“What if she doesn’t come?” Connor asked.
“Stop being such a wimp,” Julia said. “She’ll be here. You didn’t see her face when she was talking about her cyber lover.”
Connor’s eyes narrowed as he entered the restaurant. “She didn’t tell you about the emails, what was in them?”
“Relax,” Julia said. “She refused to tell us a thing.”
“Other than general things,” Susan said. “I want to know why you didn’t just pick up a phone and call her.”
“I called her. Constantly. I tried to see her in person, but she refused to answer her door.” Connor glanced at the door, struggling to hide his nerves. “She needed time. If I’d pushed her any harder, she would have run or at least reported me to the cops as a stalker. She doesn’t believe I want her.”
“And maybe the blonde parade had something to do with that,” Julia said in a tart voice.
“I haven’t dated a single blonde since I started seeing Maggie. I’m not interested in anyone other than her.”
“That’s not what I heard,” Christina said. “Besides, I saw you with a blonde the other day. She was draped all over you.”
Connor frowned. “Oh, you mean Sylvie. Believe it or not, Sylvie is my cousin, and she’s now dating one of my flatmates. She’s putting on a surprise birthday party for him. We were talking about the arrangements.”
“Are you sure?” Christina asked. “Because from where I stood, it looked as if she was interested in you and would give your flatmate the flick without a second thought.”
“When did you see me with her?”
“Two weeks ago,” Christina said.
“Did Maggie see you with her?” Julia asked. “Do you think that’s why she pushed you away?”
“Yes, she saw us. That’s why we broke up.” Connor shrugged. “She didn’t believe me, and refused to discuss it. I never go out with two women at a time,” he said. “Never. It’s a rule. I never look at another woman while I’m dating someone else.”
“Does Maggie know that?” Julia asked. “Because I didn’t realize.”
“Hell.” Connor dragged his hand through his hair and glared at the women. “I can’t believe you’d think so little of me. Yes, I told Maggie our friends with benefits deal was open and we could see other people, but I never did. I didn’t look at another woman after Maggie and I hooked up. And I haven’t since,” he added. “I don’t know how many times I have to tell you. I’m not interested in any woman apart from Maggie.”
Susan sighed. “That’s so romantic.”
“You didn’t tell us it started out as friends with benefits,” Julia said.
“I couldn’t think of any other way to get together with Maggie. She took a bit of persuading. And yeah, it might be romantic, but if I can’t convince Maggie to change her mind about me, it doesn’t mean a thing.”
“You’d better take your seat before Maggie catches us together,” Julia said. She grasped his hand and drew him into a tight hug. “Good luck. You and Maggie are my favorite people. You deserve a little happiness.” She kissed him lightly on the lips and drew back. “Oops, you don’t need to wear my badge.”
Connor wiped his mouth and the women pronounced him lipstick-free. He crossed the restaurant and took a seat at his allocated table, more nervous than he could ever remember.
Nerves skittered through her belly as she walked along the street toward the bustling seafood restaurant. Although she wasn’t worried about safety because the restaurant was a busy one, she figured she wouldn’t be human if she wasn’t nervous. Kinky Lover made her feel good. She felt as if she could tell him anything and would receive a thoughtful and insightful reply. Plus the sex was hot. She couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like in person.
What did he look like?
That worried her. As the girls said, he could be any age. Photos. Why hadn’t she asked him to send her a photo? Damn, her inexperience showed. Sex and men, she decided, were like a many-headed monster. Lop off one head and another appeared in its place.
The Friday night traffic seemed heavier than normal. Maggie waited at the crossing for the lights to change and the green man to appear. She inhaled. In. Out. Probably not the best idea while standing in the middle of all that traffic.
An old Holden carrying several young teens passed. The driver tooted the horn. “Show us your tits!” one hollered.
Maggie glared after them. They’d die of shock if she lifted her top and flashed them.
At long last, the lights turned and she crossed the street. A thin film of perspiration coated her skin, and her bottom lip ached. Too much nibbling. She’d been doing it all day, letting anxiety get the better of her. Her clothes clung to her skin, and her panties felt embarrassingly damp.
A couple exited the restaurant, the man holding the door for her. She couldn’t procrastinate a moment longer.
“Thanks,” she murmured, walking inside.
A wave of chatter and the clink of cutlery hit her along with the aroma of food and spices. Her stomach let out a rumble of protest. Maggie slammed the flat of her hand against her belly, heat rising in her cheeks. The last thing she needed was a rumbling stomach. Way to create an impression.
She stopped at the hostess desk, stated her name and said she was here to meet David.
