Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23483 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 117(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 78(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23483 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 117(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 78(@300wpm)
She lets out a little pant, and when her lips part, I press my mouth to hers. I wanted a kiss. I just wanted to know what it was like to have my lips on hers, but I wasn’t prepared for the way my whole body reacts. I pull her up against me, and even though I’m so much taller than her, she fits against me perfectly. She arches her back as she loops her arms around my neck. I tilt her head, giving me better access as I deepen the kiss. Her mouth opens under mine, and I stroke my tongue along hers.
She whimpers, and I end the kiss with a groan.
Her eyes are closed, and when she opens them, she stares at me in awe. She reaches up and touches her swollen lips. “Legend.”
I pull her hand down and wipe my thumb along her lip. “Maya.”
She smiles. “I’m sorry for insinuating that—well, you know—in front of that woman in there. I wasn’t thinking.”
“I don’t care what she thinks about me, honey. You didn’t have to defend me.”
She opens her mouth but then closes it quickly. “Okay.”
I put my hand at the base of her neck and squeeze her softly. Fuck, I’d give anything to be inside her right now. It’s like my world is off kilter, and the only thing that would fix it is if she was mine. “Just so you know… I could give you an orgasm, Maya.”
Her mouth drops, and her eyes fill with desire. I lean in and kiss her again and then let her go. I’m supposed to be protecting her, and I’m letting her stand in the parking lot, making her an easy target.
I hold on to the car door. “Get in.”
She doesn’t budge. “But—”
I cut her off as I look around the empty parking lot. “I’m supposed to be protecting you, Maya. Not mauling you in parking lots. Get in the car.”
Her eyebrows lift, and I know she hates it when I tell her what to do, but to my surprise, she sits down in the car. I shut the door and then walk around to the driver’s side, ignoring the pain of my erection stuffed in my jeans. Fuck, I deserve it. What was I thinking?
I pull out of the lot. “Now where?”
She’s looking out the window, her purchases held in her lap. “Grocery store and home.”
“Want to go to the store in Jasper or Whiskey Run?”
She shrugs, still not looking at me. “Whiskey Run is fine.”
I drive us back to the small town, and the whole way, I try to figure out what I need to do to make this right. I shouldn’t have kissed her. I shouldn’t have touched her until I knew she was safe. Now it’s like I pressured her or something, but she was rambling on and on, looking so cute and worried about my reputation I couldn’t resist her.
It takes me the whole ride into Whiskey Run to muster up the nerve to apologize when it’s the last thing I want to do. I loved the kiss we shared, and I want more of them, but that doesn’t mean I should just take what I want. As we pull into the parking lot of the grocery store, I force the words out of my mouth. “I’m sorry, Maya.”
She shrugs and is silent but finally looks at me. “Sorry for what, exactly?”
I grit my teeth. “For kissing you. It wasn’t the right place or the right time, and I shouldn’t—”
She interrupts me by putting her hand up. “Forget it. It’s forgotten.”
Without another word, she gets out of the car and walks swiftly to the entrance of the store. I follow behind her, knowing I fucked up.
10
MAYA
All that keeps running through my head is that I had the best kiss of my life and Legend regrets it. Not just regrets it but insisted on apologizing for it.
“You doing okay?”
“Fine,” I mutter.
He comes to stand next to my desk in the living room. I should have worked in my office, but dummy me wanted to work out here just so I could be closer to Legend. It’s like I’m a glutton for punishment.
“Fine,” he repeats. “You were fine at the store last night, fine at dinner, fine at breakfast, and fine all day. That’s a lot of fines.”
I shrug and act like I’m concentrating on the screen in front of me. I’ve read the same words all day and haven’t made any changes. If I wasn’t so mad at Legend, I’d ask him for more help, but there’s no way I can now. He pulls a chair up next to my desk and clears his throat. “So, uh, how was your purchase?”
He’s looking at me wide-eyed, and my mouth drops. No, he did not just ask me that. “Fine,” I tell him.