by Laura Pavlov
“How about I dry you off?” His voice gruff. The thought of touching her had his body reacting in all sorts of crazy ways.
“All you have to do is ask. I’m all yours, Wallace,” she said, mimicking his words. He took her hand and she stepped out of the tub. She stood there on the bathmat, water dripping from her gorgeous body.
Looking like everything he’d ever wanted.
Chapter Fifteen
Elle’s Tip of the Day
You’ve got to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince!
She’d read plenty of sexy romances in her day. Watched every rom-com ever made. Hell, she’d even indulged in the whole Christian Grey phenomenon. But nothing, nothing, prepared her for standing before Maverick Wallace as he towel-dried her body. The way he looked at her. My God. The man was hotter than six shades of hell. Desire radiated from him. His nearness so overwhelming. She’d never felt so wanted. So desired. Yes, she’d been completely self-conscious at first. Never stood in front of a man so bare before. But she trusted him. There was an unexplainable bond between them. One she couldn’t explain. A force stronger than anything she’d ever experienced.
He dropped to his knees and began drying her legs. Her whole being flooded with desire. His lips grazed her abdomen as he raked his gaze over her. She bit down hard on her lip and pushed away the need building inside her. Her fingers twisted in his thick dark hair.
“So gorgeous,” he said, his lips grazed her thigh.
Oh.
My.
God.
Her breaths came hard, and he’d barely touched her. He pushed to his feet, towered over her, and his fingers traced the back of her neck. He took her hand and walked backward toward the bedroom, his gaze never leaving hers. She reached for the towel on the side of the tub, needing something to cover herself. He tugged it from her hands and tossed it on the floor.
“Let me see you.”
Butterflies fluttered in her belly. Her heart hammered in her chest as they slowly made their way to the bedroom. “I don’t like being undressed when you’re fully clothed,” she whispered.
He didn’t miss a beat. He reached over his shoulder and tugged his shirt off, tossing it on the floor. One hand still in hers, he guided her until the backs of her legs hit the mattress.
“You want to see me, Peaches?” His voice gruff.
“Yes,” she said, the word barely audible.
His thumb came up and traced her bottom lip. She all but panted, so desperate and needy for this man, he had her all spun up. He pushed his joggers down dropping them to the floor. His boxer briefs followed. Not an ounce of insecurity. A loud gasp escaped her as she took him in. She was too enamored to be embarrassed by her reaction. Maverick Wallace was all man. Bronzed and beautiful. Every single muscle and movement big and hard. She’d never seen anything so magnificent.
“Oh, my God. You’re—perfect.” Her hand trembled as she reached out to trace the lines across his abdomen.
A sexy chuckle rumbled from his chest, and he moved closer. Crowding her. Consuming her. His hands explored and teased, as they moved up the sides of her body, he eased her back onto the bed.
“Fuck, Peaches. I could look at you all day. I want to take in every inch. Know what you like, what you need.” He lifted her like she was a pillow he could easily maneuver and moved her back further on the mattress. He pressed a knee on each side of her, and hovered above, and she settled on her back beneath him.
Her pulse raced, and her heart pounded so hard she could hear it. Her mouth dry, and her body needy. His nearness. His touch. Her feelings for him had intensified with each passing day. This out of control feeling was foreign and unfamiliar.
“Relax, Peaches. Let me make you feel good.” His mouth came down over hers, and she buried her hands into his unruly hair, urging him closer.
He pressed his body to hers, his desire hard against her most sensitive spot. A moan escaped her, and she reached up to cover her mouth. He wrapped his fingers around her wrist gently and pinned her arm above her head. Running his lips down her neck, she arched in response.
“So sweet.” His lips grazed her skin.
His mouth covered her breast, and his hand moved up her thigh, touching and teasing, exploring her body. It was too much. Too overwhelming. More than she could handle.
“Oh, my God, Maverick.” She gasped.
