A Thousand Yesses (12 page)

Another
horrific swat landed, and she shrieked, tears coming to her eyes. Her wrists
writhed in the restraints, her feet kicking in every direction. She had to get
away, but had no idea how. With one final effort, she screamed, “Help!” as
loudly as she could.

He
would keep spanking her, she knew. She felt him, another swat falling, and she
was begging him to stop, when suddenly behind her she heard a commotion. A door
was being opened, and shouts were coming, it seemed from every direction. She
was dizzy with pain, her head swirling. She heard swearing, and thumps,
growling, and the telltale sound of a fight behind her.

Screaming
when she felt hands on her wrists, she heard a low voice say, “Shhh. Relax. I’m
just removing your restraints now.” She looked up and saw the face of the woman
Maverick had been with earlier that evening. Did that mean...

Her
hands released, Celia turned as pain radiated all over her body.

Maverick
had Lucas in a choke hold. Maverick’s lip was bleeding, but he was far bigger,
far stronger, and Lucas didn’t stand a chance.

“You’re
lucky I don’t break your neck,” Maverick growled. “God almighty, for one cent
I’d break your fucking neck.”

Lucas
swore and squirmed. Celia felt so many emotions in
her,
she didn’t know what to do with herself. He’d saved her. Maverick had come. How
had he known? She went from fear, to wanting to fall in his arms and weep with
relief.

“Don’t,”
she whispered. “Maverick, don’t.”

His
eyes met hers, and she knew, she knew then, though he hadn’t breathed a word,
that he could run, he could hide, he could pretend all he wanted, but right
then and there, he’d kill for her. He swallowed, and nodded. Turning to the
woman whose soft embrace held Celia, he ordered, “Call the head of security.
Use the phone on the wall behind the bed.”

How
did he know all this? The woman nodded obediently, and picked up the phone.
Minutes later, they heard noise in the hallway, and several large security
guards with cuffs entered the room. Maverick glared at Lucas, as if unwilling
to let him go. He spoke to the man who cuffed Lucas.

“He
took advantage of her. Took her to this room off record, and ignored her
safeword. Not only did he violate the top rules of the club, he should be
charged for assault and battery.”

The
guard nodded. “But they’ll want her for questioning.”

“The
hell they will,” Maverick said. “You give them my number, and tell them she’s
with me tonight. She’ll answer questions in the morning. She’s been
traumatized, and I don’t want her disturbed again this evening. Am I clear?”

The
guard nodded. “Go. Take her,” he said. “I’ll tell them to get her story in the
morning.”

Maverick
released Lucas. He turned to Celia, and in two large strides, had her in his
arms.

“Come
with me, baby,” he said softly in her ear. Celia swallowed a sob, as she nodded
into his broad chest. She began to walk, but felt his arms beneath her, lifting
her off her feet as if she weighed no more than a child. He felt so strong, so
safe, and so
right.
She nestled her head on his shoulder, and as he
carried her through the door, out of the club, his long, confident strides
taking her away to safety, she wept.
 

* * *

The
hot tea felt good,
so good
, as it coursed down her raw throat. She was
on the sofa in Maverick’s place, under one of the multicolored blankets his mom
had made, and he was fiddling around on the other side of the room. She heard
him talking on his phone in a low voice, and she closed her eyes at the rise
and fall of his deep voice. Sitting here, under the blanket, in his place that
smelled like sandalwood and vanilla, she was so content, she wanted to stay
forever.

They
hadn’t talked much on the way home. Softly sniffling in the passenger seat, she
answered softly as he asked her very few questions, and he’d talked to the
officer himself on his phone at one point. Normally she’d be held for
questioning, but Maverick personally knew the officer and had managed to
convince him to withhold questioning.

“It’s
all on tape anyway,” he said. “Ask CTB security.”

Celia
could’ve kissed him.

“Don’t
know how that asshole got past security,” he muttered.

“Could
happen to anyone,” she said. “It’s not a safe scene, and you and I both know
it.”

Silence
hung in the air between them. They both knew she wasn’t only referring to
physical danger.

“What
about the girl you were with?” she asked. “Won’t she want to be with you? Will
she be jealous you took me home?”

His
brow furrowed and he looked at her, as if confused. “Girl I was with? I wasn’t
with any—” Then his eyes widened as realization dawned on him. “You mean
Natalie? Hello, no. I wasn’t with her. She’s the CTB business manager, and we
were working out a compensation plan for the next month.”

Relief
flooded her far more intensely than it should have.

His
voice dropped. “Are you in pain?” he asked.

She
was. She was throbbing with pain. Her head still ached from when Lucas had
pulled her hair back, and her skin was throbbing.

“A
little,” she lied.

He
swore and growled. “I’ll fucking kill him. I could fucking
kill
him.”

She
closed her eyes tightly. It wasn’t right that he was this upset over a guy
taking advantage of her.

“It
was my own damn fault for going with him, Maverick. I was just feeling needy,
and I—”

“Don’t
you dare,” he interrupted angrily. “This is
not
your fault. You’re
entitled to some fun every once in a while, babe. And honestly, how would you
know? The guy looked decent enough. I don’t want to hear one more word about
you blaming yourself.” His voice took on a scolding edge. “Am I clear?”

Swallowing
against the lump in her throat, she’d nodded. She didn’t trust her voice.

 
And now, here she sat, snuggled up on his
couch, basking in the glow of his concern. He hung the phone up, and she saw
him shut it down all the way. Tossing it on the bedside table, he came to her
side. She expected him to sit on the opposite end of the couch. He always did.
To her surprise, he sat right next to her. A large finger reached to touch her
face,
the back of his hand grazed her cheek. The tender
gesture brought another tear to her eye, but she blinked rapidly and closed her
eyes.

