Chapter 5

“Are you ready?” Lacey asked as she and Maya walked into Krista’s room. Krista was sorting through and rejecting most of her clothes as she tried to dress for the club.

“No. I’ll never be ready,” Krista said. “I can’t stand it. Nothing works.”

“Kris, you’re overthinking it,” said Lacey.

“You have great stuff here,” said Maya. “You’d look wonderful in any of it.”

“That’s sweet, guys, but I can’t find anything.” Krista sighed and looked at herself in the mirror. “I wish I had curves. That would help.”

Lacey sat on the bed. “Why are you so worried anyway? You don’t usually get this concerned about what you wear.”

“Is it because of that Devlin guy?” Maya asked, and knew she’d hit the mark when Krista’s face went bright red.

“Oh ho, Devlin’s back in town,” Lacey said. “Now I get it.”

“No, it’s not that. Not all that,” Krista said. “I do want to look nice. I mean, this is kind of a business thing for Maya. I just want to make a good impression.”

“So, you met the dashing Aaron Devlin?” Lacey turned to Maya. “What did you think? Did he leave you swooning?” Lacey placed a hand over her heart and fluttered her eyelashes.

Maya chuckled and shook her head. “No, although I can see where he would do it for some people.”

“You didn’t like him,” said Krista. She held up two tops for inspection.

“I don’t know him,” Maya said, although Krista was right. Maya had instinctively been wary of Devlin. Which seemed unfair, since she’d barely exchanged twenty words with the man, but there was just something about him that didn’t sit right. After her experience with Dean, Maya was trying hard not to dismiss her instincts. Maybe Devlin was fine, maybe not; it would take time to know for sure.

“That’s true,” said Krista, “and honest, but you don’t like him.”

“It doesn’t really matter, though, does it?” Maya asked. “It’s whether you like him that’s important.”

“Oh, she likes him,” said Lacey with a knowing look.

“Quiet, you,” Krista said without any heat. “Oh, goddammit, this shouldn’t be so hard. No one’s going to be looking at me, so why do I care about my clothes?”

“It’s okay to care about clothes, and your appearance,” said Maya. “It can do a lot for a person to dress in clothes that they like, and that they like on their body. But we all have our own style and what we’re comfortable in. If you’re comfortable in black jeans and black shirts, then wear that.”

“I wear that all the time.” Krista sighed. “I just, I don’t know, I thought maybe something different. But then I think I’ll look ridiculous.” She looked at herself in the mirror. “I am just too big.”

“Nonsense,” said Lacey. “You look terrific.”

Maya nodded in agreement but also felt bad for Krista. Maya knew what it was like to doubt your appearance; pretty much every woman did. She had a thought.

“What if you did something just a little bit different?” Maya asked. She picked up a metallic silver blouse with a cold-shoulder design. “What about this?”

“I don’t know.” Krista bit her lip. “I bought that on a whim one day and then was never sure about wearing it.”

“I can tell.” Maya smiled and held up the sleeve, from which the tag dangled. “You didn’t even cut the tag off.”

“I guess I thought I’d return it,” said Krista.

“Wear this, and your jeans are fine, and I’ll grab an accent, okay?” She zipped out before Krista could object, and returned with a black shoulder wrap. “Here.”

“Okay.” Krista looked dubious, but turned to change shirts. After she had the blouse on, Maya helped arrange the wrap.

“Hold on,” said Lacey. “Sit and I’ll do something with your hair.”

“No, Lace, I--”

“Sit.” Lacey pointed to the bed and Krista obeyed.

Maya watched as Lacey pulled most of Krista’s hair back into a French braid, leaving some loose strands around her face to soften the look.

“Put these on,” said Lacey, and handed her friend a pair of hoop earrings. “There, you look fantastic. You’ll knock his socks off, and if you don’t, he’s blind.”

“You think so?” Krista looked at her reflection, uncertain. She touched the earrings and a strand of hair as though not sure they were hers.

“Absolutely,” said Maya. “You look amazing, Long Cool.”

“Wait, what?” Lacey gave her a blank look and Maya explained the nickname from Charles.

“What about shoes?” Krista fretted. “I have these heels I got a while ago, but maybe I should wear flats.”

“Which ones do you like?” Lacey asked.

“The heels.” Krista pulled them out of her closet. The chunky heels were about three inches high, with silver accents on black straps. “They were on sale and I couldn’t resist.”

