by LuAnn McLane
When Jimmy finally pulled his mouth from hers, she leaned against him, inhaling the scent of his shirt, absorbing the warmth of his body. She felt the rise and fall of his chest, the solid beat of his heart, and closed her eyes.
“I want to make love to you again, Maggie.”
“Mmm, then follow me.” Maggie stepped back and took his hand. Trixie, fast asleep, woke up, raised her head, and then trotted in front of them and headed for her doggie bed. Maggie would have made a beeline for the bedroom, but Jimmy wrapped his arms around her from behind and nuzzled her neck with warm kisses. Then, without warning, he tugged her shirt over her head and tossed it … somewhere. Maggie let out a laugh and hurried ahead, into the hallway.
“Gotcha.” Jimmy caught her again.
Not to be outdone, Maggie wiggled around, bent down, and gave Jimmy’s shorts a swift tug. While she remained bent over, Jimmy unhooked her bra and sucked in a breath when she straightened up. He pushed her against the wall and cupped her breasts, kissing, sucking, and then deftly pulled her yoga pants to the floor with impressive speed. “Ah, those panties are so damned hot, but they’ve gotta go.” He made quick work of the dainty satin-and-lace scrap.
Maggie fumbled with his boxer briefs, too excited by the bulge of his erection. Taking pity on her, Jimmy assisted her and kicked the boxers away.
“Do I need a condom?” he whispered into her ear.
“No, I’m on birth control … and … healthy,” she said with a hot blush. Although she didn’t have a very active sex life, Maggie wanted to be in control and not risk anything that might interfere with her career, her life.
“Me too.” He bent his head and kissed her.
Maggie wrapped her arms around him, trusting him, loving the silky sensation of his warm skin sliding up against her body. His fingers dipped into her wet heat, making her gasp. “Take me,” she said boldly. “Against the wall.”
Jimmy lifted her with ease. “Hold on to my shoulders,” he said gruffly. “And wrap your legs around me.”
Maggie felt the cool wall against her back and held on to Jimmy. He kissed her with such heat and passion, but also with an underlying sweetness, tenderness. Oh, and then cupping her ass, he thrust upward, giving her what she wanted most. Her sensitive nipples grazed his chest hair, teasing, arousing her to the fullest. He pulled his mouth from hers and nuzzled her neck, then nipped at her earlobe. Maggie gasped while her brain tried to process the pleasure emanating from several points all at once. She loved the quiver of his muscles, the sound of his ragged breathing, the musky scent of his aftershave. The stubble on his chin scraped across the top of her breasts, sending a hot tingle … everywhere.
Jimmy lifted her higher, thrust deeper. Pleasure started to build, climb … suspend … and then shattered. Maggie released a hoarse cry of pure pleasure, clinging to Jimmy. She pressed her shoulders into the wall, hugged him tightly with her legs, and then felt his hot release. He gripped her ass cheeks and remained buried deep …
“Ah, Maggie,” he said into her ear. “Maggie …” With his face pressed into her hair, he stood there for a few seconds. “Unwrap your amazing legs and I’ll ease you down,” he said, still breathing a bit hard.
“Oh wow,” Maggie said when her legs failed to support her. “Now I know what it feels like to be weak in the knees.” She clung to him and laughed breathlessly. “That was quite impressive.”
“One of your wish-list items?”
“Mmm, as a matter of fact, yes.”
“I won’t stop until I’ve granted them all.”
“I think it’s pretty much unending,” she said, kissing his chest and tasting the salt of his exertion.
“Perfect.”
Maggie ran her hands over his back and cupped his tight ass, thinking she would never get tired of simply touching him.
“I think I need a shower. Want to join me?” Jimmy asked.
“I do,” she said, and then yelped when he scooped her up into his arms with apparent ease. “Are you trying to impress me?”
“Yes.”
“It’s working,” Maggie said, marveling at how he could carry her after his, uh, workout. Her own exhausted body felt like a wet noodle.
