Pretty Woman: Mia (The Billionaire Bachelor Series Book 2) Read online

“What’s up, girl?” Tino’s voice resembles that of a player. “I thought you’d wait the usual three days before calling. This is cool.”

  “Um,” I hesitate, “I actually need some help.”

  “Where you at? I’ll be right there,” his tone changes to concern. Just the sound of his voice assures me I can trust him. Madame X already checked his referrals. He checks out clean, I remind myself.

  I stand from the metal chair. “It’s not for me. It’s my—cousin’s kid. He’s stuck at his preschool and I was supposed to pick him up and my car broke down. And—”

  “Where you at and I’ll come get you,” he interrupts.

  “No,” I gasp. That will be at least another twenty minutes away, and then another twenty minutes before we could get Lucas. I don’t want him at the school for another forty or fifty minutes. I just need somebody to get Lucas now. “I just need somebody to go pick up Lucas really fast. I’m stuck at a mechanic shop until somebody gets back from lunch to loan me a rental car.”

  “I check it.” The easy sound of his voice echoes into my ear. “Where’s this place at? And how’s the kid going to react to a guy like me picking him up?”

  He’s actually going to help!

  I swear I’ll never sin again after this day.

  This is such a blessing.

  “I’ll call and tell the school,” I blurt because I’m so thrilled, and then I bite my bottom lip for sounding so pleased. “Tino, I hope you don’t think I do this all the time. But there have been a couple of times I’ve had an emergency and had somebody new pick him up. You’re going to have to whisper the code word, pineapple sherbet into his ear the second you see him. He’ll know I sent you.” I can’t stand that I’m actually saying this. I just want to get my kid away from those bullies. My heart swells with the pain I’ve caused Lucas in his short life. “Oh, and Tino, he needs to be picked up right away. It’s across the street from that 7-Eleven by the grocery store. It’s called Soon To Be Grown. Do you know where that is?”

  “I can find it on my GPS. I’ll head out right now.”

  “Wait, are you in the middle of something?” I ask, suddenly realizing how rude I’m being for thinking my life is more important than anything he has going on.

  “I’m just training for that fight on Saturday. I’m good,” he grunts as though he’s fighting somebody off to get out the door. “It’s nice you care so much about your cousin’s kid.”

  “Um, yeah, I’m all about mi familia,” I joke, trying to ignore that he doesn’t even know he’s calling me out on my bullcrap. “Can you just meet me at that park down the street from the 7-Eleven. I’ll get there as soon as the guy gets back with the rental.”

  “Yeah, that works.”

  “Hey, Tino,” I blurt before he hangs up. “I really owe you for this.”

  “We’re cool.” He laughs.

  I can literally picture him smirking at my predicament. But right now I don’t care what he thinks of me. I just want him to pick up Lucas and take my little boy away from those spoiled rich kids.

  I pull into the parking lot of the park and my glance fixes on Tino smiling like a champion as he stands on the green lawn. He has his hands up like a boxer and Lucas is watching his every move. I glance down at Lucas’ feet. There’s a shoelace wrapped around his ankles as he stands in front of Tino.

  What are they doing? I wonder as I step out of the car. Tino’s strong jawline and chiseled face is in full concentration while his smooth, shaved head glistens in the sun.

  Lucas leans forward and punches Tino in the thigh.

  “Don’t hit him,” I shout. “We don’t hit in our house.”

  They both look over at the sound of my voice.

  “Mommy!” Lucas squeals and stumbles up to me with his ankles tied.

  My face cringes at the sight of those swollen, little eyes that have probably been crying for a while. I kneel down next to him. “Are you okay?” I ask before I untie the shoelace.

  “I’m learning to kick some ass.” He squares his little shoulders. “Is that right, Tino?”

  “Yeah, little man.” Tino moves closer. “But remember you’re only allowed to say bad words when you get big shoulders like me and fight in the octagon.”

  “Nice,” I sigh, thinking of all the great words Tino has probably already said in front of Lucas. This mommy doesn’t want him to talk like that even when he has big shoulders.

  “Mommy, I’m going to fight them tomorrow.” Lucas pulls at the hemline of my running shorts.

