Warmth filled his chest, flowed through his insides and thawed the ice in his veins. He fisted his palms and stared at his limbs. What the freak was happening to him? His chest suddenly felt weird. The thought of losing control of his emotions scared the hell out of him. He pressed his lips together and murmured.
“Drive me somewhere quiet.”
“The beach?” she asked without taking her eyes off the road.
“Yes.” He hung back his head and closed his eyes.
Chapter 6 – You Tell Me
Lola
A couple of hours later, Lola sat alongside Maxwell on one of the benches at Lekki Beach, in Victoria Island. The white sandy beach was a top favourite hangout spot for tourists and Lagosians alike. People bought snacks and cold drinks from the stalls around. She bought two bottled Fanta drinks and several meat pies for herself and Maxwell minutes ago.
Now she waited for him to say something about whatever it was that clearly had him torn in two. With Grandy and her kids, Maxwell was chatty, warm and he laughed a lot. But with her, he tended to be completely different. Moody almost. Distant.
The huge Atlantic waves hit the sandy shore with a heavy thud. White foam spread far and wide until it got swallowed up by the next wave. That was the normal rhythm. strong winds battered her hair, so she tied it up with a coloured ruffle she wore on her wrist.
“It’s windy,” she mumbled to draw him to talk.
Instead of saying something, he leaned forward, pressed his elbows on his knees and rested his chin on the back of his clasped fingers.
She took several bites from the meat pie and sipped from the bottled soft drink until she emptied it.
“Have you got parents, brothers, sisters?” The question slipped from her lips even though she knew she should have kept her mouth shut.
“I just want to listen to the waves hit the coastline,” he told her, his tone cold.
Irritated by his moodiness, she got to her feet and pressed down the hem of her dress. Having taken off her shoes in the car, she clutched the car key remote in one hand and trotted off in the opposite direction.
She needed to clear her own head.
Without asking him if she could leave his side, Lola jogged along the shoreline. Every now and then she dipped her feet into the ocean. When she was a far distance from Maxwell, she stopped to catch her breath. A part of her wanted to figure out the man who sat so still in the distance, she wondered if he was a statuette. Another part of her wanted nothing to do with him. Not because he scared her. It was to preserve her sanity.
The truth was she was afraid to confront the strong waves he stirred in the pit of her stomach. It was impossible to delete his face from her head, or thoughts. His deep voice breathed warmth in her ear even in his absence. Having him follow her inside her home today, share a meal and meet her kids finally broke down her walls.
Maxwell Legend had walked in to her world without permission. Then he had shut her out of his own life, thoughts and world. Yet, he had asked for her to work for him today and paid a premium to get what he wanted.
“Fine girl,” a lanky black guy teased from behind.
Lola whirled around and brushed away the hair strands whipping across her face. Frowning, she looked up at the man hitting on her.
“My boyfriend is over there.” She gestured in Maxwell’s direction even though he appeared more like a speck in the distance. Sometimes nefarious touts loitered around the beach and took delight in harassing female beach goers.
“Your boyfriend no get eyes, ehn? Why he allow fine girl like you to waka on the beach alone?” The guy bared cigarette-blackened crooked teeth.
“If he catch you dey chat with me, he no go like am,” she replied in pidgin English, backing away.
Single women walking along the beach were like magnets drawing restless men looking to hook up.
When the guy followed her at a slow pace, she broke into a backward jog to get away. Shortly after, firm hands broke her run from behind.
“Leave me alone!” she yelped, scared the guy had magically showed up behind her.
“Play along,” Maxwell murmured in her ear, sweeping her waist with both hands from behind.
Quick steam surged through her stomach, swirling between her thigh. She stiffened in his arms. Grateful for his intervention, she rested her head back on his hard chest and rolled her fingers around his arms.
The guy who hit on her ground to a halt, caught his finger between his teeth and waved.
Shocked by the intense tide flowing up to her cleavage, she clamped her fingers over Maxwell’s chunky biceps.