He pressed up and hovered above her, studied her, before pushing away a loose strand of hair from her face.
“I want you to feel everything. Do you trust me?” He reached across the bed to his nightstand. She heard him tear open the foil packet. She squeezed her eyes shut, needed to breathe. She wasn’t dreaming. This beautiful man wanted her as much as she wanted him.
“Yes.”
“Open your eyes. I want to see you.” He pushed up on his knees and slowly covered himself. She was burnin’ up. Never had she seen anything so sexy.
Her gaze locked on his. “Please, Maverick.” She couldn’t wait another second to feel him. Couldn’t get close enough.
“So fucking beautiful, Peaches.”
He settled between her legs, teasing, and torturing her needy body. His mouth covered hers, possessive and greedy. She arched toward him instinctively, pleading for more. She gasped as he filled her inch by inch. Slow and torturous. He watched her as they moved together, connected in every sense of the word.
“Elle,” he moaned as their bodies danced in perfect rhythm.
A building, consuming need.
“Let go, baby.”
A soul-shattering sensation ripped through her body at his words. Pure and explosive. Her senses spun. He followed with a bone deep growl of pleasure, his face in her neck. Her trembling limbs clung to him. Gasping, he rolled on his side, pulled her with him, and she buried her face into the corded muscles of his chest.
Her heaving breaths and racing pulse returned to normal in long, slow increments as she slowly peeked up at the man heaving beside her. A sexy grin spread across his handsome face, as his dark, heated gaze locked with hers.
“What are you doing to me, Peaches?”
“I don’t know. But I sure hope we do it again.” Her voice came out breathy and raspy.
“Oh, trust me, we’re going to be doing this as often as possible.” He kissed the top of her head, and his arms came around her even tighter.
And for the first time in her life, she wasn’t anxious about planning out the next step. She was exactly where she wanted to be.
****
The floors were in, the walls painted, and the window coverings hung. This was always her favorite time of any project but doing it for Maverick only magnified the entire experience. Not to mention they were together, and she couldn’t ask for more. She made a conscious effort to keep her expectations low. Maverick hadn’t been in a relationship since dating his crazy ex years ago. But as far as boyfriends went, the man set the bar high. Sure, it had only been a week and they were existing in a little bubble away from the real world, but she’d never been happier.
He understood her. Listened to her. Encouraged her. The friendship they’d built only intensified their bond, and the man set her body on fire.
Every. Single. Day.
They couldn’t get enough of one another, which was a first for her. Before Maverick Wallace, she’d pretty much dreaded sex. It had always been a chore. But this—she couldn’t put it into words. She fought hard to keep her emotions reined in. Her heart couldn’t take it if he tired of her.
“All right, darlin’, we’re all finished,” Sam said with a wink.
The man was a shameless flirt. It bordered on annoying as the day wore on. He owned the shutter company she chose for this project. They’d only met twice—first when he came up to the house to take measurements and gave her a bid, and today to oversee the installation. Both times he’d come on strong. Like the stink on a skunk kind of strong.
“Well, everything looks great. Thank you.” She stood in the great room, admi
ring the gorgeous wood shutters.
“I thought I was going to meet your famous client today?” He moved beside her, close enough to press his shoulder to hers. The overpowering smell of self-tanner and musk surrounded him like a dark cloud. She breathed through her mouth to keep from gagging.
“He’s at the gym, unfortunately I think you’re going to miss him.” She gave a sympathetic smile, hoping he’d follow the rest of his team out the front door.
“I hear you two run together most mornings? Everyone thinks it’s funny, a woman keeping up with a football star, but I guess it explains why you look so fine.” Sam stood just under six feet tall, his shoulders too wide for his build. His buzzed head was too small for his body. Skin tinged slightly orange, and his too-white teeth stood out against his complexion. His sexist comment rubbed her wrong. She could handle a harmless flirt. But don’t insult her athletic abilities, and fan girl all over her boyfriend, all while hitting on her.
