The Forever Girl (Wildstone, #6)(77)

“Asleep,” Jace said softly, brushing a kiss to her temple. “Don’t worry, I’ve got the monitor hooked to my belt.”

“Aw. Hey, Jace?”

“Yeah, babe?”

“If we’d gotten married and then you offered me a way out with a divorce, I wouldn’t take it. You should know that.”

“Um, okay?” Jace sent Walker a questioning look.

Walker just shook his head. He wasn’t going into that. Not now, not ever. He got Caitlin to her bedroom and went back for Maze. He laid her down on the bed, then went downstairs again, turning off the lights and locking up. When he got back upstairs, he realized Jace and Heather were in his room, presumably because Sammie was sleeping in Heather’s.

Great. He peered into Maze’s room. She wasn’t on the bed where he’d left her. Then suddenly she came out of nowhere, yanking him all the way into the room, shutting the door behind him to press him up against the wood.

Jesus. “You’re awake,” he managed.

Her hair was . . . wild, her cheeks flushed. Her eyes were shining bright with intent and she was smiling at him, truly smiling at him for the first time in years, and he felt his chest tighten because he couldn’t—wouldn’t—take advantage of her. He’d kill anyone who did. But when she hugged him, he couldn’t help but put his arms around her and hold her close. Closing his eyes, he breathed her in. This is all you’re doing.

And then she rocked her hips against his and he knew he was a dead man walking. “Maze. What are you doing?”

“Trying to be irresistible.” She’d already dropped his sweatshirt. She tugged off her T-shirt next and then started on her jeans, but Walker grabbed her hands.

“You’re already irresistible,” he said, never having meant anything more than those few words. “But you’ve got to stop—”

“You don’t wanna kiss me?”

His low laugh was mirthless as he wrangled her in and pressed his forehead to hers. “More than my next breath, but I want you to remember it.”

They stared at each other.

“I will remember it,” she said, tugging her hands free to lose first her bra and then his shirt. “Yum. Naked Walker chest.”

“Maze, I can’t. I won’t take advantage of you.” Again.

“Mmm, that’s actually kinda sweet.”

God help him, she was shimmying out of her jeans now, and as promised, she was . . . sweet baby Jesus . . . commando.

“New plan,” she said, and then shoved his jeans to his ankles. “I’ll take advantage of you.”

That was when her foot got caught on her pant leg and she toppled over like a felled tree.

“Shit.” Walker rushed to scoop her up and against him. “You okay?”

“Yep. I meant to do that.” She snuggled in closer and pressed her face to his throat, taking a little nip as she kicked her jeans away, smiling when he sucked in a deep breath.

His grip tightened on her, his voice a rough, warning growl. “Maze—”

“How do you always taste good?” she asked, licking her way to his ear, giving him an all-body shiver of the very best kind. “Seriously, though. How?”

“You need to get a grip.”

She slid her hands to a most impressive erection. “Done.”

He choked and manacled her wrists with his hands. “I was talking to myself.”

She set her head on his shoulder and sighed.

“I’m going to let go of you now,” he said cautiously as she became a deadweight in his arms. “Are you going to behave yourself?”

The only answer he got was a soft snore.





Chapter 21


Maze’s to-do list:

—Make Caitlin and Heather pinkie promise to have regular girls’ nights out for the rest of their lives.

One moment Maze was dreaming about eating pancakes, and the next she was awake and her head felt like it might fall off. Without opening her eyes, she groaned, then stilled at two realizations. One, it was still dark. Two, she was lying on something.

Correction: lying on someone . . .

Eyes still closed, she reached out and gave Jace a shove. “Dude, it’s not your turn for the bed. Move over.”

“Babe, you’ve got ninety percent of the bed already, I can’t move over any farther without falling off.”

Oh boy—not Jace.

Walker.

“Oh my God,” she whispered, and then groaned again because dear God, her head.

“Shh.” Walker ran a soothing hand down her back.

Her bare back.

“What the—” She blinked blearily, lifting her head with difficulty, but hey, at least it was still attached to her neck. “What are you doing here?”

“Sometimes I wonder that very thing.”

“In my bed,” she clarified, ignoring his amused tone. “What are you doing here, in my bed?”

“Mine’s already taken.”

She blinked. “By who?”

“Heather and Jace.”

“Oh my God,” she said again, shocked. “Why?”

“Well, when two grown-ups like each other a whole lot, they—”

She pointed at him and he thankfully shut up.