“Yes.”
“Yes?” I tried to stop my eyebrows from inching toward my hairline in surprise. It was futile.
Mav killed the ignition and got out of the truck. Then he came around to my side and took my hand as I stepped down, the heels of my shoes sinking into the lush grass of the Wynnwood Estates property. He guided me to the path as he locked the truck with his key remote over his shoulder. The headlights lit up our path for half a second as it locked, and then we were swallowed by night again.
My hand was still in his when we got to the door, and I hated having to let him go to find my keys in my purse to buzz us in.
Moments later, when we stepped into the elevator and the doors slid closed behind us, I could feel Mav’s eyes on me as I leaned forward and pressed the button for my floor. Fifteen. As I stepped back and pressed the middle of my back to the handrail along the walls of the elevator, Mav moved in closer until we were shoulder to shoulder. Then he stepped around me and braced himself with a hand on either side of my hips, resting on the handrail.
“I had a nice time with you tonight,” he said. His voice was low and smooth. And he was so close. I could see the darkness of his five o’clock shadow appearing, and I spent a dreamy second imagining what he might look like with a beard.
“I had a nice time too. A really nice time.”
“You sound surprised.” He had a way of talking that made my skin itch with need. His voice was always so low and even, but it was tinged with amusement and something else. Something heavy and masculine, like a southern drawl without the southern. “Were you expecting mediocrity?”
“I don’t know what I was expecting.” My voice, unlike Mav’s, was shaky and unsure. He was so close. All I had to do was lean forward a couple of inches, and our noses would touch.
“How do you feel about me coming inside?”
“Good.”
“Are we actually going to drink tea?”
“Only if that’s what you want to do,” I stammered.
Mav smiled. My knees wobbled. “Allie, don’t let me call the shots.”
“Why not?”
His brows furrowed together as he studied me. The way he looked at me made me feel some kind of way. My soul felt very exposed.
“Because all I want to do right now is kiss you. But I know if I do, I won’t be able to stop myself. And if you’re not ready for what comes after that, then we should stick to tea. I’d be more than happy with tea.”
I swallowed.
He was such a gentleman. This wasn’t the man Candice had tried to convince me he might be. He was honest and being clear about his intentions. For me, someone who hadn’t gone down this road with a man before, it was greatly appreciated.
And a huge turn on.
I reached out with a shaky hand and smoothed the crisp collar of his linen shirt. “Tea is overrated.”
The elevator chimed at my floor, and the doors slid open as Mav gave me a lopsided grin. Then he pushed himself off the wall, offered me his elbow, and guided me out of the elevator into the hall. We walked to my front door, which I opened with my key, and then I invited him in behind me.
I’d never had a man in this apartment before.
Well, not unless I counted the rather eccentric young server I’d gone on a couple of dates with six months ago. He was an edgy young guy—so not my speed—with a big personality and an even bigger “big dick energy”. That was what Candice had called it, anyway. I never really understood what she was talking about. He and I had made it to five dates, the last one which we spent here, and he’d nearly blown a fuse when I refused to sleep with him.
It wasn’t the first time that had happened to me.
As I slipped out of my red pumps, I considered telling Mav I was a virgin. The words were dangling from the tip of my tongue as I watched him kick out of his shoes and loosen his tie. But they died as soon as I thought them. Watching him fix and roll the cuffs of his shirt up made my insides burn.
For the first time in my life, I wanted something to come of this.
I wanted to know what it was like to be intimate. To have sex.
Mav glanced up at me. “You all right?”
I nodded. “Y-yes. Um. Can I get you anything? Water? Wine? I think I might have—”
He came toward me in two steps, caressed my cheek, and tilted my head back. “All I want right now is you, Allie. Where’s your bedroom?”
A puddle formed in my panties.
