Making over Maya (Hot Tide Book 2)

by Michele De Winton

  But turning to Dominic, she discovered his softer, broader body felt right near hers. He fit. His smile, his face, his body. And that smile wasn’t just kindly, his grin promised more than gentle warmth, it looked through her dream-outfit and ripped aside her modesty.

  Maya faltered as the thrill of his gaze tore through her and sent heat rushing down to her groin. Gah. She was insatiable.

  “Hey honey.” A third man appeared, thankfully entirely clothed. “Don’t suppose you’ve got any spare change?” Her father pulled out the empty linings of his pockets and moths fluttered up and away.

  “How could you have spent it all? You have a job. I pay your rent and bills.”

  He shrugged and sighed. “Life just isn’t perfect I guess. Doesn’t always turn out the way you think it will. Or the way you think it should.”

  A noise, like the buzzing of a cloud of insects, interrupted them and Maya looked around for the source. The sky dimmed but didn’t darken, and the colors started leaching out of the men in her life. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do,” she said to them all.

  “Maybe don’t try so hard to work it out then. Don’t fight so hard,” said Dominic. Rick just nodded and shrugged and her father took a step towards her, his hands outstretched, his face starting to melt into the black, white and green form of a dollar bill.

  “Stop it,” she said and the buzzing came again. Louder this time and more insistent. Shaking her head Maya looked at the ground and saw her cell sitting on the sand. She picked it up and— “Oh my god.”

  Light. Morning. Reality. Her phone didn’t stop buzzing as emails flooded in. Sitting in bed she replied to the emails that needed it, made a couple of calls and with her day’s plans bouncing against the surrealism of her dream she walked to the bathroom. The good thing about this climate was it wasn’t all bad having a cold shower. That should clear her head of thoughts of Dominic and Rick. Now she was awake, everything wasn’t as blurry and confused. She was going on a date with Rick tomorrow. Going on the ultimate date. She would work and she would focus on that. Dominic didn’t come into the picture.

  Yet as she opened the bathroom door, she was confronted with the full picture her dream hadn’t managed. Dominic. With his back to her. Naked.

  Completely naked.

  “Oh, god. Oh sorry.”

  He turned and she looked hurriedly at the ceiling. “Shit. I didn’t know you were in here.” Hang on. “Why are you in here? Don’t you have an en-suite?”

  He shrugged, apparently completely at ease with being exposed in front of her. Of course he is, he’s at home with his body, didn’t he show you that last night? “The en-suite has some crazy version of luxury. One of those showers that hits you from five different directions at once at high pressure. I like to get clean and everything, but if I wanted to be attacked by a high pressure hose I would have become a fireman. Won’t be a sec then she’s all yours.”

  Sharing a shower. With Dominic. Maya backed out of the room, but couldn’t shift the image of Dominic, naked, from her retina. Had he imprinted himself there or something? It’s okay, it’s okay. Calm down. She glanced again, but the towel he’d slung around his hips did nothing to hide the broad strength of his chest. Or the firm cut of his biceps. Biceps that had so easily lifted her onto his lap last night and held her against his hard, ready— she shook her head but couldn’t resist just one more look. Water leaked from his wet hair and trailed all the way down his torso till it disappeared beneath the towel. Oh. Lawdy. He’d been hot in her dream, but in real life, panty melting was somewhat closer to the truth.

  She looked up and saw him watching her ogling him in the mirror. Back away girl. Fast. But apparently he wasn’t about to let that happen. “I’m gonna make pancakes. Want some? Then I’m on calls for the rest of the morning.”

  Want some? Hells yes she wanted some. But pancakes? Only if they came with cream. “Um. Maybe.”

  He laughed. “You’ll want some. Trust me.”

  After the quickest, coldest shower of her life, Maya dressed to the smell of pancake batter being cooked in hot butter drifting from the kitchen. Okay, so it smelt good, she’d give him that. She would have breakfast with Dominic and then concentrate on getting his campaign sorted. She’d left messages with Holokai and Jerry, the other surfer Dominic had identified as a possibility. This afternoon they could meet, Dominic could cast the new face of his rebrand, they’d carry on with organizing the details and she’d get back to her hotel. Job done.

  “If they need to recut it then do it. We can’t have shoddy stuff going out. Not now.”

  Maya peeked around the corner of her room and saw Dominic, spinning a spatula and talking to his phone as he poured a new round of batter into the skillet.

  He could have any number of the beautiful women who inhabited his world at his beck and call. He was not long term. And that’s what she wanted. Rick was long term deep down, she just knew it. And they worked in the same world. He was still the sensible choice.

  The only choice. Dominic would move on and she would be right back where she started, dateless and dowdy. She didn’t have time for that. This was the year she got together with her mate. The rest of her plan depended on it.

  “Good. Let me know when it’s done.” Dominic hung up and flipped a pancake, less than expertly. Maya wondered if Rick would make her pancakes too.

  It didn’t matter. Rick would be good for Dominic’s campaign, and Rick being booked would be good for her. That wasn’t favoritism, it was good business sense. She walked out into the kitchen with her head high and a firm voice. “I’m going to include Rick on your list of potentials. I think you should meet him again.”