“You
okay, honey?” he said softly.

She
nodded. “I am,” she said.

Now that I’m here with you.

“Do
you want to come and sit over here by me?” he said, his voice just above a
whisper. Opening her eyes, she looked at him.
By
him?
She was already so close to him they were touching. How could she get even
closer? His eyes were so soft, so gentle when he looked at her and patted his
leg. And then she knew. He was welcoming her into his lap. She swallowed the
sob that threatened to escape.

“Yes,
please,” she said, and before the words died on her lips, he was lifting her.
She was dragged across his knees and nestled up against his chest. Her head on
the broad warmth of him, she could smell him, the clean, strong, sexy smell of
Maverick. His arms encircled her, and she felt him hold her tight. She nestled
her cheek against the bare skin of his neck, as he wordlessly rocked her back
and forth, so softly, he hardly moved.

“Shh,
baby,” he whispered. “Poor girl. What a night. God, Celia, I never want to see
you hurt like that again.”

Where
had this Maverick been? Damn it, he should’ve kept himself hidden. She could
hardly handle this soft, gentle side of him.

“How
did you know where I was?” she whispered. “I was so far away. How did you know?”

He
continued to rock her, as he whispered low, “You think I’d let you set foot in
that place and take my eyes off of you for a minute?”

Maverick!

Celia
tipped her face up to his. It was a magical moment, and she knew it. They were
both bewitched. Daylight would come, and things would return back to normal.
He’d go back to being her big bear of a friend, and this would all evaporate.
She had to make her move
now
when the enchantment was at its fullest,
when the moonlight still streamed through the window, and they whispered in the
darkness, when all things were still possible.

Maverick’s
dark eyes bore into hers, and she didn’t look away.

“Kiss
me,” she whispered.

He
didn’t turn away. He stared at her, unblinking, and his response was also
whispered. “The only reason I haven’t kissed you is because I don’t trust
myself to stop. If I kiss you, I make no promises to where this goes.”

“Then
what are you waiting for?” she whispered.

Slowly,
so slowly she held her breath, he reached his hand to the nape of her neck, and
pulled her closer to him. He lowered his mouth to hers. She didn’t breathe as
their lips met.

Her
chest rose to meet him, her small hands encircling the mass of him. No longer
did she hold her breath. Now, she inhaled like she was drowning and inhaling
Maverick would save her life. She kissed him, her hands roaming his chest and
exploring, moving over every inch of him, as his teeth nipped her lower lip and
she moaned. His tongue slid into her mouth, and she writhed on his lap as one of
his large, warm hands slipped up her top and groped at the lacy edge of her
bra. Her breath caught as a thumb teased one nipple. She jerked from the
magnificent pleasure of his hand on her body.

Celia
was no virgin. But as Maverick’s firm, steady hold caressed her breast, his
mouth plundering hers, she felt as if she’d never tasted what it was like to
kiss. She’d never had her breasts touched like this. Her body had never known
what real sensuality was.

Her
body lifted to meet his as he nipped again, this time his other hand reaching
under her blouse, both breasts caressed in his rough hands, as he kissed and
nipped, and she thought she would implode from her want and need. She had to
have him. She was his to command, or take, if only he didn’t take and leave.

I
don’t trust myself to stop.

“God,
Maverick,” she breathed. “Don’t
stop.”

Celia
squealed as his hand twisted her breast, a gesture meant to stop her short, not
cruel, but not sensual.

“You
don’t tell me what to do,” he growled in her ear. “And believe me, baby, I have
no intention of stopping.”

“Oh,
sweet Jesus, thank
God!”
she hissed.

He
took his mouth off hers and stood, carrying her in his arms, as he brought her
over to the bed and placed her gently down.

“Are
you sore, baby?” he asked. “I can do all sorts of things for you without having
to take you. We don’t have to—”

“Please,
Maverick.”

They
both knew what she asked for. They’d waited so long. The need was so strong,
their desire for one another a palpating presence that begged to be satisfied.
He knelt above her, taking both of her little wrists in his huge hands, and
pinning them firmly, but gently above her head.

“Let
me,” he said, gently nudging her knees apart. She spread her legs, and he
lowered himself down on her, his body flush up against hers, though he held
himself apart just enough not to smother her. It felt nice, his warm body up
against hers, and she pressed her hips forward, harder, grinding against the
breadth of him, not ashamed or embarrassed, silently telling him to keep going.

Maverick
kissed a trail from her neck, down the length of her chest, all the way down to
her hips, and when he got that low, she bucked in anticipation of the feel of
him. But she wanted him
in
her. She needed to feel him, the strength and
rawness of him filling her. They needed to be united, closer, their passion
forged in a bond that could not be undone.

His
teeth nipped the edge of her skirt, and she moaned out loud as his tongue
reached out and stroked her bare skin. Her skirt was on the floor, and then his
hands reached for the edge of her top. Lifting it up and over her head, he
pulled until it was off, and tossed it gently aside. She lay below him, wearing
nothing but a slim pair of lace panties and a silky bra. The warmth of his
breath caused her to rise to meet him.

“So
beautiful,” he groaned. “God, Celia, you’re more beautiful than I even
imagined.” His voice shook with emotion. Even now, she couldn’t bear the
thought of him thinking of her that way. When?
How?

“How
long, Maverick? How long have you wanted me?” she asked.

“Since
that day I spanked you on your birthday,” he groaned, his tongue flicking out
again and licking her bare skin.

She
moaned. “Why did you wait?” she whispered.

He
sucked the tender skin just at the top of her thigh. “I didn’t want to ruin
what we had, baby,” he whispered. “I was a fool.”