My lips refused to work as Mav smiled down at me, thinking whatever he was thinking. I lifted a hand and pointed down my hall to my bedroom. He wasted no time bending at the knees and scooping me up. He began carrying me down the hall. I draped an arm over his shoulders, feeling the thick muscles shifting under his skin, and marveled at his strength.
“Is this how you impress all the girls, Mr. firefighter?”
Mav chuckled. “There haven’t been any girls in a long time.”
I ran my fingers over the exposed skin at the nape of his neck. Mav turned sideways, and we went through my bedroom door. My heart beat wildly in my chest, and my breath fluttered in my throat as he set me down gently on the bed. Then, one by one, he began undoing the buttons of his shirt. I watched, transfixed by every move he made, by the way the tendons in his hands and forearms flexed with each button, the way his eyes were hooded by shadow beneath his brow, the way his jaw flexed.
This was happening.
Mav’s shirt fell from his shoulders and landed on my bedroom floor.
My heartbeat sped up. His body was a work of splendor. Every muscle served a purpose. Nothing was for show. It was all hard-earned, life-saving strength.
“Your turn,” Mav said, his voice finally slipping from that even level I’d grown used to. It was gravelly now.
When I didn’t start undressing, he came toward me and took my hand, pulling me to my feet. He spun me slowly around like we were performing a weak rendition of a swing dance, and then his fingers found the zipper at the back of my dress. He drew it down, undoing tooth by tooth, until my bare back was exposed. I hadn’t worn a bra. There wasn’t really room in the dress for one, and Candice had told me the bra lines looked tacky.
So I stood completely naked underneath, except for my black lace panties.
Mav slid his hands inside the open back of the dress to rest them on my waist. I sucked in a sharp breath, and he leaned in close, resting his chin on my shoulder to leave hot, soft kisses on the side of my neck.
He moved his hands up until they rested on my shoulders. With gentle care, he nudged the cap sleeves of my dress off my shoulders. Then inch by inch, he pulled it down until it fell from my hips and gathered around my ankles.
I wrapped my arms around myself, covering my breasts.
I’d never been this exposed in front of a man before.
Mav ran his fingertips across my shoulders, drawing my hair to one side. Then he followed the trail his fingers made with his lips before turning me to face him. He wrapped his arms around me, apparently not minding that I was hiding my nakedness from him, and he pulled me in close to his chest and pressed his lips to mine.
The kiss was unlike anything I’d ever felt.
It started gentle and soft at first. Like a kiss in a dream. Then his lips parted, and I followed his lead, letting him slip his tongue between my teeth. He explored me curiously, patiently, and his hands wandered up and down my back until I gave in and draped my arms over his shoulders, baring my breasts to him.
He cupped them in his hands within seconds, pausing to flick his thumbs over my nipples.
I moaned into his mouth. This neediness was unlike anything I’d ever felt. I stretched to the tips of my toes, desperate for more of him, and he responded by lowering me back down to the bed. Our lips never parted, and I flinched when he dragged his fingers down the middle of my tummy to the top of my panties. Then he slid his hand under the lace fabric. Before I realized it, his hand was on me.
Well, on that part of me.
<
br /> And holy hell, did it feel amazing.
Mav delighted me by rubbing my clit in slow circles. Every swirl sent little shocks of pleasure through me, and I found myself rolling my hips involuntarily until, much to my surprise, he eased a finger inside me.
He let out a soft sound in the back of his throat and broke our kiss. “You’re so tight, Allie. Damn.”
I bit my bottom lip. The word “virgin” almost escaped me. But I held on to it and just gazed up at him as he slowly fucked me with his finger. When he pressed his thumb to my clit, it almost pushed me over the edge. I gripped the sheets beneath me as Mav descended upon me with ravenous kisses. The heat of his body melted into me, and my body sang with pleasure.
But the word “virgin” kept rolling through my head. And for some incredibly annoying, inexplicable reason, it was spoken in Candice’s voice. Saboteur.