“It’s been a pleasure doing business with you, Sam.” She plastered her best fake smile on her face.
“Shit, Elle. Didn’t mean to insinuate you weren’t in amazing shape. I mean look at you. But, Wallace is one of the most competitive athletes in the league. The dude is a badass. It’s obviously how he scores a shit ton of women, right? I’m sure he gets the pick of the litter.” He placed a hand on her shoulder, and she shrugged it off and took a step back.
The porch light was on, but no one was home. The man just compared all females to a bunch of newborn pups. More like bitches. The guy was completely clueless at reading social cues. How dare he talk about the shit ton of women Maverick scored. Jealousy flooded her. The feeling so foreign she didn’t know what to do.
“There is something I wanted to ask you,” he continued, while she fought the anger he incited.
She nodded. “What can I help you with?”
“That’s a loaded question, sugar. There’s a lot I’d like you to help me with.” His sleezy smile caused a chill to run down her spine. “I was wondering if you’d like to go to dinner with me?” He crowded her, cocky and confident.
“Thank you for the offer, but no thank you.” She stepped away.
“Ah, someone likes to play hard to get. Give me one reason why you won’t go out with me, gorgeous?” He moved closer.
Irritation engulfed her. She’d happily kick this moron where the sun didn’t shine, but she wanted to keep things professional if possible. She’d handled plenty of guys like Sam.
“I can give you more than one reason,” she said, stepping back again, chin up, ready to give this guy a piece of her mind if he pushed much further.
He chuckled. Did he actually think they were flirting? Had he never read a social cue in his life?
“Ooh, you’re feisty. Let me hear your reasons, and I’ll tell you why you’re wrong.”
The nerve.
Two protective arms wrapped around her middle from behind. Mint and sandalwood. Maverick. His chin rested on her shoulder, and the scruff around his jaw grazed her cheek. Intoxicating. Her hand instinctively came over his.
“You want a reason? How about she has a fucking boyfriend. You going to tell me why I’m wrong?” Maverick’s voice remained steady, calm, but his body was anything but. Tension radiated from him, as he enveloped her in his hold.
“Oh, dude, I’m sorry, man. I didn’t know. I’m a huge fan,” Sam stuttered, holding his hands up in apology. The pushy, cocky guy from moments earlier completely evaporated before her eyes.
“You know who I’m a fan of?” Maverick rubbed his scruff against her cheek, affection brimming.
“Who?” Sam looked confused and awestruck at the same time.
“My girl right here. And I’m pretty fucking sure I heard her tell you she wasn’t interested—more than once. That shit won’t happen again. Now I suggest you say your goodbyes and go find your own fucking woman.”
“My bad, man. I’m sorry, Elle.” Sam made his way to the front door, and Maverick followed him.
“Take care, Sam,” she said, relieved to see him leave.
Maverick shut the door behind Sam and stalked toward her, his expression laced with concern. “What an asshole. Did he touch you?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. No. I would have kicked him in the balls if he’d tried anything.”
“Don’t talk about that fucker’s balls, Peaches,” he said, brooding as he ran his hand through his hair.
“You’re ridiculous. You do know I can take care of myself, right? I have been for a long time.”
“Yes. You’ve mentioned it a couple hundred times. Why didn’t you tell him you had a boyfriend?” he said.
She chuckled, seeing Maverick jealous was entertaining. “I didn’t know if you’d want me to. I wasn’t sure we were telling people.”
He rolled his eyes. “Of course, we’re telling people. I don’t want to be your dirty little secret.”
Relief spread through her body. They hadn’t discussed how public they were going to make this. Being tucked away in Lake Tahoe allowed them to keep their relationship private. Of course, her two best friends knew everything, but she didn’t know who he’d told.
“Come on, I want to show you something.” He took her hand and led her out back and down toward the water.
“Where are we going?”
