10. Maya

10

MAYA

All that keeps running through my head is that I had the best kiss of my life and Legend regrets it. Not just regrets it but insisted on apologizing for it.

"You doing okay?"

"Fine," I mutter.

He comes to stand next to my desk in the living room. I should have worked in my office, but dummy me wanted to work out here just so I could be closer to Legend. It's like I'm a glutton for punishment.

"Fine," he repeats. "You were fine at the store last night, fine at dinner, fine at breakfast, and fine all day. That's a lot of fines."

I shrug and act like I'm concentrating on the screen in front of me. I've read the same words all day and haven't made any changes. If I wasn't so mad at Legend, I'd ask him for more help, but there's no way I can now. He pulls a chair up next to my desk and clears his throat. "So, uh, how was your purchase?"

He's looking at me wide-eyed, and my mouth drops. No, he did not just ask me that. "Fine," I tell him .

He touches my shoulder. "Maya, stop it. Talk to me. What did I do? I hate that you're mad at me."

I shrug. "I'm not mad at you. Can we please forget it? I'm fine." I push back from my desk and stand up, moving into the kitchen. "Are you hungry? I'm going to fix a snack."

He stands up and walks toward me. I should have known he wouldn't just let me do something on my own. No, Legend is super helpful and is always willing to jump in and do his part. Even if it means kissing me to make me stop rambling and making a fool of myself.

"What are we having?"

I open the fridge. "How about fruit and cheese?"

He nods. "I'll cut the fruit up."

I hand it to him, making sure that our hands don't touch. I still my nerves, determined to make the best of this. "So any leads on who's stalking me?"

He grabs a knife and starts cutting up the strawberries and the banana. "Nope. Cerberus is working on it from Montana, and he has Walker's people here working on it. He'll mess up, and we'll get him."

He's trying to reassure me, and I don't bother telling him he doesn't have to. Before he got here, I was a nervous wreck and couldn't concentrate on anything. At least now I'm able to work, even if it is to write crappy sex scenes.

I grab the cheese out of the refrigerator and set it on a little tray. As I gather crackers and cream cheese dip for the strawberries, I try to keep my distance from Legend. "So where is home, Legend?"

He opens his mouth and closes it really fast before he shrugs. "I don't know. I haven't lived anywhere permanently. I plan on settling down soon, though."

Don't ask. Don't ask , I tell myself, but of course I don't listen. "Oh yeah? Where are you going to settle down? Can you do that with your job?"

He shrugs as he washes the strawberries. I wish I could see his face, but his back is to me and his head is down. "I'll be moving here, I think. I like Whiskey Run."

Stunned, I come to stand next to him. "But you haven't even seen it. Well, the grocery store is it. It's a small town, Legend. I don't know if you know what you're getting yourself into. Everyone knows everyone's business, and I'm sure the night life is nothing compared to what you're used to."

He puts the strawberries in the bowl with the cut-up banana and slides it beside me before sitting down at the table. "It sounds perfect to me."

I sit down across from him. "But—"

He laughs. "Are you trying to talk me out of it, Maya?"

"What? No, of course not. I'm just surprised, I guess."

He gestures to me. "You seem to like it well enough."

I stab a piece of fruit with my fork. "Yeah, but you live this exciting life, traveling the world, meeting new people, and doing what you want when you want. I can't picture you staying in one place for too long."

His gaze on me is intense, and I fidget in my seat. I've never had a reaction to another man like I do to him, and I'm not sure what to do about it. He pops a slice of banana in his mouth. "I dunno. Since I got here, things are different. I want to be different. "

"Why? What do you mean?"

He measures me with a look, searching my eyes, and then shakes his head. "I'm just ready to settle down."

I deflate a little, and I'm not sure why. Was I expecting him to tell me that since meeting me two days ago, he's fallen in love with me and can't leave? Right, I live in a fantasy world for sure.

We eat in silence, but at least now it's a comfortable silence. It's not until we're almost done with the food that he asks me again, "So are you going to tell me about the clit licker?"

I practically choke on the strawberry in my mouth, and he's holding his hand at my back as if he's about to beat the fruit out of me if need be. I inhale and mutter, "I'm all right."

He's staring at me, and I know he's not going to just forget it. "It's no wonder they don't take returns. It doesn't work."

His eyebrows lift, but I continue. I might as well get it all out there so we can be done with this conversation. "Yeah, it doesn't work. Or I'm broken."

He reaches for my hand. "You're not broken."

"I'm twenty-eight years old, and I can count my sexual experiences on one hand. I can't get myself off, even with a toy that's guaranteed"—I lift my fingers in quotes—"to give ‘the big O.'"

"Maya," he starts, but I refuse to sit here and listen to him pity me.

Him being this close is messing with me, but I know I just need to get it out. "I have something this evening."

He nods. "Okay, where do you need to go?"

I humiliated myself yesterday in front of him, but it's about to get even worse. "I don't need to go anywhere, but I do need the house for a bit."

He eyes me suspiciously. "To do what?"

I jut my chin at him. "You do know I'm an adult, right? I don't have to tell you what I'm doing every second. It's already bad enough that I had to try out my toy last night with you in the next room."

The truth is, I couldn't get the thought of him out of my head. If anything, it was a turn-on, knowing he was in the room right next to me, but I couldn't get out of my head and focus on anything but Legend.

"What are you doing, Maya?"

"Well, I told you that I have a problem and I have to fix it. My whole livelihood relies on it."

He starts to interrupt me, but I hold my hand up to stop him. "This is all I have, Legend. Don't try and talk me out of it."

He leans toward me. "Talk you out of what, exactly?"

I close my eyes and shudder a breath. I might as well tell him because he's not going to let it go. "I'm going to have online sex."

He sits up a little taller and glares at me. "Excuse me?"

I throw my hand up in the air and then get up and start cleaning up our plates. "Well, I'm not going to hook up with some random guy. I figured online would be the safest."

"Maya, you have a stalker. There's nothing safe about online sex right now."

Ignoring him, I put away the uneaten food. "Legend, it's perfectly safe. We meet online. I touch myself, he touches himself. If I'm lucky, maybe there will be some dirty talk. It's a win-win."

I swear Legend stomps his foot. "It's not happening, Maya."

"My agent said—"

He cuts me off, anger filling his voice. "I don't care what your agent said, you're not hooking up with some guy online."

I put my hand on my hip and glare back at him. He's angry as he stares down at me. His nostrils are flared, and his jaw is pulled taut. Why does he have to be so sexy? "You're not my boss."

"Look, I'm here to protect you, and I can't do that if—"

I put my hand to his chest. I'll give him that, he takes his job seriously. "You don't understand. This is all I have. My career is all I have. I can't lose it."

He brings his hand up and covers mine with it. He presses my palm against his chest, and his heart is pounding like crazy. "Let me help you."

I'm about to argue with him and then stop. "What did you just say?"

He takes a step toward me, and I feel my hard nipples graze against his chest. I suck in a breath, hating that my body is betraying me. He leans down until his face is mere inches from mine. "I said let me help you."