Page 59 of Shot to the Hart

“Ko.” She won’t look me in the eyes now, dropping her gaze to the recently dropped off entrees. “Kodi, please look at me.”

Those green eyes meet mine and show me every emotion she’s experiencing. Fear. Love. Sadness. Hope.

“Baby, all we have to do is talk about what is and isn’t okay around Arabella. This isn’t going to change how I feel towards you.”

“And what is it that you feel towards me?”

“A deep and primal need to protect you and care for you. Adoration that makes my heart jump into hyperspeed.” Smiling at her, I drop my voice. “And I’ve never wanted to hear a woman scream my name every night this badly.” She reddens immediately and I laugh at how easily I can make her flustered.

“However, you screaming my name every night could be problematic,” I say, bringing us back on topic. “I have to be honest. I don’t know how all of this is supposed to work. I just want to make sure Bella doesn’t get confused and that if we don’t work out that she could maintain a relationship with you. She’s so attached to you, Kodi.”

“I know she is.” She sighs. “I don’t want her to be hurt or confused, but I’m also not confident she would completely understand what was happening between us. Aside from the factthat now we would be kissing. As for if we don’t work out, I may need a moment to collect myself, but I wouldn’t want to lose my place as Bella’s caregiver.” She’s picking at her food, this topic is clearly taking away her appetite.

“You say that, but you may change your mind if that time were to come.” I add, “Eat baby. You’re going to need the energy later.” She reddens again but begins truly eating her meal.

“Well, Mav, that would be a bridge we would have to cross when we came to it. This really isn’t a situation we can predict the outcome of or prepare for.” She’s right and so intuitive, it’s like she knew exactly where my thoughts were going before I did.

“You’re right. I just. . .I don’t know, I worry and I like to be in control.”

“I know you do, but there are some situations that are out of our control and this happens to be one of them. So, you have to decide if being in control is what you actually want.” She lets that settle in for a second before throwing a question my way.

“Will you take this leap of faith with me?” She reaches across the table and strokes my stubbled cheek, a soft expression on her face.

34

KODI

BOOP

“Absolutely I will.” Mav offers me a smile that almost knocks me out of my chair. This smile. This is the smile he usually reserves for Bella and now he’s offering it to me. My heart is going to explode. This sweet and kind man who was just supposed to be my boss, is giving me his heart too. I will protect and cherish it because he deserves that.

I love him. Not in the way that I loved Andy. No, this is soul deep, understanding and passionate love.

“Can I take you home now, baby?” he adds. I think he knows I was lost in my thoughts, and I wonder if he can feel them radiating off of me.

“Please do.”

Mav waves down our waitress, pays our bill and we rush to the car.

My palms are sweaty. My heart thrumming with anticipation. My core is already slickening at the thought of what's to come.

As soon as we get into the house, Mav corners me against the wall, pulling my jacket off, lips all over me. My lips, down my neck, over my bare shoulders. “Too many clothes,” he growls.

“Take them off then, Big Guy.” My pulse quickens and I’m sure he feels it where he's nipping and biting at me. In a move that takes my breath away, he throws me over his shoulder and jogs down the hallway to his bedroom where he gently sets me on my feet, removing my clothes and tossing them aside, along with his own.

“Lay down for me baby. Show me what’s mine.” Instead I drop to my knees in front of him looking up at him under my lashes before taking his hard length in my hand, gripping and stroking his cock.

“Kodi, baby you look so fucking hot on your knees for me.” That’s all the encouragement that I need, before parting my lips and flicking my tongue over the bead of precum on the head. Then sucking him into my mouth inch by inch until I meet resistance.

“Relax your throat baby, you can take it all.” Maverick groans, he wraps my hair around his hand and gently pushes my head further down his cock. I’m getting wetter by the second and my thighs are shifting, needing some sort of friction. “Darlin’, I’m going to fuck your throat. I want you to touch yourself but don’t you dare come. That’s for me.” Holy shit. This man. Gentle and kind, but here, in the bedroom, he’s dominant and his dirty talk has my pussy clenching. To let him know I heard him, I spread my legs further and slide one hand down to my wetness, pushing in and out a few times before beginning to circle my clit. Mav begins thrusting in and out of my mouth, hitting the back of my throat and staying there for a moment before picking up speed again. He’s groaning, his dick pulsing inside my mouth and right when I think he might come, he pulls out lifting me upoff the floor and pressing his lips to mine, taking control of our kiss and thrusting his tongue into my mouth.

“On the bed now.” I scramble to the bed, laying down and spreading myself open. “Dirty girl, sucking me off made you so wet, didn’t it?”

Now Mav is the one on his knees, he pushes my legs open wider and takes a few languid strokes at my pussy before focusing on my clit, switching between quick flicks and sucking.

“I need more, Mav.” He pushes one finger then another into me, pushing at a steady pace. I attempt to lift my hips to get him to move faster, but he pushes me back down to the bed and slows his pace.

“Ah, ah, I’m going to savor my dessert.” He blows air over my center, sending shivers down my spine before bringing his mouth down on me again.

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