“Babe, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
KISS YOU ALL OVER
“Wow.” Jimmy marveled at the number of staples in Maggie’s stuffed pantry, all neatly categorized. Leaving the warm and cozy bed where Maggie lay had been difficult, but he wanted to surprise her with an amazing breakfast. He opened the fridge in search of eggs and found free-range brown ones in the egg tray, where they belonged. Leftovers were neatly labeled. All the condiments were in … wow, alphabetical order. “Hmm, smart.” He chuckled, thinking of his own fridge, which was total chaos and in which it often took forever to find anything. Maggie’s was well stocked and nothing he picked up was outdated. Imagine not having to smell the milk before taking a drink?
Trixie stood there with her head cocked as if wondering why Maggie wasn’t at the helm. “Yap.” She sat on her haunches in front of her food and water bowls and looked at him expectantly.
“Hey, I’m letting your mama get some well-earned sleep, and I’ve taken you for a nice walk already,” Jimmy said, but then searched for dog food anyway. He filled Trixie’s bowl with the little balls of organic chow and then added some fresh water to the other side. “See, I can manage this just fine,” he said, but then wondered if he’d given her the correct amount of food.
Jimmy stretched and then shook his head at the slight soreness. They’d made love well into the night, making him feel amazed that he had the endurance to … well, keep going. But then again, he couldn’t get enough of Maggie Murphy. Just the thought of last night had his body reacting and he glanced down. “Seriously?”
Jimmy poured himself a tall glass of orange juice. After draining most of the contents, he gathered together the ingredients for some killer omelets. He’d brought over some bacon from his condo. What was breakfast without bacon? He put a pot of coffee on to drip and then got to work.
Jimmy hummed while he cracked brown eggs into a bowl. He whisked like crazy—whisking was the secret to fluffy eggs. Still humming, he chopped onions, peppers, and mushrooms, scraping them into neat piles, and then located shredded cheddar cheese. After putting bacon in the oven—most people didn’t know the foil-lined-cookie-sheet method was much easier than pan-frying— he paused to pour himself a steaming cup of strong coffee.
“Well now, this is possibly the sexiest thing I think I’ve ever seen.”
Jimmy turned around to see Maggie looking super cute in his shirt. Her hair tumbled all around her shoulders, and she had a rosy glow. When she walked over to lean against the kitchen island he could see the outline of her breasts beneath the soft cotton. “I can safely say the same thing without the ‘possibly’ part. You are the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“Why, thank you.” She gave him a sultry smile.
God … that mouth. Jimmy was dying to know if she was wearing panties, but if he got started exploring her body, they’d be having brunch instead of breakfast.
“Waking up to the scent of bacon and coffee is just the best.” Maggie leaned over and scratched Trixie behind the ears. “Right, girl?”
Jimmy grinned, thinking he’d like to make this a regular thing, and nearly said so. “Coffee?”
Maggie straightened up. “Please.”
“Coming right up. I hope you don’t mind that I made myself at home in your kitchen?”
“Not at all. I’m enjoying the view.” She smiled and looked so damned sexy that he nearly closed the gap between them.
“You’re very organized.”
“I don’t know if it’s a blessing or a curse.”
Jimmy gestured to a tall stool. “Have a seat. I want to wait on you.”
“I need to walk Trixie. I let her go on the pee-pee pad at night but I walk her in the morning. Wakes us both up.” Maggie yawned and the
n rolled her shoulders, making Jimmy wonder if she felt some tenderness from last night as well.
“Done.”
“Wow.” Maggie raised her eyebrows. “Thank you.”
“Trixie and I are pals now.” He looked at the little dog and grinned. “Right, girl?”
“Yap, yap.”
“I’ll take that as a doggie yes.”
“Well, you did rescue her,” Maggie said. “A bond for life now, I think.”
“Cream and sugar in your coffee?”
“Yes. Heavy cream and a touch of sugar, please.”
“Coming right up.” A moment later he put a big, thick mug in front of her.
“Mmm, smells divine, thank you.” She lowered her eyes and cradled the cup in her hands.
“I hope you like omelets.”
“Love them.”
Jimmy pointed to the neatly stacked rows of ingredients. “What would you like?”
“All of it,” she replied, and took a sip of her coffee.
“I’ll put the bacon on the side.”
“Where’d you get bacon?”
