Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
TEXAS
M aya bounced her knee where she sat in the passenger seat of my car. She’d acted different last night, and it seemed like it was going to happen again. What was going on? Why did she suddenly seem nervous around me?
She rubbed her hands down her thighs and took a shaky breath.
“Babe.”
She glanced at me and then away. “Uh, yeah?”
“What’s goin’ on?”
She huffed. “What? Nothing. What’s going on with you?”
Drawing my brows down in confusion, I pulled to a stop at the red light and turned to her. “Maya, you’re bein’ all jittery.” I pointed down at her knee, which promptly stopped.
She bit her bottom lip and ran her hand over the side of her neck. “I-I guess it’s… ah….” She scrunched up her nose. Was she trying to think of something to say? “Easton called today. He mentioned that he, Lan, and Parker were hoping to come to the pub tonight for the band. But… I mean, I could tell he wanted to bring up work on the phone, but he didn’t. I’m just not sure if he will or won’t tonight if I see him.”
I get that she’d be apprehensive talking about it, but I didn’t think it’d make her this nervous.
Reaching over, I placed a palm on her thigh, just above her knee, and squeezed before putting both hands back on the steering wheel when the light turned green. “Don’t stress about it. Give me a code word if you want out of a conversation, and I’ll get you out.”
I could feel her gaze on me, but I didn’t look her way to catch it.
“Thanks. I guess I could say ‘Pepsi.’”
“Pepsi?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, Pepsi it is.” I grinned, thinking she was cute. “You heard anythin’ about this band?”
“No. But I did look them up, and they sound good.”
“At least there’s that.”
“Thanks again for offering to pick me up.”
“It’s on the way. Thought it’d be sensible.” Shit, did that sound like I was doing it just because and not me wanting that extra time with her alone?
She hummed. “True.”
Fuck. Did her tone sound off? Had she taken it the wrong way? Was she ready for the right way though? The truth?
Before I could correct anything, or actually think of the right thing to say—I also thought it best to leave it in case I fucked it up—I pulled into a car park down the road from the pub. The street was busy, but not too much. Christ, I hoped it wasn’t too crowded. Crowds annoyed me. It also meant there was a chance some guys would take notice of Maya.
Who was I kidding? Of course she’d be noticed by other guys. She was stunning. I glanced down at her jeans when we met at the front of my car. I’d already noticed how they hugged her arse nicely. There were a little too many cuts and slits for others to look at, though. The shirt she had on was cut low enough for a taste of cleavage but wasn’t over-the-top bare all. Thank fuck.
Placing a hand on her lower back, I led her down the footpath. She glanced up at me with a small smile that had my gut damn well fluttering.
Christ, she was beautiful. I wanted to thread my fingers into her long, dark-brown hair. It was so damn thick and wavy. But I refrained. Hopefully one day.
The closer we got, the louder the noise spilled from the bar. Coyote and Channa were already inside. Coyote had texted, letting me know they’d grabbed a booth on the far side. We just had to get in there and find it.
Maya took out her purse to pay the fee to get in, but I’d already had the money in my pocket and handed it over top of her.
She looked over her shoulder with a glare. “You didn’t have to.”
I winked. “I know.”
She grumbled something under her breath that I couldn’t hear as we walked down the hall. When it opened up to the main area, I took in the room quickly, noting all the exits as a just in case. I also spotted Coyote and Channa. Leaning down, I said into Maya’s ear, “Over to the right.”
With my hand still on her back, I caught her shiver. That meant she was reacting to me, right? Was it my touch? Or talking close to her ear?
Shit, had my breath stunk and she shivered in revulsion?
I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to remove my hand or not now. How did I become so indecisive when it came to a woman?
Usually, I’d know what to do. I’d know what women wanted. But I was second-guessing myself with everything when it came to Maya.
Coyote and Channa stood, since his woman was shoving at him to get out of their side of the booth. Channa wrapped her arms around Maya and hugged her close. The beaming smile on Maya’s lips lit up her entire face. I was sure even her damn eyes glowed.
Fuck me.
I did know why I was scared I’d mess up. It was because she meant a fuckload more than any of the women in my past.
Maya was my future. The woman who’d stand at my side for the rest of our lives.