  A flicker of a rebuttal seemed to raise its head in his eyes, then disappeared. “Okay.”

  “Okay?”

  He shrugged. “You’re the best in the business. If you think I should seriously consider him. I will.”

  “Great.” She pulled out her cell and texted the same message she’d sent Holokai to Rick. It was great, wasn’t it? That Dominic would take her at her word so quickly. Stop. Over. Thinking. This.

  Dominic flipped the pancake like a pro and his boyish grin calmed her. “So? You change your mind about the pancakes after smelling them?”

  She smiled and walked the rest of the way into the kitchen. “They smell great. Yeah.”

  He smirked.

  As she stood on tiptoes to get some plates from the cupboard Dominic stepped back and unbalanced her.

  “Woah, there. I know it smells delectable,

  but believe me, it’s much better cooked. You don’t need to dive into it.”

  Caught up in his arms, again, Maya couldn’t help the thrill of his hands on her waist stealing up her sides and wrapping its energy around every single pore. Her skin goosed. He smelt so good. Like pancakes obviously, but also of freshly washed skin, newly laundered clothes. Of sunshine. Health. Happy times.

  “Yes. Best you get the plates I think. This suite is clearly not meant for someone less than six foot and change.”

  “I don’t know, if they made everything too low, I’d never get to see your ass when you stretch up like that.”

  Maya wanted to stiffen. For her body to react against his blatant flirting. But it didn’t. Still tucked in his protective arms, her skin was warm, sensitive, and unmistakably alive. Her ass prickled as if he was already looking at it and when he ran a thumb just under the hem of her top, she shuddered with anticipation.

  Dropping his arms, he turned back to the pancakes and she felt the removal of his hands as if he’d taken one of her own limbs away.

  “Here we go. I recommend maple syrup, blueberries and yogurt, but there’s cream too if you want to go all out.” Dominic dished up a stack of pancakes and held a plate towards her. Maya put out her hands but he pulled the plate back. “No, wait. I’ve changed my mind. Can’t have you saying you don’t like my pancakes just because you don’t dress them properly.”

  “I wouldn’t—
”

  “Sure, you would. I know your type.”

  She couldn’t help the smile. This was better. Fun. Light. He was only flirting to make her feel good, confident, he’d said it himself. The goose pimples retracted back into smooth skin. “It’s only fair that I get to dress yours,” she said.

  “Humph. I’m not sure fair comes into it. I’ve seen your wardrobe, I bet you’re mean with your blueberry allocation too.”

  “Rude.” Maya picked up a spoonful of the berries. “Perhaps you need something in your mouth to stop the hot air escaping.” She waved the spoon in his face and he grabbed her hand to guide it to his mouth.

  “Two can play at that game.” Still holding onto her, he picked up the bottle of maple syrup and pulled her closer.

  “You wouldn’t dare. I’ve just showered.”

  Raising an eyebrow, Dominic pulled her so her body met his and put the bottle to her lips. “Not that you need any more sweetening, but maybe it would help to knock a little sass out of you.”

  Dominic slanted the bottle and a little of the syrup spilled into her mouth and over her lips. “Wait. We don’t want to tip the balance too far. Best you have some pancake to go with that.” Setting down the syrup he tore a piece of the pancake from the stack, dipped it in yogurt and ran it along her bottom lip to catch the syrup she hadn’t yet swallowed. Her eyes were caught in his, Dominic’s gaze eating her up as if she was just as tasty as what he was feeding her.

  Oh. Dear. Lawd. The goose bumps were back, along with a thumping burst of heat to her groin.

  “I’m not sure this is the best way to eat pancakes,” she managed.

  “I think it’s the only way to eat pancakes,” he growled.

  She swallowed, the yogurt, maple syrup and fluffy cake melting on her tongue in breakfast harmony. “Okay. They’re pretty good.”

  “I think what you mean is that they go together well.”

  There was a pause. Neither of them moved away from each other. Neither of them dropped eye contact. The heat in her groin reached boiling point. This was not the plan.

  Maya looked away first. “Are you going to let me eat any more of them?”

  “Of course.” Dominic stepped back and Maya slumped with the withdrawal of heat and contact. He heaped blueberries and yogurt on the stack of pancakes he’d originally held out to her and poured maple syrup over the lot before handing her the plate and repeating the process on his own.

  Standing at the bench top beside her, he forked up a huge mouthful. “Damn, I’m good.”

  Yes. And not just at making pancakes. Shit. Dream Dominic was threatening to derail her plan and she was doing her best to help him, despite the train wreck that would result.

  “So, you ready for your date tomorrow?”

  There it was. The elephant in the overheated room. “I guess.” She paused. “No. not really. It seems quite a big deal to go to his sister’s wedding.”

  He swallowed but didn’t appear to flinch as he dished out yet more advice on how to be with someone else. “Best way to get him is to just go get him. Whether there are other people around or not doesn’t really matter does it?”

  Maya toyed with her breakfast. How could he do that? Switch his emotions off so coldly? “I couldn’t do that. I’m too shy.”

  “You’re not shy with me.”

  “You don’t give me much option. You’re quite—you’re very forceful.”