Her stomach roiled when the hostess smiled and told her to follow. He was here.
Maggie spotted the girls sitting at a table toward the back of the restaurant, in the direction the hostess was leading her.
“Good luck, Maggie,” Julia whispered when she passed. “We’ll be here if you need us.”
Maggie nodded, unable to muster a smile this time.
The hammer of her heart echoed in her ears. Her fists clenched and unclenched.
“Here you go,” the hostess said, indicating a private booth. She could see the back of a man’s head. He had short, dark hair and broad shoulders. Turn around. Turn around so I can see you.
The man noticed the hostess and stood. Maggie held her breath, nibbled her bottom lip.
“Connor?” she squeaked. Her legs trembled, and she grabbed the top of the table to stabilize her balance.
They’d tricked her. Tears filled her eyes as she blindly turned away. God, she just didn’t learn.
“No, wait.” Connor caught her shoulder and pulled her to a stop.
“Is everything all right?” the hostess asked.
“It’s fine,” Connor said. “Please, Maggie. I want to talk to you. If you want to leave after I’ve talked, that’s fine. I’ll let you go.”
Maggie shook her head and swiped a tear from her eyes with the back of her hand. She saw Julia stand, blinked as her traitorous friend walked over to her.
“Please, stay and talk to Connor. He cares about you. It’s difficult to find love.” Her face clouded and she swallowed. “When you find it you should fight for it, not walk away without a second thought. Just give Connor a chance to explain. Please.”
“Please,” Connor added his plea.
Finally, aware they were the center of attention, Maggie allowed Connor to lead her back to the table. She sat, glad to take the weight off her unsteady limbs.
“I’m meeting someone,” Maggie said.
“I’m Kinky Lover,” Connor said, watching her closely.
“You?”
“Yeah.” He stopped and dragged a hand through his hair, making her realize he wasn’t as confident as he appeared. “I’ve gone about this the wrong way. I should have been honest from the start.”
“About the blonde. Yeah, you should have,” Maggie spat.
Connor frowned. “You mean Sylvie.”
“I saw you with the blonde. She had her hands all over you. You kissed her. And there was the one in the pub too.”
“Sylvie is my cousin. You know Frank is my stepfather. Sylvie is my cousin via his side of the family. She thought we’d be good together and took some persuading otherwise. Jenny was the woman in the pub. It’s true I used to date her, but she was there celebrating her engagement. Jenny and her friends suggested I do something special for you, something memorable, and that’s when I came up with the idea for the corset. Our meeting was innocent.”
“I rang your flat to talk to you, and this Sylvie answered. She said she wasn’t your cousin,” Maggie accused.
“You rang me?” The realization brought both relief, and anger at Sylvie. “She misled you on purpose. I’d be happy to give you my mother’s phone number right now. You can ring and ask both my mother and Frank about Sylvie. Do you want me to ring them? Sylvie is dating one of my flatmates now. I could ring her so she can apologize to you. If I have my way she will say sorry whether she likes it or not.” Connor grimaced. “Part of this is my fault. I should have told you straight off that I was interested in you and no one else. I love you. I’ve thought about you as more than a friend for ages. You seemed so cautious and wary I decided to try the friends with benefits thing. I couldn’t think of any other way to romance you.”
“But the blog. I remember getting an email from you almost straight away. You mean you knew all along?”
“Julia told me,” he said. “She told me I couldn’t say anything so I emailed you under a false name.”
The waiter approached. “Can I get you a drink? Are you ready to order?”
“I’ll have a Steinlager beer and the lady will have a glass of Shingle Peak Sauvignon Blanc,” Connor said without consulting her. “We’re not ready to order yet.”
“Very good, sir.” The waiter bustled off.
“But I don’t understand,” Maggie said. “Why did you take so long to spank me?”
“I worried I’d muck everything up between us. You know about my father. Hell, your own background isn’t dissimilar. Surely you understand?”
Maggie glanced at him and blushed. “You’ve never hurt me.”
“I know I’ve told you before, but the intensity of the spanking is incredible. I feel close to you.” Connor reached across the table to grasp her hand. “I love you. I don’t want to lose you.”
“But you always go out with blondes,” Maggie said.
“That was until a particular brunette seized my heart. Maggie, there’s no one but you. I haven’t looked at another woman, let alone had sex with one, since our first time together at the beach. You’re the color in my life, babe. Everyone else is black and white.”
“Really?”
“Really. I want to marry you. Will you marry me?”
She closed her eyes before opening them to stare at him. “Yes,” she blurted.
