“It’s simple,” Maggie responded, raising her chin. She straightened in her seat, clearly proud of her obsessive ways. “I don’t eat in my car. I don’t drink in my car. I don’t let others eat or drink in my car. I don’t bring unnecessary items into my car. I vacuum the floor mats every time I fill up the gas tank and—”
“Whoa!” Sean looked back at her if she were insane. “That is ridiculous.”
“Why is it ridiculous?” Maggie snapped, clearly offended. “Just because I like to keep my stuff nice? I happen to have standards, Sean. Unlike the rest of society.”
“Yeah, but.” Sean let out a low whistle, gesturing to her spotless car. “It’s just a car, Maggie. You need to relax and enjoy your life a little.”
“Says the man with a large white bandage of his face,” Maggie pointed out and then shook her head. “Sorry if I don’t want to take advice from someone who got his nose removed acting like a child.”
Sean smiled, and the motion sent sharp pain across his face. Maggie may be obsessive-compulsive, but she was also witty and smart. The combination of both with her striking beauty did things to a man like Sean—a man who was used to breaking women’s hearts with his smile. Something told him Maggie’s heart wouldn’t be so easily broken.
Sean turned to her. “Point taken, beautiful—”
“Maggie,” she corrected instantly.
“Maggie.” Sean held her gaze and smiled again, ignoring the pain. Her gaze darted between him and the road as though his attention made her uneasy. Then her cell phone rang, interrupting their moment.
Maggie grabbed it out of her jacket and frowned. “I have to take this, Sean.” She pulled the car to the shoulder of the road and parked.
“Why are you stopping the car?”
“Safety first.” Maggie rolled her eyes at him and put the phone to her ear. “Hi, Mom.” Her voice was forcefully cheerful and went up in pitch as she added, “And Dad.” Her hands tightened on the wheel until Sean could see the whites of all her knuckles. “No, the interview did not go well.”
Her interview didn’t go well? Sean adjusted in his seat to watch her features. The sound of the loud voices on the other end of the line told him that her parents had just asked the same thing.
“I wasn’t what they were looking for.” Maggie’s face fell as she turned toward the window to shield the conversation from Sean. “I’m sorry, I tried to—” Maggie sighed to herself as the voices on the other end became loud again. She had gone pale, and she almost looked sick.
Sean was beginning to understand Maggie’s compulsion a little better. She was seeking her parents’ approval, but they were hard on her. He had never wanted his alcoholic father’s approval, but he knew what it was like to feel hurt by a parent.
“I know. I’ll figure it out.” Maggie looked close to tears, and Sean automatically grabbed her hand. Her small hand seemed to fit into his perfectly—like two puzzle pieces locking together. Sean smiled again.
“I’ll talk to you guys later. Love you.” Maggie hung up and then appeared to notice their linked fingers. She took a moment, as if realizing how well they fit, and then snapped her eyes to his.
“Didn’t I tell you not to touch me?”
Her anger sent both his hands back sailing to his lap. “Sorry, Maggie. You looked upset. I thought—”
“Don’t do it again,” she snapped coldly and pulled the car back on the road.
Sean sighed and laid his head back in his seat. Even though she was taking her upset over her conversation with her parents out on him, he still felt sorry for her. Especially as Maggie was back to adjusting her review mirror three times and mumbling under her breath. “I failed. I can’t believe I failed.”
Sean closed his eyes, attempting to force that depressing image aside. He was shocked at his anger at Maggie’s parents for making her think that. He didn’t even know her, and yet he felt like pointing out all her amazing qualities—beauty, intelligence, wit. Not to mention the graceful way she walked and the fact she cared enough to clean her car. Sean smiled even as he wondered why he cared enough to want to stick up for her. Her issues with her parents were not his problem.
