by Tara Brent
“Maya, I’m a man and we rarely change unless we want to. Please don’t make the mistake of thinking you can change Jackson.”
Shocked by the bluntness of his words, I take a step away. “I didn’t think that... I just thought... Well, I noticed...”
“The two of you have slept together,” he says to me.
My face heats up and I don’t even bother answering the question. But it wasn’t a question; it was a statement. Vince knows what’s happened, and he stated the obvious. I scowl at the ground wondering where this conversation is leading.
“Maya, forget I’m your brother, and listen to me without judging first. That’s not a man who can get close to people, I know because we’re the same.”
The look on my face is incredulous. “You are polar opposites, Vince.”
“No Maya,” he says sadly, “we’re the same. We just handle our issues differently. We keep secrets from people especially the people close to us. Do you know his dad is in a nursing home?”
My jaw drops as I shake my head.
Vince continues, “Growing up, keeping secrets kept us safe and helped us take care of our families. It’s second nature to hide things. But the way we express who we are, we do it differently. I’m a workaholic—it keeps me away from people, and Jackson is a womanizer—it keeps him away from people.” Vince touches my hand which I have clutched in a fist.
“I didn’t know his dad was ill,” I whisper.
“Think it over, Maya. I’m not being an asshole; I just don’t want to see you hurt. I know what’s coming.” Vince stares at me a moment, then walks off toward his car. He doesn’t wave bye as he drives away.
Chapter 6
Jackson
“Is everything okay? I mean between us.” Maya sits beside me in the passenger seat of my car. She’s been quiet after I dropped that bomb during the live stream. But I wasn’t going to choose another woman after being with her. Being with Maya hadn’t been an option with Vince as her brother, but she was older now, and I foolishly thought Maya should have a say. I knew Maya would be upset, but there’s something else going on.
She sighs, “I want to talk, but I’m not sure if I should bother.”
“Is this about Vince?” I ask, trying hard to keep the tone out of my voice.
She hadn’t talked much during dinner. I had to practically beg her to come out with me again. I definitely had to ask more than a few times for this date. I’m not sure if she’s coming up or driving home. I’ve never had to chase this hard after a woman, and I’m sort of at a loss as to what to do.
Maya shakes her head. “No, I’m just not sure about anything.”
“You have to give me more than that, Maya,” I press her to level with me. “I know when something is wrong, and you’re not talking. Well, it isn’t helping us.”
“It’s us now?” She finally looks me in the eye. “You date a lot of women.”
I can’t stop my jaw from falling to the floor. “You fixed me up with thirty women, and then you say that to me?”
I flex my fingers around the steering wheel. We’ve been parked in the garage under my building for at least fifteen minutes, trapped in this strange limbo. I glance over at Maya, and she’s staring at numbers painted on the garage’s concrete wall intently. Her bottom lip is poked out just a little bit, and dammit, I want to lean in and bite it. I can read all her expressions, she can’t hide her feelings from me, and that’s the look she gets when she’s determined. But determined to do what?
“Why don’t we just go upstairs?” I try another tactic and wrap my arm around her stiff shoulders. “We can talk on a comfortable couch with a bottle of wine.”
“In your bed?” She shrugs my arm off her shoulders. “Why didn’t you tell me that your dad was sick?”
I pull my arm away, and now I’m the one staring straight ahead at the wall. My mind flips through a ton of reasons, but I don’t have a ready excuse for this one. I rarely talk about my family with the women I have dated. That’s private. I have defenses that keep people at a distance, but this isn’t a moment I had prepared for. Maya knows me too well, and it’s impossible for me to lie to her.
“I didn’t want to talk about it.” That sounds so lame, I cringe. But I swear it’s not an excuse.
“It’s important, Jackson.” She grabs her purse off the floor and tugs it onto her shoulder. “It’s hard for me to believe this is something more than a hook-up when you don’t tell me something like that.”
We should’ve gone upstairs to my penthouse the second we got here. The inside of a sports car isn’t the place to have an intense discussion. I don’t want to fight. But if I say that, she’ll think it’s a line. I have to do something that isn’t within my comfort zone. Maya reaches for the door handle, and I actually panic. I don’t want her to leave.