“Down to the sand.” A mischievous smile spread across his face.
She paused to slip off her shoes. They dropped down on the warm powder and she adjusted her sundress around her and tucked her legs beneath her body. A pit settled in her stomach at the seriousness of his gaze. He said he wanted to tell people they were dating, but now he seemed nervous.
She sucked in a slow breath. “Out with it, Wallace.”
“Well, I want to talk to you about the last few weeks we have left up here.”
Holy hell. Did he want it to end when they went back to the city? Was she just a Lake Tahoe fling? “Okay.”
“I don’t know why you insist on keeping your stuff in the guesthouse. I told you I was all in. I want you to keep your clothes and all your girly shit at my house. With me. I don’t like when you leave to get ready next door in the morning.”
A chuckle escaped her. Not what she expected. He’d been relentless about her moving her things to his place for the past three days. The man did everything with a force, and she didn’t want to be left in the wreckage if he lost interest.
“Why do you care where my stuff is?”
“Because you’re always leaving. I want you with me.” The sun shone down and his bronzed skin glistened. His warm chocolate gaze settled on hers, a white T-shirt stretched across his toned chest, and his dark wavy hair tousled around his handsome face. Butterflies fluttered in her belly every time she looked at him.
“This is all new for you. There’s no need to rush it.” She knew him well enough to know something else was on his mind. Something more than moving her suitcases next door. He fiddled with the hem of her dress.
“Let’s put our feet in the water. Come on.” He took her hand and led her down the sand. She held the bottom of her sundress up to keep from getting wet. The cold temperature startled her at first, but her feet quickly adjusted. He stared out at the horizon, the sun beginning its descent.
“You’re acting weird. Is something wrong? Is this really about me bringing my stuff over to your house?”
“I have to tell you something.” His body stiffened next to hers, and a sinking feeling settled in her chest.
“What?”
Her legs came out from under her, and before she could process what was happening, he threw her over his shoulder. She couldn’t have stopped him if she wanted to. His hand slipped under the back of her dress and landed on her bottom.
“Maverick Wallace,” she wailed, slapping at his hand as she tugged her dress back down. “What in the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Do you trust me, Peaches?” His voice smooth and sexy as he walked further into the water.
&nb
sp; “How can I answer you when you’re holding me over your shoulder, and you have your hand on my ass? Take me back to the sand now,” she shouted, pounding her fists against his lower back. Her hair hung down, the tips almost touching the water.
On a gasp, they crashed into the ice-cold water. Shock and surprise made it hard to breathe but two strong arms held her close and pulled her to the surface. His laughter ricocheted across the lake and she sucked in long, labored gasps.
“What the hell, Wallace.” She slapped at his hard chest before finding her footing on the rocky lake floor. Her shoulders barely above the surface, he pulled her close again and wrapped his arms around her. He shook his dark, wavy hair like a dog, and water droplets flew all around.
“I said I have something to tell you.” He lifted her up and wrapped her legs around his waist. It was much easier to stay above water.
“Well, this lake is colder than a penguin’s balls. I’m not sure why you had to drag me into the water.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and tried to hide her smile.
“Why must you talk about everyone else’s balls?”
“Spill it, Wallace.”
“I wanted to take you somewhere you couldn’t run away when I tell you this. You have a habit of running away, you know?” The tender look in his gaze made her heart race for this beautiful man. Even when he annoyed the living daylights out of her.
“I’m not going anywhere.”.
Licking his lips, his gaze bounced everywhere but her direction. She placed her hands on each side of his face and forced him to look at to her.
“You can tell me anything,” she said, and she meant it.
“There’s a reason I want you to bring all your stuff over to the main house. With me.” His tone serious.
“There’s an opening at the brothel?” She laughed and pushed the hair away from his handsome face. Her fingers grazed over the scruff shadowing his chiseled jaw. Her dress pooled around her waist. She’d never felt freer.