by Lori Foster
Leese didn’t touch her, but he ensured Fletcher couldn’t either. “That was before someone shot at you.”
“I doubt it was at her,” Fletcher said. “Still, I’ll ask around and see who was hunting today. If I find out someone was being this reckless, there’ll be hell to pay.”
Miles dropped to the ground halfway down. “I’m not buying that it was a hunter, but if it was, the son of a bitch needs to lose his license.” And more. Much more.
“Agreed.” Fletcher turned his focus on Maxi. “I’m sorry your clothes got ruined.”
It was the back of her clothes that were muddy, and Miles just knew the cop had stared at her ass as she descended.
Maxi said only, “Couldn’t be helped,” as if none of it really mattered, when he knew it mattered a lot.
Then again, she probably thought landing in mud was better than waking on gravel. Miles clenched his jaw and pulled her into his side.
“None of you saw anyone?”
Maxi shook her head. “I heard a noise that I thought was a bug, then Justice tackled me.”
Eyeing Justice, Fletcher said, “It’s a wonder you weren’t squashed.”
“He was actually very careful.” Apparently irked by what she took as a slight to Justice, she insisted, “Didn’t hurt me at all.”
Justice winked at her. “I didn’t see anyone either, but I did hear a motor off in the distance.”
“Probably an ATV.”
“That’s what it sounded like to me,” Leese said. “But even with the ground so soggy, I didn’t see any tracks on her property. Just mud on the road.”
Miles folded his arms. “I suppose everyone around here has one of those, too?”
“Afraid so. They use them to hunt, or just to play.” He said to Maxi, “I’ll let you know what I find out.”
“Thank you.”
Her tone remained clipped. Miles didn’t know if it was residual fear after another incident or lingering annoyance because she felt Justice had been insulted. It didn’t make any sense to Miles. Justice was a hulk and they all knew it.
After Fletcher reluctantly took his leave, Miles went into the house with her while Leese and Justice discussed key places to put security cameras.
“I’m okay,” she told him for the tenth time. “I know you’d rather be out there plotting and planning with them.”
“You’re wrong.” He smoothed back her hair, now with dried mud in it. “You want a shower?”
She looked at the stairs with dread. “I do, but—”
“Come on. I’ll go up with you and wait.”
“No.” She stopped him. “Your friends will think I’m a wimp.”
“Wrong again.” He leaned in and kissed her softly. “They’re already impressed.”
“You can’t know that.”
“Sure I can. I know them well.” He teased his fingers over her cheek. Seeing the shadows in her eyes, he decided she needed a distraction, and he had the perfect idea in mind. “I think I’ll shower with you.”
Eyes widening, she said, “But your friends—”
“Will understand, believe me.” This time when he took her small hand in his and headed for the stairs, she didn’t argue.
* * *
IT FELT ODD to be so passive as Miles adjusted the water temperature and then undressed her. Odd, but exciting.
He kept his touch almost impassive, as if he undressed her every day with no thought to sex.
Shoot, she couldn’t think of anything else.
When he knelt to pull down her shorts, she sank her fingers into his thick dark hair. It felt cool and silky and her heart beat a little harder.
“Step out.”
She did, and he dropped her shorts and panties to the side, then turned her, his hands moving over her hips and backside. The brush of his mouth over her cheek made her breath catch.
“Justice would be upset to know he bruised you.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, surprised that she could get her voice to work.
“You have a bruise starting here.” He kissed her bottom again. “And here.” His lips teased over her side. “Must be from where he took you down to get you out of the line of fire.”
That reminder almost squelched her growing desire. “You don’t believe it was a hunter?”
“No, I don’t.” Turning her back to face him, his heated gaze drifted over her body. With a small groan he folded her close, his face pressed to her belly.
“Miles?”
In a rush, he took a nibbling, kissing path up her body, pausing at her breasts to suck leisurely at one nipple before switching to the other.
He fired her up so quickly, she forgot about the rifle shot, forgot his friends were downstairs and almost forgot about her shower.
Miles didn’t. He ripped off his own clothes, tossing them aside, then stepped into the shower with her. With his mouth moving heavily over hers, he sudded his hands with her scented soap, then showed her a new torment, his fingers slick as he played over every inch of her, rinsed her and started again.
Braced against the tile wall, Maxi clutched at him. “Miles...” she groaned. “Now.”
“Shh.” He washed her hair, his fingers massaging her scalp, while he kissed her throat and shoulder.
Trembling with need, Maxi reached for him, but he caught her hands in his and maneuvered her under the spray. “Close your eyes.”
With her whole body aching for him, she accused hotly, “You’re being a tease again,” then couldn’t say more, not with the water washing over her head.
That didn’t stop Miles from teasing her, though. When she raised her hands to her hair, using her fingers to hurriedly rinse out the shampoo, he gave his attention to her breasts.
God, the man was diabolical.
After hefting her breasts in his palms, gently squeezing, he tugged on each nipple, rolled and flicked. Voice low and gruff, he asked, “You like that, don’t you?”
