by Marie Harte
“A board game? You’re on. If I win, we up the stakes from golf.”
She snorted. “You already finagled honey into our lovemaking—not fucking, so you said. You’ve tied me up, had me anally, orally, and otherwise. What’s left?”
“I win, no condoms. You win, I’ll let you tie me up.”
She thought about it. Tying up big bad Dex would be fun. She felt warm just thinking about it. But no rubbers? Condoms were that extra measure of protection she always used with men in addition to the pill. Letting him not wear one seemed too intimate.
“Unless you’re afraid you’ll lose to me. Again.” He just had to rub it in.
“Oh fine. Come on. You’re so going down.”
“Sounds good, but you’ve made it pretty clear no more sex.” He left the truck, and she followed.
“Very funny. Ha-ha. You know what I mean. I’ll have you tied up and at my mercy in no time.”
“Oh, my poor, sweet girl. I never lose when it counts.”
“You’ll lose tonight.”
“Honey, either way, I’ve already won.”
While she muddled over that comment, he dragged her with him inside for their game. Despite keeping things nice and easy between them, it about killed her to ignore his hints about naked Twister.
The following week, Maya still couldn’t believe Dex had not only kicked her ass at Sorry, he’d also challenged her and won at rummy. It was like he’d found a lucky penny or something. Annoyed and sexually frustrated, because the blasted man had been avoiding her all week ever since their game, she spent her days working on her next collection and her nights trying to figure him out.
Thus far, they’d gone on a total of six dates. After golf last week, he’d picked her up Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night for a movie, bowling, and a hike, respectively. Thanksgiving had come and gone, and though they hadn’t hooked up, spending time with their respective families, she missed the big lug.
When together, they acted like companionable buddies, talking and laughing. Hell, she liked the man. A lot. He always made her laugh. She hadn’t even minded that Riley had insisted he come tonight to Movie Night—typically an all-girls event.
Since Ann was busy with Jack, Riley said she wanted someone else there to even out their evening. Privately, Maya thought Riley wanted to feel Dex out, to see if he was serious about being Maya’s friend or taking advantage of her.
Finished sculpting for the day, she wiped her hands on a nearby cloth, a smile on her face. Riley might be a pain in her ass, but she always had Maya’s back. Maya knew she’d grown concerned about how much time Maya and Dex spent together. Not like Ann, who thought the man farted rainbows because he was “finally seeing how wonderful Maya was”.
Ha. Deluded by her own happily ever after, Ann wanted Maya to hook up and fall in love. Bad enough Maya had developed a crush. Her every thought seemed to start and end with Dex lately. What would he like? What was he doing? When would he show up to drive her to Riley’s?
Annoyed with her stupid fascination for the man, she cleaned up, throwing on a pair of jeans and a soft, casual sweatshirt. She put her hair up in a ponytail and added some dangly earrings. Standard gear for an easy night out with friends.
Not boyfriend or husband material. Just friends.
The doorbell rang just before six. Another thing she tried hard not to like about him—Dex was always on time. Not late or early, but Johnny-on-the-spot when she needed him.
Her phone buzzed as she moved to answer the door. Hell. Her father again, nagging to know when she and Dex would be coming over for dinner. Apparently he hadn’t forgotten his and Bev’s invite.
She stowed her phone in her back pocket and opened the door. Dex took one look at her, lifted her off her feet and kissed her breathless.
Before she knew it, he’d removed her hair tie and had smoothed her hair over her shoulders and breasts.
She swatted his hands. “Hey. No copping a feel.” She would have sounded more threatening if she could breathe properly. But that kiss…
He grinned. Wearing an OSU sweatshirt and jeans, he was a man any woman in her right mind would be drooling over. He seemed so kind and generous, and then he’d turn those stormy gray eyes on her and remind her he had a bad habit of being mean when it suited him.
Especially in bed.
