Page 47 of Claimed By my Frenemy

I drop a pillow onto the arm of the couch and set Mia on it. Then, I position myself between her legs, teasing her entrance with the end of my dick. It’s taking all the strength I have left not to shove myself completely inside her.

When I can’t wait any longer, I push myself inside…hard. Both of us gasp at the sensation. I start to move, slowly at first, then faster as my natural instincts take over. Mia lays back against the couch, giving me the control to do whatever the hell I want with her.

I run my hands down her thighs, squeezing her flesh as I go. Mia’s groans are building, and I know she’s nearing her climax. I am too, but I want her to come before me. I want to make sure she enjoys this as much as I do.

"Come for me, Mia," I murmur, my own release building.

With a final cry, Mia’s back arches, and she lets out a strangled cry. The sight and feel of her orgasm pushes me over the edge, and I follow her, shoving myself inside her as hard as I can as I feel my orgasm hitting me.

We stay like that for a moment, clinging to each other, our breathing ragged. Slowly, I pull out and help her back into a sitting position. She sits on the arm of the couch, wrapping her arms around me as we continue to recover.

"I meant what I said earlier. I care about you, Mia. I don't want to lose what we have."

She looks up at me, her eyes softening. "I care about you too, Theo. Believe me, I don’t do that with just anyone.”

“Just with the sexiest of neighbors?”

Mia laughs. “Something like that.”

Afterward, we lie together, our bodies tangled together on the floor of her living room. Mia rests her head on my chest, and I run my fingers through her hair, feeling content and at peace for the first time in a long time.

I don’t want to get back to work or think about anything serious. I just want to stay in this bubble of happiness with Mia.

23

MIA

The house is finally startingto look like the bed and breakfast I envisioned. The sunroom, which Theo and I worked on together, is a bright and inviting space. The living room now looks like something out of a novel with its fireplace and bookshelf of exciting reads for my guests. Each bedroom has been lovingly decorated, capturing the cozy, vintage charm that my grandmother’s house always had.

It’s time to take the next step. I still need to order some new sheets, get a couple of updated appliances for the kitchen and do a few other small things, but for the most part, it’s ready. Now, it’s time to take pictures of the space and start listing it places. I need guests to be able to find me.

I step back and look at the living room through the lens of my camera, adjusting the angle slightly. I’m trying a few different filters, lenses, and angles, because the truth is that I have absolutely no experience taking photos. I just want it to look good. I want people to see the photos and think the place looks so cozy that they couldn’t imagine just staying in a regular hotel.

This place is finally coming together, and I can't wait to start taking reservations. The thought of welcoming guests here, ofsharing this special place with others, fills me with a hopeful sense of excitement.

My next task is to cook a typical “breakfast.” Since I’ll be listing the rooms as part of a bed and breakfast, people will want to know what the breakfast includes. The best way to display that will be to cook a typical breakfast, lay it out on the dining room table, and take pictures of the food.

Rolling my sleeves up, I get to work in the kitchen, putting biscuits in the oven. I’m going to have a lot of food when I’m done, but I want to make sure the breakfast buffet looks its best.

Once the biscuits are in the oven, I work on some scrambled eggs and bacon, the savory smell of them filling the house.

I can’t believe that I might be doing this on the daily if I get guests to book as soon as August.

A knock sounds on the front door. I pause what I’m doing, listening closely, trying to make sure I’m not imagining sounds now.

Wiping my hands on my jeans, I walk to the front door and open it to find a man in a crisp suit standing there. It takes a moment, but then I recognize him. This is Theo’s business partner. His stern expression immediately sets me on edge.

“Hello, Miss Phillips,” he says, extending a hand. “My name is Steve. I’m Theo’s business partner.”

I shake his hand, wary. “Hello, Steve.” I want to ask him what the hell he’s doing here, but I’m not quite that open with people when I first meet them. I know I met him the other day, but I was seeing red as I complained about the materials’ location, so I barely even looked at Steve. For all I knew, he was just a contractor. But today, it’s clear he’s much higher up than any of the contractors working on the neighboring property.

He doesn’t waste any time. “I’m here to make you one final offer for the property.” He hands me an envelope. “It’s a verygenerous offer, significantly higher than the previous ones my partner thought would get you moving.”

I take the envelope, but I don’t open it right away. Instead, I study Steve. “So, Theo sent you here?” I ask, trying to keep the annoyance out of my voice. It’s not working very well.

“Theo and I are partners, yes. I understand that he’s made you a couple of offers, and you refused them. This is one you won’t be able to refuse.”

I want to laugh in Steve’s face, because if he thinks there’s an offer I won’t be able to refuse inside this envelope, then he doesn’t know me very well. I can and will refuse anything, but curiosity gets the best of me.

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