Chayton's Tempest (24 page)

room. “Not much in the way of looks.”

Maverick remained silent, just smoking his cigarette as

he watched his son.
My son. Although, I don’t know if the attitude

he gets is from me or his mother.

The silence stretched on. Maverick, perfectly used to

waiting, had no intentions of breaking it first. Dakota began to

shift uncomfortably as the length increased.

The ringing of a cell phone broke the quiet. Maverick

opened his phone and answered. It was his parents and so he

switched over to Lakota. As the voice on the other end

continued rambling on, Maverick noticed the interested look on

his son’s face.

Switching back to English, Maverick said, “I have to go.

My son is here and I want to talk to him. Goodbye.” He

snapped it shut and held Dakota’s gaze. “I’m getting hungry;

care to join me for dinner?”

Dakota pursed his lips as though the question took a

great deal of thought for him. Finally on a long-suffering sigh,

he nodded. “Sure, I guess.”

Maverick stood and buttoned up his shirt. Meeting his

son’s eyes again in the mirror, Maverick said, “Well, don’t

make me force you or anything.” His sharp gaze witnessed the

quick flicker of shame that crossed Dakota’s face but he didn’t

comment on it.

They walked out of the room together and Dakota

recommended a place to eat. As he slid onto his bike, Maverick

felt another wave of peace flow over him. He was making

progress with his child.

_

“I know what I heard! And he said he was with his son!”

the woman snapped out irritably. One finger pointed at her

husband. “You need to fix this.”

“You were the one who called her; what did
she
say?”

“The bitch told me to stop calling her. Said no one

named Sarah lived there. I even said he had a child!” Her voice

rose two octaves as she paced her living room.

“What about
Talli
? Can we send her down there? Break

them up? Give her a chance to tell him face to face she’s

carrying his baby?” the man suggested.

“I don’t get it—that bitch was out of his life, and it was

perfect for him and
Talli
. Now he has to find out about her. It

can only be he feels obligated to her. That’s all. He couldn’t

possibly love her!” The venom in her voice even had her

husband backing away from her.

“I’ll go see what I can get her to agree to.” He left the

house and was soon knocking on the trailer door of the woman

he wanted his son to marry.

Twenty minutes later, he was buttoning up his pants.

The woman he’d come to talk to lay sprawled on her belly, a

rumpled and stained sheet covering her butt and legs. Making

sure he looked as together as he had before he entered, Rodney

tossed some money down on the table, “That’s to get you to

Albuquerque. And when you come back, you had better have

my son’s ring on your finger.”

Her body lifted and turned so she could see him. An

ugly sneer filled her features. “Oh, won’t he be so proud to

know his daddy fucked me while trying to get me to get him

back.”

One large hand closed around her windpipe. “I’ve never

touched you, bitch. Remember that.”

Talli
watched him with hate in her eyes but still she

nodded. When he finally let go, she refused to give him the

satisfaction of watching her gasp for air. It was hard, but she

managed to breathe normally.

She didn’t move until she heard her trailer door slam

shut. Then she allowed the tears of shame and anger to fall.

_

The discussion over the meal remained neutral. Dakota

asked what he did in the Navy and Maverick told him. As they

waited for dessert, Maverick picked up his coffee and watched

his son over the rim of the mug. He knew there was something

else he wished to ask.

“You know you can ask me anything,” Maverick

offered, hoping the bait would be taken. It was. Dakota sucked

his lower lip in his mouth and nodded. It was an action so like

his mother, Maverick almost smiled.

“Well, I’m doing a paper for my Anthropology major

and my topic is on my heritage.” Maverick gave him an

encouraging go-ahead when he hesitated. “I know quite a bit

about mom’s side and I was wondering if you were going to be

around long enough for me to pick your brain about my other

side…your side…my father’s side.”

“I would be honored,” Maverick responded, his fingers

tightening on the ceramic cup.

 
“Could I ask a few things now?” Dakota reached to his

side and brought up a legal pad and pen.

“Go right ahead. I’m not in a rush. We can talk as long

as you want.” Maverick gestured to the server for more coffee.

“Really? You sure you don’t mind?”

He shook his head as his cup was filled. “I’d love to help

you understand this side of your heritage. Please, ask away.”

A grateful smile filled Dakota’s handsome features.

Taking a quick drink of his coffee, he picked up his pen and

began conducting his interview.

_

Tempest was in her office at work when there was a

knock at the door. “It’s open,” she said without pulling her

gaze from the paperwork before her. It was almost midnight

and she wanted this done before the night ended. She was

lucky enough that
Mili
could handle the bar on her own, which

left her free to deal with the boring part of the business.

