Technically, he wouldn’t even need the wine, but he still wanted to make it perfect. He debated taking her out to dinner versus ordering in. He looked around his apartment, walls unpainted, floors covered in dust. Not exactly a romantic atmosphere, especially since he still had no furniture other than a bed.
As he turned his attention to choosing a restaurant, a frantic knock sounded at his door.
“Shane, it’s me.”
He opened the door to a slightly freaked out Maggie. “What’s up?”
“Please tell me you have your computer hooked up here.”
“I have it, but it might not be charged.” He hadn’t needed it since she came home. He went to his bedroom and pulled it from his dresser drawer along with the charger.
“What are these?” she called from the kitchen. “Peanut butter cookies? You hate peanut butter.”
He barely came through his bedroom door, and she snatched the computer from him. “Our neighbor across the hall, Janet, made them for me.”
Maggie snickered. “Funny, she didn’t make me cookies.”
He ignored the comment because the last person he wanted to think about at the moment was Janet.
Setting the laptop on the counter, she said, “Thank you so much. Mine just crashed. I need to make sure all of my backups saved.”
While she powered it up, Shane ran the cord to the outlet.
“Please, please, please,” she mumbled.
The page opened to his e-mail in-box, which was a little embarrassing since the only e-mails he had were either from her or spam. Thankfully, she was so focused on clicking away on the keys that she didn’t take note.
A new page popped up, and the look on her face intensified. She tapped the track pad, opening more things. Some of her pictures appeared.
“How did you do that?” he asked.
“What?”
He pointed at the screen. “Get your pictures on my computer.”
“I opened my files from the cloud. It looks like everything is there except for the last project I was working on. At least it’s only about an hour or so lost.” She exited out of everything and closed the laptop. “Thanks.”
“You can use it if you need to.”
“I can’t take your computer. I’ll figure something out.”
“Take it. I’m not using it.”
“If you don’t use it, why do you have it?”
“Honestly?”
She nodded. “Of course.”
“I bought it when you left so we could Skype.”
Her eyebrows drew together. “You dropped hundreds of dollars on a computer so you could talk to me?”
“Yep.”
She smacked his arm. “Are you nuts? We could’ve just talked on the phone. Or texted.”
He lifted a shoulder. “Not the same. I like to see your face.” He rolled up the power cord, stacked it on the laptop, and handed it to her.
She stared with her mouth hanging open.
“When you left, I didn’t have a smartphone, so I bought this. For the limited stuff I do online, I use my phone now. If I need a computer, I go home and use my parents’.” He shoved the computer at her.
She finally took it. “I’ll use it for now. Until I buy a new one.” Stepping closer, she rose and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”
“How about dinner?”
“Sure. What do you want?”
“Let’s order in.” He pointed at the door. “In your apartment since you have furniture and all.” He followed her out the door and to her apartment, trying to find a balance between hanging out with his friend and making this a date. He figured the sooner they made the attempt to have sex, the better off they’d be and things would be settled between them.
If it played out the way he wanted, they would be a couple. They made sense together.
She unlocked her door and he went in. After locking up behind them, she set the computer on her counter and grabbed the phone. “Where do you want to order from?”
“Whatever you want.”
“Want me to call downstairs?”
“It’s fine. I’m not picky.”
While she called in their order, he settled on the couch and found a romantic comedy for them to watch. Like most guys, he found them sappy and a little silly, but they always made Maggie laugh, and she sounded like she had a rough day.
She plopped next to him. “Food will be ready in about fifteen minutes.”
“So what did you do today?”
“I worked on my portfolios some more.”
“What portfolios?”
She bit the corner of her mouth. “Promise not to laugh or tease me.”
“Never.”
She swatted his leg. “I talked with Moira about a career. Although she could help me get some writing gigs, I think I want to take a stab at being a photographer.” She paused, and when she opened her mouth again, words flooded out. “I don’t have any formal training, but I enjoy it. A lot. So I’m creating a portfolio to see if I can get a job. Maybe at least an internship somewhere so I can learn. I might take a class or two. I don’t know. But this is the first thing I’ve been excited about in I don’t know how long. It’s just so much, it’s a little overwhelming. And . . .”
He smiled, thinking she’d stopped because she finally needed a breath, but then she didn’t continue. “And what?”
“What if I flake on this too?”
“What if you do? It’s one more thing you know isn’t right for you.”
“But I feel like such a loser. All my friends have settled into careers. Even if they don’t love their jobs, they have real careers. I’ve stagnated. It’s like I never moved past being twenty-one.”
“None of that matters. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to do a job you love, that you’re passionate about. Do you think I want to work for my dad forever? We do what we have to do until things fall into place.” He took her hand and held it. “You’re doing fine, Maggie. Stop doubting yourself.”
“Easy for you to say.” She leaned back into the couch and he scooted closer.
He continued to hold her hand on her lap and she rested her head on his shoulder as the opening credits rolled on the movie.
“You’re too nice to me. You hate these movies.”
