole “meet the family” thing, to be honest. Don’t know what to expect.”

  “Just be yourself. They’ll love you, don’t worry.” I poked him in the side. “Be thankful this isn’t Christmas dinner, because then you’d be stuck meeting the entire family and let me tell you, that gets chaotic. Today’s just gonna be you and me, Ma and my siblings, and probably their significant others. See? Easy.”

  “If you say so.”

  After a light breakfast of toast and strawberry jam—and coffee, of course—I gathered up all my stuff and tossed it into my overnight bag. I made sure my car was locked, since we were taking his Charger. I bagged up the caramel apple cookies, being sure to save out two. I offered one to Gideon.

  “Here. Try the fruits of our labor.”

  He smirked and took a big bite. The cookies were soft and a little crumbly, tasting richly of brown sugar and cinnamon with just the right amount of apple pie filling and topped with melted caramel. His soft grunt of approval told me all I needed to know.

  “Good, huh? There’s a reason these are Ma’s favorite.”

  “You can bake for me any day.”

  “Glad to hear it. Ready to go?”

  “Yep, let’s do it, buttercup,” Gideon said, snagging his keys off kitchen table.

  The forty-minute drive to Ma’s place took us upstate, but she’d wanted to be out of the hustle and bustle of the city when she finally decided to build her dream house. The place was utterly gorgeous and sat nestled in the forest on a hill, overlooking a small pond. Mom took one look at the property and fell in love, and I couldn’t say I blamed her.

  It was perfect. Idyllic. Peaceful. A great place to relax and recoup after a strenuous week of emergency surgeries. Gideon seemed a little shocked when we pulled into the winding drive. The woods on either side of us reached to the sky, their bare branches crackling in the wind.

  “Wow. You didn’t tell me your family was loaded,” he remarked.

  “It’s not like I was dropped into a pile of cash. We weren’t all that wealthy when I was growing up, but Ma’s worked her ass off for every dime she’s ever made.” Why did I feel defensive all of a sudden? I took a slow breath to calm myself back down. “She’s a trauma surgeon over at Westbrook Regional and she invested her money wisely, that’s all. She’s the hardest working person I know.”

  “I didn’t mean for it to come off sounding like…that. Sorry. It just surprised me, that’s all.”

  “It’s okay,” I told him. “You didn’t know.”

  “What do your siblings do?”

  “My brother’s a lawyer and my little sister’s a CNA studying to become a full-fledged nurse.”

  “And you?” Gideon prompted.

  That was the thing. I didn’t have a fucking clue. I offered a smile instead. “Still figuring that one out.”

  He parked and killed the engine. I pushed the door open, in need of some fresh air. It wasn’t like I had to impress him. This week had been fun, but it was just that. Nothing more would come of it. I’d probably never see him again after this.

  “Let’s go inside,” I said.

  The warm, familiar feeling of the holidays surrounded me the moment we stepped through the front door. I paused in the entryway and breathed in deeply. It smelled like heaven, but I didn’t get the chance to bask in the savory flavors.

  “Mika!” Ma came scurrying down the hall with a spring in her step. “Oh, sweetie, I’m so glad to see you. Come here and let Ma love you.” She threw her arms around my neck and hugged me. She peppered kisses over my cheeks. “You should really come around more often, darling. It’s not that far out of your way.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know. Sorry.”

  She must’ve realized Gideon was standing awkwardly next to me, because she held out her arms to him. “And you must be Gideon! So nice to finally meet you. Come here. You don’t get dinner without giving Ma a hug.”

  The look on Gideon’s face went from quizzical to almost horrified. Ma laughed and hugged him, albeit far gentler than she had me. His back went ramrod straight and he shot me a panicked look. I gestured to Ma with both hands. He took my cue and gingerly patted her on the back.

  “Nice to meet you, too,” he mumbled.

  “Here, Ma. We baked cookies.”

  “What did I tell you?” she chided. “I made plenty!”

  “Yeah, but they’re your favorite. Caramel apple goodies.”

  “Aww, Mika.” She brightened when I offered her the bag. “You’re such a good boy. Now both of you, come in. Your brother is in the living room. Go say hi.”

  “Where’s Maddie?” I asked, and Ma rolled her eyes.

  “Fashionably late, as always. Oh, to be twenty again.” She heaved a dramatically wistful sigh, then winked at us. “Dinner’s almost ready. The turkey’ll pop any minute now.” On cue, a timer in the kitchen began to beep. “There she blows! Go socialize.” She zoomed off down the hall, leaving me and Gideon standing in the foyer.

  “Is your mom always so…huggy?” Gideon asked.

