Knockout Love

by Susan V. Vaughn

  And now they were about to drive right into a storm. A big flash of lightning lit up the sky, showing how dark and thick the clouds were. Sean’s stomach turned uneasily as he contemplated what to do. There was an exit up head with a couple of restaurants. He could pull off now and get something to eat while waiting for the storm to past. But that would mean waking up Maggie and making a decision the “boss” may not agree to.

  He glanced over at her peaceful face. Her eyes were shut and relaxed, her mouth slightly open as she took in long, even breaths. She was so peaceful. He didn’t want to disturb her. Not to mention he wasn’t ready for her to wake up and push him away again. At dinner she had finally loosened up. Sure, it was because of the alcohol, but she had begun to genuinely smile at him and laugh. Sean had no idea a woman’s laughter could be so musical.

  Loud thunder rocked the car, followed closely by giant pelting raindrops. Maggie jumped up from her seat, startled. Sean grabbed the wheel with both hands, needing to focus. It was raining so hard he could barely see.

  “Wow, it’s a mess outside. How long has it been raining?”

  “Just started.” Sean glanced over at her for a moment, offering a smile. “I was thinking about pulling over and getting some food. We could wait out the storm. What do you think, boss?”

  Maggie looked at the clock and back outside before nodding enthusiastically. “Absolutely, it’s better to be safe.”

  Sean pulled onto the next exit. He had already passed the one he was looking at with all the restaurants. This exit appeared to have only a few gas stations, and a breakfast place attached to a hotel. He headed toward the diner as rain pounded the windshield. “When I stop the car, we’ll have to make a run for it.”

  “Okay,” Maggie responded, sounding unenthused.

  He didn’t blame her. The rain was extremely heavy, and the wind was so strong, it made the car shake. Sean pulled into the parking spot nearest to the entrance of the diner and turned to Maggie. “Are you ready, beautiful?”

  She pulled off her coat and scarf and then grabbed her door handle, nodding bravely.

  He smiled, turning off the car. “On my count—one, two, three!”

  They both threw open their doors and ran toward the diner. It was only a few steps, but by the time they got into the restaurant, they were both soaking wet and laughing hysterically.

  Maggie had finally taken off her coat. The black blouse clung to her breasts, highlighting their roundness. Holy crap! Sean’s body tightened as he tried to pull his eyes away. He had no idea those glorious, round beauties were hiding underneath. If he had, he would have enticed her out of that coat earlier. She wrapped her arms across her chest as if she knew what he was thinking and began to shiver.

  “Are you cold, Maggie?”

  She nodded, her wet hair waving around her face—in a sexy manner. Sean’s body tightened further. The woman in front of him kept getting better and better. He smiled as he pulled her into to his arms and ran his hands up and down her back. Surprisingly, she allowed this, pressing into him as if seeking warmth. She shivered again.

  “You’re so wet, Sean!” She glanced up at him and smiled. “I should have kept my coat on.”

  “Nah.” Sean tightened his arms around her. “I’ll be your coat.”

  He looked down at her and instantly got lost in her emerald eyes. She seemed equally enthralled with his eyes, and soon they were inching closer like magnets. This time Sean planned to endure any pain her passion may cause. He had to taste those lips again.

  “Table for two?” a female voice asked from behind them.

  Maggie jumped out of Sean’s arms as if the interruption had brought her back to her senses.

  Sean cleared his throat, attempting to hide his disappointment. “That’s right.”

  “Follow me,” the waitress said. She was an older woman with a smoker’s voice, and a tight, black bun on top of her head. She grabbed two menus and headed into the nearly empty restaurant where only a few midnight travelers sat—the burly trucker types.

  “Are you two waiting out the storm?” she asked, gesturing toward their booth.

  “We are,” Maggie answered before sitting down. Sean sat across from her.

  “Well, you’re in for a long night, then. There’s a long line of storms set to hit this area. We’re under a tornado watch until three a.m.”

  “Really?” Maggie asked, raising her brows. “Do you think it will be too hazardous to drive?”

