The Bottom Line (12 page)

Mind in turmoil, he carried on massaging her on automatic pilot. He skipped down to her thighs and calves, paying close attention to the muscles used most in running.

“You’re very good at that,” she mumbled.

“I’m good at a lot of things.”

“Like what?”

“Is that doubt I hear in your voice?” he asked. “Because I’m telling the truth. I have lots of hidden talents.”

“Tell me.”

Connor laughed. “Where’s the fun in that?” He ran his fingers up the back of one thigh, his hand coming to rest on her butt. “You need to find them on your own.”

“I think you’re blowing smoke.”

“But I’m good at massage. I have you purring like a kitten.”

“That’s true,” she murmured. “You have magic fingers.”

“And I make you hot.” She made him hot. Connor tried to ignore his rising need for her, but the tight jeans were crowding his cock.

“Also true.”

Satisfaction filled him at her admission. He wanted her to need him, as much as he needed her. For the first time in years, he hadn’t even looked at another woman or started to get uneasy in a relationship. He didn’t want out. “I told you this would work between us.”

“It does, but I don’t like keeping secrets.”

“We could tell the others—”

“No,” Maggie said immediately, her raised voice echoing with finality. “I don’t want them to look at us differently or speculate about when we’ll breakup. I don’t want to explain our arrangement.”

Connor frowned. “Are you ashamed of being with me?”

“No, of course not.” Maggie turned to look him in the face. “I like being with you.”

Connor gave a swift nod, although her reply didn’t reassure him. “Turn back on your stomach. I’ll finish your other leg.”

She followed his instructions, placing her face in her arms and relaxing. Being with Maggie was what he wanted, but it was a minefield trying to keep everything straight. He hated the dishonesty. Tangled bloody webs and juggling balls. Connor snorted and feathered strokes across her hamstrings, working his way back up to her glutes.

“Finished,” he said, staring at her backside.
Do it
.
Give her a quick swat
. It’s what she wants. Before he could think a second longer, he lifted his hand and gave her a half-hearted slap across her buttocks. “All done.” He stared, trying to measure her reaction. Pity he couldn’t see her face. “How do you feel?”

“Good.”

“My massage skills must be lacking if it was only good.”

She turned over, a broad grin on her face. “One problem. Your massage skills are clearly superior, but I don’t feel relaxed.” Her lids lowered and she ran her tongue across the sweep of her bottom lip. “I feel…” She paused again, teasing lighting her eyes. “…incredibly horny.”

Horny? Hell, worked for him. Connor climbed off the bed and shrugged out of his shirt. He unfastened the button on his jeans and slid down the zipper. The low whine sounded loud in the quiet room. He pushed his jeans and boxer-briefs down over his hips and grabbed a condom.

“Let me put it on for you.”

Connor shrugged and handed it over. He watched her while she ripped open the foil packet.

“Come here.” She patted the bed beside her. “Lie down.”

“Are you seducing me, Ms. Drummond?”

Maggie let out an unfeminine snort. “Look at the state of you. You’re easy.”

“I wasn’t the one who admitted they were horny.”

“True.” She fumbled slightly when she rolled the condom onto his erection. The tiny flash of uncertainty and nerves charmed him. Made him relax. “It’s all your fault.”

He placed his hands under his head and watched her, enjoying the sway of her breasts.

“You know you’ve turned me into a breast-man,” he said. “I used to think I was a leg-man. I was wrong. Your breasts do it for me.”

“Ah, thanks, I think.” With the condom rolled onto his cock, she seemed to hesitate. “Stop staring at me.”

“Why? It was a compliment. I find you very attractive. Sexy.”

“Here’s the thing. Most women don’t like their bodies or there are things they’d like to change about them. I try to like my body. I really do. It’s just that it’s not always easy. Some men take pleasure in tearing a woman down, telling her she’s too fat or needs to exercise more.”

“I’m not one of those men.”

