by Lucy Leroux
Man, she’d given this a lot of thought. “I haven’t considered things not working out between us because I think they will,” he said softly as he caressed her cheek with his index finger.
It was hard to see her blush in the dim light, but he could feel her skin heat under his touch.
“You can’t blame me for planning for the worst case scenario. Don’t forget I looked you up online,” she said with a wry twist of her lips.
He laughed. “I haven’t forgotten. But I’ll be honest...I haven’t been happy with my life lately. I’m tired of the scene. Of women who wanted to be on my arm or in my bed in order to be seen with me or for money. It gets old. I want something else now.”
“And you think I can give it to you?” she looked at him in disbelief, eyes huge.
Those eyes of hers were so expressive. He loved their unusual teal color and the way they complemented her orange-gold hair. Calen could practically see the wheels turning in her head, and he wanted to smile at her hesitant naiveté. But that would be unfair of him.
“I do,” he said with a straight face. “And I think you should let me prove it.”
“How?”
“A trial period. You’re getting better. Healing. Once you are...I’m going to want to touch you. So I should. And you should touch me.”
Maia looked at him, slightly open-mouthed.
“Oh.” She ran a hand through her hair before letting it fall on the blanket, where it twisted with its partner. “I guess if you want to try, that might be smart. Then we would know for sure if we’re compatible.”
The dimness of the light ceased to matter, he could see Maia’s blush clearly now.
Satisfaction coursed through him. “I do want to try,” he said, reaching out to take her hand. “It’s the best way to figure out if my plan would work. If it doesn’t, then you can give more thought to leaving town. Maybe witness protection. But that should be your last resort.”
He didn’t want to scare her by telling her what he knew about Timur. Even in a program like witness protection there were no guarantees she would be safe. But that wasn't going to be an issue. If she said yes to getting physical, he'd make sure she never wanted to leave.
Maia didn’t answer right away. After a few more moments of blinking and staring at the fire, she swallowed heavily and nodded.
“Okay. A trial period.”
He finally let his satisfaction show. With a slow easy grin, he put his arm around her and drew her closer to his side. He wanted to kiss her again, but Maia was still fragile. Pushing away his arousal, he talked to her instead about her work until she grew tired and went to bed.
Calen stayed awake long after, flipping through the volumes in his collection.
This time he was looking for illustrations that included butterflies.
Chapter 12
The next few weeks were like some surreal dream. Maia worked out with a physical therapist that came to the penthouse. They used the penthouse’s gym, a state of the art facility that even had its own swim spa—a Jacuzzi tub with a motorized lap pool for one person at the other end.
When she wasn’t working on her recovery, she used her laptop to do her research and catch up on her reading.
Calen came and went at irregular hours, taking meetings and checking on his clubs. He made an effort to be home at a regular hour for dinner, a meal they would always share. It felt very domestic. Calen would kiss her often...albeit gently. He wasn’t physically demanding, but she could tell that he hadn’t been lying when he said he found her attractive.
Maia was completely caught off guard the first time she noticed he was aroused around her. Perhaps she shouldn’t have been, given what he was proposing, but she was still surprised.
She’d had a long workout with the physical therapist that afternoon. The therapist suggested Maia make use of the hot tub as part of her recovery. After he left, Maia changed into a bathing suit. She hadn’t even owned one before her attack, but a few skimpy bikinis had been included with all the clothes Calen had bought her. Trying to ignore how she looked, Maia changed into the darker of the swimsuits, a green one that covered more of her than the delicate white one also provided.
The controls for the spa weren’t difficult to figure out. Maia sank into the hot water with a sigh. She was sitting on one of the shallower seats in the tub; the bubbles barely covering her. Her hair was piled high on her head to avoid getting it wet while she relaxed in the soothing heat. Stretching her sore ankle far above the level of the water, she massaged her leg with both hands until she heard a noise. Letting her leg drop and turning swiftly, she was startled to see Calen watching her from the doorway.
“You’re back early tonight,” she said shyly. “Mrs. Portillo won’t have dinner ready till seven.”
When he just nodded, she grew nervous. The quiet stretched so long she wondered if something was wrong.
“Is everything okay?” she asked tentatively.
“Uh, yes. Yes, of course,” Calen said after a little cough. “I’m going to take a shower before dinner.”
“You still have time. Would you like a soak?” she asked gesturing to the hot tub politely, despite her anxiety about having him join her.
Calen avoided looking directly at her, but he shifted uncomfortably where he stood. She was starting to wonder what was wrong when she noticed the bulge in his pants.
A large bulge.
Maia froze in the water.
“Are your ribs still sore?” Calen asked.
She nodded.
“Then no.”
He left without another word. Maia sank down in the water, but it was a mistake. She was too warm now. Hot enough to have to get out of the tub.
After that afternoon, Maia noticed Calen was aroused frequently. They would be talking, catching each other up on their day, and she'd glance down to see his hard-on pressing against the front of his pants.