  I tousle his soft, black hair. “Buddy, you’re not fighting anybody. We don’t fight in our house.”

  “Yo, don’t be playing the kid dirty.” Tino pipes in like a father.

  “Excuse me?” I raise my brows. I let the cussing slide, but I won’t put up with my child becoming the next kid to bully other kids. “We don’t hit other people in our family.”

  “Exactly.” Tino points to Lucas. “That’s why your little man’s getting his ass handed to him at school.”

  I stand there for a second totally realizing I’ve been caught in a lie. Tino totally knows this isn’t my cousin’s kid. “Lucas, Mommy wants you to go and play on the slide while she talks to Tino.”

  He nods and rushes over to climb on the giant playground.

  I take my eyes off him for a second so I can look back at Tino. “I’m sorry I lied. It’s just that I could lose my job if my boss ever finds out. We’re supposed to be virgins.”

  “You ain’t gotta worry about me. I don’t play like that.” Tino stands there for a moment, and then he bends down to sit on the lawn, leaning back on his large hands to secure himself. “I’ve got this problem of being loyal to a fault.”

  “Well, I don’t trust anybody.” My usual barbwire guard is ready to rip at his skin from his nice guy response. I drag the tip of my shoe to make a line in the grass. “Look, I’m totally grateful you could pick Lucas up today, but I think I’ve got these bullies covered.”

  “I could see that when I picked him up.” His arms flex under his long-sleeved Under Armour shirt. “How many times has he come home with a bloody nose?”

  “What?” I gasp.

  “His teacher told me this happens every day.” Tino shakes his head.

  “Are you kidding me? I’m calling his school.” I reach in the pocket of my shorts to grab my phone. “I’m going to have a meeting with every one of those boys’ parents.”

  “Yo, hold up.” Tino raises one of his muscular arms. “You want this to stop, right?”

  “I’m his mother. Of course I do.” I’m basically getting hysterical.

  “Well, your solution ain’t how it’s done on the playground.” Tino stretches to grab the phone out of my hands and stares over at Lucas. “That boy’s gotta learn to be the alpha.”

  “I hardly think I need the advice of a man who doesn’t have children of his own.” I’ve read enough about him in all those trashy magazines to know he’s not into children. “Just give me the phone.” I reach for it, but he quickly puts it in his pocket.

  “Bashful, you ain’t street.” He shakes his head. “You can’t imagine how the world works for boys.”

  I furrow my brows in confusion.

  “I got this thing with making nicknames. You got this bashful thing going on so it makes sense that you’re Bashful.”

  “Nice,” I answer with a smile.

  “And everything is about playing the game in a man’s world.” Tino rolls his shoulders like some cool kid act. “I ain’t suggestin’ your boy goes around picking fights, but he sure as hell better end them. You hear what I’m saying? That boy needs to stick up for himself. He ain’t gonna have Mommy sitting by him at school everyday.”

  I stare at Lucas and feel like sobbing. His gentle hands wouldn’t hurt a spider let alone some bully at school. And I’ve probably done this to him. What if everything is my fault? I’ve never had a guy talk to me about raising my son. I’m probably doing everything wrong, but I can’t help it. I
t’s just the way women think. I thought I was making him a good kid, not turning him into the classroom wimp. But now I’m remembering all those scratches on his body that I dismissed for boys playing rough. I feel sick to my stomach at thoughts of how many times I told him not to hit back. I take a deep breath and kneel down by Tino.

  “So how do I help him?” I ask, running my fingers over the green blades of grass to avoid eye contact.

  “It’s a mindset thing. He’s afraid of hurting people. We gotta get him strong in the mind if he’s going to be a healthy man when he grows up. He needs to be able to take care of himself before he can help anybody else. You see what I’m saying?”

  “So I’ve totally ruined him by not allowing him to hit back?” I let out a painful sigh.

  “Nah.” Tino smiles. “This is ruining a kid.” He lifts the cuff of his sleeve, exposing a sleeve of tattoos and points to a faded, stretched out dog. “I got that one when I was eight.”