“Maya, I need to talk to someone. Please. Someone I trust.”
Her hand freezes on the handle, and she leaves it there, waiting to hear what I’ll say. I’m not sure what to say, so I just start talking about everything I’ve been holding inside.
“I go to visit Ted every night. I’ve been going before our dates.” Maya turns and stares at me, so I keep going. “That’s why I show up so late. I look forward to seeing you after dealing with it. Not that I’m dealing with him. I mean dealing with the situation. I feel able to relax around you and just chill out because you know me. Well, I think you do.”
Slowly, Maya takes her hand off the door. The look in her eyes is something I’ve never seen before. I’m not sure if it’s a concern. I hope it’s not pity. What I said wasn’t a move to get her to stay. Well, it was, but it’s not a game.
She places her hand on mine, and I realize that I’m still gripping the wheel in my left hand. My knuckles ache with force, but slowly, she eases my hand off, and I take a deep breath. Maya leans in a little closer, and the tension eases off me as I stare into her sweet eyes.
“I didn’t understand why you didn’t tell me,” she says softly. “I thought you were shutting me out. You know, putting me in a box, away from the rest of your life. Your real life.”
“We don’t talk like that anymore, not since we were kids,” I say, taking her hand in mine. “When we were kids, I would’ve told your whole household what was going on in mine. I would’ve announced it the second I stepped into your house. But we don’t have that relationship anymore. There are some things I keep from Vince. I should’ve told you, but I don’t know why I didn’t.”
Maya leans into me, and she feels so soft against my arm. The car is quiet as we stare at one another. She tilts her chin up as I part my lips and press them gently to hers. I taste her mouth and press my nose against her skin, inhaling her scent. She’s a different girl now. She’s the type of woman I need, not just desire. Our relationship is changing between us. I knew that when I told Maya I wanted her for my second date. I reach for her and pull her against my body feeling her soft curves press against me. My body responds as I feel the tightness in my pants. I know Maya, and now I want her. That’s the feeling I have around Maya. I don’t have to impress her with an expensive dinner, a fancy suit, or a sports car. I’m with a woman I can trust enough to be myself.
“You’re coming up,” I whisper.
She nods her head and kisses me again, placing her hands on my cheeks and pulling me in.
I don’t paw at her or spout out innuendos as we ride up in the elevator. Grinning, I hold her hand in mine like I used to when we crossed the street. The tagalong is now the hottest woman I want. Silently, I lead Maya into the bedroom. I take her purse off her shoulder and toss it onto a chair. My master bedroom is off-limits to all women. I have a guest bedroom that I entertain my overnight guests in. It sinks in why Maya was questioning me.
Her eyes look everywhere except for the king-size bed situated in the middle of my bedroom. I keep the thick drapes drawn across the windows. There’s no view of the ocean from my bed, just the rooftops of the buildings that surround the Clocktower
. I only really come in here to sleep by myself and to get dressed. Maya picks up a photo in a silver frame of my mother and my father off the dresser. She smiles at the old photo rubbing the tip of her finger along the smooth frame.
“That was taken when they were probably about your age,” I tell her.
Maya smiles as she puts it down and picks up a picture of all of us from when we were kids. It’s an old four by six print of her brothers, me, and her huddled on the beach during a camping trip that was a disaster. As usual, Vince was in charge, Max and Maya were at each other’s throats, and their middle brother Dane just wanted to go home. But I didn’t. We marched along the deserted beach until our legs were sore and attempted to pitch a tent.
When she laughs, her eyes sparkle. “This was a sucky day, and you have it in a silver frame.”
I walk up behind her and wrap my arm around her waist. “It wasn’t that bad. It just rained.”
“Rained,” she scoffs. “It was a Nor’easter. We got drenched and lost the tent in the downpour.”
I scoff. “It wasn’t a tent. It was an old holey blanket and a few sticks we found on the beach to hold it up.” I tilt my head against hers. Her tousled hair tickles my nose. “You insisted on coming with us. Remember?”
