Chapter 30
M atthieu was frowning down at his phone when Maya walked into the kitchen the next morning.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“Yes, fine. There’s some French toast for you on the counter. Should still be warm enough. And I poured you a coffee.”
Wow.
She felt so bad. He was always doing things like this to take care of her. And they were things he didn’t have to do. This wasn’t his job.
“I should cook tonight,” she blurted out.
He raised his head and stared straight at her. She held his gaze for as long as she could, aware that her face was probably growing red. Finally, she had to glance away.
But she was getting better. She was certain of it. She could do this.
“I didn’t think you could cook. You said you could bake, but not cook.”
Umm. Well. That was true.
“I can cook something simple . . .” She was wracking her brain for one of those things. “How about chili and rice?”
How hard could that be?
Seemed pretty easy to her. Just stick it all in a pot, right?
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Uh-huh. Yep.” She nodded.
“All right, then. We’ll get the stuff on our way home.”
She sat and took a sip of coffee. Lord, he made the best coffee. It was prepared just the way she liked it.
“You’re spoiling me,” she told him as she cut into her French toast.
“You deserve to be spoiled.”
Lord, he said the nicest things. How was she ever supposed to go back to not having him in her life?
It would be so hard. However she wasn’t going to waste the time she did have with him by hiding any longer.
That’s the conclusion she’d come to last night. While it would be hard when he left and she knew there would never be anything between them, she still wanted to spend time with him.
She wanted to look her fill before he was gone and if she occasionally had a naughty thought about him . . . well, that was only healthy, right?
When she glanced up again, he was looking at her strangely.
“What is it? Do I have syrup on my chin? A pimple? It’s a pimple, isn’t it? Oh no, it’s not a wart!”
He grinned and her heart skipped a beat.
Potent. He was far too potent.
“A wart? Really? You thought a wart had just appeared? Where? On the end of your nose?”
“Um. Maybe? It hasn’t?”
“Of course it hasn’t. Why would you think that?”
“I don’t know. You were just looking at me funny.”
Hmm. Was he looking at her funny? Maybe because he’d been thinking about her moans as she’d made herself come last week.
Fuck. That had been so hot. Every night since he’d found himself straining to hear if she was going to do it again. It was wrong. But he just couldn’t help himself.
He wished that he’d been the one pleasuring her.
Of course, he couldn’t tell her any of that. Maya had grown beet red over the thought of having a pimple. She’d probably faint if he told her that he’d heard her come.
Yep. That secret was going to have to go to the grave with him.
“Your father is planning on going back to work on Monday,” he told her instead of saying what he really wanted to.
Like, invite me into your bed the next time you get horny and I’ll help.
Yeah. He really couldn’t say that to her.
Although, fuck, it had been so tempting every night since to sneak into her room, pull down the covers, and bury his face between her legs.
He wondered what she’d taste like. Maybe tart cherries or sweet honeysuckle.
It was hard to know with Maya. She was both things wrapped up in a gorgeous bundle.
“He is?” she asked in clear alarm. “Is that safe? Will he be okay?”
That made his hands clench into fists. Her father didn’t deserve her worry.
The bastard was neglectful at best, a criminal at worst. He wished he could say something to her.
Ask her if she’d ever seen her father do anything that he shouldn’t.
He was certain she had no idea her father was completely corrupt.
Although the fact that she’d never reported Vince showed she knew something was wrong.
“Likely not,” he said. “But I’m not concerned about him.”
She blinked. “You’re not?”
No. He couldn’t give a shit about that asshole. He cared about the woman sitting in front of him, the one with a smidge of powdered sugar on her nose. He had no idea how she’d gotten that there, but it was freaking adorable. All he wanted was to lean forward and lick it off . . . no, nope.
Not happening.
Keep yourself under control.
“I’m concerned that if he thinks it’s safe he might withdraw your protection.”
Namely, him.
It still had to be costing her old man a bomb. Especially with the extensive alarm system they’d put in.
Although if he’d been a caring father he’d never have allowed her to move into a neighborhood like this.
He’d also have never let one of his cops harass her.
“Oh, I didn’t think of that.” She bit her lip and looked nervous. “I guess if there’s no threat anymore that’s what he’ll do. But . . . this is going to sound silly . . .”
“Just tell me.” He sat forward.
“It doesn’t matter.” She plastered on a fake smile that he didn’t like. “Do you think you should pack your stuff?”
“Haven’t had my marching orders yet, Spitfire,” he said dryly. “Anyone would think you’re eager to get rid of me.”
