13
Maeve
“What the heck, Christian? That place was fine. It had enough bedrooms. It was clean and came with furniture.” I sulked back to the car, opened the door, and sank into the passenger side seat. If I was being honest, I was getting exhausted by the whole ordeal. Nothing seemed good enough for the girls. This one was fine, but it just felt cold.
It was only six months, though. As long as it was safe for the girls, then I could do anything for six months, even if that meant being in traffic for upward of two hours a day.
“No. It wasn’t. Fine isn’t good enough.” He pulled out of the garage and started to drive back up the highway.
“What are we going to do?” I whined as I ran my hands through my hair. We needed to find an apartment, and I wanted to move in before I had to pick up the girls on Monday.
“Chill, firecracker. I have it under control.” He had that smug look on his face, and I looked at the deep scruff on his jawline that was a cross between a small beard and stubble. His hair definitely was long enough to be pulled into a bun but not so long and stringy that it looked gross.
We drove back to where Tatum and Gianna lived with Elio and Julian.
“I appreciate your effort, Christian, but we cannot live with our friends,” I told him as we drove into their neighborhood.
He just chuckled, the melodic tone filling the otherwise quiet car. “We aren’t living with our friends, Maeve.” Fuck, when he said my name, it was a combination of both sweet and salty. It was powerful and commanding.
“Christian,” I responded barely audibly, “I cannot afford a house in this neighborhood. It is far too expensive. Plus, we sent the real estate agent home.”
We pulled up to a house on the same cul-de-sac that our friends were on. In fact, it was just at the end of the block. It didn’t have the same glamorous views that Julian or Elio had, but it still was on a little hillside and overlooked the Pacific Ocean. The house was beautiful. It had pale blue slats and a large porch that was oddly familiar to the one at my parents’ house. The landscaping wasn’t complete, but the house looked almost new.
“What is this?” I looked around as he parked the car and then promptly crossed my arms over my chest. “Seriously, Christian. This is way out of my price range. It isn’t even funny.”
He got out of the car and opened my door, where I sat there like a toddler throwing my fit.
“Get out of the car, Maeve.” There he went again with my name.
“No.” He reached down and extended his hand for me to grab, but I just stuck out my lower lip at him.
“Maeve, if you do that to me, I will do more than just take you into this house.” His tone was low. His stance was both irritated and erotic, sending a shiver down my spine.
“What would you do?” I wanted to test him. I knew what I was doing, and quite frankly, I didn’t care.
“Maeeeveee,” he murmured in a “don’t test me” tone.
“What?” I looked up at him with a large, doe-eyed expression.
He leaned down on his haunches, so I was now face-to-face with him as I sat in the passenger side of the car.
“Maeve.” He said my name like it was a full sentence. “I would take that lower lip that you’re sticking out, open your mouth wide, and shove it full of my cock to shut you up. I would fill you up so deep with my cum that you would be choking on your words.”
Stunned.
I was shocked. I didn’t have words. It was so carnal and alluring. I had never heard anyone speak so dirty. I hated that I liked it too.
I blinked a few times before getting out of the seat, pushing past him, and walking toward the house. I had to take some deep breaths to center myself before I could speak again. I could feel the wetness in my panties, and I had no desire to share this little fact with Christian.
“Well, are you coming to show me whatever this is?” I finally managed to get the words out of my mouth while I squeezed my thighs closed tightly.
He laughed again and then got up from where he squatted and walked over to me. He reached out to my hand, and I looked down at it.
“Take it, firecracker.” I begrudgingly grabbed his hand. Even worse, I hated that his hands were an almost perfect fit in mine. I was joking. They weren’t *almost* perfect. Quite frankly, they were simply the perfect fit.
“Close your eyes,” he requested.
I rolled my eyes, which made him chuckle, and then shut them. He guided me onto what felt like the porch, and then I heard a key open the door. We walked a few steps to what I could only assume was inside the house.
“Okay, open up.”