“My place.”
“Mmm. So you’ve been up for a while?”
“Not too long. I wanted to get up before you so I could cook the killer breakfast I promised. By the way, you look good in my shirt.”
Maggie lifted one shoulder and blushed. “It smelled like you, so I couldn’t resist.”
“God, I want to kiss you.”
Maggie’s eyes widened. “What’s stopping you?”
“Ah, because, Mags, I wouldn’t be able to stop with a kiss.”
“Oh …” Her blush deepened, making him wonder if she was thinking about last night. He sure was thinking about it.
“You were incredible.”
Maggie responded by reaching up and swirling her hair, which was sexy and in of itself. She had been bold and uninhibited in ways that surprised him. And yet, her reaction to him had felt authentic rather than practiced, stemming from emotional depth rather than just physical attraction. She cleared her throat. “I was incredible? Really?” She grinned.
“Yes,” Jimmy said so firmly that she returned her attention to him. “No doubt.”
“Well, I could say the same thing about you.” She gave him a slight arch of one eyebrow and he swallowed hard. Now just how in the hell could an eyebrow arch be so provocative?
Jimmy smiled and had the Neanderthal urge to puff out his chest. But then again, he’d also surprised himself last night. Just when he’d thought he was spent, all it had taken for him to want Maggie all over again was for Maggie to sigh and rub up against him—if only by accident.
“Thank you,” Jimmy said, and felt a little heat warm his face as well. He’d thought drugs were needed—not that he’d take them—for that sort of endurance, but apparently all he needed was Maggie in bed next to him to become repeatedly aroused. He looked across the kitchen at her and smiled. Okay, all he needed was for her to be in the room with him—wait, or for him to simply think of her. But it wasn’t just about sex. Hearing her breathing softly, having her hand on his chest, her leg draped over his thighs … it was nothing short of sublime.
Maggie licked her bottom lip and then took a sip of her coffee. “Wow, you even fed and watered Trixie. Did you find everything okay?”
“Are you kidding? I’ve never seen anything so tidy.”
“I like having everything in my kitchen—well, my whole place—just so. Like I explained the night of the storm, so many things in my childhood were beyond my control, but I could at least keep things organized. My locker at school was the same way. So is my purse today. Having to search for things is such a time suck.” She raised one shoulder, causing his shirt to slip to the side and reveal the soft skin that had driven him crazy last night. “So I’m super organized.”
“I noticed that cute little detail.”
“I’m glad you think it’s cute. I don’t always like that when I come home exhausted from a seminar I have to unpack and wash all my dirty clothes. I usually run to the store if I’m missing something that can surely wait. I want to learn how to just chill.”
“I’m a good teacher for that one. ‘Chill’ is my middle name. Jumbo Chill Jimmy.”
Maggie closed her eyes, wincing. “Oh, why did I ever say that?”
“If you’re thinking I’ll ever let you live that down …”
Maggie laughed. “Oh gosh.”
Jimmy brought the carafe over and heated up her coffee. “Sleep well last night?”
Maggie shot him a pointed look.
“Well, I mean, you know … after. And then after, again.”
“I suffer from insomnia sometimes, but I ended up sleeping like a log after the last round. Kinda rare for me.” She tilted her head as if trying to discern why she’d slept so soundly. “Even though I’m not sure how logs sleep.” She opened her eyes wide. “Oh wow, do I snore?”
Jimmy chuckled. “No, not that I’d care if you did.” He refilled his mug and then turned on the burner for the eggs. After adding a dab of butter to a skillet, he turned back to face her. “You sleep like an angel.”
“How about you? If you know how I slept, you must have stayed awake.”
“As you know, I’m a night owl.” Jimmy shrugged. “And I have to admit that I tried to stay awake to enjoy having you in my arms.” He wanted to say more but held back. “So, are you ready to go boating later?”
“Yes. It’s an incentive to get my pages written.”
“A pre-reward?” After pouring the whipped eggs into the skillet, he looked her way.
“Yep.” Maggie nodded and seemed eager to ease away from a more serious conversation.
Jimmy presented her with a crispy slice of bacon. “For you, my princess.”