He never seemed embarrassed by it either. If he caught her noticing he'd just carry on with his side of the conversation as if nothing was different. Occasionally she thought she detected a hint of amusement in his eyes, but his features would remain impassive and non-threatening. She didn't get the sense he was laughing at her, or it would have been acutely uncomfortable.
Not that it was comfortable exactly. Though Calen was very controlled and never made a move on her, the air would fill with expectation—an expectation she wasn't brave enough to act upon yet. But she knew he would once she was healed. Maia couldn’t believe Calen was so turned on by her, but she was trying to get used to the idea.
She now wore the loveliest clothes—beautiful flowing dresses that made the most of her slight curves. In reality, she didn’t have much of a choice since Calen had gotten rid of her old wardrobe. But she had a hard time resenting him for it. The new clothes made her feel pretty. She loved them.
Maia was also wearing makeup for the first time. Not a lot of it, since she wasn’t used to putting it on, but she learned to apply a touch of mascara and eye shadow as well as lip-gloss and a little powder. She had fun playing with it and silently acknowledged that it enhanced her features. When she looked in a mirror, she could almost believe she was good-looking enough for Calen. The illusion lasted only long enough for her to Google him again and compare herself to the women he’d been photographed with.
Not that Calen seemed to find her lacking, but she was suspicious of his appreciation. Given her situation, it was too convenient. She had the sneaking suspicion that the universe was laughing at her before it set her up for a big fall. Doom crept steadily closer.
Liam and Trick were fixtures at dinner, and they brought their sister Maggie with them whenever she was free. The friendly brunette was only a year older than her but already married. Maggie’s husband was an FBI agent, of all things. They had met at a coffee shop and had dated for a year before tying the knot. Jason was by all accounts a friendly man whom Calen liked. But Jason didn’t come over for dinner. Calen explained that it would cr
eate complications for him at work.
Though Calen continued to assure her he wasn’t in the family business, Jason’s superiors would have pressured him to surveil the McLachlans if he and Calen became too friendly. As it was, Jason had a self-imposed hands-off policy when it came to organized crime, preferring to work in white-collar crime and fraud. Maia thought that was wise.
Maggie wanted to organize a girl’s night out with her and her best friend Peyton, but after one look at Calen’s face, she declined. Apparently Maggie had not been told the whole truth about her. Maia put it off, making a vague promise to go out when she felt better.
Eventually, the day arrived for Maia to go back to work. She waited till her ankle was able to support her weight, although she used a cane for extra support. But it was getting better, and her ribs no longer hurt. There were only faint traces of her facial injuries left, too. Davis drove her to work on a Wednesday morning and assured her that Stephens was already there patrolling and checking the secure feeds from the cameras they had secretly installed. She felt guilty for not informing her coworkers about them, but it was better they not know.
Maia went inside and quickly greeted everyone. Everyone was excited to see her back. She was gratified by the concern over her ‘accident’, especially by her friends Chang and Wesley. They had dropped by her place when they found out she was hurt and were surprised to discover she had moved.
“Yeah, since I needed help, I sort of moved in with my boyfriend,” she explained.
“Boyfriend?” Wesley asked quickly. “What boyfriend?”
“He’s new,” Maia said evasively.
“I guess that explains the new outfit. You dressing up for him?” Chang asked with a big grin.
Chang was the friendliest person in the lab and they often had lunch together. Maia glanced down at her fashionable dark grey wool dress and nodded sheepishly.
“Did he buy it for you?” he asked, noting the expensive cut curiously. Another nod. “He has good taste, you look incredible,” Chang said, getting up to walk around her since Maia wasn’t able to twirl for him just yet.
Wes frowned. “You moved in with some guy? Already? How long have you been dating?”
“Um, a little while. I met him during an outing with Tahlia,” Maia lied, knowing that might distract him.
Wes was a fifth-year graduate student. He had asked Tahlia out after Maia had introduced them, but Tahlia hadn’t been interested. Wes now avoided the other girl, so it wasn’t likely her lie would be discovered.
“Oh,” Wes said, pursing his lips. “You should tell him to swing by one day.”
“When he’s not busy, I’ll ask him. I should go and check in with the boss now,” she said, eagerly making her escape.
Out of the frying pan, into the fire.
Taking a deep breath, Maia walked to her boss’s office and knocked on the pale grain wood door.
“Maia, it’s so good to see you,” Dr. Schroeder said as he rose from his office chair. His gaze dipped to her cane, and he added, “Sit, sit.”
She took the seat opposite his desk and proceeded to catch him up on her condition and what research she’d been able to accomplish since they had seen each other last. When they were done updating and sharing news, she decided it was time to take her boss into their confidence.
Picking at the skirt of her dress nervously, she searched for the right words.
There aren’t any. Just tell him.
“Boss, you grew up here in Boston, right?”
“Yes, why do you ask?” Dr. Schroeder said, leaning back in his chair with a puzzled smile.
He was a genial, fatherly sort of boss. She’d always felt lucky he was her advisor.
“Well, um, I thought I should warn you that you might have heard of my boyfriend,” she said.