Her eyes widened. “No! No, if anything it’s the opposite.”
There was silence for a moment, then she scrambled to her feet. “I’m going to get ready.”
“Maya, come here,” he said to her.
“No!” she cried, moving toward the doorway.
“Maya,” he said warningly. “I want to talk to you. Come here.”
“No!” She turned back and stomped her foot. Then she gazed down at her foot and back up at him. There was clear astonishment on her face. “And don’t use that magic voodoo voice on me.”
He gaped at her in surprise as she raced out of the room. Had she seriously just stomped her foot?
And what magic voodoo voice? What the heck did she mean? Those were things he pondered as he followed her.
But mostly he’d wanted to know why she’d looked scared at the idea of him leaving.
He knocked on her door. “Maya, come out here. Please.”
There was a groan from in the room and a thump as though she’d landed against the door.
“Are you all right, Spitfire?” he asked.
Shit. He hadn’t intended to sound so . . . tender. He closed his eyes for a moment.
“I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I just acted like a . . . like a toddler having a tantrum.”
She had.
But an adorable one. One who he wanted to gather up in his arms and shelter from the world.
Not yours.
“You looked scared,” he said to her. “When I mentioned leaving, you looked afraid.”
The door opened and she stood there, staring at his chest. Then, to his shock, she glanced right up at him and swallowed heavily.
“I am. I’m scared to be here. Alone.”
Oh, his poor Bébé.
His hands itched to gather her close, much like they’d itched to spank her just before when she’d stomped her foot like that. As cute as he thought it had been, throwing a tantrum and running from the room wasn’t good behavior.
“What have I promised you several times?” Her head dropped forward and he grasped hold of her chin, tilting it back so he was staring down at her. “What have I promised you?”
“That you won’t let anything happen to me.”
“Exactly.”
“But how—umph.”
He put his finger over her mouth, stifling her words. “Just trust me. I will make it happen.”
Even if he stayed without pay. He wasn’t leaving her until some things got sorted out. Until she had people she could trust at her back to help protect her.
“Now, go finish getting ready. We need to get the dogs into the car and go for a drive.”
“Come on, Tank, baby,” she pleaded. “It will be fun, I promise. We’re not going to the vet.”
Big Berry squealed at her as she said the V word.
“What was that about?” Matthieu asked.
“I forgot that Big Berry doesn’t like the V word,” she explained. “Come on, Tank. Come on, boy.”
“Can I try?” he asked.
She’d been trying for half an hour to cajole Tank out. She’d used treats. She’d used toys. She’d used a soft voice and gentle promises.
Nothing.
It was breaking her heart.
“Maybe we shouldn’t be doing this,” she said.
“You’re trying to do something nice for him,” Matthieu countered. “Come here.” He crooked a finger at her.
“I really should cut that finger off,” she muttered as she stood and moved toward him.
For some reason, her feet couldn’t seem to ignore the finger. It was infuriating.
“Rather bloodthirsty,” he commented before he drew her into his chest.
Oh. Man.
He was like her own personal catnip. As soon as he touched her, her outsides melted while her insides started to dance around.
“Now, stand just outside the room. Give me the lead.”
She handed it to him. But she really didn’t think he’d manage to get Tank up and moving.
“Tank. Come here, boy.”
His voice wasn’t mean, but it was firm. Leaving no room for disobedience.
And to her shock, he stepped out of the room soon after, leading Tank.
“He came for you?” she asked.
“I think your way was making him a bit nervous,” he explained.
Right. Her way was shit in other words.
“Oh,” she said.
“He needed some confidence. But it doesn’t matter now. What matters is that we can get on our way if you grab Berry.”
“Okay.”
She already had the harness on Big B, so all she had to do was attach her lead. Then she followed Matthieu out and waited while he set the alarm and locked up the house.
“Captain will be driving past a couple of times and Brody is watching the cameras until I tell him we’re back.”
“Okay. Good. Tell them thank you.” She knew it was their job but it still meant a lot to her.
“You don’t have to thank them. No one wants you to get hurt, Maya. Or your animals.”
She wasn’t sure what to say to that. She’d never had this before. Normally, this sort of thing would make her feel defensive, because she didn’t know how to react.
And because she didn’t like relying on people. Letting them close. But Maya knew she needed the help. That she had to accept it for her babies.
Plus, there was part of her that was so damn lonely. She just couldn’t take it anymore.
“Thank you,” she whispered.