Tugging at my romper, he whispers against my lips, “Now, let’s get you out of this damn thing.”
My heart rate skitters. My savage is back.
We kiss and grind together in the center of the bed until I’m so ready and turned on, I can barely breathe.
“I know you have a toy stash somewhere,” I murmur between kisses.
He meets my eyes with a heated look. “What makes you say that?”
“That toy you used on me . . .”
He smiles. “I only brought that home to test.”
That might be true, but I’m undeterred, “Come on, you own an adult store. Just tell me. I’ll find it.” I grin at him, giving him a sassy look.
“Over there, second drawer down.” He tips his chin toward his nightstand.
Pushing up on one elbow, I lean over the side of the bed to pull open the drawer. There are only two things inside—a bottle of lube, and a pair of fuzzy-lined handcuffs that seem more gag gift than anything. The store tag is still attached, which tells me these have never been put to use.
I grab the bottle that’s about half-full and hold it up. “Lube? Hmm. Do you use this when you jerk off?”
He quirks a brow at me. “Yes.”
My heart jumps. For some reason, the thought of Hayes with his fist around his cock, stroking himself in wet, jerky thrusts, is such a hot visual.
I flip open the cap and drizzle some of the unscented oil into my palm. When I wrap him in my fist, his wide chest stutters out an exhale.
“Fuck, Maren.” He’s so sexy like this, lying beside me, completely at my mercy. His voice is deep, barely more than a growl, when he says, “Tighter.”
I tighten my grip and work him over until he’s panting and groaning out deep, delicious sounds. His hands explore my body while I continue my sinful torture, slowly bringing him to the brink and back again.
When Hayes can’t take any more of my sweet torture, he moves on top of me. Covering my body with his, he thrusts forward, filling me with a powerful stroke.
Clutching him tightly, I say a silent prayer that whatever luck I’ve found to win him over never runs out. I’m falling hard and fast, and can’t imagine ever going back to being just friends with this incredible man.
19
HAYES
Things have been good lately. Too good, almost. It’s making me suspicious. Antsy. Like at any moment, everything could fall apart, just like that.
Maybe that’s why I’m so on edge these days. I keep finding myself flinching when someone opens a door too quickly, or when Wolfie calls my name from across the room. Even when I’m not with Maren, I can’t quite seem to relax. It’s really starting to mess with my head.
Don’t get me wrong—Maren is incredible. My little dove is as potent a sexpot as ever. I’m the one who can’t stop acting like a little kid who’s afraid of going to bed without the lights on.
That’s why I’ve decided to get away, just for the night. I packed up an overnight bag this morning and let Rosie know I was going to go check on the cabin. By sunset, it’ll be me, a six-pack, and a bonfire sitting lakeside at the cabin. I’m hoping some alone time will help clear my head.
The workday goes by like any other. Ever and Caleb schmooze a few customers while Wolfie and I go over the new product line in the back. He’s finally dropped the whole “how’d you test the new shit” act, thank God. I don’t know how much longer I could insist that I wasn’t fucking my grandma, without physically making myself sick.
You’d think I could have made up some kind of white lie or something to cover my tracks, but in my experience, any kind of deception, even something that seems small, will come back to bite you in the ass in the end. And I’m already in enough hot water with the Maren and Wolfie situation, I don’t want to make things even more complicated by throwing a fake, imaginary hookup into the mix.
“Hey, man, you good?” Wolfie asks when he catches me eyeing the clock for the twelfth time today.
“What, me? Yeah, no, I’m good, all good here, bro,” I stammer back. Smooth.
Wolfie gives me a disapproving look, but shrugs and doesn’t press it any further.
Still, I have to say something. I can’t just let it stay all weird like that.
“I mean, I’m just anxious to get out of here today, you know? Not that I don’t love this job. Just really itching for some me time, you feel me?”
Wolfie shakes his head and chuckles dryly. “Me time. Sure, man, whatever floats your boat. Just remember that you’ve already taken your product samples for this quarter. We do track that shit, you know.”
Fuck. Now Wolfie thinks I’m a grade-A perv. Whatever. Better than him knowing the truth, I guess.
“Ha-ha. Very funny.”
“No, but seriously, dude, if you need a break, you should have said something. Why don’t you skip out early?”
I stare at him in disbelief. Is this the Wolfie who started this company with me? The same Wolfie who created the schedule that gives me about three days off a year?
Then I glance at the clock. Four forty-five. All right, that makes more sense.
I slap a hand on his back. “Thanks, man. I appreciate your understanding.”
He nods and continues typing away, only half registering my gratitude. But that’s fine with me. Either way, I’m one step closer to my lake time and bonfire.
I spend the drive to the lake house going over all the possible scenarios of what might happen with Maren in my head. Historically, I’m not the kind of guy with the best track record.
Things just don’t work out well for me. Hell, that’s why I swore off women in the first place. And I can’t help but worry that
