by Kay Harris
She laughed. The sound launched butterflies in his stomach. “Well, it worked. And I like your house, by the way. Or I will after it’s cleaned up.”
“Does that mean you’ll stay here with me sometimes?”
Maya pulled her face away from his and quirked up one eyebrow. “Tell me why it’s so important to you.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist. “I guess because I want you in my space. I like being in your space, too. I want both things. I want us to be in each other’s space. It feels…more…real that way.”
Maya frowned. “I haven’t given you much reason to feel real, have I?”
Everett held still. He didn’t want to nod and confirm what she’d said, though instinct nearly had him doing so.
Maya kissed him again. “I’m sorry. I’m having a hard time adjusting.”
“To what, exactly?”
“We’re very different, Everett.”
“Are we?”
“We live very different lives. I am a barely-making-it artist and you’re a successful businessman. You grew up wealthy and I grew up middle class. I am stubborn and impossible and you are bending and kind. And I live a life of relative obscurity whereas you are basically famous, at least in Richmond.”
He tilted his head. “So we’re like Mica and Roger?”
“Yeah. Like Mica and Roger. We’re from different places, living different lives. My mom and I used to clean houses like this for extra money when I was in high school.”
“Mica and Roger are in love.” Everett wasn’t entirely sure what he expected her reaction to that statement to be. He’d basically used the word love in a conversation that was kind of, sort of, about them. And he figured she might run for the door.
Instead she frowned, her eyes tearing up and sadness suddenly consuming her. “They are. And they can’t really…Things are complicated.”
“And, yet, they’re happy.”
“Not all the time.”
“It’s hard to be happy every minute of the day, Sweetheart. But they are happy, hardships and all.”
“What are we saying here?”
She didn’t move away from him. She was still in his arms and her mouth was still in kissing range. Everett counted all these as good signs. “That I want you to spend the night tonight and maybe stay the weekend. And maybe paint on my porch. I’ll get you paints tomorrow if you show me what to buy.”
Maya stared at him for a long moment. Then she leaned forward and kissed him hard. The kiss was long and filled with passion and promise. Maya pulled back long enough to whisper one word. “Done.”
May
Chapter 15
A big hand floated over Maya’s hip as she pushed it back, forcing the thickness of Everett to slip between her thighs. “Good morning.”
Everett groaned and tightened his grip, pulling her back against him. “Jesus. What a way to wake up.”
Maya agreed. She flipped around in Everett’s big bed so she was facing him and reached down to run her hand over and around him. Everett groaned again and moved in for a kiss. Maya tried to pull back because she hadn’t brushed her teeth, but Everett caught her, uncaring, and pulled her lower lip between his.
It had only been a few hours since Everett had last been inside her, but she couldn’t wait for him to be there again. Skipping the foreplay Everett was so prone to get lost in, she lifted her leg over his hip and pushed him inside.
“Oh God…ah…I hate to say this…” he stuttered. “But…condom…”
“Maya thrust toward him and he clenched his jaw. “Are you clean, Everett?”
He nodded, his eyes on hers.
“Me, too. And I’m on the pill.” She thrust again.
He closed his eyes briefly, but they flew back open and he pierced her with his gaze. “But if we do this, we should be…”
Maya smiled and rolled her hips. “Yes. We should be exclusive. Maybe this is my way of finally answering you.” He smiled, then his eyes clenched shut as she rolled again. “You don’t want anyone else, do you?”
His voice cracked as he tried to concentrate on the conversation. “You know I don’t. It’s only you I want.”
Maya kissed him, unable to resist pressing her lips to his. “And I’m only with you. I promise.”
Everett’s answering groan was accompanied by his body rolling them over so he was on top of her, thrusting into her hard and fast, and it was so damn good Maya thought she’d lose her mind.
It didn’t take long for them both to climax, calling out then collapsing in a tangle of limbs on the bed. Everett held her close to him, her chin resting against his chest, his lips kissing the top of her head lazily. “I have to go to work. But I’d rather stay here with you.”
Maya was still adjusting to her new schedule. As of last week, she was working four days instead of five. That left Fridays free for her to paint. She was planning to stay at Everett’s and work in the little balcony room. And as much as she wanted that, she also thought lying in bed with a gorgeous man all day sounded appealing.
She ran a hand over his ridged stomach. “You’re the boss. You could just stay here with me.”
Everett tipped her head up by pressing his fingers under her chin. He kissed her gently. “I could, but I have a couple things I have to do today. Besides, you need to paint because you won’t have time this weekend.”
“I still can’t believe we’re doing this.”
He smiled. “I couldn’t do it without you.”
She huffed out a breath. “I’ve never been to Florida. At least that will be fun. Can we hang out on the beach?”
“We can do anything you want.”
“Like skip the wedding?”
Everett chuckled and the movement made her stomach quiver. “Why are you so nervous about the wedding? I’m the one who should be freaking out. And, actually, I’m not. You know why?”
Maya looked into his deep brown eyes and shook her head.
“Because you’re going with me.”
“That’s sweet.”
“But it doesn’t make you less nervous. So now you’ll have to tell me why.”