Then other words she’d said when she found out about me and Mav started dancing around in my brain until I was left with one thought: he was the father of one of my students.
And he had his finger inside me. And if this kept going, I was going to give my virginity to him, and I wasn’t sure I was ready for that.
Was I?
How was I supposed to know? Would there be signs?
“Wait,” I breathed, closing my fingers around his wrist, stilling his movements between my thighs.
He looked up at me, brows knit together in concern. “What’s wrong?”
“I think I have to slow down.” I propped myself up on my elbows and shook my head. “This… this is wrong. You need to leave.”
“What?” He pulled his hand out of my panties.
I nodded and rolled away from him to get to my feet and rush to grab my robe from the back of my door. I wrapped it tightly around myself and avoided looking him in the eye. “Yes. Please. I need you to leave. We can’t do this. You’re the father of one of my students, and there’s no going back from this.”
Mav stood. “Maybe I don’t want to go back from this.”
“Please,” I pleaded. “Go.”
My legs felt like rubber, and my pussy was pulsing like it had a heartbeat. I wanted so much more from him and for him, but this wasn’t right. This was a mistake.
“Allie, did I do something wrong?”
I shook my head and picked up his shirt from the floor. “No. I just… I can’t do this. I’m sorry. I should have stopped it sooner. Before…” I trailed off.
Before you had your hand between my legs. Before I kissed you.
Mav frowned. “Okay. I’m sorry. I’ll go.”
He took his shirt from me and didn’t put it back on. Instead, he walked out of my room, naked from the waist up, and let himself out of my apartment without looking back. Guilt crawled around in my gut, replacing the tight, desperate feeling below my belly, and I sank down onto my bed and buried my face in my hands.
How humiliating.
19
Mav
Someone was knocking on my door.
I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose as I squinted against the bright morning light coming through my window. Apparently, I’d forgotten to close the blinds when I came home from Allie’s place last night.
Allie.
What a disaster. At some point, I must have done something wrong. Said something. Implied something. I had no idea what it might have been, but whatever it was, it scared her off.
And left me with the worst case of blue balls since I was in high school. Not that I cared. I didn’t. I cared that I couldn’t make sense of what happened. I played it over and over in my head a dozen times last night, trying to make sense of it all, but all I was left with was dumbfounded confusion.
Apparently, she and I were on completely different pages. I never would have gone up with her when she invited me if I didn’t think she wanted the same thing as me. I wouldn’t have put her in that position.
Part of me wondered if she went through with it only because she thought that was what I expected. I hoped that wasn’t the case because if it was, then she had the completely wrong impression of me. I would never expect a woman to sleep with me just because I wanted it.
It all came down to me being Olivette’s father.
If Allie wasn’t her teacher, I doubted things would have fallen apart last night. I respected her call, and I wouldn’t push her. But part of me wished she’d been able to put her teaching identity aside just to see if she and I had a real shot at this thing between us.
Whatever this thing was.
I hadn’t had such effortless conversation with another woman since before my wife passed away. Last night had been a refreshing glimpse into what could be. After so many years secluding myself and convincing myself I was destined to be alone until Olivette was older. Being with Allie tricked me into thinking I could have that kind of companionship sooner.
Then the rug was pulled out from under me.
Another knock on the door. “Mav? Are you up? It’s nearly nine. Breakfast is ready.”
I groaned and let my hand fall from my face to blink up at my bedroom ceiling. “I’ll be out in a minute,” I called to my grandmother.
I heard her weary sigh on the other side of the door. “It’d better be a minute. Your daughter is famished. You’d think we don’t feed her or something.” Her footsteps faded away down the hall, and I sat up, rubbed the sleep from my eyes, and swung my legs over the side of the bed.
I put on a pair of loose gray sweats and an old fire training T-shirt that was specifically designated for lazy Sunday mornings. Then I left my room, padded down the hall, and joined my family in the kitchen.
