Sinful (12 page)

“Don’t move,” he said, placing his hands on either side of her hips, blocking her against the wall. He liked the feel of her curves. They were a lot different than Chloe’s rail thin figure.

“What are we going? What are you trying to prove?” Maymi asked. “None of this is making any sense.”

“I’m only trying to show you I can handle anything you toss in my direction. Don’t you have anything to say? No sharp comeback...This isn’t like you. Ms. Maymi Monroe is never speechless in my company.” Jensen moved back from her so he wouldn’t give in to the urge to start kissing her luscious mouth again.

He wondered what she was thinking. The air around them was sizzling with white hot temptation, but Maymi was silent as a church mouse. He didn’t know if he should be thrilled he finally got her to stop talking or be pissed as hell his kiss made her completely mute.

****

How could she let Jensen kiss her again
?

The second time was even better than the first, but it didn’t matter. Both had caught her completely off guard shattering her self-control. Pressing her fingers against her swollen lips, Maymi gazed at Jensen in a daze of confusion. She couldn’t find the words to discuss how his mouth made her feel.

So yes... She guessed the ‘cat’ did have her tongue and now she was trying to figure out how to get it back from his master—the smug devil standing in front of her with a huge hard-on pressed against the front of his tight jeans.

None of this...Shit!

She couldn’t even form a complete thought because of him. Panic set in...she had to get out of here. She was twenty-eight years too old to be experiencing sexual frustration from a guy she thought about slapping most of the time.

Every time they were together Jensen took over their meeting like he owned it and her. She came over here to best him and the devil ended up getting the better of her. The realization of that didn’t please her at all. She had to get away from him unless she wanted to give up what tiny bit of willpower she had left in order to regroup. That was the only reason she was leaving... the only one.

Yeah, keep telling yourself that, girl
.

“Mmmm...I need to go. Olivia is probably wondering what happened to me. I only came over here to give the cakes time to cool.”

Maymi eased away from the wall and around Jensen. She stumbled and would have fallen if Jensen’s large hands hadn’t reached out and caught her in time.

“Watch yourself. I can’t have anything happening to you now because if you’re hurt I won’t have anyone to argue with at least twice a week,” he teased.

She shook off Jensen’s touch and then took a step away from him. He was purposely trying to sneak under her defenses and trick her with his hot kisses, roaming hands and deep hypnotic voice but she would continue to fight him.

“Mr. Lowe, you would love for something to happen to me because Sinful’s space would be yours for the taking.”

Sliding his hand behind her neck, Jensen eased her body closer to his. Her breath caught in the back of her throat as Jensen’s gorgeous eyes never left hers for an instant.

“Have you realized since you walked through my office door, I haven’t brought up either one of our businesses? I’ve better things I would rather be doing with you and discussing them isn’t even in the same realm.”

She ran her tongue over her suddenly dry lips as Jensen’s thumb stroked her jaw igniting her awareness of his sexuality even more. Instantly, his bedroom brown eyes grew a shade darker as he cupped her chin inside his warm palm.

Her hand moved of its own volition, touching Jensen’s cheek down to his strong jaw line. “This is so crazy,” she whispered. “I can’t explain it, but I’m drawn to you. As much as we fight, our arguments haven’t made it any less intense.”

Jensen’s gaze was riveted on her face, and then moved over her body slowly before his eyes recaptured hers. She tried to push down the racing current pounding through her body, but couldn’t. He was stroking a gently growing flame and knew it.

“Have dinner with me tonight.”

Maymi knew her desire for Jensen had nothing to do with reason. It was too easy to get lost in the way he was looking at her; however, some of the things he had spoken to her were still in the back of her mind which made it hard for her to just forgive and forget so easily.

Touching Jensen’s wrist, she removed it away from her face and stepped round his tempting, rippling body again. The power radiating from him was very intoxicating to her weakening senses. Accepting a dinner invitation from him would only muddy her thoughts concerning them even more. She wasn’t ready to stare into his amazing eyes across a candlelight dinner.

