The nurse led her into a private room. Ayden was sitting on the bed, fully awake with his ankle wrapped. He had one black eye, and a bandage was wrapped over the other side of his head, covering his left eye. Maya rushed toward him and, without thinking, flung herself into his arms. He clutched her to his hard chest.
“It’s okay.” Ayden patted her back as if he were comforting a small child. “I’m all right, Maya. I have a concussion and a sprained ankle, but other than that, I’m fine.”
Inhaling, Maya counted to three and slowly rose to her feet. She’d overreacted and shown her true feelings. “I’m so relieved.” Then she reached across the distance and swatted his arm. “Don’t ever scare me like that again.”
Ayden gave her a sideways grin. “Hey, I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to give you a scare. Or sprain any ligaments.” He nodded downward toward his ankle.
“Serves you right for those moves you pulled,” Maya replied. “Ryan told me not many people try both those moves together.”
“I had to do something. We were going to lose.”
“And now look at you. You’re going to have to take it easy. Maybe use the time for a much-needed vacation.”
“I don’t vacation,” Ayden responded. “I have a business to run. I just need someone to help me while I’m...” He searched for the right word. “Incapacitated.”
“Good luck. You’re not an easy man to deal with.”
“I don’t need luck. I just need you.”
“Me?” She hadn’t been prepared for such a blunt, matter-of-fact statement.
“I need a nursemaid who can take care of me and help me navigate the next week, and I can’t think of anyone more qualified than you.”
“A-Ayden, that’s crazy. I’m no nursemaid. I’m just your assistant.”
“True, but you know me. You know what I like and dislike better than any other person,” he replied. “You can do this, Maya. Unless there’s a reason you can’t?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about Ryan Kincaid. You were with him at the polo match. In that outfit.” He motioned toward her jumpsuit, which showed off her figure and a small swell of cleavage. “I know he’s interested in you. Is the feeling mutual? Is that why you can’t do me this favor?”
So he was jealous of Ryan. She knew it! But what would make Ayden think she could possibly get involved with another man after the kiss they’d shared last night? Ryan was just a friend, but Ayden didn’t know that. It served him right that he was jealous. Over the years, she’d listened to him expound on plenty of other women.
Ayden’s behavior didn’t make any sense. He’d had a chance with her five years ago. But Ayden hadn’t wanted her then. So what had changed?
Why now?
“Well?” Ayden was looking at Maya and waiting for an answer.
“I don’t have to justify my actions to you or anyone, Ayden.”
He glared at her and she could see he wanted to say more. She’d read between the lines with him long enough to know he was biting his tongue. He contemplated her for several long moments, his gaze scraping her from head to toe. It was a standoff that Maya intended to win.
“You’re correct,” he said, his voice softening. “I have no right to interfere in your personal life. I was out of line. But I am asking you for your help. You know me—and my needs and wants—better than anyone else. I want you.”
Those words sank her. Her belly somersaulted in the air and did a triple axel like an ice skater, but she mustn’t let it. She couldn’t do this. There was no way that in spending time with Ayden, day in and day out, her true feelings for him wouldn’t be exposed. “I’m sorry. I can’t.” Maya turned away. She couldn’t look at him because doing so was playing tricks with her emotions.
“Maya, please,” Ayden implored from the bed. “I’ll double your salary. Whatever it takes. I need you.”
Maya reminded herself to stay strong, but when she swirled around to face him, the pleading look in his eyes stopped her cold. There was no way she could deny this man anything even though it wasn’t in her best interests. “Okay. Okay, I’ll do it.”
A large grin spread over his gorgeous face despite the bandage across his eye. “I knew you wouldn’t let me down,” he said smugly. “You should probably get back to the rental and pack up your things. I’ll have a driver bring your belongings to my mansion.”
“Your house?” she squeaked.
“Of course. You can’t possibly take care of me from your apartment. You’ll need to move in, temporarily that is, until I get on my feet.”
“I can’t move in with you, Ayden.”
“Why not?”
Because I’m in love with you. Because we kissed last night and almost had sex in your office the night before. Maya’s face grew hot with a blush and she responded, “It’s just not a good idea.”
“Rubbish. It makes the most sense for you to be close by. So run along and collect your things and I’ll have my driver meet you in a couple of hours.”
“You can’t just run roughshod over me, Ayden.”
“I’m not trying to, but you must see how ridiculous it sounds for you to be my nursemaid from your apartment.”
When he put it like that, it made Maya appear silly for suggesting such a thing. “Fine. Fine,” she agreed begrudgingly.
“Good. I’m glad that’s settled. Make yourself comfortable at my place. Feel free to choose any room you like. And then be back here tomorrow morning because that’s when they’re releasing me.”
“Is there anything else, boss?” Because that was exactly the tone he’d used with her. Not the sexy way he said her name last night in the heat of passion.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound so formal, Maya. I really appreciate you doing this for me.”
She nodded and before she could put a foot in her mouth again, Maya left the room. She needed some air anyway. Ayden had used her affection for him to lure her into his home. Now they would be sharing close quarters. How on earth was she supposed to keep her cool?
