Beau met her at the door. Standing there in jeans and a white button-down shirt, halfway unbuttoned, his hair slightly messy, no shoes on, he looked sexy as hell. "I could've paid for the driver," he said, as she made her way up the steps.
Mia grinned at him, watching him watch her, his eyes traveling the length of her and then back again, taking in the dress, before settling on her eyes. "I got it." The cab pulled through the circle drive, headed back out to the gate as Beau's arms came around her, everything else that had happened that night momentarily forgotten as his mouth came crashing down on hers.
It didn't take Mia long to remember that she wanted to talk to him, though. She managed to wrench herself away from him, coming up for air. "Beau...."
"Right. I'm sorry. Come in." He kept his hand on the small of her back as he led her inside to a sitting room off of the foyer. "Can I get you anything?"
"I'm fine. Thanks." Mia settled down on a plush white sofa, not even sure where to begin. Beau sat beside her, giving her some space, though he could still reach her with his long arms. "I met with Shaylee."
He nodded. Somehow, she thought perhaps it had even been his idea. "How was she?"
"Not well," Mia admitted. "She looked...awful. Like she hadn't eaten anything substantial in months. Of course, I don't know what she looked like before-"
"Not like that," he interrupted, shaking his head as he ran a hand through his dark hair. "Did she say anything?"
Mia nodded. "Plenty." She thought back to the conversation the three of them had had, about Sam, about how frightening it had been to see what he was capable of doing to someone.
"You see then? You know, now, what my brother is capable of?"
Again, Mia's head rocked back and forth. "Are they all like that? The women who used to work for him? Do they all become empty shells of human beings?"
"Not all of them," Beau admitted, his hand on the back of his neck. "Some of them are far worse. One is doing hard time for trying to break into his home. Another overdosed on crack and died. There are a couple that have managed to break free and have normal lives now, but Mia, that's a rarity. Whatever it is that he does to women, whatever the spell is that they fall under whenever he's around them, it's life altering. I never should have gotten you involved with him to begin with." He hung his head, shaking it slowly from side to side. "I don't know what I was thinking."
"It's okay." She understood why he had done it, that he was thinking she would start working for Sam and not like it, and then he could find a position for her in his part of the company. It hadn't worked out that way, of course, but then, she wasn't so far trapped by Sam that she couldn't break away from him, was she? She certainly didn't think so. "Listen, I've applied to finish my marketing degree. I've been looking at jobs. I think... I think it is time for a change."
Even though she knew that was exactly what she needed, to get away from Sam, saying the words were more difficult than she'd thought. Would she be okay without him in her life? Could she give him up so easily?
Beau's smile reached his eyes. "Seriously? You're going to do that?"
Mia nodded, hoping it was the truth. She certainly intended to do both of those things-start college again and find a new job. "Yes. I think so."
"Oh, Mia, that's amazing." He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her as he held her to his chest. Mia breathed him in, reminding herself that she had chosen him. "Whatever I can do to help you, I will."
"I know. I hope I can do it on my own." She sat up, and he let her go. "But... I may need your help." She hated to admit it. She wanted to earn a job in marketing, not get one because she was dating Beau Whitaker. She certainly didn't want him to make a job for her. That wouldn't be too much better than what she was already doing.
He nodded. "I understand that, and I don't blame you. But whatever I can do, I will."
She couldn't help but smile at him. He was so kind and thoughtful. How lucky was she that he cared so deeply for her. "How do you think Sam is going to take it when I tell him I can't work for him anymore?"
A shadow passed across Beau's eyes. "I don't know. I don't think anyone has ever quit before, certainly not one of his secretaries."
"Really?" That was surprising. "Well, surely he'll understand, won't he?"
"Oh, yeah. I'm sure he will," Beau assured her, but there was something about his tone that made her think he wasn't being exactly honest with her. "I've told him many times that I'm not happy with you working for him. It can't be too much of a surprise."
Mia took a deep breath, hoping he was right. What was it that had Beau worried? There was something he wasn't telling her. "Should I wait until I have a new job to quit?"
"No." His answer came immediately. "I wouldn't do that. You'll get something. In the meantime, I can always loan you some money if you need it."
"You know how I feel about that." She tipped her head to the side and looked at him the same way her mother had looked at her on the few occasions when Mia had made some choices she didn't agree with.
"I know. It would just be a loan, though. Nothing you wouldn't pay back. We'll make it work, Mia. But I definitely wouldn't wait too long to quit working for Sam."
There it was again, that dark look that dulled the brilliant blue of his eyes for a moment. Mia nodded, thinking he must be right. The more quickly she untangled herself from Sam Whitaker the better. With any luck, he'd understand why she wanted to quit and simply let her go. But Mia was beginning to have her doubts. As Beau pulled her closer, she tried to let her trepidations about Sam go and concentrate on the handsome man in front of her, but in the back of her mind, Mia was afraid a fight was coming, one she wouldn't be able to afford to lose.