  “See for yourself.” The older woman inclined her head, gesturing toward the TV in the corner of the room. The Weather Channel was on. “These storms have already created some bad tornadoes in Tennessee. There’s a thunderstorm warning crashing through as we speak.”

  Maggie looked over at Sean, eyes wide, her expression nervous. He wasn’t sure if it was from the storms or the thought of being stuck in a restaurant with him.

  The waitress took their drink orders and left them to peruse the menu. Sean picked his up and noticed Maggie had turned to watch the TV as if in a trance.

  “These storms are bad, Sean. Just look at the damage on TV.”

  He glanced up for a moment, taking in the images of fallen trees and powerlines, and then went back to his menu. “Well, it is March, beginning of tornado season.” Sean yawned.

  “What do you know about tornado season?” Maggie pulled his menu back, and he could see the fear in her eyes.

  “Let’s just say I’ve traveled through worse.”

  “Traveled through worse than this?” Maggie pointed out the window just as forks of lightning stabbed the sky. She looked as though she was about to be sick.

  “Sure.” Sean chuckled and patted her hand. For a woman who talked a good game, Maggie carried a lot of fears. Another thing her veil of control covered. “It’s just a little storm, boss, nothing to freak out about.”

  “Thanks for the advice.” Maggie rolled her eyes.

  “It’ll pass,” he added, pushing her menu at her. Sean knew she had to be starving—just as he was—and she definitely needed a distraction from her fear before it became another thing for her to fixate on and obsess over. “What are you going to eat?”

  Maggie glanced down briefly at her menu and then back up at the TV. “Food, I guess.”

  Sean smiled, shaking his head. He knew it was hard to pull her focus away when she was stuck on something. And right now Maggie was obsessed with the weather.

  The only good part about being stuck in a nearly empty dinner was the fast service. They got their food in record time, and it wasn’t bad, either. Though Sean could barely tell because he was too busy shoveling it in so fast he almost forgot to breathe. Maggie was equally as enthusiastic. Their meal was the only thing that seemed to be able to pull her away from the weather report.

  When they were both stuffed, and watching the TV in a food coma, their waitress came over with their check. Maggie handed Sean cash and let him settle their bill—she was too worried by the weather to move.

  “Are you two heading out in the storm?” the waitress asked, standing at the counter.

  Sean glanced outside, noticing the rain had turned to hail. “I guess so.”

  “Well, be careful,” she said before heading back into the kitchen.

  Sean walked back to the table, pulling Maggie’s keys out of his pocket. “Let’s get going, then.”

  He offered here a hand to stand up, and she didn’t move. Only then did he notice how petrified she looked. She was biting her nails, glancing from the TV to the storm outside and then back to the TV again. “Are you crazy? I don’t want to go out in that.”

  Sean chuckled at her frantic voice and shrugged. “What other choice do we have?”

  She ignored his amusement, pointing to her seat. “Let’s stay here.”

  “In the diner?”

  “Sure,” she said, wagging her head up and down. “That’s a great idea.”

  “Oh come on, Maggie.” Sean sighed, fighting the need to laugh again. “It’s on
ly a storm. Don’t be a chicken.”

  She gestured to the huge rocks of hail pounding the window. “That is not just a storm, Sean, it’s a monster. And the stuff behind it looks worse. Haven’t you been watching the weather?”

  “No.”

  “Well, why not?” she asked incredulously.

  “Why not?” Sean chuckled, shaking his head. “Because you’ve been doing it for me, beautiful.”

  “So what?” She stopped fidgeting and raised her chin. “You act like it’s a crime to be informed and prepared.”

  “Prepared?”

  “That’s right, prepared, wrestler. A thing you know nothing about.” She raised her chin higher and gave him a confident smile. “And since I’m the boss, and know more about our current weather situation, I say we are staying.”

  Sean looked back at her and knew she wasn’t going to budge. So it was either sit back down in the booth or come up with a better alternative. He glanced at the door that connected the diner to the hotel and smiled.