“You’re gorgeous. But of course, you know that. So I’ll just say it would be my pleasure to bend you over the couch and do you before our evening at Riley’s. You know, skin to skin.” His grin widened when she scowled, knowing what came next. “And yes, Maya, I plan to never, ever, ever again wear a condom when I’m inside you. Because I beat the pants off you last week. Twice. Sucker.” She tried to punch him in the arm, but he easily dodged aside.
“Rub it in, why don’t you?” She shook her fist at him.
“You hungry for me, darling?” He pulled her in for another kiss. So playful, so fun. She had a hard time not smiling around him.
“Who said I’ve been waiting for you? Maybe I had my itch scratched by someone else?”
The teasing left his eyes. He grabbed her in his arms and pressed her back against the wall. As if he’d flipped a switch, he set her libido on high. He no doubt saw it, because he kissed her again, this time pinching her nipple through her sweatshirt. When he pulled back, they were both breathing hard.
“You belong to me. Say it.”
She scowled because she wanted to say it. Worse, she wanted to believe it. “I don’t belong to any—”
He kissed her again, this time grinding his palm between her legs. The door was open behind him. Anyone could walk by and see him molesting her against the wall. But he didn’t seem to care. His rough treatment lit her up like a firecracker. After a week of celibacy while dealing with him so tantalizingly near, she was primed to launch.
“Say it,” he ordered, his voice deep.
“I…” She tried to move, but he had her firmly against the wall. His palm had found and refused to leave her clit, and she tried to escape her looming orgasm.
“Say it.”
“Dex. I’m yours. Oh, oh. Yes,” she moaned as her body clenched. She trembled through her rushing orgasm, embarrassed that he could manipulate her so easily.
“That’s good, baby. Real good.” He smiled at her and let her go, catching her when she sagged against the wall. “If it makes you feel any better, I’ve been telling Selena and her friends that I’m yours.”
Her strength returned in a flash. “What?”
“Unless I was wrong. I could tell her I’m available after all, that I was mistaken and—”
“Oh shut up. You’re mine, I’m yours. Whatever.” She stomped around him, grabbing the bottle of wine she’d bought for the evening. “Come on.” She grabbed his hand and dragged him outside, then locked up behind her.
She grabbed him by the hand again, holding onto her man. “For now,” she reminded him, and herself. “We’re kind of a couple for now. It would look bad if Selena was fooling with you while we’re a supposed item.”
“Sure, sure.”
She hated that he didn’t sound like he believed her, and that she didn’t believe herself. She’d fallen for Dexter Black. Now she could only hope she could keep herself apart enough so when he left her, he didn’t ruin her for other guys forever.
Dex enjoyed how flustered Maya seemed as he drove them to Riley’s. Maya liked being with him. He knew it. Her denial was cute, but it also hinted at the obstacle he needed to cross. That chip on her shoulder she had when it came to letting anyone get close. Ever since he’d known her, she’d had two best friends—period. Her father was the only other constant in her life.
He wanted it all. Maya in his life. Her love, her laughter, her children. So far, so good. He’d been taking it slow, well, as slow as one could go with a woman as sexy as her. Abstaining from sex for s
o long had nearly done him in. Bringing her to orgasm just now would have to sustain him until they had some private time together.
Surprisingly enough, his gambit of no sex while dating had paid off. He’d learned so much more about her this past week.
“Why are you so quiet?”
“Why do you sound so suspicious?” he asked, trying not to smile.
“What can I say? I’m not a trusting soul.”
“You got that right.” He paused. “So when are you going to tell everyone we’re dating?”
“They already know that.”
“No, they know that I—and I quote—‘blackmailed’ you into a few excursions.”
“Seven if we count tonight.”
“We’re not counting tonight.” It amused him that she kept trying to get out of being with him, hurrying up their time together. If she didn’t see him as a threat, she would have ridden out their time with a blah attitude. So far so good. Hell, he’d been invited to movie night. He was nearly in. “Look, we’re a couple, right? I mean, you aren’t fucking anyone else, and I’m not fucking anyone but you. That makes us a couple.”