“Then wear them,” said Maya. “If you like them, if you like the way they make you feel when you wear them, then wear them.”

“Okay, okay.” Krista slipped into the heels. “We’d better go before I change my mind.”

“Hold on, I just need my sewing kit,” Maya said. She darted into her room, found the kit, shoved it in her bag, and caught up to the others as they waited by the door. “Okay, I’m ready.”

They piled into Krista’s car and drove to the club, lucking into a decent parking spot a couple of blocks away.

“I texted Toby,” said Krista. “He and the guys will meet us at the club. Guess Devlin’s coming too.”

“You okay, Maya?” Lacey asked as they walked.

“I guess so.” Maya took a breath and let it out slowly. “My imagination is starting to run away with me. What if the dress falls apart? On stage?”

“Not going to happen.” Krista smiled and put an arm around Maya’s shoulders. “It was fine at home. You need to think positively.”

Maya’s stomach was in knots when they met the men outside the club.

“Hey, guys,” said Krista.

“Hi.” Devlin looked her up and down; her heels made them equal in height. “You’re quite the Amazon tonight.”

“Thanks,” Krista said, sounding uncertain.

Maya frowned to herself; was that a compliment or not? Her feelings on Devlin did not improve.

“How are you doing?” Toby smiled at Maya and the knots in her stomach faded, replaced by a nervous excitement.

“I’m okay. Mostly.” She took a deep breath as he caught her hand in his. “Thanks for coming. I’m glad for the backup.”

“Wouldn’t miss it.” He skimmed his knuckles over her cheek.

“So how long do we stand here?” asked Devlin.

Maya thought he looked a little bored, but tried to rein in her judgment. Maybe he was uncomfortable and it came across as curt.

“Are you ready to go in?” Toby asked Maya.

“Yeah.” She nodded. “Charles, I mean, Trinity, said I should check in with the hostess and they’re saving a table for us.”

“Nice,” said Jackson. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a table reserved for me like that.” He grinned. “I feel like a VIP already.” He held out his arm for Lacey. “Shall we?”

She laughed and took his arm. “I’m ready. Let’s go.”

Maya tried to relax but her hands were trembling a little and she was grateful when Toby squeezed her hand and rubbed his thumb over the back.

Inside, Maya gave her name to the hostess, who took them to a large booth. They all slid in and Maya was amused that they’d divided into couples as though on autopilot.

“You okay?” Toby asked. He leaned down so she could hear him over the club noise, and his voice sent shivers down her spine. Nice shivers.

“Yeah, I’m just nervous. Can’t help it.” As he had done, Maya moved closer to him so he could hear.

“It’ll be great,” he said, and kissed her cheek.

They ordered drinks and chatted about the club, their days and general news. Maya mostly listened, not having a lot to contribute as the others segued into discussions about their shared past. She didn’t mind. It was interesting to listen to them, she was glad not to have to think of something to say, and Toby’s hand on hers was reassuring.

A server brought some appetizers but Maya couldn’t take the idea of eating anything. She shook her head when Toby asked if she wanted anything, and was relieved when he didn’t press her on it.

The lights went down, the music went up, and the announcer introduced Trinity Rose as the emcee for the evening. Maya grinned as Trinity strolled out on the stage, soaking up the applause.

“Looks incredible!” Toby said, almost shouting to be heard.

Krista and Lacey both gave her a thumbs up, Jackson reached over to give her shoulder a squeeze, and Maya relaxed a bit as the show began and the dress stayed in place. She was about to try some food when a man in jeans and t-shirt with the club logo on it came to the table. “Excuse me, I’m looking for Maya?”

“That’s me,” she said, feeling self-conscious as everyone looked at her.

“Roxxy asked if you could come backstage. She’s having a problem with her costume.”

“Um, sure.” Maya nodded and made sure she had her repair kit. “Excuse me, guys.” She followed the man back to the dressing area, where she found a distraught Roxxy pacing near her station.

“Maya! Thank fuck you’re here!” Roxxy hurried over and grabbed her hands. “Sweetie, I saw what you did for Trinity. It’s fucking terrific. Please, can you help me?” Roxxy stepped back and turned to reveal a large tear in her dress. “It caught on something and I am low on time.”

“Of course.” Maya nodded. Much like Krista, Roxxy towered over her and with the huge wig and elaborate dress and she should have been intimidating. Instead, Roxxy’s worry took the edge off, and she was just someone who needed some help.

