Steal My Heart (Heroes of Seaside Point, Book 3) Read online

  Her lips tingled with anticipation as he lowered his head. And then finally, he touched his lips to hers. Driven by an insane need to taste him, she tunneled her fingers in his hair and pressed them against his scalp until he opened his mouth over hers and his tongue slid inside.

  Lost in the amazing taste of Lexi’s kiss, Maverick dropped his hand to her hip and then wasted no time in scooting her toward him until she pressed her body against him. Through the jersey she still wore, her nipples poked him as they grazed the surface of his chest. His hips touched hers. His dick stretched the denim of his jeans.

  Desperate to soothe the demanding ache to feel her body against his, he lifted her onto his lap until she straddled him. She buckled her legs behind his back and squeezed. His cock jumped and left his boxer-briefs wet.

  A breathy moan left her lips as their tongues continued to tangle in a fevered duel. He buried his fingers into the depths of her hair and gave the tresses a slight yank, just in case she doubted his need.

  With one last swirl of his tongue, he ended the kiss and opened his eyes. “Are you wet, baby?”

  She didn’t immediately answer. Instead, a smirk he classified as mischievous moved her lips while she lifted a hand and traced his jawbone with a finger.

  “Wanna bet on it?”

  “Do you?”

  Her smirk wavered. “I don’t know. What do I win?”

  “You think you’ll win?”

  “Of course.”

  “If you win, I’ll buy you a gallon of chocolate chip ice cream.”

  “And if you win?”

  “If I win, I get the satisfaction of feeling you warm, wet and tight around my fingers.”

  Her lips split into a long, sweet smile and she wiggled her hips against his cock. “Good thing I’ve had enough ice cream for the day.”

  He snickered at her competitive spirit, or lack thereof. It wasn’t much of a bet anyway, they both knew he would win before they even tested the water. He reached between them, lowered the zipper of her jeans, and slid his hand inside. Scalding heat surrounded his fingers as he moved her panties to one side and finally met just what he anticipated. His fingers slid easily across her flesh, drenched by the evidence of her desire.

  “I win,” he whispered as he gently inserted a finger inside.

  A low hiss crossed her lips as she pushed against him. “Me too.”

  He took her lips again, this time in a slow massage, while he continued to caress the swollen flesh inside her body with his finger. Drugged by her needy whimpers that seeped from beneath their kiss, he lost all sense of time and place. The only thing he knew for sure was that he held a very warm, very wet, very willing woman in his arms and didn’t intend to ever let her go.

  With his free hand shaking with the need to touch her, he slid it under her clothing and took a breast in hand. She fit his hold perfectly, the peaked nipple slipping between this thumb and forefinger. Very gently, he rubbed his thumb over the surface, back and forth and then in a small circle on the sensitive nub.

  She released a soft moan and arched toward him.

  Sweat dampened his hairline as he continued his tender assault and came to the realization that she was literally a ticking time bomb in his lap. And although he was agreeable to ripping every piece of clothing from her body and branding her right then and there, overlooking the ground below, love held him back. He didn’t want to take her there against the cold, unforgiving rocks in the dust.

  No, Lexi deserved a warm, comfortable bed with silk sheets – silk sheets that dampened bodies slid over while he claimed her, hard and fast. He’d have no choice but to start with hard and fast – they were both primed and ready. But then he’d love her slow and sweet, tease her to the brink of crazy, and then take her over the top.

  His cock thumped his abdomen, demanding he act on his thoughts.

  Reluctantly, he gave her lips one more small peck and removed his hands from her body. “I get lost in your kisses.”

  She released a small, soft sigh, one that had content written all over it. “I’m really glad we came out here tonight.”

  “Me too, angel.”

  “We didn’t do any stargazing.”

  “Next time.” He stood and offered her a hand. “And just in case you wanna bet on it, there will be a next time.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Lexi sat behind her desk in her chair, twirling around as she reminisced about last night under the stars with Maverick. Her body still caught fire when she remembered his touch, soft and determined to bring her pleasure. And his kiss – just the touch of his lips sent goosebumps racing across her skin. The man was a chiseled piece of art with a heart of gold.

  And he loved her.

  Only one other man had professed to love her and she very quickly realized he was a big, fat liar. She didn’t question Maverick, though, not for one single minute. In all the time she’d spent with him, never once did she find him insincere. He teased her mercifully, pushed her buttons until she was sure she’d explode in exasperation, but still managed to make her feel special. Wanted.

  Loved.

  She exhaled a soft sigh and smiled. She loved him too.

  Lost in utter contentment, she continued to spin until she heard the bell over the front door. She balanced one foot against the floor to stop the motion and then closed her eyes to clear the vertigo.

  “Alexa?”

  Her eyes popped open at the sound of Dimitri’s voice and she fought the urge to groan out loud. What a buzzkill.

  “In my office,” she answered.

  She quickly pushed herself up to the desk and grabbed a stack of paper. No sense letting him think she wasn’t busy.

  “I’m glad I caught you,” he said as he helped himself to the chair in front of her desk.

