by Carmen Faye
She remembered, and Maya had every intention of fulfilling the same purpose again, far more than just once. But right now, the idea of jumping into a pool in the middle of a hot desert sounded utterly amazing. “I can’t believe you’re just now telling me about this!” She pouted her bottom lip, which made Vance laugh at her as he buttered the biscuits and started compiling plates.
“Do you want some juice with your breakfast?” he asked, ignoring her petty childishness. “Or just coffee?”
She threw her hands up in the air. “My diet is ruined, so I might as well have everything you can offer.”
“Juice it is.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
When Maya had rushed out after breakfast and dived right into the pool, nightgown and all, it was everything Vance could do to keep his hands off her. He wanted to let her enjoy her swim and find her peace first. There was a lot going on, and he needed Maya settled and secure before he inundated her with the need for caution and information on what signs to look for when it came to potential danger.
But he wouldn’t last forever, and after a few minutes of staring at the way her gown was now transparent and plastered to the curves of her body, the imprint of her nipples were too much. He jumped in with her and captured her in his arms. She giggled and fought, but he was stronger and kept her back tight to his chest. The feel of her wriggling against him did dangerous things to his body, and he slid his hands up to cup her breasts.
She grew still, though her breathing was in short, heavy pants, and Vance knew she could feel the electricity between them, too. He squeezed and molded her breasts as his lips fell on the skin under her ear. She tilted her head to the side, allowing him better access, and he could feel—more than hear—her moan. It made her throat vibrate, and he groaned with the tension gathering in his groin.
Vance left one hand on her breast and trailed the other down her stomach and between her thighs, finding her sex and stroking it. She trembled in his arms, and he pushed the thin cloth of her panties to the side, feeling her slick moisture even underwater. He rolled his thumb over her nub, and she whimpered, pushing back against him as if she could escape the slow torture.
Closing his eyes, Vance sighed at the pure delight of the soft feel of her lips under his touch, and he grew so hard it hurt. But he didn’t stop there. He found her opening and slipped two fingers inside, stroking her inner walls and curling them to press on the spot he knew made her scream. And he wasn’t disappointed as she poured over his hand and cried out his name.
In the midst of her explosion, Maya was completely pliable, and Vance turned her to face him, backing her against the side of the pool. He quickly kicked his jockeys off and lifted her legs to rest on his hips as he found her center again, this time with his shaft.
He drove deep into her, and she gulped, her eyes wide. He could feel her inner walls convulsing around him in another release, and he thrust fast and furious into her, the water slapping between them. She dug her nails into his shoulders, and he winced once but didn’t care as he drove into her with an almost brutal force. He needed her, and she wasn’t complaining at all, obviously wanting this just as much as he did.
He felt his control slipping and hoisted her a little higher, creating an even better angle and allowing him to thrust deeper. She screamed wordlessly, and her passion sent him soaring over the edge. He shivered and convulsed with his release, and even after he finished, shockwaves shot through his system. He stayed buried deep inside her for a long time, burying his face in the crook of her neck as he reminded himself to breathe.
He eventually started to slip out of her, and he set Maya on her feet, holding onto her briefly to make sure she wasn’t too dizzy or weak to keep her balance and stand on her own. She was heavily flushed, and she dipped under the water, coming back up with a gasp and looking much cooler. He, too, needed to douse the embers that remained, and he swam the length of the pool and back before coming up for air. That was better, and he smiled at Maya, who looked almost embarrassed.
“That was new and different,” she said quietly. Vance realized then that, even though she was rich and famous, she hadn’t lived the life of a typical starlet. She had obviously never had sex in a pool before, which was something he would have thought all women in her career would have tried at least once. It was a comfort in a way that he could show her new things, and as he drew her into his embrace for a sweet, delving kiss, he knew he was falling in love. It was inescapable, and he wasn’t going to fight it anymore.
“I hope it was as good for you as it was for me,” he chuckled, watching her blush again and roll her eyes.
“Oh, come on! As if you couldn’t tell. Your ego doesn’t need stroking,” she told him.
He winked. “I guess not, since you already stroked the part of me that needed immediate attention.” She gave him an exasperated look but laughed, and he patted her on the ass. “I’m going to take a shower and get dressed. I’m not particularly shy, but I really don’t feel like being naked when our ride gets here.”
Maya nodded. “Seeing as I’ve never done a Playboy spread, I think I’d rather be dressed.”
That made Vance think. He wondered if it was different for models who had posed nude. Would they still be modest in a private situation, where they were face to face with others? Did it make a difference between people seeing a nude photo versus being nude in person? He would have asked, if Maya had ever posed nude. He was glad she hadn’t though. He still liked the idea of having the privilege of knowing her body so intimately all to himself.
