Little White Lies (18 page)

“Take these.”

Maggie took the pills as Nick removed her boots.

“Stand up,” he ordered gently as he unzipped her jeans and slid them down along with her panties.

“Sit down,” he told her and when she did, he slipped them off her legs.

Maggie followed his instructions, until she was totally naked and still she didn’t argue.

This must be a first, he thought, as he began to roll up his sleeves, watching her intently.

He grinned when her eyes flew open, and she began to bite her bottom lip.

Not a good sign, she thought, sleeves rolled up. No, not good at all.

“Nick, you’re not going to…?” she asked with a quivering voice.

“Spank you? No. At least not yet,” he informed her, his voice firm but not unkind as he helped her up and guided her into the bathroom.

Maggie’s claw-foot tub was about half full of steaming water. She could smell the lavender bath oil that was her favorite. Nick picked her up and she sighed as he gently lowered her into the water.

He bathed her like a child, even washing her hair and massaging her scalp until she was putty in his hands. Every curve and hollow was attended to, and it was like nothing Maggie had ever experienced before. Her moans and whimpers of appreciation were music to Nick’s ears, and he decided he could get used to this warm, soft, compliant Maggie. Who would have thought he would ever use those words to describe his Maggie, he grinned. When he was finished, he lifted her out of the tub and wrapped her in a fluffy towel, drying her thoroughly before helping her into her soft robe. Nick took her back to her room and seated her on her bed before picking up her vintage hairbrush from her vanity.

Maggie’s eyes flew to his in panic, but Nick just smiled.

“No, sweetie, not yet,” he told her as he seated himself behind her and pulled her back against him. She was warm, soft, and smelled like heaven, he thought, moving her hair to one side and kissing her neck. Sitting her forward, he began to untangle her hair, his hands so gentle she almost fell asleep. Finally, he set the hairbrush on her nightstand and eased her down on the bed.

At this point, Maggie was so relaxed Nick could have done anything he wanted. But all he did was strip off his wet shirt, kick off his shoes, and lie down beside her. Maggie snuggled into his arms and sighed with pleasure. Never had anyone cared for her so tenderly. Tears filled her eyes as she rested her head against Nick’s chest. She took his hand and held it to her heart, willing him to feel the fluttering beat.

This was her man. She knew it, and he knew it, and there was relief in finally admitting it. What was the sense in fighting it? Her body was already preparing itself for his possession. Her heart beat in time with his, her breath measured by his breaths. Every touch of his hand was both soothing and electrifying. His very scent called to her. Maggie released his hand and it stayed on her breast. Her own traveled the planes of his chest, teasing and memorizing every inch.

Nick trembled and grasped her hand, carrying it to his lips and kissing the palm.

“Maggie, I’m taking over,” Nick told her, keeping a firm hold on her hand just in case.

Maggie smiled, never raising her head.

“You are?”

“Yes, I am,” he told her firmly, between nibbling her palm and kissing her fingertips. “I can’t get any work done for worrying about you. It drives me crazy. I have to know you and the children are taken care of. You need a keeper, honey, someone to make sure you’re taking care of business, so to speak. No more harebrained excuses why you’re not following the rules. It’s about time someone held you accountable.”

“It is?” she murmured kissing his chest.

“Yes, darlin’ it is. You’re just going to have to trust me on this,” Nick moaned, trying not to lose his train of thought.

Maggie pulled her hand away and stroked his nipples softly. Moving slowly lower, she slid her fingers over his navel, caressing her way to his belt and patiently working it free.

“So you’re going to be the boss?” she questioned, kissing and nibbling her way to the snap of his jeans.

Nick moaned and arched his hips as the zipper slid down, her hair tickling and tantalizing as she straddled his calves. She tugged his jeans and briefs lower and lower until his legs were trapped by them. Naked from the knees up, she enjoyed the sight of his magnificent erection. Lying on his legs, her breath seared him as she began to caress his penis with her lips. Up one side and down the other, she alternately nibbled, licked, and sucked.

“Nick, you were saying?”

“What? Oh, oh yeah,” he moaned, his hands clenched into fists, holding tight to the quilt.