  “Fine.” Sean turned back to her and held out his hand. “But not in the diner.”

  Maggie ignored his hand and raised her brows suspiciously. “Where?”

  “We’ll get a room in the hotel attached to the diner,” Sean responded quickly and grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet before she could argue.

  She immediately pulled back. “Wait, we can’t do that.”

  “Why not?”

  Her gaze began to dance around the room before she let out a breath. “Because it’s too expensive.”

  “Don’t worry about that.” Sean smiled confidently and pulled out his wallet. “I have credit card points we could spend here.”

  “But…” Maggie looked back at the card in his hand as if it were poison. She was clearly searching for another excuse. “I still don’t think we should spend the night. It’s better time management to wait out the storms and then head back to the road.”

  Sean smiled, watching her discomfort. Clearly the thought of being alone in a bedroom with him terrified her. He could tell he wasn’t the only one feeling the electricity between them. If he got Maggie in bed, she was as good as his. Suddenly that was the only thing he wanted to do.

  “I’m paying,” he said, glancing at his card. “Sort of. So I’m the boss, and I say we are staying.”

  “But—”

  “We won’t spend the night, Maggie.” Sean patted her arm in a friendly manner. “I just need to lie down while we wait. We’ve been driving all night, and I’m exhausted.”

  She bit her lip nervously. He could tell he had her on the hook. He just needed a little extra convincing. Maggie was a nurse; she had to be empathetic. He would pull on her soft side.

  “Plus, my nose is killing me. I need to take my pain meds.” Sean purposefully lowered his voice and glanced down as if in pain.

  “Of course, you must be in a lot of pain,” Maggie said. He fought back a shout of glee when she squeezed his hand. “Let’s get a room for a few hours and let you rest.”

  She walked toward the hotel lobby, and he followed with a skip in his step. The nurse in Maggie had won out over the boundaries she’d set. Which meant—Sean smiled devilishly—tonight was going to be a good night.

  CHAPTER 7

  Maggie sat on the edge of the scratchy hotel comforter, staring out the window. The hail slammed into the glass hard, alerting her to the fact the storm was long from over. She glanced over at Sean’s large sleeping form and bit her bottom lip nervously. It was a mistake to agree to the hotel room, but what could she do? Sean was in pain and exhausted. As it was, they’d barely made it through the door before he collapsed on the bed¸ shoes still on.

  Maggie had pulled them off and wrapped the quilt around him. The whole time, Sean breathed loudly through his mouth, his nose still covered in that large white bandage. She bit her bottom lip, looking back out at the rain. Sean had yet to move from his sleeping position, and it had been over an hour. At this rate, they would never leave.

  And she needed them to leave, desperately. Maggie felt restless the moment they’d set foot in the room. Her body was heavy and warm, her skin tingling with awareness. She wanted Sean to wake up and touch her, kiss her. She wanted Sean to make love to her. Ever since his devilish gaze had landed on her breasts, after they’d run through the rain, she felt her body was on the verge of exploding with desire. Never had she felt so wicked, so deliciously aroused. The way Sean looked at her was so dirty and wrong, yet something in her responded like it never had with Trevor. It made her wonder if orgasms were truly possible. The warm feeling in her core would suggest there was a definite possibility they were.

  Maggie sighed, shaking her head. She’d had no idea of the danger she would face upon agreeing to take this room—this out-of-control feeling of desire. Sean appeared to be uninterested in touching her, though, sleep his only focus. She was the one itching to get close.

  Maggie glanced over at him again, and Sean began to breathe louder. He appeared unlikely to wake up ever. It was frustrating! The storm raged on, and the one inside her was equally as restless. At this point it was almost impossible to stop herself from reaching out to him. It was insane; the old Maggie would never do something so foolish. But that woman had been broken hours ago. What remained was someone foreign and strange—someone impulsive, and passionate, unable to be caged.

