Marie Harte - Working Out

“You weigh a lot more than you look.” He laughed at her, then sat with her on the loveseat before dumping her next to him.

When she scrambled to back away and off the loveseat, he took her foot in his hand. “Uh uh. Sit. Stay.”

“I’m not a damn dog,” she snapped.

“You know, you saying that just makes me want to collar you.”

She froze. Collar? Had he looked through her private journals?

“I was just kidding, Maggie.” Mac chuckled. “I can just imagine a collar and leash on you. Kinky, but I doubt you’d go for that.” He winked at her.

If the man only knew how often she’d imagined being dominated.

“Look, I just want to talk,” he continued.

“Yeah, right.”

He squeezed her foot, and to her surprise, it felt good. “Do that again.”

“If I rub your feet, will you shut up and listen?”

She moaned when he started massaging her arches. “Man, that’s good. Okay, you can talk.”

He coughed and shifted under her. “Much as I look forward to you making those sounds when I’m coming inside you, I kind of wanted to say something first.”

She jerked her foot back. “ What? ”

He pulled it back. Then he rubbed her toes and she forgot to be angry. “Talk, Jameson.”

“No. Mac. Say, talk, Mac .”

“Keep rubbing my feet and I’ll call you whatever you like.”

He chuckled. “Good to know.” He soothed her tired pads and hit her heels hard. The man was a wonder. “Look. This is awkward. You work for me. Only because you want to, I know. We’ve known each other for months. Your best friend is dating my best friend, and you’re probably freaked out that if you fall in love with me, you’ll make things awkward when we get together for parties and shit.”

“Excuse me?”

“I want you. You want me. We’re two attractive people. Why shouldn’t we hit it?”

She wanted to laugh. This was the Mac she knew. Honest. Sometimes to a fault. It made her feel better that he didn’t try to soften her up or seduce her with lies. “Everything you said makes sense. If we did go out and it turned sour, maybe because you fell in love with me , and I left your sorry ass behind, it would make it tough to hang out with Shane and Shelby. Though we don’t do that much with them together as it is.”

“Only because you go out of your way to avoid me.”

There was that. “I’m busy. I’m working two jobs, you know.”

“I don’t know. You never talk to me. Tell me about your art stuff.”

She took a hard look at him. He seemed so earnest. “Why?”

“Because I’d like to know more than that I’m fucking the hot blond from the gym. I want a date, Maggie. Wherever we go from there will be up to you.”

Astonished, she sat up straighter. “Hold on. You think you can get me into bed after one date?”

He grinned. “Honey, I could have your ankles on my shoulders in about three seconds if I tried. Let’s not embarrass you. I’m a sexy guy. I know it, you know it. I’m trying to be a gentleman.”

“You aren’t serious?” She drew her foot back, aware he let her. “Think pretty highly of yourself, don’t you?” Yet that was part of his charm. Mac was handsome, and he knew it. He treated all women with politeness and charm—except for her, it seemed. Those lucky few who received his special attention had nothing but good things to say about him.

“Think?” Mac snorted. “I know I’m damn good. Let me show you what you’ve been missing.”

And then the conceited hunk did what she’d been dreaming about for months.

He kissed her.

Maggie didn’t have time to catch her breath before Mac was on top of her, pressing her down into the cushions. He caged her with his strong arms, but he also put space between their bodies, bearing down with his mouth more than his frame.

She wasn’t penned in. If she wanted to break the kiss, she could. Not that she wanted to. Maggie concentrated on the drugging warmth of his mouth.

He tasted sweet, as if he’d had something minty. His mouth was firm, his tongue bold. Mac didn’t ask, he took. The kiss had her losing her will to resist in seconds. And the bastard no doubt knew it.

This was what she’d feared. Their instant, physical attraction couldn’t be denied, not after this. She’d never been so in tune with a man, or so in lust. He moaned and deepened the kiss while keeping himself apart, not touching her with anything more than his mouth.

Unable to resist, she reached up and pulled him down, wanting to feel him on top of her. She ran her hands over his thick neck and dense chest. All that muscle, so strong. And all hers.

“Fuck, yeah. Touch me,” he whispered as he kissed his way down her jaw to her throat. He nipped under her ear while she eased her hands under his Henley shirt. The feel of his corded abs contracting under her fingers intrigued her. Mac might be king of the mountain, but she had queenly skills. She pinched his nipples and scratched her nails over his chest.

His immediate reaction gratified. He let out a curse and slammed his mouth on hers again. Eating her up, sucking her desire to the forefront until nothing mattered but getting him inside her.

And then he stopped. Stone cold still.

He rested his forehead against hers, breathing hard.

“Mac?”

“Shh. Hold on.” He took big gulping breaths. “I’m two seconds away from fucking you raw. And I told you. I want a date first.”

She tried to make sense of him. “So you don’t want to have sex.” Had she ever been turned down at this stage of play? A few old boyfriends had used her to get off. But they’d rejected her after the fact. Never in the middle of having sex.

“What? No. Yes.” He swore again and lifted his head to stare down at her. “Your eyes are so damn pretty.” His gaze lowered to her mouth. “You have no idea how badly I want to see you swallow my cock. I want to shove hard up that pussy and come deep inside you.”

Oh man. Now they were talking.

“But I want that date first.”

She didn’t get it.

“Oh hell. I’m screwing this up.” He sat back, leaving her aching and tired and frustrated. “I want you. But I don’t want to just fuck and fly. I want us to get to know each other better.”

“You do?”

“I like you, okay?” he snapped. Then his gaze caught on her mouth again. “ Hell. ” He kissed her and didn’t stop there. No longer content to just touch her with his mouth, he put those big hands everywhere. Her shoulders, her arms, her breasts. He seemed fascinated with her chest as he kissed her.

Before she knew it, he had her straddling him on the loveseat while he kissed and fondled her into near-orgasm.

“I want to see you come,” he growled as he nipped his way down her throat. He lifted her ratty sweatshirt and sucked her nipples right through her bra. At the same time, he shoved his hand under the waist of her panties, seeking the heat of her. His fingers slid over her slick clit and continued into her pussy. “You’re so wet. So tight.” He groaned and kissed her.

Maggie didn’t know what to think. One minute she’d been having near sex, then he pulled back. Now he was sticking his fingers inside her and bringing her quickly to climax.

He shoved his tongue in her mouth and echoed the penetration with his fingers. Hard and fast, he plunged them inside her while grazing her taut clit. Then he broke the kiss to nip her neck and shoved his fingers deeper.

Between one breath and the next, she exploded.

“Yeah, give it to me,” she dimly heard him say as she clenched around him.

God, it had been so long, and it had never, ever , been like this. He felt so good. Hard and tough beneath her. He resumed kissing her neck then found her mouth again.