Page 36 of Regards, Mia

CHAPTER 14

The Black Sheep of the Family

Ascream from upstairs chills my blood. I drop my toothbrush in the sink and race upstairs to Mia’s bedroom. Storming into her bedroom, I don’t bother to knock. My heart stammers when I don’t see her anywhere.

Silence echoes through the room.

I check her bathroom, her closet, then bellow out her name.

“Mia!”

“Out here!”

My gut twists at the sound of her voice. It’s coming from the balcony, the one place of entry I couldn’t protect from my position downstairs. Gaining entry could be as easy as a rope or a ladder.

I push aside the floor-length curtains with more force than necessary and rush onto the balcony, expecting the worst.

Mia held at knifepoint.

Mia bleeding.

Mia almost dead.

My pulse slows a fraction at the sight of her standing in a bathrobe with a towel wrapped around her head. Seemingly unharmed, she’s standing with her back to the priceless view,holding a cigarette between her first two fingers. A quick scan of the balcony assures me she’s safe and alone.

Her gaze drops over me from head to toe, and color flashes on her cheeks. She seems transfixed, frozen in time, with her mouth gaping open. “Oh, my God.”

I look down and see I’ve lost the towel that had been wrapped around my waist.

I’m naked. And it’s fucking freezing outside.

Ignoring my state of undress, I stride forward and grip her shoulders. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Jay.” Her voice is so low I can hardly hear. “But you’re naked, and Chelsea is staring.” She unwinds the towel from her hair and wraps it around my hips.

“Chelsea?”

Mia tilts her head to the side, indicating the neighbor’s porch where a female figure is wedged between the tall potted plants. Chelsea Taylor leans on the railing, staring openly at us. At me.

“Good morning,” she says cheerfully.

I drag my gaze back to Mia. “What happened?” I ask, shivering as a blast of wind whips through the trees and threatens to snatch the towel from around my hips.

“I came out here to watch the sunrise,” she says. “Chelsea scared the shit out of me, and I screamed.”

I glance at the stubbed-out cigarette, then back at Mia. “The sun rose fifteen minutes ago.”

Her bright blue gaze is colder than the winter wind. “What do we do about Chelsea?” she asks under her breath. “She’s still staring.”

I’m staring too. At Mia. I have never seen her like this. She’s always perfect in her makeup, silky hair, and sophisticated outfits. But she’s even more perfect now with none of her armor.

Underneath it all, she’s a natural beauty with flawless skin, sparkling blue eyes and the most kissable mouth. Her hair falls in damp waves to her shoulders, fragrant with the sweet scent of her shampoo.

I clasp her shoulders, pulling her close so that the only thing between us is the frosty cloud of our breath. “I thought something happened to you.”

She shakes her head. “I’m fine.”

She’s small, but capable, and I’m reassured by the feel of her coiled strength. “Don’t scream like that unless you mean it.”

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