So yeah, I’d worry over shit because she was the most important person in my life.
Not that she knew it yet.
Thinking about telling her had my gut in a tight grip of nerves.
Coyote shook my hand, and we hugged one armed. “Your girl tanked?” I asked when I shifted back to see Channa gripping Maya’s shoulders and shaking her a little while she talked a mile a minute.
Coyote chuckled. “Yeah, a little.” He watched her like she was his forever. Though, I could have called it from the start. Even though I’d done a little harmless flirting with Channa to begin with, it’d been all in fun and so I could see Coyote get riled by it. Which was proof enough that subconsciously he’d known she was his also.
She was good for him and he for her.
Only, she was also shaking Maya a little too much for my liking. Chuckling, I stepped close and pulled Maya back against my chest. “You’ll rattle her brain.”
Channa straightened and grinned up at me. Coyote managed to curl his arm around her shoulders before she gave me two thumbs up and then raised her hands in the air. “Shots.”
Maya laughed. “I’ll start with a vodka first.” I wasn’t sure if she even realised that she’d rested against my chest more.
Channa spun to her man. “Cody, honey, let’s get drinks.”
Coyote smirked. “How about you take a seat, and I’ll grab some drinks?”
“I’ll help,” I said.
The band’s song changed. Channa gasped. “I love this song.” She moved fast, grabbed Maya’s hand, and dragged her out onto the dance floor.
“How many drinks has she had in the hour you’ve been here?”
“Two.”
I jerked my head back in shock and looked at him. “Two?”
Chuckling, he nodded. “She’s a bit of a lightweight.”
Shaking my head, I glanced back to the women in time to see a couple of guys approaching them.
Fuck.
Coyote and I started forward. When we reached them, Coyote quickly stepped around the guy close to Channa and wrapped his arms around his woman’s waist, pulling her tightly to him.
I tapped the other guy on his shoulder, and when he turned, I shook my head. “Don’t even fuckin’ think about it.”
The sneer on his face told me he was going to press the matter, meaning my woman, but then his gaze flicked down to the vest I wore.
His hands rose in front of him. “No trouble. Didn’t know she was yours.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I nodded. “Now you do.”
The guys fled just before Maya looked over her shoulder. I grinned down and she moved close. “Enjoyin’ them?”
“Actually, yeah. They sound better in person.”
Nodding, I tapped her nose, and she smiled before turning back to the band.
I wanted to put my hands on her waist and pull her against me like she was already mine and I could lean down and kiss her neck, her cheek, and her lips. I clenched my hands at my sides as my heart went crazy in my chest at the thought of doing those things.
I’d give my left nut for Maya to turn around and kiss me.
Actually, I’d give both my nuts for Maya to turn and tell me her feelings had never changed. That she still wanted me.
Unfortunately—well, not really unfortunate, since I wanted to keep both my balls—that didn’t happen.
Instead, I dipped down close to her ear and said, “Gonna get drinks. Stick close to your brother.”
She turned her head enough to catch my gaze, and she nodded.
I ran my eyes over her face and noticed how close we were.
Could I lean in and kiss her?
Would she want me to?
Was it too soon?
Fuck. I didn’t know, and until I got a clear signal from her, I wouldn’t risk it. Not yet.
Straightening, I caught Coyote’s attention and jerked my chin towards the front. “I’ll grab drinks. You stay here.”
“You got it, brother,” he called.
As I made my way to the bar, I kept glancing back in case Coyote’s attention was only on his woman, leaving Maya unprotected. He was lucky, it wasn’t. At the bar, I took a stool and waited my turn while watching Maya sway her hips side to side.
There went the fluttering in my gut again.
Fluttering.
I’d never had that reaction before or even thought of that word.
In the past, my dick got hard over women, but the rest of my body hardly reacted. That was until Maya had opened my eyes.
Smirking, I shook my head at my own thoughts.
Glancing back down the other end of the bar, I glared at the two bartenders talking with, no doubt, some of their mates and ignoring the rest of us. I rested my elbows on the bar and leaned down for the wait.
A sigh sounded beside me on the right. I glanced there to see a redheaded woman before looking over my shoulder to the dance floor. With a smirk, Coyote still watched both of them while they danced.
“Do you think they’ll ever get down here?”