“I do,” she had to admit. She liked it too much. A little desperately, she added, “But I don’t think I can take much more.”
As he turned her away from him and stroked conditioner through her hair, he countered, “I think you can.”
She always used conditioner, but not with a naked hunk’s erection nudging her bottom. Trying to encourage him, she pressed back and heard his hissed breath.
“Behave.”
Her eyes flared wide. Behave? What did he think she’d been doing?
There wasn’t enough room in the shower for her to tackle him. If they were going to do this, she’d need his cooperation. In fact, it’d probably be easier if they got out of the shower.
With that idea in mind, she stepped away and quickly rinsed off again.
Smiling, Miles reached past her and turned off the shower.
He stood before her, glistening droplets trailing over his broad shoulders, down his chest and abs, and over his straining erection. The water made his hair darker, on his head, chest and groin, and spiked his eyelashes so that his eyes appeared even greener.
She stroked a hand over his tight abs, then wrapped her fingers around him. “You are temptation personified.”
His eyes closed, his body tensed.
The knock on the bathroom door made them both jump. Leese said, “Sorry to interrupt, but Maxi has company.”
“Who?” Miles demanded.
“Claims he’s her fiancé,” Leese said with a hint of humor.
His gaze pinned her, one brow raised. “Fiancé?”
“Not anymore.” Horrified by being caught, but equally appalled by the idea of stopping, she licked her bottom lip. “Maybe your friend can just tell him to go away?”
Suspicion slowly faded from Miles’s expression. “Keep him
out of the house, Leese. We’ll be down in ten minutes.”
“Will do.”
When the sound of retreating footsteps faded, Maxi nearly wailed, “Only ten minutes?”
He looked pained, but he managed a grin.
Then she felt his hand between her legs, his fingers probing hotly. She was already wet, of course, her body in frantic need. “Are we...?”
“Just you for now.” He hooked an arm around her for support, then bent to her ear. “I’ll get mine later.”
She would have protested, but he stroked two thick fingers into her, pressing them deep while his thumb settled on her clitoris, moving in small circles. His mouth found hers, swallowing her frantic cries as he took her higher and higher.
She sucked on his tongue, heard his raw groan and held him tighter, lifting one leg up along his hip. The kiss was deep, voracious, matching her mood. Her body clenched.
So close. So very close...
The climax hit her hard and she freed her mouth on a ragged moan. Her eyes squeezed shut and her head fell back.
Vaguely she heard Miles growling, “That’s it. Let me hear you.”
Like she had a choice? The pleasure tearing through her was too much for her to try to be silent. Gradually, though, it ebbed—along with her strength.
Miles held her upright, pressing small kisses to her temple. Slowly he withdrew his fingers. He touched them first to her mouth, making her go still until he bent to lick her lips.
She’d gotten her release, but tension still rippled through him.
Trying to get her faculties working, Maxi whispered, “I could—”
“No. We’ve kept everyone waiting long enough.”
That reminder hit her like a douse of cold water. “Oh my God. What will they think?”
“Justice and Leese won’t have to think about it—they’ll know exactly what we were doing. No idea what your fiancé will make of it, though.”
She managed a light punch to his stomach. “Gary isn’t my fiancé anymore and you know it.”
He lifted her hand, kissed her knuckles and said, “Get dressed so we can explain it to him, too.”
CHAPTER NINE
MILES EXPECTED TO find all three guys outside when he came down the stairs ahead of Maxi, but both Justice and Leese were sitting at the dining room table, opening security cameras in preparation of setting them up.
Maxi frowned. “You said Gary was here?”
Justice shrugged. “Don’t know his name, but he’s out front.”
“You left him out there alone?”
“The sun broke through the clouds,” Leese said. “It’s broiling out there, and since your electricity came back on—”
“Oh.” She listened. “It is back on. I hadn’t noticed.”
Grinning, Justice said, “Wonder why.”
Miles saw her face go hot.
“I was muddy—”
“Yeah,” he said. “Sorry about that. I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“No, of course not.”
“You weren’t just saying that for the shady cop?”
She shook her head. “I’m relieved you reacted so quickly.”
Justice looked at her a second longer, then asked Miles, “Did I bruise her?”
“Only a little.”
“Miles!”
“There’s no reason to fib to him, honey. He’s got eyes, he knows you’re soft and he knows he took you down hard and fast.”
“It wasn’t bad at all,” she assured Justice. “I wouldn’t even have noticed if Miles...hadn’t...” She shut her mouth and tried not to blush again.
Justice laughed. “You’ll have to get over those blushes if you plan to hang around Legend.”
“I didn’t embarrass her,” Miles said.
“No,” Leese agreed. “But your friends—” he gave a pointed look at Justice “—will take every opportunity to turn her pink.”
“He’s right,” Miles said, then gestured toward the door. “With any luck, your guest has melted by now. But just in case, we should probably check on him.”
