When her friend left, she was grumpy. She didn’t want to think about soul mates and forever-type romances. There were far too many that never worked out. That’s what would most likely happen to her. She didn’t want to feel like she couldn’t make it through another day unless a man was by her side.

So she put her plans into motion. She might not be willing to play with her heart, but she was more than willing to see if her body was still working correctly. And she knew just the man to play with to find out.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Something was different in her eyes. Maverick knew from the moment he walked into the house. He could see it, feel it in the air. He’d been honorable the past couple of weeks. He’d put her needs above his own.

He’d been aching with a desire that couldn’t be quenched the entire time.

“This is my night to cater to you,” she said with a gleam in her eyes.

He coughed as he tried to tell himself not to read too much into her words. “Huh?” He was losing control fast, and the look in her eyes was making his head spin.

“I’m in charge for the evening.” He would let her be in charge any damn time she wanted if she kept looking at him like that.

“What’s the plan?” he practically panted.

“You’ll see. I’m going to freshen up.”

And just like that she disappeared into her bedroom, leaving the door cracked open. He knew the bathroom was in there, and when he heard running water, he practically drooled.

Maverick knew this cottage inside and out. He’d stayed in it several times over the past few years. Just knowing she was sleeping in the same bed he’d slept in countless times was messing with his head enough. But imagining what she was doing in the bathroom right now was making him feel faint.

Moving over to the fridge, he pulled it open and spotted a six-pack of beer. He needed one, or maybe the entire thing, if he planned on making it through the night with this sexy woman. Undoing three buttons on his shirt, he was still sweating as he pictured her in the bathroom . . .

Was she in there changing into something . . . silky, soft, and easily removable? Was she putting on more of her intoxicating perfume or touching up her pink lips? Was she preparing herself so he could then unwrap the gift she was presenting him?

Or was he fantasizing way too much?

Yes, there had been a look in her eyes, but that didn’t mean she was ready for them to have sex. He’d promised her he wouldn’t do that until she was asking him. He was seriously considering taking back that promise because right now he couldn’t think of anything other than sinking deep within her silky pink folds.

Her bedroom door was cracked open, and he wanted to walk through it, and straight into the bathroom. He didn’t know how he was finding the restraint not to do exactly that. But then she called him.

His body froze at the soft purr of her tone. He didn’t have to be called twice. Almost as if he were being pulled by strings, he began moving. He entered her dark bedroom and saw the bathroom door open.

There was a soft glow emanating from the bathroom, the flicker of light casting shadows on the wall. He moved to the door. Then his heart might have stopped beating for a few seconds.

There she was, sunk deep in the bathtub, only bubbles covering her in the dim lighting. A bottle of wine rested in a bucket on the side of the tub and two glasses sat within reach. His head began buzzing at the absolute beauty of her. She was perfection and he her willing slave.

His mouth dropped to the floor with the look she was giving him. Her eyes told him she wanted him. Damn, he didn’t know if he could actually make her utter the words. Without even thinking about it, his fingers lifted as he began undoing the rest of the buttons on his shirt, then quickly tossed it away. Pride filled him at the appreciative gasp from her ripened lips.

Peeling the rest of his clothes off, he stood there, not even trying to hide the fullness of his arousal that was reaching for her. She stared at him and he moved with purpose to the tub.

Lindsey shifted over as he stepped inside and sank down so he was facing her.

“I have to say I’m enjoying your plans a hell of a lot more than going out to play baseball or watch a race,” he told her, surprised at how thick his voice was.

“You told me to tell you when I wanted to have . . . to, you know . . . to have sex,” she said, the last word barely a whisper.

“I want you so badly, Lindsey. So while this is killing me to say, I want to make sure you’re ready,” he groaned as he leaned back, feeling her legs rubbing alongside his beneath the layers of bubbles.

“I’m sure—that is, if you want to.”

And right there he saw her insecurity and all of his hesitation vanished.

There was no more wavering as he reached across the tub and lifted her up. A squeak escaped her moist lips as she landed in his lap. He wrapped both arms around her, letting her feel the power of his desire pushing against her skin.

He was careful not to sink inside her, although that’s all he wanted to do. He wasn’t going to take her like that, though. No, he would get her nice and hot first.

“I’m . . . uh . . . I’m on birth control. I have been for a long time because of my periods,” she said as she nervously shifted on his lap.

“That’s a definite plus,” he groaned before needing to feast on her mouth.

The talking stopped as he pressed his lips to hers and ravaged her mouth like he’d been wanting to do from the moment she’d opened the front door. There was a new franticness to his touch, knowing he was going to get to slide inside her.