Olivette sat at the kitchen table and was dressed in her purple princess pajamas. Her hair was a wild mess from sleep, but she was bright-eyed and eager when she saw me. “Morning, Daddy.”
I paused behind her chair and kissed the top of her head. “Morning, kiddo. How was your night?”
“Good,” she chimed, wiggling her butt in eager anticipation as my grandmother set out the smorgasbord of food: scrambled eggs, toast, breakfast sausage, and homemade shredded hash browns. “What time did you get home? Did you have a cookie?”
I poured myself a cup of coffee from the pot. “I did have a cookie. Three, actually. They were very good.”
Olivette beamed.
I nodded down the hall. “Can you go wash up before breakfast?”
My daughter slid off her chair and beelined to the bathroom.
My grandmother took her seat across from me. There was a brief moment of quiet before she asked, “So? How was it?”
“Good.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You were home earlier than I expected.”
“Nana,” I scolded. Did she seriously stay up to see how late I stayed out?
She smiled. “I’d hoped you would have a late evening. You need it. And it’s a sign of things to come.”
“Yeah, well, I think I might have ruined it somewhere along the way.”
She shook her head. “You’re a smart man, Mav. If something is wrong and you like her, you’ll find a way to fix it. It’s as simple as that. Pass me the eggs, please.”
I passed her the plate of steaming hot eggs and solemnly watched her scoop it onto her plate. Olivette came back and took her seat, and I helped get her plate ready for her before seeing to my own. Then we all started eating.
“Have you heard anything else from Rinehart about the lieutenant job?” my grandmother asked, pausing to sip on her coffee.
“A little.”
She stared at me expectantly. “And?”
“And he said he’s drawing up an offer. He sent me an email yesterday. We have a meeting tomorrow afternoon. I’ll know more then.”
“If the offer is right, will you take it?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s not something I really want. I like my job now. I like the freedom and the responsibility level that comes with it. I guess it just doesn’t feel like the right time to pile more onto my plate.”
My grandmother made a sound in the back of her throat.
“What?” I asked skeptically.
She shrugged. “Nothing. It’s just that I doubt anyone ever feels like the time is right to add more to their plate. But you have to stop looking at it that way. It’s a growth opportunity. And change is a good thing. Take it from an old lady.”
“You’re not old, Nana,” Olivette chimed in.
My grandmother smiled sweetly at her granddaughter. “You’re right, sweetheart. Age is subjective anyway. Although,” she added, shooting me a sideways glance, “you could do with some extra money so that when the time comes, you can afford to put me in that nice old folks’ home on Kelly Avenue instead of Barrett’s Seniors’ Place.”
I stared blankly at her. “I’m not putting you in a home. Get that out of your head.”
“You say that now. But when I’m grumpy and senile, you might change your mind.”
“You’re already grumpy and senile,” I teased.
She swatted at me with her fork, and the three of us snorted with laughter. “Watch how you speak to the woman who feeds you, Mav. I have power in this house.”
I laughed. “What are you trying to say?”
She pushed her eggs around her plate as Olivette looked back and forth between us. “I’m saying you should apply for that job. You’re ready. I’m also saying I’m proud of you. Rinehart sees how valuable you are to his operation, and he wants to make sure he keeps you around. He’s no fool, Mav. He wants you for this job. Not one of the others. You.”
I hadn’t really considered it that way. I’d been so caught up in my timetable and what it would cost me to take the promotion as opposed to seeing the value in it—and the compliment, I supposed. She was right. Rinehart wouldn’t be fighting for me to take this if he didn’t think it was the right call.
Rinehart was a wise man. He didn’t make mistakes.
“I’m thinking about it,” I said evenly. “Seriously thinking about it.”
“That’s the best I can ask for.” My grandmother smiled. Then she looked at Olivette. “We’re proud of your father, aren’t we, sweetheart?”
Ignite The Spark Between Us: Searing Saviors #4 Page 12