Page 60 of Unexpected Trouble

“Yeah, speaking of that. What was in the box?”

Greg glanced back over his shoulder and didn’t answer until we were outside. “A dead rat.”

“What?”

“Maggie, someone sent you a rat. Who else did you piss off?”

“No one!” I snapped as I crossed my arms over my chest. “I swear, I have no idea who would send me a rat.”

He pursed his lips and then glanced down at my feet. Before I knew what he was doing, he bent down and scooped me up and over his shoulder.

“What the hell are you doing? Put me down, Greg!”

“I don’t want you to cut your feet,” he said as he started for the parking lot. His hand slapped against my backside.

“Ouch! Why did you just smack me?”

“Because you, Maggie Valor, are a lot of trouble, and you deserve a few spankings.”

“I do not!” I hissed at him, and he swatted my ass again. “Damn it, Greg! Do not spank me again! Do you hear me?”

He laughed. I felt it radiate from his shoulder into my belly, and it slithered deep into my body, making parts of me unwantedly clench. Okay, so maybe not so unwantedly.

Chapter Twenty-One

Gregory

That woman was going to be the death of me. Why didn’t she tell anyone about this earlier? More importantly, why didn’t she just walk away from it in the first place? I knew that answer; Maggie couldn’t help herself.

I hadn’t seen this woman in nineteen years, but she hadn’t changed one damn bit. She was as headstrong as ever, putting her nose where it didn’t belong. She used to joke when we were younger that she had a nose for news, but I told her she had a nose for trouble.

I honestly didn’t know whether to laugh at her or put her over my knee and spank her. As I took her out to my truck, I didn’t have her over my knee, but my shoulder. I took advantage of the position to give her two swift smacks on the ass.

I knew if I could see her face, it would be beet red, and her eyes would be bulging with indignation. I carried her to the truck, unlocked it, and then began to lower her to the ground. Only as I put her feet down, her sinfully sweet body slipped over mine. My hands, which had been guiding her hips, pulled her closer to me. I should have been pushing her away—I knew it, knew I was asking for trouble—trouble that only Maggie could give me. Maggie’s eyes went wide, but not because she was angry, no. I saw passion sparkling within them; my eyes locked on her parted lips.

She squeezed my biceps as she leaned forward, our lips only a few millimeters apart, so close that I could taste her breath. “Maggie.” Her name fell off my tongue, just a heartbeat before my mouth was on hers. I pressed her back against my truck and plastered her body against mine. We kissed each other like we were drowning, as if we’d only find salvation in the other. The frustration of watching her move all day, or her determination, her grit inflamed me, and I was ready to tear her clothes from her body right here in the parking lot.

Someone laughed behind us. “Get a room before we need to arrest you two for public indecency.” I pulled away from the kiss and turned to see two cops walking toward a patrol car, smirking our way.

“Get in the truck,” I said to Maggie softly as I glanced down at her. Her lips were slightly red, her eyes glazed. “Let’s get you home.”

She nodded and climbed in without another word. We were almost home when she finally spoke.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For being here for Mom and me.”

“You’re welcome, Maggie. But I have a question for you.”

She stared at my profile, and I peered at her momentarily. “Who got you out of trouble when I wasn’t around?”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ll have you know that I didn’t get in any trouble when you weren’t around.”

“So you saved this shit specifically for me? Isn’t that sweet of you.”

“Greg, I didn’t do this on purpose. You know that, right? I admit that I went a little off the rails by taking the car keys out of the ignition, but I swear that is not my norm.”

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