“Thank you, little darlin’,” said Roxxy.

Maya smiled at her use of Charles’ nickname. “Let’s just come over here.” She took Roxxy to the side of the room and pulled out her kit.

“My god, look at you,” said Roxxy. “Do you travel with that everywhere?”

“The sewing kit? Not everywhere, but a lot of places,” Maya said. She glanced up and winked. “Never can tell when you might need it.”

Roxxy gave a full-throated laugh. “Ain’t that the goddamn truth.”

Maya fixed Roxxy’s dress to the queen’s profuse thanks, and started to follow the stagehand back to the table. As they went past the bar, she did a double take. She told the stagehand she could find her way from there, and walked over to the bar. She waited for a lull in the noise and then said, “Landon?”

“Yes? What can I get you?” he said before he’d fully turned around. His jaw dropped when he saw her.

“Landon? It’s me, Maya.”

The color drained from his face and Maya had never seen anyone look so terrified, especially of her.

“Maya.” His throat worked as he stared at her. “What the fuck.”

“Hey, it’s okay,” she said. “I just thought that was you and wanted to say hi. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Shit,” Landon said.

“Ooooh-kay.” Maya stepped back. “Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt you at work. I’ll go.”

She turned and found her way to the table, feeling her stepbrother’s eyes on her back all the way.

The others were laughing and applauding the act on stage, but Toby saw her approaching and stood to guide her back to the seat. She liked how he put an arm around her shoulder and tucked her next to him.

“How did it go?” he asked. His lips brushed her ear and she felt that shiver again.

“Good, I think. I hope. Roxxy had a tear in her dress, but I fixed it and I think she’s good now.”

Toby kissed her forehead. “Charles looked great, by the way.”

“He did, didn’t he?” She smiled. “But when he’s in costume, it’s Trinity. Just so you know.”

“Okay.” He nodded. “Good to know.”

“Who was that guy at the bar?” Krista leaned over. “He was cute.”

“Hey, I’m cute,” said Devlin.

“No one said you weren’t,” Krista said drily. “Did you know that guy, Maya?”

“He’s my stepbrother,” she said, still puzzling over finding him here, of all places.

“Get out, really?” asked Jackson. “Small world.”

“Apparently,” Maya agreed.

Jackson made a face. “I almost wish you’d seen my brother. At least then I’d know he had a job.”

Lacey patted his arm but didn’t say anything, and he nodded his thanks.

The music finished with a flourish as the current queen took her bow and left the stage. Maya yawned and leaned back against Toby, thinking it was almost comfortable enough to fall asleep if it weren’t for the noise. Now that the worry and stress were over, for better or worse, she was exhausted.

“You should eat,” Toby said. “I’m betting you haven’t eaten anything since, what, lunch? Pick something.” He signaled a server and Maya stared at a menu card, too tired to make sense of the menu. She ordered a glass of wine and something with chicken and covered another yawn, then settled back against Toby.

She perked up when the food came, making Toby laugh as she ended up eating almost the whole plate herself.

Maya checked the time and was surprised to see it was nearly midnight. “I’m not sure I can make it much longer,” she said to Toby.

“That’s fine, I think they must be almost done,” he said. He bent to be closer to her. “We can probably sneak out anytime. Still want to come back to my place?”

She smiled and nodded. “It’ll be my reward for all the hard work.” The thought of being alone with Toby, and seeing where those hot kisses might lead, had provided a welcome distraction over the course of the day.

The stagehand materialized again. “Maya? Trinity asked if you had time to come back. She said you should bring--” he checked his phone “--the strong, silent one, and um, Long Cool?”

Maya and Krista looked at each other and burst out laughing while everyone else looked confused.

“Come on,” Maya said and took Toby’s hand. “Let’s go.”

“I cannot keep track of all these names,” he said as he followed her. “And I’m the strong, silent one?”

“You’re not the chattiest guy,” Krista said.

“Thanks.” He gave his sister a wry look. “Do I even want to know how you came to be ‘Long Cool?’”

“Later,” Maya cut in. “Come on.” This time she pulled on Toby’s hand to hurry him along. The sooner they spoke with Trinity, the sooner they could get back to his place.