  I had to laugh. “Oh, man. My entire family is huggy. Should’ve warned you, I guess. You’re cute when you blush, by the way. C’mon.” I snagged his hand in mine and with a reassuring squeeze, I led him down the hall and into Ma’s massive-ass living room.

  It served as the main portion of the house, with vaulted ceilings and a glorious chandelier that probably cost more than my car did. I wasn’t even sure how you changed the lightbulbs on something that high. Did Ma have a maintenance guy come out with a ladder and swap them out when they went dead? No idea.

  My brother’s face lit up when he saw me. “Mikey! Haven’t seen you in weeks.”

  “And whose fault is that?” I shot back. “I’m at Saint’s house all the time. There’s no excuse in the book good enough, bro. Sorry-not sorry.” I shot a teasing grin at his long-time girlfriend, who looked adorable in a long-sleeved blouse and a red pencil skirt. The boots she wore could drive a guy to envy. If only I had calves that nice… “Hi, Sierra.”

  “Hi Mika.” She giggled. “Giving Matt trouble, I see.”

  “Not my fault your boyfriend sucks.”

  “He does suck.”

  “Don’t gang up on me,” Matthieu huffed. “So, Mika. Who’s the guy?”

  “Matt, Sierra, this is my boyfriend Gideon. Gideon, my pain-in-the-ass older brother and his lady-friend.”

  Gideon chuckled under his breath. “Makes me happy I was the oldest. Hey there, nice to meet you.” He offered a hand, which Matthieu shook with a firm nod. I could almost feel my brother’s protective instincts vibrate through the room. He pinned Gideon with an odd look.

  “Don’t go breaking Mika’s heart. He might be a dweeb, but he’s my brother and I might have to break some fingers.” His smile remained in place, but it was suddenly far pointier than it had been moments ago. Oh lord.

  “Matt!” I hissed. “Shut up.”

  Matthieu held up both hands. “Just saying. You were warned.”

  “Duly noted,” Gideon said smoothly. He opened his mouth to say something else when one of Ma’s lanky Siamese rubbed up against his legs. He made a face and took a quick step back, then bent down to brush nonexistent cat fur off his slacks. “Shoo.” The way he said it was less threatening and more disgruntled.

  “Not a cat person?” Sierra asked.

  “Not an animal person,” he replied.

  “Such a shame.” I bent down to scoop Missy up off the floor. She gave a loud, yodeling meow and rubbed her pointy face against my chin. I planted a kiss on her head. She began to purr. “She seems to like you.”

  Gideon rolled his shoulders in a lazy shrug. “What can I say? I’m naturally magnetic.”

  The front door banged open and my sister came running down the hall like a chicken with its head cut off. Brown plastic bags swung from one arm and her purse dangled from the other. “I’m late! So sorry. I totally got held up at the store. Who in their right mind would go grocery shopping on Thanksgiving Day?”
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  “Uh, you did. Obviously,” Matthieu pointed out.

  “Oh, screw off. You know what I mean.”

  “Maddie!” Ma pounced her like a lioness on a kill and Maddie squealed. Hugs and kisses ensued and Maddie thrust out the bag of goodies. “I told you you didn’t have to bring anything, you daft child. There’s more than enough food to go around.”

  “I know, but I wanted to. It’s a pumpkin cheesecake, Ma, and trust me, it’s to die for.”

  “What is it with you kids and death? Pfft. Go wash your hands for dinner.”

  “Yes, Ma.” Maddie giggled. “Hey Matt, Hey Mika. Did you bring your—” She froze in her tracks, her jaw dropping open as she openly gaped at us. “Holy shit, you’re Gideon Grey!”

  Was I missing something here? “Who’s Gideon Grey?”

  10

  Gideon

  Yep. It was just as I’d suspected—Mika didn’t have a damn clue who I was, but his sister sure did. She was practically foaming at the mouth. Had she been a cartoon character, she would’ve had hearts for eyes.

  When Mika didn’t immediately clue in, she began to spazz out. “Oh my god, you don’t know who Gideon Grey is? Mika, do you live under a rock or something? Jesus. He’s only the hottest drummer in the entire universe.” Her face flushed red as she tried to compose herself. “Surely you’ve heard of Gravitation?”

  “Uh.” Mika glanced in my direction, so obviously lost. I felt a little bit bad. Maybe I should’ve told him…

  Maddie tapped her foot over the waxed floorboards. “Gravitation? The band? Lazarus Knight? Does any of this ring a bell? Please tell me you’ve at least heard the song Heartthrob!”

  “I don’t really listen to music.” Mika shrugged, but the look he shot me told me I had some explaining to do. Then, with a little smirk, he asked, “Are they famous or something?”