2. Maya

2

MAYA

As soon as I hear the special ringtone for my brother, I practically dive across the couch to pick up my phone that's laying on the coffee table. "Hello. Maverick, is that you?"

"Hey, sis."

I breathe out a sigh of relief. My brother is God knows where, and when he does get to call me, I have to stop everything I'm doing and answer it. "Mav, how are you? You okay?"

There's loud static on the phone, and I have to piece together what he's saying. Trying to hide my frustration, I try to answer him as best as I can. "Yeah, yeah, I'm good. I'm okay. I don't want you worrying about me. Please just be safe."

More static, but I try to make out what he's saying. "I am safe. Legend is on his way."

"What did you say about Legend?"

I've heard Maverick mention his best friend plenty of times before, but I've never met him.

I press the phone tighter to my ear, but it does nothing to stop the static. "Bodyguards… outside…. I tracked down Legend and he's on his way… he'll take care of you."

I get up from the couch and peek out the windows. What the hell? "Maverick, there are two men on my front porch."

"They're Walker's men. They will stay until Legend gets there."

"But…"

He's quick to interrupt me. "Please, just do what I ask. You're my baby sister and it kills me that I can't be there to protect you. Let Legend do his thing. You can trust him, he's the best guy I know."

"But…"

I don't get it out before Maverick pleads with me. "Please, Maya, just do as I ask."

"Maverick, I don't need a bodyguard. This is getting out of hand."

"He broke in and stole your underwear," Maverick practically shouts into the phone.

I wince. Geez, when you say it like that, yeah, it's creepy. I should never have told my brother about everything, but he caught me at a weak moment. He called just after the stalker had tried to break into my house and the cops got here. I should have known that Maverick wouldn't have been able to let things just go.

I bite my tongue. I'm very independent, I've had to be, but hearing my brother, who is across the ocean, somewhere doing only God knows what, well, I can't really argue with him. "Fine. I'll let Legend do his thing."

"Maya, you can't just say you agree to shut me up. I'm serious. Whoever this stalker is, he's dangerous, and he's getting more dangerous every day."

I let the blinds flip close and settle back on the couch. He doesn't have to tell me that the crazy stalker is getting more dangerous. I'm here, living it. I already feel like I'm going crazy, and I don't have time to deal with this. I have a book that was due to my agent last week. She was able to grant me an extension, but I'm running out of time. I have to do some quick research if I'm going to make this book the bestseller I know it can be.

"Maya… are you there? I can't hear you."

There's more static, and Maverick's voice is breaking up, but I'm able to make it all out. "I'm here. How will I know it's Legend?"

I've watched all the shows, SVU, CSI, FBI all the letters, but I'm still a novice when it comes to thinking like a criminal. Heck, anyone can be tapping into my phone and then posing as this Legend.

"Same tattoo…on chest."

I repeat what I think I heard. "He has the same tattoo as you but it's on his chest? Got it."

"Love you… sis."

"I love you, too, Maverick. Please be safe—"

I don't know if he heard me before the phone cuts off.

I stare at my phone for the longest time thinking back on the days when Maverick and I were younger and how he'd always looked out for me. I feel bad that I've put even more pressure on him with everything he has going on.

I stand up and walk over to the home office I've set up in the large corner of my living room. I grab my laptop and make my way back to the couch. While I wait for Legend to show up, I try to do some work on my manuscript. It's done except for the sex scenes. My agent says that my reviews are great except for the reviews that focus on the intimacy and sex scenes. She said that they are holding me back and that if I want to put my books at the top of the charts and then stay there, I need to learn to spice things up a bit, and I need to do it for this current book.

I've taken all the writing craft classes, read books that are popular for their sex scenes, and did all the research I could, but nothing has helped to inspire me. I've resorted to my last resort and have started looking into something that offers a little more of a physical research.

Just as I open the search window on my Internet tab, I hear people talking outside, and I jump up and cross the room to the window. As I peek through the blinds, I suck in a breath because standing on my porch is the biggest, broadest, sexiest man I've ever seen.

His dark hair is short, and he has a trimmed beard. His eyes are big and expressive even though his face is set in a determined stiffness. My gaze travels down his body and back up again, and it's obvious he's fit and in shape. The way his jeans fit his thick thighs has me blushing as I wonder what he's packing under his denim.

If this is Legend, then his name does him justice. He dismisses the two men on my steps, and after looking around my porch, he comes to the front door and knocks. My lower belly pulls because even his knock is sexy.