Sinful

by Marie Rochelle

  Maymi had never felt so embarrassed in her life. She was actually getting sex advice from Olivia. She wasn’t some doe-eyed virgin. She knew about sex and what do to.

  “Jensen and I are only in the getting to know stage. At any moment, he could say something about Sinful and we will be at each other’s throats again. Don’t read more into one date than there was.”

  The words coming out of her mouth sounded so good. She only wished that she believed the half of it herself. The idea of making love with Jensen had entered her mind more than once since she met him. She had to get out of here before Olivia made her tell more than she wanted to.

  “You know what, since you’re here, I think I can head on out.” Maymi walked away from Olivia and grabbed her purse from behind the counter. “Everything you need should be already in the cases. If you get any kind of custom cakes orders, tell them I’ll have to call them back.”

  Olivia nodded as she walked past her. “I know. Don’t worry. Have fun getting set up for Jazmaine’s party. Sinful will be taken care of just the way you want it.”

  “I know. Bye,” Maymi said, heading out the door.

  ****

  Walking around the side of the building, Maymi was halfway to her car when she spotted a very handsome man coming out of Fitness 24’s doors making a beeline for her. Her eyes drank up the sight of Jensen wearing khaki pants and a white polo shirt with Fitness 24 embroidered across the left side on his upper chest.

  He stopped only a few feet in front of her. “Were you trying to sneak away without telling me goodbye? I didn’t think you would do something like that to me.”

  “No, I was leaving, no sneaking about it at all. Olivia is here now. I’m leaving so I can pick up a few more things before the party.”

  “I was thinking once the party was over, I could stay and help you clean up afterwards.”

  She was enthralled by what she saw, but she couldn’t fall for it. She had to see how he interacted with her friends first. Tatum and Jazmaine were a huge part of her life. If he didn’t like them then there wouldn’t be a third date.

  “What has you thinking so hard you have this frown now?” he asked, tracing her forehead with his index finger.

  “I was wondering how you’re going to get along with my girlfriends,” she replied honestly. “They’re both very opinionated and won’t bite their tongues about anything.”

  For a moment, he studied her intently. His eyes seemed to be trying to get into her head like he was trying to make sure she wasn’t leaving anything out. She had never experienced the look before from any other man, not even Hudson.

  “I hope your friends get along with me too. However, if they don’t I’m not going worry about it. You’re the woman I’m interested in getting to know better, not them.”

  She found an immense satisfaction in Jensen’s words. He was telling her directly what he wanted so there wouldn’t be any confusion between them. She couldn’t resist touching his face loving how his slight five o’clock shadow brushed across her fingertips.

  “You sure do know how to make a woman forget her bad first impression of you.”

  “Maymi, I’ve a way of making a woman forget a lot of things,” he whispered, lowering his head towards her until his sensual mouth was only inches away.

  “You’re doing a very good job,” she answered, softly staring up into his eyes.

  “Let me see if I can do even better for you,” he said right before kissing her.

  He slipped his tongue inside of her mouth as his body pressed against hers. Maymi whimpered softly wrapping her arms around Jensen’s strong shoulders. He groaned against hers lips pressing the bulge in his pants against her stomach.

  She whimpered, clinging to him, wanting more than either one of them was getting at the moment. No, she had to fight this off and get herself together before she lost control completely.

  “Shit, you taste so good,” Jensen moaned against her mouth. “I could keep you here for another hour.”

  Placing her hands on his chest, Maymi eased Jensen away from her while she still had the strength to do it. “We have to stop.”

  “Why are you always pushing me to the point of no return?” Jensen asked, running his hands up and down her arms. “You’re giving me something that I have never had before.”

  “What is it? What have I given you that no other woman has done before me?”

  “A taste for chocolate,” Jensen said before reclaiming her mouth with his.

  She stopped fighting trying to be the leader in whatever was happening between her and Jensen. Instead, she gave up and allowed herself to get lost in how good his firm lips felt brushing over hers again.

  ****

  As Maymi and Jensen got lost in each other’s arms and their hot exploring kiss, neither one of them noticed the pair of hate-filled eyes staring at them from the doorway at Fitness 24. Anger rushed through the person as a plot formed at how to get even with Jensen. He wasn’t going to get away with kissing her not now...not ever.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Several hours later after leaving work, Maymi hurried around her apartment checking every single detail of her party to make sure it was relaxed and comfortable. She hadn’t wanted to overdo anything because Jazmaine wasn’t into anything too flashy.. All of the finger foods were out and ready to be eaten as soon as all of the guests arrived. In addition, the triple layer carrot cake Jazmaine wanted was in the refrigerator. It had taken her a little longer to get it done than usual because of Jensen.

  God, just one more kiss from that mouth of his and she was a step away from losing her mind or giving in to what he was offering her. She couldn’t afford to allow herself to get lost in him tonight with her girlfriends and his brother around. They were already bad enough when they were alone, they would have to get it together around other people.

  Her best friends needed to make their own opinion of Jensen without her getting involved. His new found interest in her appeared genuine enough, but she still wondered if he was still plotting something behind her back.