I was stunned. The house was beautiful. Gosh, even beautiful wasn’t a strong enough word to describe it, though. It had dark wooden accents. It was comfortable with hints of feeling quite coastal too. There was a large living room area, and the kitchen was bright and inviting. It was modern, but it wasn’t like the apartment that felt bare and sterile. This felt almost lived in, yet it was brand new.
I paused in the middle of the room and looked down, realizing I still held Christian’s hand. He must not have noticed or cared and started guiding me up the stairs;stairs with a baby gate at the bottom that was perfect for a four-year-old toddler.
“Christian?” He ignored me and guided me up the stairs. There were two rooms on one side of the house. He led me into the first one. It was painted light pink and had a small toddler bed. It was full of Barbie toys and large organization cube units for toys and clothes.
“What the—” I walked into the room, pulling my hand away from Christian, completely stunned.
I quickly turned to Christian, who was merely smilingnonchalantly in the doorframe.
“This one is for Kins,” he responded before disappearing into the hallway. I didn’t know how I moved because my feet felt stuck in concrete bricks.
The next room with an adjoining bathroom in the middle was painted light blue. A small mural with ocean waves on it decorated one wall. A small twin bed and the same organizational unit were in the corner.
“I know Kelsie likes ocean stuff, so I wanted to do this one with waves. I didn’t know what toys she liked, so I thought we could just bring hers from your house here.”
“Christian.” I must have said his name ten thousand times, but my thoughts swirled in my head, and I couldn’t figure out which one I wanted to say first.
“Come on. There’s no need to say anything just yet. The tour isn’t even over.”
This time, I grabbed his hand, surprising him. He looked down at us with our fingers intertwined before slowly looking back up at me and locking his eyes with mine. They were filled with a momentary pause before he casually shook his head and guided me down the hallway.
“I know these rooms are kinda far away, so I outfitted both of them with cameras so you can watch the girls…” He opened the door on the left side of the hallway.
As the door swung open, I stepped into a room that emanated a warm and cozy atmosphere, perfectly feminine. The walls were adorned in soft, earthy tones, creating a soothing ambience that instantly put me at ease. The space was expertly organized, with clever storage solutions discreetly integrated throughout the room. A comfortable bed with a plush duvet dominated the center, inviting me to sink into its embrace after a long day. The room's charm was accentuated by delicate touches—a string of fairy lights twinkling softly above the bed, a collection of scented candles casting a subtle fragrance into the air. It was a space designed with care.
“Christian,” I repeated yet again, unable to string together a proper sentence.
“It’s no big deal.” He stood in the hallway as I stepped into the room. I looked back at him, where he leaned on the doorframe with one hand at the top. He stared into the room from there.
“When did you do this?” I asked him, the shock still visible all over my face.
“I was working on it yesterday and had a crew come in overnight and this morning."
"But I cannot afford this." I looked down as I nervously rubbed my hands together. There was no way that this place was anywhere in my budget.
“Just give me what you can pay for each month.” I tilted my head to the side because I didn’t like that plan. “Stop overthinking. I can literally see your brain working from over here. I had already built this house for myself. There are plenty of rooms.”
“The mortgage must be so expensive, though.” He laughed again and leaned farther into the room with his hands still on the top of the doorframe.
“Nah. It pays to work with the Mafia, firecracker. I bought this house in cash.” His smile was so beautiful. The way his thick lips tugged to the sides as his mouth turned. He had two little dimples that I just noticed too, which only accentuated the genuineness of it. “Whatever you want to contribute, we will use to pay the bills or something.”
At this point, it wasn’t like I could even say no to him anyway. He had decorated the whole house for the girls. I just needed to move their stuff in, and it was ready to go. This was the best option since they were coming in the next forty-eight hours. Plus, as I walked to the window at the back of my bedroom, I noticed a pool in the back that already had a fence around it.
