Page 35 of Inevitable Love
“Great. That looks like ass,” she deadpans.
“Well, you can’t come in here, thrusting your tits in my face, and expect me not to be enthralled.”
She rolls her eyes. “I stretched. I did not thrust my tits in your face.”
I pin her with a scowl. “You breathe, and I notice. Now go away and let me finish my job in peace.”
She retreats with her hands raised in surrender. I make quick work of finishing the second coat, and Maggie has cleaned up all the other supplies by the time I’m done.
“No wonder we almost ran out of paint. You’ve got more on your person than on the walls,” I jibe as I throw away my disposable supplies and shoo her away while I clean the roller and pan.
“Well, I got the job done. And it looks fabulous. Bonus, we finished early enough that I’ll still be able to get a couple hours of sleep before I have to be back in the morning.” She hugs me from behind. “Thanks for helping, Jax. I don’t know if you know how much I appreciate you.”
I squeeze her arms with my elbows to keep her from letting go.
“Anytime, sunshine.”
I follow her home, only staring at her ass once as she walks up her front steps and lets herself in. I hate like fuck that she’s drawn the line. My body has been uber aware of hers all day. There’s only one thing that’s going to quell this tension I’ve been fighting. Well, three things—a hot shower, a hand job, and a nap.
But not even ten minutes later, my cell phone rings as I pull up to my place.
“Maggie?”
“I’ve got a problem. Apparently, there’s a water main busted, and I’ve got no water. Normally, it wouldn’t bother me, but, well, you saw me. Can I come use your shower?”
She can come use more than my shower.
A million different responses threaten to pop out, but I go for safety. No sense in driving myself insane. “Yep, you know where the key is.”
And maybe if I hurry, I can check off at least one of the items on my to-do list before she gets here.
The back door opens as I close the fridge. I managed to squeeze a shower and the world’s fastest orgasm into the few minutes I had to spare, then threw on a pair of old sweats, foregoing a shirt, and am now making a much-needed snack.
I need fortification if I’m going to survive knowing she’ll be naked under my roof and not take any action on it.
“Towel’s waiting for you. Help yourself to whatever else you need,” I say by way of greeting. She’s been here before and knows her way around. She mutters her thanks and passes through my apartment. I haven’t done much with theplace because it’s temporary, but having Maggie here tonight feels different, and I’m avoiding thinking about why it seems to matter now.
And then the shower squeaks on.
I turn on some music to drown out the noise and think about the wreck we ran before the shift ended this morning to keep myself from doing something stupid. It doesn’t help. I keep imagining her lathered up and soaking wet, trails of suds sliding down her perfect, slick skin.
When she returns, I’m camped on my couch with a pillow in my lap like a fucking teenager. She plops down beside me, the shitty couch pitching her into me.
“Whatcha watching?”
I flip a channel. “Nothing.”
The scent of my soap on her skin fucks with my brain. I want to rip off the oversized shirt she’s wearing and explore every inch of her with my mouth.
She plucks a strawberry from the bowl I have propped on the pillow. “Wanna watch a movie?”
“Why’d you really change the color of your shop?” The question lands between us out of nowhere, but it’s been bothering me since she mentioned the project, and if we’re not going to be exploring each other’s bodies, then I want to know more of her mind.
The strawberry pauses at her lips. “I told you. I wanted to look more professional.”
It might be a partial truth, but it’s not the real reason. My Mags hasn’t been the definition of a stuffy professional, ever. “I mean, it looks nice. And I’m glad you stuck with your colors and didn’t fold and do something like the rest of the shops on Main. They’re nice enough, but they all look the same. Yours stands out.” Just like she does. I snag a berry to keep from saying it out loud.
She bites a dainty piece from the strawberry and studies the other half of the fruit in her hand. Even the way she eats is sexy tonight. God, I’m so fucked when it comes to this woman. She’s like the forbidden fruit, and just knowing I can’t have her makes me want her all the more.