  Stop it, her mind scolded.

  She had a way of hanging on to everything when she should be living in the moment and having fun. She would give Jensen as much as he gave her. Nothing more...nothing less.

  Walking across the hardwood floors over to the entertainment center, Maymi turned on some music and it filled the room instantly relaxing some of the stress from her body. As she spun around and was headed back towards the appetizers’ table the intercom buzzed.

  Maymi hurried over to the box on the wall and pressed it. “Yes,” she answered.

  “Hey, let me up,” Jensen said. “I want to see you.”

  “Do you know how early you and Casper are?” she asked. “The party doesn’t start for another forty minutes.”

  “I know I am. I came early, so we could spend some alone time together before I get thrown to your girlfriends for an interrogation. Buzz me up, baby.”

  “Where’s Casper?” Maymi asked, stalling for time.

  “He’s still at home getting ready. We ran into a problem at work, so he volunteered to stay and fix it. Aren’t you going to buzz me up? Don’t tell me you’re scared to be alone with me in your apartment.”

  “Of course not,” Maymi answered a little too quickly. “You were here before to pick me up for our first date.”

  “I believe that doesn’t count since I was inside for less than five minutes,” he tossed back. “You’re beginning to make me think you won’t be able to handle me until everyone else shows up.”

  “You’re so wrong. Come on up.” Maymi hit the button to let Jensen upstairs to her apartment.

  Rushing over to the mirror, she checked her appearance one last time. She thought she looked good in the dark boot cut jeans and dark short sleeved shirt. Everything she was wearing tonight was cute and casual for the party, but still sexy enough to keep Jensen’s eyes on her. She liked how his eyes got a shade darker when they lingered on her breast
s. He thought she didn’t notice, but she had more than once.

  Maymi’s fingers smoothed down a piece of her hair as a knock came on her door. She took one final look at herself before going over to it and opening it.

  “Hey gorgeous,” Jensen said, bending down brushing his lips across hers.

  “Hi yourself,” she answered. “You look very handsome.” Maymi loved how he paired a button down white shirt with a pair of jeans and cowboy boots. He was sporting the casual look she told everyone to wear tonight.

  “Thank you. These are for you.” He pulled a bouquet of beautiful wildflowers from behind his back and gave them to her.

  “Wow, they are stunning. Come on it so I can put these in some water.” She took a step back from Jensen allowing him to move past her with a bottle of wine in his hand.

  Closing the door, she took another whiff of the flowers surprised Jensen had given them to her again. He was steadily moving up in her book. She better keep a close eye on him since she loved fresh flowers. They were one of her favorite things, but she seldom got them from anymore, not since dating Hudson.

  “Your apartment looks amazing. I can’t believe everything you’ve gotten done,” Jensen said, turning around to look at her.

  “Truthfully, I started on some of it yesterday after work,” she said going into the kitchen.

  Reaching underneath the sink, she grabbed a vase then filled it with water. Maymi arranged the flowers before placing them on the table. “I’ve gotten flowers twice from you now. I believe I need to do something special for you next time.”

  Jensen set the bottle of wine on the table then gave her a smile that sent her pulsing racing. “You don’t need to do anything for me. I only wished for you to give me a second chance and you did it.”

  “Why is spending time with me so important?” Maymi asked. She moved away from the table, grabbed a cork screw out of the drawer, then two glasses from the cabinet before facing him again.

  “Here let me.” Jensen took the items from her. He poured them two glasses of wine then handed her one.

  “I guess it came from a mixture of curiosity and some hidden jealousy.”

  Maymi frowned. “I don’t understand.” She leaned against the counter and took a sip of the wine.

  “I was curious about why you weren’t intimidated by me. Most people don’t stand up to me the way you had at Sinful. I was intrigued despite the fact; I wasn’t going to admit it. I was attracted to the sexy woman I just got into an argument with.”

  “You do know that when I rented the property next door to your gym, I didn’t know anything about you. All, I wanted was a placed to showcase my talents for baking,” Maymi said, staring at him.

  “I know that now, but back then weeks ago I wasn’t thinking clearly. I thought you were purposely trying to get on my nerves with your bakery. I thought, what intelligent person would do something as crazy as you had done,” he replied with a trace of humor in his voice. He was teasing her affectionately, but not maliciously.

  “Okay, I understand that part, but why were you jealous?” Maymi asked. “I have nothing for you to be jealous of at all.”

  “I wasn’t jealous of you actually, but the way you acted with everyone else including my brother but not me. You acted like just the sight of me found ways to piss you off.”

  Jensen drank his wine and studied her from his side of the counter. The soft sound of the music made it feel like they were on another date instead of waiting for more guests to show up at any minute. He was drawing her into him with his deep, penetrating eyes.

  Placing his glass down, he walked towards her in a slow, predatory way that was all him. “Do you know how hard it is for me to stand over there and not touch or kiss you?” he asked, blocking her body between the counter and his big hard body.

