8. Maya

8

MAYA

After an awkward morning filled with silence, I'm riding in the passenger seat of Legend's rental car. I tried to tell him I could drive myself, but he wasn't having it. He insisted on going with me, which made my plans for the day even more awkward.

"Are you going to tell me where we're going?"

I point at the road in front of us. "We're almost there. We may need to stop at the grocery store while we're out too."

He nods and is frowning. It's obvious he's used to being in control, and he doesn't like that I won't tell him where we're going. He keeps checking the rearview mirror.

"Are you okay?" I ask him.

He shrugs. "It's easier to protect you if I have a plan. I like to map out escape routes, how many entry doors there are, if there are any cameras in the area, nearby stores that could provide other escape routes." He blows out a breath and runs his hands through his hair. "This flying by the seat of my pants is a new concept for me, and it's a little unsettling."

I look out the window. I'm having him drive us into Jasper, so we have thirty minutes to fill. "Do you want me to tell you where we're going?"

"Yep," he answers.

"Okay, well, I need to do some research for the book." I clench my eyes shut. "This is so embarrassing."

I peek a look at him, and he's gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles are white. I can only imagine what he thinks of me. After last night, he probably thinks I'm some kind of sex fiend or something. Which reminds me… "I need you to promise me you won't tell Maverick about this. I don't need my big brother giving me crap or making fun of me."

Legend looks at me curiously. "Okay, I promise. Now where are we going?"

I put my hand to my face and shake my head. Just say it. Just blurt it out, Maya . "I'm going to do some research at a sex shop."

He jerks the wheel when he turns to look at me, and he has to jerk it back the other way to straighten up. I have my hand on the dash and am holding on to it until he gets us back on the road. "Geez, Legend. You sure you don't want me to drive?"

He's staring at the road in front of us, his face grim. "A sex shop? What exactly does that mean?"

Oh God, does he want me to go into detail? No way, I can't do it. "You know… a sex shop."

He stops at a stop light. "No, I don't know. Is it a place to have sex? Is it movies? Toys? What are we talking about here?"

I gasp and pull back. "Geez, Legend. I'm not having sex with someone I don't know. It's a toy store. I wanted to research some toys, that's all."

He lets out a breath, and it's like I can see the tension leaving his body. "Okay."

I give him the name of the store, and after he puts it into the GPS, we ride the rest of the way in silence. When he pulls into the parking lot, I unbuckle my seatbelt. "I'll be in and out."

"I'm going in with you."

I gasp. "Uh, no you're not."

He ignores me, pulling the keys from the ignition and getting out. He's looking around the parking lot as he comes to my side of the car. I'm still sitting here, stunned. There's no way I can go buy a toy with Legend hovering near me.

He opens the door. "It's safe. You can get out."

He thinks I've been waiting on him to open my car door when in fact I've been sitting here, stunned. Instead of getting out, I shake my head. "I've changed my mind. I'm not going in."

He rolls his eyes. "You're going in. Come on, I'll be right by your side."

I throw my hands up. "That's the problem. I'm not going in there to buy a sex toy while you hover over me, judging me. Can you just sit in the car? I'll be in and out."

He squats down next to me. "What's going on here, Maya? Talk to me."

I shake my head, refusing to talk. What can I say? I feel like I can't describe how something feels so I'm going to get some toys to test it out. He's going to think I'm pathetic.

He puts his hand on my knee. "Okay, so first of all, there's no judgment on my part. This is research… it's part of your job. And I can't let you go in there on your own. Not while your stalker is on the loose."

I grip my purse in my hands. "How long do you think it will be before they are caught?"

He shrugs. "There's no saying. Am I that much of a pain, Maya?"

I finally look Legend in the eye. He's been great about all this, and whether he's doing it for my brother or for me, it doesn't matter. "You're not a pain at all. You're helping me, and I'm the one that should be sorry. Look, I'll be in and out."

He stands up and crosses his arms over his chest. "And I'll be right beside you."

I give him a shove backwards and stand up. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

I stalk off toward the front door. As soon as I get inside, I'm face to face with a penis the size of a person on display. My face heats, and I hear Legend clear his throat behind me. I take off walking, and when the worker calls out a welcome to us, I wave and disappear down an aisle. I'm doing my best to ignore Legend, but he's hard to ignore. My face is so hot as I stare at the lube and the vibrators on the wall. There are so many options I don't even know what I'm looking at. Instead of picking a box up to inspect it, I lean forward, hands behind my back, and try to read the packaging. I scrunch up my nose as I read. Textured surface, engorged shaft, flexible, waterproof.

"Can I help you find something?"

The woman pops up beside me, and I jump back. Legend's hands go to my shoulders to steady me. She's looking over my head at Legend, and her eyes flicker with interest. Yeah, lady, I can't blame you . "Uh, no, I'm just looking."

She smiles and finally looks at me. "Right, well, don't be shy. I know this is overwhelming if you haven't been in here before, but we're all about exploring sexuality. We have something for every need. We have basic dildos that come in varying sizes, we have ones for his and her pleasure, anal pleasure, clit suckers, clit lickers, ones for the G-spot, nipple play… you name it, we got it."

The more she talks, the more tense I get. I just need to get out of here. "Uh, so there is a toy that mimics, uh, oral… uh, I'm not sure what I'm trying to say."

"Clit licker, you mean? Are you looking for something that mimics oral sex?"

I squeeze my eyes shut and wish I could be transported somewhere… anywhere but here. "Uh yes, please."

The woman looks at Legend again but not with interest this time. Instead, she scrunches her nose up at him and shakes her head. I swear it sounds like she whispers, "What a pity" before turning to the wall. She walks a few steps away and then comes back with a box in her hand. "Here you go. The Clit Licker 3000. It's the most lifelike and guarantees an orgasm every time. Just a little tip: add some lube and it's like nothing you've ever experienced."

I take the box from her and read it. "So you're telling me that this is similar to having oral sex."

She gives Legend another look. "Honey, nothing is better than a real live man. Especially one that knows what he's doing… but yeah, this is a firm second. Have you had an orgasm from oral stimulation before? "

Oh damn, I'm so glad that Legend is standing behind me because there's no way I can look at him now. "Uh, no, I can't say I have."

She shakes her head again, looking over my head at Legend. I can imagine the look he's giving, and I hate to be pitied. The woman just shrugs. "Well, some men don't like it, and if they don't like it, they're usually not good at it."

"Really?" I asked, surprised. I never thought about it that way.

"Oh yeah, for sure. But it's okay, you don't need a man to give you an ‘O.'" She points at the box. "This will make you forget your name."

I hold the box to my chest. "Okay, I'll take it."

She gives me a thumbs up. "You need anything else?"

I look at the wall. "Uh, I think I'll look around."

She nods. "All right, I'll be up at the front if you need anything."

I thank her, and as she walks away, I look at the wall like it has the most interesting thing on there. I know I'm going to have to face Legend eventually, and I might as well get it over with. I hug the box to my chest and glance up at him, shocked to see that his face is as red as mine.