Shit. The woman was trying to talk to me. I was sure of it.
Wanting to get out of there quickly and back to Maya, I put a couple of fingers between my lips and whistled. The bartenders looked our way, and I waved them over.
“Thank God,” the woman said. “Thanks.”
With a chuckle, I told her, “Just thirsty.” I seriously hadn’t done it for her.
“My name’s Holly. What’s yours?”
“Texas.”
“What can I get you?” one of the bartenders asked me while the other served Holly.
I ordered two beers for Coyote and me, a vodka and raspberry for Maya, and then I was stuck on Channa. I didn’t have a clue what she drank. In the end, I grabbed another of Maya’s drink. If she didn’t like it, Maya could have it and I’d get Channa something else.
“So, Texas,” Holly said, and I glanced back at her before she continued, “you here with others?”
“Yeah.”
She smiled coyly. “A girlfriend?”
A hand touched down on my shoulder, and then a body pressed against my side. “I thought I’d come and help,” Maya said from my left.
My dick jerked at her clear claiming actions. Hell, I couldn’t be happier with it.
Turning my head, I grinned. “Thanks, babe.” I straightened from leaning on the bar and curled an arm around Maya’s shoulders. My lips twitched when I caught her staring at the woman on my other side.
Maya tipped her head back and whispered, “Am I interrupting?”
“Not at all.” The bartender arrived with the drinks, I paid, and we took them back to the booth where Coyote and Channa were making out.
They only stopped when Maya slid into the other side of the booth. I took one of the glasses she’d been holding and put it in front of Channa. “Weren’t sure what you drank so I got you one like Maya’s.”
Channa waved a hand around. “Thanks. I’ll drink just about anything but wine.”
I took the spot next to Maya and couldn’t help myself; I shifted close enough to press my thigh against hers. I was still half hard from her actions earlier, and my gut wouldn’t stop its dance. But I needed her close; the hope she’d just given me meant a great fucking deal.
We chatted for a while. Channa complained about Stanley, an old guy who worked at her bakery, but it was only because he gave her shit in a loving way. Coyote told me he was getting in new gear at his Harley store, which I wouldn’t mind checking out.
When I was done with my beer, I leaned back in the booth and placed my arm along the cushion behind Maya, close to touching her shoulders.
When she was mine, I wouldn’t have to stop myself from the casual touches I wanted to give her now. Grinning, I watched her every move as she told us a story about Drake. How she spoke with her hands, how animated she got, how her eyes lit. Hell, I could stare at her day and night if it wasn’t creepy. She was damn mesmerising.
Christ, I wished she was mine now. The need to kiss her, taste her was strong. My body ached from it.
Soon.
If she kept showing me signs, I’d step up my game to make her mine and me hers.
When the conversation lulled, I leaned into her. “Guess Easton couldn’t make it after all.”
I made sure to watch her reaction. There was no missing her gaze flaring, her brows shooting up, the way she opened and closed her mouth. Only to open it to lie, “Ah, yeah… I guess not.”
Why had she lied to me about him coming?
The only reason I could think of was that she’d been nervous about something else. Was it being around me with no one as a buffer? I’d thought we’d passed that stage where she didn’t want to be around me.
Unless her feelings had grown.
Unless she was into me.
That had to be it, right?
She’d always got out of my way when I was around because she liked me and was shy about it. A shyness that grew into annoyance when I kept bringing women around.
Only nowadays, that annoyance didn’t rise; there’d be no one else I’d bring around since Maya was it for me.
Fuck yes.
“Why are you grinning like that?” Maya suddenly asked.
I pinched her chin and bopped her nose. “No reason.”
Her gaze narrowed. “Yes, there is.”
Winking, I tipped my chin towards her glass. “Want another?”
“Texas—”
I shifted into her space. “Tell you another time, yeah?”
A blush coated her cheeks, and I heard the slight intake of breath. “O-Okay,” she whispered.
Yeah, I wasn’t just being cocky. She was back to being into me and knowing it had my body humming in elation. It was only a matter of days, or a day, or a couple of hours…. No, I’d stick with a couple of days to be completely sure Maya wanted me in the way I wanted her, and then I’d make my move.
Christ, my heart, soul, and dick were all for the next level.