“I guess.”
“Don’t kill yourself rushing to claim me or anything,” he said drily. “If it’s that big a deal, I can always call Selena and—”
“Nice try, but I know you can’t stand her.” She sounded so smug.
“True, but her friends are attractive, and some of them are nice.”
Not so smug now. She frowned. “We’re a couple. Happy now?”
“I will be at some point, I’m sure.” He shifted in his seat. “Getting you off made me hard.”
“Everything makes you hard.” She smirked.
Her dark hair lay like a glossy mane over her arm. So shiny and black. Her eyes sparkled with mischief, and the flush on her cheeks looked too perfect to be real. “Jesus, Maya. You are without a doubt the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
Her cheeks turned pinker. “Whatever.”
“Now you say thank you. Accept the compliment.”
“Thanks,” she muttered.
“Look, I don’t want to pressure you. If my being with any of Selena’s friends bothers you because they’re affiliated with Selena, I could always ask Riley out. She’s perfect. She’s nice and she cooks like a dream.”
Her scowl made his entire world brighter. “Leave Riley alone.”
“Why? Jealous?”
“Jealous? Jealous?”
“You said that already.” Was it wrong to have such fun at her expense?
She cleared her throat. “She deserves someone who really loves her.”
“Why can’t I love her? She’s an amazing woman.”
Maya sputtered but couldn’t come up with anything better than, “We’re dating. Leave it at that.”
He continued to goad her all the way to Riley’s. When he parked, she stormed out of the truck and slammed into her friend’s house. It promised to be a fun evening, for sure.
An hour later, he sat back and patted his stomach. “Riley, marry me.”
She laughed, though Maya glared holes through him.
“Relax, Maya. Everyone knows you’re my girl.” He was getting a huge kick out of reaffirming their relationship in a public setting—assuming one other person could count as public. The more he said it, the more right it felt, and the more nervous she seemed to get. Maya never seemed uncertain about anything, so her nerves around him continued to be a good sign.
Riley winked at him and he upped the wattage of his smile. “I can’t help being bowled over by such an amazing meal. Chicken pot pie is like my all-time favorite, and that crust was amazing.”
“You already said amazing,” Maya sniped.
“Now, Maya, be nice.” Riley stood to collect his plate when he tried to get up and take it to the sink. “It’s a pleasure to cook for someone who appreciates it.”
“Hey. I appreciate it,” Maya said.
Riley put their plates in the sink. “You aren’t happy unless I make dessert.”
“Did you?” Maya asked.
“Yeah, did you?” Dex echoed.
Riley put her hands on her hips. “Yes, but honestly, wouldn’t the pot pie have been enough?”
“Yes,” he said at the same time Maya said, “No.”
Riley laughed, and Maya excused herself to the bathroom.
Riley sat next to Dex at the table and grabbed his arm. “Okay, what’s the deal?”
“The deal?”
The woman had a tight grip. She was going to leave bruises on his forearm. “With you and Maya.”
“Truth?”
She nodded.
“I love her. But she’s a flight risk, so I’m stepping lightly.”
Riley gave him a gorgeous smile. It wasn’t hard to tell what his cousin saw in her. What any man would. “Well then.”
“Got any tips?”
She glanced at the hallway where Maya had disappeared, and seemed to consider her next words. “She’ll try to push you away before you can leave her.”
“I won’t leave.”
“So prove it by staying, no matter what. You haven’t bored her, and I think she’s falling for you. But that’s just my take. It goes without saying, you hurt her, I’ll find a way to poison you.”
“Ah, okay.”
“I mean it. You won’t leave the bathroom for a week.”
“I believe you.”
Riley seemed satisfied. “Look, her mom left her when she was just a kid, and it did a number on her. She acts all confident and tough, but she’s really a marshmallow inside. She’ll do anything for those she loves. Remember that.”
