Page 48 of Falling for the Maverick

Michelle realized he’d just read her mind. Although she was falling in love with Lucas, she still wasn’t ready to share a bed with him. “I happen to like the way you smell.”

He smiled, attractive lines fanning out around his eyes. “That goes double for me. When I parked my car in one of the outbuildings, I could still smell your perfume.”

Lucas mentioning the lingering scent of her perfume conjured up an image of him removing her clothes while kissing and smelling every inch of her body, while she reciprocated as she explored his. She knew if she didn’t shut down her overactive imagination that things between them would get out of hand and she would be begging him to make love to her.

“Now that you say you’re not ready to eat, I’ll put everything in the fridge till later.”

She’d just put the last dish in the fridge when she turned to find Lucas standing behind her. She was shocked that a man his size could move so silently. “What is it?”

He cradled her face in his hands. “I was just thinking that we can’t go there, Michelle. Because once we do there’s no turning back.”

Had her read her mind? Was desire written all over face? She took a settling breath and nodded. “I know. It would ruin everything.”

Lucas gave her a long, penetrating stare, then nodded. “I forgot to ask you if wanted to eat something?”

“No. I usually nibble while I’m cooking.”

“If that’s the case, then come with me and sit by the fire.”

They walked out of the kitchen holding hands and into the great room where Flash was stretched out in front of the fireplace. He opened one eye, then the other before going back to sleep.

The redolent aroma of burning wood wafted to Michelle’s nostrils. It was a smell so reminiscent of autumn and winter when most homes with fireplaces used them to offset the chill, while also providing illumination.

She sat on a rug several feet from the fireplace where showers of embers danced behind the screen. Lucas left the lamps off, so the room was dim and shadowy. He joined her on the rug, eased her down and cradled her to his chest. Michelle smiled when the sound of one of her soundtracks filled the space.

“You downloaded them,” she whispered.

“Yes. It took hours to search for the ones I liked, but it was worth it.”

“The soundtrack from The Last of the Mohicans is nothing short of a masterpiece,” Michelle said in a quiet voice.

“I agree. The film has received multiple awards and is considered a cinematic masterpiece. It’s one of the films in my movie collection. Whenever you have time to stay over, we can go downstairs and watch it.”

“How many movies do you have in your collection?”

“I have enough to watch one per day all year, plus some extras for next year.”

“You truly are a movie enthusiast. That’s why you were able to name so many of the soundtracks.”

“I was truthful when I admitted I was.”

“Yes, you were,” she said, as she pressed her nose against his chest. Being in his embrace seemed like the most natural place for Michelle. She felt herself succumbing to the sound of the music, the warmth from the fire and the strength of the arms holding her so protectively. She sighed softly when the hauntingly hypnotic sound of “Elysium” from Gladiator echoed throughout the great room. “This is so sad.”

“That’s because Maximus loses everything. First his wife and son, then his own life. But then he was free to join them in Elysium.” Lucas kissed her hair. “What’s the matter, bae? You don’t like movies with sad endings?”

“It depends on the film. I suppose they mirror life where there are winners and losers. And sometimes who we want to win doesn’t.”

“Do you really believe that the ones who deserve to lose don’t lose?”

“No, because I believe in karma and that all actions have consequences. My grandmother has a saying. ‘You may get by, but you won’t get away.’”

“Like ‘What you do in the dark will be revealed in the light’?” Lucas stated.

“And ‘What doesn’t come out in the wash will come out in the rinse.’”

Lucas chuckled. “The old folks really have some weird sayings that have been passed down through countless generations.”

“That’s because they are truth-tellers, Lucas. It’s uncommon to hear about a grandmother who lies. You may not like what she has to tell you, but somewhere down the road in life you’ll remember her words.”