“You okay?” I ask, taking a drink of my beer.
“I’m good, I just gotta go.”
“Really? Dude, you’re the one who dragged me out tonight.” I shake my head — this day is becoming a real letdown.
“How about I make it up to you?” Grady gives me a half smile.
My phone vibrates and I read the screen. Grady has texted me Myra’s phone number. “Really? Thanks, man.”
“No problem. Just do me a favor and don’t go falling in love in twenty-four fucking hours like the rest of the guys?”
I run a hand over my jaw, smirking. Thinking that falling in love in a day sounds a hell of a lot better than being alone. “I can’t make a promise like that, Grady. Can you?”
Grady leaves a minute later, and I’m left at the bar with nothing but a beer. All want to do is give Myra a call. While it might be forward after she denied me a date, I figure if life’s taught me anything it’s that there are no guarantees. When you have a chance at what you want, you go for it. Even if it might blow up in your face.
So, I give her a call.
“Hey, Myra? It’s Major. Grady gave me your number.”
“Oh, hey,” she says, sounding distracted. “What’s up?”
“I know earlier you said you weren't up for going out, but what about staying in? I could order us a pizza and we could watch a movie and—”
“I’m in the middle of something, actually,” she says.
“Oh, right,” I say, getting the signal clear as day. She’s not interested. “Sorry for bothering you.”
“No, it’s not that. I’m just in the middle of making dinner. But you know, I’m out of whole milk and I need it for this recipe.”
“You asking me to buy you milk?”
She laughs. “Yeah, and deliver it.”
“So, is it a date or a grocery delivery service?”
She laughs again. “I will pay you with a home-cooked meal. How does that sound, Major?”
“Sounds like I’ll be over in twenty.”
Myra
I end the call not quite believing myself. I just asked the sexiest man I’ve ever met to bring me a gallon of milk.
Who does that?
But then I smile because the fact is, he said yes without hesitation.
I text Major my address, then look around my little cottage wondering what in the world I was thinking. I haven’t had any visitors since I moved in and now, I invite over a man.
And not just any man… a man that had me fumbling through work all afternoon. I could not concentrate… I kept replaying our conversation in my mind, thinking I was an idiot.
Major is not like Troy. Troy was a grade-A douchebag who hurt me in ways that I will never forget. I refuse to. I want to remember because that way, I’ll never get myself in a situation like that again.
How do I know they are nothing alike? I know because Major was out buying his grandma roses this morning. Troy never even remembered my birthday.
I spent the last few hours beating myself up for turning down what could have been a good thing. But then Major called. He tried again. He didn’t give up on me. And that counts for something, doesn’t it?
I decide it does.
While I wish I had more time to freshen up and make sure my place looks okay, I have noodles boiling in a pot, chicken just battered, biscuits in the oven, and oil warming in the fryer.
I turn up my Spotify playlist and turn on Otis Redding, my Grandma Maylene’s favorite. Then I set to finishing up her favorite meal. I’m swaying my hips and relaxing when the doorbell rings. “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” is playing, and a smile is on my face as I reach the door. I wipe my hands on my apron and take in the sight before me.
Major holds a bouquet of peach-colored roses and a jug of milk, and he’s wearing a bright smile. The sky is still blue, the sun hasn’t set quite yet, and he brings with him a wave of heat that reaches from my toes to my core.
I’m breathless and suddenly overcome with emotion. Maybe it’s the throwback music, the sentimental meal, or maybe it’s him. Major Owens. A man I just met today but feel like I’ve known for a long, long time. He is familiar in a way I’ve been missing all my life.
“Can I come in?” he asks, handing me the flowers, “Don’t worry, my grandma got her roses earlier today, I grabbed these when I bought the milk.”
I smile, appreciating the clarification. “Come in.” I let my shoulders fall and let go of the breath I’ve been holding since I left Georgia. “You can stay as long as you like.”
