Turning, I gestured towards the sofa. “Have a seat. That’s why I like to open the windows after the heat cools a bit.”
Mari sat near the corner of the sectional, tucking her foot under her knee. Much as I wanted to sit immediately beside her, I kept a full cushion between us as I sat near the other end of the coffee table and reached for my wine. I nudged my chin toward the other glass. “Help yourself.”
Mari lifted it and took a swallow. My eyes were immediately drawn to where she slid her tongue over the rim of the glass before lowering it. “Oh, that’s delicious. What kind of wine is it? I freely admit to not being a wine connoisseur.”
“I’m not either. I get whatever the place right down the street from my office building recommends. This is a Pinot Grigio. Tom, the owner, promised me it was delicious,” I said with a shrug and a grin.
“I’d say Tom was right.” Mari’s eyes scanned the room. “This is a gorgeous space. Very mellow and not ostentatious at all.”
“Did you expect it to be ostentatious?” I teased.
“Well, maybe. You are quite wealthy, so the rumors say.”
“Money doesn’t change who I am. Sure, I wanted a nice place and a good piece of property. But more than anything, I wanted it to be comfortable.”
Mari smoothed her hand over the sofa cushion between us, her mouth curling in a slow smile. “It’s definitely comfortable.”
“So, tell me about today.”
Mari updated me on her meeting with Gabby and her other stops. When I asked what other stories she did, she commented, “I do a bit of everything. Like I explained, I kind of ended up with this job by happenstance. I do enjoy it. It’s flexible. The pay isn’t the best, but at least I’m not freelancing, and I have benefits. Max would love it if I worked for him.” Mari paused to sip her wine, holding it up to the light and spinning the glass between her fingers. “I don’t really want to work for Max. I love him, but he can be overbearing.”
“He’s your older brother. I’m sure he doesn’t mean to be overbearing, although I can imagine it feels that way to you.”
Mari laughed softly.
“Do you think you’ll keep doing what you’re doing?”
Mari sipped her wine as she regarded me before lowering her glass. “For now, but not forever. At the moment, as you well know, I’ve got more than enough going on. Maybe once I can resolve this mess and figure out where I want to be, I’ll consider other options. Meanwhile, I’ll stick with it. Did you ever consider leaving New Orleans?” she asked, shifting the focus to me.
I shook my head. “No. I enjoy traveling, but this is home for me.”
“It’s certainly lovely. Where Max and I grew up is gorgeous too. Totally different, of course. In western Pennsylvania, it’s mountains, rolling hills, and the like. My parents don’t intend to stay there much longer, so there was never a draw for me to move back after college. Maybe because our hometown was so small? I don’t know.”
I wanted to ask Mari to consider staying here in Louisiana, which was fucking insane.
There was a sudden motion outside one of the windows. Mari jumped like a startled doe. The doorbell rang, and I stood to cross the room to the front door. One of the security guys stepped through. “What is it, Darrell?”
“Nothing to be concerned about. Just some motion in the back. I’m guessing it’s a deer. If you don’t mind, I think it would be best to keep the windows closed once you go to bed,” he suggested.
“Of course. Makes sense. Thanks.”
Darrell stepped back outside, and I returned to the living room. Mari was perched on the edge of the sofa.
“Nothing to worry about. Just a deer out back,” I said. Star had stood and was pacing back and forth in front of the windows. “She might bark, but only if the deer lingers in the yard.”
When I sat down beside her again, Mari sank back into the cushions with a sigh. “God, I hate this. I would like to forget I need to worry about anything.”
Without thinking, I slipped my arm across her shoulders. It was a reflex, an instinct born out of protectiveness. “It’s gonna be fine. I hadn’t updated you yet today. I had contact with the man who runs the business where Brett foolishly took out a loan. He understands you had nothing to do with this situation, but he doesn’t intend to back off of Brett.”
Mari’s eyes widened again, her mouth twisting to the side in a frown. “I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but how the hell do we help Brett get out of this mess?”
“That’s what I’m going to talk to Max about tomorrow. I want to keep security in place because we’re not exactly dealing with people who operate on the straight and narrow. I don’t want to create the impression that if they go after someone who matters to me, they’ll get money. I’ll chat with Max and sort out a plan. Meanwhile, I’m planning to go to the police station tomorrow and talk to someone I know at the precinct.”
I could feel the fine tremor running through Mari and shifted my hand to move up and down her back in a slow pass. “You’re gonna be fine. We’ll figure this out.”
Mari turned to look at me and gave a sharp nod before taking a shaky breath. “I just want to forget all of this. I feel like my life has been turned upside down and inside out. All because I dated a man who’s an idiot and an asshole.”
“It’ll be okay.”
Mari held my gaze, and something shifted in the air. The air around us felt heavy, and I became acutely aware of her closeness. I told myself I wasn’t going to make a move. However, it was taking an enormous amount of willpower to hold myself in check. My need for Mari was a living, breathing force in my body. I felt coiled tight, like a spring compressed within a tiny space.
All of my restraint went up in smoke the moment Mari leaned forward and pressed a kiss—hot and gentle—on the underside of my jaw. My heart flipped in my chest, and I held myself still. “Mari?”
“I want to forget everything for a little while,” she whispered, her voice husky. “You can make me do that.”
As though it were a horse bolting from the gate, need claimed me and I tugged her onto my lap. Mari didn’t hesitate, sliding her hand around my neck while she pressed more kisses along my jawline before she found my mouth.
I meant to take control of the moment, but it was impossible. With her tongue teasing mine, and her hand skimming down my chest between us to cup my rigid arousal, my control escaped me.
“Mari,” I choked out when her lips drew back from mine before she nipped the side of my neck.
“I’ve got this,” she teased as she shimmied off my lap.
In a few fiery seconds, she had flicked open my jeans and reached in to draw my cock out. I was already so hard, it almost hurt when my cock bounced free.
She made this humming sound in her throat. When her eyes lifted to ensnare mine, her naughty grin sent another jolt of fierce desire through me. She rubbed her thumb across the tip, where I could feel the slick moisture of pre-cum sliding over my cock head. “I love that you’re this turned on,” she murmured.
“It’s you, baby,” I nearly growled when she curled her palm around my cock, using the pre-cum to glide her hand up and down my shaft.