  The rain pelted the window harder, large flashes of lightning brightening the hotel room, and suddenly Maggie was crawling over to Sean, seeking some comfort. Besides her restlessness, she was not a fan of storms. They’d scared her ever since she was a little girl, clutching her doll every time thunder rattled her childhood home. Her parents used to yell at her, calling her a baby. And yet, they were the ones who’d made her that way. She had been raised to control her surroundings, so she was terrified when she couldn’t control the weather.

  Another flash of lightning had Maggie falling into Sean’s arms, resting her head against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her instantly, as if he’d been waiting for this moment.

  “What’s wrong, beautiful?” He yawned loudly and kissed the top of her head. “Still scared of the storm?”

  Maggie shook her head, not wanting to admit it. She was twenty-five years old. It was embarrassing to be this afraid.

  “Don’t worry, boss.” Sean chuckled loudly before running his hands up and down her back. “I said I would keep you safe.”

  “Yeah, right.” She rolled her eyes and pushed out of his arms even as her heart skipped a beat.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” Sean sat up, wagging his brow wickedly.

  “Away,” Maggie responded but didn’t move an inch.

  “I don’t like that idea.” Their eyes met, and something electric ran down her spine.

  Maggie glanced away, running a hand through her tangled, red hair. “Too bad you don’t have a choice.”

  “Sure I do.” Sean chuckled and reached out to pull her back into his arms. “See, boss? I just chose not to listen to you.” He kissed the top of her head and then began rubbing a hand up and down her back, each time going lower. “What are you going to do about it?”

  “Let me go, Sean.” Maggie squirmed in his arms, only managing to change her position so he was now spooning her.

  “Shh,” Sean whispered against her ear, running a hand across her waist. “I know why you’re here, Maggie.” He brushed his lips down her ear, his hand following the curves of her hips, sending waves of desire racing through her body. “You have passion built up inside you that needs a release.”

  Lightning lit up the dark room, thunder shook outside, and Maggie shivered against Sean’s touch. “You’re wrong,” she responded, but her voice sounded throaty, desperate.

  Sean chuckled, running that wicked hand up to cup a breast. “Am I?”

  Maggie let out a shuddering breath as Sean rolled his thumb over her nipple, and growled with delight. “Let me release your pain,” he begged against her ear, runni
ng his hand over to cup her other breast. This time he pinched the nipple through her shirt. Maggie gasped as something pulsated in her sex—something strange, something wicked.

  “That’s right, my wicked girl.” Sean rubbed back and forth over her swollen peaks. “I’ll make you feel good, I promise. Just let go.”

  “I can’t,” Maggie panted as his fingers circled and pinched. Her breaths came fast as more delicious pressure built inside her.

  “You can,” he growled, running his hand down to the waistband of her skirt. “Trust me.”

  “I don’t know, I…” Maggie moaned, rolling her eyes as his wicked fingers unzipped her skirt. She wanted him to touch, to grab, to take, as long as he didn’t stop.

  “I’m going to teach you.” Sean removed her skirt and panties and slipped his hand up to cup her sex. “Ah, my wicked girl, you need this.”

  Maggie moaned, unable to do anything else. Especially as explosive currents followed his heated touch. Sean ran his hand up and down her sex, clasping her against him with his other arm wrapped tightly around her chest. He was imprisoning her while torturing some throbbing area, an area she never knew existed.

  “Sean, what are you doing to me?” Maggie’s voice sounded thick and foreign in her ears. Everything about her was transforming into something she didn’t understand.

  “I’m freeing you,” he rasped against her ear, rubbing wicked circles up and down her sex. Then with a purposeful plunge, he buried a finger deep inside her heat.

  “Sean,” Maggie cried out, squirming against him as currents of undeniable pleasure settled around his finger.

  “Yes, Maggie.” Sean groaned, his large erection pushing against her back. “Let go, let me take you there.”

  He fed his finger in and out of her sex, his palm rubbing up and down her swollen mound. Every movement built more mind-numbing tension. Maggie’s breaths came in long, surrendering moans as she ground back against him, building electricity between them.