“Why, thank you.” Although still a little bit shy, she seemed comfortable, without any morning-after awkwardness. Jimmy was more than a little relieved, not knowing what to expect after the night of passion. But Maggie wasn’t predictable and he liked that about her. It took effort, but Jimmy pushed the sudden erotic memories from his brain and concentrated on making two kick-ass, loaded omelets.
“Wow,” Maggie said when he presented her with breakfast. He’d even added a fresh wedge of orange for garnish. She picked up a crisp strip of bacon and took a bite. “Mmm.”
“The way you like it?”
Chewing, Maggie nodded, and Jimmy thought that he wanted to learn all her favorite foods and how she liked everything prepared. “Perfection.”
“Orange juice?”
“Please,” she said, and when he put the small glass in front of her, he saw an unexpected shadow pass over her face.
“Something wrong?”
“I’m just not used to being waited on like this. Reminds me of …” She stopped and inhaled a shuddering breath. “Home. This is so lovely, but it makes me feel just a bit … not sad, really, but melancholy, I guess, is the way to put it. Silly.” She shrugged. “I’m sorry. I love it here. This is a strange moment to get homesick. But apparently, that’s how I roll.” She slapped a hand to her forehead.
“No, please don’t be sorry for how you feel or for confiding in me.”
“I always loved the aroma of breakfast cooking in the morning. And of course, Granny Mags believed in a hearty breakfast, none of that Pop-Tart or cold cereal nonsense for her. I didn’t know what Lucky Charms were except for commercials that said they were magically delicious.”
“No one ever had to ‘leggo your Eggo’?”
Maggie laughed. “No, breakfast had to be hot, and believe me, on cold Cleveland mornings, it was truly welcome.” She took a bite of her omelet, nodding. “The warmth of the kitchen was the best part of a chilly apartment, and when Mom and I would come dragging into the little kitchen rubbing our eyes and grumpy, Granny Mags would fuss over us, giving us plates of eggs and sausage or bacon, toasted soda or maybe brown bread with heaps of butter and jam. Sometimes, on the weekends, she’d add some cold cooked potatoes leftove
r from dinner with mushroom and tomatoes if she had them on hand, all fried in Irish butter. Oh, and baked beans.”
“Baked beans for breakfast?”
Chewing, Maggie nodded. “A staple in the UK. Plain, not like we eat them here with bacon and brown sugar. And black pudding, if she could get it from the specialty market. Oh, and her meat pasties were to die for.”
“Black pudding?”
“You don’t want to know.”
“And you mean meat pastries?”
“No, little handheld meat pies … oh, they were so good.” She gave him a smile that trembled at the corners. “I worked hard to afford so many things, and my fondest memories are of simple moments.”
Jimmy came around behind her and squeezed her shoulders. “Oh, Mags, I get it.”
“Jimmy, I really do love it here. It was my dream to live by the ocean, but sometimes, I miss my mom and Granny Mags so much,” she said, and then shook her head and scooted around to face him. “Oh damn, I’m being so insensitive! I can see my mom whenever … oh, jeez, Jimmy. I’m so stupid.” She looked at him with sad eyes.
“Hey.” Jimmy cupped her chin. “Don’t ever say that. You’re allowed to miss your mother and your granny, Maggie. This sounds weird, but I’m glad that you miss them. It just means you love your family,” he said, but her words gripped his heart. Would she decide to move back to Cleveland? “Isn’t your goal to move them here, eventually?”
“Well …” Maggie gave Jimmy a small smile. “I thought that they would miss me and get tired of me telling them how spectacular it is living here by the ocean and decide to pack up and move, at least for the brutal winter. But they both still work part-time and love their little brick house in the suburbs. They’re surprisingly social. They’re in book clubs, they go to bingo, and more recently, they joined a wine club. It wouldn’t take all that much to convince my mom, but Granny Mags is getting a little bit frail and Mom won’t leave her behind—not that I would want her to.” She took a bite of bacon and chewed it thoughtfully for a moment. “Was it wrong of me to move?” she asked softly. “I’m beginning to realize that my long list of goals is devoid of emotion. I was thinking with my brain and not my heart.”