None of these thoughts helped him with his current predicament. They were about three minutes away from his hotel and he had yet to secure a ride to Florida. He had to convince Maggie to take him there, and soon. He barely had enough money for one more night in his hotel, not to mention to pay for her gas to get there. If he didn’t have to pay for half of his hospital visit up front, he would have had enough for a plane ticket or a bus ride. Instead he was forced to depend on a stranger, one who was clearly upset and did not look to be in the mood to talk. So it was on to plan B. Sean would pretend to fall asleep, which would force Maggie to help him to his room, and buy him more time.
***
The wrestler had fallen asleep. One minute he was attempting to hold her hand, the next he was lying back in the passenger seat and snoring loudly. She thought of the strong pain meds she had given him and realized exactly what had happened. Maggie bit her bottom lip as she pulled the car into the parking lot of the Holiday Inn.
She wasn’t sure if Sean would wake up from his pill-induced coma, let alone walk himself into his hotel. She had a feeling she would be helping him do both. The problem was, he was a large man. When she’d attempted to help him into the car earlier, she discovered the full extent of his muscular body. Sean’s arms were strong, his chest hard, and his legs long. He had a chiseled, athletic frame—the kind most women dreamed of touching. Even Maggie had found her cheeks flushing hotly earlier as her hands wrapped around his flat abdomen to help him stand. The difference was Maggie was able to control those urges. For one, she had a fiancé, who wasn’t the most athletic but was smart, successful, and handsome. And for two, she wasn’t into meatheads—men who constantly exercised their bodies, forgetting about their minds.
Sean was definitely a meathead, and the quicker she got him to his hotel room, the better. This distraction had gone on long enough. She had already faced her parents’ disapproval. It was time to face Trevor’s and figure out her next step.
“Sean, wake up.” Maggie shook his shoulder, and he moaned.
“What is it?” He tossed his bandaged face toward his window dramatically. “I’m sleeping.”
“I know that.” Maggie fought the need to laugh, watching as he curled into the fetal position. It was surprising a man of his size could manage that in a small seat, but he did it flawlessly.
“If you know, then leave me alone,” Sean added with a loud yawn.
“Sorry, buddy.” Maggie grabbed his shoulders and shoved him hard. “I’ve taken you to your hotel. That’s where my charity ends.” When Sean refused to open his eyes, she got out of the car and opened the passenger door. “Now get out.”
“Well hello to you too, beautiful.” Sean opened his eyes and gave her the sexiest smile he could from behind a large bandage. Maggie shook her head, deflecting his pathetic attempt to charm her.
“Again, my name is Maggie.” She grabbed his arm and helped him out of his seat. “Now let’s go.”
“I’m coming, beautiful.” Sean laughed loudly at his own immature joke and then added, “Maggie, I mean.”
Meathead! Maggie rolled her eyes and allowed him to wrap one arm around her shoulder. She then placed her hands around his waist and tried to ignore his tight abs. Trevor may be handsome, but his stomach definitely didn’t feel like this! She shook her head, opening the hotel door for Sean. At least Trevor had brains, and a real job, and a nose.
“Thank you, Maggie.” Sean looked down at her, his eyes so piercing blue and swimming with sincerity that she could no longer breathe. Who needs a nose, anyway?
“No problem.” Maggie cleared her throat and glanced toward the elevators. “What floor are you on?”
Sean put his arm around her shoulders and sighed. “Third.”
“Oh boy.” Maggie sighed back and readjusted her hold on his waist. “Let
’s go, then.”
They got into the elevator and rode the entire three floors up in silence. Not the kind of silence that was uncomfortable, but the kind of that was somehow comforting. She noticed they were still standing together as one unit, but neither of them decided to break the contact. The elevator doors were about to open, anyway.
“So, Maggie,” Sean broke the silence, rubbing the bandage on his nose. “You know how I was telling you about my match?”
“The one where you lost your nose?”
“That’s right.” Sean looked down at her and smiled. “Well, I did pretty good.”
“Despite breaking your face, you mean,” Maggie added sarcastically.
“Right.” Sean smiled again, undeterred by her tone. “Well, there were scouts there from EWXN.”
“What in the world is that?” Maggie interrupted, completely lost at what he was referring too.
“You’ve never heard of the EWXN?” Sean looked surprised, which was hard to manage with a large bandage covering most of his face.
