Page 54 of Sirens
“Like right now?” he asked, a hint of humor lacing his words.
“Exactly,” she said, looking down at her hands.
She waited a beat, anticipating the subtle shift in his features that would telegraph jealousy. Disappointment. Uninterest.
When these failed to materialize, she continued. “It’s kind of like he’s got a timeshare in the part of my brain that’s determined not to let me enjoy any damn thing.”
McGarvey studied her for a long moment, expression calm and thoughtful. “If this is too soon?—”
“I… No. I mean, it’s not. Like, at all.” She made a vague gesture between them. “I just can’t seem to turn my brain off, you know?”
“I know.”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m basically ruining the entire mood.”
“Don’t apologize.” He cupped her face in his hands, tilting her chin up to meet his gaze. “Talk to me. Tell me what sort of bullshit the bastard’s saying.”
“You know what?” Maggie said, fixing what she hoped was a seductive smile on her face. “I’d much rather you drown him out.”
Hooking her ankles behind him, she pulled him closer.
Once again, Maggie felt herself melting, lost in the sweet press of his lips. She sighed into the kiss, warmth pooling low in her belly.
McGarvey’s hands skimmed up her sides, clever fingers finding the underside of her breasts. She arched into his touch with a gasp, desire flickering to life inside her.
You didn’t use to like it when I tried to tongue ya. Always bitching that you could still taste the pastrami I had for lunch, like you wasn’t the one who packed it for me.
“Fuck’s sake!” Maggie growled. Drawing back, she exhaled a hot, impatient sigh.
“Ready to talknow?” McGarvey asked, the self-destruction-worthy dimple flashing in his left cheek as he studied her face.
“I’m sorry,” she said again, then, remembering he’d already told her not to apologize, blundered ahead full speed. “You’ve been so patient with me, and I?—”
“We have all the time in the world,” he said. “We can take it as slow as we need to.”
He ducked his head, demonstrating by trailing kisses along her neck at a deliciously maddening pace. Maggie tipped her head back, eyes fluttering shut.
He dragged his lips to the sensitive spot just below her earlobe, flicking his tongue out to taste the hollow there. Shivers cascaded down her spine, and she grabbed his shoulders to steady herself, her breath hitching. He traced the curve of her hip before gently gripping the soft flesh.
Hips like that, at least a man will know you can cook.
The sound of her father’s voice drifted through her mind, as familiar as the cadence of her own heartbeat.
“Okay,” Maggie announced, sitting bolt upright, her eyes flying open. “Timeout.”
McGarvey paused, brows drawing together in concern. “What is it? Am I moving too fast?”
“No, not at all. I just…” She shook her head, fully aware of how batshit crazy she must look right now. “For the record, I was really hoping we could skip this whole part and start fresh tonight, but since I’ve got an entire choir of misogynistic assholes chirping like cracked-out crickets in my ear, I guess we’ve gotta go there.”
Hugging her trench tighter around her, Maggie crossed her ankles and took a deep breath.
“About you and Sheriff Forrester?—”
McGarvey nodded knowingly. “I thought it might have something to do with that.”
And a very particular something at that.
“Would you say she’s more your usual type?”
