CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
If Maggie thought having sex would change their relationship in any way, she was mistaken.
After their morning-after talk, he excused himself to go upstairs.
When he hadn’t reappeared after a couple of hours, she got some work done, said goodbye to the caretakers, who were leaving town for a few days, and then headed out to the pool.
“I thought I told you not to go outside,” Mitch grumbled as he scanned the area, looking for who knows what. Flirty Mitch was gone, replaced with grumpy, serious Mitch.
“You told me not to go down to the beach,” she countered.
“Tomato, tom-ah-toe,” he said. “I’m here to keep you safe, and that’s tough if you’re out here in the open.”
“Unless someone has a helicopter, I think we’ll be okay.
” She replaced her sunglasses and laid back down.
If he was going back to grumpy, she’d go back to sassy.
“I know you don’t want to be on babysitter duty.
You’re only doing this because Jenny and Adam forced you to.
You don’t even like me.” Was she fishing? Maybe.
“What gave you that impression?” He sat on the chaise lounge next to her and chuckled at her raised eyebrow.
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because until last night you treated me like a bad cold you were afraid of catching.”
“I like you well enough.” He smiled, and she felt her heart melt a little. “I’m just worried that if we do this,” He waved his hand between the two of them, “what happens when I break it off? We have a lot of important people in common. I don’t want things to be awkward.”
She laughed out loud. “What makes you so sure I wouldn’t be the one breaking it off?”
He mocked a thoughtful look. “Never occurred to me.”
“God, you’re conceited! Have you never been dumped?”
“Um, well, no. Then again, I haven’t had many relationships that were involved enough to end in dumping. I’ve gotten pretty good at the love ’em and leave ’em thing.”
“Wait, how many women are we talking about? You didn’t lie to me, did you? When you said you were clean?” The thought horrified her. Was she that gullible? Had she already contracted some horrible disease that was cultivating within her even as they spoke?
He looked her straight in the eye. “Until last night, I’ve never had unprotected sex. I promise you that.” He was dead serious, and she felt a little boost of confidence. She was the first and only. Huh.
“All right. I believe you.” She looked away, a little unsettled at his solemnness. “How about we just go back to the way things were and pretend last night never happened?” she asked irritably.
“Is that really what you want?” he asked, moving over to her chair, forcing her to move her legs. He put his hand on her sun-warmed thigh.
That wasn’t at all what she wanted, but it would make things easier. He slowly started inching his hand upward, making it extremely hard to think. What the heck? May as well be honest.
“No. I was thinking more like a friends-with-benefits sort of thing.” She tried to sound blasé.
His hand made it to her hip. He squeezed, and she whimpered. “Only until I tire of you, though,” she added.
He smiled. “So, no expectations of a relationship?”
“None.”
He pretended to think while his hand inched upward. “I could probably make that work. Friends then?”
“I was thinking we could focus more on the benefits part.” She leaned up and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a long, deep kiss.
He moaned and laid down next to her on the lounge chair. It wasn’t built for two, so it was a tight fit.
“Get on top of me,” he said gruffly, wrestling to get under her. When their bodies were flush against one another, he moaned again and undid the clasp holding her bikini top. It stayed pinned between them.
He did a half sit-up and pulled the back of the chair up so he was almost sitting upright, and she straddled his lap. He sent the bikini top flying and latched onto a nipple. She arched into him and clasped his head to her.
She’d never had sex outside. What a rush. This was the reason she’d decided to get intimate with Mitch. Hot, mind-blowing, earth-shattering sex.
She let all thoughts go and just felt. She rocked against him, moving her hips back and forth over his length.
The idea of him fully dressed, and she almost naked was heady.
The orgasm came from nowhere and caught her by surprise.
She panted and moaned through it and after catching her breath, noticed Mitch, still as stone, watching her intently.
“Holy shit, Mags. And I thought last night was hot. Get into my back pocket and grab my wallet. I came prepared this time.”
He got what he needed and tossed his wallet. She sat and backed off him enough to be able to undo the first button of his Levis. She didn’t take her eyes off his as she slowly undid each of the others.
“You’re killing me, woman. Get him out already.”
“So bossy,” she said but did as he demanded. Seeing him in the light of day was amazing, and she stared openly, in awe.
He took a second to open the condom and cover himself. “Come here.” He crooked his finger. She scooted closer and was rewarded with a passionate kiss.
Impatiently, he pushed aside her bikini bottom and positioned her to take him. She slid down slowly, taking him an inch at a time until he was fully sheathed.
“God, you feel good,” he murmured.
He filled her completely. She could feel him everywhere.
“Ride me, Maggie.” She moved slowly at first, and he groaned. As she built up speed, he grabbed her by the ass and helped her accelerate even more. He finally made one last thrust and a muffled growling noise. His face was buried in her hair, and he was gasping for air.
“Mags. I can’t breathe,” he panted. He rolled them so they were side by side, but still facing each other. Pushing her hair out of her face, he kissed her tenderly and then just held her. Falling asleep in his arms sounded heavenly, but she had other needs at the moment.
“Mitch? All I’ve eaten today is cookies. I’m starving, and you never answered my question about the groceries. Did you get any or not?”
“Oh, no, sorry. Forgot about that. How about we have a pizza delivered and then worry about the rest tomorrow? Adam’s driving out tonight. He’s probably on his way and could pick up something else if you don’t want pizza.”
“Pizza sounds like a plan.” She sat up and immediately missed his warmth.
She crossed her arms over her bare breasts as she searched for her top.
Finding it hung on a chair a few feet away, she scurried over and quickly put it back on.
“I’m gonna take a quick shower and get dressed. You handle the pizza?”
He’d buttoned back up and was typing into his phone. “On it.” He held up the phone. “What do you like?”
“Pepperoni and pineapple’s my favorite, but I’m not picky. I’ll eat whatever you get.”
***
She was so easygoing. The difference between Maggie and most of the other women Mitch had been with was night and day. No demands of an expensive dinner. No “on the side” this and “hold the oil” that. He should have found a woman like this years ago.
He located the nearest bathroom and cleaned up, ordered the pizza, and grabbed a beer to wait. Maggie reappeared fifteen minutes later, dressed in khaki capris and a navy blue, fitted T-shirt. Her hair was up in a ponytail.
That was another thing he liked about her. It didn’t take her an hour to get ready to eat pizza at home. She looked as good in ten minutes as his other girlfriends had taking five times as long.
“The pizza’s paid for and should be here soon. I need to make a quick call but will be back to answer the door. Do not answer the door. Got it?” She gave a smart salute, and he ducked out to make his call.
He returned just as the doorbell rang. Making sure there was one in the chamber, and the safety was off on his gun, he put it in his back waistband and slowly opened the door. A pimply-faced kid held up the pizza and snapped his gum. “Pizza for Fred?”
“That’s me,” said Mitch. He exchanged the pizza for a twenty-dollar bill.
The kid’s eyes lit up at the tip. “Thanks, dude.”
When he returned to the kitchen, Maggie had set out some plates and napkins and was halfway into a beer. She dove right into the pizza.
“Pepperoni and pineapple,” she said around a mouth full. “You got my favorite. Thank you.”
They ate pizza and drank beer with a Knicks game on in the background. Maggie was the perfect girl-next-door cliché. She could be your buddy one minute and someone you wanted to throw down and have sex with the next.
She was also a distraction he couldn’t afford right now. This klutzy, sweet, sometimes irritating woman had gotten him to let his guard down twice now. As enticing as she was, he needed to refocus and tell her they’d have to pick this up again after Manuel was caught and they were safe.
“So, Mags. I spent the afternoon thinking, and I have something I need to ask you.”