Winter's Thaw (10 page)

Maggie couldn’t believe how in tune she felt with Nick. She had never dreamed she would find herself initiating something like this, being with a new man in such an intimate way. She never could have imagined she would be so wanton, feel so sexy and empowered.

The thought tried to intrude that a lasting connection, a relationship with Nick long-term was out of the question. Oh, she would enjoy this while it lasted, no doubt about it.
Really
enjoy it. But she knew that once she left to go back to her mom’s, back to being a mom, this would come to a halt. Nick was young and had his life ahead of him, while she was tied to a completely different stage of hers. Somehow she doubted that Nick needed anything from her that he couldn’t get from someone with a lot less baggage than her.

She turned away from her negative mental meanderings and continued to work his shaft between her lips and tongue while trailing her fingertips down the deep, muscular vee arrowing from the bottom of his abdominals to the base of his cock. Nick increased the pressure of the fingers tangled in her hair and she smiled inwardly in satisfaction. Her pussy ached with the need for him to fill her, but she was enjoying the feel of his cock on her tongue, stretching her lips.

Still, whatever happened, they would be a lot more comfortable on a bed.

She pulled off him with strong suction, rewarded by a deep groan as he left her lips and his cock smacked back against his lightly haired stomach. “Come on,” she invited, rising and holding her hand down to him.

He held her gaze as he rose then pulled up his garments and just fastened the top button.

Maggie was conscious of how disheveled she must look with her lips swollen and her rapid breathing. Instead of bothering her, it made her feel feminine and powerful. “Can we take this upstairs?”

Nick’s lips curved in a wicked smile. “After you.”

Chapter Nine

Maggie walked up the stairs then led the way down the hall toward the bedroom, feeling Nick’s gaze upon her the whole time like a physical touch. She found herself swinging her hips a little more as her breasts tightened with awareness and her pussy clenched in response. Maggie thought back to the years before she and Wade had divorced, after Cass had been born, when he had shared her bed platonically almost every night. She couldn’t ever remember experiencing this sort of carnal anticipation.

They entered the bedroom, and she jolted back to reality as Nick picked her up and carried her to the bed, sitting with her across his lap. Maggie snuggled against him and felt a knot inside her loosen, savoring the feel of his strong arms around her as he held her against his solid chest.

“I can’t believe this is happening. To me. I just… I haven’t ever been this way. I mean, look at me—a grown woman sitting on your lap.” She made a move to rise, but he evidently anticipated her action and held her tight.

“You’ve been alone too long, Maggie,” he rumbled under her cheek. He stroked along her back, making her arch into his touch like a cat. “I can feel how much you respond to my touch. Not just in a sexual way, but just holding you.”

Maggie took a deep breath and wriggled her bottom against his lap. “I… I’ve been thinking about you all day. And you’re right—not just in that way but also… It just feels good to be held. I miss the affection.”

“You hadn’t met anyone since you and Wade split then?” Nick queried softly, continuing his slow caresses.

“No one I wanted to bother with. I guess I just wasn’t interested,” she admitted reluctantly. “I…haven’t been with anyone else but you.”

His arms tightened around her. “I’m pleased and flattered, Maggie. Thank you. You know”—he ran his hand over her hair—“you might think about dating again after some time goes by and you get your feet back under you. Focusing on being a mom is great, but you’re young. You don’t want to go through the rest of your life alone.”

She didn’t, but who would ever want her enough to want to live with her and take on instant fatherhood? Not a very exciting life for most men.
Better to not get my hopes up
, she thought resolutely, a bit saddened but firm.
Even with Nick—he’s young and probably wants his own kids, and that’s not going to happen here.

“I don’t want to think about that now. I just want to enjoy you while you’re here,” she murmured against his warm neck, trying to distract both of them by licking and biting down the corded muscles there. “And I think you need a little TLC, too, after your day at work.” She gave a nibble followed by a hard suck where his neck met his shoulder, reveling in the solid feel of him against her. For a moment, her emotions welled up as she realized she would most likely be leaving this behind when she had Cassie back home with her. She blinked back tears and shifted so she was astride him, but he wouldn’t let her hide her face. He gently lifted her chin and caught her gaze with his as he lowered his lips to hers.

