Wednesday she took her mother to her doctor’s appointment where they took four vials of blood. The way Joanie bitched, they may as well have taken thirty. Her mother had taken off the technician’s head, poor kid. The doctor expressed his concern—in a calm tone—regarding her mother’s now bronchitis, the visible jaundice in her eyes and skin and her distended belly. Which, of course, were the exact things Maiya worried most about. Never mind how her lung function had deteriorated.
The doc wanted her mother to schedule an appointment and get the fluid drained from her abdomen. Of course, Joanie told him she’d rather wait. Things were not looking good in the Mom department. Maiya tried to broach the subject again in the car, but Joanie shrugged it off. When they got home, her mother promptly made herself a drink. The woman must have a death wish. Either that, or a major case of denial. Maiya was willing to bet the house on the latter. And there was nothing she could do about any of it. Not like the woman could be declared incompetent because she was a stubborn drunk.
The following week, Maiya slipped, mentioning her mother’s appointment to Ryan when she talked to him. The accidental comment had opened a can of worms she wasn’t prepared to dive into. He wanted to know what happened, how her mother was, was anything treatable, how Maiya was handling the stress. To her horror, she found herself answering all his questions, including the details of how frustrated she felt, and even how worried she’d been.
Apparently, she’d contracted a bad case of diarrhea of the mouth. Maiya had been shouldering the burden alone for a long time and wasn’t in the habit of talking about her struggles. But Ryan sounded genuinely interested and she couldn’t help but tell him all of it. The relief to share was too great. She stopped herself from telling him her mother’s illnesses were a result of her alcoholism though. She wasn’t ready to head down that road.
“So, when do you fly in?” Ryan asked on the other end of the phone.
“Monday. I’ll get there around noon.”
“Do you think you can come early, maybe on Saturday?”
“I guess I can see about changing my flight. Why?” Maiya tried to keep the sudden butterflies of excitement swirling in her belly to a minimum. “There’ll be a change fee.”
“Look into it, I’ll pay the change fee.”
“I don’t want you to do that.” She walked to her back porch and lit a cigarette. “Tell me why you want me to come early.” She exhaled a plume of gray smoke.
“It’s a surprise.”
She could hear his smile through the phone. “Ryan.”
“Maiya.”
She frowned. “What are you up to?”
“Come on, baby. Get the flight changed and get here early. Bring something pretty to wear too.”
She took another drag of her smoke. “Define pretty.”
“A dress would be nice. Doesn’t have to be too fancy. Are you smoking?”
“A dress?” She rolled her eyes and sat in one of the cushioned patio chairs. “Yeah, I’m smoking. Why?”
“Yes, a dress. Just curious. I can hear you exhaling.”
She took another draw from the menthol stick and exhaled, keeping her mouth close to the phone.
“Stop. You’re getting me all hot and bothered.”
“Hot and bothered, huh?” She stubbed out the cigarette and lowered her voice. “That could be fun.”
“Playing with fire, woman.”
“Maybe I like getting burned.” The irony of the statement was probably lost on him.
“My kind of fire doesn’t burn.” He chuckled. “Let me know tomorrow about the flight?”
Maybe it wasn’t lost on him after all. She hesitated a moment, but then answered. “Sure, what the hell.”
“Sweet dreams, Maiya.”
“You too.” She tapped her nail on the armrest. “Night.” Maiya sighed and lit another smoke.
She had a love-hate relationship with surprises. What if it was someplace she hated? What if it was something wonderful? She groaned and rubbed the spot between her eyes. The man asked her to do something, and she did it. She had a love-hate relationship with that too. As if she couldn’t manage to tell him no.
Ryan was an Alpha male through and through—not that anyone could tell by looking at him. Maiya wasn’t sure if it was the tone of voice he used when he went from asking to telling her to do something, or because he was dominant in bed. Either way, the little spell he had her under was working. A little too well.
She finished her cigarette and, once inside, grabbed her laptop to see about changing her flight.
