CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE Maisy

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Maisy

I didn't run this time.

Not that I could have since we'd taken his bike to his house. There was something thrilling about riding on the back of his motorcycle in the middle of the night when there were hardly any cars on the road. We'd left my car at the bar, which I think was part of his whole plan. Not a plan I would have argued with, either.

But it was okay because I wasn't going to leave this time.

I wanted to wake up in his arms.

Plus, he promised me breakfast. I sure as hell wasn't going to turn that down.

I'd only had a taste of his cooking now that he'd started making vegetarian things for me, and I was hungry for more. He was a really good cook. He had this way with seasoning food that… I didn't have words for it. Not many people understood the way flavors blended together like he did.

"Hey," he said as soon as he opened his eyes and saw me there. I had been being a little creep, watching him while he slept. I couldn't help it. His face looked so relaxed in his sleep, even with that permanent grumpy wrinkle between his brows. "You're still here."

Those three words told of how I'd hurt him last time by leaving. Damn, I could have kicked myself.

"Well, you did promise me breakfast," I reminded him teasingly.

His chest expanded under my arms as he took in a deep breath through his nose like he was trying to wake up fast.

"Alright," he said, leaning his head up to kiss the tip of my nose. "One tofu scramble with veggies, comin' right up."

He rolled out of bed, practically leaving me to fall face-first into the mattress. He was lucky his sheets were silky and his mattress was soft.

It took a long minute to process what he'd said. I rolled over and shamelessly watched as he worked his legs into a pair of sweats— no, undies, by the way. Hello, hotness. I was distracted by his morning wood until it disappeared from my view. I figured it was okay since he was distracted by my bare boobs. I didn't even try to hide my body from him.

"Breakfast," he mumbled as if he had to remind himself to stay on track.

I loved food, almost as much as I loved his cock. Almost. Which meant that if we were going to get one quick round in this morning, he was going to have to fill this girl's tank first.

He leaned down, catching me a little off guard with a sweet kiss. Then he whispered, "Don't move."

Food and I got to be lazy in bed? I could get used to this.

I was lost in my thoughts when he poked his head in the doorway a few minutes later. I blinked into reality and raised a brow in his direction.

"Do you… drink coffee? Tea? Juice?" He stepped fully into view. His hands went to his hips and he looked like the simple inquiry of what I liked to drink had turned into something bigger. "I don't…" He blew out a breath and did a half-turn. It was almost like he wanted to pace but realized he was kinda trapped in the doorway. I didn't know why I found it so cute. Then his hand ran through his hair. "I don't know what you like."

"There's a lot you don't know about me," I said and tossed a wink his way. Did it bother me? Maybe a little. We'd been in each other's lives for close to a year now. I felt more like it had been wasted time rather than disappointment over the fact that he hadn't tried to get to me know. I understood that things had to go the way they had. "But it's the fact that you want to find out that matters."

His shoulders relaxed at my words. This adorable, almost shy, smile curled up the corners of his mouth.

"I like that," he said.

"Good," I replied. "Coffee, black. I also wouldn't say no to a small glass of orange juice if you have it. The only kind of tea I drink is sweet iced tea, and that's only on holidays."

He let a little laugh slip out.

"You're a complex woman," he teased. I could tell he really didn't mind.

"Yeah, and? You've known this since, like, week two of working with me."

"Week two? No, I figured that shit our right away. Week two was when I figured out how much of a pain in my ass you were gonna be."

"Burn," I said a few octaves deeper than my normal tone. I knew he caught the playful glint in my eyes.

He shook his head, but he was smiling.

"Coffee, black. Orange Juice. Got it," he said, then he was gone.

Seeing him relaxed and playful was almost mind-boggling. I always knew there were deeper parts he kept closed off and more to him than just the grumpy man we got all the time, but I never imagined his little smiles would light up a room. I never imagined those smiles would make my heart beat faster.

About thirty minutes later, he came back in. His hands clenched the sides of what looked like a giant bamboo cutting board, which held a single plate piled with food, two cups of coffee, one little cup of orange juice, and a fork. One plate, one fork. Was he not eating?

He set the makeshift tray down as I sat up. The blanket fell to the floor but I didn't bother reaching for it.

"I hope this is good. I've never cooked tofu before, but I did do a bunch of research," he said nervously as he sat beside me.

"How come you have tofu in your house when it's not something you use on the regular?" I blinked at him.

His cheeks might have tinted the slightest shade of pink as he ducked his head and mumbled, "I was maybe going to practice with it."