“No, is it some sort of video game thing?”
“Huh?” Sean starred back at her blankly, and Maggie shrugged. The elevator doors opened, saving them both.
“What room are you in, Sean?”
“Three hundred and five.”
They headed down the hallway, still moving as one unit. Maggie could tell he was trying to tell her something, but her head was congested with so many worries about her ruined nursing interview that she hardly cared.
“It’s the Entertainment Wrestling Extreme Nation,” Sean continued, as though she was still curious.
“Okay.” Maggie stopped in front of his door and watched him remove the hotel card from his wallet.
“Well anyway, they’re a big deal in the entertainment wrestling world.” Sean pressed the card against the door scanner, and the door clicked open. He propped it with his hand and turned to look down at her. “I have been trying to break into the company for years, and at the end of my last match, they asked me to come down to their training center in Florida.”
Maggie raised her brows, waiting for his point. It wasn’t that she didn’t care, just that she wondered why he felt the need to tell a complete stranger this. Sean looked back at her as though lost on how to continue.
“That’s great, Sean.” Maggie pushed open his door and gestured for him to go in. “I hope you make your dream come true.” She watched him hobble toward the bed, and when he reached it safely, she turned to leave. “It was really nice meeting you, but I have to get going.”
“Wait, I need you!” Sean’s voice sounded so panicked, Maggie not only turned around, she hurried to his side. Standing so close, she was almost on his lap.
“What is it?” She touched his forehead. “Are you in pain or something?”
Sean chuckled deeply, grabbing her hands. “You could say that.”
“No touching, Sean!” Maggie pulled away and took a step back. She was suddenly aware of his needs—like the big, hard one straining against his jeans.
Very big! Maggie shook her head and took another step back. “I’m going.”
“Fine, just hear me out first.” Sean sounded desperate again, which was the only reason she nodded. “I need a ride to Florida.”
Maggie waited for him to finish, and when he only looked at her expectantly, she finally realized what he was asking. “You want me to drive you to Florida?” Sean nodded, and Maggie’s eyes widened in shock. “Are you crazy?” She giggled nervously, suddenly sure she had driven a lunatic home and was now standing in his hotel room, completely alone, and completely unprotected. The jury was out on who was truly crazy in this scenario.
“I’m not crazy, I’m desperate.” Sean adjusted his pants as if suddenly aware of his erection. “For a ride, that is.” When she took another step back, refusing to respond, he added, “I’ll pay for your gas.”
“You’ll pay for my gas?” Maggie raised both brows and shook her head. She had an urge to drop to the floor and half laugh, half cry herself to sleep. That’s when she knew she had truly lost it. It was time to go home. “Good-bye, Sean.”
“So you’ll think about it?” Sean’s smile was hopeful as she turned to leave.
“Yeah, sure, why not.” Maggie took several more backward steps, until she was out of Sean’s hotel room and into the safety of the hallway.
When she shut the door, she let out a breath, fighting the crazy need to smile. She had a feeling a man that insane wouldn’t notice the sarcasm in her response. Sean would probably wait in his hotel room for days, believing a complete stranger would drop her whole life and drive him down to Florida. It was beyond crazy, and she had spent enough of her time entertaining his lunacy. Maybe she had lost her mind after failing her first nursing interview, but she planned to get herself straight again. It was time to face Trevor and plan her next step. If there was one thing Maggie was good at, it was coming up with a detailed plan of action—one that made total and complete sense. Sean the wrestler could learn a thing or two from someone like her.
***
Sean watched the closed hotel door for a long time. He had picked up on Maggie’s sarcastic tone and knew she thought he was crazy. But Sean also saw something else—a flash of excitement crossing her green eyes as she digested the idea of taking him to Florida. It was a brief, slight spark that gave him hope. Maggie was uptight, OCD, and a complete and total control freak. She needed some excitement in her life—something to bring out that passionate woman lurking underneath.
