“Yep, you let that damn dog in and he knocked me on my ass.”
His loud laughter warms my insides, and I’m mesmerized by the way his Adam’s apple moves up and down. I want to make him laugh again just to watch him. He’s fascinating to me.
Maverick wipes his eyes once he’s calmed down and turns to me. “My turn. Why have I not heard of this hotel before? I mean, it’s obviously been around for a long time, so why haven’t I ever seen any ads for it?”
His question instantly turns my warm insides sour and my mood starts slipping back to where it was when he first walked into the office.
“I don’t mean to be rude, I swear,” he starts, obviously aware this is a touchy subject for me. “I told you last night, I’m familiar with the hotel industry and because I’ve visited New Orleans so much in the past, I’m surprised I’ve never heard of or seen this place.”
“Well, since you were honest with me, I’ll return the favor. The answer to your question is simple: I suck at running this hotel. This place is everything to me. I was raised here, and I always knew it’d be mine one of these days, but when the time came, I wasn’t prepared. I never realized how hard it is. Every day is a slap in the face, telling me how much of a failure I am.”
“Carys, you aren’t a failure.”
I don’t know when it happened, but at some point during my confession, Maverick’s chair moved closer to mine, which means his body is closer to mine. Much closer. Too close to be professionally acceptable, in fact, but my own body won’t listen to reason. I’m leaning toward him, just begging for him to touch me. It’s like that magnet-type of attraction you read about in romance novels really exists, but that can’t be.
Can it?
Maverick cups my face with his strong hands, his rough fingertips brushing against the soft skin on my cheeks. It strikes me as odd that someone who claims to be a businessman would have calluses on his fingers, but I don’t allow myself to overthink or ask. Speaking would ruin this moment and I just want to feel more of him.
Before I can, though, I hear the bell above the front door chime, followed by a loud and boisterous “Hey, y’all” alerting me to Jules’ arrival. I’m glad to know he’s punctual, but I would’ve been totally fine with him being late today.
“That would be my new employee.” My voice is barely a whisper, trying like hell not to break the spell we’re under.
Maverick looks up and down, from my eyes to my lips and back again, before sighing and dropping his hands. He clears his throat before asking, “Can I stay in here while you train the new guy?”
“Absolutely. Make yourself at home...or at work or whatever...I’ll be right out here if you need anything.”
“I’ll be here,” he says, staring at me intently.
Does he mean something else by that statement, or is it just wishful thinking on my part? He seems so serious and it’s turning me on even more than when he’s being playful.
Get a grip, sister, and get back to work!
I walk out of the office and close the door behind me to find Jules leaning over the counter, checking everything out.
Smiling awkwardly, I walk around the counter to greet him. “Welcome to the Blue Bayou.” I hope he didn’t witness anything between Maverick and me. I don’t want to get off on the wrong foot with this being his first day. I need the help, so I really want this to go well.
His gaze is still on the door I just shut to the office as he leans in conspiratorially. “Girl, who is that fine hunk of man meat hiding back there? Is he yours, or can I call dibs?”
My laughter causes the tension to leave the room. Oh, I think he’s gonna work out just fine.
“Jules, I think you just became my new best friend.”
Chapter 5
Maverick
As soon as Carys closes the office door, I palm my aching dick through my jeans, trying to relieve some of the pressure, however temporary it may be. Ever since I checked in last night, I’ve practically been a walking hard-on, but the last few minutes in this room alone with her nearly killed me. Why I thought I could work with her and keep my hands off her, I have no idea.
Two good things did happen, though.
One, she told me a little about herself and I get the feeling she doesn’t do that often, especially to people she just met. Of course, it only made me want to know more about her.
Two, she seems to be just as affected by me as I am by her. I’m good at reading women, and her body language was definitely giving me the green light. Bonus points for her not noticing the tent I’m currently displaying in my pants. Otherwise, she might’ve kicked me out of her office instead of inviting me to stay. Once the spell was broken, I could tell she was rattled by our close encounter.
As much as I would’ve loved to kiss her, I’m glad I didn’t. I’d never want it to seem like I was taking advantage of her, using her moment of vulnerability for my primal gain.
The fact she feels like a failure doesn’t sit well with me. She’s definitely not. From what I can tell, she keeps this place running with little help and there’s no way she can be older than me. She doesn’t look a day over twenty-two, maybe just barely legal to drink, but if I had to guess, I’d say she’s a solid twenty-five.
In all other areas, a solid ten.
Focus, Mav.
Spinning the chair back around, I sit down and pull up to the computer. I can tell this is a huge area of distress for Carys, so if I can figure this shit out, it’d take a load of stress off her.
And maybe she’d consider going on a date with me.
Fuck. Seriously, I’m not doing this to get in her pants. I swear. I saw someone in need, and it’s an area I can help with, so I’m helping. It’s who I am. This has nothing to do with how gorgeous I think that woman out there at the front desk is. Nothing.
Growling, I scrub my face and run my hands through my hair.
“Okay, you fucking computer. What the hell is wrong with you?” I mutter, punching a few keys to pull up a diagnostic screen. Sometimes, a little trash talking will do the trick. It could also be as easy as cleaning up a nasty virus.
After what feels like an eternity, the scan completes and operational systems seem good. Internet is connected. Virus check came back clean, which is surprising. Usually, there’s at least a few items quarantined on a routine check. Carys obviously doesn’t watch much porn. At least, not on this computer.
Half an hour later, after checking everything I know to check and exhausting my repertoire, I come to the conclusion this is out of my area of expertise. It could just be the old-ass computer, but I feel like there’s something I’m not seeing, so I pull out my phone and dial up someone who will definitely know what to do.
“This is Shep.”
“Hey, it’s Mav.”
He doesn’t say anything for a minute, probably excusing himself from a room so he can talk. “Where the fuck did you take off to?”
“How did you even know I was gone?” I ask, rolling my eyes at his nosey ass. “I’ve barely been gone twenty-four hours.”
“I ran by your place last night to shoot the shit and you were gone. Then I stopped by your office this morning and Meredith said you were out of town.”