Maya bit her bottom lip and contemplated how much truth she wanted to tell. In the end there was only one choice. “I’m afraid of meeting Rebecca. I still feel like…like she…”
“She what?”
“She was once my competition and she won.”
Everett kissed the tip of her nose then smiled at her. Her stomach twisted as the long moment of silence dragged out. “She didn’t win.”
Maya couldn’t wrap her head around that. “I don’t understand. What does that mean?”
“I didn’t marry her. I was never going to. And if things had been different, I would have left her for you. I was on the cusp of it. If anyone should be nervous, it should be Rebecca, meeting her competition. But she’s happy and in love with Elias. And I’m happy for them. And I’m happy for me, because even though it took a while, I finally got you.”
“You better get out of this bed now,” Maya warned him. “Because if you don’t, you will never make it to work.”
“Oh yeah?”
Maya took her threat a step farther by scrambling to kneel between his legs. She leaned over, dropped a luscious kiss on his stomach, then hovered over him, tongue pressing on her lower lip. “Oh yeah. You’ve got about thirty seconds to move before it gets real dirty in here.”
Everett leaned back, his eyes filled with something bright and intense. “I don’t feel like going anywhere.”
Maya grinned before rewarding him for his generous words.
****
Everett did eventually leave and Maya showered, ate a quick breakfast and got to work on her paintings. She stopped around lunchtime, called to touch base with Melissa at the gallery, ate yogurt and a cookie for lunch, which would have garnered a major snicker from Everett if he were there, the stupid health freak, and then called her mother.
Henny McDonald had never been known for her brevity. An
d nearly an hour had gone by when Maya started to attempt to extract herself from the call. She had more painting to get in before Everett came home and they packed up for the red eye flight to Miami.
But Henny had other ideas. “I want to talk about this thing with you and Everett.”
“Thing? Mom. What?”
“Well, what is it, exactly?”
“We’re dating. And I really ought to get going—”
“Are you living together?”
Maya sunk back into the cushions of Everett’s super comfy couch. “No. I just stay here sometimes.”
“Every time I’ve talked to you in the last three weeks you’ve been at his place.”
“He set up a place for me to paint. It’s better than the closet I have at the apartment complex. Plus…I like this house.”
“And him. Don’t forget that you like him, Maya.”
“Of course, I do, Mom. I’m not denying that.”
“Aren’t you?”
Maya rolled her eyes. “No. I just told you, didn’t I? Here, I’ll say it again. I really, really like Everett. He’s hot, he’s a good kisser, and he cooks me healthy dinners with spinach and shit in it. And I like spending time with him.”
“But you’re keeping him a secret.”
Maya let out a noisy sigh. She’d given into so many things. But the one thing Everett hadn’t asked her to do again was to go public. And she really didn’t want to. It was kind of stupid. Actually, it was really stupid. Her family knew. His family knew. And a whole bunch of strangers in Miami were about to find out about them. But for some reason the idea of telling the people they saw every day was just more than she could handle.
“I love you, Mom. I have to go.”
“Maya. Don’t you dare—”
“Big kiss to Dad!”
And with the push of a button, it was over. Maya felt bad for a moment. Technically, she’d hung up on her own mother. That probably made her a bad person. But self-preservation seemed like the greater goal at the moment.
Maya tossed the phone on the couch beside her and stared at the ceiling. The painting she’d been working on was waiting for her. And back at her apartment, hidden under a cloth, was another unfinished work, a portrait of Everett. It had started out as a way to get out her frustrations over the intense attraction she felt for him. But it had quickly morphed into something else. And now it sat, unfinished, like her thoughts about their relationship.
Everett was dangerous. He always had been. And it didn’t matter how much she warned herself about not getting in too deep, she already was. She always was. Everett was her Kryptonite. With a one-night stand and a handful of texts he’d stolen her heart seven years ago. And now, with his gentle touch, passionate kisses, and sincere whispers in the night, he had easily reclaimed it.
Chapter 16
Three years ago…
“You have to talk to me.”
Everett stared up at his fiancée. She stood, her arms folded over her chest, her lips pursed together. “I’m sorry.” It was all he could think to say. It seemed to be all he ever said to her lately.
Rebecca threw her head back and wiped at her eyes. She had really beautiful blue eyes that shone brilliantly when she cried. Though he hated making her cry. “Are you having an affair?” She looked at the ceiling as she asked.
Everett was thrown off by the question. First, because they were standing in his office, which seemed like a very strange place to talk about infidelity. And second because, even though he wasn’t having an affair, he didn’t immediately deny it. Sometimes he felt so far away from her, he might as well be cheating.
“No. Why would you ask me that?” He knew, of course. She had every right to be suspicious.
Rebecca lowered her head. Her silky blonde hair fell over her shoulders. Her eyes were bright and rimmed in red now. “Please tell me what’s going on inside your head.”
He leaned forward, his elbows resting on the desk. “Back when I was in graduate school and we were dating, why did you want to have an open relationship?”
A tear dripped down her chin. “Do you want to have an open relationship now?” Her voice barely made it all the way through the statement.
“No. I just want to know why we did it back then.”
