They called and ordered the food after choosing a wine and heading back downstairs. Once the food arrived they camped out on the couch to find a movie and ended up in a spirited debate over which Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies were the best, the ones from the 80s/90s or the latest one from 2014.
"Hey, don't get me wrong," Xavier said, holding his hands up with his take out box, "I enjoyed them both, probably equally. But you can't tell me there's anything like the original."
"
Equally
?!" Maya said over a mouthful of food. She shook her head, causing her hair to bounce around her face. "Come on Xavier, I love the old one too. It was like a childhood staple in our lives, but get real. The new one? No. Contest. The CGI alone..."
He couldn't believe he was sitting around, eating takeout and discussing movies with a gorgeous woman and she wasn't bored or annoyed. He never would have been able to just chill like this at home with Darby. She always wanted to go out to see and be seen.
"Hey."
He looked up to see Maya studying him.
"Where'd you go just now?"
The last thing he wanted to do right now was talk about Darby anymore, so he just said, "It's not important."
"You can tell me," Maya insisted.
"I was just thinking about how I could never do anything like this with Darby. She wasn't the type who liked to stay home."
"Oh," Maya said, suddenly seeming uncomfortable.
"I'm sorry. This is why I didn't want to bring her up," he let out a small laugh. "I'm sure you're sick of me talking about her. Over the years it must have been so annoying to you, me rambling on and on about my so-called 'perfect girlfriend' every time we talked on the phone."
Maya smiled and looked down. "Well, yes...but not for the reason you probably think."
Suddenly intrigued, he sat up a little straighter and asked, "What reason did you not like me talking about her then?"
She stabbed at a piece of her sweet and sour chicken in her takeout box with her chopsticks, avoiding his eyes.
"Maya?"
"It's silly, Xavier."
"It can't be all that bad."
Eventually, Maya rolled her eyes. "
Don't
you dare laugh at me," she demanded, pointing her chopsticks threateningly at him.
He held up his hand. "I swear."
"I never really liked hearing you talk about Darby...because I was...sort of...jealous."
Xavier's eyebrows rose in surprise at her revelation.
"Jealous?" he repeated.
Maya nodded. "I
may
have had a small," she pinched her fingers together to show how small, "crush on you."
She looked up in time to see his face breaking out into a wide grin. She reached over and smacked his arm. "You swore you wouldn't laugh."
"I'm not," he said, then chuckled. "Okay, I'm laughing
now
. But not
at
your confession. I swear."
She let out an annoyed huff and stood. "I shouldn't have said anything."
Xavier hopped up and followed her. "Maya, wait." He wrapped his arms around her waist and turned her to face him. "I was smiling
because I was
flattered
. I laughed because you are just adorable beyond words. How long did you have this crush?"
When she didn't answer right away, he squeezed her waist. "Probably since the first time we spoke on the phone," she admitted.
"So you like the sound of my voice," he said, pulling her close.
"It's kind of grating on my nerves right now," she replied with a small pout.
"Ah baby, don't be like that." He gave her lips a quick kiss, then led her back to the couch.
"There's one thing I don't get," he said after they sat back down.
"What?"
"If you had such a
huge
crush on me–"
"It wasn't
that
huge," she denied.
"–then why did you go out of your way to set that whole thing up for my tour, when you thought I was still with...her?"
She sat for a moment, looking as if she were trying to find the right words. "All those times we talked and you went on and on about Darby. You seemed happy. So if you were happy, what else was I supposed to do?"
Her selflessness endeared her to him even more.
"So," he said, taking her hand in his, "do you still have that crush on me?"
"Xavier..." she whined, "this is childish." She tried to pull her hand away, but he held on tighter.
"I actually find this conversation very informative and enlightening."
When she still refused to speak, he threw his head back and laughed. "You mean to tell me we've gone on
four
dates and you can't tell me whether or not you still have a crush on me?"
"Four? Wait...are you counting
this
as a date."
"What would you call it?" he challenged.
"Just...hanging out. I mean look at me," she peered down at her clothes. "I'm not even dressed up."
"And you're still sexy as hell."
Her mouth hung open slightly and the urge to kiss her was more than he could stand. He inched closer toward her on the couch as he said, "Would it ease your mind, if I told you that right now,
I
actually have a really
really
big crush on you too?"
"You do?" she asked, her breathing becoming shallow.
He nodded as his face moved closer to hers, their lips nearly touching.
"Yes, I've never liked anyone as much as I like you, Maya Thorton."
"But what about–"
He cut off her words by closing the distance between their lips. He didn't want to hear, think or focus on anyone but Maya. Any and everyone else was irrelevant at the moment.