“The girls will love the pool, too,” I said aloud. Then I did something quite out of the ordinary for us. Aside from the one time that I was obliterated from my beer and woke up snuggled next to him, Christian and I rarely, if ever, had any physical contact. It was just something we never did. We usually were too much at each other’s throats with our words rather than focusing on physical touch.
So, when I went over to him and reached out to give him a hug, I wasn’t surprised when he stood there completely frozen in the frame of the door.
I was quite surprised when I pulled him tighter into me and leaned my head against the crook of his shoulder. Even more so when I realized that my head fit perfectly in this little crook, like when our hands intertwined.
“Thank you for everything. I don’t know how to repay you.” I squeezed around his waist a little tighter.
I was surprised when he wrapped his arms around mine. Mostly, I was surprised by the way his thick muscles tightened around my waist. I guess I never paid close enough attention to how strong he was. He was built like a football player with his really broad chest, thick neck, and bulging arm muscles. There was a reason Julian used him as his personal bodyguard. When he pulled me in tight, I immediately inhaled his crisp pine scent, and in his arms, I felt safe. It was weird. I shouldn’t be here.
I pulled away quickly before resorting to the joking tone that I tended to use when I was really uncomfortable with a situation. “Where are you staying?” When he pulled back, the way his face curled in confusion only perpetuated my own unknowing with this situation.
“It’s across the hall.” He gestured right across to where his door was.
“Can I see it?” He stepped aside to allow me to pass and open the door to his room. From the center of my room, I could see right into his. Mental note to always remember to shut the door when changing.
Unlike the feminine accents in my room, his room was the opposite. It was painted a dark green color with dark wooden accents. But the oddest thing was above his bed...?
I walked over to inspect it and looked at the ceiling. “Do you have a TV mounted on your ceiling?” I tilted my head in confusion but also to get a better look at it.
“Something like that, firecracker.” He laughed from where he was now propped in his doorframe. What the fuck was it with him and doorframes. “There is just one thing…”
I walked to the bathroom while he trailed off and suddenly realized there was a door on the other side of the bathroom.
“Is this an adjoining bathroom?!” I all but shrieked. “CHRISTIAN!” I screamed and heard him chuckle as he walked to the bathroom I stood in.
“Sorry, firecracker. You’ll have to lock the door if you're taking a shit.” He ran his hand through his stubble.
“That is not what I’m worried about. At least the toilet has a locking door. What if I’m in the shower, and you decide to walk in?”
“I would stand there and watch.” He chortled as I playfully hit his elbow.
“Perv,” I retorted. “What if you are in the shower and like, are…” I look down at his pants as if somehow that would complete my sentence.
“I’m doing what, firecracker?” The joyful look on his face told me everything I needed to know. He would make me say it, and he found enjoyment in making me say it.
“Like…touching yourself or something?” He closed the gap between us and looked down at my mouth.
“You worried about walking in to see me masturbating, firecracker?” God, he must have put the fucking heat on because I was on fire right now.
“I obviously don’t need to see your dick…Christian.” I accentuated his name to drive my point home.
“Obviously.” He laughed humorously and walked out of the room and down the stairs when I realized the doorbell had rung.
“Are we going to set some ground rules for the bathroom situation?” I cried behind him as I tried to keep up with his pace.
“Stop obsessing, Maeve. We are both adults. Plus, like you said, you don’t need to see my dick. I’m sure you’ll be careful about when you come in.” He gave me a quick wink before opening the door.
Tatum, Gianna, Elio, Julian, and my parents stood there. A gaggle of oohs and aahs as they all walked through the door. I looked behind them and realized there was a moving truck in the driveway too, and a few movers were already bringing boxes of clothes and toys in.
“What the—?” I looked at Christian, who only shrugged and walked back with Julian to show him some of the updates he had done.
“I knew he had bought this house and was redoing it, but girl, this is gooood.” Tatum gave me a quick hug before bounding up the stairs where my mom had just gone.
“Did you know about this, Dad?” I asked my father, whose jaw was probably as low as mine was when I first walked in.