Chapter Three
Major
She is cooking up a storm when I walk into her modest cottage. She’s got her hair in a pile on top of her head, a little red handkerchief holding it in place, and an apron is cinched around her waist. I want to tug on the stings, pull it off, but I know now is not the time for that. Right now, I have to win this girl’s heart because the moment I locked eyes with her in the garden center, she already had mine.
“What are you smiling about?” she asks, reaching for a vase in a cupboard. She’s on her tiptoes, and I get a good view of her backside.
“I’m just happy you let me come over. I wasn’t sure you would after you so easily rejected me earlier today.”
She turns, the glass vase in hand, and she leans against the counter. “About that… the moment you left the garden shop, I had instant regret.”
“Yeah?” I ask, stepping toward her. “And what did you find yourself regretting, Myra?”
She licks her lips. “Saying no when I really wanted to say yes.”
“Want to tell me why your first instinct is to deny yourself the good things in life?”
She lifts an eyebrow at me and sidesteps me to go to the sink, filling the vase with water. “And you’re the good thing in life I was missing?”
“I think so, sweetie.” I step behind her at the sink, taking a chance and finding an in. I set my hands on her hips. She stills. But I feel that fire inside of her. The desire rising up. She turns off the water, sets the vase on the counter, turns to me. We’re inches apart. I keep my hands on her waist, taking her in.
She lowers her chin, lifts her eyes, and I know she wants this as bad as I do. I pull her close, kissing her sweet lips and drawing her to my chest. She is a small, curvy thing in my arms and I won’t let go.
She whimpers ever so slightly beneath me, and I kiss her harder. Her lips part and our tongues collide, and fuck me now, this woman has me hard as rock.
“I want you… bad.”
She moans for more, and I lift her cute ass onto the counter, standing square between her knees, and I kiss Myra like my life depends on it. And I swear, in this moment, I think maybe it does. Kissing her is the new beginning I need, the fresh start. the new chapter — all that shit. It’s her. Us. And God, she kisses like an angel.
Then as quickly as it started, she pushes me away. “Oh no!” she shouts, leaping from my arms and off the counter. “Help!”
Myra
I can do a few things real well — one of them is kiss and another one is cook. The kissing, well, I know I made myself clear when Major made his move — but the cooking is up for debate as the oil in the fryer starts smoking.
“Open the door!” I shout to Major, reaching for the chicken in the fryer, and setting it on a plate to cool. I grab the biscuits from the oven, exhaling with relief as I find them still golden brown. “I thought I ruined supper.”
“Well, hell, sweetheart, I thought we were in real trouble,” Major chuckles.
I widen my eyes. “And you thinking burning biscuits isn’t real trouble?” I shake my head. “Major, you’ve got a few things to learn about me. One of them being I take my cooking seriously.”
“I see that,” he says with a smile. He fans the back door, letting the smoke out, and I laugh despite myself. Dizzy with desire.
“Hand me the milk, mister,” I say with a little sass in my voice. A lightheartedness I haven’t felt in so long is filling me to
the brim.
Major does as asked, and I begin making the cheese sauce for the macaroni. “Make yourself useful and grab the sweet tea from fridge and pour us some.”
He nods, does as asked again, and I admit to liking the sight of this big, strong man pouring me a glass of sweet tea.
“And add a wedge of lemon,” I instruct. Smiling, he does that too.
“So why exactly did you move to a random town, Myra?” he asks, handing me a glass.
I sigh, knowing this was coming. I take a sip of my favorite beverage and then set it on the counter, focused on finishing the cheese sauce. It’s easier to tell it straight without looking into his eyes. “The last guy I was with… he hurt me. Real bad, Major.”
“Who is he?” Major asks, venom on his tongue.
“It doesn’t matter, Major,” I say. “He’s history. Back in Georgia.”
“That’s why you left?”
She nods, then lowers her chin, lifting her eyes. “I came here for a fresh start.”