“I can’t go out on a date with you,” she answered. “That isn’t a part of the game we play with each other.”

He frowned at her. “I wasn’t aware we were playing any sort of games with each other. I asked you out on a date and I want to know the truth why you won’t accept it. Are you frightened you wouldn’t be able to handle something that wasn’t here or Sinful? I promise to be gentle and walk you through it unless there’s another reason for your backtracking.”

“Like what?” Maymi asked, staring at Jensen with a clueless expression.

Chapter Eighteen

“Casper,” Jensen replied wondering if Maymi would deny it. He was more than enough man to push his brother or any other man out of her mind today or any other day of the week.

“No, your brother wasn’t even on my mind,” she said. “Which means he can’t be the reason I’m turning you down.”

“Are you still trying to make me believe my kisses do nothing for you, baby?” he asked, lowering his voice.

He watched how Maymi’s eyes darted over to the door like she was thinking about making a run for it which wasn’t something he was used to seeing from her. She usually stood toe to toe with him.

“After the way I responded to your kiss again wouldn’t it be stupid of me to lie to you a second time?” she answered.

“Fine, if neither one of those are the reasons, tell me what is. I can’t read your mind. I need something to work with here and only you can give it to me.”

“You hate me,” Maymi blurted out. “We both know it’s true. Unlike you, I can’t allow a few exceptional kisses blind me to the truth right in front of me. We know how to push each other’s buttons because the attraction we experienced the first time our eyes connected at Sinful.”

“Maymi, I don’t hate you,” he instantly disagreed.

Jensen knew he hadn’t been the nicest guy to her, but he didn’t hate her. He wouldn’t admit it to her, but her toughness was very impressive. No matter what he had thrown at her she had given it right back to him. She was proving to him that she was more than a pretty face.

Maymi’s quick wit kept him on his toes and looking forward to what would come out of her pretty mouth next.

Her comments had them in a war of words which Jensen found to be a complete turn-on from his end of things, but it seemed like Maymi’s interruption of the events was totally different than his. She thought he hated her, but hate was too strong of a word to use in trying to figure out their relationship.

Sometimes when she wouldn’t listen he felt like shaking some sense into her or kissing her senseless, but he didn’t hate her at all. She was probably the most intoxicating distraction that he had met in a very long time.

“Maymi, you have misunderstood me,” Jensen said. “We may fight, but I don’t hate you.”

“I know you aren’t fond of me, and if you had three wishes, you would use one of those to send me and Sinful far away from you way across town. Don’t deny it,” she said.

Without warning, Jensen’s hand wrapped around Maymi’s waist gently tugging her to him until they were only inches apart. He noticed a strange, faintly eager look flash in her eyes as she watched him and waited.

“You’re right. I would use one of the wishes but not like you’re thinking. I would wish for you to stop being so inflexible with me and agree to a date. I mean, if you can handle my brother’s nonsense, going out with me should be a piece of cake. Just think how it could be if we found out we might actually become friends.”

Maymi shook her head. “The problem isn’t Casper, it’s you. The two of you are like on totally different ends of the scale when it comes to how you treat me. When your brother first met me and told me his last name, I thought I had misheard.”

Enough was enough!

He was done wasting his time with Maymi talking about his charming little brother. He wasn’t blessed with that characteristic and he was done wishing that he had been. He had his own traits that were equally or more attractive to draw Maymi over to his side.

“I know my brother isn’t me and I’m proud of that fact. Casper is still a boy while I’m a full grown man. You look like a woman who likes having a man around her, so what is your answer. Are you ready to test our ability to have a date?”

Maymi tilted her head to the side and Jensen could read the interest in her eyes. He saw that she wanted to take him up on it, but wasn’t sure. He had to make her agree or he wasn’t using this golden opportunity to the fullest.

“How about I promise not to talk about either one of our businesses on the entire date? We just can try to have a good time with each other. I’m game if you are unless you’re scared that you might actually have a good time with your enemy. What’s your answer, princess?” he asked.