His kiss was everything she craved at that moment, and she threw herself into it completely, pressing her body fully against him, riding his erection with only the material of their clothing between them. Her nipples hardened and peaked against the wall of his chest, and she gave a satisfied little smile as his hands came up to cup and stroke. He groaned as his patience came to an abrupt end and he tore her shirt up over her head rather than unbuttoning it, only pulling his lips from hers long enough to get it off.

He passionately kissed her for an untold length of time before he effortlessly lifted her and flipped her over onto her back on the bed. He unfastened then stripped her pants down her legs, made quick work of her socks and sent them flying along with the remains of her clothing. Nick kept his eyes on hers as he peeled his own shirt off and pushed his jeans down past his knees. Her lips parted when his thick, partially erect cock popped free.

Nick stepped out of his clothing then knelt between her legs and trailed his mouth down from her neck to her breast, giving little nibbles along the way that streaked straight to her aching pussy. After suckling her nipple until she cried out and shifted restlessly, he licked and kissed his way down her stomach, pausing to rim her bellybutton before continuing to her wet pussy, already slick with desire. He hummed with appreciation as he ran his tongue in a broad lick from her entrance to her clit, causing her sex to contract as if trying to draw the passing tongue inside. Nick focused his attention on licking and sucking the nub until she was almost faint with wanting him, squirming and jerking against his firm hold on her hips.

“You’re beautiful, Maggie. Love this. I hope you’re ready for me, because I’m dying to be inside you again.”

Was she supposed to answer that? She could barely think, she was so close to her climax already. “Yes,” she breathed and that was apparently enough to satisfy him. The rustle of a wrapper—where had he pulled that from?—then a few moments later he crawled back up over her and nudged her folds with the smooth head of his condom-covered cock. He slowly but steadily filled her, almost too much to take. She was still a bit tender after his previous attentions, but not in a painful way. Just enough to heighten the sensation and make her feel every bit of his possession.

The feel of him pushing his way inside her ratcheted things up fast, too fast, and she unexpectedly hit her peak. As she arched and rippled around him, her hungry passage embracing his length and sucking him farther in, Nick held firm there for a few moments, bracing his bulk above her in a push-up as he watched her climax. Then he began to move, setting a relentless pace with his hips and lower back. He gently lowered his bulk and curled around her, cupping her head, so his lower body rubbed against her swollen clit with each fierce stroke. She felt the tide rise again and they both came together, straining and crying out as the pleasure washed over them with consuming force.

Nick cradled Maggie against him, breathing heavily, waiting for his heartbeat to return to anything approaching normal. The chemistry between them was incredibly intense and he was rocked by how perfect she felt in his arms, how effortlessly they fulfilled each other’s needs.

He gently disengaged himself and pressed a kiss to her damp forehead. “I’ll be right back.” She gave him a faint smile that he returned as he stood then walked to the bathroom.

When Nick came back into the room, instead of finding Maggie lying on the bed as he’d expected, she was unbuttoning and turning her shirt back the right side out, her pants already in place. As she maneuvered her arm into one sleeve of her button-down, he smiled appreciatively at the vision she made all rumpled from sex, though he was disappointed that she hadn’t waited for some snuggle time. Evidently even the short couple of minutes he’d taken to clean up had given her too much time to think and the barriers were going back up. She looked up, a blush crawling over her face as her hand rose to hold the edges together before she quickly buttoned up. Her discomfort tugged at his heart.

My heart?
That gave him pause.
Already?
What am I thinking?

Maggie had finished buttoning up her shirt and her glance down at his body reminded him that he was stark naked. He wasn’t shy, but he knew when it was time to get dressed. He crossed the room and made quick work of putting his clothes on, all without managing to catch Maggie’s gaze again. Though she didn’t move from the bed, she looked everywhere in the room but at him until he was completely covered.

Really, a guy could get a complex from how quickly she went from being an active partner to wanting him gone.