“Next time, I’ll pick and there’ll be blood and gore.” He watched the first scene of the movie and then stood. “I’ll go down and grab the food.”
They ate their dinner and watched the movie, with Maggie curled up close to him. They laughed and joked about the characters, and when closing credits came across the screen, he leaned over.
Maggie didn’t say anything, but her eyes widened. This was it, the moment he’d wanted for a long time. His fingers wrapped around the back of her neck and her pulse throbbed against his palm. Only her rapid heartbeat let him know she wanted this, because the rest of her was stock-still. Her eyes told him she wasn’t afraid.
“Relax,” he whispered against her lips.
And she did. She closed her eyes and her lips softened. He brushed against them, her breath quickening. He tried to follow his own advice, but there was no turning back now. This was no friendly kiss meant to comfort. This one conveyed his lust. He’d wanted this for so long, he almost couldn’t control himself.
She was everything he imagined. Soft and warm, gentle and open.
His heart crashed against his ribs and his blood thundered through his system, urging for more. But this was Maggie, his friend and soon-to-be-lover. She deserved better, so he kept the kiss soft and slow, as slow as he could bear.
CHAPTER 9
This was it. Shane Callahan was kissing her and oh my freaking God was it good. A giggle bubbled up but was squashed by how good the kiss was. She tried to focus to remember what it was like to be kissed like this, but she couldn’t concentrate. His tongue ran along her lip and eased into her mouth. Shane was gentle and slow, but he controlled every move, every shift, every second of pleasure.
She g
rabbed his shirt and held on, needing to pull him closer, to feel his body touching hers. She felt the tingle of excitement and wanted to hold that feeling. Shane deepened the kiss, his tongue swirling around hers. While his hands stayed near her face, touching her jaw, her neck, her hair, hers roamed down his chest.
Time ceased to exist. The only air was the breath they shared.
By the time he pulled away, she was pliant and beyond relaxed, yet her nerves still thrummed with excitement. Maggie opened her eyes.
Shane’s thumb stroked her cheek. “You okay?”
“More than.” She leaned forward, wanting more.
Shane took the hint and shifted closer, angling his head and capturing her mouth again. Part of her wanted to feel silly. This was Shane, her buddy. She never knew he could do this. She imagined an awkward fumbling between them. Not this kind of simple magic.
Her heart raced and then her blood weighed heavy in her veins as lust took over. His fingers threaded into her hair and pushed it aside. His lips left hers and he kissed a trail across her jaw to her ear and down her neck. His hands finally—finally!—began to move over her body. He skimmed down her sides, barely brushing the sides of her boobs.
She gripped his head as he continued to lick and suck at her neck, his hands spanning her rib cage before they moved up and pressed against her breasts. Her nipples were hard points, sticking out, begging for attention. Using his whole hand, Shane kneaded one breast and then the other while he returned to her mouth just in time to swallow a moan.
Her entire body hummed and thrummed. If she had never vibrated with need before, she knew exactly what it meant at this moment. She tugged at his T-shirt and pulled it up to reveal his tight muscles and line of hair leading below his waistband. Desire pooled low in her belly and she welcomed it.
She trusted Shane to make this happen. She shoved at his pants, barely getting past his hipbones before he shot away from her.
“Whoa. Slow down, there.”
“What? No!” She reached for him, but he pulled his hips away.
He grabbed her hands and held them. “Maggie.” His voice was strangled. Inhaling deeply, he leaned his forehead against hers. “Slow, Mags. I’m not stripping you on the couch.”
“We can go to my bed. It’s not that far.” The bulge in his pants made her mouth water.
He sighed, then kissed her cheek. “Good night, Maggie.”
He stood.
Wait. What? He was walking away? She jumped off the couch to follow him. “Shane Callahan.” He looked over his shoulder. “Get your butt back over here and finish what you started.”
“I will. Just not tonight.”
“Why the hell not? What’s the point of getting me all hot and bothered and then walking away?”
He walked back to where she stood and held her hand. “You trust me, right?”
She nodded.
“We do this my way.” He kissed her again, this time on the mouth. Their lips interlocked and she still wanted more, but he pulled away. Again.
Damn him.
He walked to the door, and as he opened it, facing the hallway, he said, “One more thing. Don’t finish without me.”
The man was crazy. He got her horny and now he expected her not to get off at all?
When she didn’t respond, he turned to face her. “I mean it. You agreed to do this my way.”
“You’re insane.” She crossed the room and poked his chest. His very hard, muscled chest. “You don’t get to control my body. I can do whatever the hell I want.”
He smirked. “But what you want is me. Whatever you can do alone won’t be enough. Trust me. It’ll be worth the wait.”
He didn’t wait for a response. He walked across the hall to his apartment, leaving her gaping at him from her door. He waved with a smile as he opened his door.
She slammed hers shut. Unfortunately, it barely took the edge off her frustration.
Shane stood at the doorway to his apartment and withheld the laugh at Maggie slamming her door. As he was about to cross the threshold, Janet stepped out into the hall.
“So, you and Maggie, huh?”
He smiled. “Yeah.” At least as far as he was concerned.