“I know you’re not. Even when you dragged me off to the gym or when you told me I should try running, you never made me feel as if I should exercise. It was a suggestion. You were being my friend.”

Friend
. Wow, that stung. “I always feel better after a workout. I thought you would too.” Connor studied her expression and jumped to a conclusion. “Did Greg tell you to lose weight?” His voice emerged in a low growl.

“Once or twice.”

“You did a good thing when you told him to take a hike.”

Maggie nodded. “I think so, but I don’t want to talk about him when we’re both naked.”

“And alone,” he added.

“Exactly.”

“Babe, I’m all yours. Do whatever you want.”

“I…” Confusion flooded her face and she started to chew on her bottom lip again. That must hurt after a while. He grinned inside, guessing her problem. Yes, she touched him when they made love but normally he gave her orders or took charge. His offer had surprised her.

“Go on. It’s your chance to discover what I like.”

Her gaze darted to his cock and he laughed.

“Good start, babe.”

A cheeky grin bloomed and he stared, smitten by attraction. Lust. Need.
Damn, he wanted her
.

“Where should I touch you first?” Maggie leaned over him and kissed his neck, his chest. Her mouth was hot and wet on his skin, her eyes heavy-lidded when she paused to stare at him. She clambered over his body, lifted up and pushed down again, taking his shaft inside her. Heat. Hot pressure. Slowly, she worked him into her pussy, looking like a siren with her hair swinging around her shoulders, her cheeks faintly pink and the sway of her breasts.

“Damn it, woman. Are you trying to kill me? Move faster.”

“This was your idea,” she countered, continuing at the same slow pace.

“Two can play at that game,” he said.

Rising up again, she tossed her head. “I don’t play games.”

She didn’t either. A fact he both liked and appreciated.

Maggie paused. “I’ve never been able to come like this. What am I doing wrong?”

“I can touch you or you could touch yourself.” Why the hell couldn’t she ask him about spanking like that? Straight out. He’d never laugh at anything she said or treat her like an idiot. “We’ll experiment until we get it right.”

Intense concentration marred the smoothness of her brow. She rose and fell getting into a rhythm.

“Try changing the angle,” he suggested, hoping like hell he could hold off long enough for her to experiment.

She twisted and squirmed and slipped the fingers of one hand between her legs. Her head fell back and soft, needy sounds emerged. Connor didn’t think she’d ever looked more beautiful.

He reached up and stroked one breast, using a bit more pressure when his fingers trailed over the tip. “Feel good?”

“Yes,” she said, moving quicker, her eyes fluttering shut.

Connor watched the play of emotions over her face. If she thought he intended to let her go easily, she could think again. Now that he’d made love to her, spent time with her, he was more convinced than ever that they had a future. He started to move with her, knowing she was close now. Releasing control, he allowed the heat and pressure to rampage through him as they slid together with exquisite friction. He pinched one distended nipple, flexed his hips.

Without warning she cried out, convulsing around his cock. She stilled and the clawing tension burst inside him. His cock jerked with explosive contractions, blistering waves of pleasure and satisfaction taking him. He tugged her into his arms and held her, luxuriating in the aftershocks and the feel of a soft curvy woman in his arms. His curvy woman.

Somehow he had to show Maggie her heart was safe with him. He’d hold all her secrets close and nurture her dreams. All she needed to do was trust him.

Chapter Nine

Greg studied the group of friends as he passed the lunch room. It looked like they were studying the gossip pages probably discussing the latest scandal to hit parliament. A politician found in bed with a married woman. At least Maggie had the sense to feel embarrassment because her cheeks glowed and she fidgeted with discomfort. Greg made a scoffing sound. He had no idea why Maggie spent so much time with the bunch of losers. None of them had any ambition. Granted Connor Grey had brains. The head of the IT department held him in high regard, but the man was a womanizer. He had a different woman on his arm every time Greg saw him.

Greg continued along the passage to his office, ignoring the traces of envy curling through him. The leggy blondes who spent time with Connor never gave him a second glance.