He coaxed her mouth open with his tongue and tangled it with hers. When he felt her moan against his mouth, he pulled her body closer to his. Her full breast were pressed against his chest and her tightening nipples caused his already hard erection to grow even harder.
Xavier slowly leaned forward until Maya's back sank into the couch cushions. He went from her lips to nipping below her ear and down her neck. He heard her whimper when he swiped his tongue across her collarbone and her body trembled when his hand went up her sweater to caress the soft skin of her stomach.
It wasn't enough. He wanted more. He
needed
more.
He sat up slightly and looked down at her face. Her heavy-lidded eyes looked drunk with desire.
She wanted him too, he could feel it. But he wouldn't go any further until he heard her say it.
"I want you Maya," he admitted. "God help me, I've probably wanted you from the moment I first laid eyes on you."
He watched as her chest rose and fell quickly. She licked her lips and he groaned, bent down and kissed her again.
"Tell me you want me too," he nearly pleaded. "Do you want this as much as I do?"
"Yes," she whispered. "I do want you."
He sat up, and pulled her with him. Then he reached down and pulled her sweater over her head and tossed it to the ground. He flicked open the front clasp of her bra and her breasts spilled free. He gently laid her back down on the couch and ran his hand down her body. He palmed one breast in his hand and took the other in his mouth.
She arched upward and he loved the sounds of pleasure coming out of her mouth. He switched to the other nipple, swirling his tongue around it before taking it completely into his mouth.
His hand slid down to the button of her jeans and he was about to snap it open when he felt her hand stop him. Xavier raised his head up to see what was wrong.
"Not here," she panted. "Upstairs."
All he could do was nod, then he stood back up, and held his hand out to her. She placed it in his, and he pulled her up and lifted her into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. He took off for the stairs, and went straight for the room he'd noticed earlier.
"How did you know this was my room?" Maya asked.
"I'm very observant."
He kicked the door closed and carried her over to the bed. He sat her down on her feet and she quickly reached for his shirt and helped him pull it over his head. He looked down and saw her hands tremble slightly as they went for his belt.
"Are you okay?" he asked, taking her hands in his.
She closed her eyes, and nodded quickly. Then she opened them again and looked up at him blushing. "It's uh...it's been awhile for me."
"Me too," he confessed. He lifted her fingertips and kissed them. "We'll just take our time."
He undid the button of her jeans and pulled them down along with her lacy underwear, then took a step back to undo his own pants. Automatically he reached for his wallet in his back pocket then stopped.
He cursed under his breath when he realized, "I don't have any protection."
"Oh," Maya exhaled, then blushed again. "I..." she turned and opened the stand next to the bed and pulled out an unopened box of condoms. "Evie, says I should always be prepared, even though I've never used them. Big sisters. Plus, I'm on the Pill."
He grinned at the shy look she had on her face. That small box wasn't going to be nearly enough for the plans he had for her. He wasn't wasting anymore time. He kicked his shoes and pants off and took her face in his hands, kissing her deeply.
They eased down onto the bed and he nudged her legs apart with his knee. Maya's breathing began to speed up again as Xavier's hand glided down her body from her neck, between the valley of her breasts, over her stomach; all the way down until he reached her silky heat.
She was incredibly responsive to his touch. Every where his hands went, she responded with a moan, a sigh, a whisper of his name. It drove him completely mad with passion.
"Xavier," she rasped, as his fingers plunged inside of her. He felt her walls clench and knew he wanted to be connected with her when she went over the edge. He pulled away for a moment to cover himself with protection, then he was back over her.
He gripped her thigh with one hand and open her legs wider as he slowly entered her. She felt so incredibly snug around him, as he began to move inside of her. He started off slow, taking his time like he'd promised before they started. But the more he moved, the better it felt and soon he found himself picking up the pace.
She kept right up with him, stroke for stroke as he drove his hips against hers. She wrapped her legs around his back and he went even deeper.
She was so close, and so was he. He sat up and gazed down at her. She opened her eyes and he watched them grow wide as she climaxed. It was one of the sexiest things he'd ever seen.
She threw her head back and called out his name as her nails dug into his shoulders. Soon, he was following her, pumping into her and letting out a primal growl as he came to his own completion. After taking a moment to catch his breath, he rolled over and pulled her against his body. He pushed her hair out of her face and kissed her on the forehead.
Xavier felt sleep pulling him under and one of his last thoughts was that the woman lying in his arms was even more wonderful than he could have ever imagined.
Hardness.
