“I feel like Sully needs to spend some more time with your friends. Maybe he will have thought some more about how to apologize after we go spend some time with Verdell, hmm?” I linked my arm with hers.
“Maggie, I like the way you think.” Lou cackled, tugging my arm to head over to Verdell’s platform.
I glanced over my shoulder and caught Sully’s expression as he realized I was leaving him to the ladies. Reading his lips, he said,You will pay.The tingles in my body intensified, and a flush began marching up my cheeks. I turned away and headed with Lou to Verdell and safety.
Several hours later, I was exhausted. We had worked pulling items from the long tables to the center spot where Verdell would have people bid on them. Other than Sully and myself, the median age for one of the workers must have been seventy-eight. I did not understand how they all were still going. I wanted a snack and a nap, and I didn’t care in what order I got those things as long as both were in my future.
The frustrating part of this gig was that I couldn’t predict what items people were interested in. I’d put up some item I thought was nice and zip, zilch, no bids. Verdell would have to have me grab another item to go with it, and then presto, bids. Then one of the older workers would put some piece of crap up for a bid, and there’d be a ton of interest. It made no sense.
We were finally down to the very end. While some folks hadn’t stuck it out until now, the stalwarts were left. Sully grabbed a concrete dog and placed it on the block at the front, glancing back to Verdell to make sure we were good to go.
Verdell began, scanning the room as he went. “Last item of the day, folks. It’s a dog, a mean ol’ dog. Woof! And we’re going to start it at twenty. Do I have a twenty?” And he was off.
Sully’s eyes met mine as he silently asked me,Woof?and I lost it. Leaning over at my waist, I couldn’t hold back the laughter. The morning had been crazy. Sully had been accosted by a bunch of blue hairs. The items for sale had ranged from some beautiful antiques to some household items to complete crap to a ton of romance books that I would have bid on myself if they hadn’t gone so high. One of Lou’s friends had taken that haul. Lou told me they had a group that passed around the books, and the steamier, the better.
Not sure I had needed that intel.
Now we had a mean ol’ dog.Woof.What on earth?
“Sold! Bidder 242 for sixty-five dollars. Thanks for coming, everyone. Make sure you settle up with the cashier,” Verdell called out.
Done. We were done. I jerked my head to Sully and the door as I sped toward the grassy parking lot. I figured the faster we got out of the building, the faster we’d get away from all the people who would want to talk to us.
As I perfected my speed walk while waiting for Sully to catch up, my mind immediately wandered to his house and how I still had the majority of the day left to laze away. I briefly pondered what romance book I wanted to start once we got home and I found some joggers. Or a nap.
A kiss on my neck quickly brought me back to reality, and I came to a stop right before Sully’s truck. He pressed his body flush to my back as he whispered in my ear, “It’s a mean ol’ dog. Woof.”
The sensation of his breath on my neck broke down any lasting anger I had. Silent treatment be damned, I needed this guy. If only as a friend who liked to flirt with me, I’d take it. Or maybe if I was lucky, something more, at least for today.
I laughed quietly. “You should have bought it. That could have been a no-maintenance friend for Ranger.”
“We need to talk about you leaving me with those women, Maggie May. I have bruises in places I shouldn’t have bruises,” he said as he ran his fingers down my side, tracing my ribs.
My nipples perked to attention, screaming a silentnotice meto Sully’s hands.Shush, girls.
“You’re a big boy, I figured you could handle yourself,” I whispered.
Sully pressed into me tighter from behind. Oh yeah, he was a big boy. Holy hell. It had been weeks, but that didn’t mean that one night didn’t star in all my fantasies. Gracious. He had ruined me for anyone else.
Sully growled, “I can handle myself, but I’d prefer you to handle me, Maggie.” He spun me, my back to the truck as he pulled me up and my legs wrapped automatically around his hips.
A groan escaped before I could help it. At least I think that was me. Maybe it was Sully. My entire body was alight with sensations that made me dizzy.
Sully pushed my hair back from my face and nipped at my lower lip. “What do you want, Maggie? Tell me, baby. I’ll make it happen.” He rocked up into me and I groaned again.
Holy freaking hell. Yeah, I was done with the cold shoulder, at least for now. I reserved the right to revisit it at a later time.
His eyes were warm, the whiskey brown more of a chocolate brown as he stared back into my own. I leaned forward and nipped his lip back before touching my mouth to his as I whispered, “You, I want you.”
Our mouths crashed together as soon as the words came out. I wasn’t sure if I was the aggressor or if he was, but I was certain that I didn’t care. Sully ran his tongue along the seam of my lips. They parted and his tongue entered, wiping away any reservations as my heart asked for more, more, more.
“Yoo-hoo? You two need anything?” We pulled back at the call, and I looked over to see Lou standing a row or so away, staring right at us with a bunch of her friends. Her phone was up like she had been capturing our moment. I might kill her. Yep, that likely needed to happen. Sully growled, and I amended that thought. He might kill her first.
Lou waved her phone at us. “I’ll just send this over to Emma. She’ll be delighted you two are speaking again.” She walked off, chuckling with her little group.
My eyes met Sully’s once again. “Your house. Now. Please.”
Sully grinned as he leaned down and kissed my neck up to my chin, then my lips. “Your wish is my command, princess. Just don’t change your mind before we get there.”