“I’m sorry you went through hell,” he says, sidling up beside me at the stove, watching me work. “A sweet Southern girl like you doesn’t deserve so much heartache. Truth is, no woman does. I’m sorry for what you’ve been through.”
Hating the attention, I take a chance and find his eyes. “And what about you — why did you move back here? Grady says you’ve only been here a few months.”
“You asked Grady about me?”
I laugh softly. “Maybe.”
He runs a hand over his jaw, eyebrows furrowed.
“It’s okay, sorry to pry. Why don’t we sit down with the food first?”
I dish us up plates of fried chicken and macaroni, biscuits and green beans, and then we carry our plates and glasses of sweet tea to the back patio, where I have a table and chairs.
“It’s nice back here,” Major says as we sit down.
“I got lucky with this rental. It has this cute patio. It’s month-to-month. And I can walk to Grady’s shop.” I smile, knowing it doesn’t take much to make me content. “Where do you live?”
“I’ve been living with my grandma. Trying to find a house I like. Thinking of getting one built.”
“Oh wow, that would amazing,” I say.
“Yeah? What kind of house would you build if you could build anything?”
“Sky’s the limit?” He nods. “I’d want a big front porch, white rocking chairs. A back yard with a big oak tree and a swing hanging from it. Big windows facing the water.”
“Waterfront?” Major smiles.
I laugh. “In a dream world, yeah. A lake, maybe? With a dock.”
“Sounds pretty damn perfect.” Major takes a big bite of my chicken. “But damn, girl, so is this meal. You really know how to cook.”
“Well, thank you,” I say, savoring his compliment and knowing from the way he’s eating that he means it. “You know, speaking of dream worlds, I always dreamed of opening a restaurant.”
“Serving comfort food?”
I nod. “With all my Grandma Maylene’s recipes.” We eat in silence for a few minutes, lost in thought. “And what about you, Major? What would you do for a living in a dream world?”
The question was meant to be lighthearted, but I see a dark cloud cover his eyes as he considers it. “Sorry, I wasn’t trying to stir up anything,” I say, reaching across the table for his hand.
He runs his thumb over mine, shaking his head. “No, it’s okay. You told me what brought you here, it’s only fair I do the same.”
My chest tightens, fearing the worst. Is this perfect man about to drop a bomb on me?
Chapter Four
Major
“The thing is,” I say, trying to choose my words carefully.
I’m afraid I might get emotional sitting here with Myra. I’ve been strong and silent with most people about my crushed dreams — but she’s different. It’s like I can let down my guard with her, not fearing she’ll trample over my heart.
I clear my throat, trying again. “The thing is, I was in the NFL. I played for the Lions until recently. I loved it. Every damn minute, every damn day. Felt like the luckiest man alive to be living my goddamn dream. Then my knee gave out, busted on the field, and just like that, it was over. My career was over.”
“Oh my God, Major,” she says, not letting go of my hand. “I had no idea.”
I shrug, trying to keep it light. I break a biscuit in two and take a bite. “Yeah, well…” I take another bite, then another. “Damn, sweetie, this is one good biscuit.”
Myra smiles. “It’s all about the butter. It’s what makes it so flaky.”
“Oh yeah?” I take a swig of her tea. “You make this too?”
“I always say, when life gives you lemons, make sweet tea.”
I smile. Lifting my eyes, shaking my head. This girl is doing one hell of a number on me.
“So… it seems your heart got crushed the same as mine,” she says softly. “Only difference is I let a dirtbag do the deed and you got heart broken by your one true love.”
I run a hand over my jaw. She lifts her eyes, they meet mine, and goddammit, I fall. For her. In that minute, I know. It’s all over. It’s done. She is mine.
I stand from my seat, and pull her to me. Wrap my arms around this sweetie and cup her cheek in the way I’ve only ever seen in movies. But this right here is real life. My life. And I won’t let this good thing pass me by.
“Maybe not my one true love, Myra.”
“No?” she asks softly, her voice cracking.
“No. Football is something I love, but it’s not my one true anything.”
“What is, Major?”