  “I’ve got a lot of paperwork to do today.”

  “I won’t keep you long. I came by to see if you had a chance to look at the sales contract on the Willow Road property.”

  “You mean the baseball field? No, I haven’t.”

  “I was hoping you’d review it quickly.”

  “I’ve been busy, Dimitri. And, I’m sure I left you with the impression that the sale was not my first priority.”

  “You did.” He steepled his fingers beneath his chin. “What’s gotten into you, Alexa?”

  “I’m sorry, I don’t know what you mean.”

  “There was once a point in time that I could convince you to participate in my business ventures.”

  “I have no problem in participating when the venture is legitimate. I simply feel this one is not a good fit.”

  “How can you draw that conclusion when you haven’t reviewed the contract?”

  She settled back in her chair, prepared to hold her ground. “Common sense. Seaside Point needs that property to remain a ball field.”

  “But don’t you agree that the community could benefit from tourist money?”

  “Yes, but not at the expense of such a cherished community activity.”

  He gave his head a few slight nods. “Tell me, Alexa, when did you begin to let your personal feelings interfere with your business affairs?”

  “Never.” She folded her arms beneath her breasts and gave him a laser-focused glare. “This has nothing to do with my personal feelings other than I am a Seaside Point citizen and I don’t want to lose the field.”

  “And you came to this conclusion because you’ve just recently become involved with the Little League organization?”

  “No, Dimitri. I’ve told you repeatedly, the town embraces the Little League teams. For generations, families have spent a lot of time there.”

  “Perhaps another location would suffice.”

  She almost laughed in his face. Obviously, the man had no clue about tradition. “And where would you put it? In the ocean?” She didn’t wait for him to respond. “I know I’m being bitchy, but honestly, the field has been in the same location for over 50 years. No one wants to relocate it now.”
/>   “I can see I still can’t convince you.” He gave her one of his trademark painted-on smiles as he stood. “Review the contract at your next opportunity. Perhaps you will change your mind.”

  “I will review the contract, that’s all.”

  “Very well. I’ll give you a call later in the week.”

  Lexi didn’t bother to respond as he turned and left the office. Her fingers itched to palm her stapler and tag him in the back of the head. She smirked. Ball practice just might come in handy.

  Maverick parked his truck next to the curb in front of Sharpe Realty, and killed the engine, anxious to go inside. He’d been thinking about Lexi all night long so he made sure he had time to stop before he went to work at the Dupree house.

  His heart began to beat a familiar jungle rhythm as he palmed his keys and then reached for the door handle. Just about the time he pulled on the lever to open the door, a familiar pain in the ass exited the building.

  Santos.

  He released a hard breath. So much for leaving town. It was time to get to the bottom of this, once and for all.

  Once Santos entered his own vehicle and drove away, Maverick left his truck and headed inside. Hopefully, Lexi had the answers he needed.

  The bell over the door chimed as usual when he entered, only this time he didn’t wait for an invitation. Distracted by both curiosity and anger, he headed right for her office.

  He found her slamming papers around her desk and muttering under her breath, almost as if she hadn’t heard the bell announce his entrance.

  “Lexi?”

  She looked up from the scattered mess and grinned. “Hi.”

  “Hi. Rough morning?”

  “You could say that.”

  Guilt poked him as he sat in the chair in front of her desk. Maybe this wasn’t the best time for this particular discussion. “I’m on my way to work on Travis’s house and I thought I’d stop by for a minute.”

  “I’m glad you did. I just finished a meeting.”

  “You don’t look happy.”

  “I’m not happy with the proposal.”

  “Is this the same one you discussed over dinner?”

  “Yes.” She sighed. “And I have a feeling the discussion may last a while.”

  Since he found an opening, he dove right on in. “I saw you in McGill’s Monday night.”

  “Really? I didn’t see you. Why didn’t you speak?”

  “You had company.”

  She nodded. “My business associate.”

  “Dimitri Santos.”

  “You know him?”

  “I know him very well. Well enough to know he’s probably after more than your business.”

  Maybe it was the morning’s events or maybe she was really pissed at him, but suddenly he heard the fine thread of her reserve snap right in two. Her eyes narrowed and her gaze pinned him to the chair. A nice, pink blush seeped into her cheeks and her lips pursed into a pout. Damn, the woman was sexy when she was angry.

  “What exactly are you insinuating, Maverick? Dimitri and I have a professional relationship. He owns a major amount of real estate in Seaside Point and I handle most of his purchasing and selling transactions.”

  “I’m fairly sure he’s after more than your professional expertise.”

  “Even if he is, what makes you think I haven’t already figured that out? Or better yet, what makes you believe I’m even interested?”

  His argument didn’t waver. “Apparently he’s very convincing.”

  She folded her arms across her chest and he worked overtime to keep his gaze focused on hers rather than her breasts that she just happened to boost to eye level in the process. “You’re jealous.”

  “There’s a little more to it than that.”

  “You owe me an explanation.”

  “I do.” He released a hard sigh and prepared to completely rock her world. “I’ve been married, Lexi.”