“Yet . . .” She pointed back and forth between the two apartments.
He lifted a shoulder. “It’s complicated.”
She then pointed at his hard cock and smirked. “Nothing should be that complicated.”
He swallowed a groan and waved. “See you around.”
He couldn’t explain to a stranger what was going on between him and Maggie. He knew it sounded crazy.
Christ, his dick hurt. He hadn’t walked around like this since he’d first discovered girls. Why he’d thought a make-out session on Maggie’s couch was a good idea now escaped him. He eased his sweats off and cringed as the elastic bumped his hard-on on the way down.
Fuck this. He told Maggie not to take care of herself, but he’d never made any such promise. Once the shower had hot water flowing, he stepped under the spray. Wrapping his fingers around his cock, he stroked. The only thought in his head was Maggie: the way she smelled, the way lust filled her eyes, the way she moaned when he’d barely touched her.
His whole seduction plan might kill him before he could get her off. His hand pumped his heated flesh. It didn’t take long until he spurted across the tiles. He finished washing up and got out. He’d managed to take the edge off, but thinking about Maggie sitting in her apartment all horny wasn’t doing him any favors.
Both he and Maggie were working at the bar tomorrow night, so there would be no date and no sex. He wasn’t about to rush anything after working until closing. The weekend would have to do.
His biggest concern, besides the obvious—the effect having sex would have on their relationship—was that he worried about making sure she was comfortable with the idea of him touching her long before they had sex. She hadn’t been able to go all the way with the last guy because he didn’t know her and therefore couldn’t understand her. Shane wouldn’t make the same mistake.
He lay in bed and listened to the sounds of the building. The music from downstairs still filtered through the floor. He could hear Maggie banging around in her apartment. She always did need a physical outlet when she was frustrated. He rolled over with a smile on his face.
Maggie hadn’t seen Shane before or after he worked his construction job, so she went down to the bar without waiting to see if he was on his way. She’d spent a good portion of the previous night scrubbing her bathroom. Although the space now sparkled, it had done nothing to ease the ache of lust.
She put on her apron and got ready for her shift. Once again, she was relieving Kelly, so she got the lowdown on remaining customers and cleaned off unoccupied tables. As soon as Shane entered the room, she knew it, felt his gaze land on her back. It was like he homed in on her every time he walked into a room.
She ignored the shiver that skated down her back. If he could play it cool, so could she. It wasn’t like he was the first guy she’d ever made out with and hadn’t gone further. As she walked back to the bar to place an order for one of her tables, she smiled at Shane. “Hi.”
“How are you?”
“Good. And you?”
His gaze wandered the length of her body and every one of her nerves perked up at the attention.
“Very good,” he answered.
She wanted to ask if he’d spent the night thinking about what they could’ve done, but the bartender set a martini and a glass of scotch in front of her. After placing the drinks on her tray, she smiled and said, “See ya.”
As she walked away, she emphasized the sway of her hips. She was out of practice, but she knew what drew a guy’s eye. If Shane wanted to watch her, she’d give him something to see. Luckily for her, the table waiting on drinks faced Shane’s location. She set the drinks in front of the customers and bent over more than necessary to set napkins down and collect menus.
If the customers thought anyt
hing was odd, they said nothing, but when she straightened, she saw Shane shift in his spot.
For the entire night, they played a game of cat and mouse. For every time she bent or stretched in his direction, he’d pass by and glide a hand along her hip. An innocent gesture one might make as he passed, but with Shane, there was an added flex of his fingers. When she licked her lips suggestively, he groaned. Point Maggie.
His heated glare let her know he’d get even. Whether planned or not, Jenna asked him to carry a case of beer from the back. Shane lifted it over his head to bypass customers. Biceps bulged and his shirt rode up from his pants, revealing that delicious strip of stomach. A hint of muscle, a patch of hair. Just enough to make her want to explore.
It was her turn to groan.
Then when he got behind the bar with the case, he bent over to fill the cooler. Damn. The man earned extra points for that.
The night sped by with their nonverbal game in play. It was a blur of orders and tips interspersed with strategizing. When she’d asked Shane to sleep with her, she’d agreed to doing it his way, but she’d thought they’d actually do it.
By the time they were done with their shift, Maggie was horny all over again. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d flirted with one guy for so long. And it was Shane. She’d witnessed his flirtation skills before. Hard to have such a good-looking guy friend and not see that in action. But it felt so different when it was directed at her.
He followed her to the back door and asked, “Good night?”
“Pretty good. Weekends definitely have better tips, but it’ll do. Kind of quiet.”
He held the door open and she braced herself against the cool air. “Quiet is good. No fights.”
He shook his head at her as she crossed her arms outside.
“Quiet also means less money in tips.”
“Why not wear a jacket if you’re cold?”
“Because it would be one more thing for me to remember. Plus, it’s a quick trip upstairs.” She jogged up the stairs as if to prove her point. Inside the hall, she paused at his door and waited for him to catch up. She tilted her head toward her apartment. “Want to come over for a while?”
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