“Evening,
mitawin
,” a low, masculine voice said.

She mentally gathered herself before looking up at the

man who seemed to fill her office with his presence. “What can

I do for you, James?”

His six-six body lowered itself gracefully into a chair

across from her. As he did, her eyes took in the fact the door

had been closed behind him.
Oh, girl, remember what happened

the last time the two of you were in a room together in this building?

“Well?” she reiterated when he remained silent.

“You look beautiful tonight,” he said. His eyes roamed

over her French-braided hair and her tie-dyed tee.

Biting back her instinctive remark, Tempest rolled the

pen in her fingers and asked, “Is there something I can do for

you?”

“Why are you calling me James?”

Tempest dropped the pen and rubbed her hands over

her face. “I don’t have time for this. I have tons of paperwork to

get done tonight. Why I call you James isn’t important.”

He leaned forward, his onyx eyes full of impishness.

“Not many can call me that and get away with it. Normally, it

makes me angry; but when it rolls off
your
tongue, I have a

completely opposite reaction.
Wanna
know why?”

Blowing out a breath with semi-exasperation, Tempest

leaned back in her leather chair, the pen remaining on the desk.

Arms settled upon the arm rests and she met his gaze head on.

“Sure, why not. Tell me why.”

Maverick smiled. “Because I like anything that comes off

your tongue.”

Nails dug into the black leather arms of her chair.

Tempest fought to keep from squirming. “How lovely for you.

Now is that all? I have work to do.”

Unfurling from the chair, Maverick placed his hands on

her desk and leaned toward her. “So that’s how it’s
gonna
be?

You’re
gonna
act all indifferent toward me? Like we both don’t

know you’re dripping wet right now,” he purred seductively.

Tempest couldn’t help shifting on the chair.
Wet? That’s

an understatement. The understatement of the year.
“I have work to

do,” she repeated. They both noticed how low and breathy her

voice had become.

“I want to—” Maverick stopped abruptly and pulled her

to him instead.

He didn’t give her any chance to protest. His thick

tongue plundered her mouth, taking what he longed for. Her

taste, her submission to him.

“Do you have any idea how much I long to be deep

within your body?” he mumbled the question as he lessened

the pressure of the kiss. “I want to enjoy your body the way it

was made to be enjoyed.”

She whimpered.

“Yes, baby. I long to be buried inside you. Deep inside.

Until we can’t tell where one ends and the other begins. Buried

so deep that I can feel your heartbeat.” He sucked on her lower

lip. “I want to feel your body as it cradles mine in velvet heat.”

“Work,” she muttered.

“Work what?” Maverick moved around the desk and sat

on the edge before dragging her chair back in close.

“I have…work…” Tempest was near panting with

desire. Her body was so wet and it craved one thing—the man

whose crotch was almost at eye level to her.

Watching Tempest lick her lips made Maverick’s cock

twitch within the confines of his pants. He closed his eyes

briefly. The light touch of her hand upon his erection made

them fly back open.

“Damn you!” Her words were low and hissed even as

she reached for the fly on his pants. “Damn you for making me

feel things like this.”

Maverick’s eyes grew hooded as the sound of his zipper

lowering echoed in his head. “What’s wrong with feeling,

Tempest?”

She didn’t answer as one hand gently removed his

swollen cock from his pants. Sliding the chair even closer, she

leaned over and covered him with her mouth. Her tongue ran

over the bulbous head before slipping along the underside.

Maverick jerked at the feeling. His eyes rolled back into

his head as Tempest blew him. She worked him like no

professional had ever done. The pressure she maintained was

second only being buried deep within her hot, tight body.

It didn’t take long for Maverick to reach the brink of

explosion. His hips shifted on the desk as he tired not to take

over the control she maintained. Strong, bronzed fingers

clamped around the edge of her desk as his head dropped

back. “Oh, God!” he moaned. “Tempest, I’m about to come!”

Her fingers stroked the part of his erection that her

mouth wasn’t over, continually heightening his pleasure. The

more he slid forward on the desk, the more she took in of his

thick cock.

He bit back his shout of gratification as his erection

jumped and erupted in her mouth. She milked him for the rest

of his seed, and he managed to bring up his head and look at

her.

Her eyes were closed and the image of her full lips

stretched around him sent another wave of blood right down to

the organ she was sucking on. Her dappled-brown eyes opened

and looked directly at him when his cock swelled.

As if releasing a lollypop, Tempest let the head of his