Slapping the table, I stand. She jumps, then flinches when I turn, stalking down the hall. I have to get away for just long enough to rein in my anger. No wonder she’s so gun shy of men when her first experience was to be treated like some piece of ass.
Taking a deep breath, I walk back into the kitchen, slamming back down in my chair. Maggie is still staring at her hands folded in front of her. She shakes her head.
“I’m such an idiot,” she says. My eyes snap to her. Taking her chin firmly in my hand, I pull her head up until our eyes meet.
“Don’t ever say that,” I growl out harsher than I mean to. “You were just a kid. He was a predator that took advantage of a girl who had just lost her mother. I wish Lily had told me at the time, I would have fucking done something.”
“Lily didn’t know until after I was humiliated by his wife. She reported what happened when I was too embarrassed to. She’s part of the reason he was fired.”
“She’d better have fucking done something. That shouldn’t have to happen to anyone. She should have called me.” I sigh. All I’m doing is scaring her. The last thing I want is for her to be scared of me. “You deserved so much better. He shouldn’t have treated you like that. I wouldn’t have treated you like that. I would have worshiped you.”
“Would you, Colin? How, based on your reputation as a womanizer, would you have done it differently?” Maggie gets up and stalks out of the room. Shit! How did this disintegrate into dissecting my character? I have never taken advantage of any woman. Everyone I’ve ever been with has known exactly what they were getting into. No, this isn’t just about me.
Pushing out of my seat, I stalk down the hall until I find her half-dressed in her bedroom. Normally I would stop when I see a woman in just her jeans and bra hunting for a shirt, but not this time.
Her mouth drops open in shock when I grab her wrist, spinning her around into my chest. I back her up until her back hits the wall. Picking her up, I pin her against the wall with my body, pulling her legs up to wrap around my waist.
“I understand why you think so little of me, but I would never treat a woman like that. Especially you. We would have dated until you were ready to take it to the next level. It would have been your choice when, baby.”
“Colin, I’m sorry I said that. You don’t have to...” I cut in before she can finish.
“First, it would only happen when you were ready.” Wrapping my hands under her knees, I roll my hips against her feeling that perfect warmth in the V of her legs. “I would slowly take each piece of clothing off, kissing every inch of skin you bless me with.” I slide my tongue up her neck, savoring the flavor of her skin.
“When I reached your thighs, I would spread you open so my tongue could rip your first orgasm from you.” I hear her moan when I brush our lips together. “I would work my way back up your body, worshiping each hard, pink nipple until you wrapped your legs around me begging for relief.”
“Colin,” she moans. I need to stop but I can’t seem to pull myself back. Leaning down, I suck her earlobe into my mouth before whispering to her.
“And when I finally slid into your sweet, tight pussy there would be no doubt who you belonged to.” I pump against her twice before sliding her back down my body. Stepping to the door, I point at her as she tries to catch her breath.
“Don’t ever think I have anything in common with the asshole who made you too scared to trust another man. Now get dressed so we can get to the shelter.” Stalking out of her room, I pull the door shut behind me.
I don’t stop until I’m outside. I need all the cold air I can get to cool off. From being flush against her body, my erection is to the point of painful. When Maggie appears on the porch ten minutes later, she is dressed in a fresh pair of pants and a sweatshirt.
“Ready?” I ask, receiving only a nod as she crosses to my car. We ride to the shelter in silence spending most of the time there ignoring each other before riding back in silence. Getting out of the car, I walk her to the door.
“I never meant to make you think I saw you as the same as Brett,” she says suddenly. “You are nothing like him. I just hate feeling so powerless.” With a frustrated sigh, she looks out at the street. “I hate you knowing about any of this, I liked what we had. Please don’t be angry at me.” She looks down. I reach out, running my hand down her cheek. Thank God, she leans into my hand. If she had pulled away, I would have lost her.
“I could never be angry with you. I think I’m more pissed with myself. It should have been me. I should have been your first, then you would never have gotten mixed up in his bullshit. You were just so young when we met,” I whisper. I stand, looking down at her, watching her expression morph through several emotions, most I don’t understand. Finally she smiles up at me with a nod.
“Come inside. I’ll make coffee.” Two cups later, we’re sitting on opposite ends of the couch pouring through her stack of comic books. She has some that are worth a lot to a collector. “I haven’t read these in a long time. I’ve been working my way through theLocke & Keyslately. Have you read those?” Her eyes light up as they pour over the pages.
“I have,” I say as she smiles over at me. I would truly like to feel bad about pinning her against the wall this morning, but it’s all I can think about. Finding a woman who is smart, beautiful and reads Joe Hill is like finding a unicorn in the fucking forest. Shifting again, I try to readjust my growing erection.
“I forgot how good these are,” she says, looking over her Batman comic in those sexy, librarian reading glasses, her hair falling loose around her face. She’s turned on the couch so her painted toes are resting against my thigh. I might have made it until she pushes against my thigh bending over the arm of the couch, tits in the air, stretching.
“I think I need to go.” Groaning, I stand up. “Can we finish these tomorrow? What are you doing tomorrow anyway?” I’m dying to get away where I can do something about my painfully blue balls.
“I planned on church, lunch, stuff like that. Are you meeting someone else? I didn’t mean to monopolize all of your time.” She smiles, turning back to her comic.
“No, Maggie. I’m not meeting anyone, it’s just important for me to go before I give up and pin you under me on the couch. Or the floor, or coffee table, wall, shit it doesn’t matter at this point.” I watch as a small gasp escapes her, making my dick grow even harder. I’m going to have to break down and buy bigger pants if this is the state I’m going to be in constantly now.
She slowly lets her comic drop to her lap, taking a slow perusal up my body until her eyes land on mine. With a wicked smile, she lets her eyes drop until they rest on my bulging crotch. Damn school teacher is going to get bent over the nearest desk if she licks her lips one more time!
With a shake of her head, she mumbles out a sorry before jerking back up her comic. My eyes close with a moan but when I reopen them I find her looking up at me through long eyelashes, red lighting up her cheeks.
“Can I come to church with you tomorrow, then take you to lunch?” She shrugs at me, returning to what she’s reading. “Maggie!”
“Uh, yeah, I’ll be ready at ten-thirty if you want to swing by.”