Toby glanced over at Maya in the passenger seat as he pulled into his driveway. Her eyes were closed and he took a moment to study her. She’d turned towards the window, and her dark hair fell in a sleek line down to her shoulder, exposing her neck. He imagined kissing her neck and finding the point that would make her gasp and shake in his arms.

Get a hold of yourself, he thought, and cleared his throat. Maya’s eyes blinked open at the sound.

“Wow, we’re here.” She rubbed her eyes. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

“Am I going to have to carry you in?” he teased.

“You are the strong, silent one,” she said with a chuckle, then shook her head. “No, I think I can manage.”

He kept an arm around her as they walked inside.

“This is nice,” she said.

His place was plain, but functional. There was a couch and a couple of chairs in the living room, a table with chairs in the kitchen, and a couple of shelf units with odds and ends. It wasn’t exactly made to impress.

“It’s livable,” he said. He frowned. “I’m sorry it’s not much.”

“I don’t care,” said Maya. “And at least you have curtains on the windows. I’ve known guys who’ve tacked up sheets or blankets, so you’re a step ahead there.”

“Sheets and blankets for curtains? So you’ve been to Jackson’s place,” he said.

Maya laughed. “Oh, no, really?”

“No, not really.” Toby shook his head and smiled. “He’s probably more organized than I am when it comes to decorating. I don’t know, I just don’t feel the need for a lot of stuff. We moved a few times when Krista and I were little, because Dad was in the military, and then we were back and forth for parental visits.” He shrugged. “I guess it was just easier to have less stuff.”

Maya took his hand. “Toby, I don’t care what your place looks like. I’m just glad to be here with you.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She smiled.

He relaxed and returned the smile, sliding his arms around her and pulling her against him. “Sorry. I guess you make me nervous.”

“You’ve got to be kidding.” Maya raised an eyebrow. “That’s twice in one night. I don’t scare people. I’m the one who gets scared.”

“Maybe.” He leaned down and kissed her, taking his time and savoring the feel of her. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back. He gave in to temptation and moved from her lips to her neck, brushing his lips over her smooth skin.

Curious, Toby sought the spot he was certain was there. He grazed his teeth over her neck, soothing it with his tongue afterwards, and at last was rewarded when she gasped and jolted in his arms. Not wanting to overwhelm her, he pulled back.

“Did I scare you?” he asked, keeping her close.

Maya shook her head. He felt her heart racing, and her eyes were wide and bright now.

“Good.” He ran a finger along her jaw. “It’s the last thing I want to do.”

Maya bit her lip and looked up at him from under dark lashes. “What’s the first thing?”

He made a noise between a laugh and a groan. “That could take a while to answer.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Jesus, Maya, you are making it hard to keep control.” The first thing, the only thing, that he wanted to do was get her upstairs and explore every inch of her body, and let her explore his.

She shifted against him and gave an impish smile as he inhaled sharply. “So I see,” she said.

Toby managed a laugh. “You are something.” He kissed her again, more urgently this time.

“Oh, yes? What am I?” Maya tilted her head to give better access to her neck.

“Beautiful. Talented. Sexy.” He punctuated each word with a kiss, landing on the sensitive spot at the curve of her neck. She moaned and shivered in his arms, and he couldn’t help but feel some smug satisfaction.

“I want to take you upstairs,” Toby said, his voice hoarse. He kissed her again.

She returned the kiss with matching fervor. “Let’s go.”

He didn’t need to be told twice. “Come on.”

They hurried up, laughing as they tried to navigate the stairs while staying as close together as possible. When Maya reached the hallway and was level with him, Toby stood on the step below and cupped her face for a deep, thorough kiss.

Maya gave a shaky laugh. “You’re really good at that.”

“You’re not so bad yourself.”

“I don’t know, I haven’t--” Maya shook her head and averted her eyes. “It’s been a while.”

“Hey.” Toby kept his hands in place so that she had to look at him. “Are you okay with this? I want you to be, but if he’s in your head, I don’t--” He stopped, afraid he’d sound angry. He took a deep breath and met her eyes. “I want to be the only one you’re thinking about when we’re together.” He kissed her as though he could chase any bad thoughts away.

She sighed against him and draped her arms around his neck. “You’re really trying, aren’t you? To not be so scary?” she asked with a soft smile.

“I am, but if we discuss it any more, I’ll end up thinking of Jackson, and I’d really rather not.”

Maya laughed, low and sexy like he hadn’t heard before, and the sound shot through him. He hoped to hear that sound again, a lot.