“Why did you run off on me?” Maxwell groaned at the side of her face.
“Take your hands off now. He’s gone.”
“Can we start over again, Lola? We got off on the wrong foot.”
His tender voice sharpened her awareness.
“Thank you for coming to my aid.” Her voice trembled a little.
He dropped his hands from her waist, crowing, “I saw you needed rescue. I was worried.”
Nodding, she turned around to face him. The loose sand under her feet prickled her skin, tickling her toes. She clenched her fists at her sides to stop from touching his creamy skin brightened with pink traces.
‘“What do you mean by ‘start over again’?’” Getting to know him was unlikely, considering how closed off he had been since their paths crossed.
Maxwell pushed his hands into his shorts pocket. “Have dinner with me tonight.”
Butterflies fluttered through her cleavage, so she stared into his eyes.
“Are you asking me out on a date?”
Hard blue pair gazed back at her, only this time, she saw a flicker of light scroll across.
“Yes. And I hope you’ll say yes.”
“I’m not sure I want to–” she started to decline.
He pulled out his hands and cupped them in front of him. “Listen, you’ve only seen one side of me. That’s not all there is to me. Let me show you my better side. At the party tonight, we can do whatever you want.”
Her stomach tightened with new sensations, and so did her chest. Her heart clicked so fast she drew in cleansing salty air through her mouth.
“Inviting me to dinner doesn’t make sense. You told Grandy you didn’t even like me.”
“I felt vulnerable.”
Lola arched her eyebrows in disbelief.
Maxwell grinned as he explained further. “Grandy put me on the spot and I’d not given it a thought at the time.”
“And now?” she quizzed.
“I need a friend.”
“Why me? Haven’t you got your own friends? We’re not from the same world. I’m a single mum with two young kids who need me every day of the year. You’re a party-loving, moody bachelor who has all the freedom in the world to come and go as he pleases.”
He shrugged. “None of that matters. I know you say what you feel and so do your family. That’s all I need. Honesty. To be around people who do and say what they think and feel. That’s precious.”
“I thought you felt offended most of the time.”
“Not at all. From the moment we met, I felt alive, challenged. You tell me hard truths. Lola Lawson, have pre-party dinner with me tonight.”
Although her boobs jumped up and down as heat blazed through her nipples, she moved away and strode toward the sea. She dipped her toes in the cool waters. A big wave rushed toward the shore. Scared of getting dragged out to sea, she dashed back, hoping to outrun the massive tide.
Maxwell popped up behind her, blocking her escape. He pushed her forward instead. Before she could scream in protest, foamy, salt water slammed against her hips. The current pushed hard, almost plucking her feet off the wet sand.
Frightened out of her wits, she squealed and clung to her rescuer. This was not a good way to die.
Panting, she grumbled. “Drowning isn’t part of God’s plan for my life!”
Maxwell chuckled in her ear, his breath ho
t and sweet against her skin.
Bashed by the angry tide, she curved her body and slipped her arms around his taut waist for support.
“Trust me. I won’t let you drown in this angry sea.” Chuckling in her ear, he brushed his nose along her elegant neck.
“I’d hope so. I’ve got dependents who need me to stay alive and to work to meet their needs.”
Another ocean tide hit hard. But the cold water did not cool her rising ardour.
His fingers fastened around her hips spreading flames through her inner thigh.
“At least not right now,” he teased. “Maybe after dinner I could let you get dragged out to sea.”
She pinned her head against his chest for support. “This isn’t funny, Maxwell.”
His tough tattooed arms held her firmly to his finely-chiselled body, so that her knees quaked a little. When the tide subsided, she peeked up at him because his body also vibrated against hers. She caught him grinning as his eyes sparkled with desire mixed with mischief.
Heat burned inside her cleavage. At last, Lola felt excited she had connected with him emotionally.
“I can’t even swim, Maxwell.” Admitting her number one insecurity to him came easy after that.