And as for the three women. Julia acted like a slut—the female version of Connor. Greg didn’t know the other two very well, since he tended to steer clear of them in the work environment. They were both secretaries and his accounting assistants dealt with that side of his work.

What was he going to do about Maggie?

She refused to talk to him at work, wouldn’t take his calls at home. The answer phone was getting a workout, and he’d given up leaving messages.

Greg dropped into his chair. He picked up a pen, tapping it on his pristine blotter pad while he tried to think of a way to speak with Maggie. He needed to get an accounting team together to work on the Silverstone project. Of course, she wasn’t qualified, but it might not matter. At least she’d have to spend time with him. Work late if necessary to meet deadlines.

Perfect, he thought, mentally flitting over names to fill the rest of his team for the project. At worst, she could always make coffee and run messages, liaise with the office and IT departments.

“Maggie, dear. You’re not getting away from me, not after all the time I’ve invested in you.”

He gave a fleeting thought to one of their last conversations.
Spanking
. Now that had been weird. Way out of character. Surely, she couldn’t have been serious?

Connor scanned the room and shuddered at the speculative stares he intercepted from some of the women. He felt like a duck in the sights of a shooter’s rifle. No wonder sensible ducks headed for ponds situated in the middle of reserves come shooting season. A dark corner of the pub next door would work for him.

“How long does this last?” he mumbled to Julia.

Julia caught a woman staring at him and snickered. “Don’t be a baby. They won’t hurt you.”

He glanced at Maggie. All he wanted to do was grab her and run. She didn’t belong here anymore than he did. Not that he could tell her that. He cursed himself for allowing this situation to develop. What he should have done was tell Julia and the others he wanted Maggie and gone from there. Nah, that wouldn’t have worked. They would have pressured Maggie to turn down his request for a date. The four women thought he was incapable of settling with one woman. A touch of frustration brought a deep frown. Once, that would have been true.

Even six months ago the accusation would have contained the ring of truth.

Things changed.
People changed
.

A strident bell rang and a woman approached the waiting mike on the small stage at the front of the room. The din of excited chatter faded to quiet expectancy.

“Welcome to the very first Auckland Speed Dating event. Thank you for coming tonight. Your attendance fee is going to a good cause—to aid research for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of New Zealand.”

Thunderous applause erupted, and the apprehension in Connor abated. Each time he started to feel like a duck in the sights of a hunter, he’d remind himself this was for charity. And he’d be able to keep an eye on Maggie. He didn’t want anyone else to get ideas about her.

Maggie belonged to him.

She just didn’t know it yet.

“When you registered for this event, you each completed a form with your details. When you checked in tonight, you received a number. That is your number for tonight. You should also have a second sheet with other numbers. Those numbers will be your dates for tonight.”

Connor shot Maggie a swift glance but failed to grab her attention. Irritation burst in him when he realized she was scoping out the competition. Scowling, he checked them out too, trying to decide what she might see in them. Call him big-headed, but they were a geeky-looking bunch. The closest guy looked as if he might run at the sight of a rugby ball. A dazed expression froze on his face when a woman approached him. Connor felt sneaking sympathy.
Don’t make eye contact!
Too late, the guy gave the woman a tentative smile. She pounced.

“Hey, Connor. Seen anyone you like the look of?” Julia asked.

“Don’t you dare move away from me,” he muttered.

Grinning, she backed up, and he grabbed her arm. “Don’t even think about it. They can’t see through my clothes. Can they?”

Julia blinked. “They’re trying to will them away. Now you know what women feel like when we pass a building site.”

“Huh, Susan told me you girls make a special detour to pass the building site at the bottom of Queen Street.”

“Busted.” Julia’s eyes glowed with silent laughter. It made Connor realize her behavior bordered on reserved recently.

