Page 5 of Wild Curves
“Umm,” she squeaks. “I was just having a look.”
She leans down to get her phone at the same time as I do. I beat her to it and straighten up while holding the phone. With a few quick swipes, I’ve deleted the dating app.
“Hey, what are you doing?”
Her forehead puckers, and her eyes flare. No one likes their phone being fucked with, but if Maggie’s going to date anyone, it’s going to be me.
I’ve been patient because she’s so shy, but I realize my mistake. She doesn’t need to look for a man when she’s got me right here.
“Too dangerous. You get all sorts of weirdos on those apps.”
She glares at me as I hand the phone back. The shy girl has a fiery side, and it looks like I’ve poked the mouse.
“I made you a hot chocolate.”
The glare softens but only slightly. I’ve never seen Maggie cross before, and my dick twitches at the sight of her puckered eyebrows. I’ll unpack that later.
Without being invited, I slide into the chair opposite hers.
Maggie doesn’t strike me as the kind of girl to go out looking for a man. Kendra told me about the night they went out to a bar and how Maggie politely refused two drinks from strangers. Good girl. I made Kendra promise if they went out again to let me know, so I can make sure I’m there to watch over her. A sweet girl like Maggie has no business in a bar like the one in Wild.
Her cheeks are flushed a delicate pink that sets off the color of her plump lips.
She sips the hot chocolate, and a moustache of creams settles on her lower lip. Her tongue flicks out to swipe at the corners, and I have to stop myself from jumping across the table and licking the cream right out of her mouth.
“Why are you looking for a date?” It comes out as a growl that makes her eyes widen. It’s a personal question, but I’ve got to know. If she’s lonely, I’ll take her out.
Maggie looks at me for a long while, her chestnut eyes seeming to access me.
She gives a long sigh and looks down at the table. “It’s my mom.”
I’ve noticed Maggie on the phone with her mom before, usually wincing with one hand pressed to her forehead.
“She’s coming to visit this weekend.”
“And you’re looking to get yourself murdered before then so you don’t have to see her?”
I say it as a joke, but I’m still pissed that she would risk her safety with someone she met online.
Maggie shakes her head slowly. “I wish it was that easy.”
Her hands go to her face, and she groans. I wait for her to speak. In the three months since I’ve known Maggie, I’ve learned to talk less and listen more, which is hard for someone like me who likes to talk a lot.
“My mom’s always hassling me for not having a boyfriend. So I kind of told her I had one.”
She peers at me through the gaps in her fingers, waiting for my reaction.
A laugh bubbles up inside me as relief cools my bones.
“You’re looking for an instant boyfriend?”
She cringes. “I know. I shouldn’t have lied, but I didn’t think they were going to come to check him out.”
I laugh even more. She’s distressed by the situation, but she’s laughing too.
“And he has to have a beard and look like a murderer?”
“Murderer look is optional, but yeah. I might have said he has a beard.”