“It’s… it’s… for… good,” he panted.

“You mean for my own good?” she whispered as her lips began again at the base and worked slowly up the underside of him. Her tongue swirled and fluttered around the tip, but never quite gave him what he needed.

God, this was fun she thought, as she watched him shiver. No wonder he wanted to be in control. It felt fantastic to know she could take this strong man and reduce him to a quivering mass of need. She loved the taste of him, the scent of him, and the feel of his muscular body.

“Nick?”

“Yeah?” he asked. “Oh, yeah, for your own good,” he sighed.

Maggie smiled and swept her tongue around the tip of his penis again before she slid her lips over it and sucked it slowly into her mouth. She continued for three more deep strokes.

“Sweet Jesus, Maggie, you’re killing me,” he pleaded.

Taking pity on him she released him and crawled slowly higher until she straddled his hips. Her breasts teased his chest as she wiggled into position and let just the tip of him enter her warmth. Incredibly wet, she still had difficulty accommodating his girth, and after several times of almost there, Nick grasped her hips in his large hands and arched his ass off the bed. . As much as she had enjoyed teasing and controlling Nick, it was a double edged sword for Maggie , because when he took over for those few moments she almost came unglued. Her body shivered uncontrollably, and she threw her head back letting out a cry pleasure that was probably heard three blocks away.

For a few minutes Maggie allowed Nick control, mainly because it felt so damn good, but having Nick at her mercy was just too sweet. Time’s up.

Nick grinned as he watched her. Let her take over. It won’t change anything in the long run. She was going to bend to his will one way or another outside this room, and if it made it more palatable to her to show her power in the bedroom, well he could handle that once in a while. God knows, making love with Maggie had no downside.

Then she began to move, so slowly he could feel every inch of her incredible tight sheath as she rose almost entirely off him only to sink back down just as slowly. He could feel her inner muscles clamping around him like a fist. Then the little circles began, her hips rotating. He wondered fleetingly if this was why it was referred to as screwing because that’s exactly what it felt like. She was screwing herself inch by inch onto him. Struggling to hold off his climax, he let her continue. Nick tried counting backward from one hundred and it worked for all of ten seconds. When she started making little figure eights with her hips while still rising and falling, it was all but over. Every part of her was rubbing him in mind blowing ways.

Okay, game over, sweetheart he thought. Grasping her hip with one hand, Nick slid the fingers of his other hand directly to her clit beginning a pattern of his own. Thrusting upward, Maggie’s knees left the bed and she clung blindly to the only solid thing in her universe. There was absolutely no way she could regain control, and at this point she wasn’t sure she wanted it anyway. The strength and power of this man were phenomenal. Thirty seconds later, she screamed her release and convulsed around him, her entire body collapsing onto his chest.

Nick held her close for a few seconds before he clasped her bottom and rolled her onto her back. He kissed anywhere he could reach, her face, her neck and her breasts as he slowly continued to move in and out of her. He told her of his love and waited for her to come back to him. Once she opened her eyes, he took both her wrists and pulled them over her head. Sliding his other arm under her hips, he took her hard and deep. Maggie had a moment of panic. This man could control her, did in fact control her, but hot damn, it was good. Seeing the acceptance in her eyes, Nick released her hands, and she threw her arms around him. With his other arm now free he was able to fit her more tightly to him. He felt her convulse in his arms a second before her contractions sent him over the edge. Nick exploded powerfully inside her; over and over his tribute filled her as he growled his pleasure into her neck. Hanging onto consciousness by a thread, Nick rolled them both onto their sides, holding her to him as he dragged air into his lungs.

“Maggie that was… you were… words can’t even describe how you move me, honey,” he whispered. “I just want to steal you away and love you in a thousand ways,” he sighed as he kissed her eyelids, her cheeks, and finally her lips.

Maggie moaned into his mouth and threw her leg up over his hip, relishing the warmth of his smooth chest as she curled into him.