“How are things with you, Jules? I haven’t seen you much lately.” Although they’d never slept together, they were close, and he often stopped by her apartment to visit. Since hooking up with Maggie, he hadn’t done that as much.

“I’m fine. Nothing a holiday in the sun wouldn’t fix.”

Connor knew the feeling. He’d love a week on a Pacific Island with Maggie. Time in a place without interruptions and where they didn’t need to hide they were a couple sounded like heaven. Rarotonga or maybe Samoa. Even Fiji.

“See anyone interesting?” Julia interrupted his daydreams of sand and sun, Maggie in a bikini. Maggie naked.

“I’m too scared to look at any of the women.”

“Good men are hard to find,” Julia said. “That’s why a function like this has more women than men.”

“So why did you agree to come?”

“Bored with my own company,” Julia said.

“But—”

“Despite popular opinion, I’m not a slut. I don’t have a constant parade of men through my bed.”

Connor blinked. “Of course you don’t. I never said you were. Are you sure nothing is wrong?”

Julia sniffed. “Positive.” The sheen of tears in her eyes said otherwise. Momentary panic hit him, his relief when the woman in charge of the event approached the mike on the stage again almost palpable. Crying women always got to him because he never knew how to comfort them. Sometimes it didn’t matter what a man did. They cried regardless.

“Gentlemen, please find the desk with your number on it and take a seat. They’re clearly labeled behind the screens. Ladies, the numbers of your dates are all in the same area. We’ll get started in a few minutes, just as soon as the gentlemen are seated and ready to proceed. Remember you have five minutes with each date. The bell will go when your time is up and you move onto the next one. At the end of the dating, everyone will complete a form, detailing the numbers they’re interested in meeting again. We’ll take things from there and contact you with your list of prospective dates. Good luck, and have fun!”

Applause filled the hotel ballroom, some clapping with more enthusiasm than others. Connor fell in the lukewarm category.

“That’s your cue,” Julia said, sending him a wink.

“Right.” With a last glance at Maggie, he strode away to find his desk behind the screened off area of the ballroom.

“I’ve been looking forward to this all week, but now that I’ve seen the men I’m not so keen,” Susan said in a glum voice.

Privately Maggie agreed with her, although it wasn’t right to judge by appearance. “There are a couple of guys who look okay.” And one of them was Connor. She’d noticed the way some of the women had looked at him, like a dieter studied a chocolate bar.

She tried to tamp down the jealousy blooming inside her. No reason for it, she told herself. They’d both agreed they were free to date others.

A bell interrupted her jumbled thoughts. “Ladies, the gentlemen are ready for you. If you’re a bit lost and not sure where to go, look for the ladies wearing the bright yellow T-shirts. They’re stewards and will help with directions.”

“I’m starting to feel like I’m at school,” Christina said. “And look how the women outnumber the men. I feel like I’m in a competition and that makes me nervous.”

“You and me both,” Susan agreed.

“I’m going to need drinks after this,” Julia said. “Anyone else want to hit a bar with me?”

Maggie nodded. “I’m in. We can discuss our dates. Good luck. Something tells me we’re going to need it.” There were some beautiful women present tonight. Old insecurities surged back to haunt her. If they couldn’t find dates, what hope did she have?

She slipped into the seat opposite her first date and forced a smile. “Hi, I’m Maggie.”

“Stewart,” he said. “I like stamp collecting and reading Superman comics.”

“That’s nice.”

“Can you cook?”

“Yes, I like cooking,” Maggie said.

“Good, I need a woman who can cook. My mother said that’s important.”

Maggie stared, shocked. In her worst nightmares she hadn’t thought the men would be this bad. She glanced at her watch. Another hour. A drink was looking good, and she’d barely started. “What else are you looking for in a woman?”

“I want a woman who is a good cook, does a good job of housework and won’t mind looking after my mother.”

“I’m not very good with sick people.” Maggie had no experience with ill people and didn’t want to learn unless it was for someone she cared about. “Maybe you should hire a maid?”