The first thing Ryan did when he arrived in the office was send Maiya an IM.
Ryan Donnelly: So?
Maiya Rossini: What?
Ryan Donnelly: Can you change your flight?
Maiya Rossini: Good morning to you too! ;-)
Ryan Donnelly: LOL. Sorry. Good Morning. Can you change your flight?
Maiya Rossini: Ugh. I cannot believe I am doing this.
Ryan Donnelly: Can you see me smiling from there? What time do you get in?
Maiya Rossini: Practically. It’s bigger than the signs on the strip. LOL. I get in around 2pm.
Ryan Donnelly: Sweet! I’ll pick you up at your hotel at 6. Dinner then… I’m not gonna tell you. Neener, neener. ;-P
Maiya Rossini: Can you see me rolling my eyes from there? Fine. Now, go work on my project. Slacker.
Ryan Donnelly: LOLOL. Anything you say, ma’am. I’ll text you later.
Maiya Rossini: ………………………
Ryan chuckled at her reply. It was definitely an insert-curse-word-here response. He leaned back in his seat and excitement raced through him. Being away from her the last week and a half had sucked, but talking to her every day had made it bearable.
Maybe he should’ve called her instead of messaging her. He loved the sound of her voice in the morning. Always raspy and sexy, most likely because she smoked. He didn’t care for smoking, yet her smoking didn’t seem to bother him. Not much seemed to bother him at all where Maiya was concerned.
Ryan clasped his hands behind his head and contemplated his dilemma. How could a woman so similar to Tammy, so very much not his type, be so appealing? Was she similar to his ex or was it merely his first impressions he refused to let go of? Maybe Jimmy was right; she was nothing like Tammy.
Ryan leaned forward and thumbed through his project files. Best get to work and try to keep his mind off her. He chuckled. Good luck with that. Since coming face to face with her, he hadn’t stopped thinking about her. It’d only been a short time and he was acting like a guy in love. Not that he was in love, of course. No, no. Ryan didn’t believe in love at first sight, or first weeks. He definitely wasn’t in love.
He just liked her.
A lot.
A whole lot.
Maiya chewed her thumbnail and stared at the IM window for a few minutes before closing it. Cursing herself the whole time, she’d changed her plane ticket, hotel and rental car, and since he was now aware, there was no going back. Beyond nervous, and doubting her decision, she did the only thing she could think of. She called Jodi.
“You’re coming in early? Where’s he taking you? Are you staying at the hotel or do you want to come here?”
“Damn, girl. Take a breath would you?” Maiya laughed and walked to the back patio, coffee in hand. “I’m staying at my usual.”
“Well, where’s he taking you?”
“He won’t tell me. All I know is we’re doing dinner.” Maiya lit a cigarette. “He said I should wear a dress.” She inhaled a long drag and then exhaled a plume of gray haze. “Said nothing too fancy.”
“Oh my God, girl. Are you excited or crapping your pants?”
“I don’t know.” Maiya stared at the mountains in the distance. “Maybe a little of both.”
“This is
way more than sex, obviously. Did you have the talk with him?”
“I asked him, ya know, when he was here, what was going on between us. He didn’t have an answer.”
“Wait, what? When the hell was he there?”
“Oh, shit.” Maiya cringed. “I didn’t tell you, did I?”
“Hell no you didn’t tell me!”
“Sorry.”
“When did he come there?” Jodi sounded impatient.
“He showed up here last Saturday night. I was with Heather at Tangled and he was just…there.”
“Did he know you were there? What did you do?”
“Jodi, damn. Easy.” Maiya snorted and put out her cigarette. “He came into town with his brother for the night. They showed up there.” She sipped her coffee. “He didn’t know where I was, or that I was even out.”
“Did he go home with you?”
“Nosy ass.”
“That would be a yes. Was it as good as last time?” Jodi asked in a hushed tone.
“Now you’re whispering? Why the hell are you whispering?”