  Leaning closer, Jensen brushed his nose against her as he stared into her eyes without blinking. His mouth slowly lowered down to hers until his lips were only a breath away from hers before the loud, intrusive sound of the buzzer jerked them apart.

  “Fuck! I hate that damn thing,” Jensen snapped, stepping back from her.

  Maymi glanced up at him and then over at the intercom. “I guess you were saved by the bell. You can try to get that kiss later,” she challenged then walked away before Jensen could grab her.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  “I almost feel invisible from the way your eyes have been following Maymi around the room since I walked through the door. The two of you must have been doing something pretty good before I rang the buzzer,” Casper teased him. “I know what I would have been doing with a hottie like Maymi.”

  Jensen stopped wondering what Maymi and her friends were huddled up in the corner talking about and gave his brother his full attention. Casper needed to learn when to talk and when to keep his big mouth shut.

  “I told you not five minutes ago, it wasn’t any of your business so why can’t you just leave it alone?” He was no longer thinking about his missed kiss with Maymi, but instead he was worried what her friends might be putting into her head.

  They had arrived about two minutes after Casper and the second they saw him they had dragged her away and Maymi hadn’t been back over here since. He tried speaking to them, but Jazmaine and Tatum had ignored him completely. He got the real impression that they weren’t totally on board with him being here.

  He shouldn’t care but a huge part of him did. They were really close to Maymi, a lot more than he was at this very moment. What if they thought of something convincing to make her not go through with the second date he had planned?

  “Jensen, how about you tell me more about your date and don’t tell me again you had a nice time. Remember, I know most of the women you have dated. Last night was the first time you ever called me up after one and wanted to talk about it. Something about Maymi stunned you, didn’t it?” his brother inquired.

  “Yes,” he reluctantly admitted.

  “Yes? That’s it?” Casper complained, hitting him on the side of his arm. “You aren’t going to tell me more? Come on. I think I had a part in you asking her out in the first place.”

  Jensen took one final look across the room and then faced his brother. “What makes you say that?” he inquired.

  “You got jealous I had formed a bond so fast with Maymi and wanted to put an end to it, so nothing would happen between me and the woman you’ve wanted from first sight. Don’t you dare deny it.”

  “I wasn’t going to deny anything,” Jensen confessed. Casper was completely right by calling it as he saw it.

  He still had so many questions to ask Maymi about her life, but he didn’t want to push her too much and end up scaring her away.

  She presented a very tough exterior, but he still sensed something a tiny bit fragile about her that she might get hurt if he pressed her too hard. He saw a same glimpse of it the night she helped him after the attack, but he had only gotten a peek for a second then it was gone. Nevertheless, the sad look in her eyes had been way too old for someone so young; it came from something more than her mother’s suicide.

  The rare times she had flirted and even given him a smile were very appealing because her beautiful face had lit up. He liked the tranquil feeling that came with it making him want it again and again. The more he was around Maymi, the more special she was becoming to him.

  The brightness of her personality was becoming something that he could start getting used to, if he allowed himself to go down that side road of his mind that he usually kept closed off.

  “Aren’t you going to tell me anything else?” Casper demanded, regaining his attention.

  “No, I’m not, so leave it alone. Will you?”

  “All I want—”

  “Casper, I’m warning you,” Jensen said in a low voice as Maymi glanced over her shoulder and looked in their direction. He waved at her, but she didn’t wave back; instead, she turned around.

  What in the hell was going on over there with her?

&nbs
p; He was dying to know, but he wouldn’t go over there. It wasn’t his conversation to get involved it, but he knew for sure now that whatever Tatum and Jazmaine were telling Maymi concerned him.

  ****

  “How could you invite him here for our party?” Jazmaine asked, staring towards the other side of the room.

  “Are you talking about Jensen or Casper?” Maymi questioned as she took a quick glance over her shoulder and turned back around.

  “Yes,” Jazmaine and Tatum answered at the same time.

  “I can’t believe you have a problem with Jensen being here. It has to be him because neither one of you know anything about his brother. I thought you wanted me to go out with him to get to know him better.”

  Both women looked as if they were weighing her question before saying another word to her. She began to wonder if there was something they might be hiding that she should know about.

  “Well,” Tatum hedged.

  If she had expected an easy yes or no from either one of them; she had underestimated her two best friends. They were always quick to give her advice and just as fast to back out when they didn’t like the outcome.

  “God, I’ll ask her,” Jazmaine said.

  “We were wondering do you think you might be moving too fast with Jensen. You’ve only been on one date with him. Now you’ve invited him to our party. What has changed since we talked to each other?”

  Maymi understood her girlfriends’ concern, but they were reading way too much into her inviting him here tonight. She wasn’t planning anything more than seeing how well he blended in with her friends.

  Weren’t they the ones who told her to start dating more instead of being chained to the oven at Sinful twenty-four seven?

  Why wouldn’t she start with the gorgeous guy not twenty feet from her business? Tatum and Jazmaine were sending her mixed signals about this. Why couldn’t they just let her do as they warned her to do which was get back out there in the dating field?