She let out a heavy breath and seemed to gather herself. She took a couple steps forward and sat gingerly on his desk. She did everything like that, graceful, delicate, and a little too perfect. “I was going through a bit of a wild phase, I guess. I wanted to be with you, but I wasn’t very experienced. And I thought I was okay with you doing it, too. But then when you did, I got jealous. It’s not fair, I know. But, of course we stopped it all then.”
He nodded. Not sure what else to say or how to comfort her, he reached out and took her hand.
She smiled. “I was so jealous of that girl, that artist you slept with. And I slept with an artist the same night, I know. But he didn’t mean anything and I felt like…I felt you changed after that night. Like that night with her changed you.”
She looked at him as if she were expecting a reply. But he had no idea what to say. It was true.
“Everett.” She leaned close to him. “I just want what we used to have back.”
He had no idea how to tell her that was impossible.
****
Elias looked so different. He had grown out his hair and it hung in a long, neat ponytail, still stark black and straight as a pin, though. His ever-present eyeglasses were gone, the result of laser eye surgery, allowing the mysterious brown eyes he’d inherited from his beautiful Japanese mother to shine. Elias had always been short, standing a few inches below Rebecca and a full foot below Everett. But that didn’t seem to matter anymore. Where he used to hunch over, now he held himself with grace and confidence.
This was not the same man Everett had rescued from bullies in the schoolyard back in junior high or even the same man who’d worked beside him to build a business. This was a man who was loved by a woman he adored.
“You will never know how much it means to me that you came.” Elias squeezed Everett’s neck with one hand and patted his back with the other. “I wanted you to be my best man.” Elias pulled back and looked into Everett’s eyes with sincerity. “But we were planning the wedding in the middle of the lawsuit, and I figured…”
Everett laughed. Yeah, suing him had put a damper on all that. But it didn’t matter now. He was here, staring at a man who had been such an essential part of his life, with Maya at his side.
Everett took Maya’s hand and pulled her forward. “This is her.”
It was all the introduction Elias needed. His mouth broke into a wide smile and he enfolded Maya in his arms. “Oh my God! She’s gorgeous.”
He pulled Maya back, holding her at arm’s length and examining her. She looked a little shell-shocked. “Um…nice to meet you,” she pushed out.
Everett was thankful Elias had suggested they meet up at this little café around the corner from the church. It would have been awkward to see him for the first time surrounded by others in the church Rebecca grew up in, the church Everett and Rebecca were supposed to be married in.
Elias ushered them both to a small table in the corner and sat them down on the rickety wooden chairs. “God. I appreciate this so much.” Elias wiped his hands on the pants of his tuxedo.
“Do we have time?” Everett looked at his watch. “I don’t want to make you late for your own wedding.”
“Plenty of time. I already did the pictures with the guys, they’re at the church. The girls are getting their pictures now. And we have like an hour until go time.” Elias bounced in his seat. “I am so happy to see you.”
A waitress came by and they all ordered a coffee drink. “Should have made yours decaf, E,” Everett teased as he watched his friend fidget.
“I am just so damn happy. I’m marrying the love of my life. My best friend is here, and he’s got his dream-come-true woman on his arm.”
Everett squeezed
Maya’s knee under the table and smiled. “I guess it’s pretty good, then.”
Elias clapped his hands together. “Okay. Catch me up. Tell me about everything.”
Maya and Everett looked at each other. She smiled and laughed then turned to Elias. “Sure. Where should we start?”
“Tell me about how you hated Everett’s guts. I think that’s hilarious. Then tell me when you decided to stop hating him.”
“Why you gotta be a dick?” Everett teased. “Why couldn’t we start with when she realized I was the perfect man for her?”
Elias shook his head, a familiar sparkle of mischief in his eye. “You can take it, E.”
Maya looked between the two men. “I think it’s adorable that you two have the same nickname for each other.”
Everett shrugged. Elias just grinned.
“I had no idea what a serious bromance this was.” Maya kissed Everett’s cheek, leaned back in the seat, and with a great deal of delight regaled Elias with her deepest hatred of Everett.
****
It wasn’t until after the wedding, after dinner, and well into the dancing portion of the reception that Everett had any contact with Rebecca. He had Maya tucked into his arms, where she’d been most of the night, swaying out on the dance floor when Rebecca tapped on his shoulder.
Maya and Everett stopped in their tracks and stared at the graceful blonde, looking eloquent and refined in her long wedding gown.
Rebecca smiled at Maya. “Can I cut in? Just for a moment. I won’t keep him long.”
Maya’s gaze flitted to Everett. He held his breath. Then she nodded and stepped out of his hold. “I’m going to go get a drink, okay?”
He croaked out a reply, that must have sounded like “okay” because Maya turned her back and headed toward the bar. Rebecca shut out his view by stepping in front of him. “We don’t have to dance.” Her eyes were big, frightened even. “I just want to talk.”
Everett held his hand out to her. She took it, and he led her out onto a deck that sat behind the reception center. The wooden platform looked out over a small wetland. Only tiny twinkle lights provided illumination, allowing them to clearly see the way the moon reflected on the swamp in the deep, dark night.