“If you let me, I’ll show you how to swim.”
Swaying in his arms with their clothes stuck against their skin, she listened to his heart hammer against his chest wall. His riveting laughter was louder than the sea clatter and, the wall around her heart shattered. The years of pain and rejection crumbled as his arms lingered around her hips. For the first time in forever, she felt secure and comfortable within a man’s grip.
How was that even possible? Maxwell was a foreigner passing through her life. He had no roots in Nigeria as far as she could tell, so she needed to guard her heart from falling for him.
Letting her hands fall aside, she stared at her dripping dress. “Do you have after-party plans?”
“First, we need to change out of our wet clothes. I’m going to book us into a hotel in the vicinity of the party venue.”
Shaking her head, she meandered out of the range of the next wave. He followed behind.
“Why?” she asked, her head whirring with chaos.
“You’ve got better plans? We’re already in Lekki. The party venue is a few miles from here. You’ve got a packed bag. I’ll get a hotel suite with two rooms and you can have your space to relax and freshen up for dinner. Happy?”
“Look Maxwell, I’ve got no time to play games with you. What do you want from me?”
Exhaling, he frisked his hands through his wind-blown medium-length hair.
“I’m trying to apologize to you for the way I’ve treated you in the past. Allow me, Lola.”
Because he stood very close, she inched her head back to gaze up at him.
“Simply say you are sorry. How hard is that?”
Around them people walked, laughed, talked and screamed at the sea waves. None of that exterior noise disturbed the electric tension steaming between Lola and her client. Their eyes searched each other’s faces for long minutes. Lola could have sworn Maxwell’s eyes warned her, she could not run from him even if she tried.
“I hate to apologize.” He did not blink as he said it.
“You’re arrogant and rude, Maxwell. I can’t–”
“Let me finish,” he insisted, stepping closer, wiping away any gap between their skin, until she could not breathe.
His torso brushed her cleavage. It was a scanty caress but it sent shockwaves crashing against her nipples and it filled her boobs with tender strips of desire. Her hands itched to caress his face. The air in her lungs thickened, almost suffocating her, so she had to swallow the lump in her throat. All she had to do was move back. But her feet sunk deeper into the wet sand, cutting off her escape.
“I prefer to show you how sorry I am.”
The next thing, she saw his head sink lower. She wanted to scream, no, but the word got lost somehow, because she stood there with her heart clamouring for him to kiss her lips. He stared into her eyes, asking if he should kiss her. She said nothing, until his lips slammed against hers.
Fireworks exploded inside her mouth.
Thunder struck her chest and she gasped.
His lips scoured her parted mouth in a tender yet firm cuddle.
Her cleavage expanded and shrunk at once as heated air ballooned through her insides.
Maxwell palmed her neck and his other hand slinked around her upper back. He pushed her forward so gently, she did not feel herself move at all. His mouth did wonderful things to her lips. She pushed her hands along his hips and pressed them against his toned skin. He felt good, strong. Every muscle in his body stretched against her palms. She caught his top lip with her teeth. They caressed each other’s lips while standing on Lekki Beach in the middle of the day.
Nothing else mattered.
No one else mattered.
The harsh words they had exchanged since they met dissolved in the next ocean surge.
Lola felt her legs almost buckle. But his hands drew her hips closer to his thigh. She sucked his bottom lip and threw her tongue around the inside corner of his mouth. Maxwell groaned and slung the tip of his tongue across the roof of her mouth. She shivered against him moaning out his name.
“M-max-wel-l...”
When he lifted his head a while later, her pulse still raced. She could not avert her gaze.
“That’s my apology,” he told her with a crooked grin. “Do you forgive me?” His eyes shone a vivid blue shade that exposed his vulnerability.
Not sure if her voice would sound clear, she nodded. She felt faint. Not for one moment had she thought he found her attractive. Yet his kiss had a fire that burned to her soul. Desire sparkled in his eyes.