* * *
It didn’t take long for Maya to pack up her meager belongings. And as promised, the driver called her when he arrived at the apartment building. He and the bellhop helped put all her suitcases into the limousine. Maya got in and leaned back against the buttery soft leather interior. It wasn’t her first trip in a limousine. She’d accompanied Ayden on many occasions when they’d worked together. But it was quite different to be treated to this kind of luxury on her own.
Leaning back, she closed her eyes. Maya couldn’t believe she was doing this. Not only had she accepted her old executive assistant position, but somehow she’d allowed Ayden to convince her to serve as his nursemaid and move into his home? It was insanity. But it had been impossible to deny him, especially after he’d said he needed her. Wanted her.
Of course, she knew he hadn’t meant it like he had last night. That had been a moment in time, when he’d been in pain and reached for the nearest person to comfort him. She’d been convenient. She was a woman and he was a man. A man used to getting sex. Ayden had wanted to escape his past and she’d been willing. Like any red-blooded man, he’d accepted what she was offering.
She searched her purse for her phone. She’d called Callie after Ayden’s accident and been beside herself. Callie had calmed her down, but would still be worried.
“Maya.” Callie picked up on the first ring. “How is Ayden?”
“He’s okay. He has a concussion and a sprained ankle, but he’s okay.”
“Thank God! I had no idea polo matches could be so dangerous.”
“From what Ryan told me, they usually aren’t, but Ayden was playing aggressively and making bold moves.”
“Sounds like Ayden was jealous seeing you with another man. Do you think he was showboating to garner your attention?”
<
br /> Maya was silent for a moment as she drank more of her champagne. “It’s doubtful. He just wasn’t exactly happy that I was with a client.”
“A client? You mean another man?”
“I dunno,” she fibbed. Because she’d thought the same thing. And she just had to spit out why she’d called. “Anyway, you should know I’ve agreed to move in and help Ayden around the house and at work until he’s back on his feet.”
“Sweet baby Jesus!” Callie retorted. “Out of the frying pan and into the fire. Don’t you ever learn, girlfriend? What on earth possessed you to agree to such a thing?”
“He needs me. Please, be supportive, Callie. I need you to understand.”
“Oh, Lord, Maya. I’m just scared that you’re going to get hurt.”
“I’ll be okay. I can handle this.” Or at least she hoped so, because if not, Callie was right. Ayden had the power to truly devastate her, so much so that she might never recover.
Nine
“Comfortable?” Maya asked once she’d settled Ayden in his master bedroom, fluffing his pillows and tucking the covers around him. She’d arrived late that morning to pick him up from the hospital. She’d come prepared with a change of clothes for him consisting of a tracksuit.
He smiled. He was more than comfortable. He was on cloud nine because Maya was here with him. Truth be told, when he’d made the outrageous suggestion, he’d expected her to turn him down flat. She’d put up some resistance, but in the end, he’d persevered and convinced her to move in with him. And with her tending to his needs day and night, there was no way she would have time to see Ryan Kincaid.
Was he really that jealous of his client?
Yes.
He hadn’t liked seeing Maya spending time or having fun with another man. Her smile was reserved for only him.
“Yes, I’m comfortable, Maya. Thank you,” he finally answered.
She’d been busy since last night. She’d placed crutches nearby to help him get around on his own. He could see her touches in the room, too. There were freshly cut flowers on the nightstand. His favorite spy books had been neatly stacked beside them along with a bottle of water and some pain pills. She’d filled his prescription. She’d literally thought of everything.
It was why he’d wanted her here with him.
Or at least it was one of the reasons. If he was honest with himself, it went deeper, beyond a friend caring for another friend, but he couldn’t think like that. She was just doing him a favor.
“Is there anything you’d like?” Maya inquired.
You, Ayden thought as he peered at her through thick lashes. Today, she was dressed in slim-fitting jeans that showed off her sweet behind along with a long-sleeved sweater that had cutout shoulders. She was hardly wearing any makeup other than some mascara and some type of gloss that made her lips shine. He wanted to lean over, grab her by the waist and kiss it off. Although she might appear plain to some, Ayden thought she’d never looked lovelier. Lord, he was in a world of trouble.
“I’d like to go through any outstanding proposals including the Kincaids’ to make sure they don’t need tweaking before you send them out.”
“You want to work?” Maya inquired with a frown. “For Christ’s sake, you just got out of the hospital and are recovering from a concussion. Not to mention it’s a Sunday, Ayden. I don’t work on the weekends. So if you want this arrangement—” she pointed between the two of them “—to work, then you’re going to have to remember those parameters.”
“All right, what would you suggest we do? I can think of a few.” Even with a bum leg, he had a few ideas, but they were certainly not PG-13.
“How about a movie? Or we could marathon a television show on Netflix.”
“I don’t watch TV.”
Maya rose from her seat. “That’s too bad because I’m going to find an activity for us that doesn’t require the use of a bed.”
He bowled over with laughter as he watched her scoot out of the room.
* * *
Maya was happy for some breathing room. She knew what other ideas he had because her mind immediately went to imagining the two of them naked, sprawled out over his sumptuous covers, kissing and making wild, passionate love. She’d felt her cheeks grow warm. Had Ayden sensed where her mind had wandered?