  “Eight?” I gasp. “Like, eight-years-old? What were your parents thinking?”

  “Don’t know.” He pulls his shirt back down. “They tell me that my mother died of an overdose shortly after I started school, and my dad was shot to death in a drive by. I just sort of blocked it all out because that’s what you do when you grow up on the streets of Compton.”

  “I’m so sorry.” I start imagining what his life must’ve been like, knowing I couldn’t handle the reality if he told me.

  “It’s all good. I found places to stay when things got real tough. I got the dog tat when a few of the neighbor boys held me down and started inking my skin for initiation.” Tino juts his chin to my son, swinging on the monkey bars. “So I think Lucas will be fine with a few bloody noses.”

  “Did you want them to do that?” I can’t get my mind off what it must’ve been like when they were holding him down.

  “Do what?” He asks with his dark brown eyes twinkling in delight as he watches Lucas.

  “To be initiated into a gang so young,” I blurt without thinking about how rude I’m being for asking such a personal question.

  “Does anybody know what they want at eight?” He shrugs.

  “I’m so sorry,” I apologize again because I have no clue what to say.

  “It’s all good.” He rolls onto his feet. “But I think I better head out.”

  “Well, thanks for picking him up.” I stand up next to him and pull at my tank top so the sweat rolling down my chest doesn’t seep through from the vicious sun. “Hey, Tino, can I get you lunch? I’d like to repay you for picking him up. We don’t have to go together. I could call and order you something to pick up. I’d just like to pay you back somehow.”

  He holds up his hand. “I’m good. I’m trying to cut weight for weigh-in later tonight.”

  I nod. That must be the reasoning for wearing such a long sleeved shirt in this heat.

  “Hey, little man,” he shouts to Lucas. “You take care of yourself.”

  Lucas jumps down and barrels in next to him. “Don’t go,” his little voice pouts as he wraps his arms around Tino’s solid thigh.

  “That’s enough,” I say and scrunch my face before grabbing Lucas to pull him back. “I have no idea what has gotten into him.”

  “Mom, ask him if he can come.” Lucas pulls at my shorts.

  I grab the waistband so he doesn’t totally depants me. A rash of warm heat burns at my cheeks. “Lucas, stop acting like this.”

  “Ask him, Mom,” Lucas begs.

  “Ask him what?” I shake my head.

  “About tomorrow.” His eyes widen.

  My heart drops with the realization of what he’s talking about. Don’t do this to me right now. Please don’t do this. “Baby, he’s a very busy man. And we don’t ask strangers to those kinds of things. Even if they know the code words.”

  “What things?” An innocent smile spreads across Tino’s chiseled face.

  “Oh, it’s nothing.” I shove Lucas behind my legs so he can’t interrupt.

  “No, really. I’m curious.”

  “It’s just—there’s this thing they do every year at his preschool.” I squeeze my fingernails into Lucas’ shoulders so he won’t move. “They call it dad’s and donuts. It’s really not a big deal. I go with him every year.”

  “That’s gotta suck.” Tino bends down to make eye contact with Lucas. “Do you think they’d let your mommy’s friend come to your school?” He glances up to me. “Do they have a policy on that kind of thing?”

  Lucas grabs Tino’s face. “Oh, you can tell them you’re my pretend daddy. That’s what Ashley always does. She never has the same daddy come.”

  “And who’s Ms. Ashley?” Tino scoops Lucas up in his arms and sets him on top of his broad shoulders, heading to the rental car.

  “Ashley is my friend.” Lucas giggles.

  “Is she cute?” Tino jokes.

  “Her mommy works at the place where we get our car fixed all the time.”

  I cover my face and shake my head because I’m horrified Lucas is spilling every bean in the pot. “I don’t think Tino wants to hear our whole life story.”

  Tino tilts his head. “Do you need help with your car?”

  “No, I’m good. I grew up in my dad’s garage so I know a thing or two about cars. I’ve been waiting for six months to finally have the transmission go out.” I’m basically positive my cheeks are as red as they are warm. “I get paid Saturday night so we should be fine.”

  “Well, I can take care of that a little sooner if you need some cash.” He winks.