He laughed and leaned over the table to cup her face with her hands. Maggie leaned even closer and kissed him, trying to put everything she felt into that one kiss. It went on and on because she had a lot to say.
She was vaguely aware of applause, and when she and Connor pulled apart, she found everyone staring at them. Most were grinning.
“Way to go, Maggie,” Julia shouted.
“Oh, heck,” Maggie muttered. “I can’t believe I did that in front of everyone.”
“Yeah, you’ve been a naughty girl. You know what happens to naughty girls, don’t you?”
Maggie’s throat went dry. She opened and closed her mouth, licked her lips.
“Maggie?”
“They get spanked?”
“That’s right,” Connor said. “It will be a long spanking, because I have a lot of time to make up.”
“I don’t know. You’re good at cybersex.”
“But it’s not the same, babe. I couldn’t touch you. I couldn’t kiss your beautiful breasts or spank your bottom.” Under the table, she felt the glide of his hands over her knees and up her thigh.
“Here in the restaurant?” she asked with a cheeky grin. “Haven’t we given them enough of a show already?”
Connor opened his wallet and tossed money on the table. He stood and walked around to her side of the table, stretching out a hand. When Maggie took his hand, he tugged her to her feet.
“No, not here, Maggie. I have a room in the hotel next door.”
“Oh,” she said.
He grinned, his beautiful eyes glowing with love. “Yeah, oh,” he said, and without another word he swept her up into his arms and carried her through the crowded room to the exit.
The chatter in the room ceased as everyone turned to stare.
“Is she going to marry you?” Susan called out.
Connor grinned down at her but kept walking. “What do you think?” he asked in a loud voice.
The applause started.
“Way to go, Connor!” Christina shouted and stood, clapping.
Maggie hid her face when the rest of the restaurant patrons and her friends followed suit.
They exited the restaurant with the ovation thundering in their ears. Maggie couldn’t believe it.
Connor loved her.
In the quiet of the hotel room, they faced each other with honesty and love. The gorgeous view of the distant harbor and Rangitoto Island went ignored as they disrobed. Connor wrapped his arms around her and kissed her lips. Seconds later, she let out a shriek of surprise when she found herself draped face down over his lap.
“You will never leave me like that again,” Connor ordered, paddling her backside with something she thought might be a special spanking paddle. “You will always give me an opportunity to explain if we have a disagreement.”
“Yes! I promise.” The sting made her cry out, dancing across her butt cheek and rushing to her clit. Her heart warmed in the knowledge of the care and preparation he’d gone through to declare his love and ask for a second chance. Each successive spank pushed her harder until her bottom stung and she felt a distinct wetness between her legs.
“You like that, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“And you will marry me very soon? This month?”
Maggie didn’t have to think about it. “I’d like that.”
“Good,” he said, swatting her for a final time.
He rolled her off his knees and kissed her hard. Her bottom smarted as if it were on fire, but she’d never felt so loved.
“I love you.” Connor placed her in the middle of the bed. Without taking his gaze off her, he removed his clothes, tossing them to the floor. He came down on the bed and kissed her again, this time tender. Slow. The brush of his lips brought tears to her eyes, the emotion pressing against her chest and threatening to make her explode.
“Don’t make me wait,” she whispered. “I don’t need foreplay. I need you.”
Connor brushed another kiss on her lips and pulled away to notch his cock to her entrance. He pushed inside, filling her, taking her with so much love on his face.
They rocked together, urgency overtaking them, the feelings rushing through them true and fierce until Maggie shattered in an explosion of pleasure.
“I love you, Maggie.”
“I love you too,” she said, smiling because there was no other man for her.
She’d gone into this adventure wanting to learn about spanking, her reasons half-formed. Now she knew why she wanted Connor to spank her. She’d needed to act true to herself, to delve into her desires and find a man who respected her, one who accepted her despite her past. A man who not only let her explore, but who confidently blazed trails at her side. A man who saw the real her, warts and all, and still loved her without trying to make her change.
That man was Connor.
Perhaps they could even continue the blog adventure together as a couple.
Yes, Connor was her lover, the love of her life.
Connor Grey was her bottom line.
Would you like to read the prequel to Secret Lovers? Get a free copy of Turning Point (a short story featuring Connor’s mother and stepfather) by signing up for my . You’ll also learn about upcoming releases, receive free books and short stories tied to my some of my series plus contest and special promotion news.
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Please turn the page for a glimpse of Reunited Lovers, the next book in my Friendship Chronicles series and One Night of Misbehavior, a standalone contemporary romance.
Enjoy!
Shelley