“Just answer my question, will you?”
Getting up, Maiya walked back to her office. “It was better.”
“Lord, be still my beating heart.”
“Yeah, yeah. Don’t remind me. My thighs catch fire whenever I think about it.” Maiya flopped in her office chair. “The sex is the best I’ve ever had. The stuff he does to me.” Closing her eyes, she drew in a breath. “It’s… It’s… Shit, I can’t even find the right words.”
Jodi let out a high-pitched squeal and Maiya pulled the headset away from her ear. “Ouch!”
“Sorry.” Her friend laughed. “You better text me Saturday night when you’re back at your hotel… Well, if you make it back to your hotel. Otherwise you can call me in the morning.”
Maiya doodled a heart on her notepad. “I’m glad you’re getting such a kick out of this.”
“I am! I told you, I’m living vicariously through you. It’s better than soap operas.”
“And I’m going to get my heart crushed like a character in one of those ridiculous shows too.”
“Oh stop. You only live once, remember?”
“I know.” Maiya sighed. “Just not looking forward to the pain.”
Jodi tsk’d her. “Doom and gloom. Knock it off and enjoy it while it lasts.”
“All right, fine. You win. But you’re buying a gallon of chocolate ice cream when he breaks my heart, and spending the weekend here with me.”
“Deal.” Jodi said. “Love ya, girl. Talk soon.”
Maiya disconnected the call and stared at the heart she’d drawn, and then added a crack to the center of it. What am I, fifteen? Groaning, she scribbled it out.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Ryan laced his fingers through Maiya’s when the house lights came up in the theatre. She looked more than stunning in the black dress she wore. It hugged her body like a glove. He loved staring at her in it, but he couldn’t wait to get her out of it.
She’d pinned her gorgeous red hair in a twist on the back of her head, and little curling tendrils hung down here and there, framing her face. Even with all her tattoo work, she looked…classy. In fact, he was sure the woman would make burlap look classy. He shook his head, smiling at the thought and looked at their joined hands.
“What are you smiling about?”
“Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?”
“Um, let me see.” She tilted her head to the side. “I think that makes the tenth time. Wait, maybe the eleventh.”
He raised their joined hands and kissed her fingertips. “Just checking.”
“Did you like the play?”
“I did. Did you?” He stood, pulling her up with him.
“I thought it was fantastic. Tiffany did a wonderful job.”
He cupped his hand behind her neck and pulled her close to him. “She did.” He paused, letting his gaze roam over her face. “I need to kiss you.”
He meant it too. It was a need, one he was powerless to deny. She stroked her warm fingers down his cheek, and the expression in her hazel eyes stole his breath. Emotion swirled within the flecks of gold and green. The most obvious being desire. But, fear, maybe even a little hope, was there too. And love. Was it love he recognized, or his own wishful thinking? Did he want her to love him?
She licked her lips and swallowed. “I’ll let you.”
Ryan stroked the side of Maiya’s neck with his thumb and then took her lips in a soft, unhurried kiss. She arched and gripped his arm when his tongue stroked over hers. The crowd around them milled up the aisles on their way to the exits, but none of them existed as he tasted her, swallowed her and sought for more.
Cupping both sides of her face in his hands, he deepened the kiss. He wanted this woman, more than he’d ever wanted a woman in his life. The thought startled him a little, but the need curling in his gut all night far surpassed any fear his mind held. Ryan pulled away, nipping at her bottom lip.
Maiya pressed her forehead to his, trembling. “That was one hell of a kiss.”
“Well, I missed you.” He kissed the tip of her nose.
She closed her eyes. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with you.”
“Take me back to your hotel room and you can do the first thing that comes to mind.” Pressing his hips against hers, he let her feel the consequence of their kiss.
“Rawrr. Did I do that?”
Taking her hand, Ryan led her up the aisle toward the exit. “Do you have any idea how many times I jacked off the past two weeks thinking of you?”