He handed me the plate and the fork. I wasn't shy about digging in. It looked amazing and smelled even better. I spied some chucks of red potatoes and instantly went for one, spearing it with a vengeance before shoving it in my mouth. I'd barely begun to chew when I scooped up a forkful of crumbled tofu and what looked like a petite green tomato, red bell pepper, and mushroom. My eyes rolled into the back of my head the moment the flavors hit my tongue. I might have moaned too.

Okay, I definitely moaned.

"Good?" he asked, amusement dancing in his warm hazel eyes.

There was a pop of rosemary. So help me, I could have married this man. Which was saying something since marriage had never been high on my list of priorities— or on them at all.

"No, it's amazing. The best thing I've ever put in my mouth." Don't tell Stella I said that.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Well, second best thing," I said, a sexy smirk aimed his way. "I won't lie, your cock is my favorite thing."

"Damn, Maze." He reached down and shamelessly adjusted himself.

"Especially when you let me swallow your cum."

"Keep it up, and I'll feed you my cock while I eat everything on that plate."

My eyes went wide at his threat. I was honestly torn. Then I remembered how much feeding me meant to him and I dug back into the food without another word.

"Here," I said as I held out a forkful for him to take.

His eyes held mine as the fork disappeared into his mouth. I watched his lips as I pulled the fork back, and might have drooled when his tongue popped out to lick the corner of his mouth. The things he could do with that tongue…

I couldn't stop the shiver that ran down my spine and shook my whole body.

"I don't have time," I practically yelled. I needed to cool down. I'd gone a while without any kind of sexual stimulation, and all of a sudden I'd turned into a fiend for cock. Well, his cock in particular. "I have to get home and check on Hot Mess before I go to work."

He blinked at me as if my words didn't make any sense.

"My cat," I explained.

"You have a cat?"

I couldn't read his expression.

Oh no.

This could be a make-or-break moment. If he wasn't a cat person, this was never going to work out. He didn't have to exclusively be a cat person. That wasn't me lowering my standards, either. I truly believed that anyone who wasn't an animal person was a monster.

Then again, some people might say that about me because I wasn't a fan of babies. Never had the desire to be around them or have them.

That thought brought me up short.

What if Mad Bell didn't like animals and wanted babies— lots and lots of babies?

"I do," I said, thinking about my furry housemate. I loved her and thought she was amazing, while she wished I would die so she could have the house to herself. I was sure that was how her brain worked. "Hot Mess is a rescue. She's missing one eye and has patches of fur that are gone and will never grow back. She's seven years old and grumpy as hell." I paused, letting that sink in and realizing something in the last part. "I suppose I'm just drawn to grumpiness."

"Funny," he grunted, not sounding amused at all.

I sent him a wide smile before eating more. I fed him some too, loving the way he seemed to be enjoying it. He made me breakfast, so I supposed it was only fair if I let him help eat it. The conversation died as I stuffed my face and fed him some here and there. I didn't even feel bad about eating three-quarters of it.

"Okay," I said, making a stand though I didn't actually move. I didn't want to go. It was so hard. "I need to…"

"I get it."

As I stumbled out of bed, I realized he never answered me about the cat thing.

I was worried it wasn't a good sign.

Mad Bell rose, his walk was all full of swagger and ease as he came around to my side of the bed. He kissed me, wrapped his arms around my waist, and held me close for a long minute. I loved the feel of my exposed breasts against his hot, bare chest.

"One day," he said, his tone low and even, "when you're ready, I want to see your place and meet Hot Mess. But only when you're ready. I'm not going to push you, Maze, but I want you to know that doesn't mean I've got one foot out the door. I'm in this. I want this. I want us."

He turned me into a pile of goo, and since I wasn't one to be a pile of goo, all I could manage was a firm nod of my head as I attempted to pull myself together.

"I like the sound of that," I said around the boulder in my throat.

He smiled. It wasn't big, but I didn't expect it to be. Just seeing the little upturn at the corners of his mouth was perfect.

"Let me get dressed and I'll take you to your car," he said, collecting the breakfast mess. I stood there, watching his muscles bulge and ripple as he moved. "Uh, you might want to get dressed if you want to leave. Think you might cause too many wrecks ridin' around like that."

He winked before heading out of the room.

It took a second for his words to sink in, and once they did, I couldn't hold back the laughter as it practically burst from my chest.

Now that was an image. But it sounded like a terrible idea. What if there was an accident? Road rash on my boobs? Hell no! I dressed quickly.

Fifteen minutes later, he was dropping me off at my car. He climbed off his bike and held me for a long moment. When he released me, he placed a kiss on my forehead.

Goo pile again. He made me so mushy.

And maybe I didn't hate it so much.