That's what Maya felt when she woke up the next morning. Not the cushy mattress that she'd spent a small fortune on. Not the excessive amount of pillows she kept on the bed. All she felt was hardness. Chiseled pecs under her cheek. Rigid abs beneath her hand. And another hardness pressed firmly against her leg, which was slung over tight thighs.
No softness. All muscle.
And it felt amazing.
She slowly opened her eyes and shifted her head to examine Xavier's face. He was still sleeping, so she was careful not to wake him.
She thought back to the night before. She still had a hard time wrapping her head around what had happened between the two of them. She'd dreamed about it for a long time, even before she knew what he looked like. In her dreams she would hear his voice, whispering in her ear as he made slow, mind-numbing, spine-tingling love to her.
The real life experience was so much better than her dreams.
She was surprised by the tightening of his arm around her waist and the sleepy smile that filled his face.
"Good morning."
The deep drowsy octave in his voice was too sexy for his own good.
"Good morning," she responded. Her body shivered as his hand lazily roamed up and down her back, and finally he opened his eyes to look at her.
"Last night..." she started.
"Last night..." he repeated.
Neither of them seemed to be able to find the right words to describe how much they'd enjoyed each other. Their bodies on the other hand, both seemed to remember every single thing from the previous night.
So instead of wasting anymore words, Xavier pulled Maya closer to his body and they struck up an encore of their amazing night together.
Maya had just returned from giving the last tour of the day, when she sat down and saw the flashing alert at the bottom of her computer screen.
She hurried up and opened the message.
[Xavier Fuller: I've been missing that beautiful face of yours.]
[ :-) ]
[Xavier Fuller: I can't stop thinking about this past weekend.]
Maya smiled at his words. Xavier had spent the rest of the weekend at her place. They mostly spent that time in bed making love.
[Neither can I.]
[Xavier Fuller: I want to see you again this weekend.]
She nibbled on her lip as she read his message. She wanted to see him again, and she wouldn't mind having a repeat of the previous weekend. Not wanting to waste another moment, she typed out her response.
[I want to see you too.]
[Xavier Fuller: Can you come up here this weekend?]
[Come to Sacramento?]
[Xavier Fuller: Yeah. I want to show you my place.]
Maya felt giddy reading his message. She was eager to see what his home looked like, including his wine cellar he'd mentioned.
[Sure. I'm off this weekend. I'll drive down after I get off on Friday.]
[Xavier Fuller: Great. Come by Wined & Dined.]
[Okay, I'll see you Friday.]
[Xavier Fuller: I can't wait.]
Wined & Dined look much more different this Friday evening than the last time Maya had visited. When she entered the café, there was a loud hum of friendly chatter as patrons sipped their wines and enjoyed their meals.
"Hello, welcome to Wined & Dined."
Maya turned at the sound of a pleasant voice and came face to face with a pretty, petite female. She had a bright smile on her face. A very familiar face. Her skin tone was the same milk chocolate brown as Xavier's and when Maya took a closer look, she realized the family resemblance was uncanny.
She looked down at the younger woman's name tag and confirmed her thoughts.
"Lena?" Maya asked.
"Yes," Lena said, running her hand through her short cropped hair. "Do we know each other?"
"Not officially, but we've spoken on the phone. I'm–"
"Maya!" Lena said, excitedly. She reached out and pulled Maya in to her arms for a large embrace. "It is so good to finally meet you in person!"
"It's good to meet you too," Maya said, laughing. "Is Xavier around?"
"Of course he is," Lena said, taking Maya's hand and guiding her through the café, over to the bar. "Xay!"
His broad back was facing them as they got to the bar. He turned with an exasperated look on his face.
"Lena, I've told you not to shout in here."
His face instantly transformed when he saw Maya standing with Lena.
"You were saying?" Lena mumbled sarcastically.
"Hey," Xavier said to Maya, now ignoring his sister.
"Hi," Maya said back.
He came from around the bar and kissed Maya on the cheek. Never taking his eyes off Maya, he grabbed her hand.
"Cover for me Lena," he said, leading Maya away from the bar.
Lena made some smart remark that neither she nor Xavier heard. He pulled her into his office, shut the door and pressed her against it as his mouth came crashing down on hers. After another hot minute of lip locking, he finally pulled away.
"I guess you really did miss me," Maya teased.
"Do you have any doubts?" Xavier asked, grinding his hips against hers. She bit her lip to tamp down the moan at the base of her throat, then she moved around him. As tempting as it was to jump him right here in his office, she didn't want the entire café hearing her cries of passion. They would have to wait.
"So," she said, trying to clear her head. "I see things are back to normal this Friday night."
He stuck his hands in his pockets and she watched as he, not-so-discreetly, adjusted himself.