  “I don’t mean to be.” His face fell.

  “No not in a bad way. I’m just not used to it. Not used to being—”

  “To being what? Openly desired?”

  Why’d he have to be so gentle with her? So sensitive.

  “Say it. Say you’re not used to being desired like this. Because let’s face it. We’ve got some crazy chemistry going on. “The tension in this room—” he looked around. “I’d need this damn spatula to scrape my way through it. Tell me what goes on between us doesn’t make you want to burn your adorable little panties and I’ll leave well alone.”

  So he couldn’t turn his emotions off quite so cleanly. A flicker of something—pride perhaps—ran round inside her chest and got out the pompoms, but she pushed it back into its little cheerleader cage. “It doesn’t matter. You’re a client. We live in entirely different worlds.” And I’ll just get hurt. She left the last sentence unsaid but felt the truth of it hammering in her heart.

  He paused a moment. “Yes, and I don’t do entanglements with employees.”

  “So. We forget it.”

  “Not that easy sweet cheeks.” He pointed down at the waist length black apron over his drill shorts, tented like some sort of circus big top. “We need to get this out of the way. Chalk it up to experience. And then move on.”

  Experience. It would be an experience wouldn’t it? A way of marking a line in the sand under all of their sexual tension and deflating it by facing it head on. “Make a lesson out of it?”

  “That’s my girl.” He moved towards her, the spatula in one hand and a very wicked glint in his eye.

  “What? Now?”

  “You’ve already made your phone calls haven’t you? And my first conference call isn’t for an hour.”

  She nodded, her stomach about ready to take out Olympic gold in the trampoline event. The room was already hot, but as the distance between them evaporated, Maya felt her mouth go dry and her head spin. When he touched her, the whole world disappeared, but watching her, devouring her with his eyes, Maya felt that Dominic might well wolf her whole soul down in one gulp. “That doesn’t mean we should.”

  “I think that’s exactly what it means.” Putting down his fork Dom pushed her against the edge of the bench and with his groin pressed to hers, moved their plates out the way.

  “Don’t you want to have your breakfast while it’s still hot?” Maya’s voice was barely a whisper, her pupils dilated as she looked up into his face. There was no fear there, a little moral hesitation maybe, but the lust that laced it far outweighed any concern he had that she wasn’t as horny and ready as he was.

  “I don’t think we’re going to have a problem with anything cooling down,” Dom growled, the words sounding gritty and rough even to his own ears. Enough. Leaning down he covered Maya’s mouth with his and she melted instantly. Coming up for air a moment later he grinned at her. “Lesson three, if you want something bad enough, go get it.” Not giving her a moment to reply, he pulled her face towards his and deepened the kiss.

  A small moan escaped her, and if it were possible, he was sure she would have smeared herself over him like he’d wanted to coat her with the maple syrup.

  “You want this sweet cheeks?” he said against her mouth.

  She didn’t answer, just gave a small nod of her head.

  Mustering as much self-control as was humanly possible, he pulled back a little. “Then you’re going to have to show me.”

  Her mouth opened but he put a finger to her lips. “I said, show me.”

  She put her hands on the counter behind her. “I’m not like that—I don’t.”

  “Shhhh. What did I just say lesson three was?”

  Letting out a shuddering breath, Maya sighed. “Go get what I want.”

  “Tell me you want me.”

  “I can’t.”

  Dominic took another step back. “Yes you can.”

  As if it were involuntary, Maya stepped towards him and put a hand to his chest. If she moved it a fraction to the left she’d probably feel his heart about ready to burst out of his chest.

  “I want you,” she said, her eyes glittering with the grit it took to force the words out of her mouth.

  “How bad?”

  “So bad, I didn’t know it was possible.”

  “And what are you going to do about it?”

  “Show you?”

  “Is the right answer.”

  She turned and started off, towards the bedroom he assumed.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” He slipped a hand around her waist a
nd pulled her to him abruptly so that the air left her lungs. “You’re going to show me alright. Here. On this bench, where I can see every, last, inch of your glorious body.”

  Putting both hands around her waist he lifted her up so she sat on the kitchen bench. He pushed her denim skirt up to mid-thigh then spread her legs and moved in between them, letting the full extent of his rock hard erection rub against her center.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head in for a long, passionate kiss. Her lips crushed against his, her hands raked through his hair. He rolled his hips, searching for the sweet spot that would make her beg him to stop the foreplay and dive into something deep, wet and luscious.

  “Oh man. I want you now.”

  There it was.

  Her hands sought the buttons on his shirt and started pulling, roughly, desperately trying to get it off.

  “Now, now.” Channeling more will power than he’d realized he possessed, Dom took both of her hands and kissed them each on the palm. “You don’t want this to be over before it’s already begun.”

  “But if I don’t have you soon, I may explode. Truly.”

  “I doubt that very much. This lesson is about making him beg you for it, so you might just have to learn the hard way.” He ran a finger down her neck to the v of her top then over the fabric into the hollow between her breasts.

  Her breath hitched.

  “Tell me what you want to do to me,” he said.

  She put her hands on the bench. “I thought you wanted me to show you.”