“You.”
I kiss her then, softer than before. So soft I feel tears sting my eyes. And I may be a burly ass athlete, but right now I feel as soft as a cloud. With her in my arms, the rough edges smooth over and my fears fade away. With her lips on mine, I feel the sun shine down on us, the storm clouds far, far away. With her body against my body, it’s like a blue dawn wrapping around us. Like that fresh start we’re both after has finally been found.
Myra
He carries me into the house and I point to my bedroom. He grins down at me as he sets me on the floor next to my bed.
“I’ve never been with a woman,” he tells me, resting his hands on my hips. “God, I can’t believe I’m even telling you this. But I’ve saved myself for my one and only.”
“Oh,” I say, lowering my gaze. “I see… I wish..” I shake my head. “I wish I…”
“Don’t. Your story brought you here. To me,” Major says. “And damn, I’m sorry for the shit you’ve been though. I wish I could take it all back, but today, now, you are here. And you are mine.”
Tears fill my eyes. “You’re a virgin and after all this time, you are going to sleep with me the day we meet? What if… You might…”
Major shakes his head. “Listen to me — I want you. Now and forever. I was a professional athlete long enough to have plenty of options. I didn’t want them. I just want you.”
My heart fills to the brim with hope and longing and love for this man I’ve only just begun to know. This man who sees the cracks in my heart and wants to mend them, not break me. This man who sees me, heart and soul. And he isn’t running — instead, he asks for more. He asks for me.
“I want to make you happy, Major. I want to give you what you need.”
He cups my face with both his hands and I close my eyes, breathing him in, breathing this moment in, memorizing it. “You’re the only sweet-tea I need.”
I smile, a tear sliding down my cheek. “Do you believe in love at first sight?”
“I suppose I do, Myra. Because I believe in us.”
I lick my lips, stepping back, and I untie my apron, tossing it to the floor. I unbutton my jeans, shimmy out of them. Suddenly I’m filled with longing to satisfy every single inch of this man who has my heart. I want to make him moan with desire. I want him to come with my name on his lips. I want
him to fill me up and I want to please him in a way he has always dreamed about.
I hate Troy — the things he did to me — but he taught me something. He taught me what a real man isn’t. And Major Owens is showing me what a real man is.
And this real man before me — he is mine.
“Come on, mister, off with your clothes. Don’t want to make me wait, do you?”
He chuckles, shaking his head and pulling off his clothes, standing before me ripped and ready, his cock at attention and so big it makes me drip with want. God, he is nothing short of perfection and his cock is huge.
“I don’t get nervous easy, but you make me blush, sweet-tea,” Major says.
“Yeah? Well, you ain’t seen nothing yet.” I strip off my top, unhook my bra and step from my panties. And just like that, I’m naked before him, offering him all of me because I know with all that I am that he will take very, very good care of me.
“Fuck, Myra. You’re… you’re perfection.” He runs his hands over my shoulders, down my waist, over the curve of my hip and pulls me close.
I feel his hard shaft against my belly and I moan in want. He catches my mouth with his lips and kisses me hard, drawing me to the bed, to him, and I sink against his body. He is on his back and I climb on top of him, reaching for his big, thick cock and licking my lips. “I want to suck you, to taste you,” I tell him, stroking him nice and slow. He groans with want and I turn, offering him my ass as I dip my mouth to his thick cock.
I open my mouth up for him, sucking him slowly, twirling my tongue over his tip, loving every inch of him.
“God, Myra, that feels so fucking good.”
“Come in my mouth,” I tell him. “I know you want to.”
He grunts. “Fuck, you know I do, sweetie.”
“Come on, Major, show me how you feel. Let me swallow your seed. Please.”
“God,” he groans as I pump him nice and good. I have never been so direct, so demanding, but there is something about having Major’s big shaft in my hand that has me giddy with want. I need to taste him in a way I’ve never needed anything before.
The Way To A Man’s Heart: Books 1-10 Page 23