His mouth dropped open.

Just then the bell went.

Saved by the bell
. Surely the dates couldn’t be all as bad as Stewart?

She slipped into the next seat and smiled a welcome. To her relief he wasn’t as bad. He just wasn’t very interesting either. Her mind drifted to spanking and her blog.

“Is there anything you’d like to know about me?” he asked. “Maggie?”

“Yes, what do you think of the idea of spanking in a consenting adult relationship?”

The man’s mouth opened and closed before he replied. “Spanking? During sex, you mean?”

“That’s right,” Maggie said in a crisp voice. She almost felt sorry for him.
Almost
.

“I haven’t thought about it,” he said. “Er…I suppose I could try it. What would you spank me with? Would it hurt?”

“That wasn’t quite what I had in mind,” Maggie said, the need to laugh out loud taking her by surprise. Maybe the night wouldn’t be so bad after all.

The bell went and she moved on to her next date. She grinned and took her seat. “Hi, I’m Maggie. How do you feel about spanking?”

The man stared at her, his mouth curling into a delighted grin. “I haven’t been naughty.”

“But you’re thinking about spanking. Surely that’s worth a swat or two.”

“And I came tonight under protest,” he said. “Where have you been all my life?”

“So you could be interested in spanking?”

He winked at her. Maggie grinned back. Not bad. The man edged into cute when he smiled.

“Stranger things have happened,” he said.

“Have you spanked anyone before?”

“I’d be willing to learn.”

The bell went and with a quick wave, Maggie sashayed to her next date. Maybe this speed dating wouldn’t be as bad as she thought.

“Spanking?” her fourth date asked. “Isn’t that a bit kinky?”

“And your point is…?”

“None of the other girls have asked me that question. Is spanking a new fad I haven’t heard about yet?”

“Just ordinary run of the mill kink, I think,” Maggie said, managing to keep her smile at bay. “Do you have any interests?”

“Nothing to beat spanking. You really like getting spanked? It turns you on?”

Maggie allowed herself a secret smile. “That’s for me to know and you to find out.” Good grief. This flirty siren wasn’t her. She didn’t want to attract the wrong sort of man. It was fun, though.

The bell rang. Maggie stood. “Nice to meet you.

Three dates later, she came across Connor. “Hi.” She grinned at him. “Are you having fun?”

“Fun is not the word I’d use to describe this speed dating thing.”

“So you haven’t met anyone interesting?”

“I didn’t expect to. Did you?”

Maggie thought about her dates so far. “I’ve met a few interesting men.” And she’d shocked some of them speechless. A couple had seemed intrigued.

Connor leaned closer, lowered his voice. “What are you doing afterward? You want to come around to my place? Spend the night?”

“I don’t know. The others were talking about the pub. I’d already said I’d go for drinks. They’ll think it’s strange if we both change our minds.”

The bell sounded, loud and strident.

“That’s my cue to meet my next date.” Maggie blew him a kiss. “Only four more dates to go and we’re out of here.”

Connor groaned. “Don’t remind me. I’m gonna start making things up soon. I’m tired of the same old questions.”

“Poor baby. It sounds like you need a drink.”

“I need more than a drink. I need a shower. I feel dirty after being stared at so hard.”

With a laugh Maggie went to her next date, a spring in her step.

Connor wished he’d never agreed to come along. All he could think about was Maggie. He wasn’t interested in other woman. Once, maybe. But not anymore. Hiding and skulking around wasn’t working for him. He wanted to tell everyone that he and Maggie were together. The
friends with benefits
deal meant he couldn’t do a thing.

Hamstrung by his own cleverness.

The final bell rang.

Thank God. Connor stood and joined the rest of the men. “I’m pleased that’s over with. I came under protest.”

“I don’t know,” one of the men said. “There were a few interesting dates. One girl asked me about spanking.”

“You too?” another man asked. “She was fun—she didn’t look like the kind of girl who would be into kinky stuff.”