Jensen smiled when Maymi’s chin went up and her eyes glared at him.
Finally
...the determined, feisty look he had actually liked getting from her. The meek Maymi wasn’t his favorite. She had too much fire inside of her to be backing off from one date with him. He wasn’t afraid to pursue their intense reaction to each other.

“I’m still not sure if we could handle being around each other on an actual date,” she admitted. “You know how we are with each other. Sparks just seem to fly when we least expect it.”

Leaning closer, he got right in her face. “I can’t deny I like our fireworks, so why not take it out on the road. I’m more than up for it, but if you’re nervous I’ll understand and let it go.”

Maymi laughed. A soft, sexy sound that made him hornier than he already was. “Fine, I’ll go out on a date with you.”

“How about tonight?” Jensen asked. He wasn’t going to give her any time to think about it more and have another chance to change her mind.

“I can’t tonight,” she said, placing her hand in the center of his chest pushing him back. “I already have plans after work. How about Friday? I’m closing the bakery early, probably around noon.”

He wanted to push for tonight since everything was going so well between them, but he wouldn’t. This date was a test to see if he could get a second date with her. Maymi possessed a lot more substance than any other woman who had been in his life.

Jensen knew the only way to get her to let her ‘keep Jensen away’ barriers down was to do it in a neutral environment like a date or walk through the park. He was hungry to discover more about what made her tick.

She had already given him hints about what treasures lay deep within her. It fascinated him even more when he watched how open she was around other people but him.

“Friday is good for me. I can wait until I get to see you in something besides jeans and a Sinful t-shirt,” he admitted, staring into Maymi’s eyes almost getting lost in the beauty of them.

“I could tell you the same thing,” she flirted back. The tension in the room started getting thicker and hotter the more they continued staring at each other. “I’m wondering how your body is going to look all dressed up for our date.”

Taking a step closer and then another one until he could feel Maymi’s chest touching his, he stared at her without breaking eye contact. “If you weren’t so stubborn and decided to make me wait until Friday you would get to see how good I look in a suit.”

“I think I’ll be able to handle the wait. Patience is a virtue, so it will give me something to look forward to this weekend,” she said, running her finger down the center of his chest.

Grabbing her by the hips, he yanked Maymi completely against him. “Keep tempting me and I won’t be able to keep from doing what I want to do.”

There was an eagerness in her eyes he hadn’t noticed before when she looked at him, but he wouldn’t mind seeing again. Yet, he had to get her out of his office before things went too far, more than he allowed in the work place.

“You better go before I forget I’m a gentleman and kiss the hell out of that beautiful mouth of yours,” Jensen admitted. He was losing control fast and Maymi was the only reason for his lack of concentration.

“Alright, I do need to get out of here. I need to call Tatum to recheck out plans for tonight,” she said, touching the side of his cheek.

“Who is Tatum?” How many men did she have falling around her? First, his brother and now some guy named Tatum. Was he ever going to get a chance to get her alone and away from everyone else?

“Tatum is one of my best friends. We try to get together at least twice a month. So I’m not canceling my plans with her.”

Tatum was a female...he couldn’t believe it, but he wasn’t about to let Maymi know he thought she was a he. He didn’t want to admit he might have been jealous of someone else. It was bad enough he had gotten the green eyed monster with Casper.

“I guess I can let you go out with Tatum, but you have to do one thing for me before you leave.”

Her left eyebrow raised a fraction as she continued watching him. “I’m afraid to ask what you might want, Mr. Lowe,” she teased.

“It’s nothing that will hurt,” Jensen whispered, lowering his head until their lips were a breath apart. “All I want is this.”

Reclaiming her mouth, he slid his hand through her hair holding, Maymi still while he got lost in the sweetness of her mouth. God! He never got this disoriented in kissing any other woman like he did with her. He could kiss Maymi for hours and never get tired.

Jensen wanted to continue but the moan of ecstasy that slipped for Maymi’s lips brought him back. Shit! He hadn’t made out with a female like this since college and Sarah Willis was his steady girlfriend until she dumped him for her professor.