“Bedroom?” he asked when they reached the top of the steps.

“Bedroom, absolutely.”

“Thank god.” Toby wrapped his arms around her and lifted her so that her lips were even with his. He kissed her, his tongue diving into her mouth. She moaned and grasped his shoulders while wrapping her legs around his waist. He felt the heat of her through his clothes and couldn’t wait to sink into it.

In the bedroom, he set her down, making an appreciative noise as she slid over his cock, which was hard and throbbing beneath his jeans. He wanted nothing more than for both of them get rid of their clothes and fall onto the bed, but Maya deserved more than that.

He took off his shirt and reached down to do the same to her but she put her hands on his arms and stared at his tattoos. She traced some of the designs with her fingertip, and he thought his skin would sizzle from the heat he felt.

“How do you do it?” she asked.

“Do what?”

“I don’t know. All of it.” She ran a hand down his arm. “Design it. Plan it. Sit still for it.” She bit her lip. “Not pass out at the needle.”

Toby laughed and took her hands. “I don’t know. I’ve been doing it for so long I don’t think about it.”

She sighed. “I’m probably going to look so boring.”

He tipped her chin up. “You will never look boring. Never.”

He distracted her with a kiss while he worked the hem of her shirt up, then stood back and pulled it off. No, she wasn’t boring. In the dim light, her skin almost glowed, especially as it contrasted with the dark bra she wore.

“Nope,” Toby said, “not boring.” He sat on the bed and drew her to him for a kiss as he worked to release the catch on her bra.

She pulled it off herself, not stopping the kiss, but he put his hands on her arms and gently pushed her back. He slid his palms up to her shoulders and down over her breasts, loving the feel of her nipples as they pebbled beneath his touch. He took one nipple in his mouth and rolled the other one between his finger and thumb.

Maya inhaled sharply and dropped her head back. “Oh, my god. That feels so good.”

She let out a small cry when he bit down gently and his control weakened a little more. He turned his face up to capture her lips and she complied, wrapping her arms around him. Trying not to be too rough, he worked her jeans off along with everything underneath. Maya reached down to do the same for him, but his seated position made it awkward, so he stood to speed the process.

Once they’d shed their clothes, her hands drifted over his chest. Here and there she traced designs as she had on his arms, and it was an effort to be still and let her. When one of her fingernails dragged over his nipple he couldn’t take it anymore. He hauled her to him and kissed her deeply, keeping her against him as they dropped to the bed.

He tightened his grip on her, as though afraid she’d leave, and moved to her neck again to find that spot. She trembled when his tongue drifted over it and he clamped his mouth at the point, sucking and running his tongue over the sensitive area. When she made a noise, he pulled back. Looking down, he saw a red mark on her neck. Christ, what was wrong with him.

“Are you all right?” he asked. He was breathing hard and tried to relax. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“You didn’t.” She shook her head and ran a hand through his hair. “Really.” She smiled. “Toby, I won’t break. I like what you’re doing.”

“Are you sure?”

Her cheeks reddened as she reached for his hand and placed it between her legs. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure.”

Toby let out a satisfied growl as his fingers explored her sex, which was wet, hot, and slick. “I want to do a lot of things,” he said, brushing his lips over hers. “But I’m not sure I can wait.” He slipped two fingers inside and watched as her eyes fluttered closed.

Maya tunneled the fingers of one hand into his hair, pulling him down for a needy, searing kiss. He obliged, keeping up a steady rhythm with his fingers, and rubbing his thumb over the sensitive nerves at her center. She twisted under him, nipping at his lip as her breath came in short gasps.

“Yes, oh, please, yes,” she panted.

“Maya,” he murmured. He liked the way her name sounded. “I’ve got you. Come for me. I want you to.” He realized his hips were moving in time with hers, his cock sliding along the silky skin of her thigh. Damn, he wanted to be inside her, but first he wanted her to come.

Toby lowered his head to her neck and flicked his tongue over the curve at the same time he rubbed his thumb over her clit. Maya tensed and then threw her head back with a cry as her body trembled. Toby found her lips and swallowed her whimpers until she grabbed his wrist to stop him.

“Good?” he asked.

“Amazing,” she said in a breathy voice. She hooked one leg around his waist. “We’re not done, are we?”

“Fuck, no.” Toby reached for a condom and once it was on, stretched out over her body.