  “Oh, no,” I sigh, and motion toward Lucas so Tino understands I’m keeping things quiet. “Mommy’s new job is tough on the little guy. I don’t get to be around as much.”

  Tino slides Lucas off his shoulders and plants him on the ground. “Well how about I take you to school in the morning and we get ourselves some donuts. You think they’ll have enough to feed a guy like me?” Tino flexes his muscles like the incredible hulk.

  “You’re kinda big. I’m not sure.” Lucas scrunches his upper lip. “Mommy only lets me have one because it’s rude to ask for more.”

  “Is that so?” Tino raises a thick dark brow. “Well, I think you can decide how many you want tomorrow.” He gently taps Lucas on the shoulder. “I trust you’ll use your manners. But don’t be afraid to ask for another one if that’s what you want.”

  I reach up to tighten my ponytail because I don’t know what to say. It’s like I’m being called out again for making my kid afraid to ask for things. Here I am thinking that I’m trying to make him respectful, but now I’m wondering if I’ve turned him into a wimp that’s terrified to speak his mind.

  “I’ll need your address. I’m pretty sure you don’t want me to pick him up at your work.” Tino turns back to me and laughs.

  “Yeah, not so much.” I stand there and fidget with my arms as we stand in the parking lot, and then I sprint the short distance to the rental car and check the glove box for a piece of paper. Got it. Now a pen. Where’s a flipping pen. I find one in the console and bump my head on the ceiling as I rush to turn around.

  “Easy there,” Tino teases and squeezes the tops of my shoulders. He’s so close I can feel his body heat. “You alright?”

  “Fine.” I pull away and scratch the bump that’s probably growing under my ponytail.

  “What time should I pick him up?” he asks, pinning me inside the door as he rests his arms on the top of the window.

  “He needs to be there by eight. Is that too early?”

  “That’s fine.” Tino continues to stand there and doesn’t let me pass.

  “Sounds good,” I say, biting at my bottom lip.

  “Well, I guess I better head out.” Tino still doesn’t move.

  Our bodies are so close I can’t think of anything else going on around us. It’s been a while since I’ve been next to a guy. And I’ve never been next to a guy this muscular. I lower my head to stare at my feet to avoid my head from getting more dizzy
from his smooth cologne.

  Tino lifts my chin with his large hand. “I’ll be there in the morning.”

  “Sounds good,” I repeat. Ugh. Don’t be stupid. Find something else to talk about. I glance over at Lucas buckling himself into the booster seat. “Make sure that’s tight enough.”

  Tino backs up and wanders around to help Lucas get buckled. “Safety first, little man.”

  I hurry and sit in the driver’s seat so I won’t say something awkward again.

  “I guess I’ll see you in the morning, little man.” Tino leans forward, breathing down my neck. “Drive safe.”

  “Sounds good.” I clench my hands around the steering wheel because I’ve probably just made the biggest fool of myself for repeating sounds good at least two or three times. I turn over the key to start the air conditioning, and don’t bother to look up after Tino shuts the door. I can’t take another second of watching his beautiful face tease me with those soul melting eyes. And I won’t even get started on that velvety smooth chocolate skin.

  Oh, Mia, stop.

  I’m such a sucker for his type.

  CHAPTER THREE

  I

  slip my headphones from my ears and rest them on the back of my neck before I knock on the door. I ain’t been this nervous in a while. I’m hoping it doesn’t have anything to do with me checking out the contacts in her phone. I just need to ask her about some Chris dude so I can put my mind at ease that she doesn’t have a boyfriend on the side. Even if we ain’t a thing, a dude that texts her to see how she’s doing complicates us even being friends.

  I thump my fingers against my forearms.

  I hope this is the right place.

  A large number 3 keeps staring back at me as I stand on the open porch. It’s probably telling me to run like hell, but I don’t run. Especially when I know a fine ass woman lives behind that door. I look up to check out what kind of weather we’re expecting. The sun isn’t high enough to stream through the open sky light of the stacked apartments, but it’s warm out so I know it’s about time to pick him up.

  Damn her place smells good. Like fresh laundry. Even with the door shut.