"Yep, back to normal. Although my staff is still wishing for another random night off with pay," he said with a wink. "How was the drive?"
"About average," Maya answered.
"Are you hungry?" Xavier asked.
"Are you kidding?" she threw back at him.
He chuckled and held out his hand, "Come on, let's get out of here."
Maya looked at him confused. "We're not going to eat here?"
"Not tonight," he said, with a cryptic smile.
"Okay," she replied slowly.
As they walked back through the café, they passed by the bar and Xavier told Lena, "I'll see you later."
Lena smiled, waved and in a singsong voice, shouted, "Have fun you two!"
They stepped outside and he squeezed her hand.
"I think you'll like where we are going," he assured her.
"I trust your food judgement."
He smiled at her words. They began walking down the sidewalk and after passing a few buildings Xavier stopped.
"Here we are," he said.
Maya read the sign on the door and gasped.
Fuller's Bistro and Patisserie.
"Welcome to my parents' restaurant," Xavier said quietly.
Xavier opened the door to the bistro and let Maya enter first. As soon as he followed her in, he heard his name being called.
"Xavier! What's going on nephew?"
"Hey Uncle Bobby," Xavier said, as his uncle made his way over to them and gave him a quick bear hug.
Robert Fuller was Xavier's father's younger brother. The passion for cooking seemed to run in the family, so when Xavier's parents passed away, they left the bistro to Bobby, knowing it would be well taken care of. And he'd done just that. He made sure Fuller's thrived and he kept the memory of Eric and Mona Fuller alive every day.
"And who is this lovely lady?" Bobby asked turning to Maya.
"This is Maya Thorton. Maya, this is my uncle Robert Fuller."
"It's nice to meet you Mister Fuller," Maya said.
"Sweetheart, if Xay here is bringing you to the bistro, then it's Uncle Bobby to you."
Maya smiled and said, "Uncle Bobby it is then."
"What's on the menu for tonight, Uncle Bobby?" Xavier asked.
"You two sit on down, I'll send LeAnn over with menus. I gotta get back to the kitchen."
Bobby turned back to Maya again. "Young lady, it was a pleasure to meet you. And I look forward to seeing you around here on a regular basis now."
"If those croissants are as tasty as they smell, I'll definitely be visiting all of the time," Maya said with a grin.
"I'll have LeAnn box up a dozen for you," Uncle Bobby said, then he turned and went back to the kitchen.
A few minutes later LeAnn came over with a large pink box.
"Hey, Xay!" she said, smiling.
Xavier stood and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Aunt Lee, you're looking as gorgeous as ever."
"Oh stop," she said, swatting at him as she giggled. "Boy you see me just about every day."
"And you get more and more beautiful every day."
"You shameless flirt you," she turned to Maya, "Hi, I'm Bobby's wife, LeAnn."
Maya stood as well. "Maya," she said, shaking LeAnn's hand.
"Aunt Lee," Xavier said, squeezing LeAnn's shoulders. "Maya works for Russell Oaks Winery."
"
Really
?" LeAnn exclaimed. "Oh you all have some of the best wine in Napa!"
"Thank you," Maya said, with pride for the company she worked for, "I'll make sure to let them know. You should come out to Napa sometime for a tour."
"Oh that would be wonderful!"
"Maya gives great personal tours," Xavier said, with a heated look in Maya's direction.
"Well, I can't wait," LeAnn said. "Bobby and I have been talking about getting away for awhile now."
Maya reached into her purse and pulled out a card.
"Here's my number," Maya said, handing her the card. "Call me when you want to set it up."
"I will," LeAnn said, tucking the card into her apron. "Bobby sent these out for you." She handed Maya the box of croissants and then placed the menus on the table. "You guys take another minute to figure out what you want and just holler at me when you're ready."
After LeAnn left, Xavier and Maya sat down and picked up their menus. After a few minutes of silently perusing the menu, Xavier looked up to find Maya staring at him.
"Is everything all right?" he asked, sitting down the menu.
She nodded, then said, "Your aunt is very sweet."
"Yeah, Aunt Lee is the best."
"Your entire family is great," Maya added. She was quiet for another moment before saying, "Thank you for bringing me here to meet them. You can feel the love your parents put into this bistro and your uncle and aunt continue to pour into it. I know this place is very special to you."
Xavier reached over the table for her hand.
"
You're
very special," he said.
And he meant it. If she hadn't been, he wouldn't have brought her to the bistro or introduced her to his family. In a very short amount of time, she'd managed to burrow herself deep into his heart. She was important to him now and he hoped whatever was growing between them continued to blossom into something wonderful.