Probably not.
She was just a means to end, taking care of his immediate needs while making sure the office ran smoothly in his absence. Would he ever see her as more? Did she want him to?
Her mind was swirling as she set about locating the butler. She had to find some activity to keep the two of them busy on her day off. Because she was sure, come tomorrow, Ayden would be ready to get back to work, sprained ankle or not.
She found the butler downstairs in the kitchen talking to the chef about dinner. “Good afternoon, Ms. Richardson. Is there anything I can help you with?” he asked.
“First, you can call me, Maya.” When he began to interrupt her, she held up her hand. “I’m going to be staying here while your boss recovers, so please call me by my first name.”
“Very well, Maya. And second?”
“Do you have cable, internet, Netflix, anything to amuse us?”
A half hour later, Maya was armed and ready to entertain. The butler had secured a television and DVR on wheels and brought it into Ayden’s master suite. Ayden had always told her he much preferred reading a good book or engaging in extracurricular activities with the opposite sex to watching mindless television. The butler had also found several board games like chess and dominoes and Taboo to keep their minds occupied until dinner. Meanwhile, she’d thrown some popcorn she’d found in the pantry into the microwave.
“What’s all this?” Ayden asked when they brought in all the goodies.
“Your education on being an everyday joe,” Maya said with a smile. “We’re going to watch movies, eat popcorn and veg out all day.”
“Really?”
“That’s right, and you’re going to love it.”
And they did. While munching on popcorn, Maya joined Ayden on his bed—above the covers—and made him watch Pretty Woman. And instead of going downstairs to a formal dinner in his dining salon, dinner was served to them on television trays. Afterward, they ended up playing a game of chess. Ayden absolutely killed her.
“No fair,” Maya said when the game was over. “You’re a master at this. When did you learn how to play?”
Ayden shrugged. “I learned chess at boarding school. We didn’t have much else to do. Thanks to my stepfather, I knew how to hustle those rich kids out of their money. For them, it wasn’t a hardship, but for me it ensured I had spending money because my stepfather didn’t allow Mom to send me any money at school. He was just glad to be rid of me.”
“What happened during school breaks?”
“I usually begged to go to friends’ houses. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes Jack tolerated me coming home, but he made sure I knew that I was only there on his sufferance.”
“That’s terrible, Ayden. I’m sorry you had to endure that.”
“I survived. And I don’t want to end our fun evening on a sour note,” Ayden said. “Plus, it’s late and I’d like to get some rest so I’m ready for work tomorrow.”
“You don’t intend on going to the office, do you?”
Ayden shook his head. “No, not just yet. I’ll work from home. At least until I get the hang of those.” He nodded toward the crutches lying against a nearby chair.
“Those are easy. I taught Raven how to use them when she broke her leg in middle school.”
“Have you spoken to your sister since the baptism?” Ayden inquired.
Maya greeted him with an icy stare. “I thought we were forgoing heavy talk?”
“I was just curious. I know how much she meant to you.”
“My sister used
to mean everything to me, but as you know, times have changed. We’ve spoken about my mom’s care, but that’s about it. You mind if we change the subject?”
“Okay,” Ayden said. “I was just trying to be there for you like you’ve been there for me.”
She offered him a smile. “Thank you, and I’m sorry if I bit your head off. I appreciate you caring. It’s been a long night, and I’m going so you can get some sleep,” Maya said. “I think you’ve done enough for today.”
“I had fun. I can’t remember the last time I honestly said that, so thank you.” He leaned over and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. It should have been quick, but it lasted a little longer than was necessary. Maya felt her nipples instantly harden into bullets. Had he noticed she was turned on by a simple embrace? When he released her and she glanced up at him, Maya’s heart stopped.
He’d noticed. His eyes were liquid, bottomless and filled with desire. She heard his breathing change ever so slightly and a throb of awareness coiled through her. He smiled and ran the back of his fingers down her cheek, and she shuddered. How had they gone from the friend zone to a heat flare in a matter of seconds?
“Ayden...” She didn’t get the chance to utter another word because he closed the gap between them and sealed his mouth hungrily over hers. Maya responded to his kiss as every ounce of pent-up frustration from spending the day with him surged through her. She moaned and opened her mouth up to the onslaught of his kiss. She was just as eager as he was to taste, to lick and to twine her tongue with his. She drew him closer and he pushed her backward. Maya felt the pillows at her head as his torso pressed against hers, crushing her breasts against his magnificent bare chest.
Their mouths and bodies aligned perfectly and Maya parted her lips, inviting him in. Ayden took the cue and delved deeper. He took his time exploring, stroking his tongue back and forth against hers.
“This needs to come off,” he said, and began tugging at the hem of her sweater. She obliged and tossed the offending garment over her head, revealing her breasts. Moaning, she captured his lips in a savage kiss, clattering her teeth against his as she sought more. Understanding her need, Ayden drew her closer against his body, settling her against his impressive erection. Maya tilted her hips back and forth and began rubbing shamelessly against his rigid length.
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