“You’re not dating one of the Red Sox are you?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“No,” she said softly. “His name is Calen McLachlan.”
It was enough to wipe the smile from his face. “What? You’re not serious are you? You have to break up with him!”
Maia winced. Calen had told her this would happen when he’d coached her on what to say the night before. If they care about you at all, they’ll tell you to stay away from me. Tell your boss enough of the truth to get him to leave it alone, but not enough to go to the police.
“I can’t,” she said simply.
Her boss was quiet as he gave her injuries a second silent inventory.
“Maia what kind of trouble are you in?” he asked, his face tightening in concern.
“The big kind,” she said honestly. “But he’s not it. Calen is helping me, and the less you know, the better. I just needed to tell you because there will be people around because of me, and I didn’t want you to be concerned.”
“What kind of people?” he asked, looking slightly nauseated. “Criminals?”
“No. You don’t have to worry about that. Calen stays away from his family’s business. He is totally legitimate. But, because of who he is, he was in a position to help me. Now he’s going to look after me.”
“I see,” Dr. Schroeder said slowly. “And these people you mentioned?”
“They’re sort of bodyguard-type people. They’ll be picking me up and dropping me off from work every day.”
Her boss let out a shaky breath. “Jesus, Maia.”
“Yeah, I know,” she muttered, sinking farther in her chair.
“For how long is this going to go on? How long has this man said he’s willing to look after you?”
“Um, a long time I think,” she said meeting his eyes.
“What makes you say that?” he asked, his eyebrows pulling together.
“Because,” Maia said, “he’s going to marry me.”
Chapter 13
Maia was glad when the day was over. She had a few experiments to catch up on, and getting around with her cane while getting them ready was tiring. Not as much as explaining her ‘car accident’, but almost as bad. When she was finished, she texted Davis on the new smartphone Calen had given her a few days ago and told him she was ready to leave.
Calen was now number one on her speed dial. Davis and Stephens were numbers two and three. As Davis had instructed, she didn’t leave the building until the town car pulled up outside to wait for her. Stephens opened the door for her. She climbed inside and was startled to find she wasn’t alone. Calen was sitting in the dark interior, talking on the phone.
“I thought we would stop somewhere for dinner to celebrate your first day back,” he said, stopping his discussion to look at her.
She beamed, delighted to see him. “Sounds great.”
His eyes were warm as he kissed her forehead before returning to his call. From his side of the conversation, she assumed he was talking to one of his alcohol distributors. Maia sat next to him silently, only half-listening as she took advantage of his distraction to study him without his awareness.
Then his hand drifted to her thigh while he spoke, stroking just under her hemline. When his fingers inched up, shifting her skirt up, she shot a nervous glance to the front seat where Davis was driving. Thankfully the privacy partition was up.
Calen didn’t seem to realize what he was doing to her as the car crawled through rush hour traffic. His hand drifted up and down over her, baring more of her thigh to his touch. Heat pooled between her legs, and she squeezed them shut, trying to stop the sudden ache.
Embarrassed, Maia realized she was getting wet, but Calen didn’t stop as he continued to haggle with his distributor. Then his hand shifted to caress her inner thigh. He was teasing her—intentionally.
Oh God.
Maia bit down on her lip as Calen’s roving hand moved up to her panties, his fingers running over the cloth covering her already moist lips and sensitive clit. When his thumb pressed down on the hidden button, she couldn’t suppress a whimper. Calen smiled and removed his hand for an instant to put a finger to his lips.
“Shh,”
he whispered before resuming his conversation.
Calen’s fingers returned to her pussy, moving her panties aside so he could stroke her bare skin. Breathing faster, Maia clutched the fine leather of the seat under her hands. He ran his thumb over her clit in rough circular motion, making her suck in a ragged breath. His index finger began stroking her in earnest, rimming her entrance a few times until he pushed gently inside.
Maia gasped, her whole body tensing and shifting forward, unintentionally driving him deeper. She moved both her hands on top of his and then stopped, trying to decide whether to push his hands away or urge him closer.
****
Calen’s attention was on Maia and her completely uninhibited response. She was trying to be quiet, but her breathing was audibly faster, and she kept shifting restlessly as he stroked her. She was so deliciously wet, but very tight around his finger. If he didn’t know any better, he would guess that she was completely inexperienced.
He started to become sure of it when he added a second finger and his fairy flinched faintly. Calen hung up the phone without saying goodbye, dropping it next to him. Looking out the window, he checked their location. After making sure they were still far from the restaurant, he switched hands, stopping to taste her on his fingers before he put his arm around her to urge her closer.
Maia’s eyes widened when she saw him lick his fingertips, but they had a glazed look to them that was deeply arousing. He was already hard as a rock, and she hadn’t even touched him.
“Maia baby, how many lovers have you had?” he asked in a husky voice. She shook her head. “Is that a no, you don’t want to tell me, or a no as in none?”
“None,” she whispered in a breathy gasp as his thumb teased her clit more insistently.
Calen’s expression turned predatory. “And no one has touched you like this before, with just a hand or a mouth?”