Apparently glad for an escape, she spun around and marched for the door. Following her, Miles watched the swish of that delectable ass, now in denim shorts. She had beautiful legs, and her breasts were a major turn-on for him. For her, too, given the sensitivity of her nipples. He wouldn’t mind spending an hour there, sucking on her, listening to her breath catch, watching her squirm.
He was in a bad way, but so far, things were going according to plan—though honestly, it was getting tougher to remember the plan. He sure as hell hadn’t thought of it in the shower. If Leese hadn’t knocked, he’d have been buried inside her and he might not even have recalled that he had condoms in his jeans pocket.
At the door, she hesitated, either unsure about seeing her ex, or perhaps remembering Miles’s preference for leading the way.
Miles tipped up her chin. “We don’t want to tell him too much, okay?”
“How am I supposed to know what’s too much?”
“Just take your cues from me.”
“All right.” She stayed him with a hand on his forearm. “But don’t you tell him too much either. I want Gary out of my life, not inadvertently drawn back into it.”
“We’re agreed.” Miles stepped out and found her ex pacing the yard, dodging the cats that tried to get too close.
He heard the man say, “Get away!” and knew that attitude alone would ensure Maxi didn’t have any second thoughts.
“Damn,” Miles said. “It’s cooking out here.”
Gary looked up, then his eyes shot wide. He tried to smooth his light brown hair, but the breeze just mussed it again. He wore an immaculately trimmed goatee, designer sunglasses, a short-sleeve button-down shirt and black slacks with dress shoes.
To a farm. On a hot, humid late August day.
Gary looked away from Miles to Maxi and started forward. “Oh God, honey, I’ve been worried sick about you! Why the hell didn’t you reply to any of my calls or texts?”
Before he could reach Maxi, Miles held out his arm like a blockade.
Gary came to a halt. “What’s this? Who are you and what are you doing here with my fiancée?”
Miles raised a brow at Maxi.
She put her shoulders back. “Where I go and what I do is no concern of yours, and we are not engaged, not anymore.”
Gary opened his mouth, but she wasn’t done.
“How did you find me? And how dare you show up here uninvited.”
Gary struck his own militant stance. “I came because I love you. No, don’t say it! No way is it over. It can’t be. I won’t accept that.”
Incredulous, Maxi said, her voice suddenly lower and meaner than Miles had ever heard it, “You have no choice in the matter.”
“Bullshit! We belong together and no fucking way am I giving up on you!”
Startled by that impassioned speech, Maxi stared at him as if she’d never seen him before. Then she laughed. “What’s wrong with you?”
“I’ve missed you, damn it. I fucking love you. So I made a mistake. It won’t happen again, I’ve told you that.” He pressed closer. “One fucking indiscretion can’t change our futures.”
“This is...” A burst of hilarity escaped her. “It’s absurd.”
Miles looked down at her, curious at that reaction. “You okay?”
She nodded, looked at Gary and fell into a fit of nearly hysterical giggles.
Leese and Justice stepped out, and that helped her to get it together—though given the twitching of her lips, she looked capable of losing it again at any moment.
Without looking at Gary, Leese said, “We need a few more things, so I’m running back to town. You need anything else while we
’re out?”
“Yeah.” Miles pointed at Gary, said, “Back up,” and then ensured he did so by walking toward him, crowding his space.
Gary backpedaled so fast, he almost fell. “What are you doing?” he demanded in alarm.
“Right there is far enough.” He turned back to Maxi. “Just a sec, okay?”
Still fighting that grin, she waved a hand. “Take your time.” She sat down on the top step.
Gary looked from her to Miles. “I don’t—”
“Stay put.” Miles moved away from him to speak privately with Leese and Justice, but he did so quickly. He didn’t want to chance that Gary might find his balls and move back in on Maxi.
She was in an odd mood, laughing like that, and he didn’t understand it. He hoped it didn’t mean she still cared for the putz, but he just wasn’t sure.
Either way, he didn’t want to hurt the guy. Hell, he sort of felt sorry for him, given her reaction to his bizarre declarations of love.
After telling Leese the other items he wanted, he came back to Gary. Arms folded, he said, “She’s laughing at you, man.”
“I know.” Gary pulled off his sunglasses and rubbed his brow, his expression puzzled. “Her sister told me to be more assertive, but I don’t think she expected hilarity to ensue.”
“Probably not.” Wondering where this tactic would take old Gary, Miles asked, “Want to give it another try?”
Gary started to nod, then caught himself. “Who are you?”
“I’m her bodyguard.”
“What?” And then with disbelief, he said, “No.”
From the porch, Maxi said, “He really is.” Then she snickered again.
Gary charged forward. “I don’t understand why you’re laughing.”
“Because it’s hilarious,” she insisted on a snicker that grew into a roar of laughter.
Seeing her like this spurred Miles’s humor, too, but he only quirked his mouth.
Gary got enraged. “What the fuck is so funny?”
“Oh God, stop!” She wrapped her arms around her stomach and almost toppled sideways on the step.