“I never went anywhere with you guys unless I insisted.”
I pull the frame out of her hand and place it down on the dresser. “I’m glad you came upstairs with me tonight.” I kiss her cheek softly.
She inhales as her eyes lower. “I really do want to talk.”
“We will.” The deep conversation can wait as my hands trace the curves underneath her dress. Maya holds onto my shoulders as I pull her tight against my hard bulge. I can’t resist her body, those hot curves underneath soft skin. “I’d rather talk in bed,” I whisper, my lips almost touching hers.
Her lips quirk up into a naughty grin, and I’m switched on to seduction mode. It’ll be easier to have a serious conversation when I’m not distracted by her beautiful body. I can’t get over how much Maya has changed. Sometimes, she’s still the little brat staring out from that picture, but then she’s not. Maya had grown up into a knock-out—flawless skin, clear blue eyes, full blonde hair, and a body I want to hold onto tight.
Maya gently pushes me away. Maybe I was a horny jerk assuming that she’d want to have sex first and talk later, but I was wrong. Maya walks over to the ensuite and opens the door. She peeks inside while her hands start to unfasten the small buttons on her floral dress.
I watch motionless; it’s the first time I’m seeing her take charge. She lets her dress slip off her shoulders, giving a little wiggle of her hips as it slides off them and onto the carpet. As sexy as her body is, her smile is my kryptonite. Standing in her lacey lingerie and high heels, her gaze travels from my head to my toes. I take the hint and kick off my shoes, pull off my jacket, and then my shirt.
“Your pants look like a tent,” she teases me with a wicked smile.
“But this tent isn’t going to fall down,” I tell her as I pull off my pants.
I watch Maya take off her bra, her hips tilted in a sexy s-curve. She slips the straps off her shoulders slowly, and my hard cock tugs against my boxers. She shimmies her hips as she pushes her panties off her delicious hips. And I let out a growl that curls her mouth into a naughty grin.
“Shoes on or off, Mister Hayes?” she asks.
I pant like a wild animal about to pounce. Sexy as fuck, Maya saunters over to the bed naked, swaying her hips, then climbs on top of the sheets. She doesn’t hide her desire, and that confidence is as hot as a sinner.
“Shall I get started without you?” Maya runs her hand along her thigh, stopping between her legs. Her finger slips between her slit. Closing her eyes, she lets out a deep moan as I watch her touch herself. She opens her sultry eyes and watches me as she sticks her finger in her mouth.
“Ohmigod, where did you learn that?” I ask, pulling off my boxers as I hurry toward the bed. “Never mind, I don’t want to know.”
Maya giggles as I lean over her parting warm thighs. She knows what I want, so she shimmies back and leans against the headrest. She parts her legs wider, and her delicious scent fills my nose. My tongue trails a line up her thigh toward her drenched pussy. Maya arches her back, and I swirl my tongue into her wetness. Electricity shoots over my skin as I connect with her, and my only concern is to give her bone-shaking pleasure.
My hands grip her hips, pushing deep into her skin, holding her as I taste her. It makes me harder to feel her squirm as she moans, loving what I do to her. Her hands grab for my head, and I feel the tips of her nails on my scalp. The pain shoots through me like a lightning strike, and I savor the warmth of her skin against mine.
Maya shakes as I hold onto her thighs, pressing tight against my head. I wait for her to trickle down, listening to her gulping breaths. I glance up, and her perfect breasts tremble on top of her chest. I start to trail my tongue along her body. Licking every sweet inch as I slowly move over her tummy. The tip of my tongue licks the sweat off her skin along the curve of her breasts. I tease her and don’t touch her hard nipple. I keep my tongue on her until I reach her pouting mouth, and then I give her a deep kiss.
“This time, I want to watch you come,” I whisper in her ear.
She wraps her legs around my hips, but I pull away. Maya grabs for me as I reach for the drawer in the bedside table.
“I’m on the pill,” she says.
