Unable to help herself, she moaned and clutched his shirt, more than aware of the firm muscles beneath it. Her breasts tingled and her entire body ached for more of his touch. Any minute now and she expected to feel those large hands on her breasts, moving slowly down her belly to her jeans and below…
He pulled back, breathing hard. His eyes had gone beyond smoky to thunderous slits of slate gray. “That’s how you end a date.”
He moved like lightning, one minute so close to her they shared breaths, the next out of the truck and pulling her with him. He left her at her front door. “Lock up this time, okay?” He stood there, waiting.
With a shaky hand, she found her key and let herself inside, locking up behind her. Moments later she heard the rumble of his truck leaving. Then she stumbled to her couch and melted into it, wondering what the hell had just happened.
She wiped her mouth but couldn’t take the taste of Dex from her lips. She didn’t understand how she’d gone from enjoying dinner with him, arguing, talking, laughing, to discussing his extortion of her in the truck. Instead of becoming angry, she’d been confused and aroused and let him tug her into the best kiss she’d had in… Hell,ever.
Even worse, after kissing her senseless he’d dumped her at her front door with a smile, leaving her frustrated and needy. He’d been totally in control while she trembled and moved in a fog.
“Jesus, the man can kiss.” And she had nine more dates with him, nine more times to be tempted to jump him, lose face, and become another notch on his belt. How the hell would that end her fixation—need for closure—with the man?
Maya had trouble sleeping. She knew she needed to come up with a better plan for dealing with Dex, yet she couldn’t think of one.Shecouldn’t, but she had a feeling Riley or Ann might be able to help.
Saturday morning, she called for reinforcements. They met for lunch at Riley’s place. Maya would have preferred breakfast, but Ann would need time to break away from Jack. The lucky girl was still hot and heavy with the guy she loved. Maya wasn’t totally heartless. She’d let Jack have Ann for the morning.
Sitting with Riley in the kitchen and helping her best friend fix sandwiches, she asked what she’d been dying to know. “So how are things with Anson?”
Riley frowned. Frowning, laughing, or crying, Riley Hewitt was still the most beautiful woman Maya had ever seen. Far from being a bitch about it, Riley acted as if she had no clue how people reacted to her. With cocoa brown skin, hazel eyes, and thick brown hair she normally wore in a ponytail, the woman always looked as if she’d just stepped off a magazine cover.
Yet Riley acted baffled when complimented on her looks. Maya often wondered how she could be so clueless.
When Riley continued to frown and started to pound the cookie dough she’d been playing with, Maya sighed. “Hello? Earth to Riley. Stop daydreaming about Anson and tell me what’s going on.”
“Daydreaming? Yeah, right.” Riley glared at the cookie dough and started rolling small balls onto a baking sheet. “That bastard is on my last friggin’ nerve. Do you know he had the audacity to send his guys over to my place to eat?”
“Um, you own a bakery. That’s why people come by, right?”
“Don’t be deliberately dense. Anson is renovating right next door, creating a restaurant that will take away from my business. And he has the nerve to send those men helping to run me out of business by for cupcakes!”
Maya shrugged. “So don’t serve them.”
“I can’t do that.” Riley looked aghast. “They’re paying customers. Some of them are pretty nice guys. It’s not their fault they work for a jerk.”
“I don’t understand you.”
“I thought I was pretty clear.”
Maya rolled her eyes. “For someone so smart and successful, you’re kind of stupid.”
“Said the pot to the kettle,” Riley grumbled and finished with the cookies. She put the tray in the oven and stared at the sandwiches Maya had been making. “What exactly are you doing to my ham and cheese?”
“What you told me to do.”
Riley took the food away from Maya and redid the sandwiches, adding mustard, some cranberry chutney and avocado.
Maya’s mouth watered. “I’msohungry.”
“We’re waiting for Ann.”
“Oh, come on. She’s busy getting busy with Jack. Ha. Busy getting busy. Get it?”
Riley gave a half grin. “I’ll tell her you said that.”
“Good. And while you’re at it, explain to her how you and Anson are competing with each other, because I don’t get it. I mean, I know you guys have been rivals since that science fair—when was that?”
“Third grade,” Riley muttered.