Plus, she was just as crazy as he was, from her ritual counting, to the way she mumbled to herself under her breath. Maggie’s controlling life was driving her insane. After blowing her job interview, Sean figured, it would only take one more little thing blowing up in her face, and her wild, compulsive side would come out. All he had to do was wait and hope his hunch was right.
He crawled to his pillow and collapsed as the world spun around him. There was nothing else he could do but wait. He was injured, penniless, and completely alone. He needed this stranger to come through for him. Hopefully the Florida seed he’d planted would be enough to bring beautiful Maggie back to his side—and hopefully before he was forced to leave his comfortable hotel bed.
Sean closed his eyes and drifted to sleep. His plan might seem insane to someone like Maggie, but he had learned long ago that plans had nothing to do with making your dreams come true.
CHAPTER 4
Maggie thought about Sean’s ridiculous Florida plan all the way home. All the way home! It was completely ridiculous, and yet part of her yearned to run from her boring, rigidly controlled life and have an adventure. Especially now, when she was sitting in the driveway of her fiancé’s home, about to tell him the reasons she couldn’t secure a job at his hospital.
Maggie sighed and turned off her car. She looked at the enormous five-bedroom home Trevor had designed. It was flawlessly built, with red bricks, large windows, and a white picket fence. He intended everything within it to meticulously showcase his wealth. It was the type of home every woman dreamed of showing off to her friends.
But Maggie was indifferent. She had grown up this wealthy and knew deep down that money did not make a home. A real home was lived in and carried a mark of individuality—something that symbolized who you were. Maggie had moved in a month ago and had yet to leave her mark. Everything was too perfectly Trevor to touch, which made her feel a bit like this wasn’t truly her home.
Maggie got out of the car and pressed the Lock button three times, then forced herself to walk straight into the house before she lost all her nerve. But the second she entered, she closed her eyes tight and began to breathe fast. She didn’t want to see Trevor. She didn’t want to admit her mistakes. Maggie knew she was acting insane, almost as insane as the wrestler asking for a ride to Florida, so she forced herself to take deep breaths. There was nothing she could do but face her fiancé. She had prolonged this encounter long enough.
Maggie opened her
eyes and took in the familiar beige walls with a frown. She wasn’t sure what her dream home would look like, but she had a feeling the walls would be filled with color. Something bright and inviting that filled her with happiness every time she walked through the door. Unlike the trendy beige color Trevor had picked out for their trendy rich home, which always made her feel as though she was standing in a prison.
“Trevor! Are you here?” Maggie expected him to respond instantly. It was his day off, after all. But when he didn’t, she decided maybe she had lucked out. Possibly he had gone out for groceries. If so, she had time to shower and regroup herself.
She headed up the large spiral staircase, removing her coat and plaid scarf. Trevor always kept the home extremely hot, and she always started sweating whenever she walked in. Yet another thing she would do differently if this felt like her home.
Maggie shook that thought away, needing to remind herself of the love between her and Trevor. They were getting married in less than a year and were about to send out the Save the Dates. She had to remember why she’d agreed to marry him, because he loved her—because he was her perfect match. Right?
She bit her bottom lip. She knew Trevor loved her, but she couldn’t shake the feeling he had no idea who she really was. Possibly because Maggie had no idea who she was anymore, either. The woman Trevor had asked to marry him would have never bombed her nursing interview on purpose. Would have never driven a strange man home.
She took a breath, fighting off another shiver of panic. It was a bad day, nothing more. A bad day didn’t give her an excuse to lose focus on who she was and what her life was about. Maggie was a nurse, and a good one. She would get another job at a hospital nearby. She would marry Trevor, and they would start their perfect family. Everything was going to be fine. There was no reason to be upset.
The master suite was at the end of the hall, and Maggie headed toward it, dreaming of the large spa bathtub that awaited her. That was one decision Trevor made about the home that she agreed with. Some things were necessary, and after the day Maggie had had, a relaxing soak was necessary. By the time Trevor got home, she would be her regular self again. Then they would have an adult conversation and plan out her next step together. Just like perfect couples did.
Knockout Love Page 3