Page 9 of Forgiveness
CHAPTER FIVE
Maggie
“Do you wantto go somewhere else?” Maggie licked her lips, unable to draw her attention away from Flux, but all too aware of Chet behind his shoulder. “I think I’ve had enough of this place for the night.”
The last thing she needed was the gossip or anymore alcohol in her system, and if they stayed any longer, she might do something she’d regret.
“Yeah, sure. Whatever makes you comfortable, Duchess.” A slow grin lit up Flux’s face as if he was sure he was going to get lucky.
“It’s Maggie, by the way.” She slapped her hand on the bar behind her back to signal to Sadie that she was heading out for the night and needed her check. “I have just the place in mind. We’ll take my truck.”
“Well then, I guess you’re in charge,Duchess.” Flux’s hand pressed into her lower back and nearly took her breath away.
She moved to the side and he dropped it. “Why do you keep calling me that?” It wasn’t as if she hated the moniker or anything, and it wasn’t the worst thing she’d ever been called, “Duchess” was actually kind of cute—it was only alarming whenhesaid it, because the single word held so much more intimacy than her real name.
“It’s the way you carry yourself. You’re regal and you don’t take shit from anyone.”
Maggie bit her lower lip and watched as Flux’s chest expanded the smallest bit.
“You ready to cash out? It’s an early night for you,” Sadie said behind her.
Maggie tried to swivel around to pay the tab. “Uh … I think you have to move …” Her eyes flicked down to her legs and up at Flux who was between them. “Do you mind?”
“What’s the magic word, Duchess? Come on, don’t act like you weren’t raised with manners.” His eyes gleamed.
Maggie blushed crimson and inwardly cursed herself for it. She never liked being so transparent and vulnerable when she was embarrassed, and the way Flux dragged those emotions out of her without doing much at all didn’t make handling her reactions any easier.
“Well, one of you has to move or, at the very least, slide a piece of plastic my way,” Sadie said.
“Please, Flux.” Maggie noticed the way his eyes lit up and then smoldered when she spoke his name. “I need you to work with me here, otherwise consider my offer rescinded.”
He took two slow, deliberate steps backward. The breathing room was immediate, though she hadn’t noticed how cold it was in the bar until his warmth was gone.
With his gaze still locked on hers Flux took out his wallet, but Maggie pushed his hand away. “You don’t need to pay my tab.”
“I know that, but I want to.” He waved the bills at Sadie. The bartender looked from Maggie to Flux then back to Maggie.
“I don’t feel comfortable with you paying my tab.” Maggie took out a credit card and slid it toward Sadie.
Flux reached out and snagged it. “It’s just a fuckin’ tab, Duchess. It doesn’t mean we’ll be joined at the hip.”
The dark look he threw at Maggie took all the argument out of her. “Fine,” she muttered as she slipped the credit card back into her wallet. She slid off the stool, making sure to keep her attention on Flux and the door rather than Chet and the jackasses behind her, who were making a bunch of rowdy noise again.
Before she could take a step, Flux’s warm palm rested against her lower back, where her top was riding up, as he steered them both toward the door. His touch pulsed along her nerve endings and sent the butterflies in her stomach reeling. When they were halfway to the door, he leaned down as they walked and his lips lightly brushed her earlobe. His warm breath tickling across her flesh nearly made Maggie lose her footing.
“I didn’t tell you yet how pretty you look. I like the way your clothes hug your curves.”
“Thanks?”
He chuckled. “And thank you for not making a scene at the bar when I paid. You played nice, Duchess. I can’t wait to reward you.”
“What? Like a Border collie?” She stopped right before the entrance and squared off with him.
“No … that’s not exactly what I had in mind.” Flux played it cool, although she noted the small bit of hesitation as he looked to the double doors and back again. “If I make you uncomfortable, you can go at any time. We’re taking your transportation, remember?”
With her nerves settling down a bit, Maggie nodded. Flux was right. If anything happened that she didn’t like, all she had to do was kick him out on his ass, put her foot to the gas and floor it out of there.He’s not like Chet.
Her eyes darted around, then landed on his. “Just so we’re clear, what are your expectations?”
