Hell on Heels(44)

“Five. Two. Eight. One. Four,” I rattled off in protest.

He growled. “You shouldn’t give your passcode to strangers.”

“You asked,” I argued into his neck.

He swore again.

I heard the subsequent peep of him punching the numbers into the keypad, and then I was enveloped by warmth again as he took us into the lobby.

“Can you walk?” he asked.

I burrowed into his chest, but said, “Mm-hm.”

He set my legs down and held me as I leaned into the wall by the elevator.

I was so, so tired.

The elevator pinged and he half guided, half lifted me inside. Pressing the number three on the panel, I swayed into his side as the lift ascended, and felt his arm squeeze around my waist.

I was too tired to question why that felt as nice as it did.

We stepped out onto my floor and he led us down the hall.

“Time to wake up now,” he said, positioning me against the wall.

I grumbled, taking my purse from his outstretched hand and fishing through it until I found my keys. After two failed attempts, Maverick took over and unlocked my door. He set the keys on the entryway table and I stumbled inside.

Dropping my purse onto the floor, I hung onto the open door.

“You’ll be okay from here?”

“Yeah.” I nodded, my eyes falling closed for a brief second. “Thanks.”

He looked at the door and scowled. “Make sure you lock the door.”

I rolled my eyes and shut the door, sliding the deadbolt in place. “It’s locked, you tight ass,” I quipped through the copper.

There was no response, just heavy footfalls moving down the hallway.

I smirked at the closed door. Charleston, one.

Bypassing the kitchen, I didn’t turn on any lights and walked directly towards the bedroom. Losing both my coat and my jeans along the way, I unhooked the back of my bra and tossed it somewhere into the abyss that was my floor. Padding half asleep into the bathroom, I turned on the shower and removed the rest of my clothes.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

I looked at my naked reflection in the mirror and widened my eyes.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

“Hold your horses. Jesus,” I muttered, and grabbed the kimono from the back of the door.

I slid it over my arms as I moved, wrapping it around my middle as I hit the living room.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

“I’m coming!” I hollered, doing up the tie on my robe.

The knocking started again, and now, a little pissed off and a lot tired, I threw the deadbolt back and yanked the door open.

“What?” I yelled into the wall of Maverick’s chest.

He growled. “Did you even look to see who it was?”

I rolled my eyes. “What are you doing back here?”

He held a pair of women’s sorrels with the cute fur around the top up to my face. “You left your shoes in the car.”

“Oh.” I grabbed them and tossed them onto the floor behind me.

“You’re messy.” He shook his head.

I scowled. “You’re rude.”

He smiled.

“Well, goodnight. Thanks again.” I slammed the door and flipped the lock.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

“Oh, for the love of God!” I stomped back down the hall, threw the lock again, and almost fell backwards when the door was pushed in.

He stalked towards me.

“You’ve slapped me and slammed the door in my face,” he snarled. “Twice.”

“You deserved it,” I shot back like the spoiled brat he thought I was.

My sleepiness evaporated completely when he smiled.

It was the kind of smile hunters made right before they fired their rifles.

I tripped over my boots as I tried to retreat, but he caught me around the waist and flung my back against the wall. I hit it hard. My hands shot out to steady myself and were met by his massive chest as it crowded me.

He pushed his hips into my stomach and his cargo pants scratched at my bare thighs.

My breathing spiked and pulse eradicated.

One of his rough hands slid up my arm and wrapped around the front of my throat possessively.

“Are you afraid of me?” He asked it like he was making a threat.

I leaned into his hand around my neck. “No,” I spat.

And I wasn’t.

Maverick treated me like I was unbreakable.

He was the wild high, unpredictable and ravaging.

There wasn’t another high like him.

“Good.”

His lips slammed down on mine and I dove forward to greet them.

I bit and he growled.

My arms snaked around his neck as our mouths went to war.

I would push, and he would shove me back into the wall.

We played dirty and I liked it.

His hand on my throat squeezed as I wrapped one of my legs around his hips.

Our bodies couldn’t get close enough.

My skin burned.

Releasing my throat, he grabbed my ass with both hands and lifted me into the air.

I fell forward onto his chest, securing my legs around him, and he spun, knocking a tray off the table before slamming me into the adjacent wall.