Marie Harte - Working Out

She kissed him back, thanking him without words.

When he withdrew his fingers, she felt the loss. And she realized the full import of what she’d just done and with whom. Notch number three hundred and four on Mac’s bedpost. Damn it.

“You came hard for me.” His satisfaction was hard to miss, as was the bulge still solid beneath his jeans. “Now we’re going to have our date.”

“Tonight?” she asked stupidly. He’d had her. Kind of. What was his fixation on a date? Or was that some kind of code for convincing her to get him off?

“Not tonight. You had a long day. You’re tired.” He kissed her, and she felt exhausted all of a sudden.

“But you didn’t…”

“Nope. I’m saving that for you.”

“I didn’t agree to have sex with you.” She felt like an idiot for saying that considering he’d just fingered her to orgasm. But still, his arrogance grated.

Especially when he raised a brow and just looked at her.

“You shouldn’t assume,” she persisted.

He smiled, and the approval in his gaze warmed her. “That’s why I like you. Even when you look so soft and tired, you’re a ball buster.” He fitted her limp hand over his crotch, where she felt a very large, solid erection. “You’re going to take care of this for me at some point.”

“After our date,” she said and squeezed him. “ If we have one.”

He closed his eyes, as if in pain. When he opened them, the need blazing there stole her breath. “After our date.”

She fought for control of herself and sat up straight, still straddling him. She removed her hand and righted her clothing, all while the powerful male remained tense under her. “If it will get you to stop begging,” she said with a sigh, “I guess I’ll agree to go out with you. Pathetic, Jameson.”

He grinned, but the mean glint in his eye told her not to underestimate him. The man turned her on without even trying. So unfair. “You know I’m going to make you pay for that.”

“You can try.” She blew him a kiss. “But after tonight, it’s going to be hell for you, thinking that you had those fingers inside me. Every time you see me, you’ll know what it was like to suck my nipple and kiss my mouth.” Yes! Finally, sexy Maggie came to the fore with a man. Not shy, submissive, doormat Maggie.

His chest heaved with her every word. “You’re a cruel woman. I really, really like that.” He kissed her hard on the mouth and pulled her hips close to grind over his arousal. “I can’t wait for our date.” He set her aside and stood, then pulled her to her feet. “Walk me out.”

“Quit bossing me around.” She never would have imagined she’d like this side of Mac. She still didn’t understand why he’d let her come but hadn’t gotten off. Or why he persisted in this date nonsense. “You do realize we’ll never be a couple, right? We should just have sex and end this before it gets started.”

He paused at her front door. “Oh?”

“You’re Mr. Macho. I’m a strong, independent woman. You have money. Yeah, I’ve seen your car. Don’t pretend. I’m the starving artist type. You also can’t commit to women, and despite what tonight might have been about, I’m not into one night stands.”

“I know.” He brushed her hair back from her face. So gentle, those hands that only a week ago had been wrapped around a man’s throat. “I also know you’re going through a dry spell. I’m happy to help you through it.”

“A— what ?” Had Shelby told him about her new celibate lifestyle? How embarrassing. I’m going to kill that mouthy brunette.

“Don’t worry about it. I like knowing you’ve been saving yourself for me.”

“Cocky bastard.” Over his laughter, she added, “I’ll have you know I could have a man at the snap of my fingers. Wilson, Brent…even you.”

His laughter faded. “You snap those fingers at anyone but me and we’ll have some problems.”

That dominance turned her on. But she couldn’t be an independent woman and like that kind of attitude in a man, could she? “Who the hell are you to tell me what to do?”

He shook his head. “I thought we weren’t going to play games. I’m the guy who just made you come all over his fingers. I’m the guy you’re going out with tomorrow night.”

“A Sunday night date?” She intentionally ignored the part about climaxing. Oh man, had she.

He waited.

Maggie wanted to be alarmed. She should have been ranting and raving over his attitude. Who the hell did he think he was? But as she watched him watching her, she knew a sense of excitement. Why not see where this might take them? Some harmless fun. And if he could make good on his promises of domination and control, she would more than take him up on his offer.

“So you think you’re man enough to control me, huh?”

“Yeah, I do. We agreed to a date. We’re eventually gonna fuck. Because that’s inevitable. We click. Admit it.”

“Sure. Physically, we seem to hit it off. But that doesn’t mean—”

“And you like me bossing you around. If you didn’t, you’d have quit by now. Besides, if you really listened to the rumors at the gym, you know I like being in charge.”

She’d heard that. Nothing specific, but the innuendo that Mac tended to get domineering in bed. No wonder he had women dying to get their claws into him. With his looks, money, and power, he was a dream come true. Except that part where he never lost the attitude and went through women like the flavor of the day.

“Whatever, Jameson.”

He just shook his head. “We’re having that date tomorrow night. And after that, well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“Wait. Warn me about what?”

He turned to the door. She grabbed his arm, that thick, powerful forearm, and he stopped.

“Yes?” he drawled with excessive patience.

“You want a date, fine. But we can’t let this get weird. There’s Shane and Shelby. And I work for you.”

“Technically you work for my uncle. He owns the gym. I just run it.” He covered her hand with his. “This isn’t weird. It’s called going out. Normal people do it all the time.”

“Normal people? I just had an orgasm on my loveseat,” Maggie had to mention. Holy shit. She’d had an orgasm. Her first in over a year not instigated by her own hand. A miracle.

“True. I’m thinking you owe me one.” He leaned close to kiss her. “Dress casual. You’re coming to my place for dinner tomorrow. I’ll pick you up at six. And don’t forget your class tomorrow at two. Nicole said you’d cover for her.”

He left before she could argue.

Not that she had anything left to add. She’d agreed to cover for Nicole’s step class tomorrow. And she had nothing better to do on a Sunday night than read a book and wash her hair. Sad but true.

Maggie cleaned up and went to bed, not sure tonight had actually happened. Had Mac really been waiting in her apartment? Had the man truly made her come with no more than a few kisses and some very heavy petting?

Just thinking about what he’d done to her made her hot and bothered, as did the remembrance of how big and solid his cock had felt. Thoughts of having that inside her brought forth all the naughty fantasies she’d harbored. But how would Mac feel about fulfilling them? It would be really embarrassing to open up to him, Shane’s best friend, if he thought her some kind of crazy pervert.

She’d had a few boyfriends who tried to be more controlling for her, but she hadn’t bought the act. In the end, the sex had been a letdown, the relationship fizzing soon after. What few jerks she didn’t confide in had been wrong for her from the beginning.

For some reason, Maggie wanted to be controlled in the bedroom. She’d had fantasies about it for years, and the one time an ex-boyfriend had been close to getting it right, she’d been halfway to heaven in love, then found out he had a girlfriend on the side. Unfortunately, most of the men she sought to give her that submissive feeling acted like pricks. Mac was the first guy she’d met who seemed somewhat normal. Controlling, yes, but not cruel. Just sure of himself. Okay, the man acted conceited. She’d admit that. But he had a right to that be sexually assured with a body that fine.