Chapter Five

When Maya let herself into the apartment, she was surprised to find Bobby sprawled across the red leather sofa he had spent $3,000 for. She glanced at her watch. It was just past four, although the afternoon seemed to have taken forever. “You’re home early.”

He shrugged. “There was a problem with one of the cameras. Lenny sent us home for the day.”

She frowned. “They let you go for that?”

Bobby shrugged again as he got to his feet. “What happened?”

Maya dropped her keys and purse on the table and deliberately avoided his eyes. “It’s over.”

“You mean he called it off?”

“No. It’s finished for today. I don’t want to talk about it.”

As she turned down the hallway toward the bathroom, Bobby followed her.

“Tell me about it.”

She sighed. “No.”

“You owe it to me to tell—”

She spun around in mid-step, catching him off-guard. “I’m doing this for you, Bobby. Don’t tell me I owe you the details.”

He nodded. “I’m sorry. It’s just…I have to know.”

“Why?”

“Was he better than me?”

She bit her lip, wanting to reassure Bobby, but not willing to set the precedent of divulging the details of her meetings with Roarke. To continue functioning normally, she had to keep those separate from her real life. “Nothing happened today.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Don’t lie.”

“I’m not. He didn’t touch me.”

Bobby put his hand on her arm. “I just wanna know…”

She jerked away. “I told you nothing happened.” Maya stormed to the bathroom and slammed the door behind her. She stripped off her clothes and started the hot water. She had bent forward to gather her hair into a large shower cap when she felt Bobby’s hands on her hips. She stood frozen as he slid his hand down her bottom to touch her intimately. “What are you?” She started to stand, but his hand on her lower back stopped her. “Bobby?”

“Reminding us both,” he said as he stepped closer.

Maya realized he was naked as his erection brushed her thigh. Despite the way her body still tingled with arousal, she wasn’t in the mood. “Not now, Bobby.”

He pulled her up and wrapped his arms around her until her back was pressed against his chest. “I need you, Maya. I have to know you’re still my girl.”

With a sigh, she submitted to his caresses and moaned when he brought his hand up to rub her nipples. His other hand forayed inside her to ease his passage. “You’re so wet.”

It sounded like an accusation. “I didn’t…” She broke off when she decided it wasn’t wise to tell him she hadn’t showered earlier. He would naturally wonder why she had needed a shower if nothing had happened. She sighed when he turned her around and lifted her in his arms. Bobby moved so that she was braced against the wall, and then slid inside her.

Her softness tingled as it accepted his length, and she leaned forward as he filled her. Maya grasped his shoulders and began to thrust with Bobby. She tried not to think of anything that had happened earlier in the afternoon. She managed to ignore her thoughts as Bobby continued to push her bottom against the wall with each deep thrust. She was poised on the brink when she felt his fluid fill her before his erection softened.

Maya could have cried with frustration when he slid out and sat her on the marble tile. She continued to ache for fulfillment, but he already had that sleepy expression he got after making love.

His expression was brooding. “You were wet before I ever touched you.”

She rolled her eyes. “How many times do I have to tell you that he didn’t lay a hand on me?”

“Whatever happened, you liked it.”

Maya turned away from him, too angry to speak.

His tone was still disgruntled when he said, “I bet that wiped away all memories of him.”

Her mouth fell open, and she spun around to face him. “Is that what this was about? You were…” She floundered as she searched for a way to describe what he had done. “Was this about comparison?”

Bobby shook his head and pushed loose strands of hair behind his shoulders. “It’s not like that. I just wanted you to remember what it’s like with someone you love.”

“But he didn’t touch me.” Maya winced at the shrill tone and bit her tongue to hold back a scream.

His expression became sad. “How are we going to get through this if you won’t be honest with me?”

“How am I supposed to do this if you insist on fucking me after each meeting to remind me who I belong to?”

His lower lip protruded. “I don’t like sharing you.”

She tossed her hands up. “Fine with me. I’ll call Thomas and tell him to shove it.”

Bobby’s blue eyes grew dark, and he shook his head. “You can’t. We have to do this.”

She sighed. “Just let me cope in my own way. Don’t ask for details, and don’t make love to me to mark your territory.”

After a pause, he finally nodded. “If that’s what you want.”

Before Maya could respond, he had hopped into her hot shower. She bit back her annoyance and sat on the toilet, knowing Bobby hated to share a shower unless they had sex under the pulsating stream. She wanted to tell him that she didn’t want any of this, but his spontaneous rendition of Another One Bites The Dust made it impossible for her to speak.

When he finally emerged, she was too tired to pursue the conversation. Maya got in the shower and yelped when cold water pelted her. She slid the glass door open a few inches and leaned her head out. “All the hot water is gone.”

Bobby carefully wrapped his long locks in a powder-blue towel. “I noticed that too. Probably because you left the water running.”

She slammed the sliding door closed, satisfied with its protesting thunk and the way it rattled. Maya’s body shook as she tried to control her anger and repress the tears that pricked the back of her eyes. It wasn’t the lack of hot water—or even his ability to always make everything her fault—that made her so angry. It was a combination of the afternoon’s events and his reaction—most especially his refusal to believe Roarke hadn’t touched her. “I thought nothing would change,” she whispered as the hair dryer turned on. She let cold water sluice the hot tears from her cheeks.