I always use a condom though I know I’m clean. I didn’t want Maya to doubt me. She’d never believe me if I told her the truth. I may date a lot of women, but I don’t sleep around despite the gossip. I offer first because I didn’t want to make her ask.
“You sure?” I ask, pulling my hand away from the drawer.
She strokes my head with her fingertips. “I want to feel you in me.”
I pause, staring into her confident gaze. There’s no awkwardness between us, and that’s what’s turning me on—this woman who shows me what pleases her with a naughty grin and a deep moan.
Maya laughs when I grab her thighs and yank her over to the middle of the bed. I move my body over hers, and she wraps her lovely legs around my hips. I’m inside her with a strong thrust as her nails bite into my back. That shock of pain gets me every time. She’s better than anything I’ve ever experienced before, and I won’t ever find a woman I want more. Maya grabs my shoulders as she gasps, pushing her pelvis to match me. She’s tight as I move inside her deeper with each stroke. Maya moans. Her head falls back onto the bed as her legs clench. I suck in a hard breath, watching her soft breasts shake on her chest.
Her lips part in pleasure, and it’s the sexiest thing I’ll ever see as sweat forms across her skin. My mouth crashes down on hers, and I taste her tongue. Her wild kiss distracts me, so I pull back and stare down at her flushed face. Her lips form a perfect O, but her moans are silent as she stares hazily into my eyes. Maya’s gaze lowers as she watches our bodies come together. So fucking hot. Her body tenses underneath mine. I lean in and kiss her neck as she lets out a long moan.
“My cock’s so deep inside you,” I whisper. “You feel so good, baby.”
Her eyelashes part as she watches me. “I want you. I want you,” she murmurs over and over again.
She’s close again—the way she tosses her head and whispers my name. I only want my name on her lips. I look down between us and watch as I thrust into her. I only want to watch her under me. I’ll only think about her until we do it again.
Maya shouts as I grind against her. Her legs tighten around me, and I can feel her heels push into my ass. My body jerks as she clings to me, and I come in a rush, losing my concentration. My mouth lowers to her lips. I groan, feeling the sweat beaded on my face against her soft skin.
The pace slows, and I kiss her lips gently. Patiently, I press one kiss followed by another, as her lips curve into that smile I always want on her face when she’s with me.
“You happy, baby?” I whisper.
Maya lowers her legs and wraps her arms around my shoulders. “I’m always happy when I’m with you, Jackson.”
It’s corny and sweet, but it makes me smile. The way she talks to me. Now, I just have to learn how to be open with her. Maya ends up staying the night. She usually slips away before the sun rises, but in the morning, I wake up with her cuddled up next to me. We didn’t have that talk, but we will. I stroke her hair until she stirs and opens up her sleepy eyes.
“Should we go and get breakfast,” I ask.
She laughs. “Don’t you ever cook?”
“I got better things to do,” I tell her nuzzling her nose.
She tilts a brow. “Like what?”
“Making love to you.”
Chapter 7
Maya
Three months have passed since the publicity stunt with Jackson, two months since we started dating seriously. And as of today, my period is a week late. I sit at my desk staring at the calendar on my phone, trying to piece together every crucial date in my cycle. I can’t have drama now—not while my business is soaring. But it figures. One sexy look from Jackson and I forget his bad reputation and my carefully thought out plans. The minute we got close, trouble claims me.
“Are you listening to me?”
Wide-eyed and looking guilty, my head whips up as Tiffany walks over to my desk. She frowns at my screen, and I stare at her as if she’s caught me flagrantly breaking the law. Tiff does that thing where one eye narrows, and she bites her upper lip. I don’t want her to interrogate me like a lawyer giving the third degree, so I quickly slip my phone into my desk.
“Sorry, I was reading a text.” I grin painfully. “What were you saying?”
Tiff crosses her arms and repeats herself. “I was asking if you want to sell the business.”
Last week, we were approached by Foxtrot, a mammoth media company, about selling our app to them for crazy money. Foxtrot has been buying up smaller companies with a strong social platform, and we appeared on their radar. It sounds like a once in a lifetime opportunity, but I have had no time to think it through. We received the call the same day I missed my period.