See
? that part of his brain that had tried to warn him earlier chimed in.
Classic booty call
.

C’mon, cut her some slack. Not exactly been a typical few days for her
.

“You okay?” he asked, unable to help his frustration at the near repeat performance from last night. Some of what he was feeling must have bled through in his tone of voice, because she looked at him sharply.

“Nick…” Her gaze softened a bit and she held out her hand. He walked over and took it then sat next to her on the side of the bed. “I’m sorry if I seem to be blowing hot and cold. This isn’t exactly familiar territory for me, and I have a lot going through my head at the moment.”

Guilt washed over him. “Of course you do. I don’t mean to add to your stress right now. You have enough going on in your life. I’m a big boy.” He smiled wryly. “I don’t need special handling. Honest.”

“I haven’t minded giving you special handling.”

That surprised a laugh out of him. “Good. I enjoyed it.”

“So did I.” Her tone of voice turned wistful and Nick stopped laughing as his stomach dropped. “Look…” She placed her hand on his knee, and the warmth of it burned through his jeans. “I’ve really loved the time we’ve spent together.”

“Maggie, please don’t talk like this is the last we’ll see of each other. If you need us to slow down, I have no problem with that.”

Maggie jumped to her feet. “This isn’t real. This isn’t my life. My daughter’s not here right now, so it feels like I’m living another person’s reality, but this”—she gestured between them—“this can’t happen after Cass and I come home. Slowing down implies that there’s going to be a progression, but”—she sighed—“I just don’t see this going anywhere.”

“So that’s it?” Nick swallowed down his hurt pride and tried reasoning with her. “I know that you’re leaving soon to go be with your daughter…” He trailed off in inquiry.

“Probably day after tomorrow,” she confirmed in a soft voice.

Hearing it confirmed was difficult. How had she become entwined in his life so quickly? “I realize that you can’t promise anything now. You have a lot to do and help Cassie through this summer. All I’m asking is, after you come back—let’s spend some time together.” She was already shaking her head, but he forged on. “Who knows? Even if we’re just friends to start—”

“Again, that implies you think we might become more, and I just don’t think that can happen. We’re so different…”

He stood, reminding himself over and over like a mantra that she was grieving and he needed to let her call the shots. Nothing was to be gained from pressing his point right now. Maybe she’d change her mind and reach out to him.

Not likely. It’s like the old saying—nice guys finish last
.

And he didn’t have it in him to be anything other than a gentleman.

Damn it
.

To that end, he ignored the common-sense part of his brain and her less-than-welcoming body posture, and dropped a brief kiss on her lips. He didn’t trust himself to speak, so he headed out of the bedroom and down the stairs. He stood by the front door until she’d descended, then left the house, waiting to hear the tell-tale snick of the deadbolt engaging behind him before he walked to his car and out of her life.

And if she watched him drive away, he didn’t know. He didn’t look back.

* * * *

Maggie had never been so eager to get off a plane in her life when the long first flight of her return was over. To go back to economy class after her recent trip in first would have been bad enough, but the whole trip she’d been wishing Nick was there at her side, even crammed into a small seat next to her. She would have willingly sacrificed her personal space for him. Not so for the businessman who’d ended up on her left. He was at least as big as Nick, but not nearly as considerate.

Or sexy
.

He’d commandeered the armrest from the start and she’d never had a chance. Then on the window side was an older woman who, bless her, seemed nice…but wouldn’t stop talking, even when Maggie had mentioned how she wanted to read/sleep/do the crossword. Four hours of conversation about everything in the woman’s life had her wishing desperately that she’d packed ear buds to listen to music or something. No free headphones back here, and she’d passed up the chance to buy them—though if she’d known how unstoppable the woman was going to be, she’d have gladly paid double.

All in all, they weren’t the worst row-mates she’d ever had.

But they weren’t Nick.

The second flight was a bit easier, not only because it was less than an hour, but also because it was a small jet with a one-two configuration, and she’d lucked into a single seat by herself. That leg of the journey was less about missing Nick and more about psyching herself up for the upcoming horrible conversation with Cassie.