  “Not that it matters, but I had no idea.”

  “The conversation is taboo around here. Natalie left Seaside Point three years ago.”

  “What does that have to do with me?”

  “She left with your business associate.”

  “Oh.”

  The flames in her eyes began to dim as she sat back down in her chair. She was exactly right. He owed her one helluva explanation that included all of the dirty details.

  “Santos hired Natalie to manage his property here in Seaside Point. Six months later, I found them in our bed in our house. End of story.”

  “So that’s why you want to sell the house,” she mumbled. “You need a new start.”

  “Exactly. With a new woman – one who isn’t interested in Dimitri Santos.”

  She slid her hand across the desk and grasped his. “Believe me, I am not remotely interested in Dimitri Santos.”

  Although insanely happy to hear her admission, he couldn’t fully relax until he asked one more question. He only hoped he liked the answer.

  “Were you ever?”

  “Yes.” Her green eyes never left his. “I was young and stupid and I honestly thought my career would suffer when I called it off. Obviously, he respected me for more than my body.”

  He worked extremely hard at ignoring her confession that she’d been involved with Santos. “Why is he in Seaside Point?”

  “He’s interested in more property.”

  He studied her for a minute and then felt the tension leak from his muscles when he read the sincerity in her eyes. “Too much is not enough, huh?”

  “I think he’s trying to compensate for other things,” she mumbled.

  He gave her hand a squeeze. “Take the day off.”

  “I have several showings this afternoon, but then I’m going to meet the twins and Verity for some girl time.”

  “Good.” He stood, releasing her hand only long enough for her to round the desk and stand in front of him. “I’ll stop by later this evening.”

  “Okay.”

  He pulled her onto her tiptoes and planted a kiss on her lips. “Are you going shopping?”

  “Yes.” She gave him a wink. “And if you’re nice, I’ll buy you something.”

  Not too much later, Maverick stood in the middle of what was supposed to eventually be Travis and Verity’s bedroom with his friends, disappointed that the demo was already complete. He could use some time with a sledgehammer right about now. Instead, he picked up the nail gun and went to work on the custom built-in he was installing above the bed, satisfied with hearing the nails dig deep into the wood.

  Seeing Santos with Lexi brought back sordid memories – memories that he’d long since buried. Why did Natalie’s betrayal still sting? He was far from over that chapter of his life and more than willing to start a new one with Lexi. Still, Santos had been a key player in his screw-up of a marriage and nothing could change that. Not even Lexi.

  Dane slapped him on the back. “That looks great. Why don’t you come to my house and build one for us?”

  “As soon as we’re done with this place, I’m good for a new project.”

  From the top of a ladder, Travis poured more paint into a bowl and then carefully brushed near the ceiling. “Please, finish here first. I promised Verity we’d be done before the wedding.”

  Maverick snickered. “Oh, how the mighty have fallen.”

  “Listen to you.” Casey shook his head. “You were the first one of us to get married.”

  “And look how that turned out.”

  “Sorry, man.” Dane rolled paint onto the wall. “Maybe it’s time for you to think about doing it again.”

  “Yeah,” Travis agreed. “You seem to be spending a lot of time with Lexi. Should we just keep our tuxes?”

  Maverick paused before a hell yeah rolled off his tongue. He never was one to jump without looking, but when he was sure he could do it safely, he was the first to go. And he was sure about Lexi. He just wasn’t ready to share that information yet. “Maybe.”

  Casey rolled paint onto
the second wall. “Have you decided to sell the house?”

  “I think so.”

  “Really? You’ve put a lot of work into it, Mav.”

  “Bad memories,” he mumbled.

  “Speaking of bad memories,” Travis said, “did you ever ask Lexi about Santos?”

  “Actually, I just came from there.” He quickly filled in his friends. “She says he’s looking for more property.”

  “Guy’s kinda shady in my book,” Dane muttered.

  “I’ll keep an eye out.” Casey dipped his roller in the paint bucket.

  Travis balanced his brush on top of the paint can and then climbed down the ladder. “Time for a break and a beer.”

  “Agreed.” Maverick laid down the nail gun and followed Travis and the others out of the room. Nothing like a good, cold beer to wash away memories.

  ***

  He pushed the speed dial button and waited, knowing he wasn’t going to like what he was about to hear.

  “I hope you have good news for me.”

  “Well, it’s not bad news, exactly.”

  “What the hell does that mean?”

  He winced at the loud voice booming across the line. “The target is uncooperative.”

  “So do something about it.”

  He ran a hand across his forehead and released a long sigh. “As much as I’d like to do that, I’m not sure it will be as easy as you think.”

  Silence followed his admission and he knew he would have to explain.

  “The target is female.”

  A deep chuckle crossed the line. “She is armed?”

  “No.”

  “She is large and strong?”

  “No. She’s just determined and difficult.”

  “My sympathies. However, that should make no difference.”

  “The messenger assures me things will work out. He’s sure she will agree.”

  “How can he be certain? He was sure she was on board from the beginning. Instead, she is dragging her feet.”

  “He says he can convince her with a little more time.”