“Thanks, Riley.” He took her hand and kissed the back of it, amused when she seemed flustered. “I’m glad she has friends like you and Ann.”
“I always liked you.” She smiled at him and gripped his hand in hers. “Your cousin, however…”
Which was how Maya found them when she returned. “What the hell is this?”
Dex stood and twirled Riley in his arms. “Guess what, Maya? Riley agreed to a threesome. I am the happiest man on the planet.”
“Ew.” Riley shoved at his chest to get free.
Maya tried to hold onto her scowl but couldn’t. “You’re such a doofus.”
“Did I say threesome? I meant foursome. Quick, Riley. Call Ann. Jack’ll be cool with it. He owes me.”
Riley glared at him. “I think I’m going to throw up. I take back everything I said about you being charming.” But he caught the grin she tried to hide.
Maya subtly inserted herself between the two of them, and he saw Riley give him a thumbs-up before Maya turned a suspicious glance her way. “So…”
“So?” he asked.
“My dad wants you to come to dinner.”
“Oh, I’m meeting the parents.” He grinned. “Should I propose to you there, do you think? Or in private?”
Maya stared at him in shock or horror—maybe a bit of both, he couldn’t tell. And he laughed and laughed. She finally relaxed, but he realized he needed to move things along. The next time he asked her about marriage, she needed to be on her knees crying out a yes, not looking as if he’d just asked to sleep with her best friend.
Chapter Ten
Maya didn’t know how he’d done it, but Dex had charmed her out of her bad mood and turned Riley into a blushing pile of goo in the process. It was like he had some kind of weird effect on women in general. Had she met anyone with two X chromosomes who didn’t like him?
A few days after movie night at Riley’s, they met for date number seven—because he’d refused to count their last date as number seven, a point she still had a beef with. As of today, she’d now gone ten days without having sex. She didn’t count the orgasm he’d given her Friday, because they hadn’t
been naked. She was going stark raving mad, her need for him growing by the second.
She counted the time between his calls, and his texts brought warmth to the places inside her that were normally cold. He frustrated the hell out of her, because she wanted more from him than just sex, and even that was out-of-this-world incredible.
God, they really were a couple. He seemed to have no problem with it. Riley and Ann thought Maya was the luckiest girl in the world for having nabbed Dex, and Maya still couldn’t be sure how she’d done that or if she really had. He confused her, kept her on her toes and constantly challenged her to meet him halfway.
They spent almost all of their free time together, unless sleeping, and she wanted more. Her nights had become lonely, and not even time spent with her girlfriends filled the void his absence left.
She finished looking over her latest pieces and put them in her damp room for drying. In a few days they’d be ready for firing, then more firing and cooling so she could glaze them. For her upcoming show, she had some pieces she’d already glazed and put into the kiln for one last firing. She had to balance a constant ratio of creativity to output in order to earn a living. Ahead of schedule for once, she felt free to concentrate on Dex. Their seventh date would be spent in his studio, now open for business. He kept nagging her about taking some portraits, and she’d finally agreed to pose for him.
She parked outside his storefront, thankfully after hours. The local police loved nothing better than to ticket anyone who lingered over the two-hour limit during the workday. Muttering under her breath about the tickets she’d accrued over the years, she went to let herself into his studio and found the door locked. The blinds had been tugged down as well, making her wonder if he’d said to meet him at his work or home.
Frowning, she knocked. He opened the door and tugged her inside, then locked it again. “Hey, baby. I’m closed to the public. This is my Maya time.” He winked at her, and she relaxed.
“Hey yourself.” She walked around, noting the scattered magazines on the table in the front waiting area, the many signatures on his sign-in sheet at the appointment desk. She followed him into the studio, seeing the sectioned-off areas where different props had been used. A large beach ball, a stuffed dinosaur. A dark background, some old-style clothing.