Rather than bothering to dry off, Vance climbed out and headed for the cabana bath, which had a shower and a closet full of towels just for an occasion like this. Maya joined him a couple of minutes later, and he again had to practice self-control. It didn’t matter that he’d come only minutes ago; his body protested that it was ready to go again, and as tempting as it was, he didn’t act on his desire. He didn’t want to be greedy and make Maya feel like a sex object. That certainly wasn’t how he saw her. And they were a little pressed for time at this point. He’d let time get away, wanting to have a lingering, relaxing morning, and their ride would be here within an hour.
When he was clean, he stepped out and dried, wrapping the towel around his waist just in time for Maya to turn off the water. He handed her another large, fluffy towel and grunted at her that he was going inside. He couldn’t torment himself and watch her dry off.
He opened his closet with great relief. These were his clothes, the familiar duds he wore every day instead of the upgraded ‘prep’ look he’d had to blend in while in L.A. He dressed quickly, careful not to look back at Maya when she came in and dressed. “Is everything alright?” she asked.
Vance nodded. “I’m fine.” How did he explain his issue? He couldn’t just come out and tell her he was too attracted to her to look at her. That would sound ridiculous. And it would make him look like a fool who had no control over his own actions, which was exactly what the problem was.
It pissed him off, and he had to check his anger. He took a minute to breathe and calm down, and then he finally turned around, relieved to see she had already donned a simple T-shirt and shorts. He gave her a smile. “You’re a lot for a man to handle, Maya.”
She tilted her head, looking confused. “What do you mean?”
He sighed and took her hand, drawing her to sit down on the bed beside him. “I’ve met a lot of attractive women, and I’ve always been able to get what I wanted. But none of them hold a candle to you. Because I have feelings for you and we have chemistry, it’s even more of a turn on. I’m having a hard time controlling myself. For a man that’s been accused of being a sociopath, it’s really hard to admit that you affect me so much and that I can’t seem to get you out of my blood.”
He couldn’t tell what she thought of that, though she seemed taken aback by his admission. “Whether I like it or not, I have some serious feelings for you, too, Vance,” she told him finally. “I’m still tryin
g to make my peace with it. But for now, let’s suffice it to say that I’m happy to be here with you, and I don’t intend to let my feelings scare me away.”
That excited Vance, and he kissed her soundly. Standing, he drew Maya to her feet. “I’m glad to hear it. Why don’t you finish doing whatever you need to do to get ready, and I’ll call Bert for an ETA?”
She nodded and headed toward the bathroom while Vance let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. He was so far out of his realm of experience he wasn’t even in orbit anymore. He grabbed his phone on the way through the kitchen into the living room, and as he sat down on the couch to dial, he scowled. Maya sounded certain that she wouldn’t scare herself away from a relationship with him. What she hadn’t mentioned was the danger that surrounded Vance and his lifestyle.
Even most of the old ladies didn’t stick around for the violence. Most of them lived away from Wheelie. More than half the club split time between the clubhouse, bunking in one of the houses they’d built with their own hands, and the home they shared elsewhere with their families. This lifestyle wasn’t for everyone, and he still couldn’t imagine someone with Maya’s background opting for this over the high rise apartment and five-star hotels she was used to.
As a case in point, he’d been labeled her bodyguard while they were in L.A. so he could be with her on the set without any questions asked. There hadn’t been a threat of any kind, outside of the concern he had due to the violence he’d brought into her life, and everyone found it perfectly normal to have a bodyguard. Here, it was a serious consideration. If she saw the need for protection in the middle of such a fancy, already well-protected area, how was she going to react when the Scorpions showed up again, this time in full force with guns blazing?
It was like asking some young girl, fresh out of prep school, to rough it in the Old West.
Bert answered with a grunt, and Vance responded, “Hey, man, what’s up?”
Bert’s answer was not what he’d hoped to hear, and his stomach sank. “Hey, bro, we got a problem.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Maya knew instantly something was wrong. She exited the bedroom to find Vance pacing back and forth like a caged panther who hadn’t yet been fed. She hesitated for a moment, not sure she wanted to interrupt him…or that she wanted to know what the problem was this time. Taking a deep preparatory breath, she stepped into the living room.
He halted and raised his gaze to her sharply, as if the panther was ready to jump anyone entering his domain in order to find his escape. Or worse, to find sustenance. Maya didn’t honestly think Vance could ever hurt her; he’d done nothing but protect her from the start. But he was still dangerous, and that was daunting at times, especially when she could feel the tension in his energy. “Did you talk to Bert?” she asked cautiously.
He nodded once, and his emotionless mask remained in place. “We’re not going anywhere yet.”
Maya’s heart sank. While she was perfectly fine staying in Vance’s gorgeous house for the day, she knew it didn’t thrill him, and she knew it wasn’t because his boys were just too lazy to come get them. Rather than addressing what the issue was, she simply told him, “Okay. When will we be leaving?”
He squeezed the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “I’m not sure yet.” Maya just nodded, pressing her lips together against the questions on the tip of her tongue. Was this due to a problem with the Scorpions, an issue with the Mojave Boys themselves, or some other strange occurrence, a danger she had yet to discover? She waited, showing nothing but patience on the outside, even as she shouted for answers on the inside.