“Nick, that’s such a beautiful dream. In your arms, I forget everything. Nothing matters when you are touching me, loving me,” she told him, tears falling silently from her eyes as her head nestled under his chin. “I truly wish it could be like this always. I wish we could stay in this room, this bed, and never let the world intrude, but it will, Nick. There’s no way we can keep it out,” she told him as she slipped out of his arms and sat up on the bed. Wiping her tears she continued. “Nick, I have problems, real problems. I don’t even know if I have a job. I have a mortgage and kids to feed.” Maggie dropped her head and hid behind the curtain of her hair, sniffling.

Nick put his hands behind his head and let her go on, not saying anything but watching her intently. A little grin escaped him when she finally raised her head. Instead of looking at his face, her gaze traveled over his body, and she licked her lips.

Pulling her eyes away, she forced herself to stick to the issues. It wasn’t easy when a naked man looking like next month’s Playgirl centerfold lay sprawled on her white quilt.

“There’s a man out there who wants to hurt me,” she went on, “and I have no idea if or when he’s going to get out of jail. Rory probably wants to wring my neck and my parents… I can’t even begin to tell you how disappointed they are in me. Not to mention Jason. He may never forgive me,” she sobbed, completely undone now.

Nick smiled and snagged her hand, pulling her down beside him. Wrapping her in his arms, he held her gently, rubbing her back.

“Don’t cry, sweetie” he crooned. “You just made a prefect case for why I’m taking over. You need some help. Not that you haven’t done a hell of a job on your own, but things seem to have spiraled out of control. There’s no harm in accepting a little help now and then, and that’s what I’m going to give you.” Titling her chin up with a finger, Nick pushed her hair out of her face and looked into her eyes. “This isn’t negotiable, Maggie. For the next six weeks I will be in charge,” he told her firmly. “You need to give me a chance.”

Maggie could see how serious he was. Numerous butterflies suddenly invaded her tummy.
This is not the time to argue,
an inner voice whispered, and for once she listened.

“What exactly would your being in charge entail?” she asked, swallowing nervously.

“Unfortunately, exactly what you’re thinking it will. I will be here every day to make sure you are doing as I say. I don’t plan on micromanaging your day, but you will take better care of yourself. I will be involved in the kids’ lives, making sure they have everything they need, helping with homework, and assisting in their care. That means cooking, housework, laundry, grocery shopping, and appointments, whatever. Basically, if I see a need, I will take care of it. Any financial obligations that need attention I will—”

“Now wait just a minute,” she sputtered. “If I agree to this, I will not be accepting any financial—”

Nick held a finger to her lips, effectively shushing her.

“Maggie, for fifteen years my son has been denied my financial support. I will provide anything I think necessary for this family. Is that clear?” he demanded.

Maggie’s tummy clenched, but she kept her silence and nodded.

“I want to make sure you understand. I will not be sleeping here, but I will be here as much as possible. And I will be making love to you every chance I get,” Nick continued grinning. “Any other questions?

“Just two.” she asked her mouth as dry as dust. “Will you be spanking me?”

“You mean after tonight?”

Maggie gulped and managed to nod.

Nick sighed.

“It is not my intention to hurt you, honey; however, you need to know that I won’t put up with any blatant disregard for my rules. If you have a problem with anything I say, you can come to me and we will discuss it. In the end, if it concerns the health and well-being of anyone in this family, I will have the final say. Is that understood?” At her nod he continued. “You know what kind of man I am, Maggie, and you know what I believe in. Much as I love you, I will have no problem paddling your ass if you defy me.”

A shiver coursed through her at his words. Nick was exactly as he seemed: a firm, determined man who wasn’t prepared to tolerate what her Da referred to as “shenanigans”.

Could she go six weeks without getting her butt roasted? Maggie sincerely doubted it. The first thing she needed to do was go to confession. Maybe a fresh start would help.

Nick gathered her to his chest and kissed the top of her head.

“You said two questions, honey.” he reminded her.

“Um… what happens at the end of the six weeks?” she whispered, her mind trying to absorb all that he had said.

“You marry me.”

And that apparently was that.

The rest of the night went relatively smoothly. Her spanking consisted of two crisp smacks on a bare butt which, although painful, were a great relief to Maggie. It could have been much worse considering all Nick had learned after talking with Mason and Rory. Not doing a background check on Jack Harley had been incredibly foolish.