“No idea. I was just talking to him this morning, and then movers came when you guys left and started to pack your stuff up.”
“Pat!” My mother started to shrill from the top of the stairs, where Tatum ran out and followed the same level of excitement. “He made rooms for the girls! You need to see this!” My dad was still not 100 percent convinced as he walked slowly up the stairs.
I just stood in the entryway of my new house, where a flurry of movers rushed around me, giggles and chatter came from my friends upstairs, and the guys talked in hushed tones past the kitchen. My kitchen.
The world around me was in chaos, but all I could do was focus on the one person who made this all possible in such a short time. He stood there with a cracked La Croix in his hand and listened to what Elio said. His face was the fierce, stoic, business-only vibe he usually portrayed to everyone else—the quiet, brooding one in the corner who was always just kind of there but never participated. I had the ability to truly see who he was, though. It was me that he let his guard down with, only me.
When he sensed I just stood there and stared at him, he turned his head slowly to lock eyes with mine. His deep blue eyes searched for something I couldn’t pinpoint, and just for me, he cracked that smile that felt like someone wrapped you in a warm blanket on a cold day.
Something inexplicable shifted inside me as if a veil had been lifted from my consciousness. The familiar chorus of self-doubt and belittlement that Tyler's words had planted within me suddenly faded into insignificance. In its place blossomed an overwhelming sense of confidence and resilience, transforming me into a person I had never anticipated. Someone independent and strong. What I did next was grossly and highly unexpected for me.
I walked over to where Christian stood in a circle with Elio and Julian. His eyes hadn’t left me, but the closer I got to him, the more surprise etched into his features.
“Excuse me,” I said to Julian and Elio before I grabbed Christian’s hand and took him behind the kitchen where he had shown me his office was.
“What are you—?” I practically shoved him into the room and slammed the door shut behind me.
“Have you lost your mind? I was just talking to—” I interrupted him by pushing his back up against the wooden desk.
“Maeve?” The way he continued to use my first name instead of the nickname he usually had for me unnerved me, but I was on a mission. I was filled with unexplained emotion, and something inside me was driving me. My usually swirling thoughts were so incredibly quiet, and I was acting on pure instinct.
I rubbed the outside of his arms, and he looked down at what I was doing. I had perched myself so I was in the middle of his thighs, and I felt them tighten around my waist, holding me there a little bit tighter.
My instincts kept driving me forward, though. No thoughts. No thinking. No. There was none of that. There was just doing. Right now, I was doing the one thing I had so badly wanted to do since we stepped into this house.
I ran my hands around his thick biceps and gave a very small squeeze right before moving them up toward his shoulders and then down his chest, where I could feel him contract underneath his plain black T-shirt. The cotton was thin enough that I could feel his pecs tighten as I ran my fingers down to his abs.
I leaned my head forward and could feel his heart beating from where I stood. It raced in anticipation. I looked up from my thick lashes and used one hand to lift his chin so his eyes locked with my own. I grazed his jawline with the same finger and could feel his breath hitch.
“Maeve…” he warned.
I looked down at his lips and then finally closed the gap between us. I pressed my lips against his, and I felt myself being transported to another world. His mouth was as thick as it looked, and he opened easily for me. As our mouths intertwined, his hands pulled my waist in tighter.
My body molded seamlessly into his, an undeniable magnetic pull drawing us closer. The chemistry that I had stubbornly denied now blazed between us with a real intensity. In that stolen embrace, time lost its grip, and the world faded away, leaving only the intoxicating taste of desire on our lips.
It was a moment of surrender, a moment when the truth could no longer be concealed. The fire that had silently smoldered between us erupted into an inferno of passion, defying all logic and expectation. It was as if somehow this unveiled a connection that transcended the ordinary, rewriting the rules of our own desires and awakening a hunger that could no longer be denied.
Our lips parted as we took each other seamlessly. There was an electric current between us. It was undeniable. It was there. It existed. I had no desire to stop as I pushed my mouth open and let my tongue slip into his.