She stopped short, halting his forward motion. “Fucking hell, Ryan!” She put her hand over her mouth and looked around at the other patrons, and then began again in a lower tone. “Do you have any idea how hot that is? Jesus, I think I just had a mini orgasm.”
He gazed over his shoulder at her. “If you’re a good girl, I’ll let you watch me after I get you naked.” He smiled and then escorted her out of the theatre.
After missing the slot three times, Maiya hit her mark and inserted the key card into her hotel room door lock.
Ryan kept nipping the tender skin on the back of her neck and running his hands over her breasts, and up and down her body. And she was unable to focus on the simple task of unlocking the damn door. The man had hands like the devil and a tongue that should be registered as a lethal torture device—of course, if someone considered getting sucked and licked to death torture.
Maiya motioned toward the tray holding a basket of fresh strawberries and two small bowls, one with whipped cream, the other chocolate syrup. “Where did that come from?”
“I ordered it.” He walked farther into the room. “C’mere.”
She set her purse and beaded satin shawl on the dresser and moved to him.
Ryan framed her waist with his hands and kissed the side of her neck. “You smell delicious.” His breath was warm on her skin and he trailed open-mouthed kisses down her neck to her collarbone. With a tight grip on his shoulders, her head fell back. The room spun around her, almost as if she were drunk.
He moved his hands from her waist, around to the small of her back and on to her ass. He paused there, massaging her buttocks through her dress, and then tugged up the hem. “Thigh-highs and garter?” He trailed his fingertips along the black lace tops of her hose and then traced up the two attached garter straps.
Maiya gazed into his eyes. With her body pressed against his from chest to thigh, her heart thundered in her ears. “I thought you might appreciate them.”
With the fingertips of one hand, he teased the tender skin at the crease where buttock met thigh and then trailed one finger from the other down the small strip of material of her G-string, between her buttocks, stroking over her anus. “Very much so.”
Moaning,
she arched her back, angling her ass up and urging him on.
He slid his fingers over her center through the thin material. “You’re wet. Soaked straight through your panties. Always so wet for me, Maiya.” He nipped her ear lobe. “Whose cunt is this? Tell me.”
Heat sped through her veins and her whole body pulsated with desire. She whimpered and arched again. “Yours.” She drew in a shuddering breath. “Fuck. Ryan, please?” Running her fingertips over his upper back, she scraped at his shirt with her nails.
“Please what?” He tugged the strip of material aside and circled her entrance with two fingertips, drew out her wetness and coated her clit with it. “Is this what you want, baby?”
Her knees went weak. She was going to die. Right then and there. Beneath his fingers and his mouth. He overwhelmed her in every way possible. It was almost too much. He captured her mouth again with a hard and sure kiss and slid two fingers inside the tight entrance of her cunt.
She bucked her hips and whimpered into his mouth. He slid them deeper, and then withdrew them before repeating the motion. Over and over he stroked her, all while continuing his assault of her mouth, lapping and swirling his tongue with hers.
Maiya threaded her fingers through his hair and gripped the soft strands tight in her fists, trying to anchor herself. She couldn’t breathe, needed to, but didn’t want to stop kissing him.
He broke the kiss and then nipped her chin. “You’re so hot. I can feel you squeezing my fingers in your tight little channel. You’re close aren’t you, baby?” He kissed her again, not giving her a chance to answer.
All she managed was a nod as she writhed against him. Her orgasm hovered just out of reach. The room spun faster and her knees buckled. Catching her around her waist, he rotated them and laid her on the bed. Ryan pushed her dress up over her thighs.
“I need you inside me. Oh God, Ryan, fuck me, please.”
“Patience, baby.” He knelt between her legs. “For God’s sake, look at you.”
The sound of his breathy voice made her rise. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Ryan broke the kiss and then tugged his tie free. He tossed it aside and then moved his hands behind her back and unzipped her dress.
Unworthy Heart: The Donnellys, Book 1 Page 19