She took a seat on the couch, careful to appear interested while still relaxing enough not to seem nervous. It shouldn’t be that hard–that was the sort of person she was most of the time. Only since she’d met Vance had she been the least bit high strung. She reached deep inside, finding her inner calm, and Maya actually started to feel more confident, more like herself. It did help her relax, and it was easier to wait for Vance to explain.
After what seemed like forever, Vance sat in the big stuffed chair across from her and said, “It turns out the Scorpion I shot in the knees isn’t just some low level grunt. He’s Antonio Fuente, Jr. The son of the VP of the club.” That wasn’t good news, Maya realized. “So, it looked like things had blown over, but it turns out there’s some personal political stuff that made it look like I was in the clear.”
He sat back heavily. “It happens in any club or gang from time to time. Fuente Sr. has been out of town for a long time, a month or two. I don’t know exactly, and I’m not sure why, but he came back over the weekend. Tres Amenazas, the Scorpion’s president, hates Junior. He’s just a disobedient punk who’s a liability, and Tres has wanted him out of the way for a long time. So I doubt he cared the least what I did to Junior, and when he talked to Bert about the incident, he was willing to let it go. In his opinion, Junior would either learn a lesson or lose his place in the gang for pulling the stunt he did with me. Great, wonderful, case closed.”
Maya didn’t need him to finish. She said it for him. “But Senior is back now and wants justice and retribution for his son, who is probably going to be crippled because he was stupid.”
“Sort of,” Vance told her, his expression pained and deeply lined. “Apparently, the doctor the idiots took him to was practicing under the table without a license, and he didn’t do such a good job. There was an infection, and Junior was going to lose both legs above the knee. Not my fault, Tres Amenazas said, and he’s taken care of the idiots who didn’t get him proper care. But rather than live without legs Junior took the cowardly route and committed suicide.”
Maya gasped and covered her mouth. She knew it must be a terrible blow for someone to hear he was going to lose both legs, especially someone young with his whole life ahead of him. But that didn’t mean he didn’t have a life to live. “That’s terrible!”
Vance nodded. “Yep, and needless to say, Senior wants blood for blood.”
That obviously meant he wanted Vance dead. “But it’s the doctor’s fault, not yours.”
Her protest was met with a shrug. “That old bastard doesn’t care. He’s pissed off, and so are a bunch of other Scorpions. Normally, Tres Amenazas would be able to stop him. The man is a nutcase, and anyone who stood against him like that would be dead in a heartbeat. The problem is, too many of the Scorpions are taking Antonio’s side, and it’s turned into an uprising. They already got to the doctor, and now they want me. They’re demanding that if the Mojave Boys find me or hear from me, they turn me over for vengeance.”
Maya swallowed, the bile rising in her throat. “They wouldn’t do that.” She had to believe in the loyalty of the club that Vance was so adamant about. His brothers were too loyal to hand him over to certain death, and probably a torturous end.
“No, they won’t,” Vance confirmed, and Maya was relieved, though Vance’s gruff tone told her he was angry, and maybe devastated. She couldn’t understand it, but he continued, “But the Scorpions aren’t backing down. If I’m not in Antonio’s hands within a week, they’re promising to launch a full-on attack against the Mojave Boys. And they have the capability to hurt us badly. We have the experience and a lot of favors we can call in, but they have sheer manpower. They could lose half their crew and still outnumber us. Right now, I’ve told Bert I’m staying put. No one knows I’m back yet, and they don’t know where I live.”
But Maya read between the lines. The Scorpions were going to be hunting for Vance, and they would start by checking in Wheelie and then try to find his house. The property may not be visible from the main road, and it may not have a real road leading to it, but the trail would be visible, and eventually, the Scorpions would find that trail and follow it back.
“You can’t hide out forever. So, how do you handle the situation?” She didn’t speak her other thoughts. She knew Vance was already on the same wavelength, worried about the same events. All of this was going to come to a
head at some point, probably sooner than later, and Maya wanted to be prepared for what to expect.
“Bert and the boys called a temporary truce with Tres Amenazas and his loyal boys. He wants to cut off the cancer before it spreads, if you catch my drift, and if that means killing off every member who followed Antonio, he’s ready and willing to do it. If we kill any of them, we get a free pass on it.” But that didn’t seem to please him, either. While she didn’t exactly condone violence, it sounded like a good plan. What was she missing?
Shifting in her seat, she hedged, “Are both sides actively looking for this crew? It sounds like there are enough of them that they’d be hard to miss.”
Vance smirked, and Maya stiffened. If she sounded stupid to him, that was too bad. She had no experience with any of this and was only speaking from what she could deign from the little information she had. But he said, “I wish it was that easy. That would be my preference, but because Antonio is out of his head right now, he’ll shoot first and ask questions later. And Tres Amenazas says they’ve likely got a compound, so no matter how hard any of us look, they’ll see us coming first, and we’re the walking dead. It’s a waiting game. We have to wait for them to come to us.”