“Say it,” he insisted, stroking her swollen bottom lip with his thumb. “You’re a vocal woman.”
Swallowing quickly, she spoke up. “I accept your apology. I can’t believe we just shared a hot kiss.”
His thumb teased the skin under her lip.
“It was unexpected but it had to happen. Mind you, it was not just any kiss. Did you enjoy it?”
With her breathing still shaky, she let out a long sigh. “Yeah, but I’m still dazed.”
His grin widened as he pulled her into a tight hug. She pressed her head against his welcoming chest and pinioned his waist with her arms.
“Right now, I feel overwhelmed, Lola. My heart is freaking out. What I feel for you scares me.”
“Like you’re drowning?” Before now, she had not found the exact words to describe how Maxwell made her feel.
“Yes, and flying and, crashing from the sky all at once.”
She breathed out from her mouth. “It feels good to be able to explain it and share it with you. We met eight days ago, so how can we feel so strongly about each other when we’ve been fighting the whole time?”
“It’s strange. But your family made it easier for me. Also, I kept coming back because I cared and I couldn’t get you out of my mind. Believe me, I tried.”
Tilting her head back, she pouted.
“I would’ve expected my nosy kids and my crabby grandaunt to scare you.”
“Not in the least. They made you even more attractive. You’re an amazing woman.”
He bowed and kissed her forehead. She closed her eyes and allowed the wild emotion claiming her inside to take over. As reality sunk in, she asked out loud.
“Do you know what this means?”
“No. You tell me.”
Cupping her face, Maxwell pressed his lips to her eyes and nose.
“This is new, so I don’t know for sure. But we’ve got to keep this from my kids and Grandy. They’ll ask countless questions. I’m not up for that yet.”
“Whatever you want. Should we get a move on?” His question came moments later.
“Yeah. I know nothing about you, Maxwell.”
“Dinner is a good time to start to correct that.”
&nb
sp; He linked his fingers with hers as they walked along the beach toward the parked car.
Within a few hours, things had changed between them. She was happy, but also realistic enough to know not to get too carried away. Too many things could go wrong.
“Was that the best kiss you’ve ever had?” He gave her a sidelong glance while he swung her hand.
Her breath caught in her throat. “By far the best.”
Chuckling, he squeezed her hands. “Me too.”
Whoa! Razor sharp heat flowed up her left hand linked with his own.
Already too fine-looking and sexy for his own good, now, Maxwell Legend had her crushing on him like a silly little girl.
Chapter 7 – The Lies We Tell
Maxwell
“Wow!” Maxwell muttered under his breath.
He had just seen Lola pause at the entrance door of the hotel restaurant, clutching a glittering gold purse in both hands.
“Damn! Lola looks like a hot movie star,” he murmured to himself, licking his lips.
His heart raced for miles. His tongue went dry.
Each step Lola took toward him made his belly muscles tense, heightening his awareness. Where did these strong feelings come from? When she reached the table, he got on his feet and pulled out her seat. Before anything else, he marinated her glossy lips with his own because he could not resist her allure. Sliding one hand to cuddle his face, she kissed him.
“In this gold and black dress, you look like a sexy movie super star!” he said, clipping her waist with both hands. “Lola Lawson, you’ve made quite an impression on me tonight.”
Pulling in a long breath, he indulged his senses as her fresh rose fragrance tantalized his nostrils.
Blinking rapidly, she smiled up at him. Because she wore a pair of gold high-heeled shoes she did not have to arch her head far back.
“That’s a nice thing to say. Thank you. Honestly, you’re a big catch to me in your black suit and white shirt, no tie.” Giggling, she inhaled noisily. “And you smell so sexy and intoxicating.”
He grinned. “Thank you. But you’re rocking gorgeous! And I was going to say you’ve sent a cloud of chest-spinning scent up my nose.”
Irresistible Driver ~ A BWWM Sexy Romance Page 7